Grandma's pudding

 I grew up enjoying this pudding that my grandmother would make about once a year, usually at Christmas. It became a fond memory of a happy family.  Years later, I asked my dad if he had the recipe and he was able to find it among the recipes she left.

 Steamed Holiday Pudding 

1.    Mix together

1/2 cup grated peeled raw carrot (fine works best)

1/2 cup grated peeled raw potato (fine work best)

1/2 cup chopped suet

2.    Add 

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dry currents 

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

3.     Pack and cook

Pack into greased 1 quart pudding mold .

Cover, put rack in kettle, and add boiling water to come halfway put the kettle.

Put lid on kettle and steam about 2 hours.

Serve warm, topped with lemon sauce.

 Lemon Sauce 

1.    Combine and mix well

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2.    Add and cook 10 min, stirring constantly

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3.    Remove from stove and add

2. Tbsp butter

2 unbeaten egg yolks

2 Tbsp water

1 large lemon: juiced (added) and rind after juicing

Yield: 6 servings

 Lemon sauce is about 2 cups

calories 441 per serving  

 

Notes: Suet isn't always easy to find and I substituted bacon grease.

I made it without the currents and it still works, but the flavor might be slightly off.  I also found that grating the carrots and potatoes coarser make the texture coarser and not as refined as I remember it. 

 

 

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 large onion diced
about 1-1 1/2 lb frozen mixed veg.
about 1 cup beef broth
1 tbs flour
mashed potatoes
parsley
cayenne pepper
1. Make mashed potatoes, enough to fill a 9in X 9in pan 1in deep
2. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet
3. Add flour and brown it
4. Beef broth and stir until thickened
5. Place veg mix in evenly bottom of 9X9 glass casserole dish
6. Place the meat gravy mixture on top of the veg mix
7. Cover veg/gravy with the mashed potatoes, filling the pan so that it is nearly level
8. Top with cayenne pepper if wanted
9. Place in oven at 400 for 30 min

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion diced

about 1-1 1/2 lb frozen mixed veg.

about 1 cup beef broth

1 tbs flour

mashed potatoes

parsley

cayenne pepper

1.  Make mashed potatoes, enough  to fill a 9in X 9in pan 1in deep

2.  Brown ground beef and onion in skillet

3.  Add flour and brown it

4.  Beef broth and stir until thickened

5.  Place veg mix in evenly bottom of 9X9 glass casserole dish

6.  Place the meat gravy mixture on top of the veg mix

7.  Cover veg/gravy with the mashed potatoes, filling the pan so that it is nearly level

8. Top with cayenne pepper if wanted

9.  Place in oven at 400 for 30 min

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion diced

about 1-1 1/2 lb frozen mixed veg.

about 1 cup beef broth

1 tbs flour

mashed potatoes

parsley

cayenne pepper

1.  Make mashed potatoes, enough  to fill a 9in X 9in pan 1in deep

2.  Brown ground beef and onion in skillet

3.  Add flour and brown it

4.  Beef broth and stir until thickened

5.  Place veg mix in evenly bottom of 9X9 glass casserole dish

6.  Place the meat gravy mixture on top of the veg mix

7.  Cover veg/gravy with the mashed potatoes, filling the pan so that it is nearly level

8. Top with cayenne pepper if wanted

9.  Place in oven at 400 for 30 min

Shepherd's Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion diced
about 1-1 1/2 lb frozen mixed veg.
about 1 cup beef broth
1 tbs flour
mashed potatoes
parsley
cayenne pepper

 

 
1. Make mashed potatoes, enough to fill a 9in X 9in pan 1in deep
2. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet
3. Add flour and brown it
4. Beef broth and stir until thickened
5. Place veg mix in evenly bottom of 9X9 glass casserole dish
6. Place the meat gravy mixture on top of the veg mix
7. Cover veg/gravy with the mashed potatoes, filling the pan so that it is nearly level
8. Top with cayenne pepper if wanted
9. Place in oven at 400 for 30 min

Shepherd's Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion diced
about 1-1 1/2 lb frozen mixed veg.
about 1 cup beef broth
1 tbs flour
mashed potatoes
parsley
cayenne pepper
1. Make mashed potatoes, enough to fill a 9in X 9in pan 1in deep
2. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet
3. Add flour and brown it
4. Beef broth and stir until thickened
5. Place veg mix in evenly bottom of 9X9 glass casserole dish
6. Place the meat gravy mixture on top of the veg mix
7. Cover veg/gravy with the mashed potatoes, filling the pan so that it is nearly level
8. Top with cayenne pepper and parsley if desired.
9. Place in oven at 400 for 30 min

The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 This was a recipe that was passed down to me by my mom. I've no idea where it originally came from. But these are seriously the best oatmeal cookies, but there is a caveat. If you eat these warm from the oven it will be "eh, it's ok, but certainly not the best". But if you let these sit for a day (so hard because cookies!) somewhere at about 18+ hours after being baked these transform into absolute fabulousness. 

