Peppers & Cream Dip

Oh my goodness! My sister-in-law, Barbie, a master-gardener, grows fifty varieties of peppers every summer. She should write a pepper cook-book because she puts peppers in recipes that no one would ever think of and they are always great! This is one of my favorite appetizers ever and oh, so simple! I've made it twice now and tripled the recipe both times. (It's fall and I have 20 pepper bountiful plants myself!) You'll be wishing you'd made more even at that! The photo was taken as an afterthought but everyone at my dinner party last night thought that this photo was telling... it's gone before you can grab the camera! I decided after dinner last night that next time I try this recipe, I'm going to try ...what else... cream cheese for a different flavor and texture. I've got the peppers, so why not!?

8 peppers, red peppers make it very pretty, as well as tasty

2/3 cups heavy cream

4 tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan (we used Romano)

Place cleaned, seeded peppers, cut in half, on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour at 425. After the peppers are roasted, place them in the blender with the cream and cheese. Blend until completely pureed. Pour into a baking dish and bake until bubbly. Serve hot on fresh bread or with chips. Enjoy!

BRUNCH CASSEROLE

Here's my own variation on a recipe I found on the internet and then served at my Back to School Brunch two weeks ago. Very simple and easy meal and it made a mean dinner too!

4-6 cups frozen shredded hash browns
2 c. shredded Cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1 lb. mild sausage
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
6 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 c. milk
1 tsp. dry mustard

Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Thaw potatoes and place 1/2 in bottom of 9x13 inch casserole (or 3 broken slices of bread may be substituted.) Add 1/2 of cheese and 1/2 of sausage and the mushrooms and repeat. Beat eggs, salt, pepper, chopped onions, mustard and milk. Pour liquid over top of potatoes and cheese. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let set for about ten minutes before serving. enjoy!

Back to School Brunch ~ Mom's only!

It's Thursday and it's about time for me to join in Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for a Tablescape Thursday! Our entertaining for the month of August was all done outside by the pool! I'm excited to start thinking about the holidays and moving the fun inside! For other fabulous tablescapes, check out Susan's blog every Thursday!

Just for the fun of it, I invited a few friends who's kiddos had gone off to school last week to celebrate our "freedom". I've cried every morning all week watching my son go off to Middle School but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I do love the freedom that comes to moms when school begins! In honor of that freedom, I hosted a little brunch!

The menu:

Hashbrown and Sausage Casserole

Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh Fruit

Yogurt Dip

Apple Juice

The table was pulled together from things that I had around the house. I am a paper napkin lover because they come in so many fun colors, so nothing fancy here. After brunch, we clear the table and played cards. Of course, as will all dinners that I host, the little red bowl with paper in it was filled with questions for some fun table talk! Enjoy a little virtual tour of our brunch.

Fresh unbaked Peach Pie

Thirty years ago, this month, an amazing woman, Elaine Nielson brought me dinner one evening and included in the meal was this fresh peach pie. Seriously, thirty years later, I remember that moment as one of the best food moments in my lifetime. I've never tasted anything that was as heavenly as this dessert and to this day, all desserts, in my home, are compared to this one! Here's the recipe on the original card that Elaine typed and gave me! (Click on it to enlarge.)

A few comments about making the pie.

• Mix the Eagle Brand and lemon juice first so that you can pour it directly over the peaches before they start to turn color. (The photo of the pie I made this morning is deceiving. I used Eagle Brand from my food storage and it's a year old, which turned it a bit darker than normal.
• I use about 7-8 good size peaches and make it a very tall pie!
• If you hate peeling peaches, a great tip that I learned in canning is to drop a peach into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds. Then remove the peach and drop it into cold water. Slice the peach in half and the skin will just slip right off the peach. Just don't leave in the hot water too long and cook the peach.
• I usually serve the slice of pie with more cookie crumbs sprinkled on top! To die for, I promise!
• Enjoy!
  

Lemon Layered Dessert!

We had this delicious dessert at my nephew's missionary homecoming last week! I've been craving more ever since! Thankfully, his aunt, who'd made it, knew the recipe by heart and was willing to share! It's ever so good! OH MY!

1 cup oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Mix in a separate bowl:

1 8 0z. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Cool Whip

Spread over crust layer.

Mix 4 small packages of instant lemon pudding (or any flavor you'd like, Jodie recommended chocolate or lemon) with 4 1/2 cups milk. Spread this layer next and then top with a layer of coolwhip. Chill and serve. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bar Cookies

I happened onto this recipe a few weeks ago and could hardly wait to make them! I waited until we went to the ranch for our little vacation and shared them with everyone. It was agreed that these were the best bar cookies we'd tasted in a long time! The sweet and salty taste really adds to the recipe! I may never make a regular chocolate chip cookie again!

2 cups all purpose flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ sticks of butter, softened
1-cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 – 12 ounce bag milk chocolate chips
1 ½ cups mini pretzels, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chips and pretzels.Spread the batter in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. The center will still be a little gooey. Cool completely. Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Dorito Casserole

Another quickie Mexican casserole, this one from Carol's kitchen. I keep browned ground beef with chopped onions and garlic in my freezer all the time, so this is a dinner in minutes but it tastes like you've been slaving away! I can't wait to try this one with shredded chicken too!

1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos (My friend Erin has tried it with Fritos too!)
1 16-oz. Sour Cream
1 small jar of Salsa (about 2 cups)
Ground beef, browned, as much as desired
Shredded Cheese (Colby-Jack or Cheddar are great!)

Cut a tiny slit in the bag of chips to let the air out of it. Lay the chip bag on the counter and crush the chips completely into tiny pieces. Pour half the bag of chips into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan. Next, layer the ground beef on the chips. Mix the salsa and sour cream and then, cover the meat with this mixture. (Next time I make it, I mix in a can of black beans and some frozen corn.) Cover with shredded cheese. Pour the remaining half of the bag of chips over the casserole and bake at 350 until it is heated through (about 20 minutes). Enjoy!

"anything goes" 90 second dessert

Carol turned us on to this simple and fun treat! These individual desserts are a huge hit because they're so fun and so easy! The ingredients are "anything goes"! We've had them with bottled sliced peaches, coconut, heath toffee bits, chocolate chips, fresh cherries chopped, broken up candy bars, cherry pie filling and so on. I can't wait to have a little gathering to let everyone make their own.

You will need:

• Cake mix, any flavor or flavors you choose
• Water
• Toppings such as chocolate chips, M&Ms, Reeses pieces, Toffee Bits, Coconut, nuts, fruit (bottled, canned or fresh), cake sprinkles, mini-marshmallows, syrups, you get the idea...
• measuring cups (1/2 cup and 1/3 cup)

In regular cereal size bowl, mix 1/2 cup dry cake mix and 1/3 cup of water. Stir with a fork until it's no longer lumpy. Add any toppings you desire. Microwave cook for 90 seconds. (My microwave takes 100 seconds for the fruity ones.) Eat! You can top the cake with whipped cream or icecream or, again, anything goes! Enjoy!

Best Sloppy Joes in Town

For my entire life, I've thought that my Aunt Loraine made the best Sloppy Joes in the world and none have ever matched up to hers. However...Carol made "Sloppies", as we call them, last week for one of our LOST marathons and they were so good that I couldn't wait to make them again at home! These are the best! Very simple, very very tasty! It's one of those "to taste" recipes, but you'll get the idea. (Note: the photo is from Taste of Home, not the recipe.)

4-5 pounds of ground beef, browned with onions (add peppers, too, if you like) (I used 4#)

3 cans of Chicken Gumbo Soup

1-2 Tbsp. Mustard (I used 2)

1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar (I used a whole cup)

1 1/2 cups ketchup

Brown the beef. Add the rest. Cook down until thickened. Or Brown the beef and add all ingredients in the crock pot. Simmer on low until serving. Most excellent and it makes a ton! Enjoy!!

Heritage Siblings Dinner

Thursday is the day to visit one of my favorite places in the cyber-world, Susan's blog full of luscious tablescapes and decorating ideas!

This week, I'm partying with the best of them, sharing my own tablescape and celebrating America's freedom and our family's heritage! I'd been planning this tablescape since our last siblings dinner in April!

Our quarterly Siblings Dinner was fantastic. Spending time with Doug's brothers and sisters and their spouses is the best!

I was quite pleased with the meal and I fell in love with the tablescape. So much that I'm keeping the table setting until the fourth of July! Our theme for the evening was "Heritage", so the patriotic table was perfect to go along.

The menu:

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta with Roasted Chicken

Linda's Garlic Bread

Garden Fresh Peas

Caesar's Salad

Fruit Platter

Rhubarb Cake

The little party favors/placecards, filled with Hershey's Kisses, were quick and easy to make and were just another little thing to make the table pop! And yes, I used my everyday dishes, plain white Corelleware for this setting. Every home needs a good set of plain white dishes!

Our table talk was the highlight of the night for me. The theme was heritage and all of the questions brought fascinating conversation. We always learn so much about each other!

My sister-in-law shared an intriguing story from her family about her great grandfather, who'd purchased a ticket to travel to America on the Titanic. His sister convinced him to stay longer, so he never boarded the ship. He was listed among those lost at sea, but was safe at home with family. There were many stories to be told and each one was as intriguing as the next.

Heritage Table Talk Questions:

• Use a list of five words to describe your own heritage.


• How has your heritage reflected the way that you were raised and the way you are raising your children?


• What’s the best thing that you do to connect with your heritage?


• What scents do you remember about your grandparents’ home? Your parent’s home?


• What was the most important value taught to you by your mother? Father?


• What family heirloom has been placed in your possession to be passed down to future generations?


• If you could have one momento of your parents’ or grandparents, what would it be?


• If you could go back in time, and visit with one ancestor, who would it be?


• What is one story that’s been passed down through the generations of your family that is told over and over again? Why do you think that one was "the" one?
  
• Do you have any family mysteries?


• What would be your parents (or grandparents) biggest surprise about you today?


