the cheesie-scone

Isaac returned home from a week at scout camp and we decided to make one of his favorite foods for lunch today. The debate was on, should it be grilled cheese sandwiches or scones (the Utah scone, not the British type). He suggested we combine the two, encasing a slice of cheese in the bread dough and frying it up. So, in keeping with the American creative spirit of innovation (and on Independence Day no less), the “cheesie-scone” was born, and it is delicious! We had ours plain, but I can see them especially delicious dipped in catsup. Ahh, only in America. Well, OK, maybe not ONLY in America…

possum and sweet taters

You may remember the state project we began last July in honor of Independence Day. We choose one state a week, drawing randomly from a jar, and each Monday cook foods typical of, or originating from, that state. It has been a fun project and we have tried many new and interesting dishes from all over our great nation. The internet is a valuable resource for recipes as is a cookbook from the Culinary Arts Institute “The FIFTY STATES Cookbook” published in 1977. It contains this recipe from Tennessee:

Possum and Sweet Taters

1 opossum
salt
1 quart water
4 slices bacon
bread stuffing
8 small sweet potatoes

1) Scald opossum in lye water and scrape off the hair, taking care not to break skin. Dress whole, leaving head and tail. Rinse thoroughly. Rub inside and out with salt; let stand in cool place overnight.
2) Place breast up in a roaster and add water. Place bacon across breast; cover roaster.
3) Bake at 350F 45 minutes.
4) Fill opossum with bread stuffing moistened with juices from roaster; surround with sweet potatoes.
5) Bake uncovered until opossum is very tender and well browned (about 1 hour). Allow 1/3 pound per person.

Bread Stuffing: soak 4 slices white bread in cold water and squeeze dry. Using fork, lightly toss with a mixture of 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp poultry seasoning. Mix in 1 tsp chopped parsley and 1 tsp grated onion. Add 2 tsp melted butter and 1 slightly beaten egg and toss until thoroughly mixed.

As we always do, I reviewed some possible recipes with my children a week before our Tennessee meal. They seemed relieved that opossum isn’t “indigenous to these parts”; we chose “Chicken Pie with Sweet Potato Crust” instead. But I am curious to know how the opossum dish would taste, so if any of you are up to giving it a try, let me know!

ooh, be careful!

"Dangerous" Chocolate Cake

In a two-cup capacity coffee mug, mix together:
1/4 C cake flour (or scant 1/4 C all-purpose flour)
1/4 C sugar
5 tsp. cocoa

In a small bowl mix together:
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla

Pour the liquid ingredients into the mug and mix with a fork or wisk until smooth.
Add 3 Tbsp chocolate chips, if desired.
Cook on high in the microwave for 3 minutes, or until done (microwaves may vary).
Turn out onto a serving dish. The chocolate chips serve as an icing, of sorts, or you can top with caramel or chocolate sauce and whipped cream, if desired. Makes 2-3 servings.

This is "dangerous" because chocolate cake is always only 5 minutes away!

pumpkin pie cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Crust:
1 package yellow cake mix (less one cup) 1 stick butter (softened)
1 egg
Mix well and spread in greased 9x13 pan.

Filling:
1 large can pumpkin (enough for 2 pies)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C milk
Mix well and pour over crust.

Topping:
1 C. cake mix
1/4 C butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C chopped nuts
Mix and sprinkle over filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 min. or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

pumpkin rolls

1 C warm water
1 pkg dry yeast
¾ C sugar
5 Tbsp. oil
1 C cooked pumpkin
1 egg
2 tsp. salt
½ C instant dry milk
5 C flour (about)

In a mixing bowl combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well. Knead 10 minutes. Put into greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and form into desired rolls. Arrange in greased pans. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen rolls.

pumpkin bread

preheat oven to 350

Mix together well:
1 1/3 C vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 16oz can of pumpkin

Sift together:
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda

Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix until blended.

Then add:
2 3oz pkgs. Vanilla pudding, regular or instant
1 C chopped nuts

Pour into 2 greased large loaf pans. Bake 1 hour (or until toothpick comes out clean). From the Lion House Christmas cookbook

pumpkin muffins

Stir together, then set aside:

1 3/4 C self-rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Mix together:
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C buttermilk
2/3 C packed light brown sugar
2 T. melted butter

Stir in 1/2 C canned pumpkin.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 20-25 min.

as American as...

