Most Exquisite Eggnog!!

OK, so it's been a long time since I've posted a recipe, but I promise you, this one is worth the wait. 

But first, I want to explain my absence here.  My sweet little mother-in-law was in a car wreck on the 13th of November and we've been in Mesa caring for her since then (except for 2 quick 24-hr. trips home).  She is healing, but at 86 years old, it's slow going. 



Anyway, back to this sinfully delicious, but heavenly drink!  One of my MIL's neighbors brought over a half gallon and we all but fought over who could have any or who drank more than their share!!!  It is amazing, creamy, wonderful, and the absolute best eggnog I've ever tasted!!  However, if you have a calorie phobia,  this may not be for you... trust me, you will destroy your diet with this stuff, so don't even tempt yourself with it... that said, IT Will BE SOOOOOO WORTH IT!!    :)

I got the recipe from a sweet young friend, Nicole Burk Adams, who got it from her husband's grandmother, Evelyn Allan.

I thought you lucky people, who actually check this blog, should have this during the 'Eggnog' season.  ENJOY!!

Here goes....

EGGNOG

3 cups sugar
4 cups (32 oz) Egg Beaters (or any egg substitute)
1 T vanilla
1 T rum extract
1 gallon whole milk
1 gallon regular vanilla ice cream (NOT French Vanilla)

Mix it all together and sprinkle nutmeg all over the surface, then add more to taste.

NOTE:  If you're going to serve this in a punch bowl at a  party or gathering, add about a 1/4 bag of crushed ice to keep it cold.

If you're going to give it away as gifts, don't add the ice, just funnel it into your gift containers and make a Forever-Friend instantly!!

I hope this becomes your favorite-ever eggnog, too!

In case I don't post again before Christmas, I wish for you all to have the merriest of Christmas's ever, remembering, of course, the reason we even have this season... the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  May He be in our lives, minds and hearts each and every day of the year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and LOVE to all of you!!

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

Oh my gosh!  The name of this soup is absolutely,.... well, just does not adequately describe it.  Not nearly enough praise!  I really, really love this stuff!  (Can you tell?!) 

One of the women in our ward has been sick, so I made it for her and her hubby last week.  Their teenage granddaughter was there, too.  I had no more than gotten back home after delivering it to them when the granddaughter called to say she'd gotten my number from her grandparents so she could tell me they thought it was the best potato soup they'd ever eaten!  Of course, I already knew that!! ;) But it was really nice to have someone go to the effort to tell me they liked it, too.

My daughter, Andrea, gave this recipe to me back in 2006 and we've loved it ever since. (Thanks, babe! xox)  She got it off allrecipes.com and it is still there. 

I have made some very minor changes in quantities only.  Not sure why, but it just worked out that way.  The changes don't alter the taste at all, but gives a little more soup, which is a good thing!  Oh wait... I just remembered that I did add diced carrots to the original recipe... a good move!  The carrots add a nice visual, as well as taste, to the soup.  I make the dices relatively small.... celery and carrots maybe 1/2" dices.  Potatoes are maybe 1/2"to1" x 1", give or take... it's not rocket science... just cut them small enough that they will cook quickly.

The last time I made this, I started the rue (butter and flour thickener), and for some reason, the butter browned really fast and never started thickening... not sure why this happened, maybe the heat was too high, but I ended up throwing it away and starting over with margarine.... worked just fine... just like all the other times I made it.  Oh, yeah, and this time I even used reconstituted non-fat dry milk and it was still rich and amazing!

I'm pretty sure this will become one of your favorites, too.  It is really easy to make and fairly quick.  The original recipe says it is ready in 45 minutes... I don't know for sure because I've never paid attention to the time.  All I know is it really is good!  Also, the original recipe says eight servings...  Don't plan to actually SERVE eight people, however, because everyone will want seconds!  The pot I used is a big pot, so this picture doesn't really accurately show how much the recipe makes.

Enjoy!

