Learning how to upload pics to this new computer!
Can’t believe it has taken me this long to figure out this new lap top. Was use to Apple and am trying to learn Windows
It is now official, Peter & Penelope have taken over for Randy and Trudy. The recipes you will see posted over the next couple of months will be geared to fall and holidays…get those pumpkins out!
Last evening I was looking through Face Book and found this recipe that someone had shared. It sounds so good that I am headed to the store as soon as I post this to get the necessary ingredients to make it this afternoon. My sister-in-law called this morning to ask me if I had made it yet as she had seen that I had shared it on FB. She told me that she had eaten a lemon cream pie and it is delicious. It’s not tart like lemon meringue. So for those of you who are not on FB, I thought this was worth posting. Update! I came right home and made it. It is delicious and so creamy. I did change the recipe a little bit. Instead of the 1 cup of milk, I used 2 cups and then only used 1/2 cup sour cream. I just thought that the 1 cup didn’t sound like enough milk. But if any of you try it with the 1 cup, please let me know how you like it.
Lemon Crèam Filling
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tables cornstarch
1 tables grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup frozen butter
1 cup sour cream
Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and milk in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until thick. Stir in the frozen butter and cool to room temp. Stir in the 1 cup of sour cream and pour into a cooked pie crust. Top with whipping cream and white chocolate curls.
Fall is in the air, fa la la la la! The white shoes are put away and the matches are sitting upon the mantel, just waiting for the weather to drop below 100 so we can lite the fireplace. In the meantime, I will perk myself up by stopping by Starbucks and guzzling down a pumpkin spice frappe. September is that month when we really don’t know what to wear or what table decorations to use. It’s still hot to where we are needing to still wear our shorts and sandals, but because we know it is September, our minds automatically just think pumpkins and pies, fireplaces and lattes. It just seems weird to walk into Hobby Lobby to see if there is any new fall decorations that I just can’t live without in shorts and sandals. If it is like the past 60 years, I’m sure that there will be some that I just cannot walk away from. So to truly get in the spirit of Fall, I turn down the air conditioning in the house and car and get out a new fall outfit, stop and buy a Pumpkin Spice Frappe (since I cannot make myself drink anything hot until it is below 50) and head to see just what new shapes and colors of pumpkins they are selling this year. Peter Pumpkin, (Randy’s name from Sept 1 through Thanksgiving), doesn’t know it yet, but I am thinking about having a pumpkin carved to look like him. I think he will be excited to see himself sitting right outside the front door, with “welcome ya’ll” carved at the top of his face. Things like this just get him so excited about the holidays. He will be thrilled to know that this is the weekend we go to storage to find all our fall treasures.
Last year, if you remember reading (Labor Day in Big Bear) it took us 3 trips to bring home all the treasures that are stored. We have since bought a little bigger car than the two seater, so hopefully we can make it in one trip.
This time last year, we were recovering from hiking down a mountain on Labor Day. Since that time, we have learned to go to Big Bear with “imaginary illness” that would not allow us such hideous activity and also “forgetting” the required shoes it takes to hike. Because of this new wisdom of ours, we actually did a little resting yesterday, instead of participating in something that would require knee surgery or a hip replacement, we sat and watched golf or read. We are learning. We are slow, and it takes us awhile, but we now know how to get out of things we don’t like to do. Lie and fake illnesses. Works every time.
In case you are wanting to drive your adult kids crazy (more than normal), do what we do. We record a really stupid message on our answering machine. It will keep them from calling so much, because they are afraid if we aren’t home, they will have to listen once again to…
“Hello, you have reached Peter and Penelope Pumpkin. Peter is hunting pumpkins and gourds and I’m shopping for s’mores, we’ll give you a call when we walk through the door”. Trust me on this, it will drive them crazy.
