Summer Means Blueberries!

by Jan Drexler

I spent the past three days at a reader's and writer's event in Deadwood, and you need to feel sorry for my family! I have done no cooking at all as I prepped for the event and spent my days away from home.

The weekend was fun - I made a lot of new friends and met some of my Facebook friends in person - but exhausting! I'll be glad to get back to writing!

Before I do, though, we have something to celebrate in our family. Today is our daughter and son-in-law's anniversary! (Can you believe it's been two years?????)

Next week I'll be heading out to join some of my favorite authors for a weekend writing retreat in Minnesota! The retreat is hosted by Gabrielle Meyer and Erice Vetsch and is being held in an historic mansion along the Mississippi River in Minnesota. I'm so ready for this! I'll have photos to share in a couple weeks!

Meanwhile, I'm beginning to think of how to work some of my favorite summer recipes in around our busy summer, and I came across this recipe again. It's been a few years since I made it, but I have blueberries in the freezer!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

In the mid-west, June means strawberries, but July means blueberries!!!!

I bought these at Sam's Club. The price was good, and they're pretty good for grocery store berries - my only option for now.

But seeing these in my fridge awaiting recipes took me back to my earlier life - when I was growing up in southwest Michigan in the 1960's and '70's.

Boy, those were the decades, weren't they? We were all so busy storming into the future that we lost many of the traditions, not missing them until twenty or so years later....

But some traditions never died, and one of those was the yearly trek to Leduc's Blueberries in Paw Paw to pick pounds and pounds of berries to freeze.

If you've never been to western Michigan, you're missing out on some of the best fruit anywhere - berries, apples, cherries, peaches...on and on. Between the Lake (that's Lake Michigan) tempering the winter winds and the sandy soil, it's a perfect place for orchards. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the vineyards! If you're into wine, Michigan rivals California in quality, if not quantity.

But my foray into my childhood memories was complete when I found that Leduc's is still around - check it out here: http://www.leducblueberries.com/

I was sad to see they no longer allow U-Pick. The last time we went picking there was when the children were small - but with four children and my mom along, we picked enough blueberries to last all year in no time!

And even though we now live miles and miles from southwest Michigan, if I'm visiting in July, we'll pick up some berries to bring home! I have an aunt and uncle who drive from Missouri to Michigan every year to fill their freezer.

A highlight at Leduc's are the recipes they supply (available on the website). On Saturday I attempted one I had never tried before - Blueberry Sour Cream Cake.

When I got to this point, I thought maybe something was wrong.

The cake layer was too much like a cookie layer, but I kept going.

It looked okay. It even tasted okay - but it was a bit dry. I'll keep experimenting with this recipe. I have a feeling something was left out when the recipe was printed....

But - never say die, right?

Sunday I made a tried and true Leduc recipe....

Welcome, Blueberry Buckle!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

topping:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream 1/4 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar, then add the egg and beat well.

In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cup flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with 1/2 cup milk, beating until smooth.

Fold in blueberries, and pour into a greased 9-inch square pan.

For the topping, combine the ingredients and blend well to form crumbs, and then sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake at 375° for 35 minutes.

The buckle came out of the oven at 6:00 Sunday evening - just in time to take it to share at our Sunday evening service.

Oh yes, it was delicious.

And those who walked in at the last minute? Well, they shared the crumbs with me :)

This is a quick and easy recipe. Do you know what really makes it, though? That bit of cinnamon in the topping. Mmmm.....

And it's a good thing I have a couple more cups of berries left - more buckle tomorrow!

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Baja Fish Tacos

Missy Tippens

We've inherited a grill! My son and his wife are moving soon to an apartment that doesn't allow a grill. So they're giving us their baby for safe keeping...temporarily.

Last week, when my son brought the smoker grill to us, he also brought groceries and a couple of great recipes. I, of course, took photos. :)

The main recipe is found here. It's on the Traeger site and turned out YUMMY. I'll just share a few photos and comments on the recipe.

I marinated the fish (see recipe for ingredients) and then seasoned it well before grilling. Nick had brought the Traeger Cajun Rub. But when I made this again later, I didn't have that. I just used some Penzey's Northwoods seasoning and added some ground ancho pepper seasoning.

Once cooked, I chopped up the fish.

We also grilled some corn. Once done, we buttered it, then sprinkled on the Cajun rub mixed with fresh lime zest, followed by crumbled queso fresco. Oh, and I also sprinkled on a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes that I recently bought. It added a really nice touch!

