November
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
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Recipes For The Month of November
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November 1
"And their father Israel said unto them, if it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and cry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds..."
~Genesis 42:11 (KJV)
Dad's Prune Cake
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1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water
1 cup slivered almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
5 cups flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
2 pounds pitted prunes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
First, prepare 6 round cake pans by buttering, flouring ad covering bottom with wax paper that has been traced and cut to fit inside bottom. If only 2 or 3 pans available, no need to clean pans in between, but you will need new wax paper sheets. Next, cream together it he butter and 1/2 cup of sugar Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and teaspoon water. Combine almonds, cardamom,, flour and baking powered and then add to batter. Stir until well blended. Divide into 6 equal pieces and pat into prepared cake pas. Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Gently tip out onto cooling racks. While cakes are baking, combine prunes, remaining sugar, remaining vanilla, 1 cup water and pinch of salt in a heavy pot. Simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until prunes are well softened. Add small amounts of water to keep from getting too thick if need. Let prunes cool until manageable. Use either a meat grinder or blender to grind prune mixture until smooth, but not over puree. May need to add water; a texture that can spread quite easily between cakes is desired. Divide into 5 equal parts and spread between cakes, topping with the best looking cake. Wrap in thin cotton towel, place in a tight sealing container, such as the old fashioned cake tines and store at room temperature. Cake is best if let set for 1 to 2 days. If the cake starts to dry out, sprinkle towel with water before rewrapping. To cut cake, cut in half, then in sandwich slices, instead of the usual pie wedges.
*Thanks, Dad, for the tradition!
November 2
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth."
~Psalm 119:103 (KJV)
"I could never tell where inspiration begins and impulse leaves off. I suppose the answer is in the outcome. If your hunch proves a good one, you were inspired; if it proves bad, you are guilty of yielding to thoughtless impulse."
~Beryl Markham
Sweet Potato and Honey Soup
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1 large red onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped*
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth
2 tablespoons honey
2 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 - 2 teaspoons salt, if desired
2 cups cream
Parmesan cheese
In a large pot, saute the onions in butter until tender, but not browned. Add the sweet potatoes and broccoli; saute lightly for 5 minutes or until crispy yet tender. Stir in broth and honey; simmer for a few minutes, Add potatoes and seasonings; cook another 10 to 15 minute, until vegetables are tender. Stir in cream and heat thoroughly, being careful not to boil. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over individual servings.
*Canned sweet potatoes may be substituted if need be, but the nutritional value and over texture is compromised, But... if need be, add 1 large can drained, diced sweet potatoes at the same time as the shredded potatoes ad seasoning. This soup makes a great luncheon meal when served with Cheese Bread and Walnut Salad. Or add this soup to your upcoming holiday menus.
November 3
"These (recipes) are very nice ways to cook string beans but they interfere with the poor vegetable's leading a life of its own."
~Alice B. Toklas
"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there," and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
~Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
Savory Green Beans
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1 pound fresh wax beans
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill wed, fresh, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Clean and snip ends of wax beans and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add mustard, lemon juice, dill, chives and pepper. Mix and wax beans. Toss occasionally until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.
Wax Beans with Mustard Butter
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1 pound fresh wax beans
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill weed, fresh, finely chipped
1 teaspoon chives, finely chipped
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Clean and snip ends of wax beans and set aside. Ina medium saucepan, melt butter. Add mustard, lemon juice, dill, chives and pepper. Mix and add wax beans. Toss occasionally until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.
*This mustard butter base can be used on limitless numbers of vegetables, including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and carrots, rutabagas, celery or any combination. Serve with Broiled Mahi Mahi in Dill Sauce or Garlic and Mushroom Stuffed Shells.
November 4
"Your servant has nothing there at all, " she said, "except a little oil."
~2 Kings 4:2 (NIV)
Roasted Garlic
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1 cup olive oil
8 whole garlic bulbs, not cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Grease the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Make a shallow incision all around each garlic head, halfway between the top and bottom, cutting through the papery skin but not into the meat of the garlic cloves. Lift off the pointed too of each head. Arrange the heads in the pan. Pour remaining olive degree oil over the garlic heads. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, in 200 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cover whole pan with foil and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the garlic is tender. In the meantime, tear bread into pieces. After garlic is done, break the head, remove a clove,, and squeeze the contents onto a piece of bread while the clove is warm.
