From the Kitchen...

We enjoyed a turkey dinner for Easter this year.  It's not normally what we have on Easter, but we had a turkey, we didn't use at Christmas time, so decided it would be a good.

We had lots of salads and things that made it seem a bit more "springy"... BUT, I can't imagine having turkey without "stuffing" or "dressing".  

It is often at these times, that I miss being able to go to the grocery store and just get a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. :)  Since that isn't possible I drag out my old family cook book, and find my grandmother's recipe.  Once it's made and I taste it, I'm really thankful that I couldn't go and pick up a bag of stuffing mix!!

So in case you live where you can't grab a box or bag of stuffing mix in your grocery store, OR maybe you just want to try you hand at some "homemade", here's a recipe for you!

Ma Coleman's Thanksgiving Dressing

12 slices of white or whole wheat bread cubed and dried out
     (I use crustless bread, and toast it once I get it cut up)
1 recipe of Corn Bread for stuffing, (recipe to follow)
4 to 6 ribs of celery chopped, (about 2 cups)
1 large onion finely chopped, (about 1 cup)
1/2 Cup of fresh parsley or the equivalent of dried.
1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup of butter melted
1/2 cup of warm water (can add chicken or turkey broth instead)

Sauté celery and onion in butter, until tender.  Mix everything together, and stuff bird, or spread in a covered casserole or form into balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake casserole covered for 30 minutes at 325F.  Uncover and continue baking for 15 min.  If forming balls on a cookie sheet, bake for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Optional:  can add 1 pound of bulk sausage.  Brown it with the onions and celery and omit the butter.  I have also used bacon grease to sauté the veggies.

Cornbread for Stuffing

(this recipe came from a library book years ago)
1 Cup of cornmeal
1 Cup of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup of Buttermilk, (or plain yogurt, thinned with milk if very thick)
1 large egg
1/3 Cup of oil

Pre-heat oven to 425F.  Grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan.

Combine dry ingredientes.  Stir in buttermilk, egg and oil, just until mixed.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake about 20 min.  Cool and crumble for stuffing.

******************************************************
side note:  My grandmother did not buy or make bread specifically for her dressing.  I remember her having a big "roasting pan" on top of her fridge, and she would throw any "left over" bread... biscuits, cornbread, heels from a loaf of bread, in that pan, and it would dry out and that is what she used for her dressing.

From the Kitchen...

Here are 2 Family favorites for the Holidays

Peanut Butter Chocolate Easter Eggs

My mom got this recipe out of the Knoxville News-Sentinel when I was a very little girl.  She made them every Easter.  I started making them for my girls when they were little and there haven't been many years that we didn't make them for ourselves and to give away to all our friends.  The original recipe, had variations from coconut, and vanilla fondant, but the peanut butter were our favorites, so that is all we make anymore. :)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups of sweetened condensed milk
4 cups of powdered sugar

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together peanut butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in the sweetened condensed milk.

Gradually add sugar.  Blend well after each addition, until the mixture becomes very stiff.  Turn mixture from bowl onto a clean board, (I just use a large bowl, and do the next step in the bowl).  Carefully knead in remaining sugar.  Continue to knead until all the sugar has been incorporated.  The mixture should be smooth and not sticky.

Divide the mixture into 4 parts.   Roll each part into a log and cut into the desired number of pieces. (we have sometimes made larger eggs and put names on them)  With palms of hands, mold each piece into an egg shape.  Place egg-shapes on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight.

Dip eggs in dipping chocolate.  Let chocolate coating harden before adding additional decorations.  Decorate with Butter Cream Frosting or your own ornamental frosting.

Texas Trash

This recipe came from Tony's Grandmother.  It is similar to "Chex Mix" but we think it's way better! :)

1 box of Cherrios
1 box  of rice Chex
1 box of corn Chex
1 box of Crispix
1 bag of pretzels
peanuts

Mix together in large roaster pans.

