Recipes - Tina Zinck, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Along with my love of stamping, I also LOVE cooking and baking too. Here are some of my favourite “tried & true” recipes – I hope you enjoy them!

Maple Walnut Muffins

These are delicious and so easy to make!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamon (optional but delicious)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature

TOPPING:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons maple sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt, cinnamon and cardomon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, maple syrup, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Gradually stir this wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
Place batter into greased or paper/silicon lined muffin tray.
For the topping, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add the walnuts and toss to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle this mixture over the batter.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pans and transferring them to wire racks. Serve warm.

Recipe inspired and adapted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/morning-maple-muffins/

If you have green tomatoes that you don’t know what to make with, THIS, my friends, is the recipe you want to try! This green tomato marmalade is SO DELICIOUS! I’ve since made FOUR more batches in the week following the filming of this video and I’ll be making more marmalade this weekend – it is THAT GOOD! I will also be giving some of this jam as gifts at Christmas, tucked into baskets with biscuits and other yummy goodness.

PS: it’s quite funny to see me at the end of the video looking a bit
wilted but seven hours in a hot kitchen will do that to a person! While
the jam was cooking I was also slicin’ and dicin’ more veggies from the
garden to go into the freezer and cooking supper, etc. This marmalade is
worth the time and effort to make – trust me!

DIVINE GREEN TOMATO MARMALADE

10 Cups diced green tomatoes (I did not remove seeds, but you can if you want to)

5 1/2 Cups white sugar

2 Cinnamon Sticks

Rind and juice from two lemons and one orange

1/4 Cup chopped fresh ginger

2 Lemons, cut and seeded

4 Oranges, cut and seeded (I’ve been using blood oranges too, which really gives the marmalade an amazing colour)

19oz Crushed Pineapple (undrained)

1/2 Cup Maraschino Cherries (quartered)

Place diced green tomatoes and sugar in large stock pot and stir well. Let sit three hours, to bring out the juice.
After three hours add the lemon and orange zest, and their juice, to the tomato/sugar mixture. Add crushed pineapple, ginger, two lemons and four oranges which have been chopped. Place pot on stove and bring to a boil. Turn burner to low and let simmer two hours, stirring occasionally, until jam cooks down.
Once jam has reached 220′ or passed the ‘plate test’ pour into hot sterilized jars.
Wipe rims and place seal on top and then finger-tighten the ring.
Place jars in canner and process in water bath ten minutes.
Remove from canner and place on towel lined counter.
Cover jars with a towel and let sit overnight. You will hear the ‘pings’ of the jars sealing!

Enjoy this marmalade on buttermilk biscuits, toast, scones, cornbread, etc. This marmalade would even be fabulous over vanilla ice-cream!

* Here’s the link to the original recipe for this Green Tomato Marmalade: My Island Bistro Kitchen

TINA’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

1 Cup buttermilk (or substitute 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar)

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter(or 1/4 cup shortening and 1/4 cup butter)

Preheat oven 425′
Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl.
Use a pastry blender or grater to add butter to flour.
Add buttermilk and stir to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead gently 8-12 times. Roll to desired thickness (biscuits will double in size when baked). Cut with a floured glass or cookie cutter and place on baking sheet.
Place biscuits close together for soft-sided biscuits or approx. 1″ apart for crusty edge biscuits.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden.

*You can also add grated cheddar cheese to flour mixture, before adding milk.

These biscuits are excellent with chili, soups, stews, spaghetti, or with cheese, meats and pickles or with jam (like this marmalade) for breakfast.

GREEN TOMATO MINCEMEAT

When I was a kid I was never a fan of mincemeat. It wasn’t until I got older that I developed a taste for it and now I love it! Well, at least I love THIS mincemeat, made with green tomatoes from my garden, heavenly spices, plump raisins, apples, cranberries and other fruits and a splash of brandy or amaretto. Add that to some flaky pastry and a dollop of whipped cream – how can you NOT like this? So yummy and absolutely perfect for the holidays!

8 cup green tomatoes

Chop tomatoes and put through a food processor. Place tomatoes in large stock pot and with cover water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat and drain well. Place tomatoes in large roaster pan with remaining ingredients and cook in oven overnight at 200′.

Remaining ingredients:

16 large apples, diced and peeled

1/2 lb butter

2 lbs (4 cups) seedless raisins

2 lbs currants

5 lb brown sugar (I cut this to 7-8 cups)

1 cup vinegar

2 tbsp salt

In the morning stir in the following:

1 tin Hartley brand Seville Oranges (for marmalade)

4 cups candied citrus peel

Rind from lemon

3 tsp vanilla

2 tsp almond extract

Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to taste

1-2 cups cranberry sauce

1 cup brandy or amaretto

Bottle and process in water bath 10 minutes. Enjoy in pies, tarts or as desired. This mincemeat is delicious in a strudel – scroll down this page for my recipe.

My Favourite

BEET RELISH

It’s the end of August and I’ve been busy making pickles, jams and all kinds with everything from my garden. Lots of work, but I enjoy canning and it’s so satisfying to see all the beautiful jars on the shelves, waiting to be enjoyed. I just finished making pickled beets and I think I have enough that I won’t need to make anymore next summer – we’ll see though. They’re so good, I might go through them pretty fast! I also like to tuck my homemade preserves and pickles into gift baskets too. Fortunately, these beets are easy to make – this recipe HERE is similar to the one I use.

I planted a LOT of beets this year so I’m also going to make a batch of beet relish. The recipe that I use was my Great-Grandma’s and it’s SUPER delicious, especially with a roast dinner.

If you give it a try I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Click on the photo to enlarge

My great-grandma had a tendency to write out her favourites recipes and tape them inside her recipe books, like the one above! She found this recipe from an OLD newspaper in Winnipeg, that was called the “Free Press Praire Farmer”.

ZUCCHINI SALSA

If you have too many zucchinis in your garden and are needing a yummy recipe, give this one a try! The original recipe is from my friend George. He and I worked together years ago at “Pacific Coastal Airlines” and every fall George would bring in some of this salsa that he and his wife made. I’ve made some changes and tweaked their recipe and adjusted the salsa to my taste. This salsa is now ‘perfection’ in my opinion, and it’s a always a hit with everyone who tries it. I just made a double batch of this salsa yesterday and it is sooooo DELICIOUS! I hope you enjoy it!

10 cups zucchini, shredded

3 cups chopped onions (I use Walla Walla)

3 1/2″ Cups diced red and green peppers

5 tbsp pickling salt

Combine all of the above in a large bowl, cover and let sit overnight. Rinse and drain and put into a large pot. Add the following:

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp dry mustard

Jalapenos or hot peppers to taste, seeded and chopped

Fresh cilantro (as much as you want)

5 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups vinegar

5 cups chopped tomatoes

12 oz tomato paste

Bring to boil then simmer 15 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Process in water bath 15 minutes.

INSTANT POT ICED TEA

Here’s how I make my instant pot iced tea – and it’s so easy you won’t believe it.

I simply fill up my juice pitcher with approx. 2 litres of water and pour it inside my instant pot.
Next, I add 4 tea bags(I use no-name black tea and save my Tetley for my hot tea).
I put the lid on, lock and make sure the steam valve is closed. I set the pressure cook option (or manual) for three minutes.
After it beeps I let the pressure naturally release which keeps the tea brewing.
I then discard the tea bags, pour the tea into my pitcher and I add 2/3 cups sweetener (you can use sugar, Splenda, stevia) and 1/4 – 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled).
Give it all a stir and place in the fridge to chill.

That’s it, my friends! It’s so good and incredibly refreshing, especially during this HOT summer we’ve having! Enjoy!

French Dip sandwiches are one of my favourite meals – both at home and in restaurants. Over the years I have tried many recipes and after lots of tweaks I’ve come up with my own version of “French Dip” that everyone loves!

MY FRENCH DIP RECIPE:

1-1/2 to 2lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat (a roastup to 4lbs works for this recipe, and any cut of beef works – I just buy whatever happens to be on sale when I make this).
12 oz beef broth (I use Knorr)
1 package French Onion Soup mix
One can of beer (any kind)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried rosemary
6 cups water

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low 5 to 7 hours.
Use fork to break up the meat.
Serve on hoagie rolls and enjoy!

Notes:

The beer is optional but it makes a huge difference. A darker beer is nicest for this recipe, but I usually use Coors Lite as that is what I generally have in the house.
If you wish, you can switch out the rosemary and use thyme instead.
I like to make homemade hoagie rolls for this recipe and they’re easy to whip up, using a bread machine. See recipe below.
My favourite way to serve the French Dip is on toasted buns with cheese and mushrooms. Slice the hoagie rolls in half and place on baking sheet. Brush each half with butter and add a light sprinkle of garlic powder. Place under broiler just a couple of minutes to brown. Remove from oven and add cheese slices (cheddar, provolone, etc) and place back in oven until melted – just a few seconds will do it!. Place beef on buns and top with sauted mushrooms. Serve the au jus in bowls alongside the sandwiches and enjoy!
If you want a delicious side dish with this French Dip, try my oven wedges! They go along perfectly with these sandwiches! Scroll down for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Warm Water
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1-1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Sugar
2-3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Yeast

Place ingredients in order into bread machine and click dough cycle.
Once dough is ready (approx 1-1/2 hours) remove from machine and place on floured surface.
Punch dough down and cut into six equal pieces. Shape each piece into oval shape and place onto baking pan (I use large stoneware pan). If desired, use knife or scissors to cut slits on each roll. Cover and let rise at least 20 minutes.
Turn oven on to 400′ to pre-heat.
Bake rolls for 20 minutes or until golden.

Easiest and Most Delicious Oven Wedges Ever!

I make these often because they’re super quick and simple to do. They are perfect served alongside my French Dip, as well as BBQ steak and hamburgers.

Russet Potatoes
Olive Oil
Montreal Steak Spice

Pre-heat oven 400′
Clean as many potatoes as you need, leaving the peels on. Slice into wedges and place in large bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes to lightly coat.
Sprinkle on Montreal Steak Seasoning (I use about 1 tbsp per four large potatoes).
Place potatoes in even layer on baking sheet (I use large bar stoneware pan).
Bake in oven 40 – 50 minutes, turning once during cooking.

Note: if you don’t have Montreal Steak Seasoning, here’s another seasoning variation that I use and it’s awesome on these potatoes:

Once potatoes are sliced and placed in a bowl with olive oil, sprinkle on the following spices (1 – 2 tsp of each or to taste): paprika, garlic powder, pepper, oregano and salt. I also add Lawrey’s Seasoning Salt.

The Best Lemon Loaf

This is SO GOOD. Sometimes simple recipes, like this one, are the best. I grew up on this loaf and I enjoy it as much today as I did when I was a kid. This lemon loaf is delicious with a cup of tea and shared with a friend.

My Tips:

I use BUTTER in this recipe, not margarine. In fact, I only ever use butter in ALL my cooking and baking. I think it’s been at least 25 years since I last bought margarine. I just prefer butter – it’s healthier for you and it makes everything taste better too.
Use FRESH LEMONS. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice. The fresh lemons in the recipe are a game changer. I also use some of the lemon zest in the glaze as well, which adds extra zing and also makes the loaf look extra pretty too.

Delicious Caramel Popcorn

This sweet treat makes a fabulous gift!

Ingredients:

Two
bags of plain Microwave Popcorn
1
Cup Butter
1/3
Cup Corn Syrup (I’ve used both light and dark, with great results!)
1
Cup Brown Sugar
1
tsp Sea Salt
1
tsp Vanilla

Preheat
oven 300′
Pop
two bags of plain popcorn. Place in large bowl, then move by hand to
a roasting pan, making sure to leave any un-popped kernels in the
bowl.
In
saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Stir
until boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla
extract.
Pour
caramel over popcorn, stirring well to cover. *See note below.
Place
roaster pan (uncovered) in oven and bake 30 minutes, stirring every
10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and once popcorn has cooled package in airtight container.

*If
desired, add additional 1 tsp sea salt & mixed nuts to popcorn
before baking.

I
love making bread. I’ve always found it incredibly satisfying – and
somewhat magical – that a few basic ingredients can produce something
as wonderful as bread. Making bread is also very calming and
therapeutic to me: going through the motions of adding the
ingredients, mixing them, kneading the dough, shaping it and then the
scrumptious smell while the bread bakes, and ultimately enjoying the
end result.

I was fortunate to have grown up on fresh bread – my mom
made four loaves every Saturday.As a kid, I kind of took it for
granted – wishing for store-bought bread (which she only used for
turkey stuffing!). Once I got older and moved out on my own
though, I realized how very LUCKY I was to have had that homemade
bread that my mom lovingly made for us every week. Soon I began making
my own, and that’s when I fell in LOVE with bread making.

I often
make the traditional old-fashioned white, whole wheat, or cinnamon
raisin bread. My dinner rolls are something that I make weekly and they’re
always requested for family gatherings and special meals.

Once a month
I have my girlfriends over for an evening of pizza and crafting and
nothing beats using homemade dough for the crust – it makes the best
pizza ever.If time is short, I’ll use my bread machine to make bread
dough, then I’ll shape it and bake it in the oven. The “Overnight
Bread” recipe I’m sharing with you today is another favourite of
mine.

I
love this overnight bread for a few reasons:

It’s
super-duper mega quick to put together.
It
only requires 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.
It
takes less than five minutes to throw together.
Let
it sit overnight and it’s ready to bake in the morning.
It’s
perfect for toast, sandwiches, or as a side for soups, stews, pasta
dishes, etc.
It
can be customized based on the flavours you want, based on what you
add to the dough (ie: a bit of cinnamon, sugar and raisins for
raisin bread; Italian Seasoning for a savoury bread; grated cheese;
nuts and dried fruit, etc).
This
bread is perfect for gift-giving! Tuck into a basket with a couple
jars of homemade jam & jelly; artisanal cheese and chutney; a
bottle of local honey. If you’re a stamper like me then, of course,
you’d want to create pretty tags and a card to pull it all together.
What a fabulous gift for any holiday or occasion!

I
created my first-ever ‘cooking’ video to show you how easy this bread
really is to make:

OVERNIGHT NO-KNEAD BREAD RECIPE

This “Overnight Bread” recipe is one I’ve made for years. There are all kinds of different recipes for this no-knead, overnight bread – and I’ve tried a few – but this is the best version I’ve come up with that I LOVE!

Click
here for a printable PDF of the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

3
cups All-Purpose Flour
1
¼” teaspoon Sea Salt
½”
teaspoon Yeast
1
½” Water (room temperature)
2 – 3 teaspoons Cornmeal

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat
oven 410′ and place enamel dish with lid (ie: dutch oven or even
a covered stoneware dish) inside the oven for approx. 20
minutes.
In
a large glass measuring cup or bowl, add flour, sea salt and yeast
and mix well.
Pour
water into the flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Dough will be wet and sticky – don’t worry,
that’s okay!
Cover
bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on counter overnight (or at least
12 hours).
Once
dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and place dough onto a
lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit more flour over the dough
and shape it into a ball.
Take
hot dish out of the oven and lightly cover bottom with cornmeal.
Place ball of dough inside the dish, cover and bake 30 minutes.
After
the bread has been baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and
continue to bake another 15 minutes.
Remove
bread from oven and place the bread on a rack to cool.

This bread is scrumptious toasted, or for sandwiches, as garlic bread, or as a side for soup, stew and other main course dishes. Enjoy!

Five Flavour Pound Cake

I remember the first time I had a piece of this cake. It was over 20 years ago and I’d been invited over to a friend’s house for a visit. When my friend served me a slice of her cake, I could instantly smell all kinds of delicious aromas – lemon, coconut, butter, rum, vanilla and almond! It was LOVE at first bite. Now I reserve making this cake to only once or twice a year, to avoid the temptation of eating it all! I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I do.

1 1/2 cups of butter

3 cups of sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

1 tsp each of the following:

Coconut Flavour

Rum Extract

Vanilla

Butter Flavour

Lemon Extract

Pre-heat oven to 325′. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light fluffy. Add eggs, one at time, beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In glass measuring cup, combine extracts with milk. Add flour to creamed mixture alternatively with flavoured milk, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon batter into a greased 10″ tube (angel food cake) pan. Bake 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours or until cake tests done (I use a skewer to poke into the cake – when it comes out clean the cake is ready). Cool in pan on wire rack at least 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan & flip right side up again. Place waxed paper under rack, to catch drippings from glaze, which you’ll want to pour on while the cake is still warm…

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp each:

Coconut Flavour

Rum Extract

Butter Flavour

Lemon Extract

Vanilla

Almond Extract

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and drizzle over hot cake. Let cake cool completely.

*** This cake is even more delicious the second day, as those flavours really work their magic. This cake is moist and beyond scrumptious. Make a tea and enjoy this yummy treat!

Recipe adapted from “Watkins Keepsake Cookbook.

———————————————————————

Ham & Cheese Quiche

This is my very favourite quiche and everyone I serve it to just loves it! You can change it up by adding bacon instead of ham, using swiss cheese instead of cheddar, and adding veggies of your choice. I like to serve this yummy quiche with fresh green salad and rolls.

One pre-made pie crust, uncooked

(I use my own butter pastry recipe)

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup diced ham

1 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup onion

2 tsp butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s brand)

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 375′. In a pan, saute onion in butter until soft. Add spinach and cooked two minutes and set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add cream, salt & pepper and mix until well blended. Stir spinach and onions into the eggs. Sprinkle ham and cheese onto the bottom of pie crust. Pour egg/spinach mixture over the ham and cheese. Bake 35-45 minutes or until the centre is set.

——————————————————————————-

If you’re looking for a scrumptious muffin, this recipe is for you. I’ve been making these muffins for years and they’ll be on the rotation at my Coffee & Card classes. The cream cheese filling in the middle is a delightful surprise. These muffins are truly delicious! ENJOY!

Peaches & Cream Cheese MuffinsIngredients:
2 cups canned peaches, drained (save juice)
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon peach juice
1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Muffins: Dice drained peaches to size of peas. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl combine eggs and oil and vanilla. Then whisk in the milk. Combine egg and flour mixtures. Then fold in diced peaches.

2. For filling: beat cream cheese, sugar, peach juice and almond extract. Fill greased muffin tins half full of batter. Drop 1 teaspoon of the filling into each muffin cup of the batter. Top with 1 1/2 tablespoons more batter.

3. For topping: mix cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 24 muffins

————————————————————————-

Growing up, my parents owned a very popular ceramic shop in the Comox Valley. My dad would come home from work and pour molds and fire pieces in the kiln and my mom taught classes in the evening. We lived out in the country on a couple of acres, and my dad built the ceramic shop on our property, next to our house – which made it really convenient for my parents to keep an eye on my brother and I! Every summer there would be big seminars, in which teachers from Seattle and Portland would come and teach techniques at my parents shop, like the “Dresden Lace”. There would be RV’s parked in the yard and people from far and wide would fill up the shop for these exclusive classes. Even for us kids, it was so much fun, meeting our parents friends, and having a house full of company. My mom would put the two leafs in the dinning room table, making it massive, and cover it with her lace tablecloth. Soon the table was loaded up with food for lunch: homemade buns and pickles, cheese plates, spiral ham, salads, and always, her party beans that would be simmering in the crockpot. I now do pretty much the same thing when I hold my special events.

The recipe for my mom’s beans (above photo) is well stained from many years of use. These beans are always a massive hit. I know my mom’s recipe says to simmer on the stove 30 minutes, but my mom and I always simmer them on low in the slow cooker. These beans are also better the second day, so I always I put them in the crockpot the day before I need them for my meal. Sometimes I uses black-eyed or yellow-eyed beans in place of the lima beans. Also, ground cloves work instead of whole – just sprinkle a dash or two into the beans, but be careful as too many cloves will be overpowering. Less is best, but the cloves make the seasoning of these beans unique. You can also add less onions and green peppers if you wish. Sometime I ‘cheat’ and use canned mushrooms (whole and also sliced) instead of fresh. The flavouring from the bacon is a must. Try not to think about all the corn syrup in these beans – sometimes you just gotta turn off the ‘nutrition’ channel in the brain and just ENJOY! I hope you find these beans as delicious as my family, friends and I do!

————————————————-

PARTY RECIPES:

Polar Express Hot Chocolate

Rich and divine. I only make this on special occasions – when you see the ingredients you’ll know why! Super delicious!

Click here for the hot chocolate recipe

Luscious Slush Punch

When I need to make punch for a stamping event or special party, this is my go-to recipe. It’s always a hit and everyone LOVES it! The only change I make to the recipe is cutting the sugar back to 1 cup – any more would be way too sweet. This punch is delicious!

Click here for the punch recipe

Festive Layered Nacho Dip

Everyone loves this and there’s never any leftovers!

Click here for the nacho dip recipe

Pesto Chicken Bundles

These are rich but super delicious – always a big hit for parties!

1 cup cooked chicken

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup prepared pesto

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 packages crescent rolls

3 tbsp milkPreheat oven to 350. Mix chicken, cream cheese, pesto, sundried tomatoes and salt together (I use my food processor, which creates a ‘pate’ texture, but you could hand mix for a chunkier texture). Add in milk for mixture to combine easily.
Unroll crescent rolls, pressing seams together. Cut into squares and place a teaspoon of mixture in the center of each and wrap the dough to create a little bundle. Place on stoneware or cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned on top.

—————————————————————

One Hour Bread

This bread is sooooo good and soooo easy and quick to make. It’s perfect for sandwiches, toast or to have alongside some soup, stew, etc.

Instead of placing in a bread pan, you can turn this into French bread but rolling it out longer and baking it on a stoneware pan (I sprinkle the pan with a light dusting of cornmeal first, then place the dough, let rise, then bake). On with the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375′

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar (or honey)

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water

Mix all together. No need to wait for yeast to proof. Then whisk in 1 cup of flour. Next, gradually stir in 3 cups of flour (add more or less until dough comes together and is no longer sticky). Knead and shape into roll. Place in greased bread pan (or place on stoneware baking pan, with a little cornmeal sprinkled on pan). Let rise. (If you wish to have a second rise, you can, but I find the bread turns out perfectly with just the one rise.). Bake for 20 minutes.

Cool on rack – brush top with butter, if desired, for a soft crust.

———————————————————————————

For years I had been searching high and low to find a recipe for chow mein that was similar to what I was used to back home (Vancouver Island). Did you notice I wrote that in past tense? That’s because I FINALLY got it mastered and it’s about as close to what I’ve been looking for as I’ll ever get. Now when I crave chow mein I can pull out my wok and have it made and on the table in minutes (and at half the cost!). I buy the dry chow mein noodles from the International section in my grocery store for $1.99 and I’ll get two meals (serving 4 each) from that. You can also add chicken, shrimp, pork or whatever you wish too. I like to make sweet and sour chicken to go with my chow mein, and I use this delicious recipe HERE .

Tina’s West Coast

Chow Mein

8 oz dry chow mein noodles

2 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 handful fresh bean sprouts

1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped fine

1-2 green onions, chopped

1 small carrot, grated

2-3 small Bok Choy, chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage

1-2 celery stalks, sliced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp black pepper

Cook noodles according to directions on package, drain and set aside.
Heat oil in wok. Add garlic and ginger and veggies.
Combine oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper and pour over the vegetables – mix well.
Add noodles to wok – stir into the vegetables.

This is chow mien recipe is so good and you can adjust flavourings and vegetables to your preference. Enjoy!

——————————————–

EASY & DELICIOUS DINNER ROLLS

These rolls are quite simple to make and very, VERY delicious. You’ll have homemade rolls in no time, with this recipe. I make at least two batches of these rolls EVERY week. Sometimes three. I know the recipe by heart – they’re absolutely the BEST dinner rolls ever!

In a bread machine, add the following ingredients (in order):

1 cup of very warm water (you can also use milk in place of water)

1/2 butter (cubed into small pieces)

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp yeast

Set machine to dough cycle. Once complete, punch dough down on lightly floured surface. For regular size rolls, cut dough into 12 equal pieces (or more, if you prefer them smaller). Place balls of dough in greased 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Cover with clean cloth/dish towel and let rise until almost doubled in size. Bake at 350′ for about 15-20 minutes (when you can smell them baking and the tops have turned golden, they’re ready). Turn buns onto wire rack and let cool slightly before you, your family, friends and entire neighborhood devour them all. They are THAT good. Store in plastic bag with a twist tie to keep rolls from drying out. If they even last that long. Enjoy!

—————————————-

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

This is one of my favourite recipes. It’s great because you don’t need many ingredients, it’s impressive enough for company and it’s quick and easy for those busy nights. I make it often. The first time I had this Honey Mustard Chicken a friend had made it for me – this recipe is her’s, with a few tweaks of my own. This chicken goes well with potatoes or rice and a nice vegetable. Enjoy!

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp crumbled dried rosemary*

Pinch salt and pepper

2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces (I like to use 4 boneless breasts)

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken and set aside. Place chicken in foil lined baking dish. Brush with half the mustard mixture. Bake at 400′ for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over and brush with remaining mustard mixture. Bake 15 minutes longer or until chicken is done.

*use curry instead of rosemary – it makes a nice change.

———————————————————-

Christmas Strudel

I wanted to make a quick dessert to use up some of my homemade green tomato mincemeat and I came up with this delicious strudel. Super easy and fast to put together but oh so impressive. This recipe has no specific measurements as I just made it up as I went…

Ingredients:

Package of Filo Pastry, thawed

Melted Butter

White Sugar

Cinnamon

Peeled and sliced apples

Favourite mincemeat

Icing Sugar

On large baking sheet (I used my large Pampered Chef Stoneware Bar Pan), lay out one sheet of filo pastry. Brush melted butter on top. Repeat for a total of five sheets of pastry.

Spread desired amount of mincemeat on top of filo base.

Toss sliced apples with sugar (if your apples are a sweet variety you won’t need a lot of sugar), as well as some cinnamon and 1tsp vanilla. If desired you can also add a splash of whiskey, rum or brandy.

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour to apple mixture and spread evenly over mincemeat.

Cover with five sheets of filo, brushing butter on each layer.

For top, tear pieces of filo and lightly scrunch up and place on top of strudel – continue until top is covered.

Mix cinnamon in with white sugar and sprinkle over strudel.

Bake at 400′ approx. 30 minutes or until top is browned.

Let cool slightly before serving.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with ice cream or Bird’s Custard.

**You can also add nuts to the filling**

This strudel is DELICIOUS! Enjoy!

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Swedish Pancakes. My Grandma and Grandpa Erickson started this tradition – I’m not sure if it goes back to their parents or not. But to this day my family still makes them. Here is the recipe for “Swedish Pancakes“, our family’s traditional breakfast on Christmas morning:

These recipes are part of my Christmas Recipe Booklet:

You can find the video to make these on my November 8, 2014 blog post.

———————————————————-

Here is one of my best recipes. These scones are so quick and easy to make and are absolutely delicious! Growing up I watched my Mom bake scones at the drop of pin, if we had someone show up unexpectedly for coffee. I was always so impressed at how quickly she could do that. And depending on the time of day, you can make these scones sweet with grated lemon zest and raisons added to the dough, and served with a cuppa. Or, if it was later in the day and you wanted something savoury you could add grated cheese, ham, jalapenos, etc. These scones are great for quick appeys too – just make them small and add your topping of choice. No matter how they’re made, they’re versatile and scrumptious. Tucked in basket with tea and a jar of jam, my ‘Favourite Scones’ make a wonderful gift for a friend too! ENJOY!

***Recipe created using MDS “Recipe by Design” digital download***

November 24, 2013

Christmas is coming! There’s a newsflash for ya, hey? I have been pulling out my favourite Christmas recipes lately because every year I fill baskets with homemade goodness to give away as gifts. All my recipes – every single one – has a fond memory attached and I think that’s what makes cooking for others special. There’s a lot of love that goes into my cooking (that’s my secret ingredient). I thought I’d share some of my favourite holiday recipes with you over the next couple of weeks, so that you can enjoy them too, and share them with your friends and family.

I’ve been making Eggnog Log Cookies for YEARS! These are delicious. Wrap them in up in a festive tin or basket and tuck in a pretty tea cup and some tea for a lovely gift! Don’t forget to attach a hand stamped tag and glittery snowflake!

As requested, here are the recipes from this year’s dinner Just click on the links:

Caribbean Chicken

Jamaican Rice and Beans

Macaroni Pie (I omitted the chili pepper)

Mango Salad Dressing (purchased at Costco – I mixed it with olive oil.)

Strawberry Slush Punch (I omit the sugar and use one 7-Up and one Ginger Ale)

Scroll down for the cupcake recipe. This years Buttercream frosting also had Watkins Rum, Pineapple, and Coconut Extracts added to it for a little tropical flavour. I also toasted coconut to top the chocolate cupcakes. Along with my ‘traditional’ chocolate cupcakes, this year I also made vanilla. Click HERE for the recipe.

Here’s a recipe I’ve been using for years and years and it’s still one of my all time favourites.

Spiced Pear Jam

8 cups chopped or coarsely ground peeled pears (about 5-1/2 pounds)

4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir more
frequently as the mixture thickens.

Combine all the ingredients and simmer, uncovered, about 2 hours (or until thick). Remove from the heat and skim off foam. Pour into jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: 6 half-pints.
*This jam is scrumptious on fresh buttermilk biscuits!

———————————————————————————————————

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Years ago I was lucky enough to WIN a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii through a radio contest. I fell in love with the Island and came home with many wonderful memories. Snorkelling was amongst my top favorite memory. Chicken Pesto Pizza, served at the outdoor grill at the Fairmont Orchid Resort, was another. Here is my version, which I designed with the “Compilation of Recipes“template for My Digital Studio. I made five of these cookbooks for Christmas gifts a couple of years ago and they were a big hit. Check out this blog post for more information on how you can make your own cookbook too!
Enjoy!

Click on photo to view larger

I’ve been asked to share my recipe for the Pumpkin Dip that I recently brought to our “Serene Stampers Stampin’ Night & Team Meeting”, so without further ado, here it is:

PUMPKIN DIP

PS – I served it with Graham Crackers. It’s also fabulous just served in little dishes with a dollop of whipped cream a sprinkle of cinnamon for a lovely dessert! ENJOY!

———————————————

“Stampin’ Tea”

The ladies at my “Friday Night” stamp club LOVE this tea! It’s a nice change from regular tea and it’s so yummy and comforting. It’s perfect to sip on while you pull out the stamps and ink for a relaxing evening of stamping!This also makes a great gift to tuck into a mug for a nice Christmas gift.

2 cups orange-flavored drink mix (ie:Tang)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup instant tea powder
3/4 cup lemon-flavored instant tea powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmegCombine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and store in an airtight container.
To serve, put 2 teaspoons of mix in a mug (or more, to taste). Stir in 1 cup boiling water. Enjoy!

Stampers Cupcakes!

I don’t need to give much of an introduction for this recipe. These are hands-down my most requested recipe from my Hostess Appreciation Dinner, community events and family gatherings. I’ve made this as a cake, as well as cupcakes. I’ve topped with a sprinkling of icing sugar, or a chocolate glaze, or butter cream frosting – all have been perfect on this cake. The cupcakes are incredible with buttercream recipe. And finally, I have a confession to make. This is NOT a ‘from scratch’ recipe. Nope. Surprised, ya, didn’t I?! It’s a recipe I discovered years ago on my favourite recipe site, Allrecipes.com

Make these soon. You will be instantly popular and LOVED by all those who are lucky enough to share these with you…

TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Best Ever Rhubarb Pie

I love pie. It’s my favourite dessert. I would take a home-made fruit pie over cake, chocolate, you name it. Nothing fancy. Hot or cold. Ice cream, whipped cream, custard or nothing at all. Heaven. Here’s my recipe for my all time favourite pie. I prefer my rhubarb pie without strawberries or anything else – just plain’ ole rhubarb goodness. My garden is full of rhubarb right now and you can bet this pie will be on our table in no time! Then I’ll be busy making jams and jelly’s so that our rhubarb can be enjoyed year round. ENJOY!

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie

Use your favourite pastry recipe for a 9-inch two crust pie

4 cups diced fresh rhubarb (1 inch pieces) (6 to 8 stalks, depending on their thickness)

1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of sugar (depending on how tart your rhubarb is)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp Watkins Vanilla

milk and sugar top crust

Preheat the oven to 400′.

Prepare your pastry, divide in half. Roll half of it out large enough to line a 9 inch pie plate and keep the half covered for the top of your pie. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, salt and sugar and add to rhubarb. Stir in vanilla. Spoon rhubarb mixture into pie shell. Top with a sprinkling of sugar and dot with butter.

Roll out the remaining pastry to cover top of pie and cut a few slashes in the top of the pie to vent for steam. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place onto a baking sheet (to catch juices) and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is cooked and bubbling. Allow to cool to at least warm before cutting into wedges to serve.

Melt in Your Mouth Hot Cross Buns

I have friends who don’t like Hot Cross Buns.

Until they tried these.Enjoy!

1 cup warm water

2 tsp sugar

2 envelopes yeast

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs (at room temp)

2 tsp salt

4 tsp Watkins cinnamon

1 1/2 cups warm milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup currants

4 tbsp candied peel or fruit OR

zest from two fresh oranges & 2 fresh lemons

4 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Stir water and sugar together to dissolve. Sprinkle yeast over water, stir and let stand 10 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in salt, cinnamon, milk and vanilla. Mix in first amount of flour. Add yeast mixture and mix well.
Add currants and peel. Add remaining flour. Mix well and add more flour if needed. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch dough down and shape in 36 balls (more or less, depending on the size you want). Place on greased baking sheet (I use my large stoneware bar pan from Pampered Chef – don’t grease it). Use a knife to cut crosses into the tops of the buns. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise until double in size.
Bake at 400′ for about 20 minutes. Place on racks then ice crosses when buns are cool.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup icing sugar

3 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all together adding more lemon juice if needed to make a (barely) pourable glaze.

The buns are best served warm.

BUTTER TART SQUARES TO DIE FOR

These. Are. Sinful. Once I made them for my friends I was told to ‘never make them again’ because once you eat one, you know you’re done for. You’ve just GOT to have another one! The buttery shortbread crust with the rich caramel and raisin filling will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven. If you want to, add 3/4 cup chopped nuts to the caramel mixture. This recipe makes a lot and the squares freeze well. Enjoy (I know you will!).

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs (
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Watkins baking powder
1 teaspoon Watkins vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup raisins

To make crumb base:

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a cookie sheet (10″ x 15″). Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.

Topping:

Combine butter and sugar and mix well.
Add the eggs.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
Stir in the raisins and spread over the base.
Bake at 350’F for 20 – 25 minutes.
Let cool and cut into squares.

CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

This is the soup that I served at my 2012 Leadership Recap and Sale-a-Bration event – it was a real hit and everyone asked for the recipe. This recipe is from the Food Network, courtesy Emeril Legasse. I also added chopped bok choy to the soup. This was really delicious!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (3 pounds) boned, skinned, and visible fat removed, diced, (save the bones and carcass)
Essence, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 bay leaves
2 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such has beans, zucchini, yellow squash, or cabbage, small dice
1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
Pinch crushed red pepper
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 pound long grain white rice, uncooked

Directions

In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with Essence. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, bones and carcass and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the meat and bones are brown. Remove the bones and carcass. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and bay leaves. Season with Essence. Saute the vegetables for 4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, spinach, and crushed red peppers – saute for 1 minute. Add the stock and rice, bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Re season if necessary. Serve hot.

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Ya Gotta Try This!

Years ago I came across a recipe for ‘Spaghetti Bake‘ and decided to try it. Lemme tell ya – it’s DELISH!!! The recipe immediately went into my ‘recipe bible’. This is thee recipe book – full of all my tried and true precious recipes…*smile* I’ve scanned the page for you, just click the photo to view it larger. As a bonus, you’ll also see my recipe for ‘German Green Beans’. This bean recipe was given to me by my dear friend Tammy and it is sooooo good!!! I especially like making these beans to go along with my pork chop dishes. ENJOY!!

By the way, the Spaghetti Bake is a super make-ahead dish and freezes well.

I just learned about a super way to cook fresh corn on the cob, and it’s AMAZING! It is SO GOOD that I will never cook it any other way, except for this way. In fact, it is soooo dang delicious that I have actually bought some locally-grown corn, just to freeze it so that we can enjoy it in the winter months (I just froze the cobs whole, husks and all, in ziploc freezer bags). Ok, want to know the secret to PERFECT CORN ON THE COB?????? Nuke it. Yup- ya heard me right. Trim the grungy bits on the tip of the corn, then put the cob – without peeling it or anything – into the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. The corn steams in it’s own husk and comes out absolutely perfect! It’s easy to peel after it’s been cooked, too, albeit a tad HOT! Just use a tea towel to hold onto the corn while you peel it. To make your corn even MORE PERFECT, top it with butter and Watkins Black Pepper! OMG – you’ll have died and gone to heaven!!! Let me know if you try this and whatcha think!

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

This is really yummy! I use a bit more soy sauce & hot sauce that the recipe calls for and served over chow mien noodles. The leftovers were perfect for Thai Salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions

Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and hot sauce; pour over roast.
Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.

Hi Everyone! I recently purchased the ‘RECIPE BY DESIGN” digital download to use with My Digital Studio and I LOVE IT! Here’s the first project I’ve made with it and can’t wait to make more!

Click on the image to view it larger.

This recipe page took less than 10 minutes to make and it was SO EASY! Just imagine all the gift possibilities you could create using this download! Scrapbooks, calendars, hard or soft cover books, etc. My mind is SPINNING! (I know…that’s not a newsflash! LOL)

Here’s a quick and easy recipe that will rock your socks off. “Crock Pot Nachos”. ‘Nuff said.

CROCK POT NACHOS

3 pounds rump roast (doesn’t have to be a ‘rump’ roast – just buy whatever is on sale.)

1 can diced tomatoes with chilis (10 oz)

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 package taco seasoning

Optional add-ins:

Jalapenos

Sliced green pepper

Small can green chilies

Cumin to taste (cumin, in my opinion, is a key spice!)

Ground pepper

Serve with:

Tortilla chips

Cheddar cheese (grated)

More jalapenos

Gaucamole

Sour Cream

Green Onions

Fresh Tomatoes, diced

Black Olives, sliced

Cover all sides of roast with taco seasoning. Put roast in crock pot, adding tomatoes and chopped onion. Dump other optional ingredients on top. Turn the crock pot on low for about 8 hours. Remove roast from crock pot. Shred roast into chunks with two forks. Put shredded meat back into crock pot with some of the juice. Reheat.

Serve over tortilla chips and choice of toppings. This meat is also fabulous for quesadillas, burritos, tacos, etc.

Raspberry Lemon Squares

I found this recipe online and tried it out for my “Vintage Brooch” class and I have to tell you, they are DELICIOUS! I’m more a savory than sweet kind of girl, but if I wanted something sweet, THIS would be the top of my list. Enjoy!

Base:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 scant cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
pinch salt

Topping:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup FRESH lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon rind
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or cranberries
1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add flour and salt and stir until well combined and crumbly. Press into the bottom of an 8” x 8” pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just barely golden around the edges.

In the same bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg, egg white, lemon juice & rind and stir until well blended and smooth. Sprinkle the berries and coconut evenly over the base, and pour the lemon filling over top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting or freezing. If you like, sprinkle with icing sugar before serving. Makes 16 squares.

Last night at my Monthly Card Class, Amber brought wonderful little morsels, called Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. So yummy!

Here’s the recipe: Hershey’s Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. Enjoy!

Martini’s!

On the last Saturday of each month, I have my monthly “PMS NIGHT“. This is a lot of fun. Friends come over and we stamp the night away! PMS usually stands for PIZZA, MUSIC & STAMPING. But sometime the “P” is for PIE or POPCORN or POTLUCK. And sometimes the “M” is for MARTINIS or MARGARITAS! And I must say, Martini’s are my favorite. Here are some of my most popular martinis:

ITALIAN WEDDING CAKE MARTINI

Ingredients

2 fluid ounces vanilla vodka
1 fluid ounce cranberry juice
1 fluid ounce pineapple juice
1/2 fluid ounce amaretto (almond flavored liqueur)
1/2 fluid ounce white creme de cacao

Directions

Pour the vodka, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, amaretto, and creme de cacao into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into a chilled martini glass to serve.

SOUR GREEN APPLE MARTINIS

Ingredients

1 1/4 ounces Smirnoff ® Green Apple vodka
1/4 ounce Green Apple Sour Puss
Dash lime juice
1 slice green apple

Directions

Fill shaker with ice; pour Smirnoff® Green Apple Vodka, apple sourpuss, and lime juice over the ice.
Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with apple slice.

SUMMER STAMPIN’ SIPPER MARTINI

Key word here is ‘sip’ – because this martini goes down faster than kool aid and stampin’ goes out the window, cuz you’ll be on the floor!

Ingredients

1 fluid ounce coconut rum
3/4 fluid ounce vodka
1 fluid ounce pineapple juice
1 dash grenadine syrup

Directions

Combine rum, vodka and pineapple juice in a drink shaker. Shake firmly until frothy. Pour in a martini glass, add a touch of grenadine in the middle. Garnish with an orange wheel.

ENJOY!

Flaky pastry? Check. Fresh Bananas? Check. Good quality, dark chocolate? Got it. Buttery toffee? Makin’ it. Homemade whipping cream? You betcha.What we have here, boys and girls, are the makin’s of Banoffee Pie!

Click on the link for the recipe: Jamie’Oliver’s BANOFFEE PIE

I made this for January’s PMS night – it was a big hit! It’s from Jamie’s “30-Minute Meals” – which is a great series!

Here’s another recipe I’ve loved since I was a kid. So quick to put together and totally delicious! Simply put all the ingredients into a blender, pour into dish and bake. The layers happen magically while baking – it may seem impossible, but it’s true! *wink* Enjoy!

IMPOSSIBLE COCONUT PIE

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1 cup flaked coconut
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Place milk, coconut, eggs, vanilla, flour, margarine, and sugar in blender. Mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch pie plate. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

YUM!

One of my most requested recipes: Beef Stroganoff!

Here’s another one of my ‘go-to’, ‘stand by recipes’ that I grew up on. It’s one of my very favorite meals and it’s truly ‘comfort food’ at it’s finest! I’ve also made it a gazillion times for company and EVERYONE loves it! I hope you do too!

Straight from my ‘sacred’ recipe book, with a bonus recipe for cookies on the opposite page:

Click on the photo to enlarge.

TINA’S CHOCOLATE OAT SQUARES

These are really easy to make and are fabulous! Everyone loves them and I’m always asked for recipe. I used to make these for my co-workers at Global TV and the whole pan would be empty within minutes. No kidding! Enjoy!

1 Cup plus 2 tbspButter or Margarine, softened, divided
2 Cups packedBrown Sugar
2Eggs
4 tspVanilla, divided
3 CupsQuick-Cooking Oats
2-1/2 CupsAll-Purpose Flour (I’ve also used whole wheat)
1-1/2 tspSalt, divided
1 tspBaking Soda
1 can (14 oz)Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Cups (12 oz)Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 CupWalnuts, chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream 1 cup of butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs & 2 tsp vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, 1 tsp salt and baking soda; STIR into creamed mixture. Press two-thirds of oat mixture into a greased 9x13x2 (or 15x10x1 inch) pan. In a saucepan, combine milk, chocolate chips and remaining butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts and remaining vanilla. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 350′ for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes approx. 4 dozen. YUM!

