Buttercream.....It's A Love...Hate Relationship....

Terribly wrong....But oh....so right......

Best Ever Buttercream Frosting

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. shortening

2 t. vanilla

1 c. heavy cream

8 c. powdered sugar

Whip butter and shortening until light and fluffy...

*I put it in my Kitchen Aid and let it go for 10 minutes.

Add vanilla,

Add powdered sugar, on cup at a time.

*It will get stiff toward the end....

Add the cream, and continue to whip for 10 minutes.

*for chocolate buttercream.....add 3/4 c. of cocoa with the last cup of sugar.

you may need to add a couple of Tablespoons of cream, if you find it too stiff.

I have tried many buttercream recipes....this one is by far the best I have ever used.

It not only tastes incredible....it is really great to work with. It is fantastic

for decorating cupcakes....cakes...cookies...whatever you need decorated!

It holds it shape perfectly...and I am sure I mentioned that it tastes very good!!!

(I am even thinking it would work for truffles....it melts in your mouth!)

Fall Corn Chowder

It is starting to feel like and look like Fall around here!

The mornings and evenings are quite cool and the leaves are looking a little yellow.

We had our first fire in our fireplace Saturday night....not because it was so cold, but because it was cold enough to justify it;) When the seasons change, I start thinking soup and bread.

I made this a couple of weeks ago and it is a keeper!

We added cornbread and a salad for the perfect Fall dinner!

Fall Corn Chowder

4 silces of bacon, chopped

1 large onion, finely diced

pinch of cayenne

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 t. thyme

8 c. corn kernels, frozen or fresh

1 can of evaporated milk

2 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. chopped scallions

In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crispy, then remove to a paper towel to drain.

In same pot add onion, saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add cayenne, garlic, thyme, and cook for 30 seconds. Combine 4 cups of corn and 2 cups of broth in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add blended corn mixture, remaining corn and remaining broth to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Add canned milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with crispy bacon and scallions.

I Think You Should Make It.......ASAP!!

I do love LEMONS!

It must be because of the wonderful Arizona citrus

I grew up with.

When you ask for LEMONS in Mecixo....
you get this.....a LIME.....it is called a Limon.
There is no such thing as a yellow LEMON in Mexico.

So, on a recent trip to Arizona I made sure to bring some back with me.
To enjoy;)!
Also for our Easter Dinner/The Boy's 16th birthday party...
I made 8..yes....EIGHT
LEMON MERINGUE PIES
This is a great recipe....You will love it!


LEMON MERINGUE PIE
1 9" pie crust, cooked and cooled
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
3 T. flour
dash of salt
1 1/2 c. hot water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
(save the egg whites of the meringue)
2 T. butter
1/2 t. lemon zest
1/3 c. lemon juice

In a sauce pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Gradually add hot water stirring constantly. Cook mixture until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Temper egg yolks, add to mixture and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Add butter, zest and lemon juice, mix well. Fill pie shell with lemon mixture. Top with meringue, be sure to seal
all edges with meringue. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

MERINGUE
Beat 3 egg whites
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cream of tarter
Begin to whip above ingredients, gradually add
6 T. sugar
Beat until stiff

Monkee Bread...Oh, Yum!

Oh....I had forgotten...How good Monkee Bread is.....

Monkee Bread

4 cans of refirgerator biscuits

(or any bread dough works)

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

pecans, chopped (as many as you like)

1 c. white sugar

2 t. cinnamon

melt butter and brown sugar together. mix white sugar and cinnamon together in

a ziploc bag. cut biscuts into fourths and coat with white sugar mixture

(shake in bag). layer half of the coated biscuits in a greased bundt pan, with lots of

pecans sprinkled on top, then pour over half of the butter brown sugar mixture.

repeat with remaining biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees, for 30-35 minutes.

remove from oven when golden brown and turn

out onto a large plate.

Enjoy!

Ebelskivers

EBELSKIVERS

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 T. sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 c. milk

4 T. butter, melted

(plus more for cooking)

filling of your choice, such as;

jam

chunky applesauce

pudding;)

peanut butter

sausage

any fruit

*basically anything you would like

in a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl lightly whisk the egg yolks, then add in the milk and the melted butter. Mix yolks into dry mixture, stir until combined.

In another bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Fold into batter, gently. Put a little butter (doesn't need too much) into the well of the ebelskiver pan, then add 1 T. of batter, add 1 t. of filling on the top of the batter, then top with 1 T. of batter. To turn use skewers. Cook until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve while hot...that is when they are the best.

The Darlings enjoyed dipping them in syrup.

YUM!!

A Small Piece Of Perfection....Really!

This seems to be the theme here for recipes lately....pretty yummy....and not so good for you....SORRY! But I am so not kidding you, these are amazing! EBELSKIVERS......
or lovingly called "EVIL-SKINNERS" by my beloved Farmer. (my maiden name is Skinner by the way.) Whatever the name, they are great. Stay tuned...I will post the recipe tomorrow...I am traveling at the moment and don't have it with me, but trust me...
YOU WILL WANT IT!!

Dog - O's

A tribute...to my brother....owner of "The Dog House." And also a taste of Mexico! Yes....I know.....This wouldn't fall into the catagory of "good for you" or something that you would eat weekly...BUT....it is worth it, if and when you choose to indulge;)

ENTER....

DOG - O

Enjoyed on most street corners in Mexico. When the sun goes down...the Dog-O stand shows up. It is a mobile cart with a grill and a load of mexican sodas. You can either sit at the plastic chairs and tables, that have also been set up on the street corner, or you can use the..

"SERVICIO AL BORDO"

which is Mexico's idea of drive through. A worker comes to your window...takes your order...and brings the order to you to take home. Given the level of violence in our area, we do not eat on street corners after dark, so here is our version of the Dog -O

Wrap hotdogs with thin slices of bacon...we only use Oscar Meyer all beef hot dogs (only because The Farmer is pretty picky with hot dogs). After the hot dogs are wrapped with the bacon, cook in a frying pan, on medium heat, until bacon is done and a little crispy. Remove the hotdogs from the pan and keep warm. Next, spread the bun with mayo.....


And cook in the same pan...in the bacon grease...until toasty and brown. I told you....not something you can eat at every meal!

Then....place the hotdog in the yummy bun and begin to add toppings....

avocado

diced onion

diced tomato

mustard

beans

corn

grated cheese

jalapeno

well....basically everything....

DIG IN!!!

*to my brother...."The Wennie Man"

Frijoles

Frijoles, found in every home in the lovely land of Mexico. Served with every meal, including breakfast, in a typical Mexican home. These are pinto beans, what is eaten in Nothern Mexico. We grow them in our area and on our farms most years. It is a gift to be able to cook a great pot of beans. And it is serious business around here. People are quite particular about their beans. We are lucky, because the lady that helps us here in our home, cooks a great pot of beans. And try as I may, I cannot duplicate her beans, even with all the same ingredients. In my opinion, there is nothing that smells better in a home than to have a pot of beans on to cook. After they have soaked all night, she puts them on to cook early in the morning. So the house smells great all day long. And when the darlings come in from school, they usually say something like..."oh beans, oh, they smell so good." We (like I have anything to do with it!) cook a pot of beans each week, near the beginning of the week, so that we may have a "supply" for the week. We always start eating the pot of beans with our all time favoirte....BEAN STACKS.....invented by The Farmer's dear Mother. They are well known around here.

*Side note: these are black beans....not so common in Northern Mexico. This is the bean for Southern Mexico....it is rare to find a Pinto Bean down south. We love Black Beans too.

Now....for the Bean Stack...

Step 1 - fill your bowl with Doritos

Step 2 - Begin to layer with toppings, like avocado

....cheese is a must,

Pour hot beans over your toppings and continue to add, sour cream, diced tomato, onions and your favorite salsa. Then...dig in! A perfect meal, anytime....but on a cold evening....it really hits the spot!

In Mexico....this is called a comal. A cast iron skillet. Again, found in every Mexican home. Something that always sits on your stove, because it is so used.

And this is what it is used for! Warming tortillas. Another staple in a home in Mexico. Eaten with literally every meal, often freshly made for each meal. Tortillas are not only eaten along with the meal, they are used a bit like a utinsil. The Darlings love flour tortillas, and The Farmer likes the corn tortilla.

A double comal...if you are warming tortillas for a several people. My favorite part of this comal, is the lettering on the side...if you look carefully.....HECHO EN MEXICO.....(Made in Mexico).

I have often thought, that during "tough" times, and I know that is relative, you would want to be in Mexico where the vast majority know how to survive on beans and tortillas. And more than just survive....they can make survival taste really good!

