Roasted Pork Loin

A tasty way to prepare a pork loin/roast. Tasty with bulls eye!

Roasted Pork Loin

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper*
• 3 tbsp margarine
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (4lb) boneless pork loin roast

In skillet, combine the first 12 ingredients and saute until tender. Untie roast and separate. Randomly cut about 20 deep slits, 1 inch wide, on the inside surface of roast. Fill slits with some of the vegetable mixture and retie roast. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Spread remaining vegetable mixture on outside of roast. Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 2-3 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160-170 degrees F. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

* I omitted the green pepper and found it to be quite tasty without.

Igloo Cheese Ball

This adorable cheese ball was made by my sister-in-law Christine and her mom. Isn't it so cute?!!!

This is more of an idea than a recipe - just use your favorite cheese ball recipe and

form it into an igloo. The penguins are made from olives. Carrot pieces form the beak and feet. Slit the olives and pipe cream cheese in until a "white belly" appears.
Sprinkle the plate with coconut to make it look like snow. Cute, cute, cute!!

Onion Strings

I recently tried this recipe for the first time - wow! These are incredible. Thanks to Claudette for passing it along. ;)

Onion Strings

• 1 whole large onion
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 - 2 quarts canola oil
• black pepper to taste

Slice onion very thin. Put in shallow dish and soak onion rings in buttermilk for at least an hour. (If you don't have buttermilk add 2 tbsp vinegar to just under 2 cups of milk).

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Heat oil to 375. Put soaked onion rings in dry mixture in batches. Tap off excess flour on the side of bowl and plunge into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove when golden brown.

Repeat until all onion rings have been fried.

*My family wents nuts for these. Even my three year old was eating them up. :)

**I skipped the cayenne pepper and seasoned the fried onion rings with seasoning salt. Mmmm...

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Mmmmm... The best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. This recipe comes from Devin's aunt Rita and it's oh so good!
Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 until done.

*Ice with your favorite chocolate icing. :)

Crispy Chews

These are so easy to make and add a nice variety to a plate of Christmas baking. And they're delicious too!
Crispy Chews

• 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup corn syrup
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 1/2 cups rice krispies
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Drop by teaspoonful onto wax paper lined baking sheet. Form into firm balls. Chill for 1/2 hour.

Chocolate Banana Loaf

Something a little different to make with those bananas that are too ripe to eat. ;)

Chocolate Banana Loaf

Cream together:

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Sift together:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (4 1/2 x 8 1/2).

Blend together and add:

• 1 cup boiling water

Divide between 2 loaf pans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Corn Chowder

This is a super easy, super tasty soup recipe - the picture really doesn't do it justice.

Corn Chowder

• 4 bacon slices, diced*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups (10 oz) fresh, frozen or canned cream corn
• 1 1/2 cups potato, raw, diced
• 10 oz cream of mushroom soup
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Put bacon and onion into large pot. Saute together until onion is clear and limp. Add the next 6 ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until potato is cooked. Stir frequently. Makes approximately 6 cups. Tastes excellent with fresh biscuits!

*Ham also works for this soup, as an healthier alternative to bacon.

Italian Peas

This is a nice variation with peas. Adds some flavor! Excuse the foggy picture - they were fresh from the skillet. ;)
Italian Peas

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 16 ounces frozen green peas
• 1 tbsp chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook about 5 minutes. Add frozen peas and stir in stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until peas are tender; about 10 minutes.

Shirley Temples

Shirley Temple

This drink works best when served in a tall glass. Fill half way with orange juice. The more flavorful variety it is, the better it would taste. These were made with a orange/passion fruit/guava frozen juice mix. Also add a little less water when mixing it up so the flavor is a little stronger. Then fill the remainder of the glass with lemon-lime sode or gingerale, whatever you have on hand. Finish it off with a tablespoon or two of grenadine (easy found in most grocery stores). The grenadine sinks to the bottom, making a multicolor drink. Pop a maraschino cherry in the glass or put an orange slice on the edge of the glass. To get the crystalized effect on the top, just put the glass, upside down, in a shallow bowl of water, then dip into some white sugar. Obviously you would do this before putting anything in your cup! Voila - an easy and very pretty drink. The perfect thing to serve at girls night. :)

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

This sounds like an odd combination of ingredients, but put together they're actually quite delicious. The end result is flavorful, tender chicken. Great with dirty rice. This recipe/photo is from the Kraft website.

