Velveeta Cheese Fudge

I know that most of you have this recipe but it is so easy and so delicious

Ingredients
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese, sliced
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts, pecans, walnuts
2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Directions
Spray lightly the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch square pan with a nonstick spray.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the cheese and butter together, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and nuts.

In a large bowl sift together the sugar and cocoa. Pour the cheese mixture into the sugar and cocoa mixture and stir until completely mixed. The candy will be very stiff.

Using your hands, remove candy from bowl and press evenly and firmly into pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat the top of the candy with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Place pan in refrigerator until candy is firm.

To serve candy, cut into squares.

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Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

Any place you find cheesecake you will find Betty with a fork.  She only weighs 100 pounds but will eat more than any one I know.

Ingredents

1 (19-ounce) package of your favorite Brownie Mix

2 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or sliced strawberries (optional)

whipped cream (optional)

Prepare brownie mix using package directions.  Spread in springform pan.  Bake until edge pulls from sides of pan. Usually about 28 minutes. (350 degrees)

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Spoon over baked layer.

Heat chocolate chips in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted.

Drizzle over prepared layers and swirl with a knife to marbelize.

Bake until set, about 35 minutes  (350)..  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  Chill for 2 hours or longer.  Serve with fruit of choice.

(Or if your like me eat the thing before it cools, never makes it to the refrigerator!)

Betty 2009 graduate

This is my little beauty. Betty Chi getting ready to graduate pretty soon. She is my best critic for cooking. If she won't eat it, something is wrong with it. Her favorite dessert is Brownie Swirl Cheesecake.

Pie Crust

Ok, I know everyone cheats now. Pie Crust are available in every grocery store I know of but......I learned this 7,000 years ago in high school when we had home economics. Same place I learned to sew that pretty red sheath. I wore it in a fashion show and forgot to tie off the ends of the thread and you guessed it, it came apart....just another one of those embarrassing moments.

1 measuring cup
fill half way with water
add crisco until the water reaches to one cup(pour water out)
1 cup of all purpose flour (sometimes may need a tblsp more)
Pinch of salt
wax paper floured
in a bowl, combine flour, salt and cut in measured crisco. Mix with hands until you have a medium moist dough

Roll out on floured wax paper and place rolled dough in a pie plate and cut the sides of dough off so that it doesn't hang over.
I usually put the prepared pie crust into the oven (350 degrees) for 7 minutes before adding pie mixture.
Nice and Flaky

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Giblet Gravy

Little known facts are that Betty, has attached herself to my giblet gravy. When I first adopted her she had never eaten let alone seen any different foods with the exception of rice, fish, pork, duck and McDonalds. That basically was her complete diet. However, there has been a lot of changes in her diet and this is one of her favorites.

Giblet Gravy

Readying yourself to clean up that big ass turkey, remove the packages of giblets found in butt and throat of the turkey. (think back to the time you first cooked a turkey....I bet you cooked the little packets along with the turkey, just like I did! duh...) Remove the parts and clean in cool water. Boil until the meat is tender enough to pull away from the bones or slice easily. Add 1/2 half stick of butter, 1 diced onion, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1/4 cup of celery and make sure that the gizzard is chopped finely. If it is tough after boiling and hard to cut, toss it out or feed it to the dog but don't use it..it will spoil the gravy. However, you must pull all the meat off the neck bone and use it too otherwise, chop all other parts and add to gravy mixture. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Just cover and let sit until the turkey is completely done and you are ready to put on the table. Add enough corn starch to thicken gravy, salt and pepper, 1/8 of a tsp sage, 1/8th of a tsp of poultry seasoning. reheat and serve.
Preparing corn starch....2 heaping tablespoons of corn starch in one cup of cold water. Stir until there are no lumps then slowly add and stir at the same time into gravy mixture. Careful not to pour too much in at one time. ENJOY!

Apple Garlic Pork chops

Not much of a funny story with this one. Just have to sit Bob at one end of the table and Betty at the other end when serving this meal. For three people, you would think three chops would be enough, well I can tell you for sure....it ain't around here! This mixture makes enough for 7-8 chops.

Bake Pork Chops as you normally would leaving the spices off! About half way through..add this topping and bake for they last 15 or 20 minutes.

3 Medium Granny Smith Apples
3 Tbsps of butter
4 large cloves of garlic
(coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup of rolled oats (quick oats)
3/4 cups of packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
6 tbsp. butter melted

Thinly slice half of the apples, coarsely chop the remaining apples. In a large skillet melt the 3 tbsps of butter. Add all the apples, garlic and oats. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until apples start to soften, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat stir in brown sugar and lemon juice.

Prepare pork chops as you normally would in a large baking pan, add remaining butter to the top of the chops. DO NOT SEASON Bake you normal time at 350 degrees. Half way through cooking, add apple mixture to the tops of the pork chops and finish baking. Serves about 4-6 people or 2 of my little piggies. Really good with wild rice and asparagus as side dishes.

