I just got the official word, my employer does a food drive every year. Our goal this year was to donate 1/2 ton of food. We donated OVER 5 TON of food!!! The official weight is 10,380#..........woohoo!!!
That helps our little town, I did not know, but we order items from the big food pantry in that large metropolitan city, we then have to pay to have it delivered! However, I have offered to pick it up and bring it home with me after work, to save the $600 they are charged to have it delivered.
Leslie, I also hear your hubby has offered the use of his trailer......every little bit helps, doesn't it?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Recipe Friday: November 28, 2008 Nutty Bacon Cheeseball
This is a family tradition, this cheeseball is served for most all family gatherings and holidays. It is a favorite we love to share as a last minute gift with a sleeve or two of our favorite crackers. Enjoy!!!
Nutty Bacon Cheeseball
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. milk
8 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. package shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 c. blue cheese (1 oz.)
1/4 c. chopped green onions (white part only)
1 jar pimiento (2 oz) juice and all
10 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (divide in 1/2)
3/4 c. chopped pecans (divide in 1/2)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 T. poppy seed
Place cream cheese in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 1 minute. Scrape bowl. ON speed 2, gradually add milk, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape Bowl. Add cheeses, onion, pimiento, half of bacon and half of pecans. Turn to speed 4 and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer half of mixture to large piece of plastic wrap. Form into a ball, wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until well chilled.
Combine remaining bacon pieces, pecans, parsley and poppy seeds in pie plate or large dinner plate. Remove plastic wrap from each cheese ball. Roll in bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap in clean plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours. Yield: 24 servings
Nutty Bacon Cheeseball
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. milk
8 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. package shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 c. blue cheese (1 oz.)
1/4 c. chopped green onions (white part only)
1 jar pimiento (2 oz) juice and all
10 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (divide in 1/2)
3/4 c. chopped pecans (divide in 1/2)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 T. poppy seed
Place cream cheese in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 1 minute. Scrape bowl. ON speed 2, gradually add milk, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape Bowl. Add cheeses, onion, pimiento, half of bacon and half of pecans. Turn to speed 4 and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer half of mixture to large piece of plastic wrap. Form into a ball, wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until well chilled.
Combine remaining bacon pieces, pecans, parsley and poppy seeds in pie plate or large dinner plate. Remove plastic wrap from each cheese ball. Roll in bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap in clean plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours. Yield: 24 servings
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pecan Pie Recipe
I was up until 1am making pies last night, thought I would share our favorite pecan pie recipe.
It was pirated from Mama Dip's.........No, I guess it wasn't.......it's on the internet. I use a 10" deep dish pie tin to make my pie if I am traveling, otherwise I use the collectible Watkins deep dish plates my mother got all 5 of her daughters when we were younger. To fill the disposable tin perfectly, I make the recipe 1 1/2 times.
Pecan Pie
1 c. butter or margarine (I detest margarine, I only use unsalted butter)
1 c. sugar
1 c. light Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine, do not brown. Add butter and syrup, stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cool slightly. (I sit the pan in cold water to speed this process up a little bit) I start to mix a little bit of the syrup from the pan into the egg mixture to warm it up before pouring it into the pan of syrup. This keeps the egg from cooking if incorporated all at once. (Home-Ec 101) Add eggs, stir well. Add pecans, pour into shell. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350, or until firm when shaken.
If using a deep dish pan, you'll have to bake the pie a little longer. I do cover the crust the last 20-30 min. to prevent overcooking or burning the crust.
Pie making is a lost art, I think. I learned to make them 6 at a time each day when growing up in my mother's restaurant. It didn't help me after I got married, I only knew how to make 6 at a time. HAHA
This one is for my son, he loves it. His sister is a pumpkin pie person, she always wanted it instead of birthday cake.
It was pirated from Mama Dip's.........No, I guess it wasn't.......it's on the internet. I use a 10" deep dish pie tin to make my pie if I am traveling, otherwise I use the collectible Watkins deep dish plates my mother got all 5 of her daughters when we were younger. To fill the disposable tin perfectly, I make the recipe 1 1/2 times.
Pecan Pie
1 c. butter or margarine (I detest margarine, I only use unsalted butter)
1 c. sugar
1 c. light Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine, do not brown. Add butter and syrup, stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cool slightly. (I sit the pan in cold water to speed this process up a little bit) I start to mix a little bit of the syrup from the pan into the egg mixture to warm it up before pouring it into the pan of syrup. This keeps the egg from cooking if incorporated all at once. (Home-Ec 101) Add eggs, stir well. Add pecans, pour into shell. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350, or until firm when shaken.
If using a deep dish pan, you'll have to bake the pie a little longer. I do cover the crust the last 20-30 min. to prevent overcooking or burning the crust.
