TheKitchenCookie

Serena and I needed something fun to do together today after our brave hunters left for the woods. One of the boys asked me if I don't wish I could come. It was a bit chilly and I think I would get bored so I had to say no. I don't think he really understood his Mother today. ☺  I remembered that a friend had shared a simple ice cream recipe with me several years ago that did not require any fancy equipment and very few ingredients. Serena really likes ice cream so I thought it would be fun to make a bit just for the two of us. The fun part is that you place it in Ziploc bags and knead it by hand.   What you need: 1 gallon sized Ziploc 1 quart sized Ziploc , freezer quality for both 1 cup half and half ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup strawberry jam Place ingredients into quart sized bag. Press out air and zip it shut. Set aside.   ¾ cup salt 4 cups coarsely crushed ice  Place crushed ice and salt into the ...

For years I used the same pizza crust recipe , and while it is a good recipe, I became dissatisfied with it because it wasn't chewy. I wasn't sure how to fix this until one day I was watching a movie about two chefs. The one was an Italian chef and he made some pizza crust that used eggs as an ingredient. The lights went on in my head and I decided to try it. I found one with eggs and made some adjustments to the rest of the ingredients, adding some and substituting others, and it worked and I was pleased with the results of a chewier crust that seemed a bit more like what a pizza crust was meant to be. I've been using this one now for a while and really like it. I like it very thin- - and I always make extra ones and pre-bake and freeze them for a quick, easy meal when I'm feeling lazy or rushed. Most times I also have prepped sausage and homemade bacon bits  in the freezer along with some shredded pizza cheese, too. And most of the time I have deli ham and...

    Perfect for a cool Autumn morning!       I don't pretend to know a lot about fancy coffee drinks because for one I almost never drink coffee. But with the cool weather here, hopefully to stay, and the fact that I had a calm, quiet morning that  didn't require rushing around, and because I had some pumpkin puree in the fridge, I decided it's time to concoct one. I love the way my taste buds did somersaults when I thought about the name alone. Yummy!   White Chocolate. Pumpkin. Spice. Latte. Vanilla. Whipped Cream. ahhh, you feel that?!   What you need: 1 cup milk ¾ cup strong brewed coffee 4 Tablespoons white chocolate chips 2 large Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling) ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Heavy Whipping Cream Vanilla extract   Brew coffee. Whip the cream and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a small saucepan heat the milk, coffee, and pumpkin puree over medi...

  mm mm, so yummy!     These things will not win a spot in the "Health Food Hall Of Fame" but they are super yummy and... we had help to eat them. ha ha ☺ The church youth group was here and were more than happy to help us out. They're also quick and easy to whip up, which is a plus these days.   1 Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge  Cake Mix 1 small box instant chocolate pudding 3 eggs ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1¼ cups water 23 small Reese's Peanut Butter Cups   In a mixer bowl combine cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, butter, and water. Beat for 30 seconds, scrape sides, beat again on medium for a minute or until well mixed and smooth. Batter will be thick. Line a cupcake pan with papers. Scoop batter into papers using a size 20 cookie scoop. Press an unwrapped peanut butter cup down into the center of each.     Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done. Cool completely. Ice with a swirl of Peanut...

On our recent visit to Ohio we were invited to the home of Tim and Marie Miller for a super delicious Sunday Dinner. Our boys are not usually excited about going to the homes of people they don't really know for meals, but the rumors were that Marie is fantastic with food. I wasn't about to pass up that kind of oppertunity! And I'm here to tell you all, the rumors are true! The food was wonderful! Thanks Marie!! This was one of the scrumptious desserts on the menu and my Son #1 informed me that I must make it soon! She was gracious enough to share the ingredient list with me so here it is. Simple, easy, and totally delicious! And I'm pleased to say the boys enjoyed their time there and discovered they had something in common with the host. They're all hunters, so the conversation was interesting according to them. ☺ Thanks Tim for swapping stories! 1 angel food cake, cubed 1 can eagle brand milk 1 box instant white chocolate pudding 1 cup water 16 oz. ...

