Cranberry Chicken Salad

I made this the other day when a friend came over for lunch. Delicious! It would be a great way to use up leftover turkey, too.

• 4 cups cubed (1/2 inch) cooked chicken
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 whole green onions, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. It's better if it chills overnight!

Great in a sandwich or with salad greens. We had it on a bed of baby spinach and mixed greens, with a little poppy seed dressing and some grapes and crackers on the side.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Boneless Pork Loin Roast

This is one of our favorite main dishes and is ridiculously super easy. It's not a recipe per se, but a method. It's also super cheap if you shop wisely. I haven't paid over $2 per pound for pork loin in years. If it doesn't go on sale at Winn-Dixie, they have it at Sam's for that or less.

We usually buy a whole boneless pork loin. Smaller ones are sometimes on sale, but the whole one costs around $20 and gives us 4-5 meals. Wow, you can't beat that! And it's a really good cut of meat! This method is for the roast from the whole, boneless loin.

As soon as we get the loin home we cut it into pieces. We used to choose roasts, chops etc but now only do roasts because we can cut it into chops or chunks later if we decide to. Usually we make at least one large roast (for company), a medium one and 3 smaller ones. These get wrapped up in freezer wrap and labeled according to size. If there are any loose pieces lying around they go into a ziploc to go into something.

Cooking a roast is one of the easiest meals on my menu yet it can be one of the most elegant! Here's how we do it:

Start seasoning with the fat side up. Rub some olive oil into the roast. Then rub some crushed garlic into that. Use as much or little as you like - we like a lot. And the kids like to help!

Boys season the pork loin.

After that, sprinkle whatever you want on top. We probably don't do it the same any time. We have a nice herb garden and can go pick whatever suits our mood - tarragon is good, basil, rosemary, thyme or oregano. Sometimes I "go Greek" and use oregano with a little mint.

Or I get lazy and just use something from the spice cabinet - lemon pepper, dried rosemary, Slap Ya Mama. The thing is to use whatever you like. There's really no way to ruin it at this point!

The important part of the cooking is the actual cooking. Pork Loin is very lean and dries out easily!! Here is where you can really mess it up. It took me lots of trial and error to get to this point, but I figured out how best to do it.

I use a cast iron dutch oven. Any oven safe pot with a lid will do.

Add a little olive oil to the pot and coat the bottom. Add the roast, then about 1/2 cup of liquid - water, wine, broth - don't pour it OVER the roast to knock all the goodies off! Just pour it into the pan.

Cover and put in the oven at 325 degrees. Place the meat fat side up. Do not remove the fat prior to cooking! Always cook pork fat side up to retain the juices. Pork loin is so lean that you will need to leave the fat on while cooking - there isn't much, and it's easily removed for eating. This is a trick I learned working in a restaurant.

It won't take nearly as long to cook as you think! Recipes will tell you 30 minutes per pound. That may be too much. Always use a meat thermometer! You want the internal temperature to reach 155 degreed, then remove it from the oven. Yes, the thermometer says it needs to be 160 degrees - don't worry. You need to let it rest after taking it out of the oven, before you carve it. It will keep cooking while it rests, and it will be enough by the time you're ready to eat! Otherwise you're left with a dried out, overcooked pork roast and THAT, as they say, is not "Good Eats"!

I allow about an hour to cook mine, and I think that roast in the picture - a typical size for my family - is about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds.

When it gets to about 145 I take the cover off to let it brown a bit in the last few minutes. If it doesn't get brown enough, you can use the broiler - just for a minute!

When the thermometer shows 155, remove it from the oven. Place it on a cutting board (use tongs to move it. If you use a fork, the juices will drain out!) and cover with a foil tent while you get everything else ready. 15 minutes of resting time should be more than enough. Use the thermometer to see when it's reached 160 degrees.

Meanwhile you can use the pan juices to make a lovely gravy. Honestly, though, my family loves the juices "as is", so I rarely make an actual gravy for this.

The most important things to remember, in my opinion, are

• Do not overcook
• Cover while cooking, and use liquid in the pan

You don't need a lot of liquid, I use as much as I do because we like the sauce. A few Tablespoons are enough to keep the roast nice and moist, as long as it's covered.

