Oatmeal Cookies

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By Chef Diane

In case this is your first time to visit this site, I have one thing to share with you about me.  I love to bake.  I love baking, but not the eating, so I bake cookies and treats and send to friends and family on a regular basis.  Of course each person has their own favorite, so I try to fix that for them.  I have found that most of the men folk I bake for all love oatmeal cookies with raisins.  I usually bake sugar cookies, or chocolate chip, but to make the guys happy I will occasionally bake them oatmeal.  I have tried the store bought mix, but it doesn't have raisins, only chocolate chips.  I have also tried the already made dough, just heat and eat.  But that just doesn't do it for me either.  So I started with a can of Oats, and just looked on the back for a recipe.  I changed mine up just a bit, I added a mixture of raisins and craising and a little nutmeg and some chopped pecans.  I thought they were pretty good, and the craisins gave it a little extra zip.

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The first oatmeal cookies were created during the late 1800's in England. These cookies, however, were not the same consistency as we know of them today; they were more oatcakes than actual cookies. During the Middle Ages, spices, nuts, and raisins were commonly added to oatmeal cookie recipes.

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Oats are not only tasty, but they are very nutritious too, they are full of fiber, and help to lower cholesterol too.  Today is Oatmeal Cookie day, for a delicious snack, try this recipe to make yourself and family a treat, but if you don’t have time to bake today, you can always get the store bought kind, or even an oatmeal cream pie.

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Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful’s onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 08 min

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Baked Alaska Day

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By Diane Forrest,

Cake, Ice Cream, Meringue, Fire...what a great way to end a meal!  Of course, I’m talking about Baked Alaska.  When I was younger I was a waitress for this great hotel downtown.  It is the oldest one here, and it is on the National Registry of Historic Places.  While the hotel has a fascinating history in itself, Liz Taylor and Patrick Swayze were some of its famous guests; it also boasts a fantastic menu as well.  One night I was asked to assist with the R.O.T.C. ball.  It was such a beautiful occasion, the girls all wore long dresses and corsages, and the young men all wore their uniforms and white gloves.  The tables were decorated with fine linens and china, with beautiful flower arrangements.  The food looked and smelled delicious, but after the main course was finished, the lights were turned down low, and in came the waiters carrying these flaming trays.  You could hear the gasps from the room before everyone broke out in a round of applause.

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I knew that it was called a Baked Alaska, but I never knew until now what the ingredients were.  A Baked Alaska consists of a base of sponge cake, covered with a mound of ice cream, then topped with meringue.  It is then placed in a very hot oven just until the meringue is browned, then served immediately.  For the dramatic effect, dark rum is poured over the mound, then flambéed.  I am including a basic recipe for you to try, however you can substitute the base for brownies or a cookie crust, and you can also use any variety of ice cream you choose.  The main requirement however that is you make sure the entire area is covered with the meringue.

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Today is Baked Alaska day, so why not surprise your family with this exotic and tasty dessert.

Baked Alaska

Ingredients

• 2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix (or any flavor)
• 4 to 8 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
3. Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
5. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
8. Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

Pancakes with Blueberries – Yum

They look wonderful
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By Akindman,

It’s National Blueberry Pancake Day! Blueberry pancakes are a wonderful treat to enjoy anytime of the day. They are nutritious enough to eat for breakfast, tasty enough for a mid-day snack, and easy enough to make for dinner.  This is one of my favorite meals that I try to have a couple times a month.  Along with couple of egg whites, crispy bacon with a little butter and maple syrup.  I just might have that for breakfast this Saturday morning – both because it is good for me and to help celebrate this special day.

Are you ready to dig in?
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To make blueberry pancakes, mix up a batch of your favorite plain pancake batter. Wash the blueberries, pat them dry, and keep them in a separate bowl. Once you've poured the batter onto the griddle, drop a few blueberries on top. This will ensure that your blueberries aren’t bruised during the cooking process and will be perfect bursts of flavor when you bite into your pancake.

Heart Healthy
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National Chocolate Cake Day

Mouth watering...Yum

By Diane Forrest,

When my husband and I would go to our state capital, we would always eat at the same restaurant.  I would love to eat there because they had chicken and dumplins just like my grandmother used to make and it’s the only place I could get them.  We would always get dessert, but since we would be too full after dinner, we would get it to go. 

How was it?

