Day 12 - March 7, 2025

 Cat count - 236. They are everywhere! Also there are lots of orange and lemon trees lining the streets of this quaint little town of Nafpoli. G picked one in the front yard of the town library and said it was the best orange she ever ate. The pace is much slower here, and it is quieter. The motel is right on the sea and we can walk out onto our own balcony and feel the lovely breeze right in our faces. Today it got to nearly 70 degrees so we couldn’t have asked for a better weather forecast. I started out the day getting up too early because I forgot what time we were to meet for breakfast. So I went on down and drank coffee and finished crocheting Rachel’s scarf. I hope to mail it to her tomorrow from here. Then the crew came down for breakfast and we were off on a Rick Steves walking tour of the town. We peeked in several Greek Orthodox churches, saw 900 year old and 300 year old olive trees, heard Greek music on the streets and ate in cafes with tables on the street, covered in tents. A LOT of people smoke here, so that is a bit uncomfortable, but we just leave early or move. We saw another group of people protesting something in front of the government center. More. Shopping. Although I did some today too - it’s hard to resist a beautiful scarf. This afternoon we hopped in the car and Lee drove us to a fortress on a hill, and a beach, so we could put our hands in the Mediterranean Sea and watch the sunset. Google Maps lead us astray again, so we had a little adventure. Tonight we had more Greek food and this time some octopus - and it’s not bad. You think it’s Calimari, but not the same at all. 

Sunset on the Mediterranean. 

They love their cats here.

5.43 miles walked today.

Day 11 - March 6, 2025

View from the top of AcroCorinth (almost top) of the Gulf of Corinth.

Walking up the billy goat trail to AcroCorinth.

 I hope Lee had as good a time on his birthday today as I have had. We left Athens this morning bound for Corinth and Nafpoli, on the other side of Greece. Lee rented a car from a place not far from the hotel, and picked us up, heading West. It helped that Greeks drive on the correct side of the road and the cars are like ours, except for kilometers instead of miles. We got to Corinth in order to experience the place where St. Paul spent a lot of his time, and where so much ancient history happened before and after that. There is an agora like the one in Athens, and we spent time looking at the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, and many other buildings, (actually a lot of rocks) as well as the little museum and an Amphitheater. What another gorgeous day, and we peeled off layers today. After an hour or so there, we drove up the mountain to the AcroCorinth, the old fortress and church on top of the mountain. We ate at a Greek restaurant there, with pork souvlaki, dolmado, Greek lasagna, stuffed tomato and stuffed pepper, and of course, tzastiki. Then, as the walk up to the fortress from there was long and steep, Claudia decided to nap in the car. We made our way up, going slowly because the incline was awful, but also because the views were incredible. We couldn’t believe that there were no guardrails. Flowers were blooming all over and bees were busy. Another wonderful time, but man - we are going to be sore tomorrow. Lee decided after that to follow his nose for awhile and just get lost in Corinth. He managed to get lost at a gelato stand, and a couple of tourist shops, imagine that. Then he decided we needed to find the Corinth canal, which is the cut-through in Greece kind of like the Panama Canal in Panama. We finally found it, but I felt like I was in an episode of Itchy Boots - Lee said never trust Goggle Maps!  We found dirt roads, little farms, a shepherd watching his goats and lambs, and finally found the canal. Worth the trip! Then back in the car to Nafpoli, arriving at dark to the Agememnon Hotel which is right by the sea. We finished the day with a late dinner at To something, a little restaurant under a tent by the water. I asked the waiter if I could put a candle and light it in Lee’s dessert and he not only said yes, but he put one in it himself. He gave us complementary dolmado and one other dish, and we ordered chicken, fries, pork, an eggplant and beef dish, fava bean spread, pita bread, and three dip appetizer. Lee had a little chocolate Bundt cake and three dips of ice cream that he shared with Claudia and G. The server made sure we had two heaters at our table, and so we were toasty warm. There was only one other couple in there the whole time, so we got stellar service. I think (hope) we will go back before Sunday. After coming back to the motel, I attempted some Milky Way shots from the roof of the motel, with not much success - just too much light. But the shots of the old castle on the water might turn out good. All in all, a very good day.

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth.

Trees blooming everywhere. This may have been an almond or apricot.

Warmer here than in Venice, FL!

Day 10 - March 5, 2025

 Oh, the bliss of sleeping in this morning as Lee and G went to an architectural museum. I know I missed out, but it was lovely not to hurry. I got up after 10 and went out hunting duct tape and loukoumades, a dairy and egg-free Greek donut. Success! I bought 6 of them and they are wonderful. Little balls of fried dough drenched in honey. With the hotel’s cafe Americano, I was in bliss some more. Claudia and I got out after that (noon or so) and shopped more tourist shops until Lee and G met us there, and then they shopped some more (did I teach him how to do this?) We had lunch at the restaurant same as before. 

Then we spent the afternoon at the Agora, which is the ancient marketplace/government area in the middle of the city. From the ruins there you can look up and see the Acropolis. There is a Museum there as well. We had another beautiful day with an impossibly blue sky. I really enjoyed the agora because I could wander and take pictures and I found lots of flowers blooming. G’s cat count so far is 116. Lee said she was probably seeing the same 3 or 4 all the time and she said, no, she’d seen at least 8 at once! People are feeding them, petting them, and there are bowls of water set out all over the place. 

After the Agora, we wandered the streets a bit that were not touristy, and found quaint shops and bakeries, and lots of graffiti We found ourselves back at a different restaurant but apparently run by the same people as our favorite, and I had more Greek salad and Souvlaki. I believe I could eat this every day. 

Flowers blooming at the Agora

Agora ruins. In the 1930s there were residential houses built all over this area, and they were razed to start excavating these ruins,. Reminded me of TVA. You can see the Parthenon in the middle top of this picture on the Acropolis.

Day 9 - March 4, 2025

 Sooooo hard to get up this morning. I hit the snooze button twice. L & G headed down to breakfast without us and we joined them for our first Greek Motel Breakfast. Turkey, Ham, tomatoes, fruit, breads, Greek honey, and a fancy coffee machine. We took good care of the food and then headed out for the Acropolis museum. Lee figured we needed to spend time in it to see what the acropolis was all about. The neat thing was one of the top floors was laid out exactly like the Parthenon, and the pieces from it were put in place as they would have been back in the day. I was interested to find out that at one time, the friezes around the top were colored many different colors, and there was one display that showed how the colors came about from different minerals. I was happy to only get yelled at twice by a docent, once for taking a picture in a restricted area, and another for leaning on a side of the place where some things were displayed. I haven’t found the Greek people to be super friendly. I have found them to be super pushy about trying to sell you something - reminds me of Mexico. So the shopping experience isn’t one of my favorites. I truly enjoyed walking up to the top of the hill where the Parthenon lives. We took it slow, there were not many tourists at all, and I could take pictures to my heart’s content. The wind nearly blew me over a couple of times, but the sun and sky were Glorious! I walked around the whole time not believing I was actually there. Would my 6th grade social studies teacher be happy! We walked off the other side of the hill, onto Mars Hill, where Paul did some of his preaching while in Athens. It’s just a bald hill full of slick rocks, but it’s really cool to see the top of the Acropolis from there. Good views all around - you can see the Mediterranean from the Acropolis. A lot of cats here! G counted around 60.

