Wednesday, September 30, 2020

From September 2020 to September 2019

Dinner tonight was so easy and so good.

Pasta with tuna and cheddar cheese. 

But there was nothing particularly interesting about it, so I was wondering what exactly we were talking about a year ago. I went back and looked at my post from the last week of September last year. It was one of my favorites, so I decided to reshare it.


Praline Peach Shortbread

I had several different meals planned for today, but life got in the way. Then, as I was scrolling through looking for a post I wanted to revisit on sandwiches (which I couldn't find), I found this. My mouth started to water just remembering it, so I figured since we STILL have summer weather, I'd share it again.


For the past few weeks, Facebook has been taunting/tempting me with a recipe for Peachy Praline Upside Down cake. Have any of you been getting that in your sidebar? It shows up in mine at least once a day.

So of course I had to look.

It's a recipe from Taste of Home.

Here's the link in case you want to make the real thing. Taste of Home Peach Praline Upside Down Cake.

I didn't want that big cake - mainly because I'm the only one here who would eat it. But really because it involved separating eggs and whipping the whites... and well, I just wanted something simpler.

Then I remembered a praline shortbread I'd had a few months ago from the farmer's market. It was pretty good, but lacked that home made taste.

So, why not combine them.

The first part I cribbed from Taste of Home.
2 sticks of butter softened
2/3 cup of sugar  (They call for brown. I used coconut palm sugar which is brown ;)  )
1 tsp of cinnamon (They added ginger but I skipped that. Nut meg might have been tasty.)

You mix all of that together over low heat until it's a yummy, gooey texture spread across the pan
bottom.




Then you layer peach slices and pecans. I used 4 peaches and a bunch of handfuls of pecans.









Next, with bows to King Arthur Flour, we had shortbread. You can find that recipe here:
King Arthur Flour Shortbread Recipe.
2 sticks of butter, 1 cup of confectioner's sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
Cream everything together, then add 2 cups of flour.

Mix well and spread over the peaches. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

 The recipe for the shortbread says about 35 minutes, but I found that it took longer this way because the peach praline mix made the dough take longer to cook. It tasted really good after 35 minutes, but it wasn't thoroughly cooked.



I couldn't resist a peek as it was cooking
The finished product - a perfect accompaniment while I write.

Note: It is very rich, hence the small serving. But oh so delicious!

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Deadlines, Easy Meals and Unearthing History

 While I continue to work toward a deadline with a story that is giving me fits, life goes on. My husband still wants to be fed, so I've been doing my best to keep things simple and/or use the CrockPot as often as possible. Fortunately, we've had a couple of cool fronts pass through which have actually put soup back on the menu.

I love soup. It's so versatile and the added benefit of the CrockPot is very high on my list right now. Last week, I make some of my favorite Southwest Chicken Soup.

You can find the recipe here. One of the best things about this is that I can start with frozen chicken breasts and then let it cook all day.

While I've been living in my office, hubby has been out having some fun around the ranch. He's always been a huge history buff and has often told me about the Karankawa Indians that once inhabited our area. When his father was a boy, he would go out and walk the fields after a rain storm or when the farmers tilled to search for arrowheads. This is a small part of his collection.

Well, my husband was recently approached by a couple of fellows who have been doing some excavating in our area in search of arrowheads. Naturally, he was totally on board with that, especially since he gets to keep whatever they find. So they brought in a backhoe and a big shaker thingie (technical term, you know) that sifts the dirt from the rock and within a matter of hours, they'd found all of these. 
Believe it or not, these predate the Karankawas by quite a stretch. The arrowhead on the upper right dates back to 1500 BC. The one on the bottom left dates back to 2500 BC! I mean how crazy is that? To think that people inhabited this land thousands of years ago is mind-blowing. And hubby is having a ball.

So that's what's going on here at the ranch. What's happening where you are?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Monday, September 28, 2020

A Fall Drive in the Hills

by Jan Drexler

On a day like this, with a north wind blowing and the highs not expected to top 70° this week, we know fall is here and winter is nipping on its heels!

Before the snow comes, let's take a drive through the Black Hills and enjoy the fall scenery!



On Friday, my husband and I had an errand to run in Custer. One great thing about Custer is that on the way we have to get to drive by this famous landmark!


Not the best picture, but I took it through the truck window. It's always good to say "hey" to these guys as we pass by.

After we stopped in Custer to pick up our apples (delivered by truck from Washington,) we decided to head west and have lunch at one of our favorite burger places. Wayback Burgers is a chain, and there's a franchise in Newcastle, Wyoming. The burgers are great, and the drive is even better!

