Recipe Swap Thread

[Mary]

Gosh, it sure has been awhile since I've been here! So many new things to try. Now pecan pie is my favorite and add a little peanut butter and chocolate I just may die a happy woman.

I never make pecan pie anymore because I'm the only one who will eat it. I won't order it here in NJ because it just isn't the same as the ones that you get in the South. Rest assured that I will try this one soon.

Deanna, I have put Pizza Dip in a crock pot and it was fine. Mostly I just microwave it because the boys gobble it up so fast. I made a batch yesterday for Easter. I also made cheese sauce for scalloped potatoes and Easter Bread also called Braided Egg Bread. My freezer is getting full.

I'll post the bread recipie soon. It makes the most delicious french toast instead of the usual white bread.

[woodstock854]

Mary,
I make braided Easter bread, too.  Is it the one you put Easter eggs in???  It's a tradition in my house on Easter.     If not the same, I will look forward to trying yours!!!

[woodstock854]

WOODY, I will maybe make this tomorrow seeing I have all the ingredients.  I will omit the water also.  I think I will half this recipe as it makes to much for two people.  Thanks for bringing this recipe over. 

Let me know what you think, Pepe!!!  I like to make big batches because I come home for lunch and love leftovers.  I will freeze some containers of this for  later.   

[Mary]

Debbie, I don't put eggs in the bread but I think that you certainly could.

Braided Egg Bread

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup hot milk
2 eggs plus 1 egg to brush on formed bread before baking
2 packages yeast
1 cup warm
6 cups white flour (approximately)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Place sugar, shortening and salt in a bowl, whisk together to mix
Add hot milk and stir to soften
Beat in eggs
Proof yeast in warm water and stir into shortening mixture
Add 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beat until smooth
Add enough flour to make a SOFT dough

Note: Do not over stuff the dough with flour. Sometimes it will only take 5 cups of flour total and other times it can take all 6 cups. As with most breads it is better to prepare dough when it is not raining and when the barometer is rising and not falling. Don't ask me why but it works.

Kneed until smooth
Cover and let rise in a greased bowl until doubled
Punch dough down
Divide into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a 12 inch long rope
Shape into 2 braided loafs and let rise on a greased baking sheet until doubled again
Brush top with the third egg beaten and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired
Bake in a preheated 370 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Note: Half way through the baking time I rotate the loaves to ensure even browning.
You can tell when the loaf is done by tapping gently on the top. When it has a hollow sound it is done.

Lori, your carott and crab soup sounds delicious!

[woodstock854]

Mary - The recipe sounds very good!!!  I will have to try it.

Pepe - Did you try the Spicy Pork Chili???

They bring books into our school for teachers to buy...all kinds of books at a discount.  I bought my daughter a Crock Pot cookbook since she has a crockpot....and for each book you buy, you get to put in for a chance to win a book, and I WON the same crock pot book!!!  As soon as I find some new recipes, I will share here. 

[Mary]

Today all I wanted to make is blueberry muffins. Jeepers, they are way too expensive this early in the season I know I have paid an arm and a leg before but this is just too expensive even for me once a year when that's all I want. I'll make them all summer when they are reasonably priced.

I want to plant blueberries. Norm is not so happy about that...yet.

I'm on my new laptop and my son Brian has it set up to network with my old computer. Not working today. Worked fine for the past few days. So I'll post the recipe when I finally break down and pay for the blueberries.

If anyone has a recipe for a classic potato salad I'd really love to try it. Mine is not great to say the least so I buy it at Shop-rite but sometimes the potatoes are almost raw but it is still much better than  what I make.

Hamburgers on the grill tonight and store bought potato salad.

Deanna, I've started taking pictures of my food and inserting them in my recipe files.   Norm and the boys were laughing their heads off. Both kids wanted me to print a few out.

[Pepe]

MARY, did you check the bags of frozen blueberries, they are usually cheaper and just about as good.  When I see potato salad in the stores that look good I always ask for a taste first and end up never buying any of it as the potatoes are always hard, my potato salad is good just hate the trouble of making it. Always enjoy your posts Mary!!!!!!

[Mary]

Pepe, I never gave frozen blueberries a thought! I certainly will try that tip when blueberries are out of season. I bought blueberries at the salad bar in the supermarket and made muffins for Mother's Day.

When I was a little girl we went to my aunt and uncle's place in Long Island for vacation every year and every morning we went out and picked blueberries for pancakes or muffins for breakfast and sometimes for a buleberry pie.

I'll post the recipe soon. Norm just asked it I wanted to go out for lunch! We're going to a place that has outdoor tables and since this is the first really nice day for eating out we are going in a few minutes.

[Mary]

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large mixing bowl combine the first five ingredients.
In another bowl beat eggs lightly then add and mix the other wet ingredients.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until a moist batter forms
Fold in blueberries
Fill muffin tins and sprinkle tops with extra sugar if desired

Bake 20 to 25 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen

I usually add a little extra sugar in the mix because I like these muffins extra sweet

[Pepe]

MARY, YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!  I was waiting for this recipe.  I am following you around today just read your post on the Garden thread!    Thanks for the recipe.

[Mary]

Pepe, I'm following you around today! Below is the recipie that you requested in the garden thread. It's from a Susanne Somer's cookbook.

Homemade Mayonnaise

2 organic eggs (see note)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

[Mary]

Don't ask me how that got posted! I've lost posts in the past few days now this darn computer is just posting away on it's own!

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
dash of Tabasco sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup vegetable oil

Blend all the ingredients except the oil with a whisk or in a blender. Add the oil very gradually in a thin stream whisking constantly. Adjust seasonings to taste and refrigerate.

Note: Wash fresh eggs in shells in soapy water first and rinse thoroughly to helpavoid and danger of salmonella.


