Things to keep in your automobile

This will save you time and money.

If you get invited to birthday parties,baby showers,
and bridal showers, you should buy a small cont-
ainer to store a roll of tape, scissors, cards and
some different colored ribbons, along with some
flat packages of wrapping paper for each of these
3 types of parties.

I also like to keep some liquid soap in a drawer
under the seat, for cleanup after eating on the
go. I keep two wash cloths in the drawer because
I always have bottled water with me.

I have a hair brush,some deoderant and a pkg. of
in the drawer,little toothbrushes from the
Dollar Tree that contains toothpaste,in the
drawer under the front seat of my van for
emergencies,too.

Another thing that I keep on hand is envelopes, a
notebook, an ink pen, and some stamps.

It is always a good idea to keep a brand new
disposable camera in your glove box or in a
special box under your seat, for incase you ever
get into a wreck or witness a wreck. Take a pic
of the car and driver that hits you and the lic.
plate too. If the person leaves the scene of the
accident that they caused, you can always send
a copy of the pics to the 3 local TV channels
and ask them to show them on the News,asking
anyone who has any info, to call the local
Police and report it. I always keep a notebook
and ink pens in the van to jot down any notes
I will need to remember.

I purchased a wicker basket to take up the space
between the two front seats in my van to put
mail, cell phone chargers and other things in
and keep them organized. I also bought another
wicker basket with a fabric liner and I lined it
with a plastic bag from the grocery store; I use
it to keep trash contained in my van. I can't
stand it when people throw trash in their
car. I simply empty the bag when I go to the
dump each week.

BBQ'D BABY BACK RIBS

Baby back Pork Ribs, remove the white, paper thin membrane
from the underside of the ribs and season with Tony Chacherie's
Creole Seasoning and rub the seasoning into the ribs on both sides.
Mix the marinade in a Ziploc bag and place ribs in marinade for 3
 hours (recipe follows):

Marinade:
1/2 bottle Italian Salad Dressing
soy sauce, about 8-10 squirts
garlic powder, lightly sprinled over ribs
worcestershire sauce, about 4-5 shakes

Next:
Prepare your BBQ grill after about 1 1/2 hours from the time
you started marinating the ribs. 
Place rack of ribs on hot grill, when the coals are white and
ashy looking. I use the matchlite coals that ignite instantly.  
I prefer the flavor  that charcoals give the meat.

Meanwhile, prepare your BBQ Sauce (recipe follows):
Grill on a Charcoal Grill (or you can bake the ribs 350 degrees)
until almost done. Test with a fork for doneness.

BBQ Sauce:
1 bottle of your favorite Hickory BBQ Sauce (mine is Bullseye or
K.C. Masterpiece )
2 T. butter
garlic powder
1 T. honey
2 T. dark brown sugar

In a small sauce pan, melt butter, add about 1 cup of BBQ sauce
a sprinkle of garlic powder
1 T. honey
2 T. dark brown sugar
Heat well, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Turn ribs over on the grill, then baste generously with thickened sauce,
on the topside of the ribs first..
Let cook for about 15 minutes, then turn ribs again and baste the
bottom side generously. Let cook for about 10-15 minutes and  turn
 one more time and bast the topside again. Let cook for 5 minutes,
then, remove to a tray, and allow to rest for 5 minutes .Enjoy!

I server the BBQ Ribs  with Bush's Baked Beans and Cajun Potato
Salad, which I will post at a later date.

DOING DOUBLE DUTY

I like to BBQ different kinds of meat when I do BBQ.
Yesterday, I marinated some Baby Back Ribs
and some boneless chicken breasts .



(TIP)I thawed some chicken breasts in the Ziploc Freezer bag
that I had frozen them in and I sliced each one
in half, because they were so thick and huge.
I seasoned them with Tony Chacheries' seasoning
and I mixed a 1/2 cup of Italian salad dress-
ing, 6 squirts of liquid smoke, 7 squirts of
soy sauce and 5 squirts of worcestershire
sauce and 1 squirt of Dales' marinade.

(TIP)I used the same Ziploc bag that the chicken
breasts were in, to do Double Duty to marinate
them .

