Anybody have any special holiday recipes to share?

[becsflowers]

It's that time of the year... time to get the holiday recipe thread cooking! I had to drag up this fabulous thread and give it CPR.... let's add some wonderful, NEW, fall and holiday recipes to it!
Edited just now, in Oct. 2008- (first started in Dec '04!)



I am in search of recipes for delicious (but not all GOOD recipes have to necessarily be good FOR you) recipes that can be fixed for holiday parties, supper for a busy family, etc.

Also any special main dish casserole type dishes that can be prepared ahead, frozen, and then cooked up when ol' Ma is TIRED and don't feel like cookin'!

I am starting this thread and asking for help to compile a nice assortment of recipes to put together to give to my kids for Christmas, as I am still convinced "home cooked" from SCRATCH is MUCH easier on the family pocketbook than "home cooked" out of a box or kit... at least if it may NOT be less expensive than something in a box, at least it could TASTE better...LOL!!!

I gave the girls nice recipe binders (empty) last Christmas, and it has come to my attention that they don't cook much WITHOUT recipes. (I honestly don't know about this generation, I hardly use recipes unless it is a cake or cookies or something. Everything else is a crap shoot...)LOL!!!

Anybody who would like to donate a recipe here on Geekfest and would like credit for themselves or their granny, even their Geekfest name, just say so, I'll be glad to add your name on the recipe.

Thanks! I'll start by posting one of our family favorite recipes for Taco Soup below. Cut n paste wherever you like.

************************

Becsflower's Taco Soup
This recipe makes 3 ½ quarts


1 pound ground chuck
1 large onion, chopped
3 (15 ½ ounce) cans Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
1 (15 ¼ ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ½ ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (1 ¼ ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) envelope Ranch-style (Hidden Valley) dressing mix
1 ½ cups water

Toppings: Corn chips, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese


1. Cook beef and onions in a Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is browned and onions are tender, stirring until meat crumbles; drain.

2. Stir beans and next 7 ingredients into beef mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon soup into bowls; top with desired toppings.

[moontoo]

White Chili
White Chili

Vegetable cooking spray
1 ½ cups chopped onion 1 minced garlic clove, about 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
½ to 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1-tablespoon flour
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken beasts, cubed...I cut them in chunks while still frozen
2 15 ounce cans any white beans
1 14-½ ounce fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon EACH: Dried oregano, ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and white pepper to taste

Spray large saucepan with vegetable oil spray, heat over medium heat until hot. Add onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno, cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, cover and cook until mushrooms wilt, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour cook 1 minute.

Add chicken, beans, broth and herbs; heat to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6 servings
295 calories, 3 g fat

[PMilam]

If you like hominy, you could try using that instead of the corn. Craig and I both like it better than yellow corn. I pick up some dried hominy on trips to the west. Cook it pretty much like a pot of beans.. however yo mamma used to make.

[PMilam]

The best sweet side dish I've ever eaten. It's become our standard for holiday meals.

Anita Taylors Cranberry salad
8 oz. cream cheese
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS mayo
1 can whole cranberries
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
4 oz Cool Whip (I know, not on my diet, it's a holiday!)
1 cup of chopped nuts

This make enough for 6... good sized portions.

[This message has been edited by PMilam (edited 12-07-2004).]

[moontoo]

Corn Dip

1 cup of Hellmans
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of mexican corn drained
1 can of chopped green chilies
1 bunch or less of chopped green onions, stems and all
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
cayane pepper to taste
Fritos

Mix together and serve with Fritos.

[PMilam]

If you copied the cranberry receipe, go back.
I left out a key ingredient!

[becsflowers]

White House Sugar Cookie Recipe
from the Good Morning America web site

makes 2-3 dozen, depending on how big your cookie cutters are.


Cookie Dough Ingredients

1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter, soft, unsalted
2 large eggs
1 tsp. of vanilla
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of baking powder

Icing Ingredients

2 egg whites (from large eggs)
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
liquid food color, as desired

Method — Cookie Dough:


1. Combine sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes with an electric mixer and paddle attachment.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and blend.
3. Sift flour, salt and baking powder and add. Mix until a dough forms.
4. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least two hours or overnight before using.
5. Roll on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" thick. Cut out desired Chirstmas shapes like, bells, santas, snowmen, stars, candy canes and etc.
6. Place cookies on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper or grease baking tray if no paper is avaliable.
7. Baking: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Baking times depend on the oven. Rotate baking tray halfway through the baking time. Do not over-bake or cookies will get too hard. These cookies should be soft.
8. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.

Method — Icing:

1. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Sift powdered sugar. Gradually add sugar as mixer is running on low speed. May require a little more or less sugar depending on size of egg whites used.
3. Add lemon juice and vanilla and blend well.
4. Divide icing into small bowls and color as desired.
5. Decorate cookies as you wish.


Note: For a quick way to decorate cookies without using the icing, brush cookies with a slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle cookies with colored sugar(s) before baking.

*************************************
This is why MY cookies should be MORE FAMOUS than the White House Cookies:

I use SALTED butter in the dough recipe.

I, personally, like to use a buttercreme icing recipe, by altering the above icing recipe to ADD 1/2 cup of REAL BUTTER and additional flavorings. I beat the egg whites to a merangue, and add half the powdered sugar, beating in real good, then half the butter, and so forth, till sugar and butter are all beat in. Add more powdered sugar IF you need to, by the heaping spoon full, until it is the consistancy you desire, I also add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract.

This recipe makes a smooth icing that will 'firm up' but not get cement hard like just egg whites and powdered sugar.

This icing can be spread or piped on from a decorator's tube, food coloring added is optional. Any additional decorations can be sprinkled on before the icing 'sets up'.

Also, for FOOD SAFETY, I use powdered egg whites, made by Wilton and available for purchase wherever Wilton Products are sold. Direrctions for measuring out the correct ammounts are in the can.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
(we won't get into the politics of food safety in the Whitehouse http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/eek.gif on this thread; go to the archives and dig up my Ralph Nader threads for that purpose please. This one is STRICTLY recipes...)LOL!!!

(this recipe re-edited to eliminate large spaces between lines...)


[This message has been edited by becsflowers (edited 12-07-2004).]

[becsflowers]

Becsflower's OWN Suthern Fried Green Beans

This makes a BIG mess o beans. If you ain't HAD beans like these since you wuz a kid, double this recipe, EVERYBODY goes back fer seconds, and they're BETTER 'left-over' than they is 'fresh'!
Made ahead of time and warmed up on your dinner day, this is a REAL timesaver. Can be kept 5 days in the frige, (if nobody's home to eat 'em up before then.)
*****************************
You need:
1 slab of bacon (12 or 16 oz, can't really tell the difference after they're cooked.)
1 BIG onion (the ones that make your eyes hurt are the best.)
6 cans green beans (now you know why I buy 'em by the CASE when they're 3/$1.00.)

"Plain label" green beans work WONDERFULLY for this recipe, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE IN TASTE, I PROMISE! (the ONLY difference I can tell is that ya may have to pick a few 'stem ends' out of the beans- I find three or four TOTAL in 6 cans of store-brand beans)

Now, do this:

1.Drain all green beans in large collander (or jest hold yer fangers over the can an' drain 'em in the sank)
2.While they're drainin', cut whole pack of bacon into 1" pieces, fry em up CRISP and golden (but not TOO golden, just TILL crisp) in a BIG skillet.
3.Add 1 BIG chopped up onion. Onion can be diced (1/4") or in bigger 1" chunks.

Smaller 1/4" pieces are hardly 'visible' after fryin'. If you have "picky" eaters who won't TOUCH anything with onion, dice this size. What they don't see, they'll never know they ate. (Old resturant trick- don't ya watch 60 minutes?)

Continue to stir onion and bacon JUST a couple minutes, till all onion is mixed real good with the bacon.

Do NOT drain the grease.

***Add the 6 cans of drained green beans. Sprinkle with salt LIGHTLY, as the bacon and canned beans have plenty of salt already in it- but pepper the HECK out of the skilletfull. Stir the skillet GOOD, I use a hamburger flipper.
***Stir fry on HIGH HEAT- Do NOT leave the stove UNATTENDED for ANY reason.
***Stir every 2-3 minutes,until the natural,extra liquid from the onion and beans cook out to an extent. The beans will start to "brown" a bit. This slight "browning" is a GOOD THING. But you don't want to BURN them.
***It is at THIS point that you can turn the heat down to med high or just medium, but you will have to stir the beans CONSTANTLY to achieve "slight browning" without burning.
***If left ALONE, they WILL burn and you will RUIN them.

You will notice how the beans, when fried, shrink up some. This is NORMAL, because of natural 'evaporation'.
This is how green beans USED to taste when you were a kid and you SWORE your Ma cooked 'em ALL DAY to get 'em like that. (She probably DID cook 'em all day.)

However, these really ARE easier to cook than it seems; it don't take a rocket scientist to cook a green bean till it browns slightly.
It also don't take a rocket scientist to BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, so DON'T leave yer stove while cookin' these. The high heat is neccessary, at first, to get the beans evaporated quickly, THEN, after they start to brown, you can turn the heat down to med-high or just medium.
Enjoy. You will NEVER feel the same about a plain green bean again. EVER. I SWEAR.

It also adds to the "mood" of yer gatherin', if you AIN'T naturally "Southern", to talk jes' like this when fixin' these beans. But ONLY when yer cookin' the BEANS, otherwise, yer family might feel the need to "hospitalize" ya fer a short spell,(or jes' till the next meal,)after desert...LOL!!!

[becsflowers]

COME ON, EVERYBODY! I KNOW all you "festers" don't ALL eat out....

I'm parting with MY secret recipes like there is no tomorrow...here's one for:
****************************************
Bec's Baked Cheesy Hashbrowns
makes a cake pan FULL to the top - use a lasagne pan or maybe 2 cakepans if desired.


