How To Perk Up Jarred Salsa

While I have written before about how I love fresh salsa and there is nothing that can beat its flavor, I also know that fresh salsa is quite expensive to buy and even make any time of year, especially in the winter when so many of the items are not in season. So I LOVE shopping at Aldi's for fresh produce because it is so much cheaper. I can find grape tomatoes and avocados, among other things, at about half the sale price at other stores. Jarred salsa makes a great snack and is much cheaper but really needs a little something more to enhance it. I love avocados, but not alone, and they are a great super-food. So one of our favorite ways to eat them is chopped in salsa. Also, I am a great fan of cilantro and it is affordable any time of the year. Lately, we have been hooked on this recipe and I thought I would share it with everyone here. Here's to spring and getting a salsa garden going!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of salsa
• 1 15 oz. can of corn, drained or 2 cups of fresh/frozen cooked corn, drained
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained or 2 cups of cooked black beans
• 2 avocados, cut into small chunks
• cilantro, chopped (according to taste)
• lime juice (according to taste), may substitute lemon in a pinch
• 1 small- medium chopped red onion, or whatever type you have on hand
• Handful or more of grape tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients together and allow flavors to combine for a couple hours- although I found this quite addicting when I was tasting during preparation!

Succotash

Succotash is a dish that immediately takes me back to my grandmother's house. She seemed to regularly make this and would offer us some when we came to visit. I came to enjoy this dish very much and eventually joined her in a mission to find the beans when local growers stopped growing them for the markets around us.

This dish was especially popular years ago with farm and country folks. The dish is based on beans (often lima beans) and corn. However, the version my grandmother always made is quite different- she always used a shell bean.

The shell beans that my grandmother and great grandmother used seem to resemble closely the cranberry bean- the shells were a red and cream/white variegated pod and the beans also had a similar creamy background with reddish swirls around the bean. When dried, they are often anywhere from a tannish/red flecked color to a darker reddish/brown color. These beans can be difficult to find- I was not able to find them for many years after I married and moved away from the area where I grew up near my grandmother.

For this reason, my grandmother tried to find farm markets that would sell the shell beans so she could make her succotash the "right way"- she actually canned the beans together with fresh sweet corn, cut from the cob. The two would cook together during the canning and the flavors would be so concentrated. After I married, she gave me some beans to plant in our garden, with the idea that we would share some of the harvest with her. So I decided to can the beans and corn together- when I finished canning, I thought I was doing something wrong because almost all of the juices came out of the jar and everything cooked into a solid mass. When I was talking lately with one of my aunts about this recipe, she told me that this is how the jars of beans/corn come out. Anyhow, I do know that the flavor was different than just cooking the beans and then adding in the corn.

My grandmother grew up in a poor family where most of the children spent their teenage years working on nearby farms because the family needed the money and could not really afford to feed and clothe everyone. This is one of the family dishes that was passed down from her mother and could be made with things from the garden that were inexpensive and yet filling. 

If I do not have the home-canned beans and corn, I found that you can get a pretty close flavor by pressure cooking the beans (saves a lot of time and there is no need to soak the beans first) and then simmering the beans and corn together for an hour or two. If you do not have a pressure cooker, try cooking the beans in a crockpot on high for about 6 hours. This is a very simple dish- my grandmother only used the beans, corn, salt and pepper, and some canned milk at the end. Now, on the other hand, I have never been one to leave a simple recipe alone! So I have almost always sauteéd some onions and celery to put in the succotash, added chunked potatoes to make it more of a main course soup and added some other seasonings.

These beans were quite red (usually the beans are more of a brown color when cooked) and colored the succotash. They still taste the same. The corn was farm-fresh grown and frozen white corn that is very sweet.

Servings: about 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of cranberry beans or similar shell beans
• 1 quart bag (or 4 cups) of frozen or fresh sweet corn with juice
• 3 medium-large potatoes, cut into chunks (optional)
• chicken soup base or broth
• water
• 1-2 large onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
• seasoned salt/pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp dried parsley
• evaporated milk or cream

Directions:

• Cook the beans as instructed on the package, or cover beans in a slow cooker with about 2-3 inches of water and cook on high in a slow cooker for 6 hours, or in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes. Drain beans from liquid.
• In a dutch oven style soup pot, sauté onions with a couple Tbsp of olive oil until they become translucent. 
• Add in the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the beans, sweet corn, chunked potatoes and enough water/broth to cover all the ingredients. If using water, add in a few bouillon cubes or a few Tbsp of soup base. 
• Season with salt/pepper and dried parsley.
• Simmer together until beans and potatoes are soft. 
• When finished cooking, add in milk/cream gradually until broth is milky-- if you use a whole can of evaporated milk, it will be quite thick. If you desire a thinner succotash, you may need to add a little more water to thin it out. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed.

