Baked Apples

With cooler temps of fall lingering in the air, my appetite for comfort foods is slowly setting in.  The other morning I decided to give my try at baking up some of the Granny Smith apples that were in the fridge.  A simple topping of some leftover turkey sausages mixed with grated cheddar cheese, a smidge of maple syrup and Dijon mustard and about 2 Tblsp of melted butter – mix it all up and place over the halved apples (seeds and core removed first).  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about an hour – or until the apples are nice and soft.  Allow to cool and enjoy.

I found these beautiful bowls at

West Elm

and love them!  They are a perfect color for fall and the quality is very nice.  I think I need to add some more in different colors!

Fresh Peach Cobbler

 There is something about a fresh peach cobbler that screams summer is here!  We have a wonderful ranch in our town, The Smith Ranch, that town-folk and out of town-folk flock to during peach harvest time.  You have to get to the fruit stand early because these peaches go fast.  Seriously fast.  They are THAT good!

The peaches are really the very best that I have ever had.  Sweet, tender, juicy and don't watch me eat one because it ain't a purdy site watching the peach juice roll down my arms and chin.  My audience is usually the scotties and all they care about is if a morsel may happen to fall down in their direction.

 Because we are now a Gluten-Free household, I am learning to adapt to baking and cooking for our new diet.  I miss Gluten and may I just say that being GF really sucks big time!  However, having Celiac Disease isn't fun and sacrifices have to be made in order to be healthy.  (But oh how I miss my chocolate chip cookies!)  

I used GF Bisquick for the topping.  (This box was nearly $7.00 - sticker shock! - and there is about 3 cups of mix to use.)

For the topping I used 2 cups of Bisquick, cut in one cube (1/2 cup) of cold butter, added 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk (or enough to make the dough hold together), 1 beaten egg and 1 tsp vanilla.  

For the peaches, I added 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of corn starch.  Mix it up and place the peaches in a glass pan.  Spread the Bisquick topping over the peaches and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until the topping is a golden color.

Delicious!  Pardon me..... I must go and pig out!!!!  A cup of hot French Roast and hot peach cobbler...life is good...even Gluten Free!

I had fun using PicMonkey for this post.  PM can be a huge time vacuum, like Pinterest!!!

A Tummy Warming Breakfast

This recipe is so easy and all you need to do is make it up the night before, stick in the refrigerator and bake the next morning. For years I have made this for my family on Christmas morning. It is one of those comfort foods that just makes you feel all warm and happy inside. Go back for seconds? Are you kidding me?! Well, you better hurry before others get the same idea!

I made the basic version (just bread and cheese), but you can add all sorts of other things to it, like crumbled bacon, cubes of ham, diced green chili’s, olives or roasted red bell peppers – whatever floats your boat.

Baked Bread & Cheese Casserole

1 large loaf of Sourdough Bread

6 eggs

4 cups milk

2 tsp dried Mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 pound cubed Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 pound cubed Cheddar Cheese

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heavily grease a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish

Cut the loaf of Sourdough bread into cubes, leaving the crust on. In a bowl whisk the eggs into the milk. Add the dry mustard and pepper and stir. Cut the cheese into bite-size cubes. Place the bread into the casserole dish. Spread the cheese over the bread. Pour over the egg/milk mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the plastic wrap and place the casserole into a COLD oven. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for one hour, or until the bread is a nice golden brown. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

For a little extra, garnish with salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Burnham Pudding

Many years ago my sister-in-law, Valerie, shared this recipe with me. Every recipe that Valerie has shared has been just wonderful – she is an amazing cook! For a decadent Christmas dessert, make this up in 3-inch ramekins, sprinkle with cocoa powder and add a few dried cranberries to the top and to the plate for added color.

The trick is to not over bake as it will dry out. The dessert is cake-like on the outside with a hot gooey chocolate center. ****mmmmmm******

Burnham Pudding

1 egg
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. flour

note: you can replace the cocoa powder with 2 TBLSP of Baker’s chocolate that has been melted. Add the melted chocolate to the combined wet ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg then add the sugar and milk. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Fill greased ramekins 3/4 full and place in a large pyrex baking dish. Add water to the bottom of the pan so that it comes up about 1/2 way up the ramekin. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. The cake should be springy and the center still gooey. Serve warm topped with Hard Sauce.

ADDENDUM 12-15-11: here are two topping recipes: one with egg, one not.

Topping/Sauce

1 TBSP butter, melted
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg - beaten well for 5 minutes
Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together serve on top of the steamed cake.

Hard Sauce: Beat until soft 5 tablespoons butter gradually. 3/4 pound box of 4X confectioners' sugar, beating until blended each time. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. When sauce is very smooth chill it thoroughly. Serves 4.

