Mayonnaise

 

 I have been getting a TON of questions about my being on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. 

I've been able to follow it and adapt it to my family very easily. I tend to do better on low carb eating anyway, which means higher, good fats.  Darn. 

I've been on the quest to eating as clean as possible and once I knew I could eat mayo without guilt and actually read the label, I could no longer eat it without guilt. The crap in a jar of mayonnaise is staggering. Go check it out. It's a jar o junk. 

So I decided to make my own. Very easy. Very. I'm so impressed with myself ;) 

I have find it doesn't last NEARLY as long as the store bought, because, well, all the JUNK to keep its shelf life longer. So I make it a small batch at a time and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. 

Mayonnaise 

• 1 egg 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar 
• Juice of half a lemon-a fresh lemon 
• 3/4 Cup avocado oil 

I mix mine in, what else, a mason jar :) Mix all the ingredients except oil. Whisk together-I use a hand held whisk attachment on my hand held blender. Whisk til blended. Then slowly-ever so slowly, add your oil. Blend til thick and creamy and mayonnaise-y. 

I use avocado oil because it's pretty much flavorless and light. 

Your flavor options are endless. Add a clove of minced garlic, some chopped rosemary, use apple cider vinegar or red wine or even balsamic vinegar instead of the white wine vinegar. 

I use it for anything and everything you'd use mayonnaise for. I pretty much have to control the urge to lick the beater. It's that good. 

cole slaw....the easy way ;)

better late than never?  i hope so....its now great b-b-que time.  so i am finally sitting down to write out the cole slaw recipe.  cheese potatoes coming next! to read about the origins of this recipe, read here .

cole slaw

• 1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonaise (i've never gotten brave enough to try another brand)
• 3 T. lemon juice (bottled works just fine, but fresh does take it a notch
• 2 T. sugar (can use honey)
• 1 t. salt
• 2 t. horseradish (the one of the secret ingredients)
• 3/4 t celery seed
• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped find green pepper

whisk 1st 6 ingredients together.  combine vegetables and add sauce mix.  Stir well.

that's it.  so easy and so good.

now....i do take a short cut in that i purchase ready made shredded cabbage mix.  it does have carrots in it, although not 1 cup.  so, i just decide in the moment if i can make that happen or not.  the bell pepper is a non-negotiable.  it is the other secret ingredient.  i usually just put it through the food processor.

Doubletree hotel cookies (or as the kids call them: One Tree Hill cookies)

when our family goes on vacation, it is an ordeal fun way to spend great time preparing and planning and enjoying our time and each other. over the years, due to family size, money constrains and now just plain tradition, we have several things we do each and every time.

with exception of taking the family on a cruise last year for christmas, we typically go to the beach.

now that we have chuck in our lives (have you read before that he hates--i mean HATES sand?) we go to the mountains when we can as well.

this year will be both!

i used to cook ahead as much as i could to save on work at the beach. one year--don't remember why, i just couldn't.

the place we stayed had a grill and we planned our meals around that.

it was divine...and a divine inspiration, i might say

every meal was cooked on it....outside, on the sand, overlooking the beach, which typically coincided with sunset time.

i never knew what i was missing...boy, now i know. and i won't be missing a sunset due to being in the kitchen again.....if i have anything to say about it.

one of our traditions became these cookies. i wanted something that we could fix there, eat fresh and not spend a lot of time making.

so.

i made the dough for these cookies, froze the balls, put them in a ziplock and voila. fresh, hot out of the oven cookies each night for dessert (ok..except for the nights we had key lime pie, and homemade ice-cream and roasted marshmallows.).....

um...i think we may have had all of the above on our last night of cleaning the frig out.

these cookies are so so good. my friend, alicia, is a great baker. she found this recipe on top-secret recipes website. these are the cookies that the Doubletree Hotel used to leave in your room at the bed turn down. not sure if they still do, but it doesn't matter to me now ;)

Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. 3. Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. 4. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well incorporated. 5. Spoon rounded 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. You don't need to press the dough flat. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft. For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.

hot fudge sauce

i came upon this recipe so innocently. honest.

i was trying my best to cook more healthy. and found this amazing set of books. i think i have mentioned them before....the Sue Gregg Eating Better Cookbooks.

well...there are some healthy ones in there and then there's this little gem

this is ALWAYS requested for birthdays that include ice cream (we have several who don't like cake--go figure)

and....it calls for fructose. i buy fructose and keep it on hand for this recipe....and this one alone.

i have tried making it with sugar and it just doesn't work.

try it

you'll see. it is so good. it gets real thick and gooey once its on ice cream.

it's love at first bite.

hot fudge sauce

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 or 2 - 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate (to taste)
• 1/3 c. crystalline fructose
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan melt butter and chocolate over very low heat. Whisk in fructose and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla

YUMMO!

biscuits

can one ever have too many biscuit recipes? i think not. and. while i purposing to eat raw and no grains, i find i can enjoy these a little here and there. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it has started making frequent appearances on the table. the kids say they still like our old recipe better than this, but this is a welcome change for something different. they are very easy and pretty foolproof.

