It Has Been Awhile

I just noticed that it has been almost 2 months since I have written anything on this blog. Well, I haven't created or redo a recipe because I haven't felt well; and now it is getting too hot to cook. However, I did make some good comfort foods while my sisters were here, and one one of them was Macaroni-Tuna Salad. This is a very simple recipe.

1. Cook the macaroni according to the box. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Chop up onion, bell pepper, pickles and anything else you like to put in it.
3. Add enough mayonaise or Miracle Whip (my favorite) to coat the macaroni and veggies.
4. Put in fridge for several hours.
5. Enjoy.

This is great on a hot summer day when you don't want to heat up the house.

Fried Chicken

I was doing a test run on Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes, with rolls and creamed spinach for a luncheon that i am preparing for the woman in my church circle. I marinated the chicken in salt, spices (mostly garlic, thyme, but if you have Montreal Chicken spice, this will do) for 24 hours and the in buttermilk for another 24 hours; this makes the chicken moist and tasty. Drain the chicken and dredge the chicken through flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Deep fry the chicken for about nine minutes; and now you can let it finish in the oven for about 30 minutes. Now for the best chicken gravy, I used 2 Tablespoons of butter, 1Tablespoon of the chicken grease, and about 1/8 cup of flour to make roux. also use 1 chicken boullion and about 2 cups of the liquid from the potatoes and about 1 cup of water. heat until the roux thickens. Season to taste. Another good hint. If your potatoes are too runny, and if you have potato flakes, sprinkle a few teaspoons into mashed potatoes and mix well. Enjoy, and I will let you all know how my real luncheon turns out.
Until then, good eating to you all.

Taste

Is it me, or are restaurants not using spices and are making their food bland? When I go to an Italian restaurant, I expect to taste Oregano, garlic, basil and all the other spices that Italians use in their sauces ans marinara. Today, I ate at a pizza restaurant and had calzone with marinara sauce; thought the calzone was okay, the marinara sauce is a lot to be desired. It was like the chef or cook just opened a can of diced tomatoes, added a few onions and then heated up the sauce calling it marinara sauce. I just want to go back in the kitchen and show them how to make a good sauce. I guess we are so spoiled from an Italian Restaurant in Garland, Texas. Now this was REAL Italian Food, for the owner was an Italian who knew how to use all the spices. I guess if I want good Italian food, I will have to make it myself.

However, there is a good pizza place that I found here in Jacksonville that makes great pizza. I have tried their eggplant parmesan and it was pretty good.

I will keep looking for a good Italian Restaurant, and maybe I will become a food critic.

Until next time.

It's Easter Time

When I was a young girl, I remember around Easter Time, each of us would receive a coconut cream chocolate egg. I have looked for them as an adult but have no luck in finding these eggs. About three years ago, I was watching an episode of Paula Deen and she was making this candy called Almond Chocolate Balls. Well, as you know, I got on line and found the recipe. To my amazement, it taste just like the Egg I remembered as a child. So, each Easter I make these coconut cream eggs. I would now like to share with you, my favorite followers.

• 1 pound box of Confectioner's sugar
• 1 stick of butter (softened)
• 14 ounces of coconut (1bag)
• 14 ounces of condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
• 12 ounces of chocolate chips ( you may need more)
  

1. Cream the butter and add the sugar until mixed well.
2. Add the condensed milk and mix well.
3. Add the coconut, and almond extract; and if you wants nuts, this is the time.
4. Shape into balls or if you have an egg mold, you can.
5. Refrigerate until the cream is hard.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.
7. If you made balls, dip the balls in the chocolate and place on waxed paper; refrigerate.
8. If you have shaped the cream into an egg shape, then you can pour the chocolate over the egg and spread to cover the egg.
   
9. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.

Ahhhh, it brings back memories. I am one happy lady to have my coconut cream egg for Easter.

Orange Blossom Pancakes

Last week when I was sick, Scott bought me some orange juice which I didn't drink. I don't like things to go to waste, so I was looking for recipes to use the orange juice. I found this cake on the internet, but I changed the recipe to my taste. But, that is not what I am writing about today. I wanted some pancakes for breakfast so, here is the recipe.

• 1 cup of 1% milk
• 1 cup Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla yogurt

Mix these two ingredients together and set aside

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1Tablespoon sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
  

1. Mix all dry ingredients together and add the eggs, butter, milk mixture and orange juice and mix well.
2. Heat griddle, and pour 1/4 cup of the batter to make pancakes.
3. Turn the pancakes over when the batter bubbles.
4. Remove pancakes from griddle and serve with maple syrup and butter.

This is very delicious. Enjoy

Update

To all of my true followers, I am so sorry that it has been a while since I have written an recipes. My loving husband felt so sorry for me because my old laptop was so slow that it took forever to boot it or write in my blog, that he bought me a new laptop for my birthday.

Here it is April, and I have not written many Irish/English recipes as promised. However, I have been sick also, and during my illness, writing or even thinking about food did no appeal to me. Hopefully, I am on the mends and will get back to writing or improving recipes.

Since I don't have any recipes in mind, I thought that I would take this time to talk about my grand daughter who loves to cook, also. She is 5 years old, and already has several cook books of her own. My son is teaching her to read the recipes, find all the ingredients, make a list of ingredients not on hand, going to the store and finding the ingredients, and paying for the groceries. What a great lesson. She is very precise about measuring and following directions. I am glad to see that the art of cooking is not dead yet.

Hopefully, the next time, I will have a recipe to write about. And I hope that it will be soon.

Part Irish/Part Italian

As I was looking at Irish recipes the other day, I came across one that I remember as a child. My mother used to make one of my favorite desserts - Rice Pudding; I didn't know that it came from Ireland, for I thought rice was an oriental delicacy. As many of you know, I do not measure anything unless I am making it the first time. I got this from watching my mother, grandmother and great aunt cook. Anyway, I had some rice left over from a meal, and I decided that I wanted to make rice pudding- so, I did. I added two eggs slightly beaten, about 2 handful of raisins, cinnamon til it covered the rice, about 1 cup of brown sugar, and enough milk to cover the rice mixture. I then baked it at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. It was very good. I then ran across a recipe for rice panna cotta (this is an Italian custard). I had some of the rice pudding left, so I made the panna cotta. I heated in a microwave 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup sour cream for 7 minutes. In the mean time, I added 1 envelope (about 2 teaspoons Unflavored gelatin) to 2 Tablespoons of cold warm and let it bloom. After the cream is hot enough but not boiling, add the gelatin until it is melted, then add the rice pudding. Pour in a decorative mold; refrigerate. It is very delicious.