1 bag Or-Ida frozen hashbrown shreads
1/2 stick butter
1 can creme of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 bunch green onions, chopped, green and all, (grown in the USA, NOT China. If unavailable, use 1/2 cup regular diced onion)
1 large carton sour cream
1/2 cup shreaded aged provelone cheese
1 cup shreaded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 1 hour. remove foil cover and continue till browned on top, about 15 more minutes.

******************************
The above is another of my own creations. It CAN be altered to your OWN tastes, or grocery availabilities in your own pantry, creating a wonderful dish that you can be proud to call YOUR own! You can also 'choose' to leave out ingredients you feel are in excess of fat/calories, or too costly on your food budget.This is another "no-brainer" recipe that you CAN NOT SCREW UP. You can OMIT 1 can of soup, either one your choice, if you like. I don't always HAVE cream of celery soup on hand, but always have cream of chicken, etc. If I don't use the celery soup, I'll either ADD some celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon/ celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon/ or 1 cup fresh diced celery, or none at all if you don't want.
You can also use just a small carton of sour cream IF you use both cans of soup. Again, it helps cut calories and still tastes good.
If you do not have any provelone cheese, use all cheddar. Sprinkle on some romano or parmessian instead of the provelone.
I usually only follow this recipe "close to exact" at Thanksgiving & Christmas when all the kids are here.
About the ONLY ingredients you CAN NOT sacrafice completely are the potatoes, ALL of the sour cream and CHEDDAR cheese...this will NOT taste too hot made with American cheese or Velveta. Save THOSE for your OTHER hashbrown recipes...LOL!

[WaterFairy]

Hi Becs!

Your green beans reminded me of Grandma...she always put some pork and onions in them...although I don't believe they were fried. Even when I'm in a hurry, I always put in a little dried onion and some bacon bits...not as good as the real stuff. but will do in a pinch and makes em taste oh, so much better than just an old can of beans. I AM going to try out your way though......Mmmmm!!!

Here's a simple one that can be made even after a long day at work....doesn't take much!

Cube Steak w/Mushroom Gravy

Get some cube steaks....salt and pepper them and cover in flour. Put a little crisco or oil in the skillet and brown them up. Add a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (or 2 if you want lots of gravy) and let it cook for about half an hour. If you feel like getting fancy....add some mushrooms to it! This is good with mashed potatoes (and YOUR beans) http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Two 6 Pac]

Heres you one Becs,

NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIES(Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal ***
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
*Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
Cream the butter and both sugars.
* Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt,
baking powder, and soda.
*Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and
place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
* Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.

Chardonnay while preparing mandatory!

[becsflowers]

Wild American Shrimp that'll kick your @**!!!

Frank's Shrimp Boiled in Butter


Ingredients

1 lb real butter
2 cups coarsely chopped shallots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped bell peppers
1 cup coarsely celery
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
3/4 cup finely chopped parsley
6 cloves finely chopped garlic
5 lb headless shrimp
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne
3 tbsp sweet basil
4 tbsp paprika
1 cup white Chablis wine
juice of one lemon


Directions

Start by preheating an 8-quart, heavy aluminum or cast-iron, Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then toss in the butter and melt it down until it starts bubbling and foaming - but do not let it burn!
Next, turn up the heat to high, add all the chopped vegetable seasonings and stir them rapidly - and continually - into the melted butter for about 4 minutes. You will notice that as the ingredients cook, the yellow tint of the butter will turn to a pale green color. That's the vegetable butter base. It's what makes this dish so savory!
Now drop in the raw shrimp, along with the salt, black pepper, cayenne, sweet basil, wine, and lemon juice. And immediately stir everything together into the vegetable-butter mix so that every single shrimp is thoroughly coated. I suggest of stir for at least 3 minutes. Then once the shrimp are coated, cover the Dutch oven and cook - still on high heat - for about 3 or minutes.
The next time you uncover the pot, you will notice a sauce beginning to form. This is natural shrimp juice mixing with the vegetable butter. Stir again...and when you have everything mixed, taste the sauce for seasoning and make whatever adjustments you want. Now, cover the pot once more and cook for another 3 minutes or so, or until you begin to see the shrimp breaking away from the shells. Finally, remove the pot from the heat, put the cover back on, and let the shrimp "steep" for about 10 minutes in the sauce to pick up the full flavor of the seasonings before you serve them.

Recipe Compliments of: Frank Davis, WWL TV

The following link is to a site for the New Orleans farmer's market recipe site...check out the alligator recipe when ya get there! This is one cool recipe site! And this is where I got my shrimp recipe.

http://www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org/recipe/recipe_product.php

[DaBee]

Thanks, Becs, for the great recipes and ideas...and to all other contributors, too.

This is the bestest, ooeeeist, gooeist, yummiest cake that shows up at every birthday party, or holiday in my family:

Aunt Bobo Cake

Mix:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple
(strain & save juice from 15.5 oz can)
2 teaspoons vanilla

In another bowl
Mix:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix bowl of dry ingredients into 1st bowl.
Pour mixture into sheet cake pan (I spray a little Pam on the pan 1st)
Bake 30 minutes at 350 F

While cake is baking:
Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter
Mix with:
1 small can of evaporated milk
the saved pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
Heat to boil for 5 minutes
CAREFUL - boils over and burns easily; I bring it to a boil, then turn down low and stir for the full 5 minutes.
Add 7 oz. can of coconut
and 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Poke holes in cake and pull sides away from pan, then drizzle topping over the cake.
Mmm Mmm Mmm
deb

[DaBee]

This is a recipe that I mix up and give for gifts in a neat little jar and add a card with the recipe attached to the ribbon used...I like raffia best.

deb's
SPICED
T reci P

2 cups Tang
3/4 cup Instant Tea
3 oz. Instant Lemonade Mix
2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Mix together well.
Add 2 teaspoons of mix to 8 oz. hot water
(actually, I add more like 2 Tablespoons 'cause I like it REAL potent)

[Lucinda]

Moms Cranberry Relish:

2 Bags of fresh and RIPE cranberries with 2 oranges (peel and all) finely ground in food processor.

Add chopped walnuts after grinding.

At least one cup of sugar - you may want to add more to taste.

This is a fresh version of the canned stuff. However, I usually make and additional batch and add a can of the cranberry jelly type for those who cannot survive without more sugar and a 'jelly' quality.

[gayle]

OMG people!!!! My cholesterol levels just jumped out of the top of my head after reading these recipes!!!!!!! LMAO!!!!! I'm on Weight Watchers and believe me, not ONE of these recipes fits into my christmas plan!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! That's what you call "stick to the ribs" (and arteries) cooking http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/wink.gif

[becsflowers]

This thread is starting to look BETTER than any recipe thread I've seen on some professional cooking sites....keep 'em coming!!!

TIPS FOR TURKEY FRYING

General safety:
Do NOT use fryer indoors
Do not use fryer on a wood deck or porch
Attend fryer at all times
Dress appropriately with leg and sleeve covering, but not with anything that might drape or catch fire easily. Use oven mitts.

Method I use to determine how much grease is enough:
Fill pot half way up with water. (This is how to measure for grease.) Put turkey in the water, and add water with a pitcher until turkey is covered. Remove turkey.Using a sharp awl, (a battery engraver thing would also work) I scratch a line into the side of the pot on the inside & outside (using a ruler to measure) and also scratch in the turkey weight, so I have a "general" idea of the grease line for another turkey some other time. After you mark the grease line, dump the water and dry the grease pot well. The turkey submerged in the pot with grease needs plenty of room to allow for the initial "boil up" of hot grease, so I make sure that my pot has at least 5-6" of room to the top AFTER the turkey is submerged, for safety reasons. You don't want to have any "boiling over" to happen because of fire danger to yourself/ your property.

Method of preparing turkey for frying:
Make sure your turkey will fit and not be too big for the fryer. We like to fry 12-16 lb turkeys and find those to be the best size for our grease pot. If you are cooking for a large crowd, cook several turkeys, as they only take around half an hour, give or take, per turkey. (You can also deep fry chickens like this too, and you can do 2 at a time.) Instructions are in your cooker manual.

Wash and DRY the thawed turkey thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. The drier the turkey, the less it will spatter and "foam" when its put in the grease.

If you want to use a marinade, make or buy your choice of marinade and inject it into the bird with an injector made especially for this procedure. I marinade 6 points in the breast, 1 in the wing, 2-3 in the thigh and 1-2 in the leg. I do this at least 24 hours before frying the bird, so it has time for the flavor to be absorbed. Then i 'salt down' the whole bird, dumping salt out of the box into my palm and rubbing all over the bird, inside and out. This will 'season' the meat, along with the marinade, and also make excess moisture that you will have to dry out/off with more paper towel before you insert the bird into the pot.

Ignight your fryer, and set your grease pot on top. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS you got with your brand of fryer. I use a long stem grease thermometer so I MAKE SURE I get the temperature high enough to cook the bird without burning the yard up! Follow instructions for maintaining grease temperature in your fryer manual. It is MORE IMPORTANT to use the thermometer in the grease than try to use one in your bird; this is because if your grease temp. is correct, your fry time for your bird will be correct.

Use peanut oil. Peanut oil has a higher "flash" point, which means it will withstand higher temperatures without ignighting, or catching fire like other kinds of grease.

While the grease is heating up, put your bird on the support stem/handle unit that you will use to dunk him into the hot grease with. Be sure you put him on it upright and not upside down. Make sure you have dried him as good as you can, inside and out, with some paper towels. Do not stuff the bird, as this method of cooking requires the hot oil to get into the bird cavity as well, to cook it. The bird cooks in very short time, (follow your instructions you got with the cooker to see how long for how many pounds of bird) and if your oil temperature is correct, the oil will "seal" the bird and it will be the juciest turkey you ever had!

