Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I'm not usually a fan of chicken salad fan but these are so tasty I make them often.  One day I had some chicken I needed to use and since hubby likes chicken salad I was looking for a recipe that I thought would be quick and good.  I came across this one and decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did.  I'm not usually a raisin or celery person but they both work in this recipe so don't be scared if you're not a fan either give it a try.

I follow the recipe exactly.  I use mayo and again I'm not a fan of mayo by itself but it works here.  And I always warm my croissants in the oven for a few minutes before...yummy!

Original recipe found on Tasty Kitchen.

2 cups Cooked, Cubed Chicken Breast
¼ cups Diced Celery
¼ cups Golden Raisins
¼ cups Sliced Almonds
¼ cups Dried Cranberries
¾ cups Mayonnaise Or Salad Dressing (your Preference)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Red Onion
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Pepper
4 whole Croissants, Split

Preparation Instructions:
In a bowl combine everything except the croissants. Spoon about 1/2 cup salad onto each croissant. 

Looking for a quick weeknight meal then this one is for you!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  It’s a good idea to take things as they come, if you can handle them that fast.

~  A temper is a valuable possession, don’t loose it.

~  It is not wise to gripe and gripe because you’ll find it’s true.  That those inclined to beef to much are always in a stew.

Kathy’s Special Children Recipe

I love all the children ones!  So true.

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parents (1989)

4 c sunshine

1 sprinkle dew

1 tiny cloud (plenty silver lining)

½ c twinkles

1/3 c moonshine

Take all ingredients and mix well.  Add to taste kindness, gentleness, loyalty, laughter, tears (just a dash), cheerfulness, honor and courtesy.  Stir carefully and season with love of family, country and above all God; religion which is the never-fail ingredient; nature with many lessons; immortality which is God within us; and patriotism to our flag and country.  Let this mixture age for 15 years, and watch the happy children grow.  

P.S. Optional addition is 1 ounce of mischief.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Ok, this isn't much but I thought it was genius when I saw it.  I rarely watch commercials anymore but I guess I was for some reason or maybe I flipped to Food Network and Alton Brown was on none the less it doesn't matter what matters is I saw a neat kitchen tip compliments of Alton Brown!

Do you ever have trouble getting all the air out of your baggie that you're putting in the freezer or fridge.  I know I do sometimes.  Well, to help it, close it up nearly all the way and then insert a straw at the edge and suck out all the air.  Way to cool and way to easy!

Hope it makes your life a bit easier at times!

Mexican Casserole

My grandma makes something very similar to this and my husband LOVES it.  So, when I saw this in one of my cookbooks I knew I would have to give it a try to see if he loved it as much.  The verdict – he thought it was as good and me and scooter bill liked it too!  This will be a keeper and be made again.

I didn’t make any changes except for the cheese.  I mixed it into the mixture instead of putting it on top.  Not on purpose mind you.  Did you ever have those assignments in school were you got a paper to do and you started it all and answered all the questions and then at the bottom it said just sign and turn in!  Yeah, it was teaching you to read it all before starting and I never got it right.  So, that’s why I mixed the cheese in because I didn’t read the instructions entirely before starting.  But it didn’t matter and I think I’d probably do that next time too.  When I served it up I thought I probably shouldn’t have put the water because it was a bit runny but after it sat there while we ate it firmed up so probably just let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.  I also used a 13x9 dish and sprayed it with PAM .

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parent’s Incorporated Cookbook (1989)

1 ½ lb. ground chuck

1 large onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can enchilada sauce, mild

1 can green chilies, small

1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1 pkg. corn tortillas

Brown meat and onion in large skillet.  Pour off any fat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Tear tortillas into bite size pieces.  Put layer of tortillas on bottom of large casserole dish.  Pour ½ cup water over tortillas.  Add ½ meat mixture.  Put another layer of tortillas on top of meat mixture and add remaining meat.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes and reduce to 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.  Cover with foil for last 20 to 25 minutes.  Delicious.  This makes large oblong, Pyrex dish.

Give this yummy and easy casserole a try and make your hubby smile!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  Stay is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.

~  A closed mouth gathers no feet.

~  The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Spicy Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This isn’t a true “oldie” but it is a goodie!  I got this recipe from a coupon booklet that had a Tabasco coupon in it.  The coupon has an expiration date of 12/31/02 so it’s at least that old!  I was in college at the time so me and my roomie decided to try it.  It is soooo good.  It’s the best spinach dip I’ve ever eaten.  I like others but none compare to this recipe.  I’ve never actually put the Tabasco sauce in it but I’m sure it’d still be yummy.  I don’t make it often enough but it makes more than two people can eat so I only get to make it when entertaining.