Here are the toppings for the tacos... Limes to squeeze, avocado and cilantro. We also had salsa, chopped red onions and more queso fresco. Oh, and we quickly grilled the corn tortillas.

Here is my plate. I had mine in a lower carb version with no taco shell. Just fish with cilantro and some avocado on the side.

Here are other plates. Theirs look better!

If you give this a try, I hope you enjoy it! Obviously, we loved it. We made it again the next week. :)


www.missytippens.com

Crazy Fun Weekend with Cute Kids and Food!

I was too busy having fun with a crowd of grandchildren (all fourteen were here!!!) to take a lot of pics, but we had two fun in-house projects while the big people were planting thousands of pumpkin plants....

Hershey's Tuxedo Torte (to die for, with help from six-year-old Annie!)

RECIPE HERE!!!! 

And Strawberry Shortcake Cake, a divine recipe that oldest granddaughter Katie made with help from some little cousins... which was so very nice of her!

This one I'm winging:

Strawberry Shortcake Cake:

One White Cake Mix (bake as directed in two 8" or 9" pans. Cool)

For topping:

2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (not frozen, they get too juicy)

Whip cream with sugar until stiff. In separate bowl whip cream cheese with powdered sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla. Fold cream cheese mix and whipped cream mix together gently. Add in sliced berries, folding gently.

Fill layers with frosting, then frost outside of cake. Refrigerate to firm frosting. Serve cold. 

This was so pretty and delicious! Tender cake graced with fresh berries and sweet cream... Oh mylanta, you will love this and yes, I should have taken a picture but there were so many cute kids that wanted Grammy time!

And we tucked MacKenzie's birthday in there... and some business stuff... and just all around good times with very noisy rooms, a parade of snakes (who knew that one farm could have so many milk snakes????)

We had lessons in planting and growing and baking and cooking and we ended the weekend with a homemade fish fry on the side porch... which just made everything wonderful!

There's the link to the fish fry with beer batter, a family favorite... and something that's a particular favorite in this neck of the woods!

And here's a glimpse of the re-release of "The First Gift", an absolutely beautiful story of a child who dares to dream despite dire circumstances... and of the people who try so hard to make those dreams come true. Available now on Amazon!

Kindergarten teacher Kerry McHenry is nobody’s fool. She sees her own tough upbringing in the face of a poverty stricken child and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make things better.

At the same time, she finds herself torn between a commitment-phobic doctor and Phillipsburg’s widowed deputy sheriff, a complicated man who is still angry with God.

As the stakes grow higher and the characters’ lives intersect in unexpected ways, each will face a true test of faith—and come face to face with indisputable evidence of God’s love.

Multi-published inspirational novelist Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of writing the kind of books she loves to read, books with unforgettable and totally relatable characters... like the guy next door or the family that shares your pew in church each Sunday. Visit her website ruthloganherne.com or friend her on facebook... or follow her on Twitter. She's a real people person and loves to make new friends!

A Taste of Cate: Pizzazy Dinner

Our dear Cate is absent from the Cafe for a while. Since we miss her, we thought you might, too! So every couple weeks we'll give you a treat - a re-run recipe from Cate Nolan!

Here's a post she shared just over a year ago...





On Monday, Jan gave you cheese and sausage and biscuits and eggs.

Yesterday, Mindy gave you brisket.


*sigh*

I've got nothing.

Well, nothing meat, that is.

Kav, I'm thinking this dish has your name written all over it.


Confession - while my daughter was making this, I was sitting in the local Italian restaurant enjoying dinner with a long, long-time writing friend. We used to see each other every day, but now she moved away so when we meet up, it's for hours!!!!!!

I digress.

While we were chowing down on pizza, my daughter messaged me this photo of her dinner with the comment that it was nothing extraordinary, but she thought it had some colorful pizzazz.

Close your eyes, Ruthy. It's kale - lightly roasted. And I do mean lightly. She puts it in the oven for a couple of minutes just to give it a little crisping.

There is also avocado and tomato.

The dear girl must have realized I haven't done much cooking lately, so she remembered to take pictures for me as she assembled it.

These got roasted together -

Yellow pepper, purple daikon radish, broccoli.

She tossed in some black beans and corn.

And by the time I came home, there was nothing left but an empty bowl.

So, all you sausage and brisket lovers out there, let's hear from you. Would you give this a try?

