Ozark Trail Bars

I'm on a mission to find a recipe after having Stone Mill's Ozark Blueberry Trail Bars yesterday. My Mother-in-law and I had a 10 o'clock appointment with AARP's free tax preparers at the Boys and Girl's Club in South Fayetteville. She was anxious to have her taxes done, we always worry we're going to have to pay... don't we? She got good news/bad news, the good news is she didn't have to pay and the bad... she didn't get any money back! Oh well, we felt rich somehow when we left there so we headed for a quick lunch at Stone Mill's Bakery and Cafe down on Gregg Street.

They are famous for their whole grain breads and have a delicious menu of homemade soups and sandwiches. It was a cold, blustery day so we both chose a bowl of Chicken and Dumpling soup. It came with two chunks of their crusty French Bread and butter, YUM! The soup was so good, little pinches of dumplings in a thick golden broth. I just know there's a Grandma back there in the kitchen making this one!

Since we were good and just had soup, well kinda good since we both scrarfed down the buttered bread... we decided we'd try the delicious looking Ozark Trail Bars that we saw in the bakery case as we ordered our soup. It was a little hard to look away from the giant iced cinnamon rolls, but they were the size of my hand and I can only eat so much! I went back up to the counter and ordered a mixed berry bar for me and a blueberry bar for Mom. They menu says they are made with whole wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt flours. In fact most of their breads are made without any fat, eggs or dairy. Now I'm on an Internet search for a recipe and it's not easy. Anyone have an idea how they did this magic trick... they were out of the this world delicious!

I didn't take my camera, but a quick Google search and I'm finding pictures that "look like" the bars, just not the healthy ingredients. Then I had the bright idea to see if anyone had posted a recipe to Pinterest. Lots of great recipes to try, even its not THE one!

La Madeleine Bakery's Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Such a nice cool weekend, we had our first fire last night! The leaves are turning colors now, I love mornings when the fog lays heavy on the lake. If I have to run into town you see a brave boat of late season fishermen on the cove. My Dad fished year round, it never got too cold for him to be on the lake ♥

I'm a happy camper, holing up in my "hollow tree" makes me feel like making a pot of soup! I've seen several versions of this one on Pinterest, it's a copycat of La Madeleine Bakery's Tomato Basil Soup. I actually combined two recipes, this one is delicious with a grilled cheese on sourdough!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

makes 6 servings

2 (14 oz) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to your soup pot. Simmer until veges are tender, about an hour. 

Make a roux by melting butter in skillet and adding flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 3-4 minutes, then stir in several ladles of hot soup. Add back to soup pot and bring to boil to thicken soup. Add Parmesan cheese, evaporated milk, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve with slices of your favorite hot bread!

Love of the Land

Can't you just hear the swing creaking and the screen door slamming in this wonderful painting by Duane Bryers? A trip over to the farm this week brought back that familiar "Home Sweet Home" feeling. We were there to mow and spray weeds, a work day so there was no time for porch sitting or moon gazing but I have those memories tucked away and they will never fade!

Our Grandson went with us and mowed the yard, hard work for a 12 year old! Gavin has inherited a love of the land, not sure how that happens when you've been a city kid all your life! He begs to go with us and wants to help out with the work involved. I wonder if farm life may be in his future. It suited my Grandparents, they chose that lifestyle while Grandpa's brothers and sisters moved to California during those Depression years for better wages.

I've heard my Mother time and again tell about when her parents bought a wheat thresher to help them with the harvest. They took great pride in this piece of machinery that made their lives so much easier.

Until they were able to buy the thresher, hay rakes were used to harvest the wheat.... can you imagine?

This instruction manual was in the top of one of the closets, it didn't take me long to locate the pictures of the delivery day of this much anticipated machine!

 This had to be either the banker or the salesman... a suit and farm work don't exactly go together! Grandpa is in the background.

 Here Grandma and her cousin show how easy it is to operate this big rig!

Today's farmers face many challenges, costs for producing crops are astronomical with the price of corn and gasoline, not to mention farm equipment. When I look at these pictures, I am in awe of the strength my Grandparents must have had to run their farm. Really it was just the two of them, and somehow they managed. We've come a long way, American farmers feed the world. Quite an accomplishment!

Mrs. Freeman's Pumpkin Fruitcake

Mrs. Freeman was a sweet lady who lived just across the fence from us when I was a child. In her upper 80's, she knew the names of all her neighbors. I loved to visit her and we would have long conversations as she poured jams and jellies into baby food jars. These would be gifts for neighbors along with the most delicious pumpkin fruitcake you ever put in your mouth. Each baked in a tomato soup can and wrapped in foil, then Christmas paper and ribbon- they were special gifts. I wish I had her recipe, but I was only 8 and didn't know the importance of such things! This one's from Taste of Home and I've made it many times. It's moist and delicious, filled with pecans and dates, raisins and cherries and none of that yucky citron that makes people hate fruitcake to begin with.

Pumpkin Fruitcake 

From Taste of Home

3/4 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup raisins

10 red candied cherries, chopped

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in the pecans, dates, raisins and cherries.

Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. Yield: 12 servings.

If you'd like to try baking in the cans, just like Mrs. Freeman... here's another recipe that would be great for gift giving, complete with directions for baking times in soup cans!

Walnut-Date Bread 

3/4 cup walnuts,finely chopped
1 cup sliced dates
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup boiling water
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted flour

Combine nuts, dates,soda and salt in mixing bowl. Add shortening and boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes, stir to blend.

Beat eggs slightly, add vanilla. Sift in sugar and flour and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. (This is a very stiff mixture.) Add to date mixture, mixing until well blended.

Grease 4 soup cans (10 1/2 or 11 oz. size). Pour batter into cans,filling two thirds full. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer or until center test done. Cool 15 minutes and remove from cans. Cool completely.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,
everything is softer and more beautiful."

Norman Vincent Peale

Grunt, Slump or Buckle?

Arkansas strawberries and rhubarb are showing up now in the local Farmer's Markets. May will bring on peaches followed by blueberries then raspberries. My heart is beating faster just writing this! If you love fresh fruit like I do, you can't wait to bake something yummy for dessert that requires a topping of ice cream! Ozark women have been making cobblers since pioneer days. All it takes is a little fruit... fresh, dried or canned and in two shakes of a lambs tail you have a hot bubbly, dessert on the table!

Simmer sweetened dumplings in with juicy berries and you've made a Grunt.

Blueberry Grunt
4 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
3/4 cup milk
About 1/2 cup whipping cream (optional)
1. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, frequently stir blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, molasses, lemon peel, lemon juice, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/2 cup water until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the berries have released their juices and the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. With your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add the milk and stir just until mixture forms a soft dough (do not overmix).
3. Drop 1/4-cup portions of the dough into the simmering fruit mixture. Cover the frying pan and simmer until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the dumplings comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Spoon the warm dumplings and fruit equally into four bowls and drizzle the portions with cream if desired.
Makes 4 servings

Make a cake with fruit mixed into the batter or spooned on top, finished with a crumble topping and you've made a Buckle!

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine -- softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 teaspoons hot water (1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
Heat oven to 375º. Grease square pan, 9×9×2 inches, or round pan, 9×1-1/2". Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and egg; beat 30 seconds. Carefully stir in blueberries. Spread batter in pan; sprinkle with Crumb Topping.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle with Glaze. Serve warm.
CRUMB TOPPING:
Mix all ingredients until crumbly.
GLAZE:
Mix all ingredients until of drizzling consistency.
Printable Recipe

A Crisp is a baked dessert, the fruit filling covered with a crunchy topping crumbled over the top.

Basic Fruit Crisp
6 cups fruit, peeled and sliced such as Peaches, Apples, Pears, Plumcots, Berries
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tablespoon Meyer Lemons juice freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon Meyer Lemons zest
1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1/3 cup Brown Sugar firmly packed
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
4 tablespoons Butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square or rectangular pan.
In a large bowl, toss fruit with sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Lay fruit into pan and set aside.
Mix together oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas.
Sprinkle over fruit mixture and bake approximately 30 minutes or until bubbly and crisp. Serves 6
Printable Recipe

To make a Slump, drop the dough over the fruit and cook on the stove top!

