FROMONLINE | 2014-08-13

By Daphne Ross
August 13, 2014
391

Blessings begin early on this fine day Column Summary What is this world coming to? commented two of my elderly friends. I chose to see the goodness of my morning, and it was not hard to find. I must say that it was a joy to not be running the window air conditioner in our bedroom last evening. The fresh air was just that, the top sheet was just the right cover, and the country music breezing thru the screens was in fine tune. Wednesday mornings can be quite hectic as it is an early out-the-door day for our son who commutes to Akron. Lunch packing, breakfast cooking, and recipe typing fill my mid-week morning, evident by the two sink loads of dirty dishes in the kitchen. But I began to count my blessings in this rush to get thru the next couple hours. I get up at 5:30 a.m. and try to fit in all the chores that I can, but not so much today. As I cleared the table, closed the lunchbox cooler, and hugged our man boy going out the door, I discovered a sweet note on the fridge. It was left for me, by my dear husband who had left the house a couple hours earlier. I have already lost count of the blessings. I decided to shower and dress before hitting the computer keyboard, so when the last word was typed I could just get going. My bottle of hair conditioner had barely a drop; adding water and giving it a good shake was just not going to be enough. These long locks need more than creamy water to detangle. A new bottle was in the bathroom cupboard within arms reach. The blessings continued. The house dog quickly took care of business and did not need an extra tug or treat to prompt him into his kennel, a command was good enough. But as I sat down to pull on my favorite cowboy boots, they had their final blow-out. A bummer yes, but the bright side was I could go buy a new pair. This directed me to my favorite department store before going to the shop. With coupon and promotional cash in hand I was the first shopper in the door. One style of cowboy boots was all they had, they were 50% off, but they did not have my size in stock. I was not discouraged. I headed over to the blue jeans, picked up three pairs, tried on three pairs, and paid for three pairs of jeans that fit fine and dandy. I am spoiled by blessings and it is not even ten oclock yet. My trip through the fast food drive-thru was a tough one; I couldnt decide which one of my favorite breakfast items to get, so I bought all three. And when that drive-thru window opened and the smell of that fresh coffee came rushing into my face, I was quickly blessed by that wonderful aroma. And as an added note, the Ronald McDonald House was blessed by my keep the change donation. As I came close to the village limits I decided to quick turn into the bulk food store and see if by some chance they had my favorite jelly beans, and by golly they did. I could scoop all my favorite flavors, and what I bought fit my candy jar perfectly. It is a blessing to be able to taste so many great flavors through my blessed day. And if the morning couldnt get any better our sweet Aunt Elsie popped in the door. She felt blessed, I felt blessed; it was a Blessed Fest. I cant wait to see what may come the rest of this fine day. Late summer, early fall, what is on your dessert menu? Send recipes to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome: thewritecook@sssnet.com Spanish Rice (Helen Vaught, Nova) 6 slices bacon 1 cup rice, prepared and set aside 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 quart of home canned tomatoes or use fresh cooked 1 teaspoon chili powder Fry bacon until crisp, remove from pan; leave enough bacon drippings in pan to sauté onions and pepper. Add tomatoes and chili powder. Crumble bacon and put in and with tomato mixture, simmer about 10 to 15 minutes. Add cooked rice, stir well and cooked about 2 minutes more. Key Lime Cake Cake: 1 (3 ounce) package lime Jell-0 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 cups sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 3/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 5 large eggs, lightly beaten Glaze: 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 cup powdered sugar Icing: 1 stick butter, room temperature 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature 1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar For the cake: butter and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. In a large mixing bowl, mix the Jell-O, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter evenly in the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto rack. For the glaze: While the cake is still hot, mix the lime juice and powdered sugar together well. Pierce the cake with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better and pour it over the cake on the cooling rack. Cool cake completely. For the icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the powdered sugar until mixture is smooth. Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake. Tex-Mex Rice Casserole 2 tablespoons oil 3 mince garlic cloves 1 medium onion, diced 4 cups long grain rice 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans whole tomatoes 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven; add the garlic and onions. Cook 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the rice. Stir constantly, so rice wont burn. Cook 3 minutes over low heat. Add the whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and turmeric. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir the mixture together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the rice is almost done, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with the cheese, and then bake at 375 degrees with the lid off until rice is cooked and cheese is melted. Frozen Key Lime Pie 1 prepared graham cracker crust Filling: 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 2 tablespoons lime zest 3/4 cup lime juice For the decoration: 1 package prepared Dream Whip Thin lime wedges For the filling, beat until thick the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in a bowl for 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into graham cracker pie shell and freeze. Spoon or dollop whipped topping over filled pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight. Southwest Rice Casserole 1/3 cup oil 3 cups chopped yellow onions 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 2 large chopped seeded jalapenos 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 1/2 cups long-grain white rice 2 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe Roma tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons taco seasoning 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add the onions and peppers, cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, and seasoning. Stir well; bring to a boil. Cover with a tight lid. Bake at 350 degrees until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, for 30 minutes. After baking let rest for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the green onions. Little Lime Cheesecakes 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons lime curd 6 mini graham cracker crusts Whipped topping Sugared lime slices, for garnish In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Beat in the lime curd on low speed until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the graham cracker crusts. Place on a small baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping and 1/4 of a slice of lime that has been sprinkled with sugar. Smoky Spanish Rice 1 1/2 cups converted long-grain rice 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles 2 tablespoons chipotle taco seasoning 3 1/3 cups water Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. No-Bake Lime Cheesecake Bars Crust: 1 stick unsalted butter, diced 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies 2 tablespoons sugar For the filling: 1/2 cup lime juice 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder 1/4 cup sugar 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang. Put the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth. In food processor crush cookies until finely ground. With the motor running, pour in the warm melted chocolate mixture and process until combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate while you make the filling. Filling: Warm the lime juice in a small saucepan over low heat; whisk in the gelatin and sugar until completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Beat in the gelatin mixture and vanilla. Spread in the prepared crust and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Drizzle over the cheesecake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove from the pan using the foil handles and slice into bars.

FROMONLINE | 2014-08-13

Kauffman's Country Bakery

Berlin RV Park