Mary Smiths Apple Crisp

Its raining again! Bob is mumbling about the fact that he still has to mow the front half of our acre........but I know secretly he is disappointed that he can't do it today.  He loves that mower!  We're both looking forward to our Nascar race tonite so I fixed an early dinner.  I saw some beautiful short ribs in the market the other day and decided to brown them up with some fresh vegys.  Now I am not going into detail about cooking shortribs.......just give you a couple of hints. Remember that shortribs are at least 50% fat......but also remember that is what makes them tender and delicious.  The secret is to render off that fat in the beginning. So, two ways.........put them on a rack over a drip pan and cook til fat has rendered off......probably the best way........but since I am always in a hurry and don't want to dirty lots of pans.......I brown mine on med high on all sides in a nice heavy pot on top of the stove.  Then turn to med low and let all that fat render off. Remove the ribs.......drain the fat out of the pan.......return the ribs to the pan and away you go.  Cook on simmer for several hours.......add vegys and you have an inexpensive great meal.

So my recipe for the day........is from an old, old recipe that again.......I have used for 50 years.  Its on an old recipe card that is brown and stained from years and years of use.  The title is Mary Smiths Apple Crisp.
Does anyone remember Mary Smith from Basin Wyoming?  Lots of apple crisp recipes out there but believe me..........this is the head of the class!
Butter an 8 x 8 pan and slice in 4 cups of tart apples..........of course, the best are Granny Smith.......I've tried others but always go back to Granny Smith.  In a bowl mix up 3/4 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt.  Smish it all tog with fingers and drop onto the apples so the top is  all covered. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  This is excellent to throw tog when in a hurry for a great dessert. Enjoy!

Rhubarb Stands On Its Own

Today was a big day..........Bob finally was able  to mow the lawn!  He definitely should have been a farmer that could drive his tractor up and down the fields in the spring.  He just loves getting on that riding mower.  I think he is actually disappointed when its all finished.  Its a beautiful day and lots of yard work so its a snack day.  I had a request for a rhubarb pie so that will be it today.

This was my Mothers recipe and I have the original card I wrote it on 50 years ago.  I have never made anything but this Rhubarb Pie.  This recipe is just for rhubarb.....don't try to disguise it with other fruit.......rhubarb stands on its own!

Make a pie crust. Save some pieces of the dough for the top of the pie.  In the mixer dump 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 Tblsp of flour, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 1 Tblsp softened butter, and two eggs. Beat this all up really well.  Chop 3 cups of rhubarb into small pieces and dump into the pie crust.........Then pour the filling over the rhubarb. Now take your leftover pieces of pie dough and roll out and cut into something......like rounds, diamond shaped pieces, or just odd shapes.......place these pieces on top of the filling to decorate the pie. Sprinkle these  pieces with a little sugar.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 min. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 min.  Great served with vanilla ice cream!

Sun and Hot Dogs!

Today is our first day of beautiful sunshine for at least a week! So, its outside and yard work. The lawn is still like a sponge.........so, to Bob's relief........no mowing today.  I decided on BBQ'ed hot dogs and mac and cheese. I don't mean BBQ'ed on the grill but in the oven......Hot dogs (Ball Park All Beef) slit and thrown in a pan with BBQ sauce all over and bake for an hour. My kids used to love these. You all know how to make mac and cheese so decided to tell you what I made last night while watching American Idol.

I had some frozen peach slices in the freezer, tried to think of something good to make with them and decided on Peach Pudding Cake.  I made a small recipe for an 8 x8 pan......sprayed with Pam.  3/4 cup pluse about 2 Tblsp of flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda. I added a little fresh ground nutmeg......very little its a strong spice, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Mix tog and set aside. In your mixer put 3/4 of a stick of softened butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and beat up real well. Now add one egg, beat well, turn mixer to low and beat in flour mixture and a little less then 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  ( If you don't have any buttermilk.......we never did in Mexico) Just add 1/2 tsp of vinegar to your 1/2 cup of milk. If this dough is too stiff.......add a little more milk. Should be a little thicker than  cake dough. Pour this into your greased 8 x 8 pan and layer your peach slices on top.  During baking......the peaches will sink to the bottom to make a gooey peachy thing......... Spray a piece of foil with Pam and cover the cake with the sprayed side next to the peaches.  Bake 350 for 45 min. Remove from oven and take off the foil and bake another 30 min. Until browned and crispy around the edges.......let cool 1 hr.  I couldn't wait and cut a piece in about 30 min..............so good with cream or Ice cream or just plain!  Bob missed the whole thing, as he didn't want to watch American Idol and retired to the bedroom to watch some "really interesting" show on the History channel! LOL

"Swiss" Steak

My Mother used to make this dish and called it Swiss Steak......now I don't think there is anything "swiss" about it but for 50 years I have been making it too and still call it Swiss Steak. Really good for a cold day and it is still raining, raining and raining here in Oklahoma. Our lawn now looks like a jungle. Bob has a strategic plan for mowing........will take him several days.......we have an acre.

I use a nice piece of sirloin steak. Remove the outer fat and pound on both sides til well tenderized. Spread some flour on both sides. Brown in a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Lots of salt and pepper. Chop up about 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a green pepper and after you have turned the steak add the onion and green pepper. I personally use fresh thyme to season most everything......that is totally up to you........its good both ways. Always add a small dash of cayenne to everything! Now dump in a can of diced tomatoes or fresh, any kind of tomato and a can of water. Lift the steak as it is cooking to make sure there is liquid underneath. Turn to simmer and simmer for an hour or more. You will have a tomato gravy to serve over the steak and over your potatoes. I boil several small red potatoes or yellow thin skinned with the skin on. Thats it!

