Memory Baker

I love handwritten recipes. I am currently in the process of handwriting all of our family recipes for all four of our children. I'm starting with my two oldest sons, Ryan an Matthew, since they are both out of the house living like adults. Like most of you, I grew up learning that feeding others is another way of saying "I love you." Food celebrates, it shows your love, gratitude, welcome and sorrow {They call it comfort food for a reason}. Anytime there is something big happening in our lives, food is a part of it.

{My recipe card box and recipe books I'm making for my oldest sons}

But what happens when we lose those people that made those recipes for all those moments? They are gone and we are left with only the memories of how much we miss them and miss their food.

Food impacts our lives just like people do.

{My daughter, Mary Kate, learning all of Mama's recipes}

That's why I write it all down: the recipe, the year I received the recipe, who gave it to me and some recipes even contain a story. For example, the recipe that I'm sharing with you today, Pumpkin Crunch. Written on the recipe card I have, "this recipe is a fall favorite of mine. Given to me by my Mom when I was in my 20's living out on my own for the first time." You see, recipes don't have to be passed down because you're married or have children. Recipes should be passed down because you saw how it touched someone else.

{A treasure of family recipes}

These days, when I see people make over something I made, I write the recipe down on one of my own recipe cards and send it their way with a little note. It's the cheapest gift you can give, along with one of the most personal gifts you can give.

{Share you next recipe on a recipe card, not in an email}

Recipes are a part of family history and family tradition. Sharing recipes with family and friends, written in your hand, connects us in a way an email, text, blog or even a cookbook can't. So next time you go to a gathering and as you lovingly prepare your food for others, bring a piece of paper and pen, and make note of who complimented you on your recipe. When you get home write that recipe down for them with a little note and mail it as soon as possible. I promise you, you'll make someone feel loved. And there is no better way to say "I love you," when we run out of words, than to say it with food.

{Pumpkin Crunch}

Pumpkin Crunch

1 box yellow cake mix

3 large eggs

1 can {15oz}pumpkin

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 can {12oz}evaporated milk

1 cup melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

whipped topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans or chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of a 9x13 baking dish

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt

Mix well and pour into baking dish

Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture

Top with chopped pecans or chopped walnuts

Drizzle melted butter over nuts and cake

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown

Let cool and serve chilled

Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining nuts

Enjoy!

Easy Game Day Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Cookies

Football season has begun and with that comes our beloved tailgating & fall traditions! During football season you'll find my husband doing one of three things:

                                                           1) Brewing Beer
                                                           2) Watching multiple games on TV
                                                           3) Tailgating with friends

He lives for this time of year. The delicious smell of wort during the mash process, a brat in one hand and cold beer in the other....ahhh, this is living, this is Game Day, y'all.

I'm very similar to my Groom. I love sipping hot apple cider and baking during this time of year. Baking pumpkin bread, cookies and well breads of all kind! We are a family of comfort of food and drink during Football season. And we've got our game faces on as we prepare our next brews and bakes for the upcoming weekend!

I pretty much always having homemade cookies in our cookie jar and it's almost always double chocolate chip cookies {my kids favorite}. Today I got a little ahead of myself and decided to bake something with a little more protein to see us through this busy weekend, but also filled with fall flavors. In one day we have flag football and cheer for our littles, ACT test for our college bound high school senior, watching the Hogs beat TCU, a sleepover for our daughter and my parents annual chili supper at the lake with family and friends. Brewing beer and baking pumpkin bread will just have to wait till next weekend. But weekends like this are what fall is all about, wrapped into a warm blanket, and we are ready to cozy up!

{This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies}

Today's fall bake is so easy, and if you've never tried making peanut butter cookies this way you have no idea what you are missing. I know some people say they can't bake, but you can't mess this recipe up unless you go out of your way to burn them. These cookies are great for busy weekends, game days, tailgating, or any time you just want to have a cookie jar full of fall flavors. If fall flavors are not for you, you have a problem....try using regular or crunchy peanut butter instead.

-Preheat oven to 325-

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin spice peanut butter 

{by Peanut Butter & Co.}

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

Directions

Cream all 3 ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Mix well so that the egg is blended.

