Recipes

Copycat Recipes

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Have you ever gone somewhere, eaten something amazing, and then returned home, determined to recreate that wonderful thing you just ate?

If you’re like me, trying to get it exactly right can prove challenging, and I find myself looking for “copycat” recipes.

Over the years, I’ve collected a few “copycats” and among our favorites are a doughnut recipe, a cheesy corn bake, and my husband’s can’t-watch-the-Super-Bowl-without-it Dill Pickle Dip.

Because winter seems like a perfect time to make doughnuts, I thought you might enjoy the recipe. If you don’t like to cook, just swing by Krispy Kreme and grab a box of their glazed doughnuts.

Raised Doughnuts

2 packets yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup shortening

5 cups flour

oil

Glaze

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

4-6 tbsp. hot water

Scald milk and then cool.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add in milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and two cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until blended, scraping the bowl frequently. Once all the ingredients are combined, mix on high speed for two minutes.

Stir in remaining flour until well blended.

Cover and let rise until double (about an hour).

On a floured surface, very gently roll out the dough until about 1/2 inch thick. Handle the dough as little as possible. Cut with a doughnut cutter (if you don’t have one, any circular object like a glass will work. I used a Wilton cake decorating coupler to cut out the centers.)

Cover and let rise until double (about 45 minutes).

Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy-duty pan until it reaches 350 degrees.  Slide doughnuts into hot oil very carefully. Cook until golden brown. I may have had my oil entirely too hot, but it was taken about 30 seconds per side. You can watch the inside of the doughnut hole and when it starts to turn brown, flip the doughnut over.

Remove carefully from oil when brown and drain.

Dip warm doughnuts on the glaze then set on a rack to cool slightly before devouring way too many!

To make the glaze, melt butter, stir in vanilla and powdered sugar then add enough hot water, one spoon at a time to reach desired consistency. It should be fairly thin. I placed the doughnuts right in the bowl of glaze, flipped them over to coat both sides then moved to the rack to finish cooling.

Makes approximately 24.

What’s your favorite copycat recipe to make, or the original to enjoy?

Covering Christmas

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Covering Christmas is my last holiday release this year. It was such a fun story to write about a bareback rider trying to win a world championship title, the western lifestyle reporter who catches his eye and his heart, and Ella – the daughter he never knew he had until her mother dies and he suddenly finds himself in the role of single parent.

He wants a gold buckle. She needs a fresh start. But love—and a little girl—have other plans.

When the reigning world champion bareback rider retires, Keller Drake finally has a clear shot at claiming the title he’s chased for years, until an attorney corners him at a rodeo with life-altering news. Keller has a five-year-old daughter he never knew existed, and Ella’s late mother named him guardian in her will. Suddenly, the man who can ride the rankest broncs in the world is terrified of something far more dangerous—fatherhood.

 

 

In the book, Keller is a peanut butter addict. He loves anything made with peanut butter. His daughter, Ella is the same way.

Here’s a little excerpt from the story I thought might make you smile.

 

“My wife said to tell you that Ella is staying with us tonight, and you can pick her up after breakfast tomorrow.”

Keller turned to stare at Cooper as they stood in line at the hotel’s coffee shop. Cobie had knocked on their door and offered to style Ella’s hair, so Keller had volunteered to hustle downstairs to get breakfast. He’d run into Cooper in the elevator, and they’d made their way to the coffee shop. A line snaked out the door, but they weren’t overly concerned because the service on previous mornings had been fast and efficient.

“Is there any reason in particular your wife is kidnapping my daughter?”

Cooper grinned. “She said you and Cobie need some time together without a five-year-old chaperone. Buy tickets to a show and take Cobie out on the town after the rodeo tonight. You both deserve to have a little fun. Ella and Alex get along like two little peas in a pod, and it isn’t any trouble to keep her tonight. Just bring a bag with her jammies and whatever she’ll need to our room before you head over to the rodeo this afternoon.”

“Are you sure, Coop? I already feel like I’ve taken advantage of you and everyone else who has helped with Ella while I’m riding.”

