Do You Like Cookies & Candy?

If you like candy and especially making candy this is your day my friends. I am one of these guys who like having an abundance of recipes to choose from at one convenient site. I love easy. Well all you have to do is click here and be amazed at the number of candy recipes to choose from.

Maybe you are more of a cookie person than candy so you are in luck too. Just click here and there are enough cookie recipes to keep you busy until Santa comes. Have fun.

Friday Update

Hope all my blog friends have had a great friday. My morning consisted of mostly blogging, reading more on the book from my blog friend Karen and downloaded another into my Kindle that was reviewed by another of my blog friends, Alexia over at The Mommie Rambles. It is a murder mystery called "Love you more". You should stop by her site and read the review.

The people at the dental office was supposed to call me so I waited until about 3 PM and found out my plate had been delivered at lunch time so I made the 45 minute drive to retrieve my plate and I have to admit they did an awesome job. Hopefully it will last a long time now.

While I was in town I took time to visit my Aunt Katie and took her a plate of food I had cooked yesterday. I found a package of chicken leg quarters on sale and cooked the whole package in my pressure cooker, took the chicken out to cool and strained the small pieces of bones and stuff, then cooked some curly pasta in the chicken broth. Later I added the chicken I had removed from the bones and it was really good. I also cooked some pork ribs in an oven bag with vinegar and crushed red pepper low and slow for about 4 hours. Aunt Katie was excited to get the comfort food for later.

Now to all the ladies out there in blog world HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I know it's early but tomorrow will be a very busy day since Linda & I have to travel to Siler City to see her Aunt Frances at the independant living facility that is her new home. They are having family day there tomorrow starting at noon so it will probably be kind of late when we make it back. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Recipes With (G)

Gumbo: Chicken & Sausage

Ingredients:

1 Cup oil

1 Cup flour

2 Large onions, chopped

2 Bell peppers, chopped

4 Ribs celery, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, minced

4 Qts. chicken stock

2 Bay leaves

2 Tsp Creole seasoning or to taste

1 Tsp dried thyme

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 Large chicken, cut into pieces

2 Lbs. smoked sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Bunch green onions, chopped

Season the chicken with salt, pepper & creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat & reserve meats.

In a large heavy pot heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium heat stirring constantly until the roux reaches a peanut-butter color. Will take 15-20 minutes but will be so worth it.

Add vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Add the stock, seasonings, chicken & sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour.

Add the chopped green onions and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and enjoy

Giblet Gravy

Ingredients:

Giblets from turkey (liver, heart, gizzard & neck) Cooked

4 Cups turkey stock or chicken broth

2 Chicken bouillon cubes

2 Tsp poultry seasoning

2 Heaping Tbl uncooked cornbread stuffing mix

3 Tbl cornstarch

1/3 Cup cold water

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 Hard boiled egg, sliced

Chop the giblets and the meat that has been removed from the neck. In a saucepot bring the stock to a boil. Add the giblets, bouillon cubes, poultry seasoning and raw stuffing to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and water and add to the boiling stock, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt & pepper, to taste, and add the sliced boiled egg.

A-Z Challenge Recipes "B"

Bean Stew- Tuscan:

1 lb. dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups) rinsed and picked over. 1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling 1/2 lb. bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces 1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups) 2 medium celery ribs cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup) 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1 cup) 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled & crushed 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 3 cups water 2 bay leaves 1 bunch of kale or collard greens (about 1 pound) stems trimmed & leave chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed) 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained & rinsed 1 sprig of fresh rosemary Ground black pepper Salt 8 Slices of country white bread each 1 1/4 inch thick, broiled until golden brown on both sides and rubbed with garlic clove

The night before: Soak the beans overnight in 4 qts of water with 3 Tbl salt. Drain

and rinse well.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position & heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil &

bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally,

until bacon is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion

celery & carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and

lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about

1 minute. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves & soaked beans. Increase heat to high

and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to over, cook until beans are almost

tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven and stir in greens and tomatoes. Return pot to oven and

continue to cook until beans & greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

Remove pot from oven & submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover & let stand 15

minutes. Discard bay leave & rosemary sprig & season stew with salt & pepper

to taste. If desired use back of spoon to press some beans against the side of pot

to thicken stew. Serve over toasted bread if desired, and drizzle with olive oil.

