All Simple and Easy Cooking Recipe Kitchen
Easy and simple to prepare recipes using everyday ingredients.

All Simple and Easy Recipes from Nancy's Kitchen

Site Index     Favorite Recipes of Our Members

Brownie Trifle
1 (19.8 ounce) package fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup Kahlua
3 (3.9 ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding mix
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
6 (1.4 ounce) Heath bars crushed

Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions in a 13 x 9 pan. Prick top of warm brownies at 1 inch intervals with a tooth pick, and brush with Kahlua. Cool brownies and crumble into small pieces.

Prepare 3 packages pudding mix according to package directions, using a total of 4 cups milk instead of 6 cups, and omitting chilling procedure.

Place 1/3 of crumbled brownies in a 3 quart trifle, top with 1/3 each of pudding, whipped topping, and crushed heath bars.

Repeat layers twice using remaining ingredients, ending with crushed candy bars. Cover and chill trifle at least 8 hours.

Makes 16 servings. You can make ahead and chill up to 24 hours.

You could probably use peanut butter cups or any candybar you want and/or leave out the liquor. Yummy!!

Tona in Bama

++++++++

CARROT and RAISIN SALAD
5 carrots, grated
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. raisins
May add 1/2 cup crushed pineapple if desired.

DRESSING:
1 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. milk
Mix dressing ingredients until smooth. Add to other items. Chill.

6 to 8 servings.
Heather in California

++++++++

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Makes 4 servings
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups skim milk

In a medium sauce pan combine chicken, mixed vegetables, cream of potato soup, cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat through and serve with crumbled crackers on top.
Heather in California

++++++++

Happy New Year Nancy, Furry Friends and All The Family,

The request for a cornmeal mush recipe and its' responses brought back many happy memories for me. I was raised by two good Catholic grandparents at a time when Catholics didn't eat meat on Fridays. During the summer months we typically had tuna sandwiches for Friday night supper, but for the chilly fall and winter evenings (well anyway, as chilly as it gets in Louisiana) we had steaming hot bowls of cornmeal mush covered with milk.

My grandmother married my Yugoslavian grandfather in 1918 and one of the first dishes he requested that his new bride prepare was "polenta" (there was a lot of Italian influence in the area of Yugoslavia that he came from). Well, she didn't have a clue as to what polenta was, so he gave her a quick cooking lesson and she learned how to cook her first Italian-Yugoslavian dish. We had the hot cornmeal mush as a milk and cereal supper on Friday night and the cold leftovers were sliced and fried to go along with our Saturday morning egg and bacon breakfasts,

Pappaw taught my grandmother to make many other dishes native to his homeland, not the least of which was our holiday favorite, "Potica" which was a type of raisin and nut bread which I still miss today. Thanks for a chance to share the memories.
Gail in La

++++++++

To MW who was looking for the site that gives recipes for ingredients on hand... This one is fun...http://www.cookingbynumbers.com
Wendy in Oklahoma

++++++++

Hi Nancy, furry assistants and Nancylanders,
I have a question that I have researched on the internet, but can't find the answer. I made some barbequed chicken for sandwiches during the holidays and forgot the leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 days. (I have frozen it since then.) I know refrigerated chicken in broth or gravy must be used within 2 days, but what about the sugars and spices in the barbeque sauce? Do you think it's safe to eat or should I throw it away?
M in La.

++++++++

Nancy, the Easy Bake Oven recipes I submitted were printed in the December 15 edition of the newsletter. So glad to have you back; when we heard nothing from you I was afraid you were ill or had another tragedy. It's so good to see you online again! Glad you had a great visit with friends and family.

For Beverly Rowell: I always add about 1 tablespoon of dried ginger to 1/2 lb of dried beans while they are cooking; the ginger leaves no taste and the gas is gone. Also, if you will bring the beans to a boil, let them soak for an hour, and then pour off that water before you cook them (add fresh water), you will have less gas. The two techniques together make for great beans without the discomfort.
Doris in Oklahoma City

++++++++

Nancy.
Before Christmas I had sent in a note about the Christmas Mice made from Oreos and was looking for suggestions for something to make that was unusual. Well, I came up with an idea and thought I’d share what I did. There were so many cheese ball recipes going through this newsletter that I thought I start with that idea. I ended up making a cheese ball “village.” I made a double recipe of the Chocolate Chip cheese ball and shaped it into a house then decorated it to look like a Gingerbread house. The roof was made from Ritz Cracker sticks, the windows and door were made from square Keebler Peanut Butter cookies. I covered the whole thing with sliced almonds to make it look like stones and then used white icing to make icicles and snow on the rooftop.

I made another cheese ball called a Surprise Cheese ball. (This really tasted great. It was made using uncooked Ramen noodles.) This cheese ball I shaped into a tree, rolled it in fresh parsley then decorated it with pieces of cherry tomato and a slice of provolone cheese cut in a spiral to look like a strand of tinsel. I cut a star shape out of a chunk of cheese and put that on the top.

I also made a fruity cheese ball and had planned to shape that one into a snowman..... BUT – I guess due to the warmer weather we had been having that week – Frosty had a melting problem and had to spend his time in a bowl. (It tasted pretty good – but was just too soft to shape).

The village (house and tree) were put on a flat cake board and then I took sweetened cream cheese and spread it around to look like snow. There was a sidewalk made of chocolate wafer cookies and put “candles” on either side. They were made from pretzel sticks dipped in white chocolate with a yellow Hershey’s kissable on top, and then stuck them on a Rolo so they would stand up.

It was so much fun to make. At first, no one would dig into it – so I had to carve a chunk out of the house just so it was eaten. Once they tasted it – it didn’t last very long.

Anyway... thanks to everyone who sent in the cheese ball recipes. I think I must have printed off about 25 from various places before I narrowed them down to 3.

What a great place to get ideas from. I love this newsletter.
Thanks again to everyone and especially to you Nancy for all your hard work.
Ann in East Berlin, PA

++++++++

Hi Nancy, I'm glad you had a nice holiday and got back home safe. Just wanted to tell you I LOVE the new format! So much easier for me to read.
Sandee in West TN

++++++++

This is for Beverly Rowell from Bay City, Michigan.
To take away the gas from various types of cooked (formerly dried beans), place beans in appropriate sized pan with enough water to cover. Cook until partially done. Remove from heat and place pan (with partially cooked beans) in your kitchen sink. Dump in baking soda and stir. You will want to do this in the sink because a LOT of green foam forms and runs all over. Keep adding soda (bits at a time) and stirring until there is no chemical reaction. Sometimes this takes half or even a whole small box of baking soda. Put beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Clean pan and put the rinsed beans along with appropriate seasonings in it. (I like to add butter, ham, onions and salt and pepper to mine.) Add enough water to finish cooking. I know this sounds like a lot of trouble, but it really isn’t and it makes the beans so much less gassy!! -Marge in Stillwater, OK

++++++++

Here is a recipe we made during the week of Christmas for friends. It is reportedly an authentic Greek recipe. Not being Greek, we wouldn't know, but we do know it was delicious!

Stifado (pronounced Stee-fah-do)
1-1-1/2 lbs flank steak, fat and gristle removed
3 lbs yellow onions, cut into large chunks
Juice of a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
Oregano, rosemary or marjoram
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice the beef into narrow strips. Pour the lemon juice over the meat and then stir it in to coat every piece. Heat the olive oil until it begins to sizzle in a large, heavy pot (I used a 12" skillet) with a firmly fitting lid. Put in the beef, and stirring constantly, cook it until it is browned on all sides. As soon as this happens, toss in all the ingredients, including a generous pinch of one of the herbs, a generous pinch of salt, and a good grinding of pepper. Stir all this together well, cover the pot firmly, and turn down the heat as low as it will go. The stifado must cook very, very slowly 4-5 hours. Watch the pot--no steam should visibly escape the lid. Listen to the pot--no sound should emerge, no hissing, sizzling or roiling. At the end of the third hour, open the lid, gently stir the contents, and taste the stirring spoon for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. The onions should be reddish golden, not brown, soft, but intact, not reduced to mush. Continue to cook another hour or so at the same low temperature, or until all liquid has evaporated, leaving off lid for the last 15-20 minutes if this is necessary. Serve with wine and plenty of bread and butter. (We enjoyed the liquid)
grannym IL

++++++++

Need Amount of Sugar in Recipe for Quick Custard Pie
Please help. our house burned down in 2004. we moved back in in 2006. while going through all the bags in our garage, I found this recipe. I haven't made this in years, but I know it needs sugar.. Its called Quick Custard Pie
4 eggs, 1-1/2 cps milk, 2 tbls melted butter, 1/2 cup Bisquick
Blend 3 minutes in blender. let stand for 5 min. bake 45 min in 350 oven. BUT NO SUGAR WAS WRITTEN ON THE RECIPE. how much sugar would you suggest.
Thank you for any help you can give me. Sue

++++++++

Nancy glad that you had a great time away. In the 1/3/07 newsletter Beverly Rowell from Bay City, Michigan asked how to get gas out of the beans. Hopefully she might baked beans or Northern Beans for ham and bean soup. I I did for years was a added a pinch of ginger to the cooking of the beans and you will be surprised that you can not taste the ginger. I have gotten super lazy and I buy the Northern Beans in the clear glass jar now. I have not noticed any gas.

To the person in the 1/3/07 newsletter Merry in Cold Wet Windy Vernon, TX if when you are in Illinois if they have a Meijer's go to the liquor Dept. and look for what is called a pump it can be about 4" to 6" high and you pump until it get difficult to do and then you stop and return to the refrigerator. We have a couple of wine bottles going right now and we use this method to keep our wine fresh. You can also go to a liquor store to purchase it. Next I have a couple of Pot Pie Soup.

Sue's Grandmothers Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1, 4 lb., stewing or roasting chicken
1 leek, washed and trimmed
1 onion, peeled and stuck with 1 clove
1 carrot, scraped
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 springs parsley
3 peppercorns
1½ teaspoon salt
2 quarts water

In a large pot combine chicken, leek, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, peppercorns and salt. Barely cover with water. Slowly bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat; skim off scum. Cover pot. Simmer very gently so surface barely moves, about 1 hour for roasting chicken, 2 hours for stewing chicken. Transfer chicken to platter. When cool enough to handle, remove skin. Pull meat from bones, cut in pieces. Strain broth, correct seasoning. Add in chicken pieces.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
water
salt to taste
chicken or beef broth

Combine first 5 ingredients and roll out on flour board. Cut in square and stir in the broth and chicken mixture above. Cook until tender.

I have used the next one from one of our daughters.

Kim's Chicken Pot Pie Soup
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
1, 16 oz., pkg. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1, 10.75 oz., can condensed cream of potato soup
1, 10.75 oz., can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups skim milk

In a medium sauce pan combine chicken, mixed vegetables, cream of potato soup, cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat through and serve with crumbled crackers on top. What I do is take one pie crust and cut into 1" or 2" square and drop into this soup and cook until the vegetables are tender or about 10 to 12 minutes. You want the pie crust to be dumplings.

Everyone have a great day. Nancy and 4 legged associates take care.
Susie Indy

++++++++

For Merry in Veron,Texas

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
1 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 (6-oz.) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tsp. thyme
1 (32-oz.) container chicken stock
2 (10.5-oz.) cans chicken gravy
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 sheet refrigerated pie crust
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large pot. Add onion; cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, corn and thyme and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in stock and gravy. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir in chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. While soup is cooking, preheat oven to 450°F. Cut pie dough into 1/2-inch squares and bake on a small baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Season soup to taste with pepper; ladle into bowls and sprinkle with pie crust squares.

Makes 6 servings.
from lindah in fort Worth, Texas

++++++++

Hi everyone. I hope all had a great holiday season. For those of you who have not yet tried wrapping your celery in foil I highly recommend it. I don't care for celery just to eat so usually only buy it for cooking or for relish trays on holidays. I usually give any left over celery to my parents or end up throwing it away. Well I had bought some for my relish tray for Thanksgiving dinner and thought I would use the rest of it in a casserole soon so I decided to try wrapping it in foil hoping it would keep until I got around to using it but I never did get around to using. I bought new celery for Christmas dinner but before I cleaned it I pulled the stuff I still had in the refrigerator from Thanksgiving sure that I would have to the tossed in the garbage. I can't believe my surprise when I opened it up and it was just as crisp and fresh looking as the celery I had bought the day before!! I wrapped the new celery in foil and used the old celery for my relish tray. No one knew that I had not just bought the celery I served. I am sure I will be throwing away a lot less celery in the future!
Terese in South Dakota

++++++++

Happy Holidays to everyone! I am looking for a recipe my mom used to make when I was a child. She made it with Jello, Dream Whip (similar to Cool Whip these days) and another ingredient I can't remember. Can any of you think way back and remember such a dessert? I remember it was nice in the summer on a hot day and very delicious!!!
Thanks!!! Sandy from Wisconsin

++++++++

To Myron in regards to the “fried” corn meal mush... YUMMY ! ! ! My mother made that quite often when we were kids. She’d cook a huge pot of corn meal mush and we’d eat it for dinner (soft texture, like grits) and the leftover amount was put in a loaf pan and fried another day.

My husband and 3 children (ages 12, 9 and 5) love the soft mush. I make it on weekends for a special breakfast. Unfortunately – they don’t like the fried version as much as I do.

Here’s how I make mine. This recipe is very forgiving. I don’t often follow a recipe – but it can be adapted and it always seems to turn out just fine.

CORN MEAL MUSH
In a boiler, mix 3/4 cup cold water with ¾ cup corn meal. Stir to mix. (This helps to soften the corn meal and helps to keep it from getting lumpy.)

Boil 2 ½ cups water and stir into boiler with heat on medium.

Keep stirring or you will get lumps.

(This is what I do to make it to suit my family’s tastes.)

Before you add the boiling water, I put the following on top of the cold water/corn meal mixture:
About 2 T butter (margarine)
About 1 T sugar (I usually use Splenda) feel free to add more if you like it sweeter
A pinch of salt

The longer it cooks the thicker it gets. BE CAREFUL, though. As it gets hotter it tends to bubble and the splashes can burn.

If you plan to eat it right away – we put additional sugar on to suit and a small amount of milk.

If you plan to put it in a loaf pan, keep cooking it until it’s really thick. If you need to add more corn meal you can – but only sprinkle it on top – so you don’t get lumps. Refrigerate until set. After the loaf sets up, take the corn meal out of the loaf pan and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Dredge both sides in flour and fry in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. We topped ours with molasses.
Ann in East Berlin, PA

++++++++

Nancy,
I really look forward to your newsletter each day that it comes. I have copied about 7,000 recipes from the letter over the years I have been receiving it. Thanks for all your hard work.

I looked at today's newsletter (January 3) and the content was great but the new format sucks. Can we go back to the old one which had a lot less underlined and bold text in it and was so much easier to read? Please??
Norm

Comment
I appreciate constructive comments.  I changed to this format to allow for more content in one newsletter.  A lot of our members were not able to pull up the newsletter because of the size of the newsletter page.  Also By not making all the text bold it uses much less ink when printed.  If the print is difficult to read you may want to roll your mouse button to increase the size of the print.

I am a bit confused about the underlined text. The only underlining in the newsletter are the links.   In the past newsletters all text in the was bold faced.  I used another color to highlight text for the topic of the message.
Nancy

++++++++

Hi ! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and has a Happy New Year. Has anyone ever used a hot chocolate machine. It mixes the milk, chocolate and heats it? I was wondering if they were worth it for a separate machine.
Thanks, Ruth, Ms.