Crisp and Delicious!   If you love a good Kosher Dill Pickle look no further. THIS is the one! I found this delicious recipe here.  Thank you Mary for sharing it!   Don't you just love a crisp dill pickle with plenty of snap?! I do!! Over the years I've tried different recipes for these but they never satisfied me. They were always a bit soggy and the taste wasn't right either. Thanks to Pinterest I found these. I decided to try a small batch this year.  I had to wait 8 weeks to taste them. Now I wish I would have done a lot more, but there's always next year! ☺   8 lbs. 3-4 inch long cucumbers 4 cups white vinegar 12 cups water 2/3 cup pickling salt 16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved 8 sprigs of fresh dill weed 8 heads of fresh dill weed   Wash cucumbers, place in a clean sink or large dish pan with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2-3 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize 8 (1 quart) wi...

Tender & Juicy     Spatchcocked. Not necessarily in my everyday vocabulary but don't let that big word scare you. It's just a fancy term that means you take a roasting chicken and trim away the backbone and then the breast bone so that it is butterflied and you have more roasting surface. You will need a hefty, sharp kitchen shears for this.  When I went to season it I reached for my favorite seasoning, Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb, only it wasn't there. I was out of it. So I decided to be very basic with it and used the ingredients that follow.   1 stick butter, melted 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour 1 Tablespoon dried Parsley flakes 2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt 7 lb. roasting chicken, spatchcocked, trimmed, and patted dry   Spray a large roasting pan or glass baking dish with non stick spray. Melt butter and stir in the parsley, flour, and seasoned salt. Place chicken in the pan and pour butter mixture over it making sure ...

  Roasted Potatoes. Definitely nothing fancy and everyone makes them at some point I suppose. They're a simple way to get some good flavor onto your plate. I thought it would be fun to waffle them instead of cut them into wedges. They roasted a bit quicker because of being thinner and the flavor had a better surface to stick to. And they were kinda pretty, if that's possible for a potato.☺      Cut the desired amount and place them into a large bowl. Drizzle with just enough Olive Oil to make sure that each piece gets a bit of it on. Mix well. I used my favorite seasoning (Garlic and Herb) from McCormick's Perfect Pinch line and some regular table salt to season them.   Spread them in a single layer (if possible) on a large, shallow baking sheet. (Not on parchment paper.) You want to spread them directly onto the baking sheet so they roast from both directions. Bake at 425° and stir with a metal spatula every 10-15 minutes unt...

  I first tasted hot pepper jam at a wedding about 10 years ago when it was served as an appetizer with cream cheese and crackers. Yum!! I never got around to making it myself until this year. I planted a Habenero plant in the garden and the yield from one plant is astounding! So I did some digging and found what I was looking for on Cooks.com.   I like the texture of ground peppers better than the ones that come through a food processor so I used my trusty hand crank grinder. Do remember to wear gloves because these peppers as you well know are HOT and leave your hands burning for a long time afterwards if you don't. In fact I had trouble breathing as I was grinding the hot ones. (cough, cough)   12 bell peppers, (I used green, yellow, and red ones) 20 Habenaros 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt 1 cup apple cider vinegar 3 cups sugar   Turn oven to 200°. Place clean ½ pint jars (about 10 of them) on a baking tray along with the flat lids. Heat...

sunrise on morning 1   We enjoyed a lovely weekend in Ohio with my family, celebrated a few birthdays, the kids enjoyed some time with cousins, chatted with sisters and my Mom, we caught up with married nieces and nephews and their cute little babies. ☺☺☺ My husband also got to run a rescue call with my brother-in-law (and the local fire company) using his expertise to save a man from drowning in a creek after he flipped his vehicle into it. He's a good guy to have around in a crisis because he is not easily rattled and stays calm.☺ Great job, Lin! Home Sweet Home sunrise on morning 3                                                             ...