VIVA EL FRIJOL!!

Quite Possibly The Best.....

.....Chocolate Chip Cookie....that you have ever eaten! If you are looking for a semi "good for you" cookie that is filled with the yummy stuff too...you have found it! I have been making this cookie for years, begining with a wonderful recipe from a dear friend, I have added and adjusted a few ingreditents until it has become our family favorite. When I was in the hospital having PreShie, my dear friend sent a little bag full of these cookies along with me, after PreShie was born, this was the first thing I ate (I had been fasting because of a c-section) and they really tasted amazing at that moment....and it must have been great....because I remember it to this day! So here you go...

Quite Possibly The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

You Will Ever Eat!

(makes 9 to 10 dozen)

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. white sugar

1 c. butter

1 c. shortening

4 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 t. salt

2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

4 c. flour

4 c. oat flour (blend oats to make flour)

1/2 c. ground flax seed

2 c. coconut

12 oz. semi- sweet chocolate chips

12 oz. butterscotch chips

1 1/2 c. pecans, roughly chopped

Cream first four ingredients, add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients, add to wet ingredients and mix well. Dough will be stiff . Stir in coconut, chips, adn nuts. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. I always bake them on parchment and they always turn out great.

(You can substitue whole wheat flour for white flour, just add 1 more egg.)

ENJOY!

*perfect for snacks and expecially for school lunches

My Favorite

I just want to say, I LOVE Z Tejas....wow is it good!

I especially love to eat there with my Darling Brothers;)

And my favorite food is Mac-n-Cheese!

THAT IS ALL I WANTED TO SAY!!

What's In Your Lunchbox?

This has really been on my mind lately. I guess because I pack two lifeless lunches each morning for 2 of The Darlings who spend their lives on a school bus, at school or some type of sports practice. They leave at 7:10 am and don't get home until late in the evening. So I worry, probably too much, about them having enough to eat. It is the creativity in their lunches that is lacking. I need some new ideas! We started in gradeschool with themed lunch boxes...I think PreShie had all of the Barbie lunch boxes. For her they were an accessory to her outfits;). The boys on the other hand wanted whatever was cool at the moment..like The Incredible Hulk, Spiderman..or whatever. Those were the good old days!
I thought that this lunch bag was darling! It can keep food warm or cool for quite awhile. The Darlings aren't looking for a "cute" lunch bag at this time of their lives. Practical and disposable would be their two biggest requirements.
So we ended up with this. Pretty boring isn't it? And then the bigger question. Exactly what do you pack day after day that is both exciting and nutritious?? Seriously?! I have heard stories actually legends, about Moms in our community who "back in the day" (that would be back in The Farmer's day) spent full days baking and preparing for the school lunches of their children. These very lunches were often coveted or sometimes "borrowed" by The Farmer and his friends. School lunches are quite a topic around here. So imagine the pressure I felt when my children began taking their lunches to school.....pressure I tell you!!! So once again I am trying to plan lunches so that The Darlings will be fed both physically and emotionally as they spend their days away from home. I came accross this site that you must check out, if I didn't think I was the looser lunch Mom before...I sure do now!!! This Mom is amazing, the lunches are very special. I would love to hear your suggestions for creative lunches, I Need Help! I am sure there are some great ideas out there!
p.s. This is my Dad's lunch box from his childhood, with his initals so sweetly painted on the top.

Isn't it darling??!!

Back In The Saddle Again!

Last week was "one of those weeks" for me. We all have them, sometimes more often than we would like. And oddly enough the week seemed to revolve around food. So here is a little recap, since I didn't have much time to post last week.

I hosted bookclub for September. My book selection was The Holy Secret, by James Farrell. An amazing book and a wonderful discussion with some yummy food mixed in. We had ribbon sandwiches, French Country Salad,
Fruit salad...with freshly picked peaches and blackberries,
Of course...cupcakes...Coconut filled chocolate and ....
Banana cupcakes and a few spritz cookies. Book Club is always full of laughter and uplifting comments. We had a great time. It was time to bottle green chile this week. So in the midst of preparing dinner for Leadership Training (we had Stake Conference this weekend) I bottled the green chile. Yum, Yum!! So with several other activities mixed in...this past week was all about food!

So, I am back in the saddle again! Ready for another week, hopefully with a few less demands, and a little more time for blogging;)