Recipe Box Swap~Homemade Ice-Cream

The first Thursday of the month is set aside for the Recipe Box Swap. Randi, at i have to say... hosts this each month and posts a Mr.Linky for bloggers who wish to participate in sharing their favorite recipes. This month's theme is "Garden Fresh". Some of you are probably wondering about now what ice-cream has to do with garden fresh. The answer is, absolutely nothing. ;-Þ

I'm preoccupied with visiting family right now, and the Recipe Box Swap sort of snuck up on me. I'm replaying a picture (down below) which I've already shared on my blog in the past, and posting a recipe which has nothing to do with garden fresh food. I'm holding my breath that the Recipe Box Swap Police doesn't come and take away my recipe book, or at the least throw garden fresh rotten tomatoes at me. Wait, fresh and rotten would be an oxymoron, wouldn't it? Sheesh, I'm getting sillier and sillier, so I'll get on with it before my subscribers drop me like a garden fresh hot potato. Oh, I know, that was one too many garden fresh comments, so without further ado, I'll post my recipe for homemade ice-cream, which you can top with a peeled and choppped garden fresh peach, just as I did. Enjoy!

Homemade Ice-Cream

whole Milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 pint whipping cream

2 /12 cups sugar

5 med-large eggs, or 4 x-large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla (or to taste)

1 4oz box Junket Vanilla Ice-Cream mix ( in most grocery stores for a little over a dollar)

rock salt

In a large bowl (I use my really big tupperware bowl), starting with 4 cups of whole milk, add all the ingredients and beat very well with an electric hand mixer.

Pour the mixture into your ice-cream freezer's cannister, then finish filling it up to the fill line with whole milk. Stir with a long spoon. Put the lid on the cannister then follow your freezer's directions to freeze.

The milk part of it is really a matter of preference. If I only have whole milk on hand, I just fill the cannister with it. Or you can use a quart of whipping cream and skip the evaporated. The more whipping cream you use, the creamier your ice-cream will be. It really depends on how much 'fat' you want in your ice-cream. You can also chop fresh fruit such as bananas, peaches, or strawberries and add to the mixture before freezing.

This makes enough for a 1 gallon electric ice-cream freezer.

If you're worried about the raw eggs, all I can say is, I've been eating it this way for right at 50 years, and have never once gotten sick from it. Neither has anyone in my family.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream!

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods.
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered.

~Psalm 40:4-5 Amplified Bible

The Recipe Box Swap~Cucumbers in Sour Cream

Time is whizzing on by. It seems like just last week was The Recipe Box Swap. If you've been reading my blog awhile, you know the drill. If you are new to my blog, here's the scoop. On the first Thursday of every month, Randi, at i have to say..., hosts The Recipe Box Swap on her blog. She puts up a Mr.Linky which everyone participating can sign, adding their own blog to the list. It's a great way to share recipes, and to see new blogs!

The theme this month is bbq'ing. We're sharing recipes of something served at a bbq.

As a young newlywed, I purchased a small spiral bound cookbook titled Miriam B. Loo's Family Favorites Cookbook. I have been preparing dishes from this book for thirty years. The cover, as well as the pages, is indicative of what a messy cook I am.

I was working at Frito Lay in Dallas at the time, in their accounts payables department. I tell you, women in offices are easy targets when you have something to sell. Someone was always bringing in some colorful brochure of goodies their kid was selling for school or Scouts. As I recall, that's how I came to purchase my little Miriam B. Loo book. It has served me well over the years. I hope you try the recipe I'm sharing!

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Cucumbers In Sour Cream

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced


• 3/4 tsp salt


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1 Tbsp lemon juice


• 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped onion


• 1/4 tsp sugar


• 1/8 tsp white pepper (black will do as well)


• Minced parsley

Toss cucumbers with salt; cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, onion, sugar and pepper; blend well.

Reserve 1/4 cup of mixture for garnish.

Combine cucumbers with remaining sour cream mixture.

Refrigerate until well chilled or about 2 hours.

To serve: Arrage cucumber slices on bed of salad greens; top with small mound of reserved sour cream mixture and sprinkle with minced parsley.

Serves 4

The internet is a great source for finding new recipes, but there's something special about a well worn cookbook, passed down through the family. I'll likely pass this one down to my daughter someday. I can hear her now,

"Ooh, Mom. It's got gross stuff stuck on the cover! ".

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The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.

~Proverbs 20:7 Amplified Bible

The Recipe Box Swap!

The first Thursday of every month is The Recipe Box Swap. It's the brainchild of Randi, at i have to say. If you have a blog and would like to participate, post a recipe on your blog; then go to Randi's Mr. Linky (at the bottom her Thursday Recipe Box Swap post) and add your name, the title of your recipe, and the URL of your recipe post. While you're there, be sure and check out the blogs of others who participate. New recipes, new blogs to read, new friends to make. C'mon and join the fun!

I'm sort of cheating this month. I tried this recipe of Pioneer Woman Cooks just a couple of weeks ago and blogged about it; and yes, this is the same picture I posted then (that's the cheating part). It was sooo good, it bears repeating. Plus, I finally have a picture to include with my recipe, even if y'all have already seen it.

Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Apricot Bars: Are They for Breakfast...Or Dessert?

Apricot Bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt1
1/2 cups oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 sticks (regular, salted) butter, cut into pieces (I let mine get to room temp)
1 10-12 ounce jar Apricot Preserves (I used Rasberry-use whatever you prefer)

Mix all ingredients except Apricot Preserves.
Press one half of the mixture into a buttered 8″ square (or small rectangular) pan.
Spread with a 10-12 ounce jar of apricot preserves.
Sprinkle second half of mixture over the top and pat lightly.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until light brown.
Let cool completely, then cut into squares.

When these were hot out of the oven, Mr. Studley and I had them with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream, which made a tasty dessert. The rest were eaten as snacks. Nary a crumb was wasted.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

~1 Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV

May Day May Day, Recipe Box Swap!

It's the first Thursday, so it must be Recipe Box Swap Day! The monthly Recipe Box Swap is Randi's brainchild, at i have to say... . At the bottom of her luscious looking lemon bar recipe today is Mr. Linky with the names and recipes of everyone participating in the swap this month. Keep checking back, as that list will continue to grow in the next few days. If you've not been to Randi's blog before, you're in for a treat. She's a sweetheart, and she's super talented and creative!

The first recipe is a cookie I've baked countless times over the years. I first started baking Snickerdoodles when I was a young teen. I can't remember who I copied the recipe from, but I think it was my dad's mom.

I still have the sheet of stationery on which I hand copied it. The pale blue sheet has yellowed with age, and is covered with stains. The pencil writing is barely legible in places. The writing is loopy and flowery, as if a young teen girl wrote it..which she (I)did. No doubt, I could find the same recipe or one quite similar throughout the internet or in other cookbooks, but I always pull out this one when we want Snickerdoodles. There's something comforting about things which are old and familiar.

I got the recipe for Aunt Jo's Cream Cheese bars from Aunt Jo, obviously. I may have to whip up a batch this week. Yum!

Aunt Jo's not really my aunt. She's my stepbrothers' aunt. I think she's everyone's aunt. If you met her, you'd want her to be your aunt. She's a zany, nutty character who's entire life has been a series of comical events, most of which were comical by accident rather than intent. She just does funny things.

Some of Aunt Jo's escapades have been near disastrous, such as the time she took a wrong turn at DFW airport and ended up driving around on a runway. Talk about some upset airport personnel! She just laughed. All who know her, know her as someone who is always laughing. Some day, I'll devote a post just to her, and tell some of my "Aunt Jo" stories. Every family gathering generally includes at least a dozen of them. Though we've heard them many times, and told them many times, we still always laugh until we cry. She's a card, I tell you. And now, for the recipes...

Snickerdoodles

Mix together:

• 1 cup soft shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs

Sift together and stir in:

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Chill dough

Roll into balls the size of small walnuts

Roll balls in a mixture of ...

• 2 TBSP sugar & 2 tsp cinnamon

Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet

Bake at 400 degrees 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned

While baking, they puff up at first, then flatten out and crinkle

Cream Cheese Bars

By hand, mix together until crumbly:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
• 1 yellow packaged cake mix

Press into a 9" x 13" baking pan

Mix together:

• 1 16oz box powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 1 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 2 eggs

Spread over the top of the mixture in the baking pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Let cool completely before slicing

Hubby and I pulled our 5th wheel up to Minnesota last fall. On our way back down the map, we stopped over in this small town in Iowa to set up camp overnight in their city park. If I recall, it only cost us $10 to park there overnight, and that included water and electricity. I thought this old water tower was rather quaint looking. I think it made a nice picture with the bright red tower against the beautiful blue autumn sky.

Browse Your Recipes!

A quick reminder to those who participate, Randi's Recipe Box Swap is this Thursday, and the theme this month is Cookies & Bars. Those with blogs are invited to participate, and those without blogs are invited to look at all the recipes and find happy new blogs to read!

