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Food Holidays for the week:

February 11 - National Peppermint Patty Day

February 12 - National Plum Pudding Day

February 13 - National Tortini Day

February 14 - National Cream Filled Chocolates Day

February 15 - International Gumdrop Day

February 16 - National Almond Day

February 17 - National Cafe Au Lait Day

**Happy Cream Filled Chocolates Day to All**

Weekly Recipe Thread Ping
(to be added/deleted- contact me)

Last week’s recipes (Feb 4th)

Appetizer _ Post#` 07 _ Anchor Bar Buffalo Chicken Wings

Beef _ Post#` 24 _ Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Bread _ Post#` 20 _ Pita Bread

Cake _ Post#` 16 _ Stantonville Yummy PB Cake

Frosting/Icing _ Post#` 16 _ Peanut Butter Frosting

Poultry _ Post#` 19 _ Turkey Curry

Soup _ Post#` 13 _ Chicken Tortilla Soup

Vegetables _ Post#` 23 _ Copper Carrots

Link: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2842443/posts?page=40#40

If my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner or any other special occasion, this was the dish. It is ‘hands down’ my favorite. Mom has the recipe ‘in her head’ and I’ve never been able to get her to write it down for me. While going through a file of some old recipes from family and friends, I found the recipe as written down by my aunt. It looks pretty much the same as mom makes, but I know mom adds just a taste of sugar to the sauce ... she claims that was the secret to her mom’s great cooking ... just a touch of sugar added to almost everything.

Scalloped Tuna & Potato Casserole

4 cups thinly sliced pared potatoes
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp prepared mustard (French’s)
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (7 oz.) can tuna (or 1 cup flaked) - add second can of tuna for richer dish
1 cup thinly sliced, peeled onions

Cook potatoes in boiling water 10 minutes & drain.
Meanwhile, melt butter in top of double boiler over direct heat.
Stir in flour, then mustard.
Add milk, salt & pepper & stir over boiling water until smooth & thickened.
Arrange potatoes, tuna & onions in alternate layers in a greased 2 quart casserole.
Pour sauce over all and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Today is also:

National Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk Day is celebrated every February 11 in the United States. The origin of the holiday is unknown. It comes the day before Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, which was a national holiday until it was combined with George Washington’s to create President’s Day.

The day represents a moment to regroup after recent hardship and push forward with a positive attitude. The phrase points to the idea that getting upset over every little problem will lead to nothing beneficial. A number of theories have emerged on the origin of the proverb itself, from fairy lore to dairy farmers during the Great Depression.

We had this last night, for the second time. It’s excellent and quick to prepare, although I would say it takes a little longer than the 10 min. prep time that the recipe claims. If you use a med sized Dutch oven for the sauce, you can toss the chicken and noodles right in it so you don’t have to dirty a large mixing bowl. This is from the Mr. Food website.

Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients
8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked (I used thin Kluski noodles)
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped cooked rotisserie chicken
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained (I used fresh, sautéed with butter before adding flour)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used about 1/2 - 2/3 C, mixing most of it into the chicken and noodle mixture, sprinkling a little bit over the top)

Instructions
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat; gradually add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth and milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper; set aside.

Combine noodles, chicken, and mushrooms in large bowl; stir in sauce. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9- x 13- inch baking dish; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered, 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Was messing around with something to do differently with chicken. This is what I came up with:

Slow Cooked Hawaiian Chicken and Rice

2 cans (10 1/2 ounces each) Campbell’s® Condensed Chicken Broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium green or red pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

4 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, undrained

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

Toasted sliced almonds
1.Stir the broth, water, soy, garlic, chicken, pepper, onions, pineapple with juice and rice in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2.Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through.
3.Sprinkle with almonds before serving.

Really turned out great for an experiment....

OK, I apologize for it taking me so long to post.

I made this today. It is a variation on Bob Wardon's (QVC) Perfect Pot Roast for a pressure cooker.

Perfect Pot Roast

No stranger to a pressure cooker, it's safe to say that I've made my fair share of pot roasts. Quite simply, this is the easiest way to prepare one without sacrificing a lick of flavor. Fork tender and a slow roasted flavor that's out of this world in an amazingly quick 45 minute cooking time!

(p6 - Took me A LOT longer, but I'm a kitchen clown!)

