This is one of the most favorite recipes I post every year about his time ...judging by the emails I get. 

Well, it is starting to get chilly.  (unless you happen to live in SC where the four seasons are almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas; none of which are cold)  With all of the left over chocolate bars from Trick or Treating I thought I would share my recipe for homemade Hot Chocolate.  We usually make this on Christmas Eve in my house.  Now I warn you, this is NOT low fat in any way shape or form. So it goes without saying, this is probably the tastiest recipe known to mankind.

Hot Chocolate

1 Chocolate bar per person (Hershey’s is still the best) or a hand full of Hershey's kisses

1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream per person

sprinkle of cinnamon for garish (optional)

Pour the cream into a heavy sauce pan.  Heat slowly over med heat.  If it starts to scorch, remove from heat.

Chop up the candy bars (in a food processor works best).

Add to the cream and use a whisk to stir it in.  It should only take a minute to melt the chocolate.  

Pour in a cup and enjoy.  You can sprinkle on some cinnamon or put in a candy cane. 

Lastly, if you drink more than 1 cup a day for a week, avoid the scale for a week or two.  MMMMMMMMM Oh, Yeah, that is good.

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So I was thinking about this the other day when I noticed my crock pot. Ok, so any of you who have been following this blog know I am always on the lookout for great, easy crock-pot meals.  Now, while I know there are a lot of great recipes out there, but so many of them call for special ingredients.  While I know they are great I just do not have the time, energy, or patience to find exotic ingredients nor do I have the money for two pages long of ingredients.

I found a great site with some really (and easy) crock pot meals.  These can be made the night before and ready in the morning.  Also a great plus if you are heading out early in the morning for a day of field trips. These are recipes with eggs, cheese, potatoes, oatmeal and the like.  In other words, normal.

What is also great is all of these are so versatile.  You can easily cut these in half or double or triple the recipe depending upon the size of your family.  Plus you can add or take out ingredients depending upon your family’s taste buds.    

You can find the site at http://www.thatsmyhome.com/slowcooker/breakfast.htm

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So I googled Popeil recipes and found this great recipe book for pasta.  You can make basic, whole wheat, Basil Garlic, Beet, Spinach, Carrot, Cilantro, Tomato, spiced and even chocolate pasta! These are sooooo easy to make with ingredients available pretty much at any store.   There are 32 pages of recipes.  You can access it by clicking http://jimspages.com/Pasta.pdf.  A word of warning; this is a pdf file (have to have acrobat) You should print this out or save it to your computer if you intend to use this a great deal. I have sent out this warning before. You never know how long something will stay up on the web. 

Ps. If you need the instructions to the Popeil Ronco Pasta maker you can access that by clicking here.  Again, print out or save to your computer.  I have noticed this link being active one day and inactive the next.

So be on the look out at the next garage sale or your buddies house when they are getting rid of stuff. You will love having this around! 

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Anyway, I have shared recipes before with you that generated a lot of great responses (mainly in the form of thankful emails).  My recipe for only two ingredients for a roast can be found by clicking here.  Also, this month I shared my tips for converting almost any recipe for use in a crockpot. (you can see that post by clicking here.)  I found a great chicken recipe at 5 Kids and a Dog.  She usually has some great stuff.  A while back she has a great recipe for a crock pot chicken. The link is here. Because links go down I am posting the recipe here but please note this is NOT mine. I do not take credit for what is not mine. 

This recipe is very versatile and forgiving.  My mother did not have some of the spices called for so she just substituted what she had in her cupboard (I did the same) and both chickens came out just beautifully.  You can add the spices you like the best and leave out the ones you do not like!

Roasted Sticky Chicken

Note: I do not count spices as ingredients because you generally have those on hand

1 Tb. garlic salt
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
1 large roasting chicken

optional:
1 cup chopped onion (I leave this out. We have no onion fans in our household)

 Clean & dry chicken.

Mix all seasons and rub all over the chicken (don’t forget the cavities)

Put in the pot & DO NOT add any liquid.  Yeah, this step made me and my mother wonder about it, but it turned out beyond delicious.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until it falls off the bone.

I will save the left overs for my leftover soup (click here to see it)

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You can start with a tougher piece of meat. (tougher generally equals cheaper)

Meats cook faster than veggies.  Cut them up into bite size pieces and place at the bottom of the cooker and put meat on top.

