Friday, March 14, 2014

March 14 is "Pi " day


In honor of pi day, I made a lemon meringue pie. Complete with candied lemons as garnish I might add. 

To make the candied lemons, I followed the recipe in the February 2014 Southern Living magazine, page 120. 
Cut 2 medium lemons into 1/8 inch slices, discard seeds. 

Stir together 2 cups sugar and 4 cups water in a large heave saucepan. Bring to a light boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add lemon slices, reduce heat to medium low and gently simmer about 45 minutes until rinds are soft and lemons are translucent. Turn lemons about every 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Save the syrup! You can use it in tea or in the meringue for this delish lemon pie! 


Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups pillsbury unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup crisco
1 egg yolk (save white!)
5-7 TBSP ice water

Combine flour salt and brown sugar. Cut shortening into flour mixture until it is coarse crumbles 

Lightly beat egg yolk and add 4-5 TBSP ice water 

and add to flour, toss with fork until mixture comes together well. Shape into a ball, chill dough 30 minutes for easier rolling. Roll dough on pastry cloth to fit 9 inch pie plate, fold and gently place into pie plate, poke holes in bottom of pie crust to prevent air pockets, trim and crimp edges.

 Bake in 375 degree oven until browned. Remove from oven. 

Now for the lemon pie filling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt

4 egg yolks (save whites!)
1 3/4 cup water
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 stick Land O' Lakes butter

Combine dry ingredients in heavy saucepan, stir together with whisk. Next, take the egg yolks and lightly whip. Stir in the water and add to the dry mixture. 

Begin to cook over medium heat stirring continuously. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to boil, stirring until thickened to desired consistency. Remove from heat, add butter and stir occasionally to incorporate butter.  Place in baked pie crust.


Remember that syrup? Here's your chance to use it! Place syrup back on burner and heat to boil. 

Place egg whites (remember the one from the pie crust) in bowl and beat on high with whisk attachment of stand mixer. When soft peaks begin to form, begin to gently and carefully pour hot syrup (from candied lemons) into egg whites, using about 1/2 cup at a time and whip until desired sweetness and consistency, (stiff peaks) I used 1 1/2 cups syrup and 2 tsp lemon juice. Top hot pie filling with meringue and return to oven to brown. When meringue begins to brown, turn off oven and leave pie in oven about ten minutes more- watching to prevent over browning! Done! Garnish with candied lemon slices. It's too pretty to cut!! 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Homemade Apple Pie

Crust for 2 crust pie.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

6 cups peeled sliced apples - I used Granny Smith tossed with 1 TBSP lemon juice (prevents browning of the apples)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Stir together 

Place bottom crust into pie plate. Carefully push crust into plate without air pockets. Don't trim yet! Next, carefully place apples in pie plate mounding up slightly in center. Dot with 2 TBSP Land O Lakes butter. Carefully cover with top crust, positioned as evenly as possible. Next, trim excess crust and crimp edges. Cut vent holes in decorative pattern.  Cover edges with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes with edges covered, then remove foil and bake 25-35 minutes more until nicely browned.


 During last 10 minutes, remove from oven carefully, brush crust with a little melted butter and sprinkle with a little sugar. Finish browning pie. Remove and cool and enjoy! 



Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Taters!

I love potatoes almost any way they are fixed. No cheese of any kind and no mashed taters. I'll take a baked potato any time. Add butter salt and pepper, but no mashed. So if you read my blog about getting healthier, you know I've had to change some things. But I need more change so last night for supper I tried something new for me. I took 4 small potatoes, peeled and wedged them (quartered in wedges), tossed them with about a tablespoon of olive oil, (which I've never used before), a few twists of sea salt, about a teaspoon of parsley flakes, and a pinch each of thyme and oregano. First I placed them in a shallow baking dish, added about 3 slices of onion and covered with foil, 350 degree oven, (I was cooking other stuff), after 20 minutes progress seemed slow so I covered with Saran Wrap (remember it's HOT and you must not burn yourself!!) and nuked them about 10 minutes and raised the oven to 450 degrees and removed the plastic wrap and finished them off in about 20 minutes they were done. And can I cay yum?! Yes I can. This serves 4! Beth said she often fixes taters this way and sometimes adds garlic and Parmesan cheese. Garlic I can handle.... Not cheese! Anyway. If you've never fixed taters this way, try them! It was great!! 


My taters with homemade sloppy joe on a homemade bun. All these recipes are in this blog! 

Happy cooking!
To be continued......

