Archive for Retreat Cookbook

Taffy Apple Salad Recipe

By Val · Comments (1)
Monday, December 20th, 2010

I rediscovered this Taffy Apple Salad recipe that I used to make when I first got married, but had forgotten about. Probably when I discovered the recipe for our family favorite “Sort of Hawaiian Salad”.

It was actually my husband who reminded me about the recipe when he signed us up to bring Taffy Apple Salad for a holiday potluck. I told him it wasn’t Taffy Apple Salad it was sort of more like Hawaiian Salad, but he remembered that I had his Mom’s recipe. I made it last night, and just had to share it here. (Wish I had remembered to take a picture of it before Hubby took it to work today!)

Below is my Mother-In-Law’s Taffy Apple Salad recipe:

1 – 24 oz. can pineapple chunks (drain, but reserve the juice)
2 C. mini marshmallows
1 T. flour
1/4 C. sugar
1 egg – well beaten
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
12 oz. Cool Whip
2 C. diced, unpeeled Red Delicious apples (I got this from 1 large apple)
1 1/2 C. chopped dry roasted nuts

  • Mix pineapple chunks and marshmallows in medium mixing bowl. Let stand overnight.
  • In a small saucepan, mix pineapple juice, flour, sugar, egg, and vinegar. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat, leave covered and let cool. Then refrigerate the mixture overnight.
  • The next morning, in a large serving bowl,add the Cool Whip to the cooked mixture; then fold in all remaining ingredients. Chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

My notes: It’s crunchy, and sweet, and creamy, and delicious! Next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I’m going to use a little more diced apple, and a little less chopped nuts. Tweaking to my preferences. ;)

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Categories : Retreat Cookbook, Salads
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2 Delicious Crustless Dessert Pie Recipes

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

TastyTuesday recipes at Mom's Online Retreat by Shelly Hill

When it comes to making homemade dessert pies, there are numerous varieties that you can make. Two of my favorite homemade pies happen to be apple and pumpkin.

A few years ago…my mother gave me 2 of her favorite crustless pie recipes that are really easy to make. At first I wasn’t too sure if I would even like a crustless pie but after making them and trying them, they have now become favorites with my family.

Mom’s Apple Pie

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups apples, chopped
1 cup nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two pie plates. In mixing bowl, combine the granulate sugar and all-purpose flour. Add in the eggs, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract, stir until smooth. Stir in the chopped apples and nuts. Pour into pie plates. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until done.

Mom’s Pumpkin Pie

4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Bisquick Baking Mix
1/3 stick butter
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand in the order that they are given in the recipe. Once combined, pour the mixture into a blender container and blend for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a large pie pan that has been greased with butter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until done.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking and baking a variety of great tasting foods for her family. You can visit Shelly’s recipe site at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free recipes and cooking tips. You can also visit Shelly’s Tupperware site at http://my.tupperware.com/Ravish30 for Tupperware recipes and kitchen related items.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

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Categories : Dessert Recipes, Retreat Cookbook
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Eggnog Cheesecake

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

TastyTuesday There are certain foods and flavors that only seem to be available during the Holiday Season – Eggnog is one of my favorites. There is generally a 1/2 gallon container of eggnog in our refrigerator at all times from Thanksgiving to New Years. (not the same one of course!)

Here is recipe for all of you Eggnog lovers out there –
Cheesecake the Eggnog Way!

Ingredients:
CRUST:
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

CHEESECAKE:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons rum*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks

Instructions:
Make the crust by mixing together the crushed wafers, butter and nutmeg. Press the mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 325 degrees F. Blend together cream cheese, flour, sugar, rum and vanilla. Add one egg at a time to the mixture and continue to blend well after each addition. Then blend in the 4 additional egg yolks and the whipping cream. Pour cheesecake filling into prepared pan. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees F. Completely cool before removing from spring form pan then refrigerate over night.

*For a non-alcoholic family friendly version you can use rum extract, vanilla extract, white grape juice or apple juice!

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Categories : Dessert Recipes, Retreat Cookbook
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3 Chocolate and Candy Cane Treats

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

TastyTuesday Candy cane lovers are going to enjoy these delicious holiday treats! Watch for those candy cane sales. Though at this time of year, the candy canes may be easier to find than the chocolate, so when you find either of them stock up! These treats are bound to be a favorite this holiday season, and you may find yourself wanting to make more. Perfect for gift giving, put some pieces in a cellophane bag, or airtight container for Teachers, neighbors, co-workers or friends.

Marbled Chocolate Candy Cane Delight

Ingredients:
1 pound dark chocolate
1 pound white chocolate
30 small peppermint candy canes
**If it’s not the holidays get a bag or two of the red and white peppermint candies

Directions:

  1. Put dark chocolate in a microwave bowl and heat on high setting in microwave 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir chocolate about every 30 seconds to make sure lumps are melting.
  2. Heat and melt the white chocolate in microwave bowl, the same way you did with dark chocolate.
  3. Put candy canes in a large Ziploc bag and do whatever you want to do to smash them up, hit them with a meat mallet, smack them off the counter, drop them, whatever gets them broken into pieces. The kids will be sure to want to help with this step.
  4. Place half the crushed candy canes in a strainer and shake small crumbs into dark chocolate. Place the remaining crushed candy into strainer and shake crumbs into white chocolate.
  5. Line a 9X9X9 baking pan with heavy aluminum foil. Spread dark chocolate out into bottom of pan. Spread white chocolate over the dark chocolate in pan. For marbling effect run a wooden skewer, or knife several times up and down the length of the pan.
  6. Sprinkle the rest of the crushed candy canes over the top.

Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. When hardened break up pieces of candy by dropping straight down on the counter.

Chocolate Candy Cane Brittle

Ingredients:
2 pounds white, milk or dark chocolate
30 peppermint candy canes**

Directions:

  1. First, crush up the candy canes, or peppermint candy pieces.
  2. Melt the chocolate, in a microwave bowl, on high setting in microwave 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir chocolate about every 30 seconds to make sure there are no lumps. You want completely melted and smooth white chocolate.
  3. Stir broken candy pieces into the melted chocolate and spread the mixture evenly into a jellyroll pan. *Tip ~ line the jellyroll pan with foil first for easy removal and clean up.
  4. Chill until set, about 2 hours.
  5. Break into pieces by dropping on counter and store in a sealed container.

Quick Homemade Chocolate (Mint) Truffles

Ingredients:
1 small bag of milk chocolate chips or baking pieces
2 tablespoon unsalted, real butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bakers’ unsweetened cocoa
1/2 confectioner’s sugar
finely-crushed candy canes**

Directions:

  1. Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over low heat.
  2. Slowly stir in cream; mix until blend looks smooth and silky.
  3. Chill until well set.
  4. Once chocolate is firm, scoop out and roll into small balls.
  5. Roll balls into cocoa, powdered sugar, or finely-crushed candy cane.
  6. Place in a container and refrigerate until serving.
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Categories : Chocolate, Retreat Cookbook
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3 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

TastyTuesday Pumpkins – we see them everywhere from Halloween through Thanksgiving, and even into Christmas, many in for forms of food at the Holidays. Now is the time to find cans of pumpkin puree and pie filling on the shelves at your local grocery store. Stock up for the Holidays and put them to good use in these 3 yummy pumpkin recipes.

And…Happy Thanksgiving (early) to you all!

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture until just combined.  Do not over mix.  Fold in chopped pecans. Spoon batter into lightly greased or lined muffin tin and fill to 2/3 full.  Bake in preheated oven at 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until golden and baked through.  Cool in muffin tins for 5 minutes until removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
2 cups pureed pumpkin
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 pie crust

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour batter into pie crust.  Bake in preheated oven at 350F for approximately 60 minutes or until set through.

Topping:
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup whipped cream
½ cup powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients together and use to top pie.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cups brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries

Directions:
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs and oil.  Mix well.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir well.  Fold in the cranberries.  Transfer mixture to two lightly greased loaf pans.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 45 to 55 minutes or until golden and baked through. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

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Ideas for Holiday Leftovers

By Val · Comments (1)
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

TastyTuesday If you are having Thanksgiving, or Christmas at your house, OR if you’re always one to bring home leftovers, here are a couple of different ways to use up turkey and ham leftovers. You might also have leftovers from the veggie tray that can be used too. Take a look at the recipes below, then make your list and hit the grocery store today to avoid the rush before the holiday. This way you’ll be armed with what you need to give your holiday leftovers a new life.

Holiday Leftovers in a Quiche

This is a quick easy quiche that you can make from Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s great for those office parties and after Thanksgiving get together.

Ingredients:
5 large eggs
2 1/2 -3 cups leftover stuffing or half of a 6 oz package bread stuffing mix, prepared according to package directions
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup diced cooked turkey
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Beat one egg and add stuffing to it. Press this into the bottom of a deep pie dish or a quiche pan if you have one, it will serve as a mock-crust for your quiche. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the stuffing-crust. Layer in the turkey, onion, mushrooms in any order you wish. Beat remaining 4 eggs in a small bowl. Stir in the half and half. Season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Pour egg mixture evenly over the layers in the pan. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let it stand and cool for about 15 minutes to firm up before cutting and serving.

Holiday Leftover Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package (9 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
3 cups cooked turkey
1/2 cups country or baked ham
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) canned cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cup milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Instructions:
Cook onion, sliced carrots and celery with a little bit of vegetable oil in the skillet under just tender. Stir in the spinach and pour it all into a shallow baking dish (at least 3 quarts or bigger). Spread the chopped turkey and ham cubes evenly over top of everything in the dish. Next, in a medium mixing bowl blend together undiluted soup, 1 cup of milk and ground pepper. Pour this evenly over top of everything in the dish. Now mix together the flour, grated cheese, butter (or margarine) and remaining milk until nice and smooth. Pour this over top of everything in the dish. Bake 45 minutes to one hour at 400 degrees F. The top will be golden brown when done.

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5 Slow Cooker Features

By Val · Comments (0)
Friday, November 13th, 2009

fiveforfridayThings to Consider When Buying a Slow Cooker

Recently, I joined Once a Week Cooking with aspirations of filling my freezer with pre-cooked meals. But I found that there were a couple of important small kitchen appliances I really needed to have before I could start. One that’s instrumental for the Once a Week Cooking method is a slow cooker. I did a little research, and below is a list of things to consider when buying one of these invaluable cooking tools.

  1. Size / Capacity – What you will use your slow cooker for (party dips vs. whole meals)? What is your family size (cooking for 2, 4, 8)? Most slow cookers care round, but larger ones might be oval-shaped. Depending on what your plans at for cooking in the slow cooker, an oval one fits more oblong cuts of meat, hams, a whole chicken, or small turkey. In general, a 3-4 quart slow cooker is good if you’re cooking for 1 or 2. Most slow cookers require that the cooking vessel be filled at least half-way for safe use, so for a family of four or more the larger 6 or 7 quart models would be best.
  2. Programmable vs. manual setting – If you’ll be away for most of the day, you might consider purchasing a slow cooker that is programmable. You can set the number of hours for cooking, at High or Low, then at the end of cooking time it will switch to a Warm setting. If you’ll be home most of the time you use the slow cooker, you might save some money by purchasing a manual setting slow cooker. Either way, having a Warm setting is a desirable option if you want to keep your dish warm for a length of time.
  3. Temperature settings - Most slow cookers these days offer High, Low and Warm settings. The warm setting is a nice feature to have when you want to keep food at temperature during a party, or for keeping dinner warm for a family that comes and goes. With a programmable slow cooker, this helps prevent overcooking, yet keeps dinner warm and ready to serve when you are. Some slow cookers even come with a temperature probe for monitoring internal temperatures of roasts, or poultry.
  4. Ease of cleaning – Is this something you consider when buying a small kitchen appliance? You will want to look for a slow cooker with a removable “crock” and/or submerge-able base. A removable crock means less cleanup. Many feature dishwasher-safe parts making clean-up even easier.
  5. Portability - Handles that come up to secure the top and allow you to transport your slow cooker are nice. Cook at home, then transport to Grandma’s house at the holidays. When eating at home, having a removable pot gives you a serving vessel, going from cooker to table all in one dish.

