Untitled "Cheese Log"/"Cheese Dip"

I love cheese. Most people do, right? So who wouldn't love a good cheese log? Cut off a piece and put it on top of cracker. Yum! Welllll, this log didn't log :P  It didn't set at all! I was so disappointed. I hated to waste it though because it didn't taste horrible. So, I turned it into a cheese dip and ate it over nachos. Not too bad, if I may say so. This recipe probably will not make it to my "make it again" list, but I didn't hate it. Let me know if you decide to try it! Maybe it'll set for you? 

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Untitled "Cheese Log"/Cheese Dip

1 large box velveeta 

1 large carton cream cheese

5 large jalapenos (chopped fine)

1 bunch green onions (chopped fine)

Sprinkle garlic salt

Roll in a log

Serve in slices

Roll out in wax paper

Roll up ??? in wax paper or foil

*I used the medium size box of velveeta

*I used an 8oz block of cream cheese 

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Old Fashion Tea Cakes

 

I don't know if I've ever had a tea cake, so this recipe definitely caught my eye. I have had scones before and liked them. This recipe was easy to make and I think they came out good. Not a big flavor burst though. Just like a sweet vanilla cakey type of cookie? I think they'd even be good with some orange or lemon zest added. Just to give it an actual flavor other than vanilla :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Old Fashion Tea Cakes

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups flour

Beat all together well. Cook at 450º for about 5 to 8 minutes. 

*I used unsalted butter

*I used baking soda for soda.

*I sifted all the dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients to the same bowl.

*I used a standard sized cookie scoop and they came out the perfect size.

*I baked them for 9 minutes.

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

The smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven is always a delight! I, however, cannot seem to make a good chocolate chip cookie. I have tried it all. Brown sugar. White sugar. Both sugars. Room temperature eggs and butter. Melted butter. Chilled dough. Mix and bake dough. I just can't seem to get it right. So I'm always up to trying a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

I found this one interesting because it uses Bisquick. They actually turned out good! It made a small batch, just under 2 dozen when using a standard sized cookie scoop. Now, I normally don't put nuts in cookies because my kids prefer them without so I have not tried them with just the chocolate chips. Hopefully they don't come out a flat mess! I'll definitely make these again :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

¼ cup soft butter

¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/3 cups Bisquick 

½ cup chopped nuts

6 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Heat oven to 375º. Ungreased sheet. Cook 10 minutes until light brown.

*I used light brown sugar.

*I used pecans.

*Using a standard cookie scoop I made 21 cookies.

*I baked them for 12 minutes in my oven.

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Mexican Hot Sauce

Chips and hot sauce. Who doesn't love that combination? Who cares that you can eat an entire basket of chips before your meal arrives? Who cares that every 4-6 chips or so is probably an entire corn tortilla? Who cares that you probably ate a 12 count package of tortillas before your meal? Cut them up, fry them, salt them and serve them to me stat! I don't judge! I've probably done it a number of times. Who am I kidding? I'm a sucker for chips and hot sauce. However, I prefer my hot sauce a bit chunky WITH cilantro and warmed up. Now, everyone has an opinion when it comes to hot sauce. Blended. Chunky. Warm. Cold. Skip the sauce and go for the pico de gallo? I do love a good pico too :)

Anyway, this recipe caught my eye for a few reasons. It doesn't call for canned tomatoes. It has Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and apple cider vinegar. And, it's got zero cilantro in it. (That part especially makes me sad). This is definitely a different recipe for hot sauce! 

Make this recipe at your own risk. Honestly, we ended up throwing it out. It was way too vinegary for our liking. The jalapeños I used must not have been hot because there was no spiciness to it whatsoever. 

Let me know if you try it or modify it in any way. Comment below on how you like your hot sauce! And if you like cilantro or not :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Mexican Hot Sauce

1 tsp black pepper

8 tomatoes

1 med. onion

1 or 2 jalapeño peppers (seeds out)

1 Tablespoon salt

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp oregano

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp celery salt

½ c. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp red pepper

Put ingredients in blender.

Pour in saucepan & boil, simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens.

*I used roma tomatoes

*I used 2 jalapeños 

*I wasn't sure what red pepper was so since it called for 1 tsp, I used paprika. 

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Chicken Fajitas

       

       

     

  

There's something about fajitas that make me want a frozen margarita...but that's an entirely different topic :P  Although these aren't the sizzling and smoky kind of chicken fajitas that you can get in a restaurant, or off your own grill for that matter, they're pretty darn good for being stovetop fajitas. Not sure if the brand of fajita seasoning had anything to do with it, but I did like the brand that I chose to use. Although a tad on the salty side, this recipe was a thumbs up for us! Let me know in the comments what kind of fajitas you prefer! Beef, chicken or shrimp :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Chicken Fajitas

From: Leslie Byrd

Boil chicken (or use leftovers) & cube

Stir constantly in small amount of oil, onion & bell pepper. Add chicken & fajitas mix. Simmer.

Heat tortilla shells & serve.

*I boiled 2 boneless, skinless breasts. I seasoned with salt (would leave out if using the Kinder's seasoning packet), pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of paprika and a dash of chili powder.

*I used vegetable oil. 

*I used the Kinder's fajita seasoning.

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Garden Salad

Another day, another salad...right? I find soooo many different kinds of salads going through my recipes. Most of them are jello based but we'll save that for another day. This one, while it's called Garden Salad, does not have any type of leafy greens in it. However, it does have...vinegar! So much vinegar! Let me say that if a "salad" recipe doesn't call for jello, it calls for vinegar :) This particular salad was a hit amongst many individuals who tried it. It made a pretty big batch, so I was able to share it with others, which makes my heart happy :) Oh! And don't let the amount of green onion sway you to cut back. I was skeptical but 2 bunches worked just fine.

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Garden Salad

1¼ cup sugar

¾ cup crisco oil

¾ cup vinegar

1¼ tsp black pepper

Mix & bring to a boil & cool.

1 can shoe peg corn

1 can tiny English peas

1 can french style beans

1 small jar pimentos

1 cup cut up celery

1 cup cut up pepper

2 bunches of green onions 

Mix all vegetables, pour dressing over all & refrigerate.

*I used apple cider vinegar

*Two bunches of green onions was not too much like I thought it would be

*You can easily add more veggies because the dressing is a lot

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Basic Blender Mayonnaise

 

    

I've never made homemade mayo before so I was excited to try this recipe. I've heard it's easy and I've heard it's better than store bought. Gotta agree with both of those. Although, I tried making it in my bullet type of blender and it didn't work at all. So I busted out the big blender and ta-da! We got mayo! It was a bit salty in my opinion, but I'll definitely make this again and cut back on the salt. I would probably try using olive or avocado oil next time too in stead of the salad oil. Try this one, we liked it!

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Basic Blender Mayonnaise

1egg

2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp dry mustard

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper*

1 cup salad oil

Combine egg, lemon juice, dry mustard, salt and pepper in electric blender jar. Cover and blend at low speed until mixed. Increase speed to high and add salad oil.

*I couldn't find white pepper so I used black pepper

*I used vegetable oil as salad oil

*Use a regular blender to make this, not a bullet style one. You'll need to slowly add the oil while blending to let it emulsify. 

*I stored it in a mason jar in the fridge.

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Cheese Crisps

I'm trying to navigate my way into the world of videos and cooking LIVE on my SCK facebook page. This was my first video on my new segment called "What's Cookin' Wednesday". Needless to say, I need to learn to take more still shots. It's a learning process. 

Anyway, I thought these Cheese Crisps were going to get crunchy like an actual cracker. They're not. They're still somewhat soft and chewy but have a crunch because of the cereal. Overall, I liked them but the kiddos did not. They were expecting a crunchy treat. The boy even said they were too cheesy...wha?!?! He's a goob :P

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Cheese Crisps

Makes: 6 dozen*

From the Kitchen of Mrs. Carnes

1 c. softened margarine

2 c. shredded sharp cheese

2 c. flour

¼ tsp. hot sauce

¼ tsp salt

2 c. crisp rice cereal

Combine butter (margarine), cheese, flour, and hot sauce and salt. Mix until well blended. Gently stir in rice cereal. Shape in walnut sized balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten with fork.

Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

*I used margarine, but would use actual butter if made again

*I shredded my own cheese

*I ended up using my hands to better incorporate all the ingredients

*I only ended up making about 4½ dozen. Maybe if I had made them smaller to get the 6 dozen, they would have crisped up a little more? Hmmmm...

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Baptist Cookies

I'm starting to be more active on my SCK facebook page. I kept saying that once I got to 100 followers I would make these Baptist Cookies as my first LIVE video. Well, I reached that goal and made these cookies. I do need to learn to take more still shots though!

These are a no-bake cookie. They reminded me of a Rice Krispies treat but instead of a vanilla flavor from the marshmallows, it's got more of a caramel flavor from the dates. They were a hit with everyone in my house. Although I did put them in the fridge, they are better enjoyed at room temperature. 

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Baptist Cookies

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 cup of dates

1 egg, well-beaten

¾ cup of sugar

Cook on slow fire; stir

2½ cups crispies

½ cup chopped pecans

Cool, form balls

Roll in coconut or crushed pecans

*I used unsalted butter

*I broke up the dates

*I smashed the dates while cooking to get them to melt

*I rolled them in coconut

*I got about 30 cookies using a cookie scoop

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

 

Swiss Sausage Casserole

 

Who doesn't love a good breakfast casserole? This one was super easy to put together. Refrigerate overnight, pull it out the next morning and let it sit about 45 minutes or so. Then bake it. Now I'm sure my kiddos would have liked it better with a different cheese and my husband would have added some hashbrowns to the mix. Made exactly how the recipe states though...I thought it was good.

