My New Year's Day Menu (Update: Pictures Added 1-6-11)

New Year's Day Menu
(I'll post the pictures after I make the food)

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Collards
Black-eyed Peas
Yeast Rolls
Corn Bread
Fried Okra
Ham
Layered salad
Turtle Pie
Cheesecake


I'm lazy this year and I'm not making the desert myself. Everything is pretty much the usual preparation.


The collards will be washed and cooked in a pot of water, with a tablespoon of salt, half a teaspoon of sugar, a slice or two of bacon or salt pork and a dash of liquid smoke (only a dash). Liquid smoke can add an extra punch of flavor if used sparingly, but it can also completely ruin your special dish if you use too much.


I'm only using my crock pot for this one recipe:

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

I put the crock pot in the oven for about 5 minutes to brown the top

Layer in a 9×12 greased pan

2 lbs thawed frozen has browns
1/2 c melted butter
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 c grated cheddar cheese

For the topping:

Mix 2 cups crushed cornflakes with 1/2 cup butter.

Combine potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, onion, soup, sour cream and cheese. Stir well.

Spoon mixture into a buttered ovenproof 2 1/2 quart casserole.

Place corn flakes into a small Ziploc bag and crush them until fine using a rolling pin or the back of a large spoon. Stir in the remaining butter and corn flakes. Sprinkle over potato mixture.

Cook in crock pot for 3 to 4 hours or bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 50 minutes.


Easy Yeast Rolls
(This is a Paula Deen recipe)

My husband made the comment that my daughter must have made these. He never likes my bread.

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (98 to 105 degrees F)
• 2 1/2 cups plus 1/2 to 1 cup prepared biscuit mix
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the 2 1/2 cups of biscuit mix in a large bowl; stir in the sugar. Add the yeast mixture, stirring vigorously. Sprinkle the work surface generously with the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup biscuit mix.

Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead well, 15 to 20 times. Shape the dough as desired. (I shape heaping tablespoons of dough into balls). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Just before putting into oven, brush rolls with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the rolls again with melted butter while they're hot.

Layered Salad

In a medium fancy dish, place a layer of lettuce or salad mixed greens,  then chopped onion, then some sliced boiled eggs, then some sliced cucumber and then another layer of lettuce. Sprinkle some thawed frozen green peas throughout as you prepare each layer.


Topping: Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise and spread over the top. Sprinkle some black olive and shredded cheddar cheese over that.


Happy New Year! I hope your feast is magnificent!

Ribs and Sauerkraut

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
1 14 oz can sauerkraut
1 medium apple
1 small sliced onion
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 cup of dry white wine or apple juice
Spray a 4 qt crock pot with cooking spray. Add the ribs, onion and apple, the sauerkraut, brown sugar and caraway seed. Mix it up a little and pour the wine (or apple juice) over the top of everything.
Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Christmas Fun With Kids

You thought these were cookies didn't you?

I asked my Grandchildren what they wanted to make for Christmas fun and the answer was Christmas tree cinnamon toast and Christmas tree pancakes. We forgot to take a picture of the pancakes! None of this has anything to do with a crockpot or microwave oven.



Shown in the picture above: They cut the bread with a cookie cutter before toasting. Then they buttered it and sprinkled it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture (the sugar was green sugar sprinkles).

For the pancakes, we made them and then cut them with the cookie cutter. We decorated them with colored cinnamon candies and sprinkles.


My daughter had a good idea that she did with them. This was so easy and tasted good too.

She bought some already baked chewy sugar cookies from the grocery store bakery and a can of cream cheese icing. She iced the cookies and sprinkled them with the red and green sprinkles. And here I am doing everything the old-fashioned hard way!

Free Christmas Cookbook

HERE

Christmas Music to go with all that great food HERE

Peppermint Bark: Updated 12/23/10

Very good candy that makes a great gift!

What you need:

    * 8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
    * 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
    * 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
    * 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
    * 25 peppermint candies, crushed

What you do:

   1. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and line with waxed paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside.
   2. Place the semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in a microwaveable dish and microwaved on high for 1 minute, stirred, and microwaved for 1 more minute. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate layer. Refrigerate until completely hardened, about 1 hour.
   3. Place the white chocolate and the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil in in the microwave, melt 1 minute, then stir and melt 1 more minute (as in step 1 above). When the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate directly over the semisweet chocolate layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. Refrigerate until completely hardened. Remove from pan; break into small pieces to serve.

Break it carefully so as not to separate the layers. You can hold it against the kitchen counter and apply pressure to break it into large chunks. If you want smaller chunks, you might want to consider using a hammer and and an ice pick or clean screw driver.

For gift giving she made these in individual mini cupcake liners, so she doesn't have to break them. Here's how they turned out.

Christmas Wreath Cookies

My daughter made these for her boys. They're very good.

 Ingredients
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 4 cups miniature marshmallows
    * 1 teaspoon green food coloring
    * 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 4 cups cornflakes cereal
    * 1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red hot candies

Directions

   1. Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler.)

   2. Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased wax paper. Decorate with 3 red hots each.

   3. When cool, place on lightly greased serving tray with lightly greased fingers.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Crockpot Christmas Menu

I have been spending more time on the computer with the cool interactive Christmas sites with my 2 young Grandchildren (or "Kissmas stuff" as my 3 year-old Grandson says) than I have working on my own posts. I can't help it, they are 3 and 5 and such a fun age. I have, however, seen some good posts on other people's sites. I found this one to be very interesting, although I can't imagine making ALL of Christmas dinner in a crock pot.

If you are interested in the interactive Christmas toys we have been playing with, check out my other blog HERE. Look on the right-hand side for Interactive Christmas Fun. I will add more little web treasures to it as I find more fun stuff.

Crockpot Christmas Menu

• Crockpot Beef Rouladen
  This classic German dish is perfect for the holidays. Imagine coming home to the aroma from this dish! This recipe is a main dish and side dish in one.
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
  No, this salad isn't made in the crockpot (are there any?), but it's quick and easy and delicious too.
• Creamy Crockpot Potatoes
  Just four ingredients make this side dish super easy and it's got fabulous flavor and texture too!
• Crockpot Chocolate Fondue
  This delicious sauce can cook in your crockpot while you're eating dinner. Then dive in, using fruits, cookies, and cubes of cake for dippers.
• Christmas Cookies
  The perfect Christmas dinner dessert? Christmas Cookies, of course! 

See the entire post HERE or Click on each dish title above for the recipe.

Cranberry-Barbeque Meatballs

    * 2 16-ounce packages frozen cooked plain meatballs, thawed (32 meatballs each) or 32 homemade meatballs.
    * 1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
    * 1 cup barbecue sauce

directions

   1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker place meatballs. In a medium bowl combine cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. Pour over meatballs in cooker; stir to coat.

   2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Serve meatballs with toothpicks. If desired, keep warm on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours.

   3. Makes 64 meatballs (obviously)

 Saucepan variation: In a large saucepan combine thawed meatballs and desired sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.