My all-time favorite pot pie recipe is made with turkey to use up Thanksgiving leftovers or with chicken a 'typical' winter day. I've posted about it sometime in the past on my website and mentioned it was from an obscure cookbook released by Margaret Hamilton who played the Wicked Witch in the original "Wizard of Oz". I have been making her version of the homemade pot pie since the early 90's and it's one I'll be making the rest of my life as we love it so much. However this version of Chicken Pot Pie does not have you make the biscuits for the top crust. No kneading needed! You simply mix the crust ingredients and pour it on. I added this to my computer files on this date two years ago and laughed when I saw it coincided with todays date. I guess that means I was meant to post it.... finally!

Cheater's Chicken Pot Pie

1- 3lb. chicken or chicken pieces (boil until tender –save the broth it makes)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth from boiling the chicken
1 cup frozen vegetable mix or a pea's and carrots mixture, microwaved or cooked
1/4 t poultry seasoning or even ground sage if you don't have poultry seasoning on hand
1 stick melted butter
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
1 cup self rising flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cube the chicken and place in a large, greased casserole dish. Combine the cream of chicken soup, seasoning and the chicken broth with the pea's and carrots. Pour over chicken. Combine margarine, buttermilk, flour, salt and pepper and pour over above to make crust. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

As I commute to work and home again each day, I gaze at the signs for granite, floor tiles, furniture stores, rec-room furniture, paint stores and more. I dream about all the things I'd like to invest in to make our house our home. Our personality. Natural stone tile floors, granite counter-tops, a full music room in the basement. When not dreaming about DIY projects, I also tend to do what I'm sure all commuting Moms do... ask myself; "What do I make for dinner tonight?" and start to plan dinner while I'm still stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the interstate.

It's got to be quick and it's got to be good - it also has to please teenagers and adults alike, as well as offering the healthy variety of veggies into their diet.

One of the easy ways to get my crew to eat spinach is to hide it in a dip. Served with tortilla chips, my entire family will eat this side dish/appetizer and not only am I sneaking spinach into their diets, but it's so incredibly fast that I can whip it up and have it baking within minutes while I make the rest of the meal. I admit that I like to eat it as a 'side dish' as well - no tortilla's needed! This one calls for black pepper, which I don't typically add. It also has a lower-fat base to it, using fat-free sour cream and 1/3 fat cream cheese. You can substitute a 1/2 block of fat-free in place of the cream cheese called for but I wouldn't use a full block of fat-free as it won't set up as well.

Another Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 c (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 c fat-free sour cream
1/4 c (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 t black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
Tortilla Chips to serve with it

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

By using a prepared graham crust you skip the step that includes mixing butter and graham crumbs to form the crust. Just use a store bought pie crust and that step is done. You do have to be careful baking though as the edges tend to over-bake quickly as you wait for the center to be done. Watch it closely the last 3-4 minutes.




1 graham cracker crust
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can (15 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Sprinkle the graham layer with the chocolate chips, then the butterscotch, then the coconut and walnuts. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over all. I didn't use quite all of the condensed milk, I'd say there was about 1/4 inch left in the bottom of the can. Bake for 24-33 minutes in a preheated 350 oven. Cool completely then cut into pieces. These are very, very rich!

If you live in the northeastern or mid-Atlantic states I wanted my readers to be aware (but not overly concerned) that there is another meat recall in your area. It's for ground beef sold at ACME, BJ's, Ford Brothers, Giant Food Stores, Price Chopper, Shaw's, and Trader Joe's.

However the recall is only for the ground beef produced for three days back in September (14-16) and only in 8 states. More than likely, most of the meat has been used by now and it's not harmful as long as it's fully cooked as the heat kills off bacteria.

It's also important to note that there are food recalls every day at the local,state, regional and country level... even though you probably never hear about them and usually no one gets sick. Still, for a public service announcement here is part of the recall article;

A voluntary recall was announced Monday for more than half a million pounds of ground beef because it may be contaminated with bacteria linked to at least two deaths, officials said.

Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York, said the recall was issued Saturday for approximately 545,699 pounds of ground beef produced between September 14 and September 16 after the meat was "possibly linked" to E. coli O157:H7.