++++++++

Thank you all for the Hamburger Masher - All ideas are good - just anything to make life easier.
Thanks a bunch, Rosemarie in rural Kansas City

++++++++

Nancy, I have missed you but know you needed a break. I wanted to make the cabbage wedges for New Years Day but could not find the recipe from your newsletter. I know you cut the cabbage into wedges and I think you sprinkle Olive oil and other ingredients on top then put them in foil and bake them. Could someone please let me know what date this was in, it sounded wonderful.
Thank you, Hubba in NE.

++++++++

Nancy, I am looking for different variations of deviled egg or dressed eggs. Hope your readers can help. Happy New Year to you and your staff.
Phyllis C. in Ky.

++++++++

For Beverly (Bay Cuty, MI - 01/02 newsletter) re: taking gas out of beans before cooking -- I always put a couple of pinches of baking soda in the water I soak the beans in overnight -- works for me
Jackie (So. Louisiana)

++++++++

This is for Marlene from Texas who wants a recipe for creamy Tomato Soup like they serve at La Madeleine's. I have been using this recipe for a number of years and I think it is just like their soup. I hope this is what you want, Marlene.

La Madeleine Tomato-Basil Soup
4 cups (8-10) tomatoes peeled, cored and chopped
or 4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed

4 cups unsalted tomato juice
12 to 14 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sweet unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Combine tomatoes and juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes over a medium-low heat. Cool slightly, then place in a blender or food processor, add the basil and process to puree; this will need to be done in batches. Return mixture to saucepan and add the cream and butter. Stir over low heat until the butter and cream are incorporated. Stir in salt to taste and pepper. Garnish the soup with fresh basil and serve with really good crusty bread. ENJOY ! !
I do hope you try and enjoy this. We love it and I always make it when tomatoes are in abundance but you can make a very pleasing soup using the canned tomatoes also, just buy a good brand.
Good cookin',
Barbara in Corsicana,Texas

++++++++

Like the new look Nancy, very nice!
Happy New Year, Lynette in NY

++++++++

Happy New Year Nancy and furry helpers, and everyone in Nancyland. My goodness but I sure missed the newsletter. I was so happy to see it. I'm sure you had a good time with your brothers in Arizona. Welcome back. Gay in L.I.

++++++++

It's been so dull without your wonderful newsletters. Hope all is well with you.
Esther

++++++++

This is to "M" who lost two faithful family members and then got a shelter dog.
WONDERFUL! Wish more people would think of shelter dogs (and cats) too.
We lost our Jake April 15, 2005 and swore we'd never get another dog - he was from a shelter in LA - brought him to Missouri to set down his roots as well as mine. He was the best and smartest dog there ever was. Broke our hearts to lose him - we cried for days.

But finally last November we did go back to the shelter - there is one in KC that keeps animals forever - no euthanasia - and brought home Patsy. Patsy is as dumb as a stone - and stubborn, oh my - but she needs love so badly., We feel she's been in at least 2-3 homes and was abused. It took almost a year for her to warm up to us and we believe she finally realized she was here to stay and not yet going to another "bad" place. She is very loving - just different - but then so are we all.
There is a wonderful place - Best Friends - in Kanab, Utah that we visited last year and it is the epitome of shelters. Wish we lived closer so I could volunteer.

It is just so good to know that there are people who are willing to do what they can for the homeless dogs and cats and hopefully more and more will go that route instead of the petstore, puppy mill route. So if any of you are thinking of a new pet - open up your hearts to a shelter animal. They need us all so much and have so much to offer as a thank you for being saved.
Rosemarie in rural Kansas City

++++++++

Siggy and Ditto's Corner New Pet items at PetSmart FoodSaver Uses and Tips Shop Weekly Ads at Target.com Shop the latest Tupperware catalog and monthly flyer! Extra Savings with Special Buys at Walmart.com Fuller Brush - Since 1906! Birkenstock Shoes Overstock.com Steal O' The Day! Montgomery Ward Clearance - Save up to 75% on Must Have items Buy appliance parts online and save. Old Pueblo Traders Crock-Pot.com Save up to 50% in our Clearance Corner!