Since the day was so beautiful, we decided to take the "scenic route" home - aka "I don't think we're lost!"

We followed the old Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage Route north through the Beaver Creek Valley from Newcastle along the state line, then turned east and came back into South Dakota northwest of Deerfield Lake.


If you're following along on your map, you'll see that we're in the high country. This is all National Forest and the home of deer, elk, mountain lions, and even a wolf sighting now and then. Some insist there are also bears here, but the official word is that there isn't an established population.


We saw a lot of cattle along the drive. Ranchers lease the public lands, which is a win/win situation. The ranchers are able to move the cattle across a larger range, preventing overgrazing. At the same time, the cattle keep the underbrush down, keeping the forest healthier and less likely to be destroyed in a forest fire.



In other parts of the country, autumn leaves turn bronze, yellow, red, orange, and brown.

In the West, we have gold. The aspen leaves glow in the sunshine, stark against the Ponderosa pines.

We came home to supper cooking in the slow cooker. It was a great sounding recipe - but we ended up with a fail! I'll take you through it and hopefully you won't have the same experience I did!

Slow Cooker Potatoes and Sausage

ingredients:

8 russet potatoes, diced
1 package of kielbasa (14 oz) sliced thin
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (or Cream of Mushroom)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Okay, here's the first mistake I made:


I didn't have enough potatoes! I used what was left in the pantry, but I should have known it wouldn't turn out well.


If I hadn't been in a hurry to get on our way that morning, I would have realized that with fewer potatoes, I also needed less kielbasa! 

The creamy/cheesy part of the dish came together well. Just mix the soup, milk, sour cream, and pepper together. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Spread it on top of the potatoes/onion/kielbasa, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.

Doesn't it look delicious?


And this is where the second major mistake came in - I should have let it cook for six hours on low, and I ended up cooking for eight or nine hours. WAY overdone! It tasted good, but too salty. 

Lesson learned.

I think my next slow cooker will have to have one of those timers on it!

I didn't even take a picture of the finished product. But I'll try this again...when I'm not going to be away from home all day and when I have enough potatoes!

But the day ended as beautifully as it began. The sunset was gorgeous.


Have you had a recipe fail lately? Do you think you'll ever try that one again?



Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, 
www.JanDrexler.com.















Friday, September 25, 2020

Rooftop Birthday Dinner

 Missy Tippens

We recently had a family birthday dinner for my daughter. I can't believe my youngest has turned  24! How does time pass so quickly?

We met at her new apartment (which happens to be in the same complex my son lives in--which is nice to know big brother can keep an eye on her). :)

We wore masks while we were briefly inside, but had the dinner outside at a great rooftop gathering area, one of the perks at their apartment building.

Here are some great views of the Atlanta skyline from the roof!





And here we are eating...

We had amazing food from Holy Taco! I hate to admit the birthday girl took this photo, so I don't have any good photos of her! (I know. Awful mom.) But here is one my husband took that shows her handing out the food (back right).


We had a great evening, perfect weather, and a really nice time together outside. As we were leaving, I took these great shots of the city.



I look forward to the day we can go out to restaurants again safely for our big birthday dinners. Until then, we can enjoy some wonderful times with outside get-togethers.

How have your celebrations changed in the last few months?


www.missytippens.com


Thursday, September 24, 2020

Kitchen Fails Turned Into Hits in the Pumpkin Patch!

 



One of our pumpkin displays inspired by the cover of Harris Seeds catalogue!
Cute model not for sale! 


Daughter Beth takes her inspiration from all kinds of things, and cool garage sale finds! Now back to our regularly scheduled story!

I cannot be interrupted while baking for the pumpkin patch, it seems.

I've messed up a couple of standard recipes when folks interrupt me, then I come back wondering did I put all six cups of flour into the cookies or only three?

That leads to chaos... and some goofy cookies! 

But sometimes it creates opportunities!

The latest mess up was a combination of errors where it started with no mistake...

But I thought I made a mistake! So that was enough for me to then outsmart myself, make the first half of the recipe in Mixer #2, and then blend it with recipe in Mixer #1 and then.... 

Baked the first trays.... 

Only to realize I'd messed up.

Christina repurposing a former chicken coop that's now a firewood crib for customers!

So I adjusted and did sample trays, but by the time I got the ratio back to where it needed to be, I had six trays of these thin, crispy chocolate chip cookies that TASTED GREAT!!!!! But they weren't our norm, so I couldn't just sell them as our norm.... so I cut them into pieces and fed the masses and they loved 'em! So that was a good outcome, right???

