Angels Delight - Looks Good So far!

This recipe is almost exactly like the Cool Whip Pudding Delight at this link, and is kind of a 'blast from the past'. 

I have made this dessert before, but don't think I did it more than once (with butterscotch pudding, not chocolate like today's attempt) - in those days it was "too complicated", "too many steps".  When I remember it, I have such a strong memory of my dear Aunt Virginia Emley, who made this dessert (beautifully) and originally gave me the recipe.  Aunt Virginia always had the best recipes and her food was always gorgeous to look at as well as delicious.  She did so many things well! 

I remember that a friend of hers had asked for suggestions on what to bring to our family when there was a funeral.  Aunt Virginia suggested this recipe, which the friend duly prepared.  Afterward, Virginia's friend made sure everyone knew that she was never making it again, because it was too much of a pain to make. Today, it seems pretty easy!

We are bringing treats for our "Financial Peace University" class tonight, so I'll share how the others liked it, in addition to our opinions.  We're bringing chips (Mission brand) and salsa, too (Walmart White Corn & Black Bean Salsa).  They don't really go with the dessert, but that's what sounded good to us.

I have so many happy memories of Aunt Virginia and my other aunts and this recipe has brought them to the fore.  When I began this blog after watching the movie "Julie and Julia", Aunt Virginia was prominently in my mind.  Julia Child and "The French Chef" are indelibly linked with Virginia in my memory - maybe because PBS was the only television station they could get at "the farm"? And PBS had Julia Child.

"The farm," which is what Grandma Ethel always called it, was the Emley Ranch where Aunt Virginia and my mother's brother Charles Emley lived with their son Tom (and I was his occasional babysitter during high school).  I guess Aunt Virginia was the "French Chef" of our family, in my eyes at least.

Virginia was a superb and adventurous cook and I still have recipes that she gave me to try - like moussaka and zucchini lasagna.  I miss her so much!  She passed away in 2007 after a second bout with cancer. We have lost so many wonderful years with Virginia and Charlie from the effects of those robbers, cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called Lou Gehrig's disease). And I am so very grateful to God for the gifts of Charlie and Virginia, as well as their daughters, my cousins Judy, Joan and Lynne.

Virginia was a widow with three daughters when she married my Uncle Charlie. Charlie came to visit us one winter evening in our little house north of Tuthill, SD, to break the news that he was getting married!  He must have told us they were having an evening wedding, and I pictured them dancing the night away, all of the women in chiffon gowns, kind of like this one. 

I didn't know until just a few years ago that Virginia was married in a suit (of course she was!)  Probably something like this, and she probably sewed it herself:

Like all of the rest of Aunt Virginia's recipes, Angels Delight was a hit tonight!  There was none left when I went to get my piece - Merlyn said it was awesome, and this time I'm going to believe him.  And, one of the attendees asked for the recipe.  This one is a keeper!

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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section.

Next Section: Breads & Rolls
Next Two Recipes (on one page!):  Bacon and Cheddar Muffins and Cheesy Bread
I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!

Amazing Cookie Bars - Not So Amazing

What's up with these so-called "Amazing Cookie Bars"?  They did not turn out well.  Maybe it's me: I might have used a pan that was too large (I used a full cookie sheet with sides, like the recipe said.)  I probably baked them too long, too.

Or maybe it's the recipe? 

The recipe is very similar to this recipe for Cake-Mix-Cookies-VIII from allrecipes.com. You can use any flavor of cake mix (I used Dutch Chocolate), and the recipe I used called for 1 egg, 1/3 cup water, and 1 stick of margarine (of course, I used butter - Paula Deen has nothing on me). Then I dropped cut up Junior Mint pieces over the top before baking it (too long, as it turned out). 

 I made a few discoveries:
1) Do not try to cut up Junior Mints.  They turn to mush.
2) I like biscotti but this was not supposed to be biscotti.  Though I sprayed the pan and baked it as recommended, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, it needs to be dunked in coffee or milk. I'm sure it would have good flavor if I could get it out of the pan. 
3) Ever recipe is not going to be a hit. 
4) There are lots of other bars that I find more amazing than these.  For instance, Pecan Pie bars (see below)!
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This recipe came in the little newsletter we used to get with our telephone bill.  It is excellent! And, it goes a lot farther than a pecan pie.  The original recipe had twice this many ingredients in the crust, but I like thin crust so cut it down to this amount.

