If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know that I love quick and easy recipes that are time-tested and delicious! The recipe that I'm sharing today is not from my files, although I do plan to try it soon. I found it while looking through a cooking pamphlet from 1992 called Our Daily Bread. The group of home cooks that compiled this great collection of family recipes was the Minister's Wives Fellowship WV Convention of Southern Baptists. The lady who submitted it for the pamphlet noted that another minister's wife, Jan Garrett, won the grand prize in a Royal Gelatin contest with this recipe. Please comment later and let me know if you tried it (and if it was a keeper!)
LATER NOTE: I made this chicken for our dinner last night. We both liked the chicken, but Hubby wasn't fond of the tangy, lemony sauce (I added coarsely-ground pepper to the top of the chicken, also). I loved the sauce and recommend serving it with steamed rice and roasted vegetables! ~Marcia
Royal Lemon Chicken
(Bess Adkins and Jan Garrett)
One 3 oz. box Royal Lemon Gelatin
3 TBSP melted butter
2 tsp garlic salt
3 TBSP yellow mustard
2 whole chicken breasts (halved, skinned and boned)
1/2 C thinly sliced almonds
In an 8 1/2" x 11" baking dish, stir together the gelatin, butter, garlic salt and mustard. Arrange chicken in a single layer in the mixture, turning over to coat both sides. Place sliced almonds on each breast half. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, covered, basting once. Remove cover, baste again and bake 15 minutes more or until golden. Makes 4 servings.
*Be a blessing to someone today*
Swaps:
Mandy's Recipe Box
It's a Blog Party
All the Small Stuff
33 Shades of Green
Blessed with Grace
My Sweet and Savory
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Beef with Carmelized Onion Gravy
Now that the youngest son is away at college, I have to keep meals interesting yet small...very small. I'm so used to cooking for four big guys that I'm really having to adjust my cooking and shopping style here! Yesterday I was in the mood to surprise Hubby with one of his favorite meals. He loves roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy. I tried this short-cut version (after scouring my pantry for inspiration) and it really turned out well. He said it was one of the best meals he'd had for a while; high praise from a man who often frequents restaurants staffed with professional cooks! But, this meal was done by a woman who had in her possession a can of Campbell's Select Harvest Caramelized French Onion Soup and it was down-home delicious! Here's how I made it:
Marcia's Beef and Caramelized Onion Gravy
3 lb. roast (I had a tip roast, but any small roast will do)
3 stalks of celery, cleaned, stringed and chopped in half
1/2 small onion, chopped
handful of baby carrots (enough for 2)
1 can caramelized french onion soup (18.8 oz.)
Coarse-ground black pepper
Throw all ingredients in the crock pot; sprinkle plenty of pepper on the roast. Pour one can of Campbell's Caramelized French Onion Soup (18.8 oz) over all and 1/2 can of water. Cook on LOW for 4 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Put the drippings in a skillet. Shake a couple tablespoons of flour and a little water in something with a tight-fitting lid. Using a slotted spatula, blend the flour mixture into the drippings to make gravy. Simmer to desired thickness. Serve beside beef roast and vegetables.
My Adventures in Texas: Overheard at the Justin boot outlet in Justin, Texas: "Those boots are really cute! They look like they have snakeskin on them. Oh, but if you get the ones with orange at the top you could wear them to football games, too." Yes, this was a young prospective bride and her Barbie-like bridesmaids on a trip to find the perfect pair of western boots for her to wear...with her wedding gown!! :) Gotta love it!
Book I'm Reading Now: The Phantom Tollbooth
Swaps:
Little House on the Prairie Living
All the Small Stuff
Blessed with Grace
33 Shades of Green
Love Bakes Good Cakes
Delightfully Dowling
Beyer Beware
DIY Home Sweet Home
Mandy's Recipe Box
It's a Blog Party
The Blackberry Vine
Marcia's Beef and Caramelized Onion Gravy
3 lb. roast (I had a tip roast, but any small roast will do)
3 stalks of celery, cleaned, stringed and chopped in half
1/2 small onion, chopped
handful of baby carrots (enough for 2)
1 can caramelized french onion soup (18.8 oz.)
Coarse-ground black pepper
Throw all ingredients in the crock pot; sprinkle plenty of pepper on the roast. Pour one can of Campbell's Caramelized French Onion Soup (18.8 oz) over all and 1/2 can of water. Cook on LOW for 4 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Put the drippings in a skillet. Shake a couple tablespoons of flour and a little water in something with a tight-fitting lid. Using a slotted spatula, blend the flour mixture into the drippings to make gravy. Simmer to desired thickness. Serve beside beef roast and vegetables.
My Adventures in Texas: Overheard at the Justin boot outlet in Justin, Texas: "Those boots are really cute! They look like they have snakeskin on them. Oh, but if you get the ones with orange at the top you could wear them to football games, too." Yes, this was a young prospective bride and her Barbie-like bridesmaids on a trip to find the perfect pair of western boots for her to wear...with her wedding gown!! :) Gotta love it!
