Orange Julius

1/2 a can of frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar (I half the sugar)

10-15 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender and blend together until is crushed.

Very refreshing drink with a foamy head.

Lunch and Meals to-go for the week- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels!

Refrigerator Rolls

2 cups warm milk or water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine softened

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. instant yeast

2 eggs beaten

about 6 cups flour - can include 1 or 2 cups whole wheat flour

-Place 4 cups flour into bowl of stand mixer. Add sugar, salt, yeast and margarine.
-Beat eggs and add to bowl.

-Add milk or water (I often use half milk and half water) and let mix until dough is sticky. -Add remaining flour until dough forms a medium soft ball and then and leave mixer run or knead for about 5 minutes.
-Place in greased bowl. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Ham Cheese Pinwheels
-Before taking dough out of the refrigerator in the morning, prepare ham and cheese.
-I ask the deli for Old fashioned ham sliced slightly thicker than usual and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch squares .
-I also use old cheddar cheese sliced and cut into 1/2 - 1 inch squares.
-You will need one square of sliced ham and 2 squares of cheese for each pinwheel.
-Poppy seed or sesame seed add a finishing touch

-Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each portion into a square about 12-14 inches.
-Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 12 3 inch squares.
-From the corner of each square, make a 1 inch diagonal cut towards the centre. Do not cut right through the centre.








-Place a square of cheddar cheese in the centre uncut portion of each square.
-Top each with a square of ham and then top the ham with another square of cheese.










Pull the left point of each triangular cut section toward the middle forming a pinwheeel (like those the children carry in the wind). The trick is to use the same corner on each side of the square. Secure the points in the centre with a toothpick.

-Place on parchment covered baking sheets and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

-Just before baking, brush each pinwheel with milk and sprinkle with either seasame seed or poppy seed.

-Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until nicely browned.
-Remove to racks, take the toothpicks out and let cool. Some of the cheese will ooze out and you can remove the cheese "puddles" before serving if you like.

Hi my name is Nicole and I'm an addict....

To dishware!   Currently I have about 6 sets.  Most antique some new and my collection is growing.  First off Id like to say I blame my mother! lol!  She has probably 20 sets of china so this is all her fault.  She called my last night to say she is shipping the first set of "boxes" of china that was left to me from my Grandmother to me today and she'll have my father ship the rest tomorrow!  Then she added that she was cleaning out one of her china hutches and is shipping me some of her stuff tomorrow as well. 

My house is as large as my mothers kitchen.  I have no room for all this stuff..  So between teething twins, a cranky 4 year old and cooking I am going to try to make room for my new china.  I think we will be hitting the flea markets this weekend and see what we can come up with.  Maybe an old pie safe?

Potato and Farmer Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
6 small – med. potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 - 3/4 link farmer sausage, peeled and sliced

Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
½ cup milk
½ - 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Arrange potatoes and farmer sausage in layers in greased 8 cup casserole dish. Melt butter; blend in flour, salt and milk gradually, stirring constantly. Add cheese and soup, stirring until sauce cooks. Pour over potatoes and sausage. Bake at 350F for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours.

Chocolate Meringe Pie

I used pastry from the banana cream pie batch


Chocolate Pudding filling:
2 1/4 cups milk, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Nestle Nesquik chocolate milk mix powder
1 rounded Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
2 Tbsp sugar
3 egg yolks

In a small pot, heat 1 1/4 cup of the milk (med heat) and bring to boil.
As you’re watching this, mix the cornstarch, chocolate and sugar in a small bowl.
Add a little of the 1 c milk, stir in the egg yolks and then the rest of the milk.
With whisk, add this mixture to the milk just as it comes to a boil and stir until it thickens and begins to bubble. It may get lumps, but just keep stirring; it gets smooth after a minute.

Pour into baked pie shell. Beat 3 egg whites with 4 Tbsp sugar, until shiny and thick.
If you overbeat it, it will be harder to get a nice finish. Spread over pudding. To get little peaks, just touch the top with a spoon and lift. Bake at 400F for 7 min or until golden. Cool before serving. Keeps well in fridge for several days.

Banana Cream Pie

Pastry

• 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 pound of lard
• In a one cup measuring cup
• Beat one small farm fresh egg
• add 2 teaspoons of vinegar
• and fill to the 1/2 cup line with ice cold water.

1. In the food processor, put all the dry ingredients.
2. Add the cut up lard, pulse this until the big pieces are all gone.
3. Add the liquid quickly while the machine is going.
4. Stop it as soon as it starts to come together.
5. Dump it out and form it into a ball and knead it a few times until it has no more loose flour bits.
6. Flatten into a 3 discs and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use or at least 30 minutes.
7. Roll on a floured surface .. .roll onto your rolling pin and lay gently in your pie plate.
8. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
9. Trim the edges of your pastry and prick the pastry sides and bottom.
10. Press foil against the pastry. . gently but so all the pastry has foil against. This keeps it from shrinking down onto the bottom of the pan.
11. Bake 10 minutes, remove the foil and bake until browned. Cool.

1. OR. . .by hand. . .put dry ingredients in a large bowl .. .add the cubed lard. . cut in with a pastry blender until the bits look like oatmeal.
2. Add the wet ingredients all at once. . .and stir with fork until combined.
3. Go to step step 5 above.

The remaining pastry can be kept in the refrigerator for several days or wrap well and freeze.

Custard enough for 9 inch pie

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 egg yolks slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 bananas

1. Blend the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan.
2. Gradually add the milk and beaten egg yolks.
3. Stir over medium high heat until it begins to bubble and thicken.
4. Stir one more minute.
5. Remove from heat and add the butter.
6. Allow to cool 5 minutes and pour HALF into cooled pie shell.
7. Slice 2 bananas and arrange over the custard.
8. Pour the remaining custard over the bananas.
9. Refrigerate.
10. Slice each piece. . .plate and garnish with whipped cream. . .( whip 1 cup and 1 tablespoon sugar). . .and add a few banana slices on top.

The Perfect T-Bone

 
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, pepper, and garlic. Place the steaks on a shallow dish and rub the garlic mixture all over the meat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours or, better still, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Turn the meat from time to time to coat both sides evenly.
 
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator an hour before cooking.
 
Do not salt your steaks just before cooking. Salt brings moisture (water) to the surface of the steak, and the water sits on the surface as you cook the steak. Thus, you are again basically steaming the steak. I know that some people do salt their steaks before cooking, but trust me and don't salt - the result will be juicy, delicious steaks to serve your family and guests! Salt after the steak is cooked to your liking, has rested the required time, and just before serving.
When you are ready to grill, preheat barbecue grill. Place steaks onto hot grill. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and sear for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done to your preference