Macaroni Salad

 Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoons pickle relish
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons vinegar
• 1/4 salt
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed

Directions

1. Bring pot of water to boil.  Add macaroni.  Return to boil.  Cover and turn off heat.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In large bowl, stir together onion, celery, pepper, and relish.  Set aside.
3. Stir together mayo, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed.
4. Pour over the vegetables, and stir till well blended.
5. Cover and chill for a least 1 hour before serving.

This is my favorite macaroni salad.
Happy eating  🍽

Forgotten Cookies

Forgotten Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Beat egg whites till stiff, gradually add sugar.
3. Add salt and vanilla.
4. Add chips 
5. Drop by spoonfuls on foil lined cookie tray.  Put in oven and turn oven off.  Leave oven door closed.  Leave in overnight.

My mother's recipe.
Light and airy cookies and very good.  And only 25 calories.
Ken wasn't that crazy about them.
Happy eating 🍪

Salmon Cakes with Dill Sauce

Salmon Cakes

Recipe from the book Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

 Ingredients:

• 7 or 8 oz can salmon (can also use tuna or chicken)
• 2 slices bread, crusts removed
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (can also use hot sauce or lemon juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Drain can salmon and put in small mixing bowl.  Flake it with a fork.
2. Tear bread into small pieces and add to salmon.
3. Add egg and mix it all up with a fork.
4. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce (or hot sauce of lemon juice), dry mustard, salt, and onion powder
5. Stir it all up until it resembles a thick batter with lumps.
6. Form into 3 balls and then flatten like a hamburger patty about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Let them sit for a minute or two to firm up. 
8. Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. (I cooked mine on a griddle sprayed with Pam.)
9. Place patties in pan and fry about 2 minutes on each side. 
10. Drain patties on a paper towel.

Serve with Dill Sauce
Mix 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1/2 cup mayonnaise till smooth and then mix in 1 teaspoon dill weed.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

I doubled the recipe and made 6 cakes.

Ken thought they were okay but he's not that crazy about sea food anyway.  Me on the other hand thought they were very good and I loved the Dill Sauce.  

Happy Eating 🍴

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies

Recipe from the book Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Ingredients

• 2 one-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate (melted)
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon red food coloring
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, rack in the middle position.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Spray the paper with Pam.
3. Combine butter and sugars together in bowl and mix till smooth.
4. Add baking soda and salt and mix till incorporated.
5. Add egg and beat till smooth. 
6. Add red food coloring and mix in.
7. Add half the flour.  When incorporated add the sour cream.
8. Add the rest of the flour and beat till incorporated.
9.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
10. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with Pam.
11. Use teaspoon to drop dough on parchment paper (I used medium size Pampered Chef scoop.) 
12.  Bake 9 - 11 minutes (I baked them 10 minutes)
13. Slide the parchment from the cookie sheets and onto a wire rack.  Let the cookies cool on rack while the next batch is baking. 

Electric mixer is recommended which I used and made quite a mess as the dough is pretty sticky.  Next time I will mix it all by hand.

Cookies are very good and were a hit with Ken and David.  Tastes like little bites of Red Velvet Cake.

They are time consuming to make with lots of steps but worth it.

Happy Eating 🍪

Viking Cookies

Viking Cookies

Recipe from the book 

Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

I've written the recipe in half because the full recipe makes 

10 to 12 dozen and just seemed like too many.

I can always double it if I need to make a lot.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamon (nutmeg will also work) I used nutmeg.
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oates

Directions

1. Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl.
2. Mix in the brown and white sugars.
3. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, and spices.  Make sure all is mixed in thoroughly.
4. Add flour in 1/2 cup increments, mixing after each addition.  Then add white chocolate chips and stir thoroughly.
5. Add oatmeal and mix.  Dough will be quite stiff.
6. Drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet.  (I used the Pampered Chef small scoop and made 70 cookies)
7. Flatten cookies on the sheet with a greased metal spatula.  You don't have to smush them all the way down so they look like pancakes, just one squish will do it.
8. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until they are golden brown.  13 minutes and they are a crunchy.  11 minutes they will be softer which is they way I liked them.
9. Cool cookies for 1 to 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

We thought they were very good.
Happy eating  🍪

Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

No picture yet but next time I make them I'll take a picture.

Ingredients

• One pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons snipped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• Jar Tomato Pasta Sauce 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together well except for the pasta sauce.
2. Form into balls.  I used the medium size Pampered Chef scoop which made 18 balls.
3. Brown slowly in 2 Tablespoons Olive oil.
4. Put the tomato sauce in slow cooker and add the meatballs.
5. Cook on low for about 5 hours or so.

We put 4 meatballs on a sub roll with sauce.  Yummy.

Happy Eating 🍴

Buttermlk Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Sift first 5 ingredients in large bowl. (sifting ensures equal distribution of the leaveners.
2. In another bowl mix the last 3 ingredients.
3. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened; the batter should be slightly lumpy.  Over mixing results in tough pancakes.
4. Pour 1/2 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.  Cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden brown.  Flip when top is bubbly and edges look slightly dry.

To test if the griddle is hot enough:

Flick a drop of water onto the surface of the griddle.

If the drop sputters and dances across the griddle, it is the right temperature.

If it evaporates, the griddle is too hot.

Avoid smashing the cakes with your spatula 

so you don't deflate the fluffiness.

 A little more time consuming than using Bisquick like I usually do but so worth it.  

 These pancakes are delicious. 

I made 11 pancakes with the recipe.  

I froze the ones we didn't eat.  

Will post an update once we eat some of the frozen ones to see how they turn out.

Edit:

Frozen ones are okay but nothing like when first made.

Substitute for buttermilk:

 Place 1 1/2 Tablespoons of lemon juice in a glass measure cup and add enough milk to total 1 1/2 cups.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Thought it was interesting when they explained why these ingredients are used.

Sugar 

 Caramelizes when cooked to give pancakes that delicious golden brown color.

Baking Powder

 Creates those bubbles that make fluffy pancakes.

Baking Soda  

The leavener of choice when using an acidic ingredient like buttermilk.

Egg 

Helps set the batter structure.

Buttermilk

Works together with baking soda to give immediate puff to the batter.

Vegetable Oil 

It adds a bit of richness but is neutral so it won't overpower the other ingredients.

Happy Eating 🍴