Yesterday, my wife and I took a leisurely drive, we thought. I love to take a day trip, it was sort of overcast, but it didn't look too bad. We left home a little after 12 o'clock and drove on the freeway until our turnoff. We hadn't gone very far on this road for a long time, but I decided to keep going until we reached a small town with a huge lake surrounding it. It brings back a lot of memories, when it was small, but like everything else it was getting too commercialized. You could go and enjoy art and crafts fairs, and enjoy this beautiful scenery. There was also a river going thru it. The town was a very sleepy one when we first went there in the early '80's. It was so nice. Well, we drove along with about 50 other cars right downtown and were amazed that nothing seemed to change, except for the traffic. We were able to brings back some of our most treasured memories of our travels. It takes about an hour and a half to get there from our home, just enough time to enjoy a day. But, I decided to take another route back home that was the opposite way from the way we came. It was also a scenic way home; it was along a great River that feed into the Lake that we came from. It has now a ton of new homes on the banks. When we first visited it was pretty quiet and a lot of farms. The road is about the same. We were able to check out a small town or a blip in the road that my wife and young family were able to spend a wonderful 4th of July there; the local townsfolk had a great picnic planned. We only paid a very small amount. The kids were able to have a lot of fun. My oldest daughter got dunked the dunk tank. It was warm outside so it was fun for her. My son got to get into this small fenced sand box and try to dig for money. He got all of the big bucks from it. Silver dollars, 50 cent pieces and any other $$ he could find, I think he took it all, that was it for him he found his niche in life to make a lots of money. My youngest daughter won a pie eating contest in her age group, three years old. She always hates to listen to our family reminiscing about the good experiences especially when came to this time, she was mortified about winning a pie eating contest. We ate a ton of food and enjoyed a fantastic fireworks display. It was really a surprise for such a small town. My son won a contest and got the biggest prize, more money. He won a ten dollar bank account at their local bank. Now remember this was out of state and we never got back very often, so I think that account probably closed for lack of use. Oh well, so much for winning money, something our family is not known for. Especially after all of my gum trips to the store that was really was to buy a dollar lotto ticket and coming out and telling my family they didn't have my kind of gum. I think they started to get wise after they got older; it would become a family joke. I am still waiting for that Billion dollars grand prize. Ya right, but it is fun for the anticipation. Well enough memories. We kept driving and driving back past the state border and then into our state, to say the least it took about 5 hours to get back home. Never again will we do that. We got enough memories to cover the rest of our lives. This leads me to food that I remember that was picnic treasures. I hope you enjoy them.
PUDDING CAKE
Ingredients:
1 Devil’s Food cake mix + the ingredients needed to make the batter
12 marshmallows, snipped in quarters or about a cup or so of mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups water
Directions:
1. In a 13×9 pan, mix the brown sugar and cocoa together. Stir in 2 cups of water. Scatter the marshmallows over the top.
2. Mix up the cake batter and spoon it over the top of the mixture in the pan.
3. Be careful transferring the pan to the oven. It is very sloshy with all that water in the bottom.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.
CROWD PLEASING CHILI
This makes 10 to 15 bowls (depending on your generosity), or use a large, heavy aluminum stock pot and usually triple this recipe for a cookout!
2 lbs Ground Chuck
1 large Spanish Onion, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, minced
4 dried Pasidlla Chilies, seeded and chopped fine*
3/4 cup Chili Powder
1 Tbs Oregano
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes, chopped (juice reserved)
1 tsp Tabasco
3 cups Water
6 oz Tomato Paste
48 0z jar Pinto Beans (drained)
Brown ground beef, drain, reserve. Sauté onions, garlic, chilies till onions are almost clear. Add chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, sauté 2 min. Add chopped tomato, sauté 2 min. Add juice, Tabasco, water, tomato paste, and beans and simmer 1 hour
2 lbs Ground Chuck
1 large Spanish Onion, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, minced
4 dried Pasidlla Chilies, seeded and chopped fine*
3/4 cup Chili Powder
1 Tbs Oregano
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes, chopped (juice reserved)
1 tsp Tabasco
3 cups Water
6 oz Tomato Paste
48 0z jar Pinto Beans (drained)
Brown ground beef, drain, reserve. Sauté onions, garlic, chilies till onions are almost clear. Add chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, sauté 2 min. Add chopped tomato, sauté 2 min. Add juice, Tabasco, water, tomato paste, and beans and simmer 1 hour
CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
Cake:
Mix in large bowl and set aside:2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
Combine in saucepan:
1 stick butter
4 Tbls cocoa (Mom used 6)
1/2 cup Crisco (Mom would have eliminated the butter and used all Crisco)
1 cup water
Bring to boil, stirring well, and pour over sugar and flour.
Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. soda
Mix well--it will be thin.
Pour onto large, greased cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Frosting:
(Start 5 minutes before cake is done)
In saucepan combine:
1/3 cup milk
1 stick butter
4 Tbls cocoa (very generous)
Bring to boil and remove from heat.
Mix in large bowl and set aside:2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
Combine in saucepan:
1 stick butter
4 Tbls cocoa (Mom used 6)
1/2 cup Crisco (Mom would have eliminated the butter and used all Crisco)
1 cup water
Bring to boil, stirring well, and pour over sugar and flour.
Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. soda
Mix well--it will be thin.
Pour onto large, greased cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Frosting:
(Start 5 minutes before cake is done)
In saucepan combine:
1/3 cup milk
1 stick butter
4 Tbls cocoa (very generous)
Bring to boil and remove from heat.
Add:
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Spread over hot cake as it comes from the oven.
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Spread over hot cake as it comes from the oven.
GREEN AND GOLD SALAD
Ingredients:
1-#2 can crushed Pineapple
1-3oz pkg Lime Jell-O
2-3oz pkg Cream Cheese
1 cp Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip, Dream Whip)
3/4 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cp chopped Walnuts
Directions:Heat Pineapple to boiling point. Add Jell-O, stir till dissolved. Chill until partially set. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill till set.
1-3oz pkg Lime Jell-O
2-3oz pkg Cream Cheese
1 cp Whipped Cream (or Cool Whip, Dream Whip)
3/4 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cp chopped Walnuts
Directions:Heat Pineapple to boiling point. Add Jell-O, stir till dissolved. Chill until partially set. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill till set.
CROCK-POT SPAGHETTI
(A real crowd pleaser) Not!!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef1 small onion, chopped or minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
2 small or 1 large clove garlic
2 tsp chili powder
Directions:
Brown all of the above, drain fat and put the meat in the crock pot.
Add:
(2) 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can (about six cups) tomato juice
2-4 Tbls brown sugar
Directions:
Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Turn to high for last half-hour of cooking and add 16 oz. spaghetti noodles, broken in half.
EASY CHICKEN RICE
Ingredients:
6 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts1½ cups of long grain rice (NON-INSTANT) if you use the instant it will get mushy.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1 can water
salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 390F/198.9C
In 9x13 Pyrex or corning ware baking dish. Spray the baking dish with a non-stick spray
Sprinkle rice evenly along the bottom of the dish. Lay the chicken breasts down side-by-side in the dish on top of the rice. Take the cream of mushroom, French onion soup and water and blend them together. Pour the soup mixture on top of the chicken, lifting the chicken slightly so that all the rice underneath is covered with the soup mixture. Cover with foil and put in oven for 1 hour. Take foil off and bake for another 20 minutes. Take out and ENJOY! Yield: 6 servings
Sprinkle rice evenly along the bottom of the dish. Lay the chicken breasts down side-by-side in the dish on top of the rice. Take the cream of mushroom, French onion soup and water and blend them together. Pour the soup mixture on top of the chicken, lifting the chicken slightly so that all the rice underneath is covered with the soup mixture. Cover with foil and put in oven for 1 hour. Take foil off and bake for another 20 minutes. Take out and ENJOY! Yield: 6 servings
TATER TOTS HOT DISH
2 lb. pkg tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
Press burger in bottom of 9x13 cake pan.
Sprinkle with onion salt
Lay tater tots side by side and end to end on top of burger.
Mix soups together and spread on top of tater tots.
Bake@375 for 45-60 minutes or until top is glazed and golden brown.
You can also put a layer of Velveeta or American cheese between the burger and tater tot layers.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
Press burger in bottom of 9x13 cake pan.
Sprinkle with onion salt
Lay tater tots side by side and end to end on top of burger.
Mix soups together and spread on top of tater tots.
Bake@375 for 45-60 minutes or until top is glazed and golden brown.
You can also put a layer of Velveeta or American cheese between the burger and tater tot layers.
FAT POTATOES
These instructions are for a small batch. You can make a double, or for in six-quart crock pot, 2-1/2 batches.
Ingredients:
9 medium white potatoes
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
Directions:
Peel and boil potatoes with a little salt in the water until potatoes are tender (just like you're making mashed potatoes). Drain potatoes and add butter, cream cheese, and sour cream and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees (45 minutes if they have been made ahead and refrigerated), or cook in crock pot on high about 4 hours or on low for 6-8.
9 medium white potatoes
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
Directions:
Peel and boil potatoes with a little salt in the water until potatoes are tender (just like you're making mashed potatoes). Drain potatoes and add butter, cream cheese, and sour cream and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees (45 minutes if they have been made ahead and refrigerated), or cook in crock pot on high about 4 hours or on low for 6-8.
BOW TIE SEAFOOD SALAD
Prep: 25 minYield: 32 (1-cup) servings.
Ingredients:
3 pounds uncooked bow tie pasta
1-1/2 pounds imitation crabmeat, chopped
1 pound frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup finely chopped green onions
1 medium green pepper, diced
4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add the crab, shrimp, celery, onions and green pepper. In another bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard, salt, dill and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
No comments:
Post a Comment