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Candy Corn Fudge...only 2 ingredients!

 
 
This "Candy Corn Fudge" is a fun little project to make with the children or for the children or for those that still act like children...lol.  I am thinking of myself when I say this.  This is so easy, because I used the old "2 - Ingredient Fudge" recipe and just added food coloring to make the candy corn effect.  I did have to double the usual recipe to get the layers thick enough, but if you have a really small  square dish, I guess you could make less.
 
Now, before someone asks... this does not have actual candy corn in it.  It is called 'candy corn fudge' only because it looks like candy corn and I guess it tastes a bit like it too.  The great thing about this is that it tastes better than candy corn to me!   Here is what you will need for this:
 
 
2  (12 oz.) bags of white chocolate chips
2 (16 oz,)  cans of vanilla frosting (or any white frosting, I used 1 cream cheese and 1 vanilla)
red and yellow food coloring
 
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.  Microwave them on high for about 2-3 minutes stirring after each minute.  Add the frosting and stir.  Microwave that for another minute or two.   Stir until it is all well blended and smooth.  You can also do this in top of a double boiler.
 
Line an 8"x 8" baking dish with wax paper or foil.  The Reynolds Wrap nonstick works great for this.
 
Pour 1/3 of the mixture in the dish for the first, white layer.  Place it in the fridge while you color the rest of the mixture.
 
Divide the rest of the mixture in half and tint one orange and one yellow.  
 
Remove the white layer from the fridge and pour the orange next over the white layer.  Pour it in rows, so you don't have to do much spreading it around.  Pour the yellow layer over the orange, last.  If the mixture starts to get too thick to pour, just stick it back in the microwave for a few seconds and stir.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.
Turn it out on a cutting board and peel the foil off.  With a sharp knife cut it in rows. 
 
Gently lift the piece and turn it on it's side.  Cut in triangle shaped "candy corn' pieces.  You will have to trim up edges of the rows that were on the outside of the baking dish.  Use a dish with the straightest sides if you have one.  Kids and husbands will be more than happy to eat the trimmings!
 
You will notice that every other piece is not in the right color order of white, orange, yellow, but only the pickiest of people will notice that. 
 
The rows are also not real uniform either, but I looked at some pretty upscale candy corn (can candy corn be upscale...lol) and their rows were not so uniform either, so I was ok with it!
 
If you don't want to worry over cutting these candy corn shapes, cut it in squares and slap a piece of candy corn on top and it's still cute!
 
 
 



Aunt Ann's Sweet Potato Bars!


This is another of my Aunt Ann's recipe creations, so you know it's gonna be good!  She had a bumper crop of sweet potatoes this year so she has been cooking up sweet potatoes in all sorts of new  and delicious ways.  These "Sweet Potato Bars" are sort of a sweet potato cheesecake bar and they are scrumptious.  If you like sweet potato pie, you will love them.  Here is what you will need:

1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs, divided
1/2 cup butter, 1 stick
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1  (8 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
additional cinnamon for garnish


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cake mix, 1 egg and 1 stick butter.  Press into the bottom of  a 9"x13" pan.

Beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, 3 eggs, sweet potatoes, dry pudding mix, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth.   Pour over the cake mix crust. 

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or unit a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove and cool completely.


When the bars are cool, spread the whipped topping over the top and sprinkle with just bit more cinnamon for garnish.   Refrigerate.   


Redneck Caviar!

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 As I have confessed in my post for "Hoppin John", I am not all that crazy about the taste of black eyed peas, unless they are jazzed up a little bit with some other spices.   This black eyed pea salsa does just that and it's so easy to throw together.  It's one of my favorite ways to use the homely little black eyed pea.   It completely changes the taste of them to something very light and fresh tasting.  Here is what you will need for this:

2  15oz. cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained.
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1/2 cup sliced green onions, including some of the green blades
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 Tbs. minced pickled jalapenos
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 pkg dry Italian dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. vinegar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Cachere)
dash of black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine the drained black eye peas, Rotel tomatoes, green onions, bell peppers, jalapenos and minced garlic.  Whisk together the Italian dressing mix with the olive oil, vinegar, cumin, Cajun seasoning and black pepper.  Pour over the other ingredients.  Add the fresh cilantro and parsley and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos Scoops.















