Thanksgiving 2014 ideas~

It was Thanksgiving in Canada yesterday and in the Lechler households it is today.  Glenda, my sister-in-law, had great news from the doctor after months of pain and suffering.  She is healed and able to go to Florida with us in January. Andy and I are beside ourselves thinking of the company and the beach. I am mentally packing as I write. LOL

  Mennonite Girls Can Cook has many ideas and here they are, with pleasure and thanks to their bloggers for the recipes and pictures. Visit their site.  They also have cookbooks which I intend to look in to.

   
This TART just came out of the oven...unlike the so called tart from Whole Foods which was really a coffee cake. 

Now that I know it works I will arrange the apples or pears more artfully next time.  The apples were tossed with the above fig preserves with no sugar.  Preserves on the base crust and warmed with the apples for a  bit on the stove,  When everything was cool again, into the oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes and 350 until done...about 30 minutes more.

Now to the Thanksgiving ideas.

I am glad I thought to go to Mennonite Girls Can Cook's blog.  These ideas and pictures are from that blog.  I had not visited it in a while and those creative women have been busy! Isn't this an nice idea for the holiday meal. (Tied with wilted green onion strips or leek strips.) Think of these caramelized maybe with a bit of sugar under the broiler. Just a thought.

Yeast Dough for onion rolls:

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1/4 cup potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons yeast (instant, fast rising)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 6 - 6 1/2 cups flour

1. Stir together the water, potato flakes and sugar. 
2. Add eggs, softened butter, and yeast mixed with 3 cups flour. 
3. Beat with mixer on high speed. 
4. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a soft but knead-able dough is formed. 
5. Knead well. 
6. Place in a greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. (About an hour in a warm place.)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

 Directions:

1. Punch down dough, and divide in half.
2. Roll each half out to form a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.
3. Brush each piece with half the melted butter; sprinkle each rectangle with half the cheese and poppy seeds.
4. Beat egg, and brush lightly over long edges.
5. Starting at one long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal.
6. Cut thick slices (about 1 1/2") and place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. 
7. Press buns to flatten to about 3/4" thick.
8. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
9. Brush lightly with beaten egg.
10. Top each roll with onion slices. 
11. Add a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each bun (about 1 teaspoon).
12. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Cool on racks.

Yield: 20 large cheesy onion rolls.

*  It is a wonderful refrigerator dough...and keeps well for several days in the fridge in a sealed container.  It is a simple thing to use half the dough for cheesy onion rolls today...and refrigerate the rest to use for cinnamon buns or more onion buns tomorrow (or the tomorrow after that!). 

I need to keep the turkey(s) wrestler happy, so I may serve George this for staying power: avocado egg salad on dark bread.

Here's a delicious way to dress up mashed potatoes.

• four medium potatoes (Of course more for a crowd with all the ingredients.)
• 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces and fried until crisp
• 1 large leek, white and pale green part only, washed, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced 
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• warm milk
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Partially peel potatoes. ( I like having a bit of the potato skins peeping through the creamy white.)
2. Place in a pan with cold water and salt to taste, bring to a boil and simmer until tender.
3. While potatoes are cooking, place bacon pieces in a fry pan and cook until crisp.
4. Remove bacon to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
5. Add sliced leeks and minced garlic to bacon fat and saute over medium heat until leeks are soft and beginning to brown.
6. Drain potatoes and mash, add sour cream and butter and enough warm milk to make a rough mash.  For these potatoes, a rougher mash with a few lumps is desirable.
7. Add bacon, leeks, garlic and some of the bacon fat to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Serves 3-4

Apple raisin bread 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon or rind of 1 lemon
• 4 – 4 ¼ cups flour, divided
• 2 Tbsp instant yeast*
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups raisins (rinsed with hot water) 

* about the yeast - the original recipe calls for 1 pkg yeast, letting it proof in warm water first. If you use water, adjust the milk or flour. 

Method:

1. Melt butter and add milk to a combined warm temperature.
2. Beat eggs and sugar, adding salt, cinnamon (or zest) and gradually the liquids.
3. Stir in 2 cups flour mixed with instant yeast.
4. Add rinsed raisins and then the rest of the flour, mixing until dough comes together. This works best with the dough hook attachment if you are doing it in a mixer.
5. Dust with extra flour if necessary to shape. Cover with tea towel and plastic bag and let rise at room temperature for about 1 –1 ½ hours.
6. Divide into two or three parts. If you are only making raisin bread, simply shape each part into a loaf. This will make two medium or three small loaves.
7. Cover and let rise until dough comes near the top of the loaf pan, about 45 – 60 minutes.
8. For a glossy look, beat an egg white with a fork and brush it over the tops, just before baking.
9. Bake in pre-heated 325 F oven for 30 – 45 minutes depending on size of loaf pan. Remove from pan to cooling rack while hot.

