What's cookin'?- Amish oatmeal pie

Here is an easy dessert or any night of the week!

(As you can see, we don't care if it has a pretty crust or not, we still eat it!)

Amish Oatmeal Pie

It fulfills all three of my dessert requirements:

1.  It's yummy!

2.  Simple ingredients, usually already on hand.

3.  "Easy as pie" to prepare!

Are you ready?

Don't blink!

Recipe from: http://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/2015/04/06/amish-oatmeal-pie-recipe/

Mix together in mixing bowl, low speed:

•3 eggs

•2/3c white sugar

•1c brown sugar

•2/3c milk

•2/3c rolled oats (Old fashioned, not quick-cook)

•2T softened butter

•1t Vanilla

Pour mixture into unbaked single pie crust (I just use the store brand, roll out)

Bake on 350° for about 50 minutes or until center is set.

Top of pie is crusty like an oatmeal cookie yet the inside is soft and gooey. You'll notice some "syrup" when you cut into the pie - this is normal and is delicious on top of ice cream!

Original blogger likens this pie to pecan pie. To tell the truth, I haven't had that enough in my life to know. Regardless, this pie is delicious!

What's cookin'? - Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

What can I say about this?

Hmmm... SO WORTH THE EXTRA CALORIES!

This was a different side dish for the steaks we were having. I highly recommend this if you are enjoying a steak dinner and are tired of the usual baked potato! If you're going to load it with all that fattening goodness anyway, you might as well make a whole bunch of it. 

"Go big or go home", I say!

I found this recipe here:

http://www.momontimeout.com/2014/08/twice-baked-potato-casserole-recipe/

I call it "loaded baked potato casserole" because it looks like a "loaded baked potato" more than "twice baked potatoes". Do you know what I mean? "twice baked potatoes" are usually mashed and then rebaked?

That's just me being fussy - you call it whatever you want!

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

•4-5 large russet potatoes

- clean potatoes

- rub skin with olive oil

- rub coarse sea salt over outside skin

- bake in 400° oven about 45 minutes until can be easily pierced with a fork- flip halfway through baking time 

** I baked my potatoes the old-fashioned way - in an oven. I usually use the microwave for this! But, by putting them in the oven, I got a nice, crispy skin. Since these potatoes won't be peeled before adding them to the casserole, I found this to be essential!

- Remove potatoes from oven. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes. REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 350°

-In the meantime, cook 3/4 lb. bacon. Drain grease by placing the bacon on paper towels. When cooled, crumble.

-Chop 5 to 6 green onions.

-(Set aside about 2 T onion, 2 T bacon and 1/3 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping)

-In a large bowl, mix together: 

•3/4c mayonnaise

•1/2c sour cream

•Chopped green onions

•Bacon

•Remaining shredded cheddar cheese

-Cut potatoes into chunks, leaving skin on. (it's perfectly natural for them to fall off or even for the potatoes to fall apart somewhat!)

-Add potatoes to mixture, pour into a 13 x 9" pan.

-Bake covered on 350° for one half hour.

-Remove cover during last 10 minutes.

-Sprinkle top with remaining cheese, onion, and bacon before serving

Run a lap!

What's cookin'? - Manaste (beans and greens soup)

Yesterday it was cold and snowy. I of course made soup - I swear, I could live on the stuff. My husband likes every soup I make. I have a feeling that when the boys are on their own we will eat soup every day! (A different kind every day, naturally, I have that many recipes!)

 I followed my mother's recipes for "Manaste". I hadn't made it in years, but it is a recipe I have grown up with, and I simply love when my mother makes it. In fact, when she stayed with us for a while after I got out of the hospital a few years ago, that was one of my requested recipes. It always is!

Today I looked up "Manaste" on Google and a few different recipes came up! What they all had in common was this: beans and greens. However, none of the recipes that I found were a soup. This may actually be a unique recipe to the Barone family! 

Like making Italian wedding soup, there are several steps in preparation, so allow for some time making this one! 

Manaste

• 2 heads escarole

• 1 lb. Country ribs

• 1 stick pepperoni

• 1 can Whole peeled tomatoes, broken up

• 2 cans White beans (I used cannellini beans)

• grated Parmesan cheese

Step 1: Cut or tear up escarole  leaves. Place in a large stock pot and cover with water. Cook on medium high heat for at least one hour (leaves will be wilty).

Step 2: In a frying pan, brown ribs well  on both sides in 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium heat. Remove meat and cut into bite-size pieces. Add to soup pot . (Be sure to include a few bones ! This flavors the broth more!)

Step 3: Slice pepperoni into 1/4 inch- thick slices. In a separate small sauce pot, add enough water to cover the pepperoni slices. Bring to a boil and allow to boil five minutes (this removes a lot of the grease!) Drain about half of the pepperoni water and add the rest (including the meat!) to the soup pot.

Step 4: Add the broken-up tomatoes and their juice.

Step 5: Add the canned beans and their juices.

Step 6: add a GENEROUS pinch of salt and about 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

Serve with additional grated cheese if desired.

Total cooking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

(Make sure you have some good Italian bread and butter for this, too!)

What's Cookin'? - Cannoli Cake!

So, this happened today....

Can I just say, "YUM!!!"?

It snowed all day today.

Of course I made soup - an Italian soup that I grew up with called "Manaste". 

It's an odd concoction of ingredients (country ribs, pepperoni, escarole, white beans, tomatoes) and I love this soup.

Before my youngest son tried it (and liked it!), he named it "mah-nasty".

Funny, but unfair!

He later retracted that comment....

My mom used to make this soup a couple of times each year. I haven't made this soup in years! I was due. Today was the day.

Of course, we had to have an "Italian" dessert as well!

I found this Cannoli Poke Cake here:

http://lemon-sugar.com/?s=Cannoli+cake

I followed her recipe with a few variations:

-I did the substitutions "to make a boxed cake better", and 

- in the end I added some coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk.

This was a wonderful cake! We all enjoyed it! The frosting is divine- tastes just like cannoli filling!

If you prefer a cake with a sweet, buttercream frosting - this it is not the cake that you're looking for.

But, believe me when I say you won't be sorry for making this one!

Cannoli Poke Cake

• boxed white cake mix plus ingredients to make cake as directed on box (or follow my instructions below to "make any boxed cake better")

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•1 1/2 c ricotta cheese

•1 container (8 ounces) marscapone cheese

• 1t vanilla

• 1c powdered sugar (10x/confectioner's)

• 1/2t cinnamon

• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (I used 1 can and 1/2 cup of coconut milk)

• 1/2c(?) mini chocolate chips

Bake white cake as directed. (Here is where I followed the directions I found on the Internet to "make any boxed cake better": I added one additional egg than called for on the box - in this case it was one additional egg white, I substituted an equal amount of milk for water, and I substituted an equal amount of softened butter instead of using the oil that it called for on the box)

When the cake, is done remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

When cake is cool, poke holes using a straw or end of a wooden spoon all over the cake about 1 inch away from each other.

Pour one whole can of sweetened condensed milk over cake, allowing milk to fill in holes.

Cover and chill 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Prepare frosting:

Using a mixer with whip attachment, blend together ricotta cheese, marscapone cheese and vanilla.

Add in one cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Turn to high-speed ,beat in 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (you will not use the whole second can; this is where I substituted the 1/2 cup coconut milk, simply because I did not have a second can of the SCM!)

Frost cake (all of the sweetened condensed milk that you poured on initially should now have seeped into the cake).

Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. (Really? Who measures chocolate chips in this situation? Just sprinkle on as many as you want, I say!)

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

For the whole "cannoli experience", sprinkle each piece with powdered sugar just before serving.

Try not to eat the whole cake!

My favorite NEW fall recipes!

Because I'm late posting this, chances are you've already done your planning for tomorrow's dinner.

I apologize for that!

BUT if you have these items on hand and can make any of them tomorrow, please do!

Or just make them any day! 

Winter doesn't officially start until December 21 or so (even though it's snowing outside and looks like winter today!)

Here are my favorite new fall recipes that I've tried this year:

Autumn Squash Soup (Panera copycat recipe)

This would be a great starter to your Thanksgiving feast!