After shopping until we dropped, we went to a different Greek restaurant tonight. I had drunken chicken, and Lee had mousaka. We all agreed last night was better - and cheaper! They served us an aperitif called Mastika, better than the Ouzo that Lee and I tried last night. The Ouzo tastes like licorice, and this Mastika tastes like pine trees.

Frying Pan and Brazier from around the 3rd or 4th century BC

Day 8 - March 3, 2025

 Today was a travel day, up early and out before 7 am to catch the train to Heathrow. I sure didn’t think it was such a long way to Athens from London - but the flight was over 3 ½ hours. By the time we got there, it was coming on dark. Lee got a taxi which was only a little more than paying four train tickets, and a lot easier. The taxis at the airport are all the same kind, yellow, and very clean. It is certainly more difficult to communicate here than in England, but the Greek accents are charming. We unloaded our stuff at the Hermes Hotel and then took off for a restaurant Lee knew about because we were starving. We had traditional Greek fare - Souvlaki with pita bread and Greek salad and it was all wonderful. Lee and I had the beef and lamb souvlaki (like hamburger on a stick) and the girls had chicken. They ordered a dish of tzatziki (cucumber in yogurt sauce, and they all helped me eat my salad - it was big! Food and lodging is much cheaper here than in London. After dinner we walked around in the dark to several little tourist sops that were still open, and we could see the acropolis all lit up on the hill above town. Good day. We survived a scare that Lee had lost his credit cards, but they were found and all is well.

The Acropolis

Beef and lamb souvlaki

Day 7 - March 2, 2025

 Sunday morning, and church here just like at home - but not. Lee took us to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a Sung Eucharist and I loved it. The boy’s choir and all the deacons and pastors processed in to the organ music that just echoed and echoed off the tall ceilings and walls of this beautiful church. We had a program! And the music was printed in it, so we could sing with the rest of the congregation. We lined up and had communion, repeated lots of responses, and sang one song that I knew - “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise,” by Walter Chalmers Smith. It was neat to listen to the echoes of the voices of the pastors and the singers. There were a lot of people there, which gives me hope for the world! 

After meeting up with L, we did high tea today at the Swan Restaurant at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. They had a vegan option, so this was the first scone I got to have in England - it was worth the wait. we had three kinds of tea. Then we visited the Globe gift shop.

Next we Ubered back to the motel to drop off stuff and go do yet more shopping. G was in Heaven and made out like a bandit. Lee and I peeled off to go to an organ concert at Westminster Abbey. So many nice things are offered here for free, and lots of people take advantage of them. 

We met back up with the girls and had dinner at an Italian restaurant, and finished the day at a couple of tourist shops. 

Looking back at St. Paul’s Cathedral as we walked over the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames.

Day 6 - March 1, 2025

 Much better day today, although I feel like a Weeble that Wobbles but doesn’t fall down.  I basically just followed everyone around and sometimes sat in the Punch & Judy Pub for awhile waiting on people. Doing that I got to meet some English folks because table space was at a premium. I met a lady who walks dogs for a living and walks 14 miles a day. So that was lovely. L came over and went to Buckingham Palace with Claudia, and G, Lee and I went to the Natural History Museum to look at dinosaurs and cool rocks. Again, I had to sit for a lot of it and it was good that there were benches about. It was a great advantage to be old, because I got to skip lines and the security guys didn’t even look in my bag - said I was VIP! The only thing we wanted to do that we did not was tour Westminster Abbey - it was crazy how long the line was that I could not skip. Made me feel like UK was having a game and people were lined up for tickets. We ate at Mama Mash again - L & G really like those little English pies and mashed potatoes. British Comfort Food!

Maybe the best show we have seen was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The music was so “Irish” even though the musical is set in Cornwall England. The story is sweet and poignant, and combined with the music and fabulous talent, left me in tears. I think Lee said there were 13 actors and 30 instruments! 

Day 5 - February 28, 2025

 Today we met my English friend, R, at the Borough Market and hung out with her for a couple hours; had a coffee and browsed the stalls. It’s a very interesting place, with beautiful fruit, breads, meats, and cheeses for sale and booths for coffee, ethnic fast foods, flowers, and trinkets. R was happy to hear American voices (she grew up in Pineville).  

After that we headed to Siddcup where L goes to school. Met her and had a lovely focaccia bacon sandwich, and then she took us on a tour of her school. We saw a red fox on campus that didn’t act a bit afraid of us.  L said they were as common as raccoons at home, and people there couldn’t believe we had raccoons running around like that - they only see them in the zoo. We actually saw another fox in downtown London tonight on the way home from the show.

So, we rode the train back to London, found a crepe restaurant that G wanted, and after that headed to see Matilda, the Musical. L was at a different show, and came to the motel after for awhile. She took G home with her for an overnight 

The first picture below is a picture of the panorama of London you see from the top of the hill where the Royal Observatory is located in Greenwich. The second pic is Lee and I standing on either side of the Greenwich Mean Time line.

Day 4 - February 27, 2025

 Reeeaaalllly hard to get up this morning, and we still didn’t make it to our10:30 tour with a Beefeater at the Tower of London. But we were able to get into the next tour, and it was hilarious and very informative. He did get pretty graphic about executions.  The guy said to the Americans in the group, “This too could be your history if you had paid your taxes!” So funny. So we got to see this amazing place, a building from 1080 smack in the middle of modern London, where we could see the Shard and other skyscrapers, and next to the Thames River and the Tower Bridge which is the most beautiful one, in my opinion. It was a beautiful day and we got so many pictures. Nowadays the Tower is mainly a large collection of artifacts from London’s and England’s history. They keep the Crown Jewels there which was cool, but not as cool as the armor worn by Henry VIII and the other kings, a head bust of Queen Elizabeth I that shows she was actually pretty, and a really neat dragon made out of all kinds of armor and weapons and things over the ages. 

We did a lot of travel on the tube today. Good way to get around and magic the way you can just tap your phone on the stile and it lets you in. As a matter of fact, I have not spent ANY cash the whole time I have been here - London is truly a cashless society. I must be living in a science fiction novel. 

We ate fish and chips at Hobson’s and Lee had sticky toffee pudding which is a favorite here. Then we finished up the day watching the world’s longest running play, Agatha Christie’s, “The Mousetrap.” We couldn’t guess who done it!