Stone Fruit Slump
Filling
4-1/2 pounds mixed plums, nectarines, or peaches, fresh or frozen, pitted
(8 to 9 cups or 3 pounds prepped), see cook's notes
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dumplings
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsifted (2 1/2 ounces) cake flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup cold buttermilk
To peel peaches, drop in boiling water for 30 seconds, then pull off peel. They may need a little more time in the boiling water if they aren't good-and-ripe. Or instead of peeling peaches, try washing them well and then piercing them gently with a fork. Once they are slices and baked, the peel will fall apart into the fruit and add a rosy color to the dessert.
1. Prepare fruit filling: Slice fruit over bowl so you can collect all juices. Slice each fruit into 10 or 12 pieces, depending on size of the fruit and drop the slices into the bowl. Separately, rub sugar, cornstarch and salt together in small bowl, then add to the fruit and gently toss to coat. Gently stir in lemon juice, then scrape the fruit and juices into a 10- to 12-inch nonreactive, deep skillet or a wide 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Whatever pan you choose, it must have a tight-fitting lid. Let stand for 15 minutes. During this time, the fruit will release some of its juices and the sugar will begin to dissolve.
2. Bring fruit mixture to a low simmer over medium-low heat. You will need to stir occasionally to prevent the juice from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but do so gently to avoid breaking down the pieces of fruit. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
3. Prepare dumplings: Whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom together in a bowl. Add butter and toss until evenly coated. Using your fingertips or pastry blender, cut in the butter (until butter is the size of peas). Add buttermilk and stir just until mixture comes together; it will be a slightly wet dough.
4. In eight portions, place dough atop fruit, distributing the dumplings evenly over the surface. Return to the stovetop and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue simmering for 18 to 22 minutes or until dumplings are puffy and cooked through to the center. Remove cover and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Sadly, slumps do not keep well. Serve immediately.
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

These are from an old War Eagle Mill Cookbook...

Apricot Patty Cake Cobbler
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups packed powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
6 cups apricot quarters (about 2 lb. whole fruit)
Patty cake crust (recipe follows)
In a large bowl, combine sugar, mace, almond extract and orange peel. Add apricots and mix. If the apricots are firm and underripe, they will require the maximum amount of sugar. If the apricots are ripe and sweet, start with 3/4 cup sugar. Scrape mixture into a buttered shallow 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole and spread level.
With lightly floured hands, tear off lumps (3 to 4 T. size) of the patty cake crust and pat into cakes about 1/4 inch thick; lay them as shaped over the fruit, covering fairly evenly (a few gaps are fine). When all the dough is in place, press down lightly to join portions.
Bake cobbler in a 375 degree oven until fruit is bubbling and crust is well browned, 50 to 60 minutes. If using a 1 1/2 quart casserole, set on a large sheet of foil in case mixture boils over. Let stand at least 10 minutes or until cool. Scoop fruit and crust into bowls, adding more sugar to taste if needed.
Patty Cake Crust
In a food processor or bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 6 t. butter cut into thin slices, 1/4 cup cream cheese (2 oz.), cut into small pieces; 1/2 tsp. grated orange peel; and 1/4 tsp. ground mace. Whirl or rub with your fingers until mixture forms fine crumbs. Add 1 large egg yolk and whirl or stir until dough holds together. Press into a ball.
Printable Recipe


Creeping Apple Cobbler
5 lg. apples, peeled and cored
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teas. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled to room temp.
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teas. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
Adjust oven rack to middle and preheat overn to 375º.
Fit processor with slicing disk. Cut apples in half; fit them in the feed tube and slice. Remove apples to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and toss until well blended.
With a pastry brush, coat the sides of 9 x 12 shallow baking dish with some of the melted butter. Pour the remaining butter into the dish and tilt it back and forth until its bottom is completely covered with the butter.
Sift together the flour, 1 cup sugar and baking powder into a medium. size bowl. With a wooden spoon beat in the milk until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the butter coated dish. Sprinkle the apples, as well as the juice that will have accumulated, evenly over the batter.
Bake the cobbler 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown.
Yield: serves 6-8
As the cobbler bakes, the batter rises and literally creeps up through the apple slices.
Printable Recipe

Peach Crumb Cobbler
5 cup sliced peaches
1/3 cup pack brown sugar
3 tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon, or to taste
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg, beaten.
Combine brown sugar flour & cinnamon.
Toss with peaches & arrange in 7x11 pan (9x9 works just fine too)
Take topping dry ingredients, sift... add egg & mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle over filling. Drizzle butter over top.
Bake at 375 for 55 minutes.
Serves 6 big servings
Printable Recipe

Have a good weekend and make some memories!

The Power of Pie

Mother's Day, what better reason than to celebrate with an extra special pie, made to measure for the person receiving it! Meant to say I Love You and you mean the world to me... and then it came to me, The Power of Pie. From the time we are little, at our Mother's knees, we can remember the occasion of pie coming out of the oven. Made just for us, with love, in all it's flaky goodness and chocolate creaminess with whipped cream clouds or jewel tones of cherry or berry... pie is good. In fact, pie is great. Make that special person in your life a pie, let it be warm when they walk in the door!

David Letterman's Mom's Strawberry Pie

 from Home Cookin' with Dave's Mom

1 9 inch pie shell -- baked
1/2 pt Strawberries, fresh -- Washed and hulled
1/2 c Granulated sugar
2 tb Cornstarch
3/4 c Orange juice
1/2 ts Red food coloring
Whipped cream

Mix sugar and cornstartch, then add orange juice and food coloring. Cook until clear. Add strawberries to glaze and pour mixture into pie shell. Serve with whipped cream.

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Fall Apple Pie

from The Life and Love of Grumpy's HoneyBunch

Pie Crust:(Classic Crisco recipe)

This will make a double crust 9" pie

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup well chilled Crisco Butter Flavor Shortening

(I use the Crisco Sticks - and use 3/4 stick)

4-8 Tablespoons ice cold water

Blend flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut chilled shortening into cubes into flour mixture using pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle 4 Tablespoons of water over mixture and stir with a fork. Add more water by the Tablespoon until dough holds together. It takes about 6-8 Tablespoons for me.

Divide dough in two with one ball slightly larger than the other. At this point, I place back in my mixing bowl (both balls of dough) covered with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Remove dough from refrigerator and place larger ball of dough onto floured surface. Using floured rolling pin roll dough into a circle until about 2" wider than the pie plate. Ease bottom crust into pie plate and trim evenly around plate. Fill with pie filling (recipe will follow). Roll top pie crust, lift onto filled pie. Trim dough with 3/4" overhand; fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together and flute. Cut slits in top crust.

Apple Pie Filling:

8 cups sliced apples (This was 6 large apples for me)

1 cup splenda or regular granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Pre-heat oven to375 degrees. Place apples in large bowl. Stir sugar, spices, cornstarch, and lemon juice into apples. Pour apple filling into bottom pie crust. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter (break butter into small pieces all over top of pie filling) and cover with top pie crust. Crimp edges. I normally cover the crust with tinfoil the first 40 minutes of baking, remove foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes more.

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Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Barrett Potato Farms- Springlake, Texas

Do you ever look at the grower on that sack of potatoes you buy? I read everything on a label these days, from calorie count to country of origin. Maybe it's because my husband worked many years for a major food company, I do like to support America's farmers. What that makes me is possibly the worst kind of shopper to get behind in the grocery store aisle!

Potatoes make their way into millions of shopping carts every day. It's the old standby for most of us, it goes with practically any meal and there's hardly a person who dislikes them. I'm never without potatoes, I only vary the kind I buy. Right now we have baby reds and russets in the potato bin. How you store your potatoes makes a big difference in their shelf life. When you bring home a bag of potatoes, you need to go through them to make sure there aren't any green, bruised or soft ones. In fact, give that bag a good once over before you leave the store. You can easily spot a bad one. The best tip of all is to find a cool, dark place with good ventilation to store your potatoes. The ideal temperature to store them is between 50 and 60 degrees, the temperature of many garages in the winter is perfect. Transfer them to a brown grocery bag or a cardboard box to keep the light out. A single ripe apple will prevent the potatoes from sprouting since the apple produces ethylene gas and will lengthen the time you can keep your potatoes. Armed with all these suggestions, go ahead and buy that 20 pound bag of russets and reap the rewards of buying in bulk!