Many cookies are good straight from the oven, but as time passes they aren't as great. So if you have the will power to let these sit, I absolutely recommend you try these. 

 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 c quick oats
1 c butter or margarine, softened
1 c sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In food processor or blender combine 1/2 c chocolate chips and 1 1/2 c of the oats.  Process until chocolate is coarsely ground, about 15 seconds.

In large mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and oat/chocolate mixture.  Stir in nuts and remaining oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.  (Don't over bake)  Cool on racks.  Mates about 6 dozen 2" cookies.

"These are good cookies to eat right away.  You'll only need a single batch. The best, delicious, yummiest cookies ever is you don't eat them until they are one-day old.  You'll need a double batch for sure." --Note from Mom that came with the recipe.

Apple Pie and Pie Crust Recipes

* From the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook 1968 edition

6 Apples

1 cup Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 Tbsp Flour

1 recipe Plain Pastry

1 Tbsp Butter

 

Pare and slice apples. Sift dry ingredients together and mix with apples. Line pie pan with pastry, fill with apple mixture, dot with butter and cover with top crust. 

Bake in a very hot oven (450 degree F) 15 minutes; reduce temperature to moderate (350) and bake 45 minutes longer. Makes 1 (9 inch) pie.

Additional variations:

1- Add 1/4 teaspoon Mace to dry ingredients

2-Add 1 teaspoon Cinnamon to dry ingredients

3- Use Brown or Maple Sugar instead of granulated

 

Plain Pastry

2 cups sifted Flour

3/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup Shortening (we have successfully used margarine)

4 to 6 Tbsp of cold water

 

sift flour and salt together and cut in shortening with 2 knives or pastry blender. Add water using only a small portion at a time, until mixture will hold together.  Divide dough into 2 parts. 

Makes 2 9" pie crusts

 

Apple Chop Suey Cake

 This recipe has been passed down from John's Grandmother Muriel Smith 

Apple Chop Suey Cake

4 cups diced Apples

1 1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

2 cups Flour (unsifted

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Salt

1/2 cup nuts

Mix apples, sugar, and eggs together in a large bowl. Measure dry ingredients in flour sieve and sift into bowl. Stir and add nuts or if you prefer, spread nuts on top. Bake in oiled and floured dripper pan (9"x12"x2") at 350 degrees F for 45 min. 

Serve hot or cold with ot without whipped cream or ice cream. 

We tend to put more apples and nuts in it then called for, but making sure that everything is coated.

Lion House Roasted Cashew Stuffing

 My eyes are getting too old to read the small print of my Lion House Entertaining recipe book, so writing it down here so I can zoom in and actually be able to read the recipe. This is one of our most favorite recipes in the book. We always double it too. Also I hate raisin in... well anything, so I leave them out.

Roasted Cashew Stuffing

    Ingredients:

        8 cups day old bread cubes

        3/4 cup raisins

        1/2 cup apple juice

        4 celery ribs diced

        1 large onion, chopped

        3 cloves garlic, minced

        1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

        1/4 cup olive oil

        1 cup fresh parsley, minced (I always forget to pick this up so I use about 1/3 cup dried)

        1 teaspoon salt

        1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage

        3/4 teaspoon thyme

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I'm going to be experimenting with white pepper this year as black is high in oxolates which my body likes turning into kidney stones)

        1 egg

        1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth

        1 1/2 cups salted, roasted cashew pieces (it is important that it is the salted kind, did unsalted once and did not come out tasting the best, even with adding a bit of additional salt to the recipe to make up for it)

Place bread cubes in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 225 degree F for 30-40 minutes, tossing occasionally until partially dried.