Put mix into the refrigerator uncovered for 30 minutes 

Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper

Scoop out cookie dough and roll into a ball

Flatten with a wooden spoon or 

make a criss-cross pattern with a fork

Put in the oven and set timer for 18-20 minutes

{mine only need 18 minutes max}

Let cool on a wire rack until ready to consume 

with a big ol' glass of milk.

Or save a few for breakfast and have with coffee-

it's life changing y'all-trust me

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Veggie Burger

My family loves a good meatloaf, and so do I. Meatloaf is my go to recipe for company coming over and for a welcomed fall meal. But have you ever had meatloaf as a hamburger piled high with roasted root vegetables? Oh. My. Goodness. Y'all don't know food love until you've had these. My Mom used to make these when I was a little girl and here I am now making these for my family. This is a recipe I hope my children will grow up loving as much as I did. And this is a great recipe for anyone on a budget or new to cooking, too. Simple, easy and cheap.

Meatloaf Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 packet Beefy Onion soup mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 egg

Extra ketchup for smearing

1 large russet potato

1 bag carrot chips or 2 carrots for slicing

salt and pepper for seasoning

hamburger buns optional

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, using  your hands (yes, just like Mom used to do)

Mix ground sirloin, beefy onion soup mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and egg 

Tear off 6 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping meatloaf patty 

Form meat into 6 hamburger patties

Place each meatloaf patty onto a sheet of foil

Add additional ketchup to the top of meatloaf patties, smearing it across the top of the patty

Cut your potato and carrots into slices (not too thick because it takes longer to cook through)

Generously add potato slices and carrot slices to each meatloaf patty

Veggies should be over flowing, you want a bunch, trust me.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking

Wrap each meatloaf patty and its veggies in the foil sheet 

and poke a few holes in the bottom of the wrapped patty for ventilation and to let fat drain out.

Place wrapped and poked patties onto a lined cookie sheet 

Bake in over for at least an hour 

After an hour let the patties sit for a few minutes to cool off

Opening up patties straight from the oven could burn you because of the steam, so please use caution.

Put meatloaf patty on a bun and pile on your veggies from the same foil pouch

Top with ketchup or mustard or pickles or nothing at all....its so delicious any way you have it!

Best served with fries of any kind (I personally like sweet potato fries!!).

And wash it down with a sweet tea.

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Veggie Burger

My family loves a good meatloaf. And so do I. Meatloaf is my go to recipe for company coming over and for a welcomed fall meal. But have you ever had meatloaf as a hamburger piled high with roasted root vegetables? Oh. My. Goodness. Y'all don't know food love until you've had these. My Mom used to make these when I was a little girl and here I am now making these for my family. This is a recipe I hope my children will grow up loving as much as I did. And this is a great recipe for anyone on a budget or new to cooking, too. Simple, easy and cheap.

Meatloaf Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 packet Beefy Onion soup mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 egg

Extra ketchup for smearing

1 large russet potato

1 bag carrot chips or 2 carrots for slicing

salt and pepper for seasoning

hamburger buns optional

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, using  your hands (yes, just like Mom used to do)

Mix ground sirloin, beefy onion soup mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and egg 

Tear off 6 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping meatloaf patty 

Form meat into 6 hamburger patties

Place each meatloaf patty onto a sheet of foil

Add additional ketchup to the top of meatloaf patties, smearing it across the top of the patty

Cut your potato and carrots into slices (not too thick because it takes longer to cook through)

Generously add potato slices and carrot slices to each meatloaf patty

Veggies should be over flowing, you want a bunch, trust me.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking

Wrap each meatloaf patty and its veggies in the foil sheet 

and poke a few holes in the bottom of the wrapped patty for ventilation and to let fat drain out.

Place wrapped and poked patties onto a lined cookie sheet 

Bake in over for at least an hour 

After an hour let the patties sit for a few minutes to cool off

Opening up patties straight from the oven could burn you because of the steam, so please use caution.

Put meatloaf patty on a bun and pile on your veggies from the same foil pouch

Top with ketchup or mustard or pickles or nothing at all....its so delicious any way you have it!

