Recipe Link - Slow Cooker Chicken

Photo belongs to The Blue House Kitchen.

Here's a link for this yummy looking recipe on The Blue House Kitchen from Phoebe's World blog:

Cozy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Eggnog Oatmeal - Recipe Link

Here is a recipe for eggnog flavored oatmeal over at Simple Inspirations. I haven't tried it yet because I have sadly had to limit my consumption of oatmeal because it really does seem to make me hurt more (how weird is that?). I have not idea why. But, I still would like to eat it regularly if I could, so I'll share this tasty looking recipe with you. :-)  Since it has egg and milk it has more nutrition than plain oatmeal, and the sugar is really quite low in it. Enjoy!

Photo property of Simple Inspirations.

Eggnog Oatmeal Recipe

Nutty Nuggets - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

These cookies were one of Gramma's favorites. I remember her talking about them and making them. They are tasty, little, melt-in-your mouth type cookies, and they were a part of our family gatherings from time to time.

This recipe came from another missionary lady that was a friend of Gramma's when they were serving in Tanzania years ago. :-) I don't remember if Mrs. Dilworth's first name was Faith or something else.

Nutty Nuggets

1 C. butter
4 Tbs. sugar
pinch of salt|
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 C. all purpose flour
3/4 C. finely chopped peanuts 
   (1 C. if other nuts used - also good with pecans)

Put together in order given.
Form into small balls - about 1 to 3/4 of an inch in size.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 350F until they are set and a little golden around the edges. (This is purely by memory on my part, as the recipe doesn't have instructions, as you can see in the picture!)

Roll in powdered (icing) sugar after they are baked. (I think while they are still a little warm, because that makes the sugar stick a little better? Not sure.)

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Note:  I've changed it to finely chopped peanuts because you don't want peanut butter - which is what finely ground peanuts would basically be in our current thinking.

I have to kind of love the fact that recipes were often trimmed down to the bare essentials back in the day because they all knew how long you baked cookies on average, etc. Among women who did their own cooking and baking it was just expected that you would know. :-) 

Apple Crisp - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

Here is another recipe from my Gramma Hoover, but this one was a loose card inside her write-in cook book. You can see how simply some recipes were written out by her. 

Hope Knight was a sweet lady that Gramma worked with at the Rural Bible Mission in western Michigan. RBM had a similar format to Child Evangelism, but the ministry was much smaller. Their missionaries went out and did release time classes for children from public schools and chapel services for children in Christian schools during the school year. During the summer vacation (holiday), they did Vacation Bible Schools for various churches who invited them in. Gramma and Hope Knight both worked at the headquarters where materials were written, printed, and sent out as well as the missionaries' newsletters. I believe Hope was an artist who helped create visual materials. Gramma worked in the printing press room and mail room.

Editorial Notes are in brackets.

Apple Crisp

Slice 6 peeled apples into baking pan. [EN: you'll have to judge the size needed. It looks like maybe 8x8 or 9x9 inches, or a 2 qt. casserole dish, possibly. I would use sweet apples since there's not sugar added to them.]

In bowl work together:

1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. oatmeal

1/2 stick margarine [EN: or butter]

1/3 C. sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg [EN: ground]

[EN: Spread the crumb mixture evenly on the top of the apples.]

Bake at 450F for 35 minutes.

Cooked Salad Dressing - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

 

Some time back I scanned my Gramma Hoover's recipes from her write-in cook book. I posted them eventually on a photo storage site that I use so that family could access them. I am going to share them with you as well. :-) I have not tried many of these, so just be forewarned that I don't know how some of them will turn out for you. Others have stories or are family favorites and I may mention that when I post them.

Today I'm sharing the first recipe in her book, which happens to be one for cooked salad dressing. The blank recipe book itself was given to her in 1960 according to what she wrote in the front, so these recipes are all at least that old, and most or many are older. As you can see from the picture, this particular recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine that has been around for years. 

This recipe came to her from Ginny, and I believe this to be a fellow missionary, Ginny Stier (sp?), who was a good friend of my Gramma's.

I grew up with recipes like these where you were actually expected to know some things from your experiences of cooking. To help out a little bit, I have added a few Editor's Notes in brackets with "EN:" to let you know it's an addition.

Salad Dressing

1/4 C. sugar (or less)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. paprika

2 Tblsp. flour

4 egg yolks (or 2 eggs)

1/2 C. vinegar

1/2 C. water 

3 Tblsp. butter or salad oil

Blend sugar, salt, mustard, paprika and flour.

Add egg and beat until smooth and well-mixed.

