Black Friday Shopping

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday. Ours was great. It was fun to visit with our family and eat good food all afternoon.

I'm glad we get to show some gratitude before we get greedy asking for things at Christmas time. Buying cheap junk at Wal-mart doesn't seem in line with commemorating the Savior's birth.

Speaking of greedy, Wal-mart was certainly crazy this morning! All civility and good manners seem to be forgotten during this blessed day of shopping. When I got there at 4:30 a.m., there were some people who had been guarding items they wanted for two hours! The employees kept telling people not to touch, but early shoppers were leaning over the racks to protect their loot. When the go ahead was given at 5 a.m. it got crazy. I've never done Black Friday before, (I got talked into it this year.) Now I can see I was wise. In spite of the good deals, I'm not sure the fatigue, small rush of adrenaline, and miniscule savings was worth it. I much prefer to order online and let the UPS man deliver it to my door.

I have several recipes waiting to be posted. They will be up as soon as I edit the photos. Take care!

Thanksgiving Traditions

Most of us expect the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie for this once a year holiday meal. I've discovered though, that every family has a few things that are a little unique. When we get together with my mom's side of the family you can count on eating yam balls and celery sticks stuffed with Cheez Whiz and peanut butter (not together...some with Cheez Whiz and some with peanut butter!) I didn't know these stuffed celery sticks were one of my Grandma's favorites until I had her fill out a questionnaire asking about her favorite things. You always learn something when you get brave enough to ask.

So, what is a yam ball you wonder? It's mashed yams wrapped around a large marshmallow and then rolled in cornflakes. That's it! You bake it at 325 degrees until the marshmallow starts to ooze, about 15-20 minutes. I don't remember a Thanksgiving with that side of the family without these two things.

There are only two things that I insist on when it's my turn to host Thanksgiving dinner. They are #1 homemade rolls and #2 real mashed potatoes. I feel like we cheat enough the rest of the year with instant foods and shortcuts. This is one meal where we should serve the real deal.

What do you think? Does your family have anything unique that is served for Thanksgiving dinner? Are there any items that you insist on having when the meal is under your supervision? I'd love to hear your comments.

CREAMY GARLIC PENNE PASTA

This recipe is from Jill on Simple Daily Recipes. She has some great child friendly tips and recipes. All but one family member (child #2 who doesn't like much anyway) liked this dish. Jill gave a good tip about blending the sauce so that the kids don't find anything chunky in it. I loved that idea. That way no one asks, "What are these little things?" My Braun hand blender worked like a charm for this step. I also added some freshly grated Parmesan right before serving.

CREAMY GARLIC PENNE PASTA

2 1/2 c. penne pasta, cooked (I used about half of a dry 1 lb. bag.)
4 T. butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 c. sliced onion
1/4 t. salt
4 T. flour
1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 roasted chicken breasts, diced
fresh tomatoes, diced
freshly grated Parmesan

Cook pasta. In a separate frying pan, cook garlic, onions, and 1/4 t. salt. Add flour, cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in broth, cook until simmering. Stir in sour cream. Add salt and pepper. Now is a good time to blend the sauce if you want to. Pour sauce over hot pasta and chicken pieces. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and fresh Parmesan.

CHOW MEIN

Another recipe from an old ward cookbook. This is way easy and there is something in it for everyone. I don't know if it's technically chow mein or not. It's an awful lot like stir fry but we'll call it what the submitting chef called it.

CHOW MEIN

1/2 lb. chicken breast, diced
1 T. oil
1 c. chicken broth (1 c. water + 1 bouillon cube)
1 T. soy sauce
1 celery stack, sliced diagonally
1 carrot, peeled & thinly sliced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 1/2 T. corn starch
1/4 c. liquid from vegetables
8 oz. oriental vegetables (or chopped, fresh broccoli)
2 c. chow mein noodles
rice or rice noodles

Combine chicken and oil in wok. Cook over medium/high heat. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, celery, carrot, and onion to cooked chicken. Cook for 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch and liquid from vegetables until dissolved. Add to wok and stir until thickened about 1 minute. Add oriental vegetables (broccoli) to wok. Boil 1 minute-don't overcook or the vegetables will get dark and mushy. Serve over rice or oriental noodles.

EGG ROLLS

My husband isn't a big fan of Chinese food so I either have to make it myself or talk someone into going out with me. I love Chinese food and egg rolls are one of my favorites. This is something everyone in my family likes. I found this recipe in an old ward cookbook. It's pretty simple and I think I've learned a few things to perfect the recipe.