This morning I fasted. I would like to say that I did it to spend more time in prayer, but the fact is that I had to have some lab work done. I put on enough make-up so as not to scare anyone and headed out the door at 7:05 a.m. Now, I am the first to admit that I truly am one of those that need all the layers of makeup so that I hopefully hide several years of wrinkles. I had just had my roots watered and fed and so no gray was showing. When I walked into the waiting room, I thought to myself, “hum…I shouldn’t have really worried about how my hair or makeup looks, most of the people there looked like they barely had rolled out of bed, much less brushed their hair and maybe not their teeth. But I sat down to wait my turn. Giving me a chance to play Candy Crush, I was so proud that I had gotten up and was getting this behind me. When my name was called, I walked quickly into room #4 and gave my best smile to the little girl that probably just graduated last week from high school. She began to enter my info into the computer without taking her eyes off the screen, she ask me my birthday. I quickly responded, “7-11-50” She repeated after me, “7-11-15”. What???? Should I have added that second layer of foundation this morning? I quickly corrected her and said, “that is 50, not 15”. She looked at me and said, “50 not 15?”. Well, I know that I have been looking a little haggard and maybe a new wrinkle or two is forming over my mouth, but 15? Really? Is it that bad? Did she really think that I was born in 1915? That would make me 98? My goodness, surely either she isn’t good at math or has the worst eyesight ever. I am now not feeling very confident in the young whipper snapper that is going to be sticking a needle in my arm. But I stepped out in faith and allowed her to proceed. Maybe I should have been praying, during the morning fast, instead of playing Candy Crush. I survived the ordeal and quickly put in a call to a plastic surgeon to get an estimate for a face lift, while walking to the garage to retrieve my car. Oh, this story gets better.
Pulling up to the exit in the parking garage, I inform the nice gentleman that, because I had entered the garage at 7:15, the machine wasn’t on yet to spit out tickets. He said that is alright, and asked me what time I entered. I told him 7:15 and he told me I owed $1.60. As I was trying to look for the $1.60 in the very dark underground garage, he proceeded to get his phone out and show me his new bride that looked at least 20 yrs younger than he.(I found out she was 20 years younger) All I said was, “oh my, she is very pretty.” Well, I guess he either gets very lonely sitting there underground all day or doesn’t ever get to talk at home, because I sat there in my car, in the dark, hearing about how his first wife of 13 years died in his arms and how a friend of his deceased wife found him this new wife. I also heard about a man who had come to stay at their house for a few months and every thing he fixed in this man’s house and what all he learned as he watched him fix what was broken. Where were all the cars that usually are honking to get out of the garage, when you need them. He then proceeded to tell me that when he is not working there, he has a car detail business that has afforded him to be able to have 2 houses and new cars. OK…now I am dying to get out of that garage and call Randy and tell him that he needs to quit the title business and get into the garage attendant business with a car detail side business. I want 2 houses and a new car too. But Randy informed me that he is too old and to tired to start over. That reminded me to follow up with the plastic surgeon and be sure that our insurance covers a very much needed facelift, according to the little high school lab tech. Am spending the Labor Day weekend buying all new makeup and going to get my hair cut. Hopefully by Monday I will at least pass for 80.
Have a wonderful and safe Labor day and will be back to you on Tuesday. TKbakesalot
Taking a break from pulling all the white shorts, white capris and white shoes out of my closet until they come back out next Easter, I decided that I earned something sweet. Putting away all my linen clothes is enough to put me over the edge. So, I sat down and began to look for something that sounded refreshing and yummy. Since it is getting to the time that the strawberries won’t taste as sugarery and sweet, I want to make use of them before they go away for a few months. This recipe caught my eye. Just this morning pulling out my recipe for cream cheese pound cake, I ran across this same recipe in another cookbook, and lo and behold, here it is in a 2012 Southern Living also. So it must be good.
Different from a traditional strawberry pie…well, you’ll see!
3 tables cornstarch
2 tables flour
1/4 teas salt (I have always wondered, since it only calls for 1/4 teas, would we notice if I skipped it altogether?) Think I will be daring and try it without.
1 cup sugar, divided
3 cups half and half
6 egg yolks (note to self, take extra Lipitor tonight)
2 teas vanilla
1 (9oz) package chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 of a (4 oz) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 qt fresh strawberries
1/4 red currant jelly (I have seedless raspberry, so will use that)
1 tables orange liqueur (only have raspberry liqueur so will use that)
Whisk together first 3 ingredients and 2/3 cup of the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Whisk together half and half and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually add to cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl; cover and chill 4-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Pulse wafer cookies and chopped chocolate in a food processor 8-10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumb mixture melted butter and remaining 1/3 cup sugar; firmly press mixture on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased 9″ pie plate.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool about 30 minutes.
After 4 hours, spoon chilled half and half mixture into crust. Cut strawberries in half and arrange around center to the outer edge of pie. Use all strawberries to top the creamed mixture. Using a small saucepan, heat jelly 2-3 min or until melted. Brush jelly mixture gently over strawberries. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes or until ready to serve
In 2002, after moving back to Dallas from California, our house became the meeting place of several ladies groups for luncheon’s. I loved the opportunity to not only cook for a large gathering, but to grab the chance to show friends how much fun it can be to have people in your home. Cooking for a crowd is so much fun. It allows you to make different recipes that you possibly wouldn’t make when you normally cook for just 2 or 3. This salad was a winner, because it could be made ahead of time and frozen. It is easy to double or triple, whatever the need be. Remember this come holiday season. It is taken from “Miss Daisy Celebrates Tennessee” a cookbook given to me years ago by a sweet friend, Simone, who knew my love of new cookbooks.
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large bananas, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (14 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 (16 oz) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping, thawed
Assemble all ingredients. In large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add bananas, pineapple, strawberries and whipped topping. Stir in pecans. Pour into a 9×13 dish. Freeze
When ready to serve, cut into serving sizes that you need.
Serves: 12-15
They just keep coming. Just when you think that no one can invent another way to bake chicken, but here it is folks, a new recipe that really is a great recipe. Our daughter, Christi, who lives in Orlando texted this to me a few days ago. I went to the store, have bought the chicken and am making it tonight. She assured me that it is just so moist and yummy. She is a teacher and a mom of our sweet little Kenley (of course you knew that we would finally be given a granddaughter, but lives on the other side of the world, I mean Florida) After our 4 grandsons, I guess you don’t have to wonder about how many pink dresses are flying over your heads right now, being sent to her from California. Anyway, sorry, I got carried away. Will update you tomorrow as to how amazing this recipe is after we indulge tonight on this new treasure.
1 lb of chicken (I am using chicken breasts)
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Spray a baking dish with Pam. Mix mayo and parmesan cheese. Place chicken in baking dish and spread the mayo mixture on top of chicken. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, (depending on which chicken pieces you use, breasts always take a little longer) Christi assures us that this is the BEST and moist chicken.
She also said that you could use plain Greek yogurt, adding a little lemon juice to it before adding the parmesan cheese, to save calories and fat content.
Why do I do this? Why do I seem to think that just because it is August I have to grill out every night to make up for all the times during the summer I didn’t grill out? It’s like it finally dawns on me that summer will be over in a couple of weeks (even though the temps won’t drop for at least another 3 months) and we haven’t used our new barbeque pit more than a dozen times. So I feel like I have to grill out every night so I will feel like I have used my summer lazy days to grill. I would hate for Southern Living Magazine to show up on my door step one summer day to find me in the kitchen making chicken and dumplings instead of outside on the back porch, with my little grill fork in my hand and my bowl of fresh fruit sitting on the table beside the barbeque pit. What would they think?
In order to keep my southern roots reputation in tact, I guess I should hurriedly get those tongs out and light up the fire. Tonight, we are having grilled steaks with cilantro sauce. Taken from Taste of Home (do these people know how to cook, summer style or what?) this sauce has become a favorite. I can put it on anything from tacos to tapas, from steaks to salmon (and since I’m one of the 3 people in the world that doesn’t like salmon, the cilantro covers up the taste so I can at least swallow it, without gaging, when family insists on having it. Do not send me hate mail, I still wont’ like it).
2 cups fresh parsley leaves
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
8 garlic cloves
1 3/4 teas kosher salt, divided
1/2 teas, plus 3/4 teas freshly ground pepper, divided
2 cups olive oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tables lemon juice
1/2 teas crushed red pepper flakes
4 lbs beef flat iron steaks or top sirloin steaks (1″ thick)
Place herbs, garlic, 1 teas salt and 1/2 teas pepper in food processor; pulse until herbs are chopped. Gradually add oil, vinegar, lemon juice and pepper flakes, processing just until blended.
Sprinkle steaks with remaining salt and pepper. Grill, covered over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until meat reaches 145 degrees (medium would be 160 and well done would be 170)
Cut steaks into 1/4″ slices; serve with sauce
On July 29th, I posted a Lemon Pudding Cake. While I was at a restaurant today waiting for a friend, they had a cake cookbook so I began to look through it. They had this same recipe for the lemon cake, but made it in ramekins and then topped it with meringue. It then became almost like a lemon meringue pie because of the pudding like sauce at the bottom. Use a kitchen torch to “cook” meringue or place under broiler until meringue is golden brown. If you need the recipe for the lemon pudding cake, just type in lemon pudding cake in the search bar and the recipe will pop up.
I love the almond flavor in cakes and frostings. Some evenings the almond craving just gets to me and I have to get in the kitchen and make a “wedding cake” (not an actual wedding cake, but a almond flavored white cake) time favorite cake. When I don’t want a huge two layer cake, since I would be the one who ate all of it, this recipe makes one quick and easy layer and gives me plenty of the almond flavor I am wanting.
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 teas almond extract. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients together and hand mix with a fork, as little as possible. Spoon into a prepared 9″ round pie tin or cake pan. Cover with slivered almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tests done.
*You may make ahead of time and freeze.
