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Fightless Friday, How 'bout some good recipes??

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Hanta Yo

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I bumped this up from a few years ago...go to page 16 for the new recipe I put on here









We have rhubarb all over the place. Here's an awesome recipe, quick, easy and delicious!!!

RHUBARB CAKE

"Pretty as a picture and mighty good tasting".

Mix together:

3 C rhubarb, cut in very small pieces
1 1/2 C sugar
1 (3 oz) pkg wild strawberry jello (regular strawberry will do just fine)

Put in the bottom of a greased 13 X p inch pan. Prepare a box of yellow cake mix according to directions on the box and add 1/4 C oil to the mix. Pour over the rhubarb. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 min. Part of the cake can be frozen for later use.

NOTE: Even if your yellow cake mix is super moist, already instructs you to put in X amt of oil, go ahead and add the extra 1/4 C oil to it.

Prepared by Hill County Extension Service,
Revised and reprinted by Yellowstone County Extension Service - 1989.


MOON CAKE (tastes just like a cream puff).

1 C water
1/2 C margarine
1 C flour
4 eggs
2 small pkg instant pudding, any flavor (I've found white choc, vanilla and cream cheese taste the best)
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese (softened-this works best)
whipped cream or Cool Whip
choc sauce

Bring water and margarine to boil in a sauce pan. Ad the flour to hot mixture and stir rapidly until mixed. Gool slightly (but not too long) By hand beat in 4 eggs one at a time (I use my kitchen aid). Spread mixture on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 30 min or until lightly brown. Let cool. Whip cream cheese for about 10 min.
Add pudding mixes, then slowly add 2 3/4-3 C milk, scrape often. (I do this to eliminate a lot of the lumps). Spread on cooled crust and refrigerate until cold. Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip. Drizzle lightly with chocolate sauce.

From "Sharing Our Best". a Collection of Recipes by Montana W.I.F.E.

Next posting will be main dishes.
 
From Emeril Live

"SPICY SHORT RIBS SMOTHERED IN RED GRAVY"

An awesome recipe for those shortribs nobody wants to bother with.

2 1/2 - 3 lb short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper (just use what you have)
1 t liquid crab boil (since we don't have this on hand I don't use it)
1 (14 oz) bottle ketchup
12 oz light beer
1 T molasses
1 T Creole or whole grain mustard
1 T chopped garlic (can use dried)
1/2 C chopped onions
1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
Dash hot pepper sauce
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
Pinch salt
Pinch cayenne
1 T peeled and grated fresh ginger (I use the powder)
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (see above)

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with water. Add 1 t of the crab boil. Over high heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the ribs from the liquid and cool. In a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, combine the rest of the ingredients (I mix this by hand-no big deal). Process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Pulse two or three times.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the ribs in a shallow roasting pan. Pour the pureed mixture over the ribs. Place the ribs in the oven and roast the ribs for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the ribs are tender.

We like to eat this wth potato salad or even green salad. Yummy recipe.
 
QUICK AND EASY POTATO SOUP!! :wink:

Potatoes---peeled and cubed---i find yukon golds taste beste
bacon---cooked, crumbled and WITH the grease (adds flavor)
frozen peas
hard boiled eggs (cubed)
onion (to taste)
pepper
celery salt (or the real thing)
salt (does not need much)
garlic (just a pinch)
milk

mom used to make this on cold, snowy days and serve with warm bread and butter....mmmmmmm!! memories

cook potatoes in large pan with just enough water to cover tops til ALMOST done....
add rest of the ingredients and simmer for a few hours...tasting as you go and adding more seasonings as you go
the bacon grease just gives it more flavor (yeah, and calories, too...but who's counting :wink: )
sometimes, i even add some diced ham or cooked hamburger for the cowboy who has to have beef
the milk is added last just to add creaminess and extra flavor :D

see...pretty simple...forgive me for writing measurements....i have never been one to use a measuring cup except when i am baking croissants or some recipe i have never tried...
stay tuned for more as i think of them :)
 
Hanta...or anyone out there who can help....
speaking of recipes...the hubby grew up eating baking powder (homemade, of course) biscuits EVERY morning and still loves them...i have yet to find a really good recipe....any suggestion??
:? :?
 
Here we go... My spouses' favorite

Cloud Biscuits

SIFT TOGETHER:
2 C sifted all purpose flour
1 T sugar
4 t Baking Powder
1/2 t salt

Cut in 1/2 C shortening till mixture crumbles.
Combine 1 Beaten egg
2/3 C milk

Add to flour mixture all at once. Stir till dough follows fork around bowl.

Turn out on lightly floured surface, knead gently with heel of hand about 20 strokes. Roll to 3/4 inch thick. Dip 2 inch biscuit cutter in flour, cut straight down through dough, no twisting. Place on ungreased baking sheet close together for sides, 3/4 inch apart for crusty biscuits. Bake at 450 for 10-14 min or till golden brown. Makes about 2 doz.
 
Believe me, my last post is about the very best biscuits you could ever make. My wonderful mother-in-law (and she is the most awesome woman in the world - my opinion) made up a recipe book with all the favorite recipes her kids loved when they were younger, (and gave it to them, the kids) and the cloud biscuit was in it. Best biscuits I've ever eaten. She gave each of her kids this recipe book and I am grateful to have these wonderful recipes handed down from generation to generation, and it is an honor to pass these forth to you, I think it is dumb to let a "family secret" recipe be secret. Any of you have problems with that I have a problem with you....
 
hanta yo...will be heading home sunday morning and will let you know that night how the biscuits went :D
I don't suppose you happen to have a recipe for country gravy??? :wink:
jesse loves homemade biscuits with homemade country gravy....yes, spoiled rotten does not begin to describe the cowboy :D
 
ranchwife,

the secret about country gravy is getting all the drippins' you can get out of the meat, add a little milk and cornstarch. No WAY can you beat that gravy!!! The secret is the milk. My spouse was surprised when I came up with "country gravy".
 
My husband LOVES country gravy as did his father before him. However, I use flour and not cornstarch. Also, whole milk makes better gravy than 2%. I usually add a little water when stirring to keep the gravy from getting too thick. There are little tricks like this that make the best gravy. You just need to do it alot to learn how you like it best. My gravy is real good, but my mother-in-law makes the best country gravy. Only reason I can think of is that she has made it for over 50 years. That's lots of gravy!!

Need something in a hurry for hungry men? Biscuits and gravy ALWAYS do the trick. Never ran into a man yet that didn't just love biscuits and gravy.

Here is a recipe we like really well. Fast, easy and delicous.

Beef 'n Potatoes

For each serving, use one large portion of sliced round steak and one medium peeled potato. Flour meat with seasoned flour (salt, pepper, garlic salt or garlic pepper, etc). Brown the meat, using bacon drippings, butter or olive oil, whatever your conscience will allow. In a cassarole, place a layer of the browned meat, add a layer of sliced raw potato, some sliced onion and generous sprinkling of parmesean cheese.

When all the portions are assembled in layers, finishing with the parmesean cheese, for each two or three servings, add 1 cup water and one beef boullion cube to the browning pan, deglaze the pan and pour the liquid over the beef and potatoes.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour, until fork tender.

We tend to like this not in many layers, so I use a bigger bottom pan to bake it in.


Here's an EASY NO-BAKE dessert or snack bar:

Peanut Butter Cups
1 3/4 c. graham crax crumbs (about 1 package or 10 whole crax)
1 c. butter or oleo
1 c. peanut butter
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
Mix above and pat into 9x13 pan.

Melt
2 c. choc chips
1/4 c. milk
Spread over top and bake sprinkle with nuts.


I can hardly wait to try the other recipes posted here!
 
My mother was somewhat of an amateur psychologist. Sometimes Dad and the crew would show up early for dinner, and she was caught by surprise with nothing ready. Her remedy was to get something cooking quickly, and then set the table with the plates and silverware. She figured at least the table being set would give the "illusion" that dinner was well underway. She was probably right.

My mother was a small lady, and only weighed in excess of a hundred pounds four times in her life--those times being right before she had each of her four kids. She could walk about as fast as anybody, and it was pretty hard keeping up with her on a shopping expedition. One of her philosophies was no matter how tough a person felt, even if you were sick as a dog, was to get up and get dressed. The rest of the day would immediately start to go better. She was right.

My mother was a tremendous cook. I always get a kick out of the sign, "Never trust a skinny cook". There is a certain amount of truth to that statement, but my mother was a skinny cook to be trusted. She could make any meal a mouth-watering delectable experience. Her Sunday dinners were quite famous in the community, and with friends and relatives from all across the country.

The day she died last June 1st, she went out the way she would have liked. She got up that morning, got dressed and had breakfast, then lay down to rest for a few minutes. Dad found her peacefully laying in bed with her arms folded across her chest. She would have been pleased to know that she died fully clothed, and quite "presentable" for the undertaker.

Maybe someday, I'll post some of her recipes. My bride-to-be had to learn how to make my mom's chocolate chip cookies before she could become "Mrs. Soapweed". :wink: I am happy to say she passed the test with flying colors. :D
 
Thanks for taking the time to share that with us Soapweed. We will look foreward to some of her recipies.

In my NO-BAKE Peanut Butter Cups,
I typed in Spread over top, bake sprinkle with nuts.
What was I thinking~you don't bake them.
Hopefully, everyone will know that by the NO BAKE at the top.

