Month: July 2015

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Orange Pound Cake (taken from Barefoot Contessa)

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1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temp

2 1/2 cups sugar,divided

4 extra large eggs at room temperature

1/3 cup grated orange zest (about 6 oranges)

3 cups flour

1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas baking soda

1 teas kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice,divided

3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 teas vanilla

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice ( freshly squeezed if possible)

Heat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour to 8.5 x 4 and I have my 2 1/2 inch loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Cream the butter and 2 cups of the granulated sugar in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about five minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium beat in the eggs one at a time and the orange zest.

In a large bowl sift together the flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a different bowl combine 1/4 cup of the orange juice,buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilkmixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans,smooth the tops and bake for about 45_55 min or until cake tests done.

When the cakes bake, cook the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice and a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans and place them on a baking rack set over a tray. Spoon the orange syrup over the cakes and allow the cakes to cool completely . To glaze combined the powdered sugar and orange juice and a bowl mixing with a wire whisk until smooth . Add a few more drops of juice if necessary to make it pour more easily. Poor over-the-top of cakes  and allow the cakes to dry; wrap well and store in the refrigerator.

Daily Thoughts

California Cuisine & Table Talk

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We are visiting friends here in California, where we lived for 3 years before moving to Texas. We stay with several different couples, not wanting to ruin out our welcome (which we probably did a long time ago, but they are way to nice to say anything)

The memories that are made here seem to radiate around meals. They say that the South is known for fellowship around the table, but the South has nothing on the friends who have taken us in here and treat us as one of the family. The meals that people serve to us are exceptional and always filled with great conversations. While at Bonnie and Arnie’s house, each meal usually consist of Arnie ending the meal with one of his thought provoking questions. Today, we ended up our lunch time with this question, “if you were being rescued from a desert island and they told you that you could have anything that you wanted to eat, what would that be?” I didn’t have to think too long on this one. Of course Randy answered with “Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and chocolate cream pie with whipped cream.” Bonnie said, bacon wrapped filet mignon from The Derby. My answer wasn’t so simple. Depending on the mood I was in when I was rescued would dictate what I would want. But some of my favorite foods are grilled steak, hamburgers, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fried steak, cornbread dressing with turkey gravy and Houston’s Key Lime Pie. So there you have it, my favorite meal would probably be a progressive supper. They could just take me from restaurant to restaurant until I was able to sample each of my favorite foods, then collapse into a Lazy Boy recliner and watch the cooking channel, drooling over the recipes that I will be dying to get up and bake as soon as I have regained my strength from being shipwrecked on the island.. We have been preparing to go to the California Philharmonic Pops concert tonight with some friends. We had all decided that to save some money, instead of buying the dinners that they sell at the concert, we would bring in our own picnic dinner. The food there would cost about $15.00/person, so our precious hubbies decided that we could certainly eat cheaper than that if we just brought in our own. So off to Trader Joe’s for our cheese, crackers and meat. Then off to Porto’s for  a variety of desserts. Oh and of course, we decided that we needed a cute little table from the Crate & Barrel that Randy told Arnie about. We had bought one while living here for all the Pasadena pops concerts and the Rose Bowl 4th of July fireworks evenings. So off they go to Crate & Barrel to buy them one. They have gone up in price just a little from 2 years ago. We have totaled up what we have spent on the food and picnic items for this evening. We would have saved money had we bought the dinners that are available to purchase at the concert. But, the memories of collecting all our favorite snack foods and going downtown Pasadena to pick up the new table and Barbara standing in line at Porto’s, seriously, isn’t this what memories are made of?

Last evening we were at dinner with two precious couples here celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries. What a grand evening we had. I felt like I was having dinner in Europe, as the dinner lasted from 7:30 to 11:30. What a memory we will be taking back to Texas. The laughter, the conversations that ranged from politics, family, church, and old memories of times past when all of us had been up at Big Bear made the entire evening a great time.

That is what is so great about friendship. As we age and look back, we see that our fondest memories are not what we have bought or obtained with money, but the experiences and friendships that God has blessed our lives. It’s true, most memories are centered around food, and the laughter, the conversations and the love that flows from the times together. It makes having to go buy new clothes a size larger by the time we leave here, all worth while.

Chocolate · Desserts

Brownies for Two

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Once again, taken from Desserts for Two by Christina Lane, probably brownies are one of those “cravings” that attack more than any other. Just finished baking the Mini Sour Cream Pound Cakes and they are delicious. Randy is ready to be the official tester for all her recipes that I will be making.

Some days, the only thing that will satisfy that sweet tooth is a delicious chocolate brownie. When your husband or wife is out of town, or you live alone, you don’t want a huge pan of brownies. You want enough to eat during that Hallmark movie that you recorded last week and this one will not disappoint. Christina Lane, you are a genius for these amazing little recipes.

