Sylvia's Peanut Butter Cake

My family has big love for all things peanut butter.  And of all the peanut butter things we love, Silvia Simons cake is at the top of the list.  I assure you, if I'm helping set up a dinner at the church and that cake is there - it's going out one piece short. 

Here's the recipe:



Peanut Butter Cake



½ c. butter

½ c. peanut butter

½ c. oil

1 c. water

Bring to a slight boil the above ingredients in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add:

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

½ c. milk

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Beat well. Pour into cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Icing:

Bring to a slight boil:

½ c. butter

½ c. peanut butter

1/3 c. milk

Remove from heat let cool slightly. Add confectioner’s sugar until desired consistency. (Sometimes I double the batch of this if I want extra icing, mostly I do...eat a little, ice a little, eat a little, ice a little...)

It's Chili Weather.

I've been making this chili for a long time.  It's absolutely great.  I like to serve it as chili with cornbread on the day I make it, then save some for taco salads later in the week.  Nothing like a two fer, right?

I know there are a lot of ingredients, but it does come together quickly and the crock pot does the rest. 

2 pounds ground beef
1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (29 oz) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (29 oz) can pinto beans with liquid
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green chili's (I used canned)
1/4 cup diced celery
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1 /2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 cups water

Brown and drain the ground beef.  In your large crock pot, add the remaining ingredients.  Cook on low 8-10 hours. 

You can also make this on the stove, simmering for 3 hours and stirring every 15 minutes (that's just too much work for me).

I like to serve this with cornbread or top it with sour cream, cheese and green onion.

Delish!

Squash and Rice by Joni Retton.

Hello!  This recipe is an old family favorite my great uncle Frank
Gearde taught me to make when I was in college.  Serve with a salad and good
bread for a perfect meal.

Squash and Rice

Put a little olive oil in large pot.  Add:  1small onion chopped and 1 clove
garlic , crushed.  Saute a few minutes (do not let garlic burn).  Then add:  3
small sliced, peeled zucchini (can slice in circles or half moons) and chunks of
2 bell peppers.  Add 1 can sliced, stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes (14.5 oz),
1 small can tomato paste, 2 paste cans of water, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper. 
Cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup rice in water or broth--regular or brown.  Remove bay leaf
from squash and add rice, fresh basil (I use the kind in a tube when I do not
have fresh) and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Thanks Joni for sharing!  Now I can't wait for my zucchini to come in!

Sandwich Spread made from Leftover Meat.

Here’s one more way to use leftovers from Sunday’s Pot Roast Dinner! Any cooked meat could be used to make this Sandwich Spread. I often make it from leftover beef roast as you can see in the ingredients listed below, but I’ve also used cooked pork, chicken and turkey or I suppose any combination would work nicely.

Making sandwiches from your fresh roasted meat is better than any processed meat that you can purchase. It also makes good sense to cook extra meat to use in making things like this sandwich spread for other meals. It’s also quite convenient to carry these sandwiches to school or work to avoid the expen se of eating out.

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed cooked meat

1 small onion, quartered

1 cup sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup or so of Miracle Whip salad dressing **

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/8 tsp pepper

** To substitute plain mayo just add a little mustard.

Directions:

1.    First, I put the beef and onion through a grinder with a coarse blade. If you don’t have pickle relish or pickle chunks, put pickles through grinder with meat and onions. Of course, you could use the food processor to mix up the meat, onions and pickles. But, I started using a food grinder before I owned a food processor and I believe it works very well.

2.   In a large bowl, combine the Miracle Whip, Worcestershire sauce, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Spread on bread or buns and add cheese, tomato and/or lettuce — it’s all up to you and your taste.

4.  This is a good spread for crackers to accompany a gelatin salad. It could also be scooped onto a garden salad for a light lunch.

 

 

 

This guest post was written by Betty Trobaugh who really enjoys cooking and baking as well as sharing recipes. See her cooking tips and recipes on her FaceBook page for Today's Baker.

Chocolate & Chuckles Favorite: Brownie Chocolate Trifle

Brownie Chocolate Trifle

 

Ingredients:

 

1 brownie mix

1 instant chocolate pudding (3.9 oz)

1/2 cup water

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 8 oz whipped topping (thawed)

1 12 oz whipped topping (thawed)

1 chocolate candy bar

 

Prepare brownies according to directions and cool completely.  Cut into 1 inch squares.

 

In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk.  Mix until smooth.  Fold in 8 oz whipped topping until no streaks remain.

 

In a trifle bowl, place half the brownies and cover with half the pudding mixture then add half the 12 oz. whipped topping.  Repeat layers.

 

Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish.  Refrigerate for eight hours before serving.

 

 

 

 

Woven Favorites: Kielbasa & Potato dinner

Let me just be honest here. 

My friend Tracey Moore not only submitted this recipe to the Woven cookbook, but she kept telling me what a delicious, quick and easy meal this was.  I, however, was highly doubtful. 