3 c. flour-I'm going to try a GF mix next time 1 1/2 t. salt 1 T. sugar 1 1/2 t. baking powder 1 stick butter 3/4 c. buttermilk--if you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own! 3/4 cup milk and 2 tsp lemon juice or, my standby, apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm. 1 egg 1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Mix in buttermilk, egg and just enough water to make a workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don't over mix). Roll the dough onto a floured cutting board about 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or a 2 inch round cup. Place on a greased baking sheet (touching each other) and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12-15 biscuits, depending how thick you make them.

eggnog cookies

eggnog is one of our very favorite holiday drinks. along with hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and spiced tea. hey...we love all holiday drinks!

and eggnog usually gets fought over.

i think these kids sip it like water.

but. i noticed we had some eggnog left in the fridge and it was about to expire. so. i did what any creative, cheap person would do....looked at pinterest.

i found a few recipes for eggnog cookies and decided to try them....

wow.

they were great! the family loved them and now i have to hoard the eggnog just to be able to have enough for the cookies...which actually is not a lot.

here is the recipe i landed on and have been using for a few years now

eggnog cookies

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Eggnog Glaze:
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons eggnog

Directions: Preheat oven to 300°F combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. cream sugar and butter until light. add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown.

while cookies are in the oven, make the eggnog glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with 3 T eggnog. glaze your cookies warm or cooled and top with cinnamon.

When cinnamon rolls are too much

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and decided to give it a try. Oh my. This has become my 'go to' for any event. It makes a great coffee cake or dessert or just a snack cake. It's really not a ton easier than my cinnamon rolls but much more fool proof. 3 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 cup milk 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 4 T butter, melted 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 2 T flour 1 T cinnamon 2/3 cups nuts (optional) Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 5 T milk

1 tsp vanilla

With an electric mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9×13? baking pan. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature-or straight out of the microwave ;)

I usually make a double or even triple batch, but I always mix it all separately.  I just do all the dry ingredients at the same time in different bowls, then mix one batch up and pop it in the oven.  While that one is baking, I mix the next one up.  It works pretty well for me.

ladies coffee and coffee punch!

about a year ago, i got this picture in my head of women all over my house....but they weren't talking to me....they were talking to each other.....in groups of 2 or 3..... i asked God what that was about....what he said to me was this....your home is to be a place that is safe for women to come to and to visit with each other and 'network'....the network word got me....because i feel like the whole 'network marketing' thing has over used and abused....so i asked again what that meant.....he said that we all have something that is 'marketable and needed' and that there is something in each of us that another will not have....and that we are to network together to help each other become all He intended for us to be but can't without others' help.

so

i decided to begin a ladies coffee in my home....it started out to be each month, but that because too hard around the holidays and working around other ministries i serve in.

so

i had to let go of the perfectionistic tendencies i have about fulfilling a commitment i had made to others...and let go of the idea that i could make this happen each month.

and

it has been great!

it has been a great opportunity for me to meet new ladies, love on old and new friends and let them love on me....i can walk around the house during those few hours everyone is here and see people laughing, crying, praying, hugging, reading and of course talking :)

hit and miss it may be, but we have it.  rain or shine.....2 people or 20 people....God knows who needs to be here and i am learning to trust Him in all things....

even with the food ;)

sometimes there i have plenty to make plenty and sometimes i have to let my pride go and let everyone know that its up to them ;)  i will have coffee, but if they want to eat, they need to help.  and every time we have more than enough.....even enough for my kids to have the leftovers and that has become one of their favorite things i do :)  they even help clean up before hand.

it is the perfect time for me to try new recipes and to make things i like little amounts, but don't want to eat the WHOLE thing...ya know???

this last time i made a coffee punch.  i had found this recipe a long, long time ago and make it for showers, parties, etc.  it is soooo yummy!  my kids beg me to make double batches so there is enough for them, but i hesitate to do that because the coffee used is so strong, that i don't think i can handle all of them on that amount of caffeine.

this is a recipe worth keeping for those times you need a punch and you are tired of the ginger-ale stand by.....

coffee punch

• 1 gallon strong coffee
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 quart whipping cream
• 1 gallon ice cream
• chocolate for shaving

brew the coffee and add sugar.  chill.  when ready to serve, combine in a BIG, huge, ginormous bowl, the whipping cream and ice cream.  stir gently to mix.  shave chocolate on top.....

sip slowly.....if you can :)

see you next time at ladies coffee!!!!

getting a little home made around here.......

i have always been interested in doing things the hard way the natural way.  and if i can do it where it is cheaper easier on the grocery bill....i am ALL IN.  i have been making my own {insert whatever comes to mind} for a while.  clothes, bread, cakes, brownies, dog biscuits ;)....you name it, i have tried it.  i have become more interested in what goes ON the skin verses IN the body recently...not that i am not interested in what goes in...i have been for a LONG time.  but we have had a hard time with finding things that don't irritate some of the more sensitive bodies around here......so.  with the help of pinterest, i decided to make my way to body wash and lotion. we love both of these things.  the body wash took a little getting used to and i am ready to make my next batch and will experiment with it, but the sensitive ones around here LOVE it.  they thought it was weird at first and was determined not to like it, but when they ran low, they came a runnin!

