Food For Friday - Company's Coming!

I've been lazy in the area of cooking this summer. Very lazy. (Just ask my family... I'm certain they'll agree with that self-assessment!)  However, there's nothing like the impending arrival of house guests to prompt some good, old fashioned meal planning for this list-maker! 


That's me on the far left!

My friend Valerie and I go way back. So far back, in fact, that I really don't remember when we first met. I'm guessing we were probably in early grade school.  We attended the same church, participated in the same youth group and summer camps, and even attended high school together for three years.  I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in her wedding.  We've managed to stay in touch over the years despite living in different states (and countries!).

Val and her family are missionaries in Brazil.  (You can view pictures and read about their ministry on their website.)  She is here in the states for a short visit and she's coming to Texas next week to see me!  It's her first ever visit to the Lonestar state.

I want to prepare nice meals while she's here but I also don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when there's so much catching up and sightseeing to do in the small amount of time she has in Texas.  So, I've been pouring over my recipes trying to find just the right dishes to make for her.

I came across this recipe for Blueberry Cobbler that I received from my best friend, Stephanie, who received it from her mom.  It is one of the most simple recipes ever and the results are so delicious.

So, I thought I'd share the recipe with my faithful readers (all one thousand two of you).  This is the second recipe from me in one week.  (You're welcome!)

Blueberry Cobbler

• 5 C fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 1/2 T lemon juice
• 2 C flour
• 3 C sugar, divided
• 1 C milk
• 1/3 C butter, in pieces
• 1/4 t cinnamon (my addition to the recipe)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt, divided
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 1/2 C boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread berries in a well-greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

Mix flour, 1 1/2 C sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and 1/2 t salt.  Cut in butter.  Add milk and mix well.  Batter will be thick. Spoon over berries and spread to the edges of the pan.  Set aside.

Mix remaining sugar, salt and cornstarch.  Sprinkle over batter.  Pour boiling water over top. Bake one hour.

Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

(Note: I've used this same recipe with other berries and peaches and the results were equally delicious.)

Share a favorite recipe with me... or tell me about one of your oldest friendships... or both!

Pineapple Ranch Dip

With the Texas heat (76 days over 100 degrees, y'all!!!), it's hard to get motivated to cook - any recipe that involves heat automatically sounds repulsive. So, I've been trying to be creative about using recipes that involve little to no cooking. (Take out, anyone??)  Salsas and dips become the logical choice for sides.

I don't remember where I found this dip recipe, but it's a favorite.  It seems "summerish" since it has pineapple, but I make it year 'round!

Pineapple Ranch Dip

Ingredients: 

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 2 green onions chopped up (may be eliminated if you don't like onions)
• 14 ounces of crushed pineapple undrained (100% juice, not in heavy syrup!)
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
• 2 cups of chopped pecans, reserve 1/4 cup for topping

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and top with remaining 1/4 cup pecans.  Refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight. Serve with hearty crackers or pita chips.

For more dip ideas, join BooMama for her DipTacular '11 post today!

Do you know what month it is?

If you answered March, you'd be wrong. Because this was a trick question, of course!

It is National Peanut Month.

Not this kind of Peanuts...

This kind...

Seriously!

You can verify my facts on the Peanut Butter Lovers website. (Who knew, right?) Still doubting? It's even been announced on the National Peanut Board's website. It's a great site with lots of info, recipes, fun facts, tips on growing peanuts, a children's page and even lesson plans for those of you who need them.

Did you know that Americans eat more than 600 million pounds of peanuts and 700 million pounds of peanut butter each year? (That little tidbit of info ought to come in handy during your next game of Trivial Pursuit!)

There's no shortage of peanut and peanut butter lovers in our household. So, in honor of this special month, I'm baking one our favorite peanut butter treats this afternoon. And, I'm going to share my recipe!

Peanut Bars

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon real vanilla flavoring

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup regular oats

2 cups chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars, butter, peanut butter, egg and vanilla flavoring. Stir in flour and oats. Spread in greased 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Immediately upon removing from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked bars. Let stand 5 minutes and then use a spatula to smooth melted chips over the bars. Let bars cool completely before slicing.

In a hurry? Stir the chocolate chips into the dough before spreading in baking pan and bake as directed.

Fall to Keep and Give

Thankfully, central Texas has finally experienced a reprieve from the 100+ degree days that we thought would never end. With this drop in temperatures comes a longing for the fall days I enjoyed when we lived in the Midwest. I've pulled out my fall decor, started burning my spicy scented candles, and have begun cooking my favorite cool weather recipes.

One of my favorite recipes is pumpkin bread. I found this recipe years ago and love it because it's not only delicious, but the recipe makes three loaves of bread - one to keep and two to give away to neighbors and friends.

I keep a supply of new, cotton tea towels on hand that I use to wrap up the still-warm bread for delivery. (Ikea sells these towels for less than fifty cents a piece! If you don't have an Ikea near you, you can also pick them up at the dollar store.) Or, if the bread can't be delivered warm from the oven, I wrap it in plastic wrap and then tie it with raffia or a pretty fall colored ribbon.

Pumpkin Bread

2 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter flavored shortening

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 teasp. baking soda

1 1/2 teasp. salt

1 1/2 teasp. ground cinnamon

1/2 teasp. ground nutmeg

2 teasp. vanilla

1/2 teasp. baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 3 loaf pans, 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 inches.

Mix sugar and shortening in mixing bowl. Stir in pumpkin, water, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour evenly into three pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes; cool in pan 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes:

• Nuts and raisins are optional.
• Other "extras," such as chocolate chips or dried cranberries, may be added.
• Extra rich touch: Pour half the batter into the three pans. Drop small chunks of cream cheese on top of the batter in the pans. Add remaining batter to the three pans and bake as directed.
• I have a heavy-duty stand mixer that I use to prepare this recipe. I doubt that a hand mixer could handle the volume and consistency of this batter.

This recipe works for me! For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

The outnumbered Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had not been defeated in almost 50 years. However, Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16 (dieciséis de septiembre in Spanish), the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

(Thank you, Wikipedia!)

For those of you who know me and my family, you know that Cinco de Mayo is just another excuse for us to eat Mexican food. (Like we need an excuse.) This year is no exception. We're grilling chicken fajitas on the grill and serving rice and refried beans on the side. We'll top off the meal with a confection that combines two of my favorite desserts into one: sopapillas and cheesecake.

And, because you are my good friends, I'm going to share this recipe with you!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese (softened)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teasp. vanilla flavoring

2 eggs

1/4 cup lime juice (use Key limes if possible)

Topping: Combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 2 teasp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Open and unroll one package of crescent rolls. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. (Make sure all perforated seams are pressed closed.)

In a separate bowl, use a mixer to combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and eggs. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add lime juice and mix 'til blended.

Pour mixture over crescent rolls in pan. Smooth with a spatula so that it evenly covers the rolls.

On a piece of waxed paper, press second can of crescent rolls to the size of the baking dish. Flip onto the top of the dessert and peel away the waxed paper.

Sprink top with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool and then refrigerate until cold. This is very good served with sliced strawberries!

Notes:

This recipe may be halved and prepared in an 8 inch square baking dish.

Omit the lime in the filling and the cinnamon in the topping to serve this as a breakfast danish with fresh fruit or pie filling (cherry or blueberry).

Enjoy!

Confessions: Just thinking...

After paying more than $400 to have our children’s teeth “sealed” last year, how could those same diligent teeth-brushing children each have a cavity? Shouldn’t last year’s dental work come with some sort of a warranty? And, shouldn’t the fillings be free?

It rained today. The day I chose to go antique shopping with my parents in Salado. Aren’t we supposed to be experiencing the “100-year drought” in central Texas? I’m really not complaining about the rain. We do need it. But, seriously… today?

Did you know that I could be a grandmother? While shopping today, someone asked my parents if they had any great grandchildren yet. Before they could answer, I piped in with, “No, because I’m not old enough.” That conversation returned to my thoughts some hours later. I began doing the math. IF I’d married younger. (But still of “legal” age.) IF I’d had my children younger. And IF they’d then married young, too. Well, yes, I could be a grandmother. Alrighty then. Depressing.