Then mix together,
1 pint of oil
1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon Savory salt

pour oil mixture over cereal and bake uncovered at least 1 1/2 hours at 200F to 250F, stirring every 30 minutes.

This makes A LOT!  So we usually half it.  Even halving it makes a couple large pans.  Also in Ecuador it's not always easy to find the right kind of cereal.  This year, we were able to find an off brand of  "Corn Chex" so we just used 2 boxes of that cereal, to make it.  Still tasted great!! Also sometimes play with the seasoning because again, here we don't have "Savory salt".

ENJOY and Happy Easter!!

Going Gluten Free

Over a year ago, I read the book, Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD. To be honest it intrigued me and in talking and sharing with my husband, we decided to give it a try.  There are many points to the book, supplements, exercise, sleep patterns, and diet.  I will be honest, that I really did feel better eating less gluten, BUT, my husband, did not feel that it made much difference with him, and living in a country, where there is not a lot of "pre-made" stuff, including flour mixes, etc. it was just all a bit overwhelming.   

After our friends were here from Knoxville, and we spent a lot of time talking about different things that might be a help to our kids, especially our youngest who has CP and a few other issues.  Tony and I decided that we would give the GF diet a try for him.  We were told that for some kids it makes a huge difference and for some it doesn't seem to make any difference.  We also were told, and I remembered reading this in the book mentioned above, that it was important to give it at least 3 to 6 months, before giving up.   (Not saying that it will help his CP, but, maybe learning issues and behavior issues that he deals with along with the CP)

So here again, I am on a quest to figure out how to do this, and get a good group of recipes that will work.  I don't mind "experimenting" in the kitchen, BUT, when the temps are in the high 80's low 90's it isn't any fun to spend time in there sweating away, to have your bake goods taste like saw dust, or your bread be gummy in the middle. ;)  There are also a lot of flours we can get, but many that we can't... so trying to figure out what works as a good substitute and what doesn't is a big deal.  

So here are some things I am learning...

1. Gluten free flours don't weigh the same, (as each other, nor do they weigh the same as wheat flour), so it works better to use recipes that call for weight instead of measuring by the cup.  That is hard for me, because in the US, most recipes are written using Cup measurements and not weights. hmmm.... if I want to substitute for some of my recipes, I guess, I'm going to need to measure out a cup of wheat flour and weigh it. 
(Thanks to my friend, Kendra, for reminding me about flour weights, today! ;) 

2. Gluten free flours need to be mixed up... you need to use more than 1 kind you can just replace a cup of wheat flour with say the same weight of rice flour....  The big deal right now then for me, is finding some recipes for some "flour mixes" that will work.

3.  Chick Peas, make the most amazing cakes, brownies and muffins!!   Who would have thought?!  I know if you are reading this and you've never tried anything like this, you are going "yuck!  Who wants hummus brownies?!"  I have found some of the most amazing recipes that use NO flour, but use blended chick peas, and NO ONE has known the difference.  I have pinned a lot of them on my "Gluten Free" board on Pinterest, so if you are interested check them out.  (https://www.pinterest.com/manabita/gluten-free-recipes/ )

I am still on my quest to find a good sandwich bread, but it is coming little by little.  

Besides going gluten free, Little Bud is taking a Fish oil capsule everyday, (wanting 300 to 400mg of DHA) and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil.   Both of these things have been shown to help build "new pathways" in the brain, and boost memory, so who knows. I realize we may be grasping at straws here, BUT on the other hand you never know until you try.   

Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement you have past our way.  We appreciate it so much!   If you do have a good GF sandwich bread recipe, I would love to give it a try.  Please don't share it though, if it calls for specific flour blends you have to purchase, as those are not available to us here in Ecuador.  ;)

Blessings to you and yours!

Joy

Cold Porcelain Clay

Back in 2009, I took some classes here in Manta, working with Cold Porcelain clay, (Porcelana Fria).  It is a huge thing here, and even bigger in Argentina where I have read and been told they have schools teaching it.

