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Pizza Friday

3/28/2016

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When we were first married, hubby and I made pizza every Friday night. We’d put the Gypsy Kings cassette in the  player, crack open a bottle of homemade wine and start chopping the toppings. I’m not sure why we shifted from this fun frequent and tradition to only making pizza a few times a year......but maybe we became pizza’d out? 

We’ve done it two Fridays’ in a row now and I think perhaps it should make a comeback. Pizza is a healthy meal, full of good things that blend beautifully for a finger licking delight and of course, leftovers are always great for breakfast either cold or reheated.

My pizza dough has changed over the years, I’ve discovered better recipes and although I used to start from scratch and go through the process of wait and see,  now my bread machine does all the work.  There’s nothing like adding ingredients into the hopper in the morning, set the timer and coming home from work to a perfectly timed buxom dough pushing against the lid of the bread machine. I open the door and it keeps on growing like a balloon. I make a double recipe for two pizzas.  We have Paderno pans that have a non-stick coating and holes to help brown the bottom to a golden brown.    I’ve never learned to flip dough in the air without hitting the ceiling or landing with a thump on the floor so I palm it to stretch and fill the pan and then brush olive oil on the edge of the crust for a fresh out of the oven bread  crunch. 

I’ve always made my own sauce.  The canned ones taste fine but its chock full of stuff you don’t need, including MSG.  I use tomato paste, add water to the desired consistency then a tsp of sugar to take the bitterness off and a lot of my favourite spice, Basil and a lesser bit of oregano. 

Toppings vary depending on the craving or what’s hanging around the fridge.  I really like Hot Italian Sausage precooked and left in chunks, like meatballs in spaghetti sauce. I’m not a fan of the sliced and prepackaged pepperoni found at the deli counter.   The skinny slices are soaked in preservatives; the package is wet inside and dripping with goodness knows what?  It turns me off and now they are saying that processed meats are really bad for us, bringing up the "C" word.  Chris Brother’s Pepperoni is always my choice, plenty of flavour and a product made with pride.  Yes,  there is still preservative in the package but you can wash that off and then cut the meat so each slice's surface hasn’t been drenched in formaldehyde.

Hubby likes olives and mushrooms and I don’t so we usually make two pizzas to suit our tastes.  I like mushrooms raw in a salad but not so much cooked.  I find they get slippery and for me the texture has to be right   I’ve never acquired a taste for olives although I’ll eat them in a pinch, but if I have a choice, I vote no. 
   
What I do like far outweighs what I don’t so it’s not like my pizza is bare.  I pile on green and red peppers, tomatoes, onions, pepperoni or sausage and lots of cheese.  My one must is pineapple.  I love the way you get a little burst of juice from each tidbit. When available, Artichoke is also good and even blanched sun dried tomatoe lends a wonderful flavour.

Cheese is important.  This is no time to go cheap.  One full brick or more is needed per pizza.  Some sprinkled on the sauce and then pile on the toppings and then end with a sea of white on top.  Magnificent works of art waiting to be cooked to perfection.  I like mozzarella that can be pulled and stringy when you take bites, like at a real pizzeria.  I let our pizza's sit to cool a bit so we don't need utensils to eat it.  Pizza is definitely a hand to mouth food, biting down on all those flavours and pulling away with cheese stretching between fingers and lips. 

The smell of pizza wafting through the house is divine.  To bad tha smell couldn't be bottled and sold, perhaps as cologne to dab behind the ears.  You know what they say about attracting a man through his stomach, they'd be following you home!  Yes, I think this old custom needs to be revisited.  Friday night pizza at the Littles! 


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Nancy's, Tea Lime Zucchini Cake with Lime Glaze

2/20/2014

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Recipe shared by Nancy McCarthy - raved about at the hook-in!
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Tea Lime Zucchini Cake with Lime Glaze

2 CUPS GRATED PACKED ZUCCHINI
ZEST OF 1 LARGE LIME
1 ¾ CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
½ TSP SALT
½ TSP BAKING SODA
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
½ TSP NUTMEG
1 CUP SUGAR
1 EGG
½ CUP CANOLA OIL
½ CUP PLAIN OR VANILLA YOGURT

LIME GLAZE


½ CUP ICING SUGAR
1 TSP FRESHLY GRATED LIME ZEST
JUICE OF 1 LIME


PREHEAT OVEN TO 350*

COAT A LOAF PAN WITH NON STICK SPRAY PUT GRATED ZUCCHINI IN A CLEAN TEA TOWEL AND WRING TO REMOVE AS MUCH LIQUID AS POSSIBLE.   

