Easy Mexican Chicken Casserole

During the summer months I am always looking for a quick and easy meal that will get my family fed and me me out of the kitchen. This casserole is always a family favorite. Just serve with a fresh garden salad and dinner is done in no time.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

1 can white chicken chunks

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 7oz. can chopped green chilies

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper chopped

1 small package corn tortillas (12)

Mix chicken, soups, milk, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, chilies, onion and green pepper. Heat thoroughly in a sauce pan. Tear tortillas into bite sized pieces and stir into the mixture. Pour into a glass baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Easy Peach Cobbler

Easy Peach Cobbler

1 pie crust

5 large peaches

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 heaping tsp. Cornstarch

2 TBSP. water

2 tbsp. Butter

8 x 8 glass baking dish

Wash and dry peaches. Cut each peach into chunks leaving the peel on. In a large mixing bowl add peaches and 2/3 cup sugar. Sugar should coat the peaches. Allow to sit for approximately 2 hours. Peaches should make a syrup like liquid.  Mix 1 heaping tsp of cornstarch and 2 TBSP water in a small bowl until it is no longer lumpy.  Add cinnamon and cornstarch to the peaches mix thoroughly. Pour the peaches into an 8x8 glass baking dish. Dot with butter. Roll out pie crust. Place on top of the peaches. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake at 375* for 40-45 minutes or until the top crust is lightly golden brown. Peaches will be bubbly.

Deep Dish Pan Pizza

Deep Dish Pan Pizza is so easy to make. All you need are a few basic ingredients. 1 loaf of frozen bread dough - thawed, 1 jar of your favorite pizza sauce ( I used Ragu), and Shredded Mozarella cheese. You can stop right here and you have all the makings for a delicious cheese pizza. But, we prefer our pizzas with a few more toppings. I added Pepperoni slices, some chopped vegetables (onion, tomato, black olives, green bell pepper) and a small can of sliced mushrooms.
Take your bread loaf out of the refrigerator and allow it to thaw and rise for a few hours. Our house stays a bit on the cool side so it took about 6 hours for the bread to thaw and rise. When the bread dough is completely thawed and has doubled in size you are ready to build your pizza. Liberally oil your cast iron skillet. I use a 12 inch skillet. Place the bread in the oiled skillet and using your hands flatten the risen bread loaf. You will need to continue to press the bread dough into the shape of the skillet. Take your time for this step.  Don't be afraid to really press as much of the air out as you can. As it cooks it will rise again. After you have pressed the dough around the pan it is time to add your toppings. This is the fun part. You can get creative and add anything you like. For this pizza we added about 3/4 cup of pizza sauce and spread it round. Don't add your toppings all the way to the edge. Leave about 1/2 of an inch for the crust. Then, we added as small layer of mozzarella cheese. Next came the pepperoni, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Then, we added a bit more cheese. Bake the pizza in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check it after 20 minutes.

White Sheet Cake

If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert to serve after dinner tonight try this super easy White Sheet Cake. All you do is measure, mix, pour and bake. No hand mixer or big table top mixer is required for this one. Hop over to the Sweets and Treats page for the recipe. <a data-pin-config="none" href="//pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fkentbrew%2F6851755809%2F&media=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7027%2F6851755809_df5b2051c9_z.jpg&description=Next%20stop%3A%20Pinterest" data-pin-do="buttonPin" ><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /></a>

Shrimp Shooters

Even though the calendar has just turn the page to March, I have already started thinking and searching for cool menu items for the warmer months. The perfect appetizer to a seafood meal is shrimp shooters. Click over to the appetizer page to see how easy these little delights are to prepare.

Baked Hushpuppies

We are not huge seafood lovers in this family but I know it is good for us so I will make a seafood meal as often as I think my family will stand for it. Last night I made baked tilapia with a very light cracker crumb topping and baked shrimp with a garlic and butter / olive oil seasoning. Sounds good so far, right? So, then I decided that no seafood dinner is complete without hushpuppies on the side. Now, for those of you that have not been introduced to hushpuppies, there are tiny little morsels of cornbread with some seasonings added and deep fried until they are crispy on the outside and a tender little ball of seasoned cornbread on the inside. They are delicious and definately a must have if you are having a seafood meal. For some reason they just go hand in hand. Maybe it's just a southern thing.

Well, since I was trying to go a bit lighter on the calories with this meal I decided I would try baking my hushpuppies instead of frying them. I made up my hushpuppie batter and spooned  them into a mini muffin pan. As I said, hushpuppies are supposed to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. To achieve that I first sprayed my mini muffin pan with cooking spray. I use Pam but any brand will do. Then I warmed the muffin pan in the oven for about 3 minutes. Then I spooned the batter into the muffin pan. Warming the pan first started the cooking process and the mini hushpuppies had a crispy crust. They turned out just as I expected. Beautiful. This was a great alternative to deep frying if you are trying to cut back on your calorie intake.

Baked Hushpuppies

1 box of cornbread mix ( prepare as directed on the box)

1 1/2 tablespoons of dried chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

Mix just until all ingredients are combined. Do not over mix. Spoon into the prepared mini muffin pan. Then bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Weekend Cinnamon Rolls

At our house weekends are very special. We look forward to them all week. Usually by Tuesday evening my husband or I will start making suggestions of things we can do during the upcoming Saturday or Sunday.  I like to think of them as mini vacations. We all work very hard Monday through Friday so, Saturday and Sunday are spent relaxing and doing fun things.This may seem strange to some of you but, we think working in the yard is fun. I love to mow. I like to think of mowing as getting some cardio. It's just a bonus that getting my cardio is also making our yard lovely. 

The weekend is the time I like to try out new recipes. I would like to be able to tell you every dish I have ever prepared have all been huge hits and my family thinks I am the best cook that ever graced an apron. But, that would be a lie. The truth is some of them have not been received very well. Some of them have failed miserably. A couple of times the tasting of a new dish has sent us running for the phone and calling the pizza delivery man to rescue us from starvation. Oh well, I tried.  Some work and some don't. But, we will never know if we don't try. So, I encourage you to keep trying. Over time you will have many more hits than you have misses and your family will think of you as kitchen greatness. Who knows, someday your family may reward you with a tiara for all your efforts.  (Secretly, I want a sparkly tiara but, don't tell anyone) 

This recipe for cinnamon rolls is definately a keeper. It is one that takes a little patience because you have to wait for the rolls to rise after you put them together. The waiting is the hardest part. But believe me it is well worth the wait. Give it a try this weekend.Who knows, this may be the recipe that gets me that tiara.

Mixed together the brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Set aside.

Add a little flour to the rolling surface so it will not stick.

Roll it out in a 8X6 rectangle and brush with butter.

Add the sugar and pecan mixture.

Starting on the long side, roll it jelly roll style. Use a little water to seal edges.

Cut into 1-1 1/2 inch slices and place on a baking sheet to rise. Let rise in a warm area for about 1 1/2 hours until they are doubled in size. This is the hard part. Waiting.........

After they have risen, pour 1/3 cup of heavy cream over the rolls and bake .

M-m-m-m.... the kitchen is smelling pretty wonderful right about now.

Mix the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the top of the warm cinnamon rolls.

Here is the detailed recipe.

1 loaf of bread dough - thawed. I used Rhodes brand. But, any brand will be fine.

2T butter - melted

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup pecan pieces

1- 2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup powder sugar

1 T. milk

Dash of vanilla

Roll dough into a 6x8 rectangle. Brush with the melted butter. Combine the brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the dough. Starting on the long end, roll the dough jelly roll style.. Moisten the edge with a bit of water to seal. Cut into 20 slices. Place the rolls on a cookie sheet and allow them to rise for 1 1/2 hour or until the are doubled in size. Pour the cream over the rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Combine the powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. ( I double this part of the recipe) Drizzle of warm rolls. Enjoy!

Stabilizing Whipped Cream

Close your eyes and imagine with me for just a moment...You've just had a wonderful dinner at your favorite restaurant. Your tummy is so full you have convinced yourself you will probably not have to eat again for a week.Then your waitress stops by your table with a tray filled with the most delicious mouth watering desserts you have ever seen. In her sweetest, most innocent voice she says those famous last words, " have you saved room for dessert?"  Before you know it, you are hearing yourself order dessert.
Have you ever wondered how a restaurant keeps their whipped cream turning into a watering mess? Today I am going to show you how to make whipped cream that will last longer than 24 hours.

