one of those Cooking Families....

This is my Dad:

He loves to cook.



Dad has long been retired, but during my growing up years, Dad was a fireman with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It was standard procedure for all the guys at the fire station to take turns cooking, but he enjoyed cooking so much that he always ended up taking all the turns and doing all the cooking. My (ex)Father-in-law was also a fireman and used to tell stories about how a lot of the guys would try to transfer to whichever station Dad was working at the time, not just because his cooking was legendary, but because then they wouldn't ever have to cook!


And, for the last 20 or so years, my parents have cooked regularly at their church for all kinds of groups, big and small, sometimes for as many as 200 people. They are the first ones asked when someone needs food prepared for their gathering.


Yes,we are one those "Cooking Families".

You know what I mean....one of those families that are all about food: cooking and eating and recipes, and everything that goes along with it.....

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

1. Youngest Son is an Executive Chef (see here)


2. Oldest Son is not a chef, but would happily be one if his current career quit working out (see here)


3. Daughter and I are always looking for a reason to plan a menu or try a bunch of new recipes (see here)

4. We have an annual Family Chili Cook-off (see here)


5.We have a Family Cookbook that has had 3 updates over the years (see here)

6. Even all the Grandkids love to spend time in the kitchen (see here, here, and here)

(Dad teaching a cooking class at church a long, long time ago!)

Dad recently shared this recipe with me:

It had all the qualities I look for lately with my current healthy eating plan so I gave it a try, making these minor changes:

I used sugar-free maple syrup

I used Lawry's seasoned pepper and garlic powder since I didn't have Montreal Seasoning.

I added 1/4 of a small onion and put the onion and apple in the food processor so it would be finely minced

TA-DA! Yummy Sausage patties....and healthy, too! I made the first one off the grill pan into a burger on an Oroweat Sandwich Thin, with honey mustard and sugar-free apricot jam.
DELICIOUS!! You were right Dad...this one's a keeper! I've already added it to the current cookbook update.

The other night, Daughter-in-Law was looking through the Family Cookbook for something quick and easy to make for dinner and chose one of Dad's recipes that we hadn't tried before.

TEXAS TWO-STEP CHICKEN PICANTE

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 cups Pace Picante sauce (12 oz)

3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard (she use honey mustard)

3 cups hot cooked rice

Place chicken in 2 qt. shallow baking dish. Mix picante, sugar and mustard and pour over chicken. bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over rice.

Wow Dad! What a great dish! I loved it! Your recipe is from the original edition of our cookbook from about 12 years ago and I can't believe I'd never tried it before! This one is going into the regular rotation at our house from now on.......

Thanks Dad! .....and keep all those good recipes coming!!!

Would you like a snack?

Have you tried these yet?

This HUGE bag is less than $5.00 at Costco and Sam's Club and they are FABULOUS!!

If, like me, you could live on snacks alone, these are from heaven! And as snacks go, these are relatively healthy: a serving is only 130 calories for 38 straws....look how many that is!

I've been sharing them everywhere and everyone loves them.....my office, Granddaughter's 15th birthday party, vacation....I just might be their biggest fan. I'm telling you, this company should hire me to do a commercial for them!

Try this dip with them..it's healthy too.

HEALTHY ONION DIP

1 cup plain, non-fat Greek Yogurt ("Fage" brand is best)

1/4 vidalia onion, grated

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp fresh herbs, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight

GO GET SOME RIGHT NOW!!

You'll thank me.....I promise!

a new favorite....for now

I have never been one of those people who say " I don't want that for dinner, I already had it for lunch!" If it's something I really enjoy I don't mind having it again. In fact, when I come across an item or a dish that is really appealing to me for the time being, I'll make it a lot until I get tired of it and then put the recipe aside for a while.

This is what I've eaten 3 times this week already and I made a new batch this morning:

I tore the recipe out of the latest issue of Martha's EVERY DAY FOOD magazine and decided to just use the basic idea and change it to fit my new healthier style of eating.