Day 3 - February 26, 2025

It’s hard to pick my favorite picture of today! Since it was a rainy day, we decided to do the British Museum and the British Library before our show tonight. Lots of other people thought the museum was a good idea too, so we stood in line for a bit to go through security check. This museum is seriously cool. Free! Lots of mummies, Greek statutes, stuff that England stole from the Parthenon in Greece, and artifacts from Bible times in Mesopotamia, Ur, Ninevah, and Assyria. Since we’ve been studying Leviticus, that was also very cool.  We ate a little lunch there, and ended up spending 5 hours. Didn’t even see African or Asian exhibits. At the library, we got to see the Magna Carta! And some really old Bibles, letters from royalty like Henry VIII and Bloody Mary, and of course I found a book at the bookstore. We ate at Mother Mash, one of G’s favorites that has British comfort food. Then off to see Oliver! And. It. Was. Fabulous. The fellow playing Fagan put me in the mind of Tevyah on Fiddler on the Roof and he pulled off the part flawlessly.  So happy to have this chance to see these thins I’ve read and heard about all my life, but I am so tired!

This is a picture from the Ninevah collection at the British Museum. I especially thought of Phil and his man purse when I saw this eagle-headed fellow. And there were a lot more of them, so it must have been a thing. Maybe that’s why Jonah didn’t want to preach to them - he had a thing against man purses!!

Day 2 - February 25, 2025, London

Today is Claudia’s birthday, and we began it worn out from not sleeping much on the plane. Going through Heathrow Airport Customs was a breeze, and we only had to wait awhile for baggage claim. We got on the Underground and rode for an hour with many stops to get to our motel, which is FABULOUS. Claudia and I got an apartment with the cutest little kitchen, and Lee and G’s room opens into ours, so it’s like a big apartment. And we get to keep it all week! Since I neglected to get Greta’s coat out of the car at the airport, we went shopping for a coat first, and then to a bakery for Claudia’s birthday “cake,” an orange syrup cake and the gal at the Greek Bakery put a candle on it, but no fire. We still sang to her! Then we hit the grocery store to stock up on food we could eat for breakfast, and snacks, as our cute little kitchen has a nice-sized frig and microwave, and toaster! English muffins, crumpets, and dairy-free cream cheese here we come! Maybe I can find a dairy-free clotted cream later so I can taste that. We met L in the tube station at Charing Cross; the girls went to Harrod’s and Lee and I went to evensong service at Winchester Cathedral, so I got to see the evening sun on Big Ben, hear an angelic choir sing anthems during the service and a piece based on Numbers 6:245-26 by John Rutter. Thought I would melt in my chair. Loved this so much! We met the girls after at a pizza place outside of Harrod’s and I had a garlic bread (shared with L). Then Lee got Claudia a Uber back to the motel, and the rest of us went to a play called, “The Play that Goes Wrong.” I think we all laughed ourselves sick. Then back to the motel, and now our L is on her way back to her dorm. I officially love London.

Note: A cool thing we found out later (from L) was that at last night’s show we were sitting less than 20 feet away from the King and Queen! Ooooh la la!

Day 1 - London

February 24, 2025

After a long morning finalizing my packing, fixing a breakfast of Phil’s leftover red beans and rice and English muffins, and vacuuming the floors, Claudia arrived and we were off to Lee’s house. Under a beautiful blue sky, we made our way there and spent an hour waiting for Greta’s banana bread to get done baking and working on air tags and phones. Next stop, Cattleman’s restaurant close to the airport in Northern Kentucky. Gary dropped us off at the airport around 7 pm and it was a seamless trip into the airport, through TSA, and train ride to our gate. The airport was a ghost town at this time of night, which was very pleasant. We had a water break at a little bar near the gate, and then it was time to board. The plane for British Airways was roomy, but not roomy enough for a comfortable night’s rest. It’s just hard to sleep sitting up straight, no matter what kind of fancy pillow you have, and I am a bit too old to do much curling up on airplane seats. Lee and Greta moved to the back of the plane so they could stretch out and sleep, as the plane was not nearly full. Finally, daylight at around 3:30 am on my phone, and now it is Claudia’s birthday and we are into Day 2 of our trip. P.S. Lee ordered vegetarian meals for me, which were mostly ghastly. The dinner did have some pretty good rice I ate a little of and some snack things that looked safe, but oh, breakfast! Gag. 

Beginning a New Trip

 Lee has planned us another European trip, beginning soon.This will make three times I’ve been to Europe in the last year and a bit. I can’t believe that’s a sentence I would ever write. It’s amazing, and I am so blessed.

I find that planning for the trip is more fun than actually going on the trip!! Even as much as a month or two out, I find myself packing and re-packing to see just how lean and mean I can get my luggage. With this trip, and the airlines going smaller and smaller for carryons, it’s even  more of a challenge. But I am almost ready!! Now if I can get over this rotten nasty cold so they will let me on the plane.

Black-eyed pea Stew

 

From Ranch Gordo Black-Eyed Pea Stew

1 pound Rancho Gordo Black Eyed Peas, cleaned and rinsed ¼ pound (4 or 5 pieces) bacon, chopped into rough squares 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped 2 small to medium white onions, chopped 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup whole canned tomatoes with some juice, roughly chopped   If desired, soak the Black Eyed Peas for 2 hours, covered by about 2 inches of water. In a soup pot over medium heat, gently cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it’s just done, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces and let them rest on a paper towel. In the remaining bacon fat, saute the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic over medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When the vegetables are soft, add the Black Eyed Peas and their soaking water. Add enough water to cover the peas by about an inch. Stir, add the bay leaf, and then raise the heat to high; bring the contents to a rapid boil. Keep boiling, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and adjust the water so that the peas are again covered by about an inch. Reduce to a gentle simmer until the peas are soft, about 35 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir and then gently heat through, about 15 minutes over medium heat. Add pepper to taste and the reserved bacon pieces. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4 to 6

Apache Tears Afghan

Materials: Yarn – 16 sk, 4 ply yarn, 2 sks each of colour A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H Hook – Crochet hook size H-8 US size or size available that is needed to obtain gauge Measurements – About 50” x 72” Stitches used – chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc)

Notes: Each row is worked from the right side, beginning at the right edge by leaving 5” or yarn at beginning of row; 6” of yarn when fastening off at the ends of row. These strands are for fringes. If making a child-sized afghan, do not use fringe. Every 4 rows, change colours. Work all sc in back loop of st in previous row, work all Tr in front loop of st 3 rows below, sk sc behind. Ch 254 (ch 203 for 40” width) with colour A. Directions: Rows 1-4: Sc across Rows 5: With colour B, *Tr in st 3 below, sc in next 6 sc, repeat from * across.

