Noelle's In The Kitchen!

Wanna taste?

Apple filled coffee cake

Peanut butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

1 pkg. brownie mix (13 x 9 inch pan size)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix as directed on pkg. Spoon into 2o paper line muffin cups. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla with mixer until blended. Spoon 1 rounded TB. into center of batter in each cup, pressing lightly into batter. Bake 30 minutes or until centers are set. Cool. Serve topped with cool whip and cherries if desired.

Apple filled Coffee cake

1 pkg. white cake mix

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 can apple pie filling (can use cherry, strawberry, etc.)

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 TB. milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 pan; top with spoonfuls of pie filling. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; sprinkle with nuts. Cool 10 minutes. Mix sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Cool completely. (Noelle didn't use almonds...it's still yummy!)

Freedom's Fish Fry

Sat., July 11, our church got together for a fish fry. We all had a wonderful time fellowshipping and of course eating! We met and et! We enjoyed fried fish, frog legs, chicken fingers, fries, hush puppies, slaw, watermelon and homemade ice-cream. Mrs. Dottie made her famous squash puffs which were so yummy. Noelle, Mrs. Dottie, and I formed an assembly line and made fried biscuits. If you've never made these, they are so easy and delicious. We had our grease heated to 350 degrees; cut canned biscuits in half; Mrs. Dottie shaped them in half moon shapes, drop them in grease, keep turned; when brown, take out of grease, drain, roll in sugar and cinnamon or powered sugar, and enjoy! They are also good served with honey! We fried several cans of biscuits and there was not one biscuit left. Most of them were eaten before we even sat down to eat our meal! There was alot of food and I didn't taste anything bad! A good time was had by all!

Mrs. Dottie telling Eddie all about her squash puffs!

Bro. Thomas and Cale battering the fish

Bro. Harold, Scot, Eddie, and Bro. Sidney
(WORKING HARD!)

Bro. Sidney & Bro. Harold
cooking hush-puppies

Me, Mrs. Dottie, Noelle, and Mitzi working in the kitchen.
There were lots of laughing going on in there!

Scot and Novelie (Kay's grandbaby)

Mrs. Inez, Bro. Roy, Mrs. Sue, Mrs. Patricia, and Mrs. Lou

enjoying their conversation!

Kay and Eddie Harold

Mrs. Barbara said it best: "MMMMM-MMMMM"

Okra Salad

Scot's Aunt Brinda prepared this dish for a church potluck a few weeks ago. I could have made a meal off it. It's wonderful! I had her email the recipe to me.

Okra Salad

1 1/2 pounds breaded okra fried brown and drained ( may use more okra if you want a big salad.)
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 green pepper
1 bunch green onions (I use blades and all)
6 slices bacon fried crisp and crumbled
dressing
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
Heat this until sugar is melted. Cool slightly.
I fry my okra and put it on paper towels to drain. Then I chop all the other ingredients together and pour the heated dressing mixture over it. I toss the okra in last. Can be made a few hours ahead of time to eat but won't be good made the night before it is to be eaten because the okra will get soggy....enjoy.

Ham & Rice Soup

How's the weather in your neck of the woods? It's rainy and cold here in Mississippi once again. I had enjoyed the spring like weather earlier in the week, but BRRRR, it's cold again! I'm not complaining though; got the fire going and the coffee on, so all is well. I'm sharing a recipe with you that my mother in law shared with me a few months ago. This soup is very hearty and filling. Hope you enjoy some on a cold day, or a warm day!

Ham & Rice Soup

1 6 ounce wild rice (I use Uncle Ben's)

1 small onion

2 TB. margarine

1/2 cup flour

3 cans chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup milk

1 pkg. diced or cubed ham

water chestnuts, (sliced fine)

Cook rice.

In separate pot, melt butter, saute' chopped onion. Add flour, slowly add broth, stirring continuously, bring to boil. Slowly add milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in ham, rice, and chestnuts.

Simmer 30 minutes. Enjoy! This is very good left over.

Potato Candy

Don't knock it 'til you try it! My great aunt came by one morning and offered me some candy. It looked good and as I was reaching to get a piece, I asked her what kind of candy it was. When she replied potato candy, I almost took my hand back without a piece. I didn't want to hurt my aunts feelings, so I went ahead and took a piece of the candy that she seemed so pleased with. She watched me as I took a bite. I probably had a surprised look in my eyes as I tasted, and she smiled. I got the recipe from her and I make it in her memory usually at Christmas or at special gatherings.

Potato Candy

1 small red potato, boiled in jacket

1 box confectioner sugar

peanut butter

Boil sm. potato until very tender. Remove jacket. Mash potato with fork. Add sugar a little at a time, keep mashing with fork. This mixture will end up very stiff. Sprinkle wax paper with conf. sugar. Put potato-sugar mix. on the paper and roll out like you would cookie dough. After it's rolled out evenly, spread peanut butter on it. Roll up like a jelly roll, then cut in pieces.

This is simple, but very rich and delish! Enjoy.

Delicious Pie

My daughter loves to make this pie. She just made one for a friend yesterday. Everyone loves this pie, so I thought some of you might like a new recipe.

Snack a Snicker Pie

1 9 inch prepared graham cracker crust

2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

4 bars Snicker candy, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in all but 1/2 cup of candy. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup chopped candy onto bottom of crust. Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not brown on top. Will be soft in the middle. Chill before serving. Noelle made this with Milky Ways instead of Snickers this last time. Still yummy, or so we've heard! She always grates some chocolate on top after the pie has cooled to make it pretty. This is best when served after being refrigerated for 6 to 8 hours. Enjoy!

Puppy Chow

No, we've not started making dog food around here! Noelle is taking this delectable stuff to work with her tomorrow. She let us sample it and it is dog-gone good! whoops!

Puppy Chow

1 stick butter (we bought the real McCoy!)

12 oz. bag milk chocolate chips, (we got Hershey)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 large box Crispix cereal

1/2 cup peanuts,(optional)

1 box (yes a whole box) powdered sugar

Melt butter, choc. chips, and peanut butter. Pour over cereal. Mix until coated. Pour sugar in a big bag with coated cereal and shake until coated with sugar. Pour in a large bowl and pass around, yum!

Smells Like Christmas at Home

My mother used to put Pineapple juice and cloves in a crockpot or in a pot on the stove. Just let it simmer on low, and don't let it go dry! It's not to drink, it just makes your house smell so Christmasy!

Wassailing

The English word "carol" once meant, "to sing and dance in a ring." Over the years the word began to be used in association with a holiday tradition known as "wassailing." Wassailing was originally a custom of blessing fruit trees during the Christmas season and the use of the word eventually evolved into defining a toast, a caroling custom, and a drink.

Here we come a-wassailing

Among the leaves so green;

Here we come a-wand'ring

So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you,

And to you, your wassail too;

And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.

And God send you a Happy New Year.

~An old English song

************

Christmas Wassail

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. whole cloves

2 quarts apple cider

1 orange, slices

Place cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice in a double thickness cheescloth; bring up corners and tie with a string to form a bag. Place cider and brown sugar in a slow cooker stirring until sugar dissolves. Add spice bag. Place orange slices on top. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Remove spice bag when ready to serve.

(From The Twelve Blessings of Christmas, T.J. Mills)

Christmas with Friends/Recipes

Not sure of year, I'm thinking '96.

Ma Wanda and Pa Pa James with Cale, Noelle, & Josh

Josh & Cale

1993
Noelle, Kathy, David, & Cale

2007

2007



Here are recipes of the dishes I'm carrying to our Christmas get together tonight at David & Kathys. Oh, and I am posting pic's from past Christmas's with our dear friends.

Ham Biscuits

1 stick margarine
2 tsp. mustard
2 TB. poppy seeds
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 sm. onion, grated
1 pkg. dinner rolls (already cooked)
1 pkg. sliced cooked ham
4 oz. Swiss cheese

Combine first 5 ingred. simmer for 4 or 5 min. Slice rolls in half. Spread mix. on both sides of rolls. Layer cheese and ham in one layer. Spoon remaining mix. on top of rolls. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 min. Yum.


