Old Family Recipe Cookbook And Thanksgiving Wishes

In honor of Thanksgiving this year, I have a special gift from me and several other Love Inspired Historical authors. It's a digital cookbook of favorite family recipes, with a heartwarming true-life story to accompany each recipe.

In the book you'll find everything from my very own banana pancake recipe to cabbage rolls to hunter's stew.

If you're interested in getting a copy of this book, please leave a comment below with your email address, and I'll be happy to send you a copy. I hope to eventually get this cookbook up on my website, where anyone interested can download it.

And now for what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: YOU. All of you wonderful blog readers who bless me with your presence and comments and positive spirits. Thank you for taking time to visit Making Home Work, and please take advantage of the cookbook.

Breakfast Casserole Recipe from Author Amber Stockton

We're back again today with author Amber Stockton, who has a delicious Breakfast Casserole Recipe to share. If you haven't stopped by our interview yet this week, Amber is giving away a copy of one of her novels. The contest ends Saturday, November 10 at midnight.



Breakfast casserole (can freeze and throw in the oven for 1 hour at any time)

1 package of hash brown potatoes or cubed/diced potatoes (frozen)
1 lb. of bacon or sausage chopped/diced (can substitute ham as well)
1 each of yellow, green, and red bell peppers, gutted and sliced into thin strips (optional)
1 lb. of shredded sharp cheddar
5 eggs broken and mixed
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 16x9 in. pan in nonstick spray. Dump in potatoes to cover the bottom and spread evenly. Sprinkle in the meat, bell peppers (optional), and shredded cheddar. Pour the eggs over top and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in an oven at 375 for 45 minutes if ingredients are fresh, or 1 hour if casserole is frozen. Cool and serve.

*****

Colonial Courtships: My Novella (Trading Hearts): Jonathan Ingersoll is a successful merchant trader along the Great (Connecticut) River. When flooding forces him to take sanctuary in an unfamiliar inn along his route, he meets the innkeeper’s daughter, Clara Marie Preston. Immediately attracted to her shy, yet caring spirit and quiet faith, Jonathan makes a point to return. But animosity from her brother gives him pause. Learning the source of the resentment only spurs Jonathan to try that much harder to prove his worth. Doubts are cast upon his character, and his trade sales begin to decrease. When he tracks down the pirates who attacked Clara’s brother and sees justice served, things take a turn for the better. Finally, he can accept the full blessing for a union of marriage and make plans once more for the future.

Banana Pancake Recipe

Within the past year, I've discovered the wonderful world of banana pancakes. I grew up eating blueberry pancakes, but never tried banana pancakes until I was making pancakes one morning and I glanced at my overripe bananas sitting on the counter. So I thought, "Why not throw them in and see how things turn out?"

The result was super yummy! They taste like banana bread, but all wrapped up in a pancake instead of a bread. Over the past few months, I've been experimenting with my recipe. Some recipes call for lots of banana and less flour, but I've found this gives the pancakes a rather mushy, banana taste. I like using a traditional pancake recipe and then tossing in some bananas for extra flavor. The end result is more like banana-bread.

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (just to make things extra healthy)
1-2 overripe mashed bananas (depending on how much flavor you want)

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl mix together the milk, egg, oil and banana; mix until smooth. (Here's a hint for mashing bananas: put them in a Ziploc bag, then give them to your kids to mash. Super fun for little ones!)

Combine the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Be aware that the bananas will leave little lumps.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*****

And there you have it! A yummy banana pancake recipe. I recommend using maple syrup to top them off. 

So now my question for you: What's the weirdest pancake you've ever eaten?

Overnight Sticky Bun Recipe from Author Sherri Shackelford

Since Author Sherri Shackelford is our guest this week on Making Home Work, I asked her to share one of her favorite recipes with us. All I had to do was glance at this one to know I'll be adding it to my file.

Sherri is giving a copy of her book, Winning the Widows Heart, to one lucky winner at the end of the week. If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, be sure to stop by Sherri Shackelford's Interview and leave a comment.

Overnight Sticky Buns

Ingredients:
1 Package Rhoads frozen dinner rolls (I use the 24 count package)
1 stick butter
½ cup brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Box non-instant butterscotch pudding (4-5 oz – the smaller package.)

Directions:
1. Melt together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pudding.
2. Spray a bread pan or Bundt pan with Cooking Spray.
3. Place frozen rolls in pan evenly.
4. Pour butter mixture over the rolls. Place in a COLD oven.
5. DO NOT TURN ON. Leave overnight.
6. In the morning, turn oven to 350 F. (If the rolls puff over the top of the pan, just squish them back down.)
7. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN and bake 20 minutes. (Can bake up to 30 min, depending on oven).
8. Turn over on platter. Watch them disappear! These are great for Christmas morning, or any holiday where the kids are out of bed at the crack of dawn!

*****

As someone who's rather challenged in the kitchen (particularly with any recipe involving yeast), I love that the sticky bun dough comes from the store and I don't have to make it myself. I've never seen a sticky bun recipe that calls for instant pudding either, but I can imagine it makes for a really moist topping. Has anyone else tried a recipe like this? It sounds delicious, Sherri! Thanks for sharing.

Now here's a little description about Sherri's debut novel, Winning the Widow's Heart:

When Texas Ranger Jack Elder stormed the isolated Kansas homestead, he expected to find a band of outlaws. Instead, the only occupant is a heavily pregnant woman—and she's just gone into labor. A loner uneasy with emotion, Jack helps deliver widow Elizabeth Cole's baby girl and can't get back on the trail fast enough. The robber and murderer he's after killed one of Jack's own, and he vows to catch the man. But when he returns to check on Elizabeth and her little one, he discovers that she may hold the key to his unsettled past—and his hoped-for future.

Breakfast Casserole

As I’ve pointed out before, I’m a fan of the easy meals. And this breakfast casserole fits the bill!

Ingredients:

1 can of crescent rolls

1 package of sausage (roll)

2 cups of shredded cheese

4 eggs

Instructions:

Brown sausage and drain. Unroll the crescent rolls and make a layer on the bottom of a lightly greased casserole pan. Distribute sausage on top of layer of bread. Beat the four eggs lightly until yolks and whites are blended. Pour egg mixture into the casserole on top of sausage and bread. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese directly on top of eggs.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.

After removing from the oven, take the remaining 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle on top of casserole.

Let stand 5-10 minutes. Then enjoy!

Aunt Polly's Granola

I should probably confess at the outset of my first recipe submission to this blog that I don't particular like to cook. I enjoy feeding my family, yes, but the planning, preparation, cleaning up and making of meals is not something I would willing do. But that doesn't mean I want to feed my family processed foods. Which means I must needs cook.

One thing that used to scare the beejeebies out of me was making homemade granola. For some reason, it seemed complicated and way too time consuming. But then a friend gave me this recipe and I saw how easy it was, well, we've been eating homemade granola and loving it.

This recipe doubles exceptionally well--I always make a double batch. You can freeze half in a zipper-type plastic bag or simply store it in a glass jar (I use the gallon pickle jars, after washing well to eliminate the pickle odors). I love it with plain yogurt in the mornings for a hearty breakfast of homemade goodness.

Aunt Polly's Granola

Preheat oven to 400°.

Butter or spray with cooking spray a 9X13 jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with edge). If doubling, use two.

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup pecan pieces or coarsely chop pecan halves

1 cup whole almonds, chopped coarsely with a knife

1 tatblespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil, but vegetable or other oils would work, too)

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoon water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup dried cranberries 

Mix the oats, nuts, and cinnamon.  Heat the oil and honey together.  Add the brown sugar mixed with water to the oil and honey.  Pour this over the oat mixture  and  mix well to coat evenly. Place the granola into the pan.

Bake @ 400° for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until golden.

Remove from oven and stir in the dried cranberries.  Cool and store in airtight container.

Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal Packets

by Melissa Jagears

I am a cereal eater and cereal costs way too much! So I ventured into making instant oatmeal packets for myself, they are super easy to make too! I bought some little tupperware containers to place them in,so they are ready for me to add milk to and pop in the microwave in the morning.