Christmas Dinner and the Ham

Now, I am not sure this was Christmas dinner as my memory has a tendency to fail from time to time. However, I do know it was a Ham. Jodi is really good about coming home on holidays and we truly enjoy her visits. Only on this particular time she brought Molly home with her. Molly is my four legged granddaughter. She is part Charpee ( I know I didn't spell this correctly but thats one of those dogs with all the wrinkles) and part boxer. She stands as high as my boobs (ok, before they sagged). Jodi and I got up at 5 a.m. because we were preparing this elaborate 7 pound honey baked ham that I had ordered from the honey baked ham place in Ohio for $68.00 I might add. We worked feverishly to get all the other trimmings done. 7 hours into the project and cooking it slow as per the instructions, we needed to pull the ham out and finish all the other baking. We made the mistake of putting the cooked ham on the counter to cool before slicing. Jodi and I totally pooped from standing all day and getting dinner ready decided to take a coffee break before all the other guests arrived. We were sitting at the dinning room table when we heard a loud, heavy thud. Jodi said, " just sit mom, I"ll see what that was". I waited and waited and finally I hollered to Jodi and said, "what was that noise Jodi", it was very quiet and finally I heard this sheepish...oh nothing mom. I thought hmmmm, I don't believe that! As I entered the kitchen, I found Jodi picking up the ham off of the floor attempting to reform the shape of what was left of the ham. She looked up at me and I noticed Molly in the corner licking her paws with all the honey dripping from her lips, yep, you guessed it, Molly helped herself to half of the ham. We both fell to the floor laughing until almost to the point of crying. You see...in less that one hour we had the whole family coming for dinner and no main course. I pulled her up from the floor and we cleaned up the mess. Dad was watching t.v. in the living room and as we yelled flying out the door, "be back in a minute, we forgot something", (15 minutes before the grocery store was to close for the holiday) we ran and made it into the door just before closing of the Kroger Grocery Store. We managed to find only two Canned Hams left on the shelf. We scarfed those up and ran back home. Needless to say that was the best dinner we have ever prepared TWICE. We never told a sole what actually happened to the Honey baked ham and Molly kept the secret as she spent the rest of the day in the backyard. Molly the dog is famous for that trick as there was another incident at Jodi's house on Dad's birthday involving a Chocolate Birthday cake...but, that's another story for another time!


Baked Ham (doing it the hard way) I am assuming you are gonna serve mashed potatoes with the ham. AND, don't use that instant crap. Buy a bag of potatoes, cut the peelings off, boil the damn things and mash them!

1 can of sliced pineapple in heavy juice.
1 cup of Dark Brown Sugar
1 stick of butter
2 tsps of cornstarch
ABOUT 20 Marishino Cherries

THE HAM

Regardless of what kind of ham you buy, whether by the shank, in a bag or out of a Can, it still has to have a little work done on it.

With a large heavy knife, cut cross cuts on top of the ham about a 1/2 inch down. In the center of each cut place a clove and push down into the ham.


THE GRAVY

In a pan on top of the stove, put the heavy juice from a can of pineapple. 1 cup of dark brown sugar and 1 stick of butter. Allow to melt but not boil.

Place toothpicks atop of the ham in the crosscuts with the cloves. Place one slice of Pineapple and a Cherry on top of that. Take melted mixture of brown sugar and pour 1/2 of the heated mixture over the top of the ham ( sit the other half aside) and bake according to the weight and recommended temperature on the package. Don't forget to add a little water in the bottom of the pan before baking, about 3/4 of a cup. Every half hour or so of cooking, keep the top of the ham moist by basting the top with a little juice from the bottom of the ham in the pan.

After baking, remove one cup of the juice from the cooked ham and place it in the remaining mixture of brown sugar, butter and pineapple juice. Slowly bring it to a simmer and add enough corn starch to thicken (corn starch, place two tsps of cornstarch in one cup of cold water and stir until thoroughly mixed with no lumps) you will need to add this slowly to mixture and stir at the same time. You just need enough of cornstarch and water to produce the sauce to the consistency of a thick gravy. Stir continuously as it will burn if not watched carefully!

This is the gravy for mashed potatoes and just brings a whole new life to smooth or lumpy mashed potatoes.

NOT A RECIPE FOR DIABETICS!

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Garlic Rolls

Janie and Fran, this is for you.  Janie is a good friend from our Springfield days and makes the most beautiful kids you have ever seen.  She is from our really crazy days of "Lunch with the Doc".  I look forward to seeing you again...(thinking about moving back to OHIO) 

Miss Fran (Puddles....I have to ponder that one)This is my little buddie, one you can always depend on.  

As for this recipe, Jodi, Betty and I have been known to purposely hide some of the rolls before dinner and scarf them up for breakfast.  Nothing like fresh garlic in the morning.  Talk about morning breath, sure fire way not to be bothered for the rest of the day, not even by the dog!

Garlic Rolls

1 Package of Parkerhouse dough for rolls

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

Garlic Salt with parsley

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

1 stick of butter

These little rolls are already prepared dough.  You can make your own and I can provide the recipe but I usually do not have the time to stand and play with the dough.

Let them thaw, cut rolls in half.   With a little flour on your hands, rub the dough between your hands and form a cigar shape.  Tie in a knot.   Set them on a cookie sheet for baking and rising. Make as many as you like, I usually make 4 -5 Dozen at a time.  Set aside and let them rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees, about 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

In a large bowl, add olive oil and 1 stick of butter. (don't use that margarine stuff, use BUTTER)'

melt together in the microwave.  Add the baked rolls, and stir until coated with the mixture.  Sprinkle the garlic salt as you stir.  After doing this two or three times, lightly sprinkle the rolls again with garlic and parmesan cheese.  

These will produce fights, huge fights at the table, and stealing of bowls, licking fingers etc.  They are that good!