Easter Brunch

Classic French Onion Soup Recipe

Yield: 6 - servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes

A savory, traditional French onion soup.

Ingredients:

For Soup
3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup Muscadet or dry white wine
1/2 cup medium dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
8 cups of either beef or chicken broth
Note: I have used both chicken and beef broth, but if you prefer the classic presentation use only beef broth, if you would like a lighter taste, use chicken broth or even a combination of the two.
For Croutons
12-18 slices of baguette
2 tablespoons butter
1 large clove garlic
3 cups freshly grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven that has a lid. Add the onions and sugar, sauté for 5 minutes then stir in the white wine, sherry and pepper. Place in the oven and bake without the lid and stir intermittently for about 1 hour till the onions begin to brown. Put the lid on and cook for about another hour or until the onions are caramelized.
Remove onions from oven and turn oven on to broil.
At this point, tie your fresh thyme and bay leaves together with kitchen twine.
Put the beef and/or chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the thyme/bay leaf bundle to the pot, turn the heat down to a simmer and let broth simmer for about 35 minutes.
While the broth is simmering, place the bread on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes on each side until golden. Remove from oven and take the garlic clove and rub on one side of the bread, then butter the bread.
Now, take the caramelized onions and divide into 6 oven-proof containers. Add the broth to the onion mixture till it almost reaches the top of the container. Place 2 or 3 pieces of bread on top and sprinkle with the Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Place the containers in an oven proof pan and place under the broiler for 2 to 5 minutes till the top is golden. Please keep a close eye on this so that it does not burn.
Serve immediately.

http://www.returntosundaysupper.com/page/2

It is time to start thinking about the two-meal Easter Day which is arriving very early this year on the last day of March.  Guests always arrive early, around 11:00 or noon.  We start off with drinks and nibbles and progress to choices of five or six soups and salads.  It's a long day and no one is in a hurry.  I like the pace and the people.  I think this looks like an introduction to Easter and spring, so this will be one of the soup choices for 2013. Each time I went to Paris on business, I always brought home a present for the house.  One time I bought white soup bowls with lids and lion grips.  French onion soup equals French bowls.

 

Meatball Bubble Biscuits
Source: Barbie F.pinterest

1 can Pillsbury golden layers biscuits - each pulled into 2 layers
10 frozen fully cooked Italian style meatballs - thawed and cut in half
2 sticks string cheese - cut each into 10 pieces
1 T. parm cheese
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. marinara sauce
Disclaimer:
I do not own this picture or recipe. Pinterest

Heat oven to 375. Separate biscuits into 2 layers. Place 1 meatball half and one piece of cheese into each biscuit, wrap dough around it and seal edges. Place seam side down into 9 inch round cake pan. Sprinkle with parm cheese, garlic pwd. and Italian seasoning. Bake 18-20 min or until golden brown. Serve warm with warm sauce.

 

Do you know that Red Lobster now has their Cheddar Bay Biscuits (mix) in a box for you to make at home?  I found it at Sam's.  I saw this woman putting four boxes of something big in her basket and noticed it was from Red Lobster...I got excited!  (30 biscuits in 3 packs of 10) All you do is add 3/4 cup cold water, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 pouch of the mix, 1/3 cup butter, 1 pouch garlic herb blend which is enclosed.  I am making these today, so I will let you know how they turn out.  Don't kid me now, I know you've had these and loved them.

 

I am making these savory rice, broccoli, and cheese, 'cakes' in a cupcake pan today.

Disclaimer:
I do not own this picture.  I got it and the recipe from Pinterest.

This, however, is my picture just before oven time.
 I added some pepperoni to my mix of cheese, broccoli, rice, eggs, salt and pepper.

My results.

 

A Chicken In Every Pot (Pie)

Well, Trader Joe's has done it again.  Their puff pastry sheets are better than the well known brand that I have used and fought with for years. Trader's sheets are already flat and served two in a pizza box style packaging.  So no more unkinking the other and trying to roll it out...the flat sheet is ready to lay on, cut up, or fashion design the many uses this pastry has in store for us. This is the second time I have used this pastry for pot pies.  For some reason I thought pot pie to be difficult, but now that I know how to do it, I can whip these out in no time for as many people as I need to serve.  This is President's Day, so I am making a big one.  I use one sheet for the topping and the second sheet I cut into strips for dipping in the pot pie gravy. It's President's Day, let's eat chicken!

