Cheesecake for evening guests~

Beth is having guests, so I made a cheesecake for the occasion.

Also made a blow your horn Italian pasta combination salad.

Mini Pineapple Upside Down cakes

Good easy idea:

Mini Pineapple Upside Down 

Mini Pineapple Upside Down cakes in the cupcake pans.

Why didn't I think of this?

Why didn't I think of this? Individual dipping cups for parties and a get together.  I'm doing this. (Picture and idea from the girl who ate everything.) Oh, except I would not use plastic for a party or get together. Something small and pretty made of glass or china.

Think outside the gift basket

Blue lobelia planted to look like it is spilling out of its pot...

I have one of these going begging.  What a good idea for it.  Can't wait to get started.

Great idea for the patio.

I need four of these built in the kitchen so the dogs are out of the way while they watch me cook.

I have a ton of these.  What a good idea!

Say good-bye, Winter

Say good-bye, Winter. But not yet.  Columbus is covered in ice this morning. But that did not stop my husband Andy, age 79, from getting on the COTA bus and going to his classes at Ohio State.

 It did not stop the newspaper guy delivering Cook's Corner to my door this morning either.  I enjoy Wednesday morning because I get to have my coffee and my fix of the Food and Life section of the Columbus Dispatch.  The people in charge have fooled with the newspaper for a year or two making it smaller and tweaking this and that; reducing the size of Cook's Corner, but like Andy, no matter what, it rises to the top and spreads joy... in this case on an icy Wednesday.

When Lisa Abraham took over Cook's Corner her first attempt was not good.  I did not know who was at the helm, but I wrote a rather nasty little email to the powers that be and in return for my bad attitude I received a lovely email from Lisa asking me to give her a chance. I did and she has proved her word.  She has made the most of her little corner of The Dispatch and I am so glad they hired her. Today she has this wonderful idea of 'guilty pleasures' in the food line.  She has asked everyone to write to her expressing their secret disgusting eating habits.  (Hers, the food editor mind you, is eating canned warmed butter beans on basic white bread with pepper accent.)  I will keep this blog informed of the other maladies that Columbus eaters confess to.  Think about yours.  I have so many at age 77 that I could probably fill the Food and Life section all by myself.  But, I will have to think about the most disgusting one and confess.  I owe that to Lisa.

Dog treats:
Have you priced dog food and dog treats lately?  I cannot believe how the prices have risen.  I started looking for recipes on line for some healthy dog treats and printed three recipes, one of which I used with great and easy success and I did not even try the other two.  This is a no bake, no cook dog treat that our four dogs love.  Yes, I said four and I know I have lost my mind, but I'd like another Yorkie. Any way, here is the recipe that your dogs will adore and so will you because it is fast, healthful and evidently delicious.  After you roll the balls, mark the container because they look like meatballs and your family might be looking for a late night treat in the frig--not that it would hurt them, but they might be off meatballs for a period of time due to the surprise.  On the other hand, they might like them so much they give up regular meatballs, but I digress.

Dog balls...well, that's not a good title. Sorry.
Dog treats:
1 cup of canned pumpkin--not the seasoned pie filling, the pure pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups of oats (I use the old fashion and or the organic)
3 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir this together and chill or roll into balls first and chill
Store in the frig. THAT'S IT. Oh, you might as well double the batch especially if you have several dogs or big dogs and that way it uses up the pumpkin.  Or put a spoon of pumpkin on their regular dog food to get rid of the rest or store it in the frig for the next round.

They call this a cabbage pie for shock value, but it is really a frittata with a cabbage base.  Some people saute their cabbage first Lea leaves her cabbage raw for this recipe.  Either way you add what ever suits you and finish it off with the usual whipped egg topping and pop it in the oven until it sets..  I just thought it was an interesting idea and a nice picture.

Ingredients:
 
2 cups of  shredded Cabbage 
3 Eggs
5 tbsp (1/3 cup) Sour Cream 
3 tbsp Mayonnaise 
6 tbsp Flour 
1 tsp Salt .
2 tsp Baking powder 
1 tbsp  Dill 
3 tbsp green onion
Sesame seeds (for sprinkling)

Wild about coconut~

                                        


I am wild about coconut.  As a little girl I used to eat it by the handful from the Baker's Coconut bag.  I enjoy it on everything but fish or meat...although I have not tried coconut shrimp, it just does feel right to me; sort of like waffles and chicken.  Just saying. The Mennonite Girls have come up with this two ingredient crust that even I can make.  It is to be filled with coconut cream from your favorite recipe.  Yippeee. A crust that I can do.
Just melt 5 tablespoons of butter and stir it with an 8 ounce bag of Baker's Coconut (it's the best.) Press the results of this marriage into a glass pie dish and ring the rim with foil so the edges do not get black.  Put it in a preheated oven of 350 degrees and bake for 10 minutes then take off the foil and bake for 5-8 minutes more until it looks like this picture. Make sure it is cooled before you fill it with your favorite pie filling, but how could you not use coconut cream as the filling? Slurp.





After whining about the weather, today the birds are singing and building little condos in our gutters outside my lady's room or woman cave as the family calls it.  Evidently these girls are territorial because they spend their days chirping insults as invaders try to take over their homes.  What will happen when a good rain comes? It is a perfect spot with the slate hanging over the gutter just enough to keep the area cozy for them...an accident, I am sure, but the birds are enjoying the mistake.

Even though ice is covering everything this morning, Andy, age 79, left for classes at Ohio State.  He is taking three subjects and is eager as ever for learning to begin.  Bless his heart.

                                                                        

Spring is coming.

Snowed in~

Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman,  baked this on TV today.  I tried it during her segment.  I didn't even wait for the rest of her presentation. (How does she manage to smile and talk at the same time never really relaxing her face?) Any way,  I had a rotisserie chicken and all the ingredients so I whipped it together. It is pretty tasty and one can actually add any vegetables that the family enjoys. She apologized for using two cans of Campbell's soup and said it would not be as good without that addition.  I think, however, Alfredo sauce would be a good addition in place of the canned soups.

Note:  We are snowed in today and hopefully this will be the last big snow of the season.  It is beautiful, silent, and clean. Here is one dish to begin the day. 

 

Snowing all day today and into the evening. (Sunday)

Those who ski, come home and do this:

                             
This is the way Winston feels about this winter.

Potato soup...ahhhh

Enjoy a good bowl of potato soup?  It cures about everything in my world.  I do have trouble keeping it white as snow because, of course, I can't stop adding things to the pot.  I cure this by also adding Mr. and Mrs. T's spicy bloody Mary mix.  I have elderly neighbors that are having a hard time this winter, so yesterday I had Andy take over a couple of different soups--just enough for two people in individual containers because I don't know how much spice he can endure now days. I would guess none. Today Andy can take them piping hot bowls of potato soup.  I am also amassing several kinds of soup for one grandson to keep in his freezer for quick week night dinners.  So, the kitchen smells great and Bob's your uncle.  Our meals for the day are nearly done.
NOTE:  I just have to say I cannot stay away from the soup pot today.  This batch of soup is transcendental. You know how it is when you hit the mark just right?  Well this is it.  I have no recipe to give you, but the base was onions and bacon fried and then put into a big pot with water, Mr. T., salt and pepper, diced potatoes, fresh rosemary, a bit of chicken broth--tasting and adjusting as you go.  You can add what you like.  Oh, one product I have bought by the dozens from Amazon is :Crockery Gourmet.  It's seasoning packets for chicken, pork or beef and normally used in the crock pot.  But I use it in soups, gravies and anything I am not sure is seasoned just right.  Sprinkle that in  and there you have it, a fine dish: some for the neighbors, some for Matt, some for Beth, and a lot for Andy and me. (The other guys don't get any: some are skiing in Taos, New Mexico on their way to Colorado Springs for school, and one is in New Orleans.)

                                                 

  Another nice treat for this soup is garlic bread.  Here is the  recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook:

Quick garlic spread from Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog.

1/2 c. butter

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle whip, it is too sweet)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic minced

3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

One large French bread loaf cut lengthwise, spread liberally on cut side and broil until brown and bubbly.  

Or, wrap in foil and bake at 375 for 20 min.  You can add plenty of Mozzarella cheese to the top.

Garlic does not like me.  I do love it, but it kills my stomach.  It does not bother any one else in the family.  I once made Ina Garten's chicken with 40 cloves of garlic which is soooo good, but it nearly did me in.  It was worth it!  (recipes for forty cloves chicken and all kinds of potato soups are on the Internet, of course.) 

I just started the book Blossoming in Provence.   I have been under the influence of a 1000 piece puzzle here in the deep freeze of Ohio. So receiving books from Amazon is an event and a welcome change from the puzzle which keeps beckoning me back to the table. 

This Looks good: 

Asian-style Roasted Carrots
Serves 6
Adapted from Fortheloveofcooking.net

9 carrots (can be any color), peeled and cut into sticks (1/2" across max)
4 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
4 1/2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger root

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a large ziploc bag. Add carrots and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Tip contents of bag into a shallow baking pan, coated in oil spray.
4. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until tender.
               

466 blog views in one day~

Yesterday I have 466 views (in one day) of my post.  That is a lot of views for a family and friends blog.  I think it was the funny segment about the elderly trying to set up a pass word. If you missed it, it is worth a look. 

Strawberry short cake today: look at these 'giant' strawberries from Giant Eagle...better hurry to get yours.  (These are the ones used for chocolate dipping.)

I was down and out all day yesterday.  I get this malady every once in a while and it puts me down for the day. I can usually figure out the cause of something health wise, but this is a mystery.  Good today, however.



There is a big pot of Rose's ham and Great Northern beans burbling on the stove today.  I had it set up for yesterday but could not get it done.  I don't think you can beat the taste and texture of Rose's ham. They are the little shoulder hams that are like ham hocks (what ever that is) that one buys to go with beans of every sort.  They are great, too, with fresh green beans with the addition of potatoes and if you are lucky season-wise, corn on the cob.  I am yearning for spring--not to hurry my life along, but seriously, we have all had enough of winter.



As it turns out, this little ham is not the only product this company sells.  I believe McDonalds uses Rose's Canadian ham for their muffins. They have a nice arrary and if you cannot find it in your store you can buy on line.  I'll get the info for you. Look up Rose Packing Co. on the Internet.

Cream of Potato Soup with Smoked Ham and Wild Rice

Cook Time: approx. 35 minutes
Type of Dish: Soup
Occasion: Lunch, Dinner
2 cups cooked wild rice (grocer may have instant
wild rice that is ready in 15 minutes)
2 cups Rose Diced Ham
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of potato soup
2 cans water
1 or 2 cups sautéed fresh sliced mushrooms
1 pint half-and-half cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
fresh chopped herbs, optional
Mix all ingredients in large saucepan, reserving 1/2 cup cheese to garnish top of soup. Heat soup and simmer until heated through 10-20 minutes. Serve hot sprinkled with cheese and fresh herbs.

This one uses Canadian bacon, but my little Rose hams would do the trick if diced up just as well.

Canadian Bacon & Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

Cook Time: approx. 1 hour
Type of Dish: Entree, side dish
Occasion: Dinner

Ingredients:

Pastry Shell:

Use your favorite home made or frozen pie dough
1 egg well beaten with a few tablespoons of water and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Aluminum foil and beans or pie weights

Quiche:

3/4 cup Rose Canadian Bacon cut into chunks (cut up slices can be used if stick type is not available)
1 1/2 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes chopped into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped spinach leaves
1 clove garlic finely minced
3 Tblsp red wine vinegar
4 eggs
1 Tbls all purpose flour
1 cup Half & Half
1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere Cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface to about 13 inches in diameter. It should be about 1/8 inch thick. Lightly press into a 9 inch pie plate or Quiche pan and trim excess. Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork in several places. Place in refrigerator to rest for at least 20 minutes. PreHeat oven to 450 degrees.
Line the dough with aluminum foil. Add the beans or pie weights and bake for about 8 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights, brush with the egg wash and continue baking for about 4 or 5 more mintes. Do not let pastry get browned. Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool slightly while assembling the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Place the garlic in a small saucepan along with the wine vinegar and tomatoes and cook over medium heat till tomatoes soften. About 4 or 5 minutes. While tomatoes are cooking, lightly beat the eggs, add the flour and half & half. Mix well. Stir in the cheeses, Canadian Bacon pieces and spinach. Remove the softened tomatoes from the liquid, drain slightly and stir into the filling. Add the salt, a few grinds of black pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Pour the filling into the pastry shell - it will come to within 1/4 inch of the top. Bake the quiche in the top 1/3 of the oven for about 45 minutes or until filling is set and top is slightly browned.
Hint: If crust starts to get too brown before filling is set - place a strip of aluminum foil around the edges to protect. Quiche is delicious warm or cold.
Serves 4.

Rose products:  I am ordering one for Easter!!!

Pluck it bread (and other favorites)

I have shown this a year or so ago, but this one from Mennonite Girls Can Cook's blog reminded me to get it going again.


 Method:

1. Cut round bread in one inch sliced (both directions) to within half an inch of the bottom)
2. Fill cuts with cheese, drizzle with butter and sprinkle with chives...or what ever pleases you on toasted bread.
3. Wrap in parchment and foil to hold together well.
4. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Open foil and bake about 10 minutes longer, until cheese is melted. 

The elderly trying to set up a pass word:

WINDOWS: 

Please enter your new password.

USER:

cabbage

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password must be more than 8 characters.

USER:

boiled cabbage

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password must contain 1 numerical character.

USER:

1 boiled cabbage

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password cannot have blank spaces.

USER:

50damnboiledcabbages

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password must contain at least one upper case

character.

USER:

50DAMNboiledcabbages

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password cannot use more than one upper case character

consecutively.

USER:

50damnBoiledCabbagesShovedUpYourAssIfYouDon'tGiveMeAccessNow!

WINDOWS:

Sorry, the password cannot contain punctuation.

USER:

ReallyPissedOff50DamnBoiledCabbagesShovedUpYourAssIfYouDontGiveMeAccessNow

WINDOWS:

Sorry, that password is already in use.

The original recipe for this lovely bread comes from a Kraft Canada flyer. This one comes from Mennonite  Girls Can Cook (blog). This is on my 'to make' list.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1  1/2  cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp baking cocoa

Method:

1. Beat egg, mayonnaise and mashed bananas in bowl, using a whisk, until well blended. Add vanilla.
2. In separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. then stir into wet ingredients.
3. Spoon half  (or slightly over half) of the batter into prepared 8x4 inch loaf pan.
4. Sift cocoa into the batter left in the bowl, stir and drop by spoonfuls onto white batter.
5. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, before removing to wire rack. 

Triple Coconut Pound Cake

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (or use all regular flour)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or coconut milk!)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut plus more for garnish
for the glaze
• 1 heaping cup confectioner's sugar
• milk or cream or coconut milk, to thin
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set oven to 350F
2. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Mix the evaporated milk with the extracts, and add alternately to the bowl with the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Don't over mix the batter.
5. Stir in the shredded coconut and turn into a greased and floured loaf pan. Smooth out the top and bake for about 55 minutes until risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. (Moist crumbs are ok)
6. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack. let cool completely before glazing.
7. Make the glaze by mixing the confectioner's sugar and extract with enough liquid to make a spreadable glaze. Top the glazed cake with more shredded coconut.