Day 67

What's on the menu:

Cornish hens with rice dressing
Butter beans
Yeast rolls
Egg pie

Cornish hens

Wash and sprinkle salt, pepper, and Old Bay season inside and outside of hens. Place hens in a sprayed deep corning dish with a lid (or you can use Reynold's wrap to cover). Baste with 2 parts butter to 1 part lemon juice. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Take dish out of oven and remove top for good. Stuff hens with rice dressing. Baste again and right before they are done. Put back in oven and cook another hour.

Rice dressing

2 cups cooked rice
Saute 1 small chopped onion and one chopped celery stalk in 1/3 stick of butter about 5 minutes or until tender. Add to rice and stir. Add some broth from the hens to make the dressing the consistency you want for dressing.
I always have left over dressing and I put this in a sprayed small casserole dish and bake about 30 minutes until set and just lightly browned.

Butter beans

I use my frozen beans I froze from the garden this summer. Put butter beans in sauce pan and add water to cover. Add one package of chicken broth powder and 1 cup of chicken broth liquid. Add butter buds to taste and then salt and pepper. I cook mine about 1-1/2 hours at medium heat with lid on pot.

Yeast rolls

I use Mrs. Schubert's dinner yeast rolls.

Egg pie
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter
3/4 cup of sugar
1 regular pie crust
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or so until light brown and middle is set.

This pie is something I grew up with at holidays at my Grandmother Collier's house. She would have a big stack of these on her long buffet in the dining room with the rest of the desserts. She cooked hers in a wood oven with black metal pie pans and homemade crusts. There were always at least 6-8 in a stack on the buffet.

I have never seen or heard of this pie since my grandmother died many years ago. I don't know if it's one she came up with or not. I thought this recipe was lost forever and to my surprise my mother got it from my aunt last Thanksgiving before she died and had some for us.

I am so glad my mother got this recipe before it was lost and is now carrying on the tradition. I intend to do the same thing myself.

They are very thin pies. My grandmother used to cool them and slide them right out of those black metal pie pans and stack them right on top of each other. My Uncle Clayton tells the story of him and his brother Wilbur hiding under the kitchen window where Grandmother placed the pies to cool on a long table by an window open. They would catch her out of the room, and he would stick his hand in and grab one of the pies and hand it to Wilbur, and they'd run to the back of barn and eat the whole pie.

Well, blogger friends, I guess this is it for me for awhile. I may come back after Christmas. I hope you have enjoyed my menus and recipes. I thank all of you who checked out my blog.

Day 66

What's on the menu:

Stew

My church cooked a stew this morning so stew was our meal today.

Tomorrow will be my last post until after Christmas if I decide to come back.

Day 65

What's on the menu:

Black bean soup
Quesadias

Black bean soup

1 lb. dried black beans
2 smoked ham hocks (I used only one)
2 TB white vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
6 cups beef broth
4 cups chopped onions

Clean and soak beans. In a large saucepot, combine broth, ham hocks and 4 cups of water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours . Add drained beans, onion and garlic to saucepot. Return to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 3 hours. Remove ham hocks and cut off meat, discard bones and skin. Remove 3 cups of beans and puree in blender or food processor. Return puree to saucepot and stir to blend. Add vinegar and ham.

Quesadias

Flour tortillas
Kraft four cheese (cheese in a bag)

On a hot griddle place tortilla, sprinkle cheese mixture all around, top with another tortilla. Heat and brown one side and then flip and brown the other side. Slice in quarters with a pizza cutter.

Day 64

What's on the menu:

Barbecue chicken
Baked beans
Garlic Italian bread

Barbecue chicken

I take one fresh whole chicken and cut into half right down the middle of chicken. I place into a microwave dish and cook 15 minutes on each side. This cuts the cooking time on grill in half and cooks the chicken at the bone.

Place on grill and cook until done and brown to your liking. About 30 minutes before done start dipping into barbecue sauce ( John Boy and Billy) and continue dipping whenever you turn chicken over. I can only find this sauce at Food Lion and Bass Pro.

Baked beans

Empty 1 large can of Bush's Baked Beans in baking pan. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 medium chopped onion, 1/4 cup real bacon bits, salt and pepper to taste and stir together. Bake at 375 degrees about 45 minutes or until done.

Garlic Italian bread

Spread bread with butter at room temperature and sprinkle with McCormick California style garlic salt. Place on sheet pan and broil on low until light brown all over.

Day 63

What's on the menu:

Nothing on the menu tonight. I had to get groceries this morning. This afternoon I took in-laws halfway to meet my sister-in-law as my father-in-law has to have chemo tomorrow. On the way home I stopped by Nursing Home in Warrenton, NC to visit my Aunt Eva. She and her two brothers and her sister were playing Bingo as they do every Wednesday on their visiting day. Eva had both legs removed but she will lift your spirits. Her brothers and sisters all range from age 80 to age 91 and they go to visit her faithfully every Wednesday. They let her win almost every time but she doesn't know that. Her two brothers will chime in and win sometimes so as not to give away their secret.

Day 62

What's on the menu:

Pan grilled Tilapia (recipe on Day 41)
Homemade slaw (recipe on Day 49)
Leseur peas
Hushpuppies

Leseur peas

Drain liquid out of can and refill and empty into pot. Add salt, pepper and 1/2 TB of butter and bring to boil and then simmer for a few minutes.

Hushpuppies

I used House of Autry ( the recipe is on back of bag)

Day 61

What's on the menu:

Homemade vegetable soup
Homemade pimento cheese sandwiches

Homemade vegetable soup

Recipe for soup is on Day 7. I froze several containers the day I made my soup so I took one of the containers out of freezer and heated up for dinner tonight.

Pimento cheese

1 16 oz block of sharp cheddar cheese
1 4 oz jar of pimentos (drained)
Miracle Whip

I put my cheese into food processor to shred. Put cheese into bowl and add drained pimentos and enough Miracle Whip to combine everything. (for this amount it will take between 1/4 to 1/3 cup).

I toasted our bread to make our sandwiches.

Day 60

What's on the menu:

Chicken salsa verde
New York cheesecake

Chicken salsa verde

1 package Simply potatoes southwest style hash browns
1 pkg. sour cream (8 oz)
1 pkg. (about 1 pound) boneless skinless chicken thighs (or can use boneless skinless breast)
1-1/2 tsp. ground mesquite or chipolte seasoning
2/3 cup salsa verde (green salsa)you may substitute tomato salsa
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
-chopped avocado
-chopped green onions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place Simply Potatoes and sour cream in dish, stir together. Spread evenly over bottom of dish. Rub both sides of each chicken thigh with mesquite seasoning. Place on top of potatoes. Cover. Bake 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

2. Uncover; top chicken with salsa verde. Sprinkle with cheese. Continue baking uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with avocado and green onions as a garnish.

This is a new recipe. I found it on the back of the package of Simply Potatoes (southwest style hash browns). My husband and I enjoyed this. I like trying new dishes. My husband never knows what will show up on our dinner table.

New York cheesecake

6 Honey Maid honey grahams, crushed
1 cup plus 3 TB sugar, divided
3 TB butter or margarine, melted
5 pkg. (8 oz. each)Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
3 TB flour
1 TB vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 13 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil. Mix crumbs, 3 TB sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until blended. Add sour cream; blend. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed until blended.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan.

Top with pie filling and serve.

I got this recipe out of my October issue of Southern Living. I've never made my cheesecake this way before but I have to say I love the way it sliced and it's presentation was better than the traditional cheesecake. I've never put flour in my cheesecake either.

Day 59

What's on the menu:

Cabbage rolls
Platter of cheese

Recipe for cabbage rolls are on Day 35. I had a yard sale this morning and planted 16 dozen tulips bulbs. Those tulip bulbs got me. I had to take some Aleve to recuperate. I have to sing a solo at church tomorrow so need to practice. Today was a busy day.
I just love those frozen meals. Just pull them out of the freezer and pop them in the oven and cook.

Day 58

What's on the menu:

Nothing is on the menu tonight. My husband is at his hunt club where the men are preparing a big feast. I ate out.

Day 57

What's on the menu:

Red beans and rice

2 lbs. dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight (I used 1 lb)
1 lg. green pepper, chopped
1 TB cayenne pepper
2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
1 lg onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TB salt
1 link smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 slices
Black pepper to taste

Pour off soaking water and add new water to beans. Add onions, garlic, celery, pepper, salt, black pepper and cook down to 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Simmering. Add sausage and keep covered with water and cook for another 1-1/2 hours. Serve with rice and hot sauce.

