Peyton and Snowball Cookies

Our son and his family, along with my Mom and my brother, came to our home for Thanksgiving this year. Saturday evening, after a dinner of pizza, our son and daughter-in-love went to a hockey game leaving our grandchildren with us. We were thrilled with the opportunity of having one-on-one time with them. My three year-old granddaughter loves to help in the kitchen and since we aren't together nearly often enough, I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass by. We headed to the kitchen as soon as the baby was settled, and began our project. Peyton called these cookies Snowball Cookies. You and I know them as Russian Teacakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes. The recipe is simple, but so messy, so for her to call them snowballs fit in with the "snow", powdered sugar, that was everywhere. After we were done and the cookies were cooled, I let Peyton choose a cookie tin from my collection so we could make a gift for her parents. I then got out some Christmas note cards and she chose one to sign for them. She was so excited about the gift we made for Mommy and Daddy, and Grandma was thrilled to have had the opportunity to make a Thanksgiving memory with her granddaughter. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
additional powdered sugar for dipping

1. In a large mixer bowl, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla.
2. While mixer is running on low speed, slowly add flour and salt; mix until completely blended. Stir in nuts.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1-inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. These cookies do not spread while baking.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.
6. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while hot, cool completely on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll again in powdered sugar.

Yield: about 40 cookies

Chunky Apple Spice Cake with Vanilla Butter Sauce

A few weeks back I was thumbing through an old Taste of Home Cooking School Magazine and I came upon this apple cake recipe. The recipe  sounded so good for a Fall meal with the apples, pumpkin pie spice and allspice baked into an easy single layer cake and then topped with a warm, buttery, vanilla sauce. Thankfully, my family agreed as I made it for our Thanksgiving Eve meal together. We added the whipped cream and made it even a bit better, in our opinions. Our three year-old granddaughter agreed, which touched this grandma's heart. You know how little ones can be picky? Well, there was none of that with ham and apple cake for this meal. Blessings...

Recipe:  

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith or Gala apples (I used Galas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
Whipped cream, if desired

Vanilla Butter Sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsps. vanilla extract

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until blended. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, allspice and salt in another bowl. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in apples and nuts.
3. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

To prepare sauce:

1. Combine butter, whipping cream and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
3. Serve cake warm with sauce and whipped cream. Yummy!

Serves: 9

Pork and Lentil Cassoulet

This is a very hearty and easy recipe for the slow cooker that I adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe.

Recipe:

1 lb. pork shoulder (I use inexpensive pork shoulder steak)
1 cup chopped onion
2 small, or 1 large, cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps. olive oil
2-1/2 cups beef broth
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
2  ribs celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1-1/2 tsps. Bouquet Garni
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper

1. Trim fat from pork and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large nonstick skillet brown pork in olive oil. Add to slow cooker.
2. Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook for 1 minute; add to slow cooker.
3. Add broth, undrained tomatoes, carrots, celery, lentils, Bouquet Garni, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Stir well; cover and cook on high heat for 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours (8 hours or more if cooking on low setting).
Check carrots, celery and lentils for tenderness.

Yield: 6 servings
Note: I serve this cassoulet over rice

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you! I pray that your celebration will be filled with wonderful times of memory making with your loved ones, and of course, good food. In the crazy busyness of the day, remember people come first. No one will notice the dust on the tables or crumbs on the floor, but they will remember whether or not they felt welcomed, loved and cared for. Blessings...

Pumpkin Pie - a Great Tradition

Pumpkin pie is a favorite tradition in our family for Thanksgiving dinner. This is so much so, that one year when I didn't make one, my son let me know that it wasn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I made a Chocolate Silk pie that year, which my daughter-in-law was really happy about because she isn't crazy about pumpkin. I learned a bunch that year! My husband's favorite is mince pie, but I'll save that for another time.

This year I decided to try cooking a pie pumpkin to see how it compared to the stuff in the can. My husband and I really liked the flavor. The texture is a tiny bit softer, but still very good. You can see from the picture that it certainly looks good. The big issue is the time involved in prepping a fresh pumpkin versus opening a can. I would do it again, if time allowed. The test is going to be what my son thinks of his pie when dessert is served on Thanksgiving.

This favorite recipe comes from Marlene Sorosky's cookbook entitled, "Season's Greetings". Blessings...

Recipe:

1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust or 10-inch pie crust
3 large eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/4 cups evaporated milk (from a 12-oz. can)
1 cup whipping cream whipped with 2 tbsps. powdered sugar, if desired.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs for a minute.
3. Add the pumpkin, sugars and spices and beat until mixed well. Scrape sides of bowl down and mix a bit more. Gently mix in the evaporated milk.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared shell. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Check the pie crust after 45 minutes to make sure that it doesn't get too brown. If it is browning too much, cover the crust with foil or a crust protector. The one I have is aluminum and is a life saver.
Tip: If you need a pie crust recipe, check the labels for Marlene Sorosky's recipe. I've been using this recipe for years with very good luck.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

My husband is always looking for new chocolate recipes for me to prepare and with that thought in mind, he discovered this recipe in the AAA VIA magazine for Idaho. This particular issue is the November and December 2012 issue and the recipe comes from the Pearl Bakery in Portland, Oregon.
This recipe is a little more work than the traditional Toll House cookie recipe, but it is really worth the extra effort. We think the addition of fresh orange zest with the chocolate chunks makes this recipe a keeper. When the cookies are warmed in the microwave for 15 seconds they are so rich and gooey; a real taste treat for the family. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated, about 2 tsps.
1 large egg
2 tsps. vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted (I broke them into smaller pieces after toasting)
2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Blend on low speed until thoroughly mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice, as needed. The batter will be stiff.
4. Use a large spoon to stir in the pecans and chocolate chunks.
5. Divide the dough into 1/4-cup measurements. Space the dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten them slightly. Chill for 15 minutes. (The chilling helps prevent flat cookies.)
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies until they just start to turn golden brown and are still a little soft in the center, 15 - 20 minutes. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or two, then remove them to wire racks to cool.

Serves: 21 (they are large cookies and I figured them to be 295 calories each. A dessert per cookie!)

Cranberry Cobbler

With Thanksgiving coming, fresh cranberries are now in the market in abundance. These tart little berries make for a wonderful dessert when they are cooked with other fruit, brown sugar and spices, and then are topped with a biscuit and served warm with vanilla ice cream. A perfect Fall dessert! Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1/2 cup milk
Sugar

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2. In another bowl, combine the biscuit mix and milk. Drop 6 spoonfuls of dough on top of fruit. Lightly sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until dough is golden brown and no longer "doughy" on the bottom. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Serves: 6

Porcupine Meatballs

This recipe for meatballs is one of my favorites. As the meatballs simmer and cook in the tomato sauce, the rice pokes out of the meatballs like porcupine needles, hence the name. Why not try this easy skillet meal for your family soon, it just may become one of your favorites, as well. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped onion
    1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
    1 lb. lean ground beef
      oil for browning
    1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
    1 cup water
    2 tbsps. brown sugar
    2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce

1. In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-inch balls.
2. In a large skillet, brown meatballs in oil; drain.
3. Combine sauce ingredients; pour over meatballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Zesty Buttered Peas

If you are like me, and are always on the lookout for new recipes for vegetables, this one might be helpful. This recipe takes a package of frozen peas and turns them into a very nice side dish with the addition of some onion, celery and savory. Savory is an herb that isn't very well known, but I think it is worth getting familiar with. I love it.
I hope you will give this recipe a try for your next meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 tbsps. butter
1  pkg. (10 ozs.) frozen peas, thawed
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced fresh savory or 1-1/2 tsps. dried savory
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan; add the next five ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Yield: 6 servings

Pork Chops Ole'

Recipes that go together in a casserole dish and then are popped in the oven for an hour or so, are so easy on the cook, especially at the end of a busy day. These tender pork chops on a bed of Mexican-style rice only need a salad or vegetable to complete the meal.

When you gather at the table for the evening meal with your family, these ancient words from Proverbs 25:11 are still fitting: "A right word spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver". Kind words and polite conversation are still excellent for the strength of the family and the health of the body. Blessings...

Recipe:

6 loin pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
oil for browning
Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1-1/2 cups water
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tbsps. taco seasoning mix, about 1/2 pkg.
1/2 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil; sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine rice, water, tomato sauce and taco seasoning in baking dish.
3. Arrange chops on rice.
4. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until pork chops are tender.
5. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese; place in oven for a minute or two to melt cheese.

Serves: 6
Note: I've substituted 1 cup salsa for the tomato sauce and omitted the taco seasoning with very good success.