You want to heat the grease up about 25 degrees hotter than it says to cook it at, because the temperature will fall dramatically when you insert the turkey into the fryer. Do not turn the heat down at this point, and have the turkey RIGHT THERE, already prepared and on the support stand,
ready to GENTLY insert into the hot grease.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: wearing long sleeves and a chef's mitt to protect your hand and arms from splattering grease, hold the turkey over the pot and SLOWLY set it down PARTIALLY into the hot grease, pulling it back up as neccessary to prevent a grease "boil-over". This is a 'yo-yo' like procedure, and the main reason WHY your turkey should be as dry as possible before you insert him. The drier the bird, the less 'yo-yo' you will have to do with him before he finally gets to sit there and do his thing in the hot grease. After the initial evaporation of the excess moisture from the bird has cooked out, the 'boil-over' danger has passed, and he will be ready to STAY down in the hot oil and cook.

Attatch the oil thermometer to the side wall of the cooker, being careful the overlapping flames coming up do not burn you.

Do not start "timing" your cooking time until your oil has heated back UP to the correct cooking temperature. After your cooking temperature has climbed back up, you can regulate your cooker's temperature (turn it down.) DO NOT LEAVE your cooker for ANY reason. And watch your temperature, adjusting your heat as neccessary. it is almost impossible to maintain a strict even temperature in some normal weather conditions. DO NOT use the fryer in a rain storm or where any water hits the hot oil. DO NOT USE INDOORS AT ANY TIME.

After your correct cooking time, your bird should be a beautiful golden brown and ready to take out of the hot oil. Haul him up carefully out of the hot grease, with your oven mitts on, being careful to not drip grease near the fire (or go ahead and turn the cooker off) and set your bird, on its cooking stand, in a larger pot/pan to carry into the house.

These general instructions are in your turkey cooker manual, but if you do not yet own a turkey fryer and think you want to try a fried turkey, this is how I do it. They are wonderful.

The cookers are handy for cooking large ammounts of anything, including chili/soups for parties/ shrimp or other seafoods, etc.

[gayle]

LMAO......deep fried turkey tooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ladies, ladies!!!! I am drooling over all these goodies that would kill a horse!!! ahahahahahahahaha Good god!!

[becsflowers]

JUST FOR YOU, I'll send a box of sugar-free jello...
LOL!!!!
Actually, you could skin the juicy deep fried turkey AND have some of that... Weight Watchers would let you have that.
Properly fried meats have hardly any grease in them, IF they are fried correctly and you remove the skin. The meat in a fried turkey is JUICY and DELISH, and there is no oil in plain white turky meat, even if it HAS been fried, as long as you remove the skin and do not marinate with any ingredient solutions that you can not have!!!

Actually, if anyone HAS any holiday recipes to share with the "calorie deficient" , please post some of those too!!!! LOL!!!
(You DID read my disclaimer at the very beginning of the thread...something about these recipes not necessarily being good FOR you, didn't you? LOL!!!)
Happy Holidays. I wonder if Martha gets to "help out" in the kitchen this Christmas?
WWMD? http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/eek.gif

[becsflowers]

And ONE more OTHER thing, Gayle!

YOU are the caterer, here.... get forking over a couple of YOUR most popular most asked for holiday dish recipes!

[PMilam]

When an old pear tree out here produced big as a babies head sized pears, I started eating a makeshift pear brown Betty.. sort of.. now, I'm making it with apples. I just make a small pan, and we eat it all, while warm...

Not really a recipe, since I'm making up the portions .. if you are good at gaging stuff, this will work for you..

heat oven at oh.. say, 350°

cut up apples or pears, peel them if they are not organic.. 2 cups(?)
add chopped nuts.. pecan or almond 1/4 cup(?)
stir in some cinnamon, ginger and splenda, to taste..
mix with a little butter or marg. 1 tbs. (?)
(I use butter, since I eat so little of it, anyway)

Make a topping of 1/2 c. (?) uncooked oatmeal, or granola, nuts and splenda, a little brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and other spices, if you like.. clove, allspice
mix it all with a 1-2 tbs. (?) of melted butter, or margarine

put the apple mix in a baking pan.. or iron skillet
add topping.. cook oh... 20 min.
til it's bubbling.
Eat it alone, with fat free sugar free ice cream.. real ice cream, 1/2 & 1/2.. cool whip.. or alone, it grand!

My family doesn't know that it is sugar free.. well, they didn't... til now.

I've found that Splenda does work great as a sugar substitute. So, you can try your favorite receipes with it!

Had my cholesterol checked yesterday.. it's way down! Hurrah!!

[PenDragon]

Originally posted by WaterFairy:
Your green beans reminded me of Grandma...she always put some pork and onions in them...

Growning up, I didn't know there was any other way to eat green beans other than cooked with onions and either bacon, ham or salt pork.

Come to think of it, Mom used bacon (or ham or salt pork) and onions in an awful lot of things.

I haven't been following this thread cause I have been too sick to care about food (or cooking). But I am sort of feeling better today so here goes:

Mom's Wilted Bacon, Onion, Red Wine Vinegar and Red Lettuce Salad (Mom used to make this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and right after the first fresh harvest from the lettuce garden):

One large head red lettuce (you can use butter lettuce or even romaine, but it's not the same, under no circumstances use iceberg lettuce)

Bacon, about a half pound

One medium to large yellow onion

Salt and white pepper to taste (I never use the salt cause the bacon has more than enough in it)

Cut bacon and onions into small one inch or half inch pieces (your choice)

Fry bacon until a good portion of the fat is released, then throw onions in and fry until both are crispy (not so crispy they burn though) stir frequently, don't let anything get stuck together

While that's cooking:

Hand shread the lettuce into a big glass or metal mixing bowl (large shreads are better, just don't make them too small)

Add white pepper to taste to about a half cup or slightly less (more if you like a really it tangy) red wine vinegar (you can use apple cider vinegar if you like or even some of those new fangled flavored ones, just don't use white vinegar)

Mix well and set aside

Putting this all together has to be done really fast so bring everything over next to each other for final preperation


When the bacon and onions are crispy to your taste and still really hot (they need to be pretty crispy btw), pour off too much excess bacon fat (you need a little bit of fat so don't get rid of every last drop of it, just most of it)

Then pour red wine vinegar over lettuce and mix well by hand, make sure everything is covered well

Then quickly pour the still hot bacon and onion over salad, mixing well (use a wooden or metal spoon for this if you don't want to get burnt)

Mix extremely well as salad wilts.

Serve immediately.

This recipe was one of the best ways my Mom had of getting us kids to actually eat salad, let alone ask for seconds


What I miss is Mom's Divinity and fudge at Christmas. Think I am gonna write her and see if she still has the recipes somewhere accessable (at 81 and all the kids scattered around the country, Mom doesn't cook a whole lot at Christmastime anymore). I just remember sitting around shelling walnuts for her to use in the Divinity and fudge, all the while smelling those divine conncoctions as they cooked over the stove top. Ah, childhood memories (heavy sigh).

[Jhawkr]

Becs,

Here's a recipe for the salads and side dishes end of the table. In Oklahoma it's called Dixie Caviar, in Texas it's called, what else, Texas Caviar. In New Orleans they call it by some french name I can't remember, other than that it sounded sexy, like everything does in Cajun French.
It looks real pretty and tastes great!

It's easy, easy to make, gets better as it ages in the fridge, I make it by the double batch, but the recipe I'm giving is a single batch.

DIXIE CAVIAR

1 can black eyed peas
1 can hominy
1 can garbanzo beans
2 medium tomatoes-diced
6 green onions-sliced thin
3 T minced garlic
1 or 2 bell peppers-diced
1/2 C diced white onion
1/4 C fresh parsley-chopped
1 jalapeno, optional
1 small bottle of italian dressing

Drain beans in colander then mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Drain and serve.

When I make a big batch, I don't drain it, just use a slotted spoon to take out what I'm serving and leave the rest in the fridge. Some of the happiest moments I have spent with my butt sticking out of the fridge have been eating this stuff.

For those who are concerned about the calorie-carb-fat fest going on in this thread, Dixie Caviar is relatively nutritional, but I don't let that hold me back.

Merry Christmas!


[This message has been edited by Jhawkr (edited 12-10-2004).]

[becsflowers]

"Some of the happiest moments I have spent with my butt sticking out of the fridge have been eating this stuff."

?

LOL!!! You are TOO FUNNY! When I cut n paste these recipes for my daughter-in-law, can I have your permission to quote you on that? That is SO cute! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

[Becky Davis]

I need some more really tasty seafood recipes that require no salt. Everything we are cooking now is salt free and need some spices to to fill in the flavor.

We have discovered a truly delicious meat for spaghetti. We use ground turkey and take the skins off of a few sweet basil italian saugages and mix it with the turkey. It is so much better than ground beef. Just add your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce.

[This message has been edited by Becky Davis (edited 12-11-2004).]

[Becky Davis]

What is arugula?

[gayle]

It is the yummiest salad greens going!!!! Peppery flavored leaves that mix well in any salad mix, or alone with shaved parmesan cheese and a balsalmic dressing......and I love to put it in my sandwiches...yummmmyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! The natural food store in Eureka sometimes has a bag of baby arugala available!!!

[Becky Davis]

Thanks Gayle. I'll be on the lookout for it. Can't believe I didn't know what it is.

[woodsdude]

This is a great winter soup. Ment to be prepared on Super Bowl Sunday but is good just about any time and so easy.........


Side Line Sausage Soup

16 oz. Eckrich Smoked sausage (can use lite), each piece halved and then
cut into slices.
1 can (15 oz) EACH Black, Great Northern, and Red Kidney Beans, drained.
1 can (14.5 oz) Hunts's Recipe Ready Diced Tomatoes.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
1 small onion, minced.
1 can (14.5 oz) Chicken Broth.
1/2 teaspoon EACH dried oregano leaves, ground cumin and salt.

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. The 4 1/2 quart saucepan
was within about 1 1/2 inches of the top.

Bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15
minutes.

The soup was juicy, tasty, and filling.

