Fluffy Angel Yeast Biscuits

Fluffy homemade angel yeast biscuits are to die for!

I make all kinds of biscuits.  Drop biscuits. Cheddar biscuits.  Buttermilk biscuits.  Sweet biscuits.  Savory biscuits. 

Wow!  I sound like Bubba sharing his shrimp recipes with Forrest Gump.

They are all delish!  But, I am sorry, there is NO substitute for fluffy angel yeast bisuits.  These are the ones that rise so light and airy they could float away.

And they melt in your mouth!

They really aren't hard to make.  So don't be intimidated by a yeast recipe.  Everyone equates "yeast" with difficult and time-consuming...but it really isn't so.  The work is easy- just allow some time in between for rising.  Come on, there are always bills to pay or laundry to get done...or better yet, that book that needs to be read.  So, no fretting on yeast recipes.  Maybe I should post my pizza crust recipe next! 

But back to the best biscuits...  (Aww, such lovely alliteration.)

You can add butter, honey, or jam if you want.  I did post a lovely recipe for Jumbleberry Jam .

Or you can pop them in your mouth right out of the oven.  Either way, please enjoy!

Fluffy Angel Yeast Biscuits

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup warm buttermilk (110 to 115 degrees F)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cold butter

1 egg (for egg wash)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. The water should be between 100-115 degrees F, but don't overthink it.  If it feels warm, you're good.

Add sugar and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in buttermilk; set aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in yeast mixture; mix well.

Turn onto a floured surface; gently knead for 1 minute. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Not long at all!

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 3/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round biscuit cutter. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Prick tops with a fork. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. This is what makes them so light and airy.

Crack egg in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of water.  Stir until blended and brush over the top of each biscuit to create that beautiful golden brown color when baking.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.



Jumbleberry Jam

Jumbleberry Jam and homemade yeast biscuits.

Are you wanting a delicious way to use up all those summer berries?  You definitely have to try this Jumbleberry Jam recipe. 

Love the name and absoutely love the taste...

I know you can figure out the name, if you just think about it.  You throw in any kind of berry you have on hand and they land in a big jumble in the pot.

Rustic, old fashioned, and the kids can help, with supervision of course.

Come back tomorrow, and I will give you the secret to the fluffy angel yeast biscuits. My mouth is watering just thinking of them.

Jumbleberry Jam

2 cups quartered and hulled strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blackberries (if the seeds bother you, substitute with another berry)

1 cup small diced green apples (Granny Smith is a good choice- high in natural pectin)

3 cups sugar

juice and rind of half lemon

Making jam can seem intimidating; trying to get the right ratio of sugar to fruit, whether to add pectin or to be a purist and use fruits that are naturally high in pectin.  But once you get the hang of it, it's not hard at all, and it is quite rewarding to spread your own warm yummy jam over just toasted bread.

Before you start, put a small saucer in the freezer.

This recipe includes small diced green apples which are naturally high in pectin but you can add a package of pectin as a substiture to the apples if you wish.  Personally, I like the consistency and taste of the apples, which cook down and get soft.

In a large saucepan over medium heat bring all the berries, sugar, and lemon to a slow simmer until the sugar begins to melt.  Increase the heat and bring the mixture to boil.  Keep the mixture at a rapid boil for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful to not let the jam burn. Reduce heat if needed.

You can test the setting point of the jam by spooning a small amount on your chilled saucer. If the surface wrinkles it is ready to put into the jar.  If it is not thick enough, lower the temperature to a gentle simmer and continue to cook, while stirring constantly until it thickens, then turn off the heat.

Spoon the jam into clean glass jars and refrigerate or freeze. Makes 2-3 jars, depending on size.

Growing Gourmets: Summer Cooking Camps Are Back

Last year's Mad Hatter Tea Party was a tasty trip through Wonderland!

Already making plans for the summer? 

It's that time again!  The Growing Gourmets children's summer cooking camps are coming back. Don't forget to sign your children up for a fun week of hands-on cooking!  Located in the Fairfield neighborhood right here in Cypress, Texas, the classes offer children ages 8-12 the opportunity to expand their culinary skills in a home environment.  The classes are kept small for the best possible instruction.  All the camps have fun themes to make learning fun.  Each child will even get to take home a notebook full of his or her very own recipes.

