Broccoli Grape Salad

I can eat this salad everyday of the week. It all started when I was prego with baby number 3, Miss Raine, who just happens to be 10 going on 11 right now. I craved this salad so often that I knew that I needed a master recipe, instead of buying my deli out of it each week. The hardest part for me was the dressing but once I mastered that, it was smooth sailing. That is until I started craving Gala apples and Havarti cheese. Did I mention that Havarti cheese is not be found anywhere near Beaty's Creek??? That is another story for another day. Give this salad a try at your next potluck. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 head cauliflower-broke into small bite size florets
1 pound broccoli crowns-broke into small florets
1 pound red grapes-halved
1 pound bacon-cooked until crisp and drained on a paper towel
1 small red onion-diced
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 1/2 cups mayo
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t black pepper


Mix mayo, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk together until sugar dissolves and set aside. Now mix all of your veggies and grapes together. Pour in dressing and add bacon and stir very well. Place in fridge for 4 hours before serving. When serving I sprinkle sunflower seeds on top.

Broccoli Slaw with a Twist

I ate a slaw somewhat similar to this while growing up. I've actually never made this type of slaw for myself so I mixed this one up in head, scary I know. This particular recipe is great with any grilled meat. My husband who is not a big vinegar fan enjoyed this side dish too. Give this a try the next time you want a cool salad to go with your grilled dinner. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
2 packages Ramen Noodles of your choice-crunched up
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
Or use 1 cup of Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of the oil and vinegar
1 cup salted sunflower seeds
1 package broccoli slaw
1/4 cup white sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 T butter

Melt butter into a medium sauce pan. When melted, add in the crunched up noodles and toast in pan until slightly golden. Let noodles cool completely. Now mix together the balsamic vinegar, canola oil, sugar, Ramen noodle seasoning pack, and soy sauce. Place broccoli slaw in a bowl with a tight fitting lid and pour over dressing. Cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours. Right before serving, add the sun flower seeds and noodles. The noodles are very crunchy and taste so good in this salad. A weird combo but a good one!

Potato Salad

It is a beautiful day on Beaty's Creek and what do we like to do on a day like this?? Grill of course and what goes with any grilled item? Potato Salad, this recipe is so good I can eat it alone by the bowl full. It is so good with bacon bits on top too. Try this recipe the next time you grill.

Needed:
5 lbs. of potatoes-peeled, boiled, and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 eggs-boiled and chopped
1 yellow onion-chopped
1/2 a green pepper-seeded and chopped into bite size pieces
2 celery stalks-stripped and cut into bite size pieces
1 small jar pimentos-drained
3 cups of mayo
2 T yellow mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Once your potatoes and eggs are cooled place into a large bowl and salt and pepper them really well. Now is the time to add the onion, green pepper, celery, and pimentos, mix all items very well. Now add your mayo and mustard and mix until potato salad is creamy but still has potato chunks.

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

I love rice pudding and always remember my mom making it for me when I was getting over some sort of illness. The raisins were one of my favorite parts. I thought that adding pumpkin to the mix would make it even better and it did!! I think this would make yet another side dish to add to the list for Thanksgiving. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

3 quarts water
3 cups rice-not minute rice
10 cups whole milk
2 t vanilla
2 t salt
4 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin puree
2 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1 cup raisins

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat and add the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 7 minutes. Don't drain, now add in your milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla and simmer over medium heat until rice begins to soften. This happens in about 30 minutes, now stir in your pumpkin, raisins, and spices. Bake at 350' in a 9x13 pan that has been buttered. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Crack Potatoes

I read recipe after recipe for these potatoes on Pinterest but all of them called for frozen potatoes. So I decided to health it up a little, not by much but a little in my mind. I made these along side my BBQ meatballs and all loved them. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this garden making morning!