Then my new baking partner Jon (let me say in Jon's defense, this kitchen is crazy on fall weekends, because there's always food being made for workers and baking and approximately 7 children under age 11 running here and there).... messed up a peanut butter cookie recipe that is now going into the file as a total and saleable success.

He halved the butter by thinking it said two sticks, not two cups.

Oops! 

Unloading pumpkins from the trusty pickup truck with workers of all ages!

But they were so good that I melted chocolate frosting, dipped the cookie tops twice, cooled them and sold them and people loved them! 

And I probably don't have pics because it's so busy then that I'm never thinking of pictures. Silly me!!!

I'm actually making those cookies again today to prepare for our upcoming busy, busy, busy weekend.

At least we think it will be busy. Beautiful weather and pumpkins and cookies are an amazing thing!

A fun weekend afternoon! 

My fifth graders that visit me 3 days/week... We've got this! 

I am not above tackling folks for photos because this mom had THE LOOK! Great pants, the saddle bag purse, the hat, and the wrap-around sweater. :) And yes, she knows I'm posting it! 

My 5th graders and donkeys!!! 

We're gearing up for another busy weekend this week... gorgeous weather predicted and we've got pumpkins and squash to sell... and other fun things, too! We are so blessed with the joy this venture brings to people. The chance to be outside, in a big, open environment, masks or no masks (their choice) and good friends gathering to make all of this happen.

Our volunteer crew on the weekend is amazing and we couldn't make this happen without them. They are the backbone of this business... well, them and Farmer Dave! 

And right now, in the thick of this, we see these blessings and the joy this brings to so many, and we are already talking about how we can expand for next year. But first... we're going to enjoy the work of so many hands this year!


Every fall, multi-published, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne dons her farm and baking hat and works on her Western New York pumpkin farm doing jams and cookies and schmoozing customers because she loves schmoozing people while writing books in the middle of the night... She'd love to hear from you! Email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com, visit her website ruthloganherne.com and friend Ruthy on Facebook! 


Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Making My Way Through the Pandemic, One Coffeecake at a Time

 We all have our guilty pleasures. 


Right?


Mindy shared her "No Guilt Cheesecake Mousse" 3:00 snacks yesterday.


My guilty pleasure is coffee cake.


But since I was housebound for 6 months, and had no working stove, I learned to love mail order.


My Grandma's of New England Coffee Cake, to be specific. Perfect for the Yanks in Yankee Belle. (Or anyone for that matter.)

Over the last 6 months, I have tried many of their flavors, but I have 2 definite favorites.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake tastes fabulous for breakfast with coffee, or now, as a late afternoon snack after a long day of school.




The Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chocolate Chip tastes like a decadent brownie when it is warmed.




This beauty is the original Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake.


I don't have a photo of the Banana Walnut that I tried back in May. That was my consolation while everyone was pandemic baking Banana Bread.


I had the Red White and Blue Patriot Cake in July. It's more of a pound cake taste filled with cranberries and blueberries.



I have a Lemon Poppy waiting for me in the freezer. Doesn't it sound perfect for a late afternoon tea?


Okay, we've fessed up. What are some of your guilty eating/snacking pleasures?

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

No-Guilt Cheesecake Mousse

Life's little interruptions. They're inevitable, you know. And occur frequently when facing any sort of deadline. So it's always best to get the upper hand whenever possible. Write those extra words. Put dinner in the CrockPot early in the day so you won't be scrambling at suppertime. And make up a batch of your favorite grab-and-go sweet treats so you aren't left wishing you had one when you want something sweet yet have no time to make anything. This is particularly true if you're trying to stay within a specific eating lifestyle. Which, for me, is low-carb. But when the cravings come calling around 3 PM, making smart choices can be difficult.

With only four ingredients, this No-Guilt Cheesecake Mousse is easy to make AND can be made with real sugar or sugar substitutes. 

You'll need:
  • 8 oz brick cream cheese
  • 8 oz heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered Erythritol (you can use powdered sugar, if you prefer) OR 1/4 cup plus one tablespoon Truvia or other stevia blend
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
Whip the cream to stiff peaks and set aside. In another bowl, blend the cream cheese, sweetener and vanilla until fluffy. Add whipped cream and mix on low to combine. Pipe or spoon into individual serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until you're ready to grab one. For grab-and-go portions, the small 4 oz mason jars are perfect.
I love this because it's tasty, low carb, filling, and doesn't spike my blood sugar. And that keeps me going instead of tanking my energy. Oh, and it makes a great dessert, too.

