Oyster Dressing

My step-daughter, Chrissy makes a REALLY good oyster dressing.  It has to be good because I don't really even like oysters but her oyster dressing is great.  I am hoping she signs up for this blog because like her sister, Trisha she is an excellent cook.  But in the meantime, I will give you Paula Deen's Oyster Dressing recipe.  Unlike Paula Deen does, I would just buy Pepperidge Farms Cornbread Stuffing in a bag.

Cornbread:

• 1 cup self rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dressing:

• 7 slices white bread, dried in warm oven
• Cornbread
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 2 pints or 1 quart oysters, drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cornbread, combine all ingredients and pour into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make the dressing, crumble dried white bread slices, cornbread and crackers. Mix together and set aside. Saute chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over corn bread mixture. Add stock, mix well and add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add oysters and mix. Pour into a greased pan. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents recipe

I made these and Chrissy got to taste test them as she had stopped by when they were coming out of the oven. They are good! Chrissy suggested putting jalapenos in them too. I haven't tried the jalapenos yet but it does sound good

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents recipe

Chicken Macaroni Bake

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey, cooked and cubed
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz pasta, any varity, cooked
buttered bread crumbs

Prepare pasta according to directions. Brown onion in butter. Stir in soup,chicken, milk and 3/4 cups cheese: heat until cheese melts. Blend sauce with cooked noodles: pour into buttered baking dish. Mix remaining cheese and bread crumbs and place on top.

Back at 350 for 30 mins or until hot

Chicken Kabobs

• This is seriously the best chicken kebob recipe I have ever made! 
• 
  
• 1 lemon
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 pinch dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into sections
• 1/2 lb grape tomatoes (they look like small, pear shaped cherry tomatoes, but they are much better on the grill, and taste)
• 2 red peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

1.  Place chicken breast pieces in a bowl.
2.  Pour in enough olive oil to completely cover pieces, squeeze the lemon over them, and then add the garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, salt, and a couple of twists of cracked pepper.
3.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4.  Assemble kebabs, and grill until chicken is no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes depending on your grill.
5.  Don't overcook them, though.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Some of you may not realize it but Darlington, SC is the sweet potato capital of the world.  Yup, we have a big festival uptown every October and they have many different food items you can buy that is made with sweet potatoes along with the usual festival type food.

From the kitchen of Mrs. Linda Wheeler, Statesville

2 cups sweet potatoes (cooked)
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
3 cups flour
3 Tbsp baking powder

Stir sweet potatoes, margarine and sugar while potatoes are still hot. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Roll and cut into biscuits. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown. Serve hot with butter.

Cake In A Jar

1 18.25 oz package yellow cake mix

8 Straight Sided Wide Mouth Jars with Lids and Rings

Prepare the cake according to package instructions, or use any cake recipe.

In pint size, straight-sided wide-mouth jars, put 1 cup of batter in each greased jar. Make sure to keep the rims of the jars clean. Put in preheated oven 350 degrees F. Place jars on a cookie sheet to keep from tipping over while baking.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. While they are baking, have your jar lids boiling in a pan of water. When the cake is done, take one jar out at a time and add the hot lid and screw on your jar ring and let set and cool.

It will seal as it cools. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to "ping" as they seal. If you miss the "ping", wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it is sealed.

After it cools it will pull away ffrom the jar and when you are ready to eat, open and pop out the cake. You can ice just before eating if you like. Enjoy.

Orange Dreamsicle Delight

1 - .3oz box of Orange Flavor Sugar Free Jello 1 - 1oz box of Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Instant Pudding 1 - container of Cool Whip Free (8oz.)

Makes approximately 4 1-cup servings

Prepare Jello according to package directions by adding the hot and cold water. Stir in instant pudding powder mix (do not prepare as normal). I use a wire wisk to mix.
Fold in entire container of Cool Whip Free, and wisk until completely blended. Refrigerate for a few hours until set.


Number of Servings: 4

Pecan Pie

• 9 inches pie shells
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup pecan halves

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Beat sugar, eggs, salt, butter, and syrup.
3.  Fold in pecans.
4.  Pour into pie shell.
5.  Bake for 50 minutes.

Pumpkin Pocket Pies :: Malinda Coletta [Professorchef] :: Justapinch.com

Pumpkin Pocket Pies :: Malinda Coletta [Professorchef] :: Justapinch.com

Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Bake

I can't seem to weasel Mrs. Jessie's Sweet Potato Casserole out of Trisha so here is Paula Deen's version.

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Mix together with fork; sprinkle over top of casserole**

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream;mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish ( 1 1/2 quarts). Add topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
**Note Trisha always puts miniature marshmallows over the top after the casserole is done cooking and browns them lightly in the oven.  YUM!

Chrissy's Banana Pudding

I can't take any credit for this one.  I got this one from my step-daughter Chrissy Stevens-Jackson who is an excellent cook and fantastic person

3 small pkgs instant vanilla pudding
4 Cups Milk
8 oz sour cream
1 box of vanilla wafers
1 large carton of Cool Whip
7-8 bananas, sliced

Mix milk and sour cream with pudding mix.
Add half the Cool Whip.
In a large container alternate layers of vanilla wafers, banana and pudding mixture.
Top with remaining Cool Whip.
Cover and refrigerate.

Paula Deen Cinnamon Rolls

Thanks to Susan Garman for the photo and the suggestion of this recipe for cinnamon rolls

Dough:

• 1/4-ounce package yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.