Some Comfort Food

Cheese and pasta are two essential comfort food ingredients. Traditional macaroni and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods of all time. I do a slight twist on a simple recipe here. I found that in using small shells instead of traditional macaroni shaped noodles, I can capture more cheese. The shells serve as mini pockets which attract a little pocketful of cheese in each bite. In starting with a basic white sauce, you can branch off and try many different kinds of cheese. I also like to use white cheddar, monterey jack, provolone, or some combination. You can't beat the slight bite of a sharp cheddar, though. Consider mixing it up to perfect your own unique flavor.
 

Shells 'n Cheddar

Shells:

• 6 quarts water
• 1 pound pasta shells
• extra virgin olive oil

Bring six quarts of water to a boil. Add a couple shakes of olive oil. Add shells.  Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until desired tenderness is reached. Drain pasta in a colander. 

Cheddar Sauce:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

I start making the sauce when I put the water on to boil.  If I'm not interrupted this gives me enough time to finish the sauce by the time the pasta is ready.
 
Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over melted butter. Continue stirring for two to three  minutes until bubbles form and mixture turns slightly brown. Slowly add milk a few ounces at a time. Mixture will be lumpy if cold milk is added straight from the refrigerator. You can either pour it into a measuring cup and allow it to sit out for 10 to 15 minutes while you do other things or just microwave it for about a minute. Stir the mixture well until the milk absorbs into the flour mixture before adding more. Stir until all milk is added. Continue cooking mixture for about two minutes just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. Add black pepper to taste. Add cheese, mixing well.

Combo:

Combine pasta and cheese in saucepan.  Heat to desired temperature.  Enjoy!!  

NOTE:  If you ever need a basic white sauce this makes a great one.  So instead of adding cheese, you can leave it like it is or add other great flavors for a completely different flavor or texture.

Slow Cooker Spinach Dip

When you need an appetizer but don't have a lot of hands-on time available, this is a great choice. Dump everything into the slow cooker and two hours later, you are ready to go. Here's what you need.

• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1 box or bag thawed frozen spinach
• salt & pepper to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray. Drain the spinach. You can squeeze the water out with a fork or use a small-holed colander or even blot paper towels onto the spinach. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Spoon into slow cooker. Heat on high for 2 hours.

Serve with crackers, hard pretzels, bread, or vegetables. This recipe can be doubled when needed depending on the size of your crowd. 

Michelle's Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls

This is my holiday go-to roll recipe.  I've been making them for about twenty years.  They are tried and true and enjoyed by all.  They are great the first day you make them for a holiday sit down meal with ham or turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and the whole works.  The are equally enjoyed on the second day topped with slices of ham or turkey for a quick breakfast or lunch.  I wish to give you a warning, though, when I leave them out in plain sight they tend to disappear much faster.  If you want to make them last, hide them.  I hope you and yours enjoy the recipe.  Thank you, Jerri, for requesting the recipe!

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package dry yeast
• ½ cup water
• 2 eggs
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups water

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix for 2 minutes on low speed with electric mixer. Set aside this yeast mixture.

Combine flour with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix 3 minutes with a heavy duty electric mixer (dough hook attachment works best) at medium speed. Your dough at this stage will be thick and somewhat lumpy.

 

Add yeast mixture and mix 3 more minutes at medium speed.  Roll into an oval shape with your hands and place in a clean well-oiled bowl.  It should look about like this now. 




Cover  with a cloth and let rise in a warm place (85°F), free from drafts, about 3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.  I often leave the bowl of dough under a kitchen light - like the one over the stove or one over the counter.  This will usually give the dough just enough extra heat.

 

Punch dough down.  Cover with a fitted lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  On occasion I have rushed this process, but they are better if you wait.  Just mix up the dough one evening, and put it in the refrigerator until morning or later afternoon when you are ready to shape the rolls.  With lightly floured hands, shape dough into 2-inch balls.  I dump about half a cup of flour or so onto the dough.  Then I pinch off pieces of dough and dip the dough and my hands into the flour as I shape the rolls - just enough to keep the dough smooth and sticky-free.