When we think of potatoes, Idaho comes to mind... but actually potatoes are grown commercially in 36 states. It's almost the perfect food; fat, sodium and cholesterol free, low in calories and loaded with nutrients. One medium potato has nearly half the day's requirement for Vitamin C and more potassium than a banana. A great antioxidant, potatoes contain glutathione that may help protect against some cancers. That's well worth the 110 calories! You thought there were more calories in there, didn't you? Well, it's what we do with the potato that gives them a bad reputation! By the time we load them up with butter, sour cream, shredded Cheddar and bacon bits... that healthy baked potato is now a full meal of calories! The russett also is the chosen potato for french fries and potato chips, all I can say is... "Thank you Lord" for the potato!

I want to share a great recipe that I found on Pinterest (duh!) It's a Pioneer Woman recipe so you can be assured it is slap dab delicious! She posted this one around Easter, perfect for our ham leftovers. I had never thought of adding meat to scalloped potatoes and serving as a main dish instead of a side dish. It was a BIG hit, what's not to love if you start with potatoes and cheese ;)

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham 

(adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman's recipe, I halved the recipe since it's just the two of us)

3 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Washed Thoroughly

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced

3 cups Diced Ham

1-1/2 cup Half-and-half

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream (I used all half and half, I can't imagine how good it would have been w/whipping cream!)

1/4 cup Flour

 Black Pepper To Taste

1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (I used all cheddar, cause that's what I had!)

 Chopped Parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish. 

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent. Add ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine half-and-half and cream in a microwave-safe container and nuke for a minute or so, until no longer cold. Whisk in flour and black pepper until totally combined. Set aside. (You may add salt, but cheese and ham are salty, so add sparingly.)

Combine the two grated cheeses. Set aside.

Using a mandoline or slicer, slice potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (very thin.) Layer 1/3 of the potato slices in the buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the ham/onion mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese, then pour on 1/3 of the cream mixture.

Repeat this twice more, ending with a sprinkling of cheese and a pouring on of the rest of the cream mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes at least, or until bubbly and hot.

Cut into squares and serve. Sprinkle on chopped parsley if you'd like!

(Note: To speed along the process a bit, you may boil sliced potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before assembling the casserole. Just drain and slightly cool before assembling.)

I used Ree's tip on boiling the sliced potatoes for 5 minutes and it really does make them cook faster and have great melt-in-your-mouth texture. That CAN be a dangerous thing though!!

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Recipe Puppy

Do you know about Recipe Puppy??? No, you won't have to worry about him chewing up your newspaper or tinkling on the carpet...this puppy is going to make your life EASY PEASY!!!

Recipe Puppy is an ingredient based recipe search engine built by Kris Brower. Recipe Puppy is a tool for finding recipes. Is your fridge nearly empty? You can use Recipe Puppy to find recipes that don't require a trip to the store. It can find recipes that fit your dietary requirements or combine two seemingly unrelated ingredients. Recipe Puppy makes it easy to find the recipes you actually want.

I accidentally found it while searching for something else, I don't even remember now what that was. But as soon as I realized I could type in a few of the ingredients of favorite recipes and it would pull them up...man oh man....I was so excited!

What about that Poppyseed Chicken Casserole that Linda brought us when we first moved to Springdale, all I did was type in chicken, cream of chicken soup and poppy seeds...poof there it was!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

6 Servings

1 Chicken, boiled
1 cn Cream of Chicken soup
1 ct (8-oz) sour cream
1 tb Poppy seeds
1/2 Stack Ritz Crackers(or a little more)
Pick chicken of the bone and tear into small pieces. Place in greased casserole. Mix soup and sour cream; pour over chicken and mix. Sprinkle poppy seeds over, and then cracker crumbs. You may drizzle with some melted butter, if desired. Bake at 350 deg. for about 25 minutes.

What about that Chinese Take-Out Orange Beef that I love so much? Just type in orange juice, beef, cornstarch and ZIP...I have the recipe for tonight's dinner!

