Buttermilk Pie and World Famous Hamburgers

Terry and I have the most amazing accountant. She not only crunches numbers for us and prepares difficult tax returns for the two businesses and two jobs the two of us have between us, she is a real friend. A personable accountant is a rare and wonderful find. We decided to prepare a meal for her and her business partner last Thursday night. Michelle T.'s Poppy Seed Chicken with rice, which is already a long time family favorite, Jill H.'s Fresh Spinach Salad, which has become a family favorite since I began blogging and Granny Rosie's Buttermilk Pie made the menu.

One Buttermilk Pie recipe makes two deep dish pies. When we arrived at our accountants downtown office we discovered she was not there. I thought maybe we had gotten the date wrong, but found out later she had to run an unexpected errand. While walking around the building looking for her car, we met a homeless man on the street corner. We offered the gentleman one of the pies, which he very humbly accepted. We noticed he retrieved a bag from the recycling center around the corner, then promptly went across the street to a pay phone and called his friend. We asked our accountant about the man and were told he was one of two homeless men that she helps out every now and then. You never know when God will give you the opportunity to be His hands and feet. It is always a blessing when He makes you aware of those privileged opportunities and equips you with the ability to minister to the ones He brings into your path. I pray when that gentleman took his first bite of that pie he thanked a God Who cares for him.

Granny Rosie has some amazing signature dishes. Most of them have not come from a recipe, but from years of experience. Although she can tell us the ingredients, the proportions are all to taste. And good taste it is. Thankfully, her Buttermilk Pie is one of those rare dishes she prepares from a recipe. It is a recipe we can make perfectly time after time. Family is important to Granny Rosie and most of the time when our family gathers we find ourselves around a table of delicious foods. One family tradition that has now entered its fifth generation, although Lily is too young to appreciate it just yet, is Saturday night hamburgers. Most Saturday nights you can find several family members and occasionally the fortunate invited friend enjoying Granny Rosie's world famous hamburgers. A word of fair warning to the blog reader who may find him or herself invited to a Saturday Burger Night, you will be subject to some crazy conversation and be forced to view at least one of three very popular family videos-the beach video when cousin Quinton keeps falling off the float, the summer dance video when baby Brittany's diaper is so full it is hanging down around her knees, or the video taken with the lens cap on of preschooler Benjamin singing "In the Garden."

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts 2 T poppy seeds

2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 1/2 c sour cream

2 sleeves Ritz crackers 1 stick margarine

Boil chicken (I cooked mine in the crockpot while at work) and cut up into chunks. Mix cream of chicken soup and sour cream into a bowl. In another bowl, mix crushed crackers and poppy seed. Once crackers and poppy seed are combined, pour in the melted margarine. In a dish, layer 1/2 sauce, 1/2 chicken and 1/2 crackers. Once the first layer is completed repeat. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Buttermilk Pie

6 eggs 1 t salt

1 c melted butter 1 c buttermilk

1/2 c sifted plain flour 1 t vanilla flavoring

3 1/2 c sugar 2 unbaked deep-dish pie shells

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add butter slowly to eggs. Beat in flour, sugar and salt. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into pie shells. Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Shake and if pie is firm, it is done.

My Mom and my MIL

Guest Post Warning: This blogger loves to write and is known for long blog posts. She doesn't apologize for the lengthiness of this post. You can check out her personal blog here. Fortunately for you, her blog is about to celebrate its second birthday on March 28. Check it out and look for the birthday post, you could be the lucky winner of the blog birthday giveaway!!!

Phyliss (aka Nana No Name) is here this week keeping Lily while I (Brittany) go back to work. Monday was my first day back after being off since December 7 on bedrest and maternity leave. Before I start blogging about some new church recipes, I want to say a few things about "mi madre."

1.If you've ever been around her for even a split second, you have probably laughed REALLY hard! My fondest memories with my mother are laughing with her until tears are rushing down our cheeks and our abs are in some horrid pain, like we just can't bare to laugh anymore. As much as I have laughed with her, I'm sure there is a six pack of abs somewhere under all my baby weight!

2. Phyliss has a disease. A speaking disease. It's almost as if she speaks a different language and we commonly refer to it as "Phylissisms". It's yet to be truly diagnosed or given a name and there is no known cure. Unfortunately, the disease is genetic and gets worse with each generation. Sorry Lily, I'm afraid it's inevitable; there isn't much hope.

If I may interject here, (this is Phyliss) there is a formal name for my "disease." Actually it is not a disease but rather a linguistic phenomenom. It is called Spoonerism. William Archibald Spooner, a Brit, was famous for speaking in public the way I speak among my friends. Spooner was an ordained deacon in The Church of England and a professor at New College, Oxford for sixty years. He was known to be quite absentminded. I am in good company. Some of the spoonerisms attributed but not substantiated to Mr. Spooner are

"Come into the arms of a shoving leopard."

"It is kisstomary to cuss the bride."

"Let's raise our glasses to the queer old Dean."

"Mardon me padam, this pie is occupued. May I sew you to another sheet."