One of our favorite restaurants serves a spinach dip and they serve it with sour cream and salsa on the side and that is a yummy combination with it.

They have you stirring in a lot of things all at once.  I always do the cream cheese and sour cream first and get that good and incorporated then the cheeses then the spinach and artichokes.  It mixes a little easier not doing it all at once.

Recipe taken from – 2002 coupon booklet

½ c (1 stick) butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 (10 oz) pkgs. Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese

1 (8 oz) pkg. sour cream

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Salt to taste

Corn chips or crackers

Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, ¾ cup Monterey Jack cheese, ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, Tabasco Pepper Sauce, and salt.  Stir until well blended and heated through.  Pour mixture into a ½ quart casserole dish and top with remaining Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350 oven until cheese starts to brown, about 10 minutes.  Serve with corn chips or crackers.  Makes about 4 cups.

Give this yummy appetizer a try and get your “healthy” dose of spinach in for the day!

Easy Swiss Steak

Another Crock Pot meal…yay!  This one was simple and easy.  I just threw it all in the pot together and then gave it a good stir and let it cook away.  It turned out really good.  We actually served it as tacos with all the fixins .  But I can see that it would be very yummy over potatoes…we’ll probably give that a try next time.

I used diced tomatoes and my steak was thin.  I don’t know if you can even by an inch thick cube steak!?..

Recipe taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

2 lbs. beef round steak, 1 inch thick

1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes

1 tsp. pepper

1 sm. Onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

Pound steak with meat mallet if not tenderized.  Trim off excess fat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cut into serving pieces.  Place in crock pot.  Add tomatoes and onions.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.  Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Try this tender steak and make your own dinner combo.

Lemon Squares

We were craving something sweet one night so I was looking for an easy recipe to make from one of my cookbooks and this one sounded easy enough.  I like most lemon desserts so when I saw this one in the cookbook and with a star by it from my mom I thought I’d mark it to try.  It was interesting when I started pulling out all the ingredients.  Not at all what I thought….I didn’t read the ingredients beforehand just the title!  Even though it’s not your typical lemon square it was yummy.  Hubby gave it a 10!

The only change I made was I used 1 c of coconut because that’s all I had!

Recipe taken from – Heart of the Home (1982)

Pastry:

1 ½ c flour

½ c brown sugar

1 stick butter

Filling:

2 eggs

1 c brown sugar

1 ¼ c coconut

½ c chopped pecans

2 Tbsp flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

Glaze:

1 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 c powdered sugar

Mix pastry ingredients to fine crumbs.  Pat into 9x13x2 inch pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 275 degrees.  Beat eggs well and add rest of ingredients.  Pour over pastry.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Mix glaze ingredients and pour over baked cookies while still hot.

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  Stay is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.

~  A closed mouth gathers no feet.

~  The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Green Enchiladas

I was taking a risk that these enchiladas would be good when I made them and they were!  Call me crazy but I made them for the first time taking them to friends for dinner.  Luckily they were good or I would have been embarrassed.  I chose these because they looked super easy and they were easier than any enchilada recipe I have.

I followed the recipe except for I seasoned my meat with salt, pepper, garlic, Tony’s, and cumin.  Everything else was the same.  I got 9 enchiladas using flour tortillas.  The topping seemed to make a lot but I guess it wasn’t too much because no one complained.

My mom made a note by this recipe to substitute chicken for beef.  Maybe next time I’ll try that out!

Recipe taken from – Heart of the Home (1982)

1 lb Monterey Jack cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can green chilies, drained

8 oz. sour cream

1 lb ground meat

1 onion, chopped

10 flour or corn tortillas

Dash of oregano

Cumin and garlic powder

Grate cheese, chop chilies and mix with soup and sour cream.  Mix well and set aside.  Brown ground meat with onions; add spices.  Put portion of meat mixture in each tortilla and roll up.  Pout in 9x13 in baking dish.  Pour sauce over top.  Bake 20-30 minutes at 350.  Makes 10.

Looking for an easy enchilada recipe then this one is for you!

Recipe for a Happy Marriage

I love it!  I think we all need a little reminder ever now and then of precious marriage is and what a gift from God it is.  I would add 1 gallon of prayer to this "recipe".  I've heard that no one is going to pray for you more than your mom and spouse.  (which I believe)  So, if you don't pray for your spouse daily start today because if you're not praying for them they may not be getting prayed for regularly.

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parents (1989)

1 c consideration

1 c courtesy

2 c milk of human kindness

2 c flattery, carefully concealed

1 gal faith in God and each other

2 c praise

1 small pinch of in-laws

1 reasonable budget

1 generous dash of cooperation

3 tsp pure extract of “I am sorry”

1 c contentment

1 c confidence

1 large or several small hobbies

1 c blindness to each other’s faults

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

I don't have a ton of kitchen tips but I have a good one for you today that I learned several years ago.  I don't remember where I read it but I'm just glad I did!