Orange Beef
1 lb beef round steak or sirloin, thinly sliced and cut into 3-inch strips
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 organic oranges, + zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 cups vegetable oil
green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
1In a medium bowl, toss the meat with 2 Tblsp soy sauce, 1 Tblsp of cornstarch, and the pepper. Marinate the meat at room temperature while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
2Combine the orange zest, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl and reserve.
3In a medium bowl, combine the remaining Tblsp of soy sauce, and the remaining cornstarch with the orange juice, sugar, sherry, hoisin and sesame oil. Set aside.
4Heat the oil in a heavy wok or pot to 360º. Add one-third of the beef to the oil, one piece at a time (it's important not to add all the beef at once as the temperature of the oil will plummet and the beef will absorb more oil than necessary). Scrape the bottom of the pot as some of the meat may stick. Cook for 2 minutes or until crispy and brown. Transfer the meat with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and repeat with the rest of the meat. Discard all but 2 Tblsp of the oil.
5Add the orange zest, garlic and ginger mixture to the wok and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir the orange juice mixture and add it to the wok, along with the fried beef. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
6Serve garnished with green onions.
* For a faster dish with less fat, stir-fry the beef instead of deep frying it. It won't be crispy, but the flavor is delicious. You can also substitute chicken, pork, or shrimp for the beef.

Recipe Puppy, I love you little Buddy!

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Upside down, Thanksgiving is being planned later this year than ever before. With Mom in the hospital we had the holiday meal on hold, but thank God she is improving so it's Katy Bar the Door... menu planning full steam ahead!  One thing for sure... Daddy's Cornbread Dressing will be on the table. It's a family favorite made with homegrown sage that comes from my Mom's farm. My Dad planted that sage over 40 years ago and even though he's gone now, the sage thrives in the garden at Lead Hill. Every fall before frost I pinch off several stems of the fragrant herb, bring it home and dry it. The fragrance of that sage reminds me of years of happy Thanksgivings on the farm. 

My Dad loved preparing his famous chicken and dressing for the holidays. It was his offering, as much from his heart as from the simple ingredients that went into the dish. He had made it so many times for family and church potlucks that he could have made it in his sleep! If you’re from the South, dressing is made from unsweetened cornbread, sauteed onions, celery and sage; slow simmered broth from the chicken and generous amounts of butter make this a cardiologist's nightmare! But it is “Slap Dab Delicious” and comfort food at it’s finest! This is the time honored recipe that Daddy used to make and has been passed down to me and to our daughters to share with their families. It is remembered fondly in our family and immortalized in the Risley Family Cookbook.

Memories... my Dad always used the Crockpot, it smelled so good when we would walk into the house on Thanksgiving!

Daddy's Dressing

1 pan crumbled cornbread (no sugar in cornbread, please!)

1 pan biscuits

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 bunch celery, chopped

1 stick butter

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons dried whole leaf sage

4-5 cups rich chicken broth 

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare cornbread and biscuits the day before. Cook onion and celery in butter and broth covered until tender. Pour over the crumbled breads in a large bowl, add beaten eggs. Rub the sage between your palms to release the flavor adding to bowl. Add broth to make a very moist consistency (almost soupy, as this bakes it will dry out). Adjust seasonings adding salt, pepper and more sage if desired. Bake 350* for 45 minutes until hot, or place mixture in crock pot on HIGH until hot then turn to LOW to keep warm. 

Chicken Dumpling Soup

I've made this many times since I ran this last year, it's one of our favorites! Today is shaping up to be another busy day so I have a chicken in the crockpot and when I get home late today I'll whip up a pot of this soup. Don't tell anyone it takes less than 30 minutes... it'll be our little secret!