Pecan Pie Bars

1 c. flour

¼ c. powdered sugar

½ c. cold margarine or butter

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (fat-free is OK)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 6-oz. package almond brickle chips or English toffee chips (about 1 cup)

1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly.  Press firmly on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan (grease or spray with Pam first).  Bake 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla.  Stir in chips and pecans.  When the crust is done, spread filling over crusts.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool, cut into bars.  Store covered in refrigerator.

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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section.

Next Section: Desserts & Pastries (how can you not love a cookbook that has one Main Dish section followed by Cakes, Cookies, Desserts & Pastries, and Breads & Rolls?
Next Recipe:  Angels Delight
I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!

4-Bean Salad Epilogue

This version of the 4-bean salad called for rings of sliced onions, and, although I like the idea, they are a little harder to eat than chopped onions.  The salad was very good, both Merlyn and I liked it. 

It kept well, also - I had it for a number of meals for several days with no appreciable deterioration in texture or taste. It may have even improved with age.

Almond Joy Cake - Decadent

I was thrilled to see that the next recipe was "Almond Joy Cake" since I absolutely love coconut, chocolate, and almonds and the Almond Joy candy bar.  "Decadent" was the most frequently used word to describe the Almond Joy Cake that opens the section on 'Cakes'.  It was truly, well, decadent. 

To make this cake, you bake a chocolate cake from a mix.  When you take the cake out of the oven, you pour over a hot layer of evaporated milk, sugar, coconut and marshmallows that you've prepared according to the recipe.  Immediately after that, you pour over a layer of sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and chocolate chips that has been boiled together until the chips are melted. So, you need to be heating the two layers at the same time. After both layers are on, sprinkle sliced almonds over the top.

I didn't have enough chocolate chips so included some butterscotch chips and some shavings of unsweetened chocolate and that didn't hurt it at all. (And, I forgot to put the butter in the chocolate layer so it didn't cover the entire cake. We didn't really notice a lack of butter, though.)

I wasn't absolutely certain which size of pan to use, so I used a lasagna pan that is slightly bigger than a 13" x 9" cake pan. I think it would have been better if I had made holes in the cake for the coconut filling to soak into it. When I make it again, I think I'll make it as a sheet cake in a jelly roll pan.

Everybody who saw this cake called it decadent, and everyone who tried it (our Star Wars marathon group and my coworkers) loved it.  Merlyn was the only holdout - he hates coconut and wouldn't even give it a chance.

I am going to make this cake again!
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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section.

Next Section: Cookies & Candy
Next Recipe:  Amazing Cookie Bars

I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!

Asparagus Pasta - ***BIG HIT***

I knew this one would be a big hit because I've made it before :)  And, because Merlyn was late getting home (which gave me time to cook) and he was very hungry.

I have also stumbled upon the fact that the way to a husband's heart is to make the food easy to eat. I got home early from work, so I had time to visit the store for ingredients, and to cook the Asparagus Pasta.  I also bought a rotisserie chicken, which I deboned and put in the oven to keep warm.  Merlyn *raved* about how wonderful that was, and the Asparagus Pasta as well - the definitive statement was, "I feel like I'm at Olive Garden!!!"

In case you don't know, Merlyn discovered Olive Garden and its wonderful food last year, so this is a really good compliment.

Whenever I think of asparagus, I remember Merlyn's brother Al serving us wonderfully fresh asparagus that he had hunted for in the ditches around his home.  Good job, Al, and good memories!

I couldn't find a comparable recipe online, so here is the recipe and the cookbook comments.  The recipe was provided to the cookbook by Karen Hilmoe, who is a fabulous cook!  As we were eating dinner, we talked about that and it made us realize we need a road trip to Washington to see our dear family and eat some of Karen't great meals.

I always have something to say when I cook, so my comments are underlined.

Asparagus Pasta

I got this recipe from my niece, Nancy Bryson.  We eat it hot tonight then tomorrow as a salad, cold. - Karen Hilmoe

1 Tbsp. (or less) olive oil
4+ cloves of garlic (whatever you prefer) I used chopped garlic from a jar
1/2 red bell pepper
1 bunch of fresh asparagus cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped I did not toast the walnuts separately
Italian seasoning (to taste)
Red Pepper seasoning (to taste)
1 pkg frozen tortellini or ravioli I used Bertolli three-cheese tortellini from the dairy case
Parmesan cheese to taste

Start water for your preferred pasta.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and coat with good olive oil.  Add garlic and cook until a light golden brown.  Add asparagus.  Cook until asparagus is nearly fork tender.  Add red pepper and walnuts.  Add seasonings.  Add pasta when it is finished cooking, toss, and top with Parmesan cheese.

Karen Hilmoe

I served it with chicken, and reheated it the second night to serve with more chicken :)  It was delicious both times and tasted the same the second night (the seasonings did not become any more or less intense as sometimes happens with time).

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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section.

Next Section: Cakes
Next Recipe:  Almond Joy Cake

I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!

4-Bean Salad

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It's when you give of yourself that you truly give." 

This quote was posted on page 26 of the Trophy Recipes cookbook; Quotes and Poem.com attributes it to Khalil Gibran.  I would have trusted that attribution without question had I not read Keith Bruzelius' posting on Facebook today, "The problem with quotes on the internet is that it is hard to verify their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln."

The first line quoted above is a true statement, no matter who said it, and I'll add a truly verifiable quotation:  "Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." Colossians 3:17, The Message
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I did get out of order in cooking <hangs head> but not in blogging - last evening I needed a main dish (and 'coincidentally' had time to cook something), so I went on to the next recipe.  Today, however, it's Four-Bean Salad day.  I have the morning off which certainly isn't enough time to quilt, clean, make Four-Bean Salad, do laundry, and finish our Financial Peace University cash flow statement before I shower and head to work. There are always too many tasks for the time allotted! I'm definitely going to cook and quilt.


The Four-Bean Salad needs time for the flavors to meld, so I'll make it a priority and we will have it for supper tonight. 


Here is a similar recipe for Four-Bean Salad, which should look like the picture below.

I have a much-used recipe for Texas Caviar that is also quite similar to this one, except it adds chopped green pepper and shoepeg corn (love that shoepeg corn!)  Even though many people like it, there's always a lot left over.  I always have to take leftovers to work for days to use it up - Merlyn gets tired of it after one sitting.  I suppose I could freeze it for another dinner party or potluck.

The next question is, "what is the best way to keep track of meals you've saved in the freezer?"

Returning to the tasks of the day, I have changed the bed, brushed the cat, reconciled the checkbook and started a load of laundry.  And I just finished making Four-Bean Salad. Putting together the salad reminded me of summer picnics and potlucks in my childhood: Mom often made 3-bean salad (and it wasn't really my favorite - especially in a group meal where there were oodles of wonderful dishes). I'll have to ask her why she chose that dish: whether she made it because no one at home would eat it and that way she'd get to have some once in awhile; or because it was inexpensive and easy, or some other reason I can't fathom. 

Merlyn *hates* the smell of cooking vinegar so I had to wait until he would be gone for awhile and I can get rid of the odor (it's relatively warm out so I can open the door for awhile).  Notice I said 'relatively' - in Pierre SD and January that means anything above 20 degrees.  I'm going to post this and add a paragraph later about the eating of the Four-Bean Salad.

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Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section.

Next Section: Main Dishes
Next Recipe:  Asparagus Pasta

I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!

Appetizer Vegetable Pizza

It was my day off, so I made 'Appetizer Vegetable Pizza' last evening for supper.  Actually, it was an 'all-appetizer' dinner - we finished off the dessert bites I had made from phyllo cups, lime curd and squirt topping.  Merlyn rounded out his meal with sardines on Ritz crackers - he kept saying that the vegetable pizza needed some tuna, but I disagreed so he had to get his fish another way.

The Appetizer Vegetable Pizza (kind of like this but called for mayonnaise and dill weed to be added to the cream cheese) was good.  It seemed pretty salty - either I put in too much Ranch Dressing mix, or maybe too few vegetables?  [A friend pointed out that I didn't follow the recipe exactly - it said to let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to mellow.  That should take care of the saltiness.]

About half is left over so we'll have it for supper tonight with our Papa Murphy's pizza. We have guests so I'll see what they think.

I don't think I've used those refrigerated crescent rolls since I was in high school.  For the record, I haven't gotten any better at sealing them together.  

I'm hoping to manage one recipe per day off, but that may be too optimistic.  At the moment, I feel more like vegging with a cup of hot chocolate than cooking. And, the next recipe requires you to cook a vinegar dressing, and Merlyn really hates the smell of cooking vinegar. 

Here's the challenge: I'm going to make each recipe in the cookbook, "Recipes from Columbia Classics Car Club 1992-2002,' Tri-Cities, WA", one recipe per section, and then I'm going to blog about it.  And then I'll go on to the next section (which is 'Soups, Salads, & Condiments.) The next recipe will be 4-bean salad. I'll be back after it's cooked.  Bon Appetit!