Merry Christmas

 

Wishing All the very best at this Special time of year.

till next time
connie

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Homemade Western Salad Dressing

Late summer here in central Illinois, still hot, really hot. Time for fresh greens, tomatoes and vegetables from the garden. There are so many things people should not eat in foods they buy on the store shelves.

Like salad dressings.

Did you know you should not consume soy bean oil?

It really isn't good for you, but it is in most of your processed foods. Even when the label reads vegetable oil, the vegetable oil is; soybean oil.
I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the Western Dressing I made, the label read canola and sunflower oil, it wasn't pure olive oil. Note: read the label.
Still better for you than soy bean oil.
The best oil to use would be coconut but it firms up when stored in a cool place.

I worked this recipe up for Western Dressing and thought I would share.

 

 

Western Dressing

 

Ingredients;

 

1 cup brown sugar (you can use granulated, same amount)

 

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

 

1/2 cup water

 

2/3 cup ketchup (catsup)

 

1/4 tsp paprika

 

1/2 tsp salt

 

1/2 tsp dry ground mustard

 

1/2 tsp celery seed

 

1/2 tsp chili powder

 

1 Tbls onion flakes, dehydrated

 

Directions:

 

In a blender, add oil, ketchup, vinegar, sugar and all spices, blend, adding water to thin mixture, only add as much water as needed to make the constancy you want for dressing your salad.

 

Store in a quart jar in the fridge. Should keep a long time as long as you keep it cold.

 

Note: I'm going to try a food processor next time, due to the fact my blender is 40 plus years old.

         Could be time to find another good blender.

 

 

til next time

 

Connie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spaghetti Sauce, well yes, spaghetti sauce

Who has a well stocked pantry? I think, my husband thinks I'm crazy sometimes with the things I buy. I was able to get a HUGE can of tomato sauce for a couple buck about a year ago, I checked the date, and he asked what I would do with it. At a loss for words, I explained it away with, it's going on the shelf.
Today it becomes Spaghetti Sauce. I'll need to put the leftover into jars but that's a small task. Since its a gloomy day.
The day, oh yea, It's Good Friday.

Good day for inside things, here's how I cooked it up.

Spaghetti Sauce

 

2 pounds of ground beef

 

1 large chopped onion

 

1 cup chopped celery

 

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

 

1 large can tomato sauce (6 lb 9 oz)

 

1 Tbls Basil (adjust to taste)

 

1 Tbls Oregano (adjust to taste)

 

1 Tbls Garlic (adjust to taste)

 

Brown ground beef, add chopped onion, celery & green pepper, cook until veggies are clear.

Drain fat if you like.

Cook about half an hour add tomato sauce bring to a slow simmer and add spices.

Simmer about 3 hours.

* Note

 

Get the canner, jars, and lids ready for canning.

Put hot spaghetti sauce into jars adjust the lids and rings, place in canner that has been brought to temperature. Process about 20 minutes.

 

Wala` you have spaghetti sauce anytime you want.

 

*Note: add a bit of pure sugar if it's to acidic.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sunshine on an Ugly day ~ Pineapple Cake

Winter just won't stop in Illinois, we were good through December and January but come February it just dumped and dumped more, then freezing rain.
Whoops that's right, the East Coast won't see the ground until the 4th of July.
This cake will help them feel better and work for the 4th of July block parties they have.

A few years ago the supervisor at a job I was working, at that time, brought a Pineapple Sheet Cake for the potluck. It was scrumptious. Asked for the recipe, she wrote a sketchy version of it on a recipe card. I made a few adjustments to it and yum.

This is made with staples from the pantry.

Pineapple Sheet Cake

 

Ingredients:

 



2 cups granulated sugar

 

2 cups flour

 

2 tsp baking soda

 

1 tsp salt

 

2 eggs

 

1/2 cup oil

 

1 - 20oz can crushed pineapple w juice

 

1 tsp vanilla

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350*

 

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl , stir dry ingredients to combine well. Stir in the wet ingredients as follows, eggs, oil, pineapple w juice, and vanilla, gently stirring after each addition.

 

Grease 11 x 9 baking pan, pour batter into pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, top will be brown.

 

While cake is baking, make a caramel type icing:

 

Icing

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, cut into chunks
• ⅔ cup evaporated milk
• pinch of salt
• ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

 

Make icing while the cake bakes. Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer and stir for 10 minutes.

 

Be sure you cook it long enough or it will soak into the cake, instead of setting up as icing.

 

Pour icing over hot cake. Sprinkle with pecans & coconut. Let cake cool before cutting.

A Cream Cheese Icing is also very good.

til next time

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Cranberries

 

Left over cranberries in the freezer, you know the holidays? Work them into juice for a fraction of the price of store bought and 100% real no additives.

Cranberry Tea

1- 12 oz bag of cranberries frozen or fresh

2 quarts water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Rinse berries with cold water, place berries and water in 4 qt saucepan.

Cook berries on medium heat til boiling, turn down heat and simmer until berries pop open, continue simmering about 15 minutes.

Turn off heat.

Let berries steep 15 minutes.

Strain berries through a mesh sieve or cheese cloth into another pot.

Return berry liquid to larger pot and heat, adding sugar, simmer another 15 to 20 minute and is hot.

Pot in quart jars for easy storage.

Reheat to hot in a pan for warm winter drink.


til next time

Connie

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Cinnamon Rolls

Hello Friend, I know how to cook but sometimes it has been such a long time since I've used so many of the ingredients, I'm not sure. I use to work as a pastry chef on Merchant Street. I loved making the breads. Once at Christmas time I felt compelled to make a braided bread. I wasn't sure why but I had always wanted to and this job gave me the opportunity. I was surprised when the Owner actually used it as a centerpiece. The restaurant would get orders daily for the bread.
It was hard to get the other pastries worked but I did.

The Cinnamon rolls I worked are from a recipe I found on the "net", homemade-cinnamon-rolls
I like how the yeast is combined with the flour instead of setting it with warm water. Used more flour than it calls for. I used my kitchen-aid and added flour as I needed until I got a soft ball that pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

I worked the dough so late in the day I wasn't able to get them finished in a timely manner for Hubby to share them at work. So next time, I'll work them and let the second rise work in the refrigerator and warm them before popping in the oven.

So go ahead and do something you haven't in awhile.

Here's a picture of my finished rolls.
Not sure why the centers sank, think I'll cover them with parchment paper next time so they won't brown so quickly.

til next time

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HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 1/4 c. milk 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1/4 c. butter 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 6 tbsp. butter, softened 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 recipe Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze Step 1: In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour and yeast. Heat the milk, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120 to 130 degrees) and the butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Dough will be soft.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Step 3: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingers 1/2 inch into dough and indentation remains.) Step 4: Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Step 5: On lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 12x8 inches. Spread with 3 tablespoons softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from a short side. Seal edges. Make a second roll with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture. Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm.Makes 16 rolls. MAPLE NUT GLAZE: In small bowl combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon maple extract and enough water or milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans. POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE: Combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (about 3 to 4 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. FREEZING AND REHEATING: Bake and cool rolls as directed, do not glaze. Wrap in moisture and vapor proof wrap. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.To reheat in a conventional oven, wrap frozen rolls in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with your choice of glaze.To reheat in a microwave oven, wrap 2 of the frozen rolls in microwave-safe paper towels. Micro-cook on 100% power (high) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with glaze. .