Crazy Day Today!

Beautiful fall weather, 64 degrees, sunny with a nice breeze. Sitting here on my computer doing my ‘usual’ – checking blogs, emails and Facebook when I get a phone call from our youngest. He’s at school (since 9:30 a.m.) practicing his color guard routines with the band until they leave at 1:30 p.m. for a competition in Livonia at 4:30. Seems that during practice someone got a little too close to him when they were swinging their flag and bashed him in the bridge of the nose – not sure if it’s broken “but we can take him to a clinic – do you know any with xray equipment?(his coach)” Jump in the car, grab him and head to our local hospital (same one I’ll be at Monday for surgery). I was impressed by how quickly he was seen (turns out the Resident who checked him out was Team Captain of her high school color guard!). It’s a good thing to know that this Resident KNOWS what you’re talking about when you say ‘hit in the nose by a flag pole!’ (You can imagine the looks he/we got before we got to see her!) Anyway, seems they’re almost certain it’s broken but not dislocated, therefore they said the treatment would be the same- we could stay and schedule an xray (45 min.) OR go back to school and schedule one at our doctor’s Monday – no difference. Of course, we left. (Ice, Ibuprofen for pain, no nose blowing for a week). Does it look bad? Not really – a little swollen on the bridge; they said he might end up with 2 black eyes, but he’s good. Got him back to school by around 1; the bus  leaves at 1:30-45, so he had enough time to change into his uniform and eat lunch (packed it this morning for him). Won’t see or hear from him again (barring any other emergencies) until around 8:30-9 p.m. tonight. Yep, it’s been a crazy day!

I’m just catching up on the laundry and dishes, remembering the last time I had surgery. The guys were good about making sure we were fed BUT . . . when it comes to washing pots & pans, well let’s just say there was a MOUNTAIN by the time I felt good enough to tackle them. (Yes, they can rinse dishes off and put them in the dishwasher but that’s about it.)

Not much else new (YAY – that’s a good thing!); I even passed up several Garage Sale signs coming home, figuring I’d had enough excitement for one day.

Ran into more great-sounding recipes, if you’re interested . . .

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Broccoli-Egg Stuffed Baked Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. margarine spread
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
nonstick cooking spray
4 eggs, scrambled
2 C. frozen broccoli florets,
cooked & drained

Wrap potatoes individually in
microwaveable plastic wrap. Place
on microwave safe plate. Microwave
on HIGH 5 minutes, turn over and
microwave 4 minutes more or until
soft. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
Scoop out insides, leaving 1/4 inch
shell, set aside. Place potato pulp in
medium bowl; add sour cream,
margarine spread, salt & pepper; beat
with electric mixer on low speed or
with hand masher until potatoes are
mashed and mixture is desired
consistency. Spray medium skillet
with cooking spray; heat over medium
heat. Scramble eggs until edges & bottom
begin to set. Lift cooked part and gently
turn – stir in broccoli. Add egg mixture to
potatoes; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into
potato shells. Place on microwave-
safe plate. Microwave on HIGH 4
minutes or until hot. Serves 4
(Option: to further enhance flavor,
squeeze potato with lemon wedge.
(recipe: ReadySetEat)
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Shrimp Garden Salad

1/2 C. LaChoy stir fry sauce-marinade
3 T. creamy peanut butter
3 T. water
1 medium cucumber, peeled
6 C. shredded romaine lettuce
3/4 C. shredded carrots
8 oz. small cooked shrimp without
tails, thawed if frozen
1/2 C. LaChoy Chow Mein noodles

Stir together stir fry sauce, peanut
butter and water in small bowl
until blended to make dressing;
set aside. Cut cucumber in half
lengthwise; remove seeds. Cut halves
into 1 x 1/4 inch matchstick pieces.
Place 1 1/2 C. lettuce in each serving
bowl. Sprinkle each evenly with cucumbers
and carrots. Place shrimp in centers;
spoon dressing over salads & sprinkle
with chow mein noodles. Serves 4.
(recipe: ReadySetEat site)
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Creamy Chicken -n- Noodle Casserole

16 oz. egg noodles (cooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 can of milk
1/4 C. butter
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C. shredded colby-jack cheese
1 can cooked chunk chicken   (or 1/2 – 1 lb. cooked, chopped chicken)

Cook egg noodles; combine remaining ingredients
in large saucepan. Stir until mixture is nice and
creamy; stir in the chicken and combine with noodles.

Notes: You can put this in a baking dish and add cracker
crumbles or crumbled chips as a topping and bake
for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Or you can skip
that step and just add  noodles to the bowl and
serve from there.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
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Man Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix together all ingredients except
powdered sugar.  Press into a well-
greased 8″x8″ baking pan. Bake
30 to 35 minutes.  Cut into small
squares and roll in powdered sugar
before serving. Makes about
1 1/2 dozen.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
——————————————–

Stuffed Corn Bake

14 3/4 oz. can creamed corn
15 1/4 oz. can corn, drained
1/2 C. butter, melted
6-oz. pkg. chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1/2 C. water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients and stir until mixed
well. Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole
dish. Bake, uncovered,  for 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
———————————————-

CRESCENT QUICHE LORRAINE

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg beaten
1 C. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1 C. (3 1/2 oz can) French fried onions
9 slices crisp bacon crumbled 

Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Separate dough and press into an
ungreased 9" pie pan. Press pieces
together to form a crust. Combine egg,
milk, salt and sauce. Stir in cheese.
Sprinkle half of onions over unbaked
crust. Pour egg mixture into crust.
Sprinkle with bacon and remaining
onions. Bake 25-30 minutes or until
set. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
(recipe: RDJ 9/16/11)
-----------------------------------
 Vegetarian Chili 
(crockpot)

2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red bell pepper, cut into
    1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut
   into 1-inch pieces
2 T. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 (14-oz.)cans crushed tomatoes
1 (10-oz.)bag frozen whole kernel corn
4 (10-oz.)cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 C. picante sauce  

Sauté first 7 ingredients in a skillet
for 5 minutes. Combine all ingredients
in a slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook
on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
(recipe:
July 2011 issue of Today in Mississippi
Mississippi Cooks: Featured Cookbook
---------------------------

Hope you're enjoying this lovely Fall weather!
Big Hugs;
Pammie

PS: Praise the Lord he wasn't hurt more - he's able to do what he
loves and I'm able to not freak about the outcome! YAY!

                                          


PPS: As if that wasn't enough excitement - later in the day middle son called
telling me he was at Pontiac Lake (about 1/2 hour away from our house) and 
somehow managed to lose his keys on the trail, could I bring him his spare set?
Good thing he HAS a spare set! Drove out there, gave him the keys, stopped at 
ACO Hardware to get 2 house keys made (his keys included his car AND house key); 
one good thing was there wasn't any identifying tags on that ring (ie: library card,
gas card, etc.) so if anyone finds them they won't have our house address! Ah yes,
life just keeps getting more 'exciting' as the day goes on - sigh.

