Pumpkin Pound Cake

 

The deliciousness of this pumpkin pound cake, mimics a pumpkin pie without the crust and a pumpkin bread pudding!  Come on let’s have some Thanksgiving Holiday Fun!

Oatmeal Crust

2/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter

Mix with hands and spread on bottom of Bundt pan which has been sprayed generously with a non-stick coating

Cake

Place the following ingredients into a bowl and mix for 2 minutes on medium to high speed

1 box of Duncan Hines Golden Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 ounces cream cheese – room temperature
1 can of Libby’s pumpkin pie filling
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

Bake at 350 degree oven for one hour, let cool place on serving platter and ice with the following

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons of melted butter
2 tablespoon of heavy cream adding a teaspoon at a time if needed to get to the right consistency you desire.

Spread on warm cake, slice and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.  Enjoy Thanksgiving and have fun!

 

 

Pimm's Cup

Pimm’s Cup

Of course this drink is inspired from the Napoleon House in the French Quarter New Orleans.
They make the best trust me on this, but you know I have to try and make my own twist and version of this absolutely wonderful refreshing drink.  So here goes, quite simple!

Purchase Pimm’s #1 at your favorite liquor store, for us in Houston, Texas, that would be Spec’s!

2 ounces of Pimm’s # 1

4 ounces lemonade (Minute Maid will do just fine)
Diet Gingerale, just for topping off, if you prefer not to use diet, use regular gingerale

Cucumber, a must for garnish (My picture is missing a cucumber, I will update)
 

Pour these ingredients in a tall glass filled with ice ad large fresh basil leave.  You determine how much sweet basil you want to add.  Garnish with a cucumber and simply enjoy!

Please remember, drink responsibly, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE PLEASE!!!!

 

 

Vegetarian Borscht

This is a delicious soup with vegetables and layers of flavor.  Close your eyes and take a bite, experience all the wonderful flavors popping inside your mouth.  There is not one flavor that stands out from all the rest.  Without this recipe I would never know how to flavor this enticing pot of delectable vegetables.   Come on, try it, with a red glass of wine and just have fun!

3 to 4 medium to large beets, leaves and roots removed.  Scrub and wash well.  Make a few holes in each beet with a sharp knife, wrap in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Peel and cube getting ready to add to the stock pot below

In a skillet with 1 stick melted butter, sauté the following;

3 carrots grated
1 turnip grated
1 large onion finely chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
Sauté the vegetable in butter until soft about 15 to 20 minutes
Add I can of tomato paste, mix thoroughly, set aside.

 In a large stock pot place 32 ounces of vegetable stock/broth and the vegetables which have been sautéed in butter and tomato paste.  Also add 32 ounces of water and water as needed.  Place on stove and cook on high until hot and cut down low to medium. 

Add additional ingredients;

½ head of finely chopped green cabbage
10 clove garlic peeled and bruised with a knife
4 medium red potatoes – peeled and cubed to desired size
Juice from 2 lemons
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 dry chili peppers, rinsed well with stem and seeds removed
4 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
1 tablespoon of pickling spice
2 teaspoons of seasoned salt
Do not forget the prepared beets above.

Mix all these ingredients cook until tender, simmer slowly.  Be careful not to cook too long, you do not want your vegetables to turn to mush. 

Serve in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream, your favorite bread, I would prefer a slice of sweet southern homemade cornbread and never ever forget that glass of wine!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Praline Cheesecake Celebrating Thanksgiving 2013

Banana Foster Bread NOLA Style

Hello!  We are going to make Banana Bread that has the essence of New Orleans.  Come on I know we are going to have fun!  Bananas, brown sugar , and rum is just the beginning.  Come on over, let’s have some fun New Orleans style!

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas

1 cup of brown sugar packed
6 tablespoons of melted butter, use for 2 parts
1/3 cup of dark rum
1/3 cup of plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup flax seed
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine mashed bananas, ½ cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons of drak rum in a non stick skillet.  Cook over medium heat until begins to bubble.  Remove from heat; and let cool.  Place banana mixture in a large bowl.  Add yogurt, remaining ½ cup brown sugar, and eggs.  Beat on medium speed of your mixer.

Measure flour into measuring cups , making sure to level flour with the measuring cups.  Ad flour mixture to the above ingredients.  Mix gently until all ingredients have been thoroughly blended.