IN A MEDIUM BOWL, STIR TOGETHER ALL DRY INGREDIENTS.

GRATE THE LIME PEEL AND ADD TO THE DRY INGREDIENTS.

BEAT TOGETHER EGG, OIL AND YOGURT.

SQUEEZE LIME AND ADD JUICE TO LIQUID. ADD ZUCCHINI TO DRY INGREDIENTS, STIR AND MAKE A WELL – ADD LIQUID INGREDIENTS.

STIR JUST TO COMBINE, POUR INTO LOAF PAN AND BAKE FOR 55 – 60 MINUTES. COOL 10 MINUTES

BEFORE TURNING OUT ONTO COOLING RACK, WHILE STILL WARM, POKE HOLES IN THE TOP WITH A TOOTHPICK OR SKEWER.  

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENT OF GLAZE, STIR AND MICROWAVE APPROX 40 SECOND UNTIL HOT.  STIR AGAIN AND POUR OVER CAKE AND SPREAD WITH  WITH GLAZING BRUSH.

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Pound Cake Recipe

2/13/2014

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Moms Pound Cake Recipe

1 Cup Butter

2 Cups Sugar

1/4 Cup Boiling Water

3 Unbeaten Eggs

3 Cups Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Milk (approx.)

1/2 Tsp Almond Extract

1/2 Tsp Lemon Extract

1/2 Tsp Vanilla


Cream together butter and sugar.  Add boiling water and beat well. 

Add 1st cup of the flour and 1 egg, beat well.

Add 2nd cup of the flour and 1 egg, beat well.

Add 3rd cup of flour with Baking Powder and last egg and beat well. 

Add milk and flavourings last. 



Bake 325* oven for 1 1/2 hour




Old Fashioned Frosting

Icing Sugar

1 TBSP vegetable shortening

1 TBSP butter softened

1 Tsp Almond Extract

Milk, add in increments until the you find the right consistency

Mix well until creamy smooth

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Those three little words that mean so much........

7/24/2013

6 Comments

 
“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.”  
                                                                                                                          ― 
Julia Child
The other day, while digging out the doughnut recipe I came across another tried and true favourite that reminded me of this story. 

A decade or so back I launched a self imposed diet to try and rid myself of that lingering baby fat from giving birth to a twelve pounder, affectionately known as Shane.  I'd packed on a lot of weight during the pregnancy and like unwanted relatives it wouldn't go away.  I hadn't been overly concerned about those extra pounds, but after running into an old acquaintance who exclaimed excitedly with all sincerity, "Oh my Christine, when did you have your baby?" followed by my reply, "Twenty years ago!", I thought maybe I should work a bit harder to improve my maternity style outer image.  Some people have a natural propensity to put their mouth in gear before their brain brake is engaged and although she didn't have a mean bone in her body, the truth hung in the air like a bad stench....I must have looked like I had a recent encounter with a stork.


So, full of gusto I entered into the world of dieting, blazing a trail with carrot sticks and butterless bread, no sauces, sensible and boring meals with lots of water.  I made my husband promise, PROMISE, PROMISE not to give in to any demands of eating out or treats of any kind.  I even made him raise his hand to swear he would be the gatekeeper of the fridge and unfortunately he took the job seriously.   Funny how all the foods that taste the best, feel so good in your mouth, wrap you in comfort and fill your senses with unadulterated joy are all bad for you.  And equally funny, the first three letters of the word diet are die........coincidence? I think not!   
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So after the first  week of  deprivation, I was desperately building a craving that grew like a tenacious weed, drawing all its strength from the root of the fattening fish and chips.  Why I settled on this particular food I don't know, it wasn't like it was a regular part of my diet because we rarely ate deep fried food, but maybe I was weakening in the grey cell department, misfiring from a lack of sugar.  All I know, I became obsessed with deep fried, English battered fish and its side kick, the golden French fry that I longed to smother under a blanket of ketchup. 