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

• 4 lbs skinless chicken pieces (breasts or thighs)
• 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup catalina dressing
• 1 envelope onion soup mix

Heat oven to 350. Place chicken in two 9x13 baking dishes. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 50 minutes or until chicken is done.

*Mix and match chicken pieces you have on hand or that are on sale. Use all breasts, thighs or a combination of both. Each breast half is one serving while two thighs are one serving.

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened.
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter adn sugar. Add the eggs and milk, mix again. Add flour, cornmean, baking powder and salt. Mix.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 400'F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

This is the easiest recipe ever. We love love love it. We pull it out of the oven, and serve it up immediately with butter.

Hearty Beef Stew

Serve with thick bread slices or crusty rolls. Equally good over egg noodles.

1 tbsp cooking oil
1.5 pounds Beef stew meat

28 oz Can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
1.5 cups Chopped onion
1.5 cups Chopped carrot
1 cup Chopped parsnip
3/4 cup Dry red (or alcohol free) wine
1/2 cup Chopped celery
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Garlic and herb no-salt seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash. I used epicure!)
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp Water
3 tbsp All-purpose flour



Heat cooking oil in large frying pan on medium-high. Brown beef for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to greased 3 quart (3L) casserole.

Add next 10 ingredients. Stir. cover. Cook in 325'F (160'C) oven for about 1.5 hours until vegetables are softened and beef is almost tender.

Stir water into flour in small cup until smooth. Slowly add to beef mixture, stirring constantly. Return to oven. Cook, uncovered, for about 300 minutes, stirring once, until beef is tender and sauce is boiling and thickened. Serves 6.

1 Serving: 322 Calories; 12.1 g Total Fat; 59 mg Cholesterol; 22 g Carbohydrate; 4 g Fibre; 26 g Protein; 355 mg Sodium

Banana Pudding Cake

2 ripe Banana's mashed

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1 cup water

1 pkg. instant vanilla or banana cream pudding

1 yellow or white cake mix (name brands work best)

Mash banana's, add eggs, oil & water, mix till smooth with mixer, add cake mix & pudding, mix together for two min or so till smooth and pour into an ungreased angel food pan or if you have a bundt pan that would work great as well. Bake 350 for an hr. or when toothpick comes out perfectly clean and top is all golden. Cool and then take sharp knife cut around edges and take out of pan, cover to store. I like to eat mine plain, hubby spreads his with lots of butter

Gallo Pinto

pronounced: Guy-yo pin-toe
- a signature Costa Rican dish... It's quite fantastic!

Ingredients:
3 tbs oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/4 red pepper (chopped)
1 stalk celery (chopped)
3 tbs Lizano salsa
1/2 bullion cube/packet (chicken flavor)
handful of cilantro (chopped)

Cooked rice (about 3-4 cups)
Cooked black beans (about 3-4 cups)

Directions:
Saute garlic, onion, red pepper, and celery in oil. Add cooked black beans (along with the thick 'juice' that accompanies cooked beans. ie - do not drain). Stir in Lazano Salsa (this may be a problem to find in Canada in regular grocery stores, maybe in the ethnic section??? I heard worcestershire sauce can work as a replacement) and bullion seasoning. Let simmer for a few minutes, but stir often (beans have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan). Add rice and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Serve with: poached egg, chicken, or sausage.

This dish is most often served at breakfast, but can also be found at the afternoon and/or evening meal.

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

I enjoyed this dessert at my sister-in-law's this last weekend and promptly asked for the recipe. So delicious!! The guys were sneaking extra pieces while she was out of the room. :)

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Cake:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 15 x 10 pan, line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle clean tea towel with icing sugar. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake 13-15 minutes or until it springs back when touched lightly. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting at the narrow end.

Filling:

• 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 6 tbsp margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese, icing sugar, margarine and vanilla until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

*I didn't include the ground cloves. If you want an extra tasty dessert, try adding a tsp or so of Epicure's pumpkin spice. Divine!!

Chicken Supreme

This is one of my favorite ways to do chicken. Absolutely delicious and a perfect match to dirty rice. This is also one of my top picks when bringing a meal to someone else. Nothing too spicy to upset the newborn of a nursing mother (although you may want to opt for a white rice instead of the dirty rice). Also a very tender chicken which means it's easy to eat for all ages. From the MacGregor Bergthaler Mennonite Church cookbook, submitted by Sharon T.

Chicken Supreme

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp butter of margarine
• 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 10 oz can mushroom pieces (drained)*
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1 medium carrot (cut into thin strips)**

Combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in bag. Shake to mix well. Add damp chicken breasts, one at a time. Shake to coat. Melt butter in frying pan. Add chicken and brown well. Transfer to casserole. Empty soup into bowl and add drained mushrooms and apple juice. Stir well. Pour over chicken. Cover. Bake in 350 oven for one hour. Peel carrot and cut into 2 or 3 inch lengths. Cut into very thin strips. Add to chicken. Continue to cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve with brown rice. Serves 4.

* I prefer mushroom pieces, but my mushroom loving husband prefers whole mushrooms. I make it according to what I have on hand.

**I often add more carrots, just to get in some vegetables. I slice them as it's easier for my three year old to eat.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos (www.franksredhot.com)

This recipe is credit of http://www.franksredhot.com/

I made these nachos the other day, so fantastic! If you have leftover roast chicken, or just want to use grilled chicken breast, delicious! Cut chicken in small diced cubes, gives more chicken pieces over the nachos, I did 2 layers of: taco, chicken, veggies, cheese - all baked on a stone.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce (I used Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce)

1 (10 oz.) bag tortilla chips

2 cups shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1.TOSS chicken with Frank's RedHot Sauce. (again, stressing cut chicken is small diced cubes, then mix with hot sauce)

2.Layer chicken mixture with chips and cheese in baking dish or on pizza pan. (veggies too)

3.BAKE at 350°F for 5 min. until hot and cheese melts. (I baked hotter and for 10-12 mins, depends on your oven I guess and if you like the chips a little crispier)

Tips

1.Variations: Add 1/2 cup of the following to nachos along with chicken: chopped bell peppers, sliced green onion, sliced black peppers or diced jalapeno peppers.

2.For a change of pace, substitute 2 cups diced shrimp.

Habanero Gold Pepper Jelly

This a sweet, yet somewhat hot jelly that is so delicious! Can be served with cheese or melt it onto grilled or sauteed dishes to add sparkling flavor highlights. I've never tried it any other way than on crackers with cream cheese. So good! Tasted it at my mother-in-laws and promptly asked for the recipe. :)

Habanero Gold Pepper Jelly

• 1/3 cup finely sliced apricots (dried)
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup each: finely chopped red onion, red bell pepper & seeded habanero or jalapeno peppers
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 pouch liquid pectin

In large stainless steel saucepan, combine apricots and vinegar. Cover, let sit for at least 4 hours. Add red onion, red and habanero peppers and sugar. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat, skim off foam and stir to disperse peppers. Ladle jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Heat process. Boil filled jars in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 x 125ml or 3 x 250 ml jars.

Laundry Detergent

You may not "Wanna Lick the Spoon" on this recipe, but it's a good one. A friend of mine shared this recipe with me a few months ago. It's a homemade laundry detergent with ingredients that you can easily buy at Wal-mart (although I never knew they existed until now!). The ingredients cost about $12 and will make you multiple recipes worth. Definately cheaper than the liquid Gain detergent I'd beenusing until now. I've been using this detergent to wash laundry during potty training and it's been great. And I think if there's ever a true test to a laundry soap, this would be it! ;)

Laundry Detergent

• 1/3 cup washing soda
• 1/3 cup borax
• 1/2 sunlight laundry bar
• 6L water

Grate 1/2 laundry bar into 1L of boiling water. Stir until no lumps remain. Remove from heat. Stir in washing soda and borax. Mix until well combined. Add remaining 5L of water. Mix well.

Makes almost 2 ice cream pails full. Add 1/4 cup detergent for each wash load.