You know how when you make bacon your whole house smells like bacon for what seems like forever!  All you need to do is put a small cup of vinegar on your stove top and it helps absorb the bacon smell.  It really does work.  I just turn on the vent and have my vinegar out and then a bacon smell free home!  Don't get me wrong I love my bacon as much as the next person just not the lingering smell of it in my house for what seems like 24 hours!

I just have some vinegar in a small container with a lid so I put it in my pantry when I'm done and take it out the next time I make bacon.

Find more kitchen tips at Tammy's Recipes..

Sock-It-To-Me Cake

When we were visiting my family at Christmas my grandmother had one of these cakes that she bought at a church fundraiser.  It was good and I remember my dad saying my great grandma made the best.  I wish I remembered having hers but I don’t.  So, I thought I’d give this recipe a try to see how it compared.  I enjoyed it and the other people that ate it said the enjoyed it.

I followed recipe exactly.  Next time though I think I’ll double the filling and make the glaze a little thicker.  I also used a Bundt pan.

Recipe taken from – Heritage Cookbook (1976)

1 pkg yellow butter cake mix

1 c dairy sour cream

½ c cooking oil

¼ c sugar

¼ c water

4 eggs

Filling:

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, blend cake mix, sour cream, oil, sugar and eggs.  Beat at high speed for 2 minutes.  Pour 2/3 of the batter in a gresed and floured 10” tube pan.  Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle over batter in pan.  Spread remaining batter evenly over filling mixture.  Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes, until cake springs back when touched lightly.  Cool right side up for about 25 minutes, then remove from pan.  Glaze blend: 1 c confectioners sugar and 2 Tbsp milk.  Drizzle over cake.

Two ladies submitted this recipe and one lady uses 1 c chopped pecans in filling mix.

My friend told me this was a good addition to her morning coffee so bake it up today and enjoy with a cup of joe!

Back to it....

Hey everyone!  I know I've been MIA for a couple weeks but I have some good recipes coming up this week to share so stay tuned.  It's hard for me to sit at the computer sometimes. Thanks to the encouragement I got recently of someone saying they had tried some of the recipes and enjoyed them this gave me the push I needed to get these recipes up!

I also might be changing the direction of the blog from just "oldie" recipes to recipes I find and try on the internet.  I love trying new recipes because I get so bored of the same ole same ole.  So, I'm always trying new recipes and when I find a good one I want to share it with everyone so they can try it too.  Stay tuned for those additional recipes.

Happiness Cake

hmm...we all need more of these ingredients in our lives....

Recipe taken from – Heritage Cookbook (1975)

First, the ingredients:

1 c good thoughts

1 c kind deeds

1 c consideration for others

2 c sacrifice

2 c well beaten faults

3 c forgiveness

Mix well.  Add tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy.  Flavor with love and kindly service.  Fold in 4 C prayer and faith.  After pouring all this into your daily life, bake well with the heat of human kindness in daily life.  Serve with a smile, any time, and it will satisfy the hunger of starved souls.

Baby Meatloaf

You have to make these today!  These were a childhood favorite of mine.  They were probably the second favorite dish my mom made.  Second, only to yummy chicken fried steak!  We would eat with baked potatoes and glazed carrots.  Oh so so good.  I still make them to this day and my hubby loves them as much as I do and our son enjoys them too!  Anyone any of my family members have made these for has also loved them.  They are so quick and easy that you’ll have plenty of time to spare.

Recipe taken from – My Mom

1 lb hamburger meat (some of my family use turkey meat)

1 small onion, chopped

1 small can evaporated milk

1 egg

¾ c oatmeal

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine above ingredients.  Mix well.  Make into balls the size of your fist.  (usually makes 4-5)  Put into greased 9x13 dish.  Combine sauce ingredients.  Put equal amounts on baby meat loaves before placing into oven.  Cook approximately 45 minutes.

Sauce: *

*Bear with me because I guesstimate when making this so I do not know the accurate measurements. One time I cooked them I tried to measure it out and this is what I came up with me….sorry if it’s more than needed!

4 Tbsp Catsup

2 tsp Mustard

4 Tbsp Brown Sugar

If you make no other recipe on this blog PLEASE at least give these a try.  I promise they won’t disappoint!

