Apple (Walnut) Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F
2. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans; set aside.
3. In medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In mixing bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together, mixing well. Stir in flour mixture until just mixed. Fold in apples and walnuts and spoon into prepared loaf pans.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tested done when wooden pick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans before removing to cool on wire racks. Wrap tightly to store.

Tip: For a delicious spread, combine 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar and mix well.

Chicken Soup -home made

My Chicken soup is not a thin soup, when I make soup I tend towards a heartier stew style!

Ingredients

3-4 large pieces of chicken or more (your choice of dark or white, I like a mix of both)

*chicken can be bone in and strained for bone removal to retain a nice broth. I actually like this best but de-boned and cut up chicken can also be used with canned broth. If the chicken is pre-cooked...place in stew towards the end of cooking time so as not to overcook.

3 large carrots sliced
2 pieces of celery sliced
3 medium potatoes quartered
1 medium onion cut in quarters
2 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)
pepper to taste
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
6 cups water
1 pkg. of powdered chicken gravy
2 can chicken broth
1/2 lb. noodles or 1 lb. gnocchi

Directions

• Add water, broth and powdered chicken gravy.
  ( If using bone in...add chicken to the above and cook until most of the meat is cooked off of the bone, remove the chicken bones and cut off any remaining meat. *Large pieces of meat should be cut into small cubes.
• Add salt, pepper and seasonings.
• Add all of the vegetables- cook on medium heat 30-40 min. or until vegetables are tender.
• Bring to a full boil and add your pasta noodles and cook according package directions

Coconut Meringue Pie

Single Pie

• 1 c shredded coconut
• 2 c. steamed milk (heat milk just til steam forms over pan-DO NOT BOIL)
  
  In Separate bowl:
• 5 tbs. flour
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c sugar

• Separate 3 egg yolks and beat until lemony in color (set whites aside for meringue topping)
• Add dry mixture (above) to steamed milk
• Add beaten egg yolks and coconut and cook til thickened (stir constantly)
• Add 2 tsp. vanilla
• After mixture is thickened (it will look like pudding) set aside to cool with a wax paper covering
• Pour cooled pudding into the pie crust.

Meringue Topping

• 3 egg whites
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla. Pile on top of pie and form peaks with a fork.... bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Note: This recipe comes to me from my mother who received it from her mother and so forth....
Not too many people take the time to make a really great old fashion pie these days. It's so easy to open a box of pudding but this is worth the time!
I can tell you from my own experience growing up and even today...once you've tried this recipe you will not want to order Coconut Meringue pie in a restaurant ever again.

Simple White Sauce

You can't get much easier than this:

• 2 Tbs. flour (I use arrow root flow)
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 c milk

• Melt butter in a sauce pan
• Sprinkle flour evenly over the entire pan of butter while stirring quickly by hand.
• Add milk slowly while still stirring.
• Continue to cook over medium heat , stirring constantly, until your sauce is your desired thickness.

* The sauce will stick and burn to the bottom of your pot if you’re not careful…medium heat, keep stirring, be sure to get the entire bottom of pan in each stir.

*Add salt and pepper if desired. Cayenne is a nice touch if you like a little bite in your sauce.
Grated cheese can also be added while the sauce is heating.
White sauce can be poured over vegetables, noodles and just about anything else!

Gnocchi Chicken or Turkey Soup/Great with left over turkey

Do you ever wonder at the waste when tossing out the entire carcass of the turkey at thanksgiving or any other time? I raised four kids, sometimes on my own entirely. I couldn't afford to throw away anything!

• Place the entire carcass of your turkey after the meat has been sliced and picked clean into a large pot
• Fill pot 2/3 full with water and let it cook several hours.
  
• Place a colander or strainer over another large pot or slow cooker and transfer all of the broth into it .
• Be sure to pick out any meat that has cooked off the bones and place back into the broth.
  For a low fat content: set the broth in refrigerator over night and clean off the solid fat that rises to the top.
  
  
  Mix together:
  
• 2 cups cooked meat-turkey, chicken or other meat (chopped in small pieces, approx 1" cubes)
  
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalk celery, diced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large potato diced small
• 1 small can mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh mushrooms
• 1 tsp. oregano or Italian spices
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups or 3 cans of broth or broth from turkey)
• 1 16 oz. gnocchi

• 1 hour before dinner is to be served, add the ingredients above to your broth and bring to a boil.
• Let simmer until vegetables are tender.
• Add gnocchi according to pkg.instructions. (approx. 3 min. or until they all float to the top) Do not over cook the gnocchi.

Crab Cakes

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tabs. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/4 tsp. old bay or seafood seasoning
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs (I shred my own from rolls)
• 1 pound crab meat
  
  Combine and mix together the following in a bowl:
• eggs
• mayonnaise
• parsley
• seasoning
• Worcestershire sauce
• pepper
• dry mustard
• lemon juice
  
  
  
• add the bread crumbs and crab meat gently.
• Shape 8 patties about 2 1/2-3" in diameter
• Place patties gently onto a baking sheet, cover and place in refrigerator for 30 min.
• Cook over medium high heat in a large skillet (do not press down on the crab cakes.) Add crab cakes after the skillet is hot. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or til browned. Do not over cook or they will be dry!
  