This recipe came from my Aunt Mable's church cookbook.

To my blog folks, I will probably be going off blog time in about another week. I have shared about two months of menus and recipes. I do hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you.
This blog idea came to me about two months ago when my Red Hat group went to see the movie Julia and Julie. So I thought I'd give it a try and see what happened.
I will start my Christmas shopping in about a week. In December I do my cookie bouquets, candy boxes, cookie and candy trays, etc. So I stay very busy the month of November and December.
I usually have lots of frozen meals already in the freezer and pull them out at this time.
I may come back on after Christmas but not sure.
So to all who have followed my blog, I thank you.

Day 56

What's on the menu:

Calzones

1 loaf of frozen bread dough ( let thaw a couple of hours)
1 jar of your choice marinara sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1/2 lb. Virginia baked ham or black forest ham
6 slices hard salami
Pepperoni slices

Cut the loaf of dough into half and roll out each half into a 12 inch circle
In the middle of each half spread the sauce across in a row
Layer the ham on top of sauce
Layer the salami on top of ham
Place pepperoni slices on top of salami
Spread shredded mozzarella cheese across top of pepperoni

With wet pastry brush, brush edge of bottom half of circle. Bring top half of dough down over bottom half and seal edges.
Bake at 375 about 30 minutes until golden brown. I like to brush the dough with butter when it comes out the oven.

Day 55

What's on the menu:



Nothing on the menu tonight. We had dinner at the in-laws. A lot of out of town folks came to visit father-in-law in hospital with cancer.



I made a blueberry pie ( recipe on Day 51), potato salad ( recipe on Day 8)
and a Best ever lemon pie

Best ever lemon pie

1 baked pie shell
1-1/4 cup sugar
6 TB cornstarch
2 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
3 TB butter
1-1/2 tsp lemon extract
2 tsp vinegar

Mix sugar and cornstarch together in top of double boiler. Add the 2 cups of water. Combine egg yolks with juice and beat. Add to rest of mixture.
Cook until thick over boiling water for 25 minutes. This does away with starchy taste.
Take off heat and add butter, vinegar and lemon extract. Stir thoroughly. Pour into pie crust.

Never-fail meringue

1 TB cornstarch
2 TB cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
3 egg whites
6 TB sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Blend cornstarch and cold water in saucepan. Add boiling water and cook, stirring until clear and thickened. Let stand until completely cold.
With electric beater at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry. Turn mixer to low speed and add salt and vanilla. Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture.
Turn mixer again to high speed and beat well. Spread over pie. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

Day 54

What's on the menu:

T-bone steaks
Baked potato
Tossed salad

I think we all know how to cook the above. Nothing like a good steak on the grill.

Day 53

Homemade chili
Side salad
Crackers

Chili

The recipe for chili is on Day 27. When I made chili on Day 27, I froze several containers so on a day like today I could just take it out of freezer and heat.
I serve it with shredded cheese on top and a dollop of sour cream.

Day 52

What's on the menu:

Hamburger and gravy
Mashed potatoes
String beans
Chocolate macadamia cookies

Hamburger and gravy
I put a pound of ground chuck in a bowl and added 1/2 onion finely chopped, 1/2 tsp basil, salt and pepper. Make out little round meat balls.
In a skillet cook and brown the meat balls on all sides until done. Remove and place on paper towel.
There will not be a lot of drippings from the ground chuck. I added 1 TB of butter to my drippings. Stir and melt butter and add 1/2 chopped onion and stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add 1 TB flour and stir and brown. Add about 2 cups of water and bring to boil until starts to thicken, add salt and pepper and turn heat down.
Add meat balls back to gravy and simmer for about 15 minutes. This adds flavor to the meat and the meat adds flavor to the gravy.

Mashed potatoes
Peel and thinly slice potatoes and put in salted water and bring to boil. Cook about 20 minutes until done and drain.
Add softened butter and cream with electric beaters. Add pepper to taste.

The browned gravy is so good served over the mashed potatoes.

String beans
I used my home canned ones. Put string beans in a pot and add water and 3 slices of bacon and a little chicken broth. Bring to boil and cook about one hour. Add salt and pepper at the end to your taste.

Chocolate macadamia cookies
1 -1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup macadamia nuts

Cream butter or margarine and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, blend until creamed mixture. Stir in macadamia nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake. (Cookies will be soft, they will puff during the baking and flatten upon cooling). Cool until set. Remove from cookie sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

I found this recipe in a Hershey's chocolate treasury cookbook. I bought this cookbook over 20 years ago at our school book fair.

I wish I owned a stock in macadamia nuts. To half of the cookies; I put softened vanilla ice cream between two cookies, wrapped with parchment paper and put back into freezer.

Day 51

What's on the menu:

Pork chops
Potato salad
Black eyed peas

Pork chops

I bought the boneless chops and sprinkled salt and pepper on each side and dipped in House of Autry chicken breader. The breader keeps the chops moist when you put them on a George Forman grill. Grill until brown on each side.

Potato salad

Peel and cut up potatoes into small pieces and put in salted water and bring to boil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat.

Drain and put into a bowl. To the potatoes add 3 boiled eggs ( diced), dill pickled (diced), mayonnaise, a little mustard, salt and pepper to taste. I also like to peel and quarter an onion and put that in my salad to flavor. I do not like to chomp down on a raw onion.

Black eyed peas

1 lb bag of dried peas
Soak in water for at least 5 hours or over night.
Drain and put in pot with new water. I added 3 slices of bacon for seasoning and a little chicken broth.
Boil for about 1 1/2 hours and add salt and pepper to taste.

Day 50

What's on the menu:

Chicken Parmesan
Garlic bread sticks

Chicken Parmesan

Tomato sauce:
1 TB olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably organic
1 TB balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Chicken:
Cooking spray
4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1-1/4 pound total)
salt to taste
2 large egg whites
6 TB dry Italian bread crumbs
2 TB grated Parmesan
3 TB all purpose flour
4 to 5 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Tomato Sauce: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the basil.

Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cutlets with the salt. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper. Spread the flour on another sheet of waxed paper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides into the flour, shaking off excess. Dip each piece into the egg whites, shaking off excess, and then press both sides into the breading to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken, in 1 layer, to the baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

I got this recipe from Food Network.

Garlic bread sticks
These came fresh in a bag and I just put them on a baking sheet and baked at 400 degrees until brown.

Day 49

What's on the menu:

Crab cakes/ steam shrimp
Homemade slaw
Baked potatoes
Hush puppies
Apple jacks

Crab cakes

1 (16 oz) can of Phillips Crab (bought at Food Lion)
Recipe is on back of can

Phillips crab cakes
1 lb. crab meat
1 egg
2 tsp worcheshire sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TB mustard
1 TB melted butter
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp Phillips seafood seasoning
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Combine all ingredients except crab meat. Fold in crab meat. Shape into cakes . Pan fry or bake . I pan fried mine on my griddle with a little olive oil.

Steamed shrimp
Put shrimp into a bowl with about 2 cups water, 1 can light beer, 2 lemons squeezed ( put rinds in also), bay seasoning, garlic salt and let set for an hour.
Drain liquid out and put into a large pot. Bring to boil and add shrimp back to liquid. Bring this back to boil only.
Drain and add a little more butter, bay seasoning and garlic salt while steaming hot.

Homemade slaw

Grate cabbage and put into a bowl. Add mayonnaise, little mustard, little sugar, salt and pepper. Stir all together and add a little sour cream.

Hush puppies

I use House of Autry hush puppy mix. The recipe is on the back of the bag.

Baked potatoes fixed to your liking

Apple turnovers

I slice my apples ( the little ones from the farm trees) and fill my 8 x 10 sprayed dish. To the apples I add just a little water ( maybe 3/4 cup), sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and put several pieces of butter on top.
Bake at 375 for about an hour and a half stirring and chopping every so often. The apples will be completely cooked and dark brown.

I use Grands buttermilk biscuits. Place biscuits on a little flour and roll out with rolling pin. Place about 2 heaping TB apple mix onto biscuit. Wet outer edge of bottom half of biscuit and fold over and crease with fingers and then fork.
Fry in hot grease in electric fry pan on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper bag covered with paper towels. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon (1/2 cup sugar to 1 tsp cinnamon) mixture on top of hot turnovers.

We have out of town guest tonight from Georgia. It is so nice to have Steve here with us tonight. I thoroughly enjoyed having him for dinner. He just made over everything and how delicious it was.

