Cream of Tomato Soup

Tomatoes and basil=TO DIE FOR!

Unless you happen to be married to the world's foremost hater of tomatoes.

In which case he will simply have to eat leftovers...umm, I mean planned-overs!

Tis yet another of the Vissotzky recipes that calls for a pressure cooker.

I must be missing something, because I have never used one. 

All the stories I have heard of pressure cookers include

explosive endings with sticky liquids splattered all over everything! 

It would be just my luck...

Instead, I think I will try this in a slow cooker set on low

while I scramble to catch up on things that need to be done during the weekend.

I love Cream of Tomato soup...

it's a Sunday kind of thing,

along with a nice crunchy green salad and a loaf of sourdough bread. 

Ok, mebbe I'll be nice

and share the sourdough bread with the resident tomato hater. 

Strawberry Cake

Yummmmmm! 

Strawberries are starting to be in season...

so here is the recipe for the strawberry cake

 that was in my mother-in-law's recipe box. 

But I think this recipe is really from Bernice Neighbors Faires Parker. 

It is her writing at the bottom of the recipe. 

And I can't wait to try this. 

I think I could eat just the recipe for the frosting!  

Guilty pleasures.....!

Marble Pound Cake

Marble Pound Cake!  All in 5 simple ingredients (not counting the number of eggs here you know!) actually, it is 6 items, because either June or Bernice left the chocolate out of the ingredients - but clearly it says to "Mix all but the packet of chocolate"!  

OOPS!

I think she meant MAYBE a box of chocloate pudding since there is also a vanilla pudding box involved.  But (after my diet LOL) I will have to try this one too...

because my son would love it up at college and it SHOULD mail well! 

So stay tuned for more Marble Pound Cake! 

Unless you beat me to it. 

Let me know!

Bar-b-que BBQ Chicken in Foil

BBQ Chicken in Foil! Easy cook, easy clean and I bet this dish is delicious! If it is YOUR night to cook AND clean up, then this is the recipe for YOU!  I'll post pictures of this one after I make it. 

You guessed it....After "THE DIET" Or maybe I'll even cook this while on "THE DIET"!  

This recipe is not that loaded up on sugars (I know, catsup is, but there are only 2 teaspoons!)  

I could cut the butter/margarine with no problem and probably not even miss it!  

Stay tuned!  

I wonder if June ever cooked this? 

This would also be a good recipe to adapt for camp cookin'!

Tamale Cheese Pie

I have no idea what magazine or newspaper or author to contribute this to! 

Sorry about that...but it sounds delicious and it was in June Vissotzky's recipe box!  

This is on my list to make after my diet is done. 

If you wanted to cut down on the fat content, you can use very lean ground beef, or bison. 

You'll never taste the difference!  HONEST!

 I imagine you could also use chicken and it would also be yummy. 

I plan to add some cilantro and a can or two of green chiles,

but that's just because hubby and I are used to spicier foods.  

Tamale-Cheese Pie and a green salad...there's dinner for you!  

Apple Blossom Cake

The Apple Blossom Cake is still calling me! 

I think this is Bernice Faires Parker's recipe. 

It looks like her handwritingg. 

This is a good, easy cake to have on hand when a neighbor stops by, if it even lasts that long! 

No neighbors or friends?  Then you REALLY need to make this cake!  

 Include a couple of slices in your lunch and offer to share....

VOILA!   Instant friends!  

Chunks of apple with nuts and spices...how on earth could you possibly go wrong? 

Riker's Mexican Corn Casserole from Creede, Colorado

This almost sounds like a  kind of tamale casserole.  I haven't made it yet (on a diet) but I definitely will! 

I prefer more spicy food, so I'll probably add some green chiles and chopped cilantro.

And maybe some cheese.

Oh yes.  Almost forgot the diet.  Maybe just a LITTLE cheese, followed by a walk with the dogs.

Happy now?

I am not sure who the Rikers were. 

I DO know that my husband's family used to go to Creede on vacation in the 60's. 

This is where the genealogy part of my blog comes into play.  Stay tuned about the Rikers!  I googled it hoping it was a restaurant in Creede, but all I came up with was a Riker's island prison that sounds like it makes a darn fine carrot cake!  Talk about running around in circles.  Now I want carrot cake.

Oh yeah.  THE DIET! 

Carrot cake AND Riker's Mexican corn casserole will just have to wait. 

Foremost Biscuit recipe

Sometimes fortune deals us a funny hand.  I had planned on featuring a recipe for Apple Blossom Cake, that had a date of 1967 on it.  When I clicked to insert a picture on the blog, up popped this biscuit recipe! It being Friday, and the end of what seems to have been a long week, biscuits it is!   The Apple Blossom Cake will just have to wait, cuz biscuits are calling our name! The trick for getting fluffier biscuits is to NOT twist the biscuit cutter, glass, or whatever you are using to get your biscuit shape. 

Just press down and right back up. 

No twisting. 

ever.

The biscuits don't like that.

They DO like to touch other biscuits though as they bake.

So don't feel obligated to give them space to spread as they bake.

Touching but no twisting!

I feel like I am in an exercise class...

Hmm, maybe sausage, gravy and biscuits for breakfast/brunch tomorrow? 

By the way, I am guessing these biscuits are named Foremost biscuits after Foremost Farms.  I asked my hubby if he'd ever heard of Foremost and he said "Yes, they used to deliver milk way back when"  Oh yeah.  I guess I do remember that!   And they still DO have Foremost Farms Dairy cooperative...and they make cheese...and whey. And Foremost Farms was originally started by no other than J.C Penney!   I also found out he was a strong believer in The Golden Rule.  Smart man. 

"Do unto others as you shall have them do unto you"

Smart words to live by, and they aren't said enough these days. 

Foremost was a Guernsey bull - google it - it is very interesting! 

Class dismissed!

White Bean Soup

Bean Soup!   That should warm your soul while it is still winter!  My mother-in-law made this with California small white beans (hence the "soak 1 lb. Cal. sm. white beans" in the directions...)  This recipe should also warm your pocket book a bit too, since it is pretty inexpensive to make. 

Who doesn't appreciate that nowadays?

The directions also say "Cook in pressure cooker, 15 lbs - 40 minutes."  Maybe all of you "pressure cookers" might be able to decipher that, but I would settle for throwing this in ye old crock pot while you're off to work or doing other things. 

Sorry no pictures of the actual soup.  Just the card today folks! If you make this, I would be more than happy to hear your results - with or without the pressure cooker - and post your soul-warming soup picture!

Orange Slice Cookies

My dear hubby told of a cookie he used to eat when he was a boy.  I had never heard of Orange Slice cookies, but thought I'd look for the recipe and make him happy.  I made them, and yes, by golly, he was happy!  

then I lost the recipe. 

Hooray for the internet!  After trying a few other recipes, both my hubby & my son said

this was THE recipe!

 It;s very easy.  I start by chopping the candy orange slices (not a real orange!) by dipping my kitchen scissors in flour or sugar - that way they don't get too sticky and clump up on the scissors or knife!   Then I grab a damp paper towel, the scissors and the orange slices and head to the TV to watch a show while I sit and cut the slices.  I use the damp paper towel to occassionally wipe the candy goop off of the scissors.  After I am done, I mix all the ingredients together.

 Then I roll them into little 1" balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Be careful and don't tilt the cookie sheet....

 Or you will end up with a big clump of little 1" cookie balls!

don't ask me how I know this..... :D

 Bake for recommended time - my oven usually takes a bit longer, but I try to undercook them ever so slightly so they still remain chewy.

 

Yum.  Excuse me while I devour the whole cookie sheet.....

I'd like to thank southernfood.about.com for saving my hide and having this recipe on their website after I lost it the first time!