Really outrageous recipe

October 8th was Fluffernutter Day. It is a New England sandwich that combines creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on white bread. I have never eaten one but since I don't like that all-American kid's favorite peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, I'm not really tempted.

The Parade Magazine article gave the following recipe for a "gourmet" Fluffernutter sandwich.

On sliced brioche, challah or white bread, layer peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and thin banana slices. Close the sandwich and dust with white flour. Soak in 2 beaten eggs and coat with 1/2 cup panko. Then fry in vegetable oil until both sides are golden brown. Sprinkle salt on top and eat.

Although this sandwich would be way over the top, I must admit I'm a big fan of the ingredients. I have a toasted English muffin with peanut butter every day with my oatmeal for breakfast. I love peanut butter in all kinds of foods.

What's your favorite breakfast?

Sunday Afternoon

It was an exceptionally quiet Sunday afternoon today. My roommate Sue had to pick up a book over at the Roseville Library so I tagged along.

My daughter gave me a bunch of fresh tomatoes from her garden. I want to make some Tomato Dumpling soup like I used to get at a now-defunct restaurant. I have been looking for a recipe for that delicious soup and I hoped to find one in a cookbook since I can't find anything online.

It turned out that everybody was at the library! The huge parking lot was packed and every computer was occupied. This is the city's new "new age" library and it is spacious, bright and as charming as a warehouse. There is nothing that invites you to linger. 

             (This is just the lower level of computers!)

I had no luck finding my recipe, I'm just going to have to "wing-it" to make the soup and dumplings. I can't find a recipe anywhere that comes close to what I'm trying to find. I'll let you know how it turns out!

The English are picking rhubarb!

Elaine at Pear Tree Log already has rhubarb in Lincolnshire.. It will probably be a month before we see any growing around here. But, just to be friendly, I'm sharing some of my favorites from my family cookbook.

A page from my family cookbook

(Back in the Seventies)

Wheaties Cherry Winks

This is a Christmas cookie I remember from my childhood. My mom made them because my dad was nuts about cherries.

Wheaties Cherry Winks Cookies
2-1/4 c flour                1 t baking powder
3/4 c butter                 1/2 t soda
2 eggs                         1/2 t salt
1 c sugar                     1 t vanilla
2 T milk                       1/3 c maraschino cherries   
1 c chopped nuts         Candied cherries
        1-1/2 c crushed Wheaties cereal   

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and
sugar, then add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients,
add nuts and chopped maraschino cherries. Shape into balls and
roll them in the crushed cereal. Drop on a greased cookie sheet
and press 1/4 of a candied cherry in the center. Bake 12 to 15
minutes at 350 degrees.

                                                              

Are you hungry for lemon bars?

This morning, I was reading my friend and fellow blogger, Pearl's blog ( http://pearl-whyyoulittle.blogspot.com/) and she mentioned Lemon Bars. I immediately had an intense yearning for a lemon bar. I haven't had one in years. I used to make them often but somehow forgot about how good they are. The mention of them set off a loud ping in my brain and now I have to make some!

RECIPE

2 c flour           1/2 c powdered sugar      1/2 c butter
Mix together and press firmly into 9 x 13 pan. Bake 20 minutes.

Combine in a bowl:
4 beaten eggs   1/3 c lemon juice              2 c sugar
1 T flour                       1 t baking powder
Mix together until frothy, pour over baked crust and return to oven for 25 minutes.
Cool and cut in squares. Sprinkle with powered sugar, if desired.

On the same old topic

I have been trying to eat only healthful foods and stay away from my major downfall--carbs. So, what happens but a neighbor stops by with a loaf of cinnamon bread (delicious) and my daughter brings a big tray of nuts and dried fruits (really good). Every time I turn around somebody is seducing me into eating stuff I shouldn't. I have to keep a very tight grip on what foods are around because if I see I will eat it!

I'm know I'm pathetic (but I try to think of it as an "eating disorder").

