Blogging Break ~

from Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens

by Mary Mason Campbell

pictures by Tasha Tudor

1971, Western Publishing Co.

With Memorial Day Weekend fast approaching and a big list of things to do, I'm going to take a blogging break until next week.  Have a wonderful long weekend everyone!

In the meantime, why not try some of my favourite go-to recipes?

BREAKFAST
Banana Oat Mini Muffins
Cinnamon-Chip Scones (oh, these are lovely & too easy to make)
Spinach Frittata

LUNCH
Tomatoe Basil Soup (make extra to keep in the fridge as it reheats nicely)
Ham and Cheddar in a Loaf (kids love this - think homemade huge "hot pocket")

SNACK
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Dark Chocolate Mud Balls (no bake)

DINNER
Pork Roast with Apples (Slow Cooker)
Mango, Radish Salad with Lime Dressing (serve with grilled meat)
Chicken Patty Pockets (let the kids help you make these)
Spring Chicken Pot Pie

DESSERT
Lemon Cloud Pie (cold and refreshing)
Zucchini Bread (so sweet and delicious - tell the kids grab a slice while they chase fireflies)

Enjoy!


Happily submitted to Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family where today Kristen talks about how she Organizes her Blog Calendar.

Recipes: Pink Lemonade & Orange Lemonade

The heat and humidity have finally hit Kansas.  We turned our air conditioning on for the first time last night but only to 77 to break the humidity that had a grip on the house.  It's the first day of summer vacation here and it's a perfect week to have some lemonade in the fridge.

I made this Friday when I had some of our MOMS Club moms and kids over to play.  Both lemonade's were refreshing, sweet, and so good.  Cranberry juice is what gives the Pink Lemonade it's lovely flavouring and colour.  The oranges were a very nice compliment to the lemons in the Orange Lemonade.

Both lemonade's are very high in sugar but were so simple to make.  I do recommend you buy fresh unsweetened orange juice for the Orange Lemonade as it took forever to squeeze the juice from 8 of them to make the 1-1/2 cups required.  I didn't have jug's big enough to fit all the lemonade so I used cleaned out cookies jars which worked and looked perfect!

OLD FASHIONED PINK LEMONADE
from Simply Recipes

1 1/4 cup sugar (if using unsweetened cranberry juice, 1 cup if using sweetened)
4 cups water (divided)
1 cup cranberry juice (I used apple-cranberry)
1 cup lemon juice

Make a "simple syrup" by heating sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

Stir together the remaining water, cranberry juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Make adjustments to taste. Chill for an hour, or add ice to cool.

ORANGE LEMONADE
from Taste of Home

1-3/4 cups sugar
2-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
1-1/2 cups orange juice (about 5 oranges)
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Water

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Add juices and peel to cooled sugar syrup. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Strain syrup (I didn't do this); cover and refrigerate.

To serve, fill glasses or pitcher with equal amounts of fruit syrup and water. Add ice and serve. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 136 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein
Printable Recipes

Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Tomato Basil Pizza Dough (Bread Maker)

Everyone loves pizza on Friday nights and we make this crust all the time.  It's so simple to use your breadmaker for this.  It takes 1hr 20min to prepare in the breadmaker, add your toppings and bake at 475 for 12-15 minutes. 

I also serve homemade pizza on evenings when the family is busy and eating at different times.  This is a healthy meal to pop in the microwave and heat at your convenience and makes for a great packed lunch the next day.

I spread olive oil over the bottom of the pan, stretch out the dough and to top it with tomatoe sauce, a sprinkle of oregano all over, pineapple (fresh is best), cubed ham, chopped onion and mozzerella cheese.  The crust comes out a beautiful orange colour, chewy but not puffy.  There'll be no leftover crust on anyone's plates when you serve this.

TOMATO BASIL PIZZA DOUGH
from "The Bread Machine Baker"

3 teaspoons or 1 package of yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 cup tomatoe juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons chopped basil (I use dried basil)

Select the "Dough" or "Manual" mode on your bread machine.  Add ingredients in the order listed and push "Start". 