*We recently ate succotash (made for this picture without the potatoes added) over top of mashed potatoes and it was delicious.

If you are only cooking for a couple people, cook up the entire recipe and then freeze half of the succotash for another time- although it is best frozen if you do not add in the potatoes.

Plain Muffins

This is another one of the nice little foods we had at our cooking club tea party recently. One of the members shared her family's old recipe that she remembers being served at her aunt's home many times when she was young. This is a simple muffin (I was struck by the idea of a plain muffin when she shared them with us at first!) but is wonderful with jam or lemon curd as we had them at the tea party. They are not very sweet- just a hint of sweetness. Since they are easy to make, they are great to make for something different for a snack or tea-time.

Makes 1 dozen regular sized or 36-48 mini muffins (depending on amount used)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp melted butter, shortening or oil
• optional: 1 tsp vanilla 
• optional: confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg slightly and add milk and fat, as well as vanilla if using.
• Sift together dry ingredients and then add into the liquids.
• Beat about 1/2 minute just until all the flour is mixed throughout the batter.
• Prepare greased muffin tins and fill half full. Bake at 375 degrees about 15-20 minutes for regular sized muffins or 8-12 minutes for mini muffins (start checking about 3-5 minutes before time ends in case your oven temperature varies.) They should be light golden brown. 
• Cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool longer.
• May be served warm or cool with jam or other toppings. Dust the tops with confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Blueberry Scones... a tea party... and reminiscing about Victoria magazine



Our cooking club had a wonderful tea party at my house the other evening. This was our first one together, and the table was overflowing with the massive array of treats. Since having this tea,  I read If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes and was so inspired to take moments with my family and friends to celebrate life and relationships in this way.

Somehow, in the midst of this, I was taken back to my late teens and early adult years when I spent hours poring over the "Victoria" magazines that came every month. This was truly something that shaped my tastes for clothing and decorating, although I would not say that I really decorate or dress in that style today. However, there were timeless and classic qualities about much of the clothing, decor and furniture. There is something pretty and restful about the magazine and the way it encouraged people to have a place of beauty to relax in either alone or with others. I would also dream of traveling someday to many of the beautiful places across the countrysides of England and France, among others, that were featured in those pages. It is funny that in the intervening years, getting married, moving away from my hometown and later stopping the subscription because I was overrun by magazines and needing to save some money, I still could not bring myself to throw out or give away the old copies. They were always so wonderful and enjoyable to reread. Right now, they are sitting in boxes in the garage, and all these last 5 years, I kept trying to get up the nerve to de-clutter and get rid of them. Instead, I think I am going to put them on a shelf in my soon-to-be organized office so they will be more easily accessible for relaxation and inspiration.

So, enough with my memories. I want to share my latest scone recipe that I made for our tea party and have been really enjoying. I loved them when they were fresh, but they are also very good days later. Just keep them stored in an air tight container in the fridge and then toast them when you want to have some. The outside becomes just slightly crispy like they just came out of the oven and the inside stays moist, tender and so flavorful. This is my new favorite snack or breakfast with tea or coffee after my youngsters are fed and I have a few minutes to sit and relax.

Serving: 16 mini scones or 8 regular sized
Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3-4 Tbsp sugar, divided
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp butter, cubed
• 2/3- 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp lemon peel
• coarse (decorator) sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly grease cookie sheet, or may use a smaller rectangle baking dish
• Sprinkle fruit with 1 Tbsp of sugar and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and remaining 3 Tbsp of sugar. 
• Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork (or just your fingers!) until chunks are very small pea-sized.
• Whisk together the cream, 1 egg, vanilla extract and lemon peel and then add into the dry mixture. 
• Stir until the wet and dry ingredients begin to come together.  If there is a lot of flour left in the bottom of the bowl, add a couple Tbsp of cream to the bowl and mix it all together. 
• Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead the dough a few times just until it holds together and some of the extra flour from the bowl has been incorporated in.
• Press or roll out into a rectangle or press into the rectangle pan if using one. Divide into 4 equal sections, pressing straight down with a sharp knife. Then cut diagonally across each section, pressing straight down.
• Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush over top of the scones. 
• Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
• Bake 12-15 minutes just until the outside is golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes-- wonderful served warm with lemon curd.

