Honey Mustard Sauce

You will need:

½ cup mustard (your favorite)
¼ cup vinegar (your favorite)
1/8 cup water
4 tablespoons honey
¼ tsp. red chili paste

Mix together all of the above ingredients.

This goes great with any meat or fish or on salad!

Enjoy!

Raw Apple Bread or Cake

Adapted from James Beard’s
American Cookery

You will need:

½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1 ½ tablespoons sweet or sour milk
1 cup coarsely ground or finely chopped unpeeled raw apples
1 tsp vanilla or 1 tablespoon rum
½ cup broken nut meats

Often served as a tea bread but really sweet enough to be a cake.

Cream the butter, then cream in the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time if mixing by hand: add both at once if using an electric mixer. Sift the dry ingredients together. If mixing by hand, add the egg mixture alternately with the combined milk, flavoring, apples, and nuts. With a mixer, put them all in together, turn the spatula while turning, just long enough to mix. Do not over mix. Turn into a well greased loaf pan or into a
9 x 9 inch greased and floured square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 35 minutes for the square pan, about 55 minutes for the loaf. Test for springiness with a fingertip. Let the cake cook in the pan on a rack for about 5 minutes, then loosen and turn out onto the rack to finish cooling.

Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup powered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine above ingredients in saucepan and stir until a thickened glaze forms. Drizzle over the cake.

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Chicken Strips

You will need:

2 boneless chicken breasts
½ cup oats
½ cup rice krispies
½ cup bread crumbs
½ inch piece of fresh ginger
1 cup flour
3 eggs (beaten)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees:

In a food processor combine the rice krispys, oats, bread crumbs and the piece of ginger. Give this a few good chops.

Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips.

Add the oregano and paprika to the flour and in 3 separate bowls place the bread crumb mixture, flour and eggs.

Dip the chicken breast strips first in the flour then in the egg wash and finally in the bread crumb mixture.

Place in baking pans and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

This recipe is light and tasty and goes great with a honey mustard sauce.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Sauce with Fresh Ginger

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You will need:

1- 14oz. can whole cranberries
1- 14oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
1- 6.1oz. can Mandarin orange segments (drained)
1- 8oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger (grated)
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons honey

Combine all of the above ingredients.

Chill before serving.

This is a fresh twist on an old favorite!

Enjoy!

Mushroom Soup

You will need:
1 quart white button mushrooms (sliced)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery (chopped)
½ cup parsley (chopped)
½ large yellow onion (sliced)
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup light cream or whole milk
½ tsp. pepper
juice of ¼ lemon

In a saucepan heat the butter and olive oil and add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms and onions until the onions turn clear.

Add the parsley and celery and continue to sauté for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and pepper. Simmer but Do Not Boil.

Place the vegetables in a blender and give a few good chops and return to the broth. If you do not want to use a blender, you can mash the veggies in the soup pot but be careful not to burn yourself.

Add the cream or milk just before serving.

This is a simple and delightful soup and it is homemade!

Enjoy!

Banana Loaf

You will need:

2 eggs
3 Tbl. yogurt or sour cream
1 t. baking soda
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup flour (sifted)
½ tsp. ginger
4 Tbl. Grand Marnier or brandy (optional)
2 cups mashed bananas (4-6 medium)
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup slivered almonds or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees:

Crack the eggs into a small cup and beat with a fork until fluffy.

Mix the yogurt and baking soda in a separate bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour, eggs, and yogurt mixture.

Fold in the remaining ingredients.

Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 250 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until the bread is firm in the middle.

Cool on a wire rack.

Wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and keep refrigerated to prevent spoilage.

This is deliciously moist, rich banana bread that will be a treat for the family.

Enjoy!

Apple Tart

Adapted from Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking

For a 9-to 10 inch shell

1 1/3 cups flour
3 – 7 Tb granulated sugar
1/8 tsp double action baking powder
7 Tb fat: 5 Tb chilled butter and
2 Tb chilled vegetable shortening
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
½ tsp vanilla extract

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, and baking powder in a
mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size of small oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place on a pastry board and with the heel of your hand, not the palm, rapidly press the pastry by two spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches. The dough will be sticky if you have used the full amount of sugar. Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for a few hours, until firm.
For the Tart:

A 10-inch partially cooked pastry shell

4 lbs. firm cooking apples
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tb granulated sugar

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to make 3 cups into even 1/8 inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl with lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.

1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 Tb vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tb butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon

Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices, about 8 cups. Place in a pan and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Beat in the above ingredients. Raise heat and boil, stirring, until apple-sauce is thick.

Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples arranged in a spiral.

Preheat oven 375 degrees:

Bake for about 30 minutes or until apples are lightly browned.
This recipe is so delicious and just happens to go well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Cake

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking Cookbook

You will need:

1 ¾ cups cake flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¾ tsp double-acting baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sifted sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cultured sour cream
2 egg whites

Preheat oven 375 degrees:

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder.

Cream butter until soft and gradually add sifted sugar and cream until light.

Beat in eggs yolks and vanilla.

Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture and add the sour cream. Stir the batter until smooth.

Whip until stiff but not dry the egg whites and fold them lightly into the batter.

Bake in greased pans about 25 minutes.

When cool spread with Almond Raisin filling.

For the Filling:

¾ cup almonds (or your favorite nut)

Combine:

½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 square Baker’s Semi Sweet Chocolate
½ cup water
1 ½ cups chopped raisins

Simmer these ingredients 5 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the nuts and ½ tsp vanilla.

Glaze:

1 cup powered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine above ingredients in saucepan and stir until a thickened glaze forms. Drizzle over the cake .

This cake is simple and light and so well worth the time to make.

Enjoy!

Sweet Orange Yams

You will need:

4 yams
3 tablespoons sweet butter
3 tsps. brown sugar
zest of 1 orange
pulp of ½ orange
½ cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
about 5 large marshmallows Peel and boil yams until fork tender.

Place yams in large bowl and add butter, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, orange pulp and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer until smooth.

Preheat oven 350:

Place yams in baking dish and cut marshmallows in half and place on top.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

This dish makes any meal seem like a holiday!

Enjoy!

Turkey Breast Stuffed with Apricots & Cilantro

You will need:

1 – 10 lb. turkey breast
1 tsp. paprika

Stuffing:

1 cup fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic
¼ of a lemon (with skin)
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. oregano
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup dried Apricots

Preheat oven 350 degrees:

Combine all of the ingredients for the stuffing in the food processor and give a few good chops. Set this aside while preparing the turkey breast.

Clean the turkey breast inside and out. You can rub the turkey down with salt and then rub turkey with a piece of lemon. After you have cleaned the turkey, pat dry with paper towel.

Gently separate the skin from the meat and stuff the apricot stuffing under the skin. Dust the turkey with paprika.

Roast turkey for 20 minutes per pound.

Add a cup of water to drippings to make a simple gravy.

This recipe is fresh and delicious and is so simple to make.

Enjoy!

Baked Lentils with Tomato

You will need:

1 cup brown lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
3 small zucchini (sliced)
3 ¾ cups water or stock
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
½ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. sugar
Fresh Romano cheese – grated

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and add onion, garlic, celery and fry gently until lightly browned.

Add the tomatoes, water or stock, dried basil, black pepper, dried oregano and bring to a boil. Add the lentils and simmer for about 1 hour.

In a small sauce pan heat the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the lentils.

Transfer the lentils to a casserole grate Romano cheese over lentils, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

This is a great fall dish that can be served as a side or over rice or tossed with your favorite macaroni.

Enjoy!

Red Potatoes with Lemon & Parsley

You will need:

About 12 red potatoes
Juice of ½ lemon
3 cloves garlic (crushed & chopped)
3 tblsp olive oil
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
½ tsp. dried oregano

Boil potatoes with skin until fork tender.

Drain and quarter and add all above ingredients. Toss well and serve.

This is so simple and goes well with almost any dish.

Enjoy!

Boneless Chicken Breast with Artichoke & Basil Topping

You will need:

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast

Topping:

½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup fresh basil
1 tsp. capers
¼ of lemon (with skin)
2 tblspns butter
3 cloves garlic
6 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts (with liquid)

Preheat oven 350:

In a food processor combine all of the ingredients for the topping of the chicken breast.

In a baking dish place the chicken breasts and cover each chicken breast with the artichoke and basil mixture.

Drizzle each chicken breast with olive oil and bake for about 30-35 minutes.

This dish is simple and so elegant in taste it will make any meal seem special.

Enjoy!

Rice Krispy Treats!

You will need:

6 cups Rice Krispies
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup walnuts
½ cup Craisens
1-10 oz. package of marshmallows
1 square of Baker’s Semi Sweet Chocolate
4 tblsp butter

In a food processor combine walnuts, coconut, marshmallows, Craisens and semi sweet chocolate. Chop until everything is well combined.

In a large frying pan melt the butter and then add the mixture from the food processor. Allow the marshmallows and chocolate to melt. Remove from heat and add the Rice Krispies. Toss until everything is mixed well.

