Food – Page 17 – Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts

appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Food

Ken Williams Orchards Apple Slices

Posted on October 10, 2013May 6, 2018 by lmc

Many years ago, we traveled from Chicago up to a beautiful apple orchard in Three Oaks, Michigan called Ken Williams Orchards. After a day of picking and picnicking, we headed to the counter to pay for our bushel of apples. On the counter sat a sheet of paper that was entitled, “Favorite Apple Recipes” and listed five of the orchard’s favorite recipes. I asked the clerk if I could have the sheet and she said, “Sure, take one, they’re free!”
Well, I have used this recipe sheet over and over for the last 16 years…our favorite recipe of the bunch is something called Apple Bars. I have changed the recipe a bit and I call them apple slices. It really doesn’t matter what you call them…they will always be delicious! This is definitely the best apple slice recipe I have ever tasted.

Ken William’s Orchards Apple Slices

2 1/4 cups flour, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 egg yolks
4 cups sliced apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Combine 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbs are the size of peas. Stir in egg yoke. Press half of the mixture in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan, and reserve the rest. Combine apples, remaining flour, sugar, and cinnamon; place apple mixture over crust in pan. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool and drizzle with thin icing of powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

Baked goods, Chocolate, Desserts, Food

Westhaven Date Cake

Posted on October 8, 2013October 27, 2013 by lmc

As I was rummaging through my hand written recipes this morning, an odd shaped piece of paper brought back memories of Aunt Nance. She was Jim’s Aunt, and a very special person. She would often bake this cake and bring it along to family gatherings. The chopped dates in the recipe are undetectable after baking but they are essential as they add great flavor and moisture to the cake.
Years ago, I asked Aunt Nance to share the recipe with me and this is the piece of paper she slipped in my hand as I was leaving the gathering.
When I finally got around to baking the cake, I noticed that mine wasn’t as dark and chocolatey as hers was. After investigating further, I realized that she had forgotten to include 2 tablespoons of cocoa in the recipe. The cake was still quite delicious so I make it both ways and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

Westhaven Date Cake

1 (8 oz.) package dates, chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
chocolate chips
nuts
powdered sugar

Over chopped dates, pour 1 cup boiling water; let cool. Add baking soda and set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Pour date mixture into dry ingredients, mix well. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and cool cake before serving.

Dinner, Food, lunch box, Main Dish, Soup

Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup with Rice

Posted on October 6, 2013October 6, 2013 by lmc

During the fall and winter months, I am always looking for creative ways to fill lunch boxes with nutritious, mid-day meals. On Sunday evenings, I try to prepare lots of options for the kids to enjoy during the school week. M loves to bring a thermos full of soup to school as she often feels that her classrooms are cold and drafty. She usually requests some kind of vegetable soup to carry in her lunchbox. Currently, her favorite selection is my Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe. Adding rice or noodles makes it a bit more hearty and filling. After making the soup on Sunday, I divide it up into small plastic containers and pop it in the fridge. Every morning, before the kids head to school, I heat up individual servings then pour the piping hot soup in the thermos. (Below, I’ve included my secret to keeping rice balls for a week’s worth of soup.) There’s nothing like a bowl of good old fashioned comfort food to fill the tummy at lunchtime.

Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup with Rice

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
3/4 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 tsp. onion flakes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
2 cups Velveeta Shredded Cheese (melts really well)

In a medium sauce pan, mix water and broccoli; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for several minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in flour. Continue to cook on medium heat until bubbly. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Add broccoli (with water) Heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until completely melted.

To make rice balls:

This is the kind of rice we buy. It’s called sushi rice.

Cook rice according to package directions. After rice has cooled a bit, use a small ice cream scoop to make 2 inch balls of rice. Wrap each ball individually in small pieces of plastic wrap.

Place wrapped rice balls in a freezer safe bag and store in freezer until ready to use.

Unwrap rice balls and heat in the microwave before placing them in soup dish.

Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, eggs, Food, Kids in the Kitchen, Main Dish

Scrambled Egg Squares (Strawberry Shortcake Eggs)

Posted on October 5, 2013 by lmc

This is one of the first recipes M&K were able to make on their own. About 12 years ago, during a Scholastic Book Fair, M spied a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Yummy Cook Book named for her favorite cartoon character called Strawberry Shortcake. She fell in love with the book on the spot. We brought it home and she went to work trying to find the perfect first recipe to make for Saturday breakfast.

Early Saturday morning, M&K put on their aprons and began assembling the egg dish. They did a fantastic job measuring and pouring ingredients. They were delighted when we pulled the completed dish from the oven.
The original recipe was called Huckleberry Pie’s Hash Brown Bake (so cute). At the time, the recipe included hash brown potatoes but we weren’t fond of the soggy potatoes in the dish so we tweaked it a bit. We gave our adapted dish a new name; Strawberry Shortcake Eggs.
(Note: I have renamed the dish to Scrambled Egg Squares for the blog just because I didn’t want to confuse readers; I didn’t want anyone to think that strawberry shortcake was part of the recipe! 🙂

The best part about making a pan of these eggs is that they are great for feeding a crowd or a big family quickly. Just pour the beaten eggs into the pan with a few other ingredients and in 20 minutes, you’ve got lots of eggs. I often wrap the cooked squares individually in plastic wrap and freeze them. Later, I use them to make breakfast sandwiches by combining an egg square with an English muffin, a sausage patty (optional), and a slice of cheese.

Scrambled Egg Squares ( Strawberry Shortcake Eggs)

8 eggs
3/4 cup milk or half & half
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons Ready to Serve Real Bacon Bits, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs with milk or half&half. Stir in shredded cheese, and bacon pieces. Pour into baking pan and bake for 17-20 minutes or until set, puffy, and lightly browned. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.

appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Bread, Food, Kids in the Kitchen, lunch box

Creamy Corn Bread

Posted on October 2, 2013October 27, 2013 by lmc

Lately, M has been taking a thermos of soup in her lunchbox. Every Sunday evening, we make a big pot of soup that will last through the long school week. Recent recipe choices have included cream of broccoli, minestrone, vegetable beef, and other favorites. I’ve also been baking cornbread muffins to accompany the meal. I bake them in silicone muffin liners for easy cleanup.
This Creamy Corn Bread recipe gets its sweetness and creaminess from the corn and yogurt in the mix. No need to add sugar, this bread is sweet, moist, and satisfying!

Creamy Corn Bread

1 egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
1 (8-ounce) carton plain fat-free yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour into a 9×5″ loaf pan coated with cooking spray or spoon into lined muffin pans. Bake at 350° for 40- 45 minutes for loaf pan or 17-20 minutes for muffins.

Dinner, Fish, Food, Grilling

Marinated Grilled Salmon

Posted on September 30, 2013October 4, 2013 by lmc

Yesterday, while grocery shopping with my youngest daughter, we spotted some beautiful looking salmon steaks in the meat market case. M suggested that we buy a few steaks to grill for dinner. We also picked up some squash, (to make our Autumn Squash and Apple Bake) salad fixings, and potatoes.
I’m happy to say that we had the perfect fall grilling weather. For the marinade, I use Marzetti’s brand Italian salad dressing because it has a little sugar in it. This caramelizes during the grilling process and gives the salmon a great texture.
We enjoyed a lovely Sunday evening meal together and all agreed that we should add more fish to future dinner menus.

Marinated Salmon Steaks

3/4 cup Marzetti’s Sweet Italian Dressing
4 salmon steaks, about 1-1/2 inches thick (about 2-1/2 lbs.)

Add salmon and marinade to large, shallow non-aluminum baking dish or plastic bag; turn to coat. Cover, or close bag, and marinate in refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 30 minutes.
Remove salmon, discarding marinade. Grill or broil salmon, turning once, cook until salmon flakes with a fork (about 3-5 minutes per side on high heat).

Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Food, Main Dish

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole

Posted on September 29, 2013September 29, 2013 by lmc

Not far from our home, there is a Pepperidge Farm Outlet that we often visit when going to a nearby mall. One of the items I usually stock up on is the cinnamon raisin bread that is always marked down to a reasonable price. I bring the loaves home and tuck them in the freezer for lots of different recipes.
This is a tasty casserole that takes minutes to put together. It’s such a treat to put a big pan of French toast in the oven rather than standing in front of the stovetop making slices in small batches. This makes for more time to enjoy early morning conversation with the family while savoring the awesome combination of cinnamon, raisin, pecans and maple syrup with a piping hot cup of coffee. I often make this the night before serving so that when I wake up there is no prep time and the casserole is ready when the rest of the crew wakes up.

Cinnamon Raisin Baked French Toast Casserole

5 cups cinnamon raisin bread, cubed
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons softened butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray with cooking spray a 13×9″ baking pan. Pour bread cubes into the prepared pan. Beat milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract together in a bowl until evenly mixed; pour mixture over bread cubes. Set aside for bread to absorb liquid, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans. Evenly arrange butter cubes on top of casserole. Bake until golden, about 50 to 55 minutes.

appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Food, lunch box

Honey and Oats Bread

Posted on September 25, 2013October 7, 2013 by lmc

Several years ago, on one of my weekly visits to Goodwill, I found a brand new Williams-Sonoma Bread Machine on one of the shelves. I was delighted because I had given my old (smaller) bread machine to my brother-in-law when my kids were little.
The William Sonoma machine makes a really large loaf , has some attractive settings, and is a quality machine. I make my share of breads and scones by hand, but there is nothing like throwing all of the ingredients into the pan before going to bed and waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread.
This recipe is one of our favorites. You can use white bread flour or wheat flour…I was low on wheat flour this week so I mixed white and wheat. My kids load it up with crunchy peanut butter and homemade jam. This makes a hefty loaf that is sure to please.

Honey and Oats Bread

1 cup water, mild temp.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the bread pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the basic or light crust setting, press start.

Baked goods, Food, Kids in the Kitchen, Main Dish

Our Favorite Pat Mac

Posted on September 22, 2013November 26, 2013 by lmc

One of our favorite relatives is our cousin Patrick. Whenever there is a family gathering, he brings two signature dishes along with him…Baked Polish Sausage and Pat Mac ( his recipe for creamy macaroni and cheese). It took me a long time to convince him to share this recipe with me but he finally broke down and let me have it several months ago. Early Monday morning, before heading out of town for a work conference, I assembled a pan of Pat Mac for the family to share while I was away. While Patrick’s dish always tastes better than mine, I still try my hand at it when the temperatures drop and the weather turns cool. Fall is the perfect time to make a big pan of Pat Mac!

Our Favorite Pat Mac (Patrick’s Macaroni and Cheese)

1 package (16 oz) of Creamette Elbow Macaroni
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups milk
2 cups Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 cups Vermont Sharp Cracker Barrel Cheese, shredded
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

Cook pasta according to directions. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt margarine, stir in flour, dry mustard and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and bubbles. Remove from heat, Add 2 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Stir in half of the crushed Ritz crackers.
In a large bowl, combine sauce with pasta. Spoon into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and Ritz crackers. Bake 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Baked goods, breakfast, Brunch, Food

Old Fashioned Baked Oatmeal

Posted on September 18, 2013September 29, 2013 by lmc

As the weather turns from hot and humid to cloudy and cool, this recipe for Old Fashioned Baked Oatmeal really hits the spot. I bake a tray of it so that it is ready to eat for a quick fall breakfast before leaving for work or school. M often puts it in a bowl with a little warm milk to eat like a breakfast cereal, while others take a scoop or cut a square to eat it with a side of yogurt or a cup of coffee. Which ever way you may prefer to eat this breakfast staple, it surely won’t disappoint. This is a tasty mixture of cinnamon, oats, cranberries, and vanilla…yummy!

Old Fashioned Baked Oatmeal

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries and pecans. Spread into a 9×13″ baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. While cooling, Cover with aluminum foil to lock in moisture.

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