Thursday, January 28, 2010

"My Famous 'Stoup,'" page 54

It was a very cold day, and I could think of nothing better than a big pot of My Famous Stoup. Yes, this is my recipe, one I never get tired of. I can make a pot of Stoup and it will last for several days, which is good, especially when "the weather outside is frightful!" We just make a pot of Stoup, and "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

We call this "Stoup," because it's not thick enough to be stew, yet it's too thick to be soup; hence, the name, "Stoup." You can make this recipe your own by adding your own preference of veggies. This is so easy...and I am all about that!

Will I make "My Famous Stoup" again? Oh yes! And again, and again, and again!

If you have not gotten your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes" yet, you can order today.
http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

"Easy, Yummy Cake," page 218

The name of this cake describes it perfectly! It is easy, and it is yummy! I never dreamed something so simple could taste so good. I did not have a chocolate or yellow cake mix, but I had a white one, so I used that. I had a can of Lite Cherry Pie Filling, so I used that, too.

I started by pouring the dry cake mix into a bowl, and then mixed in 3 eggs using a fork. I mixed it up pretty good, then poured in the pie filling. I continued to mix with a fork, until it was all mixed up. I poured this into a PAM-sprayed 9x13 pan, and spread it evenly, then baked for 35 minutes. The toothpick came out clean! The recipe said to top with powdered sugar -- I didn't have any. But it was okay...it tasted great just as it was!

The cake fluffed up and rose, just like a regular cake would! I'm sure the eggs in the mix helped this to happen. I was most impressed with this quick, easy, yummy cake! Will definitely make it again!

Five stars!

You may order your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes" at http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php

Sunday, January 17, 2010

"Broccoli Casserole," page 150

I had not planned on making this, but it wound up being one of our side dishes when we cooked a ham. We had all the ingredients, and this just sounded good with ham! When I started making the recipe, I thought about making one of the other Broccoli Casserole recipes submitted...but...I didn't have all the ingredients necessary for those (they call for Ritz Crackers, and we didn't have any). So...I'm critiquing my own recipe, and I have to say...I never get tired of eating this!

It's important to cook your broccoli for about 15 minutes prior to mixing everything up and pouring it in the casserole dish. If your broccoli is larger pieces than the the cut broccoli, you should probably cut it into smaller pieces. Otherwise the broccoli is crunchy when you pull the casserole out of the oven.

This recipe is such a hit in our house over the Holidays! Wouldn't dream of Thanksgiving dinner without it!

Five stars!

Of course, if you're reading this, and you don't yet have your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes," it's very easy to get one. Just go to http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php and place your order!

Friday, January 15, 2010

"Beef Wrapped Dill Pickles," page 15

Every day, I pick up my copy of Blue Ribbon Recipes, and start at the beginning. I look through, and see if there is something that catches my eye, something that just sounds really good. And every day, on page 15 -- the first recipe page of the "Appetizers" section -- my eyes fall to the Beef Wrapped Dill Pickles. I couldn't resist any longer...I just had to try them. And I am so glad I did! I now have a new fav among my appetizer recipes!

I pulled slices of dried beef out of the jar, and I used Whipped Cream Cheese Spread on the beef. Then I rolled the pickle spears up in the dried beef. The cream cheese held them together, and let me tell you...these are yummy! So easy, too!

Five stars!

If you have not yet gotten your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes," you can order today from http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php

Saturday, January 9, 2010

"Dump Cake," page 237

I made this on a whim tonight. We had been out all day; our supper was already made and in the fridge, and I decided we needed something sweet for dessert. We do not have dessert very often, but it just sounded good tonight. I wanted something quick and easy, so I began to flip through "Blue Ribbon Recipes" and stopped when I came to this recipe.

The recipe calls for 1 can of cherry pie filling, and 1 can of crushed pineapple, but did not specify what size can. So I used a 20 oz. can of "Light" Cherry Pie Filling and a 15 oz. can of crushed pineapple (in unsweetened juice). I used a white cake mix, and one stick of "Blue Bonnet Light" margarine. I did not use the margarine to grease the pan; I sprayed it with PAM instead. The recipe said to bake at 350 F. for 40 minutes. I checked the cake at 40 minutes, but it wasn't done. So I checked every five minutes after that. I wound up letting the cake cook for a total of an hour, as that was when it began to turn golden in color, and the toothpick came out clean.

After we had dinner, we cut into the warm "Dump Cake" and topped it with Cool Whip. Yum!!

"Dump Cake" is a keeper!

Remember, you can order your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes" at
http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php

Friday, January 8, 2010

"Corn, Limas, and Tomatoes," page 171

A friend of mine gave me this recipe years ago, and while I loved it when she made it, I must admit I had never made it myself, until night before last. And it was a huge hit!

The recipe calls for 1 medium onion, chopped, and 1 bell pepper, chopped, to be cooked in "oil." I used 2 Tbsp. of "EVOO" (extra virgin olive oil) to cook the onion and pepper in. The store only had small cans of white (Shoepeg) corn, so I used golden whole kernel instead, and the recipe turned out great -- and colorful!

One thing I will do when I make this again: I will cook the bacon beforehand, and mix it in to the veggie mix. The recipe called for 4 slices of bacon to be layed over the top, then cover and bake for an hour - taking the cover off during the last 10 minutes to crisp the bacon. Well, this was thin-sliced bacon, and it never crisped -- we wound up taking it off, cooking it, then mixing it in. So...next time, I will just cook the bacon ahead of time.

Other than that, this recipe turned out great. We loved it, and will make it again!

Five stars!

As always, if you have not yet obtained a copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes," you can order today at http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

"Green Chile Hominy Casserole," page 159

This is one of my favorite recipes, submitted by my hubby. The jalapeno salsa adds just the right amount of "hot" and the sour cream and cheese make it taste sooo good! The only thing...the recipe I typed from did not say to drain off most of the liquid after bringing the hominy to a boil -- before adding the other ingredients. So, maybe retain about one-third of the liquid, but pour off the rest. To leave all the liquid in the pot makes this recipe too watery (it will be a little watery anyway, when you pull it out of the oven...with only one-third of the liquid). This does thicken as it stands, and the taste...absolutely divine!

I'll give this one five stars!

To get your copy of "Blue Ribbon Recipes," order today at http://www.stennisfoundation.org/cookbook.php.