Whats Cooking at the Parsonage?

VALENTINE TREATS

2010-02-14T18:00:00.001-05:00

This was my Sunday to do the treats for our Visitor's at church.

I was shopping at Costco's and found these cute heart shortbread cookie's dipped in chocolate.

I had already planned on making Whoopie pies so I did make them too.

I found these cute heart plates at Sur La Table for 50% off so I got three of them and stacked them on top of each other and it turned out cute. I love this Whoopie recipe so if you want it you will have wait till the new church cookbook comes out:)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T10:22:00.002-05:00

Well , it has been a long time since I added anything. I am going to try harder this year. I really have been cooking! I just can't seem to remember to take pictures until after everything is eaten. So I am going to try again:) We started the New Year out with our traditional Pork and Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes. Hope you all have a Blessed year!

BLUEBERRY ALMOND COFFE CAKE

2009-01-28T14:12:00.003-05:00

I took advantage of my snow days and made this very quick and easy coffee cake.

It is delicious!

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

Prep time: 20 min

Serving size: 8 servings

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 packages Martha White Blueberry Muffin Mix

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 9 inch square pan.

Spread almonds in single layer on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool 15 minutes. Chop almonds. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine sour cream, milk, and sugar;mix well.

Add muffin mix; stir to blend.

Spread batter in greased pan.

Sprinkle with almonds.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan.

4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; blend until smooth.

5. Remove coffee cake from oven.

Drizzle glaze over hot cake, cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

I did not have two packs of Blueberry mix so I added a cranberry mix and it turned out delicious and very colorful.

THE OMNIVORE'S HUNDRED

2009-01-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Omnivore’s Hundred:
The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. :)
The instructions are quite explicit...1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) highlight in red any items that you would never consider eating.
1. Venison
2. Nettle Tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Chicken and Waffles
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Clotted cream tea
37. Gumbo
38. Turtle Soup
39. Oxtail
40. Curried goat
41. Whole insects
42. Phaal
43. Goat’s milk
44.Pheasant
45.Squirel
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57.Pickled Tongue
58.Skyline Chili
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Dog
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Shoofly pie
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Ostrich
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
How about you?
How'd you do with this list?

HAM LOAF I LOVE THIS!

2008-11-22T09:04:00.000-05:00

This is another Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. Everyone loves this! You have to find a butcher or your local grocery who will grind the ham and pork for you Bigg's grocery will do it for you. I ask for the leanest pork and ham and ask them to mix it together.

They like to do a whole ham and pork loin so you might ask them if they will do less if you don't want to make extra. It amounts to about 8 lbs and I just adjust my recipe for that amount.

I get a large amount and make extra to freeze or give away. Well, here is the recipe. ENJOY!

HAM LOAF

1 1/2 lb ground ham

1 1/2 lb ground pork

2 eggs

1 tsp pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup milk

Combine first five ingredients. Form into loaf and bake at 350 degrees with meat thermometer until it reaches 170 degrees about 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Combine sauce ingredients to pour over ham loaf during last 1/2 hour of baking.

Baste several times. Serves 12.

Sauce:

1/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup water

1 tsp dry mustard

3/4 cup brown sugar

cook in sauce pan till hot

Pour over loaf last 30 Min's of baking and Baste several times.

Optional: Brown slices of pineapple in juice to serve over ham.

WHEN I MAKE THIS.....

2008-11-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

When I make this dish I can wrap the Pastor around my finger:) I could never figure this out but his Mom made this for him and I inherited the dish from her. Now I like this dish but for the Pastor this is his favorite one. I don't like to shop but if I did I could probably shop till I drop for this meal. So I am going to have to think of something else like maybe take out the trash:) Only a few of you will get that one. Well here is what you need.

Melt 3 sticks of butter in a pan.

Add 2 cups of Bread Crumbs and brown a little.

Boil the noodles for 7 mins and drain.

Add them to the bread crumb mixture and stir and there you have it. Fried Noodles another Pennsylvania dish. Have a great week. Coming up! HAM LOAF.