Needed:


3 cups sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese-shredded finely
1 pound bacon-cooked crsip and crumbled
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Bottle Ken's Ranch Salad Dressing
4 pounds potatoes-washed and shredded *read note below

*Important note about your potatoes. Shred them into a big bowl of cool water and let them sit in the water for at least one hour. After 1 hour, pour water off and rinse shredded potatoes very well. This will remove the starch that makes potatoes mushy and not tasty when fried.

Combine first 5 ingredients, and now mix in shredded potatoes. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400' for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot!

Quinoa Salad

I am trying new ways to use quinoa in my everyday life. It is such a great replacement for rice in meals like stir fry and beans, give it a try. I will tell you to make sure and rinse your quinoa very well before cooking. If you don't it will have a bitter taste. Everyone really liked this salad but my husband thought the dressing was a little too sweet. It is like a sweet oil and vinegar dressing, if you don't like sweet you can leave the honey out. Everyone else loved it so there you go. I am still trying to get used to using quinoa, I just can't get out of my rice dependency, hee hee I am trying though. This is What's Cookin on this very windy Winter's day on Beaty's Creek.


Needed:


1 cup quinoa-rinsed and drained
1 t sea salt
1 garlic clove-minced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes-cut in half
1 cup cabbage-finely shredded and chopped
1 cucumber-peeled and diced
Pepper to taste

Dressing

1/2 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 T local honey
2 T Dijon mustard
1 t cayenne pepper

To make Salad: Bring quinoa, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, 10 minutes.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in separate saucepan. Add corn and cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water, then drain again. Stir together corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa in bowl.

Dressing: Mix all ingredients in a jar and shake until smooth. Stir into Salad.






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Dirty Rice

We are far from from Fat Tuesday but this recipe is total Cajun if I do say so myself. I love me some good ole' Cajun food. This recipe is so good with a bunch of Tabasco poured on top too. This is What's Cookin Beaty's Creek this cold winter's day!




Needed:

1 pound pork sausage
1 pound chicken livers-chopped
1 onion-chopped
1/2 cup celery-chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper-chopped
7 cups cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the sausage, livers, onions, celery, and green pepper all together. Salt and pepper as you go. Once all is cooked thoroughly, add in your rice one cup at a time. Between each cup stir well. Serve hot with some Tabasco and crispy cornbread.





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One of the best cranberry sauces I have ever eaten!

The first time I had this cranberry sauce was when I was preggo with Raine. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My friend, RaeAnne, is a Martha Stewart woman. She even dressed as Martha at a Halloween party we had. I like my cranberry sauce but this one rocks!!! Thank-you RaeAnne and thank-you Martha Stewart!! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this Thanksgiving, actually the day before.

Needed:

1 bag cranberries
5 ounces dried Calimyrna figs-halved-chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry red wine or cranberry juice


In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients; cook over low heat until most of the cranberries have burst, about 15 minutes.
Transfer cranberry sauce to a small bowl. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.


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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.

Mixed Vegetable Casserole

I ate this casserole a few years back and never even thought of it until the other day. I put it together and had my family taste test it, really just wanted to make sure it was as good as I remembered. This is a list of the final cut of ingredients. It is great alongside a meatloaf or roast chicken. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 can green beans-drained
1 can whole corn-drained
1 can Veg-All-drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese-shredded
1 stick butter-melted
1 sleeve Ritz crackers-crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all canned veggies together with sour cream, soup, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and top with Ritz crackers. I poured the butter over the crackers. Bake at 350' for 30 minutes.

Brussel Sprouts with White Truffle Oil

Doesn't this recipe sound fancy? I've never had truffle oil before, that is until Marx Foods sent me a bottle. Let me tell you, I will never be without it again! I can eat brussel sprouts raw, with bacon, with nothing and I still love them. We usually raise them in the garden but this year they just did not do what they are supposed to....GROW. Anyway to the grocery store I went. This is a super easy recipe that will be a pleasant surprise for your dinners. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

3 pounds fresh brussel sprouts
7 T white truffle Oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel outer leaves off of sprouts. Slice sprouts in half and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Coat with oil and salt and pepper liberally or to taste. Now place in a 450' oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir and place back in oven and continue to cook for 10 minutes. They should be slightly browned but still crisp. These make a great side dish.

