Aparagus Casserole

Asparagus is a strange vegetable and personally, I deplore it even if it is drowning in Hollandaise but if you have never eaten it or for that matter have tried it the normal way and don't like it, don't give up, try the following recipe as a last resort.

2 cans Asparagus Spears
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/3 cup Minced Onions
1 2 oz jar Chopped Pimentos
2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 bag Potato Chips, crushed
3 tablespoons Melted butter

Drain asparagus spears well and lay out on paper towels. Cut off any tough ends. Slice spears in 1 - 2 inch pieces. Spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole with Pam. Please half the asparagus in the casserole; top with half the soup. Spread the soup over the asparagus. Add half the onions, pimentos, and cheese. Add the second half of the asparagus, then the second half of the soup. Top with the remaining onion, pimentos and cheese. Sprinkle the crushed potato chips over all and drizzle the melted butter over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until casserole is hot and chips are a golden brown.

Witch Morsels

This is a very special recipe, somewhat similar to the Southern Hushpuppy with an equal as important legend that follows it's origin.
My
Prior:
Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees in stock pot or deep-fryer

12 oz all-purpose flour
6 oz yellow cornmeal
3 oz baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 oz sugar
4 oz butter
1 tsp almond ext
1 tsp vanilla ext
1 cup milk

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Work butter into dry mixture until well incorporated.

Add extracts and milk together. Work milk mixture into butter mixture to form a stiff batter. Form into ball. Portion into finger size hush puppies. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place on paper toweling to absorb excess oil. Serve

Orange Freeze

When I was a little girl, my Mother and I use to go to a drive-in called "Hot Shoppes", similar to Sonic Drive-In.

It's here where you could get a Mighty Mo, this fantastic double-decker CheeseBurger with their special sauce, shredded lettuce, pickles and tomatoes or The Slim Jim, a Ham and Cheese sub with their "Special Sauce", shredded lettuce and tomato. The sauce is simply a variation of my "Whatchacallit" sauce.

The "Hot Shoppes" dessert specialty was the "Hot Fudge Cake"....plain yellow cake topped with vanilla ice cream and warm hot fudge drizzled over it, then of course a big dollop of whip cream and a cherry!

Last but not least, and tht title of this post was their famous "Orange Freeze" served in a tall glass!

Ingredients:
2 cups orange sherbet or sorbet
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1 sprig fresh spearmint

Directions:

Put the sherbet, juice, and milk in a blender and blend for 15 seconds or just until smooth.

Pour the orange freeze into a tall glass and garnish with spearmint sprig.

Strawberry Pie

Have never truly been a big fan of Shoney's Restaurants with one exception...Strawberry Pie!
Many years ago, I fell in love with it and little did I know that you could buy an entire pie to take home and wallow in, until my husband came home one night with a pie strapped to the buddy seat on his Harley....like I said, this has been along time ago.
The recipe below is about as good as you can get to the real deal....so if you like Shoney's Strawberry Pie, go for it!

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 pkg (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin
1 qt fresh whole strawberries
1 9-in baked pie shell

Put water, sugar and cornstarch in saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring, until clear (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in gelatin. Arrange strawberries in pie shell and pour sauce over. Chill 4 to 6 hours or overnight and serve with Cool Whip or whipped cream.

Cupboard Is Bare Salad

This is great for those times between grocery shopping, like when you go to the fridge, and you're starving but there is nothing there but maybe one half of a head of lettuce!

1/2 Head of Iceberg Lettuce, set aside

Dressing
1 cup Ketchup
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Vinegar
1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 T Black Pepper
1 t Garlic Powder

Combine all ingredients in salad oil bottle, shake, chill, drown that Iceberg and enjoy!

Damn That's Fast Peanut Butter Cookies!

Who would think making awesome tasting peanut butter cookies could be so easy? When I first learned of this recipe, I didn't believe anything good could come of it...you know what they say, nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I soon learned that ain't exactly true! Try it, especially if you have Peanut Butter Cookie lovers and if you really want to make it interesting, use "Chunky" Peanut Butter! You could probably do variations by adding chocolate chips, etc.! Work with it baby!

Ingredients:
1 C. peanut butter
1 C. sugar
1 egg

Stir up in a bowl, roll into 1 inch balls. Place cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and smash like a # sign with a fork. Cook in 350 degree oven until lightly golden. Cool and enjoy!

You can cook these until just done for softer cookies-or longer for crunchy ones. Increase ingredients at your discretion to make larger amounts!

Bleu Cheese Lovers Behold....

