Terribly Interesting

So, I'm a pretty big deal. Perhaps you didn't know. Case in point, my mom hands me this article she saved for me the other day about the church my great-grandpa helped build. He was a Norwegian settler by the name of Jens Jenson. In this article is a story about the King of Norway coming to visit the church and see the Norwegian settlement that is now known as the Norwegian Capitol of Texas. I said, "Hey, I was there that day." I turned to my husband with an air of self-importance and asked if I had ever told him about the time I met the King of Norway. I am sure King Olav V was quite taken with me. Sure, I was seven and I couldn't understand anything the man said, but I am positive he was overcome at our meeting.  Really, it was neat to me to grow up in this little area among people of the same heritage. There were so many traditions that we adhered to as a family and  Smörgåsbords   we attended. My grandmother had seven brothers and 6 of them were preache...

Share the Bounty by Benita Long Finding God's Grace Through the Spirit of Hospitality Several years ago, my husband bought me a cookbook by Benita Long for our anniversary. You may not think that is very romantic, but when I perused the pages of Come to the Table, I was fully enamored. Not only was it filled with decadent recipes, the photography, scripture, and poetry delighted the senses. This book is truly something you have to see with your own eyes. When I saw that Benita was coming out with a new cook book, I jumped at the chance to review it. Benita's new cookbook is gorgeous. I have not seen any other cook book done so well. The food, like Fireside Soup, Heirloom Tomato Soup, Sunday Rib Roast, and Chocolate Coffee Pie, looks and sound delectable. The gorgeous photography gives you a great desire to cook everything in the book. Filling the pages are rich prayers and ideas for hospitality. This gift is definitely lacking in our culture today. We want others t...

I always see these with barbecue sauce slathered on them. Listen, Texans, quit putting barbecue sauce on everything. Keep it on the meat. Let us be creative with the rest of our cooking repertoire. 

This is one of my pregnancy cravings. The recipe you will normally find has sherry and shallots in it. I adapted it to the likes of our family. I added a clove of garlic and some delicious mushrooms. It is really quick and easy. Brown your meat in the butter and garlic. You can also add a hint of pepper here. While this is going on, have the buns toasting in the oven at 350 with the cheese melting on the top portion of the open bun.   You can see it starting to change colors. Prepare your consume (or beef broth) with mushrooms and pepper.  Dip roast in sauce and place on bun. Scoop some mushrooms from the sauce and place on meat. You can add a little extra cheese if you would like. Close the sandwich and fill your dipping bowls to dip them into. This whole process is an average of 15 to 20 minutes and it is yummy. Buon Appetito.

Here is something easy to add a little zest to any meal. All you do is pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Put in a cookie sheet of tortillas stacked individually. Each one will puff in about 10 minutes. Once they have puffed, flip them and let them crisp for five minutes on the other side. Pop a hole in the top and fill with whatever you are in the mood for. Taco meat, slim zucchinni sticks saute é d in olive oil, spinach, sharp cheddar. Whatever suits your fancy. It is a fun and easy way to make a taco salad. Here is the recipe for the world famous Cherry taco meat: http://www.stephaniecherry.com/2011/03/world-famous-cherry-family-tacos.html Buon appetito.

I took the basic popper recipe and took away the bbq sauce and added some things I like. Turkey bacon is a must. I also thought to myself that these would be sublime in the sauce you dip your lettuce wraps in at P.F. Changs. Sublime indeed. Buon Appetito.

I thought I would let you fabulous people know that I joined Pinterest, a virtual memo board. You can pin recipes, ideas you see online, really anything. I found this amazing recipe and I pinned it. I thought I would share it with you. fried goat cheese, citrus and avocado salad. Source: becauseimaddicted.net via Stephanie on Pinterest How to: Goat Cheese, Citrus and Avocado Salad You will need: 1 8 ounce goat cheese log   1/2 cup all purpose flour   1 large egg     1/2 cup panko bread crumbs            2 Naval oranges 1 pink grapefruit (Oro Blanco if available)   1 small shallot, finely chopped   2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil   Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper   2 cups arugula   2 Haas avocados, pitted thinly sliced. 1. Slice the goat cheese into 4 rounds and shape into mini hockey pucks. Make a little work station by placing the flour in a medium ...

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, you are in business with this amazing recipe. It can also be handy for friends or family members who talk too much. Give them a plate full. They will be so caught up in the savory flavor that they won't have time to talk. Buon Appetito!

In the movie Tortilla Soup we see into the family life of a chef and his three daughters. It is one of my favorite food movies. In one scene Mart í n, the chef, shows up to save the day when all of the dessert at a catering function is burned. He whips up a masterpiece with some ingredients lying around the kitchen. The culinary creation he dubs " Belle Melange " which means "a lovely mess." I thought that I could take what I saw in the movie and remake the recipe. Here is what I came up with. Melt half a stick of butter in a baking pan. Add cubed bread. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 c. of sugar. Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes (stirring once)until lightly browned and crisp. Place stick of butter, brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, apples, walnuts or pecans, and cream cheese, and Mexican vanilla in a sauce pan.  Cook on medium for 25 minutes stirring frequently. Take a half of a cup of your bread crumb mixture and place it on a plate. Top with a liberal...

Food this southern should have an accent. Tenderize your chicken by placing it under wax paper and on a cutting board. It will keep you from splattering chicken all over your kitchen. I like to cut mine about 3 inches by 3 inches. Dip in your butter/milk mixture. Dip in your flour. Be sure to salt and pepper your flower to season it. Put garlic and salt and pepper in our oil to give it some flavor. Heat oil to medium and add your chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. As garlic continues to cook you may need to remove it. It has done it's job when it is cooked. Cook to a rich golden brown. For your viewing pleasure, I took this picture of fruit.

C hocolate Chip Brownie Pillows: {printable recipe here} 1 (20 oz) pkg double chocolate brownie mix 1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz) 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 2 tsp baking power 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips To make: Prepare brownies according to package directions in an 8″ square pan.  Cool completely. Then cut into 3 dozen squares.  Note: this recipe makes 11 giant cookies…(although I ended up making everything on a smaller scale.) While the brownies are baking, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, yolk, and vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips, cover, and chill dough 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. F...

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you who love covenant! I saw this recipe on KXAN and thought it would be a perfect Valentine's Day treat. Enjoy. Share the love. Steamy Lovers Espresso Mousse  Yields 6 servings   2/3 cup steaming hot milk  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (use higher quality chocolate for best results)  1 egg (or ¼ cup egg substitute)  2 tablespoons sugar  Pinch of salt  1 ounce espresso  Whipped cream  Chocolate shavings In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring milk to the steaming point, just until the milk starts to stick to the sides. Remove from heat and set aside. In a blender, add chocolate chips, egg, sugar, salt and espresso. Blend ingredients on low while slowly adding hot milk. Blend 1 more minute until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into 6 demitasse cups or small bowls. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings to serve. See the original segment .