Six Flags Over Texas
June 4-7 $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Six Flags over Texas is the slogan used to describe the six nations that had sovereignty over the current territory of the US state of Texas. We are going to take a culinary tour through Texas history and explore how the cuisine of each nation is reflected in the foods we love today. We will travel through history creating and tasting recipes from the past. We’ll include a day for pioneers, eating like cowboys on the trail, and exploring the cuisine of the French, Spanish, Mexican (even German, though it is not one of the six flags) immigrants who influenced our current culinary tastes with dishes like homemade tortillas, kolaches and paellas. Join us for the best tasting history lesson you’ve ever had!


Pastries, Cakes, & Pies, Oh My!
June 18-21 $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Mixing science and art, this class will cover the fundamentals of baking as we create beautiful and delicious pastries and desserts. We will learn how to make classic pastry cream and Pate’ Sucre (French pastry dough) as we create delicious tarts. Add molten chocolate cake, crème brulee, Madeleines, and poached pear anglais for a complete French pastry tour. Finally we bring out the Michelangelo in all of us, but instead of using a paintbrush we will create edible art with a pastry bag as we learn the secrets for decorating beautiful cookies and cakes. This class is perfect for students wanting to expand their pastry skills and satisfy their sweet tooth all in one.



Manners Matter: Traveling in Style
July 9-12 $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Having good manners are important every day, not just when we sit down to dine at a fancy restaurant. This four-day session will focus on etiquette, setting the table and good table manners as we cook recipes that test even the neatest and most polite child! Please don’t think this is a “stuffy, boring” class…for we will use our etiquette expertise to “travel” to exotic lands and have…high tea in England…pastries on the sidewalk cafes of Paris…fondue on the long voyage aboard the Orient Express from Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam to Turkey…and a fine dining experience at the Plaza in New York

 
To Register:
Email me at robin@sussiebox.com

Questions:
Please feel free to email me at robin@sussiebox.com with any questions you might have. Classes will meet at my home and class size will be kept small for the best hands-on experience. Please consider enrolling early to reserve a space.

Turkey Rice Krispie Pops & Mickey Mouse Pops

Our Turkey Rice Krispie Pops are cute and yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Today we started the first day of our holiday break. It's so wonderful to sleep in, enjoy a good cup of coffee, read a magazine and blog a little.  For those of you still at work and school, so sorry!  I will try not to rub it in, since this is the first year we have actually enjoyed such a long Thanksgiving break.

Hopefully this will mean a few extra entries on the blog since I know everyone is already planning their holiday menu and grocery shopping, too!  This weekend I had a little help making these fun Rice Krispie Pops.  You can find the original recipe on the Kellogg's blog but I've included it here along with a few pointers that might help you as we figured out along the way.

Our messy little Mickeys taste delicious!

We also made a few into Mickey Mouse Rice Krispie Pops for our little 2 year old neighbor next door who loves anything Mickey.  These were a little messier to make and came out a little more "home-made" looking.  So, if kids are helping, turkeys are super easy and Mickeys, not so much!

Turkey Rice Krispie Pops

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows

6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

1 package (12 oz., 2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/3 cups candy corn

48 small white candies

24 lollipop sticks or wooden ice cream sticks

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.  Add Kellogg's Rice Kripies cereal. Stir until well coated.  Using 1/4-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into 24 portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into ball. Cool. (We stuck each ball in the freezer for a few minutes because the warm chocolate seemed to make the balls fall apart unless they were really cold.)

In microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate morsels and oil. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip each ball into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. (We waited until the chocolate was set before we added the candy corn feathers and beak and the candy eyes.  Trust me on this one.  Super messy if you don't wait and super easy if you do!) 

Decorate with candy corn for tail feathers and beak. Add candies for eyes. Let stand until firm. Insert lollipop stick into each. Best if served the same day, but we think they still tasted great the next day.

Mickey Mouse Pops

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows

6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies®cereal

1 package (12 oz., 2 cups)semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 ounces white chocolate

red sprinkles

yellow icing

24 lollipop sticks or wooden ice cream sticks

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Kellogg's Rice Kripies cereal. Stir until well coated. Using 1/4-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into 24 portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into ball. Cool.  Next, take 48 mini marshmallows and attach two on either side of each ball.  We pinched a little off the of the long side of each marshmallow to make it flat and sticky. 