Taken from Cooks Illustrated "All-Time Best Recipes" and slightly tweaked.

Barbequed Ribs: 5 to 6 lbs. pork ribs 1 qt. apple cider vinegar 2 Tbl crushed red pepper Salt Ground black pepper 1 Turkey size oven bag

Season the ribs with salt & ground black pepper. Place into the oven bag on a large

roasting tray. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the ribs and carefully pour the qt.

of vinegar into the bag controling the open end so it doesn't spill out. Twist the

open end of the bag tightly and fasten with a tie. Make a small vent hole in the top

of the bag and place on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 300 degrees. Set

the timer for 4 hours and do not open the oven door until time is completed.

Bones will simply lift out of meat it will be so tender. Will become an instant

family favorite.

A - Z Challenge (Recipes) "A"

Apple Fool Recipe: Ingredients: 2 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled & sliced 1/2 Cup Water 1 Tbl Sugar 1/2 lb. Blackberries 1 Cup Plain Yogurt Directions: 1. Place apples, water & sugar in a large pot; bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook until softened, covered, 15 minutes. Allow to cool. 2. Meanwhile, puree blackberries in a blender or food processor; strain to remove seeds. Transfer to a large bowl & set aside. 3. Puree apples in blender or food processor until chunky-smooth. Transfer to bowl of blackberries; fold in the yogurt. Chill and serve. Apple Cobbler: Ingredients: 3 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled & sliced 2 Tbl Lemon juice 1 Cup all purpose flour 1 Cup sugar 1 Large Egg 1 Tsp Cinnamon 1/2 Cup butter melted Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 inch baking dish. 2. Toss apples & lemon juice in a large bowl. Arrange along bottom of prepared baking dish. 3. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, egg and cinnamon until resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle over apples. Pour melted butter over the top of the entire dish. 4. Bake 30 minutes, until juices bubble and top is golden. Serve warm or cold.

New look for my blog

Happy saturday everybody and I hope you like the new look on my blog. I was so unhappy with the previous look but needed help so my good friend Katherine over at Made it for you did a makeover and it is awesome. She has a button on my page so if you need assistance just click on it anytime and she will make you happy. She also has other sites that offer recipes, advice, gifts, handmade jewelry, etc.

Food is a wonderful thing

I felt it was time to share some recipes we love:

Appetizers

Bacon Roll-Ups

1 lb Bacon cut in half 1 loaf of white bread

1 8 oz Cream Cheese with chives Tooth Picks

Cut the edges off each slice of bread and then cut the slice into 3 strips, continue with the rest of the loaf. Spread cream cheese on each strip, roll it up, wrap a half slice of bacon around it and stick a tooth pick through to hold it together. Continue the process until all are rolled up. Place on a baking sheet and bake @ 350 degrees until bread is lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Meatless Meatballs

1 cup pecans chopped very fine 1 tsp poultry seasoning

8 oz grated cheddar cheese 1 can tomato soup

5 eggs dash of salt

1 cup cracker crumbs dash of sage

1 large onion finely diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except the tomato soup. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Form into balls and place on an oiled dish. Mix 1 can of tomato soup with the soup can of water and pour over the balls. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before serving. Will help them to firm up. Unbelievably good.

Macaroni Salad

1 lb of macaroni or baby shells 1 1/2 cups celery chopped fine

1/2 cup carrots chopped fine 1/4 cup onion chopped fine

6 hard-goiled eggs sliced Paprika

Cook macaroni as directed, drain & cool. Set aside 1 hard boiled egg; then stir together gently the cooked macaroni, celery, carrots, onion and remaining eggs.

Dressing:

1 Pint Miracle Whip 1/4 Cup Vinegar

3/4 Cup Sugar 2 Tbl Prepared Mustard

Blend together the ingredients and fold into the salad mixture. Garnish with 1 hard boiled egg and paprika.

This recipe taken from an Amish cookbook and modified.