I've had to go to the dealership twice this week for maintenance on the car, I hope I don't have to go back for awhile. Akin to setting in a doctor's office, you are at their mercy and a hour drags by as you set in the waiting room with coughing people, blaring tv and kids who are misbehaving. By the time I got finished there it was after 3 and I went to Wal-mart to pick up a few things. Bad idea since after 3 is when everyone else goes to Wal-mart, when the kids get out of school I guess. I had a list, but you know how that goes... you start lookin' and then you start reading and then the next thing you know, your cart is FULL! I hadn't planned on buying a new cookbook yesterday, until I saw this new paperback publication by Gooseberry Patch. Comfort Food 101, I know it doesn't say that, but that's what it is. Inside the covers are a primer for anyone who has to get a meal on the table in an orderly time frame. Quick to fix recipes that are down home good. As I was thumbing through, I see the Chicken Dumpling Soup that we had at Stone Mill this week. OH MY GOODNESS! The recipe, I hear Angels singing...

You won't believe how easy this went together. I got home at 4:30 and it was ready when Jerry walked in the door an hour later. His favorite food, in soup form was simmering on the stove. I think I'll be getting flowers or maybe a dinner out for this little magic trick...

Chicken & Dumplin' Soup  PRINT RECIPE

10 3/4-oz. can cream of chicken soup

4 cups chicken broth

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 (15-oz.) cans mixed vegetables, drained *I used a handful of peas and carrots instead

12-oz. tube refrigerated biscuits, quartered *I used Mary B's frozen Butter Biscuits, slightly thawed 

Optional: pepper to taste

Combine soup and broth in a 6 quart stockpot; bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking until smooth. Stir in chicken and vegetables, bring to a boil. Drop biscuit quarters into soup; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Let soup stand covered for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with pepper, if desired. Serves 6-8

*This can't be improved on much, it's almost perfect! Cut the biscuits in smaller pieces since they puff up quite a bit. They are super tender and really, really good, I was a little skeptical of the whole biscuit thing! My husband ate two bowls, that's like a rating system at my house... 2 bowls is like 5 stars! If you buy rotisserie chicken or have leftover from another day, this recipe is on the table in less than 30 minutes.

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Fried Peach Pies

Grandma Keeling's fried pies were simple, that's not to say that they weren't the most delicious treat that came out of that old kitchen. She was a country cook who used lard and white flour and didn't have to go to the store for everything, they grew most of what they needed. Every morning she put on her apron and made biscuits for Grandpa, he would have thought the world would have come to an end if he didn't have a hot biscuit on his plate alongside his eggs at 7AM! Those biscuits were enjoyed with honey or sorghum or preserves that had been put up over the summer months when their little orchard produced peaches, apples and pears. Grandma also dried the fruits, spreading them out on steel screens that Grandpa fashioned out of old window frames just for this purpose. On special mornings she'd put that little saucepan on the back burner and add some dried peaches in preparation for making her fried pies. As the peaches cooked down the smell of summer filled the kitchen, even if it was the dead of Winter. If you had a Granny who made these for you, I don't have to explain how good they are. If you didn't, you need to make them... just once. Make sure you do it when someone you love is there with you to absorb the goodness♥♥♥

Fried Peach Pies
Filling
6-7 ounces dried fruit (peaches, apples, apricots)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dough

2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tsp salt
1/2 C Crisco Grandma used lard
1/2 C of milk

Put the dried fruit in a saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until the fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cinnamon, then mash with a fork. Set aside while you make the dough.Place flour and salt in a bowl and stir together. Cut in the shortening with a fork and add the milk and stir until dough sticks together. Divide into about 8-10 balls. Roll each out on a floured surface, in 5-6" circles. Place 2 tablespoons or so of filling in each. You want them full but not enough that it oozes out. Wet the edges and fold over, crimping with a fork. Cook in oil which has been heated on medium heat, until brown on both sides, turning as needed. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

Stand back and wait for compliments!

Street Tacos

One of my favorite places to eat when we are in Texas is Taco Cabana. Once you get to the Dallas area, or anywhere south of Dallas... they are everywhere. It's a chain like Taco Bell, but the food is far superior. The difference? Well, they have real cooks in real kitchens making real Mexican food--by hand. That means they are chopping the cilantro, roasting the peppers, stirring the beans and making the tortillas everyday.

My love affair with Taco Cabana started on a balmy March day in 1996 when we had just moved to South Texas. It was icy in NW Arkansas when the movers came to pack us up, but a pleasant 80 degrees as we enjoyed our meal that night on the patio. Over the next 5 years we ate at nearly all of the famous Mexican restaurants in the San Antonio area. As memorable as they were, Taco Cabana is etched in my heart as a favorite!