Unflavored Gelatine

2 tablespoons of cold water in a microwave safe bowl . Sprinkle 1 tsp of unflavored gelatine over the top of the water. Do not stir. Just allow the water to soak up the gelatine. Then place the bowl in the microwave and heat abour 20 seconds on high until the gelatine is melted. Set aside. Now add 1 cup of whipping cream to a mixing bowl. Using the electric mixer, whip on low for a couple of seconds turning it to high. Gradually add 3 tablespoons of sugar. You can use regular granulated sugar or powdered sugar. I like to use powered sugar. I think it makes a smoother fluffier whipped cream. When the cream has whipped to the stiff peak stage whip in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Now it is time to stabilize the cream. With the electric mixer on a low setting, in a slow and steady stream pour in the melted gelatine just until it is stirred in. It will just take a couple of turns of the mixer and you are done. This is very easy. You can now add your whipped cream to your favorite dessert.. The stabilized whipped cream will last a few days in the refrigerator before it begins to separate and turn watery.   

before whipping

after whipping

Stabilized Whipped Cream Recipe
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer, add whipping cream. Gradually add the sugar. Beat well after each addition. When it is at the stiff peak stage add the vanilla. Then slowly add the melted gelatine. Store in the refrigerator. 



Homemade Vanilla Extract

I have been baking and using vanilla for more years than I care to admit. I used the brand vanilla that my mother used. I never gave it a second thought. Since, I always thought my mother was the smartest woman that ever lived, I never questioned her brand of vanilla. But, last winter I actually read the ingredients on the vanilla box. I must have been really bored that day. The box boasted it was "pure" vanilla. Oh, it had alcohol and extracts of the vanilla bean. But, it also contained water, sugar, caramel coloring and a couple of things that I couldn't even pronounce. That started the wheels in my brain turning. How could something be pure if it contains so many ingredients? After a bit of research I discovered it was not hard to make vanilla. You just have to be patient because it does take at least 6 months for vanilla beans to steep in alcohol before it can extract enough of the flavor to be used in baking. If you don't give it enough time you just make flavored vodka.
Now, patience is not one of my virtues but, I decided it would be worth the wait. So, I bought a good quality vodka and lots of vanilla beans. If you purchase vanilla beans at the grocery store you will pay about $8.00 for 3 beans. So, you need to find a good source on the internet and purchase them in a very large quantity. Simply split the beans down the side and put them in the vodka. Store in a cool dark place. Shake occasionally to keep things stirred up a bit. The minimum wait time is six months. Your patience will be rewarded with the purest vanilla you have ever smelled. It is simply devine. I love the word devine. Using it  makes me feel very sophisticated.
Making you own vanilla is not hard to do. If you want more complete instructions, hop over to http://www.howtomakevanilla.blogspot.com/. Give it a try. It is well worth the wait. Simply devine!

Deep Dish Pan Pizza

Deep Dish Pan Pizza is so easy to make. All you need are a  few basic ingredients. 1 loaf of frozen bread dough - thawed, 1 jar of your favorite pizza sauce ( I used Ragu), and Shredded Mozarella cheese. You can stop right here and you have all the makings for a delicious cheese pizza. But, we prefer our pizzas with a few more toppings. I added Pepperoni slices, some chopped vegetables (onion,  tomato,  black olives, green bell pepper) and a small can of sliced mushrooms.
Take your bread loaf out of the refrigerator and allow it to thaw and rise for a few hours. Our house stays a bit on the cool side so it took about 6 hours for the bread to thaw and rise.  When the bread dough is completely thawed and has doubled in size you are ready to build your pizza. Liberally oil you cast iron skillet. I use a 12 inch skillet. Place the bread in the oiled skillet and  using your hands flatten the risen bread loaf. You will  need to continue to press the bread dough into the shape of the skillet. Don't be afraid to really press as much of the air out as you can. As it cooks it will rise again. After you have pressed the dough around the pan it is time to add your toppings. This is the fun part. You can get creative and add anything you like. For this pizza we added about 3/4 cup of pizza sauce and spread it round. Don't add your toppings all the way to the edge. Leave about 1/2 of an inch for the crust. Then, we added as small layer of  mozzarella cheese. Next came the pepperoni, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives. Then, we added a bit more cheese. Bake the pizza in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check it after 20 minutes for desired doneness. The perfect doneness for us was 30 minutes. It was the best pizza. Much better than call out and deliver pizza and it was a fraction of the cost too.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....Fall!

Good Morning everyone. Fall is finally here and the miserably hot tempertures have broken. At least it is no longer over 100 degrees each day. Here in our part of Texas is still gets up into the 90s but it is amazing how somehow that doesn't feel too bad. Unlike many parts of the United States, we still have green grass and flowers blooming. The leaves on the trees have not yet started to turn colors. I have a Crepe Myrtle tree right outside my front window and it still has big beautiful pink blossoms. I love to read some other blogs written by people in other parts of our country that talk about how the leaves are turning yellow, gold, orange and red, all the beautiful autumn colors. The nights are crisp and clear. Down right chilly and needing to pull out their big soft cuddly sweaters. But, for now I will live vicariously through others.

As we get deeper into the Fall season the produce stands and Farmers Markets promise a return of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Just seeing a big pile of the plump orange pumpkins makes me happy. Another seasonal  fruit that ensures that Fall has arrived is apples. Bright shiny red and green.

Look at the beautiful apple. It's no wonder Eve was not able to resist the temptation to take a bite from the sweet apple. An apple by itself is delicious and can be a tasty dessert. But if you slice a crispy Gala apple and dip each bite into warmed caramel ice cream topping. Oooooo...it's a little slice of Heaven. If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert that is fancy enough for company hop over to the recipes page and try the Cranberry Apple Tart. Top it with some fresh whipped cream and you have a Fall dessert that everyone will think you spent all day in the kitchen.

Enjoy your Fall everyone.
Until next time......
   

Apple Peeler Corer Slicer

When I find a new kitchen gadget that saves time, energy, heartache, and money I like to shout it from the nearest mountain top to everyone I know.  Many of you are apple pie makin' mamas and this apple peeler is going to make your life so much easier. It has a suction cup on the bottom to hold it in place on your counter top. This enables you to have both of your hands free to direct all of your attention the the apples. All you have to do is place it on the end, hold the apple in place and turn the hand crank a few times to get it going and with just a few more turns of the crank and your apple it peeled, cored and sliced. It is amazing and so much fun. If you are looking for ways get the kids to help in the kitchen, this will surely draw them in. They will have a blast turning the hand crank.  We found the great little invention at Academy Sports and Outdoors. The cost was $19.99. It is great for turning all of those crisp fall apples into delicious pies, cobblers, cakes and apple crisps.

Try this recipe for a quick and easy Apple Crisp

4 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

4 tablespoons butter

        Evenly spread the apple slices in the prepared dish. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and water, and pour over the apples. Drizzle apples with honey, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

      In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples. Pour apples in a 13 x 9 greased pan.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated 350 degree oven, until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

Add a dollop of fresh whipped cream and you will be in Heaven.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time....

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Love on Top

Whew! The summer heat has been lingering on for weeks here in Texas. We almost broke a record of consecutive days to reach over 100 degrees that was set back in 1980. However, on Saturday we had a tiny bit of a break. Our temperature only topped out at about 95. Now, I know 95 degrees is still very warm but, when the old summer sun just will not give you a break and the sweltering heat rises to over 100 degrees for 40 days....well, 95 seems almost cool. Since it has been so hot the last thing I wanted to do was turn on the oven to prepare a nice hearty hot meal. So, we have been eating a lot of salads lately. I love salads and I like a lot of variety but my family is not quiet as adventerous as I am so I have to get creative and make it little more interesting.

We love croutons in our salads. If you have bought croutons in the the bags you know they are very hard. Almost too hard to bite into.  So, I like to make my own. They are still crunchy but with a nice soft crunch on the outside and a middle that is a bit on the chewy side. Like a warm piece of buttery toast. There are alot of advantages to making croutons at home .
1. You can use left over bread that is about to turn stale. This saves money.
2. You can control the flavor of the crouton by adding any spices you like.
3. You control the amount of spices. This is especially good if you are watching your salt intake.
And my favorite part......
4. You can make them any shape you desire.
Most croutons are simply tiny little cubes of toasted bread. If you have some tiny little cookie cutters you can make it fun by cutting the crouton into different shapes.

I try to find anyway I can to tell my family that I love them. Actually saying "I love you"  does not come easily for everyone. I grew up in a family that did not run around all the time telling each other we loved them. I am the youngest of  four children. Our mother was a terrific Mama that raised four children without a father in the house. I do not know how she did it. Let me tell you, whether you are the Mom or the Dad , being a single parent is one of the toughest jobs in the world. We came from a family that did not hear the words "I love you." But boy, did we feel it. We all knew we were loved  by her actions.  She would swat us on the behind when we were being bad then turn right around and love on us to let us know that all is forgiven. I can hear her say, "Now don't do that again and let's move on." My Mama also had many "looks."  She could be in the front yard watering flowers all the while carrying on a conversation with one of the neighbors and spot one of us kids out of the corner of her eye doing something good and she would flash us a look that said, "You are one terrific kid and I am so proud of you". Then in a blink of an eye, that same Mama could turn her head and stop a misbehaving child dead in their tracks with just one look.  All the while she hadn't missed a word the neighbor was saying. Now that my friends is a gift from God. Yes, I know from personal experience that a person can feel the love without actually saying those 3 little words: I LOVE YOU. But, I am a very blessed woman. I am married to my best friend. Over the years he has taught me to say "I love you." But, I am always striving to develop that same God given talent my Mama had. I have always wanted to be able to express my love with just a special look that comes from deep in a person's soul.

So, my tiny little heart shaped croutons are a kind of a subliminal message to my family. A tiny little hug sitting on top of their cool crisp salad or floating in a steamy hot bowl of tomato soup from a loving wife or Mama who loves her fully grown baby girls. 

This my friends, is dinner tonight. A Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with a little love on the top.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time......

Beer Can Chicken

My sweet adorable husband loves to cook out. He truly is a Grill Master. He has a great big stainless steel gas grill with all the bells and whistles and he has a smoker too. His smoker even has a name. It is Oklahoma Joe. Actually, I am just kidding about him naming  his smoker. Oklahoma Joe is the brand of smoker.  He has cooked everything imaginable on his grill. It is nothing for him to whip up a batch of the most fabulous hamburgers on the planet. Just hint that you might want hamburgers for dinner or a Saturday afternoon lunch and he is on it like a duck on a June bug. On old Oklahoma Joe he smokes chicken. brisket, sausage, and ribs. Oh my! While the chicken, brisket and sausage are delicious the ribs are something just this side of Heaven.  Recently, a new cooking weapon was added to his grilling arsenol.

Meet the newest addition. It is a piece of equipment that is William and Sonoma's answer to Beer Can Chicken. Oh my goodness people! I have heard of Beer Can Chicken for many years but for some reason my husband had never tried to prepare it for us and I had never thought to ask him too. It could be because we don't keep beer at our house very often. I simply just never thought about it. Then a couple of weeks ago my hubby found this cute little cooking toy online and had to have it. Let me tell you it makes the most delicious chicken. The beer makes the chicken so most and tender. It is all kinds of yummy.

All you have to do is place your beer can chicken cooking tool in a disposable aluminum pan. Pour your beer in the cup, place your cleaned chicken on the tool ,place it in a 350 degree grill with the lid closed. In about 1 hour you will have a delicious grilled chicken.

I understand there are many people that really use a can of beer to cook the chicken on. If you decide to try this just be very cautious. I have heard there could be lead in the paints on the outside of the cans. I recommend if you want to try Beer Can Chicken get one of these little cooking tools. It was only about $15.00 from William and Sonoma and  since we bought ours I have seen it even cheaper at Academy Sports. Be careful folks. You are precious. I wouldn't want you to fall ill.

Until next time......