Put the marshmallow Rice Krispies balls into the freezer for about 5 minutes to set and harden.  In microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate morsels and oil. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip each marshmallow-eared ball entirely into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off.  Let stand until firm.

Melt 4 ounces of  white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, stirring constantly.   Dip the Mickey's about 1/3 of the way down and then roll in red sprinkles.  With yellow icing draw on Mickey's buttons on the back of his red sprinkled "pants."  Let harden and then insert lollipop stick into each one!

Welcome Back S'more Bars

Welcome Back!

I went away for awhile...and I don't even have one big reason.  I have a million small reasons.  Three of them are not that small anymore ...they are growing bigger every day.  Those big feet and growing hands have busy schedules, sports practices, piano lessons, school projects.  Then add in my ever growing responsibilities... homeroom mom, job, homemaker extraordinaire (my family would be rolling eyes at this point) and the blog has gone from active, to occasional, to non-existent in recent months.

My apologies.  I hope a few of you out there remember me and the little cooking blog that could. 

Beyond all the activity that keeps me rushing from one place to another, I have just been in a resting place.  One of those times when you reevaluate all the ways you spend that precious commodity called time.  I am not always thrifty with those precious minutes, the ticking off of the past that propels you into the future.  I am the ultimate "fly by the seat of your pants" girl, which comes in handy when your child tells you the night before a project is due or someone needs six dozen of something delicious whipped up by tomorrow afternoon.  In these moments, I am your girl! Making something out of nothing really gets my adrenalin going!

However, those important goals that take planning and perseverance and plodding... Sigh! I am working on these attributes, learning from others who are better at it, who naturally make a choice, day-by-day and work and follow through, and emerge on the other side with something wonderful. 

So, I decided to slow down a bit.  Evidence in my life revealed itself.  That monster "Busy-ness" had taken over the family.  You know him, don't you?  Surely you've met him, too, at some point.  If I describe him, I'm sure you'll recognize him... the barring teeth ready to gobble up all your time, the strong arms that keep pushing you out the door to the next important something, the oh-so loud voice that drowns out solitude and quiet.  You know him, too?  He is very strong!  And on occasion, he quiets his loud voice to whisper into my ear.  "Everyone else is doing it."  "You will miss out."  "Your kids will fall behind."  "You don't have time to stop and think." "GO, GO, GO!"

Sigh.  But another voice has been whispering to me as well.  That still small voice.  Oh what a precious voice, so sweet, so beautiful...full of goodness and truth.  Telling me to,

"Be still and know that I am God." 

Be Still.  Be......still.   B...e.......s...t....i...l...l...

I do see the irony.  We are heading into the BUSIEST time of the year.  He is asking me to be still..NOW?  Absurd!  Unbelievable!  Impossible!

"With God, all things are possible."

OK, I will open my hands a little, loosen the grip I have on all the things, people, activities, self-made plans.  I will try to give them up to Him.  What He gives back is far greater, anyway.

So, the question becomes, "What stays and what goes?"  I have a suspicion that it can't all stay.  I don't really have the answer yet.  But asking the question is a start.  And I am sure about one thing.  I will never find the answer if I do not listen.

"Be still and know that I am God."

Why am I sharing??  Because I want to be a blessing to you.  I do NOT want to overwhelm.  Or heap more pressure. Or add guilt.   That monster is big enough without adding to his power.  I do want to add a few ideas and recipes over the holidays, fun crafts, treats for kids, yummy recipes.  I would like to encourage you to spend time with your family, or make something homemade together.  The trick is to pick ONE thing or maybe TWO... and let the other things go! 

Join me in some stillness this holiday season.  And if you see me at Target, running around like a mad woman with tinsel in my hair, you have my permission to reprimand me! :) 

It has been A LONG TIME... so here's a yummy treat that's easy to make.  I hope you have time to sit and enjoy them with the family!

Baby girl helping in the kitchen!

S'more Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages of HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bars
6 cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Press a little more than half of dough in a prepared 9" x 13" pan. Reserve remaining dough. Bake 10 minutes.  I reduced the amount of time from the original recipe because it is easy for the cookies to become overdone.

After removing from oven, arrange large chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows; scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer.
Bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.  Wonderful to eat when warm and gooey.

Popcorn Party & Movie Night: Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

Popcorn Party and Movie Night

Looking for something fun to do this summer...inside?  I mean, I love to spend my summer outside, grilling out and splashing in the pool, but at some point the Texas heat just becomes unbearable.  That's when my family starts looking for indoor activities.  We hit the museum, visit the library and book stores, and go see all the summer blockbusters- doesn't that cold theater feel so good?!  Not to mention the popcorn.  I am not sure how much trans-fat is in a handful of that crunchy, salty goodness but it's summer, who cares?   I just can't seem to resist!

If you have read the blog before, you know my proclivity for making foods that are readily available for purchase, and though a bag of microwave popcorn will never compete with a tub of butter-slathered movie popcorn, I think I have found a suitable substitute.  A popcorn party!  How about several flavors of popcorn, sweet, salty, crunchy?  Or pile on the extras and mix up a cup or your own creation with m&m's, nuts, pretzels and cheese crackers.  Puts a whole new spin on trail mix, doesn't it?

So, pull out some favorite movies...old black and white classics, a Pixar marathon, comedy hour (our family loves Tim Hawkins!) and celebrate summer with a popcorn and movie night.

At our party, I made regular popcorn with butter and a tub of  "light" for those concerned with calories.  I offered toppings and mix-ins and then I made a few "specialty" flavors.  First, I whipped up a batch of my Almond Caramel Corn.  This is a family favorite. 

If you want to see the recipe you can visit Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn for the full recipe!

I also made a yummy, can't keep your hands out of the bowl, batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn.  Do you remember the old recipe for Puppy Chow?  This is a popcorn version and it is fabulous.  Quick caveat- it doesn't store well (maybe a day or two) and tastes best when it is first made.  So, don't feel bad when you finish off the entire bowl.  Waste not, want not!

Secret: Want to turn up the volume on your party?  Our popcorn & movie night was a pajama party- adults included!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

7 cups plain popcorn (I used microwave popcorn.)
1 cup stick pretzels
2 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups powdered sugar


I used my Puppy Chow recipe, and substituted popcorn. I think it is better when you mix in the pretzels and chex mix too which is similar to a version I had tried in a gourmet popcorn store.

Pop the popcorn and pour into a bowl.  Shake the popcorn and let any unpopped kernels fall to the bottom of the bowl.  We don't want anyone to break a tooth!  Carefully scoop out 7 cups into a separate large mixing bowl.  Add the pretzels and Chex cereal to the seven cups of popped corn.

In a microwave (at 50% power) or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

 

Pour the chocolate mixture all over the popcorn mixture. Using a large spoon, carefully stir until all of the popcorn, pretzels and Chex cereal until evenly coated with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture.

 

Sift the powdered sugar over the chocolate-covered popcorn and stir until each piece is evenly coated. Spread the popcorn mixture on a baking sheet to cool. You can let it cool on the counter or speed up the process by sticking in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.  Break it up and serve it in a big bowl! Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Summer Cooking Camps Are Back!

Hop on over to the "Class Schedule" page to find out how to register for one these fun classes.

Summer Cooking Camps are Back!

Join us for a week-long course designed for kids with a unique and exciting theme that offers hands-on participation, detailed cooking instruction and their very own notebook full of recipes to take home! Plus, every day the kids get to eat what they create! The camps will run Monday through Thursday during the months of June and July at my home in Fairfield. Your kids are invited to join the fun as I look forward to teaching them the art of cooking!

In an effort to keep the best hands-on experience for individual students, I have limited the number of students and increased the age limit for the summer camps. If you have a group of preschoolers or early elementary children who are interested in participating, please contact me to set up a special class!


PLEASE NOTE UPDATES IN SCHEDULE:
Six Flags Over Texas
June 27-30   $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Six Flags over Texas is the slogan used to describe the six nations that had sovereignty over the current territory of the US state of Texas. We are going to take a culinary tour through Texas history and explore how the cuisine of each nation is reflected in the foods we love today. We will travel through history creating and tasting recipes from the past. We’ll include a day for pioneers, eating like cowboys on the trail, and exploring the cuisine of the French, Spanish, Mexican (even German, though it is not one of the six flags) immigrants who influenced our current culinary tastes with dishes like homemade tortillas, kolaches and paellas. Join us for the best tasting history lesson you’ve ever had!