I am trying to figure out how to post pictures of my meals, as I want you all to know.........I really am cooking all of these things. I am an old fashioned cook. I firmly believe that if you eat well balanced meals..........no need for vitamins. I think you need to have a meat dish.......fish, chicken, beef, pork of some kind with your big meal of the day. Along with a fresh vegetable or two, often a salad or relish tray and a fruity dessert. Could just be ice cream!! This may not work for everyone but has always worked for Bob and I. We tend to eat our big meal early in the day instead of at night. I realize this is hard for young people with families but if you just try to eat as early as you can to keep from going to bed with a big meal on your stomach, its better for you. Bob enjoyed his Swiss steak and has retired to the recliner........he is looking at the inside of his eyelids........dreading that mowing day that is soon to come!

Hammed Out!

I missed writing a note yesterday as we were in an unbelievable thunderstorm and tornado watch! We received around 5" of rain in a matter of hours. Our lawn is like a sponge and water is running everywhere but NO tornado's. We had one about 4 miles north of us but we only had big wind here. We were very relieved. We have enjoyed our Easter ham with, left overs, grilled cheese and ham sandwiches and fried ham for breakfast with biscuits and gravy. But thats it! No more ham for awhile. Will freeze the ham bone for ham and beans later.

One of my favorite meals in the whole world is Spicy Orange Chicken from PF Changs!! I have tried several times to copy this and have come close but as Bob says, "Close only counts in horseshoes"! I am happy to report I think I have it down and I will share with you. If you do try it, please let me know what you think.

Start by cutting up a raw chicken breast into bite size pieces. In a bowl mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Now take an egg and beat it up with a fork....pour it into a TBLSP measuring spoon....the idea is.....you only want a tblsp of egg NOT the whole egg. Add enough water to this tblsp of egg to make 1/2 cup and add 1 tsp of cooling oil. Add this to the flour mixture and stir real well. Now dump in your chicken pieces and make sure each is coated real well with the mixture. Heat enough oil for deep frying to around 350. With a fork, take individual pieces from your mixture and drop into the oil.....fry til lightly browned then remove to a paper towel. Just let those sit while you make the sauce. Be sure to cook some rice to serve this with. By the way, I have so many people tell me they really can't cook rice. ITs so easy, this is NO fail. Oh, by the way........never use instant. Coat the bottom of a pot with a little olive oil, place over med high heat. Dump in 1 cup of real rice. Stir til they turn opaque. Then quickly dump in 2 cups of hot water (I usually flavor my water with a tsp of chicken boullion). Put the lid on, turn to simmer, and cook for exactly 20 min. It will be perfect every time.

The sauce: Squeeze 3/4 cup (give or take) or fresh orange juice. Mix it with 3 Tblsp of soy sauce and 1 Tblsp of cornstarch. Grate in about 1 or 2 tsp of orange peel. In either a wok or a nice heavy skillet, heat about a Tblsp or more of olive oil and add thinly sliced red onion. I guess about 1 cup (give or take) Add some crushed red pepper, I like chili tepins but any crushed pepper flakes will work. Add the orange juice mixture and the chicken and stir til all is coated. Continue to stir just til you think its thick and smells wonderful. Dump this onto your rice in a serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. I think it comes close. What do you think?

HAPPY EASTER!

People that have gotten older may find themselves alone for Easter.  It could be pouring rain and that just adds to what could be a depressing day.  All of our children and grandchildren are far away and celebrating Easter in their own homes BUT don't dismay I refuse to let my mind go to that dark depressing place of being alone.  Instead............I am looking forward and enjoying the smell of baked ham!  Easter always says ham to me.  I bought a small butt end........don't ever bake a ham without the bone.......that's where all the flavor comes from and besides......that's what gives you the wonderful ham and beans you will make tomorrow.  I thought about potato salad and baked beans but since it is pouring rain and will continue for at least two more days..........I opted for scalloped potatoes instead.  Bob said he could smell the ham out in the yard and is pacing the floor telling me over and over how hungry he is and must eat immediately! I just ignore him.
Scalloped potatoes are easy and I am sure most of you have made them.  Slice a couple white potatoes and 1/2 cup chopped onion. Grease a small casserole dish, place half of the sliced potaotes in the bottom and sprinkle with half of the chopped onion.  In a cup measure about 2 heaping tblsp of flour and a cup or more of milk. Stir real well, til the lumps are gone. Pour half of this on the potatoes and onions, salt, pepper, and chunks of cut up cheddar cheese.  Repeat this again with the other half of potatoes and onions. If it doesn't look like there is enough liquid......pour over some more milk. Cover and bake at 350 (or in with the ham) for at least an hour, until the potatoes are cooked through.

The dessert that rings Easter is a cheesecake........maybe a lemon swirl cheesecake. Misty makes a killer raspberry cheesecake......I'll see if she will share the recipe. Now, if I was to make a whole cheesecake for just Bob and I.........at least half would go to waste, so I fall back on a recipe for a cheesecake pie that I have been making for 50 years.  Just make a graham cracker crust........remember to throw this in the oven for about 10 min at 400........this sets your crust so its not crumbly when cut. While that is cooling. In a pot place 1/3 cup sugar, 1 Tblsp gelatin, dash of salt and 1/2 cup milk. Now blend in one egg yolk (save the white for later) and bring to a boil on med high heat.........remove from the heat and pour into your mixer bowl.  Add 12 oz cream cheese, 1Tblsp of lemon juice and beat well.......start slow or will splash all over. Once you have beaten this til smooth.......pour into a bowl and refrigerate til thick......only takes about 20 min. Now beat your egg white with a 1/2 tsp of sugar til small peaks form, set aside.Then beat 1 cup of whipping cream til small peaks form. Fold both of these into the cream cheese mixture and pour into the pie shell. Put in frig for an hour or more.  Serve with fresh berries.......Bob loves pineapple with it........or its really good all by itself. I hope you are enjoying your deviled eggs with your Easter dinner. Our dogs will each get a dyed Easter egg after dinner...........they get real excited about that!