I had the soup at Panera and new I had to make it! I searched the Internet high and low or a copycat recipe. This one nailed it! I found it at:

http://homemadecravings.com/panera-autumn-squash-soup/

(Seeves 6)

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 20 oz package precut)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450. Toss chopped butternut squash with canola oil and salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
3. Using a potato ricer, press squash through ricer. (Or puree in blender if you don’t have a ricer)
4. In a large food processor, blend pureed squash and pumpkin, pouring vegetable broth, apple cider and half and half through the top while blending.
5. Pour into sauce pan and heat over medium to a gentle boil. Add honey and spices.
6. Simmer on low for 10 minutes and serve with roasted pumpkin seeds.

**NOTES: 

     •Too thick? Just add more broth or apple cider!

     •I used yellow curry powder. It was readily available in the spice aisle.

     •Buy pre-cut and peeled squash! (ever try to cut a whole one? I swear, you need a  hatchet!)

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Creamy Pumpkin-Sausage-Sage Pasta

This recipe I found here:

http://snappygourmet.com/2011/11/09/creamy-pumpkin-sage-sausage-pasta/

It is great as a weeknight dinner but also would be great as a Thanksgiving side dish! 

• 1 pound ground sausage (sage flavor, if available; otherwise use 2 to 3 fresh sage leaves, chopped)
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (regular or reduced fat), cubed
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• Dash ground nutmeg
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 lb. pasta (any shape)

Instructions

•Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.

•Meanwhile, add sausage, mushrooms, and garlic (and sage leaves, if using) to a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage with fork, and cook everything, stirring frequently about 4-6 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and sausage is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat.

•Add chicken broth and pumpkin to pan and stir to combine. 

•Mix in cubes of cream cheese and Swiss cheese and stir to combine until cheese has all melted and mixture is smooth. It might appear chunky for a little while, but keep stirring and it will come together. 

•Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to keep sauce warm.

•When sauce is just about done, cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir to combine.

Maybe a garnish of fresh sage leaves?

This was delicious! It tasted like something you would get at a restaurant!

Since I got all ingredients from Aldi, (except the sage, which was still growing outside in my deck container) it was a really inexpensive meal as well! BONUS!

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And don't forget my favorite pumpkin dessert creation from this fall - Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Enchiladas! You can find the recipe here: http://dandyspandy.blogspot.com/2014/10/pumpkin-spice-cheesecake-enchiladas.html?m=1

Enjoy !

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Enchiladas (with caramel drizzle)

Oh.... my.... Gee....

These were great!

So... fall has officially been welcomed in all of its capacities here at the George house... Cooler weather means that the heat has been turned on despite my husband's protests, endless falling leaves from the woods cover the long driveway and yard in hopes of someday maybe being raked, my Longaberger Fall Foliage dishes have replaced the red, white, and blue "summer" dishes (don't judge), and all sorts of  "fall-flavored" food and drinks are being prepared.

I do like some pumpkin flavored foods and drinks, but I'm not one of those people that have to have everything pumpkin-flavored come fall. I like to bake with a lot of apples at this time of year too...  squash... just baked goods, in general, I guess, and warm comfort foods. 

Fall is, after all, "sweater weather".... So, maybe my "sweaters" are made of extra pounds? I'll have to watch that...

Anyhoo, this recipe IS for the pumpkin lovers out there!

Sooo easy! Sooo delicious!

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Enchiladas

Yield: 9-12 servings

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup  canned pumpkin
1/2 cup  sugar
1/2 tsp.  pumpkin pie spice
2½ cups Cool Whip, thawed
18-24 Flour tortillas
6 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Caramel sauce

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in the whipped topping. 

**Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly between the tortillas. Roll each tortilla up and put on serving plates. In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Brush the mixture over the over the rolled tortillas. Top with caramel sauce. 

** (this is the exact recipe that I found on Pinterest.  It comes from the website  http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2013/10/pumpkin-spice-cheesecake-burritos-with.html?m=1

The only thing I changed is this:

Before filling tortillas: brush each tortilla with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place in a hot frying pan and cook, maybe, 30 seconds on each side.

Frying the tortillas first before filling makes them a little more firm, so they are not flopping around when you fill them or try to eat them. (an old Spanish teacher trick!)

YUM!

There you have it!

A no-bake, fancy-looking dessert for fall that every one will love!

You're welcome.

What's cookin'?- Beef stew

Autumn is here!

The mornings and nights are a little chillier nowadays. This gives me an excuse to switch my cooking to warmer, "stick to your belly" meals... A little comfort food doesn't hurt every now and again , does it?