Instant Oatmeal Base

3 cups instant oats
salt
add-ins

Blend or food process 1 cup of oats until powdery. Take snack sized ziplocs or small containers (makes about 8 packets) and put in each 1/4 cup instant oats, 2 T powdered instant oats and one shake of salt from the salt shaker.

Put in add-ins for each packet for the flavor you desire.

Spice - 1 T brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, dash of nutmeg
(For a Maple and brown sugar, add a glug of Maple syrup to this one after it's been microwaved.)
Banana Nut - 1 T brown sugar, 1 T chopped nuts, 1 T chopped dehydrated bananas
Fruit and Cream - 1 T sugar, 1 T chopped dehydrated fruit, 1 T powdered cream
Apple Cinnamon - 1 T brown sugar, 2 T chopped dehydrated apples, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pumpkin Spice - 1 T brown sugar, 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Cinnamon Bun - 1T powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and either 2T creamer or microwave with some half and half in exchange for some of the milk.

To make to eat, put mix and 3/4 cup milk in bowl and stir. Heat for about 2 min. in microwave. (My hubby doesn't think these taste well with plain water, so at work he puts in 2 spoons of creamer.)

Recipe ~ Breakfast Muffins Anytime

by Cherilyn David




Definitely read the whole recipe before you start.
Definitely make it your own and add and subtract for personality!

Ingredients:

In a pan on medium heat:

3/4c diced onion
1tsp capers
1/4c red wine
1/4c butter or margarine
1tsp minced garlic
(add water to steam as needed while cooking)

In a bowl:

2 eggs
1/2c egg whites
1/2c chopped fresh spinach
1/4c milk
1/4c diced scallions
1/2c water

In another bowl:

1 1/2c flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/4c powdered sugar
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper

Misc:

frozen shredded hash browns
shredded cheese of your choosing
sliced fresh mushrooms

Watching your pan... spray/grease a 12-count muffin pan. Sprinkle just a layer of shredded hash browns at each cup bottom. Then place 2 or 3 mushrooms atop that.

*You could then layer chopped spinach on top of that INSTEAD of adding spinach to your egg bowl, your choice.

So you have a wet (egg) bowl and a dry (flour) bowl essentially. First focus on just sauteing your onion, caper mixture and then add that to your 'wet' bowl. Add flour mixture (dry) while whisking, until mixed well, not quite a dough consistency.

Now you just have your bowl of everything, your waiting muffin pan and your grated cheese nearby. Right?

Spoon mixture into muffin pan, should fill each cup over hash browns and mushrooms.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then start checking. Bake a couple more minutes and check again, do this again and again until almost done. Top with cheese, turn off oven and leave in for another couple minutes.

An oven safe bowl of water in the oven will create steam to keep muffins moist and help melt cheese.

A variety of sauces go great with this!!

Plan B: Lots of room for variety here. Any vegetables would be a great addition, avocado garnish, add some cheese to pre-bake mixture, meat?? The options are limitless.

Inside joke: My first try at these I accidentally mistook my powdered sugar for flour. They came out more like spinach-egg-potato-mushroom donuts, but still a hit!! That's when I added a little powdered sugar to the recipe!! :)

Recipe: French Nickel Toast

by Cherilyn David


*Read entire recipe before starting. Watch for Plan B and other tips.

French Nickel Toast

My recipe names are goofy, but I love them. This is a spin on french toast, using pumpernickel bread. Yum! Pumpernickel bread has a bite to it, which makes this recipe one of those sweet/sour concoctions. If you absolutely hate pumpernickel, feel free to substitute.

Ingredients

Pumpernickel bread (2 slices per eater)

Bread Batter:
egg whites(amount varies, read on…)
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Burnt Sugar extract
milk (after all ingredients, about 1/4 amount of milk) i.e. Bowl is half full of egg whites and flavor, fill up to 3/4 with milk.

Dip bread slices in batter, in a dish they can easliy be covered in, until well saturated. Place carefully by spatula in an already warm non-stick pan. Cook like french toast or grilled cheee, flipping two or three times until golden brown, a few minutes on each side.

