Dressing or Stuffing for Fowls (TAC)

For and eight or ten pound turkey, cut the brown crust from slices or pieces of stale bread until you have as much as the inside of a pound loaf; put it into a suitable dish, and pour tepid water (not warm for that makes it heavy) over it; let it stand one minute, as it soaks very quickly. Now take up a handful at a time and squeeze it hard and dry with both hands, placing it, as you go along, in another dish; this process makes it very light. When all is pressed dry, toss it all up lightly through your fingers; now add pepper, salt-- about a teaspoonful of powdered summer savory, the same amount of sage, or the green herb minced fine; add half a cup of melted butter, and a beaten egg, or not. A little chopped sausage in turkey dressing is considered by some an improvement, when well incorporated with the other ingredients. For geese and ducks the stuffing may be made the same as for turkey with the addition of a few slices of onion chopped fine.

OYSTER DRESSING OR STUFFING

This is made with the same ingredients as above, with the exception of half a can of oysters drained, and slightly chopped and added to the rest. This is used mostly with boiled turkey and chicken, and the remainder of the can of oysters used to make an oyster sauce to be poured over the turkey when served; served generally in a separate dish, to be dipped out as a person desires.
These recipes were obtained from an old colored cook; who was famous for his fine dressings for fowls, fish and meats, and his advice was, always soak the stale bread, either in milk or water, when used for stuffing or for puddings, as they were much lighter. Hot liquid makes them heavy.

Tomato Soup Cake

CAKE

1 & 3/4 Cup Flour

1 Cup Sugar

3 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp each: Cinnamon, Ground Cloves and Nutmeg

1/2 Cup Crisco

1 Can Campbell's Tomato Soup

2 Eggs

1 Cup Raisins, Candied Fruit or Prepared Mincemeat (My aunt omitted that stuff)

1 Cup Chopped Nuts

Cream Crisco and Sugar.

Mix soup with the eggs. 

Mix flour with spices.

Now mix the flour mixture into the Crisco mixture alternately with the soup mixture until smooth.

Add the fruit and nuts last. 

Grease and flour a 9" tube pan. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour batter into pan and bake 1 & 1/4 hours or until done. Let col in pan 10 mins.

FROSTING

3 OZ Cream Cheese

2 & 1/2 Cups 10X Sugar

1 Tb Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla (I would use 1 tsp)

Mix well but add the milk last if it's too thick.

NOTE: I would add 1/4 tsp salt to the recipe. 

NOTE: I personally don't like the after taste of too much Baking Powder in a cake recipe, and would rather use 1 tsp and add 1 tsp Baking Soda, but I don't know if this would affect the rising of the cake. Maybe I could add a tsp of vinegar? It needs an acid to react with the baking soda. 

Recipe Notebook

I keep a wide ruled notebook by the PC to write down recipes I find online, that way they are all together. I don't have ink in my printer and I haven't for a few years, but even if I did I would still write them down.

Mom's Glop

Small Container Large Curd Cottage Cheese

3 OZ package Orange Jello

15 OZ can Mardarin Oranges- drained

15 OZ Can Pineapple Chunks- drained

1 small Jar Maraschino Cherries- drained

1 small container Cool Whip

Mix the cottage cheese and jello, stir well, add the drained fruit and fold in the Cool Whip.
Refrigerate until served.

Since mom passed away last December relatives have been asking for her GLOP recipe, because they probably miss eating at at family functions and church dinners.

Venison Stew

I'm so grateful that I live in NEPA, and a few of my brother-in-laws hunt every year. My sister gave our father a venison roast and asked me to cook it for him since I only work part-time. So finally a month later I thawed it out and made a stew with it using my trusty pressure cooker.  I grew up watching mom cook meals in her pressure cooker, so I'm not afraid of them like my one sister is. (Where did her fear come from anyway? Mom's pressure cooker never blew up!) I'm on my second Presto Pressure Cooker by the way. 
I first removed all the silver skin from the meat then cut it in small cubes under an inch square. I browned the venison well in oil in the pressure cooker, like mom always did. Then I cooked it in the pressure cooker on low setting for 20 minutes along with Better Than Bouillon Beef base and water a cup of onions and 1/2 cup of celery.
Then I brought down the pressure under cold running water to open the lid and added 4 large carrots cut in chunks and 4 large potatoes cut in roughly the same size. Then I cooked them in the pressure cooker under low pressure for 5 minutes (4 minutes would have been better), before thickening the broth with oil-rue instead of butter rue or flour and water. I also added salt, pepper and SEASON ALL to flavor it up. I hope mom approved (in Heaven)

Cocoa and Toast

I had my traditional "Cocoa and Toast" for breakfast today. This is a breakfast I ate for all of my childhood. Every morning before school I usually had this wonderful breakfast. I've improved on it a lot since the days mom made her own Hot Cocoa Mix which we added boiling hot water to.
Here's my hot cocoa recipe which I got off the Hershey's can and tweaked it for a larger mug:
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup Water
2 TB Hershey's Cocoa
3 TB Sugar
1/4 tsp Vanilla
Mix the sugar and cocoa well, getting out as many of the lumps as possible.
Add about 2 TB water to make a syrup and stir in the evaporated milk plus about 1/2 cup of water and stir until sugar is dissolved over low heat and keep stirring until nearly scalded add vanilla and pour into a very large mug.
Meanwhile toast some thinly sliced homemade bread and toast until brown and crispy and slather with real butter. Cut toast in half and dunk in the cocoa before taking a bite. Add a little cold milk if it's too hot of course. Spoon extra cocoa into your mouth after every bite! You won't be sorry.

Junk Food Tasting Menu by Jacques La Merde in 60 Seconds

Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce

I have a crock pot of Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce going. My 57 year old husband has high blood pressure and he's overweight. Yes, I'm a fatty too! Ugh! My sauce is so American! Just two large cans of tomato paste and 4 cans of water. Whisk until smooth and add herbs and spices and ground beef. A simple recipe with no salt added other than what's in the tomato paste.
Why do I use tomato paste only for my sauce? Well if you read a can of plain tomato sauce it says "TOMATO PASTE, WATER" That's it! And it costs a lot more than a 8 ounce can of sauce like I used to use when I was a young wife married for the second time to a 27 year old man with high blood pressure, (Yes even at that age!).

Lorraine's Kielbasa Corn Chowder

1 Ring Kielbasa. (I used Hatfield)

1 to 1 and1/2 Cup diced Onion

1 to 1 and 1/2 Cup thin sliced Celery

3-4 Cups Corn Fresh off the cob is best

3-4 Cups Yukon Gold Potatoes cut in 1/2 ” dice (They cook up firmer, hold their shape)

3-4 Cups Chicken Broth (I use water and Better Than Bullion Chicken)

2 Cups Whipping Cream

2 cloves Garlic minced

2 TB Butter

3 TB Flour

1 Tsp Salt

1/2  tsp Pepper

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

Quarter the kielbasa lengthwise and cut in thin slices, brown in a skillet, and add to the broth in the pot or crock pot.
Saute onion and celery until softened, then add that, also the corn and diced potatoes and season to your likeness.

Cook until potatoes are tender.

Add the whipping cream and heat up before making the butter rue and stirring it in to thicken the broth.

NOTE: This recipe is so good that the soup was one of the few to sell out at the soup sale! I made the soup 2 days before selling it, so the flavors could ripen. Add the whipping cream and heat up before making the butter rue and stirring it in to thicken the broth.

Magic Cake

NOTE: I found this recipe floating around Facebook. It really is delicious, I highly recommend it!
 
MAGIC CAKE

4 Eggs separated

1 tsp  Vanilla

1/8 tsp Salt (My addition since the recipe has none)

3/4 Cup Sugar (I'm going to replace it with Brown Sugar sometime for a Butterscotch taste)

1/2 Cup or stick Butter melted

3/4 Cup Flour 2 Cups Milk (I'll use Canned Milk -plus 1/2 cup water to make 2 cups) 

10X Sugar for on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Grease a 8 X 8" baking dish.

