Rustic Strawberry Shortcake

We love this cake served warm, loaded up with FRESH berries, a sprinkle of sugar, & then pour on icy cold milk! Other options are at the bottom of the recipe!

                                                                                    
2 Quarts fresh strawberries, washed, hulled &halved
For shortcake:
2 cups flour
3 TBS sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

                                                                           

Mix all dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until you have course crumbs. Add egg, milk, vanilla altogether at once & stir just until moistened. Spray 9 inch round baking pan that you sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven let cool 10 minutes cut into pie shaped wedges. Put wedge in deep individual serving bowls. Place about 1 cup berries per cake piece. Pour milk over cake & sprinkle with sugar if desired. May be served when cake is cold or with whipped cream or ice cream instead of milk.

Banana, Chocolate Chip & Coconut Donuts with Chocolate Frosting + a variation of these as Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts !

                                                                             
 2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg

4 TBS melted butter                                                   
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup shredded coconut + 1/4 cup to top some of the frosted donuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.                          

Stir dry ingredients together except the  chocolate chips, just mix using a fork or spoon. Add milk, egg, butter & vanilla, and stir together till blended. Mash your bananas & stir them in. Stir in chocolate chips. . Spoon batter evenly into a six donut, donut pan that you sprayed with cooking spray. If your donut pan is for small donuts you will get 12 donuts but adjust cooking time. For large 6 donut pan bake 15 to 20 minutes. When brown & donut springs back to touch remove from oven. let cool in pan for 3 minutes . Dump out of pan & let cool 10 minutes. Frost with chocolate marshmallow frosting ( recipe on my blog with the yellow cake recipe) or use any of your favorite frostings. Sprinkle coconut on tops of donuts. These are delicious just powdered sugared too NO FROSTING NEEDED! But I'm a frosting fiend !

                                                        Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Frosted
Leave out bananas & coconut in batter & add 2/3 cup chocolate chips!                                             

Cinnamon Honey Chicken Fingers

                                                                               
8 large skinless boneless raw white meat chicken strips
3 cups plain bread crumbs
3 eggs beaten with 2 TBS honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. parsley flakes
Cooking Spray

Mix bread crumbs with all of the seasonings. Dip chicken strips 1 at a time first in egg mixture then crumbs, back into egg mixture & back into crumbs. Lay each strip into a pan coated with cooking spray.Spay tops of each finger with cooking spray. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, turn fingers over 1/2 thru & continue baking  until crispy brown. ovens vary & mine takes longer to bake. Serve hot with extra honey for dipping or honey mustard dipping sauce & BBQ sauce would be awesome too.

                                                                        

My Moms' BEST Potato Salad ! Adaptable for Macaroni Salad too !

                                                                              
                                                                         

8 large all purpose potatoes ( For macaroni salad use 1 lb elbow macaronis cooked & cooled)
3 hard boiled eggs, cooled peeled & chopped in about 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
3 ribs celery chopped
3 carrots peeled & chopped
2 tsp chopped parsley or parsley flakes
2 large dill pickle spears chopped ( FOR PICKLE LOVERS ONLY) above picture is pickleless!

 Cook potatoes in their skins in enough water to cover that you added about 1/2 tsp salt. Cook till fork tender. Remove from water & drain till cool. Peel skins & chop into 1 inch dice . ( to save time you may peel potatoes first & then cook but they just taste a little better when cooked with skins on). Stir in all of the above ingredients. Stir in the following dressing.

2 & 1/2 cup mayonnaise ( For macaroni salad use 3 cups mayo) ( this dressing is GREAT for slaw too)
2 TBS yellow mustard
3 TBS vinegar
3 TBS sugar
Milk to taste, I use about 1/4 cup.
( IF a pickle lover use pickle juice & NOT the vinegar)
Stir everything except milk together in a bowl , Whisk till blended. Then whisk in milk a little at a time until you get the dressing the desired texture you prefer. If you want a very thick mayo dressing use approx 2 TBS milk. I like my dressing about ranch dressing texture so I use about 1/3 cup of milk.YOU MIGHT NOT NEED ALL OF THE DRESSING but it does soak into your salad so keep the amount you decide not to use , you will probably end up adding it to the salad. But you DO NOT want soup ! This is all at your preference. Make this a day ahead so flavors blend. Best two days ahead ! Salt & pepper to taste but I usually do not add any.

My family loves when I add 1/4 cup chopped dill pickle to this recipe but not everyone loves pickles like we do ! To serve this potato salad I usually sprinkle the top with dried parsley flakes & paprika for color. This is one of the BEST potato salads I've ever eaten & I get lots of requests for picnics & reunions! This makes a large mixing bowl enough for 10 people but if you only have 4 or 6 people even better the LEFTOVERS are WONDERFUL !                                      

Crockpot Vegetable Soup !

                                                                              
1, 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 can black beans 12 to 15 ounce size can
2 large onions chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage
4 medium potatoes peeled & diced medium dice, if new potatoes or red skin potato leave skins on.
1 large yam peeled & chopped
2 cups frozen chopped spinach
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 TBS. tomato paste
3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic chopped or garlic powder
Place everything in large crockpot & add enough water to cover all the vegetables. you do not need to use broth as this makes a delicious broth. Season with salt to taste ( I leave the salt out ).
Cook on high 5 to 6 hours.

Almond Panko Encrusted Chicken Breast

                                                                               

4 split chicken breast ( you may use boneless skinless)
1  cup Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup ground almonds ( I ground roasted almonds on pulse in my food processor till fine)
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1 TBS. Honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp dry parsley flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using boneless skinless breast spray pan with cooking spray. If using regular chicken breast do not spray pan.
     Beat egg & add milk & honey beat to mix.  In separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together. Dip each piece of chicken into milk mixture then into Panko Almond mixture. Place chicken skin side up in pan & bake uncovered for one hour or until chicken is nicely browned & juices run clear.  This could be used with any chicken pieces or fish adapt cooking time for thickness of meat .

                                                                     

Baked Glazed Donuts

                                                                               

3/4 cup milk scalded (brought to boiling point)
remove from heat & add the following
2 TBS shortening
1 tsp. salt
3 TBS. sugar
dash nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
Let cool to lukewarm then add the following
2 1/2 cup flour
1 large egg beaten
1 packet yeast dissolved in a small amount of warm water
Beat dough till well mixed. Cover with a cloth & let stand in a warm spot till double about 1 hour. Turn dough out on well floured board & turn well not kneading. Roll & stretch out till 1/2 inch thick. Cut with donut cutter & place in well greased donut pan. If you do not have a donut pan use a greased cookie sheet. Use the donut holes too. I baked them on a cookie sheet.  Brush donuts with melted butter & cover donuts with cloth & again let rise till double, about 20 minutes for this step. Bake in 425 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Check at 5 minutes mine were done. Remove from oven & let cool about 2 minutes. Dump from pan & dip them in the following glaze.
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt. Put in sauce pan & heat till smooth. Take off of heat & add UP TO 4 TBS. hot water till you get nice dipping consistancy. Not watery & not thick about the texture of pancake syrup. Dip each donut in glaze. OR as soon as donuts are dumped out of their pan brush with melted butter & then dip in granulated sugar or sugar & cinnamon. I LOVE glazed donuts so that is what I made but sugar donuts are a treat to eat too !

Dutch Chocolate Baby

3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
dash salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS butter melted
powdered sugar to sprinkle

Blend everything except butter & powdered sugar . Beat until foamy. Use melted butter to coat bottom & sides of a black iron skillet about a 9 inch to 10 inch skillet. Pour in batter & BAKE at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for about 4 minutes & remove from skillet using 2 large spatulas. Mine came right out of pan. Transfer to plate. Let cool a few more minutes then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with berries or vanilla ice cream if desired. This is a light fluffy dessert & perfect after a heavier meal.                                                                                                                          

Asparagus, Tuna & white Bean Salad with tomatoes & Feta Cheese

 2 Bunches of fresh asparagus
1/2 chopped sweet onion
1 container cherry tomatoes halved
1 large can northern white beans
10 ounces albacore tuna
olive oil vinagrette dressing use your favorite & as much as you like
Feta Cheese to sprinkle on each serving
   Cut asparagus into bite sized pieces. Blanche asparagus till crisp but tender about 3 minutes. Drain & cool. Add asparagus & remaining ingredients except cheese. Stir & chill. Top each serving with Feta cheese & serve!