Crawfish Gravy

I found this recipe on the back of a package of crawfish, but have never seen it since. I made it once, but didn't keep the recipe on the package, & now the recipe has never been on the package since then. I've done many searches & haven't found the exact recipe. But I think I've come close.

Crawfish gravy
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloved garlic, minced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 stick of butter
2 tomatoes, minced *or* 1 can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 lb. cooked crawfish
garlic salt
seasoned salt
1 T. Old Bay Seasoning (or more to taste)
pepper
1 T. lemon juice
few shakes of tobasco

Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, & celery. Add tomatoes & continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add crawfish, & seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer for 1 hour. I play around with the seasonings. I think you can pretty much add what you like. Most recipes call for this to be served over rice or potatoes. None of us really like rice here, so we eat this on mashed potatoes. It is SO good.

Roll basket

Here's my Chicken Roll basket cover. (or maybe rooster)I got it at a garage sale probably about 20 years ago. It has a wicker basket, the chicken (or rooster) cover, & a lining for the inside. I have always thought it was so cute!
You lift the wings to reach in a get a roll or biscuit.

I always get my chicken basket out when we have biscuits & gravy.

Banana Bread

This morning I ate warm banana bread slathered in butter.
mmmm.....
This picture is from some I made this summer.

This recipe is pretty basic & is the recipe we got in jr. high home ec. class. (lol)

Banana Bread
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 c. shortning
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. mashed bananas (a just use 3 or 4 bananas, I never measure)
1/2 - 1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

Grease & flour 2 bread pans. Mix flour, soda, & baking powder & set aside. Cream shortning & sugar, add eggs & blend well. Add flour with bananas alternatly, beating well after each addition. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pans & let set for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. I usually put foil losely over the pans & then remove it during the last 15 minutes.

I also use this recipe to make mini muffins. I like to make a bunch at a time & then have a dozen or so in freezer bags. Makes it pretty easy to just defrost & serve. Especially for the younins'. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Pizza Burgers

I need to clarify that this is not pizza on a bun. (although that's good too)

I call this the 70's style pizza burger. Where I grew up in the Midwest, this was served in school cafeterias. Most kids loved it when we had pizza burgers. Other days we were afraid of the food! LOL A few years ago I was going through my Taste of Home magazine & I found this recipe. And the description was the same.....they refered to it as a "70's food item" ! LOL!

Also....I burn the cheese on top on purpose. Although it doesn't look so good in a picture, it is tasty! Nothin' like burnt American processed cheese squares! ROTFLOL (or as the Kraft package states: "pasteurized prepared cheese product" )

Broiled Pizza Burgers

1 pound ground beef

2 T. chopped onion

2 t. cornstarch

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 t. oregano

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. onion salt

10 sliced process American cheese, divided

6 hamburger buns, split

In Skillet, cook beef & onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with cornstarch; stir until blended. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt & onion salt. Cook, uncovered , for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, Add 6 cheese slices; cook & stir until cheese is melted & blended. Place hamburger buns cut side up on an foil lined baking pan (for easy clean up) spoon about 1/4 cup of meat mixture onto each bun half. Cut remaining cheese slices in half diagonally; place over meat mixture. Broil 6-8 inches from heat for 4 minutes until cheese is melted(or a little longer if you want your cheese to burn).

This recipe actually calls for 4 hamburger buns, but I easily use 6. You may need to use 1 more cheese slice when using 6 buns instead of 4. Also, when I made this tonight (altho the picture is from this summer!) I used Velveeta in the meat mixture instead of the cheese slices, but used the cheese slices on top. Oh! I almost forgot! I never use plain canned diced tomatoes & then add oregano. I buy the chopped tomatoes that have oregano & garlic already in them.

And~ the fries in the picture, they are fries that I get at WalMart for 50 cents a bag!

I deep fry them in canola oil & we think they taste like McDonald's fries!

Smothered Chicken over noodles

This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes... and, one of my favorite chicken recipes.