Parts of this recipe was inspired by Lady Behind The Curtain's scones.

This was shared on the following:
I Should Be Mopping The Floor party #55

Tortellini In Vegetable Sauce

This was my latest brainstorm recipe that turned out so well that my husband and I could hardly stop eating this. I had a lot of different vegetables that needed to be used up, not enough time to thaw some meat and wanted to do something easy before I had to run off to work in the evening. It turned out that the veggies I had worked wonderful together for this dish, but I really think you could use all different types of vegetables and have a great dish. The cooking time for this is less than 30 minutes and would be a great weeknight meal if you have the veggies already prepped.

Serves about 6 (or 4 adult servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cleaned and finely chopped, including the upper stems
• 1 pint size container of grape tomatoes (or you could substitute 1  15oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice)
• 1 large onion or 2 small-medium onions
• 2 medium carrots, medium diced, or may use baby carrots chopped
• 2 large celery ribs, chopped
• 2-3 mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• palmful of Italian seasoning/herb blend
• salt blend like Goya Adobo with pepper
• 1 pound pasta of choice
• cream or half and half
• 2-4 large handfuls of spinach, chopped (or may use 1/2 small package of frozen spinach); may use another type of greens
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, shredded
• 2-3 low fat string cheese sticks, shredded and then chopped (optional), or may use handful of shredded mozarella cheese
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

• In a large covered skillet, generously drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with seasoned salt blend and crushed Italian seasoning. After it has begun to cook and soften a little, cover the pan so the juices do not evaporate out. Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed.
• While the veggies are cooking, start the pasta water. Liberally salt the water. Cook pasta about 2 minutes less than the recommended time as it will cook in the sauce at the end.
• As the veggies become tender as you desire, add in the cream gradually until the sauce is lightly creamy- I used about 1/4-1/3 cup.
• Add in the chopped spinach. 
• Pull out about 1 - 1 1/2 cup of pasta water as the pasta is finished and set it aside.
• Add the cheeses to the vegetable mixture and then add in the drained pasta.
• Combine everything together and add in as much pasta water as you need to make enough sauce to cover the pasta. Cover the pan as it cooks together for a couple more minutes. 
• Garnish with parsley and serve with a garlic bread or other warm rustic bread.

*Note- if using more sturdy greens in place of spinach, add them in with the vegetables at the beginning since they need more time to cook.

Baking Mix (Biscuits, Pancakes, etc)

Here is another one of the mixes I came up with recently through trying different recipes and incorporating ones that I already use and love. As I already wrote previously, I have been looking for more mixes that are homemade because they are great for saving time, but they also save money and allow me to control more what our family eats. It is hard to find mixes that are part wheat flour and do not use partially hydrogenated oils.

This mix can be used in place of any baking mix in recipes, as well as to make biscuits or make into pancakes (although I have a buttermilk pancake mix I previously posted that I prefer). I also used palm shortening since it is naturally solid and does not turn rancid at room temperature. I had to order palm shortening online (I bought from Tropical Traditions) since it is not always readily available in many grocery stores in the U.S.

Makes about 9 batches of biscuits or pancakes
Ingredients:

• 10 cups flour total (may divide into different types of flour but is best if not using more than 1/2 whole wheat flour)- I used 6 cups white flour, 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup baking powder
• 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups shortening or butter
• 2 cups dry milk powder

Directions:

• In a very large bowl or clean bucket/dishpan, mix all the dry ingredients together except the dry milk. 
• Cut in the shortening or butter until it is mixed throughout the dry ingredients and is about pea-sized
• Stir in the dry milk and mix together well.
• Store in a cool dry place in a 1 gallon sized container. If using butter, you should keep it in the freezer or at least the refrigerator.

ac ac ac ac ac ac 

To Make Biscuits:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Mix together 1 1/2 cups of baking mix with 1/2 cup milk in a medium bowl. (Add it gradually and use a little less if you want to make the dough drier so it can be rolled/cut out).
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or just until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove to a cooling rack.

To Make Pancakes:

• In a medium bowl, beat together 1 egg, 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp vanilla.
• Add in 1 1/2 cup of baking mix and stir just until moistened being careful not to overmix.
• Fry on a greased, hot frying pan or griddle.

