Sunday, November 6, 2011

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup



Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
  
In a pressure cooker bowl, or a sauce pan will do:

2  oil
2 lbs. cubed butternut squash
1 medium onion, chopped
Sauté butternut squash and onion until butternut squash is golden, about 8 minutes.

Add:
2  butter
2 T sugar
1 tsp minced garlic, fresh or dry

Saute another 6-8 minutes.

Add:
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
dash of cardamom (this is optional, I am a cardamom lover)

 Add 3 cups chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
If you are using a pressure cooker, place lid on and set timer for 5 minutes.  This is the most flavorful way to make it. A pan on the stove works in a pinch.

Puree in a food processor, or using an immersion blender (or a blender with the lid hole removed so it doesn't explode lol). 

Add 1 C Cream.  This is optional..we like it with and without the cream.  You can always add cream on a per bowl basis. 

Roman Fava Beans ~pressure cooker alert! ♥





Roman Fava Beans

These are so yummy!  If you like Victor Emmanuals fava beans,  you will love these.(for you Berks County, PA residents who know what Victor's is)


1½ c fava beans (dried)
Water

Cook fava beans on high setting (meat if you have it)  for 25 mins.

Drain.

In pressure cooker or pot on stove:

¼ c olive or grapeseed oil (I prefer grapeseed)
1 C finely chopped onions
2 slices chopped bacon (this is optional, I don't add these)
1 T parsley

Cook in your pressure cooker until onions are done.
Add beans back in along with:
3/4 c chicken stock
2 T minced garlic (dry or jarred)
1 tsp salt
Pepper


Simmer uncovered 15-20 mins.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Cranberry Relish...no cook raw foods recipe

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This is a super-fast recipe to make for your Thanksgiving table


Cranberry Relish
No cook method

2½ Cups

In a food processor:

1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries
1 orange peel off, can be cut up
1 cup sugar

Pulse until chopped but not pureed. 
Put in refrigerator for at least two days or up to two weeks.
(you can taste it now if you want, I love it freshly made but it gets better with age)

Cranberries are so good for you...don't limit them to holidays.  The more natural a state you eat them in, the better.  Yes, we are adding sugar to them...that's a bad thing, but if the sugar gets you to eat the cranberries more, then so be it.  
The cranberry institute

I am such a carb freak so I am going to make some biscotti later today...here's my recipe with cranberries.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Super Fast, Delicious Fried Rice

Breville EW30XL Electric Gourmet Wok

My Father in Law bought us a wok that he fell in love with and wanted us to try.  I came home from a Penn State football game late last night very tired from the long day,  and decided to give it a whirl.  I had leftover rice in the frige, used some frozen peppers, bean sprouts from a can, and some of my chicken's eggs so I whipped up a fried rice in five minutes that tasted as good, if not better than any I ever got from a chinese restaurant.

I heated the wok to the 10 heat setting (there are 14, this thing gets as hot as the professional woks used with gas in chinese restaurants so it stir fry's like the pros).  
I added a T of oil, even though you can cook without oil, I like using oil.  Cracked two eggs into the wok, and scrambled them.  Added some frozen sliced bell peppers, a can of bean sprouts, stirred it up a min, and dumped in the leftover rice from my Wolfgang Puck Rice cooker, some Sriracha Chili Sauce and a bit of soy sauce. The Sriracha Chili Sauce is available in the international food section in most grocery stores and Rachel Ray featured it in her magazine this month as one of the secret ingredients chef's use in marinades, wings and meatballs.
In n two mins, this dish was ready to eat. Add some shrimp or whatever you like for your favorite fried rice.  I'm a bean curd (tofu) lover but my boys prefer shrimp so I can whip up theirs, then, in five mins be eating my favorite.

I could have added more and plan to play with this thing all week..hope my family is ready to eat stir fry non-stop for awhile, I love this new kitchen toy!  Good thing I bought that 40 pound bag of jasmine rice. 

This wok is totally submersible in water (minus the plug) and dishwasher safe..the whole thing! 

Customers gave this a five star rating, and it has great reviews.  

This thing heated up in one minute and was ready to use.  The instruction booklet came with some recipes I will try, and I have some great recipes of my own I cant' wait to make.  I am definitely going to make a trip to the grocery store international section today for more fun ingredients.

Thanks again to my Father-in-Law, George Dillman for the fun new toy!!!
 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Saying Goodbye to a Classic :The Easy Bake Oven (as we know it)

Easy Bake PRNT Easy Bake Oven
Incandescent light bulbs are no longer going to be sold after Jan 2012...That's this January!
  Sadly, this is what the Easy Bake Oven uses to cook the batters.   The CLF bulbs don't give off enough heat to cook the baked goods. Stock up on those bulbs if you have one.

Kenner came out with this cutie in 1963 and it is currently marketed by Hasbro.  They have sold more than 16 million of these ovens, and almost every woman I know had their hands on one of these as a child.

It won't be totally gone....The company is bringing out a new improved model, it will cost a bit more, and it will include a heating element, but what parent can leave their child unsupervised with a heating element?  I don't have mine anymore but am tempted to run out and get one for my future grandchildren and a lifetime supply of incandescent light bulbs.

If you have an easy bake oven, here are some recipes for your kids to make, you won't have to run out and get the mixes.
Easy Bake Oven Recipes
    

Friday, August 12, 2011

Cowboy Stew : My version of Tortilla Soup




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We have a huge Halloween Party almost every year and soup is one of the things I always make for the party.  It's chilly at night and soup warms the soul.  I threw this together one year, and everyone raved about it. I still get requests for it all of the time.  My daughter just came to town and said she missed it, so I sent her home with a jar of it.  It's super easy to make, and you can modify this with using either canned beans or pressure cook your own.  Canned are faster and they don't change the taste just remember to rinse them of that slimy stuff they get from being in the can.
  I also add pork to this at times. A piece of a pork shoulder,cooked and shredded makes a nice addition. Really, you can omit or submit almost anything into this. I have made a small batch in my pressure cooker and its great but normally this is a gigantic stock pot recipe because it goes fast.


My Cowboy Stew

3 (32 oz)  boxes chicken broth 
4 chicken quarters ( or really any meat, pork leftovers etc)
2 cans garbanzo beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
mushrooms
1 large onion
celery
jalapeno pepper or two (if you like)
 water (you want it soupy, add it early so you get the flavors) 
2 packs George Washington seasoning (chicken bullion)
2 t chili spice
4 T garlic garlic (freeze dried garlic)
2 packs taco seasoning
2 T Cajun spice
1 t cinnamon
1 t curry powder
4 oz crumbles gorgonzola cheese or feta
few turns of the peppermill
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Avocado (add it near serving time diced up)

You can add more or less ingredients, pretty much things I have in my pantry is all I use. Potatoes etc.  

Put chicken broth in a big pot and turn burner on medium.  Add water and George Washington Seasoning (bullion).  Add all spices and taco packets, onion and celery.

Put chicken in the water and bring to low boil and cook until done.  Remove, debone and cut up small, and throw it back in.  Add mushrooms, beans (drained and rinsed) and corn (drained) and cheese.

Serve in a bowl with broken up tortilla chips and if you like, a dollop of sour cream.
Can also serve over rice if you wish.

Gourmet Cupcakes



Okay, I have ranted about these new gourmet cupcake places that are popping up everywhere.  I have never been much of a cake fan to begin with, but 3.50 a cupcake?  Really?  That's highway robbery!  I can make a batch of cupcakes for that price and make a bunch of teenagers at my house very happy.

Last night at the fair, it was so cold, I got coffee.  I decided to try one of the gourmet cupcakes they had, because when I am cold, I love comfort food.  The gourmet cupcakes at the fair were only 1.75.  I got a chocolate cherry and hub got a pineapple right side up cupcake.  They were good, but really, its a cupcake...its not rocket science.

I have always purchased cupcakes for my kids birthday parties, because I know when I have a houseful or patio full of people over, the last thing I want to do is cut a cake (or dish out ice cream for that matter, the good old portable ice creams work with cupcakes just fine, things like dixie cups, ice cream sammiches, popcicles etc)



This morning my book club book came from  The Book of The Month 2 Club .  I ordered the Southern Living Big Book of Cupcakes  because every Southern Living cookbook I ever bought has amazing recipes in it.  No kidding, pretty much every one of them I made, my family or friends requested the recipe. This book has 150 cupcake recipes in it. Tiramisu, Caramel Apple, Pina Colada, Pecan Pie, The Don Vito Italian Cream cupcake ...all cupcakes that look amazing.  My son is taking Culinary Arts in Vocational School this fall, so he will have fun with this book too.  He loves to cook.