the lotion has been wonderful!  we just got back from the dry mountain air and it was a God-send for those chapped legs and arms.  i just made a new batch today to replenish what we used up.

i will post the recipes below, and as always, i will first post how written and then add my own touches ;)

It is getting harder and harder to find an all natural lotion these days. If you suffer from dry, sensitive skin, or have a child with eczema, you know how important it is to find a rich, natural lotion that has nourishing properties in it. Here is a recipe for an easy to make lotion with a coconut oil base. It is perfect for dry, sensitive skin types.

coconut oil lotion

Difficulty: Easy Instructions Things You'll Need

1/4 Cup Distilled water 3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil--i used half coconut oil and half almond oil....made easier by doubling the recipe 2 Tbsp beeswax, either grated or in pellets 1 tsp essential oil, such as lavender or rose--I used a 'creative blend' i found at sprouts 1/2 Cup Aloe Vera Gel 1.  MELT YOUR BEESWAX This first step is to melt the beeswax. Skin care products with beeswax as a main ingredient are much more nourishing to the skin. You will want to melt beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat. First, place your beeswax, either grated or in pellets, in a small pot. Place the small pot inside a medium pot filled about half way up with water. Gradually heat the beeswax over medium heat until it is just melted. then, remove the small pot from the heat source. 2.  COMBINE THE OIL WITH THE WAX Next, you will want to combine your oil with your wax. The oil you will be using should be Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. This is the best coconut oil available, and will make your lotion rich and creamy. You can find Extra Virgin Coconut Oil at any health food store or natural foods market. Add the coconut oil into the same pot that contains your melted beeswax, and stir until the coconut oil has melted and is combined with the beeswax. Set this aside. 3.  HEAT YOUR WATER In another pot, heat the distilled water until it is around the same temperature as the oil and wax. You can test this by using a candy thermometer. Once the ingredients are at the same temperature, you are ready to blend them together. 4.   BLEND INTO LOTION Pour your oil and wax mixture, along with your distilled water, into a blender. Blend on low for abut 1 minute. Gradually pour in the Aloe Vera and the essential oil you have chosen, and blend on high for around 2 minutes. You will be amazed at the results! Your handmade coconut oil lotion will be creamy and thick...just like a professional lotion! 5.  HANDMADE COCONUT LOTION FOR EVERYONE! Now that you have successfully created your own coconut oil lotion, you will want to share it with your friends and family. Fill small glass containers or bottles with your lotion to give as gifts. Your handmade coconut lotion will make a great gift for any occasion. Grandmothers especially love the soothing qualities of the coconut oil, and will love to use it knowing that you made it yourself!

homemade body wash

1/2 gallon distilled water 2 cups grated soap 2 Tbsp Vegetable Glycerin oil Minerals, colors and scents as desired

Melt 2 cups grated soap in 1/2 gallon distilled water  along with 2TBSP of Vegetable Glycerin oil.  Add scent or color if desired, which it wasn't for us - the simpler the better.

We poured it into mason jars and let it cool. It solidified into a fairly thick substance, which scared me at first, but after shaking it up a bit, it is the perfect consistency. One jar at a time gets poured into an old body wash bottle and there ya go.

chicken enchiladas

i am sitting in the midst of chaos.....getting new carpet upstairs, so the whole downstairs is full of upstairs furniture.  it is so crowded that we can't hardly move. so.

what do we decide to do?

cook.

don't ask me why, but we are relegated to the dining room and kitchen, so we are eating ;)

we are having a birthday dinner and a going away dinner for my oldest son tomorrow night (that is a whole 'bother story...for later)....and gretchen decided she wanted to make the dessert{s}...yes....3 to be exact...and not too small or easy ones, i might add.

i had to look up some recipes for her to get ingredients...to go to the store.  yep.  we didn't even have any ingredients to make the things she wanted to make.  o.  well.

and now.  we are on the 2nd trip to the store.....but, i digress.

i had to look up these recipes.  to do that, the old recipe book has to be pulled out.  this book has some history to it.  i think i bought it about 20 years ago to 'organize' my recipes.  it worked.  for a while.  then it got out of control.

it always happens....i find recipes i have forgotten about.  recipes that bring back great {and not so great} memories.  recipes that i have intended on trying.

and i found this one.   chicken enchiladas.  it has a great story.  the recipe is from my friend gail.  gail has been such a great friend.  when this recipe surfaced at our house was when gail came in to take care of me after the birth of my last living baby.

for those who might not know.  i am pretty much on my own as far as family goes.  i have been on my own with each of my babies and with the last 2 being 16 months apart and husband working, i needed help.  so, gail came in for the week and became my doula.  she took care of me, she helped take care of reagan needing cosmetic surgery right after birth, she did laundry, helped with homeschooling the others, and brought recipes.