Pour into a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan which has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour until using a wooden pick, inserted batter comes out clean.

Remove bread from pan and place on a wire rack. 

Combine butter, rum, powdered sugar until well blended.  Drizzle over  warm bread.  Enjoy and have some fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oatmeal Pancakes

Brown 1 cup of Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oatmeal – brown lightly in a Teflon coated skillet, set aside and measure the remaining ingredients
¼ cup of flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teas baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup of buttermilk
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Mix ingredients as listed.

Heat a non stick skillet Teflon coated).  Spray non stick skillet with a cooking spray.  Spoon 2 ½ tablespoons batter for each pancake onto skillet.  Turn over once when pancakes have bubbled.

This recipe makes 4 pancakes

Enjoy with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup.

Open a bottle of Champagne and serve with orange juice, hence a Mimosa.  Enjoy and have some fun, really have some fun.

Pear Pizza

Pear Pizza

Prepared Pizza Shell

1 cup Ragu Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
½ cup Land O Lakes Fat Free Half and Half
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon Garlic
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Heat in a small sauce pan until heated

Spread on a prepared pizza shell

 

Top with

Caramelized Onions

1 onion sliced thin

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Lawry' Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Cook in a non stick skillet until onion is cooked and caramelized

Distribute evenly over the red sauce

2 pears peeled and sliced thin

Distribute evenly over the sauce and onions

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes

Add

6 slices of Provolone cheese

Bake until cheese has melted 10 to 15 minutes

Take out of the oven add

½ package of rinsed Arugula

Slice and enjoy with your favorite bottle of red wine.  This is awesome enjoy and have some fun at home.  Please drink responsibly.

My personal Survival Anniversay – Ten Years July 23, 2003-2013 Surviving the Big “A” nuerysm

July 23, 2013

My personal Survival Anniversary – Ten Years July 23, 2003-2013 Surviving the Big “A” neurysm

I share with you an event in my life which has made a huge impact not only on my life but the life of my family and closest friends, and all who have met me after July 23, 2003.  The life altering experience is very dear to me.  I was given a gift which cannot be described by mere words.  I feel compelled to express my deepest fears and my happiest moments.  My rebirth has inspired me to accomplish and I want to offer you inspiration as well.  Remember these 3 words, cope, alter and conquer!

Ten years ago today, I experienced a painful ruptured brain aneurysm which the only way I can explain the pain, is death.  My head, eyes and neck hurt beyond belief and I felt dying would be the only way to escape the awful excruciating pain.  My husband and family saved me, literally saved me.  I collapsed and my husband gave me mouth to mouth and because of his quick thinking he saved me and saved me whole.

I would like to take this time right here and now and say a warm hello and thank you to my family and my dearest friends!  I could not be who I am without you.  Thank you for your love support and prayers, you helped  save me!

I survived the rupture, the brain surgery and I lay in the ICU at Methodist Hospital for 21 days.  No memory loss no paralysis, WOW, I was alive!  Well this awful episode in my life made me think a lot during those long days in ICU.  I had experienced another episode while in ICU, and I just could not stop thinking, why me?  Why did I survive?  Obviously the pain and suffering did not take my life.  It was not written in the stars that I would pass to the next journey leaving this earth suffering the Big “A”.  So why did this happen to me? 

I felt gifted, believe that or not, but yes gifted, that I lived through something I never thought I could ever survive.  For years the thought of having brain surgery scared me into shaking fear.  And I did it!  I started to think what am I going to do?  Every day of my life from that day July 23, 2003, I was thankful every morning and every night that I was able to live another day.

I started making a plan while in ICU; I was going to plan to do things I never thought I could do.  I guess this is what you would call a bucket list, although I never thought of my plan to accomplish a bucket list, I define my plan as a way to cope, alter and conquer!

I had always wanted to have gone to college and acquire a bachelor’s degree.  I had regretted for years after I graduated from high school that I never took the time to go to college.  As time went on not having a degree bothered me.  Especially when I witnessed so many at where I work accomplish higher levels of professionalism due to his or her degrees. 

University of Phoenix would be the choice that I would take in order to acquire my degree.  I had my aneurysm when I was 47 years old and started University of Phoenix one year later.  I chose the University of Phoenix because if I stayed full time in school, I could complete in 4 years, and I would still be able to work full time.  I could not give up working full time and I favored the idea of working and completing the degree in 4 years.  In all, it took me 4 ½ years to complete.