Row 6: Sc in 1st Tr, *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 7: Sc in 1st 2 sts *tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 8: Sc in 1st 3 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 9: With colour C, sc in 1st 4 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 10: Sc in 1st 5 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 ts, repeat from * across. Row 11: Sc in 1st 6 sts *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across.

Row 12: Sc in 1st 7 sts. *Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Row 13: With colour D, #Tr in st 3 rows below, sc in next 6 sts, repeat from * across. Repeat rows 6-13 for pattern. With each new row, the tear is one st over from the previous row. Repeat colour sequence of A-H for a total of 5 times. Finishing: Know 2 adjusting strands on sides close to work. If preferred, make fringe to match on ends.

Larry McBrayer's Burgers

 Larry McBrayer‘s burgers

Prime ground burger meat from Publix. Kosher salt. And very thinly sliced onions. On the grill lay a patty of meat or a ball of meat. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with onions. Smash it down. Let it fry until almost brown on top. And then flip. This gives you a nice crusty burger.

September 27, 2021 - did this with Beyond Meat and it was also very very good! Used olive oil.

Sourdough Skillet Pizza

 Today I tried this: 

Oiled Mom's 10 inch cast iron skillet with 1 T or so of olive oil

Mixed

• 60 grams levain
• 120 g bread flour
• 120 g water
• a healthy squirt of honey
• 1 tsp salt

Poured it into the skillet and spread it out. Covered it for 3-4 hours or so. This made a thicker crust than I thought I might like, so next time try half the dough.

Spread tomato sauce over the top, sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder. Cover with onions, peppers, rotisserie chicken and homemade vegan cheese. Should have added olives and mushrooms but I forgot.

Oven 375 for 10 minutes, covering with foil during last 3 or 4 which was not enough. Did 5-10 more. Next time if the crust is the same thickness I'll go up to 400 degrees.

This was very good and not too hard to put together.

7-day Sweet Pickle Chips

 From Mother Earth News Oct/Nov 2020 - a Mennonite recipe - yield 12 pints

• 10 pounds cucumbers
• ¼ c kosher or pickling salt
• 3 T alum or 5 T loose black tea from 8 tea bags
• 4 qt. Apple cider vinegar
• 10 c sugar, divided, plus 1 c if needed
• ¼ c pickling spice

Day 1: In large bowl or clean cooler, soak cubes in ice water 30 min. Drain. Trim off ends, slice into ¾ inch chunks. Pack into a 5 gallon or larger jar with lid. Cover with boiling water. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 2: There may be some fluffy white foam on top, it’s lactobacillus and it’s healthy. Drain, rinse, the jar and put cukes back in - don’t rinse the cukes. In a 5-qt non-reactive pot, bring salt and 4 qt water to boil. Pour brine over cukes. Cool, cover, and let sit overnight.

Day 3: Drain the cukes, don’t rinse them, but do rinse the jar, and pack cukes back into the jar. In pot, bring alum or tea bags and 4 qt water to boil. Pour boiling water over cukes, discard any excess. Cool, cover, let sit overnight.

Day 4: Drain the cukes and rinse the jar. In pot, bring apple cider vinegar and 5 cups sugar to boil, stir to dissolve sugar. Put Pickling spice into a cheesecloth bundle or a tea ball and add to jar to cukes. Pour vinegar mix over the cukes. Cool. cover and let sit for THREE days.

Day 7: Drain pickles, reserving 2 cups of syrup. Dispose of the pickling spices. Put pickles into a giant bowl and scatter 4 c sugar over them. Stir well and let sit for about an hour. Pack pickles tightly into warm jars. The sugar will have drawn liquid out of the pickles. Pour syrup over the pickles, dividing evenly. Heat one cup of reserved spiced vinegar and remaining cup of sugar in a non-reactive saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Fill the jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. If the jars require additional liquid, remove the air bubbles and repack the jar. If they’re well-packed and still short of liquid, make another batch of syrup by boiling the remaining cup of reserved vinegar with another cup of sugar. Remove air bubbles with a chopstick. Place lids and rings on and tighten. Process in boiling water bath 5 min. 

Let pickles cure for a week or so, turning the jars over for the first few days to disperse and dissolve any sugar on the bottoms of the jars. Chill well before enjoying. The pickles are shelf-stable for 1 year.

Hush Puppies

 From Linda Stephens, Harrogate, TN

• ½ c corn meal
• ½ c flour
• 1 diced onion
• ½ c buttermilk

Mix together. Rinse out cup that had buttermilk in it with ¼ c water. Add with 3 sprinkles garlic salt and 5 sprinkles onion salt. Let set 10 min and fry in deep pan in oil in round balls. Serves 6-8. 

Overnight Refrigerator Rolls

 from Grace Day, Harrogate, TN

• 2 pkgs yeast
• 2.5 c warm water
• ¾ c melted shortening
• ¾ c sugar
• 2 well-beaten eggs
• 8 to 8.5 c flour
• 2.5 tsp salt

Soften yeast in warm water. Add shortening, sugar, eggs, 4 c flour and salt. Stir and then beat until smooth about 2 in. Stir in remaining flour, use hands, working until air bubbles form. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator overnight or until needed. When ready to use, punch down dough and pinch of ⅓. Cover remaining dough and return to frig. Make into rolls. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Bake 400 degrees. ⅓ of dough makes 12 rolls.

These rolls were famous at First Baptist Church in Harrogate.

Stir Bread

 From Otella Pettigrew, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• 2.5 c unsighted flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all this together.

Heat together 1 c milk and 2 T Crisco.

Put milk mix with dry mix, add 1 egg, beat 300 strokes. Let rise. Stir down. Place in pan, bake 350 degrees for 20 min, then cover with foil and put foil under the pan and bake 20 more minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread

 From Grace Day, Harrogate, TN

Step 1:

Heat together until melted and cool to lukewarm ¾ c milk and 5 T margarine. Add this to ⅓ c molasses.

Step 2:

Dissolve 1.5 c real warm water with 2 pkgs yeast and ¼ c sugar. Add this to 1 well-beaten egg.

Step 3:

Measure out 3.5 c whole wheat flour plus ½ c wheat germ plus 1 T salt, 3.5 c white flour, and 3 T rye flour.

Combine ingredients in step 1 and 2. Add about 2 c of each flour and beat til smooth. Add enough of each remaining flours to make a soft dough. Knead 8-10 minutes. Let rise til double. Divide into 2 equal parts and let rest for 10 minutes. Then form into loaves and let rise until double. Bake 350 degrees about 30 min. Makes 2 loaves. 

Spoon Yeast Rolls

 From Betty Davis, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• ½ c sugar
• ¾ c Crisco oil
• 2 c warm water
• 1 egg
• 4 c self-rising flour

Place yeast in warm water. Add other ingredients with beaten egg. Stir till well mixed. Place in air tight bowl and refrigerate. Can keep up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, drop by spoon full into well greased muffin tins. You can let them rise in warm place for an hour or put in oven immediately. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yields 2 dozen. Stir dough down each time you use from it. 