 

One of the most interesting links I have found is http://pinterest.com/all/?category=food_drink. I could spend hours on this site and not repeat myself.  I think it will be the 'new' site to visit. It covers all aspects of life, not just food and drink. Give it a try when you have some time to surf. I love it. Here is a sample.  I'm making this!

 

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Picture from Lemon Drop recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Looks pretty simple to make..... 

§ 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

§ 2 teaspoons baking powder

§ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

§ 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

§ 1 cup sugar

§ 3 large eggs

§ 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)

§ 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

§ 1/2 cup vegetable oil

§ 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

§ 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

§ 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

§ 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

§ 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.

6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9×5 loaf http://pinterest.com/all/?category=food_drink

This cheesecake and the picture are from Mennonite girls can cook. This is a little different from my regular cheesecake recipe that I got from a friend over thirty years ago.  I think this will make a nice change.

Applecrisp Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour

1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the flour and mix well.
3. Pat the dough on bottom and 1" up the sides of a 9" spring form pan.

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 2-8 oz / 250g packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
2. Add 1 egg at a time beating after each egg addition.
3. Add vanilla beat again mixing well.
4. Spread over crust.

Apple Crumble:

• 4 cups sliced apples
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup softened butter

1. Layer the raw apples over the cream cheese filling.
2. Combine ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over apples.
3. Place the spring form pan on a parchment lined cookie sheet for easy clean up. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce temperature to 300 and continue baking 1 hour longer or until golden brown.
5. Cool on a cooling rack.
6. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Cookies

Who are these people???? And, how do they make and send these wonderful cookies chucked full in a tin and none are broken and all are delicious!

Beth bought us a tin of heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day.  We thought we had seen the last of these ginger snaps until next Christmas when they come in the form of little men or big round, thin slivers of goodness.  If you have never had these, get in your car right now and drive to the nearest World Market.  Buy several. They keep well and they are delicious with tea or coffee or milk (so I am told) or straight from the can while walking through the house.

An Inconvenient Guest

I was loyal to my family owned Paris hotel once I got into the groove and saw that they not only were willing to put up with my boxes, trunks and antiques they were also able to assist me in other endeavors.  I, in turn, was willing to put up with them. The Luxe Hotel at Nation was clean and reasonable.  It was also in a residential area so I got to know the people and their shops and restaurants as much as they would allow. This went on for twenty or more years  up until I got an apartment in Paris for the last eight years or so.  I am sure there were better hotels and I am certainly not recommending this one, it just leads into the tea shop housed next door.  A strange arrangement indeed.  It was only open for lunch, if you can imagine such a thing and they only served gratins and quiches with a side of  PLAIN lettuce. (They also served wonderful teas.) If you got there early when they first opened, you got the best gratin of your life, but later in the afternoon the cheese did something horrible and yet they served on, with no apologies.  (Like Julia Child, never apologize...I think she got that from the French.)

I thought about this little tea shop while I was making my gratin this morning.  You can hardly do anything wrong to a gratin, yet the tea room managed to screw it up as the afternoon wore on.  I have never had one go that wrong.  Today I used an enormous head of cauliflower, so big I could not get it all in one dish, some broccoli, my bechamel cream sauce and a variety of cheese with bacon bits.  It was glorious, although I am a person who could live happily on vegetables of every sort, so adjust your thinking to that fact.

