Thanksgiving

Wow how time flies,I just looked and the last post I wrote was on October 15.....not good! Thanks for hanging in here with me!
 Life has been busy for me these last several weeks....gotta a fun surprise tho yesterday morning I woke up and there was snow on the ground!!! That doesn't happen very often (it seldom snows here in the Willamette Valley) and they say its been 30 years since We've had it before Thanksgiving, so it has been a fun and exciting blessing for us! :) I needed to do a last minute grocery run yesterday and when I was getting Peyton out of his car seat he looks out the window and says"snow"! :)
 As I am thinking of Thanksgiving this year I have SOOO much to be thankful for......Yes life can be hard sometimes BUT God is good! When I think of all that I have to be thankful for the list could go on and on....I have a Heavenly Father who is always there for me and never quits pursuing me....I have a strong,wonderful husband that provides for me..... I have an active.sweet little boy who brings many smiles into my life.
 One thing that I've really been thinking about this year is what is the real meaning of Thanksgiving? What was the 1st Thanksgiving about?-Helping others! For me that's my neighbors,those that are hurting,and those that are needy! I want to be a blessing to those whose lives I touch!
Well... I love this time of the year there are so much wonderful food and recipes where do you start? I've decided to share with you a family favorite of ours....dads fried dressing, this has gotta be the best ever. When I first met my husband he did not like dressing...but that was before he had dads now he loves it! These are approximate measurements since dad likes to shake a little of this and dump a little of that into it :) ,but  I know you are going to love it! Let me know what you think! Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving Season-Love to you all ~Laura

Dads Ultimate Dressing

1 loaf Bread-cubed
5 eggs
2 cups Milk
2 cups Turkey broth-slightly cooled
1/2 cup Fatty Turkey Meat (what you don't put on your platter :) )
1/2 cup Onion
1 tsp. Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1/2  tsp. Sage
3/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Celery Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Butter- to fry the dressing in

Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl-set aside.
In a blender combine the eggs,milk,broth,turkey meat,onion and seasonings. Blend till well incorporated.
Pour over bread cubes and stir till well combined.
In a frying pan on medium high heat,melt  1/4 cup butter pour in about half the dressing.
Fry till Golden brown-repeat with remaining butter and dressing.
This is Delicious!
Serves 12-15  people

Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Oh I  love the smell of fall in the air! It brings back lots of memories and makes me miss the days that I worked for my dad and with my family at our store in Florida (Detwilers Farm Market,Sarasota Fl.)  My brother sent me a picture message the other day of them setting up there pumpkin tent with there 1st load of pumpkins,I always loved this time of the year getting our loads of pumpkins,apples,straw bales,indian corn,gourds,corn stalks,mums,apple and pumpkin butter and my favorite of all  the pumpkin pie shakes we would make! So since I love cooking I search my recipe books for all kinds of food to make this time of the year. So here is a recipe I came across recently that is a great Fall breakfast food, I decided to make these one morning for something different for my own little family and they were a big hit with my hubby and little boy. They are wonderful and what makes them even better is they are so easy to mix up cause the pancake batter is made with Bisquick.
Apple Pancakes with Cider Syrup
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cup Water
3/4 cup Grated apple
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
In a bowl,combine all ingredients just until moistened.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top.
cook until second side is golden brown.

Cider Syrup
1/2 cup Sugar
1 T. Cornstarch
1/8 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp.ground nutmeg
In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients above ;then stir in
1 cup Apple Cider
Stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly,about 5 mins.
Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 mins. longer ; stir in
2 T. cubed Butter
1 T. Lemon juice
Serve with Pancakes.