The love of books and things~

I've just started A Paris Apartmentt by Michelle Gable, her first novel, and I like it very much.  It's a fiction story that winds between the past and present, between two passionate women and their lives and loves and fortunes AND it has Paris and antiques to boot.  No one had been in the Paris apartment since 1940, not even the Germans found this booty and it is there to explore and assess. Ms. Gable is new to Women's fiction and she started off well. (I finished the book, with pleasure.)

The above book is completely different from the last forty or fifty books that I just read.  I have been in to Stuart Wood's forty books and finished them off.  I liked them all.  There were two or three that were not up to par, but I kept at it and they grew on me.  He is a bit like my other hero, Lee Child but Mr. Child seems to be running out of steam.  His last book Personal is bad.  The one before that, really good.  The one before that BAD.  All of his others, eighteen or so, were really good.  It's as though someone else wrote the two bad ones.

I like the Patterson books that he writes alone.  I can tell not only from the cover but when a co-author takes over.  Patterson's premise draws me in and the writing of the other author closes me out.

Several in the family enjoyed John Grisham's Sycamore Row which takes place in the same town with some of the characters from A Time To Kill.

I've just started Gone Girl.  I can already see this is not going to end well. Apprehension is cast from the start. But, interesting so far.

Andy and Beth are fans of UNBROKEN, a true story that is coming out in movie form in December.

Our family has enjoyed most of John Grisham's books but I fear his latest comments will not do him any good.  I expect his popularity is about to take a big hit in the pocket.

Can you spot the third dog in this picture? These three are best friends.  Posy does not like the camera, so she missed out.

This is where I keep a lot of the loose or hand written (or typed) recipes that I have tried or intend to try.

But today, I am not cooking at all and maybe not tomorrow.  I sent out Thanksgiving invitations yesterday, so my mind is on that holiday... while I am taking a kitchen holiday.

This is a great idea.  We have two different coffee makers and just the spot to make this happen in the kitchen. (Idea on Pinterest.) Pronounced Pin-trest  or Pin-ter-est.
Beth and I went shopping for the coffee bar, but came away with nothing.  This is not going to be easy.  One place had one like the picture below with a marble top, but it too was white and I have no white, to speak of, in the kitchen . We will keep looking.

LOVE this coffee bar!

George and Pam come here the day before Thanksgiving to wrestle the turkeys and help with menu.  We will have lots of help this year. Yea! This casserole will be good to keep everyone happy and busy...sugar high.

Cinnamon Roll Casserole    

Rating: 51

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter or baking spray
• 2 cans (12.4 oz each) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (icing reserved)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped Pecans
• 1/4 cup maple syrup + 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour melted butter into a 3 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 6 pieces - place the chopped cinnamon rolls over the melted butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, cinnamon & vanilla until combined. Drizzle the mixture over the cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with 1/4 cup maple syrup.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove covers from the icing; microwave for about 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Stir in 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Drizzle over the cinnamon roll casserole.

via Mrs Happy Homemaker

This site is worth viewing.  She also has many ways to enhance your coffee right at home. At least 20 recipes for coffee.

From disaster to delicious~

Remember this? 

I was sitting in the kitchen in my dad's old outdoor chair fretting about this culinary disaster as though I didn't have other more important disasters to think about.

This chair is important to me.  As it sits by the pool I can glance at it and remember my dad.  Now Mike carries it inside for the winter so I can sit by the window for my morning coffee and reading session and I feel as though the chair gives me a hug because it was his.  I think Joe F. from Cincinnati who kindly built our window boxes is going to make an exact copy of this chair for Andy so we can sit side by side in our old age and fret, or remember... being thankful that we can do either or both together.

Anyway as I was sitting I thought about turning the lemon to lemonade and came up with the perfect and delicious solution to the brown butter nut cake that stuck to the Nordic pan into this bread pudding, only with cake.

