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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Munchable Mice

No haunted house would be complete without scurrying mice. We've caught a few to serve to our guests! - Gooseberry Patch Blog




Munchable Mice
a few changes, original recipe from Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook

6 oz pkg melting chocolate
24 Maraschino Cherries with stems, well drained
24 milk chocolate Hershey Kisses
48 almond slices
Candy Eye Balls (from a cake store)

Melt chocolate in microwave, in 30 second increments (and do a little at a time so it doesn't start to harden to quickly). To make each mouse, hold cherry by the stem and dip into melted chocolate mixture. Set on wax paper; press a chocolate drop onto opposite side of cherry from stem. For ears, insert 2 almond slices between cherry and chocolate drop. Using a toothpick dip in melted chocolate and then place the eye ball on the mice using the melted chocolate as your glue. Cover; keep refrigerated. Makes 2 dozen.

This recipe post is linked to: Cookbook Sundays

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pumpkin Stew


I made Pumpkin Stew for dinner (a few days before Halloween, because I wanted to share it with all of my readers so that you would have a chance to make it for Halloween this year)! I hope you give it a try, its a great no fuss recipe that will cook while you are out trick-or-treating!

This is a little story from my Aunt Dee Dee she is the one who shared this recipe with me.
"Just a little history behind this Pumpkin Stew. I first made it in approx 1987, times were hard back then, and I wanted to try something different. I didn't have the money to go out and buy much, but I did have alot of leftovers in the refrigerator. I had heard that you can cut up pumpkins and make a type of squash, but I wanted to try cooking it in the oven, so I took all the leftovers out of the refrigerator, I had rice, corn, hamburger, beans, spaghetti sauce, macaroni etc. I just threw it all in the cleaned out pumpkin, then took the kids out trick or treating while it was "heating" up in the oven. When we came back about 3 hours later, the house smelled sooooooo good, we were cold and wet from the rain, and the miss match concoction in the pumpkin just worked so well and warmed our tummies. And it makes a great centerpiece to serve out of. Enjoy"

I originally added this recipe in my first scrapbook/cookbook and just recently on facebook all of my family started talking about it and sharing the recipe once again, so I thought it would be a great idea to share it with all of you too!

Below is my Aunt Dee Dee's recipe: (along with two BONUS recipes from my scrapbook/cookbook)


Friday, October 29, 2010

G'ma Goulash

Friday on MOMS CRAZY COOKING is Recipe ONLY!
Enjoy this recipe from my childhood!
Our favorite spaghetti sauce recipe!

This link is also posted to: Tuesday Night Supper Club, Family Food Fridays and Home and Family Fridays

Don't forget to come back Monday, November 1, 2010 for our first week of  THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS where we will be sharing and linking up recipes for the BLOG HOP PARTY we are hosting.... this weeks recipes will all be PUMPKIN related!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Caramel Apple Nachos

I have a HUGE love for caramel apples, so when I read this recipe in one of my favorite magazines Taste of Home, I just had to try it! I will say that this is so much easier then making traditional caramel apples (as for replacing one for the other, not there yet, I just love a good ole' fashion caramel apple), but these are a good alternative that can be shared with the whole family!! As I would not normally share my caramel apple with them. So, if you want to make this for a party, gathering or even a potluck, these were very yummy and would make a great holiday dish! ENJOY!

Caramel Apple Nachos

36 caramels (we used block of caramel from cake store)
1 tablespoon water
30 large marshmallows
1/3 cup butter, cubed
4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts (used walnuts, because of peanut allergy)
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles (doesn't need these, but go for it if you want)

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until smooth. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter. Arrange apple slices on a large platter. Drizzle with caramel; top with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Serve immediately. 