Adapted from Baking Mix recipe in Simply In Season, 2009

Buttermilk Pancake Mix

I love buttermilk pancakes but do not always have buttermilk on hand to use. Sometimes I make soured milk to use, but it takes a little time and forethought. On the SACO Buttermilk Powder container, there is a recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes that we use and really enjoy. I have adapted it and made it into a bulk mix that can be made up and save some time when you are making pancakes. I was able to find buttermilk powder in a 10 pound package much cheaper at one of the local country stores, and I store the extra in the freezer. If you have any stores near you that sell bulk foods, they are probably able to order the buttermilk powder for you at a much cheaper price than the name brands available online or in the stores.

*Note: the label in the picture has been changed since I took the picture and should not be followed for this recipe since I adjusted ingredients in the meantime.

Bulk Recipe Ingredients:

• 10 cups all purpose flour (or up to 5 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour; may also use 4 cups all purpose flour, 3 cups cake flour and 3 cups whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 2 1/2 cups powdered buttermilk powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp salt

Bulk Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine/sift together the ingredients, being sure to mix everything together very well.
• Store in a cool place in a well-sealed gallon container.

Below are the instructions that you can print out on a large label and affix to the side of your container. This way you always have the instructions when you are ready to make pancakes. You may need to copy/paste and adjust according to the size of your labels.

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                            Buttermilk Pancake Mix

To Make Pancakes:    Makes about 10 pancakes (4 inch) 

• 1 1/2 cups pancake mix
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 - 1 cup water (depending on how thick you like your pancakes)
• 2-4 Tbsp oil or melted butter

Directions:

• Measure 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix into a medium mixing bowl. 
• In a smaller bowl, mix together egg, vanilla, water and oil.
• Add liquids into the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened/combined, being careful to not over-mix.
• Heat skillet or griddle on medium high heat. 
• Drop 2-3 Tbsp of batter into greased skillet/griddle and cook until bubbles appear around the top of the pancakes. 
• Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until other side is golden brown.

Optional add-ins:  1/4 cup applesauce or grated apples or other finely chopped fruit, 1/4 cup coconut or chopped nuts. If using chocolate or other flavored baking chips or berries, toss first in a couple Tbsp of flour to keep them from falling to the bottom of the bowl. 

Shared with the following:
Mop It Up Monday 51

In Search of the Best Biscuits...and Buttermilk Biscuit variation

I have been trying different biscuit recipes for a while- always searching for the best taste and the fluffiest texture. So this quest has turned into a 2 day baking challenge trying different versions and techniques. I read numerous cookbooks (old and new) and looked at videos online-- I also tried buttermilk versus using regular milk. There are two different types of recipes, one that uses self-rising flour and ones that keep the flour and other ingredients separate. Some even recommend cake flour for the best rise. I, however, used all-purpose flour for my different biscuit recipes. The first baking powder and buttermilk biscuits I made, I didn't brush the tops with butter prior to baking-- but when I tasted the last butter-brushed batch, I was convinced that it is truly necessary for the best taste.

Also, the last batch I made, I put the biscuits in the pan so they were all touching each other. This seemed to give more uniformity to the rise and they were not as lop-sided. In the future, I will put one batch of biscuits in an 8 or 9 inch pan so they can touch and have side of the pan all around to keep the outer biscuits from spreading out too much. Initially, I indented the centers of the biscuits in the first couple batches because people said that helps them rise straight, but I still had a problem with some of them being a little uneven. Another thing I experimented with was my biscuit dough more wet and sticky versus not-so-sticky. The last batch was a more wet dough and seemed to have the most tender texture inside.

My conclusion? I could not decide which I preferred more- baking powder versus buttermilk biscuits. They were equally good- especially when brushed with butter before baking. The most important things seemed to be working with a more wet dough and not mixing or kneading it very much at all.   Do you have a favorite biscuit recipe?

