Today is the 21st of December and only 4 more days to Christmas.   Sitting here in IL with my daughter and her family.  Just chilling and enjoying my Grandson Jackson.    He is so excited for Santa to come on Wednesday.   We are baking some cookies tomorrow and one of my favorites are pecan sandies.   Here is the recipe:

1cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
13/4 cups flour.  
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans.

Cream butter and sugar together.   Add vanilla.
Combine, flour,baking soda,baking powder,and salt.... Add nuts

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungraded cookie sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees for about 22 to 24 minutes.

Enjoy!

Today is Friday....Steak and Lobster day at Emerald Island Casino.  They walk around the casino with goodies for you to snack on and fried pickles is one of their snacks... I thought I would share with you my favorite recipe for the fried pickles.  Here is my recipe:

1 jar of dill pickles or hamburger dill slices
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
4 dashes hot sauce
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Canola oil for frying

Preheat about 2 inches of oil in a large pot to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl combine buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce.  Beat with a fork to combine.  Drain pickle juice from pickle jar, add pickles to buttermilk mixture.  Stir to combine
Drop into hot oil in batches.  Drain on paper towel....then enjoy!!

Well I have some news for you....it has been dreary and rainy for 2 days here in Las Vegas...very unusual for us!  So good days to bake and make some great new dishes. But instead of cooking I was busy planning my Thanksgiving menu.. I came across this recipe and would like to share with you.  I think I will make this as part of my dinner this year. Here is the recipe:

Wayne's Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 16oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Combine water and sugar in pan and bring to boil. Add the cranberries and return to boil,then reduce heat and let simmer.  Add the apples, walnuts, Grand Marnier, orange and lemon juices, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.
(if you like raisins you can add 1/2 cup to the mixture)
Enjoy!!

Today is Wednesday, November 13, 2013.  Beautiful day here in lovely NV.  Went to eye doctors today and had a great check up.. I love good news from doctors. My Grandson is in college at UMES and has a radio show for one of his subjects..I tuned in tonight and we talked about food.  It was so much fun to interact with the people on the radio show through text and talk about the one thing I do love and that is cooking so needless to say after talking about it I felt I needed to post today.
This is what was on my mind. Clinton Kelly's recipe for Spicy Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin.  Here is the recipe:

1 medium onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt
1/2 cup of butter (more is needed)
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan (grated)
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
 black pepper
1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (1/2 to 1 inch cubes)
salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent.  Set aside
Melt butter and mix with flour in a sauce pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add the milk.
Stir until starting to thicken.  Remove from stove and add the cheeses and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss broccoli and cauliflower (broken into smaller pieces) into a buttered oval baking dish and cover evenly over the vegetables.
In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Top the vegetables with the breadcrumb mixture and bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

Well I am really enjoying our weather here in NV....just lovely and good for cooking some good food.
Today I will be making my Amish slaw...so good and a big hit with all who have tried it.   Here is my recipe:

I head cabbage (shredded)
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. regular mustard
3/4 cup oil ( I use canola)

In large bowl toss the cabbage and sugar together..set aside
In sauce pan mix the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 tsp. sugar, mustard and oil.
Bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Cool completely and then pour over cabbage...always better the next day!

Enjoy!

Today is Halloween!! Boo!!!!  I am going to dinner at my friend's house tonight.  We do not have trick or treaters in my neighborhood so Edna is having dinner for Marge and myself...We are having roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy...Marge is a very picky eater so we have limited menu to work with.  I am bringing dessert and snacks...
My Bruschetta is always a hit so here is my recipe:

I french baquette
Tomatoes
Red onion
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella
salt and pepper
olive oil
garlic clove

In a bowl mix together chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped basil, chopped fresh mozzarella (chop into small chops so it will fit on bread), salt and pepper.  Drizzle oil olive (and sometimes I drizzle some balsamic vinegar) over all and stir...Set aside to let the mixture marinade while baking the bread.

Slice the baquette on an angle and place on cookie sheet... bake in oven until the bread looks toasted.  As soon as you remove from oven rub each slice with a garlic clove.
Place some of the marinaded mixture on each slice of baquette and serve....

Enjoy!

There are many variations of bruschetta so don't be afraid to be creative...

Friday the 11th of October.....gosh where has this year gone?  Weather is getting cooler and time for some good comfort food.  I love to make stews, soups and crock pot dishes this time of year.  Also thinking ahead about my Thanksgiving menu.
I always make my sweet potatoes with walnuts and apples....just delicious.
Here is the recipe.

3 or 4 sweet potatoes
1 granny smith apple
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of King syrup (if don't have King syrup use honey or molasses)

Cook potatoes until fork tender.  Cut into pieces.
Peel and chop apple
Add the other ingredients and put in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Well today is the 2nd of October 2013....just got back from visit to MD to see all my friends and family...had a great time and enjoyed every minute of my time there....also good to be home!
My son has left for MD as of yesterday and will be starting a new life there with family and friends...I wish him all the best and will be praying for him each day.... We had steaks for dinner before he left and I also made some stuffed tomatoes  which he enjoyed....here is my recipe:

 4 Whole ripe tomatoes
 4 cups bread that you have torn or cubes
 1 onions diced
 2 ribs of celery diced
 1 tsp of poultry seasoning
 1/2 stick of butter


Whole ripe tomatoes...cut the tops off and scoop out the middle putting it in a bowl to use later.

In a skillet saute onions, celery and some poultry seasoning in butter.
Add this to bread that you have cubed and mix well.  Then add the part of tomato that you scooped out.
Stuff each tomato and then dot with a pat of butter.   Bake at 350 until done. (approx 30 minutes)

Enjoy!

