FREEZING MEAT – When freezing red meat or poultry, wrap it very tightly or seal it in a plastic bag to prevent air spoilage or freezer burn. Be sure not to pile pieces on top of each other but do pack meat as flat as possible so it freezes quickly, which will ensure its texture is not spoiled. Meat should be completely thawed in the refrigerator before cooking. Never thaw poultry at room temperature or you risk salmonella contamination.
1 (1 lb) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
3 pieces string cheese
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1 envelope fiesta ranch dip mix (or any other dip mix you like
1 pitted ripe olive
assorted crackers & fresh veggies
let dough rise according to pkg directions. place dough on a greased baking sheet. for the mummy, roll out dough into a 12″ oval that is narrower at the bottom. for the neck, make an indentation on each side, about 1″ down from the top. let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. arrange strips of string cheese over bread; bake 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. remove from baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream & dip mix. chill until serving.
cut mummy in half horixontally. hollow out bottom half, leaving a 3/4″ shell. cut removed bread into cubes; set aside. place bread bottom on a serving plate. spoon dip into shell. replace top. for eyes, cut olive & position on head. serve with crackers, veggies, & reserved bread.
16 servings
CRUST:
2 1/4 cup flour, divided
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 cup shortening
FILLING:
1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
3 lbs tart apples (8-9 medium), peeled & thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
TOPPING:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter OR margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour & water until smooth; set aside. in a lg bowl, combine salt & remaining flour; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. add reserved flour mixture; knead gently until dough forms a ball. press dough onto the bottom & up the sides of an ungreased 15″x10″x1″ baking pan. spread 1/4 cup syrup over crust. arrange apples over crust. combine sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla & remaining syrup; drizzle over apples.
for topping; combine flour & sugar in a bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. stir in pecans. sprinkle over filling. bake at 350° for 1 hour or until apples are tender.
18-24 servings
NOTE: PASTRY CAN BE EASILY PRESSED INTO PAN BY PLACING A LARGE SHEET OF PLASTIC WRAP ON TOP OF THE DOUGH.
BAKING DISH – A square or rectangular shallow dish that is ovenproof
SIZES – 8x8x2 inch; 11x7x1 1/2 inch; 13x9x2 inch
APPROXIMATE VOLUME – 8 cups; 6 cups; 15 cups
GOOD FOR – Casseroles, lasagna
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
CASSEROLE – A covered or uncovered ovenproof utensil, often round or oval in shape, in which food can be baked & served
SIZES – 1 1/2 qt; 2 qt; 3 qt
APPROXIMATE VOLUME – 1 1/2 cups; 8 cups; 12 cups
GOOD FOR – Casseroles, stews, cassoulets
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
DUTCH OVEN/STOCKPOT – A cast-iron pot or kettle with a close-fitting cover; some Dutch ovens even have handles
SIZES – 4-14 qt
APPROXIMATE VOLUME – 16-56 cups
GOOD FOR – Soups, stews, chilies
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SAUCEPAN – A covered or uncovered round & generally deep pan
SIZES – 1-4 qt
APPROXIMATE VOLUME – 4-16 cups
GOOD FOR – Soups
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SKILLET/FRYING PAN – A covered or uncovered shallow pan with flared or straight sides & one long handle
SIZES – 8 inch; 10 inch; 12 inch
GOOD FOR – Stir-fries, skillet dinners
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SLOW COOKER – An electric “casserole” with a ceramic liner; heating coils in the outer metal shell heat the liner
SIZES – 1-6 qt
APPROXIMATE VOLUME – 4-24 cups
GOOD FOR – Soups, stews, chilies, less tender cuts of meat
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
WOK – A round-bottomed cooking utensil with two handles, typically made of rolled steel
SIZES – Varies
GOOD FOR – Stir-fries
1 brain-shaped jello mold
4 (3 oz) pkgs peach jello
3 cups boiling water
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups peach schnapps
4 drops blue food coloring
2 drops red food coloring
2 tsp water
lightly oil brain-shaped jello mold.
stir the peach jello with boiling water to dissolve the jello. allow to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. mix in the evaporatef milk & peach schnapps; pour into the prepared mold. refrigerate until set, 4-6 hours.
to decorate, dip the mold in very warm water (don’t let the water enter the top of the mold) to loosen; invert the mold on a serving platter & lift to leave the brain in place. mix blue & red food coloring in a small bowl with 2 tsp of water. use a small clean paintbrush to paint the coloring into the grooves of the brain. returm the brain to the refrigerator until the food coloring sets. serve cold.
12 servings
And who doesn’t love Fluffernutter?!? I have this thing (thanks to Jarrod, my now all grown up son) about calling Fluffer “momo”. That’s how he said marshmallow when he was but a wee little lad. And it stuck. (At least with ME it did!) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve printed out a recipe for someone & got a call or an email asking me what momo is! (Oops!) In honor of National Fluffernutter Day, I thought I would share one of my fave (& often requested) recipes using both peanut butter & marshmallow. It’s quick, it’s easy, & it’s oh so good! I hope you enjoy it! Until next time, Love & Best Dishes from My Nest to Yours! Here’s the recipe:
EVERYTHING-BUT-THE-KITCHEN SINK BAR COOKIES
1 (18 oz) pkg refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 (7 oz) jar “momo” creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups corn chex
1/2 cup plain m&m’s
preheat oven to 350°.
grease a 13″x9″x2″ baking pan.
press dough into prepared pan.
bake 13 minutes.
remove from oven.
drop teaspoonfuls of momo creme & peanut butter over hot cookie base.
bake 1 minute.
carefully spread momo creme & peanut butter over cookie base.
sprinkle with cereal & m&m’s.
bake 7 minutes.
cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
cut into bars.
7-UP was named for it’s original size (7 oz) & for the phrase “bottoms up.”
A FLAVORFUL ALTERNATIVE TO SOUR CREAM – Out of sour cream, or looking for something different? Consider a quick creme fraiche, which can be made from one cup of buttermilk & three cups of heavy cream. Mix them together & let them sit on your counter for about three days. Then store it in the refrigerator for as long as two weeks.
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen raspberries, thawed
2 1/2 cups cranberry juice
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 liters ginger ale
2 liters sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)
6 gummy snakes
make a frozen hand: wash & rinse the outside of a rubber glove. turn glove inside out & set aside. in a 4-cup measuring cup, combine the thawed raspberries & cranberry juice.
pour 2 cups of the raspberry mixture into a small saucepan. sprinkle the gelatin over & let stand 2 minutes. warm over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves. mix back into the reserved raspberry mixture in the measuring cup.
pour raspberry mixture into the inverted glove. gather up the top of the glove & tie securely with kitchen twine. freeze until solid, or several days if possible.
to serve, carefully cut glove away from frozen hand. place frozen hand, palm side up, leaning against the side of a large punch bowl. pour in ginger ale & sparkling cider. garnish with gummy snakes.
18 servings
12 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies (such as oreos)
1 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 (3 oz) pkg gummy worms
place the cookies into a resealable plastic zipper bag & crush into crumbs with a rolling pin. for a more mudlike appearance, untwist the cookies & scape off the creme filling before crushing them.
whisk together the pudding mix with the milk in a bowl, stirring for 2 minutes. sprinkle about 1/3 of the crushed cookies into the bottom of a serving bowl. spoon the pudding over the crumbs. smooth out the top of the pudding, then top with the rest of the crushed cookies to resemble dirt. poke gummy worms halfway into the dirt. refrigerate until serving.
4 servings
