Breads · Meats · Salads

Luncheon Layered Sandwiches

Buy one loaf of uncut bread and have them slice it in the bakery horizontally into 4 layers.

1 (5 oz) jar of Kraft Pineapple Cheese spread

1 cup of chicken salad (either homemade or bought)

1 cup of egg salad

1 cup of tuna salad

1 (8 oz) container whipped cream cheese with chives

Between each slice of the bread, spread the above salad mixtures. Place the top on the bread. Use the whipped cream cheese spread to cover the entire outside of the sandwich loaf. Decorate with green olives and pimentos and parsley. Slice into 1 inch slices. This makes a beautiful sandwich loaf and can be served with a spinach salad and fruit salad for a wonderful luncheon. For dessert an assortment of cupcakes, lemon bars/brownies.

Breads · Daily Thoughts

Dutch Baby

If you are like Randy and I, we simply love to treat ourselves every once in a while and go to Original Pancake House and order the Dutch Baby. It does take a little while for them to make it, but the wait is oh so worth it. We order it with the sliced strawberries and bananas and we are stuffed all day……the first time we had it was in Chicago when we were there over New Years Eve and had waited in line for a table on that first day of Jan, 2004 with some friends. Every so often a waitress would pass by us with this gorgeous bubble looking pancake with fruit piled in the middle. So we decided then and there to ask what it was and our adventurous side took over our common sense and we ordered the infamous “dutch baby”. Now, you have to realize that when you do this, you cannot eat for about 12 hours prior to ordering, because you have to have a completely empty stomach to hold this giant “breakfast food”. Do not, I repeat, “do not” attempt to eat this a week or so before having your cholestrol checked. If you do, they will immediately send you straight to the emergency room where you will be put on a lettuce and water diet for a month. So, when we came back from Chicago, I couldn’t wait to head back to OPH for another. In the meantime, I thought that I would hit the internet to see if I could find a recipe for the DB. Sure enough, there it was, in black and white…..was I in heaven or what? I could now make this anytime we felt like it. So here it is…..you do not have to wait until you are in the mood to stand in line for an hour to get a table at OPH and then another 30 minutes for them to cook your DB..you can make it in your own little space and eat, allowing the syrup to cover your chin and the butter to run down the sides of the Dutch baby…..(no this is not another name for Randy)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you have an iron skillet, it works best. But if not, spray a 9″ heavy skillet with Pam. Mix together the following:

1/2 cup flour

2 tables sugar

1/2 teas salt

2 eggs

1 teas oil

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teas cinnamon

1/8 teas nutmeg

1 teas vanilla

2 teas butter

Mix dry ingredients. Set aside. Wisk remaining ingredients. Gradually beat dry ingredients into egg mixture until smooth. Melt butter in skillet. Pour batter into skillet and bake 20 minutes. Reduce to 350 degres and bake for an additional 3-5 min or untilo puffed and brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and add sliced strawberries and bananas if desired.. Serve hot with fruit and syrup…….

Breads

Amazing and Easy When you are Craving Cinnamon

These are so good, I could not quit eatting them, and I didn’t even get to taste them until the next day. I can only imagine how good they were fresh and hot. They were served at our Bible Study and brought by Jerry McGraw. She has graciously shared her recipe. You will be hooked once you try them! 
 
Miniblinis  (rumor has this being one of Troy Aikman’s grandmother’s recipes….I have not confirmed this with him J)
 
2 – 8 oz. cream cheese softened (I use the 1/3 less fat)
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 loaves bread (get the kind that is not rounded at the top) Cut off crust.
1 Cup butter melted
 
Combine cream cheese, sugar & egg yolks until smooth
 
Flatten bread with rolling pin. Just roll out a few slices at a time so it will stay flat.
 
Spread small amount of the cream cheese mixture on bread & roll up. If desired cut in half at this time.
 
Dip in melted butter, roll in cinnamon sugar.
 
Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam or use parchment paper. I prefer parchment paper as they tend to stick even with using Pam.
 
Bake at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes.
 
YUMMY
Breads · Daily Thoughts

Miracle Monday

Hope each of you had a marvelous weekend. I was so ready to write yesterday, but my computer would not let me on the internet, so all my thoughts had to be pushed back. If you are wondering what the miracle is, it is simple. It was just the miracle of some of the greatest gifts God has given to us. The gift of friendship and love, of sharing special times with friends, the abundance of “necessities” that we are so blessed to have, God’s grace and love and protection! It is with this in mind that I must tell you that though this weekend, wasn’t a long awaited trip to some far distant country, or a spa weekend, it held so many wonderful memories. The memory of just laughing with sweet friends who dined on wonderful Mexican food on Fri night, while our husbands were at church for a men’s retreat. The memory of standing over a stove on Saturday morning, stirring and stirring for almost an hour, the best candy you have ever put in your mouth. The accidents of adding too much cream by one of the “cooks” caused so much laughter, as we all knew that this “cook” wasn’t living her dream of standing over a stove, cooking…but doing it, nonetheless. What wonderful memories we can have laughing and telling our “girl” stories to each other. This was one of those weekends. They have told me to post the candy we made, and will do so tomorrow, but today, I have been requested to post these “pop in your mouth” little fudge muffins. This weather will make you appreciate these wonderful little mouthfulls of sweet, light chocolatey muffins.

Fudge Muffins

4 (1 oz) squares of semi sweet chocolate

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Melt Chocolate with butter over low heat or in microwave. Stir in remaining ingredients, except vanilla. Stir in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla and nuts (if desired). Fill minature muffin pans, which you have sprayed with Pam, 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees for about 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool before removing from pans. You can sprinkle powdered sugar over these. Serve with hot tea of coffee. These also freeze well, so could be thawed and served when unexpected guests arrive.

Breads

Bacon-Onion Pan Rolls

I have been told recently by a (dear) friend that my blog has several pages of desserts, but not many salads, breads or appetizers or veggies. So am going to work on that, but I have to say up front, that is just where my heart is, with gooey, yummy desserts, not carrot sticks or lettuce leaves. Hum………maybe that is why Weight Watchers keeps calling me and telling me I need to come to a meeting. Anyway, I never could get too excited about veggies, after all, I am pretty happy just opening a can of green beans, add a little bacon grease, add a little salt and pepper, put them on your plate and hurry and get to the dessert, the most important part of the meal.

But…..these bacon-onion rolls are a great way to down canned green beans or any other veggie or soup. Try them, you will love them!.

1 laf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed

1/4 cup butter, melted and divided

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup chopped onion

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 in thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2 in biscuit cutter (*you can always use the open end of a cup of glass if you do not have a biscuit cutter)

Using 3 tables of the melted  butter, brush each roll with a pastry brush . Place 1 teas of bacon and onion onhalf of each roll. Fold over and pinch to seal. Place pinched edge up, in a greased 9 in. square baking pan, forming three rows of six. Brush tops with remaining butter. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 mins or until tops are golden brown.

*It never hurts to use a little more butter which you can also add a little garlic powder.

Breads

Apple Pie Bread

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 teas baking powder

2 eggs

1 teas vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teas salt

2 cups shredded pealed apple (about 4 medium)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins (I like to use the golden raisins)

Streusel-Nut Topping

Preheat over to 350. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Set aside.

in a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer on medium for about 30 seconds. Beat in sugar until combined. Add buttermilk and baking powder; beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour and salt; beat until combined. Stir in apple, nuts and raisins.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel nut topping over batter. Bake for about 50 to 60 min depending upon your oven. or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 mins. Remove from pan. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Streusel topping:

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tables flour. Using a pastry blended, cut in 2 tbles cold butter until mxture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Breads · Soups

Hatch Chile Chicken Soup and Cornbread

Hatch Chile Chicken Soup                           

In a large pot, melt ½ cup butter. Add ¼ cup flour; stir the resulting paste over medium heat. Do this long enough to cook the flour a bit. Add 2 cups of whole milk and 3 cups water stirring to blend. If there are any lumps, use a whisk to stir them out. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add 2 cups cooked, boneless and skinless chopped chicken. Add ½ cup chopped hatch green chilles, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of garlic powder .  Add 2/3 cup chopped onion to this then add 1 cup of raw cut up carrots, 1 cup of chopped raw potatoes and ½ cup whole kernel corn. Simmer over low heat, or cook in oven at 300 degrees for about 2 hrs.

Serve with green chile-cheese cornbread.

Green chile-cheese cornbread

Prepare 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix according to directions on back of box.

Add ½ small can of diced green chilles and ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Pour into a 8×8 baking cake pan or small iron skillet which has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake according to directions on back of Jiffy box. I like to bake it until it is golden brown on top. Cut into wedges and serve with soup.

Breads

Pineapple Upside-Down Biscuits

These are so yummy. They are in a Paula Deen Magazine and they are worth sharing. Super easy and so cute. Makes 10 biscuits.

1 10 oz can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 stick of  butter, at room temp (1/4 cup)

10 maraschino cherries

1 12 oz package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin. In medium bowl, combine pineapple, sugar, and butter and mix well. Divide pineapple mixture among the muffin cups. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup. Place one biscuit in each cup on top of pineapple mixture. Pour about 1 teas pineapple juice over each biscuit.

Bake 12 to 15 min or until golden. Cool for 2 min and invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm. Too cute.

Breads · Casseroles

Sour Cream Corn Bread

1 can yellow cream style corn

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup liquid oil

2 eggs

1 cup self rising corn meal

Mix altogether and pour into a hot greased skillet. Bake at 400 for about 40 min.

A great twist to this recipe is to make up the cornbread except do not bake.

Brown 1/2 lb of ground beef with 1/2 cup chopped onion. Cook until onion is tender and beef is done. Sprinkle 1 teas garlic powder, 1/2 teas pepper and 1/4 cup picante sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat and flavors are blended into meat.

Pour 1/2 of the corn bread mixture into the skillet. Sprinkle the meat mixture over this. Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese over meat mixture (depending on taste). Pour the rest of the corn meal mixture over the meat mixture and bake about 45 to 50 minutes. Serve this with a great pot of pinto beans and you have a meal in itself……..

Breads · Daily Thoughts

Fried Garlic Bread

Our Christmas letter this year has our recipe for the Texas Caprese Salad, serving it alongside “fried garlic bread”. Well, after tasting the friend garlic bread that we saw on TV we just had to try it. It tastes so different from baked garlic bread. We used the iron skillet. Spread softened butter which you have added garlic powder, not garlic salt, to your liking. (we think you cannot have too much garlic, but then again, maybe that is why we don’t have many friends). Get the iron skillet hot and spray with Pam. Fry each side of the Texas toast until golden brown. This is just delicious.

1 stick of softened butter

2 teas garlic powder

Blend together and spread on both sides of the bread. Serve alongside caprese, soup, spaghetti, whatever you want. It truly is so very good.