Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

 for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1

Another "New" Cookbook

Once a quarter, my local library has a book sale. They sell books that are no longer popular, duplicate books, and promotional books. These are gathered from all over the county and are compiled at the main branch library to sell to the public. My kids especially look forward to these sales.

Over the weekend we attended another one of these sales. We purchased 38 books for only $20.75. This Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Cookbook is one of those books. I picked it up for only $3.00. It looks brand new and never went into circulation so it is free of library markings.. There are over 650 pages of recipes and many of them have full color pictures. I have really enjoyed reading through it over the last few days and I have several recipes picked out to try. 

Have you scored any new-to-you cookbooks lately?

Cheddar Dill Muffins

I made a roast in the slow cooker the other night for dinner. And, to me, a roast is just not quite perfect unless it is served with homemade bread. So, I choose Cheddar Dill Muffins. I used to make these all the time, but I got tired of them and stopped making them for a while. My kids were glad to see them on the table again! 

These muffins are a cross between a biscuit and a muffin. And the cheese makes for a nice “crust” on the bottom. 

Cheddar Dill Muffins

2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
1 ½ Tbsp. sugar (raw or white)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. dried dill
½ tsp. salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Stir together all ingredients. Scoop into greased muffin pan. Bake at 400º for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and serve with butter.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits

We really love cinnamon at our house. It is definitely a comfort flavor for me. And, on Saturday I was craving some sticky-sweet cinnamon Monkey Bread. However, my kids had no intention of waiting hours for their breakfast so I decided to jazz up some regular biscuits with some cinnamon and sugar as a quick substitute. 

They turned out beautifully and my little one gobbled almost half of them all by herself! I used my favorite Sour Cream Biscuit recipe to start, but I am sure that you could use your tried and true recipe if you prefer. 

Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits

Biscuits:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ cup sour cream
Milk or water (enough to form biscuit dough)

Stir together all ingredients, adding enough milk to form desired consistency. Drop onto a 9X13 baking pan with a medium sized scoop, about ½ an inch apart. Flatten slightly. 

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
½ cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
½ cup white sugar

Drizzle melted butter over biscuits. Stir together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over biscuits. Bake at 450º for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve. Yield: 20 biscuits.

Cheesy Ranch Spread

While looking at Facebook over the weekend, I saw a recipe for a ranch flavored cheese ball that looked good to me. Although the recipe called for a package of dry ranch seasoning mix, I substituted my Homemade Ranch Mix with great results. And, because I wanted to serve mine right away for lunch, I did not want to form it into a ball and wait for it to chill. Instead, I served it as a soft spread. 

We have eaten this twice now, both soft and chilled. Either way it tastes great! And, I love that it is made with ingredients that I always have on hand. Do you ever try out the recipes that you see circulating on Facebook?

Cheesy Ranch Spread

1 tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ cup sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Whisk together all ingredients. Serve immediately as a soft spread with crackers.

This recipe was adapted from the one found here.

Chewy Coconut Bars

On Saturday morning I was pouring over recipes looking for some kind of coconut bar cookie recipe to share with friends. I came across one that looked good, but didn't seem to have enough coconut. So, I made a few adjustments to the recipe and came up with the one below. 

Well, these Chewy Coconut Bars were a hit! My friends gobbled up every last one. And even a coconut hater enjoyed them. When I got ready to go home, the coconut hater confessed that he had eaten 6 bars. It does my heart good to have someone enjoy my baking so much!

 

Chewy Coconut Bars

 

2/3 cup melted butter
1 ½ cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
3 eggs
1 ½ cups coconut (I used unsweetened)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Stir together all ingredients. Spread into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool and serve. 

This recipe was adapted from the one found here.

Carrot and Apple Salad

I have dusted off another old recipe. I can remember making this to take to pot luck dinners at church when my oldest was a baby. Back then I used to shop only once a month. And shopping once a month requires detailed planning when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. Carrots and apples last a long time so we would save them to eat once some of the other more perishable produce was gone. 

I am glad not to shop once a month any more. It was so much work and I found it a bit stressful especially as our family began to grow. I chose this recipe to make this week because I had an apple that was looking a bit shriveled. I knew that no one would eat that apple if I didn't cut it up into something. And I have to admit it feels so good to keep food from going to waste!

Carrot and Apple Salad

3 carrots, grated
2 small apples, chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate for two or more hours before serving. 

Today I Am...



... feeling sluggish. Although I have had a very busy week and I am moving in slow motion today, I am glad to say that last night I was able to get a babysitter and go out with some friends to see a live production of Sweeney Todd. 

 

... glad that my kids were off from school on Monday. We spent the day visiting a state park, picnicking, and enjoying nature.

 

... thrilled that two out of three of my kids completely created their own Halloween costumes. We celebrated by going with friends to a Trunk or Treat event at our church and by trick or treating at a few houses in our neighborhood.

 

... wondering why I have such a hard time getting all three of my kids to look at the camera and smile when I take their picture.

What has been happening with you this Fall?