Eggs and Easter and Deb

For my entire life I have dyed eggs for Easter. Even after the kids had gone and no grand kids around I still found myself dying eggs. I love the story about Deb Paustian Dodson, dying eggs for Steve in a motel room somewhere for Easter! She never missed an Easter! She and I would get tog on the Sat before Easter in Cabo and dye eggs and laugh as neither of us was real good at it.  We tried blowing them, traditional dying, decorating, etc. We each ended up with a basket of eggs that weren't real pretty but we proudly displayed them.
I also was thinking as a child, we dyed our eggs and left them sitting in a basket for days and days, grabbing one to peel and eat as we ran outside to play. NO refrigeration.........and we all survived. Our eggs in Mexico were from farms with no chemical treatments.........usually covered with chicken poop.......and absolutely great eggs!  Isn't it funny how we have so many "rules" about our food now days? I guess there are reasons.  But, sorry to say.........I am the worst of all at following "rules".

There just can't be anyone that doesn't know how to make deviled eggs but I'll give you a couple of hints. For years I didn't know exactly how to boil an egg.......just put it in a pot of boiling water, etc. Always, there were cracked and broken eggs.......I just hoped the majority would be left whole.  So, later I learned to bring the eggs I was going to boil......to room temp first...(which is easy in Mexico as they are not refrigerated to begin with!)...then put them in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring  just barely to a boil, turn to simmer and simmer for about 15 min. Perfect eggs.  Now, all the fun things to do with the eggs.  My friend, Rebecca, makes killer egg salad sandwiches......an all time favorite.
For deviled eggs.....I don't like mine pureed like baby food. I like mine with a little "chunkiness" to them. Just mash the eggs up with a fork, then add your goodies. One new thing I have learned that makes them really tasty, is instead of mayo.......use Ranch dressing.....some finely chopped green onions.......maybe a little sweet relish and for spice, Dijon mustard. You can always fill your whites with the yellow filling, with a spoon but more fun is to fill a plastic bag with your mixture, cut a small hole for a tip and squeeze out a fancy filling into your white.  If you have a cake decorating "star" tip, that is even more fun.....sprinkle a little chopped parsley and away you go.....!  If the weather is good.......pack all up for an Easter picnic. Ours is not good........dodged a tornado last night just 4 miles north of us!  Bob slept through the whole thing while I gathered my precious belongings to take to the "safe room"........funny........the things we try to save! LOL

If Its Friday........Its Mexican Food!

Having lived in Mexico for 20 years, of course I learned to cook like the Mexicans. Not Tex Mex but authentic mexican food. We are missing all of the little mexican food stands around Cabo San Lucas that we frequented at least once a week. So, we have to get our mexican food fix once a week here in Oklahoma coming from my kitchen.  The staples that I keep on hand at all times are: tortillas (corn and flour) cilantro, fresh green chilies,( either poblano or Anaheim), serranos, New Mexico Chili powder, dried mexican oregano and cumin. Now, you can buy canned green chilies which I also keep on hand for emergencies and you always need fresh tomatoes and onions. With these ingredients, just add meat and you've got a mexican dinner!  If you have ever walked into a mexican kitchen where the ladies are cooking away at a variety of dishes, you will never forget the smell. Nothing compares!

Today I decided to make a little different version of chimachangas.  I browned a lb of hamburger, part way through I added chopped onion and garlic, a little dried oregano, about a tsp of cumin, and lots of New Mexico chili powder. New Mexico chili powder is a bit hard to find but I definitely prefer it, as it is not so bitter. When I said alot I mean alot........so hard for me to guess but probably a little less than 1/4 cup. Let this all simmer for awhile. In another pot I sauteed onion and garlic in a little olive oil.  Then added a can of diced tomatoes, not flavored tomatoes, just plain, 3 chopped up Anaheim chilies, a tsp cumin, a little chili powder, a little oregano and a good handful of chopped cilantro. Since this is just a sauce you are making.........use the canned chilies.  We'll get into roasting and peeling chilies another time. Easier than you think.  Let this sauce simmer until ready to serve. 
I took 4 medium size flour tortillas and microwaved in a tortilla dish (could use a plate and cover with plastic) for about 1 minute, turn them all over and 1 minute on the other side..just til they are flexible.......cover and let stand.  Now take one tortilla and place about 1/2 cup of meat mixture, maybe a little more.......you can judge..over half of the tortilla, looks like a half moon......and a little sprinkling of cheddar cheese over the filling.  Fold it over, so you have half, and pin the edges with 3 toothpicks, carefully.  Now take a heavy skillet and fill with about 2" of frying oil and heat on med high and when hot turn back to med. Place two of your filled tortillas in and fry til browned, turn over, cook til other side is brown and remove to a paper towel lined pan. Finish with the other two filled tortillas. Serve these with refried beans, with a sprinkling of mexican cheese, and the sauce you just made on the side. Maybe you would like a salad to go with. This is a real easy dish and everyone can make it. This is one of Bobs favorites as I can cook it real fast and a little different than tacos.........which we eat alot!  We will get into some more complex mexican dishes if you would like.  Tamales are a favorite and my family always requests my green chili.

This is a good day........while I was writing this post.......the Fed Ex man came to my door with a brand new video camera I won in a contest I entered!  Wow! Isn't that exciting?! I'm in the zone.........need to hop a plane to Vegas!!