great recipes.  recipes we still love. my kids will still talk about 'that dish that mrs. ferguson made' ....{side note: it was always a running joke that we could get our kids to eat anything if we claimed it came from another mother-as long as it wasn't 'ours'}

so.  she made chicken enchiladas for us and they became an instant favorite.  and they are soooo easy! they are pictured above...and i will type it out just like it is written.....

chicken enchiladas

boil chicken.  chop and shred chicken.  add 1 package taco seasoning, 1 can chopped green chilies, 1 cup shredded cheese.  mix well.  roll meat mixture in flour tortilla.  secure with toothpick.  place in greased casserole dish.  pour whipping cream (1/2 pint) over enchiladas.  bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  remove from oven and garnish with green onions, lettuce and tomatoes.

now.  i will tell you what i do ;)

i do all that, except i blend the green chilies up.  my kids do NOT like the texture of them in anything.  i also don't secure with a toothpick...too much of a hassle.  and then i use more whipping cream.  we like them juicy ;)  we also top with a tomatillo sauce the that gail's sweet husband made up....and we serve it with a big green salad and chips and salsa. that's it.  makes a great dinner!  i also usually have left over chicken mixture, so i freeze it for another meal.  the left over enchiladas are really pretty good too!

tomatillo sauce

• 1 jar herdez salsa verde
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 ripe avocado

blend all ingredients together.  try to keep out of it til its time to eat.

chicken salad

i had the privilege of having some chicken salad with an old friend and a few of her friends when we met up for lunch in Canton....that's a whole 'nother post....make that 2 posts....one on canton and one on my friend Kaye.  well.  eating her chicken salad reminded me that i had taken pictures of my recipe last year and had never posted it.  we had it for dinner tonight and it is always a favorite....so again, i was reminded that i had the fixings not only for food, but for giving you the recipe. i think i got this recipe originally from the pantry diner in downtown mckinney.  i think i have said before that one of my favorite things to do is to try to replicate something i really like.  so, after a few tries and kids taste testing...we came up with our own version of it....

it has become the go to recipe for picnics, lake days, travel days, you name it, it works ;)  we usually have it with club crackers, just to make it easier to pack and eat on the go.  we have been eating gluten free for a while now, so we have it with rice crackers.  it is VERY good!  on of my kids favorite ways to eat it is just to digit with chips and veggies....i am always a popular person when this is on the menu......you would think i would make it more.......

chicken salad

• 1 rotisserie chicken (this is a much, MUCH easier way to do this....)
• 1 cup toasted pecans, cooled and chopped
• 2 cups red grapes, halved, or if very large, quartered
• 1 cup of  mayonnaise, sour cream, greek yogurt or a mixture of any or all
• and for my secret ingredient--juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste
• and for my secret, secret ingredient--1/4 cup water

strip, shred or chop the chicken....combine all ingredients except the water...mix well....add the water and mix to a good spreadable consistency....you can add more dressing as you desire....

serve on bread, with crackers or on top of salad greens.

i will tell you.....when i grocery shop, i try to get it all done in one day.  when i actually get that done :| i am beat when it is all said and done.  and we usually have to grab some food out....kinda defeats the purpose of grocery shopping, wouldn't ya say?  so.  i decided i would buy a rotisserie chicken (the last i bought 2 to have enough for chicken salad, also) and i cook some version of quinoa, and a veggie or two.  it has become an easy {maybe not cheapest} way to have dinner in on shopping days....

Christmas breakfast

our christmas days are  a long, drawn out, amazingly fun process.  it has evolved into a whole day of eating and opening presents.  i guess that's no different from any other family, but one difference for us, is we don't open everything in one fell swoop.  now that the children are a bit older--and that's relatively speaking....every present is wrapped and nothing is placed under the tree until christmas eve....so some of the surprise is all the presents appearing out of no where :)  we have stockings to open and presents to unwrap.  we wait until everyone is {somewhat} awake and we have cups of coffee, cider and hot chocolate ready for the stocking opening.  once everyone has their warm drink of choice, we all gather in the den and stockings are handed out.  we go around, one by one and reach in--without looking is the ideal--and pull out one thing at a time.  this can take up to an hour or two for the whole family to empty their stockings. once that is done, we stop and have breakfast.  i have found that breakfast needs to be on the lighter side or no one wants to eat Christmas dinner (actually lunch, since its around 2).  i am also learning how to keep it very simple, since i would have already been cooking the few days prior and will be the rest of the day.  we have had cinnamon rolls (recipe here), breakfast casseroles, scrambled eggs and muffins, etc.    our favorite so far has become fruit soup and biscuits.  i know my sweet husband needs some protein with breakfast, so this year, i will make some mini quiches to go along with our soup. after breakfast, we go back to the tree and open presents.  we are usually there until time for lunch.

this soup is wonderful!  it is so refreshing and light.  and. so. simple. what i love about it, is that i throw it all together the day before--whenever there is time--and its just ready for us when its time to eat.  the other thing i do (which i did tonight) is make enough biscuits for that meal and freeze the dough on a cookie sheet--several days or weeks ahead.  once they are frozen, i put them in a ziplock and when we are about ready to break for breakfast, i throw them on a cookies sheet and pop them in the oven.

i will make the mini quiches the day or two before christmas also.  my goal is to make this as easy as possible for that day.  i want to be in the den, enjoying my family and not in the kitchen...until they have all crashed on the sofas :)

i found this soup recipe years and years ago in a cookbook series on healthy eating.  i wouldn't say its exactly healthy, but it is a favorite and with a few wise choices, it can be healthier than most foods :) we have this for dinner many times during the summer, too.