*This is a rather gelatenous detergent once it's cooled. But hey, we're washing laundry, not entering a beauty pagent. :) :)

Sliced Sweet Pickles

On Monday I, along with a couple friends, started off the canning season. It was a fun, but oh so tiring day! However, these pickles are so worth the work. Another great recipe from my sister-in-law Christina. :)

Sliced Sweet Pickle

In each jar, put one clove of peeled garlic and one head of dill. Slice cucs and pack into jars. They will shrink when processed, so be sure to pack it tightly. Make one recipe of brine for each quart jar (or 2 pints).

• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp pickling salt

Bring to a boil. Pour into jars, leaving an inch of headspace. Wipe rims of jars clean with a damp cloth. Place lid and screw ring on jar. Steam for 15 minutes in 3 inches of water. (I put a cookie sheet in the oven, fill about half way with water and set jars in for about 15 minutes @ 325).

White Buns

3 cups warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 TBSP fast rising yeast

8 + cups of white flour

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, salt together, add the warm water and then add your yeast, continue mixing and slowly add flour until dough is only slighly sticky ( sometimes i find depending on brand as well as humidity i can add up to another 2 cups of flour). Place in a large bowl and let rise 35 min. in a warm oven or in the sunshine covered with lid or clean tea towel & plastic.

grease 4 baking sheets and then roll out dough cutting off aprox. a sm. handfull and rolling into a ball. Place 3 buns across and 4 down if making regular buns or pan buns 4 across and 6 down. when all the dough has been cut and rolled. cover with a clean tea towel and plastic bag, and let rise aprox an hour, this also depends on humidity sometimes i find they'll be ready 45 min after letting rise. Bake 350 for 10 -12 min. this will also depend on your oven.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut bite size*
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

Combine first five ingredients in 3 1/2 quart slower cooker. Stir.

Add chicken. Stir. Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Combine cornstarch and second amount of water in small bowl. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring often for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. For faster cooking, pour into saucepan. Heat on stove, stirring often, until thickened. Serves 6.

*I put the chicken breasts in whole, saves a step. This has lots of extra sauce to go over rice or noodles. We enjoy it with dirty rice (recipe available under sides).

Best Cocoa Brownies

I'm cheating here by not posting the actual recipe or a pic, but if you love chocolate (aka cocoa), this is a great brownie recipe from a respected website...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346

I didn't have walnuts/pecans at home - next time. I'm sure you could throw in a few choc chips if you so desired.

I checked out the "Dutch process" of cocoa, be interesting to try :) ...but I did use regular cocoa in mine.

My husband likes brownies and he gave these the green light. What a treat!

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

I've often enjoyed these muffins, courtesy of my sister-in-law Jessica. She is an excellent baker. They are good plain or with cream cheese icing. The recipe is from the MacGregor Bergthaler Mennonite Church cookbook, submitted by Brenda B. My muffins always seem to flop, so I was thrilled that these turned out well for me too. :)

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

• 4 eggs


• 2 cups sugar


• 16 oz can pumpkin


• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil


• 3 cups flour


• 2 tsp baking soda


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 tsp salt


• 2 cups chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 16 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

*This recipe makes 4 dozen medium sized muffins.

Rollkuchen & Watermelon

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 + cup whipping cream

Mix dry ingredients together add eggs, cream. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8"+ thick, cut into rectangles, cut a slit in centre and pull one end through. Fry in hot fat 375 degrees, till golden, turn and fry other side. Drain on paper towel. Serve with watermelon.

This is what's for supper tonight as its so toasty warm out, perfect meal for it. My hubby likes his thin and crispy so i use the same dough, just cut off a chunk and roll very, very thin and cut a slat in the centre and fry same temp. I like mine nice and soft & fluffy, he likes them cripsy

Bean Burgers

Don't knock 'em till you've tied em!

My handsome husband made up this recipe a while ago when we are craving the BBQ, but wanted a healthier (and even cheaper!) alternative to beef. He's made them a number of times since and has asked me to add the recipe to the blog!

Ingredients:
1 can corn
1 can chick peas
1 can black beans
A few pressed/minced cloves of garlic
1 egg
Breadcrumbs

Directions:
Drain and rinse canned ingredients (no need for the excess salt!); blend in food processor, along with garlic, in batches (as much as your food processor can handle at a time). Once combined and all mashed up, place in large bowl, add egg, and combine with well washed hands. Add breadcrumbs until 'batter' is able to stick together on it's own just like if you were making beef burgers.
Form into patties (about 10), BBQ, and enjoy!