Yields 2 large or 4 small brownies

4 tables unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup plus 1 tables granulated sugar

1/4cup plus 2 tables unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teas salt

1/2 teas vanilla

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325. position Rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a bread loaf pan (9x5x3″) with parchment paper.

In a medium size microwave safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Stir the mixture very well, then add the salt and vanilla. Stir for 1 min to let the mixture cool down. Add the egg and stir until it’s incorporated.

Sprinkle in the flour and then give the batter about fifty brisk strokes, using a wooden spoon.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 20-23 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. The top of the brownies will be shiny an dry when done.

Let cool completely in the pan then use the parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice into either 2 or 4 brownies.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Dessert For Two

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My son, Cameron and daughter-in-law, Mandy, gave me a great cookbook called Dessert for Two, by Christina Lane. It is wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves dessert as much as we do, but hates the thought of baking 4 dozen cookies, knowing that unless you give them away, you would eat the entire 4 dozen, making it necessary to go out and buy a size bigger blue jean. This once again proves just how much everything tends to cause a ripple effect. Anyway, back to the recipes. Last night, thumbing through the book, which has colored pictures on almost every page, I found the first thing I am going to make: mini sour cream pound cakes. We are hitting the road again tomorrow and there is nothing better that to have a large sack of snacks to grab to make going through the desert a little less deserty. I have baked oatmeal cookies and brownies, but will be making these Mini Sour Cream Pound Cakes for Randy, hoping he will leave the brownies for me.

This cook book uses Mason jar lids for little pies, bread loaf pans for bars and cookies. Do yourself a favor and get one of these cookbooks, (after you have ordered Princess On The Porch, of course).

Mini Sour Cream Pound Cakes

Makes 4

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tables unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 teas vanilla

1/4 teas almond extract

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

3 tables sour cream

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teas baking powder

1/8 teas salt

Preheat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in four cups along the edge of a muffin pan.

In a medium size bowl, cream together the sugar and butter for 1 minute with mixer. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well combined. Next, add the whole egg, egg yolk and sour cream. Beat until combined.

Sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt on top of the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined, do not over mix.

Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 15-18 min, depending on your oven until they test done. It’s ok to remove the cakes when moist crumbs cling to a toothpick which has been inserted in the middle and the tops appear slightly damp. Let cook in the pan for 5 min and then allow to cool completely on a cooking rack.

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top if desired.

Some of our snacks for the road (Randy just walked in and saw all of the snacks and ask me when we were going to be able to eat all the snacks and how long did I think we would be driving. I told him that I just like to be prepared. They can save our lives in case we get stuck on the road or maybe can use them to bribe a policeman if we get stopped. (oops already tried that once and the officer told me in no uncertain terms not to keep offering him a brownie, my goodness, was just trying to show a little southern hospitality)

Snacks for the Desert
Snacks for the Desert
Daily Thoughts

House Hunters

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Having lunch with one of our kids today brought back memories of when I sold real estate. As we talked about house hunting and what they would look for in the next house, I thought it might be interesting to share a few tips.  This has nothing to do with food, but thought it might come in handy.

When I sold houses, I kept a list of things to look for when out looking at property. If you are not in the market for buying a house, maybe your kids or friends might be. So print this list and have it handy to give to anyone thinking about buying.

1. When looking at houses, drive by the home you are interested in, several different times of the day. Just because the street might be empty when you are looking, doesn’t always give the same impression after 5 p.m. Some streets fill up with cars after work hours.

2. If buying a house in the states which have a “hot” summer, look for houses that face North/South instead of East/West! or at least check to see if the yard you would be using, is not be in direct West sun. Are there lots of windows facing West which would increase the electric bill and need for extra shades during the summer.

3. If you are a couple with a possible growing family, does the living area allow for a space for toys/children’s play area. Remember that even if there is a separate play area from where you will be “living”, kids never play in the play area until after the age of 5 or 6, (and even then, they want to be where you are) they will always play where you are, so be sure there is enough living space to accommodate play pens, toys and the large couches, which are the trend right now..

4. Is the home close enough to your work that you don’t spend a lot of your free time on the freeway going back and forth.

5. Take in account that if the neighborhood has a lot of rental property, their will be a lot of transition in ownership. Also, it will effect the resale price of the home that you are currently looking.

6. Is the neighborhood trying to attract young families or older couples who are looking to downsize? If you are looking to have friends in your new place, this might be important to you. Once again, this is another reason to drive through the neighborhoods at a couple of different times of the day.

7. Make a list of what is important to you and to your husband/wife. Take the list with you and as you go into the home, either take pictures or write down what you like/dislike about each place that you might be interested. You might think that you will remember each house, but at the end of the day, and as you try to think back, it’s not always easy to distinguish all the pros and cons.

8. I always told the people that I worked with that if the house didn’t feel like “home” to them, then probably it might not ever feel like home. Most of the time, women know the minute they walk in the door if it is the house for them. Each home has a certain feel, so don’t force trying to make it feel like home. Take your time and know that there is a house out there just for you. Don’t just settle, because it is a “good deal”. If it doesn’t feel right, it will cost you more in the long run having to move again, if you aren’t happy with it.

Daily Thoughts

Faith & Failures

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Last week my mom, age 92 passed away. Very peacefully, with no suffering. Knowing that I wanted to write about her life, I had to give it some thought as to what to say. Being an only child, my growing up years were filled with lots of memories of people coming to live with us. There was always someone at church that, for many reasons, needed a place to live for a while. We had cousins from Michigan, missionaries, her Mother-in-law, my Aunt Gladys, after losing her husband. The list goes on and on. I felt that the extra bedroom, was always filled with someone. There were years that I know my parents really struggled financially, relationally and physically. Growing up, I remember thinking that when I was married with children, I would do everything totally different from how my parents did. Probably every child thinks that. My parents were always involved in church activities and I have such sweet memories of parties that were held at our home, which always involved lots of food. My parents loved God and even though our home wasn’t always as peaceful as it should have been, there was always the knowledge that was imparted to me that God was always to be first in our lives.

Over the last week, I have thought back to some of the things which my mom taught me, which at the time, I felt that she was just being “silly” and didn’t think she knew what she was talking about. As I have matured, I have often thought about her trying to instruct me in following God’s path for my life. It was sad that my mom spent many years as a very unhappy person.  Looking back, sometimes I feel that maybe she always wanted people in our home so that she wouldn’t have the time to think about her situation, or having to deal with it.

The last few days I have heard some sermons on forgiveness, which was what I have been dealing with for many years regarding my mother. She was a good mom, and did the best she could. It became apparent after hearing these wise men preach that I truly had never forgiven her. It was always important to me that people know that there was another side to my mom which most people never saw. Now it has made me realize even more that God uses the ones who are available and willing. That we don’t have to be perfect for Him to use us. In spite of our failures, we can still be used to help others and to glorify Him. Even though I spent most of my life being emotionally afraid of my mom, I can still thank her for some of the things that are so important to me in my life and how I want to live. As Tony Evans says, “you can allow the “dents” that people put on your life and walk around mad every time you think about the hurtful “dent” or you can forgive them and walk around with an uninterrupted fellowship with God”. Isn’t it amazing how God places stories and sermons right in front of you at just the right moment.

Here are a few of the things that my mother tried to teach me.

1. She wouldn’t let me play with a ouigi board because as a Christian we are not to have anything to do with anything that has to do with “spirits”. I told her that she was being so silly, it was just a board game. Later, I understood what and why she was trying to teach me.

2. If you are well enough to go out to do anything, you are well enough to go to church.

3. Give God the first 10% of your income, 90% will go further, giving God what is due Him than 100% when you don’t. Years ago, she relayed the story of how one week, she and my dad were really broke and agreed not to tithe. That same week, their car broke down and the amount to get it repaired was the exact amount of what their tithe should have been. That was the last time they didn’t give their tithe.

4. People are right when they say that kids learn by watching, not just listening to words. I wish I would have learned that a little earlier than I did, not after my children were all grown.

5. To always keep the Sabbath holy. We were not allowed to go to movies or shop on Sunday, in fact, it wasn’t until later years that my parents would even go out to eat on Sunday, as they felt guilty making people work on. This is one of the rules I wish I had taught by “example” more when our kids were growing up.

6. To read my Bible daily and have personal prayer time.

Yes, my mother wasn’t perfect, in fact, sometimes she was truly very hard to get along with. But she loved God and she loved me and I just want to tell her thank you for being faithful to what she felt God had for her. She, like myself, failed many times, but her faith was strong and no matter how bad her mind got at the end, she could always recite scripture. Thank you Lord for being faithful to her and thank you mother, for passing on your love of God to me!