Carrot Spoon Bread

You know I really love Everyday Food Magazine. There are so many good recipes in the magazine each month and I have never made anything from it that failed. I decided to make this one for Thanksgiving this year but wanted a test run a few weeks before and it passed!!!! We had it with Hormel Pork Tenderloins and it was a great side. Give this one a try with your Thanksgiving Meal. It will travel great too, another bonus. This is What's Cookin on this cool Fall morning on Beaty's Creek.


Needed:

3 cups peeled and finely grated carrots
3 T water
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
4 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick butter-melted

Place shredded carrots in a microwave safe bowl with water. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes. Cool. Now beat eggs, sugar , and butter together. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and then add to egg mixture. Place in a well buttered 2 quart baking dish and bake at 350' for 55-60 minutes. Serve warm but it is really good cold too.

Tabouli

I really like tabouli and could eat it everyday, with fresh pita bread of course. I made the family enchiladas and I was just not feeling in the mood for those...so I decided to make me some good ole' tabouli. I think tabouli gets better with age, much better. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 cups cracked wheat
2 cups very hot water
1 cucumber-peeled and chopped
2 tomatoes- chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint-chopped
2 cups fresh parsley-chopped

Dressing:

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 T pepper
2 T salt

Pour hot water over cracked wheat and let set for 1 hour. All of the water should be soaked up but if you have a little left over, pour it off.
Now take all of your veggies and pour lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper over them. Now add this to your cracked wheat and stir very well.
Place in fridge overnight. Serve with freshly baked pita bread.

Corn on the Cob

Okay, now you think I have lost my ever loving mind don't you?? I mean how hard is it to boil corn on the cob? Not hard but there is a secret. Want to know what it is? Read the "recipe" and you will have the secret to good corn on the cob, no matter if it is fresh from the plant or a few days old from the store. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today!

Needed:

10 ears of corn on the cob-cleaned
1 pot of boiling water
1 cup white sugar

When you fill your pot with water add your sugar. Now heat your water to boiling, now add in your corn. I boil mine for 20-30 minutes but that is up to you. You may wonder what sugar does for the corn, well I will tell you. It brings the natural sugar out in the corn. See the sugar goes to starch when corn is picked. It happens pretty fast too. I just always add sugar to my corn water. Once corn has boiled, pour off water and eat with loads of butter, salt, and pepper! Summer is almost here!!

Colcannon

This must be my Irish week. I love Colcannon and can eat it as a main dish or as a side. This is definitely a dish where simple ingredients combine to make something unique and tasty. It is easy to make but there are a few steps to get to the end product. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
4 pounds potatoes-peeled and quartered
1-2 pound head green cabbage
1 stick butter
1 cup cream
1 pound bacon-cooked until crisp

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, as you would for mashed potatoes. Meanwhile, pour enough oil on a heavy bottom skillet to coat it. Cut up your cabbage and remove the core. I cut mine into 1 inch wide strips. Salt and pepper to taste and place into an oil coated skillet. Cook over medium heat until softened but not mushy. Now pour water off of potatoes and mash. While mashing add in your butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add in cream and whip up the potatoes until light. I love to use my Kitchen Aid for this. Now add in cabbage and bacon and stir well. That is it. You are good to go now and remember to share.