This makes two 9" pizzas.  Freeze them, or top and bake at 475 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is lightly browned.  Note:  This only need to sit for one rising.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Frugal Fridays over at Life As Mom.

Enjoy!

1966, Follett Publishing Co.

Recipe: Cod Fish Cakes

I'm trying to incorporate more seafood into our diet as we are "seafood snobs" and have simply refused to buy frozen seafood since moving to Kansas from the East Coast.  I now realize this is rediculous as seafood can still taste good from frozen.

These Cod Fish Cakes are simple to make and delicious.  The taste of parmesan and potatoes comes through nicely.  The outside is crisp while the inside is soft.  These freeze well and you could easily make a batch and freeze them cooked or not.  The whole family enjoyed this dish and it'll become a go-to recipe for many meals to come.

I found this over at Simply Recipes where she started the site to document her families recipes.  She won the 2006 Food Blog Awards which is no surprise once you see her photography, writing and make a few of her dishes.  Just today she posted Sea Scallops with Asaparagus Sauce - wow!

COD FISH CAKES
from Simply Recipes

1 lb of cod fillets
2 medium-sized russett potatoes
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Grapeseed oil, or other high smoke point oil such as canola oil, for frying

Boil and mash the potatoes (don't add butter or milk - just squash them), set them aside.

Boil the codfish until it flakes easkly. Drain and flake the fish with a fork. Be sure to remove all bones.

Mix the flaked fish, the potatoes and the rest of the ingredients together well by hand. If the mixture is too crumbly, add another egg. If too sticky, add some more bread crumbs.

Form the mixture into cakes and fry them on medium high heat in a skillet coated with oil.

Makes 12 fish cakes. Serves 4-6.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1970, The Lion Press

Recipe: Apple Pie & Crust Recipe

This pie was light and delicious with lots of apples and only a portion of the sugar found in regular apple pies.  I wanted to make a more healthful pie and found a good recipe in my Cooking Light Cookbook.  This was so quick and easy that I'll be making it all the time.  I called my mum as soon as it came out of the oven as she's famous for her apple pies and I knew she'd be delighted that I'd made my first one.

PIE CRUST

from Everyday Food Magazine June 2010

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) col unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 to 5 Tablespoons of water (I used 3 each time I made a crust)

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar until combines.  Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.  Sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons ice water.  Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon at a time).  Do not overmix.  Form dough into a disk (I use my glass stovetop as it makes a good non-stick surface - must be cold), wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Last step when the dough comes together.

APPLE PIE

from The All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
 
8 cups thinly sliced peeled Braeburn apples (about 8 medium - I used Johnathan apples)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
 
1 large egg white
1 Tablespoon sugar (I used sugar in the raw)
 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  To prepare filling, combine apple and lemon juice in a  large bowl.  Combine 2/3 cup sugar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle sugar mixture over apple, toss well to coat.
 
Fit dough into 9-inch deep dish pie plate (I used a quish dish) allowing dough to extend over edge.  Spoon filling into dough, brush edges lightly with water.
 

Place top dough over filling.  Press edges of dough together.  Cut 4 slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife.  Brush top and edges of pie with egg white, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar.
 

Place pie on a baking sheet, bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (do not remove pie from oven), and bake an additional 40 minutes until golden.  Cool on a wire rack.

 

Printable Recipe

 

Happily submitted to the Make-It-From-Scratch Carnival #167.  Lots of inspirational recipes all made from scratch!

Enjoy!

from the book "I Want To Read!"

by Betty Ren Wright

illustrated by Aliki

1970, Western Publishing Co.

Recipe: Spring Chicken Pot Pie

A delicious chicken pie stuffed with oddles of spring vegetables.  The light sauce is so tastey with paprika and thyme.  Everyone loved this dish and some even had second and third helpings. 

This wonderful dish was created by Good Things Catered which is a lovely lady who used to run a sucessful catering business and now blogs her recipes and menu's.  How lucky are we to have her share her great cooking!

SPRING CHICKEN POT PIE
from Good Things Catered

2 tsp olive oil
About 6 small boneless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 medium carrots, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 large red onion, diced
1 leek, trimmed halved lengthwise and white/light green portion sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 button mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. low fat milk
juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
garlic salt and pepper
1 c. fresh steamed peas
garlic salt and pepper
1/2 recipe pie dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In large dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and bring up to almost smoking.  Meanwhile, slice chicken thighs into 3/4 inch strips.  Season chicken liberally with garlic salt and pepper and toss into dutch oven.  Cooking, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through; about 5-8 minutes depending on size.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

With remaining olive oil and chicken drippings still in pan, turn heat down to medium low and add carrots and red onion.  Adding a very small pinch of salt, stir to combine.  Cook until carrots just start to become tender, about 5 minutes, and then add leeks, asparagus and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables have become tender crisp, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add butter to pan and stir until completely melted.  Add flour to pan and stir well, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of pan and combining flour and butter (this is your roux).  Stirring constantly cook roux until uniform in texture and beginning to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. 

Slowly add milk 1/2 cup at a time into pan, stirring constantly and combining with the roux thoroughly before adding more (this is your bechamel).  Once all milk is added, cook while stirring and scraping bottom to make sure mixture does not burn.

Add lemon, paprika, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and cook while stirring until thickened (lift your spoon out of the mixture, drag a line across it horizontally and it should hold it's shape.), about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop strips of chicken into small pieces.

When bechamel is thickened, add chicken with any juices, cooked vegetables,and peas back to the pan.  Stir to combine well and place into a prepared souffle pan.  Top with pastry dough, wash with egg wash if desired, and place into oven.  Bake until pastry has started to brown slightly, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve.

Printable Copy

Enjoy!

from the book "Fairy Tales"
by Hans Andersen
Illustrated by Kay Nielsen
1932 Garden City Publishing Company

Recipe Bomb: Zucchini Lemon Pie

I think this pie is supposed to be a more healthful lemon pie but it comes out mushy with way too much lemon flavour.  I did substitute 1 of the 2 cups of zucchini with applesauce which may have affected the flavour as cinnamon from it probably didn't mix well with the lemon.  I was really thrown off by the texture though, as it's like lumpy baby food.


I love the cookbook this recipe comes from "Rodale's Naturally Great Foods Cookbook" by Nancy Albright.  It's jam packed with made-from-scratch original recipes.  The book says "The best foods to use and how to use them in over 400 original recipes".  Published in 1977 the book is broken down by specific ingredients and even has a section of teas for healing.

Click on picture to enlarge.

The crust on this pie was fantastic (if I do say so myself!).  I found the recipe in the June 2010 issue of Everyday Food magazine and made at least 6 this weekend alone as I was delighted with how easy it was.  I will post this recipe this week.

ZUCCHINI LEMON PIE
from "Rodale's Naturally Great Foods Cookbook" by Nancy Albright

1 8inch baked pie shell
2 cups zucchini
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon butter
6 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon honey, warmed to a thin consistency

Make pie shell according to preferred recipe.

Peel zucchini, cut into thin slices, pour into electric blender with water and puree.  There should be 2 cup zucchini mixture.  Heat this in a large saucepan along with butter and honey.

Combine constarch, salt and lemon rind and juice, mix well and stir into hot zucchini mixture.  Cook stirring constantly, until thickened.

Beat egg yolks and add a little of the hot mixture to them, stirring, then stir this back into zucchini mixture, and cook for approximately 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and pour into baked pie shell.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make meringue by beating egg whites until stiff and adding the warmed honey, gradually, during the beating process.  Pile meringue on top of filling, covering it completely.  Leave a rough surface on the meringue so it will brown more attractively.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 5 minutes until meringue is golden brown.  Cool and serve.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from "The Little Tiny Rooster"

by Will and Nicolas

1960 Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.