Parisian Potatoes Recipe

I do these on the BBQ in a casserole dish to bake in the summer, then my kitchen is not hot.  Like tonight for supper we had ribs, these potatoes and fresh corn from our neighbours garden.  I did everything out side on the BBQ and yes even the corn.  If I am in a hurry I just peel my potato and cut them up into cubes about 1 inch in diameter.  You can also bake these in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Parisian Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients


16  small new potatoes peeled or you can leave the skin on 
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp butter
1 small onion chopped2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 tbsp parsley - finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic or to your taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel the potatoes.
2. Using a Parisienne scoop (or melon baller), scoop out balls of potato, approximately 1.5cm in diameter.  I am very lucky I can buy this already done at my local grocery.  Another thing you can do is just cut up your potato into cubes and use them that way it does not have to be perfect.  If I am in a hurry I just peel my potato and cut them up into cubes about 1 inch in diameter.
3. Place the potato balls in a pot and cover with cold water.
4. Bring to the boil and then drain
5. Place all ingredients in a 9 X 13 pyrex pan stirring them to make sure they are covered in the mixture.  Place on the BBQ for about 20 minutes.  Shaking the pan occasionally to ensure they are cooked evenly.  You can also bake these in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Favorite Chocolate Cake

This is one of those recipes that you do not want to lose.  This chocolate cake is moist and just plain yummy.

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Then add milk, eggs, oil and vanilla.  Mix with the mixer for about 2 minutes, then add boiling water, while mixing.

Pour batter into two eight inch greased and floured round cake pans.  Batter will be quite runny.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Marshmallow Fondant

 Fondant

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces miniature marshmallows (4 cups not packed, or half of a 16-ounce bag)
• 1 pound powdered sugar (4 cups), plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp water
• Food coloring or flavored extracts, optional

Preparation:

1. Dust your counter or a large cutting board with powdered sugar. Place the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until the marshmallows are puffy and expanded.

2. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. If some unmelted marshmallow pieces remain, return to the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until the marshmallow mixture is entirely smooth and free of lumps. If you want colored or flavored fondant, you can add several drops of food coloring or extracts at this point and stir until incorporated. If you want to create multiple colors or flavors from one batch of fondant, do not add the colors or flavors now. Instead, refer to step 6 below for instructions.

3. Add the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.

4. Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto the prepared work surface. It will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not been incorporated yet--this is normal. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands.

5. Continue to knead the fondant until it smoothes out and loses its stickiness. Add more sugar if necessary, but stop adding sugar once it is smooth--too much sugar will make it stiff and difficult to work with. Once the fondant is a smooth ball, it is ready to be used. You can now roll it out, shape it, or wrap it in cling wrap to use later. Well-wrapped fondant can be stored in a cool room or in the refrigerator, and needs to be kneaded until supple before later use.

6. If you want to add coloring or flavoring to your fondant, flatten it into a round disc. You might want to wear gloves to avoid getting food coloring on your hands during this step. Add your desired amount of coloring or flavoring to the center of the disc, and fold the disc over on itself so that the color or flavor is enclosed in the center of the fondant ball.

7. Begin to knead the ball of fondant just like you did before. As you work it, you will begin to see streaks of color coming through from the center. Continue to knead until the streaks are gone and the fondant is a uniform color. Your fondant is now ready to be used or stored as outlined above.

Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce

As a kid I grew up loving Chef Boyardee Pizza's, especially the sauce.  This is the closest I have ever come to actually reproducing.  Everyone says it is dead on.  I think the tomato soup is the thing that makes it taste like Chef Boyardee.

Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce

1 tin condensed tomato soup

1 can no-name pizza sauce

4 tsp pizza seasoning

4 tbsp water

Mix up and put on pizza crust.

Easy Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

This recipe is awesome, you can really use any cake mix you want.  I also used a white cake mix and sprinkled colored sugar on top.  Just remember any cake mix, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 eggs and poof you have cookies.  The kids went wild for these and it is so easy.  You don't have to add the chocolate chips to the top of these cookies, I did just to make them look nice.  Also my kids love chocolate chips.

 

Easy Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

1 Duncan Heinz Cake Mix (Devil's Food Works Great)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

Mix oil and eggs together in mixing bowl, then add cake mix. Mix for one minute.  You then pick up small amounts of dough roll into a ball and squish with your fingers flat on the baking sheet.  I use parchment paper so they don't stick.  On top place 3 chocolate chips on each cookie.

Bake 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

So in my neck of the woods, it strawberry and raspberry time.  The rhubarb is coming along nicely and my thoughts start to go to canning.  Yes I can or freeze everything in any shape or size.  Today's mission was strawberry rhubarb jam, my hubbies favorite.  One thing to remember when canning is never double the recipe and never change the ingredient amounts, it just won't turn out if you do.  The other thing to remember when doing jam especially never use your food processor to chop up the berries, use a good old fashioned potato smasher.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 box pectin crystals

5 1/2 cups sugar

Hull and crush berries, one layer at a time.  Thinly slice or chop rhubarb.

