Author: Julie

Grandma’s Biscuits

by // // 3 Comments

 

I really love these biscuits….they’re great with butter and jam, butter and honey, or just butter!  (Can you tell I like butter?)  And they remind my of my Grandma.

 

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
7 cups all-purpose flour

1.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine yeast and water and stir till dissolved.
2.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
3.  Pat/roll out 3/4″ thick and cut with biscuit cutter OR place in greased bowl and place in fridge until needed (will keep a week in the fridge).
4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 30, depending on your cutter

Notes:

  • If you buy yeast in the little envelopes, then use one envelope for this recipe.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, put 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in a 2-cup measure.  Fill to the 2-cup line with milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  
  • I like my biscuits tall and thick.  If you like yours thinner, roll or pat them out to the thickness you like.

Source:  my Grandma Davis

Originally posted on May 27, 2013.

Pizza Dip

by // // 2 Comments
 
 
When I found this recipe on–where else?–Pinterest, I figured it would be pretty good.  I didn’t know it would be AWESOME.  I made the original dip but also made a second dip with different toppings.  Both were a hit. But I have some bad news. If you make this for an event or party, you will have no leftovers to enjoy.
 

 

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
pizza toppings of your choice

1.  Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan together in a bowl. Spread this into a shallow dish, like pie plate.
2.  Spread the pizza or spaghetti sauce on top. Sprinkle on the remaining cheeses and whatever toppings you like (I chose mini pepperoni slices for one and pineapple tidbits and Canadian bacon for the other).
3.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until it all looks deliciously melted and slightly bubbling along the edges.
4.  Serve with crackers of your choice, bread slices, bread sticks, etc.

For serving:  I got baguettes and sliced them diagonally, about 1/2″ thick.  I drizzled them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and baked them for about 8 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
nomorepizzadip.jpg

 

Originally posted on April 29, 2013.

 

 

Buttermilk Cornbread

by // // 1 Comment
 
 
 
Cornbread just reminds me of my childhood, of old-fashioned eating, and of my own grandmother.  To me, a chili meal is not complete with out it.

 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
 
 

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Grease or spray an 8 1/2 × 4 1/2-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2.  In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and stir to combine. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs or small peas.  Don’t overwork it.
3.  In a small bowl whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Add the buttermilk-egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir to form a stiff, lumpy batter. Spread evenly in the greased loaf pan.
4.  Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted in center comes out nearly clean, with just a few crumbs on it, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove the cornbread from the loaf pan and cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes:

If you don’t have buttermilk, just put 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into the bottom of your measuring cup; then add enough milk to measure 1 1/3 cups (I use a Pyrex 2-cup glass measure for this).
If you are old school you can use some bacon grease for some of the shortening.  I happened to have some so I used about half bacon grease, half shortening.  It really adds to the flavor!

Source:  Grandma’s Kitchen

 

Originally posted on May 1, 2013.

Frog Eye Salad

by // // No Comments

Although this recipe has been around quite a while, it still seems to be unknown to many.  At a recent church function I was asked two questions about it:  “What is this?” and “Can I have the recipe?”  It makes a lot and is a very satisfying side dish or light dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 16-ounce package Acini de Pepe pasta
2 11-ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
2 20-ounce cans pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
1 9-ounce carton non-dairy whipped topping
marshmallows
coconut
maraschino cherries, halved

1.  Combine sugar, flour, pineapple juice, and eggs in a medium saucepan stirring well to combine.  Cook over medium heat until thickened stirring often.  Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir to combine.  Set aside to cool.
2.  Cook Acini de Pepe pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside to cool.  (Unless you have a sieve-type large colander, you may have to line your colander with paper towels like I did…..otherwise the pasta will escape through the holes!)
3.  In a large bowl, combine the cooled egg mixture and the cooled pasta.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap (or lid if you have it) and refrigerate until serving time.
4.  When ready to serve add the fruit, whipped topping, marshmallows, coconut, and cherries.

Notes:

  • The amounts for the marshmallows, coconut, and cherries are up to you.  I like a lot of each, so I added almost a whole bag of mallows, about half a bag of coconut, and a large jar of cherries.
  • This salad keeps well in the fridge after the initial serving but is always best right after the last ingredients are added.  To “freshen” it up a bit after it’s been in the fridge, just add some more whipped topping.
  • Acini dep Pepe pasta is not hard to find in most grocery stores.  It’s just with all the other pastas, not in a special section or anything.  It looks like little balls….it’s the “frog eye” in this salad.
Source:  I got it for the first time from my sister, Amy (fellow Maven known as “Amos”)
 
Originally posted on April 1, 2013.

Bruschetta

by // // No Comments

Though this simple but satisfying snacketizer is best served with homegrown tomatoes, store-bought and out of season tomatoes still produce good results.  I don’t have any amounts listed….hope that’s copacetic with you.  Just adjust the amounts according to what YOU like.