Angel Biscuits

 From Winnie Day, Harrogate, TN

• 1 pkg yeast
• 2 T warm water
• 5 c flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 T sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 c Crisco
• 2 c buttermilk
• Melted butter

Dissolve yeast into warm water. Sift dry ingredients, cut in shortening. Add buttermilk to mixture. Stir thoroughly till moistened. Turn out on floured board and knead one or two minutes. Cute with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Dip in butter. Fold as rolls. Place on untreated baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 12-15 min. Yields 2.5 dozen.

Zucchini Fritter

From Julie:

2 cups grated zucchini                              3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated onion                                 chopped parsley, I didn't use
2 eggs, beaten                                          Flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese             Oil

Combine ingredients, adding enough flour to hold shape when dropped by spoon into hot oil. 
Brown on both sides; drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately or reheat in oven.

Lentil Loaf

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 c dried green lentils, rinsed
• 3 T ground flax
• 2 T oil
• 1 c diced onion
• 1 c diced celery
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 c shredded carrot

• 10 oz baby Bella mushrooms minced (about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 c finely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 c bread crumbs
• 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp pepper or to taste
• red chili flakes to taste

1. Cook lentils, drain, set aside.
2. Stir flax with ½ cup water and set 3 minutes
3. Saute onion, celery, garlic about 3 min. add carrot and mushrooms until soft about 5 min. stir in them and fennel and cook 5 more min.
4. Oven 350. Line loaf pan with parchment and set aside.
5. Once mushrooms are soft, add yeast, lentils, flax, walnuts, bread, salt, Pepper and chili flakes to skillet; stir well. taste for seasoning and add more if needed. mixture should stick together, but if not, put in food processor and pulse until thickened.
6. Put in loaf pan and press firmly down. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 min.
7. Let cool 10-20 min before slicing.

Tangy Green Bean Salad

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 2 T oil
• 2 T minced shallot
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp black pepper
• dash of cayenne

Serve this sauce over steamed green beans or salad greens or raw or roasted veggies. A GOOD vegan dressing.

Whisk together until creamy.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

 From Jenne Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul

• 1 T oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• ⅓ c bourbon
• ¼ c ketchup
• ¼ c tomato paste
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1.5 T molassess
• 1.5 T dijon mustard
• 1 T Worcestershire
• 1 T liquid smoke
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Saute onion and garlic about 3 min. Add bourbon and let simmer 10 seconds, add ketchup, paste, soy, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, smoke and vinegar. Reduce to heat to med low, cover and gently simmer 20 min. use blender to blend until it is a thick sauce. store up to 1 week.

Sourdough Oatmeal Muffins

 Combine and soak for one hour.

• 1 cup oats (I used rolled)
• 1 cup milk  (I used coconut)

Grease 12 muffin cups - oven 400, bake 20-25 minutes

Mix wet:

• ½ cup starter (levain)
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 egg
• ½ cup raisins (I used craisins and nuts)

Mix dry:

• 1 cup flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup brown sugar

Add wet to dry. Mix oats in until just moistened. Bake. 

These were VERY good!

Sourdough Mexican Cornbread

 Grease 13 x 9 pan, oven 400 for 30-35 minutes

Mix dry ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tb sugar

Mix wet:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup starter, 1.5 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil

Stir into dry until just moistened.

Combine: 

• 1 cup creamed corn
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 can chilies - 4 oz
• 1 jar pimientos - 4 oz
• 1.5 cup cheese - 6 oz

Fold into other mixture and pour into pan. 

Sourdough Hush Puppies

 Combine:

• 1.5 cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup dry milk

Stir in this mixture:

• 1 cup starter
• 1 egg, ½ c onion

Fry in hot fat.

Angel Sourdough Biscuits

•  1 tsp yeast
• 2 Tb warm water
• 1.25-1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼  cup shortening 
• 1 cup starter
• ¼ cup melted butter

Mix 1st eight ingredients  and roll out. Cut biscuits and dip in butter. Rise 1 hour. Bake 20-25 min at 400.

Makes 18-20

Herbemare Knock off Season Salt

 Blend:

1 cup sea salt

1 tsp each oregano, thyme, basil, dill, dried garlic, chives, sage, celery seed, marjoram

2 tsp onion powder

½ tsp ground rosemary

½ cup dried parsley

1-2 tsp dried ground kelp

¼ c nutritional yeast

Blender Custard Pie

 In blender, for 10 seconds; don’t over blend:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup Bisquick
• ½ stick butter
• ⅔ c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Dash salt

Stir in 1 cup coconut after blending. Pour into greased 9 inch pie pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 350 about 40 minutes. 

Salt Rising Bread

 In an old recipe book I had:

• The night before, in a quart jar, add:
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 med potatoes sliced thin
• 3 Tb white corn meal
• 3 Tb sugar
• Pinch of soda

cover jar and set in warm place all night. Next morning a foam should have risen on the liquid and an odor can be noticed. Pour into a large bowl. Scald one pint of sweet milk and allow it to cool to lukewarm. Add to the bowl with 3 Tb sugar and one pinch soda. Add enough flour to consistency of paste. This is the sponge. Let rise to double about an hour. Now add shortening about the size of an egg, sprinkle salt over this about one tsp, and add flour to knead. Pour out on table and knead as you would other light breads. Place in loaf pans (well-greased). Bake 375 for 15 minutes and then 350 for 45 to 50 minutes in all.

I don’t know about this. I might research other recipes before trying.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

 Everyone at the reunion said this was good.

• 2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken, picked
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ c butter
• 2 c Bisquick
• 2 c milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3 tsp chicken bouillon 
• ½ tsp sage
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Oven 350

In 9 x 13 pan, melt ½ stick butter. Spread shredded chicken over the butter. Sprinkle with pepper and sage, and DO NOT STIR.

2nd layer; in small bowl, mix milk and Bisquick. Slowly pour all over the chicken. DO NOT STIR.

3rd layer. In medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups broth, bouillon, and soup. Pour over the Bisquick layer. DO NOT STIR.

Bake 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown. 12 servings.

Gelato and Sorbet

 Berry Gelato

• 1 c coconut or regular water
• 2 large avocados
• ⅓ c honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 oz fresh or frozen berries

Blend until rich and creamy. Put in airtight storage container and freeze 4-6 hours.

Chocolate Gelato

• 1 c raw cacao and 1 tsp cinnamon

Orangesicle Gelato

• ½ c OJ and ½ c diced oranges

Fruit Sorbet

Make a simple syrup - 3 Tb sugar and 3 Tb water in small saucepan. Bring to boil and let cool. This makes ¼ cup. 

