Monday, November 23, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Applesauce

Just about every body likes applesauce. You can have chunky or smooth. I like both. I always looked forward to help make some fresh applesauce. I like applesauce year round, but we made a big deal out of it come holiday time.

Pappy really liked applesauce. He could eat his weight in applesauce. It took my sister and I awhile to figure out why. We never, ever, saw him eat a apple, ever. And the reason why was because . . . he had no teeth. He could gum a good steak to death, but could not bite into a juicy apple. 

He claimed that home made applesauce was way better than the stuff you bought in the store. 'Course, that never stopped him from eating a whole big store-bought jar of applesauce in one day. So here is a recipe for making your own applesauce.


APPLESAUCE
About 4 pounds of tart apples (or your favorite kind)
1 cup sugar 
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly.

In a large Dutch oven (or other big pot) mix sugar, cinnamon, and your sliced up apples. Let stand for about 40 minutes or until juices start to form. Stir once or twice.
Cook over every low heat till very juicy, about 15 minutes or so.

Continue cooking now over medium heat to desired thickness, stirring often.

Cook around 20 minutes or so for chunky style applesauce, or 30 minutes or more for smooth style applesauce.

Makes about 5 1/2 cups or so.

It's not hard to make. I remember having fresh applesauce one time out on the ranch when we had to round up cattle to take to fall pasture. Old Joe fixed up a bunch of fried pork chops with some green beans and fresh made applesauce. We didn't have a chuck wagon, but we had Old Joe's old Willies pickup truck. It was set up kinda like a chuck wagon. You've never seen such a collection of pots 'n pans and Dutch ovens, and all kinds of food stuffs packed up on this old truck.

It was some good eating. So make some applesauce and surprise your family when you tell them you made it your self. Enjoy and FEED YOUR FACE!   

Friday, November 20, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Hasty Pudding

How long has it been since you have had hasty pudding? You have had hasty pudding, haven't you? Well, if not, you should try some. My sister and I used to have it at our great grandmother's house on cold mornings. My grandmother would serve all of us hasty pudding every Christmas morning when we lived with them back in the early sixties.

HASTY PUDDING
1 cup yellow cornmeal
Maple syrup
Brown sugar
Molasses or light cream

Take a bowl and add cornmeal and 1 cup cold water. Mix well.

In a heavy saucepan bring 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil.

Then carefully stir in the cornmeal mixture, making sure it does not get lumpy.

Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve up in bowls with a pat of butter.

Now add some molasses or some maple syrup. Or maybe you like brown sugar instead. Maybe some light cream.

Me, I like to add some chokecherry jelly. It's great on a cold morning with a steaming mug of coffee and maybe a slice -- okay, several slices -- of bacon on the side.

So, if it has been awhile since you had some hasty pudding, or if you have never had hasty pudding, give it a try. I think you will like it. You might even give up on your oatmeal.

Enjoy.... And FEED YOUR FACE!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Two styles of pie

Thanksgiving and Christmas meals would not be the same in our family if we did not have pumpkin pie. 'Course, any time is a good time for some homemade pie.

Good Old Pumpkin Pie

2 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin, or you can use a 15 oz of can pumpkin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup whipping cream or 1 cup light cream instead
1/2 cup milk or 1 cup light cream instead
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell. Make your own or use store bought.

Combine sugar, pumpkin, spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Now blend in cream, eggs, milk.

Pour it all into the pastry shell.

Bake at 400 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

*********************************************
Now for a pumpkin pie recipe that my great grandmother used to make for the holidays. She would make it at her house then bring it over to my grandmother's house. Both of my grandmothers kind of had a pie rivalry going on. They never would allow the other to make and bake a pie in their own kitchen. This went on for years. My sister and I kind of would fan the flames every now and then. 'Course, by the time the holiday meal was done, the pies were brought out and they sure didn't last long.

Molasses-Pumpkin Pie.

In a mixing bowl combine
2 cups of cooked and mashed pumpkin, or a 15 oz can of pumpkin,
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 a teaspoon salt.

Beat mixture until well blended, pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.
Let the pie cool.

My great grandmother was a farm girl and she loved to cook. If you walked away from the table after eating and were hungry in about two hours it was your own fault for not eating enough the first time. She always had a smile on her face and she would hum some tune from years gone by. She would let me and my sister in the kitchen to help her every time we came for a visit.

She taught me and my cousins how to cook some things. She would say that "boys should know how to cook too, just like girls do."

So, make some pumpkin pies for your holidays and smile when they say how good it is.

Now, whip up some whipped topping and FEED YOUR FACE!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Southern style South of the Border Stew. (Pappy style)

Pappy loved beans. He also loved stew. And he loved just about anything hot and spicy from south of the border. If you caught him on one of his good days, the man could fill the kitchen with aromas that would knock your socks off. Or if he was in the mood for border-style, you would burn all of the hair in your nose from the aroma of chili and spices. Grandmother was surprised sometimes that the paint had not peeled off the kitchen walls.

