Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread ~ by Valerie

This isn't actually our Grandmother's recipe, but it tastes like it should be!  :-)

It is very moist, and slightly sweet! 

1/4 pound butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch square pan. (We double the recipe and use a 13 X 9 pan.)
2.  Melt butter in large skillet.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar.  Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended.  Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until  toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source:  Allrecipes.com

Tortilla Soup ~ by Caroline

Being originally from Arizona, we do have a liking for spicy, southwestern-style food!  In fact, this recipe came out of a cookbook called Desert Treasures, which was published in Phoenix. AZ and brought with us on our move to WA.    It is very flavorful and colorful!

1 onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons oil
1 can 10 3/4 ounces chicken broth
1 can 10 3/4 ounces beef broth
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 large tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh corn, optional (When we do not  have fresh corn, we use canned or frozen.)
chicken pieces, optional
black beans, optional
1/4 cup grated cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar
4-6 corn tortillas

• Saute onion, green chilies and garlic in oil.
• Add remaining ingredients except cheese and tortillas.  Bring to a boil
• Simmer one hour.  May be frozen at this point.
• 10 minutes before serving cut the tortillas into 1" strips.  Fry them in a small amount of hot oil.  Drain on paper towels.
• Add 1/4 cup grated cheese and tortilla strips.
• Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream, extra cheese, and avocado. (optional ;-)
• Serves six.

Slow Cooker Shredded Taco Chicken - By Valerie

Our family loves eating at Taco Del Mar every once in awhile to enjoy their yummy burritos.  We found this recipe online and think that it is a lot like Taco Del Mar's chicken.  It is very flavorful and is perfect to throw in the crock pot in the morning on a busy day.  We like to put it in burritos with sour cream, our homemade mexican rice, cheese, lettuce, tomato, fresh cilantro, and salsa.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

6 medium	boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp	chili powder
1 tsp	cumin
1 tsp	seasoning salt
1 tsp	black pepper
1 tsp	white pepper
1/2 tsp	paprika
1/2 tsp	chipotle
1/4 tsp	red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp	oregano
1 c	chicken broth

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

2. Using a fork, shred chicken. Taco seasoned chicken can be used in a number of recipes. 

 

Source; Just a Pinch Recipes

ABC Muffins (Apple-Banana-Cinnamon) ~ By Victoria

These muffins are so moist and delicious.  They have been a family favorite for many years.  We usually quadruple the recipe as they don't stay around long, and we like to freeze some for breakfast on-the-go!  They would be easy to make even healthier with a couple easy substitutions! : -)

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (We double this . . .at least!)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar  (We use less.)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 apples, peeled, cored and shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour 24 muffin cups (probably less when you fill the cups to the top) or use paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then stir in the vanilla and buttermilk.  Beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Fold in the mashed bananas and shredded apples.  Fill each muffin cup half full.  (We fill them all the way full, as they do not rise much.)

Bake for 20 -25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool.

Source:  The Doughmakers Cookbook published in 2004.

Jambalaya - By Valerie

For anyone that loves really spicy . . . this is for you! ☺  Our favorite part is the andouille sausage; it adds so much flavor.  We often make this main dish on cold, rainy, winter days 'cause it definitely warms you right up. ;O)  Our little brothers say after eating a bowl, "I'm breathing fire!"   

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
10 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (we aren't big celery fans, so we leave it out☺)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon file powder (we have never added this ingredient)
1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large heavy Dutch oven (we use a large skillet) over medium heat.  Season the sausage and chicken pieces with Cajun seasoning.  Saute sausage until browned.  Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside.  Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, and saute chicken pieces until lightly browned on all sides.  Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

In the same pot, saute onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until tender.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, and season with red pepper, black pepper, salt, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce and file powder.  Stir in chicken and sausage.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Since we don't have a dutch oven, we use a skillet to start and then transfer to a large saucepan before adding the chicken broth and rice.) 

Stir in the rice and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Source; Allrecipes

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Though these cookies have very little sugar, whole wheat and healthy oils, they definitely are not short on flavor!  The texture is really nice too!  This quickly became my and Richie's favorite cookie recipe!  They are quick and easy to make... you might want to double this recipe since it makes just over a dozen small cookies.  (The chocolate chips I used are super-size, so the cookies are bigger than they look in the pic!)

1 c. Oat Flour

1 c. Whole wheat flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

4 TB Brown sugar (or half honey)

1 TB Vanilla

4 TB Melted coconut oil or other liquid oil

5 TB Milk

3/4 c. chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients and chocolate chips.  Form into cookie size patties (they don't grow in the oven) and bake at 350 for 6-10 minutes. 

P.S.  To make "oat flour" just throw regular rolled oatmeal into your food processor; that is what I do!

Apple Dapple Cake ~ by Caroline

I once entered this into the Spring Youth Fair
and it won a "Grand Champion" ribbon! 

It is soooo moist and flavorful (and a bit healthy with the apples in it ;-)

The recipe comes from a special cookbook that was given to me
by Richie and Lydia for Christmas. 

(Although, Richie had purchased a copy of this cookbook
for Lydia before they were married,
and so this recipe was first discovered by us girls a couple years ago. :-) 
The cookbook is a compilation of family recipes by Frances Anna Gillette,
who was born in Vancouver, WA, and raised in Yacolt, WA. 
It also has wonderful pictures in it!!

Cream together:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil

Sift together:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Mix egg and flour mixture together.

Add: 
1 cup coconut (optional ;-)
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional ;-)
3 cups apples, diced
2 tsp. vanilla

Batter of cake is stiff.  (Put into 13 X 9 greased baking dish.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes. 

Icing:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

Boil together for 3 minutes.  Put icing on cake right after baking when cake is hot.  After pouring icing on cake, use a meat fork, piercing cake all over the top so icing will seep in.

Source:  The Old Farmhouse Kitchen, cookbook published in 2007.