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Friday, November 30, 2012

Grandma's Dressing


There's a few things my grandma is known for in our family: cinnamon rolls, Christmas sugar cookies, cheesecake and dressing, to name a few.  She keeps most of her recipes in a pull-down, wooden box attached to the wall in her kitchen.  I'd say it's a small box, but it's actually pretty large.  There's so many recipes inside that box.  When I was at her home the last holiday get-together, I took pictures of every recipe inside that container hoping that one day I would bake my way through it or find her golden recipes that one day I could make for my grandkids.

Today my cooking adventure took me through the dangers of the broilers and treacherous waters of boiling veggies.  Did this succeed in the end?  To be determined....

The recipe from the box (word for word)

Dressing
4 C chicken, cooked and cut
4 C chicken broth
12 eggs
4.5 C milk
1 stick butter, browned
3 t salt
1 t fresh ground pepper
4 C cubed potatoes
3 C carrots
2.5 C celery
1.5 C onion, chopped
36-40 slices bread, toasted (about 2 loaves)

Toss together then pour into well-buttered pan. Bake at 300 degrees until puffed up.


So here's the carrots, onions, and celery all chopped up together.  Place in large pot and almost over with water. Heat till boiling, then simmer for about 10 minutes or half-way cooked.  Once half-way cooked, add potatoes below.

When cutting up the potatoes, remember to place them in a bowl of water to prevent them from browning before use.  Once added to the pot of veggies, let simmer for an additional 10-20 minutes, or until cooked.  The small chunks don't take too long to soften.   

Buy extra bread!  I think I burned half a loaf because the broiler kept playing jokes on me.  "Not done yet."  Then it laughed at me saying, "Just kidding sucker, it's waaayyyy too done now."

This was the egg/liquid mixture MINUS the browned butter.  Alongside of it is the cooked chicken.  Mom told me that any chicken is fine to use, but bone-in meat will be juicier, and it was.  I added a good little bit of water to some bone-in thighs and then microwaved till cooked.  Slow-cooking or baking is fine too though.  I kept this extra chicken broth from the thighs to add to the final dressing mixture when figuring out the right consistency before baking (see video to be posted below, sorry it came out sideways). 

Once the ingredients are mixed together and placed into baking dishes, you're almost ready to go.  At this point, melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Don't leave the butter alone.  On low-medium heat, stir the butter until it turns brown, hence "brown butter."  Pour over dressing and throw in the oven, not literally though.  That'd be a waste of hard work :)


According to the recipe, bake till puffed up.  I supposed only years of cooking would know exactly how long that would be when trying to time this correctly.  After a few calls to grandma, it takes around an hour or so.  I baked at 300 degrees for 40 minutes and then turned it up to 400 degrees for 20 minutes since I was a little rushed.  It turned out great though!  If your edges start to turn brown, cover with foil and place back in oven until fully cooked.


What's great about making dressing?  It can be made ahead of time and frozen!  Just thaw and bake.  Also, if it's already baked, freeze the leftovers if there's plenty.  It'll make a great dinner later on this winter - veggies, meat, potatoes, and bread all in one dish.

From grandma's kitchen, to mine, to yours - ENJOY!!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Month of Thanks

It took me a little while, but I finally figured out why friends on Facebook would write "Day 1: I'm grateful for ...." or "Day 7: Thankful for..."  It's a month of thanksgiving.  I think it's great that so many people took a moment out of their day, each day this month, to think of something they are thankful for.  This is my list of 22 reasons to be thankful (Since Thanksgiving leads up to the 22nd).

I'm thankful for:

1. A family that loves me regardless of what happens in life.
2. Warm weather during the fall
3. Ability to pay my bills and a steady job
4. An adorable nephew that makes me laugh with all his silly faces.  He's such a goof.
5. My parents giving me music lessons as a child.  I can now learn the guitar as an adult.
6. A doggy, Akaila, that reminds me how important it is to give unconditional love.  If you have a "lap dog" you totally understand what I'm saying.
7. A new pharmacy to work at (been there about 2 months now)
8. My health
9. An independent spirit.  It's gotten me to where I am now.
10. A carmera to capture all the precious moments throughout the past year
11. The patients I meet that say "Thank you" and mean it.
12. Friends to share laughter with and our Thanksgiving meals together.
13. Starting my own family traditions to pass along
14. My husband coming home safe from riding his motorcycle
15. Caring neighbors that help each other
16. Living in a small town surround by beautiful rolling hills that provide gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.
17. Mentors to advise me through life.  Thanks Robin and Geri!
18. PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
19. Hard life lessons that make you stronger and wiser
20. Chances to learn cooking secrets from my grandma (about to attempt her stuffing this weekend!)
21. A Savior to redeem me
22. An amazing husband, words cannot describe

There's so many more things I could list, but those are the first to come to mind.  Ok, so I love pumpkin cupcakes apparently.  I'll share my recipe below.  The cupcake part is from Martha Stewart and the icing is from the blog Patent and the Pantry.  You can make regular size cupcakes or break out the mini muffin tin (if you run out of liners like I did) and make bite-size morsels of deliciousness.


Cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt (I generally use regular salt)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granuated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (14-15 oz.) pumpkin puree

Wisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.  In separate bowl, wisk sugar, butter, and eggs.  Add to dry ingredients.  Add in pumpkin puree.  Fill cupcake liners half-full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Icing
1 pkg cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup butter (melted, then cooled)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and spread on cooled cupcakes. 

Enjoy!!!


http://www.marthastewart.com/317069/pumpkin-cupcakes
http://www.patentandthepantry.com/