Top 3 Recipes of 2023

As the year 2023 comes to a close I was viewing the recipes that you, my readers, have continually returned to.  They are foods that are continually in my cooking rotation!  My family also put them in our list of "family favorites".  I have also learned that the recipes are sought after any season of the year!  Rather than list them all, the Top 3 are listed below.  

Click on the name of the recipe to view the directions. 

Top 3 Recipes of 2023

The Baked Seafood Casserole is an entree for a special occasion.  It is delicious!

The Best Ever Irish Soda Bread recipe is sought after especially during the month of March.  At that time so many of us will be baking an Irish Soda Bread or two or three.  Filled with raisins, a slice or half slice is enjoyed at breakfast. 
***Note- Irish heritage is not needed to bake nor enjoy this bread!

A slice of the CranOrange Coffee Cake is a great dessert.  I serve a slice with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.  So yummy!  

These are some of my favorite things!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

I wish you
a Happy
and a Healthy New Year!!!

~CranOrange Coffee Cake~

CranOrange Coffee Cake
before the Almond Icing is drizzled on top.
(File Photo)

CranOrange Coffee Cake!!  A slice of this delicious cake served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream is just the best!  It's another great dessert to enjoy at this time of year.  Whole berry cranberry sauce is one of the ingredients.  Years ago when baking this cake I used a cranorange relish, but now I use the whole berry sauce and orange extract.  I also use my Tube Pan rather than my Bundt pan. 

Ready to be placed in my oven.
(File Photo)

This CranOrange Coffee Cake is another yummy dessert that can be baked early.  After the cake cools completely wrap it in foil and place it in the freezer.  The day before you plan to serve it, defrost and drizzle the cake with the Almond Icing.  

Click here for my recipe for this delicious cake! 

My cake for the holidays is already in my freezer! Will you be baking one also?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

~Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies~

Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies
(File Photo)

It's the time of year to add unsalted Butter and Sour Cream to your grocery list!  You just might think that these ingredients are some of the ones used to make a special dessert.  You are correct and it is special!  The dessert is Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies!

Imagine holding a pretty cut out sugar cookie and then taking a bite of it.  The taste of Nutmeg pops out while you are chewing this cookie.  It's delicious!  Now, imagine that you will be baking a batch of these wonderful light yummy cookies and enjoying them with your family and friends during the holidays.       

These cookies are made in 2 steps! 

Day 1- Prepare the dough and refrigerate it.

Day 2- Take out your rolling pin, rolling mat, cookie cutters, colored sugars for decorating and remove the dough from your fridge.

On Day 2 the fun will begin deciding which cookie cutter to use first.  The aroma in your kitchen will be so good while these cookies are baking!  A "taste test" always takes place when I bake these treats!

Rolling out the dough!
(File photo)

An added plus to baking these cookies before the holidays is that they freeze very well!  When you plan on serving them, take the cookies out of the freezer to defrost and enjoy.

Bake a batch of Best Sour Cream Christmas Sugar Cookies! Click here for my recipe! 

Just remember to add unsalted Butter and Sour Cream to your grocery list!  Add decorative colored sugars and Nutmeg, too, if you do not have these ingredients.  These cookies are so delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Turkey a la King

On the next two days after the Thanksgiving holiday it is very easy to decide what to prepare for dinner!  There are choices.  Hot Turkey Sandwiches are usually enjoyed on the first day after we have feasted on roasted turkey.  If there is a bit of stuffing saved in the fridge, that is also reheated and enjoyed very quickly along with a salad.  

Turkey a la King
(File Photo)

There is another quick and easy dinner that does not require too much effort and is just plain delicious- Turkey a la King!  Picture small pieces of the roasted turkey in a creamy sauce that are mixed with vegetables and served over toasted bread.  It is so good!  

You probably see Turkey or Chicken Pot Pies on menus at restaurants.  However, that very tasty combination of small turkey pieces and cooked veggies served over toast is so much easier than rolling out a pie crust or even remembering to purchase unbaked pie crusts at the grocery store.  Turkey a la King is easy and  delicious!

A package of frozen mixed vegetables containing peas, carrots and corn work very well here.  Usually, I prepare a double batch and freeze portions to enjoy again at dinner in the next few weeks.  