If your meat has a lot of fat, trim it. Remove the skin from chicken.

Browning the meat before adding it will add a lot of flavor but it is not necessary.

Dredging the meat in flour will create a much thicker liquid. 

Reduce the liquids called for in a recipe by about half; Unless you are adding long grain rice.

Do not add dairy products until the last 15-30 min of cooking.  Adding milk, sour cream, cream cheese, or cream at the beginning can cause the milk to curdle.

I have found potatoes get too mushy so I do not add them until the last 30-40 min of cooking.

If you have dried beans in your recipe,

If a recipe has sugar or other acidic ingredients, you must cook the beans completely before adding them to the slow cooker.

All other recipes you must precook the beans for at least 10 min.  Just soaking them will not be enough! The beans will not be done by the end of the cooking time.

For extra help; If you can, find a recipe for the slow cooker that resembles yours. Use it as a generally guide for liquid levels, cooking times, piece sizes.

A slow cooker works best if half way filled but not much more than 2/3 full.

DO NOT LIFT THE LID to check on the food. Every time you do this the temp will drop 10-15 degrees and you will need to add an additional 10-15 min of cooking time.

In the end, you may have to experiment a bit but it is well worth the effort. 

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Sorry I have not posted much this week. We have had VBS going on at our church.  We set new records this year with the amount of kids and workers! YEAH! We are happy but oh so tired. (My bed has not been made in a week) Anyway, to make it up to you I have a great marinade for use on really any kind of meat that I thought would be great for the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend..  I am getting ready to make some up.  My father made his up yesterday.

Now this recipe is actually for steak but if you are like us and do not have the budget for steaks very often, this works great on hambugers.  We will get steaks about once every other year as a special treat.  It is alright to treat your self every so often.  We have used this on all sorts of meats so go ahead and try something new.

Like the other recipes I share with you, this is not expensive and uses ingredients you likely have on hand already.

Romanian NY Steak Marinade

1/2 c. A-1 sauce (add more if you have big steaks)

1 to 2 T. Grey Poupon Mustard (let your tastebuds decide how much)

2 T. honey

2 T. Soy Sauce

For a tougher meat I add about a Tablespoon of orange juice.

I usually save aside a little bit and brush it on the meat before the cooking time is almost done.

For steaks or chicken - Throw in a ziploc bag and turn every so often to coat.  Let set for an hour or two or better yet overnight.

Or with burgers, just mix it into the meat as you are making the patties. For ready made burgers, just brush on and let soak in the fridge for an hour or two.

Special note: I will put up some Free 4th of July resources this evening or tomorrow morning.

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Yeah!!! Summer is here.  Time for warm weather and snow cones.  I got a snow cone machine on clearance for only $10. If you do not have one, use the ice crushing setting on your blender or food processor.  I have two recipes both prepared the same way. One is for a really sour one.  MMMMMMM.  My Grandmother gave me these.  I think she found them in a Southern Living Magazine.  What is nice about this is it is easy, cheap, uses what is in your kitchen already, and if you have a family member with diabetes, like I do, you can replace the sugar with Splenda. 

To make slushes, all you have to do is fill the glass with shaved ice and fill until there is just a little more syrup than ice.

You can also use soda (or as I call it carbonated sugar) or fruit juice or any combination of juices or syrup flavors.  I have a buddy who likes to make the cherry syrup and add it to her coke.

Snow Cone syrup

2 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. water

1 envelope unsweetened kool-aid, any flavor

Or

Super-Sour Snow Cone Syrup

2 c. sugar

1 1/4c. water

2 envelopes unsweetened lemonade kool-aid

1 envelope unsweetened cherry kool-aid

Regardless of the flavor: here is what you do.

1. bring sugar & water to boil in medium saucepan

2. remove from heat & stir in drink mixes

3. cover & chill until ready to serve

4. befor using, let stand at room temp. for 20 min.

makes 2 1/2 cups

Please do not email me and fuss at me for sharing this treat so full of sugar and devoid of nutrients.  This is once and a while treat not an every day thing. 