Ingredients:

Roast

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2-3 lbs. beef chuck roast (Mine was 4 pounds)
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
To taste ground black pepper
2 tsp. beef base mixed into 2 cups water
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried (I used 1 tsp ground thyme,possibly a mistake.
2 bay leaves (mine were crumbly so I used around 3. Another possible mistake.)
1/2 cup red wine (was amazingly out so I just used a bit more broth)
1 tsp. salt (used Morton's Sea salt. maybe 2 tsp)

Vegetables:

6 small redskin potatoes, halved
2 small onions, peeled and quartered (OK mine were small, I used 5)
2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces(I used 4)
2 cups baby carrots
2 Tbsp. corn starch, optional( did not use)

MODIFICATIONS!!!

I also used some of Montel Williams recipe for Hearty Pot Roast.

Basically I washed the roast then rubbed some olive oil, sea salt and black pepper into it and coated it with flour.

In Montel's recipe he uses a small can of tomato paste. I had a couple of tablespoons of unused Heinz ketchup so I used that.

Directions: Add the (Veg) oil to the pressure cooker and heat on high or "brown" with the lid off.
Sprinkle the top of the roast with half of the celery salt, onion powder and a small pinch of ground black pepper. Place the roast, seasoned side down in pressure cooker to brown.
Sprinkle the remaining celery salt, onion powder and another small pinch of pepper over top as the bottom browns.
Once the bottom has seared until dark brown and almost crusty, flip the roast and sear the other side.
Pour in red wine,(I didn't have any so I didn't use) stab roast with a meat fork and push the meat around the bottom of the pan to release the glaze you've created.
Add the beef base, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Securely lock on the pressure cooker's lid, set the cooker to high and cook for 40 minutes.
Perform a quick release to release the cooker's pressure. Safely remove lid and add the vegetables.
Re-lock the pressure cooker's lid, set the cooker to high and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Perform a quick release to release the cooker's pressure.
Serve covered in the au jus from cooker. To thicken the juices into gravy; combine the corn starch with 2 tablespoons water in a small dish and stir into cooker on high or "brown" with the lid off until thick.
Note: Pot roast can be prepared in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

Now since Mrs p6 and I like our meat VERY tender - it's heck getting old - I check things at the recommended time and go from there. In this case I cooked the roast for a total of 120 minutes. 40+20+20. It was nice and tender but not overcooked. During the last 20 minutes is when I put the veggies in.

It turned out GREAT with even youngest son liking it.

I thought some of the thyme was a bit too much but it WAS good!

Mrs p6 won't have an opinion until she gets home after 11 tonight but I think she will like it. I won't get home from work until after midnight so I won't know until tomorrow at the earliest.

Mrs p6 is getting an arrangement of tulips (from Pro Flowers...probably never again. Should have gone with the roses or a local shop) for Valentine's Day and possibly some Sarris Chocolates (like we need them) if I can find them. The factory in Canonsburg Western Pennsylvania was hit with a devastating fire a week ago.

Note to Sarris: The fire chief said they had a hard time fighting the fire because some of the firemen were slipping on melted chocolate and came out covered in chocolate. So when you are back up and running a line of chocolate firemen would be pretty kinda cool!

In any case I saw this from my favorite You Tube cook and plan on making it Monday

In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make an Individual Heart-Shaped Cake for Valentine's Day. You may use Red Currant Chocolate Ganache Frosting (the previous upload in bettyskitchen) to ice the cake, or any chocolate icing will may be used.

Ingredients (for 2 cakes):

one 4-pack of pre-baked shortcakes (I used Hostess shortcakes, which are often used to make a quick individual strawberry shortcakes. You may use any small round sweet cake.)

4 tablespoons red currant jelly

Red Currant Ganache Frosting (from bettyskitchen) or any dark chocolate frosting, such as a pre-made canned chocolate icing

red cinnamon candies, for garnish

Remove the shortcakes from the packaging and place on a tray lined with parchment or waxed paper. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight (for easy handling and cutting).

Prepare a heart template by drawing a heart on clean cardboard, just the size to fit perfectly on one of the shortcakes.

(I was lucky enough to have a heart-shaped cookie cutter of the right size, but a cardboard heart template is easy to make and will work perfectly.

When ready to prepare cakes, fill each of the indentations in the 4 shortcakes with about 1 tablespoon red currant jelly.

In pairs, invert one shortcake over the top of another, allowing the jelly-filled centers to meet.

Place your heart template or cookie cutter on top of the double shortcake. Use a serrated knife, held vertically, to cut around the heart template.