Fruit Soup

recipe as written makes 11 cups without bananas (which we never add)

• 12 oz package frozen raspberries
• 16 oz package frozen strawberries
• 12 oz package frozen blueberries
• 20 oz can pineapple chunks, unsweetened, undrained
• 16 oz can peach slices, unsweetened, undrained and cut in bite size pieces
• 16 oz can pear halves, unsweetened, undrained and cut in bit size pieces

Combine all portions of fruit in a BIG bowl.  let stand about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator to let frozen fruit thaw and juices to mingle.  refrigerate until ready to serve.  Add bananas (if desired) to each portion served.

*this will keep several days in the refrigerator.  Add bananas only to the portion to be used immediately, since they will turn.

we serve with whipped cream on top and biscuits.  we almost always have left overs and use this as a base for smoothie or a topping on ice-cream, oatmeal..whatever.  you name it, it works here :)

NOW--i usually make these biscuits to go with this. but lately, the kids have been asking for buttermilk biscuits with this, since the usual ones are a bit sweet.

i learned to make these biscuits from my mother-in-law.  she, like me, doesn't use recipes for most of her meals, and this is no exception.  i am sure she was taught just like she taught me to make them...and, while they are NOT good for you, they are pretty darn good.  there are no measurements...you just have to 'eyeball' it and go on experience--as you get used to making them

buttermilk biscuits

• self rising flour
• crisco
• buttermilk

What she taught me:  put a couple of cups of flour in a bowl.  take a couple of heaping spoons of crisco and cut (and by cut she meant mush it with your hands until it was all blended) in until the constancy of cornmeal.  (what I do is blend it all in and if I can form a ball with the flour/crisco mix with my hands, without feeling the greasiness of the crisco, you got the right mix :)).  add buttermilk, a little at a time until you have a moist heap (hehe, i told you it wasn't precise)....and it will be gooey, but those make for flaky biscuits.  put dough out on a floured board and put just enough flour on top to be able to flatten with your fingers and it not stick to you.  flatten out to about 1/2" and cut with a biscuit cutter--I use a regular sized mouth mason jar.   lay out on an ungreased cookie sheet--sides barely touching.  bake at 450 for about 5 minutes.  they will be light brown on top and maybe very light on the bottom.

gingerbread men

this is one of my all time favorite cookie recipes and it has great story to go with it! ok, i think so, anyway. i love collecting recipes...obviously.  and i found myself with mountains of magazines to keep all the recipes i loved.  one year, i decided to purge the magazines by pulling out the recipes i loved and had saved the magazine for.  i got one of those 'magnetic' photo albums and put all my scraps of papers in the album. i still have this album and it has to be 20 years old.

but.  somehow, this recipe got lost.  i had written it down several times.  it was in a good housekeeping magazine from 1983.  i remembered the front of the magazine, and had saved it for many years, but it was gone.  i had even given it to friends and no one could find it.

what i love about this recipe, is that the cookies are soft....if you roll them thinner, they would be crunchy, but the flavor is mild....i think it has to do with the maple syrup in it...and i use the real thing.  they are easy to handle and roll out and transfer to a cookie sheet....just all around good cookie dough to work with.

well.  every Christmas, i think of these cookies and have not, for the life of me, been able to replicate the recipe.

i have been looking for probably 10 years now.  and decided to go online to find it.  i didn't know this, but there is a magazine clearing house....so, i went on that and ordered the magazine...for a mere 19.95.  it came in and i got the year wrong.....it wasn't the right one. BOOOOOOO.  NOW what what i going to do?????  well, I called the company and explained what I did....hehe....the guy felt sorry for me and copied and emailed me the copy of the recipe from the correct years' magazine.

so...now i have it and i knew if I didn't make these and get the recipe on my blog, i might lose it again!!!  here it is :)

gingerbread cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 c flour

mix butter, sugar, syrup and egg until smooth.  mix dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture.  mix well. put on floured board and roll out to desired thickness.  add currants for eyes and buttons, or leave plain and decorate after cooled.   bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes.

iii forks corn

once we had been to iii forks, we were on the hunt for their recipes...or at least trying to copy them.  a friend had overheard us talking about how much we loved it....and how we had broken the salad recipe, which you can find here and she gave us a copy of the creamed corn they serve.  wow.  jackpot!  we decided to make it for a holiday meal, and it has been a regular ever since.  i rarely make it outside of the holidays, but my kids--the ones out on their own--will call me to get the recipe every now and then.  it is so good!  it does taste better with fresh, off the cob corn, but during the holidays, fresh corn is hard to come by and pricey...so we use frozen.  I do try to find the best brand of frozen, which is usually birds eye or green giant.  this is one recipe i don't go for store brands.