Best served with fries of any kind (I personally like sweet potato fries!!).

And wash it down with a sweet tea.

Enjoy!

Golden Graham S'Mores

Happy Labor Day Y'All!! Today I wanted to share with you a recipe given to me by one of very best friends, Angela Howell. Angela gave me this recipe in 2008 and its a recipe that her Mom used to make for her when she was a little girl. She gave this to me the year I married Mark and became a Step-Mom to Ryan and Matthew. This recipe is so decadent with chocolate and just the right amount of sweetness! Perfect for a BBQ, a camping trip or a slumber party! Easy to make and easy on the wallet too.

Golden Graham S'Mores

Ingredients

3/4 cup light corn syrup

3 TBSP butter

2 Cups chocolate chips

1 TSP vanilla

3 Cups mini marshmallows

1-12 oz pkg Golden Grahams cereal

1 cup white chocolate chips (melted)

Grease 9x13 pan

Heat corn syrup, butter and chocolate chips to boiling, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Put cereal in a large mixing bowl.

Pour chocolate mix in and toss cereal and chocolate until well blended.

Make sure cereal is coated.

Fold in mini marshmallows, 1 cup at a time.

Press s'mores into greased pan using buttered spatula or spoon.

Drizzle 1 cup of melted white chocolate chips on top.

Let it sit for an hour

Then cut into squares and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. 

Then cut again and remove from pan and put on a serving plate. 

ENJOY!

Busy Days & Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Is it me or did summer just flown by? It feels like it just began and already its over. I miss the lazy days of summer and this summer has been anything but lazy.

We were very busy over the summer by making friends, playing a lot and taking some family time to do some traveling and camping. However, we have been so busy that dinner is usually late and quickly put together. I started thumbing through my cookbooks to find something quick and easy for dinner and something that I knew my family would chow down on and eat at a more normal time. Plus with school now session this recipe is great for the busy nights of after school activities!

In a new cookbook purchased at my favorite little shop, Euna Maes in Springdale, "The Southern Pantry Cookbook" by Jennifer Chandler is a simple recipe for "Slow Cooker Cola Chicken." The picture looked good and I just happened to have all the ingredients, so I gave it a try.

Y'all, this chicken was so tender, it kept falling off the bone as I was trying to put it on a serving plate. Hence, no pretty photo of my chicken. The chicken was moist and it had that smokey BBQ sauce flavor that we all love but at the end you could taste a little bit of the cola. So yummy!! Plus my family ate at a normal time, I barely had to do anything to make it, the ingredients are cheap and I didn't have to stand outside in this unbearable heat to grill or heat up my house to cook in the kitchen.

Enjoy!!

(Sorry I have no photo of my end result, again, it kept falling off the bone, so it didn't look as pretty)

Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Ingredients

4 split, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) or any cut of chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 (18oz) bottle barbecue sauce

1 (12oz) can cola (not diet)

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a slow cooker AKA crock pot. Add the onion and lemon. Pour the barbecue sauce and pop AKA soda over the top.

Cover and cook and low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

*You will need at least a 3 1/2 quart slower cooker for this recipe.*

**Slow cookers cook best when the lid remains tightly in place. Opening the lid often will require additional cooking time.**

Enjoy!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Looking for something a little different for dinner tonight? This meal is so easy to make and the kiddos will love it! Goes great with a side salad and fills the tummy up to be left satisfied. Hope your tribe enjoys this as much as mine did!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lbs ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerator biscuits, cut into quarters 
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican Cheese 
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Brown ground beef  in a large skillet or sauté pan. Drain fat.
• Combine the beef, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and black beans, together.
•  Stir the biscuit pieces into the meat mixture.
• Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. 
• Bake for 25 minutes. 
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. 
• Bake an additional 10 minutes. 
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

S'mores Rice Krispie Treats

Need an idea or two for camping with the kids?  These are so good you'll have to give them away to prevent yourself from eating the whole batch! Y'all, these are that amazing!!

S'mores Rice Krispie Treats 

Ingredients

• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 4 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt
• 4 cup rice krispies cereal 
• 3/4 bag chocolate chips
• 4 graham cracker sheets
• 18 large marshmallows
• 
  
• In a large pot, combine the mini marshmallows, butter, and salt. 
• Warm over medium heat until everything melts together. Stir often.
• Stir in the rice krispies, and remove from the heat.
• In a large baking pan or dish, line the bottom with the graham cracker sheets
• Press the rice krispie mixture flat onto the graham crackers
• Top the rice krispie mixture with the chocolate chips and gently press down.
•  Next, cut the large marshmallows in half and add them over the top.
• Broil the marshmallows until brown (about 4 minutes, as you can see I went a tad over that-keeping it real people:)

Enjoy!

Here are more fun S'mores recipes for you to try! Add the rice krispies for an even more delicious treat!

Homemade Brown Sugar-N-Cinnamon Pop Tarts with Candied Maple Bacon

Every now and then I get the urge to go completely outside of my comfort zone and try something new. This morning was one of those urge days. Over the weekend I bought a new cookbook and it has so many delicious recipes, y'all. So far I've tried 3 recipes in this cookbook and all have been very successful! The cook book is "The Southern Pantry Cookbook" and I can already tell it'll be a staple go to in my kitchen. I bought my locally, but you can order one at Amazon by clicking on this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Pantry-Cookbook-Recipes-Already/dp/1401605214/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462978259&sr=8-1&keywords=the+southern+pantry+cookbook

 

This morning I made the homemade pop tarts and candied bacon, however, I used maple bacon. I had already made pie crust in my freezer I needed to use. So my crust is not from scratch but if you have the time, by all means shoot for the stars and make your own homemade pie crust. I hope you enjoy these as much as me and my family did! 

Homemade Brown Sugar-N-Cinnamon Pop Tarts

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Filling:

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Icing:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Toaster Tarts:

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Ingredients for Egg Wash:

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper

2. To make brown sugar-n-cinnamon filling: In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour.

3. To make icing: In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Drizzle over pop tarts, serve warm.

4. To make egg wash: lightly beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of water

5. To make the pop tarts: Roll out the dough and stack on top of each other and cut into even squares, making sure to keep matching tops and bottoms together. 

6. Separate the top and bottom of each pastry and brush matching sides with egg wash.

7. Spoon one pastry with about 1 heaping tablespoon of the brown sugar-n-cinnamon filling

8. Place matching pastry on top and seal edges using the tines of a fork around all the edges to crimp the dough.

9. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place the baking sheet on cooling rack. Drizzle with icing and Enjoy!!

Candied Maple Bacon

Ingredients: 

Non Stick cooking spray

1/2 cup finely packed light brown sugar

12 slices center cut  maple bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Generously spray a wire baking rack with cooking spray and then place on top of a lined rimmed baking pan. {I used parchment paper for easy clean up.}

3. Place the brown sugar in a shallow baking dish and evenly dredge both sides of the maple bacon

4. Placed bacon on to the wire rack in a single layer with no overlapping pieces.

5. Bake until the bacon is crispy, 20-25 minutes.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've never been a cookie maker....or real baker for that matter. Although those are my passions, my favorites, I've always been much better at savory dishes. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, meatballs, sauce, gravy~I've got those down. But baking has always been my Achilles heel. And that's been heartbreaking for me. Homemade bread....never rises. Home baked cookies, flat and crunchy. Pie Crust, from a box because I still can't make it (did I mention I have a giant "How to Make the Perfect Pie Crust" print on my kitchen wall and I still can't get it right!). Cakes....lets not go there. {sigh}

So, I have a glass cookie jar. I've had it for nearly 20 years, before I ever of became mom. I always fill the cookie jar with home baked cookies. However, my cookies ALWAYS turned out flat, crunchy, crumbly and far from what I had hoped they'd turn out to be. Y'All it was embarrassing...

Until today....

The dear Lord has blessed me, yet again, with my saving grace of chocolate chip cookie recipes. These are the BEST cookies hands down, I'll never try another chocolate chip cookie recipe again, these will be my go to for the rest of my life and I'll pass this recipe down to my children and grandchildren....and sadly I've eaten like 6 so far; they are that good. So if you like soft batch cookies, the kind of cookies where the chocolate seems to melt with each bite, then you must give these a try!