 

I drizzled the top with the caramel shown in the picture.   For some reason I cannot seem to throw food away like I used to.  I keep finding ways to redeposit it into something (hopefully) delicious. I had a bite of this and it worked beautifully.  Giant Eagle has something delightful called red white and blue bread which is sliced.  I had two pieces and a heel going begging so I added it to the destroyed cake and Bob's your uncle, bread pudding at its best. (You can find any bread pudding recipe on the Internet, the custard is basically the same in each recipe.)

Everything pumpkin

                               

The Country Cook's blog is the place for poke cakes.  I visited her blog today and it is pumpkin time there.  I have tried several of her recipes and have been very pleased with the results...unlike my failure Saturday with my Nordic pan which I praised way too much. The failure was the pan, however, not the recipe for the brown sugar pound cake.  In any event it is disappearing from my kitchen and I know it is not the dogs carrying it away. Here is the recipe I am trying next from the Country Cook. (By the way, dogs like pumpkin puree.)

s

Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

For the glaze:

1 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. milk

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees (350F if using a metal loaf pan). Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together brown sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, oil and water. Stir well to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until blended together. Be careful not to over mix.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

(It took about 75 minutes in my oven using a 8.5in. x4.5in. Pyrex loaf pan)  Oven times will vary so just be sure to check your bread after the first 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick to test if it is completely baked through.

When bread is almost finished, start working on the glaze. In a small saucepan, whisk together butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring it up to a boil for about 2 minutes.  Stir constantly so it doesn't burn.

When your bread is finished (while still warm), start poking a bunch of holes in it using a fork. This will allow some of the glaze to seep into the bread.  Be sure to put a paper towel underneath your loaf pan too because once you start pouring the glaze, it may go a little over the edge.

Start pouring your warm glaze over the warm bread. Try to pour slowly to allow that glaze to seep in the holes you poked.  Press chopped pecans (if you're using) into the top of the bread.  Allow to cool before slicing.

www.thecountrycook.net (She is on Facebook as well as Pinterest and she is worth checking out. Thank you, Brandie.)

Sunday after church with Beth in charge the outside poolside furniture was put away for the winter.  She is a whirl wind.  I washed the cushion covers and we bought covers for the double settee which is too big to put away.  Now we are ready for the worst. In Ohio the weather changes by the hour...we have had sleet already. Never mind, we are ready.

My struggle with pie crust continues, but I will try the country cook's recipe and directions because her instructions have worked for me so far:

Wham Bam Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp. water

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in oil and water.

Mix until combined. Then form it into a ball.

Spray your pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Put the ball of dough in the middle of your pie dish.

And start pushing down on your ball of dough and begin spreading it towards the sides.

Do as best as you can to evenly pull it up the sides.

You'll want plenty of dough up the sides too so you can crimp it at the top edge.

You can even get in there with your knuckles if you need to.

Make sure you also press down into the bottom rim of the pan too to spread out the dough and so it's not too thick.

And then you can start to go around and crimp the top edges of the crust.

Remember, this does not have to be perfect.  It’s a bottom-only pie crust.

It's rustic and it's homemade. It should look that way.

Once it’s ready, fill with your favorite filling and bake according to your pie’s directions.

Cook's Notes: If you are using this crust in a recipe that calls for a pre-baked pie crust. Before baking, just make sure you use a fork and prick lots of little holes all over the crust. This will keep the crust from puffing up too much while baking.

One user of this recipe mixes the ingredients right in the pie dish.

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 (9 Inch) Deep Dish Frozen Pie Shell (or make your own)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

3 Large Eggs

1 cup Heavy Cream

⅓ cup Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

If you are using a frozen pie crust, you may need to partially bake it first. Check the back of the package for instructions. Most frozen crusts just require that you to sit it out on the counter for about 10 minutes before putting any filling into it.

Or, if you are using my Wham Bam Pie Crust, just make sure you prick the inside of the crust all around with a fork, then pop it into the fridge to chill while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree together until combined.

Add in eggs, heavy cream, sour cream, spices, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into the pie shell, taking care not to overfill. You will have some batter left over.

Also, to keep pie edges from getting too dark, wrap edge of crust in aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for about 40-50 minutes.

Cool to room temperature for 2-3 hours (to allow the pie to finish setting up) then serve with whipped cream.

Cook’s note: Oven times vary, but basically the pie should be just a little jiggly in the middle when it is done. It is overcooked when the pie has totally set up in the oven. Also, pie mixture may look VERY thin compared to what you are used to, but don’t worry, it will thicken up in the oven. This recipe makes 2 regular-sized pies or one large deep dish pie (with a little filling leftover).