Biscuits Yields: 16 medium biscuits (if rolling out dough to 1/2 inch thickness), or approximately 8 extra thick (if rolling 1 inch thick)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (or cake flour as some recommend)
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp sugar- up to 4 Tbsp if you like a sweeter taste
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter (I used palm shortening, which is not artificially hydrogenated)
• 2/3- 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Sift dry ingredients together into a medium bowl. 
• Cut in shortening or butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour all the milk in at once.
• Stir just until dough follows the mixing utensil around the bow, adding milk as necessary to get a moist dough.
• Lightly flour your counter/cutting board and sprinkle top of dough with some flour. Roll dough ball around in the flour, giving it a couple gentle kneads until outside is not so sticky. Pat or roll out the dough. 
• (Optional- fold one third towards the middle and then the other third over the first- like an envelope. Then pat the dough out to the desired thickness.)
• Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass, being careful to press straight down and not twist until the cutter is all the way to the bottom. Alternatively, you may just cut them into equal squares with a sharp knife, but make sure your dough is squared up on the corners and sides first. 
• Place on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching and brush with melted butter for extra flavor! 
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

** For Buttermilk Biscuits:

do not use cream of tartar, increase baking soda to 1/2 tsp, decrease the fat to 1/3 cup and use 1 cup buttermilk instead of milk. Follow the directions otherwise as above.

flour and shortening

first batch of dough- less sticky

first batch cooling

wetter dough sprinkled with flour

Make sure you brush the top with butter!

final biscuit batch

tasting the final batch- YUM!

If you really want a shortcut- make the dough wet enough that you are unable to roll out the dough, then put into a greased glass baking dish in which you have melted 1/4 cup of butter. Lightly press flat in the pan and pour 1/2 stick of melted butter over top and score top of the biscuit dough 3-4 times in each direction. (courtesy of The Country Cook) Bake for about 20 minutes or just until golden brown. 

Vegetable Rice Salad

I love recipes that are all about using up the leftovers in your refrigerator. Well, this is one of those. The inspiration for this recipe came from the Back to School 2012 issue of Penzeys Spice catalog. I changed some of the ingredients and added more dressing, but that is the great thing about this recipe- just chop and throw in whatever veggies you have that need to be used up. This dish makes a great lunch by itself, a light supper, or as a side dish for a meal.

Ingredients:
   Salad:

• 3 1/2 cups cooked rice, white or brown (I had some of both)
• 2 cups freshly cooked corn (I used our own frozen corn- so much sweeter and richer)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced or a combination of both
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped finely (optional- does not really add any heat)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 6 small green onions, sliced
• 1-2 avocados, chopped into small chunks
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 medium cucumber, diced
• 1 can small red beans or black beans, rinsed (whatever type of bean you like)
• 1/4-1/2 cup black olives, chopped (optional, may also use green olives)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp ground pepper

   Dressing:

• 1/2 cup white vinegar (may substitute red wine vinegar also)
• 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
• 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 Tbsp cumin (adjust to taste- I used more because I really like a stronger cumin flavor)

Directions:

• Mix rice, vegetables and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad ingredients.
• Mix all ingredients together well. Chill for about 4 hours- the longer, the more flavor. 

** The dressing does not have any sweetener but the corn and rice balance it out and it is not too tart.

Feel free to add in some chopped celery, carrots and any other vegetables you need to use up.

Homemade Cornbread Mix

Sometimes I  am a lazy cook. I am not very good at planning ahead meals, although I am trying to work on this. I enjoy cornbread but find that I do not make it very often because it seems like too much work to mix up the batter and get it in the oven while I am making the rest of the supper, which is often being done at the last minute. So, not that I enjoy baring my faults with the world, but this is an area that has been an impetus for me to look for shortcuts without always going to a box (although I do that with cakes and brownies at times). I have come across a lot of bulk mixes on blogs like Chickens in the Road and Country Momma Cooks, which made me decide to get out the recipes I love and make up some of my own bulk mixes. Then when I am running short on time (which is most of the time), I can just pull out the container, add the wet ingredients and it is ready for the oven in a jiffy!

I love a lot of different cornbread recipes, but the one that really caught my taste buds was from Land-O-Lakes, called Honey Moist Cornbread. You can see the original recipe at the link attached to the title. I have not really changed the recipe much- I usually use low fat milk in place of half and half and it still comes out wonderful. If you like a VERY sweet cornbread, you might want to add a little more sugar, but try it first this way since it has a nice balance of sweetness already.

This bulk mix makes 6 recipes. The following is the information I put into a label to put on the outside of the container so I would not have to get out my recipe every time I make some.

bdbd

Cornbread Mix

9 servings

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup milk or half and half, 2 slightly beaten eggs, ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup melted butter. Stir in 2 1/3 cups of cornbread mix just until moistened.