Oatmeal Crispy Cookies

I finally got a new hand mixer after having been without one for a year and a half and what better way to break it in than by making some cookies!  I tagged this recipe when going through my cookbooks because I thought it sounded similar to my favorite cookies and I’m a sucker for oatmeal.  Well it turns out it’s one ingredient shy of my favorite cookies!  They turned out very yummy as usual and I could eat probably a dozen in one day.  Trust me they are that good!  I really have eaten six in one day, what can I say I was nursing and needed the extra calories.  Hmmm…I think I could still eat that many and am not nursing any longer.  Houston we have a problem!!  Our son loved them too!  He wouldn't take a second bite of daddy's chocolate chip cookies but has fits for mine!!:)

I use half old fashioned oats and half quick cooking oats for different texture.  I also only used ½ c of pecans and no raisins.  This was my first time to use pecans and they were a good addition.  But if you don’t have any trust me they are just as good without.  I roll into logs on wax paper and store half in the fridge and half in the freezer to be a quick indulgent snack every now and then or maybe every other day!

Recipe taken from - W.M.U Centennial Cookbook (1988)

1 c Crisco

1 c brown sugar, packed

1 c white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c flour

1 tsp salt

3 c uncooked oats

1 c pecans and/or raisins

Mix first 5 ingredients.  Add dry ingredients, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Please give these yummy cookies a try.  Either this version or my favorite cookie version!

How to Preserve Children

Oh, only if this was more common these days the world would be a better place I believe.

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parents (1989)

1 large field

½ doz children

2 or 3 dogs

Pinch of brook

Handful of small pebbles

1 hot sun

Deep blue sky

Assorted flowers

Mix the children and dogs well together and put them in the field stirring constantly.  Pour brook over the pebbles, sprinkle the field with flowers, spread over a deep blue sky and bake in hot sun.  When thoroughly browned remove and set to cool in a bath tub.

Chicken With A Twist

Another crock-pot meal…yay!  This was super easy to throw together.  I served it with potatoes, bread, and corn.  It turned out good.  I would make it again for sure.  It screamed of something Mexican for leftovers so I made some tacos for lunch.  I had flour tortillas, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, and corn.  I wish I would have had an avocado!  It was yummy like that too.  And best of all the little monster liked it too which is always a plus!

I used 3 boneless skinless breasts (2lbs) instead of buying bone in with skin.  Everything else I kept the same.  I cooked mine for approx 8.5 hours, I think 7 would probably work.

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook (1988)

4 to 6 chicken breast, skinned

¼ c chopped onion

2 Tbsp butter

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp paprika

Garlic powder to taste

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Place chicken in crock-pot.  Add all the other ingredients, letting them fall in and around chicken.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.  Good company recipe.

Tired of the same old chicken recipes then give this a go and use your imagination on how to serve it up!

Dirt Cake

Yep, it looks like dirt!  I would never have tried this if not for one our good friends making it for a small group gathering awhile back.  I do not like chocolate pudding or Oreos but it works here.  I know, don’t even try to figure out my weird dislikes that I like in other forms…it makes no sense!  I love cool-whip (my hubby says I could eat a whole container plain!) and I guess with that addition and the cream cheese it just works for me!

The only change I made was splitting the recipe in half because there would only be 3.5 (.5 = toddler) people enjoying it and then I didn’t want the temptation to eat it all later.  It still made quite a lot so if you don’t have a big crowd I’d half it.  I put probably three quarters of the Oreos on the bottom and the rest on the top.  I also softened my cream cheese and butter.

Here’s what I found on sweet milk.  I love the internet….sometimes!

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook (1988)

1 large pkg. Oreo cookies

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese

1 stick oleo

1 c powdered sugar

1 large ctn. Whipped topping

2 boxes or 7 oz Instant Jello-O pudding mix

3 c sweet milk

1 tsp vanilla

Crush cookies and put into 9x13 inch pan.  Save a handful of cookies for topping.  Mix cheese and butter together until smooth with electric mixer.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Fold in whipped topping.  In a large bowl, mix pudding with milk and vanilla.  Fold cream cheese in pudding and mix well.  Spread the saved cookies on top of mixture.  This may be frozen.

This would make a fun little boys birthday party treat or a fun pot luck dessert!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  It is when we forget ourselves that we do things which are remembered.

~  Good judgment comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgment.

~  The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions.

Sharon's Salad

We love black beans and salsa so this sounded like it’d be a winner.  We went over to a friend’s house to swim and visit so what a great opportunity to make something new!  This was great!  We ate it as an appetizer with chips but it could just as easily be a side dish to a meal.  It made a lot and yes, we ate nearly all of it.  We can be piggies when something is good and this fit the bill.  

I didn’t make any changes.  It was easy to make it just took a bit longer than expected because of all the chopping.  Oh, we let it marinade overnight.  I would say that the avocados and tomatoes at the end are optional.  Yes, they are good in it but it was just as good without them too.

