Welcome!

Welcome! :-) Whatever brought you here today wasn't an accident, and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm always glad to have folks drop in my kitchen for a visit and hope you'll feel right at home. We always have an ample supply of fresh lemonade, sweet tea, and a pot of coffee brewing along with a sideboard full of baked treats for you to enJOY while you're here. Relax and take your time as we visit and catch up on the latest news. Don't forget to email and let me know what's going on in your world, as well. And, come back soon!


Monday, June 24, 2013

Momma's Poppyseed Chicken


As many of you may know my Momma, Patricia Rains, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. She was a beloved Wife, Mom, Nanna, Sister, Daughter, Aunt, and Friend to all who knew her. As her daughter, I am deeply saddened by losing my one and only Momma, but especially to have lost her as a person... She was such a lovely, godly, JOYful Christian woman. I am so proud to be her daughter and live life knowing she made such a wonderful impact on the world.

One way that she was most especially known for spreading JOY was in her cooking. She loved this blog and sharing her recipes, making meals with folks, cooking for others, and loving on people through food. Our family would like to continue her blog, in her memory and as a celebration of her life.

Here is one recipe that I fondly remember her making and often make for my own family. It's her Poppyseed Chicken and can be found on Page 56 of her cookbook, "A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That." I hope you will enJOY this delicious dish and share with with your family.

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope."

~ Kenda Williams (Daughter of Patricia Rains & Baker at Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe in Brunswick, Maine)

POPPYSEED CHICKEN, By Patricia Rains
6 Chicken breasts, stewed, deboned and cut up
1 pint sour cream
3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 Tablespoons poppyseeds
3 rolls Ritz crackers, crushed fine
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Combine crushed crackers and butter. Layer 2/3 of the crackers on the bottom of a large Pyrex baking dish. Press down to make bottom crust. Place chicken evenly over crust. In large mixing bowl, blend sour cream, soup, and poppyseeds. Spread evenly over chicken. Sprinkle remaining buttered Ritz crumbs over top of soup mixture. If you don't want to bake immediately, cover with Handi-wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly around the edges. Refrigerate leftovers and microwave to rewarm. EnJOY! :-)
(Recipe can be found on Page 56-57 in "A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That" cookbook by Patricia Rains, Copyright 2010, Morris Press Cookbooks)
First, begin by gathering all of your ingredients. This includes boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 pint sour cream, 3 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 Tablespoons poppyseeds, 3 rolls Ritz Crackers, and 1 1/2 sticks butter.





Take 1 1/2 sticks of butter and melt it in a microwave-safe dish.

Crush 3 rolls of Ritz Crackers into a medium-sized dish. I like to crush them in the bag and then empty them out into the dish.
Take the melted butter and pour over the crushed Ritz Crackers.




Stir with a fork to combine the melted butter into the crackers. Set to the side.
Meanwhile, take your boneless, skinless chicken breast meat and cut it into small pieces on a cutting board, being sure to wash your hands well before and after doing so as to prevent cross-contamination from the raw chicken.
Cover the chicken with water in a medium-sized pan and place on the stovetop. Cook until it reaches a boil and continue cooking on low heat until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and cooked through.
Drain the water out of the pot, allowing the chicken to stay inside.




Take the combined crackers and butter and layer 2/3 of it on the bottom of a large Pyrex baking dish. Press down to make the bottom crust of the casserole.
Place the cooked chicken evenly over the cracker crust.


In a large mixing bowl, blend the sour cream...
... three cans of cream of chicken soup...





... and poppyseeds.






Stir together with spatula until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.



Spread evenly over the chicken and cracker crust.

Make sure the area is covered, all the way to the sides of the casserole dish.

Sprinkle remaining buttered Ritz crumbs over top of soup mixture.
Momma didn't do this, but I like to add a Tablespoon or so of poppyseeds on top of the casserole before baking, too, just to give it a little extra something.
Now it's ready for the oven! If you don't want to bake immediately, cover with Handi-wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly around the edges. Refrigerate leftovers and microwave to rewarm. EnJOY! :-) (as Momma would say!)