Makes 8 crab cakes

White Lasagna with Spinach

18 lasagna noodles
2 frozen pkg. of spinach
3 c. milk
6 tabs. wondra flour or cornstarch
1 small onion chopped
1lb. ground beef or turkey or cubed pieces of ham
1 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasonings
32 oz plain non fat or low fat yogurt
1 ¼ c. Parmesan cheese
2 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 ½ c. mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375
1. Cook noodles according to the package directions, rinse and drain.
2. Cook spinach and drain. Set both noodles and spinach aside.
3. In a large saucepan combine milk, cornstarch (adding slowly) and onion. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly; After it bubbles, cook and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in yogurt.
5. Spread 6 tab. of sauce mixture evenly on the bottom of a large lasagna baking dish.
6. Add meat to the remaining sauce.
7. Place a layer of lasagna noodles and then a layer of sauce (division for layers is approx. 1/3)
8. Add a layer of spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and 1/2 of mozzarella cheese. 9.Repeat #'s 7 and 8 again ending with 3rd row of noodles topped with sauce and mozzarella cheese
10. Bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Note: I found the original recipe for this in "Light cooking," It is intended to be low calorie but I won't vouch for that, it certainly does not taste low calorie. I've never had white lasagna I liked until I tried this one.

Banana Cream Pie

Single Pie

4-5 Bananas
2 c. steamed milk (heat milk just til steam forms over pan-DO NOT BOIL)
In Separate bowl:
5 tbs. flour
2 tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c sugar


Separate 3 egg yolks and beat until lemony in color (set whites aside for meringue topping)


Add dry mixture (# 2.)to steamed milk
Add beaten egg yolks and cook til thickened (stir constantly)
Add 2 tsp. vanilla


After mixture is thickened (it will look like pudding) set aside to cool with a wax paper covering

Place sliced bananas on the bottom of an already baked pie crust
Pour cooled pudding into the pie crust.

Meringue Topping
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla. Pile on pie and bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Note: This recipe comes to me from my mother who received it from her mother and so forth....
Not too many people take the time to make a really great old fashion pie these days. It's so easy to open a box of pudding. This is worth the time!
I can tell you from my own experience growing up and even today...once you've tried this recipe you will not want to order Banana Cream pie in a restaurant ever again.

Chicken Pot Pie (In the crust)

 

Chicken Pot Pie (In the crust)

2 pie crusts (one top/ one bottom)   2 1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey   3 tabs. Flour or other thickening    1 c. sliced carrots   ½ C onion chopped   1 c. sliced celery   1 c par cooked or frozen mixed vegetables   1/2 tsp thyme leaves crushed   1/4 tsp pepper   2 tsp salt   2 cloves chopped garlic    1/4 c butter   2 cups milk

In saucepan cook carrots, onion, celery and thyme with butter until tender Stir in flour After the flour is well mixed add milk stirring constantly until thickened. Add chicken and vegetables Place in pie crust.  Top with second pie crust and flute the crusts together Bake 350 for 45 min. Or untilcrust is completely golden brown across the top and the filling is bubbling on the sides   Cool 15 minutes before cutting

 

 

Tortellini Soup Crockpot Style

My Tortellini soup is not a thin bowl of broth with some floating pasta. When I make any soup I tend towards a hearty stew!

2 large pieces of shin beef (bone in)
2 frozen bags of beef tortellini
4 large carrots sliced
2 pieces of celery sliced
3 medium potatoes quartered
1 small can of mushroom slices
2 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)
2tsp Italian mixed seasonings
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
8 cups water
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth

Place shin beef in 8 c. water with spices in crock-pot - turn on high heat

• Cook for 2-3 hours
• Add all of the vegetables and continue cooking on medium heat 1 hour
• Most of the meat will have cooked off of the bone, remove the shin bones and cut off any remaining meat.
• Any large pieces of meat should be cut into small cubes
• Turn heat up to high and add the tortellini,
• cook till tender, approx 20 min.
  
  Note: This soup is great served with fresh bread and salad

New York Cheese Cake

For this recipe you will need a *spring form cake pan
Crust:
3 individual packages of graham crackers
dash of cinnamon
6 tab. butter
Mix and press into the bottom of a spring form pan as seen at right.
Refrigerate until needed

Filling:
Beat 1-1/2 lbs of room temperature cream cheese

Add: 1-1/2 c. sugar while still beating until mixture is fluffy
add 4 eggs (still beating) one at a time

Mix the next four ingredients and add to the filling mixture
1 c. heavy sweet cream
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
2 cups sour cream
2 tabs. lemon juice
Pour into pan.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
(Do not remove from oven)
Turn heat off. Let cake sit in oven for 1 hour before removing cake from pan

*A Spring form pan can be purchased in most grocery stores

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Cake

3 c. flour
1-1/3 c sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening, margarine or butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. milk
2 eggs

Topping:

1 large can (20 0z.) sliced pineapples
1-1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter

Directions:

1.Take brown sugar and butter, (Topping) combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until the mixture is bubbly.
2. Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free or greased cake pan with 2 inch high sides.
3. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer on top of the mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
5. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. (Cake)
3. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients to the above mixture. Pour cake batter over topping and pineapples in the pan.
5. Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.


Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Note: This cake can be made and baked directly in an oven safe skillet providing the sides are at least 2 inches high

Coffee Cake

2 tbs. shortening/margarine or butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix all of above ingredients and place in 9x13 greased pan

Filling:

mix ingredients for filling and spread over top of cake before baking
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. firm butter
2 tbs. flour

Bake at 350 for 45-60 min.

Note: I love the crumb topping so I sometimes add a bit more of each topping ingredient....not exactly good for the diet...but oh oh so great on the taste buds!

Peanut Butter Cake with chips of chocolate

1. Combine next four ingredients, blend at low speed until crumbly
(reserve one cup on the side)

2-1/2 c. flour
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. margarine or butter

2. Add next five ingredients to remaining crumbly mixture by blending at low speed until moist:
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

3. Beat 3 min. at medium speed
4. Pour into pan
5. Sprinkle the reserved crumbly mixture plus 1 c. semi sweet chocolate pieces over top
6. Bake in 13x9 in greased pan at 350 35-40 min.