Wet Weather – Here Comes Fall

As was predicted, today is a chilly (54 degrees), wet grey day. I’m sitting here bundled up in a cozy cardigan, long pants and a light long sleeved sweater – definitely FALL weather. Today I received an email from an interesting recipe site (think it’s ConAgra Foods-see below) which had lots of really easy, yummy recipes so I decided it’s time to share again!

http://www.readyseteat.com

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Vegetable Pork Stew (crockpot)

nonstick cooking spray
2 C. baby carrots
1 lb. small red skinned potatoes,
unpeeled & quartered
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 lb. thick cut boneless pork chops
cut into 24 pieces
1 (26 oz) can Hunts Garlic & Herb pasta
sauce
1 T. granulated sugar
1 (14.5 oz) can cut green beans, drained

Spray inside of crockpot with cooking
spray. Add carrots, potatoes, drained
tomatoes, meat, pasta sauce & sugar
to crockpot. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours
or until pork is tender. Stir in green
beans just before serving.
Serves 6.
(recipe ReadySetEat site)
————————————————–

Pork Chops with Cider-Onion Sauce

1 T. cooking oil
4 boneless pork chops
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 C. chopped onion
3/4 C. apple cider or juice
1/3 C. pure maple syrup
1 T. cornstarch

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-
high heat. Sprinkle both sides of
chops with salt & pepper. Place in
skillet; cook 4 minutes or until
browned. Turn pork over, reduce
heat to medium and cook 6 minutes
more or until slightly pink in centers.
Remove from skillet; keep warm.
Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until
tender. Stir together remaining
ingredients in small bowl until
blended. Gradually add to onion;
cook 3-4 minutes or until sauce
is thickened, stirring constantly.
Drizzle sauce over pork chops.
Serves 4.
(recipe: ReadySetEat site)
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Spicy Mediterranean Pasta

1 (13.25 oz) pkg. whole wheat rotini
1 (16 oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets
1/4 C. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped*
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
with basil, garlic & oregano, undrained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained
& rinsed
2 T. balsamic vinegar**
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions;
adding broccoli last 8 minutes of pasta
cook time. Heat oil in large skillet over
medium heat. Add garlic; cook & stir
1 minutes or until fragrant. Add
undrained tomatoes, beans, vinegar
and red pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Drain pasta mixture, reserving
1 Cup cooking water. Return pasta &
broccoli to saucepan. Add tomato
mixture, salt & pepper, toss to coat. If
pasta mixture is too dry, add reserved
cooking water, 1/2 cup at a time, until
sauce reaches desired consistency.
Serves 8
—–
NOTES:
*To substitute fresh garlic for garlic
powder, use 1/2 tsp. garlic powder for
the 4 cloves.

**If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, can
substitute red wine vinegar.
(recipe: ReadySetEat site)
—————————————————

Smoky Paprika Chicken (grill)

nonstick cooking spray
2 T. paprika
1 tsp. coarse salt (kosher)
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Spray grill with cooking spray.  Preheat
grill to medium heat. Combine paprika,
salt, pepper & garlic in small bowl. Rub
onto chicken breasts. Spray each breast
with cooking spray for additional
browning. Grill chicken 7 minutes per
side or until no longer pink in center.
Serves 4
(recipe: ReadySetEat site)
——————————————————–

Parmesan-crusted Tilapia

1/3 C. dry unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tilapia fillets, thawed
2 T. spicy brown mustard
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Stir together bread crumbs, parsley,
paprika and salt in shallow dish. Brush
both sides of each fillet with mustard; place
fillets in crumbs and coat each fillet on each
side. Place fillets in large, shallow baking
dish; sprinkle fillets with cheese. Spray
tips of fillets with cooking spray. Bake
10-12 minutes or until fish flakes
easily with fork. (serves 4)
(recipe: ReadySetEat site)
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Banana Nut Butterscotch Bread

3 1/2 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 C. (4-6) ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (optional)
1/2 C. milk
one 12 oz. pkg. butterscotch morsels
3/4 C. chopped nuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, soda,
cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. In a large bowl
mix sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, butter,
if used. Beat until creamy. Add flour
mixture gradually alternating with milk
until well blended. Stir in nuts,
butterscotch morsels, if you wish, use
only 1/2 cup nuts in batter, sprinkle
rest on top before baking. Pour batter
into 2 greased 9x5x3″ loaf pans or
5 or 6 mini loaf pans. Bake about
40 minutes. Cool 30 minutes in pan
before removing. Bread freezes well.
(recipe: Peg-Marys Recipe Exchange)
————————————

Grape Salad

1 lb red seedless grapes
1 lb green seedless grapes
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. chopped pecans

Wash grapes and pat dry, set aside,
Mix sour cream, cream cheese,
granulated sugar and vanilla until
smooth. Stir in the grapes till well
covered. Mix brown sugar with
pecans and sprinkle over the top.
Refrigerate until serving.
(recipe: Tina RJD 9/9/11)
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Mother's White Beans

3/4 C. chopped onion
1/3 C/ chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/3 C. (2 oz.) coarsely chopped cooked ham
2/3 C. chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (small whites or
     cannellini)
Chopped parsley

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan, combine onion, carrot,
garlic, cooked ham, and broth. Bring to a boil over 
high heat. Cover and simmer over medium heat until 
the carrot is soft to bite, about 10 minutes.
Stir in beans and simmer, covered, over low heat 
until beans are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings.

(recipe: Recipe du Jour 6/16/11)
----------------------------------------------
Brownie S'mores

9 whole cinnamon graham crackers, halved crosswise
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
35 regular-sized marshmallows

Heat oven to 350°F. 
Spray bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange graham crackers over bottom of pan, overlapping 
slightly or breaking to fit, if necessary.Melt butter and 
unsweetened chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat,
stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, brown 
sugar and vanilla until blended. Stir in eggs until blended and
smooth; stir in flour. (Batter will be smooth, thick and shiny.)
Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon and gently spread over graham
crackers. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is just set and
toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs 
attached.Heat broiler. Place marshmallows on their sides evenly over
top of brownies. Broil 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until 
marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown. Serve
slightly warm or at room temperature.

TIP Depending on the shape of your pan, you may have part 
of a graham cracker left over. Makes 35 bars
(recipe: Tamara - 1_Comfort_Foods, yahoo groups)
================================================
Hope you are having a nice, warm cozy afternoon. I'm thinking
of going to my recliner and work on more knitting of the 
child's scarf (covered up with a nice, snuggly blanket, of course!)
Enjoy your day!
Hugs;
Pammie

 

 

Happy ‘First Day of Fall’!