First, you need to fry these quickly. If your oil is not hot enough, too much oil will be absorbed and they will taste greasy. I've tried frying these two ways. Either way works fine, it just depends on what pans you have.

• Saucepan-Fill with vegetable oil and heat it to medium. I have a gas stove, so if I put the dial right in the middle, the flame is perfect. To test it, break off a tiny piece of the egg roll wrapper and drop it in the oil. It should crisp up and turn bubbly quickly.

• Frying pan skillet-This is like the deep skillet you would fry chicken in. You will need to be able to put a couple of inches of oil in it. I start by setting the temperature dial to 350 degrees. Test a piece of the egg roll wrapper. If it doesn't brown quickly enough, slowly turn up the heat a little.

Second, you need to let these drain on paper towels before serving. A lot of oil will drain out and they will taste better if you let them drain for a few minutes.

Finally, these are better the first day you make them. The recipe makes about 16 egg rolls. If you aren't going to eat that many, cut the recipe in half. If you must re-heat, bake them at 350 for about 5 minutes on each side. Microwaving makes them too soggy.

EGG ROLLS

1 lb. ground meat, browned (hamburger, chicken, pork)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 of a Chinese (Napa) cabbage, chopped (You can add more if you want to, I like a lot.)
1 carrot, shredded
2 c. rice sticks, cooked according to package directions. Use about 1/3 of a dry package. These look like thin, white ramen noodles and can be found in the Asian food section of the grocery store. Mine were in an orange package labeled Dynasty Maifun.
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. ginger
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 package egg roll wrappers. Look in the refrigerated produce section of the store.

Mix cooked meat, onions, cabbage, and cooked rice sticks. The amounts of seasonings are a starting point. If you like more or less ginger, adjust to your taste. I mix everything and then add the salt and pepper, sprinkling, and tasting as I go.

Lay egg roll wrapper out in a diamond shape. Place about 1/3 c. mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up, then the side corners. It should look like an open envelope. Dab a little water on the top corner before finishing the final corner fold. Instructions for rolling are usually on the wrapper.








Fry in hot oil about one minute on each side. Start the skillet temperature at 350 degrees. Test heat by frying a small piece of egg roll wrapper. Egg rolls should look golden brown, not too dark.

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

1/2 c. brown sugar
6 oz. pineapple juice (When you drain pineapple, save the juice and freeze it. It turns out to be about 6 oz. Perfect for this sauce or smoothies.)
2 T. white vinegar
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. ketchup

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add vinegar and juice. Cook on high stirring constantly until thickened. Add ketchup after sauce has thickened.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

Aren't those the most gorgeous looking cookies? A friend came over to watch me make bread one day and while we were waiting for the dough to rise I wanted to make cookies. She saw the recipe for these in my Betty Crocker cookbook and suggested them. I had never made them before but decided to try it. They were fabulous. My family loved them. They turn out this beautiful every time. If you want a moist, chocolaty cookie, this is one to try!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES-BC

2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled (I used cocoa powder and oil because I didn't have baking squares when I first made this recipe...it worked just fine. The measurements to do this are on the can of baking cocoa.)
4 large eggs
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. powdered sugar (This is to roll the dough in. I did 1/2 c. powdered and a 1/2 c. granulated. It's up to you.)

1. Mix granulated sugar, oil, vanilla, and chocolate in a large bowl. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Stir in 2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in remaining flour a little at a time to make a soft, squishy dough.
   
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet.
3. Roll into balls. Use a teaspoon size for lots of small bite-sized cookies. I rolled them a bit larger for a bigger cookie.
4. Roll dough ball in sugar and place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake 10 - 12 minutes.
   

GRILLED CHICKEN PESTO PANINI

What is a panini? In Italian it means "small bread roll". It's pretty much yummy cheese, meat, and herbs squished between fabulous bread. This recipe came from the ward recipe swap 2 months ago from DW who got it from her sis-in-law who got it from ??? After tasting hers, I went to the sandwich shop down the road and tried their chicken pesto panini. I won't name names but it's one of those trendy places that boasts of fresh ingredients and artisan bread. It costs an arm and a leg for one sandwich and in the end you think, "I could have made that at home." I'll tell you what, their sandwich doesn't hold a candle to this one. It takes more work than your basic grilled cheese but it's worth it!