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Swiss Sausage Casserole

Serves: 8

From the Kitchen of: Pat Brayton

6 slices of bread - white

2 lbs of mild bulk sausage - I use less sausage

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 (6oz) swiss slice cheese

3 eggs

1¼ cups milk

¾ cup half & half - I use Coffee Rich

¼ teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

dash of nutmeg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Arrange bread in a lightly greased 13x9" pan. Saute sausage. Drain thoroughly. Combine sausage, mustard; sprinkle over bread.

Place cheese sliced over sausage. Combine remaining ingredients. Beat well. 

Pour mixture over sausage. Refrigerate overnight. 

Allow to come to room temperature and bake at 350º for 30-40  minutes.

*I used all 2 lbs of sausage

*I used 9 slices of cheese

*I could not find Coffee Rich brand so I substituted a different brand.

*I baked it for 35 minutes

Here's the link to see the actual video on YT :)

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Bourbon Yams

 

What's the difference between a sweet potato and yams? Can someone explain that to me? Anyway, I saw the ingredient bourbon and said yes please! This was super easy to make and using the canned yams (I couldn't find canned sweet potatoes so I used "yams") made clean up easy as well. This smelled so good while it was cooking! It screamed, hello fall! The taste, well...it wasn't sweet, that's for sure. It also had a slight tangy taste. Probably from the juice and bourbon. It wasn't bad but I think I'd cook some sweet potatoes next time and use those or add a little more brown sugar. Just so it would be sweeter :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Bourbon Yams

1 can (29oz) sweet potatoes, drained

3 Tblsp butter, melted

3 Tblsp brown sugar

3 Tblsp orange juice

3 Tblsp bourbon

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

¼ cup chopped pecans

Place sliced potatoes in lightly greased 8" square dish. Combine butter and next 6 ingredients. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.

*I couldn't find a can of sweet potatoes so I used canned yams

*I used unsalted butter

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Vegetable Salad

 

If you like vinegar based veggie salads, then this one is for you. I've learned that I do, in fact, like these types of dishes. No one else in my family did so I had a lot of leftovers to eat. It's a perfect crunch and super easy to make. In my opinion, it had too much oil in it. I would definitely cut it in half to start with and then go from there. But for the ingredient amounts listed, everything was swimming in an oil and vinegar dressing. I did like it though!

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Vegetable Salad

by Penny

1 can white corn

1 can early english peas (sweet peas)

1 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

Dressing

½ cup vinegar - sweeten to taste

1 cup salad oil

Add dressing to salad, let refrigerate overnight 

Optional egg wedge on top of each serving.

*I couldn't find a can of all white corn so I used a yellow & white mix (see picture for the one I used)

*The 3 ribs of celery plus the tip parts were exactly one cup chopped

*I used apple cider vinegar

*I added about 2Tbs of sugar to "sweeten to taste"

*I forgot about the boiled egg! oops :)

 

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.

Chili

 

It's Fall and that means Football (Go Cowboys! Even though y'all stink!) and Chili! It's our tradition to have chili and cornbread for supper on Halloween. I usually make it in the crockpot so it's quick and easy and ready when we are. This year, I thought I'd make an estate sale recipe for chili. This one only called for 2lbs of meat, so I thought that would be a good amount for my family of 4 with some for leftovers. I cooked this one ahead of time because it has to simmer for 2 hours. Then we just warmed it up when it was time to eat.

It wasn't bad. I usually add beans (oh the audacity!) and some zucchini skins to "beef" it up. This recipe is all meat. I did have to thicken with a cornstarch slurry when the tablespoon of flour didn't thicken it up. We like our chili thick, not soupy. I'd probably make this again, but add some extras to it :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Chili

2 lbs meat

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can whole tomatoes with juice

2 cloves garlic

6 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ onion chopped

Use tomato  sauce can and add 5 cans of water

Brown meat & drain grease. Put water, tomatoes & tomato sauce in pot. Chop up tomato. Stir, then add rest of ingredients except meat. Bring liquid to simmer & add met. Cover & simmer 2 hours. 

If you want juice a little thicker add 1 Tbs. flour mixed with to be about like milk, & simmer 15 minutes.

*I used 90/10 ground sirloin

*I had to add a little seasoning to the meat to cook it. I can't stand the smell of unseasoned meat cooking.

*Next time I would use diced tomatoes instead of whole and then chop them up. I would also add more fresh garlic and cook it all in one pot. Cook the meat first then add everything else. Less clean up is always a plus!

*Thicken with cornstarch if you can instead of flour.

 

I hope you enjoy and give this recipe a second chance in your kitchen too.