Comfort Cakes ~

Lime coconut syrup cake

Poppy seed cake

Banana butterscotch syrup cake

Seeded nut bread

Upside down cashew and maple loaf

Pear crumble cake

Pumpkin, pineapple and prune cake

To me, the UK equals comfort cakes. We call them snack cakes, they may call them slices, but I will always associate those one layer goodies with my (antiquing) days in England. They may come in loaves, in rounds or squares, but they ooze goodness and comfort even if they are not always that pretty. They are featured in every bakery and in every hamlet that I visited. But the places I remember them most would be at flea markets and antiques shows.  The slices were easy to carry and to eat on the run while the eyes wandered over the market tables in search of the very prize that could be added to a collection or sold for a profit. The bake shops made these cakes too, because they held well. They were good for several days and they only got better as they wait to be bought and consumed. Housewives slapped them together at the last minute for unexpected company or as a sweet ending of a meal.  Children anticipated them as they skipped home from school. And, everyone had their favorites. So this is an ode to comfort cakes...easy to make, satisfying to eat.

Sandy Schmoker of Nebraska gave me this recipe while we attended a pork roast during our 1982 miniature convention.  Not only is it easy, but heads my list of fast, delicious snack cakes.  I always make it in a bunt pan or a loaf tin.

Poppy Seed Slices
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 package instant banana pudding mix (or any flavor you wish to add to the cake in pudding form)
4 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Combine cake mix, water, oil, and pudding mix in a bowl. Mix until well blended and stir in the poppy seeds. Spoon into a well greased and floured 10 inch tube pan (or loaf pan). Bake 350 for 45 minutes--depending on your oven, of course.

Double Fudge Slice
You can serve this with any enhancement but floating on creme , a l'anglaise (custard) it is perfection.
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. milk
Preheat oven to 325.  Melt butter and chocolate and cool slightly.  Gradually mix into eggs. Add remaining ingredients and stir until just mixed. Spread into a buttered 9 inch pie plate and bake for 40 minutes--less if you have a convection oven. Center WILL BE SOFT and moist when taken from oven.  It firms when cooling.  Serve with ice cream, or whipped cream...but loose custard is the best.

For any of the above (pictured) recipes, just email me and I will get it to you.

Linda McFarland gave me this recipe.  We taught together and enjoyed this simple treat on many occasions.

Ritz Cracker Squares
25 Ritz crackers crushed and rolled, to this add: 1 tsp. baking powder to one cup pecan pieces
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pint whipping cream.
Whip egg whites to a stiffness, add sugar and vanilla. Add cracker mixture slowly.
Bake in a greased pan at 350 for around 20- 30 minutes... but watch it, it burns like crazy.  Cool and top with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Refrigerate.

Food Requests

Finally a food request that does not involve Skyline Chili.  Mike had this burger at the Northstar Cafe in Columbus and raves about it.  He found the recipe and now my mission, should I accept , will be to produce these succulent patties...pronto, if not sooner. I don't want to be the only one making these, so roll up your sleeves and have at it.

Best-Ever Beet and Bean Burgers
Inspired by the veggie burgers at Northstar Cafe in Columbus, Ohio
makes about 6 burgers
1/2 cup brown rice (doubled if you like more rice)
1 onion, diced small
3 large red beets (about 1 pound), diced small
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons parsley, minced
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
thin slices of provolone or Monterrey jack cheese (optional)
Bring a large amount of water to a boil. Add a handful of salt and the rice, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice until it's a little beyond al dente. You want it a little over-cooked, but still firm. This should take about 35-40 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside.
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the onions are translucent and softened. Stir in the beets. Cover the pot and cook until the beets are completely tender, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan using the cider vinegar.
Empty the black beans into a large bowl and use a fork to mash them up a bit. Add the cooked rice, the beet and onion mixture, the lemon juice, the olive oil, and all the spices. Stir to combine and then taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once it tastes the way you like it, add the flour and stir until you see no more dry flour.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over the highest heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil - the oil should completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer and it flows easily, the pan is ready.
Using your hands, scoop up about a cup of the burger mixture and shape it into a patty between your palms. Set it in the pan, where it should begin to sizzle immediately. (If it doesn't sizzle, wait a minute or two before cooking the rest of the burgers.) Shape and add as many more patties as will fit in your pan. Once all the patties are in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high.
Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If they break apart a little when you flipped them, just reshape them with the spatula - they'll hold together once the second side is cooked. If you're adding cheese, lay a slice over the burgers now. Cook the second side for another 2 minutes.
Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.
Cooked burgers should be eaten that same day. You can also save leftover mix in the fridge for up to a week and cook just one or two burgers as you want them.

