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.

Cornbread (For Dressing)

We are a cornbread loving family but I'm going to pass on this recipe. It might be perfect for turning into dressing but it's super dry and crumbly. Not, in my opinion, good for just eating. I did like the addition of bacon grease though! Also, I think 35 minutes was too long. I would bake it for 25 and keep an eye on it.

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Cornbread (For Dressing)

From: Southern Living 1984 pg. 321

2 cups corn meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon (baking) soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups buttermilk

2 Tablespoons bacon drippings - or crisco

Bake 450º - 35 minutes

* I would melt the bacon drippings if somewhat solid so it's easier to incorporate into the batter.

* I would bake it for 20-25 minutes and keep an eye on it. 35 minutes was a little too long for my liking.

 

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

Turkey Dressing

 

There are so many different types of dressings and stuffings people use for their Thanksgiving meals. This one is definitely unique :)

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Turkey Dressing

by Mary Fortune

(address covered for privacy)

2 cups bread crumbs

1 stalk celery 

2 eggs

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 chopped onion

¼ cup uncooked popcorn

4 tsp. butter

Mix all ingredients together and stuff cavity of turkey. Bake 3 to 4 hours or until popcorn blows the ass out of the turkey.

Just a Joke! :)

I hope this brought a smile to your face! 

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.

Butter Rum Cake

The batter

Decided to use a Bundt pan.

Boiling the sugar water.

Fresh out of the oven.

Adding the Rum flavored "icing".

I can't decide if I liked this cake or not. I liked the flavor and how the outside was a little hard. The inside, though is where I'm torn. It's very dense. I'm still not sure how I feel about it or if I'd make it again. There was no baking powder or soda to make it light and fluffy. Just flour. Maybe it just needed real rum and not the extract? Well, that's a given :P Maybe it would be good as a dip in your cup of coffee kind of cake? I don't know.

I didn't feel like digging out my cake holder so I turned it over into my deep dish stone and it had plenty of room. The "icing" was just a flavored simple syrup. I still have a good amount left after brushing the entire top of the cake with it. Maybe drizzling more over a warmed up slice would be good? I don't know! If you feel daring, please make this and let me know what you think!

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Butter Rum Cake

2 c. flour

1¾ c. sugar

5 eggs

½ lb. margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. butter flavor

1 tsp. rum flavor

Bake slow 1 hour*

(over)

Butter Rum Icing

1 c. sugar

½ c. water

1 tsp. rum flavor

Boil sugar & water, cool. Add rum. Apply to warm cake with pastry brush.

*The recipe said to bake for 1 hour but didn't mention the temperature. So I baked it at 350º for 1 hour and I think that was just perfect.

*I brushed the entire top of the cake with the "icing" and still had a lot left over.

 

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

Carmel Pecan Nuggets

Caramels with whipping cream.

I didn't have enough wax paper so I used my Silpat.

Caramel. Pecans. Chocolate. Is there a better combination?!? These totally gave me Turtle or Millionaire vibes! Yes, they are written as "carmel" because I imagine that's how the author pronounces the word. To each their own :) So the recipe didn't say what to do with the 2 cups of pecans, so since they're called nuggets, I opted to chop them up. This recipe was super easy to make and so delicious! Everyone in my family loved them! 

I never got them to set though. I let them sit for 24 hours on my dining table, and then decided to throw them into the fridge while we went to Church. Came home and they were still super sticky. So, I went ahead and did the chocolate step. I wasn't sure what was meant by dipping them in the chocolate. I completely covered the first one, then decided that you couldn't tell what was inside. So I dipped the majority of each one and just left the tops exposed. Perfect. Y'all these are so good! I'm currently storing what's left in an airtight container in the fridge. I normally share the recipes I make but these? These are staying here! Let me know in the comments how you pronounce caramel. Is it Care-A-Mel? or Car-Mel? I'm guilty of saying both! haha!

Here's my interpretation of the recipe:

Carmel Pecan Nuggets

Recipe by Dean White

September 10, 1997

24 Carmels

¼ cup Whipping Cream

2 cups Pecans

Melt carmels & whipping cream in microwave for 3* minutes or until melted. Cool a few minutes. Drop on wax paper until set (overnight) usually (not sure if that actually says usually). Melt almond bark in double broiler, dip. Let dry, eat & enjoy.

These are good & easy to make. Hope you can read this I can't write to good.

*I melted the carmels for 1 minute then stirred them. Added another 30 seconds so it wouldn't burn and stirred. Then after one more round of 30 seconds in my microwave, it was all melted. A total of 2 minutes for me. 

 

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