(Not that I’m a fan of cold weather, but I thought I might as well try to put a happy spin on the coming of Fall). Some people LIKE Fall, and living here in Michigan where we have distinct changes in the four seasons, Fall brings cooler breezes, foggy mornings, occasional rain and beautiful falling leaves. I love looking around at various flower markets and seeing their showings of fall outdoor plants – the golds, rusts and reds; such beauty for the eyes! Then, of course, soon to come are the pumpkins and their beautiful varieties of oranges! Yes, there are nice things to look forward to in the fall – like apple cider (YUMMM!), warm cinnamon donuts (which usually are served with the cider), candy apples, hardy-robust stews and soups and the bringing out of the sweaters and warmer clothing. Today it’s a balmy 72 degrees (not very fall-like, eh?) and my neighbor is mowing his lawn – a typically SUMMER sound. Hey, I’ll take all the Summer sounds I can get as they soon will be replaced by the sound of leaf blowers (WHO uses leaf rakes anymore? Leaf blowers just seem like a cop-out to me; a tool for the lazy, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong-they DO serve a purpose for those who can’t (or shouldn’t) strain their backs, but for the average healthy younger person, RAKING leaves never hurt anyone . . . now I’m  showing my age a bit. (Now I’ll get off my soapbox)

Not much new this week; it’s sort of turning into a ‘resting before surgery’ week for me. Finished another chemo hat (still not 100% happy with them); am still trying to perfect the top part of the hat but that will come with experience. I sort of got distracted a bit and decided to knit a scarf for the Christmas Tree for our Special Needs group (we put one up in the foyer of the church where we meet and people there put hats, mittens, scarves & socks on the tree, then they are given to a homeless shelter). (Yes, I’m a ‘bit early’ with this but got to thinking of what I might, and might not, be able to do in the near future, what with whatever treatment they schedule). I had a baby blue worsted weight yarn, so I’m knitting a child’s scarf; I tend to get bored knitting the same thing over & over. The scarf is about half-way done right now.

On to recipes! Found some nice summer/fall recipes to share this time:

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Pioneer Beef Stew

14-1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 C. water
3 T. quick-cooking tapioca, uncooked
2 tsp. sugar
1  1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1  1/2 lbs. stew beef, cubed
3- 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 onion, diced

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes with juice,
water, tapioca, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix
well; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into
a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Cover and bake
1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beef and vegetables are
tender. Serves 4 to 6.
(recipe: Marys Recipe Exchange)
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Southern Fried Apples

1/4 cup butter)
6 tart apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp. salt
Garnish: apple pie spice

Melt butter  in a skillet over medium heat.
Add apples evenly in a single layer. Sprinkle
with lemon juice, brown sugar and salt.
Cover; cook over low heat for 15 minutes,
until apples are tender and juicy. Sprinkle
with spice and serve warm
(with ice cream!). Serves about 6.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
—————————————–

Buttermilk Mushroom Pork Chops

6-8 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
16 oz. mushrooms
1 T. butter
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 T. basil
1/2 t. salt (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork chops
and then dredge each in flour.  Brown pork
chops on both sides in a nonstick skillet;
place in the bottom of a slow cooker sprayed
with cooking spray.  Melt butter in the skillet
and add mushrooms, sauteing until tender
(about 5 minutes).  Add white wine,
scraping up any browned bits from
bottom of the pan.  Pour mushrooms
and wine over pork chops; sprinkle basil
over the tops.  Cook on high for 4 hours.
Combine salt, buttermilk, and soup; mix well.
Pour mixture over top of pork chops, and
cook for another 30 minutes.
Stir to combine before serving.
(recipe: Sandy-Mary’s Recipe Exchange)
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ONION CASSEROLE

4 large sweet onions (Vidalia)
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. sour cream
3/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
10 butter-flavored crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease 1 quart baking dish with butter.
In a large skillet, saute onions in butter
until tender, over medium heat. Remove
from heat and stir in sour cream. Spoon
half onions in baking dish, sprinkle
with cheese. Top with remaining onions and
cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered
for 20-25 minutes.
(recipe: Lou- RDJ 9/9/11)
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CREAMY BLUEBERRY SALAD

2 pkgs (3 oz. each) grape gelatin
2 C. boiling water
1 can (21 oz.) blueberry pie filling
1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened crushed
pineapple, undrained

Topping:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling
water. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in pie filling
and pineapple until blended. Transfer to
9 x 13″dish. Cover and refrigerate until
partially set, about 1 hour.

For topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine
cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
Carefully spread over gelatin; sprinkle with
walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Yield: 12-15 servings.
(recipe: jkwjones RDJ-9/9/11)
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Dried Cranberry Pudding
(crockpot)

1/4 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. molasses
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. hot water
1 1/2 C. flour — divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2  C. dried cranberries

Cream together butter, sugar, and
molasses. Add egg; beat well.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
Stir into creamed mixture until well
mixed. Beat in 1 cup flour and baking
powder.Combine cranberries with 1/2
Cup flour. Stir into batter. Pour into
well-greased baking insert. Cover
tightly with lid or double layer of foil.
Place on rack in slow cooker.Pour boiling
water into cooker, halfway the sides of the
insert.Cover cooker. Steam 3 hours on high.
Remove insert from water. Cool 2 minutes.
Run knife around edge of insert, turn upside
down, and unmold. Serve with hot Butter Sauce.

BUTTER SAUCE:

1/2 C. sugar
1 T. flour
1/2 C. water
1 pinch salt
1 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

BUTTER SAUCE: Combine sugar, flour,
water, and salt in saucepan. Cook over
medium heat, stirring constantly until
thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir in butter and vanilla. Serve hot.
(recipe: Deidre-Slowcooker Digest)
——————————————–

Crockpot California Tamale Pie

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 C. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 lb can tomatoes, cut up
1 lb can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

In skillet, cook meat until crumbly.
Drain.In large bowl, mix corn meal,
milk, and egg.Add drained meat, dry chili
seasoning mix, seasoned salt, tomatoes
with liquid, corn, and olives. Pour into
crockpot; cover and cook on High for
3 to 4 hours.Sprinkle cheese on top.
Cook another 5 minutes.
(recipe: Richard-Slowcooker Digest)
—————————————————
Extra Good Mashed Potatoes
(crockpot)
5 pounds potatoes , peeled, cooked,
& mashed
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1  1/2 C, sour cream
3 tsp. onion  or garlic, salt
1  1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. butter, melted

Combine all ingredients. Pour into
slow cooker & cover. Cook on Low 5-6
hours.
Note: These potatoes may be prepared
3-4 days in advance of serving and kept in
the refrigerator until ready to use.
Variations:  Add 1 1/2 cups shredded
cheddar cheese, Sprinkle with paprika
before cooking.
(recipe: Deidre-Slowcooker Digest)

————————————————–

Buckeye Brownies

191/2 oz. pkg. brownie mix
2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. plus 6 T. butter, softened and divided
8 oz. jar creamy peanut butter
6 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prepare and bake brownie mix in a greased 13″x9″
baking pan according to package directions. Let cool.
 Mix powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter and peanut butter.
 Mix well and spread over cooled brownies. Chill for
one hour. Melt together chocolate chips and remaining
 butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Spread over brownies. Let cool; cut into squares.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
————————————-

Lots more tasty recipes coming – hope some of these warm your hearts, kitchens and tummies!

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Happy Saturday!