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Homemade Christmas Gift (Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce)

Who doesn't love hot fudge on their ice cream?! Did you know you can make it at home and put it in a jar, decorate that jar and give it as a homemade Christmas gift? It's so easy thanks to the Land O' Lakes folks! Visit them on twitter @LandOLakesktchn for lots of #Christmasideas!! 

Home made hot fudge sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick Land O' Lakes butter
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and over low heat, stir until chips and butter are melted and mixture is smooth. Place in jars and store in fridge until ready to heat and use! Keeps for a week. 


Any brand sweetened condensed milk will do, but a name brand like carnation or eagle brand will work better-- be sure you are NOT using evaporated milk. 



Add one cup of your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips


And a stick (1/2 cup) butter (Land O' Lakes of course!) 


It will soon begin to melt, stir often over low heat to avoid scorching! 


It's done! Yum! 


It was wonderful over plain yellow cake! Imagine it over that new Edy's peppermint ice cream! I need to go to Kroger!! 


Those used coffee drink bottles would be perfect! Add a homespun or Christmas ribbon, add a note that says carefully reheat as needed and store in the refrigerator! 


Or use a jelly jar! Perfect for giving!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Cooking!!

I love all y'all! 
To be continued!!

Recipe from the Land O Lakes twitter site. Cooking photos are mine! Jar photos are from a google search and are available readily on the internet! My plate is Fiesta! 









Thursday, December 5, 2013

Homemade Chili


Start by sauteeing a couple coarsely chopped onions in a couple tbsp oil for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat - until they begin to soften. Next, add 3 cans of your favorite chili beans. 


I use Bush's or Lucks- whatever is on sale and I use the mild chili sauce. You can mix it up and use one or two cans of the hot; your chili will be hotter! 


Stir these around and let them begin to cook just a bit. 


Now, I stir in some chili powder


Maybe a tbsp or two.....


Then stir in a couple cans of diced tomatoes. On sale or store brands work well. I used Red Gold here. It was on sale at the Cee Bee.... Next, a lil more chili powder.... I tasted.


Now, while you bring this to a simmer, brown about a pound of ground beef, chuck or turkey


You want all the pink gone. Drain and add it in......


Give it a stir. All the elements of your chili are basically done now. You can taste and add salt, pepper, more chili powder if you desire, remember- you can't subtract so add just a little at a time! Now, cover and turn it on low and let it simmer - give it a stir occasionally. It will be ready to eat in about an hour! Enjoy! 




Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I love Fiesta Dinnerware!

So I know this is 'My Favorite Recipes' but presentation is also a consideration. In the country we don't always think about presentation- we just cook it and serve it up. But if you think about it, growing up do you have a memory of a special dish, cup or plate? I have a few! One is "the jello bowl" - mom made jello and cake most Sundays (the only day we had dessert) and I got to stir the jello! She used her bowl that had been her mothers. Back then I didn't consider what kind of bowl it was. Didn't know what Fiesta was. Here is a picture of that bowl. 
You can't buy a new Fiesta bowl this size. When I first started collecting Fiesta in the 1980's you couldn't. It wasn't until after our house burned and I started replacing my Fiesta that I realized what kind of bowl the jello bowl was/is!  Some day it will be my yellow bowl! Sorry Jeffrey! (My nephew and his wife also collect and use Fiesta!) 

I have a piece of Fiesta from several colors. A lot of my pieces are discontinued now. Some things don't come in those older colors like I don't have a periwinkle or rose gusto bowl. There is nothing like curling up on a cold winter evening with a gusto bowl full if hit homemade beef stew, chili or soup! Or sitting on the porch on crisp mornings with a hot cup of coffee!
And isn't this French toast beautiful on this Fiesta buffet plate?! 
Well, I think it is! 

I guess this is about all for today! Y'all have a blessed day! 
I love all y'all!❤
To be continued....





Monday, July 29, 2013

Baked Oatmeal

Today a friend posted she really wanted a recipe for baked oatmeal. She'd had an excellent serving of this recently popular dish. Being the friend I am, I found one from Taste of Home I thought she might like. She messages me on Facebook that she had made it for supper and it was yum. She added fresh peaches to hers. You can add about a cup of any fresh fruit you would like. Here it is! Baked Oatmeal. 



  • 3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs ( if cholesterol is a concern use the whites or 2 egg portion of egg beaters)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter melted

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and butter. Stir into oat mixture until blended.

  • Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until set. Serve warm with milk. Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional Facts

One serving equals 318 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 78 mg cholesterol, 492 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Originally published as Baked Oatmeal in Country Woman May/June 1993, p36