Pinto Beans

I remember, growing up, how we ate beans and cornbread a lot because it was a cheap meal, fed the entire family, had protein, fiber, and carbs. My mom would soak the beans overnight, and the next day she would cook the beans for hours. The house smelled extra good. It seemed like the beans would never get done. Finally, dinner was served. Happily and with gusto we ate the beans. The perfect side dish was slices of hot cornbread slathered in butter and a drizzle of honey. Oh, great memories!

So, I soaked the pinto beans overnight and yesterday morning put them on to cook in my crockpot, added in all the ingredients and waited. Last night we ate the fruits of my labor. WOW-WEE they were yummy!

I served them up with a side of cornbread. Recipe to follow tomorrow.

Here's how I did it:

1 pound package of pinto beans (check for dirt rocks and rinse)
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (discard the cans)
1 can of chopped green chilies
2 cans of beef broth (or chicken or vegetable broth)
2 cans of cola (or lemon-lime soda)
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons Chili sauce (like Frank's Red Hot Sauce, or Cholula, or Tobasco)
4-5 slices of hickory bacon - raw/uncooked and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion- coarsely chopped (yellow or white with the outer skin and roots removed)
1 tablespoons molasses (or dark brown sugar)
1 Tablespoon salt

Directions:

8-12 hours before cooking: open the bag of pintos and check for dirt/rocks and rinse them. Place them in a large bowl and completely cover with water. Place a plate or lid over the bowl of beans and let them sit overnight, They will swell up and soak up the water.

The next day drain the beans and rinse them again. Place the beans in a large crockpot. Add in all the remaining ingredients, stir. If using a crockpot set the temperature to the highest setting. Let the beans cook for 5-6 hours until tender. Stir occasionally.

Check the beans about 4 hours in and taste a bean and the juice. Add more salt if needed and check to see if the beans are softening well.

(If cooking the beans in a pot on the stove top then set the temperature to high and boil for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to lowest setting, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 4-6 hours. NOTE: it is a must that you check the water level occasionally to see if you need to add more liquid. If the beans are not covered with water, then add more water just until they are slightly covered.) Stir about once an hour.

Best Vanilla Cake Mix Cookies

Start to finish in 30 minutes. Mouthwatering, soft, fluffy, and delicious cookies.

I had to make a second batch because my family completely went through 2 dozen in one day. Of course, there were eight people eating them. I should have known better.

You'll need:

• 1 boxed cake mix, white cake ( I used Duncan Hines, super moist white).
• 1/2 cup self rising flour (The addition of the extra self rising flour makes 24 perfect sized cookies)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs, large, whole, no shells.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°f

2. In a large mixing bowl add in the cake mix. Discard box and plastic bag.

3. Add the 1/2 cup self rising flour. Stir with a whisk or fork to incorporate with the cake mix.

4. Melt the 1 stick of unsalted butter, pour over cake mix, and then...

5. Add the 2 eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Use an electric hand mixer and mix on low to medium until a dough forms and is smooth.

6. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

7. Use a #40 cookie disher which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons per cookie. Scoop out 12 cookie dough balls per cookie sheet pan. Leave space between cookies. Gently press the tops of each dough ball flat with two fingers.

8. Bake both pans for 13 to 15 minutes in the 375°f oven. The cookies will be slightly soft when removed from the oven.

9. LET THEM COOL for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to continue to cool. If you try to the cookies to a wire rack just out of the oven, they will fall apart.

10. Storage: place cookies in a sealed container and store at room temperature for about 3 days, or for a week in the refrigerator.

Enjoy! Delicious 😋

  Quick Morning Hashbrowns

I enjoy hashbrowns with my breakfasts. Sadly, they can be quite timely to make...unless you prepare the potatoes ahead of time. I bake a whole bag of them, the day before, bag, and refrigerate them to use in my hashbrowns and other recipes to speed up the cooking processes.

These days most people have hectic schedules, and that doesn't leave a lot of time for meal prep. To save money on eating out and eating better meals, there are some small ways to chop up the more time-consuming tasks by preparing some ahead of time. When you're at home for a couple of hours, just wrap up some potatoes and let them bake, cool them down, stuff them in a plastic bag, and shove them in the refrigerator to use at a later date. Some of the ways you can use already baked and cooled potatoes:

Stews & Soups

Twice baked potatoes

A quick baked potato meal

Hash

Cottage Fries, and

Quick Morning Hashbrowns

I promise that if you make your potatoes ahead of time, you will enjoy the benefits of more elaborate breakfasts and other meals without the time-consuming prep.