What are some of your favorite grab-and-go snacks?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

 

Monday, September 21, 2020

Amish Sugar Cookies revisited

Jan here, strolling down memory lane. Come on along!

Years ago, probably about five million, I was a little girl. 

That's me, in the red sweatshirt. My brother
and I were having a yard sale.
Treasures abound!

I was blessed to have two grandmothers, and I loved them both.

But you know that while grandmothers have lots of things in common, each grandma is special in her own way. Do I hear an "amen?"

My dad's mother (a widow at an early age) lived an hour away in the same town in Indiana where I later (much later) lived with my own family. She's the one who taught me to quilt and sew, and even though she had sixteen grandchildren, she always found a way to show me how special I was to her.

My dad's parents soon after they
married in 1928

My mom's mother and father lived two hours away, and spent their winters in Florida. So we didn't get to see them as often. But this grandma had her own way to tell us how much she loved us.

My mom's parents
around 1962

Every time we went to visit, we could always count on there being a tin of special cookies on top of the refrigerator - Grandma's Sugar Cookies. 




Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:


2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

5 rounded teaspoons baking powder

7-8 cups flour to make a stiff batter

1 1/2 cups milk


note: notice there is no salt in this recipe - that isn't a typo. There is no salt.


Cream together the butter and sugar, and then add the vanilla and the eggs. Stir together the baking powder and FIVE cups of the flour (the rest is to add later, if needed). Add in the flour mixture and the milk, alternately - this part is important - beating after each addition.


While you're mixing in the flour and milk, keep telling yourself you're making cake, not cookies. With cookies you're trying to make a dough - with cake you're making a delicate batter.


Believe me, you want a batter for these cookies. Grandma told me "the softer the batter, the better." But at the same time, it needs to be a bit thicker than a regular cake batter. You can add more flour than the original five cups if you need to - the amount of flour depends on your air temperature, humidity, altitude, etc. When we lived in the humid lowlands, I used more flour than I do now in the semi-arid highlands.


Refrigerate the batter for a couple hours.



While we're waiting for the batter to chill, let's take a rabbit trail to a different memory  - 


I included these cookies and the memories of my grandmother in my debut novel, "The Prodigal Son Returns," published by Love Inspired Historical more than seven years ago.


You can order
this book here

In the story, Ellie Miller is a widow with three children, and among the people in her life are her husband's elderly aunt and uncle, Miriam and Hezekiah Miller. They had provided a home for Ellie's husband from the time he was sixteen until he married, and they were the closest thing he had to parents after being orphaned as a young boy.


Every time Ellie takes her children to visit Grossmutti and Grossdawdi (Grandma and Grandpa), Grossmutti Miriam always has a container of these soft sugar cookies waiting for them. Sometimes four-year-old Susan is afraid Grossmutti will forget to make the cookies, but seven-year-old Johnny knows better. After all, what would Grossdawdi Hezekiah eat if there weren't any cookies?


But of course Miriam, just like my own Grandma, never forgot to have a fresh batch of these delicious cookies waiting whenever her grandchildren came to visit.


My Grandma always kept the cookies in a big round tin on top of her refrigerator, waiting for us. She never forgot to make them. When I was little, I was convinced she always had those cookies there for her and Grandpa to eat every day. But as I grew older I learned the truth - she made them just for us.


I worked for years to be able to make these cookies the right way. I knew I had done it when I took a batch to my brother one time. He took one bite and said "Now these are Grandma's cookies!"



Oh, and speaking of cookies!!! Has the dough been in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours? Then it's time to get that oven going!


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.


Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 3/8" thick...or between 1/4" and 1/2" if you like to guesstimate :)


And be generous with the flour - remember that you made a cake batter, not a cookie dough. Treat the soft batter gently, and use plenty of flour while you're rolling.


Cut out round cookies, or whatever shape you like. I use my great-grandmother's biscuit cutter because...well...it just seems right to do it that way.


Around Valentine's Day, I color the dough pink dough and cut out some heart shapes!


Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they're done. You can tell they're done by lightly touching the top of one of them with your finger. If the depression stays, the cookie needs another minute of baking. But if it springs back, it's done. And don't let the edges get brown - that means they're too well done.


If you find your cookies are browning before the spring test says they're done, lower the heat on your oven a bit.



What memories do you have of your grandmothers? Or maybe you have a special "adopted" grandmother? Tell us about those special women in your life!





Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.