Berry season has started and the first local berry each year is the strawberry. Drive around on any of the country roads and in front of each farm is usually a card table with baskets of berries and a coffee can or Cool Whip container for the money. I still had jam left over from…
Category: In the Kitchen
Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Fresh spinach paired with bacon grease! Can’t say it is low fat but it is a great salad in spring when spinach is abundant. Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing 1 pound fresh spinach 4 green onions and tops, sliced Coarsely ground black pepper 5 slices bacon, diced (I used 3 slices of thick sliced bacon)…
Easy Cheesecake
When we lived in South Korea and I shopped the Korean markets, it was very difficult to find dairy items. A Danish company had started marketing fresh milk (known as Denmark Milk) but other than yogurt milk, butter and very limited cheese, that was about the extent of dairy products. If I wanted something like…
Apple Cinnamon No Knead Bread
Combine the smell of bread baking and apples baking and you have Apple-Cinnamon No-Knead Bread. Here is a version of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron that includes chopped dried apples, cinnamon and apple cider. More variations on the No-Knead theme can be found here. Apple Cinnamon No-Knead Bread 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour…
Blueberry Pound Cake
The best thing to do during cold weather is bake something good. Sunday afternoon was one of those days and I wanted to do use some of my frozen blueberries from last summer’s days of picking. This recipe uses blueberries with a traditional pound cake yielding a rich buttery blueberry cake. I thawed the frozen…
Bran Bread
With the snow falling and more in the forecast, I had the afternoon off from work yesterday. So what better way to spend a snow day than watching the birds at the feeders and baking bread? I pulled out an old recipe booklet that I have had since I was in high school – Fleischmann’s…
Pistachio Chicken Strips
Here is an easy recipe using chicken breasts with a crunchy coating of chopped pistachio nuts mixed with curry powder. Easy to mix and bake and ready in 20 minutes! Pistachio Chicken Strips 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders 1/4 cup chopped pistachios 1 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon curry powder Cooking spray…
Apple Pocket Pies
This recipe uses crescent roll dough to create a crusty pocket for an on-the-go apple pie. The original recipe used frozen pizza dough for the crust but I did not have any available and did have two packages of crescent roll dough in the refrigerator. Crust, apples, sugar and cinnamon — definitely the makings of…
Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake
This is a yummy sweet treat for breakfast or to use as a dessert. Crescent rolls are used on the bottom and top of a cream cheese filling with cinnamon/sugar and nuts sprinkled over the top. When I want it for breakfast, I usually prepare it a day ahead and refrigerate until time to cook,…
Cinnamon-Sugar Pecans
Here are some pecans with a cinnamon-sugar coating – great addition to holiday treats. Cinnamon-Sugar Pecans 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg white 1 pound large pecan halves 1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, lightly beat egg…
Jam and Jelly Jars
I grew up living in the country and active in 4-H Club and had a lot of experience with canning various fruits and vegetables. Over the years of married life, I have done some canning here and there when we have had a garden or fruit. This past summer I spent a lot of time…
Tutti-Fruitti Cookies (Lady Baltimore Cookies)
This is a recipe that one of my cousins developed when she was in high school. She won a national cooking contest with the recipe and as I remember the prize was a new stove. The recipe uses a filling similar to the Lady Baltimore Cake between two buttery cookies. I usually cut the recipe…
Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies
This is a recipe given to me by a co-worker. A great chocolate cookie with a mint candy surprise in the middle… You can either use the whole peppermint patty in the cookie or use just half of the patty. Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon…
Raspberry Coconut Cookies
A great cookie to have at Christmas or anytime during the year… Raspberry Coconut Cookies 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Filling 1/4 cup butter, softened 2/4 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons milk…
Mississippi Mud Cookies
Mississippi Mud Cakes are popular in the South – a rich chocolate sheet cake with chocolate chips, nuts and marshmallows. This is a cookie recipe that uses the same basic ingredients to make a chewy chocolate cookie. Good at Christmas or anytime of the year. Mississippi Mud Cookies 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels 1/2 cup…
Cathedral Window Candy
I found this recipe while in high school and we starting making it at Christmas since it makes such a pretty addition to the Christmas desserts. My original recipe used a double boiler (remember those?) to melt the chocolate pieces and butter. But now the microwave has taken the place of the double boiler for…
Stollen (German Christmas Bread)
Stollen was a Christmas staple for my German mother-in-law. I continue to make stollen yearly for my husband which he enjoys with a generous dollop of butter and a cup of coffee. The recipe below makes two large loaves. Rather than two large loaves, I divide the dough into four parts and make three smaller…
Russian Tea Cake Cookies (Raspberry Pinwheels)
This is a recipe that my German mother-in-law always made at Christmas. I have no idea where it got the name of “Russian Tea Cakes” but is absolutely my favorite cookie – a rich dough formed into a pinwheel with raspberry jelly, nuts and cinnamon on the inside. Use parchment paper on the cookie sheets…
Pfeffernuesse (Pepper Nuts)
This is a traditional German spice cookie that my mother-in-law always made at Christmas. Pfeffernuesse 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup butter,…
Cream Cheese Dainties
Another one of my Christmas cookies. The cream cheese makes a very delicate cookie with a hint of almond flavor and I love the green and red candied cherries – looks wonderful on your cookie tray. Cream Cheese Dainties 1/2 cup butter 1 3-ounce package cream cheese (softened) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon almond extract…
Nature and Life Notes 