Before Mike burst in with this fabulous burger request, I was reading Marie in the English Kitchen's confession about a fast, easy, and delicious chocolate dessert.  I am not fond of chocolate, but this sounds pretty good.  I guess I should not combine the healthful burger with this decadent dessert...the scales of justice: veggie burger or chocolate cherry cake...veggie burger or chocolate cherry cake.  We have a winner! Today they get the chocolate cherry cake because we have to shop for the veggie ingredients--that's as good an excuse as I can come up with.

Note: Mike is taking me to the Northstar Cafe this afternoon for a tasting of this burger.  I'll let you know if it is worth the fuss.
Note: We didn't go.  He told me how much they cost and I decided to make them myself.  Mike LOVED them even though we forgot the cheese for the top. You must add an egg or oats to bind because they will fall a part.  I toasted the bun and he thought they were scrumptious...and they didn't cost $15. each either. Things are out of hand and there is NO reason for a veggie burger to bring those bucks.

Note: I just made this and it is fantastic. Be sure to use the optional frosting rather than the ready made frosting--while the homemade frosting is still hot, pour it over the still warm cake.  I can't believe how good this is and I am not a fan of chocolate.  This is a must try. I call it midnight cherry cake. Yum.

Lickety split and it's done! Delicious!

For the cake:
1 2-layer size devils food cake mix
1 tin of cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
3 large free range eggs beaten

For the optional frosting:
190g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
80ml milk (1/3 cup)
5 TBS butter
180g of chocolate chips (1 cup)

Or 1 tub of chocolate butter-cream frosting and a
handful of chocolate chips to scatter over top and
make it look good

Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F gas mark 4. Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking tin and lightly dust it with flour, tapping out any extra.

Put all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until they are well blended. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Combine the sugar, milk and butter for the frosting in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until they are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour and spread this frosting over the warm cake. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares to serve.

If you are using a tub of icing, just let the cake cool to lukewarm and spread the icing over top and scatter with chocolate chips.

 

Thank you, Marie, for all of your great recipes and pictures.  I am sure you don't read this blog, but thank you any way.

Here is my version of what I'll call midnight cherry cake--it is sooooo chocolaty. Too much for me, but the guys will eat it up.

 

Tuesdays

Our son, Mike, and his wife, Beth, have been working with ten or more inner city children and every Tuesday the children arrive by any means possible for a good meal and an outing or if it is a holiday, a party.  I think it is an inspiring and valuable endeavor, so I have volunteered Skyline chili (what else?) for this Tuesday. I am also planning ham and beans for next Tuesday, so I hope they like my cooking.  Maybe a batch of brownies...hmm. I may be into this.These children are so in need and they love to spend time with Mike and Beth.  It is heart breaking to think what they must be going through in the in-between times. The food pantry is running low on supplies, so I want to help out.  (I'll ask them to take some pictures tomorrow.)

We are in for another snow today.  This has been a really snowy winter so far.  We don't usually get this much, but luckily it has not been so deep that it has stalled the city.  It is good cooking and reading and cleaning weather. Or we should maybe take it easy....


Brooks, Beth's son, is in his frst year at the Citadel.  He has been award a gold star and a free educational ride for his outstanding 3.8  grade point average. Beth did a good job laying the ground for him and we are proud of both of them.

Beth Bettencourt Lechler shared a link via The Citadel.

January 13

Ok...Proud moment. Brooks received his "GOLD STAR"!! 3.8 GPA!!

Fall 2012 Gold Star and Dean's List students announced - The Citadel 2013 - Charleston, SC

www.citadel.edu

The following students have been honored for outstanding academic achievement

Beth and Brooks.

Mennonite girls can cook's web site had this fabulous picture of a home made pizza.  It looks better than any delivered pizza, don't you think?  I made some pizza dough from scratch and will see if I can make mine look this pretty (and delicious).

