Amazing Apple-Sour Cream Pie

If you've ever been given a recipe and thought it really didn't sound very good, then you'll know why I didn't try making this pie... at least not until after a friend made it and brought it along to dinner one night.

My husband was still raving about it - and telling his friends about it - 3 days later!

You'll need pastry for a 9-inch one-crust pie..

Then gather...
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 tablspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 cups chopped, pared, tart apples
Brown sugar topping (below)


Heat oven to 375 degrees, preapare pastry. Mix sugar, flour and salt. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon and egg with a fork until smooth. Stir in the apples, and pour it all into the pastry lined pie plate. Bake until the center is set - about 45 minutes.

While that's baking, mix up the Brown sugar topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 taspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients until crumbly.

Then, when you take the pie out of the oven, sprinkle the topping over it and put it back into the oven until it is golden brown - about 15 minutes.

The recipe says 8 servings at 390 calories per serving.

An Omelete in a Bag?

This recipe appeared in my in-box today. I have NOT tried it, but it came with photos, so looks like it works.

ZIPLOC OMELET

(This works great! Good for when all your family is together. The best part is that no one has to wait for their special omelet.)

Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes [we did 15 minutes]. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.

Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece...

Imagine having these ready the night before, and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in 15 minutes, you've got a nice omelete for a quick breakfast.

Quick tip for bad trash bags

Not long ago I bought a roll of tall kitchen bags that were terrible! Every time I tried to separate the bags at the end where two "tops" join, they'd tear straight down, rendering the bags useless.

I wrote to Glad and they sent me a coupon for new ones, but I have a hard time throwing anything away. I started opening them with a scissors, trying to follow the dotted line, but they still tore when I tried to open them.

Then I noticed my paper cutter sitting there. Now I slice off the offending parts and the bags work fine... no little cuts and tears on the top to start a downward tear.

Better Fried Chicken Recipe

For the last hundred years (at least) I've been frying chicken the same old way... but recently I've made some changes, and the difference in taste is amazing.

First I cut up the pieces, removing the tip from the wing and cutting the breast in two so it can cook faster. Usually I remove the bone as well. Often I remove the skin from all but the legs.

Next, in a deep, narrow bowl I combine milk, an egg, and spices... salt, pepper, garlic, sage, and my new one: oregano. I don't know what possessed me to sprinkle in oregano one night, but it made all the difference!

I coat the chicken and then let it sit in this mixture, marinating, for an hour or two - or longer. Depends on how long before dinner I think to go get it done.

When it's time to fry, I put about 3 heaping tablespoons full of flour in a bowl and add those same spices again, plus about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika ... then dredge each piece before putting it in the pan.

I don't use a lot of oil - perhaps 1/4" in the bottom of the iron skillet - and I do get the oil hot before adding the chicken.

Fry on medium heat - keeping an eye on things and turning the pieces often.

If you like this, keep playing with other spices you like. Who knows, one day you might accidentally stumble into Colonel Sander's recipe!

Coconut Bonbons - for your good health!

Did you know that eating coconut can aid digestion - and even halt a chronic case of diarrhea? The coconut oil actually makes other oils digest more easily, so a cookie before dinner is just what the doctor ordered! (Or should have ordered)

Check out this report, then get cooking!

Coconut BonBons

1 (15 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (12 ounce) package grated coconut
1 (24 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

Mix together condensed milk, butter, sugar
and coconut. Cover with wax paper and chill for 24 hours.

In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate with
shortening. Roll coconut mixture into 3/4-inch balls and with fork dip into chocolate.
Drop on wax paper to cool and dry.

Quick and easy Pumpkin Muffins

Perfect for a busy day when you need something special:

Pumpkin Muffins

1 (18.25 ounce) box spice cake mix
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

Mix all together by hand or with an electric mixer. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups, and bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes.

Apple Blackberry Pie - Yum...

Apple-Berry Pie

1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons tapioca
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh blackberries
2 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out one crust, and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Roll out top crust, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon. Add blackberries and apple slices. Toss gently to coat without mashing the berries. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Spoon filling into pastry lined pan. Dot with butter. Moisten the edge of the pastry with water. Cover with top crust; trim and crimp edge. Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking. Cover edge with foil to prevent over-browning.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Best Ever Pie Crust Recipe

Since fall harvest means good things to go into pies, I thought I'd re-run this wonderful pie crust recipe.

