For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
The County Fair is coming!!
In true county fair style we have 4-H projects galore floating around the house. Not all of them are complete though. Tomorrow will be the mad project dash. Even waiting until the last minute, I'm really proud of my kids for going a little out of the norm and making knitted and crocheted items as well as baking homemade granola and cheese bread. Now knitted projects may not seem that abnormal to you, but we went around and counted every single project in that category last year and there were six including one made by the older daughter.
Now 4-H may be the reason we are at the fair, but what visit to the fair is complete without an elephant ear?
We always stop and get one or two to share. Ours are always topped with cinnamon-sugar, but I've heard that this is more of a regional thing. Is that true? I'd love to know.
Inevitably I start craving these in January when the snow is piled up and the cold winds are blowing. There are no fairs around then though so the next best thing is making my own. I know that these are one of those things that the atmosphere of the fair just makes them better, but hey.....they are still good.
And not a single word on how bad they are for me. I already know and I don't care.
Elephant Ears
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
3/8 cup shortening
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart oil for frying
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons white sugar
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and shortening. Heat until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, about 110*F. Sprinkle in yeast and let sit until foamy. Transfer mixture to large bowl, and stir in flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth, cover and let rise 30 minutes. In a large heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375*F. Roll out 1 to 2 inch balls of dough into thin sheets. Fry sheets 1 to 2 minutes on a side, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels. Combine cinnamon and 6 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle over warm pastries. Serve.
So what have you been up to this week?
Do you have someth ing to share? Let us know what you’re working on this week! It can be photos of a project, instructions, recipes, or anything else you feel is "crafty". If you have something to share with us on your blog, add your link to the current week's party. Just please be sure to :- Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address in the linky form below.
- Include in your blog entry a link back to the party post on this blog so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is working on today and have an opportunity to contribute! You can use the code below to add the button to your posts or blog if you'd like.
- Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what makes a party fun!! You don't want to come to a party and have no one talk to you!
If you want to play along don't forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in Crafty Fridays!
Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post.
I have Back to School on the brain. We start our homeschool the day after Labor Day and we are in full-on planning mode. That includes lunches. I like to cook "real food" lunches on school days, but sometimes we love convenience foods. French fries are fun once in awhile and what kid doesn't like fish sticks? Even I have a love affair with fish sticks, but I try to only eat them once in a while.
Fish Stick tacos are a huge hit when I make them. The beauty of them is they can be topped with almost anything. Traditional tartar sauce is good, but why not fresh Pico de Gallo or chipotle mayo? Here's a basic fish taco recipe. It makes 2 tacos each for a family of five.
Fish Stick Tacos
30 breaded frozen fish sticks
10 soft flour tortillas or crunchy corn shells
1/2 pound finely shredded lettuce
3/4 cup tartar sauce
3/4 cup salsa
shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Preheat oven to 400*F. Arrange fish sticks in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from heat and cut into thirds. Fill the tortillas with fish stick portions, lettuce, tartar sauce, and salsa to serve.
For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
I'm sick. :( My head is so stuffed up I can't think straight. So I am going to revisit an old recipe that I had forgotten about.  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 1/4 cups milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 400* In a medium size bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, oil, and egg. Stir until just blended. Add the chocolate chips; stir. Divide the mixture evenly into 18 greased (or use muffin papers) muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
It looks like summer is here to stay. The heat has settled in and there is no real cool down in sight. So why not add heat to the fire? How about a side dish cooked on the grill right alongside your steak or chicken. I can honestly say that before I saw these I had never thought to wrap bacon around a jalapeño. I should have though considering I think bacon goes with everything. Enjoy you summer bbq and stay cool!  Bacon Wrapped Grilled Jalapenos6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded ( wear gloves!!) 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 12 slices bacon
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Spread cream cheese to fill jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Place on the grill, and cook until bacon is crispy. Yum! For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
Happy Tuesday! Is it hot where you are? It is absolutely, unbelievably hot here. Heat indexes are way over 100 and today is supposed to be the cool day of the week :( For the first time in years I'm kind of wishing we had air conditioning. Since I don't want to heat the house up any more than it already is, we'll be cooking a lot outside. The grill is a great way to make dinner on a hot summer's day and my favorite thing to grill is chicken. Yum! I have several chicken marinade recipes, but this is by far the most requested and the easiest. In fact, you've probably had some version of it at a family gathering. I'd thought I'd share my little twist to what's simply an Italian dressing marinade. A little of this and a little of that makes this nearly irresistible. 
Grilled Italian Chicken4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 bottle (16 oz.) Zesty Italian dressing 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary In a shallow baking dish or ziploc bag, mix the salad dressing, garlic powder and herbs. Place the chicken in the bowl, and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours. (For best results, marinate overnight.)