On one of our trips to the restaurant they had a special dessert, a Coca Cola cake.  It sounded good, and my husband worked for Coke...so we thought we would give it a try.  We ordered it to go, so they just put it in a bag for us, and we never even got a look at it.  A few hours later when we returned home we decided it was time for our sugar fix, and pulled out the boxes of cake.  What we discovered was the most perfect piece of chocolate cake we had ever seen, or tasted.  The cake was moist and delicious, with an icing that was not too hard, not too thin, but just right.  While I wanted to gobble it all up, I took small slow bites, savoring eat crumb.  A few months later the restaurant decided to make that cake part of their normal menu, I guess I’m not the only one who fell in love with it.  When my son was coming home from college, he passed the restaurant, so I asked him to pick me up some dumplings and cake, and I would call ahead and order and pay for it.  I anxiously waited for my son's arrival, of course I was excited to see him, and I couldn't wait to get my mouth around that cake.

What I was not aware of was when my son went to pick up my order, they could not find it, did not have it ready, so instead of calling, he just ordered something to go and came on home.  You cannot imagine my disappointment when I was expecting a whole delicious cake, I only got 1 piece!

Last slice...

Chocolate cake is one of my all-time favorite cakes, and it is also my father's favorite.  I have always wanted to make him a perfect cake, like the one you see on the picture of the cake mix box.  Try as I might I could never get that cake mastered.  The cake would be too dry, or the icing too hard.   Last summer a friend of mine gave me this recipe for a chocolate cake that is really quite delicious.  I made it for my mother's birthday, and you can see it pictured above.

Short on time...

Today is National Chocolate Cake Day, so why not try your hand at baking a wonderful cake, or if all else fails, you can stop by and get a little Debbie’s snack cake.  Any chocolate cake is a great way to spend the day.

Fudge Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 jar marshmallow cream
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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs; add sugar, flour and vanilla.  Melt butter and cocoa in a boiler and add to mixture.  Beat until well mixed and add nuts.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes in a greased 8 x 11 pan.  Spread marshmallow cream over cake while hot.  Cool and frost

Frosting

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and gradually add 2 to 4 tablespoon of evaporated or regular milk, spread on cake.

National Peanut Brittle Day

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By Diane Forrest,

The other day I told you about peanut butter, and how peanuts are from the America’s.  What I didn't tell you was that during the Civil war, the soldiers lived off of peanuts to survive.  Once George Washington Carver began to reveal how many ways peanuts could be used in 1903, their popularity exploded, especially in the American South.

The first recipe for peanut brittle was discovered in books in the 19th century.  Of course this is about the same time recipes for other candy was also placed in recipe books, so I’m pretty certain that this was the time the first recipe book was written.  Peanut Brittle is a flat hard candy made from sugar or molasses, and broken into pieces.

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Perhaps due to the Southern connection, the history of peanut brittle is tied to Tony Beaver, a lumberjack folk hero. In the story, Tony Beaver creates peanut brittle when he stops a flood using peanuts and molasses. Not only does he save a town, but he also gives them a terrific snack.

Brittle can be made using any type of nut, however since it is National Peanut Brittle Day, I am going to share a Peanut Brittle Recipe with you.  Be sure to use a large pan to cook it in, because once you add the baking soda it will double in size.

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup peanuts
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
3. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

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National Peking Duck Day

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By Diane Forrest,

A couple go for a meal at a Chinese restaurant and order the "Chicken Surprise". The waiter brings the meal, served in a lidded cast iron pot.

Just as the wife is about to serve herself, the lid of the pot rises slightly and she briefly sees two beady little eyes looking around before the lid slams back down.

"Good grief, did you see that?" she asks her husband.

He hasn't, so she asks him to look in the pot. He reaches for it and again the lid rises, and he sees two little eyes looking around before it slams down.

Rather perturbed, he calls the waiter over, explains what is happening, and demands an explanation.

"Please sir," says the waiter, "what you order?"

The husband replies, "Chicken Surprise."

Ah... so sorry," says the waiter, "I bring you Peeking Duck"

Today is National Peking Duck day.  Peking Duck has its roots in Yuan dynasty, who invented the dish in the 1200s. It became the Ming dynasty's favorite food in the 1500s.  One of the oldest Peking Duck restaurants in Beijing has served Peking Duck for over 600 years. By the mid-20th century, Peking Duck had become China’s national dish. Its popularity has spread across the world with many upscale Chinese restaurants around the world serving Peking Duck as one of their signature dish. Peking duck had historically been reserved for the nobles and upper class members of the Chinese community. It’s only been since the beginning of the 21st century that the average person in China could afford to eat authentic Peking Duck.

