New Years Eve 2009

Boy has this year flown by. I thought I would share a few of our traditional recipes we fix on New Year's Eve along with a few new ones. I don't make New Years resolutions but I would like to exercise more. We will see if that one pans out. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this New Years Eve. You can find most of the recipes here but I will post the ones that are not listed in a little while.



Pigs in a Blanket-Ransie always wants these

Trisha Yearwood's Dip-to-Die for with pita chips

Fruit Dip

Veggies and Dip

Punch

Cheese Crisps

Cheese Dip

Bacon Wrapped Little Hot Dogs

Sweet Potato Balls

Cheese Balls

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, say what??

We have always roasted chestnuts in a fireplace but this year our little Raine is terrified of the fire. I'm not exactly sure why but I suppose fire is a good thing to be scared of when you are only two years old. I remember that Raven was scared to death of butterflies at the same age. This made for some interesting trips to the zoo let me tell you. I decided that another way to roast our chestnuts was in order so into the oven they went. They turned out just fine and the little one is left off the traumatized at Christmas list. After all, what is Christmas without roasted chestnuts? This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

3 pounds of chestnuts

A sharp knife

1-2 cups water

Cut a "x" on the rounded side of your chestnut. You must do this or they will explode. My MIL had this happen in her microwave a few years ago and my father also after trying to roast them without cutting the "x". Once all of the chestnuts are cut, place on a baking sheet with cut side up and add 1-2 cups of water to them. Place in a 400' oven for 20 minutes. Peel them using a tea towel and serve warm with a little sea salt.

Party Mix

We love Chex Mix and I always make our spicy version of this popular snack. Marx Foods sent me a package of items to try in a few of my recipes and the timing couldn't have been better. As I said, we like our party mix a little on the spicy side and Tabasco just doesn't do the trick. Their Habanero Salt is the absolute perfect seasoning for our spicy mix. Check out Marx Foods , some very unique products for your future recipes. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 cup of roasted and salted peanuts

1 cup English walnuts

1 cup pecans

3 cups pretzels

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups cheese crackers

3 sticks butter

2 t Habanero Salt

2 T garlic powder

2 T chili powder

1 t seasoned salt

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Mix all of the dry ingredients and place into a large baking pan. In a small sauce pan melt butter. Now add to the melted butter all of your spices and Tabasco, stir very well. Now pour over the dry ingredients and stir. Place in a 300' oven for 1 hour. I stir mine every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in a air tight container.

Chocolate Fudge like no other

I have always made fudge but let me tell you, I had to work at it. Either this recipe is really easy or maybe I have finally mastered my fudge making skills... Who knows, but this one is a definite winner. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today, and many days to follow in this busy Christmas Season. I am also going to give it a try with peanut butter chips.

Needed:

4 cups chocolate chips-I used semi sweet but any will do

2 cups white chips

1 can evaporated milk with 4 cups sugar or 1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 t Kahlua

1/2 t salt

Time

First you need to make your sweetened condensed milk (or buy a can of sweetened condensed milk). Over a low heat on top of the stove, mix one can of evaporated milk with 4 cups of sugar and cook for 1 hour. By this time it should be thick enough when stirred to divide in the pan.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan place your chocolate chips with your homemade sweetened condensed milk (or your store bought sweetened condensed milk) and heat over low heat again. When chocolate starts to melt, stir gently. When all is melted, in about 20 minutes, remove from heat and add your Kahlua, salt, and white chips then stir quickly. Now pour into a parchment lined 8x8 pan and Cool completely. When cooled, remove from pan and cut into bite size squares.

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Chicken Barley Soup

My MIL made this soup the other night and we loved it. We thought everyone else might enjoy the recipe so to the blog it went. It takes a little time to chop all of the veggies but once that part is done, all goes together quickly. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 T oil

1 onion-chopped

1 cup celery-chopped

4 cups mushrooms-sliced

4 garlic cloves-minced

1 cup carrots-peeled and sliced

3 quarts chicken broth

5 cups diced new potatoes

3 cups cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup barley

1/4 cup butter

1 cup toasted slivered almonds

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat, to it add your onion, celery, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and chicken. Saute until veggies are tender and chicken is slightly browned. Now pour in your broth. Make sure to scrape the your soup pot to deglaze the goodies. Now add in your potatoes and barley and cook for 35 minutes. Now is the time to toast your almonds in a 350' oven for 10 minutes. Right before serving drop your butter in the pot and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your toasted almonds on top and with a crusty bread.

Kanuchi

Kanuchi is a hickory nut soup with hominy that is eaten hot or cold and with sugar or honey, I like mine cold with sugar. My husband's Grandmother would make this every year and I have continued this tradition for our children. I believe most Cherokees make Kanuchi during the winter holiday season because the fall crop of hickory nuts are now seasoned and ready for use. Finding people who make the Kanuchi nut balls are getting harder and harder to find. We will most likely be making our own next year. Stay tuned. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

Kanuchi Ball

1 pound bag of dried hominy

1 quart of water

Take your nut ball and simmer it in a soup pan with about 2 cups of water. Now you will drain your nut mixture through a sieve several times. The Kanuchi ball has some of the nut shell along with the hickory nuts and you don't want shells in your finished product. Meanwhile take a quart of water and pour over your hominy in a large soup pot. You will cook this for 1 hour. Watch it because you will have to add about 1 more quart of water to the hominy as it cooks. Once hominy is cooked, pour your sieved nut mixture in and stir. Continue to cook for about 1 more hour.