Today was wonderful. Went to art class and painted and learned and laughed and ate. Today, each of the ladies in our class brought a food native to their home country, so we had potato balls (I call them that because I cannot pronounce, much less spell their real name) with cilantro parsley dip, poppy seed cake from Croatia, a dip of beans and ground turkey from Turkey, Banana chips from Columbia, fruit and cheese from Plano, and Pineapple Bundt cake, which came from my kitchen. It is just a joy to see the different foods that come together from the ladies in our class. What a sweet time as each of us explains our dish and tells how it might be served in their country. One of our ladies is going home to Turkey for 5 months, so we will miss DeMar. Most of us in the class have been together for the last 3 years, some a little longer. We have bonded so much, that when one of us is gone, it is just not the same. We laugh at our mistakes, encourage each other when a painting is finished and help each other pick out the appropriate frames. This has become a treasured time in my life. Not just for the painting, but also for the friendships which have been such a blessing. We are all from diverse backgrounds, but when we are there for the two hours, it is as though we have grown up together. We have laughed together, cried at different times from circumstances with our children, or families. This is indeed a special gift to my life. Just like church, we all have our places we sit each week. Our teacher, Rosie, is not only our art teacher, but a precious friend who we hold in high esteem. She is just amazing. Thank you Rosie for sharing your talents and your time to give so many the pleasure of learning how to put down on paper, in color, the thoughts that are in our hearts. What a treasure, as I am now able to walk through my house and look at pictures that I have painted. Each one holds a memory of class time with these women who have become an important part of my life.
Need a Pick-Me Up? Try a slice of cheesecake
Here it is the month of May, and when most people are thinking May flowers, my mind suddenly turned to cheesecake today. I was sitting in the dr’s office for the first part of my yearly physical this morning and while waiting for the dr, I quickly turned the pages of a Good Housekeeping trying to find page 202 where there was suppose to be a recipe for a fresh coconut cake. BUT…..on the opposite page was a recipe for a vanilla cheesecake, so that took my attention. I will give you the recipe below but first wanted to share a thought. I remember as a young bride wanting to make a homemade cheesecake but the crust always intimadated me. So after leaving the dr’s office, driving down the tollway, I thought about going home and writting a little tip about the easy way to make the crust. Do not let the crust of the cheesecake keep you from making a cheesecake. Making a cheesecake from scratch is just like making a box cake mix. You just add the ingredients and bake. Do not worry about a crack if it appears in the top. Just cover it with fruit or whipping cream. It will taste wonderful and everyone will be so excited to have homemade cheesecake.
Buy 2 already made graham cracker crusts. Undo the graham crusts from the pie plates into a bowl and mix about 1/3 cup of melted butter and stir. Pour this into your cheesecake pan. Bake this crust at 325 for about 15 mins and then set aside. Always remember to let your eggs and cream cheese soften to room temperature, usually about an hr. then proceed. Pour this into your cheesecake pan. Now, mix the following together:
3 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
Beat these 3 ingredients together until well blended. Then add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well. Pour this into the crust and bake for about 50 minutes at 350 degrees. When cheesecake comes out of the oven, cool. Then take the remaining 8 oz of cream cheese and beat in 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 8 oz of Cool whip and beat well. Pour over cheesecake and refrigerate at least 4 hours, covered…….makes 12 to 16 slices.
It is so simple when you don’t have to worry about measuring out graham cracker crumbs or smashing them in a plastic bag. In fact, if you are really in a hurry, instead of taking the crust out of the pie plates, just use them as your crust and divide the above cheesecake mixture between the two crusts and bake accordingly, about 30 minutes. Divide the Cool Whip mixture between the two when they are cooled. That makes it even easier……You may top this with fruit or hot fudge sauce or caramel! Anyway you top it, it will be fabulous!
Plum Cute Tomatoes
The weather has been exceptional this week and I have sought out alot of my old Southern Living Magazines. I don’t know if you know about this magazine, but if you don’t, you should consider checking it out. Every one has a story written on the last page. Each one of these stories has been so special and has tugged at my heart for so many reasons. Simply put, it restores my faith in the “southern way” of life. These stories are sometimes funny, sometimes conjures up memories of my childhood, causes me to reconsider my thinking of certain subjects, but each one, better than the last. I have begun to tear these stories out and create a scrapbook of them. Next time you are at the store, pick up a Southern Living magazine and turn to the last page. You might become an avid follower of these stories, all the while, seeing great recipes and beautiful home projects that make “remodeling” seem so very simple. Also, will give your hubby or wife new additions to the “dream” list of home improvements. Randy is always excited to see me add new items to his never ending “honey do” lists, right sweetie?…….. now for the wonderful recipe I found in one of the oldie ones from July 2006. These are so great and easy. One of my favs…..
6 plum tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teas Italian seasoning
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Italian dressing
Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with sal and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning and feta cheese. Drizzle evenly with the Italian dressing.
