Oven less

What do you do when your oven doesn't work? Bake No Bake Cookies
 I need to save the recipe...this is the good one
2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Milk
1/2 c, butter
3Tb. Cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
3 c. Quick oatmeal
1 tsp.vanilla
 Raisins ( not optional)
    Bring all but vanilla and raisins to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Add vanilla and raisins. Drop by spoonful onto a lined cookie sheet. Let set up.

Canned Vegetable Soup

Here it is!
1/2 tsp/ salt
1 T. dry parsley
1 T beef boullion or 1 cube
Potatoes
Carrots
1 T. pearl barley
Dash garlic salt
Onions
Celery
   Dice potatoes, carrots,celery and onions. In each clean quart bottle, put in spices first, then add a handful of chopped onions and celery and enough diced potaotes and carrots to fill the jar 2/3 full. Fill to within 1/2 inch of top wioth water. Process in pressure canner at 10 pounds for 40 minutes.
(Call me if you aren't sure what that means!) Love you. I didn't check for typos.

Getting Squashed

How productive. Summer squash. It's time to use up those wondrous babies of the garden. An interjection of my opinion here....please pick your squash before it is some mammoth alien thing. I love when people share with me, but please. Those monsters aren't the best way to use up the squash. Pick 'em young people!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes.
  Zucchini Casserole.
(Works great with yellow squash also.
2 c. stuffing crumbs
1/3 c melted butter
3 c. Zucchini
1/2 medium onion
1 c. shredded carrots
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
  Sauté' zucchini and onion. MIx stuffing and butter together. Place 1/2 stuffing in casserole. Mix together zucchini, onion, carrots, soup and sour cream. Place over stuffing crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake 350* 30 minutes.

Gourmet Bird Feed

1 lb. peanuts
1 Bag stick pretzels
4 -5 c. Froot Loops
1 c. Raisins
1/2 Colored Mini Marshmallows
1 pkg. almond bark
     Melt almond bark in 2 qt. bowl until melted. Pour over the above ingredients and toss. Spread on cookie sheets and let set up. Break in pieces.

Hot Stuff

A few years ago....while in High school, I got the following recipes. They are terrific. To welcome summer, I share them now.

Homemade Fudgesicles
1 pkg. pudding cook and serve pudding  ( Chocolate, of course, is good but we loved banana. Can you imagine White Chocolate?)
1/3 c. Sugar
3 c. Milk
1 c. Heavy cream
   Cook according to package directions, adding sugar and additional milk.
Remove from heat and add cream. Pour into molds and freeze. Hint; I use bathroom cups and craft sticks.

Any Flavor Popsicles

1pkg. (3oz) gelatin, any flavor
1 envelope instant soft drink mix unsweetened. (Koolaid) to compliment the gelatin
1 c sugar
2 c. boiling water
2 c. cold water
   Dissolve gelatin, drink mix and sugar in boiling water. Add cold water and pour into molds and freeze. These are wonderful. you can't suck the flavor out of them!
 A huge thanks to my Home Ec teacher, Mrs. Beck, for these recipes and the great memories of High School. She was a fantastic teacher, that blessed my life.
   In my day, there wasn't a large selection of flavors to choose from in the gelatin and soft drink mix department. Today, the combos are endless!

Happy Summer all! (Wohoo, it's started !)

Watermelon Kiwi and Mango Peach (Pretty Peachy kids also)

She really was only enjoying the Almond Cream, but it made a cute picture.

The favorite flavor- Lemon Lime

We will fatten up this guy no matter what it takes. Good thing he loves the goodies!

Internet Treasures

I have two recipes that I used this past week that I found on the internet. It is amazing that through technology we can have such wonderful blessings in our lives. It makes me wonder how people get trapped with the 'bad' that goes along with it. I found this Lasagna Soup recipe and tried it....
A M A Z I N G . I am putting a copy here
Ingredients


1 tablespoon oil

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound pasta

4 ounces ricotta

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1 handful basil, chopped

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it apart as you go and set aside reserving the remaining oil and grease.

2.Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3.Add the garlic, red pepper flake and fennel and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

4.Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, sausage, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. (If you have the time this soup will benefit from being simmered longer.)

5.Add the pasta and cook until al-dente, about 7 minutes and remove from heat.

6.Mix the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella and serve the soup garnished with a tablespoon of the mixture along with the basil.
Here is a link to the site: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/01/lasagna-soup.html

I also have tried this recipe for Kneaders Brownies 3 times now. Also A M A Z I N G
 I still haven't nailed the cook time exactly. I need ot bake at 360* for about 5 minutes longer than the recipe calls for. Steve loves these- Gooey, or little more baked. He asked for them for Valenties Dday.
I was happy to oblige!

Kneaders Double Chocolate Mint Brownies
Brownie


1 cup butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips



Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Cool slightly.

Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well with a spatula.

Add the flour and stir to combine.

Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a buttered 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool.



Filling

½ cup softened butter, margarine, or shortening

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 drops mint flavoring or to taste

1 drop pink food coloring



In a small bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter and mint flavoring until smooth.

Add food coloring to make a light pink.

Spread evenly over cooled brownies and then chill. (I have to add a little milk because I like it spreadable)
Chocolate Ganache


½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup heavy cream

crushed peppermint (red and white)



Put the chocolate chips and cream into a small bowl.

Microwave on high for 1 minute stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Do not over heat.

Immediately pour over the brownies.

Decorate with crushed peppermint.

Do not refrigerate. Mixture will set up on brownies in about 15 – 20 minutes
Link to Girls with Recipes http://girlswithrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/12/kneaders-double-chocolate-peppermint.html

Favorite Memories

I tried to make meal times enjoyable and memorable as my little ones matured. I remember making spaghetti one night and serving it in a new fashion as suggested by a friend...dumping the noodles and sauce on a plastic tablecloth and eating with no plates or utensils.......it wasn't fun. The kids hated it. Do you remember a favorite meal at our house? (This is probably just for my children) Leave me a comment and you may be invited over for a recreation!