Honey Roasted Turkey Breast !

    Moist & juicy with the sweet touch of honey for a golden crisp crust, this is GREAT TURKEY!

1, 6 LB Turkey Breast
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP Onion Powder
1 TBS Parsley Flakes
1/2 TSP Ground Sage
Dash of Salt & Pepper
 Wash Turkey Breast and place skin side up in your roasting pan. Sprinkle with seasoning and place in a preheated oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Now mix up your glaze.
1/3 Cup Honey
2 TBS Butter
Heat honey & butter in microwave for about 35 seconds in high. Stir until blended. Pour over the surface of the Turkey Breast that has roasted for 30 minutes. Coat evenly. Add about 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and roast another hour basting with juices every 15 minutes. Roast until done & eternal temp. reaches 170 degrees.  Pour drippings into a saucepan. Place turkey breast on a clean platter to carve. To the drippings add about 2 cups of water from potatoes that you have been cooking to make mashed potatoes OR use 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil stirring often Stir in another bowl stir together 3 heaping TBS of cornstarch with 1 cup cold water. Slowly stir into your simmering drippings. Stir until simmering and thick. DELICIOUS GRAVY!

                                                                            
                                                                    

Herb Encrusted Tuna over Thin Rice Noodles

A meal fit for a King! Sushi grade Tuna over thin rice noodle with selected vegetables. You will think you are dining at a fine restaurant but you are in the comfort of your very own home! Try this easy dish for that SPECIAL OCCASION!


2, 4OZ Sushi Grade Tuna Steaks
1 TBS Melted Butter
1 TBS Lemon Juice
1 TBS Old Bay Crab Seasoning ( or your favorite crab seasoning)
1 TSP Parsley Flakes
1 TSP Ginger Powder
1 TSP Basil
1 TSP Onion Powder
1 TSP Thyme
FOR THE TUNA :
Melt butter & add the lemon juice dredge each tuna steak thoroughly . Next mix all the seasoning together then coat each tuna steak with the seasoning so each side is coated. Grill on a hot grill 2 minutes each side OR melt 1 TBS butter in skillet add the steaks & sear each tuna steak 2 minutes per side. You want the steaks rare in the center for that AWESOME Tuna Steak flavor.

                                                                               

FOR THE NOODLES: 
In a large pot of boiling water add 1/2 TSP salt. Add 1 cup shredded cabbage, 1 cup frozen edamame, 1/2 cup frozen spinach, one onion chopped, 1 TSP crushed garlic, and 1/2 of a large carrot cut into thin slices. Reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 package of 8.8 OZ Thin Rice Noodles. Stir & let sit in the hot water about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well & stir in 1 TBS of Teriyaki with Honey & Sesame  Sauce ( I used Pampered Chefs) and about 10 drops of a good quality Soy Sauce. Stir until combined & use the noodles as a bed for your Tuna Steaks!  A SIMPLE BUT AWESOME MEAL!  The Tuna Steaks pictured were pan seared as the weather did not cooperate for grilling but it was DELISH! The Tuna is slightly hot & spicy with the noodle bed slightly sweet & it is the perfect combo!

                                                                                

Cinnamon Flop Coffee Cake

                                                                                

This cake is from a very old recipe & is quite common in our Pa Dutch Country. Everyone has their version & the  following recipe is mine. Out of all the cakes I love, this one is my go to stand bye when I need something comforting. Serve this cake warm or cold, in big, sugary squares with lots of coffee, tea or cold milk. Your guest will not want to leave!

