Linda's Cornbread

Here's one of our "Little Munchkins" mixing cornbread. This photo was taken in 2005, so she is 9 years old now and can reach the bowl without any problems at all. 
This recipe makes a very moist on the inside, crispy on the outside cornbread. This is not a sweet cornbread and is great buttered and eaten with stew or soup! (Note: this recipe does not contain eggs!) It is baked in an iron skillet.
Click on Read More to get recipe.

Apple Pie in a Jar

It seems I am always posting things that I can't eat right now since I am dieting. This is something, though, that you can put in your freezer and have ready to pull out for sudden cravings, guests, or even hostess gifts. 
It's Apple Pie (or actually any flavor of baked pie!) in a canning jar. You have to find the half-pint canning jars that are short and squat and have an opening that is larger than the bottom. (I actually ordered mine to find the right size.) Other shapes will work, but you won't be able to slide the pie out of the jar if the opening is not larger than the bottom or if the sides are not straight.
You can either use a pie crust recipe or just buy an uncooked pie dough. Either way, use your fingers to spread it on the bottom and up the sides of the inside of the jar. Use the lid as a template to cut a round to use as an upper crust. I used a large recipe and prepared 6 jars.
Evenly distribute your pie filling among the jars. I used my old standby apple pie recipe. You could also use other fruit, chocolate pie, etc. Place the round crust on top and seal the edges. Don't overfill the jar. You need a little room for the filling to freeze and you need to be able to screw the lid on.
Put the lid on each jar and place in the freezer.
Read more about Apple Pie in a Jar by clicking on "Read More".

Pain Au Chocolat

Doug in front of the Arc De Triomphe in Paris at night!

I've often talked about the wonderful Pain Au Chocolat that was always offered as part of the breakfast we had in Paris and London. It was my idea of the perfect breakfast! Chocolate wrapped in a breakfast roll! 
I ran across this easy version that I plan on trying when I'm not on a diet! It is certainly not authentic and doesn't look like it would taste much like the original, but it does look good and it also looks easy! It's posted at   Hungry Happenings.  She also gives instructions for decorating them with foam stamps and food coloring. The kids would love that, but it might also be a great idea for a brunch!

Crock Pot Pork Loin

Teachers are back in session as of this week at school. 


The week is full of in-services, meetings and necessary instructions all crammed into five days.  Get a few teachers together and sometimes the crazies start coming out.  Some things are more enjoyable than others and lunch is always among the fun things to do. Eating healthy has been a challenge this week because teachers want chocolate and doughnuts and candies, cookies and breakfast tacos, not in that order but order is not the concern!  And of course, we need really strong coffee!  Since I have to weigh in tomorrow for our family's Biggest Losers I have been watching the unhealthy snacks and have done fairly well....so far...but the week is not over!

This week instead of rushing out to crowded restaurants and ordering food that is unhealthy for us my co-worker and I decided to plan ahead and start doing crock pot meals, cooking in our rooms while we were in meetings. 


We started with Rosemary Chicken yesterday and today we made Crock Pot Pork Loin.   So simple!  So good!  Lisa makes pork chops like this so I adapted her recipe.   Click on Read More to get the Crock Pot Pork Loin recipe.

Linda's Greek Rosemary Chicken

Today, we made Greek Rosemary Chicken.

This is Linda's recipe and Lisa and I made it one day in our huge crock pot but we were gone too long and let it dry out.  Today, I tried it in the oven and baked it on low all day.  We ate at 7:30 this evening and the aroma was wonderful.  Everyone who walked into the house commented on how good whatever we were cooking smelled.
When we gathered around our table for the evening meal.  I asked each person what was the best part of their day.  Everyone answered and then asked me.  I said it was when I tasted this chicken and it was delicious!  The family rejected that as the best part of my day because it was about food so the best part of my day was actually, when all the little ones woke up and came into the "leaving" room with their blankets, and stuffed animals, all happy to be up for a new day.

Sesame Cookies

Okay, kids! Here is a simple little recipe that Darla and I were recently given. Sunny Stephens, at church, had made these for a church ice cream social. It is from her mother-in-law's recipe file. It is basically a shortbread, but the addition of the sesame seeds and coconut (which you would never guess is there!) really makes it a special cookie. You need to make it ahead of time enough to put it in the refrigerator to chill the dough. This is a delicious cookie!!!! Great with tea or coffee! I don't have a picture because they didn't last long enough for that!

Sesame Cookies
1 pound real butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 cups coconut
1 cup sesame seeds *
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Soften butter and add sugar; beat until very light. Add remaining ingredients. Separate into 3 parts - roll - refrigerate. When ready to bake, slice 1/4" thick and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 25 to 30 minutes at 300 degrees.


*Sesame seeds are MUCH cheaper when you buy them in bulk at stores like Whole Foods, where you can buy them by the pound.
  

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Remember how everyone used to rush home after church on Sunday mornings and either you had a roast in the oven or Mama fried chicken while everyone read the funny papers?  I used to love to read Charlie Brown and Little Lulu and later when I got a little older I really liked the Family Circus and  I did not fully understand them at the time.  Now that I have lived through my own little Family Circus and I think I am not quite out of it yet. I could write the comic strip myself!

Times have changed!
Not only do you not take it for granted that everyone is attending church come Sunday morning but the church attenders rush to their restaurant of choice after the morning service in an attempt to beat out the neighboring congregation who lets out just minutes after your congregation lets out ...all in good spirit of course!
Click on Read more to hear the rest...

Our New Look

How do you like our new look? 


I have to give credit where credit is due: the photo in our background on this page was taken by Gaby, my daughter-in-law at the Tamalada her family had soon after she joined our family. 


What a great experience uniting friends and family, men and women, children and adults.  I loved the experience!  If you would like to read more about that you can go to my own blog at Doodling In My Mind.


We may find more colorful photos and we may change from time to time but I thought maybe this was a good beginning photo to use.


Watch for some fun and delicious recipes from all over!

Good thymes and sweet love to all!

Darla

Our Family Blog and Chocolate Pudding on the Go

 Darla and I have decided that we need a family blog to share recipes. This is a family of great cooks! We need a way to share that connection.  We're hoping that everyone in our family will add to this interactive blog. Add your recipes and tell us any stories that might be connected with them. Did Grandmama make this? Was this something you had at a church fellowship meal? Is this your kid's favorite snack? Let us know! If all you want to do is post the recipe, that's fine too, although we may be asking you about it. Let's have fun with this and see where we go with it. Photos are great, by the way. We love seeing them. 

There are a LOT of memories connected with this photo. We were living in Raleigh and Darla came with part of her little family to visit. This was taken the day my grandson was born, prematurely, on the opposite coast. Munchkin # 1 was staying with me while her new little brother was entering the world. This photo is of her cousin digging into the chocolate pudding we had just made. This recipe is fast, easy, and makes a hot chocolate pudding. Jason, Brad, and Drew - you grew up on this. We added lots of almond extract and a dollop of Cool Whip to top it off.  The recipe below has been formulated to be put in 4 Zip-Loc bags and kept on the shelf until you want a serving of hot pudding. It takes less than 2 minutes and all you add is water and flavoring and Cool Whip!)

                          Hot Chocolate Pudding to Go
In each of 4 Zip-Loc bags, put 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup instant non-fat dry milk, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (the non-sweetened type for baking), and a dash of salt.  Set aside until you need a chocolate fix!
When you're ready for some hot pudding, just dump the contents of one bag in a microwave safe pan or other container (large enough for a little expansion) and add 3/4 cup water. Stir it well and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. (My microwave is newer and more powerful than the older ones. If your microwave is old, you may need to go a little longer.) Take it out and stir it well. I add in about 1/2 tablespoon of butter and some almond extract, but you don't have to do this. You can also put a dollop of Cool Whip or whipped cream on top.
Enjoy!        Linda