Welcome to my Kitchen!

Menu ideas from my Victorian cookbook titled
"Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts"

Breakfast
Orange slices
Oatmeal
Cocoa
Eggs
Fried Potatoes
Biscuits

Lunch
Cold Roast Beef, sliced
Baked Potatoes
Bread, Butter, Pickle
Pie and Cheese for dessert

Dinner
Soup (with croutons)
Chicken with rice
Macaroni with tomato sauce
Salad with dressing
Vanilla pudding with peach slices

or

Veal
Boiled Potatoes
Gravy and Dressing
Stewed Tomatoes or freshly sliced
Corn
Custard

Birthday Party Meal
Roast Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Peas
Lemon Pie
Bread Pudding
Cheese
Sliced Oranges and Bananas

Sunday Dinner

Roast Beef
Potatoes
Greens
Pudding
Cookies
Nuts
Coffee

Sunday Tea
Tea, Cocoa
Scrambled Eggs
Toast Triangles
Spice Cake and stewed apples

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A few of my favorite recipes

BREAKFAST

Migas

10 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
one med tomato (chopped)
one fresh jalapeno, chopped AND seeded
8 large eggs (beaten with a little milk)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
salt/pepper (to taste)

fry bacon crisp, fry tortillas in bacon drippings (I didn't say this was healthy okay, just good) until crispy. Add onions, tomato, jalapeno until tender, saute. Add eggs. Cook til done. DO NOT OVER COOK EGGS! Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with MORE bacon ;-) and warm "bollios" (french bread rolls)

PANCAKES

1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 TBSP Sugar or honey
2 TBSP melted butter
3 tsp Watkins baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Beat all until fluffy. Grease griddle and cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side.

WAFFLES

2 eggs
2 cups flour (1/2 can be substituted with whole wheat)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup milk
1 TBSP sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Heat waffle iron. Mix all ingredients, pour batter into hot waffle iron and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove. Great with syrup or jam!

LUNCH

Potato Soup

5 medium potatoes (chopped)
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP BUTTER
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp dill weed

1. Peel and cut potatoes
2. Place in pan cover with water.
3. Add one tsp salt
4. Boil until tenter (5-6 min)
5. Pour out remaining water
6. Stir potatoes in pan, break up large pieces. Add milk.
7. Heat to boiling. Add butter and dill (crush dill in hand before adding.)

Cooking time 10 minues, serves 4 adults....

DINNER

Chicken and Dumplings

1 - 5 lb whole chicken
4 stalks of celery w/ leaves
1 carrot, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt

In large Dutch oven add enough water to chicken to cover. Add celery, carrot, onion, parsley, bay leaf, salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover. Bring to boil, then simmer for 2 hours (stir every now and then).

Using your favorite biscuit recipe add 1/4 cup snipped parsley, 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning to it. Drop dough into boiling chicken mixture. Re-cover and simmer for 15 minutes DO NOT LIFT COVER!

Remove from heat and EAT (if you don't like drop dumplings, I sometimes use wide egg noodles or make home made egg noodles, just as good!)

MOCK LASAGNE CASSEROLE

1 lb bulk pork sausage
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (or use homemade - about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp garlic salt, pepper, and crushed basil
1 7oz pack of macaroni, cooked
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
more mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown meat
Drain fat
Add sauce and spices plus 1/2 cup water
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes (stir)
Use a large casserole dish.
Layer macaroni, cheese and meat sauce. Repeat
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
Serves 6-8

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

1 large egg
1 c. milk
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. crushed saltine crackers (to a fine meal)
1 (3 to 5 oz) beef cutlet, hand tenderized
vegetable oil

Whip together egg, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside

Blend flour and cracker meal in another bowl. Place cutlet in mixture, and cover both sides well. Submerge in the egg batter, then place back in flour mixture, patting both sides to evenly coat.

Melt shortening or heat oil in deep fryer or cast iron skillet, and heat to 325. Place cutlet in fryer, and fry until it floats and turns golden. Remove steak from fryer, drain well, and reserve 1/2 c. drippings for gravy. This serves only one, so adjust the recipe as needed to make more steaks.

Cream Gravy:
1/2 c. drippings
1/4 c. flour
1 qt milk
salt and pepper to taste

Place drippings into skillet and heat until hot, gradually add flour and cook over low heat until mixture turns brown. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Add remaining ingredients and cook until thick. If gravy gets too thick, thin to desired consistency with water. Makes enough gravy for four steaks. (This recipe is also good to add chopped up sausage patties to, and pour over homemade biscuits.)

BREAD

(This is a bread machine recipe)

1 1/4 cups white flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 TBSP dry milk
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP melted butter
2 TBSP sugar or honey
7/8 cup water
1 tsp dry yeast

Place all ingredients except the liquids and the yeast inside bread pan.
Pour water and other liquids into the bread pan, add yeast to very top
Place the bread pan inside machine.
Choose the basic bread selection on your machine (I like to cook this on rapid bake for 3 hours).

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 cups all purpose flour (can substitute 1/2 whole wheat if desired)
1 TBSP sugar
3 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients, roll out to 1/2 inch thick (or thicker if you like). Cut with round cutter. Place on un-greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides and touching for soft sides. Bake until golden brown. Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. I have a biscuit cutter or you can use a glass to cut out the biscuits.

MOLASSES COOKIES

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted margarine, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 30 servings

Ingredients:

3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces butter, cold, cut in pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Watkins baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Watkins Double Strength vanilla
• 2 tsp Watkins cinnamon
  
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine brown sugar, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl; cut in butter until the mixture is like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 scant cup of crumbs and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth; stir into the remaining crumbs in bowl. Spread in prepared baking pan. If desired, add chopped pecans to reserved crumbs; sprinkle crumbs evenly over the batter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Rolled Sugar Cookies (Christmas Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter (use sprinkles or cinnamon sugar if desired0. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

THICK AND CHEWY PIZZA DOUGH

1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon of yeast or 1 package
1 tsp sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon of veg oil
1/2 tsp salt

Combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve yeast and let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour, oil and salt, stir. Add yeast mixture to the flour mixture and blend. Form into dough ball and place onto pizza pan, let stand about 10 minutes, then spread out on pizza pan. You can divide the dough in half if you like thin crust. Cook this crust first BEFORE adding your ingredients or you could end up with a beautiful melted cheese and raw crust. Bake at 425 degrees until done.

BISCOTTI
(taken from the Tightwad Gazette)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp anise extract (gives it a licorice flavor, so you can leave it out or sub in vanilla, butter or rum extract)
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Mix the first five ingredients with a mixer. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture, beating well. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup flour. Cover and chill for two hours. Coat two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap with cooking spray. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a 12 inch log using the plastic wrap. Remove the wrap and transfer the logs to a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Flatten the logs to a 3/4 inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Put the logs on a rack to cool. Slice diagonally into 1/4 inch slices. Lay slices flat on a cookie sheet, and bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the slices over, and bake and additional 15 minutes or until dry. Once cooled, the top edge of the cookies can be dipped in melted chocolate chips, or almond bark.

Seasoned Ground Beef

Yield: 4 qrts

8 lbs. lean ground beef

3 cups chopped onion (about 2 md.)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups tomato juice (I use diced tomatoes)

3 cups beef broth (I use chicken because that's usually what I have on hand)

2 tsps seasoned salt

3 tsps black pepper (I use red pepper)

Brown meat. Drain off excess fat. Add onions and garlic; cook slowly until
onions are tender.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer 15 min's or until hot thru-out.

Skim off excess fat, if necessary.

Pack hot meat and sauce into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace.

Adjust two piece caps. Processing 1 hr. 30 min's, at 10 lbs pressure in a
steam pressure canner.