GRILLED CHICKEN PESTO PANINI

2 chicken breasts cut in half to make 4 pieces of chicken
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. dried Italian seasoning

Pound chicken to about 1/4 inch thick. Mix above ingredients and marinade the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. I put it in a Pyrex baking dish, you could also use a large Ziploc. After one hour, saute chicken on medium for about 5 minutes until done.

Bottled roasted red peppers
Bottled pesto sauce
4 slices Provolone cheese
8 thick slices Italian bread (I used homemade bread from the Traditional White Bread recipe)

Brush olive oil on the outsides of the bread. Put a slice of Provolone on the inside of one piece of bread, then the cooked chicken, then the red peppers. Spread a spoonful of pesto on the inside of the other slice. I used my George Forman to squish and grill the sandwich. If you don't have one, place the sandwich in a pan over medium heat. Place another pan on top to squish it together. Cook on both sides until toasted.

PEACH KUCHEN

This dessert disappears quickly every time I make it. It's kind of like peach pie with a yummy sweetened sour cream topping. You can serve it warm or refrigerated. We prefer it warm. I like to cut the recipe in half so I've included the whole recipe and the halved recipe to save you the math. It's a simple dessert that can bake while you're eating. I hope you enjoy it.

PEACH KUCHEN-Taste of Home 2002

Whole Recipe (9 x 13):

Crust:

3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. cold butter

Combine the flour, 1/4 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Peach Layer:

2 cans (29 oz. each) sliced peaches
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
Reserve 2 -3 T. of cinnamon sugar mixture to sprinkle over the sour cream layer

Arrange peaches over the crust. Combine cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over peaches. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add sour cream layer.

Sour Cream Topping:

4 egg yolks
2 c. sour cream
2 -3 T. cinnamon sugar

Combine egg yolks and sour cream. Spread over peaches. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake 30 - 35 minutes more until golden.

Half Recipe (8 x 8):

Crust:

1 1/2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1/2 c. cold butter

Combine the flour, 2 T. sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.

Peach Layer:

1 can (29 oz.) sliced peaches
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
Reserve 1 1/2 - 2 T. of cinnamon sugar mixture to sprinkle over the sour cream layer

Arrange peaches over the crust. Combine cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over peaches. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add sour cream layer.

Topping:

2 egg yolks
1 c. sour cream
2 T. cinnamon sugar

Combine egg yolks and sour cream. Spread over peaches. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top. Bake 30 - 35 minutes more until golden.

HAYSTACKS

This is a simple make your own plate meal. You can easily serve a crowd with this dish and picky eaters can choose what they want. I've listed several toppings that we like but you can add whatever suits your taste.

HAYSTACKS

Perfect rice:

1 c. rice
3 c. water

Add above ingredients to rice steamer. An easy way to get perfect rice is to remember the 3 to one rule: 1 cup rice + 3 cups water.

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1/4 - 1/2 t. curry powder if desired

Place chicken, soup, water, and curry in slow cooker. When it's done, dice the chicken and add it back into the gravy.

Toppings:

shredded cheddar
nuts (we like salted almonds or cashews)
diced celery
toasted coconut
diced, fresh tomatoes
chow mein noodles
pineapple tidbits
mandarin oranges
green onions

To assemble start with rice, then chicken & gravy, then toppings.

Breakfast in a Jiffy

Have you ever noticed how mornings run much smoother when mom is calm and collected? I've discovered that if I'm up and ready before they are and if breakfast is planned and clothes are picked out and backpacks are packed (whew!) we have a much better morning.

I have one child who cannot be rushed and who has never eaten a bowl of cereal or oatmeal. She dislikes milk and so neither of those two meals appeal to her. Her calcium comes from yogurt and cheese. In the morning, she only wants something hot that can be covered in syrup. Well, with school starting at 8:45 a.m., I needed to figure out a way to get pancakes and waffles done quickly. I keep several baggies of pancake and waffle mix in the pantry with the dry ingredients already measured. In the morning, all I have to do is add milk, eggs, and oil. I usually double the pancake recipe and keep some of the pancake batter in the fridge. It keeps for a couple of days and that way your pancakes are fresh each morning. There's nothing worse than dry pancakes. I usually cook all of the waffle batter and then freeze them in a huge Ziploc-my own version of Eggo's. I hope these tips are helpful. Best wishes for a peaceful morning!