Place in a well buttered baking pan and flatten with a spatula.

Place in refrigerator until the mixture becomes firm to cut into squares.

This is such a fun treat for the whole family and so much better than store bought.

Enjoy!

Apple ~ Pear Pie

Adapted from Betty Crocker Fall Baking

You will need:

Filling:

6 pears (peeled & sliced)
6 apples (peeled & sliced)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of ½ lemon
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 tblsps all- purpose flour
3 tblsp butter
2 tblsp sugar

Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 cup cold butter (cut into pieces)
2 egg yolks
8 – 10 tblsp cold waterPreparing Crust:

In a bowl mix flour and sugar.

Cut in butter, pulling 2 table knives through in opposite directions, until crumbly.
Stir in egg yolks with fork. Sprinkle in water, 1 tblsp at a time, tossing until ball of pastry forms. Cut ball in half and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare filling:

Combine all of the ingredients for the filling and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees:

On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry dough to fit a 10-round pie dish.

Place pastry dough in pie dish and fill with the apple-pear mixture.

Roll out the second dough to fit the top of the pie. Press down the edges with a fork and place two sets of fork holes in the middle of the pie.

Place in oven for about 1 hour or until pie is golden.

This pie is sure to be a happy ending to any meal.

Enjoy!

Honey & Mustard Marinated Pork Chops

You will need:

7 - 1 inch thick pork chops

Marinade:

½ cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons mustard (your favorite)
¼ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
1 tblsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil

Place pork chops in a bowl with marinade and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Heat a large frying pan and place pork chops in frying pan. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, turning only once.

This is a recipe that is elegant enough for a special occasion or simple enough for a weeknight.

Enjoy!

A Second Chance

Last night I sent Entrecard an e-mail about the new 'Sponser ads program.'
This is the e-mail I sent them:

Hello,

I have been with Entrecard for sometime now. Entrecard has brought in a lot of traffic to my blog and has introduced me to new and interesting sites.

However, when I began noticing people weren't keeping their Entrecard accounts I became very concerned, especially when I came across this new policy- 'Sponsor ads program'

On the Entrecard blog, "Goodbye, Paid Ads" written on July 22nd, 2009 by Cindy was posted about how most Entrecard users do not like the Paid Ads program. But now on October 5, 2009 there is a new 'Sponsor ads program' coming into play. According to several articles, I have to pay Entrecard $50.00 a year to keep ads I don't want off my widget.

Times are tough as it is and I certainly do not plan on paying Entrecard $50.00 for something I don't want. I have devoted much of my time to Entrecard- dropping, buying ads, and approving ads. And I don't want to throw all my time and credits away to a sponsored ad on my widget I didn't approve.

I will stay with Entrecard for the rest of this weekend, but come October 5, 2009 I will be putting my account on hold until this 'Sponsor ads program' is fixed. And I know for a fact that many Entrecard users are doing the same.

Thank you,

Catherine

This morning I received a reply from them:

Hi Catherine,

As of Oct 5, 2009, Entrecard will be launching the sponsor ads program. Basically, 85% of the ads served will be the regular EC advertisers. 15% of will be ads from sponsors to keep the service free. However, you have the option to opt out of the sponsor ads you do not want on your site. This service is completely free and you do not need to pay the $50 fee. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Also, please check out http://forums.entrecard.com/ and talk among other bloggers!

Entrecard Support
http://entrecard.com/docs/

In response to Entrecard, I will give this program a chance so therefore I will not be leaving Entrecard at this time.

Goodbye, Entrecard

After much thought and condsideration as of Monday October 5, 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard.

For the past few days, I have noticed that many of my favorite blogs have canceled their Entrecard account, which concerned me. Then I read that Entrecard was bringing back a 'revised' version of the past 'Paid ads program.'

This 'revised' version is called the 'Sponsor ads program.' This is not very good news for a lot of Entrecard users.

With this new program Entrecard will assign paid ads to its users. The only thing is, if you do not want that paid ad to run on your site, you have to pay Entrecard a 'small' fee- a total of $50.00 a year to keep these paid ads off your widget. Therefore, I have decided to put my account on hold until this 'Sponsor ads program' is no longer a part of Entrecard.

During my time with Entrecard, I have found many interesting sites and have made many friends. Though I'm leaving Entrecard I hope all of you keep visiting my site as I will be doing the same.

Sunday night I will be canceling the remaining ads on my Entrecard account and returning the credits back to their users. Furthermore, I will give my remaining credits to my top droppers, and Monday my account will be no more, until further notice.

If you would like to read more about the 'Sponsor ads program' visit the Entrecard Blog.