Notes:
1) I like mine dressed with light mayo, Thai peanut sauce, a leaf of lettuce, and thin slices of bell pepper.
2) He usually only makes about 8 patties and forms the rest into meatballs - fantastic for a ground beef substitute in spaghetti!!
3) They freeze really well, so instead of BBQ all of them, just throw some ready-made patties in the freezer and treat just as you would frozen beef patties.




Sorry there's no pic... but I will add one next time we have 'em.

Yeast Water Doughnuts

I often enjoyed fresh, homemade donuts growing up. Never having made them myself, my Mom came over last week and we made a bunch. Delicious!!!

Doughnuts

• 4 tbsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 cups warm water
• 1 3/4 cup oil
• 8 eggs (beaten)
• salt to taste
• flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water with 2 tsp sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Add 4 cups warm water, oil, sugar, beaten eggs, salt. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead well and let rise. Roll out about a half inch thick and cut out using a doughnut cutter. Let rise 1/2 hr and fry in hot fat.

*Best eaten the day they're made, but also quite good if frozen as soon as they're cool. We usually make a butter icing with a bit of cinnamon in it, to ice the doughnuts. One recipe makes about 6 dozen.

Rhubarb Crunch

A delicious recipe from my sister in law Christina. Yum, yum, yum.

Rhubarb Crunch

Crumbs:

• 1 cup flour


• 3/4 cup oatmeal


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 cup melted margarine

Put half of crumbs on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Save remaining crumbs for topping.

Add 4 cups of chopped rhubarb on crust.

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar


• 2 tbsp cornstarch


• 1 cup water


• 1 tsp vanilla

Bring to a boil and let simmer until thick and clear. Pour over rhubarb and top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 for one hour.*

*I usually only bake it for 45 minutes.

Delicious with ice cream!

Steamed Asparagus with Sauce

A few years ago I bought some asparagus, never having tried it before - it's delicious!! Especially local and fresh! This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it.

Steamed Asparagus with Sauce

• 1/2 pound asparagus
• 1/4 cup miracle whip
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Steam asparagus. Heat and whisk remaining ingredients on stove top. Add steamed asparagus and heat thoroughly.

Fruit Pizza

We enjoyed this delicious dessert last week, at a May/June/July birthday celebration. Thanks to Aunt Lil for making it and sharing both the dessert and recipe with me.

Fruit Pizza

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups softened margarine

Mix above 4 ingredients in bowl until it forms a ball. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake in 350 oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Topping:

• 2 - 250g pkg cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Beat topping until very smooth and spread over crust.

Top with strawberries or fruit of your choice and 2 packages of strawberry glaze. You can slice strawberries in half and arrange on cream cheese mixture and then pour glaze over top, following directions on glaze package. Or slice strawberries in quarters, make glaze and mix strawberries & glaze together and pour over cream cheese.

*This dessert is best eaten the day it's made as the crust softens overnight. The crust can be prepared a day ahead and then assemble the remaining layers the following day. This dessert is a hit with everyone, due to it's visual appeal and also it's great taste.

Home made White Bread

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup white sugar

4 cups warm water

1 egg

1 TBSP salt

2 TBSP fast rising yeast

10 cups white flour - depending on brand and humidity you may need more or less

Place oil, sugar salt and egg into mixing bowl, add warm water then yeast, slowly add one cup at a time of flour and mix until dough is soft but not sticky. Place in warm place for 35 min. cut into 4 and make loaves, (i have the large pans so if you have sm. pans i'm sure it would make 6) place in warm palce and cover w. plastic & tea towel. for aprox. 50 min - 1 hr. Bake 350 for 20 min. of course this will depend on your oven, as the oven i have now i bake 400 for 20 min.

When cool i slice my bread and put into bread bags and freeze so when i need a loaf i just take it out and let thaw. enjoy

Layered Lettuce Salad

I love, love, love this salad. I'm sure this isn't a new recipe for most of you, but sometimes you forget those old favorites. One of my first choices for a gathering or get together, as it is best made the day before. Pretty salad, when put together in a glass bowl.