There is a merry cherry mushroom cupcake that looks like The Smurf's houses, would be adorable for a Smurf themed Party.  Due to copy right reasons, I won't share their recipes, the book is cheap and you will have all of the recipes in one spot.  My favorite cupcake to date is the ever classic Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake.  Click the link to go to my post of this recipe.  Nothing fancy, just joyful indulgence.  I can't say I won't have a new favorite after making some of the recipes in this new cookbook I got, but I can guarantee, I will never get tired of this recipe.

While I am on the subject of cakes....there is a cute little cafe near us that I love to eat it called Good Eatz.  They make the best carrot cake I have ever tasted in my life...and its gluten free... I am not on a gluten free diet, but I order this every time I am there.

Anyone have an amazing gluten free carrot cake recipe they wanna share?  I am dying to make this.  I see tons of recipes online but really dislike trial and erroring recipes that don't measure up.  I only have time to make the best so please share your tried and true recipe with me.
  margaritastewart@aol.com

Here is another favorite cookbook The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. .  I got this for my son whose culinary arts book from his school is just beginner  basic...this is really detailed.  Also the grilling book is neat, lost of rub recipes and sauces too.  Dessert and pizza etc on the grill.

  

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Creamy Mac and Cheese in the Rice Cooker

 Wolfgang Puck Stainless 10 C Rice Cooker BDRCRB010-611

I'm hungry for some macaroni and cheese. I have tweaked my mac and cheese recipe over time and ended up with this yummy version that we love! 
 I love my pressure cookers and use them to death, but I also love my rice cooker for fast meals too.  These are great for college students who are allowed to cook in their dorms or have their own place. Fast meals, cheap. You can make ziti and all sorts of things in this little machine.  It does all of the work for you and only one easy to clean bowl. 

Creamy Mac and Cheese in the Rice Cooker

Serves four

1½ c water
2 cups macaroni or small shells pasta
a dash of salt

Hit cook and walk away (this takes about 10-15 mins)

Then, when it goes into keep warm mode, open the lid, add:

1½ cups shredded cheese
1 cup milk, half and half or cream
¼ cup cream cheese cubed
¼ c sour cream
¼ c  parmesan cheese 
 (note: I don't really measure, just eye it, its not a big deal, its all good)
Put the lid back on and let the cheese melt or to make it go faster, hit cook but stir w a wooden spoon so not to over cook the cheeses. 

You can add hot sauce with the cheese if you want it buffalo style, or let everyone add their own to their bowl of it, if some don't like it hot. I love to add finely diced jalapenos to mine too when adding the cheese but again, some aren't into hot. 
You can also add chopped broccoli about halfway thru the cooking cycle to add some green veggies to it. 


Some people hate cream cheese, just sub in the same amount of sour cream (basically double the sour cream)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Okay this is going to be short and sweet.  My mom made this for my boys a few years ago and they loved it. It's so fast to make, especially if you use store bought Rotisserie Chicken or even canned chicken works.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1 cup sour cream
½ C Louisiana Hot Sauce
3 cups cooked chicken

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and hot sauce until smooth, stir in chicken.

Pour into an 8 inch baking dish (baking stones will keep it hot longer).  Bake at 350° for 18-22 mins.  Serve with crackers and celery.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Basil Pasta Dough



I LOVE basil..it is by far my very favorite herb.  It's a rainy day so I decided to make my homemade linguini with clam sauce and add some of the delicious basil that is in my herb garden to the pasta dough.

I cut the big stems out of the basil.
Oh there's the crackle blue polish some of you asked for a pic of. The pink undercoat was too loud. Light blue undercoat and dark blue crackle now.
It's one cut if you fold it in half.

Then throw it in the food processor and hit the spin button.
Then I just follow my pasta dough recipe
3 C flour
1 T salt
(give it a whirl)
In a measure cup, fork whisk 4 eggs and some oil (olive if you like, I have really grown to hate olive oil, I use grapeseed or avocado)
Pour into food processor and whirl for a min or two.