In a blender place 2 cups frozen fruit and let stand 15-20 minutes to thaw slightly. Add ¼ c simple syrup and blend on medium. Serve immediately. 2 servings.

Chia Egg Replacer

 For the equivalent of one large egg, Whisk together 1Tb finely ground chia seeds with 3 Tb warm water. Let sit until mixture gels up, about 5 minutes. Add to recipe as you would an egg.

Sourdough taking a break

 If you are taking a break from baking, but want to keep your starter:

1. Make a thick starter - feed your starter double the amount of flour to make a thicker dough-life starter. This will maintain the yeast better over long periods of inactivity in the fridge.

2. Dry the starter - smear starter on a Slipat and let it dry. Once completely dry, break into flakes and store in airtight container. Can be stored for months. To rehydrate, dissolve ¼ cup of flakes in 4 oz of water and stir in 4 oz of flour. continue feeding the starter until it is active again.

Sandy’s Danish Puff

 Oven 350

Cut ½ cup butter into 1 cup flour until size of peas

Sprinkle with 2 Tb water and mix with fork.

Gather pastry into a ball, and divide in half. Pat each half into a rectangle 12 x 3 inches about 3 inches apart.

Heat ½ cut butter and 1 cup water to a rolling boil and remove from heat. Quickly stir in 1 tsp almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mix forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add 3 eggs, beating til smooth and glossy. Spread half over each rectangle. 

Bake until topping is crisp and brown, about 1 hour. Cool.

Spread with glaze:

1.5 cup powdered sugar

2 Tb butter

1.5 tsp vanilla

Add 1 to 2 Tb water a tsp at a time.

Jug Wine

 This looks like fun to try.

2 cans frozen 100% grape juice

1 gallon distilled water

3.5 cups sugar

1 package yeast

1 glass gallon jug

1 punching balloon

Thaw grape juice and put in sterilized glass jug.

Warm distilled water to 100 degrees and dissolve sugar in it.

Add yeast and mix well

Using a funnel, pour this into the jug until about 1 inch from top.

Rinse the inside of the balloon.

Stretch balloon over bottle and tape it securely.

Put in a warm dark place; be sure to give room for the balloon to expand. It will get quite large.

After 30 days or longer, remove balloon and carefully strain wine with cheesecloth into another jug.

County Style Slicker Dumplings

 From my teacher friend, Verla Clifford

Stew a chicken with 1 Tb salt and ½ tsp pepper in 2 qt water til tender. Cool and remove bones. Cut into desired sized pieces. Add 1 qt water and heat to simmering.

Mix

• 3 cups flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tb salt
• 1 beaten egg

With enough broth to make a stiff dough. (Mix egg with 1 cup broth and then add). Knead on a floured board and roll VERY thin. Cut into 1 inch squares. Cook 20 minutes in boiling broth. Add chicken and heat again.

Sneaky Tomato Soup

•  2 Tb olive oil
• 1 diced sweet onion
• ¾ minced cloves garlic
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 28 oz can Muir Glen Organic Crushed tomatoes with basil
• Two 14-oz cans Muir Glen diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 quick splash of balsamic vinegar
• Pinch or sugar
• 1 Tb dried basil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Water as needed

I want to try this in my instant pot

Sandy’s Scalloped Spinach

 3 ten-oz pkgs frozen spinach

• ½ to 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• Bread crumbs
• Butter
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Oven 350

Cook and drain spinach. Combine with sour mix and sour cream. Put in greased casserole. Cover with bread crumbs, dabs of butter and cheese. Bake about 35 minutes.

Shrimp Cocktail

 From Cook’s Country; Dec/Jan 2013

Shrimp

• 2 lbs shell-on jumbo shrimp
• 2.5 Tb salt
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ tsp celery seeds
• 8, two-inch strips lemon zest plus ¼ cup lemon juice, spent halves reserved
• 8 cups ice

Cocktail sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp Old Bay
• ⅓ tsp cayenne

For the shrimp, use kitchen shears, cut through top shell of shrimp along vein line. Leave shell on and remove and discard vein. Combine shrimp, 4 cups cold water, salt, thyme, peppercorns, bay and celery seeds in pot. Set over medium high heat and cook, stirring occasionally until water registers 170 degrees and shrimp are just beginning to turn pink - 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and add lemon zest, juice, and spent halves. Cover and let sit until shrimp are completely pink and firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir ice into pot and let shrimp cool completely, about 5 minutes. Drain shrimp in colander and peel, leaving tails intact. Refrigerate shrimp until ready to use.

For sauce, whisk all ingredients together until combined. 

Pepper Jelly Margaritas

 1 cup tequila

1 cup fresh lime juice

½ cup orange liqueur

⅓ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup green pepper jelly

Bourbon Delights

 Bourbon Whipped Cream

• 1.5 cups chilled heavy cream
• 2 Tb bourbon
• 1.5 Tb confectioners sugar
• ¾ tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Sweet Bourbon Drizzle

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 Tb bourbon
• 2 to 3 Tb milk

Stir together sugar, bourbon, and 2 Tb milk. Stir in remaining milk one tsp at a time, until desired consistency. Use immediately. 

Potato-crusted Halibut with Tartar Sauce

 From Cook’s Country, Oct/Nov 2011

• 1 cup mayo
• 3 Tb finely chopped dill pickles, plus 1 tsp pickle juice
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 Tb capers, rinsed and chopped fine
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tb lemon juice
• 2 tsps Dijon mustard
• ⅓ tsp cayenne
• 4 six-oz skinless halibut fillets, 1 inch thick
• 2 cups crushed potato chips

Heat oven to 450. Combine ¾ cup mayo, pickles, pickle juice, shallot, capers, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in bowl and set aside.

Combine remaining ¼ c mayo, lemon juice, mustard, and cayenne in second bowl. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Brush top and sides with mayo mix and coat with potato chips, pressing to adhere. 

Place fish on foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees - 12-15 minutes. Serve with tartar sauce. 

Any firm white fish like cod, haddock, or mayo works here. Test kitchens favorite potato chip is Lay’s Kettle Cooked Original. 

Sourdough Biscuits

• 1 cup starter
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup Crisco
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Cut straight down with the biscuit cutter; do not twist. Let rise 10 minutes or so. 

Microwave Meatloaf

•  2 lb hamburger
• 1 egg
• 2 Tb Parmesan
• Parsley, thyme, pepper, salt to taste
• Ground onion, zucchini, carrot, garlic, etc.
• Could use some brown sugar
• Could add oats, or applesauce, or whatever

Spray casserole dish, dump in meat mixture. Spread with ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar mix. Cook high 3 min, then on 50% for 15 min.

Snickerdoodles

 These are good.

