half-acre homestead

Awhile back someone askd me to post a few pictures of my many gingham aprons. Here are a few. love the ones with the "Chicken Scratch" worked in them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In pie plate, combine crumbs, thyme, oregano, paprika and salt. Pour egg whites into second pie plate. Dip chicken in egg whites, then into crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place chicken in greased shallow 1 quart baking dish. Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Moist Chocolate Cake

2 C. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
2 C. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
1 C. hot coffee
1 C. milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
Favorite Icing:
1 C. milk
5 T. flour
1/2 C. butter softened
1/2 C. shortening
1 C. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Sift together dry ingredient in a mixing bowl. Add oil, coffee and milk; mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 2 more minutes, batter will be thin. Pour into two greased and floured 9" cake pans or 2 8" cake pans & 6 muffin cups. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Cool cakes 15 minutes before removing from pans. Cool on wire racks. Meanwhile for icing combine the milk and flour in a saucepan, cook until thick. Cover and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk/flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cake.

1/2 pound sliced bacon
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced green peppers
2 cups diced onions
1 can beef broth
2 cans whole tomatoes
2 cans black-eyed peas

In large Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon, drain on paper towel. Add celery, green pepper, and onion to bacon drippings; saut until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess drippings. Add beef broth to Dutch oven; bring to boil. Add tomatoes and black-eyed peas; bring to boil again, then lower heat and simmer 30 minutes. Serves 10.

Baked Potato Soup Recipe
4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 green onions -- chopped and divided
12 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded and divided
8 ounces sour cream

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400°F oven for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 Tbs. green onion, half the bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

I found this online. I have got to try it. Soups are my favorite food.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage Soup

This recipe is by Paul Labat from Houma. Labat took home second-place honors in the Vegetable/Salad/Soup category of the 33rd annual Bayou Gourmet Cook-Off contest in February with his Roasted Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage Soup.

4 large roasted sweet potatoes
1 large onion (white or yellow)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (three medium links) good andouille sausage
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken stock (more may be needed)
1 quart of half-and-half (fat free is fine)

Roast sweet potatoes until soft. Make sure they are lightly rubbed with vegetable oil and pierced with a fork or knife before they are roasted in a 350-degree oven for about 60 or 70 minutes.

Peel and coarsely chop the onion and place in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat.

Add the chopped andouille sausage. Cook for five minutes or so, but do not let the onions darken. Take off the heat.

As the onion cools, peel the sweet potatoes and place in a food processor with half of the chicken stock. Purée until completely smooth. Place in a large bowl.

In the same processor, add the cooked onion and sausage along with the remainder of the stock. Purée until smooth. There may be a few small pieces of sausage and you may be tempted to remove, but it’s not necessary.

Add the puréed onion and sausage back in the pot, and then add the potato purée. Place back on medium heat and slowly stir in the half-and-half.

If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken stock. If it appears too thin, do not add all the half-and-half.

Warm on low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not add salt or pepper until you have tasted.

Tip: Serve as a first course or with a piece of French bread on a cold winter day as the entrée.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Source: houmatoday.com

Strawberry and White Chocolate Spread

4 3/4 cups crushed strawberries
7 cups granulated sugar
3 squares bakers white chocolate, chopped up
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered fruit pectin

Wash, hull and crush strawberries, one layer at a time. Measure 5 cups
and set aside.
Measure sugar and set aside.

In a large deep stainless steel saucepan, stir together prepared fruit,
lemon juice, ½ tsp butter or margarine to reduce foaming, and pectin. Over high heat,
bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Add all of the sugar and chocolate. Stirring
constantly, return mixture to full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard 1
minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam, if necessary.

Quickly ladle hot jam into a hot jar leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Using
Non metallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding
more jam.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Adjust time according to
altitude.

Makes about 8 half pints

Herb Marinade

Here's a way to use the overload of herbs you probably have right now. It's great on chicken, and will coat about 3 large chicken breasts. Marinate for a few hours and then cook on the grill as usual.

Herb Marinade:
2 T. minced parsley
2 t. minced thyme
2 t. fresh rosemary
2 sage leaves
1 t. fresh minced tarragon
1/3 c. sherry vinegar
1 T. olive oil
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Diabetic Meals, 1996

With the loss of DH job and everything being topsy turvey I find the WORD my constant source of help. Please continue to pray for us.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.

You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

Psalm 145:13-16 NASB

__________________

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:10,11 KJV

Sift flour, salt, soda, sugar and baking powder together in separate bowl. Mix egg and milk together. Add to dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. If batter is too thick, add a bit more milk. Hold finger over bottom of a funner, pour in some batter. Remove finger and let batter drop in a spiral motion into pan filled with 1 inch of hot oil (375 degrees F). Fry until golden brown, turning once. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.