It's gonna look grainy.  Like cornmeal.  Dump it on the wooden cutting board or whatever ya knead on.

Knead together (I do half at a time, my hands are small)
If it seems dry, just run your hands under the water and continue to knead.


Than put it into plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before getting out the rolling machine.

    I prefer the manual pasta machine, just because I can control the spin of it, and back up if I need to.  It's easy to do once you use it one time.  Cheaper too and you don't have to lug out your kitchen aid stand mixer to power the electric one.


You can roll this out to any desired pasta...keep it flat and uncut out of the pasta roller and make lasagna or manicotti.  I have a homemade ricotta recipe I make often that is super easy!  You must try it, its so much better than store bought ricotta.


This cookbook is really cool.  Giada even has a fried ravioli in it!  YUM  I will have to make that next!.  I love anything fried!

When you put it through the pasta machine, cut each half batch into about three or four and flatten it out slightly with the palms of your hand.  Then, on setting 2 (or the wide setting) roll it through, tugging upward slightly to lengthen it (that's what she said).

Fold in half and run it through on the same setting four times.  Then move the setting to the next smallest, 3 in my case. Run it through twice, tugging upwards without tearing it, to lengthen it. Do this twice at each setting up to setting five or six, whatever you prefer for thickness. I like mine a little thicker so I keep it on five.

You can lay it out and dry it out, I usually let mine dry a tad before I boil it. 
Boil about 4-5 mins. 
 This recipe makes the equivlent to one box of pasta.

YUM  I love to eat it raw....

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Super Foods: Chia Seeds.. Ch-ch-ch-chia

Chia Dinosaur Collectable

 Everyone's heard of them.  They aren't just a novelty gimmick to be found growing on dinosaurs,  Barack Obama and Scooby Doo. These seeds are one of the healthiest super foods.  These seeds are virtually tasteless so you can add them to your diet quite easily. Sprinkle it over your salad, eat them plain, but make sure you eat them.

Chia means "Strength" in Mayan and is nicknamed the Indian Running Food.  It contains 2 X the protein of any other grain, 5 X the calcium of milk, 2 X the potassium of bananas, 3 X the iron of spinach.  It has a high Omega 3 concentration and is a complete protein





Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Chia has a nutlike flavor. You can mix seeds in water and add lime or lemon juice and sugar to make a drink known in Mexico and Central America as "chia fresca." As with ground flax seeds, you can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, in yogurt or salads, eat them as a snack, or grind them and mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods. I find them tasty and an interesting addition to my diet.

Read more about Chia on Dr. Weil's page..



7 GOOD REASONS TO START EATING CHIA SEEDS

  1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
  2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
  3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
  4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
  5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect againstinflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
  6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
  7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Chia is referenced in the following books. 


     

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Homeopathy

Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook
I had the pleasure of meeting a gal named Ashley two weeks ago at my fav little cafe, Good Eatz. She has taught me a lot about Homeopathy and guided me on what books are good to follow.  I enjoy our Wednesday sessions at Good Eatz every week.  She is filled with great info.  If you live in the area, come to Good Eatz in West Reading on Wed nights at 6:30, she has about four sessions left, don't miss it.



 Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook is an amazing place to start if you are interested in learning how to cure your own ailments.  It has info for the beginner as well as remedies to use for survival during natural disasters, when medical care may not be available.

Effective, safe, affordable, and free of chemical side effects-the benefits of homeopathy are endless! Already established in the national health care systems of England, France, and the Netherlands, homeopathic treatments are used by over 500 million people worldwide. Alan Schmukler's Homeopathy discusses the history and science of this alternative medicine and provides a comprehensive list of proven remedies-safe for people and animals. 

Packed with homeopathic treatments for arthritis, colds, food poisoning, insomnia, Lyme disease, morning sickness, wounds, and a host of other ailments and injuries, this handy reference guide also includes information on homeopathic immunization and first aid. Schmukler gives helpful instructions for matching remedies with symptoms, ingesting them correctly, making remedies at home, and stretching your supply. 




Exerpt from the book.


What Is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a medical science that uses natural substances to mimic
illness and stimulate healing. It is based on the idea of "like cures like."
Any substance that can produce symptoms in a healthy person can cure
those same symptoms in a sick person.

Here are several examples of this principle:
a. An onion is a substance that makes your eyes water and your
nose burn. So if you are having an attack of hay fever with watering
eyes and a burning nose, a few doses of homeopathic onion
can relieve it.

b. Poison ivy causes redness, small blisters, intense itching, and
stiff muscles. Homeopathically it has been used for everything
from herpes and burns to eczema and arthritis.

c. Coffee can overstimulate the mind and trigger insomnia. Homeopathic
coffee can help restore sleep disturbed by an overactive
mind.

d. When you are stung by a bee you feel a burning, stinging pain,
and the tissues surrounding the area swell up. Some relief is
obtained from applying cold to the area. If you had swollen tonsils
with burning and stinging pain relieved by cold, homeopathic
bee sting could cure.

Over two thousand substances are now used as remedies to treat everything
from colds and cough to arthritis and cancer.

Why Turn to Homeopathy?
1. When antibiotics fail, homeopathic remedies will still work.
Germs can never develop a resistance to homeopathic remedies.

The remedies do not kill the germs directly, but rather,
they stimulate the immune system to do the healing. For the
last two hundred years, homeopaths have cured meningitis,
endocarditis, pneumonia, nephritis, tuberculosis, plague, and
venereal diseases using homeopathic remedies alone.

Homeopathic remedies are effective against viruses, but
antibiotics are not. In 1918, the worldwide influenza epidemic
killed over twenty million people, and over five hundred
thousand in the United States. At a time when survival rates
were 70% with conventional medicine, they were 98% with
homeopathy. 



Here is a great podcast from Lotus Health
http://lotushealthinstitute.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-29T12_34_23-07_00



Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sashimi Wraps are Good Eatz!

We go to a local healthy eating cafe that serves up these tasty wraps.


Sashimi Wraps

One veggie wrap of your choice
sushi grade tuna or salmon (I prefer tuna)
seaweed salad
pickled ginger
Wasabi Mayo

Put it all together, dabbing the wasabi on as much as you like.

Serve it with Soy Sauce on the side for dipping.

I snagged this cute idea from Good Eatz.


If you are ever in the Berks County area, be sure to try out this little cafe.  It's our favorite place to eat!  Everything is organic and healthy.  They even have a listing of gluten free meals for those with allergies.

Good Eatz Green Cafe

You probably can buy wasabi mayo, but making it yourself you can control how much wasabi is in it, and we love a lot of wasabi!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Walking Tacos



My work does a lot of Harvest for Hunger fundraisers and they did one last month called Walking Tacos.  What a cute idea for a picnic or just when you have a slew of teenagers over at your house, like I do.

You make the taco meat and have the fixins....lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, taco sauce, sour cream, onions etc.....and have them all ready.

Then you pop open a small bag of fritos and give it a crush  and put the stuff in the bag with the fritos.  Give them a fork and they can walk off with their taco in a bag.

You can use other chips too, sun chips, doritos etc.


Friday, March 18, 2011

Praline Graham Cracker Treats



  
I found this recipe in Belleman's Church Cookbook about 15 years ago.  Been making them ever since.  Fast and easy and little clean up.


Pralilne Graham Cracker Treats

¼ lb butter
½ c brown sugar
graham crackers
½ c chopped pecans (or walnuts are yummy too) 

Line cookie tray with aluminum foil.  Cover with graham crackers.  Place butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil for two minutes.  Pour over graham crackers, covering entire surface and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Bake 8 min in preheated 350° oven.  Remove and cut into squares immediately.  Cool 2 hours and store in airtight container.
 My kids eat them warm because they won't wait.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Pressure Cooker


Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Pressure Cooker

1 Corned Beef Brisket w pickling packet
1 head of cabbage rough chopped
4-6 red potatoes, rough chopped
1-2 onions, rough chopped
1 bag carrots rough chopped
Water

Throw your corned beef brisket, the contents of the packet into the pressure cooker and half fill with water.  Cook on meat setting for 60 mins.  When the pressure comes down, open it up and throw the veggies in.  Cook on veggies setting for 5 mins.

