Sep. 17, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

A Recipe from the Farmhouse Cookbook

This is one of my daddy's favorite desserts. It is another easy, simple recipe that is perfect for a hot summer day. It is just as good any time of the year.

Cherry Yum-Yum

♦The Crust

12 graham crackers, finely ground

6 tsbp. butter, melted

1/4 c. of sugar

1/8 tsp. of salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt together. Stir in melted butter. Firmly press mixture into a pie dish or a small shallow casserole dish. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

♦The Filling

1 - 8oz. package of cream cheese (softened)

1 - 12oz. container of Cool Whip

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring

Combine the sugar, the Cool Whip, and the vanilla flavoring in a mixing bowl. Cream them together until it is a stiff mixture. Cut up cream cheese and add it to the bowl. beat until smooth (until there are no lumps of cream cheese to be seen.) Pour into pie dish or casserole dish with the prepared crust in it.

♦The Topping

1 can of cherry pie filling

Pour pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.

This recipe can be easily adjusted to anyone's taste. We happened to like cherry. I have tried strawberry pie filling before. It was alright but there is just something about the taste of strawberries coming out of a can...well, they just don't taste right. I am sure peach or blueberry would be good as well as apple. Pumpkin not so sure about, LOL!

Cherry Yum-Yum is also one of those dishes that go over real well at a covered dish dinner. Last time I made it for Chapel it was gone within 15 minutes time.

Try it and enjoy!

Sep. 10, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Strawberry Frozen Delight Cake

I found this recipe in a little book called Simple Mealtime Ideas from KRAFT that I picked up for free at Walmart. I tweaked the recipe to suit my family's taste and gave it a different name. The original name was Strawberry Whipped Sensation with OREO. The recipe called for an oreo bottom and the use of Cool Whip. I changed the bottom to a graham cracker bottom. (I am not a big fan of chocolate and strawberries together. As a matter of fact, I think DD is allergic to the combination of the 2.) I replaced the Cool Whip with real whipped cream.

So here is my tweaked recipe.

Strawberry Frozen Delight Cake

• 2 cups of fresh strawberries (can use frozen, may need to thaw a little)
• 1 - 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 c. of lemon juice
• 2 cups of whipped cream (I c. of heavy cream, whipped w/ a little sugar & vanilla flavoring added, to taste, or use 2 cups of Cool Whip.)
• 1 c. of graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted

Line a loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups of strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk, lemon juice, and 2 cups off whipped cream. Pour mixture into lined pan. Cover with foil and place in freezer while you prepare graham cracker crust.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Take pan out of freezer and press the crumb mixture on top of the strawberry mixture. Recover with foil and place in the freezer over night. To serve invert pan onto a plate.Remove foil.

Let it thaw some before you serve it, around an hour or so. We cut it with a bread knife. Be sure to put any leftovers back in the freezer as soon as possible after serving it.

This cake tastes like strawberry ice cream. It is very delicious. I took this to my in-laws for a cookout the first time I fixed it. It was a big hit. My FIL asked for seconds which is a rare thing for him, because he is very picky.

The original recipe calls for 2 cups Cool Whip to be put on the cake as frosting when you take it out of the pan and remove the foil. I haven't tried that yet, but when I do it will be real whipped cream. It also calls for strawberries to garnish the top. If you want to make the OREO bottom; the recipe calls for 8 oreos, finely chopped combined with 1 tbsp of butter, melted.

So whichever recipe you decided to make, I am sure you will like this dessert. It is a perfect dessert for a hot, humid, summer day. However, it will be a delightful way to bring back summer on a cold winter day.

Apr. 23, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Someone told my mother about this dip. It is delicious with any fruit, but especially with strawberries, oranges, and apple slices. It is so easy to fix, just 2 ingredients. We have this alot when strawberries are in season.

Fruit Dip

1 - 8oz. package of cream cheese

1 jar of marshmallow creme ( the regular size one - 7 or 8 oz. ?)

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature. Put cream cheese in a blender, blend until creamy. Add the marshmallow creme and blend until incorporated. Add food coloring if you want to have it a different color then white.

Here is another easy, delicious fruit dip. It has only 2 ingredients, too. You can customize this dip to match the fruit you want to eat with it. A friend gave me this recipe. Although my family likes the first fruit fip recipe the best, this one is a good alternative. It isn't as sweet as the first one.

Yogurt Fruit Dip

1 - 8 oz. Cool Whip

1 - 8 oz. fruit yogurt

Put both of them in a bowl and mix together. This one turns out fluffier and lighter than the first one. Use the flavor of fruit yogurt to match the fruit you will be serving with it.

