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Takeout Surprise

This is on my to-do list for Christmas Day, I think. Unless it's turkey... and this gets moved to New Year's Day

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage
• 16 ounces pizza sauce
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. I have rotini.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat. Stir in the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk, and mix well. Pour this mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, top with the cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2017 Allrecipes.com 
Printed From Allrecipes.com 12/16/2017

Maple Dijon Chicken

If you are busy or shopping, working on a stack of cards (I should be doing all three right this minute), your friends and families will love this easy recipe. I made it Sunday for my boys, and the reviews were raving!

Crock pot Maple Dijon Chicken.

In a regular or large crock pot:

Lightly spray or oil interior for easy cleanup.

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. I used frozen chicken tenders, but the gurus call to thaw chicken first.  I used about 10 tenders or so. It really doesn't matter. Use whatever chicken pieces you prefer. 

Lightly salt and pepper as you normally prefer. We are a heavy on the pepper and light on the salt family.

In a small bowl whisk:

1/2 c. mustard. I used the kind with little seeds, whole grain. Any kind will be great.

1/2 cup maple syrup. I always use real. This recipe is paleo-friendly

1/3 cup water

2 T. finely minced garlic. I used the jarred kind in oil.

Pour mixture over chicken and put on the lid.

Here's the hardest part.

Cook on high 4 hours. 

------

I made stove top stuffing. (I always add chopped onion and celery to the boiling liquid for this. I added a salad and a rough-chopped acorn squash sauteed with  secret sauce... (butter and pumpkin creamer cooked until thick...)

After the boys gobbled ate this and I sent the leftover chicken for my son's lunch, I hated to waste the sweet and sour broth, so I cooked a large half-head of cabbage and a package of carrots in it  for the meals during the week. Delicious!

-----

Chicken Delight

("Yes! Eat chicken! Not goose or duck!")

Last night it just seemed like Mom needed a perk me up... Being our family, that usually means something home cooked... I, on the other hand, had been on full blown cleaning mode in the pantry/laundry room... So I was fresh in the knowledge of what we had, I guess. I threw together (a la "Chopped") a Chicken dish that was yummy! Thought I'd share.

In big skillet... In about three T. Olive oil.... Sautè one chopped onion, 2 ribs celery chopped, I small can drained, sliced mushrooms, 1 small can drained, sliced water chestnuts, I small jar drained roasted red pepper, salt, pepper, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and I large can chunk chicken.

You could add other things or leave something out... This would have made a good soup with some chicken broth... It would be good spooned over biscuits or toast... Or rice...

However...

I boiled about half bag of curly egg noodles. I partially drained them and mixed with sauce in big bowl! It was a little soupy last night but just fine. Today that extra soup went into those noodles!
P.S. I discovered a seasoning salt called Soul Food... It's rather yum.

You'll have to try this! Mom loved it!

Hugs and Whimsy!

This and that.......

So, recently my son joined a group of friends for a float trip on the Chariton River. Think they had sooo much fun!

Today I made a recipe for Paleo Stuffed Peppers. I may never go back! Instead of rice in the one pound of hamburger I used about a cup and a half of bagged coleslaw mix. And I chopped up a Granny Smith apple in tiny cubes... I added about a big teaspoon of my new spice called "Soul Food." It's a mix... Gotta go easy, but I love it in very small doses... Added about a fourth of a medium large can of tomato sauce to the hamburger mix... And two eggs. I mixed it with my hands, but not over much...

I had boiled the pepper halves in lightly salted water for three minutes... Put the mixture inside the peppers and covered with my remaining sauce (I added a scant tablespoon of soul food spice and a glug of true maple syrup.

Baked covered one hour at 350° and then uncovered until brown and bubbly.... Oh, my...

Had that, salad, sweet potato baked, crusty cheese bread (for non Paleo... And almond flour flatbread for Paleo).... and green bean bundles... They are easy and pretty, but... I like green bean casserole better. I made eight bundles. Snipped ends off 40 green beans and washed them. Boiled in lightly salted water about four minutes. Drained and added a couple tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper. Tossed. Wrapped in right partially cooked strips of bacon. Baked on oiled cookie sheet 24 minutes at 350°.