I think it's because my mom used to make us that awful cheddar wurst stuff when I was in high school.  It was her go to meal with a warmed up vegetable and a side of noodles.  Oh how I hated that meal. 

My problem was that I was getting a surplus of kielbasa.  Not that I was buying it, but it came in my HIS food box.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and make Tracey's recipe. 

Warning:  It is not a pretty dish, but it is soo good!

Here's what you need:

1 pound kielbasa, sliced into bite size pieces
2-3 sliced red or green peppers
1 onion diced or sliced
3 cups potatoes, sliced
1 stick of butter
Salt & Pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, melt butter.  Add other ingredients and cook until potatoes are tender.

Done!

I served mine with homemade applesauce.  Everyone cleaned their plate. 

I love that this meal comes together in a snap.  I used potatoes I had canned as well as sliced peppers from the freezer.  It's basically fried potatoes with added goodness.

Now don't let my picture scare you off!  Go make this.

Thanks Tracey for the recipe....and I'm sorry I doubted you.

Woven Favorites: Angel Wings

Van Johnson submitted this recipe to the Woven cookbook and let me just say, my husband is glad he did.

We love these wings.  They are sweet and tangy with just a touch of heat.  Even my kids will eat these. 

Here's what you need:
1 package of wings or wingettes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
1/4 cup honey
Tabasco to taste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
Squirt of mustard

Place wings in a single layer on a broiler pan for 20 minutes on each side until done. 
Mix all ingredients together and brush over wings.  Place back in oven until brown.

My wings don't usually take the whole 20 mintues per side.  More like 16 minutes.  Then again, when I use the broiler I either end up with a great meal or charcol brickettes.  Anyways, I do about 16 minutes per side, then brush on the sauce and broil again for just a few minutes. 

Ummmm....wings.

Thanks for sharing Van!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I've been making this recipe for....well, eight years now.  I first tasted it as one of my "New Mommy" meals.  Oh, how I loved getting the new mommy meals.  There's just something wonderful about sweet church ladies showing up at your doorstep with a hot meal.  Almost makes me want to have another baby.....ummm....well, maybe not.

This recipe was submitted to the Woven cookbook by Dee Dee Vasicek.

8 ounces cream cheese
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp. onion powder or minced onion
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups shredded chicken
8-10 flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cups pepper jack cheese (we use colby jack - the boys don't like anything spicy)

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt & pepper until smooth.  Stir in chicken.  Place 1/4 cup down center of each tortilla.  Fold envelope style and place seam side down in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan.  Combine soup, sour cream and milk.  Pour over enchiladas.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake until melted.



Stuffed Potatoes

Here's another great recipe from the Woven Favorites cookbook.

It was submitted by Marjorie Kuretza.

Here's what you need:

4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed
4 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup cottage cheese or 1/2 cup sour cream
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup cooked, chopped broccoli
8 strips cooked crisp bacon, crumbled
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Prick potatoes with a knife and bake on a foil lined baking sheet until tender, about 1 hour.
Remove potatoes, but leave oven on.  Cut off top quarter of each potato.  Scoop out flesh and mash it with butter, cottage cheese or sour cream.  Add cheddar, then stir in bacon and broccoli.  Pile stuffing back into potato skins.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until browned and piping hot.

Zucchini Cobbler

It's zucchini time!

I love zucchini.  Toss out a pack of seeds and you'll have zucchini coming out your ears.  What other vegetable does that so well? 

Even if you don't have a garden, chances are someone will come in to work with a box of extra zucchini.  And when they do, grab some and make this:

 
Zucchini cobber from Emma Malcomb!

Here's what you need:

Crust:
4 cups all purpose flour
2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cold butter or margarine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine flour and sugar in bowl.  Cut in butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir 1/2 cup into the zucchini mixture.  Press half of the remaining crust into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan.  Spread zucchini mixture on top.

Cobbler:
8 cups zucchini, chopped, seeded and peeled.
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender.  Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Simmer two minutes longer.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Spread zucchini mixture over crust.

Crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 

Pepper jelly

Anyone else getting the itch to can yet?

Every year, about mid September, I say something along the lines of "I don't ever want to see another canning jar again!". 

Yet, here I am.  Ready to do it all over again.  

I do love it.  Just remind me of that in a couple of months.

This is one of my favorite recipes. 

I follow it exactly - well, maybe not exactly.   I don't add the food coloring.  I didn't have any the first year I made it and I kind of like the light green color it naturally has.

Here's what you need:

1 cup ground bell peppers
1/4 cup chili peppers (I use Hungarian wax)
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 bottle Certo
Food coloring

Mix all except Certo.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Strain.  Heat to boil and stir for two more minutes.  Remove from heat and add food coloring and Certo.  Stir.  Put in jars and seal. 

You can process these for 5 minutes in a boiling water canner. 

My biggest pet peeve with canning recipes is that they never tell you how to use what you've canned.

This is the best and easiest thing to grab off the shelf when you need to take a little something to a get together.

Just put down a brick of cream cheese, pour the pepper jelly over it and serve with crackers. 

Delish!

Woven Favorites: Jalapeno Lime Chicken

Jessica Lueken submitted this recipe to the cookbook and just let me say, Yum-O!
I wasn't sure how this would go over for dinner because of the jalapenos and little guys, but it turned out really good.  Not too spicy, just a great flavor.  I also substutited honey for the sugar.  I mean, we do keep bees.  It seemed like a natural substute.


Here's what you need:

2 tsp. grated lime peel
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Cilantro
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small jalapeno chili seeded and chopped or 2 tsp. diced jalapenos.
1 clove garlic, finely chopped.
4 boneless skinless chicken breast

In a shallow glass or baking dish, make the marinade by adding all ingredients except for the chicken.  Between sheets of plastic wrap, flatten each breast to 1/4 inch thickness.  Add chicken to marinade, turning to coat.  Cover dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.  Grill on coals, gas or electric grill.  It will usually take 15-20 minutes on coal or gas, or 7-10 minutes on electric.  Grill until no longer pink in thickest cut.

I doubled this for our dinner and then kept the leftovers for lunch.  I used it in quesadillas and to top our salads. 

No doubt I'll be making this again.

I was tempted to make Jessica take a picture of her dish - if you don't know her, she's a fantastic photographer.  Check out her pics here.  Amazing!

Thanks Jessica!

Woven Favorites: RJ's "Chick" Dip.

What's the deal with this name?  Chick dip?  What's that even about? 
Is it for chicks?  Is it what RJ used to get his chick, Jen?  I just don't get it.

Despite the weird name, it's a great dip. 

Here's what you need:

2 cans shoe peg corn
2 cans black beans
8 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
8-10 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar

Mix corn and beans in a colander, rinse and drain well.  Then mix with the rest of the ingredients.  Serve with scooped tortilla chips.

I actually made a few adjustments.  I used leftover black beans that I had cooked earlier in the week and added a quart of corn that I had canned last summer.  I didn't see any reason to head to the store when I could use what I had on hand.  I also substituted 1/2 cup of stevia for the sugar.   That's just our family's preference. 

Very easy, very good dip. 

Thanks to RJ Soltys for sharing with us "chicks".

Woven Favorites: Green Beans and Caramelized Onions

I am set in my way when in comes to green beans.

I don't want a goopy green bean casserole.

I don't want any kind of cheese or sauce on them.

I want good old fashioned slow cooked green beans, just like my Nan made.

If they're just out of the garden, even better.

After trying this recipe, I may have to add one addition.

Bambi Liller submitted this recipe to the cookbook and let me just say - Bazinga!

I'm kinda loving it.

Here's what you'll need:

4 strips bacon
2 large onions
3 pounds fresh green beans
3 Tbsp. vinegar
4 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a heavy skillet, fry bacon until crisp.  Remove and drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. of drippings.  In drippings, cook onions over low heat until brown, about 15 minutes.  Cook beans 8-10 minutes until tender and crisp.  Drain.  Stir vinegar and brown sugar into onions.  Add beans.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add crumbled bacon.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Really, what's not to love about beans, onions and bacon.  I used beans I had canned from last year's garden and only one onion, chopped.  I was just a little too tired to go out to the cellar for the second onion.  It was still delish.

Sorry, we ate it before I remembered a picture. 

Thanks Bambi for the great recipe.

Woven Favorites: Chicken Stuffed Shells

Can you say yummo?

Well, you will after making this:

Chicken Stuffed Shells, submitted by Norma White. 

Here's what you need:

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 box of Stove Top stuffing
12 oz box of jumbo shells, cooked & drained
2 cans (10oz each) cream of chicken soup
2 cans (10oz each) milk

Prepare stuffing mix according to package.  Add cream cheese and chicken.  Stuff shells.  Put in a 9 x13 pan.  Stir soup and milk together and pour over shells.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

You'll notice, I made a little change to mine.  I slipped in a packed of chopped broccoli, thawed.   My boys love broccoli so it seemed like an easy addition.  I also didn't have canned milk, so I just used plain old milk.  It was still delish.

Once again, clean plate club at our house.

Thanks Norma!

Woven Favorites: Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes!  I found this in the Woven Favorite's Cookbook and had to share it with you. 

Ruth Haney submitted this recipe to our cookbook.  It's one of my go to recipes when I need a cake....quick.

Here's what you'll need:

1 Box chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 eggs
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease Bundt pan.  Mix together cake mix, oil and eggs.  Fold in cherry pie filling.  Pour into well greased Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.  Serve with whipped topping.

I've been known to add a quick chocolate glaze for my chocoholics.

Image: McCormicks.com