I suppose I was relentless and more than a bit annoying because the look on hubby's face said I was bugging him more than a swarm of black flies. To his testimony, no matter how much I whined or begged he remained a rock, holding strong to the sworn oath I'd stupidly deputized him with, and used my own words against me, that his diligence was for my own good.  I tried playing cute and using womanly wiles, but he saw the manipulation for what it was.  A good lesson learned for future attempts at anything I might want to get myself out of, to keep the mouth shut and not drag him into the regime because he played by the rules.

So I'll admit, the nagging was relentless for several weeks but he remained vigilant and I failed to put a dent in his  stubborn veneer.  But, that only made the craving worse, by now I was dreaming about it and entertaining thoughts of going behind his back for a sneaky take-out to cram into my face on the way home from work.  Funny how when you're denied something that forbidden fruit becomes a search for a holy grail, commandeering every thought in your life.  

So after a month of torture for us both, the big weigh-in yielded  the goal of a ten pound loss. Nothing to sneeze at and worthy of a reward and what I had in mind will be of no surprise, securing a date with hubby for Friday evening for the coveted deep fried haddock and fries.    So that night in bed, feeling happy with my success and with visions of fried fish swimming around in my head, I sought a bit of affirmation that hubby was proud of me for staying this difficult course. I rolled over and said to the dear boy, "Now would be a good time to say those three little words that mean so much,"  this being my way of prompting an "I love you"  considering he's a man and needs to be told when to do such things.  He looked at me and without missing a beat he replied in an exasperated tone,  "Fish and Chips?" 

I sent a condensed version of this story to Reader's Digest and received a phone call and $200.00 for my effort.  It was published under "Life's Like That" and I took the money and treated hubby to a meal out... you guessed it....fish and chips!

I worked at a take-out restaurant as a young girl;  starting there at thirteen and worked my way up to night shift cook at fourteen.  They made the best  English batter from scratch, unlike what they have today, a powder that comes in a large pail that you add water to.  The secret to a well made piece of deep fried fish is to pat the moisture away with paper towel before dipping it in the batter.  This insures that the coating won't fly off when it hits the hot fat and will have a smooth surface and be puffed and plump. 

Restaurants constantly disappoint when the fish arrives at the table with the batter barely covering the surface, or is too thin and hard, or is so thick it's like cake under the surface and you can hardly find the haddock.  The flavour just isn't there with this premixed, laboratory designed base so I'm sharing this scratch recipe for those of you who like homemade and would like to take a trip back to the time when a piece of deep fried fish made love to your watering mouth, not turned you off and left you cold.   

English Batter

1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Egg
1 Tsp Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder

Mix all ingredients together at one time.   Hand beat until smooth.

Wash and pat fish dry with paper towel.  Pick over for bones.  Dip in batter and slowly put in hot fat, leaving on the fork until it floats and then release it.  If you dump it in the fat too quickly, some of the batter will blow off and the fish will also sink and stick to the bottom of the pan.  


Fry until golden brown on one side and then turn.   Do this only once as flipping it back and forth will overcook and make the batter hard.  This recipe is perfect for scallops or clams as well.   Enjoy!
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My Grandmother's sewing machine

7/19/2013

10 Comments

 
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I just arrived home from working late and I'm filled with nostalgia. Sentiment runs deep every time I zig zag a pattern as thoughts drift to my grandmother for the simple reason that I'm using her sewing machine.

When I sew, like magic, I'm led down memory lane as if it's a portal to the past. If one can have an affection for an inanimate object than I do, and I fondly run my fingers over her initials scratched into the base and imagine her using some sharp device to mark her ownership.  It’s an older singer, a heavy duty model that continues to work like the well-greased, solid built machines of the past.  I take good care of her, with yearly maintenance and a gentle touch, so she runs as smoothly as the day she left the factory.  

She sits on top of an old treadle singer machine, her ancestor of the past.  I bought it at an auction at the United Church several years back.  I like antiques for the shop, modern just doesn’t cut the look I am trying to ferment so I outbid the less serious as if it was a cure for a disease and brought this piece of church history to the shop.  There's a beautiful working machine under the cover but I'm not a purist that needs to suffer for her work and even if I was, it doesn't have a zig zag function.  


I have history with the United Church.  I was baptized there, went to Sunday School and my father was the custodian for many years so I hung out there after hours so it was nice to have a piece of that part of my past.   I'm a sentimental old fool that likes to be surrounded by memories, maybe so I don't forget as I have more senior moments than not.  

