Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

I am obsessed with this salad.

Just ask my good friend Jeanetta!

Jeanetta would bring this salad to school for teachers luncheons and I would practically follow her around to see where she sat her salad down at.

Then, I would politely (well sorta) position myself to be first in line to make sure I got some of her famous salad.

I don’t know if she finally felt sorry for me or was tired of me stalking her salad, that she finally gave me the recipe.

Yippe!

I just love how all these simple everyday ingredients come together to make this yummy summer (or anytime) salad.

It has all those things in a salad that I love!

Pasta….come on who does not love pasta???

Tomatoes…..ok…not every body loves tomatoes…but then the same ones that don’t eat tomatoes…eat ketchup…..mmmm you got to wonder about them. Yes, I am talking about my super hero son who does not eat tomatoes!

Fresh spinach….fine, not everyone loves spinach, not sure why….I must be kin to Popeye cause I love spinach; cooked or fresh!

A little bit of red onion…I have to sneak them in cause Company hates onions….what he does not taste does not kill him…hehe..

AND last but not least the dressing seasoned with oriental ramen noodle seasoning packets.

YUM!

Anywho, with summertime approaching and all the backyard BBQing starting, you might need a simple, party pleasing, great tasting, easy to make pasta salad!

Here is what you need!

For the dressing, sugar, vegetable oil, vinegar and 2 packets of oriental ramen nooodle seasoning packets. For the salad, bow tie pasta, tomatoes (I usually use cherry tomatoes cut in half) sweet red onion (I had to use yellow cause I was out of red) and fresh spinach.

Let’s make the dressing first. In a little blender or a big blender, pour in your oil.

Now, add in your vinegar.

Toss in your sugar.

Now add in the secret ingredient of two packets of oriental flavor ramen noodle seasoning packets.

Just sprinkle them in.

Using your blender, blend the dressing until it is smooth and thick. The oil and vinegar should totally be emulsified.

Now chop up your tomato, or if you are using cherry tomatoes, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Also finely chop up a half of a red onion.

Start some salted water to boil and boil bow tie pasta following the directions on the box.

When finished cooking, run cold water over the pasta to cool.

Now it is time to assemble the salad.

In a large bowl put in the cooked and cooled pasta. Add in the tomatoes.

Add in the diced onions and the spinach.

Toss and the salad ingredients together.

Now drizzle on the amount of dressing that you like.

All you need now is a fork!

Here is the recipe:

Courtesy of my friend Jeanetta!

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1- 16 ounce box bow tie pasta

2 to 3 cups of fresh baby spinach

2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half

1/2 sweet red onion diced

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 seasoning packets from oriental flavor ramen noodle packages.

Directions:

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Dice the red onion.

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and let cool.

In a blender, blend together the vegetable oil, vinegar and sugar. Add in the oriental flavoring packets. Blend until fully emulsified.

In a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, tomatoes and onions. Toss together .

Right before serving, add in 2 cups of spinach leaves. Toss.

Drizzle with dressing in the amount that you like. Toss and serve.

Enjoy!

Becky

Here is a couple of other post you may enjoy reading:

St. Louis Style Oven BBQ Ribs Grilled Steak Burgers

Old Fashion Red Velvet Cake

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

I love to bake layer cakes.

The taller the better.

Lots of layers of cake.

Not sure exactly why, but I am pretty sure it has to do with all the icing in between each layer.

It has to be the icing!

Icing makes me happy!

But cake makes me happy too.

Ok…so maybe it is cake and icing that makes me happy.

One thing I know for sure is that this cake makes my happy. : )

When my baby girl, who will be getting married in a few short months, was trying to pick out flavors of cake to taste test for her wedding cake, Red Velvet Cake was on the list. It is a classic flavor and the red color looks so delish with the white icing. When we got to taste of the cake and the flavor was somewhat lacking( and even the cake decorated said she was not a fan of her red velvet cake) All of her other cakes were great and we did choose this decorator for the her wedding cake, but it got me thinking about the Red Velvet Cakes I was used to eating years ago.

Moist, slightly chocolate flavored, icing not too sweet, four layers, deep red color…..these are some of the mandatory things I was looking for in a recipe.

I looked around in several of my cookbooks, my cut out newspaper recipes and finally found a couple of recipes that seems to most resemble the one I was looking for.

I ended up using two different recipes. One for the cake and another for the icing.