4 Cups Flour
1 & 1/2 Cups Sugar
5 TSP Baking Powder ( YES 5!)
1 TSP Salt
Stir these all together the blend in 1/2 Cup Shortening until you have fine crumbs. I use the mixer. Then add the following all at once & beat well until batter is smooth:
2 Eggs
2 Cups Milk
1 TBS Vanilla ( YES 1 TBS!)
Prepare a 10 x 15 pan with spray, or grease & flour. Dump batter into prepared pan. Cover the top with 2 Cups of Brown Sugar that you spread evenly over the surface. If sugar has some lumps that is ok; I love them they melt into gooey goodness! Now sprinkle 3 TSP of cinnamon evenly over the brown sugar. I eyeball the brown sugar & cinnamon all you need is plenty of both!. Now cut 1/2 stick of salted butter into pieces and dot the top of your cinnamon sugar mixture so butter is evenly distributed.

                                                                             
 Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes until cake tester inserted comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature! GREAT CAKE for coffee cake, take along to picnics but it is just one of my favorite cakes for anytime! You may add nuts or when fresh blueberries, raspberries or peaches are in season just dot the top of the batter with about 1 & 1/2 cups of fresh fruit then layer on the sugar, cinnamon & butter if you want, but I encourage you to try this just as I blogged it. The cinnamon, vanilla & butter is just a super combination!
IF YOU WANT CUT RECIPE IN 1/2 & bake in a square baking pan !

                                                                           

Vegetarian Supper Casserole Or a Great Side Dish

This is a casserole that my Mom use to make when I was child. She used the meat version for a one pot supper. I like this the veggie way for a meatless supper but I will admit with burger it is hard to beat. I try to add healthier meals to my diet & this casserole is a GREAT WAY to do just that! If you do not like any of the vegetables listed just leave them out or substitute with a vegetable you love!

                                                                                
Layer the below ingredients, in the order given,  in a deep casserole dish that you sprayed with Olive Oil based cooking spray or wiped a teaspoon of Olive Oil over the surface

4 Medium Potatoes Pared & Sliced Thin
4 Medium Carrots Pared & Sliced in Thin Circles
1 Cup Heaping Frozen Corn
1/2 Cup Raw Rice White or Brown
Sprinkling of Sea Salt, Greek Seasoning, White Pepper, Parsley Over those layers.
Continue with the next layers:
2 Medium Onions Sliced Thin
1/4 Head of Cabbage Sliced Thin
1, 8 OZ. Can Sliced Mushrooms
1, 28 OZ Can Pureed Tomatoes
Sprinkle with more of the seasonings & sprinkle about 2 TBS. of water over the top. Cover with a tight lid & bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Serve with a hot crusty roll or as a side dish with any meat or fish.

FOR MEAT LOVERS ! Take 2 LBS of Ground Beef or Turkey or Chicken layer 1/2 the meat after the layer of corn & the other 1/2 over the layer of cabbage . My Mom used to make this with the meat for a one pot supper.'
FOR CROCK POT : layer as given & cook on low all day YUM !

Serves 5 to 6 as a vegetarian meal, or 8 people as a side or with meat added as a main dish!

Meatloaf Patty Melt

             Who would like to take a bite out of this tasty sandwich? I know I did and I am glad I did! Just take your favorite sandwich roll, I used a pretzel roll. On the bottom bun lay fresh baby spinach. Cut a nice sized slab of the leftover meatloaf from the recipe on my blog.You will find that recipe in the April 2012 Archive! Cover the meatloaf with slices of tomato, dill pickle sandwich slices or any pickle you like or leave that off if you do not like pickle. Then top everything with 2 slices of cheese. Spread top bun with mayo or squeeze on some ketchup. Place  bun on top and wrap the sandwich in foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Unwrap each sandwich and serve ! A great way to use up leftover meatloaf!                                                             

Sweet Potato Cake with a Marshmallow Cream Cheese Topping

              This cake could easily be a Pumpkin Cake or a Carrot Cake too! Just substitute Pumpkin or Carrot for the yams! But I fell in love with the flavor of the sweet potato in this beautiful cake!                                                            


2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 TSP Ginger
2 TSP Cinnamon
2 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Salt
1 & 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 TSP Vanilla
1/2 Cup Milk
3 Cups Shredded Raw Sweet Potato or Yam ( I use 1 Large Sweet Potato & 1 Large Yam for color)

Stir all dry ingredients together. Add all the liquids & beat well, batter will be thick. Shred  peeled potatoes in food processor & stir into batter right away. Prepare a tube pan by greasing & flouring. put 1/2 of your batter into pan spread evenly . This may be baked in a large oblong pan around 10 x 15 !
Crumb filling :  1 Cup flour, 1/2 Cup brown sugar, dash of salt 1 tsp cinnamon. 1/2 tsp ginger, stir all together & rub in 1 heaping TBS shortening until you have fine crumbs. Spread over your cake batter.
Add remaining batter over crumb filling and bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 1/2 AT LEAST MY SLOW OVEN TOOK THIS LONG. Start checking at one hour & judge from there. The  cake tester insert test comes out clean when it is done baking! Remove from oven & let cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn cake upside down on clean surface & let cool. If cake does not dump from the pan just run a knife down the sides of the pan & the tube center of the pan & invert again. Cake will slide out. Let cool completely  then drizzle in big gloppy drizzles the following Marshmallow Cream Cheese topping!

                                                                             

8 oz Softened  Cream Cheese
4 TBS Butter
Dash of Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Marshmallow Fluff
Powdered Sugar & Milk just enough to get a thick but still soft topping!
Beat cream cheese & butter together. Add salt & vanilla & beat again. Add fluff & beat. Now add enough powdered sugar & milk to get a nice thick but spoonable topping to glop over the top of the cake in generous tablespoonfuls! ENJOY!  You may sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the topping if you wish! I LOVE cinnamon with sweet potatoes and was going to but the white topping was just to pretty to sprinkle!

                        This is how this cake looks with pecans added! I then left out the crumb filling!
                                                                             

Homemade Butter Cream Easter Eggs

                     One Giant Butter Cream Egg! The pen gives you an idea of how large these butter cream eggs can be made!

             Smooth Creamy Sweet Butter Cream fills these eggs!                                                                                                                       

1 LB Chocolate Coating Chocolate ( I use Wilburs)

2 Sticks Salted Butter
8 OZ Cream Cheese
1 TBS Vanilla
Dash of Salt
2 LB + 2 Cups Confectioners Sugar

Let cream cheese & butter soften. Cream together then add the vanilla & salt. Beat again. Add sugar about 2 cups at a time beating well. Cream together until fluffy & all incorporated . Chill over night. The next day form into egg shapes & freeze for about 1/2 hour. Meanwhile melt chocolate in crock pot on high stirring every now & then. As soon as chocolate is melted turn crock pot down to warm. Dip eggs one at a time placing on wax paper until they harden. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve! If made like above you will get 18 large eggs!

Steamed Shrimp !

 Chomp on a BIG OLE' BOWL of HOT STEAMED SHRIMP! Good any old time ! We love SHRIMP!

1 lb. Raw Shrimp medium large size
1 Bottle of your favorite beer OR water ( I used Pumpkin Ale)
1 & 1/2 Cups White Vinegar
4 HEAPING TBS Old Bay Crab & Shrimp Seasoning
1 TBS Parsley Flakes

Bring liquids with spices added to the boil. Dump in shrimp & stir. Boil until shrimp turn bright orange & pink! Takes about 5 minutes for thawed shrimp & a little longer if shrimp are still frozen.  Serve hot or cold with plenty of cocktail sauce or hot melted butter for dipping!                                                                                

Mac & Cheese Homestyle Creamy Version!

                                                                                 


YUMMY YUMMY who wants Mac & Cheese ? EVERYBODY ! Make this simple & Oh So Creamy Mac & Cheese with a delightful bread crumb crunchy topping & your family will fall at your feet ! Who wouldn't want that kind of adoration? ENJOY!

