A Great Recipe from Pioneer Woman

 I follow Pioneer Woman's blog.  She's funny and has great recipes.  I have both of her cookbooks; the first one being my favorite.  She has a show on Food Network, but if you're like me and don't have cable, you can watch free past episodes on line.  Enjoy this recipe, great app or for lunch!

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

30 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

12

 

Ingredients

• 1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
• 1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 8 slices Jarred Jalapenos
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Salsa
• Hot Sauce, to taste
• Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.
Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.
Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips!
*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapenos.

Grandma's Chex Mix

This really is my Grandma's recipe. It's more than 40 years old! I like it the best of all the many varieties of this recipe that are out there.  It would be fun to serve in tall jars at your New Year's party or anytime!

1 ½ gallons of Chex or Crispex of your choice

1-2 c. pretzel sticks, broken

about 1 pound nuts of your choice (I like cashews, almonds and pecans)

Mix the above in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix:

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 c. oil

1 ½ tsp. garlic salt

1 ½ tsp. seasoned salt

Shake well. Pour over Chex mixture. Stir to coat. Pour into 2 or 3, 13 x 9" pans. Bake in a preheated 250˚ oven for 1 ½ hours, stirring every half hour. Transfer from pans to paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

To order a cookbook...

call me at 262-338-0205!  I'll mail your cookbook, when I get your check!  Thank you!

Thanksgiving Brunch Recipes

I just did a segment on WTMJ-4 on The Morning Blend.  Two delicious recipes and the video are here:


http://www.themorningblend.com/videos/179745341.html

Girls' Shopping Event

 Opening day of deer hunting and....a Girls' Shopping Event!!  Come to Lammscapes in Jackson on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10am-4pm.  Great gift ideas from local artists and vendors...and prizes!  I'll be giving samples!

A Family Dinner in 1950

Having dinner as a family was important in 1950, and it's still important today!  Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Cabbage

Roasting brings out the sweetness of cabbage. Preheat oven to 400. Cut cabbage into wedges. Place on sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Dessert Iced Coffee

DESSERT ICED COFFEE  
This is a great treat for these hot summer days! 
1 c. ground coffee
4 c. cold water
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. half and half cream
¼ c. Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1-2 T. sweetened condensed milk, optional
Whipped cream in a can
Additional chocolate syrup
Place coffee and water in a container. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Strain using a coffee filter. Repeat. Whisk together coffee, vanilla, cream, chocolate syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Fill pint-size mason jars with ice cubes. Add coffee mixture. Top with whipped cream and more chocolate syrup. Serves 4

Need a Laugh Today?? Watch Julia!

Calzones

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2-3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Your choice of toppings: Pepperoni, Black olives, Cooked Italian sausage, Sauteed onions, Sauteed fresh mushrooms
Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll out each part into a circle/oval. On the bottom half of dough round, add toppings of your choice: pepperoni, black olives, cooked Italian sausage, cooked onions, cooked mushrooms and about ½ c mozzarella cheese. Fold top half of dough over bottom half, leaving about a ¼ ” border of bottom dough uncovered. With fingers, press around to seal dough, and fold bottom dough to the top to totally seal. Transfer to sprayed or parchment paper cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Cut 2 slits on top. Let rest for about 20 minutes before baking. Bake 400˚ until golden. Dip into spaghetti sauce, if desired. Makes 4.

Rhubarb Dessert Squares

½ c. real butter
1 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
3 c. diced rhubarb
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
 ¼ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
 ¼ tsp. salt
Cream butter, flour and powdered sugar. Pat into greased 8x8 pan. Bake 350˚ 15 minutes. Arrange rhubarb on hot crust. Combine eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and pour over rhubarb. Bake 350˚ about 40 minutes longer. Cool. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Even though rhubarb is considered a vegetable, it is most often treated as a fruit. Rhubarb provides a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and calcium. It is usually eaten cooked, and just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own. It needs the added sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice to balance out the acidity. Since rhubarb is primarily used for pie, it is also referred to by its nickname the “pie plant”.

Happy Mother's Day!

Daily Dish Restaurant

While visiting friends in Tennessee, we visited the Daily Dish. It was very impressive. (It takes a lot to impress me!) We had the Sunday buffet, which had all "from scratch" food. Everything was delicious and was arranged beautifully. If you're in the area, they are located at 2205 Hillsboro Rd. Franklin, TN.

