BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I just cooked some homemade caramels that are so yummy! They taste like MacIntosh Toffee. Does anyone else remember them in the red boxes? The perfect mix of chewy and creamy - a little bit of filling-pullers, but worth it.
Check out other recipes at Kristina's, every Wednesday.

Creamy Caramels
2 cups white sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 C blend, divided(half and half)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C butter or margarine (I used butter, may as well go all the way)

Line a 9 X 13 pan with foil and then butter lightly (I used cooking spray)
Combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1 C of the blend in a large Dutch oven, heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then slowly add the remaining blend. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 260 F, hard-ball stage. This may take about 30 minutes. [candy thermometer is a must!] Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and butter. Stir hard about 5 minutes! Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Remove foil from pan and cut into 1" squares and wrap in waxed paper. Makes 9 - 10 dozen.

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

Kristina at Kristina's Favorites is hosting Midweek Morsels on Wednesday - check out other great recipes.
It was just that little bit overcast and cool enough today to think about making cookies. When I suggested I might make cookies, three voices shouted out 'Chocolate chip!' when I asked what kind should I make. We make the best chocolate chip cookies, seriously. I know everyone likes their own recipe, but these are crispy the outside and chewy on the inside, they freeze spectacularly and might even be better frozen. When my sister and I were young we would make triple and quadruple batches. They are so good!


Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C shortening
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C flour
chocolate chips (you know how many you like)
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Cream together shortening, sugars, and vanilla. Add egg and stir. Add flour, soda, and salt. Combine. Add chips and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Drop onto greased sheets, bake 7-10 minutes at 375 F.
(Mine tend to flatten right out once out of the oven, so that the chips are bulging out.)

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

Kristina at Kristina's Favorites hosts this weekly meme about what we've been cooking. I was invited to a barbeque this week and brought a salad. It was hardly noticed amongst the perfectly cooked t-bone steaks, and boiled new potatoes, but there my salad was, considered yummy even by all the carnivores.

I found this recipe at a Veggie Venture, which I suggest you add to your google reader. Did you know that there are at least as many recipe blogs out there are book blogs? I love having a new recipe land in the ole Reader. It cuts down a bit on the TBR pile, but it adds a whole other list of things to try.

Citrus Veggie Salad
1 apple, skin on
1 cup cantaloupe
1/2 an English cucumber, skin on
2 green bell peppers

1 orange
Zest and juice of a lime
Fresh basil, cut into ribbons
Cinnamon to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the apple, cantaloupe, cucumber and peppers into a small neat dice.

Zest the orange, then slice off the skin, cut the flesh into a small neat dice. Stir the orange zest, orange flesh and remaining ingredients into the fruit and vegetable mixture. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with a sprinkle of additional cinnamon and a piece of fresh basil.

note: I made the salad two days ahead of the party, and the apples were fine. I put the apples in the bowl last, and then squeezed the lime juice all over them. It worked great. Fresh basil from the garden and the cinnamon really was all that was needed. How healthy is that?

(I copied the picture and the recipe from A Veggie Venture site, because I forgot to take my own picture. I hope I haven't violated any copyright protocol.)

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

I had a hankering for date squares this week after seeing some in a bakery, and wanting them, but then thinking, hey! I can make those. I froze half the pan for later, to keep me from eating them all when I get confused by all the oatmeal and think I am eating something good for me. Taste good? yes Good for me? probably not

Date Squares

1 1/4 C rolled oats
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C brown sugar
3/4 C margarine

Date filling:
2 C cut up dates
1/2 C white sugar
1 C water
1 tsp vanilla
1 T butter/marg

Prepare filling: In a saucepan, cook dates, sugar and water, stirring often until mixture is thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Add butter and vanilla, Cool.

Combine oats, flour sugar and soda. Work in softened margarine with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Spread half the rolled oat mixture in the bottom of a 9x9" pan patting down, cover with date filling, cover with remaining oat mixture. Pat lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

hosted by Kristina at Kristina's Favorites
I made these for my kids a few weeks ago, and, even though they weren't chocolate chip cookies, they thought that they tasted good. Very high praise, because when I said I was making cookies, they only wanted Chocolate Chip Cookies. We make very good chocolate chip cookies here, and maybe someday I'll share that recipe with you all. For now, these are pretty good substitutes.

Butterscotch Almond Cookies

1 C butterscotch chips
1/2 C butter (margarine) softened
2/3 C brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 C crushed corn flakes cereal, slightly crushed
1/4 C almonds, slivered

Melt about 1/2 the butterscotch chips in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Combine butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl and beat until well blended. (I never use a mixer for cookies, but you could) Stir in melted chips until thoroughly combined.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in remaining butterscotch chips, corn flakes, and almonds. Shape into balls (or be lazy and drop by rounded spoonfuls) Place on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 F for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from sheets while warm and cool on wire racks.

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

My most favorite recipes come from The Best of Bridge cookbooks, so the more I participate in Kristina's Midweek Morsels, the more recipes you will see from The Best of the Best and The Rest of the Best. Kristina had an open week for recipes this week, so since she posted a soup recipe, I thought I would too. This is the best soup, and it freezes excellently! so make a double batch, if you feel up to chopping all the carrots, and then you'll have soup to drop at someone's house who needs some help in the meal department. I try to chop quite finely so every mouthful has a bit of everything. Mmm, I haven't made this in a while, I should make a batch.

Hamburger Soup

Don't be deceived by the name - this is a family favorite and a breeze for entertaining. This recipe makes 18 soup ladles and freezes very well.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion,finely chopped
1 - 28 oz. can tomatoes
2 cups water 500 mL
3 - 10 oz. cans consomme
1 - 10 oz. can tomato soup
4 carrots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sticks celery,
finely chopped parsley
pepper to taste
1/2 cup pot barley 125 mL

Instructions:
Brown meat and onions. Drain well. Combine all ingredients in large pot. Simmer covered, at least 2 hours, or all day. Serves 10.

BLOGGING EVENT: Midweek Morsels

I've been wanting to participate in Kristina's Midweek Morsels for a while now and finally got my act together. I tried this first last year on St Patrick's Day at my aunt's party, and then made several batches to get through the hot summer evenings. Ymmm!

St. Patrick’s Day Lime Slush

1 12-oz.can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 12-oz. can frozen limeade concentrate

2 cups vodka (or more if you like)

2 cups sugar (I used closer to 1 C on subsequent batches)

7-Up

Mix concentrates, vodka and sugar with 9 cups water in freezer container. Freeze until slushy. Stir soda into each serving. (I used Lime Rickey for a deeper green color for St Patrick's Day party).