Generally, Bleu Cheese is my preference in salad dressings and I'm always experimenting with new methods and ingredients, as I will never use store-bought bottled dressing.

3/4 C. Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt (Scant)
1/3 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/3 C. Mayonnaise
4 oz. Danish blue cheese; crumble

Methods/steps
In a mixer bowl, blend sour cream, mustard, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and Worcestershire for 2 minutes at low speed. Add mayonnaise. Blend 1/2 minute at low speed and 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, crumble cheese into mixture. Blend at low speed no more than 4 minutes. Refrigerate 24 hours before Serving.

Chili Relleno Bake

1 - 7 oz. can Whole Ortega Chilies
1 - 4 oz. can Diced Ortega Chilies
2 Tbsp. Butter
3 Eggs
8 oz Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 oz Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
2 C. Milk
1 C. Bisquick

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine cheddar and monterey jack in a bowl. Melt butter in 13" x 9" casserole dish. Lay whole chilies on melted butter, covering bottom of dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of the cheese on chilies. Mix the milk, eggs, Bisquick until smooth, add diced chilies and pour over cheese. Top with remainder of cheese. Bake for 45 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Bud Biscuits

4 C. Bisquick mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can Budweiser Beer


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, and either drop or roll out and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pina Colada Pie

Simply Delicious...especially if you like the marriage of Pineapple and Coconut!

1/3 C. Butter
1 1/2 C. Sugar
3 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Flour
2 Tbsp. Cornmeal
1 1/4 C. drained, canned, crushed Pineapple
1 1/4 C. Coconut
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 unbaked 9-inch Pie Shell
Methods/steps
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and cornmeal until well blended. Add pineapple, coconut, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into pie shell.
Bake 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean.

H. Kent Craig's North Carolina Barbecue Website

H. Kent Craig's North Carolina Barbecue Website

La Greco Camponata

This is a delicious veggie casserole that looks great on any table, very colorful and simple to construct. Lots of garlic, oregano and olive oil and it will compliment either a Greek or Italian meal. Although the recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, I have added a can of diced tomatoes for the added juice to layer the bottom of the casserole.


1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 summer squash, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 to 6 slices toasted sourdough bread, optional for main dish


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour the canned tomatoes into a 3 1/2-quart baking dish and spread to cover the bottom. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (excluding the bread). Toss to coat. Pour the vegetables over the canned tomatoes in an even layer. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve as a side with an Italian or Greek meal, or over toasted sourdough bread for a main dish.

How To Cure A Cast Iron Skillet

A properly cured cast iron skillet will have a jet black sheen, unlike the gray metallic color when purchased new. To get optimum cooking results, you must take certain steps to ensure the cookware will cook properly, especially if you plan to use it for cooking Cornbread.

First of all, buy a good quality solid cast iron skillet which measures 9 inches across the top rim. Wash the skillet with plenty of warm water and a small amount of liquid soap. Rinse thoroughly under running water to remove all traces of the soap. Dry with clean paper towels and let stand until the skillet is completely dry. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees F. Using a basting brush, lightly and thoroughly cover all surfaces (including the handle) of the skillet with vegetable oil. Oil should not drip from the outside and must not form puddles on the inside of the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 - 7 hours. During this period, if any surface area appears to have dried up, brush on another light coat of oil. When the process is finished, inspect all surfaces to see if there is a light (usually brown colored) coat everywhere. If not, another curing is needed. With use, a properly cured skillet will develop a black sheen.

Never use the skillet for anything but cooking cornbread and it should never be washed. After each use, clean it thoroughly with clean dry paper towels. Be careful to remove all excess cooking oil and any all bread crumbs. Store in a dry place. You can store, wrapped in a clean dry towel and before each use oil the inside surface. Pre-heat the skillet. The cornbread batter should only be added to a hot skillet.

Greeks and Longevity

Several years ago, scientists and nutritionists became interested in the "The Mediterranean Diet" and the research carried out on the island of Crete showed that the excellent health condition and longevity of the Cretans has its basis on their traditional nutritional habits.

It is a fact that Cretan peasants consume little meat and few milk products. Traditionally meat was not consumed more than once per 15 days. The only fat they use is the olive oil which is used abundantly in almost everything served. Also, the Cretans consume alot of bread, veggies, fruits and peas, beans or lentils. Fish is the least advised food, followed by red meat.

In his book "Dietetique: Le Regime Sante", Serge Renaud writes:

"Among all the groups which were observed, either mediterranean or not, the group from Crete presented the lowest coronary mortality rate. After ten years of observation, that mortality rate went up by a hundred eighty four for 10000 in the other mediterranean groups and only to nine in the cretan group, which represented a reduction of 95%. The study made it apparent as well, after an observation of 15 years that Crete had generally the lowest mortality rate, irrelevant to the cause of death."___IHO (International Health Organization)

Source: IHO, Med Diet Pyramid

A Baked Beans Tale

Once upon a time, there lived a woman who had a maddening passion for baked beans. She loved them but, unfortunately, they had always had a very embarrassing and somewhat lively reaction in her. Then one day she met a man and fell in love...When it became apparent that they would marry she thought to herself, "He is such a sweet and gentle man, he would never go for this carrying on." She made the supreme sacrifice and gave up beans. Some months later her car broke down on the way home from work, since she lived in the country she called her husband and told him that she would be late because she had to walk home. On her way, she passed a small diner and the odor of the baked beans was more than she could stand...
Since she still had miles to walk, she figured that she would walk off any ill effects by the time she reached home. So, she stopped at the diner and before she knew it, she had consumed 3 large orders of baked beans. All the way home she putt-putted, and upon arriving home she felt reasonably sure she could control it.
Her husband seemed excited to see her and exclaimed delightedly, "Darling, I have a surprise for dinner tonight." He then blindfolded her and led her to her chair at the table. She seated herself and just as he was about to remove the blindfold from his wife, the telephone rang. He made her promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned. He then went to answer the telephone...
The baked beans she had consumed were still affecting her and the pressure was becoming almost unbearable, so while her husband was out of the room she seized the opportunity, shifted her weight to one leg and let it go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of pulpwood mill. She took her napkin and fanned the air around her vigorously. Then she shifted to the other cheek and ripped three more, which reminded her of cooked cabbage...
Keeping her ears tuned to the conversation in the other room, she went on like this for another few minutes.
When the phone farewells signaled the end of her freedom, she fanned the air a few more times with her napkin, placed it on her lap and folded her hands upon it, smiling contently to herself...
She was the picture of innocense when her husband returned, apologizing for taking so long, he asked her if she peeked, and she assured him that she had not.
At this point, he removed the blindfold, and she was surprised to discover that there were twelve dinner guests seated around the table to wish her a "Happy Birthday"!!!

Crocked Baked Beans & Cabbage

This recipe was given to me by my friend Kathleen (Kitty) and had mentioned it often in our telephone conversations. I admit I was skeptical, as Baked Beans and Cabbage did not really strike the right culinary chord with me.....nonetheless, the more I heard her speak of it, the more interested I became in trying it. This recipe calls for 2 lbs of crispy bacon....so it isn't for the calorie counter!

It's very simple to make and my son and husband consumed an entire crockpot of this concoction in one weekend! So I have added it to my winter cook list! Thanks Kitty!

Ingredients:

2 large cans of Bush's Original Baked Beans
1 large head of Cabbage (cooked until tender)
1 onion
2 lbs bacon
1/4 cup drippings from pan
1 cup (reserved) cabbage broth

Fry bacon in skillet and remove, add onion and saute until caramelized.
Combine all ingredients together into crock pot and cook slow.

Serve with Cornbread

Debbi's Bath Salts

As holiday's approach, we are always looking for those nice little gifts to have on hand, when unexpected guests drop in. Everyone, including men, like the occasional tub-soak and most men do not really get into a "tub full of bubbles"!

With winter approaching, and of course, flu season rearing it's ugly head, 2000 mg's of "C", a Eucolyptus bath, and a warm mug of your special brewed tea will put you on the road to recovery fast.

Before you get started you need to have on hand the following:

1 large glass or wooden bowl (salad bowl's work great)
1 box of Kosher Salt (That's salt blessed by the Rabbi, for increased healing)
1 box of Canning Salt or regular table salt
1 box of Baking Soda
Food Coloring
Scented Oils
Bath Salt Jars or Plastic Bags (Mason Jars work, plus they can be decorated!)

To begin with, I usually mix 2 parts canning or regular salt to 1 part Kosher and 1 part soda.
Mix the salt and soda together, blending with your hand thoroughly. Always, when blending the salt, to coin a phrase from J.M. Barrie of "Peter Pan" fame, "Think Happy Thoughts"! In other words, if you are having a bad day, the JW's have infiltrated your neighborhood and interrupted your schedule all morning, the neighbor's dog has turned over your trash and telemarketers have declared open season on you....postpone blending your salts. Whatever type of energy you are projecting will of course, find it's way into the salts. Now if you are making salts for the crabby old lady down the street.....blend at your own risk! Remember whatever you do comes back to you, three times and sometimes seven times!