Steak/ mustard and bacon potatoes

Have you found that some days when you cook everything works and other days you wonder how you could have gone so wrong? This plate shows it's an everything is right day.  It's raining cats and dogs outside , so I could not grill the steak out there.  I fired up my indoor grill, dried off the steaks that had been marinating in herbs and wine for two days and slapped them on the hot grill. Just look at the results. This steak will serve two or three, it is really big.  Sam's has delicious and affordable meat and steaks are no exception.

Ina Garten first introduced me to mustard potatoes but has she ever had them with grainy mustard, a touch of cheese, and diced bacon (on top)? These roasted delights are perfect with the steak and lest I be frowned upon, sliced Florida oranges with blueberries ends the meal.

Some days it simply works.

Another version--steak and oven roasted fries~

 

Have you seen the muffin man?

 

 

Cooking takes me down rocky roads.  I am now officially into muffins.  I think they would be a good food truck offering, calling the business Muffin Man.  It is, however, falling on deaf ears around here and all they want to do is to eat the muffins right out of the oven with big glasses of milk.  That is not good business, just good eating. (I have never had a glass of milk in my life.  Once they took my bottle away, I refused to drink milk in any form.  My parents had to do it, I was drawing attention carrying a bottle around at my age and their parenting skills were being called into question.)
 Today's special: blueberry muffins with fat juicy fruit popping up all over (and in) these plump delights.  You can have your mixes, this is simply better even though it takes a few minutes more.  Assemble your ingredients the night before so everything is room temperature, except the milk. It makes the job less onerous. I use big muffin tins and the pan's cups that are empty, I put in some water in each while the batter is baking.  That way it won't burn up the pan in spots where there is no batter. I have nine large muffins from this recipe, so I had to put a little water in three of the empty spots to bake.  I know you have heard that hint about not baking cupcake pans with empty slots, but it is worth repeating.

 I viewed several recipes for blueberry muffins and they all had about the same ingredients.  Some had no vanilla and I can't bake without it, so I added it.  I had one blueberry yogurt left in the frig and I added that to the basic batter and look what happened.  The muffins are large, moist, and delicious.  After 10 minutes in the oven, sprinkle on the mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon and bake for another 10 or so minutes depending on your oven's penchant.

Basic recipe: no mixer required

Stir together: 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.

In a big bowl place a stick of room temperature butter, 1 slightly beaten egg, 3/4 cup of milk. (I also added a blueberry yogurt, but you don't have to.  I think, also, a spoon of sour cream to take the place of the yogurt, would work too, I'll try that tomorrow.) Add one teaspoon vanilla. Take a tablespoon of flour and shake the berries in it so they won't all fall to the base of the cupcake pan when baking.  With a wooden spoon stir in the flour mixture into the wet mixture until everything is mixed but not beaten.  Add the blueberries, be generous, and bake at 350 for ten minutes.  After ten minutes top the muffins with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon and pop them back in for another ten minutes or so, depending on your oven.

Tomorrow I am going to double the recipe and try the sour cream.  I'll let you know what happens.

First picture~

Could not wait for tomorrow. Matt bought great fresh strawberries and blueberries at Kroger after my mornings blueberry muffin marathon. I had to make these fresh fruit muffins to surprise the hard working Andy when he gets home today. (I tried buttermilk instead of regular milk in this set.) I remember now, after baking fresh strawberries in baked goods that I don't care for the texture of that particular berry in a muffin.)  It gets soft and squishy and lends little or no taste to the batter. The color also fades and it's just not to my liking.  I'll stick to shortcake for strawberries which we adore, but muffins and crumbles do very well with the sturdy, plump blueberry.

Ham and Butter Beans on a snowy day~

  
It is time to get real and to stop musing about the heat of Florida. One way to accomplish this is to  create a crock pot full of Rose's ham and tiny butter beans.  I put this array on low about midnight and this morning lovely aroma wafted through the house. Snow is falling all day, according to reports and this steaming pot of goodness will be enjoyed through out the day. I can't give you the recipe because none of my crock pot creations ever taste the same.  Luckily if it isn't baking, then one's creative instincts can take over and a little of this and a lot of that ensues.  Baking...a different ball park, one must follow the exact measurements. (Matt and I have discovered a squirt of mustard in a bowl of this ham and bean soup adds another dimension of goodness.)

