TWD: Raisin Swirl Bread

I nearly sat this week's TWD out, because I fear the yeast. And my fears were completely unfounded! I always thought yeast was temperamental stuff, but I learned that maybe that's not the case! I was so afraid I'd either kill it with milk that was too hot, or use milk that was too cold, which might not activate the yeast. I didn't want to use a thermometer, so the best advice I got came from Chet. He once told me that your liquid is the perfect temperature for yeast when it's pretty much the same temperature as your body. When you stick your finger in it, it shouldn't feel too warm or too cool.
I think his advice worked, what about you?! Isn't that a pretty, swirly loaf of bread? I had absolutely no problems making this...none at all! In fact, I really, really, really enjoyed working with the dough. I've been making a list of things for future baking, and yeast bread was on the list. But again, I was in fear of yeast and had been putting it off. But look out! I have conquered yeast, so hopefully much more bread baking is in my future!

I think this was my favorite part...rolling the dough, laying down the "fixin's", and rolling up the loaf. But see the cinnamon/cocoa mixture? I'd double it next time. I really wanted more cinnamon swirl in each bite. Other than that, I'd say this recipe was perfect! My bread the perfect texture (another fear...dense bread!), so I feel pretty confident. I didn't make the brioche that the group made awhile back, so I might have to try that soon.

If you're not afraid of yeast, or if you like cinnamon raisin bread, or if you do fear yeast and want to get over it, visit Susan over at Food.Baby! This was her pick, and she's got the recipe.

Johnny Mazetti for a Living Treasure

My father-in-law, Earl, is a living treasure. Don't believe me? Click here to read all about it! He grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, and one of the local newspapers interviewed him about his childhood there, and his life after leaving the Canal Zone. It's really interesting...especially the part that explains why mosquitoes don't really bother him much anymore!
A couple of months ago, he emailed me a recipe for something called Johnny Mazetti, which is a dish he grew up eating in the Canal Zone. From what I understand, everyone in the Canal Zone loved this Johnny Mazetti stuff, and they're astounded to learn that it didn't originate there! In fact, the recipe is a variation of a different dish called Johnny Marzetti (notice the r here), which originated in a restaurant in Ohio! And after some research, it seems that Johnny Marzetti is a well-loved recipe in the Northeast (Ohio, Wisconsin, etc.). I'm just a little ol' Kentucky girl, and I'd never heard of the stuff before.

There are some differences between Johnny Mazetti and Johnny Marzetti. The Zonian version uses egg noodles, where the Ohio verison calls for elbow macaroni. The Zonian recipe requires something called Arturo sauce, whereas the Ohio version uses a spaghetti sauce. I found my recipe here (because I lost the one Earl emailed to me), and was pleased to find that it even included a recipe for the elusive Arturo sauce (because I certainly wasn't buying a case of the stuff). It seems that Arturo sauce is a key ingredient to Zonian Johnny Mazetti, because when Earl told his sister Mary that I was making Johnny Mazetti, she said, "How is she going to make Johnny Mazetti? She doesn't have Arturo sauce!" And let me tell you, this Arturo sauce is interesting stuff. Some of the ingredients: mushrooms, cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar. When I mixed mine up, I couldn't decide if it smelled wonderful or horrible. I decided it would be best not to decide.
The recipe is really simple to prepare...there's just a lot of chopping and shredding involved. Green peppers, onions, celery, capers, olives, three kinds of cheese, etc. As I was reviewing the recipe, I thought to myself, "This is glorified homemade Hamburger Helper!" And I guess maybe it is. But I'd call it gourmet Hamburger Helper, at the very least. There are LOTS of strong flavors going on, and I was very skeptical about how it would come together. To my surprise, it was delicious! David and I both commented on how it smelled...it reminded us both of Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza from Hometown Pizza (a local pizza place). The creamy cheese, tangy olives, and wonderfully weird Arturo sauce combined for one delicious casserole. If you're stuck in a dinner rut and need something new and delicious, you should definitely give this one a try!

Johnny Mazetti

Recipe adapted from Best Room in the House

1 lb. ground beef

1-2 tsp. olive oil

1 green pepper, chopped fine

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

1 medium can mushrooms, drained

3 cloves garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 can tomato soup

1 can tomato sauce

1 tsp. chopped capers

1 can Arturo sauce (see recipe below)

1/2 bottle stuffed olives, drained and chopped

3/4 of 1 pkg. of egg noodles (maybe less), boiled

1/2 lb. shredded American cheese (shred your own!)