It also saved me from having to dirty another
dish to marinate the meat in. I also marinated
the Baby Back Ribs in another Ziploc bag.
When I placed them on the grill, I simply poured
out the marinade on the grass and zipped the
bag shut and threw it away.

MOST IMPORTANT TIP I COULD EVER GIVE YOU:
It is extremely important that you never use the
marinade on the meat once it has been cooking,
unless you first heat it up to a boiling point for
about one minute to kill the germs, then you
can brush the meat with the marinade.

You can use the chicken breasts on a salad or
on a pizza or make really quick fajitas with them.
Enjoy! 

CHOCOLAT

                                                       

I love Chocolat! But, who does not, hon???
I get cravings for Chocolat late in the evening.
Have you ever bought those little bowls called,
"Warm Delights" at the grocery store? They
taste great and are a little bit expensive...
but, they only take 45 seconds in the micro-
wave oven.

Well, I decided to keep the bowls that they come
in and "recycle" them. I tried a small package
of Brownie Mix and it was great. I decided to
divide a regular size box of Brownie Mix in half
and mix it up with half the ingredients. The
results were fabulous! I cooked them for 45 seconds,
checked them and cooked them for an additional
10 seconds. The bowls are about 3 1/2 inches
in diameter. You could even use some glass ramekins
which are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter.
One regular box Brownie Mix will make about 4
bowls if you use the whole box of mix.
Delicious!

You could experiment with a choped up bite size
candy bar mixed in, or a piece of caramel and
you can always add some chopped pecans or
walnuts.

Be sure to have some ice cold Milk on hand,
becuz you will want some with your fudgy brownies .

REBECCA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN MUFFINS

                                                        
                                  

 My friend, Rebecca, made these fabulous muffins for
 a Friday Nite Game Nite and we loved them. They are
 good that they demand a glass of ice cold milk be enjoyed with them.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

                                          3/4 c. sugar
                                          1 1/2 c. self rising flour
                                          1 1/2 teaspoons  pie spice or cinnamon 
                                          1/4 c. vegetable oil
                                           2 eggs
                                          1/4 c. water
                                          3/4 c. pumpkin (canned)
                                          3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

                                          Mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips .

                    




   It'll look something like this before adding
   the miniature chocolate chips.

                                                      Fold-in miniature chocolate chips.

                       




  Spoon muffin batter into the muffin pan,
  filling them approximately 3/4 full.

   Set timer for 15 minutes, for regular size muffins,
   then, check them, using a toothpick inserted in the center
   of the muffin, to check for doneness.

   Bake 400 degrees 15-20 minutes,or
   if baking mini muffins, bake only 15 minutes.
                                                                                       

  Allow muffins to cook in the pan for a few minutes.

  Next, using a butter knife, pass it around
  the muffins to loosen them and flip them
  on their side to allow the bottoms to cool.

                                         These are so delicious.  I hope that you enjoy them.

                                          Check back for other recipes and tips and treasures.
                                                                           Tami
                                                          

THE PERFECTLY BREWED SWEET TEA

I have discovered the perfect way to brew Tea is in the microwave
oven and it comes out tasting identical every single time, plus, you
never have to worry about a pot of Tea boining over on the stove,
which makes the Tea taste bitter if you boil it.

I use my 8 cup glass measuring cup (Pampered Chef)
and I fill it with 8 cups of cold water and 10 regular size Tea bags,
then I microwave it for 6 minutes. Once it is done, I let it "steep"
for 20 minutes or more.

Once it has steeped and is very dark brown, I remove the the Tea
bags and add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar and stir briskly, until dissolved.
I then, pour the Tea into a funnel and into the Tea jug, then, I put the
bags back in the measuring cup and fill it with cold water and microwave
it for 3 more minutes, then let it steep.
Add it ti the Tea jug and shake well.

You can empty the tea bags and pour the wet tea grounds on your
garden as compost or simply discard.

The Best Stuffed Bellpeppers You'll Ever Eat!!!

These "Cajun gems " are so good..                         