Cooper looked insulted. “You aren’t taking advantage of us. We’re all glad to help, Keller. Paige and I know how hard it is to have a child and rodeo, and there are two of us working at it. You deserve a little time to enjoy life. You’re only what? Twenty-seven?”

“Just turned twenty-six, and I feel like I’m careening toward fifty.”

Cooper chuckled. “Exactly what I mean. Take Cobie somewhere fun and spend the evening being a young, not entirely ugly, single guy out for a great evening with a beautiful woman who clearly does not find him to be totally repulsive.”

“Ugly and repulsive. Guess I’m moving up in the world,” Keller quipped as the line inched forward. “Seriously, man, I appreciate it, and tell Paige I’ll gather Ella’s stuff and drop it off before we head out for the day. How about I reciprocate and keep Alex for you one evening so you and Paige can have some time alone?”

“I’d love that, but let’s make it during the day. We’re both too exhausted to do anything after the rodeo. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”

Keller shook his head in disbelief. “You’re going to be perpetually younger than us all, Coop. How about you leave Alex with me tomorrow morning? I can make sure he gets lunch, and you can reclaim him sometime in the afternoon before I need to head over to the rodeo.”

“I like it. It’s a deal,” Cooper said, shaking Keller’s hand.

“Any food allergies I should know about?” Keller asked as they got closer to the counter.

“Nope, and he’s usually a good eater. Takes after his dad.”

“I’m pretty sure a refined palate is more a trait from his mother, but what do I know?” Keller teased, then placed his order for breakfast. He got yogurt and an assortment of whole fruit, and could hardly believe his luck when he spied peanut butter muffins studded with chocolate chips in the pastry case.

“One of those muffins, please,” Keller said as the young woman behind the counter gathered his order.

“You and your peanut butter addiction,” Cooper pointed to the case of pastries. “I heard Ella has been known to eat it straight out of the jar.”

“What?” Keller asked, staring at Cooper. “Where did you hear that?”

“From Alex. He said they were hungry, and Ella got out a jar of peanut butter and ate it with a spoon. He went with a bag of fruit snacks. That was back when we were in Pendleton, or was it Walla Walla? Anyway, the gist of my story is that your daughter also has a predilection for peanut butter and eats it straight from the jar.”

Keller thought of all the peanut butter he’d eaten the last few months and wondered how much of it had five-year-old slobbers living in the jar. He would have been grossed out, but considering some of the things he’d cleaned up when Ella had the twenty-four-hour tummy flu, he decided slobber was the least of his worries.

Here’s an easy recipe for Peanut Butter Candy

Peanut Butter Drops

INGREDIENTS

1 11-ounce bag white chocolate chips

1 11-ounce bag peanut butter chips

1 cup cocktail peanuts

1 cup crushed pretzel pieces

DIRECTIONS

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, then melt in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chips are smooth (1-2 minutes).

Stir in peanuts and pretzels, then drop by spoonsful onto the parchment.

Let cool, then store in an airtight container up to a week.

What is your favorite must-have flavor or treat, or holiday indulgence? 

Mine would chocolate in various forms.

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Cathy McDavid

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I mentioned in my last blog that I was going through all my closets and reorganizing. Whew! Thank goodness that huge job is over and done with.

One of my many interesting discoveries was my late mother’s “The Good Housekeeping Cook Book”. The moment I unearthed this treasure I was hit with a thousand memories of her cooking up some delicious meal or dessert with this book propped up open on the counter. Until I opened the cover and read the handwritten inscription, I don’t realize it had been a wedding gift from my mom’s younger sister­—something that makes this keepsake even more special.

What I love about this cookbook is not only does it have more recipes than I could possibly make in a lifetime, it also includes sections on how to use leftovers, home canning, wines, box lunches, entertaining, meals for the business girl (I need to check this one out), dinner planning tips, and a guide to properly serving meals. And while dated and old-fashioned in many ways, the book is nonetheless charming and a look into life seventy-five years ago. There are also many wonderful recipes that I can’t wait to try. Here’s a twist on the classic sweet potato casserole I might make for Thanksgiving.

 

What’s the old saying? Everything that’s old is new again? It’s true for me when it comes to this cookbook. All these old recipes are brand new to me again. I’ll think of my mom every time I use one.

