Food Friday - Family Favorites

from Kris B.

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is here!  It's that time of year where my life is made possible only by the many lists that have diligently created - lists of social obligations, Christmas gifts to buy, chores to be done, and of course, meal planning tasks.

Sometimes I wonder why planning Thanksgiving dinner is that difficult since it is a meal of tradition; everyone has their favorite dish and it is my job to make sure that all those favorites end up on the holiday table. In my family, we don't have generations of traditions by which to abide when it comes to our holiday meals, but I know many families that have had the same dishes as part of their Thanksgiving celebrations for years and years and years.  And often when they stop and think about it, they realize that some of the things that are still being served were a favorite of someone who is no longer living and no one now even likes "that" dish.  This scenario reminded me of a funny song that I sang with a chorus several years back, "Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise."  If you need a little bit of comic relief during these hectic days, click here.

We don't have any Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise at our house, but we do have some foods that are fast becoming holiday traditions.  One such food is pumpkin butter.  A former friend and I used to make it every year for our church's Christmas bazaar.  It quickly became a favorite of my then toddler second child.  Over the past twenty years, I have tweaked the recipe a little here and there to try and make it the best it can be and to add my own personal touch.  A jar of pumpkin butter used to be the standard holiday gift for my girls' teachers, as well as for many of my friends.

Because of the craziness in my life at the end of last year, I did not make any holiday pumpkin butter. in 2014  Though life still hectic this year as well, I managed to get the first batch of pumpkin butter made this week.  (Yes, Erin.  You may have a jar now.)  As I was making it, I was reminded of just how good pumpkin butter is.  I will definitely be making a few more batches over the coming weeks!

INGREDIENTS

2 15oz. cans of pumpkin puree

1 1.75oz package of pectin

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

3 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 TBS vanilla

Stir pumpkin puree and pectic together in a good sized heavy pot.  (You want a pot that is big enough so that once you add the sugar, the mixture will not boil over or "spit" hot pumpkin butter over the top.)  Continue to stir regularly while bringing this mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, add all of the sugar at once, the pumpkin pie spice, and the vanilla.  While stirring constantly, again bring the mixture to a boil.  Allow to boil for two minutes.  Remove from heat.

The pumpkin butter can be canned using standard canning procedures; or, it can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Pumpkin butter is fantastic on your morning toast or English muffin, on crackers as an after school snack, or as filling for your holiday thumbprint cookies.  And, as members of my family will tell you, it is also good on a spoon right out of the jar.

by Tracey G.

Thanksgiving has never been a time for sticking with tradition for me, I don't know why, but I've never felt obligated to one certain dish. I've always been very open-minded about my menu. I have made turkeys the majority of the time because I like the sides that go with it, lol. And I like to make turkey noodle soup with the left-overs! But I'm always willing to add in things, omit things and whatnot.

I've been looking for a recipe for the Thanksgiving morning, something simple that could maybe pave the way for a "tradition" of sorts and this recipe came along at the right time so I thought I'd give it a try. I mean seriously this sounded pretty straight-forward yummy, lol. And it is - it's really good. Harry loved it and will go perfect with coffee at any time of the day! I must thank Taste of Home for coming through for me once again!

Down East Blueberry Buckle

courtesy of Taste Of Home Magazine

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

3/4 c 2% milk

1/4 c butter, melted

2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 c  butter, softened

1) Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk egg, milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking pan.

2) For topping, in a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using a fork, stir in softened butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

3) Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake) Cool in pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Food Friday: Chicken and Dumplings Duel

by Tracey G

Kris and I were wanting to do another "how do you make your (fill in the blank)?" post, and actually this one came up pretty easily. And even better was the fact that we do the different dumplings - a win-win because I've been wanting a noodle-style dumpling recipe for years and have never found one I really like so I'm pretty excited about this one!!

Mine came together from a few sources, I can't even remember anymore where all I pulled from. My "dumplings" happen to be my favorite biscuit recipe - so it can be chicken and biscuits if you don't want to cook them on top of the chicken "stew" part, lol. But it's a very easy recipe, I use as many shortcuts as I can, so it's not a super-time consuming endeavor, lol. Now this is pretty true comfort food - not a low-cal version by any means, lol. I have been known to scale the butter amount back - depends on my mood I suppose, lol.

I have used a few sources of chicken - I've cooked up a few boneless skinless chicken breasts when I've had them to use, I've used a couple large cans of canned chicken and as in this version pictured, I bought a deli rotisserie chicken to use. I usually buy a large 32 ounce carton of broth/stock and one 14 oz can and that usually works out just right for the "5 cups of stock" the recipe calls for. I do mine on the stove and finish it in the oven, but I imagine you could do the whole thing on top of the stove from start to finish.

Here's the recipe - and it would also make a great pot pie filling as well, just use pastry and finish it that way!

Chicken and Dumplings (or Biscuits)

Cooked Chicken: 3 cooked chicken breasts, chopped; or meat from one rotisserie chicken, or 2 large cans of canned chicken

1 pkg frozen peas and carrots or mixed vegetables works well too (can also use canned vegetables as well!)

5 c chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon  cubes, or 2 tsp granulated/powdered bouillon

12 tbsp butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 c chopped onion, about 2 onions

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 c flour

1/4 c heavy cream

1/4 tsp pepper

Dumpling dough (recipe to follow)

1) Preheat oven to 400°F

2) In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions, over medium-low     

heat, until translucent. Add the garlic, cook and stir a couple minutes more.

3) Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the  bouillon. Simmer over low heat, stirring until thick.

4)  Add 1/2 tsp pepper, heavy cream, chicken and vegetables.

5) While this is coming up to a simmer, make the biscuits. Once the filling is simmering steady, drop the dumplings onto the hot chicken mixture by tablespoons. Cover the pot and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops of the dumplings are dry - then remove the lid to cook a while longer to lightly brown the tops if desired. Let stand a few minutes and then serve.

Dumpling/Biscuit Dough: 

(this is the original amount recipe, for my Dutch oven, I usually  make a double batch, then just bake off the rest of the dough that might not make it on top of the chicken mixture, if baking them by themselves, drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet and bake off at 450°F for 10-12 minutes.)

2 c flour

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (I've made it without before when I didn't have any around and it was fine)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening or butter

1 c milk

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Cut in shortening or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; add milk all at once. Stir just until dough clings together. 


from Kris B.

Despite the fact that chicken and dumplings is a regional favorite in Delaware, where my parents grew up, it was not a meal that showed up on our dinner table when I was a child.  I only came to appreciate the soothing nature this comfort food as an adult.  

And here is an important question related to that discovery.  Which came first, the chicken or the dumpling?  For me, it was the dumpling.

I began my love affair with dumplings by eating lima beans and dumplings in chicken broth.  The only dumplings I knew were slippery dumplings because that is what my grandmother made.  Lima beans and dumplings were a summertime favorite.  I made my way to chicken and dumplings when I wanted a wintertime vehicle for those delicious dumplings.  I polled various family members (not my mother) and began experimenting with various recipes and combinations thereof.  Really, they weren’t that different from one another.  

I was surprised to see chicken and dumplings show up on restaurant menus in Texas.  In a moment of weakness one day, I decided to order them while eating out though I knew deep in my heart they couldn't possibly be as good as the homemade kind.  When my meal arrived, I was a little surprised to see my bowl topped with biscuits.  Little did I know that in addition to slippery dumplings, there were also something called fluffy dumplings.  They looked like biscuits.  I like biscuits, but in my mind, what I was looking at was not chicken and dumplings!.  It seemed strange to find them on top of my chicken.  Over time I have relaxed my definition of chicken and dumplings and have an appreciation for the fluffy dumplings because, well, biscuits are good.  Admittedly though, I still prefer slippery dumplings.

I got a good chuckle when Tracey and I started talking about this post and she said that she made her chicken and dumplings with "fluffy" dumplings.   And, since I was late getting my act together this weekend, I chuckled even more when I read her post as I was adding this to the bottom.  Though we do talk a lot about what to make and so on, we don’t know exactly what each other is going to write in the narrative.  At least she says up front that she is making biscuits.  Lol!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 TBS chicken bouillon granules 

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dumplings:

2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBS shortening

^enough hot broth to make the dough feel “right”

To a large stew pot or dutch oven, add the celery, onion and chicken.  Cover the chicken with water.  Add the poultry season, bouillon, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat.  Cook until the chicken is falling off the bone.  A good rule of thumb is twenty minutes for every pound of chicken.  Once the chicken is done, remove it from the broth and set the chicken aside.  Remove one cup of broth to be used in the dumplings.

To make the dumplings, in a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the shortening using two knives or a pastry cutter.  Then, “add enough of the reserved broth to make the dough feel right.”  (This is the way the recipe was given to me.)  What that means is that the dough will feel slightly sticky but can be handled and rolled.  On a floured board, roll out the dough to 1/16” thickness.  Then cut dumplings into 2” squares.

Bring the remaining broth to a boil.  (If you want more broth, more water can be added.)  Drop the dumplings into the broth one at a time until all are added.  Cook them for fifteen minutes in the boiling broth. 

In the meantime, de-bone the chicken and cut it into bite sized pieces.  Once the dumplings are thoroughly cooked, add the chicken back to the broth.  Gently combine.

Enjoy!

This is another of those recipes that tastes much better than it photographs.  LOL!  

Food Friday - Black and White

from Kris B.

This is one of those recipes that brings back all kinds of memories for me.  It is one that my mom made all the time.  In fact, I still use the recipe card, written in her hand, that she gave me when I was in college thirty-five many year ago.

I didn't do much "real" cooking during my college days, but because Fudge Pie is so easy, I could make it as a weekend treat for my friends.  In fact, this is also known as "Pudge Pie" thanks to one of my roommates who, on one such occasion, made a slip of the tongue, one that this pie has never lived down!

Whether you know it as Fudge Pie or Pudge Pie, it is an incredibly rich slice of chocolate!  It only takes a small slice to satisfy the cravings of even the most ferocious chocoholic!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 pound butter
1 3/4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup flour
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and flour.  Add the vanilla. I usually mix this in a four cup measuring cup because it makes it so easy to then pour into the pie plate.

 Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.  Stir well.

Pour into a greased 8 inch pie pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

I apparently got distracted here at the end because I failed to photograph the last couple steps.  I suspect this goes back to my inability to multi-task.  While I was baking and photographing, I was also trying to get laundry done because we are going out of town this weekend, coordinate with a friend who I am meeting in the airport once we arrive in Philadelphia, and run down my packing list to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  As long as I haven't packed any vanilla in more than a 3 oz. container or added sunscreen to the pie all should be well!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by a spend a few minutes with us!

By Tracey G

I was at a total loss this week. We discussed chocolate, and pie and the combination of the two, and all I was coming up blank. I told Kris no worries, I would come up with something to compliment what she had in mind. It was a busy week for the both of us, with her getting to escape for some fun out of town, and me dealing with Harry with an ear infection and the start of school this week ;-) And I am still far behind. *sigh* But, I did some flopping around at some recipe sites and found this one,  courtesy of Taste of Home, lol. One thing I do like when I am at a loss for a recipe out of my recipe library, is it pushes me to find and try something new - so I guess, my wins and my epic fails will be shared with everyone, lol. But that's ok, it's how it is in real life, some recipes you make for yourself or the fam are huge winners and some, are awful losers, lol. And you're generally stuck with them at the time good or bad, lol. I liked this one because it played off of Kris's Fudge Pie in the "opposite" sort of way. ;-)

Fortunately this one turned out pretty darn good. It was iffy there though at first, because my pudding-sweetened condensed milk-cold water mixture just didn't come together as I expected. And it never did really smooth out as I'd thought it would. Where the fault lies for that, I'm not sure. It was a different brand of pudding then I am used to using, normally it's the Jell-O brand, or it just could be a natural occurrence of using water and sweetened condensed milk in place of the normal cold milk that's used. I was kind of in a panic that this wasn't going to be good...or pretty or pretty good, lol. But in the end, even though it still has a slightly grainy look, it doesn't "taste" of feel grainy when it was eaten. ;-)

Unfortunately I have no process shots this week, lol. There really wasn't a lot to document and it was 9 p.m. at night when I was finally getting things done. It's been a heck of a week and my Friday was a blur of things going on, so by the time all was said and done, it was night when I was finally getting to work on it!

So, here's all the ingredients except for the water. It involves the ready-made graham tart shells, whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate instant pudding mix.

It's super easy to pull this together, which was a good thing considering I think I was half asleep when I was attempting this, lol. In a large bowl, you whisk the sweetened condensed milk, cold water and pudding mix for 2 minutes. You then let it stand a couple more minutes. Now you refrigerate it for 10 minutes.

At the end of the 10 minutes, you fold in the whipped topping, then, spoon the filling into the tart shells. Then you refrigerate until serving. Garnish as you'd like. I took my cue from the tart shell package with the raspberries and mint leaves. :-) I was just happy I still had some mint kicking around the flower garden, to complete the garnish!

White Chocolate Tarts 

courtesy of Taste of Home

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 c cold water

1 3.4 oz package instant white chocolate pudding mix

2 c whipped topping

2 packages (6 count each, total of 12) individual graham cracker tart shells

In a large bowl , whisk the sweetened condensed milk, water and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let set for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Fold in whipped topping. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup into each tart shell. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 12 servings.