Separate eggs- Beat whites into stiff peaks and set aside.

Beat yolks with sugar until light, this might take 2-3 minutes.

Add butter and vanilla-beat well.

Then add flour and mix until smooth.

Slowly add milk mix well.

Fold in egg whites 1/3 at a time, but keep in mind, this isn't easy to do with this runny batter.
 Just do your best and pour into the baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40-70 minutes (WHAT? I said to myself.. Maybe it was a typo... I'm baking 40-50 mins) Or until set.  (I baked mine 45 min.)

CHOCOLATE Version- Use 6 and 1/2 TB Cocoa Powder and 6 TB Flour

LEMON Version- Use 1 and 3/4 Cups Milk and 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice. Also add some lemon zest if you want to,

BUTTERSCOTCH Version- Use packed Brown Sugar instead of the white sugar.

Great Grandma Jones Homemade Bread

2 Cups Scalded Milk cooled to lukewarm

2 Cups Water Lukewarm

1 Large Cake Yeast or 3 pkgs Dried Yeast

5 heaping TB Lard or Crisco (I use Canola or Olive Oil)

4 TB Sugar

4 tsp Salt

12 Cups Flour (Approx.)

In a large bowl mix Crisco, Sugar and Salt in the Scalded Milk and let cool to lukewarm, add 1 cup of lukewarm water.

Proof the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water by adding 1 tsp Sugar and mixing well. Let it bubble up at least an inch, then add to remaining ingredients in the bowl.
Now add about 4 cups flour using the mixer or by hand. Mix well after each addition of flour. When it gets thick enough to knead, either let the mixer knead it, if you have that attachment, or knead it by hand in the bowl or on the table top at least 100 "turns" or even 200 if you used bread flour. (Bread flour has more gluten and needs more kneading than All Purpose flour).

Place dough in a large greased bowl and oil spray the top of the dough, then cover with plastic wrap or a cotton cloth. Don't forget to oil spray the top of the dough before covering. Let rise about 1-2 hours, until double in bulk, then punch down dough turn over to empty puffy dough onto table or counter top and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape the dough into a loaf by rolling flat to remove air bubbles and then shaping into loaves. Place in oil sprayed loaf pans. I weigh mine-24 ounces for a medium loaf pan- 8 and 1/2" X 4 and 1/2 " and 30 ounces for a large loaf pan like Pampered Chef sells.

Let loaves rise until 1" above sides of pans, then bake in  400 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until a nice medium/dark brown. They should sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool on racks completely before slicing and or freezing.

NOTE: I personally cut the cooled loaves in slices and freeze 2-3 slices in sandwich bags so the loaf doesn't go moldy on me, taking outhem out as I need them, because there are no preservatives in them. I even freeze whole loaves and THEN thaw them and slice them and refreeze them with no problem.

Lorraine's Light Chicken Marinade

1/2 Cup Burgundy Cooking Wine

1/2 Cup Olive or Canola Oil

1 TB Kikkoman Soy Sauce

1 TB Yellow Mustard

1 TB Minced Garlic

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Emeril's Original Seasoning

1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Italian Medley

Mix well and place in a flat dish, or set aside to pour over chicken in a zip lock bag.

Cut your chicken breasts lengthwise into 3 pieces, poke holes in it with a "nail" type tenderizer on both sides.  Then place in marinade and place in fridge for about 3 hours. Turn once half way through. Grill at least 5 minutes on each side. This is a flavorful marinade that doesn't overpower your taste buds. No dipping sauce needed.

Baking Bread

I'm baking bread today! Three loaves at a time. I would have made 5 but mom and dad didn't need any.

Crock Pot Chicken Soup

3 LB whole Chicken or 6 or more large chicken thighs.

4 carrots diced small 1/4"

1 Lg Onion diced small 1/4"

2 stalks celery, diced small  1/4"

2 Cups Peas

2 TB BETTER THAN BOUILLON

1/2 heaping cup pearl Barley

10 Cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Essence of Emeril.

Throw all ingredients except the frozen peas. Let cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken and de-bone after it cools. Cut in bite sized pieces and add to crock pot with the 2 cups of peas. Let cook another hour then serve. This freezes well.
NOTE: Add any other veggie you like. I often add 2 LB of mixed vegetables for a more filing soup.

