Happy Memorial Day! ..."Bake/Cook Memories Forward!"

 Hey everyone....hope all is going great this Memorial Day! This was one of my dear dads favorite Holiday's. Growing up "Military", we all were taught to respect...honor and always be grateful to all those that served and are serving our Country. I know he's proud today in heaven seeing the wonderful ceremony at the Dallas memorial. My dad was also a great Chef. He taught me so many things...techniques in the kitchen but the one thing I regret most is not having his recipes written down. As we all know I've been working on my grandson's cookbook and I'm so thankful that he asked me to do this for him. Sometimes you don't realize how special a recipe is until a loved one passes, and you come across their "handwritten notes" in a cookbook or especially on a recipe card. I've also recently lost my Mom-in-law and inherited her recipe books. It's heart-warming when you see there "handwritten notes." I'm so thankful my grandson asked me to write the recipes...he said it would be more special. Wow. How sweet at such a young age to already have those thoughts. I have to totally agree. The pic below is just a few of her recipe books and special recipe notes that I've recently come across. I'm going to make some of her recipes that she must have liked by her little notes but hopefully make them a bit healthi-r ;-) I've truly enjoyed reading the cookbooks but sometimes have to laugh at all the ingredients that were used. It was definitely a time where a "stick of butter" was the "main ingredient." Ahh those were the days as they say! Well, I hope you have a "memorable" day & stay tuned for some fun summer recipes coming soon!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Cats "Left-over Lovin' Quiche" 4 Mom!

 Hey y'all....hope your weekend is going well. It's Mother's Day weekend and for some of us our mothers are in heaven. I truly believe to celebrate their legacy by carrying on with their favorite dishes. We recently lost our "mom-in-law" and she loved it when I baked a quiche. Recently her son purchased "peppered turkey" by Boars-head and shared left-overs with us all. Oh my goodness...this Turley is perfect for my layered quiche. My recipe has a "no fail ingredient" that I was taught by my late dad. When dad retired, he became a chef so needless to say this recipe is extra special. This weekend we all love to cater to our moms...friends...loved ones but don't be afraid to use those leftovers. Trust me in this quiche nobody will know! I usually use ham with this recipe but I think my new love is the "Peppered Turkey" by Boars Head. Whatever you do this weekend take time for yourself. If you're like me and your family is miles away, then cherish the memories.... practice recipes so the next time you're all 2gether it will be perfect! Enjoy!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

* One Pillsbury pie crust (thawed)

* 8 slices of "Peppered Turkey slices" by Boars Head ( 5 slices for crust-dice 3 for egg mixture)

* 4 extra-large eggs (Egg-lands Best)

* 1/4 cup light sour creme (shhhh...secret ingredient) helps quiche set up perfectly!

* 1/4 cup creme or low-fat milk

* 1/4 cup sharp grated cheese (finely shredded)

* 1/4 cup Italian style grated cheese (finely shredded)

* 1 Tb. mild hot sauce ( I love Taco Bell)

* 2 small, sweet peppers (red/green) for color diced

* 6-7 cherry tomatoes (cut in half) serrated knife works great

* 1 tsp (garlic powder)

* 1 tsp (white pepper)

Or season as desired.

Here's all you do...

Pre-heat oven to 425"

* Prepare pie crust in baking dish as desired ( I love Baker's joy cooking spray) ...

* Pinch around the edges (it has to look pretty) :-)

* using fork...poke a few holes on bottom of crust & sides

 ( I do this because of layering the turkey on crust)

* In large bowl whisk 2gether all ingredients except 5 turkey slices, tomatoes & peppers

* Layer pie crust as follows...

* Lay 5 turkey slices on top of pie crust with the "peppered edges" to the top

* Spread evenly your tomatoes and peppers

Tip: this is when I place my baking dish on a baking tray for easy/ safe access to the oven (trust me)

* Fill with your egg mixture

* Cover pie crust edges with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield 

Bake 30-35 minutes or until egg is cooked thoroughly (ovens vary)

Let cook as it will continue to set up!

Serve alongside a fruit salad or whatever your family desires!

Enjoy!

