Month: December 2009

Breads

Streusel Coffee Cake

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Well, a sweet new friend from Oklahoma brought over this coffee cake this past week. It was absolutely delicious. I asked her if she minded if I share it. It stayed fresh for days, but when it was delivered to us, it was still warm and just so great with a warm cup of coffee.

1 pkg (26.5 oz) cinnamon struesel coffee cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup softened butter

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 package toffee bits

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup uncooked regular oats

Mix cake mix and next 5 ingredients together about 2 mins. Pour 1/2 of mixture into a 9×13 pan or a bundt greased pan.

Combine struesel packet, toffee, pecans and oats. Sprinkle 1/2 of this mixture over batter. Dollop then spread remaining batter over struesel layer.

Sprinkle with remaining struesel. Bake at 350 for about 40 min or until done. Cool completely. Drizzle glaze packet over cake. This is really easy and oh so good.

I think I am going to try changing out the toffee with chopped dates next time. Will let you know!

Meats · Soups

Tailgating Thai Chicken Chile

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3 tables olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 yellow peppers, chopped

2 cloves of carlic, minced

2 lbs of ground chicken or turkey (or 1/2 and 1/2 of each)

1 10.1 oz jar sweet chile sauce

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

3 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed

2 15 oz cans corn

1 tables chili powder

2 teas garlic powder

2 teas cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place olive oil in large stock pot and place on medium high heat. Saute onions, peppeers and garlic. When onions are translucent, add meat and cook until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour and then season with the salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and your favorite chips.

Casseroles

Ten Minute Alfredo

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tables garlic, minced

1 tables olive oil

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a saute pan and add garlic. Add heavy cream and bring just below a boil. When cream begins to bubble, add the cheese and stir until it thickens. Season and serve over your favorite pasta. Sprinkle parsley over the top. This is quite good and oh so easy. Good enough for company, with a great salad and garlic bread.

Daily Thoughts

A Hero Laid to Rest

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Yesterday was such a bittersweet day. My father in law, Howard’s life was celebrated and then laid to rest.  His life was what some might call “ordinary”, but those who knew Howard would never agree with that term. Howard was one of those men who you could never say anything negative. He loved his family and was a hero in every term. He served not only his country with pride, but his family and the Lord. He will certainly be missed. His sister Loura, at the ceremony, gave different stories of his life. She ended up saying that the dictionary should have Howard’s name beside the word “hero”, because he was in every instance, just that. My husband, Randy, became a different man in my eyes yesterday. I cannot imagine getting up and speaking at one of my parents funerals. But he did, Randy felt that he needed to honor his dad by standing and saying what he had meant to him and in so doing, has taught not only me, but our children, that it is never to late to honor our parents. Randy was not afraid to show his emotions for his dad. I cannot say that I could have done what he did. Thank you, honey, for not only showing us different sides to your dad, but to you as well. You are following in his steps every inch of the way. Your heart and your actions were so honoring to your dad and to your mom, who sat and watched you become just a little more like your dad yesterday. You did him proud.

Daily Thoughts

Christmas Peppermint Punch

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Ok, this is great and quite a pretty addition to any buffet this time of year! Some friends got it off the internet and served it at a group Bible study and then again for a ladies ornament exchange. It is like drinking a milkshake made with snow and ice cream and peppermint.

If you serve this in a punch bowl, hang peppermint candy canes on the bowl’s rim

1 quart eggnog

1 1-liter bottle club soda, chilled

1/2 gallon peppermint ice cream, softened

Hard peppermint candies, curshed

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a punch bowl. Sprinkle with the crushed candy and serve immediately.

Punch may be made ahead without the candies and chilled 2 hours. Stir well and sprinkle candy just before serving.

Meats

Sweet Tortilla Baked Chicken

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Ok, you must be wondering “how many chicken recipes is she going to give us”, but trust me on this one, it is sooooo good.

1 lb of boneless chicken breast, pounded then

1 teas each salt and pepper

4 tbles apricot jam

2 cups tortilla chips, pulverized

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed. Pulverize tortilla chips in a food processor until fine. Heat apricot jam over low heat until it thins down. Transfer jam to a shallow dish and place crushed chips in a separate shallow dish. Dip chicken breast in jam to coat then into chips. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and put in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until chicken is throughly cooked. Serve with rice pilaf and sauted veggies.

