Pumpkin Butter

Have any cans of pumpkin left over from the holiday? Here's an idea... It's great on pancakes, biscuits, muffins and even ice cream!

29oz can Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups Apple Juice
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 t Cinnamon*
Pinch of Ground Cloves

Whisk ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
*Add 2 t for more intense cinnamon flavor.

Tip of the day... Powdered Buttermilk!

Have you ever bought buttermilk for a recipe and ended up throwing half of it away? I have! I buy buttermilk for about $2 or $3 for a small container. I use half and I throw the rest away. (After I find it in the back of the frig months later!) Here's a great money saver!!!

Saco Buttermilk Powder makes about 3.75 quarts of buttermilk and costs around $4! I found it at my local Piggly Wiggly grocery store for a little less than $4. When baking, you just mix the powder with your dry ingredients and add water where it calls for the buttermilk. I used it in my Mama's Red Velvet Cake and it worked perfectly!

Buttermilk Powder
4 tbsps powder = 1 cup buttermilk

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

I bought some craisins the other day thinking that my son would love them. He and my husband like raisins, and they both like sour flavors. I had them try them, (proud of myself for finding something different that I knew they'd love) and I asked them, "How do you like them???" Their response was... "Eh, not so much." Sooooo, I decided to put them in a traditional Oatmeal and Raisin cookie recipe... With a Twist.
See what you think.

2/3 cup margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 5-ounce package Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Home-made Pie Crust and Lemon Custard Recipes

A lot of people are afraid to make their own pie crusts. A lot of people will say, "Why bother when you can buy all the different ready made ones in the store?" (I've even used that one!) BUT... if you follow these directions and use COLD ingredients, you'll taste the difference and want to make them when you have the time. For those times when you just do not have time... use the pre-made stuff, but try this one when you have time :-)

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 sticks *COLD butter, cubed

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Pulse in a food processor until pea size.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup **ice cold water.

Pulse until dough forms when mashed together in your hand. Divide into 2 rounds and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 -2 hours.

* If the butter warms in your hands while cubing, sit it back in the frig until it is nice and cold.
** Fill a pitcher with ice and add water. Let sit until you are ready to make the dough to insure that the water is ice cold.

Lemon Custard

Whisk together in a medium size saucepan:
6 egg yolks
3/4 cups sugar

Add:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

Add:
zest of 1 1/4 lemons

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Add:
1 stick of butter, cubed

Stir until melted. Cool and cover with plastic so a skin doesn't form. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Cornbread Dressing and Holiday Tummy Trouble?

Many of us complain about overeating during the holidays. Some of us even complain that we really didn't overindulge and still have that nagging heartburn or indigestion! I had that problem for years until I started listening to my Dad. He always complained about dressing (or stuffing) giving him heartburn/indigestion. I started investigating, and I couldn't figure out what the problem was... until I noticed that the pre-packaged mixes always have the pungent aroma of sage. My Dad always complained about sage being the culprit. We had homemade dressing and had the same result... heartburn! Come to find out, the homemade recipes called for poultry seasoning which is loaded with sage. Smell the poultry spice in your spice rack or smell the pre-packaged stuffing mix (if you use it). That strong herb smell is sage. I'm not knocking sage. It's a lovely herb to use. It's just not the friendliest to the tummy!

If you've had this trouble and never have been able to find out what the cause is, try this recipe for homemade dressing (or stuffing if you like) and see if it helps your tummy troubles.
P.S. It will not help the overindulgence problem however!

Cornbread Dressing

This is very basic. You can add or remove veggies or the eggs. You can also add 1 t poultry seasoning. I don't use it because sage causes a heartburn problem in my family, but you can add it if you like!

2 (16 ounce) pkgs Jiffy corn bread mix
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch celery, chopped
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups turkey stock
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare cornbread according to directions on package. Cool and crumble.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sauté the onion and celery in 1/4 cup butter. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled corn bread, onion, garlic, celery and eggs. Gently stir. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turkey broth 1 cup at a time until the cornbread becomes very moist but soupy. Place stuffing into a casserole dish. Bake for about 45 minutes or until stuffing sets.

Sooooo Ready for the Christmas Season!

A Christmas Tree in Every Room!

When I was growing up, each year we had at least two Bar-B-Ques, one at Thanksgiving and one at Christmas. The Bar-B-Que at Thanksgiving was on Saturday and was for all the employees and business associates of Mama and Daddy. The one at Christmas was on Christmas Eve and was for family and friends. We had about a hundred people at each. We would spend all week getting the house ready and two days getting all the food ready. Mama would take some of the guys from the shop (Central) and put them to work at the house. One year, Al Miller (a young black guy that worked at Central) told Mama, “You’ve owned slaves before, Haven’t you?” It was always a busy and exciting time.