Book I'm Reading Now: The Phantom Tollbooth
Swaps:
Little House on the Prairie Living
All the Small Stuff
Blessed with Grace
33 Shades of Green
Love Bakes Good Cakes
Delightfully Dowling
Beyer Beware
DIY Home Sweet Home
Mandy's Recipe Box
It's a Blog Party
The Blackberry Vine
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Gooey Turtle Bars
I'm so happy that it's my day to write the post for this blog; I really enjoy the process of thinking of a topic, going through my recipes and sharing with you. The only step that I can't control is whether I receive comments-that part is up to you! I really love to hear from you, so please leave a comment, or comment on my Frugalhomekeeping page on Facebook, if you like.
Today you get to hear me chat about road trips (and food, of course!) Tell me which trips and food you remember most from childhood (or any time in your life....remember the scene from Driving Miss Daisy where Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman share a packed lunch with the car parked and doors opened up? They were on their way to Uncle Walter's birthday party...but you gotta eat!)
This morning, as I wrapped Hubby's roast beef sandwich and plopped his Gala apple into the paper bag, I thought of my mom fixing on-the-go lunches. As a child of the 60's, I remember my mom making food for us to take on long car trips. Fast food places didn't abound like they do now. If you were out for the day, you packed some food for the trip. Restaurants were sit-down places with real napkins and silverware and were too expensive for most family budgets to just stop for a quick lunch. You went to a restaurant for dinner or a special occasion.
In the summers of the 60's, road trips were what families did for fun! You packed up the car, made sure everyone had used the bathroom, rolled all windows down, and off you went for a fun-filled day of adventure! One summer when I was probably 8 or 9 years old, Mom and Dad packed up our 'Michael Family Truckster' and we went to Kennywood Park for the day. We had Mammam and Pap along with us for that trip. I still remember how special it was to me that Mom had fried chicken (and made M&M cookies!) to take with us. When lunch time came, there we were with the car opened up, food displayed and sitting anywhere you could find a spot. I still have fond memories of that day and a picture somewhere (of me and my brother, Greg in front of a giant storybook at Storybook Forest) to prove how truly great it was! I'm sure this trip wasn't as idyllic as I recall it (especially for the adults); there were probably bugs and heat and tired, cranky children at the end of the day, not to mention a long drive home for Dad. But, what a wonderful childhood memory they made for us! Fall is upon us and it is even better weather for one of those "retro road trips". Get your food packed and go! Here are some bar cookies to make for the journey:
Gooey Turtle Bars
2 C graham cracker or Nilla wafer crumbs
1/2 C margarine, melted (butter)
2 C (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 C pecan pieces
1 (12 oz.) jar caramel topping
Combine crumbs and margarine in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan and press firmly into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Microwave opened jar of caramel topping 1 minute on HIGH (stir after 30 seconds! Will get hot quickly- Be Careful!) Drizzle caramel over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until chocolate chips melt. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Chill at least 30 minutes; cut into bars. Makes 2 dozen.
Swaps:
My Sweet and Savory
33 Shades of Green
Blessed with Grace
All the Small Stuff
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
The Blackberry Vine
It's a Blog Party
A Southern Fairytale
Today you get to hear me chat about road trips (and food, of course!) Tell me which trips and food you remember most from childhood (or any time in your life....remember the scene from Driving Miss Daisy where Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman share a packed lunch with the car parked and doors opened up? They were on their way to Uncle Walter's birthday party...but you gotta eat!)
This morning, as I wrapped Hubby's roast beef sandwich and plopped his Gala apple into the paper bag, I thought of my mom fixing on-the-go lunches. As a child of the 60's, I remember my mom making food for us to take on long car trips. Fast food places didn't abound like they do now. If you were out for the day, you packed some food for the trip. Restaurants were sit-down places with real napkins and silverware and were too expensive for most family budgets to just stop for a quick lunch. You went to a restaurant for dinner or a special occasion.
In the summers of the 60's, road trips were what families did for fun! You packed up the car, made sure everyone had used the bathroom, rolled all windows down, and off you went for a fun-filled day of adventure! One summer when I was probably 8 or 9 years old, Mom and Dad packed up our 'Michael Family Truckster' and we went to Kennywood Park for the day. We had Mammam and Pap along with us for that trip. I still remember how special it was to me that Mom had fried chicken (and made M&M cookies!) to take with us. When lunch time came, there we were with the car opened up, food displayed and sitting anywhere you could find a spot. I still have fond memories of that day and a picture somewhere (of me and my brother, Greg in front of a giant storybook at Storybook Forest) to prove how truly great it was! I'm sure this trip wasn't as idyllic as I recall it (especially for the adults); there were probably bugs and heat and tired, cranky children at the end of the day, not to mention a long drive home for Dad. But, what a wonderful childhood memory they made for us! Fall is upon us and it is even better weather for one of those "retro road trips". Get your food packed and go! Here are some bar cookies to make for the journey:
Gooey Turtle Bars
2 C graham cracker or Nilla wafer crumbs
1/2 C margarine, melted (butter)
2 C (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 C pecan pieces
1 (12 oz.) jar caramel topping
Combine crumbs and margarine in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan and press firmly into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Microwave opened jar of caramel topping 1 minute on HIGH (stir after 30 seconds! Will get hot quickly- Be Careful!) Drizzle caramel over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until chocolate chips melt. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Chill at least 30 minutes; cut into bars. Makes 2 dozen.