Recipe Box Swap

With my company here, I've been too busy to read blogs and I totally forgot about Randi's Recipe Box Swap. It is the first Thursday of the month. Since it's late and my brain is fried, I'll post a simple recipe that I made tonight. No, not our dinner. That was Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti, or The Only Casserole Marlboro Man Will Eat. It was loved by all.

For dessert, I baked a simple Bisquick Impossible Buttermilk Pie. I have been baking this pie for at least 25 years or more. It's so easy, I can have it in the oven in mere minutes. It's tasty, too. Sometimes, I add a little lemon extract. For the record, I didn't use Bisquick tonight. I used an unfamiliar brand of biscuit mix that I purchased at Big Lots. Any biscuit mix will work.

Impossible Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick mix (or other biscuit mix)
1 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs (mine were X-Large, so I used only 2)

Mix everything together in a blender (or use a mixer and a bowl if you prefer).
Pour into a 9" pie plate (no greasing necessary)
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Will be brown and crisp looking on top and inserted knife will come out relatively clean.
Store in the refrigerator.

In the summer when fresh fruit is plentiful, I like to serve this cold with a fresh fruit salad made of strawberries, bananas, and peaches. Yum!

The Recipe Box Swap for March

It's time for the March edition of Randi's Recipe Box Swap . I've had a full month to prepare for this, and had planned to offer up pictures of recipes being shared as they were prepared. All I can say is, I had good intentions. Oh, well. You'll have to use your imagination.

It's still soup weather for many of us so I'll share one of my favorite standby's. I nearly always have all the ingredients on hand for this quick-to-fix and hearty soup.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 package storebought taco seasoning (or your own)
1 16oz can corn, undrained (you could also use frozen corn)
1 16oz can kidney beans, undrained
1 28oz can tomatoes (any cut or variety) , undrained-if you have non-tomato eating kids or husbands, try using pureed tomatoes instead

shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream

brown ground beef & drain
add next four ingredients & stir well
bring quickly to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes

partially fill individual serving bowls with tortilla chips
ladel soup over chips
sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top
add a dollop of sour cream

Enjoy!


This soup tastes even better then next day, after the flavors have had time to marry. It also freezes quite well. I always make at least a double batch so I can freeze some.

An alternative to serving it over chips is to accompany it with fresh, from scratch, homemade cornbread. Yum!

One way you can make this soup more economical is to choose store brand veggies and chips. I've prepared it with name brand tomatoes, corn, and beans, served over name brand tortilla chips; and I've also prepared it using cans of generic brand veggies and beans, served over generic brand tortilla chips. It tastes equally well both ways

PS-If you have eaters in your family who don't think they like beans, try running the beans through a food processor before adding them to the soup. Not only will it change their texture, which is what puts some people off of beans, but it will add a nice 'thickness' to your soup as well.

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Swiss Steak

1 1/2 pounds bone-in round steak
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cut steak into serving sized pieces, discarding the bone.
Salt & pepper steak pieces, then dredge in flour.
Pound into both sides (alternatively, you could buy steak without the bone and have it tenderized)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown meat pieces on both sides.
After browning, transfer meat to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and garlic and pour over steak.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Serve over rice or noodles.

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Okay, I'm off to Randi's to see what everyone else is cooking. Be sure and stop by there, too, if you haven't already!

Time for Recipe Box Swap!

It's hard to believe nearly a month has gone by since Randi at i have to say launched The Recipe Box Swap . It was a blast to participate in it. I met new blogging friends and stocked my recipe box full of great new recipes.

Randi has decided to theme March's swap as "Money-Saving Recipes". Now who doesn't need those?

If you'd like to join in the March Recipe Box Swap, head on over to Randi's (go on..I'll be here when you get back), and find out what you need to do (it's easy), then figure out between now and Thursday which recipes you'd like to post on your own blog. You know you want to!

Recipe Box Swap Day!

Remember what today is?

Before I answer that question, I'd like to point out an unexpected perk I've discovered about blogging. Blogging helps me stay on track. It's my personal organizer of sorts. Since hitting middle age, I find my short term memory's not quite as good as it used to be. I always prided myself on my ability to remember details with vivid clarity. Well, you know what they say about pride. You do know, don't you? Because I can't remember. Really.

Anyway, my blog is helping me keep track of my knitting projects, the ones I've finished...or it would if I'd finished any, but it helps me keep track of them, nonetheless. I can also refer to it to see what was on my mind and going on in my life on a certain day or week, as I surely blogged about it if it was important, right?

Remember me telling you about Randi and her terrific idea for a blog recipe box swap? Well, today is the day, and we are sharing recipes! I know that because I can look back here and see. Like I was saying, perks.