DELICIOUS HAM & POTATO SOUP

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup diced, cooked ham
3 1/2 cups water
2 T. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1/2 t. ground white or black pepper, or to taste
6 T. butter or margarine
6 T. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups milk

1.  Combine the potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, ham and water in a stock pot.
2.  Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3.  Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
4.  In a separate saucepan, melt butter/margarine over medium-low heat.
5.  Whisk in flour with a fork or wire whisk and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.
6.  Slowly stir in milk, being careful to not allow lumpsto form, until all of the milk has been added.
7.  Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
8.  Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through.
9.  Serve immediately.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

Whew! My dizzies are starting to let up a bit so I'm trying to get my life back... We got snow today so what's better to do than make bread?!  Steve's been asking for cinnamon rolls for ages and been thinking it'd be fun to make our own sub sandwich rolls, so that was the project of the day.

I love this bread recipe.  It turns out perfectly, as you might expect considering it's name, every time.  I got this recipe about three years ago from a friend here in town, J. Decker.  (Thanks, girl!)  I use it a lot.  It's quick and easy and good for you.  It doesn't have a lot of fat in it and uses honey so that's pretty healthy. 

I use freshly ground white wheat.  I LOVE white wheat!  Everything comes out so nicely.  This recipe usually makes 4 good sized loaves, but today I divided the dough into quarters and made two loaves, 6 sandwich rolls and a dozen cinnamon rolls.  However, I guess this time I should really call the cinnamon rolls just sweet rolls cuz I forgot to put the cinnamon on the dough before rolling it up! duh... apparently old age is setting in!  But they still taste really good. 

Like I said, I used white whole wheat flour, but I'm sure regular red wheat or even white all-purpose  flour--or any combination thereof, would still be good.  But you'll be amazed at the light and soft texture the white wheat gives you.  The real magic of this bread, however, is the method... quick & easy!

I used between 10 1/2 and 11 cups of flour, having ground 8 cups of wheat.  There was plenty with some left over, which I put in the freezer to maintain it's nutritional value.  If you're using a Bosch or some other bread making mixer, add the flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl.  I used hot water from the tap and extra virgin olive oil.  My baking time is 30 minutes.

PERFECT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

10-12 cups whole wheat flour (or half white/half WW)

2 T. yeast

1/2 cup wheat gluten

4 cups warm water

1/3 cup oil

3/4 cup honey

1 T. salt

Place six cups flour into mixer bowl with kneading

        arm. 

Add dry yeast and gluten;  mix well. 

Add water and mix for one minute. 

Cover and let dough sit for 10 minutes.  (This makes

        the bread lighter.)

Add the oil, honey, and salt.  Mix in.

While mixer is going, quickly add remaining flour,

        1 cup at a time, until dough forms a ball and

        cleans the sides of the bowl.

Knead 10 minutes in machine or 12-15 minutes

        by hand.  Dough should be smooth and elastic.

Preheat oven to 150. 

Lightly oil hands.  Divide dough into 4 equal portions.

Shape and place into bread pans coated with nonstick

        cooking spray.

Place into warmed oven and let rise about 20 minutes.

When almost double in size, turn oven to 350 and

        bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn out of pans onto a wire cooling

        rack immediately. 

Spread tops with butter.

When cool.  Store in plastic bags in the freezer for up

        to a month. 

Makes 4 - 1-lb. loaves.

I hope this becomes your favorite go-to bread recipe, too!

Apparently the "Cinnamon" Rolls were a hit... SOMEbody's been hitting them pretty hard! 

(I loved using this old pan today.  It was my mom's.  *sigh*... miss you Mom.)

Still dizzy!

I haven't forgotten ya... I'm just still dizzy (for almost 4 weeks now!) and crazy busy to boot... I've got a recipe I'm hoping to try tomorrow, so check back...

xox

Cheese Dip/Ball

Sorry I haven't posted for a while.  I've been sort of hiding out... I've been dealing with vertigo for the last week and a half or so, preparing Sharing Times and a talk for church (I was  Big Mac's  speaking companion today for High Council Sunday) and haven't  had the time nor felt much like cooking. Besides, I really don't want to post recipes without pictures if I can help it...  so, if I didn't cook, well, there are no pictures! ***

However, I got hungry for something yummy and pulled out this recipe.  It is awesome!  I got it from my friend, L. Rothans, who shared  Steve's Kickin' Crackers  with me.  Thanks for another fantastic one, L . !!

Her original recipe is really good just as she gave it to me, I've made it that way so I can attest to it.  It's so easy and quick.  The longest part of the recipe is leaving the cream cheese out on the counter to soften!  This time, though, I added a little more garlic and onion powder than the last time, plus I added, oh maybe a 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes just to kick it up a bit.  It goes perfectly, kicked up or not, with the Kickin' Crackers (pun intended!) or just about any other way you would want to eat it.  Oh yeah, and I actually drained my salsa because it was kinda watery, and added 2 heapin' tablespoons of the solids.  Then added in some of the drained-off fluid back in to get the consistency I was looking for.

Just to prove how good it is, Big Mac sat down with a plate of Steve's Kickin' Crackers (many more than shown!) and the bowl of dip, then proceeded to throw back a bunch of this combination of tasty delights!

So, here ya go... Enjoy! ... wait, maybe I'll go get some before I begin with the recipe.......

OK, I'm back.  Now for the recipe. :)

L. ROTHANS' CHEESE DIP/BALL

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 T melted butter
2 T (or more) salsa
2 handfuls of shredded cheese
Onion & Garlic powder to taste
Opt. cayenne & red pepper flakes to taste

Whip all together.  Chill.  Serve.

If you don't chill, it's creamy and ready to eat, but letting it sit for a while does allow the flavors to mingle.... and we all know we like friendly flavors. (mingle, get it?! Oh well, guess I should leave the humor to the professionals...)     tee hee...   

*** BTW:  How do you feel about my posting recipes with no pictures?  Would you rather I post a recipe without pictures as opposed to getting no recipe at all, or would you rather know what the finished product looks like?  Give me your opinion, 'k?  Thanks!

Dad's Homemade Doughnuts

Oh, yes!  These will make my kids swoon and drool!  They all love them and get really jealous when we make them and they're not here to share in the yummy-ness of them!  Their dad has been making these for years.   Big Mac (Dad) made these all by himself this time while I was busy with Sharing Time preparations.  (Believe it or not, I actually tried to talk him out of making them... I can resist anything but temptation!  And my hard-to-lose, 25+ pound weight loss doesn't stand a chance against these things!  Sigh... oh well!  They're worth it, I guess!!)

They are crispy, sugary-crystal-coated-rustic-looking wonders.  Their appearance imperfections are so much a part of their charm.  He never re-rolls the dough (not that you can't), but just throws in the 'holes' along with the scraps in their various shapes and sizes... it makes them even more fun to eat.

These are one of our family's favorite food traditions.  I hope they become a favorite in your house, too!

Dad's Homemade Doughnuts

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 t. soda

1 t. nutmeg

6+ cups flour, enough to make a stiff dough

2 T shortening

2 cups sour milk (or sweet milk with 1 t. vinegar added)

1/4 t. salt

Shortening or oil to deep fry

1.  Combine and mix all dry ingredients together.

2.  Cream sugar and shortening together.

3.  Add eggs and mix well

4.  Add sour milk and dry ingredients and mix to

        make, adding flour to have a nice stiff dough

        that's not sticky.

5.  Roll out on floured surface 1/4" thick,...  yes 1/4"!

        They really puff up when frying.

6.  Cut into doughnuts or your desired shapes.

7.  Deep fry in 350 degree oil or melted shortening,

        turning them over after they have floated to the

        surface and are golden brown.

8.  As you remove them from the cooker, drop them,

        one by one, into a big paper grocery bag

        containing granulated sugar.  Give the bag a

        shake then take them out and set them on

        newspaper to cool.

Then eat 'em up!

Easy Burros

These are so good and way easier!  I received this recipe from a friend here in Heber/Overgaard about 10 years ago... V. Hausmann.  Thanks again for this great little recipe.

I have, of course, changed things just a little, but the original is really, really good, especially if you don't want to go the Chimichanga route.  The biggest reason for the change is that the canned beef available now, it seems, is different than it use to be.  The directions say to drain the beef, reserving the gravy.  Well, the gravy just doesn't drain off!  There is very little liquid to pour off, so I warmed up the beef in a small skillet to melt the gravy, then poured it into a microwave safe bowl, added the chopped green chilies and the corn starch, stirred it all up and then microwaved it for a couple of minutes until it was thick.  I then put  it in the skillet with the meat, added the beans (I used pintos) and then heated all of it well. 

Then I put the filling on flour tortillas, rolled them up and placed them seam side down in a baking dish.  I poured on some green enchilada sauce, topped it with cheese and put it in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Dang!  They are so good! 

Put a little rabbit food on the side and a dollop of sour cream on top, YUUUMMM!  (OK, so I forgot the sour cream in the picture... use your imagination!) :)

Give 'em a try... I bet you'll like them, too!

Easy Burros

1 can (12 oz.) beef, drained, reserving gravy

1 can chopped green chilies.

1T cornstarch

1 can black beans

Combine gravy, green chilies, and cornstarch.

Microwave 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until thick.

Add beef & can of black beans.

Fill tortillas & heat in microwave for 1 minute.

Recipe for Happiness

The Recipe for Happiness is finding out you're gonna be a great-grandma!  Yes folks, our granddaughter, Kacey, is expecting a wee one around the 27th of April, 2012!!  I'm really glad Big Mac's old enough for this cuz I'm sure not!!  Congratulations to Kacey and Karl!  Grandpa & I sure love ya!!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Ya just gotta love these awesome little, no... correction...  HUGE veggies.  Spaghetti squash are amazing things... They grow well in home gardens, even up here with our short growing season, and are readily available in grocery stores. 

We didn't grow any in our garden this year, but my neighbor gave us some of hers.   They are oh so good, sweet and just fun to eat.  Without lots of butter, salt & pepper or made into zucchini treats, most squash are fairly tasteless to me.  I actually was quite surprised how flavor these have. 

Spaghetti squash are easy to cook and it's kinda fun to scrape out the yellow, spaghetti-like strands of goodness.   Here are the instructions for microwaving them:

Microwave Spaghetti Squash

1.  With a long, sharp knife, pierce squash three or

        four times along the perimeter, making sure

        the holes extend all the way to the center

        of the squash. (This creates steam vents in

        the squash.)

2.  Microwave squash for 20 minutes. Steam

        should be coming out of the holes by

        the end of this time.  If not, microwave

        for another 4 or 5 minutes.  Let

        squash sit in the microwave for 10

        minutes after cooking.

3.  Cut off stem end of squash.  Cut remaining

        squash lengthwise.  You will see light

        yellow squash and darker, almost amber

        areas.  The darker areas will contain

        seeds.  Remove all seeds and retain the

        light yellow strands.

At this point you can enjoy the wonderfully sweet and rich taste, buttered and seasoned to your liking, or as a pasta-less spaghetti with your favorite sauce.  It's a really good way to have your Italian food without the heaviness and calories of typical pasta.  We really enjoy it like this.  A friend uses spaghetti squash in her Chicken Parmesan and says it is awesome.

The green beans seen there on the plate are out of our garden.  While they taste really good, I have to say they don't taste enough better fresh from the garden to justify the length of time you have to cook them... I'm just way ok with opening a can!  I cooked them for almost 8 hours on high in a crock pot the other day and they still weren't done.  I cooked them for another 5 or 6 minutes in a pressure cooker and they're not too bad.  They are still a little too crisp for our preference but  I wasn't going to mess with them anymore that night.  Next time I cook them, I will try them in the pressure cooker to begin with.  If it's still a pain, the ones in the freezer will probably either be pressure canned or go out to feed the critters!  They do can really easily... we did about 50 pints a couple of weeks ago and they turned out great.

If you haven't tried spaghetti squash, give it a try... I predict you'll find a new favorite veggie.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

This is an incredibly rich pie, but oh so worth the calories!!  Really yummy and very easy to do.  Of course, my job was made easier since I used the leftover third of a batch of pie dough which I made up the other day for an apple pie recipe I was trying.  That one didn't turn out as good as I'd like, so I probably won't be posting that endeavor.  But this one, it's a keeper!

Notes:  On instruction #2 where it says to beat in more of the ingredients, I would suggest mixing it quite well to insure the sugar dissolves.  I just mixed it with a rubber spatula and I think the texture would have been even better had I mixed it slowly for a little while with an electric mixer . 

Also, the instructions say to bake for 50-60 minutes.  I cooked this one for about 70 minutes, so you'll just have to test it to see when the knife comes out clean.

This recipe comes from tastykitchen.com.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

4 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Bar or

        1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 T butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

3 whole eggs

1 1/2 cup pecan halves

9" unbaked pastry pie shell

1.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate with butter in a

        microwave safe bowl, ir on the stove,

        stirring until smooth.  (30 seconds, stir,

        then another 20-30 seconds.

2.  Remove from heat or microwave and beat/stir

        in corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt until very

        well incorporated.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs with a fork.

4.  Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk in until

        well combined.

5.  Roughly chop pecans and place on the bottom

        of the pie shell.

6.  Pour chocolate mixture over the top of the pecans.

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until a

        knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out

        clean.    Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Ahhhhh.... Chocolate, Pecans & crust... darn near everything you could ever hope for!

Cake Mix Cookies

Most of you have probably heard of these quickie cookies, and many, I'm sure, have made them... but for those of you who haven't or have forgotten what a little blessing they are, here they are again.

A couple of weeks ago, I was called and asked to bring a couple of dozen cookies to an event at the church... THAT night!  OK, cookie baking was not on my agenda for the day... so I grabbed this recipe and turned out a batch of them in no time.  They were great!

You can use any flavor cake mix you want, chocolate, yellow, spice, lemon, white, or anything you can find.  I used a yellow mix and added chocolate chips and nuts... Oh my!  They were so good.  I found the dough to be just a little softer this time than I wanted, so I threw in an extra handful of flour to stiffen it up a bit.  YUUUUMMMMMEEEE!

Check online for a plethora of variations to tickle your fancy.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 (18 oz.) cake mix, flavor of choice

1/2 cup oil

2 T water

2 eggs

1.  Mix everything together.

2.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. 

3.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 min.

4.  Let rest on cookie for a few minutes.

5.  Remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Optional additions:  1 c peanut butter, chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc.

Happy nibbling!

Zucchini Casserole

 I love this casserole!  I got it from another temple buddy...   S. Graham, back in July.  It really is tasty and easy.  Thanks for sharing, S. xox  (Excuse the less than appetizing picture... I didn't think to take a picture until after I had served dinner out of it!)

It says to use a 9x9" baking dish, but I add a pint jar of my canned/bottled chicken which makes it too much for that size dish.  To compensate for a larger baking dish, I either use 2 boxes of stuffing mix (Stove Top) or toast 4-6 slices of bread, crumble it into small pieces and add some of the same spices in the packaged product, plus add a bit more margarine.



It's a nice comfort-food-type meal... I've made it several times, with and without the added chicken. 

Zucchini Casserole

6 cups shredded or  diced (about 1/2") zucchini, unpeeled

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup water

Combine and microwave:  above 3 ingredients in a
        covered dish for 5-6 minutes.  Drain well.

Melt: 1 stick margarine, (1/2 c.)

Combine: Melted margarine and 1 pkg. (6 oz.) dry
        stuffing mix (Stove Top) with seasoning pkt.
        NO water.  Mix well.

Combine in large bowl and blend well:

        1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

        1 cup sour cream

        1 cup shredded cheese

Add:  drained zucchini and onions, blend well.

Put:   1/2 stuffing mixture in 9x9" baking dish.

Add:  zucchini mixture.

Top:  with remaining stuffing mix.

Bake: at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves: 4 to 6

Opt.  Add cooked chicken (12 oz. can or leftovers).
       4-6 crumbled slices toast plus desired seasonings.
         (Check stuffing mix box to see what they use.)

Cowboy Stew

Howdy, folks!  This is my all-time, go-to, dinner-in-a-hurry recipe!  It tastes wonderful, is quick and easy to throw together, and I haven't found anyone yet who doesn't like it. 

I got this recipe from a friend, A. Hensley, but as soon as I started talking about it, I was promptly informed by her sister, P. Blackburn, that the recipe is HERS, not A.'s.  So, since I love 'em both,  I'll give credit here to a couple of nifty sisters!  Thanks for sharing it with me and now the blogging world.

One day on my way home from Snowflake, AZ I learned of the passing of a good friend's husband.  When I got back to Heber-Overgaard, I stopped by her house before heading home.  I felt so bad for her and her family... what a hard thing.  Anyway, she was expecting her sons and their families up from the Mesa/Phoenix area any minute.  I left her, went home, opened a bunch of cans and popped the lid off a jar of my canned hamburger, threw the stew together and was back to her house with it hot and ready to eat in less than an hour, TOTAL! ...including travel time!  They loved it and still talk about it.  She's still amazed that something that tasted that good was so quick to make. 

It's a complete meal in itself but, of course, you can always add a salad, some bread/rolls and butter or the Kickin' Crackers from my last post.  It's a winner and especially with the cool weather approaching rapidly, this will probably become one of your family's favorites, too.

The recipe calls for 1 lb. of browned ground beef.  I'm sure that is wonderful, but I always use my bottled/canned ground beef.  Makes it soooo quick!

Also, sometimes I throw in a handful of dehydrated onions and some granulated beef bouillon, but it is really not necessary... just something I do once in a while.  If I was going to use fresh hamburger, I'd probably saute some onions to go with the browned meat.... we like onions.

One change we've made is to substitute just about any other kind of beans for the kidney beans.  My family doesn't care for them.  I normally use either pinto or great northern white beans.  Anything your family likes, go for it.

It is important NOT to drain the Ranch Style beans as that is where the unique flavor comes from.  In fact, I always rinse the can to get all the sauce out.  AND it is important not  to add extra salt.  There is plenty of salt in the canned stuff.  Additionally, I always take my kitchen shears and cut up the stewed tomatoes since I prefer small chunks of tomatoes...

It is just as easy to double or triple this recipe, if you have a large enough pot, to feed a big group.  Also, if you'd like it a little soupier, just add some water... easy peasy!

Cowboy Stew

1 can Ranch Style beans, undrained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained (or substitute for your favorite beans)

1 can corn, undrained

1 can green beans, undrained

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 lb. ground beef, browned

Drain and rinse kidney beans.  Add all ingredients into a large pot.  Heat thoroughly.  EAT!  That's All Folks!!

Steve's Kickin' Crackers

Before I begin, I must first make a disclaimer here: "Steve" does not refer to MY Steve... This Steve is a brother-in-law of the gal I got this recipe from: L. Rothans.  My Big McK wanted to lay claim to this great little treat, but I wouldn't let him!

I   have   a   very  good  resource  for 

awesome recipes... from awesome cooks!  Each Friday morning, Big Mck and I serve at the Snowflake Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have a circle of friends, some of the nicest people to be found on the planet, to spend this time with.  The women are really some of the best cooks you'll ever find.  They bring in wonderful things to help everyone stave off hunger attacks since many of us don't feel like eating that early in the morning.  The men, especially, can be found hovering close by these delectable offerings, more than willing to taste test them and give their reports.  Sometimes there is a huge array of goodies... baked goods, soups, fruit, dips & chips... oh man, my mouth is watering even as I write this.  OK... moving on now...

I have made these crackers 3 times already since receiving the recipe.  We have to keep them in a cabinet, out of sight, or we just nibble on them all day!

One change I've made to the original recipe is I use EVOO, extra virgin olive oil, instead of canola oil.  I have done a little research into it and believe it is very good for us... not just 'not as bad' as vegetable oil, etc., but actually GOOD for us. 

Also, I believe any kind of cracker would be wonderful in this recipe, taste-wise.  Having only tried saltines, I don't know how other types of crackers like club, wheat thin-type, Ritz-type, etc., would react with the oil mixture.  Next time I plan to add a few of whatever other kinds of crackers I have in the house to see if they'll work, too.  The saltines, I know, hold up beautifully and are crisp, not soggy at all.  The first batch I made was with Bashas' (a grocery store found mostly in Arizona, but some in NM and CA) store brand whole wheat saltines and they were really, really, really good!  The second and third time I used Nabisco's Premium Saltine Crackers with Multi-grain topped with Sea Salt (because that was the brand one of my daughters picked up for me).  These are also very good, but I think I prefer the whole wheat ones.  I am looking at the ingredient list from the Nabisco crackers and the first ingredient is unbleached enriched flour with whole wheat flour listed nearer the bottom.  The w.w. crackers are a little dark in color and I prefer that appearance.  But truthfully, if blindfolded, I don't think I could pick one out from the other... with that much cayenne and red pepper flakes, plus the ranch dressing mix, I really don't think the cracker is anything more than the 'carrier' of the flavor. 

These crackers are awesome with dips, salads, soups or anything... or all by themselves.  I feel they're not a bad-for-you snack either.  I mean, with whole wheat, EVOO and cayenne, we could almost call them a health food, right?! 

I hope you love them as much as we do...  Thanks Sis. Rothans!  I'll post your cheese ball recipe soon.

Steve's Kickin' Crackers

1 1/2 C.   Canola Oil (or EVOO)

1 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1  1-lb box of whole wheat saltines, off/store brands
           are fine & cheaper

1.  Mix the first 4 ingredients together, very well.

2.  Open all 4 sleeves of crackers and carefully place
            them in an unscented kitchen garbage bag.

3.  Stir liquid mixture again and add to bag with
            crackers. 

4.  GENTLY turn and 'massage' bag to coat the
            crackers. 

5.  Place coated crackers on 2-3 large cookie sheets
            and let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes
            to absorb the mixture. 

6.  Store in an airtight container.  These will keep for
            a very long time.

(Not that they'll really last as long as they will keep!)

Enjoy!

Super Easy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ahhhh... my first recipe here... and it's a good one!  I've made this zucchini bread using Devil's Food, White, Spice and just regular Chocolate cake mixes... they are all good but, in my opinion, the Devil's Food is by far the best.... way chocolatey and moist... almost like a nice, gooey brownie.

Super Easy Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 1/2-2 cups shredded zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 teaspoons butter, melted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix (any can be used)

1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar

1. In one bowl mix all ingredients. Will have some lumps and that is ok. As we age, those lumps are badges of honor!

2. Pour into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans or 1 loaf pan and 12 muffin cups (lined).  I like to use a cooking spray, like Pam or Vegalene, then coat with sugar instead of flour... nice touch!

3. Cook for 45 minutes at 350°F.

4. Muffins 25 minutes at 350°F.

Because I live in a high-altitude area (6700'), I throw in a little extra flour, maybe 1/4 cup to compensate.  This is not a high-rising bread... perhaps smaller loaf pans would make them a little taller... but all the flavor is there anyway!! 

This bread also freezes well... in fact, I have some in the freezer right now... hmmm, breakfast food??  (OK, I just went and got a loaf for a picture... and if you look closely, you can still see the ice crystals on it!  That's what it looks like using the sugar to coat the pans... nice, crispy sweet edges!)

Oh, yeah!  It's good!

Enjoy!

Prologue

Welcome... one and all!

OK, so why would someone who really doesn't enjoy cooking create a cooking blog?  Well, this person is doing it because she loves collecting recipes!!  My husband, Big McK, laughs at me and all my recipes, saying: "But you don't cook!"  Ha ha... well, no, at least not any more often than I have to!!  Collecting recipes is kinda like him having guns and ammo but never going shooting!  It's just something we have to do!  Having cooked for a family of 11 and survived, I pretty much burned out on cooking a long time ago, but still do have to once in a while.  I have to tell you a little secret however, if you kinda quit cooking, the other people in your house pick up the slack if they want to eat!  :)  Big McK has become a very accomplished cook... But I digress... 

Like I mentioned, having cooked for a big family, we've found it difficult to cut back to just the two of us.  It's not all that bad, though.  I firmly believe in the old adage, "Work smarter, not harder!"  Trust me when I say, it's just not a bad thing to have several meals' worth of leftovers stashed in the fridge!!  That is a luxury I never experienced with that many hungry scavengers forever lurking around for some edible morsel to inhale! 

I am excited to begin posting yummy recipes that I've acquired over the years.  Some of the recipes will be concoctions I've put together, many will be delectable things which have been made by others and their recipes shared with me (because I now crave them!), and others will be ones that have just somehow come to live in my kitchen.   I will try to give proper credit to each if I can.

My intentions are to share things that we've really liked and have been successful for us.  Some will, however, be ones I've found, haven't tried yet, but sound awesome.  (If you want to,  you can report back to me on those when you try them!)  They won't be exotic or difficult or made with funky ingredients that are hard to find.  I don't cook with fancy stuff, mostly just items that are in most every one's kitchens.  I plan to do some pictures of the dishes if I've just made it and can take a picture.  I also plan to post the recipes, ingredients, instructions and so forth first, with pictures, commentary, etc. separate so they are easy to copy and paste in your word processing programs or print systems.  That's one of things I have the most difficulty with when I find recipes on various websites... the pictures, while wonderful, complicate copying the recipes for my use.  Hopefully, I can simplify that job for you.

So, all that said... let's get going with this project!  I'll be posting something very soon... Sign up to follow me by e-mail... or y'all just come back often, ya hear?!  :)