Recipe taken form – Wish Cookbook*

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 c frozen kernel corn

½ c cilantro chopped

½ c picante sauce

1 large red bell pepper, diced small

1 large red onion, diced small

Dressing:

Juice of one lime

¾ c Italian dressing

2 cloves garlic minced

Mix dressing and toss with other ingredients and chill for several hours.  Add just before serving 1 large tomato chopped and 2 avocados.

This is from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  This is an amazing organization that was established to grant wishes of children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 who have life threatening or terminal illness.  My family benefited through this amazing organization and we will be forever grateful.  If you ever are in need of a charity to donate to please keep them in mind as they help kids dreams come true.

Try this one soon it delivers for sure!

Elephant Stew - 2 ways!

If anyone gives this a try please let me know how it turns out.  I just don’t have that much time! :)

Recipe taken from – Feeding the Flock (1988)

1 elephant

100 lbs carrots

100 lbs potatoes

100 lbs onion

Take elephant after you have killed and dressed him.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.  This should take about 2 months.  Cook over low electric heat about 2 weeks at 465 degrees.  This will serve about 3,800 guests.  If you expect more people, you may add 2 rabbits, but do this only if necessary “cause most people don’t like hare.”

Recipe taken from – Texas State Foster Parent’s Incorporated Cookbook (1989)

1 elephant

2 rabbits

3 Tbsp salt

Cut elephant into small pieces.  Make enough gravy to cover pieces of elephant.  Cook over kerosene stove for about three months.  Serves 3,800 people.  If expecting more people add two rabbist, but only if necessary because most people don’t like to find a hare in their stew.

Hope this made you smile today!

Texas Hash

This recipe was better than it looked!  While combining everything I thought ‘what have I done?’ but in the end it turned out pretty good.  We served it with mashed potatoes, green beans, and French bread.  I used only 1 onion and 1 bell pepper.  I can’t imagine two of each.  Hubby and I were talking about some of the measurements/times on these recipes and we figure people made them from memory so much that when they wrote them down they weren’t entirely accurate?!  I also used olive oil not shortening and one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes.

Recipe taken from – Heritage Cookbook (1976)

2 large onion, sliced or finely chopped

2 green peppers, finely cut

3 Tbsp shortening

1 lb hamburger meat

1 tsp salt

2 c canned tomatoes

½ c uncooked rice

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp pepper

Cook onions and peppers in shortening until onions are yellow.  Add hamburger and salt; cook until mixture falls apart.  Add tomatoes, rice and other seasoning.  Arrange in large casserole.  Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until done.  Yield: 8 servings.

Note:  In any recipe that calls for cooked hamburger meat I always season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some Tony’s.  This adds some seasoning in case the recipe is under seasoned as most are when dealing with hamburger meat I think.  And with this recipe I decreased the salt to ¾ tsp since I added some to the beef.

Don’t be intimidated by different – give it a try!!

To You, My Friend

To each of you my friends.  I hold you dear to my heart.  Thank you for your friendships.

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook

Whatever wind it was that blew

Your friendship to my door –

I’m sure for me no greater blessing

My God could have in store –

Your gentleness – your love of beauty

The thoughts by which you live

Have added inspiration to my days

No other friend could give –

On the ways in which you serve –

May He bless you with happiness

That you so well deserve!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

There was a star next to these cookies so I knew I would have to give them a try.  They were super easy and super yummy!  My hubby took his first bite and said they were good then his second bite they were really good and then by the third bite they were delicious!  My husband made the comment when tasting the dough, quality controlJ that they were like sandies.  Sure enough when they came out of the oven that’s what they were.  It didn’t click for me before. 

I cooked mine for 15 minutes and that was perfect.  I did just two at first to make sure and I was disappointed there were only two because they were so good I wanted the next one right away but we had to wait patiently!  Also, she says to “drop” them on the cookie sheet I just used a cookie scoop and that worked perfectly.  I think it made about two dozen cookies.

Recipe taken from – Hearts of the Home (1982)

½ c butter

½ c plus 2 Tbsp shortening

1 c powder sugar

2 c flour

1 c pecans

2 tsp vanilla

Chop pecans coarsely.  Cream butter and shortening.  Beat in sugar, then flour, vanilla and pecans.  Mix well and drop.  Bake at 350 for 15-21 minutes.

Give these six ingredient cookies a try.  They’ll be done and in the oven in no time.

Smothered Steak

This was a recipe by mistake!  I had this page marked for another recipe but for some reason when I was making the grocery list I thought I wanted to do this one so I bought the stuff to make it.  After I made it I went to highlight it on my master list and to my surprise it wasn’t on there.  Oops!  I was very leery when making it wondering why I put it on the list!!  (you’ll see why when you read the recipe!)  I can’t say it was a happy mistake but it wasn’t a bad one.  My hubby said he’d eat it again.  He said it was poor man’s pot roast.  If I did it again I think I would leave out the flour which made it kinda slimy and I would season it more.