Smothered Chicken over noodles
2 or 3 lbs. bonesless, skinless chicken
12 oz fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can French onion soup
celery, chopped (optional)

Cut the chicken into stew size chunks. Add the chicken along with ther rest of the ingredients to a crockpot & cook on low for 6-8 hours. (mine is usually done in 6) When it is finished, I usually add a few T. of corn starch to a cup of cold water & stir it in to thicken it a little.
Then cook noodles using directions on package. I usually use "no-yolks" brand, but the brand in the green bag is good to. (can't remember the name) After draining the noodles, add to the crock pot & serve.
Here it is served with homemade Texas Toast, tomato & cucumber slices, & freezer corn.

*The origionl recipe I got for this said to saute the chicken then add rest of ingredients to the pot & simmer 1 hour, or cook all day in the crock pot. Can serve over rice, noodles, or potatoes.

I used to server it over baked potatoes, which is really good, but once I fixed it with noodles, that's how I always fix it. But this gives you some variety. :)

Coffee Mint Ice Cream

COFFEE MINT ICE CREAM!
I found this recipe here. This site called it Cafe Mint Ice Cream. I was actually thinking of making mint chocolate chip, which is one of my all time favorites. But when I stumbled onto this....I just had to make it.
It was delicious. Yes it was. :)
The only problem I am running into is the size of my ice cream freezer. It is HUGE. It's very old....& it makes a GALLON AND A HALF of ice cream! Most of the recipes I find are for today's ice cream makers. These recipes are for 1 or 2 quarts. Mine holds 6 times that much! LOL
So I experimented with this recipe & doubled it. It is ok to not fill my ice cream maker to the top.....lol....although my dad may have seen that as a sin. :)

Coffee Mint Ice Cream
4 c. half & half
1 1/2 T. instant coffee crystals
1 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 t. mint extract (the recipe called for 2 t. ....but 1 was plenty & I knew that 2 would be too much)
In a double boiler, scald the cream with the coffee crystals. Beat the sugar together with the eggs. Slowly add to the cream. Cook until think. Stir in the mint extract & cool. Chill and then make according to your ice cream freezer directions. Makes 5 cups.

1st, I halved the mint. And I LOVE mint. It was plenty minty with just 1 t. (well, 2 t. , because I did double this recipe).
2nd, I didn't use a double boiler, because mine was not big enough for the doubled recipe. I just used a heavy pan and stirred the whole time.
3rd, I cooked it a long time, even brought it to a boil, & it never really got thick. Not thick like my other ice cream recipes get thick. But it wasn't a problem, it still turned out.
4th, 5 cups? Who can make just 5 cups of ice cream????? LOL!


It was also pretty good when I added a cookie I'd found that I had hidden away....

Frappuccino

Dd & I love this Frappccino that you can get in the grocery store. (no Starbucks near us)


They have gotten really expensive. I saved a few jars & just make it myself now & then.
I usually pour the jar about 1/3 to 1/2 full of fresh brewed coffee. Then add sugar to taste (I usually use 2 t. for the smaller jars & double that for the larger jars). Then fill to the top with milk & stick it in the frig for a few hours. DELICIOUS. And so much cheaper!
I just made the best batch of cold coffee I've ever made. I used Butterscotch Toffee coffee that my friend, She Treads Softly sent me. Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my!

Mmmmmmmmm.....I'm drinking the last jar right this very minute....

PINK DYSON

Check out 5 minutes for mom

They are giving away a pink dyson!


"Dyson is helping to find a cure for Breast Cancer.
They have created a limited edition, oh-so-fashionable Pink vacuum and they are donating $40 from each sale to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The pink beauties are exclusively available at Target… but you need to hurry because they are already 50% sold out! And since these Pink All Floor vacuums are a limited edition, once they’re gone… well you know the end of that sentence

My b-day is the day after the drawing......this would be a GREAT birthday present!

:)

Anniversary

Today is our anniversary!
We've been married 22 years today!
WOOOOOOT!
:)

S'mores

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole in Flat Bread

I didn't know what to call this recipe. I have it in my cookbook as Chicken Broccoli Casserole.

