Simple Yet Scrumptious

This is one of those one dish meals.  I love those!  Just throw it all in together and you're set.  It's also one of those meals that doesn't really follow a recipe.  If you are the type of cook that has to follow a recipe....don't worry.  This one is so easy anyone could make it.

1 Hillshire Farm ring sausage (I tend to like the spicier - you can also choose the turkey or lower fat options)
3-4 potatoes
2 cans green beans (un-drained)

First, cut the sausage into about 1-inch pieces. Throw them in a frying pan to start browning them a bit.  Next wash and slice the potatoes and throw them in the pan too.  Next put in both cans of green beans with the liquid.  Here's where I add a little salt and lots and lots of pepper.  Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes...just until the potatoes are tender.  Uncover and turn the heat back up and let the remaining liquid evaporate. The starch from the potatoes will thicken the liquid a bit.  Enjoy!!!

It's not a pretty meal, but is one of those hearty yet healthy stick-to-your-ribs meals.

Cookies!

I made these cookies yesterday and they turned out absolutely scrumptious!  They are the best sugar cookies I've ever tasted!  I also made a butter cream frosting and that didn't hurt them either.

I took plates to my neighbors.  It had been awhile since I had made the rounds.  I met one that I had never met before, so that was an added blessing.  Please pray for me as I seek for opportunities to get to know them better.  They have been a blessing to me and I hope to be so to them as well.

So anyway, you need to make these cookies.  They are amazing!

It's A Winner!

I just want to start off this post by letting you know this is a recipe from my friend, Judy. Here's an important piece of advice.  Any time I give you a Judy recipe you HAVE to make it. If you don't, you'll regret denying your taste buds. Just saying. She really is the best baker I know. She's the bookkeepr at the camp and I miss getting all her yummy treats on a weekly basis.  My waist is probably a little better off though.

 Here's a picture of her too! I'm sure she'll be really happy that I put this on the internet.

And it's her Birthday this week!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY FRIEND!!!!

So anyway...without further adieu, here it is. One of my favorites from Judy.

Vanilla Chip Maple Cookies

1 c. shortening
3 c. flour
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
 2 t. baking soda
2 c. packed brown sugar
 2 c. vanilla or white chips
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 t. vanilla
1 t. maple flavoring

Cream shortening, butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and maple flavoring. Combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla chips and pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing.

Frosting:
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 t. maple flavoring
4-6 T. milk
1 1/2 c. pecan halves

Cream butter and powdered sugar. Beat in maple flavoring and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. Top each with a pecan half.

Who Wants One?

Blogging has become difficult at home. I'm not going to go into details, but let's just say my computer isn't cooperating.

There are many updates on the house and I have some pictures I want to post soon. Just to tide you over, I thought I'd show you what I did today.

Anybody want one?

These bad boys are going to the office on Monday morning. If you want one stop in at Hometown Insurance, we might save you one. Otherwise visit this link to make them for yourself.

Tradition

Tra-di-tionnnnn...Tra-di-tion..da...da...da...da...Tra-di-tion. Sorry, that word just makes me think of Fiddler on the Roof. I got a little carried away.

So anyway when we would visit my grandparents (mom's parents), my grandma always made waffles. She made them because my dad absolutely loved them. She spoiled him rotten. He still talks about your waffles and how much he loved them.

I woke up Christmas and had an epiphany. I should make Dad waffles! I asked my Aunt Donna if she had the recipe and lo and behold there it was. So we whipped em' up and surprised Dad. Well technically, we all enjoyed them.

Here's the recipe:

Grandma Wirth's Waffles
1 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted shortening
2 beaten egg yolks
2 beaten egg whites

Sift flour and other dry ingredients. combine yolks, milk, melted shortening and add to flour. Stir to mix. DO NOT BEAT! Beat egg whites until they form peaks. Fold into mixture. Add an extra egg when doubling the recipe.

The Pioneer Woman in West Chester, PA

I'm in Pennsylvania visiting Bekah and part of our plans were to meet The Pioneer Woman at her book signing in West Chester, PA on Sunday afternoon. We got there, had lunch and stood in the large crowd to meet her. As it turns out, you needed a number to have your books signed, and we didn't get a number till after her Q & A. The numbers they were handing out were for up to two people and we were number 257, so you can imagine how long we had to wait. It was such a fun day though. We met some really nice people and just had a nice time chatting with other fans.

Two of the ladies we met were sisters and they forgot their camera. Well, they got in line much earlier than we did, so I sent my camera with them and told them I'd email their pictures. They brought the camera back and told me that it was obvious I wasn't from around the area or I would have never sent them with my camera. We had a good laugh about that.

Finally at about 6:00 (started at 2:30), we were able to get in line to have Ree sign our books. Bekah asked if she would talk to Amy on the phone (a missionary in South Africa). Amy enjoyed being able to say hi to her even though Bekah woke her up to do it.

Ree told us we were mean. Can you believe it? She also said she liked it. I guess it had to a little to do with Bekah telling me I couldn't get my picture taken with her because the camera batteries died. Then Bekah had her sign my book saying "Eat Up! Bekah's gonna win!" See, Bekah sees everything as a competition and wants to beat me in losing weight. She's been trying to stuff donuts down my throat this entire trip! (Okay maybe not.)

So enjoy the pictures. We had a great time!!!


Here is Ree during the Q & A.

Here we are waiting to have our books signed.

In this picture, she is talking to Amy in South Africa.

And here we are!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!!!!!

I promise you these are the best chocolate chip cookies you will ever taste. This is Judy's recipe and she is the best baker. So I hope you enjoy these as much as everyone else at camp does. These are going to my Jr. Girl's Class tomorrow night.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups chocolate chips

Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, baking soda and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.

Just try to resist taking a bite while they are warm. Mmmmmm.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these recipes for our retreat this weekend. They are so good, so I thought I would share them with you.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2/3 cup sunflower seed oil (I just used vegetable oil)
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with muffin cups.

In a medium bowl blend the banana, oil, egg and vanilla together.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in the banana mixture until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.Maple Snack Mix
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup pancake syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 cups cinnamon Life Cereal
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter and syrup in 9 x 13 pan. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Stir till melted. Mix in cereal and nuts till coated. Bake 1 hour / stirring every 20 minutes. Spread on cookie sheet to cool. Store in air tight container.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product and there were no leftovers. You will just have to trust me that this is yummy. It got this recipe from my college friend, Roxanna. Thanks for the great one, Roxi!

Olive Cheese Bread

I made this recipe over Christmas and wanted to post it then, but forget to take pictures of the finished product. Well, made it again last night for company and once again forgot to take pictures. It was a hit both times, so here's the recipe and I hope you make it because it's fabulous!

Olive Cheese Bread

1 can black olives

1 jar green olives

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup mayo

1 clove minced garlic

parsley

1 loaf french bread

Chop up the olives and mix all the ingredients together. Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise. Spread mixture on bread and bake at 325 for 25 minutes. I also broiled the top a bit to brown the cheese more. Cut into slices and serve.

I made two whole loaves last night and one of them didn't have olives. It was good too and went over just as well.

Here are the two pictures that I did take over Christmas.

Mmm. Look at all that yummy stuff. A couple of my guests last night don't like olives, but they still liked the bread. I was surprised, but glad they liked it.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product. You'll just have to trust me that it's wonderful! I would also recommend putting foil on the bottom of the pan so the cheese that runs off doesn't get crusted on the pan. (This was a side note from the girl that hates washing dishes. Which reminds me...I better get to it. I went to bed instead of washing them last night. )

Baking Extravaganza!

Warning!!! Major baking and recipes ahead. This post is not for those who are weak at heart when it comes to the kitchen. Proceed with caution. I even brought my Kitchen Aid mixer with me, so you know this is serious business.

I would like to introduce you to my lovely assistant, otherwise known as Mom. Okay, so she taught my all I know. It was so much fun to spend this time with her.

Recipe #1 - Berry Shortbread Dreams (and they are a dream)

(This picture is before they were glazed.)

1 cup butter softened (no substitutes)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (or whatever flavor you choose...we used peach as well)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp. water
1/2 ts. almond extract

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in extract; gradually add flour until dough forms a ball. If not easy to handle, cover and refrigerate for a short time. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Make an indention in the center. Fill with jam. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to cool. Spoon additional jam into cookies if desired. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cookies. Allow glaze to harden some before stacking cookies.

This recipe is compliments of my friend, Judy Callaway. She is an amazing baker!!!!

Recipe #2 - Ginger Sugar Cookies (my favorite)

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream sugar and shortening. Mix in egg and molasses well. Blend in flour mixture till dough is completely moist. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Bake at 350 only 10 minutes. Cool before removing.

This recipe is from Great Grandma Wirth. I never met her, but her recipes are fantastic.

Recipe #3 - Monster Cookies (just because they sounded yummy)

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. corn syrup
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
2/3 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup M & M's

Mix all ingredients. Drop by ice cream scoop and flatten. They don't spread very much. Bake at 350 12 minutes.

Recipe #4 - Chocolate Shadows

There is no picture because I haven't made them yet. This is the next cookie on my agenda.

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Melt chocolate chips and keep separate. Mix all other ingredients. Marble the melted chips through the batter, do not mix in. Form into 1 inch balls. Flatten with glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes until golden brown. Cool before removing from baking sheet.

This was Grandma Wirth's recipe.

Project #5 - Birthday Cake for Jesus

I have the cake and frosting made and I'm going to decorate it tomorrow. I'll make sure to take some pictures and post them.

I hope you enjoyed my little baking extravaganza! I'm having a great time on vacation. I have so enjoyed having a relaxed schedule. It's nice to get up, exercise, get ready, do my devos and then bake till my heart is content. We've been making my dad watch those sappy Hallmark movies with us at night. Poor Dad, but he loves us.

I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas Season. God is so good!

Fruit Salsa

You guys are going to love this one. I made it this morning/afternoon - who really knows what time it was. I was still in my PJ's, but of course I didn't take my shower until 5:00 and then I just put fresh PJ's on. But you don't want to know about that. (I did get my apartment cleaned an my living room rearranged.)

Here is the cast: mangoes, fresh pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, lemon juice and sugar. I made this at my parents' a few weekends ago and their store didn't have mangoes, so we substituted peaches. It was still really yummy.

Chop it all up and mix it together.

So what do you eat it with? Take a stack of fajita tortillas and cut them in six.

Heat some oil on the stove and mix up some cinnamon and sugar. (Please ignore the pile of stuff on my counter top. I was going to work on that after I was done cooking, but it's still there. I guess I worked on the more important stuff...once again...I better get back on target.)

Fry up those tortillas and then cover them with the cinnamon and sugar.

Here they are! Ready to dive into that fruit salsa!

Here is the recipe. It makes a really big batch, so I just made a half batch today.

Fruit Salsa
3 mangoes
1 pint strawberries
1 fresh pineapple
2 10 oz. cans mandarin oranges
8 kiwi
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T. sugar

Mix and serve.

Amazing Chocolate Cake!

You guys are going to love this recipe! I was watching the Food Network one weekend at my parents' and saw Tyler Florence make this. I had to try it. Well, here it is! You can find the recipe here, so I don't have to type it all out. Yes, I'm lazy. I made this for Judy's Birthday a few weeks ago. Yum!

Another Mmmm Good Recipe

The camp hosted the area pastors' fellowship today. We always invite them out for a picnic in the spring. I made a really good salad that I thought some of you would enjoy. Sorry there won't be any pictures. I left my camera in a friend's car.

Pretzel Salad
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
8 oz. cool whip
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
20 oz. can crushed pineapple

Soften cream cheese. Mix in 1/3 cup of sugar. Add drained pineapple. Fold in cool whip. Melt butter. Add 1/2 cup sugar. Mix in crushed pretzels. Spread out on cookie sheet. Bake at 250° for 5 minutes. Let cool - break up. Add pretzels just before serving.

I'm telling you...you have to go out and buy the ingredients right now and make this. You will thank me later.

Samantha and Another Mmmm Good Recipe

The daughter of the camp director, Samantha, stayed the night with me and we decided to make some cookies. She likes my grandma's Banana Nugget Cookies. I thought you might enjoy sharing the night with us.

Samantha had never used a hand blender before, so she enjoyed getting the bananas nice and smooth.

She did a great job measuring all of the ingredients. We got a really good laugh after she measured the shortening. I have the Pampered Chef measuring cup and she asked if she could make it "poop" the Crisco into the bowl.

She got to use one of my most prized possessions. Yes, I'm in love with my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Let's scoop those babies onto the cookie sheet. I know this cookie sheet looks awful, but it's my favorite. I absolutely hate air bake cookies sheets.

Ready to bake....I can just smell them.

We played Hand & Foot while we waited. We won't mention who won. Okay, I'll be a good sport. She cleaned my clock.

Oh boy...where's the milk?

Here's the milk. Let's try these cookies out.

And the judges say...

These cookies are a winner!!!!! Now, why don't you give them a try.

Banana Nugget Cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips (I put in the whole bag)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup banana

Mix wet ingredients and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I eat these for breakfast with a glass of milk.

Mmmm Good Recipe

I went to a friend's for supper last Saturday and she made this delicious dish. It was so good that I had to make it myself. I can't remember what she called it, but I call it yummy.

Start by browning one pound of ground beef. Drain off the grease and add one packet of taco mix (don't add the water). Then add one can of chili beans with the sauce and one can of stewed tomatoes. (I'm not a big fan of chunks of tomato, so I pureed mine.) If you want to add a little zing, put in a can of chopped green chilies.

Ready for the next step?

Crunch up some tortilla chips and put them on the bottom of your plate. Ready? Here it comes...

Go ahead...load on some of the good stuff.

Now here is where you get creative. I'm one of those picky eaters, so I just put on some lettuce, black olives and cheese. But that doesn't mean you can't add whatever you want.

Here's the final product. Dig in and enjoy! It's a great twist if you are tired of regular tacos.

Once Again, Another Mmmmm Good Recipe

My friend, Kari, is coming to visit this weekend. This means I get to cook!!!! She arrives today, so I have this yummy soup on the stove ready for her when she gets here. I know you guys will love it too.

This recipe is compliments of my friend, Mary.


Wild Rice Soup
1 T. Oil
1/2 c. shredded carrots
8 oz. cubed ham
1 6 oz. box long grain and wild rice mix (Uncle Ben's fast cook)
2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz)
Onion flakes--a couple shakes
2 cans evap. milk
2 T corn starch
Sm. pkg. sliced almonds

Heat oil in kettle. Add carrots, ham, rice w/seasoning packet, onion flakes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. When rice is ready add evaporated milk (mix the corn starch in with a little of the evap. milk and add it too.) Add almonds. I usually add regular milk to this because I don't like it this thick. Enjoy.