appetizers

Happy Valentines Day!

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Here is hoping that each of you have had someone special in your life tell you how special you are to them. My little sweetie was so sweet and let me pick out where I wanted to eat breakfast yesterday, dinner last night and lunch today. Sometimes, when he lets me do that, we have what we like to call a “fast food day” and eat nothing but fast food, like Whataburger taquitos for breakfast, Taco Bell for lunch and Church’s Fried chicken for dinner and then end the day with Baskin-Robbins for dessert. But we didn’t do that this time. We went high class and had Shipley Donuts for breakfast yesterday, Mall Food court for lunch and a steak house for dinner last night. Then Luby’s for lunch today, one of my favs.

Well, on to bigger and more interesting stuff. At Bible study the other night every one brought something for the dinner and this avocado pate stood out in the crowd. So Judy was kind enough to share with me to pass it on. Here it is and besides being so good, it was just so pretty. Think you will like this one.

 

Avocado Pate 
4 Haas avocados
2 – 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
2 T chopped shallots
2 tsp. minced garlic
l T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder (I like more!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped pistachios
Line a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of wrap to fold over the top.  Combine parsley and pistachios and put in the bottom of the loaf pan.  Put all other ingredients together in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Place cream cheese/avocado mixture in the loaf pan on top of the parsley/pistachio mixture.  Fold over plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Turn out onto serving plate and garnish with cilantro or parsley.  Serve with 2 or 3 different types of tortilla chips.
 
This recipe came from Stone Oak Elementary School’s cookbook titled “Stone Oak Stirs it Up” in San Antonio, TX, and was contributed by Ellen Barr.
 

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Meats · Salads

Snowy, Snowy Thursday

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I am still looking out the windows and just keep staring at the beautiful falling snow. This is one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen truly in my life. It has been snowing all day, and I just keep looking, afraid that it has stopped, but so far, it hasn’t. God seems so close when it is the gentle, quiet snow falling all around. It makes me so grateful for eyes to see and ears to hear the quietness of the snow as it continues to fall and decorate the ground.

This weather is to me, one of God’s great gifts to us. It makes me slow down and enjoy the fireplace, read a book or write a letter. On Tuesday of this week, a friend and I were invited to a friend of ours house for lunch. We had a great time and it was one of those days that we are always talking about having. Just lunch and laughter at someones home. Yes, you heard right. She fixed lunch, all homemade and it was delicious. I am posting two of the recipes which she fixed. The chicken salad and fruit salad, I have never had.  So am passing these on to you. They make the perfect lunch or dinner for company. It was just a wonderful relaxing time for the 3 of us. Rita, you outdid yourself and I thank you for taking the time and effort to make us feel so special. Next time, my house……you deserve a break! Thank you so much for the recipes. They were so good and know our friends will enjoy cooking them and eatting them…..so here they are:

Parfait Salad
 
First Layer
 
1 large package lime jello
2 cups boilng water
8 ice cubes
1 #2 can crushed pineapple (reserve 1 cup juice)
Make jello with boiling water and ice cubes. In a 11×7 pan or dish add and mix in crushed pineapple. Jell until firm.
 
Second Layer
Follow directions on one envelope of dream whip
add softened 8 oz. package cream cheese to “whipped” dream whip
Mix well
Spread over first layer. Chill
 
Third Layer
1 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 beaten eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cook all ingredients until thick. Stirring constantly.  Cool. Spread over 2nd layer.
Can be made day ahead.
 
Chicken Casserole
3-31/2 pounds chicken breast (cooked)
1 stick butter
45 Ritz crackers
1 can cream of chicken soup
1  8 oz sour cream
Pull apart cooled cooked chicken. Layer on bottom of casserole dish. Mix soup and sour cream together.
Take half of the mixture and stir through the chicken.  Use the other half of mixture to spread over the chicken.
Melt the butter and crush the crackers into the butter and mix together.  Spread evenly over the chicken.
Bake 350 for 25 minutes
Desserts

Chocolate Molten Cakes

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Well, my sweet friend, Dena wrote today to ask me to blog this recipe. It is so awesome baked in little heart shaped ramekins. So bake some up for your sweetie and top them with cinnamon ice cream or BlueBell Homemade vanilla…..what a dessert!

4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup butter

1 table red wine (opt)

1 teas vanilla (I add two when I don’t use the wine)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

6 tables flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

powdered sugar for top

Grease 4  custard cups or ramekins. Microwave chocolate and butter. Stir in wine and vanilla (or just vanilla) and sugar. Whisk in eggs and yold. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon evenly into cups. Bake at 425 for 15 min or until sides are firm but centers are soft.

Loosen edges and invert onto serving plate. Top with a chocolate dipped strawberry to make it really pretty.

Salads

Too Many Thoughts and Don’t Know Where to Begin

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I have so many recipes going through my head this morning and so little time to sit and share. But am trying to think, “ok, what is something different I have not put on the ole blog before that would just suprise the heck out of everyone, and I thought…hum, something healthy! That’s it, I have nothing on the blog that would make our “healthy conscious friends” out there give us the ole pat on the back, so will share a great recipe that even I (Ms. Butterkin) think is pretty tasty and good. Got this out of Southern Living and is listed under “healthy Living” so we know it’s got to be just that!

Tomato, Bean, and Bread Salad

Serves 6

4 (2.5 oz) five grain hoagie rolls

vegatable cooking spray

1/2 cup light Caesar dressing (they used Girard’s Light , I used Paul Newman’s)

1/4  cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

1 teas fresh lemon juice

1 (19 0z) can cannellini brans, drained and rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 medium size sweet onion, thinkly sliced

4 cups choppped romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut rolls into 1 in cubes. Place cubes on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Bake 6 to 7 mins or until toasted.

Combine light caesar dressing, basil strips, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add bread cubes, cannellini beans, diced tomato and sliced onions. Toss to coat. Chill 1 hour. Toss with lettuce before serving.

Daily Thoughts

Son In Laws Approval

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Well, my son-in-law came by this morning and he had a piece of the blueberry cheesecake, as well, as Jodi, my daughter. They both agreed that they would be making this one. Eric had me cut a piece for him to take to work and Jodi just stood in the kichen and had a piece right then at 8:30 in the morning.

Just made a green chile chicken casserole to take to Bible study tonight. It is perfect for Mexican food today. Raining, cold and so cloudy. What a great day. Am babysitting alittle precious baby puppy today, the dust doesn’t show in my house because the sun isn’t shinning and am having mexican food for dinner. How good can life be? Will sit and look through recipes to see which one will go on the blog a little later today.

Desserts

Blueberry Cheesecake

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1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tables sugar, divided

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 1/2 cups blueberries, divided

3 (8 0z) packages cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

1/4 teas salt

2 (8 oz) cartons sour cream

1/2 teas vanilla

 1/2 cup water

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom and 1/2 in up sides of a 9 in springform pan (a cheese cake pan)

Bake in a preheated 325 oven for 9 mins. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Process 2 1/2 cups blueberries and 1 tables cornstarch in blender until smooth, stopping once to scrape sides. pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 15 min or until slightly thickened. Stir constantly. Set aside to cool. Cover and chill 1/2 cup of mixture for glaze.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in remaining 2 tables cornstarch and salt. Pour batter into crust. Pour blueberry mixture over batter and swirl gently with a knife. Bake in a preheated 325 oven for 45 min or until set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rach for 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, 2 tables sugar and vanilla; stir.Spread over cheesecake and return to oven and bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

In a small saucepan, combine reserved 1/2 cup blueberry mixture, water and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add remaining 1 cup blueberries and gently fold into glaze. Set aside to cool.

Remove sides of springform pan. Top cheesecake withglaze. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Everyone said that they liked this cheesecake because it wasn’t so sweet. It is a great and easy recipe even if you have never made a cheesecake before. It is so pretty with the blueberry swirl running through it.

Daily Thoughts

Spiffy Saturday

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What a great weekend. We have no “have too’s” this weekend for the first time in about 2 months and so we are taking off to the show. Have baked a cake, played “word with friends” on my iphone, have dinner with friends planned for tonight and church in the morning. What a fun time this will be. Randy even cooked breakfast this morning so I got to sleep in (of course, I will NOT mention that I was up half the night listening to hum…….someone snoring (but will not mention any names)….but that is last night and this is today, so we are off for a responsibility free afternoon and night. We don’t get many of those, so will really enjoy the day. Just had to tell you that I cooked a blueberry cheesecake last night for Bible Study and everyone LOVED it. Will post that tomorrow, but I am headed out the door, as my sweetie has promised me a trip to SteinMart!

Meats

Superbowl Swedish Meatballs

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In case you are having people over to watch football on Sunday these serve 20 people and are great!

1 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk, 1 onion finally chopped

2 eggs beaten to blend., 2 tesas salt 1 teas pepper, 1/4 teas nutmug, 1/4 teas allspice, 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground veal, 1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 cup butter

Gravy: butter, 1 onion, sliced, 2 1/2 tables flour, 2 cups canned beef consomme, 1 cup whipping cream, pepper

Soak breadcrumbs in milk 10 min. Mix in onion, eggs and seasonings. Add meat and beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Form  meat into 2 inch  balls with moistened hands. Place in baking pan. Refrigerate until firm. 

Melt butter in large skillet over med/high heat. Add meatballs in batches and cook until brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings. Layer meatballs in 4 qt oven-proof casserole.

Measure pan drippings and return 3 tablespoons  to skillet adding  more butter if necessary. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender. Add flour and stir a few minutes. Gradually mix in consomme and cream. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add pepper. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 275 for about 40 minutes, covered with foil.

Breads

Bacon-Onion Pan Rolls

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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.

Soups

Chicken White Chile (takes 30 mins)

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1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tables vegetable oil

2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth

2 tables minced fresh parsley (I use the dried)

1 tables lime juice

1 to 1 1/4 teas ground cumin

2 tables cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

2 cups cubed cooked chicken *

*(it is always so easy to buy the rotissery (how do you spell that word?)  chicken from Sams, Costco or your local grocery store and just debone it)

In a large sauce pan, cook onion, jalapeno and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in beans, broth, parsley, lime juice and cumin. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cover and simmeer for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into chile. Add cooked chicken. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened.

*When cutting and seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands, or do like I do and let your husband do it. Leaving the seeds in, gives a much spicier flavor if desired. Am going to post a great bread to go along with this chile. A great combo