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 Crispy Chicken Strips

 8 (8oz) boneless, chicken breasts, each cut into at least 4 strips (I cut them into 8 for smaller hands)

vegetable oil

1 c. parmesan cheese

1 c. panko crumbs (or some other bread crumbs) 

1 t. seasoned salt (Lowry’s is what I use)

1 t garlic powder

½ t. paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 Coat a baking sheet with nonstick coating (if you lucky enough like me to have stoneware, you can skip this step)

Mix all spices, cheese & crumbs in a shallow bowl.

Using a basting brush, brush the oil onto the strips. (My youngest loves to paint the chicken)

Then coat heavily in the crumb mixture.

Place in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake 20-25 min. or until thoroughly cooked.

 Peanut Dipping Sauce

Makes 1 cup

 ½ c. peanut butter

½ c. water

2 T brown sugar

1 T soy sauce

1 t garlic powder

1 t ground ginger (I never seem to have this on hand. I made it without this spice and it was just fine)

Whisk all together and serve.  Refrigerate leftovers

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 I know when I first got out on my own I tried the drug store stuff selling myself the line, newer and more scientific is better. I found out, that is not true. Have you ever read the ingredients on those cough syrups; artificial colorings, artificial flavorings, artificial…..well haven’t figured out what those other things are.  AND THEY WANT US TO PUT THAT INTO OUR KIDS?!!!???

 Well, there is a lot of a hacking going on in the household.  The flu is here in our home.  Ok, here is my family’s and many other families’ recipe that works.

 In a large spoon, fill ¾ full of honey (if you can get local honey, this is the best but store brand will work)  then take a few drops of lemon juice (while fresh is best, lets face it most of us do not keep lemons on hand especially this time of year so go ahead and use the bottled lemon juice. It works just as good.)  Mix with your finger and swallow.

 That’s it.  Nothing else.  It really works. I was up at 3 am proving it with the kids.  They coughed maybe once or twice and then that’s it.  The honey coats the throat and soothes it.  Plus, it tastes good. One of the younger ones was faking a cough last night asking for some.  Didn't want them to feel left out so I gave them some.  Wow, medicine that the kids think is a treat!

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 Basic Pancakes

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour

3 T sugar

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 ½ c. milk

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

½ t. vanilla

 Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl.

Pour the wet over the dry and mix until just combined.  (leave the lumps, refer to the tips below.)

 Pour onto your griddle.

 Enjoy!  You can click here and get my tips on keeping your pancakes warm while cooking the others.

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1 egg

1 ¼ c. buttermilk

1 ¼ c, sifted flour (have never actually sifted it before)

1 T. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 t. baking powder

1/ 2 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 heaping T. vegetable oil or melted shortening

Slightly beat the egg & then mix all ingredients.

Some great tips:    

1.      Make sure you do NOT use too much oil.  While the griddle or pan you are using is COLD (NEVER, NEVER, EVER try to put cold oil on a hot pan) pour a small amount in the middle and using a basting brush or a paper towel spread the oil evenly.

2.      Make sure you heat up your griddle. A lot of people make the mistake of being in a rush and not allowing the griddle to heat up enough.  To test the heat of a griddle, take a little bit of water in your hand and sprinkle the drops onto your griddle, if they bounce, the pan is hot enough.

4.      Do NOT turn up the heat to get the griddle to heat up fast because you are in a hurry.  All you will end up with is burnt pancakes.

5.      Do not over mix the batter. You want your batter lumpy. This helps the pancakes come out fluffier.  Mix just until blended.

6.      Pour out a cup of batter onto the griddle and use the back of a spoon to spread out into a round shape.

7.      Cook on the first side until the bubbles start to appear and the sides are starting to brown then flip.

Enjoy! I am off to make this for my family!

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There are so many great recipes out there for use with buttermilk.  From pancakes to brownies, biscuits to soup; the list is endless.   If you are like me, you love to bake and cook with it. The problem, if you are like me, is you might not use buttermilk everyday.  I will sometimes go a week or so without using buttermilk. And where I live I can not find buttermilk in smaller containers.  Of course, this means I generally have a container of soured buttermilk in my fridge. This is a waste of money & food; two things that someone raised by depression era Grandparents despises. I have a great tip for you today.

I can not remember where I first read about his tip but it was some years ago and it has served me well.  In the baking isle, with the powdered milk, you can find a canister of powdered buttermilk.  I kid you not. A small canister like in the pic runs under $4. 