The food flavors the water in a pressure cooker, no need to add sodium rich broths.

That was easy!  Yum.  My step daughter loves loves loves this and misses it since moving to Upstate NY.  She is making it today herself for the first time.  You go girl!

Caramel Pecan Pie

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This pie is quick to make and my family loves it. He asked me to make him two, to take to work.  I am working on that right now.

For the pie crust snobs....see below!





Caramel-Pecan Pie

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 38 min., Cook: 7 min.


1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
28 caramels
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.
Bake piecrust at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on wire rack.
Combine caramels, butter, and 1/4 cup water in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until caramels and butter are melted; remove from heat.
Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients. Stir into caramel mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake pie at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove pie to a wire rack to cool. Top with Chocolate-Dipped Pecans, if desired.


"HOMEMADE PIE CRUST SNOBS"



I CAN AND HAVE MADE MY OWN DELICIOUS PIE CRUSTS.....


quite frankly any moron can....but in a pinch, these prepared refrigerated one's are just as good and super handy to have around...and who has time for pie crust making, there is exercising to be done, don't forget, if you are going to eat the good things in life...ya better make damn sure you are working it off! 

I have heard it before when someone sees I use the Pillsbury one's, "mine are better, I make them homemade" Bullshit, I tasted yours and its not any better...lol. And I make pies all of the time..how often are you rolling out pie crusts? And I exercise 5-7 times a week...raise my kids, homeschool, grow a big garden that supplies not only my family but extended family and friends, yard work, run a few yahoo cooking groups with over 5000 members, blog here and there and everywhere, and chat with my friends on facebook daily...should I go on? If you manage to do all those things and make your own pie crust all of the time, good for you!


So if you want to brag about how you make your own pie crust, big fat freakin'raspberries to ya...GET A LIFE!


I can make them too...but just feel there are more important things in life, and if Pillsbury wants to do the work for me...Thanks Pillsbury!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Chicken and Corn Chowder (pressure cooker and stovetop directions)

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My mom always made this when I was growing up.  Love it.  My son said, I don't know what you are cooking mom, but it smells amazing.  I even got a status update on my "refrigerator facebook page" from one of the stray teenagers that comes over here....


I made this yesterday for the game (recipe below),  ...in my pressure cooker but the recipe IS for stove top.  I didn't have cream corn so I took corn and put it in the food processor for a few zaps with a tiny bit of milk.  It was really good.  I also added chicken thighs.
For the pressure cooker, cook chicken in water, for 35 mins, shred, add corn and veggies listed, cook 5 mins, then open and add the rivvels doubled the recipe, everyone wants the rivvels.. and eggs (I added extra hard boiled eggs, love it).  Turn onto veggie setting with just the glass lid on it, bring to a boil, and change it over to keep warm.

 I added about 5 cups of corn because I opened a giant restaurant can the day before and had to get rid of it.

My sisters and I were all sitting in my mom's kitchen and chatting about her old cookbook and my older sister said, she gets it when mom is gone because she is the oldest...I showed them, I went home and bought it on ebay for over 50 bucks..some of them were going as high as 200.00 for this edition.




Chicken and Corn Chowder
    From Betty Crocker 1960s cookbook
A Pennsylvania Dutch recipe obtained for us by Normal E Dewes.

neck, wings, back and giblets of hen
1½ qt boiling water
1 onion sliced
3 stalks of celery with leaves, finely chopped
1 carrot diced
1 T salt
1 can cream style corn
2 hard cooked eggs chopped fine
Egg Rivvels (recipe follows)

Place pieces of chicken in a large kettle with water, onion, celery, carrot and salt.  Cover and simmer until tender, about 1½ hours.  Slip meat from bones, cut up fine and return to broth.  Add corn and simmer 10 min.  Add eggs.  Drop egg rivvels into soup; simmer 10 min  (6 servings)

Egg Rivvels
Sift together 1 c sifted gold medal flour and ¼ tsp salt.  Mix in egg in with fork, until mixture looks like corn meal.  Drop spoonfuls  into hot soup.

PS  I never sift... I just use a whisk and  go thru the flour for a min with the whisk...it works the same as sifting.