Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Cheddar Cheeseball

 Cheddar Cheeseball 

- Grandma Billie Stuckey

2 8-oz blocks Philadephia cream cheese
16 oz Kraft shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 jars Old English cheese spread
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1 T dry minced onion
pecans, chopped 

Allow cheese to come to room temperature. Mix all ingredients with electric mixer. Chill. Shape into balls and roll in chopped pecans, if desired. 
May be made ahead and frozen. (Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.)



Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Chicken and Noodles

 I was in the mood for chicken and noodles and it took me a long time to locate the recipe that I made a long time ago, but it's the best chicken and noodles I have made. It's a recipe from the late Wichita chef, Tanya Tandoc. 

Chicken and Noodle Soup

2 T butter
1 small onion, diced small
4 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 carrots, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
diced meat from one chicken
One recipe fresh noodles (see below)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
optional - 1 cup frozen peas
optional - 1 cup frozen corn

Melt butter in a large pot, add onions, and saute until transparent. Add celery, carrots, and garlic and sweat vegetables a little. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes until carrots are tender. Add the chicken and bring back to a rolling boil. Add noodles and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. (Add peas and corn at this time, if using.) Lower heat and season to taste. Simmer 15 minutes longer, then serve. Tanya noted that they serve this dish over mashed potatoes. (So do I, because yum.)

Homemade Noodles

2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
extra flour for kneading

In a large bowl, pour flour into a mound. Make a crater in the flour, and add eggs and salt. With a fork, begin to beat eggs into the flour a little at a time until it forms a batter. Keep incorporating the flour until the batter becomes a dough ball. When the dough becomes stiff, use your hands to knead the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. Let the dough relax 10 minutes, then roll out very thin. Cut the dough into noodles, about 1 1/2 inches thick and as wide as you like. Flour well, then add to the boiling soup.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Strawberry Shortcake

 Wayne's Grandma, Billie Stuckey, gave me this recipe early in our marriage. (She titled it "Mom's Strawberry Shortcake" so it may have been passed down from her mom.) In any case, it's my go-to for strawberry shortcake. It is more like a light vanilla sponge cake, rather than a biscuit, which I prefer.

Strawberry Shortcake

from Grandma Billie Stuckey

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Whipped cream

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on medium speed for three minutes. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon colored. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; beat into egg mixture. Heat milk and butter just until butter begins to melt. Beat into batter with vanilla. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into greased 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes. 

To serve: 
Just before serving, cut cake into serving size pieces. Cut each piece in half horizontally. Combine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar and spoon between cake layers and over the top of each serving. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Friday, June 24, 2022

Ice Cream

While I love homemade ice cream with eggs, it's not Wayne's favorite. We have made different recipes of ice cream over the years, but this one has stuck. It's simple to make, I nearly always have the ingredients on hand, I don't think it could be quicker to put together, and most importantly we all like how it tastes.  We've added other mix ins or flavors and it is perfect for that too. 

Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch salt

Whisk together and churn in your ice cream maker. Scoop into a storage container and freeze. 

*******
Blackberry Ice Cream
2 cups blackberries 

Blend blackberries in food processor with 1/2 cup of sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Strain. Discard the seeds/pulp. 

Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the other remaining ingredients from above. 
Whisk together (or blend in food processor) and churn in your ice cream maker. Scoop into a storage container and freeze. 

*******
We use this Cuisinart ice cream maker.  If I make a recipe that is a little too big for it, I scoop some out once it's frozen (and keep in the freezer) and then add the rest until it's all ready to put up.

Garden Tea

I tried to pull all of the garden mint out of my flower bed a few years ago... some always pops up and this year it is back more full than ever. While I don't like how invasive it is, I do like garden tea, mojitos, mint in salads, etc. Teneesa Stuckey also gave me the idea to throw in about 5 stems worth of leaves into my Lipton iced tea, which is also very good.

Garden Tea
3 1/2 quarts water (14 cups)
2 cups packed fresh mint
1/2 cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in mint. Let steep around 3 hours. Strain. Refrigerate. Serve over ice (options - with lemon slices).

Credits to this recipe.

Saturday, November 26, 2016

These two crack me up. Check them out, re-enacting a scene from Lazy town.




Monday, February 29, 2016

Naughty Kittens

I think this is a music program preview...and, you're welcome. This song will be stuck in your head. At least is is in mine.





Thursday, February 25, 2016

Gaming Fun

Aubrey went to a birthday party for a fellow Girl Scout last evening. She had a fabulous time and was way into it.
Fruit Ninja was a highlight for Aubrey watching.



She played a car racing game, which required her to sit in my lap as she couldn't reach the pedals. But the motorcycle game she could do all on her own.

A picture doesn't do it justice, though. She loved doing wheelies and included her own sound effects.



After some laser tag, which she wanted me to join her for as she was a little spooked...she climbed the rock wall. No fear on this one. 


Made it to the top. "Look, Mommy!"



Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Thunder!

We got some free tickets to the Thunder game last Sunday.

On our way to our seats, we passed the Sonic Thunderdog.



Free tickets = nosebleed section...but we were fine up there with room to spread out. :)



Sunday, February 21, 2016

Snuggle

Eli came over to play for a couple of hours. They are buddies and were so sweet to watch.