Add vinegar and water.

Cook over hot water until thick and smooth. [EN: in a double boiler, stirring often.]

Add butter, remove from fire, and chill before using.

If salad oil is added it may be stirred in while hot or cold.

1 C. sweet or sour cream, plain or whipped may be added. 

[EN: Be sure to mix well after the additions where it isn't specifically mentioned.]

A Recipe for Hummus from the Deeply Snowy North Country

 

Photo property of Jennifer at My Cubby Crafts.

Here's a recipe for hummus from Jennifer at My Cubby Crafts, along with a little about their very snowy winter life where she lives. :-) I like the idea of hummus without tahini since I'm not a big fan of tahini myself, although I like sesame seed otherwise. Hummus is one of my favorite foods. I would eat it every day if my body would tolerate it. I hope you can enjoy trying this recipe out. Eat a little for me too. ;-)

Here is the link:

Homemaking Mondays: Snacks and Snow

Fresh Beet Salad

Photo property of Sister in the Mid-West - Simple Inspirations

Root vegetables are a good way to make a winter salad. This beet and carrot slaw style salad with fresh apples and lemon juice from Sister in the Mid-west sounds like it would be refreshing and very nutrient rich. 

By the way, I was thinking that a handful of fresh cranberries before shredding or a handful of dried ones added afterwards could add a nice flavor variation. Also, if it isn't quite sweet enough for you a bit of honey or your other favorite sweetening could be added. This is a versatile recipe. You can make variations. It would be good served with a variety of meals as well, or added to sandwiches or wraps. The color alone makes it a winner for making winter meals pretty. :-)

Simple Inspirations - Beet Salad Recipe!

Cowboy Cookies Tutorial

Another yummy recipe from Mary's Nest traditional foods kitchen.

Cookie recipe to print.

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Loquat Jam

My family got ahold of some loquats when we lived in Arizona years back and we made some jam with them. I remember them smelling something like Fruit Stripe gum when they were fresh, but the jam had a different taste to it. Most boxes of pectin in the U.S. will probably not include instruction for loquat jam, so here is a recipe to help you make it if you happen to have a source for them. Follow the canning instruction that comes with your pectin. I do not remember where this recipe came from.

Loquat Jam

5 cups loquats
1 box fruit pectin
7 cups sugar

Wash fruit well. Cut off both ends and remove seeds if desired. Place fruit in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Cook slowly and mash with a potato masher occasionally until well done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the pectin to the fruit and stir well. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add sugar and boil to a rolling boil for 1 minute.

At this point you will be putting it into jars or containers for storage. If you are canning be sure to have your hot, sterilized jars and lids ready before the jam reaches this stage and then can it according to the usual procedure. 

Make-Ahead Healthy Cake Mixes Tutorial

Here is another tutorial from Mary's Nest. This one is for cake mixed you can store in your pantry or freezer. I would personally put mine in the freezer since we don't make cakes all that often and I can't tolerate foods that have gone even a little rancid. Also, I recommend using the usual canning lids and rings if you store yours in canning jars. I have not found the white plastic lids designed for use on canning jars to be a good, air tight seal. 

Here is the link to recipes on her page. This is where she gives the instructions on how to make the cakes later, so you will need this to print out the instructions to go with the mixes. I recommend keeping them with the mixes, as she does. Mixes Recipes and Instructions.

I am curious to see if her recipes can be used with gluten-free 1-for-1 flours. I may try a couple of them out in single cake proportions. But, then again, I may not. My life is full of good intentions that never quite make it to real life. blah. :-)

Also, as she mentions, these mixes could make nice gifts for people who bake desserts. This could be in keeping with the post from November 14th on changing your gift giving this holiday season - and, hey, why not all of next year?

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Tutorial for Cabbage and Kielbasa

Here's a nice winter recipe for the northern hemisphere from Mary's Nest. However, this can also work well in summer because it doesn't take very long to cook it all up, meaning less heat in the kitchen. 

Enjoy!

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Homemade Tomato Soup Tutorial - Video

Here is a tutorial for homemade tomato soup from Mary's Nest. (Although she lives in the Texas Hill Country also, I do not know this Mary.) :-)

My sister and I have made cream of tomato soup from scratch and it is really good, but this is not what this Mary is specifically making although she tells how to make this soup into cream of tomato soup at the end. Let me say this, it can be hard to get the cream to mix in nicely without curdling. There is a trick to it. So, if you want to make that I suggest looking up some instructions on how to mix in the cream with the least risk of curdling. Or, you could use sour cream or softened cream cheese to make your cream of tomato soup. Because these two products are already soured, they are less likely to give you grief. (Also, if you cream does curdle the soup is still edible, it just doesn't look as nice.)

