Categories
Recipes with Pictures Salads Vegetarian

Simple Egg Salad

This recipe is all about your taste preferences. I have not tried to measure, so I’ll try and explain what I do, but certainly tweak to your liking.

For two plump sandwiches I use:

  • 4 hard boiled eggs sliced
  • 1 heaping Tbsp mayo
  • 1 squirt of yellow mustard
  • 2 shakes of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1 shake of onion salt
  • 1 handful chopped celery

When slicing the eggs I only use 3 of the 4 yolks.

If you like a more dry egg salad, use less Mayo.

When it’s all mixed, if it tastes bland, I tend to shake a little more Lawry’s. That’s my go to for flavor.

I like to toast my bread, love the crunch with the salad consistency.

Categories
Beef Main Dishes

Scott’s Favorite Chili

Got the original recipe from All Recipes, the portions below are half the original recipe. It’s a hearty, fairly thick consistency chili. Our family loves this recipe topped with cheese, along with large Frito Scoops Corn Chips as mini spoons.

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 can Rotel
  • 1 (8 oz) jar Pace picante sauce, mild or med
  • 2 tablespoons chili seasoning mix (try Williams original, 1/2 pkg.)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.

Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Categories
Cakes Desserts

Lemon Bundt Cake

Another fantastic recipe from the great Margi Newkirk. She served this at her husband’s 60th birthday bash. They had some leftovers at the end of the evening and I was the lucky soul to bring some home. It was so good I needed the recipe, to which she replied, “Glad you liked it!  Easiest recipe in town.”

  • 1 lemon cake mix
  • 1 package lemon instant pudding mix
  • 1 C. water
  • 1/2 C. oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2-3 Tbsp poppyseeds

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for 45 min.

Categories
Chicken Main Dishes

One-Step Chicken Bake (a.k.a Laura T’s Chicken)

Back in college, my second cousin Laura T. invited me to dinner with fellow Johnnies/Bennies and served this meal. It’s so simple, yet so tasty. I think I overdosed on the meal, but it still finds its way back to the dinner table every now and then.

Note: We double the rice, soup and water when we make the recipe.

1 C. water
1 C. minute rice (uncooked)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

  • Mix all the ingredients in a 9×13 inch pan.
  • Puncture chicken all over with a fork and place on top of the rice mixture.
  • Season with additional paprika.
  • Bake 375 degrees, 45-60 minutes
Categories
Cakes Recipes with Pictures

Chocolate Frosting

I’m not a frosting freak, in fact I often scrape frosting off cake, because I’m just not a fan. However, I baked this chocolate cake because I just love plain cake, but my kids did not share in that enthusiasm. So I did some quick searches and found this recipe immediately. It’s a winner in my book.

1/2 C. Melted Butter
2/3 C. Powdered Unsweetened Chocolate
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 C. Cream

There were no instructions, so I just mixed the powdered sugar and cocoa together in one container and the butter, cream and vanilla in another. Then combined the two until you have rich chocolatey goodness.

Categories
Recipes with Pictures Salads

Tegge’s Oriental Salad

  • 1 Head of Napa cabbage
  • 6 Green onions
  • 1 T. margarine or butter
  • 2 pkg. Ramen noodles, broken (discard seasoning packet)
  • Handful of cashews (slightly chopped or broken)
  • Handful of sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 C. vegetable oil
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 1/2 C. sugar
  • 1/4 C. white vinegar
 Salad:
  1. Chop cabbage and slice onions. Combine in large bowl.=
  2. Brown noodles, cashews, and sunflower seeds in butter, then add to cabbage and onions.
  3. Chill.
Dressing:
  1. Combine oil, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar to make dressing.
  2. Pour over cabbage salad mixture and serve.
Categories
Cookies Recipes with Pictures

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a hankering for a good oatmeal cookie, so I hit the Internet trying to find one that would do the trick and that’s when I stumbled upon this recipe on Betty Crocker’s website.  Unlike many oatmeal recipes that use one cup of oatmeal, this recipe calls for two cups of oatmeal, so I gave it a try and the whole family enjoyed them.