Cats "Texas Style Deviled Eggs"

 Hey everyone...hope y'all are having a great Saturday. I wanted to share my "Texas Style Deviled Eggs" with you in leu of "Cinco de' Mayo", weekend. Well for this Texas gal it's any weekend. I don't need to have a reason to make these yummy, deviled eggs They are a "staple" in my family during the Holiday's but would make a great dish for picknicks...potlucks etc. I do call them "Texas Deviled Eggs" due to the pickled jalapenos. I love pickled jalapenos...they are not as spicey and if you'd like you can just add some of the juice for a mild heat flavor. My grandson loves it when we make devilled eggs together. He loves these in the morning due to the ingredients they are kind of a "breakfast taco" without the tortilla. :-) Substitute any or the ingredients to your families' desires. Enjoy!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

(For a dozen deviled eggs)

* 6 eggs boiled and peeled  (let cool)

* Cut eggs in half and remove yoke. Set halved eggs in platter.

* In a medium bowl...add following to yokes.

* 1/4 cup ranch dressing ( I use lite)

* 1/4 c grated cheddar cheese

* 14 c. Bacon Bits ;-)

* 1 Tb. mustard

* 1 tsp. white pepper

* 2 Tb. pickle relish

* 2 Tb. pickled jalapenos (or to taste)

Here's all you do...

* Mix the above ingredients until smooth. ( I use a potato smasher)

* Fill your egg halves as desired. 

Garnish with more bacon bits on top. You can't go wrong with this step! :-)

Tip....if you'd like your filling a bit creamier just add in some pickle juice.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip...I place a few toothpicks at random before covering with saran wrap. Keeps the plastic from sticking to the eggs.

Cats Trivet....Aurifil thread...Cuisinart for dinner!

 Hey everyone...hope all is going well. If y'all are like me you're always wanting a fun & easy way to serve dinner. I love to make trivets. Not only are they functional but a great conversation starter. When you entertain & place a "homemade" trivet on the table it just feels like home. They also make great gifts for any occasion. I also love the convenience of "stove to table". Honestly any night of the week. I recently purchased the 3 qt. stainless steel round braiser by Cuisinart. Oh my goodness. I love the quality...the convenience and how you can serve straight to the table. It's definitely a "showstopper" on top of my Trivet that I recently made. Pop on over to my quilting blog for the full details of how easy this trivet is to make! Enjoy!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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"Rabbit in a hole" for Easter Breakfast!

 Hey y'all...hope your Easter weekend is going great. I wanted to share a fun Easter breakfast that you can get the kiddos involved as well. It's a twist on the old "Classic Egg in a hole." Oh my gosh....I grew up with "egg on toast" it wa something easy & inexpensive but then came along the "egg in a hole." Well that did it for me! We are always coming up with fun breakfast ideas when family gets together. This fun & easy tip just involves a "cookie cutter" which you probably already have. What's fun is the tips of the Easter Bunnies ears start turning white as it cooks. :-) It's a tradition we do almost every Holiday using seasonal cookie cutters. The kiddos love helping. And you just made Easter Memories they can share one day too. To this day my grandson Davin always requests "Cinnamon Toast" made with Christmas Cookie Cutters. I can honestly say that he will definitely continue these special moments that I have with him with his family one day. I hope you try this tip if you aren't already doing so...make those special memories with your loved ones even if it's so simple as an egg....slice of bread & a cookie cutter. :-) Easter Blessings!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you do...

Cut your hole in bread using Bunny Cookie Cutter or your desired cookie cutter.

Tip: I place bread on cutting board to make the cut out easier. :-)

In a non-stick pan. on med low. Melt a Tb. butter & place toast in pan and carefully crack the egg into the hole.

Depending on how you like your eggs...cook as desired. I love how the "ears" start becoming white as 

the egg cooks. So cute! Have fun with the kiddos or adults :-)

"Cats Easy Easter Beef Stew"

 Hey y'all.... hope your week is going great. I know this is a bit "cliche" but it does seem like yesterday we were celebrating Christmas & now it's Easter weekend. This year it will be a quiet one, so I love to still have a nice brunch but a bit less hectic. The recipe that I'm sharing with you is a "twist on an Ol classic." We all know the "pot-roast".... everything cooked together which I do love. Well recently I started taking my pot-roast recipe and serving it over "mashed potatoes." Yup, I leave the potatoes out! I will admit that sometimes I get in a rut and cook the same thing over so this was nice to have a change. Not only is it delish when the juice of the stew is poured over the mashed potatoes, but it seems more attractive when plating. When you serve this dish be prepared for everyone to think you spent hours preparing but you didn't. It's also a great recipe to make ahead and serve left-overs for those hectic weeknight dinners. I also want to share this "budget friendly tip." When I purchase "beef for stew" it's rather chunky. So I love to take those chunky pieces of meat and cut them into smaller pieces. Not only does this help with the meat to be more tender when cooking but you just stretched your dollar as well.  I'm all about less-stress in the kitchen and I hope you enjoy this recipe as well. Enjoy & talk soon!

