Recipe Swap!

Good morning! It's such a beautiful day here today! I hope your weather is fine too.

What are you planning for your Tuesday?

One thing I'm planning?

Recipe exchange!

One of my bloggy idols, Casey Wiegand, is hosting a Tuesday recipe swap and I'm joining in!

Even though it's about a million degrees outside, I just haaave to post this cozy recipe. I waited my entire life to cook homey meals for my husband, and then started running out of ideas pretty quickly. After one epic chicken 'n' dumplings fail, I got my girlfriend to give me her recipe, and it rocks! In fact, it tastes just like my sweet, late, Granny's recipe. Obviously, I can't be greedy with gold like this, so here you go!

"Granny's" Chicken 'n' Dumplings...

Ingredients:

• 1 4-5 lb. chicken (this recipe is for two, plus leftovers, but you could easily make it for more)


• 2 cups flour


• 2 1/4 Tablespoons shortening


• 1 cup ice water


• 1 Tablespoon butter


• 1/4 cup milk

1. Wash the chicken and boil over medium-high heat in 5-7 cups of water, and simmer for one hour.


2. Take out the chicken and shred (caution: that chicken will be boiling hot! If you want, the recipe can be followed up until this point and refrigerated for up to a few days). Set aside.


3. Knead together flour and shortening until doughy. Add ice water. Using two spoons, drop dumpling dough by rough tablespoons into boiling broth. Be sure to "mash" the dumplings often (after every five or so) so they don't get dense.


4. Add chicken back to dumpling broth and add butter and milk, to make it creamy. Simmer for 15 minutes on low.


5. Salt to taste and enjoy!

Good luck and happy cooking!

Women, Their Recipes, and Peanut Butter Cookies

Some women are viciously protective of their most prized recipes, jealously guarding them with their very lives. They would probably keep them in secret recipe vaults, hidden behind portraits of ancient ancestors, if such a thing exsisted. I have been of the opinion that food is for sharing - though mostly because I am not very good with trial and error and would much rather my friends let me in on their secrets than make me figure it out myself.

When I graduated from high school (Which seems like forever ago, but was more recent than I care to admit) I spent some time waiting tables at the local counrty club. I worked closely with a woman named "Marge" who, among other things, was our baker. After weeks of devouring the most amazing peanut butter cookies I've ever had, I finally broke and asked for the recipe. Marge told me this story:

She was invited to a party hosted by a coworker of her husband. The desserts were all delicious, but the peanut butter cookies stood way out. A group of women flocked their hostess and begged for the recipe, but she refused to relinquish it. Lucky for us, Marge is a tough cookie (no pun intended) and went snooping in the kitchen until she found said recipe and was able to copy it down on a cocktail napkin without being caught. Yeah. That's right.

Since she risked her reputation, her husband's social standings, and practically broke the law, she felt it only apprpriate to share it with me, and I am paying it forward. So from Me, Marge, and Poor-unsuspecting-greedy-recipe-lady, have a cookie.....



Peanut Butter Cookie

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Dash of salt
Granulated sugar

1. Cream sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs, beating each addition until smooth. Stir in peanut butter,

2. Mix dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture.

3. Form balls of dough at least an inch apart (these guys spread) on an ungreased cookie sheet. Dip a fork in remaining sugar and press cookies in a criss-cross.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they look like this.....

Cookies will still seem a bit soft but will solidify as they cool - be careful not to over bake.

5. Enjoy!

This is the part they never tell you about on Food Network....

Thank You Pioneer Woman...

For giving me the perfect recipe for my new dutch oven!

It was a pleasure to make and even better to eat! Most importantly, it left Bama Man smiling.

I strongly suggest you try The Pioneer Woman's perfectpotroast, but I'm warning you - you'll be hooked!

Stick it with mashed potatoes and yeast rolls for even less resistable supper.

Coconut Cake

Hello everyone! September has officially descended upon us, and, even though it's still a million degrees here, Summer with it's sweet feelings of freedom and light, is a thing of he past.

But our favorite summer desserts needn't be!

I made this coconut cake for mother's day and it was a huge hit! (And delicious, if I do say so myself) So, if you're already missing those summery feelings, go here and kick back with a summer classic.

Enjoy!

Ode to Bacon

So, I have a confession. I have this little thing going on the side...with bacon. It's like a foodie love affair. I know you probably think I sound nuts, but that would be fairly hypocritical of you. I mean, really, ask yourself, is there anything more divine than bacon? Is there anything with bacon on it that is not delicious? In the movie "Julie and Julia," Julie blogs that when you eat something and you wonder what makes it so amazing, the answer is always going to be butter. Well, that is how I feel about bacon. Dare I say it...bacon is better than butter. Can you eat butter by itself? Well, yes I suppose, but that would be gross.

At this point I am sure you are wondering what in the name of Rachael Ray got me going on this bacon thing...well, I will tell you. And lucky for you it's a recipe.