Pastries, Cakes & Pies, Oh My!
July 11-14   $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Mixing science and art, this class will cover the fundamentals of baking as we create beautiful and delicious pastries and desserts. We will learn how to make classic pastry cream and pate’ sucre (French pastry dough) as we create delicious tarts. Add molten chocolate cake, crème brulee, Madeleines, and poached pear anglais for a complete French pastry tour. Finally we bring out the Michelangelo in all of us, but instead of using a paintbrush we will create edible art with a pastry bag as we learn the secrets for decorating beautiful cookies and cakes. This class is perfect for students wanting to expand their pastry skills and satisfy their sweet tooth all in one.



Manners Matter: Traveling in Style

July 25-28 $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Having good manners are important every day, not just when we sit down to dine at a fancy restaurant. This four-day session will focus on etiquette, setting the table and good table manners as we cook recipes that test even the neatest and most polite child! Please don’t think this is a “stuffy, boring” class…for we will use our etiquette expertise to “travel” to exotic lands and have…high tea in England…pastries on the sidewalk cafes of Paris…fondue on the long voyage aboard the Orient Express from Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam to Turkey…and a fine dining experience at the Plaza in New York.



Cooks and Books Returns
Aug. 1-4    $70
Mon.-Thurs., 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds

Think “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!"  Kids will look at stories a whole new way, as they create recipes inspired from some of their favorite books. Classic children’s stories like “Stone Soup” and new favorites like “If You Give A Pig A Pancake” offer plenty of inspiration for growing gourmets. We will bake bread like the little red hen, eat like the hungry caterpillar and perhaps reprise a few of our favorites like “Green Eggs and Ham.” Come hungry for good books and good food.



Resurrection Rolls & Resurrection Cookies

The last few Easter Sundays, I have posted the recipe and instruction for Resurrection cookies, an activity that you can do with your children to help explain the Easter story.  You can find all the information HERE on my blog.  This activity is great for younger and older kids, but it may seem a little overwhelming in the midst of all your other Easter preparations.  Another recipe that is a lot simpler, especially when you are trying to keep  young children engaged, is for Resurrection Rolls.  We made the rolls this morning and they tasted so good!!

I love that even my teenager will participate with a smile in all of our holiday rituals.  This morning, as the kids hunted for their baskets for quite a while (Dad is a good "hider") and we made our Resurrection rolls, I had a sense that all the preparation and time expended on these activities is more than worthwhile.  I think they will remember our family traditions, the significance behind them, and I hope it will grow their faith.  Simple word pictures are sometimes the best way to remember significant truths.  I still find this to be true in my own life. 

Maybe one day they will remember when they have families of their own.  Can you tell I am feeling a little nostalgic today?  So, here goes...

Resurrection Rolls

1 can of refrigerated biscuits
1 package of large marshmallows, (must be fresh; stale ones won't work)
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Melt butter in a microwavable bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Have the children each take a marshmallow.  Jesus was pure and sinless which is represented by the white marshmallow.

Now have the children roll the marshmallow in the butter.  After Jesus died on the cross, they anointed his body with oil.

Next, roll the marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  This represents the spices that were put on Jesus' body before they placed him in the tomb.

Take one biscuit and flatten it with your fingers. Wrap the biscuit around the marshmallow and seal it very carefully.  Make sure it completely sealed.  Jesus was placed in the tomb and they rolled a large stone in front of it to seal it.

Roll the ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place it on the cookie sheet.  Be sure and place them, seal side down, so the marshmallow doesn't expand and puff out the top.

Bake the biscuit tombs in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until browned on the outside.  Remind the children that Jesus was sealed up in the tomb for three days.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Finally, remove the biscuits from the oven.  Let cool slightly and encourage them to break open the tomb.  Where is Jesus?  He has risen!  The rolls taste sweet.  Easter is a sweet time because Christ died for us and then three days after the cross, he arose so that we also can have a new life in Him!

Passover, Easter and Chocolate Nests

Chocolate Nest with Candy Eggs

It is the blessed Easter Week and...

Sunday is coming! 

