Wednesday, November 27, 2013

MY FAVORITE POTATO SALAD


Here is my favorite recipe for potato salad. I vary
this recipe from time to time based upon my mood and what I have in the refrigerator. I encourage you to do the same.






Potato Salad


Ingredients:

10 - 12 whole russet potatoes
4 to 6 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped
½ bunch celery chopped
¼ cup pickle relish
1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup yellow mustard
2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to tasted
paprika

Preparation:

1. Boil potatoes with skin on for 30 - 45 minutes. When fork can be easily inserted. Potatoes are done.
2. Pour hot water out and run cold water over potatoes to cool them off for 5 minutes.
3. When potatoes are cool, peel off skin and cut into bite sized pieces. If you overcook them, they don't really hurt
the recipe since the extra potatoes just mixes in with
the creamy portion of the mixture.
4. Stir all ingredients gently except for the paprika.
After all ingredients are well mixed, pour into a bowl.
Add the paprika across the top.
5. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve
serve 16-20

Try 1/2 cup of slice black olives or 1/4 cup of sheered carrots or 1/2 cup of chopped green or red bell pepper or dell pickles chopped in place of sweet relish.

Monday, November 25, 2013

1-2-3 CAKE

Every Thanksgiving  my grandmother would make her famous 123 Cake. She didn't have a mixer she would beat this cake by hand and folded the dry ingredients in a little at a time before baking. She said it needed 300 strokes, my sister and I would count as she mixed and the best part was we got to lick the spoon.


The pound cake, most known as a rich cake, originally contained a pound of each of the main ingredients, including flour, sugar, and butter. That’s where the pound cake gets its name.


GRANDMA'S 123 POUND CAKE


Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour sifted (to day we use Swans Down Cake Flour)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon brandy- or 1 teaspoon brandy extract
1 teaspoon orange zest, grated (optional)
1 - 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed


Directions:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour the Bundt pans. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat on medium speed 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, creaming by hand until smooth after each addition. Spread batter into prepared 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake until tester inserted into cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack.
Glaze with OLD-FASHIONED BOURBON GLAZE: Combine sugar, bourbon, zest and enough orange juice to make a thin glaze. Drizzle onto cake.

SWEET POTATO PIE

You will never go back to pumpkin pie again,  you will be a sweet potato pie convert after you take your first bite.

SWEET POTATO PIE

Ingredients:
3 - Frozen Unbaked 8” Or 9” Single Crust Pie Shells
4 - Pounds Uncooked And Unpeeled Sweet Potatoes
1/2 - Cup (1 Stick) Butter
2 - Cups Sugar
3 - Large Eggs
2 - Cups *Evaporated Milk
1 - Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 - teaspoon Salt
1/2 - teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Boil the potatoes until tender. When you stick a
fork in them it should go in easy but you don't
want them to fall apart. Let the potatoes cool and then peel them.
Blend your sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl with a blender to**remove strings,
repeat this three our four until you have remove just about all the strings
Next cream the softened butter with sugars. Add to the blended sweet potatoes
and continue to mix while adding the eggs one at a time. Add your milk,
vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly.
Finally, pour mixture evenly into your three frozen unbaked pie shells. Bake for
1 hour and 30 minutes at 350 degrees on your center oven rake. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé and then will sink down as it cools.

Tip:
I double the recipe and bake two pies at a time.
* DO NOT use sweet condensed milk
**Beat the potatoes with an electric mixer on "medium" for one to two minutes remove the beater blades wash off all the string  with tap water, repeat this step five to ten times until  all the  strings are gone.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Super simple macaroni and cheese to make without having to make a white sauce! Everyone loves my Mac & Cheese this is a Holiday Dinner must have.


MACARONI AND CHEESE


Ingredients:
5 cups cooked elbow macaroni (approximate) 4 cups uncooked)
4 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups whole milk (low fat milk alters the texture!)
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
paprika

Boil your macaroni according to package instructions. Do not overcook it. Drain macaroni in strainer.
Mix macaroni, butter, salt, pepper, 1 cup sharp cheese, 4  cups cheddar cheese, taste test time add more salt and pepper as needed. pour into a 9 x 13 pan or 3 quart casserole dish.
Mix eggs and milk in a bowl and then gently stir into macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with paprika
Cover everything with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Uncover and add 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese across the top. Bake uncovered until it turn golden brown about 15 minutes.

 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Green Bean Casserole


This is always served for Thanksgiving Dinner, everyone just loves this casserole.


Green Bean Casserole

2 (10 3/4-ounce) can Campbell's Condensed Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cans cut green beans (drained)
1 Large French's French Fried Onions

1. Mix soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and  2/3 fried onions in bowl and pour into  13 x 9 pan or 3 -quart casserole dish.
2. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes
3. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining fried onions on top and  Bake 10 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

TIP: Use 2 (16 to 20-ounce) bag frozen green beans, 4 (9-ounce) packages frozen green beans or 3 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe