Monte Crisco

One of my favorite things to eat out is a "Monte Crisco." They have always been so delicious no matter which restaurant I have been in. I thought you needed a special kind of "sandwich maker," and subsequently put off making one for YEARS!! Well, after tons of research, I came to the conclusion that I could make them in a frying pan. Okay, now that I had that finally figured out, I needed to look in the fridge to see if I had all the ingredients. I had ham (leftover from Christmas), mustard, mayo, one egg and sliced turkey breast. I was only missing some sliced Swiss cheese, so the next time I went to the store I picked some up!! Last week, I made Monte Crisco's for the hubby and myself for dinner. I have NEVER made them before, so I wasn't sure what he would think.  I shouldn't have worried, he gave them a 9.5 out of 10! Well, they did turn out great and were really yummy!!!



 Ingredients (For One Monte Crisco) 

One large egg
Two slices bread (I have used both wheat and white) 
Two slices Swiss cheese 
One slice turkey breast 
Two slices ham 
One tablespoon butter, unsalted
One teaspoon mayonnaise
One teaspoon mustard (I used stone ground)

In a medium bowl, beat the egg with a fork and set aside. To assemble the sandwich, put 1/2 teaspoon of mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon of mustard on each slice of bread. Next, on one of the slices of bread, put a slice of Swiss cheese, then the two pieces of ham, followed by the turkey and another slice of Swiss cheese. Place the other piece of bread on top and then dip and coat the entire sandwich in the egg. Melt the butter slowly in the frying pan and then put the sandwich in. Brown on each side until the cheese is starting to melt. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.Enjoy!

Cardamom Spice Cookies

Back a while back, I made a loaf of cardamom bread. I tucked the bottle of cardamom back into my kitchen cabinet and promptly forgot about. A few weeks ago, I re-organized said cabinet and "rediscovered," the glass bottle of cardamom. I spent more time than I probably should have looking for cardamom cookie recipes on the Internet and couldn't find any! So, I did the next best thing and took my basic sugar cookie recipe and "tinkered," with it. Guess, what? These cookies are so tasty, that Dominic had three and wanted more!! These cookies make your kitchen smell beyond amazing. Hmm, could it be the combination of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom ?!?!?! I think Dominic and I will bake some for Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 large egg

3 cups white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, put the butter and sugar and cream together with a large spoon or electric mixer. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given. Combine well with a large spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of three hours. When ready to make, remove from fridge and roll into 36 equal-sized balls. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, put a dozen at a time on the sheet and press down gently with the bottom of a small glass. Sprinkle with colored sugars and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies  are just starting to turn brown.  Remove from oven and remove immediately to wire rack.

Pfeffernusse

A month from today is Christmas Eve! Every year, it seems to sneak up on me. The past couple weeks have been very busy and I hadn't had a chance to test out a new Christmas cookie recipe. Early in the afternoon on Wednesday,  I mixed up the batter, covered it up and put it in the fridge with the intention of baking them about 10:30 p.m. Well, Lauren, the hubby and I ended up getting into a very lengthy game of Monopoly. We had set a time limit of 11 p.m. and by the time we added up our money and properties it was past 11:15 p.m. I'm a "night owl," but even to me that seemed late to start baking cookies! On Thanksgiving, after the turkey, rolls and pumpkin pie were done, the oven was finally free! I pulled the batter out and started rolling the cookies. They were in the oven about 20 minutes and then I let them cool a bit. Next, they were covered generously in powdered sugar. The "kids," were both interested in a "taste test."  These were so yummy and were a hit with my family!! Awesome!!! P.S. these cookies are delish for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee😀.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon anise seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup molasses, unsulfured

1 large egg

1 cup powdered sugar, reserved

In a medium bowl, put the flour, salt, black pepper, anise seeds, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, put the butter, brown sugar and molasses. Beat by hand or with electric mixer for about two minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well with large spoon. Pour the mixture from the medium bowl into the large bowl and mix well with a large spoon. Cover with plastic and put in the fridge for a minimum of eight hours. When ready to bake, remove from fridge and roll into 30 equal-sized balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Put 15 balls at a time on the cookie sheet and bake for  20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are turning slightly brown. Remove from oven and place the cookies on a baking rack for five minutes. In a small bowl, put the one cup of powdered sugar and while the cookies are still warm, roll them completely in the powdered sugar. Return them back to the baking rack to finish cooling. Store covered at room temperature.

Mom's Pecan Balls

Since both of my parents no longer live in the family home, when we cleaned their house out in the Summer of 2016, many of their belongings went to different members of the family. I was able to get a few of the recipe boxes with some of my mom's handwritten recipes. Yes, it is hard to think back that far, but in those many years before the Internet and computers, recipes were actually written on recipe "cards." This particular card had a plastic "sleeve," covering it, which makes me think she made them a lot. My mom is the one that instilled my love of baking. Every Christmas for many years, she would make me a dozen or so of these pecan balls and give them to me. It meant so much to me that she did that! Unfortunately, her days of baking are over, since she has been bedridden for the past two years or so and living in a skilled nursing facility.

That makes me kind of sad, but at the same time I'm glad I have her recipe card and I plan on making a bunch for the holidays this year!

Ingredients

Cookies:

7/8 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 cups white flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cold water

For rolling: 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put the butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer or by hand with a large spoon. Gradually add the flour, pecans, vanilla extract and water. Mix with a large spoon until the batter starts to form.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and using the palms of your hands, roll into 30 equal-sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let them stand  on the cookie sheet for five minutes. In a small bowl, put the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. While still warm, roll each pecan ball carefully and completely in powdered sugar. Store covered at room temperature.

Easy Cajun Red Beans and Rice

The hubby is very predictable. Every night, when he gets home from work, he says, "what are you whipping up for dinner?" Unbeknowst to him, I had been doing "research" for the past couple of days about how to make homemade red beans and rice. When he asked me last night, I answered, "red beans and rice!" Anytime we have ever had red beans and rice in the past, I have used a boxed mix, Zatarain's. They make awesome authentic New Orleans boxed mixes, but they are LOADED with sodium, like 880 mg/serving in their red beans and rice mix!! YIKES!!! Since November of 2011, when I got diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, I have been on a low-salt diet. I was never one to sprinkle a ton of salt on my food, but I used to eat Campbell's Chunky New England Clam Chowder Soup ALL the time !! A cup is 890 mg of sodium. Even though I take four medications for my heart, if I had some of that soup, I would blow up like a Pufferfish! Anyways, I tried really hard to make the red beans and rice sodium level realistic, so I could enjoy it. The hubby loved it, he had three helpings! When I was putting away the leftovers, there was about one serving left. The hubby said, "I wanted to save enough for you to have for lunch tomorrow!" He's such a sweetie!

Ingredients

One tablespoon unsalted butter
12-ounce bag Cajun Style Mirepoix Blend,
  frozen (I used the Kroger brand)
15.5-ounce can red beans, undrained
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
13-ounce turkey sausage, fully cooked,
  cut into bite sized pieces

*2 cups cooked white rice

In a large skillet, melt the butter slowly and then add the Mirepoix blend. Cook over medium heat until the veggies (celery, green peppers and onions) start to get soft, stirring occasionally with a large spoon. Add the red beans, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and turkey sausage. Mix well and cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over white rice.

*I like to multi-task, so while I was making the red beans, I was cooking the rice at the same time!!

No Bake Peanut Butter/Chocolate Bars

This is for sure the hottest summer I have experienced since we have lived in Michigan!! The air conditioning "battle," with the hubby has been going on for months! He doesn't like to be cold and I don't like to be hot! I usually win, because I tell him I get really cranky if it's too hot at night and I can't sleep. I have been concentrating on making "no bake," desserts because even using my oven with the air conditioning on, I still sweat!! I made these bars shortly before Lauren came home from her summer job about a week ago (she worked at a camp). I think she had one from that "batch." Lauren and the hubby both wanted me to make these bars again, so I told my husband when he went to Meijer this past Sunday to pick up some powdered sugar.  I got all set to make them, but then realized I had no brown sugar!  Last night, close to 10 p.m., I told Lauren it was getting too late to make these bars. She had been looking forward to having them for hours and given that we are "night owls," around here, I whipped some up. Before the chocolate had barely gotten hard on the top, both the hubby and Lauren had some!! I may have to make a third batch!!


Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
16.3 ounce jar smooth peanut butter, any brand
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
10 ounce bag dark chocolate chunks

In a medium saucepan put the butter, brown sugar and the peanut butter. Slowly bring the mixture to medium heat, stirring constantly with a large spoon, until smooth, but not boiling! Immediately remove from heat and add the vanilla and the powdered sugar. Stir ingredients together until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated in. Press into an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. The mixture will still be a little warm, so press down with the back of a spoon or a dinner knife to distribute evenly. In a small saucepan or bowl, melt the dark chocolate chunks until smooth. Spread evenly on top of the peanut butter mixture. Leave at room temperature until the chocolate hardens or pop into the fridge to cool it quicker!!!

Frozen Strawberry and Yogurt Popsicles

I am always on the "hunt," for easy recipes!! This definitely ranks up there, for sure, with just two ingredients!!! If you don't have a popsicle mold, now is a great time to buy one. In the summer, you can usually find popsicle molds in the dollar-type stores. The large "big box," stores will start marking down their summer items once the back-to-school stuff starts rolling in. This past Thursday, I was in one of my favorite "big box," stores and the piped in music was Christmas jingles. Okay, I think that may be rushing the season just a bit, don't you think?!?!?!



Ingredients

Two 5.3 ounce containers Vanilla Greek Yogurt,
  any brand, I used Chobani
16-ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Put the yogurt and sliced strawberries into a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a popsicle mold and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours. Run under warm water to loosen the molds to remove the popsicles. For breakfast a few days ago, I gave one of these to Dominic. I think he thought it was pretty cool having a popsicle for breakfast!

 Note: I was able to get seven popsicles out of the mold I used.