At one of the Christmas Bar-B-Ques, someone came out of the bathroom and I heard, “Oh my goodness, she even has a Christmas tree in the bathroom!” Mama had a Christmas tree in every room. The kitchen... living room... bathrooms... bedrooms... everywhere... We kids even had our own trees in our rooms. The trees ranged in size from 2 feet to 6 feet. Mama had a tree with seashell ornaments. One had dove ornaments. One had all homemade ornaments. One had all Victorian ornaments. One had all red and white ornaments. One had all Santa ornaments. She had a tree made of holly decorated with ornaments. She even decorated some of the houseplants!

Mama loved it. Holidays were another reason for parties, gifts and food with family and friends! Christmas was especially magical. Mama went all out. I remember one year Mama came home with Christmas sweatshirts. Mine read, ‘I Believe in Santa Claus.' Mama’s read, ‘I Want It All.' Charlie’s read, ‘Bah Humbug!’ Mama’s one requirement for Christmas morning presents was that you believe in Santa. Mama and I even had our picture taken with Santa.

One year when Charlie was about 6 years old, he came in and told Mama that there was no Santa Claus. She questioned him and then called everyone in the room. She said, “Listen up! Charlie has come in with the idea that there is no Santa Claus! That is not true! There is a Santa and anyone who does not believe in him...well, Santa won’t bring them presents. Is that clear? And I mean it! Clear?” Well, later Mama pulled us (except Charlie) aside and said that it didn’t matter who Santa Claus was or where the presents came from. It was the love and giving of the Christ-mas season. But the presents did come and as long as we said we believed we’d get presents. It didn’t matter if we were married or 50 years old, Santa would always come for us. What a concept! And she meant it. Jim and I got married (now my ex-husband) and she told him the same thing. That first Christmas, Santa brought Jim a recliner! The next year Jim told Mama at Christmas time, “I believe!”

Ice Box Fruit Cake

My Mama made this every Christmas! I can remember sneaking in the frig and cutting a sliver off. It is so rich all you need is a thin slice... so this 'cake' goes a long way!

1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (4 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
2 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, stir together the pecans, cherries, condensed milk and vanilla wafers. Dough will be very thick, you will need to use your hands.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and place dough inside. Refrigerate overnight or until the cake is set and all the milk is absorbed.


Colonial Hot Buttered Rum
This recipe is hundreds of years old... dating back before Colonial Times!

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 pinch salt

2 quarts hot water

3 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves
2 cups rum

1 cup whipped cream
ground nutmeg to taste

Combine brown sugar, butter, salt and water in a 5 quarts slow cooker. Add cinnamon and cloves. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir in rum.

Ladle from slow cooker into mugs and top with whipped cream... dust with nutmeg.


Eggnog Cake

You've got to have some eggnog handy for this one at this time of year!

Some of the famous Rimini Eggnog would make it even better! Illegal but better! LOL

1 (18.25 ounce) yellow cake mix

1 cup eggnog

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Glaze:

2 cups 10X sugar

2 tbsp eggnog

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Mix. Pour into a greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Combine sugar and eggnog. You may need to add more eggnog to get it to the consistency you want. Spoon over cake.

Judy's Red Velvet Cake

There is no getting away from making this cake that Mama made famous in these parts. This is the most flavorful, moist and delicious cake I've ever made. I will say that to make this like Mama, you HAVE to follow the directions word for word... FOLD do not beat with a mixer at the end. It makes the cake dense and hard.

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cocoa
3 tablespoons red food coloring
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Mix well. Mix cocoa and food coloring in a cup. Add to eggs and sugar. Add vanilla. Sift flour and salt. Add, alternating with buttermilk. Add soda and vinegar. Let foam and FOLD into mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Icing:

1/2 cup butter, room temp
8-ounces cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip together until creamy. Spread on cake. Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.

Spicy Cheddar Cheesecake with Apricot Glaze

Being couped up for two months is starting to get on my nerves! I started looking through my bookcase (mainly cookbooks) and found Mama's set of books "The Spirit of Christmas". I remember getting tons of ideas from these books! They are full of decorating ideas, craft projects, gift ideas and recipes! They are very tastfully done also! This recipe is one that I found in this book years ago that I had to play around with a bit... Anyway, here is the recipe and a picture from the book.

Spicy Cheddar Cheesecake
with Apricot Glaze

Crust:

¾ cup finely crushed tortilla chips
½ cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 T melted butter

Process tortilla chips. Mix with cheese and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9in springform pan. Bake 10 minutes or until firm.


Filling:

2 pkgs (8 oz each) softened cream cheese
2 eggs
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion
1 tsp Worchester sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat cream cheese and eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in cheese, onion, Worchester, hot sauce and salt. Spread mixture over crust and bake 25 -30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan. Remove sides of the pan and cool for 2 hours to let flavors set.


Glaze:

1 T olive oil
2 T minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 jars (12 oz each) apricot preserves
¼ cup orange juice
2 T apple cider vinegar

Combine oil, onion and garlic in a medium saucepan. Sauté


To Serve:

Spoon about 1 cup of glaze over cheesecake. (All at room temperature)
Cut into about 20 small wedges and serve with remaining glaze.