How many of you or your mother or grandmother had this cookbook in their kitchen? I think it was a staple back in the day 🙂

Magic Cake and a Giveaway

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Four years ago today, I released Romance at Rinehart’s Crossing. 

If you haven’t read the book yet, it is actually three stories all woven together about the King siblings.

The setting of the story is in the town closest to the farm where I grew up. Way back then, the town was sometimes called Rinehart’s or Rinehart’s Crossing, and was a stop on the Oregon Trail. A hot springs and the river made it a popular stop, especially after the pioneers walked across the dusty, sagebrush-covered hills from Idaho.

It could be the familiarity of the setting, or the fact that I just dearly loved the King siblings (especially Tenner) that made this story such a pleasure to write.

Tenner King is determined to make his own way in the world far from the overbearing presence of his father and the ranch where he was raised in Rinehart’s Crossing, Oregon. Reluctantly, he returns home after his father’s death to find the ranch on its way to ruin and his siblings antsy to leave. Prepared to do whatever is necessary to save the ranch, Tenner isn’t about to let a little thing like love get in his way.

? Austen – After spending her entire life ruled by her father, Austen Rose King certainly isn’t going to allow her bossy older brother to take on the job. Desperate to leave the hard work and solitude of the Diamond K Ranch, she decides a husband would be the fastest means of escape. If only she could find a man she could tolerate for more than five minutes.

? Claire – Two thousand miles of travel. Two thousand miles of listening to her parents bicker about the best place in Oregon to settle. Two thousand miles of dusty trails, bumpy wagons, and things that slither and creep into her bedding at night. Claire Clemons would happily set down roots that very minute if someone would let her. What she needs is her own Prince Charming to give her a place to call home. When a broken wagon wheel strands her family miles from civilization, she wonders if handsome Worth King, the freighter who rescues them, might just be the answer to her prayers.

? Kendall – Anxious to escape her mother’s meddling interference, Kendall Arrington leaves her society life behind, intent on experiencing a Wild West adventure. Hired as the school teacher in a growing town on the Oregon Trail, Kendall hopes to bring a degree of civility and a joy of learning to the children of Rinehart’s Crossing. However, the last thing she expects to find is a cowboy with shaggy hair, dusty boots, and incredible blue eyes among her eager students.

Will love find the three King siblings as Romance arrives in Rinehart’s Crossing?

~*~

When I was searching for recipe ideas to include in the story, I came across one for a magic vanilla custard cake. I don’t know how old it is, but it’s good! And it made me think of the “impossible” pies my mom used to make.

 

Magic Vanilla Custard Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter-melted and slightly cooled

2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

4 eggs-separated

1 tablespoon water

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F

Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish, set aside

Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

Beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar until pale yellow.

Mix in melted butter and the tablespoon of water (for about 2 minutes) until evenly combined.

Mix in the flour until evenly incorporated.

Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined.

Gently stir in the egg whites (1/3 at a time, then repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in).

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-60 minutes (until the cake is barely jiggly in the center). Baking time might vary depending on your oven or pan you use, but start checking after 40 minutes. If the top browns too quickly before the minimum of 40 minutes, you can cover the cake with aluminum foil.

Cool the cake completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

Serve plain or with fresh berries or sliced peaches. You can also add a drizzle of caramel.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

NOTE: Even after it has cooled, it will be slightly jiggly because it has custard layer in the center.

 

For a chance to win a copy of the

book AND a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate,

click on the button below and enter,

then come back here and share a memory of something you

enjoyed eating when you were a child.

My mom used to make impossible coconut pie that was so good!

Have you ever heard of a Runza? by Pam Crooks

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If you’re not from the Midwest, I suspect you haven’t.  But here in Nebraska, this beloved sandwich was born and bred only 45 minutes from where I live.

Runzas are hugely popular as a hand-held meal with browned hamburger, shredded cabbage, and onion wrapped in soft dough, served warm, and often with ketchup. Thousands have been sold at Nebraska Cornhusker football games, for example. Drivers will make a pit stop off of Interstate 80 to grab a few for the drive to their destination.  Even my brother from Amarillo, Texas, ordered a dozen frozen Runzas to be shipped to my niece in Dallas who was pregnant and craving them.

They’re that good.

Their start in Nebraska actually had its roots planted when Germans started moving to Russia in the 1700s at the invitation of German princess Catherine the Great, who married into Russian royalty.  As incentive for her countrymen to move to Russia with her, she offered free land, religious freedom, and no requirement to serve in the Russian military.  It was inevitable that the Germans became influenced by Russian dishes, specifically the “pirozhki,” a baked-or-fried hand pie stuffed with savory or sweet fillings.

Also inevitable was the Germans tweaking the pie to suit their own tastes, and their version was called the “bierock.”  It’s said that farmers enjoyed them as a hot meal while they worked in the fields.

By the late 1800s, the promises made by Catherine the Great began to fade, and the Germans were being forced to assimilate into Russian cultures, including their military.  Rebelling, the German Russians fled the country and settled in the Great Plains of America. By 1940, nearly 1/2 million had settled in the United States, with roughly 20,000 of them in Lincoln, Nebraska, alone.

Two German Russian siblings, brother Alex Brening and sister Sally Everett, both of whom lived in Lincoln, began selling the homemade bierocks as lunch for factory workers. The bierocks were so popular that the siblings eventually opened their first restaurant location in Lincoln in 1949.

But trademarking their recipe proved a bit difficult since “bierock” was too general and too cultural, so they named the pies “Runza,” believed to have been poached from “krautrunz,” German for bierocks, or “runsa,” German for ‘belly’ from the rounded pouch shape of the pie.

In 1966, the siblings opened their second location. By 1979, franchises for Runza Restaurants became available.  Today, there are 85 Runza locations throughout Nebraska, with six more in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota.

 

 

My daughters LOVED Runzas when I made them for dinner, and now they make them for their own children.  Here’s my recipe:

RUNZAS

1 1/2 lb of hamburger, browned and drained

1/2 head of small cabbage, grated

1/2 onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper

2 frozen bread dough loaves (or individual frozen dinner rolls)

Directions:

Add cabbage and onion to hot, drained hamburger.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Stir well and leave in kettle with lid on while preparing bread dough.

Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut dough into serving size squares, about 4 x 4 inches.  Fill centers with hamburger mixture.  Pull up sides of dough and seal.  Place sealed side down on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with ketchup, if desired.

These make great leftovers, too.

 

 

Have you ever heard of a Runza?  Or had one?

What is your favorite fast food sandwich?

Let’s chat, and you could win a $10 gift card for your favorite fast food sandwich!

 

To stay up on our latest releases and have some fun, too, join our Facebook Reader Group HERE!

Dandelion Jelly

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What so many of us consider weeds were an important plant in early days. While we know that dandelions can be eaten (if for sure, we know they’ve not been sprayed with poison!) what some of you might not know are the many ways they could have been used for! 

From jelly to coffee and tea, fritters and salads or soups to wine and even non food things like ointments, dandelions were a practical and easy to find plant on the western frontier, and one that would really be useful in just about any way since the entire dandelion, from flower to stem to leaves to root can be eaten or used. 

While doing some research for a book, I discovered that dandelions were likely brought to America by European settlers, who understood their medicinal and nutritional purposes.  These flowers and stems provided a lot of needed nutrients, but also could help the liver and digestive system, as well as the skin. Though it doesn’t appear they were ever planted as a crop, the fact that their seeds make it easy for abundant plants to grow, made it one that was easily found. 

So, I’ve got an easy and tasty recipe, if you ever get the hankering to try them! 

Dandelion Jelly

Ingredients: 

  • 4 cups water 
  • 4 cups dandelion flowers
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
  • 4 ½ cups white sugar

Directions:

  • Heat water in a large pot until simmering. Add dandelion flowers and simmer for 12 minutes. Strain over a bowl and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Discard flowers. 
  • Measure out 3 cups of dandelion-infused water and pour into a large pot. Add lemon juice, pectin, and yellow food coloring and bring to a rolling boil. 
  • Once at a boil, add sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and scrape off foam if any formed. Pour mixture into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Add lids and screw on rings.
  • Place a rack in the bottom of a large pot and fill to halfway up pot with water. Add jars, leaving room between. Pour in more boiling water if needed to bring the water to 1 inch or more above the jar tops. Bring to boil and process for 7 minutes. 
  • Remove jars and place on a cloth-covered surface. Press top of each lid, ensuring that the seal is tight. Let cool 24 hours.

