a day in the woods...

Made-from-scratch Cornbread

I am always on the lookout for a good made-from-scratch cornbread recipe. For some reason I think using Jiffy is cheating. It's just not what 'real cooks' should do. But I've always loved the sweetness of the Jiffy cornbread. But every time I've tried any made-from-scratch recipe, it always turns out dry and tasteless.

Until now. I found a recipe that combines the homemade taste with sweetness just perfectly! We were having dinner with friends last night and my job was cornbread. I just happened to run across a new recipe yesterday so I decided it was time to try again. I pulled it out of the oven and it looked dreamy. It smelled dreamy. I couldn't wait until dinner to try it – I was dying to know if it was a success or a failure. So in a moment of weakness I sliced a piece and tried it. It tasted as dreamy as it looked. Success! I'll never go back to Jiffy. Try it – you'll like it. I had to make another to take to dinner because the first one disappeared by lunchtime!

2 slices peppered bacon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar (I doubled it -1/2 C - for a sweeter taste)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup softened butter

Using a large iron skillet, fry the two slices of bacon. Remove the bacon and drain to use for another purpose OR crumble and stir into your cornbread mixture before baking. (I did not crumble and add to mixture – K2 ate it before I could do that)

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, milk, and butter. Stir to combine. Do not over-stir! (Sometimes more or less milk is required, depending on slight variations in measuring dry ingredients–add what you need to get a nice, thick almost pourable consistency.)

Variations: More sugar, if you want really sweet cornbread, or less sugar if you plan to add vegetables to the mixture–you can add 1/2 cup or so diced, sautéed onions, peppers, anything that appeals to you. Add shredded cheese, or corn, or even chopped pecans.

Pour cornbread mixture into the iron skillet you used to cook the bacon in to season it with the bacon drippings. (First tip the pan all the way around, spreading the bacon drippings to grease the pan.) Bake in a 425-oven for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Tacos

Got this recipe from our Weigh-To-Go group's own personal 'Jillian'. I have to share it here because if I don't, I will have to live with the guilt of knowing that the rest of the world is being deprived of this amazingly delicious and easy recipe. I don't know where this recipe has been all my life, but now that it's here, I think my recipe box is complete - it's THAT good! So try it - your family will thank you because not only is it yummy - it's healthy.

Chicken Tacos

6 chicken breasts

2 cans Rotel

1 package taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for several hours until chicken will shred easily with a fork. Shred the chicken and stir. Serve on tortillas with your choice of taco toppings. I eat mine plain and it's good just as is! But the kids enjoy sour cream, cheese, and other stuff.

THAT'S IT! Enjoy.

Cake Doughnuts

3 1/3 C all-purpose flour

1 C sugar

3/4 C milk

2 T shortening

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

2 eggs

Heat oil (2-3 inches) in deep fryer or Dutch oven to 375. Beat 1 1/2 C of the flour and the remaining ingredients in large bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour.

Turn the dough onto generously floured cloth-covered board; roll around lightly to coat with flour. Gently roll 3/8 inch thick. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surfact. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove carefully from oil; drain. Serve plain or shake one at a time in a bag with powdered sugar.

Fiesta Cream Cheese Spread

*An unlikely combination - but the orange marmalade with salsa is actually very good! Try it - you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 C chunky salsa

1/4 C orange marmalade

2 T chopped avocado

1 T chopped ripe olives

1 T minced fresh cilantro

Place cream cheese on serving plate. In a small bowl, cominte the salsa and marmalade; spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with avocado, olives and cilantro. Serve with crackers.

The Ultimate Bread Pudding

I stumbled across this recipe here. But there was no picture (that I could find) so I'm reprinting it and including my own picture. I made it when we had Christmas with Hubby's family because I wanted something new and different. This was a hit! It's the only recipe for Bread Pudding I've ever found that does not call for raisins. I don't do raisins.

The Best Bread Pudding

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 ½ cups milk

2 cups sugar

3 ½ to 5 cups sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/3 cup pecans, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat together eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk. Add sugar and mix

until sugar is dissolved. Arrange bread cubes tightly in a nine-inch baking dish, keeping the crust

facing up around the edges and scattered within the dish. Pour liquid over the bread. Sprinkle

pecans all over and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until crust is golden brown all over.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the

Cream Sauce

:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture reaches a low

boil. Pour a small amount over the individual servings of bread pudding.

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup cream

Yummiest Breakfast Casserole

I am continually on the search for a breakfast casserole that is better than the one before it. This one has topped our list as the all-time favorite. Sorry, no picture. They ate it all before I could grab the camera. But trust me, it looked as delicious as it tasted! Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 pound ground hot pork sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash browns
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose baking mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Toppings: picante sauce or green hot sauce, sour cream
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until meat crumbles. Stir in hash browns, and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and potatoes are lightly browned. Drain mixture on paper towels; spoon into a greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together eggs, cheese, and next 4 ingredients; pour evenly over sausage mixture, stirring well. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Bake, covered with nonstick foil, at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Garnish, if desired.

Christmas Mix

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Corn Chex

1 12 oz box Golden Grahams

2 C slivered almonds

2 C shredded coconut

1 ½ sticks butter

1 ¼ C Karo syrup

1 ½ C sugar

Mix cereals, almonds and coconut in a large bowl. In a sauce pan, bring the butter, syrup and sugar to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour over cereal mixture. Divide and give it away as fast as you can before you eat it all!

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

**1 pound lean ground beef

1 (26-ounce) jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 (16-ounce) box ziti pasta

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Sauté chopped onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Cook pasta in a large Dutch oven according to package directions. Drain and return to Dutch oven.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour sauce over pasta in Dutch oven, stirring until pasta is evenly coated.

Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

**I varied from this just a little. I used 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb Italian sausage.

Eggnog Tea Bread

Found this recipe here. I tried it because last year I tasted Eggnog Bread at Starbucks and loved it. This one is even BETTER. No kidding. K2 tried it and licked her fingers for an hour - and she doesn't even like eggnog! It was so good that we made an emergency run to Shan's just so she could have some fresh out of the oven. My new holiday favorite! I used mini-loaf pans and it made 13 loaves.

If you aren't ambitious enough to make it - just come to my house. We'll have a steady supply :) Enjoy!

1 (16 oz) package Betty Crocker pound cake mix
¾ cup refrigerated eggnog
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon refrigerated eggnog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour batter into 4 greased 6 x 3 x 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Combine powered sugar and 1 tablespoon eggnog, stirring well; drizzle over bread.

Baked Vegetable Medley

 

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets

6 medium carrots, sliced

1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup process cheese sauce

Place the cauliflower, broccoli and carrots in a steamer basket; place in a large saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 7-9 minutes or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in butter until tender.
    Drain vegetables. In a large bowl, combine the soup, milk and cheese sauce. Add vegetables and mushroom mixture; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
    Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.