"The weight of rages will press hard upon the employer." Is the only substantiated Spoonerism of Mr. Spooner. You are welcome to comment and translate any of these quotes.

Shel Silverstein wrote a children's book of poetry, Runny Babbit, published after his death. The entire book is written in the language both Spooner and I share. Brittany discovered the book and made sure I had my very own copy. For obvious reasons it is one of my favorites.

3. She is a WONDERFUL wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, children's minister, friend, aunt, niece, and any other title she carries. She is selfless, helpful, loving, hard working, and devoted. Read Proverbs 31 and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Mom wants me to write a post on two recipes she has cooked in the past two weeks--Crock Pot Pizza and Spicy Roast Beef. I'm not so sure I can say good things about both recipes. So here goes...

Crock Pot Pizza

Ironically, this recipe is my mother-in-law's recipe, Teresa. I will rave all the day long about my wonderful MIL, but I cannot say the same about the recipe. Teresa is very similar to my mother in many ways. She was born only 4 days after my mom and the Von Kanel family was friends with my family long before Brent and I started to date. I remember my family inviting the VK's to the lake one weekend when I was in middle school (I had a serious crush on him at the time). Brent, a friend of mine, and I played LIFE that weekend and I remember imagining that Brent was the driver in my minivan. HAHA...now he really is :) I've always felt comfortable around Teresa because I knew her as a friend of the family before I knew her as family. She is also an excellent mother, having 3 children of her own. She raised an amazing son who is now my husband. I'm serious...he's amazing. And I'm sure all of his characteristics can be credited to his parents who taught him how to love his wife as Christ does. I love my in-laws and I'm extremely thankful for them :) Now, for the recipe. Let's get something straight...I LOATHE pizza, so it's obvious why I wouldn't like this recipe. Teresa knows it, thanks to Brent informing her after we had just begun dating, so it's okay that I tell you this. I know it's wrong to hate, but I do NOT feel guilty for hating pizza. There's just something about Italian spices that make me lose my appetite...like those in pepperoni and the sauce (not to mention the smell). I would honestly prefer to not eat than to eat pizza. It has nothing to do with my MIL's cooking (she's a great cook), it's the ingredients I don't like. However, I'm the only person that feels this way. Brent loves it and I cook it ONCE a year, and I do not cook it more frequently under any circumstances. I make it for his birthday. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to make it this year because we went out to eat this year. Ben and his friend, Parker, were at my parent's house for part of their spring break. Mom made it and between the two of them, they licked that crock pot clean. One of the great advantages is that it's a super easy recipe and it's perfect to feed a family. Just like all other crock pot recipes, you throw it in, let it cook, and BAM there's your dinner! My advice: make this recipe a staple in your house. Forget that I don't like it. I'm weird, I mean, who doesn't like pizza? Just me.

Spicy Roast Beef
This is supposed to be an oven roast, but Mom made it for us this week and put it in the crock pot and it tasted delish! Again, it's an easy one and feeds a family. I love to cook a roast so I'm always excited to find a way to spice it up! One day during our first year of marriage, I put a roast in the crock pot before I went to work. I came home and couldn't wait to get in the house so I could smell that yummy roast! I walked in and AHHH it smelled like a home cooked meal. I went in the kitchen to take a peek at it, lifted the lid, only to find that the roast was just as it was when I left that morning. I had turned it on but never plugged it in! I guess my nose was anticipating the aroma so much that it sent false signals to my brain. It wasn't the first and it won't be the last time I mess up a meal.

Here are the recipes!

Crockpot Pizza
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained
16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. sliced pepperoni
2/3 box rigatoni noodles, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
2 jars pizza sauce

Directions: Alternate layers in crockpot as follows--hamburger, noodles, cheese, soup, mushrooms, onions, sauce, and pepperoni. Hear 4 hours on low in crockpot. This is Phyliss interjecting again. My crockpot apparently cooks hotter than some. Four hours was too long, three probably would have been perfect.

Spicy Roast Beef
3-4 lbs. lean beef rump roast
1 c. Dale's steak seasoning liquid
1/4 c. McCormick's Spicy Montreal steak seasoning
4 c. water
1 med. roasting bag

Directions: Place meat in roasting bag. Sprinkle McCormick spices over meat. Add Dale's sauce and water to bag. Place roasting bag in roasting pan. Punch steam escape holes in bag. Bake in 200 degree over for 8 hours. Me again, like Brittany said I did cook this in the crock pot. There was more liquid than I usually put in a crockpot, but I used it to make a delicious gravy to go over the rice we had with the roast. This recipe was contributed by Barbara P. Barbara and her husband, Troy, have been committed members of our church as long as I can remember. They were my Training Union teachers when I was in eight grade.

Paula's Done It Again

I have learned a lot from Paula P. over the years. Two things I have used just recently.