We have now officially run out of all of our hand picked apples from Oak Glen.
I can't wait to go back next year (we might have to get 2 crates).
Click below to see many of the Apple Recipes we made! I guess it's time to buy store bought. ;-(


This post is also linked to: Transformation ThursdaysTry New Adventures Thursday, Food on Fridays, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Friday Potluck, Follow Me Friday, Hop Along Friday and The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Coming soon a BRAND NEW BLOG PARTY hosted by FROM MY TINY KITCHENDELIGHTFUL COUNTRY COOKIN' and me MOMS CRAZY COOKING, starts on Monday November 1, 2010 and will be a weekly Blog Hop Party every Monday that will feature a specific theme of recipes. We are so excited to get this started, so please come back and check out this new Blog Party and Link up your recipes!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

Another Thank You and shout out to Gooseberry Patch Blog, I am loving my new cookbook!
This recipe is alot like my MOM'S POTATOES, but the taste is very very different!


Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY: You can be a WINNER to at Gooseberry Patch, enter to win a $200 gift certificate here (be sure to add my email address tinahudgens@aol.com for referring you and we BOTH have a chance to win!) ends TODAY, October 26, 2010.

We had a very busy day yesterday, daughter's doctor appt, measuring for Kids Halloween Costumes, Target shopping and just normal MOM stuff! Good thing I knew EXACTLY what I was making thanks to my Family Meal Planning. So, let me just tell you this is how things work around my house. I had "a plan" for Monday: Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes for Breakfast, Chicken Salad for Lunch and Parmesan Chicken for Dinner. Morning was crazy (kids fended for themselves for breakfast, lunch went perfect (the chicken salad was already made the day before), and dinner was Parmesan Chicken (recipe coming soon) and well since I had everything ready for the Cheesy Hashbrown potatoes we just added that to our dinner and everyone was HAPPY! And when everyone is HAPPY, mama is HAPPY! It was a great night!

Then this morning look below for what I made with the left-over chessy hashbrown potatoes; a Yummy Breakfast Burrito.



Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
from Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook

24 oz pkg frozen diced potatoes
2 cup shredded Colby Cheese
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 cup half-and-half or milk
1/2 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Garnish: crisply cooked and crumbled bacon

Combine frozen potatoes, cheese and onion in a large bowl; set aside. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; stir into potato mixture until well blended. Spoon into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 45 to 60 minutes. Garnish with bacon, if desired. Serves 8 to 10.


Breakfast Burrito
1-2 cups of left-over hashbrown potatoes
4 eggs, whisk together
1 tbsp butter
1 tsbp salsa
 1-3 tortilla

Add 1 tbsp of butter to hot skillet before adding in left-over potatoes. Stir in potatoes to get them heating and adding a little crunch to them. Whisk together in a separate bowl 4 eggs (no need to add milk or anything else). Add the eggs into the skillet with the hashbrown mix. Continue to scramble together (just like you would make normal scramble eggs). Eggs will cook, mixture will blend together and mix very well. Add in a tbsp of your favorite salsa and roll into a tortilla for a quick, easy and yummy breakfast!

Monday, October 25, 2010

FAMILY MEAL PLANNING (10-25-10)

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning!

We are back on track and picking our recipes and planning our week's meals. I am excited this week as I continue to cook through Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook. You will see a recipe a day from that cookbook plus a VERY SPECIAL Halloween dinner cooked in a PUMPKIN: PUMPKIN Stew (I will be doing this one night this week and posting pictures, so that if you choose you can do this recipe on Halloween night)! ENJOY!
 

Check back at the end of the week and we will link the actual recipe!
(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

G'mas Chicken Salad
Blueberry Pancakes
Sweet Potato Skins
Vanilla Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Another delicious recipe from my new cookbook Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook that I won from the Gooseberry Patch Blog.

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS: You can be a WINNER to at Gooseberry Patch, enter to win a $200 gift certificate here (be sure to add my email address tinahudgens@aol.com for referring you and we BOTH have a chance to win!) ends October 26, 2010.

This is so much fun baking out of one cookbook for 10 days straight and I am excited to bring you all these fun Halloween recipes! Today is Sunday and if I am home on a Sunday, I am always in my kitchen doing something. I stocked up on pre-making dinners and desserts for the week. I am also excited about all the things I made today, and of course I will be sharing all those recipes with you too! So, make sure you check back this for Homemade Lasagna, Sloppy Joes, Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies and now for recipe #3 of the 10 recipes I will be sharing from Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook; Pumpkin Ice Cream.

Today I made this delicious Ice Cream to bring to a Halloween party on Sunday (I love doing things early, so I never get stressed out or run out of time), this is such an easy "cheat" recipe, it just starts with vanilla ice cream, read, try and enjoy. I hope they like the ice cream as much as I did today! (the little taste I snuck while making it)
Pumpkin Ice Cream

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp orange juice

Place ice cream in a large bowl; set aside to soften. Mix remaining ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed; blend in ice cream. Cover and freeze. Serve as needed.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Forbidden & Fermented on Toast

Here is your 2nd recipe from Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook: Forbidden & Fermented on Toast. These were very tasty and would be perfect for an appetizer for any Halloween Bash.



Forbidden & Fermented on Toast

1 baguette, cut into 1/4" thick slices
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butter, melted
13.2 oz pkg Brie cheese, thinly sliced
2-3 Granny Smith or Braeburn apples (or whatever kind you like)

Arrange bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet; bake at 350 until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Mix together sugar, walnuts and butter. Top each slice of bread with a cheese slice, an apple slice and one tsp of the brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Halloween Chocolatey Pumpkin Cookies

I WON!!! I WON!!! I won a wonderful Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook! And of course I am sooooo excited! Thank you again to all the folks at Gooseberry Patch and now for the next 10 days (or so, ya know life happens)! I am planning on sharing 10 Gooseberry Patch Halloween Recipes! Are you ready for recipe #1. Chocolatey Pumpkin Cookies.

These cookies with their mild pumpkin flavor and hint of cinnamon came out just perfect. And if you over look the fact that we didn't include the Brown Sugar Glaze (but honestly they didn't need it and my little one would NOT of ate it if I had added the glaze). So, with or without the glaze these cookies were perfect. My husband even ate them (and he HATES pumpkin)!

Since it's still a week before Halloween and ALL of these cookies have disappeared, I think there will be another batch made very soon! We hope you try them too!

Chocolatey Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat sugar and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla, beating until well blended; set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl; gradually add to shortening mixture, beating well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by the tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bottoms are golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Drizzle cookies with Brown Sugar Glaze (if you desire).
Makes approx 2 dozen.

Brown Sugar Glaze
 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp milk
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Spice Cake with KIDS CRAZY COOKING

Scroll down to the bottom for my FIRST BLOG HOP PARTY: KIDS CRAZY COOKING. If you have a blog and have a post with a recipe from your kids and/or your kids cooking PLEASE link up (does NOT have to be a current post, just remember to please ADD A LINK BACK HERE) just any recipe you made with your kids. We would love for you to share it here at KIDS CRAZY COOKING Blog Hop Party. (if you don't have a blog, feel free to write a recipe in the comments). This way all the moms can read, blog hop and try lots of different recipes with their own kids (young kids or teenagers, doesn't matter)!

Photobucket

Good Ole' Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook came to the rescue when my little one was craving "SPICE CAKE". (yes, he is 11 years old, and informed me yesterday "Mom I am almost a teenager", but he is still my baby) He was begging "Mom, please make Spice Cake" and I told him only if he helped, of course he did (but not so willingly, he wanted me to just go in the kitchen and whip it up like I do everything else)! Last year on his 5th grade field trip to the Brig Pilgrim Field Trip he was on the "galley crew" and he learned a few things in the kitchen as they reenacted the days of long ago. In the kitchen on the over-night field trip he learned how to make Spice Cake and ever since then he has been talking about it.

I searched my cook books and not a ONE had a recipe for Spice Cake, until I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook "The New Cookbook". (so, the first assignment here is that if YOU have a spice cake recipe we would LOVE LOVE if you would share it with us.) We would LOVE to make another Spice Cake, since this one he said was just not quite the same. Good, none-the-less BUT not the same. (and HE; not me elected no frosting, he said they didn't use frosting on the ship, so he insisted NO frosting)

As we were mixing and pouring and using my fancy Kitchen Aid Blender to mix it all up, his comment was "this is NOT how we made it on the ship, we had to mix it by hand and I think it taste better when you mix by hand" and then as we were whisking the dry ingredients he says "we didn't use a one of these things (a whisk), all we had was a spoon" (I guess they were really reenacting the good'ole days before all these modern conveniences.)

My all time FAVORITE photo of this trip of my son.
"King of the Galley"
I will say my son and I had a great 15 minutes of bonding time in the kitchen, even with his funny faces and licking the batter. And the outcome of his Spice Cake was perfect!

Spice Cake
from Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile grease and lightly flour 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add in sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Alternating by adding in flour mixture and buttermilk; until well combined. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clear.


This post is linked to: Follow Me Friday, Inspiration Friday Party, Kids Cook Monday, Food on Fridays, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Friday Potluck , Family Friendly Fridays and Tasty Tuesday !

This is a KIDS CRAZY COOKING Blog Hop Party, please join in and link up a post with a recipe from your kids and/or your kids cooking. If you would like to add this BLOG PARTY to your own blog post, see below directions and get the code. (you can also grab my button for the KIDS CRAZY COOKING if you'd like, or just add a line LINKING BACK!) THANKS & ENJOY! 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Just got a 100% YES VOTE from all of my kids (and me too) that this will be the new sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! I have been carrying around this recipe for awhile, meaning to make it over and over again and tonight was the night, I finally just did it. It was awesome and not smothered in melted marshmallows like most sweet potato recipes and they were fresh and NOT from a can. I can NOT stand canned yams/sweet potatoes they taste so awful. But since I've been introduced to FRESH sweet potatoes I actually like them. You don't even want to know the first time I went to buy a FRESH sweet potato I had to call my aunt on the phone (I didn't even know what they looked like, talk about a girl raised on can food, that would be me).

Sweet Potatoes & Apples

5 medium sweet potatoes
5 medium tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini marshmallows (we added just a bit, not covered though)

Place sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. (If you do not have a Dutch Oven yet, like me (it's on my Christmas list this year! Just boil the potatoes in a sauce pan full of water on the stove top) Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20 minutes or just until tender. Drain sweet potatoes and cool slightly. Peel and cut into 1/4-in. slices. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer half of the apples and sweet potatoes. Repeat layers.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, cinnamon and salt. Pour over sweet potatoes and apples. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until apples are tender. 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Sharing Scrapbook Pages - October 2010

I just returned from my semi-annual moms scrapbooking weekend and I had a blast. We stayed up all night, talked and laughed until we couldn't talk anymore and it's just an all around awesome good time with friends and family who attend these weekends with me. I am so blessed to have these ladies in my life and I am happy to share with all of you some inspiration to help you work on your scrapbook pages!

I am a Creative Memories consultant (and have been for over 10 years); I just LOVE digital scrapbooking now and look forward to teaching many more people in the near future how to Digital Scrapbook with Storybook Creator Plus 3.0.

Enjoy the pages and if you have any questions feel free to contact me. Tina Hudgens








This post is linked to: It's a Blog Party!

Club Burger Sliders with Avocado-Ranch Dressing and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

WOW! These yummy little burgers were a hit with my family! We BBQ often living in Southern California almost any day is good for a BBQ day. The option of using white toast instead of a burger bun was a wonderful treat for a little something different.

My little one who does NOT like to eat anything different is hard to please (with mixing in the pureed cauliflower into his favorite mashed potatoes) is just one more way I can make sure he is eating healthy. (and he did not even know the vegetables were in there, another point for MOM).


Club Burger Sliders with Avocado-Ranch Dressing
adapted from original recipe of Rachel Ray

6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped (or use turkey bacon)
2 pounds ground turkey (we use 1/2 turkey & 1/2 ground beef)
2 tbsp diced onion
1 tsp hot sauce 
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp garlic
sprinkle of chives, dill & parsley
16 slices good-quality white or whole wheat bread
Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, for serving
2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

Pre-heat an outdoor grill or griddle pan to medium-high. Place a skillet over medium-high heat, cooked bacon. Drain on paper towels to cool, then chop. While the bacon cooks, place the turkey in a large bowl. Add in diced onion, hot sauce, poultry seasoning, salt and lots of pepper. Add the cooked bacon, mix and form eight slider patties, about 2 1/2-3 inches in diameter. Cook the sliders on the grill or griddle, turning once, until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. While the sliders cook, pre-heat the broiler. Place the avocado in a food processor. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, chives, dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Process into a smooth, thick sauce. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of bread (or trim 1 inch of crust all the way around the bread slices to form small squares); discard the crusts. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler (turning over half way). Serve the bacon-turkey sliders with the lettuce, tomatoes and avocado-ranch sauce between the toasts.


Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
add pureed cauliflower to any mashed potato recipe (from a box or fresh)
Steam cauliflower in a pan of water until cooked. Drain; add the cauliflower into a food processor with a tsp of garlic and a little bit of milk to get the right consistency. Add about 1/2 to 1 cup into a recipe of mashed potatoes; continuing to taste so that the cauliflower does not over power the potatoes if you are try to hide from the little ones. Store the unused cauliflower in the freezer to use later. (I can also hide 1/4 cup of pureed cauliflower into my son's noodles and butter, it looks like milk and he has no idea, just add a bit of parmesan cheese and the cauliflower is hidden)

Monday, October 18, 2010

Peanut-Butter Breakfast Banana Split

This is my girls ALL TIME favorite breakfast. I think they would eat this everyday if I let them. I don't see why they couldn't, it's actually very healthy and it's from the awesome Biggest Loser Cookbook.

Peanut-Butter Breakfast Banana Split
adapted from Biggest Loser Cookbook

1 small ripe banana (peeled and halved)
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp granola or crushed nuts (we used walnuts)
fresh berries

Place the banana split side up. Spread peanut-butter evenly over the open banana. Spoon yogurt in the middle, top with nuts. Serve immediately.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Healthy Cobb Salad

I LOVE that girl Jillian Michaels and I LOVE Biggest Loser too! I found this recipe from Jillian Michaels in People Magazine. What a great recipe for a yummy salad, we took out the things we didn't like (roquefort & greek yogurt) and it still turned out delicious!

Healthy Cobb Salad
adapted from Jillian Michaels People Magazine Recipe

1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 slices turkey bacon, diced
8 cups Romaine lettuce
1 grilled chicken breast
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 hard-boiled eggs, peeled & quartered
1 ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

Whisk yogurt, vinegar and pepper until smooth. Cook turkey bacon until crisp; diced. Tear up lettuce and throw all remaining ingredients into a bowl, drizzle with dressing. Serve and Enjoy!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Fluffy French Toast

My little one LOVES LOVES Grandma's French Toast and nobody can make it as well as his Grandma Hudgens. I found a great recipe for Fluffy French Toast over at your homebased mom, and this recipe was very tasty, the key here is to use Texas Toast (available at your local grocery store), the thin white bread just doesn't cut it. (And yes, my son did like this one).

Fluffy French Toast

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 slices Texas toast bread

Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. (Whisk in between batches.  The flour tends to settle in the bowl) Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve hot.

This post is also linked to: Meatless Mondays

Friday, October 15, 2010

Grandma's Homemade Tea

Here is another recipe from my Grandma (and I am so thankful I have her hand written recipe once again). I was very sick today and yesterday day, sore throat and all and I couldn't get anything to make me feel better. I finally knew what I needed; Grandma's Hot Tea. I went right to the cupboard and thank goodness I had some already made up. This stuff taste so good. We had it every year on Christmas Day when Grandma was visiting, which was every single year for my entire life (until she passed away 10+ years ago). I miss her a lot (I was her favorite grandchild, I've been told), I miss her tea too and I am so glad I have this recipe and a few others that she was known for. She wasn't an extravagant cook, as a matter of fact I don't remember her EVER being in the kitchen cooking. But the few recipes I do have of hers, are so yummy and I will cherish them forever and hopefully be able to pass them on to my children and so on.

Grandma's Homemade Tea
from Grandma Fay

3oz Nestea or Lipton Instant Tea
27oz jar Tang (hard to find but you can order on Amazon; see below)
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 cups Twin (also hard to find but you can order on Amazon, see below)
2 tbsp powdered Vitamin C
4 scoops of dry Lemonade Mix (like Countrytime Lemonade)

Mix all together and rebottle.
To make tea; use hot water with 2-3 scoops of dry mix.
My grandmother always added in a scoop of jelly to her tea too!



This post is linked to: Food on Fridays

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Family Meal Planning (10-14-10)


Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning!

 
This week is a little short on menu items. Mom was out of town for a girls weekend and so we are just now planning the recipes for the rest of the week. Here they are... and of course when they are complete I will post links to the actual recipes.

Click on the links below for the actual recipe
(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups
Apple Spice Muffins
Almond Creme Muffins (this time with Apple Cinnamon Jelly)

Broccoli Slaw Chicken Salad

My girls and I are really enjoying eating our different chicken salad recipes in our lunches each week. We buy a fresh Rotisserie Chicken at any of the local grocery stores and make some kind of delicious chicken salad recipe. This week we came across this recipe from Kraft Foods Mom's Guide that was actually made with tuna (but we just replaced the tuna with chicken) and oh so yummy!


Broccoli Slaw Chicken Salad

1/2 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup broccoli slaw blend
1/3 cup halved red seedless grapes
2 tbsp ranch dressing

Mix all together &
serve in a pita bread/flat bread or ontop of a bed of lettuce

This post is linked to:



 




Picture2

Monday, October 11, 2010

Turkey, Brie and Apple Grilled Sandwich

We arrived home from camping with crates of apples after a fun weekend of Apple Picking. I was searching for all the apple recipes I had. I pulled this one out and made the family a nice lunch! It was delicious!


Turkey, Brie and Apple Grilled Sandwich
adapted from blogger recipe She Wears Many Hats on Tasty Kitchen

4 slices Sandwich Bread; we used fresh wheat (and would use different next time)
butter (to butter the bread)
2 tsp Mayonnaise
1 Slice Brie Cheese (rind Removed)
1 whole Apple Of Choice (make It A Crispy And Tasty Choice!)
2 slices Turkey Breast, Or More To Taste
2 pinches Salt And Pepper, to taste

We made these sandwiches just like a grill cheese. Butter the outside of bread or use mayo. Cut the brie into thin slices. Place one layer of brie slices on one piece of the bread and the turkey on the other side. Top the layer of brie with a layer of apple slices. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Place the sandwich in the pan, wait til the side is done and flip. Again, you’ll want the cheese to melt and sandwich to warm but be careful to watch for burning.

Enjoy!





Also posted at Tempt my Tummy Tuesday!
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Spiced Monkey Bread

We LOVE LOVE Monkey Bread around our house and we have a YUMMY recipe, I will have to share soon. But we tried this new recipe and it is quite good too! A little different taste but just as YUMMY!


Spiced Monkey Bread

3 -4 rolls of Pillsbury Biscuits Original
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg, ground
1/4 tsp. Cloves, ground
1 cup Light Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Raisins or Dried Cranberries (optional)
1 cup Walnuts or Pecans, chopped (optional)  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare bunt pan with shortening or cooking spray.   In a plastic baggie combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Take biscuits and cut each in half.  Place biscuits, several at a time, into the baggie and coat. Start by placing sugared biscuits into the baking pan in a single layer. Sprinkle raisins and nuts between and on top of biscuits. Repeat process with remaining biscuits.   In a medium mixing bowl combine brown sugar and left over sugar-spice mixture. Melt butter, pour butter into the bowl of sugar. Mix until well incorporated. Pour butter & sugar mixture over the top of the biscuits.  Place in oven and bake for 28-32 minutes. When done baking, the top layer should be browned and have a crispy topping. Remove from oven and let monkey bread cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Invert the pan onto a large plate or serving dish and allow to cool an additional 10 minutes. Serve by pulling apart individual biscuits.

This post is linked to: Tuesdays at the Table