Southern Style Cornbread Dressing

This is our family's favorite Thanksgiving staple.  I learned how to make it at a Homemaking meeting when I first moved to Dallas from one of the senior sisters in the ward.  I had never really liked stuffing until she gave me the 411.  I have adapted this to an almost easy recipe.

2 small packages of Jiffy cornbread, prepared according to package instructions, cooled and cubed or crumbled and dried out a couple of days.

1/2 loaf of sour dough bread, torn up or cubed and dried out a couple of days

Sprinkle the crumbs with about 1 T sage.

Brown 1 lb of sausage in a pan.  Drain off the grease. Add one huge chopped onion or two medium onions to the pan.  Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes then add about 6 stalks of coarsely chopped celery to the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the crumbs.  In another bowl mix together 2 cups of broth, 6 eggs, and 1/2 cup of melted butter.  Pour this over the crumb-vegetable mix. Stir together gently.  At this point check to see if you need more broth.  You want your stuffing moist but not soggy and dripping.  You will probably add 1 or two more cups of broth.

Stuff it loosely in the bird.  This is technically the stuffing.  The remaining mix goes in a 9X13 pan.  This is the dressing.  Bake the dressing for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  When it comes out of the oven pour about 1/4 C of melted butter over the hot dressing, but don't let anyone see you do this.  It is ready to go!

You can adapt this for gluten free by omitting the sourdough bread and by using gluten free cornbread.  For the amounts I have described, sub the Jiffy and the sour dough for one large 13X9 pan of cornbread.

Pumpkin Cookies with Carmel Frosting

When I was 18, I lived with my grandmother for a summer. I had always loved her cooking and I wanted to be able to cook as well as she did. I decided to write down as many of her recipes as I could. She wrote down most of her recipes on index cards. Her recipe cards were all categorized and in perfect condition. I still have my index cards but the popular recipe cards are torn, faded, and dirty. One of these days, I hope to get all of her recipes on the computer.


Pumpkin Cookies--- (either you love them or you don't) I know that Joe and Kathleen love them... Marty, not so much. (I'm not sure how Rachael and Sarah feel about them)

1 Cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift dry ingredients together. Add other ingredients. Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 min. at 350 degrees.

Frost with Carmel frosting
3 tbs. butter
4 tsp. milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups powered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla

Cook first 3 ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Cool--when cool add powered sugar and vanilla

If you choose to not frost the cookies chocolate chips-you can always add chocolate chips to the batter.

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. apple juice
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
4 c. chopped fresh or canned tomatoes (I used 1 qt. home canned tomatoes)
1 c. vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
1/3 c. orzo pasta
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 c. butter

Directions:
In soup pot, heat oil and apple juice over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and pepper 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is soft but not brown. Add small amounts of water if mixture becomes dry). Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and broth. Stir. Puree in blender and return to the pot. Add pasta; cook 20 minutes, stirring. Add butter and cream. Stir in. Simmer 15 min. do not boil. Add basil and serve immediately.

Apricot Chutney

Apricot Chutney
When I get apricots, I get a bunch of them! I am always looking for ideas to use them. I found this recipe on the internet and thought I would try it. I hope to remember it in the future when I get another bumper crop.
* 1 habanero pepper
* 3 cups fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
* 1 cup shallots, sliced into thin slivers
* 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
* 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
* 6 cups white sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 teaspoon butter
*
* 9 sterilized half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Directions

1. Seed and mince the habanero pepper. Place the habanero pepper, apricots, shallots, green and red bell pepper, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice into a large pot over medium heat, and stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the white and brown sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Return the jam to a full rolling boil, add the butter to reduce foaming, and boil hard for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Turn off heat, and skim and discard any foam that forms on the jam. Pack the jam into the sterilized jars, and top each with a sterilized lid and ring.
3. Turn the jars upside down for about 10 minutes to seal.

Nutella Gelato

Gelato is amazing! We had it in Italy every chance we had. I found a recipe that was pretty easy and very, very tasty. I have only made this flavor so far, but I plan on making all of our favorites. I will make some for anyone who wants to come over for a visit.

You do need an ice cream freezer.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

Directions

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker freezing.

For basic gelato:
* 2 cups milk
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 4 egg yolks
* 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix milk and cream. Warm until foam forms around the edges. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture gels slightly and coats the back of the spoon. If small egg lumps begin to show, remove from heat immediately.
3. Pour the mixture through a sieve or fine strainer into a bowl. Cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.
4. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a sealed container, and freeze until firm. If the gelato is too firm, place it in the refrigerator until it reaches the desired consistency.

Add chocolate to taste... I tried about 2 cups of chocolate chips and it was too much...next time I will try 1 cup.