Terry and I have mini blinds on the bedroom windows and micro blinds on the bathroom windows. The slats on micro blinds are only a half inch wide making them perfect for small bathroom windows. I purchased ours over a decade ago. Last fall, while pulling the cord on the blind in my bathroom I managed to pull the entire blind off the window. The bright, hot sun had deteriorated the plastic brackets that connect the blind to the window and one little last tug was all it took to completely destroy what was left of it. I decided to take my showers in Terry's bathroom for the remainder of the week and look for a new blind over the weekend. Do you remember how old I said the blinds were? Apparently, they are no longer in style and now no one carries them. The week of using Terry's shower turned into four. However, in October, two boys from the Ranch were coming to spend the weekend and I knew we could not all share one bathroom. What to do? Obviously we are not too concerned about style so we thumb-tacked a big pink beach towel to the window, seen easily by anyone driving by the house. The boys did not mind and the towel served its purpose until this past Saturday afternoon. I got the bright idea to move the blind in Terry's bathroom to mine. His bathroom is on the back of the house, so I figured it would not matter. The blind has been hanging in the window for a long time receiving the occasional wipe down when I cleaned the rest of the bathroom. Gunky is probably the best word to describe the formerly white blind. The Windex and sponge were not cutting through the mess and then I remembered Paula. Years ago she told me she removed her blinds and cleaned them in the bathtub. Great idea! It only took me about fifteen minutes and now I have micro blinds in my bathroom that look like new. Thank you, Paula for sharing your housekeeping tip.

The other thing I have learned from Paula is how to make a delicious roast in the crockpot. I love my crockpot and I am always looking for new ways to use it. Last Tuesday night Terry, Gus and I enjoyed Paula's Crockpot Italian Beef. Gus is the beneficiary of some tasty delight from the cookbook each Tuesday. He and I are taking a Biblical counseling class together along with a couple of other church members. He gets a free delicious meal and I get an expert opinion on the menu of the evening. It is my hope that he will provide a guest blog for us again in the future.

Crockpot Italian Beef

3 to 4 lb boneless beef roast 1 t garlic salt

3 c water 1 t basil

1 t salt 1 pkg. Good Season's Italian salad dressing1 t 1 t pepper mix

1 t onion salt

Place roast in crockpot on low. Mix water and all the seasonings and the dry salad dressing mix. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 12 hours (I did not have 12 hours so I cooked mine on high for 4 and low for 4.) Remove roast; shred beef and return to broth for 15 minutes. Serve on buns, hoagie rolls or over french bread.

Five Loaves and Two Fish

Jesus can feed five thousand with five loaves and two fish, but I can only feed four hungry boys with three loaves of white bread and four racks of ribs. We spent the weekend at The Big Oak Boys Ranch. Terry and I are relief parents for the house parents in one of the homes four or five times a year. I did not prepare ribs for them; we took them to Dreamland in Huntsville Saturday night for Brent's birthday party. However, I did use the boys as guinea pigs for two of the church cookbook recipes. The boys usually eat anything and everything I put in front of them, so I knew I would get good reviews for these two recipes. In addition to the cookbook preparations, I also made my famous snickerdoodles. The boys have come to expect them and I dare not come to the Ranch without the proper ingredients. Little do the boys know, but all I do is make Winn Dixie brand break and bake cookies. As a matter of fact, the youngest boy in the house now makes the snickerdoodles for me while a prepare other foods. He loves to work with me in the kitchen and I find I spend the majority of the weekend preparing something for someone to eat. Please don't give away my secret about the snickerdoodles.

This weekend for Saturday lunch I made Carissa C.'s Hankie Pankies. You can find this recipe in the appetizer section, but a similar recipe called Miniature Pizzas submitted by my mom can be found in the "This and That" section. The boys were so full from the snickerdoodles they had been sneaking all morning they did not eat as many of the little pizzas as I had expected. However, we reheated them the next day for lunch after church and they had no trouble eating the whole plateful.

For dinner Sunday evening I prepared my mom's Cheeseburger Soup. I have to admit I did not follow the recipe exactly. I doubled it and also added an extra pound of ground beef. Remember I was feeding hungry boys and knew they would devour this soup. My sweet husband peeled and diced five pounds of potatoes while I chopped and prepared all the other vegetables that are hidden in this recipe. The name of the recipe is very deceiving because there are several vegetables cleverly disguised within all the cheesy goodness. My mom was always careful to provide yummy and healthy meals for us. Now I look forward to the rare times when I get to be with my parents in their mountain home. Good food is always a part of the special times we share. As I mentioned before, Brittany and I laugh good and hard when we are the kitchen. The same is true of my mom and me. Imagine what it is like when the three of us are together.

Hanky Panky

1 lb. ground beef 1 lb. Velveeta cheese

1 lb. sausage 1 loaf sm. rye bread

Brown ground beef and sausage. Drain. Cube Velveeta and add to ground beef and sausage until melted. Cut bread into quarters. Spoon desired amount of ground beef/sausage/cheese mixture onto each quarter. Place in oven at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until toasted. May be frozen and reheated in oven.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef 3 c chicken broth

3/4 c chopped onion 4 c diced potatoes

3/4 c shredded carrots 1/4 c flour

3/4 c diced celery 8 oz cheese, cubed

1 t dried basil 1 1/2 c milk

1 t dried parsley salt and pepper to taste

4 T margarine, divided

In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef, drain and set aside. In same pan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 1 T margarine. Add broth, potatoes and beef; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Mix and cook 3 T margarine and flour 3 to 4 minutes Add to soup; bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Yields 8 servings.

Philly Family Day

Sunday was Philly Family Day at church. A day when we partake of the Lord's Supper together, share a meal, and discuss family business. Each family brings enough food for themselves and others. It only made sense to prepare my meal from the church cookbook. However, I have to be at church at 8AM and four hour old Heavenly Broccoli Casserole might send us into eternity a little sooner than expected. Taco Surprise that has been sitting on the counter all morning might surprise us in ways we would rather not be. Special Green Beans... well...you get the picture. With all that considered I decided to make salads and desserts I could place in the refrigerator.

I prepared JoAnn C.'s Cabbage Slaw Salad, Mary Claire C.'s Lemonade Pie, and another one of Paula's amazing concoctions, Chess Pie. The Chess Pie did not make it to church. My family decided they wanted it to themselves. Terry and I ate the last piece Tuesday night. The slaw was one of the best I have eaten. Terry does not eat cabbage, but this particular slaw he really enjoyed. He has now truly surprised me twice since I began this challenge-the spinach salad and the slaw. Thanks, ladies, for getting my husband to eat his greens.

The Lemonade Pie actually appears in the cookbook three times with slight variations. I chose to prepare Mary Claire's because she is one of the youngest contributors to the book. I thought she was probably at least five or six by now, but then I realized that can't be. The book was published in 1999, so that would make her at least eleven. Why do children grow up so fast? I was told this week that Mary Claire is thirteen. In just one short week Mary Claire went from five to thirteen. Mary Claire is a beautiful young girl. She has parents who love the Lord and are raising her to love and serve Him. Mary Claire, her two older sisters and her mom contributed several more recipes to the cookbook. Mary Claire's mom, Marilyn, is a lot like Paula. She uses her skills in the kitchen to bless others. Being sick is not so bad when Marilyn brings you a meal. I am looking forward to preparing the other recipes contributed by these girls.

Cabbage Slaw Salad

1 bag slaw mix 1 pkg. chicken flavored ramen noodles

1/2 pkg. sunflower kernels remove flavor packet and crush noodles

6 green onions with rolling pin

1/2 bell pepper chopped

Mix above ingredients together. Mix together in small container; 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and flavor packet from noodles. Pour dressing over salad mixture and mix well. Chill at least one hour before serving. Will keep well in refrigerator for one week.

Chess Pie

3 eggs 1 t vanilla

1 1/2 c sugar 1 t vinegar

1/2 c butter, melted Dash nutmeg

1 T yellow cornmeal 1 8-inch unbaked pie crust

Beat eggs slightly. Stir in sugar, butter, cornmeal, vanilla, vinegar and nutmeg until well blended. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Eat quickly before anyone else has a chance.

Lemonade Pie

1 can condensed milk Yellow food coloring, opt.

1 sm. can frozen lemonade 2 graham cracker crusts or butter pie crusts

1 lg. ctn. Cool Whip

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Mix milk , lemonade, Cool Whip, lemon juice and food coloring (if desired) and pour into pie shells. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Keep well in freezer.

I Never Cook on Friday Night. What Was I Thinking?

On the weekends Terry and I are usually trying to figure out where we want to eat. I don't typically cook those nights, but for some reason it was the natural thing for me to do last Friday. I am finding I actually look forward to the next planned recipe and have found a new love in preparing special meals for my family and others. While I am spending more money at the grocery store, we are not eating out nearly as often.

Friday night I prepared two recipes contributed by two special friends, Michelle T. and Carissa C. Both friends are busy working mothers and both recipes were again quick, simple and tasty. Those words seem to be the buzz words in my blogs. We ate Michelle's Chicken Parmesan and Carissa's Cheesy California Medley. The best way to get you family to eat veggies? Camouflage them with cheese.

Carissa and I both work at the church so I have the opportunity to see her almost every day. I have never met a person with such a plethora of interesting stories. I have known Carissa for close to 20 years and I do not believe I have heard the same story twice. She apparently lives a very full life. Her three children provide her with the fodder for many of her most hysterical stories. I know all three of her children and attest to the fact that even the most seemingly unbelievable stories are somehow true. Carissa needs to write a book. It would be a bestseller.

Michelle, on the other hand, is a friend I hardly ever see. However, no matter how much time goes by before I see her again, I am always totally comfortable with her. I can be myself and she loves me just the same. Like Jill, she is one I can always count on to serve in many of the Children's Ministries. Oh wait, she is going on a family vacation to the Grand Canyon the week of VBS and her children have grown up, so now she is going on the youth trip rather than Kidz Kamp. It looks like this year we will see each other even less, but I still consider her as one of my dearest friends.