Day 48

What's on the menu:

Ham
Turnip salad (turnip greens)
Devil eggs
Homemade applesauce

Ham

1 Smithfield ham slice
Place ham slice into frying pan with a little water and boil on each side until the water is cooked out. Continue to fry ham until brown on each side. Take ham out and add 1/4 water back into pan where the meat browned and let water come to boil. This will make a gravy like glaze to serve with the ham.

Turnip salad

I cooked my once a year pot of turnip salad today and froze my yearly quota.
I went out to a farm about 1/2 mile from my house and picked salad for 1 1/2 hours. I was way back in a field close to the woods where no one could see me and it was all very quiet. About an hour into picking all of a sudden about two feet from me I heard noise and rustling and all of a sudden this dog is on my leg. Well I about messed myself. I talked to that dog about 5 minutes like he was human telling him how he had scared me to death. It took me that long to get my heart beat down.

I came home and washed all the salad and put into a huge pot of boiling water with a ham hock in it. I even added about 5 slices of bacon as it was a huge pot. It boiled about and hour and as it cooked I add a little sugar, salt and pepper every so often until the taste was to my liking.

I drained and chopped and froze and kept one bowl for dinner tonight. It was so tender and fresh. I love to cook it this way and whenever I want it during the year, I only have to go to freezer and take it out. It just needs to be heated and it's ready.

Deviled eggs

Boil eggs in water about 15 minutes and a little salt so the shells won't crack. Drain and cool and peel the shells off. Cut the eggs in half. Put the cooked yolks into a small bowl and mash. Add a little mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper and mix all together. Put back into egg halves and sprinkle red pepper or paprika on top if like.

Homemade applesauce

I made applesauce about a month ago and took out a jar of that.

Day 47

Day 46

What's on the menu:

Nothing is on the menu tonight. My in-laws invited us over for dinner tonight. It's always nice to have someone else cook for you.

Day 45

What's on the menu:

Chicken cordon bleu
Butter beans
Buttered garlic noodles
North Carolina's favorite sweet potato pie

Chicken cordon bleu

4 chicken breast halves, boned
1/2 cup margarine ( I use only butter)
2-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs ( I use store bought)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
4 (1-1/2 x3 inch) slices boiled ham ( I use Va. baked ham)
4 (1-1/2 x 3inch) slices Swiss cheese

Pull or cut each breast open in middle to form pocket. Melt margarine in pie pan. Make fresh bread crumbs in blender or processor. Mix crumbs with salt and paprika in a second pie pan. Stuff each breast with a piece of ham and a piece of cheese. Roll stuffed breasts in melted margarine, then in crumbs. Coat well. Place in buttered baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown.

I got this recipe out of a Rocky Mount, NC Junior Guild cookbook. My friend Nancy gave me this cookbook many years ago.

Butter beans

I used my frozen beans I put up this summer. Place beans in pot of water to cover the beans and then about a cup of liquid chicken broth. To this I add 1 pack of the powdered chicken broth and some butter buds. Cook about an hour or so and add salt and pepper.

Buttered garlic noodles

Boil egg noodles in salted water until done. Drain. Add a little butter and stir. Then add a little McCormick California style garlic salt. Stir until all the noodles are well coated.

North Carolina's favorite sweet potato pie

1-1/4 cups cook mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 package) French vanilla instant pudding
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 TB butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 TB vanilla extract
9 inch unbaked pastry shell

1. In a large bowl of electric mixer, combine first eight ingredients. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Spread evenly into unbaked pastry shell.
2. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 40 minutes longer or until set.

I went to a sweet potato festival many years ago and I picked up this little mini recipe book with all sweet potato recipes in it.

Day 44

What's on the menu:

Homemade chicken pot pies
Side dish of cheese wedges

Chicken pot pie

Recipe is on Day 3. This is Barefoot Contessa's recipe that I changed just a little.

Day 43

What on the menu:

Nothing is on the menu tonight. I painted 10 hours today. I ordered out.

Day 42

What's on the menu:

Lasagna
Side salad

Lasagna

Recipe on day 30. When I made the lasagna on that day I put one dish in freezer and cooked the other one. Today all I had to do was take the dish out of freezer and place in oven and bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubble. It will take about an hour as it is hard frozen coming out of freezer.

I just loves these kind of meals. Out of freezer and into oven and you have a homemade meal.

Side salad

Fix as you like. I used green leaf lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cheese and bacon bits.

Day 41

What's on the menu:

Pan grilled tilapia
Pear salad
Baked beans

Tilapia

On a flat griddle put about 2 TB extra virgin olive oil and 1 TB butter and heat to medium high heat.
Sprinkle each side of the fish with salt, pepper and old bay seasoning and place on hot griddle.
You want to cook each side until very brown and then turn over and cook the other side very brown.
You are not blackening the fish but get it very brown.
Yes you will make a mess on your stove top but it is worth it.

Food Lion had their tilapia today, buy one bag and get one free. I do love those specials. I love how each fillet come individually wrapped and you can take out the amount you want.

When you take the fish up and put on platter there will be no grease.
On top of platter with fish, drizzle 1/4 butter (melted) and juice of one lemon.
Then put fresh chopped parsley over top of everything. ( I still have lots of stuff still growing in my herb garden)

I got this recipe off the back of a large pack of tilapia at Sam's Club. Theirs is the best but Food Lion's is good too.

Pear salad

Place a bed of green leaf lettuce on plate, add pear halves.
On top of each pear half, dollop about a tsp of mayonnaise
On top of mayonnaise add one maraschino cherry
On top of place sprinkle graded cheddar cheese
Sprinkle pecan halves all around outside of plate (optional)

I'm generous with pecans as we have so many in our pecan orchard on the farm.

Baked beans

1-28oz can of Bush's homestyle bake beans
Pour in greased dish.
Add 1 medium green pepper chopped
Add about 1/4 cup brown sugar
Add about 1/4 real bacon pieces ( in the bag)

Stir all together and bake at 350 degrees until done, about 45 min.

Sorry I'm running late tonight; had choir practice.

Day 40

What's on the menu:

Whole baked chicken
Fried carrots
Creamed sweet potatoes
Texas toast

Whole baked chicken

Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with seasoning salt. Place on rack above burner racks (where you would place buns, etc.) and cook 1 -1/2 hours and then go back and turn over and bake another 1 -1/2 hours. I only turn two of my burners on.

The chicken is so juicy and tender.

Fried carrots

1 bag of waffle cut or long shredded cut carrots (10 oz)

In a large skillet melt 1/2 stick of butter and add bag of carrots, salt and pepper and place top on pan. Cook stirring every 5 minutes on medium high heat. I like mine browned a lot. It takes about 20 minutes depending on the heat you use.

My 91 year old bachelor Uncle Leslie wants his carrots no other way but like this.

Creamed sweet potatoes

Boil sweet potatoes in water until done. Peel and put in bowl and mash. To this add just a little butter, a little sugar, a little cinnamon and a little vanilla. The potatoes are already done so it's ready like this but I like to place marshmallows on top and just indent each one slightly. Place in the microwave about a minute or so until marshmallows are melted.

Texas toast

Spread softened butter on each side of toast and broil on low until each side is golden brown.

Day 39

What's on the menu:

Beef tips with mushroom, onion gravy
Creamed potatoes
Corn fritters

Beef tips

There's a grocery store here that cuts their beef in little tiny pieces which I love. I put the beef tips in my small pressure cooker, add mushrooms, salt and pepper, half of an onion (chopped) and water to cover beef and a little higher. Cook 20 minutes after pressure gets up on medium heat.

Take top off and add thickening for gravy. I put about 2 TB flour in a small jar with enough half and half to coat, maybe a little more. Put top on jar and shake until all is incorporated. Pour into beef tip mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes more.

Creamed potatoes

Cook peeled potatoes in salted water until done. Drain. Add 3/4 stick of butter at room temperature, pepper and cream with beater.

Corn fritters

1 cup self rising flour
1/tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 -1/2 cups fresh corn cut from cob (about 3 ears)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vegetable oil

Hot vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well and set aside. Combine eggs, corn, milk, and 2 tsp vegetable oil. Stir corn mixture into dry ingredients.

Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons into vegetable oil heated to 375 degrees; cook fritters until golden, turning once.

Please let me hear from you if you are reading my blog so I'll know if I need to continue blogging.