The instructions for making as little as 1/4 cup is on the canister.  You make what you need.  NO WASTE!  That means you are saving a ton of money.  You can tell no difference in the taste unless you are drinking this straight!  Ok, ewwww! My Grandmother will with a little salt around the rim.  Yuck!  Sorry just can not stomach it.  This also works great in your bread machine!

As far as the shelf life is concerned, I contacted the company and unopened the milk has an indefinite shelf life as long as it does not get wet.  Once opened, you need to store it in the fridge and it will last SERVERAL YEARS.  They suggested that if you have not used it within 5 years AFTER opening it you should throw it away.  I think I will bake enough by then.

 Stay tuned. I will share my Grandmother’s Buttermilk Pancake recipe with you in the next day or so.

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This comes from one of my bestest buddies Lisa W.  Thanks girl!  Her kids are so lucky, not only is their mom an excellent cook, their father is incredibly talented.(I have a great one pot chicken, rice & sausage meal from him I will be sharing soon)

This can be prepared in a crock-pot (always a plus for homeschoolers on the go) or stove top.  What is also great, you can grab these ingredients at the store but do not have to make this right away because the ingredients can spoil.  I am fairly certain this freezes well because I have frozen other soups & stews with similar ingredients.  I have not had any extra left in my house to find out for sure. 

New England Clam Chowder soup

4 Big cans of Campbell’s Chunky Style New England Clam Chowder

4 small cans of Potato Soup

2 cans of clams – use juice in the can

½ gallon half and half (more or less depending upon how thick you want the soup)

1/2 stick REAL butter

Mix all & cook in a crock-pot at least 4 hours or you can cook on the stove top, but on low & stir frequently to keep it from  sticking.

If it becomes too runny, use a spoonful of boxed mashed potatoes to thicken it.

 Add salt/pepper to taste before serving

 Optional: In my house, we sprinkle a little bit of crumpled up bacon on top before serving.  Real bacon not those nasty bacon bits that are an affront to nature. 

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Well, it is starting to get chilly.  (unless you happen to live in SC where the four seasons are almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas; none of which are cold)  With all of the left over chocolate bars from Trick or Treating I thought I would share my recipe for homemade Hot Chocolate.  We usually make this on Christmas Eve in my house.  Now I warn you, this is NOT low fat in any way shape or form. So it goes without saying, this is probably the tastiest recipe known to mankind.

Hot Chocolate

1 Chocolate bar per person (Hershey’s is still the best) or a hand full of Hershey's kisses

1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream per person

sprinkle of cinnamon for garish (optional)

Pour the cream into a heavy sauce pan.  Heat slowly over med heat.  If it starts to scorch, remove from heat.

Chop up the candy bars (in a food processor works best).

Add to the cream and use a whisk to stir it in.  It should only take a minute to melt the chocolate.  

Pour in a cup and enjoy.  You can sprinkle on some cinnamon or put in a candy cane. 

Lastly, if you drink more than 1 cup a day for a week, avoid the scale for a week or two. 

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Yesterday, I gave you a Kitchen Measuring Equivalents chart.  Today I am going to share my baking pan subsitutions chart.  I have this copied on an index card and taped up inside my cabinet.

We all have been there. We are baking a cake at the last minute for the church social or for dear Aunt May's 100th birthday party and when we go to grab that baking pan we need, it is gone.  The children have decided that the round pan makes a great pool for Barbie, or that it makes a great corral for the turtle or new bug they found in the yard while they look up what the thing is in a book, or that is makes a great tomb for some doll (mental note: a little less Snow White), or that the husband thought it was the perfect place to put the bolts from the carborator he is rebuilding.   Regardless of the excuse, you need a pan...quick! Here are pans you can use instead of the standard round. 

Note: all measurements are in inches. 

two 8x2 rounds = 10 x 3 1/3 bundt

                       = 9 x 2 round

                       = 8x8x2 square

                       = 10 x 15x 1 jelly roll

10x2 round = 9x9x2 square

12-cup muffin tin = 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaf

                          = 9 x 1 1/2 round

                          = 8x8x 1 1/2 square

special notes:

First, you may need to adjust baking times.  Generally, not always, deeper pans require a longer baking time.  Not always, just when you are in a horrid hurry and really, really, really  have to go to the bathroom and you are afraid if you walk away from the stove the cake will burn, will it take longer. 

Second, these are not exact.  You need to watch how much batter is in the pan.  I do not usually fill a pan more than 2/3 full.  Else, it may overflow and then you will have to share the best way to clean a stove and air out a kitchen and explain how to turn off that horrid smoke alarm. Or gather the children around and tell them you are starting fire saftey week and you have set up  a "fire" for them complete with smoke.  Then ask, "Now what do we do since smoke is filling up the room?"

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I have something today that I hope will be of some use to you with the Holiday season coming up. Measuring charts are great, especially if you need a 1 c. of something and just realized that the kids used all of your clean measuring cups to measure out the amount of turtle food and peanut butter needed to keep the dog making those funny faces for at least an hour,  but as you all know, whenever you need them they are stuffed inside some cookbook somewhere and by the time you might actually find it the water has boiled over, the meat has burned and the kids have discovered that crayons really do melt in the dryer but not really in a washing machine.  I have this chart printed up and glued to a picture of an old-fashioned milk bottle.  I then laminated it (directions here) and taped it up inside one of my kitchen cabinets. 

Measuring Equivalents

1 Tablespoon ....................3 teaspoons

1/8 c. ...............................2 T

1/4 c. ...............................4 T

1/3 c. ...............................5 T + 1 t

1/2 c. ...............................8 T

2/3 c. ...............................10 T + 2 t

3/4 c. ...............................12 T

1 c. ..................................48 t

1 c. ..................................16 T

1 oz. ................................2 T. fat or liquid

4 oz. ................................1/2 c

8oz. .................................1 c

16 oz. ..............................1 lb.

8 fluid oz. .........................1 c.

1 pint ...............................2 c

1 quart .............................2 pints

4 c ...................................1 quart

1 Gallon ...........................4 quarts

1 pinch ............................1/8 t or less

1 peck ..............................8 quarts

1 jigger .............................1 1/2 fl. oz. or 3 T

In the next day or so I will be putting up my baking pan subsitutions chart for you.

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Cheese Wafers

2 c.  (4 sticks) Butter, softened

1 (1-lb) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 c. all-purpose flour

½ t. salt

1-2 t. ground red pepper (depending on how much kick you want)

½ t. paprika

Beat the butter and cheese at medium speed until blended.

All flour a cup at a time blending well.

Add remaining ingredients & blend.

Cover dough & put in refrigerator about 2 hours.

Roll & Shape the dough into 4 (8-inch) logs; cover & chill again for 8 hours or overnight.

Cut into ¼ inch slices & place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 15 min at 350.

Cool on wire racks (or on a plate like I did when I was first married and didn’t have a lot of the kitchen gadgets that I have now)

Store in an airtight container.

This should make about 10 dozen (more or less depending upon who gets into it)

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Hello everyone!  Sorry I have been kind of scarce as of late.  It is time for the SC State Fair.  And as any of you who know me knows, I have been busy getting my entries ready.  Once again, one of my pies (pink lemonaid) has taken first place.  I have quite a collection of blue ribbons for my pies. (It ain't braggin if it is true)  My candy did not place.  I am not surprised by that.  I couldn't quite get the recipe to work.  The blue ribbon I really want, the one I have been trying for for about 5 years now is the cake decorating blue ribbon.  I have place 2nd but that blue ribbon keeps slipping out of my grasp.  This year, yeah you guessed, I did NOT get it.  Sigh!!!! Well, there is always next year.

Sorry to say, I can not share my blue ribbon pie recipes with you.  They are closely guarded secrets.  Of the 40 members of my family, only 5 have this recipe and I am the only one under the age of 60 to have it.  But do not despare, I have a great website for you. This has a listing of State Fair winning recipes from across the country.  You can go to www.statefairecipes.com 

I have some past winners of my own that I can share with you.  You can see my Beyond Moist Strawberry Cake recipe that won me 2nd place at the 2007 SC State Fair here.   My pie recipe that won me the blue ribbon last year.  You can see my really simple Derby pie recipe here, as well as links to show you how to make the perfect pie crust.  My ever popular peanut butter pie, that won the blue ribbon at the 2006 State fair can be seen by clicking  here.

I hope these recipes will inspire you to cook more this week!   Enjoy! And save me a slice, will you?

