Snow Ice Cream

Fresh newly fallen snow.

Measure 8 cups of snow, and put it in a large bowl. 

Gather your ingredients. :) You will need: One 14oz. Can sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour in the milk and vanilla. 

Mix well and enjoy! 

Favorite Potato Salad

I found the recipe for this potato salad sometime last year and it became a favorite right away. Different from most, this recipes base has ranch dressing instead of mayonnaise and mustard. Cheese, bacon and green onion add awesome flavor:).

2 lbs. potatoes
1 bottle ranch salad dressing (More or less, depending on how many potatoes you use and how runny you like it.)
1 c. Cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked and crumbled (As much as you like)
1 t. garlic powder
green onions (I will usually add around three or four, sliced)
pepper

Cube and cook potatoes until tender, but not too soft. Refrigerate until cold. Gently mix in salad dressing and the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with a few more green onions and crumbled bacon. Serve and enjoy! :)

Skewered Shrimp and Vegetables

I had been wanting to try making some kind of kabob for awhile and finally got around to it not long ago. I enjoyed making them, they turned out tasting very good! :)

Ready for the grill.

For our skewers I used shrimp, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions, and I also added chicken. The recipe below will make 4 large skewers.

3/4 c. olive oil

1/3 c. lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

16 large shrimp

1 red onion

8 mushrooms, halved

8 grape tomatoes

Combine everything and use as a marinate for meat and mushrooms. Grill kabobs and Serve with hot rice. :)

My Favorite Roll Recipe

I can't even remember were I found this recipe, but it is now one of my favorites! I think it was originally a bread loaf recipe and I decided to try making it into rolls. These are easy to make and taste so good!

Portuguese Dinner Rolls

5 T. yeast
1 c. warm water
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk powder
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 t. salt
flour, enough to make a soft dough

In a bowl add the yeast to the the warm water. Mix in the sugar,milk powder, eggs, salt and oil. Add enough four to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Let rise about one hour. Shape into 20 rolls. Let rise again for around 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until done. Enjoy! :) Really good warm from the oven with butter and jam.:)

-Doing Some Baking-

Making pies has never been a favorite activity of mine; (although I usually like the end results:)) for some reason I don't really enjoy working with pastry dough. It's funny, but before getting married, I would usually have one of my sisters make the dough while I made the filling for pies:). These days I make my own dough:) and the other day I made two pies, a strawberry and and an apple. If you haven't already you should try out this Strawberry Pie Recipe it has become my favorite pie:).

Getting ready to cook to cook the berries...

Almost ready for the oven..

Finished! A strawberry and apple pie:). What is your favorite kind of pie?

Easy Stovetop Granola

This recipe is a favorite of mine. I have made it quite a few times now and love it! It's great as a cereal with milk, or I also like it sprinkled on top of yogurt as a snack. It's easy and quick to make.

A bowl of yummy granola:)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon molasses
1 cup dried fruit and nuts

Add old-fashioned rolled oats and 1 tbsp butter to the pan and toast for 4 minutes. Spread the oatmeal on a cookie sheet to cool.

Using the same pan, melt butter, molasses, honey, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir untill well mixed and bubbly.

Add oatmeal back to pan along with any other dried fruits, seeds or nuts that you might like. Cook and stir for another 4-5 minutes.

Spread on a cookie sheet to cool. If you like little clusters of granola, spread it out very loosely and don't over-handle. Place in a 170 degree oven for a few minutes. Turn oven off and let granola rest for another 2-3 minutes before removing from oven. Store in an airtight container. If you like a softer granola, skip this step altogether. If you prefer it more crunchy, let it remain in the oven for a little longer -- it hardens while cooling. Enjoy!

Flour Tortillas

I wanted to try making tortillas for awhile and finally did it a few nights ago. It was simple and they turned out good:). I did find that they should be rolled quite thin before cooking otherwise they tended to be a touch "doughy".

Flour Tortillas

3 ½ cups flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ shortening

1 cup hot water

Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the shortening.

Slowly add the hot water until you get a dough like consistency.

Knead dough for three minutes.

Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Take a piece of dough (how much depends on how big you want your tortilla) and roll into a circle.

Place in a hot pan and flip when you see small air pockets form. Keep a eye on it as it can burn quite fast. Flip one more time when it starts to puff up. Enjoy with your favorite fillings:).

Peanut Butter Buttons

I happen to love chocolate and peanut butter together so when I saw this recipe I thought I'd give it a try. In the past, I have made a peanut butter cookie almost identical to these, but most times didn't add the chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Buttons

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients together. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into 45 balls. Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork. Press two chocolate chips in each one. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes or until done. Do not over bake. Enjoy!:)

Strawberry Pie

Lately we've been getting delicious strawberries from the garden. I froze some and then decided to try and make a strawberry pie with the rest. I'd never made a strawberry pie before so I was excited to see how it would turn out. Well, this recipe was easy and quick to make and I loved the taste. I cut back the sugar from the original recipe (which called for a cup). This is one recipe I'll be making again:). Hope you enjoy!

Delicious Strawberry Pie

1 quart (about 2 pounds) fresh strawberries
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 unbaked pie crust

Wash and hull strawberries. Chop half of the berries into small pieces. Place chopped berries into a sauce pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to pan with crushed berries. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Cut remaining strawberries into halves and mix with the cooked mixture.

Pour filling into baked pie shell. Chill in refrigerator until pie is set. Serve with ice cream, or whipping cream if desired.

The Best Cornbread

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and love it! I've always liked cornbread, but this recipe is by far the best one I've tried:).

The Best Cornbread

1 c. yellow cornmeal

1 c. unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg

1 c. milk

1/4 c. oil

Combine everything and mix well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!:)

Japanese Chicken Salad

I got this delicious recipe from my sister-in-law.

Even the leftovers (if there are any:) are great!

Japanese Chicken Salad

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

2 c. cubed cooked chicken

1 small head cabbage, shredded

1 package Icheban or Ramen noodles, crumbled

5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 c. chopped green onions

Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

For the Dressing:

1/2 c. oil

3 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2. tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon

Combine the oil and vinegar. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon; stir until completely mixed. Pour oil mixture over salad; toss to coat. Enjoy!:)

Cardamom Sweet Bread

I used to make this bread before I was married, and it always seemed to disappear as soon as it was done baking:). The cardamom gives it a nice flavor; it's good warm, cold or toasted. If you prefer, you can cut back on the sugar by 1/4 cup and leave it off the top for a slightly less sweet bread.

Cardamom Sweet Bread.
Yield: 2 braided loaves

2 1/2 T. active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. warm milk

3/4 c. sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 t. cardamom

1/2 t. salt

flour

Dissolve the yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, egg yolks, butter, cardamom and salt. Stir until well blended. Add three cups of flour, and mix until smooth. Add more flour and knead until you have a soft dough. Let rise in a greased bowl for one hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down and divide into six pieces. Take three of the pieces and shape into long rolls, braid into a loaf. Do the same with the remaining dough. Place on greased baking sheets and let rise for 45 minutes. Brush risen loaves with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done:). Enjoy!

Banana-Bran Muffins

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup mashed ripe banana (two large bananas)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup natural sugar
1 egg

In a medium bowl combine the flour, bran, baking soda, salt and nuts. Set aside. In another bowl beat together the banana, butter, sugar, and egg until completely mixed. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling about three-quarters full. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Yield: 12 muffins

Busy Day Cake

Busy Day Cake

2 1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 c. oil
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. milk
2 tsp vanilla

Sift dry ingredients together. Add the oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until done.

Frosting:

6 Tbsp. butter
8 Tbsp. cream
1 c. sugar
1 c. coconut

Mix together. After cake is baked spread the frosting on top. Broil in oven until frosting bubbles. Enjoy!

Gingerbread

This recipe is one of my favorites! My whole family enjoys it as well. Very simple to make, and yet it turns out delicious. :)

Gingerbread

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 molasses
3/4 stick butter

Mix dry ingredients. Rub in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. In a pan heat molasses, honey and corn syrup. Add milk, pour into dry mixture add egg. Whisk until smooth.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Lemon Herbed Chicken

This recipe, which I found the other day, turned out really good when I made it so I thought I would share the recipe. :) The lemon and herbs gave the chicken a wonderful flavor. It was pretty easy to put together as well. Hope you enjoy!

Lemon Herbed Chicken

4 pounds chicken

1/4 cup onion chopped
3 Tablespoons Butter
Juice of One Lemon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Parsley
1/4 tsp. Thyme

Place chicken in crock pot or roasting pan. Rub with butter. Squeeze the lemon juice over chicken and add the remaining seasonings. Cover and cook until done.

Delicious Vegetable-Sausage Soup

We have made this soup many times and everyone loves it. :) It is very simple to put together and the ingredients are pretty basic, which is a A+ with me! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Vegetable-Sausage Soup

3 cups beef broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini

In a large saucepan combine the beef broth, un-drained cut stewed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil and parsley.

In skillet, cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink. Drain off fat.

Cook the sliced carrots, garlic and onion in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover bottom of pan. Cook until carrots are tender. Do not drain.

Cook rotini or Macaroni, until tender, drain. Also cook the summer squash or zucchini. Add everything to the beef broth mixture.

Heat soup through. Serve hot. Enjoy!!! :)

New England Style Clam Chowder

One of my personal favorite soups is clam chowder, I recently found this recipe which was a little different then ones that I have tried before. It turned out really well, so I thought I would share the recipe. Hope you all enjoy! :)

New England Style Clam Chowder

2 6.5 oz. cans chopped clams
6 slices bacon, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
5 med potatoes, peeled and diced
4 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. dill
1 1/2 tsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender. Cook bacon and onion until done, drain most of the grease. Add the butter, clams, oregano, dill and parsley, flour and milk to the drained potatoes, then add the bacon and onion mixture as well. Heat through. Serve hot with oyster crackers.

Savory Ham

This recipe, which I found it in an old cookbook from the 1940's, has become a great favorite of mine. It's simple to prepare and the lemon juice and seasonings lend a wonderful flavor to the ham. Although the recipe says to marinate it for two hours, there have been times when I put it together right before supper with out letting it sit, and it still turned out well. The recipe below only serves 4, so I usually double or triple it so we can have leftovers.

The ham marinating.

Savory Ham

8 slices cold cooked ham
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. natural unrefined sugar
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. minced parsley

Blend all ingredients except the ham. Place ham in deep dish or bowl and pour lemon mixture over all, coating well. Set aside in the refrigerator for two hours to marinate, basting the ham occasionally with the liquid in the dish. In a skillet saute the ham in a little hot butter, heat liquid in what butter remains and pour over ham. Serve hot.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Loaf

I'm sorry that it's been awhile since I last posted! Things have been so busy lately that I've been having a hard time keeping up. Well, anyway, :) I thought I would share this recipe that I made a while back and will certainly be making again, since we all enjoyed it, plus it was easy to mix up. :)

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
9 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch, set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs 1 at a time, beat thoroughly. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Fold in the walnuts, lemon rind, and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the a greased 81/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy! :)