Month: July 2014

Uncategorized

Possum & Sweet Potatoes

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Yes you read right. When going through that same 1928 cookbook which has recipes from the Depression, I came across this and couldn’t believe what it was. Right in the middle of the recipes for meatball soup and Tamale Pie was “possum & sweet potatoes”. Randy told me I had to put this recipe on the blog. He says that my blog will be the only other food blog with a recipe for cooking possum. I think he is right.
Pour a large kettleful of hot water into a convenient vessel; add a small amount of ashes and then put the possum in. Turn until fur is loosened and it can easily be scraped clean. Remove head and feet; wash thoroughly. Salt in and outside. Let hang overnight outside to freeze.
Wash again and put in baking pan with a little water. Cover and put over the fire. When tender remove cover and put in oven to brown. Dust with pepper and baste with drippings; have medium potatoes peeled and boiled tender, adding a little butter and sugar.
When potatoes are tender, baste with juices until golden brown. Arrange possum on hot platter with potatoes around him and serve.

I don’t know about you but not even the best sweet potato casserole could make me like possum. Think I will stick to cows, pigs and chickens. They are much easier to skin.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Truly Different Cupcakes

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Have been going through a cookbook my sister-in-law brought over the other night which is dated back to the 20’s and has been in the Cox family for years. It includes recipes from 1928 to early 2000. This recipe caught my eye and am going to make them tomorrow. Today the weather is rainy and in the 80’s so have to make a peach cobbler. It just fits the weather we are having.

2 sticks butter
1 bar German Chocolate sweet chocolate
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1/4 teas butter flavoring
1 teas vanilla
Combine melted butter and chocolate. Set aside. Beat BY HAND, the flour, sugar, eggs and flavorings. Add chocolate mixture. Refrigerate batter, covered overnight. Line an 18 cupcake pan with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among pan. Bake at 325 for 25 min or until cupcake tests done in middle. Do not overbake.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with Cocoa frosting.
Or peanut cream frosting:*
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
2 tables milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
Combine marshmallow cream and milk, mixing with mixer until well blended. Add peanut butter, beating until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Coconut White Chocolate Cheesecake

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The grandkids are gone so I can put away the chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, frozen pizza and get back to sugar. Since we have been entertaining kids/grandkids and have tried to cook all their favs while they were in town, we tried to convince them that we were “giving up” healthy foods just for them, when in reality, the boxed mac & cheese was a delight as was the pizza that graced out table several nights during that time. While the kids feasted on frozen pizza, the adults indulged on gourmet pizzas from our favorite take-outs. But since they thought that we were giving up all our normal healthy foods, just for them, we think that we earned a couple of visits from them when we are in the nursing home. But now we get to go back to our normal way of eating. Chicken fried steak, chocolate cakes baked at 8 p.m. and cheesecakes that sometimes take the place of dinner.
After Randy took me to Nordstrom’s for my best dessert treat ever, white chocolate bread pudding, the crave to have more white chocolate desserts began to surface. Seeing this recipe in the Taste of Home April/May 2014, I knew that it would be the next big dessert I made.
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tables butter, melted
5 packages (8 oz ea) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups white chocolate baking chips, melted and cooled
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 teas coconut extract
1 teas vanilla
4 eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 cup flaked coconut, divided
Preheat oven to 325. Place a greased 9″ (3″ deep) spring form (cheesecake pan) on a double thickness of heavy duty foil. (about 18″ sq).
Wrap foil around pan.
In a bowl, mix crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled melted chips, coconut milk and extracts.
Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Fold in 1/2 cup coconut. Pour over the crust. Place spring form pan in a larger baking pan. Add 1″ of hot water to larger pan.
Bake 60 min to 70 min or until center is just set and top appears dull.
Remove pan from larger pan. Cool on a wire rack for 10 min.
Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer.
Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Remove rim from pan. Serve topped with toasted coconut*
To Toast Coconut: Bake at 350 on a jelly roll pan for 5-10 min, or until golden brown, stirring frequently.

Breads · Breakfast

Lemon Blueberry Scones

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2 cups flour
1 tables baking powder
1/2 teas salt
2 tables sugar
5 tables cold unsalted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400. Gently whisk dry ingredients together. Grate the butter on the coarse side of a box grater. (or use pastry cutter to blend in cold butter) and add to the dry ingredients; gently toss to combine.
Fold the blueberries and lemon zest into the dry mixture. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together, just to incorporate, do not overwork the dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form into mounds. Arrange them on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle about a teas of sugar over the top of each mound before baking. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until tops are barely golden brown.

Uncategorized

Regello Lane vs Redneck Ally

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This week has been a week of self reflection. Since moving back to Texas from California, we have discovered that under the fine layer of sophistication that we tried to maintain around friends out West,lies the real Texas redneck demeanor that we tried to ignore is the real us.
The last 9 days, 13 hours and 48 seconds (but who is counting) we have had adult kids and grandkids staying with us. When we went to the airport to pick up the 2 older darlings, 12 and 4, we were filled with excitement that we would show them the finer things of living in the great metropolitan city of Dallas. The rest of the group wasn’t showing up for 2 more days so that would give us time to have grandparently influence that would hopefully teach them about great restaurants, museums and parks that were a kid’s dream. We are 9 days into this and we have yet to visit a museum, park or fine restaurant, unless you count Chick Fila.
Last night we truly realized that our dreams of teaching refinement had come to a halt. As Jaden the 12 year old, has an ankle the size of a basketball since kicking a punching bag with his foot and missing, hitting the base, Jodi and I decided that we needed a break from waiting hand and foot on Jaden, laying on the couch with his foot covered with ice bags. We decided to take Noah outside to get some fresh air. He had been stuck in the house all day and we thought maybe getting him outside would alter his mood for the good, plus ours in that we wouldn’t have Micky Mouse Clubhouse playing in the background.
Since Randy and I live in a community of townhomes that only have courtyards with no yards, we have taken to sitting out back in the driveway. It is much cooler in the back, as we get the wind and the kids have the ally to play (well as long as we are there to watch for speeding cars going back and forth out of the driveways that line the ally).
We drag our lawn chairs out and Noah(who is 2) proceeds to point to the van, indicating that he wants all the doors to the gray minivan open. Jodi allows him to do this, hoping that he will sit and watch his video in the van, giving us a chance to just sit and visit for a few minutes. We look down and see that Noah has brought out the training potty and sat it down at the back of the van. Apparently he had set it out without us knowing it and was sitting on it when cars were driving by. We thought the neighbors were just being really friendly and smiling when all the while they were watching Noah sitting on the potty in the driveway with us sitting in our lawn chairs with our glasses of tea. Jodi looks over at me and says, “mom, we are now officially rednecks”. We quickly shut up the doors to the van, brought the chairs into the garage, emptied out the training potty and ran in the house before anymore neighbors drove by.
Randy and I are quickly running out of places that we are welcome to live. We have bought an Arkansas map and am planning a trip to scout out our new residence. We are hoping that we fit it a little better there than Frisco.

Chocolate · Desserts

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

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Two our grandson’s are here from Phoenix and the rest of the family drives in today. I have two games on my phone, Candy Crush and Pet Rescue. I have been stuck on level 34 on Pet Rescue for over a month. Caleb the 4 yr old has been playing on my phone for 2 days. Yesterday he brought me my phone because it needed charging. That is the only time we have a conversation is when the phones need charging or their fingers cramp from playing the games and they have to rest for 15 minutes to get circulation back in their hands. Anyway, back to my story, Caleb brings me my phone and ask me what 3 plus 7 make. In my most teacherly grandmotherly voice I respond “10”. Caleb proceeds to tell me, “no, Nana, it is 37, I just moved you from level 34 to 37” Apparently he wanted to be sure I got the fact that he had progressed me 3 levels in 2 days. What a little smart-alec.
Guess I will leave the gaming to them and get back to the kitchen where I belong. Yesterday Costco was handing out their free cookbooks when we were in the store. Leafing through I saw this recipe and knew that it would be perfect for these precious little darlings that use every available opportunity to show us we are just not “with it”.
1 small package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 12 oz can Pet evaporated milk
1/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut butter
1/4 teas almond extract or vanilla
2 bananas, cut into 1/8″ slices
1/4 cup Smucker’s Hot Fudge Topping
1 6 oz prepared chocolate cookie crust
1 cup Cool Whip, thawed
1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts
In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, evaporated milk, peanut butter and extract. Beat on medium speed with mixer until smooth.
Place a single layer of bananas on crust bottom. Pour the pudding mixture over the bananas. Place another layer of bananas over the pudding mixture.
Drizzle fudge topping over the bananas. Spread whipped topping over the fudge topping. Sprinkle with peanuts if desired. Chill for 2 hours. Makes 8 servings

Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin CheeseCake

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I am not waiting for Fall to make this luscious dessert. Just looking at the picture made me want to push aside the can of cocoa to find a can of pumpkin. So here is the new Fall Favorite cheesecake.
Crust
Use an 8″k spring-form pan
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup ginger snap cookies
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teas cinnamon
8 tables melted butter

Cheesecake Filling
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teas vanilla
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/4 teas ground ginger
1/4 teas ground cloves

Sour Cream Layer
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teas vanilla
1/8 teas cinnamon
1/8 teas nutmeg *freshly ground if possible

Whipped Cream
2 pints heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

Additional toppings if desired: Caramel Sauce and crushed gingersnap cookies

Crust
In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, ginger snaps, sugar and butter; mix well. Press crust into a spring form pan. Press crumbs about 1/2 way up sides of pan. Refrigerate crust while you continue preparing filling.
Allow extra time for mixing up this filling.*
Remove the pumpkin puree from the can and place in a couple of large paper towels.
Wrap the pumpkin puree with the paper towels.
This will soak up the excess water from the pumpkin for about 1 hour before making the pumpkin cheesecake.
Bring the remaining ingredients for the filling to room temperature while the pumpkin puree is being drained. With a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, add eggs one at a time and then combine all ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl, including the drained pumpkin puree. Blend until very smooth. For best results, allow all ingredients to reach room temperature.
Remove crust from fridge and pour filling over crusts.
Bake cheesecake at 350 for 30 min and then reduce oven temperature to 325 for an additional 30 min. When you remove the cheesecake, it should be slightly jiggly in the center. The cheesecake will set up nicely as it cools.
Sour Cream Layer
When you remove the cheesecake from the oven, combine the sour cream, sugar and spices in a bowl. Blend well. Spread the sour cream mixture over the baked cheesecake filling evenly. Place the cheesecake back in the 325 oven for about 8 minutes or until the sour cream layer is set.
Whipped Cream
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely. Allow to sit in fridge at least 6 hours or overnight.. When ready to serve top with the whipped cream.
In medium bowl, beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Serve with cheesecake, caramel syrup and crushed gingersnap cookies sprinkled over each slice

Daily Thoughts

Casserole Circuit

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Since I have not been cooking, due to being a little under the weather for over a week, I thought I would just share a few thoughts.

Last week, while feeling a little down because I was not up to indulging some of my favorite foods to celebrate my birthday, it became apparent that maybe I was a little sicker than I thought. All week, even though Randy was certainly playing the part of Nurse Norm, I noticed a few oddities. First of all, at the beginning of the week, all I heard was that it was way to hot for us to be outside anyway, that I wasn’t missing anything having to stay in. Then in the middle of the week, he bounces down the stairs with his walking shoes on saying that he is going walking. You are kidding me, it is 99 outside and my hubby who has done no exercising other than bending over to pick up his jeans from the floor one day back in April, is going out walking. Then the next day, he announces that maybe I should at least try to go get out a little to “build up my strength” so off we go to Steinmart. After I walk around for 15 min, deciding that I am just really not feeling able to shop, I walk over to find him picking out cutesy new shorts telling me that it will make me feel better to walk around Dillards, hoping it will perk up my attitude. We get to Dillards where they just happen to have the shirts he likes on sale, so to “perk me up” we find shirts that go with all his new shorts. Boy, did that ever perk me up. I am feeling so badly that even laying down in the back seat of the closed up 115 degree car is sounding pretty good right now. I tell him that it is suppose to be my birthday week, not his and I should be the one shopping. He tells me that even though I am not feeling like shopping for me, he just hated wasting the good July sales events.
You are kidding me.
I finally convince him to take me home and in the midst of him trying on the new outfits (yes I know, he really is a little weird) the phone rings. It is our insurance man returning Randy’s call. When I ask him if I can take a message because he is upstairs, (I didn’t tell him he was up there trying on his new clothes)he informs me that he has the quotes on the new life insurance plan that Randy had ask about for me. OMGosh, am I sicker than I thought? Does he know something that I don’t know? As I thought back over the last week it all begins to make sense…exercising, new clothes, more life insurance…he is preparing for the casserole circuit. Well, little does he know that I have already typed up lists of all the little things that the next wife will want to know.
When he came down to show me all his new “digs” I let him know in no uncertain terms that I had figured out his little scheme. He smiled and told me that he figured that if taking me to Dillards and Steinmart didn’t pep me up, he knew exactly what to do to get me out of my funk. It worked.
We are back to normal, sitting here in the 110 degree weather eating chocolate chip cookies watching Wheel of Fortune in our old outfits, talking about how we need to get out and exercise when the weather cools down. we will save his new clothes to wear when he takes me shopping this week for all my new stuff. He reminded me that he really doesn’t like casseroles anyway.

Daily Thoughts

TrudyFest 2014

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I’m still trying to wrap that idea around that I didn’t get to have TrudyFest. My very own favorite week of the year when it is all about me. Randy tells me that everyday is Trudyfest but I beg to differ. It all began years ago when my aunt, who could not have children, adopted the idea that she would give me a little present every day from July 1st until July 11th, my birthday. My Aunt Gladys was a great lady who loved life and believed that special days should be celebrated. Of course, I was happy to go right along with that. She kept the tradition of giving me little gifts each day for 11 days until she went to be with the Lord. My mom kept up the tradition. Gifts ranged from candy bars to cards to sometimes a pair of earrings or a kitchen tool, when I had a kitchen of my own. So when Randy and I married, my mom told him that I was his responsibility (her tone of voice suggesting that when she said that made me think that maybe she was very glad to hand over this “fun tradition”) and he was now in charge of TrudyFest.
This was how it all began and this year, at the age of 64, I learned that life is not all about me. As an only child, that hurts just to type those words.
Monday morning of this past week found me sick and not in any way interested in cooking, eating or even shopping. When Randy tried to take me out to tell me to walk around one of my favorite stores, looking to buy me a little something, I just couldn’t muster up the energy or desire to buy anything. He even tried to dangle the credit card in front of my face telling me to grab it and run, but still all I could do was point to an item and tell him that maybe in a few days I “might” want to come back and try it on. For the first time in his life, he was now worried that I was really sick. Never, ever, have I refused to shop…for me! Now he is trying to tempt me with cheesecake and Houston’s Key Lime Pie. All I want to do is come home and lay down. He is beginning to call people telling then he is really worried about me when the doorbell rings. It is the Fed Ex man with packages. He looks back at me and smiles. He realizes that maybe I wasn’t up to shopping or eating some of my favorites, but I still had the energy to shop via computer. TrudyFest might not be the celebrated in the usual way, but it still happened…thank you Amazon for home delivery.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate Dream Cake

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There is a new site that is giving dozens of recipes on FaceBook called Thinkarete. Just seeing the pictures has made me wish I were 35 again so I would have more time to test them all. But at my age, I’m pretty sure that I will be hearing from the Dr. “now you know you don’t need to be eating any salt sugar or anything that doesn’t taste like cardboard”. But until I actually hear him say that to me, face to face, I am going to pack in as many sweets as I can. This recipe will be one of the first and since we have kids here for the next two weeks, I’m sure that lots of desserts will be consumed.

Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup plus 1 tables cocoa powder
1 tables baking soda
1 1/2 teas baking powder
1 1/2 teas salt
3 eggs, at room temp
1 1/2 cups milk, plus 2 tables vinegar to sour the milk
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee (warm, not hot)
3/4 cup melted butter, not hot
4 1/2 teas vanilla extract

White Frosting
3/4 cup butter, at room temp
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup half & half (more or less for desired spreading consistency)
2 teas vanilla

Chocolate Frosting
3/4 cup butter at room temp
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half & half (more or less for spreading consistency)
2 teas vanilla

Chocolate Ganache
4 oz dark chocolate
2 tables butter
1/4 cup cream (whipping cream)

Garnish *if desired
2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
2 oz grated dark chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 3 (8″) round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease and lightly flour the paper and sides of pans.
Measure out the milk and vinegar and mix. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, using mixer on medium, mix the eggs, soured milk, coffee, melted butter and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for 2-5 min with mixer, scraping down the sides until all is well combined.
Divide the batter between the 3 pans equally. Bake for 30 min or until cake tests done in middle, about 30 min. Test cake but do not over bake. You do not want a dry cake.
White Frosting
Using mixer, cream the butter, adding the vanilla and the powdered sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach a good spreading consistency.
Chocolate Frosting
Using electric mixer, cream the butter, adding the vanilla and cocoa. Add powdered sugar with the cream until you have a good spreading consistency.
Chocolate Ganache
Over low heat, or in microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter. Mix in the cream and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Let cool before drizzling onto the cake.
On a cake platter, alternate the cake layers with the white frosting, but leaving the top layer without. Frost the sides and top with the chocolate frosting.
Garnish with the sprinkles, chips and shavings and drizzle the ganache over the garnishes.