Pretzel-Topped Sweet Potatoes

So I really loathe this picture, but I just always feel the need to have a picture with the recipe regardless of how bad it looks...Anyway, don't let the picture fool you, this is such a delicious recipe! I love sweet and salty, which is why I love the combo of these sweet potatoes and pretzels. I didn't mash the potatoes I just put them in whole(after I drained them)and added the topping. Amazing!

* 2 cups chopped pretzel rods (about 13)
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup butter, melted, divided
* 1 can (2-1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes, drained
* 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the pretzels, pecans, cranberries, brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; set aside.
* In a large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla and remaining butter; beat until well blended.
* Spoon into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with pretzel mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are bubbly.

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

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With the Extra Batter I Also Made Some Onion Rings, Yum!

Follow the same directions given for the fried green tomatoes here.
Add salt to taste after they are fried. Pin It

Fried Green Tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably one of my LEAST favorite foods! Unless...they are cooked,... then they are yummy. Needless to say that when my husband suggested making fried green tomatoes using some of our many still not ripe tomatoes from our garden, I was not in any way excited. But, I went ahead and found a recipe by the Neely's and I must say that they were good. They reminded me a lot of fried zucchini(one of my favorite foods of all time!), We dipped them in ranch which made them extra yummy. I will say though, that since they are so much like fried zucchini, that I would just use zucchini next time. They are way easier to work with and don't get as soggy. Oh, I did think they needed a little bit of salt too.

Ingredients

• Oil
• 4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch rings
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch paprika
• Buttermilk Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

In a deep-fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Season tomatoes, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Place flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with the milk. In another dish, mix bread crumbs with cayenne and paprika. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then through the bread crumbs. Add only a few pieces to the fryer at a time, so they can cook evenly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Neelys BBQ sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider and brown sugar. Allow to reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice and whisk well. Add in the scallions and the apple cider mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.

Recipe courtesy of the Neely's

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Zucchini Bread

Fall is in the air and that means more baking!! I love to bake, but just don't get around to it that much in the summer(besides baking cookies for my husband's lunches).Zucchini bread is a great fall bread and it's also a great way to use up all of that zucchini from your garden. I found this incredibly yummy and moist recipe posted on All Recipes. I did make a few minor changes.  I  substituted half of the oil for the same amount of applesauce. I used half whole wheat flour and half white flour. I also used 2 cups of sugar instead of 2 & 1/4. It was still plenty sweet and very delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour(I used half white, half whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil(I used 1/2 cup oil, half cup natural applesauce)
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar(I used 2 cups)
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts(I used pecans)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. 

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Praline Sweet Potatoes

 

This week I tried a yummy new sweet  potato recipe. I was so happy that my kids love it too, seeing that I have such a hard time getting them to eat vegetables, especially my son. My daughter had 2 helpings and my son ate his entire serving. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A and they also provide a nice amount of vitamin C. I found this recipe on the back of the Princella sweet potato can. It was super easy.

Ingredients:

29 oz can of sweet potatoes in light syrup

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/3 packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour(I used 5)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 350. Place drained potatoes in an ungreased 1 & 1/2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend well. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

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Golden Yam Brownies

In my mind there is something a little wrong with a brownie that is not, well... brown. Chocolate brownies are the norm in our house and when I pulled these out of the oven, lets just say, their reception was not one of cheers. But one bite (if you can talk them into it) and we were in for a very pleasant surprise. These are delicious, extremely moist and you would never know there was yam in them. My family loved them. Give them a try, your family will be surprised, and it is always nice to sneak in a veggie wherever you can.

Yam Brownie Recipe

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups peeled and finely shredded yam

topping:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 TBL butter

2 TBL milk

Preheat the oven to 350〫Grease a 9"x13" baking dish

In large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into batter until just incorporated. Fold in shredded yam. Spread the batter evenly in the greased baking dish

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes in pan.

Mix together the powdered sugar, butter and milk and spread onto brownies while they are still warm. The brownies will absorb some of the topping. Serve warm.

by starflower

courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

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Turkey Veggie Soup

My mother-in-law is ill right now with a cold. My father-in-law called to ask where he should get some soup for her and I thought, why buy when you can make? I made a turkey a couple days ago and still had leftover turkey so I created this soup with my left over veggies and turkey (both dark and white). It is perfect for these cold days of winter. I hope you enjoy it. Remember you can add anything you have in your kitchen. I have never loved making homemade stock so I used the pre-boxed kind.