This makes a dough that is elastic - easy to roll out thin, so with just 4 cups of flour you have enough dough for 4 pies. If you have extra you can freeze it, but be sure to wrap it tightly.

Here it is...

4 cups flour
1 3/4 cups shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup VERY COLD water
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 egg

Cooking Your First Holiday Turkey? Here's how...

Stuffed Roasted Herb Turkey and Gravy

Turkey
1 (8 to 12-lb.) whole turkey, thawed if frozen
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stuffing of choice:

The recipe that comes on the bag of stuffing
bread at the grocery store is really quite good. It includes a bag of
spices, but I add salt. I like to chop
celery and partially cook it in a can of chicken broth - then use
that as part of the liquid in the stuffing.

Our family doesn't care for giblets, but I do add a good sized handful of
chopped onions.

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Gravy
Turkey pan drippings
1 3/4 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz. carton)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Water

Turkey Directions: Heat oven to 325°F. Remove and discard neck and giblets from turkey. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle cavity of turkey with salt.

Spoon stuffing loosely into neck and body cavities of turkey. Place any remaining stuffing in lightly buttered casserole; cover and refrigerate to bake as side dish. Turn wings back and tuck tips over shoulder joints. Refasten drumsticks with metal piece or tuck under skin at tail. Fasten neck skin to back with skewers.

Place turkey, breast side up, in roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so bulb reaches center of thickest part of thigh, but does not rest on bone. Do not add water or cover.

In small bowl, combine butter, sage and thyme; mix well. Brush half of mixture over turkey. Cover turkey loosely with tent of foil.

5. Bake at 325°F. until internal temperature reaches 180 to 185°F. and leg joint moves easily, using "Timetable for Roasting Turkey" below. To brown turkey, remove foil for last hour of baking; brush turkey with remaining butter mixture.

Remove turkey from roasting pan. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Remove skewers. Remove stuffing; place in serving bowl.

Gravy Directions: Pour drippings from roasting pan into strainer over bowl. Spoon off fat that rises to top, reserving 1/4 cup. Pour drippings into measuring cup. Add broth and enough water to make 3 1/2 cups liquid.

In large saucepan, combine reserved 1/4 cup fat and flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk until mixture turns golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Gradually stir drippings mixture into flour mixture. Cook over low heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

Pre-prep for Holiday Baking

The Holidays will be here before you know it. Time to test some recipes so the ones you serve at Christmas will be perfect!

Christmas Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. chopped dates
1 c. broken walnuts
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir into eggs and nuts.
Grease and flour 13x9-inch pan. Spread mixture well. Bake at 350 degrees for
15 minutes. Cut while still warm. Sprinkle on confectioners' sugar.

Perfect Onion Rings

Not long ago I had a yen for onion rings - but my husband reminded me that the last time we made them, they didn't turn out very well.

I started wondering why - we used a commercial tempura batter that tastes good on other things, so should have made good onion rings.

So... I did some searching and found the answer.

Before you batter the onion rings, boil them for a few minutes!

I probably let mine boil for about 10 minutes. Then took them out and drained them and let them dry before going into the batter. Interestingly, we made a mistake with the batter - but it turned out fine.

I didn't have a full cup of mix left, but my husband didn't realize that there wasn't enough in the bowl, so added enough water for a full cup. So the batter was on the thin side. I'm thinking that next time, I'll add a little extra water on purpose.

Using good hot oil - deep enough to cover both sides at once - we cooked them until the batter was golden brown.

My only regret about the whole thing was that I hadn't bought more onions.

What to do with a tough steak?

Recently our supermarket had a sale on Cross rib steak. So of course I had to try it. Some of it was pretty good, but one package was TOUGH.

Since we had eaten only part of the package, I debated about what to do with the rest. Finally, I decided to cut it into pieces about 2" across and put it in the crock pot with a can of tomatoes and some chopped onions.

I left it on low for most of the day, and dinner was a huge success!

That tough meat was SO tender that you'd have thought it was the most expensive cut on the counter.

Served with green beans and some salad, this is a meal that could even be fit for company...

Perfect Barbecued Chicken

Barbecue season is fast approaching!