Ingredients:
fresh tomatoes, diced
onion, diced (optional…I don’t like raw onion so I leave it out)
basil (fresh or dried)
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil
red wine vinegar
baguettes, sliced 1/2-3/4″ thick
fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place baguette slices on cookie sheet.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden and middles feel like they’re starting to get crunchy.
2.  In a bowl, combine tomatoes and onions.  Add your basil (see notes below), garlic powder, and salt to taste (don’t over salt…you can always add more later).  Drizzle a little olive oil over it.  Then sprinkle on the red wine vinegar. Stir to combine.

How I Like to Eat It:
Okay….here we go.  Grab a toasted baguette slice.  Sprinkle on the grated cheese that I insisted you grate by hand.  Spoon the tomato mixture on top (yes, it is messy and you had better be doing this over a plate).  Sprinkle a little bit of salt over the top.  Now, take a crunchy bite and enjoy!

Notes:

    • Tomatoes–use whatever tomatoes look the most ripe and tasty.  
    • Basil–if you have fresh that’s great…simply chiffonade to get the right amount (use more with fresh).  If using dry, sprinkle in a bit at a time until you get the right taste.  Here’s a video on how to chiffonade fresh basil:

  • Garlic Powder–yes, you can use fresh, but I don’t like to bite into raw garlic so I use the powder. 
  • Olive Oil–I just put in enough so that I can tell each piece of tomato is bathed but not swimming in it.
  • Red Wine Vinegar–I love this!  I put in more vinegar than oil, but I still don’t have the whole thing swimming in it.
  • Baguettes–if you can help it, don’t buy the ones that are really flat on top.  When you slice it, you are creating a little bread plate for your tomatoes so a flat baguette will make for a narrow plate.  Find the roundest ones you can.
  • Parmesan Cheese–I really must insist <wink> that you buy the lovely triangular cheese and grate it on the large holes using your cheese grater.  The powdered stuff in a can will NOT give you the same tasty results.
Source:  Honestly, I have no idea.  I’ve been making this for years!  But I have no idea where I got it from.
 
Originally posted on April 15, 2013.

No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

by // // 5 Comments

Recently I had some ladies over to my house for a little get together and I wanted to serve something that looked pretty and tasted good but was super easy to make.  I searched the internet and finally decided to try these tasty little morsels.  I’m glad I did.  They were a success, and I’ll be using this recipe again for sure!  These are perfect for parties and showers.  You can make the filling ahead of time and fill the cups just before your guests arrive.  Definitely a keeper!

 
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 cup. sour cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
15 mini Phyllo tart shells (1 package)
berries for garnish
 
1.  In a mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar, sour cream, and vanilla together until well blended.  Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth.  Add the whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy.
2.  If serving right away, simply spoon some of the mix into each tart shell.  If you want to chill it until later, spoon the mix into a zip-top bag, seal, and place in the fridge till you are ready.  Then take the bag out, snip one corner with scissors, and squeeze the mixture through the hole into the tart shells.
3.  Garnish with berries.
 
Source:  Kitchen Treaty (although that recipe adds 1 heaping teaspoon of lemon zest, which I omitted)
Originally posted on March 6, 2013.

Boiled Cookies

by // // 4 Comments

I had a friend once who thought this was a disgusting name for a cookie.  She said in her family they called them Gorilla Poops.  Not sure why my family’s title won the gross-out award over hers.  Anyhow, it’s a tried and true recipe that brings back lots of memories for me.  Sunday afternoons were the traditional occasions for these quick treats when I was growing up, and it’s a tradition I’ve kept going in my own family.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1.  Combine the butter, milk, cocoa, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook for 1-2 minutes more and then remove from heat.
2.  Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oats.  Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to set.

Makes about 3 dozen

Notes:

  • My personal favorite way to make these is to omit the cocoa from the boiling mixture, and then add in 1/2 cup or so of coconut after the boil.  Yum!
  • I used to always use quick oats until I experimented with old-fashioned, which I use more often.  Quick oats give a bit softer texture, but I like them with the old-fashioned oats better.
  • You can pour the mixture into an 8″x 8″ pan, sprayed with cooking spray, but it takes a lot longer to set before you can cut it into bars.
  • My ten-year-old made this batch and has become quite an expert at the process!
  • We like to use a cookie scoop for easy portioning onto the waxed paper.
 
Source:  my mom, but this recipe has been around forever!
Originally posted on February 4, 2013.

Crunchy French Toast

by // // 2 Comments

Looking at the menu plan in horror, I realized that the Baked French Toast I had planned for the next morning was just not going to happen.  Didn’t have the right bread.  Could make bread but it wouldn’t be the right texture since it would be fresh.  Didn’t really want to run to the store late at night.  Hmmm….what to do?    Go to bed and hope that the Baked French Toast Fairy would come.

She didn’t.  (True story.)

So that morning, after looking online for a jazzed up French toast recipe (that didn’t require overnight soaking!), I decided to just go rogue and make it up as I went along, using a few ideas I’d seen online.   I was quite pleased with the result!  Try it and see what you think.

Also, if you could tell that Fairy that she owes me a breakfast, I’d be much obliged.

