Grand Raspberry (or Blackberry) Trifle

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.
   
3. Slice pound cake 3/4 inch thick; brush both sides of slices with lemon syrup.
   
4. Fit 1/3 of slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other glass bowl, trimming edges if necessary. Gently spread top of layer with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers; garnish with remaining cup raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
   

Credit for recipe to Martha Stewart. com

 A note from Chef Emily:

I used blackberries and therefore blackberry jam.  I used this pound cake, too.

Thanks for sharing this at Eliza's 16th Birthday party, Emily! 

Emily's Pound Cake

3 sticks butter, softened

3 c. sugar

5 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. flour (2 all purpose, 1 self-rising)

1 c. whipping cream

zest of one lemon

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour. Then cream and lemon zest. 

Grease and flour bunt pan. Bake 350 for about 1 hour. 

I baked mine for an hour and 10 minutes and it was overdone. I'd check it at about 55 minutes and see how it's coming along. Cool in pan for a bit and then remove to plate.

Pierogies

This recipe comes from my grandmother, who learnt from her mother, who came over on a boat from Austria as a young girl by herself.  This makes quite the hearty meal with a ham!

4 cups flour
2 eggs
salt - about a tablespoon
3 tbs butter
1 cup warm water
10 lbs mashed potatoes
1 lb longhorn cheese

Mash potatoes with longhorn cheese
Mix flour, eggs, salt, butter and warm water into dough
Knead until smooth
Roll dough out until it is very thin
Cut dough about 3 inches square

Place a small spoonful of mashed potatoes on the dough square
Dampen edge of dough with water by running a wet finger over the edge of the dough
Fold over the dough to form a triangle
Pinch the edges with a fork

Place the pierogies into a pot of boiling water until it floats ( 3 to 5 minutes )
Eat or cook in a frying pan with a little butter until lightly brown.

Eat and enjoy!

Squash and White Bean Soup

serves 4

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 14.5 oz. can tomatoes

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces(4 c.) 

            (note: microwave whole squash 30 sec. to soften for initial cutting)

1 T. fresh thyme, or less dried

Salt and pepper

2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed

1 bunch spinach, ~4 cups

Heat oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. 

Stir in squash, thyme, 5 c. water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and beans are heated through, 2-3 minutes. 

Serve with biscuits and parmesan cheese.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

• 3 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F(200 degrees C). Combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread butter mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice. Place bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until bread is crisp and topping is bubbly. Cut each slice of bread into 8 small triangles or squares.
2. Saute onion in butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 1 can chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor. Process until smooth.
4. Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally..
5. Stir in whipping cream and heat through. Do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each serving with Cinnamon Croutons. 

Credit for above to AllRecipes

For additional flavor:

I used 3 yummy squashes- 2 acorns & 1
butternut- I baked them on the bottom rack with the bread at 350 for
one hour. (after halving, scooping out seeds, & laying on a 1/2 sheet
upside down with water poured on the bottom). I also added about 1/4
cup brown sugar, used grated fresh ginger, & a mixture of 1/2 & 1/2
and cream cheese for the heavy whipping cream.
Credit to Jen Tan.

Summer Corn Cowder with Scallions, Bacon & Potatoes

Makes 5-1/2 c.

5 ears sweet corn, cut from cob (4 cups frozen)
7 oz scallions (about 20)

3 slices bacon

1 Tablespoon butter

1 jalapeno diced (opt)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt, add more to taste is necessary

black pepper to taste
3 1/2 c. chic broth
1 1/2 c. gold potatoes, cut to 1/2 inch
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 T. heavy cream (or plain yogurt)

Slice scallions thinly, separating white and light green from dark green.
Cook bacon 5 min in large pot. Remove & empty all but 1 T bacon fat. Add butter & return to Medium heat.
Add white & light green scallions, jalapeno (opt), salt & pepper. Cook until soft (about 3 min)
Add broth, corn, 2 corn cobs (when using fresh corn), potatoes & thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce & simmer 15 min or until potatoes are tender. Discard cobs.
Remove 1 cup of soup & blend smooth in blender. Return to pot. Add cream, dark green scallions & bacon.

Yum!! The kids love this soup. Great with fresh cornbread on your super woman days. ;)

Garlic-Basil Tortellini Soup

4 servings

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon butter

3 1/2 c. (2- 14.5oz cans) reduced-sodium chicken or veg broth

1/2 c. water

1/3 c. minced fresh basil (or 1 Tablespoon dried)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2-1/2 c. frozen cheese tortellini

1 can (19oz) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, water, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in tortellini. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes or until tortellini begins to float. Stir in beans and vinegar; heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Alayna's Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 cartons of chicken broth

2 cans of chicken (you can use fresh or canned)

3 chopped carrots

3 chopped celery

Some noodles, or substitute for 1/2 cup of barley or rice

salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add the celery and carrots, and after ten minutes add the chicken.