Meanwhile, combine the raisins and apple juice in a sauce pan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand for 15 minutes. (You can skip this entirely if not using raisins, just have the measured juice ready to use.) In large skillet saute celery, onion, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Add parsley, salt, sage, thyme, and pepper; mix well. Remove from heat. 

Beat egg in broth in a bowl; add to vegetable mixture. Add bread cubes and raisin mixture; mix in cashews last. Toss well. 

Use stuffing to stuff poultry or meat. Or transfer to a greased 9x13" baking dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 10-12 servings.
        

We use glass dishes with much success!

Garlic steak strips

This recipe is a work in progress and is a variation of the garlic chicken.

What I did:

3 round steaks cut into 1/3in strips

1 cup soy sauce (should try reduced salt)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix soy sauce and vinegar together. Spoon mixture over single layer of  beef in glass bakeware.  Spoon small amount of minced garlic on each piece.

Baked @350 for 15 min covered

Baked @350 for 15 min uncovered

Removed the beef from the liquid. Thickened the liquid slightly to make a sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Used a small amount of the sauce over the beef and mashed potatoes.

The flavor of the beef was good; however, it was tough.  (But all beef we've purchased in New York has been tough.)

We think it would be better if the soy sauce was all reduced salt as the sauce was too salty.  Also it would help the toughness if the meat was marinated for at least a day and the slow cooked in the Crock-Pot.  

It might also work to serve it over rice and slightly sauteed broccoli.

Garlic Chicken

So I am a fan of simple dishes that taste good.  This one is one that I tried, modified, and promptly lost the recipe and I tried to recreate it from memory.  This is a work in progress.

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks
1 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil (I don't know if it is necessary)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
minced garlic (I use from a jar)

directions:
preheat oven to 375°F (convection oven) or 400°F (conventional)
Arrange the chicken in an oven-safe baking dish (I use a 9X13 inch glass type), so that the chicken is not touching. Use 2 dishes if needed.
Smear a small (1/4t) amount of minced garlic on the top of each chicken piece
mix the red wine vinegar, peanut oil and garlic powder in a separate bowl,
Continually stir the mixture while spooning it on each piece of chicken, I spoon two or three on each chicken until I run out.
Cover the dish in tinfoil for the first 30min
Cook until the chicken is well cooked - clear liquid when pierced, or use a thermometer.

This time, the chicken wasn't completely thawed, I left it in the refrigerator overnight to defrost.  It took over an hour and 10min to cook completely.

Serve with steamed broccoli.

Kielbasa Rice

We lost the original recipe to this, so we are trying to recreate from memory. There WILL be modifications.



1 lb turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 onion, chopped

• brown

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 1/2 dry rice
1 tsp celery salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin

• add and stir

• oregano sprinkled on top

• cover

• let cook on simmer

do not stir oregano in until rice is fully cooked on pain of death

Hamburgers

It seems that everyone has their favorite recipe for hamburgers.  Mine is a variation of my father's.

Ingredients (all amounts are approximate):
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 - 2 large onions  diced small or run through the blender
1 - 2 carrots shredded or run through the blender
2 cups rolled oats
2 large eggs
parsley to taste
cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste (it takes a lot to make it spicy)

We have substituted celery or green peppers for the carrots.

Mix thoroughly together. Form into patties and fry in pan.  makes approx 16.

If there is too much of the oat, onions and carrots, it does not hold together.

Beef Soup in Crockpot

We purchased a half beef a couple of years ago and have several soup bones that have never been used so I decided to try making it into a soup.  I found seeveral recipies for beef soups so here is the resultant soup.

The base:

Soup bones with meat.
3 cups tomatoes - frozen or canned
Seasoning based on rest of soup
Water and maybe tomato juice (I used bottled)
1 onion diced

Place beef bones in crockpot.  Add tomatoes, juice, and onion.  Add water to  cover.

Cook until the meat falls off the bone (about 12 hours on high).

First try:

2 cups dry white beans.
2 large potatoes
Handfull of soybeans
Mixed vegies

Add the beans, cook for 4 hours unitl the beans are tender.
Add potatoes and vegies, cook 2 hours.

Second try:

1 pound spit peas
4 cups cooked rice
Carrots sliced

Add split peas, cook for at least 3  hours.
Add cooked rice and slice carrots.  cook for 1 hour.

Meatloaf in a Blanket - revisited

Meatloaf in a Blanket

The following recipe is derived from a recipe in the Encyclopedia of Culinary Arts.  This is updated from the previous posting which follows the original recipe.

