Morning Glory Muffins

These muffins are by far the best muffins I have ever had.
Several years ago I had heard about Linda Fisher, a woman divorced and struggling to support her son and making muffins. She used her Mothers old pancake recipe and modified it into muffins, her and her son, went around to local businesses and sold them.

Luckily she eventually wrote a cook book "The Muffin Lady". I have made several of her recipes from it, but I think this one is my favorite. Along with her recipes comes a story that will amaze you with her strength and persistence.

Morning Glory Muffins

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mace
2 carrots grated
1 apple grated
1 cup of oil
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup of chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients. Place the carrots, apples, oil, and sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the dry mixture. Fold in the pineapple and nuts. Spoon into wax paper lined 12 unit muffin pan and bake for 30-35 minutes .

There is just a few things that I have changed up: first off I double the recipe for obvious reasons ( they are soooo good).
Second : I don't use wax paper I use cupcake liners
Other than that I stick with her recipe.

Hope you Enjoy them!

Pancakes and Sausage BAKED

Baked Pancakes and Sausage

One of the guys at work was telling me about this recipe that his wife makes and he loves, so I tried it and he's right (Don't tell him)

It sounded kinda weird at first but what the heck I'll try anything once.

This would be great if you have a large group for breakfast and don't want to flip pancakes for a hour. It is got to be the simplest recipe ever

one pound of ground sausage browned

one recipe of pancake mix (I used Bisquick)

Mix up the pancake mix per directions on side or back of box and brown sausage in a skillet. Mix the sausage in the batter and pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Take out of oven and cut as if serving a cake pour warm syrup over the top and serve

EASY and GOOD

DRESSING

Well, here it is two days before Thanksgiving and things are starting to get prepared (kinda). OK I made the cornbread. Yesterday was a BAD DAY first the TV blew up (literally) then the sprayer on my kitchen sink got stuck again and soaked me and the kitchen. May today be somewhat better for mine and everybody elses sake. Back to Thanksgiving, there are a million recipes out there for stuffing/dressing. I only know one. Its kinda like my Moms , but its kinda not. I guess its just Mine all Mine.



Dressing

3 boxes Jiffy Cornbread

White Bread ~ about half the loaf

Wheat Bread ~ about half the loaf

celery (one bunch)

purple onion (large)

eggs (about 6)

chicken broth (2 to 3 cans)

salt ~ to taste

pepper ~ to taste

sage ( I use alot ~ almost the whole can)



Several days before Thanksgiving you need to bake the corn bread and cut into 1 inch pieces. It needs to dry out. Also you need to tear up about a half a loaf each of white bread and wheat bread (i think i add the wheat in there so it sounds healthier) Leave it out or put it in the oven, stir it up couple times a day so all of it can somewhat dry out. (If need be you can put it in the oven on low for several hours for a little help with the drying out process)

The nite before Thanksgiving, chop the celery and onion and mix it with the dried bread in a very large bowl add salt and pepper and lots of sage, refrigerate over night.

Thanksgiving morning get that out of the fridge, let it set for a while and then you will add the beaten eggs and some chicken broth. You don't want it soggy, but you want it to stick together. Put it in a 9x13 pan ( kinda fluff it up a little, you don't want to smooth it out on top ) and bake 350 for about 1 hour till it starts to brown on top. holy cow!



Happy Thanksgiving and ENJOY!

ROTEL CHICKEN

Ooops I did it again!! Dangit! I cooked it and ate it, without taking a picture. Oh Well Next Time. anyways this is really good and really easy

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 can of rotel
provolone cheese
white pepper
salt
olive oil

Trim that fat off those breasts and salt and pepper them. I use a little olive oil in my 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour (turn about half way) take them out of the oven and use a slotted spoon to put as much rotel on top as you can or as much as you want, then put a slice of provolone on top of that. Return to the oven on Broil until the cheese starts to brown. ummy! that's it. soooo simple!

ENJOY

BACON WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

These are absolutely the best appetizer and the easiest to make. I do not like asparagus, I do not like asparagus, that's what i kept telling my Uncle the whole time he was making these. Here from California helping me out in a trying time of need ( i'll explain later) my two uncles were cooking dinner one night (probably out of desperation cuz I wasn't doing any cooking ~they were HUNGRY) They fixed a wonderful meal, but before the meal they had grilled bacon wrapped asparagus. I gave in, trying to be nice and ate one, then two, then before i knew it i was looking around and counting how many everyone else was having, i had to make myself stop so I wouldn't embarrass myself . holy cow!
Now I still don't like asparagus any other way, but I can eat a grill full of these things. Haven't fixed them for anyone that doesn't love'em. Even my Son that really doesn't like that many vegetables will ask for them. Go figure

Super Easy Super Good


Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

1 package Center cut bacon
1 bundle of asparagus
toothpicks

Break the tough end off the asparagus. Just bend each stalk gently and the tough end will break right off. Then cut your bacon in half and wrap each stalk with a piece of bacon, secure with toothpick (if your asparagus is real long you can cut them in half, make them about 3 to 4 inches long) grill till bacon is done. We use a grilling basket and that makes it so much easier to turn. Serve with Ranch dressing or plain (I eat mine plain )

Be careful or you will eat so many of these stinkers you won't be able to eat your meal. Husband and I have actually had just these for dinner.