After blending the salts thoroughly, add the color. Preferably, the best rule of thumb when mixing the color is add a few drops and blend thoroughly until you reach the desired shade. The more you work with the colors, you will figure out how many drops to achieve your desired color effect.

When you have tinted the salt your desired shade, it's time to add the scented oil. This will also take some practice to acheive the desired fragrance. Remember, always add more scent, although it may appear to be strong at first, it will be in a closed container or bag until usage, and you want the scent to permeate your bath.

Before packaging the finished salt, give it some drying time, especially if you have added scent that has dampened the mixture. Just let it air dry for little while. This will scent your home as well, so be prepared!


My favorite bath salt is Eucolyptus and I use pure 100% Eucolyptus Oil which I have located at Walgreens Drug Store. This is something that they keep behind the counter in the pharmacy, and you have to request it. The cost is about $13.00 for a 4 oz bottle and a little goes a long way.

You can experiment with your own colors and fragrances, and obtain the glass bottles you see above in your local Dollar Store.

The salts make perfect gifts for any occasion and to add a special touch, use colorful gift bags, add a candle, a couple of herbal tea bags and create a note with a special affirmation or poem.

It's a perfect gift for a new Mom's arrival from the hospital, for a bridal shower, Mother's day and Father's day! Use your imagination and personalize to be effective!

You can also add a "Mini-Bottle" of Couversier Brandy to the bag for that special man in your life! Be Creative, Have Fun!!

Petite Pot Pies

At my home, everybody loves these and if you prefer beef pot pies, don't throw away that left-over beef stew, works great!

Ingredients:
1 (3oz) Package of Cream Cheese
2 tbsp Mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can mixed vegetables, drained
1 can refrigerated large, flaky biscuits
sesame seeds

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 8 muffin cups. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Stir in chicken, onion, and veggies. Separate biscuits and then divide into 2 parts by removing the top 1/3 of each biscuit. Place bottom 2/3 biscuit into greased muffin cups. Firmly press in bottom and up the sides forming a 1/4 inch rim. Spoon 1/3 cup of chicken mixture into each cup. Top each with remaining biscuit, stretching slightly to fit. Press edges to seal. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown

Mini Beef Pot Pies
Substitute the chicken with left over beef stew!

Memories Of Chicken Casserole & Millicent

My Mother's beautician was a wonderful lady, her altruistic, warm-hearted hospitality, embellished the word "neighbor" and she was my Mom's best friend. She had a shop in her home and her clientele were mostly what I call the "little blue-haired fairy's" that lived in the neighborhood. Not only was she a wonderful friend to my Mother, she was a friend to everyone. When someone was sick, she would always be there to lend a helping hand. When someone lost a loved one, she was always there, supplying her delicious recipes, offering comfort where needed. She was a fantastic cook and always had a delectable to offer her clientele. One of my favorites was her fantastic Chicken Casserole. Over the years, I have practiced this rather simple recipe but could never duplicate Millicent's. This is my version and it's very simple to prepare!

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1-1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup onion
1 beaten egg
1/2 bag (2 cups) Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix
1 tbsp parsley flakes
Paprika

Spread the chicken cubes in bottom of a 2-quart flat casserole dish. Dilute soup with milk and pour over top of chicken. Combine celery and onion, cook in broth until tender. (If you do not have broth and have used canned chicken cubes, use 1 cup water, 1/2 stick butter and 1 chicken bouillon cube instead). Make dressing by combining broth, celery, onion, egg, stuffing and parsley flakes. Spread the dressing on top of the soup, sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until it's bubbling and brown. Serve with heaping spoons of Cranberry relish.

Momma's Buttermilk Biscuits

My mother loved Country Ham and I can remember breakfast on Sunday Morning of Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Grits, Country Ham with Red-eye gravy and her biscuits. My mother's biscuits were light, and just simply delicious, especially soaked open faced with Red-Eye!

2 cups Self-rising Flour
1/2 cup Wesson Oil (She never used "Lard")
1/2 - 2/3 cup Buttermilk
Pinch of Baking Powder (1/2 tsp= "pinch")

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and oil, and blend until the consistency of cornmeal; Make a well, and pour in buttermilk. Some may use hands, but she used a big spoon to work the ingredients into the dough. Form the dough into biscuits with hands or roll out and cut with cutter or glass. Place biscuits on a greased pan, and let the biscuit sides touch. Place in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 6 large or 12 small biscuits.