If the shortcake is still frozen, it is very easy to cut smoothly.

Pull the cut off pieces away from the heart cake.

Some jelly may ooze from the center; just clean up the heart, removing crumbs and excess jelly.

Pour Red Currant Chocolate Ganache Frosting over the top of the cake and let it stream down the sides—or, use a cake spreader to spread thicker frosting on the top and sides of the heart-shaped cake.

While the frosting is still moist, place red cinnamon candies in the shape of a heart on top of the frosted cake.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The ganache frosting will set up in the refrigerator, and you may want to let it come to room temperature before serving.

This recipe makes one easy and delicious cake for you—and one for your sweetheart! Happy Valentine's Day!!! --Betty ♥♥♥♥♥

Poor picture but you get the idea.

Link to video I love Betty and her recipes!

Some people are not crazy about her southern belle voice but for me ... YEAH!

Simple but for a kitchen clown like me it will be cool if I pull it off and it will impress Mrs p6's co-workers when she takes it to work on Valentine's Day. If it makes it that far, LOL!

Yesterday was the first time I tried both of these recipes. I ended up using two heart shaped tart pans. I baked the crusts for 10 minutes, poked the bottoms with a fork and then baked for about 20 minutes more at 350 degrees. It turned out very good! The crust was actually the best tasting pie crust for sweets i've ever made. I shaved a chocolate bar on top.. here is a picture of one:

Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients:
Crust
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell (pie crust recipe follows) Filling
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3-oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Garnish
2 cups Whipped Cream
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
To prepare the filling, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks until they are well combined. Place the mixture over medium heat, constantly whisking and scraping the sides of the pan.
When the cream begins to bubble and thicken, add the butter 1 Tbsp at a time. When all of the butter is mixed in, add the vanilla. Finally, add the chocolate a little at a time, giving each addition of chocolate the chance to melt into the filling before adding more. Keep the mixture over the heat until the chocolate is smoothly melted and the cream thickens.
Pour the chocolate filling into the pie shell. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour before serving. When ready to serve, remove the pie from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Using a pastry bag, distribute the whipped cream decoratively across the top of the pie. If you choose, use an offset spatula to create a more finished look. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the whipped Cream. Chocolate cream pie should be served cold. It can be stored in the refrigerator.

Best Basic Pie Crust Dough
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
7 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small pieces
7 tablespoons very cold shortening, cut into pieces
Preparation:
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in butter and shortening. Using your hands, a fork, a pastry cutter, or two knives, work butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal with some small pea-size pieces.
Using a fork, quickly stir in 1/2 cup ice water (mixture will not hold together). Turn dough and crumbs onto a clean surface. Knead just until dough starts to hold together but some bits still fall away, 5 to 10 times. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a 6-in. disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.
Keep the dough cold and the butter chunky. For a flaky crust, keep the butter from melting into the dough before baking. Why? Those bits of butter, which should be roughly pea-size, are meant to melt in the oven, giving off steam that creates flaky pockets. If the dough seems to be softening too much as you're working with it, throw it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. As you roll out the dough, you should see veins of butter running through it. Roll out from the center. It's much easier to roll dough into a circle if you work from the center out to the edge in all directions. Don't overdo it. Overworking the dough and using too much flour can make pie crust tough and dry. Try to keep a light hand with both, rolling just enough to reach your desired size and using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Crimp the edges. Crimping or fluting the edges of a double-crust pie seals the dough and keeps the filling from leaking out during baking. Even on a single-crust pie, crimping can create a helpful dam effect. There are many good techniques, but our favorite is to pinch the dough around the index finger of one hand using the thumb and forefinger of the other. YIELD: Makes 1 double crust for a 9-in. pie (or 2 single-crust 9-in. pies)

Twinkie Recipe

Yellow Cake Mix
4 eggs
1.5 cup milk
Banana Pudding mix (not instant)
-Grease and flour 2 15”x10.5” cookie sheets. Half of batter into each one. Bake 10 to 15 miinutes at 350 degrees.

Filling: 0.5 cup milk, 3 tbsp flour: mix on stove until thick. Cool unitl warm. Add 1 cup sugar, 0.5 cup crisco shortening, 0.5 cup butter (recipe states margarine but I don’t use it), 1 tbs banana extract. Blend 5 minutes.

Spread filling on one cake, add second cake to the top. Cut into individual servings.