Mar. 26, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy Recipe Thursday

This recipe is a casserole that lead the way to me eating broccoli. As a child, I never liked broccoli. The smell of it cooking in my mother's kitchen was revolting. I really can't remember why I ever tasted this casserole, but once I tasted I was hooked.  The cheese in the recipe was probably what made me like it.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

1 c. of cooked rice, (white or brown)

1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

a can of Cream of Chicken soup

a can of Cheddar Cheese soup

a small package of chopped broccoli

Fix the broccoli according to the package and drain well. In a bowl combine the cooked broccoli, cooked rice, the Cream of Chicken soup, the Cheddar Cheese soup, and a 1/2 c. of grated cheddar cheese. Make sure to mix it well. Pour into a casserole dish. ( A deeper dish will need a little extra bake time.) Top with the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese. Bake @ 350° until it starts to bubble and starts to turn golden on top. (It can take anywhere to 45 minutes to an hour.) Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. (This cooling helps it not to runny.)

We like cheese so I add alot more cheese than a cup and a half. I serve this with roast with slaw and pickles. It is also good with chicken. It makes a great covered dish meal for a dinner.

This is the only time I can stomach rice, too. I have never liked rice.  We have switched to brown rice around here. I think if I had too I could eat it, but it would have to be a deseparate situation.

Feb. 12, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Here is another one of our favorite cookie recipes. These cookies are great when dunked in a cup of coffee. I don't like coffee, but I like to eat these cookies dunked in it. Strange, I know.   Anyway, here is the recipe for Snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles

Sift the following dry ingredients together & set aside:

• 2  3/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Mix the following ingredients together:

• 1 c. soft shortening
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs

Add the dry mixture to this sugar mixture and stir in until a well-blended. Chill dough, covered for an hour or two. (I believe this is the most important step.) In a ziploc bag, combine a 1/3 c. of sugar with 2 tbsp. or more of cinnamon. Shake bag to combine well. Take dough out of frig. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Put in bag with cinnamon sugar and shake bag until ball is well-covered. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. With a fork, press dough down until it is no longer in a ball shape but somewhat flatter than it was. Bake in a 350° oven until lightly brown around the edges, (around 10 minutes.)

Jan. 22, 2009 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Cookies are our favorite dessert here on the farm. They are easy to grab, eat on the run, and require no untensils to eat. M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies are our favorite, but we have 2 close seconds; Peanut Butter Cookies and Snickerdoodles.

I am going to share the recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies. I can't remember exactly where I found this recipe. I think it was from the Peanut Council of North Carolina. It is a delicious cookie recipe. It is my favorite cookie to dunk in a cup of hot chocolate.

Criss Cross Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 egg

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine butter, peanut butter, the sugars, vanilla flavoring, and eggs; beating until light and fluffy. Combine the dry ingredients and stir. Add dry mixture to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inces apart on a baking sheet. (If the dough is sticky, put it in the frig for 15 to 30 minutes.) Flatten balls with fork tines in a criss cross pattern. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edge of the cookies. 

Enjoy these cookies. They are really, really good! 

P.S.-There is only one kind of peanut butter we eat in the house and that is JIF. I am slowly trying to change our food stores to healthier options but our peanut butter will not be one I change.

Oct. 30, 2008 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

As a young child, I tasted a wonderfully deliciously rich homemade candy called Potato Candy, at a family reunion dinner. My family left without getting the recipe and no one knew how to make this candy.  I remembered that taste for a long time.

Years later reading a cookbook on the cooking of the southern Appalachian mountains, I ran across a recipe I thought maybe the candy I remembered. I made it and it was.

The very name arouses alot of curiosity. What is Potato Candy? Potato Candy is a homemade candy made out of cooked potatoes. I know that sounds strange, but it really is very, very good. The name also causes alot of hestiancy in trying this very tasty candy, but once a person gathers up the courage to try it they fall in love with it.  It taste alot like the white chocolate peanut butter cups made by Reese's.

Potato Candy is very simple to make. Here is the recipe if you are curious and brave enough to try it.

Potato Candy

• 1/2 c. of cooked potaoes (or baked potatoes)
• 4 to 6 c. of powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 to 1 c. of peanut butter

Mash the potatoes until no lumps are left. Put mashed potatoes in a mixer bowl. Add a cup of powder sugar to the potatoes and mix. (It will be runny to begin with.) Continue to add a cup of sugar at a time until the mixture resembles pie dough and is dry enough it won't stick to your hands. Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment/wax paper into a rectangular shape. (You can roll it out on to the countertop but it is easier to do between the paper.) Spread peanut butter on top of dough. (You put on as much peanut butter as you like. A cup is too much for me.) Roll the dough up as you would a jelly roll. Chill the dough until firm (for several hours or over night.) I store the candy in the frig in an airtight container or wrapped up tightly.