My husbands aunt could get a delicious meal at the drop of a hat. They were pretty popular folks and had a lot of company. She would be reading and people would show up unexpectedly before a meal.
She would visit a bit, get up and meander into the kitchen. She never made a big deal out of it. Next thing you knew, she had a huge and most delicious meal on the table. I always admired her for that, among other things.

At her funeral, the minister spoke about how many people she fed through the years. When they thanked her for the delicous meal, she ALWAYS humbly replied, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
 
Great posts!

Re. the cream gravy: I think modern cooks are more afraid of making it than they should be.

Maybe the reason "grandma" made better gravy was that she wasn't so "educated" that she was afraid of whole milk, bacon or sausage fat, lard, etc. and she probably had "real" cream and milk.

We prefer (with biscuits) gravy made with bacon drippings, with sausage a close second. Get it fairly warm, not smoky, use two-three heaping tablespoons of flour and a couple of cups of milk and a twist of colored mixed peppercorns. Regular black pepper will do. A wire whisk works well for mixing the flour into the fat. Then add the milk slowly, stirring all the while. Bring to a boil, let cook a couple of minutes, and enjoy.

Biscuits. That cloud biscuit recipe is great. Any biscuit recipe is improved, IMO, by subbing buttermilk for the liquid. Remember to add a bit of baking soda when using buttermilk or sour milk.

I'm interested in the material on "good" fats vs. "bad" fats. Thought from the start the promotion of "vegetable" oils to take the place of natural beef tallow, lard, etc, was bogus. Sounds like the hydrogenation does something to the stuff that isn't necessarily good for humans. There is some interesting research being done with checkoff $$$ on the value of natural occuring fats in beef that shows promise. Recently olive oil and now, pure coconut oil are claimed superior to other oils. The coconut oil is especially tasty for cooking shrimp! Anyone else have any info or experience with any of this stuff?

MRJ
 
mmmm....gonna think for awhile about those really yummy chocolate/oatmeal no bake cookies.....my kids favorite!!! the five year old loves to make these with me!! cocoa, sugar, butter, oatmeal....can't remember what else.....anyone???? :? :?
 
All depends on where yer from as to how the gravy was made..and with which meat drippins. Country gravy as ya'll are callin it, in the south is cream gravy or milk gravy...some call it grease gravy hehe...made with fried chicken drippins....chicken fried steak, or just plain fried steak. We never use bacon drippins for milk gravy...or water gravy for that matter. Fried ham drippins is made with water..n called "red eye" gravy. I grew up eatin gravy at nearly every meal..in some way shape or form. Never realized that makin it was anything to be scared of till later in life , we had some friends over for chicken fried steak and the girl wanted my recipe for gravy....aint no recipe..ya just dump till it looks right n stir like crazy so ya dont have lumps.
Funny story about gravy... before hubby and I actually tied the knot...but he'd gotten the house we were goin to live in. I'd "set up kitchen" and thought I'd make him the "first" home cooked meal in our new house.
Fried chicken, mashed taters, gravy and green beans. All went well till time to make the gravy. I had a brand new set of canisters.....but had yet to have a bridal shower...so didnt have a sifter. Hahhhh I'll just tip the canister and shake just a lil bit of flour into the hot meat drippins (dummy me didnt think of usin a spoon) Well I tipped the canister which was almost full of flour....tap tap tap.....pooooooooooofffff.....bout half the 5 lb sack of flour that I'd put in that canister earlier that day..jumped off out into the pan of chicken crunchies n grease in my pan!!!...so here I was..tryin to secretly "fix" my boo boo.........scraped as much of the flour out as I could and salvage the drippins....(can;'t make good gravy without the drippins, thems special)....OMG the gravy tasted like some awful glue mixture. He never said a word...just ate it like it was good....rest of the meal was great...I wondered if he thought," oh man..a woman that can really cook..but can't make gravy to save her neck"...lol
 
That was a good story!!!

You don't make gravy using bacon grease? Gosh, I hate to say it, but I cook chicken fried steak, pork chops, everything in bacon grease and make gravy.

My husbands grandfather used to fix 'Cowboy Toast.' He would fry bacon, put a bread slice or two in the pan with all the grease and fry it till crisp. Alll the grease is soaked up before the bread will get crisp. Then he ate it with syrup on top. He did suffer a dibiliating stroke in later years, I might add.

One of our old irrigators told me about 'slop gravy'. You just use the gesslin's that are in the pan from frying the meat. Get the pan hot, add pure heavy cream and heat it through. Serve it on bread. That's it. It is good, but I don't fix it much...
 
All this talk about bacon grease reminds me of what my Pennsylvania Dutch grandma called Flitch which was fried bacon grease with flour served as gravy on toast.
Here's our Civil War soldier's recipe for cooking bacon:

Take raw bacon. When there's no firewood. Eat it.
 

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