Carve, and enjoy!

Apple Oven Cake

Straight from the pages of the October, 2009 issue of Sunset Magazine. I found this posted so many other places that I guess they don't have a problem with it, as long as I give them credit!

I made this and it was really good. However - I think it's best warm. It didn't keep well. Your method may vary. It's so easy you can try it both ways!

Apple Oven Cake

3 T butter
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
1/8 t cinnamon
1 sweet apple, peeled and sliced
3 large eggs
1/4 t salt
1/2 c flour
1/2 c milk
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 12-inch ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour, and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars

This is an old favorite that I had lost track of. You know what I mean? I used to make it all the time, take it to potluck dinners, get asked for the recipe. I think I actually found it on the cake mix box in the first place. I know I wrote it on a recipe card. A few years ago one of the kids got into my card box and dumped it all over the place! I knew that about half the cards had been lost then, but I didn't look too hard because by then I had switched to the Blank Book method of keeping recipes and found it to be much easier (free bonus - babies can't scatter the pages as easily as they can the cards!) so I assumed I had moved all my favorites to the book. Wrong!!

I forgot all about it until last week when the paper started publishing pumpkin recipes. Then I went on a mission! First I looked in my book, but it wasn't there. I wasn't about to despair, though. Google is my friend! I can't tell you how much I LOOOOOOOVE Google! I searched first for "Cake mix box recipes", "Pound cake box recipes" and finally just "Pumpkin bars". I'd forgotten that the official name is "Pumpkin Cheesecake bars" - I left off the word "cheesecake" because the kids detest cheesecake and it doesn't taste at all cheesecakey, anyway.

So here it is! I made it last night and it was a hit. Mary doesn't care for pumpkin, but she tasted it. Nope, still not a fan, but she so hated to hurt my feelings! Stephen ate 3 pieces, and I believe Matthew ate closer to 6! What the heck, they are small pieces.

• 1 (16 ounce) package pound cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees C (175 degrees C). Coat a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, margarine, and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, then remaining two eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and salt; mix well. Pour over crust; sprinkle with pecans if desired.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until set.
5. Cool, then chill in refrigerator. Cut into small squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

I must say that I am still a huge fan of the blank cookbook. Some of my favorite things from Mom's house are the handwritten recipes along with her comments. Something about having your loved one's handwriting is very comforting. So I will continue with that as well as this. Here's what the cookbook looks like:

When I was searching for an image (too lazy to take my own!) I found many blog entries praising the handwritten cookbook. This entry was especially touching (plus, it's exact the same book I have!). This blog is nice and it's much easier for me to type actual journal entries than to write them, but it's not the same. For those family favorites and traditions, I absolutely recommend writing your own cookbook to leave for future generations!

Roasted Carrots

This is a great dish anytime but seems especially fitting in fall. You can change it up by adding whatever kind of veggies you like and have around - we've added potatoes, turnips,parsnips, even chunks of onion. Following is the basic "recipe" that John came up with. It's enough to feed about 10 people so cut it in half if you need to! We arely have anything left over as all the kids love it.

2 pound carrots cut in large chunks (can use whole baby carrots)
Several whole garlic cloves. We just throw a big handful in.

Seasonings: I like rosemary, oregano, lots of black pepper. Salt to taste.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in an oven proof skillet. Saute the vegetables for about 15 minutes. Place in oven, and roast uncovered for 40 minutes or so. Stir occasionally.

Meatloaf

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe ever. :)

1 lb. ground chuck
1/4 lb. ground sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 bread crumbs
1/2 can chopped water chestnuts
2 ribs celery, chopped fine

Mix all ingredients and place in a loaf pan. Cover with sauce (below) and bake for 1 hour at 350 F.

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar

Whisk together and pour over meat.

My Version of Colcannon

This was given to me by a friend who had adapted her own version of the traditional Irish dish, Colcannon. I adapted it further to my own taste and was very pleased with the result. My mashed-potato loving teenage son tried it with some skepticism and then went back for a large second helping!

This is not the traditional recipe. If you're looking for something authentic, please go back to Google and try again! I have no idea how much this differs from the original, but to me it's a keeper.