III Forks Corn

• 10 ears fresh corn (we use frozen most of the time)
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 1 C. milk
• 2 T. Sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. white pepper
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/4 t. accent (I have NEVER used)
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. thyme
• 4 oz butter
• 2 T. flour

In a stock pot, combine first 10 ingredients. Slowly bring to a boil. (if using frozen corn, I cook part way). Reduce to a simmer. Simmer 3 minutes.

In a separate sauce pan, bring the butter to a boil. Stir in flour. Ad this mixture to the simmering corn.

Stirring occasionally, simmer for 3 more minutes. Keep warm until serving.

sweet potato casserole

i had never heard of sweet potato casserole until i met my ex husband's family.  we had just started dating and went over to have some thanksgiving dinner with them.  it was the first 'real' thanksgiving that i felt was like home to me.  the dodson family is all from tennessee and cook great southern style foods...no matter what it is....so yummy!  i fell in love with the family and their food that day :)  one of my favorite things (which everything has become my favorite for the holidays) is the sweet potato casserole.  i asked for the recipe.  i see looks flying across the table....uh oh....what had i done now....i had experienced people telling me they don't share their recipes, so i was thinking fast as how to save this situation with declining needing it.....then the story came out.... it was from my {then} boyfriend's ex girlfriend.  seems it was a secret family recipe of her family that she shared to win this family over to her.  it wasn't supposed to be shared, but guess what?????  i got it ;)

and as in most of my recipes, as i am sure you do, it has been changed....to protect the innocent to make it my own.  one year -- and many since then, our family has not been eating white sugar or white flour. so i made some changes to it to make it more healthy, and no one seems to take notice and its really good.

Sweet Potato Casserole

• 2 C. sweet potatoes, baked
• 1 C. sugar (I use 1/2 C. honey)
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 C. butter
• 1/2 C. milk, maybe more
• 1 t. vanilla

Mix these together and top with:

• 1 C. brown sugar (I have used sucanat, but not as good)
• 1 C. chopped pecans
• 1/2 C. flour--i usually use whole wheat, but this year will experiment with gluten free ingredients
• 6 T. butter

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

this recipe, the biscuits with cranberry sauce and the turkey and gravy are the ONLY things my family will eat for left overs....I am left with all the other good stuff :)

not one, not two, but three!

i have been very neglectful of my commitment to posting some of our holiday foods and the traditions around them....it has been a very busy fall! our holiday meals--Thanksgiving and Christmas are always the same....unless i am just too busy and worn out to try to make them twice...but even then, i usually end up making them...it just wouldn't be those holidays with out that food.....

our menu usually consists of:

• turkey--the recipe for our very, VERY favorite turkey is here
• dressing (of which ALLLLLL the children HATE--but i love)
• cranberry sauce (s)--the reason for this post....
• gravy--find this with the turkey recipe ^^
• biscuits--buttermilk, not sweet biscuits
• yeast rolls--the recipe for those is here
• mashed potatoes
• sweet potato casserole
• waldorf salad
• green beans
• III forks corn
• pumpkin pie--this has become a crustless pumpkin pie that everyone LOVES
• pecan pie--last year we made pecan bars that were SCRUMPTIOUS!
• blackberry cobbler
• and anything anyone else wants to bring, fix or add to this :)

i grew up eating cranberry sauce out of a can--whenever we had it...which wasn't often.  i hated it.  it was nasty stuff to me.  anything that comes plopping out of a can with that sound....yikes!  and then you had to cut it like cold butter....YUK!  NO offense if you LIKE that kind of cranberry sauce, but I DID NOT.

the first time i had cranberry cause that i like, was one year at my dad's home.  my step-mom had me make it.  honestly.  i didn't even know such a thing existed.  so, she taught me how to make it, which was rather easy....

• a bag of cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• the rind of one orange

put all that in a pot on the stove, boil til they start 'popping' and take it off the stove...that easy....i was a little hesitant.  it didn't look like the stuff in the can...but then i tasted it.....sooooo yummy!  i could have eaten the whole pan of it ;) with my turkey, with my biscuits, with my dressing...with everything and by itself.  i LOVED it.

i began making it for my family--they didn't have my same opinion of it ;)  so...to not lose the ability to still have it and be able to enjoy it...and the {sometimes} adventurous cook that i can be.....i decided to experiment.  I changed the water to orange juice....that helped.

one day, i was perusing....not sure what now...the internet, a magazine or the tv, but i heard or saw a recipe using fresh ginger.  we love ginger, so i decided to try it.  i went to make it and realized that the only juice i had was orange mango.  i used it.  we LOVED it.

so, another time, i didn't have white sugar....i know.....how can that happen at thanksgiving.....and this was before the time when the stores remained open.  i am sure i had used it all on the pies made the days before.  so....i used brown sugar.  it was AWESOME.

then.  last year, we added a bit of finely chopped jalepeno to it....not my favorite, but some of the guys loved it, too.

SO...NOW...here we are with several people liking their cranberry sauce different ways....so we make them all ;)

if this is confusing....comment and i will clarify...but basically its the same recipe on the bag of cranberries with our own adaptations and experimentations.....and let this be an encouragement...you can probably add many more different things and make it your own, too.

shredded beef tacos--or fuzzy's tacos :)

i found this recipe in the dallas morning news a loooooong time ago....we have adapted it {of course} and now it has a life of its own....what i love about this recipe is that it is a crock pot recipe....so i can fix it and forget it :) we have also found one of our favorite eating out places....fuzzy's.  they have great queso and wonderful shredded beef tacos.  well. one day, we decided that we could recreate fuzzy's tacos with our own shredded beef recipe.  the secret is the toppings on the taco.....

shredded beef tacos

• 1 roast (i use whatever kind is on sale and big enough to feed the masses
• 1 large onion, cut in quarters
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 jar salsa (we use Joe T. Garcia's)
• shredded cheese
• crumbled feta cheese--THIS is the secret ingredient to copying fuzzy's
• chopped cilantro--this is the second secret ingredient
• tortillas--either flour or corn (corn is our preference for this recipe)
• thinly sliced purple onion
• shredded lettuce
• additional salsa--either jarred or homemade {see this post for my homemade version :) }
• fuzzy's style garlic sauce--recipe to follow :)

i put the onion, garlic and water in the crock pot and then lay the meat on top.  i cook on warm if we want it for dinner the next day....or low if we want it for lunch after church.....when the roast is tender, take it out and shred it.  dump the crock pot drippings out and put the roast back in with the jar of salsa.  mix well and cook until warmed.  meanwhile, i cook our corn tortillas in a skillet with a little olive oil.

to serve, we spread the garlic sauce on a hot tortilla and put the the meat in the tortilla and start adding your favorite toppings.

Creamy Garlic Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tb. butter
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Sauté garlic in butter over low heat until golden (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic/butter to 1 cup mayo and blend.  Add pepper and garlic powder.  Put on your taco first thing and enjoy!!!

so yummy!!!

homemade yogurt

im taking a break from the trees story....i found my journaling from that time frame and have been reading through.  it is bringing back some memories and thoughts that i would love to express all of it accurately...so this is something that i have wanted to post for a while.  I have several other 'homemade' recipes; bread, mayonnaise, granola, pancakes and the like that are really, really good and easier than you would think. we LOVE our yogurt.  we use it as a base for smoothies, we eat it with granola and fruit and have it with sweetener and sometimes instant coffee mixed in to make a coffee yogurt.  i also use it when buttermilk is called for and we don't have it.  i use it in my pancake recipe when i need to.  it is so easy to make.  the hardest part is keeping it warm for a long enough period for it to get as firm as we like it.  i use a heating pad and it has an automatic shut-off.  that is a pain.

i used to make yogurt a long time ago with a yogurt maker.  it made too small of containers of it for the amount we eat.  i make a gallon of yogurt at a time now.  I also used to make it with a yogurt base as a starter.  that was also a pain.  it can be done, but lots of times, i am not thinking ahead to keep some to make more.  i found this yogurt starter at sprouts and it works great!

it is so easy...I buy a gallon of my choice of milk...you can use full fat, 2%, low fat or fat free.  its easy to make a quart of it at a time, also....i make it in a dutch oven, bring it to a boil then let it cool down.  add the powder, stir well and turn the heating pad on it until it is as firm as desired.  we like it really thick, so it stays in there at least 24 hours.  once the heat of down, the fermenting and thickening stops.  i then put it into mason jars and refrigerate.

warm meal on a COLD day!

Well, its cooooooold here in north Texas!  we have wind chills into the below's :)  .  The kids are out of school and it is crazy around here.  We have done our traditional making donuts out of canned biscuits and home made hot chocolate for breakfast.  We have not been able to make it to Starbucks (our other fun tradition for the first snow of the season) because the roads are too bad.  Everyone is still in pjs and we are looking forward to having a warm dinner, sitting by the fire and watching the school closings in hopes of another day tomorrow (ok...they are...not necessarily me--just being honest :)).

