Granny Patwell's Mrs. Moore Bars

I received my love of cooking from my Granny Patwell. Growing up she would have the whole family over for dinner every Saturday night. The crew would often be 14 or more people, needless to say it was a houseful consisting of an adult table and a kids table. She instilled a love of meals and trying new dishes. I miss you Granny. One of her deserts she made was called Mrs. Moore's Bars. Now, I don't know who Mrs. Moore was, but she must of been one heck of a cook. They are a bar with nuts and chocolate chips whipped in a marange on a cookie base. The bars are sweet, crunchy, chocolaty and nutty. Try this dessert and you will add it to your rotation of desserts.

GRANNY PATWELL'S MRS. MOORE'S BAR

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt
1 cup shortening
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, chopped
12 ounces chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour through the shortening and press into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. Beat the egg whites stiff and gradually add the brown sugar. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Spread over the baked crust and bake an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY!

Chewy Fudgey Brownies

Nothing makes me feel better than making a dish and having my family enjoy it. Brownies are always a family favorite. Boxed brownies are good but you really don't know what all the ingredients are. This brownie recipe is a winner and easy to make.

CHEWY FUDGEY BROWNIES

3 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup Kahlua or strong coffee
2/3 cup dutch chocolate(I use SACO Premium Blend Cocoa Powder)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 each eggs
2 each egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Warm the butter, bittersweet chocolate and Kahlua in the microwave until the chocolate softens.
3. Add the cocoa powder to the warm liquid and mix.
4. Add oil, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla to the mixture and combine.
5. Mix in the sugar until combined.
6. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam and pour in brownie mixture.
8. Bake for 35 minutes until done.

Enjoy these brownie that have a great chew and you made from scratch for your loved ones.

Potato Pancakes

The other night my wife was out of town for a seminar and it was just Em and I for dinner, so I gave her the choice of what to have for dinner. When Em was younger, she would get a kick out of having breakfast items for dinner, so I offered pancakes as a choice ans she immediately replied, "How about Potato Pancakes?" I was surprised because I didn't know she had ever had Potato Pancakes. It turns out when Mom and Em visited Aunt Dorothy they had Potato Pancakes and Em really liked them. So I tried to make the pancakes to Em's liking. She stated they weren't exactly like Aunt Dorothy's but she really liked them.

POTATO PANCAKES

4 large potatoes, shredded
1 large onion, shredded
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups oil for frying

1. Shred potatoes and onion. (I used a food processor and it worked very well.)
2. Press excess water out of the potato-onion mixture.
3. Combine the egg, salt, pepper and flour with the potato-onion mixture.
4. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Drop two or three 1/3 cup mounds into the hot oil and flatten down to 1/2 inch thickness. Fry, turning once, until golden brown.
5. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

ENJOY!

Mushroom Stroganoff with Egg Noodles

One of our family's stand by meals was Beef Stroganoff. It was in our regular rotation of meals. With the kids becoming vegetarians, I really missed this warm flavorful dish. So here is my Mushroom Stroganoff which still has all the flavor just not the beef. Bossie the Cow loves this new meal and I hear it is on her regular meal rotation now!

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF WITH EGG NOODLES

1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground
8 ounces sour cream
12 ounces egg noodles

1. Saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the butter.
2. Add the broth, ketchup, soy sauce and pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add the sour cream and stir until combined.
4. Serve over egg noodles prepared according to the package.

Enjoy this warm delicious meal with your family.

Fresh Basil Pesto

It's that time of year when basil in is in abundance in the garden. Our family loves to make pesto and freeze it for use throughout the year. Pesto is a great way to bring summer to your meal via pasta or as a sauce on your pizza. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine basil and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the garlic and pulse a few more times.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor runs. Add the grated cheese and pulse until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Use the pesto as desired or it can be frozen for future use.

Enjoy this blast of summer flavor throughout the year!

Home Made Pizza Dough

My family always enjoys having pizza. The great thing about pizza is the variety in toppings and sauces you can use. This recipe is for a pizza dough that can be made in a bread machine. After you have the dough, you can use any sauce, toppings, and cheese. Experiment and enjoy!

HOME MADE PIZZA DOUGH

2 cups bread flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place the ingredients in your bread machine and use the dough cycle. This makes enough dough for a 9 x 13 sheet pan. Use prepared pizza sauce or pesto for the sauce and 2 cups shredded mozzarella. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.