It’s a chilly 50 degrees at 9:05 a.m.; have the house heat on and just relaxing in my jammies for now. Yesterday I ventured out for the first time after surgery, driving myself to my regular doctor’s appointment. It was just a ‘let’s review all the post-surgery information”, so that was OK. Last night I decided I felt well enough to go to my special needs group Gym Night; it worked out well. I made sure to not ‘over -do’, no lifting but managed to help stuff 80 hot dog buns, apply condiments & chili to the kid’s hot dogs, dish out chips, pour pop – that kind of thing. By the time I got home around 9 a.m., I was more than ready to take a ‘sit’ and chill a little. The kids were glad to see me, as I stayed home Wednesday (Music/Birthday night); they were told I had some ‘lady troubles’, so they accepted that.

Not much going on today; I might take youngest to our local mall to get a backpack (couldn’t exactly do that before). If you know me, you know I hate crowds/malls (I have Agorophobia-fear of crowds), so this will be a quick ‘in and out’ – fortunately he knows exactly which place & backpack he wants, so we should be able to accomplish this task relatively fast. Being that it’s a Saturday will not help, as most school-age kids love to just hang out at the mall, but we’ll see.

Found some really tasty-sounding recipes – lots of ‘warm your tummy, fill your innards’ Fall recipes!

==================================

Fresh Apple Coffee Cake (crockpot)

2 C. biscuit mix
2/3 C. applesauce
1/4 C. milk
2 T. sugar
2 T. butter or margarine — softened or melted
2 apples — peeled, cored and diced
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 medium egg — lightly beaten
1/4 C. biscuit mix
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 T. firm butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. chopped nuts — if desired

Combine first 9 ingredients. Spread in a
lightly greased 3 1/2 quart crockpot
(or spread in a lightly greased baking dish which
fits in a larger sized crock pot). Combine streusel
ingredients with a fork or pastry blender;sprinkle
over batter. Cover and cook on high for about
2 1/2 hours,until a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean.
(recipe: Carolsrecipes-Slowcooker Digest)
—————————————————-

Easy Potato Soup 

16 oz. Ore Ida frozen hash brown potatoes
4 cans of chicken broth
1 pkg. McCormick country gravy mix

Cook potatoes in a large pot with non
stick spray for about 10 min. Add chicken
broth. Prepare gravy according to the pkg.
in a separate pot then add to the soup.
Simmer all ingredients for 20-30 min.  
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
---------------------------------
Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts

 5 boned and skinned chicken breast halves
 1 large onion, diced
 3 large baking potatoes, diced
 2 T. butter or margarine
 2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup,
      condensed
 1/2 C. dry sherry
 1 tsp.  tarragon
 1 tsp.  worcestershire sauce
 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or garlic salt
 4 oz. canned mushrooms, drained

 Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry; place in
 slow cooker. Add onion and potatoes.
 In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients
 and heat until smooth and hot; pour over chicken
 breasts. Cover and cook on low setting for
 8 to 10 hours.
 (recipe: Peg-Marys Recipe Exchange)
 ---------------------------------------------------
Pork Chops with Pears

 1 can (15 oz) pear halves
 6 bone-in pork chops (3/4 inch thick)
 3 T. butter
 1/3 C. packed brown sugar
 1 tsp. prepared mustard

 Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
 Drain pears, reserving juice; cut pears into
 slices and set aside. In large skillet, brown
 pork chops in butter. Transfer to a greased
 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In small bowl,
 combine brown sugar, mustard and reserved
 pear juice. Pour over chops; top with pear slices.
 Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until a meat
 thermometer reads 160°. Yield: 6 servings.
 (recipe: Peg-Marys Recipe Exchange)
 ------------------------------------------------
Deep South dirty rice

 1 pound ground beef
 1 large onion
 1 cup of rice, uncooked
 3 cloves garlic
 2 peppers
 1/4 pound chicken livers, chopped, optional
 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
 Handful of chopped green onions
 Salt & pepper, to taste

 Sauté vegetables in bacon, fat, or margarine
 until tender. Brown ground beef (and chicken livers).
 Combine all ingredients in one pot and cover with water.
 Boil about 1 minute while stirring. Cover, reduce heat,
 and simmer for about 25 - 30 minutes until rice is fluffy.
 (recipe: Joan-1_Comfort_Foods)
 ----------------------------------------
Stroganoff Soup

1 lb bulk country sausage
1 1/2 C. diced onions
12 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 (6 1/2 oz) box stroganoff
    Hamburger Helper
1 (3 oz) pkt white country gravy mix
6 C. beef broth
2 C. sour cream

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven,
cook meat over medium-heat heat.
Add onions, mushrooms and thyme; cook,
stirring often until vegetables are
softened and the meat is cooked through.
Open package of Hamburger Helper; add
sauce mix to meat/veggie mixture. Add
country gravy mix to the pot; stir in
beef broth and blend well. Bring to a boil,
stirring often. Add noodles from the box;
reduce heat to medium, cover pot; cook,
stirring often until noodles are just tender.
Add sour cream and heat through, but do NOT
boil. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings
(Recipe: RDJ 9/16/11)
--------------------------------
Easy Stuffed Squash w/ Bread Crumb Stuffing

6 medium yellow summer squash
1 C. soft bread crumbs
2 T. melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 T. finely minced onion
1 T. finely chopped green onion
1 tsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 pkg. bulk pork sausage

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Boil squash until just tender; drain.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and
scoop out pulp, leaving stems intact.
Brown pork sausage; drain grease.
Combine bread crumbs with melted butter,
reserving 2 T. crumbs for topping. Mix
hot squash pulp with buttered crumbs;
stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon
bread crumb mixture into squash shells.
Sprinkle with reserved buttered crumbs.
Bake until tops are lightly browned.
Serves 8 to 12.
(recipe RDJ 9/16/11)
-------------------------------
FRUIT SWIRL BREAD 

1/2 C.butter, softened
3/4 C/ sugar
   plus 1 tsp. for topping
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. sour cream
2/3 C. jam (any flavor) 

Preheat oven to 350.  
Grease or spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
In mixing bowl with an electric mixer,
mix butter, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and
eggs until well blended.  Add flour,
salt and baking soda; mix until
incorporated.  Stir in sour cream.
Spread a 1/2-inch thick layer in bottom
of pan.  Spoon jam over batter in bowl
and fold 2 or 3 times to swirl lightly.  
Do not overmix. Spoon into pan and spread
evenly. Sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over top.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until bread
tests done.  Remove from oven.  
Immediately invert onto a rack and turn
right side up.  Serve warm or at room
temperature.  Yield:  1 loaf.
(recipe: Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
----------------------------
Hope you are having a nice, warm and cozy Saturday;
enjoy your day!
Hugs;
Pammie

Little Bit of Everything . . .

Sometimes ya just gotta DANCE!

Hello, World!

I’m back in action (sort of); just got back from a check-up visit with the surgeon. It seems that the ‘margin’ of the actual surgery was not ‘clean’ (meaning there was a hint of the cancer cells still remaining), so I will have to have one more surgery – much quicker, less problems (that’s now scheduled for Sept 26th 9:30 a.m.). Am I concerned about that? No, my surgeon told me beforehand that there might be a remote possibility of that happening. My previous surgery is healing well, a little sore still but healing. I’ve been ‘ordered’ by my friend Lois (the other leader in my special needs group) to stay home and rest tonight; that’s hard for me, knowing that tonight is Birthday/Music Night for our group and I have a large part in helping that go smoothly, but I’ll ‘follow orders’ and rest – sigh.

