GranAbbey's Salmon Log

For my final recipe of the year, I am digging into the very special family recipes!

I chose a light and fluffy addition to any party. This Salmon Log recipe is another of GranAbbey's "special" treats!

It is also a great option for making ahead of time and best served with water or butter crackers!

GranAbbey's Salmon Log

By: GranAbbey, Laura's Grandmother

Number 52

Ingredients

16 oz can of Salmon, drained

8 oz block of cream cheese

1 tablespoon of grated onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon horseradish

1 or 2 tablespoons lemon juice

dash of white pepper

Chopped Parsley (dried or fresh)

Chopped Pecans

Directions

Mix salmon and cream cheese together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.

Shape into a log - wrap in wax paper - then wrap in plastic wrap or foil.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Then roll the log in chopped parsley and pecans.

Decorate with soft lettuce, lemon slices and parsley springs.

Serve with crackers.

Happy New Year's Eve!

Laura

GranAbbey's Fudge

The last two recipes of the year are in honor of my Grandmother. Everyone in the family called her "GranAbbey"! GranAbbey, born Aba Laura Mitchell, was born August 13, 1919 in the small town of Hubbard, Texas. (Yes, I was named for her...)

The story of the recipe is a funny one. GranAbbey was a FANTASTIC cook! She could make anything and it was all good! Every year GranAbbey made an assortment of Christmas desserts. During college, she would send me a big tin of candy to share with all of my girlfriends in the dorm and at my sorority house. 

One of my favorite Christmas treats she made was her chocolate fudge. I always wanted the recipe. After she passed, we looked through all of her recipes to no avail.

Years later I was at a Christmas party of a dear friends of our's, Valerie and Thomas, and low and behold, she had Gran Abbey's Fudge on the dessert table. A took a bite and, well, it was pretty close! I couldn't beleive my eyes, or my mouth.

I ran to Valerie in the kitchen, begging and pleading for the recipe while sharing my story. I thought the smile on her face was a little smirked. She pulled out a jar of Jet Puff Marshmallow and showed me the label! It was there all the time. The secret to my Grandmother's Famous Christmas Fudge was on a jar!

I quickly called my father to share the news of the secret. We are all convinced that GranAbbey added a secret ingredient that none of us know to make it her own. She was always really good at that! But, as far as the fudge, this is close as I can come to my GranAbbey's Fudge!

GranAbbey's Fudge

aka Jet-Puff Marshmallow Fudge

Number 51

Ingredients

3 cups of sugar

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 1/12 package of semi-sweet chocolate

1 jar of Jet-Puff Marshmallow

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 small can of evaporated milk

Directions

Place the sugar, butter, milk, in sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat. Stir constantly.

Boil for four minutes or use a candy thermometer to bring to 234*F.

Remove from heat. Add chocolate, marshmallow and vanilla. Stir.

Pour into pan to let set.

Cook's Notes: You can substitute the chocolate for milk chocolate or dark chocolate to change to flavor. I have also tried making this by substituting half of the recipe with peanut butter and making a chocolate and peanut butter layered fudge. It was delicious.

If you have any suggestions for the "secret ingredient", post them here. Maybe we can figure it out!

Happy New Year!

Laura

Sausage Balls

A spicy and savory appetizer treat that is great to make for children and adults alike!

Sausage Balls

By: Lucia, friend of Laura's family

Number 50

Ingredients

Package of Owen's country sausage

1 cups grated cheese

2 1/4 Bisquick

Directions

Mix ingredients.

Roll into small appetizer balls

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 425.

Enjoy!

Laura

"The Kids Table!"

I have a feeling that I may want to sit with them!

Mer' Christmas Eve!

Laura

Cranberry Apple Waldorf Salad

A family tradition and favorite growing up!

This Cranberry Apple Waldorf Salad has been served on my mother's dinning room table at every special event. The flavors are wonderful and the colors are brilliant!