The icing has flour in it but not cooked in a paste like other cooked flour icings. I loved it! My son, liked the icing and loved the cake but would like a traditional cream cheese icing.

I love cream cheese icing too!

Anywho, pick your favorite type of icing, but make this cake.

It will make you (and me) happy!

Here is what you will need to make this perfect Red Velvet Cake.

You will need cake flour, sugar, buttermilk, salt, baking powder, eggs, cocoa powder, baking soda, vinegar, vanilla, red food coloring (I used some red velvet cake food coloring I found at a Amish store and vegetable shortening.

First thing you need to do is dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar.

It will look like a little volcano of bubbles for a bit.

Now on to the stand mixer. In a mixer cream together the sugar.

Here is a picture of me adding the sugar. Cream the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Now, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one.

In a small bowl add in the cocoa powder.

Add in half the amount of red food coloring.

Mix the two together to remove all the lumps.

Add the cocoa mixture to the creamed sugar mixture.

Now add in the rest of the red food color and mix all together.

Alternately add in the flour, salt and baking powder with the buttermilk.

Here is a picture of me adding the buttermilk.

Now it is time to add in the vanilla.

Lastly, add in the baking soda and vinegar mixture and mix in.

Look at the beautiful red batter.

Pour the batter, in equals amount into prepared 8 inch cake pans. I ALWAYS line my cake pans with parchment paper before pouring in the batter. Place the cake pans in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When done take the cakes out and cool for 10 minutes then put on a cooling rack. When cool, cut the cakes in half horizontally to make four layers.

Now, onto the icing!

For the icing you will need vegetable shortening, butter, flour, sugar and vanilla.

Measure out the butter, vegetable shortening and the sugar.

With a mixer, cream together the sugar, butter and vegetable shortening.

Cream until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, one tablespoon at a time.

Add in the milk. Keep mixing to incorporate the milk in. The icing will start to get real creamy.

Add in the vanilla.

There you go! Look how pretty the icing is!

Here is a picture of the cakes cut in half horizontally. I saved all the crumbs from cutting the cake to decorate the top of the cake.

Spread 1/4 of the icing on top of the bottom layer. Continue to add another layer of cake and ice the top of the layer until you get to the top.

Here is the finished cake topped with all the extra crumbs.

Are you ready to make cake???

Alrighty!

Here is the recipe:

Adapted from Iowa State Fair Prize Winning Cook Book

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 ounces red food coloring (I used red velvet food coloring I bought at the Amish store, it worked great)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

Mix the vinegar and soda together in a small bowl. Let stand. Cream the shortening and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add in the eggs. Make a paste of the cocoa and a small amount of the red food coloring. Add the cocoa paste to the cramed mixture. Add the remainder of the food coloring. Alternately, add in the buttermilk, salt, baking powder and flour. Add in the vanilla and the vinegar/soda mixture.. Mix all ingredients together and pour into 2 – 8 inch pan. (I lined mine with parchment paper).

Bake for around 30 minutes at 350 degree.

Cool. Split layers in half, making 4 layers. Spread the frosting between layers and top of cake only.

Keep in the refrigerator.

Frosting Recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup margarine (I used butter)

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons (room temperature)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I have also used vanilla paste)

Directions:

Cream margarine, shortening and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Add in the milk and vanilla. Beat the frosting well. On my stand mixer I let it mix for several minutes until the frosting got real creamy.

Here is just a little close up picture of all the yummy layers!

Enjoy!

Becky

Here is a few other post you may enjoy!

Strawberry Cake

Oven BBQ Brisket

My First Ever Gooseberry Pie

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

I have now entered the world where I am making pies my Mom makes.

What does that say about me?

MMMM…

That I could be making a mincemeat pie in the near future?

More on this adventure into sour gooseberries after we eat it.

Becky

Counting Eggs!

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

My oldest grand girl so totally, photo bombed, my photo…haha!

I have been keeping a daily count of the number of eggs my backyard chickens lay.

This month we had a grand total of 135. UP from 114 last month!!

I am sure the chickens like all the sun shine and longer days that spring has provided.

Not to mention all that kale and left over veggies from the fridge.

It is hard to believe that I have had the chickens for a year now.

Here is a picture of Bunny and Sunshine when they were a couple of days old.

Here is Bunny now.

Here is Sunshine!

Wow, they grew up fast!

Ok, Chocolate Chip….I won’t leave you out!