This is Memorial Day weekend and lets pray for all our military troops around the world.  

I am going to chill this weekend and watch the Indy 500 and cook.

Today I will fix some snacking foods for us to nibble on while chillin'.

Here is one of the snacks I will make:

Roll Ups:

I jar of dried beef

I package of cream cheese

Hot sauce

Just spread the cream cheese on the dried beef and add a few dashes of hot sauce then roll and secure with a toothpick...  Good little snack!

You can also do the same as above but add a whole dill pickle in the middle before rolling.

Then you can slice into sections... Also a good little snack!

Have a safe and happy weekend....

Enjoy!

Today is Saturday, May 18th and Preakness day.  Just relaxing today and enjoying this beautiful weather we are having.
My thoughts and prayers are with my neighbor Marge as her mother passed away last night.  Liz was 95 years old and a really nice lady.  She will be missed.
My Granddaughter is graduating today from college and I am sad that my family can't take part in such a huge occasion in her life.
I saw a recipe on TV this week and decided that it was a great snack for the weekend.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 bag Tater Tots (thawed to room temperature)
1 8-ounce package Sharp Cheddar Cheese (cut in 1/4-inch squares)
Hot Sauce
1 16-ounce package Bacon (strips cut in half)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Heat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with foil.

Stuff a piece of cheese into the tater tot (carefully). You can use any cheese of your choice.  Add some hot sauce to taste on the tot.  Wrap a half piece of bacon around the tater tot, secure with toothpick and then roll in brown sugar.

Bake for 15 or 20 minutes, turning the tots at least once to insure the bacon cooks evenly.

Enjoy!!!

Has been awhile since I have posted.  Today is Sunday, sunny and warm. Just a beautiful day to be alive.
My Son is staying with me for now so I am definitely cooking more and enjoying every minute of it.  This morning however, my Son made breakfast for me.  Here is the meal he fixed.

Sausage and gravy. This is the recipe:

Brown the sausage in an iron skillet.  Remove sausage and add 1 tbsp. of butter.  Then add 1 tbsp flour.  Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes to remove the flour taste.
Then add milk till you get the consistency you like. Don't forget the salt and pepper!

Scramble two eggs and cook with 1 tbsp butter.

We add the gravy on white bread and thoroughly enjoyed each and every bite.

Thanks Son for a great breakfast!

Today is Saturday the 30th of March.. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and a blessed day that is for all,  Thank you God for giving us your Son and for loving us all.
I am posting today a recipe that my wonderful miracle worker at Salon Salon (Raene) asked me for.  So here goes.

Green Tomato Pie

1 1/2 cups of sugar
5 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
3 cups of thinly sliced green tomatoes
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 tablespoon of butter.
Crust for double crusted pie..

Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
Mix the tomatoes with the vinegar.
Combine all together and place in pie crust.
Dot with the butter and then top with the pie crust (I lattice my top)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the tomatoes are tender.
Cool to room temperature.
Happy Easter to all!

Enjoy!

My Son is visiting from AZ and we have had a wonderful time talking and of course eating.  Last night I made Tri-tip. The tri-tip steak is cut from the tri-tip roast. The tri-tip roast is a triangular section of the sirloin primal and comes from the point where the sirloin meets the round and flank primals (tell your butcher this if he doesn't know what a tri-tip is). This is how I prepared it.


Marinade the tri-tip in the following for about 1 hour at room temperature:

1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 red wine
2 tsp. grounded ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

 Put in oven at about 400 to 450  degrees and cook until temperature reaches 125 or 135 degrees..(rare or med rare)
Slice thin against the grain.

Makes great sandwiches the next day!

Enjoy!

Today is Friday the 1st of March and the sun is shinning and the temp is about 67 degrees....Just beautiful spring weather here in Nevada.
I have been baking and cooking for my friends and neighbors each day.  Today I am making a pound cake and having steak for dinner.
My Grandson just made stroganoff for dinner last night and I would like to post my recipe for you to try:

1 ribeye steak cut into strips.
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
I package of onion soup mix
5 to 8 oz.water (or beef stock)
8 oz.sour cream
1/2 bag of frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper meat  then brown in skillet with canola oil.   Remove steak from skillet.

Add butter and flour and scrap up the brown bits in bottom of skillet
add the water and onion soup mix.
put the steak back in skillet and then add peas.
Just before ready to serve add the sour cream

I serve my stroganoff over cooked papperdelle noodles.
Enjoy!!

Well, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday and the Ravens won!!! I am sure all my family and friends in Maryland were really happy!
I have some friends over and we watched the game together.  We had good food and lots of fun.
I made some snacks and then we had wings, shredded beef and some good side dishes..
I make the shredded beef in the crock pot.
Here is my very simple recipe:

I large chuck roast or any roast of your choice.  Cook for 8 hours on low in the crockpot with some beef stock, salt and pepper.
When done take the roast out and shred the meat, then put back in the crockpot.
I just serve with rolls, horseradish, mayo, mustard or whatever you enjoy on your beef.

Enjoy!

New Year

Okay, long time coming back to blog!  Sorry for the delay but with the holidays and sickness has been tough to get her.
Today I am having a new wood floor installed.  Had water damage to old floor via neighbor's hot water heater linking....
I am trying some new recipes this year and getting more creative with my cooking if possible.  Today I will be just typing and not baking since the kitchen is being re-floored.
I love this little snack I found on TV....

Take Club house crackers and cover with 1tsp. Parmesan cheese and then wrap in 1/2 slice of bacon.
Put on cookie sheet and place in 250 oven for about 2 hours....

Enjoy!