Buttercream Frosting

I posted this on my cooking blog but I really had to share with my sisters once it was taste tested! There is a bakery in Allen Park that makes the most incredible buttercream frosting... and this frosting I made was compared to it!! Seriously... that's an honor!! The secret? take your time... as the song by family force 5 (Love Addict) says "put a little love in it". And I really like the fact that there isn't chemicals in it like canned frosting, and I always have these ingredients on hand (recipe below is a double batch). Homemade is always best!!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In small saucepan cook flour and milk until thick, stirring constantly.

Cool to room temperature.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. (like 15 minutes!!)

Beat both mixtures together on high speed until fluffy and smooth.

Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour, until it is of spreading consistency.

Lime Pineapple Pie

This was Emilee's Birthday Pie...she had already slathered it in Cool Whip. So quick and easy!

1 frozen or homemade pie crust...bake following directions.

Mix together...

1/2 cup lime juice
1 10 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 can sweetened condensed milk.

Pour into baked pie crust and chill at least 3 hours...or until firm.

Top with Whipped Cream or Cool Whip.

I got this recipe from Pat many years ago. In fact, the day I brought home my first baby girl Kelly, almost 34 years ago...Pat, Hal and their girls, came over with 2 of these yummy pies!
Love you Pat!

Ziploc Omelet

Hello Sisters

This weekend I made a Ziploc omelet.

Its quite easy to make.
I am pasting a link if you
want to try

http://www.blisstree.com/keepingthecastle/easy-ziploc-omelet-recipe/

No Crust Pumpkin Pie

15 oz. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
12 oz. can evaporated skim milk
1/2 c. Egg Beaters
3/4 c. Splenda or 1/2 c. Splenda + 2 T. brown sugar Splenda
2 T. pumpkin spice

Mix and pour into 8 x 8 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.

I doubled it, baked in a 9 x 13 and cooked for one hour.

Weight Watchers: 8x8 pan = 9 servings/one point each

Apple Goodie

This is such a quick and easy recipe, I thought I'd share it. I have made it twice this week, per Tomer's request. And since Michigan's Apple crop is the best our Farmer's remember...I'm thinking I will be using lots of Apple's this season.

3 cups sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 heaping tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
Mix and place in baking dish.

For topping, mix together...
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
adding last 1/4 lb. melted butter
Pour evenly over Apple mixture.

Bake at 350' for 30 minutes. (can be doubled)

Rice Krispie Treats

I realize they are not hard to make but last week I asked Phyllis is she would make them, and she broke the wooden spoon because she got the recipe from the 'official' rice krispie site. Too tough to stir... so... here's my recipe this is for an 8X8 dish (but I always double it for a 9X13 dish)

1/4 c butter or margarine

4 cups marshmallows (I prefer minis)

5 cups rice cereal (rice krispies)

1 t vanilla

Melt margarine in large sauce pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and well-blended. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add cereal (and sprinkles if you're feeling crazy!). Stir until well coated.

Using buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly and firmly in buttered 8x8 inch pan. Cut into 2 x 2 inch squares when cool.

BABA GANOUJ

Ingredients:• 3 medium sized eggplants• olive oil• 3 tbsp lemon juice• 1 tsp Salt• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic• 3 tbsp sesame tahini• 1/4 c chopped parsley• 1/2 c toasted pine nuts.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut criss-cross grooves in cut edges of eggplants. Brush cut edges with olive oil, allowing it to drizzle down in your criss-cross cuts. Place eggplants cut side up on a baking sheet and bake until tender (about 45 minutes). Remove from oven and scoop out the flesh. Feed the peelings to the chickens. Blend the flesh in a food processor with the lemon juice until smooth. Mash the salt and garlic together and combine with the eggplant, along with the tahini. Cool and stir in the parsley and pine nuts.Yield: About 3 cups baba ganouj dip.

Originally posted on the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf blog by Maria Stahl, September, 2009.

Pop...Pop...Pop

Look what I did! Yes, I am getting back to basics...no more microwave popcorn! I put canola oil in the pan and when heated added yellow popcorn. Pop...Pop...Pop.
What a wonderfully familiar sound!


When finished popping I put it in this 40 year old Pyrex bowl that I got at my Wedding Shower. Sprinkled it with Sea Salt and Oh, honey! As Tomer and I were happily munching, he says "it smells like the Pine House in here" (the Pine House is where he grew up) My answer..."Mmm...it smells like home." Sigh...

Sister sharing!

For those of you who don't know... our sister Kell has a recipe blog. Every single thing I've made from it has been so yummy!!

Today I made her Cheeseburger Soup!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Made this today...we loved it!

15 oz. can of black beans, drained
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes...we like spicy so I used Rotel brand
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
10 oz. can enchilada sauce
10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup...contained gluten
1/2 c. skim milk
1 c. shredded cheddar/jack cheese
1 can corn
2 chicken breasts

In slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, onion and green pepper.
Place 2 chicken breasts on top.
Next whisk together sauce and soup until smooth, then gradually whisk in milk.
Pour over mixture in slow cooker. Cover.
Cook on low 6 to 8 hrs... High 3 to 4 hrs.
Remove chicken
Add corn, drained
Shred chicken into bite size pieces and add back to soup.
When serving top with cheese.

I also made a pan of cornbread...so good instead of crackers

This Is How We Do Soup

1 Lg. V-8
1 Can chicken broth
Some rice or some pasta (adds gluten) or some taters
Some green Peppers
Some onion
Some other vegetables
1-2 Lbs. stewing beef or some kielbasa
Maybe some diced/stewed or puree'd tomatoes
Salt, pepper, garlic, basil or whatever you got

Brown stewing beef in olive oil. If using kielbasa, skip the browning. In fact, eat some as you're slicing it up. Season with various seasonings. Throw in vegetables. Pour in V8 and Chicken broth. Add rice, pasta or taters.
Cook until it's done.
Serve in bowls with spoons.

Tastes especially good with Colby Jack grilled cheese sandwiches.

(Crockpot) Stuffed Peppers

This started out as your basic stuffed peppers but I decided to give it a try in the slow-cooker. This after two days in a row of intending to come home after work and make them for dinner and being too pooped! The crock pot is simmering now, I'll let you know the results later!

6 green pepppers, cleaned and scooped out

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup rice (precooked)

Spaghetti sauce (in our case Ragu because it's gluten free)

Salt, pepper, season to taste. Small diced onion optional.

Mix ground beef with precooked rice, season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, etc. Mix in diced onion if desired.

Fill each green pepper with meat and rice mixture.

Spray crockpot with nonstick spray and place peppers into it. Top with spaghetti sauce. Pour a few cups of water into the crock pot to prevent burning or drying out.

We doubled the ground beef and rice to make another six large porcupine balls which we threw in with the peppers and topped with sauce.

Cook on low.

Will serve with mashed potatoes (Hungry Jack instant are g/f), green beans and salad. Can't wait to come home and smell the goodness! I'll let you know how this crockpot version turns out.

Update: This was delicious! I put the crockpot on low at 6 a.m. and it cooked until I came home and turned it off shortly before 5 p.m. I'm certain it could cook for a much shorter time. Two thumbs up for crockpot stuffed green peppers!

Punkin Cake

This is one of my new favorites! Making it tonight for a dinner that I'm going to on Thursday! You can dust it with powdered sugar or melt some frosting and drizzle a-way!


¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup apple sauce
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
½ cup pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oil, applesauce, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well (seriously? who does that??). Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add nuts and pumpkin and blend until smooth. Pour batter into greased bundt pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and finish cooling. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

METRIC SYSTEM BREAD

Dear Sisters, most of my recipes are based on the metric system.
If you double click on gram you will be lead to the Wikipedia information.

I make this bread for Gunnar, cause gluten is not good for his digestive system. It's called intolerance, but not an allergy.
It's about the weirdest recipe I've ever tried out, but it works!

7(seven) eggs must be whipped with 300 g cottage cheese and 2 tablespoons of honey (optional) 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1 cup of water.
Mix in 200 g of linseed (flax seed), 100g of sesame seed, 100 g of bran of rye or oats, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 small teaspoon of herb salt.
Pour this well mixed "dough"in two bread forms, baking paper and olive oil in the bottom.
Place on the lowest rill in the oven and let cook on 180 Celsius grades, also metric, for 2 (two) hours.
Let cool on a grate for 6 hours, or as long as you can bear.
The bread should become tasty, moist and durable.
I had to try three times before I succeeded.
It might be a good idea to place the linseed in water the evening before.
I usually am to slow-planned to do that.

Recipe Labels

Hello Sisters,

I've been enjoying the recipes you are adding here each week. With the colder weather coming, I'm going to be trying some of these food faves along with you. Please remember to 'label' your recipe before you publish ... and I've added a 'gluten free' label if you know for sure your recipe does not contain any gluten .. you may add more than one label. Enjoy!

Hungarian Cucumber Salad or Kelly's Cucumber Stuff

3 Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Medium onion, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of vinegar

4 Tablespoons of sour cream.

3/4 Cup of Water

*Paprika & parsley optional.

Place sliced cucumbers and onions into a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for five minutes then squeeze out extra liquid.

While cucumbers and onions are sitting, mix remaining ingredients. After squeezing out excess liquid, pour sour cream & vinegar dressing over the cucumbers and onions.

Optional: Sprinkle with paprika and/or add fresh coarsely chopped parsley & serve!

Slow Cooker Caramel Apples

I found this recipe on another Blog and tried them the other night...the recipe is sooo simple and Ooh, they were good. So, I thought since the season for Apple Orchards and warm comfort food is here. I would share it.


Caramel Apples

6 apples peeled and sliced
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour...which can be changed to corn starch if you are sensitive to wheat.
3 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup whipping cream (I used half and half)

In slow cooker, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and cream...mix well.
Add fruit and toss to coat with sugar mixture. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours,
until fruit is bubbling.
Serve over Vanilla Ice Cream...we chose to just eat the apples, no ice cream...they were good!
Oh, I almost forgot..you can also use Peaches instead of Apples.

Love to All!