At least once every winter, Pappy would make this stew. It's good with some fresh corn bread on the side.

2 tablespoons of shortening or bacon grease
1 1/2 pounds of lean chuck, cut it in 1 inch cubes
2 green chilies, hot or mild, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 pounds smoked pork, cut in 1 inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet peppers, green or red, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 one pound can of tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 cup of your favorite wine (save the rest for later)
1 cup raisins
1 cup whole almonds or 1/2 cup shaved almonds

Now, get out your trusty Dutch oven.
Brown beef in shortening or bacon grease in Dutch oven. Remove beef.
Brown pork,onions and garlic. Stir often, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Now add your browned beef back into the Dutch oven, add your tomatoes,chili peppers, red peppers,salt, pepper,bay leaves, cumin, and oregano.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat.
Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cover.
Now, bake at 300 degrees for about 2 hours.
Skim the fat that has floated to the top, and serve.

Now, you can also do this in a slow cooker. When grandmother bought a slow cooker when they first came out and used it for the first time, I could have swore that I saw her dance a little jig in the kitchen. (She said that she was trying to squish a spider on the floor.) The roast and veggies were quite good. Pappy was overjoyed with the slow cooker also. Anyway, the slow cooker way follows.

Brown meats, onions, garlic in a skillet.
Dump that into your slow cooker. Now add all of the other ingredients.
Cover and let it cook 8 to 10 hours.

On cold days or cold nights, this stew will warm you up. It goes real good also with a cold beer and some sourdough bread.

So, whichever way you like to cook it, make a batch and FEED YOUR FACE!

Monday, November 16, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Mashed Potatoes (Grandma style)

Just about everyone likes mashed potatoes. But, some folks use the instant kind. Each has it's place. But give me fresh mashed taters! They just taste better. And the reason they do, according to my grandmother, is because you make them yourself, so you can make them like you like them. Lumpy or smooth. Skins or no skins. Lots of butter or very little butter.

Here is my grandmother's recipe for mashed potatoes.

6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cups butter
Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the potatoes in a large sauce pan and cover them with water. (Be sure to wash them first if you leave the skins on.)
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Cook until tender.
Drain. Add other ingredients.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended and creamy.
Serves 6 to 8.

Pretty simple. But I have known people that have never made mashed potatoes before. I remember my first time "helping" make mashed potatoes.

We were living with my grandparents, (grandmother and Pappy) and it was Thanksgiving day. It had snowed the night before, and the snow was deep. The wind had made big drifts in our backyard. My sister and I were helping by setting the table, and hoping that other family members were on their way. Things were going pretty well when all of a sudden the lights flicked off then on, then off. They didn't come back on.

Family started to show up. Food was being placed on the table. The only thing not done was the mashed potatoes. They were cooked and ready to be mashed, only we had no power for the mixer. So grandmother went old school. She produced this thing that she called a potato masher. Of course, me and my sister wanted to help mash potatoes.

Grandmother had turned off the burners on the stove. She put my and my sister in aprons, placed a chair by the stove, and let us bang and smash the potatoes to smithereens. Then she came up with this thing that she said was a hand mixer. The kind you have to turn this handle, and these little blades whirl around. Well, we had to have a go with that on the potatoes also, so we took turns.

We even were able to keep the biggest part of the potatoes in the pan. The power came back on when we were all just about done with our Thanksgiving meal. Everyone said that the mashed potatoes were the best they had ever had. .

So, enjoy, mash 'em up anyway you like. And FEED YOUR FACE!

Friday, November 13, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Corn Bread

My side of the family has always been the meat and 'taters kind of family. A lot of the family are from the south, so a lot of our meals reflect that heritage. A lot of our family were farmers. They really did live off of what they raised, and what they could sell for things they needed. Mamma and Poppa, my great grandparents, had a farm in Scout County, Missouri. They had the usual animals -- cows chickens, pigs, a couple of mules for plowing. And they had several acres of watermelons, corn, and several other crops.

Mamma could cook just about anything. Give her a couple of cast iron skillets and a few dutch ovens, and she could cook up a storm on her old wood cook stove. One of my favorite things was her home made corn bread, cooked in a big cast iron skillet. She always made all of her recipes from scratch. I love to cook in cast iron myself. I have skillets from my grandparents and great-grandparents. One or two are from great-great-grandparents.

So, it holds something special to me to cook in them. 'Course, I don't always cook from scratch, as there are things that make cooking a lot easier now that are (almost) as good. Like corn bread. Packaged corn bread is fine. But sometimes you need to add a little extra something to make it your own. Here is one of my great grandmother's cornbread recipes. (She had several.)

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup creamed corn
1/2 cups butter, melted

Heat your oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
Now in a larger bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk,creamed corn, and butter. Stir thoroughly.

Now add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture, stir and combine it all together.

If you want, you can pour into cupcake papers in your muffin pan. Or, like I do, grease up your big cast iron skillet and pour it in.

If you use the muffin pan, it takes about 12 minutes or so to bake. This will make 18 muffins.

If you use your cast iron, cooking time will be increased. When the top of corn bread is brown and a tooth pick comes out clean when poked into the corn bread. Set muffins or skillet aside to cool for just a few minutes.

Hope this is a recipe you will like and use. Great for holidays or Sunday supper. Slather some butter and jam on your corn bread, or try using some sorghum.

I've mixed up the dry ingredients and placed in a bag. And the wet ingredients in a jar. And taken on hunting and fishing trips. I've also, on fishing trips, dipped the fish once they've been cleaned, in the batter and fried them in my dutch oven that has oil in it.

So, enjoy. And FEED YOUR FACE!    

Thursday, November 12, 2015

FEED YOUR FACE: Trail Mix

Around the holidays, everyone seems to get the munchies more than any other time of the year. There is just something about being able to stuff our faces and worry about the end results at the beginning of the new year. My family use to start this feeding frenzy right after Halloween. We would eat up as much of the leftover candy as we could. Once we were tired of candy, we wanted something different to stuff ourselves with.

My great grandmother one year was tired of me, my sister, and three cousins opening her fridge every few minutes to look for something to munch or eat. She would holler at us and say, "There is nothing new in the fridge, that wasn't there before, so close the fridge, you're letting the cold out." I guess she had had enough. She grabbed a big bowl and dumped in what was left of some M&M's, peanuts, potato chips, and some dried fruit of some kind, leftover from the previous year when she made fruitcake.

Now, my cousins would eat anything and everything. They were always worried that one of them will not get his fair share. I mean, I've seen them fight over the ham bone from a pot of beans. Anyway, great grandmother threw a bunch of stuff in this bowl and set it out on a little table in the living room. Man, you would of thought that this stuff was the last meal on earth. My sister and I hovered around the outskirts of the bowl. We couldn't get near enough to try and get a hand full of it.

Our cousins came up for air, and me and my sister swooped in on the bowl. There wasn't much left. Some potato chip crumbs, a couple of busted up M&M's, the dregs of dried fruit, and them little chunks of peanuts and peanut skins. And there was also those hard chunks of the stale popcorn. You know, the ones that have not popped all the way. It was all gone. It seemed to satisfy our hunger for the time being.

Here is a recipe for some trail mix.

5 cups sugar corn pop cereal
1 cup raisins
2 cups peanuts or mixed nuts
2 cups of M&Ms

Mix it all together in a big bowl. Makes about 10 cups or so.
If you're the type, you can make up your own style of trail mix that is more on the healthy side. So, set out some trail mix. And FEED YOUR FACE! 

Monday, November 9, 2015

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it."
--Thomas Fuller, English clergyman and historian

"Where there is great love there are always miracles."
--Willa Cather, American author

"Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do."
--Jean-Paul Sartre, novelist

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

KATHI UPDATE & STUFF

Well, it has been more than five weeks with the blood clot in Kathi's leg. Even though it is still there, she will be heading back to the J.O.B. this Wednesday. Not sure if I will be taking her to work for awhile, or if she will drive herself. She still has bruising and nodules from the heparin shots, but they are getting smaller.

So, I will be busy for a few more days. Then, I need to call that friend of mine who was re-doing his basement. Need to get all of that crap done before the snow flies. We still need to get the sump pump installed and running to his liking. (That could take awhile.) Then I need to see what other type of piddly stuff he wants done.

With all that has been going on, my mind has been working overtime. Lots of projects that I have thought of. Now just need to start on them. Since the holidays are sneaking up on us, I think that I will be blogging some FEED YOUR FACE! posts. Main courses, sides, desserts, drinks, and a few stories thrown in also. Some wild game recipes are also in order. So, check in, you may find something from anything thing that crawls, swims, flies, runs, jumps, two legged, four legged, you never know.

If there is something you want to ask, ask. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Weird maybe, off the wall maybe. So, pull up a couch or whatever and ask away.

Also, don't forget to get the old snow blower ready. The snow will be here soon. Brush off them cob webs on the snow shovel. Check that pile of fire wood, Dig out your long johns and them old worn out winter boots. You might also start to drag down some of that Christmas stuff that is a pain in the butt to get to. 

Or if you're like some people and left them lights up all year, you're ahead of the game. Speaking of games. I came across a book that has some "old fashion games." I'll post a few of them and see if anyone remembers any of them.

Hope everyone's week is going well and not too many AH SH** moments happening.