This is something that both Teddy and I enjoyed working with, but since our teacher moved away, we kind of got out of it.  Teddy has been after me for a while to make some more dough, and try our hand at it again.

This morning we made a batch.  Here is the recipe we used:

1 kilo of white glue (That's about 4 cups of white glue)
1/2 kilo of corn starch (That's about a pound)
15 drops of Porce Clear, (and no I don't know what this is in the US... you can check it out here: http://meirebari.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=121
3 Tablespoons of baby oil, or vaseline, (we used baby oil, today)
2 Tablespoons of glycerin
1 Tablespoon of Sodium Benzoate (didn't have this, so left it out)
http://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Benzoate--2-oz/dp/B0064O8OAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367094361&sr=8-1&keywords=sodium+benzoate

1 Tablespoon of Stearic Acid (you will find it with the candle making supplies in your local craft store)

(I have found some recipes that call for Tylose, and  Wilton White White, which I might try adding when I have access to them. ;)

Before you start mixing or cooking anything, prepare a flat surface, (can be your counter top, can be a mat on your counter or a glass cutting board, etc.) by spreading cold cream, (like Ponds or Nivea) all over it, as if you were greasing a cookie sheet for cookies. ;)  Once that is ready, you can go on with actually making the clay...

You will need a non-stick pan.  We have one that is used exclusively for crafting.

You want to start out by mixing the glue and the cornstarch.  You will want to mix this well until it is totally incorporated. (use a wooden or heavy duty plastic spoon.)

Once the cornstarch and glue is mixed well, add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.

Over medium low heat you want to stir constantly, (and you need to be ready for a workout!), until it starts to form a ball and is no longer sticky when you touch it with you finger.   We're talking about 15 or 20 minutes here.  As soon as it reaches this point, you will want to turn it out onto your prepared surface.   Cover your hands with the cold cream, (have the jar open and near by, so you can keep applying as needed)., and you want to start kneading the dough. Yes, it is hot at first, so you need to be careful.  You want to knead it until it is all smooth, and cooled.  When you reach that point, knead it for about 5 minutes more.  Then divide it into 4 parts, (if you made the whole recipe), and form it into logs and wrap each log in plastic wrap, then put them in a zip lock bag, and then in another zip lock bag.   This dough works best if you let it set for a couple days up to a week before you work with it.   Also you do not want to put  this dough in the fridge.  

There are lots of recipes and tutorials out there.  We should have taken pictures while we were doing it, but to be honest blogging about it didn't occur to me until we were almost finished! ;)

Here is our finished dough.  I put these 2 bags into a larger zip lock and then that into a plastic (tupperware type) container.  If you take these precautions and keep this dough in an airtight container, it will last a LONG time.  

We had some that we purchased over 2 years ago, and were sure it would be bad, but got it out today, and Teddy was actually able to work with it!  :)

Here is what he did today.  He wasn't totally happy with it, but as I reminded him, it's been a long time since he worked with dough, so I thought it came out pretty good keeping that in mind. ;)

He has some cracks in it, and that is due to the fact that he didn't work it well, to keep it smooth, and some times he took longer, and didn't always keep the dough he wasn't working with covered.   But I thought for his first attempt in a while, that it came out well.   He wanted to make a Panda, because he's been studying China in school.  So this is part of his end of unit project.  He will be writing a report about Pandas to go along with it.  

If you are interested in learning more about his neat type of Air Dry Clay,  you can check out this wonderful blog...

http://coldporcelaintutorials.blogspot.com/

Here are some photos of things we made in the past...  

This was my first project in class. ;)

I made these magnets to give out at a ladies conference. :)

I hope that you enjoyed visiting with me today, as much as I enjoyed sharing.  We are really newbies to working with cold porcelain, so if you have any tips or ideas you would like to share, feel free.  

Blessings to you!