1/4 lb. shredded Swiss cheese (shred your own!)

1/4 lb. shredded mozzarella (shred your own!)

5 strips bacon, fried and crumbled

1/4 cup red or white wine (use white wine on odd days and red on even)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish (at least 9x13) with cooking spray. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Brown ground beef in a very large skillet. Remove from skillet and drain well. Heat olive oil and saute green pepper, garlic, onion, and celery until softened. Add ground beef back to skillet and add mushrooms, tomato soup, tomato sauce, capers, Arturo sauce, and olives. Simmer on low until thoroughly heated. While the mixture is simmering, boil egg noodles, but not until they're al dente. They should still be a little undercooked. Pour contents of skillet into a very large bowl. Add in the half of each of the three shredded cheeses and al of the egg noodles. Mix until thoroughly combined. Place into greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 1 hour. Yields 6-8 servings.

Arturo Sauce

Yields approximately 1 cup

1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. black pepper

pinch of ginger

pinch of nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

TWD: Sweet Cream Biscuits

I think that I can count on one hand the number of times I've made biscuits. We just don't eat biscuits that much around here. We love 'em though...that's for sure. Maybe that's why I don't make them! In the past, on the few occasions we've had biscuits with dinner, I've just bought the frozen ones and heated them up. (I know, I know...but they're good!) I think biscuits have a reputation as being difficult to make, so I kind of bought into it, I guess. And, being from a Southern state, a girl kind of feels obligated to make delicious, light, flaky biscuits. Well...I can't say that I've got biscuit making down to an art, but I've got a start!
Dorie (and everyone else who is good at making biscuits) will tell you that one of the keys to light, flaky biscuits is to NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH. This is the thing I have the most trouble with in baking. I guess I just like to be stern with dough. If I get dough in my hands, I have to work it! It's a compulsion! With these biscuits, I tried not to work the dough too much. I was afraid that I had erred too far on the side of caution, but they rose pretty well. I also didn't twist my biscuit cutter when I cut my rounds. I think that helps some, too. I don't understand the chemistry of it all, but I'm pretty sure it helps the dough rise a little higher. Overall, these biscuits were very well-received at my house! David ate 5 of them. But they're teeny-tiny biscuits...cut with a 2-inch cutter. I'm not used to petite biscuits...around here, we want a biscuit the size of your fist! But I do think that these would be precious at a shower with country ham sandwiched between the two halves. YUM! If you'd like to make your own batch of super-easy and delicious biscuits, check out Melissa's blog, Love at First Bite.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

It seems like the whole darn country's been in one heck of a cold snap lately! We had our first good snow last week, and when it snows I want two things: soup for supper and hot chocolate before I go to bed. Since I've started being "domestic," I've kind of become a hot chocolate snob. Swiss Miss just don't cut it. Neither does Nestle Quick. I've got something so much better! It's super-easy to whip up a batch, and it makes a ton!
My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and stepmom Theresa were recipients of some of this yummy mix for Christmas. To make it, you simply dump 1/3 of a cup of the mix in a cup, then fill with boiling water. No need to heat milk, because it's made with dry milk powder. And it's oh so creamy because of the addition of some chocolate fudge pudding mix. A cup of this, two giant marshmallows on top, and a good book are the perfect things to settle in with on a nice wintery night!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

6 1/2 cups powdered milk

5 oz. Cook & Serve chocolate fudge pudding mix

1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix (such as Nestle Quik)

1/2 cup non-dairy creamer (French vanilla is good)

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Put all ingredients into food processor. Process until well blended and powdered milk is a fine consistency.

For one cup of hot chocolate, use 1/3 cup mix. Dissolve mix with boiling water.

Thanksgiving Recap

Thursday afternoon, David and I headed to Mom and Chet's for Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. Aside from setting aside time to really consider the many blessings we have in our lives, it's about the food. And I love the food! This year, the celebration involved David and I (of course), Mom and Chet, Allison and Larry (my sister and brother-in-law), and Paul and Marty (Mom and Chet's neighbors). We had quite the spread for the eight of us...by the end of the afternoon, we were stuffed. Here's a recap of the Thanksgiving deliciousness! Chet carved the bird. He brined it overnight, and it was moist and delicious! I focused on the dark meat this year...something new for me. And oh, it was good!
The stove was a busy, busy place! Gravy, broccoli, and noodles up top, and rolls in the oven.

Here's the platter piled high with turkey. This was maybe half of the bird. Again, most and delicious!

One of my favorites...cranberry sauce! This year, Chet made his own, and it was wonderful! It was full of fresh cranberries, apples, pecans, and orange zest. He has promised me the recipe. Oh, it was good!

And the dressing/stuffing...whatever you want to call it. Chet's stuffing is a mixture of cornbread and regular bread (I think). Anyway, it's good. It's not dry and crunchy like some dressing is. This stuff is moist and full of yum!

This is fall broccoli that just came out of Chet's garden last week. I didn't even know you could grow fall broccoli, but now I know. Oh, it was good. I love fresh broccoli.

And noodles! I know...you guys are probably thinking that we're some kind of freaks at Thanksgiving. No mashed potatoes in sight, but we do have broccoli and egg noodles! I never really thought of egg noodles as Thanksgiving food, but when Mom and Chet got married, Chet fixed them for Thanksgiving because his family alway had them with Thanksgiving dinner. Yeah, I thought it was weird at first, but now, they just seem like a part of Thanksgiving. It wouldn't be the same without them. I like to pour dressing over my noodles and dressing, then eat a little noodle and a little dressing at the same time. Carb overload! Yum!

This sweet potato casserole was one of my contributions. I love this stuff. There aren't words to describe how much I adore this stuff. It's really sweet, but I love to have it with holiday (Thankgiving and Christmas) meals. The sweet potatoes are mashed, and then there's the crunchy, sweet topping. Oh, mercy. It's the perfect foil to all the savory stuff. You'll find the recipe at the end of this post.

These yeast rolls are absolutely wonderful. They're Chet's mom's recipe. And they're made with lard. Don't even think about trying to make them without the lard. Chet's pretty much got the recipe down pat, and they are the hit of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've got to learn to make these...it'll force me to get over my fear of yeast.

Here's the holiday table, ready for us to devour everything in sight. See the pretty fruit salad? Paul and Marty brought that, and it was wonderful!

For dessert, I brought this. It's a pumpkin caramel pound cake. I was less than impressed, but I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Paul also brought one of his famous cheesecakes...pumpkin! How in the world I got out of the house without a picture of it is beyond me. I was snapping pictures like a fool. Allison said I was the food paparazzi. Anyway, as you can tell, we were gluttons on Thanksgiving. We ate too much, but it was so nice to spend a lazy Thursday afternoon with family and friends.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Cathy Lawrence (my mom)

For the Casserole:

40 oz. sweet potatoes in syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar (you could probably back off to 1 cup)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the Topping:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup Rice Crispies

1/2 cup crushed nuts (optional, but I always use them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain sweet potatoes well. Mash potatoes, and add sugar, eggs, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish (9x13 is a good size, but I used a 12-inch round tart pan) and bake for 30 minutes. To make the topping, melt the butter and mix in brown sugar, Rice Crispies, and nuts. Spread over sweet potato mixture and return to oven to bake for another 15 minutes.

The Cake That Started It All...

We buried my grandmother today. She passed away Monday afternoon at age 95. As we were at the funeral home, everyone talked about what a great cook she was. At one point, it seemed the whole family was in the funeral home's kitchen, snacking and talking. My cousin Marcia said, "Isn't this exactly how Mommy (that's what her side of the family called my grandmother, whom we called Emmy) would have wanted it? You couldn't walk in the house without being offered a plate of food!" She was exactly right. Food was a big part of Emmy's life, and it was the way she showed love.
My sister and I went to Emmy and Pa's house every Monday and Friday afternoon after school, and we spent most Saturday mornings with them as well. Emmy was the person who "infected" me with the baking bug. All of my vivid memories of her involve cooking, canning, and baking. She even had a fully equipped kitchen in her basement, in addition to her main kitchen upstairs! We spent many hours in both of those kitchens, but I was always most interested in baking with her.
She always made lots of pies...your traditional apple and cherry pies, but also things like gooseberry pie and rhubarb pie. I always got the scraps and loved to cut shapes, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, and bake my own little snacks. She always encouraged my love of the "domestic arts," my favorite of which was cooking. Anytime I ever asked to cook or bake, she was ready to help. One day while at her house, I baked a cake "all by myself," which meant that I was under her watchful eye and had plenty of help with measuring and cutting! It was called a "Doctor Bird Cake," which I think is similar to what a lot of people call a Hummingbird Cake. I decided that there would be no more fitting way to honor Emmy's memory than to make that same cake tonight.
It's incredibly simple to make. My recipe, which came directly from Emmy, states in large, capitalized letters "DO NOT USE MIXER!" So I didn't. But I wonder if that has more to do with simply not wanting to clean up the mess that an 8-year old might make with a hand mixer than the texture of the completed cake! The whole cake is made in one bowl, and you need nothing more than a wooden spoon. The ingredients are simple (and fattening!), and the result is delicious.

This cake is full of bananas, pineapple, pecans, and cinnamon. It's topped with a simple cream cheese frosting. The next time I make it, I might increase the cinnamon and maybe add some nutmeg, but tonight, I made it just like Emmy taught me.

Doctor Bird Cake

Emma Bickers

3 cups flour, sifted

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups cooking oil (I used canola)

1 cup crushed pineapple in juice (undrained)

3 eggs

2 cups diced banana

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

DO NOT USE MIXER! Preheat oven to 350 degrees Sift all dry ingredients into large bowl. Add banana, oil, vanilla, eggs, and crushed pineapple (juice and all). Mix until just blended. Do not beat. Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on cooling rack. After 10 minutes, turn cake out onto cooling rack to finish cooling.

For Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Beat cream cheese on medium. Add melted butter and confectioner's sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Frost only the top of the completely cooled cake.

White Chicken Chili

It's definitely fall in Kentucky! The leaves are turning colors and there's a nice chill in the air. Fall is without a doubt my favorite season of the year. I love the colors, the chilly weather, wearing sweaters and sweatshirts, drinking hot chocolate, and sneaking afternoon naps to the sounds of football. I love the flavors and foods of fall, too. Probably one of my favorite fall and winter foods is soup. And, believe it or not, I used to be intimidated by making soup. For some reason, I always thought that making soup was really difficult. I don't know where I got that idea, but I'm glad that I forged ahead and started making soup, because now it's one of my favorite things to make! Poor David...I'll probably soup him to death by the time Spring rolls around, but I can't help it. It's the perfect cool weather supper! Saturday, I decided to make one of our very favorite soups...White Chicken Chili.
I got this recipe last fall while we were on vacation in Florida. We had flown down for a few days to see David's mom and dad, and I cut this gem out of the Bradenton Herald. It was hard to be in the mood for chili while visiting sunny Floria, what with all the fishing, boating, and sunning on the beach, but I knew we'd be back in chilly Kentucky before long, and this soup sounded so good! I'm so glad I saved this recipe. We've made it a dozen times since then, probably, and I even make it for last year's Spring Soup Supper at our church (not to be confused with the Chili Supper), where it was very well received. It's so simple to make, and the flavors are wonderful. As with most chilis, the flavor is even better the next day! I wish I knew who to give credit to...I only know that the recipe was titled "Michelle's White Chicken Chili" and was featured in the Bradenton Herald last fall. If you know Michelle, please let her know that her White Chicken Chili is wonderful!

White Chicken Chili

Michelle/The Bradenton Herald

2 packages McCormick White Chicken Chili seasoning mix

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 can navy beans

1 can cannellini beans

1 can great Northern beans

1 can black beans

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes with mild green chiles

4 cups chicken broth (or more, depending on the desired thickness)

Heat the oil in a large soup kettle. Add the chicken. Cook and stir about 5 minutes until no pink remains.

Drain and rinse all the beans. Stir in the seasoning mix, beans, soup, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.

Erin's Notes: I usually use the leftovers from a whole roasted/rotisserie'd chicken instead of cooking chicken specifically for this soup. If you've got smoked chicken, by all means, use it. I had some and used it in a pinch one time last year, and it makes the flavor out of this world. It makes for the best.soup.ever. I also don't use the Ro*Tel tomatoes...just plan ol' diced tomatoes. David and I are wusses when it comes to spice, and whatever spice is in the flavoring packets is plenty for us. But if you like a little kick, by all means, go for the Ro*Tel!

Dessert Heaven...

I've gone to the same little country church since I was born. We're a small congregation...about 35 of us (at the most) on Sundays. And for as long as I can remember, we've had either a fish fry or a chili supper each Fall. The fish fry was held every September, until just a few years ago. My grandfather, uncle, cousin, and other church members fried the fish out back, and the women of the church provided the cole slaw, other fixins' and desserts. But it finally became apparent that we just couldn't really even break even with the fish fry. The fish was good, but it was expensive. So we switched to a chili supper, which is much more cost effective. Anyway, everyone in the church had their niche. Miss Ida (my Sunday school teacher from the time I was a toddler until high school) and Verlene always took care of the "pie room." They were responsible for cutting all of the pies and making sure that the dessert table was full. Miss Ida passed away earlier this year, and Verlene is getting older, so the pie room responsibility has passed on to me, it seems.
And I love it. Look at that picture! Pies and cakes as far as the eye can see. I spent a solid hour cutting and plating pies and cakes before the chili supper started, and I kept on cutting well into the evening. I did my best to fill every spot as soon as a dessert was taken. I wanted to be sure everyone had plenty of choices! One of the other church members told me, "Verlene will be proud!"

What did we have? EVERYTHING! We had brownies, cheesecake, banana cream pie, upside down German chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, Derby pie, chess pie, pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate maple and pumpkin cake, pecan pie, apple dumplings, pumpkin rolls, apple pie, peach pie, blackberry pie bars...and I'm sure there are more. Those are just the ones I distinctly remember cutting.

This is my favorite picture. I can't think of anything that's more satisfying than seeing a dessert buffet after a meal of piping hot chili! But, oh...the leftovers. There was so much stuff left! We'll be sending folks home from church tomorrow with to-go boxes of desserts! I wanted to eat a little bit of everything, but I used some restraint. Not much, but a little.
The chili supper at church is one of my favorite days of the year. It's a sure sign that it really is fall. I love the sense of togetherness and community that I feel while we're all working together to make the supper come together. But I think I love the desserts the most.

Taco Soup

It's been another wild week at my house. Last Monday and Tuesday, David and I took a couple of vacation days and visited Jenny Wiley State Park. That left Wednesday, Thursday, and part of Friday to prepare for the weekend class I was scheduled to teach. Friday night and all day Saturday were spent teaching. Monday and Tuesday of this coming week, I have to be out of town for work-related stuff. Whew! I think I only made one home-cooked meal last week, and it was a grilled chicken salad...hardly anything to blog about! I feel like I've neglected David in the food department, so on Saturday evening, while he was settling in for the UK-Florida massacre, I set about making a big ol' part of soup for him to have while I'm out of town.
I decided on Paula Deen's Taco Soup for a number of reasons. It's quick. It's easy. It's hearty. It's man-friendly. It's full of fiber (okay, so that reason is a stretch). And it's super-tasty!
Please forgive me for the less-than-perfect photo. I was on my way out the door tonight and snapped a quick picture. This soup is a staple in our house during the fall and winter, because it's just that good...I mean, what else would you expect from Paula Deen? Anyway, give this recipe a try on the first chance that you get. You won't be disappointed!

Taco Soup

Paula Deen

Ingredients:
Jalapenos

Chopped green onions

Grated cheese

Sour cream

Corn chips

1 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix

1 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)

1 small can black olives, drained and sliced (optional)

2 4 1/2-ounce cans diced green chilies

1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with chilies

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14 1/2-ounce can mexican tomatoes

1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernal corn, drained

1 15 1/2-ounce cans pink kidney beans

2 15-1/2 ounce cans pinto beans

2 cup diced onions

2 lb ground beef

Directions:
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large crackpot or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, green onions, tomatoes, chilies, olives, and seasonings, and cook on low setting all day (6 to 8 hours) if using a crockpot, or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a stockpot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, and jalapenos.