The origins of National Peking Duck Day are unclear, but it would have started sometime after 1975, when Peking Duck was popularized in the United States according to Mahalo.com.

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I have never had Peking duck, but it sounds delicious and today would be a great time to try it, although I have heard it tastes like chicken!  If there isn't a place to get it where you live, try this recipe from allrecipes.com

Peking Duck

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) whole duck, dressed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 orange, sliced in rounds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 5 green onions
• 1/2 cup plum jam
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chutney

Directions

1. Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off tail and discard. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the cavity of the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub evenly over the entire outside of the bird. Cut one of the green onions in half and tuck inside the cavity. Cover and refrigerate the bird for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Place duck breast side up on a rack in a big enough wok or pot and steam for an hour adding a little more water, if necessary, as it evaporates. Lift duck with two large spoons, and drain juices and green onion.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place duck breast side up in a roasting pan and prick skin all over using a fork.
4. Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. While the duck is roasting, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey. After 30 minutes, brush the honey mixture onto the duck and return it to the oven. Turn the heat up to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Roast for 5 minutes, or until the skin is richly browned. Do not allow the skin to char.
5. Prepare the duck sauce by mixing the plum jam with the sugar, vinegar and chutney in a small serving bowl. Chop remaining green onions and place them into a separate bowl. Place whole duck onto a serving platter and garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley. Use plum sauce and onions for dipping.

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Hot Toddy

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By Diane Forrest,

Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty

Who the hell are we, Hey!

Flim Flam, Bim Bam

OLE MISS BY DAMN!

If you are from Mississippi you will immediately recognize that chant as the famous Ole Miss cheer.  If you are alumni these are probably the first words your children say.  But what is a Hot Toddy?  A hot toddy is a mixed drink that usually contains alcohol and it is served warm, and usually includes hot tea or apple cider.  They are usually drunk at night before bedtime in wet or cold weather.  They were believed to cure the cold or flu.   However, the American Lung Association frowns on alcohol as a cure for colds because it causes dehydration.

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Hot toddy’s are a cure for a cold night, and since today is Hot Toddy Day, why not try this recipe to fight those winter chills!

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Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

1 oz brandy, whiskey or rum

1 Tbsp honey

1/4 lemon

1 cup hot water

1 tea bag

Preparation:

Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey.

Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter.

On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea.

Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.

Bittersweet Chocolate Day

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By Diane Forrest,

When I was a young girl I can remember watching my grandmother making her special fudge, in a thick black iron skillet.  She would then pour it out on a piece of aluminum foil and wait for it to cool and harden before cutting it into squares and placing it into metal tins.  She would always let me scrape the bottom of the skillet; trouble was there was barely any left when she got through.

Now I am the family fudge maker, along with all the other goodies that come at Christmas time.  This year I made 3 batches of my granny's fudge to send off to friends and family who were not able to be here.  Trying to save money on postage, I mailed my cousin's fudge along with is parents, my aunt and uncle.  I asked him to deliver it to them when it arrived.  He said he would be glad to, so I waited to get the word that the fudge had made it there without any problems.  This being the south, it is usually warm at Christmas, and has a tendency to melt together.  I finally heard from him and he was telling me how delicious it was when I asked how his folks liked it.  After a long silence he asked." was I supposed to take them some?"  He had forgotten to take it, and ended up eating it all!  Well of course I said I was gonna tell on him, but ended up sending more out to them, everyone should have fudge on Christmas.

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The fudge recipe I use is made with bittersweet chocolate squares.  Bittersweet is chocolate that does not have milk in it.  It is a darker chocolate, and research has sown that is very beneficial in lowering blood pressure.  It contains antioxidants and flavonoids that help to protect the heart.  Of course that is the main reason that I eat chocolate, to help my heart.

Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day, so why not help your heart too, and here is my recipe for fudge that is just the ticket.