Thanks Uncle Ron we love them and you!

SALSA

My salsa recipe is pretty basic stuff . I bought a SALSA MAKER at the fair several years (2 or 3) ago and thats what I use. It's manual, nothing electric on this baby. You can use a food processor if thats what you have and make this as chunky or as smooth as you desire. I love gadgets!

Salsa

12 Roma Tomatoes ( i like romas ten times better than plain tomatoes for this stuff)
1 green Pepper
1 onion (I like the purple ones)
2-3 jalepenos ( with or without seeds depending on how HOT you like it)
cilantro
garlic salt

Chop by hand by salsa maker or by food processor mix and eat
its that simple
use the scoop chips you just get more salsa~~ oohlala!~~

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

I'm not a big fan of Pumpkin Pie, but this Pumpkin Pie Cake is a holiday goodie.

PUMPKIN CAKE

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

Take out one cup of cake mix , set aside. To the remaining mix add the butter and egg. Mix and press onto bottom of greased and lightly floured ( i use Bakers Joy spray) 9x13 inch pan. Put the following ingredients into a bowl:

1 large can of pumpkin pie mix

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of white sugar

2/3 cup of evaporated milk

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Beat well and spread over cake mixture. To the one cup of reserved cake mix add:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 stick of butter ( softened not melted)

Crumble together and sprinkle over the pumpkin mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 45- 50 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate. To serve cut into squares and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

ENJOY!

I am making this for Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas and .....

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Another Day, Another Recipe

This one is a favorite of everyone, especially the cook. If you have ever tried making enchiladas, just looking at the recipe will make you take two steps back and say "oh this is not for me". But this one is easy, and oh so good. And not 112 ingredients, I hate recipes with 112 ingredients!

Chicken Enchiladas

1 3 lb. bag of boneless skinless chicken breast ( i like alot of meat in mine)
2 small cans of green chilis
1 large onion chopped
2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of milk
1 can of rotel (drained and save juice)
1 large bag of cheese ( monterey jack, colby etc)
tortillas (medium size)

Boil the chicken breast and let cool, then shred with fork (I don't like cubed chicken) In sauce pan combine soup, green chilis, onion, 1/3 cheese, rotel, mix and then add chicken. if too thick add some or all of the rotel juice. Spray a 10x13 pan and start rolling up tortillas with the mixture inside, line them up in the pan close together, might even have to put a couple sideways. Thin the rest of the mixture with milk and pour over the top and totally cover with cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or till cheese is starting to get a little brown.

These are the best and so easy.

ENJOY!

White Chili

Here is the last one for today, I have cleaning to do. This one is White Chili, I don't have a clue where Mom got this one, but dang its good.

White Chili

4 to 6 chicken breast-- boiled and shredded (2 large cans)
1 large white onion chopped
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can chopped green chillies
1 tsp white pepper
2 cans white northern beans, not drained
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth ( or maybe more)

Mix all together and cook serve with tortilla chips and shredded Colby cheese

ENJOY!

Maybe next it will be chicken enchiladas. yummy! they are sooo easy.

Beer Bread

Hey, heres a good one. My Mom never drank a beer in her life ( that I know of )but yet she made some darn good Beer Bread. This stuff smells soooo good while its cooking. You're gonna love it!

Beer Bread

3 1/2 cups self rising flour
2 tbs sugar
1 egg beaten
1 12 ounce can of beer

Mix and put in muffin tin and bake at 350 till golden brown.

ENJOY

Elks Cole Slaw

WOW 2 in one day! Maybe I am avoiding cleaning my house. You think? This is one that my Mom got from the cook Mary at the Elks Lodge. Mom loved it and made it for alot of dinners, now since she is gone I have people calling me asking for the recipe. Since I am not a very organized person, I just now found it. Imagine that!

Anyways on Moms recipe card it says that this will keep for a week, personally I don't know how she would have known that since it never lasted more than a day around all of us.

Elks Cole Slaw

Cabbage

Green Peppers

Red Onions

Carrots

Add: 1 part vinegar

1 part sugar

1 part vegetable oil or olive oil (she says the olive oil is the best)

Celery seeds

Toss together and

ENJOY!

I use and she did to a whole head of cabbage and how ever much peppers, onions and carrots you desire .

Maybe I should be taking photos of these dishes that I am posting. And maybe I will whenever I get back in the kitchen, I mopped the floor and its wet, "can't walk on a wet floor now can you!"