Roasted Garlic and Pepper Spread
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1/2 recipe of Roasted Garlic
1 cup fresh chili peppers, quartered and seeds removed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Prepare heads of garlic as directed above, Add peppers to baking pan with garlic heads. Add thyme , rosemary and red pepper flakes when covering garlic with foil and continue baking as directed. When the cloves are done, let cool until they can be handled. Place peppers and squeeze cloves into bowl. Mash coarsely together with a fork. Serve immediately with bread or crackers.
*If you just love garlic, these appetizers are for you. If you are worried about hear disease, fresh garlic is especially for you. Medical researchers are becoming more and more confident that there are preventive and healing properties to garlic. So, do your body a favor and enjoy!
November 5
"There is no harvest for the heart alone;
The seed of love must be
Eternally
Resown."
~Anne Morrow Lindbergh
"One of the indispensable foods of the human soul is liberty.
Liberty, taking the word in its concrete sense, consists of the ability to choose."
~Simone Weil
Broccoli Beef Squares
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2 cups chopped broccoli
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups biscuit mix
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
Steam the broccoli about 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Set aside. Brown the ground beef, onion and mushrooms; drain. Add 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, stirring to melt. Set aside. Combine biscuit mix and water and remaining cheddar cheese until soft dough forms. Pat dough into well greased 9" x 13" pan. pressing 1/2 inch up the sides. Spread beef mixture over dough. Sprinkle with broccoli. Mix parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, milk and eggs together and pour over broccoli. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
*It is around the 1st Tuesday in November, Election Day. Get out and vote, choose your leaders. And, as usual, you can make the choice to change the above recipe: frozen broccoli (10 ounces) can replace the fresh; do not steam ahead of time. Simply thaw, drain and use per recipe. Canned mushrooms (4 ounces) may also be used in place of fresh. Add with cheddar cheese. Serve with Firecracker Salad or Creamy Leek Soup.
November 6
"The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there"
~George Bernard Shaw
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
~Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)
Fettuccine with Roasted Vegetables
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1/2 medium head cauliflower, separated into florets
1/2 medium head broccoli, separated into florets
5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cp mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 ounces fettuccine
1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped, patted dry
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Put cauliflower and broccoli florets and minced garlic into large bowl. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil. Use your hand to mix and thoroughly coat the cauliflower and broccoli with oil. Place vegetables on a baking sheet and sides and bake in 400 degree oven. Coat the mushrooms and tomatoes with remaining oil. After cauliflower and broccoli has cooked for approximately 15 minutes, push them to one side of pan and place the uncooked vegetables on the other side. Season all vegetables with salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes. Bake another 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cauliflower and broccoli should be nicely browned and mushrooms and tomatoes softened., Meanwhile, cooked vegetables and any reaming oil form baking pan. Garnish generously with chopped black olives and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Serve with Garlic Bubble Bread or buttered Sourdough Spinach Bread. Consider starting the meal with a cup of Cream of Spinach Soup. Finally, top the meal off with Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie.
November 7
"Morning - is the place for Dew -
Corn - is made at Noon -
After dinner light - for flowers -
Dukes - for Setting Sun!"
~Emily Dickinson
"A circle of chairs is never provocative of good talk unless there is a table in the middle."
~Louise Hale
Freckled Corn Muffins
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1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
In a large bowl combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, basil, salt, and baking soda and cheese. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk, egg and oil. Mix well and add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients all at once. Stir mixture until just combined, mixture should be lumpy. Divide batter evenly into 12 greased or papered muffins tins. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.
*Are you starting to prepare for the upcoming holidays? Due to seasonal activities and a sense of limited time, it is so easy to start making excuses, lower our priorities and fall into the fast food trap. Use your imagination in the upcoming weeks planning ahead to save time a provide while some foods to you and your family. Make a double batch of these Freckled Corn Muffins and freeze them, pulling out several as need. Serve with Spinach and Cabbage Slaw or Medley of Stuffed Pepper.
November 8
"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness."
~Elsa Schiaparelli
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
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1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups sourdough*
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
5 - 6 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 - 8 teaspoons hot coffee
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in the sourdough, sugar, 1/2 cup butter, salt and 1` cup flour. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in enough flour to make easy to handle. Placer dough on lightly floured board and cover with a bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon filling by combining brow sugar, walnuts, 1/2 cup melted butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. After the dough has set for 10 minutes, knead for 8 to 10 minutes,or until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Divide dough in half; roll each half on a well-floured board into 8" x 16'" rectangles. Brush rectangles with 2 tablespoons of butter and spread each with half the filing. Roll dough up, beginning at narrow end. Cut each roll into 9 to 10 slices. Place slices on greased baking sheet with edges. Cover and let rise in warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. While cooling, measure powdered sugar into small bowl and stir in enough coffee, a teaspoon at a time, to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over rolls while still slightly warm. Serve immediately or they reheat well in the microwave.
*The Basic Sourdough Starter instructions can be found on page 6. Sourdough added to a recipe adds zing and extra moistness to baked goods. If you didn't have a chance to try the other sourdough recipes, go back to Sourdough French Bread and Sourdough Spinach Bread.
November 9
"Flowers are our greatest silent friends."
~Jim G. Brown
Best Friends' Banana Coffee Cake
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6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons hot water
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Beat until smooth; add 1 egg and beat again, Set mixture aside. In another small bowl, put 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat well; add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine soda and hot water and add to creamed mixture, stirring until well blended. Set aside. Ina large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Ad butter mixture and orange juice and mix well. Stir in vanilla bananas and pecans. Into a greased 10 inch tube pan. spoon 1 1/2 cups of banana batter. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over batter. Spoon the remaining banana batter over cream cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minute or until knife comes our clean. Cool 10 to 15 minute3s before removing from pan. Let cool and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon.
November 10
"Biscuits and speeches are improved by shortening"
~Unknown
"Think of the homes that lie before you
Not of the waste that lies behind;
Think of the reassure you have gathered,
Not the ones you failed to find;
Think of the service you may render,
Not of serving self alone;
Think of the happiness of other,
And in his you'll find your own."
~Robert E. Farley
Sweet Potato Biscuits
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1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1.4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
In a medium bow. beat sweet potatoes, shortening and sugar together until well mixed. Ina separate bowl, dissolve soda in buttermilk and add potato mixture. Combine flour, baking powered and salt together and add to potato mixture. Mix well and roll out 1/2 inch thick ona floured surface. Cut with a doughnut cutter with center removed or in squares. Put on a greased cookie sheet and bake in 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. serve warm or reheat as needed. Store the biscuits in an air tight container at room temperature.
*Add in sweet potatoes to a boring biscuit recipe adds a touch of color, creates a sweeter flavor and boosts the nutritional value, especially if you use fresh potatoes, Serve with Rosemary Stuffed Chicken and Gravy or Asparagus Stuffed Steak. Complete the meal with Grandma H's Date Balls or Cherry Orange Tea Cakes.
November 11
"Betty Botter bought some butter,
But, she said, the butter's bitter;
If I put it in my batter
It will make my batter bitter,
But a bit of better butter
Will make my batter better.
So she bought a bit of butter
Better than her bitter butter,
And she put it in her batter
And the batter was not bitter.
So t'was better Betty Botter bought a bit aof better butter."
~Carolyn Wells
"Each new plan is never thought of as a bauble or a prize, but rather as another piece of the puzzle. One by one, plant by plant, my understanding of the larger picture has grown, bringing in to focus, an astounding, mind-boggling portrait of life on earth."
~Dan Hinkley
Buttered Brussels Sprouts
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25 - 30 fresh Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh dill
Remove tough outer leaves of sprouts. Put sprouts in large saucepan, add enough water to just cover the sprouts and bring to boil Cook uncovered until the sprouts are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well; return to pan and shake over low heat to dry remaining moisture. Glaze the butter throughout the sprouts and toss with parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper and dill to taste and serve.
Sliced Baby Red Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients as listed above
12 - 15 new red baby potatoes
Wash and quarter the new baby potatoes. Prepare with sprouts as above.