I love Easter and hold the sacredness of this holiday close to my heart.  I eschew the Easter bunny in favor of Our Risen Lord and the price he paid on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  Easter IS a time of renewal, of spring bunnies and chicks, of chocolate eggs and hopeful beginnings, BUT it is so much more.  Easter means Resurrection, hope and newness of life.  It means when we trust Jesus to save us from ourselves, one day we will be resurrected with him, with all believers, for an eternity of joy and peace.  No more sadness.


"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  Rev. 21:4


Because I am in such desperate need to be saved...because I can not go one day without selfishness and sin, I am all the more grateful for a perfect God who lowered himself to become man, and though was tempted in every way, remained sinless and then sacrificed himself in my place.  It is sometimes hard to conceptualize that sacrifice, to really feel the weight of the sin that entangles me and then realize the penalty that had to be paid.


PASSOVER...
This is why tonight our family will celebrate Passover.  Technically, Passover is a Jewish holiday, a tradition of remembrance of God's deliverance out of slavery in Egypt.  But what does that have to do with Easter?  In fact, the Last Supper was Christ celebrating the passover meal with his disciples. Do you remember those Sunday school stories about Moses?  Oh, yes!  "Set my people free."    God sent plagues that reigned down on Pharaoh and his people because he refused to listen to Moses and obey God by setting the Israelites free.  Each plague was sent to show God's power and to give Pharaoh a chance to repent.  Finally, the last plague was the death of the first born son of every living thing in Egypt.  The angel of death was coming to destroy.  But the people were given a way of escape. 

A continual story of a JUST God full of MERCY making a way for man.  If they sacrificed an innocent, blameless lamb and wiped the blood on the door posts, the angel would "pass over" the house and spare the life inside.

Can you imagine?

We have a baby girl who adores animals.  You remember the pictures from The Little House on the Prairie Party.  Remember her holding the baby goat in her arms.  Last night as she lay in bed, we were discussing the Passover story.  She reached out her hand to me and said, "I could not cut that baby lamb, Mommy."  I looked her in the eyes. 

"What if you had to do that every time you did something wrong?  Would you want to try and stop doing wrong things?"

She replied, "But I can't stop doing wrong things!"  Oh, sweet baby girl is right!  We can not stop doing wrong things, as much as we may try.  The number of innocent sacrifices would be too many to count.  But a JUST God full of MERCY made a way for you and me.  One perfect sacrifice.  God in flesh.  No more are needed.  It is finished.

"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30

We will have our Passover Seder tonight.  Our family will gather around the coffee table and follow the order of the Seder service.  We will wash each other's feet, I will light the Seder candles, "baby girl" will ask the four questions, we will break the bread and drink from the cup.  We will remember and be so thankful that the sacrifice is complete and it is indeed finished!

Chocolate Nests

1 can  sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 package of (16 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1 large bag  (12 oz each) of  chow mein noodles

Chocolate Easter candies eggs

Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. Lightly coat with nonstick spray.  Pour condensed milk into a medium microwave-safe bowl; add chocolate chips. Place in microwave on high 30 seconds, stir, and heat again for 30 seconds.  Repeat until chips melt and mixture is blended and smooth.  Put noodles into a large bowl, pour the chocolate mixture over the noodles and toss with a rubber spatula until noodles are coated.

Drop generous 1⁄2 cups on prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray fingertips with nonstick spray. Form mounds into nests making a depression in the center to hold candies. When the nests begin to set, fill with candies.  Enjoy!

Do you want to learn how to host a Christian Passover Seder?  Visit Chosen People Minsitries.

Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Cilantro Ranch Sauce

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Want a nice summer dinner idea?  This dish is fairly easy and super yummy.  In fact, the whole family likes it.  Fish tacos are really popular right now, but I don't always want to wait for a night that we can go out to dinner.  I enjoy making the dish at home and making it often in the summer months.  I can add some fruit and it feels like a light summer menu.  I hope you will try this recipe.  The Jalapeno-Cilantro ranch sauce is really easy to make and you can prepare it ahead of time.  Just keep it in a closed container in the refrigerator and in theory, it should last about a week.  We love to dip our tortilla chips in it all weekend, so it doesn't last long in our house.

Up close and personal!