Ingredients:

leftover Roast  Beef, Pork, etc.
cooked potatoes
cooked carrots
raw eggs
almond milk
Baking powder biscuit dough - The recipe I use comes from the Betty Crocker cookbook:
{
2 cups flour
1/4 t flour
1T baking powder
1/3 cup shortning
3/4 cup almond milk.
}
 I usually end up using a triple recipe.
Gravy - a mushroom gravy gives the best flavor and any basic gravy works.

Dice the roast, potatoes and carrots and combine in sauce pan. At least half of the mixture should be potatoes. Heat until warm, add just enough almond milk to moisten.  Add enough raw eggs so that the mixture is thoroughly coated.  Cook until the eggs are half cooked. I've started using starch (potato/tapioca)  with the eggs to provide the thickening.

Roll out the biscuit dough in an oval shape about 1/4 inch thick.  Spoon the roast and potatoes into the center of the dough.  Fold the dough to the top an join together.  Place on a pizza pan (a cookie sheet works too).  Add diagonal slits for vents.

Bake for 10-15 min at 450.

I know the quantities are not fixed, but usually for us the amount of leftovers are not known until after the first meal with the roast.  Since the potatoes and carrots are cooked with the roast, the meatloaf in a blanket recipe usually has to be adjusted to account for the quantities that we have.  The vegetables are not fixed, if you prefer cooking other vegetables with the roast, they can easily be added, though it may be necessary to change seasoning .  The latest version we had used cabbage and sweet bell peppers along with the potatoes and carrots since it was cooked with corned beef.

I found that a single batch of the biscuits cooks quite nicely so it works better to make multiple meatloaf in a blanket rather than increasing its size.

 One point that I finally figured out, the recipe that this is based off of uses regular milk that thickens when cooked with milk and almond, soy, or other non-animal milk doesn't do, so changing it to use starch is a better replacement which uses less eggs.  

Thanksgiving 2013 Menu

Cashew and Hot Pepper Turkey?grayman's new brain child, we'll see what happens there, or if it happens.

Lion House Cashew Stuffing---Um, is this a theme?

Celery Root Gold Mashed Potatoes and Gravy---Ahh, no theme.

Mashed Pineapple Sweet Potatoes---Lizzyland's brain child, again we'll see what happens. No cashews.

Favorite Fruit Salad--No cashews, walnuts.

Acorn Squash--With walnuts, wait, it's that theme thing coming up again.

Rolls--I think our guests are bringing her pumpkin rolls

Veggie Trio--peas, corn and caramelized onions. 

Caramalized Apple Pecan Cake

Pumpkin Pie

Heaven and Earth Pie --joint brain child, this will need it's own post. But no nuts....I think.


So it looks like a fairly Nutty Thanksgiving. But hey aren't we all a little nutty around the holidays?

Food and Depression

You often hear, and possibly do, emotional eating or not eating, whatever the case may be. People have all sorts of terms for it 'eating your emotions', 'comfort foods', 'too upset to eat'. Whatever it is, food and depression go hand in hand.

Yet, there are times when your depression is sparked by food. And that's what I want to talk about today.

I know this is my recipe blog. But I also make sure that it is milk free, due to my husband's food allergy. Food limitations are a part of our everyday life.

We have 4 children, each child has had food limitations, whether allergies or intolerances. We are lucky that they have all grown out of them. But we've been there. I've walked hand in hand with friends as their kids are found to have allergies.

It is hard. It is just as hard as any other special need. It effects every aspect of your life, and is a daily challenge if not hourly.

And with these challenges depression can come right along for the ride.

Our oldest daughter, by the time she was a year old was diagnosed with 11 different food allergies. Emotions I went through was feeling alone, overwhelmed, anxiety, and honestly had trouble finding food to put on the table.

I didn't really have a support system. Yeah people knew about it, and they were always ready to say 'that's rough'. But I couldn't find anyone that knew what we were going through. That really got it. These days I can find them online, and even a local support group. But at that time I felt so alone.

By the time our daughter was 2 dinner would be "Here's 3 things from the fridge that she can eat. It doesn't make any sort of real meal, but it's food." Yes I remember one dinner that was plain rice, plain chicken, and peaches (in syrup, not juice because they use pear juice and that was on the list of allergies).