This recipe is for 2 servings.

1. 2 small red potatoes that have been already cooked and refrigerated overnight.  Using already baked (or boiled) and cooled potatoes remove a lot of the starch. Therefore, they shred and cook faster.)
2. 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - to use in the frying skillet.
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
5. Heat the skillet to medium-high and add in the extra virgin olive oil.
6. Use a grater and shred the two cooked and cooled potatoes. You do NOT need to remove the skins as the grater will do that for you, very nicely.
7. Spread out the shredded potatoes in the skillet and let it sizzle for around 3-4 minutes, just until the edges become golden brown.
8. Flip the potatoes over and let them sizzle again for an additional 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Turn off the heat.
9. Divide in half and serve.

Delicious and fast!

Mod Podge Fall Bowl

This Autumn decorative bowl is an easy craft. I purchased the leaves from the local $1 store and Mod Podge I bought at Wal-Mart.

All of the items I used in this project may be purchased from Wal-Mart, Target, and most craft stores.

This bowl is not very sturdy. However, it will hold light objects. DO NOT put food in the bowl, wet or dry. This bowl is strictly for decoration purposes, only. Instead, place wrapped candy to hand out at Halloween, or souvenirs like plastic necklaces, glow sticks, stickers and other similar stuff.  I used this to hold scented pine cones and set it out on a coffee table. Wow, is it pretty and the pine cones smell like Autumn!

Here is what I did:

1. I found a bowl shape that I liked. It was a plastic bowl from the $1 store.
2. Flip the bowl over (upside down) and place on a protected and non-stick surface. I used a cheap plastic tablecloth and sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Cover entire bowl with plastic wrap. Be generous and cover it well.
4. Next, spray the outer surface plastic wrapped bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Remember you are working with an inverted bowl so spray the outer part of the bowl.
5. In a separate, medium plate or bowl, pour about half of the container of Mod Podge.
6. Thin the Mod Podge with about 2 Tablespoons of water and stir well.
7. Dip each fake $1 store leaf into the Mod Podge making sure to get the leaf completely coated. Place the dipped leaf on the bottom of the bowl, starting at the center of the bowl. (The bowl should be flipped upside down, and you will be working on the outer part of the inverted bowl.)
8. Do this for each leaf and makes sure to overlap the leaves so that they will form a complete pattern with no gaps or holes. Use different colored leaves each time so that the design is random.
9. As you get closer to the (bottom), which will be the top edge of the bowl arrange each dipped leaf so that the leaves will make a pretty edge design when the project is completed.
10. Let the leaves dry for 24 hours before removing the plastic wrap. Pull the plastic wrap gently so as not to tear apart the leaves from one another.
11. Spray the bowl with a sealant like Mod Podge Sealant Spray - Gloss finish. Spray the outer and insides of the bowl. Let it dry for about 2 hours and spray on a second coat. Let the final coat for spray dry for 48 hours before using. DO NOT USE THIS WITH FOOD! ONLY DECORATIONS AND NON-EDIBLE PRODUCTS. 

Here are the products I used:

You can use a larger bowl or several smaller bowls. FOR DECORATION ONLY! Do not use the bowls with food!

Gloss Mod Podge

Clear Acrylic Sealer - Mod Podge - Gloss

Delicious, Delectable, Flaky, & Moist Biscuits

Most Texans like biscuits for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just ask anyone from Texas, and they'll agree. We can throw a biscuit on a plate with any meal. Some folks like biscuits with their breakfast and slather it with butter and a shovel full of jelly. Others like it smothered with sausage gravy and topped with an egg. My husband was born and raised in Tennesse, and he likes his biscuit drizzled with maple syrup. I say, put a biscuit on my plate, anytime, and call the meal complete!

My grandmothers, on both sides of my family, were excellent cooks. One grandmother, as a child, had pigs and chickens, the other grew up on a cotton farm and had chickens. All of them were poor but didn't know it. They ate what they raised or grew. I remember watching my grandmothers, aunts, and my mom working tirelessly in a hot kitchen and prepared meals for our families.
They didn't complain... much, about the heat or hard work and enjoyed the ooh's and ahh's of the people gathered around the table that gobbled down the scrumptious home-cooked food.