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Just in time for football season!!!!!!!    Not that I have time to watch football.  I also really just do not have the attention span to watch grown men fight over a ball and wear pants that are far too tight for them because they are always grabbing themselves and ladies that obviously are going to a bikini contest after the game and seem to think they will not have time to change before they leave. 

Anyway, I have my husband’s nacho cheese dip.  He actually got this from one of MY relatives.  This is soooo easy & quick to make.  The original actually calls for Rotell canned tomatoes; unfortunately we can not find these in our area. So if you live in an area where you can find this, use it instead or along with the salsa. 

Nacho Cheese Dip

1 medium block Velveeta cheese

½ jar mild, medium, or hot chunky salsa (more or less depending upon taste)

Microwave 2 minutes & stir. 

Microwave and additional 1 -2 minutes or until hot.

If too chunky, add a little more salsa or 1 T of water at a time until you get to the desired consistency. 

He will sometimes mix this with my homemade Guacamole.  Recipe for that here.

Enjoy.

Go (place your favorite team name here)

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 This one comes from my church’s cookbook.  You  know the one where all the woman (and some of the men) donate recipes and they then sell the cookbook to raise money for something.  I donated about 40 recipes and there is a mistake in everyone.  Sigh!  I can not tell you how many times someone has come up to me and asked me why one of my recipes did not turn out right.  It is my own fault.  I have dreadful handwriting.  I feel so sorry for the proofreader. This is Ms. Jo Ann F.’s donation. 

Special note about the cake mix:

1)      Look for the buy one get one free sales.  You can stock up on some great mixes this way .

2)      My family has found that the Duncan Hines Super moist mixes are the best for this recipe, and to use in general.  Sorry to all of those companies out there but this brand makes the best tasting, best texture & moistest cakes.

Cookie Dough from any cake box mix

Box of cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

Mix and drop spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° until golden brown.  (time will vary from 10-25 min depending upon your cookware & oven )

You can either use a glaze or the cake icing to ice the cookies or eat them like my father prefers; plain with milk. 

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Spaghetti Sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

¼ t. oregano leaves

½ t. basil leaves

½ t. sugar

1. sauté garlic in olive oil
2. add all and simmer

I will also add browned meat & Jimmy Dean’s Breakfast sausage with sage & simmer for a while.

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If you haven’t already subscribed to the regular magazine, I highly suggest it. You can read about my review here or click here to request a free subscription.

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Quick Avocado tips:

1)       a ripe avocado will be a bit soft when you press on the skin.  To ripen one, place on the counter for a day or two.

2)       To cut one is really simple. In the middle of the big portion is a large pit.  Slowly slice into an avocado as you would any fruit.  When the knife hits the pit, start cutting the avocado around the pit. The avocado will be sliced in half with the exception of the pit. Now, grip the halves in separate hands and turn in different directions.  They should pop apart with the pit being present in only one half.  You should be able to pop this by putting a knife in underneath and popping or digging it out. 

3)       Scooping out the inside is easiest with a melon baller, but a teaspoon will also work.  Hold the skin and scoop out the meat. 

Guacamole

2 ripe avocadoes, insides scooped out

juice of 1 lime

1 clove of crushed garlic

¼ t. cayenne pepper

1 T. of horseradish sauce(more or less depending upon taste)  (found in the mayonnaise aisle)

1 T. mayonnaise

dash of salt

Mix all together in a food processor.  The longer you process it the creamer it will become. I prefer chunky while the hubby likes creamy. 

He also likes to mix it will a bit of salsa.

Some people like to add chopped tomatoes.  No one in our family likes tomatoes so again, let your tastes be your guide.

Serve with tortia chips. 

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The recipes I am going to share both have advantages and disadvantages to them.  The first is a more traditional recipe.  It is cheap and pretty easy to make plus it creates that hard finish that we are use to.  The only real problem is that this will not keep long even in a refrigerator.  You need to only make what you need and pretty much throw away the extra...IF there is any left over. 

The second is a lot easier to make and will keep for several days covered in plastic wrap on the counter.  The disadvantages are it is not as cheap and it will not create that hard finish.  This one is best to add on details or if you have a project that will take several days or even weeks to accomplish.

This week we were doing an overview of Egypt and we made mummified cats.  Ok, an empty paper roll with a paper ball head covered in the traditional paper mache. (We would have made a mummified man but I was afraid that would freak out the relatives that are still having a problem understanding this “homeschooling thing” ) We then used the second recipe to paint on colored tissue paper. 