Joy

Christmas Baking

Traditionally we enjoy baking lots of goodies around this time of year.  My Mom has shared that my Grandma Wille, my Dad's Mom, always made lots of cookies and candy, and it is something that she started doing when she married my Dad.  Growing up, I remember having a huge variety of cookies and goodies around the house.

This year one of my daughters emailed me asking about a couple recipes she was looking for.  I decided the easiest way to get them to her would be to post them on my blog.  That way you get to enjoy them too! ;-) I do not have the original source for either of these recipes.  One was passed to my by a friend, but I believe it came from the Taste of Home magazine, and the other I cut out of a magazine but have no idea which one.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Triangles

1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks) softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cinnamon red hots, (crushed)

1. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, (2 min.).  Beat in egg and salt.  On low speed gradually beat in flour until well blended.  Stir in crushed red-hot candies.  Divide dough into 4 equal disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with non-stick foil or regular foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Place 1 disk of chilled dough on lightly-floured surface; place a piece of waxed paper on top. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut into about 22 cookies, (triangle shaped, about 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 by 2).  Place on baking sheets.  Re-roll; cut out scraps.  Repeat with remaining dough.

4.  Bake in 375 F oven for 6 minutes, or until edges are golden.  Let stand on sheets 2 minutes.  Transfer to rack; let cool complete, then store in an air tight container.

Makes about 7 dozen.

Mocha Bars

2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup of cold coffee, (the stronger the better ;)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips (mini ones work great, but regular ones are fine, too.)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Beat eggs, oil, coffee, and vanilla.  Combine flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda, then add to coffee mixture.  Beat until smooth.  Pour into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  Bake at 375 F. for 30 to 35 minutes.  When you take them out, sprinkle with chips and nuts.  Let cool and cut into bars.  The texture of this is very "cakey", but very good!  I have sometimes just served it like a sheet cake instead of cutting into bars.

*note, I started sprinkling the nuts and chocolate chips on before baking.  That way you don't have so many "rolling off" your bars when you try to eat them! ;)

What's Cooking?

Here are 2 of our Thanksgiving Dinner Favorites...

Mock Sweet Potato Souffle
This is a recipe I got when our oldest daughter was a baby.  I have combined a couple different recipes and because we can't get "sweet potatoes" here in Ecuador, I started substituting carrots.  My family can't tell the difference. :-)

3 Cups of mashed carrots
1 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

Mix together well and spread into a casserole.
Top with:
1 Cup brown sugar
1/3 Cup flour
1/3 Cup margarine
1 Cup chopped nuts

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  

Scalloped Corn 
this recipe was shared with me years ago, by a friend who often joined us for Thanksgiving dinner when our older girls were growing up.   It has become one of our "traditional" sides. 

2 cans corn, drained
1 Cup milk
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoon butter melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon onion minced

Beat eggs.  Add milk and crackers.  Add corn, onions, and seasonings, along with the melted butter.  Mix together well and pour into a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  (I usually bake this in a loaf pan.  Also this year, I used frozen corn.)

Teddy's Australian Meal

This year Teddy is studying the Eastern Hemisphere   It has already been very interesting.  He started out studying the Pacific Islands, and a week ago finished up the unit on Australia.  Last week he started a unit on New Zealand.  At the end of each unit he as a project to do.  For Australia he wanted to cook a meal.  Because of the Ladies Conference at church and then our unexpected trip to Quito last week, we had to put it off, a little bit.  Over the week-end he and I together, looked up different recipes on-line and came up with a menu.  This morning he and his Dad when shopping, for the needed items and together we fixed a delicious, "Australian Meal".  (Actually we aren't sure how authentic it was, BUT we will say, it was very yummy! :-)

Teddy making the Lamingtons.

Showing off the Damper.

"Not So Crunchy Chicken Casserole"

Everything is ready for dinner.

Teddy's Centerpiece.

