Food For Thought

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.

~Voltaire, 1751

Tag, You're It!

I got tagged for this meme by Shan over at http://halfsoledboots.blogspot.com/.

Here are the rules:

The meme works like this:1) Link to the person who tagged you2) Mention the rules3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself4) Tag six other bloggers by linking to them5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I love to watch public access TV. Local churches, County Commissioners meetings, Agricultural Extension specials.

2. I can't stand to sleep alone.

3. My jaw pops when I chew due to TMJ.

4. I have this obsession about clothes smelling good, so I use nice smelling detergent and fabric softener sheets.

5. I hang my feet off the end of my bed and rock them back and forth as I try to fall asleep or rub them together, especially when I'm cold.

6. Along with everyone else in America, I would love to write a book one day. I don't know what it would be about. It wouldn't be a work of fiction though.

Now, I tag Missy, Marsha, and Laura.

Slapin' Grandma Goodness

While I'm posting recipes, I may as well share this one that I just put together. With the economy in the shape it's in, I figure I better be teaching my kids to love the "old" recipes so that they can be resourceful in years to come, and have quality of life in the midst of hard times. I want them to have the ability to pull together a smashing dinner with very little on hand.

Bread Pudding:

2 cu. milk

1/4 cu. butter

2/3 cu sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cu. bread (I used 1 loaf of Italian bread cut up into 1" cubes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat milk until film forms on top. Add butter. Stir until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Mix sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla well. Put bread in casserole dish. Slowly add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Pour over the bread. Bake 45-50 min. Let sit for 10 min. Pour Whiskey Sauce or whipped cream over top and serve.

Whiskey Sauce:

1 1/2 cu. Heavy cream

2 tsp corn starch

2 tbsp. cold water

1/3 cu. sugar

1/3 cu Bourbon (I used Honey Whiskey. Mmmm!!)

Slowly add water to corn starch while stirring until well blended. Set aside. Have sugar measured and handy. Have whiskey handy. Bring cream to boil. Add corn starch mix to cream and whisk constantly. Return to boil. Reduce heat, whisk, and cook for 30 sec. DON'T BURN!!!

Remove from heat. Add sugar and whiskey. Stir until sugar melts. Let cool.

Here are 2 of my favorite Fall recipes.

Enjoy!!!

Layered Pumpkin Bread

Missy posted this recipe last year. I've altered it a bit.

Bread:

1 1/2 cu. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cu. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cu. pumpkin

1/2 cu. canola oil

2 eggs beaten

1/4 cu water

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

nuts (optional)

Filling:

1 pkg. cream cheese

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts (if you're using them). Beat filling in a separate bowl until well blended. Grease loaf pan well or 4 mini-loaves. Pour half of the batter into pan. Spoon half of the filling mixture evenly over the center of the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

Bake 50-60 min. Until straw comes out clean. Turn out of pan. Cool on rack. Serve warm or cold!

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

Cookies:
1 1/2 cu. butter, softened
2 cu. sugar
1/2 cu. molasses
4 cu. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more, if you like)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
additional sugar

Dip:
1 8oz. block cream cheese softened
1 can pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix (18 oz)
2 cu. confectioners sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions:
Cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add molasses. Mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Chill (at least 3 hrs.) Shape into 1/2 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Press. Place 2" apart on cookie sheet. I lightly sprayed mine. Bake 6 min. Yield: about 20 doz. *you can store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Dip: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin. Beat well. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Beat until smooth. Serve with cookies. Yield: 3 cu. * Store in the refrigerator.

I never notice how loud we are around here until it is time to turn on the attic fan, and open the windows.