If you happen to have a recipe that you think is better, PLEASE share it in the comments section. 

Traditional Paper Mache

Combine 1/2 c. all-purpose flour with 2 cups cold water.

Add to 2 cups boiling water.

Bring to a boil again.

Remove from heat and add 3 Tablespoons sugar.

As it cools will thicken and be ready to use.

Modern Paper Mache

2 parts white elmer’s glue

1 part water

Mix

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Hello out there!  Yes, I am still alive.  Generally, I know I post about 5 times a week; this week has been 2.  I have had ALOT going on.  Sorry. But to make it up to all of my loyal readers, I have a great recipe for icing for those Easter cookies you may be making soon.  In our family we make Christmas cookies; for is that not where the story of Easter began?  This icing dries to a smooth, shiny, hard finish to make decorating easier.

A decorating tip for the younger kids; you can now buy edible color markers made by the Wilton corp.  You should be able to find them at Wal-mart in the craft section with the cake decorating supplies or Micheal's or any craft store that carries decorating supplies should have them.  They work great with this recipe.

Cookie Icing

1 c. confectioner's sugar (a fancy term for powdered sugar)

2 t. milk

2 t. light corn syrup

Mix sugar & milk then add in syrup and stir well.

Pour over cookies and allow to dry

Optional: I like  to add a little snap to mine so after pouring the milk into a measuring cup, I will take out 1 t.  and put it back into the jug.  After mixing all ingredients well, I will add 1 t. of lemon flavoring.

Note: If you are going to add sprinkles or edible glitter, you will need to sprinkle them on while the icing is wet.   

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A bit of a warning.  This is an extremely moist cake.  It will not hold it’s shape like a normal cake.  In other words, if you are looking to make a cake to decorate for a fancy event; this ain’t it.  This cake is incredibly good but it isn’t exactly the best looking.  It will come out lopsided.

Also, no matter how well you try to grease and flour your pans, it will stick.  You will have to line the bottom of your pan with either parchment or wax paper.  This is simple. First, you will find this with the foil and stuff in your grocery store or in the case of the parchment with the Wilton craft supplies at Wal-mart.  Second, lay your pans down and trace the bottoms. Cut it out and put in the bottom of your greased & floured pan.  The grease will help hold it in place and prevent it from sticking to the sides. 

Beyond Moist Strawberry Cake

Cake-2 layer

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist White cake mix

1 box (small) strawberry jello

½ c. water

½ c. vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 (at least 10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed (save 6 or more for the icing)  I will generally use a 16 oz and instead of using just ½ c. water, I will take the juice and add enough water to equal ½ c. of liquid

Blend all ingredients and bake according to directions on cake mix box.  When done, let stand in pan on a cooling rack for 10 min. take a spatula and gently run it around the sides of the pan.  Flip it onto a plate and then IMMEDIATELY flip it back onto another plate so that the wax paper is between the cake and the plate.  Let cool completely on the counter.

Icing

1 box confectioners sugar

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened or melted and somewhat cooled

strawberries reserved from cake

a few drops red food coloring

Cream the butter and cream cheese, then add the food coloring and strawberries one at a time.  Blend in the sugar ½ c.  at a time. Whip until stiff.

Do NOT dump in the whole box of sugar and then email me complaining about how you had a mushroom cloud of powered sugar in your kitchen and now there is a layer of white over everything in 2 mile square radius.  You were warned.

Turn the cake over onto the plate you want and then peal off the wax paper.  Ice the top, and then flip the second cake layer onto the top. Peel off wax paper as you are slapping the husband’s hand that has “fell” into the icing bowl.  Finish icing.

I suppose the only thing left is to deep fry it. Some of you laugh but there is a southerner out there right now saying, “Well, it wouldn’t be that hard, all you have to do is…..”

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This is a great recipe for when you have some apples around that have gotten a little ripe.  I usually take a batch with us on field trips.  Another great thing, a serving has less than 1/4 gram of fat.  It is healthy, cheap, easy to make and carry. Plus, you do not need expensive equipment like a dehydrator.  What I also like is this makes the kitchen smell soooo good; no need for expensive oils or dust gathering potpourri. 

Dried Apple Slices

4 granny smith apples, peeled & thinly sliced

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

5 tsp. sugar

Mix all the spices together in a zippered plastic bag.  Add apples & give to the kids to dance around.  After the apples are coated, place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper in a single layer.

Dry the apples in an oven at 250 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from oven & cool.  Apples will become more crisp as they cool.

Store in an airtight container.  You do not need to refrigerate

A few quick notes:

Even if you are like me & have stoneware, you still need to use parchment paper.  You will find it in a grocery store with the foil or at a store like Wal-mart, go to the cake decorating supplies in the craft section.  One roll will last a long time.

I have invested in one of those apple/potato peeler/slicer things. I highly recommend it if you start doing a lot of these.  I actually make several batches at one time.  You can use all racks the in the oven, however you may need to increase drying time to 2 hours.

The spices are easy to find at the store.  It may seem like a lot to buy but you use so little that they end up lasting  you a long time plus I have found that when I make other recipes I can experiment with them.  They are great to have on hand.

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 I actually made this last night because I was very busy.  This is a really great recipe that I do not think I have shared with you before.  This chicken is so easy to make and it is the moistest recipe I have ever found.  I actually got this from a teacher in Chattanooga, TN.  You can throw this in the marinade in the morn and have it cooked in the evening in 35 min.

I have left off exact measurements so you can adjust your servings to how many mouths you are feeding. 

Early Bird Chicken

Boneless Chicken Breast (1 per serving)

Bottle of Italian dressing (we prefer fat-free Wishbone)

Ritz crackers, crushed, enough to coat the chicken

In morning (actually the night before works best), put chicken in a bowl, pour some dressing over it and put in fridge to thaw.

When you are ready to cook, roll chicken in crushed crackers & place in an uncovered baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 min or until internal temp. is 180 degrees.

a side note: Invest in a $3 meat thermometer from wal-mart. I have found my meals turn out so much better because I do not overcook the meat which causes is to be tough and dry. 

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A few Saturdays ago I was at Wal-mart when I passed a set up giving away free books about promoting a woman’s health.  All I heard was, “would you like a free book?” When I got around to looking through it, I found several recipes, this one for crescent rolls amoung them. I will share more as I go through the book. 

Another great thing about this recipe, while it does make a lot of rolls (about 24), these can be easily frozen and microwaved for later.  I will also share a variation and the recipe for honey butter that you can use with the ready made ones as well.  Plus, here is the link to a Honey & Cream Cheese Crescent recipe ENJOY!

Crescent rolls

1 yeast cake (do not let this scare you off.  It is nothing but one of those ¼ oz. (7g.) Envelopes or 2 ¼ t of yeast dissolved in 3 T. of warm water left to sit for around 10 min.)

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. warm water

½ c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 stick melted butter + extra for brushing on before baking

5 c. flour

Mix all the ingredients, cover and let stand on the counter overnight.  A word of warning;  I put these in a bowl with a top and it blew the top off.  This will double and almost triple in size.  The next time I make these I will put plastic wrap loosely on top or drap a cheese cloth over it.

Divide the batter into fourths to make it easier to work with. The measurements I am about to give you are only to help you figure out the size, you do not have to be exact so put the rulers up.   Roll these out into a rectangle shape. Try to keep it about 5 inches wide.  Cut the dough into rectangles into about 5 inches wide and about 8 inches long.  Take each of those rectangles and cut it from corner to the opposite corner.  In other words, each rectangle should be cut to make two trangles.  Of course, you can vary the size to make small or large ones.

Brush the triangle with butter. Starting with the wide end of the triangle, roll loosely up.  The tip of the triangle should end up in the middle on the top of the crescent.  Put on the cookie sheets and brush with butter.

If you want the facy shape, just bend them slightly, forming a crescent moon shape.

Let stand for 3-5 HOURS on the sheets on the counter.

Bake at 375 degrees for around 8-12 min

If you are going to freeze them, put them in a freezer safe bag and squeeze out as much air as you can.  Microwave for at least 30 sec. wrapped in a paper towel.

If you like a little twang, take the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (the powdered in the packet) sprinkle a bit on top of the butter before rolling the crescent up and then sprinkle a bit more on after you have it rolled it up and brushed it with butter.

These are just beyond good with some homemade honey butter.  This is so easy, take a ½ c. (or 1 stick) of butter.  Soften and then mix with well with 1 T. of honey. 

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