Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

1- 2 tubes of Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits 3 Tbsp. butter, melted 1/2 C. pancake syrup 1/3 C. packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 C. chopped pecans, raisins, or almonds, optional Instructions: Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts or raisins (optional). Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top. Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges closely together to form a ring. Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter.

Great Northern Beans

Great Northern Beans Ingredients: 2 packs of real bacon bits in a bag 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/3 cup minced onion 1 garlic cloves, minced 1 pound bag of dried white beans, (great northern) 2 cups water (continue to add as beans soak up water) 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon celery seeds 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preparation: Place sorted and washed beans in the crock pot and cover with water, add onion, garlic, bacon bits, oil and remaining spices. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours or until beans are tender.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Lemon and Garlic roast chicken

Ingredients:

1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, 1 lemon halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour then remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to cool before slicing.

Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the platter with thyme and some lemon slices and serve.

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup room tempt. butter (1 whole stick)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (beaten)
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 table spoons whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven on 350 degrees

Beat softened butter and sugar together, add eggs, mashed banana and mix well. Then add dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Mix well and stir in nuts. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes. Cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs:

Place doz. eggs in pot.
Cover eggs with cold water add salt to water.
Place pot on stove and bring water to a boil, turn fire down to medium.
Low boil for 10 minutes and turn off burner.
Pour off water and peel.
Cut each hard boiled egg in half.
Set white halves on a platter, lightly sprinkle with salt.

Dump all yolks into a mixing bowl, add salt, pepper, 2 tsp. sweet pickle relish,
mayonnaise til semi creamy (not too loose) and add a squirt or two of mustard and mix thoroughly. Scoop the yolk mixture into the egg whites or use a pastry bag and squeeze through your favorite decorative tip. Garnish by Sprinkling with paprika. Makes 2 doz. halves.

Easter Ham

Spiral or bone in half hams:

1 can of pineapple rings in pineapple juice
1 smoked, bone-in ham or spiral ham (I prefer)
1/4 cup cup of firmly packed brown sugar (dark preferred)
Reynolds oven turkey bag (This eliminates basting for the bag does the trick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in mid position. Score ham with a sharp knife in a pattern of 1 1/4-inch diamonds if you are not using a spiral ham. Place ham, cut side down in the oven bag and place in a foil roasting pan next add the whole can of pineapple rings including juice and sprinkle in the brown sugar. Bake for 90 minutes depending on less or more than average pound. Remove and cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Check on oven bag box how many minutes per pound. Some like to spike their hams with cloves, this is optional according to your taste.

Asparagus

Asparagus:

Ingredients:

2 pounds slender asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel bottom half of each asparagus stalk. Toss asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and golden, about 15 minutes.

Baked yams

Sweet potatoes or southern yams (preferred because of their beautiful orange color) are delicious cooked whole. When baked, their thin skin puffs to a crisp finish and inside they will be fluffy yet firm and sweet. When cooking whole sweet potatoes or yams, wash, dry, and pierce their skin several times with a fork. Place them on a metal cookie sheet or in a baking pan and bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until fork tender. When you remove them from the oven slit down the middle with a knife and put them on a serving tray on your holiday table.

Easter Sunday dessert

Carrot Cupcakes:
24-28 cupcake serving

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (6-7 medium) carrots, peeled
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 can of cream cheese frosting

Preheat to 350, place backing rack on the middle setting in oven. Line your muffin pan(s) with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Wash and shred your carrots (should yield you 3 cups) and add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients.

In a food processor process both sugars with the eggs until frothy, about 20 seconds, keep the machine running, and pour the oil through the feed tube. Continue processing until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape the mixture into a separate large bowl, and stir in the dry ingredients and carrots. Fold in until there is no longer any flour visible.

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Once removed from oven let cool in pans 10 minutes before frosting them either with a butter knife or from a pipping bag.

Sunday Beef Stew

2 pounds stew beef, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried ground marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1 medium bay leaf
1 can (10 1/2 ounce) condensed beef broth
4 medium carrots, chopped in 1-inch pieces
4 medium to large potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
4 stalks of celery washed and cut in medium quaters
4 medium onions, peeled, washed, and cut in quarters
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

In a skillet brown the stew meat in the olive oil. Add the herbs, seasonings, beef broth, onions and celery. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At this point add the potatoes and carrots and continue cooking for 30 to 35 minutes longer, until vegetables are tender. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. In a small bowl mix the flour and water until no lumps are present, add to the stew, continue to heat until it dissolves in liquid and serve. Makes about 6 hearty bowls.
You can prepare this dish the day before and let the flavors marry over night and it will be just as delicious for your Sunday dinner. Serve with a side of biscuits for dunking.

Corn Muffins

* 2/3 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
* 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
* 1 Tbsp baking powder
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 2 melted butter
* 1 large egg
* 1/3 cup of whole milk

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well with whisk.