Day 38

Cajun chicken pasta

Sauce:
1-1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 cup soft margarine (I use butter)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp salsa

Marinade:
Lowry's mesquite marinade

After chicken has marinaded, grill (I use chicken breasts)

Heat sauce to melt all ingredients. Stir often. Serve sauce and grilled chicken (sliced) over linguine noodles.

The band teacher Tony at school shared this recipe with me many years ago.

Day 37

What's on the menu:

Chicken tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce
Cream corn
Macaroni and cheese
Beth's no crust coconut pie

Chicken tenders

Fresh chicken breast (cut each breast into 3 tenders)
Soak in buttermilk several hours, dip into House Autry chicken breader, add salt and pepper and cook in deep fryer until golden brown

Honey mustard dipping sauce is usually half honey and half mustard or the consistency you like

Cream corn

Cook 1 quart of fresh corn (I used mine I froze this summer) in about 1 quart of water maybe a little more in medium sauce pan, add 1/2 stick butter. Boil at medium heat for about 40 minutes. Then add salt and pepper and thickening and continue to cook on low for about 10 minutes.

Thickening
2 TB corn starch in 1/4 cup warm water

My Aunt Mable use to make this at Thanksgiving.

Macaroni and Cheese

Boil macaroni in salted water until done. Drain and put in a mixing bowl. Add graded cheese, pepper, little butter, little sour cream and stir all together.
Pour into greased dish. Add more graded cheese on top and bake until all melted.

Beth' no crust coconut pie

1/2 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
4-7 oz coconut
1/4 cup self rising flour
2 eggs at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9 inch pie dish (nonstick or sprayed)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.

My friend Beth shared this with me.

Day 36

What's on the menu:

Chicken and rice
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Chocolate bread pudding

Chicken rice

Put about 4 quarts of water in a large pot and add chicken. I used 1 breast and 6 long legs.
Add 1 onion chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
Cook about 45 minutes and debone chicken and put back into broth. Add salt and pepper to taste and enough rice to what you need. I added about 3/4 cup.
I added just a pinch of saffron but this is not necessary. My daughter went to Turkey on vacation and brought me some back. I have never had any saffron in my cubbard as it's way too expensive in U.S. But I was so excited to have some and wanted to use it.

Cook over low heat about 30 minutes or until rice is done.

Grilled cheese sandwiches

I use chunk cheddar cheese and spread soften butter on each side of sandwich. Grill on griddle. If cheese is not quite melted enough, pop in microwave about 10 seconds.

Chocolate bread pudding

6 cold biscuits (homemade works the best)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
4 heaping TB cocoa
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Crumble biscuits well. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Add cocoa, sugar and melted butter. Spray 8 inch pan with Pam. Spread mixture into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes until dry on top.

I got this recipe from my Aunt Mable's church cookbook. My biscuits were left from my menu two days ago.
I always add a glaze to all my bread puddings so they will look more appealing. This just something I made up.
Glaze
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TB Hershey's chocolate syrup
1/2 cup water
Stir above ingredients and cook on medium high heat until it boils. Stir for about 3-5 minutes until thickens a little.
You want a glaze not icing. Pour over pan of hot bread pudding.

Day 35

What's on the menu:

Cabbage rolls
Side platter of cheese wedges

Cabbage rolls

This recipe came from my husband's Aunt Liz in West Va. I went for my first visit as a newly wed to West Va. and this is what she made for us. I had to fry up a pan of southern fried chicken in exchange.

I halved her recipe as half makes over two meals for us. Half of a recipe make 12 cabbage rolls. I freeze half and cook the other half.

4-5 heads of cabbage
2 lb. sausage
6 lb. ground beef
2 large onions (diced)
5 eggs
Salt
Pepper
3 cups uncooked rice
1 large can tomato juice

In a large pot fill 3/4 full of water, bring to a boil. Take each head of cabbage and cut about 1 inch all around the core and 1-1/2 inch into the head. Put cabbage into boiling water and cook until leaves can be pulled away from the head. Cook about 10-15 minutes. Take as many leaves off that will come off. Cook remainder of that head of cabbage until the rest of the leaves loosen enough to come off. Do not over cook them because the leaves will get too soft and they will fall apart when you roll them.

Place cooked leaves on cookie sheet to cool. When they have cooled off place leaf in your hand with the back side of the leaf facing up. Cut the large vein on the back of the leaf with the rest of the leaf. This will make it easier to roll. Set aside.

Cook rice. Set aside. Mix ground beef, sausage, onions, eggs, salt and pepper together. Add cooked rice.

Take cabbage leaf and put desired amount of the meat mixture on the bottom part of the leaf. Start rolling the leaf around the meat, when the meat is covered fold one side of the leaf in and continue to roll until the whole leaf is used. Then tuck the other side of the leaf into the meat.

In a roast pan, line bottom of pan with the extra cabbage leaves. Fill the pan with the cabbage rolls, stacking them on top of each other if necessary. Put more leaves on top and pour tomato juice over them and cover.

Bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours.

This recipe can be cut down. I freeze some of them to cook later. When you freeze them, do not cook them.

If you freeze them first, put them into freezer bags and freeze. When you want to cook the ones you have frozen, just take out of the freezer, put into roaster, pour tomato juice over them and bake.

Day 34

What's on the menu:

Pork loin
Potatoes and Carrots
Pan fried squash
Buttermilk biscuits

Pork loin

Place pork in a roaster or a dish with a top. Salt and pepper the loin. Add water about 1/2 inch deep, then add vinegar 1/2 inch deep. Slice a red pepper and layer on top of loin.

Bake at 375 degrees until done, about two hours depending on size of loin.

I love the vinegar flavor in the pork. I got this recipe from Rivers, an older lady from my church. I stopped by her house years ago to buy some vanilla that the church sells and the aroma that came from her kitchen was unbelievable. So I asked what was smelling so good in her kitchen and this is what she told me it was and shared the recipe.

Potatoes and carrots

I boiled my potatoes cut in quarters, carrots and onions in a pot of water with chicken broth, salt and pepper until done.

Pan fried squash (I used my canned squash)

I use an old black iron frying pan. Put two slices of bacon and fry on both sides until brown and the grease is all out. Add squash to the bacon and grease. Add about 1/2 inch of water to pan and one onion chopped.

Cook and stir and chop every few minutes until squash is done and all chopped. It took my canned squash only 30 minutes but fresh squash will take a little longer. I do not like my squash real brown like some people like it. If you want it brown, you can place the whole frying pan with squash in the oven.

Buttermilk biscuits

1 bag Southern biscuit complete biscuit mix (restaurant style)

Recipe is on back of bag, just add buttermilk. This is a great way to have homemade biscuits if you do not know how to make biscuits. My 90 year old neighbor Mrs. Morris shared this with me years ago.
Sometimes it is hard to find it in certain grocery stores.
I seldom make biscuits of any kind anymore as it is just something I can cut out of our meals.
This is the time of year that I make my homemade grape jelly and my husband dearly loves buttermilk biscuits with his freshly made jelly.
He was a happy spouse tonight.

Day 33

What's on the menu:

Steamed shrimp
Tossed salad
Baked potato
Andes' layered frozen mousse pie

Steamed shrimp

I put 2 lb. shrimp in a large pot and barely covered shrimp with water.

To this I added:
1 can of light beer
3 lemons cut in half, squeeze juice and also put in the left over lemons
Old bay seasoning ( 2 TB)
McCormick California style garlic salt (1 TB)
Salt ( 1 TB)

Stir all the above and add to shrimp and water and let set several hours

When ready to cook, drain off liquid and pour back into pot and bring to boil. When liquid comes to a boil, add shrimp. Bring back to a boil only.

Drain shrimp from liquid and while shrimp is hot add more butter, garlic salt and bay seasoning.

Tossed salad (fixed like you want)

Baked potato (fixed like you want)

Andes' layered frozen mousse pie
2 cup vanilla ice cream (softened)
2 cups Andes creme de menthe baking chips
1 ready to use chocolate wafer crumb crust
1-1/2 cups of whipping cream, separated
2 egg yolks

Stir 1/2 cups of Andes' creme de menthe baking chips into softened vanilla ice cream. Spread into crust and freeze.
Melt remaining Andes' chips with 1/2 cup of whipping cream in sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add egg yolks and continue to cook on medium low heat until thickened about 3-5 minutes stirring constantly. Do not let come to a boil.
Cool to room temperature.
Whip remaining 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff peak forms.
Fold into baking chip mixture.
Spread over ice cream in crust.
Freeze

I have never made this before but found the recipe on the back of the Andes' creme de menthe baking chips. I love Andes' mints so thought this would be a sure winner. I love to try new recipes. I like this.

