Peanut Butter (Homemade)

This recipe if from an older cookbook that I have (1970s). If you want this a little chunkier, blend a little less. Be a little creative and maybe add/substitute a little honey in this. Maybe be a little daring and add a little roasted peppercorns

1 (9oz) jar dry roasted peanuts (2 cups)
1 ¾ cups cold water, approximately
2 tsp. sugar or substitute optional

Put peanuts in a covered blender container and blend on high speed until peanuts are reduced to a powder. Add water, a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the proper peanut butter consistency . Scrape down frequently with rubber scraper. Spoon into a jar and store in refrigerator.

 

Makes 2 ¼ cups. This has 43 calories per tablespoon, as compared to 100 calories for most commercial brands.

Homemade peanut butter without preservatives should always be refrigerated.

I wonder if you could make just the base for this (just the ground peanut), and then add the liquid (and any other ingredient) as you go, if this would taste the same?

Oxtails

There was a time when you could go to a grocery store and oxtails were cheap because no one wanted them. Then a lot more people discovered that they were really good when seasoned correctly. Now when I go to buy oxtails, I buy one pack at a time, because of cost, and then freeze until I have enough to cook a pot. I cook them once I have gotten 3-4 packs of them so that there is enough. Enjoy!

3 ½ – 4 lbs oxtails
¾ cup chopped onion
1 tbs salt
½ tsp pepper (I like to use a little peppercorns to taste too. Careful these can make it hot)
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 cup diced potatoes
1 tbs garlic
¼ cup Kitchen Bouquet *
¼ – ½ tbs basil
Some people like to add celery and carrots.  I prefer mine without.

*I like to substitute Worcestershire sauce (to taste) for the Kitchen Bouquet, just because I like the flavor it adds to the meat. You can probably do a mix of both, seasoning to your taste preference.

Wash oxtails and put them in water. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook several hours, until done. Stir every once in a while so that all the flavors are mixed well.

When cooking on top of the stove, I use enough water to cover well and a little more, because this will cook down. When I cook in the slow cooker, I use a little less water, just enough to cover oxtails. The less water you have to add during cooking, the more flavor will be retained in the oxtails.

Pink Poodle Pie

This just makes a pretty pie...period. The contrast in the chocolate crust and the pink filling will prepare your taste buds for the Wonderful flavor that is getting ready to be ingested. This recipe is easy, quick and ready to be shared with dinner guest.

I bet this would be great as a baby or bridal shower dish. I bet you could switched up the cherry filling (for a girl) for a blueberry filling (for a boy), to make an eye appealing dish for that baby shower. What do you think?

 

 

2 chocolate pie crust
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6 oz) can frozen pink lemonade, thawed but not diluted
1 (6 oz) carton Cool Whip
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple drained
Optional: Chopped pecans

Mix lemonade with condensed mil. Fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shells. Chill and serve

Cornmeal Custard Pie

 

 

If you like Egg Custard you will like this recipe. Some folks say it is better than Egg Custard.

 Lets See!

3 eggs
1 cup milk
¾ cup cornmeal
1 tsp. lemon flavoring
¾ cup sugar
2 tbs. Butter
2 pints boiling water
9” uncooked pie crust

Sprinkle cornmeal into the 2 pints boiling water, stirring constantly so it will not lump. Cook about 15 minutes, until it is like well done mush. Add the butter, salt and sugar stirring real good. Add milk and flavoring. Set aside to cool; then add the well beaten eggs, stirring all the time. Pour into a pie pan lined with uncooked crust. Bake in 350 F oven for 45 minutes. Top with meringue made from 2 egg whites. Return to oven to brown.

Oven Beef Burgundy

I always head for this dish when visiting my favorite buffet. I love this stuff. I think the Burgundy makes the meat really tender and of course it has that extra little kick that only the “secret sauce” can give it. Delish!

2 lbs beef cubed (stew meat or chuck)
1 tbs Kitchen Bouquet
¼ cup cream of rice
4 carrots sliced
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsps. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp thyme
1 cup Burgundy or dry red wine
1 can (6 oz) mushroom crowns and broth

 

Trim excess fat from meat and cut into 1 ½ inch cubes. Place in a 2 ½ qt casserole and toss gently with Kitchen Bouquet, coating meat on all sides. Mix in Cream of Rice. Add carrots and remaining ingredients. Mix gently. Cover and bake at 325F until meat and vegetables are tender, about 2 ½ hours. Stir meat every 30 minutes. Serve with potatoes, rice or buttered noodles.

Moonshine Pie (Whiskey)

This pie is similar to a pecan pie except the texture is a little different. Of course with the “Secret Sauce” added to the recipe notches it up a degree. Just don't eat too much. We don't want anyone getting pulled over for eating too much pie!

Mix: 1 cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons flour, dash salt.

Then add 1 ¼ cups sweet milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook over double boiler until thick as custard. Add 2 beaten egg yolks and 1 tablespoon Whiskey (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract).

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff and add to custard mixture. Put into baked pie crust and decorate top with Nut-halves.

Recipe is copied exactly as written.

Stuffed Quahogs (Clam)

There are two words in this recipe that I had to look up. You may already know, but I did not.

Quahogs: Clams
Linguisa: A Portuguese Pork sausage that is highly seasoned with such as garlic, paprika, pepper, onions. This could be seasoned with one, some or all of the mentioned ingredients.

This recipe can be made ahead an frozen for later.

 

10 medium quahogs
1 green pepper, seeds removed
½ lb. Linguisa
2 medium onions
1 tbs margarine (butter please)
1 egg
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pkg. Chicken stuffing mix

Scrub quahogs, add 3 cups of water to kettle with quahogs. Cover tightly and heat until shell open. Remove quahogs from shell, save broth.

Chop linguisa, onions, quahogs and green pepper in blender or by hand. Add crushed red pepper and fry in skillet 25 minutes in 1 tablespoon margarine. Add egg and stuffing mix, substituting broth for water required, 1-3/4 to 2 cups. Simmer together 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pack into quahog shells and cover with shell top. Wrap individually in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or Freeze (for later) and reheat 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 10

Deep Fried Okra

1-1/2 cups okra, cut-up
2 tbs. buttermilk
2 tbs. flour (or cornmeal.  I like to do 1/2 flour and 1/2 cornmeal)
1 tsp. salt (I use pepper also)
1 egg, beaten





Boil okra, drain and Mash*.  Add all other ingredients.  Drop by tsp. into hot oil.  Fry until golden brown.

*The recipe above is the original one.  My modified one is, first of all,  I don't mash my Okra.  I just cut them up, season them, roll in egg buttermilk mix, and then in my 1/2 and 1/2 cornmeal/flour mixture.  You will need to double the total amount of buttermilk/egg mix and the cornmeal/flour mix in order to cover the okra.

Oven Baked Porcupines (Meatballs)

A great recipe if you want to make something easy and special to carry out. I think if you make ahead the ground beef mixture, it would probably freeze well.

A side of homemade pintos and collards (or greens of choice) would give this meal a “college education” as grandma used to say. Enjoy!

Mix:

1 lb. Ground beef
½ cup raw rice
½ cup water
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. garlic salt

Make into balls and put in a 8x8x2 inch baking dish

Mix:

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce, 1 cup water and 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

Pour over meatballs and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.