My second dream was to write a cookbook and combine my life experience of survival and the wonders of cooking into a cookbook.  I accomplished this in September 2011.  My cookbook did not make the best sellers list, but my heart and soul is in that book.  I would like to recreate my cookbook with additional recipes and displayed pictures.

My degree has helped in order for me to acquire a promotion.  May 16, 2013, I was given a wonderful opportunity to have been offered from an Executive Assistant to an Administrative Manager.  I am thankful again.

Yes I have learned to cope, alter and conquer.

Do I still get scared of having another Big A?  Of course, any experience that we go through which is painful scares a person to their heart and soul that this pain could come back.

Am I afraid of dying?  YES!  I love life and I love what life has to offer.  I am not ready to not wake up each morning knowing my family and friends are here and I will never see them again.

As time goes on, the pain is further and further away from my direct contact of day to day life, but the near death is with me each day.  Every day of my life I think about and remember July 23, 2003.

Do I feel discomfort from the surgery?  Yes my head is still sore in areas.  I cannot fathom the thought of someone rubbing their hands on my head, especially when I get my hair cut. 

Do I have a scar from my surgery? The scar is not visible until I pull my hair back.  I can see the unevenness of the plates and screws in my head, but I am proud to have them, they define my battle, a battle I won!

Do I still get headaches?  Not often, I rarely take Tylenol for a headache.  I usually take Tylenol when I have the flu which the Tylenol helps with the aches and pain of the fever.  Before my aneurysm I suffered with a headache every day of my life. I had no idea there was a monster possibly growing in my head.

Do I sound perfect?  I hope not!  I am human and I make a lot of mistakes and there are times I get wrapped up in the worry of life and I have to stop and say to myself, girl you have survived you can get through anything in life.  Remember, life’s stresses can always be worse.

Remember; try very hard to never give up.  However life is giving you lemons you can take those lemons and make the best lemon pound cake ever!  Never give up!  Make a plan to cope alter and conquer.  Plan to accomplish what you never thought you could do!  Set your goal, research what your plan will take and surround yourself with family and friends who support you.  You can do it!  And do not be surprised that once you make your plan, you may take a few steps back before going forward, some things just do not work out, but never give up!  NEVER! 

I love you  all, Let’s Have Some Fun~!

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Asian Vegetable Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Place the above ingredients in a large pot and sauté on medium heat for 20 minutes

Then add

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

8 cups of water
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
You may add additional salt but taste as you go.
1 vegetable stock bouillon

Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, add water as needed. 

Cook in a separate pot  6 ounces of wide noodles.  Cook al dente and do not rinse.  Place noodles in soup when ready to serve.  You do not want the noodles to absorb all the liquid in the soup.

Enjoy with hot from the oven cornbread and your favorite glass of wine.  Have some fun!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

8 ounces of shell pasta – cooked, drained and set aside to cool as you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2 pounds of 30 to 40 count boiled shrimp – cook and chill before adding to the pasta salad'

 

1 cup  chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 salad green onions chopped
3 ears of fresh corn which have been cut off with a knife directly into the bowl for mixing.  The juice from the corn adds a sweet taste to the pasta salad
8 ounces of cubed sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 jar 4 ounces of pimento well drained
1 cup of bread and butter pickles chopped
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons of granulated garlic
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried dill

Mix all ingredients, chill before serving.  Enjoy and the main thing just have fun. 

Crab Meat Deviled Eggs with Truffle Oil

I dedicate this recipe to my sister.  She treated me to a wonderful vacation in Sonoma, Napa and San Francisco.  Everywhere we went, if there were deviled eggs she was ordering the deviled eggs. While in San Francisco we were bound and determined to eat Lobster Rolls.  She found a restaurant named Netty’s Crab Shack on Union Street, which served I may add fabulous Lobster Rolls.  I worked for this meal, working by walking  15+ blocks.  We were in China town and decided to walk to Netty’s which was the 2,000 block. The entire walk to Netty’s seemed as though I had to go up the hills to get there. My body ached when I went to bed that night.  The sheets hurt my toes from all of the walking.  We had a blast, and she wanted to order the crab deviled eggs at Netty’s!  So to you my dear sweet sister, these have your name on them!  Enjoy love!
12 boiled eggs – sliced in half and remove yolk, place hard boiled yolk in a bowl
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons of truffle oil
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup of chopped sweet pickles which have been well drained
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
3 tablespoon chopped green salad onions
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients until smooth and creamy

Gently fold in the crab meat

2/3 cup crab meat

Stuff each hard boiled egg white until full and refrigerate; chilled before serving

Enjoy enjoy enjoy, with a wonderful bottle of Preseco!  Oh you are going to have fun!