Before you go out shopping for a slow cooker then, consider these 5 features, and the ones that might be important to you and your slow cooking needs. Then check out Once a Week Cooking to have weekly menus, with recipes and grocery lists sent straight to your inbox. It will have you filling your freezer, making menu planning and busy dinner times a whole lot easier.

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Categories : Retreat Cookbook

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

TastyTuesday Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
2 to 3 apples
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 pat of margarine
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Slice the acorn squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and the strings.

2. Place the squash face down in a casserole pan filled with 1/2 inch of water.

3. Sit the pan in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

4. While the squash is steaming, peel and slice the apples.

5. Mix in the brown sugar.

6. Take the squash out of the oven, placing face up, and fill the cavities with the apple mixture.

7. Add a pat of margarine to each half and top with a shake or two of nutmeg.

8. Cover very lightly with foil.

9. Return the dish to the oven, and bake until the apples and squash are soft and cooked. This takes approximately another 30 minutes.

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Categories : Retreat Cookbook

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

TastyTuesday With a quick prep time, this yummy comfort food is something you can make up on a weekend morning, or as part of the dessert menu for any occasion. Good as a breakfast, a dessert or an evening snack! Toast, and cube the croissants ahead of time to save a step later.

Serve it warm with a little icecream, or cold topped with whipped creme, or serve as is. ;)

Ingredients:
6 large croissants, toasted and cubed
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1/8 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar

For topping –
3-4 T. butter (cubed)
brown sugar
cinnamon

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and put the bread in last.

2. Spread evenly in a casserole dish and sprinkle top with some extra brown sugar and cinnamon. Place cubes of butter on top to help create a nice brown sugar topping.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 – 20 minutes. Let it cool some before serving.

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Categories : Dessert Recipes, Retreat Cookbook

Blueberry Bundt Cake With Vanilla Glaze

By Val · Comments (0)
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

TastyTuesdayHow To Make A Blueberry Bundt Cake With Vanilla Glaze
by Shelly Hill

When it comes to summer parties and serving a homemade dessert, I like to bake bundt style cakes. This recipe is one of my favorites because I use fresh blueberries that are in season. They are most plentiful during the months of May through September. They can be eaten raw or used in cooking and baking for cakes, pies, pudding, jams, jellies, granola mixes, muffins, breads or cereals.

Here is a little known health fact about blueberries. They are a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. Health reports have shown that they may help to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and reduce urinary tract infections. Additional health studies have shown that they can also help to reduce cholesterol levels.

Blueberry Bundt Cake

3 cups un-sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Lightly grease and flour a 10″ round tube pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift 3 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of flour and cinnamon, stirring to mix the ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and vanilla extract together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. At low speed, beat flour mixture alternating with sour cream into the mixture. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle half of the blueberries and half of the brown sugar mixture; repeat layers.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan before removing the cake. You can glaze the top of the cake if desired.

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 tablespoons water
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend until smooth. Drizzle over the blueberry cake.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at http://my.tupperware.com/Ravish30 or visit her Shakin ‘N Bakin Recipe Blog for additional free recipes at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

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Categories : Dessert Recipes, Retreat Cookbook
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