Wings

I got this recipe from a friend. And, though I have not tried it yet, I can not wait to on SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!
EDIT: I just made these and they are to die for! Bryan loved them. Only thing I didnt do was use tobasco...didnt need to...it was spicy enough. So, I am taking that out of my recipe.




I love the Superbowl. I dont like watching it as much as I like to have an excuse to make finger food and have a party. My parents always had parties growing up, and this just brings back memories. Even if it is just Bryan and I on Sunday, you better believe I am making a bunch of muchie food! Lets get started on the wings, shall we?

Start with a bag of Chicken wing drummetts. I like the drummetts, but you could also get the "wings" if you prefer. Just make sure they are not cooked or breaded or anything. Just plain.
In a deep frying pan, heat about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches of oil on med-med/high heat. When it is heated, throw in the chicken wings/drummetts. Make sure to stir them around so they dont get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn them occasionally, cooking them for about 25 minutes, or till crispy and brown. Remove from pan and let them drain on paper towels.

Now, while those are cooking, you can make the sauce. In a large pot, melt 2 sticks of butter. To it, add 1 12oz bottle of Louisiana Hot sauce...not tobasco, not hot wing sauce....it could also be called cayenne pepper sauce. Stir it up.

Take the chicken, in batches, and place in the sauce. Mix it up and make sure every part of the chicken gets sauced. Place in bowl, or platter, or however you choose to serve it.

I like my wings with celery and Bleu Cheese Dressing....my problem is that the dressings from the store never have enough cheese in it. My way of solving this problem...I take Ranch dressing and add to it crumbled bleu cheese. That way, I can make sure it has enough in it!!!

Enjoy, and happy Superbowl!

Corn Pudding

I never had this dish until I met Bryan. Growing up, during holidays, we always just had corn in butter sauce. Not Bryan. This dish is a staple during the holidays. And, if you forget, like I did over Christmas, to make it...boy, you are gonna get it!

Ingredients
1 can of corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 box Jiffy corn bread
2 sticks of butter
2 eggs
16 oz sour cream

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

So, I made these last night and they are so good. Simple, delicious, and great for entertaining!

Ingredients
Jalapenos
cream cheese, softened
bacon
thats all!

Take off the stems and cut the peppers in half. (Use as many as you want...the amount does not matter) Take out the seeds from the inside of the pepper.
Fill the inside of the pepper with the cream cheese.
Cut the bacon into 3rds. Take one piece, and wrap it around the pepper. If you want to put a toothpick through to keep it in place, go ahead. I have found that it works either way!
Place on wire rack on top of a cookie sheet (to catch the grease).
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until desired crispiness.
Eat and enjoy!

The 2nd best dessert- Cheesecake Sopapilla

So, the first best dessert, I have not gotten up the courage to let go of. It is a family recipe and only one other person outside of my family knows it (that I know of). So, instead, I will give you the 2nd best dessert. I would call it "Linnea's Cheesecake Sopapillas" but I kinda got it from someone else who made it once, and then I turned around and made it again and again and again. Plus, she got it from someone else. I dont remember the exact recipe, so the original may be different, but this is how I make it!

2 cans cressent rolls
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened (dont try fat free, it just doesnt work with this!)
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

topping
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

In a greased 9x13 pan, open a can of rolls and roll it out on the bottom of the pan. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and spread on top of rolls. Open the next can and roll out on top cream cheese mixture. Pour melted butter on top (by now you are realizing how healthy this recipe is!) and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Now, the important part. You have to let it cool for a while. It is good hot, but so much better cooled off and just slightly warm. I never can last long enough to let it cool. Best served with ice cream and strawberries (to make it a little healthy!)

French Toast Casserole

Mmmmmm, Yummy!

1 loaf French Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (10 cups)
8 eggs
3 cups milk
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt

topping
2 tbsp butter, cubed
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9 pan. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the top. Cover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with syrup.

It is great to add fresh fruit, like blueberries or strawberries to the batter!

Penne Pasta Salad

Easy Peasy!

1 pound mini penne pasta (or whatever you want) cooked until tender
1 cup vinegar (red wine or white)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp celery seed (sometimes I sub celery salt and leave out regular salt)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup tomatoes
1 green or red pepper, or both

mix all together and refrigerate overnight.
This is a great dish because it has so many things that you already have on hand. Plus, you could put in any veggies that you want. If you dont like one thing, put something else in. Or, you could beef it up a little and add chicken or shrimp!

Lemon Tea Bread

This bread is so delicious that it melts in your mouth. Try it once and you will never be the same!

In a bowl, mix:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

In another bowl, mix:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

To the wet ingredients, add the dry, alternating between 1/2 cup milk and the dry. For some reason, this step is important. If you add the milk all at once or add the dry ingredients all at once, it does not turn out right.

Stir in 1 tbsp grated lemon rind.

Put in greased loaf pan (I like to line the bottom with parchement paper, just to make sure it is going to get out with no problems)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Take out of pan and let cool. When you are ready to serve, mix...
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
spoon on top of bread
Mix 1 tbsp grated lemon rind and 1 tbsp sugar. Sprinkle on top of bread. Serve warm or room temp...delicious either way!

Meatballs

These are perfect for spaghetti, or at my house, we make meatball sandwiches! They turn out moist and delicious!

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (ground sirloin is great for it too!)
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Italian style)
salt/pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Form into whatever size balls you would like. Place them into unlined cupcake tins. This keeps them from rolling all over the place. Place in a 425 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Cheesy Potatoes

I dont know the real name for this dish. I just knew that growing up, when my mother made this, my sister and I would call it this, so it just stuck. That and I know they are just so delicious!

Ingredients
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 stick melted butter
8 oz Velveeta cheese
1 bag (2 lbs) southern style hash browns

In a large bowl, combine butter, soup, sour cream, and milk
Dice up the cheese and add it to the bowl
stir in potatoes till covered with mixture
Put in 13x9 glass pan
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or till browned.

Swamp Stew

Bryan was out hunting one night and some men in the woods fed them some food. Bryan didnt know the exact measurements so we played around and found our own way of cooking it. And, sure enough, its cooked in the crock pot. It is a housewifes lifesaver! Oh, and Bryan didnt know what it was called, so we just named it Swamp Stew...it just fits!

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 stick butter
1 head cabbage
bunch of potatoes...cut up
salt
pepper

First, place the whole chicken in your crock pot.
To it, add the water and vinegar.
Put the butter right on top.
Cover and let cook on low.
Usually by the time the butter has melted over the top of the chicken, about an hour or so, I add as much cut up cabbage and potatoes as I can fit. If it doesnt all fit, which it usually doesnt, then I let it cook down a little and add the rest later.
Cover and let cook for about 6-7 hours. It may look like there is no water or liquid, but remember, the crock pot creates more liquid as it cooks, and the cabbage also creates more.
When the chicken is tender, try to pull out the whole thing. It may fall apart on you, so fish around and make sure there are no bones in the pot. No one likes bones in their stew! Pull all the chicken off the bones (I like to make sure it is shredded and in small pieces), take off the skin and give it to some animals, and put the chicken back in the pot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. It should be ready to go, or you could let it simmer in there for a little while longer and let the juices flow! Serve in a bowl with some nice warm homemade bread! Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering already.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I like easy. I like simple. I like delicious. Folks, this cant get any easier, more simple or more delicious!

List of Characters
1 pork shoulder
1/2 cup water

no, really, thats all

Trim the fat off the pork shoulder. Place it in a crock pot with the water. (I keep the bone on for now, but if it doesnt fit, you can always trim it off the bone.)
Cook, on low, for 6-8 hours. No stirring, no messing around. After time is up, it will be so tender, it will flake right off the bone. I usually pull the whole thing out and with 2 forks, pull it apart, getting all the fat off (and feeding the scraps to the dogs). Then, put it back in the crock pot to get all the juices mixed in. No need to salt it...pork is salty enough. It comes out just right. Just put it on top of your favorite bread or bun with your favorite bbq sauce (or not) and enjoy!!!