In a large saucepan stir together prepared strawberries and rhubarb and pectin crystals.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Once it is boiling add the sugar.  Return to a hard boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir for 5 minutes.  Pour into warm sterilized jars to 1/4 inch from the rim.  Cover with lids and screw rings on tightly.

How to Sterilized Jars

This is my method and it works every time for me.  Wash jars thoroughly, rinse and place in the oven.  Set oven temperature to 225 and cook the jars for about 10 minutes.  When your jam is almost done place the lids in a pot of boiling water and should set there until you are ready to use.

Butter Pecan Cake Mix Cookies

If you can't already tell I am on a cookie rampage, all I can do is eat, think, and sleep cookies.  My kids are gobbling them up so fast, I have been making multiple batches everyday. So the other day I stumbled upon the cookie recipe for cake mix cookies, which by my standards are to good to be true.  So now everytime I go into the supermarket I am looking for all different types of cake mixes.  On the weekend I stumbled upon a butter pecan cake mix.  So today here is my concoction of Cake Mix Butter Pecan Cookies.

Butter Pecan Cake Mix Cookies

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1 package butter pecan cake mix (18.25 - ounce)

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

Butterscotch baking chips

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick foil or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine half the cake mix, butter and eggs with an electric mixer on medium high speed, until smooth.
3. Stir in the remaining dry butter pecan cake mix, with a wooden spoon just until combined and moistened.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart
5. Place a couple of baking chips on top of each cookie.
6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the center is just barely set when lightly touched with your fingertip and the edges are firm.
7. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for a minute or two.
8. Transfer the cookies to wire racks with a metal spatula and allow them to cool completely before storing.

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies 

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Description:

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies are a perfect marriage
of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter, easy to make and fun to share.

Cookies

1 box Duncan Hines® Chewy Fudge Premium Brownie Mix or Duncan Hines® Milk Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix
1/4 cup butter
4 oz of softened cream cheese
1 egg

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Frosting:

Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Milk Chocolate Frosting or Classic Chocolate Frosting

Baking Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat brownie mix, softened butter,softened cream cheese and egg. Mix either by hand or by using a mixer.

Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into balls and place on lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Should make 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter together and roll into small balls using about 1 teaspoon. Press peanut butter balls into surface of uncooked brownie cookies and slightly flatten cookie. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are set. Cookies may appear slightly under cooked, but do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheets for about 3 mins and transfer to wire rack.

If Desired: Place 6 tablespoons of frosting into a microwave safe container and melt (30 seconds), drizzle melted chocolate over top of cookie. Cool.

For easy clean up, place wax paper or parchment paper under wire rack -- then drizzle the frosting on cookies.

Really Easy French Bread

Ingredients: 

 

6 cups all-purpose flour

21/2 packages active dry yeast

1 1/2  teaspoons salt

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Directions

 

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt.  Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. 

On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.  Knead for about 8 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turn over once to cover the entire ball in oil ( I use olive oil).  Cover  and let stand in a warm place until doubled

Push dough  down, and divide in half.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll each half into large rectangle.  Roll up, starting from a long side.  Moisten edge with water and seal.  Taper ends.

Grease a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cornmeal.  Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.  Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on.  Cover witha damp cloth.  Let rise until nearly doubled.

With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf.  Bake in a preheated over 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.  Brush again with egg white mixtue, bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until bread test done.  If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning.  Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Mexican Hamburger Casserole

MEXICAN HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

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1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg taco mix

 Salsa

Cheese Whiz or I make Cheese Sauce with butter, flour and milk and then cheese
1 pkg. (12) soft corn tortillas
1 c. or more shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger drain and add taco mix.  In the bottom of a round casserole dish lay 1 soft tortilla, then put a lay of  taco mix and hamburger, a little bit of salsa around it, then a thin layer of cheese sauce.  Then repeat 2 or 3 times till the casserole is full.  The sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cut into pie wedges and serve.

Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb Pie

 

Fruit 

1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
5 cups cut-up fresh rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

 

Mix all ingredients together and place into pie shell, top with 3 tablespoons butter and then place pie crust on top making small slits in the crust.  You can also put the crumble crust on top of this.

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Well now that I have made my crust I need something to put into it so my hubbies' favorite pie is strawberry rhubarb and I have a garden full of rhubarb right now, so that is what he is gonna get.  Oh my goodness was this good, my hubby just ate it up.  Now he likes the kind with the crumble crust.  I like mine with a regular top and bottom crust.

Ingredients

4 cups rhubarb
2 cup strawberries, sliced and hulled
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
dash of salt

Mix all the ingredients together and put in a pie crust.

Crumble Top

2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
1/4 cup of margarine

Combine flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt.  Stir in butter just until crumbly and spread over fruit.  Bake pie at 400 for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 40 minutes or until filling is bubbling.  If the crusts at the side start to get brown just cover with tin foil.

Makes 1 9 inch pie.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

No Fail - Pie Crust

Don't worry about over kneading this dough, it seems to always turn out light and fluffy.  This is one of the staples of my baking recipes.  I don't know what I would do if I ever lost it.