Here are a couple links to the sites where we found our recipes.

http://www.food.com/recipe/not-so-crunchy-chicken-casserole-482062

http://www.aussiecooking.com.au/cook/recipes/451/Damper/

http://www.aussiecooking.com.au/cook/recipes/285/Asparagus%20in%20Lemon%20Garlic%20Dressing%
20/

We got the recipe for the Lamingtons we made from a magazine, FACES the Magazine About People, Australia Through Time.  Volumne VII Number IX, May, 1992

Lamingtons

To make the cake, you need:
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

two bowls; measuring cups and spoons; mixing spoon; electric mixer; baking pan, 9x12 or 10 x 15 inches, lined with wax paper, wire rack; sharp knife

Prepare pan by greasing it lightly or spraying it with cooking spray.   Cut wax paper to fit inside the pan so that the bottom and sides are covered.

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Separate the egg yolks and whites into two bowls.
3. To the egg yolks add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla.  Blend, then set aside.
4. Beat the egg whites with the electric mixer.  Gradually add the remaining sugar (1/2 cup).   Beat until stiff peaks form.
5.  fold the egg yolk mixture into the whites.  Add the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix until the batter is smooth.
6.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 12 minutes, or until the center springs back when tested.
7.  Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes, then turn it out onto the wire rack.  Allow it to cool for a few minutes more, then remove the wax paper carefully.  (Loosen all the edges first, then peel off the paper in strips.)
8.  With a sharp knife, cut the cake into squares.  Allow them to cool completely.

To Make the Icing, you need:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons cocoa
boiling water
7-oz bag (about 2 cups) coconut.
measuring cups and spoons, 2 small bowls, mixing spoon, fork, plates

1.  Mix the powder sugar, melted butter, cocoa, and enough boiling water (about 4 tablespoons) to make a runny icing.
2.  Using a fork, pick up a square of cake and spoon the icing over it to cover all sides.  Allow the icing to drip for a few minutes, then place the cake in a bowl of coconut.  Coat the cake with coconut, then place it on a plate to dry.
3.  Repeat the process until all the squares are covered.  Lamingtons can be refrigerated or frozen.

What's Been Happening in My Kitchen?

We have lived in Ecuador now for almost 24 years.  During that time, I've learned to adapt almost all of my recipes.  There are very few mixes and I'm sure if you walked down the "can goods" aisle at our grocery store you would be shocked and how little there really is there.  Learning to cook everything from scratch was a must.

While cooking in this way has it's advantages, as I'm sure it is probably healthier for you and usually the flavor is great, it does add a lot of prep and cooking time.  Years ago when our 3 older girls were still at home, I found a book entitled, Make A Mix.  I was so excited to find it and we made up and used quite a few of the mixes.  As they left home, and Tony, Teddy and I moved to Manta, I got out of the habit of making them.  For one thing, anything with shortening already incorporated in it, just did not hold up in this climate.  Also since I wasn't teaching full-time anymore, there was not as much pressure on my time.  

Adding 2 more little ones to the family and getting to a point in our Home Schooling, where our school days are becoming longer, my time for meal planning and prep less.  So about a month ago I dug out the old cookbook and started searching on-line and found a ton of ideas.  Also I searched around the kitchen and came up with almost enough jars and containers for everything.  I only needed to purchase 4, to not only do my new mixes but re-organize all my baking essentials!  So this week not only did a get a lot of new mixes and meal prep help, I also finally got my kitchen organized in a way that I think will be more workable.  :-)

Here is a website where I got the ideas for the labels and tags.  She even has downloads if you want to use her labels and recipe tags.   I thought about using them, but decided to just make my own, as I wanted to make it work for me.   

http://redflycreations.blogspot.com/2012/07/mixes-mixes-mixes.html

She also has several recipes too.  

Here is another site that has lots of recipes.  I used her "Quick Mix" recipe, because it doesn't have shortening incorporated into it, and that means that I don't have to keep it in the freezer in this climate.  I also

 made her "Yellow Cake Mix". 

http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/archives/

I also made up some of these, Chocolate Cake Mixes.  This recipe was given to me years ago by a close friend.  It does have shortening in the mix, so I keep these in my freezer.  If you live in a cooler, drier climate that probably wouldn't be necessary. 

