Tuesday, April 10, 2007
GRANDDAD JACK'S PEACH COBBLER
BREAKFAST TACOS
This is great breakfast that will knock their socks off. I always keep cooked red (pinto) beans in the freezer so I can jump start this meal. Cook up a big pot of beans and freeze pint size portions to use later.
Monday, April 9, 2007
APPLE BROWNIES
This is a recipe for delicious apple brownies. They are made with tart Granny Smith apples, they have toasted pecans and white raisins in there too. It is unbelievable how good something so simple to make can be.
No mixer, no mess. Lots of raves though.
Apple Brownies
1/2 c white rasins
ICING
3/4 c powder sugar
Juice of one lemon
Mix together and drizzle over top of warm brownies.
Let them cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then cut into squares and remove from pan with spatula. They will crumble a little but you can lightly press them together and when they cool they will be neat looking. Let cool completely on a rack. These freeze well. I always double the recipe because they will go fast.
PEANUT PATTIES
Always serve the nicest things to your friends and eat those that aren't so perfect. Put your best out there for the world to see. WOW, these things are good!
Peanut Patties
3 c. sugar
4 c. raw Spanish peanuts
1 c. white corn syrup
1 c. water
1/8 tsp. salt
5 T. butter (real butter, always)
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp. red food coloring
Mix all ingredients (except butter,
vanilla and coloring) in large heavy sauce-
pan and cook to hard ball stage
(260 degrees on candy thermometer)
Remove from heat, add butter ,
vanilla and coloring. Beat until candy begins
to look creamy. Quickly drop by
spoonfuls onto waxed paper. If mix-
ture gets too firm, add a few drops
of hot water and beat, then spoon out
the rest of it.
MEAT LOAF DINNER
OH MY MY MY~
Meat Loaf
2 slices of bread, broken up
1 cup milk
Pour the milk over the bread pieces
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 nice size onion, cut up
2 or 3 carrots grated
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs (beat slightly before adding)
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Mix all of this together with the milk/bread mixture and
form into a nice loaf shape that is flat on top, and place on a heavy baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.
Meat Loaf Sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 T prepared mustard
Spread sauce on top
Bake in 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours.
Cool for 10 minutes before slicing it.
Now, this is what you do with leftovers. Good, soft FRESH bread, spread with mashed potatoes, thin slice of onion and a slice of meat loaf. It's as fine as it gets!
CHERRY PIE FROM SCRATCH
Flaky Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour I teaspoon salt
1 T sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Mix flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening.
Stir in cold water, careful not to overwork. Form into ball, wrap in
plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours.
Divide dough in half, roll out and place in pie pan.
Roll out second ball and cut in narrow strips.
CHERRY PIE (preheat oven to 400 F.)
Note, use RED PITTED TART PIE CHERRIES in water , NOT Cherry Pie Filling!
2 c sugar
3 T flour
2 cans Red Tart Pie Cherries (drain juice from one can and discard)
In bowl, mix sugar with flour. Add cherries and JUICE from one can only. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Weave dough strips on top to make lattice. Finally, cut up 2 T butter and put on top crust. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon mixture (¼ tsp cinnamon mixed with 4 T sugar) on top. Bake 45 minutes, the last 15 minutes place foil over top to keep from gettin too brown, needs to be a golden color. Cool on wire rack before cutting. (Fire up that coffee pot boys and girls, you're in for a treat)
PEANUT BRITTLE
REDNECK RITA'S FAMOUS PEANUT BRITTLE
This one's easy. The secret is to cook it in a very heavy pan and watch it every second at the last or it will scorch. That is a BIG OOPS~Don't ever double the recipe, if you want more, just wash pan and start over on the next batch.
4 c. raw peanuts
¾ c. white Karo syrup
¼ c. water
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp soda (DON'T add soda until the end)
Mix sugar, peanuts, syrup, water
and salt. Cook in large heavy sauce-
pan on medium heat, stirring constantly,
to hard crack stage. (300 degrees on
candy thermometer) Watch carefully the last few minutes,
add soda and stir quickly for about 10 seconds.
Pour onto well buttered cookie sheet
And spread as thin as possible.
When completely cool, bind cookie sheet slightly and
Roast Beef Hash
I am going to share my old family recipe for one of the all time favorites. It is hearty, easy to make, and can feed a crowd. It freezes well too.
Get ready for the raves, this is a wonderful meal.
Serve it with cornbread or hot rolls and a little salad on the side.