Where I live, Mennonites make dandelion jelly quite often. Have you ever eaten dandelions? I’ve love to know!

“GO-TO” RECIPES–PEPPER STEAK IN A CROCK POT–EASY AND GREAT! by Cheryl Pierson

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Hey, everyone! I am SO excited! No, it’s not a book or a character this time around that’s got me all “hyped”—but, of all things, a RECIPE. Now, hear me out, and I think you’ll be just as happy to get this on your kitchen table as I was.

Y’all know, my “recipe” for a great RECIPE is that it has to be two things: EASY AND GOOD. This takes the cake for both of those things, and also, I was able to make about 3 meals from it. Now if hubby had not been sick, he’d have helped me and it wouldn’t have lasted even that long! I DID have to purchase three items I don’t use that much when I cook (bouillon cubes, cornstarch, and soy sauce), but that’s okay, because I’ll be making it again.

I simplified this even more by buying beef fajita strips already cut (they were perfect!) and I did add about 4 small sweet colored peppers that I already had in the fridge—you know the ones, yellow, green, red, orange, and much smaller than the bell peppers—they added some pretty color! Our Sam’s store carries a brand of spices that makes a blend of salt, pepper, and garlic—that’s what I used on the beef strips.

Don’t be concerned if the beef bouillon cube doesn’t completely dissolve. I stirred in the cornstarch when it was about half dissolved and heated the entire mixture (water, bouillon, cornstarch) up again in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and broke it up at that point.

 

I can’t say enough how easy this was and how GOOD. I served it over some rice, and ate a small salad with it the first night—and the 2nd time I ate it I made corn on the cob to go with it. There are lots of other things you can serve with it—I was sure wishing I’d bought some rolls! LOL

 

Look at this scrumptious feast! All cooked up in one big ol’ crock pot and ready to eat with very little tending once it’s all assembled. This is definitely going to be one of my “go-to” recipes, summer or winter, now that I’ve made it!

Here’s the recipe, and I sure hope you enjoy it. I was thinking, you could probably serve it over noodles, too, if rice is not up your alley. I cooked it for 4 hours on high in my crockpot and the meat was so tender, and everything blended great.

 

PEPPER STEAK IN A CROCK POT

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips

¾ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cube beef bouillon

¼ cup hot water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup chopped onion

2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

 

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle beef sirloin strips with garlic powder. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear beef strips, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water in a separate container until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with beef strips. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

ENJOY!

Do you have a “go-to” recipe that’s easy and wonderful? I’m always on the lookout!  Would love for you to share if you have something your family loves that’s not too complicated to make (cooking is not my forte!) LOL 

Karen’s Christmas Shortbread

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I enjoy baking, but I rarely make the time for it. Except at Christmas. I still don’t do a lot of baking, but I always make at least a few yummy goodies to have on hand. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without cookies.

Growing up, we would go to my grandparents house for Christmas every year. I have so many wonderful memories of playing games with my cousins, singing carols, playing Skipbo (once I was old enough to join the adult card table – a BIG moment in my life – ha!), and finding the delicious treats Grandmother had strategically placed around the house. My favorite was the shortbread hidden under a covered pink glass dish in the living room. It was such a simple cookie. Dry yet sweet. No special flavoring. A simple sheet cut into rectangle fingers. I loved it!

Strangely enough, I never tried baking it myself until about 10 years ago. Now it is a Christmas staple. The perfect cookie to have with hot tea while curling up with a fun Christmas read.

Shortbread Christmas Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugar. Add vanilla. In a medium bow, sift together flour and salt. Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Form dough in your hands and mold into 2 flat disks. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick and cut into shapes. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Karen’s tip: Instead of rolling dough out on a floured surface to cut into shapes, since this dough is already dry, it is much better (and easier) to roll the dough onto a piece of wax paper. Lay a piece the plastic wrap you covered the dough in earlier over the top and roll dough between the plastic wrap and wax paper. No additional flour is needed. I do dip my cookie cutters in flour, however, before cutting the dough to prevent sticking.