My dear husband drove me to Knit Night last night just to hand out some free yarn to my group. The looks on their faces was different – they all looked very stunned that I would show up! Lots of hugs, prayers and good wishes; we left after about an hour as I started getting tired and a little dizzy. (One of the side effects of that GREAT drug Scopalomine – used for nausea and sea-sickness, also for me during surgery) is dizziness – NOT fun. It’s slowly going away but still shows up many times during the day. Yesterday I dragged my dear husband to three stores to go grocery shopping (I’m not supposed to lift anything); he says I wore him out! Today we also went to three places and I’ve noticed shorter bouts, but still present of the dizziness (just a few seconds but they make me stop and grab something stable before continuing walking). This, too, shall pass.

In our shopping trip today we stopped at a store I’ve never been to before: Home Goods. Interesting, in an odd sort of way – they had lots of reasonably priced items that made me think: “WHY would anyone spend ANY money on THAT?” Things like throw pillows edged in feathers (UGLY feathers, to boot!), multi-colored blown glass SWORD FISH statues! (sure, gonna buy 10 of those! NOT!); all sorts of ‘what would you buy that for?’ and “You’ve GOT to be kidding!” things. I will say, though, that we bought a very nice bathroom throw rug for $12.99 – well-made, large and a good price. I stopped in there to look at bathroom towels and spotted some very thick, large and nice bath towels for $7.99 each! Amazing!  Our middle son is going to be moving out on his own within 2 weeks and I’m just looking around at things he might need. He and several other friends will be sharing a house (fully furnished), so he will only need basics like towels, sheets/blanket/pillow and some ‘sundries’ (clothes soap/fabric softner, bathroom stuff like toothpaste, bar soap, shampoo, etc.). A Mom’s gotta send her kid off with something, right? (Not like oldest son-I almost fully covered his every need – this time it’s just some basics). For me, shopping like this is FUN thinking of what kinds of foods he might like to stock ‘his’ part of the kitchen – he loves Ramen noodles (I know – real nutrional, right? Yeah . . . sigh), canned Chef Boyardi (another healthy food – not); but it will be an adventure. At least, with this being son #2 to move, I won’t be as emotional – I remember crying for almost 2 weeks when oldest left! For this son, it’s time – he’s matured and will probably do very well.

Let’s see-what else? Ah, yes – RECIPES!

=====================

Bacon Roll-ups

1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 lb. bacon. cooked & crumbled
1 (8 oz.) pkg crescent rolls, separated

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Mix first 3 ingredients; spread on rolls
and roll-up. Place on baking sheet
and bake 12-15 mins;

(recipe: Colleen – 1_Comfort_Foods)

————————————–

 Chicken Nut Puffs

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 to 1 tsp.celery seed
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Combine chicken and almonds; set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine next seven
ingredients and bring to a boil. Add flour all
at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove
from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs,
one at a time, beating well after each; beat until
smooth. Stir in chicken and almonds. Drop by
heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
yields: About 6 dozen
Source: Taste of Home

———————————————-

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

6 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 C. natural peanut butter
1 C. heavy cream
1/3 C. chocolate-covered peanuts, chopped

Combine chopped milk chocolate, natural 
peanut butter and heavy cream in a large, 
heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a large 
saucepan with 1 inch simmering water and 
stir occasionally, until the mixture is melted 
and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from 
the saucepan, transfer to refrigerator and 
chill until completely cold, about 2 hours.
Whip mixture with a handheld mixer at medium-
high speed until light and fluffy (do not 
overbeat or mousse will be grainy). Spoon  
mixture into 4 bowls and garnish with chopped 
chocolate-covered peanuts. 
Makes 4 servings.
(recipe: DDJ-9/12/11
-------------------------------------
Classy Chicken
 
 3 boneless chicken breasts
 1/4 tsp. pepper
 3 T. oil
 1/2 lb. fresh broccoli
 10 oz. can cream chicken soup
 1/2 C. mayonnaise
 1 tsp. curry
 1 tsp. lemon juice
 1 1/2 C. grated Cheddar cheese
 
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cut up chicken into pieces and 
sprinkle with pepper. Saute in oil 
over medium heat until white; drain. 
Arrange broccoli pieces in bottom 
of buttered casserole dish; place 
chicken on top. Mix soup, mayonnaise, 
curry and lemon juice together, pour 
over chicken. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese 
on top. Bake uncovered 30 - 35 minutes.
 (recipe: Sandy-Mary's Recipe Exchange)
 --------------------------------------
Lemon Pasta Salad 

Salt 
1 lb. corkscrew pasta 
1 lb. asparagus 
2 T. Dijon mustard 
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/4 C.fresh lemon juice 
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil 
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 
1/4 C. freshly chopped dill leaves 
1 C. frozen peas, defrosted 
7 oz crumbled feta cheese 

Bring large pot of salted water 
to a boil over high heat. Add 
pasta and cook until al dente. 
Drain and rinse; set aside. In 
another large pot of boiling salted 
water, add asparagus and blanch until 
bright green and slightly tender, about 
3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon 
and shock in icy cold water. Remove from 
water and dry well. Trim ends of asparagus 
and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias; 
set aside.  Whisk together mustard, garlic, 
lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. 
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
Combine reserved asparagus and pasta in a 
large serving bowl. Add tomatoes, dill, peas, 
feta, and mustard dressing. Toss with tongs 
to coat the salad well. Taste and add 
additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Serves 4 to 6.
(recipe RDJ-8/19/11)
------------------------------------
Chicken and Cornbread Salad
(GRILL)

4 C. cornbread, cut into large cubes
Fresh lime juice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Ground cumin
3 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken-
    breast halves
Chopped tomato
Chopped red onion
1 romaine heart, chopped

Preheat grill to high. 
Preheat oven 350F. Toast cornbread 
10 minutes. Whisk together 2 T. juice, 
2 T. olive oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. cumin. 
Brush 1 T.mixture on chicken; season with 
salt and pepper. Grill 5 minutes per side; 
slice. Toss cornbread, 1 1/2 cups tomato, 
3/4 cup onion, and romaine with remaining 
dressing. Season with salt and pepper. 
Top with chicken. 
Makes 4 servings.
(recipe RDJ-8/13/11)
----------------------------------
Crockpot Baked Potatoes

6-12 baking or sweet potatoes

Prick potatoes with fork; wrap in foil.
Fill Crock-Pot with 6 to 12potatoes. Cover; cook
on Low 8 – 10 hours (High: 2 1/2 to 4 hours).
Do not add water.

