May 30 Thought For The Day

People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing - and I've had some doozies.

Ravioli Taco Bake

I receive a newsletter from Recipe Lion and have found some of their posted recipes really good and some only so-so. They have a lot of copycat recipes listed for places like Cracker Barrel and many others and again some of them I have tried have been very good and very close to the original, some not so much. This recipe is one they had listed on their list of favorite casseroles for 2011. I haven't tried it yet but it is so different that I have added to my list of "want to trys". If you give it a go I would love to hear your response!

May 29 Thought For The Day

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and love is the best pair of rose colored glasses available.

King Ranch Chicken

I received this recipe from a co-worker years ago and it has always been one of my favorites. It's easy to make and reheats really well IF you have any leftovers.

May 28 Thought For The Day

Dorito Casserole - Updated

On the 11th of May I posted a recipe for Dorito Casserole.  The other day, looking in my pantry for inspiration on what to make for supper, I spied a bag of Nacho flavored Doritos and recalled this recipe. Decided to give it a try. As I usually do the first time I make a new recipe, I followed the recipe exactly. As I was making the casserole several questions came to mind that were not answered in the recipe. The first thing was that the recipe did not state what flavor of Doritos to use. I had nacho cheese flavored and since this is a 1977 recipe and nacho cheese was the first Dorito flavor I decided that was probably going to work. I think it worked great and the nacho flavor definitely went with the other flavors. The recipe also did not state whether the Doritos were to be crushed or left whole. I decided to go with whole and again I think that was the right decision. The amount wasn't stated so I poured some into my baking dish so that the bottom was completely covered. Then I used 1/2 of the soup and meat mixture, put another layer of the chips and then the remaining 1/2 of the soup and meat. Lastly, the amount of cheese to use was not stated so I used what I had, Monterey Jack shredded and put on plenty (I really like cheese!) I baked for 25 minutes until it looked hot and bubbly and then served with shredded lettuce, sour cream and some chopped tomatoes I decided to add.

I was very pleased with the way the casserole turned out. I thought the flavor was really good and it was definitely different that other casseroles I have had. I think the only change I would make when I make it again is to add some sliced black olives, simply because I like them in Mexican food. It was easy to make and took very little time and leftovers heated up will the next day. Overall I am giving this recipe a definite thumbs up and will be making it again!

May 25 Thought For The Day

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.

May 24 Thought For The Day

Today's thought speaks for itself.

Zucchini Bread

There are many good recipes around for zucchini bread and this is the one I have used for years and have had very good luck with. As anyone who has a garden and grows zucchini knows, at harvest time you need lots of good recipes for using it all up. Friends, for some reason, stop answering their door when they see you coming, afraid you have more zucchini for them. This bread freezes very well and it is nice to be able to thaw it out for a winter treat. I also freeze grated zucchini in 2 cup containers so I can mix up a batch whenever the mood strikes.

May 23 Thought For The Day

If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.

May 22 Thought For The Day

Always laugh when you can. It's cheaper than medicine.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Pasta with a different slant! This is another recipe from The Way to His Heart. I love pasta and love Italian food but this recipe is really nice change of pace!

May 21 Thought For The Day

These days I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter. I go somewhere to get something....then wonder what I'm here after.

King Ranch Chicken

I seem to be on a Mexican food kick lately, but every time I look through my recipes to see what I want to post next, it's the Mexican food recipes that catch my eye. This is a recipe I have been making for years and it has always gotten rave reviews.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I really like to make my own seasonings, condiments and to use as little prepared foods as possible. There is always so much sodium and so many chemicals in prepared foods. And yes, I know that flavor enhancers, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and lots of things I don't even know what they are, all make foods last longer, taste better?, and look better but I really don't want them in my foods! I prefer to know what is in my food. However I never considered making my own tortillas. I figured they were probably difficult to make and very time-consuming, but guess what? According to this recipe they aren't difficult at all and I'm definitely going to give them a try. I would love to hear from you if you try this recipe and have your opinion.

May 20 Thought For The Day

Taco Seasoning II

I was looking at an impressive site today called The Way To His Heart. I like to make as much of my food from scratch as possible in order to cut down on salt and chemicals added to prepared food. The Way To His Heart site had several recipes I found interesting including this one for Taco Seasoning. I already have a recipe for the seasoning but this one sounded good also and I want to give it a try to see how it compares with the one I have been using. I will also be posting another recipe for Homemade Flour Tortillas I found on the site. I would love to hear from you if you try these or other from scratch recipes. Wonder over to the site as she also has recipes for homemade enchilada sauce and homemade ketchup that looked good!