• 2 ⅔ cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• Sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Mix at low speed: flour, butter, cream of tartar, soda, salt, vanilla, eggs and 1.25 cups sugar.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic and chill 2 hours.

Preheat oven 400. In small bowl mix cinnamon and 2 T sugar. Shape dough into 1.5 inch balls, roll into cinnamon mix and place 2 inches apart on untreated cookie sheet. Make 10-12 minutes. Makes 2.5 dozen.

Miracle Skillet Lasagna

•  2 Tb butter
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix
• 1 lb creamy cottage cheese
• 3 cups broad egg noodles, uncooked
• Fresh parsley
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp salt opt
• 1 c water
• 1 lb can tomatoes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce (i have a note here that says too much tomatoes)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded or in thin slices

In large 12” skillet, melt butter. Add beef and brown. Remove to counter. Sprinkle on half the spaghetti sauce mix and stir in well. Spoon cottage cheese over top evenly. Scatter dry noodles all over cheese. With scissors, snip up parsley fine, about 2 Tb. Sprinkle it and basil evenly over everything. Now pour the tomatoes plus juice, the rest of the sauce, salt and water over the noodles. Return skillet to stove, bring to bubbling on high heat. Quickly, turn heat down to low and cover. simmer 35 min. Remove from stove and uncover, top with cheese, cover again. Let stand 5 min or until cheese melts.

Witch Jay’s Fast Crustless Quiche

 Butter a 10” pie plate. In it, sprinkle:

• 4 oz shredded cheese
• 6-7 slices crumbled bacon
• A few sautéed mushrooms if you have them

In the blender, put:

• 4 eggs
• ½ c chopped onion
• ½ c flour
• 2 Tb butter
• ½ tsp salt and some pepper
• 1.5 c milk

Blend for 1 minute. Pour it over the stuff in the pie plate and bake 35 minutes at 350 if it is metal, a bit longer if the plate is glass. Let stand 3 or 4 min before serving.

Favorite Apple Nut Coffee Cake

 I’ve made this a lot over the years.

• 3 medium-sized golden delicious apples
• Sugar
• 1 c softened butter
• 1 16-oz container sour cream
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 Tb baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs

Prepare streusel topping and set aside. (Knead 1 c walnuts, ⅔ c flour, ¼ c brown sugar, 4 T butter and 1 tsp cinnamon into large pieces.)

Toss thinly sliced apples with 2 T sugar. Grease 14x10 roasting pan. Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter with with 1.5 c sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients until blended. Beat 1 minute. Spread batter in pan and arrange apple slices on top. Sprinkle with streusel topping.

Bake 45-50 min until cake pulls away from pan. Cool 10 minutes. 18 servings.

Special Burger Sauce

 4 Tb mayo

2 tsp yellow mustard

2 tsp ketchup

1 Tb finely chopped gherkin

Southern Fried Chicken

 In a bag mix

• 4 oz flour
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Mix batter:

• 1 egg
• 3.5 oz milk
• 2 oz water

Shake chicken in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then flour mixture.

Can refrigerate for a couple hours to help the coating stick

Fry 7-8 minutes, turn and try 7-8 more min.

Slow Cooker Reuben Brats

 From Taste of Home Sept/Oct 2013

• 10 uncooked bratwurst links
• 3 cans - 12 oz beer
• 1 large sliced sweet onion
• 1 can - 14 oz - sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• ¾ c mayo
• ¼ c chili sauce
• 2 Tb ketchup
• 1 Tb finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 minced garlic clove
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 10 hoagie buns, split
• 10 slices Swiss cheese

Brown brats and drain. In cooker, combine beer, onions, and sauerkraut and top with brats. Cook covered on low 7-9 hours or until sausages are cooked through.

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix mayo, chili sauce, ketchup, chopped onion, relish, garlic and pepper until blended. Spread over cut sides of buns; top with cheese, bratwurst and sauerkraut mixture. Place on an undressed baking sheet. Bake 8-10 min or until cheese is melted.

Slow cooker Wings

 From Taste of Home Sept/oct 2013

20 servings - 3 hours

• 20 whole chicken wings (about 4 lbs)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¼ c white wine or chicken broth
• ¼ c oil
• 1 Tb sugar
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Cut chicken wings into three sections and discard tips. Place in large plastic bag. In small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until blended. Add to chicken and seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Transfer chicken and marinade to 5 qt slow cooker. Cook, covered on low 3-4 hours until chicken is tender.

Mix some mayo with a few quarts of sriracha for dunking.

Something Gary Likes

 Brown 1 lb hamburger with some chopped onion

Add 1 can tomato sauce, some water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and macaroni. Simmer till macaroni is done.

Busy Day Burgers

 Family staple!

Cook in a skillet until browned:

1 lb hamburger

3 Tb flour

Add a can of onion soup; don’t add more water. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Ranch Cookies

from Brenda Fortner, Harrogate First Baptist Church friend

Combine: 

• 2 cups Crisco
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar

Add:

• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp H2O

Sift and add:

• 4 c flour
• 2 tsp soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Add:

• 4 c quick oats
• 4 cups rice crispies
• 1 cups walnuts
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Bake 325 degrees 10-12 minutes. Makes 300 cookies.

Shortcut Pho

 From Better Homes & Gardens October 2020

• 1 lime
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 Tb fish sauce
• ⅛ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp coriander
• 1 dash cloves
• 12 oz very thinly sliced beef sirloin
• 8 oz cooked rice noodles
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 bunch bias sliced into 1 inch pieces green onions

Juice ½ the lime, cut remaining half into wedges. In 4 qt pot, combine lime juice, broth, fish sauce, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 min. 

Drop beef into simmering broth. Cook 20-30 seconds until cooked through

Divide noodles into bowls. Spoon broth and beef over noodles. Top with cilantro and green onions. Service with lime wedges. Serves 4.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

From Southern Living March 2021

• 2 lb Vidalia Onions thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 6 thyme sprigs tied with twine
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups beef broth
• 1 Tb sherry vinegar

Stir together onions, butter, sugar, salt and pepper in 6 quart slow cooker until onions are fully cooked. Place thyme and bay leaf on top. Cover and cook High, stirring once halfway through, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, 6 to 7 hours.

Remove thyme and bay leaf. Stir in broth and vinegar. Cover and cook on high until thoroughly heated about 30 min.

Strawberry Cake

 

In First Baptist Church’s Our Favorite Recipes book, that I spearheaded with the Acteens way back in the 1970s. This recipe was submitted by Linda Stephens who made the best strawberry cake I ever ate!

• White cake mix (about 3 ½ cups mix)
• 3 tsp flour
• Box of strawberry gelatin
• ½ c water
• ¾ c oil
• 4 eggs

Beat for 2 min at medium speed. 