One of my favorite cold weather meals is beef stew.  I have made it for years, and it was *ok*, but when we lived in McKinney, we frequented the pantry, a homestyle cooking restaurant.  The food served was, again, *ok*, but the desserts were to die for  good and I loved going in the afternoons during nap time, when the older ones were finishing school work.  I could just escape for a bit and breathe.  They have a cookbook that I honestly got for some of those yummy desserts, but after looking through it, decided to try some of the other recipes...oh, so glad I did....this one is one of our favorites out of the book.  Once we tried it, my old way of making beef stew became a forgotten memory...this is how it is done from here on out....enjoy!  oh, one of the main tricks to this recipe (and any like this using potatoes) is to cook the potatoes ahead of time...what I do is have a baked potato dinner the night or two before, making enough for this meal...once cooled, they are a cinch to peel and cut up and they don't dissolve in the cooking process....makes it really, really yummy!!!

beef stew

• 1 1/2 lbs stew meat
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, diced coursely (if you have read earlier posts, you know I blend these up in the liquid that is used--much more accepted by the kids)
• 3 Tablespoons beef base or beef broth ( I ALWAYS keep chicken, beef and veggie base on hand)
• 2 Cups celery, sliced
• 4 potatoes, baked and cooled overnight--then on cooking day, peeled and diced
• 4-6 carrots, sliced (depending on how much you like)
• 1 can peas ( I never use these, since if I did not one person would TOUCH the whole meal--I put in corn, either canned or frozen--I like frozen better)
• black pepper
• kitchen bouquet (i don't use this--I add a couple of tablespoons of worcestershire sauce instead
• 6 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 Cup butter, melted

In a large pot, cook beef in oil until browed on the outside.  Add onions, beef base and about 4-5 cups of water.  Cook on low heat for about 1 hour. Add celery, carrots, potatoes and corn, if desired.  Continue cooking until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes).  Stir flour into butter.  Slowly whisk into stew, until desired thickness is achieved.   Add peas.  Season with pepper, kitchen bouquet and /or worcestershire sauce.

I always make these yeast rolls with this stew...it is a given now...to be able to sop up the juices and gravy with these rolls and then to eat them for dessert with butter and honey.....ewwww weeeeee!

I actually think I got this recipe in Home Ec in High School....YAY, Mrs. Clark.  Thank you!  I think they are the little angle biscuits we made first year, but no matter...they are so good!  We have them now at most Holiday meals because you can make the dough ahead and pull it out when you are ready.  SOOOO good!!!!

refrigerator yeast rolls

• 1 package dry yeast (I use bulk and use 1 Tablespoon)
• 1/2 Cup warm water
• 1/2 Cup shortening, melted ( I use butter)
• 4 1/2 Cups flour
• 1/2 Cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400*.  Dissolve yeast in water and let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in butter.  Combine dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add to yeast mixture.  Mix and turn dough.  Knead on a floured board until a good texture (don't ya love detail--its from high school...sorry)....I just knead until its easy to handle and not too gooey.  Shape dough into ball, place in a greased bowl and cover till ready for use.  When ready, make small balls (size depends on your need and desire--we have had them the size of golf balls and the size of softballs :) ).  Put on a 'pammed' cookie sheet ( I put them just barely touching to make them rise up and be soft on the sides).  Bake for 8-10 minutes in 400* oven.   Sometimes, I will brush them with butter as they get out of the oven.

pecan cranberry biscotti.....YUM!!!!

I got this recipe from a friend, who when one day, I went into her home and she had biscotti laying around EVERYwhere!  I took a bite and was smitten.  She graciously gave me a bag to take home and i took it along our trip to Tennessee for Christmas.  I had to fight for every piece I wanted...the kids LOVED it, too.  it has become a holiday tradition and favorite.  its a lot of work, but soooo worth it!  i make a quadruple batch, freeze most of it and give it in mugs to the kids' teachers--ok, what we don't eat first.  it is so yummy in coffee, but as you can read below, really, REALLY yummy in hot chocolate which you can find an amazing recipe here :)  .  when my friend sent the recipe to me, she included her own notes, which i have posted below the recipe with my additions.  ENJOY!!!

Pecan cranberry biscotti

Makes 24

• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups Sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Zest of 1 lemon--I have used orange it is just as good.  neither one overpowers the cranberries or pecans.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop half the pecans, and leave remaining ones in halves; set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine baking powder, flour, sugar, and salt. In a bowl, beat eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients; mix on medium low until sticky dough is formed. Stir in pecans, cranberries, and zest.

Turn dough out onto well-floured board; sprinkle with flour, and knead slightly. Shape into 9-by-3 1/2-inch logs. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 275 degrees.

On cutting board, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Return pieces cut side down to baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes. Turn over. Bake until slightly dry, about 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.

SIDE NOTES:

1. this is not worth making in a single batch. I usually make a quadruple
2. it will burn out most hand mixers. I would tread very carefully, turning it on and off smelling for the smell of burning motor. I do not trust it for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. It could probably handle it, but if not, I am out a bunch of money. It is beyond sticky. The only liquid is eggs and some of those are only yolks.  note from me:  I use my Bosch mixer and it works very well.
3. Do not forget to toast the pecans. There are very few ingredients and each one is very important to the taste and the difference betweentoasted pecans and non toasted pecans is amazing.
4. when you cut them into strips there are end pieces that I do not toast and my girls think they  are better than the toasted ones. They are cooked, but not toasted.
5. they are even better in hot chocolate than coffee in my opinion. yep
6. About 6 pieces and 2 individual bags of gourmet hot chocolate mix are a great teacher present.