Peanut Butter Blossoms

My friend Paula wanted me to share these...even though we live to far apart, I can at least share how I made them! :o) Merry Christmas Paula!! I miss you- so hear are some Christmas kisses with PEANUT BUTTER for you and our family! :o)

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS
1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 (10 oz. pkg.) Hershey Kisses
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. milk
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix all ingredients above except Kisses. Shape in medium size balls. Roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Place 1 kiss on each blossom, let cool for a few minutes and transfer to cooling rack.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

Some days,a girl just needs a little chocolate. Today was one of those days...thank goodness to my friend Linda who sent me this yummy recipe!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake
at any time of the day or night!

Meatloaf & Baked Mashed Potatos

Made this on Sunday and put in the fridge for tonight. Turned out very well! The potatoes were really good and creamy!

30 minute mini meatloaves

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 egg

Total Time: 35 min

1. Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, stir ketchup and brown sugar until mixed; reserve 1/4 cup for topping. In large bowl, stir remaining ingredients and remaining ketchup mixture until well mixed.
2. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan; pat into 12x4-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise down center and then crosswise into sixths to form 12 loaves. Separate loaves, using spatula, so no edges are touching. Brush loaves with reserved 1/4 cup ketchup mixture.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until loaves are no longer pink in center and meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves reads 160°F.

Do Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatos

3 pounds potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled and cut into pieces
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper

1. In 3-quart saucepan, mix potatoes and garlic; add enough water (salted if desired) to cover. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry. Mash potatoes and garlic in pan with potato masher or electric mixer until no lumps remain.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk, whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted; reserve and refrigerate 1/4 cup mixture. Add remaining milk mixture in small amounts to potatoes, mashing after each addition, until potatoes are light and fluffy. (Amount of milk needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on kind of potatoes used.)
3. Grease 2-quart casserole. Spoon potatoes into casserole; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
4. Heat oven to 350ºF. Pour reserved milk mixture over potatoes. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until hot. Stir potatoes before serving.

Special Touch
If you're not serving gravy with the mashed potatoes, try any of these ideas for perking up your potatoes: • Sprinkle 1 cup crushed herb-seasoned croutons over potatoes. • Sprinkle 1 can (2.8 ounces) French-fried onions over potatoes. • Place purchased pesto in a resealable plastic bag; snip off a tiny corner and drizzle pesto over potatoes. • Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese over potatoes.

Saussage Balls

This is also a PD recipe but she uses hers as an appetizer, we like ours for a meal! I serve them with green beans covered in Kraft Catalina dressing and white rice, Yum, Yum!

SAUSAGE CHEESE BALLS

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. (16 oz. each) Regular Flavor Pork Sausage
16 oz. (4 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix (note: go easy on this ...too much drys up the recipe - when mixture is sticky, you are good to go!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. 2. Form into 1” balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

Note:
May be prepared ahead and frozen uncooked. To bake from frozen: thaw on baking sheet 15 minutes; bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Variation: for firmer texture, add 3 cups baking mix and 2 cups shredded cheese to the ingredients listed above.

Cheeseburger Soup and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been making this soup for over 5 years now and the gang still considers it a favorite! It is ok to freeze it and warm up later if you make a larger batch!

Cheeseburger Soup
TasteofHome recipe

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta or shredded cheddar is ok too)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
1. In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same
saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1
tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add
broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and
simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook
and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly.
3. Add to soup; bring to a
boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
4. Add cheese,milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from
the heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 330 calories, 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 59 mg cholesterol, 1,027 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 15 g protein.
© Taste of Home 2009

Wanted to try the recipe to see if they realy were crispy and chewy .... SUCCESS!
Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

These cookies have a lower chip-to-dough ratio than our earlier favorites and a thicker, softer thing going on than the consummate cookies, to help you differentiate them. But when I’m looking for a classic cookie, kind of like the old school Toll House recipe but better, even, this is what I go for.

As always with cookies, you can scoop, flash freeze and then freeze the cookies until you’re ready to bake them, or to bake a few off at a time. You can bake them straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to your baking time, of course, or let them thaw out on a tray for a while.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

3. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

5. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Turkey Day

Ah Turkey... the coveted sleep inducing meat rarely thought about unless it is November. I used to fear the day that I would have to do the work that encompassed Thanksgiving, but I have to say that it really isn't hard to put together. The secret is in the planning. I prepare the menu, log how long things need to cook/bake and at what temperature, then I note the pots, pans, and casserole dishes that each dish will be prepared in.

The Menu:
Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, filling, noodles, candied yams, green bean casserole, baked corn, baked apples, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, pies, and cake.

Of course the biggie is the turkey. Most turkeys have directions right on the package. My 20lb bird needed to bake at 325 degrees for 4 hours. I start the turkey so that it is done about 1 1/2 hours before everything else. I like to carve and pull the turkey and plate it ahead of time so that the bones and mess are all cleaned up before company arrives. Today we were eating at 5:30 so the turkey started roasting at 12. I put the bird in the roaster will a cup of water, quartered onions, three peeled and chunked carrots. When the turkey is done, I carve all the meat off and put on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.