Day 32

What's on the menu:

Ham salad sandwiches
Lima bean soup

Ham salad

The ham was left over from yesterday's menu. I sliced all the ham off the bone and placed in my food processor and chopped.

Put the chopped ham in a bowl and add sweet salad cubes, pepper, mayonnaise and a little sour cream. Stir all ingredients together.

Lima bean soup

The lima beans were left from yesterday's menu also.
2/3 cup diced onion
3 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
3 cups lima beans
4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

In a large pot cook onion in butter and oil on medium heat about 10 minutes.
Add the carrot and celery and cook another 5 minutes
Add lima beans to pot
Pour in chicken broth
Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes

Then puree with hand blender and add salt and pepper.

My children are all delivered back to the airport so they could return to their homes in FL. So tonight I had to make use of yesterday's leftovers.

Day 31

What's on the menu:

Ham
Lima beans
Macaroni salad
Pineapple casserole
Yeast rolls

Ham
I bought half of a ham and scored the top with a knife going one way, turn it and score it the other way. In each block that I scored I place a whole clove and push down into skin.

I sprinkled a little brown sugar on top of ham and drizzled a little pancake syrup over the brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 3-4 hours depending on size of ham. If top of ham gets too brown for my liking I'll cover it with Reynold wrap and continue to bake.

Lima beans

Soak beans overnight in water or for several hours before cooking. Drain that water off and add new water and two strips of bacon and a little chicken broth.

Add salt and pepper about half way through. Cook until done. It took mine about two hours.

Macaroni salad

Cook macaroni ( small size) until done, drain and cool. In a bowl with macaroni, add a medium size jar of pimentos (drained), pickle cut into small pieces (I use my own pickle that I made), block cheese cut into small pieces, pepper, a little sprinkle of sugar and mayonnaise. I used about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to a small box of macaroni.

Stir together completely.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

My mom has been making this as long as I can remember.

Pineapple casserole

Pour 2 cans pineapple tidbits-15 oz. (drained) into dish
1 cup sugar (Mix juice and sugar)
Pour over top of pineapple.

Grate cheese (cheddar) and sprinkle over top of pineapple mixture.
Sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers on top of cheese.

Pour a little melted margarine (I use butter) on top of crackers.

Bake at 365 degrees about 35 minutes.

I first had this dish at my mother-in-law's many years ago. This is a very complimentary dish to serve with ham.

Yeast rolls

I use Mrs. Schubert's yeast rolls found in frozen food section. They are so good. Directions on package. I like to make homemade yeast rolls but it makes too many for us now.

Day 30

What's on the menu:

Lasagna
Veggie tray with dip of choice
Garlic bread
Oatmeal whoopie pies

Lasagna
1 lb. sausage
1 lb. hamburger
1 clove garlic (can use garlic salt)
1 TB whole basil
1 -1/2 tsp salt
1 can whole tomatoes (2 cups) I use my home canned tomatoes
2- 6oz cans tomato paste

Brown meat slowly, drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 1/2 hour; stirring often.

Cook 10 oz.package of lasagna noodles in large amount of salted boiling water about 15-20 minutes. Drain.

Cheese filling
3 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 TB parsley flakes
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese

Mix first six ingredients. Place half of the noodles in a 13 x 9 x2 pan. Spread cheese filling on them. Cover with half the mozzarella cheese. Then put meat sauce. Repeat layers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

I make two pans out of this as it makes a large amount. I freeze one dish uncooked. When I am ready to cook the frozen dish, I just take it right out of freezer and put right in oven and cook.

This recipe was given to me by a fella teacher Mrs. Mercer. She and I are both retired now.

Oatmeal whoopie pies
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine ( I use butter)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp soda in 3 TB boiling water

Cream together sugar, margarine, and eggs. Add salt, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add soda and water last. ( very important)
Drop small amounts of dough onto pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or lightly brown.

Filling
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
4 TB flour
2 TB milk
1-1/2 cups vegetable shortening
1 lb. 10x sugar

Beat egg whites stiff. Add vanilla, flour and milk. Beat well and add shortening and sugar. The more you beat, the fluffier it gets.
Spread between two cookies.

I got this recipe from an Amish cookbook. These cookies are a big hit wherever I take them.
They are a little time consuming to make but well worth it.

My daughter Tammy just flew in from Fl. and these are her favorite.

Day 29

What's on the menu:

Fried chicken tenders
Creamed cauliflower
Home grown field peas

Fried chicken tenders
Soak tenders in buttermilk for a few hours. Dip from buttermilk into House Autry chicken breader. Drop in a deep fryer at the temperature of 340 degrees and cook until golden brown.

I make my honey mustard sauce to dip tenders in. I use 2 to 1 of mustard to honey. Stir together.

Creamed cauliflower
Cut cauliflower into small clusters and boil in water with salt and a little butter until done. Drain well. I add about 1 TB butter to drained cauliflower and mix with my electric mixture until creamy like mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Home grown field peas
These are the little peas I mentioned before in an earlier blog. My son Jamie is home for a few days from FL. and he use to love these peas when he lived at home. It has been years since he's had any so he was very pleased to have an old favorite.

I cook the peas with water and a little liquid chicken broth and one pack of the powdered chicken broth and a TB of butter buds. I boil for one hour and add salt and pepper about half way through.

Day 28

What's on the menu:

T-bone steaks on the grill
Twice baked potato
Tossed salad
Garlic butter texas toast
Blueberry crumb cake

T-bone steaks
I placed steaks in a gallon zip lock bag and marinade with A-1 classic marinade for several hours. Cook on grill until they are to your liking.

Twice baked potato
Cook baked potatoes in microwave until done. Slice the potatoes in half length wise.

Scoop out potato and leave the shell. Mash the potatoes in a bowl with a little butter and a little sour cream. Add Hidden Valley Ranch (in the package) until it's the desired taste you like. Then add salt, pepper and some parmesan cheese and a little milk. Scoop the potato mixture back into the peeling halves and top with some shredded cheddar cheese.

Place the potatoes on a sheet pan and cook under broil until cheese is melted.

Tossed salad ( however you generally make it)

Garlic butter texas toast

Spread butter at room temperature over each slice and top with a little California style garlic salt.

Broil until golden brown.

Blueberry crumb cake

This is Barefoot Contessa's recipe and can be found on her sight. My son Jamie came in last night and I made it this morning. He fell in love with it.

For the streusel:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 stick butter (melted)
1 -1/3 cup all purpose flour

For the cake:
6 TB butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra large eggs (I use large as it's what I buy)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour1
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

For the streusel:
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and the flour. Mix well and set aside

For the cake:
Cream the butter and sugar with electric mixer for 4-6 minutes on high until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, lemon zest, sour cream. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan ( 9 inch round cake) and spread. Crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Day 27

What's on the menu:

Pot of homemade chili
Side salad
Saltine crackers

Chili

3 lb. ground chuck
1 medium onion
1 quart of home canned tomatoes ( or store bought)
1 27 oz can of Bush's chili beans
1-15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 pkg. McCormick Chili seasoning mix (hot)
1 heaping TB of chow chow (homemade relish)-optional
Chili powder
Texas pete
Salt & pepper

Brown hamburger and onion together and drain. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and chow chow. Add chili powder, Texas pete, salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for four to five hours in sauce pan or slow cooker.

I serve chili with shredded cheese on top and a dollop of sour cream and a plate of saltine crackers along with a side salad.

I freeze the extra chili.

Day 26

What's on the menu:

Polska Kielbasa and steamed cabbage
Homemade applesauce
Cornbread muffins

In my electric frying pan I fry two strips of bacon until crisp and done. I chop my cabbage into small pieces and add to bacon drippings. I go ahead and season with salt, pepper and a little sugar as it does not take long for cabbage to steam. On top of cabbage I add the polska kielbasa (Hillshire Farm) that has been cut into one inch pieces and add 1/4 cup water. Put the top on the electric frying pan and let cook about 35 minutes or until cabbage is steamed to the consistency you like.

Applesauce

Peel and slice apples into a large pot
Add enough water to about half the level of the apples

Cook and stir until apples start cooking some. Then add top to pot and turn heat to medium and even lower as it starts to thicken. Do not walk away and leave your pot as it may scorch or burn. Continue to stir every few minutes.