Chili Relleno Casserole

This is one of the recipes I got from my Mom that I really like. It is really cheesy and not as spicy as one would think, so it's really worth a try!

May 19 Thought For The Day

We've all heard the term "it's a dog's life". Maybe we should take a lesson from our dogs. The lesson being:
Enjoy life's simple pleasures! It's all a matter of attitude!!

Tostado Casserole

I love Mexican food, real Mexican food and Americanized Mexican food, so when I'm in a hurry for something fast and easy I tend to think of things like tacos, or Mexican style casseroles. This recipe is a fast and easy casserole. This basic recipe can be spiced up with salsa, onions or peppers as you prefer.

May 18 Thought For The Day

Don't wait until tomorrow to tell your loved ones how much you love them, tomorrows aren't guaranteed to come.

Homespun Corn Bread

This is another recipe from the Hill N' Holler cookbook published by the Madison County Arkansas Extension Homemakers Club in 1977. I love these recipes and hope that you will enjoy this one.

May 17 Thought For The Day

Middle age is when you know all the answers and nobody asks you the questions.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

This is a recipe I found at Fave Healthy Recipes. This is what they have to say about it:
"Instead of always relying on store-bought seasoning mixes, learn how to make your own seasoning blends at home. This Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe from Dorothy Delaney shows you just how easy it is to make taco seasoning from scratch. Best of all, when you use homemade spice blend recipes, you always know exactly what you are putting into your body."
I am a big fan of natural items so this is one of my favorites.

Review Blue Bunny All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream

Have you noticed how many people have digestive issues lately? I have, because I'm one of them. Now, I don't know about anybody else but I have found through experience that many of my problems seem to be caused by products with a list of chemicals with names I can't pronounce - flavor enhancers, preservatives, chemicals to improve consistency and on and on. I know that all of the chemicals make our food taste better, last longer and look better BUT I for one want good natural food! I now make most of my own dressings and tend to cook much more from scratch so that I will know what is in my food. I recently tried Blue Bunny All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream and according to the ingredients list the only ingredients are: Milk, Cream, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean. I was amazed - the flavor was great, almost like the homemade ice cream we used to make in crank ice cream makers, and best of all it didn't upset my system! So now, along with organic veggies and hormone free meat I have added this ice cream to my list of approved items. If you have tried this ice cream I would love to hear your opinion!

House Pets

I saw this posted on Facebook and got a chuckle out of it! If you have a house pet I'm sure you can identify. I have a 9 year old miniature poodle named Tucker who is my constant companion, and I do mean constant. If I go in the kitchen he's right with me. If I go outside, he goes outside. If I sit down he's right at my feet or on my lap AND if food is involved his eyes are glued to me! I literally have to leave the house and yard to sneak a piece of candy without him knowing. What would I do without him? I can't begin to imagine!

May 15 Thought For The Day

Of all the things you wear, the most important - your expression - costs you nothing!

Scalloped Tomatoes

Here is another recipe from the Hill N' Holler cookbook published by the Madison County Arkansas Extension Homemakers Club in 1977. This is another recipe to try in the fall when gardens are producing more than you know what to do with. Tomatoes have always done great in my garden and we can only eat, can, and make salsa out of so many so will be giving this a try myself this fall. I would love your comments if you have tried this recipe or one like it.

May 14 Thought For The Day

May 13 Thought For The Day

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!!!

Sky Winds Papaw Cake

In 1976 my family, husband and kids, moved to Arkansas to a farm way back on a graveled road - we loved it! We had many adjustments to make, having lived in the city in Nebraska prior to our move (bugs for one!). One of the things I kept hearing about and found growing on our farm were papaws. I, of course, had heard the saying "down in the papaw patch" but didn't have a clue what a papaw was or what in the world you did with them! Never could get the kids to eat them, and really couldn't blame them. Today I found this recipe in the Hill N' Holler cookbook put out by the Madison County Arkansas Extension Homemakers Club in 1977 - sure wish though that I had seen this recipe back then. I sure would have tried it! I hope someone will let me know if they have ever made this type of cake or if they try this recipe - papaws aren't available here in Idaho so I won't be trying it myself, but I'm really curious how it would be.

