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.