Empty Tomb Pastries

Tags

Cooking, cooking with kids, desserts, easter, Empty tomb pastries, resurrection

When my friend, Ariel, shared this recipe with me yesterday, I had to try it.  It sounded delicious, easy, and clever.  Making the pastries with children – if you have human children, not just hounds – is a great way to teach them the story of the Resurrection.

Here’s what you need…

 Canned Crescent Rolls

Large Marshmallows

Butter (about a half a stick)

Sugar

Cinnamon

Icing-

Milk

Powdered sugar

Steps:

1.  Preheat oven per crescent roll package and roll out the dough on a cookie sheet.  I sprayed with some Pam, because the sugar and marshmallows will be sticky.

2.  Melt about 1/2 stick of butter and add some cinnamon and sugar.  Wisk together.  You don’t have to be exact.

3.  Dip the marshmallows in the butter mixture.  Cover them completely.

4.  Place the marshmallows in the center of the dough.

5.  Roll the dough into crescents, but make sure to seal off all of seems, or the marshmallows will make a mess!

6.  Brush the remainder of the butter mixture on top of the rolls and bake according to the crescent roll package.

7.  Mix powdered sugar, a tiny bit of milk, and vanilla (if you want) to make icing.  I think mine was a little too thin, but add milk or sugar for desired thickness.  Drizzle a little over the top and enjoy!

The tomb is empty!  Or, well, the marshmallow disappeared into the roll!

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” - (Matthew 28:6 ESV)

I’m about to have a spell over these pastries!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Wassail

Tags

Christmas, Cooking, holiday punch, wassail

One Holiday tradition that I have set ever since I have been married is to make wassail.  I make it many times during the Christmas Season, because I absolutely love it!  No taste embodies more Christmas spirit to me, than wassail, especially when paired with before mentioned gingerbread cookies!

I was inspired many years ago to try out wassail for a few reasons…  1. I could not actually cook anything, so making a warm drink sounded easy enough, and 2. I am a Christmas freak!  I love Christmas and anything to do with it, so I had to try out just for myself what the song “Here We Go A-Wassailing” was all about.

Many times when I take wassail to a party, people have no idea what I wassail is.  So, here it is, if you don’t know-

was·sail  (wsl, w-sl)

n.

1. a. A salutation or toast given in drinking someone’s health or as an expression of goodwill at a festivity.

    b. The drink used in such toasting, commonly ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar.

2. A festivity characterized by much drinking.

 

That is dictionary.com’s definition, and to be honest, I wasn’t entirely clear it meant all of those things.  To me, wassail is a traditional hat Christmas drink similar to spiced cider.

 

Ok, so here it what you need to make wassail…

 

 

2 qt. apple juice
1 qt. orange juice
2 c. cranberry juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 can pineapple nectar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
Navel Orange Slices

1 coffee filter

 

(I forgot to picture the brown sugar)

 

 How to make…

1.  In either a large pot or a 4-qt. crock pot, pour in the apple juice.

 

 

2.  Follow with the orange, cranberry, pineapple, and lemon juices.

 

 

 

 

3.  Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

 

4.  Place the cinnamon and the cloves in the center of a coffee filter and tie up the top. 

 

This serves a kind of “tea bag” of spices. 

 

 

 

5.  Add a few thin slices of a navel orange.

 

 

6.  Put the crock pot on a low setting for 4 hours to let the spices infuse into the mixture.  If you are in a hurry, you can put either the crock pot on a high setting for 1 hour and reduce, or put the mixture in a large pot on high for about 20-30 minutes and reduce.

 

 

If you don’t drink it all at your fabulous Holiday party, it can be refrigerated and reheated for up to 3 days.

Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

Tags

Christmas, Cookies, Cooking, Gingerbread

For may years, I could not cook.  I could not make much of anything, or maybe I just didn’t have the time to really try to cook.  But around Christmas time, several years ago, I got a hankerin’ for some delicious, soft, perfect gingerbread cookies.  So I picked up my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and I attempted to make some.  Much to my delight, they were perfect.  Ever since then, I have made them every year.

Here is what you need.