Hugs and Whimsy!

A delicious cookie bar.... Enjoy. My mom makes these for very special occasions...

Norma's Pink Frosted Maraschino Cherry Bars

          Layer 1

2 1/4 c. Flour
1c. Butter
1/2 c. Sugar

Mix three ingredients until crumbly.  Press into a 9  x 13 pan.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

          Layer 2

2 eggs
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Vanilla
1/2 c. Cocoanut
1 jar maraschino cherries ( chopped and save juice)
1c. Brown sugar
1/2 t. Baking powder
1c. Pecans (chopped)

Mix all ingredients together.  Pour over crust.  Bake again at 350° for 20 minutes.


          Layer 3

1 T. Butter
1c. Powdered sugar
2 T. Reserved maraschino juice

Mix all ingredients together.  Spread over bars right after they have baked their second 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly, but cut in squares while still warm.

Holiday Icebox Oatmeal Cookies

Holiday Icebox Oatmeal Cookies 

Makes 6-8 dozen
2 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. uncooked, quick-cooking oatmeal (I measure, then grind the oats in the blender)
red and/or green sugar crystals
In large mixing bowl, cream margarine and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir well.
Stir in oatmeal.
Chill dough until firm enough to form into rolls. Shape into four rolls and roll in red or green sugar crystals. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Chill until firm. (Or freeze at this point until needed.)

Slice into 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices and place on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325* F oven about 15-20 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
From Country Folk Art’s magazine Quick ‘n Easy Home Cooking, p. 15, December 1995

From Christmas Notebook blog featured on side bar.

Harvest Moon Cookies from THE GOOD WITCH

Tonight would be a great night for a nap...  Cool air, candles snapping happily..

However, it's Autumn...  who wants to sleep when it's so beautiful outside?  I have decided to finally bake the cookies featured on "The Good Witch" series, Harvest Moon cookies.

Here is the recipe.  Stay tuned for results...  Hey, it's an almond cookie dipped in chocolate.  I think it will be fine, huh?

Harvest Moon Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup ground almond meal ( I ordered mine from Amazon)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F

Cream the butter and slowly add in the sugar.  Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and the almond meal.  Work in the flour gradually. Wrap the dough in wax paper or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. These are delicate cookies, so don't handle them too much. Divide the dough into 2 batches, leaving one in the refrigerator. Divide the dough into small 1 teaspoon sized balls and place them on a cookie sheet and slightly flatten with the heel of your hand or a spatula. Bake until just slightly golden brown on the bottoms, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies and drizzle with white or dark chocolate or cover 1/2 of the cookie in chocolate. Serve with cocoa or chocolate milk for dunking.

Scotcheroos

Halloween Goodies!

Just in case you have forgotten your recipe.....   Scotcheroos

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
6 cups toasted rice cereal
1 2/3 cups NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
1 cup NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine peanut butter, sugar and corn syrup in large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat. Add cereal; stir until thoroughly coated. Press onto bottom of prepared baking pan.
3. Microwave butterscotch morsels and semi-sweet chocolate morsels in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread over cereal mixture.
4. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is firm. Cut into bars.

Makes 30 bars.

 Halloween makes me think of these easy but oooooh so wonderful cookie bars.  My room mate in college made these every weekend, and we were always sooo happy to have cookies in our bottom dresser drawer.  My grandma always sent her Delicious Cookies, and I have temporarily lost that recipe.  (It doesn't matter because it never tastes as good as hers anyway...)

With my cat aglow, and the room filled with candles, my "lair" is becoming quite a witching paradise...  I will try tomorrow night to capture some of the glow but alas! my camera batteries were haunted tonight...  I'm lucky to get this picture.

Enjoy the season...  The moon glows through my west window in the wee hours of the morning when I sneak off for a few winks before school time arrives. My College Prep class finished reading The Crucible today...  such psychologically and spiritually powerful dialog...  I love it.  We're watching the movie tomorrow.

Oatmeal Cake

Happy Autumn!