 

Fish Tacos

 1 quart oil for frying

1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions 1 package of Fish fry mix
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 cup milk
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
I avocado

1 tomatos, diced
Jalapeno-Cilantro ranch sauce


Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place the milk and fish fry mix in seperate bowls.  Add the cajun seasoning to the fish fry mix.  Dip fish pieces in the milk and then dredge them into the fry mix.  Fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.  

Spray a skillet with oil and then warm the corn tortillas by turning them once or twice over low heat.  To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, avocado and jalapeno cilantro ranch sauce.



 

Simple, fresh ingredients for the Jalapeno-Cilantro Ranch Sauce.

Jalapeno-Cilantro Ranch Sauce

1 packet  Hidden Valley Ranch Traditional Dressing mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped

juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno
 If you like it spicy, use the whole jalapeno.  If you like it super spicy, leave in the seeds.  It's up to you.  Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp & Cheese Grits and Letters from Out of the Blue!

Jackie Melton Wrigley, circa 1942

"In the late summer of 1942, a young woman with a sprained ankle and broken heart sat sipping a Coke in Bennett's Drug Store in Tallahassee, Florida when a gaggle of fresh-faced second lieutenants from nearby Dale Mabry Air Field strutted in the door.  The pilots sat down and began to converse nonchalantly about what a swell war this was going to be.  One of them noticed the forlorn young lady sitting alone in the corner.  He rose and sauntered over to her, observing in his best East Texas drawl, "Why, you look as pitiful as a dying calf in a snowstorm."  ...Letters From Out of the Blue

Lt. Guy O. Denton in North Africa, 1942

And so began the courtship of my grandmother, Jackie Melton Wrigley to my grandfather, Guy O. Denton,  a hot rock pilot from East Texas who pursued the love of a young widow despite the turmoil of a world filled with heartache and war.

"Letters From Out of the Blue" 

So also begins a book, "Letters from Out of the Blue" authored by my uncle, D.G. "Rocky" Denton, that follows the love story of a handsome lieutenant with a witty tongue as he sends love letters to his beautiful girl back home.  The new book features a collection of love letters sent from my grandfather to my grandmother while he was fighting in North Africa with the famed 57th Fighter group during WWII.  While the book captures all the emotions of two young people falling in love, it reveals a larger story where the effects of a world-wide war had significant impact on individual Americans.  You can buy the book HERE on Amazon.com.

When I discussed the book with my grandmother and her memories of the time, we talked about the fear and the loss but also the hope and the camaraderie.  The women back home were not idle. They worked in the home and out.  They saved, they scrimped and they shared with one another.  I wanted to share this book with all of you because I love to read these handwritten letters full of people and stories who are mostly forgotten. 

But since this is a cooking blog, I wanted to share a recipe to go along with it.  The problem is or should I say the problem "was" during that time their was a shortage on everything!  With rations on flour and sugar it was difficult to cook, but American women, rolled up their sleeves, tied on their aprons and came up with some pretty ingenious recipes.  Most of the substitute ingredients are not readily available now, but as I searched through lots of recipes I noticed that women used locally grown and readily available ingredients.  For instance, women in the North used maple syrup and maple sugar to substitute for white sugar and women in the South used a lot of cornmeal and grits to substitute for flour. 

Since my grandmother was from South Carolina, I asked her if she could remember any recipes from that time period that would have been served in the South and she said she remembered eating a LOT of grits.  Morning, noon and night!  Sweet grits and cheese grits if you could find the extra ingredients.

 

In honor of all those wonderful, courageous and ingenious women who found a way to make something out of nothing and provide good food for their families, I offer you an updated version of a Southern classic.

 

 

Spicy Shrimp & Cheese Grits
 
Cheese Grits
4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup old-fashioned grits
1 1/2 cups of extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the Cajun seasoning.  Slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, the Parmesan cheeese, the butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper.  To serve, scoop a cup of grits into a bowl, top with shredded cheddar cheese, a few spicy shrimp with the juices from the pan, and extra Tabasco.  Serve immediately.





Spicy Shrimp
1 lb of peeled shrimp, uncooked and deveined
1/4 cup spicy flavored olive oil
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Tabasco to taste

Heat the spicy oil in a medium saute pan until hot, add shrimp, Cajun seasoning and a few dashes of Tabasco.  Saute until the shrimp are pink and firm.  Remove from heat and serve.