Vickie Can Cook!

Haha!  I do cook, really I do!  Today, I made a  big cauldron of chicken vegetable soup AND used up some bananas that were ripening too quickly - made them into banana/nut bread.  I rarely show you a recipe and what I'm cooking. I'm usually half-way through before thinking, "Duh, Vickie, you could have blogged about that."  Well, today I remembered.

Easy - soup is easy.  Slow-cooked 4 chicken breasts with onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper - your basic chicken stock.  After the chicken was done, I added carrots, potatoes, some leftover broccoli, some green peas, and simmered until the veggies were done.  Season to taste.  Wish I'd have had some mushrooms...  Oh well, it turned out great - that's what we had for supper tonight!   I had that going for most of the afternoon...

I always have some bananas that I wind up putting in the compost because we just don't eat them up.  I crave them when they're not here, but when we have several I don't eat them as much. Plus, I don't like them when they start getting dots on them.  Somewhere between barely green to yellow - that's when I like 'em!  I had some leftover pecans in the freezer, too, so...   (by the way, they are called puh-KONs, in case anyone wants to know, not PEE-cans or pee-CANS... just sayin' )...

Ok, Banana Nut Bread.  I've tried lots of different recipes for this - it's everybody's favorite and I'm sure you've got your own favorite recipe.  Mine comes from Dr. Payne's wife.  Dr. Payne was mine and Tony's pediatrician when we were kids.  Then, he was also MY kids' pediatrician until they were all over 18.  I'm so glad he didn't retire until they were all grown!  He really knew all our family history!  I've had this recipe for probably about 30 years.

BANANA NUT BREAD

             3/4 c margarine (or butter)                                       2 c. sifted flour

             1  1/2 c. sugar                                                          1 t. baking soda

             1  1/2 c. mashed bananas (usually 3 large)             3/4 t. salt

             2 eggs beaten                                                          1/2 c. buttermilk

             1 1/2 t. vanilla                                                             (or cheater buttermilk)

                                                                                             1 c. chopped pecans

                                                                                                             (or walnuts)

Cream margarine and sugar thoroughly. Blend in bananas, eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour, soda and salt together.  Add to banana mixture alternating with buttermilk.  Add nuts and stir well.  Bake in a greased and floured 9x5x3 inch loaf pan at 325 degrees for 1 hr 15 minutes.

Now, following are some pictures showing my progress.  NOTE:  I usually split up my dough into 3-4 small tins.  Today I used 3 small tins and it almost ran over the edges!  Also, towards the end of the cooking time, I place a piece of foil loosely over the tins to keep the edges from getting too done.

Above - some ingredients - the sugar, butter, eggs and dry ingredients were already mixed - see?  I almost forgot to blog about this today!  Thank goodness I caught myself before it was too late!

Above, just used cooking spray (didn't need flour) and I always cook things on another pan just in case something spills over!

Above - have already added the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.  I'm adding the dry ingredients now...

Above, now for the pecans!  Some of those go missing before they make it into the batter...

Ready to pop in the oven!

Be sure and eat some batter before it goes in the oven - it's really good.  Better yet, let's just not cook it at all - let's just eat the batter!  I've eaten raw eggs all my life and it hasn't hurt me yet!

These little boogers nearly overflowed the small tins, and the edges are kinda crispy - my favorite part!

Ok, after they've cooled a bit and pulled away from the tin, I up-end them and let them finish cooling.

One I'll keep out for us to snack on, and the other two will go into the freezer to be enjoyed another day, OR to give to someone who just needs cheering up a little bit!

There ya go!  Hope you enjoyed it.  I usually make a bunch of small loaves during the holidays, but it didn't happen this year.  I guess better late than never!

PS - I just visited my friend, Tara, at her blog New Day, New Season. Please go over and give her a cyber hug and some love - her daddy has been sick for a long time, and now he could go either way.  She's really hurtin' but she's strong.  She and her family need your prayers. Thank you so much.

Blueberry Biscuits!!!

Do you LOVE blueberries as much as we do around our house???   We LOVE blueberries!  I keep fresh ones and frozen ones around nearly all the time.  You probably know that you can freeze fresh ones on a cookie sheet and then bag them to put in the freezer.  That way, they won't stick together and get soggy!

Tony was looking at the Food Section in our local newspaper the other day, and he ran across this recipe and brought it home to me.  He loves baked goods, and so I thought I'd give them a try.  SUPER EASY!
And delicious!  This recipe is one I'm keeping!  It did not have a name on it so I don't know who to give credit to for it.