Chocolate Cake Mix

2 Cups flour

1-3/4 Cups sugar, (superfine if available)

3/4 Cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons shortening

Mix until no chunks of shortening are visible.  Store in an airtight container.  This is equal to one cake mix.  I put mine in "zip-lock" bags.  

To Make Cake Add:  

1-1/3 Cups water

1/2 Cup oil

3 large eggs

Blend with cake mix in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened, increase speed to medium and beat 2 more minutes.

Pour batter into pans and bake for 30 to 33 minutes for 9-in pans, and 35 to 38 minutes for 13x9 in pan.  You can also make cupcakes.  They take 19 to 22 minutes.

I also made a Corn Bread Mix, Hot Roll Mix, Brownie Mix, Muffin Mix, Pudding Mixes, and some "Slice and Bake" cookies, that I put in the freezer, all from the Make-A-Mix cookbook.  If you are interested in the book you can find at on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Make---Mix-Karine-Eliason/dp/0762426020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350183823&sr=1-1&keywords=make+a+mix  

It is even available in Kindle Format! ;-)

Not only is it full of recipes for mixes, but also tons of recipes to use the mixes in. :-)

If you would like to download my labels and recipes, (for using the mixes I made) click on the link below:

Labels and recipes

Happy Baking!

  

Light Brownies

I'm going to share a long time family favorite with you today.  This is a recipe I got from Tony's Mom, right after Mandie was born.   It is super easy and very yummy.  One note, they don't keep well.  About 2 days is the max.  So if you have a small family you may want to half this recipe and bake them in a 9x9.  That has never been much of a problem for our family, as we seem to eat them pretty much the same day we make them or by the next day anyway! ;-)  We made this recipe countless times for fundraisers when my 3 older girls were in high school.  In fact, Ashley's Senior year, she made these so many times she could probably do it in her sleep!

Light Brownies (sometimes called Blond Brownies in our family)

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 325 F.

Mix together:

3/4 cup of butter or margarine (melted)
2 cups of brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour

Spread into prepared pan.
Top with 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Can add chopped nuts, too, if desired.

Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cream de Menthe Brownies

This recipe was shared with me by a very special lady I knew from my days of teaching at the Alliance Academy in Quito.  Wanetta Groenewig was Mandie's 4th grade teacher, Ashley's 5th grade teacher, not sure if Lex had her for any classes.  She was also my friend.  These have been a favorite in our family for a very long time.

Brownies:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa

Combine in a mixer bowl

In a saucepan combine 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, and pour over dry ingredients.  Start mixing.  To this add:

1/2 cup buttermilk, (I've used plain yogurt or milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar, too)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs

Mix all well, then pour into a high sided cookie sheet which has been greased well.  (I usually use a 10x15 jelly roll pan.)

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Cool completely.

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons mint flavoring
10 drops green food coloring, (optional, but it sure makes them look yummy!)

Mix well, and spread on cooled brownies.

Topping:
Melt together 1 cup chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons butter.  Drizzle over top of frosting.  Let set.

Enjoy!!

Food in Every Country

Found this site on the Sonlight Forums.  Great info and recipes!

Food in Every Country:

'via Blog this'

From the Kitchen...

I'm going to share 2 recipes I've gotten from friends recently and really love!!

First is Homemade flavored coffee creamer...I just LOVE the liquid coffee creamers you can get in the US, but alas, they are no where to found here in my neck of the woods.  So I was so excited to get this recipe.  Now, I don't know if it is a lot more economical to make than to buy...but if you live in the States and are interested you can check that out.  If you live in another part of the world like me, and they don't have it, here's and easy way to make your own!!!  This was shared with me by my friend Sarah. Thanks Sarah, I make it ALL the time!