NOT MUCH COOKING AT THE PARSONAGE!

2008-10-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry I have not been doing much cooking at the parsonage lately, But I have been enjoying wonderful food from the some of the best cooks in our church. October is Pastor appreciation month and we have been invited out for the most delicious meals you have every eaten. I just want to Thank you all for inviting us and for all those who have put all the goodies in our car after church. I will try to get back to doing some cooking around here soon.:)

CRAVING FOR PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

2008-09-30T20:01:00.000-04:00

I was craving for good old Pennsylvania Dutch cooking tonight so this is what we had for Supper.

Wilted Lettuce Salad

Chicken Potpie
Poor mans Cinnamon rolls

Chicken Potpie, is a PA Dutch favorite called "Bott Boi". Sometimes I use packaged potpie noodles, but it is way better when you make your own. Tonight I used an Amish brand I buy at Biggs they are really good. 'Potpie'' in many regions is often a meat and vegetable dish covered with a pastry dough and baked in the oven. And then there is Chicken and Dumplings which is the same as 'Chicken Potpie' and 'Chicken and Pastry' except that dumplings are substituted for the pastry dough. Whatever you call it, it is superb! The Wilted lettuce is another favorite it is a sweet and sour dressing on lettuce. Most people use head lettuce but head lettuce in this house is a no no:) I used Boston or Bib. The cinnamon rolls were always a treat when my grandmother got done making her pies and she used the leftover dough to make these delicious cheap treats. This is another great meal for the fall hope you all enjoy!

Hot bacon dressing for Salad
1 egg, well beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 strips bacon, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon flour

Beat the sugar into the egg. Add the vinegar, water and salt; beat well. Meanwhile, brown the bacon in small saucepan. Stir in the flour and stir until smooth. Add the liquid to the bacon mixture and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. (Can be prepared ahead and reheated, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to saucepan. If it gets too thick, add a little water.) Pour hot dressing over coarsely chopped greens and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie
4 quarts water
One 3 to 3-1/2 pound chicken (I use boneless chicken breasts)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup sliced carrots
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cubed potatoes
Potpie dough (see below)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
3 tablespoons flour blended with 3 tablespoons cup cold water (optional, for thickening)
Cook chicken in simmering water until tender . Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bones, discard skin, and pull apart or cut into bite-size pieces. Strain the broth and skim off most of fat. Taste broth for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. ( I use a good chicken base and add it to the broth)
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add the reserved chicken. Gradually layer the potpie dough squares into the boiling liquid, one-by-one, alternating potato cubes,carrot,onion,celery gently pushing down each layer until covered with the broth. Reduce heat and cover pot. Simmer, stirring gently on occasion to prevent dough from clumping together, until dough is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. (If desired, add flour and water paste to thicken broth at this time ( I like mine thicken). Serve immediately.

Pot Pie Dough
2-1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon cold water

roll out thin and cut in small squares

I let mine set for 20 min to get a firm

Poor Mans Cinnamon Rolls
Leftover Pie dough (I used store bought)
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
butter
roll out the dough
spread with soft butter
sprinkle with as much brown sugar as you would like
Sprinkle with Cinnamon
Roll up like a jelly roll
bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes

A WONDERFUL FALL DESSERT!

2008-09-29T19:04:00.000-04:00

BANANA CAKE WITH EASY CARAMEL FROSTING

1 (18.25-ounce) Package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 1 cup)

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons banana extract

Easy Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, mashed bananas, water, oil, eggs and banana extract with an electric mixer at medium speed.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until tested done when a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. remove cakes and cool completely on wire racks.

5. Fill and frost cake with the Easy caramel frosting and sprinkle top with the pecans.

Makes 12 servings.

Easy Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Bring the butter and brown sugars in a saucepan over medium heat to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the milk and bring mixture back to a boil.

2. Remove pan from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until frosting is smooth. Frost coooled cake immediately.

ENJOY!