Food & Family #4 Valentines Treats

Valentine's Treats

Today's theme was Valentines Treats. What better way to spend a beautiful Saturday than with a few beautiful friends. Check out our menu from today and then plan your Valentines Day for your sweetheart.

We had Hershey Bar Cake. So full of rich, sweet, wonderful chocolate. Delicious.

Red Velvet Cheese Ball. So smooth and creamy. Wow! Unbelievable.

Apple, Strawberry Crisp. Crispy apples paired with rich, tangy strawberries with a crunchy topping then baked to perfection. Genious!

Beautiful table setting.

What could be better to offset all the sweets than with this scrumptious Jambalaya with rice.

Two beautiful ladies. So glad you were with us today.

The menu today:

Hershey Bar Cake
Cheesecake Dip with fruit and cookies
Red Velvet Cheese Ball
Jambalaya with Rice
Apple & Strawberry Crisp
Reese's Cup Cheesecake Cupcakes
Brie, Chocolate Chip & Basil Panini
Strawberry Limeade Punch

Hershey Bar Cake:

6 (1.55 oz each) Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars                            2 1/2 cups all purpose flour                
1 1/2 cups Hersheys Syrup, use can, not squeeze bottle              1/2 tsp baking soda  
1 cup butter                                                                                   1 cup buttermilk 
2 cups sugar                                                                                  2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 300. Grease & flour tube pan or two bundt pans; set aside. This recipe will overflow tube pan so be prepared for extra batter, even with larger pans.

1. In top of double boiler, over hot but not boiling water, combine 6 candy bars and approximately 1 1/2 cups of syrup. I use the entire 10.5oz can. Stir until melted and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter & sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate. Beat well.
3. In another bowl, sift flour and baking soda together.
4. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to sugar mixture.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
6. Bake 1 1/2 hours @ 300 degrees.. Cool in pan(s) 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely before adding candy bar icing/glaze.

Icing:

7 (1.55oz each)  Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars
evaporated milk

In top of double boiler, over hot but not boiling water, melt 7 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars with about 1/4 cup evaporated milk (more or less depending on the consistency you want - either thick or thin glaze? Start with a small amount of milk at a time, and when all the candy is melted slowly pour over cake(s).

Slow Cooker Jambalaya:

1lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1" cubes
1lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.  Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Serve with cooked rice.

Country Fried Steak Supper

Southern Comfort Food to the max. Country Fried Steak with Gravy, and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes. What could be better than this? So easy and quick to make even for a week night meal. Why wait? Go ahead and make this for your supper. You won't regret it

You will need: (depending on how many you are feeding. There is only 2 in our household.)

2 - 4 cubed steaks
1 - 2 eggs beaten with small amount of water (1 egg for 2 steaks, 2 eggs for 4 steaks)
3-4 medium to large potatoes ( I like Yukon gold)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk, divided
1/2 stick butter or margarine
2 Tbsp sour cream.
salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying plus 2 Tbsp for gravy

Measure out 1 cup flour in dish. In separate shallow dish, beat eggs with a slight amount of water. Salt and pepper steaks. Dredge steaks in flour, then in beaten egg, then again in flour. Heat enough oil to fry steaks. On medium heat, add steaks to fry pan. Brown on one side. Turn over and brown on other side until steaks are done. 8-10 minutes total. Remove to paper towel lined plate and set aside. Drain frying pan but do not wash. Return to heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil to pan. Heat oil. Add 2 Tbsp flour. Whisk together until lightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Heat through. Smother steaks with gravy. If you feel like it, top your mashed potatoes with gravy as well.

Peel and cube potatoes into a medium boiler. Boil 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain well. Return to warm boiler. This will dry out the potatoes so they won't be soggy. Add butter. Mash with potato masher or hand mixer also works well. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and 2 Tbsp sour cream. Salt to desired taste. Enjoy with a side of corn bread and turnip greens.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I enjoy sharing them.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts. All comments are welcome.

Food & Family Party (3)

New Years Resolution Food

 

 

Well, we decided to go healthy this go round. The food and the company were wonderful. Try getting a few friends and family together and see what you come up with. Bet you'll be surprised what a great time you have.