Cut 1/2 pound bacon in 1" chunks and brown in iron skillet (Thick sliced pepper bacon is incredible in this). Add 1/2 of a large sweet onion, sliced, and cook until onion is translucent. Set aside.

Boil 6 - 8 med. potatoes in large pot like you normally would for mashed taters. I like the peel on, so I left it on. Peel if you prefer.

Throw in several slightly smashed cloves of garlic (I used 8. I love garlic!).

Core and ribbon 1/2 head of green cabbage, add when taters are almost done. Cook until cabbage turns a darker green. Drain and mash.

Add 1/2 to 1 stick of butter (to your ideal taste and consistency. I used 3/4 stick), salt and lots of black pepper.

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream or milk and add. (If this wasn't already rich enough, sour cream can be substituted.)

Add onions and cooked bacon to the mixture, stir well, and serve.

Apple Crisp

This is one of my most requested desserts. It's earned a place on our holiday menu, since the kids don't care for pies or the other fancy desserts that the rest of us wait all year to enjoy!

IMPORTANT NOTE!! I double the topping. I fear the reaction if I ever don't! But it may be too much for you. So the recipe is for the original amount. Try it both ways and see for yourself.

Topping:

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter till it resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.

Fruit:

2 lbs. apples (about 6 medium)
2 T sugar

Peel, core and slice fruit (we like it with peel on). Place in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

"The Holidays" are approaching fast! It's already Thanksgiving in Canada. It's almost Halloween. Are we panicky yet??

One ingredient I use a lot in holiday baking is sweetened condensed milk. At well over a dollar a can, it can get pricey! I found this recipe a long time ago in a cookbook full of recipes strictly for making your own version of processed products.

About 20 years ago I even had it published in the paper! Someone wrote the cooking column asking for one,and the columnist replied "Sure, I'll ask, but WHY would anyone care about making their own?" With my recipe I sent this response: "It's cheaper, for one. Also it's nonfat (there was no nonfat version of canned back then), and you know exactly how old it is -- and what's in it. No additives!"

Just be aware that it will be a thinner consistency than the canned. For most things this is not a problem, in fact I can't think of anything at the moment! You may find that there are certain recipes you will still want to use the canned. But for most things this is a nice substitute and no one will ever guess there is less fat in their holiday goodies!

Sweetened Condensed Milk

1-1/2 cups dry milk powder
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix milk powder with water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Microwave on high for 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool before using.

This makes the equivalent of a 14 oz can.

Cream Biscuits

A friend posted this recipe on a message board I read and I was hoping they would taste like the ones I remember from childhood. My grandmother had a housekeeper that would make the most delicious southern fried chicken when we came to town, complete with cream gravy and these little bitty biscuits that are unlike anything I've ever had!

These are not the exact same biscuits. I need to keep looking. But they're the closest I've found yet, and they're really good!

I cut them with a tiny cutter - a little liqueur glass I have. They were no more than an inch across - about 2 bites each. I'll find a larger cutter next time, but Myrtle's were small so I wanted to try to duplicate those. She also pricked hers three times across with a fork, so I did that too. I don't know why she did that - but it did make them look good.

(note to self - start taking pictures for recipes I plan to post! Will do next time for these.)

We all loved them. We ate every one, and there was nearly a fight over the last one. This is a definite keeper.

Cream Biscuits

2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425.

Grease or line baking sheet.

Whisk together dry ingredients in medium bowl.

Add 1-1/4 c cream, stir with wooden spoon until dough forms (30 sec). Do not over mix!

Transfer dough from bowl to floured countertop, leaving floury bits in bowl, use remaining cream to moisten dry bits (might use all, might only use some dribbles, so add VERY slowly!), and add to dough.

Knead by hand about 30 sec. Again - do not over mix.
Roll or pat out to about 3/4 in thickness, cut into rounds or wedges. Use the leftover bits to form more biscuits.

Prick with a fork if desired.

Bake 15 min. ** they never did get very brown, but were perfectly done after 15 minutes. Come to think of it, Myrtle's were never brown either!

Serve as soon as possible.

** One recipe serves the 8 of us with no leftovers and some arguing over the last one.

** After the first time I started just rolling it out, then cutting into wedges rather than cutting and rerolling. Less handling really IS better!!

Mexican Cheese Dip

I made this last year at Holiday time. It's a combination of several recipes I found through Google when I tried to duplicate one I tried at a party. That one was made with a packaged seasoning mix so I was on my own! This wasn't anything like that one but was worth the effort.

Mexican Cheese Dip
Serves: 16-20

Total Time: 6 mins

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups Cream cheese, softened
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups Pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Green onions, chopped
2 Tbl Serrano or jalapeno peppers, minced fine
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (adjust to your liking)
1 Tbsp. of dried chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic (pressed).

Recipe Directions

Combine all of the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and the lumps have been worked out of the cream cheese. Chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld. Before serving, remove from refrigerator for one hour to soften. Serve with your favorite crackers, veggies or thick chips.

You can also make a cheese ball with this:

Place 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips, flavored or plain, in a large bowl.

Lightly spray your hands with Pam or other vegetable spray and gather the cheese mix with your hands to form a ball.

Roll the cheese ball in the ground tortilla chips until completely coated.

* The recipe will make 2 cheese balls.
*Serve immediately after rolling in chips. The chips get soggy after an hour or so, so make as you need it. It does not store well this way.

I can't wait to try it again this year since I've discovered "5 alarm pepper jack" from Sam's. It has habanero peppers in it and adds lots of extra spice and flavor. Although it's very spicy, the kids love it and I have to hide it from them!

Squash Casserole

I think I need to work on my recipe names! But this was delicious. Everyone loved it!

6 small summer squash, cut crosswise in 1/4 inch slices
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. shredded cheese (See note)
1 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
3 tbsp. butter, cut in small pieces
2 tbsp. soy sauce

More cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired

Mix all ingredients well. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Note: The original recipe called for cheddar and that's what I used. But next time I will alter the entire dish by changing the cheese and seasonings: pepper jack with some cilantro and chilies, mozzarella with oregano, etc.

Zucchini Garlic Soup

I love a good soup! Hot or cold, smooth or chunky, the creamier the better. The cool fall weather last week inspired me to make some kind if soup. I had found this recipe shortly after Dad died. It's the perfect recipe to adapt to his needs, so if you want vegan just replace the butter with oil of your choice and add some soy milk or mashed potato to thicken it a bit.

I made it the day before I ate it and it really did help the flavors come together! I had it both hot and cold and both were wonderful. This is on my keeper list. No one else in the family got the chance to approve it, though. Between lunches and midnight snacks (and the fact it's not really their thing anyway) I ate it all myself!

Zucchini Garlic Soup

4 tablespoons butter
1 white onion, diced
8-9 large cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
4 medium zucchini, sliced, unpeeled (you want to leave the peel for some awesome color!)
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Take care not to burn the garlic!

Add the zucchini and cook until soft, about 10 more minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer at a low heat for about 45 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or you can use a regular blender, just be very careful! I love my stick blender. :)

Add seasonings and stir.

It's very good fresh and warm, but amazing the next day, either hot or cold!

My New Blogging Adventure.

I started food blogging awhile back when my Dad was on a special diet for his alternative cancer treatment. I search cookbooks and the 'net for recipes, mostly finding that I had to adapt and create in order to make things he could eat! After he died this past summer, I stopped cooking for a bit. But I missed it, and I missed the creative part of it. I thought about going on with that blog, but it was very specialized and had the word "cancer" in the link. I want to leave it available for others who are searching for recipes and don't want to confuse anyone by having chicken broth in a recipe on a "vegan" site. So this blog is born! My link comes from the question and answer game I play with my kids daily: "What's for dinner?" answer: "Food!" We go on with "what kind of food?" "the edible kind!"

I will only be posting recipes that I have used and enjoyed. I'll try to make notes on how the family liked it, but *me* liking it is the main criteria. I hope you enjoy and can find something you like!

Click Here to read "Cooking for Dad" which will also be linked in the sidebar when I get around to it. There you will find recipes that are vegan, and gluten and sugar free, such as

Tomato Soup
Carrot-Ginger Soup
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Chickpea Burger
Roasted Okra

...and many more. Most of which I still make on occasion today!

Thanks for visiting!