Once I lugged the heavy beast to the shop I knew it would be a perfect working table for my granny’s machine to sit on.  We sew around the edges of our patterns to prevent fraying and this machine whips around like a horse on a track, with a smooth and regular gait.  The machine has served me well since I opened shop and I hope it lasts as long as I do.  

I have a great deal of satisfaction knowing that my grandmother owned and used this machine and I think of her often, with her red lipstick and Avon scents.  She was always a lady, in her dresses and aprons, made up and hair coiffed.  She was a fantastic baker, kneading bread and making her doughnuts that I remember fondly.   I used to crawl on my belly to avoid rattling the beaded curtain that guarded the pantry, and once in, quietly remove the pan lid to help myself to the objects of my desire.  Nana's house always smelled like freshly made doughnuts and grandpa’s pipe, two scents that always take me to places of my youth. 
 
These doughnuts are not like any I’ve ever tasted and unfortunately with my diabetes they are now a big no no, but if I’m lucky enough to see death coming with a day or two advance notice, I’m going to deep-fry a batch and eat them until I head into the light.   I can almost smell them as I write this, the memory is so ingrained in my head. 


The recipe is different from most you will find.  The secret ingredient is vinegar. They make the outer crust crunchy and the inside cake tender and soft.   Because of these succulent mouth-watering memories, I could never eat a Tim Horton’s doughnut because they are so far removed from a real homemade version the disappointment was painful. Over the years I’ve sampled doughnuts in various stores, always hunting for that remembered taste, but they all fell short. I’ve made a batch or two or maybe twelve, but they are deadly; one is too many and a thousand's not enough.   They probably contributed to my diabetes, all that white flour and sugar.  I won't say it as worth it, but I will say, those were the the days!
  
I’ve often thought of opening a coffee shop with my nana’s doughnut recipe so I can educate the world on what a real doughnut should taste like.  Not some premixed, add water sort of deal that has all kinds of things in it that one doesn't care to know. Life is too short to realize all my dreams so the masses will remain cheated of the experience, but in retrospect, it probably worked out for the best as I’d be 300 pounds from quality control sampling.   

When my grandmother passed away I assumed her recipe died with her.  I never thought to ask about it until after my mother died and then it hit me.  Dad didn't know and although I looked through my mother's recipe cards I found nothing.  I was pretty broken up that it was lost forever.  One day several years later I was going through a cookbook of my mother’s and there it was on a piece of paper, now in my hot little hands.  The first thing I did was make several photocopies of it and stored them in different places in the house. I’m no fool, I was a Brownie with the motto "Be Prepared" burned into my brain.....I know shit happens and then it’s all gone except for the tears.

With the coveted recipe safe and secure,  I went to the store for fresh nutmeg,  came home and whipped up a batch immediately.  In my youth I worked as a short order cook at a take-out restaurant and I'm no stranger to deep frying and not afraid to have open pot hot oil on the stove.  The first batch had barely cooled before I'd eaten every single doughnut and hole, some plain and some sugared.  It was as if my grandmother was in the room with me, except now I was wearing the apron. The flavours and smell melted away the years and I was a child once again, hanging around the kitchen waiting for the doughnuts to land on a cooling rack.  

It was like a drug that I couldn’t get enough of, each one tasted better than the one before.   Needless to say I felt sick but that was a minor detail.  My house smelled like a doughnut factory for two days.  It was absolute heaven!   With eat bite, I was transported back to Springhill summers and visits at my grandmother's home.  Truly, it was nostalga mixed with nausea but I held it all in for memories sake. We all need to do crazy things every now and then although I couldn't get away with that today. They'd find me in a coma or dead, with greasy crumbs on my chin and a smile the undertaker couldn't wipe away.  Death by doughnuts?....not the worst way to go!
 
I’m going to share this secret recipe, maybe someone will make them and bring one by.  I could manage one without hurting my blood sugar levels and if I jump up and down for a few minutes that ought to fix the problem.  Maybe I could eat it while on the treadmill at the gym?  I don’t know if I could only eat the one and walk away but I’d love the chance to try. I just don't think I have the courage to make them myself and not eat more than I should.  I sure wish the picture could be scratch and sniff!  