Drain a box of frozen strawberries and add ½ cup to the batter. Chop up and beat 1 minute. Bake in a greased and floured pan for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

For icing, melt 1 stick butter (I’m trying Mykonos) and add 1 box of powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 cups) a little at a time. Add ¼ tsp salt, rest of the strawberries and 4 or 5 drops of red food coloring to make a thick frosting.

I’m going to be guessing on all of this as I have frozen whole strawberries and a bag of powdered sugar! Also, I’ll probably use more egg whites instead of whole eggs to make this cake more Vegan.

White Cake Mix to try from simply scratch.com

• 2 ½ c unbleached flour
• 1 ½ c sugar
• 1 Tb plus 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tb (half a stick) butter

After mixing, this lady makes a cake using this whole recipe, plus 1 c milk, ⅔ c oil, 2 tsp vanilla, and 4 egg whites. Bake 350 degrees for 25 min. 

Lemon Pound Cake

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

• 2 sticks unsalted butter plus 1 T softened for pan
• 1.5 cups (6 oz) cake flour plus 1 T for pan
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1.25 c (8.75 oz) sugar
• 2 T grated zest plus 2 tsp lemon juice (from one lemon)
• 4 large room temp eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• GLAZE
• ½ c (3.5 oz) sugar
• ¼ c juice from 2 lemons

oven 350

Grease 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan with 1 T butter and dust with 1 T flour

In medium bowl whisk 1.5 c flour, baking powder, salt; set aside.

Melt 2 sticks butter in small pan. Whisk.

In blender, pulse sugar and zest until combined. Add juice, eggs, and vanilla, pulse about 5 sec. With machine running, add melted butter through the feed tube in a steady stream. Transfer to large bowl and add flour in three additions.

Pour into pan and bake 15 min. Reduce temp to 325 and bake until deep golden brown, about 35 min, rotating pan halfway. Cool in pan 10 min, then put on rack. Cool at least 1 hour.

For glaze, bring sugar and juice to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 min. Poke cake full of holes, and brush the cake with glaze.

Southern Sweet Tea

From Better Homes & Gardens

• 4 c boiling water
• 4 tea bags (I use a mix of black and green)
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 c ice water

Pour water into large pitcher, add tea bags and steep 15 min. Remove bags and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add ice water and stir. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. 

I made 1/4 of this just for me for lunch - was good!

Vegan Mayo

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

• ⅓ c Aquafaba
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp Dijon
• 1.25 c oil
• 3 T olive oil

Process aquafaba, juice, salt, sugar and mustard 10 seconds. Gradually add oil while blender is running.

Transfer to a bowl and whisk constantly while adding olive oil. Use in a week. 

Fresh Pasta

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

Fresh Pasta without a machine

Makes 1 lb, serving 4-6

• If using a high protein flour like King Arthur, use 7 egg yolks. The longer the dough rests in step 2, the easier it will be to roll out. Avoid adding too much flour when rolling out.
• 2 c all-purpose flour (10 oz)
• 2 large eggs plus 6 yolks
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T salt
• 1 recipe of sauce

Quick Tomato Sauce

2 T butter

¼ c grated onion (this is important)

¼ tsp oregano

Salt

2 med garlic cloves minced

1 can high-quality tomatoes 28 oz crushed

¼ tsp sugar

2 T chopped basil

1 T olive oil

Black pepper

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, oregano, ½ tsp salt and cook until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown about 5 min. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, bring to simmer over high heat, lower heat to med-low and simmer until slightly thickened about 10 min. Off heat, add basic and oil, salt and pepper.

Pasta with Garlic and Oil

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

• 1 lb spaghetti (Angel hair my favorite!)
• 6 T olive oil
• 12 med garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 T fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ½ c Parmesan optional

Bring 4 qt water to boil in large pot. Add 1 T salt and pasta and cook, stirring often until al dente. Reserve ⅓ c of the cooking water and drain the pasta, return to pot.

Head 3 T oil, 3 T garlic and ½ tsp salt over low heat in nonstick skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is sticky and straw-colored, 10-12 minutes (this is important). Off heat, stir in the rest of the garlic, red pepper, parsley, juice, and 2 T of cooking water.

Transfer pasta to serving bowl with remaining 3 T oil, reserved pasta water and toss. Add garlic mixture and ¾ tsp salt, Toss. Serve with Bread Crumbs sprinkled on top.

Bread Crumbs

Pulse 2 slices of white bread in food processor to coarse crumbs. Add 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper and bake 375 until golden brown, 8 to 10 min.

Corned Beef

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

Corned Beef

• ½ c kosher salt
• 1 T cracked black peppercorns
• 1 T dried thyme
• 2.25 tsp ground allspice
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 2 crumbled bay leaves
• 1 beef brisket, flat cut, trimmed with some fat left on, 4-5 pounds

Combine salt, pepper, thyme, allspice, paprika and bay leaves in a bowl.

Using metal skewer, poke about 30 holes on each side of brisket. Rub each side with salt mixture. Place in a 2 gallon zip-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Put in 13x9 dish, cover with a second, similar sized pan, and weight with 2 bricks or heavy cans. Refrigerate 5-7 days, turning once a day.

Rinse brisket and pat dry. Place in Dutch over and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, skimming an scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides in and out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle and heat 200 deg. Transfer meat to large platter, ladle 1 c cooking liquid over, cover with foil and place in oven to keep warm

Fix the vegetables.

• 1.5 lb carrots
• 1.5 lbs small red potatoes
• 1 small rutabaga
• 1 small head cabbage 2 pounds un-cored, cut into 8 wedges

Add veggies except cabbage to liquid in Dutch over and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to med-low, cover, and simmer about 7 min,

Add cabbage, increase heat to high and return to boil, reduce to med-low, cover and simmer 13-18 min. 

Slice meat and return to platter, add vegetables, and moisten with additional broth.

Lentil Soup

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

To keep lentils from losing their shape, sweat them with sautéed aromatic veggies in bacon grease before adding broth to the pot. 

Serving 4-6

• 3 oz (3 slices) bacon cut into small pieces
• 1 large minced onion
• 2 chopped medium carrots
• 3 mince garlic cloves
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fresh minced thyme
• 1 c lentils, rinsed and picked over (not red)
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper
• ½ c dry white wine
• 4.5 c chicken broth
• 1.5 c water
• 1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tb minced fresh parsley

1. Fry bacon until crisp. Add onion and carrots about 2 min. Add garlic about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay, thyme, cook  sec. stir in lentils, salat, peppr to taste; cover; reduce heat to med-low and cook until lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Uncover, turn heat to high, add wine and bring to simmer. Add broth and water, bring to boil, cover partially and reduce heat to low. Simmer til lentils are tender but still hold their shape; 30-35 min. Discard bay.
3. Purée 3 c soup in blender and return to pot. Stir in vinegar and heat until hot. Stir in 2 T parsley.