• Describe which physical qualities you share with your parents and grandparents.


• What talents do you share with your ancestors?


• What talents of yours would you hope that your posterity would inherit?


• Tell how you got your name. If you don’t know, share how you chose your childrens’ names.


• Is there a certain specific place that you have a fond memory with an ancestor? Do you visit it? Have you shared this spot and the memory with others?


• Is there a song that reminds you of an ancestor?


• Did your parent have close friends? Was there a friend of your parent that made an impression in your life?


• What famous person did your parent love/respect/admire? Did that influence you?


• Do you feel that your parent had any type of prejudices/perceptions that impacted you?


• What one lesson did your parents teach you without ever saying a word about it?


• What thing/things did you do that you knew would always make your parents happy?


• What characteristic do you have that is the most different from that of any siblings or your parents?


• Share something that you learned about your parent that you never knew/realized as a child?

For us, family is what matters most! So, our evening was a perfect way to escape from the rest of the world and connect with each other.

Scones a la mode

You call this leftovers? When Liza heard that we were having Navajo Tacos last night for dinner, she volunteered to bring something wonderful for the "leftovers". A few hours after dinner, she prepared these tasty treats for dessert. If they were this good, using three hour old re-heated scones, I can't imagine what they'd taste like with fresh out of the frypan scones! What a combination!

For the scones, I use my own basic roll dough, posted here on the blog. Let them raise, then roll them out very thin (about 1/4") and cut them to size with a pizza cutter. Dip them in hot oil (375°) to deep fry until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel for a second, then dip both sides in cinnamon-sugar. Place on a plate and top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top the ice cream with cherry pie filling. Sprinkle with more cinnamon-sugar. Enjoy!

The BEST garlic rolls EVER! EAZZZZZY!

Seriously, the first time I tried one of Linda's garlic rolls, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! They are the best and so totally simple to make! One thing about my friend, Linda, though is that if she's making it, she's being generous with every ingredient that is sweet or fattening! That's why everything she makes, tastes so good! These babies are almost gooey with the topping that she puts on them. Divine!

2 T. Yeast
2 T. sugar or honey (Linda uses honey)
3 cups warm water
1 t. salt
8 cups flour

Mix until doughy and form into bread sticks. I let them double in size before rolling them out. Linda doesn't. Linda rolls them about 3-4" long. They bake to be about half the size of a hotdog bun... sort of short and fat.

Before baking, mix:

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup mayo or miracle whip
½ cup parmesan cheese

Dip and roll the breadsticks in the bowl of butter until they are dripping in it. Place on a jellyroll pan. Pour any remaining butter over breadsticks. Season to taste with garlic salt. Let rise for about twenty minutes. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy! Plan on an extra four mile walk tomorrow.

Creamy Tomato Soup

As everyone knows, my favorite ingredient in anything is cream cheese! Here's a very simple soup and it's most important ingredient (in my opinion) is cream cheese! I'm not a big tomato soup fan, but this one is worth the try. It's also very tasty sprinkled with cooked popcorn just before serving. Serve with a nice summer salad and it's good, even in July! Try it, you'll love it!

1 quart milk
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained or 6-8 fresh out of the garden tomatoes!
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped finely
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all of the above ingredients, except the cream cheese in the blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Add the cream cheese and cook until heated through. Enjoy!

Keeping it Simple

Our Senior Singles Family Home Evening "Beginning of summer Picnic" ended up being moved inside due to another amazing thunderstorm. Even so, it was a delightful evening. I quickly grabbed a few red, white and blue things from my son's Americana bedroom and around the rest of the house for some simple table decorations to match these fun paper goods! Perfect for a June/July picnic! I can't believe that I forgot to take photos of the dinner! It was fab!

Dinner

Pulled pork sandwiches

Potato Salad

Chips

Pickles

Fresh Fruit with a Tasty Dip

Brownies with Strawberry Ice Cream

Nothing formal about this tablescape, but summertime is a great time to enjoy paper goods, which can be just as fun and festive on occasion! The patriotic theme, even with our unexpected thunderstorm, left us feeling like we were enjoying a perfect summer breeze instead of, literally, flood-damaging downpour!

Red Hot Caramel Apples

I tried and altered this recipe a bit for Quayd's class report and it turned out to be a huge hit here in the Corbridge home. The kids in Quayd's class were pretty funny to watch. Some didn't want to even try it. Those that did all went crazy over the apples and then those that didn't decided that they wanted to try it after all. Quite simple. Very tasty and, although, I think I'd prefer it in the fall, it would be a great simple treat in the summertime served with a big scoop of vanilla icecream over top of it. Cooked in the crockpot, the oven isn't needed in the heat of summer. After trying it once, I think that you could also use sliced apples instead of cored. Either way, try it, you'll like it!

Core the apples. (I used Fuji apples and seven fit inside my crockpot.) Place them in the crockpot and fill the opening of each apple with:

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

3 brachs caramels

5 red hots

After all the apple cores are filled, pour 3/4 cup of apple juice over the top. Cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream! Enjoy!