National Ice Cream Day. July 17, 2011

Today is National Ice Cream Day. Since the temperatures are soaring into triple digits here in Texas ice cream is the perfect treat to cool us off. One of the things our family likes to do is celebrate crazy holidays.  Crazy holidays are just plain 'ole fun.  These holidays give us a reason to smile, a reason to make our families happy,  A few examples are Yellow Pig Day, Pickle Day, or Tuna Day, Pie Day, Ferris Wheel Day, National Board Game Day, Cow Appreciation Day, or Ice Cream Day.  There is a special day for almost everything you can imagine. The true National Days have been declared by Congress. However, you can declare a special day just for your family. It can be a day that you all agree that you will celebrate each year.  Have a family meeting to discuss the special day for your family. You can discuss it over an ice cream cone to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

Until next time.....

Favorite Kitchen Helper

I love kitchen gadgets. Many of them have a very specific use and some of them are a bit more versatile. The one gadget that I love the most is my Handheld Vacuum System  Food Saver. It has saved us time and money. One of the things I like to do with my Food Saver is buy meats when they are on sale. I remove the meat from the store packaging and place it is the Food Saver bags. The Food Saver pulls all the excess air from the bags. After, I write the contents and the date on the bags I place them in our freezer and it is available when I need them.

One of the things I love to do with my Food Saver is to buy Ground Beef on sale. Brown the ground beef then place it is bags that are in portion sizes. When packaging the browned ground beef I keep in mind what meal I will be preparing. This way I can portion it and I only thaw what is needed and ultimately there is no waste. It also doesn't take as long to thaw the browned ground beef that is takes to thaw a frozen hunk of raw ground beef.

The Vacuum System is not only for meats. I place fresh vegetables in the zippered bags and seal them. It will keep carrots, radishes, green beans, grape tomatoes, lettuce and many more vegetable fresher much longer than if they are loose in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator

If you are planning to buy a Vacuum System for yourself,  I recommend the Food Saver Handheld Vacuum System. I know they have a larger one that will handle much larger cuts of meat such as if your guy is a hunter and brings deer or fish home to process. The larger one can sit on your counter top for your convenience. The handheld version fits our needs much better. By all means, check out all the possiblities and make the choice that serves your individual needs.

As always , I love hearing from you. So, leave me a comment.
Until next time.....

American as Apple Pie

Good morning my friends. I am so happy you stopped by.
Isn't this a beautiful pie? I wish I could take credit for this gorgeous creation but I must admit my adorable husband made this pie. A few months ago he decided he wanted to learn to make pie crust. So, as he always does, he turned to the internet for some advise and pie crust recipes. One of the things we discovered is there are people out there that actually seem to think making pie crust is an easy thing. Well, they must have a God given gift to making pie crust. It must come very natural for them. There is an art to making a really good pie crust.  It has some very unique qualities. It must be tender, it must be flaky and it must have a heavenly flavor that melts in your mouth as soon as it touches your tongue. It took him more than a few tries but, Greg was persistant and before we knew it he was turning out delicious buttery pie crust that would make any little 'ole gray haired grandma proud. Now, I can proudly announce he has mastered the art of pie crust. Anytime I need a pie crust he is my "Go To" guy.

Now, let me say there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying and already made pie crust at the grocery store. Pillsbury makes an excellent pie crust. You can find it in the dairy case at your grocery store. You get 2 pie crusts rolled up in a little red box. Simply set it out for a few minutes so the temperature can rise a little. This makes it easy to work with. Just place it is a pie plate and you are ready to fill it with your family's favorite filling. As soon as they taste the warm goodness you will be well on your way to Mom of the Year.

There is something special about the sweet warm smell of a pie baking in the oven. It is the ultimate comfort food. A pie baking in the oven fills your home with a happy fragrance that will bring the kids out their bedrooms and make your husband turn off the TV just to come and see what yumminess is calling for them in the kitchen. The aroma will make them come running just to get a whiff of  the delicious sweetness. There is nothing more American as a fresh made pie and glass of ice cold milk.

Did you know that pies have a very special place in the heart of Americans? It is so special that we have set aside a day just for celebrating pies. Each year, National Pie Day is the 3rd Saturday in January. Our church celebrates this very special day with a Pie Social. It is an event that everyone looks forward to each year. In our church everyone gets involved.  A few of our youth kids are the entertainment for the evening. They have a pretend radio station K.P.I.E. The disc jockies are members from our youth group.  Some of our members will entertain us with their beautiful singing or many other talents they have been blessed with. No event such as this would be complete if we didn't have a pie eating contest. The biggest act are the pies themselves. There are rows and rows of pies. Fruit pies, custard pies, cream pies, single crust pies, double crust pies, fried pies, ice box pies, meringue pies, whipped cream pies.... My goodness the possiblities are endless. Every pie you can possibly imagine is on our tables. There are so many pies it is hard to decide which one to pick. The best thing to do is take a tiny little sample slice of each pie. Oh, your taste buds will be so happy. Sit back. Enjoy the entertainment and good food and good fellowship with your church family. Oh, but don't wait until January to enjoy a great pie. Pies are good any day of the year. Pies are good for the soul. The ultimate comfort food.
Stop by anytime.
Until next time....

Weekly Menus

When I was working full time I did not always have a good handle on purchasing food for our evening meals. We were like a lot of people. Greg and I both would run by the grocery store on our way home from work every night to pick up items we needed. Then we would run home to cook dinner. It became sort of comical because my husband and I think very much alike. So many times, when we brought our purchases home we would discover we had picked up many of the same items. I knew right then, I needed to get a handle on grocery shopping. I created a weekly menu and it would get posted on the refrigerator in a magnetic backed acrylic frame.  ( see the photos below for samples) I would use the menu to create a grocery shopping list and all four of us go to the grocery store to purchase everything we needed for the week.

I saved all of our menus over the years in a folder. Now, when I get stuck for new menu ideas I just pull out the file and browse through them. I must admit we have had some great weekly menus through the years. It was always fun to see what borders would show up on the menus. They would be seasonal or they might be a Happy Birthday border if one of us was celebrating a birthday that week. There were times when Greg would type the menu for me. His were always very creative. He always added a lot of graphics.

I wanted our girls to feel they were part of the weekly planning so I would get menu ideas from everyone. I quickly realized this was going to be a fun learning experience for Katy and Jenny. Since they were young they thought it was a cool and fun thing to do. It also got them interested in menu planning. They were learning how to plan well balanced nutritious meals. The girls were always so proud of themselves the night their meal was prepared. They were always so helpful in the kitchen.

Do you have a unique menu planning idea? Leave me a comment. I would love to hear about it.

Until next time.....

The Family Meal

Welcome to Heart of the Home Blog. This blog is intended to encourage and help. There is no better way to communicate with your spouse and children than through a peaceful family meal. Each day all across the world families have an opportunity to come together to relax and enjoy each other's company. No matter how young or old a person may be as long as they are old enough to talk they always have something they can contribute to a family conversation. There is no better way to get to know your family than over a family meal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It doesn't even have to be homecooked. However that would be my personal preference. It could be something as simple as a bucket of chicken from KFC. (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

Our lives are so busy these days. In many cases both Dad and Mom are working outside of the home. The children are in school and have many activites they are involved in after school. Many people have church activites at least 2 days a week. All of these things combined can add up to not having many hours to get to know your family. So, for me and my adorable husband, we decided when our girls were very young that we would make it a priority to all have the evening meal together. As our girls grew and began spending more time with friends away from home it was still very important for all of us to be at home for dinner.It was ok if they wanted to bring a friend to our dinner table too. As a matter of fact I loved it when the girls had friend over to join us for a meal. I remember one time when our oldest daughter, Katy was in middle school she came home with a very sad story. She told us that during lunch that day one of her friends asked if her mom cooked. Of course, Katy said that not only did I cook but her dad cooked too. One of us cooked dinner nearly every night. This conversastion quickly drew in several other friends. Katy learned that most of her friends not only did not get a home cooked meal at night but the majority of them did not even eat dinner with their family. Most just ate dinner alone sitting in front of the TV.  Katy and I both thought this was very sad. It seemed like a lonesome evening. You see, at our house dinner time was when our family came together after a long day. Sometimes dinner time was quiet with not much talking but most were pretty busy with lots of chatting and laughter. These were my favorite dinners. These were the times when we got to know our daughters. They would tell us the stories of their day and Mom and Dad would throw in a few of our stories too. This is also the place where many life lesson were learned.

Please feel free to post comments. As a matter of fact, I would love to learn about your family meal times.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Until next time....