Knick Knack St. Paddy Snack

These are real easy shamrock treats to make for St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday. I made this batch today. Sweet and salty, easy and delicious. Not my original idea.....saw them on this blog, complete with "recipe".

The Shroud of Turkey

I love turkey. I have a "secret" way of cooking turkey that my grandmother used and I have never heard of anyone else using this method. It's a little unusual, but it makes a very perfect and deliciously moist turkey every time. Here's my secret: cover the turkey with a butter soaked piece of 100% cotton white cloth and cook. Sound a little weird? yup, I know. But it works. See for yourself:

Start with a fresh turkey. So much easier than dealing with days of defrosting a frozen turkey.

Stuff and season with salt and pepper

Cut a piece of cloth large enough to cover the whole bird. I use 100% cotton white muslin and usually buy about a yard. Melt one and a half sticks of butter in a sauce pan.

With tongs, cover the cloth with the melted butter. Make sure the cloth is saturated with the butter.

Unfold the cloth and drape over the turkey. Make sure the breast is well covered and the cloth is tucked inside the pan. Pour any remaining melted butter over the draped cloth. Add about a cup of water to the pan.

In the oven (325) it goes.

Baste the cloth with the pan drippings every 40-50 minutes. Add water to the pan as needed to keep about an inch of liquid in the pan. The cloth will get very brown.

About an hour before the turkey is done, take it out of the oven to remove the cloth. The cloth will get very brown and crispy....if you like crispy skin, it will look good enough to eat! But don't! To remove the cloth, baste the cloth well and when it is nice and wet, peel it carefully off with tongs. Discard the cloth. Or marvel at it that it looks like crispy skin or brown leather!

Baste the uncovered turkey and put back in the oven for the last hour of cooking. The turkey will brown nicely all over. If the exposed stuffing is getting crispy, cover with a little aluminium foil shield.

The golden moist bird. It makes for......

Happy Pilgrims!

The Crack

It's very alarming when your step-son comes home on leave from the Air Force and the first thing he says to your mother-in-law when he sees her is "Grandma, thank you so much for The Crack you sent me. All the guys loved it. I'd really like to take some more of The Crack back to the base with me."

My kids love The Crack. I think it's really called White Trash or Dish Pan Candy or something like that. We call it The Crack because it is so addicting (and the word "The" is always included). My m-i-l shared her recipe with me and I made some this morning. Yup, I'm hooked. When you call the TV show Intervention to come save me, please have them send Candy Finnigan as my interventionist. That would be just so appropriate.

The Crack

4 cups Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal

2 cups Rice Crispies cereal

2- 12oz bags white chocolate chips or 1 lb white almond bark

1 cup roasted whole almonds (salted)

2 cups pecans- either whole or large pieces (toast in oven for a few minutes)

Line 2 or 3 cookie sheets with wax paper or foil. Pour cereals and nuts in large bowl. Melt chips or bark according to package directions. Pour melted white chocolate over cereals and nuts and mix well. Coat all pieces and then pour mixture on cookie sheets. Spread into one layer and let cool and chocolate will harden. Break into chunks and store in air tight containers.

Hide your own stash well.

Sugar High

When I was thinking about recipes for today, I couldn't decide between these two easy-peasy (and delicious) snacks. Then I looked at what recipes I have been posting lately and a storm of pure white cane sugar blinded me. Lotsa sweets. Oh well. To counter the sucrose overload, I have posted some warning signs of high blood sugar. Just in case.

Easy Chocolate Croissants

These are a wonderful and VERY quick sweet snack. Satisfies that mid-week I am craving something but I dont know what it is and what the heck can I make in 15 mins or less thing.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease cookie sheet or use a silicone mat.

Unroll 1 tube of crescent rolls. Unroll each roll (!!) and place about 2 tsp. of chocolate chips (or whatever will fit without making a spill-over mess) on the wide end of the dough and roll up.

Bake 12-15 mins.

Eat while hot. Don't worry- they wont last until they get cool anyway.

Sugared Almond Cracker Cookies

40 Keebler Club crackers

1-2 cups Sliced almonds

1c. butter

2/3 c. sugar

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Then place crackers (leave crackers in whole rectangles) on foil and sprinkle with nuts. Melt the butter and add sugar to dissolve. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken; do not overcook. Pour over the crackers and nuts and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then break into pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Say Cheese.....Cake

I bought a new springform pan and the label thingy glued to the bottom of the pan had this recipe on it. So I tried it. WOW. And amazingly, it turned out to look almost just like the label. The photo above on the right is from the label (as if you couldn't tell). And it didn't even crack like most cheesecakes I have made before. I have read that the secret to no cracks is to have the cream cheese and the eggs at true room temperature (which means you have to be patient) and to not overbeat the eggs once they are added (again with the patience). Big pay off here if you can make it through the laborious makings.