She also talks about adding basil at the end and making this into a tomato basil soup with parmesan on it. Another yummy option you can try if you like Mexican is to add some cumin and then sprinkle it with grated cheddar and chopped black olives. This would be delicious served along side quesadillas. 

Tomato soup is a good lunch or supper staple for cold weather, but it can be good any time. If you don't want to make it and serve it the same day you can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for a few days. I am not sure if it would freeze well, but it would be easy to reheat from the fridge. If you are making cream of tomato soup I recommend waiting till you reheat it to add the cream.

Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Apple Butter

As autumn is rapidly approaching in the northern hemisphere, maybe this recipe will be handy to someone. I don't remember where it came from.

Crock Pot Apple Butter 

Peel and core apples, cut in quarters, enough to fill a 4 quart crock pot to about 1 1/2 inches from the top: 

ADD: 

4 tsp. Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp Cloves 

1/2 tsp Salt 

3 Cups Sugar 

Start on high with about 4 TBL. water, till it gets hot, then turn on low and cook all day. When it is done and apples are fully cooked down put small amounts into food processor and zap quickly till smooth. 

For long term storage you will need to freeze or can this.

NOTE: If you are canning this, reheat the apple butter to boiling after it is pureed and it put into hot sterilized jars and seal with hot, sterilized lids. It may need to be put through a period of hot water bath in a canner as well. Look it up to find out. I know some people believe that home canning apple butter is not safe, however, my mom made it for years and we never had an issue. Ours was not super thick.

Use It Up - Quick and Easy Summer Dessert

This isn't really a recipe, but I'll name it for you. :-D

Fruit and Cake Jumble

As I recall, we had had some friends to dinner some years back and she brought this yummy fruit mixture, among other things. She left the remnants with us afterwards and I had some cake on hand so I crumbled the cake and mixed the fruit with it. Then I put a few scoops of ice cream on top and it looks like I put some strawberry freezer jam over that. It was really good! 

This is a very simple way to use up stale-ish or leftover cake and chopped fruit. If you don't have enough liquid from the fruit, you can sprinkle it with bottled fruit juice of your choice or even soda. 

Whipped cream or vanilla pudding could substitute for the ice cream.

You could also make this with canned of frozen fruit if you don't have fresh. You might want to thaw the frozen fruit at least partially.

It's really just about being a little inventive with what you have. :-) Be creative and adventurous! And Enjoy!

Mummy Dash's Gumbo

I'm not sure where this traditional Southern recipe came from. It was contributed to The Home Maker's Corner years back. It may have been something my dad found somewhere, or it could have come from a reader. You will note that some of the ingredients don't have amounts. You will have to use your own judgement on that. :-)  It's adventure cooking. ;-)

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Mummy Dash's Gumbo

Mummy Dash celebrated her
100th birthday on August 23rd,1995.

I was raised on gumbo; in my house we also called it Okra Soup. Gumbo has been described as the "poor man's meal," or a "Saturday dish," prepared when you emptied your refrigerator at the end of the week. As far as I'm concerned, Gumbo is a luxury. It takes all day to prepare (to do it right) and the fresh Okra required to make it can be difficult to locate and expensive. As with many gourmets, Mummy Dash doesn't use precise measurements. For best results, rely on your own sense of taste.

2 lbs. of fresh short-stemmed Okra
3 medium Ham Hocks (or use smoked turkey)
Chicken
Beef
Shrimp
Tomato Sauce
Whole stewed tomatoes
2 medium onions
Fresh cut corn (or baby ears)
1/2 cup (cooked) lima beans
1 sliced green pepper
Sweet red peppers
Dash of sugar
2-3 cloves of garlic(diced)
Celery (instead of salt)
Parsley
Crushed Tomatoes

Cook ham hocks or smoked turkey with water in a very deep pot. Cook on low flame, keep adding water. Cook until the meat is falling off the bone (the bone sweetens the soup).

While the meat is still cooking, cut the tips and heads off the okra. Finely slice the okra: don't dice it! Chop your onions, pepper, garlic, celery and parsley.
Add the chicken and the beef to the pot when the meat is almost off the bone. Add tomatoes, onions, green and red peppers, celery and garlic. Continue to cook slowly.

When it's almost ready, add cut corn and crushed tomatoes. Add okra and shrimp in the last ten minutes of cooking. If the shrimp cook too long they will be tough.


 This soup should be eaten with white rice.