Layered Lettuce Salad

• 1 head lettuce
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 4 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
• 10 oz frozen peas, uncooked
• 1/2 cup green/red pepper, diced
• 1 onion, chopped (I often used green onions)
• 8 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled (bacon bits work too)
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• dash of salt

Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces. Layer with remaining ingredients, except cheese and dressing, in order given. Mix dressing ingredients and spread over salad. Top with shredded cheese. Cover and refridgerate 8 to 12 hours.

Rhubarb Cake

everyone just dug into the cake, had to take a pic while i could, so it didn't have proper time to set, so pic is a little floppy, but oh.... so delic.

crust:
1 cup flour
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/2 cup margarine
mix ingredients and place into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake @ 350 for 15 min. and let cool

filling:
4 cups rhubarb
1 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Cook in microwave for 7 min. Pour over crust then add 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows on top of hot mixture & let cool completely.

Mix 1 box vanilla instant pudding and pour over cooled rhubarb mixture & cover with cool whip or whipping cream, sprinkle with lightly toasted coconut if you like.

Chicken n' Dumplings

2 cups leftover chicken cubed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chicken oxo

3 cups water

2 carrots chopped

1 stick celery chopped

1 small onion chopped

2 dashed thyme

2 dashed parsley

Place all ingredients into a casserole dish, and bake for 1 hr. @ 350 until veggies are tender, (make sure there's enough water to cover all the veggies & chicken) then 20 min before serving, mix your ingredients for dumplings and drop on top using a tablespoon and bake for another 20 min. @ 350 . You can also use turkey if you have extra's at holidays.

Dumplings

2 cups flour

1/4 cup margarine

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

Chocolate Treasure Box

This recipe (and photo) was sent to me by Diane, our newest contributer! She is an amazing cook/baker (my taste buds can testify!) and I look forward to seeing more of her recipes on here. Doesn't this look divine?! She made it for her family for Valentine's Day.
Chocolate Treasure Box

1 carton (7 oz) milk chocolate for dipping
4 fresh strawberries
5 milk chocolate bars (1.55 oz each)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup cold milk
1/4 cup instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/4 cups whipped topping

Melt dipping chocolate according to package directions. Dip strawberries in chocolate and allow to drip off. Place on waxed paper and set aside.
Cut chocolate bar in half width wise. Drizzle with white chocolate and refrigerate until set. Dip the short sides of two chocolate bars in halves in melted chocolate; place at right angles to each other on a wax lined cookie sheet, forming two walls of a box. Dip the other two in melted chocolate, to make a four walled box. Let set for approximately 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk milk and pudding for two minutes and let sit for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping.
Place boxes on serving plates. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag and fill with pudding mix. Fill box with pudding mix.
Dip the long sides of the remaining chocolate bar halves in melted chocolate; adhere to each box, forming lid. Garnish with strawberries. Makes 4 servings.

ps - I changed the recipe up a bit by buying the bigger bars and melting them down, pouring them onto my cookie sheet. I then used a ruler to make straight edges and make squares. I put it in the freezer for a few minutes to set. I used the same chocolate to dip the strawberries. I didn't put white chocolate on, but would next time for an added touch
pps - Recipe came from Country Woman Magazine (March 09)

Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie
2 cups left over chicken or turkey
1 carrot sliced
1 sm. onion chopped

1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1 sm. pepper chopped any color
1 stick celery chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tin cream of celery soup (don't add milk or water)

Put all your chicken & veggies into a pan & saute about 15 min or so till veggies are tender, add salt & pepper & soup. Make pie dough and pour chicken mix into pie shell then top with leftover dough an make slits so steam gets out and bake 350 for 45 min. until golden. Let sit about 15 min. before serving so juices can settle (makes a 9" pie)
Pie dough
2 cups flour
3 tbsp. lard
1/4 tsp. salt
enough water to make soft dough

Marinated Flank Steak

Marinated Flank Steak

2 lbs beef flank steak (or your favorite cut of steak)
1/4 cup sesame seed*
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ginger

Marinate in fridge several hrs or overnight, turning once. Then BBQ.

* I usually leave the sesame seeds out, as I never seem to have them on hand.

Oven Potatoes

This is a tasty way to do potatoes. I just put it together from memory - don't know if there was once a recipe or not. This is a great addition to steak or anything else from the bbq.