Marinated Cucumbers

8 cups cucumbers, peeled & sliced 2 cups white vinegar

2 tsp celery seed 1 tsp ground black pepper

20 cherry tomatoes cut in half 1 tsp salt

4 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients and cover. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours. The longer it sits the better it gets.

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb cooked bulk sausage 8 slices of bread cubed

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese 2 tps. dry mustard

1 1/2 cups milk 8 eggs well beaten

Grease 2 qt baking dish. Put cubed bread on bottom. Put cooked sausage on top of cubed bread. Combine beaten eggs, milk, mustard and cheese together and pur over the sausage. Cover with foil & let set in the refrigerator overnight. Remove foil and bake the next morning for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I'll add more later. Hope you all enjoy these tried & true recipes.

Let's Eat

It's been a while since I shared a recipe with you so I figured it is about time to give you another one. With the cool temperatures here in NC my family was ready for a big pot of my chili, simply called "Odie's Chili". The chili I am making today is vegetarian as I am using textured vegetable protein in place of the meat. For any of you that have never used this I highly recommend it. It looks a lot like (dog food) simply because it is dark brown cubes that take on the flavor of the chili powder, cumin, Worchestershire Sauce, tomatoes, etc. and has the texture of stew beef meat. Many people have eat my chili and did not know they were not eating meat. Ok the recipe goes as follows:

1 3 lb bag of yellow or Vadalia onions chopped coarsely
2 Green pepper chopped coarsely
1 Bunch of green onions chopped, white & green parts
2 tsp chopped garlic
4 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbl ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbl Chili powder
4 Tbl Worchestershire Sause
1 lb. of stew beef meat or 2 cups of textured vegetable protein
2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 15oz cans of light red kidney beans

This makes a lot of chili so in a large pot add the olive oil, onions, green onions, green pepper and garlic and saute until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. After coming to a boil reduce to a fast simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. We like it served with shredded cheddar cheese on top and scoop it up with Fritos Scoops corn chips. If you want it to be a little more spicy you can add a can to regular Rotel Tomatoes.

Another vegetarian dish that we love and fix often is "Meatless Meatballs" and I guarantee if you try it one time you will add it to your list of favorites.

1 Cup of pecans chopped very fine
8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese
5 Eggs
1 Cup of salted cracker crumbs
1 Large onion finely diced
1 Tbl poultry seasoning
1 Can tomato soup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together except the tomato soup. Allow to sit for 10 minutes letting the liquid absorb into the dry ingredients. Form into balls and place into a greased dish. Mix 1 can of water with the tomato soup. Pour over the meatballs and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. They will be firmer them. Enjoy!!

Simple Foods

Going along with the "Simple Life" idea I like to cook but don't have the patience to do things like baking bread where I have to wait for it to rise, etc. For me simple is better.

Outside grilling has not been one of my favorite things to do either so I use my oven a lot. For pork ribs I like to use the large turkey bags placed on a large rectangular metal pan. I salt & pepper the meat and place into the bag. Shake some crushed red pepper over them and add about a quart of apple cider vinegar and seal the end making a small vent hole in the top. Bake them at 300 for about 4 hours. the bones will come out with no resistance and the meat will be fork tender.

We love chicken and I like to place chicken pieces into my oval slow cooker and then cover the chicken with a mixture of cream of celery and cream of chicken soup and cook for 4 to 6 hours. The chicken will be falling apart and the sauce is wonderful. So simple.

Barbeque is a staple in the south and my father used to cook a pig every friday when I was young. He cooked it over an open pit using hickory wood and then would chop it up with two cleavers on a section of a tree trunk into BBQ seasoned with only salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and vinegar. I do the same only I cook a pork loin in my pressure cooker and then do the chopping and seasoning. Comes out the same.

Another simple thing to make is stuffed peppers. I use 3 or 4 large green bell peppers with the top cut off, seeds & membrane removed. I mix ground beef with salt, pepper, finely diced onion and an egg. Then I stuff the peppers with this mixture and place in a pot that accomodates the amount I am using. Any extra meat mixture I just make into balls and place around the peppers. I use chickin broth to almost cover the peppers and then add long grain rice just poured around the peppers into the broth, about 1 1/2 cups. Cooks quickly and the peppers give everything such a good flavor. Hope you like some of these.