Ingredients:
16 slices of bread
4 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups frosted flakes or plain corn flakes

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place aluminum foil in the bottom of two large baking sheets.  Place a large cooling rack into each pan.  Spray racks with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  Measure the flakes into a plastic food bag and use the bottom of a 1-cup measure to crush the flakes into small pieces.  Pour the crushed flakes into a bowl (make sure the bowl is wide enough to allow you to lay a piece of bread in it).
3.  Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  One at a time submerge the bread into the egg mixture, lift it out, and use your fingers to gently squeegee off any excess.  Then place the dipped bread slice into the bowl of crushed flakes, pressing gently.  Flip the bread over and gently press the other side.  Then place each slice on the cooling rack.  Repeat this with all the slices, making sure to whisk well after ever two or three dippings (the sugar has a tendency to settle at the bottom and the cinnamon likes to float at the top).
4.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping slices over halfway through the baking time.  Serve with butter and syrup and enjoy!

Notes:

  • I used store-bought whole wheat bread.  Different breads will soak up the egg mixture differently and so may require more or less of the mixture.
  • To promote more even cooking, I also rotated the position of the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time.  I just had them switch places in my oven.
  • To check for doneness, I just poked the bread gently in the middle to see if it was still squishy (that’s the technical term).  It should be dry but still soft.
Source:  me!  (well, with a little inspiration from the internet)
 
Originally posted on November 26, 2012.

(Amazing!) Mint Brownies

by // // 5 Comments

I’ve tried many brownie recipes over the 20+ years that I have been married.  I recently found a great basic brownie recipe that has served us well so far.  But recently I found a special brownie recipe that is….well, I’ll just say it….life-changing.

Okay, well maybe you’d have to be married to a man who is in love with mint to call this recipe life-changing!  But even I adore these mint brownies; and I only like mint as a friend.

 

Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
—–
Frosting:
1-2 Tbsp. milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
green food coloring (2-3 drops)
—–
Glaze:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. butter

1.  Set oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9″x 13″ pan with foil, making sure the foil can extend over the edge by a couple of inches (you’ll lift the brownies out later with that).  Spray with cooking spray.
2.  Chop your unsweetened chocolate and the butter into chunks.  Place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.*  Set aside to cool.
3.  In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for two minutes.  While that’s beating, mix together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.  With the mixer running, slowly pour in the melted chocolate and beat until it is well-combined.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture by spoonfuls and mix just until combined.**  Pour batter into pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.
4.  Cool brownies completely on a wire rack for better air circulation around the pan.  Once the brownies are room temperature, make the frosting.  Combine all the ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of milk and adding more after mixing if necessary.  Spread evenly over the brownies and chill while you make the glaze.
5.  Place the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave in 30-second increments until melted, making sure to stir well in between.  Set this aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then pour atop the brownies and carefully spread it out over the mint frosting.  Chill again.  When the chocolate has set, lift the brownies out of the pan with the foil “handles”.  Cut and serve.***

Notes:
*Don’t over heat.  Stirring well in between will help the chocolate melt a little more.  It should just barely have melted all the way.
**It’s okay for a bit of flour to not be mixed in.  Over-mixing the batter will mess up the texture.
***I cut mine in a 4 x 6 grid to get 24 brownies.

Source:  Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen (I didn’t realize how close our blog name is to their cookbook until our blog had already been named.  At any rate, they have a wonderful website and an exceptionally beautiful cookbook!)

Originally posted on June 25, 2012.

Baked Broccoli

by // // 4 Comments
 
 

I like broccoli.  A couple of my kids like broccoli.  My husband likes broccoli.  But now, we LOVE broccoli.  Seriously, we went from buying some once a month or so to buying the BIG bag from Sam’s (we used half that big bag the other day for dinner!).

Ever since trying this recipe (first seen on Pinterest), I crave it.  I have kids asking for thirds, for crying out loud!  I don’t know that I will ever make broccoli any other way again.

Baked Broccoli

Ingredients:
fresh broccoli
olive oil
salt and pepper

 
 
 

 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash broccoli and make sure it is cut into bite-size pieces.  That big ol’ broccoli tree on the right will still be tasty but trust me, you want smaller pieces for cooking time and for taste.  Trust me.  I know we don’t know each other well, but you really can trust me.  Honest.
2.  Spread out in pan and drizzle with olive oil right in the pan.  I don’t measure because I don’t always make the same amount.  I just fill the pan in a single layer of broccoli and then drizzle the oil and toss with salt and pepper.  Right in the pan.  (sorry for the blurry pic…I was my own photographer and “I am not left-handed!”)
3.  At this point, try to look over the broccoli heads to find any dry ones.  Take these dry heads and brush them around on the pan to pick up some olive oil.  As you can see, they are not swimming in it.  Best case scenario, they all have shiny but not drippy heads.
4.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.  When the broccoli comes out, it will have shrunk and have brown crunchy spots (these are mighty tasty!).  Serve immediately.  (You may like your broccoli more tender or more crispy…play with the time till you get it right.  Remember that the more crowded the pan, the longer the broccoli will need to cook.)

Enjoy!

Source:  adapted from several recipe sources found on Pinterest;  some use lemon juice and steak seasoning, but I really enjoy the plain salt and pepper

 

Originally published on March 19, 2012.