Its Raining That Means Homemade Chicken and Noodles Robins Favorite

When I was a young bride, 50 years ago, I learned to make homemade chicken and noodles from a wonderful old lady named Ila Hanson. I have never varied from her recipe and its been a favorite for family, friends and many, many functions.  Now please don't tell me you don't have time to make homemade noodles!  It takes 15 to 20 minutes to make a pan full and you will never buy noodles from the store again.

Take a bowl, I love to use real, clear, glass bowls, they just feel better. Put two eggs and 1/2 tsp salt in the bottom and stir with a fork. Dump in 1 1/4 cups of flour (these measurements are all approximate once you get the feel.......you don't have to measure) Stir this all up with your fork til you have a sticky dough. I remember Ila saying to me,  "Don't worry about it being to sticky, you will be adding more flour as you go."  Throw some flour out on the counter and smear it around. Take half of the dough out and just knead enough to bring it all together....just a min. then roll real thin. You will have to add flour to the top and underneath to keep it from sticking. Once you have it rolled real thin and not sticking on bottom or to the rolling pin. (I love my heavy rolling pin, Misty) Sprinkle the top with more flour, smear it around, now fold it up by folding it over and over again.  Gently. Take a cookie sheet and place a nice clean tea towel on it. Start cutting the dough into small thin noodles. Pick up and shake to open up the folds.........now you have a long noodle.  Place on the towel on the cookie sheet to dry. Continue til all are on the cookie sheet.  You can pick up a bunch at one time and shake. Just be sure they aren't in a pile on the cookie sheet.  Now, take the kids to school, or go to work or just go about cleaning the house.........these can sit anywhere from a couple hours to all day.......even til next week if you want to.

Now the chicken.  Just take the little bag out of the chicken and throw the whole thing into a big pot of water with lots of salt. Bring to a boil, turn to simmer. After its cooked awhile add some chopped onion and celery.  Needs to simmer a couple hours or more. Then with a big slotted spoon remove the chicken, it will fall into pieces, to a pan. When its cooled enough, take the chicken off the bones and return the meat to the pot. Bring it back to a boil to add the noodles. Just lightly boil until the noodles are soft.  The flour left on the noodles with help thicken the soup.  And there it is, folks, really easy and sooooooo good.  Remember you can use the noodles for lots of other dishes.........its just best for chicken and noodles.  While this is cooking, especially on a cold day, it smells so good.........Bob says to me......"I am emaciated, if I don't eat soon, this will be the end of me, I'll never make it to the end of the day, please hurry, I need to eat NOW!"  I just ignored him and made some "spoon rolls" to go along with the dinner. We'll talk about those another day. Quick and easy.

Bobs Beer Can Chicken

Our family and all of our older friends know that Bob Small invented the beer can chicken long before it became popular and in all the recipe books. I am sure someone stole the recipe from him and away it went!  The beer can chicken has been the star of many barbeque's and beach parties. Old friends will remember the time we had 8 chickens are seasoned and standing in their little cans on a plank at the beach, ready to put on the grill for cooking when someone ran into the plank and knocked them all into the sand. They were all rescued, washed, re seasoned and quickly put over the fire!

 If you haven't made one.........it is the crispiest, moistest chicken you will ever eat. So easy, rub your chicken all over with a dry rub.......ours is always different.......but basically......chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, pepper, a little cayenne and more salt. Rub all over in all the crevices, open a can of beer and sit the chicken up right on the can. You could use 7up if you don't care to use the beer.  If you choose to do this in the oven.......set the chicken on the beer can in an 9 x 13 pan (just to catch the drippings) 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. You can tell when done by the crispy browned skin. That's it! Carefully lift the chicken off the beer can with a towel that will go straight to the laundry and place the chicken on a platter. Toss the can of beer!

This is great to serve with potato salad and baked beans. After a "heated" discussion over the potato salad side. He wanted one type and I wanted another.  I decided to make a hot vinegar potato salad. Not sure if this is a German  potato salad or not but here is how I make it. Slice about 1/4 of a red onion into thin slices. Then cut the slices in half. Put them in a bowl with about 1 Tblsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of salt. Toss them around and let them just sit there while you prepare the chicken and cook the potatoes. This just softens the onions. Boil a couple potatoes. When cooked through, remove and slice each into about 8 bite size pieces. Dump those in with the onions. Then in a small bowl mix about 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, a sprinkle of sugar and a sprinkle of salt. Stir and add to the potatoes and onions. Lastly just pour a little olive oil all over, stir and serve with the chicken. Its a nice break from regular potato salad and the tartness goes well with the chicken and beans.  I won that heated discussion!  Enjoy your chicken and remember you can also do this on your grill........usually takes a little longer.......sit back and enjoy the rest of your six-pack!

Chicken Fried Steak.......What More Can I Say?

Bob and I have lived in the north in the mountains, we have lived in the southwest in the desert, we have lived on the ocean in Mexico and now we are living in the South! I have adjusted my cooking to each place we have lived. Here in Oklahoma there are two favorite foods  everyone demands...........deep fat fried catfish and chicken fried steak. Now, I have felt like I have always cooked a good chicken fried steak but living here I have found a couple secrets that I will share. The mother of my good friend, Peck,  I believe to be in her 80's, has owned a restaurant in Ok forever and specializes in chicken fried steak. I listened to what she had to say.  Start with a good piece of steak, I like to use sirloin. This is where Bob comes in.........he gets out the meat cleaver and beats that steak on both sides until it absolutely has to be tender. He really loves to do this! Get out two pie tins. Fill one with flour, salt and lots of pepper and the other with buttermilk.  You can get by with plain ol milk but believe me, the buttermilk gives it the fluff and the flavor you want. Cut your steak in serving sizes removing as much fat from the edges as possible. Dredge the steak in the flour, then into the buttermilk and then back into the flour.  I use real lard to fry in.  I use it also for pie crusts, etc. Remember folks.........it is natural........don't be afraid of it.  So, you get your large cast iron skillet med hot with melted lard. Add your steak and cook until you can see the blood seeping through to the topside.  Now turn, should be a beautiful golden brown with a few "crustys". Continue to cook a bit longer. In the meantime boil potatoes to mash and prepare a vegy. Spinach or Kale goes well. Now remove the steaks and place in a pie tin on the stove while you make the gravy.........big important part. Scrape all those goodies in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper........stir.......turn the heat up and add milk a little at a time.  Keep whisking until the right consistency adding more milk as necessary.  You really want a nice thick gravy for chicken fried steak. Serve with a little gravy on the mashed potatoes and a little on your beautiful steak. Now, seriously, isn't that one of the best meals you have ever eaten?!

Bobs Chili My Apple Pie

Bob decided he was hungry for chili this morning. He threw it all tog early and let it simmer for several hours. Now I believe almost everyone know how to make chili so I won't go into detail. His chili is always different but always delicious!

I was thinking that I need to talk a bit more about baking. I love to bake and it is my specialty. In 1960 I was a Junior Winner of the Pillsbury Bake Off from Wyoming. Boy, was that a long time ago! My winning recipe was a Sour Cream Souffle. Believe it or not.......I haven't made it since!  I had to make it so many times while practicing for the Bake Off.......held in Washington DC that year that I decided to never make it again! Someday I will. 

I love to bake almost anything but have hit a real stumbling block........almost all recipes for cakes, pies, etc are for 8 people. Since it is just Bob and I, before a pastry is finished we are sick of eating it and end up throwing half of it out.  So, I have made a real effort in cutting all recipes in half and thus far they are turning out pretty good.  Today, I made a small apple pie.  I made my own pie dough but if you choose to use the ones already prepared (that come in a roll) they are almost as good as homemade and definitely much easier. I do keep them on hand to throw tog something like a chicken pot pie at the last minute. I peeled and cored 3 apples into a bowl. If your apples aren't good tart apples, add a sprinkling of lemon juice.  I cut the apples into slices and added a sprinkling of flour for thickening, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, dash of salt, and about 2/3 cup brown sugar. Stir it all up and set aside. Roll out your dough the size of a 7 x 7 pan. I have a shallow casserole that I use. Dump the apples in and dot with lots of good butter and roll out your second piece of pie dough to top off the apples. Seal up your  edges all the way around.......nothing fancy.......more important how it tastes than how it looks. Unless of course, you are taking it to a dinner or something. I brush the top with a little cream, sprinkle sugar over and put in oven for 55 min at 400 degrees.  Don't you just love the smell of apple pie baking?  Especially on a cold day.  This recipe makes about 4 servings. I already had mine, he can have his when he wakes up from his daily nap in the recliner!

Nascar and Spaghetti

Sunday is a special day for me. I love to watch my Nascar race and cook something special for early afternoon dinner. Today I decided on Spaghetti. My first step is to make the french bread to go with. Now I know you can by a baguette at almost any grocery store but the smell of homemade french bread and spaghetti sauce cooking just can't be beat. So, first step is to get the bread rising. I just make one loaf so it is fast and easy.  Dump one pkg yeast into 1 1/4 cup really warm water, stir, add 1/2 Tblsp salt and 1/2 Tblsp olive oil. Stir in about 3 cups of flour, start mushing the dough with your hands........should be a little sticky. Turn out onto counter and knead just for a min.......put in greased bowl and let raise for an hour. When has doubled in size.....poke it down and turn out on lightly floured surface.  Roll into a nice rectangle. Starting at the long end roll it up jelly roll style, put the seam side down, tuck in the ends and place on a cookie sheet that you have sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Cover with a towel and when has doubled again, cut 4 slashes in the top with a razor blade and put in the oven at 450 for 25 min. After its cooked 25 min. and looks done........if you tap with the butt of a table knife and it sounds hollow........its done. Remove, and brush all over with an egg white that you have beaten slightly with a little water.  Put back in oven for 5 min.......and that's it! 

Now, back to the spaghetti sauce.  Please don't ever buy those bottled spaghetti sauces.........they are so expensive and just not that good.  Saute some chopped up onion in some olive oil in a small pot. Then add some chopped garlic........always remember garlic burns quickly and there is no correcting once burned.....just dump and start again. I like to add my herbs now, to saute a bit and bring out flavor. I add some oregano (always use dried) and fresh thyme if you have it, if not, its okay. I grow my own rosemary in a pot that I bring in in the winter and back out in the summer. I cut off a few sprigs and chop up and throw in.  Now add any kind of tomato's you have on hand, canned tomato's, a can of tomato sauce or fresh tomato's........whatever. Today I added a can of tomato sauce and water. Salt and pepper. The sauce will be very thin but don't worry about it, we're not through. Oh, don't forget a dash of cayenne, just for a little zip. Let that simmer for as long as you want. There is also a rule that you must have a bottle of red wine on the counter while cooking.........for the ambiance. I then took a roll of Italian sausage that I had, put in a bowl and added 1 egg, tiny pieces of torn up bread (remember this makes your meatballs light and fluffy) salt and pepper and a tiny chopped rosemary. Mush all this up with your hands and form into about 3" in diameter meat balls. Brown them on all sides in olive oil. After browned place them into the sauce and continue to simmer. If you have some fresh mushrooms add those. Just before time to serve.......remove the meatballs and stir in 1/2 can of tomato paste.......this thickens your sauce to just right. Add the meatballs back in. Now cook your spaghetti, drain, dump in a nice dish with the sauce and meatballs on top, sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese and there it is! Serve with a nice salad and your wonderful french bread.

