Apple Salad

This one's a family favorite and few holidays are celebrated without it!

4 cups peeled diced Granny Smith apples
8 oz can of crushed pineapple
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
9 oz cool whip

Combine pineapple, beaten egg, sugar, vinegar & cornstarch in a saucepan and stir well with a whisk. Heat until it thickens. Let cool.
Mix sauce with the apples then fold in the cool whip. Refrigerate.
Can serve with peanuts (I use dry roasted) on the side.

Try to make this the day you want to serve it. It gets a little watery after the first day.

Kansas Corn by request!

This is a recipe from Greg's Aunt Mary and is a big favorite for holidays.

2cups whole-kernel corn (I use frozen corn)
2 beaten eggs
1 can (16 oz) cream-style corn
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups coarsley crushed crackers (I use Townhouse)
12 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, diced

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon into a greased 2-qt casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour, or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving

Enjoy!

Scones by request

This is a wonderful recipe from my friend Susan. She calls them Scottish Oat Scones. You can use raisins or craisins or be daring and add chocolate chips! Enjoy...

Scottish Oat Scones
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup quick oats, uncooked
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins or craisins

Mix together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
Add melted butter, milk and egg and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the raisins. Shape the dough to form a ball. Pat out on a lightly floured surface to form an 8 inch circle.
Cut into 8 or 12 wedges (I usually do 8).
Bake on greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown.
These are best served warm with butter or honey.

Cooking Heavy

This recipe does not come from Cooking Light! But it is a delicious chocolate cookie with a Rolo inside so it's a keeper! Kind of putsy so plan for time to unwrap 48 Rolo candies. Enjoy!

Rolo Surprise Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans (finely chopped)
48 Rolos (9 oz. bag)
1 Tbsp sugar

Heat oven to 375.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda, blending with a wisk.
In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, margarine or butter, until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs, beat well.
Add flour mixture, blend well.
Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans
For each cookie, shape one Tbsp dough around one Rolo, covering completely. When your hands get all gooey from this operation, rinse off and start again.
In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and l Tbsp sugar.
Press one side of each cookie ball into the pecan mix. Place nut side up 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until set and slightly cracked.
Cool 2 minutes then remove from cookie sheet.

ok on to stir-fry

Here's a simple recipe for Chicken Stir-Fry

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Cut into bite-size pieces
Marinate for 15-30 minutes in: 2 Tbsp. white wine
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Heat small amount (1-2 Tbsp) olive oil in a wok or large frying pan and saute 2-3 cloves garlic (or use 1 tsp. minced garlic)
Add chicken pieces & stir fry until cooked through (cut a piece and make sure it's white all the way through...no pink)
Remove the chicken
Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to pan and stir fry 3 cups of fresh broccoli cut into bite size pieces
Add 3-4 green onions sliced
Add 1 Tbsp. shredded ginger (peel the root and then cut into really small pieces, ie mince)
*ginger roots can be frozen until needed

Add the chicken.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth (I use 1 chicken bouillion cube in 1/2 cup hot water
Add 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Thicken with cornstarch: Take 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and mix well with 1/4 cup cold water, until all the clumps are out. Then add to the stir-fry to thicken the sauce.

You can also add peanuts or cashews or almonds if you like. Or baby corn or carrots or any other veggie you like. Wa-Lah!

Garden Edition: aka Zucchini up the wazoo.

Hello fellow cooks,
I don't have too many original recipes, but one I believe I invented is my zucchini casserole. It is possible though that my mom invented this and I stole it. Whatever...it's very easy and you can use whatever you have.
Grate 3 medium zucchini
Add 2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 sliced tomatoes
1 cup grated mozarella cheese
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Sometimes I add sliced or chopped banana peppers. This part I invented.

Spray a 9x13 cake pan with cooking spray ( I like Pam spray)
Mix zucchini, garlic & onion and put in cake pan.
Place sliced tomatoes on the top
Sprinkle mozarella cheese over all
Cut up butter or margarine in small pieces and "sprinkle"? drop? on top (This cooking lingo is tricky!)
Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Important note: cooking requires monitoring. Check your dish periodically to make sure it isn't burning, or drying out or other bad things. Don't just set the timer at 1 1/2 hrs and walk away.

OK, head for your nearest Farmer's Market for the zucchini & tomatoes! Happy cooking...

Yo Homemakers...

First of all, this was not my idea. My daughter Chelsea thinks I need an outlet for my cooking talent and she wants to know what I know. Apparently, there may be one or two others who are open to advice in the kitchen. But I just heard the greatest benefit will be that I will no longer be Anonymous when I comment on the A-team's blog or Chelsea's blog. Tim doesn't have a blog yet, but he's into some cool art so that will be coming soon. I'll get to the cooking stuff at my next post. Today's lesson is how to cut a tomato. Take a serrated knife and cut around the stem and remove it. Then slice perpendicular to the stem. More on tomatoes soon....