Last week we made white chili. The nane has never sounded very appealing to me but we really like it and get a hankering for it from time to time. Neither Ralph nor I like spicy food so I cut the spices by as much as 1/2. The canned green chilis are not hot.
WHITE CHILI
1 lb. white beans (navy beans) - soaked overnite and drined ( 4 cans,including liquid of cooked navy beans may be used.)
6 c. chicken broth ( chicken boullion may be used.)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 medium chopped onions
1 T. oil
2 4 oz. cans green chilis, chopped
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. chopped oregano
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4 c.diced, cooked chicken breasts
Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 hrs. (If using canned beans cook for less time or until flavors are combined) Add more broth if necessary.
Serve hot and topped with your choce of the following items:
chopped green onions
sliced black olives
grated cheese
chopped tomatoes
sour xream
guacamole
crushed tortilla chips
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Split Pea Soup
We have been having snow and cold weather so it felt like soup. Ralph requested his favorite soup - Marcia Homer's Split Pea Soup. This is a recipe I got while we were young married and in college at the University of Idaho. It has been a family favorite in the 30 years since. It has a little more pizazz than plain old split pea soup.
Marcia Homer's Split Pea Soup
1 lb. peas, rinsed (I have never rinsed as the split peas I buy in the grocery store are pretty clean these days.)
2 quarts water
2 c. chopped carrots
2 c. chopped celery. including tops and leaves
2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. dried parsley flakes or 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. oregano leaves or 1/4 t. ground oregano
1 T. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 bay leaf ( I generally do not have them and have never included them.)
1 meaty hambone or hamhock ( I usually use the bone left over from a holiday ham I have on hand.)
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hr. 3o min. or until a thick soup has formed. Remove cooled meat from bone. Add meat to soup and throw bone away. Enjoy with bread and butter.
Marcia Homer's Split Pea Soup
1 lb. peas, rinsed (I have never rinsed as the split peas I buy in the grocery store are pretty clean these days.)
2 quarts water
2 c. chopped carrots
2 c. chopped celery. including tops and leaves
2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. dried parsley flakes or 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. oregano leaves or 1/4 t. ground oregano
1 T. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 bay leaf ( I generally do not have them and have never included them.)
1 meaty hambone or hamhock ( I usually use the bone left over from a holiday ham I have on hand.)
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hr. 3o min. or until a thick soup has formed. Remove cooled meat from bone. Add meat to soup and throw bone away. Enjoy with bread and butter.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Easy Peasy Cookies ( Pumpkin Spice Cookies)
I don't really know the name of these cookies. Emily, my daugter, made these cookies for us at the cabin a few weeks ago. They were so easy and good I thought I would pass it along. I made up the name but it helps me remember that there are only three ingredients in these cookies
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 large can pumpkin
!/2 to 1 12 oz. package chocolate chips ( depending on your preference For me 1/2 bag was plenty)
Mix altogether with mixer and bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 min. (We had to add 5 or more min. These cookies are soft and mosist. Mostly they should be cooked enough so they don't have runny, cake batter-like middles.) I like them because they stay moist even when they are cool.
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 large can pumpkin
!/2 to 1 12 oz. package chocolate chips ( depending on your preference For me 1/2 bag was plenty)
Mix altogether with mixer and bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 min. (We had to add 5 or more min. These cookies are soft and mosist. Mostly they should be cooked enough so they don't have runny, cake batter-like middles.) I like them because they stay moist even when they are cool.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Boy Scout Doughnuts
In our family we call these Boy Scout Doughnuts because Ralph used to make them with his scout troop they are so easy. I found the very same doughnuts in the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. There they are called "Jiffy Doughnuts". I have made them with my grandchildren, some who were preschool age. I rarely do anything with deep fat frying partly because I have known some people who have suffered life changing accidents with hot oil. Hot oil and childen don't mix! The nice thing about these doughnuts is that the children can help away from the hot oil while another adult fries the doughnuts.
l or more cans of refrigerator biscuit dough
hot oil ( It must be 2 or 3 in. deep in a heavy pan. The recipe book says 375 degrees but I rarely use a thermometer. I just pinch off a pea size piece of dough and place it in the oil. When it floats and fries like a doughut instead of dropping to the bottom, the oil is ready.)
Make a hole like a doughnut in the middle of the refrigerator biscuit with your clean finger. Fry in hot oil (the cookbook says 2 min. on each side but we found they only needed seconds on each side) until golden, turning only once. Remove from oil and drain on several layers of paper towel.
When cool enough to touch, glaze with powered sugar frosting. If desired doughnuts can also be decorated with sprinkles, coconut or cinnamon and sugar.
These douhnuts taste best when eaten imediately rather than the next day.
Doughnuts (which my mom made from scratch) and fireworks remind me of Halloween because that is how we celebaated when I was growing up in Canada.
l or more cans of refrigerator biscuit dough
hot oil ( It must be 2 or 3 in. deep in a heavy pan. The recipe book says 375 degrees but I rarely use a thermometer. I just pinch off a pea size piece of dough and place it in the oil. When it floats and fries like a doughut instead of dropping to the bottom, the oil is ready.)
Make a hole like a doughnut in the middle of the refrigerator biscuit with your clean finger. Fry in hot oil (the cookbook says 2 min. on each side but we found they only needed seconds on each side) until golden, turning only once. Remove from oil and drain on several layers of paper towel.
When cool enough to touch, glaze with powered sugar frosting. If desired doughnuts can also be decorated with sprinkles, coconut or cinnamon and sugar.
These douhnuts taste best when eaten imediately rather than the next day.
Doughnuts (which my mom made from scratch) and fireworks remind me of Halloween because that is how we celebaated when I was growing up in Canada.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fall Is Here!
Fall is finally here and we have leaves all over our deck. I guess we had better hurry up and enjoy the whole week it will be here before winter sets in. We are enjoying the foods that taste good in the fall so this week Hailey and I made Stuffed Acorn Squash.
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
The Acorn Squash was called Danish squash in the store but I have always known it as Acorn Squash. At any rate you need to buy one or two depending on the size of your family. ( 1/2 a squash is one serving size.) Cut squash in half from stem end to blossom end. The shell is hard so I always use my biggest, sturdiest knife. After removing and discardig seeds, place squash hakves, cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. (You can use a little cooking spray on the baking to avoid sticking.) Remove squash from the oven when inside flesh is cooked and soft.
When squash is cooked remove from the oven and fill cavity with the following:
1 T. butter
1 T. brown sugar
Browned ground sausage
A little diced onion (browned with sausage)
a little shredded cheese (optional)
Heat stuffed squash again for serving.
Eat by scooping squash and stuffing mixture out of shells. (They look pretty on individual plates and can be eaten out of the shell at the table.) The recipe book also suggests that they are good served with applesauce on the side.
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
The Acorn Squash was called Danish squash in the store but I have always known it as Acorn Squash. At any rate you need to buy one or two depending on the size of your family. ( 1/2 a squash is one serving size.) Cut squash in half from stem end to blossom end. The shell is hard so I always use my biggest, sturdiest knife. After removing and discardig seeds, place squash hakves, cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. (You can use a little cooking spray on the baking to avoid sticking.) Remove squash from the oven when inside flesh is cooked and soft.
When squash is cooked remove from the oven and fill cavity with the following:
1 T. butter
1 T. brown sugar
Browned ground sausage
A little diced onion (browned with sausage)
a little shredded cheese (optional)
Heat stuffed squash again for serving.
Eat by scooping squash and stuffing mixture out of shells. (They look pretty on individual plates and can be eaten out of the shell at the table.) The recipe book also suggests that they are good served with applesauce on the side.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
\Applesauce\
This week Hailey and I made applesauce. I am not going to give a recipe for applesauce because you can buy a canning book or get pamphlets at the Extension service with step-by-step instructions.
The applesauce we made yesterday tuned out beautiful and all the jars sealed so that gave us a feeling of success. The only hitch was that I couldn't find my canner or canning supplies but luckily Hailey had borrowed some so we managed fine. Probably I gave them away when I gave away all my quart jars and can't remember.
One thing that makes a big difference to me is the variety of apple used. We couldn't find any canning apples around here so we bought some when we visited Treasure Valley last weekend. The lady at the fruit stand said apples are about 6 weeks late this year but we found some Jonathans and bought about 1/2 bushel. I have tasted applesauce, both commercial and home canned that tasted like cardboard. My favorite apples to use are Johnagold or a mixture of Johnathans and Golden Delicious. Red delicious, while good for fresh eating, do not make good applesauce. I don't care for Rome apples either for making applesauce. I have made pretty good applesauce out of Criterions, a new variety.
The nice thing about these Johnathan apples was that they had very red skins so when cooked with the skins on, and put through a "Foley Food Mill" or "Victorio Strainer" they make a pretty pink applesauce.
At supper last night we didn't want to open one of our precios new jars of applesauce so we made "quickie" applesauce" by peeling and cooking about 1 and 1/2 inch pieces of apple in a small amt. of water. (about 1/4 in. deep ) When cooked, mash the apples into a chunky applesauce. It was white because the apples were peeled and delicious when served warm. It is also good if refrigerated and eaten cold.
The applesauce we made yesterday tuned out beautiful and all the jars sealed so that gave us a feeling of success. The only hitch was that I couldn't find my canner or canning supplies but luckily Hailey had borrowed some so we managed fine. Probably I gave them away when I gave away all my quart jars and can't remember.
One thing that makes a big difference to me is the variety of apple used. We couldn't find any canning apples around here so we bought some when we visited Treasure Valley last weekend. The lady at the fruit stand said apples are about 6 weeks late this year but we found some Jonathans and bought about 1/2 bushel. I have tasted applesauce, both commercial and home canned that tasted like cardboard. My favorite apples to use are Johnagold or a mixture of Johnathans and Golden Delicious. Red delicious, while good for fresh eating, do not make good applesauce. I don't care for Rome apples either for making applesauce. I have made pretty good applesauce out of Criterions, a new variety.
The nice thing about these Johnathan apples was that they had very red skins so when cooked with the skins on, and put through a "Foley Food Mill" or "Victorio Strainer" they make a pretty pink applesauce.
At supper last night we didn't want to open one of our precios new jars of applesauce so we made "quickie" applesauce" by peeling and cooking about 1 and 1/2 inch pieces of apple in a small amt. of water. (about 1/4 in. deep ) When cooked, mash the apples into a chunky applesauce. It was white because the apples were peeled and delicious when served warm. It is also good if refrigerated and eaten cold.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Life Goes On
We have had a busy but good summer. Now it is September, the air is getting cooler and we are bracing for winter. It is supposed to snow in the mountains this weekend. I think we will watch the General Conference broadcast at the cabin this weekend and build a fire.
Last weekend we went to Treasure Valley. Emily and Kennedy stayed with us in a hotel in Meridian. We attended Bernell Norris' funeral, Ralph had meetings at BSU and we got to visit with Ben, Emily and family who attended and participated in the funeral as well. It was nice to see some old friends but we are both glad to be home again. Eastern Idaho is seeming more like home all the time.
Sara had a good idea. Each week I cook something with Hailey, a young married girl who lives in our basement and comes to help me four days a week. Its kind of a symbiotic arrangement. At least I hope she enjoys it. She does all the cooking. I just keep my usual spot on the couch and provide recipes and suggestions. Then we split whatever we have made. I feel like I can make a tiny contribution, new recipes and techniques for a new mom, and one night a week that Ralph doesn't have to make supper.
Sara's idea is to publish our weekly cooking fare each week on my BLOG. I think it is a good idea and about the only productive thing in my life right now. So I will start with my next BLOG.
Last weekend we went to Treasure Valley. Emily and Kennedy stayed with us in a hotel in Meridian. We attended Bernell Norris' funeral, Ralph had meetings at BSU and we got to visit with Ben, Emily and family who attended and participated in the funeral as well. It was nice to see some old friends but we are both glad to be home again. Eastern Idaho is seeming more like home all the time.
Sara had a good idea. Each week I cook something with Hailey, a young married girl who lives in our basement and comes to help me four days a week. Its kind of a symbiotic arrangement. At least I hope she enjoys it. She does all the cooking. I just keep my usual spot on the couch and provide recipes and suggestions. Then we split whatever we have made. I feel like I can make a tiny contribution, new recipes and techniques for a new mom, and one night a week that Ralph doesn't have to make supper.
Sara's idea is to publish our weekly cooking fare each week on my BLOG. I think it is a good idea and about the only productive thing in my life right now. So I will start with my next BLOG.
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