I wish I'd had time this week to prepare these recipes and take pictures. I just love watching Pioneer Woman cook over at the Pioneer Woman Cooks!. I'm a visual learner and whether it's knitting or cooking, I learn best by watching.

Randi also has beautiful, colorful photos of her dishes being prepared. Her pictures always make me so hungry!

I have no glamorous cooking photos to offer you. Photography isn't a skill I've yet mastered, though I am working on it. Just as with my knitting, I do anticipate getting better. Today, all I have is recipes.

This first recipe is a cake I've been baking since I was about 16 years old. Trust me, it's been alot of years. I don't need a recipe to bake it. I could practically do it with my eyes closed. The thing I love about this cake is that it always gets rave reviews. Seriously, I get majorly bragged on when I bake this cake. A young man from our church recently dubbed me as "making the best cakes in all the land". Pretty impressive, huh? It is especially so for someone who's never really thought of herself as much of a cook. I promise you that this cake will garner you instant popularity.

Oh, and lest any of you think I stole this recipe from Pioneer woman, I can assure you, I was baking my cake before Ree popped out of her mother's womb. If you compare my recipe to her's, you'll see she leans a bit more heavily toward the Paula "Butter" Deen's style of cooking.

I promise you, you will not miss the extra butter in my recipe; and no, mine isn't a diet or low-calorie cake. Mine has two whopping sticks of butter in it (one whole cup of butter, folks). That's 1 3/4 sticks less than Ree's recipe.

1 3/4 sticks butter=1417.50 calories

Yep, read it and weep. Your thighs may miss it, but your tastebuds surely won't! So, without further ado.....

Renna's Chocolate Sheet Cake

In large bowl, mix together:
2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

In saucepan, bring to a boil:
1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

4 TBSP cocoa

In small bowl, mix together:
1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients together.

Bake in a greased jelly-roll pan at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until center springs back when touched. I spray my pan with nonstick cooking spray.

During last 5 minutes of cooking, in a saucepan, bring to a boil:

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

4TBSP cocoa

5 TBSP milk

After removing from heat, stir in :
1 tsp vanilla

1 box confectioners (powdered) sugar (16oz)

1 cup chopped pecans

Spread on warm cake.

By the time you've finished frosting the cake, the leftover frosting in the pan will taste exactly like chocolate fudge. Be sure to scrape every last bite from the pan before washing it. This is an essential part of the cake-making process. Trust me. Would the "best cake maker in all the land" lie about such a thing? I think not.

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This second recipe is also for a cake. Yes, we have a theme going here. I do love cake, and it shows. I've only been baking this cake for a few years, having gotten the recipe from a friend. I've not taken it to as many functions as my chocolate sheet cake, simply because I seem to always have the ingredients already on hand for the chocolate sheet cake.

I only make this cake when I'm having company or attending a pot luck function. It's big and it's rich. The few times I have taken it anywhere, or served it at home for company it got equally rave reviews as the chocolate sheetcake. Trust me, these cakes are both winners!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

32oz cream cheese

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 sticks butter

3 cans Crescent Rolls

Ground Cinnamon

13” x 9” x 2½” Baking pan

Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature.

Lightly spray pan, then cover bottom of pan with crescent rolls.

In large mixing bowl, mix:

2 cups sugar

all the cream cheese

½ stick of butter

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

blend with mixer until creamy.

(If cheese is too stiff, microwave for a few seconds before blending.)
Spread this mixture evenly over rolls in pan.
Use more rolls to cover that mixture. (You’ll have a few leftover rolls for dinner!)

In a mixing bowl, add:

1½ cups sugar

¾ stick butter

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Microwave this until the butter is melted and then mix on high speed.
Spread this mixture on top of the crescent rolls, making sure that all roll surfaces are coated.
Sprinkle cinnamon over topping.
Bake uncovered for about 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Wonderful served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream,
but it’s also delicious after being refrigerated!!

Cooking doldrums?

Are you in a rut in the kitchen? Do you feel like you're cooking the same ol' same ol' lately?

Randi, over at i have to say, came up with a tasty idea for a recipe swap. Tomorrow (Thursday, the 7th) she's going to be posting a couple of recipes on her blog and has asked her readers to join her. Be sure and read her post tomorrow. I can almost guarantee she'll have something scrumptious to make. I've borrowed Randi's recipes before and never been disappointed in the outcome.

I will also be posting a couple of my favorite recipes here tomorrow. Will you join us and post a couple (or more!) of your favorite recipes on your blog tomorrow? If you do, be sure and leave a comment at Randi's as well as here so readers can click on the hyperlink to your blog and see what you've shared.

Now, get out that recipe box!