No Bakes

Hank came home a few weeks ago and said that a man at work had some "No Bakes".  Hank asked if he could get the recipe and the man said he'd ask his wife.  Well, she won't tell the recipe, so we had to find one as close as possible and do taste tests.

If you hate taste tests, raise your hands....

Hello?  Anyone raising your hands? 

I didn't think so...

I think we got the recipe right, but Hank said they needed more peanut butter.  I'm sure it's up to you and your preference. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter depending on the texture you like.  These are super easy, so good and last for quite a while when kept air tight... if you can keep your fingers off them!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp cocoa
2/3 cups peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups of oats

In a saucepan bring butter, sugar, milk and cocoa to a boil.  Let it boil for one minute so the temperature will be hot enough so the cookies will "set up" correctly.  Some people even say to boil up to two minutes.  One minute worked well for me.  Take saucepan off heat and add peanut butter, vanilla and oats.  Stir together completely and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Let them set up and cool. 

He's a Typical Man

Sweet Pickles

This is my Great Grandmother's recipe for nine day sweet pickles.  I remember being a small girl and always seeing them on the table for family holidays at her house in Bainbridge, GA.... there was no way I was touching them.... I hate pickles.  It wasn't until I was older and "fixin'" my own plate that I started eating them and never thought a thing about it.  They were the "sweet to my salty" and I liked them... along with everyone else.  I still hate pickles, regular pickles that is, but these are no regular pickles.  Many people want to confuse them with "bread and butter" pickles, but they are nothing of the sort.  They are a perfect addition to most meals and can also be used as a substitute for sweet relish when chopped up.... or simply eat them out of the jar... all by themselves.  Just you and the pickle.  ;)

These are great for family gatherings, holidays, Christmas gifts.... or for your own guilty pleasure.... without TOO much guilt.  :)  If you are interested in buying/ordering some of the 8 oz jars, you can email me at:  Browniessweetpickles@yahoo.com.  There are also jars for sale at Harvest Moon Market right outside of Bainbridge, GA on Hwy 84.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This lemon meringue pie is great!  I have used this recipe for a few years now and it's super easy to make.  My aunts gave me the recipe that they said my great grandmother used.... so I'll have to try that one and see which one we like better.  This year I made my own crust, which is Pioneer Woman's recipe.  I made it and froze it ahead of time and I think it worked perfectly!

Ingredients:

1 whole 9 Inch Pie Crust
6 whole Lemons
1-¾ cup Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Cornstarch
6 whole Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
6 whole Egg Whites
½ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ cups Sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).

Roll out your pie crust in a pie plate. Repeatedly poke crust with a fork, line crust with foil and top with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove foil and weights and continue to bake for 8 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the lemon filling.

Grate 2 tablespoons of lemon rind and squeeze 3/4 cup of lemon juice from lemons… set these both aside for now.

Mix sugar, salt and cornstarch in saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups water and the lemon juice to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring as needed, for 15 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks in a bowl and stir half of the hot lemon mixture into the yolks. Next, stir the lemon/yolk mixture back into the remaining lemon mixture in the saucepan. Put back on a medium heat burner for one minute, then turn off heat, add butter and grated lemon rind. Pour lemon mixture into baked pie crust and set aside while you make the meringue.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).

Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tarter in mixing bowl on high speed until foamy. Continuing on high speed, beat in sugar, a small amount at a time. Continue on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spread as much meringue as you like over the pie and swirl into peaks.

Bake pie on the lower rack at 325 degrees (F) until meringue temperature registers at 140 degrees. I usually just keep my eye one the meringue and and remove the pie when peaks are browning. This takes about 25 minutes.

Cool for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!

This is linked to:

Hearth & Soul Vol. 28 

Cream Puffs

These cream puffs were a family favorite at my grandmother's house every summer.  There were two things we wanted to eat while we were there... rigatoni and cream puffs.  And she ALWAYS made us cream puffs.  This recipe is simple, fast and easy.  And the taste is perfectly light and sweet.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter - 1 stick
1 cup boiling water
4 eggs
1 cup sifted flour

Ingredients for filling:

1/2 pint heavy cream - 1 cup
instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Put butter and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil.  Once boiling point is reached, add flour all at once and stir vigorously.  As soon as the flour is mixed in completely, remove from heat and add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed between addition of eggs.

Drop by spoonful on buttered sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart, shaping with handle of spoon as nearly circular as possible... having mixture slightly piled in center.

While the puffs are baking, make the cream and refrigerate.  

Bake for 30 min.

This is linked to: 
Hearth & Soul Vol. 17
Meatless Mondays
Temp My Tummy Tuesday

Beach Vacation

 

 

PW's Vanilla Bean Scones

So it's no secret that I'm obsessed with Pioneer Woman's recipes.  A while back she made her version of Starbucks vanilla bean scones.... and they are wonderful.  They are super easy and not too sweet.  

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, one egg, heavy cream and two vanilla beans. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by scraping out the inside of two vanilla beans.  Put the vanilla bean "caviar" in 3/4 cups of heavy cream to soak for 10-15 min.  You can also chop up the remaining vanilla bean and soak it in the cream to get as much flavor out of it as possible.  

Stir together and set aside... it's getting "yummy".

Stir together your sugar, baking powder and salt.... then add to your flour and stir them all together.

Cut up two chilled sticks of butter and add them to the flour.  Use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour.

Take your time and cut it until it resembles crumbs...

Mix one beaten egg and vanilla cream together...

... and make sure you scrape all that GOOD STUFF out ...

Add the egg and cream mixture to the flour and mix gently with a fork until it comes together.  The mixture will be pretty crumbly... and that is good...

Turn dough onto a floured work surface and work into a rectangle with your hands.  Use a rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.  Use a knife to trim off edges and make a straight edge.

 With your knife, cut lines vertically and horizontally... you will have squares.  Then cut again diagonally across the squares to make small triangles. 

Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat.  Bake for 18 minutes or until right before they turn golden.  Allow them to cool completely.  

Again, scrape out one vanilla bean and allow the "caviar" to soak in milk.  Then, mix the milk/vanilla into the powdered sugar and whisk together.  Dunk each scone in the glaze and allow it to set completely.  

These will keep for several days... but mine were gone by the NEXT day!  ;)

This post is linked to:  Hearth & Soul Volume 16

Swedish Tea Ring

My mother-in-law has makes this tea ring and it's SO good. I was given the recipe and finally had the chance to make it. It's a little time consuming, but worth it. Give it a try!!!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

2 packages yeast, water, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, all purpose flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts

(note to self: ignore the unfinished window trim and backsplash in this photo)


Start by scalding the milk so it will have time to cool while you prepare other ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add shortening, sugar and salt. Then add to scalded milk. Cool to a lukewarm temperature.

This needs time to cool so you can add the yeast! And by the way... DISSOLVE the yeast before you add it... which I DIDN'T do the first time...


Add the dissolved yeast, beaten eggs, and about half of the flour. Beat well. Add the rest of the flour and beat until dough is soft.


Turn out on a floured work surface and kneed until satiny. It will literally be a little shiny and pliable.


Put dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease top and cover until doubled in size.


When doubled in size, punch down and turn out on floured work space again. Split dough in half and shape into rectangles about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.


Shape into rings and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut dough with scissors at one inch intervals... ALMOST through rings. Turn slices slightly, cover and let them rise until doubled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. But be careful... don't let the inside get too dry!!!

Cover with coffee cake icing and enjoy!!

Recipe:

2 pkgs yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk, scalded
5 cups all purpose flour
melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
nuts

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 min.


This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Volume 15

Happy Wednesday!!

This is what I want to be like when I am old. I will have to learn to play the piano... but this is what I want to be like nevertheless....

Boog Man

You might be a little boy...

But you are still my baby.

Buffing the Red Oak Floors

We are finally a couple of weeks away from moving in. We're going to start moving some furniture in this weekend and getting the bedrooms ready to live in. It feels so good to be at this point... seeing real results, having things clean, moving out all of the trash and using the house as a house.... not a construction site. I'm so excited to have our BIG kitchen to cook and bake in, our new bathrooms to use just as we planned them... and finally, are big yard for Grady to run and play in all day.
This past weekend we got on our hands and knees and did some of the final floor cleaning. Apparently our floors have been refinished before.... you can see some of the marks that previous owners left in the wood while sanding, etc. But who knows how long ago that was. All I know... is that we needed a good polishing when we bought the place.... but now six months later, tons of trash, dust, pieces of tile scattered all over the wood... and anything else you can imagine... the floors looked downright damaged. We even had tons of stripped paint and chemicals all over the hardwood. Thank goodness.... thank goodness.... all of the spots came up.... and thank goodness.... due to some old fashioned elbow grease, floor wax and a buffer.... this is how our floors turned out.
The look incredible. They are so slick and shiny... we literally almost slide while walking barefooted throughout the house. Grady will be hilarious in there. I'll have to get him socks with tread on the bottom! HA

Guest Room

Grady's Room

Master Bedroom

We also buffed the hallway and den, but I didn't take pictures of those rooms.

Some of the rooms still need to be painted. The walls are going to get banged up anyway.... so some areas we'll just do after we've got it all in. :)