Awesomeness Inside a Fluted Paper Cup

Soft and creamy filling….

melted chocolate gooeyness on the bottom…

all encapsulated by moist cake…..

makes for a party in your mouth!

Years ago my at-the-time boyfriend (who is now Mr. SCD) gave me this recipe to try out. At the time I was taking a psychology class in college and we were having an end of the semester party. Being as I wasn’t a very good cook and liked to bake, I opted to bring a dessert. I was pleased as punch that the cupcakes were well received – so much in fact that the platter emptied out in a flash.

Here’s the recipe:

Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

5 tablespoons salad oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

for the filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup white granulated sugar

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stir together all dry ingredients. Add all of the wet ingredients. Stir until blended. Fill 18 cupcake wrappers 1/2 full. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!!

a moon crater for breakfast?

Nope ….

but we are traveling to Germany today to have some German pancakes!

Ok, not quite to Germany – but at least downstairs to my kitchen.

Tender.

Warm.

Slightly sweet with a fine dusting of powdered sugar on top…

…and a perfect accompaniment with fresh sliced white peaches and scrambled eggs.

A good start to a new week!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baked German Pancakes

3 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Generously butter the bottom, sides and rim of a 12-inch metal pin tin. Note: for the photos above, I doubled this recipe.

Break eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until well mixed together. note: I beat for about a minute, until little bubbles form around the edges.

Add the milk to the eggs and mix well.

Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of parchment paper – or waxed paper. Slowly pour the flour and salt into the milk and egg mixture, while whisking the entire time. Mix until very smooth. Add the melted butter and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth and silky looking.

Pour batter into pan and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the pancake with lemon (optional) and dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve warm. We love maple syrup on ours.

enjoy!

By George……

….I think I got it!

I shared about trying to perfect my chocolate chip cookies here. Thanks to Anna (Thimbleanna Blog), she shared with me that a friend of hers uses more flour and only butter – no Crisco. I tried the tip and it worked! These cookies remind me of those made by one of the sweetest women that I use to babysit for. The cookies are “puffy” – not flat and are really fabulous right out of the oven. Nothing beats a hot and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookie. Got milk?

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar – firmly packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

~~~~~~~~~~~

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

~~~~~~~~~~~

1 – 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flour, soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter till light and fluffy. Add the white and brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat until fluffy.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Beat until thoroughly mixed.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Place teaspoon sized dollops of cookie dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes – until golden brown. Cool on a wired rack. Enjoy!!

The Very Best Hash Browns

For Mother’s Day, my dear big sister/friend, Miss Jean, had our family over for a beautiful brunch. We shared a delightful day with her sweet family and dined on French toast, cream cheese and berry tarts, fresh strawberries, bacon and these hash browns. I had never made this before and was pleased with how they turned out. Of course, I had to adjust the recipe – cause that is just how I do things! Crank it up a notch – and why not!!??

So don the apron and give this a whirl! I think you will agree with me that it is DEEEEEEEEE-Lish!

Hash Brown Casserole

1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. Colby cheese - grated
1/2 cup melted butter OR margarine
1 small yellow onion - minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 lb. bag frozen shredded hash browns

**optional: I added a half cup of low-fat sour cream and used garlic salt instead of regular salt. You may want to give it a little kick and heat by adding a few dashes of a hot pepper sauce or some diced Ortega chilies.

Use Pam or a non-stick cooking spray and coat the inside of a 13” x 9” x 2” casserole dish.

In a large mixing bowl combine soup, cheese, butter, onion, salt, and pepper.

Gently fold the potatoes into the above mixture and pour into prepared pan. (I did not defrost the potatoes).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until heated through and top is browned. **I ended up baking mine for 1 hour – just until the top was nice and golden brown.

**optional: The last ten minutes of baking, I sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup of the grated Colby cheese.

Wake Up Call

Nothing beats waking up to wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen. Imagine a thin white vapor trailing gracefully in the air – beginning in the kitchen and then making its way slowly through the house, weaving through each room and arriving at a sleepy head. The vapor forms itself into a finger and stretches ever so carefully to

tap..

tap..

tap..

on the sleepy head’s nose. “Wake up, wake up! There is something delicious being prepared for you in the kitchen”, announces the vapor.

Sleepy head reluctantly crawls out of bed, half asleep. As he makes his way downstairs, he is greeted with a “good morning” and a plate of warm cookies, fresh out of the oven.

It is ok to have cookies for breakfast, isn’t it?

We like to think so.

Oh how I love the smell of cookies baking in the oven. Who isn’t filled with joy when tempted by the penetrating aroma of rich and spicy molasses cookies? It really is a wonderful way to start a new day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soft Molasses Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1 cup light brown sugar – firmly packed and sifted

2 eggs – well beaten

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup sour milk (see below)

white vinegar

granulated sugar

1. Sift the flour with the baking soda, ginger and salt.

2. Cream shortening, gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Blend in the well beaten eggs. Add molasses and continue to beat.

4. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk, beating until smooth after each addition.

5. Chill dough in refrigerator several hours, or overnight.

6. Turn onto floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with scalloped cookie or biscuit cutter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

7. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes.

This recipe yields about 3 dozen, 3-inch cookies.

SOUR MILK: Add 4 teaspoons of white vinegar to the measuring cup first. Add the milk to the same measuring cup to bring the volume to 3/4 cup.

Will There Be Cake In Heaven?

Oh how I love chocolate cake! Love, love, love it! One of my all-time favorite chocolate cake recipes came from my dear and wonderful friend, Kim. The very first time that I had it was when Kim made lunch for Laura, Spencer and I. She served the cake for dessert and it was love at first bite!

Side note: My fourth grade teacher taught me this: There are two “s’s” in dessert because you want to make it last and last. There is one “s” in desert because you want to get out of it as fast as you can. Isn’t that just too cute?

It is rich, dense, moist and filled with gooey melted chocolate chips. Heavenly! I pray that God will have chocolate cake in Heaven!

So what do you think Fiona?

She’s thinking…..

And she comes up with this: “I hope that there are tasty doggie treats, too!”

If you would like to make this fabulous cake, here is Kim’s recipe:

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 package INSTANT chocolate pudding (small box)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1- 12oz bag of miniature chocolate chips
Lightly spray a bundt pan. Mix above together in a bowl. Pour into bundt pan. Bake @350 for 45-50 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

****************************************************************

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. - Proverbs 8:17

Lentil and Pea Soup

One of our favorite soups is Lentil and Pea. The boys always referred to it as “green soup”.

Rich, thick, chunky, warm and comforting.

My favorite part – taking a chunk of bread and dipping it into the soup!

The evenings here are still cool and a steaming hot bowl of soup is a sure guarantee to warm you up. This recipe makes a good amount – which is great for leftovers! Leftovers are a must when I am knee deep in sewing projects. The guilt trip is draped heavily upon my shoulders when 5 PM rolls around and I haven’t even began to make dinner. Do you ever feel that way? No sweat if there are leftovers, right? What I would like to really say is this: make your own dinner!

Here’s the recipe:

Lentil and Pea Soup

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 Cup dried brown lentils
1 Cup dried green split peas
3 3/4 lbs ham hock or pork hocks (smoked is better) – I prefer shanks because there is more meat on them than a hock
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 1/4 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
12 cups of water
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

In a heavy Dutch oven or large pot, add oil and cook onions and garlic till soft. Add remaining ingredients except carrots and celery. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low. Cover pot and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots and celery and cook 40 minutes more, uncovered. When the hocks are cooked enough (the meat will be easy to pull from the bone) remove the hocks and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard the fat and bones. Add the meat back to the soup and cook gently till desired thickness. Makes 12 cups at 52 cents each. 136 calories per cup. You can double the recipe but the cooking time will also be doubled.

Serve with corn bread or buttered sourdough bread.

…back to sewing………….

Something sweet to start your day….

What do you do with left-over walnuts from Christmas baking?

Wellllllllll……..you make Brown Sugar Walnut Squares, that is what!

A tasty treat to go with your favorite hot beverage….

Now run along and make you some. They are deeeee-vine.

Brown Sugar Walnut Squares

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

combine:

Sugar, vanilla, egg ( I use my Kitchen Aid mixer for this recipe)

combine:

Flour, soda and salt. Add to the sugar mixture.

Stir until blended.

Add walnuts.

Pour into an 8-inch square pan that has been oiled. (do not use PAM for this recipe).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

Cool in the pan.

Cut into squares.

Saturday Morning Muffins

Nothing beats a hot and tender muffin to start off the day. Add a few wedges of sweet oranges, hot coffee and let’s go!

Cut in half and add a *smidge of butter* (I know, there is that smidge portion again….)…

…..Cut into it with gusto….

…. & enjoy bite, after tender bite.

Mmmm…. mmmm….it was that good!

My mom always told me to stop playing with my food….*giggle*.

Care for one? I’ll put on some coffee, too.

Do you like jam or butter on your muffin?

Undercover muffins…..and they think we can’t see them. Hmpgh!

Recipe as follows:

Honey Bran Muffins

1 1/4 cup Grape Nuts cereal

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

3 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 Tablespoons Milk

1/4 cup honey

1 large egg

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups or use foil baking cups.

Soak the Grape Nuts cereal in the buttermilk for a half hour, till somewhat softened.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, oats, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, honey and 2 tablespoons of milk until well blended.

Whisk in the melted butter until well blended.