It is time to be thinking about the fall apple crop. Nearly 30 years ago, a friend told me about this recipe for home-processed apple pie filling but said she had tried it and it turned out horribly so she was reluctant to share it with me. I talked her into giving it to me anyway and I have used it all these years with wonderful results. I make several batches each year to have plenty on hand. It is wonderful for a quick, easy dessert; many claim it is the best apple pie they’ve ever had. Make it with the traditional double crust (I’ve included my own recipe for pie crust) or try it with the Apple Crumb topping in place of the top crust (that’s the way my family likes it). A jar of the filling makes a beautiful gift, too.


BOTTLED APPLE PIE FILLING
Mix together in a large pot:
4 ½ Cups sugar
1 Cup cornstarch
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
Add 10 Cups water and cook over medium heat until bubbly.
Add 3 Tbsp. lemon juice. Remove from heat.
Prepare 7 quarts of apples*, peeled, and thinly sliced. Pour syrup over apples, using a skewer to work out air pockets. Fill bottles to ½” from top. Cap and process in a cold water bath or steamer for 20 minutes.
*I use either golden delicious or granny smith, but any tart apple works well.


APPLE CRUMB PIE
Empty one jar apple pie filling (see previous recipe) into unbaked pie shell.
In a small bowl combine:
¾ Cup flour
½ Cup sugar
With a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 Cup butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake 40 minutes at 400 .


PIE CRUST
2 Cups flour
½ tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. shortening
¼ Cup ice water
Mix four and salt. Cut shortening and butter in until mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in water slowly, adding a little more if needed just until mixture will stick to itself. Makes enough for two crusts. *Roll out scraps, cut into squares, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake for a delicious pie crust cookie.

Easter Menu

Dear Friends,
Easter is fast approaching. We don't celebrate with bunnies and baskets (we do May Day baskets instead on the first day of May). We celebrate Easter with our special Easter Dinner that has been a tradition in our family for many years. Perhaps you'd like to try it this year. The menu comes from the scriptures:

John 1:29 LAMB OF GOD (lamb roast)
John 6:35 BREAD OF LIFE (dinner rolls, we make cloverleaf rolls to represent the Godhead)
Jeremiah 2:13 LIVING WATERS (ice water)
Isaiah 11:1 STEM & BRANCH OF JESSE (broccoli)
Romans 15:12 ROOT OF JESSE (carrots and/or potatoes)
2 Timothy 2:8 SEED OF DAVID (sesame seeds sprinkled over vegetables)
Genesis 48:16 REDEEMING ANGEL (angel food cake, we use a ring to represent eternity)
1 Corinthians 15:20 FIRSTFRUITS (fruit salad, served over the cake as dessert)
optional:
Matthew 27:34 pickles representing the bitterness of the cross
Doctrine & Covenants 42:46 honey representing the sweetness of the resurrection
Centerpiece:
Matthew 21:42 STONE 1 Corinthians 10:4 ROCK
John 8:12 LIGHT (candle mounted on the rock)
John 15:1, 5 TRUE VINE (vines arranged around candle/rock)

Gazettes

We are connoisseurs of cookies; especially the chocolate chip variety. We have tried hundreds of recipes over the years and have several favorites, Mrs. Field's oatmeal, Magelbys, Millers, Cape Cod oatmeal, and a plain old standby called #7. Our local paper, the Gazette, raved about the following recipe and I have to agree that it is great. Perhaps it is because of the technique of creaming the wet ingredients a full 8 minutes (I think I will try that with my other cookie recipes). The paper called them "Chocolate Chip Cookies", but our family will call them "Gazettes". I hope you enjoy sharing them with those you love!

GAZETTES

3 eggs 3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C brown sugar 1 tsp salt
1 C melted butter 2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I splurge on Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, it's the best--you'll notice the difference)

-Preheat oven to 375degrees
-Cream eggs, sugars, butter and vanilla for 8 minutes using a stand mixer and wire beater.
-In a separate bowl combine flour, B. soda, and salt.
-Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
-Remove from mixer and add chocolate chips, stirring in by hand.
-Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a pre-heated baking stone. Bake 10-11 minutes.
-Cool a few minutes before removing from the baking stone. Cool on clean counter top.

Try this! Caramel Dumplings

Try this fun and easy recipe that uses ingredients you're sure to have on hand:

Caramel Dumplings

SAUCE: Combine in saucepan:
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 3/4 C water
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
DUMPLINGS: 1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together then drop by teaspoonful into simmering caramel sauce. Cover and simmer 20 minutes (don't peak!). Spoon into serving dishes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 5-6 servings.