Variation
In the begining steps, you can buy a spice pack from McCormick called "Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork". To it you add 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup cider vinegar. It turns out great! I am more of a simple girl, I like my pork lightly sauced, and that is why I do it the first way. Bryan likes his real saucy...so I sometimes give in and cook it the other way. Either way, they are easy and a real crowd pleaser, too!

Baby its cold outside....

...and that makes for a good pot of Chili! Now, I am warning you...I dont measure stuff when I make my chili. I just shake and taste! And, the real secret is not to hurry it. You have to let it cook low and slow. The longer the better. In fact...its even better the 2nd day reheated! Lets get started, shall we?

First, lets start by putting on our pretty apons so not to ruin our wonderful Shade shirts. This one was made by my mother-in-law!

Next, brown 1lb of ground beef. While browning, shake on Chili Powder, enough to cover the meat, and ground cumin, about the same. That way, the flavor gets in the beef and stays with it.

Drain the beef. Put it in a big stock pot (or you could use a crock pot) and to it, add:

2 cans red kidney beans

1 bottle of tomato juice

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 can cream of celery soup

cumin

chili powder

I like to mix everything and then add the cumin and chili powder...about 5 shakes of cumin, 10 shakes of chili powder. You can always add more later, or less in the begining, depending on how you like it.

Bring it to a slight boil, then reduce and simmer on low, stirring occasionally for 6-8 hours...like I said, the longer the better. Some people like to add peppers, corn, onions, celery, whatever. I like it just meat and beans. Simple.

And oh so good served with warm corn bread. Just be careful...little ones will want some too!

A Request....Sloppy Joes

I grew up with Sloppy Joes...homemade...Bryan HATES Sloppy Joes...because he associates it with Manwich...this is no Manwich, Ladies and Gentleman. Here you go, Lisa!!

1lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp mustard
3 tsp vinegar (I usually use white or cider)
2 tsp sugar
3 tsp worcestershire sauce

Brown the meat and onion together...drain.
Mix the remaining ingredients and stir into the browned meat.
Simmer for 10 minutes...or till you are ready to eat.
I told you I like simple recipes!

Everyone's Favorite....

Baked Brie

List of goodies
1 weel of Brie cheese
1 jar of preserves (I like to use strawberry or apricot, but anything will do)
1 puff pastry sheet (NOT filo) Pepperage Farm has the best ones.

In a round pie pan (or any glass oven safe pan), lay out the thawed pastry sheet.
Place the unwrapped Brie in the center...its ok to leave the white stuff around the cheese (the rind)

Spoon on 1/2 to 2/3 of the preserves on top of cheese.

Gather the pastry around the cheese, starting with opposite corners, pinching the seems closed.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or till browned.
LET IT REST for 5-10 minutes. It is tempting to eat it right away, but dont!
Then just cut into it, spoon into it, whatever you please. The melted cheese and warm preserves just spill out and it is devine! Serve with crackers...my favorite....Keebler Toasteds. And be careful...you could eat the whole thing by yourself...its great leftover for breakfast...not that I have done that or anything....

Happy New Year

So, it starts. 2008. New Year, new beginings, new blogs. I am starting this because over the years, people have asked me for certain recipes. I have been asked what I cook for dinner for the 5 of us. I have even been told I need to make a cook book. Now, I am no Martha, I am not big on making a dish complicated. I like to keep it simple, with as little ingredients as possible. I have picky eaters here, so the more ingredients, the more likely I am to throw it in the garbage after dinner. So, here you will find simple, hearty, sometimes healthy, meals, side dishes, and others. Let me know what you try, what you liked and didnt like. Not all of these are my own recipes, they come from others. I like to "tweek" them to make them my own. So, enjoy! Recipes will start coming soon!