March 23rd, 2006 by alice
Tags: Bacon, Bean, Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1lbbeans, dried and soaked see note
- 1/2lbbacon, ends and pieces,chopped fine
- 4mediumonions, chopped
- 4stalkscelery, chopped
- 4largecarrots, peel and diced
- 1lbplum tomatoes, diced
- 1gallonstockor water
- 1smoked ham hock
- 1bay leaf
- 1teaspoonthyme, leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1lbsmoked sausage, sliced (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Preparation Check the beans for stones.
- Pour boiling water over beans and let stand 1 hour or soak overnight and drain.
- Finely chop the bacon ends and pieces, or fat saved from a smoked ham, and cook it on a medium fire in a big pot to render the fat.
- Be sure the crumbs of fat are nicely browned, like crisp bacon.
- Add the cut up veggies (you can change the amounts to suit yourself, and add others too, ad lib) and saute in the fat.
- Add a few cloves of mashed garlic if you like it.
- Drain the beans and rinse them.
- Add the water or stock, beans and ham hock and herbs and spices.
- Bring to the boil, simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, maybe even more depending on beans, until they are very tender.
- Cut the fat and skin from the ham hock and dice it and return to the soup.
- I often cook a couple of extra ones and have beans and hocks as a meal.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- You can skim the fat, but in the cold winter, it tastes good.
- The colder it is, the better you will like fatty soups.
- If you cook it long enough, the beans and everything will break down and puree, combining with the fat to make a”creamy” consistency, that is much admired by”beanies.
- “I like to finish the soup with sliced kielbasa.
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March 23rd, 2006 by alice
Tags: Bacon, Bean, Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1lb drynavy beans, sorted and rinsed
- 6cupswater
- 2clovesgarlic, crushed
- 2teaspoonssalt
- 1/4teaspoonground black pepper
- 1bay leaf
- 4slicesbacon
- 2onions, chopped
- 1green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 (8 ounce)cantomato sauce
- 1teaspoon crusheddried parsley
DIRECTIONS
- Place beans in a large pot, cover with water and soak overnight; drain and rinse.
- Add water, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
- Cover and simmer for 1½ hours.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp; remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
- Set aside.
- Add onions and bell pepper to pan drippings; sauté until tender.
- Add to beans along with carrots.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add tomato sauce and parsley.
- Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving with reserved bacon crumbled on top.
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March 23rd, 2006 by alice
Tags: Balls, Butter, Grandma, Peanut, Ritas
INGREDIENTS
- 2cupspowdered sugar
- 1/2cup meltedbutter
- 1cupcreamy peanut butter
- 2cups slightly crushedRice Krispies
- chocolate almond bark, melted
- 1tablespoonsolid shortening
DIRECTIONS
- Mix together the powdered sugar, butter, peanut butter.
- Add crushed rice crispies- mix well.
- Roll into 1 inch size balls.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Melt the almond bark with 1 tablespoon of solid shortening (do not add water, milk, oil, margarine or butter to thin- this will cause the chocolate to seize).
- Dip chilled balls and let set on waxed paper.
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March 23rd, 2006 by alice
Tags: Coffee, Frosted, Fudge
INGREDIENTS
- 3cupssugar
- 2tablespoonsinstant coffee powder
- 1/8teaspoonsalt
- 3/4cupmilk
- 1/2cuplight cream
- 1tablespoonlight corn syrup
- 2tablespoonsbutter
- 1teaspoonvanilla
- 1 (6 ounce)packagechocolate chips
- 1/4cup choppedwalnuts
DIRECTIONS
- Butter a 3qt heavy saucepan as well as an 8″ square pan.
- Combine sugar, coffee powder, salt, milk, cream and corn sryup in 3 qt.
- heavy saucepan.
- Bring mixture to boil over low heat, sitrring constantly.
- If sugar crystals from on sides- wipe off.
- Cook without stirring, over low heat to the soft ball stage (236*).
- Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla–do not stir.
- Cool without stirring until lukewarm (110*)> Beat until candy begins to thicken; pour into buttered 8″ square pan.
- Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.
- Spread evenly over cooled fudge; sprinkle with nuts.
- Note: this fudge is not recommended for packing/shipping.
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March 23rd, 2006 by alice
Tags: Swedish, Toffee
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2cupssugar
- 1 1/2cupsdark corn syrup
- 1/4cupcocoa powder
- 1cupheavy cream
- 1cuphalf-and-half
- 6tablespoonsbutter
- 1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla
DIRECTIONS
- Combine sugar, corn syrup, cocoa, cream, half-half and 3 T butter in 3 qt heavy saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Continue cooking, stirring no more than necessary to the hard ball stage (250*).
- Watch carefully, for mixture may boil to the top of the pan.
- Remove from heat; stir in remaining 3T butter and vanilla.
- Pour into 9″ buttered square pan to cool.
- While still warm, mark in 1″ squares; when cool, cut with a sharp knife and wrap individually in waxed paper.
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