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced (green & white parts)
6-8 medium bellpeppers, cored (chop only the part around
the stem to saute')
2 stips thick bacon or = amount of real bacon bits
reserve 2 T. bacon drippings for saute'ing veggies
1 lg. onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. celery, minced
1/2 can Rotel tomatoes with juice
1 c. Cooked rice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. pure pork link sausage, skinned & chpd.
1/2 lb. ground Beef or ground Turkey , browned, drained

Topping:
Seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. Parmesan cheese (1 tsp. on each pepper)
Butter, on top (1 tsp. on each pepper)

Fry the bacon, remove to paper towels to drain.
In 2 T. bacon drippings, saute' all the veggies;
garlic should be last so it doesn't burn.

In a separate fry pan, saute' the sausage and brown the
beef in 1 T. oil and then, drain both on paper towels.

To the veggies in the pan, add crumbled bacon, cooked
rice, 1/2 can Rotel mild tomatoes wi/juice , salt & pepper
and drained, browned beef and link sausage. Simmer 2
minutes.

Cut the top off of the bellpeppers, devein, and remove seeds.
Place the bellpeppers in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes,
just to partially cook them. Remove and dunk in ice water.
Drain in a dish towel. Stuff the bellpeppers and sprinkle
with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and top with 1 tsp.
butter on each.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I serve them with garlic buttered crusty French Bread
and mashed potaoes.

You will love these.~

WALNUT CHICKEN STIR FRY

This is such a delicious stir fry. Chinese food
is one of my favorite Ethnic Foods. I have had
this recipe in my recipe file of Favs for 23 years.
It's so easy and so good!
ps  Tip of the day: To preserve your favorite recipes,
put them in plastic sheet covers and keep them in
a 3 ring binder. You can get a package of 50 sheet'
covers for $3.50 @ Walmart. :)

~Recipe~

5 T. Crisco oil, divided
5 tsp. soy sauce,low sodium,divided
3 tsp. cornstarch,divided
2-3 chicken breasts,boneless,skinless,
cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. chicken broth,low sodium
1/2 tsp. fresh ground ginger
1/2 tsp. dried,crushed red pepper
1 med. onion,cut into 1" strips
1 clove garlic,minced
1/2 lb. broccoli,cut into 1" pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
Hot cooked rice

Mix 1 T. Crisco oil, 2 tsps. soy sauce,
and 1 tsp. cornstarch in small bowl.
Stir in chicken to coat. Cover and
refrigerate 30 mins.

Meanwhile, mix chic. broth,ginger,remaining
3 tsps. soy sauce and 2 tsps. cornstarch.
Set aside.

Heat remaining Crisco oil in large skillet.
Stir fry refrigerated chicken mixture and
dried red pepper over med. heat till chicken
is no longer pink. Remove chicken from the
skillet until tender. Add chick.en and broth.
Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Stir in walnuts. Serve with rice.
4 servings

Tamar  

NON ALCOHOLIC CHAMPAGNE

I love Champagne, although I've only had it
about 4 times in my life, maybe 5. This tastes
like Champagne, but, it doesn't make you giggly.
Shucks!
This is great for New Years Eve and people can
still drive after they drink it. ha
It is great for Wedding Receptions too.
Enjoy!

Non Alcoholic Champagne

1 2 liter bottle 7-up
1 1/2 gallon apple juice
2 drops cinnamon oil (found in baking aisle)

Mix.
Chill.
Serve.
Enjoy. It's delicious!

ps you can freeze some applejuice in a bundt
pan; as it melts it won't weaken the flavor .
Just add more 7-up and cinn. oil as needed.

MOM'S MAHOGANY CHOCOLATE CAKE by TAMAR

To me,  this is the most precious of all of my dear, sweet,
late Mommas' recipes .  She loved to bake Christmas cookies
and she would make all sorts sweets like homemade fudge, divinity,
Turtles (pecans, caramel and chocolate) and Mounds candies (coconut
filling then, dipped in chocolate). And, then there is her signature cherry
chocolate cake, "Mahogany Cake " .It is so perfect; it's not too sweet,
not to rich and not too chocolatey.  It's just perfect and it gets better each
day that it sits at room temperature. The third day is amazing, if your family
 can resist eating it all before the 2nd and 3rd day.