Serve warm and top as desired.

butter, for cooking and topping, as desired
olive oil or cooking spray
powdered sugar, for topping as desired

Homemade Cranberry Syrup

half stick butter/margarine
quarter cup cranberries (dry or fresh)
half cup sugar
quarter cup water

Heat not quite to bowling and maintain that heat, stirring often
(sugar can be added for desired consistency, cranberries can be added or subtracted to preference)

Plan B: Hate cracking eggs? Buy your egg whites in a carton. Hate wasting the yolks? Put each with a dab of sugar in an ice tray and freeze. Then throw cubes in a ziploc for future use.

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict

by Cherilyn David


Cherilyn’s recipes always include a trick or tip, sometimes new and exciting, sometimes a simple task, that may not be simple to everyone. Cherilyn’s recipes also always include a ‘plan B’… that is substitutions or short cuts to make the dish easier, faster or both!! :) I don’t just list ingredients and instructions. To me, a recipe is a story and I tell the why and what for and mention whatever comes to mind!

*Always read an entire recipe before beginning.

Vegetarian Spinach Eggs Benedict
Ingredients:

4 eggs
Hollandaise Sauce mix
Milk, water, butter (depending on the mix)
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 cup chopped baby spinach
8 slices of large or medium portabella tops
(1 mushroom is more than enough)
½ cup chopped scallions
Butter (optional)

Black pepper

Avocado garnish



Obviously this dish has been turned Vegetarian, due to the missing Canadian bacon or ham. The good news is, it’s full of healthy stuff, to try and offset the fact that it is generally a rich, less than perfect choice on the road to a smaller waistline. Not to worry, just don’t have it every day!
This is one of those dishes where you have several balls in the air, but they come together quickly. You’ll want to have your toaster handy. A cookie cutter or a glass with about a 4-inch rim. I find wine glasses to be great as they seem to be thin and sharp. This is for cutting a circle out of our wheat toast. (Healthier than English muffins.)

You want to start your Hollandaise on low, pretty much right away. Throw a mini whisk in there and just whip now and then and it will stay smooth and hot.

Your mushrooms and spinach need very little cooking to reduce and warm up, so they can share a small pan on low as well, not mixed, just spinach on one side and mushrooms on the other.

Now you have two pans going. Throw your toast in the toaster. Whip your sauce.
If you have an egg poacher, great, but totally not necessary.
How to poach an egg: Poached eggs are simply cooked in water. A poaching pan keeps the egg together, but that can be done on its own as well. Get some water, just a couple inches worth, to a rolling boil. As you crack each egg open it slowly into the water. This keeps it together, since the egg cooks almost instantly, then just floats in the water, waiting to be removed. Use a slotted spoon to remove when ready, depending on how well you like the yolks done. This can be done one at a time or all in one pan if you’re pan is big enough and you are quick enough. :)

This is the tricky part, in between eggs, you’re turning your mushrooms and spinach, maybe a whip or two to your sauce and toast is popping up. Cut circles and plate two each. If you want butter on your toast, now would be the time. Next pile some spinach on each wheat round. If you’re worried your spinach isn’t too done, the egg on top will fix that!

Turn all the burners off.

So… wheat round, spinach, egg, mushroom slices, Hollandaise, scallions on top! I pepper the eggs before topping. Hollandaise is very rich and wonderful, so you may let your eaters salt on their own.

If all this multi-tasking makes you crazy, don’t do it. You can cook everything one at a time, eggs last. It just may not stay quite as hot, but eleven seconds in the microwave will fix that. Cooking should be FUN, first and foremost. Don’t do anything that stresses you out… especially in the morning.

I serve mine with avocado on the side, because at my house, there is always room for some avocado.

PLAN ‘B’
The good news is, you can substitute anything here! If you don’t like spinach or mushrooms, add something else. The key is bread, egg and Hollandaise. They do make whole wheat English muffins. Some tasty ideas are sun-dried tomatoes or zucchini. If you need it a little heartier, add a layer of hash browns and top with shredded cheese! Enjoy!