Tuxedo Cheesecake

Crust

3 Tbsp sugar

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 Tbsp melted butter

Filling

2-1/2 lbs plain cream cheese at room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp all purpose flour

5 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup mini choclate chips

3 ozs unsweetened chocolate melted

2 Tbsp Kahlua

Lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

To make crust: mix together all crust ingredients and pat into place on bottom of buttered springform pan. Make sure layer is even.

Make filling: beat the cream cheese on med high speed with flat paddle. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until light and creamy, making sure to scrape sides and incorporate all sugar. Add the flour and mix to incorporate. Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs one at a time and mix just to incorporate after each egg. Do not overmix batter once all eggs have been added.

Divide batter evenly into 3 bowls. Add chopped pecans and mini chips to one bowl and mix just to blend. Pour batter over the crust layer and spread evenly. Place pan in freezer for 60 minutes until batter is firm.

Leave remaining 2 bowls of batter at room temperature.

Once bottom layer is firm, add melted chocolate and Kahlua to another batter bowl and mix to blend. Pour this over frozen bottom layer and spread evenly. Return to freezer for about 45 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a bain marie (hot water bath) by using a large roasting pan that the springform pan will fit fully in.

Remove pan from freezer and spread remaining batter on top of layers. Wrap bottom of springform pan in 2 layers of aluminum foil and place in roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with HOT water (almost boiling) until water is half way up sides of cheesecake pan. Place roasting pan with cake in oven.

Bake for 1 hour and 20-25 minutes. Cheesecake should be slightly soft in the center and slightly brown around edges. Remove pan from the roasting pan and then remove the aluminum foil. Transfer cake (still in springform pan) to wire rack and let cool for 1 hour. Chill the cake for 1 hour in the refridgerator and then remove sides of pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill several more hours or overnight before serving. Note: Original recipe said to top with prepared fudge sauce (see photo)...I didn't.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Not exactly unique but certainly a classic---and so easy!

From the Pantry

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup white sugar (plus some for rolling)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Use a silicone mat on a cookie sheet or spray cookie sheet with Pam.

Note: Oven temp will be 375 but dough must chill for an hour before cooking- so dont preheat too early.

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour (this step is important especially for nice criss cross patterns on top!)

Roll into 1 inch balls using hands. On a small plate, pour about 1/2 cup white sugar and roll balls in sugar, coating all over. Place balls on cookie sheet and press flat with tines of fork, making a criss cross pattern.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until just golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Refrigerate unrolled dough in between. Let baked cookies sit for just a few minutes and then transfer to wire racks for cooling.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Apple Pecan Bread

This is a family favorite. Lots of ingredients but still simple to make---most time consuming is the apple peeling and chopping. Make sure to add the cinnamon sugar as soon as the bread is turned out from the pan and is still hot---the sugar melts into the bread and forms a delicious crust. We like a nice thick slice for breakfast slathered with honey butter.

From the Pantry

1 cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 cups peeled, chopped apples

1 cup chopped pecans

3 Tbsp cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray 2 regular sized loaf pans. Combine oil, eggs, sugars and vanilla. Sift together flour, spices, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet mix gradually. Add apples and nuts and mix- batter will be very thick!

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and smooth tops. Bake in 300 degree oven for 90 minutes. As soon as pans come out of oven, turn bread on to wire racks and sprinkle tops liberally with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Greek Salad

I love Greek salad. Salty feta and olives with crisp cukes and sweet red onion....mmmm. My secret to a great Greek salad is Good Seasons salad dressing doctored up just a bit. Enjoy this EASY salad and just add chicken or left over steak for a great dinner salad. From the Pantry

1 bag pre-washed salad mix- preferably without iceberg

1 large seedless (English) cucumber

3-4 plum tomatoes

1 medium red onion

8 oz fresh feta

1 cup black olives or green olives

1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing- mixed (see below)

Empty bagged lettuce into large bowl. Peel cucumber and slice into bite-sized chunks. Seed tomatoes and cut into chunks. French slice red onions and then cut off root end. Cut feta into large chunks. Drain olives and add to salad. Add dressing and toss- serve immediately.

Good Seasons dressing: Follow package instructions using extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add 2-3 packets of Splenda before shaking.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

One of the best things about Spring is the pencil-thin asparagus readily available. I love asparagus grilled, but it is difficult to do because of its shape--and the very thin stalks make it even harder to keep from falling through the grill or grill pans. Here's a very quick and easy way to cook delicious young asparagus---and clean up is a snap.

From the Pantry

Serves 2-3 people that really like asaparagus!

1 pound fresh asparagus- the thinner the better

1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Cut asparagus spears at natural breaking point and discard bottom part of stem.

Place tips in a gallon size zip lock bag. Add olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Using a zip lock is so much easier than trying to do this in a bowl. Zip up bag and as my grandmother used to say, "moosh-el" it all up--coating the asparagus with oil and the spices.

Dump asparagus on to the foil lined cookie sheet--letting oil drip out, too. Arrange in a single layer and put in oven for 12-13 minutes. Sprinkle with grey salt before serving or with lemon zest. This is delicious!

Macaroni and Cheese

Now I dont claim to have any special recipe for macaroni and cheese--just a good one. I am making a big pan of it for tomorrow's Easter ham dinner and thought I would share it with you. Along with a few fun facts about one of America's favorite comfort food dishes.

Did you know that President Thomas Jefferson first served mac 'n' cheese at the White House in 1802? Before then it was known as an English dish of macaroni baked with cheese and cream.

Did you know that Kraft first marketed their neon orange style boxed mac 'n' cheese in 1937? It was an instant success in the US and Canada.

Did you know that Crayola has a crayon color named "Macaroni and Cheese"? This orange-hued wax wonder was first introduced in 1993.

Here goes my rendition:

From the Pantry

For about 15 people (Halve for more "normal" servings!)

2 lbs ready-cut macaroni (or ziti)

2 sticks butter, sliced

1 pound block sharp cheddar cheese

8 oz block creamy havarti cheese

1-2 cups half and half

1 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Cook macaroni as package directs and drain. Grate cheddar cheese and cube havarti cheese. Pour cooked, hot macaroni in large pan. I always spray my pan with Pam first- even disposable pans as it makes serving easier. Combine grated and cubed cheese with hot macaroni. Add sliced butter- dot butter on top of pasta and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and flatten/smooth out top. Pour 1/2 and 1/2 (or whole milk) over mixture until you can just see liquid coming to the top of the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle liberally with panko bread crumbs all over top. Bake in 350 degree oven, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes.

Refrigerator Pickles

I love these pickles. They taste like candy.

When I first heard of this recipe, I wondered WHY would anyone want to make pickles out of pickles that were already made. I could not follow the logic. It was illogical that anyone would BUY a jar of perfectly all made pickles and then do some things to them, wait 3 days and then have pickles. But they are wonderful. They make those perfectly all made pickles even more perfectly wonderful. And they are easy. Now that's logic.

From the Pantry

1 Quart (48 ozs) jar of Whole Kosher Dills, undrained

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp pickling spice

2 cups sugar

Cut the whole pickles in 1" chunks. Be careful you don't buy the HOT pickles---I found out the hard way that the Mt. Olive brand Whole Kosher Dills have a very similar label for the HOT pickles...WOW.

Put the chunks, juice from the jar and all other ingredients in a large non-metal bowl with a cover. Don't attempt to be smart and put it all back in the glass pickle jar. It doesn't work. I tried. I use one of those reusable plastic take-along bowls. The ones with the blue lids that scatter all over my cabinet and can never be found when needed without emptying the entire cabinet on to the floor. You know the kind I mean?

It is important to use a non-metal bowl because all that acid will react with the metal and create a nasty science experiment.

Give everything a good stir to help dissolve some of the sugar. Refrigerate and stir at least once a day for 3 days. After 3 days they will be ready to eat. For dessert. Just kidding about that.

These are delicious and would be great on the table with the Easter ham.

Glazed Chicken Wings

Delicious and easy dinner or appetizer recipe. Great teriyaki flavor with a crispy skin! Serves 4 for dinner or 8-10 for appetizers.
From the Pantry

Ingredients: 3-4 lbs chicken wings

15 oz bottle reduced sodium soy sauce (or regular)

Garlic powder (Do NOT use garlic salt!)

Non-stick spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Throughly spray 9 x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Use spray liberally as the glaze will make a mess and clean up is soooo much easier with a well sprayed baking dish!

Cut wings at joints and discard wing tips.

Place wings in large bowl and sprinkle liberally with garlic powder. Turn wings over and sprinkle more garlic powder until wing pieces are all covered. Remember, dont use garlic salt!

Place wings skin side down in baking dish


Pour about 1/2 bottle of soy sauce over wings. This will be about 1 cup or 8 ozs of soy sauce.


Bake for 20 minutes. Baste with soy sauce after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each wing piece over so skin side is up. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and pour off all soy sauce carefully. Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until skin is dark brown and crispy.


Glazed Chicken Wings

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

From the Pantry

My new friend Parie made these for my old friend Mamie and now all my friends love them. They are so easy to make. Here's how.....and some notes at the end.

Ingredients: 2 sticks of butter, softened

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. Grease (spray) 13 x 9 inch pan.


Beat butter, flour and sugar

Mix until just smooth and looks like pie dough

Spread about 3/4 of the dough on bottom of pan---best to use fingers

Bake dough for 10-12 minutes---it will not brown much

While dough is baking, mix sweetened condensed milk with 1/2 of the bag of chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan

Heat over medium heat and stir until chocolate is melted

When crust comes out of the oven, pour melted chocolate mix over hot dough and spread almost to the edges. Drop pieces of remaining uncooked dough over chocolate (best to use fingers again), drop spoonfuls of raspberry jam over that. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over that.

Ready for the oven

Put pan back in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Notes: The dough will need to be "pushed" around the bottom of the greased pan- this is best done with your hands. Also, the chocolate chips keep their form even after baking for 30-35 minutes- so dont be surprised if they look like they didn't melt. The crust really doesnt get very brown either----but wow, is this good. These should be completely cooled before you cut them.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars