The place I called home from age 11-21

Chicken and Dumplings

Gosh! When I was a child dumplings wasn't a treat like it is at my house today. Mama would make up a batch two or three times a week. Of course we didn't have chicken with them every time. We were too poor for that. The chickens we had were for eggs or Sunday dinner, so mama would put dumplings with new red potatoes and I couldn't tell the difference. When we went out to eat that one time in three years when I was five, I ordered potatoes and dumplings. The waitress laughted at me and I remember that I couldn't figure out why they couldn't make something that mama made so often. I didn't know how poor we were. I just knew how much I loved dumplings. Now for the recipe. I buy a stewing hen and cut it up and put it in the pressure pot and cook it for 30 mins. I take the chicken out to cool and debone. I transfer the broth to a large stock pot and fill 2/3 full with water and salt and pepper to taste. The day before, I make up my dumplings and put them in the fridge so that they would toughen up a little. Now for the dumplings! Clear the counter and make room for four sheets of wax paper as wide as your counter so that the edge of the paper hangs off just a little. I make my dumplings in an old wooden bowl that my mama used for most all of her flour needs, dumplings, biscuits, flouring to fry etc; I put about eight cups of self-rising flour in my bowl and take my fist and make a hollowed out hole in the middle. I break 3 eggs and begin mixing with my right hand while turning the bowl with my left hand. I start out with a glass of cold water and a can of evaporated milk and knead and mix until I have a ball about the size of two large grapefruits. Then I continue to kneed taking in extra flour and making my dough stiff enough to pick up and move from hand to hand without sticking to my hands. Then I sprinkle lots of flour on each end of each piece of wax paper and divide the dough equally putting a piece on the end of each piece of paper, sprinkle with lots of flour and, pick up the circle of dough and put another handfull of flour under it and roll until the dough is about a 1/4 or less inch thin. Repeat until all dough is rolled out. Sprinkle each circle with flour again and start on your right and pull the second sheet onto the top of the first and then the third onto the top of the second and so forth. Top with another piece of wax paper and carefully roll the dumplings up and put them in the fridge. Sounds hard but after you do it a few times its like taking candy from a baby. HO HO. When you're ready to cook the dumplings bring the broth to a rolling boil and cut the dumplings starting with the top layer into 2 inch strips and drop into the boiling stock. Take a large spoon to push the dumplings in the pot aside so that you have a place to drop the next ones until finished. Then return the boneless chicken to the pot and cover with a lid and turn on med low and cook until done. (Usually about 20 mins.) When they are tender, cut them off and add a can of evaporated milk to them and stir and serve. If you ever decide to try the potatoes and dumplings leave the eggs out and make the same. I would say good luck but you don't need that, you just need practice. Laura would take these to the Lodge and everyone would eat off of one plate.

Pat's Easy Pecan Pie

I wish I could say that I spend hours pouring over my pecan pie but notta! I buy deep dish crust or the crust you put in your own pie dish. I prick the bottom and sides with a fork and set aside. I chop one piling cup of pecans coursely and dump them in the crust. Pre-heat oven to 350%. Next in my 4cup glass measuring cup i pour 1 cup white karo syrup, 1 and 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 stick butter and put it in the microwave for one min at the time until it is just melted enough to stir and pour usually 1 and 1/2 min. While I do this in my mixer bowl I break 4 large eggs and beay until foamy and add 1tsp pure vanilla and 1/8 tsp butternut flavoring, by then the sugar is ready and I keep the mixer going on the eggs and pour the sugar mixture in until mixed well. Pour over the pecans in the shell and put it in the oven. This in important. The bottom rack of the oven needs to be on the second place from the bottom. Put the pie on that one. The second shelf needs to be 2 spaces up with a piece of foil laying on it over the pie. This will allow the pie to cooks evenly without browning the crust too much before the pie gets done. It usually takes between 45 mins to an hour. Every oven is different. When you check your pie you can tell when the gue part is set . Take it out and let stand for an hour before cutting. Serve with bryers natural vanilla ice cream for best reviews. This is my I love Ryan Farnsworth recipe!

Pressure Cooker Tip

Pressure cookers have surely evolved over the years. I remember shooting a pot of peas right to the roof through that little hole in the lid. All the peas were on the ceiling and the pot was dry. What a day that was! Some things you'd like to forget, but then again you couldn't apreciate all of the new bells and whistles that they have added to make them so safe. I use my 8 quart cooker at least 3 times a week. Yesterday, I shelled a bucket of fordhook limas, washed them, threw 3 slices of smithfield ham in my pressure pot along with the fordhooks and about a quart and a half of water and added a little salt and pepper and put the pressure lid on and turned the heat to med when it started to rack. In 15 mins I turned the burner off took the cooker to the sink, ran cold water over it until the valve fell and then I released the safety release and opened the lid and they were cooked perfectly. No need to be scared any more. They have made them so safe that a young cook could feel perfectly safe. Call me if you have any questions. 912-265=7097 See I'm not scared of anything except my husband HOHOHOHO

Pat's Meat Loaf

I raised 5 children so I've cooked hamburger just about every way possible. My kids like this because it has a sweet sour taste. I start with 2# ground beef (lean),2 eggs, 2tblsp worcesteshre sauce 1 can tomato paste and 2 cups italian bread crumbs, garlic salt and course ground pepper. I mix all of this very well with my hands squeezing and squishing til it's all incorporated very well. Then I half the amount and make two loaf shaped balls and put them on a pam sprayed pampered chef bar pan and it's ready for my speacial stuff that makes may family like it. I take 1 cup catsup and mix in 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and two cups of brwon sugar. I mix well and lavish it on the to loaves. I put it in the oven on 350 for about 45 mins. I check it to see if juices are running clear, if not I cook a little longer. Just before I take it up I take the rest of the sauce mixture and brush it all over and cook anouther 5 mins. Really easy.

Hamburger Strogenoff

Brown 2# lean hamburger meat in large fry pan along with a large sweet onion peeled and chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. When the meat is brown and the onions translucent add 2 Heaping tablespoons of self-rising flour. This should be enough flour to take up all the cooked out fat. If not add a little moore flour. Stir well to keep from sticking. Open to cans of cream of chicken soup and empty into meat mixture and add at least two sour cans of water to mixture. Let come to boil and see if the mixture looks like a good gravy consistancey. If so that's enough water if not add a little more. Cook on low for about 30 mins. Turn burner off and stir in 16 oz of sour cream and mix well. It's ready to serve on rice or pasta of your choice. My bunch likes it on rice. Quick and easy.

Bread Pudding

I make this bread pudding in my round pampered chef baking dish. I spray it with pam and set it aside. Then I take twelve slices of raisin bread and break them into fairly large pieces and put them in the baking dish. Next mix 1/4 cup melted butter 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamin 1/2 tsp nutmeg, mix well with electric mixer and pour over bread. Put in pre-heated oven at 325% for about an hour. In the mentime in a small boiler mix together 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar 6 tblsp butter 2 large eggs and 1/2 cup apple juice and beat well until well mixed andcook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Sit off the stove and when you take the bread dish out of the oven take a butter knife and run around the edge to loosen it so that when you pour the topping on it will seep all the way around. It is delicious. It makes your house smell wonderful like youv'e been baking cinnamin rolls or something. This is not your ordinary bread pudding. It is not packy, it is light and custardy very easy on the taste buds. If you prefer lemon topping just replace the apple juice with lemon juice and add 1 tsp of grated rind. Great either way.