Fish Tacos

I am writing a seasonal cookbook. Here's one of the recipes that will be included.
This is one of those recipes where you don’t really need a recipe! You can prepare the fish with a breading of your choice—or you can grill or broil it.

1 pound cod fillets
1 c. flour
salt and pepper
oil for frying
4 (8-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
shredded or chopped lettuce
diced fresh tomatoes
fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice
salsa
tartar sauce (dill or sweet, see below)

Dredge fish in flour seasoned with salt and pepper to taste; cook in fry pan in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat; turning once; until cooked. Place a serving size piece on tortilla, top with desired condiments. Serve immediately.
For dill tartar sauce: Combine ½ c. real mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped dill pickle and a dash of garlic powder.
For sweet tartar sauce: Combine ½ c. real mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish.

Cranberry Cole Slaw

This is a great change from heavier mayonnaise-type slaws.

6 c. shredded cabbage (green or red/green combo)
3-4 sliced green onions
¾ c. dried cranberries
⅓ c. apple cider vinegar
⅓ c. oil
⅓ c. sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp. whole celery seed

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, onions and cranberries. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over slaw; mix; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serves 4-6

The "Wonder Meal" did not work!!

Nicole Koglin enjoyed the "Wonder Meal", however, she must not have eaten enough! Emma was born 6 days after she had the meal.

"Diane's Wonder Meal"

I have made many a meal for pregnant friends whose babies were overdue. Sometimes...my meal brought on a much awaited labor! Fox6 anchor, Nicole Koglin, is overdue, and was greeted with my "Wonder Meal". Time will tell....if it works!!

Round Steak with Mushroom Gravy

This simple recipe is great served with mashed red potatoes.

1-1 ½ pounds round steak, trimmed and cut into serving size portions
¼ c. flour
Salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp. oil for frying
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place steak on cutting board. Sprinkle with a little flour, salt and pepper. Tenderize both sides with “waffle” side of meat mallet. Brown steak in oil over medium high heat about 3 minutes per side. Add mushrooms and soup, cover and continue cooking over medium low heat for about 1 hour or until steak is tender. Serves 3-4

I like making mashed potatoes out of red potatoes. Simply wash them (don’t peel). Cut into even size chunks; add water to cover. Boil until soft; drain water; mash; add butter and milk or cream and seasonings.
Did you ever have your potatoes boil over? It won’t happen if you place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot!

It is after you have lost your teeth that you can finally afford to buy steaks.

Wild Rice Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
2 carrots, diced
½ c. butter
½ c. flour
4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
2 c. cooked wild rice
1 c. milk
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. diced cooked turkey or chicken, optional

In a large soup pot, sauté onion, celery and carrots in butter until tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour; stir to combine. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly until mixtures boils, over medium high heat. Lower heat to medium, boil for 1 minute. Add cooked rice, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken if desired.

Footprints in the Snow

Living in Wisconsin in the winter—think snow!—and sometimes lots of it! We try to walk on the trails in the woods. It can be hard, especially when you’re the first to walk on the trail after a large snowfall and sink down in the knee-high snow! If, however, someone walks before you, and blazes a trail, it makes it much easier. One can then follow in his steps.

So, too, in life. I have several mentors. They have walked the steps in life before me. They have shown me how to live. In some cases, they, having gone to be with the Lord, have shown me how to die. I don’t need to be the first one to walk through the “deep snow”. I’ve been blessed to have others who blazed the trail for me. Their example of faith, hope and love give me strength and courage to keep going. The apostle Paul tells us to follow his example, as he follows the example of Christ (I Cor. 11:1). Hebrews 12:2 admonishes us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

Find a mentor. Someone who is a follower of Christ, and desires to live for Him. Someone who can encourage you on your life-journey. Someone who will blaze the trail before you. Then, someday, you be a mentor for someone else. Be that “trail blazer” that shows by word and deed, how to live and give glory to God.

Baked Oatmeal

This is a great stick-to-your-ribs breakfast for the cold winter.

2 eggs
¾ c. brown sugar
1 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
3 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. dried fruit, optional

In a bowl, beat eggs; add sugar, milk and butter. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Turn into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake uncovered at 350˚ 30-35 minutes, or until set in middle. Serve hot with milk, if desired.