Sunday, January 17, 2010

HEAVENLY MOLTEN FUDGE CAKES

HEAVENLY MOLTEN FUDGE CAKES
A BETTY CROCKER RECIPE
5 Ounces of Semisweet or Bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
3 Eggs
3 Egg yolks
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1. Heat oven to 450* Grease bottom and sides of six 6-ounce custar cups with shortening. In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with wire wisk or hand beater until well blended. Beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and flour. Divide batter evenly among custard cups.
3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until sides are set and cakes feel soft when touched in center. Run small knife or metal spatula along sides of cakes to loosen. Immediately turn upside down onto individual plate; remove cups. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.
Serve warm.
This is great! You can make it a day ahead cover in fridge and bake the next day but you'll need to bake 1 to 2 minutes longer. **IF YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE ~ THIS IS THE BEST***!!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sweet Nothings From Home: Lauren's French Toast Casserole

Sweet Nothings From Home: Lauren's French Toast Casserole

Lauren's French Toast Casserole


Lauren's French Toast Casserole


12 Slices fo Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Bread (ie Pepperidge Farm)

6 Eggs

2 Cups Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1 1/2 Packages of Cream Cheese

Dash of Salt

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

4 TBLSP. Butter

1 TBLSP. Maple Syrup (NH Made of Course!)


In a 9X13 baking dish, greased well (with butter or spray coating ie PAM) stack bread with cream cheese spread on one side, cream cheese side down. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Pour over bread making sure all the bread is covered. Soak bread overnight.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir butter (melted), brown sugar and syrup then pour over the bread. Bake about 1 hour. Let set for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.


This recipe has also become a traditional Christmas Morning meal! My Daughter-In-Law made it to share one year and I've shared it with many of my other friends. ENJOY! Thank you Lauren!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Aunt Brenda's Homemade Chicken or Beef Noodles

Picture is: (L to R) Aunt Brenda, Mom (Joan Hart), Brenda's Daughter Tracy Joan (Davis) McClellan and Cousin Pauline Garrett.
Title: Aunt Brenda's Noodles for Beef or Chicken


Description:I'm going to try & fit her entire letter in here! Here goes and I'm going to write it just like she wrote it to me.


OK Shelly, you wanted to make noodles and I'm going to try and lead you through. You know this would be easier if you were here don't ya? Oh well! Can't blame me for trying to get you out here, I miss you all.


Since you aren't here, here we go, you will need the following:


*A big enough clean area (like kitchen table) to work on.

*An apron on or something that you don't care if you get flour all over the front of you. Don't feel bad! I get flour all over the front of me everytime!

*A rolling pin to roll out noodles

*Big bowl for mixing dough in

*Small bowl to beat up the eggs in

*1 cup measuring cup & 1 Tblsp Measure & 1 tsp measure

*Big sharp knife to cut noodles

*Cutting board to cut noodles on so you don't cut up your table.

*Flour bag or Canister

*Salt box (with salt in it)

*Eggs

*Butter Shortening


Now some tips:


*When you mix up the dough with your hands you can use a little flour to get it off, also to get the dough off the bowl. JUST A LITTLE!

*Do not knead the dough alot you will make the noodles tough!

*You can use A LITTLE WATER in the dough to make it more workable.

*Make sure you have a light layer of flour on table under noodles when you roll out. If they stick use a little flour.

*If you double or triple the recipe roll out you dough in separate batches

* Roll out dough so it's not real thick or paper thin

*There is no certain law when you make noodles. After the first time you will adjust to preferences

*When you add the noodles to broth make sure it's boiling and don't add all at once. Add them gradually or they will all clump up in a ball. So as you add, Stir too! And stir often while cooking to prevent sticking in bottom of your pot. If they start sticking just turn the fire down a little. Don't know how long they take to cook, but I taste at intervals for tenderness.


Boy - I wish we were doing this in person, it would be hilarious I'd love it! We have such a GREAT time! Tell Doug to take pictures of your 1st time I'd love to see them! Really sounds like alot but it really isn't and in time you'll be a PRO! Good luck!!


