I love fresh cranberry sauce. I do not know why anyone would buy it when it is so easy to make.

1 cup water or orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp grated orange rind (optional)

You want to use a fresh bag of fresh cranberries

Aren’t they pretty? Add them to a medium saucepan

Add 1 cup of water or juice. Adding juice will give it more calories and make it sweeter. You can use orange, pineapple or any juice you normally drink. I am using water hee so I can clearly taste the cinnamon

Add 1 cup of sugar

Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and cook or 10 minutes or until the berries have broken open stirring on occasion. I really like the flavor that it gives so I use it most of the time.

Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until serving

The first known reference to the term deviled appeared in print in 1786!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 stalk diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
salt & pepper to taste
paprika

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need 6 eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place eggs in pot, cover completely with cold water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from the heat, cover for additional 10 – 12 minutes, then drain. See step by step for doing this here under egg salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allow to cool then remove shells from eggs then cut in half lengthwise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carefully remove the yolks and place in a bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the mayonnaise, mustard, onion and celery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the sweet pickle relish,  vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mash and mix everything with a fork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get a bag and tip ready

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fill the bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pipe the filling into the egg whites and garnish with paprika if desired

No food blog would be complete without a recipe for macaroni and cheese. It is considered one of the ultimate comfort foods. For me, it brings back childhood memories where I want to go curl up with a blanket and a good book. This is a basic recipe where changes are not necessary to amaze your family. If you want to get creative you can change the cheeses and make some additions but keep it simple or you change it into different type of casserole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons mustard powder
nutmeg to taste
2 1/4 cups milk
16 ounces cheese (sharp cheddar, monterrey jack and gruyere)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/8 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add macaroni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook until not quite done (approx 6 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat for roux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in the flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir constantly until you achieve what looks like wet sand (you do not want this brown)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need 2 cups of milk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slowly stir in the milk and work out any lumps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add an egg by tempering first and stir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cheese and stir until melted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add mustard powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper. I like to use a spatula to work the sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix until the sauce is thick and smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir the noodles into the cheese sauce and transfer to a prepared casserole dish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle bread crumbs and parmesan cheese over the top or you can use more grated cheese. Cover the dish and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is comfort food!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you hungry yet??

It is that time of year when everything turns brown, orange and yellow. The leaves fall from the trees, pumpkin patches are out and there are hay rides in the country. Families are busy getting ready for Halloween with decorations going up in my neighborhood already. I hear kids walking to the bus stop talking about what or who they are going to be this year. My daughter wants to be a female Freddy Kruger. I am not sure I am going to let her go that way or not yet. Grocery shopping is even done in the same brown, orange and yellow color scheme if you are a seasonal shopper like me. Pumpkins, squash and fall vegetables are in abundance. The end of the year is also fast approaching with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner.

Sweet potatoes are sometimes just a side dish at Thanksgiving but they should be a regular part of your everyday meal planning. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. They are an unsurpassed source of vitamin a in the form of beta-carotene. It is also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. The healthiest ways to eat them are steamed, baked or boiled. Why not try them as baked fries?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 or 5 sweet potatoes (depends on size)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 Tablespoon sugar
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather up 4 or 5 sweet potatoes and preheat the oven to 450.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel all the potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am now hungry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise to stabilize

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice them up as thick as you would like them

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the slices down and slice the next side to square them up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep cutting….you could alternately cut each piece into wedges instead if you like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl, add the oil and toss well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with the sugar and spices then toss again to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread the sweet potatoes out into a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for a total of 30 to 40 minutes tossing half way through baking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want them more crunchy you can bake them on a wire rack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These fries are really good!

This is a very easy recipe my Aunt Mildred used to make. She served it with a slotted spoon as a side potato dish on a plate. I always loved to put it in a bowl, where to me it belonged as a soup. This recipe comes from the time of the depression. There was not much money for lavish ingredients so they would gather up what they did have and try to make the most of it. As a child at my Aunts house I only cared that this was really good. Crackers or french bread and butter served on the side will add to the flavors in your mouth and make  it a satisfying meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:
(For amounts see below the photos)

Potatoes
Onions
Water
Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start by peeling the potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How many potatoes to use? One per person and one for the pot is what my Aunt always used to say. I can also still hear my great-grandmother telling anyone peeling the potatoes to make sure to get the eyes. I always cut up more potatoes than that. It really depends on my mood and how hungry everyone is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice them up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next comes the onion. One per pot unless you are making a huge batch according to my Aunt. I go with one or two again depending on my mood and who is eating. I have members of my family who will say “oh mom why so many onions!” I really love onions so I want to put as many in there as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You want to make slices like this because you want to see the onions as you are eating this. This makes certain members of my household happy because they can pick them out if they want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the potatoes to a pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the onions and cover with water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season with salt and pepper. Cook until done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite way of serving this is as a soup. My aunt would use a slotted spoon to serve these potatoes on the side. I think the potatoes are too bland that way. You could use an immersion blender and add heavy cream to make it a cream of potato and onion soup. There are many variations I am sure you can think of. I like to eat it just as my Aunt would make it as it brings back childhood memories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yum! Crackers or french bread with butter really add something when you are eating this treat. Are you hungry yet?

 

This is a variety of winter squash where the flesh comes away from the fruit in strands like spaghetti. It is a very low calorie spaghetti substitute. When I am dieting I avoid carbs and this is the perfect solution for me. Especially when I am serving pasta for my family. I like to eat it plain with salt and pepper or with a sauce over the top just like regular spaghetti . At 42 calories per cup you can’t beat it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You need a spaghetti squash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The easiest way to prepare it is to poke holes it and place it in the microwave for 5 minutes to soften

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then cut it in half

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrape out the seeds and pulp just as you would take care of a pumpkin. Instead of throwing away the seeds I like to roast them for a healthy snack. Using a colander makes it easier to separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake rind side up about 30 to 40 minutes at 375 F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To separate into “noodles” the drag a fork through

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pack cooked squash into freezer bags and freeze. Partially thaw before using and microwave 2- 5 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love it served just like this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was yummy!

Did you save the seeds? Go check out my recipe for roasting the seeds

 

Classic recipe

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, mashed
2 oz butter
2 lb potatoes
5 oz Gruyère cheese (or any cheese)
1 pint heavy cream * can cut calories by using milk
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

 

Steps:

Melt the butter and preheat your oven to 350F.

Rub the sides of the baking dish with the garlic and then butter the bottom of the dish.

Peel the potatoes

Slice them using a mandolin.

You will get a pile of thin slices in no time. It is also a great upper arm workout!

Evenly arrange the potatoes in the buttered dish in one layer of overlapping slices until you have only one layer. Drizzle with melted butter, milk or heavy cream and season. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Can layer with herbs and cheese as well

Bake until the potatoes have turned a golden brown approx 1 hour

YUM! See the next post on what to do with the leftover slices of potato. Go see Potato Chips

http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/09/02/potato-chips/