Dirt

1 16 oz. pkg. Oreo cookies
2 cups cold milk
1 4 serv. size pkg Jell-O chocolate fudge instant pudding
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip

Crush cookies in food chopper or processor. Pour milk into large bowl, add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. Let stand for 5 min. Stir Cool whip into pudding. Stir 3/4 of cookie mixture in the cool whip-pudding mix. In a bowl, ( I use glass) sprinkle the bottom with dry cookie crumbs. Pour pudding mix. over this. Sprinkle the rest of the dry cookie crumbs on top.
Sometimes I add gummy worms, granola, etc. to make it look like DIRT!

Chill 4 or 5 hours before serving!

(Note: I've tried regular chocolate cookies with this, but the difference in price is well worth splurging for the real kind.)

THANKS-LIVING DAY 26

Do you know what today is??? It's THANKSGIVING EVE and I'm soooo excited! I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon for everything I will need for tomorrow, so I'm set, all except for the actual cooking of the meal. My menu is in stone now. Here it is:

Turkey
Dressing (we prefer chicken dressing)
Cranberry sauce
Candied sweet potatoes
Corn
Creamed Potatoes (especially for Cale)
Peas (purple hull & english)
Cole slaw
Corn bread
Rolls
Grape Salad
Apple Pie (requested by Noelle)
Apple Dumplings (requested by Scot & Cale)

And I say... YUM-YUM!

I am posting two of the recipes I will prepare tomorrow. You might enjoy making these sometime for your family. The apple dumpling recipe was posted at an earlier date. Just click on recipes at my side bar. By the way.... Happy Thanksgiving Eve By George!

Grape Salad

5 cups seedless grapes

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 8 oz. sour cream

1 cup conf. sugar

Cream sour cream, cream cheese, and sugar. Stir in grapes until coated.

Pour in bowl or oblong dish.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Mix topping ingred. together and sprinkle over the grape

mixture. Chill and serve!

***********************

Fresh Apple Pie

(this is my mothers recipe)

2 cups finely chopped apples

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 unbaked pie shell

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 egg, beaten

1 stick margerine, melted

Mix apples and allspice together and place in unbaked pie shell.

Combine sugar and flour, stir in beaten egg and margerine.

Pour over apples and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

THANKS-LIVING, DAY 19

One of the wives sent this dish to the mens fellowship Sat. night. The men were all bragging on it. I haven't made this yet, but since so many of the men were talking about it, I figure it's got to be good. I plan to make it soon.

Apple Dumplings

2 apples

1 can crescent rolls

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

cinnamon

Slice apples and roll up in crescent rolls; place in pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Melt butter, sugar, orange juice; pour this mixture of syrup over rolls. Place in oven on 350 degrees until brown. The recipe says that you can add pecans to mixture and serve with ice cream while hot.

Mandarin-chicken salad

My lunch. This is one of my favorite salads. I put a bed of spinich leaves on a plate, sprinkle chopped bell pepper and chopped onion on it, drizzle a little ranch on it, top it with grilled or fried chicken and mandarin oranges. I usually put sunflower seeds, but forgot I had some today. Yummy!

Recipe

I made lasagna Saturday for our ladies get together. Here is my recipe. Now, I don't measure much of anything, so I'll do the best I can to tell you how much.

I brown about a pound and a half of ground beef (I use deer when we have it) with some chopped onion and bell pepper (as much or little as you like). Drain this. Add 1 pkg. of dry spaghetti seasoning to the beef, add 2 cans of Spaghetti sauce ( I used Del Monte traditional or with peppers and mushrooms). Let this all simmer for a while to let the flavors get mixed. In the mean time, cook your lasagna noodles. When all of this is done, I start with the lasagna noodles and layer these ingredients in this order. ( I use a deep oblong casserole dish)
Noodles, Cottage cheese, Meat sauce, Mozzarella cheese. I do this 2 or 3 times. ( I just keep layering til I run out of ingredients. Then, on the very top layer, I place a single layer of pepperoni slices and top that with lots of mozzarella. Bake this on about 350 until nice and hot through and through. In the past, I have added mushrooms to my meat mixture, but didn't Sat.
Add some garlic bread and a salad, and there ya go, GOOOOD Eatin'!
Enjoy.