[FrankieD]

I have been reading this board for a couple of years and did not think I would ever register and post. But after making becsflowers fried green bean recipe tonight I felt that I should let everyone know how delicious this recipe really is. I thought that 4 cans of beans would be plenty for the 6 of us having dinner. My mistake! They wanted more! Next time will definetely use 6 cans. Anyway, thanks becsflowers for this wonderful recipe. Looking forward to making it again.

[Becky Davis]

Bringing this to the top so folks can see the recipes. I am going to make the green beans.
Wonder if they will still taste good made ahead of time. Eh Becs?

[becsflowers]

Yes. Make them AHEAD. But MAKE EXTRA... you WILL be tempted to warm ya up a bowl in the microwave.

Glad you enjoyed the beans. Sure taste like grandma's, don't they?
And, here's a special tip...
When you make your beans and use the 6 cans, if you have any leftovers, for the next meal, just open you up 3-4 more cans, drain them, chop up another small or half a large onion, and throw those in a skillet and fry with the leftover beans. It'll all cook in the bacon fat from the original batch. This 'stretches' the recipe a bit, kinda throwing another tater in the soup. That is, IF you even HAVE leftovers... LOL!!!
I will never feel the same about a green bean again... LOL!!!

[becsflowers]

Thank you to everybody here for sharing some of your special holiday recipes. This is a fun thread, and I hope we can drag it back up every once in a while, as these recipes are good all year, not just at the holidays.

[becsflowers]

"I need some more really tasty seafood recipes that require no salt. "

Becky, all seafood contains salt from the ocean water it came from, unless you get the "farm shrimp, etc., but even THEN they soaked it in a saline solution. I guess you adapt any seafood recipe by just omitting the salt...or if it calls for an ingredient like, garlic salt, use garlic powder.

This crab ball (did ya know crabs HAD balls?)
was made with canned crab. (I am INSTANT)

CRAB BALL
1 can Chicken of the Sea Crab meat(DO NOT USE THE FAKE STUFF IN THIS RECIPE)
2 green onions (grown IN the USA)sliced into paper thin slices, including the green part.
1 clove of minced garlic (I use 3/4 teaspoon of minced garlic in the jar)
1 big brick (8 oz) cream cheese

Drain crab meat well, and mix it and the rest of the ingredients in the softened cream cheese. Line a dish with saran wrap and put the mix in it. Refigerate, and then you can "shape" the cheese ball using the plastic wrap to your advantage, as it helps keep your hands clean. Serve with Ritz.

[Becky Davis]

I think I have it covered Becs. My nephew brought me a array of seafood for my birthday, which I saved for Christmas. When he came home a week or so ago, he brought more.
I've made, gumbo, lobster bisque and lobster thermidor in order to stretch the lobster. I used the snow crab for gumbo and stuffed mushrooms.
Now I am working on something to do with shrimp, because that is what I have the most of. Any ideas. Can't use any crackers that have lots of sodium or herbs high in vitamin K. It really limits my cooking.
I am making clam dip with sliced fresh turnips, jicama and carrots. Ever tried sliced turnips as a dipper?
My hands are sore from cracking shells and peeling shrimp.
I'm getting too old for this. But almost done.

Wonderful Clam Dip
Equal parts of mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream and clams. I use a half a cup of each. Heat and serve hot or on a sterno warmer. Heat is the main ingredient. This is not as good cold.

Use all sorts of veggies as a dipper. I like sliced turnips with this dip. The flavors some how compliment each other.

[becsflowers]

I am unable to read any posts after Becky's post last night... will check here later.. How come it is only on this thread?

Hoo! Finally showed UP!!!

Shrimp? Did you say SHRIMP???? LOL!!! What to DO with it?
Serve everything else and hide THAT for yourself to eat after everybody goes home...LOL!!!!
Make a cocktail sauce with Ketchup, horseradish and a little worchestershire sauce. YUM. Mark and I are going to boil some Texas shrimp this evening.

[This message has been edited by becsflowers (edited 12-24-2004).]

[Becky Davis]

Just finished my green bean Becs and I don't think Grandmas ever tasted that good!

[becsflowers]

Aren't they just delish? Glad y'all liked the recipe.
Happy Christmas to ya Miss Becky! I hope we can get together for a visit over iced tea this coming summer!
Which reminds me; i have a recipe for some wonderful sweet southern tea.

1 family size tea bag
1 quart size bag of Constant Comment spiced tea

Sweet Southern Style Tea

Boil water, pour 1 quart of water into glass bowl and steep the 2 tea bags for 20 minutes. Remove bags, add 2 cups of sugar to the hot tea and stir till desolved and pour tea into gallon size pitcher, adding enough water to fill. serve over ice in tall glasses and add a lemon slice.
(SSST also tastes especially good made with Splenda)

[Becky Davis]

Real freaky getting off of my hill...slid to the bottom. Don't think I will be leaving again for awhile. But I may have to beg someone to bring green beans. I can't keep out of the ones I cooked. Used six cans.

Merry Christmas to you too Becs. This summer we will have to have that iced tea...or whatever.

[Ronald Phelps]

Simple and sooo good.
1- Angle Food cake mix
1-16 oz. can crushed pineapple
Mix
Bake @ 350 in a 9x13 pan for 30 min (till it doesn't jiggle, do not under cook).
Eat first slice, won't want to stop till all gone

[becsflowers]

OK Ronald... you made me hungry for that cake! And I don't have an angel food cake mix! AND the store is CLOSED till the 26th...
LOL!!! Thanks for contributing it tho! Do you cook alot Ronald?

While on that subject, here's an unofficial poll. Only answer with A, B, C, D, etc. in your first sentence, adding any comments after your a,b,c,d answers.

Do you consider yourself
A. a better cook than your mother/caregiver was/is
B. a worse cook than your mother/caregiver was/is
C. it's about the same
D. I don't cook, but my favorite regular eating establishment is _________

[tulsa dawn]

DaBee, try making that tea with red hots rather than the cinnamon. I love it that way.

Here's another drink to try. My dad & step mom make it every year. I've got my friends hooked on it for camping in cooler weather.


Hot Apple Pie

1 bottle Hot Damn
1 jug of apple cider

We usually use about a fourth to a half of the Hot Damn to each jug of cider. Heat together and enjoy!

[b lake lady]

I was gonna fix the old green bean cassarole but only because I could never remember how my granny made them. I'm sure she had this recipe.....thanks, Becs.

[b lake lady]

and another thing..........how do ya'll cook the turkey?????? How many minutes per pound? I hate anything that used to have feathers, but cook for my family......who will eat anything they can catch. They sure aint picky, but I like to do it right.
My dear mother, told me many years ago, to wash the turkey before cooking. I had that sucker in a sink of hot water and soap, scrubbing it with a brush!!!!!!! When we took it out of the oven she asked me about the neck/gizzard whatever............I said I never saw anything like that.........it was still in the damned bird in the paper sack. Now I can tell yu'ns how to cook beans!!!!

[b lake lady]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by b lake lady:
[B]and another thing..........how do ya'll cook the turkey?????? How many minutes per pound? I hate anything that used to have feathers, but cook for my family......who will eat anything they can catch. They sure aint picky, but I like to do it right.
My dear mother, told me many years ago, to wash the turkey before cooking. I had that sucker in a sink of hot water and soap, scrubbing it with a brush!!!!!!! When we took it out of the oven she asked me about the neck/gizzard whatever............I said I never saw anything like that.........it was still in the damned bird in the paper sack. Now I know where they're hidden, I just put them down the disposal........]

[blondeee]

Does anybody have a recipe for hummus?

[Lucinda]

4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
two 1-pound 3-ounce cans chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup well stirred tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly

On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt.

In a food processor purée the chick-peas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste.

Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl.

In the food processor, cleaned, purée the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a small jar.

The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Serve with toasted pita.

[becsflowers]

Coming soon:

REAL good recipe for homemade chicken pot pie.
If you liked the fried green beans, you will die for this pot pie!

[Ronald Phelps]

Tiger Cookies
Cookies that are so good but sound weird
Take your favorite oatmeal raisin recipe. Use sugar frosted flakes instead of the oatmeal. Use dates instead of the raisins. Use a cup or 2 more flakes than the amount of oatmeal called for. Mix everything like the recipe says but save a cup of the flakes Add right before you stop mixing. It gives the cookies more texture. Double the cinnamon. They may be ugly but they are goood.

[becsflowers]

I am starting a new recipe thread, as I am unable to get anything I recently post to show up on this thread. I still can't read what I posted last night or any after Lucinda's humus recipe. I have hit "refresh' till my refresh is not so re-freshed...nothing seems to work. Sorry.

[Kim Yonkee]

OMG! Things must be getting too serious on Geekfest again.

How do I know?

It's the Attack of the Sound of Music Terrorists! Ru-uu-un!!! Hi-i-i-i-ide! They're coming to get us with their recipes and forwarded email jokes!!!

OK ... if we're going to use flour and yeast and eggs as WMD's to strike out all the frownie-faces on Geekfest, I'll help. This is a serious recipe. No kidding:

World's Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix. Roll into little balls and squish into the official peanut butter cookie shape with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Voila.

You're not seeing the updates because you're on AOL, becs. Look at this link about clearing the AOL cache:

http://www.aol.com/support/index.adp?toc=connect&page=120

[becsflowers]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It worked!
All this time and I never knew what to do with all those "mystical" tabs to "click" on... http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/eek.gif

[Becky Davis]

I have a coleslaw recipe I think is really good.
Sweet/sour cole slaw

One bag of prepared slaw vegetables
1 small chopped onion
1/4 c chopped celery or some celery seed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 c salad oil

Heat last four ingredients to dissolve sugar.

Pour over slaw mix and let sit in fridge for at least 8 hours. 24 is preferable.
The flavor improves with age.

Is yummy. Especially with fish.

[Becky Davis]

Also marinaded mushrooms...just slice a bunch and pour italian dressing over them. Let sit for 8 hours in fridge.

If you want to go to salad:
chop a tomato, avocado, cucumber and green onions together. Marinade in italian dressing. You can add mushrooms if you like, just changes the pretty color a little.