For those of you who know me, or have been following this blog for awhile, you know that when I try to take culinary matters into my own hands, it tends to be a messy affair. I fin my best bet is to slightly alter recipes I trust already. So the other night, I looked in my fridge and noticed two poor, lonely slices of bacon, and I couldn't possibly let them go to waste. So I put them to good use, and it was fantastic! I apologize for not having a picture. I didn't realize I was creating a little piece of comfort food heaven. So you'll just have to make it to see what it looks like. Like I often say, you'll thank me later.

Amazing, Nameless, Chicken, Bacon, Cheesy Pasta

6 oz. short pasta (macaroni, penne, etc.)
2 chicken breasts, cubed
Pinch Salt
3/4 cup shredded cheese
Garlic salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 or 3 slices of bacon, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Fry bacon in large skillet until almost crispy. Remove bacon from skillet to plate with paper towel to catch grease. Brown Chicken in remaining bacon grease.

2. When chicken is cooked through, add soup and garlic salt to skillet and mix well. Add cooked pasta and bacon and stir until flavors are incorporated. Pour into baking dish and top with cheese.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes and, most importantly, eat!


A Couple Notes:

a) This recipe was just for BamaMan and me, so be sure to increase the ingredients for more than two people.

b) I never pretended to be offering you recipes that will trim your waste line - I just told you to put all the ingredients in bacon grease to pick up every little shred of fat - but this I do promise: it will be worth the calories.

Enjoy!

Comfort and Cheesy Chicken and Rice

There are a lot of advantages to being a nanny. Like being "part of the family." One of the disadvantages is that when the family is sick, you are "part of the family."

So I have some mysterious virus, and after a day of working on a sore throat, all I wanted was something creamy, and gooey, and warm. So I came home and made Cheesy Chicken and Rice for dinner.....and it was everything I hoped it would be!

So I thought I would share it with you! It may not be gourmet, but it is the absolutely perfect thing on those days when you need a true comfort food that takes more unattended time than effort, and gives you exactly that warm gooey feeling you lacked before.......

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

2 Chicken breasts, uncooked and halved
3/4 Cup rice
1 Can cream of mushroom(or chicken)soup
1 1/3 Cup water
1 Cup cheese
Garlic salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix soup, rice, water, half of the cheese, salt, and pepper. Lay the chicken on top. Cover and cook for 50 minutes.

Cover with remaining cheese, and let sit for 10 minutes until thick (and creamy, and gooey, and...you get the point)

Serve and enjoy!

*Add veggies to the mix to incorporate even more goodness!

Try it, you'll thank me later :)

Last Minute Drop Biscuits

I realize it's been all recipes lately, but I suppose I've just been in that sort of mood. It's been one of those weeks where groceries are starting to run thin, my appetite (unfortunately) is not. That being said, I have taken part in more than one frenzied search of something to munch. So, I did some internet browsing, some tweaking, and finally - BAKING! So, this is for those of you craving something munchable - add butter, jelly, or honey, for extra yummy goodness!

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 shortening (I'm sure butter would be just as good, if not better)
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a fork (I found this easier than loading up my food processor, but you may prefer to use one). Stir in milk.

3. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown

4. Curl up with a cup of coffee, Pride and Prejudice, and enjoy!

"Just Like Taco Bell" Quesadillas

Okay, so I wouldn't give something I cooked myself that sort of endorsement (I try to hold on to some shred of modesty), I am merely passing on BamaMan's opinions. Also a favorite with my Daddy, but he still has an obligation to say stuff like that. I am so incredibly blessed by the men in my life! You can make them yourself and see if you agree. (The quesadillas. Not the men. Sorry.)

My recipe was just for the two of us, so you will probably want to double it, in fact the whole recipe is pretty much up to interpretation (I'm almost positive you really can't go wrong) but this is what I used....

1 large (about 1/2 pound) chicken breast
4 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded cheese
Taco Seasoning
Water
Salsa, for dipping

1. Boil the chicken breast until cooked through (this would actually be an ideal recipe to use for leftover chicken of some kind - just use whatever you have). When chicken is cooked through use two forks to shred it. Place in medium skillet and follow directions on taco seasoning package to flavor chicken.

2. Heat griddle or skillet and butter surface. When butter is melted, lay first tortilla on top. Layer 1/2 cup cheese, half of chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, and second tortilla. When cheese is starting to melt and the bottom tortilla is browned - flip. When both sides are browned, and cheese is melted, remove from heat and slice however you see fit.

3. Repeat for second Quesadilla!

Admittedly, ridiculously easy. So easy, it was almost difficult to write you a recipe for it :) Perfect for any guys in the house who are biting there manly nails over the College Basketball tournaments.

Enjoy, let me know how it goes!

Dreaming of Sweets

Okay, I gave up all things sweet for Lent and even though there are only a few weeks left,for any of you that know me personally, you now I am battling great cravings. With that in mind, I have been fondly remembering the homemade cupcakes I made several weeks ago, and thought I would share the recipie with you so that someone could benefit from the chocolate-y, creamy goodness!