Saturday, February 27, 2010

Calico Beans

  • 1/4 lb. bacon
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 T. vinegar
  • 1 T. prepared mustard
  • 1 tsp. Patty's Prime Seasoning
  • 1 can lima beans
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 1 large can pork and beans

Brown bacon, hamburger and onion in pan and drain. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in 9 x 13 greased pan at 300* for 1 1/2 hours.

7Up Salad

  • 2 pkgs. lemon jello
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 cups 7Up

Dissolve jello in hot water. Add 7Up and let cool.

  • 1 cup minature marshmellows
  • 2 cups crushed pineapple (drained and set aside for dressing)
  • 2 bananas sliced

Add to jello mixture and pour into 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate. When jello mixture is firm the dressing may be spread on top.

  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 T. butter

Cook in double boiler mixing together above ingredients and cook until thick. When cool, fold in 8oz. container of whipped topping and spread on jello mixture. Slice and serve.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Jelly Roll

  • Grease and flour 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 jelly roll pan or line with greased paper or foil.
  • Beat: 3 large eggs, 1 c. sugar, 1 tsp. Baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Add 5 T. water, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup flour
  • Beat just until smooth.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake just until cake tests done.
  • Bake at 375* for 12 to 15 minutes. Overbaking makes it difficult to remove from the pan or to remove the paper.
  • Loosen edges to immediately turn upside down on a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.
  • If you have used paper quickly remove it.
  • Spread cake at once with soft jelly, jam, cream cheese and fruit, or your favorite pie filling.
  • Roll up beginning at short end.
  • Wrap in the towel until cool. Approx. 1/2 hr.

Slice and serve warm. Makes a very attractive plate presentation. Any leftovers will need to be covered and refrigerated.

Popcorn Balls

  • 5 qt. popped corn
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup lt. corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. vinegar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Keep popcorn hot in slow oven (300*). Combine sugar, water, salt, syrup, and vinegar. Cook to hardball stage. Add vanilla. pour over popcorn and mix well. Press in balls. Makes 15 to 20 balls. May add a drop of food coloring to syrup mix for a special occasion such as green for St. Patrick's Day, Pink for Easter, or orange for Halloween.

Temperature Chart for Candy and Frosting

  • 230 degrees - 234 degrees Thread
  • 234 degrees - 240 degrees Soft Ball
  • 244 degrees - 248 degrees Firm Ball
  • 250 degrees - 266 degrees Hard Ball
  • 270 degrees - 290 degrees Soft Crack
  • 300 degrees - 310 degrees Hard Crack

Saturday, February 20, 2010

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

Corned Beef and Cabbage (whether you are Irish or not, it is a gourmet meal)
  • 3 to 4 lb. corned beef brisket
  • 1lb. bag of baby carrots
  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 2 large onions
  • 4 medium sized potatoes
  • 1 tsp. Patty's Prime Seasoning

Put brisket in crock pot fat side down. Spread seasoning packet over brisket then add water to 2/3 full. Cook brisket overnight on low. In the morning, take brisket out cleaning off the seasoning packet and trim the fat. Place covered brisket in refrigerator. Clean and quarter the head of cabbage. Place in crock pot in broth. Add carrots, chunked up potatoes and onions, and Patty's Prime Seasoning. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Cut brisket in chunks and add to the broth and vegetables. Continue to simmer until ready to serve.

Serve with dark pumpernickel or marble rye bread.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Guacamole Dip

Peel avacados by cutting off the tip and slicing through the skin in quarters allowing you to peel the skin away easily from the meat of the avacado. Take out the seed. Using a blender or food processor, mix the avacados and 1 heaping T. of sour cream. Dice tomato, green onions (even the tops) and yellow onion. Then, fold in to avacado mixture. Lastly, add 1 tsp. Patty's Prime Seasoning. (More if desired) Cover with saran and chill. Serve with homemade tortilla chips or doritos. Appetizer for 4 people, or it may be served on shredded lettuce as a salad. Best to consume all to avoid discoloration. But, it is so yummy that shouldn't be a problem.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Layered Taco Dip

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 8oz. softened cream cheese
  • 1 16oz. sour cream
  • 1 pkg. taco seasoning
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 4 diced green onions
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • jalapeno slices (optional)
  • sliced black olives (optional)

Brown ground beef and drain well. Add can of refried beans and spread on 11 inch pizza pan or serving platter. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning and spread over the bean and beef mixture. Then, layer the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, diced green onions and shredded cheese. Top with jalapeno slices and sliced black olives if desired. Serve with Doritos or Tortilla rounds.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Fruit Pizza

This is a very fun activity for the kids.