NOTE:This recipe workswell for either russet or
sweet potatoes. I made sweet potatoes
following this recipe (6 in a 5 quart crockpot…
and they were done in 3 hours on HIGH).
(recipe: carolsrecipes77-Slowcooker Digest)
——————————————————-

Oreo Peanut Butter Dip

1  1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 C. white chocolate morsels
1/2 C.  Nutella
12 Oreos, crushed
In microwave, mix peanut butter, Nutella
and white chocolate morsels. Microwave
on medium heat for 1 minute. Stir and heat
by 15 second intervals until white chocolate
is completely melted. Fold in Oreos and store
in glass jar, completely sealed. Serve with
crackers and fruit, also great with Pretzel Crisps
(recipe-Sandy-Marys Recipe Exchange)
————————————————

There you have it – some interesting recipes with variety! Been working on a new chemo hat using circular needles and some of the left over very soft magenta yarn; new pattern – really hoping it comes out OK (so far, it’s working BUT when I get to the decreasing stitches towards the top of the hat will have to switch to double-points – those tiny little needles that look like overgrown toothpicks – NOT my favorites, for sure! We’ll see . . . ).

Our weather has been really nice these past three days – not too chilly, not too hot – just mild (today it’s 66) and sunny with slight breezes. I love seeing the last of the summer flowers – at the treatment center today they had Primroses in full bloom (bright reddish pink) and some very healthy looking Clematis – really nice to see!

Hope you’re enjoying your day – make the best of all the time you have – STOP and smell the ROSES! (or whatever flowers you have around!)

Hugs;

Pammie

Psalm 118:24
“This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

I’m Back!

Hello, Everyone;

Today is Day 2 after my lumpectomy surgery and I’m doing OK – a little fatigued, but that’s expected. Actually, the only part of me that aches is the spot under my arm pit where they removed the lymph nodes and that’s only because it’s right where your arm attaches to the upper body.  Surgery went well, the Anesthesiologist actually LISTENED to me and I didn’t have any of the complications I’ve had in previous surgeries:  it was great this time! I don’t remember any of the ‘going to surgery or returning’ – that was good, too. Got to the hospital at 7 a.m. and was home by 4 p.m.; I still don’t know the actual ‘stage number’ yet of my cancer, I’ll find that out probably Monday or Tuesday, but the good thing is – (as far as I know) – the surgeon only took out the three lymph nodes and that’s a GREAT thing.

I do have some yummy sounding recipes, some are ‘end of summer’ and some are colder weather recipes, but they all sounded pretty easy and filling.

=======================

Scottish Shepherd’s Pie

1 lb cooked ham, cut into one-inch cubes
2 (14.75 oz) cans creamed corn
7 potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place ham in a 2-quart casserole dish and top
with corn. Heat in preheated oven 10 minutes.
Remove and top with mashed potatoes.
Heat in oven for 20 more minutes, then remove.
Turn oven to “broil” setting. Dot potatoes with butter,
then place pie under broiler just until golden brown
on top, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
(recipe: Peg – Marys Recipe Exchange)
—————————————————————-

Squash Casserole

3 C. Pepperidge Farm® Cornbread Stuffing
1/4 C. butter, melted (1/2 stick)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. sour cream
2 small yellow squash, shredded (about 2 C.)
2 small zucchini, shredded (about 2 C)
1 small carrot, shredded (about 1/3 C)
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 oz)

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Stir stuffing and butter in a large bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup
of stuffing mixture and spoon remaining stuffing mixture
into a 2-quart shallow baking dish.Stir soup, sour cream,
yellow squash, zucchini, carrot and cheese in a medium bowl.
Spread  mixture over the stuffing mixture and sprinkle with
reserved stuffing mixture. Bake  40 minutes or until
mixture is hot and bubbling.
(recipe: Sandy-Mary’s Recipe Exchange)
————————————

Turkey & Applesauce Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey
3 scallions, chopped
3/4 C. brown rice, cooked
1/4  C. apple sauce
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3 T. olive oil

In a large bowl, combine turkey, scallions,
brown rice, applesauce, sea salt, pepper,
and balsamic vinegar; mix well with hands.
Form into patties approximately 2 inches thick.
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat;
add patties and cook for about 5 minutes per
side or until turkey is completely cooked and
burgers are brown. Servings: 4
(recipe: WebMD recipe)
——————————————————-

SUGAR SNAP SALAD

3 C. sugar snap peas (8 oz), trimmed
2 T. white-wine vinegar
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and
thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into
1-1/2-inch-long slivers

Cook peas in lightly salted boiling water in a medium
saucepan until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and
rinse under cold running water. Whisk vinegar, oil,
salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add scallions, bell
pepper and the peas; toss to coat. Serve within 1
hour.  Makes 4 (3/4 C.) servings
Source: “The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook”

————————————————-

APPLE PIE CAKE

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 can Comstock Apple Pie Filling, drained

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter and flour a 9x13x2 inch pan.
Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil. Stir in
flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in
drained apples and chopped nuts.
Mix only until combined (some streaks can
remain). To avoid a tough cake, do not overmix.
Bake 1 hour or until cake tests done. Remove
cake from oven and brush top with butter while
still warm;sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Variation: Cake may be sprinkled with a cinnamon-butter
streusel and chopped nuts or thinly sliced apples just
before baking.
(recipe: lovetocook-Marys Recipe Exchange)
——————————-

 TURKEY SOUR CREAM BAKE

4-6 C. cooked turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 C. toasted bread cubes
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
(original recipe), 1 oz. size
4-5 ribs celery, chopped
2 C. reduce calorie mayonnaise
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. sliced almonds
1 1/2 C. grated Swiss cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine all  ingredients except almonds, and
season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking
dish and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds
and bake 15 minutes longer. Serves 12.
(recipe: lovetocook-Mary’s Recipe Exchange)
—————————-

Hope you’re having a good day-today it’s 73 degrees out and sunny!

Hugs;

Pammie

I should add that I had great people taking care of me in the hospital; the doctors, nurses, etc. were very kind, caring and gentle. The radiologist who had to give me 4 very painful shots apologized after each shot! I chose a local hospital that some people around here think is inferior to larger ones farther away, but I’m glad I went where I did – they did “great” by me!

“Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is LIVING!”

think is inferior to larger ones a little farther away, but I’m glad I went where I did – they did ‘GREAT’ by me!

Gettin’ ‘er Done!

The past two days have been a jumble of organizing yarn, squares and distribution.  Today my husband & I drove the remaining completed afghan squares and 2 garbage bags full of yarn to the cancer treatment center (if you’d read earlier posts, they’re are going to be used to make lap robes for the cancer patients). When I had dragged all the boxes and bags of squares out of the boys bedroom and stacked them in the kitchen my husband came out and said: “What is all THIS?” (although I’d told him about the whole ‘getting rid of the squares’ thing – since he was doing the driving- I thought he’d seen and understood the ‘project’). Seems he didn’t fully understand what ‘over 300 squares’ looked like! To say he was shocked would be putting it mildly! Repeat this process when the lady who’s agreed to take up the project first spotted the many boxes & bags in our car – shocked would be an adequate word to describe the look on her face!  (I also remembered to ask her if she would be the ‘go-between’ person if I made more chemo caps and she said that was a good idea, too.) The squares are now gone and I’ve finally dug through all my yarn ‘stash’ – now I guess I was the one to be a bit surprised at just how much yarn I had accumulated!  Over the years various people and groups gave me yarn to use on “The Ghana Project” and I had it all stored in 4 large bins and several bags.  Yesterday found me digging through each one of the bins and dividing up the ‘who gets what’ (a) 2 bags to a friend who can use the yarn, she makes all kinds of things for other people (b) 2 bags to a lady at church who has been great at knitting squares for me (even buying yarn at yard sales with her own  money and knitting it up) and when she knew I was swamped sewing squares together, she then not only knit squares but then sewed them into afghans for me! (c) a bag of yarn for a friend who’s just learning how to loom hats (d) 3 garbage bags to various people on FreeCycle (e) a box of yarn for my knit group ladies to go through, and lastly – today I put what remained that I’d saved for my own knitting projects (premie hats & chemo caps) into the bins. To say I was surprised would be putting it mildly – I had NO idea I still had 3 full bins of yarns! That’s one HUGE stash of yarn when you consider all I kept and all I gave away! (Oh, and 2 bags of yarn to the lady receiving the squares, for them to use sewing the squares together!). Whew! Just glad that all that yarn and squares was given to help others and it will still continue to bless others in the future – YAY!