Here's the recipe for

LEMON-GLAZED  BLUEBERRY  BISCUITS

For the Biscuits:

3 c. buttermilk biscuit mix (I used Bisquick)

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. milk

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

For the Glaze:

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 T lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the baking mix and sugar.  Stir milk into the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in blueberries gently.  If using frozen berries, do not thaw first or biscuits will turn blue.  Turn out gently on lightly floured surface (I used a little more Bisquick).  Pat to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a 2-inch cutter, without twisting.  Place 1-inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.  Back at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes until lightly browned.  Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm biscuits.  Makes 9 - 12 biscuits depending on thickness.

NOTE:  my recipe made 10 biscuits and I increased the glaze mixture a little bit cuz I ran out.  I also added a little dab of butter in the glaze mix "just because".  Also, as you can see by my picture that we'd already gotten into 'em before we thought to take a  picture!  Tony now reminds me of things that I should have pictures of to put on the blog...

THESE WERE GREAT!  You have to gently work the berries into the thick mix or your biscuits do start turning blue-ish.  They were so good.  Just a hint of sweetness, not much, and slathered with real butter (with or without jelly or preserves)  they were delicious. And so easy!

Well, gals, this is all for the day.  Short but sweet - not my usual, eh?  Well, I'm giving you a break today, cuz I'm in a hurry. Take care - go get you some Bisquick and blueberries.  Think I'm going to go right home and make another batch.  They were just too good!

Harvest Time!

The harvest season has begun!!! YEA! I have harvested ONE big juicy tomato - it's almost ready for me to slice and eat over the sink with juice running down my chin and hand, 2 dozen jalapenos, dill, onions (still got a bunch in the ground - just pulling 'em as we need 'em), 6 big yellow squash, 4 zucchinis, and about 2 dozen picklin' cucumbers!!! I know what I'm doin' on Memorial Day weekend!

I love this time of year. I put up 2 1/2 dozen quart jars of my spicy pickle recipe last summer and they were all gone before the end of the year 2009. We love 'em and so does everybody else. I did a post on making 'em last summer in June. If you're interested go to this link Pucker Up For Pickles! So hopefully I planted more this year and will make more than ever.

Jelly's still a ways off, but that's coming up, too. I also planted plenty of tomatoes and peppers so we can do some hot sauce. I can make a meal on hot sauce and chips (and do sometimes!) Monday evenin' I made some fried squarsh (haha). I never fry stuff except in the summer and except for fried squarsh or okra. That's about it. Wanna see it even tho all of you already know how to do it? Well, you're goin' too, anyway, as I'm hurtin' for blog fodder.

Ok, here we go.  I've got a bowl with about 2 parts flour to 1 part corn meal and I'll stir it with a fork til it's all mixed up.  I've got milk and eggs, too, and maybe a cup of vegetable oil in the skillet heatin' up.

I mix two eggs with about 1/2 cup milk and whip it up real good.

I've already got my yellow squarsh & zucchinis washed straight outta the garden and sliced up.  They get an egg bath now. Swish the slices around in the bowl and cover 'em real good and slimy.

Then, I take them out one or two at a time and salt & pepper them and put 'em in the flour/cornmeal bowl.  They get coated all over with this mixture and then...

...throw them babies into that hot grease & let 'em fry!  Not too hot, or that corn meal 'll burn before your squarsh is done.  I let 'em fry for a few minutes on each side til they start turnin; golden brown.

Here we go - see, they're lookin' purty good on one side there, flip 'em over and do the other side!

Ok, have ya a plate with some paper towels standin' by and when your squarsh is done take it out carefully (so you won't lose your crust) and lay them on your plate.  VOILA!!!

Now, don't they look great?  My mouth was waterin' way before these were done.  I love to get a little Ranch dressin' in a salsa bowl and go to town on fried squarsh.  I don't need anything else to go with this supper!  In a week or so, I'll have some fresh homegrown summer tomatoes to go with these! Or how 'bout an onion and tomato sandwich???  Love 'em!

Princess Cooked Something!!! It's a Miracle!!!

We've been giving our college daughter grief over the years cuz I've tried to get her into the kitchen and learn some cookin'. She wanted no part of it - but now that she's a college gal, she suddenly wants to be Suzy Homemaker and learn to cook!

Wow - look what she did! Sauteed seasoned asparagus in olive oil, lemon pepper tilapia, ceasar salad! She even sent me this picture to prove it! I'm so proud of her! I think she did a wonderful job. And she prepared something healthy - what a smart girl. I just had to brag a little!!!!!