"Any customers from northeastern or mid-Atlantic states who have identified recalled ground beef products should remove the product from their freezers and return it to their stores for full reimbursement," the company said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said it learned of the problem during an investigation of a cluster of E. coli 0157:H7 illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.

The recall was for distribution centers in eight states, but the company said some retailers may have sent the affected beef to other states.

Other grocers may also be recalling the products, which are already at least 23 days past their expiration date, meaning they are no longer being sold as fresh.

For more information on this recall as well as all USDA recalls you can surf their website here.

Born in the 70's, I grew up during an era when popcorn and how we made it changed with the times. We first made it in a pan on the stove-top or once in a while we bought the special aluminum foil pans (mostly for camping) that you pull the top cardboard off, shake it over the fire or heat source and watch as the foil grew to an unbelievable size and looked as if it were a UFO. The 80's came and with it came the air-popper complete with a small plastic compartment above the hot air where you placed a stick of butter and let it melt and drip down on the popcorn as it made its way through the opening and fell to the bowl placed below. We also had the round canister style that you poured a little oil into and added some popcorn and put the cover on while it heated and a small wire turned round and round like the second hand of a clock to keep the popcorn moving while it popped. My friend Christi's family had a yellow and brown microwave popper that you added your own popcorn to and cooked in the microwave instead of in the air popper, and lastly came the invention of the microwave popcorn which was so quick and easy that it stuck around and it's what most of the population uses today.

Not me.

My family makes fun of me but I still love popcorn the old fashioned way. In our home my family calls it Moms "Amish" popcorn. But to be honest, nothing can beat the flavor of popcorn made this way, on the stove top. Microwave popcorn can't compare.

If you want to make popcorn the 'old fashioned' way you start by purchasing a bag of popcorn kernels. The bags are usually 2 pounds in weight and sell for about $1.



Using a nice heavy bottomed pan, pour canola or vegetable oil into the bottom (or buy the special popcorn oil they sell in the popcorn aisle... but I'm too cheap to purchase it... ha ha) of the pan. The amount depends on the amount of popcorn you will make but I like to pour in until about 3/4 of the bottom of the pan is covered and then I lift and swirl it around to coat the entire bottom surface. I turn the heat on high at this point to heat the oil quickly.

Add your popcorn to the oil (hot or cold doesn't matter)... but do so sparingly! A single layer of popcorn to cover the bottom is enough for about 2-3 people! Put the tight fitting lid on the pan. Do not lift.

The oil heats the moisture inside the kernel and causes them to start popping. Turn the heat down to medium as soon as they start to pop and leaving the pan on the stove, shake it gently back and forth to keep the kernels moving so they don't burn and to allow all the kernels to come into contact with the hot oil.

When the last of the kernels are popping and there is about 4-9 seconds between pops you will know your kernels are have all popped. Remove from heat with the lid still on. Don't keep it on the stove or it will start to burn. Pour into a large bowl or even a large brown paper bag. Melt butter in the pan or microwave to drizzle over and salt as you like.

Back in the late 80's I remember first hearing the phrase "real men don't eat quiche!" And those that believe that probably also believe real men wouldn't eat light salads, fruit kabobs, soups, dainty little appetizer's or other 'froo froo' food. Those men would wear big heavy boots, shop at places like the Man Store for things like tools, hardware, safety vests and other things contractor's and similar 'manly' jobs would wear... and well, those same men would be awfully hungry wouldn't they!?

Real men do eat quiche. And appetizers and soup and leafy green salads with tiny little craisins and raspberry vinaigrette. Real men also have been known to read recipe books and magazines and (gasp), cook! This recipe, from one of my favorite sources, Southern Living is from 2008 but is timeless and also ready to be adapted to whatever tastes your guests like or how creative you feel like being. Men, women... everyone can like an appetizer like this.

