Thanks Aimee!

While visiting one of the newest blogs on my Blog Roll, I came across the recipe for one of my favorite things to bake and serve; Amish Friendship Bread! It was a reminder that I hadn't made it in awhile. The reason being is that I never had gotten the starter recipe! Always when I'd made the bread before, I had been given starter from a friend. I have a bloggy friend who told me she had it posted on her food blog, but I never could remember to go retrieve it. So I was happy, happy, happy, to find it at  It's Overflowing. Blog owner Aimee had included the starter recipe! Yay!

 

You should go visit her blog by clicking the link above. You will find a pleasant visit there!

 

Amish Friendship Bread Cinnamon Loaf Recipe
Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing.
Do not refrigerate.
Batter will rise, bubble, and ferment ... burp as needed.

Day 1 - receive the starter and do nothing
Day 2 - Mush the bag.
Day 3 - Mush the bag.
Day 4 - Mush the bag.
Day 5 - Mush the bag.
Day 6 - Add to the bag 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk. Mush the bag.
Day 7 - Mush the bag.
Day 8 - Mush the bag.
Day 9 - Mush the bag.
Day 10 - Follow these instructions:

1. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups milk. Stir.
3. Measure one cup batter into four 1-gallon Ziploc bags {keep one bag and pass the three extras to friends along with a copy of the recipe.}
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Add to the remaining batter:

3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1 large box instant vanilla pudding (or any flavor)
1/2 tsp. salt

6. Pour mixture into a greased bundt pan and bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

NOTICE THIS PHOTO BELONGS TO AIMEE.

Other options:

• Grease 2 large loaf pans. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with 1/2 of this mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top. Bake 1 hour. Cool the bread until it loosens evenly from the pan (about 10 minutes). Serve warm or cold.
• Add 1 cup of the following or a combination not to exceed 1 cup: raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, or butterscotch morsels.
• You may also substitute the vanilla pudding with butterscotch.

And if you don't have an Amish Friendship Bread starter, you could always start one by following this recipe!

Amish Friendship Bread Starter
This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe if you'd like to treat your family and spread the love to some friends! It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions above for Amish Friendship Bread.

REMEMBER: Visit Aimee and thank her for posting this recipe and starter. If you've never made it, you MUST! I swear, it's the best thing since sliced bread and air conditioning!

Aimee at It's Overflowing

"TORTILLA SOUP" = Lunch & a Movie!

Above, Our Sunday Lunch-Tortilla Soup! Que Deliciosa!

Whenever I cook or eat "Tortilla Soup", I can't help but think about the movie which goes by the same name. It's a movie we thoroughly enjoyed, I think for the inter-cultural flavor. Also for the fact that the part of the patriarch, Martin (Hector Elizando) was a professional chef who hailed from Mexico! The family meal-time scenes made my hubby homesick for his mama's cooking!

To read more about the movie,

CLICK ON THIS LINK

CAUTION: This movie my be dangerous for anyone on a diet!

Hector (as Martin), preparing his Sunday feast.

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Sopa de Tortilla

2 lbs. meaty beef soup bones

(I substituted one whole chicken, cut up)

1 qt. water

6 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

one fourth small onion

half tsp. salt

2 dried pasilla negro chiles

4 corn tortillas

Oil for frying

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 small onion, cut in half length wise, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tomatoes, peeled finely chopped

freshly ground pepper

salt

one fourth cup finely diced celery

one fourth finely diced carrots

Place bones in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add water, peppercorns, by leaf, one fourth onion and one half teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Skim foam from surface. Cover and simmer 2 hours, skimming again if necessary. Strain broth and let cool. Spoon off fat. Toast pasilla chiles in an ungreased skillet over medium heat 3 or 4 minutes, turning frequently. Do not scorch. Let cool. Break in half and remove seeds. Crumble chiles and place in a small dish. Cut tortillas in two inch by half inch strips. Pour oil for frying one inch deep into a small saucepan. Heat to 365 degrees F. (185 C). Fry tortilla strips in hot oil until lightly browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Heat one tablespoon vegetable or olive oil in a large saucepan. Add sliced onion and garlic. Cook slowly until onion is very tender but not browned. Stir in tomatoes and pepper to taste. Cook slowly ten to fifteen minutes. Add reserved strained broth and salt to taste. Simmer gently fifteen minutes. Add celery and carrot. Simmer fifteen minutes longer. To serve, place a handful of fried tortilla strips in each bowl; add soup. Top with crumbled chiles as desired. Makes four servings.