In thinking back over the last year with chickens, I am so glad that I took that plunge into “Backyard Chicken-hood”.

Yes, they poop….but having the best tasting eggs is worth it!

Squawk!

Becky

Creamy Butterscotch Pie

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

How is everyone out there?

So sorry it has taken me a month to get back to my web page to post another recipe!

It has not been because I have not been cooking. I have about 10 new recipes to get together to post. Really good recipes too!!! You know, like the perfect Red Velvet Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie with a perfect Meringue that did not weep and last be not least, another soup recipe…haha…you know how I love soup and it is the perfect freezer left over I can take to eat for lunch at work. The soup I made was Tuscan Veggie Soup that had kale it in….yummmmy.

Anywho, I am sorry about not posting. I did think about you everyday and worry that you will forget about me!! ; ) Spring break got in the way, end of year activities at school, grand daughter activities and of course all this wedding planning for my Baby College Girl who is getting married in August.

Needless to say, I am back with my computer files full of yummy food pictures all for you. I even have some back yard chicken pictures and some random flower power pictures of flowers blooming in my yard. So, hang in there, I am never gone too long!!!

OK, lets get back to “The Best Butterscotch Pie.” This whole pie search started cause I made that fabulous Coconut Cream Pie a couple of months ago. WELLLLL Oldest Daughter does not like coconut and neither does Company….so I made a so-so butterscotch pie for them. It was good, but I was still not satisfied with it. Not because it did not get scarfed down in a couple of days, I just did not think the butterscotch flavor was as rich as I would have like it.

So….I did what crazy bakers do and found another recipe.

This is the ONE.

It has a rich butterscotch flavor, it cut like a dream and was not hard to make at long. It just took a little longer, but it was well worth it.

Oldest Daughter wants me to make another one.

After you make this recipe, you will want to make another.

This is what you will need:

For the filling you will need, butter, milk, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla (I used vanilla paste) salt, corn syrup, flour and corn starch. For the whipped topping you will need powdered sugar and whipping cream. (I think I forgot to put the brown sugar in the picture….my bad)

In a medium sauce pan put in the measured out the brown sugar and butter.

Add the water.

Add in the corn syrup.

Start cooking the syrup.

Cook the syrup until it reaches 245 to 250 on the candy thermometer or until it comes to a soft ball stage.

You will get this nice thick, caramel like syrup. Set the syrup aside to cool.

In a medium sauce pan, place the sugar, flour and the corn starch. Whisk together.

Add in the salt.

Add in the milk, and whisk together to remove all the lumps. Now, start cooking the custard until it bubbles and thickens.

In a bowl, place all the egg yolks and whisk until combines. Add a small amount of the hot custard to the eggs to temper them (bring up the temperature). When done add the eggs to the hot custard and whisking in as you pour the beaten eggs in and cook for two more minutes.

Add in the vanilla. (this in the one I made with clear vanilla, the second one I made I used vanilla paste)

Whisk the custard until bubbly, now pour in the cooled syrup you made earlier. Whisk all the syrup in until it is all combined.

Pour the pie filling into a pre-bake pie shell. This time I am using a graham cracker crust.

This recipe makes just enough filling for a small pre-made graham cracker crust. Place the pie in the refrigerator and chill for 4 hours.

For the topping, whip together the whipping cream and the powdered sugar. I used my little Wolf Gang Puck blender.

You can used a mixer too. This was just easier for me to make it in this.

Now, slice off a big piece of the pie! See, how nice it cuts into a slice?

Now, you can put a big dollop of whipped cream on top. If you like you can decorate the plate with a little powdered sugar.

Don’t forget your fork!!

Hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Becky

St. Patty’s Day Cooking

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

Are you ready for St. Patrick’s Day?

I just back from the store after purchasing my point cut corn beef, a onion, red potatoes and some cabbage. I knew I would be running around after church tomorrow and most likely would not have time for a trip to the grocery store. First thing on Monday morning, I will put my corn beef in the crock pot so it will be all cooked and tender for dinner that night.

If you have never made a corn beef, do not be intimidated! I did not make my first one until a few years ago. Just follow the direction from this post Point Cut Corn Beef. I have the step by step pictures and directions all ready for you to follow.

If you feel like a little Irish Soda Bread, the recipe for one is here. Irish Soda Bread is dense and slightly sweeten. Perfect with a hardy soup.