Preheat the grill for high heat. Lightly oil grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
Happy 4th! I know it's a few days off, but I think it's going to be one long party all weekend. :o) How many of you are going to have parties and get-togethers? We have a family party on Monday. It made me think of this fruit salad. It would be a cute addition to anyone's holiday party.  Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 pint blueberries 1/4 to 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 bananas Mix the strawberries and blueberries together in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, and toss lightly. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes. About 30 minutes before serving, cut the bananas into 3/4-inch thick slices, and toss with the berries. Do you have someth ing to share? Let us know what you’re working on this week! It can be photos of a project, instructions, recipes, or anything else you feel is "crafty". If you have something to share with us on your blog, add your link to the current week's party. Just please be sure to :- Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address in the linky form below.
- Include in your blog entry a link back to the party post on this blog so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is working on today and have an opportunity to contribute! You can use the code below to add the button to your posts or blog if you'd like.
- Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what makes a party fun!! You don't want to come to a party and have no one talk to you!
If you want to play along don't forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in Crafty Fridays!Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post.
Do you enjoy ice cream sundaes? Maybe with chocolate, caramel and whipped cream? (I shouldn't write this when I'm hungry....) I almost always have chocolate sauce around, but caramel sauce is practically nonexistent and until recently I had no idea how to make it. I thought it'd be hard or that I wouldn't have the ingredients on hand. (Who keeps heavy cream on hand all the time?) I stumbled upon this recipe and was instantly hooked. Here was a caramel sauce that I could make whenever I wanted! Now that summer is here, ice cream sundaes will be a frequent dessert. Of course there is also the holiday weekend coming up. Gotta make sundaes for that too. What have you been making this week?  Homemade Caramel Sauce1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed 4 tablespoons flour 1 cup boiling water dash salt 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons cream (evaporated milk can be substituted) 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix sugar with flour in saucepan; blend well. Add water and salt. Stir while cooking for 6 to 8 minutes. If too thick add a little more water. Remove from heat; stir in butter, cream, and vanilla. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
Happy first day of summer! I'm loving the weather! I've been in a comfort food mood lately and I'm not sure why. Normally summer time is when I experiment with new recipes and Fall is for comfort food. I seem a bit mixed up right now. So in honor of comfort food I am going to share with you a very yummy snack....Peanut Butter Popcorn. It's a nice alternative to caramel corn. Yum!  Peanut Butter Popcorn 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn or 16 cups popped popcorn (approx. 2 bags of microwavable popcorn) 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pop corn and remove any unpopped kernels. Place in a really large bowl or roasting pan.
In a heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey and corn syrup. Bring mixture to boiling, continue boiling for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Immediately pour over popcorn and stir to coat. Serve warm or a room temperature. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
Happy Tuesday! School is out and I think summer is officially here. That means it is time for summer salads! Yummy, cool and absolutely delicious. This week I'm sharing with you a great corn and bean salad. Such a great combination for a salad and a good way to get kids to eat those veggies.  Corn and Black Bean Salad1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing 1/4 tsp. ground pepper 1/4 tsp. dried cilantro 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped In a small bowl, mix together the dressing, ground pepper, cilantro, cayenne pepper and cumin. Set dressing aside. In a large bowl, stir together beans, corn, onions and bell pepper. Toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate over night. Toss again before serving. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
I'm really sorry to have missed everyone last week. It was finally our turn for tornadoes and power outages. We were out from Sunday to Wednesday last week. I missed everyone's recipes so much! I can't wait to see what you bring to the table this week. Now on to this week's recipe. Oh my goodness these are soooo good. They make me do a happy dance! I keep a small cast iron skillet around just to make these because they don't require much oil to fry them. They are so tiny that they take up only a little space in the pan and a few seconds to cook.  Fried Mozzarella Nuggets8 ounces string cheese sticks, room temperature 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Salt and pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs Vegetable Oil for deep frying Bottled chunky marinara sauce , for dipping Cut cheese sticks into thirds. Place flour on a plate and season it with salt and pepper. Put the egg in a small bowl. Place bread crumbs on a plate. Add cheese pieces to flour and toss to coat. Dip in egg, and then roll in bread crumbs. Arrange breaded cheese in a single layer on a tray or baking sheet. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes. Pour oil into large skillet to a depth of 1-inch, and heat over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, carefully drop cheese pieces in, a few at a time, and fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve with your favorite chunky marinara sauce for dipping. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
Welcome to the official start of the summer BBQ season!! You wouldn't know it here in Michigan because once again it's 50* and rainy. Supposedly it's going to be 90* and humid on Monday, but I won't hold my breath. Whatever the weather though, I am having a cookout! I love summer food!! There is nothing better than grilled meats, potato and pasta salads, lemonade and corn on the cob. Yum!!! So in honor of family Memorial Day cookouts everywhere, I am sharing my extremely popular BLT pasta salad. And in case you are wondering, I will be making this for Monday's family get together.  Also to celebrate this kick-off to summer we are having a sale in our yarn shop. All yarns (excluding clubs) and knitting goodies are 20% off until midnight Tuesday May 31st. Use code MEMORIAL during checkout to get the discount. Discount works on clearance yarns too!  So what have you been up to this week? Do you have someth ing to share? Let us know what you’re working on this week! It can be photos of a project, instructions, recipes, or anything else you feel is "crafty". If you have something to share with us on your blog, add your link to the current week's party. Just please be sure to :- Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address in the linky form below.