***If you also freeze portions, adding a little milk when reheating works very well. 

My recipe for Turkey a la King is the same that I use for Chicken a la King, but I substitute the Turkey for the Chicken.

Click here for my recipe for Turkey a la King.   

Just remember to serve Cranberry Sauce, too!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

~Happy Thanksgiving!~

Have a Happy
and
a Safe Thanksgiving!!!

 Enjoy the day!

Butternut Squash Pancakes

Butternut Squash Pancakes
only need the Butter/ Margarine and Maple Syrup on top
(File Photo)

It's the season of the delicious orange colored vegetable- Butternut Squash!  Whenever we enjoy this veggie at dinner I save out about 1 Cup of the mashed Butternut Squash to prepare a very tasty pancake for breakfast the next morning.  Butternut Squash Pancakes!  They are so good!  

While each pancake is cooking on the griddle, the aroma of Cinnamon, of Nutmeg and of Ground Ginger gives you a hint of how great they will taste.  Top them with Butter/ Margarine and Maple Syrup! Yum! 

The price of Eggs is a bit more since I originally posted my recipe, so these days while preparing these pancakes I use a combination of 2 Egg Whites and 1 Whole Egg instead of 4 Egg Whites. 

**Remember the formula while cooking/ baking: 1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg Whites.

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Pancakes!  Plan on preparing a batch during this month of November!  Freeze the extra pancakes for an easy breakfast on busy mornings!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

       

Butternut Squash Bread!

Butternut Squash Bread
(File Photo)

Butternut Squash Bread! What a delicious dessert!  Yes, I did write Butternut Squash. For years- that has led to decades- I have been using this veggie instead of pumpkin when preparing this dessert bread.  It is so yummy that you may just want to enjoy a half slice as a snack! 

Lately, the amount of Butternuts in the bushel container in our garage has been reduced.

The Bushel of Butternut Squash

Many of the squash have been cooked/ mashed.  Labeled freezer bags of this orange veggie are on their designated freezer shelf.  This weekend the remaining squash will be prepared and more bags will be frozen.   

One delicious treat that is made using the mashed Butternut Squash is Butternut Squash Bread.  Usually I bake 2 breads at once, so I double the recipe and stagger the pans in the oven before/ when baking.  This weekend I will be using the freshly mashed Butternut Squash when baking these breads.  

During the year I defrost a bag containing 2 cups to bake 2 breads.  The Butternut Squash will defrost overnight in the fridge.    

This dessert bread is very easy to prepare!  While it is baking the aroma of Cinnamon and Nutmeg will float from your kitchen to other rooms in your home.  A small amount of Ground Cloves can be added to the batter, too.  It is also at this time of year that one of the 2 breads that I bake will be placed in our freezer to enjoy over Thanksgiving.  If you will also be doing this, after the bread cools, wrap in heavy duty foil, label and freeze.

I use Egg Whites in this recipe. 
Remember- when baking:

***2 Egg Whites = 1 Whole Egg

With the current price of Eggs, you may want to use  2 Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg for 1 bread. 
When baking that would equal or be the same as using 4 Egg Whites.     

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Bread!  It is a family favorite in my home and it just may become a favorite for you and your family, too!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                

Freezing Butternut Squash!

Preparing Butternut Squash
for the freezer!
(File Photo)

It's that time of year!  The new "buy local" crop of Butternut Squash is available in October!  This yummy orange veggie is a great side dish at dinner and we have always enjoyed it!  For that reason we purchase a bushel of Butternut Squash at one of the local farms and prep the squash to freeze.  Yes, they can be purchased individually and sold by the pound at roadside stands and grocery stores, but we purchase a bushel and store it in our garage.  Then, a new project is added to our "to do" list.  Preparing the squash for the freezer.  

In addition to enjoying this vegetable as a delicious side dish at dinner, I use the prepared/ cooked/ mashed Butternut Squash in recipes by replacing it for canned pumpkin.  It works so well!  More on that later.   

The process for prepping and freezing the squash is quite simple.  After the individual squash are washed under cool running water, dry them.  Then, remove the stem, seeds and skin.  Cut into chunks and steam.  There is more to the process, so click here for my process/ recipe.  It works very well and before you know it you will have this tasty vegetable in your freezer, too!

