July 4th Menu

I love the 4th of July!! I don't however like fireworks, Ransome makes up for that. He loves fireworks! We will be cooking out of course, isn't that what everyone does on the 4th??? In our area we are known for being the Huckleberry Capital of the World, and this is the time of year we have our festival. Total small town charm and small town fun! Anyway this is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this 4th of July!!

Smoked Brisket
Hot Links
Baked Beans
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Watermelon

Stewed Chicken

Everyone in the family likes this recipe and is it pretty simple to make. Just a few steps and dinner is on the table. You can serve this over rice or noodles, we like rice better but it is up to you and your family. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek.

Needed:
1 chicken- cut up
5 celery stalks-stripped and chopped
1 onion-chopped
1 green pepper-chopped
3 T cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
All-Purpose flour-to shake chicken in and 1/4 cup for roux
Oil


Place flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a paper bag, now add chicken and shake until well coated. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy bottom soup pot. When heated add chicken and brown on all sides. Once browned remove chicken and add all of your veggies, cook until softened slightly, now add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour to oil and veggie mixture, (this is your roux) brown slightly, once browned add 1 1/2 quarts of water and add chicken back to pan and cover for 2 hours. You may need to add a little more water but I only needed 1 1/2 quarts. Serve over rice or noodles with cayenne pepper sprinkled over the top.

Grape Dumplings

Grape dumplings are a family tradition in many a Native's home. My husband's grandmother made the best I have ever eaten. Grape dumplings are a dessert of sorts. In the old days they were made with Possum Grape or Winter Grape juice. I can still remember eating dumplings made with them. Possum Grapes are hard to find now days but we have a good supply along Beaty's Creek. You can use store bought grape juice and the dumplings will still taste oh so good! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek tonight!

Needed:

2 quarts purple grape juice or if you are lucky 2 quarts of possum grape juice
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 1/2--2 cups water
*1 T cornstarch-mixed with 1 cup of cooled juice


Pour grape juice into a soup pot and bring to a slow boil, now add your sugar and stir. Simmer while you are making dumplings. To make dumplings you will sift flour and baking powder together in a large bowl and make a hole in the middle of flour mixture(this is where you will pour your water.) Pour in your water and with your hands mix flour in a little at a time until dough comes together. You may need a little more water or a little more flour. I know this sounds weird but once you feel the dough in your hands you will know what I mean. Once dough comes together roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness on a well floured rolling board. Now take a pizza cutter and cut into 1 inch squares. Once all of the dough is cut up bring your grape juice to a rolling boil and drop a few dumplings in at a time, I stir each time I drop a few. Boil for 10-15 minutes, *I like to add a little cornstarch to a 1/2 cup of cooled juice and add it back to the pot.* We like a little thicker sauce with our dumplings. This is so good with vanilla ice-cream.

Raine's Birthday!!!!

I can't believe Raine is 2 years old, boy time does fly by. I also cannot believe this is my last cake this month!!!! I am a little sad about this but only a little. But after 3 kiddos and my mother's b-day all in June, my hands do need a break. Raine is all about Blue's Clues so I did a "Clue" cake for her. There is a little Tasty Freeze of sorts in a nearby town and they have paw prints all over their building. Each time we drive by it we must stop because Raine is yelling, "a clue, a clue." This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Homemade Waffles

We love waffles around here. I am not always ready to whip up waffles early in the morning so this recipe comes in handy. These waffles come out of the freezer and then to toaster and to plate and taste as good as fresh made. Give this recipe a try and freeze a ton so your family can have waffles anytime they want them. This is What's Cookin on this HOT June day on Beaty's Creek!!

Needed:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 stick butter-melted
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk


Sift dry ingredients together. Now pour wet ingredients in dry and stir until it just comes together. Don't over mix or you will have tough waffles. Cook in waffle iron according to your waffle maker's directions. I cool mine completely and then freeze on Ziplock bags. The kids take them out of the freezer and pop them in the toaster. Soo good and easy!

Happy Birthday Moma!!!

Today is my mother's b-day, I will not tell you how old she is but I will tell you she is just as much of a spit-fire as she ever was. I am making my mother this cake because it is one of her favorites and she has a lot of favorites. As I told you before, she is an ant reborn in a humans body. Enjoy and have a great day mom!!!

Fried Zucchini

I love Summer and all it has to offer in the garden. My MIL brought over zucchini squash this morning and the kids could not wait for lunch. My squash are about a week away from being ready to pick but my MIL's are going strong. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
4 zucchini squash-slice into 1/4 inch rounds
3 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil

Place sliced squash in a bowl and salt, let sit until you see water form on slices. Now put flour, salt and pepper in bowl with squash and flip squash around in the bowl to coat evenly. Now heat oil over medium heat, when heated add squash so they do not touch in the pan. When browned on one side flip and cook until golden brown. The kids like to eat their pieces with ketchup.