2Tbl Olive Oil

1 medium onion diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and cubed

1 cup celery, washed and sliced thick

2 medium squash, washed and cut into cubes

32 oz. chicken or turkey stock

2 cups water

2 cubes poultry bullion cubes

2-3 cups of shredded turkey or chicken

1 cup of orzo pasta

salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or large stock pot on medium heat add olive oil and heat until oil is hot. Add onion cook until almost tender. Add carrots and celery, cook for 1 min. Add pasta, cook for 1 min. Add squash, chicken stock, water and bullion cubes. Bring to boil then reduce to low. Add chicken or turkey and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

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Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole

My favorite Thanksgiving side dish is sweet potatoes. My all time favorite sweet potato recipe is the one my mom use to make for Thanksgiving dinner. I believe it originally came out of one her old church cookbooks. This recipe uses canned sweet potatoes although I'm sure you can use fresh sweet potatoes if you sweeten them first.

Ingredients:

All of the amounts will vary depending on the size dish you want to serve

1-4  29oz size cans of sweet potatoes in syrup, drained (I used 1 can for a 1.5 quart casserole dish, but I have used as many as 4 when I'm using a deep baking pan.)
Fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained (about 3/4 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 jar of orange marmalade (about 1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)
1 bag of mini marshmallows (1/4 of bag for 1.5 quart dish)
Chopped pecans (1/2 cup for 1.5 quart dish)

Put the sweet potatoes in a greased dish/pan of your choice. I used a 1.5 quart casserole dish this time. It made enough for 3-4 people. Usually if I'm bringing this recipe to a Thanksgiving dinner I use a deep 9X13 pan. I also like using disposable foil pans, as the marshmallows get baked onto the sides of the pan. Sprinkle cranberries over the top then sprinkle the pecans over the top. Now, dot the casserole with orange marmalade. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Pull casserole out, cover with marshmallows. Put back in the oven and bake until marshmallows are golden brown. You can also broil if you prefer, but KEEP AN EYE on the marshmallows, they brown VERY FAST this way. Pin It

Tangy Green Beans

Here is another recipe that my mom made for Thanksgiving Dinner. It has become a traditional recipe for our family. Bacon and Italian dressing really add a lot of flavor to these green beans. This is one of those recipes that doesn't really depend on exact ingredient measurements. You can make adjustments as desired.

Fresh green beans, rinsed with ends cut off (amount will depend on how many servings you wish to make)
1/2 onion
1/4 - 1/3 lb of bacon, cut into 1in. pieces
Italian Dressing (1/2 bottle to whole bottle)
2 T. Butter

Fry bacon in a medium to large size pot.  After a couple of minutes add the onion. Cook for a few more minutes until onions are tender. Bacon does not have to be completely cooked(mine was still tender). Add green beans. Fill pot with water, covering 3/4 of green beans. Add butter and dressing(amount of dressing depends on the amount of green beans) Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Pin It

Spinach Balls ala Rosemary

One of the most wonderful things about the holiday season is the sharing of family recipes. As a child there is a sense of peace and happiness watching someone create what will become a family tradition, especially when it has to do with food. I love to ask my friends (or better yet taste/eat) what foods remind them most of the holidays. I have a friend that makes the best dill sauce on homemade dumplings and pork. I have begged and pleaded and offered my first born in a futile attempt to get that recipe. And while she will not share it, I thought in the coming weeks I would share some of our family recipes and give you a taste of the foods that make our holidays special. This recipe was handed down from my grandma, on a recipe card, and is written in her own handwriting. Isn't that such a wonderful gift to give someone? When she is gone I will still have her beautiful writings to remind me of her.

Spinach Balls ala Rosemary

These are the perfect, quick appetizer for when a friend just drops by to say hi. They go from freezer to oven and are ready in about 20 min (less preheat time).

Ingredients

• 1 box favorite seasoned stuffing mix
• 2 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed,squeeze out excess moisture
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 egg, beaten
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 1 tsp salt (optional)
• Directions
• In a large bowl add thawed, drained spinach, eggs, stuffing, melted butter, cheese, green onions and salt. The mixture will be loose, form into 1" balls and place on a plate that will fit into the freezer. Freeze balls until solid. You can transfer balls once they are frozen to a large freezer bag for use later.
• To Cook:
• Preheat oven to 400〬 Remove from freezer, place on a cookie sheet (DO NOT THAW). Bake for 20 min or until light brown.

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