How about a fun GREEN bread made for a cake mix swirled with cinnamon sugar. You can find the recipe here.

Hope everyone in Missouri and elsewhere is enjoying the nice warm weather. Our snow has melted off and the ground is a little soggy but my bulbs are popping out of the ground reminding me that another season is on its way and it’s name is Spring!.

Have a great weekend!

Becky

P.S. here is another GREEN recipe!

Here is the recipe.

Coconut Cream Pie

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

What is your favorite pie?

Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, Peach……..?

If you asked me that question I think it would have to be Coconut Cream Pie.

I am just NUTS over CocoNUT Cream Pie.

While I was attending college, there was this truck stop down by the interstate that made the most fabulous pies. My college friends and I would get a car load of girls together and drive, whose ever car had gas in it, to the truck stop just to get a slice of pie. Their pies were homemade by some pie angel in the kitchen who knew just how to make a meringue stand up, sweet and perfect on top of all those glorious pies. The selection of pies would tempt you to try every one. I think during the four years I was at college I finally managed to try each one, at least once, or twice…or three or more times. : )

Over the years, I have made several different recipes of a Coconut Cream Pie. I am always looking for “THE ONE” recipe that taste like the pies me and my college friends, sampled, drooled and laughed over. I am not sure how we ate that much pie and still fit in our jeans. But, we did! Those were good times!

In a cookbook, I just happen to buy at a flea market, (one of my favorite places to buy cookbooks) I found a recipe for Coconut Cream Pie. It was pretty basic, had all the ingredients that you would have in your kitchen and the recipe was mentioned as being delicious in the forward of the cookbook. The cookbook was a fundraiser that moms at a church submitted as their favorite recipe. Who can pass up a recipe that said it was a delicious pie….and a coconut one at that.

NOT ME!

So………….I have made it 4 or 5 times now in the last couple of weeks.

Don’t fall in a faint….I did not eat that many pies. I made them for my family, friends and for super bowl.

My dad, who knows his pie, (he should as he is 96 and has eaten millions of pies, well close to a million hehe) said it was the best Coconut Cream Pie he has eaten.

Well, let’s just say , I am no longer looking for a Coconut Cream Pie recipe.

I have found “THE ONE” that taste like the pies that I remember eating and loving so much!

I hope you love it as much!

Here is what you need.

You will need half and half or whole milk, corn starch, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, (I used real vanilla paste) eggs, graham cracker crust or a regular pie crust pre-baked and of course coconut.

In a medium sauce pan add in the sugar.

Now, add in the flour.

Next the corn starch.

Now, the salt.

Whisk the dry ingredients together.

Now pour in the half and half.

Whisk until smooth. Now turn on the heat to medium and continue stirring until the filling gets thick.

Separate your eggs. Save your egg whites for your meringue.

In a bowl put the egg yolks. Mix with a smooth to make smooth.

When the custard gets thick, add a couple of tablespoons of the custard to the eggs yolks and mix in. This is tempering the eggs which brings the temperature up so when you add the eggs they do not cook immediately into scrambled eggs in your custard.

After tempering your egg yolks, add them to the custard. Whisk the egg yolks in as you add them.

Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes or until the custard becomes very thick and bubbles. Be sure and still the whole time.

Take the custard off the heat and add in the coconut.

Now add in the vanilla. I used real vanilla paste, because I love the flavor and the specks of vanilla bean in the custard.

Pour the filling into a 9 inch graham cracker crust or a pre-baked regular crust.

Using the left over egg whites, make a meringue. I will post the one I made that did not weep later this week.

Bake the pie in a 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meringue gets all toasty and pretty.

Now, all you have to do is wait for the pie to cool before you can cut you a big slice.

If you like pie, as much as I do, I hope you give this pie a try!

Becky

Coconut Cream Pie

Adapted from Old Church Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups half and half or whole milk

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup shredded coconut

Graham Cracker Crust or a Baked Pie Crust

Meringue or Cool Whip for the top of the pie.

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and cornstarch. Add in the half and half and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the custard is very thick. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks. Add a couple of tablespoons of the cook custard to the egg yolk and stir. This will temper the egg yolks and bring the temperature up before you add the yolks to the hot custard. Quickly add the tempered yolks to the custard and whisk in. Continue to cook the custard until bubbles and the custard is very thick. Remove from heat and add in the vanilla and coconut. Stir in. Pour the custard into a graham cracker crust or a cooled pie crust and top with a meringue or cool whip.