Editor: I recommend putting a scoop of cooked white rice in the bottom of each bowl before adding the gumbo on top.

Pretty Edible - Mixed Berry Muffins

 

To make these colorful (and delicious) muffins simply replace the frozen blueberries in your favorite blueberry muffin recipe with frozen mixed berries. Yum! :-)

Worth Repeating - Breakfast Bars

A recipe "Worth Repeating." This was originally published here in Oct. 2010. I would make them now with the GF flour since I learned I have a gluten intolerance. I would like to try making them again with add-ins that I can eat now. It would look a little different, but I'm sure they would still be good. :-)

I got this recipe for breakfast bars from my friend, Beth. I thought they were so delicious I could hardly stop eating them!

 
She made them with the Gluten Free flour as the recipe calls for. I didn’t have any, so I made them with whole wheat, oats and oat flour. I also used a different mixture of nuts and dried fruit. I have included her (slightly altered) recipe and my version as well. Make them to your own taste and family needs. The choice is up to you. :-)
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Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

1 ¼ cup GF flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup peanuts
¼ cup raisins

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine oil, agave and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mix in nuts and raisins. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with oil. Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with oil to help pat the dough down evenly if necessary.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes (or till golden brown). Cool and Serve. Note: They are also good warm (with milk over them if desired), but will be crumbly when served this way.

My version (use same instructions as above):
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. oat flour
1/4 C. old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C. oil (grape seed)
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 C. sliced almonds
1/2 C. peanuts (salted)
1/4 C. raisins
1/3 C. dried cranberries
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It will look something like this in the pan before you bake it.

These turned out really well, though I got mine just a bit too dark. I loved the nutty looking texture with the bits of red cranberry peaking out.

I ate some of it with milk on it like cereal. It was very good this way too! :-)

Pretty Edible - Cauliflower with Cheese

 

This is so easy to make. Simply cook your cauliflower whole. Make sure it will sit flat by checking it on the counter/bench. Trim the stem if necessary. Place in a pan big enough to hold it without crowding it in tightly. Add enough water to come up about half way. Add salt to taste.

After it is cooked, carefully remove it to a bowl where it will look pretty and immediately sprinkle generously with grated cheese. You may also sprinkle it with paprika or black pepper if desired. Serve hot. 

This is obviously a great side dish for a meal, but it could also be a meal for a few by itself with maybe some crackers or chips to accompany it.

Aged Hot Pepper Sauce Recipe from Sister in the Mid-west

Peppers grown by my dad in Tennessee.

 
Sister in the Mid-west at Simple Inspirations posted a recipe recently for aged or fermented hot pepper sauce. My dad loves this kind of sauce and he recently figured out how to make his own using Tabasco peppers that he grew. I don't know if he has a recipe or not as he tends to "fly by the seat of his pants" when cooking. (Yeah, that's partly where I got it.) This recipe sounds similar to what my dad probably did, so I thought it would be interesting to share it. I'll ask my dad about his recipe later, if I remember. :-)

My Aged Pepper Hot Sauce "Recipe"

Please let her know if you try her recipe. :-)

Turkey Ham Special

This is an original recipe of my own as far as I know. I started making it years ago. You can make changes according to your preferences as it's very easy to make and switch up for variety or personal taste. You could use avocado or pickled beetroot in place of the tomato. You could also pop it into a bun or pita bread and eat it as a sandwich. 

This dish can be used for a quick lunch or for the meat dish of the main meal. If you use it for the main meal, you could slice the turkey ham a little thicker than you would for a lunch. Also feel free to change up the meat. It could also be made with sliced turkey or ham or roast beef or chicken breast. Just be sure it is fully cooked before hand. (Maybe a new use for leftovers?)

You will need:

Sliced turkey ham (or other meat)

Sliced tomatoes 

Sliced cheddar or cheese of your choice
Onion and garlic powder (optional).

Place a slice of turkey ham on a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle lightly with the onion and garlic powder if you are using them. Place slices of tomato on top of this, and top with slices of cheese. Cook in microwave till the cheese is melted to your satisfaction. This is one serving. Repeat until you have a serving for each person being served.

If you don't use a microwave this could be done in a frying pan on the stovetop with just a little water and oil in the pan and a close fitting lid to hold in the steam. It will take a little longer than the microwave. 

If you are making this for a larger family you may want to try laying the turkey ham slices, etc. in a greased baking dish or pan, and baking it in a conventional oven. I have not tried this so, you will have to experiment. You probably should put the cheese on after the turkey ham and tomatoes are partially cooked.