Broccoli Cauliflower Salad!


This is a great salad if you are just tired of the usual tossed salad.  It goes great with just about anything and you can prepare it ahead of time.  It's especially good for the holiday menu if you add the dried Craisins to it for that pop of color. 

 Here is what you will need for this one:

2 cups of broccoli florets, chopped in bite size pieces
2 cups cauliflower florets, chopped in bit size pieces
1 small red onion, diced (can use a sweet onion like a Vidalia or similar)
1 cup sunflower shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup Craisins or raisins (optional)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup real bacon bits (can use bacon fried crisp and crumbled)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


In a salad bowl mix the broccoli, cauliflower, onion, sunflower seeds and Craisins, if using them.

In a separate bowl stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves.  Pour over the salad ingredients and toss.  Refrigerate until time to serve.


Right before serving sprinkle the top with the bacon and shredded cheese.








Caramel Apple Salad!


If there is one thing I love about Fall, it's caramel apples, so this salad was right up my alley.  It's so easy to make with a few simple ingredients and it's pretty enough to serve for even your special holiday meals.  This salad goes so well on a Fall menu.  Another bonus is that kids love this one!  You can also adapt this to make it practically sugar free and low fat. 


  This is what you will need:

1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple with the juice
1 (3 oz.) box of instant butterscotch pudding mix
3 large apples, cored and diced, leave the peel on
8  oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup chopped peanuts


Mix all ingredients except the peanuts.  Chill for at least 1 hour. 



 Sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts before serving.  You can also garnish with a few apple slices to  make it pretty.






Slow Cooker Barbequed Roast!

 

 
 
This "Slow Cooker Barbequed Roast" is so easy, I almost didn't even post it, but then I realized that some of the most popular recipe on this site, so far are some of the easiest!   Also, it makes use of a product not really marketed for a barbequed beef roast. 
 
This is how this recipe, came to be...one day I had a taste for a meatloaf.  For those of you who have been on here for a while, you remember my sister-in-law's Perfect Meatloaf Recipe.   You can click right there on that link that is in blue to see that one!  If you have seen the recipe or made it, you know that I use Hunt's tomato sauce for meatloaf in it.  It used to be called Hunt's Meatloaf  Fixin's and then they changed the name and caused all of this confusion for us.  Now it's called Dinner Starters Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf and it looks like this:   
 
 
This is the sauce that makes the meatloaf, in my humble opinion.  You can see where this is going, I had the sauce, but I didn't have any ground chuck thawed out.  What I did have was a nice beef chuck roast, so I decided to experiment.  The results were delicious. It didn't really taste like meatloaf, but it was still really good!  Here is what you will need for this Barbequed Roast:
 
3-5 lb. beef chuck roast
1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning  (I use Tony Cachere's)
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 can Hunts Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf (If you can't find this, just use a seasoned tomato sauce)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce of your choice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce (optional)
1/2 cup water
 
Sprinkle the chopped onion over the bottom of the slow cooker you have sprayed with nonstick spray.  Place the chuck roast on top of the onion.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and the tablespoon of minced garlic.
 
Mix the tomato sauce with the brown sugar, barbeque sauce,  Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce if you are adding it.  Pour this mixture just on top of the roast. Pour the 1/2 cup of water around the edges of the roast on the bottom.   Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 
 
Slice and serve as a main course or shred and serve on buns for sandwiches!
 
 




Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili!

 
  When that first chill gets in the air here in southern Kentucky, I start to think about things like this "White Chicken Chili"!   I usually make this on the stove top, but this is a great recipe to just throw in the slow cooker and forget it until time to eat also.  The great thing is that you probably already have the ingredients on hand.  Here is what you will need for this:


4 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cans white beans (navy or great northern)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
 2 tsp. cumin 
 1 tsp. oregano
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes (if you use another brand of the small square ones use about 6)***
5-6 cups water (depending how thick you like it)
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (can substitute a small can of mild green chilies if you don't like too much heat)
dash of hot sauce to taste (I use Tabasco, but this is optional)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
 
Garnishes
green onions, chopped
Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheeses
jalapeno pepper rings
 
***you can substitute 6 cups of chicken broth for the water and bullion cubes if desired
 
 
Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, except the cream cheese and Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheeses.   Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 5 to 6 hours. 
 
The last hour add the cream cheese, cubed and the 2 cups Monterrey Jack or pepper jack cheese.  Stir about halfway through just to blend as it melts.  
 
Serve with the garnishes of your choice!  This is great with tortilla chips or Frito Scoops!


 
 
 


Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie!

 
 
 This is a great pumpkin pie recipe if you are looking for something a little different from the traditional baked pumpkin pie!   It's also a really good pumpkin dessert for those people who think they don't like pumpkin.  Even the kids will love this one!   It's sort of pumpkin pie meets cheesecake.   Here is what you will need for this one:
 
1 large graham cracker crust (the one that says 2 extra servings or if you make your own, make a deep dish crust)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. of cream cheese, softened
1 cup, plus 1 Tbs. milk, divided
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 small (3 oz.) boxes of instant French vanilla pudding (be sure to get instant)
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
 
Beat cream cheese with 2 Tbs. powdered sugar, 1 Tbs. milk and vanilla until smooth.  Fold in 1/2 of the frozen whipped topping.   Pour into the graham cracker crust and smooth to the edges.
 
Beat the remaining 1 cup milk with the pudding mixes. Beat in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.  Spread over the cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.  
 
Serve topped with a dollop of the remaining whipped topping, sprinkled with a little pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon!




Apple Pie!

 
 
 
 
There is nothing more down home and comforting than "Apple Pie".  I guess that is where the saying "It's as American as Apple Pie" comes from!  It's really a fairly easy pie to make, but I do get asked about a recipe for it quite a bit, so I guess it's not something everyone already has.  This is my mother's recipe that she has made for years and it's got just the right blend of seasonings.   Here is what you will need:
 
 
Pie pastry for a two crust pie (use refrigerated or make your own)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced (preferably Gala apples)
4 Tbs. butter
1 egg white
1 Tbs. sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon
 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
 
Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add in the apples and toss together. 
 
Line a pie plate with one of the crusts.  Add the apple mixture.  Dot the top with the butter cut in thin slices.  
 
A lot of apple pie recipes call for Granny Smith apples, but we prefer a little sweeter baking apple like the Gala.  It still holds up for baking, but doesn't require as much sweetening.  If you do use Granny Smith's which are more tart, you might need to add a little more sugar.
 
Roll the other crust out and cut into 1/2 inch strips for making a lattice top crust.  Make sure to crimp the top crust pieces down to the edges of the pie plate so they don't rise up and come loose during baking.
 
Brush the top crust with egg white.  Sprinkle the top of the pie crust with the 1 Tbs. sugar mixed with the pinch of cinnamon.  Place on a cookie sheet for baking. 
 
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes. 
 
The top crust should be nice and brown. 
 
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!



Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes!


I love sweet potatoes just about any way you cook them, so I am always interested in a new sweet potato recipe.  They are so good for you also.  My mother came up with this "Orange Glazed  Sweet Potato" recipe and the addition of the citrus orange flavor really makes them special.  They would be perfect for the holidays or anytime.  They also smell wonderful cooking!  


 Here is what you will need for these:

3 lbs. sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced
1 cup brown sugar
5 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 Place the sweet potatoes in a 9"x13'' baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. 

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon then stir in the orange juice, water and orange zest.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and pecans. 

Pour over the sweet potatoes.  Bake at 350 uncovered for 25 minutes.   


 Spoon the glaze back over the sweet potatoes before serving!






Peachy Caramel French Toast Bake!


 
I love to do breakfast casseroles that can be prepared the night before for the weekends or during the holidays.  It just makes having breakfast much more enjoyable if all you have to do is make the coffee, put a casserole in the oven and maybe fry some bacon or sausage.   This French toast bake, is so good.  It sort of makes it's own sauce as it bakes. Here is what you will need for this one:
 
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1  1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. water
2  (15 oz.) cans sliced peaches, drained  (can substitute an equivalent amount of fresh peaches)
6 slices thick white bread (I used Texas Toast, Italian is good also)
6 eggs
1  1/4 cups half and half cream (can substitute whole milk)
pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 Tbs. maple syrup
1/2 cups chopped pecans
4 Tbs. butter
 
Place the 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar in the microwave for 1 minute, stir.  Add the brown sugar and microwave for another minute. 
 
Add the water and microwave for about 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and foams.  Stir.

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.  Pour the caramel sauce in the bottom.  Allow the caramel sauce to cool a bit, about 5 minutes or so.
 
Layer the  drained peaches over the caramel sauce and then the bread slices on top of the peaches.
 
Whisk the eggs, cream, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Pour evenly over the bread.  Sprinkle with pecans and dot with the other 4 Tbs. of butter.  Sprinkle with the other 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
 
Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  If this starts to brown too much just cover loosely with foil.  I have never had that happen, but all ovens cook differently.
 
This makes it's own syrup in the bottom of the dish or you can add additional maple syrup.  If you feel really decadent add a dollop of whipped cream!
 
 
 



Sweet Pepper Relish!


 
 
I love a good relish or chow chow.  It is so good with beans and fresh vegetables or on a hot dog or good smoked sausage.  However, it's hard to find a really tasty recipe for sweet pepper relish.   This is probably one of the best.  It's one of those really old recipes that has been around for a while and it came from the lady that ran our elementary cafeteria years ago.   My mother was fortunate enough to get several of her recipes.  She was a wonderful southern cook.   I am sure this recipe was in her own family for years.  You will be surprised by how uncomplicated making something like this actually is, if you have a good recipe.  Here is what you will need:
 
 
4 cups ground onions
1 medium head of cabbage, ground (4 cups)
10 green tomatoes, ground  (4 cups)
12 green bell peppers, ground
6 red bell peppers, ground
1/2 cup salt
6 cups sugar
1 Tbs. celery seed
2 Tbs. turmeric
4 cups cider vinegar
2 cups water
 
Grind the vegetables using the coarse blade of the grinder.  This recipe was before the invention of the food processor, but you can use your food processor.  If you do use a food processor, be careful not to over process this.  It should be left coarse.  We are making relish, not juice and it's easy to over do it with those powerful food processors nowadays.  Do I sound like I have experience with this...lol?   I have had a few batches of salsa that was more like spicy tomato juice, before I got used to a new food processor.
 
Sprinkle the vegetables with the 1/2 cup of salt.  Cover and let sit in the fridge over night. 
 
The next day, rinse and drain.  Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the vegetables in a large pan.  Place on the stove and heat to boiling.   Turn the heat down and simmer for about 3 minutes. 
 
Seal in hot, sterilized jars.  My mother always turns the jars, after filling and sealing, upside down on a kitchen towel to aid in the sealing process.  This makes 8 pints of relish. 
 
Isn't it pretty?  This would be great for an inexpensive, but thoughtful, Christmas gift.  Tie a little burlap or gingham bow around the jar and it would be darling!



Ham and Asparagus Casserole!


 
I love asparagus, especially fresh asparagus.  I can eat it just by itself, drenched in hollandaise sauce, in a salad or in a casserole.  However, I find that there aren't all that many good casserole recipes for asparagus or maybe I just haven't found them.  This casserole is absolutely one of the best in my opinion.  Two of my aunts each say this recipe is theirs so I am not sure which one made it first, but they both make it very tasty so I am just glad they shared it.   I did make a few subtle changes to the recipe, but shhhh... don't tell the aunties!  The recipe calls for canned asparagus and I am not a huge fan of canned asparagus so I used fresh and I added some celery, garlic powder and a little cheese.   The recipe is delicious without any alterations though.  