For an extra delish touch, add Oaxaca Cheese or Mozzarella cheese and more tortilla strips on top!

There are a lot of steps to this recipe, but to get that "authentic" Mexican flavor, the steps are necessary. When I've had time constraints, I have cheated and just dumped everything together in the pot to cook and simmer. It was still "deliciosa"!

A Signal of Warm Hospitality

Our first breakfast while on vacation in West Virginia (at Aunt Virgie's house.) Notice that pile of homemade biscuits in the center of the table right in front of that gravy! They were so so so very good! I think we had biscuits 4 out of 7 mornings spent there!

GO AHEAD! CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE AND SALIVATE!!!

There's no denying it! Biscuits on the table signal warm hospitality and are a quick way to butter up to people!

I saw the following recipes in one of my husband's industry magazine and started salivating. I haven't tried either of them yet, but I think the photo of the scones looked scrumptious!

Buttermilk Cheddar Drop Scones

All purpose flour 3 3/4 cups
Sugar 5 1/2 Tbsp.
Baking Powder 4 1/2 tsp.
Buttermilk 1 tsp.
Eggs 1 cup
Butter, cubed, chilled 5 oz.
Cheddar, shredded 1/4 cup
Chives, minced 1/4 cup

1. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter, and using the paddle attachment, mix together on low speed until mixture forms a coarse meal. Add buttermilk mixture gradually, mix just until combined. Mix in Cheddar and chives.

3. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, drop 1 inch balls of dough onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. In a 350 degree oven, bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Yields 26 scones


Crispy Biscuits

All-purpose flour 2 cups plus extra for dusting
Baking powder 2 tsp.
Baking soda 1/2 tsp.
Kosher salt 1/4 tsp.
Unsalted butter, cubed, chilled 5 Tbsp.
Buttermilk 2/3 cup

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a fork or your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture forms a coarse meal. Mix in the buttermilk until just combined. The dough will seem too dry at first.

2. On a floured surface, gently fold the dough over itself a few times until it begins to come together; roll out 1/4 in. thick Dust a round quarter-sized cutter. Punch out rounds, place on a parchment-lined sheet tray.

3. Bake in 475F convection oven for 10 minutes. (Longer in a regular oven)

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TIPS FROM BISCUIT PROS

A few simple biscuit-making tricks can make a big difference in outcome.

*Dust your cutter with flour before you punch out the biscuits. You need a clean cut to get the biscuits to rise evenly in the oven. --Executive Chef Erin O'Shea, Marigold Kitchen, Philadelphia

*Use a finely ground self-rising flour, preferably one low in protein, to help create a flaky, light, biscuit. --Pastry Chef Candace Rowan, Town Hall, San Francisco

*Bake the biscuits as soon as you make the dough. If the dough sits too long, the baking powder will react with the buttermilk and the biscuits won't rise as much when they are baked. --Randy Kibler, CEO Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits, Charlotte, N.C.

*To speed the next morning's biscuit prep process, measure out all ingredients separately the night before so that the bake can put the dough together quickly. --Jeramie Mitchell, Executive Chef, Busch Stadium, St. Louis

I Can't Wait To Try These!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c. miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/2 pounds chocolate bark, melted (can find in baking aisle next to chocolate chips)




Beat butter and sugar at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour, mixing well. Add chocolate chips. Shape mixture into 1" balls. Cover and freeze balls until very firm. Melt chocolate bark as directed. Using two forks, quickly dip frozen truffles into melted chocolate, coating completely. Place on wax paper to harden. Store truffles in refrigerator 2 to 3 days or place in freezer. Makes 4 1/2 dozen. (May use melted white chocolate to create a "swirl" on top for decoration.)

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

I found this recipe over at
Mizze's

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for rolling

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup ground almonds (or any other nuts you choose—some candidates for President come to mind)

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until set and just barely light brown. Roll in additional confectioners’ sugar while still warm and place on wire racks to cool. Store in airtight container.
-o.o-

It's So Good Y'all!!

I finally tried a recipe from my Paula Deen cook book! (Pat blessed me with the book at Christmas!) I had used my can of Ro-Tel tomatoes for another recipe earlier in the week, so I simply put a partial can of Hunt's diced tomatoes in. When the dish came out of the oven, those of us who wanted more of a kick added some salsa to our serving. This worked out better for Shane, who doesn't care for spicy dishes. We really enjoyed the dish!!




Mexican Chicken

One 10 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
One 10 3/4 ounce can cheddar cheese soup
One 10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
One 10 ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
One 11 1/2 ounce package flour tortilla
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken. In a greased 13x 9 inch pan, layer the tortillas and chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Top with sour cream if you desire!
(The Lady & Sons, Paula Deen)

Time for A Recipe!

Chalupas

3-4 lb pork loin roast
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 sm can diced green chilies
1 lb dried pinto beans

Put all ingredients in crock-pot with meat on top. Cover with water. Cook 6 hrs on high. Break up meat and cook 30 mins on high. Serve with hard or flour tortillas and taco fix-ins.
Makes 7 LARGE servings!

DIET SODA CAKE

My friend Patti sent this to me via email. I thought it was interesting and surprising. Have any of you ever heard of such a thing???

DIET SODA CAKE

Did you know you can mix any cake mix with a can of diet soda & have a Wonderful cake? HOWEVER, FAIR WARNING - these can be TOOO good! If you don't have people to serve it to, you might be better off making them as muffins. All you do is dump the mix into a bowl, stir in the diet soda, and bake as directed! You can add an egg white to improve the texture but I hear the texture was good & moist without it.

Golden rule is:

Light colored cake mix with light colored diet drink (i.e., yellow cake mix with diet sprite)

Dark colored cake mix with dark colored diet drink (i.e., chocolate cake mix with diet coke)

Here are a few tips & twists to try:

Carrot cake with 12 oz diet Sprite

Chocolate cake with 12 oz diet Coke

Orange Supreme with 12 oz diet orange

Gold or White cake with 12 oz diet ginger ale

Some say Duncan Hines work the best.

orange cake /diet Mountain Dew
cherry chip cake / A& W diet Cream soda
diet lemon + lemon;
angel or yellow cake/orange diet pop
diet peach with white cake
spice cake/ diet lemon-lime pop
diet ginger ale + white
diet cherry sodas in chocolate cake
Diet cola + devils food or chocolate mix
diet vanilla coke in chocolate cake
devils food cake with diet Vanilla coke
diet root beer with chocolate cake
diet cherry coke with chocolate cake
marble cake + diet cream soda
lemon with tangerine Diet Rite

Also try a yellow cake mix with diet
Sprite (or Fresca or 7-Up) with a dollop of Cool
Whip....tastes like a "Twinkie".

For anyone on Weight Watchers, the following is important!

The only pts you count are for the cake mix itself (usually 2 per piece or muffin but CHECK THE POINTS ON YOUR MIX, some are higher). Muffins are great because you can put them in the freezer until you need one, thus controlling your intake! (Most cake mixes have 48 points so if you cut into 24 pieces (or muffins) they'd be 2 points each)

"Ps" Banana Pudding

Now is the "P" for Pam or Paula? I mean, we both cook so well! I do want to post my recipe here especially for those who have already asked me for it. Now this will be a little difficult for me because I usually make it for big crowds. Keep that in mind. If you want to make it for a samll group, just use your own judgement and cut it down to the size you need. Enjoy!

Pam's Banana Pudding
3 large boxes of INSTANT VANILLA pudding/pie filling
(If large boxes aren't available, I use about 5 small boxes.)

