Catching Up

I can't believe so much time has passed since my last post here. It has been an expecially busy year or two since my husband retired. However, I want to try to post entries a little more regularly.


Finally - after over 40 years of baking and cooking, I have learned to make biscuits! I'm very proud of that fact since the results of my efforts were always hard as rocks. The instructions for most biscuit recipes tell you not to overmix the dough. With the help of my Bisquick Cookbook, I finally learned to ignore this bit of instruction. Now, I can finally make biscuits with ANY biscuit mix. I must say that my favorite biscuit mix is the Pioneer Brand. It costs a little more, but doesn't seem to have as much shortening in the mix and it definitely has less salt. The biscuits are lighter than the Bisquick biscuits. The sodium content in the ready-made biscuits in refrigerated cans is what led me to try the various biscuit mixes again. Also, the ready-made biscuits are more expensive than if you make them yourself. Anyway, biscuits are a nice, simple accompaniment for the Senate Bean Soup recipe.


Another think this cook has finally learned is the care of cast-iron cookware. I shied away from it because it is so heavy, but I've become tired of always replacing non-stick cookware every few years. Even the ones with lifetime warranties lose their non-stick properties after a while and who has the time to ship the pan to be repaired or replaced? When you need a pan or pot, you need it right away - especially a skillet. After reading all the advice for the care of cast-iron cookware online, I've finally settled on using a paste of coarse salt to clean my skillet every so often when it appears that it is developing rust or brown spots. In between these cleaning sessions, I just rinse it well with the hottest water, wipe it with a cloth and towel and then rub about a tablespoon of oil on the cooking surface. It's funny that when I was growing up, I remember washing my mother's cast-iron skillet with soap and water, but not treating it with oil. It never seemed to need seasoning. When discussing this with my mother, she said that she always used detergent, also, and never had any problem with her skillet rusting.

Senate Bean Soup

This is the time of year for hearty soups and the following recipe is my favorite bean soup. I got the recipe from a bag of dried navy beans.





16 oz. dried navy beans prepared by soaking them in a large deep pot with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Let the beans soak overnight or at least 6 to 8 hours.


OR for QUICK SOAKING, boil the water-covered beans for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat. Place a lid on the boiled beans and let stand for 1 hour.





ADD the following to the pot:





1 to 1 1/2 smoked ham shank and 2 quarts water. Simmer covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.


Remove 1 cup beans and mash well. Return mashed beans to the pot and add the following ingredients to the pot.





1 cup chopped onion


1 cup chopped celery


1/4 teaspoon pepper


1 teaspoon nutmeg


1 teaspoon oregano leaves


1 teaspoon basil leaves


1 teaspoon salt





Simmer an additional 20 to 30 minutes until the beans are tender and the soup has thickened. Makes 10 (1 cup) servings.

Free Rice

I just came across this site. Don't know how much it will actually help to end world hunger, but it can certainly help visitors/players to improve their vocabulary.

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Super Delicious and Easy Dessert Dip

Thank Kraft Foods for this recipe. It's a favorite in our household.

1 8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese, softened
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

Mix ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This is wonderful with fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, melon, or pineapple.

Just in time for the holidays - Cranberry Orange Relish

This recipe is so good and so easy.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE Relish
1 orange (I use the navel oranges - no seeds)
1 lb. (4 cups cranberries)
1 3/4 cups sugar

I just throw the cut up orange into my food processor. Then add the cranberries.Process until the orange and cranberries are fine. Then add the orange and cranberry mixture to the sugar.Stir until well blended. I like mine a little sweeter so use rounded measures of sugar.

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. I freeze mine because you can't find it ready made this way. Ocean Spray used to make it, but no one carries it except somewhere on the internet. It's cheaper and quicker to just make it yourself. I make enough to last until the next cranberry season.

Super Easy Chicken Noodle or Rice Soup

This is the easiest and best chicken soup recipe I've ever tried. It turns out reliably delicious every time.

Ingredients
4 cups canned chicken broth
Generous dash ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup uncooked medium egg noodles 1 cup cubed cooked chicken OR turkey

Directions: MIX broth, black pepper, carrot and celery in saucepan. Heat to a boil. STIR in noodles and chicken. Cook over medium heat 10 min. or until noodles are done.

I sometimes use chicken base or bullion to make the broth instead of using the canned broth. Frequently, I use a half cup of converted rice instead of the noodles - My husband prefers it with rice. Also, I use canned chicken most often...only in recent years have I learned it tastes just as good as if I had cooked it.

Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4

CCC Goulash

The following is the recipe for a family favorite. It was passed on to me by my mother-in-law. I'm not sure what the CCC stands for...we think it stands for Civil Conservation Core.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. bulk sausage
1 small to medium onion, chopped
approx. 1/8 cup of sliced green olives with the pimentos
8 - 12 oz. vermicelli (I sometimes use cappelini)
two 10 3/4 oz. cans of tomato soup
Buttered bread crumbs for topping

Brown the sausage along with the onions and olive slices. Drain.

While the meat is being browned, cook the pasta according to package instructions...cook for the minimum time suggested and drain.

Combine the browned meat, onions, and olives along with the cooked vermicelli and the 2 cans of tomato soup. Place in a 2 qt. casserole, top with bread crumbs, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


Notes: The recipe as my mother-in-law gave it to me used a couple of tablespoons of butter or margarine to brown the sausage in. I omit it when I prepare this recipe. She also uses only one can of tomato soup. I think it is too dry that way, so I use 2. I suppose any brand of tomato soup could be used for this, but I have always used Campbell's Tomato soup as it was in the original recipe. Sometimes I've used their tomato soup that has bits of tomato in it. This makes it extra special.

BUTTERED BREAD CRUMBS

Melt 2 and 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Add 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.