Simple, basic ingredients that I already had on hand

bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes until set........



SOOOO DELICIOUS!!!

Martha's version says to serve warm but they are just as good cold! I took them to work in my lunch last week and along with a piece of fruit, it was the perfect healthy lunch!

Martha used corn and parmesan in her version....I'm sure it would be good with any combo of vegetable and cheese.....broccoli and cheddar? salsa and pepperjack? carmelized onions and swiss?

hmmmm......I do have plenty more tomatoes.......

Tasty Treats

I Made ice cream sandwiches with the Grandkids last night........

#1) First we made cake mix cookies:

1 box cake mix, any flavor

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

Blend well. Scoop (or use teaspoons) onto parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

#2) choose a co-ordinating ice cream and let it get a little bit soft:




#3) Scoop ice cream onto cookies and spread to cover:






#4) Top with a second cookie, place in a zip lock baggie, and freeze til firm.



#5) EAT!

When you're 5, what's better than eating an ice cream sandwich that's as big as your head?!!

There was much conversation about different cake and ice cream combinations for next time.....

apparently I'll be going to the store today for lemon cake mix and rainbow sherbet!

a Double Soup du Jour Day

Soup du Jour #7: Split Pea with Ham

Split peas, chicken broth, carrot/celery/onion/garlic in the processor, herbs from the garden, and a piece of leftover ham from the freezer.

Cooked until soft and pureed with a stick blender.

served with fabulous Potato Rosemary bread from Costco (still warm when I bought it!)

This tasted extra good this time, for some reason. Even the 6 yr. old loved it and she is not an adventurous eater! She says it should be called "Swamp Soup" because it looks like something Shrek would like to eat.

"Soup" du Jour #8

Also got some Turkey Chili ready for the crock-pot, with 5 kinds of beans. Not exactly soup but close enough!

2 kinds of soup ready for several dinners during the week.

We'll be having a holiday family get-together on the 27th where everyone brings a pot of soup to share....I can't wait to see how many kinds of soup we'll be having!

In case I haven't mentioned it before....I LOVE SOUP!

Soup du Jour #6

You know how when you wash your car and then it rains and you know you made it rain because of the car washing? Well, I think all my cold-weather-wishful-thinking-soup-making is keeping the weather nice here. The days are still nice and sunny. Sunday was absolutely beautiful! But the nights are getting pretty chilly. I almost shut my bedroom window last night and I never shut my window unless I can actually see my breath inside my room! I love sleeping in a cold room with my flannel sheets and flannel comforter on the bed and.... (ahem)... you know... no PJ's?

shhhhh....just don't tell my family....I'm sure they don't want to know that about me. Are Grandmas/Mimis allowed to sleep in the...I mean, without PJ's? I'm probably supposed to be wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved nightgown or something like that, but hey! I have a lock on my door and really....have you ever slept between flannel sheets and a flannel comforter with no PJ's?! Try it and you'll never want to buy new PJ's again!

Well anyway...I was just going tell you that I made Posole for soup #6 on Sunday.

I am not a fan of traditional Posole, which is a Mexican pork and hominy stew. It always seems too greasy to me. I like bacon and ham but most other pork I can live without. Since I really LOVE hominy, I long ago came up with my own low-fat version using chicken and leaving out the usual chili powder.

Here's my recipe for Chicken Posole:

(note: this time I didn't use the raw chicken breasts. I used my new best-friend, Mr. Costco Chicken! because as I've mentioned before: Costco Chicken = delicious, and the easiest thing ever)

4 large chicken breasts, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

1/2 tsp. cumin

2- 14oz cans hominy, drained

1- 4oz can chopped ortega chiles

1 Tbsp. oil

shredded cabbage

choppped cilantro

lime wedges

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown chicken and onions in oil. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add broth, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in hominy and chiles. Simmer 10 more minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cabbage,cilantro,lime wedges, and hot sauce.

This is delicious served with jack cheese quesadillas on the side.......ENJOY!!

Soup Du Jour (Oct.5)

I've officially made my first pot of soup and bread for the Fall......LET THE SOUP SEASON BEGIN!

RED POTATO, HAM, AND ROASTED CORN CHOWDER topped with parmesan cheese

(no recipe, just made it up...)

served with Homemade Butterflake Biscuit Sticks

Son took some to work in his lunch today and I took what was left to Daughter's house for their dinner tonight since everyone is feeling under the weather

Everyone loved it so I'd better write down this recipe right now before I forget how I made it!
( I feel a Family Soup Cookbook trying to form itself in my brain.....)

It's here! It's here! Finally.....

WOO HOO! I think FALL is really, finally here!!!

It was 49 degrees this morning at 6:30 a.m. while I was driving to work wearing a sweater coat and a scarf with the windshield defroster on full blast!!!!!

I am totally ignoring the fact that right now, 4 hours later at 10:00 a.m., I am in my office wearing a sleeveless shirt, drinking iced coffee, and running the A/C on full blast.....MINOR DETAIL!! I am stopping at the store on my way home this afternoon to get ingredients for SOUP!

HMMMM.....what kind should I make? I've been craving some sort of Potato Soup, but maybe something else.....Chicken Fajita? French Onion? Sausage & Kale? Italian Wedding? Asian Shrimp & Noodle? Roasted Tomato Basil?.....I CAN'T DECIDE!!!....This little taste of cold weather has me all worked up!

....And BREAD! I'm getting out my bread maker, too.....O.K.,that's it....I'm making a list....I'm making soup at least twice a week! Every kind I can think of...with bread to match....cheese bread, honey oat, english muffin loaf, yeasted corn bread, raisin-cinnamon, sourdough.

And CHILI!... I can't forget about Chili and cornbread...I can't wait to fire up the crock-pot with some spicy beans...And BEEF STEW!... with biscuits... I have the worlds best Beef Stew recipe...

WOW! is my stomach growling.......I sure hope this is going to be a long winter. I have new recipes to try and old favorites just waiting to be enjoyed while wearing my favorite sweaters and thick, fuzzy socks....BRING ON THE WINTER!

Get ready family, friends, and co-workers....I'M MAKING SOUP!!!!

Birthday x 3

In my previous post I might have made a brief mention of how much I was NOT looking forward to having a birthday this week (OK, OK,... so it wasn't just a mention, it was a full-on RANT, but hey!, it was a brief rant...)

Since I share a birthday with my Mother (see last year's post) I've never been allowed to just let the day go by un-noticed, no matter how much I might want to. And #2 Granddaughter was almost born on our birthday, too, but at the last minute she decided she wanted her own special day, so she came the next day instead. We have since forgiven her for that, however, and try to have a triple birthday any year we can work it out.

This year we had a triple-birthday-swimming-party at my sister's house. Cousins that only get to see each other once a year (twice if we're lucky) spent the whole day in the pool together.

We cooked a spaghetti dinner for 24 people.

There was Caramel Apple Cheesecake and Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes for dessert.

and another triple birthday is over for another year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

(and happy birthday to me......)

***************************************************************************************************

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE CAKE

1 box lemon cake mix

1 3 oz. box strawberry jello

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

GLAZE:

2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup lemon juice

GLAZE: (make glaze first so sugar can be dissolving) stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar. Set aside while preparing cake.

Add dry jello to dry cake mix in large bowl. Prepare and bake cake according to directions on box using eggs, oil, and water.

While cake is still warm, poke holes over the whole cake with a fork. Pour glaze over cake. Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream. (I think this cake tastes best stored in the refrigerator)

variations: use lemon jello for Lemonade cake

use lime jello for lemon-lime cake (makes a neon-green cake that kids love!)