Milk

14 - 16 bananas

1 AND HALF boxes vanilla wafers

1 large tub of Cool-Whip

In large mixing bowl, mix all boxes of pudding according to package directions
(Sometimes I use a little less milk than suggested)
Spoon in almost entire tub of Cool-Whip, beat with mixer until blended well
Set aside pudding mixture, begin peeling bananas
(I peel most of them, but not all, just in case I don't need them)
Start layering your vanilla wafers on bottom and along sides of large bowl you will serve your pudding from
Cut bananas into discs, not too thin, and scatter over cookies. Use lots of bananas. Don't be shy!
Pour a good bit of pudding over this,smoothing it evenly with back of a spoon
Begin layering again - cookies, banana discs, pudding until you have it as deep as you like or your ingredients run out.
I like to spread the last little bit of cool-whip over the top and then sprinkle crushed cookies over that.

It so easy! Have Fun!

I Aim To Please!

Hey You all! Many have asked for recipes of some of the dishes I listed on my Thanksgiving Menu; and yes Miss Beki - I got the Fried Green Bean Bundles from an episode of Paula Deen!!! Anyway, I aim to please my faithful readers, so here goes. Enjoy!

Sweet Onion Tartlets
4 tablespoons butter
1 Vidalia onion or other sweet onion, diced, about 3 cups
1 box (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups half & half
1 (1.3) envelope golden onion soup mix (recommended Lipton)
1 tablespoon fine herbs
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Unroll pie dough 1 at a time. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter and cut as many rounds as possible (about 14 to 16), reserving scraps repeat with second pie dough. Gather together scrap dough and cut out as many rounds as needed to make 36 in total. Fit dough rounds into cups of mini muffin pan. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, golden onion soup mix, and fine herbs. Set aside.

Divide onions among tartlet shells. about 1/2 teaspoon each. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon of cheese. Stir egg mixture and fill tartlets. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Green Bean Salad

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoon chopped red onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper

Bring a large pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, add green beans and steam for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Toast the walnuts in a smaller dry skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant, about 2 minutes, and then transfer them to a small bowl to cool. Add the parsley and onion to the walnuts and stir to combine.

In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Toss the dressing with the green beans, top with the walnut mixture and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fried Green Bean Bundles

1 pound fresh green beans
1 bunch green onions, cut into strips
2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
Oil, for frying

Bundle about 5 green beans by tying in the center with a green onion strip.
Combine house seasoning and flour. Dip green beans in buttermilk and roll into flour mixture. In a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together an store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

I think my Banana Pudding recipe will have to come at a later date. I must get back to bed. Love to all and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Recipes from Pat

Proudly announcing, from the kitchen of Pat Howard (DRUM ROLL PLEASE!)---- MY FIRST RECIPE POST!

Pat actually gave me the following recipes to e-mail to Jackie. She has noticed that Jackie has a "thing" for recipes! LOL I thought it would be fun to post them here instead for everyone else who wants to give them a try. They sure sound tempting and I can't wait! By the by: Pat tested out as Rachel Ray on our infamous chef test! {APPLAUSE,APPLAUSE}
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CHICKEN KASTOR
2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
Seasoned salt
1 can sliced black olives
4 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken) soup
3/4 cups mayonnaise
Juice of one large lemon
2 teaspoon curry powder
Parmesan cheese

Drain spinach well. Sprinkle in bottom of 9x13 pan. (Don't forget to spray first for easy clean up!) Sprinkle seasoned salt over spinach and then place olives over that. Place chicken breasts on top of olives. Mix mayo, soup, lemon juice and curry powder. Pour over chicken. Top with parmesean. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.
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THIS IS A SIMPLE DESSERT !! CHOCOLATE FUDGE PIE
1/2 cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chopped walnuts or pecans (or your favorite)

Melt butter and chocolate together. Mix flour and sugar and add to chocolate mixture. Add eggs and vanilla. Pour into an 8X8 pan (prepared). Cover with chopped nuts. Bake at 325 for 25 or 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Of course, whipped topping or ice cream are GREAT toppings for this!

Enjoy! I need a photo of Pat to post here, don't I?? Or better yet - let's take a vote. Who thinks Pat should "assimilate" and start her own blog?? Leave your vote on comments here please!