Serve with a side of fresh corn on the cob or another vegetable that you and your family enJOY!











Thursday, May 23, 2013

Memorial Day and Thanksgiving

 
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered on Veterans Day, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.
 
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
 The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns. (Source: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/a/memorialday.htm)
 
Although traditions have morphed through the years, we must never fail to honor our military personnel who gave their lives so the rest of us might live in freedom. How will you honor family members and friends who have died while serving their country? What will you tell your children and grandchildren about your relatives who have given their lives in battle? How will you emphasize this day of remembrance? What occasion might give you an opportunity to lead in a prayer of thanksgiving for these honored soldiers?
 
What a better way to get the family together on a day of remembrance than to celebrate with a family picnic? A picnic provides a perfect opportunity to gather both friends and family to share in a meal and some memories. As you bless the food, you can be sure to include your thanks to God for the freedoms we enjoy and for those who secured it for us.
And what better picnic food than BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, and baked beans? YUM!


Normally, I barbeque outdoors with the grill and smoker, but today, we're going to avoid the heat and humidity (and the extra labor and time required! :-) by baking everything indoors. This is a great alternative, especially if the weather turns bad, and you're stuck inside on a rainy holiday weekend, like some of us have been the past couple of weekends.

For those in the southern United States, pulled pork and barbecue are synonymous. Pulled pork refers to the pulling of two forks apart to shred the cooked meat. Pulled pork that has been prepared outdoors in a smoker has a natural smokey flavor from extended exposure to wood smoke, which both cooks and flavors the meat. Smoking takes the longest of any outdoor meat-cooking method. Cooking with smoke requires low temperatures and a cooking time of several hours, but the final results of tender, flavorful shredded pork are well worth your efforts. (I plan to do a future blog on outdoor smoking, but it will probably involve a beef brisket.... the concept is the same, either way.)

Pulled pork is a pork roast that has been slow-cooked to the point that it falls apart when pierced with a fork. The pork is then shredded with forks, spiced and mixed with barbecue sauce (optional, if you used dry rub before cooking) to create a delicious staple that can be used in sandwiches, wraps and other recipes. The secret that puts the taste over the top, at least in my humble opinion (BIG grin:-), is to use a good dry rub and wrap the roast in bacon before putting it in the slow-cooker or oven.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it, so let's get started! The recipe is in the cookbook on page 59. If you don't have the cookbook, don't worry! I've included the complete recipe below for you to print or copy and paste to your word processor and save in your cooking files.


SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK
(Favorite for BBQ Sandwiches!)

Make your grocery list, or collect your ingredients :-)...
Of course, you'll need a nice big pork roast...

and a few other ingredients...

and a few more... (I order my Cowtown Sweet Spot BBQ rub online from The Kansas City BBQ Store at this URL: http://www.thekansascitybbqstore.com/kc2/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=76&sort=20a&page=2&zenid=9665233f8a03344dd4ddbc222b9dddde (THANKS, Ruth Dale, for introducing me to that great product!) I think it's just about PERFECT for pulled pork or for a really good BBQ beef brisket. I discovered it's also available at Bass Pro Shops (so I stocked up last time we were there :-).

And, the item below isn't an ingredient, but it's necessary! :-) These bags are great for helping seal in the juices and keep the meat moist and tender. Be sure to purchase the "Turkey size" bags if doing a large roast.

Wash and blot meat dry with a paper towel. Coat well with seasonings, beginning with Cavender's, garlic powder, and ending with the BBQ rub of your choice.

Shake a couple of tablespoons of flour and a dash or two more Cavender's inside the Brown-n-Bag and place in a large aluminum pan or casserole dish (big enough to hold the juices that will inevitably cook out over the next several hours). Place sliced onions (and bell pepper pieces, if desired) inside the bag, spread out evenly in the bottom of the pan, so the roast will rest on the veggies.

Transfer seasoned roast to the bag, placing it on top of the onions, bell peppers and flour mixture. Drape strips of hickory smoked bacon over the roast until it is completely covered. Sprinkle more BBQ rub seasoning over the bacon until it is completely covered.

Be generous with the dry rub...

Add 1/2 to 1 cup water to the bottom of the bag, being careful not to wash seasonings off of roast.

Clasp and seal bag closed. Slit small 1-inch openings in the top of the bag for steam to escape, and place the pan in a 350 degree oven (or turkey roaster that you will cover) and continue to cook for 6 to 8 hours, until roast is forktender.



Remove pan from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes or longer, if needed to cool and handle. Shred roast (discarding waste fat and bones), using two forks; Place shredded pork in a large container where you can add juices--including bits and pieces of the onions and bell peppers-- from the Brown-n-Bag and a few more dashes of BBQ rub to taste.

Some folks like to add a few dashes of BBQ sauce at this point, but I prefer to serve the meat like it is (since I've already used dry rub and bacon to give it a smoked flavor, it has a great taste and doesn't really need the sauce), and serve the sauce on the side for those who want extra. Serve on a platter or casserole dish. Spoon meat and BBQ sauce (if desired) onto bread slices or rolls.

As you will see when you finish pulling all the pork from the bone and removing it from your roasting pan, you will have a lot of "drippings" left in the bag. Don't you dare toss this mess! It's the best ever ingredient for making BBQ Baked Beans!
Just use a ladle to transfer your drippings to plastic bowls or freezer containers (You'll see below that I'm using a fancy-smancy Cool Whip bowl as my container!) and freeze it until you're ready to bake your next batch of baked beans.
This mixture already has everything in it that you would want to add to your baked beans to make them REALLY good---smoked flavoring, BBQ flavoring, onions, bell peppers, other seasonings you've added to the meat---what else would you need to season your Baked Beans? I'm telling you, this makes the best baked beans you'll eat anywhere!

Here's what I do to make them: To 3 regular sized cans of pork-n-beans, add about half of a bowl (Cool Whip sized bowl :-) of these drippings (just leave the other half in the freezer for later-- I use an ice cream scoop to dip out whatever amount I want to use, and leave the rest in the bowl), along with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar that you've mixed (until all the lumps are out) with a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir the sugar/cornstarch mixture well into the beans/drippings mixture (if you want more spice, add a couple of tablespoons of smokey BBQ sauce) and pour the whole thing into a casserole dish that you've sprayed with non-stick coating. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes and remove from the oven to stand for a few minutes before serving. YUMMY!

This is great served alongside Creamy Coleslaw (Page 23 in the cookbook) or a green salad and Baked Beans (just gave you that recipe! :-).


SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK
(favorite for BBQ sandwiches!)

INGREDIENTS:
Large (4 - 5 lb.) pork shoulder or Boston Butt roast
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
California Garlic Powder
Your Favorite Kansas City BBQ Rub
6 - 8 slices smoked slab bacon (thick sliced)
1 or 2 sliced onions
1 large, chopped green bell pepper, (optional, but it's good!)
1/2 c. flour
1 Reynold's Brown-n-Bag, large size
1/2 to 1 c. water
Turkey Roaster or regular oven, prewarmed to 350 degrees F. (note: you may want to reduce this temperature to 300 degrees F, if your oven tends on the HOT side. Mine usually needs the extra temp and cooks lower than most ovens. Be your own judge, according to past experience with your oven.)

DIRECTIONS:
Wash and blot meat dry with a paper towel. Coat well with seasonings, beginning with Cavender's, garlic powder, and ending with the BBQ rub of your choice. Shake flour and a dash or two more Cavender's inside the Brown-n-Bag and place in a large aluminum pan or casserole dish (big enough to hold the juices that will inevitably cook out over the next several hours). Place sliced onions (and bell pepper pieces, if desired) inside the bag, spread out evenly in the bottom of the pan, so the roast will rest on the onions. Transfer seasoned roast to the bag, placing it on top of the onions, bell peppers and flour mixture.

Drape strips of bacon over the roast until it is completely covered. Sprinkle more BBQ rub seasoning over the bacon. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water to the bottom of the bag, being careful not to wash seasonings off of roast. Clasp and seal bag closed. Slit small 1-inch openings in the top of the bag for steam to escape, and place the pan in a 350 degree oven (or turkey roaster that you will cover) and continue to cook for 6 to 8 hours, until roast is forktender.

Remove pan from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes or longer, if needed, to cool and handle. Shred roast (discarding waste fat and bones---but do not discard drippings!!), using two forks; Place shredded pork in a large container where you can add juices from the Brown-n-Bag and a few more dashes of BBQ rub to taste. Some folks like to add a few dashes of BBQ sauce at this point, but I prefer to serve the meat like it is (since I've already used dry rub, it has a great taste and doesn't really need the sauce), and serve the sauce on the side for those who want extra. Serve on a platter or casserole dish. Spoon meat and BBQ sauce (if desired) onto bread slices or rolls.


This is great served alongside Creamy Coleslaw (Page 23 in the cookbook) or a green salad and baked beans.


Some hints (not in the cookbook :-):

•If you don't use bacon to wrap your roast, or if you want a deeper smoked flavor in your pulled pork, you may choose to transfer it to a smoker once it is cooked. Only after the meat is cooked through and nearly falling apart is it put onto the smoker for up to two hours to infuse the meat with smoke flavoring.

•Smoking should be done between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature slowly cooks the meat to ensure that the exterior is not burned before the interior cooks. This low heat is needed to increase the time for the smoking process to ensure that the meat is fully flavored by the wood smoke.

•Smoking an entire hog for pulled pork can take several days, and even a shoulder roast requires 10 to 12 hours of smoking if you do not precook the meat (as in the recipe above). This is the most traditional way to smoke pulled pork, but if you boil the pork before putting it on the smoker to keep it juicy, the smoking time reduces to two hours.

Read more: Southern Pulled Pork BBQ Smoking Tips | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8658033_southern-pork-bbq-smoking-tips.html

HERE ARE YOUR BONUS RECIPES:
If you have the cookbook, take a peek at the Creamy Cole Slaw recipe on pages 23-24 and Chick-fil-A's Coleslaw recipe on page 30. For those who don't have the cookbook, I've included both recipes below. Hope you enJOY your holiday weekend and spend some special time with your family.

CHICK-FIL-A'S COLESLAW (page 30, A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That)

6 cups shredded cabbage 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 cup shredded carrots 2 - 3 drops hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. dry minced onion
1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 - 1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

Combine shredded cabbage, sugar, shredded carrots, salt, pepper, and milk.

Chill mixture for 15 minutes (no less). In the meantime, combine mayo, celery
seed, hot sauce, minced onion, and buttermilk. After 15 minutes, mix well with
cabbage that has been chilling in the refrigerator. Allow flavors to blend for
several hours or overnight before serving. (SOURCE: E-Cookbook's Library of
Top Secret Insider's Recipes, Master Edition, available on the Internet.)

CREAMY COLE SLAW (page 23-24, A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That)

by Patricia Rains

1/2 c. whipping cream 1/8 tsp. pepper
3 T. apple cider vinegar 4 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 c. mayonnaise 1/2 c. finely grated carrots
2 T. sugar 1/2 c. finely chopped bell peppers
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the cream, vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over
the veggies; toss to coat well. Chill 2 hours, then serve. Makes 6 servings.



For more Memorial Day recipes and ideas, see this previous post:

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Remembering and Honoring Our Mothers



I realize it's still a little early, but I want to give you some time to think about this. How will you remember and honor your mother this year on Mother's Day? What kind of mother or grandmother do you want to be?

As I remember my mother this year on Mother's Day, I will recall how many times her wisdom has guided me on the journey of life. I will remember how she helped me to grow with love, truth, honesty, and faith in God. I will remember how she inspired me to choose the right path with values, morals, self-worth, and confidence that God was always with me to help me---so I had no reason to be afraid. I will remember how she enCOURAGEd me to dream with hope, assuring me that I could do anything that God led me to do. As I remember, I pray that I've influenced my own children and grandchildren in positive ways, just as my momma influenced me. Her guidance and daily prayers made me who I am today, and no human being has ever touched my life as she did. My momma passed away 27 years ago, but I believe her prayers are still being answered, so her influence continues in my life, even today.