Cranberry Apple Waldorf Salad

By: Rose Marie, Laura's Mother

Number 49

Ingredients

3 envelops Knox unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

3 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

1 cup chopped apple, with peel

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large bowl, mix gelatin and sugar. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved completely. Add cranberry juice, pour into 8 or 9 inch square pan and chill until mixture is semi-chilled. Stir in apple celery and walnuts. Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Laura

Pumpkin Squares - A Holiday Treat

For a flavorful and fun Holiday treat, try these delicious Pumpkin Squares. Quick and easy to take to a party or for a quick extra Christmas Dinner dessert!

Pumpkin Squares

By: Ann, Laura's friend

Number 48

Ingredients for Crust
Box of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick of unsalted melted butter (set aside 1 oz to butter pan)

Directions for Crust
Mix ingredients and pat on the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients for Filling
1 can of pumpkin
1 block of cream cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 to 2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions for Filling
Mix pumpkin and cream cheese. Add egg, vanilla and butter. Mix. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. Mix

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Happy Desserting!
Laura

A Deliciously Sweet Christmas Placecard Holder

During a quick trip to Target yesterday, an idea hit me for a deliciously sweet Christmas Place card Holder.

Everyone loves lollipops, kids and adults, alike!

Anyone with kids knows that you always hit the $1 aisle on your way in to target. Low and behold, Target had the most beautiful handmade Christmas Lollipops on the $1 aisle. Two color tones were available. The first, red and green. The second, red and pink. 

Ideas started swirling...

What could I do with a little ribbon, some string and a few place card holders?

 

This purchase and idea ensued the first phase of my Christmas table.

I have 4 more days... what else can I think of to do to make this Christmas table stand out?

Merry Christmas!

Laura

Cornbread Corn Casserole

I am well on my way to meeting my 2010 New Year's Resolution. While I don't know if this blog has spurred any one's interest in making a new dish or trying something new, it certainly has kept me on my toes and pushes me to create new dishes for my family instead of the same old tired dinners every night.

I came across a recipe from a few years ago and thought that it would go well with my Number 15  - the Taco Soup. It is a delicious recipe for Cornbread Corn Casserole. In fact, it would be a nice addition to a Christmas Ham, too! These are ingredients you can easily keep around the house for a quick addition to any weekday dinner.

Cornbread Corn Casserole

By: Sara, Laura's Friend

Number 47

Ingredients

1 can of whole kernel corn, drained

1 can of creamed corn

2 eggs, beaten

1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup of sour cream

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

shredded cheese (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Sprinkle cheese on top, if desired.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until fully cooked in center.

Enjoy!

Happy Days!

Laura

Three Cheese Mac 'n Cheese

In honor of the twins, I am making Mac 'n Cheese for a Christmas Dinner side dish. A friend of mine made Martha's three cheese mac and cheese for a Potluck Dinner I attended. I think the twins will love it. As well as the adults!

Three Cheese Mac n Cheese

By: Martha Stewart

Number 46

Serves 8

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound medium pasta shells

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

4 cups whole milk

4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)

4 ounces Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)

4 ounces Muenster cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

6 slices white sandwich bread

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Butter a shallow 4-quart baking dish (oval or 9-by-13-inch rectangle); set aside.

2.Generously salt boiling water; add pasta. Cook, according to package instructions, until 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain pasta, and return to pot.

3.While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a small bowl; set aside for topping. Add flour and mustard powder to remaining butter in saucepan. Cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let flour darken). Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

4.Remove sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine; transfer to prepared baking dish.

5.Place bread in food processor; pulse until very coarse crumbs form (you should have about 3 cups). Add reserved melted butter, and pulse just to moisten. Scatter crumbs over pasta in baking dish. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)

6.Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. (If refrigerated, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.) Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note: In reading the reviews, I have found that you can substitute cheeses of your choice or adjust the amount of cheese to fit your needs. Additionally, you can substitute nutmeg for the mustard powder. As a Christmas dish, the nutmeg may be a nice option!

Happy Cheesing!

Laura

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Macaroni and Three Cheeses - Martha Stewart Recipes 

Christmas Salad

In preparing for our Christmas Day lunch, I have been "tossing" (no pun intended) around a few ideas. I think that I have come up with a salad that all will enjoy.

Laura's Christmas Salad

By: Laura Fowell

Number 45

Ingredients

Candied Almonds

Toasted Pecans

Dried Cranberries

Mixed Greens

Dressing (Elizabeth's Dressing)

Directions

Candied Almonds

Place sliced almonds in a saute pan with a small amount of butter and sugar. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly. Allow to dried on parchment paper and break into small pieces.

Toasted Pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Place pecans on a cookie sheet.

Brush melted butter evenly across pecans. Place in oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Toss twice.

Dressing  

I am borrowing an idea from my friend's cooking blog.

I have changed the dressing recipe to fit my salad needs. Here is the original link.

1 cup veg. oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 t salt

dash black pepper

Combine and chill.

Salad

Rinse and pat dry leaves. Add toasted pecans, candied almonds and dried cranberries.

Add dressing immediately before serving.

Enjoy!

Happy Christmas!

Laura

 

Christmas Punch

I love punch!

This past week, I attended a Christmas Sweet Swap at the beautiful home of my friend, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth served soup and salad (a Julia Child soup, I might add!) and we provided the sweets for the swap! As an extra added bonus, Elizabeth served a wonderful Christmas punch. I truly would love to serve this on Christmas day, so I am currently figuring a way to have tow punch bowls, one for the egg nog and one for this punch!

You can see Elizabeth's original post here.

Janeen’s Cranberry Christmas Punch

Laura's Number 44

by Janeen, Elizabeth’s friend

What’s a party without punch? My Phi Mu sister Janeen served this yummy Christmas punch at an ornament exchange I attended at her home. The recipe was a keeper! You can mix most of the ingredients ahead of time and add the ginger ale just before serving.

Mix:

2 quarts Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled

1 60z can frozen orange juice concentrate thawed (half size can)

1 6oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 tsp. almond extract or 1/4 cup amaretto

Add before serving:

1 liter ginger ale, chilled

handful of fresh cranberries

slices of a lemon and an orange

Happy toasting!

Laura

"It's the Holidays" Egg Nog

It would not be the holidays without a little Christmas Vacation and Egg Nog!

So, bring on the red and green and a little EGG NOG!

This recipe has been around in my family forever. It calls for a lot of bowls to make it but it is well worth the clean up! The recipe is all tattered and has egg yolk, cream and bourbon stains on it. It is tried and true and truly delicious. It will make it's presence on December 25, 2010 in a beautiful family Fostoria bowl and will be enjoyed by all!

Egg Nog

Number 43

By: Laura Fowell
Yields 2 pitchers

Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 pint heavy cream
4 pints milk
1/2 pint Bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 pint of Brandy
pinch of nutmeg

Directions
In one bowl, beat egg yolk and 1.2 cup of sugar
In another bowl, beat egg white and 1.4 cup of sugar
In a third bowl, beat cream

Add cream to yolk. Fold in egg whites and mix milk, bourbon, vanilla, pinch of nutmeg and brandy.

Chill.

Happy Chilling!
Laura

Chicken and Dumplings

Last week I made this for my family and they "gobbled" it up before I could even take a picture! This easy chicken and dumplings was shared with me by a friend a few years ago. It is tasty and a great "week day" fix!

Chicken and Dumplings

Number 42

By: Laura Fowell via friend Kristin

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup Milk

1 Cup Frozen Green Peas and Carrots

1 Cup cubed cooked chicken

1 can condensed creamy chicken soup

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup original Bisquick Mix

1/3 cup milk

Paprika

Directions

Heat 1 1/2 cups milk, peas, carrots, chicken and soup to boiling in a 3 quart saucepan, stir frequently.

In a separate bowl, stir Bisquick and remaining milk until soft dough forms. Drop dough in spoonfuls (approx 8) on too the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with paprika.

Cook uncovered over low heat for 10  minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer. 

*Cook's Note: I prefer to boil my own chicken, but in a pinch you could use precooked chicken.

For those watching their waist lines, choose the reduced sodium/fat soup.

Happy Dumplings!

Laura

Pumpkin Cheesecake

The smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves at the holidays warms my heart and fills my tummy (a little too often, I might add!) with delicious treats. In preparing for the holidays, I often sift through old family recipes and recipes that I have collected over the years. I came upon this recipe and made it last week. Unfortunately, I do not know where I got it so I am not able to give thanks to the person that created it! So, here before all of the Internet, I give credit to you, the creator of this wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Number 41
By: Laura Fowell via Unknown

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
2 3/4 cups sugar
salt
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups whipped cream (See Whipped Cream)

Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Brush a 10-inch spring form pan with some of the melted butter. Stir remaining butter with crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and salt.

Press crumb mixture into bottom of spring form pan and up sides, pack tightly and evenly.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool, then wrap outside of spring form pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream, add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and spices.

Pour into cooled crust.

Gently place roasting pan in oven and pour boiling water into roasting pan until it comes about halfway up side of spring form pan. Bake until outside of cheesecake sets but center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off oven and open door briefly to let out some heat. Leave cheesecake in oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from roasting pan and cool on a rack.

Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

To finish, place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice

Happy Eating!
Laura

The Humita Side Dish

From the corners of the pictures of the last post, you may have seen a vibrant red peeking it's head along side the muted green of the humitas. It is the traditional Fowell Chilean Salad.

Here it is...

Let's take a closer look...

Fowell Chilean Salad

Number 40
By: Laura & Jason Fowell

Ingredients

Tomato
Onion
Salt
Directions
Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange on plate.
Dice or thinly slice onions.
 Plunge the onions in salted hot water.
Remove onions from water and squeeze onions dry.
Sprinkle onions on tomatoes.
Lightly sprinkle oil and salt.

Enjoy!

Happy Side-dishing!
Laura

Humitas - A Chilean Tradition

Humitas are a truly traditional Chilean dish.

A quick search on Wikipedia produced the following regarding the origin of the Humita.

Place of origin: Andean states

Dish details: Serving temperature Hot

Main ingredient(s) Maize

Maize husk

Variations Multiple

Humita is a Native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, and a traditional food in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. It consists of masa harina and corn, slowly cooked in oil. Humita is a version of the Mexican tamal.

Humitas are common in various countries in Latin America, although their origin is unclear. The noun "humita" derives from Quechua a regional dialect found in Ecuador of the Quechua people living in Ecuador, the south of Colombia, the Peruvian highlands, and the northwestern part of Argentina. In Venezuela, they are known as hallaquitas, in Chile and Peru as humitas, in Bolivia as humintas, and in Mexico and Central America as tamales.

In Argentina, humitas are prepared with fresh corn, sautéed onions and some spices, depending on the region or taste. They obtained dough is are wrapped in corn husks and boiled. It is also common to add some cheese dices into the dough, typically goat cheese.

Humitas in Chile are prepared with fresh corn, onion, basil, and butter or lard. They are wrapped in corn husks and baked or boiled. They may contain cheese. The humitas are kept together during cooking with thread or twine.

They can be made savory, sweet, or sweet and sour, with added sugar, chile pepper, salt, tomato, olive and paprika etc.

As in Chile, in Ecuador humitas are prepared with fresh ground corn with onions, eggs and spices that vary on the region, and on each family's tradition. The dough is wrapped in a corn husk, but are steamed rather than baked or boiled. Ecuadorian humitas may also contain cheese. This dish is so traditional in Ecuador that they have developed special pots just for cooking humitas. Ecuadorian humitas can be salty or sweet.

In Peru, mainly in the central Andes region, humitas are prepared with fresh corn combined with lard and salt and queso fresco for a savory dish or with fresh corn with lard, sugar, cinnamon and raisins for a sweet dish. Savory humitas may also be prepared with anise.