Does this make you want a piece? It makes me want to go back into the kitchen and make some now.

Yes, I am a little NUTS over CocoNUT Cream Pie!

Here are some other recipes you might like:

White Chicken Chili Farmers Favorite Oatmeal Cake Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Vermont Cheese Soup

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

Yes…..it is yet another soup recipe….

Alas, I really do eat other things than soup, but I just can’t help but love a big bowl of hot soup on a wintery cold day!

It is minus 15 or so wind chill outside and they have delayed my start time at school by 2 hours. So, I thought I would take a minute and post a cheese soup recipe one of my students gave me last year. It has bits of carrots, onions and celery in it (that is why you see those tiny bits of orange in the soup) along with chicken stock and half and half. You season the soup with some dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and because I could not stop myself, I added a touch of garlic powdered.

YUM!!!

The Oldest Daughter Who Does NOT cook, had actually made sloppy joes one night then brought home a rotisserie chicken another night, this past week to feed us all for dinner. She told me she was ready for me to cook something from scratch and since I really wanted to share this recipe, I decided to make us Vermont Cheese Soup. I made a double batch so I would have enough left over to take to lunch at work for a couple of days.

Here is what you need. Some carrots, celery, onion, flour, chicken stock, half and half, dry mustard, butter, worcestershire sauce and some seasonings, like pepper and salt.

First thing I did was do a lot of chopping. I chopped up the carrots, celery and the onion. (yes, I know that Company does not like onions, but I love them and I have help but sneak them in when I can).

In a large stock pot and in the diced vegetables and the butter.

Saute’ down until the vegetables are tender.

Sprinkle the flour over the sauted vegetables. Stir and cook the flour for about 3 minutes, or until you think the raw flour taste has been cooked out of the flour.

It will start to thicken as you cook the flour.

Add in the chicken broth or stock.

Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 t0 40 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken. The vegetables will also get very soft.

To make the soup really smooth, you take the soup and put it in a blender or food processor or one of those immersible blenders and blend until smooth. You can strain the soup to remove any small pieces of vegetables, but I did not because I do not mind the very tiny pieces of carrots.

After you blend the soup until smooth, add in the cheese.

Add in the half and half.

Add in the dry mustard.

Now, add in the worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and it you are like me and you have to add a little garlic powder it is ok.

Heat the soup on low until the soup is heated through and the cheese has melted.

We ate ours with some fresh fruit and some rolls and some homemade jelly.

Here is the recipe:

Vermont Cheese Soup

Shared with me from one of my students at school.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped

1/4 cup of flour

4 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of half and half or light cream

1/2 pound (8 ounces) Vermont sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild and it was still great tasting)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste optional

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute until tender or about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir and cook for 3 minutes to cook the raw taste out of the flour.

Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking to combine. bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes. The soup will start to thicken.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor or with a immersible blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can strain the soup to remove any large pieces of vegetables. (i did not do this)

Pour the pureed soup back into the stock pot and add in the half and half, cheese, dry mustard and worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with pepper and salt, and even a tad of cayenne pepper or garlic powder.

Soups ON!

Enjoy

Becky

Here is some other posts you may enjoy!

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake Homemade Sausage Gravy Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese

Grandma Jackie’s Famous Ham Cheese Ball

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Rebecca Baugh

Happy New Years Everyone!

I hope everyone had a fun and restful News Years Day and are looking forward to all the possibilities that 2015 can bring.

Do you have a family tradition for New Years Eve?

I do….normally……

For years and years, I have always made fun appetizers and goodies and family and friends come over and we eat, watch the ball drop and drink sparkling grape juice while we make funny New Year’s resolutions. This year was gong to no different, except I relapsed with the flu again while I was in Springfield visiting baby college girl. Both baby college girl and I ended up being sick and in a hospital urgent care. Long story/short version, my first two rounds of antibiotics did not fully clear up sinus and ear infection and I had to go on another round of antibiotics. Needless to say, I did not make a thing for our celebration. Oldest daughter bought really good pizza and gyros for dinner and I feel asleep before the ball dropped.

Pretty exciting right…..? : )

Well, on the other hand, Baby College Girl was able to go ahead and make her Grand Ma Jackie’s Famous Ham Cheese Ball for New Year’s Eve.

While her grandma was still alive, Grandma Jackie always made her Ham Cheese Ball for the holidays. It is still a family favorite and brings back memories of my kids grandma and how much she loved a good recipe. Grandma Jackie would invite her family over to eat and then play cards and eat some more. She made a pretty good punch too with sherbet.

Since I was not up to cooking, Baby College Girl took step by step photos of her making the cheese ball so I could post the recipe.

Thank you Baby College Girl!

First thing you will need to do is mix together the cream cheese and the grated cheese. I bought her this great food processor from Craigs list and took it to her as a surprise to make the dip in in. You can also use a mixer.

It should be pretty smooth when you get it all mixed together. Add in the grated onion.

Now, she added in some Worcestershire sauce.

She added a little bit of lemon juice. (I really think she can read a recipe…hehe)

Next, she added some dry mustard.

Now, add some paprika.

Add in the deviled ham and a little bit of season salt and regular salt. (the recipe called for pimentos and parsley too but she did not have any)

Now mix everything together.

Here is it all mixed together.

Now, take the cheese ball and put it into the fridge to firm up. When it is firm, form the cheese ball into two cheese balls. You can roll the cheese ball into chopped nuts if you want. Baby College girls prefers her cheese balls without the nuts.

She likes her with crackers ; ).

Happy New Year!

Enjoy!

Becky

Ham Cheese Ball

Recipe from the recipe book of Grandma Jackie.

Ingredients:

2 — 8 ounce packages of cream cheese

8 ounces of grated cheddar cheese

2 teaspoon grated onion

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon season salt

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 — 2 1/4 ounce devil ham

2 tablespoon pimento

2 teaspoon parsley

chopped nuts optional to roll the cheese ball in

various crackers to dip into cheese ball

Directions:

Soften cream cheese and in a small bowl, beat in the cheddar cheese and add in the next eight ingredients. Mix until smooth. Stir in the pimento and parsley.

Cover and refrigerate. Shape into a ball and roll in nuts. Serve with crackers.

Holiday Baking…whew…..

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Rebecca Baugh

Can you see the grand girls behind the creative mess on my dining room table?

I have had a fun two days in the kitchen making a grand mess with my granddaughters and my baby college girl.

Never thought making a mess would be so fun and tasty!

Every years for as far back as I care to remember, I have been making goodie trays for my family at Christmas.

Normally every year, I spend my time alone in the kitchen cooking away. I think I kinda drive the kids out of the kitchen cause I am in the “zone” and on a mission to get everything made and wrapped up on a limited amount of time.

WELL….this year I had help. Baby College Girl took off of work and came up to hang out with me in the kitchen along with two of my granddaughter. I was a little nervous about turning over my baking and candy making to my little chefs, but I was so glad I did. They did a great job. We hung out and dipped candy, made cookie dough, melted chocolate for fudge, wrapped goodies up and had a totally perfect holiday fun in the kitchen.

Here is a few things that we made:

White Chocolate Fudge with chopped Oreos.

Peanut Butter Fudge with Nutella and Reece’scup filling.

Milk Chocolate Fudge with colored chocolate chips and sprinkle.

Baby College Girl Making PIC Grandpa’s Peanut Clusters.

Grand girls dipping the Cherry Cookies in white chocolate.

Cherry Cookies with White Chocolate.

Grand girls filling the pan with fudge puddle dough.

Fudge Puddle Cookies.

Dipped Pretzels.

This is what I still need to make!

Caramel Toffee Pretzels

Poppy Seed Bread or maybe some Pumpkin Bread….I need to decide soon…haha…

Cracker Toffee (love this stuff!)

I also have a couple of cookies I would love to make but Christmas Eve is tomorrow…and I hardly have any presents wrapped. But, I am craving some Ranger cookies.

Don’t you love Christmas Baking????

How is your baking going?? Are you running as late as I am?

I better get back into the kitchen. If I do not show up with Caramel Toffee Pretzels, I doubt anyone would let me into the house when I arrive at Mom’s for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Becky

A Small Town Kitchen

Welcome to my kitchen and make yourself at home! | Recipes | Couponing | FACS | Crafts

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Old Fashion Red Velvet Cake

My First Ever Gooseberry Pie

Counting Eggs!

Creamy Butterscotch Pie

St. Patty’s Day Cooking

Coconut Cream Pie

Vermont Cheese Soup

Grandma Jackie’s Famous Ham Cheese Ball

Holiday Baking…whew…..