Do you know what happens when you dream about blowing your nose? I do.

What does a high school honors chemistry class and baking cookies have in common? One large project that involves more work for me than it does for my kiddo. And more cookies in this house than are needed. (Recipe at the end of the post.)

The Queen Mum and Dad are planning to leave next week. I wish they’d stay longer. I’ve gotten use to having another “wife” in the house.

Don’t you just love the way my brain works? Scary, isn’t it?

Guess what? This is my 100th post! IF you're still reading... congratulations! Leave a comment and I'll randomly select one winner to receive a prize box full of some of my favorite things. One entry per person, please. Comments will close at midnight Central Time on Thursday. The winner will be announced on Friday.

*****************************************************************

Comments are now closed. Winner will be announced later today!

*****************************************************************

Finally, as promised...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups regular flour (If using self-rising, omit baking soda and salt)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats (uncooked)
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter,sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and chocolate chips; mix well.

Drop dough by generous tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 13-15 minutes or until light golden brown on edges. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Works For Me Wednesday: Crustless Pumpkin Pie

According to Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer, today's post for "Works For Me Wednesday" should be on the topic of kitchen organization. That's a topic right up my alley. Or, right up my kitchen, so to speak.

However, I've had several requests for my crustless pumpkin pie recipe that I've been wanting to post. The recipe is so simple, only dirties one bowl and is really yummy. So, follow my thinking here...

Crustless pie = not making crust = no kitchen mess from making pie crust = organized kitchen.

Therefore, this post totally fits the subject requirement, right? (That's a rheutorical question... you didn't need to answer.)

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
(Makes 6 servings)

1 (15 oz.) can solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites (Note: I've used 2 large eggs, total, and skipped the whites and it works fine.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray. (Or, I like to use six 1/2 cup ramekins for individual servings.)

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Pour the mixture into the dish(es). Bake, uncovered, until the filling is set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for the 8-inch square baking dish, about 30 minutes for the individual ramekins. Cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours before serving.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Want more recipes that use pumpkin? Visit Steph for her Pumpkin Dip recipe. Then go see Prairie Chick for her homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe.

And that Works For Me this Wednesday!

Works for Me Wednesday - Mexican Crock Pot Chicken

I'm baaaaaaack!

Did you miss me?

What?! You didn't know I was gone? No? You can thank Blogger in draft for post scheduling!

Yep! We spent a glorious seven days on the West End of Galveston Island - the less populated area of the island. We had perfect beach weather every day. We enjoyed sitting on the beach, splashing in the waves, building sandcastles, horseback riding (right on the beach!) and fishing - surf fishing, fishing in the bay, fishing in the gulf, fishing in the canal, fishing from the piers. Did I mention the seafood? Oh, the wonderful seafood at Gaido's, our favorite restaurant! I'll be posting pictures of our adventures very soon.

Other than Gaido's, we ate all of our meals at home. I worked hard before our vacation to create menus for simple meals. Meals that we would all enjoy eating and that would also allow me to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Don't get me wrong. I love to cook but that's not what I want to do when there's sun, sand and saltwater right outside my door!

In honor of "Works for Me Wednesday" and due to my lack of creativity at the moment (I'm still on island time!), I'd like to share one of the meals I made. This is a recipe the Queen Mum made for us during our visit to Ohio this past June. (Thanks, Mum!) It's one of those "throw-it-in-the-crock-pot-and-leave-it-all-day" meals. I'm sure the recipe has a real name, but I just call it "Mexican Crock Pot Chicken."

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen and didn't even defrost them!)
• 1 package frozen corn (no need to defrost)
• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 jar of salsa (use your favorite brand)

Place the chicken in the crock pot. Add the corn and black beans. Pour salsa over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice (instant if you're really lazy like I was!) and garnish with grated cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro. This recipe can be doubled, if needed.

Works for me!