I like to cut my cookies into cute mini Christmas shapes. These are my guilt-free cookie bites. And they are just adorable! If you make these mini cookies, reduce baking time to 15 minutes.


I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!
May you have lots of yummy goodies to enjoy with your cowboy Christmas reads.

 

 

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Shanna Hatfield

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 Back in June, we had company coming. Friends I’d made online, but had yet to meet in person.

So, of course, I decided I wanted to make several thing I’d never made before, like a corn salad. I browsed through dozens of recipes but couldn’t find one I liked. I ended up making my own recipes.

Turns out, that was a tasty decision!

Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS

2 large ears fresh corn

4 strips bacon

1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1/4 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Cook bacon 15-20 minutes until crisp and browned. Remove from oven and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain grease. When cool enough to touch, dab away grease and crumble into small pieces. Reserve a tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Shuck corn and remove silk strands. Add corn to boiling water. Cover and cook about five minutes. Remove from heat, drain hot water, and immerse in cold water to stop cooking process.

Pat cobs dry and use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs. (I’ve found it’s easiest to hold cobs at an angle to remove kernels. My mom had one of those handy-dandy tools you set over the top of a cob on a cutting board, pushed it down, and it removed all the kernels lickety-split.)

Place corn kernels and bacon in a mixing or serving bowl. Drizzle with the bacon grease (just trust me on this!). Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, and salad dressing. Season with salt. Stir to combine ingredients, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. It gives the flavors time to blend. When ready to serve, sprinkle more Parmesan cheese and parsley on top of the bowl (optional).

NOTES: If you are in a hurry, you can use frozen corn instead of fresh, and substitute bacon bits for just-cooked bacon. You can also use dried parsley instead of fresh. If you can’t find Olive Garden Italian Dressing, make your own with this copycat recipe.

Yield: Approximately 4 servings

Would You Love an Easy Homemade from Scratch Vanilla Pudding Recipe? Read on…

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Who doesn’t love vanilla pudding? Especially on these hot summer days when a gal just doesn’t want to turn on the oven?  I gotta admit I’ve been flipping through all my “over-the-stove” recipes cause I just don’t want to turn on that oven.

I even did a stew today instead of a roast.  If it’s hot in your home state and you love an easy, sweet treat, well, you’ve come to the right blog today.

 

By the way, this picture comes courtesy of the site: theseoldcookbooks.com — I love the old cookbooks, too.  But, let me share my mother-in-law’s made from scratch vanilla pudding recipe.

Vanilla Pudding without cornstarch

1/3 Cup Sugar, mixed well with:

1/4 Cup Flour

Mix in 1 egg and

1/2 Cup Milk (I mix 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream because cream to me is a food of joy.

Stir until smooth.

Then add 1 1/2 Cup More Milk (or milk and cream)

Add two tablespoons butter.

Stir while cooking over medium heat until thickened.  This takes about 5-6 minutes.

After cooking add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

This is the recipe to use if you are making banana pudding for a pie — or if you just want some homemade banana pudding.  If you do, add two bananas.

That’s it.  Easy and it didn’t really heat up the kitchen.

Now, let me do an add on, just in case you like to make your own spices.

My sister had a son who was allergic to All spice and so here is a substitution that might work since it imparts a similar kind of taste.

ALL SPICE:

1 Teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Cloves

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Mix together.  Enjoy!

And now for some NEWS:

My latest effort, SHE BRING BEAUTY TO ME, will be steeply discounted tomorrow, the 25th of June though the 27th of June 2024.  For those three days, the price of the ebook will be $.99 cents.  After the 27th of June, however, the book will revert to its 25% discounted price of $3.49 for the rest of the month.

So if you haven’t picked up your copy of the ebook yet, now might be a good time to add it to your e-reader.  https:  tinyurl.com/She-Brings-Beauty-To-Me

Do you have a favorite pudding recipe?  If so, come on in and tell me about it.