5 med. potatoes
1 onion
1/2 cup corn oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 c strong coffee (this ads flavor and color)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
Prepare the roast for baking by dredging in flour, salt and pepper. Sear in heavy baking pan with 1/2 cup of oil, turning to brown on all sides. Bake in 325 degree oven for 2 or 2 1/2 hours, or until tender. Save the meat drippings to add to the hash. (skim all that grease out first)
Cut meat into cubes and put in large cooking pot. Cut onions into chunks, add garlic, salt, pepper, meat drippings, chicken broth and coffee.
and cook for about 45 min, or until the meat is tender.
Peel and cube potatoes, these will be added the last 15 minutes
of cooking.
Finally, mix 1/2 c. flour and 3/4 c water to make paste. Add several tablespoons
of the hot hash liquid to this mixture and stir quickly. Add another few tablespoons
and stir. (if you just add the flour/water mixture to the hot hash, it will turn into lumps, don't do that~) Then slowly pour this mixture back into the pot of hash, letting it thicken until it is the right consistancy for the gravy. (You may not have to use the entire flour/water mixture.)
Cook for 5 more minutes.
Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Apricot-Orange Loaf Cake
OK~ AT LAST
1 - 11 oz. box dried apricots
2 cups sugar
4 T butter (always use real butter)
½ cup water
l cup orange juice
4 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans, chopped (toast pecans in microwave for about one minute, stir halfway though and watch closely so they don't scorch)
Cut apricots in ¼ inch pieces and soak in warm water to cover for 30 min. Drain.
Cream sugar, butter, and eggs; stir in water and orange juice.
Stir in dry ingredients.
Blend in nuts and apricots.
Pour in batter and let stand for 20 min.; then bake 55 to 65 min. at 350 degrees or until done.
Mix 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice and spoon over top while loaves are still warm.
Baklava / Greek Pastry
REDNECK RITA GOES GREEK
Hello, this is one of my favorite desserts. Pretty fancy huh~ It is easy to make and will impress anyone you share it with. Go to a nice super market and ask for Fillo pastry leaves or Greek pastry leaves. It's in the freezer section with pie dough and strudel dough.
OH MY STARS, THIS STUFF'S REALLY GREAT~
BAKLAVA (Greek Pastry)
Number of Servings -- 20-25
2 lbs. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. powdered cinnamon
½ tsp. powdered cloves
¾ lb. Butter (a stick and a half of real butter)
1 lb. Pastry sheets (FILLO /PHYLLO) Dough
Syrup
2 cups honey
¼ tsp. lemon extract
1 lb. Sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Grated rind of lemon
Combine walnuts and spices. Melt butter. Brush bottom of 10x14 pan with melted butter, and place 1 pastry sheet over this. Brush with melted butter. Repeat this process until 4 pastry sheets line the bottom of the baking pan. Brush fourth layer with melted butter and sprinkle with nut mixture. Repeat this until nut and spice mixture is all used. End with 4 top layers brushed with butter. Cut into diamond shapes. Bake at 300 degrees until lightly golden. Do not over cook. While pastry is baking, prepare syrup. Boil syrup ingredients together.
Pour very slowly over baked Baklava. Wrap pieces in Saran wrap when completely cooled.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
My Doggies, Granddoggies, and Babies
Little Sweet is another granddoggie, she lived in Albuquerque with ZZ, Paul and Anna. She knew how to hide a treat. What a beautiful little dog she was. She went to heaven in 2006. I can't remember ever being so heartbroken.
Thank you for looking at my pet site. There have been so many wonderful babies in my life besides the ones I have written about. Five Blue Boys, three Joes, two Suzies, two spooks, Little Bit, Rascal, two Jitter Joes, Hank, Elizabeth turtle, Elvis,Koi Fish, Bud, and best of all a great family of humans too.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Marci's & Gizmo's Quintuplets
on Friday, February 18, 2005
two fine boys and three beautiful little girls
arriving between the hours of 5:25 am and 6:36 am
in Eldorado, Texas
This is Gizmo Crittendon ~ he is a cowboy of sorts, here he is in his truck. Poor little guy lost his right eye while playing with his big brother. He came to see Marci in December of 2004. First visit, he sat in my lap on the sofa, played with Kitty Girl, liked Missy, didn't notice Marci at all. The next two visits, he came to party~
Here's Marci Mallow McWhorter, she is the girl who stole his heart. She knew it was love on the third date.