PANCAKES-From Where's Mom Now That I Need Her cookbook

3/4 c. whole wheat flour (all-purpose will work)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 T. sugar (White if you put it in baggies, brown if you're going to mix immediately-brown gets too hard sitting in a Ziploc.)
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. milk
4 t. cooking oil
1 egg white, beaten until stiff

Combine ingredients in order listed, folding egg white in last.

WAFFLES

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 T. sugar
4 egg yolks
2 c. milk
2 c. flour
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
4 t. baking powder

Melt butter, stir in the sugar and egg yolks. Beat well. Beat in milk and flour. Fold in egg whites and baking powder. Bake in waffle iron. Store leftovers in refrigerator or freezer. Reheat in toaster.

BROWN SUGAR SYRUP-Yum-0! You'll love this!

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

Combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Remember those tomatoes we canned during the summer? Well here is the perfect opportunity to try them out. I like to use fresh tomatoes in spaghetti sauce when they are in season, but during the winter home-canned tomatoes are the next best thing. The sauce recipe originated with my husband's Grandma Nida. After experimenting, I added a few extra spices to make it a little more to my taste. The meatballs are from the Williams and Sonoma Italian cookbook. I checked it out from the library one day and came across this gem! I've changed a few things in that recipe too. I like to double the meatball recipe and freeze half of them for later meals. You'll use a lot of garlic, (YUM!) just keep the breath mints handy;)

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1 quart diced tomatoes
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup
1/2 large onion (or 1 T. dried onion flakes)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 t. oregano
1/2 t. thyme ( or 1/4 ground)
1/2 t. basil

Add all ingredients and simmer until reduced in amount, about 1 hour.

MEATBALLS

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients and roll into balls. The recipe suggested frying in olive oil. That was a little too greasy for me. I baked them for 10 minutes, flipped them over then baked another 10 minutes. The recipe also suggested adding 1 T. fresh, chopped parsley-I omit this, my family doesn't like the green stuff;)

BAGELS

Woo-hoo! The bagels worked. I'm so excited. This recipe makes 8 regular sized bagels. It was so easy! I always thought that it would be really time consuming but I was done in about an hour and a half and a lot of the time I was waiting for the dough to rest. I did half plain and sprinkled cinnamon-sugar on the other half. They disappeared quickly. I've always loved bagels and now I can have them fresh out of the oven anytime. If you try them, let me know what you think.

BAGELS

4 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 T. vegetable oil
2 t. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water

1. Mix all ingredients in your mixing bowl. Dough should feel a little bit stiff. Knead for about 10 minutes.
2. Cut dough into 8 balls, let rest 20 minutes.
3. Roll into a snake on the counter. Wrap into a circle and pinch the ends together.
4. Let rest 20 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   
6. Bring a pot of water to boil, grease a large cookie sheet.
7. After 20 minutes the dough should be puffy. Drop them into boiling water without crowding them. Boil 1 minute, then flip over and boil 1 more minute. Place on an oiled baking tray. You can dust tray with cornmeal if desired.
   
8. Bake for 10 minutes, flip over, bake for another 10 minutes.
9. Let cool and enjoy!
   
10. To add toppings sprinkle the topping on a plate and dip boiled bagel in topping. Suggestions: cinnamon-sugar, poppy seeds, asiago cheese.
    

WHITE DINNER ROLLS

Winter weather has hit our fair state. The cool temperatures make me want to bake bread and make soup. You just can't have soup, stew, or chili without hot bread or rolls. It's like shoes & socks, Bert & Ernie, PB & J (you get the picture!) My husband's aunt makes the best rolls in the world. But when I make these rolls, my husband says I could give her a run for her money. I must admit, they are pretty yummy rolls. We generally eat the whole pan in one meal. Most of the time we burn our fingers peeling them out of the pan before they are cooled. Since I'm in the mood for hot bread, look forward to more recipes for different bread ideas. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking of making bagels later today. If it works out, I'll share. If not, I'll work at it until I get it right. Enjoy!

White Dinner Rolls - Betty Crocker

3 1/2 TO 3 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 t. salt
1 pkg. yeast (2 1/4 t.)
1/2 c. very warm water
1/2 c. very warm milk
1 egg
butter for melting over completed rolls

1. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, 1/4 c. butter, salt, and yeast. Add warm water, milk, and egg. Beat on low 1 minute. Beat on medium 1 minute. Add enough flour to handle dough.
2. Knead 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Grease 9 x 13 pan.
4. Punch down dough. Divide into 15 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place in pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. Spread melted butter over baked rolls.