Freezing Butternut Squash 

It will be in your freezer ready to take out whenever you want this tasty veggie to be included with your dinner or you will be using it in baking a treat.  The frozen Butternut Squash is defrosted in the microwave very easily!  Or it can be defrosted overnight in your fridge!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp

Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp
(File Photo)
My dessert is currently baking in my oven.

Today was the day! The day to bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp!  The dessert that has fresh apple slices that are baked with an oat topping that also contains Cinnamon and Nutmeg.  Nothing beats enjoying this dessert when it is prepared with fresh apples.  In Autumn I use McIntosh or Cortland apples or a combination of the two.  Craisins (dried cranberries) and raisins are placed in the baking dish along with the apple slices.  

When this dessert is baking the wonderful aroma of apples, Cinnamon and Nutmeg float through our home.  It is a teaser of how great it will taste- later.  

You are one click away from my recipe.  Click here!

Bake a Craisin Raisin Apple Crisp soon.  Do not forget to purchase the vanilla ice cream.  A small scoop tastes so good on top.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

 

~Saving Zinnia Seeds!~

Beautiful Zinnias!

Do you have beautiful colorful Zinnias growing in your garden(s)?  Are you interested in enjoying the flowers again next summer?  You can next year without purchasing new seed packets or small plants from your garden center!  Save the seeds from this year's pretty flowers and plant the seeds in the Spring after any possibility of frost in your area is gone.  

Saving the seeds is not difficult!  It's at this time of year that I snip the colorful flowers from the plants growing outdoors and save them in cut down Kleenex boxes, so the flowers can dry out. 

Colorful Zinnia blossoms drying out!

After the flowers dry out, harvest the seeds by pulling them away from the stems of the plant.  The seeds are "tear" shaped.

Blue arrows point
to the dried out Zinnia seeds!

After harvesting the seeds place them in large labeled envelopes and seal.  You are on your way to enjoying beautiful colorful Zinnias again next year.

Enjoy!
Happy Gardening!

 

Freezing Green Pepper Strips

Green Peppers ready to prepare!
(File Photo)

These past two weeks I've been freezing Green Pepper strips.  The local Green Peppers are still available at roadside stands and also at Farmers' Markets.  In the colder months I defrost a package whenever needed and use them in many entrees.  They are very easy to freeze!    

Sauteed Green Pepper strips are a great addition to a Meatball Grinder!  Quite often a batch of my Meatballs are found in our freezer.  After preparing them I divide them into portion sizes to freeze.  Whenever we have a craving for Meatball Grinders it is easy to defrost the Meatballs for a quick dinner.  It is also very easy to take out a package of frozen Green Pepper strips to defrost/ saute and add to the tomato sauce that I will be using.  You may ask," What about the grinder rolls??"  Oh, I freeze grinder rolls, too.  Defrost them when needed!  It is one of the meals that we enjoy when I never snap a photo, because we are hungry and the aroma of the Meatball Grinders invites us to begin eating. 

Green Pepper strips also work well on homemade Pizza and in Chili!  Plan on purchasing a few Green Peppers this weekend to cut into strips and freeze.

Click here for my method for Freezing Green Peppers!

This winter just reach into your freezer to take out a portion size to use.  You will not need to purchase a Green Pepper in the grocery store either in the produce section or in the frozen food aisle.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

Veggie Sauce

Veggie Sauce
(File Photo)

It's the time of year to use my slow cooker (crock pot) to prepare Veggie Sauce!  It contains chunks of local Eggplant and local Zucchini and local Green Peppers along with canned tomato sauce and tomato paste.  After a quick walk to my spice rack the dried Basil and dried Oregano are added to the slow cooker's pot.  Dried Parsley is a great addition, too! Now, is when the local veggies are available at the roadside stands, farmers' markets and grocery stores.  It is good to "buy local" and support our local farmers!  The fresh veggies are so delicious, too! 

**When preparing this sauce if I have ground beef in the fridge, it is browned in a skillet, drained and also added.  I have learned over the years that with my slow cooker's "non stick" coating it is still always best to spray it with PAM, first.  Then, I add the Green Pepper Chunks.  If ground beef is used it is added to the pot second.  

I like to prepare this sauce with or without the meat.  It is easy to prepare and tastes so good.
Click here for the recipe.     