Oven Potatoes

5 or 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
3 or 4 carrots (optional)
1/4 cup or so green pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with seasoning salt, pepper and about a 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Melt 1/4 cup margarine and pour over top. Mix and put in 350 oven for about an hr.

We like them with either ketchup, bbq sauce or sour cream.

Cottage Cheese Crescent Rolls

This is a simple recipe, but takes a bit of time to roll out and make these little rolls.

Cottage Cheese Crescent Rolls

Whip 1 1/2 cups creamed cottage cheese in blender. Add 1 cup butter, beat together. Add 2 cups flour until blended.

Let stand in fridge overnight (I wrapped mine in saran wrap and only let it chill a couple hrs. I'm not organized enough to think of these things the day before I want to make them). :)

Roll out in circles on floured board. (I divided the dough into thirds, rolling them out separately). Cut into triangles and roll up starting at the wide end. Bake at 350 until brown (I baked them for about 13 minutes - probably should've done them a tad longer).

Drizzle a thin glaze on them when cool. Scrumptious!

Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein (or beef, pork or shrimp)

• 6 oz package chow mein noodles


• 8 fresh beansprouts, washed


• 1 1/2 cups water or clear broth


• 1 small onion, thinly sliced


• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced


• 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced


• 4 oz chicken, thinly sliced (about one large breast) (or beef, pork or shrimp-shelled)


• 1 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp sugar


• 1/4 tsp pepper


• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce


• 2 tsp cornstarch


• 1 tbsp oil

Add 1/2 tsp salt to 1 cup water or broth in a wok or skillet. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and beansprouts. Cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Place softened noodles on a warm platter.

Reheat wok or skillet and add oil. Brown meat first, then add onions. Add celery and mushrooms and stir-fry, for 1 minute. In a small bowl, mix remainging water or broth with 1/2 tsp salt, sugar, pepper, soy sauce and cornstarch until starch is completely dissolved. Add mixture to the meat and vegetables and cook until liquid thickens. Pour over noodles and serve immediately.

Try garnishing with chopped green onions and chow mein noodles right from the bag.

*I doubled the sauce ingredients and cooked it a little longer - until the celery was no longer crunchy.

i know, i know, this isn't a recipe

It's a blog post! I have decided that I'm the absolute worst recipe blog contributor ever. You probably think I don't cook for my family, or that they eat a heart healthy mac & cheese dinner every day. Although I love Mac & cheese as much as the next mom, I feel somewhat guilty over serving it to my children. But oh how I love it.

Yesterday I made home made noodles (keilke) and cream gravy (don't even ask for the Mennonite spelling on that one!). Did I take a picture? No. Did I add the recipe to this blog? No.

My apologies. I'll try to be more on top of this stuff in the near (or present) future!

Taco Soup

I got this recipe about ten years ago from my roomate. It's a very simple, but delicious soup. Something a little different from the average hamburger soup.

Taco Soup

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 28 oz can chopped tomatoes with juice
• 14 oz can pork and beans
• 1 can kernel corn
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Taco chips

Scramble fry the ground beef and onion. Drain fat. Transfer to pot and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes.
To serve: Put in bowl and add a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese and crushed taco chips. Yum!

Cuban Recipes

The following 3 recipes were submitted by a reader. I've never tried any Cuban recipes myself. Be to sure to post comments if you decide to give any of these recipes a whirl.

Pollo Con Quimbobó Platanos

• 1 cup of chopped okra, fresh or defrosted
• 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
• 2 tbsp of adobe seasoning or a mixture of the following:
  salt or MSG, black pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander
  vegetable oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ½ cups of water
• 2 medium ripe plantains
• 2 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp of lime juiceSeason chicken with adobe or the alternative.

In a heavy cast iron skillet brown the chicken pieces in hot oil on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. In the remaining oil, stir fry the onion, garlic and bell pepper for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Cut the okra in 1 inch size pieces. Cut away the tips and caps if desired. Peel the plantain and cut into 1 inch pieces.
Place the chicken in a deep stewing pot. Add the water and all the other ingredients. Cover and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 15 minutes
Serve with white rice.

Cuban Black Beans

Black beans are a staple to Cuban cooking, and its amazing in how many dishes it can be used. But it is used everyday. The following serves 6 as a side dish. It can also be thinned with chicken stock to make black bean soup, another common Cuban staple.