Blonde Brownies

I thought I would start sharing some of my Moms recipes. The first one is Blonde Brownies, I have no idea where she got this recipe, but she has been making them for me most of my life. Her grandsons (my 2 boys) absolutely love them and I hope you will too.

here it is straight out of her recipe box

Blonde Brownies

2/3 cup of melted oleo

2 cups of packed brown sugar

stir sugar into oleo and cool slightly

add 2 eggs well beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups of flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped nut ( your choice--i like pecans)

Mix and press into greased 10 x 13 pan

put a 6 0z bag of chocolate chips on top and press lightly

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes

Enjoy!

Apple Dumplings

I have come across the most amazingly awesome and easy Apple Dumpling recipe on this earth. I wish I could say I came up with it. But I didn't, so there. But I did find it on Thepioneerwoman.com, she has alot of great recipes. Her whole website is pretty awesome, but the recipes, holy cow. There is the apple dumplings, that everyone I have fix them for, loves them, The Best Chocolate Sheet cake Ever, Marlboro Mans Favorite Sandwich(my husband loves it) and the list just goes on and on.





On the Apple Dumpling Recipe I have to cut it down by half because there is just the two of us and well it makes 16 small dumplings and we /I will just sit and eat them till you know, they are all gone. So I make half and that is still alot, but somehow we/I manage.





I do want to try it with peaches instead of apples yummy


This is the cut down version but you really need to go to http://the%20pioneerwoman.com/ to take a look at all of the recipes.

Apple Dumplings

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 can of crescent rolls ( the 8 in a roll)

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

cinnamon

about 1/2 cup of mountain Dew

Peel and core your apple and cut into eight slices- wrap each slice in one of the crescent rolls- put them in a small buttered dish( don't want them all scattered out)combine the butter (melted) and sugar and vanilla and pour over the dumplins -then - pour the mountain dew around the edges of the pan and sprinkle all over with cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes

have some vanilla Ice Cream on hand and you are goin to be in heaven

P.S. I did try it with peaches and they are just as good

P.S.S. one peach equals 4 dumplings vs one apple equals 8 dumplings

Salmon Patties

Have you ever had salmon patties? OMGsh are they the bomb? Salmon Patties, fried taters and onions, and green beans. You can't go wrong with that. this is the way my Mom used to make them and the only way I know how, except she fried hers and I now bake mine. Love them just the same.

Salmon Patties
1 large can of salmon
1 medium onion ( white or purple i use purple)chopped small
1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Debone and clean up the salmon, add the chopped onion, eggs and crushed saltines, a little salt and pepper to taste Mix with spoon (i use my hands)
form into patties and either fry in skillet with oil or put a small amount of olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake. It only takes about 30 minutes and i flip them at about 20 minutes

fry up some potatoes with onions and serve with green beans
when the boys was home i had to use 2 cans of salmon and double everything
they never went to waste.

Enjoy!

Cooking 101

Stay out of the kitchen as much as possible!!!! not really! although some take out is good and believe me i use it to its full potential. when the kids was home i tried to cook every day, you noticed i said tried. With two growing boys at home it was hard not to cook. until baseball season came around, then there was no time to cook or even shop for the food. Two boys on two separate teams going to two separtate towns at two separate times. OMG! (THE FUN WE HAD! Fast Food was my friend and the only thing we would have for supper for months. then they became teenagers and well they just wasn't home alot of the time but I cooked a few nites. now they are grown and out of the house, and i am having to relearn how to cook and to cook for only two. Not having two growing boys eating all the time has really cut down on the grocerys in our house and what goes on the table

Sundays seems to be my cooking day, you know make alot like when the boys was home then you have lots of leftoovers for the rest of the week. yea !!! you know cook stuff like stew , chicken and dumplins, chicken enchiladas(ummm),beans and corn bread,and in the summer the husband gets to cook the meat and sometimes the other stuff outside but its not summer here and so on sunday i cooked roast potatoes and carrots and yes i still cook two roast just as if the boys were still home but now we have lots of leftovers for the week.

Sunday Roast Dinner

2 3lb roast browned
8 potatoes
2 lbs baby carrots
2 packages williams brown gravy mix
1 or 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (you pick)
2 onions sliced real thick
sat and pepper to your taste (cuz i like alot)

Brown your roast in a skillet i use about a half a stick of butter. layer the onion slices in the bottom of your roaster then your roast(s) i let that cook at 350 for about a 30 minutes then add gravy mix, soup and water let that mix up let everything cook till about three hours before being done and add the baby carrots then about a hour and a half later add the potatoes

When all done (meats at the right temp and potatoes break when poked with a fork) place roast and fixins on a platter and use a little bit of corn starch to make gravy
Serve with cole slaw and brown and serve rolls (you cant beat those brown and serves to sop up that gravy with) i guess you just had to grow up with em

thats how i do it
deb