I love cooking on the barbecue in summer - to be outside, and to avoid making such a big mess in the kitchen. But chicken has always been a problem. It seems like by the time it's cooked on the inside, it's burned on the outside.

Well, I found the solution!

This involves being in the kitchen a little bit, but the mess is minimal.

Simply get out a big baking sheet - one with a rim - and cover it with aluminum foil. Then lay out your chicken pieces in a single layer. Salt and pepper them to suit your taste.

Now, while you're getting things ready and the barbecue is heating, put them in the oven at 375 degrees for a half hour. This will par-cook the chicken so it doesn't need to stay so long on the grill in order to get done.

When you take it out of the oven, apply your favorite barbecue sauce and finish cooking it on the grill.

Easy noodles & chicken

What to do with a leftover chicken breast or two? Make chicken and noodles for an easy meal.

Start with cutting the chicken up into bite sized chunks - if you have turkey instead of chicken, that works just as well.

Then dump a can of chicken broth and a cup of water into a sauce pan, add the chunks, bring it to a boil first, then turn it down to simmer while you cook the noodles. If you have a lot of chicken, you might need 2 cans of broth.

Cook the noodles as usual - boiling them until they're at the stage of tender that you like best. I use salted water - you may not.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and put them in a casserole dish. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the meat chunks from the chicken broth and add them to the noodles.

Your broth will have cooked down, so add water until you have about a cup and a half of liquid. Next, put about 2 tablespoons of corn starch in a cup, and add about an ounce or two of cold water. Stir it until it's smooth.

Add the cornstarch a little at a time to the broth, stirring constantly to keep it mixed well. Keep adding until your "sauce" has thickened almost to the consistency of gravy. Then take it off the stove and pour it over the noodles and meat.

To add variety, you can toss in some leftover vegetables, or a handful of frozen vegetables. I particularly like peas with noodles - you may prefer carrots, broccoli, or even green beans.

If you decide to use frozen vegetables, heat them in the sauce for a few minutes before you combine the ingredients.
If it isn't quite time for dinner, put a lid on your casserole and put the whole thing in the oven, turned on the lowest setting.

Since I love pasta in any form and ignore everything else on the table when it's there, this is enough for me. But if your family likes a "full meal" a good green salad makes a fine accompaniment.

Easy beef chuck roast recipe

Get out of the kitchen fast with this all-in-one pot Chuck Roast dinner.

Chuck roast has great flavor and is also one of the less expensive cuts you'll find in the grocer's case. It would be tough as a steak, but when you put it in the oven for a couple of hours like this, it comes out moist and tender.

Here's what you need:

* Chuck Roast
* Potatoes
* Carrots, raw or frozen
* One onion
* Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

You need a heavy roasting pan with a lid - I like a 4 quart cast iron dutch oven.

Spray a little cooking oil around inside the pan, then wash the chuck roast and lay it in the bottom. Spice it, then turn it over and spice the other side.
You can use peeled potatoes or small red or Yukon Gold potatoes with the skins on.

Cut the onion into 4 pieces and chop up one of the pieces to sprinkle around on everything else. Peel the carrots and either cut them in chunks or leave them whole.

If you have frozen carrots, you can also use those.

Put the vegetables in on top of the meat, add salt and pepper if you like it, and about 2" of water.

Now put the lid on and put it in the oven at 325 degrees. After an hour or so check to make sure there's still liquid in the bottom. If you need to, add more water. It generally takes about 2 hours, but check at half hour intervals. When your fork tells you the vegetables are cooked you can either put it on the table or turn the oven down low and leave it until you're ready to eat.

Serve this with green salad, cottage cheese, or coleslaw. If you have some rolls, heat them at the last minute to top off the meal.

Homemade Rolls for Easter Dinner?

The Bread machine does the hard work - making these homemade rolls a cinch for company dinners.

Mix the following ingredients, then put them into the bread maker:

1 1/2 cups of warm water. Not HOT, not cold, but warm
2 packets or 5 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup (heaping) of sugar
3 eggs
3 taspoons of salt


Now add 4 1/2 cups of flour, turn the bread maker on, set to the "dough" setting. When the mixture starts to look like a blob, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time. After each addition, test to see if it's still sticky. If it is, add another tablespoon. When it no longer feels sticky, stop adding flour and leave it alone.

Now you can go do something else for 1 1/2 hours while the bread mixer does its work.

When the dough is ready you'll need a large baking pan - like a lasagna pan or flat cake pan. Grease the bottom and sides well.

When the time is up, sprinkle some flour on a cutting board or well-scrubbed section of counter-top, then turn the dough out onto it.

Start kneading - which means you push it down, fold it over, and push it down again several times. If it gets too sticky, sprinkle on a little flour. When the dough starts to feel like it's pushing back, it's ready.

Pull it apart into chunks about halfway between the size of a golf ball and a baseball, smooth out each piece, and put it in the pan. Keep going until the pan is full. You might have to adjust the pieces a little as you go to try to get them all about the same size and make them cover the pan evenly.

Now grease the tops so they can't dry out, cover the whole thing with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel (NOT a heavy one), and set it in a warm (NOT hot) place for between 45 and 90 minutes - or until the dough is twice as big as it was when you put it in the pan. After about a half hour, turn the oven to 350 degrees so it will be hot when you're ready for it.

Now... put the pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. When it rings, check to see that your rolls are a nice golden brown. If they don't look quite done, give them another 3 minutes.

Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

Do you have over-ripe bananas on the counter? Your family is bound to appreciate it if you turn them into banana bread...

Note that this recipe calls for sour milk. This is an old recipe, dating from when people kept a milk cow and sour milk was easy to come by. You probably don't have a cow, so use this easy substitute: Just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the measuring cup before you measure the milk. Do this when you first start gathering ingredients so the vinegar and milk have a chance to blend.

Preheat the oven on to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

One well-greased loaf pan
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup well-mashed bananas

Using a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and shortening together until they look smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs and bananas and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, and salt. Be sure you mix these well so the soda doesn't end up all in one spot.

Add the flour mixture and the milk to the banana and sugar mixture and mix it well.

If you like, you can mix in a handful of chopped nuts.

Now put it all in the loaf pan and put it in the oven. Start watching it after about a half hour - it may take closer to an hour to bake, depending upon the size of your loaf pan and your individual oven. Watch for signs that the bread is pulling away from the edges of the pan, then test by inserting a toothpick in the middle. When the toothpick comes out clean, the banana bread is done.

You can also bake this in "individual sized" aluminum pans - remember that with less mass the bread will bake faster.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Would you like to serve your family a meal they'll talk about for days? If they like potatoes, these will turn into the meal they beg for.

Start with some large baking potatoes. Unless you have huge appetites or will make a meal of the potatoes, each will serve 2.

You can bake these early in the so you don't have to handle them while they're hot, or wait until a couple of hours before dinner to put them in the oven. If you do it early remember to leave time to get them piping hot again! Bake the potatoes without foil because the skin gets tougher, making a crust that will hold together better while you scoop out the insides.

To prepare 2 large baking potatoes you'll need:

* About 1/4 heaping cup cooked and crumbled bacon
* 1/2 cup of sour cream
* 1/8 cup of butter
* 1/4 heaping cup green onions, chopped up small
* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* salt and pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes in 2 lengthwise or remove a "cap" from the top - depending upon whether you're serving a whole potato or a half.

Now, scoop out as much of the potato as you can remove without tearing the skin.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine the scooped out potato with the butter and sour cream and beat it with a mixer until the mixture is smooth.

Reserve about 1/8 cup each of the onions, bacon, and grated cheese, then put the rest in with the potatoes and beat it with the mixer until it's smooth.

Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins. They'll be nicely domed and fluffy on top!

If the potatoes had completely cooled, put them in the oven at 350 for about a half hour. Then about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them, top each potato with cheese, onions, and bacon. Put it back in the oven to let them all melt together.

If the potatoes were still hot, they'll only need about 10 minutes more in the oven.

These take a bit of effort, but are wonderful for a special occasion. I first tried them for a birthday dinner - and the birthday boy was more excited about the potatoes than about his gifts.

World's Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

This just in from a friend... beware, it's dangerous!










5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).


And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Easy Oven / Crockpot Stew for Beef or Chicken

Even if you're working at home all day, sometimes it feels good to reach the dinner hour and have nothing to do but toss a salad or warm some biscuits.

If you like that feeling as much as I do, try this easy stew. If you're going to be home to keep an eye on things, you can put it in the oven with a tight lid. Otherwise, use the crock pot.

Measurements for meat and vegetables depend upon how many you'll have for dinner, and how much you know you can eat. It also depends on what vegetables you like best - no rules here!

So here goes:

Beef stew meat or boneless chicken - cut into cubes about 1" across - sprinkle with garlic if you like it. (I do)
Potatoes - cut them up into 1" pieces if you like them soft, larger if you like them firmer
Carrots - same thing. If you have frozen carrots, go ahead and use them.
Onions - I like to chop them up small, but always leave about a half an onion in one piece for my husband.
Frozen peas - if you like them good and soft, put them in with the rest. If you like them firmer, toss in a handful when you get home and let them get hot while you do the salad and set the table.
Frozen corn - I like to add them in the morning. But again, if you like them crispy, wait until you get home in the evening.
If you're fond of mushrooms, drain a small can of stems and pieces and add them.

Finally, add 1 can of tomato soup and about 1/2 - 3/4 can of water. Of course, this depends upon how much meat and vegetables you're covering. If you've made a big pot full - use 2 cans.

Another tasty variation is to use mushroom soup, or one can of each. This should not look as thin as soup, but needs to be "soupy" enough so that it won't turn hard when it cooks down a bit during the day.

Now, just let it cook all day while you do things that are more fun than standing around the kitchen.

How to Bake Lake Trout / Mackinaw

Ever come back from a fishing trip not knowing what to do with the catch?

Around here the smaller fish get fried. I know - grease is terrible - but they sure taste good fried until the skins are crispy. We use safflower oil to keep it on the healthy side.

But what about the bigger fish? We bake them.

First, determine what kind of fish you have. A Mackinaw has a LOT of fat, and if you don't remove it, I guarantee your house will stink for a few days. You won't even want to eat the fish because you'll feel queasy from the smell.

The fat is located along the belly... you can see the whitish part that you need to remove. Then another layer rests along the top of the back. Carve that out too before you start to cook.

Next, soak the fish in milk for a few hours before baking. I don't know why that matters, but it does.

When you're ready to put it in the oven, pat it dry. Then salt and pepper the inside and add some goodies. A couple of strips of bacon, some chopped onion, and - if you like it - some chopped green pepper. You can also squirt in a bit of lemon juice.

Wrap the whole thing in foil and put it in the oven for about an hour at 360 degrees. If you want the skin to appear browned, remove the foil after about 45 minutes.

Since I don't know the size of your fish, I can't tell you if it will be done in an hour - so take a fork and test it after an hour. If it doesn't look done, leave it another 10-15 minutes and check again. The fish should flake away from the fork when you "pry."

Serve baked fish with lemon juice and/or tartar sauce.

It started out to be beef stew...

But after I had the chunks of beef browned and was ready to transfer them to the crock pot, I realized that I really was NOT in the mood for potatoes - or carrots, either.

So, what to do?

I rummaged around in the pantry and came up with a can of kidney beans. Then I found a can of tomatoes and one of tomato sauce. So I dumped them all in the pot on top of the browned meat. In the freezer I found my bag of dried onions, so I put a handful of those in as well.

And then... I had to think about what spices to add. My husband isn't as crazy about chili as I am, but I figured I could get away with a touch of chili powder. I probably added about 1/4 teaspoon.But that didn't seem like enough spice, so I did a couple of shakes over the pan with the cayenne pepper. I had already used salt and pepper and garlic on the meat as it browned, but sprinkled a bit more garlic in for good measure. I like garlic on almost everything.

As dinner time neared and this mixture still looked pretty much like soup, I got out the cornstarch. Putting about a tablespoon full in a small bowl, I mixed it with some cold water and then added it a little at a time until my mixture looked thicker, but not gooey-thick.

To finish the meal, I mixed up a pan of cornbread and steamed some frozen green beans. I ate my cornbread like bread - but Carl cut it in half and poured the meat and tomato mixture on top.

I don't know a name for this non-stew, but it tasted good...

Send me your inventions - I'm always looking for something different for dinner!