• 1 pound dried black beans
• cups of water
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• pound salt pork, chopped
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks, cut in 1 inch pieces
• teaspoons paprika
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Place black beans and water in large stock pot. Cover and boil two minutes. Turn off heat and let stand covered for 1 hour. Remove the lid and add the rest of the ingredients, except the vinegar, salt and pepper. There should be enough water to just cover the beans, so if necessary add a bit or water. Cover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Take out the hocks and remove the bones. Return the meat to the pot. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer long enough to heat the vinegar.

Black Beans and Rice

• 2 cups of cooked white rice (1 cup of dry uncooked rice)
• 1 cup of cooked Cuban black beans (recipe above)

Drain the beans. Does not have to be well drained, just get rid of the excess liquid. Stir with the white rice until evenly incorporated.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda, mixed with 1 tsp hot water
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together and bake. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes.

Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice

Sorry, this isn't a great picture, but it is a tasty and very easy recipe.

• 1 cup dry rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 package onion soup mix
• 3/8 cup butter

Add rice, salt and soup to melted butter in large casserole dish. Cover with 3 cups boiling water and bake at 350 (covered) for 40 minutes.

*I usually throw the whole package of onion soup mix in and leave out the extra salt.

Italian Vegetable Soup

Italian Vegetable Soup

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz can tomatoes
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained
• 2 cups water
• 5 tsp beef bouillon granules
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sweet basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces, optional
• 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
• Parmesan cheese

Brown beef, drain. Add all the ingredients, except cabbage, green beans and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add cabbage, green beans and macaroni; bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender. If you prefer a thinner soup, add additional water or broth. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.

*I was first introduced to this soup, when my mother-in-law served it. Like most soups, it's better the next day. One of my all time favorites!

Cream of Potato & Cheese Soup

Cream of Potato & Cheese

• 2 cream of broccoli and cheese soup
• 2 heaping T of chicken base
• 1 kg bag of shredded cheddar cheese (less if desired)
• 6 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 small onion (optional)
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cut broccoli (optional)
• 2 T flour (heaping)

In a 6 qt pot, heat 4 cups of water to boil, add chicken in a mug, potatoes, onions, carrots. Reduce heat to medium, gently cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and with a potato masher purée the veg (do not remove water). Add the pre-steamed broccoli, 2 tins of soup, salt, pepper. In a qt jar place 2 of the 4 cups of milk and the flour, close and shake well. Add this and the remaining 2 cups of milk along with the cheese and maragine into the potato pot, return it to the heat and stir until it begins to boil and thicken. This is quite a thick soup and can be thinned by adding more milk.

* I used about half the amount of cheese and found it cheesy enough for my liking. Pretty much a deluxe broccoli and cheese soup. Devin wasn't a fan of the soup, as it's not his taste, but Dillon and I really like it. ;)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Chipits Tarts

This is a nice recipe for tarts for those that aren't that fond of raisins.

Chipit Tarts

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soft margarine/butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 24 unbaked large tart shells

Preheat oven to 375. Beat sugar, butter, egg and vanilla together until well mixed; add walnuts, coconut and chipits. Fill shells 2/3 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Yum!!

*I usually leave out the walnuts - because I never seem to have them on hand.

Chocolate Brown Sprinkle Cookies

This is a recipe that 5 year old Janae Unrau put together. (Yes she's 5!). Her mom copied the recipe as closely as she could while Janae was busy mixing. The result? Soft and chewy cookies.

Chocolate Brown Sprinkle Cookies

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup chocolate chipits
• 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups flour

Mix together egg, soft margarine and brown sugar. Add vanilla, cocoa and oatmeal. Then add flour, baking soda and chipits.

Bake at 350 for 6 or 7 minutes.

BBQ Potato Skins

Thanks to my friend Claudette for sharing this tasty recipe. Not sure if it's more of an appetizer or an entree, but regardless it's delicious!

BBQ Potato Skins

Slice potatoes into rounds, 1/4 inch thick. Enough to fill a greased cookie sheet. Brush with oil and bake for 20 minutes at 450. Then slather with BBQ sauce (we like bullseye) and layer with chopped green onions, bacon bits and shredded cheese. Bake another 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve with sour cream. Absolutely delicious!!!