 She made this every Christmas .
I have such fond memories of her and our family enjoying this
delicious cake together; it was a "tradition" in our home and she
served it with vanilla ice cream.
Please forgive me if I have blogged about this recipe
before, it is just so wonderful.

ps   I don't know where she got this recipe, but, nobody,
outside of my home town of Mamou, has ever heard of a
Mahogany Chocolate Cake. 

MOM'S MAHOGANY CHOCOLATE CAKE   
               
 If you love chocolate and maraschinos cherries , you will adore this cake.

Dry Ingredients:
4   C .sugar
2    t. baking soda
1    T. cinnamon
1    t. salt
1   C. cocoa
4   C. flour

Whisk all the above ingredients, in the Magnalite Dutch Oven (Magnalite is
the brand of cookware used in south Louisiana).. Then, whisk-in the cherry juice and remaining
liquids, leaving eggs for last.

Wet Ingredients:
2   sm. jars of cherries, (pour cherry juice in oil, set cherries aside in
     a bowl for last step) 

1   C. cooking oil
1   C. boiling water
1   C. buttermilk
1   T. Pure Vanilla

Pour wet ingredients into the whisked mixture and stir until well blended

Add:
4   lg. eggs , slightly beaten
Stir in slightly beaten eggs just until there is no sign of raw egg and it
is just incorporated enough.  This gives the cake leavening .
*do not over beat after adding the eggs.

Drop cherries, one at a time, starting in the center, working outward,
placing them about an inch apart from one another.  

(dutch oven).
Bake 300* , 2 1/2 hours
Someday, I will show a pic of this cake .
So sorry that I forgot to take a pic.

MAPLE BANANA BLUEBERRY MUFFINS by Tamar

I have tweeked my recipe until it is so delicious.             
My daughter and I really enjoy these muffins.
Tell me what you think about the taste of them if
you get a chance.

1 3/4 c. plain flour
2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix in a small bowl , set aside.

1/2 bar real butter, cubed 1/4" cubes
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. evaporated milk
Cream all together.
Stir flour into the butter mixture Only
until you do not see any flour anymore.

2-3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
Fold these into the batter, gently.

1/2 c. blueberries
1 T. flour
Toss lightly to cover the blueberries.

Very gently fold-in the blueberries.
Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, fill
each cup 2/3 full and sprinkle brown
sugar and bake 400 degrees for 12-14
minutes or until golden brown.

TIP: Sometimes, your local grocer will
mark some blueberries down bcuz a few
in the pack are not so great.
Keep an eye out for these. They put
them out in the morning.

Times are really tough right now!!!

Lots of people are stuggling financially these days.
I am not exempt.
I am always thinking about ways to cut back, cut
down, and save $.

I recently started collecting coupons in a serious
way. I bought $25 groceries on the weekend and
used coupons, knocking off $5 from the total. I
purchased a hot pink plastic accordian-portfolio
file wi/a closure to organize my coupons:
P & G (Procter & Gamble)
Smartsource
and lastly, Redplum.
It makes it so much easier to find the ones I need,
because they are organized.

I went to the Goodwill last week and found 4 flower
shaped plates for $.49 each which matched the plastic
deinging glasses I bought @ Wallyworld 5 years ago.
On the weekend, I went to the Goodwill and I found
4 bowls that match all of them, for $.25 each and I
found a great salad spinner for $3.

I love Goodwill . On the last full weekend of each
month, everything is half price.

ps If you feel that something is overpriced, you can
kindly ask them if they could adjust the $ if there are
other like-items that are priced lower.
How do you cut back, cut down and stretch your
hard earned dollar$ ?

HOMEMADE POTATO CHIPS

Last night, I fried some homemade potato chips.
They were fabulous and tasted like "Lays' potato chips ".
I realized that I can now make my own fresh chips like
the very expensive ones sold in the grocery store:
Jicama , Sweet Potato, and other root vegetables. This
is my daughter's boyfriend Lucas. He loves to cook too.
And I am teaching him some things.