 

Place rolls in 3 greased 9-inch round pans.  I prefer glass ones.  Let dough rise in a warm place (85°F), free from drafts, about 2 hours or until rolls double in size.  Bake rolls at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

You can rub butter over the tops of hot rolls straight from the oven if you like.  I also have a recipe for cinnamon rolls using this dough.  Check back later for that one.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

Blueberry Morning Cake

Last weekend I made this cake for the women’s retreat.  Several people asked about the recipe so I am including it here.

This is a great cake to make especially as blueberries come into season, but frozen blueberries also work quite well.  It is pretty easy to make and works equally for a brunch or lunch dish as well as for dessert.  To make this for a 9x12 inch pan, I use 1 ½ times the ingredients.  You could also bake this in a loaf pan or in a round cake pan and cut wedges.  It is a very versatile recipe.  I hope you all enjoy it.

Blueberry Morning Cake

Cake: 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups blueberries

Topping:

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup margarine

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, oil, and egg.  Mix well.  Stir in the blueberries.  Pour into prepared pan.

For the topping combine ⅓ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut in the margarine until crumbly.  Sprinkle over cake.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  Enjoy.

This cake slices nicely if allowed to cool thoroughly first.

Grains of Life - Joy

I am going to tackle another topic on this blog that relates to grains.  This one is called the Grains of Life.  In the future you will be able to spot all of the Grains of Life posts under the Grains of Life label.  Please check back.  I look forward to your feedback as we sift through together.

Since I began planning this blog last Fall, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about grains of various kinds:  food grains, the grain of fabric, the grain of wood, etc.  The word grain has a lot of definitions.  One of the definitions for grain is "an essential quality or characteristic."  I am going to use this definition in looking at the Grains of Life as they relate to the Christian life.

For several months I spent time preparing for a women's retreat on the topic of joy that was held last weekend.  Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit that Paul talks about in the book of Galatians.  As Christians our lives should reflect the fruit of the spirit.  In Christ we have every reason to be joyful.  By this I don't mean a false sense of joy where we just fake it to the rest of the world and everything appears peachy.  I mean genuine joy in life and in living it regardless of our immediate circumstances from day to day.

It's the kind of joy that we can live out even when we are experiencing difficulties.  It's what we have in Christ despite the difficulties of life whatever they may be.  There's joy in knowing that we do not walk this road alone.  Jesus is there every step with us, and he's given us people around us to share in the journey.

Anyone can experience joy when things are going along well or they're going just the way we want.  Having joy when things are not going well is another story.  Having joy when you didn't get your way or when you've lost a loved one or when you didn't get the promotion you wanted or when you don't happen to feel particularly happy for whatever reason...now that's saying something.  Christ in us gives us this joy.  Just knowing that nothing is going on in your life that your Creator doesn't know about is comforting.  He truly doesn't allow anything that he does not and can not and will not equip us to be able to handle in one way or another.

This kind of joy gives us confidence, not in ourselves but in our Savior and His plans.  Jeremiah gets it when he writes, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him" (Jeremiah 17:7).  Our confidence comes from our trust in our God and His plans, not from ourselves or our ability outside of our Lord.

Joy is one of the one of the essential qualities or characteristics or grains, if you will, of the Christian life.  A joy-filled life is a testimony to our Lord's sustaining power no matter the circumstances.

Dreamy Orange Puffs

For Christmas last year I made some cookies, soups, and cakes for family and friends for Christmas.  I layered all of the dry ingredients in pint or quart mason jars, decorated the lids, and tied on decorative labels with the wet ingredients to add and the instructions.  They were a huge success.  Everyone liked them.

One particular cookie recipe, Dreamy Orange Puffs, was a favorite of several people.  I chose to make that one in memory of my mother.  Orange was one of her favorite flavors.  She loved orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream swirled together.  The sugar coated orange jellied slices that you could buy in the clear package on the candy aisle were among her favorites.  I can remember on many a Christmas receiving orange tic tacs in my stocking.  I think my mother had something to do with it.

One of my sister-in-laws asked me recently for this recipe so I thought I would put it out there for everyone.  Enjoy!!

The first “recipe” is for making them once for you.  The second is for making them up in glass jars to have on hand to give away as gifts or for you and your family for later.  It is nice to have a stock of these on hand because they make such nice gifts for: a sick friend, a new neighbor, a birthday surprise, or an everyday “I’m thinking of you” gift.