Pie making is a lost art, I think. I learned to make them 6 at a time each day when growing up in my mother's restaurant. It didn't help me after I got married, I only knew how to make 6 at a time. HAHA
This one is for my son, he loves it. His sister is a pumpkin pie person, she always wanted it instead of birthday cake.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Blog giveaway
How about another one? Any ideas? Want it to be cooking related since this is close to the holidays?
Give me an idea what you want to see. WOOHOO!!!!!! I love to do this.
How about the new Paula Deen cast iron cookware? This is such a pretty thing:
Give me an idea what you want to see. WOOHOO!!!!!! I love to do this.
How about the new Paula Deen cast iron cookware? This is such a pretty thing:
I love the holidays
I am up late tonight prepping everything for the holiday. We'll soon be visiting our kids. I made the pie crust, the pumpkin pie filling, ground the cranberries for the muffins, zested the oranges, chopped the nuts and measured all the flour for the muffins. This in preparation to go see the kids. It's 7 hours to Isaac, then 7 hours to Karen. We'll visit then leave on Friday to take Isaac back to school. He'll be back soon enough for Christmas. He is homesick really bad. I miss him, it will be good to see him and have a good visit with Noah and Miss O.
Cleaning house tomorrow, been doing laundry and running around all day today.
Have a good Thanksgiving if I don't get back here.
GO PIONEER WOMAN, she and I get ready for holidays by preparing and organizing early. I Love that!!!!!!!!!!!
Cleaning house tomorrow, been doing laundry and running around all day today.
Have a good Thanksgiving if I don't get back here.
GO PIONEER WOMAN, she and I get ready for holidays by preparing and organizing early. I Love that!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
A time of thanks and giving
I try to spend my time looking for good in people and helping people. Recently I was pleasantly suprised to discover that sometimes you are judged by your actions and nothing else in life. One of the local women in my community and I signed onto a blog to win a contest. I posted my entry and so did she, but I didn't know she had entered the same contest. I was checking up on the contest late one night, around 11:30 to discover she had gone back to the blog and left a message to the blog owner to tell her that I should win. I cried, I couldn't believe that she did that. I am not much of a crier, but it touched me to discover she had noticed my efforts to help others. The idea was to post something that you did to help another person but made you feel good about yourself. Leslie recognized that I try to donate time, materials, manpower, whatever it takes to help people less fortunate than myself. Thanks, Leslie, you will never know how that made me feel.
I grew up in a home with 8 children. There were some financial challenges for my parents having all those children along with lack of education and blue collar jobs. We ate, we survived. However, I know there were times when it was very difficult for them (mom and Dad) to provide for me.
Friday I took hours off work to ring the bell at the Salvation Army kettles to bring in money for folks that are hurting during these rough financial times.
I remember when my little sister had kidney disease. My folks struggled with having enough money as well as cash for the medications, dip sticks she had to have done on her urine up to 6 or more times a day depending on how ill she was, they also had to make a 100 mile round trip to the hospital many times a day when she was hospitalized. There were no drug cards to help pay for meds in 1976. There was no offers of help, money, food, etc. for them. They sucked it up and did what they could. I give because I hope it helps somebody else in a situation like that.
I only know that I get great pleasure in helping others. I hope you all do, too.
I just learned from our local pantry that they need blankets, crackers, flour, oil, cornmeal, and spices. Their canned goods are looking good right now, but if you have a few extra dollars, please think about helping them out. Even take them 1 item, it all adds up.
You never know when a tragedy like cancer or a horrible illness will hit your household. You might need that helping hand. I am a firm believer in what the Word says, to give and it will come back to you 10 fold.
Happy holidays, be thankful for what you have and Give what you can, the feeling is priceless.
I grew up in a home with 8 children. There were some financial challenges for my parents having all those children along with lack of education and blue collar jobs. We ate, we survived. However, I know there were times when it was very difficult for them (mom and Dad) to provide for me.
Friday I took hours off work to ring the bell at the Salvation Army kettles to bring in money for folks that are hurting during these rough financial times.
I remember when my little sister had kidney disease. My folks struggled with having enough money as well as cash for the medications, dip sticks she had to have done on her urine up to 6 or more times a day depending on how ill she was, they also had to make a 100 mile round trip to the hospital many times a day when she was hospitalized. There were no drug cards to help pay for meds in 1976. There was no offers of help, money, food, etc. for them. They sucked it up and did what they could. I give because I hope it helps somebody else in a situation like that.
I only know that I get great pleasure in helping others. I hope you all do, too.
I just learned from our local pantry that they need blankets, crackers, flour, oil, cornmeal, and spices. Their canned goods are looking good right now, but if you have a few extra dollars, please think about helping them out. Even take them 1 item, it all adds up.
You never know when a tragedy like cancer or a horrible illness will hit your household. You might need that helping hand. I am a firm believer in what the Word says, to give and it will come back to you 10 fold.