First of all you need:
1 13 x 17 sheet pan (or similar size)
2 packages of sugar cookie dough from the dairy case
1 8 oz. container whipped cream cheese
1 8 oz. container whipped topping
1 cup powdered sugar
Fruit to make designs on the top of the pizza. Suggestions: can of sliced pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, can of mandarin oranges, or kiwi.

Spread the sugar cookie dough on the ungreased sheet pan. Bake at 350* until light brown. This is the crust for your pizza. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar. Then, add whipped topping. Refrigerate until cookie has cooled. Drain the canned fruits. (Saving the juices for a later date to make a smoothie or add to jello). Slice the strawberries and peel and slice the kiwi. Rinse blueberries. Put all of the fruit items in separate bowls so the kids can have easy access to the fruit when making their designs.

The crust has cooled so spread on the cream cheese mixture, leaving a little edge of the cookie showing just like on a pizza. Then, be creative and make designs on the cream cheese layer with the fruit portions. When finished, cover with saran and keep in refrigerator until ready to slice and serve.

Very pretty and lots of fun.

Trailside Oatmeal Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
  • 2 1/2 cups total of peanut butter flavored pieces, chocolate chips and shredded coconut

Using mixer, combine butter, sugar and peanut butter. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. Stir in chips and coconut. Drop on ungreased sheet pan. Bake at 375* for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 60 cookies.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Banana Cake and Boiled Frosting

  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 3/4 cup sour milk
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup mashed bananas
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup nuts
  • pinch of salt

Combine ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, you can focus your attention on the frosting recipe.

  • 1 stick margarine
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup of milk

Boil two minutes. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Wisk all ingredients and put on the cake while the frosting is still warm. Deeelishhhhhhh.

Grandma Fagan's Nut Bread

Do we really appreciate how easy it is to cook with the appliances today? Turn the knob or punch the numbers on a digital screen and your temperature controlled oven will be ready when the preheat alarm goes off. I have such wonderful memories of going to Grandma Fagan's house. She is getting ready to bake in her cast iron cook stove, with a bushel basket of corn cobs laying in wait to once again bring the fire up for the temperature to be just right to bake her famous nut bread. Not only was that amazing but the fact that she baked the bread in a tin can about the size of a family soup can. Came out to perfection every time. Wish I could say that.

Regardless of whether or not you cook with a cast iron stove or have your favorite tin can to bake in, I know you will enjoy this delicious recipe.

  • 1 cup raisins (ground)
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup hot water

Pour water over first 3 ingredients and let cool.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients and bake in preheated oven at 350* for about 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Valentine's Day Preparation

I know, I know, you are going to say, why would I want to cook on Valentine's Day? Right? Well, first of all economics. You can have a tasteful dinner at home for a lot less money. Secondly, and this is probably my biggest complaint is making reservations, waiting, standing in line, more waiting and being around numerous people with which I have absolutely no ties. One of my favorite meals to make for Valentine's Day, kind of staying with the "red" theme, is Windsor Loins. I usually try to watch for the smoked pork chops to go on sale and keep some in the freezer for such an occasion. If you are fortunate enough to have a meat market that will cut the size that you need that is very helpful. I like to get a 10oz. smoked chop because it is thicker and will not dry out. Figure 1 per person plus maybe 2 extras because they are sooooo tastey. These may be grilled or simply heated in the oven on a sheet pan with a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom to keep them moist. Cover with foil. Bake at 350* for approx 30 min. If you are grilling, they just need to be heated because they are already smoked. So, plan your time accordingly.

For the sauce you will need:
1 can cherry pie filling (portion for 4 people)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 heaping T. margarine
2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat all ingredients on low until ready to serve over the loins. You can put the loins on a platter and portion the cherry sauce on them or put the sauce in a gravy boat and let everyone serve their own cherry sauce. Makes a very nice plate presentation.

For the side dishes I would keep it simple: baked potato or baked sweet potato, fresh steamed broccoli or french style green beans. Let me know how it goes.

Cherry Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 4 egg whites
  • 18 maraschino cherries, cut fine and well drained
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream margarine and sugar. Add cherry juice to milk and alternate with flour to which baking powder and salt has been added. Blend in extracts. Add cherries and nuts. Beat egg whites stiff and add last. Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Bake in 9 x 13 cake pan or 2 8" round pans. Very pretty with white, pink, or red icing for Valentine's Day or any day for that matter.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Our Family of Entrepreneurs

We have quite a talented group of children and their spouses. Our son, Jeff, is an artist; from painting murals to refinishing cabinetry, to house painting and finishing trim. Check out his website at http://www.jeffbiggerstaff.com/ . So, if you live in the Minneapolis area and need home restoration advice give Jeff a call. Our son, Shaun, is a realtor for Benchmark Realty in Denver, Colorado. If you are relocating because of work or are simply chosing to move to an amazingly beautiful part of the country with activities abounding, go to http://www.douglascohomes.com/ for Shaun's website. Our son-in-law, Aaron Groves, has a travel business in Ankeny, Iowa. This time of year in the midwest everyone needs some fun and sun. Aaron can make that happen. Just contact him at http://www.travelnewhorizons.com/ . Our daughter-in-law, Ayla, has been stationed with our son, Tom, and family in Bamburg, Germany for several years. She had a well-established Personal Trainer business there. They have recently moved to Battle Lake, Minnesota where Ayla plans to continue her business as a Personal Trainer. Check out her website at http://www.abodyfitforyou.com/ .

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Kitchen Tips 101

I will be adding to this section frequently. If you have any tips for our viewers that would make life in the kitchen more fun, not to mention easier, please feel free to let us know.


  • Accident in the microwave? Need a fast and easy way to clean it up? Using a cup or bowl, fill half full of water and microwave on high for 2 min. or until boiling. Leave microwave closed for 5 minutes. Then, remove container of water. All the particles inside have been steamed off for easy removal. Now, wipe the inside of your microwave clean.
  • Having trouble removing refried beans or cranberry sauce from the can? Simply open the top with your can opener. Then, remove the lid and turn the can over in the pan or bowl you will be using. Use the can opener to make a small hole on the bottom of the can. The contents will slide out easily.
  • When using oranges in desserts or salads removing the white membrane can sometimes be a problem. Just soak the oranges in boiling water for five minutes before you peel them.
  • Dipping bananas or apples in lemon juice right after they are peeled keeps them from turning dark and the tangy lemon taste adds to the flavor.
  • Try putting a layer of miniature marshmallows in the bottom of a pumpkin pie and then add the filling. The marshmallows will come to the top and make a tastey addition to your pie.

Quick and Easy Peach Cobbler

Items Needed:
9 x 13 cake pan
2 cans peach pie filling
1 box white or yellow cake mix
stick or soft margarine

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray cake pan with shortening. Place 2 cans of pie filling in bottom of cake pan. Pour box of cake mix over pie filling. Do Not Smooth Out because you want it to have a crumbled look. Then, put a pat or dollup of margarine approximately every 2 inches on top of the dry cake mix. Bake until top of cake mix if lightly brown. (approx. 45 min.) Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.

Vegetable Salad - Very Colorful and Easy

ITEMS NEEDED:
Red and green peppers
Yellow and green zuchinni
Green onions (tops included)
Cucumbers
Tomatoes (if using cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half)
Carrots
Red Onions

Wash thoroughly and cut into bite-sized pieces, measuring approximately 6 cups. Set aside.
In mixing bowl combine 1/2c. of ranch dressing, 1/2c. of mayo, 2 tsp. Patty's Prime Seasonings. You can also add a tsp. of dill weed if you like. Add dressing to vegetables, mix thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve. It is totally cooks choice as to which vegetables are used in this delightful salad. This will make a salad for 4 - 6 people.