Can’t get enough…PANCAKES!

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about pancakes at the moment that I just can’t get enough of! I made them for breakfast last weekend (with pears) and then again this morning (with blackberries) and I’ve decided they’re what I’m making for dinner tonight too! Maybe it’s the crispy, English-style bacon that I eat with my pancakes. Maybe it’s the new griddle pan that I’m loving. Perhaps it’s the melted butter and warm maple syrup. Could be the fresh cuppa coffee. More than likely it’s ALL OF THE ABOVE! But the texture of these pancakes, the ease of making them, the blackberries I’ve added to the batter, just makes me HAPPY. And I hope this pancake recipe makes YOU happy too! It is the same recipe I use to make Yorkshire Puddings (minus the vanilla and fruit, of course!).

PANCAKES

1 Cup Self raising flour *

1 Cup Milk

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla (Watkins is the best! Contact me, if you want to order some!)

Whisk it all about and make your pancakes! Fry your bacon and/or sausages. Pour a nice cup of coffee. Grab your favorite magazine. Turn the radio to your favorite country music station. *wink* Life. Is. Good.

Here’s the ‘official’ link to the above recipe, care of, the one and only, Jamie Oliver. (I know, that doesn’t surprize you…LOL).

*If you don’t have self raising flour, add 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup of all purpose flour.

Need a quick Christmas Gift?

A homespun, handmade Christmas always shows you cared enough to make it yourself…

Here’s a recipe that is mega fast to make, yields tons and everyone LOVES it. Pack some up in cello bags, tied with ribbon or string and a fun tag. Or, my favorite packaging is to recycle coffee and hot chocolate tins! Simply wash out the tins and dry thoroughly. Using the crop-a-dile, punch a hole on each side of the tin; add wire to form a handle. Decorate the tin with some Designer Series Paper and ribbon. Add a tag with directions. Enjoy!

CAMP COFFEE

Ingredients

2 cups powdered non-dairy coffee creamer
1 1/2 cups instant hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 cups instant coffee granules
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the coffee creamer, hot chocolate mix, instant coffee, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
To make 1 cup, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the mix into a coffee mug, and add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until dissolved.

Tina’s Bandito Beef

(I made that name up. Pretty good, huh? LOL)

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
1 cloves garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini (I used a jar of Banana Peppers as well as a few pickled jalapenos tossed in)

Directions

Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Once cooked, I shredded the meat and let it soak up all the juices. Then I toasted hoagie rolls, with a bit of butter for crispiness, layered the beef on top, then some Mexican Goat Cheese (because I had it – old cheddar, or whatever you’ve got in the fridge would be just fine). This was FANTASTIC and I do mean FANTASTIC! I served the sandwiches with homemade potato wedges. This meal makes a lot, so we had the same thing the second night (no complaints!) and then I made enchiladas with the remaining leftovers. Can you say “YUM”?! STILL had some enchiladas left over so they went into the freezer for another night. So not only is this recipe EASY, QUICK and DELICIOUS but it’s extremely economical and versatile too! This meat would be wicked in tacos or on top of nachos, or for quesadillas, etc. ENJOY!

Mmmm….Apples, Cranberries & Cinnamon, OH MY!

I LOVE anything with apples. Especially caramel. But there’s no caramel in this recipe; I just felt like sharing that intimate detail with you. LOL. (Mrs. Richardson’s Caramel sauce is THEE BEST!). Ok. Enough about caramel. Back to the apples. Seriously. I need to get the caramel off my mind for at least a second…. This apple crisp is delicious. And it’s low fat. I made some the other night. I have Mrs. Richardson’s Caramel Sauce in the fridge. Try this crisp (and caramel sauce) today. Must go now. I hear the refrigerator calling my name….

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
4 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cold unsalted butter
6 medium Empire apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmegDirections:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, combine oats, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and flour; with two knives or your fingers, work in the butter until mixture is combined and crumbly.

In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, remaining 2 tbsp brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg; toss to combine. Spoon into the pan; sprinkle with oats mixture.

Bake until filling is bubbly and top is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

Jamie Oliver ROCKS.

As some of you may know, I am a HUGE fan of Jamie Oliver. I’ve never used a cookbook as much as I use the ‘Jamie at Home‘ cookbook – and I’ve got a massive cookbook collection (cooking and stamping are my two biggest addictions!). I’ve only had this particular cookbook a couple of years and it looks like I’ve had it for a century – it’s starting to fall apart from all the use! I’ve made a gazillion recipes from it and each one has been a smashing HIT! I like to write my comments in my cookbooks so that I remember whether or not I liked the recipe and if I made any substitutions, what I served it with, etc. Almost without fail, all of the recipes I’ve made in the ‘Jamie at Home’ book start off with a great big “WOW!”. This cookbook, and the corresponding DVD series, inspired me plant a vegetable garden – as you can see, I’m lovin’ it:

It doesn’t get any better than making dinner, zip outside to the garden, pull out a few carrots while inhaling the crisp, fresh air, scooting back inside to the warm & cozy kitchen and proceed to clean and chop the fresh veg for dinner. Lovely.

These cookies are one of my all time favourite cookies and they just say “Autumn” to me. I was raised on these cookies so not only are they yummy, but they also invoke wonderful childhood memories for me. Delightful with a cup of tea or coffee – these cookies will make you happy. Guaranteed.

GINGERSNAP COOKIES
2 cups Flour
1 tbsp Ginger
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Molasses
3/4 cup Shortening
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tbsp Crystallized Ginger, cut fine

Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add egg & molasses. Add dry ingredients. Roll in small balls. Roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350′.

Enjoy!

PS – Isn’t the china lovley?! It was a gift from my Aunt Gerri for my 40th birthday last month. I think it’s just GORGEOUS! It’s Royal Albert – ‘Celebrating 100 years’. The pattern for my birth year – 1970 – is the Poppy. Aunt Gerri, who celebrated her 60th birthday a week after mine, is the Festival pattern for 1950. She preferred her pattern over the poppy pattern so chose to get me that one instead. Good call Aunt Gerri – I agree with you – the Festival pattern is sooooo pretty! Thank you! xoxox