Greek Pasta Salad

I get tired of the same old pasta salads but I do love them in the Summer months along with our favorite grilled foods. This year I thought I had better come up with more recipes for pasta salad so...this was my first try and it's not bad. Raven loves anything Greek and this salad made for a nice cool dinner after a hot afternoon at the creek. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today. Will someone please shut the oven door, this heat is crazy!

Needed:

1 pound whole wheat pasta
2 jars artichoke hearts-chopped
1 can black olives-split in half
1 head of roasted garlic
1 T salt
1 T black pepper
1 cup mozzerella cheese-shredded
2 tomatoes-chopped
1 bottle Paul Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian Salad Dressing
1 bottle Paul Newman's Own Caesar Salad Dressing

Boil pasta al dente, pour hot water off and run cold water over til pasta is cool. Now toss in artichoke hearts, black olives, roasted garlic, salt, pepper, cheese, and tomatoes. Toss well and then pour in both dressings and stir to coat. Place in fridge for 3 hours.

Cajun Boiling Pot

Many moons ago there was a restaurant in Tulsa Oklahoma called the Cajun Boiling Pot. It was so good and different from the ordinary that it quickly became a favorite. Every time we had friends or family in town, we would just have to take them there. What made this place so different was that they did not serve on plates. When your low country boil was ready, they would bring it to your paper lined table and dump it in the center. This was before the Food Channel or Emeril and anyone in the great state of Oklahoma cooked like this, much less served like this. Many of my high school friends were shocked, in a good way, when their food was brought to them. Well a few years ago the Cajun Boiling Pot closed and we had to fend for ourselves, so this is our Cajun Boiling Pot. Give it a try and you will be having this again and again on those special family get togethers. One of the best things about this...there are no dishes to wash afterwards! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this first day of Summer and Raven's 17th birthday!


15 ears corn-cut in half
7 pounds red potatoes
3 pounds yellow onions-cut in quarters with the skin left on
5 pounds shrimp
5 pounds Cajun and or hot links-cut into 2 inch slices
5 pounds crab legs
1/4 cup salt
cayenne to taste
2 heads garlic-sliced in half
(you can add crawdads but we prefer them prepared other ways)


Boil water in a huge pot seasoned with Old Bay Crab Boil, salt, and cayenne. Add in potatoes and cook for 12 minutes on a steady boil. Now add in corn, onions, and hot links. Boil these for an additional 8 minutes and then remove everything from the pot. Now add shrimp and crab and boil for 8 minutes and now remove all of these from the pot. Now dump everything on top of a table covered with newspapers and serve with melted butter, cocktail sauce and french bread.

Canned Pineapple

Ever since Raven vacationed in Hawaii a few years ago, she has loved fresh pineapple. I have finally learned how to pick a fresh, and ripe, pineapple at the store. Our family of five can sure put away the pineapple. I hate to think when winter hits there will be no fresh pineapple. I know it is spring but I always think of the future hee hee...anyway, Sean bought me 10 pineapples so I decided to can pineapple this year. I had to fight off the kiddos while I cleaned them but I did manage to have quite a bit left after their fly by raids. Each pineapple makes 1 quart, not bad if you ask me. Like I said, I am sure one was eaten in the canning process. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek this extra hot day!

Needed:

10 pineapples
4 cups sugar
12 cups water
10-quart jars, flats and rings

Clean your pineapples and cut into chunks. Bring to a boil the water and sugar. Pack pineapple into clean jars. When water and sugar aka syrup are boiling ladle into packed jars. This is now the time to boil your flats. I never boil mine but just heat them until bubbles form on them in the water. Now place flats on clean jar tops and screw rings on tightly. Place into hot water bath canner and cover jars with 2 inches of water. When water begins to boil start timer. Boil for 20 minutes. Cool jars and place in cabinet.

June Already?????

I cannot believe it is June 1st! June is the busiest month by far on Beaty's Creek. First off we have Ransome's birthday on June 8th, then we have Raven's birthday on the 21st, my mother's on the 25th, and then Raine's on the 27th. I am tired from just typing all of that. Oh, did I mention Raine starts ballet this month and Ransome has several different skateboard adventures planned. OMG, Raven is touring colleges too. Okay I will quit rambling but sometimes a girl has to share. On the food side of this there will be some yummy cake recipes and of course some new canning recipes! That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Oreo Truffles

I am probably the only person in America that has not heard of Oreo Truffles. A friend of mine, thanks Sal, told me about these and boy am I glad she did. They are easy to make and a crowd pleaser. I made them for a class party that Raven has been working with in our local school and they were a big hit. Of course all of those folks have probably had them before haha. They were just too kind to say so. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


Needed:
1 box of Oreo Cookies
1 package Cream Cheese-softened to room temperature
2 lb. white chocolate
1 T Canola oil

Place Oreo cookies in your food presser and whirl away. Next pour Oreo crumbs in a bowl and mix very well with cream cheese. Now place bowl covered in the fridge for 1 hour. Now is the time to get going. I scooped out about 1-1 1/2 T of the mixture and then formed that into balls and placed the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Continue making the balls until you have none left. Now place balls, covered, overnight in the freezer. Before taking them out of the freezer, melt white chocolate with 1 T of canola oil in a double boiler. Stir when melted until very smooth. Dip balls one at a time in the white chocolate and then place back on parchment paper. Place on a pretty tray and serve.


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Apple Muffins

I have been so busy canning strawberry jam and making everything under the sun, with strawberries, that I almost forgot to blog...Bad Stacey... I have a very strong weakness for Stilwell strawberries. They are grown locally and taste so divine that words cannot describe. Raine and Ransome went with Sean and I to get them this year, a first time for them. Raine's face was red from her nose down by the time we got home. She too shares my love of strawberries. This recipe has nothing to do with strawberries but it rocks in the same way! Apple muffins are quite tasty with a hot cup of tea or a glass of iced tea. This is one of the many things that are What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup apple juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Granny Smith Apples-peeled, cored, and chopped

Mix your wet ingredients together. Now add to all of your dry ingredients. Now add in your apples and stir just until mixed well. Place 1/2 cup into a muffin pan that is lined with cupcake liners. Bake at 325' for 20 minutes.

Apple Brownies

Apple brownies???? Give them a try before you say WHAT? As you know I like anything with apples in it

. This is a moist cake like brownie but not like an apple cake. The kiddos even devoured them and that's a good thing. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


Needed:

1/2 cup butter-softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 apples-peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon


Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg, then mix in apples. Sift dry ingredients and work into the first mixture. Pour into a buttered, 8 x 8-inch baking dish and bake at 350' for 40 minutes.