Happy holidays, be thankful for what you have and Give what you can, the feeling is priceless.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Recipe Friday Nov. 21, 2008 Cheeseburger Soup
It is tradition that we have this soup during the holidays. This recipe is also available on Allrecipes.com. The photo that is displayed there right now is mine.
Cheeseburger Soup
• ½# hamburger
• ¾ c. Diced Onion
• ¾ c. diced carrots
• ¾ c. diced celery
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 4 c. diced potatoes (I use frozen cube hashbrowns)
• ¼ c. flour
• 8 oz. velveeta
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ c. sour cream
Brown Hamburger, set aside. In same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add vegetables, (not potatoes) cook to tender. (about 10 min) Add chicken broth, potatoes, hamburger, basil and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cook until potatoes are tender. Now melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, add flour, cook 3 min. or until it bubbles, add soup- boil for 2 min. Turn down heat, add cheese, melt the cheese, add milk, salt and pepper. If it needs thickened, we use a little instant potatoe flakes to give it a good thicken. Take off heat, stir in the sour cream. Yield: 2 ½ quarts.
Cheeseburger Soup
• ½# hamburger
• ¾ c. Diced Onion
• ¾ c. diced carrots
• ¾ c. diced celery
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 4 c. diced potatoes (I use frozen cube hashbrowns)
• ¼ c. flour
• 8 oz. velveeta
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ c. sour cream
Brown Hamburger, set aside. In same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add vegetables, (not potatoes) cook to tender. (about 10 min) Add chicken broth, potatoes, hamburger, basil and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cook until potatoes are tender. Now melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, add flour, cook 3 min. or until it bubbles, add soup- boil for 2 min. Turn down heat, add cheese, melt the cheese, add milk, salt and pepper. If it needs thickened, we use a little instant potatoe flakes to give it a good thicken. Take off heat, stir in the sour cream. Yield: 2 ½ quarts.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Cookbook drawing
I am drawing a different name, I have not been contacted by the winner.
The winner is: BrandiLynn-uh-ohmommys*
Please get your snail mail addy to me.
****Wow, this book goes all the way to our neighbors from the North in Canada****
The winner is: BrandiLynn-uh-ohmommys*
Please get your snail mail addy to me.
****Wow, this book goes all the way to our neighbors from the North in Canada****
Friday, November 14, 2008
Recipe Friday Nov. 14, 2008
This has been a family favorite for 30 years, this recipe was found in a magazine when I first married. It's been a family tradition for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I generally place all the dry ingredients into a zip lock bag a week before the holiday, this allows all the seasonings to meld into the flour, giving the muffins a much better flavor. I also grind the cranberries, zest the orange, and then put them into a freezer container with the vanilla and orange juice. We like them fresh baked, so I grab it all and assemble and bake. It's so great to have all the work done ahead of time.
Cranberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Cranberry Spread:
1 (8 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup margarine
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease a 12 cup and 6 cup muffin tin. (I use the large muffin pans and double the recipe.)
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. (I mix this all together in a zip lock bag a week before the holiday to let the spices flavor the flour. I leave out the orange peel as it can mold inside the bag.)
Cut in shortening; stir in juice, vanilla, eggs, cranberries and nuts. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until brown.
Prepare the topping in a saucepan over low heat by whisking together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar and margarine. Cook until heated and smooth. Remove from heat and serve as a spread for the muffins.
Cranberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Cranberry Spread:
1 (8 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup margarine
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or grease a 12 cup and 6 cup muffin tin. (I use the large muffin pans and double the recipe.)
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. (I mix this all together in a zip lock bag a week before the holiday to let the spices flavor the flour. I leave out the orange peel as it can mold inside the bag.)
Cut in shortening; stir in juice, vanilla, eggs, cranberries and nuts. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until brown.
Prepare the topping in a saucepan over low heat by whisking together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar and margarine. Cook until heated and smooth. Remove from heat and serve as a spread for the muffins.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Cookbook Drawing
I had a coworker draw for the cookbook yesterday, he drew: DENISE. I'll get that in the mail right away, thank you all for making comments. It is a ton of fun to give things away. I love this little cookbook, I hope you do, too.
The blogging by mail package was received by Lindsey, she has photos on her blog of all the goodies inside.
I spent this past weekend melting glass, I hope to have photos of the beads I did, and the one I won, as well as the one the instructor gave to me.
The blogging by mail package was received by Lindsey, she has photos on her blog of all the goodies inside.
I spent this past weekend melting glass, I hope to have photos of the beads I did, and the one I won, as well as the one the instructor gave to me.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Blogging by Mail: My box is ready
It is late, but my Blogging By Mail box is ready to go!! Yahoo! This was so much fun to do, it will be on the way tomorrow. I got a picture of everything I put in there, but will wait until Lindsey receives it before I post a picture.
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