Daily Thoughts

Yeah, it’s blog time again

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Will have a recipe tomorrow, but today, am just giving thanks for God’s presence in our lives as Randy’s father, Howard passed away last night. What a difference it makes to know that your loved one will be waiting in heaven when we get there. That this goodbye was not the end. What a wonderful father and husband Howard portrayed to the world. His family was his life and his actions simply showed that he was so grateful for being blessed with two wonderful boys, one of those my husband. Howard raised both Don and Randy with Godly convictions and taught them the importance of family. We will miss you Howard,we will miss you saying, “get on in this house, young lady” . You were so loving and so accepting of me and I have been blessed to have called you my father in law. You were an amazing man. Fought in the war, took his family to church, taught them to love the Lord, provided for them, took care of his wife for 65 years. You were simply adored and loved. I look forward to when I see him in Heaven, welcoming me with “get on in here, young lady”! He was a treasure to all of us.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts

Freezing Friday

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Yeah, we are headed out of town for a few days and I am more than ready for a little relaxation. We will be up north where it is snowing and suppose to be so cold. I love that. Will be excited to see just how cold it really gets up there in December. Also will be great to see some new Christmas lights we have never seen before. Will report on our trip when we return on Wednesday. But I just cannot leave town without first a simple little new appitizer recipe that I got from our son’s girlfriend over Thanksgiving. It has 3 ingredients and is delicious.

1 can of any brand Chile (we used Wolf)

1 8 oz cream cheese

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix the cream cheese and chile and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until cream cheese is blended with chile. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over this and put in over at 350 until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Serve with fritos…..perfect for nights like this.

Desserts

Thursday, 22 days before Christmas

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1 Duncan Hines Devils Food cake mix

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Add all ingredients together except the chocolate chips. After mixing for 2 minutes, stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a bundt pan which you have sprayed with Pam and then rolled about 1/8 cup sugar around in the pan. This will give the outside of the cake a glittery appearance. Bake according to directions on box.

When cooled frost with the following:

2/3 cup peanut butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 4 tables softened butter. Add about 1/4 cup milk, or as needed to make frosting spreadable. I usually heat this in the microwave for about 15 seconds and then just pour over the cooled cake. Then after this has set for about 30 minutes. Pour a glaze over the top of the peanut butter. The glaze is:

1 cup sugar, 5 tables butter, 1/3 cup milk (I use evaporated milk for a creamier taste). Bring this to a boil, stirring constantly and then boil for 1 minute, still stirring. Remove from heat and add 6 oz of chocolate chips and stir until they are all melted. Drizzle this over the peanut butter frosting. You will not need all of this, so save it in a container for another time. It keeps in the fridge for 7 to 9 days. All you would need to do is take out of the fridge for a few hours and maybe add a little milk to make it creamy to use. (Be sure to seal very well though) Just took this cake to a luncheon today and the ladies loved it. It is so moist and so good.

appetizers

Winter Wonderland Wednesday

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What a beautiful sight, we wake up to snow and when you are outside, it is just the most glorious silence. What an awesome gift from God……plus the eyes to behold this beautiful and wonderful sight. Am preparing for some ladies to come to lunch today. It is the most perfect of days, snow, Christmas music and being able to cook for friends. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

One appitizer I am cooking is mushroom tarts in shells. It is so easy and so good. Or like I call it this time of year, Gold, Frankincense and Mushrooms

Ingredients

3 T butter

1 large onion finely chopped

1/4 teas thyme

1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

2 Tables flour

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped

1/3 cup parmesean cheese for topping.

In a skillet, heat butter, add onion and cook until clear. Add mushrooms and cook stirring often about 3 to 5 mins. Add seasonings and sprinkle with flour. Stir in sour cream and cook gently until thickened. Cool slightly. Place 2 teas filling in Pepperidge Farm Phyllo Shell (these are the minature shells which come in the frozen food isle, 15 to a package)  Sprinkle Parmesean cheese on top and bake at 400 for about 10 mins.