Recipe taken from - Thalian’s Society Cookbook

Sm. Round steak

1 med onion, sliced thin

1 c. flour

Water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salt and pepper steak to taste.  Sprinkle flour on both side of steak.  Brwon steak in small amount of oil.  Place sliced onions on top of steak.  Drain grease.  Add water to cover steak.  Simmer for 2 hours, covered.

If you’re feeling adventurous give this recipe a try!!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  Doing nothing is the most tiresome job in the world.  Because it’s impossible to quit to take a rest.

~  Wrinkles should merely show where the smiles have been.

~  To communicate is the beginning of understanding.

Applesauce Oat Muffins

The name of these muffins caught my eye so I thought I’d give them a try.  Again, we were taking our friends dinner that had just had a baby boy so I wanted to give them something to munch on for a snack or breakfast.  I try to do what I want and I know I was always starving after I had my cutie!  Anyways, I thought the muffins were just ok.  They were not sweet enough to my taste!  My hubby liked them and our toddler thought they were good too.  I’m not sure what our friends thought but hopefully they liked them.

I followed the recipe as stated except for canola oil.  I think I baked mine closer to 22 minutes.

Recipe taken from – Wish Cookbook*

2 c Cheerios cereal, crushed (about 1 c)

1 ¼ c all-purpose flour

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

1 c applesauce

1/3 c skim milk

½ c raisins

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg white.

Heat oven to 400.  Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups (2 ½ x 1 ¼ inch).  Mix cereal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake until golden brown about 18 to 22 minutes.

If you’re looking for a less sweet muffin and love raisins then these are for you.

*  This is from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.  This is an amazing organization that was established to grant wishes of children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 who have life threatening or terminal illness.  My family benefited through this amazing organization and we will be forever grateful.  If you ever are in need of a charity to donate to please keep them in mind as they help kids dreams come true.

Strawberry Cooler

If you ever need a recipe for any type of punch to do at a wedding/baby shower just let me know and I have you covered!  All of the cookbooks have plenty of punch recipes.  I’m not trying them because me and my hubby can’t drink a whole thing of punch but this one wasn’t really a punch more of just a drink.  Therefore, I thought I’d give it a try.

I left out the strawberries just for convenience.  And I’m not sure what the accurate measurement for the lemonade is so I just pour three quarters of it in the mix!

The first time we made it is when we had family in town and the young boys loved it.  The second time we made it was just for us because my hubby wanted it again.  The second time I decided to buy some ginger ale to add to it and that addition made it less sweet which was a good thing because it’s pretty sweet on its own.  My husband however preferred it without the addition.  I just added the ginger ale to taste in the glass.

Recipe taken from – Heritage Cookbook (1976)

1 (.3 oz) pkg. strawberry gelatin

1 c boiling water

1 c cold water

1 c pineapple juice

1 c frozen lemonade (diluted by directions)

2 c crushed or sliced strawberries

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Add cold water, pineapple juice, lemonade and strawberries.  Mix well; chill.  Serve over ice in glasses.  Yield 10 servings.

Give this drink a try this summer.  It’ll make a great addition to a picnic spread! 

Chocolate Brownies

We were taking food to some friends who just had a baby and I wanted to take a dessert as well because I know I wanted dessert after I had my son!  Hmm…and I still do!  So, I decided to try out another brownie recipe because most people like brownies (just not me!).  My hubby said they were good so I have to trust his judgment!  He thought they might even be better than the previous ones. 

I followed the recipe as stated.  My only note is to make sure you do not scramble your eggs.  Stir constantly as you put them in the hot chocolate mixture.  I wasn’t going to transfer to another bowl but when I felt how hot everything was I decided I better just in case.  Oh, and the color is a bit interesting as they come out because it’s not the typical dark brown it’s more of a light brown.  I used milk chocolate morsels if that maybe had something to do with it?!...

Recipe taken from – Heart of the Home (1982)

¾ c flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1/3 c butter

¾ c sugar

2 Tbsp water

1 (12 oz) pkg. chocolate morsels

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

½ c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325.  In a small bowl, combine flour, soda and salt; set aside.  In small saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 cup chocolate morsels and vanilla.  Stir until they have melted.  Transfer to bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Beat well after each addition.  Blend in flour mixture gradually.  Stir in remaining morsels and nuts.  Spread into greased 9 inch baking pan and bake at 325 for 35 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares for serving.  

So Busy

So convicting in this crazy fast paced world we live in.  Don't forget to do the small things that makes others smile and makes your heart smile too.  Those moments are what life is really all about.  Not the computers, the TV, the job, or whatever but making sweet memories with those you love and most importantly talking with the God above.