So anyway, here is a quick and easy low-fat soup recipe that I make from time to time:

BEST BEAN SOUP
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can fat-free broth
1 can diced tomatoes, any flavor
Combine in a saucepan over medium heat.

You can embellish the recipe with other canned veggies to make a heartier soup.

No yolk?

I got a notion to make some homemade vanilla pudding (I don't have a pudding mix on hand right now) because I have some nice bananas plus an abundance of milk in the fridge. A banana cream pie would be so nice for Sunday supper.

So, I go online to look for vanilla pudding recipes. I find lots of them but they're just milk, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. That confuses me because I thought it had to have egg yolks in it. Or, is that just lemon pudding?

Well, I'm going to give the yolk-less vanilla pudding recipe a try and hope it's not too bland.

Having a Halloween Party? You simply MUST serve Kitty Litter Cake!

OK, I know the idea seems outrageous, but I found the recipe in the paper several years ago and passed it around at work. Everybody got a big bang out of it. So, at the risk of offending someone, here is the recipe:

KITTY LITTER CAKE

1 Box spice cake mix
1 Box white cake mix
2 small pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 12-oz pkg vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
6 to 10 regular-size Tootsie Rolls
Powdered sugar
Green food coloring
Method:
Prepare 2 cakes and pudding according to package directions. When cooled, crumble cakes into a brand new kitty litter pan. Then add the pudding and mix. Take 1 cup of the cookie crumbs and add a few drops of green food coloring and set aside. Mix the remaining cookie crumbs into the pan. Next, soften the Tootsie Rolls in the microwave for 10 seconds and shape to resemble droppings. Arrange them on top of the litter pan and sprinkle with the green cookie crumbs. Then sprinkle on a little powdered sugar. Serve with a brand new pooper scooper.
Serves 20 to 24.

(I've never made this myself, but with all that good stuff in it, how could it be bad!)

Tater Tot Hotdish

Feast your eyes on the Queen of Minnesota
comfort foods:
the Tater Tot Hotdish!


This is the mainstay of church suppers, social events and potlucks.

We had been wanting make a tater tot hotdish for a while, but it's such a big recipe that we waited til we had more people around to eat it. (While it may be great stuff when it comes out of the oven, it's not that great when reheated.)

My granddaughter is now attending a university in St Paul and she's often "crashing" here instead of fighting freeway traffic. So last night, we invited the neighbors over for supper . When the five of us we sat down to eat, Pat, (who is a native Minnesotan and fifty years old ) informed us he had never eaten Tater Tot Hotdish before.

Incredible! Unbelievable! Well... We sat that guy down and served him up some hotdish, and boy-oh-boy, did he love it!

So, just in case any of you have been gastronomically deprived of this delightful repast, here is the recipe:

TATER TOT HOTDISH

1. Brown 2 lbs hamburger with 1 c chopped onions and drain.
2. Add 2 cans undiluted cream soups (mushroom, chicken, celery)
3. Mix in a 10-oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
4. Combine and spread in a 9 x 13 pan or large casserole
5. Spread a 2-lb bag of Tator Tots over the top
6. Bake uncovered at 375 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until the Tater Tots are brown and crunchy on top.

You'll thank me later!

Apple Cake Recipe

Since it's apple harvest season, I'm printing my mom's recipe for this wonderful apple cake. It's so good that I make it for company or on special occasions.

RAW APPLE CAKE

2 c white sugar.......................................3 c flour

4 eggs......................................................1 c butter

1 c cold coffee.........................................1/2 t cloves

1 c dark or golden raisins.....................1 c walnuts

3 c raw pie apples, peeled and chopped fine

Cream butter and sugar together and add eggs. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the cold coffee. Stir in the apples, raisins and nuts and mix well. Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan at 350 for an hour or until it's done in the center. You can serve it with Cool Whip, caramel syrup or frost it with:

Speedy Caramel Frosting:

1/4 c butter............................1/2 c brown sugar

4 T milk..................................1/2 t vanilla

1-1/2 c sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan and add brown sugar. Cook for 2 min stirring constantly. Add milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth--add more milk if necessary. Spread on cake quickly as frosting hardens as it cools.

Peachy time

Last weekend, we had our annual family birthday party. It's a big affair because we celebrate a total of seven summer birthdays at once. Since my three daughters are all good cooks, we wind up with a wonderful spread and eat a lot.

My daughter, Cindy brought this fresh peach dessert. It was so good that I made it for my writer's group on Friday. Everybody raved about it, so in the spirit of sharing, here it is:

FRESH PEACH PIE (double the recipe for 9 x 13 pan)
Crust:
1 c flour...1 stick of softened butter...1/4 c powdered sugar
Mix until crumbly and pat in pie pan, bake 15 min & cool.
Topping:
1/4 c water...3 T cornstarch...1 c sugar
2 T butter...1 c fresh peaches, peeled and mashed
Method:
Combine water, cornstarch, sugar and mashed peaches into sauce pan and cook stirring constantly. Boil for a full minute til thick. Add the butter and cool. Peel and slice 3 cups of peaches and spread over the crust and pour cooked filled over covering all the peaches.

This is the nicest thing you can do with peaches! Enjoy.

It's a good day for baking

When I was a kid and we had to play indoors on a rainy day, my mom used to say, "Well, it's a good day for baking," Then we'd get busy in the kitchen making cookies, or we'd stir up a buttermilk chocolate cake from scratch. The warm oven and activity would soon warm up the kitchen and tempt us with lovely smells. Plus, the payoff was great!

Today is a cold, rainy day and by golly, if it didn't put me in the mood to bake some cookies! I'm a big fan of crunchy cookies--I always say, "Crunch is everything!"

Here, dear friends, is a fabulous Crunchy Cookies recipe to die for:

1 c soft butter........1 c sugar........1 c brown sugar, packed

1 c vegetable oil.....1 t soda..........1 egg (that's correct)

1 t cr of tartar........1/2 t salt............1 t vanilla

3 c flour..................1 c Rice Krispies...1 c quick oatmeal

1 c choc chips.........1 c coconut.........chopped nuts

Method:
Combine butter, sugars and oil. Beat in the egg and add soda, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla.Beat well, then add flour and beat again. Stir in oatmeal, rice cereal, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Dough will be very stiff. Drop by rounded spoonfuls 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 until brown. Large recipe--makes plenty cookies to share.

Pic-a-nic time

Here's my recipe for potato salad. Everybody says it's really good (although I suspect they say that so I'll be flattered into bringing it). It's time-consuming but lasts several days in the refrigerator--and even tastes better with time.

MY POTATO SALAD

5 lbs cooked, diced potatoes (I prefer Yukon Golds or Red Pontiacs)

2 to 3 bunches green onions, chopped

2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped

6 to 8 hard-boiled eggs

3 or 4 c Miracle Whip

1/3 cup each vinegar, yellow mustard and sugar

1 t salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and boil potatoes in salted water till done and cool completely. Finely chop onions and celery and combine with diced potatoes in a large bowl.

Peel boiled eggs and cool completely. Place egg whites on a plate and egg yolks in a medium-size bowl. Chop or mash the whites and combine with potatoes.

Mash yolks with a fork in the bowl and add vinegar, mustard & sugar, salt & pepper and the Miracle Whip (not mayo). Stir together and refrigerate.

(I often add the chopped onions and celery to the diced potatoes the night before so the flavors combine. Then I boil the eggs and add the rest the following day.) This recipe feeds my whole family with leftovers.

The Tres Leches cake

Well, the cake turned out OK. It had a soggy bottom (which I really didn't care for) but Samantha loved it. I topped it with a layer of Cool Whip and decorated it with upright slices of dried mango. They were like little sails in a sea of white waves.

The recipe that I got online is: Bake yellow cake mix (with pudding in mix) according to package directions in a 9 x 13 pan.

1. Cool cake and poke holes with a forks all over.

2. Combine 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can condensed milk and 1 cup heavy cream.

3. Pour mixture over cake and let it absorb completely overnight in fridge.

4. Before serving, cover with Cool Whip or whipped cream.

5. Sprinkle with coconut or fruit.

We have a bunch of birthdays coming up this summer. I'll have to find a new recipe to try.

Any suggestions?

Birthday cake

I got busy running errands and almost forgot to post today. I am going to make a Tres Leches cake for the first time and had to get the stuff. I'm cheating by using a yellow cake mix and then swamping it with evaporated milk, condensed milk and whipping cream. It seems like it would get awfully soggy but I'll find out tomorrow when we go to cut it.

It's my granddaughter Samantha's 19th birthday tomorrow and it always works out so celebrate on Mother's Day. She doesn't have a favorite cake so I thought I'd try the "Three Milk" cake.

My favorite birthday cake has been the same since I was a kid. It's white cake with lemon pudding filling and fluffy icing. It is sheer heaven! A lot of people don't seem to have a favorite cake which is kinda sad.

I like to experiment with different kinds of cakes for people's birthdays. Several years ago, I made a Lady Baltimore cake for my son's birthday. It was very good. However, the following year I made him a birthday cake and put too much dry Kool Aid in it for flavoring and it was awful! I still owe him for that one.

Another year, I made a chocolate ganache cake for my housemate. It was extraordinarily rich and gooey. Everybody loved it. But, it was a lot of work and I only made it once.

So, what is your favorite birthday cake? I'd really like to know.

Have a cookie

My eldest daughter, Cindy called me this morning on her way home from work. She said it was 33 below zero up north by Fergus Falls. I told her it's only 16 below here in St Paul. Truth is, it's the nastiest winter in years.

It's a darn good thing we're Minnesotans, I tell yah! We take such beastly weather in stride with secret pride. We learn that at our mother's knee that such petty hardships are OK to comment on, but then you get on with your life.

This is good weather to stay in and bake cookies. The heat from the oven warms up the house and the activity lifts your spirits. So here's a recipe in case you feel like doing that:


OATMEAL SCOTCHIES
2 c flour 1-1/2 c brown sugar
1 c softened butter 2 eggs
1 t soda 1 t salt
2 t baking powder 1-1/2 c quick oatmeal
12-oz bag of butterscotch chips
Combine butter & sugar, add eggs and beat till
creamy. Add flour, BP, soda & salt, then add
oatmeal and chips. Drop by spoonfuls on a
greased cookie sheet & bake at 375 10-12 min.

Thanksgiving looms large on the calendar

Yes, it's only five days until Thanksgiving--that annual orgy of cooking and baking. This is the meal where you assemble your loved ones around the table and they eat in twenty minutes the food you labored over for hours and hours. And, I always enjoy it.

The menu has not changed much since I was a kid--we're very traditional.
We have Roast turkey and stuffing (Pepperidge Farm)
Salmon for the vegetarians
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Green bean casserole (Classic recipe)
Sweet potato & apple casserole (Recipe below)
Jellied cranberries (Canned)
Dinner Rolls and butter
Relish tray
Pumpkin pie and Cool Whip

Here is my recipe:
3 large peeled and cooked sweet potatoes
OR 2 large cans sweet potatoes
3 medium apples (I use golden delicious)
2 c apple juice
1/2 c brown sugar (optional)
3 T cornstarch

Peel and slice apples and then slice sweet potatoes to uniform size. Alternate layers of each in a casserole dish starting and ending with the sweet potatoes.

Take 1-1/2 of the 2 cups of apple juice and put in small saucepan. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/2 cup of juice and stir till dissolved. Bring the juice to a boil and stir in cornstarch mixture till it's thick and smooth. (Add more juice if it's too thick.) Add sugar, if desired.

Pour the apple juice mixture over the casserole and settle. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. This can be made ahead of time and reheated. This is a no-fat recipe.