Beating the Heat with a Frosty Treat

by Mindy Obenhaus

Summer has settled over Texas and with temps at or near the 100 mark, people are doing whatever they can to stay cool. 

When we lived in the suburbs of Dallas-Ft. Worth, we had everything we could possibly want within a five-mile radius of our house. Including a Wendy's. And when the heat was on, one of my husband's favorite treats was a Wendy's Frosty.

Now that we're rural and the nearest Wendy's is 20 minutes away, he decided to find a way to make his own Frosty. So, he did what most of us do, he took to the internet. And the recipe that he came up with is pretty close to the real thing. Not to mention super easy to make if you have a countertop ice cream maker.

There are only three simple ingredients. 

Chocolate milk (1 qt), Cool Whip (half of an 8 oz container, thawed) and sweetened condensed milk (half a can).

Place all ingredients in a large measuring cup (8 cups) or bowl.

And whisk to combine.

Pour into freezing container with paddle, according the manufacturer directions. Since ours won't hold a full batch, we place the remaining mixture in the refrigerator until the first batch is done, empty it, then we add the remainder to the freezing container and let it go again.

Once your liquid is in, put the lid on, flip the switch and watch the magic happen.

Let it freeze 20-25 minutes, however that can vary by machine, so be sure to keep watch. You'll know when it reaches that Frosty consistency. Thicker than a milk shake, but not ice cream.

And there you have it. A Wendy's Frosty you've made right in your own kitchen. It's cold, it's refreshing, it's downright yummy.

I have to admit, though, that I always preferred a vanilla Frosty, so one of these days I might have to pick up a container of vanilla milk (yes, our little grocery store actually carries it) and make a batch my way.

So what are things like in your neck of the woods? Are you in the midst of spring or summer? And when it's hot, what's your favorite treat to help beat the heat?

-------------------------------

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children, two dogs and countless cattle. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining and sometimes adventurous manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com. 

Amish Yummasetti

by Jan Drexler

I can hear you now - "What in the world is Yummasetti???"

Yummasetti is one of those dishes I had always heard about, but I never tried it until I made the casserole for a recent get-together with the ladies from our church.

It's a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, so you know its roots go way back...at least 50 to 75 years when casseroles became popular.

I updated this recipe the way modern Amish housewives would make it (they're all into convenience foods - don't let the Amish fiction books fool you!), but my original recipe was written by an Amish housewife of a different generation. She used homemade everything - bread for the croutons, cream of mushroom and chicken soups, and sour cream.

Yes, of course you can make all those things from scratch - and they're better for you - but you have to plan on spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Yummasetti

ingredients (serves 8-10):

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped

6 cups cooked and drained Amish noodles, or a 12-ounce package of store bought noodles, cooked and drained - hint: cook the noodles for less time than stated on the package since they continue to cook in the oven
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups seasoned croutons hint: I used large croutons. The next time I'll crush them up a bit.

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

First of all, what are "Amish Noodles?" It's just a fancy name for delicious homemade noodles. I used this commercial product from my favorite restaurant:

The restaurant is in Amish Country, but I purchased
this package at my local Walmart.

Brown the ground beef with the onions and put in a large bowl. Add the peas, soups, water, sour cream and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions, but you want them to be slightly underdone.

In a 9" x 13" greased casserole dish, layer the cooked noodles, then ground beef mixture. Top with the seasoned croutons and cover with foil.

Bake in a 350° oven for 50 minutes. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

This was a hit at our supper - it's the perfect comfort food.

Would you ever try eating something with such a funny name?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Dog Surgery: Another Excuse for Not Cooking

Missy Tippens

My four-legged baby had surgery this past Friday. Duke had a tumor that had started growing quickly, was making him uncomfortable, and had to be removed. He's been such a trooper.

Here he is the day before surgery. I don't know if you can see the huge lump on his belly/chest. It ended up weighing about 2 pounds (he only weighs about 42 pounds without it).

And here he is after surgery while he was still fighting the anesthesia. He tried to get up out of his bed but then flopped over and fell asleep on my leg. :) Poor thing couldn't even pull his tongue into his mouth!

And here he is a couple of days later. You'll see in both photos he's wearing a human T-shirt to keep him from bothering the staples. We have to make a ponytail of the shirttail to make it stay on him. :)

Today (Thursday, when I wrote the post), he seems to be perking up. But he's still sleeping a lot. Hopefully healing well.

For an old man (15 years old!), he's doing great. He sends love and licks to those who prayed for his surgery.

www.missytippens.com