This candy is very rich, but oh so good. Try it and enjoy!

Oct. 23, 2008 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

In our Keepers At Home Club, the girls are working on their hospitality badge. Part of the work to earn this badge is to provide refreshments for one meeting.

At our last meeting, the hostesses had a Mexiween theme going. What is Mexiween? Well, it was a Halloween celebration as Mexican food as the refreshments. I thought this was a cute idea, even if you don't celebrate Halloween.

One of the dishes served was a Mexican Cheese Ball. They served it with whole wheat crackers. Yummy! They were kind enough to share the recipe with me. I thought it would be the perfect recipe to share with all of you. Especially since, the holiday season is fast appraoching.

Mexican Cheese Ball

• 2/3 c. of chopped pecans
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. taco seasoning
• 1/4 c. picante sauce

Bake pecans in shallow pan at 275 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Stir in melted butter, sprinkle with salt.

Mix together cream cheese, chopped green onions, cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, and picante sauce. Shape into a ball, and rool in toasted pecans. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

The lady that made this used around a 1/4 c. chopped white onion. I don't the type of onion would really make that much of difference. Just use the type of onion you like the best. You wouldn't have to roll the ball in the pecans, if you didn't want to.

Enjoy! Yum! 

Aug. 21, 2008 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Tafy's Recipe Thursday

I found this recipe believe it or not on a package of steak tips. Again, I wasn't sure my family would like it. It is a nice recipe for a change of pace and doesn't require alot of work. At least, I don't think it does. It is relatively inexpensive. It is a good meal to make meat go further and get in vegetables in the meal. If you like Asian type food, you will like this.

Asian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles

Ingredients:

1 pound of steak tips

2 packages of Oriental-flavored instant Ramen noodles

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c. water

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 pound of broccoli florets

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 c. of water

Directions:

Combine seasoning from Ramen noodles w/ cornstarch mixture in large bowl. Add steak tips and toss. Let meat marinate for 30 minutes. (I let it marinate while I cut up the broccoli and carrots.)  

Drain meat. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil until hot. Throw in the tips and brown. Add broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add noodles and 1 1/2 c. water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

I have found it needs more seasoning for our taste. So I add garlic salt and pepper. Season according to your family's taste.

I serve this with a crusty Italian Bread. Yum-Yum!

Reflecting On One's Life

I just got off the phone with my grandmother. She called to wish me a happy 16th birthday. LOL!  I told I wish I was 16 again. My aunt ont he other line askled me how old I was. I told her 39. She said I remember turning 39 and thought I would stay 39 forever. I laughed and said on second thought I am glad I was 39 and not 16. I don't want to be 16 again. My grandmother said she wouldn't wish one year back, just a little more strength. She is 82 and gets around very well. I told her there would be very few things I would like to go back and change.

That got me thinking or reflecting back on my life. What I told my grandmother was the truth. I would change very little. I am happy with my life. I am growing every day in my relationship with the Lord. I am married to the love of my life. He is a wonderful, caring man and a great provider. I have 2 beautiful daughters. One is an angel in heaven. The other is here on earth with me. I have a caring, supportive family. We have a home I dreamed about and DH worked hard for. We live a comfortable life-style that isn't extravagant or rushed. I am happy and content.

Here's to the next 39 years! 

Jul. 31, 2008 - Tafy's Recipe Thursday

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

I ran across this recipe while I was clipping coupons. I didn't think my family would like it all that much, but I tried it anyway. I like to try new recipes to get out of our rut of meals. Little did I know, it would become one of my family's favorite meals. This recipe is from Campbell Soup. I made one change. The original recipe calls for Cream of Mushroom Soup. I use Cream of Chicken Soup, instead. I serve this dish with a crusty Italian Bread. I got the Italian Bread recipe from Tammy's Recipes.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. of linguine noodles
• 1 c. fresh or frozen broccoli
• 1 lb. of cooked chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• black pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare linguine according to package. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain linguine and broccoli well in colander.

In a skillet; combine soup, milk, cheese, and linguine mixture. Add chicken. Add black pepper to taste. (I add a little garlic salt, too.) Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling.

This recipe is a great way to make meat stretch to make it seem like more than it really is. It was suggested you could replace the chicken with shrimp. I am sure you could use fresh or frozen peas instead of broccoli. It is a simple quick meal to put together. Enjoy!