Cheesy California Medley

1 bag California medley veggies 1 can cheddar cheese soup

1/2 stick butter 1 c crushed Toll House crackers

On medium heat, cook vegetables according to package. In small pan, melt butter. Heat soup, not to boiling. In 2 quart casserole dish mix vegetables and cheddar cheese soup. pour melted butter over crushed crackers. Sprinkle crackers on top of veggie/cheese. Place in oven for 350 for 15 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts 2 c Italian bread crumbs

1/2 c Parmesan cheese 1 stick margarine

Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in one bowl. In another bowl, melt the margarine. Next dip the chicken in the margarine and roll in the bread crumb mixture. Then place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the remaining margarine over the chicken. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, uncovered.

Oh, There You Are

Tonight Terry and I had planned to go to our reading group. We are reading through John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus with a group of friends. We gather weekly to discuss the book chapter by chapter. I got home from work late, but had already thawed the chicken for tonight's meal, and although a quick sandwich would have been in order I really wanted to try tonight's recipe. I decided to prepare the meal, leave it in the oven on low and eat when we returned home from our reading group.

Our well-prepared group leader always emails us a few questions to help us ready ourselves for the discussion and to help keep us on track during the evening. The "keeping us on track" part is somewhat of a challenge. We are quite a talkative group. I love the accountability of being part of a small group. I am not sure I would be reading as much if I didn't have caring friends to keep me responsible.

We did not get to eat until close to 9PM. The meal was wonderful. Was I just really, really hungry or was the food just really, really good? I don't know, but I do know my mouth and tummy did not care.

I prepared two recipes from the cookbook. Paula P.'s Vinegar Chicken and Susan L.'s Vegetable Casserole. The casserole had both a starchy veggie and a green veggie. I love all in one dishes. Because the recipe also called for cheese, the dish could actually serve as an entire dinner if necessary. The casserole was very similar to a dish I prepare around the holidays. It was, however, just different enough to be interesting. Susan no longer attends our church. If anyone knows where she now attends or has somehow kept in touch with her let me know how she is doing and tell her I said "Hi!"

Paula's Vinegar Chicken was extremely tender, moist, and tasty. Grilling and broiling are the two suggested ways to cook the meat. I used my broiler tonight because it was very dark and cold outside. As good as the chicken was tonight, I can only imagine how good it would be on the grill. We will definitely be trying this one again once the weather is warmer.

There are two kinds of people in this world. The first kind, I fear, are a lot like me. They walk into a room and announce, "Here I am." The second kind are a lot like Paula. They walk into a room and say, "Oh, there you are." One particular passage of scripture comes to mind when I think of Paula, Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Paula is genuinely concerned about others. In humility she cares deeply for those around her. She is always prepared on a moments notice to prepare a meal for a family in need. She puts her faith in action. I look forward to preparing more of Paula's recipes. As I am eating them, I will be reminded of all the families Paula has blessed with her meals.

Vinegar Chicken

3/4 c cider vinegar 1/2 t pepper

1 1/2 t salt 1 cut-up fryer chicken

1/4 c oil

In shallow pan, stir vinegar and salt until salt dissolves. Stir in oil and pepper. Pierce chicken thoroughly; place in single layer in marinade; let stand for 1 hour, turning once. Drain off and reserve marinade. Place chicken , skin side down, over charcoal or broiler pan about 6 inches from heat. Grill or broil, brushing with marinade every 10 minutes and turning skin side up after 20 minutes, for a total of 40 to 50 minutes until tender.

Vegetable Casserole

1 can white shoepeg corn 1/2 c chopped celery

1 can French-style green beans 1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c chopped green pepper 1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c sharp grated cheese 1 can cream of celery soup

Topping:

1/2 sleeve crumbled Ritz crackers 1/2 sm can slivered almonds

1/2 stick butter

Mix all ingredients, except for topping, in a 2-quart casserole. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Add topping and brown slightly.

My First Crack at Guest Blogging

I would like to start off by thanking Phyliss and Terry for opening up their home to me. They’ve been a tremendous influence in my life since God brought me to Philly in 2001. I’m good friends with both of their chil’rens, Brittany (B-Dub), and Benjamin (Benji), so I’ve spent many moments over at their house.

Terry and Phyliss invited me over to eat some of Mike Henderson’s Red Beans & Rice, which I’ve heard is a legendary dish. Needless to say, I was not about to turn down a chance at trying some legendary food. I’ve put plenty of weird food in my mouth (drank a happy meal, raisin bagel w/ green bean baby food, etc.), so I figured that this would be no problem.

I showed up totally unprepared. I was unaware of anything related to the contents of Mr. Mike’s recipe, minus the main ingredients. Apparently, there is some heat to this meal. Fortunately, I scored some generic Tums—thanks P & T—and the feast was on! Two helpings later, the Tums were a blessing.

Tasty and delicious were two words I used to describe the meal. Mr. Mike would be proud. I even got to get a slice of that cheesecake deluxe Phyliss made. Yummmmm!!!!

And that’s all I have to say about that…

Mike's Red Beans and Rice

2 med. yellow onions, finely chopped 1/2 t oregano

1/2 c celery leaves, finely chopped 1 T salt

1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 T sugar

1 t olive oil 1/2 c ketchup

1lbs smoked sausage 1 T Worcestershire

1 T chili powder 3 dashes or so Tabasco sauce

4 cans light red kidney beans

Saute onion, celery tops and garlic in olive oil. Cut sausage into 1/4 inch pieces and add to onion mixture. Add all the chili powder, oregano, salt, sugar and Tabasco (include a little red pepper or Cajun seasoning when your wife is out of the room). Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Wash and drain beans; add to the mix. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer all day. To thicken, if necessary, remove 1 cup of beans smash them and put back in pan. Serve over rice with Tabasco or favorite hot sauce. Feeds an army!

Oh, That's Why You Add the Baking Soda Last or Mom, How Did You Mess Up a Microwave Recipe

We got over two inches of snow at our house last Friday, a rare and welcome occasion in the South. I thought I had remembered seeing a recipe for Snow Ice Cream in the cookbook and knew this would be my only chance to make it. There were only recipes for regular homemade ice cream so I was off the hook for that one.

Brittany was already making brownies and I wanted to be in the kitchen with her. We have had some pretty funny things happen to us when we try to bake together and I like to look for more opportunities to make that happen. I found a pretty simple microwave recipe for pralines and figured I would not really get in Brittany's way since she was using the oven and I would be using the microwave. Talking, laughing, and dumping the ingredients of a new recipe into a microwaveable bowl all at the same time should really be avoided.

The candy was to microwave for 12 minutes, stirring every four. Simple enough. I can do some math and I knew I would be stirring the candy three times. I had not noticed that the baking soda is to be added after the third stir and microwaved for just one more minute.

I am not sure what chemical reaction took place, probably something similar to the volcanoes we used to make for science projects. Those explosions are on purpose, the one that took place in my microwave was not. Words to describe the aftermath-sticky, icky, gooey, runny, foamy.

There was not a whole lot of substance left to spoon out onto the wax paper, but what little there was had a very good flavor. Overall, I think this is a good recipe. Easy and tasty.

The contributor? My dad, Tom. Famous for his Christmas fudge, now infamous for his Tout De Suite Pralines.

Tout De Suite Pralines

3/4 c buttermilk 1/8 t salt

2 c sugar 2 T butter

2 c pecan halves 1 t baking soda

Stir together buttermilk, sugar, pecans, salt and butter in a 4 0r 5 quart dish. Cook on hight 12 minutes in microwave stirring at 4 minute intervals. STIR IN BAKING SODA UNTIL FOAMY. COOK ON HIGH FOR 1 MINUTE. Beat unit tacky (about 1 minute). Drop by teaspoonful on a sheet of foil.

Valentine's Day Menu

Today is Valentine's Day. I planned a quiet dinner at home with just me and my Valentine. Everything we ate tonight came from the church cookbook. I started cooking at 1:30 and we finally sat down to dinner at 7:30. Nothing I cooked was hard, it all just took awhile and I enjoyed every bit of the time I spent in the kitchen. Everything was well worth the wait. Thank you ladies who contributed these delicious recipes. You helped make Valentine's Day very special.

Our main course was Laurie H.'s Chicken Cordon Bleu and I also prepared her Creamy Stuffed Potatoes as a side. Laurie no longer attends our church, but the one thing I remember about her is her beautiful voice.

I prepared Jill H.'s Fresh Spinach Salad to go along with the chicken and potatoes. Terry is not much of a "fru-fru" salad guy, but he asked for seconds on this one. Jill, I was blown away. Jill has worked with me ministering to the children of our church and community for more years than I can count. Her dedication to children's choir is very appreciated. We have had many good times at Kidz Kamp. She used her giftedness as a teacher in children's Sunday School for several years. I know I can always count on her to work in Vacation Bible School. Her four kids have also made a significant and colorful impact on our children's ministry. There are several more recipes in the cookbook from Jill, I will save other comments for later posts.

For dessert I made one of my own contributions-Old Fashioned Cheesecake Deluxe. Cheesecake is one of Terry's favorites. I used to make it for him every Valentine's Day and Birthday. We try to stay away from too many rich sweets these days being our age and weight and all. I have not made the cheesecake in several years, so it was a real treat tonight. Tomorrow I will have to take it to work to keep Terry and I from eating the whole cake.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 chicken breast filets 6 slices bacon

1 c. sour cream 1 can cream of mushroom soup

6 slices American cheese

6 slices cooked ham

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Brush one side of filet with sour cream. Layer cheese and ham on filet. Roll to enclose filling and wrap with bacon. Secure with wooden toothpick. Place in baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Pour soup over chicken and bake for 15 minutes or until tender.