November 12
"Cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music. And cooking draws upon every talent - science, mathematics, energy, history, experience - and the more experiences you have the less likely are your experiments to end in drivel and disaster. The more you know, the more you can create."
~Julia Child
"In the country they say,"We'll come when it rains." When the soft rains come soaking through the day and into the night, they go visiting, they sit around the kitchen table in a dry place and talk of children and corps."
~Yvette Nelson
Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash
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2 acorn squash, cooked
1 pound bulk sausage, spicy recommended
1 onion, grated
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Cut acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp. Set the squash halves into greased a 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. In a large skillet, brown sausage and drain off grease. Add onion, bread crumbs and pepper. Continuing cooking until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Fill squash halves and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until mixture browned. Let squash set for 5 minutes before serving.
*Acorn squash are sometimes an ignored vegetable. They are packed full of antioxidants, fiver and potassium. They usually are inexpensive and plentiful in the fall at local farmer's markets. And this recipe demonstrates that they are relatively easy to prepare. Start the meal with a steaming bowl of Rustic Soup. Serve with Bacon Muffins or Onion Cake. If you still have a little room left, finish with sliver of Flower Blossom Cheesecake.
November 13
"As long as one has a garden one has a future; and as long as one has a future one is alive."
~Frances Hodgson Burnett
"When I was but a little lad, not more than eight or nine,
My mother had a table prayer she taught us line by line.
With all the family gathered round, head bowed and hands in place
We'd sit in solemn silence until one of us said grace.
'Be present at our table, Lord,' her favorite grace began.
'Be here and everywhere adorned,' the little couplet ran.
'These creatures bless and grant that we' - I hear it now as then--
'May feast in Paradise with Thee!' and all would say 'Amen.'
Day in and out through weal and woe, high gain or commonplace.
At every meal our heads we bowed throughout this simple grace.
'Be present at our table, Lord!' From all that has occurred
And all the joy that we have known - I'm sure He must have heard."
~Edgar A. Guest
Baked Chicken Salad
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1 1/2 cups cubed,cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup crushed potato chips
In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, walnuts, salt, pepper and onion. Mix lemon juice and mayonnaise in a small bowl and pour over chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Heap the chicken mixture into greased individual baking dishes or a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with potato chips. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately.
*Serve with Sourdough French Bread or Molasses and Bran Buns. Try topping with Green Olive Relish. To the meal, add Red Onion Flower Blossoms or tomorrow's Oven Baked French Fries.
November 14
"How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?"
~Paul Sweeney
"Almighty God, we are grateful for the bounty of the earth.
We are grateful for the friends who are gathered here.
We are grateful for your presence among us.
May we be worthy. Amen."
~Unknown
Good Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes
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3 - 4 pound baby red potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup whole milk or half and half
1 teaspoon pepper
Scrub potatoes clean and remove any spoiled spots. Cover with water in large kettle and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain water, add butter, milk and pepper and mash until desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Oven Baked French Fries
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3 - 4 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and dry
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 / 2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Create a flat surface on potato by slicing off a thin piece from one side. Turn potato on the flat side and cut 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut into 1/4 inch thin sticks. Put potato sticks into large bowl and toss with olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Spray several cookie sheets with noon-stick spray and spread out potatoes in a single layer. Bake in a 475 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.
*Adding sugar before baking ensures a golden color to the French fries. Your family will oven them!
November 15
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.
Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Your prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You welcome me as a guest anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessing.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever."
~Psalm 23 (NCV)
My Favorite Sweet Potatoes
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3 cups mashed sweet potatoes, fresh or canned.
1 cup yellow raisins (optional)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup mini marshmallows
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups whole pecans
Mix sweet potatoes, raisins, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, milk, vanilla and eggs. Put into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Combine 2/3 cup melted butter, flour and 1 cup brown sugar. Crumble atop marshmallows, and place the pecans on top. Bake in 325 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
*My favorite bible verse and my favorite sweet potato dish - what a soul comforting combination. What bible verse warm your soul? Think about creating a journal where you can list your favorite scripture verse. Then, if feel the need for inspiration or strength, will have them ready.
November 16
"The night bird is my favorite sound,
The moon, my favorite sight...
God knew that I would surely love
This peaceful time called night.
When daytime chores are finished,
And the sun is laid to rest,
It's the beauty of the night
I surely love the best."
~Joan Farmer Null
"It’s as innate as our bones to desire a vision for our lives, a path to follow with purpose, pleasure, and passion. But when God drops a vision into our hearts, it's never just to nourish and comfort ourselves. He intends for us to reflect His heart for the world admonishing, blessing, comforting and pointing lost souls to His kingdom."
~Judith Couchmen
Night Before French Toast Casserole
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1 loaf French Bread, cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch slices
8 eggs
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan and arrange bread slices. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour over bread in pan. Mix together remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours. Before baking, uncover and dot with butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes,or until bread is puffy and browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
*Consider serving this during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. It's a luxurious feeling to have something prepared for morning, knowing you can throw it in the oven and go back to bed and snooze for a few more minutes.
November 17
"Spice a day with laughter
Mix with a happy song,
Add a pinch of friendship
Stir in lots of loving,
It makes no difference where.
Fold in daily toil,
And flavor with a prayer."
~Unknown
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."
~Mother Teresa
White Buns
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2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup vegetable oil
12 - 13 cups flour
Melted butter
In a glass measuring cup, dissolve yeast in warm water and the 1 teaspoon sugar. Let rise until the cup is full. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the milk, eggs, sugar, and salt and oil. Stir in yeast. Add 12 cups of flour until a stiff dough forms. Turn out on floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until dough smooth and satiny. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour in a warm spot. Punch down and let rise 45 minutes. For into buns and place on greased jelly roll pans. Let rise again for about 30 minutes, until light. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. While still hot. brush with melted butter. Cool and store in airtight container. To freeze, wrap buns in layer of paper towels, and put into self-seal bags. When needed, take bag from freezer, unseal and heat in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
*Instead of buns, dough can also be formed into 4 loves and baked for25 to 30 minutes. Your friends and family will be impressed by your better-than-sliced white bread. especially if eaten warm and fresh from the oven.
November 18
"We used to have old fashioned things
Like hominy and greens.
We used to have just common soup
Made out of pork and beans.
We used to have a piece of beef,
Just ordinary meat.
And pickled pig's feet, spareribs, too,
And other things to eat.
But the good old things have passed
Away in silent retreat.
We've lots of high-falutin things,
But nothing much to eat.
And while I never say a word
And always pleasant look,
You bet I've go dyspepsia
Since my daughter's learned to cook."
~North Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service
Broccoli and Beef Salad
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1/4 cup sesame oil
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
8 large mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound bone less strip sirloin steak, broiled and sliced into thin strips
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 avocados, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Heat the sesame oil in a heavy skillet. Add broccoli, onion, red pepper, mushrooms and garlic and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, soy sauce, and a sugar together. Pour over vegetables and mix well. Stir in broiled beef strips, artichoke hearts and avocado chunks. Chill for 3 to 4 hours. Toss and sprinkle with sesame seeds prior to serving.
*Serve with Cream of All-Veggie Soup and Garlic Bubble Bread for robust and fall meal that even a mother can approve of.
November 19
"She lets him go barefoot in summertime
And swing on the garden gate.
She lets him eat cookies between his meals
And stay up disgracefully late.
She indulges him when he visits.
She was stricter with her boy.
But this one isn't hers to raise-
Only to enjoy!"
~"Grandma" by Suzanne Douglass
Molasses Cookies
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1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup molasses
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
Flour to thicken
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons cream
In a mixing bowl, cram together sugar and shortening. Mix in the molasses. In the cup of water, dissolve the baking soda and add to molasses mixture, In a separate bowl, start with 1 cup of flour and mix in the ginger, cinnamon and salt. Blend into the molasses mixture. Stir in flour in 1/2 cup increments until dough is stiff and able to be rolled out. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1/4 of batter until about 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut out cookies with a doughnut cutter with 'hole' taken out. Place cookies onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool. Mix the butter, vanilla,m and powdered sugar together. Add enough cream to form a smooth, thick, spreadable frosting. Take one cookie and spread generously with frosting. Place another cookie on top, to make a sandwich. Cookies store and freeze well in coffee cans.
