GRANDDAD JACK'S PEACH COBBLER

REDNECK RITA'S RECIPE FOR

'GRANDDAD JACK'S PEACH COBBLER'

Mix up some pie dough, no need to measure stuff, just stir in some flour, lard & water

Fill a loaf pan to the top with fresh peaches right off the tree

Pour in at least 3 times too much sugar

Lay dough on top

Dot with several sticks of butter

Bake in 500 degree oven until it boils over and burns

(it's ready when the smoke alarm goes off)

Scoup out the center and eat that.

The one who takes the last serving has to scrub the pan

Sorry I don't have a picture for this recipe, I just couldn't bare to go mess up the oven. Our two sons loved Granddad Jack's peach cobbler. Poor kids~

BREAKFAST TACOS

REDNECK RITA'S CRISP 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.

Get ready for the raves, this breakfast will get you points, BIG TIME~

CRISP BREAKFAST TACOS

4 eggs scrambled

8 corn tortillas hard fried

1 cup grated longhorn cheddar cheese

small onion choped

sour cream dressing

cilantro

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans

two avocados mashed with a fork

lettuce, chopped

3 chopped Roma tomatoes

Jalapeno peppers (leave whole)

To assymble,lay four hard tortillas on plates

Spoon on about 2 heaping tablespoons mashed beans

Lay another tortilla on

Add 2 heaping tablespoons scrambled eggs

Then the shreded cheese

Next comes the lettuce onion & tomato

Avocado, spoon on a generious mound

Top with a big dollop of sour cream dressing

Sprig of Cilantro on top (Mexican Parsley)

Dress the plate up with a jalapeno pepper, eat at your own risk

This is easy to put together, just a little prep work beforehand makes it easy and fast.

A real TEX-MEX kind of dish. It looks beautiful and eats like a dream.

APPLE BROWNIES

REDNECK RITA TAKES A BREAK
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

2/3 c butter (soft but not melted)

1 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/3 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 cored and chopped tart apple (Granny Smith) leave the peel on

1 c coursly chopped pecans (toast in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stir several times, watch closely not to burn.
1/2 c white rasins

1 1/2 c flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees, spray Pam in a 7X11 baking pan, or about that size.

Mix butter and sugars, add vanilla and eggs and beat with spoon. Mix flour, salt, baking powder together and add to first mixture. Stir until mixed, then add apples, rasins and pecans.

Pour batter in pan, bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until done in the center. Check center with tooth pick, it should come out clean.

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

You see those Peanut Patties in the stores, three for a dollar. Hard to resist, they are pink, bulging with penanuts, they just grab you. Now you can make your own, only these will be better than any you have ever tasted. They are easy but you have to be quick moving when you are spooning them out on the the wax paper. They can get stiff in the pan. If this happens, you just add a few drops of hot water and stir, and they will soften up enough to finish.
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

REDNECK RITA'S FANCY MEAT LOAF DINNER

This is a great dinner, good enough for a company feast. Easy to make. You can cook up the red beans in the crock pot the night before, and you're ready to go. Here we have mashed potatoes, pickled beets, red beans, tomato wedges with parsley and a slice of onion. This meat loaf may be the best you ever had~ any left-overs makes wonderful meat loaf sandwiches.

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

REDNECK RITA'S FAMOUS CHERRY PIE

This is a prize winning recipe for one of the best pies ever made. The pie crust recipe is from www.myhomecooking.net. You need to start with canned sour pie cherries, they are in the canned fruit section at the super market. (Don't use canned Cherry Pie Filling, that is for the ho- hum cooks). We go for the real stuff. You know~ old timey cooks who crave praise and attention. Here we go!


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.

Peanut Brittle

2 c. sugar
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)

(Right now is a good time to prepare the pan you will pour

the candy out on later, butter a big cookie sheet and set aside.)

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,

it will get there FAST. Just as it reaches almost 300 degrees, GET

IT OFF THE BURNER RIGHT THEN!
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

the candy will pop loose, then break into large chunks.

Be generous, no itty bitty pieces, not from this kitchen!

Roast Beef Hash

Redneck Rita's
Famous 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.

HASH

5 lbs. roast beef
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.

After it begins to boil, turn heat to med. low, cover with lid
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.

Apricot-Orange Loaf Cake

OK~ AT LAST

REDNECK RITA GETS FANCY

This recipe makes three loaves so you can share with your friends. It also freezes well.

Get ready for a great treat, this is one of the best cakes I have ever eaten, try it and you will remember it forever.

Yee Ha~

APRICOT-ORANGE CAKE
1 - 11 oz. box dried apricots
2 cups sugar
4 T butter (always use real butter)

2 eggs
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.

Cut wax paper to cover bottom of 3 loaf pans and then spray with Pam.
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.