I made it at least 15 years ago & made this note on it:

"This is WAY too rich to eat as a casserole! We ended up eating it on ritz crackers as a snack & the next morning on toast for breakfast. I bet this would be good in pita bread." And then I filed it under 'appetizers' & never fixed it again. Until this summer when I noticed it & decided I'd buy some flat bread instead of pita & give it a try. I am glad I did. :)

I used our fresh broccoli from the garden & thought it looked great while it was cooking.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole on Flat Bread

10 oz. pkg chopped broccoli (thawed)

1/4 pound butter

2 c. celery, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 T. salt

1 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic salt

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless cooked & cubed chicken

16 oz. cream cheese

Saute in butter the celery, onions, green pepper, & mushrooms. Add broccoli & saute until all veg. are tender. Add chicken & seasonings. Add cream cheese & stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. Pour into butteren 9x13 pan & heat in 350 oven until top is golden brown.

The recipe calls for 1 -1/4 pounds of chicken, but I don't think you have to be that precise. However much you want I bet would work just fine.

I bought the thicker flat bread, but I would think you could also use tortillas if you want to make a wrap out of this.

Here's a picture of it in the flat bread, served with fried zucchini sticks. Oh man. This was GOOD.

It makes enough for leftovers. lol
So here it is the next day as an almost completely different meal.
This time I served it on top of flat bread, with some green beans & potatoes, 2 different cucumber salads, a melon salad, & some cheese sticks. (it was clean the leftovers out of the frig day...lol)

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter chips

2 c. flour

3/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/4. cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter or marj. , softened (*I used half marj, & half crisco)

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

10 oz. pkg. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Heat oven to 350. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes(don't overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while cooking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool.

I recommend to eat while warm!

Oh my goodness. It's like chewy brownie on the inside!

*I used half crisco, because all my cookie recipes that call for butter or marjarine get really flat when cooling. They're good, but really flat.
My cookie recipes that call for crisco, they are nice plump cookies.

BOOKS

This is what I am, & what I will be reading this month.
I just finished reading my 1st Ted Dekker book, Blink. One word. Wow!

I'm also currently reading The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock. I read this book 10 years ago & LOVED it. Still do. :)

Next will be Three by Ted Dekker, & then the Sherlock Holmes book.

I am so happy to be reading again.

Homemade Hand Cranked Ice Cream

This summer I was given one of my dad's ice cream freezers. He LOVED ice cream, especially if it was homemade. We grew up using these really old hand crank freezers.

We have made ice cream 3 times this summer. I cannot believe that I had forgotten how creamy delicious it is!

1st we made vanilla:


Then we made chocolate. It is a light chocolate, sort of like a Wendy's Frosty. YUM




And then we made strawberry.

We have a black walnut tree, so I'd really like to harvest the nuts this year & make black walnut ice cream. And then make some more vanilla. Then some more chocolate, lol, then some more strawberry. I even remember making peanut butter ice cream once when I was a kid! Maybe we'll even try that!

MEXICALI TUNA MELTS

Mexicali Tuna Melts served with Oven Fries

1 can (4 oz.) whole green chilies, drained (I used chopped)

1 can (12 oz.) white tuna, drained (I used 2 6oz. cans, but it really needed 3 cans)

1/4 c. mayo

1 T. pickle relish

8 slices sourdough or multi-grain bread

8 slices pepper jack cheese

3 T. butter, softened

Cut green chilies open and remove seeds. Cut lengthwize and set aside.

Combine tuna, mayo, and pickle relish.

Layer cheese, chilies, and tuna mixture between bread slices. Spread butter on outside of sandwiches. Cook in skillet over medium heat until golden brown & cheese has melted, 3 or 4 minutes per side.

NEIGHBOR DOROTHY'S HEAVENLY CARAMEL CAKE

Preheat oven to 350
1 3/4 c. cake flour (sift before measuring)
Resift with 1 cup of brown sugar (I didn't sift the brown sugar)
Add:
1/2 c. soft butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 t. double acting baking powder
1 t. vanilla
Beat for 3 minutes. Bake in greased pan for 30 minutes.

Caramel Frosting:
2 T. cake flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c sifted powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 t. salt
Mix cake flour and milk. Cook to a thick paste over slow flame. Cool.
Cream sugars and vanilla with butter and shortening. Beat until light and fluffy. Blend in salt. Mix in cooled paste. Beat until fluffy. Should look like whipped cream.


This recipe came from the book, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg.
I didn't care for the book at all.
But this cake is pretty good. :)