There are a couple of hints from Cuisine at Home which I have used at one time or another--now this pot shown above, slow cooked all night after the beans had soaked during the day, but, if you are in a bit of a bind, add baking soda to soften the beans so they will cook faster.  Soda creates an alkaline environment which helps the beans on their way to lushness. Also, and this is good, add instant mashed potato flakes near the end of cooking to your soups or stews.  This addition slightly thickens the soups or stews if you haven't given it enough time to develop on its own.  It also adds to the goodness.

Next, a couple of hints for the kitchen that I had not thought of  were listed in a full magazine of the best 300+ tips and techniques from the readers and test kitchen of Cuisine at Home  (It  is now my favorite cooking publication because it has NO ADS!)

 If you have an indoor grill like a George Foreman grill or a panini grill use it to do your bacon.  The grease drips out of the escape spout into the grease catcher, the bacon comes out flat and crisp.  Why didn't I think of that?  Just do a few pieces at a time.

You know how the sausage squirts out of the casing when you try to slice it? Freeze it for about 15 minutes and  then the slices come out clean and smooth.
                                                          

Home Again~safe, sound, and tan.

                                                         

We had a lovely month at the beach with record highs for that time of year.  When we arrived home the house was perfect, thanks to the guys and Beth.  It was our Christmas present for them to stay here to protect the house and pamper the pets, so we had no worries for a great length of time.  I am always happy to get home, however, even though the piles of mail and papers are daunting. Everyone was hungry, so Matt and I made a fast trip to Kroger because Glenda Lechler had introduced the home version of Skyline Chile or Cincinnati Chili to us on the trip. The restaurant chain Skyline Chili  originated in Cincinnati and for years they have sold their  chili mix in pouches for the home cooks  who have a little more time to let the brew simmer and then the made up versions in the freezer department for a quick dinner.  We bought all the packs on the shelf because it seems they sell out fast.  Because we were in a hurry and the mix takes forty or more minutes (depending on how thick you like it)  on the stove with a pound of ground chuck, we bought the frozen  concoction for the evening meal. Collective sighs emerged as the men had a full meal after a month of catch as catch can meals.

                                                                

Skyline Chili

                                                                    
I hope your new year has started out in good form. (More later.)
Doris

Hint:  I was just wrapping the celery in foil and remembered this was a hint from Martha Stewart which really works.  The celery keeps well and ready to use in a snug wrapping of Reynolds.

Beach house pictures with the Lechlers:

 View from the deck~

Glenda, my sister-in-law and her daughter, Kathy.

David Lechler

David, JD and Joe Lechler

David and JD

As soon as I can stand to cook again after the trip, I will try this double peanut butter cake from Cook's Corner:
This recipe is originally from Taste of Home magazine.
Cake:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
Frosting:
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
In a bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs. Mix well.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Add to batter alternately with milk.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack.
To make frosting: Beat peanut butter and butter until fluffy. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Frost cake.

From the site of recipegirl.com, tidymom's recipe for homemade pizza rolls:
On our trip everytime someone ask for suggestions about what to eat, Glenda always wanted pizza.  I sent her this recipe so she can have her fill.  Easy and delicious, good for a crowd or for a few and even tasty the next day if there are any left over.

Ingredients

• 2 cans refrigerated pizza crust
• garlic salt
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup sliced and chopped pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded cheese (we used Provolone and Pepper Jack)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
• Ragu® Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce for dipping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Dust a large cutting board or piece of wax paper with flour and roll out each pizza crust.
3. Season each crust with garlic salt and Italian seasoning.
4. Top with cheese and meat
5. Starting with a short end, roll crust into a tight log
6. Slice into 1" sections
7. Place on lightly greased pan and bake for 10-12 mins.
8. Serve with Ragu® Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce for dipping (We use Carfagna's)