A little ‘amusement’ for you: check out this site “World’s Biggest Yarn Stash?”

http://mochimochiland.com/2007/07/the-worlds-biggest-stash/

It’s raining today and chilly – first day it actually ‘feels’ like Fall (57 degrees, grey and gloomy). I dug out my winter shoes (but didn’t put away the sandals, yet), put on socks, long pants, a blouse with long sleeves AND a cardigan – I’m chilly! Yesterday also found me taking my youngest son to the doctor for tonsillitis; he’s now on an antibiotic, so hope he’s feeling better – his tonsils were HUGE!

Tomorrow is my surgery and it’s looking like it’s going to be an ‘action-packed’ day: get there 7 a.m., go through 2 dye injections in Radiation, then a wire location (to guide the surgeon) then surgery at 10; I’m supposed to be home by ‘dinner time’ they tell me, if all goes as planned. I’m ‘good to go’ as far as if you’re wondering how I’m doing; I just want to get this over with and on with the radiation part – I’m sort of looking at this like a Speed Bump in my life – they slow you down and get in your way, but you make your way PAST THEM!  A while ago I ran into this saying:

Thought for the Day: “That bump in the road you hit used to be a mountain but God got to it first and knocked it down for you.”

Have some really good sounding recipes for you!

===========================================

Banana Upside-Down Cake

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 bananas, sliced
1 (18.25 ounce) pkg. banana cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 2 (8 inch) pans. Combine butter
and brown sugar, divide and spread evenly between
the 2 pans. Sprinkle pecans evenly over both
brown sugar mixtures, arrange banana slices
evenly over each. Prepare cake mix according to
pkg. directions.  Divide batter into the 2 pans.
Bake 40 -45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted
into center of  cake comes out clean. Turn cakes
upside down on a platter or plate, gently tap bottom
and carefully remove pans, replacing caramel
mixture that sticks to pan.
(recipe: Mary Free-Marys Recipe Exchange)
—————————————————–
Yellow Squash Casserole

4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 buttery round crackers,crushed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place squash and onion in a large skillet
over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of
water.Cover, and cook until squash is tender,
about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a
large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix together
cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker
mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a
small bowl,mix together eggs and milk, then add
to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter,
and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a
9×13 inch baking dish.Sprinkle with remaining
cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until
lightly browned.
(recipe: Mary Free-Mary’s Recipe Exchange)
————————————————–
Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

1 (32 oz) pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes
8 oz. cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of potato soup
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
2 C. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a
large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of
potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese.
Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese. Bake 1 hour, or until
bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.
(recipe: Mary Free-Mary’s Recipe Exchange)
—————————————–

Aunt Rose’s Famous Green Tomato Casserole

3 large green tomatoes, skin on
1 large yellow onion
Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice tomatoes
and onion. Grease a 1- or 2-quart casserole. Layer
tomatoes and onions. Salt and pepper each layer.
Cover with a thin layer of crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake 30-45 minutes. Serves 4.
(recipe: Mississippi Cooks: Featured Cookbook

March 2003 issue of Today in Mississippi

—————————————————

Zucchini Spice Coffee Cake

(Coffeecake)
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/4 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/4 milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

(Topping)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup marg. or butter, softened

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 13 x 9
pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup;
level off. In large bowl, combine all coffee
cake ingredients at low speed until moistened;
beat 2 min at med. speed. Pour into prepared pan.
In small bowl, combine all topping until
crumbly; sprinkle over batter.
Bake 35-40 min. in oven until top springs back.
(recipe: Peg – Marys Recipe Exchange)

————————————————–

Watermelon Pineapple Salsa 

2 C. finely chopped seeded watermelon 
1 C. crushed pineapple, drained well 
1 C. sweet onion, minced 
1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro 
Zest of orange and lime
1/2 C. orange Juice
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste 
A good serving of freshly ground black pepper.
 
Stir watermelon, pineapple, and onion together 
with cilantro, orange juice, and hot sauce in a 
bowl.  Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes 
before serving.  Longer is better.
NOTE from poster:
The recipe didn't call for the lime juice, 
but I loved the flavor.  I also zested the 
orange  and lime before I juiced them.
(recipe: RDJ-8/19/11)
===============================
Hope you're having a great day - stay
warm & dry!
Hugs;
Pammie

PS: A friend sent me a card today and I wanted to 
share the verse she quoted:
Psalm 57:1 
"Be merciful to me, oh God, be merciful to me
for my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of
Your wings I will make my refuge until these
calamities have passed by."

I am trusting in my Great and Wonderful 
Lord to get me through this and safe
on the other side; until I write to
you again!

 

 

 

It’s MAGENTA!

Not the best of models (mixing bowl & white pillow case) but you get the idea. I decided to add the knit flower at the end – it’s removable (I sewed a pin back on it) so that if my friend wants to be fancy one day she can, or remove it for a more ‘regular’ day. (there are black seed beads in the center of the flower). I love getting ‘creative’ for a friend!

RECIPES!

Plum Cobbler

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups sliced plums (about 12 medium)
1 1/2 cups baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove from heat; stir in plums. Pour into an 8-inch
square baking dish.Combine baking mix and 2
tablespoons sugar; stir in milk and butter.
Spoon over plum mixture. Bake 30 to 35
minutes or until golden. Makes 6 servings.
(recipe Dessert du Jour 8/30/11)
--------------------------------
Crockpot Hamburger Sausage Cheese Dip

 1 pound ground chuck
 1 cup picante sauce
 1 can cream of mushroom soup
 2 pound Velveeta cheese, cut into pieces
 1 pound pork sausage
 1 teaspoon garlic powder
 1 can Rotel tomatoes
 3/4 teaspoon oregano

 Combine picante sauce, garlic powder, soup, tomatoes,
 oregano and cheese in crockpot. Brown ground chuck
 and sausage until it is done.Drain very well and place
 in crockpot.Cook on low until cheese is melted.
 Serve with your favorite chips.
 (recipe; Richard - Slowcooker Digest - yahoo groups)
 -------------------------------------------
EASY JALAPENOS POPPERS

8 medium sized jalapenos
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 slices of bacon
8 short wooden skewers or wooden toothpicks
Dip such as Ranch, guacamole or salsa

Preheat oven 425 degrees F.

Create a slit in one side of the jalapenos using a small
sharp knife. Do not cut all the way through the ends.
Remove the seeds and membrane for a milder popper. Stuff
a pepper with some of the cheese. Wrap with a slice of
bacon and secure the bacon with a skewer. Repeat with the 7
other peppers.Sear poppers on all sides over high heat
in a nonstick pan until bacon is golden brown. Transfer to
a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Serve hot with dip
on side. Makes 8 poppers.
(recommendation: use rubber gloves when handling peppers)
(recipe: Frito Lay)
--------------------------------------------
Asian Chicken with Peanuts

 2 T. cornstarch
 1 3/4 C. chicken broth or chicken stock
 2 T. soy sauce
 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
 1/2 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
 2 T. vegetable oil
 1 1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken
       breast halves, cut into strips
 2 C. fresh broccoli florets
 2 small red peppers, cut into 2-inch-long
     strips (about 2 cups)
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 1/2 C. salted peanuts
 1 C. regular long-grain white rice,
     prepared according to pkg. (about 3 cups)

 Stir cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, ginger
 and sesame oil, if desired, in a medium
 bowl until the mixture is smooth.Heat
 1 T. vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over
 medium-high heat. Add the chicken and
 stir-fry until well browned, stirring often.
 Remove chicken from skillet; reduce heat
 to medium. Heat remaining vegetable oil in
 skillet. Add broccoli, peppers and garlic
 and stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp.
 Stir cornstarch mixture in the skillet; cook and
 stir until mixture boils and thickens.
 Return chicken to skillet; stir in peanuts and
 cook until mixture is hot and bubbling.
 Serve chicken mixture with rice.
 Makes 4 (2 C.) servings
 (recipe: Campbells recipes)
 ------------------------------------------
Easy Quick Peach Cobbler

1 can slice peaches
1 stick margarine
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk 

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Melt margarine in a glass-baking dish.
Add peaches and juice. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add milk and beat with a mixer.
Pour over peaches and butter.
Bake at 350º for 45 minutes.
Serves 6.
---------------------------------------------------
_STUFFED CABBAGE SOUP_

1 T vegetable oil
2 lbs. Beef chunks, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pkg (1 lb.) coleslaw mix from produce dept.
2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes in puree
4 cans (14 oz. Each) beef broth
1 C water
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1/3 C long grain rice

Heat oil in 6 qt saucepan over medium
heat; add meat; saute until browned
(about 6 minutes).   Add coleslaw mix,
onions; cook covered about 4 minutes,
stirring once in a while. Add remaining
ingredients. Serve hot in soup bowls.
(recipe: Family Circle)
-----------------------------------------
Chocolate Chip Cheese Squares 
2 rolls Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Slice and spread 1 roll of chocolate chip
cookie dough in the bottom of a 9 X 13
greased & floured pan. In medium bowl
cream together cream cheese, sugar and
eggs. Add chocolate chips, mix in then
pour over cookie dough. Slice and spread
2nd roll of cookie dough over filling, using
your fingers. Bake 50 min.; let cool before
slicing.
--------------------------------------
Country Pork with Mushrooms (crockpot)

 2 lb.country-style ribs, boneless
 1 can cream of mushrooms soup
 4 oz. sliced mushrooms
 1/4 tsp. salt
 1 envelope mushroom gravy mix
 1/8 tsp. pepper
 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 T. cold water blended with
   1 heaping T. all-purpose flour

Combine boneless ribs, soup, mushrooms,
salt,pepper, gravy, and  paprika in
crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW setting
for 7 to 9 hours. Stir flour mixture
into broth and cook on HIGH heat
setting an additional 15 minutes,
or until thickened.
-------------------------------------------
Stuffed Strawberries

 24 large strawberries hulls removed
 12 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
 1 tsp. vanilla (can substitute with orange or almond)
 3 T.confectioners sugar
 1/2 dark chocolate flakes

 Place cream cheese in a bowl, and microwave
 for 30 seconds, so that it's soft. Whip together
 cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. In center of each
 strawberry, using a sharp knife, make a hole in
 each one, as deep as you can without going out
 the bottom. Spoon or pipe the filling into each hole.
 Dip cheesecake end of strawberry into chocolate flakes
 making sure you completely cover the cheesecake
 filling with chocolate Arrange strawberries on a
 serving dish. Sprinkle with any leftover chocolate
 Chill, and serve.

 (another twist is to dip them in melted
 chocolate/white chocolate and then nuts)
 (recipe: Joan-Cream-Cheese-0r-Sour Cream)
 ------------------------------------------
Mother's White Beans

3/4 C. chopped onion
1/3 C/ chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/3 C. (2 oz.) coarsely chopped cooked ham
2/3 C. chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (small whites or
     cannellini)
Chopped parsley

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan, combine onion, carrot,
garlic, cooked ham, and broth. Bring to a boil over
high heat. Cover and simmer over medium heat until
the carrot is soft to bite, about 10 minutes.
Stir in beans and simmer, covered, over low heat
until beans are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings.
(recipe: Recipe du Jour 6/16/11)
 -------------------------------------
Well, that sure was a mixed bunch of recipes! I'll have
to get going on picking some new ones soon!  We just
had a thunderstorm roll through here, complete with
lightening.I had to take a very quick shower because
of it, but I'm feeling nice & fresh now!
(As if you really needed to know that, right?)

Anyway, I'm doing very well with the 'estrogen-
withdrawal' - SO FAR! A mild hot flash here &
there, but doing really well! (just so you know -
the really 'nasty attitude' thing doesn't usually
show up until 2+ weeks off the estrogen - that would
make it right around the day of surgery - oh boy!)

Hope you're having a great day/evening! 

Each day is a blessing-try to use them the best
you know how!

Big Hugs;
Pammie

Working with Gold

A few days ago I posted that I’d finally finished the gold scarf for my friend (for her Christmas present). With extra leftover gold yarn and the rust-colored ‘fun fur’ I also posted about, I loomed a (using a ’60’s colloquial expression) “Funky, Fuzzy Chemo cap!”  (a certain member of my family agreed to model the hat, providing I didn’t name just ‘who’ that person was) The cap photo’d like it has dark black areas, but it’s only fuzzy rust ‘fur’ and gold yarn underneath.)

                           

“Funky, Fuzzy Chemo Cap!”

Next on my agenda is finishing the MAGENTA chemo cap for my friend, Louann (she also gets the funky cap). I started the magenta one last night, only a few rows of the brim done; I’m using a very fine fuzzy white yarn along with the magenta, as using a loom you need 2 strands of yarn together to get a nice thickness to the cap. It’s coming out OK – I’d forgotten that it comes out more candy-striped when you mix colors; hope she likes it.  I’m hoping to complete it in time to give her husband the three hat present ( white/funky/ & magenta) Sunday.

Hope you’re having a GREAT day – it’s pretty muggy here, temp. says 94 but it’s one of those days where you can almost see the steam rising from the ground! WHEW!

Hugs;

Pammie