They have street tacos on the menu now, and while we were in Texas I had them 3 times... they are THAT GOOD!  Little corn tortilla treats filled with seasoned chicken, brisket or pork and topped with a variety of fresh sauces, they are the perfect lunch, dinner or snack.  

I bought this great magazine at Sam's Club in Dallas while we were there and spent the trip home planning the recipes I'm going to make. Better Homes and Gardens publication Mexican is the real deal, authentic dishes from the many regions of Mexico. Inside the covers are the treasured recipes that are so hard to duplicate on your own. This weekend we tried the Beer Braised Chicken Verde, I took a shortcut and made the recipe with rotisserie chicken. The filling was delish, very much like the ones at Taco Cabana♥♥♥

Beer Braised Chicken Verde
1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or dried oregano, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 12 ounce bottle Mexican beer (such as Modelo Especial or Pacifico)

1 11 - 12 ounce can tomatillos, drained

2 4 - 4 1/2 ounce can diced green chile peppers

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add butter, cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until butter melts.

2. Add beer, tomatillos, and chile peppers. Bring to boiling. Add chicken. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink, stirring every 5 minutes to break up the tomatillos. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken from the cooking liquid to a cutting board. Gently boil the cooking liquid, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, using two forks, pull chicken apart into shreds.

3. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the reduced cooking juices; stir to moisten. Use chicken mixture as filling for quesadillas or tacos; pass the remaining cooking juices.

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Tacos el Pastor

1 medium peeled and cored fresh pineapple

8 dried pasilla and/or guajillo chile peppers

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoonsalt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices

16 6 inch corn tortillas

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

Snipped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Bottled hot pepper sauce

1.Cut pineapple into 1/2-inch-thick slices, reserving juice; cover and refrigerate pineapple and reserved juice separately.

2. Remove stems and seeds from chile peppers. Place peppers in a medium bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Allow peppers to stand about 30 minutes or until soft; drain, discarding water.

3. In a food processor or blender combine chile peppers, any juice from the pineapple, the orange juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, cumin, and cloves. Cover and process or blend until nearly smooth.

4. In a 3-quart baking dish arrange pork slices in a single layer, overlapping slices as necessary. Pour chile pepper mixture over pork slices, spreading evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil.

5. For a charcoal grill, place tortilla packet on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Place pork slices and pineapple slices on the grill rack alongside the foil packet directly over medium coals. Grill pork and pineapple slices for 6 to 7 minutes or until pork slices are slightly pink in the center and juices run clear (160 degrees F), turning once. Grill tortilla packet for 10 minutes, turning once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Grill tortilla packet, pork slices, and pineapple as directed above.)

6. Coarsely chop pork and pineapple and combine in a large bowl. Fill warm tortillas with pork and pineapple mixture. Sprinkle each taco with chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and, if desired, hot pepper sauce.
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Roasted Tomato Salsa ~Yes, this IS that great restaurant salsa recipe!

2 1/2 pounds roma tomatoes (about 15)

3 fresh jalapeno peppers

1 medium head garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium white onions, finely chopped

2/3cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, snipped (1/4 cup)

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Tortilla chips

1. Core the tomatoes. Place in one side of a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Halve the jalapeno peppers. Remove stems and seeds. Place, cut side down, in the other side of baking pan with tomatoes. Peel away outer skin from garlic. Cut off the pointed top portion with a knife, leaving the bulb intact but exposing the individual cloves. Add to pan. Roast, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and pepper skins are charred. Cool.

2. Remove tomato skins. Press to remove garlic paste from individual cloves of garlic. Place garlic, jalapeno peppers, and salt in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend with a few pulses until finely chopped. Add half of the tomatoes; cover and process or blend with a few pulses until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining tomatoes to food processor bowl or blender container; cover and process or blend with a few pulses until coarsely chopped. Stir into tomato mixture in bowl.

3. Stir onions, cilantro, and vinegar into tomato mixture until combined. Cover and chill several hours to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes about 4 cups.

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