Cherry Crunch

My Dad, who will be 90 in June, is still, thankfully, in very good health and lives on his own. He is very alert and does some basic cooking for himself. My sister in law cooks extra and takes things to him and when I visit I take things I know he likes but doesn't cook for himself. I'm going to visit tomorrow and plan on taking meat loaf, scalloped potatoes and green beans in ranch dressing. Because I know he also loves desserts I decided to take a Cherry Crunch this time as I know he enjoys anything with cherries in it. Would love to hear from you if you try this dessert - it's another from the Hill N' Holler, Madision County Arkansas Extension Club cookbook. This cookbook if rapidly becoming one of my favorites as I keep finding recipes for things I haven't had for years. It was published in 1977 (hard to believe that was 35 years ago!). I hope we can keep some of these great old recipes alive.

May 12 Thought For The Day

Quick Coconut Custard Pie

Another recipe from the Hill N' Holler, Madision County Arkansas Extension Club cookbook. Let me tell you, my list of recipes I "want to try sometime soon" is really getting long! Hope you all can help me out and let me know if you try any of these and what your thoughts are  - then I'll move it up the list if you like it or move it down if you don't! This recipe went on the list because I love custard, coconut and quick...

Dorito Casserole

I have recently been posting recipes from my Mom's cookbook published by Madison County Arkansas Extension Club in 1977. I have really been enjoying reading through the recipes and this is another one that caught my attention and I have put it on my "want to try sometime soon" list. If it looks interesting to you and you decide to give it a try I would love to have your comments on it!

May 11 Thought For The Day

My Moms Recipes

My dear Mother passed away almost 2 years ago now and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and miss her. I grew up primarily in Kansas and Nebraska with a meat and potatoes Father. We almost always had some type of meat, primarily beef and chicken, potatoes and either corn, green beans, peas or carrots. I didn't taste things like broccoli, squash, and cauliflower until I was out on my own. Once my folks retired and became snowbirds going to Arizona each winter they started going to lots of potlucks and get togethers and Mom became much more varied in her cooking.

I was recently going through her cookbooks and recipe cards and it brought back so many memories of her telling me about new recipes she was trying and how proud she was of the results she was getting. I am going to be posting some of the recipes I know were her favorites and that my family and I enjoyed when we visited. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of most of these and being single I can't cook them all up for just myself in order to get pictures but I hope that you will try some of them and enjoy them!

Basic Meatloaf

When I was growing up we frequently had meatloaf and I loved it! Of course, I'm pretty much a fan of things made with hamburger, probably because it was an inexpensive meat when I was growing up and ours was a large family to feed. I still really enjoy meatloaf though I now tend to add more veggies and seasonings to it. A good basic meatloaf still can't be beat though!

Yeast Biscuits

Another recipe from the Madison County Extension Clubs Hill N' Holler cookbook, published in 1977. I have for years added yeast to my biscuits, I just like the flavor and bit of lightness the yeast adds. I haven't seen any recipes for yeast biscuits though so I found this recipe interesting. I haven't tried this recipe but it is very close to what I make. Hope you will give them a try and enjoy!

Zucchini Cake

This is another recipe from my Mom's Hill N' Holler recipe book published by the Madison County Extension Club in Arkansas in 1977. Since zucchini is so prolific in gardens I found this recipe interesting and plan to give it a try when I start getting over run with squash. If you try it I would love to hear your comments!

Elephant Stew

As I was looking through my Mom's recipes I came across a cookbook called Hill N' Holler published by the Madison County Extension Club in Arkansas in 1977.  I recognized so many names from the book and  reading the recipes brought back a lot of great memories. Imagine my surprise when in the middle of pages of Meats and Casseroles I came across this recipe for Elephant Stew! Thought you might enjoy it if you are going to be serving a crowd!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized elephant
• 2 rabbits (optional
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cut the elephant into small bite sized pieces. Add enough brown gravy to cover. Cook over a kerosene fire at 465 degrees for about 4 weeks. This will serve 3,800 people.

If more are expected, 2 rabbits may be added. BUT, do this only in an emergency, as most people do not like hare in their stew!