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook

Sometime I get so busy
That I realize with a start
I haven’t taken time to see
The things that soothe my heart.
I haven’t spoken with a child,
Or picked some fragrant flowers;
I haven’t heard the birds that sing
Or enjoyed the sunset hours.
I haven’t called or gone to see
The friends I really love –
And, worst of all, I haven’t
Talked with my God above.

Sausage Quiche

I don’t think I’ve ever made a quiche not to say I don’t like them I just never have made one.  So, I saw this one in one of the cookbooks and with trying new recipes I marked it to try.  It seemed very easy and it was.  It took no time at all to prepare.  We served it with biscuits and jam for dinner and then ate it for lunch the next day with fruit.

The only thing I may do different next time is pre cook the crust a little because it didn’t get done on the bottom and I love crust on anything.  I probably will use half or three quarters of the sausage.  One pound was quite a lot not overwhelming it just could be less.

Recipe taken from – Heart of the Home (1982)

1 lb bulk pork sausage

½ c onion, chopped

1 ½ c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp flour

1 pie crust shell

2 eggs, beaten

1 small can evaporated milk

2 tsp parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 375.  Fully cook sausage.  Drain very well.  Combine sausage, onion, cheese and flour.  Mix well.  Spread in unbaked pie crust shell.  Beat together eggs, evaporated milk and parsley flakes.  Slowly pour over sausage mixture.  Bake on baking sheet 35-40 minutes or until filling is set.

Try this breakfast for dinner recipe to shake things up a bit!

Inspirational Quotes

Inspiration taken from – Thalian Society’s Cookbook

~  A smile is a curve that can set a lot of things straight.

~  A sense of humor is like a needle and thread – It will patch up so many things.

~  Whoever wants to do a thing can always find a way – Who doesn’t can always find a way out.

Chicken Casserole

Growing up my mom made a yummy chicken and rice casserole.  I asked her for the recipe and she gave it to me but it wasn’t as good as I remember hers being.  So, in my cookbooks there are lots of chicken and rice casseroles and I have plenty of them marked!  I chose this one first just because it’s the first one I looked at when making my grocery list and it sounded good.

The only thing I really did different is I used minute rice uncooked (approx 1 ½ c) in the dish and used more than a 1/3 cup of green peppers (probably ½ cup).  Everything else was the same.  I think next time I will sprinkle my chicken with salt and pepper though.  Oh, and I did add some shakes of pepper to the mix when I added the salt.

Overall, this was a good dish and easy as well.  We served with salad, toast, and the marinated carrot sticks.  I will make again unless I find one of the other ones I have marked is better!!:) 

Recipe taken from – Feeding the Flock (1988)

¼ c butter

¼ c flour

1 c chicken broth

½ c water

1 ½ tsp salt

1 (4.5 oz) evaporated milk

Cheddar Cheese

3 c cooked rice

2 ½ c diced chicken

1 (4 oz) can mushrooms

1/3 c green peppers

¼ c chopped pimento

Melt butter; blend flour; add broth, milk and water.  Cook and stir over low heat until thick.  Add salt rice, chicken and vegetables.  Pour into greased dish; bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Add cheddar cheese.

Give this quick casserole a try.  The whole family will love it even the toddlers!

Marinated Carrot Stix

When we went on our mission trip to Russia we went to dinner at a Russian's family home.  Let me tell you that was one delicious meal.  My hubby says he doesn't remember it being that spectacular and that maybe I just think it was because our meals up until that point weren't that great or filling but trust me it was yummy food and I gorged myself.  I will never forget the food or the friendly family who served it to us.  Surprisingly it was kinda like good ol' southern cooking, there were mashed potatoes and something similar to steak, and a whole bunch of other goodies but the point of this whole spill is that there were some carrots that were amazing and as soon as I got back home I started looking on the internet for something that I thought would be similar but to no avail.  When I was flipping through my new treasures (cookbooks) I saw this recipe which I thought might be similar so I had to try it.  Sadly, they weren’t as good as the ones I remember eating in Russia but they were good and it’s a healthier way to eat carrots than my usual butter/brown sugar combo!

I did not know what salad oil was and it shows up in lots of these old recipes so thank goodness for the internet because I googled it and found out it’s just a normal tasteless oil like vegetable or canola NOT olive oil.  So, I used canola oil.  I also used the precut match stick carrots; I think my package was 12 oz.  I don’t remember seeing different options on size so whatever you get should be good.  I did not drain the marinade nor use parsley (I didn’t have any).

The first night we ate them with one of my childhood favorites, chicken fried steak and they were a nice complement.  However, I think they were better with my chicken casserole (post to come later) the next day.  I was able to eat them two days after I originally made them and they were still yummy.