The biscuits were served as a sponge to mop up gravies, dunk in soups, or garnish with homemade jams and jellies for dessert. No matter how you like to serve up your meal, just slap a biscuit on the plate and call it gone.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups of Self-Rising Flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream
Plus, 2 tablespoons of whipping cream to brush over the tops of the biscuits before baking.
1 stick unsalted butter, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Equipment:
Oven
Bowl & measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin
Grater
Round cake pans
Parchment paper
Non-stick cooking spray
Something to cut out the biscuits. (I have a biscuit cutter, but I watched my grandmother use an empty vegetable can.)
Oven mitts
Timer

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Grate one stick of unsalted butter.

3) Measure out flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl; stir in the butter with the flour. Don't try to mix it into the dough just yet. Slightly, coat the butter with the flour and mash any extra large lumps but leave the mixture coarse and lumpy. Place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.

4) Cut out some round pieces of parchment paper to line the bottoms of the round cake pans. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

5. Get the bowl out of the freezer and pour in the 1 cup of whipping cream. Stir. It will look dry.

6. Lightly flour a flat surface to knead the dough and roll it out. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball.

7. Again, lightly flour the surface and also the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Fold it over and roll it out again. Do this 3 more times. The last time roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick. You will notice some butter chunks in the dough, and this is good!

I used a food processor to grate the butter.

8. Place the cut round biscuits into the pans and allow the biscuits to touch. Re-roll any leftover dough and cut out more biscuits until all the dough is used up.

9. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the extra whipping cream.

10. Bake the unbaked biscuits in the center of the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until lightly golden brown.

11. Remove and serve hot with butter, or gravy, or chipped beef in gravy, or sausage gravy, or jelly, or syrup, fresh fruit, and whipped cream... use your imagination and go for it.

DE-licious!

Yep, it's lumpy. Put it in the freezer!

Looks a bit dry but as you knead it, it will come together, nicely

 

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Pudding Walnut Cake

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Walnut Cake

So, I wanted to make a Coca-Cola Cake today but, wouldn't you know it, I didn't have all the necessary ingredients. As fate would have it, I also do not have my truck, and I am stuck at home. (Bunny Trail: My husband's car is in the shop, and since I work from home my husband was able to drive my truck to his job.)

My taste buds are not going to be satisfied if I don't make this cake. Plus, I hate going to the grocery store for two items because I will come out with a basket full of extra, impulse purchases. I must try to make this cake with substitutions, if possible. So, here is what I came up with:

No Coca-Cola, only Diet Coke or a regular Dr. Pepper-- use Dr. Pepper.

No marshmallows but I do have a box of instant chocolate pudding mix. Use pudding mix.

No buttermilk. I do have heavy whipping cream and buttermilk powder. Use the heavy whipping cream and add in the buttermilk powder.

I don't have enough regular cocoa powder for the cake and icing. I do have "Special Dark Chocolate" cocoa powder, so I use that for the icing.

Pfft, I don't have pecans, but I do have walnuts. Use walnuts.

By the way, this cake tastes beyond delicious! I'm saving this recipe...but I probably won't have these same ingredients on hand the next time. Bummer!

Ready for this? Here is my FAUX Coca-Cola Cake, a.k.a. 

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Pudding Walnut Cake

2 Cups sugar

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Dr. Pepper (instead of the Coca-Cola)

1 box of instant chocolate pudding mix (instead of the 1 ½ cups small marshmallows)

½ cup butter 

½ cup vegetable oil

3 Tablespoons cocoa (regular cocoa for the cake)

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoons of buttermilk powder ( Instead of the ½ Cup buttermilk)

2 eggs

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• ½ Cup butter
• 3 Tablespoons Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa(Instead of regular cocoa powder)
• 6 Dr. Pepper (Instead of Coca-Cola)
• 1 box (16-ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Cup chopped Walnuts (Instead of pecans)

NOTE: This recipe calls for a standard 9x13" baking pan. However, I used a 1/2 sheet pan for a thinner cake that will feed more guests.

DIRECTIONS WITH THE SUBSTITUTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350Fdegrees.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour, sugar and chocolate pudding mix.
3. In a saucepan, mix the butter, oil, cocoa, and Dr. Pepper.
4. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
5. Dissolve and stir well the baking soda in the whipping cream and buttermilk powder just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
6. Pour into a well-greased 1/2 sheet pan and bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted and removed is dry...not gooey wet. 
7. Remove from oven, prepare, and frost immediately.

Coca-Cola Cake Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter 
• 3 tablespoons "Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa
• 6 tablespoons of Dr. Pepper

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. 
2. Add vanilla extract and pecans. 
3. Spread over hot cake. 
4. When the cake cools (if you can wait that long), cut into squares and serve.

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Pudding Walnut Cake