Bright Blueberry Lemon Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup milk or almond milk
1 egg or 1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 heaping cup blueberries

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until combined.
Add the blueberries and gently fold into batter with a spatula until incorporated.
Fill 12 muffin liners. Sprinkle with course sugar. Bake at 400 degrees on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

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Green Bean Casserole

My daughter loves Green Bean Casserole but now that she’s been identified with allergies to dairy and soy this was not a dish she could have. I decided to make this traditional Holiday dish from scratch and replaced the milk with almond milk and margarine/butter with vegan margarine. It was so delicious and several family members requested the recipe! Have you ever checked the Cream of Mushroom Soup label? It’s comforting to know that I can read and pronounce all of the ingredients in my recipe.

1 small can mushrooms, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP vegan margarine (or regular margarine)
2 TBSP flour
1 can chicken broth
1 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
4 cans green beans, drained
1- 6 ounce container French’s Fried Onions
Dash of love

In a saucepan melt 2 TBSP margarine, add chopped mushrooms and diced onion, season with salt, pepper and love, cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour to mushroom mixture, stir until the flour is absorbed.  Slowly add chicken broth, whisk to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until it thickens. Add milk, continue stirring until it thickens again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place drained green beans into a sprayed 9 X 13 glass dish. Pour creamed mushrooms over beans, add 1/2 cup of French’s Fried Onions, stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Add remaining Fried Onions on top of green beans, continue baking for 5 additional minutes. Enjoy!

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Tommy's French Toast

Tommy made French Toast for our Christmas Breakfast and it's a keeper!

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 TBSP sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 slices French Brioche Bread
4 TBSP butter

In a shallow dish whisk eggs, milk, vanilla. Add Cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, whisk until well blended.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in skillet on medium heat. Dip slices of bread in egg mixture, one at a time and place in skillet, cook on both sides until golden brown. Add more butter to skillet and repeat.

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Ties On Towels

I've always been frustrated with the potholder method of making hanging hand towels. Usually, when you find a towel and matching pot holder you can't use the decorative side because of the way it folds and hides the design. It's also very difficult sewing through the towel and thick potholder. And then, there's the button, which doesn't really bother me, but let's just call it an issue.

I decided to make my own potholders but there were new issues: figuring out how to use the insulated batting to protect from burns, quilting the diamond pattern with precision, and applying the bias tape.

If took me about a year but I finally came up with a unique method of making a pot holder and sewing ribbons to each corner. This drapes over the appliance handles and stays secure by tying bows.

I've given several away to family and they are all delighted with their new hanging hand towels. I've made many more and opened an Etsy Shop. Please visit and let me know if you find something  you'd like in your kitchen. https://www.etsy.com/shop/mysewcraftyshop

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Hungarian Treat

My niece invited us over to bake Hungarian
Treats in her new home. I'd never tried these before but it turned out to be delicious! Thanks Casey! This is a keeper!

4 sticks salted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups flour
seedless jam, any flavor
confectioners sugar

Whip softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Using a blender, slowly mix in 1 cup of flour at a time. Dough will become very stiff and will not be easy to mix as flour is added. Just be patient. Form into a ball, refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat oven at 375 degrees. Cut dough into 4 sections. Using confectioners sugar, roll out a section of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip a round cutter in confectioners sugar and cut cookies. Using one cookie, layer with a small amount of jam on each then gently place another cut cookie on top. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until browned on bottom. Once cooled, sprinkle top with confectioners sugar.

Photos by Carol Ford

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Mom's Egg Salad

My Mom's Egg Salad is the best but today I wanted to try something my daughter has been adding to her recipe - dill weed! It's even more delicious and truly a family recipe!

6 – 8 boiled eggs, shelled & chopped

½ cup Miracle Whip

Squirt of mustard

1 tsp vinegar

¼ cup green olives, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

pinch of dill weed

dash of love

Helpful Tips for Hard Boiled Eggs:

• Use eggs that are at least a week old.
• Set eggs out for half an hour so they're not cold. 
• Place in a pan of cool water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes. 
• Place pan in sink and run cold water over the eggs. As they begin to cool, tap each egg to crack shells and place back in cold water until completely cooled. Shells should come right off. 

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Spinach Noodle Casserole

This recipe was originally posted July 17th, 2015 but this year Katie lives away and Tommy is at camp!
With Katie away at camp and Tommy working evenings Richard asked if I'd make some of the things our kids don't like and Spinach Noodles with Tuna is one of them. I tweaked it a little and made less but by adding Colby cheese, sour cream and cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom it had a much milder taste. I also added chicken broth and the noodles continued to cook in the oven, absorbing all of the beautiful flavors. Here is the revised recipe. Enjoy!

1 large can tuna or chicken

2 TBSP butter

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2  cup onion, diced

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

(or 4 oz Colby & 4 oz cheddar)

1/2 cup olives, sliced

1 small can mushrooms

8 oz  spinach noodles

4 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream
dash of love

Saute' diced vegetables in butter. 

In a  medium sauce pan bring the chicken broth to a boil.
Carefully add noodle nests.