In the colder months it is always a treat to take out a container of this yummy sauce to defrost/ heat and serve over pasta for dinner.  Do you prepare foods to have "on hand" in your freezer, too?  They make great "take out" meals! Just reach into your freezer and take it out!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

A Welcome Visitor!

Colorful Zinnias grown from last year's saved seeds!

Every year in September I snip some of the colorful Zinnia blossoms from the stems.  The blossoms are dried out and then the Zinnia seeds are harvested and saved for next year's crop.  

The dried Zinnia seeds

The following Spring, usually in late May, the seeds are planted.  Before we know it the little green sprouts have 3 to 4 sets of leaves.  They are on their way to add color to our gardens.

Today it was great to see an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly fly in for a visit!
 

That is a great perk!  The colorful Zinnias also attract Monarch Butterflies and we have seen Hummingbirds visit.  

 Do you have Zinnias blossoming in your gardens?  Do you save seeds to plant the following year?  It is easy to do.

Enjoy!
Happy gardening!

The Month of Blueberries!

Fresh Local Blueberries!

The month of July is the month of blueberries!  Blueberries that are locally grown and available at farmers' markets and also ready to be purchased at roadside stands.  After the "buy local" freshly picked blueberries are purchased it is a tradition for me to prepare many of them to store in freezer bags and place the labeled/ dated bags in our freezer.  I always appreciate just reaching into our freezer to take out a bag to defrost during the colder months of the year.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Not all of the juicy blueberries find their way into our freezer.  A batch of Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes are always prepared that week and enjoyed for breakfast! It is a favorite breakfast here. I have been making these pancakes for so many years!  Click here for recipe.  Oh, there are definitely extras.  Those extras are placed in the freezer for quick breakfasts on other mornings.  Reheating the pancakes in the microwave is so easy on a busy morning.   

Another treat is to bake a batch of Yummy Blueberry Muffins!  Yummy definitely is a great description for these muffins!  Click here for recipe.  A fresh muffin or two really hits the spot.  After they cool, a few muffins also find a spot in the freezer.  It is a nice surprise to find and defrost a few weeks later.

Yummy Blueberry Muffins

Fresh local blueberries are just delicious!  Delicious for snacking, for adding to cereal and also to use when baking.  Do you purchase fresh local blueberries?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                

Happy Fourth of July!!

Norman Rockwell's Liberty Bell (Celebration)
Cover of American Artist
July 1976 issue
Courtesy of Norman Rockwell Museum

Celebrating our country's birthday by admiring a beautiful work by the artist Norman Rockwell! 

Have a happy and a safe Fourth of July!!

Local Strawberry Season

"Buying Local" and enjoying the delicious strawberries!

June is the month of local Strawberries and "buying local" is the way to go here in New England.  Suddenly, we learn that the red berries are available at the roadside stands and our purchase is made.  It would not be the typical month of June for me if bags of this prepared fruit were not placed in our freezer along with Freezer Jam.

Click here for my method of freezing strawberries and preparing Freezer Jam.   

Time flies when you are having fun!  It also flies when you have traditional projects to accomplish.  

Enjoy!

      

Planting Saved Zinnia Seeds

Zinnia seeds

It's time!  You may be thinking "time for what?"  Time to plant the Zinnia seeds that were saved from last year's crop.  That was accomplished today.  It was a perfect day to plant them with our warm weather today and it will continue.

We are dreaming about enjoying a colorful abundant crop- like we do every year.

Colorful Zinnias from a previous crop.

 

In a few days we will be looking for the small green seedlings to pop up.

Happy gardening!

 

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Astilibe blossoming!

Wishing all Moms

a very 

Happy Mother's Day!!!

 
Enjoy!

~Crunchy Oats~

A container of Crunchy Oats!
(File Photo)

There are a few foods that I prepare on a routine basis.  One of them is Crunchy Oats.  Those delicious morsels of the combination of oats, honey, wheat germ and a few more ingredients.  These ingredients are basically mixed together and then stir fried in a large saute pan.  After cooling they are placed in a covered container and into the fridge they go.  What a great addition to a serving of yogurt or when enjoying cereal in the morning!  

Crunchy Oats are also easy to prepare.  For the recipe, click here! 

So delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

              

Spring Perennials!

Spring!

The weekend has arrived! It is time to pause for a bit and enjoy the colors of lavender, purple and pink that this season of Spring brings!

Enjoy!