*Of course my Grandam S. enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren and one of her favorite ways was with her old fashioned baking goods. Over the years the grandkids have asked for various recipes. but this one remains my favorite with all.
November 20
"The garden is rich with diversity
With plants of a hundred families
In the space between the trees
With all the colors and fragrances.
Basil, mint and lavender,
God keep my remembrance pure,
Raspberry, apple, rose,
God fill my heart with love,
Dill, anise, tansy,
Holy winds blow in me.
Rhododendron, zinnia,
May my prayer be beautiful
May my remembrance, O God, be as incense to you
In the sacred grove of eternity
As I smell and remember
The ancient forests of earth."
~Chinook Native American song
Bounty Rice
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1 pound lean round beef
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups cooked rice
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup rated mozzarella cheese
In large skillet, brown ground beef, garlic, onion and green peppers. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper, rice and cabbage. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve immediately, sprinkling with mozzarella cheese.
*Another heart warming enter to remind us of the upcoming thankful celebration. Serve along side Apricot Shrimp Stir Fry or Sweet and Sour Cabbage.
November 21
"Take the harvest of the season,
Share it with your next of kin.
Serve them turkey, squash and pumpkin-
Let a ray of sunshine in.
Grace your table with bright flowers;
Add some thought on joys of living-
Grateful for the family's presence
And a glad, fulfilled Thanksgiving!"
~Marjorie Lundell
"One of the nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
~Unknown
Spiced Cider
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1 gallon apple cider
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons whole allspice
4 cinnamon sticks
3/4 cup sugar
2 whole oranges
Whole cloves
3 red apples
In a large stock pot, hat cider, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks and sugar to boiling. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Wash fruit and pierce oranges with the cloves, covering evenly. Place fruit in a punch bowl. Strain cider and pour into punch bowl. Garnish mugs with additional cinnamon sticks. Store any remaining cider in the refrigerator.
*Just the smell of third cider brewing will welcome friends and family as they enter your home to celebrate this season of thanks. If you don't want to serve from a punch bowl, continue simmering all ingredients in a crock pot. If mixture becomes too strong, strain out spices, or add more apple cider. Serve cheerfully to guests (and the cook) whenever warming up is called for during the fall season.
November 22
"The food that I share with others
Is the food that nourishes me.
The strength that I spend for others
Is the strength that I retain.
The freedom I seek for others
Makes me forever free.
The pain that I ease in others
Shall take away my pain.
The load that I lift from others
Makes my load disappear.
The good that I see in others
My greatest good shall be
The love that I feel for others
Comes back my life to cheer.
The path that I walk with others
Is the path God walks with me."
~Grace Hill Freeman
Creamed Cabbage and Onions
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1 large head of cabbage, cut into 16 wedges
2 large onions, sliced
Salt and pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
In a large stock pot, combine cabbage and onions. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Boil to 10 minutes, or until vegetables tender. Drain well. Place the vegetables into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Mix the cream of mushroom soup and milk and pour over the cabbage. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until browned. Dish will hold well for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, if covered.
*Cabbage and onions are traditional side dishes to corned beef on St. Patrick's Day, but they also deserve a spot at the Thanksgiving table beside the ham. Adding the cheese make it more appealing to those not excited about cabbage. So, think about adding the ingredients to your holiday shopping list and offering some variety to the upcoming feast.
November 23
"Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her name was Subrena. She loved rainbows. Every day she would go outside and lay in the grass and watch rainbows. and she would watch the birds and smell the flowers. One day her mother asked her to pick blueberry's because her mother was going to make a blueberry pie. But, when she went to pick blueberrys, it rained. And so she laid down in the grass and watched the rainbows and smelled the flowers. And she went inside and had dinner and red a book and went to bed. The End."