Cookies · Desserts

Honest To Goodness Awesome Oatmeal Cookies (and gluten free no less)

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A friend of mine brought us some of these cookies to the luncheon where I took the shrimp salad. I was starving when I got there so before the blessing was said and we began to fill our plates with fruit and shrimp, I saw these little gems and had to have one. After the first bite, I was stuffing the rest of it in my mouth, when Cricket said, “aren’t they delicious? and they are even gluten free?” WHAT???I couldn’t believe it. Seriously, they were some of the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten and to think that there is no flour in them, well you don’t have to ask me twice to eat 10 of them…and to think they are healthy! Is life good or what? This precious friend who made them brought me my own bag of Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats this morning. I never knew that some oats had gluten in them, did you? So as soon as I post the recipe, I am headed to the kitchen to mix up a batch of the “best little gluten free oatmeal cookies in Texas”

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 teas baking soda

3/4 cup sugar

3 cups Trader Joe’s Rolled Oats

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 to 4 oz mini chocolate chips (the recipe calls for 6 oz, but Cricket said that she halved that as the 6 oz were to many)

2 eggs, room temp

1/2 cup nuts, such as walnuts or pecans

1 teas vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter. Beat until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Place teaspoon full of dough on a lightly greased baking sheet about 2″ apart. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.

Thanks Cricket for sharing this with us. Just another fabulous cookie for me to get addicted to!

appetizers · Fish · Salads

Shrimp Salad

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Yesterday I wrote that I would post the Shrimp salad if the ladies liked it. It was a success. In fact, it really was such a hit that one of the ladies took the rest of it home.

I ended up serving it in hollowed out avocado and it was such a refreshing summer salad.

1 lb of large shrimp, cleaned, deveined and peeled, cut into pieces

2 tables mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup celery, finely diced

1/2 small red bell pepper

3 green onions, green stalks included

4 large avocado, halved and seed removed

McCormick Lemon Pepper

Seasoned Pepper, Onion powder and dill

After shrimp has cooked and cooled, I cut each shrimp into about 3 pieces.

Mix your mayo, sour cream, and seasonings, Add to the cut up shrimp and place in fridge for at least 4 hours. I mixed it up the night before giving the flavors a chance to blend.

Use the lemon pepper, dill, and onion powder to your liking. I love to add a little more dill and lemon pepper.

This would actually fill about 5 avocado which have been cut in half!

Daily Thoughts · Salads

Slips & Salads

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Being responsible for lunch today for a ladies Bible study, I decided to make shrimp salad and tomato mozzarella salad. At the last minute, I decided instead of making shrimp pasta salad, I would stuff avacados with the shrimp, so ran up to Kroger to buy avacados about 9:30 this morning. Being sure that I looked around for just the perfect soft ones, not to soft, not to hard, I found just the perfect ones that would allow me to cut them in half and scoop out of the shell. I turned to go get a plastic bag to put them in when I walked across some water on the floor by the strawberries. Of course you know the rest of the story, having my cutsie little sandals on with lots of bling, I fell down on my left knee with my right leg going in the opposite direction landing on my rear. The produce guy ran over to help me up and acting like I am a senior citizen, he kept asking me if anything was broken (besides my pride) and thank goodness, he was a hefty little thing, so was able to pull me off the floor before to many people walked by snickering.

Upon arriving home and knowing that this was probably good enough to get me some sympathy from Mr. Great Bedside Manner, I came in from the garage limping and looking like I had just been in a 3 car pile up. He comes over to me, and ask if he can get me anything. I tell him, yes, I would love a tall glass of iced tea and an Advil. I proceed to go sit on the couch and wait for my precious hubby to come bring my tea and pain med. Knowing that maybe, just maybe this would get me dinner out tonight so I wouldn’t have to stand on my already swollen knee, he hands me the tea and says, “isn’t it great that you weren’t on the liquor aisle? They would have just thought you were drunk!” And that my dear friends is about all the sympathy I received. Well, along with, “maybe “we” can just make it an easy dinner tonight since your knee looks pretty swollen, what about just “fixin” meatloaf, baked potatoes and green beans with bacon. I bet there is a couple of slices of butter milk pie left over from yesterday, so just don’t feel like you have to bake something tonight.”

Is he not the greatest and most thoughtful of husbands?

I am so glad I bought a couple extra avocado so I can throw one at him.

But in the meantime, I made a salad of cherry tomatoes with mozzarella balls and put sea salt, olive oil, mashed garlic and fresh basil to go along with the shrimp salad which I will post after I see how the ladies like it.

Daily Thoughts

Princess On The Porch

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2015-07-13 10.41.37

It has happened. Princess On The Porch has been published by Westbow, a division of Thomas Nelson. It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and available for Kindle.

There are several precious friends who helped make this a reality.

Amy and Kathy Duncan (mother and daughter), Peggy Stodola & Cora Wilkinson, I owe you so much for the time and effort that each of you invested to help me complete the book.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, encouragement and love. Randy, your sense of humor and love gave me so much material to write about. Thank you for loving me and for continuing to hold me accountable to finishing what I felt the Lord had lead me to write.

It is now a reality and a dream come true. Time to start on the 2nd book which will be all desserts, plus more stories that will hopefully bring a song to your heart and a smile to your face.