1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 C. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 C. quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 C. All-purpose or unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until blended. Stir in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
  2. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Categories
Cookies Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Angel Cookies

My mom made these cookies growing up.  I haven’t had them for years and finally asked her for the recipe.  It’s funny how the taste of a simple cookie can take you back to your childhood.  Good stuff!

1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 C. shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Shape dough into balls, dip in sugar and place on baking sheet.

Bake 12 minutes @ 350 degrees

Categories
Cookies Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Sweet Betty’s M & M Cookies

My sister in-law’s grandmother (Sweet Betty) makes these incredible M&M cookies.  Whenever there is a celebration at their house, these always seem to be on the kitchen counter.  They’re not hard and crunchy like so many M&M cookies — these are really light and soft.  It’s like eating a muffin top with M&M’s  They’re simply irresistible, and why wouldn’t they be, she been making them for over 30 years.

1 C. shortening
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Plain M & M’s

  1. Cream shortening, sugars ,eggs, and vanilla.
  2. Mix in dry ingredients and combine with creamed mixture.
  3. Drop by teaspoonful on un-greased cookies sheet.
  4. Flatten to no more than 2 inch diameter.
  5. Decorate with 4 to 6 M&Ms per cookie.
  6. Candies will crack after baking.
  7. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to l0 minutes.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies depending on size of your teaspoonful.

Categories
Breads & Rolls Recipes with Pictures

Mama Jane’s Homemade Caramel Rolls

As far back as I can remember, these caramel rolls have graced my mom’s kitchen table on Christmas and Easter mornings.  They’re thick caramel rolls that are hearty and delicious. She said she found this in a book many, many years ago and has tweaked it to her liking over the years.  She memorized the recipe, so it took a little prying to get all the little details out. My twist to the recipe is to make one and half times the original caramel recipe (quantities reflected below) which makes for even more sweet and gooey goodness.

Mama Jane's Homemade Caramel Rolls  IMG_6473

Dough Ingredients:
1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. shortening (Crisco)
2 packages dry yeast (Red Star or Fleischmans)
1 1/2 C. HOT water
2 large eggs
5-6 C. bread flour (regular flour will work)

Caramel Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. White Corn Syrup (recipe calls for 3/4 C. but I reduced it)
1 1/2 sticks of soft Butter or Margarine
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

  1. Add dough ingredients into mixer in this order:
    1) sugar, shortening and HOT water;  2) stir in eggs;  3) stir in yeast; 4) add 2 cups of flour; 5) add salt; 6) remaining flour.
  2. As you add the remaining flour it may get to be too much for the mixer, use a big spoon, you may have to eventually kneed in flour if necessary.  Add enough flour so the dough is pliable and workable without sticking to your hands, spoons or counter.
  3. Form dough into a ball and place into a bowl, cover with a dishtowel and place in a cool oven with the light on. Let the dough rise about twice it’s size (about an hour, but varies, so keep an eye on it after 30 minutes.
  4. Next, punch dough down back into a ball cover with dishtowel and let it rise a second time to twice it’s size (about another hour, but watch after 30 minutes).
  5. Just before you take the dough out of the oven, mix the caramel mixture ingredients together REALLY WELL, the caramel mixture will be really soft.
  6. After dough rises a second time, roll dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle shape about a 1/2 inch in thickness.
  7. Spread caramel mixture over dough keeping it a 1/2 inch from the edge of dough.
  8. Roll up the dough the long way, on the final roll pinch dough to keep it together.
  9. Using kitchen scissors, cut into 1 1/2″ rolls.
  10. Place into greased pans, I do not recommend air-bake pans – glass or traditional metal baking pans have worked best for me. DO NOT pack the rolls tight.  They can touch some, but allow a little room around each roll.
  11. Cover pans with a dishtowel and place in a cool oven with light on.
  12. Let dough rise until about twice the size (about another hour, but watch after 30 minutes).
  13. Take rolls out of oven.
  14. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
  15. Bake 15-20 minutes, look for golden brown color.
  16. Take out of oven, flip pan onto cook sheet(s) and enjoy!