This morning Bob mowed our front half acre of grass. He was exausted after he had eaten, of course he hit the recliner. I had to listen to him cuss Dale Earnhardt for not driving right and then Kyle Bush for being in the lead.  This went on for about 20 minutes and then it was silent. I watched the last 2 to 3 hours of the race in quiet.  He opened his eyes about 10 minutes before the finish and pretended he had watched the entire race!  I just smiled. It was a nice Sunday.

Stay Out of My Frying Oil!

When we have leftover roast beef, we usually have three choices. Hot roast beef sandwiches, if gravy left over, tacos or french dips. My sister-in-law Janet, suggested that she and my brother Jim usually make Philly Cheese sandwiches with left over beef.  Sounded good to me!  She sautes Peperoncini peppers in a skillet with thinly sliced onions, adds the thin sliced roast beef and cooks just til all is warmed through.  Then adds swiss cheese and continues to just warm through. Serve on toasted hoagies, with possibly another slice of swiss cheese.  I made french fries to go with. I keep a clean jar in the cupboard with clear oil that I use only for deep frying. I had to place a large piece of duct tape on the jar so I could write on it in bold black marking pen "DO NOT TOUCH"!  This was to keep Bob from adding bacon grease or lard to my clean oil, which he continually does. So, I fried up some french fries to go along with the sandwiches and a great meal was had by all. Thanks, Janet.

I do want to tell you about my french dips. Slice your beef up thin. Make an au jus with either beef broth or Magi.  I personally prefer  a couple teaspoons of beef base mixed with water and brought to a boil. Reduce to low and add your sliced beef.........do not boil your beef.......this is just to warm it through. Toast your buns, pile on the beef and use the au jus for dipping.  So easy.......I'm sure you all know how to make these. Serve with salad or french fries.........as long as Bob stays out of your frying oil!

Cold Day Says Roast Beef

Last night we survived severe thunderstorms and tornados across the entire state of Oklahoma.  We awoke this morning to really cold weather. I know, not as cold as Wyoming but much colder than usual. This looks like a roast beef dinner day to me. In my 68 years of life, I have sure eaten some awful roast beef dinners. Not that I had cooked but somewhere else. So, this is roast beef 101.  Good roast beef comes entirely from using the right pot........not from your cut of meat. In fact, the cheapest cut you can buy, chuck or 7 bone, etc, usually produces the very best flavor because of the fat.  But it is absolutely essential that you have a good heavy pot with lid. For years I had a cast iron pot that worked wonderfully but Misty bought me a beautiful LeCreuset pot that I now use and love so much. Today my chuck roast was frozen. I removed it from the wrapping, threw it in the pot with salt and pepper and put it in the oven at 325. No water.........ever........do you want boiled meat? or roasted meat? After it had been cooking a couple hours, I removed it from the oven and added carrots, potatoes and onions, salt and pepper and NO water. Remember vegys always produce their own liquid. Put the lid back on and back into the oven for another hour. I guarantee you........you will have the most perfect pot roast you will ever eat. If you choose to make gravy from the leavings in the bottom of the pot.........scrap it up a bit, add a little flour, a little hot water, stir with wisk, continue to add water til it is the perfect consisency.  Add a salad and you've got a great dinner. Oh, and a little horseradish sauce.

Okay, now I want to tell you real story about the roast beef. First of all, I used to have a huge kitchen, big enough for several cooks to be in there at the same time. Now, I have a little kitchen that is only big enough for me and one dog. And even at that, I have to step over the dog from time to time and slide him to one side to be able to open the refrigerator door. Well, when you get Bob and I and the dog in the kitchen tog it is impossible to function and I really am serious, impossible. So, today, I did put the roast in the oven and told Bob to put the vegys in, as I had to run to the store to get my lottery tickets. My exact words were, "Just put in the carrots, potatoes and onions, DON'T add anything else!"  You might find this harsh but through the years I have found that Bob always thinks more is better and tends to "doctor" up some of my favorite dishes when I am not looking.  When I returned I found a pan of overflowing cornbread on the burner turned to low. For some reason he thinks this is really cool to cook cornbread on the burner instead of in the oven.......and think of it.......the oven is ON. But I think he thinks he is camping and its a real challenge. He never uses a recipe........ever. So he mixed up flour, cornmeal, a tsp baking soda and a tsp of baking powder, an egg and some milk..........(NEVER, ever add sugar to REAL cornbread.......that turns it into cake).  Anyway, a little too much baking powder and baking soda.......the raising cornbread lifted the lid right off that pan by about 3 inches........and it was running down the sides. Oh, well, it tasted fine. And yes, when I opened the lid off the roast I found the carrots, onions, potatoes AND celery and chopped garlic. He just can't help himself. It was all delicious.

The Big Four O

Today our youngest son, Dustin, turns forty.  Its not really a happy birthday as his wife of ten years passed away just six months ago. Since Bob and I are just snacking today, which we tend to do now and then, every man fend for himself........I decided to write a short memory of Dustin.
Growing up in Wyoming, we lived next door to the most popular restaurant in our small town. When Dustin was only five years old, he discovered how convenient the restaurant being right next door really was.  When our kids were little they spent more time outside than in the house, no matter the weather.  Since we lived in a very small town, where everyone knew everyone, when they were outside playing I really didn't check on them.  I always knew they were within shouting distance and I had a loud shout in those days. One afternoon the telephone rang and it was the waitress from the restaurant.  "Lynne, Dustins over here sitting at a table and he wants to order something. I just thought I'd check and see if it was okay."  "What does he want to order?" I said a bit surprised.  "He ordered a filet, medium rare with a side of broccoli." I laughed so hard there was no way I could say no. "Okay, go ahead and serve him you might have to help him cut up the filet.  I'll come over later and pay." Talk about a sophisticated five year old!  Thirty-five years later, he is one of the best Chefs ever.........and definitely knows how to cook a perfect med rare filet!