      Pour into greased 8 or 9” pan. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

For the bulk mix recipe:

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 6 cups yellow or white cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 Tbsp baking powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp dry milk powder (optional)

Stir all ingredients together until well blended in a LARGE bowl or clean bucket. Transfer to a seal-tight storage container.

Cranberry Salad/Relish

Cranberries are such a traditional part of a Thanksgiving dinner in the United States. However, because they are so tart, many people do not like them. When I was young, my family always had the jellied cranberry in a can with our turkey dinner. While I still enjoy that type of cranberry relish, I really have come to enjoy the whole cranberries. One of the grocery stores in our area sells a couple of different cranberry salads that are so yummy- but have a lot of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Since I have been trying to cut back on sugar and avoid HFCS as much as possible, I decided to make up my own version that has been inspired by their recipes. I have been making this for the past couple years, and wherever I serve this dish, it always gets rave reviews.

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients. It is not very hard to make if you have a food processor or chopper and is totally worth the effort. It also freezes well and can be made up in a big batch and then separated into a few containers to freeze. Then remove it later and serve with some chicken, turkey or pork.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (12 oz.) of cranberries, fresh or frozen- I prefer frozen so they don't mush up as much when chopping)
• 1 large apple
• 2 large celery stalks, outside fibers removed if necessary
• 1 (15 oz.) can of pineapple, drained (reserve the liquid for jello)
• 1 large orange, peeled and membranes removed or 1 (11 oz.) can of mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained
• 2 (3 oz.) boxes of raspberry or cherry jello
• 1 3/4 cup total of liquids- use reserved liquids and enough water or orange juice to make up the amount needed
• 3-4 Tbsp sugar

Directions:

• Rinse cranberries and chop with quick pulses in a food processor or chopper, being careful to not chop too much or it will turn to paste/liquid
• Continue chopping the remainder of the fruit/vegetables and add everything into a large bowl. Oranges need to be broken up somewhat so there are not very large chunks.
• In a medium saucepan, heat liquid and sugar together until just boiling, then add in the gelatin. Turn off  heat and remove from the burner, stirring well to mix and dissolve the jello. 
• Add the liquid mixture into the chopped fruit and stir well. 
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or until well-chilled and more firm. 
• Just before serving, stir to loosen it up and break up the chunks. 

*Note: if you desire a much softer consistency, try using only 1 box of jello and add in 1/4 -1/3 cup extra sugar into the liquid mixture when boiling. There will be more juices from the cranberries and other fruit.

Patty Pan Squash Casserole

This recipe was one that just came together in an attempt to use up a bunch of large patty pan squash and tomatoes that I had from our garden. Somehow, we always seem to end up with overgrown squash- both zucchini and patty pan. My husband grew up eating small patty pan squash that were steamed or boiled and then browned butter was put over it. I never tasted this squash until we married and began our own garden. The first couple I picked were small, but ever since then, we often seem to end up with ones that are so big. I tried peeling them in the beginning- ever try peeling such an irregular piece of vegetable? Well, I quickly decided that this was for the birds. Really, you don't need to peel them because the squash is quite firm and needs a longer cooking time. Anyways, I was not very impressed with my first patty pan cooking attempt and decided I preferred it better mixed in with other foods- much like I prefer zucchini and yellow summer squash.

If you  notice from the next picture, I used some pre-made ingredients that I keep on hand to make up something quick when I have not had time to cook ahead. Feel free to substitute your own homemade versions, if desired.

Serves: approximately 4-6

Ingredients:

• meat of choice- poultry, beef, sausage or lamb (I used sausage)
• 1 large patty pan squash, washed and sliced through the center and seeds removed, or may use a few smaller ones (may also use zucchini or other summer squash)
• 1-2 medium onions, chopped
• 4-5 medium mushrooms, or to taste
• potatoes- mashed (I used some dried potato flakes made up with garlic seasoning and butter)
• 1 box of stuffing mix (cornbread or savory herb, if available), prepared according to directions
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup- may use own recipe if you prefer, but do not dilute it- you need it thick
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• carrots/celery, chopped- optional
• chopped parsley- 1 Tbsp if fresh or 2 tsp if dry (more or less to taste)

Directions:

1. In a large oven-proof pan, brown the meat and vegetables except the tomatoes, adding some oil if the meat is not releasing enough to keep everything from sticking. Season with salt/pepper or seasoned salt and parsley.  If there is much grease, may remove most of it when finished browning everything.