1 Box Elbow Macaroni 12oz. Cooked to package directions
2 TBS Butter + 1 TBS for topping
2 Heaping TBS Flour
12 OZ Can Evaporated Milk
1 Cup Whole Milk
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese ( I use sharp cheddar)
1 TBS Yellow Prepared Mustard
2 TSP Minced Dried Onions
2 or 3 Dashes Red Pepper
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
Parsley to Sprinkle

        This Cheese Sauce is very good for pouring over broccoli & cauliflower or to use for potatoes too! It has many uses & is a great TO GO TO cheese sauce!                                                                      
Grease a 2 Quart casserole dish. Cook macaroni & let drain. In a deep saucepan melt 2 TBS butter. Whisk in the flour. Whisk in the canned & whole milk & onion, cook over medium high until thick & bubbling. Stir in cheese whisking until melted. Pour noodles into prepared casserole dish. Stir in the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Dot top with chunks of the last TBS of butter. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes until top is browned & casserole is bubbling! Serve ! YUM!

                                                                               

Moist & Delicious Carrot Cake

                                                  

This Carrot cake is very moist, bakes up beautifully & keeps very well too! This photo is the cake frosted with Cram Cheese Frosting & the recipe is on right after the cake directions!

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
2 TSP Cinnamon
1 TSP Ginger Powder
2 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Salt
1 & 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
3 Cups Grated Carrots ( I use baby carrots to save effort in peeling carrots! A 1 lb. bag is exactly what you need too!)
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Milk

Sift together first 6 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients except carrots & beat in eggs one at a time. Now gently fold in the carrots.
                                                                              

 Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  I bake this in a well greased & floured tube pan & it usually takes longer to bake. Make sure cake is fully baked before removing from oven it should be high & lightly brown & when touched it should bounce back. Always check by inserting a toothpick or cake tester! Let cool in pan 10 minutes & then invert to dump out. If it sticks just run a knife down the edges all the way to the bottom it will then come right out.  I frost this with a good butter cream frosting, cream cheese frosting or my marshmallow frosting that is on this blog! IF you wish to add raisins or nuts go right ahead but we prefer this as the recipe shows. If adding raisins or nuts 1 cup of each would be fine!


                                                                         

                                                                             

Butter Cream Frosting:
1 Stick butter softened
1, 2 LB. Bag Confectioners Sugar
1/4 TSP Salt
2 TSP Vanilla
Milk enough to get spreadable frosting.
Beat Butter add 2 cups sugar all the sugar & salt beat. Add enough milk to make spreadable then continue adding the rest of the sugar while adding just enough milk to get a nice fluffy frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2, 8 oz. Blocks of Softened Cream Cheese
1 TBS. Vanilla
4 to 5 Cups Powdered Sugar
Dash of Salt
Beat Cream Cheese, add vanilla & salt & beat again. Now beat in enough of the sugar to get your desired results. I like mine soft & let it goop down the sides but not runny! But softer than spreadable! Make yours to suit you! 

 

Raspberry Chicken

     Perfect for a spring supper! Raspberry Chicken in a Wine & Raspberry Marinade that you reduce to create a sauce that you spoon over your chicken!                                                                             

6 to 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breast
1/2 Cup Shiraz Cabernet Red Wine ( I used Yellow Tail)
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
4 TBS Heaping of Honey
1 TBS Minced Garlic
3 TBS Minced Fresh Parsley
1 TSP Sea Salt
1 Cup Black Raspberries ( Fresh Black Raspberries)
3 TBS Butter

Place thawed chicken in a large zip lock bag. Mix all the other ingredients together, except the butter,  stirring well. Pour over chicken & refrigerate 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees . Place chicken in a deep casserole or baking pan that has a lid. Cover chicken with the marinade. Cover & bake for 45 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan & pour the marinade with all the juices into a sauce pan. Return chicken to the covered pan cover to keep warm. Add the butter to the marinade & cook on high stirring now & then until sauce reduces & becomes slightly thick. Plate chicken & spoon a generous amount of the thickened sauce over each piece of chicken & serve ! Serves 4 !