"Remembrance in life's passings is the truest form of love one can give, for a memory should never die and a love should live forever in the heart of another!" (Laura M. Phipps-Kelley)
Mother’s Day is a holiday remembering and honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American celebration of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, in the US, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (which falls on May 12, 2013). In the UK, mothers are honored the fourth Sunday of Lent (which was March 10, 2013). (For more see: http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/about-mothersday/history/)
 
Whenever it occurs, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts. If you haven't begun to think about how to honor your mom this Mother's Day, let today's post inspire you to think of some creative ways to tell her how much you love and appreciate her. Whether you have children or not, you may have a mother, grandmother, sister, or a special friend who has "been like a mom" to you that you can honor on Mother's Day. Be sure to express your love and appreciation for their influence on your life.
Every time I bake this cake or see the recipe for "Fresh Strawberry Cake," I think of my momma, because she used to make it every spring when we had fresh strawberries. Most of the time, she baked on a Saturday, so we would have a great dessert for Sunday lunch. This is her recipe, with a few of my own modifications. I hope you enJOY it!
MOMMA'S FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE
(with my modifications :-)
 

Let's get started! Gather your ingredients first.
You'll need a box of white cake mix, a small box of strawberry Jello, vegetable oil, water (or milk, if you follow "my modifications"), 4 eggs, and of course, mashed strawberries.

Now, folks, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Mama's directions say to just mix everything together and pour it into the pan to bake... well, you know me---the "detail" person---I have to go and complicate matters by getting technical.
I'll show you what I mean...

First, I use a mixer to beat all the lumps out of my cake mix and blend in the dry Jello.
 
Set this dry mixture aside and cut up, then mash your strawberries. I mashed about a quart of berries and had a little bit left over when I finished the cake. No one complained about the leftovers :-).
 
It takes a few minutes to mash the berries, but just keep mashing, you'll get there! :-)
Add oil, water (or MILK, if you modify), and eggs to the dry mixture and beat with an electric mixer to combine, scraping sides of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.
Once the batter is well mixed, gradually add the mashed berries (note the modification in amount).

Grease and flour an oblong (13 X 9) pan or 2 round (9-inch) cake pans. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan(s). Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely, then frost.
Prepare frosting for cooled cake. Using electric mixer, beat softened butter until smooth, then, add 4 cups powdered sugar and blend in 1 cup mashed berries. Add more powdered sugar, if you want a thicker icing.
Spread over cooled cake. Once it's frosted, I like to let the cake sit for a couple of hours to give the frosting time to firm up just a little bit before I cut the cake (but if you're really starving for a piece, go ahead and sample it... no one will ever know!) :-).
All I can say is YUMMMM! :-)
Happy Mother's Day to all moms, grandmoms, future moms, want-to-be-moms, moms-of-pets (I have 4 cats; two of my sisters have their special dogs!), and so on.

(Note: If you'd like to read about the history of Mother's Day, you can do so here: http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/mothers-day-history.html.)
Don't forget to print (or copy and paste to your cookbook file) the recipe below.
 
Mama's Fresh Strawberry Cake Recipe
(with my modifications in parentheses :-)
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1 - 3 oz. box strawberry Jello
1 c oil (I cut this back to 1/2 to 3/4 cup, depending on what mood I'm in at the time.)
1/4 c. water (I substitute 1/2 c milk; no offense to my mama, but I think it makes a better cake.)
4 eggs
3/4 c. mashed strawberries (I use 1 c mashed strawberries --not drained) (You can substitute 1 (15-oz.) pkg frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour cake 13 X 9-inch cake pan (or two to three smaller pans for a layered cake).
Combine cake mix and gelatin. Add remaining ingredients and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pan(s).
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely, then frost.
FROSTING:
Ingredients:
1 pound box of powdered sugar.
1 stick of butter softened.
1/2 tsp. vanilla (and 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract, if you have it)
1/4 c mashed strawberries (I substitute 1/2 cup of mashed strawberries drained.) (Very important that they are drained.) (You can substitute 1 - 10-oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed)
Blend well and cover cooled cake. If too thick keep adding strawberries until it is the right consistency. Spread evenly over cooled cake.