Cheese and Fruit Tartlet

24 Tartlet Shells or Phyllo cups, etc.
2 oz Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup peach fruit spread
3 T chopped roasted salted almonds

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange pastries on a baking sheet. Cut Gorgonzola cheese into 24 very small pieces. Spoon 1/4 rounded teaspoonful peach fruit spread into each shell; top with cheese. Sprinkle evenly with chopped roasted salted almonds. Bake tartlets at 350° for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ginger-Brie Bites: Prepare Peach-and-Blue Cheese Bites as directed, substituting ginger preserves for peach fruit spread and 3 oz. Brie, rind removed, for Gorgonzola cheese.

Pear-Havarti Bites: Prepare Peach-and-Blue Cheese Bites as directed, substituting pear preserves for peach fruit spread and 2 oz. Havarti cheese for Gorgonzola cheese.

Spicy-Sweet Goat Cheese Bites: Prepare Peach-and-Blue Cheese Bites as directed, substituting red pepper jelly for peach fruit spread and 2 oz. goat cheese for Gorgonzola cheese.

Some people sit down on the couch with their laptop at the end of the day to relax and read the news. Others surf for fashion advice, beauty aids, makeup, eye wrinkle cream and shoes. Purses, puppies and pillowcases do nothing for me, but when I open my email to see a recipes newsletter with photos and recipes like a Peppermint Cheesecake Bite... mmmm, now that's exciting and fun!

If you have old Sunset or similar magazines from the early 2000's you may have seen this one or other recipes that are very, very close to this one in other cooking magazines from the heartland. Either way I wanted to tuck this one away to make very, very soon.

Peppermint Cheesecake Bites


Crust:
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (such as Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers; about 22 cookies)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
12 hard peppermint candies, divided
2/3 cup (5 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare crust, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Press about 1 1/2 teaspoons crumb mixture into the bottom of each of 48 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 5 minutes.

To prepare the filling, place 6 candies, fat-free cream cheese and the next 6 ingredients (fat-free cream cheese through sour cream) in a food processor; process until smooth. Stir in minichips and peppermint extract. Divide the filling evenly among prepared crusts. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes or until done. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove mini cheesecakes from pans, and cool completely. Top each mini cheesecake with 1 teaspoon whipped topping. Crush the remaining 6 candies; sprinkle the crushed candies and chocolate sprinkles over the cheesecakes.

Walking into the kitchen at 5:00 everyday, I usually have something frozen in my arms that I chose out of the freezer as I made my way into the house from my vehicle. Balancing my purse, travel coffee mug, the mail and that night's dinner, I walk into the kitchen and usually deposit all on the counter in one fell swoop and begin to make magic with the frozen 'something' in my arms.

Our family dinner time is 6:pm so I have 1 hour to make whatever will be served that evening. There are many hints and tips to doing this well - serving hot, healthy and a variety of foods - and using the crock pot is one that I admittedly under-utilize. I'm just not a 'crock pot' kind of person. Especially with todays crocks which tend to get too hot since the government stepped in and changed the requirements due to unfounded fears about food poisoning due to foods cooked at low temperatures for long periods of time. Over the past 10-12 years I've found the newer appliances tend to burn the food on the outside and not cook it on the inside. Roasts don't have a chance to cook correctly and get tender like they do in older slow-cookers and soups with any sort of ingredients such as cheese, potatoes and other things that settle to the bottom will burn. It's very strange to have your slowcookers on 'low' and find your chili burning on the bottom while the top is still cold.

Three 'newer' crocks and slowcookers verses two of my 'older' style from the late 80's and early 9o's and I'll chose the older. They cook evenly.

Another note: If you are using an older recipe or a traditional recipe, be careful about cook times. You can't cook Grandma's roast recipe in a newer appliance for 10 hours like the old days. That same roast will be done in 6 and ready to burn due to the higher temperatures mandated by the government.

Now that I'm done ranting and raving (ha ha) I'll just say; I have a roast in the crock-pot with whole potatoes surrounding and a bit of water in the bottom. The spices this time around are simple;

salt
fresh ground pepper
MSG
onion powder

I felt like going back to basics today.

Tonight when I get home I'll whip up some beef gravy, add some bread and perhaps some steamed broccoli and while the rain pours outside and the wind blows, our family will sit around the table to a hot meal.