Sugar Snowballs

January 3, 2010 by

I readily admit it. I’m an old-fashioned sentimental girl.  I had scraps of a little cookbook that was my mom’s when she was little, and myself and siblings got to use as well when we were young. It was always a treasure hunt to look through and pick something to make.  All the recipe names were fun, like TV Teasers, Raggedy Anns, CrazyLeg Candies, and Chocolate Sillies.  Well, time had it’s toll and much of the little book had dissolved away. For years I’ve looked, but the front and back pages have been long gone, making it near impossible to know what to look for to replace it.  Well, I FINALLY figured out what the title of the book was and lo and behold, someone had it on Ebay! So a small amount of money later I finally have a complete book again for my girls to enjoy.  Oh, and did I mention everything in it is yummy too?

 SUGAR SNOWBALLS

 1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar (plus more for rolling)
1 tsp almond extract (I used vanilla instead)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Mix butter, sugar, and almond extract together in a bowl.
Add last three ingredients.  Mix well.
Form into small balls, about 1- 1 1/2″ across. (I used my smallest cookie scooper and rolled with my hands to tighten them up.)
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (They won’t brown too much except on the bottom)
While warm, roll in more confectioner’s sugar.

makes about 18

Oh, and did I mention Lucy approves?

Yes, Lucy approves of them.   But at least she helped make them. : )

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Sugar Snowballs

Yield: Approx 18 cookies

Ingredients

  •  1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for rolling)
  • 1 tsp almond extract (I used vanilla instead)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup flour

Instructions

Mix butter, sugar, and almond extract together in a bowl.

Add last three ingredients.  Mix well.

Form into small balls, about 1- 1 1/2" across. (I used my smallest cookie scooper and rolled with my hands to tighten them up.)

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (They won't brown too much except on the bottom)

While warm, roll in more confectioner's sugar.

https://mystainedapron.com/sugar-snowballs/

Filed Under: Cookies

Dill Dip

January 3, 2010 by

I told you, I totally love dill weed. And you will too after you try this!

DILL DIP

1/2 cup mayo (light is fine)
1/2 cup sour cream (I like light Tillamook brand)
1 T dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt

Mix all together. Chill for at least an hour for best flavor. This is also good made with all sour cream instead of half mayo.  Great with pretzel sticks and veggies.

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Dill Dip

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayo (light is fine)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (I like light Tillamook brand)
  • 1 T dried dill weed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt

Instructions

Mix all together. Chill for at least an hour for best flavor. This is also good made with all sour cream instead of half mayo. Great with pretzel sticks and veggies.

https://mystainedapron.com/dill-dip/

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks

Easy (and versatile) Alfredo Sauce

January 2, 2010 by

This is my great alfredo sauce. I made this recipe many a year ago.  It is so versatile. And so fool-proof and easy. The light cream cheese is fine, but not the fat-free. Fat free cream cheese is not meant to be heated.  And I know, there’s no picture. But I accidentally deleted it and I didn’t want to hold it against you.

EASY (& VERSATILE!) ALFREDO SAUCE

6 oz cream cheese (low fat neufatchel is fine)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan (fresh shredded is best)

Combine all in saucepan. Whisk over medium to medium-high heat until smooth and hot.  Serve over fettucine, penne, whatever your heart fancies!
And if you garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley, I’ll love you all the more for it.

NOW…here comes the VERSATILE part of it…..
If you want a richer sauce- you can do a full 8 oz cream cheese
If you want a lighter sauce, you can do 1 1/2 cups milk, no butter, and only 4 oz cream cheese
Want an alfredo florentine sauce?  Add a cup of chopped spinach (thawed frozen is fine)
How about Broccoli Alfredo? Add a cup or 2 of cooked chopped broccoli
Or maybe a pizza with alfredo sauce instead of pizza sauce? Just cook it a little longer to make it thicker.
I told you-it’s versatile!

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Easy (and versatile) Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Ingredients

  • 6 oz cream cheese (low fat neufatchel is fine)
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan (fresh shredded is best)

Instructions

Combine all in saucepan. Whisk over medium to medium-high heat until smooth and hot.  Serve over fettucine, penne, whatever your heart fancies!

And if you garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley, I'll love you all the more for it.

NOW...here comes the VERSATILE part of it.....

If you want a richer sauce- you can do a full 8 oz cream cheese

If you want a lighter sauce, you can do 1 1/2 cups milk, no butter, and only 4 oz cream cheese

Want an alfredo florentine sauce?  Add a cup of chopped spinach (thawed frozen is fine)

How about Broccoli Alfredo? Add a cup or 2 of cooked chopped broccoli

Or maybe a pizza with alfredo sauce instead of pizza sauce? Just cook it a little longer to make it thicker.

I told you-it's versatile!

https://mystainedapron.com/easy-and-versatile-alfredo-sauce/

Filed Under: Meatless Main Dishes, Pasta, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With:

Garlic Seared Onions

January 2, 2010 by

These are wonderful with biscuits and gravy, or with steak or burgers, grilled chicken, just about anything!

GARLIC SEARED ONIONS
4 T butter or olive oil
2 large white onions, medium to thinly sliced
2 tsp garlic seasoning (I use Johny’s)
4 cloves minced garlic

Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, and saute for a couple minutes.
Add seasoning and stir in. Cook to desired doneness.

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Garlic Seared Onions

Ingredients

  • 4 T butter or olive oil
  • 2 large white onions, medium to thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp garlic seasoning (I use Johny's)
  • 4 cloves minced garlic

Instructions

Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, and saute for a couple minutes.

Add seasoning and stir in. Cook to desired doneness.

https://mystainedapron.com/garlic-seared-onions/

Filed Under: Breakfast, Side Dishes

Sausage Gravy

January 2, 2010 by

My hubby LOVES biscuits and gravy.  It’s a very filling breakfast, and I love to make it for him when he’s had a hard week or is doing a lot of work that day.  And it doesn’t hurt that the girls gobble it up too!

SAUSAGE GRAVY
1 lb. Italian sausage (we like mild-our butcher has a good one with lots of fennel seed)
6 T butter
1/3 c flour
3 c milk

Brown sausage in skillet.
Add the butter, and melt.  (Mine is really dry, if yours is greasy, either pour off the grease or use that instead of the butter)
Stir in the flour, cook for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour flavor.
Now, whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat, letting it get thicker as it cooks.  If it has thickened up too much and gotten too thick, just whisk in more milk.

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Sausage Gravy

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Italian sausage (we like mild-our butcher has a good one with lots of fennel seed)
  • 6 T butter
  • 1/3 c flour
  • 3 c milk

Instructions

Brown sausage in skillet.

Add the butter, and melt.  (Mine is really dry, if yours is greasy, either pour off the grease or use that instead of the butter)

Stir in the flour, cook for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour flavor.

Now, whisk in the milk and cook over medium heat, letting it get thicker as it cooks.  If it has thickened up too much and gotten too thick, just whisk in more milk.

https://mystainedapron.com/sausage-gravy/

Filed Under: Breakfast

Dill Eggs

January 2, 2010 by

I love dill weed. I think it has such a good flavor and pairs nicely with lots of things, as you will probably see lots of recipes calling for this herb. It’s also very inexpensive and goes a long way. If you (for some odd reason) don’t like dill, you can leave it out and I won’t be offended. And if you’re doing a different amount of eggs, just remember a good rule of thumb is about 1 tsp each cream and butter for each egg used.

DILL EGGS
3 eggs
1 T cream (or milk)
1 tsp dill weed
1 T butter

Whisk all but butter together.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
Add egg mixture and stir with a silicone spatula (or otherwise if not available)

The idea is to push the cooked layer off the bottom of the skillet so it kind of bunches up, letting the uncooked part flow down and take that room at the bottom of the pan.
While it still looks a little glossy, pull it off the heat so you don’t overcook it and have a bowl of curds and egg liquid. (NOT good eats)Enjoy!

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Dill Eggs

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 T cream (or milk)
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • 1 T butter

Instructions

Whisk all but butter together.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.

Add egg mixture and stir with a silicone spatula (or otherwise if not available)

The idea is to push the cooked layer off the bottom of the skillet so it kind of bunches up, letting the uncooked part flow down and take that room at the bottom of the pan.

While it still looks a little glossy, pull it off the heat so you don't overcook it and have a bowl of curds and egg liquid. (NOT good eats)Enjoy!

https://mystainedapron.com/dill-eggs/

Filed Under: Breakfast

Biscuits 101

January 2, 2010 by

I’ve been making biscuits since a pretty young age. This is my favorite way of making them, I’ve picked up a couple of tricks on the way to perfect them.  Serve them with sausage gravy, seared garlic onions, and dill scrambled eggs, or make breakfast sandwiches with sausage, bacon, or ham and eggs.
Or just plain. with a little butter. or homemade jam. I just can’t leave well enough alone….can I? : )
Be sure your butter or margarine is very cold, this is what helps the biscuits flake nicely.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine (cold!)
3/4 to 1 cup milk

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender until resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour milk in a well in the center, starting with just 3/4 cup.

Use fork to stir in until almost completely mixed. (Don’t overmix)

Add the rest of milk if needed, but careful not to make it too sticky.
Now turn out onto counter, lightly dust with flour and form into a ball.

Press down to about 1/2″ thickness. (This is important-don’t use a rolling pin-it flattens your dough and you biscuits won’t be as light & fluffy!)

Cut out into desired size. I use a big 3″ biscuit cutter usually, but a small one makes nice scones too.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet, CLOSE TOGETHER , almost touching-This makes them rise up instead of flattening out.

Now, some people like to brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with a little sugar or salt.  We like ours plain. Some things are meant to be simple and old-fashioned in my book.
Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

makes about 10 average sized biscuits

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Biscuits 101

Yield: approx 10 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine (cold!)
  • 3/4 to 1 cup milk

Instructions

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Cut in butter with a pastry blender until resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour milk in a well in the center, starting with just 3/4 cup.

Use fork to stir in until almost completely mixed. (Don't overmix)

Add the rest of milk if needed, but careful not to make it too sticky.

Now turn out onto counter, lightly dust with flour and form into a ball.

Press down to about 1/2" thickness. (This is important-don't use a rolling pin-it flattens your dough and you biscuits won't be as light & fluffy!)

Cut out into desired size. I use a big 3" biscuit cutter usually, but a small one makes nice scones too.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet, CLOSE TOGETHER , almost touching-This makes them rise up instead of flattening out.

Now, some people like to brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with a little sugar or salt.  We like ours plain. Some things are meant to be simple and old-fashioned in my book.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

https://mystainedapron.com/biscuits-101/

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins

Chicken Kiev

January 1, 2010 by

Okay, so this isn’t chicken kiev. But it’s not chicken cordon bleu either. It’s…really good. And I’ve for some reason always called it Chicken Kiev. So that’s what we’ll call it. And you won’t care about the technicallity of the name once you try it. And it’s multi-purpose! You can use the breading to do Chicken Strips or Nuggets at the same time, in case you have kiddos who want it simple.

This is something we make for special occasions, as it is very rich.

CHICKEN KIEV


3 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
Buttermilk
6 T garden vegetable cream cheese (or make your own with herbs & cream cheese)
6 slices Ham, thinly sliced
mozzarella or swiss cheese-cut into matchsticks
about 1/2 cup melted butter or milk, for dipping
*coating mix: 1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs
3/4 cup flour
dash salt & pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder

All right, let’s get to it! You can do the chicken breasts one of two ways.

1. with chicken breast flat on a cutting board, Lay your hand on top, holding it flat down. Pierce a large knife in at the fattest end and cut in half horizontally.
2. Don’t cut all the way through, just butterfly it open.
(Way #1 will give you 3 larger portions, #2 gives you 6 smaller)

Now cover the chicken with wax paper or a couple layers of plastic wrap and using a mallet, pound them out thin, trying not to break through. (A good tip-put the skin side down-pounding on the non-skin side- or where the skin would be if it was chicken with skin left on)
Now soak in buttermilk for a couple of hours. You can skip this step if you want-I don’t notice a huge difference when I do.

Now get organized. Get everything you’ll need ready:
Butter or milk for dipping, coating all mixed together, all your ham and cheeses ready. I like to use a bread loaf pan for baking since it holds the ends of the chicken rolls tight so not so much can ooze out. 3 of the smaller rolls fit perfect in a loaf pan. So spray your loaf pan with PAM and set aside.

Lay out all your chicken flat. Spread each one with about 1 T of cream cheese.

Next, lay 1-2 pieces of ham on top. I use the really thin budding ham usually, but this last time I had some ham leftover from Christmas, and even though it was thicker, it still rolled fine-and was REALLY good!

Next, top in the middle with 1-2 cheese matchsticks.
Now, get ready to get messy!
Roll each one up, tucking the cheese inside as you go.

Now, we could secure with toothpicks, but I find that it’s fine to just put it straight in the loaf pan after breading, so I don’t.

Next, dip in the melted butter or milk, then in the coating. I told you it would be messy!

Now, place in loaf pan and repeat.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until cheese is oozy and chicken is cooked through.
If it looks dry on top, you can always brush with melted butter or spray with PAM before it’s done cooking.
*You can play around with the seasonings in the coating mix, sometimes I use a garlic seasoning mix. Have some fun with it!

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Chicken Kiev

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
  • Buttermilk
  • 6 T garden vegetable cream cheese (or make your own with herbs & cream cheese)
  • 6 slices Ham, thinly sliced
  • mozzarella or swiss cheese-cut into matchsticks
  • about 1/2 cup melted butter or milk, for dipping
    • coating mix:
  • 1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • dash salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

All right, let's get to it! You can do the chicken breasts one of two ways.

1. with chicken breast flat on a cutting board, Lay your hand on top, holding it flat down. Pierce a large knife in at the fattest end and cut in half horizontally.

2. Don't cut all the way through, just butterfly it open.

(Way #1 will give you 3 larger portions, #2 gives you 6 smaller)

Now cover the chicken with wax paper or a couple layers of plastic wrap and using a mallet, pound them out thin, trying not to break through. (A good tip-put the skin side down-pounding on the non-skin side- or where the skin would be if it was chicken with skin left on)

Now soak in buttermilk for a couple of hours. You can skip this step if you want-I don't notice a huge difference when I do.

Now get organized. Get everything you'll need ready:

Butter or milk for dipping, coating all mixed together, all your ham and cheeses ready. I like to use a bread loaf pan for baking since it holds the ends of the chicken rolls tight so not so much can ooze out. 3 of the smaller rolls fit perfect in a loaf pan. So spray your loaf pan with PAM and set aside.

Lay out all your chicken flat. Spread each one with about 1 T of cream cheese.

Next, lay 1-2 pieces of ham on top. I use the really thin budding ham usually, but this last time I had some ham leftover from Christmas, and even though it was thicker, it still rolled fine-and was REALLY good!

Next, top in the middle with 1-2 cheese matchsticks.

Now, get ready to get messy!

Roll each one up, tucking the cheese inside as you go.

Now, we could secure with toothpicks, but I find that it's fine to just put it straight in the loaf pan after breading, so I don't.

Next, dip in the melted butter or milk, then in the coating. I told you it would be messy!

Now, place in loaf pan and repeat.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until cheese is oozy and chicken is cooked through.

If it looks dry on top, you can always brush with melted butter or spray with PAM before it's done cooking.

You can play around with the seasonings in the coating mix, sometimes I use a garlic seasoning mix. Have some fun with it!
https://mystainedapron.com/chicken-kiev/

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey

Cheesy Bread and Pan Pizza

January 1, 2010 by

Wouldn’t you know I married a man who LOVES ADORES Pizza. My hubby is a very mellow guy, but if you mention the word Pizza he’s sure to perk up!  So instead of ordering out pizza, I like to make him home-made. I can control what’s going into it, and use whatever we have on hand.

I found this recipe on http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/ (It was called 30 Minute Breadsticks or No-Fail Deep Dish Pizza Crust) The title was a bit misleading, as it of course takes a bit more time than that, but it really is a good recipe and I love her website. Instead of breadsticks, I did Cheesy Bread but it you want just plain breadsticks, leave off the cheese. And you can also do any combination of white/whole wheat flour you like.

CHEESY BREAD & PAN PIZZA
2 1/2 cups hot water
5 tsp SAF Instant Yeast (or 2 T regular active dry)
2 T sugar
3 T oil
1 tsp salt
6 cups flour
1 cube of butter

Pour hot water in mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to dissolve. (Unless you’re using active dry yeast, you don’t need to let it fully bloom)
Add sugar, salt, and oil.  Gradually add flour.
While oven is heating to 400 degrees,  place butter on two pans in oven to melt.
I did two pans out of this dough, one for cheesy bread, and one for pizza, but you could do just one pan if you want it really thick.

Place half of dough in each pan with the butter, stretching to fit. This will be a little messy, but the dough is very forgiving. I flip it over half way through so some of the butter gets on top.
Allow to double in size (about 15 minutes)

Now, for Cheesy Bread top with a sprinkling of :
Johny’s Garlic Seasoning
about 8-16 oz shredded mozzarella & cheddar (depending how cheesy you want it)

For Pizza, top with:
pizza sauce (I mix 1 small can each tomato sauce and paste and add Italian seasoning)
Shredded cheese
favorite toppings (In the photo I did turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, white onions
Now bake in the 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned. (The original recipe only allowed for 10-12 minutes which I found to be short)

Cut into strips of pieces and enjoy!

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Cheesy Bread and Pan Pizza

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups hot water
  • 5 tsp SAF Instant Yeast (or 2 T regular active dry)
  • 2 T sugar
  • 3 T oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 cups flour
  • 1 cube of butter

Instructions

Pour hot water in mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to dissolve. (Unless you're using active dry yeast, you don't need to let it fully bloom)

Add sugar, salt, and oil.  Gradually add flour.

While oven is heating to 400 degrees,  place butter on two pans in oven to melt.

I did two pans out of this dough, one for cheesy bread, and one for pizza, but you could do just one pan if you want it really thick.

Place half of dough in each pan with the butter, stretching to fit. This will be a little messy, but the dough is very forgiving. I flip it over half way through so some of the butter gets on top.

Allow to double in size (about 15 minutes)

For Cheesy Bread top with a sprinkling of :

Johny's Garlic Seasoning

about 8-16 oz shredded mozzarella & cheddar (depending how cheesy you want it)

For Pizza, top with:

pizza sauce (I mix 1 small can each tomato sauce and paste and add Italian seasoning)

Shredded cheese

favorite toppings (In the photo I did turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, white onions

Now bake in the 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned. (The original recipe only allowed for 10-12 minutes which I found to be short)

https://mystainedapron.com/cheesy-bread-and-pan-pizza/

Filed Under: Bread, Yeast, Pizza

Frozen Hot Chocolate

December 30, 2009 by

This recipe has been all over the internet since “Serendipity” the restaurant in New York that invented finally released the recipe. We had it last night for New Year’s Eve. It’s kind of like a chocolate slushy. We used semi-sweet chocolate with good results but I bet dark chocolate would be even better.

FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE
4 oz chocolate (that’s about 2/3 cup of chocolate chips)
2 tsp hot cocoa powder
1 1/2 T sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice cubes
whipped cream
chocolate shavings (optional)

Melt chcolate in microwave. Once melted, add hot cocoa powder and sugar.  Stir until thoroughly blended. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, stir till smooth.  Cool to room temperature.
In blender, place remaining 1 c milk, room-temp chocolate mixture, and ice. Blend on high speed until smooth. Makes about 4 servings (8 oz)

Pour in glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

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Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

  • 4 oz chocolate (that's about 2/3 cup of chocolate chips)
  • 2 tsp hot cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 T sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • whipped cream
  • chocolate shavings (optional)

Instructions

Melt chcolate in microwave. Once melted, add hot cocoa powder and sugar.  Stir until thoroughly blended. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, stir till smooth.  Cool to room temperature.

In blender, place remaining 1 c milk, room-temp chocolate mixture, and ice. Blend on high speed until smooth. Makes about 4 servings (8 oz)

Pour in glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

https://mystainedapron.com/frozen-hot-chocolate/

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Filed Under: Drinks