When I make this I use whatever eggs that I have on hand. I usually only make a half batch because I don't like the yellow color it has but the flavor is great. I usually mix with store bought mayo to adjust the color.

[stargazer]

 Attention all cooks,

Gotta tell you about my cooking ordeal yesterday, it is hilarious?

I was taking dessert and salad to my sister's for dinner.
Salad no problem. I"ll give you the recipe later.
BUT.......

APRICOT TART WITH FRANGIPANI AND TOSASTED ALMONDS.

   Baked puff pastry for tart shell, wasn't quite high enough to hold thecustard and apricots . No problem i could improvise.
   Halved pitted and bake aproicot s to sweetn them.

Did't work the were sour as can be

Pured the with sugar, the more, sugar, then more sugar, still ver----y tart. Added 8 oz. Cream cheese. Better but still sour. More sugar.

I DON'T GIVE UP EASILY AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT.

SO-- THAT PUREE IS NOT GOING INTO A TART SHELL.
i GRABBED A YELLOW CAKE MIX, DUMPED THE APRICOT MIX, THE CAKE MIX, AND THREE EGGS AND MADE A CAKE.

MUCH TO MY SURPIZE IT TURNED OUT OKAY,

The  I turned it out onto a tray and it broke into 3 pieces. Chane in plans again.

Plunked it carefully back in the pan. made a yummy chocolate buttercream frosting with almond and vailla extract and spread it on top to hide the problems.

That was the weirdest tasting cake, not bad , great frosting, but the sour cake through it off just a little.

[clayMaine-iac]

Nancy

I have had days in the kitchen just like you did. 

Here is one of the stories that still gets told in my house:

A few years ago I went on a bus trip to Atlantic City with my husband, my parents, and their next door neighbors.  We took along a small coffee pot for our hotel room and a small portable bar. We took all the makings for coffee and for making Margarita's.

We watched the movie Mr. Holland's Opus on the bus trip home.  When we arrived back home, the movie was not over.  There was about 15 minutes left to view.  I decided to rent the movie so that we could all see the ending.  There happened to be a fundraiser supper in our area the following evening that we were all going to, so I invited my parents and their neighbors over to see the end of the movie after that supper. 

I decided to make rice pudding that day for dessert for all of us to go with the movie.  When I was making the rice pudding I took the container of sugar we had packed to take on our bus trip and added it to the pudding.  There was about 1/4 cup of sugar left when we got home.

Well, as fate would have it, no one wanted dessert that evening because we had all eaten too much at the supper served.

Well it is a good thing that no one wanted some pudding during the movie!!! 

When my husband got himself a bowl of the pudding the next day, he said, "Can you taste this?? It tastes strange to me."  I tried it and I knew right away what I was tasting.  It was the saltiest pudding I have ever tried. Apparently, the leftover sugar was actually the leftover salt for the Margaritas. 

To this day, I am glad that none of the guests wanted dessert that night. 

[Mary]

Did you know that the box of aluminum foil has little tabs on the sides that when you push them in they will secure the roll of foil in place? I had no clue that they were there. Once I discovered that I looked at the plastic wrap box and sure enough the tabs were on that box also! My rolls are now secure in their little boxes and I can sleep better at night knowing this. :angelThose little tabs were not on my wax paper box but that box is very old so maybe this is something new. Anyway, my shopping list now has "check wax paper box" on it!

[fhmmany2]

BUMP!!!!

I'm bumping this thread forward - it is Christmas time - anybody have a recipe they want to share?

[Pepe]

How I miss everyone posting here, it was always so much fun to come and see what you all were serving to your families and to guests.  It would be great fun to see what everyone is fixing for the holidays for snacks, desserts or main meals.  I am looking for something different to fix but just don't know what it is yet.   I have asked FRANKIE to post her Oatmeal cookie recipe for me. 

[fhmmany2]

Pepe - there is nothing special about my oatmeal cookie recipe - it is the one on the Quaker Oats box! I bet your problem with oatmeal cookies has to do with your oven - this recipe will make soft or hard cookies, depending upon the length of time in the oven. Just experiment with taking cookies out at different times until you find a consistency you like:

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) margaine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1tespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker oats (quick or old fashioned - uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together sugars and butter until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Stir in oats and raisins, mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown (adjust time to your oven!) Cool one minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

 Variations: Bar cookies: Bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan.
                   Chopped pecans or walnuts  (1/2/ cup) may also be added to this recipe

[fhmmany2]

And here is the chocolate pie recipe you wanted. I bet anything it is the same chocolate pie your grandmother cooked, because it is the same one my grandmother cooked! The recipe is from the box of Hersheys cocoa:

Crust - make the pie crust of your choice or buy one 9-inch deep dish pie crust (guess which one I do!  ) You will need a deep dish pie plate or crust because this recipe makes a lot of filling. Bake pie crust at 325 degrees until lightly browned.

Filling:  1 1/2 cups sugar
             1/2 stick butter (or margazine) softened
             3 level tablespoons Hershey Cocoa
             4 level tablespoons self-rising flour
             3 egg yolks
             l large can evaporated milk
             1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients first to avoid lumping during cooking - then add wet ingredients - cook until thick over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Pour into baked pie shell.

Meringue: Whip 3 room-temperature egg whites (4 if you like a tall meringue) until soft peaks form.  While still beating, slowly add 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is glossy. Spoon onto pie, and bake at 325 degrees until meringue is lightly browned.

It would not be Christmas around here without chocolate pie.

[Pepe]

FRANKIE, thanks so much for taking the time to post these recipes and I know it does take time to type them up.  I bet that is the chocolate pie recipe my mother made as I remember her using a can of pet milk.  I promise you I will make both these recipes the pie and the cookie.  Have to wait till after Wednesday though as that is shopping day for me.