I also have a son who spends a lot of time in a cold ice rink on many nights. For sure I have to prepare meals that will warm him when he comes home!

Last week this particular son requested that I make beef stew.

When I was in the hospital a couple of years ago, my mother came to stay for 2 months. 

She was an awesome support system to everyone of us. 

She kept my household running smoothly in my absence. 

She cleaned.

She cooked.

She made beef stew. 

Everyone fell in love with it.

Fast forward to the recent beef stew request... I have made it many times before, but all of a sudden, doubted my method - afraid that it would be too  soupy instead of a thick base. 

What do I do in a time of cooking distress?

 What any girl would do of course... CALL MOM! 

So, here I am on the phone calling my mother (AKA Paula's cooking hotline)...

Mom: "hello?"

Me: "mom. stew."

Mom: "what?"

Me: "stew!"

Mom: "oh, hi honey! Stew? Are you making it the way I always make it?"

Me: "yes, and I will be darned if I can find the recipe! I have a feeling I know how to make it, but I'm unsure and I don't want it to turn out wrong..."

(Turns out I was right all along, but I'm sure it gave her a thrill to help me out. Plus I'm so blessed to be able to still call my mother for recipes, so I do it as much as possible!)

** Aside** 

Have any of you ever seen the movie Wedding Crashers? There is a scene where crazy Will Ferrell (Chaz), who still lives with his mother, asks for meatloaf... "Mah... The meatloaf!"

Cracks me up every time!

My conversation on the phone with her was a little like that, barking orders like "stew!" without even saying "hello" first!

I tried to find a video clip to post here to share, but couldn't find a single one without the "F" word in it. So, if you have never seen the movie and don't know what I'm talking about, just go on YouTube and search "Wedding Crashers meatloaf"...

Anyway... 

If you've never made stew, here's how to make a great one!

•Dredge beef stew cubes in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper.

• Roughly chop up one onion.

• Add beef and onion to a sauce pot with about 2 tablespoons oil. Cook until meat begins to brown and onions begin to soften.

• Add 1/4 cup red wine to deglaze pan, scraping off all brown bits. Cook until reduced by about half.

• Nex,t you're going to add one box (or 32 ounces) of beef broth. I didn't have any homemade but I have found that I like this better! (Better than Boullion) I just boiled water and followed the directions on the jar as to how much to add, before adding it to the beef/onion mixture.

• Roughly chop up some celery and carrots, add to pot. (I used three of each.)

(As you can see by this picture I like to have bigger chunks of veggies in my stew!)

• Cook over medium heat for about one half hour, or until vegetables begin to soften.

• Broth should thicken due to the flour used on the beef. If it's too "brothy", you might want to add 2 teaspoons of Minute Tapioca:

• In a separate pot, while stew is cooking, cut two large potatoes into cubes. I cooked mine separately in a boiling pot of water until just soft. Drain.

• I also cook my pasta separately (we like bow ties). You can either put on another separate pot for that or just throw them in the boiling water from the potatoes once the potatoes are done. I cook the potatoes and pasta separately so my stew isn't really starchy.

• When they are done I throw the potatoes, the pasta and a drained can of peas into the stew.

• Cook for a few minutes longer just enough to warm the peas.

Mmmmm...

I can feel it stick to my ribs now... and I'm warm!

What's cookin' - Cream of zucchini soup

Not too many pictures for this post, but believe me this is a great recipe! Quick, easy and healthy too!

I this recipe on www.skinnytaste.com. They list calories and Weight Watcher points there if you are interested.

All you need for the soup is:

• 3 medium zucchini, skin on, cut in chunks

• 1/2 onion, quartered

• 2 whole cloves garlic

• 32 oz. chicken broth (1 box)

• 2T sour cream

-Add broth and vegetables to a sauce pot. Bring to a boil.

-Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until all veggies are soft.

-Purée with an immersion blender, or carefully pour and purée in a stand blender, until all ingredients are pulverized and combined.

- Add sour cream and stir.

- Season to taste.

** Before serving, I add grated Parmesan cheese to top and drizzled with olive oil.

** You can make this soup even healthier  by using reduced-fat sour cream and/or reduced-sodium chicken broth!

**Make it vegan without  the cheese and use vegetable broth instead! 

** This soup lends itself easily to being changed up. You can top it with fresh herbs instead of the oil and cheese... If you need a heartier soup, try adding some chopped zucchini (or zucchini noodles!) or yellow squash... Serve it as a beginning to your meal or as a meal itself by serving it with some crusty bread. 

Let your creativity shine!

Enjoy!

Update: zucchini noodles!

I recently told you about how I mixed pasta with zucchini "noodles" in order to cut down on carbs and use some of the zucchini from my garden.

I used a regular old box grater to make the noodles:

BUT

I wanted to let you know that I finally got the kitchen gadget that will do it for you much more easily.

I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and asked  for something that makes zucchini noodles... The young girl knew exactly what I wanted! She pointed me in the  direction of this:

THE VEGGETTI!

She didn't pronounce it like the G in the word "vegetable". She said it with a soft G as in "go".

I recommend you do the same...

One of my boys saw my new purchase and pronounced it like "vegetable"... I almost had to wash his mouth out with soap.

Hahaha

You're all saying it right now, aren't you?

What's cookin'? - Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Grape Tomato Sauce!

These days I'm constantly scouring the Internet or the knowledge of friends for things to do with the over-abundant vegetables in the garden.

My husband loves having a garden and tending to it. We are fortunate that we have the space for a big garden.

 (Note the log cabin shed that my husband is now building in his spare time... The nut!)

We're always trying new things - foods we have never planted before, along with the tried-and-true crops: zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. 

This year, new foods for us include red cabbage, beets and peas... I thought they were green peas. When I picked some and started shelling them, I did not find a green pea, but rather a black-eyed pea! I guess when we bought the starter plant, the the tag listed them as "cowpeas". Being the naïve planters that we are, we planted them, expecting green peas. Oh well! I cooked them anyway. That recipe I will share on another day!

Some things are still growing and not ready to harvest (like the cabbage). Others are way more prolific than I ever imagined (like the cucumbers!)

That's just the ONE day's picking from ONE cucumber plant in that picture - I'm not kidding! And to boot, my husband always plants about six grape tomato plants and four other tomato plants!

Yikes!

I've given lots away... Thank you Terri, Pat and Patty for taking some off of my hands!

So anyway, I'm sure my next series of food blogs will be about using the vegetables from my garden. Hopefully you will find some new uses for your garden vegetables as well!

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Grape tomatoes.... What to do with six plants that keep producing more ripe ones each and every day? My husband can only eat so many off the vine as he works outside (too much acid gives you heartburn!)

I came across this recipe and thought I would give it a whirl...

Grape tomato sauce (makes approx. 2 cups)

• Line a 9" x 13" pan with clean, stem-free grape tomatoes (about 5 cups)

• Before adding 5 fresh, whole garlic cloves to the pan, crush them slightly with the side of a knife.

• Drizzle with approximately 1T olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

• Roast for 45 minutes in a 400° oven. Tomatoes will begin to "pop" and release their juices. Don't overcook you don't want a burnt taste to the sauce!

• Once removed from oven, allow to cool (about 20 minutes).

• Put contents of pan, plus about 8 fresh basil leaves in a food processor. Add salt and pepper to season.

• Process to desired consistency. (This solves your problem of having to peel tiny tomatoes - you don't!)

** I heated this on low heat about 45 minutes before we ate it, in order to thicken it up it. (Without heating, the original recipe states that you have 2-3 days to use the refrigerated sauce before it spoils.)

** The sauce was awesome, but I think it could use a sprinkling of sugar to reduce some of the acidic taste - I'll leave that up to you!

** I'm planning to make another batch, heat it through, allow it to cool, and then freeze it for future use.

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Of course you could just serve this marinara over any pasta.... But when you have "oodles" of zucchini you make noodles!

Zucchini noodles (or, "zoodles", as I have seen them called) are all the rage right now. I see them in TONS of low-carb recipes. 

Apparently, there is some kind of kitchen gadget that will help you to make zucchini noodles. I don't own one, so this is what I did instead - not as perfect as the gadget would produce but, overall same effect!

When I was ready to drain my boiling spaghetti, I simply poured the hot water over the zucchini noodles which were resting in the colander. That hot water bath was enough to cook the thin strips of zucchini.

Mix it in with your spaghetti or just have the zucchini noodles, topped your favorite way....