- Include in your blog entry a link back to the party post on this blog so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is working on today and have an opportunity to contribute! You can use the code below to add the button to your posts or blog if you'd like.
- Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what makes a party fun!! You don't want to come to a party and have no one talk to you!
If you want to play along don't forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in Crafty Fridays!Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post.
It's Tuesday! I can't wait to see what recipes you share today. I think we had a record number last week. It was so exciting!! Today I'm going to share a recipe that has been in my family forever. I've heard rumors that it was originally a Wilton recipe, but I'm not sure. This week's recipe is a basic white frosting. I use boxed cake mixes a lot, but I always make my own frosting. It's super easy and really good. This frosting can be used on just about anything. I use it on sugar cookies and other cookies that call for frosting. I also use it on cakes and cupcakes. It colors really easily too.  Basic White Frosting1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening Dash salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup milk Using an electric mixer, mix all ingredients together except milk. On highest setting, gradually add in milk until creamy and smooth. Color as desired. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
 I love dips! Everyone in my family jokes that I use food as an excuse to eat condiments and dips. Yum! This is not the most appealing looking dip when it's finished, but it could be dressed up with some extra cheese on top or green onions. Even a few chopped pepper slices could be used to make it pretty. Ranch Bean Dip1 can (16 oz.) refried beans 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 pkg. (1 oz.) dry ranch dressing mix 1 cup sour cream In a small saucepan, combine beans, cheese, ranch dressing mix, and sour cream. Heat the mixture over a medium heat, stir until the ingredients are well blended and warm.
Serve with tortilla chips.
For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
It's warm here in Michigan!! I don't know what it's like where you are, but this is a really big deal here. It finally hit 70* and I've been able to open the windows to let in the lovely spring air. It's wonderful!!! I came across the most intriguing recipe the other day. I bought a twin pack of French's mustard at Sam's club and when I got it home I found a recipe on the back. It's one of those recipes that sounded so weird that it had to be good. I cut it out and stuck it on the fridge. After staring at it every day for more than a week I finally decided to try it. I really wasn't sure how it was going to taste. Before I put the chicken in, we all got a quick taste test. Oh my! It was really, really good! I will definitely be making this again and I just had to share it with you. 
Tangy Ranch Chicken2/3 cup ranch dressing 1/3 cup French's Mustard 1/2 cup brown sugar 4 chicken breasts MIX salad dressing, mustard and sugar. Pour 2/3 cup sauce over chicken. MARINATE chicken in refrigerator for 30 min. GRILL or broil chicken 10 to 15 min. until done. Serve chicken with remaining mustard sauce. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
I am trying to think happy, warm thoughts, but it's not working. It is still cold here in Michigan with no real warm-up in sight. The weather man was kind enough to mention that the average temp for the first of May is mid-60s, but today and tomorrow is only the low 50s. Brrrr. So in a sad attempt at warming up I am thinking of great summer BBQ cookout food. My favorite punch to serve at any outdoor gathering is them one I'm going to share today. Its family friendly and super easy. During a party I normally have several batches of the lemonade/cranberry mix waiting in the fridge. I will then add the soda just before serving it. This recipe originally came from a Taste of Home magazine years ago.  Lemon Berry Punch1/4 cup sweetened lemonade drink mix
2 cups cold water
1/3 cup cranberry juice, chilled
3/4 cup lemon-lime soda, chilledIn a pitcher, combine the drink mix, water and cranberry juice. Stir in soda. Serve immediately.For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
So, are you like every other family and have tons of ham leftovers from Easter? I love leftover ham because it gives me the opportunity to make one of my favorite ham meals. I've tried making these loaves with ham that wasn't roasted first, but it's just not the same. These are really good and I love the fact that it makes two. One for now and one for later. Two meals for the work of one!  Ham Loaves1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 25) 1/2 cup chopped green onion 2 eggs, beaten 2 tbls. lemon juice 1 tsp. ground mustard 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp. pepper Dash ground nutmeg Dash paprika 1 1/3 cups leftover ham 1 lb. ground pork Ham Loaf Glaze ingredients: 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 tsp. ground mustard Using a food processor or blender, finely chop ham. This is best done in small batches. In a large bowl, combine the crackers, green onion, eggs, lemon juice, ground mustard, ground ginger, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, nutmeg and paprika. Add ham and pork; mix well. Shape into 2 loaves. Place one loaf into an ungreased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake the ham loaf at 350* for 1 hour. Wrap the remaining loaf in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Meanwhile, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. After the ham loaf has baked, remove it from the oven. Baste with the glaze. Bake 30-40 minutes longer, basting occasionally. For more great recipes visit Hearth and Soul, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Tuesdays at the Table.
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