Nana’s Cake Doughnuts

 1 Cup white sugar
 2 TBSP shortening
 2 Eggs
 1 TBSP vinegar
 1 Cup milk
 3 Cups Flour 
 4 Tsp Baking Powder
 1 Tsp salt
 ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
 
Mix all together and make the dough and roll out on a board with a bit of flour to keep from sticking.  Just like a pie pastry, don’t overwork as the doughnuts will be harder...not that it detracts from the taste!  Cut out with a doughnut cutter.  Save those holes as they fry up for bits!  Excellent plain or sugared.   Deep fry in shortening.


I also have my grandmother's antique doughnut cutter, that still works like a charm!  


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Well that was absolute torture looking at pictures of doughnuts on the internet to find ones that look similar to my nana's. These are close but hers were a bit darker. Now I have a big ole craving going on. Sigh....why diabetes??????
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One I bought at a store and Nana's antique on the right. Note the holes to release the pressure as you cut out the dough. This will ensure the doughnuts will rise and plump up in the hot fat.
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Mary's Blueberry Pie

3/22/2013

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This is my mother-in-law Mabel Redden's blueberry pie, and she was an amazing baker. The recipe makes one very large pie, or two smaller ones. The small ones fit nicely into foil pieplates, which are perfect for gift-giving. As I discovered today, thinner lattice looks better on small pies, and it is necessary to pay attention when you are weaving your lattice or you forget which strip is over vs. under. But it will taste good anyway!
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Blueberry Pie

4 cups wild blueberries, frozen or fresh (1 x 600 g bag of Presidents Choice frozen works well )

1 Cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tsp lemon juice


Combine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to cool. Place cooled filling in pan lined with pie crust. Cut lattice strips and weave on top of filling.


Bake on second top rack at 425* for 10 minutes and reduce to 350* for 45 minutes
till golden brown and blueberries bubble through top.





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Rene's Caesar Salad

3/2/2013

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2 Med garlic bulbs
1 Tbsp Blue Cheese
2 Tbsp Olve Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
3/4 Cups Hellman's Mayo
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Simple prep...just mix it all
together.  Will last several days
in the fridge. 

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Butter Tarts

1/4/2013

1 Comment

 
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A butter tart is a type of small pastry highly regarded in Canadian cuisine and considered one of Canada's quintessential desserts.  Some argue they should be runny in consistency while others like a firmer center.  These are the best I’ve had and I’ve sampled a lot of tarts.  This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, Wynn who actually introduced me to the butter tart while visiting her in BC many moons ago. Hubby agrees these are the best, but then again, he does have to keep the women in his life happy so you'll have to decide for yourself!

I start with a Puff pastry and I use lard.  I don’t do pastry often so a bit of lard doesn’t hurt.  The tarts brown nicely and crunch so much better than with shortening. This recipe makes enough pastry for several pies and dozens of tarts and will last in the fridge for up to a week and can be frozen.

Puff Pastry

5 Cups flour
1 pkg. Tenderflake Lard
1 ½ Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Egg
1 Tbsp. Vinegar
Cold Water
 
Mix the flour and lard together until it forms crumbles.  Use a pastry cutter as not to warm the
lard with your hands.  Add salt and baking powder.  
  
Crack the egg in a 1 Cup measure and add the vinegar.  Whip with a fork until blended. 
Now add cold water to fill up the cup.   Make a valley in the flour/lard mixture and pour in the liquid.  Now use a fork or pastry cutter to mix.  Once it forms a large ball, pull off a hunk, put it on a pastry board, sprinkle with a bit of flour and roll out to 1/8” thickness.  Use a cutter to make circles and fit into the pans. Make sure you don’t overly stretch the pastry or it will shrink when cooking.  
  
 
Butter Tart Filling
 
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Egg
1 Tbsp. Corn Syrup 
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Currants or Raisins (Soak in hot water and drain when soft and plump)
Fresh pecans
 
Cream brown sugar and butter together.  Mix in egg and blend.  Add the corn syrup, vanilla and salt.  The secret to the perfect filling is to stir it fast and furious until it turns light in colour.  Now add the currants and stir again.  Then spoon into the waiting pastry shells.  
  
Top each tart with three pecans and bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until
pasty is golden.  Yumdelish!

Enjoy!