As noodles cook, continue to push them down into the broth.

Cook noodles until al dente.

Add all remaining ingredients together in the skillet or large bowl.

Add noodles, mix gently. 

Add the reserved cup of broth. 

Place in a 9 x 13 glass dish sprayed with Pam. 

Bake  at 350˚ for 40 - 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly through the center.

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Peanut Butter Bars

Do you remember the Peanut Butter Bars from your school cafeteria? I haven't had one in years!

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3/4 stick butter, melted
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
3 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix peanut butter, confectioners sugar, brown sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and butter. Mix well. Press mixture into 8 x 8 pan. Chill while preparing icing.

Icing:
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 TBSP water
2 TBSP butter

Mix chocolate chips, butter and water in sauce pan. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over chilled peanut butter. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

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Katie's Purse

When I saw this bicycle fabric I thought of Katie and is one of the first purses I machine quilted. I added several charms chosen just for her!

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Robert's Chevron Quilt

This was the largest, most difficult and time consuming quilt I have made but was also the most beautiful so far! After learning that Robert's favorite colors are jewel tones of purple, green and blue I began collecting fabric the summer of 2014.  The following summer my cousin, Debbie, came for a visit and she helped with the design and layout so I could begin piecing the top. In the fall of 2015 I injured my knee but the quilt was so large that I needed help. A couple of band moms came to the rescue and we assemble the rest of the quilt. Robert didn't make it to our house for Thanksgiving but came for Easter 2016. I'm so glad I got to see him finally united with his quilt!

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Cauliflower Soup

Mom is visiting for Easter and asked me to make a batch of Cauliflower Soup today. It's gorgeous and delicious!

1 small head cauliflower, chunked
1 carrot, slivered with peeler

1 small can chicken broth

2 cups milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 stick butter

8 oz Velvetta cheese

salt, pepper to taste

Steam cauliflower and carrots in chicken broth for 8-10 minutes, covered. Break up the cauliflower into smaller pieces once tender. Make White Sauce with butter, flour, milk in a separate sauce pan (see below). Add white sauce to steamed cauliflower.  Add chunks of cheese.  Simmer on low heat until cheese melts.   Serve immediately. 

White Sauce

First, melt 1/2 stick margarine in sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup flour. With a fork blend until all flour is 

gone.  This is the secret part -  Slowly add 2 cups milk while stirring vigorously with a whisk.  Stop adding milk periodically until mixture thickens then add more.  It’s sort of like trying to get the lumps out of a can of tomato soup.  Start with a little milk.  It’s easier to season the sauce with salt and pepper before adding it to the other items.

I use white sauce for the cream soups, scalloped potatoes, potato soup, chicken a la king.  It comes in handy for making hamburg or sausage gravy too.

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Chewy Honey Granola

I enjoy making this Chewy Honey Granola!

3 cups dry rolled oats

1-1/2 cup pecans

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds

1-1/2 cup almonds

1-1/2  cup walnuts

1-1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried berries)

1 cup coconut (optional)

1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)

Coarsely chop the nuts and add the remaining above ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.

Heat the first 4 ingredients in a small sauce pan until sugar dissolves and sauce comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and almond extract, stir.

1/4  cup oil coconut or butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

add as much love as you like!

Pour syrup over dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper then spread mixture in a thin layer. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring twice. 

Remove from oven and move granola around and break it up so it doesn't harden into one layer as it cools. Store in an airtight container.

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Asian Chicken Stir-Fry

This is a beautiful Asian dish 

2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips (or 1 lb. of chicken tenders)

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water

2 tsp sesame oil

2 TBSP corn starch

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp chopped ginger

Pinch cayenne

Pinch red pepper flakes

a dash of love

In a small bowl stir together water, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, corn starch garlic, ginger, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Add 1 TBSP oil to skillet. Stir and fry chicken  just until cooked through.  Remove and set aside.
Choose any or all of the following vegetables and prepare for stir fry
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup broccoli flowerets
1 can small corn on cob, drained

1 cup snow peas
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a wok or large skillet. Begin with broccoli, carrots and onion, saute' until vegetables are almost tender. It helps to put a lid on to steam as well. Add the remaining items and continue to saute' until everything is tender. 

Pour the soy sauce mixture in skillet with vegetables stir constantly until thickened. Cook sauce for 1 minute. Add cooked chicken, stir until incorporated with sauce and veggies. Remove from heat.
Serve with rice.

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Chicken Pot Pie

We enjoy using the Campbell's Oven Sauces however I like using the crock pot. The chicken is so tender it melts in your mouth!


2 chicken breasts
1 pack Campbell's Pot Pie Sauce
1 pack frozen mixed vegetables
1 pinch of love
2 pie crusts Never Fail Pie Dough

Place chicken breasts in crock pot, pour sauces over chicken and cook 6 - 8 hours on LOW.
 Make pie dough or use store bought. Place one crust in 9 inch pie pan. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, add frozen vegetables and stir together. Pour into pie shell and place another on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes - 1 hour until crust is golden brown.

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