Browil 3″ from heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until cheese starts to brown. Looks beautiful with a sprig of fresh basil laying on top….
Thurs night company
Have not had anyone over in a couple of weeks and was missing cooking for people. So we are having some friends over tonight for a good ole southern meal. Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and sour cream pound cake with blueberry topping. Randy is thrilled to come home to home cooking after me being gone most of the week last week. I think if I made turkey sandwiches, he would be excited just to not to have to go out to eat or having to fix something himself. We ate out all weekend after I got back, so this will be a treat for him. Am making some bread that is different tonight. That is what I will be sharing with you. The meat loaf recipe is already on the blog, as is the green beans. Tomorrow I will post the sour cream pound cake. It is so simple and so perfect for a ending to a meal.
Buy one can of biscuits (not flaky). (8 to 10 per can)
One 6.5 oz tub of Alouette Garlic & Herb soft cheese (this is sold by the feta cheese)
1 stick of butter
Melt the butter and the cheese together. Take each biscuit and cut into 4ths. Dip each biscuit in melted butter/cheese mixture and place in a greased pie plate of baking sheet (it needs to have a little bit of a side to the baking sheet so the butter/cheese mixture does not roll off the baking sheet. Bake until biscuits are lightly browned and done. Usually about 10 to 12 minutes according to the temperature on the can…….serve hot with any meal.
German Chocolate Pound Cake
YUM! Wow, made this last night and it is the best and oh so simple….you can mix it up in 5 min, bake it in 4o and be sitting down to eat it in another 5, so when you are wanting something a little chocolatey, try this.
1 Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake mix (if they don’t have this, buy the Swiss Chocolate)
1 can of Pecan Coconut Frosting mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
Mix all ingredients together for 3 minutes (1 minute on slow and 2 on medium)
Spray a bundt pan with Pam and sprinkle sugar around the bottom and sides of pan coating the cake pan with the sugar. Pour out any remaining sugar. Pour cake mixture into pan and bake at 350 preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until cake test done with a toothpick. Cool for about 10 minutes and then invert onto serving plate. I made a little chocolate glaze to pour over the top, but this is good enough to eat with just powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. If you want the glaze, mix the following:
2 cup powdered sugar
4 tables softened butter
1/2 cup melted semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teas vanilla
When mixed competely, pour over cake while cake is still warm……
Hospitality and Kitchen Clues
- USE WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND. THERE IS A LIST IN THE BACK OF THE LEAFLET THAT YOU HAVE THAT HAS A GREAT LIST OF MULTI USEFUL ITEMS, WHICH WILL HELP YOU BE ABLE TO COOK UP SOMETHING ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.
- TO MAKE STORE BOUGHT HOMEMADE, USE BUTTER AND WHIPPING CREAM INSTEAD OF MARGARINE OR MILK
- KEEP A NOTEPAD AND PEN BY YOUR CHAIR WHERE YOU WATCH TV OR LOOK THROUGH MAGAZINES. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO WRITE DOWN NEEDED ITEMS TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT.
- PLAN THEME NIGHTS…….CHOCOLATE NIGHTS, PICTURE NITES, WHERE EVERYONE BRINGS A PICTURE TO THE TABLE AND TELLS SOMETHING ABOUT THE PICTURE, (LIKE WHAT THERE WERE DOING AT THE TIME AND WHY THEY LIKE IT OR WHY THEY DON’T., CD’S AS COASTER NIGHT
- MAKE MEATLOAF/POTPIES IN SMALL INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS
- MAKE HOMEMADE TEA WITH SUGAR/SWEET & LOW (MOST MEN DO NOT LIKE CHRYSTAL LIGHT OR FRUIT FLAVORED TEA, SO GIVE THEM THE STRAIGHT THING)
- ***PUT COMFORTABLE CHAIRS AROUND THE TABLE WHERE YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO SIT WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS. WE BOUGHT WICKER CHAIRS ON SALE AND PUT PADS IN THERE AROUND OUR BREAKFAST TABLE. WE SPEND SOMETIMES 2 AND 3 HOURS SITTING THERE TALKING AFTER DINNER. THE CHAIRS ARE SO EASY TO LEAN BACK IN AND YOU ARE NOT SITTING THERE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CANNOT WAIT TO GET OUT OF THE CHAIR.
- BAG UP DRY INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES & CAKES AND FREEZE FOR LATER, THAT WAY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD THE LIQUIDS AND BAKE, SHORT ON TIME, MAKE THE COOKIES INTO BARS. MOST COOKIE RECIPES GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT OF DOUGH THAT WOULD BAKE UP NICELY IN A 9X13 PAN. UNLIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS ON MOST COOKIES, YOU WILL NEED TO SPRAY THE PAN WITH PAM……
- MAKE HOSTESS GIFTS FROM MEMORIES (LIKE TAKE A PICTURE RT WHEN THEY COME IN THE DOOR OR A GIANT COOKIE OR BROWNIE TO PACKAGE AND SEND HOME WITH THEM IN A ATTRACTIVE CONTAINER. ANOTHER HOSTESS IDEA IS TO HAVE WRITTEN ON A RECIPE CARD THE RECIPE OF A DISH THAT YOU ARE SERVING THEM THAT NIGHT.
- SIT DOWN WITH YOUR COMPANY AND DO NOT BE CONSTANTLY GETTING UP AND DOWN AND STAYING IN THE KITCHEN, PREPARE SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE COOKING SO YOU ARE ABLE TO VISIT WITH THE COMPANY, NOT BEING WORRIED ABOUT THE PREPARATIONS AND DISHES.
I’VE SAVED THE MOST IMPORTANT UNTIL LAST. BEFORE YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO THE FIRST TO ARRIVE, GIVE YOURSELF 5 MIN TO JUST SIT DOWN AND INVITE THE LORD TO BE PRESENT. INVITE THE LORD INTO YOUR HOME AS A SPECIAL GUEST. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES TO KNOW THAT HE IS RIGHT THERE IN YOUR PRESENCE, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU A DIFFFERENT PROSPECTIVE ON HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FAMILY AND GUESTS.
Super Simple Cheesy Potato Soup
OK, if you love potato soup, this one is for you. I tried something a little different tonight and it was scrumptious. Randy ate 3 bowls and I ate 2. Yummy. So am passing it along.
6 medium to large red potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups water & 2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of PictSweet Seasoning veggies *These come frozen and sell for about $1.50/bag, there is onions, celery and red and green peppers in it) Actually, $1.37 at Wallmart
2 teas garlic powder, 1 teas dill, 1 teas pepper and salt, 1 tables dried parsley
Boil all of the above until potatoes are done. When almost done, take 1 packet of Pioneer Country Gravy Mix and mix it in a cup of cool water. Whisk until blended and then add to the potato mixture when it is boiling. Stir until the mixture thickens a little. As you are stirring this, add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and continue stirring until melter. Take off burner and let sit for about 5 mins. Ladle into bowls and serve with cornbread or crackers. Very simple, very fast and very yummy………
Mexican Food in Corpus
Well, I am going to be away from being able to write on the blog until Sunday. It is time to head to Corpus to see my parents. As soon as I leave the airport, am headed to my favorite Mexican food restaurant, Kiko’s. It is just the best. Their deep friend mushrooms with chile con queso is just undescribable and the enchiladas just do not compare to any other place. They are simply the best tex-mex enchiladas their is……will arrive tonight and take my parents out for their 59th anniversary dinner. I hope that upon my return, I bring back a new memory of them. Something that allows me to see them for who they are as individuals, not just my parents, who are hard of hearing, argue with each other, dwell on the negative sometimes and listen to the television so loudly, that the neighbors don’t even have to have their volume on……..so maybe I will be able to focus on who they are, what they like and really listen to their hearts, their likes as well as their dislikes. In the future, I want to know that I really tried to see them for Hope and Carl, not just my parents, but for their purpose and the way they lived their lives, which was truly outpoured to so many others…maybe I will be bringing home, not just heartburn from all the mexican food, but a new, fresh memory of my parents, a precious one that honors them. Will write again on Sunday when I get back. Think of me this week, as I will be sitting there watching “Antique Roadshow” for the 10th time every night (yes, they record it, so they don’t have to miss it)
French Pot Pie
Wow, the pie was so good and the ladies really loved it. So here it is:
One sheet of Pepperidge Farm Pastry dough
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed and chopped into smaller pieces.
2 russet or new potatoes, peeled and chopped and cook before adding to mixture.
1 small jar of capers
2 tables lemon juice
1 stick (8 tables) butter
1/3 cup flour
1 can Campbells Cream of mushroom soup with garlic
1 8 oz container of sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teas each of thyme, garlic powder, dill and pepper (a little salt as desired)
Saute onion and mushrooms in butter until done. Sprinkle the flour into this mixture and stir as to make a paste. (the mushrooms add liquid as they cook). When this thickens, add the chicken broth and stir continually to avoid lumps. Add the soup and seasonings and the water if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes or until blended and bubbling. Take off heat and add the sour cream and cooked potatoes. Stir well. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Pour mixture into a casserole dish which has been sprayed with Pam. When oven is ready, unfold one sheet of the phyllo dough and place on top of the mixture. Bake until dough on top is puffed and brown. This usually is about 30 minutes. Serve with a spring salad mix with cherry tomatoes and french bread.
French Chicken Artichoke Pot Pie
Just a heads up. Today I am creating a new recipe for a French Pot Pie to take to a dinner tonight. It will have chicken, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, onions, mushrooms and puff pastry. Will be writing down what I use and share the recipe tomorrow. Want to make it first to be sure it turns out like I want. Check back tomorrow to see the results….and wish me luck!
Chocolate Castles 