Traditional Chili

Mom's chili con carne recipe with a few changes.

1 TB oil
1 - 1.5 lb ground beef
1 can chili beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup beef broth


Seasonings
1 tsp salt
Red pepper powder
Fresh ground pepper
Cumin
Bay leaf
Dried basil
Paprika
Worchestershire sauce - splash
1 drop liquid smoke .
Garlic, garlic salt, jar garlic (1/2 tsp)
Pinch ground mustard

Brown ground beef in oil in a large pot. Add canned ingredients. Season to taste. Let simmer. Add onions. Simmer for less time for crispier onions or longer for more tender onions.

Serve with grated cheese and saltine crackers.

Coconut Syrup

1 cube butter

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Karo syrup

Combine and stir well. Bring to boil. Lower temperature and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Add: 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Syrup will foam and enlarge - mix over sink. 

Serve warm over breakfast pastries, popcorn, or ice cream. 

Apple Syrup

1 cup apple juice
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 T. cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. butter

Cook over stove on medium heat until thick. Add in butter until mixed well and melted. May add more apple juice if needed to thin it.
Serve with German pancakes, french toast, waffles etc.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup white Karo syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cube butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan except the vanilla.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes as low heat. Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Serve over waffles, pancakes, scones etc.

Wicked Waffles

4 eggs
2 cups butter milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
Mix above ingredients together then add 3/4 cup of melted butter to the mixter.

Cook as usual in a waffle iron.

Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting (can be piped)

This yummy frosting will not melt at room temperature. Also makes a great dip for fresh fruits.

1 eight-oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 C white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract*
2 C heavy cream

Combine first four ingredients in a stand up mixer. Change to whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add cream. Stop and scrape sides and bottom frequently. Continue whipping until frosting can hold a stiff peak.

*You can use any flavor. Lemon is good. Or skip and just let the vanilla carry the flavor.

Surprise Cupcakes

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
paper muffin-tin liners
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
1/3 C sugar
dash salt
1 C chocolate chips
frosting (optional)

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Place paper liners in muffin tin. Fill each 2/3 full with batter. Beat softened cream cheese and sugar together, then mix in salt and egg. Add chocolate chips and stir well. Drop one rounded teaspoonful of cheese ixture into batter in each muffing cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Cool and frost if desired. Store in refrigerator and serve cold.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 C butter
1/2 C oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
4 TB cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 C zucchini, shredded or finely chopped
chocolate chips

Mix together the butter, oil, and sugar Add eggs and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Then add flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and zucchini. Put in greased 9 x 13" pan. Sprinkle a layer of chocolate chips over the top and bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

*One half of the fat can be replaced with applesauce

Zucchini Vegetable Bake

4-6 large carrots, peeled, sliced in rounds
1/2 C onion, finely chopped
4-6 small zucchini, sliced in rounds (about 3 cups)
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 cube butter
salt and pepper
1/2 C grated swiss or jack cheese

Par boil carrots and onion until carrots are almost tender, don't overcook. Place carrots, onion and squash in casserole dish. Add chicken broth, seasonings and top with butter. Cover and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees or microwave for 5-7 minutes. Top with cheese and bake 2 minutes more (uncovered) until cheese melts.

Orange Rolls

1 package refrigerator biscuits
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C butter
1 grated orange rind

Melt butter, sugar, and orange rind. Pour mixture over biscuits that have been put in a bread pan. Bake about 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Swiss Chicken Cutlets

5 whole chicken breasts, split, skinned, and boned
2 eggs, beaten
1 C fine dry bread crumbs (it may take more)
1/4 C cooking oil
3 TB butter
1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2-1/2 C milk
1 C Swiss or jack cheese, grated
Avocado slices & tomato wedges (optional)

Place each chicken breast between wax paper and pound to 1/4" thick, salt and dip into eggs and bread crumbs. In skillet, heat 2 TB oil. Brown chicken cutlets a few at a time for 2 minutes on each side. Add more oil as needed. In a saucepan, melt butter, blend flour, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Pour half of sauce in bottom of a 9 x 13" pan. Arrange cutlets atop then cover with rest of sauce. (At this point this dish can be chilled overnight if desired.) Or, immediately cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (If dish has been chilled  overnight, you will need to bake it for about 50 minutes.) Then sprinkle with cheese and top with avocado adn tomato wedges if desired. Bake 2 minutes more until cheese melts.

Macaroni and Cheese

1-1/2 C elbow macaroni
3 TB butter or margarine
2 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/2 C minced onion (optional)
OR 2 TB dried minced onion
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender; drain. Melt butter, blend in flour, add milk. Cook and stir until thick. Add salt, pepper, onion, and cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Mix sauce with macaroni. Turn into casserole. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or microwave for 7-10 minutes. Serves 6.

Dutch Almond Cookies

2 C butter
2 C sugar
4 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C almonds, sliced

Cream together butter and sugar. Sift together dry ingredients, then add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Stir in almonds, mixing well. Shape into rolls 2-1/2 to 3" round. Wrap in wax paper and chill overnight. When ready for baking, slice 1/4" thick, place on cookie sheet and bake at 375-400 degrees for about 8-12 minutes or until light brown.

Rocky Road Brownies

1 C melted margarine/butter
1/3 C cocoa
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C nuts, chopped (optional)

Mix fist 3 ingredients together. Then add eggs, beating well after each egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix well . Pour into greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with miniature marshmallows. Put back in oven and bake 5 minutes more. Cool and ice with 1/4 cup meled margarine (butter), 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla, dash of salt and milk to thin to correct consistency. Keep in refrigerator over night and the flavors will blend better. (This seldom happens around our house. We eat it right away.)

*You can use a brownie mix, but they will be a bit crumbly.

Plumb Bundt Cake

Plumb Bundt Cake

Normandie's recipe

(I think this may have been Naomi Hays' recipe) 

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil or 2 cubes melted butter

2 large jars pureed plumbs (baby food) or  #1 can of applesauce--15oz

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp soda

Beat eggs, add sugar, oil and plumbs/applesauce.  Then add dry ingredients, beat well and add 1 cup chopped nuts.  

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake @ 350 for 1 hour (60 minutes)  

After bake, remove from pan and poke holes in the cake with a fork or toothpick. Frost with brown sugar frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting

3/4 cup butter melt in pan then add,

1 cup brown sugar

1 TBL of milk.

Boil the above ingredients for 2 minutes.

Add:

 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 

1 tsp vanilla

 Mix well with a wire whip or beaters.  Make frosting while cake is in the oven the last 10 minutes and pour over warm cake.

TIPS:

• I have always used applesauce in the cake.  Lara says she uses baby food prunes. 
• I don't add nuts.

•  I have tried doing the frosting with poking holes in the cake and without, I don't notice a difference.
• I usually cook the first ingredients of the frosting longer than 2 minutes, I cook it until I see it is thickening, then add the powdered sugar.  
• I wait 5-10 minutes after I've made the frosting to allow it to cool a little before pouring it over the bundt cake,  if it's too warm and runny it just runs off the cake into a pool of frosting on the plate.