~Jade Heffern, age 8
"May your moccasins make
happy tracks in many snows
And the rainbows always
touch your shoulder"
~Indian Saying
Rainbow Fruit Tart
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4 cups diced fruit, combination of any of the following; peaches, pears, berries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 - 11 inch pie crust
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Whip cream or ice cream
Place cut fruit into a medium bowl. Mix sugar and cornstarch together; sprinkle over fruit and toss gently to combine. Place uncooked pie crust on a foil lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into center of pie crust, leaving a 2 inch border. Fold crust edge over, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
*Instead of just pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, serve this light tart. Children, who have not yet acquired a taste for the more traditional desserts, may enjoy this too. For a special treat, cut the pie crust with a round cookie cutter or glass to make individual size fruit tarts. Baking time will be slightly less, so be sure to check after 20 to 25 minutes.
November 24
"Thanksgiving kitchens
Are gay with color
Pumpkins are yellow;
Apples are red;
And though the puddings
Are somewhat duller,
A richer fragrance
Is theirs instead."
~Dorothy Brown Thompson
"Lord, you are my God.
I honor you and praise you,
because you have done amazing things.
You have always done what you said you would do;
you have done what you planned long ago."
~Isaiah 25:1 (NCV)
Pumpkin Pudding Pie
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2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
1 cup pumpkin, canned*
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 prepared graham cracker crust
Canned whipped cream
Combine all ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into graham cracker crust. Let pudding set 5 to 10 minutes. Refrigerate until serving. Flute edges with whipped cream.
*Fresh baked pumpkin may be substituted. Add 1/4 cup sugar if you do this. Pumpkin Pudding Pie can be served along with the traditional pumpkin pie during the holidays, or all year long as a unique treat. Children usually prefer this pie over the traditional pumpkin pie and it is also much easier to prepare. It also provides a more rounded base of nutrients than many other puddings or pies.
**What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
-Pumpkin Pi
November 25
"They can't see their pictures,
they can't read the label-
the seeds in a package-
so how are they able
to know if they're daisies
or greens for the tables?
It sounds like a fancy,
it sounds like a fable,
but you do the sowing,
the weeding, the hoeing
and they'll to the knowing
of how to be growing."
~Aileen Fisher
" can only hope that, if I ever get past the Pearly Gates, I shan't be made a member of the orchestra and put to twanging a harp, but will be assigned to the garden section, where I can were my old corduroy pants and indescribably soiled work shirt and really have a chance to do all the many things I have left undone."
~Ruth Stout
Vegetable Stuffing Casserole
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1 small package stove top stuffing
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups broccoli floret
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Prepare the stove top stuffing according to directions. Put on bottom of a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Steam the vegetables in saucepan until tender crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Mix the vegetables with the soup, sour cream and pepper. Pour over the dressing. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until evenly browned.
*It is becoming increasingly recommended by health officials to not bake bread stuffing in roasting poultry, such has long been the tradition for many Thanksgiving turkey feast. However, stuffing just isn't as tasty when cooked along side the bird. That's where the recipe can spruce up ordinary stuffing and be enjoyed throughout the year.
November 26
"Lord, help us to remember that the key to life and living is to make each prayer a prayer of thanks and every day Thanksgiving."
~Helen Steiner Rice
"You know how some people seem to think that their love for classical music makes them spiritual or at least something quite special? And others who think you are a monster if you don't 'love children,' however obnoxious the children may be? Well, I found out that many people who love flowers look down on those who don't"
~Ruth Stout
Baked Pineapple
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1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups grated Longhorn cheese
4 cups pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
Maraschino cherries
Combine the flour, sugar and cheese in a bowl. Using half the pineapple, lace a layer in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture. Repeat the layering. Pour the reserved juice over all, using just enough to barely cover. Garnish with several maraschino cherries, if desired. Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. If the top starts to become too brown, cover during last half of baking. Serve hot.
*If ham is to be served with your traditional Thanksgiving feast. Baked Pineapple can be a unique sweet side dish. Serve anytime of the year with Thai Noodles with Broccoli. Or serve arm over a slice of pound cake for dessert! Again, the options really are limitless, so test that imagination. I always try to remember that the key to a successful meal is not the number of items served, but that the items offered are slightly different and original in presentation or flavor combination.
"The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness."
~Henry David Thoreau
November 27
"Out in the garden,
Out in the windy, swinging dark,
Under the trees and the flower-beds,
Over the grass and under the hedge border,
Someone is sweeping, sweeping,
Some old gardener.