Add the Grape Nuts/buttermilk mixture to the egg/honey mixture. Pour this mixture into

the dry mixture. Stir in with a rubber spatula until well moistened.

Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin and fill the cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-24 minutes, or

until lightly browned, firm and springy to the touch in the very center. Remove from pan

and allow to cool for a few minutes before you serve them.

These have a tangy buttermilk taste, are very tender and not too sweet. If you prefer

a sweeter muffin, you can increase the sugar or add brown sugar in place of the

white granulated sugar. I always tweak my recipes to make them just how I like them.

Warming

Nothing beats a nice cup of soup on a cold and rainy day.

Today it is an acorn and butternut squash with potato soup, served with a side of San Francisco Style French bread – with a “smidge” of butter, of course. :)

Just dip in the bread – my favorite part…..

…take a bite..sit back..and enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Awhile back I had a wonderful butternut squash and potato soup at a Greek restaurant in a town far from home. I loved the soup so much and wanted more, so the next day I came home and made up my own recipe. It was pretty close to the restaurant's, too!

Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash and Potato Soup

You will need:

1 acorn squash

1 butternut squash

4 russet potatoes

12 - 16 oz chicken broth

1 cup half and half

1/4 - 1 cup water

1 onion ~ finely chopped

4 cloves garlic ~ finely chopped

2 Tblsp canola oil

hot sauce

salt – to taste

pepper – to taste

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut the squash in half. Lay them face down in a glass baking dish. Add about an inch of water, cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until the squash are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, scoop out the inside of the squash and put into a large mixing bowl.

Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil them in water until tender. Add to the squash.

Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 Tblsp of oil until the onions are soft and translucent. Add to the squash and potato mixture. Mix all of the ingredients together. If you prefer a smooth texture to the soup, then smash all ingredients together with a large mixing spoon. I like my soup a little chunky so I only smashed a wee bit.

Place the mixture in a large pot on the stove. Add the chicken broth, half and half, 1/4 tsp hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. As the soup cooks down, you may need to add some water. At first the soup may appear thin, but as it cooks it will thicken. I cooked mine for about 2-3 hours, stirring every so often. It is best when thick, as shown in my photos.

Depending on what you like, you can add more hot sauce or omit the hot sauce and add white pepper to taste.

Serve the soup in a bowl or cup and top with paprika and fresh ground pepper. A little bit of shaved Parmesan is fantastic, too!

Just like Nanny made…..

When I was a little girl, I remember my Nanny Hazel making THE VERY BEST chocolate pies and chocolate pudding. Her pies had the light and oh-so-flakey crust that was filled with dark and rich pudding – the kind that was made from scratch. Topping off the heavenly pie were beautifully appointed swirls of homemade whipped cream.

For holidays and birthdays Nanny always asked us what we would like for dessert. Any guess? YES! Her CHOCOLATE PIE!!!!!!!

The other day – in the midst of cleaning – I found a recipe for homemade chocolate pudding. Ironically enough, all of the ingredients were waiting for me in the panty. I took a break from cleaning yesterday and tried it out.

Instead of a pie, I made a layered pudding with homemade whipped cream.

Yes……it was good……

So good, it made me cry…..

It brought me back to my childhood.

Every single spoonful brought memories of sitting at my Nanny’s kitchen table. It was like she was sitting next to me and watching me smile with every bite……the kind of bite where you close your eyes and let your taste buds take you on a happy journey.

It was just like my Nanny used to make!!!!

Let me share with you…..

Homemade Chocolate Pudding (and pie filling)

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder (your favorite brand)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 eggs yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium size saucepan combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, flour and salt and blend it around with a fork.

Add the milk and egg yolks to the pan.

Whisk in the ingredients then from now on with a spoon. The spoon will allow you to get into the corners as the pudding cooks.

Cook over medium heat and STIR CONSTANTLY until the mixture boils. Allow the mixture to boil (still over medium heat) and stir for a minute. (note: I found that this cooking process took about 12-15 minutes). Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla. To make the layered pudding, I poured my pudding into a glass bowl, covered it and allowed it to set up in the refrigerator for several hours. I layered the cooled pudding with fresh sweetened homemade whipped cream. To finish it off I topped it with a cherry filled Hershey KISS.

Would you like a bite?

Do you want to go in from the side?

Or would you prefer to dig in from the top?

Here, you can have the Kiss!!! I made several, so eat the entire thing.

…..nummmmm…..

…………nummmmmm…..

comforting...

Nothing beats a good baked rice pudding.

It not only warms the belly, but it brings back fond memories

of the wonderful aroma as it baked in my mother's kitchen.

For a good recipe, try Paula Deen's.....just click here.

What is your favorite comfort food? I would love to hear about it!!

~~My family would like to sincerely thank all of you who left heartfelt words for Jordan's birthday post. Your comments are all very comforting to us.....thank you......~~