And here's the family, Jitter Joe stayed home to live with his mama and his aunt Missy, Daisy went to live with the Cravens in White Oak, Tootsie moved out to the Pfluger Ranch, Little Elmo and Ginger moved to Albuquerque with the Paul McWhorter's but they have all moved back to Texas. Each baby was given to a family with a long and loving relasonship with a Shih Tzu before.
Marci decided we needed to keep one of her puppies~Guess Who~ this is Jitter Joe
Jitter Joe McWhorter~ some call him a sissy boy but he just too wonderful for words. He has no faults, he is perfect
Tootsie Pfluger lives on a ranch north of Eldorado. She and Jitter Joe have always been close, they are like twins. They get to play together often. She is a little sweetheart. She lives with Schatzie P and Dennis, they all have a wonderful mama who loves them very much.
Daisy lives in White Oak, Texas with all the Cravens. Daisy was the last born and the big surprise. X-ray showed only four puppies, but then here came Daizy. She comes back to see her family often. She is adored and loved by Madlyn, Natalie and Clay. She has a Boston Terrier brother named Tuffy.
She is a doll.
Here are Little Elmo and Ginger. They went to live in Albuquerque but are back in Texas with their famly living on the river, barking at the varments. Elmo fell out of the baby stroler when he was tiny, it took a long time for him to recover from the scare. He is 'Show Dog' handsome, Ginger is beautiful and terribly sweet. They have a bird named Blue Boy. They were Little Sweet's worst nightmare.
We have had Missy for many years. She was a give away doggie in the paper. Who knew there was a beautiful Shih Tzu under all of the dirty matted hair, flees and ticks. She won me over in a heartbeat when she rolled over on her back for me to pet her rusty little tummy. How lucky for us! For twelve years she visited the nursing home twice a week with me. She is a precious baby girl.She is sitting in a patch of bluebonnets in front of our home. She is my dream girl.
Most wonderful gifts
At some time when the Lord was creating this earth, He must have
noticed there was something missing.
There was a need to fill the emptiness in a mother’s heart once her children were all grown up. If she could only have a special little creature to love and cherish and to nurture, then she could have a baby all her life. And so God created a most treasured gift for the world,
a sweet, loving, and faithful little dog.
It would never go away to first grade, or summer camp, or college. It would be beside her in the car, in the kitchen, on her bed, always right there for her hand to reach out and touch when she needed a baby to love
Thank you Lord
by Rita McWhorter
Redneck Rita's Homemade Cinnamon Rolls~YUMMMM
welcome to the best cooking site on the internet, winner of countless awards, world famous. FABULOUS I am starting you on your road to success by giving you one of my favorites: CINNAMON ROLLS I will guide you through each step, I will show you pictures to inspire you. Here we go~
Ingredients:
One can of Parade Brand Cinnamon Rolls. These can be found in any high class supper market. These were bought at Super S. Be sure to check the expiration date on bottom of the can. Anything older than 2003 should be left alone. It will probably taste ‘off’.
also pecans and raisins can be added.
Choosing the right pan is important. This is one of our favorites, a 1950s baking sheet made of metal.
Getting to the good part, separate the rolls, pull them apart, roll them back up. They will be sicky. Be sure to remove all metal parts of the can and don’t leave that little packet of icing on the baking pan. You will be using it later.
Here you start getting creative. Do you still have old left over pecans* from last Christmas? This is a great way to get rid of them. Chop them and sprinkle on top of rolls. If they are they are from two years ago, use less.
NOTICE! pecan is pronounced ‘pah-kon‘~ one word, NOT ‘pee-can‘. That is something altogether different~
Same with your raisins. Fresh ones are better, always check for 'movement' in raisin box. Most people will pick them off and leave them on their plate anyway, so whatever you have will do.
Bake for 10 to 35 minutes in 100 to 400 degree oven. Timing is critual. Don’t let them burn on bottom. If they do, cut off that part and don’t mention it. Smells YUMMY, sort of like pork roast~
Now for the icing (frosting) Break open the little packet of icing (frosting) and drizzle over the hot cinnamon rolls
Serving Suggestions, from the casual to the elegant, let your creative juices flow. Delight your friends with the best of the best. Reap the rewards of your efforts,
they will remember~Icy cold milk, cinnamon roll with whipped cream, add your own decorative touches
~Or break out the fine stuff, here is beautiful plastic ware, holding your cinnamon roll, hot coffee served in an enemal cup, the weekly paper~ what could beat this treat~
Thank you for visiting my site. Coming soon to this site are many new recipes. Snow Cones, Peanut Butter and Crackers, Chocolate Chips, Ketchup Sandwiches, and the old favorite, Pop Corn and pickles.