Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie

Here’s another yummy recipe I found in a magazine several years ago. The description says “A mild buttermilk tang offsets the sweetness of this caramel-colored custard pie”. I finally decided to try it this weekend. It was quite good; not as sweet as I would have expected. I would recommend having some whipped cream or ice cream to accompany it.

Ingredients:

9” deep dish pie crust (The recipe actually calls for a store bought crust. This sounds right up my alley!)
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
3 Tbls. all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups buttermilk
3 Tbls. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Thaw pie crust 10 minutes. Bake crust until pale golden; about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

Blend brown sugar and flour with mixer. Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Beat until blended. Add buttermilk and melted butter and process just to blend. Pour mixture into cooled crust.

Bake pie until filling puffs and is almost set but center still moves slightly when pan is shaken; about 45 minutes.

Cool pie on rack to room temperature. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Cut into wedges and serve.

Click here for printable recipe.

Chili Rellenos Casserole

This recipe is sure to please. It is made in a 9 x 13 pan to serve 12 – or can be halved to serve 6. Turns out great both ways and you will be popular with your guests. I got this recipe from my brother-in-laws mother. She had it for years from a fund raiser cookbook. Trust me – it’s fabulous!

Ingredients:

½ c butter (one stick)
10 eggs
½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
8 oz. can diced green chilies
1 pt. cottage cheese
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Dash of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 pan in the heated oven.

Beat the eggs in large bowl; add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Pour the melted butter into the egg mixture and the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. Mix well and turn back into the pan.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
(Can be halved and baked in an 8 x 8 pan.)

~Click here for printable recipe~

Seafood Chowder

This is not an overly thick chowder as some, although you could thicken it with more flour or potatoes if you desire. I like it because it’s fairly easy and quick to make and you can use pretty much any seafood that you prefer. The one thing you will need though is shrimp, because the shells and tails will be used to make the seafood broth.

Ingredients:

1 – 2 lbs of shrimp, shells and tails on
1 onion, cut in half
1 celery heart, or more if desired
A bit of fresh flat leaf parsley – several sprigs
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
4 – 5 cups of water
2 or more pounds of other seafood – I like to purchase a frozen seafood blend that contains scallops, calamari and more shrimp. Using the frozen seafood helps to flavor the soup. I’ve also added white fish to the chowder
2 to 3 red potatoes cleaned and cut into small chunks (I’ve made the chowder with and without potatoes. It’s great both ways)
1 ½ cups of cream
2 Tbls butter
4 Tlbs flour
Olive Oil
Tony Chachere’s seasoning to taste
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Fresh Chives

Directions:

Clean the shrimp reserving the tails and shells. Place the tails and shells in a pot; add the water, Old Bay seasoning, 3 stalks from the celery heart (cut in half), the parsley and half of the onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Drain through a colander into a bowl or other pot.

Drizzle olive oil into the pot that you will make the soup in. Finely chop the other half of the onion and the rest of the celery. Add to the olive and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the butter. When melted add the flour and mix into the vegetables.

Slowly add the shrimp broth back into the pot, mixing well in between additions so that you don’t end up with lumps. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.

When the soup comes to a boil add the shrimp and whatever other seafood you are using. Return to a simmer and add the cream. If the soup needs to be thickened you can use a little cornstarch to accomplish this. (Make sure to add cold water to the cornstarch and then add the mixture to the hot soup. If you add cornstarch directly to something hot – it will create lumps.) Season with the Tony’s, salt and pepper.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh chopped chives over the soup.

Click here for printable recipe.

Artichokes on Toast with Ricotta & Garlic

I love to roam the web in search of delicious dishes and fun stories. I enjoy many blogs - but my favorite is The Yummy Mummy, Kim. She shares humorous true life stories of being a wife and mother and her fabulous recipes for so many tasty treats. Tonight I served the Artichoke Hearts on Toast with Ricotta and Garlic - and of course they were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Click here for her site and recipe. It was easy to make and quite mouth watering. Give it a try - or at least check out her site. It's fabulous - and so is she!

Peanut Butter Pie

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine a few years back. Coincidentally it was created by a lady just a few miles south of me in Albany Oregon. She won Grand Champion of their county fair with this pie - deservedly so! Mmm Mmm good!

Crust Ingredients: (or you could do like I did and use a premade Keebler chocolate crust)

1 ¼ cup chocolate cookie crumbs (20 cookies)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine melted

Filling Ingredients:

1 pkg. creamed cheese (softened – 8 oz. I used fat free cream cheese and the pie turned out perfectly)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 Tbls. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Optional: Grated chocolate or chocolate cookie crumbs for garnish

Directions:

Combine the crust ingredients; press into a 9” pie plate. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool. (Or buy the premade crust while you’re at the store getting the other ingredients!)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream; gently spoon into the crust.

Garnish with shaved chocolate or cookie crumbs, if desired. Refrigerate.

Click here for printable recipe

This photo was taken after the pie had only been in the fridge for about 30 minutes. I just couldn't wait to taste it. After a couple of hours the pie firmed up beautifully!

Nana's Molasses Cookies

This recipe belonged to my hubby’s Nana. I love Molasses cookies and these are EXCELLENT! And, I might add, very easy to make!

Ingredients:
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp ginger

Directions:

Cream together the butter, sugar, molasses and egg. Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet; mix well. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Place in fridge for about 10 minutes.

Form into 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar.

Bake at 375 for 12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Don’t overcook. They are best when they are a little chewy!

Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Click here for printable recipe

Auntie Doris' Oklahoma Pea Salad

Well, she’s not really my Aunt – but she’s been a lifelong friend. Doris gave me this recipe many years ago. I don’t know if it is her creation or if she got it from someone else - but it’s fabulous. It is a great side dish for a barbeque or for those holiday meals where you would like to serve peas – but there are just too many things on the stove. This dish can be made ahead of time and brought from the fridge just before serving. It’s lip “smackingly” delicious! And, I would guess that even people who say they don’t like peas will LOVE this salad!

Ingredients:

10 – 12 oz bag of frozen petite peas
Dash of baking soda
Small jar of diced pimientos
4 green onions, chopped to the ends
3 – 4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
½ - ¾ cup of cubed cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise, to taste
Seasoning Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the frozen peas and dash of baking soda. (The baking soda keeps the peas bright green.) Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Drain and run under cool water immediately.

Add the peas, pimientos, celery and green onions to a bowl. Add enough mayonnaise to make a nice dressing; mix well. Add the cheese, seasoning salt and pepper. Mix again, taste and adjust seasoning and mayo as needed.

Can be served immediately, or placed in the fridge to serve later.

Click here for printable recipe

I'm Very Excited...

......to share the news that I was quoted in an article for our local "Salem Monthly" magazine. Click here to read the article "Eating with the Eyes First" on Williamette Live.com. The photo featured in the article is from this blog. It is my Grandma Julia's Pumpkin Pie. I think she would be pretty darned proud of her granddaughter today!