Peruvian humitas are prepared with corn wrapped in corn husks and can be cooked in boiling water, placed in a pachamanca oven, or steamed. They can be wrapped in several ways.

During our travels to Chile, we have often enjoyed Humitas and I decided that our children needed to enjoy Humitas. I made a call to my mother and mother in law, invited the family over and we made Humitas!

Here is our Humita journey!

Humitas

Number 39

By Laura Fowell, Maru Fowell, Rose Marie Davidson

Yields: 15-20 small Humitas or 8 large Humitas

Ingredients

8 corn on the cobs with husks, save husks

Salt

Basil

Milk, only if necessary

Butter or Lard

Directions

1. Remove the husks: Remove husks from

 corn. Careful not to tear the husks as they will be the base for the pocket for the humita. The larger the corn the better because the husks will be larger and allow for more of the corn mixture to be placed in the husks. The region from which my mother in law comes from in Chile, 6, makes very large humitas. Due to the season in South Central Texas, we had smaller corn husks, leading to smaller humitas. Save any torn husks to use to tie the humita together.

2. Cut the Corn: Wash the corn and with a very sharp or serrated knife, cut the corn from the cob. Set aside the cobs, they will be used for steaming.

3. Prepare the steaming pot: Using a large pot, fill the pot with enough water that you have at least an inch of water in the bottom of the pot. You may need to add water to the pot in the steam process to ensure that the water does not evaporate. Place the cobs in the pot so that they form a "shelf" for the humitas to lay on, once prepared. The water should not overlap the tops of the cobs.

4. The corn mixture: In a food processor, mix the corn, basil and salt (to taste). If the mixture is to dry, you may add a very small amount of milk. You do not want the mixture runny. 

5. Cooking the corn mixture: Melt a small amount of butter or lard in a large pot, once the butter or lard is melted, add the corn mixture and cook for 5 minutes. *Cook's Side Note: Some recipes suggest pouring the lard or butter into the corn mixture and then pouring the corn mixture back into the pot to cook.

6. Steam the husks: Place the husks on the "cob shelf" for 1 to 2 minutes to soften the husk.

7. Make the "package": Place two husks in opposing directions, fill the husk. Fold the husk to make a package and tie with torn pieces of husk.

8. Steam: Steam the humitas on the "cob shelf" for 20 minutes.

9. Humitas are served with a typical Chilean salad - in the next few days I will post our family Chilean salad recipe. The most important thing to remember about an Humita from Chile is that it must be enjoyed with your favorite glass of Chilean Wine!

My present to you!

Happy Humitas!

Laura

Carmel Apple Cheesecake

The holidays are here and I am behind.

My promise to myself was 52 recipes for 52 weeks and I have about three weeks left for 16 recipes! The good thing is that I have that many recipes that I have tried NEW this year. It is just finding the time to post them. SO, you may be seeing a few posts a day to get it done! A promise to myself is a promise!

This lovely recipe was shared by my dear friend and former college roommate, Keli. She "borrowed" the recipe from Paula Deen! It is as pretty as it is delicious!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Number 38
By: Laura Fowell
Serves 8




Ingredients
One 21-ounce can apple pie filling
One 9-inch graham cracker crust
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping
12 pecan halves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Reserve 3/4 cup of the apple filling, set aside. Spoon the remaining filling into the crust. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Pour this over the pie filling. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set. Cool to room temperature. Mix the reserved pie filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan and heat for about a minute, or until spreadable. Spoon the apple-caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate the edge of the cake with pecan halves and sprinkle the center with chopped pecans. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

*Cook's Note: I wish that I could claim this one for myself. It is DELICIOUS and pretty. But, a friend gave me the recipe and she "borrowed" it from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons, Too!
From our experience, the hardest part is to wait for the cheesecake to come to room temperature. Be patient and it will turn our quite nicely!

Happy Cooking!
Laura