But I have to say before you try this recipe, just know for the wanna be bakers like me out there, it isn't always our fault. I follow directions to the exact, but sometimes all it takes is a tiny tweak to make it work for me. There are so many ways people make recipes with their own little secrets and they have that secret to make it taste heavenly and flawless....so just know, the recipe books are not always 100%. So please don't give up, have fun trying and learning! 

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

14 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature

{notice how its not 2 sticks...don't use the whole 2 sticks!}

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

{this is not a typo, I promise}

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour 

2 tsp flour

{again, not a typo, trust me}

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
(if you are using salted butter, omit adding salt)

1 bag chocolate chips, any kind you like

Preheat your oven to 350

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and both sugars until creamy

Add eggs one at a time until well blended

Add vanilla and mix well

Add 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda and salt all at once

Mix until well blended

Add your 2 TBSP flour and mix well

Fold in your chocolate chips

Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, make a ball out of your chocolate chip cookie dough and place on your cookie sheet. Allow some room for the cookie to spread. The smaller the cookie
 (1 round tsp), the more airy and soft it'll be. The larger the cookie, the more it'll spread and you run the risk of crispy cookies!

Bake for 10 minutes, or longer if you need to. 

{all ovens vary, do what works best for you}

I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

Happy Baking, Y'All!!!

This recipe was found and adapted from this link: 

http://www.thebakingchocolatess.com/omg-soft-batch-chocolate-chip-cookies-pure-nirvana/

Sweet Blueberry Biscuits

I'm a tad obsessed with Nordic Ware. Especially nifty little pans that make your food look so pretty, people think you spent hours crafting it to perfection. Truth be told, I spent 15 minutes prepping and about 15 minutes baking these delicious Sweet Blueberry Biscuits. The pan did all the pretty work for me, and I get to sit back and take credit with all the oohs and awes of how beautifully delicious these biscuits look. 

Pan from Nordic Ware provides swirls and beautiful details! 

{Swoon}

https://www.nordicware.com/store/product_detail/cinnamon-bun-pull-aparts#.VqAeSfkrLIU

Click on link  above to purchase this pan for some seriously beautiful baking!

Sweet Blueberry Biscuits

GLAZE

1 cup powder sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

BISCUITS

2 cups all purpose flour 

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

2 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup FROZEN blueberries

~1/2 stick melted butter~

Begin by making your glaze. In a small bowl add powder sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir all 3 ingredients until powder sugar has dissolved.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

For the biscuits: add all the dry ingredients {flour,baking powder, salt and sugar}

 Mix well in a large bowl.

Cut in butter and cream cheese using a pastry blender or fork until pea sized

Slowly stir in your buttermilk until your dough no longer sticks to the bowl

Mix until blended well

Prepare a large area for kneading. Sprinkle some flour on a large cutting board or counter top.

Put dough on floured surface and sprinkle top of dough with a little more flour

Press the dough out to 1/2" thickness

Place frozen blueberries over dough and begin to fold dough over the blueberries. 

**I used a dough scraper for this step, as the blueberries like to roll off and its just easier to fold over when the dough is full.**

Knead it a few times and keep it about 1" thick. 

(Unless you are using a pan like mine from Nordic Ware)

Cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter or cup

Place biscuits in a well coated pan using Bakers Joy or some sort of non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes

When you put the biscuits in the oven, melt the 1/2 stick butter 

At 6 minutes into your bake, take biscuits out of the oven and brush the melted 1/2 stick butter over them, making sure to get the edges well.

Return to oven to finish out baking process

Once the biscuits are done, take them out of the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

If you are making these biscuits as traditional cut biscuits, after 10 minutes add the glaze.

If you are making these biscuits using the Nordic Ware pan, turn over onto pan and make sure top is baked as desired. If not, return to oven for a few more minutes (mine took about 3 more minutes)

Once cooled for 10 minutes after last bake, add your glaze.

Enjoy!!!

This recipe was adapted by  AC @ See.Try.Eat

Try it, you'll LOVE it!!