I used the "thin slicer" attachment on my gorgeous,
fabulous Kitchen Aide standing mixer ( that my precious
Older Sister, Jan , bought for me 3 1/2 Christmas' ago.
I had been praying for months for God to please bless
me with a beautiful Kitchen Aide standing mixer for
Christmas , because I bake alot for other people and
for my daughter, Ashley and I had burned two regular
mixers because they were just not strong enough to
handle it.

My precious sister called me and said that she had gotten
a Bonus at work and that God had told her that she
should buy me a Kitchen Aide standing mixer ; it'd be
too much $ to ship such a heavy item so she went to
her local "Bed, Bath and Beyond and paid $300+ and
explained that she wanted to make it possible for me
to go to my local one and pick out my gift .
It just so happened that I had a coupon which I was able
to use and the mixer was on-sale and it was offered with
a coupon to get a free attachment, so I chose the slicer/
shredder and I use it all the time .


I think of my sweet sis
everytime I walk into my kitchen and see that gorgeous
Red Kitchen Aide mixer .

ps with all the coupons, and the sale price and the free
attachment, I saved enough to buy the ice cream attachment
too. God bless my sister for being so generous.

It only took 5 minutes to slice the thin potato chips.

A dear friend gave me her barely-used rectangualar
deep fryer and I absolutely love it. I make delicious
fried chicken in it.


Tip of the day: I used my salad spinner 3 times to extract
the excess water. It worked great!


When you are frying potatoes , even thinly sliced potatoes,
be sure to put the potatoes in one-handrul-at-a-time , so
that the hot oil does not "boil over" due to the fact that
hot oil and water don't mix. Trust me, it happened to me
and started a stinky grease fire . I had gotten $100 for
Christmas from my dear Father-in-law and I bought myself a
"Tater Twister" and almost caught the kitchen on fire. haha


After frying the potato chips, I salted them and on mine, I
sprinkled alot of red cayenne pepper.
Enjoy!

I HAVE STUMBLED UPON A BISCUIT RECIPE THAT TASTES LIKE CRACKER BARREL RESTAURANTS BISCUITS

         This recipe makes biscuits that taste just like the ones at Cracker  Barrel  Restaurant.
                                                        I love Cracker Barrel.
                                                  I love Cracker Barrel Biscuits.
Ingredients:
5 c. sifted, unbleached all purpose flour
(measure after sifting)
1 T. plus 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 T. kosher salt
1/2 c. plus 2 T. packed butter or lard,chilled
2 c. chilled buttermilk
3 T. unsalted butter, melted , to brush the tops with.

Heat oven 500 degrees. ~ be sure to preheat your oven at this point~

In large bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder,
and kosher salt.
Add lard, coating in flour. Working fast, rub lard between
fingertips until half the lard is coarsely blended and half
remains in large pieces about 3/4" .
Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add buttermilk
all at once. With a large spoon, stir mixture quickly just until
it is blended and begins to mass and form a sticky dough.
(if it appears dry, add 1-2 T. of additional buttermilk
 







Immediately turn dough out onto generously floured surface.
Using floured hands, knead briskly 8 to 10 times until cohesive  ball of dough forms.  Do not "over knead", as this will  make
your biscuits heavy like a lead weight.

 Flour a 2 1/2 or 3" biscuit cutter.
~start cutting from the outer edge and cut each one as close to each other as possible, not to leave so many pieces to have to knead again.  Reknead as little as you can, one you start cutting the biscuits.~
Cut biscuits  and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or just bake them in a well greased black iron skillet.
 Combine the scraps to form 1 or 2 more biscuits.
Place on rack in upper 3rd of oven.***this is very important***

~the temperature called for in a biscuit recipe, is very important, because of the type of "fat" used in the
recipe; so, if a recipe calls for baking at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes, it is what is required.  This recipe calls for lard or crisco or butter ....if a biscuit recipe calls for only oil as the "fat" content, then, you would bake those biscuits at 400 degrees. 

Bake  in a 500 degree oven .
Bake 8-12 minutes til golden brown.
Remove. Brush with melted butter and serve hot.
ps I did have a pic of the biscuits in the black iron skillet, and some on a plate all buttered up, but, my daughter sent the pics to my email and it messed up and she had deleted the pics off of her phone before I could tell her that they didn't turn out too good and some did not show up.  Maybe I'll remember to take pics again next time I make biscuits. 

SOME SAY EASY PEASIE...

But, now, I say "Easy Cheesies".
I attended a church function where this
delicious desser was served and it was
the Bomb!

Easy Cheesies
2 - Pilsbury Crescent Rolls (the one that is
not perforated)
2 - 8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened in the microwave
for a few seconds only)
1 tsp. pure Vanilla
3/4 c. white sugar
1 can of your favorite pie filling (Cherry, Blueberry,
Apple, Lemon, etc.)

Spray a 13x9 baking pan with Pam, then, roll out one
pkg. of dough into a 13x9 pan.
Mix next 3 ingredients until creamy. Spread the cream
cheese on top of the dough.
Spread the Pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Place the 2nd (can) Crescent dough on top of the Pie
filling.

1 stick of butter
Brown Sugar

Melt the butter and pour on top of the dough and then
sprinkle the brown sugar on top. The original recipe
has a note stating that if you sprinkle quite a bit of
brown sugar, it will make the top crunchy.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

You will love this recipe! I promise you will.

Decorating Seasonally

I have a few great ideas for decorating your Holdiay table....if you don't want to use Chinette sturdy plates, you can go to the local Dollar Tree and purchase plates in Autumn colors and if you want to take it a step further, you can layer the 3 plates (dinner, salad and dessert plates ). You could purchase each of the differnt sizes in a different color like...Chocolate Brown dinner plates, Burdundy salad plates and punpkin orange salad plates. Or, you can purchase different colors and mix and match each place setting. Service for 8 (3 sizes x 8 place settings) would only be $24.00 plus tax and that way you would have them for years to come.

The Dollar General and the Family Dollar also offers pretty Autumn colored dishes at the end of Summer too. Keep checking with them and snag them up as soon as you see them bcuz they always sell out fast.

Also, they sell leaf shaped bowls or small plates that can be used at each place setting for bread/rolls or a fancy nametag at each.

You could attach a simple ribbon around each goblet , giving each person a differnt Autumn color so that they could identify their goblet easily.

Can you tell that I adore Thanksgiving and Autumn ? It's because of all the different colors of the leaves in East Tennessee . It is so very beautiful here and the cool temperatures are wonderful.

You can make Cakes, Pies and Cookie Dough and freeze them ...

More prep for the Big Feast....
You can make your cakes, pies and cookie dough ahead of time and freeze them in ziploc freezer bags. You'll need to buy the 2-gallon bags for the cakes and pies.



If you mix up a batch or two of Chocolate Cookie Dough,use a medium size scoop to make cookie dough balls to freeze on a cookie sheet, then, once frozen, transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag to store in the freezer.



Tip: Everyone asks me "how" do I make my cakes taste so delicious and stay so moist, every time I bake a cake for a church function or to take to someone's home.
I prefer the "Butter Recipe Cake Mixes". Butter Recipe Chocolate was my all time favorite, but all the stores around here stopped carrying it.

I always tell them, even tho they don't think I use a box cake mix, that my secret is to always add a small box of instant pudding to the mix,(I use the "store brand"... along with 2 teaspoons of Pure Vanilla and I only bake my Bundt cakes for 38 minutes, max!!!

My favorite CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING recipe is as follows:

1 bar Real Butter, melted only til it melts,then cooled
2/3 c. Cocoa powder
Mix well.
Then add:
1/3 c. Evaporated milk, in 3 increments , alternating with
3 c. powdered sugar, 1 cup @ a time, beating after each cup,
Then, add:
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla or Pure Almond extract
Beat till fluffy and frost the cake.
PS in this pic,I had put a little bit too much milk and it made it
thin, but, it still tasted wonderful.



ps Try not to eat too much of the Frosting before frosting the cake. ps If you heat the butter too much, your Frosting will turn into Fudge sauce (or candy) and you will have to drizzle it on the cake.
Delicious, both ways. If the sauce is too thick, just add a teaspoon more of
Evaporated Milk at a time and beat again.
enjoy,
Tamar

Make some Parker House Rolls and freeze them...

Oh,how wonderful is the smell of bread baking in the oven?
I love the light and fluffy Parker House Rolls.
You can mix up a batch or two and freeze them for the Big Feast.
Recipe follows...

This recipe works best if you have a large stand mixer. If you don't, go ahead and make it anyway. Just beat and beat the dough really well as you add the flour.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 110 minutesYield: 24 rolls
Ingredients:
•1 cup whole milk
•2 pkg. dry yeast
•1/2 cup butter, melted
•1/4 to 1 tsp. salt
•1/4 cup sugar
•2 eggs
•4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
•more melted butter
Preparation:
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix 1/3 of the milk with the dry yeast in a small bowl and let sit until bubbly, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine remaining milk, melted butter, salt and sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the beaten eggs and bubbly yeast.
Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on high speed of stand mixer. This step should take at least 5 minutes. When the dough gets too stiff to beat, stir in rest of flour by hand, if necessary, to make a soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and satiny. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour. (I have also covered the dough well and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. This works really well. If you are going to refrigerate the dough, put it in the fridge before it has a chance to rise. It will rise overnight in the refrigerator; just not as high as it would at room temperature. Let the dough stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding with recipe.)

Punch down the dough and roll out on floured surface to 1/2" thickness. Cut with 3" round cookie cutter. Brush each roll with melted butter and fold in half to make half circles. Pinch edge lightly to hold, so the rolls don't unfold as they rise. Place in 2 greased 13x9" pans, cover, and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes. (If you refrigerated the dough, this will take longer, about 60-75 minutes.)

Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and brush with more melted butter. Don't use the same butter you used when forming the rolls - melt some fresh just for this step.

Use -Reuse-Recycle..Old is new again.

I like to buy some Autumn Tablecloths at the local Goodwill for $1 to $3 each and use them to dress your tables for Thanksgiving or if there is a small flaw or stain, you can cut them into 14"x14" peices to zigzag and hem for Dinner Napkins . Now is a gooe time to be shopping for those tablecloths at Big Lots also.
If you'd prefer, you can use the napkins as dish cloths or cut some 14"x21", zigzag
and hem them and use them as dish towels .

If I use a printed Tablecloth, I like to use solid colored napkins and the reverse is true, too.

I buy the largest tablecloth if I am buying it at Big Lots,making more napkins and towels .

I bought a gorgeous wall painting at Goodwill last month, for only $10.

I have always wanted a picture like this one and it was exactly the colors that I love. It doesn't look like it but, my walls are painted a gorgeous muted gold color.
It is very warm and welcoming and soothing.
I bought the paint for $5 for a gallon of ooops! paint at Lowe's . Somebody had them mix it up and then didn't want it after all; and it was a $30 gallon paint . The color, as best as I can describe it is like peanut butter mixed with a little bit of cream. I love it.
Tamar

Holiday Helpers, Tips and a Recipe

If you have planned a Big Feast at your home and have out of town/state/country guests coming for the extra long weekend,you might want to consider "pre-planning" all of your meals; Wednesday evening,The big day,Friday Brunch and Dinner,Saturdays'
meals, etc.

I like to eat something totally different on the night before Thanksgiving and on the day after Thanksgiving....except, sometimes I just want more Turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing on that Friday evening. I love Turkey and I love all the "fixins" as they say it here in East Tennessee.

I like to eat Mexican or Italian dishes or good old Cheeseburgers before and after the big Feast.
I love Chicken Enchiladas, Pizza, Lasagna,or my favorite soup in the world...it's called "Mama Mandola's Chicken Noodle Soup ". Recipe follows...
****the last time I posted this recipe was on May 25,2010.****

Mama Mandola's Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup
8 Servings
you can double or triple this recipe as needed.

Ingredients:

5 celery ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large green bell pepper
1 (14 ounce) can imported Italian plum tomatoes
1 (5 lb) hen, washed and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 quarts water Directions:

1 Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.
2 Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice.
3 Place vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, chicken pieces, parsley and garlic
in a 10-quart stockpot.
4 Add water. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat.
6 Skim off foam that rises to the surface; may have to skim 2 or 3 times.
7 Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours.
8 When soup is finished, remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Let cool.
9 Meanwhile, mash vegetables in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a
large cooking spoon or a potato masher.
10 When chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return meat
to soup.
11 Notes: Soup is best served the day after it is made. Refrigerate and remove fat
that solidifies on the surface of the soup. Serve soup with rice or small,
stubby pasta like "mini bowtie" pasta. For better flavor, cook the rice or pasta
in the soup when reheating. Add freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if
desired.
Enjoy!!!
love, Tamar

Kitchen prep for The Big Day...

There is so much to do for a Big Event like Thanksgiving or Christmas, so, doing your kitchen prep 3 days before the Big Feast can save you time and lessen the stress, and make things run more smoothly.

I read an article for last years' big Feast that got me thinking;
1) make a list of your Menu for the big Feast,
2) make a grocery list for all items you'll need
3) make labels for each dish, using index cards and place each one in the designated
dish that you have chosen for that cake, pie, casserole, pan/pans of rolls, etc.
to keep from having to hunt for a dish or platter that is just the right size for
your special recipe(s) on that hectic day,
4) you could even pre-measure the non refrigerated items that each dish calls for
and store them in containers or bags in the dish that they will be baked in.
Save your sanity and your nerves and enjoy the prep leading up to the Big Feast.

This applies to any gatherings that you have at your house,be it Thanksgiving, Christmas,Easter, New Years' Eve, New Years' Day, birthdays,or vacations inwhich you
cook most of your meals in the condo.
I pray that my Tips and suggestions are helpful and a blessing to you.
love, Tamar

Be sure to make memories with those that you love...

Sometimes, our lives get to be so busy that we forget to say I love you to our family and friends and relatives.

I live far away from my siblings and nieces and nephews and their spousses and great-neices and great-nephews and some of my friends and my relatives. I love them dearly and I miss them terribly. They are so adorable and so precious.

When the weather gets cooler, take advantage of it and plan a picnic
with your loved ones or friends. Or, invite people over for Dessert and coffee
or Frappechino's .

Don't forget to say I love you; you never know when it'll be your last chance to say it to one of them.
Bake some brownies today; just because.

I guess, what I'm trying to say is, "don't forget to make some precious memories
with your loved ones,because no one knows how much time they have left on earth.

I used to bake cookies with my nieces and nephew that lived nearby, when they were
very young. They still remind me of their fond memories about all the times we shared. We always ate some cookie dough together, which they got so excited about.

Tamar

Planning Ahead for Thanksgiving....

These days,money is so tight that you have to plan ahead for Big events like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It's smart to think ahead and stock-up for Thanksgiving, whether you are the Host or a guest at someone else's home.

September is a great time to start stocking up for Thanksgiving; canned vegetables,cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup,chicken broth,spices like cinn. and pumpkin pie spice,brown sugar, white sugar, tea bags,ground coffee,Pam cooking spray and Pure Vanilla , and in early Nov. you can purchase sweet potatoes and russet potatoes. Pecans and real butter can be frozen.

Other items you'll need are Heavy duty foil,Saran wrap(I suggest that you never buy the bargain brand of plastic wrap; it doesn't unroll or tear properly and it is very frustrating), and you'll need some regular and large size Ziplok bags, and finally, some disposable foil baking pans are great for casseroles and rolls. Less to wash.
Tip: If using foil pans for the Turkey, be careful;you could drop it on the floor very easily . ha! It happens.

You can whip up a batch or two of Parker House rolls,roll them into balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet til firm,then put in ziplock freeser bags until Thanksgiving morning.Then, thaw and let rise and bake.
ps you can partially bake them, then,finish them off when you are ready to serve the Feast.

More ideas in my next blog.

Be Blessed and remember to give Thanks to The Lord for all your family and friends and for all that you have been blessed with,
Tamar