Recipe Adapted by:Taste of Home

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Filling

I'm pretty sure that I am a pumpkin addict! :) Just ask anyone that knows me well especially my husband(ask him how many times he takes me to DQ for there Pumpkin Pie Blizzard in the fall! :) Oh but I love any type of baked good or dessert using pumpkin in its ingredient list. Maybe its because pumpkin is an ingredient that makes baked goods so incredibly soft that you just indulge,or maybe its because most of the bar,cookie.or cake recipes are iced with that very sinful ingredient called cream cheese,well I guess whatever the reason I am hooked on Pumpkin! So the other day I found this recipe for these pumpkin whoopie pies and I was wanting to make some for Arlins' customers so I tried this recipe and it became an instant Keeper! It has the right amount of spices in the cookie and the suttle hint of maple flavor in the frosting makes them just divine!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Filling
For the Whoopie Pies
3 cups all-purpose Flour
2 T. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp.Baking Soda
1 tsp.Salt
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
Combine all above ingredients and whisk together in a bowl.Set aside
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Oil
 In a mixer blend the sugars and oil together; and add
3 cups Pumpkin Puree (chilled)
Beat well ; and add
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
Mix until well combined ; and then add the
Flour Mixture
Drop cookie dough by tablespoonful on a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Let cookies Cool.
Meanwhile combine the icing ingredients

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces Cream Cheese,softened
1 stick Butter,softened
With a mixer beat the cream cheese and butter well ;add
3 T.Maple Syrup
1 tsp.Vanilla
Beat well;add
3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
Mix well together.
Spread between 2 cookies.
Wrap each individual whoopie pie in Saran wrap.
Place in freezer (if they last that long! :) )

Yield about 3 dozen assembled whoopie pies

Zuppa Toscana

So I thought it was high time to put a recipe on here for a soup,with the weather getting continually chillier here on the west coast its time to bring on the comfort foods! Oh Yeah! There is just something warm and cozy about soup simmering on the stove when its "freezing" outside! (or at least my interpretation of freezing being since I originate from the warm sunny state of Florida where the norm is in the upper 90's and people think its time to bring on the coats,scarves,and mittens when it hits anything below 60 degrees there:)! ) But that is where I come from so when the weather starts changing I'm ready to stay inside where its nice and warm and start pulling out my cookbooks and looking for warm,comforting dishes to make. So I say all that to bring you this wonderful soup! Warm Wishes to you- Laura

Zuppa Toscana
1 lb. ground Italian Sausage
3/4 tsp. crushed Red Pepper
Saute' in a large pot. Drain excess fat. Sit aside
1 large Onion
4 slices Bacon
2 tsp minced garlic
In the same pan saute bacon,onion,garlic together over low-medium heat  for about 10 mins.or until onions are soft. Set aside
In same Large pot pour in
8 cups water
5 cubes Chicken Bouillon
Heat until starts to boil; add
1 lb. Sliced and then,halved Potatoes
Cook until soft about a half hour; add
1 cup Heavy cream; and the
sausage and red pepper mixture
cook just until thoroughly heated ;add
1/4 bunch of Kale ;and the
bacon,onion,and garlic mixture
Let all heat through and serve.
 It makes a delicious meal when served with my Asian Salad. And your favorite Bread!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

So I found this recipe the other day while I was surfing some of my favorite food blogs and when I saw it I knew it was going to become a favorite,I thought to myself " i've gotta try these" cause I like oatmeal cookies just plain and I like oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips,so I knew I would LOVE this recipes combination with the peanut butter chips in them too.WOW was I ever right!!! They are Wonderful- Its the perfect trio of some of my favorite ingredients!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup Butter,softened
1 cup Brown Sugar,tightly packed
1 cup White Sugar
In a mixer Cream together, and then add
2 Eggs
1 t. Vanilla
Beat well. In a separate bowl combine
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt
Slowly add to the creamed mixer,and slowly add
3 cup Quick Oats
mix in
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Peanut Butter chips
Drop by tablespoonful onto baking sheets.Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes

                                                            Yum! I love Cookies dough!

Warm Homemade Goodness

Little Boys Love them too! :)

Adapted by: Mandy's Recipe Box

I'm Back!!! :)

Hey Everyone! I am still in the land of the living! :)
 I haven't blogged in half of forever because I was busy enjoying every single minute I could with my parents and siblings while they were here from Florida! We had a wonderful time together spending  lots of time just hanging out and catching up and also celebrating Peytons' 2nd birthday,I was totally spoiled by mom doing most of the cooking and laundry for me ,dad doing some handy man work around the house and my siblings entertaining Peyton for me! Oh and they also made homemade doughnuts for us one day so we invited our friends over to share with us Delicious glazed doughnuts,apple fritters and pumpkin drop doughnuts-they all were soo amazing! See I told you I was spoiled! :) We took took them to the Oregon coast one day,It couldn't have been a more beautiful day out there it was sunny,warm and pretty wind still! We went to were Arlin was working that day hung out with him for a little then left him to finish his job(we own a concrete pumping business) we then drove up to the Heceta Head lighthouse(which is one of the most photographed lighthouse) and got to see some sea lions in the water! We met up with Arlin again and then went and got some Chinese food for supper we then went to the pacific coast and they got to put their toes into the water! It is quite a  bit different then the gulf of Mexico in Florida! There time here went by WAY to fast and I miss them lots!
 So enough of my ramblings,I am really looking forward to start up my blogging I look forward to sharing with ya'll  some more recipes from my kitchen I am planning to share some fall favorites and also some recipes that are on the "healthier"side! :) Since I have to lose some of this weight I gained while mom was here! :)! I have also decided to occasionally add some fun facts about food,healthy eating, exercise or just something that will put a smile on your face! Here is a few pictures of while my family was here to hold you over till I get that next recipe posted! :)
 Blessings and Love to you all~ Laura



my adorable son!

My husbands pump

My Family (minus the four that stayed in Florida and kept the family business( Detwiler's Farm Market) running!

Doughnuts! :)

Thought for the day.
*A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks!

Fall is Coming!

I can feel it in the air now,summer is definitely on its way out! Fall is Coming my favorite season of the year(next to summer :) )! But truly I love the autumn season,being able to transform my home into a warm,candlelit,comforting place to come into-to get out of the dreary,rainy,cold weather.Here are a few of the things I love about the season, leaves changing,cider and applesauce making ( is there really anything better then fresh warm  applesauce right out of the strainer),the smell of spice in my kitchen as I bake with all the apples and pumpkins! And to know the holidays are coming!!!
 I will have to admit tho that these past couple of days with the weather changing it makes me long to go home for a visit to my family and just sit at moms table and chat with her,and to go on a drive with dad and talk about anything and everything, to bake cookies with my sisters and to hang out with my brothers and get them to eat things they usually wouldn't eat alot of just because I'm their older sister.So to keep my mind off of that (which is impossible) I'm going to be trying to do some different crafty decor things for my house this fall and winter season instead of baking all the time (being it IS NOT good for my waist line:) so here is what I've been up to the last two days.
My 1st project was a wreath for my door, because I needed something for this little in between season before I actually get all my fall decor out,so I needed something that still said summer,but had a fall is coming look to it so I decided to go with the this

Oh and the simplicity of a bouquet of flowers from my Garden and Flower beds!
Blessings to all of you!

Premium Cheesecake Cranberry Bars

I love sweets. I love eating then,I love baking them, I love giving them away for others to enjoy. So whenever the opportunity comes up that I can bake something for someone or some event I jump up with both of my hands in the air and say"Pick Me"!  So this past weekend (Labor Day) we have a tradition with the Schrock Family to go away somewhere for a night.This year we decided on Diamond Lake. It was a wonderful,relaxing time! The Lake was absolutely gorgeous and peaceful,we got there around 6 30 pm and saw they had pontoon boats so we decided to go out on a ride while the sun was setting It was perfect! (accept for one tiny problem,twice we just about nose dived into the water) but that was a real minor thing,really cause you would of never known by the women's "calm" mass exit to the back of the boat and the guys "calm" directions as to what to do! :) It was a fun weekend, after our boat ride we had supper then those who wanted played games( I'm not a game player so I worked with so of  my recipes) and then of course there was snacks-Edna brought a meat and cheese tray,Christine brought Watermelon and I brought Chocolate cream filled cookies and Cheesecake cranberry Bars which is the recipe I'm sharing with ya'll today! First here are a few pictures from the weekend with the family!

My Little Family! On the boat Ride

My totally adorable almost 2 yr. Old Son

Premium Cheesecake Cranberry Bars
2 cups Flour
1 1/2 cup quick Oats
1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
Combine and add
1 cup softened Butter
Mix until Crumbly;Stir in
2 cups White Chocolate Chips
Set aside 2 1/2 cups crumbs,put remaining crumbs in a greased 9x13 baking pan press down.
1-8 oz. Cream Cheese,softened
Beat with in a mixer till creamy,add
1 can-14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Vanilla
Beat until Smooth.Pour on Crust.Combine in a small bowl
1 can -16 oz whole-berry Cranberry Sauce
2 T. Cornstarch
Spoon over cream cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with reserved morsel mixture over cranberry mixture.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until center is set.
Store in Refrigerator.
Adapted by: Nestle Toll house

Total Deliciousness!

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I came across this wonderful recipe the other day on another food bloggers site and knew I needed to try it,I then made a few alterations( because of my own likes and dislikes :) ) and it became one of my new favorites!
Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
2 (6 oz) bags of Spinach
1 lb. Bacon,fried and crumbled
1 Red Onion,sliced
8 Mozzarella String cheese,sliced
Wash Spinach place in bowl add onion.Cover and refrigerate at least an hour (to marinate) then place in serving bowl and add bacon and cheese.
Poppy Seed Dressing
1 1/2 T Poppy Seed
1 cup Oil
3/4 cup Vinegar
3/4 cup Sugar ( next time I'm going  add just 1/2 cup)
3/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
Combine all the dressing ingredients shake well,drizzle on salad. Delicious!

Original recipe adapted by: Mandy's Recipe Box

Zucchini Chip Bread

I loved zucchini bread growing up.But I then grew up,got married and moved to the west coast and found a new (to me) and much better,unhealthier version of the traditional bread by adding just one very yummy addition...little semi sweet chocolate chips! I fell in love all over again with this very delicious bread.
The recipe that I use is from a great Mennonite cookbook that I got for a wedding gift. I love all sorts and types of cookbooks,but when it comes to making this favorite I use this book.

So here is the recipe for you-Hope you Enjoy!

Zucchini Chip Bread

3 Eggs,well beaten

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Oil

2 tsp.Vanilla

Beat together until fluffy

Blend in

2 cups grated raw Zucchini ( I peel mine too)

Sift together and add

3 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2  tsp. Nutmeg

Fold in

1-1 1/2 cup Miniature Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Pour into 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans (3 1/2 cup batter per pan)

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Adapted by:

Mennonite Country Style Recipes

Asian Lettuce Salad

My husband went fishing yesterday with his uncles family and some friends,it was the first time he had ever went Salmon fishing,I didn't go mainly because I don't like doing things that could potentially make me feel sick,and being out on the water with no land in sight and on a fishing boat, could very possibly do that very thing to me! So being the wife that I am, bid farewell to him at 4 am from my cozy place in  bed with a sleepy kiss and a "hope you catch something". I then sent a prayer up to God on his behalf that he would have a successful day(since he said he hasn't ever caught a "keeper")! I then rise from bed at a much better hour(7:30am) And I spend my day garage saleing and then sleeping some more! :) But back to the subject on hand I get a text from him at 9:30am  and he said that he is done fishing already cause he has already got his limit! He caught 2 Chinook salmon! weighing in at 20 pounds and the other at 21 pounds so to say the least I was VERY proud of him!  We celebrated the days success by a large group of us getting together at Arlin's Uncles place for a fish fry all of who that had went fishing,plus a few more! Our menu was Salmon,Chicken,Corn on the Cob,Garlic Bread with cheese,Asian Lettuce Salad,Sweet Tea and Moon Pie! A very delicious meal -Many thanks to Alta! So I thought I would share the recipe for the salad that I took!
Asian Lettuce Salad
For the Dressing
1/3 cup Vinegar
3T. Soy Sauce
1 cup Oil
1T.(heaping) Sugar
1/2 tsp.Minced Garlic 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp.Pepper
Little bit Nature Seasoning
Little bit of Garlic Salt
For the Topping
1/2 cup Butter
2 pkg. Ramen Noodles (crushed)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
1 T. sugar
Melt butter in skillet on Medium Heat,add ramen noodles,sesame seeds,and almonds.Sprinkle with sugar.Stir and then keep stirring (to prevent burning) till golden brown.
Salad
3 Romaine Hearts
1 Bunch Green Onion
Chop Lettuce and slice onions. Place into a serving bowl, top with Topping ingredients, add dressing right before serving. Delicious!
Adapted by: Laura

           

Homemade Dill Pickles

I love Pickles!.But I was never that crazy about home canned ones ,cause it seemed more times then not the texture would be soft,and mushy. So i ended up just buying the little gherkin dill pickles at the grocery store. Then one day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me she came across this pickle recipe that I should try called No Canning Dill Pickles-I did and fell in love with the recipe-they are the Crunchiest Homemade pickles I've ever eaten! Whenever I serve them my husband proudly tell our guest "my wife made these,how do you like how crunchy they are?!" which makes me very happy! :) So I want to share the recipe with you!
No Canning Dill Pickles
1 head(or sprig) of Dill
1Garlic Clove
1/4 t. Alum
Put in bottom of 20 pint jars then,
Wash and slice (i do about 1/2" or just a little less) 10 pounds of Cucumbers ( I buy the smallest that I can get (about 3-4") put in Jars.
Top then with an additional
1 garlic clove
1 small sprig of Dill
Bring to Boil
1 1/2 quart Vinegar(  I use apple cider vinegar)
4 1/2 quart Water
1 1/2 cup Salt
Keep mixture boiling while you fill a jar (one at a time),wipe off rim of jar -top with a canning flat*, screw on lid and flip over to let seal.
*Boil jar flats and keep them simmering while you fill each jar!

Yield 20 Pints

Coffee Toffee Brownie Dessert

Tonight we are getting together with the family at my in-laws for supper- I was asked to bring the dessert,which is my favorite kind of food to make but being I was in town most of the day I knew it needed to be simple but I still wanted it to be delicious so this is what I decided on
Coffee Toffee Brownie Dessert
1 box of  brownies*(prepared and baked in a 9x13"pan)
1 Half Gallon of Coffee Ice cream,slightly softened
4 Heath Bars
Chocolate Syrup
Spread ice cream on brownies,top with chocolate syrup and heath bars. Store in Freezer

Delicious and Very Simple!
* I added 2 T. instant coffee to the water in the brownie mix and 1 chopped hershey bar.

Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns

I absolutely Love baking with yeast it used to really scare me,but I am now over that fear(which in alot ways(aka my waist) is a really bad thing. But anyways I do really like using that stuff. There are still a couple of things I have not attempted yet,but I hope to do so some day! Here is one of the recipes I just love They are soft and chewy-I  used to think the only way to eat a burger was on a store bought bun,but not any more!
Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns
1 1/4 cups Milk,warmed
2 1/4 tsp.instant yeast
2 cups Bread Flour( I put 1 additional cup in =3cups)
1 cup Whole Wheat flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup Honey plus 2 T.,divided
2 T. Butter,melted
Sesame Seeds,optional
Dissolve yeast into warm milk,In your mixer combine the bread flour(save additional cup to add if needed after all ingredients are added),wheat flour,and salt. Mix briefly to combine. Add the yeast -milk mixture,egg,and 1/4 cup honey,mix on low speed till dough has formed. Knead with mixture 4 minutes.Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl,turn to coat,cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk,about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Once dough has risen,transfer to lightly oiled work surface,gently deflate the dough,divide dough into 9-10 equal sized pieces. Form each piece into a flattened round, 3.5-4 inches in diameter.Transfer the dough rounds to a greased baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise until nearly doubled,about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter with honey and lightly brush the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 14-15 minutes,rotating the pan halfway through baking,until golden brown and baked through.Let cool.

These are totally delicious!
Adapted from: Annies's Eats

A summer Supper

So I'm starting out with a summer BBQ meal -we had BBQ burgers with homemade rolls,baked beans,fresh corn on the cob,watermelon,and freshly made white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. A fun easy summer meal. I have discovered we like when I make the burgers from scratch they are so moist I mix them up then let them set for an hour or so,that way the flavor is well incorporated.
Hamburgers
1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger
1 Egg
1/2 pack Club Crackers
1/2 cup Chopped Onion
1/2lb. Fried Bacon Bits (with 2T. bacon grease)
1t. Garlic Salt
1/2 t. Season Salt
1T.Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix together all ingredients,let set for 1 hour -Form into 6 burgers.Grill to desired doneness.

Adapted by:Laura

Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to all of you! We are starting this journey together .I have never had a blog before but have been thinking of starting a food blog because of my love for them and of cooking. My idea for this is to let you all know what is cooking and happening in my kitchen and home. I love trying new recipes so ya'll are more then welcome to e mail me any of yours that you would like to share,and with your permission I may post some of them on here. I am by no means a professional at any of this :) I'm in the kitchen because I enjoy it! If any of you have any suggestions-Please share them with me! Love to you all-Laura