It's been a long time!

Well, hello!
Yes, it has been a very long time since I posted on here.  Time flies and life gets complicated and we move forward too fast.
Today was a total solar eclipse, I do hope you had a chance to observe it.  Next one in 7 years!  Wow!
So, today I am posting a recipe that is low carb and so so delicious!!!
It's Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole......so here are the ingredients and instructions:

1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of pepper
8 ounces Swiss cheese chopped into cubes
1 package of Hillshire Farms Black Forest Ham chopped ( 16 ounces)
1 bag Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken frozen pulled (20 ounces)
   I used a rotissiere chicken shredded
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup crushed pork rinds (I used French's crispy onions)

Mix mayo, heavy cream and cream cheese together until well combined
Stir in Parm, garlic powder and pepper and mix well.
Add in Swiss cheese, chicken, ham and broth and mix well.
Spread mixture in 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  Top with pork rinds (or onions)
Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 mins. until top begins to brown.
Let it sit for a bit then dig in and enjoy!!!

Well, until we meet here again....Happy Eating!

It does not seem possible that it has been such a long time since I wrote on this blog.  Time flies when you have fun!!!
Here is a quick recipe.  I love, love, love cabbage rolls but it is time consuming to roll each roll...so, here is a really easy recipe...one skillet dish....
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 head cabbage chopped
2/3 cup minute rice
1 medium onion chopped
2 lbs. ground meat
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter/margarine in a skillet. Layer in cabbage, rice, onion, raw crumbled meat until all is used and then add the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Cover with a lid and simmer 25-30 minutes.  Do not stir, do not lift lid while cooking.  After time is done, uncover mix and enjoy!!!  Hope you have a truly wonderful meal.

Christmas is on the way!

Today is the last day of November, where did the time go?  Summer was here and gone. I did put the pool up this year and it was fun to get in there this year.  I missed it last year and the year before...glad I was able to get it up now.  In January, I will be able to join a Y!  Yipee!  I am so happy I will be able to go and swim and use the machines.  Maybe I can get to feeling better...I really haven't been doing much cooking.  Been going out a lot with a friend and so I don't have the recipe this month.  I promise I will try to work on getting more recipes on here!  Have a wonderful Christmas!

March?????

My goodness where has the time gone. It has been one wickedly cold winter here in Ohio, ice, snow, wind, now thunder and lightning...wild season.

Next week starts Lent...fish will be the star of the season. Here is a recipe for Salmon burgers..hope you will enjoy it!

1 can of salmon, drained, skinned and boned 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs

1/4 c. finely diced onion 2 Tbsp. mayo or salad dressing

1 beaten egg 1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. parsley flakes 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Hamburger buns

In a medium bowl combine salmon, bread crumbs, onion, egg, mayo, lemon juice, parsley and garlic powder mixing well. Shape into four burgers ( Mix will be moist). Grill until both sides are browned. Serve on the hamburger buns with your favorite sauce and toppings.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year

Yes, it is now 2011. The time has been flying by. I did find my mom's recipe box and found a really old recipe that my grandmother would make. It is Czarnina or Duck Soup...I'll share it with you as I did like to eat this...

1 6 lb. duck

1 c celery, diced

1 c prunes, unpitted

1/2 c. vinegar

6 TBSP. sugar

2 TBSP salt

1 c cold water

1 c flour

duck blood

cooked noodles or dumplings.

Cut duck in pieces and put in large pot with plent of water. Bring to a boil and spoon scum off surface, lower to simmering and add celery, prunes, vinegar, sugar and salt. Duck should be tender in 1 1/2 hrs. About 15 mins. before it is done, slowly add fluid duck blood blended with cold water and flour. Stir constantly until soup thickens. Serve the soup, prunes, and meat with the cooked noodles or dumplings. (There really isn't much more than a Tablespoon or two of duck blood needed) Hope you will try this and enjoy!

Christmas Holiday

Well, the season of Christmas is here.

Our family never really had any specific food that we would have at this time of year, but I am going to have a ham.

On Christmas Eve, I will observe meatless. We usually had pierogi and tuna fish or fish sticks..because on Christmas we had ham and sweet potatoes and yummy homemade bread. Was always so good. I have lost the recipe box of my mom's. I was moving things for the guys who were working on my house and now I can't find it. When I do, I will share more goodies with you.

Until we meet in 2011...have a great Christmas and New Year's Eve and day! Enjoy and love one another! Cheers!

Crock pot

Oh a crock pot! What a wonderful invention.

I used mine a lot when I worked...great for almost anything! Today with the snow and cold, I decided to make Chicken soup...came out yummy.

Next adventure: Turkey in the crock pot!

Take one turkey breast (4 or 5 lbs.) fresh or thawed and place in stoneware. Combine 2 Tbs. butter or margarine, 1/4 cup garden vegetable whipped cream cheese, 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 1 Tbs. fresh minced parsley, 1/2 tsp. dry basil leaves, rubbed sage, dry thyme leaves, 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and brush over turkey. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours.

Hope you will enjoy this!