Swaps:
My Sweet and Savory
33 Shades of Green
Blessed with Grace
All the Small Stuff
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
The Blackberry Vine
It's a Blog Party
A Southern Fairytale
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Marcia's Banana Bran Bread
I think I've discovered something that may equal the stress of having car trouble...cell phone problems! I have been without a phone since yesterday morning. Tuesday morning, while throwing sheets in the washer, (I had a mountain-o-laundry since Labor Day visitors left to go back to work, college, and grad school apartment), I accidentally dropped my cell phone into the sudsy water. Since then, I've been alternately using the blow dryer on my little android cell phone; covering it in a bowl of rice and perching it on the windowsill in the sun (dry heat is recommended in online tutorials). I know that these sound like spa treatments, but my phone still hadn't responded favorably, as of last night. I felt lost without FB and texting! Oops!...Did I say that out loud?!
Both husband and son tried to revive my texting and calling capabilities; men know that a woman without her phone is not a good situation...for the whole family! Some of their cell phone "alternative medicine" must have worked. This morning I'm keeping my fingers crossed; I've made two successful calls and just sent a text that went through!
After all of this "techno-stress" we need some comfort food around here. I'm making banana bread today! I've already shared a couple of my best banana bread recipes with you in previous posts. To find these you may click on the search box at the top/left and put in "banana bread", or just go to March 13, 2009 or February 23, 2010 posts. This particular recipe is great because it has raisin bran in it. I make it quite often as a breakfast pick-me-up treat. Hope you and your family enjoy it. Bit of hard-earned advice: Don't let your cell phone or Ipod go swimming no matter how much they beg!
Marcia's Banana Bread
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C mashed ripe banana
1 1/2 C raisin bran cereal (or All Bran)
1/2 C margarine, softened (I like butter)
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C coarsely-chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 C plain yogurt
Stir together flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Combine mashed banana and cereal(I crush this a little, too); let stand for 2 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and cereal mixture. Stir in flour mixture and nuts. Finally, fold in the yogurt and mix until blended. Spread in standard-sized loaf pan(I use a Wilton pan that makes 4 small individual loaves-shorter baking time, too). Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before wrapping in waxed paper to store. Freezes well!
Happy Birthday on Sept. 11 to our oldest son, Justin!! Love you! :)
Swaps:
Blessed with Grace
My Sweet and Savory
33 Shades of Green
All the Small Stuff
It's a Blog Party
Mandy's Recipe Box
Itzy's Kitchen
The Blackberry Vine
Both husband and son tried to revive my texting and calling capabilities; men know that a woman without her phone is not a good situation...for the whole family! Some of their cell phone "alternative medicine" must have worked. This morning I'm keeping my fingers crossed; I've made two successful calls and just sent a text that went through!
After all of this "techno-stress" we need some comfort food around here. I'm making banana bread today! I've already shared a couple of my best banana bread recipes with you in previous posts. To find these you may click on the search box at the top/left and put in "banana bread", or just go to March 13, 2009 or February 23, 2010 posts. This particular recipe is great because it has raisin bran in it. I make it quite often as a breakfast pick-me-up treat. Hope you and your family enjoy it. Bit of hard-earned advice: Don't let your cell phone or Ipod go swimming no matter how much they beg!
Marcia's Banana Bread
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C mashed ripe banana
1 1/2 C raisin bran cereal (or All Bran)
1/2 C margarine, softened (I like butter)
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C coarsely-chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 C plain yogurt
Stir together flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Combine mashed banana and cereal(I crush this a little, too); let stand for 2 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and cereal mixture. Stir in flour mixture and nuts. Finally, fold in the yogurt and mix until blended. Spread in standard-sized loaf pan(I use a Wilton pan that makes 4 small individual loaves-shorter baking time, too). Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before wrapping in waxed paper to store. Freezes well!
Happy Birthday on Sept. 11 to our oldest son, Justin!! Love you! :)
Swaps:
Blessed with Grace
My Sweet and Savory
33 Shades of Green
All the Small Stuff
It's a Blog Party
Mandy's Recipe Box
Itzy's Kitchen
The Blackberry Vine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)