Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

My son, Jimmy, had to do a presentation in Geography on a country. He chose Ireland, of course. He has Irish on his dad's side. He had to bring in a dish from that country for extra credit. So, he asked me to make Irish Soda Bread (at least he changed his mind from corned beef hash).

I found an easy recipe in Gooseberry Patch Farmhouse Kitchen book. It came out delicious! The container came out empty!

Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. raisins

2 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

1 T butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl; stir in raisins and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk and melted butter, blending well. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until well mixed. Pour batter into two greased 9x5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Turn loaves out of pans and let cool on a wire rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

This recipe is from the October/November 2010 Taste of Home Magazine. I kept looking at this recipe wanting to make it. Tonight, we decided to have breakfast for dinner. It made a lot. I should've halved the recipe. It was quite good. I loved the pecan topping.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 T packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Directions:

In a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from heat, stir in pecans.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle. turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

Serve with brown butter.

Yield: 14 pancakes.

Apple Orchard Snack Cake

This is another YUMMY recipe from Southern Plate. I've been wanting to make something with apple for a couple weeks now. I miss being in Ohio and going to the apple orchard to get your own apples and the fresh apple cider and maple candy. Sigh......

But...anyway, I decided to make this recipe. It was so great. Very easy. I used 2 apples and it was enough. Both apples were on the large side.

Apple Orchard Snack Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

3 eggs

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2-3 apples, peeled, cored and diced

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 8 inch pan. Blend the granulated sugar, margarine, and eggs in a large bowl with a spoon. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, apples, and walnuts until blended.

Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until firm to the touch. Sprinkle liberally with confectioners' sugar. Cool and cut into squares.

Steak and Milk Gravy

I just recently purchased the Southern Plate cookbook. LOVE IT! I want to make practically every recipe! If you have not visited Christy's site, you must. Lots of down home cooking.

This was Wednesday night's dinner. My son had band practice until 6:00 to get ready for competition of marching bands on Saturday. I left work and went straight home. I had a cake made (next post that I am doing), homemade mashed potatoes made and prep dishes done before going to pick him up. Nice.

I had not made cubed steaks in ages. These were so delicious and tender. I rarely make homemade gravy. This came out great! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

Steak and Milk Gravy

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - divided

1/4 tsp salt, plus more for the gravy

1/4 tsp pepper, plus more for the gravy

4 pieces cubed steak, approximately 4 oz each

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Place enough oil in a pan to just coat the bottom, and place over medium heat while you prepare your steak.

In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt and pepper. Stir that up. Dip each piece of steak into flour on both sides to get it coated well. Place each piece of steak in the pan and cook until good and browned on both sides. Remove the steak to a plate while you make your gravy.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup flour into the skillet with the meat drippings. Add a little more salt and pepper and stir over medium heat until the flour is lightly browned (just a few minutes). Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wire whisk to break up any lumps, until thickened and there are no lumps. This will happen rather quickly. Add a little more milk if you prefer thinner gravy. Return the steak to the pan and turn to coat with gravy on both sides.

Serve the steak and gravy together in a bowl or serve the gravy on the side to go with mashed potatoes.

Salisbury Steak

This is another recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes 2010 magazine. I actually made this last week. I think it turned out good, not my favorite, but I would make it again. More gravy next time. My son ate it up and wants me to make again.

I left out the mushrooms since we both can't stand them. I didn't make the gravy because I wasn't sure if Jimmy would like the gravy with the onions. So, I cheated and just used Heinz Beef Gravy. I thought it was good that way.

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms

2 T all-purpose flour

1 (10-oz) can condensed French onion soup

1 (10 1/2 oz) can beef consomme

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper and salt. From mixture into 6 (4 inch) patties. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add patties to skillet, in batches if necessary, and cook 7-8 minutes per side or until browned. Remove patties from pan; set aside. Reserve 2 T drippings in skillet.

Add mushrooms to skillet, and saute for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. Add flour and onion soup, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. stir in consomee.

Return patties to skillet; bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until patties are cooked through and sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.

Easy Chicken 'n' Dumplings

This is another recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes 2010 magazine. This was another yummy recipe. I was going to make something else for dinner tonight, but Jimmy asked to make this instead. I loved the dumplings! I will definitely make this again. And, use the dumpling recipe, too.

Easy Chicken 'n' Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tsp chicken granules

1 tsp House Seasoning

1 quart water

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

Dumplings (recipe follows)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, combine chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, House Seasoning, and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is done.

Stir in cream soup until blended, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer; drop in Rolled Dumplings, one at a time, into simmering soup, and cook 6-8 minutes or until dumplings are tender and float to the top. (Do not stir mixture while dumplings cook).

Remove and discard bay leaves.

Rolled Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup ice water

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Sprinkle a small amount of ice water in center of flour.

Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to sides of bowl, adding small amounts of water as you move to sides of bowl.

Knead dough, and form into a ball. On a floured board, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Dough will be firm. Cut dumplings into 2x1 inch strips.

Cookies 'N Creme Brownies

This recipe was in the Betty Crocker June/July 2010 magazine - "It's Summer." I wanted to make this the minute I saw the recipe. I'm so glad I did----awesome! I made this Wed and glazed them Thursday. They are the best! Did not last long!

Cookies 'N Creme Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb. 2.3 oz) Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup coarsely chopped creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (7-8)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2-4 tsp milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray bottom only of a 13x9 inch pan. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Spread cookies over batter.

2. Bake 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

3. In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over brownies. Store at room temperature.

Cajun Seared Steak

I found this recipe on a site that I can no longer remember. It helps you plan meals and make a grocery list. I didn't venture any further with it since there is a fee involved. Anyway, I found this recipe and thought it sounded great. I was hungry for steak, too. This was delicious. However....I had a severe smoking issue. The recipe says to heat skillet to high. I did that but when I put the steaks in, you would have thought my house was on fire. I had my son running around opening windows. But, besides that..it was delicious!

Cajun Seared Steak

Ingredients:

2 (8oz) New York strip steaks or filet mignons

1 cup unsalted butter

1 T black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Butterfly the steaks. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Melt the butter and pour in shallow bowl.

Heat skillet on high for 10 minutes. Dip steaks in melted butter; sprinkle with the seasonings on both sides and sear 2-3 minutes on each side.

Place on warmed plates. Add rest of melted butter to skillet. Stir for 2 minutes and pour over steaks.

Dalmatian Cupcakes

This recipe is from Betty Crocker's April/May 2010 book, Cupcakes, cakes & more. I had all the ingredients. It is soooo good. I actually made a week ago but never got around to posting.

I had to use a Betty Crocker picture off the computer. My finished cupcake came out blurry.

Ingredients:

2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, or regular size

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil's food cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy or whipped vanilla frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 35o degrees. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular size muffin cups.

2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and 1 egg with electric mixture on medium speed until smooth. Stir in one cup of the chips Set aside.

3. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter among muffin cups (1/4 cup in each). Top each with 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese mixture.

4. Bake 17-22 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pans, cool completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Frost with frosting. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Store loosely covered in fridge.