2. Cover and allow to cook until the squash is fork-tender. Add in the tomatoes and stir in the mushroom soup (undiluted) and allow to cook, covered, for about 3 more minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften.

3. Spread the prepared stuffing over top of the mixture.

4. Place under preheated broiler at 375 or 400 degrees F. for about 5-10 minutes- watching carefully to make sure it does not burn. You just want it to be lightly browned.

5. Serve over prepared mashed potatoes.

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Recipes For My Boys- Thursday's Treasures Wk 51

Zucchini Jam

This is a recipe that I have been dying to share for quite some time, but life has been a little too crazy to get it all together until now. My mom (who doesn't remember where this recipe came from) made this jam once or twice many years ago, and I have made it a few times since I married and started doing my own food preserving. I love how it is a great way to use up a pile of zucchini (especially those great big ones that inevitably seem to appear out of nowhere in the garden). I have noticed many cake recipes that hide and disguise zucchini, but I have not met anyone who has tried this before-- and it really has a nice flavor.  

For those of you who may wonder how on earth zucchini would taste in a sweet jam? Fear not! The zucchini is really just a subtle texture and is flavor-neutral. Therefore, you get the healthy benefits of eating zucchini but can enjoy it as a sweet topping. Actually, the predominant flavor is the pineapple and whatever flavor of jello you decide to use- I used peach jello flavor. *Note: if you use smaller zucchini, you may have a very solid and firm jam since larger zucchini have more water content. Also, for those people who are pretty picky, peeling the squash allows it to be disguised in the jam much better.

Yields: 5-6 half pints

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of zucchini, seeds removed, grated (may be peeled, although I did not)
• 4-6 cups sugar
• 6 oz. box of jello or (2) 3 oz. boxes- apricot, peach, pineapple or orange
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:

• In a large pot, cook the zucchini on low-medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. No need to add additional water since the zucchini already has a high water content that seeps out as it cooks.
• Add sugar and boil for 6 minutes more, stirring often.
• Add lemon juice and pineapple and boil 6 minutes more, stirring often.
• Reduce heat and add package of jello. Stir well and pour into prepared jars.
• Cover with canning lids/rings and immediately invert jars for 20-30 minutes or process in water bath, if desired.

Shared with the following:
Weekend Potluck
Mop It Up Mondays

Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

Since my kids are crazy about pancakes and they usually expect me to make them once on the weekend, I have tried to find various ways to incorporate "healthy" foods into them. I love the texture that oats give to pancakes- it is not going to be your typical pancake. Instead, these pancakes tend to be denser and chewier, but they have a lot of flavor, as well as being very filling! I have often either grated apples or just chopped them in smaller chunks and added them to the batter, in addition to some apple pie spice. These are wonderful with some homemade cinnamon-flavored apple sauce and some maple syrup. You might also try making an apple syrup from apple juice/cider and a couple of tablespoons of honey that has been reduced down.

Both oats and apples are full of fiber and antioxidants. You know there is a lot of truth to the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." These additions to your pancakes can take an average breakfast food that is usually not very healthy (especially if made with white flour and regular sugar and pancake syrups) and make it into something that is going to give us more energy, keep us full longer and yet taste yummy! If you really want to pump up the health benefits without really changing the taste, add in a few tablespoons of chia seeds or ground flax seed (both are high in omega-3 fatty acids and chia seeds are very high in antioxidants, yet flavor-neutral).

Makes about 20 larger pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked (I use quick oats)
• 1 cup all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat flour, could also substitute coconut flour)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 tsp cardamom or 2 tsp apple pie spice blend (optional if adding apples)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 3 Tbsp sugar or other sweetener
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 large apple or 2 small-medium apples, chopped very small or grated (I leave the skins on)

Directions:

• Pour milk over oats, cover and let stand. 
• Meanwhile, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices. 
• Stir eggs, oil, vanilla into the oat/milk mixture.
• Add in the dry ingredients and wheat germ. Mix just until moistened.
• Fold in apples.
• Bake on moderately hot, lightly greased electric griddle (375 degrees) or pan fry until golden brown, turning only once when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

May serve with the following sauce if not adding in fruit:

     Orange Sauce:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil

Mix sugar and corn starch in a saucepan. Stir in juices. Cook until mixture is thick and clear. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in butter/oil. Serve warm over pancakes.    

Makes about 3 cups.

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