[becsflowers]

http://a444.g.akamai.net/7/444/703/20050210192037/www.marthastewart.com/images/content/feature

Marbleizing How-To
Prepare a dye bath in a small heatproof mixing bowl: Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 20 drops of food coloring (use more to intensify color) with 1 cup of hot water. Add an egg, and submerge it until it turns the desired hue. Remove egg; let dry, about 15 minutes.

In a shallow, wide bowl, prepare another batch of dye in a darker or different shade; this will provide the swirls. The liquid should be 1/2 inch deep. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil (you may need more depending on the size of the container). Run a fork through this mixture, creating swirls of oil on the surface. Place the dyed egg in the marbleizing mixture, and roll it once around the bowl to pick up the oil streaks; remove, and blot gently with a paper towel. Let dry, 30 minutes.

Try various color combinations. Vary the base tints and the swirls to achieve contrasts both striking and subtle.

[Glenn Strange]

Guinness Corned Beef

4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 bottle (12 0z) guinness stout

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse beef completely and pat dry.

2. Place brisket in a roasting pan or dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat the entire beef,including the bottom. Pour bottle of guinness stout beer around,and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.

3. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Optional:

4. During the last hour, you may want to put vegtables in the roasting pan as well. Try wedges of cabbage, new potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegtables.

Glenn and Carol

[becsflowers]

Did y'all just LUV those fried green beans? Did ya stock up on beans this winter when they were 6 cans for a buck? Perfect for yer Easter dinner!
Well, if ya LUVED those, you'll LUV this chicken pot pie recipe! I SWEAR! Now, this recipe makes TWO pies. One to eat now and one to freeze , or I KNOW you'll LUV it enough to have the next night! Or, it's perfect for company too. will serve 6-8 adults "easy as pie!"

And, if ya wanna have some "Easter fun" with the kids, tell 'em it's RABBIT pie! ("Tastes like CHICKEN", remember?)

Well, anyway, I promised it in January. And here it *finally* is:
*******************************
Madame Theresa's WONDERFUL Chicken Pot http://www.geekfest.com/ubb/eek.gif Pie
(Didn't you just WONDER what she was doing with all the live chickens she collected along with the 20 bucks?)
Makes 2 GIANT 9" pies- tastes JUST like the ones we used to slam outta the freezer and into the OVEN when we got home from school! (before microwave ovens, that is...LOL! )

You need to get:
2 boxes of refrigerated pie crusts (4 total 9" crusts)
4-5 chicken breast halfs WITH skin AND bone in
half a stick of butter (4 Tablespoons)
1 GREAT BIG onion
8 ounce pack of sliced mushrooms (or slice yer own)
1/3 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
(don't buy the 3 cups of chicken broth- save the broth from your cooked chicken)
Pinch of ground cloves (or substitute ground allspice)
sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Salt (for the water) and pepper (for the gravy)
2 cans VegAll brand veggies
1 pack frozen peas -just the regular size bag
**************************************
Ingredients & directions in order of prep.:

In large pot on top of stove, cook
4-5 large skin on and bone in chicken breast halves in salted water for 1 hour. SAVE the broth- this is for the gravy.
Remove chicken pieces from the pot and cool on a plate. Remove and throw out bone and skin. chop the meat into 1/2"-3/4" pieces.

While chicken is cooking:

Take 2 whole packages of pie crusts out of the fridge.(4 pieces) Or if you make a "killer" crust, make your own. You need a top AND bottom crust for each pie- remember- this recipe makes TWO pies. Leave crusts wrapped till ready to fill, so they don't get dried out.

In skillet, melt 1/2 stick of butter, add 1 HUMONGO diced white onion and 1 whole 8 ounce pack of sliced mushrooms. Stir on high, cooking till mushrooms are golden and onions are either clear or carmelized. Carmelized will give your pie a better flavor.
(To be ready for the following steps,Drain your canned VegAll and get the peas outta the freezer. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.)

In a large saucepan, pour in 3 cups of the broth that the chicken cooked in. In a jar, dump in 1/3 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk. Shake well and HARD. This helps get the "lumps" out. Add this mixture to the stock in the saucepan. Stir constantly on high, to bring to a boil, then turn down, still stiring, and cook for a couple minutes, (so's yer pie don't taste like paste!)

You want a REAL thick gravy. If neccessary, thin gravy with cream or milk. Gravy should NOT need salt, as chicken was cooked in salted water, but taste for it anyway. Pepper if ya want. Add a FINGERPINCH of ground cloves and a slight sprinkle of ground cinnamon to the gravy. Stir well. Remove from the burner. The following ingredients are cooked (cept for the frozen peas, and they don't have to be, so DON'T cook them.)

To the gravy, add 2 cans of WELL DRAINED "Veg All", the mixed vegetables in the can. Use this brand, as it has the taters. DO NOT use frozen mixed vegetables, because frozen veggies make the gravy too runny.

Next add 1 bag of frozen peas, NOT CANNED, as canned peas are too mushy and the frozen peas add the right color and texture to the pie.

Stir in the cooked onion & mushrooms, butter and all. Add the cubed chicken. Mix all this up REAL NICE.

Slap the pie crusts into two 9" pie pans, add the filling evenly to both, top with the top crusts, seal real good, and cut stars or heart shapes into the top crust centers, placing the crust cut-outs on top and to the sides of the cut-out holes.

I put my pies on small pizza pans or squares of foil to protect the oven from "boil-over". (Nasty ovens ruin good dinners.)

Bake at 425 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and you see it getting kinda bubbly through the cut out hole. Cool 20 minutes before you cut.

IMPORTANT OPTION: Make additional gravy from the extra broth to serve over your slice, as this pot pie is NOT extra creamy...I like mine that way, but my family likes more gravy. Season the same with the spices if you so desire. Spices are ALSO an option, as this pie will taste plenty good anyway,if you don't have any of them...they DO add a really good unique taste, however, and people will wonder just what your *trick* is!
AND, you REALLY CAN use rabbit meat instead of chicken if ya want, and NOBODY would ever know it. (Use instant chicken broth in the water, though, rabbits don't have a lot of flavor.)

[b lake lady]

Becs, those fried green beans are a hit with the Jr. Mafia over here. And Glen the corned beef sounds great.......will try it for sure. Thanks!

[becsflowers]

Hey ! With less than 90 shopping days left till Halloween, its time to get cookin' again!
Now that the drought has killed your gardens, unless you WANTED sun dried tomatoes, it's time to enjoy a summer fruit salad made with canned fruit! This one is SOOO easy that its shameful.

Easy Fruit Salad
1 can pineapple chunks in their own juice
1 can mandarin oranges (lg can) drained
3-4 bananas cut into 3/4" slices
1 box INSTANT lemon pudding (small box)

Using *just* the juice from the pineapple, mix in the dry contents of the lemon pudding and stir or wisk with a fork until well mixed. This will be a very thick sauce. Pour over all the fruit in a bowl and mix to coat well. refigerate for half an hour to *meld* the flavors, as the lemon and banana can be strong until it sits a spell. Then LOOKOUT! This stuff is GOOD! I refrigerate the unopened cans of fruit so it has a headstart on being nice and cold after the 30 minute "meld" time.

This recipe is also good, using just pineapple chunks and cheesecake instant pudding. 3 cans, using only juice from 1, and i box cheesecake flavored pudding. Gives it a unique flavor. Maybe coconut pudding would make it a Pina Colada salad.

[becsflowers]

http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/puddings/magic-caramel-pudding1.html

Anybody ever heard of carmelizing Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in the can on top of the stove? It looks interesting.

[Ray Swallow]

UNBAKED CARAMEL COOKIES-Evelyn Hall
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup oleo or butter
1 6-oz. can or 2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 regular pkg. of instant butterscotch pudding
3 1/2 cups oatmeal

Cook together the first 3 ingredients about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the last 2 ingredients after cooking several minutes. Cook a few more minutes and shut off heat and allow to cool 15 minutes.

Drop by Tsp. onto waxed paper sheet. Allow to set until firm. Makes 5 dozen delicious cookies!

BANANA BUTTER PECAN COOKIES-IOWA STATE FAIR WINNER
2 1/2 cup2 sticks oleo
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup light molasses
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2-3 banana
21/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
Turn oven to 350 F. Mix all ingredients in order given. Drop by round tsps. onto a an ungreased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake 12-15 mins.

[Ray Swallow]

My never-ever-fail chocolate fudge

Ingredients

-12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

-2 cups toasted walnut, pecan, macadamia, or other nuts, chopped

-10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

-1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

-20 large marshmallows

-4 cups sugar

-2 five-ounce cans evaporated milk

1. Combine the chocolate pieces, nuts, butter and vanilla in a large heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

2. Place the marshmallows, sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Continuing to stir, boil for exactly six minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the marshmallow mixture into the chocolate mixture; beat constantly until creamy. Quickly pour into the pre-pared pan or platter, pushing slightly with the back of a wooden spoon to spread fudge evenly.

4. Cool for at least one hour before cutting into pieces. Serve at room temperature.

[Ray Swallow]

Irish Cream Recipe"
1 can condensed milk (14 ounces)
1 can rye whiskey (14 ounces)--(Canadian Mist?)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 table spoon chocolate syrup
1 table spoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in bowl. WHISK!!!
(Do not put in blender!!!!).
Put in bottles and refrigerate overnight. Yum

[Ray Swallow]

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream/Raisin Pie
2 cups dairy sour cream 1-1/2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose
flour 3 egg yolks 1 cup raisins 3 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of
tartar 3/4 cup sugar 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
In a heavy medium saucepan stir together the sour cream, 1-1/2 cups sugar,
flour, egg yolks, and raisins. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat
until thickened and bubbly. Keep warm.
For meringue, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing
bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips
curl). Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high
speed about 4 minute more or until mixture forms stiff glossy peaks (tips stand
straight).
Pour warm filling into baked pie shell. Spread meringue over filling. Bake
in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 1
hour. Chill 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8
servings.

[Ray Swallow]

Smash Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans
8 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar
Instructions:
If you knew how good this was, your mouth would already be watering!
Mix first three ingredients. Press batter into un-greased 9 x 13 pan. Press
pecans into the batter.
Beat cream cheese, eggs and powdered sugar together until creamy. Pour over
batter.
Place pan on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes until golden
brown.
Do not cut into squares until thoroughly cooled.

[Ray Swallow]

S'mores Peanut Butter Bars (Cookie Mix)
When was the first time you got hooked on rich and gooey s'mores? Try this version of a best-loved classic.


1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for in cookie mix directions
1 container (15 oz) Betty Crocker® Pour & FrostT chocolate frosting
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups Golden Grahams® cereal


1.
Heat oven to 350°F. Make cookie dough as directed on pouch. Press dough into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
3.
Microwave frosting uncovered on High 20 seconds. Stir thoroughly 20 times or until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup. Pour remaining frosting over warm bars. Sprinkle
marshmallows and cereal over frosting.
4.
Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool 15 minutes. Drizzle reserved frosting over bars. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. For
bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

[Ray Swallow]

love to cook..Am 1/2 Russian and got lots of russian food recipies.

[Sparkydog]

My husband is from Philly and for three years he begged for me to find his BUTTER CAKE recipe he would pick up at the neighborhood deli on sunday mornings when he was a kid. Well after about 13 differant tries from various cookbooks I finally found it.

GOOEY BUTTER CAKE
1 box yellow cake mix (any brand will do)
1 stick of unsalted butter slightly softened (do not use magarine)
2 large eggs

Put all in a large bowl and HAND mix togeather with a sturdy fork, until you have the consistancy of say cookie dough.
Lightly grease the bottom and all sides of a 8X13 oblong cake pan. Press cake dough into the bottom of your pan will be about 1/4 inche thick when you get it all spread out.

Now mix with a mixer

1 box of confectioners suger (set aside about 3 Tbls, for later)
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 egg


Pour mixture over top of cake dough bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until top is a light golden.

Sprinke remainder confectioners sugar over the top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours cut into small squares and serve.

YUMMY....

[b lake lady]

Ray, these recipes all sound delicious. I'm baking/cooking gifts to mail this year to family in CA. My son will love the cookies and the Smores.
The Irish Creme.............would "Egg Beaters" work? I just can't go raw eggs in anythng.

[Ray Swallow]

An egg is an egg......Beaten or whole the whiskey doesn't care lol

[becsflowers]

Thank you for the recipes, Ray! can't wait to try them!

[marty]

From my family cookbook:

Bake Easy Banana Bread
1c. sugar, 1 stick margerine, 2 eggs, 3 bananas, 1tsp. baking soda, 2c. flour;

325* oven cream sugar and margerine. With an electric mixer, beat in eggs and mananas. Blend in soda and flour mixture. (premixed) Cream mixture well. Batter will be stiff. Pour batter into loaf pan (no need to grease it). Bake 50-60 minutes.

P.S. Ray Jim Beam Makes a wonderful rye whiskey

Becky D. Crawdads is freshwater shrimp. Same cholestoral but half the salt.

[becsflowers]

LOVE crawdads.How come up north they are crawdads and down south they are crawfish?

[marty]

Cause the babies are born here and get washed downstream. The dads save themselves. The kids not having parental supervision learn other ways and call themselves fish in protest of their parents evil ways.

[becsflowers]

LOL!

[mmouse]

Well!! I FINALLY found Ray's Irish Cream recipe that y'all have been going on & on about!!

Just a question from one who drinks root beer & "anything brown".....does whisky really come in a CAN?? Like beer??? :confused:

[marty]

No, whiskey does not generally come in a can. I think he's using the milk can as a measuring device.

[OvertheRiver]

Wow! I ALWAYS can my whiskey when the crop comes in! Saves it for the winter, you know!!

Oh, LAWDY, someone hand me the smelling salts; I'm just ovah-COME with the assassination of mah charactah on othah threads......make sure the smelling salts are the ones drenched with Jack Daniels, puhleeze.......... :rolleyes: tongue.gif

[Grayfox]

Psssst, OTR, ever tour the distillery? Maybe it's kind of a red neck thing to do, but it is very interesting.
Forget the smelling salts, just drink the JD. That outta cure what ails ya.
Vapors.......drunk, what's the difference?

[OvertheRiver]

You know, Foxy, you may have just hit upon a little known historical Southern factoid!!

[becsflowers]

Special Holiday Recipes

*EASY* Shrimp Alfredo

2 lbs. large precooked cocktail shrimp w/tail on, thawed
4 cloves of fresh garlic
1 stick REAL butter-do NOT substitute

1 red onion
4 Roma tomatoes

1 pk thick egg noodles, dry,homemade or frozen- enough for 4 large servings (or to make 8 half cups)
1 LARGE jar Alfredo sauce of your choice

One 4 pack of Zima (for the cook)

Pop the top on a nice ice cold bottle of Zima. Drink.
Melt butter in skillet, crush 4 cloves garlic in hand held press into the butter-add thawed precooked shrimp, stirfry all together for aprox. 5 min. stirring/flipping constantly, cooking additional water/juice out of shrimp, firming up the shrimp and eliminating that "limp shrimp" quality that precooked shrimp has. Butter sauce will thicken somewhat from natural shrimp juices.
dump skillet of shrimp/butter/garlic into a bowl for later. Do not wash skillet.
Open another Zima. Drink.
Put the following into your shrimp skillet and saute on med. high heat:
1 red onion, thinly sliced. constantly stir till almost transparent. Add 4 Roma tomatoes, diced into 1/2" cubes, saute with onion till most liquid is evaporated(reduced). Turn into another bowl for later.
Time for Zima! Drink.
Use homemade pasta or buy frozen or a good quality Amish dry pasta. Cook in salted water till done. While pasta cooks, remove tails from the shrimp. Drain pasta when done. Buy a jar of Alfredo sauce, I use Classico brand. Mix sauce (LARGE jar) with cooked pasta. Stir in shrimp, garlic sauce and all. Dish up on individual plates and top with sauted onion/tomato mix.
Skip the white wine-serve with Zima malt beverage liquid refreshment. Enjoy!

[mmouse]

My husband KNOWS the fumes get you drunk there; halfway thru the tour & he was high as a kite.....since he doesn't drink, it was rather entertaining for me to watch him!! :D

[mmouse]

Originally posted by marty:
No, whiskey does not generally come in a can. I think he's using the milk can as a measuring device. DUH!! Thanks, Marty. I don't know where my brains were at!! (maybe wondering why no one hardly has bothered to read the fabulous good news thread posted hours ago.....)

[becsflowers]

AHEM...(topic ?)
Special Holiday Recipes

EASY cherry limeade
1 nice juicy lime-quartered and squeezed into glass of crushed ice.Add:
1 20 oz. bottle cherry 7 up
marachino cherries 3-4-5 whatever floats your boat

Alcohol version:
1 nice juicy lime-quartered and squeezed into tall glass of crushed ice. Add:
1 bottle black cherry Zima

[Ray Swallow]

Cranberries and apples are the surprise in a Spanish-born dish, PEE-kah-DEE-yoh, on biscuits.


1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped apple
1 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped green olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
Fresh cilantro leaves, if desired


1.
Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef in medium skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
2.
Add apple and salsa; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until apple is tender. Add cranberries, olives and chopped cilantro; mix well. Remove from heat.
3.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Place 2 1/2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheet. Press out each biscuit to form 3 1/2-inch round with 1/4-inch
rim around outside edge. Spoon about 1/3 cup ground beef mixture into indentation in each biscuit.
4.
Bake at 375°F. for 17 to 21 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve warm

[Ray Swallow]

Used Bisquits, lots of times Camping out with the Scouts..Can make anything out of them From Pizzas to Dumplings. Fry donuts with them......Poke a hole in the middle of a bisquit...Fry until brown both sides about two minutes...Dust with Sugar with Cimn, They also catch Trout...

[Ray Swallow]

LEMONADE CHEESECAKE

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 c. sour cream
1 (6 oz.) frozen lemonade, thawed
3 eggs
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

TOPPING:

1/4 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, lemonade, cream cheese and eggs at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed for 4 minutes. Spoon into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until it tests done. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Combine topping and pour over cake. Refrigerate

[Ray Swallow]

English muffin bread
cornmeal
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough
cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and
baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk,
water, sugar, and salt just until warm (120 to 130). Using a wooden
spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops
with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in
size (about 45 minutes).

4. Bake in a 400 oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

[becsflowers]

OMG- you HAVE to be a fantastic cook! I can't wait to try the lemon cheesecake recipe. If it turns out as good as it looks, your wife better HIDE you. Unless, of course, you are using HER recipes, then you better watch out that someone doesn't take HER!
I need a good "killer" meatloaf recipe- anyone have one?

[becsflowers]

How about a SanFrancisco style sourdough recipe? with just a *bare hint* of sweetness to it?
Anybody have?

[Ray Swallow]

Wife can't boil water...I do all the baking and cooking...In fact she doesn't do much LOL

[Ray Swallow]

Two Fat Ladies Meatloaf

This Meatloaf is adapted from the Two Fat Ladies. They called it hedgehog,
probably because of its shape.
This makes a very pleasantly seasoned Meatloaf that is reminiscent in flavour
of a pate. Confirmed liver haters can omit the livers.
This makes one HUGE Meatloaf. I like to make two smaller, torpedo shaped ones
or divide the recipe by half and reduce the cooking time by 1/2 hour.

1/2 lb. mushrooms, diced
Butter
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Grated nutmeg
1/2 lb. chicken livers
1 1/2 lb. each ground beef, ground pork
1 pound sausage meat
1/2 cup finely diced onion
3 fat cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
2 eggs
1/2 lb. sliced bacon
Bay leaves
Branches of fresh rosemary
Sauté the mushrooms in butter until the juices run, then season with salt and
pepper and nutmeg. Reserve. Remove the sinews from the livers. Lightly poach
the livers in simmering water, just until they turn gray and firm up. Cool and
dice. In a large bowl combine the ground meats, sausage, livers, onion,
garlic, coriander, allspice and thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper, keeping
in mind that the sausage contains salt. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture
together with the mushrooms. Mix with your hands thoroughly.
Oil a roasting pan and place all the mixture in it, molding it into an oval
shape. Adorn with the bacon slices, crisscrossed, tucking the ends under the
meat. Tuck some bay leaves and branches of rosemary into the bacon. Cook in a
preheated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350ºF and
cook for 1 1/2 hours.
When cooked, there will be lots of lovely juices in the bottom of the pan.
Save them to flavor soup or stocks, and save the fat to fry eggs. Remove the
loaf and place on a serving dish. Serve hot or cold.
Total Carbohydrates: 19.66

[Ray Swallow]

Sour Dough
Starter

To the mix add 3 tabls instant potatoes.......1/4 cup sugar.........one cup water....Stir and put a loose cover of clear wrap..Quart jar or tub....Have to do this every three to five days....Either use the amount or throw away some...Can give some away.....have to keep the starter going....

Dough

Take one cup of the starter
Add 1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
one cup of warm water
1/2 tsp salt
Stir this togther
Add 5 to 6 cups of bread flour

Mix and knead for a few minutes
Cover and let rise until double..This takes a lot of time..Good to mix in the morning and let rise all day...just set in a cool place to rise slowly..punch down

.Can be made into bread,rolls, pizza. etc.
Rolls
9x13 pan oiled
Shap dough into a log ...cut 2" with dental floss .. roll into balls..place into the pan so they are slightly touching.Let rise until about double.Bake until light brown on top... 350*
Pizza
Will make two large...cut into two pieces roll or pat into two pizza pans..Let rise about 30 minutes in a warm place
Add toppings and bake until light brown.....375*
Can also be made into Cinmamon rolls..just roll out and add sugar and cinmamon and butter roll up.. cut 2" wide.. put into a pan and let rise until double.. Bake until light brown..350*

[Ray Swallow]

Correction: The starter has to set for 5 days, stirring every day..The wild yeast in the room will develop in your starter.....If it smells scour That is what you want.....After 5 days then you can feed the starter.....

[Ray Swallow]

Kneecaps
(A specialty of northeastern Wisconsin)
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. shortening or butter
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cups milk
1 1/4 oz. cake yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups flour
Shortening or vegetable oil for deep-frying
Powdered sugar
Blueberry or cherry pie filling(optional)
Whipped cream

Place sugar, shortening or butter and salt in large bowl. Bring milk to
boilin small saucepan. Stir hot milk into the sugar mixture until
shortening melts;cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, soften yeast in the warm
water. Stir in beaten egg.Stir yeast/egg mixture into milk mixture. Mix
in half the flour and beatthoroughly. Add remaining flour and mix well.
Cover dough with towel and let risein warm place until double in size,
about 45 minutes. Place dough on flouredsurface, flour it lightly, and
knead very briefly. Roll out to 1/3" thick. Cutinto 2- or 2 1/2" rounds
with cookie cutter. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cutagain. Allow dough
rounds to rise a second time while you heat shortening or oilin deep,
heavy pot. Test the heat of the fat by dropping a small piece of
doughin it; the dough should begin to puff and "bubble" immediately
(the temperature should be between 350°F and 365°F). Just before frying
the pastries, make a large, deep indentation in the middle ofeach (for
the filling) with your thumb. Drop the rounds into the oil with
theindentation side down. Fry only a few at a time; do not crowd the
pot. Turn themover as soon as one side is golden brown (this will only
take a moment!) and fry until second side is golden brown and pastry is
puffed. (If they darken too quickly, reduce the heat.) Suspend finished
pastries briefly over pot to allow excess oil to drip off. Drain on
paper towels, again with indentation side down.Cool completely. When
ready to serve, roll or toss kneecaps in powdered sugar.Fill centers
with dabs of pie filling and/or whipped cream.

[Kim Yonkee]

Did somebody give a recipe for Stollen? It is THE official Christmas morning bread.

If not ... go to the store and buy a vanilla bean tomorrow! Put it in a jar with a cup of sugar and I'll tell you what to do with it later. ;)

[Ray Swallow]

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake

1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix, any variety 1 package
( 3 oz.,4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie
Filling 4 eggs 1 container (8 oz.) KNUDSEN Sour Cream 1/2 cup
vegetable oil 1/2 cup water 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking
Chocolate, chopped
18 small candy canes, coarsely crushed (about 1 cup), divided

Frosting:
1 tub (8 oz. ) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 package vanilla instant pudding (3 oz,4-serving size )
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup milk


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Beat
cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with
electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl
frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped
chocolate and 2 Tablespoons of the crushed candy canes. Spoon batter into
prepared pan. BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center
comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan
with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove pan. Cool
completely on wire rack. PLACE 1 of the cake layers on serving plate. Spread evenly
with the whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side
of cake with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with remaining crushed candy
canes. Cut into 18 slices to serve.

Serve drizzled with additional melted semi-sweet chocolate and topped with
raspberries, if desired.


Note:
I suggest waiting until you serve the cake to add the candy canes, also
lining the bottom of your cake pan with greased parchment will help from the cake
sticking to the pan.

[OvertheRiver]

I prefer domestic yeast myself :D

[Ray Swallow]

Mocha-Cinnamon Cafe au Lait

2 Cups milk
3 cinnamon sticks
20 whole cloves
5 oz. imported milk chocolate, chopped
2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
3 Cups freshly brewed strong coffee
3 Tablespoons golden brown sugar
1 1/2 easpoons. vanilla extract
1/2 Cup chilled whipping cream
Pinch of nutmeg

In medium saucepan, combine milk, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Simmer
and then remove from heat. Add all chocolate and whisk until melted. Cover and
let stand for 15 minutes.
Then, bring milk mixture back to a simmer and add coffee, 2 T. sugar and 1
t. vanilla. Stir over medium-low heat for five minutes. Do not boil.
Meanwhile, beat cream, pinch of nutmeg, 1 T. sugar and 1/2 t. vanilla in
small bowl until soft peaks form.
Pour coffee mixture into mugs and top with cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg and
serve.
Serves 6.

[DaBee]

Women can't live with what and without what, Ray?

[b lake lady]

I think one could gain weight just by reading all these recipes!

[Krcates]

Dabee,

I have had this tea before but its been a long time. The only thing I did different was to add hot cinnamon candies in place of the cinnamon.

MMMMMM it is very good.

[Gaylord Wright]

Otay all youse Bu'wheats,


Get a very warm hearth
Find a very good heart
Sit down with care
Toss aside all despair
Wrap your arms around
The one you've found
Lips meet with seasonal glee....

Hope they don't have fleas :eek:



Well, it was getting too seductive, so I cut it off at the 'glee'. Your imagination is your limits. Merry Christmas to all and to all a VERY good night. :cool:

How's that for a holiday recipe? Best I've seen since my Mama's oyster dressing.

[Ray Swallow]

Got my Sour Dough Starter out of the freezer..Added some flour and Sugar..Ought to be ready Saturday morning to make some Rolls or Cim..Rolls

[Becky Davis]

Kim, what about that stollen?

[Ray Swallow]

Sharlotka (Russia apple pie)
2 eggs
1 glass sugar
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 glass flour
3-4 ea sour-sweet apples

1. Beat two eggs with sugar, add sour cream, baking soda/vinegar mixture, and a cup of flour.
2. Peel and core the apples and cut them into small chunks and mix in.
3. Put the mixture into oven immediately 300 degrees and in 30 minutes soft apple sharlotka is ready to be served

[Ray Swallow]

A glass is one cup..Will check to be sure

[becsflowers]

OK- we're here again-
How about some wonderful comfort food recipes? What do you like to come home and make, on a chilly fall day? What do you cook that makes everyone who eats it, feel good?

[lunarmist]

Wow, Becs these recipes are OLD. I don't think they are good anymore. Gross.;)

[tizzy]

Not a recipe, but whatever happened to Ray Swallow?

(LOL, lunarmist!)

[becsflowers]

Not a recipe, but whatever happened to Ray Swallow?

(LOL, lunarmist!)
Something ate him?

[artteacher]

I get my favorite blackening seasoning from Bourbon St. Restaurant so I can't tell you what is in the stuff,,,,,I think cayenne pepper is one ingredient,,,:o
Someone may have a good blackening seasoning recipe,,,,,,Anyhoo,,,,

You clean and peel ur jumbo shrimp up real good,,,,,Then, you melt a big glob of butter with a bunch of the seasoning mixed in,,,,,,Next, you skewer those babys and then brush em down real good with the melted butter,,,,Sprinkle some more seasoning on them after they have been pitchforked and slathered with the seasoned butter on the skewers,,,,,Wrap them with foil on the skewers laid out side by side and stick em in the frig til the butter gets hard on them,,,,,Heat up your outdoor grill so it's hot (who cares if it's winter,,,:D),,,,Stick em on and watch em sizzle,,,,,Serve over wild rice,,,,

[MotherMoon12]

Something ate him?

Don't you mean something swallowed him?

[Sparky]

my fave holiday recipe- VODKA
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h294/sparkydawn/skeletondrink3.gif

[becsflowers]

Bump- Redhead, mind if I copy your holiday recipe thread to this one?

[Gaylord Wright]

Prolly not the most nutritious side dish but my Aunt Edna use to make it for every family gathering, something we kids loved.

Cherry Coke Jello

Black Cheery Jello
Canned Black Cherries (in juice)
Coca-Cola (instead of water)

Make it like you would jello, adding the fruit once the gelatin has thickened up enough to hold the cherries in suspension.

[becsflowers]

YUM! Thanks for sharing that! Those are the holiday recipes that just SCREAM "HOLIDAY!"

[becsflowers]

11-23-2008, 11:15 AM
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http://geekfest.com/images/icons/icon1.gif Easy Recipes for the Holidays
I'm not much of a cook and have little time during the holidays so am always looking for easy recipes. I'll start with this favorite. Everyone thinks I go to a lot of trouble to make these but they're very easy.
PEANUT BUTTER CUP TARTS: 36 miniature Reese's and roll of PB cookie dough
Refrigerate Reese's. Spray MINIATURE muffin tins w/ Pam or use liners. Preheat oven 350. Slice cookie dough & put 1/4 slice in each cup. Bake 8-10minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap cold candies. Remove cookies from oven and immediately press a candy into each cookie. The cookie rises up & nestles the candy. Refrigerate until the chocolate becomes dull. Gently lift from pan. SHHHH, don't tell everyone my secret.

[becsflowers]

11-23-2008, 01:06 PM
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Okay an easy appetizer you can prepare ahead of time: TORTILLA CANAPES: 6-8 Large flour tortillas, 1 large tub of soft cream cheese, 4oz can diced green chilis, 4oz chopped black olives, and 1-2 chopped green onions.
Mix all ingredients and spread on tortillas. Roll up tortillas and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate a couple of days. Slice and serve with Picante sauce.

Okay all, I know you have some good and easy recipes. I don't like being the only one giving away my secret recipes. What are yours?
__________________
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should just get used to the idea." Robert Heinlein

[becsflowers]

http://geekfest.com/images/statusicon/post_old.gif 11-23-2008, 01:41 PM
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I make my own (Italian) red sauce, but, to make this even easier use a jar of pre-made.(if you must!! But it's not NEAR as good as making your own.)

Cut several Italian sausages into bite size pieces. Cook in a little olive oil until done. Heat the red sauce until bubbly. Dump sauce into a shallow bowl, throw in the sausage. Stab each piece with a toothpick. You're done.

Even better if you forget the sausage and make your own Italian meatballs, but it takes a bit more work.

I know, this isn't really a 'holiday' recipe. Unless you're Italian, because then every day is a holiday. At least that's what my Italian friends keep telling me.
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[becsflowers]

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Here's one of my favorites for gatherings, holiday or otherwise. It's supposed to be 'sophisticated' but really very simple to make.

Creamy Crab & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (room temp)
1 lg can (13.75 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz or larger) pkg Louis Kemp Crab Delights (or other immitation crabmeat or lump crabmeat---tastes just as good, either way)

Preheat oven to 375

In a mixing bowl, blend together mayo & cream cheese til smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients & spoon into glass pie plate. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes til heated thru & lightly browned on top.

Serve with fancy crackers, crusty bread, tortilla chips, etc.. Refrigerate leftovers. Tastes even better the next day.

Enjoy!

[becsflowers]

http://geekfest.com/images/statusicon/post_old.gif 11-23-2008, 02:55 PM
Becky Davis (http://geekfest.com/member.php?u=10978) http://geekfest.com/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif
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My crab dip recipe is similar. 2 cans crab meat...take the shells out. 1 c mayo, 1 c sour cream...1 package cream cheese. Heat. Serve with sliced turnips and other vegetables..but turnips is the best.

[becsflowers]

11-23-2008, 03:32 PM
http://geekfest.com/image.php?u=17565&dateline=1220069435 (http://geekfest.com/member.php?u=17565)Redhead (http://geekfest.com/member.php?u=17565) http://geekfest.com/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif
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I make a dip similar to Accaliah's but instead of the crab meat I add a can of green chilis and some mozarella cheese. Yummy with Fritos. I have an easy fruit salad recipe but don't know it off the top of my head so will post later.

Yip, in my family any type of food is holiday food as long as it's good tasting and usually something we wouldn't eat on a daily basis because it may not be the healthiest but the once or twice a year makes them special.

[becsflowers]

Redhead, (and everyone else) I hope you are not offended that I copied your recipes to this thread. I dig this thread up every year (It's 4 years old this year) and your recipes are just too good to "get lost" in the archives.

[artteacher]

This is one my kids always want,,,,,(not exactly health food, but real Christmassy and fun for kids to make with Mom or Dad,,,,Santa also likes them)
Candy Cane Cookies,,,
1 c shortening (half butter or margarine)
1 c sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. salt
Red Food Coloring
1/4 c. crushed peppermint (use the blender/food processor)
1/4 c. granulated sugar

Oven 375 degrees. Mix shortening, confectioners' sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla thoroughly. Sift together flour and salt and stir into shortening mixture. Divide dough in half. Blend red food coloring into one half until it looks purty.
Roll a 4" strip (about 1 tsp. dough) from each color. (for smooth even strips roll back and forth on lightly floured surface). Place strips side by side, press lightly together and twist like a rope. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bend top of each cookie to form a cute little handle (like a candy cane).
Repeat this with balance of dough.
Bake about 9 minutes until lightly browned. While still warm, sprinkle with mixture of crushed peppermint and granulated sugar. Makes about 4 dozen.

(Not a good idea to watch that "scary CB radio trucker movie" with your kids directly after making these,,,,,You know,,,,The one where in the movie they go, "You got your ears on Candy Cane?")

[mudcat]

PECAN PIE SURPRISE BARS

INGREDIENTS:
CRUST FILLING

1/2 c. melted butter 3 eggs--beaten
1 yellow cake mix--take out 2/3 cup 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg 1 1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. cake mix
1 c. pecans--chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:
CRUST: Pour cake mix into a medium bowl. Pour melted butter over it and then add the egg. With a fork, stir all 3 together to make a stiff dough. If the dough is not stiff, add enough plain flour to make it stiff. Grease a 10 x 13 cake pan. Press the dough on the bottom of the pan and up the sides 1 1/2 inches. Bake in 350 oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

FILLING: While the crust is cooling, crack 3 eggs into a medium bowl and beat them. Add vanilla, dark corn syrup, brown sugar and the 2/3 c. of the reserved cake mix. Beat all together. Stir in the chopped pecans. When the crust is cool, stir the filling mixture again and pour into the crust. Bake in 375 oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

Cut the bars in 2 x 2 squares and serve. You can serve with whipped cream

[mudcat]

Irish Cream Recipe"
1 can condensed milk (14 ounces)
1 can rye whiskey (14 ounces)--(Canadian Mist?)
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 table spoon chocolate syrup
1 table spoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in bowl. WHISK!!!
(Do not put in blender!!!!).
Put in bottles and refrigerate overnight. Yum

[mudcat]

LEMONADE CHEESECAKE

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 c. sour cream
1 (6 oz.) frozen lemonade, thawed
3 eggs
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

TOPPING:

1/4 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, lemonade, cream cheese and eggs at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed for 4 minutes. Spoon into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until it tests done. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Combine topping and pour over cake. Refrigerate.

[mudcat]

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream/Raisin Pie
2 cups dairy sour cream 1-1/2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose
flour 3 egg yolks 1 cup raisins 3 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of
tartar 3/4 cup sugar 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
In a heavy medium saucepan stir together the sour cream, 1-1/2 cups sugar,
flour, egg yolks, and raisins. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat
until thickened and bubbly. Keep warm.
For meringue, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing
bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips
curl). Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high
speed about 4 minute more or until mixture forms stiff glossy peaks (tips stand
straight).
Pour warm filling into baked pie shell. Spread meringue over filling. Bake
in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 1
hour. Chill 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Makes 8
servings.

[mudcat]

Chicken Casserole
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 cup Diced Chicken
1 lb Veleeta cheese
4 cup Ritz Crackers Crumbs
1 1/2 cup Diced Celery
2 eggs
1 lrg Onion Diced
1 can Mushroom Soup
4 cup Chicken Broth

Mix all together .........Except 1 cup Cracker Crumbs
Pour into a 9 x 13 pan
Sprinkle 1 cup Crumbs over the top
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


Have added chopped chilies...to make it a little hotter

Mudcat

[mudcat]

UNBAKED CARAMEL COOKIES-
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup oleo or butter
1 6-oz. can or 2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 regular pkg. of instant butterscotch pudding
3 1/2 cups oatmeal

Cook together the first 3 ingredients about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the last 2 ingredients after cooking several minutes. Cook a few more minutes and shut off heat and allow to cool 15 minutes.

Drop by Tsp. onto waxed paper sheet. Allow to set until firm. Makes 5 dozen delicious cookies!

[DaBee]

The Lemonade Cheesecake and Pecan Bars sound yummy, but these unbaked caramel cookies sound strange with all of that raw oatmeal. Have you actually made these, Ray? I know that you're a good cook because you've told us so many times. :D

[drmartha]

I haven't read all 14 pages of this thread, but...does anyone have a good vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving? I usually do a baked pasta for my son, who doesn't eat meat. (He's not into tofu turkey, either). Was wondering if there was anything more creative? He wants it to be something other people will eat, too, so he doesn't feel "weird" eating it.

[DaBee]

drmartha....You can prepare a stuffing casserole and just add the new vegetarian "meats"; Khorn (mycoprotein food product). I'm not vegetarian, but any of the Khorn products that I've eaten are quite tasty.

[drmartha]

I've never heard of that..where do you buy it?

[mudcat]

cooking the oatmeal a few minutes gets them soft....There is a similar one using chocolate

[DaBee]

My DIL has bought it at Eureka Market, but there is a much larger selection and better prices at Ozark Natural Foods in F'ville.....right across from the VA.
The history of this food is quite interesting. Kinda makes you look outside of the "ice box" concerning foods.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
~"Quorn" meat substitute products~
:cool:

[DaBee]

You're right sTeVe....Quorn......I knew that, but misspelled it anyway. :o
Thanks for seeing my goofidotomy.

[mtnviewsteve]

:cool:
Simple pleasure:
Frozen cooked shrimp(thawed) and spicy cocktail sauce (add x-tra horseradish)~
:cool: