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!!!

Thanksgiving

Wow, time sure flies by. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Thanksgiving meant a lot to me as a child. We would visit the poultry shop where the live chickens, ducks, and turkeys arrived in the crates and I would like to play with them...since the owners of the shop were relatives, it was a lot of fun...I saw the carcasses but never did observe the killing of any of them. The poultry was nice and fresh and so tender...something different than now days. As I matured, our Thanksgiving was at my parents and then my husband's family. We would split it between them. And as my mom aged and my husband died, my brother and his wife would host the Thanksgiving dinner. Mom and I really enjoyed going there for the dinners and seeing the boys grow up. It was a special time as we did not see my brother or his family much throughout the year. Now that mom is gone and dad, things are different. No family get togethers...no visits...no laughs or stories to remember. I am so thankful to my cousin and his wife. They have been there every step for me. They helped pack up mom's apartment and helped when my dog died and have helped me out more than I can ever repay. Tomorrow I will thank God for them. They have invited me to go out with them and I will thoroughly enjoy the company. Thanksgiving was always a fun time...Gram made stuffing that was soooooo good. Mom cooked the turkey, made bread, mashed the potatoes, baked the yams, baked pies, I made jello salad, and we had cranberry sauce in the shape of turkeys, had corn....and invited older relatives or relatives without spouses for a family gathering. It was a day of laughter and remembering. I will remember the Thanksgivings of past days with fondness. And I wish all of my followers many blessings and good wishes this Thanksgiving....

MMMMMbread pudding

I remember the cool fall nights....the smell of leaves burning...just the crispness in the air. I can remember coming home from school to the wonderful scents wafting through the door when you opened it....Grandma made bread pudding...yum-o. So, here is her recipe...it is soooooo Goood.....warm with a splash of milk, or scoop of vanilla ice cream....or cold in a nice slice....just terrific...
Bread Pudding
2 cups bread cubes 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups milk 1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Soak the bread in milk for 5 mins. Stir in eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place casserole into shallow pan of hot water. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Now enjoy!
(You can add white raisins to this as well just soak them in warm water to plump them and add)
Hope you will try some of the recipes and enjoy them as much as I do.

A cool day

Good morning! Today is a crisp, cool one here i n Ohio. I can remember coming home from school to the delicious smells of grandma's baking. In going through mom's boxes of recipes, I found a favorite of grandma and mom....it is for OATMEAL BREAD it was so good right out of the oven for an after school snack....I can smell it now.....
OATMEAL BREAD
2 1/2 Cups lukewarm water, milk or potato water (milk should be scalded and cooled)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soft shortening
1 cake compressed yeast
2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
Mix together the liquid, sugar, salt and shortening. Crumble the yeast into the mixture and stir unitl the yeast is dissolved. Add the rolled oats and mix in the flour--half at a time, using what is necessary to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board, cover and let stand 10 mins.; then knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until double in bulk (1 1/2 to 2 hrs.). Punch down dough. Divide in half. Shape into 2 loaves. Put in lightly greased pans. Cover with damp cloth and let rise about 1 hr. Bake 30-40 mins. in 400 degree oven. Cool and enjoy.
Hope you will try this....it is a good bread for the cool days of autumn. Till next time.............keep warm and toasty!

New things are showing up

Hi!

Well, I have been bad about not writing, but I have been busy. I am making cards and been online playing Yoville and Farmville. I am going to post a picture of my mother's parents...Dominic and Sophia...It has to be from the 1920's I believe...not sure maybe earlier.

Gram liked potato pancakes and so do I...so the recipe is....Potato Pancakes....

5 Tbsp. flour l small, peeled grated onion l unbeaten egg

l l/2 lbs. pared, raw potatoes (3 Large) 1 tsp. salt l/8 tsp. black pepper

Measure the flour in a bowl; grate the potatoes, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Grease a heavy skillet. Place over medium heat. Drop potato mixture by heaping Tbsp. into hot skillet. Fry until crisp and golden brown on the underside. Brown on other side. Serve as a vegetable.. Makes about 16 pancakes.

You can eat with a dollup of sour cream or plain yogurt or just plain. Hope you enjoy them! I do.

Til later.......