Wheat-free Corn Pasta Recipe

First - sorry for my absence. This has been a really busy month around our house. There's always plenty for me to do - because I do write copy for a living and have all the usual stuff with taking care of a house and critters - but this month has been different.

It all started when our neighbor got the flu. He and his wife are in their 80's and they have cattle - and he was too sick to tend to them. Just feeding them doesn't take long, but those cows are having babies now, so Mrs. neighbor has needed a little help.

We've still got plenty of snow and ice, so it's really too cold yet for newborns. That means we've had a bit of fun with getting weak ones into the house to get them warm, and trying to feed them imitation milk that they really don't want until they're strong enough to go back outside - and then moving them back outside. Some of those babies are way heavy! And in between, we had to get our neighbor to the doctor and then - on Saturday night - go after him when the hospital suddenly decided he could go home.

Before you think I'm whining - it's been kind of fun. I hadn't been around calves for many years, and they are awfully sweet. And it sure feels good when you see one getting strong when you weren't sure it was going to live.

Meanwhile, we have found time to eat dinner most nights, and this week we tried the corn rotini.

Maybe it's been around in "big" stores for a long time, but our little store just got corn pasta a few weeks ago. I was tickled to see it, because I'm always trying to find something different that I think my husband will eat (can't get too creative here.)

I had an idea that corn pasta would taste different - more like cornbread or a corn tortilla. So I made a kind of "spaghetti sauce" except with taco seasoning. I added some crumbled and browned ground beef, just like I do when I make spaghetti the lazy way.

We all agreed that it tasted good - but not very much different than regular wheat pasta. The biggest difference was probably the texture - the corn pasta is firmer. That was OK with me, but my husband thought we should have cooked it longer.

I was in a big hurry that night - the cows, you know - so I didn't go all out with extras or trimmings. Next time I think I'll shred some lettuce, chop some tomatoes and onions, and grate some cheese to pile on top of it. Maybe I'll also add a spoonful of sour cream on top.

If you've used corn pasta and have a good recipe - please do share!

Actually, if you have any kind of recipe to share, you're not just welcome to do so, you're invited!

Kitchen Sink Night at the Stove

Tonight I decided the leftovers had to get used - so I started inventing dishes. Since it turned out so well, I'll tell you about it!

I had a small piece of roast beef, and a small bowl of pulled pork in gravy. There wasn't enough of either one to make a meal. So I put them each into the food processor and ground them up. Then I cubed two leftover baked potatoes and mixed the whole thing together. I added a bit of leftover beef gravy to make sure it would be moist enough. Then put it in a baking pan and stuck it in the oven.

Next was the leftover macaroni and cheese. It got a small can of tomato sauce and some Italian spices and went into the oven as well.

Since there are only 2 of us, I had a few leftovers again... so the dogs got most of the meat, and the macaroni will be my lunch tomorrow!

We had a good dinner, and the refrigerator looks much neater, too!

When your bread dough feels "dead"

Our house has been sadly lacking in homemade bread for the last few weeks - everyone was just too busy dealing with the snow and cold. But today, Carl got out the flour and the bowls and got busy.

The bread had been rising for a while when he decided he needed to get out to the shop, so he asked me to finish it.

It seemed like it was taking too long to rise, which was odd. And then when I turned it out onto the rolling board, it acted like it was dead. I was wondering if the yeast had been old, but decided to just keep working it and see what happened.

At first it felt stiff and didn't even want to blend together - but as I kept kneading, it got softer and more pliable. It took about 10 minutes, but suddenly it came back to life and began acting like bread dough is supposed to act.

I remember an old logger giving me advice way back when I was a newlywed learning how to bake bread. He said "Knead it until when you punch it, it punches back."

I'm not sure today's bread actually punched back, but it did bounce back when I punched it!

The end result: Darned good bread!

Better taste, better nutrition: steam the broccoli

Do you like broccoli? Unlike George Bush Sr., I love it - but only when it's cooked correctly.

That means getting it off the stove while it's still just a bit crisp. Let it cook too long and it turns into yellow mush. Well today I learned a second reason for cooking it my favorite way - in the steamer - where you can watch it and turn it off before it gets mushy.

Broccoli contains contains glucosinolates, which are anti-cancer compounds. And as much as 90 percent of that glucosinolate content leaks out into the water when it's boiled. So if you boil it, you pour the good stuff down the kitchen drain.