Shopping was a torturous experience. We were never there for less than an hour due to the number of labels we had to read.

In short we were in a total depressive funk, and there was no end in sight. Then one day we were in the store and saw Ground Turkey. Yes, it was probably always there and we just never noticed. Beef was another thing on the list. But that day they had a sale on ground turkey. And suddenly a light bulb went off. I could use ground turkey instead of ground beef.

I swear angels were singing that day. It was a momentous day. And it was the first day I started to think 'Hey! I think we might actually be able to do this.' Suddenly I was reinvigorated to find new recipes, to experiment. Daughter grew out of her allergies by 4 1/2, and that was lovely.

My next two weren't too big of a deal, as they were only unable to have 2 things each (milk and seafood for one, milk and barley for another) and since we were already milk free it wasn't that big of a deal.

Then came our youngest. And since I was breastfeeding her, any restrictions she had, I had. There was no cheating. And she couldn't have anything it seemed like. This time around I did better with the depression, I never stopped looking for things. But the denial of so much food took a toll.

Now, some of my friends will introduce me to others and call me an "expert" on food allergies (I am not). And I find myself talking to these other Moms. And one thing I warn about is depression. Yes, I can give you ideas on dealing with it, I can help you find recipes, resources, an allergist. But you can find that out with a bit of research on your own. I can give book recommendations. I highly recommend The Parent's Guide to Food Allergies.

But one thing I don't see much mention of is how dealing with all these food issues can bring on depression. So I warn Moms (Dad's aren't immune, I'm just usually talking to the Mom) to be on the look out. And to get yourself a good support system.

As Holiday's roll around, it can be the hardest time, as everything is centered around food. And harder is that quite often you will be where someone else is doing the meal, and the stress of that is extraordinary.

I've heard horror stories from others on things that have happened. So I'd like to give some advice to anyone cooking for someone with food allergies or intolerances, based on the fabulousness of our own families.

1) It's ok if not everything is safe for the food allergic person. We understand, having something that they can eat is great. If you can't make the main dish safe, please let us know in advance and we'll bring something if necessary for the food allergic person.

2) Beware of cross contamination. Please try not to even cook a dish with food allergies at the same time as food allergy free food. So many times we've had problems from things like shared cutting boards, bowls, spoons, spatulas. If you must share oven space, please put the food allergy free dish on top, that way there is no worries of spilling.

3) Please don't be offended when we have to interogate you on what is in the dishes and how it was cooked. We don't like doing it, but trips to the ER are worse. We are not trying to be insulting, but if you aren't having to do this everyday it is so incredibly easy to make a mistake and not even realize it. (Do you know how many spray oils contain milk?!)

4) Easiest thing on everyone, is don't put anything away. It's a pain for you, since your kitchen can get a bit cluttered, and you have to put it all away later. But it makes it so we don't have to interrogate. So you spray the pan with spray oil, put it on the counter. Then you threw in a can of X, don't throw the can away, put it on the counter. Then you used X seasoning mix, on the counter. Then when we come in we can do to the pile look through everything and feel safe and sound knowing what is in there.

5) Ask us. If there is anything you have questions on, just ask us. Don't try to Google it, or guess it. We don't feel bothered. We don't feel unsafe with you cooking. In fact in asking us, you set yourself up as a safe person.

May you all have a Happy, and Safe Holiday Season!

Paleo Banana Muffins

1 1/2 C Almond Butter or All Natural Peanut Butter
2 Ripe Bananas
2 eggs
1/4 C applesauce
2 Tablespoon Honey
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1/4 C Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Bake at 325 degrees F
Mini Muffins 20 minutes
Bread 45 minutes

Honey Almond Donuts

**recipe in progress**

I found a waffle recipe on allrecipes.com I believe. But most of the comments talked about how it didn't work well. But one comment mentioned that it tasted like egg donuts. It got me thinking, and I've been working.

This recipe only slightly resembles the first one. And it's still not quite there yet.

Honey Almond Donuts

1 C Almond Flour
1 pinch of salt
1 heaping teaspoon Baking Powder
4 eggs
1/4 C Oil (I use peanut)
1/4 C Honey

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
•  Mix all ingredients well together. 
• Spoon into well oiled donut pan. Batter will be very liquidy
• Bake for 10 minutes.

This only makes about 6 donuts. And it still sticks in the pan. Still working on it.