Blessed Cooking from My Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

* 1 lb. Beef for Stew

* 1 pkg. Lipton Onion "Recipe Soup Mix"

* 2 cups Less Sodium chicken broth

* 1 120z. pkg. mini carrots (already peeled) :-)

* 4-6 medium potatoes (peeled & cubed)

* 1/2 cup diced bell pepper

Here's all you do...

* In a large stew pot slightly brown meat in one Tb. olive oil & I Tb. butter until tender

Tip....I add the diced bell pepper to the meat while cooking to add flavor.

* Mix onion soup mix w/ chicken broth and add to meat.

* Add carrots and cook over med heat for about 15-20 minutes...stirring occasionally.

* Reduce heat and simmer on low until tender.

Tip...You can add water or more chicken broth as needed while it's simmering

. 

Before serving thicken broth with! Tb. cornstarch if desired. ( I will remove some broth from stew and whisk in the cornstarch them add back into stew. This will prevent clumps :-)

Mashed potatoes...

* Boil cubed potatoes until tender. Carefully drain and add 4 Tb. butter & 14 cup low-fat milk. Using a "potato smasher" smash all together until smooth. Kids love to do this step :-) Season as desired.

Tip....I season my water with 1 Tb. garlic powder then add diced potatoes. You get a mild garlic flavor to potatoes whisk I love. 

Serve beef stew over potatoes. Garnish as desired.

This recipe easily doubles for a crowd and you can cook in a crock pot too!

Talk soon,

Cat

Cats "Easy Enchilada Casserole"

 Hey y'all.... Hope you're having a great weekend. I know Sunday blessings are wonderful but for some reason instead of enjoying today I start thinking of the week ahead. I'm getting better as I get older to "try" and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow will come but make today as memorable as possible. We recently lost our Mom-in-law. She was very dear to us and will be very missed. When a loved one passes it really hits home to cherish everyday.... every moment. I wanted to share a recipe that my grandson loves. It's so easy especially if you have a hectic week ahead with kiddos activities. This is a no-fuss recipe. I cut the corn tortillas in half and layer in casserole dish. You can totally roll the tortillas, but layering is so easy. Freezer friendly, make ahead and freeze in a "freezer-friendly-container." I even did a spin on my Spanish rice to save time as well. Oh did I mention...this is also using the other "half" of my "shredded chicken tip" on previous post. :-) These easy recipes that I've been sharing are so dear to me. My grandson Davin had a "list" that he wanted in his cookbook, so I hope you enjoy! 

Blessed Cooking from my Home to Yours,

Cat

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Here's all you need...

* about 10 corn tortillas (varies depending on casserole pan size) Cut in half.

* 1 1/2-2 cups of shredded chicken (see previous tip)

* 1-10oz. can of Old El Paso red enchilada sauce ( I use mild)

* 1-16oz. can of Bush's Chili & Beans (pinto beans-mild) do not drain...great flavor :-)

* 1 cup Pace Avocado Salsa (mild)

* 1-cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese

* 5 oz. Queso Fresco (crumble for topping)

* pkg. Knorr Mexican rice (recipe below)

Here's all you do...

* Pre-heat oven to 375*

* Spray your casserole dish w/cooking spray (easy clean-up)

* Spread enchilada sauce on bottom of pan....(just enough to cover bottom of pan.)

* Cut tortillas in half ( I do about 5 at a time so I don't waste any...you can always make chips later :-)

Layer as follows...

* Layer cut tortillas in pan as desired (I go up sides then down the middle)

* 1/2 of shredded chicken

* !/2 of chili beans

* 1/2 of Colby Jack cheese

* Drizzle 1/2 of Enchilada sauce on top

* then a layer of 1/2 c. Avocado salsa.

Repeat Layers as above.

* Top w/ crumbled Queso Fresco

That's it :-) Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes (ovens vary)

Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until casserole is heated thoroughly.

Tip...I place my casserole dish on a "baking dish" to remove in/out of the oven :-)

Tip...when I "uncover" the casserole to bake for an additional 15 minutes that's when I start the Spanish rice. 

I make the Knorr Spanish rice as directed on package, but I substitute the water with low-sodium Chicken broth & half of a bell pepper chopped finely...2 TB. tomato paste and some chopped cilantro.

You can make your rice from "scratch" but this is a great time-saving tip. 

Enjoy & talk soon!