No Fail Pie Crust

2 cups of flour

1 tsp white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup lard

1/3 cup cold water

1 egg yolk

1 tsp white vinegar

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the lard until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, and vinegar.  Stir into the dry ingredients and then knead dough briefly just until it is smooth.  Allow to rest about 20 minutes before rolling.  I put it in the refrigerator because pastry is always easier to roll when it is chilled.  Can be stored up to one week in the refrigerator.

Crock Pot Chinese Chicken

I will tell something about this recipe it is excellent and easy, another thing I would add to it and my family loves is sliced celery and carrots.  I serve it over rice.  The kids went wild for it.

Crock Pot Chinese Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lemon lime soda
2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tsp ginger

Place chicken in crock pot, I cut it up into one inch cubes.. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover; cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. To thicken sauce, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the crockpot

Refrigerator Cookies

These are one of those cookies that I always seem to need, the great thing about them is that at Christmas time I tint them red or green at Easter they are purple, orange at hallow e'en.  For the Halloween ones I make sure they are really round when I roll them up and use black icing to draw a happy face on them

 

Refrigerator Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter (I use margarine, when I do I use a little less)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, gradually stir into the creamed mixture until all flour is absorbed. Shape dough into rolls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Unwrap chilled rolls and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets immediately to cool on wire racks.

Mom's Double Chocolate Cookies

This is one recipe that kids love.  I bake a batch and they are gone.  Once again this is a crazy week, so keep your eyes out for quick supper fixes.  Don't ask me where this recipe came from it was scribbled on a piece of paper tucked in a recipe book.

Mom's Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

12 oz chocolate chips

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Melt 12 oz chocolate chips in a glass microwave-safe bowl and let cool. Cream together 3/4 cup margarine and 1 cup white sugar. Add 2 eggs and melted chocolate. Beat well.
Gradually add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.

After that has mixed well stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Drop by small spoonfuls onto parchment paper covered baking sheets and flatten with fork. Bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.

Hamburg Casserole

Well once again this week, we lost power again.  Yeah us so last night we were camping again or that is what the kids call it.  One of the great things about living in the country is that you never know when your power or phone is going to go out.  At least where we live anyways, our power lines to our house are old and need to be replaced, but hydro always seems to have something else to do.  Our phone on the other hand, when it even rains a little we lose it.  They tell us that one of the buried lines must be getting moisture in it.  This is one of those recipes that is great on a rainy day or during the winter months when you need comfort food.  The great thing about this recipe is that it can be done in a casserole or in a crock pot. A crock pot is a great thing to have when you lose power.  They are easily plugged into a generator and poof in 6 hours you have supper all nice and warm.  So any guesses as to what we are having for supper tonight?  Yep its the old Hamburger Casserole.

Hamburg Casserole

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 1 lb hamburg

sliced potato

1 onion

carrots

can of tomato soup

1/2 cup water

1 lb hamburg on bottom of casserole.  Layer sliced potato, onion and carrot on top of hamburg.  I usually do 2 layers of potato, onion, carrot.  Mix one can of tomato soup and 1/2 cup water and pour over ingredients.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Marvellous Meatballs

These meatballs can be made in advance and frozen, I usually do a double batch then freeze them and take them out when I need them for supper.  These meatballs and sauce can be served over rice.  My hubby loves these and it is a quick supper when I am in a hurry.

Marvellous Meatballs

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1 lb hamburg

1/4 tsp garlic

1 egg

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

Sauce:

1 cup soya sauce

3/4 grape jelly

3/4 cup chilli sauce 

Meatballs - Mix above ingredients for meatballs together, form into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet bake in a 350 oven for about 20 - 30 minutes or until they are done, either cool and freeze or place in a casserole dish.  Just cook what you need for supper and freeze the rest.


Sauce:  Mix sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processor, place meatballs into a casserole dish and pour sauce over them, bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Is anybody there?

Some days I just sit here wondering is anybody out there actually reading this, or is it purely for my enjoyment,  I realize that this is a relatively new blog and it takes a while to get followers but sometimes you just sit here wondering are you out there, hello...................

Chocolate Shortbread

As with every time I diet I seem to want to cook a lot and of course it's always something bad.  This year I only have to lose twenty pounds to get back to pre-winter weight.  Cooking like this is so going to delay the weight loss.  I found this recipe in one of my mothers old cookbooks.  My kids love, love, love chocolate, so I am going to try this tomorrow while they are at school and have a surprise when they get home.  Lets see how it goes.

Chocolate Shortbread

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1 cup butter

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup icing sugar 

1/4 cup cocoa

2 - 2 1/2 cups flour 
2 tbsp milk 

Now I only use 2 cups of flour and use the extra 1/2 cup to help me roll them out.  Mix all ingredients together until it is to stiff to work with a wooden spoon.

Combine all ingredients (you will need to get your hands in there) until well mixed and it forms a dough. Spread the dough out, and flatten as much as possible – use a rolling pin to make it nice and flat if needed, but you may have to flour it a little so it doesn’t stick to the dough. With your hands form the flattened dough so that it is somewhat square in shape. Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Cut with a pizza cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  You can make these with cookie cutters, but that would not be easy would it.  Another thing you can do is top each cookie with a chocolate chip, my kids like them that way.   Bake in preheated 325 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes.