Drop Cookies

Quick and easy because the base is the MASTER MIX.

3 c Master Mix
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c water
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 c nuts and/or
1/2 c chocolate chips

 Use your hands to mix the dough, then roll spoonfuls into small balls and flatten them slightly with a fork OR drop the dough by teaspoon or tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.

These were even better the second day, and didn't last beyond that evening.

The dough may seem to be too dry once you've mixed it, but be patient; it takes a minute or two for everything to moisten. It will.

The original recipe is on a blue sheet of paper with the master mix recipe and a variety of recipes to use it in. Where it came from, I don't recall.

I found these cookies less sweet than I prefer, so I improved them by adding 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut and an extra 1/2 cup of brown sugar. And -- why not -- a cup of oatmeal. Surprisingly, no extra liquid was required. Here's how they looked:

 

In both cases, I baked them for the full 12 minutes, then left them on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven.

Chicken Wings

These were made with only minor variations from the original recipe. They were crispy, delicious, and not sticky or messy! You could make sauces to dip them in, but I didn't. We ate these with our fingers, no muss, no fuss.

1/3 c flour
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp butter
20 chicken wings, tips removed

Preheat oven to 425F and melt butter on cookie sheet. Mix dry ingredients in a bag and toss thawed, dry (remove moisture with paper towel) wings in mix to coat. Place wings on pan and turn them once before baking for 30 minutes, then turn again and bake another 15 minutes.

Original recipe: www.food.com/recipe/oven-crisp-chicken-wings-40497

Fruit Dip

My friend Bev has been spending a few days with us and she made this simple and delicious dip for a fruit platter.

1 container of Cool Whip
1 package of vanilla pudding

Mix the two and then add a two-ounce bottle of Disoronno liqueur.

Chill if there is time before you devour this. Ooh la la.

We cut up a variety of things for a fruit salad and this dip is mouthwatering.

Bacon Quiche

This is made using the home-made Master Mix.

1 c Master Mix
4 eggs
2 c milk
12 cooked slices bacon
1 c grated cheese
1/3 c grated onion
salt and pepper

Put bacon, cheese and onion in quiche pan. Mix all other ingredients together till smooth and pour on top. Bake at 375F for 55 minutes.

*I made this the other night and threw everything in together all at once, and it turned out fine.

Biscuits with Master Mix

Makes one dozen.

3 c Master Mix
3/4 c water
1 c grated cheese (optional)

Blend, knead 10 strokes with fork. Pat out and make biscuits with cutter. Place on sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 450F.

To wangle out of the rolling and cutting business, I've made this with one cup of milk in place of the water, no kneading, and then dropped the dough by large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. 

Master Mix

Can be stored at room temperature for months and can be used to prepare more than a dozen dishes.

5 lbs all-purpose flour (I use 8 c white, 6 c whole wheat; if all white and pre-sifted, 16-18 cups)
3/4 c baking powder
2 and 1/2 c powdered milk
2 tb cream of tartar
3 tb salt
2 lbs vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1/2 c sugar

Combine and mix with hands for about five minutes. You'll have about 30 cups of mix.

Things you can make with it:
Biscuits
Bacon Quiche
Drop Cookies

I'll add others as I try them.

Lentil and Barley Stew

1/4 c butter
1/3 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
2 and 1/2 c skinned chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
2 c water
1/2 c dried brown lentils, picked over and washed
1/3 c pot barley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp rosemary
1/3 c grated carrots

Melt the butter and sauté the onions till tender. Add celery and sauté another five minutes.
Add remaining ingredients except carrot.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots and cook five minutes longer or until barley and lentils are tender.

I made Cornmeal Dumplings with these so it was a good thing I used about a half-cup more water than this recipe called for and probably an extra half-cup of canned diced tomatoes too. With the dumplings the dish could've used even more broth.

We had this stew with brown rice. It made a tasty and filling bowl.

Where this recipe came from, I cannot say. It's on a photocopied sheet of paper taped into the old binder where I keep my stray recipes. On the same sheet are recipes for lentil-millet patties, lentil stew, lentil loaf and lentil burgers. Woo hoo! I love lentils.

Potato Pancakes

I like potatoes, but I get tired of having them boiled, baked, and fried ... and we eat them regularly because Mr. Stubblejumper cannot get enough potatoes potatoes potatoes. He'd eat them three time a day, every day, and never complain. I think he's actually disappointed when we have pasta or rice. I make scalloped potatoes and potato soup and so on, and last night I tried these pancakes and loved them. I was afraid all that oil they soaked up might give us a bellyache later, but it didn't. 

Preheat oven to 200F.

4 large potatoes, peeled and grated
1 yellow onion, grated
Squeeze out or drain off the extra liquid.

Add:
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
pepper to taste

I had run out of onions (banish the thought!), so threw in the little bit of onion left in the fridge and added a teaspoon or so each of onion powder and garlic powder.

Use enough vegetable or canola oil to cover the bottom of a heavy frying pan to about 1/4 inch. The original recipe calls for two cups, but it will depend upon the size of the pan. It also says to cook over medium-high heat, but the oil started smoking so I turned the heat down to medium.

Gently squeeze 1/4-cup scoops into loose balls and set them into the hot oil, then use a fork to flatten them to a half-inch. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven till they're all cooked.


Because of the oil, I won't make these often. But because they're so damn delicious, I surely will make them again. Emil and I shared the leftover one today, and it was even good cold.


Original recipe: http://allrecipes.com

Cornmeal Dumplings

These were made last night to go with a stew of chicken thighs with sautéed onion, celery and garlic. I'm nuts about cornbread so these dumplings were right up my alley.

Have your stew/soup/stock simmering.

Sift together:
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, beat:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Combine the two mixtures and stir in:
1 tablespoon melted butter

Drop the batter from a spoon into the hot liquid. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes.

*Original recipe: The Joy of Cooking. It says "remove them at once from the liquor." I didn't and they were still delicious.

Grandma Benson's Boiled Salad Dressing

This was a staple in Grandma's kitchen.

3/4 c sugar
1 c vinegar
1 and 1/2 c water
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten

Combine ingredients and cook until thick in double-boiler over medium heat.
It will keep in the fridge for a month.
I use it in potato salad and cole slaw, and even on tossed salads.

Great for egg salad too.

I don't have a double boiler so just stirred slowly and constantly until the dressing thickened, but didn't boil. 

I find a complete recipe lasts a little longer than I prefer, so I've begun making a half-batch:

6 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp flour

1 and 1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

Cream of Celery Soup

3 tb butter or vegetable oil
3 c chopped celery
1 c chopped onion
1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 c milk
1 c chicken or vegetable broth (I used a cup of water and a tablespoon of miso paste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c grated cheddar

Saute celery 20 minutes or till soft. Set aside 1/2 c celery.
Add onion to sauteed celery and saute another 7 minutes.
Add next 6 ingredients; cover and simmer 40 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes.
Blend soup and cheese 1/3 at a time.
Add reserved celery and heat through.
Top with toasted slivered almonds. I didn't have any, but wouldn't that be delicious!

This would be just as good without being blended; you could just mash a couple cups of it for thickening the broth, and leave the rest for chunky texture.

Grief Bath

Grief Bath ☂

3 drops sweet marjoram

3 drops lavender

3 drops rose

1 drop cypress

Have you lost a loved one? Measure this into the water while running your bath.

You need all the help you can get, and this won't hurt a bit. 

Chocolate Macaroons

Chocolate Macaroons:

Bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil four minutes:
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 c milk
1/2 c cocoa

Add:
3 c oatmeal
1 c coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Working quickly, drop by teaspoonful onto wax paper and leave to cool.

This was a common treat in our household when I was growing up.

Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe

Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe.

4 c elbow macaroni (the original recipe calls for only 2 cups, but that's ridiculous)
Cook in boiling water till tender but firm, about five to seven minutes, and drain.

Add:
4 c. grated sharp or medium cheddar cheese
1 can mushroom soup
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 c finely chopped onions
3/4 c mayonnaise 
1/4-3/4 c finely chopped green pepper (optional)
2 tbsp chopped pimento 

Put into greased casserole dish and bake, uncovered, in 350F oven for 30-40 minutes.

This isn't healthy in the least, is it? with all that cheese, and canned soup, and mayo. But it's ridiculously tasty. The original recipe comes from Jean Paré's pasta cookbook. I've never added the pimento, and Paré's recipe calls for only 1/4 c of green pepper, but last night I had no mushrooms so tripled the green pepper amount and it was great.

I'm listing this in the Side Dishes category because if you use it for a Main Course it will only feed two big eaters like teenage boys.

Shelly's Gingersnaps

Shelly's Gingersnaps

Cream together:
1 c brown sugar
3/4 c butter

Add, in this order:
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour

Roll heaping teaspoonfuls into balls, then roll them in white sugar.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9 minutes at 375F.

These freeze well.

Butterscotch Brownies

2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c packed brown sugar (I used the dark, coarser sugar)
2/3 c shortening, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c chocolate chips (optional)

Mix first four ingredients together.
Add sugar to shortening, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture.
Spread in a greased 9x13-inch pan. The batter is thick but you'll spread it thin to fit the pan.
Sprinkle with nuts and chips. Press them down a wee bit so they stick.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Cool in the pan and cut into squares or bars.

These are nice and chewy and quite fabulous! You don't need the chocolate chips at all.

One-Pan Mexican Scramble

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa (I used bulgur wheat)
• 1 cup vegetable broth (I used a cup of water with a tablespoon of miso paste)
• 1 540-ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime (I used 2 tbsp)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
3. Serve immediately.

I like spicy, flavourful but not hot food, so I should've removed the seeds from the jalapeno pepper. I forgot the cumin, and didn't have an avocado. But this was still delicious and I will be making it again! I served it up with a couple spoonsful of sour cream to alleviate the burning on my tongue.

Jalepeno and garlic

Ingredients ready to go into the pan

Original recipe: http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

Wild Rice Salad

2 c wild rice (can use pearl barley or wheat berries instead)
1/2 c diced dried apricots
1/2 c diced dried apple
1/3 c raisins or currants
1/4 c golden raisins

Dressing:
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh mint

In large pot of boiling water, cook rice until tender, usually about an hour. Drain well and put into a large bowl with the fruit and berries.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients and add to the rice mixture. Cool, then cover and refrigerate till chilled, about four hours. (You can make it ahead up to 24 hours.).
To serve, add mint and toss.

The original recipe came from Canadian Living magazine.

Killer Marinated Tomatoes

3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 and 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 and 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 c canola or olive oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
6 green onions, chopped
6 tomatoes cut into wedges (can also use halved cherry tomatoes)

Whisk together all except tomatoes, then add them and toss. Marinate in glass bowl at room temperature for two hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with big hunks of bread to soak up the delicious marinade.

Original recipe: www.piarecipes.com

Soda Crackers

4 and 1/2 c flour (I used half whole wheat and half white)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cold butter
1 and 1/2 c water
coarse or kosher salt (optional)
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/4 c finely chopped onions

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter.
Add water, stir just till mixed, and knead on lightly floured board about three minutes.
Divide into four and roll each piece on a floured board to 1/8-inch thickness.
Sprinkle lightly with the coarse salt and press it gently, just a tad, with flat hands or the rolling pin, into the dough.
Cut into 2-inch squares and place a half-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Prick several times with a fork.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or till lightly browned.

I'm not absolutely crazy about these but haven't found a recipe I like better, and with the onions and sesame seeds they are tasty enough. The recipe does make quite a few and you might prefer to halve the ingredients the first time you try it.