Recipe taken from – Heart of the Home (1982)

8 small carrots

3 Tbsp vinegar

3 Tbsp salad oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed

¾ tsp seasoned salt

Minced fresh parsley

¼ tsp salt

Peel and cut carrots into thin, short, 3 inch sticks.  Place in shallow dish.  Mix other ingredients except parsley and pour over carrots until well coated.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, turning sticks, occasionally.  Drain off marinade, arrange carrots in serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.  Yield: 6-8 servings.

Tired of the same ol’ side dishes then give these carrots a try to find a new stand by side dish!

Main Dishes

I don't know about you but I always dread the clean up after dinner.  I have an amazing hubby who always helps with clean up but it's still a lot of work depending on what we had for dinner.  When I read this it convicted me and made me see that dirty dishes are a blessing.  I'm going to attempt to cross stitch this to hang on the wall in our kitchen as a reminder to thank God for dirty dishes and not grumble about them.

Recipe taken from – W.M.U Centennial Cookbook

Thank God for dirty dishes

They have a tale to tell,

While other folks go hungry,

We are so very well.

With home and health and happiness,

We shouldn’t want to fuss,

For by this stack of evidence,

God’s very good to us.

Peanut Butter Balls

I first had these when we were going to meetings preparing for our mission trip to Russia.  Our team leader made them for us and it was love at first bite!  Especially for my husband, he would always request these for our meetings.  A lot of you know that I'm not a big chocolate person but these have a very thin coat so it's more peanut butter than anything so I can live with the small amount of chocolate on them for the delicious peanut butter taste.

We made these the other night in hopes of taking them to our small group gathering but they just didn't get done in time.  It's a shame really because now I feel compelled to eat 4-5 a day so that not one goes to waste!!  (I've already eaten 2 today!)

I use semi-sweet chocolate chips.  My double boiler is a glass bowl setting on top of a pot with boiling water.  Hey, it works!

Recipe taken from - Our friend Sue  (there is a recipe in the Hearts of the Home cookbook as well and I'll share the few differences)

1 cup peanut butter

2 3/4 c powder sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

1/4 block paraffin

1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips

Cream Peanut butter, sugar, and butter.  Roll into balls and stick with toothpicks.  Refrigerate overnight (a couple of hours is sufficient).  Melt paraffin and chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Dip each ball into chocolate.  Then remove toothpicks.  Drizzle chocolate over toothpick holes.  Chill.  Makes approx 3 dozen.

The recipe in the cookbook used 1 cup of butter and 1 tsp of vanilla.  I would be interested to see the difference in taste but I can't bring myself to add another whole stick of butter!

If you’re a lover of peanut butter and chocolate then these yummy treats are a must try.  They will stay good for a week or so and you could also freeze them taking a few out when you want a tasty snack.  But my guess is they won’t last but a couple of days…a week max!!:)

Homemade Cheesecake

We were able to get 11 or 12 pieces about this size.

I love cheesecake so when I saw this easy recipe I marked it and put it on the list.  We were having a social for our Sunday school class small group and I volunteered to bring dessert since it would give me an opportunity to make this and not have this tempting dessert all to ourselves!  Good thing we had other people to share it with because I think I would have eaten the whole thing!  We brought 3 extra small pieces home with us and I ate two of them the same day!  My sweet hubby selflessly gave up the third piece!

The one major change I did was I added a graham cracker crust.  To me that’s one of the best parts of a cheesecake.  Luckily I had some frozen crumbled graham crackers from a previous pie so I just used those.  I think it was probably 9 whole graham crackers pulsed in the food processor with about 4 tbsp of melted butter to get it to stick together.  Bake about 5 min before adding the cheesecake mixture.

I brought the cream cheese to room temperature and I used light sour cream for the topping.  I was a bit hesitant with the cook time since I added the crust and do not know how to check to see if a cheesecake is done other than the fact that it’s not jiggly.  But 25 minutes was perfect. 

We also served with fresh strawberries instead of the cherry filling.  Yummo!

Recipe taken from – Thalian’s Society Cookbook

Cake Base:

2 (8 oz) pkgs. Cream cheese

2/3 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

Topping:

1 (8 oz) carton sour cream

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 can cherry pie filling

Cream together ingredients in cake base.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Pour into greased (Pam) 9 inch pie plate.*  Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Mix together topping ingredients (minus cherry filling) and spread on top of cheesecake.  Return to oven for 5 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate.  Before serving, top with canned cherry pie filling.

Give this very easy cheesecake recipe a try but be sure you have people to share it with or you may just eat it all by yourself!

*I think my pie plate is a bit bigger than 9 inches but not sure how big it is because it doesn't say....sorry!