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Fantasy Fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
• 1-1/2 pkg. (12 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
• 1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
• 1 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts
• 1 tsp.vanilla

Directions:

1. LINE 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. ADD chocolate and marshmallow crème; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.
3. POUR into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

National Apricot Day

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By Diane Forrest,

Many of you know about prunes, and the effect they have on your system.  They work as a natural laxative.  I remember growing up and seeing a large bowl of them on my grandmother's table every time I came for a visit.  Did you also know there is another fruit that has the same action?  Apricots, grown mainly in Turkey, are a part of the Prunes Family.  They are high in fiber and are sometimes used to relieve constipation and invoke diarrhea, sometimes after eating only 3.

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Apricots were also used as an aphrodisiac and inducer of childbirth.  This was mentioned in Shakespeare’s Mid Summer's Night Dream.  The Chinese believe that apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.  They have also been credited to lowering bad cholesterol and aiding in the decrease of prostate cancer.

The seed of the apricot, or pit, is sweet, and it is sometimes used in place of almonds in cooking.  They are also used in the production of Amaretto, and Italian liqueur.

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To the United States Marine tank-driving Marines, apricots are taboo, by superstition. Marine Corps tankers will not eat apricots, allow apricots onto their vehicles, and often will not even say the word "apricot". This superstition stems from Marine Sherman tank breakdowns purportedly having happened in the presence of apricot cans.

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Today is National Apricot Day.  In recognition of the day I am giving you my mother's famous recipe for Apricot Cake.  If you don't have time to bake a cake today, just pop a few dehydrated ones in your mouth.  They are good for your mouth, as well as your tummy.

Apricot Nectar Cake with Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients:

1 box (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

3/4 cup apricot nectar

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

Vanilla Glaze:

·         1 cup powdered sugar

·         2 teaspoons butter, softened

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         dash salt

·         1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

1.    Beat cake mix with 3/4 cup apricot nectar, egg yolks, oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla, until smooth.

2.    Fold in egg whites.

3.    Spoon into greased and floured tube pan.

4.    Bake at 325° for about 55 to 65 minutes.

5.    Cool cake slightly and remove from pan. Drizzle glaze (below) over warm cake. Combine vanilla glaze ingredients; stirring in milk until glaze consistency is reached.

6.    Drizzle over warm cake.

National Deviled Eggs Day

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By Diane Forrest,

I usually try to stay out of bookstores, not because I don't like books, but because I want to buy them all!  One day I went into this great bookstore in town and saw on the shelf this great book that I had to buy for my mother.  I was so excited, I couldn't wait to give it to her, but as luck would have it, she already had it!  So she told me to keep it.  The title?  "Being Dead is No Excuse...The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral."

Having been born and raised in Mississippi, and never living anywhere else, the only customs I know of are the ones that are practiced here.  "Deviled eggs are associated so closely with death, that any time you see the egg platter out, you might as well ask "Who died?'  Most Southern families own a China Egg Platter with indentions for deviled eggs.  For some reason, it rarely leaves the shelf unless there has been a death. "

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I always look forward to Easter because I know there will be ham, potato salad and deviled eggs from the boiled eggs the Easter Bunny hid.   The recipe is very simple.  I don’t have one written, but I found one from Paula Deen that I will share with you.  I think it is mostly just a preference of taste, I like mine with a lot of mayonnaise and a little mustard, salt, pepper and pickle relish.  My mother doesn't use as much mayonnaise, so they are a little dryer.  You can also use dill pickle relish or sweet pickle relish, I like both, so it’s really just a matter of choice. The hardest part is cutting the egg in half and removing the yolk.  You want to be careful not to tear the formed "cup" in the egg white, because you will need it to be attached to refill with the yolk mixture.  If they break, it doesn’t matter, just chop the whole thing up and put it in the potato salad.

The second most important part about deviled eggs is the platter they are served on.  The eggs are slippery, so if you place them on a regular plate, they will all slide to the center, and are hard to pick up.  The egg plate has indentions around the edge for the egg to sit in.  They normally hold 12 devil egg halves, and can be very beautiful and expensive, to simple and plain.  I have a few egg plates that I just love, and I have been looking for one for my mother's Christmas present this year.

The best thing about deviled eggs is you can make as many or as few as you need.  You can just boil one egg or a dozen.  So today, on National Deviled Egg day, why not fix some for yourself or your family, you don't have to wait for Easter or a funeral.

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Paula Deen's Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper, for taste
• Paprika, for garnishing
• Sweet gherkin pickles sliced, for garnishing
• Pimentos, for garnishing

Directions

• Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
• Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard.
• Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture.
• Garnish with paprika, pickles and pimentos.
• Store covered in refrigerator.