 

There was Roasted Red Pepper Hummus,

Garlic Roasted Artichokes,

Veggie Pizza,

Roasted Chicken, Corn, and Cheddar Cheese Chowder,

Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad,

And of course you've gotta have dessert. A Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake that make you swear it is loaded with fat and calories it's so good. But, its not. Sweetness at its best.

 

 

And to wash it all down, A Sage-A-Rita.

 

 

 

Food & Family. That's what its all about. Go on. Plan your party. Invite family & friends and see where it takes you. From all of us to all of you. Have a Blessed and Happy New Year!

 





Spinach Vegetable Beef Soup



With temperatures in the low 20's to single digits across the nation, you need a big bowl of hearty vegetable soup in your tummy to keep you warm. Why not give this a try? You'll be glad you did.



 

 



Start with 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of cubed beef. You could also use a chuck roast cut into cubes.



Dust the cubed beef with a little flour. Throw it into a dutch oven with a small amount of oil and let brown. Do not over crowd the pan. It will steam and not brown up. Who wants grey cubed beef when nice brown cubed is better.

Dice a medium onion and a couple cloves of garlic while you are browning beef.

Remove beef from pan onto a plate. Set aside. Not too far away. You will need to use it again. It is, after all, a Vegetable Beef Soup.

Then throw the onion and garlic into the same pan you browned the beef in. Salt and pepper to your taste. Sautee until soft.

Now, open a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Dive in with your hand and crush the tomatoes. It really gives the soup a nicer consistency.

Then add the crushed tomatoes to the same pan as the onions.

Peel and cube 3-4 medium red potatoes. Add to the pot with onions and tomatoes.

Add 8 ounces frozen black eye peas and 16 ounces of frozen mixed  vegetables to the pot with the onions, tomatoes, and potatoes.

Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder. If you like it a little spicier add more. Your choice.

Add 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. If you would like a more woodsy taste, by all means, add more. Again this is your choice.

Now, add the browned cubed beef back to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and let cook about 1 hour.

Then add half of a bag of fresh baby spinach. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Now most importantly, serve with a slice of cornbread warm from the oven and slathered with butter. You won't regret it. I promise.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1- 1 1/2 pound of beef cubes

flour to dust beef

medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium red potatoes

8 oz frozen black eye peas

16oz frozen mixed vegetables

fresh baby spinach

chili powder

ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste.



Sunday Night Supper



Meatloaf Dinner

Mix 1-1 1/2 lbs ground chuck with one egg, medium onion chopped, 1/2 bread crumbs, 1/4 cup milk,  chopped parsley, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tbsp. yellow mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Form into a loaf and put in iron skillet or pan of your choice. Preheat oven to 400º. Cook 30 minutes and remove from oven. Leave oven on. You will put meatloaf back in.

Mix 3/4 cup ketchup, 2Tbsp yellow mustard, 2-3Tbsp Worcestershire sauce. (to your taste), 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar. (again to your taste). Mix well. Pour over meatloaf to cover and return to oven for 30 more minutes.

After 30 minutes remove from oven and enjoy.

Country Style Fried Potatoes

Peel and cut potatoes into half moon slices. Add 1/2 medium onion. Salt and pepper. Fry until tender and golden.

Serve meatloaf with green beans, country style fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes, and buttered hot homemade yeast rolls.

If you know me at all you know I DO NOT like meatloaf. However, my hubby loves it, so trying to be the good wife, I made this for his dinner tonight. He thoroughly enjoyed. That makes me happy. :)

Cooking Party #2

Start with country white bread. Butter and toast on both side. Add leftover dressing and cranberry sauce.

Top with sliced turkey and cooked bacon.

Gotta have our veggies so lets add some leaf lettuce to be healthy.

Smashed Pumpkin Martini. Delish.

And our beautiful host today, Alison. Thanks Alison for a fun time today in your kitchen.

There were homemade yeast rolls,

Twice baked potatoes,

Baked corn casserole, Hashbrown casserole,

 

Pecan Crunch Cake, Apple Roll with cream cheese filling and homemade caramel sauce.                  

 

 

So much fun today. Looking forward to another month with old friends and new friends.