Month: September 2014

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Princess On The Porch…A collection of stories and recipes

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Princess On The Porch
Princess On The Porch

We picked up the finished product yesterday afternoon and it made me tear up as I held the finished book that had been in my heart for years to write. Many friends have ask if they have to go to Etsy to buy the book and the answer is no. You can purchase it from me, here on the blog or email me at trudykcox@yahoo.com

The book is $18.00 plus $3.50 for shipping, and the profits will be going to Missions.

The book is written from different seasons of my life and is divided into the seasons of the year. It is my hope that as you read the stories, it will allow you to see your circumstances with a little encouragement and hope and maybe put a smile on your face and in your heart.  The recipes are taken from friends and family who have blessed our lives and food that has blessed our tables, no matter the season, no matter the table.

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Stuffed Pork Chops

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Jason & Tracy (our oldest of our 5 kids) had us over for dinner last night. That is such a treat to be invited over to our kids houses to eat. It is refreshing to be at their tables and sometimes catch a glimpse of seeing a little bit of yourself in them, as they cook, serve and entertain others. Was a delightful evening and the food was scrumptious. Tracy told me she got this out of Giada’s cookbook. We didn’t leave a crumb on our plates. She even had us chocolate truffles for dessert that she had bought from Whole Foods. Thanks guys, it was such a nice evening.

2 tables olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic,minced

6 sun-dried tomatoes

1 (10 oz) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out well

1/2 teas salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 teas pepper

1/4 teas dried thyme

1/4 cup (2 oz) goat cheese

1/3 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened

4 (4 oz ea) center-cut porck chops

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 lemon, zested

2 tables lemon juice

2 teas Dijon mustard

Warm 1 tables olive oil in a nice size sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook until well combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium size bowl. Add the softened goat cheese and the cream cheese.

Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Stuff each pocket with the spinach mixture (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle salt and pepper over each pork chop.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, lemon zest and mustard.

Warm the remaining 1 tables olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add the chops.

Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 min per side. Transfer the chops to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat, scrapping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as the broth begins to thicken. Cook until broth has been reduced by half, (about 8 min)making a light sauce to drizzle over each chop as you serve them.

Tracy served these with baked butter-nut squash, drizzled with cinnamon and olive oil and baked Brussels sprouts.

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Pear Gingerbread Cobbler

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Taken from Taste of Home magazine, this is a perfect Autumn cake! I love this season of using apples and pears in different dishes.

4 cups sliced peeled fresh pears (about 4 med)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tables orange juice

1/4 teas cinnamon

2/ tables cornstarch

2 tables cold water

2 tables finely chopped crystallized ginger ( I will be using fresh as I have it on hand)

Gingerbread Layer

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 table oil

1 cup flour

1/2 teas baking soda

1/2 teas baking powder

1/4 teas ground ginger

1/4 teas salt

1/4 teas ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, combine the first five ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 min or until pears are tender, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir into pear mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened. Stir in crystallized ginger. Transfer to a greased 8″ sq baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat buttermilk, sugar, molasses, egg and oil until sugar is dissolved. In another bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Gradually beat into buttermilk mixture. Pour over pear mixture.

Bake 20-25 min or until cake tests done and is bubbly.

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Cheese & Green Chile Casserole

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I am having a ball going through and choosing recipes that we will be having all through the holiday season. It is fun to make them early to see if they are winners or will be tossed aside. This recipe is from 2006 SL Christmas and if I were a betting woman, I would bet that this will be gracing our table all through the holidays.

*This recipe won Editors Favorite

Preheat oven to 350.

9 large eggs

3/4 teas salt

3  (8 oz) packages Monterey Jack cheese, cubed

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, cubed

1 (12 oz) container small-curd cottage cheese

1 tables butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teas baking powder

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

1 ( 2 oz) jar diced pimientos, drained

whisk together eggs and salt in a large bowl. Add cheeses and butter. Whisk flour and baking powder into cheese mixture. Add green chiles and pimiento. Pour into a lightly greased 13×9″ baking dish.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 45 min or until set. Let stand 10-15 min before serving.

Yield: 16 servings

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Spaghetti Salad (Trust me on this one, it is awesome)

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Well, I baked the gingerbread biscotti that I posted yesterday and some friends came over today and it is almost gone. It was so good I will make more tomorrow. It is addicting. But today, this recipe was on Face Book and since I love pasta in any shape or color, this jumped off the page to me. I have everything on hand and will make this tomorrow for Peter Pumpkin.

1 pound thin spaghetti, broke into 3/4″ pieces

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium yellow squash, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 cucumber, can you guess, diced!

2 (2.25 oz) cans sliced olives, drained (finally don’t have to dice anything else)

8 oz cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (is that another word for “diced”)?

Dressing

1 (16 oz) bottle Italian dressing (Wishbone Robust Italian is great)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teas paprika

1/4 teas garlic powder

Cook spaghetti according to directions on package. Rinse in cold water and drain. set aside to cool.

Place tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, onion, cucumber, olives and cheese in a large bowl. Add cooled spaghetti noodles and mix well.

In small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and pour over noodle/veggie mixture.

Let sit in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. The longer you allow to sit in fridge (like 4 hours to over night, the flavors will meld.) If you allow to sit overnight, you will probably need to add more dressing before serving, as the noodles soak it up.  Sprinkle top with a little fresh chopped parsley for flair to serve.

* Taken from Six Sister’s Stuff blog

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Gingerbread Biscotti

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Since the weather has cooled, it has been delightful to sit down at night and flip through old issues of Southern Living Christmas. This recipe was in the 2006 edition. I can’t believe it had slipped by me in the past. I am trying to stay out of my retired hubbies way, which means more time in the kitchen. Not to say that we aren’t enjoying being together 24/7, 1440 minutes a day, but who is counting! Just like this past Friday, when he called after he got out of men’s Bible study at church. He ask what I was up to and if I was enjoying being at the house by myself. I guess I shouldn’t have said that it was just wonderful and I was loving the quiet solitude, but it slipped out before I realized it. When I responded that I had had my own time of Bible study and had just finished praying for him, that the Lord would give him the desires of his heart (of course I meant him getting a job as that is what he is wanting), he came back with, “so you will be gone when I get home?”  I will be putting more butter and an extra egg yolk, here and there, into his desserts that I make him, we wouldn’t want his cholesterol to get too low, now would we?

So back to this recipe. I am headed to the kitchen as soon as I post this. It sounds perfect to package up and take to friends. It doesn’t have enough butter or eggs for me to give Randy. Oops, did that come out hostile?

These will make an ideal gift, packaged with a pretty Christmas or Thanksgiving bow to take to your hostess..

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 up molasses

2 1/2 cup flour

1 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

1 1/2 teas ground ginger

1 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas ground nutmeg

1/4 teas ground cloves

1/4 teas salt

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl at medium speed with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. beat in molasses.

Combine flour and next 7 ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in almonds.

Divide dough in half, using floured hands, shape each portion into a 9″ x 2″  on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until firm. Cool on baking sheet 5 min. Remove to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 300.

Cut each log diagonally into 3/4″ thick slices with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Place slices on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, turn cookies over and bake 8 to 10 more min. Cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen

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Princess On The Porch

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2014-09-05 09.35.18 (3) 2014-09-05 09.36.30 (5)

My book is finished and ready to be read! It is available through ETSY in the shop called ChocolateCastles or here on the blog.

It is a collection of stories and recipes, Southern Style and is divided by seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter & Spring, such as the seasons of our lives, each season brings different circumstances and growth. The book sells for $18.00 and postage is $3.50.

(Canada and Europe are $4.00 and $5.00 respectively)

The book is full of encouraging stories and recipes from family and friends, as well as southern cookbooks and magazines that I have used since the early 70’s….it is my hope that as the seasons of your lives change, Princess on the Porch will allow you to see life a little more humorous, no matter the season of life you are in….blessings, Trudy

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Easy Mushroom Puffs

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It is raining, it is 63 degrees, finally, and there are fresh baked oatmeal cookies to eat while I look through my Christmas Cookbooks from Southern Living. One of my most favorite ways to spend a day at home.

1 (8 oz) container garlic & herb cream cheese (ex: Philadelphia Swirls)

2 (4.5 oz) jars of mushrooms, drained (I will use fresh, which I will sauté in a little butter, after chopping the package of mushrooms and drain any liquid left over before adding to the onion, cheese mixture.)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teas dried chives

1/4 teas teas hot sauce

1 large egg

1 tables water

Freshly grated pepper (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and chill 1 hour.

Roll 1 sheet puff pastry into a 16″x10″ rectangle. Cut pastry in half lengthwise.

Spread 1/4 of filling (that is about 1/2 cup) down center of each rectangle. Whisk together the egg and water. Brush egg mixture over edges of pasty. Fold pastry in half lengthwise over filling, sealing edges of pasty with a fork. Cut each pastry into 10 pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat procedure with remaining sheet puff pastry and filling. Brush remaining egg wash over top of pastries and, if desired, sprinkle pepper over top, per your taste.

Bake at 400 for 15 min or until lightly browned. Yield: 40 puffs

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Creme Brulee Cheesecake

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2014-09-11 15.14.41

Enough healthy foods for the week, let’s get back to basics of life, desserts! This recipe comes from Southern Lady 2013 and since Peter Pumpkin loves crème brulee, this will certainly get him in the mood to go pumpkin shopping. Makes 1 (9″ cheesecake
Crust:
2 cups firmly packed vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
6 tables butter, melted
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Filling:
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups, plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 tables flour
1 cup sour cream
Garnish: sugared fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 300. In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar, melted butter and egg white.
Stir to combine well. Press firmly on bottom and up sides of a 9″ spring form pan. Bake for 8 min; set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar with mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, beating just until combined. Stir in sour cream. Spoon batter into prepared crust.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 min. Turn oven off and leave cake in oven with door closed for 4 hours.
Remove cheesecake from oven after 4 hours. Gently run a knife around edge of pan to release sides.
Let cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. (or overnight).
Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar on top of cheesecake. Caramelize sugar with kitchen torch until sugar is melted and lightly browned.
Remove sides of pan to serve. Garnish with sugared fresh raspberries.