16 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup margarine OR butter
2 (16 oz) pkgs long grain & wild rice
1/4 cup snipped parsley
cook mushrooms in margarine, stirring occasionally until tender. drain. cook rice as directed on pkg. stir in mushrooms. spoon into an ungreased 2-qt casserole. cover & bake in a 350° oven until hot, 20-25 minutes. sprinkle with parsley.
1 (15 oz) can pork & beans
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans OR walnuts (measure AFTER chopping)
3 cups flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
preheat oven to 350°, rack in the middle position.
prepare your pans. spray two 9″x5″x3″ loaf pans with pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
don’t drain pork & beans. pour them into a food processor or a blender, juice & all, & process them until they’re pureed smooth with no lumps.
place the beaten eggs in a lg mixing bowl. stir in the pureed pork & beans & mix them in well.
add the vegetable oil and the vanilla. mix well.
add the sugar and mix it in. then mix in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. stir until everything is incorporated.
stir in the chopped nuts.
add the flour in one-cup increments, stirring after each addition.
spoon half of the batter into one loaf pan and the other half of the batter into the second loaf pan.
bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes. test the bread with a long food pick inserted in the center. if it comes out sticky, the bread needs to bake a bit more. if it comes out dry, remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
run the sharp blade of a knife around the inside of all four sides of the pan to loosen the bread, and then tip it out onto the wire rack.
cool the bread completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap. at this point the bread can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
IF YOU DON’T TELL ANYONE THE NAME OF THIS BREAD, THEY PROBABLY WON’T EVER GUESS IT’S MADE WITH PORK & BEANS.
The lessons that God teaches us
Will often come through pain
For the greatest things that we will learn
Often come through guilt and shame
For the treasure that they bring forth
God’s grace that covers sin
Brings about a humbled heart
As we trust in Christ again
When we look inside ourselves
There’s emptiness to see
But when we focus on our Lord
Our hope is built on Thee
And life becomes a stepping stone
Of treasures found but rare
For when we focus on our Lord
Our life is never bare
And all the pebbles that we find
Along our path in life
Are suddenly filled with precious gems
Secured by sacrifice
For these treasures are the building stones
That made our house stand strong
Because it’s only by God’s grace
We know that we belong
1 cup great northern OR small white beans, rinsed & drained
6 cups water
2 tbs olive oil
1 med carrot, shredded
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 lg onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb)
1 (1 lb) can tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup small shell pasta
salt
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
place beans in a bowl. add 2 cups of the water. let stand overnight (r bring to a boil in a medium saucepan. boil briskly for 2 minutes. remove from heat. let stand covered for 1 hour.)
in a 5-6 qt kettle, heat oil. cook carrot, celery and onion until onion is soft. mix in garlic, parsley and pepperoni. add ham hock, tomatoes (coarsely chopped with liquid), basil, bay leaf, beans and liquid, and remaining cups of water.
bring to a boil. cover. reduce heat. simmer until beans are tender and ham separates from bone, about 2 hours. remove ham hock. discard bones, fat, skin & bay leaf. return ham in chunks. skim. discard fat.
remove 1 cup of the beans. press through a food mill (or place in a blender with a little soup liquid). to soup, add pasta shells. bring to a boil. cook, uncovered, stirrig until pasta is tender, 12-15 minutes. season to taste with salt.
to serve, grind white pepper to taste and stir a spoonful of olive oil into each bowlful. serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.
5 cups oatmeal
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
24 oz chocolate chips
1 (8 oz) hershey bar, grated
3 cups chopped nuts
preheat the oven to 375°. in a blender, blend the oatmeal to a fine powder. in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugars & butter, adding the eggs & vanilla. beat in the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. fold in the chocolate chips and hershey bar, then stir in the nuts. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board & roll into balls. place the balls 2″ apart on cookie sheets.
bake for 10 minutes.
makes 112 cookies
4 cups water
3 med potatoes, cut into 1/4″ slices (about 3 cups)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 med stalk celery, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
3 tbs butter OR margarine
3 tbs flour
1 tbs chopped fresh OR 1 tsp dried chervil leaves
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheese (5 oz)
3 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp butter OR margarine, melted
heat oven to 375°. heat water and potatoes to boiling in a 2 1/2 qt saucepan; reduce heat to medium. cook uncovered 8-10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender; drain. set aside.
while potatoes are cooking, cook ground beef and celery in a 10″ skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown; drain. remove beef mixture from skillet; set aside.
melt 3 tbs butter in the same skillet over medium heat. stir flour, chervil, mustard, salt and pepper into butter. cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. stir in milk. heat to boiling, stirring constantly. boil & stir 1 minute. stir in cheese until melted. stir in 3 tbs parsley.
layer half of the potatoes in an ungreased 2-qt casserole. layer with beef mixture and remaining potatoes. pour cheese sauce over potatoes. bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
mix bread crumbs, 1 tbs parsley & 2 tsp melted butter; sprinkle over potatoes. bake about 5 minutes longer or until crumbs are brown & crisp. let stand 5 minutes before serving.
4 servings
1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini OR other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbs pesto, homemade OR store-bought
1 tbs olive oil
2 lg yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lg yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 med red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced into rings
1 lg zucchini, thinly sliced
1 lg tomato, thinly sliced
in a food processor or blender, process the beans, stock, and pesto together until well blended. set aside.
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the potato slices and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. set aside. add the onion slices to the same pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. set aside.
lightly oil the insert of a 3 1/2-4 qt slow cooker. spooning a small amount of the bean mixture between each layer of vegetables, layer the potato slices and season with salt and pepper. top with the onions, followed by the bean mixture, bell pepper slices, more bean mixture, zucchini slices, more bean mixture, and tomato. pour the remaining bean mixture over all. cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
4 servings
CAKE BATTER
1 lb unsalted butter
4 cups 10x sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 tbs grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
ORANGE GLAZE
2 cups 10x sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
preheat the oven to 350°. spray or grease and flour a 10″ bundt pan or two 8″x4″ loaf pans.
in a large bowl, cream the butter until light, about 5 minutes. add the 10x sugar and cream until light, about 5 minutes. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. add the cake flour in 3 batches, beating on low speed until blended. mix in the zest and the vanilla.
pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour for a bundt cake or 45-50 minutes for loaves, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. let the cake cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack. (turn loaf cakes right side up to cool.)
to make the glaze: put the 10x sugar and orange juice in a food processor and process a few seconds until combined. if the glaze seems to thick, add water by the tablespoon until the desired consistency. drizzle the glaze over the warm cake so the glaze will soak in a bit. let the cake(s) cool completely.
makes 1 (10″) bundt cake OR 2 (8″x4″) loaf cakes
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
8 scallions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lg yellow squash, cut into thin rounds
1 1/2 lbs haddock OR sea bass fillets, cut into 1″ pieces
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
in a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. add the scallions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic begins to brown about 5 minutes.
add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. add the squash, cover, and simmer until the squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
add the fish to the simmering sauce, increase the heat slightly, cover, and cook until the fish is still firm but just flakes when tested with a fork, about 10 minutes.
stir in the parsley (if using) and serve hot.
4 servings
(although it can be made ANY time!)
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (preferably a sharp cheddar) (measure after shredding, but pack it down in the measuring cup)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (measure after chopping)
1 (8 oz) pkg softened cream cheese (the brick kind, not the soft kind in the tub)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (you can use up to an inch of the stem)
1 small jar jalapeno jelly
combine all the ingredients except the jalapeno jelly. pack them into a small round mold, or form a ball and flatten it to resemble a hockey puck.
chill the cheese round for at least 2 hours. (overnight or even over several days is fine too.)
when you’re ready to serve, place the cheese round on a pretty serving plate. heat the jalapeno jelly in the microwave for a few seconds until you can stir it smooth. then spoon approximately 1/4 cup# over the top of the cheese round, letting it drip down the side and puddle on the plate. accompany it with a basket of crackers or cocktail bread, and enjoy.
one cheese round should serve as an appetizer for 6 to 8 people.