Cajun Cole Slaw

Cajun Cole Slaw

 

1 cup  chopped celery

½  cup chopped red onion
1 cup bell pepper
2 cups of grated carrots
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup largely chopped bread and butter pickles
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we like it spicy, I do add more, but again taste as you go, little seasoning at a time.  You can always add but cannot take away)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt add more if you like
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup Italian dressing (I use Good Seasons Italian Dressing adding 2 teaspoons of sugar to the dressing mix)
1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate.  Best served if refrigerated overnight.  Enjoy serving with, fish, hamburgers, or fried chicken.  Get that bottle of wine, have a few friends over or family and have some fun!  Please remember; drink responsibly. 

Cajun Fish

Cajun Fish

6 – 8 ounce Tilapia Filets or Red Fish Fillets.  This recipe works best if the fish are approximately ½” thick

1 ½ sticks of butter - melted
Works best with iron skillet but a Teflon coated skillet will work as well

Seasoning Mix

Place the following ingredients in a small bowl
2 teaspoon of granulated garlic
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of white pepper
¾ teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning – You can add more, but be careful your fish will be salty if you increase too much.  You can always add but you cannot take away .
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon of ground thyme
¾ teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of dried sweet basil
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped mint

Heat skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Rub and pat by hand coating both sides of a piece of fish.  Place 2 at a time cooking on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.  Spoon over the top of each piece of fish 2 tablespoons of the butter and turn over, cooking 3 to 4 minutes, until well done. 

This fish is delicious served as fish tacos.  You can use corn or flour tortillas.  Chop thinly red and green cabbage.  Use a sour cream sauce, lightly flavored, wrap and enjoy.  Have some fun with a light chilled white wine!  Enjoy!

Love it, France has signed on, Come on Italy!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

My sister took me to Napa and Sonoma Valley and we ended our vacation in San Francisco.  I feel fortunate that I have a wonderful sister that invited me to share an awesome vacation.  During our travel we visited a restaurant owned by Morimotto, the Iron Chef from the Food Channel.  We ordered his homemade ice cream sandwiches which were over the top delicious.  This recipe is a rendition of what he offered.  Good memories of my sister and I having fun!  Truly in Napa and Sonoma having fun is easy!  The air, relaxation and did I mention the grapes, you know the wine!

Cookie

1 tablespoon of cocoa
8 tablespoons powdered Sugar
7 tablespoons flour – sifted for best results
½ teaspoon on vanilla extract
1 large egg

Place sugar, flour, cocoa, vanilla and egg and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Refrigerate covered for 3 hours.  Preheat a 350 degree oven.  Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide dough into 6 portions and make a circle on the parchment paper.  With fingers press out dough until a 3” circle has been made.  Bake in the 350 degree oven for 6 minutes until edges are lightly brown.   With gentle hands and a spatula remove cookies from parchment paper and place on wire racks to cool.  Repeat procedure.  The recipe should make 12 cookies.  Cool completely

Filling

2 cups of Baskin Robin Vanilla Ice Cream – softened
chopped pecans

Garnishing ingredients

Cool Whip or Whipped cream
Hot Fudge Sauce
Maraschino cherries for garnishing

Once cooled spread about 1/3 cup of the ice cream onto 6 cookies.  Top with the cookie, roll the sides in the chopped pecans and immediately place on cookie sheet in the freezer until hard frozen.  When ready to serve top with hot fudge, cool whip, and a cherry.

You can enjoy these ice cream sandwiches with a dessert wine or a bottle of Proseco.  Trust me on this, they both are delicious with the ice cream sandwiches.  I know you are going to have fun responsibly and at home!  Enjoy!

 

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Hello!  How are you?  I hope wonderful!  I have not been visiting you lately, and I apologize.  I had allergies which brought me down for 2 weeks.  I am always coming back to you because I miss you and I love connecting and sharing my recipes.  Hope you enjoy these.  The coconut makes these cookies oh so special!  Come on, Let’s Have Some Fun!

