Kids & blogging

this blog is obviously suffering from to much time with the kids in the beginning when one slept all the time it was easy now its hard! kudos to everyone who can stick to it everyday

Donna Dodds Potato salad

The next recipe in the Donna Dodds series is my mothers potato salad.  When barbecuing with my fathers family two things always have to be present: Mom's potato salad and her BBQ sauce.  I don't use my mothers BBQ sauce but my dads family loves it. My fathers family loved my mothers cooking, i believe, because it was the closest to their Mothers cooking.

Boil 5lbs russet potato's cubed 1/2 to 3/4 thick for 30 minutes
1 large onion chopped (white onion can add a nice little fresh punch)
4 green onions  chopped
6 stalks celery chopped
6 hard boiled eggs chopped
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup miracle whip
1/2 cup mayonnaise (to start)
salt and fresh cracked pepper

drain and cool potato's add and mix all ingredients add more mayonnaise if needed then refrigerate
it is necessary to give it plenty of time to cool

I hope you enjoy!
Jon

Salmon patties / Salmon Burgers

My mother used to make these when i was a kid the question is did we love the salmon patties or the side dishes... @kraftfoods macaroni & cheese and canned french style green beans! I have made these changing seasonings and types of bread crumbs however they typically come out very similar.  I am going to give my mothers original recipe followed by the next one i will try. 

*note sometimes you will find bone segments they are easily crushed by hand during mixing

mom's recipe :

1 can salmon
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 onion diced
celery salt

mix together by hand & form palm size patties will make 4-5 patties
they fight to fall apart so fry them in hot oil 5 minutes each side
and serve

the next salmon pattie recipe i will try
1 can salmon
1/2 cup corn bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced green pepper
1/8 cup minced celery
1 egg
1 tablespoon blackened/Cajun seasoning

mix together by hand & form palm size patties will make 4-5 patties
they fight to fall apart so fry them in hot oil 5 minutes each side
and serve

donna dodds recipe
#donnadoddsrecipe

sweet russet mashies

 

Just made this tonight not to much or to little of either of the potatoes.  I basically followed the Haray Carays garlic mashed potato recipe and was inspired to do this by reading Stephanie Gallagher savory white and sweet potato recipe


3 russet potatoes
3 sweet potatoes
I like them to all be the same size

6 medium cloves garlic
1.5 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1.5 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup butter

place potatoes, garlic, and bouillon in water bring to a boil
boil till all potatoes are tender
drain in colander retaining garlic
transfer back to pan add garlic salt pepper cream and butter and mash


#whats4dinner
#christmasdinner

Donna Dodds Chicken broccoli casserole

 

"How to add Salt to your Diet"

 

Below i have posted my mothers original 3x5 card of this chicken broccoli casserole.  I have made my own cream of celery soup, as well as cream of chicken soup.  Also, i have added garlic bulbs to the water.  Whatever you do this casserole almost always tastes the same, great, which is why i love making it.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 bag frozen broccoli florets (2 bags florets is best taste i do 1 and 1 for cost)
1.5 bags seasoned croutons
2 cans cream o celery soup 10. oz cans
1 can cream o chicken soup 10 oz cans
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tblspn curry
1 tblspn lemon juice

in 5 qt pot boil chicken breasts in water for 30 minutes or till fully cooked, remove set aside to cool
dump frozen broccoli into water when water reboils drain (save H2O to make own Crm o chkn)
preheat oven to 350
grease bottom & sides of 13x9 pan with butter
dump croutons into pan while jiggling until single layer is formed 1-2 bags depending
mix remaining ingredients in bowl set aside
chop chicken into pieces cover croutons (the more chicken the more leftovers)
cover chicken with broccoli
spread soup mixture from bowl over broccoli
place in oven bake @ 350 for 45 minutes till top begins to brown

Donna Dodds Prune cake

This is the cake my mother used to ship with my dad for his birthday when he worked at Whiteco Industries. 
It started with just a couple and in the end she would make 12 or so and freeze 2 for Christmas.  Here is the recipe:

Prune Cake:

preheat oven to 350

MIX DRY

2    cups flour
2    cups sugar
1    tspn salt
1    tspn baking soda

1.5 tspns cinnamon
1.5 tspns nutmeg
1.5 tspns allspice
 
ADD
1    cup oil
1    cup buttermilk
3    eggs
1    cup nuts (walnuts)
1    cup prunes (chopped)

MIX WELL
grease 9x9 pans and pour in ingredients

bake at 350 for 45 minutes

TOPPING
in a sauce pan MIX:

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 tspn soda
1 stick butter
bring to a boil pour liquid over cake

Worlds Greatest Pie Crust (in my opinion) from @BonAppetitMag

This pie crust recipe is from @bonappetitmag I used it for the Apple Pie I made out of the Apples we picked @CountyLnOrchard .
The only reason I am posting this is to make sure I never lose it and with my luck as soon as I throw out my August Bon Appetit magazine, Bon Appetit will remove it from the website.  I have been trying to find a Pie crust recipe that will work everytime and is versatile so far this recipe has worked the best.



Master Pie Crust

Butter gives this forgiving crust its rich flavor, while shortening ensures supremely flaky results.

Makes 2 crusts

Recipe by Kim Boyce

August 2011

Ingredients

•3 1/2cupsall purpose flour

•1cup(2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

•1/4cupvegetable shortening

•1tablespoonplus 1 tsp. sugar

•1tablespoonkosher salt

• Process flour, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, and salt in a food processor until butter resembles tiny pebbles, about 25 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add 3/4 cup ice water, using a fork to stir until dough is a mixture of clumpy wet pieces and sandier pieces, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Press plastic wrap over surface of dough. Chill in the bowl at least 1 hour or over night.

For a single- or double-crust unbaked pie crust:

• Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a disk. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk into a 13"-14" round. Roll over rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Pick up the edges and allow dough to slump inside the dish. Trim, leaving about 1" overhang. (For single-crust pie, fold overhang under and crimp edges.) Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

For a blind-baked pie crust:

• Preaheat oven to 375°. Prick chilled crust in pie dish (see instructions, above) alll over with a fork. Line crust with foil or parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven; lift out foil and weights. Reduce temperature to 350°. Return to oven and bake, using fork to prick any bubbles that have formed and pressing down on them with back of fork, until crust is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes longer. Let crust cool completely.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/08/master-pie-crust

Corn Bread

I was doing a theme of hot dogs for my daughters 2nd birthday party which led me to try homemade corn dogs. The corn dogs were fantastic but the recipe called for self rising corn meal and not much of it.  While I was reading the package I found this recipe tried it and it is a great quick and tasty corn bread to finish off a weeknight dinner. This recipe is right off the #auntJemima self rising corn meal mix pkg.

3 Tblspns vegetable shortening (why not try bacon grease)
2 cups aunt Jemima self rising white corn meal mix
1-2 tblspns sugar  (i go with 2)
1 egg beaten (i have forgotten egg in past still good)

i add
2 tblspns butter melted to paint top of corn bread when out of the oven

preheat oven to 425
use 10 inch oven proof skillet (cast iron)
put shortening in pan/skillet
mix dry ingredients
mix wet ingredients
combine ingredients
melt shortening in pan tilt to coat and pour extra into rest of ingredients
whisk ingredients together for 1 minute
pour into hot pan and place pan into oven
bake 20 - 25 minutes till touthpick inserted comes out clean
i paint 2 tblspns melted butter on top once out of oven

Garden fresh pasta Recipe

I always buy whole cut up chickens which inevitably leads to leftover pieces that serve no other purpose than to make a stock or flavor a sauce.  Leftover chicken pieces was the inspiration for this great #gardenfresh pasta recipe.

In addition to making sauces on the stove top, when time is difficult, I like to make a sauce by roasting in the oven.  My 5qt "Le Crueset" pot works perfect either way!

Ingredients:
leftover chicken and or meat bones etc!
2 carrots diced
1 small zucchini diced
3 cups Roma tomatoes halved
1 medium yellow onions diced
2 cloves garlic
1tspn salt
1/4 cup flour

3 cups water
1 tspn chicken bouillon
Parmesan cheese
fresh black pepper

Roast Chicken or meat pieces for 30 minutes @ 350
add tomatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini, & salt  *(probably garlic too, once I am sure it wont burn)
roast an additional 30 minutes
remove pot from oven place on stove over medium heat add garlic
when garlic is fragrant add flour mix in continuing to cook for one minute
add water and bouillon and bring to a boil scraping the bottom to get off juicy bits
turn heat to low & simmer for 1 hour, remove bones, serve over your favorite pasta w/fresh black pepper & Parmesan cheese

*My garden produced very small ripe Roma's, therefore i did not want to skin and de-seed all of those little tomatoes to keep the sauce sweet.  So, I added extra carrots to increase sweetness, and did not add peppers or roast garlic in oven because they could add bitterness.













Mushroom, onion, & swiss Steak Fajitas

Walking through @Sam'sclub trying to come up with dinner ideas can be dangerous.  This past Sunday the wife, kids & I visited @ToysRUS & @Samsclub with near perfect behavior in two stores i wasn't going to risk the third, a grocery store.  The multiple options and pkg size can make one meal shopping intimidating but I like to buy items that I can use for multiple meals.  I bought: 4lbs Skirt steak, 1 pkg of 4 portabella mushrooms &, 2lbs @JarlsbergUSA cheese I used half of the ingredients for the fajitas. 

1 pkg medium burrito shells
2lbs skirt steak
2 garlic bulbs
1 large yellow onion sliced 1/4" keeping ring chunks in tact 
2 portabella mushrooms
olive oil
Lawry's Season salt
fresh ground pepper
1lb shredded jarlsberg cheese (next time 2/3rd jarl chz & 1/3 Gorgonzola=creamy w/a bite)

season steak w/season salt & pepper refrigerate until 30 minutes before placing on grill
pre heat @webergrills kettle grill for 30 minutes
remove tops of garlic bulbs  paint w/olive oil roast on indirect heat for 1 hour rotating @ 30 minutes
remove garlic from grill make sure cloves push right out and are smearable set aside
paint portabella mushrooms w/olive oil brown both sides & roast for 10 minutes until soft
while roasting portabella on indirect heat add steak and onions to grill with steak going to hot spot
searing both on each side for 5 minutes. Oops, dont forget to paint olive oil on onions!
remove all from grill slice steak and mushrooms, break rings of onion lose
(skirt steak more tender if sliced against grain)

with warmed shells smeared w/ a garlic clove or two create your fajita
eat and enjoy