James peeled potatoes and cut them into chunks for boiling then mashing. When I mash them I add 1/2 stick of butter and 1 cup of sour cream, salt and pepper. Justin made the green bean casserole. Two packages of green beans, two can of cream of mushroom, one can of cream of chicken, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of french fried onions, mixed it all together, poured it into a glass casserole dish and topped with french fried onions, baked at 350 for 45 minutes. I made the candied yams by combining the juice from the canned yams,a stick of butter and a cup and a half of brown sugar in a sauce pan untill warm. I poured that over the yams in a glass casserole dish, baked at 350 for 45 minutes. For the stuffing I had 2 bags of regular bread cubes and 2 bags of potato bread cubes and I seasoned them with poultry seasoning. I sautéed two onions and four stalks of celery in a stick of butter, when soft I added 2 cans of chicken broth and a cup of water, poured that over the bread and mixed until cubes were well coated, baked at 350 for 45 minutes. The noodles were boiled in chicken bouillon for 10 minutes, drained and then I add two scoops of gravy. Mom made the deserts and the baked corn. Tara brought rolls and baked apples. It was all so great and we loved eating and saying what we were all thankful for. I was thankful that I was not on Prozac .... yet! Happy Turkey Day Everyone ... now it is nap time ZZzzzzzzzzzzz.

Spanish Rice

This is one of my quick and easy meals that I learned about from my friend Virginia. I love it because it is similar to a semi-homemade hamburger helper!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
1/2 green pepper
1 small can of mild green chilies
1 32oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cups of cheese
1 package of Spanish Rice (with seasoning already in the package)

Directions:
1. Brown the ground beef, add onions, green pepper, green chilies. Let cook until the onions are cooked.
2. Add the package of Spanish rice, pour the tomatoes over top, then the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the cheese over top, cover and simmer until melted. Mix thoroughly. Serve with tortilla chips or corn bread.

Enjoy!

Roaster Phobia

Ok, so it is like the 'ol Perdue commercial ... there had to be an intervention. I had Roaster Phobia. The suggested therapy was to roast every weekend for a month. I took the last three weekends to try a little "creative" experiment. Each weekend I roasted using all the same spices but I switched up the meat. The first week, I roasted chicken, the next weekend I roasted beef and the last I roasted pork, this weekend I am back to chicken.

I don't know what took me so long to do this because it is SO easy and takes very little work.Simply trow it together and watch football or a movie while the oven does the work.

The Seasonings:
salt
pepper
garlic powder
season all
olive oil spray


Veggies:
Onion
Carrots
Celery

Here is what I did. I sprayed the roaster and added two cups of water to the pan. I placed the meat of the week in the roaster and threw in quartered onions, carrots and celery. Then I took the seasonings and sprinkled them generously over the meat. I covered and roasted at 350 degrees for several hours (chicken 3 hours, beef 6 hours, pork 4 hours).

When done, the meat fell off of any bones and the fat melted away. I discarded the veggies, reserved the stock from the chicken and beef and froze it to cook with later (great for soups).

With the chicken, we shredded it, and we took fancy bread and made gourmet paninis with our choice of onions, tomatoes, cheese and spicy mustard/mayo.

With the beef, we shredded it and spread it on half of a 12 inch tortilla, covered with shredded cheddar cheese, sprinkled with paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and season all then folded it in half (to form a half circle) Then we grilled it in our panini maker, cut it with a pizza cutter into strips or triangles and served with salsa and sour cream or cream cheese with a package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mixed in. YUM!

The pork was pulled and shredded as well and served with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, green beans with tomatoes and Paula Deens Harvest Crunch Apple Pie.

This weekend, I am back to the chicken, roasting it the same as above but this time it was shredded and added to gravy (made from the chicken stock in the roaster) and served over waffles. I also made fried apples. Easy enough to do with butter, cinnamon, sugar and a touch of nutmeg in a cast iron skillet. Top those apples with a dollop of cool whip or a scoop of ice cream.


What always held me back from roasting is that I always felt like roasting HAD to be accompanied by mashed potatoes or roasted veggies and although that is good, it gets real old, real quick. These ideas is a creative approach to use roasted meat in a variety of ways and take the mundane out of the mix. All these ideas are sure to make your families mouths water and comming back for more as well as cure Roaster Phobia!!

Stalled out.

I am sad to say that I am having a great deal of difficulty continuing with my cooking blog. I have made 114 recipes from the The Deen Family Cookbook! That is not a small feat I assure you.

The reason is it is hard to continue is that a lot of the remaining recipes require fresh seafood and being in central PA, fresh seafood is hard to find. When I get some scallops and shrimp, rest assured I will make the recipes because they look so good.

Until then, I want to keep going as I still enjoy cooking. So I will post the recipes of things I typically make at home. Things like hamburger goulash, chicken tortilla casserole, hamburger baked-beans and more.

There are still some deserts I can make and I will post them when I get them done as well.

Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I wanted to try this recipe for months, but I wanted to save it for a autumn day! Today is just the kind of day that would be great to have some grilled chops! This also works ifs you bake them at 375 for 20 minutes then glaze them and then bake for another 20 minutes.

Grilled Orange-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Pg. 160 The Deen Family Cookbook

1 cup orange juice
1/4 Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 1 1/4 lb pork tenderloins
1/3 cup honey
vegetable oil for brushing the grill

1.In a blender, combine the oj, olive oil and garlic until smooth. Place the tenderloin in a baggie or container for marinating and coat the pork with the marinade. Seal and marinate overnight or 8 hours.

2. Fire up the grill, remove pork from marinade, pat dry and reserve marinade in a small saucepan. Add the honey to the marinade and bring to a boil until the sauce is reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, brush your grill and grill the meat for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush with the glaze the rest of the time, about 20 more minutes. Let rest before slicing.

Caramel-Apple Cheesecake

A two day recipe that is worth the time! YUM! A great cheesecake for fall!

Cousin Jonnie's Caramel-Apple Cheesecake
Pg. 227 The Deen Family Cookbook

Crust
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
9 tbsp butter, melted
1/2cup sugar

Filling
2 lbs (4 8oz packages) Cream Cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
one 16 oz container sour cream
1/2 orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 eggs

Topping
8 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs (about 3 large) apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bottom and sides of a 10 inch spring form pan tightly with foil to prevent moisture from the water bath from seeping in=to the cheesecake.

2. Make the crust, in a food processor, mix the cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press the mixture in to the bottom of the pan and half way up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely.

3. While the crust cools, make the filling. In a food processor or with an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Add the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla and blend until smooth. Beat the eggs in one at a time until combined.

4. Pour the filling in to the crust. Place a roasting pan in the center of the oven filled half full with water and transfer the spring form pan to it. The water should come halfway up the pan. Check through the baking pan to see if water needs to be added. Bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Carefully remove cake from roasting pan and refrigerate overnight.

5. To make the topping, melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add pecans and apples and cook until the apples are cover in the butter, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid come to a boil, about 3 minutes.

6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the apples and pecan to a bowl and continue cooking the liquid over medium heat. Stirring often until the liquid becomes an amber brown color. Remove from the heat and carefully add the heavy cream, as it may splatter. Return to the heat until it boils, remove from the heat and add the apples and pecans. Allow to cool until they are luke-warm. Top the cheesecake and refrigerate until ready to serve.Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut through the caramel topping.

PB & J Muffins

“Peanut butter is the pâté of childhood.”- Florence Fabricant

Got home on time tonight for a change! It was nice to be able to make dinner and whip up a desert while dinner was in the oven. PD suggested that these muffins could be used as a breakfast and I could see why! A nice weighty muffin in hand that melts in your mouth and has just the right amount of sweetness! Walker loves them!

PB & J Muffins
Pg. 190 The Deen Family Cookbook

2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp creamy peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup thick jam, such as seedless raspberry or grape (don't use jelly)
1/3 cup honey roasted peanuts

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse in the peanut butter until it looks like course crumbs. Add the milk, egg, butter and pulse until combined.

2. Distribute half the batter into the cups. Drop a tsp full of jam in the middle of each muffin and cover with the remaining batter. Top with the peanuts. Bake until the muffins are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. They will keep up to 2 to 3 days.

Croque-Madame Caserole

Beautiful fall weather and geocaching have seriously cut into my cooking time! However, I remain committed to do at least once recipe a week. When winter rolls in and the wind starts whipping around, I am sure I will be cooking away to help heat this drafty 'ol farm house!

I will tell you this, yesterday we had an awesome day geocaching with the whole family, Beeler, and La and Va. We saw some beautiful sites and learned some interesting facts. In the evening we BBQ'd and made smores over a fire pit. I highly recommend skipping the chocolate bar and throwing on a reeses cup. You can also peel and slice a banana, fill it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrap it in foil and roast. That is some lip smacking good fire pit desert! Hint: Never lick the metal utensil that you roasted your marshmallow on, it will leave a mark! LOL!

This dish was not one of my fav's....I did not really care for the bites that did not have every ingredient in it, but the bites that had the ham, egg, a LITTLE bread were good. There seemed to be to much sauce as well. I don't think I will make this one again.

Croque-Madame Casserole
Pg 110 The Deen Family Cookbook

8 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
10 to 12 slices of bread
8 oz deli ham
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese
6 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish. Make a white sauce by melting butter in a large skillet and cook until bubbling. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

2. Pour a thin layer of sauce into the pan, cover with 5 or 6 slices of bread, 4 slices of ham, and a thin layer of the cheese (3/4 cup). Repeat layers once more ending with a layer of sauce over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, cut into six equal pieces.

3. Fry the eggs, season with salt and pepper and top each portion with a fried egg.

Walker said he would eat this once a year. James said once a lifetime! I agreed with James! But just because we didn't care for it does not mean you won't so get cooking and give it a try!