Welcome in, oh favorite of seasons!  Soul drenching-color and life-giving chill....  So welcome this year after the dry, thirst summer.  

Tonight my son is coming for supper, but today at 4:40, the Queen Autumnal Equinox arrives...  Nothing more appropriate to greet her than a little nod to the season on the front porch, a table setting of a favorite stoneware, and warm oatmeal-cinnamon-raisin cake, and a steaming cup of cappuccino...  

Mom is feeling a bit spry today...  She has been a little under the weather (literally and metaphorically...). I'm so happy she is on the mend.  

I wanted to have my cousin here to celebrate at exactly 4:44, the equinox itself, but she has the flu bug.... So I took her a little recuperation/Autumn snack...  The photo with the cream tablecloth, crow, and pumpkin is her pretty library table...  Home baked warm oatmeal cake (recipe follows) and a little GooGooCluster popcorn...  The popcorn is also a new recipe, but I think it needs tweaking before I share...   

We have a little tradition about candles...  So I tucked a battery votive in a little kitchen tussy-mussy I made with the baking powder can I finished today...  I'm suddenly in touch with my artsy side!  Look out, World.

My new Paula Deen Baker!

Here is the recipe.  

Quick & Easy Oatmeal Cake

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut in small pieces

1 cup boiling water

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Confectioner’s sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 8-inch pie plate or square baking pan; set aside.

Place oats in large bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar over top. Place butter pieces on top of sugar, and pour boiling water over all. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until room temperature.

Beat eggs and add to oats. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Using mixing spoon or electric mixer, add dry ingredients to oat mixture, beating just until blended. Add nuts if desired.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool slightly.  (I had to bake mine about 35 minutes today.)

Sprinkle top heavily with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm or cold. Cold cake may be frosted with favorite frosting instead of sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, if preferred. Cut in wedges to serve.

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Hit the Road Running...

Party time again......

Mom's Favorite

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Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal and Snow Days...

What could be better for the author of a blog called "Oatmeal and Whimsy" than warm oatmeal cookies, a cup of raspberry mocha, and a little nap.....  Well, probably an ice water, exercise, and grilled chicken, now that I think about it.  But I had that yesterday. 

After yet another named snowstorm zipped through yesterday, my son cleared out our drifted drive and then drove my car up and down the road.  Then, through the night, the winds rearranged the snow, and I couldn't get out again...  So today I made him a batch of broccoli soup, (with almond milk because he is doing the Paleo, non dairy thing).  Mom made potato soup for us.  Then, after he fixed the roads once more and left with a friend to see the movie, Olympus Has Fallen, Mom made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.  Her recipe, on a little, yellowed newspaper clipping, is wonderful!  Crisp outside and chewy/soft inside...  She bakes hers for ten minutes at 375.  These had chocolate chips, but she often uses nuts, raisins, etc.  if you can find a little time to bake, I recommend these-----enjoy!

There IS a cure for the Summertime Blues....

Welcome Summer!  Today my sweet cousin surprised me with a summer party outside in her yard.  Look at all the cute things she had for us.  When I drove in, it felt like the pages of a cool magazine....

 Everywhere her yard is filled with beauty...  Such a breath of fresh air!

Just the cure if anyone is thinking of having the Summertime Blues! or especially if you are not!

Lake Effect

Today my dear friend suggested we meet at the lake for a visit, to talk about our Beth Moore James Bible study, and for prayer....  The weather was perfect...  God was so perfect, and we had a soul-soothing time.

She told me on the phone she was bringing us something to drink.  The icy orange surprise was absolutely fabulous!  She said it was even healthy!  I fell into the spell of kind of Dreamsicle slush ambrosia....  and look how cute! She made the whole thing into a party!

The healing words of the Bible study, cool lake air, and the acceptance and care of a friend were priceless!  She is a long-time friend, a lifelong angel sent as a gift from God....  When you can be yourself and still know someone loves you----  it is a gift.  I am blessed!  @@@@@@@@@@@@@--- you also know who you are!

Sunrise Punch recipe --  Pioneer Woman
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
Fill rest of blender with ice and blend! Yummy.

Getting the Horse Before the Cart

 More shots of another Saturday trip...  This beautiful team was "parked" outside a farm house where we bought a quart of fresh molasses..

 Home made bread...  and another cart with some festive pumpkins.

And finally, this  miniature pony and cart...  It was adorable.  I don't suppose Amish horses mind being in a picture.  I never take photographs of any of the people...  I have to stash those in my memory.

Here is a recipe for some wonderful Apple Butter.  My Aunt Hazel made this often, and I made it at home.  If we get to an orchard, this will be on my to-do list..  Right now, I would say it is "cart before the horse" as my gramma used to say.



Aunt Hazel's APPLE BUTTER


6 lbs. apples
1-2 quarts sweet cider (Grandma used 2, I use 1 because I can cook a shorter time. Grandma thought longer was better)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves




Cook the apples in the cider and press through a food mill or sieve. (I just mashed with potato masher).   Mix in sugar and spices to taste. Pour pulp into a non-reactive pan (I use an old enameled roaster) and bake at 250, stirring every hour or so, until "thick enough". If I'm in a hurry, I start at 350, then turn it down after a couple of hours. I usually double or triple the amount, so mine takes a long time to cook down. This amount will still take several hours.
When it's "thick enough", pour into hot jars and Boiling water bath 10 minutes for half pints or pints, 15 minutes for quarts.  Seal.  If you want to skip the seal step, this will freeze or keep in the refrigerator for a long time.

Comfort Food

When the nights blow cold but the days are pretty, I love to use the slow cooker and spend time with other things...  This is a favorite....  reminds me of my mother's pressure cooker steaks from my childhood!

--------------------------------

Slow Cooker Round Steak

Ingredients

• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 pounds boneless round steak
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup water

Directions

1. Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots in slow cooker. Cut steak into six pieces, then place the meat on top of vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water; pour over beef.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Kitten, Kitten... Kat.....

My son sent me a quickly-snapped photo of my dear little cat, Sally...  She is a happy camper,snoozing away on his couch....  Is there anything more peaceful than watching a cat gently snoozing away an afternoon, a morning, an evening....????  Well, perhaps doing the snoozing, too...  That might be peaceful and fun...

However, it's Autumn...  who wants to sleep when it's so beautiful outside?  I have decided to finally bake the cookies featured on "The Good Witch" series, Harvest Moon cookies.

Here is the recipe.  Stay tuned for results...  Hey, it's an almond cookie dipped in chocolate.  I think it will be fine, huh?

Harvest Moon Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup ground almond meal ( I ordered mine from Amazon)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F

Cream the butter and slowly add in the sugar.  Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and the almond meal.  Work in the flour gradually. Wrap the dough in wax paper or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. These are delicate cookies, so don't handle them too much. Divide the dough into 2 batches, leaving one in the refrigerator. Divide the dough into small 1 teaspoon sized balls and place them on a cookie sheet and slightly flatten with the heel of your hand or a spatula. Bake until just slightly golden brown on the bottoms, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies and drizzle with white or dark chocolate or cover 1/2 of the cookie in chocolate. Serve with cocoa or chocolate milk for dunking.

Happy Labor Day!

Good morning...

I slip to the windows... Regular time, at six in the morning.  Intense mist, gray swirling fogs...  My world is swathed in delicious moisture as if long, lost lives have again found each other----the earth and the rains and cuddling in sweet harmony this morning.  A day off from school, so newly begun...

31 years ago Labor Day brought me a new baby....  My son will be 31 on Wednesday.  So will I...  Don't we sometimes feel we only began to learn when we started teaching our children just what life includes...

Hot Almond Joy Coffee on the porch with Mom and some Oatmeal bars...  I hear the birds, the sunrise...  and the chocolate chips calling my name.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1 cake mix yellow ... or try something spicy....
2 c. quick oats
1 1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips



that's it.   blend all but chips until crumbly.  press half in sprayed 9 x 13 pan.  sprinkle chips.  i could see some almonds or pecans here... or some raisins...  crumble and pat on the other half and bake 20-25 min.

cool...  if you are so inclined, and I wasn't...  drizzle with warm caramel.