Variation 1

• Add 1 Large Banana to the batter. 
• Makes about 7 donuts. 

 Still sticks in pan. Tastes like banana bread

Variation 2

• Add 1/4 Cup potato starch
• Add 2 teaspoons vanilla

 This makes about 10 donuts. It tastes like plain white cake. And comes out of the pan alot better. But make sure to run a plastic knife (I prefer my daughter's IKEA ones) along the edges to loosen. 

Scalloped Macaroni and Ham

This is a forgotten family favorite. We love it, but often forget about it all together, so we go long periods of time not having it. Usually followed by having it weekly for a month.
This is a recipe that we had in a recipe book, and then changed it so much it is now our own recipe. So here it is.

Scalloped Macaroni and Ham

• 1 lb dried elbow macaroni
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 Tbsp non-dairy margarine
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 Cups milk alternative (I've done both soy and almond with favorable results)
• 2 Cups diced Ham
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 1/2-2 Cups bread crumbs
• 3 Tbsp non-dairy margarine, melted
• salt
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• cayenne pepper

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2) Cook the macaroni until tender, but still firm (al dente). Drain well.

3) While the pasta cooks,  in a saucepan cook onion and 4 Tbsp margarine until onion is see through. Stir in flour, basil, and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in a dash of salt, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. (Very important do not add these earlier and cook them in the sauce, stir in after done.)

4) Stir in ham, peas, and macaroni. Transfer mixture to a large casserole dish. (Can mix it all in the casserole dish if your pan is not large enough.)

5) Mix together breadcrumbs with 3 Tbsp melted margarine and 3/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Should cover the entire thing.

6) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

7) Enjoy!

This is a favorite with children and adults alike. The cayenne pepper gives enough flavor for adults without so much heat that kids complain.

thanksgiving turkey

This recipe is a combination of a recipe that we found several years ago and the technique that my grandmother used.

The quantities will change based on the size of the turkey.  This year we had about a 14 lbs turkey.

1 small onion chopped fine

4-5 Hungarian wax pepper chopped fine.

1 stick margarine softened. (1/2 cup)

salt if desired

mix so that it is sort of a paste

After the turkey is defrosted, gently separate the skin on the back using your hand, a small parring knife may be used to assist. Be careful not to put any extra holes in the skin.  Add the mixture between the skin and the meat.  Place the bird in the pan with the back up (upside down from most recipes) so that the leggs and wings are on the bottom rather than the top, this will allow the fat and flavor to filter through the bird while it cooks an help keep the white meat moist.

Cook for half the time covered, the remove the cover for the second half.  There is no basting.  Use the  temperature and time recommended for the size.

We have enjoyed this recipe for several years and is now the only way we will prepare it.  The pepper flavors and gives a mild spicy flavor to the meat closest to the skin, leaving the rest very flavorful. 

Note,  any variety of hot pepper will work.

Thanksgiving in Review Part 2: Crockpot

As you may remember for my menu planning post we decided to try doing both the stuffing and the sweet potatoes in our crock pots. I will say that both were a flop. But for the play-by-play read on:

Traditional Crockpot Stuffing

Make this easy stuffing in your crockpot to help save time and work on Thanksgiving day.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours, 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 (8 oz.) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
• 12 cups day old bread cubes, dried overnight
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried sage leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 - 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation:

To dry bread, let it stand uncovered overnight on a wire rack, or bake in a 200 degree F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until firm. In a heavy skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, celery, parsley, and mushrooms and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, place bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour this mixture over bread cubes, then add all seasonings and toss well. Add eggs and mix well. Pour in enough broth to moisten, about 1/3 cup at a time, tossing with fork. Don't make the dressing too wet! Spoon lightly into 5-6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, sprinkling with some more chicken stock once or twice during the cooking time. 

 

Changing colors so it's easier to tell where the recipe ends and I begin. 

First off, this didn't have a bad flavor. But then again it is pretty much a basic stuffing recipe, so how much can you screw up the taste?

This had WAAAAAAY too much broth in it. We basically ended with an almost mush. I prefer a crispier stuffing, and I knew I wasn't going to get that in a crockpot, but I didn't expect something that was almost a stew in texture and liquid. So I'm not sure we will ever try this again, but if we do it will be with maybe 1/4 of the liquid called for. 