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup milk (2% or higher works best)

¾ cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Streusel Topping

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tbsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray an 8x8" pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, vanilla and milk until smooth.

(If using a stand mixer, remember to scrape the sides occasionally so it all gets incorporated).

Then stir in sugar, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  Mix until combined.

Finally, gently stir in flour. Mix just until combined. Don't over mix.

Batter will be a little lumpy.  Pour batter into baking dish.

Now, to make the streusel topping.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour.

Then stir in chopped pecans.

Sprinkle topping evenly all over coffee cake batter.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Slice up and serve.

Note: Using an 8x8 baking dish does make for a pretty thick coffee cake.

If you want thinner pieces of cake, use a larger baking dish and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Good ideas floating the web~

This is not a good idea, but you have to see this.  Ice today on the 4th of October 2014.
We were supposed to work outside today putting everything away.

You may have read about my king-sized devil bed.  It is very high where it is inconvenient and low when it comes to cleaning under it.  There is more, but I have already listed the faults of the Sleep Number bed.  Here is an idea and use for my antique kitchen steps that makes sense and looks attractive.  (This is not my picture or bed, just the idea that I am about to use.) My steps look a bit nicer, but these fit that particular decor.

Well, it's time.  It is put away summer time at Many Branches.  All the outdoor accouterments into storage for the long winter ahead, and, the closing of the pool.  This long cooking recipe should do the trick to cheer us up after a long day of outdoor work.  Everything looked so good this summer.  It's a shame it must end. We will have Beth put her New Orleans touch on this special dish bound for the crock pot. I also have a variety of Carfagna's sausages to make this even better.

Sunday's supper now that we were unable to work outside yesterday. Hope we can get it done today.  They closed the pool yesterday.  Sad.

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Cajun

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried small red beans, rinsed and sorted
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 7 oz. smoked boneless pork chops, diced into ½-inch cubes 
• 12 ounces andouille sausage (I use chicken sausage), cut in half lengthwise and sliced into ½” thick slices
• 1 tsp. kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 4 c. cooked rice

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients except cooked rice in slow cooker. Add about 7 cups of water, enough to cover contents with about an inch of water. Stir, cover, and cook on high 8 hours or low 10 hours.
2. About an hour before serving, use a potato masher to mash at least half of the beans, stir, and cook on high an hour longer. (This step is what gives the creamy texture.)
3. Before serving, taste beans and add additional salt and cayenne to taste. Remove bay leaves, and ladle beans into bowls over cooked rice.

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I am baking this cake for Sunday supper. It is now in the oven. Note:  Great cake but it sticks to the pan like crazy.  My Nordic pan let me down even after I sprayed it really well.  I had to cut the cake in the pan then drizzle the sauce over each piece. Grrrrr.  Why can't anything be consistent????????
If you want to see mine, scroll down to the plate of shame.

WONDERFUL caramel flavor and is VERY moist.

Bad Nordic pan! And I praised you so much.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 – 8 ounce bag of toffee bits
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 recipe CARAMEL DRIZZLE

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter until creamy. Add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Stir in toffee bits and pecans.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, 75 to 85 minutes.
6. Cover top of cake with foil to prevent excess browning if necessary.
7. Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. NOTE: Don’t freak out if some of the cake sticks. Mine did too. It’s because this cake is so moist. GOOD NEWS! We get to cover all the imperfections with yummy caramel!
9. Spoon Caramel Drizzle over cooled cake.

Notes

This recipe is from Lady Behind The Curtain

Ingredients

• 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly.
2. Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
3. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla.
4. NOTE: Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it's still HOT. When cooled the caramel does somewhat harden.

Notes

This recipe is from The Taste of the South’s Southern Cakes Magazine.

Left over red wine?  Sling it in the cake.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Serving Size: 1 bundt cake

Rich, moist, and flavorful, this red wine chocolate cake carries a unique taste and an irresistible smell!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (210 g/7.4 oz) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (75 g/2.7 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks/227 g) butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups (250 g/8.8 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g/3.5 oz) brown sugar (preferably dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) dry red wine

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C degrees. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in (or fold by hand) the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating it with the wine in 2 additions (starting and ending with the flour). Do not overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn it out and let it cool completely. Dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Store cake at room temperature in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cake can be frozen for up to 2 mo

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