The Ultimate Compliment

If you're a regular around here, you know that I work for Lindsey Wilson College's School of Professional Counseling. I work at one of their many extended campus sites, and part of my job duties include teaching. All of our courses are offered on weekends, so that means that several of my weekends are spent teaching on Friday nights and on Saturdays. Today was the last meeting of one of the classes that I'm teaching during this semester, so we decided to have a potluck lunch. I brought corn pudding. Mmm...
It was during this potluck lunch that I received what I consider to be the ultimate compliment. One of my students said, "Erin, who taught you how to cook? Paula Deen?" Besides the fact that in my mind Paula Deen's food = delicious, it meant even more that it came from a woman who was raised in the deep South, where they know real, good Southern food. Several of the students really liked the corn pudding, which is easily in my Top 5 Favorite Foods list. A number of them even asked me for the recipe. But I didn't give it out, and I won't post the recipe here...for now. You see, I didn't get this recipe until I married my husband, so I kind of get the impression that it's maybe a secret family recipe. After all, the Klingenfus/Orr clan refers to it as "Aunt Lila's Corn Pudding." (Just as an aside...neither David nor I know who Aunt Lila is/was.) There's nothing difficult or labor-intensive about the recipe...in fact I put it together at 6am this morning while I was still half-asleep. But it's just perfect. It's wonderfully moist, but not runny. It's slightly sweet, but not too sweet. It's got a perfect corn to cornbread ratio. It's corn pudding perfection.
So, after listening to me wax poetic about the corn pudding, do you have a secret family recipe? Or your no-fail, go-to recipe that gets tons of compliments? Fill us in!

Mama's Birthday Dinner

David's grandmother, who is called "Mama" by all the grand- and great-grandkids, is our next-door neighbor. She is also my chief taste-tester. Her birthday was last weekend (on the same day as the big dove shoot I wrote about last week). She kept saying that she didn't want any gifts, so I knew exactly what our gift to her would be.

Chicken Pot Pie! Mama first had my chicken pot pie about a year ago, I guess, and she always says that it's the best thing I make. I think that's a pretty high compliment from someone who cooks and bakes as well as Mama! We had her over tonight for a very late birthday celebration (due to my crazy work schedule), and I think she was very pleased with how it turned out!
I have no idea where I got the recipe. I apologize if it belongs to you, and I don't give you credit. If it's yours, please let me know! But I have a feeling that it's from the Bisquick people, because the original recipe calls for a Bisquick topping, but I made my biscuit dough from scratch, using this recipe.

Mama's Favorite Chicken Pot Pie

Unknown (Pot Pie)/Pinch My Salt (Biscuit Topping [adapted])

For the Pot Pie:

3 cups cooked diced chicken

16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Biscuit Topping:

1 1/4 cup cake flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into small chunks

3/4 cup buttermilk

4 tbs. butter, melted

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

For the Pot Pie:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Spread chicken and vegetables evenly in prepared dish. Stir together soup, broth, and pepper in small mixing bowl; pour evenly over chicken mixture.

For the Biscuit Topping:

Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add butter and cut into flour using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk, and mix with a fork until the dough becomes shaggy.

Assembling the Pot Pie:

Melt the butter. Add garlic powder and stir. Spread the biscuit dough over the pot pie. Brush with the melted butter. Bake, uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tomato Spinach Pasta Toss

Geeze Louise...it's been a tough week. Since last Friday, I've had work on my mind, and it's been nearly impossible to get it out of there! It's just been emotionally draining, and I'm ready for a little break that David and I will be taking later this month. In the meantime, I've just been trying to focus on getting through this week and weekend. When I get really stressed and overwhelmed, it sometimes seems like nothing will do except a little comfort food. Tonight, what sounded really good to me was sausage and pasta. Pork and carbs...what could be better?!
Anyway, this is a tasty little dish that takes no time to put together. It used to be on our regular rotation around here, but after we adopted a little healthier style of eating, I stopped making it. It hit the spot tonight.
I originally found this recipe in one of the Kraft Food and Family magazines...it's probably been a couple of years ago now. Some of you might think it's salty (thanks to the Italian sausage and canned tomatoes), but I like things a little on the salty side (I think that's a part of the comfort food thing, too). You could always use no salt added tomatoes. The ingredient list is minimal, it takes a matter of minutes to prepare, and the most difficult thing is browning the sausage. It's a perfect recipe for a hectic night when you just want something good to eat!

Tomato Spinach Pasta Toss

Adapted from Kraft Food and Family

2 cups whole wheat pasta

1 lb Italian sausage

14.5 oz. Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

6 oz. baby spinach

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, crumble meat into a large, deep skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Add spinach and tomatoes; cook until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Drain pasta; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture and cheeses; mix lightly.