 
 
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Bran Muffins

12/27/2012

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We had these Bran Muffins for breakfast this morning.  Low in sugar but high in flavour, these muffins are a delicious and healthy way to start the day. 
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Bran Muffins

 Ingredients:

¼ Cup  Shortening (50 ml)
¼ Cup  Brown Sugar (50 ml)
 2 Tbsp. Molasses (30 ml)
 2 Eggs beaten
 1 Cup Milk (250 ml)
 1 Cup All purpose or Whole wheat flour (250 ml)
 1 ½ Tsp. Baking Powder (7 ml)
 ½ Tsp. Baking Soda (2 ml)
 ¾ Tsp. Salt (3 ml)
 1 ½ Cups Natural Wheat Bran (375 ml)
 ½  Cup  Raisins or blueberries (100 ml)
 
Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add Molasses and eggs and beat together.  Add milk and then bran.  Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.  Add to liquid ingredients. 
Stir in raisins or blueberries.  Spoon into greased muffin pans. 
Bake in 400*F (200*C) oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Yield:  1 DozenMuffins
 
Note:  If using frozen blueberries toss them in a dusting of flour to keep the muffin mix from getting too stained with blueberry.  
  
Currents can be substituted for raisins.  If they are hard soak them in warn water first.  
  
Tip: To void greasing muffin tins or if they are getting old and rusty, use paper cupcake liners. This makes cleanup easy as there is no need to wash the pans.
  


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Sweet and Sour Onions

12/26/2012

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Sweet and Sour Onions

Cooked in this way, pearl onions make a tasty side dish.  A delicious compliment to
turkey stuffing and sweet potato.  Start a new family tradition and they'll keep coming back for more! 
 
Ingredients:

1 Lb. Pearl Onions, peeled  (450 g) (I use red and white pearl onions for Christmas colour)
2 oz Cup wine vinegar (50 ml)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (45 ml)
1 ½ oz Tbsp. brown sugar (40 g)
3 Tbsp. Tomato Puree (45 ml)
1 Bay Leaf
5 Sprigs fresh parsley
½ Cup raisins
Salt and freshly ground black paper
 
Put all ingredients in a saucepan with 1 ¼ cups water (300 ml) Bring to the boil and simmer gently, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the onions are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  
  
Remove the bay leaf and parsley, check the seasoning and transfer to a serving dish.  Serve at room temperature.
  


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The Little's Christmas Dressing

12/26/2012

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The Little’s Christmas Dressing

6 Cups potato
4 Slices toasted Bread 
1 Large onion 
½  Cup currants or raisins
2 Diced apples
1 Tsp. Summer Savory
1 Tsp. All Spice
1 Tsp. Sage
 
Boil potatoes, drain, break up with a fork, set aside. (Potatoes can be cooked the previous day)
Dice a large onion and fry in butter until golden.  
Toast four slices of bread, I use 12 grain.  The dryer the better so toast twice if it’s still moist. 
Cut or pull into small pieces.  
  
In a large bowl mix the onion and bread, scrape up the bread crumbs and throw that in as well. 
Add crumbled potatoes and mix.  Dice apple (Gravenstein or Cortland work best) and add to mixture.  Currents or raisins add a delightful  flavour.  If Currants or raisins are hard, soak in warm water to moisten before adding them to the mixture.  
  
Add the summer Savory, All Spice and Sage.  Taste and add more spices if needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Stuff turkey or put in a casserole dish to cook separately.  When the turkey has cooked for an hour or so, ladle some of the juices on the dressing to add turkey flavour so it appears to have been cooked in the bird.  Cook in same oven with turkey for about an hour.
  


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Hummus Pita Trees

12/19/2012

1 Comment

 
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❤ THIS IDEA!!  Hummus Pita Trees are perfect for the
holiday party! Use whole wheat pitas, spinach hummus, a few bits of red pepper strategically placed, pretzel trunks and you've got a delicious, healthy festive snack!
 
 

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Mary's Cheese Crispies and Pepper Jelly

12/5/2012

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Cheese Crispies

1 pkg Imperial Sharp Cheddar cold pack cheese
1  C butter
1 1/2 C flour
4 C Rice Krispies
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)

Soften cheese and butter.   Mix.  Beat in flour.  Work in Rice Krispies.  Add a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce and, if desired, cayenne pepper.  Roll into small balls.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and flatten with fork in a grid pattern. 


Bake at 350F for 15  minutes.


Pepper Jelly

1 C finely chopped jalapeno peppers  (or use 1 C red or green sweet peppers + 1 T jalapenos, if desired)
5 C  sugar
1 C cider vinegar
1 x 85 ml pouch Certo
Few drops red or green  food colouring, if desired.  (I tend not to use this ...the jelly in the picture  was a gift from a friend, and she uses red food colouring)

In large  saucepan, combine peppers, sugar and cider vinegar. Boil over medium heat for  15 min.  Add pectin.  Add food colouring, if desired. Stir for 1 minute more.   Skim off foam and pour into sterilized jars.


Makes about 4 cups.


Enjoy!
 
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Pam's Microwave Fudge

12/5/2012

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Pam's Microwave Fudge

 3 cups sugar
 ¾ cup butter
 5 oz (2/3 cup) evaporated milk
 2 cups **semi sweet chocolate chips **
 4 cups mini marshmallows
 1 cup nuts
 1 tsp vanilla

In a large microwavable bowl combine sugar, butter and  milk. Cover
with plastic wrap and microwave on full power for 7 minutes. Stir.  Microwave
another 4 minutes on full power. Add chips and marshmallows and stir  until
melted. Add vanilla and nuts (if desired) Pour into greased 13” x 9” pan.  Chill
until set.

**Your chocolate chips are your flavor for this fudge.  Make sure you
use a good quality chocolate chips...I use the president's choice  decadent
chips.

Enjoy!





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Charlene's Mac & Cheese

12/5/2012

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Charlene's Mac & Cheese 

1 Square pan
3 Cups dry elbow macaroni = 7 cups cooked approx. 200 grams grated cheese. 
3 heaping tablespoons cheese whiz
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk 

Put cheese whiz into bottom of baking pan with 1/2 cooked macaroni (still warm) and mix thoroughly. 

Add rest of macaroni and mix.   
Add 1/2 to 2/3 of grated cheddar cheese and stir,  then put rest on top.   
Pour in the milk.    

Heat oven on 350 deg and in upper third place pan on rack and time for 30min.  

Check.    When suitably crusty remove from oven.     

The more milk, the creamier.      

Cheers,
Charlene 



 
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Glenna's Creamy Tomato Soup

12/5/2012

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Glenna's Creamy Tomato Soup

Thanks again for the great night last night, I had a lot of fun.  They are a great bunch of ladies!! 
Here is the tomato recipe I said I would send.

1-- Saute 1 large onion and 1 cup diced celery
2--Using blender to the above add 1--28oz can diced stewed tomatoes, and 10 oz chopped fresh tomatoes
3--Add 10oz chicken broth and 1/2 cup of Clamato juice and dash of Tabasco
4--1 tbsp. dry dill

Simmer all above ingredients
 
Now make white sauce

1/4 cup margarine, 1/2 cup flour, 4 cups Homog. milk
 Cook and then add 1 cup of cheddar cheese stir till melted then stir veg. mixture into white sauce.


ENJOY!!
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Pam's Broccoli Salad

12/5/2012

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 Broccoli Salad

 2 bunches of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped  onion
10-12 slices of bacon cooked and chopped (or 1/4 c  bacon bits)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar)

Not on the original recipe, but I added:
1/2  cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped  pecans

For dressing mix:
3/4 cup   mayo
1//2 cup white sugar
4 tbsp  vinegar

Mix together and pour over the salad at
least 1 hour before serving (not too  long)

Enjoy!!! - Pam

     
 
 
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Pineapple Punch

12/4/2012

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Getting ready for our hook-in Christmas party and thought I would share this punch recipe.  Deliciously zippy, it's hands down the best punch I've ever tasted!   It's like pineapple Champagne!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup lime juice
1 cup white sugar
1 46 oz can of pineapple juice
1 large bottle bottle gingerale
1 large bottle club soda

Combine  the orange, lemon and lime juices with the  sugar and chill for several hours or overnight.

When making the punch put ice in the bowl and then pour the fruit juice concoction over it.  Next pour the can of pineapple and then gently pour the gingerale and soda down the edge of the  bowl to keep it fizzy.
   Add slices of orange, lime and lemon with cranberries or cherries for garnish.    


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