After Thanksgiving

I do hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was very special! I never realized the joys that children can bring into ones heart. I met my cousin's children and what gems they are. Made my heart warm and happy.

This Thanksgiving was so very great! The kindness and hospitality I was shown...the great food! Sure, we didn't have a turkey...but let me tell you we had other great stuff! Green beans, pierogi, mushroom gravy, biscuits, a vegetable salad....was like a succatash and yummy, mixed potatoes, a wonderful cranberry salad, home made applesauce, and a great ham! Dessert was pumpkin pie and jello/pretzel cake! I tell you it was just wonderful! I truly am blessed!

Hope yours was half as good as mine!

Will work on recipes later...today...we remember how thankful we are for all we have!

Thanksgiving 2010

Ah, the smell of turkey roasting in the oven, sweet potatoes cooking, stuffing baking, pies done and ready for dessert...It may take days to make, but it is always a special time to celebrate with family. I made Thanksgiving for my parents and in-laws. I really enjoyed that time together.

We always made the turkey in oven bags and it was sooooo nice and browned. Stuffing was made by mom from her mom's recipe and it is one of my very favorite. I can't find a recipe, but I did try this one .... it almost tastes like gram and mom's....

1 stick margarine

4 cups of dried bread cubed

1 diced onion

1 chopped stalk celery

1 tsp. each of the following: marjoram, thyme, sage, poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp. pepper

salt to taste

chicken broth/stock

In a skillet, melt the margarine and add the onion and celery and saute...don't brown it, til soft and translucent. In a large bowl add the bread cubes, mix in the onion and celery, seasoning and start adding stock/broth to moisten and mix. When bread cubes become sticky, stop adding stock. Put into a buttered casserole dish and back covered 1 hour. Take off lid and cook another 15 mins...Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Fall is here and almost gone

Good intentions sometimes fall by the wayside and that is what happened here with my blog. I had every intention of keeping this up and I messed up....let other things get in the way. But I hope to be able to work on my blog at least weekly.

This time of the year, my mom or grandma would make my dad's favorite and my favorite as well...Jellied Pig's Feet...

Use 4 pigs feet, cut in half. 1 clove of garlic 2 pork shanks

5 whole peppers 1 onion, browned 5 whole allspice

1 stalk celery, chopped 4 bay leaves 1 sprig parsley, cut fine

1 T. vinegar Salt

Wash feet and shanks, place in large kettle and cover with water. Bring to boiling point and skim. Add onion, celery, garlic and spices and simmer covered very slowly for about 4 hours or until meat comes off bones easily. Cool, strain, remove bones and spices. Return meat to liquid and salt and vinegar and pour into loaf or tube pan. Set in refrigerator until firm. Scrape fat from the top, garnish with cooked carrot slices, lemon slices and hard boiled eggs sliced. Enjoy!

We used to slice it and put a little vinegar on it and pepper no garnishes with a slice of rye bread...I can taste it now....Hope you like this ..... til next we meet.

Fall is around the corner

Well, my intentions were to keep this up at least monthly...and time flies by and you don't seem to have time for it..The summer is almost gone..the school season starts tomorrow and Labor Day is just around the corner.

I did put in tomatoes and got quite a few for my own use and they did come out pretty good. I can't find my recipe box. I cleaned up and put it in a good place. But that is life...I will have all winter to look for it again.

In thinking of fall...I think of pumpkins...so here is a pumpkin soup out of the Polish cookbook.

1 small pumpkin

Salt

2 qts. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Peel and dice pumpkin. Cook in small amount of salted water until tender. Mash pumpkin. Cook milk add pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds.. Yum.

Yikes

Yikes..where has the time gone? There is a saying on Facebook about what idiot got me started on FB....it is a time consuming thing to be on there...Plus, not feeling well and not knowing what was happening...but life is better now. Spring and summer...such nice times. Memorial Day is here. Cook outs...but, I have given up a lot of the meat for now...eating more chicken and fish. I like to have shark..mmm a little lemon after grilling it on my G. Foreman grill...and I am in heaven.

Hope you don't mind but I don't have a post of a recipe. I have to look some up and share...Have a great Memorial Day!!!

Spring

Ahhhh spring...the air is full of the smell of lilacs!! It is too bad they only bloom for a short time.
Got really hungry for some sauerkraut...but what to have with it????
Well, I thawed some pork chops and sliced some onions and off we went...
this is my recipe for pork chops...
Place the chops in a heavy skillet. Add the sliced onions. Cover the chops and onion with water and let cook. Add more water as needed if it evaporates and cook for about one hour or until meat is tender. Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. After one hour let the water evaporate from skillet. When water is almost gone, add sauerkraut and juice and let cook to desired consistency...Enjoy!! I know I did!

March Madness

Good gravy, it is already the 14th of March. Where has all the time gone? Seems like it was just Thanksgiving. I will be glad to see the horrors of winter come to an end and the joyous songs of the birds once again filling the air....St. Patrick's day is coming...and I remember when my hubby was alive how he enjoyed corned beef and cabbage. Of course, he wasn't Irish nor am I...I bought the corned beef packaged with it's seasonings and a head of cabbage and put it in the crock pot the night before and mmmmmm....by morning the smells were awesome. Here's wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day.....May the road ahead be smooth and straight and may the Sun always shine upon you....until we meet again. Have a good one!

Meatless meal

Here it is ....Friday already. During Lent, we always went meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays. So, I still try and comply.
I remember going over to my Italian friend's home and having the most wonderful pizza ever. I did ask my "other" mother how to make it and she gave me the recipe. It is so easy....this is...
Salt and Pepper Pizza
Buy a loaf of frozen bread dough. Thaw according to directions on the package. Lightly grease a
pizza pan or a sheet pan. Press the thawed dough into the pan. With your finger, gently indent the dough...let it rise and then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 mins. check and see if it is golden brown...if it is it is ready. If not leave in the oven a little longer..until golden brown. Cut and enjoy with a fresh greens salad....It is the best!!!

Lent begins???

Holy mackerel..where has the time gone. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday already. The time for Lent begins. Lots of fish fries and meatless dishes on Fridays and Wednesdays. For a quick meal, I like to have cheese ravioli. I buy them frozen, boil as many as I feel I can eat. Then in a frying pan or saute pan, I saute onions til translucent in margarine/butter. I add my ravioli after they have cooked and enjoy them ... just about as much as pierogi. A quick meal if I add a nice fresh salad and I am all set...
Have a great day....enjoy and Smile!!!

Sugarfree Valentine's Day Dessert

Hii all! Happy Valentine's Day....since chocolate is one of the things most people give or receive, I found a recipe for those of us who are not to have sugar....enjoy....
Sugarfree Chocolate Mousse
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
3 Tbsps. hot water
1 tsp. rum flavoring
1 TBSP. liquid sweetener (to equal 1/2 cup sugar)
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites beaten stiff
Cut chocolate into small pieces and combine in a blender with hot water, rum flavoring and liquid sweetner. Blend for 40 seconds. Add egg yolks: blend 20 more seconds. Fold chocolate mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites. Spoon into 4 individual serving dishes and chill thoroughly.
Only 100 calories per serving. Enjoy it with your sweetie!!

Peanut butter Pie

My goodness, time sure has gone by quickly. We are looking at February now and the blizzards are upon us. This is the second one in a week. I really am not liking the snow. Way too much of it and all sorts of drifts.
Here is a pie that I love. My mom made it for me to enjoy....we didn't have it as a pie, but a parfait.
Mix 1/3 cup peanut butter
small pkg. cream cheese softened
9 oz. tub of cool whip thawed
Mix cream cheese and peanut butter together. Fold in cool whip. Put in a graham cracker crust. Chill and enjoy.
I love my peanut butter....and hope you will enjoy this pie as much as I do.

Merry Christmas to All

Yes, today is Christmas and I wish a very Merry one to all. It is a day of reflection for me...reflecting on the warm family Christmases of past. Today I sit here with my little dog. We have had many other friends in the house, but today it is he and I.
I think back to when I was little. We had Aunts, Uncles, Great Aunts and Uncles, Grandmothers, cousins...the house was filled with Love. And today, most of them are gone...either deceased or moved away. Each one with their own lives to live. I remember the joyous laughter and delight as us little ones opened up each gift.
Today I remember my parents. And I am thankful for them. They were really good to us growing up. They did the best they could.
We did have traditional food on Christmas....ham, sausage, potato and macaroni salads, pierogi, sweet bread, jello salad, usually a cake or pie or nut or poppyseed rolls. I did most of the decorating...loved it then.
So, today, as I sit here with my little guy, Taco. I reflect on the past Christmases and the joys of those days gone by. And relish in the knowledge that life must go on...one day at a time.
Merry Christmas and all the Blessings of the Season to you and your families......

MMMM Paprikas

My goodness, here we are in the middle of December. The months have flown by and winter has arrived.

This cold weather is good for soup but we had Chicken Paprikas. I remember Gram in the kitchen making the paprikas. Of course, ours was not like everyone elses. Our paprikas was white...not red. Served with mashed potatoes and a veggie and mmmmm...so delicious. I never did get the recipe from Gram but I made up my own. I needed a way to make it so that it would cook all day in the crock pot and be ready for supper.

I used Chicken breasts with the skin on...In a heavy skillet, I melted butter or margarine and sauteed a medium onion that was diced finely. Then I took the chicken and put it in the skillet after the onion was translucent and removed. In my crock pot, I put the onions in and add two regular size (10 ounce) cans or one 26 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup and add one large can or two small cans of water and mix well. I then add two small cans of mushrooms drained and the chicken after it is slightly browned into the mushroom soup mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook in the crock pot until chicken falls off bone...remove bones . Add one 8 oz. container of sour cream (first temper this before adding...to temper...place two tablespoons of sour cream in bowl, add hot stock in about 4 tablespoons and mix well...then add to the rest of the sour cream and add more hot stock and continue to mix....pour into stock/chicken mix stirring continually)(Prevents curdling.) Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles that are cooked with a salad or veggie. Enjoy. I just made it today and the house still smells so good....Have a great week!!!