2 cups flaked coconut – baked in a preheated 350 degree oven, on a single layer sided cookie sheet for 7 minutes.  Trust me, watch it for 7 minutes, that is all it is going to take.  Remove from the oven and let cool while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

Mix in a bowl

1 stick of butter room temperature, I use salted, I make my own rules on the salted butter issue.
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large room temperature eggs
Mix well and then add;
2 cups of flour
2 cups of the toasted coconut
1 cup of toasted chopped pecans
10 ounces of semi- sweet chocolate chips

Line a sided cookie sheet with parchment paper and place in round balls 2 inches apart.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Makes approximately 50 cookies!  Enjoy! 
I bet you cannot eat just one!

 

Peach Ginger Bellinis

I have created a cocktail which requires Presecco.  Recently I have been introduced to Prosecco by my sister.  She recently had the opportunity to visit Italy and Presecco was on the menu!  So I hope you enjoy and remember please, drink responsibly!  Please do not drink and drive!  We are going to have some fun at home! 

Sugar Syrup

¾ cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 large piece of peeled fresh ginger, about 2 inch and quartered.

Bring water to boil add sugar and stir until sugar has been dissolved.  Place the quartered ginger in the sugar water and remove from heat.  Cool and then refrigerate overnight!

Peach Bellini

Grated rind from one lime
Juice from one lime
1 - 15 ounce can of peaches no sugar added and drained
1/4 cup of peach schnapps
1 bottle of chilled Prosecco – I like to use Loredan Gasparini – Asolo Docg – Prosecco Superiore ( You can purchase this from Specs.

Strain the simple syrup.  Place ¼ cup of the simple syrup into a blender.  Add rind, juice and peaches and mix in the blender until smooth and creamy.  The mixture will become a peach puree.

Measure 2 tablespoons of the peach puree into an 8 ounce glass, top as you prefer with the chilled Prosecco, stir and add a mint leaf and enjoy and have some fun!

I found a recipe in my cookbook which was spinach and mushroom enchiladas with a cilantro sauce.  Again, if you know me, you know New Orleans is my love!  This city, so interesting and the food, oh my gosh, there is nothing to compare.  So, with this recipe I added and changed everything I could to make a New Orleans inspired recipe!  Main important concept, Let's Have Some Fun!

 

Crab Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas with Cilantro Cream Sauce

Cilantro Cream Sauce

3 cups of heavy cream (I used Land O Lakes half and half fat free)
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons of Tabasco
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups of chopped cilantro leaves (1 bunch)
5 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 5 teaspoons of water

Add the above ingredients and cook the cream sauce on medium heat until well heated.   Thicken with the cornstarch and water.  Set aside and cool while you prepare the enchiladas

Enchiladas

4 teaspoon of butter
½ large onion chopped
8 ounces of fresh button mushrooms washed, stemmed, and quartered
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach cooked (family size frozen spinach will work)
1 pound lump crab meat
½ cup of Progresso Bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of white pepper, black pepper will suffice if you do not have white pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons of Tabasco Sauce
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 egg
1 cup of grated Asiago cheese
1 cup grated smoked Provolone cheese
16 flour tortillas

Sauté onion, butter, mushrooms and until onion is cooked and translucent.  Cook the spinach in the microwave and then squeeze out all the liquid.  Place spinach, bread crumbs, egg, and seasoning into food processor and pulse until well blended.   Season with salt.  Place spinach in a large bowl; add onion, mushroom, Asiago and Provolone Cheese.  Gently fold in the lump crab meat in order to keep the crab meat in large pieces.

Divide spinach mixture equally into 16 flour tortillas, roll with seam side down.  Pour cilantro sauce of the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. 

Bake in a 9 X 13 casserole dish sprayed with nonstick coating.  Place in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Added flavor and good time white or red wine!  By the glass of course!  Enjoy! 

 

 

NOLA Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

My mother and sister have made stuffed bell peppers for years.  This is a rendition and honor to them for continually wanting to take care of their family with their recipe for stuffed bell peppers.

I took their idea and turned the recipe around New Orleans.  If you know me you are aware that love love love New Orleans!  A city that truly makes me feel like a princess.  I enjoy every travel I make to New Orleans.  There are stories to be told.

This recipe offers sugar and spice and everything nice in New Orleans.  I hope you enjoy as much I have enjoyed creating this for you to enjoy.  Do NOT forget that bottle of red wine!  Enjoy my friends!

Purchase 6 green bell peppers.  Wash and cut off tops saving the bell pepper tops.  Cut off 3 tops for the meatloaf filling and 3 for the tomato soup sauce. Clean out the inside of each bell peppers.  Wash and set aside.

Hamburger meat filling

2 pound of lean hamburger meat
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of chopped celery
1 can tomato soup
1 egg
1 cup of Minute Rice
2 cups of grated Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons Tabasco

Mix by hand until well incorporated, do not over work by hand.  Stuff each bell pepper until all mixture has been stuffed into each bell pepper.  Bell peppers will be stuffed over the top!  Place each bell pepper into a well sprayed casserole dish with non stick coating.  Brown for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Then cover with the following sauce;

Sauce for the bell peppers.

1 can tomato soup
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
6 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons Tabasco
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Saute the onions, celery, and butter in a skillet until vegetables are soft.  Add tomato soup and all of the seasoning.  Cook over medium heat until warm and spoon over each bell pepper.  Cover the dish and place in the oven, bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Occasionally baste sauce over each bell pepper. Remove from oven and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes until ready to serve.  Serve the sauce of mashed potatoes.  I strongly advise you to enjoy this with a salad and guess what; a couple of glasses of your favorite red wine.

 

 

 

 

Mississippi Mud Cake

 This recipe was introduced to me by my Grandmother at Christmas years ago.  Once my lips touched this sweet confection I was mesmerized to have the recipe!  In honor of my grandmother from Shiner, yes Shiner, Texas where Shiner Beer was born and raised.  To all you Shiner lovers, we were drinking Shiner long before Shiner was crazed by all!  You see, we were having fun long before you were ever born!

Enjoy!
Also this would be a great dessert to make for your sweet other side on Valentine’s Day!

Grease and flour a 9 X 13 inch pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 sticks of butter

4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate – chopped into pieces

Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, whisking after each 30 second timing in the microwave

Add the following and whisk until smooth

2 ½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring extract
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
4 large eggs

Bake for 25 minutes and then add a large jar of marshmallow crème.  Spoon the entire jar as evenly as you can over the hot cake.  Spread gently and continue to bake for 10 minutes.

My Grandmother used regular marshmallows and I changed this by using the marshmallow crème.  You make the choice. 

Ice with the following

4 cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of butter melted with 2 ounces of semi -sweet chocolate
1/3 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring

Mix and beat well and spread over the cake and marshmallow crème.  Top with 2 cups of toasted coarsely chopped pecans.

Rinse and dry fresh strawberries leaving the stem and decorate the cake further by placing them on top of the iced cake.  Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy and have fun!  It is Valentine’s Day.  Make a cozy meal for you and your loved one.  Enjoy together the cake with a bottle of Prosecco!  Stay home and enjoy the evening.   Please do not drink and drive!

 

 

 

Baked Chicken 

Growing up my Grandmother made a mouth-watering comfort food, baked chicken.  She was not concerned of the fat and calorie content.  My Grandparents were farmers and they worked hard physically every day.  They lived to be in their 90’s.  With this said, they had an array of high calorie and fat in their foods and they were not affected with diabetes and high blood pressure.   This is not exactly how my Grandmother baked her chicken.  This recipe is cut back in fat and calories but there is a lot to love as well.  Enjoy, remember we are going to have some fun!

Purchase a package of 4 chicken breast with rib bone and skin.  Yes skin, something we are not encouraged in using these days.  My grandmother never skinned or deboned her chicken and her chicken was busting out with flavor.

Rinse the chicken well and trim off any excess fat.  I bet, my Grandmother never trimmed the fat from her chickens.  She raised her free range chicken for eggs and the meat for her freezer. 

Sprinkle generously Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Pepper and Granulated Garlic.  In a shallow pie plate with about a 1 cup of flour dredge (Add flour if needed) each piece of chicken and place in an iron skillet which has heated with 1/3 cup of olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides.  Now this is where my Grandmother would add about 2 sticks of her homemade butter and bake the chicken until cooked.  My Grandmothers chicken was moist and delicious.  So I decrease the fat and do not add the butter. 

 

Bake the chicken in the iron skillet in a 350 degree oven for one hour and 30 minutes.  Add about ¼ cup of water in order to make sure there is moisture for the chicken not to burn and stick.  Cover the chicken lightly with foil and the last 30 minutes skin sides up bake uncovered at 375 degrees.

Make a gravy with the drippings left in the iron skillet and serve with mashed potatoes, salad and do not forget that wine!  Family gatherings always included this chicken recipe.  I miss her, but I will never forget this recipe! My grandparents did not understand that us city folk were suffering from high blood pressure.  My grandparents said the stress of city life was the cause of high blood pressure and high pretention.  I think the ole folk are a lot smarter then we are!

 

Strawberry Cake

If you own my cookbook you have a strawberry cake recipe that has been around forever.  Well, last weekend for the super bowl I wanted to make a strawberry cake, but revise my old version.  I like this one, there is always room for change when cooking and baking.  Keep in mind, it is the weekend and I love to indulge, especially with desserts.  I do not create desserts that are sugar and fat free!  Why?  This is our time to have some fun.  You do not have to eat the entire cake, enjoy life!  Trust me on this!

1 – White Classic Duncan Hines Cake Mix
1 - 3 ounce package of strawberry jello

3 – large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup – vegetable oil
1 – 8 ounce cream cheese room temperature
1 cup of sliced and chopped strawberries, which have been sprinkled with ¼ cup of sugar, 1 jigger of rum.  Set aside the strawberries, sugar and rum for  30 minutes before you start mixing the cake.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Mix the above in a mixer for 2 minutes on high speed.  Spray a 9 X 13 pan with a non stick spray coating and then flour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the cake mix in the pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Please remember do not over bake.  If your cake tester comes out clean you have baked this too long.  Leaving crumbs on your cake tester is just perfect! Keep it moist!

Let cool and ice with this recipe

4 cups of powdered sugar
4 ounces of cream cheese – room temperature
½ stick of butter – room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of butter flavored extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoon of heavy cream

Mix until well blended and creamy, add additional heavy cream if you need to.  The consistency should be creamy but not too creamy!   Garnish with fresh strawberries. 

Enjoy and have fun!  Make memories!  How about opening a bottle of Prosecco?  Guaranteed to have fun!  But please remember enjoy responsibly.  Do not drink and drive.  This is a dessert to enjoy at home and not driving to and from someone’s home! 

 

Minus the Potato Dip

This is an easy dip, and this dip consists of everything you would put on a baked potato, minus the potato.

Once the party is over and there are left overs of this dip, bake that potato and use this dip to enjoy further! 

2 cups of sour cream

1 – 8 ounce extra sharp cheddar cheese grated
5 – fresh chive onions, finely chopped
2.8 ounce – Hormel Real Bacon Bits

Mix the above, chill before serving.  Serve with your favorite crackers, chips or a fresh baked potato that has been buttered, of course.  Enjoy with that favorite glass of wine, and remember just have fun!

Stuffed Mushrooms

 I share this recipe with you because there are a couple of my friends which have asked why I did not add this recipe to my cookbook?  I have plans to self publish another cookbook, and adding this recipe was in the plan.  So why not share a recipe that I know you will enjoy now!  My girlfriends and I have enjoyed these at many Bunko’s at my house.  So open that favorite bottle of wine and have some fun!

2 pound of white button mushrooms, stems removed.  I know many chefs will tell you not to wash your mushrooms.  I cannot always follow rules from culinary experts.  Regardless, I place my mushrooms in a colander and rinse them quickly and lay them out to dry on a clean kitchen towel.

2 cups of Progresso Bread crumbs

2 cups of crushed butter crackers
1 ½ cups of grated Asiago Chees
1/3 cup olive oil
1 stick of melted salted butter
3 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon of black pepper
4 teaspoon s dried sweet basil
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s
1 pound slice of Smithville Ham – chopped – you can purchase a 1 large piece of ham steak in your local grocery store, in the meat department
½ cup of chopped green salad onion

 Mix all the above ingredients, make sure the mixture is moist but not too moist.  The mixture should packed together and stay together.  Stuff the bread crumbs mixture as much as you can, packing inside each mushroom.  Make sure the mushroom has a rounded ball of stuffing on top.  Place mushroom on a sided cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a 350 degree oven until the mushrooms are darkened and tender, approximately 30 minutes.

Make sure your get together offers wine of your favorite choice.  Sit back and enjoy and trust me, have some fun!