Living 2 Eat |

I love to make something for somebody else that they really enjoy. I really like for people to enjoy the food.

Trisha Yearwood

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Sausage Hors D’oeuvres

• 1 pound spicy pork sausage meat

• 10 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

• 3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick

• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sausage, cheese and baking mix. Beat at low speed until blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange them 1 inch apart on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towels, then serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 50 hors d’oeuvres.

Dale & Thomas’

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Chocolate Chunk

n’ Caramel Popcorn

About a year ago, I discovered Dale & Thomas Popcorn and it has become a terrific gift for friends and family alike.   Everyone loves the incredible flavors and first class presentation.  

My favorite flavor is, “chocolate chunk n’caramel”.  It is described as… a rich and sensuous combination of the finest, fresh-popped corn topped with buttery caramel and studded with chunks of deep, chocolaty indulgence. The caramel adds overall sweetness and crunch, while the chunks of chocolate, well, if you love chocolate then you know how important each and every one of those chunks can be. The result is a snack that’s simple, yet sumptuous!

By the way, this is one of Oprah’s favorites too!

 These baked beans were a family staple and expected at every get together. My Aunt Fran was the best cook in the family. This is because she was a Southern gal hailing from Birmingham, Alabama. She raised my brother and me. Frequently, we would come home at the end of the day before she arrived and poke around believing there wasn’t going to be any supper on the table without a shopping trip. She would fly in the door after work and looking at the same ingredients we had seen, whip up a delicious meal within the hour.

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Fran was a fearless cook, always experimenting. She really never measured anything, just sort of eyeballed the dish and threw things into it a bit at a time. She tasted everything as she went along until she was satisfied.

There was always a crock of bacon grease on the stove. Sunday morning was often smoked pork chops with eggs over easy — cooked in bacon fat. Homemade biscuits, of course, with jam or honey and plenty of Tennessee Ernie Ford hymns playing on the stereo. My Uncle Jim would frequently sing along.

Smart friends and neighbors made it a habit to drop by at meal time. There was always enough. Fran could stretch breakfast for four into brunch for ten without blinking an eye.

When I was dating, I had one frequent suitor who often came by at dinner time. He would walk into the kitchen and lift the covers off of all the pots on the stove. “What you cooking, Frances?” he’d ask her. (He was Greek and his English was a new second language to him.) He’d lift the covers and inhale, then smile at her. “Oh, no wonder you fat!” We’d all laugh and she’d make him a plate of whatever while I got ready for our date. He never stopped smiling. I wasn’t sure if he was dating me or Fran!

She’s been gone exactly one year and even though it has been a long time since she was able to create her magic in the kitchen, I know that she is in heaven fattening up all the angels.

Shortly before Aunt Fran passed, my brother (who, as you know died six weeks after she did) was here visiting for the final time. One late afternoon while he was at the hospital with her, I decided to make her baked beans for supper. Jim walked in the door with his shoulders slumped and immediately brightened up. “I know that smell!” , he said, with a huge grin on his face. We sat down and finished every last bit, laughing and sharing stories about our memories around the family table. That evening together was one of our last and I will cherish it forever.

Patricia White Kearney

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Aunt Fran’s Baked Beans

2 - 8 oz. jars or cans of Boston Baked Beans

3 tbsp honey

1 large sweet onion, chopped

Ketchup to loosen a lot

1 tbsp of wet mustard or 2 teaspoons of dry mustard

Strips of raw bacon

Mix all ingredients, and place bacon on top.

My sister, Brundi, brought this baker to my attention one evening a while back… Shelby Lynn’s Cake Shoppe owner, Jennifer Matsubara, was competing in a Food Network show and she insisted I watch.  

Brundi is a customer at Shelby Lynn’s in Springdale, Arkansas.   She tells me that Jennifer’s cakes are the best that she has ever eaten.  It is rare that you find beauty and taste in these gourmet creations.

The petit fours at Shelby Lynn’s are awesome.  I tried one when Brundi visited several months ago.   Believe it or not, Brundi carried a box of these goodies on two flights and held the box the entire journey.   Only a true foodie would do something like this!

Check Jennifer’s website… you will want to fly to Arkansas for a cake!  Tell Jennifer that Brundi sent you!

www.shelbylynnscakeshoppe.com

NOTE:  Chef Rick has an awesome site that you will enjoy, click here.

If you want to have these sticky rolls for breakfast, Mama’s sticky buns recipe can be made the night before and allowed to rise the final time in the refrigerator overnight. Just pop them in the oven in the morning and in 30 minutes, you’ve got breakfast rolls that everyone will love. Mama hopes you enjoy this Sticky Buns Recipe!

Mama

Mama’s Southern Cooking

Mama’s  Sticky Buns

For the dough:

1 cup of water (120-130 degrees F)
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

For the filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

For the topping:

3/4 cup of melted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Add all of the ingredients, in order into the bread machine and turn on the dough cycle.

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Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45- 60 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12 x 16 rectangles. Spread with butter.

Combine cinnamon, sugar and nuts. Sprinkle over the dough.

Roll up jelly-roll style starting with the longest side. Cut into 1-inch slices.

Combine the topping mixture. Mix well! Spread into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Place slices on top of mixture.

Cover and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes until dough has doubled or you can cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise overnight in the refrigerator.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until done. Immediately invert onto foil lined cookie sheet.

For more information on this recipe, click here.  “Mama” has a great website that you will enjoy.

Recently a new friend I met through my blog, Rachel, shared with me her recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Bars and promised me they would become my new favorite lemon recipe - she was right.  The cheesecake layer makes for a much creamier and yummier lemon bar!

Leigh Anne

yourhomebasedmom.com

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

you will need 3-4 lemons for this recipe

Crust:

3/4 cup butter, chilled

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Cheesecake:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Lemon Layer:

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup flour

Crust:  Preheat oven to 325.  Cut butter into pieces.  In a food processor (or blender on low, pulse setting) Process all ingredients until mixture becomes tiny and fine pieces.  Sprinkle mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan and press evenly into bottom of pan.  Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven.

Cheesecake:  In medium bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Cream together the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Pour cheesecake evenly over hot crust.  Bake 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300.

Lemon layer: In a bowl whisk together eggs and sugar until combined well.  Stir in lemon juice and flour.  Pour over semi-baked cheesecake.  Bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle powdered sugar over top if desired.

Cool for an hour and then refrigerate.  Can be served warm but better after it has chilled.  I let it sit out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before I serve it.  For families, it will probably be eaten as soon as they are out of the fridge.  Makes 24 bars.

… from The Four Ingredient Cookbooks

Cookie Crust Ice Cream Pie

18 oz roll refrigerator chocolate chip cookies

1 quart chocolate ice cream, softened

12 oz jar chocolate fudge sauce

8 oz fresh whipped cream (or Cool Whip!)

Slice cookie dough 1/8 in thick.    Line bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan with cookie slices, overlapping sides to make scalloped edge.   Bake 10 minutes at 375F.    Cool.

Fill cooled crust with ice cream.  Top with fudge sauce and frost with whipped cream.  Freeze.   To serve, cut into wedges.

NOTE:   This is always a hit.   However, do not bake the crust for very long or else it will be very difficult to cut and serve.

… from The Four Ingredient Cookbooks

Soy Sauce Chicken

4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Place chicken in greased casserole dish.  Mix sour cream, soy sauce and black pepper together.   Spread over chicken.   Bake covered at 350F for 1 hour.   Serves  4.

NOTE:   The soy sauce mixture can be contoured to your individual taste.   I prefer to use a bit more soy sauce for a more pronounced flavor.  

Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with very thick slices of Vidalia onion, and fresh mushrooms.   The soy sauce mixture separates during baking and will flavor these vegetables.   Carefully remove from the over as this recipe will have lots of juice.

Serve over rice.

… from the kitchen of Rea Douglas

More Firehouse Favorites Cookbook

San Diego Fireman’s Relief Association

San Diego, California

Corn Soufflé

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

½ cup half & half

¾ cup milk

12 oz. can whole corn, drained

3 eggs, beaten

Lightly grease 1 quart casserole dish. 

Melt butter in saucepan.  Remove from heat, stir in flour, salt and sugar.  Cook until smooth.  Gradually stir in Half & Half and milk.  Continue cooking until thick.  Stir in corn, then beaten eggs.  

Pour into casserole dish.  Bake at 350F for 40 – 50 minutes.