Ten minutes before serving, add the noodles. If using barley, or rice, cook for twenty minutes.

Season with salt and pepper!

Love,

Alayna Lowe

Muffins anyone?

Hey everyone!

I have recently had the hunger for new muffin recipes! If anyone has a favorite recipe, please let me know!

Sincerely,

~Olivia

Julie's Grilled Bread/Pizza

This is actually a pizza crust recipe that I threw on the grill one day and... yum!

1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 c. warm water (105-115)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
2 1/2-3 1/2 c. flour
 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
Toppings - sauce, cheese, etc for pizza
                  OR garlic salt and parmesan for bread sticks
Extra olive oil

Directions for using a stand mixer to make dough... much easier than by hand!
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add sat olive oil, and 2 1/2 c. flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix 1 minute.

Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 c at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place doung in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down.

To Grill: Pre-heat grill on High.  Divide dough into 3 portions. Roll out each, not too thin, to about 12 inches by 10 inches. Sprinkle with cornmeal to help it not to stick to grill and place on cookie sheets to transport it outside. Take out with you the olive oil, a grill brush, grill tongs and your choice of toppings. BE SURE NOT TO SET DOUGH SHEET TOO NEAR THE HEAT WHILE WAITING TO BE COOKED. (Makes it almost impossible to get it on the grill in one piece.)

   Turn one burner down to Low and leave one burner on High. (See Fine Cooking for a great demo video for how to cook pizza on the grill.) Brush the first piece of dough with olive oil on one side and put the oiled side down on the High burner. Let sit 2-3 minutes, or until nice grill marks appear on oiled side (kind of need to babysit). Remove from grill to cookie sheet. Brush other side with oil and flip over still on cookie sheet. Add toppings to already cooked side (may need to brush with more oil to get the garlic salt and parmesan to stick for bread sticks). Move topped bread onto Low burner and finish cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until nice grill marks on the bottom. Rotate each dough piece through this process until done (a new one on High burner, while one is on the Low finishing). I cut bread into sticks to serve.

To bake Pizza in oven: Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough into one large pizza. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes.

French Boule Bread

Since I have recently been dubbed the "official bread maker" of the family, I thought I would share this bread recipe that has been well loved by our family and friends. My grandmother made this bread a few years ago while at our house and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. So, of course, we needed the recipe....

(My family usually doubles this recipe, and so the amount ends up being about 4 loaves)

3 cups of lukewarm water (105 - 115 degrees)

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

6 1/2 cups flour

Mix the yeast with the lukewarm water in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. When mixing the dough, keep it as wet as you can handle. Mix into a semi-rounded ball. My family has found that this bread tastes better if it sits in the refrigerator for a while before baking. But either way, when the dough is mixed form it into loaves, sprinkle the tops with salt, and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to rise. The bread needs to be baked at 450 for 30 minutes. We bake our bread on circular pizza stones because we found that it turned out better, but the stones are not necessary. Put a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven to heat. After the bread is in the oven ready to bake, put a couple of cups of hot water into the heated pan. It will sizzle, and a cloud of steam will be produced. This will help give the bread a crusty outer. My family has found this extra step to be worth it:)

Enjoy:)

~Olivia G.

Emily's Whole Wheat Bread (Bread Machine)

Place these in your bread machine in the order recommended for your machine.

1 1/2 cups water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 Tablespoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)
1 1/2 Tablespoon gluten
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Bake on regular setting.

Bev's Garlic Salad Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons italian seasoning(oregano, tarragon, basil, rosemary
freshly cracked black pepper to your taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
sugar to taste

Shake well and refrigerate.

Crockpot Chicken Pie

Ingredients:
2 small cans cream of mushroom soup
1 small can Swanson chicken broth
6 boneless chicken breasts
frozen mixed vegetables for soup (if you're inclined, substitute fresh veggies)
2 small cans garbanzo beans, drained
small onion, diced
Mrs. Dash original blend salt free to season
noodles

Directions:
Throw everything into a crockpot(chicken on bottom, soup, vegies and broth on top), cover, and bake for 5-6 hrs on high. An hour before it's done, add dry noodles and stir to absorb liquids. Serves 6.

A living cookbook...

While discussing all of the yummy recipes we would like to share with one another, someone this Sunday night suggested a blog... a working place where we could add our old favorite recipes and request new favorites. We will work on setting up everyone who wishes to participate with a blogger account, so that we can all add and share in this format. 

 It has been very encouraging to cook with you all over the years! Perhaps this will become another way in which we can share life together? 

Happy Cooking!