Here is what you will need:

Asparagus, ham, rice, onion, celery, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, small can of evaporated milk, corn flakes, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.


Slice the asparagus on the diagonal in about 1 inch pieces.  Break off the woody ends and discard those.  Put about 2 inches of water and 1/2 tsp. salt in a deep skillet, add asparagus and bring to a low boil.  Turn down to simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.  The asparagus will turn bright green.  Remove from heat and drain in a colander.  It will be tender but still slightly crisp.


Rinse and wipe out the skillet and put 1 cup rice and two cups water along with 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil, turn heat down and cover.  Cook the amount of time it directs on the package.  I am all about using as few pans and dishes as possible when cooking to make cleanup easier.


As soon as your rice has absorbed the water, remove the lid and fluff it up.


In another skillet saute ham, chopped celery, and onion in about 1 Tbs. butter just until the vegetables are slightly tender.


In the skillet with the rice, add the ham, celery, onion mixture, the asparagus, the mushroom soup, garlic powder, pepper, the cheese and the can of evaporated milk.  Fold it all together and pour it into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Place the cornflakes in a Ziploc bag and crush them slightly...not to fine crumbs.  They should still resemble cornflakes.  Melt 2 Tbs. butter and pour over the cornflakes.  Spread over the top.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes.


This is a great side dish for a holiday or special meal or with a salad and bread it makes a main dish for a light supper or lunch!  It's a great way to use leftover ham.

Ingredients:

2 cups asparagus (canned or fresh)
2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 small can evaporated milk or a 1/2 cup half and half
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cheddar cheese
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups cornflakes for topping
1/2 tsp. pepper

Homemade Gingerbread!



 Nothing smells any better baking than gingerbread to me!  It also smells like Fall and holidays!  For some reason gingerbread makes me slightly nostalgic for a time gone by.  I don't know why, because I am not much of a person to live in the past, but I always think of relatives long gone when doing anything having to do with gingerbread.   Just the smell of it, reminds me of being a little girl and my mother making it or relatives who made it. 

This recipe is well over 100 years old and has been passed down in my family through the generations.  My own mother got it from her great aunt so you can see that it is very old and dates back to the late 1800's at least. 

You will notice it calls for butter or lard, which back then would be the two choices you had for baking.  I realize most of you won't use lard, but I am keeping the recipe authentic.  Feel free to use shortening if you don't use the butter.

To make good gingerbread, you have to have good molasses or as the type here in Kentucky is called, sorghum molasses.  Kentucky and Tennessee are the top producing states for sorghum and therefore sorghum syrup or molasses.   Making syrup or sorghum molasses is very labor intensive and just about a dying art.  

The sorghum used in this gingerbread came from a Mennonite farm a county over from ours that still grow sorghum and make the molasses with it. 

This gingerbread is the cake like version instead of the cookies some people think of and it's good served just plain, sprinkled with some powdered sugar or with a warm caramel sauce. 

 Here is what you will need:


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or lard
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2  1/2 cups all purpose flour
1  1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together sugar and butter (or lard).  Add eggs and mix. Add molasses.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. 
Add the flour mixture to the sugar, butter and egg mixture and then beat in the hot water.  Mix just until combined. 

Pour into a shallow baking pan that has been well greased or sprayed with nonstick baking spray.   Use a 9"x13" pan with and edge on it.    Bake for about 25 minutes.


Cool slightly before cutting.


Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar!


Or with a warm caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream for something even more special!

Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter (1/ 2 cup)
1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

To make the warm caramel sauce, which you can serve over each piece or without, mix the butter, milk and the sugars in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Allow this to boil for 3 full minutes, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla.   This will thicken as it sits, but should be served slightly warm over each piece. 


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