dessert · Side dish

What’s Cookin’ in the Country?

What did you bring (to the potluck)?

Ever get asked that when you go to a family or church gathering?  I think it’s the most popular question!  Who cares where you went on vacation or how you’re feeling after having the flu for two weeks?  We want to know what you brought that was yummy for us to eat! (Just kidding!)

A great to-go recipe is sometimes just a simple something like an old recipe.  That’s what I took to our church’s Friend Day picnic yesterday.   I made a salad that I’ve been making for close to thirty years.  Sometimes I forget to go back to those old tried and true recipes!  What was I thinking for leaving this recipe in the dust?  It’s so delicious, so pretty, and it is made the night before!  

What is it?  It’s the trusty Seven-Layer Salad. Have you ever made it?  Has it been in your recipe box forgotten and tucked away? Why not make it for your next gathering or for your dinner one night this week?  You can vary the ingredients you add, making it just what you and your family love.  I like it, too, because it takes common foods that I usually have on hand. It stays fresh and crispy with the dressing on top.  Put it in a clear bowl so each layer will show off its colors!

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Seven Layer Salad  – Original recipe – Serves 12

1 pound bacon
1 large head iceberg lettuce – rinsed, dried, and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white sugar
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a large flat bowl, place the chopped lettuce and top with a layer of onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower and bacon.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle over salad and refrigerate until chilled.

I did try a new dessert for the picnic…Butterscotch Blondies!  I found these in my Cooking Light Baking Cookbook.  I seriously don’t miss any of the fat in the “normal” recipe!  This is another recipe that has common ingredients .No tofu or agave needed – just less of the normal baking supplies!  I love that!  These are rich and gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside!  All they need is a cold glass of milk!

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Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 Egg whites
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, firmly packed light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Place butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Pour into a small bowl, and cool 10 minutes.

Combine butter and egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Pour butter mixture over flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; smooth top with spatula. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.

Those blonde brownies are a yummy treat!  Don’t wait for a special potluck to make them.  You need these this week!

Have you made any of your old recipes recently?  What was it?

With love from my country kitchen,

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Freshen up Friday

 

We all tend to drive so hard all week long. Work, children, laundry, meals, cleaning house, running to ballgames,  practices, lessons and appointments wear us down and out. Do something today just because you love it. Work on a craft, read a book that will make you sigh, watch a show that will make you laugh. Do something (or nothing!) just for the pleasure of it!  Do something not out of necessity or duty – just enjoyment. Watch how it will Refresh your spirit!

What will that “something” be for you?

Stay refreshed,

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A Peek From My Porch

I couldn’t make myself look.  My poor Jeep was being towed out the driveway and taken to the Jeep “hospital.  Hopefully whatever is keeping it from cranking up will be an easy repair and she’ll be back home soon. She had no power whatsoever and was completely out of service.  It would’ve made my heart sad to see her pitiful condition on the back end of a tow truck.  I turned away so I wouldn’t see!

Sometimes that’s exactly how I feel – like my heart and my emotions are being carried away – maybe not on a Tow Truck, but on a Whoa Truck! I want to stop, quit, and not go on.  I can’t even bear to really look in the mirror at my reflection because I know the emptiness and sorrow and powerlessness that I might see.    A crushed spirit, overwhelming burdens, too busy schedules, and the cares of others can all have impact on my heart, needing the repair that only the Lord can bring.

My “hospital” is my prayer closet.  Oh, the Surgeon’s hands are so gentle.  He always patiently sits and listens as I pour out my list of ailments.  He administers the healing with His Word, His love, His comfort.  After praying to Him, I sit and listen.  In the quiet He speaks words of peace to my heart. He brings His Word to mind.  In the stillness He speaks.  The tears that have come are wiped away and in time I’m ready, once again to be back in service.  No more emptiness – He fills me and empowers me to move forward.  I don’t like the down times of my car or my heart, but you know, without times of weakness, I would be dependent on my own strength.

It takes the tow truck pulling up to make you really appreciate being able to jump in your car and GO!  It takes times of spiritual weakness to make you really appreciate the Spirit’s enabling you to serve Him.  Without Him, we’d just be sitting idle on the back end of a Whoa Truck!  I know where I’d rather be!

How about you?  Do you ever want to quit?  Don’t throw in the towel, run to your Quiet place and let the Lord recharge your spiritual batteries!

Thanks for letting me give you an honest, raw look from my porch!

With love and a charged battery,

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What’s cookin’ in the Country? Simplifying cake making

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For our Easter dessert last weekend, I made my traditional dessert – Coconut Cake with Lemon Filling.  It’s from Southern Living and it’s the perfect dessert for Easter or Christmas or Ground Hog day or Lincoln’s Birthday or trash picking up day…you get the idea.  It’s so yummy I really only make it once a year.

The cake is a golden batter – not a white cake, but it’s three layers with a homemade Lemon curd in between.  The fluffy white icing balances out the tartness of the filling just perfectly!

Like any cake of this nature, it can take lots of time to make and can be intimidating to a beginning baker.  However,I am writing this post to simplify the whole process.  You can do a cake like this!!!!

  1. Start by making and baking the cake layers a week  (or even two weeks) before you need the finished cake.  Always, always, always put waxed paper in the cake pans for easy removal!  I don’t care if the recipe says to grease and flour the pans, I always use waxed paper instead.  No use making a cake if half of it sticks to the pan!
  2. After cooling the baked layers, wrap them in plastic Wrap and then place each layer in a freezer bag. Freeze until needed.
  3. Make the filling for the cake a day or two before you need the finished cake.  This will allow time for it to set up and thicken nicely and it will spread on the cake layers easily.
  4. The day you need the cake, make the icing.
  5. Take the layers out of the freezer.  Place waxed paper pieces on the cake plate to keep the plate free of icing, crumbs and coconut.  Place filling between the layers.
  6. Start by putting a large scoop of icing on the top and push it over the sides of the cake.  Smooth icing.  Top with coconut.  Remove waxed paper from under cake layers.

When you work ahead and do a part of the whole recipe a little at a time, it really is a simple process (I am resisting the urge to say “it’s a piece of cake! But it really is!).

Here’s the recipe for the Coconut Cake from Southern Living:

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Coconut Cake with Lemon Filling

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

2. Combine flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.

3. Beat egg whites and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir about one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

4. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

5. Spread Lemon Filling between layers. Spread Fluffy White Frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides with coconut; garnish, if desired.

Lemon Filling 

Ingredients

1 cups sugar
1/4 Cup corns starch
1 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; stir in 1 cup boiling water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and cornstarch dissolve (about 3 minutes). Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Stir in lemon juice.

2. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Cool, stirring occasionally.

White Fluffy Icing
Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clear. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft-ball stage or candy thermometer registers 240°.

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2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; slowly add syrup, beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is desired consistency.
Top cake with one cup flaked coconut.

Do you enjoy baking detailed kind of desserts like this cake?  I’ll bet if you hesitate it’s because it looks too complicated.  Try this sure method, and see if you don’t have a success on your hands…and some really delicious icing!

With love from my country kitchen,

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Bread · breakfast · Easter

Freshen Up Friday

Easter weekend is here!  This is my FAVORITE holiday.  Because Christ lives, I have purpose for today and hope (assurance) for tomorrow!  I trust you have that same confidence in Him!

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Yesterday in my Bible Club, we made Resurrection rolls.  These help tell the story of the burial and resurrection of Jesus.  If you have children, this would be a fun activity to do with them as you tell the account of what happened after Jesus was placed in the tomb.  At the end of the lesson, you have a delicious treat to share together.

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As we made the rolls I retold the story. Rather than making the marshmallow represent Jesus, I chose to just say, “This can help us remember…”

Pictures 1, 2 –  We used a toothpick to ease rolling the marshmallow in the butter then sugar and cinnamon.  As we put the toothpick inside, my youngest student said, “This reminds me of the thorns they put on Jesus’ head!”  Good point!  It could also remind us of the nails that pierced his hands and feet.

As we rolled the marshmallow in the spices we talked about how the women came to the tomb to place spices on Jesus’ body.

Picture 3 – When we put the marshmallow in the crescent roll dough we remembered that Joseph took Jesus’ body down from the cross and wrapped it in cloth and placed His body in his own tomb.

Picture 4 – It helps to put foil on the cookie sheet because the marshmallow will seep out and create quite a sticky mess.

Picture 5 – The roll is empty inside!  When the ladies came to the tomb on Sunday morning, it was empty! Jesus wasn’t there!  The angel reminded them that He had risen, as he said!

It would be a great tradition to serve these on Easter Saturday or Sunday morning before church!  Not only do they make a great teaching tool, they are super good!

Christ lives!  Stay refreshed,

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