Sweet Potato Balls

These are a good side item for ham but also make a great fork appetizer. They are pretty darn healthy too! This is a plus this time of year right after the big holiday season. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

2 cans sweet potatoes-drained of any liquid

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 can pineapple rings-drained of any juice

Mix sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and 1 cup of coconut together and set aside. Now place pineapple rings on a 9x13 baking pan. Make a ball out of sweet potato mixture and then roll that ball in the additional cup of coconut and place on top of pineapple. Bake at 350' for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Fall Pasta Salad

Last year I had the most wonderful pasta salad from Whole Foods. It had butternut squash in it and let me tell you it was delish!! I came up with this similar recipe and it is really good also. Give this a try if you have butternut squash running out of your ears and are looking for new recipes. I like butternut squash any way you can make it! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
1 pound whole wheat pasta-boiled al dente
A 2 pound butternut squash-peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound of baby green beans-blanched with pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese-grated
2 T garlic powder
1 T oregano
1 t cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

I place the butternut squash on a parchment lined cookie sheet with sides and pour olive oil on it. I then sprinkle on the garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I like to coat my pieces evenly because I want every bite to taste good! Roast in the oven at 450' for 45 minutes. I like mine a little dark. Just check yours at 30 minutes if you just want the squash to cook through. Cook pasta til al dente. I put my green beans in the last 5 minutes of cooking the pasta. Once pasta and green beans are done, drain completely and mix with butternut squash and stir. I add a little more olive oil and salt and pepper to the pasta mixture. You can eat it warm but I like mine after it has been in the fridge overnight. I place a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top right before serving.

3 Bean Salad

This is little Raine's favorite salad right now and it is super easy to throw together quickly. She ate it just about as fast as I could make it this weekend. It only takes a little planning to make sure it sits long enough for the flavors to mix well. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.


Needed:

1 can green beans-drained
1 can cannellini beans-drained
1 can kidney beans-drained
1 cup Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 clove of garlic-minced
4 basil leaves-sliced

Mix Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, sugar, and garlic together until sugar dissolves. Place beans in a bowl and pour dressing over them and stir to mix. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Coleslaw KFC style

This is a Todd Wilbur copycat recipe and it sure is a good one. To me this tastes just like KFC’s coleslaw, in fact my MIL thought it was. The size of your cabbage and carrot pieces will make all the difference and they shouldn't be much larger than a rice kernel. I shredded mine with a food processor and it worked out perfectly. Give this recipe a try the next time you fry a chicken. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek.



Needed:

½ cup mayo
1/3-cup sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup milk
2-½ T lemon juice
1 ½ T white vinegar
½ t salt
1/8 t pepper
8 cups finely grated cabbage
¼ cup finely shredded carrot

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients except the cabbage and carrot until very smooth. Now pour over cabbage and carrot mixture and stir very well. Cover and place in fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Homemade Sauerkraut

Nothing taste as good as homemade sauerkraut. Of course that is if you like sauerkraut, I am a lover of kraut and so is my family. I raised loads of cabbage this year and was so happy that our garden bunny ate only one head. By the way, he is enjoying my tomatoes way before I have and I may be doing an Elmer Fudd on him before long. Kraut is simple to make but you must have patience. Kraut takes 3 weeks to make at a room temperature of 75'. Any warmer is not good, kraut will spoil and any cooler it will just take longer to make. This is What’s Cookin on Beaty’s Creek today. Note: The best way to keep homemade sauerkraut is to not heat process it, of course this means keeping it in the fridge. But due to space in the fridge I always have to process some of mine. When you process kraut you loose a lot of the good benefits of homemade kraut. Meaning the stuff that is good for you.

Needed:
15 pound green cabbage-hand shredded
8 T kosher salt
Huge crock and time.



When all of the cabbage is done begin layering cabbage, salt, cabbage until all of the salt is gone. You will mix the cabbage with your hands or a huge WOODEN SPOON. Do not use anything but wood or your hands. Metal will ruin your kraut. As you mix the cabbage it will get very watery, this is good. You want watery kraut. If your kraut is not in a good amount of liquid add brine. Brine is 1 t kosher salt to 1 cup of water. I added about 4 cups of brine to mine. You will want to weigh your kraut down with a plate. This is how I do mine. I fill a large Ziplock bag with brine and seal it. I then place it on top of the kraut, this seals off any air. I then place my plate on top of the Ziplock bag. Keep your crock on a cool dark place. Taste in 3 weeks and then fill into quart jars and process in a hot water bath for 12 minutes.