To Fry or Not to Fry

I've heard from so many friends and family about my blog! Thanks! My daughter, Misty, made me promise NEVER to give out my cinnamon roll recipe so I guess it will be stuck only in my head the rest of my days.
Bob is forever saying to other people that he just doesn't eat many sweets.......what a made up story that is! Its almost a ritual at night that he says, "What kind of pie do we have? Do we have any cake? What about cookies?"  Last night was the same.  I did have just two pieces of the banana cake left so that worked.  I am always looking ahead and decided at 9:00 last night to make a flan. The Mexicans have a grand idea to serve flan after a big Mexican meal.......its very refreshing.  It is also very easy to make, just involves a little time.

 Take a small heavy skillet and dump in 1/2 cup sugar, cook over med high heat til it starts to dissolve and turn light brown.  Turn the heat to med low and stir til all the lumps are gone and it is a beautiful amber color. This is not hard, just stand there and watch it for a couple of minutes. Pour this into a round glass bowl, pick  up the bowl and swirl it around and up the sides, thats it. Set aside.  In a blender dump 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks, blend up a bit and then add 1 cup milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk and I add 1 tsp instant coffee for a little flavor. You can just add vanilla if you prefer. Blend this all up big time, then pour into the prepared bowl. Set the bowl in a 9x13 pan that you have partially filled with HOT water. Carefully put in the oven at 325 and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Take out of the oven and cool for a bit then in frig for about 3 hours. Obviously mine was over night. Today, I ran a knife around the edge, held the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water til it started to loosen, then turned it over and dumped it on a plate.  Its beautiful, easy and delicious! Don't ever buy those pkg ones.........they are just milky jello!

So today Bob says he is really hungry for fish. After living in Mexico where we had lots of fish choices we have found Oklahoma with a very small choice of fish from the store. I know we can go to the lake and catch catfish but no time for that today. So I picked ocean perch. Now Bob, being born and raised in the south  knows two ways to cook, fry in grease and fry in more grease!  So, I decided long ago.......just go with it.........it IS good. Besides, his entire family on both sides have lived long lives and they all cook everything in lots of bacon grease!  I have to plead with him, if he is cooking, not to put bacon grease in my wonderful fresh vegetables!  So, he breaded the fish in cornmeal and fried it crispy golden.  I prepared pan fried potatoes and turnip greens with fresh cut up turnips.  We served this to ourselves, with malt vinegar and cut up fresh limes.  With the flan for dessert, who could ask for a better meal!  It must have been very satisfying as it was only about 3 to 4 minutes later that he was sound asleep in the recliner.

Bob Does It All

Okay, Okay, I know I spelled Luscious wrong........I knew it when I proof read it but forgot to change it! This may happen to you too.......when you are 68!  Today Bob did the whole dinner. He found a piece of sirloin in the freezer, thawed it out, floured it and browned it in olive oil. He added sliced onions and mushrooms, magi and a little water. Brought it all to a simmer and simmered for about an hour. Bob put one large baker in the oven, to split between us and warmed some frozen corn. Now, I am not sure, do we have Magi in the states? I used it Mexico all the time and brought two bottles from Mexico. I haven't really noticed if we have it here but it is similar to beef broth, just alot better. So, I sat down to a wonderful meal all prepared by Bob.  He was so proud. I finished the sewing I was doing and he hit the recliner.

Leftover pork into Lucious Enchiladas

I was on the computer doing buisness and checking emails when I got a distinct smell of Mexican food coming from the kitchen!  Remember the thick cut pork chops we had the other night? Well there was quite a bit of the cooked pork left. Bob had taken it and cut into small pieces, placed in the skillet with chopped onion, garlic, chili powder (New Mexico chili powder.....thanks, Carol and Jim) and a little water to simmer slowly.  I took over from there.........ummmmmm tacos or enchiladas?  I decided on enchiladas. We buy our tortillas in a huge package from Walmart!  Having lived in Mexico for 20 years where I could go to the local market and get them fresh, right off the press, still warm and wrapped in brown paper. You can barely make it home without ripping open the package and eating one!  I am really picky about my tortillas.  It took me awhile to adjust. I tried the Mission brand......oh, dear, the worst tortilla I have ever tried, tastes like corn flavored plastic!  We finally found these at Walmart that are not filled with all the chemicals and come the closest to the real Mexican ones we can find. When I get home I seperate them and freeze in small packages. I always have them on hand. So, pulled out a package to let thaw. I chopped some onion and opened a can of Old El Paso green enchilada sauce. If it was left over beef I would have used red sauce.  I fried the tortillas quickly turning once in hot oil and placed on paper towells to drain.  I took one tortilla and layed it on a Mexican plate, filled it with the pork, spread some of the green sauce over, sprinkled with chopped onion and a nice long piece of gouda cheese and rolled it up.  Then continued with each tortilla until I had six of them rolled up tightly next to each other. I poured the green sauce all over them and sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.  Threw them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. While in the oven I warmed some refried beans and made my own salsa.  Just chop up a tomato, some onion, a chili pepper in tiny pieces (I always use serranos) a handful of fresh cilantro, tsp of salt and squeeze lime juice all over. Let sit at room temp and its so good you will want to eat it with a spoon!  Another hint.....when you come home from the store with your fresh cilantro, store it in your frig in a cup of water.......will last twice as long.  Bob, of course, said, "The best enchiladas I ever ate!"  He says that everytime. Off to the recliner for "shut eye".