Flavored Coffee Creamer
Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, (not evaporated) into your blender.  Add 1 1/2 cups of milk, and the flavorings of your choice.  If you like the "French Vanilla" flavor, just add 1 tablespoon of vanilla to the blender...blend will and then pour into a container and store in the fridge.  You can experiment with different flavors.  I've added almond and Cocoa, and made a great "Swiss Chocolate Almond"...another of my favorites is to add 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon flavoring and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla.  In the fall I mixed up some adding pumpkin pie spice.  If you use cocoa or powdered spices, you just need to be sure you shake it will before you use it, because they tend to settle on the bottom.  :-)

This 2nd recipe I just got a week ago, from my new friend, Deanne.  It's for Chai Tea Latte, there is a version for "instant", and if you can't get all the stuff for that, there's another mix to just add to a regular cup of tea. :-)  Thanks, Deanne, I'm really enjoying this!!

Instant Chai Tea Latte


2 Cups dry non-dairy creamer
1 1/2 Cup unsweetened tea mix
1 to 1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves

Mix till smooth and store in an airtight container.  Use approximately 3 tablespoons to a cup of hot water and/or milk.

Chai Tea Mix
1 to 1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon each of of cloves and ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Mix well and store in an airtight container.

To make tea, steep 1 tea bag in about a half a cup(mug) of hot water.  Fill the rest of the way with hot milk, and add 1 tablespoon of mix.

I even did this with ice tea to make a cold drink and it was very good!!!  Just filled the glass half way with tea, then added cold milk and the mix.  Almost as good as my favorite Chai Tea Frappe that I love to get at Perks in Crossville, TN.!!!!

Lemon Souffle Dessert Recipe

First time for me to ever make a souffle!   This turned out really good!  I switched it up a little, making it in individual custard cups...placed them in a 9x13 pan with the hot water around them... baked them for about 20 minutes...but started checking them at about 12 minutes...

I also got the idea from reading another recipe for individual chocolate souffles, where you made a chocolate sauce and poured on top...so I made a lemon sauce, just brought some lemon juice and sugar to a boil added cornstarch to thicken, and a couple drops of yellow food coloring to make it pretty...once it was the thickness I wanted I added a little butter.

So when I was ready to serve the souffles...I used a spoon to open them up a little at the top, poured a little sauce in and sprinkled powdered sugar on top.  We will definitely be having this again! :-)


Lemon Souffle Dessert Recipe:

'via Blog this'

What's Cooking Now?

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake
(this recipe came from the "Ultimate Philly Cheesecakes" cookbook)

Prep time: 10 min. Cooking time: 40 min.

2 (8oz.) pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I always use 3 to 4... but then we like it to be really lemony! :-)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1, 9 inch Graham Cracker Pie Crust
(a few drops of yellow food coloring, optional)

1.  Mix cream cheese, sugar, juice, peel, & vanilla at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended.  Add
     eggs; mix until blended.

2.  Pour into crust.

3.  Bake at 350 F, 40 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool.  Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.  Garnish
     with whipped topping and lemon slices.

What's Cooking?

Potato Bacon Chowder
This recipe was given to me by Tony's Mimi when we went out to visit them, our first Christmas.  It is the best Potato Soup I have ever had, and no it isn't diet food!! :-)


8 slices of bacon fried and crumbled
1 Cup chopped onion
2 Cups cubed potatoes - cooked til tender

Saute onion in pan where bacon was fried, pour off grease.

Mix together:  1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 Cup sour cream, 1 3/4 Cup Milk,
                      1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Stir in:  cooked potatoes, onion and bacon.  Heat, but don't boil.

Fake-It Frugal: Fake Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes

Came across this today, and wanted to share...some of you might enjoy doing this to save some money and have the convenience of a mix.  I love the idea since we hardly ever find "mixes" here and if we do they are usually at least double what you would pay for them!!  


Fake-It Frugal: Fake Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes: Ever have one of those "Ah-ha!" moments? I happened to me yesterday when I was lamenting the price of those very convenient Betty Crocker C...

What's cooking...

For Valentines, instead of trying to get a babysitter and go out for dinner.  Tony and I decided to have a special dinner here at home after we put the kids to bed...so I found a place to set up the card table and set it with a Valentine's Theme, and then try some new recipes.  We enjoyed A Spinach Salad, with strawberries, and Roasted Pecans, Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-ups and Crash Hot Potatoes.   It all came out really good.  It was a lot of fun to dress-up too, and just do something completely different.  When I went up to tuck Carla into bed, she said, "Mommy you look beautiful!  Are you going somewhere?" :-)  Here are a few links for the recipes I used and some pictures to go along with them.  

Table for two. 

Spinach Salad - I used a Celery Seed Dressing.
http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/07/211/Spinach+Strawberry+Salad+with+Candied+Pecans%2C+Feta%2C+%26+Raspberry+Poppyseed+Dressing#EmbedRecipe_150 

Main course
http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2012/01/chicken-cordon-bleu-roll-ups.html

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Me and My Valentine, this made 31 Valentines we have spent together! :-) 

What's for Dinner?

This week we have a group visiting us from Battlefield Baptist Church.  I have enjoyed getting to know them all better, and I have enjoyed cooking for them some.  Yesterday for dessert, I made them one of my family's all time favorites. So I thought I would share the recipe with you.  I got this recipe from a friend, years ago in Quito.

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake

24 Oreos, crushed
1/4 cup margarine, melted
combine and press into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.  Chill

1 cup of whipping (heavy) cream, whipped and sat aside

8 oz of cream cheese, softened
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons of instant coffee
1 teaspoon of hot water
In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy, add milk and chocolate syrup.
In small bowl, dissolve coffee in water, (will be thick).
Add to cheese mixture.  Mix well.
Fold in whipped cream.  Pour into prepared pan.  Cover and freeze 6 hours or overnight.

Garnish with additional cookie crumbs and/or chocolate syrup.

What's for dinner?

This is the 2nd time I've made this and it was really good! The marinade is amazing at tenderizing the meat.

beef with broccoli

What's for dinner?

Friends on Face Book have been asking for recipes when I mention what we had for dinner, so I decided, I would just start posting them on here.  I doubt that I will post everything I cook...after all that could get really boring!  :-)  This first one, is simple and plain, but my family enjoys it.

Creamed Tuna and Vegetables
This recipe is from "The Wycliffe International Cookbook"

Drain and combine, reserving all liquids:
1 cup tuna or any cooked fish
1 1/2 cups cooked, diced carrots
1 1/2 cups cooked, diced potatoes
1 cup cooked peas
3 tablespoons chopped onion
(I just cook 2 1/2 to 3 cups of frozen mixed veggies for the carrots and peas.)
Combine separately in skillet and cook until bubbly:
1/4 cup cooking oil or shortening, (I used margarine)
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
Add slowly, stirring until it thickens:
2 cups liquid, reserved liquids and milk
Combine vegetables with sauce and put in a greased baking pan.  Cover with pie crust or buttered crumbs.  Bake at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes.

Topical Fruit "Ice Cream"

Ok, this really isn't Ice Cream... but my kids didn't know the difference.  It was very yummy and a yummy way to get the kids to eat more fruit! :-)  I got the idea from the "Jamie Oliver 30 minute Meals".


I added 2 frozen peeled bananas to my food processor, along with frozen papaya, and some frozen strawberries.  I started processing them, and added between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of vanilla yogurt. (Our yogurt here is more like a drink than what you get in the US, so you may need to add more) You just want to get it the consistency of soft serve ice cream.   Then I added about a tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  At this point it tasted pretty good, but my family has a sweet tooth, so I added about a 1/4 cup of "lite sugar" (a white sugar and stevia mix, it is much sweeter than just plain sugar and you only need to use about half the amount you would normally use).  I then filled up little dessert cups that we have and stuck them in the freezer, to be ready to serve after lunch.