Whisk in melted butter and mix until dry mixture is smooth and lumps are gone.

Add egg and milk to the above mixture. Mix well.

Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Fill muffin tins 1/2 way

Bake 15-20 minutes

Add softened butter of preserves to taste. These will go along great with your red beans and rice.

Monday Dinner--Red Beans AND Rice

1-2 pounds of smoked beef (hot or mild) sausage cut into circles

1 bag of dried red beans

1 ham hock

* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 clove garlic minced
* 1 cup chopped green pepper

* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt pepper to taste

Preparation:

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain and put the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Add fresh water to cover, along with the smoked sausage and ham, onion, garlic, green pepper, pepper, salt, and cayenne. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until beans are tender, add more water if need to keep the beans from drying out. Cooking time usually takes 2 to 3 hours. When ham is fully cooked remove it, shred it in a boil, throw away the bone and add ham back in the pot with the beans. Makes about 4-6 servings.


Boil 2 cups of water in a small pot. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of butter to the water. Butter will prevent the rice from sticking together. Rinse 1 1/2 cups of rice through a strainer. Shake any excess water out before transferring to the pot. Pour the rice in boiling water and reduce to medium heat. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 20 minutes. Stir the rice occasionally while cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Put the lid back on until the rice is done cooking.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Put it in a bowl and Fluff rice with a fork, serve topped with your red beans.

Sunday Dinner

Fried Chicken, baked beans, and a cucumber salad.

wash your chicken pieces

season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, & paprika (optional) for added browning, and lightly flour your chicken.

Preheat your skillet with enough cooking oil to almost cover your chicken pieces. Make sure your oil is nice and heat before adding the chicken pieces.


Take two 16 oz cans of your favorite bake beans, add 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon mustard, 1/4 cup ketchup, 4 strips bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces, and a a couple dashes of hot sauce for heat.
Combine all ingredients; transfer to a greased casserole. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 20 minutes.
Serves 4.

Wash and slice about two cucumber put them in a bowl and add....


a cup of white vinegar a sprinkle of salt and dried parsley flakes and toss.

Donuts for dessert!!! lol okay I ate one before I took the picture.

Sunday Dinner Option #2

BBQ Pot Roast Candied Yams and Collard Greens

Wash 5-8 medium size yams

Peel them, thank God for the peeling tool.

Cut the peeled yams into circles and place in a foil pan.

Slice up one stick of butter and place atop of the potatoes.

Generously sprinkled sugar all over the yams.

add a cup of water, a tsps. of each pure vanilla, and lemon extracts and sprinkle in some cinnamon. Cover with foil and place the pan in a 350 degree preheated oven for 1 1/2- 2 hours, until they become tender.
The Roast

Wash your 3-5 pd boneless beef chuck
Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder
Quarter one small onion and put it and the meat in the oven bag
pour 3/4 of the bottle of hickory honey smoke bbq sauce over the top of the meat
and add 3/4 cup of water. Close the bag and place in a 350 degree preheated oven for 2 hours.

The Collard Greens

When I don't want the hassle of cleaning and preparing fresh collard greens. A can of glory greens work just as well and they are already seasoned. Just open the can pop it in a microwave bowl and heat or simmer in a pot on your stove on medium heat for about 20 minutes. You can add some pieces of ham to it and sprinkle in some garlic powder for added taste but we eat them heated as is from the can and they are so good.

I hope these two Sunday dinner choices will help you today in preparing a tasty meal for you and your family. Now I am about to go watch Big Daddy cook on the Food Network while my food cooks, I made the pot roast yams and greens today.


Enjoy your day, Blessings!
Country Living Grandma!

Sunday Dinner Option #1

Braised Beef ribs, Mashed potatoes, and Stringbeans

Rinse and pat dry 2-3 lbs of beef short ribs, season with salt, and pepper. In a dutch oven or oven safe stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown ribs, after browned transfer them to plate.

Add 1 small chopped onion to your pot, and cook until golden. Add 3 cloves of chopped Garlic and cook for another minute.

Add 1 cup of red cooking wine, 1 13 oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 14oz can of beef broth, 2 tbsp.Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp. rosemary and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

Add ribs, including any juices that accumulated on plate and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add 3 chopped carrots and 3-4 stalks of chopped celery, stirring and pushing down to make sure they are covered in liquid.

Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until meat is tender.

Wash peel and quarter about 3-5 pounds of white potatoes and add to a pot of salted water.
Bring to a boil for about 20 minutes or so until tender.
Drain the potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl, add a 1/2 cup of sour, heavy cream or whole milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and 2 tablespoons of butter.
Garnish with chives.


Creamy mashed potatos

Tastey Stringbeans

add 1 pound of fresh washed stringbeans to..
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
3 slice of bacon diced
1/3 cup chopped onions
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes

Bring the water to a boil
then turn the fire down low
simmer for 30- 35 minutes