GREAT APPETIZER-SNACKS

I made these to carry to our reunion. They were very good.

1 pkg. cream cheese
8 to 10 tablespoons salsa, ( I used Holley Farms homemade salsa)

Mix the above.
Spread it on soft tortilla shells, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, sprinkle with
chili powder. Roll tightly. Cut in pinwheels. Yum.

Gina brought the following to the reunion; was very tasty.

Place a small piece of raw bacon on a ritz. Sprinkle brown sugar on top.
Bake on very low heat for 20 to 25 min. (sorry, can't remember exactly)
Just don't burn them! lol.

Supper/Tater-Topped Casserole

I finally cooked this new recipe (new to me) last night.
I made the casserole and served it with buttered french bread and tea. That was it!
We ate all but one helping of it. My bunch probably won't beg for it again, but they seemed to like it pretty well. I loved it, of course, as most of you know, I love most anything.
Here's the recipe, it really was very tasty and good.
I do recommend it although there was sarcasm up above.

TATER TOPPED CASSEROLE
(or as one blogger said, NOT casserole)

Brown 1 pound ground beef with a small chopped onion, drain.
Spoon this in a dish, they said an 8 inch square dish, I used a round deeper dish.
Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom and 1/4 cup of milk together and pour over meat.
Top that with either a can of veg-all, or a cup of frozen mixed veggies.
Spread 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top, then place 1/2 a bag of tater tots on the very top. Bake 45 min. at 375. I would have loved the veg all, but my bunch isn't crazy about green beans, so I used a can of carrots and a can of whole kernel corn instead.
ENJOY!

HUNGRY???

Well, it is fall, which makes me think of 2 recipes I have that we all love.
I will share them with my bloggin' buddies today.

Squash Dressing

2 cups cooked squash, mashed and drained

2 cups cornbread crumbs

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 eggs

1 chopped onion

1 stick butter

salt and pepper to taste

Cook chopped onions in the butter until tender. Stir in all ingredients. Pour into casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees until brown on top, usually 25 minutes. We eat this with cranberry sauce.

**********************************
Santa Fe Soup
2 pounds ground beef or ground chuck
2 cans whole kernel corn
2 pkg. taco seasoning
2 pkg. Ranch dressing
1 can chili beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can rotel
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 onion
shredded cheese
sour cream
green onions
tortilla chips
Brown meat and onion. Drain. In a large pot, mix meat, taco pkg., ranch pkg., beans, rotel, tomatoes, and water. Simmer. I cook this on low for at least 2 hours to let the flavors combine. We serve it with cheese, sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips.
It's really more flavorful the 2nd day!!!!

Thursday's Supper

Some of you moms, or dads might enjoy this
easy and quick recipe.

Taco Goulash

Brown 1 pound ground beef. drain.
Add 1 pkg. dry taco seasoning. stir well.
To this, add:
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can rotel
1 can drained black beans (can use red or pintos)
1 can drained whole kernel corn
Mix all of this together. You can also cook chopped
onions in with your beef.
Place dorito's or regular tortillo chips in a casserole dish.
Pour the mixture over chips. Spread evenly.
Bake at 325 degrees until hot through and through.
Serve with chips. I also like to add a dollop of sour cream.

The BOMB! Fudge Pie

4 Tb. Cocoa
4 Tb. Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 beaten Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup margerine, melted
1 Deep dish unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together with fork.
Add other ingredients; Mix well.
Pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 25 minutes.

This Pie recipe and the Bread pudding already
posted are 2 of my most requested recipes.
I make these all the time for church members, etc.
They say they are quite tasty. Enjoy!!!

Fire Crackers

1 1/3 cup canola oil
1pkt. Hidden Valley Ranch
buttermilk dressing, (dry)
2 TB. red pepper flakes
3 sleeves saltine crackers
1 gallon zip lock bag

Mix the oil, dry dressing, pepper
well with whisk or fork.
Put 3 sleeves of crackers in the gallon
bag. Pour the oil mixture in. Shake.
Turn bag every hour or 2 and give a shake
when you pass by it every now and then.
Let stay in bag all day or overnight.
Take out and serve on tray.
Delicious to eat like chips, or with salads, etc.