Cooking For Bob

Yesterday he got his CJ's hamburger which I will admit was a special treat. Both dogs enjoyed theirs too. So, today being Sunday and since our Nascar race was last night in Dallas, it will be a lazy day. Bob saw a commercial about someone serving turkey for Easter. It did look good and I just happened to have some turkey frozen from Thanksgiving.  Yes, I know it was months ago but as I have become older I have become very thrifty. I freeze all leftovers. You should do the same. As long as you use good bags, remove all the air you can and lable you will be surprised how well it freezes. So, I dug out the turkey, let it sit for awhile to slightly thaw while I made the dressing. I also always have frozen cornbread on hand so dug that out. Sauted chopped onions and celery in lots of butter, broke the cornbread up in small pieces, added some crushed sage, salt and pepper, 2 eggs and about a cup of chicken stock. It looked a little gooey so broke pieces of white bread into it, perfect. About now, he is yelling from the recliner, "What about cranberries? Do you have any canned?"  Of course I don't canned cranberries but I did have about a cup of frozen ones again leftover from Thanksgiving. I boiled about 1/2 of water and 1/2 sugar and threw in the frozen berries and left them to boil softly for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, I buttered a 8 x 8 baking dish, dumped in the dressing, placed the turkey pieces on top, covered with foil and threw into the oven 350 for about an hour. The turkey was still a bit frozen.  Now I was thinking, this is a Thanksgiving left over dinner I must have wild rice. I put about 1/2 cup wild rice in 2 cups of cold water with 1 tsp of chicken stock granuals and brought to a boil. Needs to boil softly for about 45 min. I sauted more celery, chopped green onion and a huge amount of sliced mushrooms in another pan, set aside to dump into the rice when drained and ready to serve.  Just need to make a vegy and some gravy and away we go. I needed a dessert so quickly through together a banana cake with burned butter frosting as I had bananas going bad. Threw this into the same oven as the dressing and turkey and baked about 30 minutes. Have you ever made burned butter frosting? SO good. Just put your butter into a skillet cook over med heat til turns a beautiful brown.....pour into a pie tin and in frig til sets. Then mix it up with powdered sugar and a little cream.......the browned butter gives a wonderful nutty taste. I had placed my cranberries in the frig after they had boiled about 10 min. and an hour later they were perfect. So he was able to sit down to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in April! The entire dinner was almost completely produced with leftovers.  Now that there is just the two of us I usually have leftovers and it is so much fun to rediscover hidden treasures in the freezer that can give us a great meal like this one. He wanders back to the recliner for a bit of "shut eye".

Cooking For Bob

Well yesterday Bob worked in the yard preparing my flower and garden plots for planting.  He came in the house so exhausted that he plopped down in his recliner and said, "I want a hamburger from CJ's." He said this just as I was pulling out pans to make dinner. I ignored him. I continued with my planned dinner of thick cut pork chops browned in garlic infused olive oil.  I made a wonderful onion, tomato and red wine sauce and pasta that I cooked in olive oil infused with several anchovies and onions with cream. It was incredible.  I again heard him say "I really just want a hamburger from CJ's". Again I ignored him as the kitchen was filling with wonderful aroma's and I was just starting to cook the turnip greens. Once again, he turned to the dogs, the only ones that would listen and repeated, "I just want a hamburger from CJ's". I'm sure the dogs agreed. Believe me today..........he will get a hamburger from CJ's!

Cooking For Bob

Okay People, I know you all watch the cooking shows on TV and they are great but way too prestine for me.  Everything is so clean.......does your kitchen look like that?  Everything is premeasured and just sitting there in little dishes waiting to go into the perfectly prepared dish. Don't you wonder if they ever have failures and they just don't show them?  Well I've been cooking for 47 years. I am an excellent cook and believe I can cook as well or even outcook most of those professional Chefs on TV. I have prepared meals for family, friends, functions of every kind but mostly I COOK FOR BOB!  My husband is 71 years old and I have been cooking for/with him for 31 of those 71 years.  He sits at the end of our bar with his beer and observes, critizes and offers endless suggestions. Each day I am going to give you my daily menu and the preparation with Bobs comments as we go along. I am going to start with our standard meatloaf. Now I know everyone thinks they know how to make meatloaf but how many times have you been served that really hard pile of meat that looks like someone just threw it up and packed it together? Well, follow this recipe and it won't happen to you again.  Get out a bowl and place a pound of good hamburger that has some suet in it NOT that lean stuff that has no flavor but filled with good amount of suet. Chop up about 1/2 cup of white onion, 1/2 cup of green pepper and throw it in. Now, never use those canned bread crumbs or crackers, this is what makes your meatloaf hard.  Take one and a half slices of white bread and tear into little pieces and toss into the bowl. This soft bread tends to come alive and puff up in baking to make the meatloaf light and fluffy. At this point in time Bob will say, "Is that enough bread? Aren't you going to add an egg?" I make a face, "I have made this meatloaf a thousand times! Yes, I'll add an egg and yes, that is enough bread!"  Then back to the bowl and I add an egg and salt and pepper.  Now, get your hands in there and mush it all up good. Who ever thought of making meatloaf by stirring it with a spoon!?!  Just take your rings off and get in there and start mushing. When mushed enough, get out a cookie tray, yes, a cookie tray. I used to make meatloaf in a bread pan just like the rest of you but I discovered years ago that if you leave it more open on the sides it gets crispy all over. Form in into a ball then smash it down a bit and smear olive oil all over it. If someone wants ketsup, they can put it on later. Believe me this has so much more flavor. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for one hour.  You will be amazed at the flavor. I usually throw in two bakers since the oven is on anyway. Now all you have to fix is a vegy and/or salad to go with. I hope you try this and give me any suggestions.........I can cook anything you suggest!