Creamy Stuffed Potatoes

4 lg. baking potatoes 1 c. sour cream

Vegetable oil 1 t. salt

8 slices bacon 1/2 t. pepper

1/2 c. chopped green onion 1/2 t. paprika

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Scrub potatoes thoroughly and rub skins with oil; bake at 400 for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until done. Cool to touch. Slice skin away from top of potatoes. Scoop out pulp. Leaving shells intact; mash pulp. Cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble, reserving 3 T drippings in skillet. Saute onion in bacon drippings until tender. Combine potato pulp, bacon, onion, Parmesan, sour cream, salt adn pepper. Stuff shells with mixture and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Fresh Spinach Salad

1 to 2 bunches spinach 1 c. Canola oil

Strawberries 1/3 c raspberry wine vinegar

Mandarin Oranges 2 to 4 T honey

Mushrooms, opt. 2 T poppy seed

2 T dijon mustard

Combine spinach, strawberries, oranges, and mushrooms. Mix together mustard, oil, vinegar, honey and poppy seed. Serve as dressing over the salad.

Old Fashioned Cheesecake Deluxe

Crust:

1 1/2 pkgs. graham crackers 4 T butter

2 T sugar

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese 8 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 c sugar (this ingredient is left out in the church cookbook) 2 T lemon juice

2 t vanilla 16 oz sour cream

Crush graham crackers and add sugar; mix in 10-inch springform pan. Pat down and from crust on bottom and partially up sides of pan. Beat softened cream cheese until smooth; add sugar, sour cream, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; add eggs, one at a time until thoroughly mixed. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Shut oven off and leave in oven for 1 hour. Remove and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

A Teaspoon and A-Half Baking Powder and A-Half Teaspoon of Salt

Did you know that if you don't have any self-rising flour in the house you can make your own? Just add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a cup of all purpose flour. Who knew? Google knew.

Tonight I made Pattie M.'s mayonnaise rolls to go with pork roast and veggies. Normally we don't have bread with our meals around here. I'm not really a big fan of bread, but if I am going to cook through the entire cookbook I will be eating some homemade breads.

Pattie's homemade rolls were simple and quick to make. I imagine if you eat bread with every meal you would find these rolls just about as easy as prepackaged. Ask Brent sometime the difference between Brown & Serve and Grab & Go rolls.

I have a great deal of admiration for Pattie. She has home schooled three boys. I can't imagine the patience, organization, discipline and determination it takes to accomplish what she has

.

She may not remember this, but years ago she was a life saver for me. As a young mother, I had taken on one of those projects that half way into it I wondered if I could complete. I decided to hold a Neighborhood Bible Club in my home for Brittany's classmates. Each Wednesday afternoon close to 20 first graders showed up at my house. Pattie was there to help maintain some sense of control. She helped transport the children to my home and helped provide snacks each week. When I thought I had gotten in over my head, Pattie was there to keep me from drowning. Thanks to Pattie I was able to complete the school year. I did not host a Bible club again in my home, but Pattie's encouragement that year gave me the courage to help with or teach several more Bible clubs throughout the years my children were in grade school. We will never know how God worked in the lives of most of those children. We are to be obedient and trust Him with the outcome. Thank you Pattie for being one of our Sovereign Lord's instruments in the lives of those children.

Mayonnaise Rolls

1 cup self-rising flour 3 heaping T. mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

Mix all ingredients well; drop by spoonfuls into greased muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. If desired, biscuits may be rolled and cut; just decrease milk. Makes 6 rolls.

What Do You Do with a Loaf of Smooshed Bread?

While perusing the cookbook last night looking for tonight's recipe I remembered the loaf of smooshed bread tucked away in my fridge. When I was putting away groceries over a week ago I discovered the bread had been sacked under a couple of cans of soup. Too lazy to go back to the grocery and not willing to throw the loaf away just yet, I put it in the refrigerator. What do you do with a loaf a smooshed bread? You make Wanda S.'s Cheese Pie. The recipe said to refrigerator the pie overnight so at 10PM I found myself grating a half-pound of cheese. Cheese Pie apparently requires a lot of cheese. I couldn't decide what to serve with the pie and pondered that all day. After eating it this evening I have decided it would go well with vegetable soup. I called Wanda to see what she normally served with the pie, but she was not at home. Wanda, if you read this blog, please comment and let us know how you serve your recipe.

Wanda has been a member of our church for more years than I can remember. She has served others by caring for our babies in the nursery for two generations. Wanda cared for my babies when I was a young mother and now I am a young grandmother. She also served working mothers in our community by keeping their young children in her home. Not everyone can spend that much time with other's children and keep their sanity. Wanda has a very special God-given gift that she uses to edify the Body and minister to those around her.

Cheese Pie

10 slices white bread, cubed w/ crust removed 2 cups milk

1/2 lb. grated cheese 3 eggs, beaten

1 t. salt

Layer bread cubes and cheese in casserole dish. Mix milk, eggs and salt and pour over bread and cheese. Let stand at least 2 hours or overnight. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

The Local Barbecue Place Was Calling My Name

While driving home from work this evening I was really considering stopping off at the local award winning barbecue place to pick up a "family pack" for dinner. I did not leave work until 5:30. When I was a little over a block from my house I noticed a man about 75 yards in front of me limping toward my van. I got just a bit closer and realized the somewhat crippled man was my husband. You need to understand that he had surgery last Wednesday to remove a football sized tumor from his right hamstring. The surgery resulted in a two-foot incision and 61 staples. Although I was not happy to see him walking so far from home, I was thankful the temptation to get take-out had been thwarted. However, Terry wanted me to take him to the UPS store so he could get his mail. I had to drive right by the barbecue place to get the UPS store and the smell was almost too much to pass up. Then I remembered you, my faithful blog follower, and determined to overcome. Thankfully the recipe I had chosen to prepare tonight was quick, easy, and yes, delicious. I did not begin supper until a little before six and we were sitting down to dinner at 6:30. Nothing short of wonderful.

Tonight I prepared Dale E.'s Hamburger Casserole found on page 40. The recipe calls for canned biscuits but it also states that you could make biscuits from scratch. Who knew biscuits came from anything but a can? I remembered I had a box of Bisquick and noticed a recipe for biscuits on the side of the box-two and quarter cups of Bisquick and two-thirds cup of milk. I had no idea biscuits could be so easy. Yes, biscuits from a box of Bisquick are consider scratch at my house just as are break and bake cookies.

Not only do Dale and I attend church together, we are also friends on Facebook. I discovered something quite interesting about Dale through her Facebook pictures. She is very creative and talented. I knew she loved to scrapbook, but her talent reaches much further. She creates these amazing pieces she calls "altered art." Dale is so unassuming and humble I don't think she realizes how beautiful her pieces are. She creates them for herself for the pure joy of it. Occasionally a family member or friend may be the blessed recipient of one of her creations. In my humble opinion Dale's "altered art" pieces are some of the most creative and interesting I have seen. Her Hamburger Casserole is not bad either. The ease, quick preparation and tastiness will place this recipe on the repeat list.

Hamburger Casserole

1 lb. ground beef 1 pkg. brown gravy mix

1/2 onion chopped 5 or 10- canned biscuits, or from scratch

1 T cooking oil

1 beef bouillon cube

Brown onion and beef in 1 tablespoon oil. Drain. Cook gravy by directions on package only add beef cube in with the water and mix. Put cooked beef and onion in a casserole dish. Pour gravy on top and mix. Top with raw biscuits or biscuit dough. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until biscuits are done.

I Have Already Cheated

This is my second day of blogging and my first day of actual cooking and I have already cheated. In preparation for Terry's surgery I cooked several meals in advance. One of those meals can be found in my church cookbook, so I am going to count that one as my first recipe-broccoli/cheese soup. We did have it for lunch today, so in my book that is okay. If you have been around me very long you already know me by this soup. I have prepared it for many of my friends. If you come home from the hospital in the winter I will bring you this soup or one of two others. Whenever I have groups of people over for fellowship this soup or one of the other two will probably make an appearance. It is requested time and again by young and old alike. One of our youth called it "food network good." It is not a crockpot recipe as one of you requested, but it can be prepared in under an hour and the ingredients can become staples in your pantry.

It is appropriate that my first recipe be from one of my relatives, my sister-in-law, Sandra. She made it for me the first time after a long fun day of shopping at Christmas Village. Sandra is selfless, generous, funny, kind, and unlike me finishes projects she begins. She is currently in graduate school and I have no doubt she will finish with flying colors, while taking excellent care of her family. Although we live in the same city, we might as well live across the country. I do not get to see her nearly as often as I would like. It is too easy to get caught up in our busy lives and forget about the people who are the most important. When we do get together I find it is always worth every bit of the effort. When we get together good food is always involved.

The recipe can be found on page 9 of the church cookbook. For those of you who do not own the cookbook I will also post the recipes at the end of each blog entry.

Broccoli/Cheese Soup

1 med-lg onion chopped 1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 can cream of celery soup

1 stick butter 2 lbs. Velveeta cheese

1 can Ro-Tel 16 to 20 oz. chopped broccoli

2 cans chicken broth

Saute onions and celery in butter. Add broccoli, chicken broth and Ro-Tel. Simmer in large saucepan until soft. Add soups. Add Velveeta cheese and melt. Use low heat and stir often. For a creamier soup, put onions, celery, Ro-Tel and broccoli through the food processor. (I do not use the food processor, but I do follow rest of the recipe exactly as is.)

2 cans chicken broth

Last night I watched Julie & Julia with my family. Jokingly, I mentioned that I should think of something to challenge myself with and see to completion. My-son-in-law said I should cook through our church cookbook and blog about that. Little did he know I would take the challenge. Little do any of us know if I will complete the task. Other than when I have been given an assignment at school or work, or telling myself I have to get the toilets scrubbed before I can have a glass of tea, I have never completed any truly challenging project. I have already been to the grocery store this week and cannot afford another trip until next weekend, so I will attempt the first few recipes with what I already have in my cupboard. Who knows where this will take me? I have also begun to coupon and shop local grocery store sales, so this will make the project even more challenging. I love the ladies who contributed to our cookbook over ten years ago. These ladies are family members and some of my closest friends. Many are no longer members of my church, some have moved, some have passed away, but I still think of them often. Many of the recipes have long become my family's favorites. I am looking forward to discovering new favorites and remembering and honoring the ladies who contributed to this very special book.