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

3 chicken breasts

1 Pkg of Egg Roll Wrappers (20)

12 OZ shredded Cheddar , Sharp or Blue Cheese.

3/4 Cup Crystal or Franks Hot Sauce

1/2 Stick Butter

1 tsp Sugar

Beaten egg to wet the edges of wrappers.

Oil for frying egg rolls.

Cook the chicken either by poaching for 45 minutes or grilling the breasts after they've been cut in 3 chicken tender sized pieces.  Cool and then shred or cut up small. Pour wing sauce over the chicken and set aside while you get the oil ready for frying and lay out 6 egg roll wrappers and place 2 TB of the chicken as directed on egg roll package. Then place a hand full of cheese on chicken on top and wet the edges of the wrapper and rol as directed on package. Set on a plate and make 6 more egg rolls up. Make all twenty egg rolls then proceed to fry them, either in a Fry Daddy or in 1/4 " of Canola Oil. Brown on both sides and drain well.

NOTE: One recipe I saw online mentions placing 1 TB Cole Slaw on top of the meat too. I did not, although shredded cabbage would have been okay.
Another recipe I saw mentions spraying the egg roll with Oil spray and baking for 20 minutes at 400 degrees until brown and crispy. I may try that next time to save calories.

Sweet Potato Pie! LOL

No Knead Bread

I made my first batch of No Knead Bread this morning. I admit I mixed the sticky dough by hand before setting it aside for the first rise. But I did knead the 5 loaves of bread individually only 15 turns before shaping into loaves. Still and all it was a lot less kneading and on smaller dough balls, so it was easier. The recipe was just like French Bread.. Unbleached flour, yeast, water and salt. I baked mine in loaf pans though - no cottage loaves for me since I toast my bread quite a lot.

6 & 1/2 to 7 & 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour

3 Cups Lukewarm Water

1 TB Salt

1 and 1/2 TB dry Yeast (4 and 1/2 tsp)

 If dipping measuring cup into flour before leveling off, use 6 and 1/2 cups. If pouring the flour into cups before leveling off, use 7 and a 1/2 cups.

Mix well and set aside for first rise in the fridge for 2 hours if you plan to bake the bread right away.  Then form into 2 loaves or 3 small loves and let rise again. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

If you want to bake the later or the next day place dough in fridge for 2 hours up until 7 days before forming into loaves and letting rise before baking. The longer you let dough ferment in the fridge the more it tastes tangy like sour dough bread.

Crock Pot Stew

I made Crock Pot Stew today.. I only had a 1/2 pound of beef so I added 3 chicken thighs.. I used about 2 LB of carrots and a pound of potatoes and a pound of frozen mixed veggies. 3 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth, Essence of Emeril original seasoning, onion powder, 2 garlic cloves. I also added 1/2 tsp salt. I had to pick the chicken off the bones and place back in the pot. It turned out very well.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Honestly I can't see why anyone would want to devour anything with that much RED food coloring in it. I would make the same recipe and omit the stupid food coloring.

Cheeseburger Pie

1 LB Ground Beef or Turkey

1 Onion diced or 2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 and 1/2 tsp Emeril's Original Seasoning,
or your favorite mixed seasoning

1/4 to 1/2  tsp Salt

1 (15 oz ) can well drained Petite diced Tomatoes (This is not in the original recipe)

1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese,
or use your favorite

*******************
 1 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Bisquick

2 Eggs

Brown the ground beef or turkey with the chopped onion and drain well. If you omit the onions add the Onion Powder, garlic powder, any other seasoning you prefer and salt.

Oil spray a 10" glass pie dish or 8 or 9" square baking dish, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish, cover with drained tomatoes and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Mix up the biscuit mix with the eggs and milk and pour over the pie.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

NOTE: This recipe is easily doubled if baked in a 9" x 13" glass cake dish. In fact this recipe is half the original recipe I found online.