 

Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecans (crockpot)

Ingredients

2	lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices
1	cup apple juice, no sugar added, 100% juice
1	tbsp. ground cinnamon
1	tsp. ground nutmeg
½	tsp. allspice
¼	tsp. ground cloves'
AFTER COOKING, STIR IN:
	Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
	Apple juice (see instructions)
	Pecans (optional)
	Honey or maple syrup to taste (optional for those who like a sweeter version)

Directions

Prepare your sweet potatoes and place in 3 qt. crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of the apple juice (NOT the full cup) and your spices. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours or until sweet potatoes are cooked through and soft.
When potatoes are fully cooked through, using a hand blender, blend the sweet potatoes inside your crock pot insert, adding the second 1/2 cup of juice. Season with more cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Top with pecans and enjoy.
Note: While this dish is yummy without the pecans, the pecans truly add the final touch to the flavor. Unless you have a nut allergy, we highly recommend the pecans. Do not be afraid of the fat in pecans. It is healthy fat a perfectly acceptable for Skinny eating.

Ok, me again. First off, this did not cook in 4-5 hours. More like 8-9. But then again we probably made a bigger batch than what is called for in this recipe. John will have to verify, but he's catching up on some much needed sleep right now. 

I say this basically tasted like Spiced Applesauce, only a bit drier. John's opinion was that it tasted kinda like wassail if you replace orange for sweet potato. In either case, instead of the flavor accenting the sweet potatoes it masked it.   No one could eat a full serving of it. Honestly the pecans were the best part, and we didn't even get them toasted (as I made a note on the menu planning of wanting to try). So this is a recipe that for us is going in the trash. 

We like sweet potatoes. If I wanted apple, I'd make an apple recipe. So back to the drawing board for next year. 

So in review, the new recipes did not turn out as well as planned and we will continue our hunt for the perfect Thanksgiving dishes. 

 

 

Thanksgiving In Review Part 1

We had a very nice Thanksgiving this year. Before diving into the food I'd like to take a moment and say how thankful I am for my husband for doing everything for Thanksgiving on his own this year. I know it is so hard for him to have me on bedrest, so to have him not only do a full out Thanksgiving dinner, but had 4 guests over as well, it blows my mind. I am so blessed to have him.

Now, a quick disclaimer, I am  only commenting on the recipes and what can be improved for next time (or whether they are worth having again at all). This is in no way meant as a slight on John's cooking. One person has already stated that since I had no involvement in the meal that I don't get to comment. But that's not how it works for us. John knows it was a good meal, he knows how much I appreciate. But if I just rave about that and never comment on the actual food, then it doesn't improve. So here we go.

I am starting with the Mashed Potatoes. We have used this recipe before and I love it. I love the addition of the celery root, it gives it a nice flavor and makes these worth eating all on their own, no gravy required (though I do love gravy and gladly put it on).

Potato and Celery Root Mash

Ingredients

• 3  pounds  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1  pound  celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2  cups  half-and-half
• 4  tablespoons  unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Place the potatoes and celery root in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain and return the vegetables to the pot.
2. Add the half-and-half, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and mash to the desired consistency. Sprinkle with the chives. 

This year we used white potatoes as the store was out of yellow and it wasn't worth it to us to have John have to go back on another day. It worked well. Not as great as with gold potatoes, but still quite tasty. **Note DO NOT try with red potatoes. It does not turn out well. Unless you wanted paste, then it is an excellent recipe for the old school kindergarten paste.**
We need to start weighing our celery root. In the past I just go get a celery root from the store (ugly looking thing and hard to spot, at least for me) and use about half of it, because all of it was overpowering. This year we doubled (or so) the recipe, and used a whole celery root. But they are smaller this year, so it didn't seem to have quite enough. This is our own trial and error as we strive for the perfect ratio for our family.
Instead of half-and-half, in the past I've used soy milk and extra butter. This year I had planned on using the MimicCreme to see how that went, but in all the hubbub it was forgetten and just made the usual way. I would like to see how it turns out with it. Maybe for Christmas.
Lastly, we don't use chives. Don't get me wrong, I love chives and think they would work great be 1) they are expensive here, and I don't want to buy them for just one thing. And 2) we have small children, just imagine the "What is this green thing in my potatoes?" "Why is there grass in my potatoes?" and the ever present "I don't like this." All based on it's looks. So we forgo the chives. These potatoes do not last long in our house at all.