Now for the recipe... You can adjust this bigger, smaller depending on how much you want to make. This recipe is just for Bernard & I, but I double and triple for all of us! For me at work I "5 times it"! I serve 80 + people (Brenda cooks at a local hospital in Ohio)


OK!Cook Noodles in 3 - 4 Qts Broth (maybe more - maybe less... )


Place flour & salt & butter flavor Crisco in bowl & mix until shortening is mixed up. (Possibly mix w/fork to blend) Add eggs & mix in well til dough is rollable.


Once dough is mixed place on floured surface on table and roll out (not too thick - not too thin) into shape of circle. Works well if you divide the total amount of dough in half or into 4 small batches & roll each into circle. Cut circle into 1/4's or cut in half then half again so you get four pie shaped pieces for the circle. Stack the four pieces with flour between the layers so they don't stick to each other. Roll up, jelly roll fashion and cut slices from one end to the other. Sprinkle with little more flour on slices then toss and separate with fingers. Lay aside and repeat until done.


Then add noodle to boiling broth and cook.


Hope you understand what I've written, tried to cover everything. If you have questions just call me and I'll try to explain further. It's really easy! Really it is!!If you make too many noodles you can freeze them but you got to make sure that they dry out all the way before freezing them in a zip lock bag!


Ingredients:


2 Cups Flour

1 teaspoon (tsp) salt

2 Tablespoons (TBLSP) butter flavor Crisco shortn'g

2 Eggs (beaten a little)


Directions:


See the discription above please.


This is a recipe I've been bugging my Aunt Brenda to give me for a long time! It's the first thing I like to have to eat when I go to Ohio to visit besides Jowl Bacon! Above was a letter pretty much to me from her and I just cherish what ever she tells me and always will. The only other part that's not in her directions is to cook 1 whole chicken in the slow cooker all day while you're at work or whatever OR you can cook stew beef in the slow cooker with some broth then when you get home you just skim off any fat from the broth & add more broth or a little water to cook your noodles in. It's really simple because the noodles can be made up ahead of time!


Number Of Servings: 2 - 4 but can be doubled, tripled etc....

Preparation Time: Awhile, so do it when you have time.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My baby boy is 29 years old...


My oldest son, Jason Scott is 29 years old today... He was born 29 years ago tonight at 11:30pm. All 6lbs 15 oz's of him and 21 inches long! He was as beautiful as ever imagined. The next day the nurses were unwrapping that tight swaddling around him to show me he had all his fingers and toes. I was STUNNED to say the least and Jason didn't like it when they unwrapped his little skinny body to leave him flailing in the breeze either! I just wanted them to wrap him back up and keep him warm. I remember being in some pretty strong labor the day he was born but it was induced labor. He was 2 weeks late and really didn't want to come out. The heart rate began to drop so the doctor had to get him out fast! They decided on a C-Section... Dr. Sauter brought in the pediatrician Dr. Wolcott to meet me, in the middle of this horendous pain! I remember spinning my head around like something out of a horror film and spewing "Fine time to meet me now!! I just want to go home and keep the fire going with my Dad!" I wanted it to be over! In the end, I had this beautiful baby boy that has given me 29 amazingly, loving, challenging, fullfilling years! I'm proud of you Jason. I don't tell you a lot for fear that it will go to your head but I hope that it goes to your heart! God Bless you and guide you always baby boy, I love you!






Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Sweet Nothings From Home: Cheesy Ham & Asparagus Bake

Sweet Nothings From Home: Cheesy Ham & Asparagus Bake

Cheesy Ham & Asparagus Bake

This recipe I'm putting on here at the request of a special friend! Hope you find this to be of your liking... ENJOY!

Cheesy Ham & Asparagus Bake

1 1/2 Cups Chopped Ham+

1/2 Cup onion

1/4 Cup Red Bell Peppers

1 (10 ounce) Frozen Asparagus, Thawed

8 Eggs

2 Cups Milk

1 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

3/4 tsp Dried Tarragon

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions: Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Mix ham, onion, bell pepper and asparagus in the prepared baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, parmesan, tarragon, salt & pepper. Pour over the ham mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until a knife inserted in the center come out clean. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Continue baking 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

This is my annual Christmas Breakfast dish for the family... Since my oldest son Jason married his wife Lauren has added to our little tradition sharing a wonderful stuffed French Toast recipe which I'll share another time with you!