When apples are all cooked apart add a little sugar at a time until the taste is to your liking. You do not have to add sugar but I do like some sugar to mine. When the applesauce is done, I add just a small piece of butter.

Dip into hot jars and seal.

Cornbread muffins
I use the Jiffy box kind and the directions are on the back of box.

Day 25

What's on the menu:

Whole baked chicken on the grill
7 layer salad
Noodles with butter and garlic
Sweet potato rounds

Whole baked chicken on the grill
I sprinkle seasoned salt in the cavity and over the whole outside of a chicken. I then put on the top rack of my commercial grill. I have four burners but I only use two. I do not put the chicken right on the lower racks; I put them on the upper rack where you would put buns, etc. I bake for 1 -1/2 hours on one side and then I go back and turn it over and bake another 1-1/2 hours on the other side. I do not lift the lid until time to turn it over.

My sister-in-law Becky gave me this idea. The chicken is so tender and juicy and golden brown.

7 layer salad

2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 large red onion, sliced
1 (8-1/2 oz) can of LeSueur peas, drained
1 grated carrot
1/2 diced celery
1 green pepper, thinly sliced

Topping:

2 cups mayonnaise
2 TB sugar

Arrange ingredients in bowl as listed above. Mix mayonnaise with sugar and mix well. Cover vegetables with mayonnaise mixture. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 pound, crumbled, crisp bacon.

This recipe came from my children's school cookbook.

Noodles

I boiled egg noodles until done and then drained. Then I added a little butter and some parmesan cheese.

Sweet potato rounds

I boiled my sweet potatoes until done; cool and peel . I slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds and arrange in a single layer in dish. I sprinkle a little brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon over each round. Drizzle melted butter over each round and let some fall into bottom of pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until the sugar and butter caramelize just a little around the potatoes.

Day 24

What's on the menu:

I will be gone out of town for the next five days so there will be nothing on the menu. Someone else will be cooking for me.

Day 23

What's on the menu:

Grilled salmon steaks
Sweet potato fries
Carrot salad

Salmon Steaks
I used a salmon and seafood spice rub (bought at Williams-Sonoma) on my salmon steaks and let set about twenty minutes before I cooked them on the grill.

My daughter -in-law Kristi cooked this for me when I was at her house the last time.

Sweet potato fries
I took one extra large sweet potato and sprinkled with a little cinnamon, paprika and olive oil. I then placed them on a sheet pan lined with reynolds wrap and sprayed with Pam. Before I put them in the over, I sprinkled a little salt and brown sugar on them. Bake at 400 about 45 minutes until done and brown.

This is sweet potato season here in our area right now. The sweet potatoes were right out of the ground as of yesterday.

Carrot salad
3 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup miniature marshmallows (optional)
2 TB mayonnaise (more if needed) Stir all together and put in serving bowl.

Day 22

What's on the menu:

Roast beef on toast

1 round top roast
1 box Lipton onion mushroom soup

Salt and pepper the roast and place in a slow cooker. Empty envelope of onion mushroom soup into a bowl, add 3 TB flour and 1 cup of water and stir together. I use both envelopes so I double the flour and water. Pour this over the roast.

Turn the slow cooker on to 8 hours. I stir at the end with a big spoon and the meat comes all to pieces.

I serve this over toast.

Day 21

What's on the menu:

Nothing is on the menu tonight. My husband's hunt club had a big shrimp cook out at their club house this afternoon.

Day 20

What's on the menu:

Philly cheese steak sandwiches
Apple crumb pie

Philly cheese steak sandwich

1 box of The Philly Steak (all beef sandwich steaks)
1 medium onion(chopped)
1 medium green pepper (cut in long thin strips)
shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg. hoagie buns

I basically go by recipe on back of box. I spray my skillet pan and drizzle with a little oil.

Cook onions and green peppers and keep flipping with a spatula until done and brown to your liking. Remove onions and peppers from skillet.

Place as many steaks as you like on skillet and keep turning and chopping with spatula until done. When the steaks are done, add the peppers and onions and stir.

Add the shredded cheese on top of steak mixture and turn off heat. With the spatula mix cheese into the steak mixture.

Scoop steak mixture onto steamed hoagie bun.

Apple crumb pie

1 unbaked pie shell
5 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter

Prepare apples; mix sugar and cinnamon and mix with apples. Arrange in pie shell. Mix together sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until done.

I got this recipe from one of my church's cookbooks. You find some of the best recipes in church or club cookbooks.

I went to my Aunt Alice's house today and picked the apples. She used to have the best apple orchard around and took such care of her trees. Due to her health and age, the apple orchard is slowly dying out from neglect.

Day 19

What's on the menu:

Stuffed green peppers
Grilled pineapple slices
Italian bread

Stuffed green peppers

6 large green peppers
2 lbs. of ground chuck
1 medium onion chopped
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
1/2 can of tomato soup
2 cups of cooked rice
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

1 small jar of Tostitos salsa con queso (made with real cheese). You can find this in the chip section.

Cut tops off peppers and clean out insides. Set aside.

Cook hamburger in frying pan with chopped onion until done. Drain and pour into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Spoon the hamburger mixture into green peppers. Place peppers into dish and cover.

Bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Take peppers out of oven, take off top and spoon the cheese salsa onto top of cook peppers. Place top back on peppers for a few minutes. The heat and steam will melt the cheese and it will go down into mixture.

Grilled pineapple slices

1 can of pineapple slices(drained and reserve juice)

I place my pineapple slices on a grill pan sprayed with Pam or on the grill outside. I am not cooking outside tonight so doing them inside. Grill the pineapple on each side until golden brown. Place on dish.

You can also use fresh pineapple slices.

To the drained juice; I add 3 TB sugar and 1 tsp. of corn starch. Cook in a small sauce pan and stir until just thickened a little. Pour over the pineapple slices.

You do not have to make the sauce. I hated to throw away the juice so I came up with this sauce.

Toasted garlic bread with butter.

Day 18

What's on the menu:

Shrimp Creole
Rice
Side platter of cheese wedges ( your choice)

3/4 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium size green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 TB butter
2 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

I have an herb garden of my own but you may substitute with the dry kind if you do not have fresh herbs available.

Saute garlic, onion, green pepper and celery in butter for five minutes or until tender. Add tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper; stir well. Simmer ten minutes over low heat. Add additional water if necessary.

I like to kick mine up a notch and add just a little bit more of hot seasoning.

Add shrimp to skillet; bring to boil. Cover and cook over medium heat five minutes.

Serve over a bed of rice ( of your choice)

I got this recipe from my niece Stacey's girl scout troop recipe book. She was a young girl of about thirteen and now she's a grown woman and married.

I'd have to say this old recipe book is one of my favorites.

Day 17

What's on the menu:

Ham slice
Home grown field peas
Baked tomatoes

Ham slice

1 Smithfield smoked center cut ham slice

These ham slices home individually wrapped. I place ham slice into a frying pan with 1/4 cup water and cover with lid.

The ham slices need to boil about 15 minutes on each side on medium high heat. I let all the water cook out and then slowly brown the ham slice on each side. The pan will have brown places on the bottom of pan. To the bottom of the pan I add about 4 TB of water and just let the water heat up and turn dark brown.

I drizzle the liquid over the cooked ham slices.

Home grown field peas

These peas are very hard to find the seeds to but we have been planting these peas in our family garden for over three generations. I just love these little tiny field peas. Some of my family members like the crowder peas or the purple hull but I only like these. They peas are very hard to shell but well worth it.

I put a quart bags of my field peas into pan with water and add 2 slices of bacon. Cover and cook the peas about an hour and fifteen minutes. About 15 minutes before peas are done; add 1 TB butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Baked tomatoes

This is an old recipe I've been use to all my life.
1 quart jar of home canned tomatoes ( you may use store bought)
1/4 cup sugar
4 slices of white loaf bread
salt and pepper to taste
5 little pieces of butter on top

I pour tomatoes into sprayed baking dish. Then I add all the next three ingredients and stir right in the baking dish. On top of this I add the butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until firm.

Tonight's menu is a very plain menu but a typical meal growing up on the farm. Some days I just have to have one of these meals.

Day 16

What's on the menu:

Barbeque ribs
Baked beans
Texas toast

Barbeque ribs

I cut my slab of baby back ribs into smaller pieces; about six. In a baking pan, cover the bottom of pan with reynolds wrap going both ways.

I then put the rib pieces inside the reynolds wrap; sprinkle with a little seasoning salt on top of each piece and wrap tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for two hours. This makes the meat so tender and almost fall off the bone.
My sister-in-law Becky shared this idea with me.

I use JohnBoy & Billy's Grillin Sauce (original or hot). You can find this at Food Lion or Bass Pro. I pour my sauce in a bowl and take the ribs and coat in the sauce.

I grill my ribs on grill until dark grill marks on both sides. It depends on how hot your grill is but it usually take about twenty minutes per side. I dip in sauce whenever I turn the ribs.

Baked beans

1 can 20 oz. Bush's home style bake beans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 medium green pepper
1/4 cup Real bacon bits

Stir all ingredients together and bake at 350 for about an hour.
My sister-in-law Becky also shared this recipe with me.

Texas toast

I like Texas toast with anything grilled. I put butter on it and grill on grill or in oven on low broil.

Day 15

What's on the menu:

Chicken pot pie casserole
Butterbeans
Dumplings
Homemade banana ice cream

Chicken pot pie casserole

Boil chicken in a pot with about 2 quarts of water; save broth.

Debone chicken and put into a casserole dish that has been sprayed.

Mix together:
2 cups broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Bring to a boil and pour over chicken already pulled off bone and in dish

Topping:
1 stick melted butter
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup buttermilk

Bake at 425 degrees for about thirty minutes or until topping crust is brown.
This recipe was shared with me by a co-worker of mine over twenty years ago. Her name was Mrs. Mercer. She was a great cook so I loved for her to share recipes with me.

Butterbeans

These butterbeans were home grown and frozen from our garden. I put them in a medium sauce pan with water and chicken broth. To this I added 1 envelope of dry chicken broth and about 2 TBs of butter buds.

I cook them on medium heat for about an hour. This method was shared with me by my friend Beth.

Dumplings

I used Anne's dumplings that you can find in the frozen food section in your grocery store. The directions are on back of the package.

I would rather have homemade dumplings but today just was not a day I wanted to make them.

Anne's dumplings suited me just fine today.

Homemade banana ice cream

I make my custard and cook in a double boiler about ten minutes or until custard is very hot and eggs are done.

Custard:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 1/2 cups of regular milk

When custard is done; remove from heat and allow to totally cool. Then I mash with a fork two bananas and add to the custard.

I have a Cuisinart ice cream freezer with the tubs that stay in the freezer at all times. I take out the tub from the freezer when time to make the ice cream and pour the custard in the tub. Then I just turn the freezer on and it does all the work for you.

When I was growing up there were five of us children. We loved to eat homemade ice cream but did not like it when it was our turn to crank that handle on the old freezer.

Day 14

What's on the menu:

Rib eye steak
Tossed salad
Baked potato

Rib eye steak
I marinate my steaks in a gallon zip lock bag with A-1 classic marinade for three hours. I cook them outside on my grill until they are done to our liking.

Tossed salad
I wash my green leaf lettuce and put it in my spinner to get off the excess water. I break the lettuce into bite size pieces and put it in individual salad bowls.

On top of lettuce, I add carrots, broccoli florets, cucumbers, cheese, and bacon bits.

Serve with your choice of salad dressing.

Baked potato
Wash potatoes and punch two holes in top of each potato. Place in microwave and bake as directed on microwave until done. Wrap potatoes in Reynolds wrap until ready to serve.

Serve whatever you like on your potato.

Day 13

What's on the menu:

Chicken tenders
Pasta salad
Corn on the cob

Chicken tenders

I use boneless chicken breast and cut into three pieces. I soak the tenders in buttermilk for two hours.

I cook my chicken tenders in a deep fryer; I find they are much tender.

I drain the tenders out of the buttermilk; salt and pepper them and then batter with House-Autry chicken breader and drop into hot grease. When they are done, drain in the deep fryer basket.

I server the tenders with a honey mustard sauce. I just mix in a small measuring cup the same measurement of both mustard and honey. If I use 3 Tbs. of mustard, I use 3 TBs of honey.

Pasta salad

I cook in salted boiling water one 12 oz. box of Muellers bowties until done.

Drain and put in a medium size bowl.

Add to bowl of bowties
1 small jar of pimentos (drained)
1 cucumber
1 can of red kidney beans (drained and washed)
Some pepperoni slices
1 small jar of Italian dressing

Mix all together and place in refrigerator to cool.

Corn on the cob

I drop about 4 ears of shucked and silked fresh corn into a pot of salted boiling water with 1 TB of butter.

Boil about 7-8 minutes.

Drain and serve with butter.

Day 12

What's on the menu:

Grilled shrimp kabobs
Fruit salad
Vegetable tray with dip of choice

Grilled shrimp kabobs

I peel one pound of shrimp. I marinade the shrimp in a gallon zip bag along with 1/8 cup of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1 tsp. California style garlic salt.

Seal the bag and let set in the marinade for a couple of hours.

I drain the marinade off and put about nine shrimp on each skewer.

I cook the shrimp kabobs on the grill until pink and a few grill marks, then I turn skewer over and do the same on the other side.

Fruit salad

1 red delicious apple
2 bananas
about a dozen or more maraschino cherries cut in half
a few raisins
a few pecan halves

I cut the apples and bananas in bite size pieces in a bowl; add cherries, raisins and pecans.

Add 2 TB mayonnaise; just enough to coat the fruit.

Serve the fruit salad on a bed of green leaf lettuce.

Vegetable tray

I put cucumber slices, petite carrots and broccoli florets on my tray with ranch dip.

Day 11

What's on the menu:

Hamburgers and Hot dogs
Homemade slaw
Homemade chili
Chips and dill pickles

I use ground chuck for my hamburgers and JesseJones hot dogs.

I salt and pepper my hamburger patties and cook on the grill. I put the hot dogs on the grill when the hamburgers are almost done.

I place the cooked hamburgers and hot dogs into their proper buns and put back into their bun bags and they will steam themselves.

Homemade slaw I made last night on Day 10.

Homemade chili I picked up at the local hamburger and hot dog joint here in our town called Second Street Lunch that the locals love. I don't need to cook it unless I have to when they cook it much better.

I have to have Ruffle potato chips and dill pickles to finish off my meal.

Day 10

What's on the menu:

Fried flounder fillets
Homemade slaw
Hush puppies

My husband goes to Chesapeake Bay fishing for flounder several times a year. He cleans and fillets them when he gets home, and then I freeze them.

Fried flounder fillets

I soak the fillets in buttermilk for several hours before cooking. I drain off buttermilk, season the fillets with salt, pepper and bay seasoning. I dredge the fillets in House-Autry seafood breader and then drop them into a large frying pan of hot grease.

Do not drown the fish in grease. I usually fill the pan about 1/8 full.

Fry the fillets until golden brown and drain.

Homemade slaw

I cut a cabbage into quarters, cut out the core and wash. Then I grate or use food processor to cut up cabbage. Pour grated cabbage into a bowl.

Into bowl with grated cabbage ( I use two quarters); add 1 TB regular mustard, about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I use Dukes), 1 TB sour cream. Stir all this together. Then add salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste.

Hush puppies

I use House-Autry hush puppy mix in a bag. Directions are on the bag. I just add water.

I like to mix up the hush puppy batter before I start frying my fish. I fry the hush puppies in a separate pan when the fish fillets are almost ready to come up. Drain.

Day 9

What's on the menu:
French’s Crunchy Onion Chicken
Fried Okra
Macaroni and cheese

French’s Crunchy Onion Chicken
1 -1/3 cups of French’s original French Fried Onions
1 egg
4 boneless chicken breasts

Finely crush the French fried onions (I do this in a zip lock bag). Beat eggs and dip chicken breast into eggs and then into French fried onions. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Okra
I cut into small pieces, add salt and pepper and coat with House of Autry Chicken Breader. Fry until nicely golden brown but not too brown.

Macaroni and Cheese
Boil 1 small box of macaroni until done; drain.

Into bowl with drained macaroni, add 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 TB butter, ½ cup sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir all together and pour into buttered dish. If too thick for your liking, just add a little milk. Sprinkle another cup of shredded cheese on top. Bake at 375 until cheese is all melted.

Day 8

What's on the menu:
Meat loaf wrapped in crescent rolls
Turnip Salad or turnip greens
Deviled Eggs
Blueberry Pie

You will notice I leave out side dishes and breads a lot now since we are older and my husband had his minor heart attack. All those homemade biscuits and yeast rolls and the side dishes had to go.

The meat loaf recipe I got out of an old Campbell Soup recipe book.

Meat Loaf
In a bowl, thoroughly mix together 1 -½ lbs. of ground beef, ½ cup of chopped onion, half can of tomato soup, ½ cup of fine dry bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 tsp. regular mustard, 1 tsp of Worcestershire.

Shape into a loaf and bake in pan at 350 for 1 hour. Remove and drain and place on baking sheet. Add crescent rolls by separating into triangles. Start at one end of loaf and overlap on top of each other and let end come down side. The loaf will be completely covered.

Bake at 375 for 15minutes or until rolls are golden brown. This is so pretty and the meatloaf is very good.

Sauce for meatloaf (I don't use this sauce recipe, but it's in the book): In a small saucepan, add the other half of tomato soup, ½ cup of milk, 1 tsp. honey, ½ tsp of dried thyme leaves, and 1 TB of peanut butter. Heat and stir until boils and serve over meat loaf, if you desire.

Turnip salad or turnip greens
I cook turnip salad (some people say turnip greens) in the fall of the year when they are freshly grown here. Cook in a large stock pot with ham hocks and seasonings. I freeze for the rest of the year. If the turnip salad is fresh, it will cook in about an hour and a half.

Deviled Eggs
Boil eggs in water with a teaspoon or so of salt for about 15 minutes (the salt prevents the shells from cracking). Drain and cool until ready to crack and peel.

Cut eggs in half and take out the yolks and put in separate bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork.

I add mustard and mayonnaise according to how many eggs I cook. (3 eggs/6 halves-1/2 tsp mustard, 1 TB mayonnaise)

Add salt and pepper to taste and stir all together.

Then I put mixture back into cooked egg halves. Sprinkle tops with pepper or paprika.

Blueberry Pie (old recipe from my neighbor who is 90)
3 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 heaping TB cornstarch
½ cup water
1 TB fresh lemon juice

Put all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, and cook on medium high. Turn it down to medium low as it gets thicker.

Pour into pie crust. Add top crust. I use Pillsbury already made pie crust. Just roll it out.

I cut long strips and make a lattice. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Day 7

What's on the menu:
Pot of homemade soup

I make a big pot and freeze extra, and I also share with neighbors or someone sick.

In a large stock pot, I cook my hen or chicken for one hour and then debone. I put deboned chicken back in pot and add a quart of my garden frozen butter beans.

After these have cooked about thirty minutes I add potatoes (about six) cut in small pieces and my onion chopped. Then, I cook this another thirty minutes.

Then I add about four carrots cut up and about two celery stalks chopped and continue to cook another thirty minutes.

I then add a pint of my garden frozen corn. I continue to cook about another fifteen minutes and add a quart of my garden canned tomatoes and a medium can of tomato sauce.

Now is the time to add all the seasonings; which is salt, pepper and a little sugar. This can be thick like our Southern stews or thin like soup, whichever you prefer. You add more water to make it soupy.

I serve this with crackers of our choice.

Day 6

What's on the menu:
I did not cook tonight. Ordered out. I painted twelve hours today.

Day 5

What's on the menu:
Baked chicken
Rice (of your choice)
Corn Pudding

Place chicken pieces in a covered dish, sprinkle with Seasoned Salt and quarter a medium size onion and place all around in the dish.

Cover and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

Cook rice. The juice from chicken can be drizzled over rice.

Corn Pudding
2 cups corn (frozen from the garden; can use canned corn if you have to)
2 eggs
½ sugar
1 -1/2 cups milk
½ tsp. salt
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TB flour

Combine all the ingredients and bake at 375 for about an hour.

Day 4

What's on the menu:
Homemade spaghetti
Side veggie tray with dip of your choice
Brownie cupcakes

In a large sauce pan, add 3 TB olive oil, 1 onion chopped, 1 medium green pepper chopped.

Stir and cook about 3-5 min., add garlic (2 cloves or 2 TB) and continue to cook and stir.

Add 2 lb. of ground chuck, 1 lb. of Italian sausage. Cook until done. Drain.

Put back into same pot and add 1 can tomato paste, 1 large can tomato sauce, 2 cups home canned tomatoes (optional; use store bought if you have to) and about 2 cups water.

For season, I add 1 TB garlic salt, salt and pepper, 1 TB Italian seasoning, 2 TB Chow Chow (optional-this is homemade relish).

Simmer for about an hour. Cook spaghetti and drain and add as much sauce as you like.

I freeze half of my sauce for another time. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Brownie Cupcakes
I got this idea from Paula Dean so you can find it on her Web site.

Mix brownie mix as shown on box. Put cupcake liners in your pan.

Pour brownie mix into the liners, filling the liners half-way.
Add Reese's Peanut Butter morsels on top.
Add rest of brownie mix to ¾ way up to top of liners.
Cook as directed on box.

When you take the pan out of oven, add a few more peanut butter morsels on top right in the middle of cupcake.

Day 3

What's on the menu:
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Small side dish of cheese wedges or sticks (your choice; select your favorite; mine is cheddar)

I use Barefoot Contessa’s recipe that can be found on her site except I changed it a little.

Melt ½ stick of butter in a large sauce pan.
Add 1 medium chopped onion and 1 stalk of celery chopped. Saute these for about two minutes. Add 2 TB flour and stir for about a minute (this is a rue)
Add 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth
Add 2 cups cut up cooked chicken
Add 2 –3 medium potatoes cut up thin
Add 1 cup carrots chopped
Add 1 small can of Leseur garden peas (Barefoot Contessa uses frozen peas)
Add ½ cup of half and half

Add fresh parsley from garden to taste; and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer about 15 min. until potatoes are fork tender.

Serve up the ingredients into your dish of choice. I use large soup bowls sprayed with Pam.

Roll out Puff Pastry and lay on top of bowls and let dough fall down side of bowl about 1 inch. Brush top of dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake about 30 minutes at 375 or until pastry is puffed and brown.

Day 2

What's on the menu:
Beef Stroganoff
Platter of sliced homegrown tomatoes
Pan baked apples

Beef Stroganoff recipe came from my Aunt Mable’s church cookbook.

2 lb. round steak, cut in ½ x 2 in strips
6 TBs butter
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup flour
1- ½ tsp salt
½ cup water
1 -4oz. can of mushrooms, drained
1 12 oz pk. of egg noodles
½ cup of onions chopped

Dredge steak in flour, brown with onions in butter. Add seasonings and water. Cover and simmer 45-60 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add soup and mushrooms. Simmer for 30 more min.

Just before serving stir in sour cream.

Serve over cooked noodles.

Tomatoes come from our country garden. Just slice and salt and pepper to taste.

Apples come from my Aunt Alice’s trees. I use an 8” skillet sprayed with Pam and I put about ¼ stick of butter in bottom of pan. I peel and slice apples until pan is full. Put top on and cook on med. low heat about 20 min. until apples are done. About 5 min. before done, add sugar to taste.

Day 1

What's on the menu:
Baked picnic shoulder
Home grown butterbeans
Potato Salad
3 layer coconut cake with strawberry jam between layers

I bake my picnic ham in a roaster pan wrapped in Reynolds wrap with about a cup of water. I put the top on the roaster and back the ham 350 degrees for 30 min. per lb.

Butterbeans are grown in our country garden, and I cook them with liquid chicken broth and water and also a pack of dry chicken broth and some butter buds for about an hour and 15 min.

Potato salad is made with our red potatoes from our country garden. I leave the peelings on and cut them in 8ths. Boil until done and drain. I add boiled eggs chopped, dill pickle chopped. I cut an onion in 4ths and just put it in there for flavor as I don’t like biting on a jiblet of raw onion. Then, I add 1 TB of regular mustard, and about ¾ cup mayonnaise (I use Duke’s) and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe for cake I took from an old magazine over 15 years ago. It’s a Baker’s coconut ad recipe.

I box of white or yellow cake mix
1 package of (4 oz. serving size) Jello Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling (I use coconut cream instead of vanilla.)
1 -1/3 cup of water
4 eggs
¼ cup oil
1- 1/3 cups of coconut
1 cup of strawberry jam

Frosting:
3 ½ cups Cool Whip
2 cups Bakers Angle Flake coconut

Combine cake mix, pudding, water, eggs, and oil. Beat at medium for 4 min. Stir in 1 -1/3 cups coconut.

Pour into 3 cake pans and bake at 350 for 50 min. or until done. Cool.

Mix cool whip and coconut and spread half of strawberry jam and part of cool whip mixture between each layer. Finish icing cake and sprinkle top and sides of cake with angle flake coconut.

Refrigerate.