I would say that means it IS fine to cook it in the broth with your stew - as long as you plan on thickening and eating that broth along with the meat and veggies! Just remember that broccoli cooks a lot faster than potatoes and carrots, so add it to the stew about 20-30 minutes before you're ready to eat.

Not all recipies are worth trying

This morning my husband handed me a magazine article about "The Best chili I ever ate." What was so different about it was that it was made with a cornbread topping.

Since I already had a pot of chili cooking for tonight, I said I'd put it in the oven and try the cornbread topping. What a mistake!

The cornbread recipe called for a can of creamed corn, which didn't appeal to me much in the first place, but I did it. As it cooked it appeared that maybe this would be cornbread dumplings on chili, but no, it wasn't.

It was corn mush on chili, and not very tasty. Instead of staying on top, the cornmeal batter slithered down into the chili, wrecking the whole darned thing!

All I can say is the green salad and the bowl of fruit tasted pretty good.

Save money - eat healthier - Cook it yourself!

All of the recipes you'll find here and at www.carlcooks.com are made from healthy ingredients rather than processed food - that's because we don't want to fill our bodies with chemicals from food any more than from prescription drugs.

But if that isn't enough, how about cooking to save money? Some things take so little time to do that buying the expensive packaged variety is just silly. For instance, salad.

Not only do you run the risk of buying contaminated lettuce - remember the scare last year - you pay dearly for that little bit of convenience. Not only that, bagged lettuce wouldn't last for weeks in that case if they weren't treated with something - do you REALLY want to eat preservatives?

A little bag of already cut up lettuce costs $3 or more - while a head of lettuce runs about a dollar. And you can choose the extra stuff you want to put in it - carrots, celery, a bit of spinach, a little onion. Most of those things will last in your refrigerator for quite a while, but if you don't think you can use it all before it goes to waste, split your salad fixin's with a friend.

Now consider a can of soup as opposed to the homemade variety. 12 oz. of Progresso chicken soup costs in the range of $2.50 - $3.00. You can make it yourself with one potato (can be cooked, leftover), one carrot, 1/2 cup of frozen peas, a couple of boullion cubes (or chicken broth) 1/2 cup of pasta shapes or noodles, 1/2 cup of cubed chicken (leftover), and enough water to make 2-3 cups of soup.

(Add the pasta after everything else is almost cooked - otherwise it will turn to mush. If you're using cooked potatoes, put them in toward the end as well.)

I prefer making enough for 6-8 cups of soup, because I'm lazy. I want extra to put away for tomorrow or the next day.

Since at least part of that list can come from leftovers that would otherwise sit in the refrigerator until they turned into a green science project, the cost is minimal - and the soup tastes better. You also get the benefit of controlling the sodium level - add enough to please your taste buds. Use Sea Salt if you have it.

Some of the things I see for sale shock me - Like the potatoes in a plastic bag that are already peeled and cut up - so you can microwave them and then mash them. Why pay 3 or 4 times extra just so you don't have to peel a potato? You still have to mash them yourself!

Beef & Rice Stuffed Green Peppers

My retired carpenter is falling down on the job lately, and leaving the cooking duties to me again. I guess he thinks that plowing and shoveling snow all day gives him a pass.

Maybe it does. I'd rather hang out in a warm kitchen than in the cold snow.

So, because I get bored cooking the same things over and over, I've been searching for old recipes that I used to like. I found this stuffed green pepper recipe in my Mom's old cookbook. It's a good way to use up that little bit of leftover ground beef - and you can add it cooked if you happen to have a leftover burger patty in the fridge. Just crumble it.

This is kind of like having old friends come to visit...

6 green peppers
1/3 cup rice
3 cups canned tomatoes
2 cups water
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1/4 t. onion salt (or 2 Tablespoons minced onion)
1/2 cup crumbs
1/4 - 1/2 lb. ground beef

Wash the rice. Bring the tomatoes and water to a boil and add the rice and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, stirring frequently. Add the eggs, onion salt, bread crumbs, and ground beef.

Wash the green peppers and remove the seeds. Then fill with the rice and beef mixture. Put these in a dutch oven or baking pan with sides, cover, and cook at 350 degrees until the peppers are tender.