Out in the windy, swinging dark,
Someone is secretly putting in order,
Someone is creeping, creeping."
~Katherine Mansfield
"Almighty god, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love in thee redemption of the world b ou Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy serve, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honor and glory, would without end. Amen."
~Traditional Christian Thanksgiving Prayer
Cranberry Relish
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2 cups fresh cranberries
1 orange, peeled and seeded
1/2 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
In a food processor, chop cranberries, orange and lemon. Mix together. Add sugar and mix. Flavors are best if this is let refrigerate overnight. Prior to serving, drain and add pecans.
*For those of us who grew up with gelatinized cranberry sauce plopped from a can, this relish is a refreshing addition to the traditional Thanksgiving meal And it is far more nutritious! But, if you still have a stubborn palate, or a family with one, whole fresh cranberries in the bottom of a large crystal flower vase with a bunch of fresh flowers make a beautiful center piece.
November 28
"For the hay and the corn
and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done,
and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and dew
and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song,
and the harvest brought home-
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!"
~Traditional Hymn
"I should like to inflame the whole world with my taste for gardening. There is no virtue that I would not attribute to the man who lives to project and execute gardens."
~Prince De Ligne
Potato Corn Chowder
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1 quart water
4 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can whole kernel corn with juice
1 can cream style corn
1 small can mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups diced ham
1 1/4 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large kettle, combine water, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. Boil together until potatoes are tender. Add corn, mushrooms, mushroom soup, ham, milk, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly, but be careful not to scorch. Serve immediately.
*I don't think I', alone in savoring a good bowl of soup, whether it's a holiday or a cold winter evening. Soups are such a comfort food and, of course, a great way to use up some of those holiday leftovers. A wonderful cook book devoted to soup is "Soups On! by Jane Quinn. Serve soups from Jan's book with Fluffy Dilly Popovers or Oat Crackers.
November 29
"so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens"
~William Carlos Williams
"Put all thine eggs in one basket and - - watch that basket"
~Mark Twain
Colorado Potatoes and Eggs
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12 ounces pork sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 eggs
Cook and stir sausage and onion in a medium skillet until browned; drain. Stir in frozen potatoes ad seasoned salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes, or until potatoes are just thawed. Remove form heat and stir in cheese. Spread mixture in an ungreased 9" x 13" baking dish. Taking a knife, lightly score 6 equal sections into the potatoes and make rounded indentations in center of each section. Sprinkle with pepper. Carefully, so as to not to break the yolk, put one egg into each indentation. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are desired doneness. Serve immediately.
*If you have family staying with you for the holiday, it is very impressive to serve a handsome brunch. Serve this egg bake with Miniature Cherry Muffins, Cantaloupe Fruit Baskets and Sugared Grapes.
November 30
"I was always eager to salt a good stew. The trouble was that I was expected to supply the meat and potatoes as well"
~Bette Davis
"As I weed and cultivate the basils, savories, and thymes in my garden, touch their furry or glossy leaves, and breathe in their spicy scent, they seem like such old friends it is difficult to realize that only three years ago these aromatic herbs, except for the parsley,sages and mint, were quite unknown to me. "
~Helen Morgenthau
Good Ole' Turkey Stew
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1 meaty turkey frame, or 4 cups leftover turkey
1 quartered onion
5 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups chopped vegetables of choice(carrots, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, etc.)
3 - 5 tomatoes, quartered
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons parsley
2 cups noodles of choice (elbow macaroni, egg noodles,etc)
In a large pot, put turkey frame, onion, water and salt. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove bones, putting meat back into broth. If desired, let cool and skim fat off top (If only using turkey meat, do not need to do this step.) Add desired vegetables, tomatoes, thyme, oregano pepper and parsley. Bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Add noodles and cook until done. Serve immediately. Freeze in small batches, as this stew reheats well.
*Of course, Turkey Stew would come after Thanksgiving, but is should be considered more often. If you have any stuffing leftovers, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until dried and crispy. Then sprinkle into your stew. Or serve with Chippewa Bread, finishing with Poppyseed Poundcake and Fruit Compote.
Recipes For The Month Of
January , February , March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December
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