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup sugar (to roll cookie dough in)

1.  Stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and set aside.

2.  Beat shortening with an electric mixer about 30 seconds until creamy.

3.  Add the eggs and molasses and mix.

4.  Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can and stir in the rest.

5.  Roll dough into 2-inch balls, and roll them in a little bit of sugar.

6.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees…

And enjoy!

Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy

Tags

Appalachia, Cooking, Country, Ham

Here is another one of my favorite Appalachian recipes passed down from my mamaw.  Country ham with red-eye gravy is the protein staple of the Appalachian diet.  It is very easy to make and only takes a few minutes.

Start with a good, thick slab of country ham.

Place one slab in a skillet to brown just a bit.

Let it brown in the skillet on each side for a minute or two.

Then pour a little bit of strong coffee on the ham and let it cook in the flavor.  I used left-over coffee from this morning.

Starbuck’s Christmas Blend is an excellent choice for December ham.

Let the ham cook in the coffee for a few minutes, until the edges start to look like they might separate.

Then you are done. 

Serve with biscuits or whatever you would like.  This ham is great for breakfast, but I just had it for lunch, so really anytime.

Disclaimer- this is probably not the best meal choice for those with uncontrolled hypertension.  I do not want any hemorrhagic strokes on me now!

Also remember that hounds probably shouldn’t have the scraps, considering pork can cause pancreatitis and the caffeine in the coffee is like giving them a bar of dark chocolate.

Appalachian Mountain Peanut Butter Fudge

Tags

Appalachia, Cooking, Fudge

I hope to start sharing with you some of the recipes I grew up making and eating with my Mamaw Mary. 

Tonight, I would like to kick off this series with a staple of my childhood- peanut butter fudge.  I promise this fudge will rock your world, be better unlike any you have even had before, and you will not have to endure anyone singing anything. 

You may think that the real Appalachian Mountain fudge can be found in Gatlinburg, TN.  While the Smoky Mountain Candy Kitchen is purdy dag-on good…the real fudge, the good fudge, comes right out of the hills of Southwest Virginia. 

My Mamaw Mary is from a small town called Honaker tucked in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, which just happens to be the redbud capital of the world, in case you were wondering.  www.honakerva.com.  I remember being so excited going to the country visit as a child.  These people can cook!  And can beans!  And dry apples! 

Ok so you ready for the recipe now?

What you need:

-3 cups sugar

-3/4 cup milk (or condensed milk)

-1 stick butter or margarine

-9 oz of peanut butter

-1 large heaping spoonful of marshmallow cream

-1 tsp vanilla

Heat the sugar in a medium-sized dutch oven, or any thick pot. 

Add the milk and butter.  Stir over heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is no longer gritty.

At this point, you want to put a small cup of water in the freezer to get cold. 

This will be to test when the candy is ready.  The mixture should start to boil soon.  Boil for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds, a little longer if it’s raining outside.  (?) 

Drop a small amount of mixture into the cold water.  If it balls up, the fudge is ready.  If it separates, it needs to boil a little longer. 

Next add the marshmallow cream, about 1/2 a jar of peanut butter, and vanilla. 

…

Beat with an electric mixer until it starts to get a little stiff.  Taste to see of you need anymore vanilla or peanut butter.  Pour onto a large platter to let harden.

Pesto Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Mushrooms

Tags

Cooking

This is my first cooking blog.  Ok, I can hear my family and friends laughing now, but I don’t care what anyone says, I may be a novice at the whole domestication thing, but what I made for dinner tonight…was blog worthy. 

This dinner was inspired by my and Brandon’s favorite pizza- Magical Mystery Tour at Mellow Mushroom.  Great pizza!  Amazing!  But it is expensive and in Johnson City.  Here in Kingsport, we refer to Johnson City as Sodom.  Haha…not really.  I have historically not been a fan of Johnson City, but now that I do not have to drive 45 minutes there every day and spend all my waking hours there either at school or work, the city is growing on me a little.  It is still not the superior of the “Tri-”.  But you know how I feel about Kingsport already.

Anyways, I thought to myself, “I bet I could make a pizza like that.”  So I tried.  And it was good.  Here is what I did…

I started with a Pillsbury canned pizza crust. 

I got the thin this time, which was good, but a little crisper than I would have liked.  Next time, I’ll get the thick.  This crust was delicious, had a fresh-baked taste, and I did not have to slave over it or use my wheat machine. 

I just “Pammed” a medium-sized dark cookie sheet, spread out the dough, and brushed just a drizzle of EVOO on top.  I do not know why I used the EVOO…I thought it sounded like a good thing to do.  The crust pre-bakes at 400 degrees for only 5 minutes. 

While the crust was pre-baking, I prepared the mushrooms.  I got fresh, sliced button mushrooms, but I’m sure any kind would be good.  I love portabella mushrooms on pizza, too, but the lamellae on the bottom sometimes get a little mushy.

Sorry, did I mention I was a nerd?  Nothing interests me more than the parts of things and how they work.  Natural things, not machines.  I do not understand machines.

Back to the mushrooms.  I prepared the mushrooms in a dark skillet with a time bit of EVOO drizzled over them and salt and pepper.  Again, I do not know why I did this instead of just putting them on fresh, but I had a few reasons.  I have never really liked dried-out fresh mushrooms on pizza, and I wanted to cook out some of the moisture so that it was not on top of my pizza.  I sautéed them on low for maybe about 5 minutes until they looked like this…

…

About then the crust was ready for the pesto.  I spread about 1/2-3/4 cup of store-bought pesto (which was delicious and already made) on the crust.

Then I sprinkled on some shredded mozzarella, added half-slices of fresh mozzarella, and feta crumbles.

Then, I placed the mushrooms on top and salt and pepper.

Lastly, just bake at 400 degrees for about 7-9 minutes.

Yum….

…

Next time, I will use a little less cheese and a thicker crust.

Cooking Chemistry

Tags

Chemistry, Cooking

Sometimes I feel like my generation, male and female, are a bunch of kids that cannot do anything for themself.  The women can’t cook or sew or can beans and the men…well…they can’t do a lot of things.  Especially change oil, fix stuff in general, or any type of man handiwork you might need done.  At least without major complications. 

There’s Betty Crocker herself!

Every once in a while I will get to thinking to myself, “Why didn’t my mother ever teach me to cook?”  And then I remember that maybe she did try.  I recall the times she would say, “You had better watch me do this, because you really don’t know how to do anything.”  My reply would have something to do with the fact that I knew how to synthesize an alkane to an alkyne in organic chemistry,  I could run a distillation apparatus better than anyone in my lab (this is not referring to moonshine), and I had the most “pharmaceutically elegant” hard lozenges in my pharmacy compounding class, according to Dr. Collins.  How hard could mashed potatoes be?! 

Well, you may not know what an alkyne or an alkane is, but I’m betting that you already knew that I was wrong about the mashed potatoes.  Twenty-one-year-olds!  Don’t you love them.  They are just starting to form the opinions about life.  And they are the smartest group of people on Earth!  Just ask them! 

I have never made mashed potatoes.  I think I will call my mother and ask her how.

Oh, and incase you were wondering about the alkynes…

Wheat Machine

Tags

Cooking, Marriage

I have blogged before that I am trying to become more domesticated.  I have been in school or residency my entire life until this past summer.  Since I have graduated from my residency program, I have become better at cleaning (excluding my car- that day is coming, just not yet).  I have also been attempting to cook some.

This past Friday I had a small get together at my house.  I seized this opportunity to try a new recipe.  I made individual raspberry cobblers from scratch, which I thought were pretty tasty. 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/individual-raspberry-cobblers/

Because I had never really made anything from flour before, I had so buy a sifter to make these delicious little cobblers. 

My husband has done the cooking for the past 6 years of our marriage.  Please know that I am not complaining about his cooking, but my husband makes man food.  Basically meat.  He is notorious for making meat with nothing else. 

I think eating only meat for dinner is difficult for most women.  I know it is for me.  We need our breads and pastas! 

Brandon has never made anything from flour either, except for breading for different types of meat.  Today as he unloaded the dishwasher, he was introduced to the new sifter.  I knew this because he hollered (Appalachian word alert) from the kitchen to as me where to put my “wheat machine”. 

I guess we both have a long way to go until full domestication.

My Top 10 Food Faux Pas

Tags

Cooking

Tonight as Brandon and I were driving home from Florida, we approached Knoxville, TN near dinner time.  Brandon wanted me to Goggle search all of the places in Knoxville that the show “Man vs. Food” had been to.  The place he chose was Dixson BBQ.  The background to this is…I don’t like BBQ.  In fact, I hate it so much that it has inspired me to list the top 10 foods or food related issues that absolutely horrify me.  I am really not that picky of a person, but anybody who knows me knows that there are a few things I just can’t handle when it comes to food.  I hate this about myself, but I just can’t overcome these issues.

10.  Meats From Unusual Animals

I mean, come on…could you eat that!?!?  I have never had rabbit or lamb, because, well, they are too cute to eat.  If you could name it, you shouldn’t eat it!

9.  Raw Oysters

This one isn’t that weird.  A lot of people are turned off by the slimy texture, bad taste, and potentially dangerous risk of contracting Salmonella.  I love basically any other seafood item.

8.  Milk

This refers to just plain milk.  I like chocolate milk.  Who doesn’t?  But I have never been able to just chug a tall, cold glass of milk.  In fact, I drank Gatorade in my bottle as a baby.  I had a lot of health issues as a baby, so that could have contributed, but I could never handle milk.  I hope my bones don’t suffer later!

7. Gravy

I hate any form of gravy.  This is particularly bad because the place I live is considered the biscuits and gravy capital of the world!  The thought of adding flour to the left over fat dripping of whatever meat it may be and stirring until the right consistency is reached is just not appealing to me.  One place Brandon and I ate this week on vacation had the following menu item:

Roast Beef with Grave and Debris

Debris??!?!  Really!?!?!  No thanks.

6. Fear of Food touching- ”Brumotactillophobia”

You can imagine my horror when KFC came out with those ridiculous bowls that has everything all mixed together. 

This fear is the source of most of my food issues.  I have read that this may actually be a form of OCD.  I always knew that I needed an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, Zoloft for example for all you non-pharmacy peeps out there).  Maybe if I had some Zoloft, this whole list would go away!

5. Sandwiches

The problem with sandwiches is, as mentioned above, I hate for food to touch.  A sandwich is just too much different kinds of food in one bite!  I like bread.  I like meat.  I like cheese.  I’m just not 100% on eating all of these touching.  Also most sandwiches violate the next 4 on my list.

4. Tomatoes

I have tried my whole life to like tomatoes, but they are horrible!  When I was little, I used to LOVE strawberries, and occasionally I would confuse a Tommy tomato for a strawberry.  I would keep eating with a dreadful look on my face.  They just aren’t good.  If they are mistakenly put on the top of my salad, the whole thing tastes like tomatoes!

3. Soggy Bread

This was my main problem with the place Brandon and I went tonight.  There was so much barbecue sauce on these “pig burgers”, which were essentially large sausage patties smothered in barbecue sauce on white bread, that the bread was soggy.  I know some people are into dipping their bread in stuff and letting it get soggy.  My sweet papaw used to crumble up his cornbread into a glass of buttermilk and onions! Me, not so much!  The whole idea of biscotti is about more than I can handle!

2. Sauces in general

I have a problem with sauces.  Not all sauces.  There are some good ones out there, but I will DIP whatever it is in the sauce…PLEASE do not just put it on top!  Mustard…awful!  Katsup…awful!  Barbecue sauce…the worst…ruins everything!  Mayonnaise gets its own number. I have really branched out in trying new sauces, but many of them are terrible.  I think the worst part about them is when the way the make other foods soggy, as mentioned above.

1. Mayonnaise- HORRIFYING! 

Everything about mayonnaise disturbs me.  The way it looks like curdled fat, the way it gets bad quickly when left out, the way it smells…well, actually, I am not sure how close I have ever really been to mayonnaise.  I know my BFF’s Mel’s mom put it on a grilled cheese one time (???) when I was a teenager, and I accidentally ate some.  To be honest, I do not really know what mayonnaise is or what it’s made out of, and I am fine not knowing.  If you make something with mayonnaise as an ingredient, changes are I will eat, and chances are, I will like it.  Just please do not tell me there is mayonnaise in it!