Thanks for asking for this one, Misty.   

 Dreamy Orange Puffs

·         ½ cup orange flavored instant breakfast drink powder (you can usually find this on the aisle with lemonade)

·         ¾ cup sugar

·         1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         ½ teaspoon baking powder

·         1 stick softened butter or margarine

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 ½ cups vanilla chips (on the aisle with chocolate chips)

In a large mixing bowl combine the orange drink powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Mix together well.  Using an electric hand mixer or a large wooden spoon beat in the butter or margarine, one egg, and vanilla.  You may need to use your hands.  The dough will be sticky.  Stir in the vanilla chips.

Shape dough into balls the size of walnuts.  Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove to cooling racks or a plate to finish cooling.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Dreamy Orange Puffs in a Jar

·         ½ cup orange flavored instant breakfast drink powder (you can usually find this on the aisle with lemonade)

·         ¾ cup sugar

·         1 ½ cups vanilla chips (on the aisle with chocolate chips)

·         1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         ½ teaspoon baking powder

·         1 stick softened butter or margarine

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

In a clean quart size glass jar, layer the orange drink powder.  Press firmly into bottom of jar.  Next pour in the sugar.  Very gently shake jar from side to side to level out sugar.  Then carefully add the vanilla chips.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.  Mix well.  Carefully spoon the flour mixture into the jar on top of the vanilla chips.  You will need to press the flour in firmly and repeatedly to get it all to fit into the jar, but it will go.

If you are giving this away as a gift, add the following directions to a card and attach it to the jar so your gift can be enjoyed.

Empty contents of jar into large mixing bowl.  Use large spoon or your hands to thoroughly blend ingredients.

Add 1 stick softened butter or margarine, 1 egg slightly beaten, and 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional).

Thoroughly mix together.  The dough will be sticky.  You may need to finish mixing with your hands.

Shape dough into balls the size of walnuts.  Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove to cooling racks or a plate to finish cooling.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Hubby's Favorite

My chicken casserole is one of  my husband's favorite meals.  He absolutely loves it.  Sometimes I make it for just us, and other times I make it for company.  It also makes a great dish to take to church gatherings, family get-togethers, or any occasion that calls for covered dish. 

Depending on your schedule, you can cook the chicken one night while you're doing other things and then assemble and bake it the next night.  It takes next to no time to assemble it.  We serve it with a couple of vegetables and with the stuffing baked right in with the chicken that's really all you need.  Sometimes I add a fruit salad or a fruit based dessert to the meal. 

There are also several options depending on your likes.  Some chopped onion and celery go well in this dish.  I saute them in a little olive oil or butter while the chicken is cooking and then dump them in the casserole with everything else.  If you have some on hand, fresh garlic is always the better choice.  Sometimes I also substitute a can of cream of celery soup for one of the cream of chickens.  You can also experiment with the cheese.  We really like cheddar in this dish.

I am sorry there aren't more pictures of the process with this dish, but hubby was in a big hurry for dinner, and I forgot.  I was able to snag one picture before it all got gone.  Maybe next time.  Hubby says that's a mighty big maybe.

Chicken Casserole

·         3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

·         2 cans cream of chicken soup

·         2 cups dry stuffing mix (reserve ½ cup)

·          ¾ cup milk

·         1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·         1 teaspoon dry mustard

·         1 teaspoon sage

·         ½ teaspoon onion powder

·         ½ teaspoon thyme

·         ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

·         ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Fill medium-sized pot about three quarters full of water.  Add chicken breasts.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Lower heat but maintain boil.  Cook for 30 minutes or until done.  Remove chicken from water and place on cutting board.  Using two forks pull chicken breasts apart shredding chicken into bite size pieces. 

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Spray a 9x13 inch glass dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Place shredded chicken in large mixing bowl.   Add cream of chicken soup, 1 ½ cups stuffing mix, milk, cheese, and spices.  Mix well with a large spoon.    

Scoop into glass dish spreading and flattening mixture into corners.  Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle reserved stuffing mix over top of casserole.  Return to oven for 15 more minutes.