Sun Tea

It is another hot one on Beaty's Creek and I thought of something to make that will not heat up your kitchen one bit! I had never made sun tea in my life but this has been a big hit this summer. Nothing is as good as a glass of sweetened sun tea and a good book to read while your kiddos play in the creek. This is What's Cookin (not) on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

7 large tea bags
1 gallon of water
a glass jar with a lid that will hold a gallon of water( I used a sun tea jar)
3 hours of hot sunlight


Place tea bags in water and close jar lid. Let stand in the sunlight for 3 hours. Serve within 24 hours.

Oatmeal Cake

My husband always wants this cake for his birthday and I am happy to make it . I think this is one of the most moist cakes I make. This recipe is an old family recipe and I am so glad I have it. Sean likes the topping a little crunchy and I like it a little chewy. This can be achieved by rotating the cake while broiling. I will explain in the recipe. Hope you give this one a try very soon!

Needed:
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
Combine the water and oatmeal and let stand for 20 minutes.

Cream together:
1 stick softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
add 2 beaten eggs
Mix in oatmeal.

Add:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t soda
Beat slow.

Bake in a 9x13 pan at 325' for 30 minutes. Once cake has baked remove from oven and turn broiler on.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cream
1 cup coconut


Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Immediately pour over cake and return to oven. Broil until light golden brown. We like ours a little darker so I broil a little longer. I rotate my pan so part of the cake has a crunchy topping and part has a chewy topping. Keep an eye on the cake or it will burn!!!!

Witch's Hands

It is time for our annual Halloween/Harvest Party! I always look forward to this each year. We gather our friends together and have a costume parade, hot dog roast, and fall party! This year the weather was just absolutely perfect too! This recipe is super easy and super cute. Give this a try when you have to fix goodies for a school party or make it as a surprise to add in

your kiddo's lunch! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!


Needed:
24 clear food serving gloves
24 cups air popped popcorn
120 pieces of candy corn
24 bag ties

Pop popcorn. Open up gloves and insert a piece of candy corn in each finger. Now add your popcorn and tie with a bag tie. Easy peasy and super cute!
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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 Sheet Cake

My MIL loves sheet cake, she says she can eat an entire cake by herself with some good coffee. This is something I think everyone likes, at least around here they do. I like to make this for potlucks because it is easy to transport. Give it a try and it will be one of your go to recipes.

Needed:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup warm water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs-beaten(I use free range)
1/2 cup milk
1 t vanilla


Place one of your oven racks in the middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350'. Place parchment paper on a 18x13 inch pan.

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat melt butter, shortening, and cocoa. Add the water, remove from heat and beat in the sugar.

In a large bowl or your Kitchen Aid mixing bowl beat your eggs until thick and light colored, now add the milk, and vanilla. Now add the cocoa mixture and stir gently. Now is the time to add the flour mixture(you will have sifted the flour, salt, and soda together). Mix until well incorporated and pour into your prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely. Now you will ice your sheet cake.

Icing

Needed:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla
1 box powder sugar

In a large saucepan over medium heat bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil, remove from heat add powder sugar and vanilla beat, in your Kitchen Aid until light and fluffy. Ice your sheet cake and EAT!!!

New Year's Eve 2008

Our New Years Eve is going to be great! Every year we have hors d'oeuvres, punch, and a little Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante for the adults. I really like planning, can you tell???
Here is what we are going to have this year. Some are kid friendly and some are for the adults. I will post recipes tomorrow and pictures as the food is made.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Needed:
2 pounds of button mushrooms with stems removed and chopped
1 cup of plain bread crumbs
2 eggs-beaten
1 stick of butter melted
1 pound of a really strong cheese (blue cheese will do but the stinkier the better)

In a large bowl combine chopped mushroom stems, bread crumbs, butter, cheese, eggs, and garlic. Once mixed well add to mushroom caps. Bake in a 425' oven for 15 minutes. Filling will be bubbling when you take them out. Serve immediately. They are so good! I like them cold too.

Stacey's Meatballs

Needed:
2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup plain bread crumbs-soaked with 1/2 cup milk that follows
1/2 cup whole milk- to soak bread crumbs in
2 t garlic powder
2 eggs-beaten
salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti sauce for dipping

Mix turkey, soaked bread crumbs, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper very well. Form into 1 inch balls and bake at 325' for 20 minutes. Put a toothpick in each ball and serve with warm spaghetti sauce.

Something with shrimp??

Brown Sugar Coated Bacon Wrapped Sausages (YUMMY)

Needed:
Cocktail polish sausage
1 pound bacon cut in 1/2 twice
1 pound brown sugar
Wooden toothpicks

Place bacon piece around cocktail sausage and toothpick it together. Place sausages on a PARCHMENT LINED 1 INCH SIDED COOKIE SHEET. You will be glad you listened when clean up time comes. Now spread brown sugar over sausages. Make sure you spread it evenly. Bake at 425' for 15-20 minutes. The bacon will be crisp when they are done. Remove from tray and serve hot. Very good!!!

Little Pigs in a Blanket

Needed:
Small hotdogs
Canned crescent rolls

Wrap pieces of crescent dough around hotdogs. Bake 350' for 15 minutes. Serve with mustard. Wasn't that a easy recipe???

Cheese Dip

Needed:
1 box of Velveeta-chopped into inch cubes
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 pound ground turkey-browned
1 pound turkey sausage-browned
1 jar Pace Picante Sauce

Place all of the ingredients into a Crock-Pot and heat on low until all has melted and come together. Serve with tortilla chips. This is so good! I like it with fresh veggies too.

Cheese Balls

This recipe comes from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook. It is so good that you have to try it!

Needed:
1 14 ounce package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken
16 ounces cheddar cheese-grated at room temperature
1 cup pecans-finely chopped

In a bowl, combine all ingredients but the pecans. Mix well. Divide mixture into equal parts and place covered in freezer for 30 minutes. When each ball is firm roll in pecans and serve with crackers. This is really a good cheese ball.
Veggie Tray with dip

Fruit Tray with dip

Needed:
Fresh fruit of your choice( I like different apples, bananas, strawberries, and grapes
16 ounces of cream cheese-at room temperature
1 large jar of marshmallow whip
2 t vanilla

Blend cream cheese, marshmallow whip and vanilla together until very creamy and smooth. Hint, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. If not your dip will be lumpy. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve with fresh fruit. Everyone likes this one!



Artichoke Dip with toasted pita crisps

This also comes from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook. You have to try this. Ransome really likes this one.

Needed:
1-14 ounces can artichoke hearts-drained and finely chopped
8 ounces feta cheese-crumbled
1cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayo
1-2 ounce jar pimentos-drained and chopped
1 t garlic-minced

Mix all the ingredients together and place into a small casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. I serve this with pita crisps. Can't wait to set this one!!!


I am sure there will be more items and I will add those too.

Holiday Cookie Party

I really like to make cookies. I also like to eat cookies. Not so good... Our homeschool group is having a Holiday Cookie Party and I am hosting this event along with a my son's wonderful guitar instructor. I know I will make Sugar Cookies, and my Granny West's Ginger Snaps but what else should I make???? Let me think. I know! I will make Honey Drop Cookies. I got this recipe years ago from a lady I went to school with. They are one of Raven's favorite cookies too. Better get busy. I will post the recipes with pictures tomorrow.

Halloween 2008

What a Party it was!! The kids loved it and so did the adults. There were hotdogs roasted and marshmallows browned!! I just love marshmallows over a fire. What is any better I ask???? Here are a couple of recipes you might fix for your spooks next Halloween…...

Bloody Punch
1- 2 liter bottle of RC cola
1- 2 liter bottle of Hawaiian Punch
1- Quart of orange sherbet

Pour cola and punch into punch bowl and mix well. Add sherbet then serve. It is sooo good! It is best to have the cola and punch cool but not cold. This way the sherbet melts better.




The Best Sugar Cookies You Have Ever Had!!!


I love iced sugar cookies. I repeat, I love iced sugar cookies. That is if they are iced with butter cream icing. I am not crazy about royal icing, it can make cookies look cool but I am not sure they taste that good???? I forgot to take pictures of these so you will have to wait for that. I make them quite often so it will not be long.

The Best Sugar Cookies you will ever eat!!!!

4 cup all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup butter or 2 sticks
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla


Sift dry ingredients together. Cream room temperature butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla to creamed butter and sugar. Add flour a cup at a time. Once all flour is mixed in divide dough into 2 balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour. Roll out to 1/2 thickness and cut into shapes. Bake at 325' until golden brown. Ice with butter cream or royal icing. I prefer butter cream...


Now get your spooks off the walls and have a good night. Our son is playing guitar like a wild man...sugar rush I assume....