Tie Dye Jello

This is a really cool kid dessert that my kiddos love. We all know we need some cool right now with these hot and steamy days . This is a super easy dessert too, only bad thing is you have to wait a little for it to gel. This is What’s Cookin on this beautiful summer’s day on Beaty’s Creek.

Needed:

2 boxes of blue-raspberry Jello
2 boxes of cherry Jello
2 containers Cool Whip-frozen

Make each Jello flavor separately using only 1-½ cups of water per box. When each flavor is made and is still hot add in 1 container of Cool Whip and stir until dissolved completely. Now pour 1 flavor into a pretty Jello mold and place in fridge until almost set. This usually happens in about 30 minutes. Now add your second flavor and swirl in the almost set flavor. Now place in fridge and let set up completely. This usually takes a couple of hours. We serve ours with more Cool Whip. Another really good combo is orange Jello and lemon Jello mixed together.

3 Berry Cobbler

Every berry in this cobbler was harvested locally! The blackberries were picked by my husband, dear friends and little ole' me. Not so little but you get what I mean. ;) The strawberries are Stilwell strawberries and the best strawberries that I have ever eaten. The blueberries are from Fisher's Blueberry Farm and picked by yours truly. It is like a vacation for me to get to pick blueberries all by myself. Does that sound terrible? Don't get me wrong as I love my kiddos and my husband but sometimes it is nice to have an hour to yourself. I always make various cobblers and thought why not add all three berries together and make a 3 berry cobbler. I am glad that I did because I think it is extra tasty and so did the family. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:
3 cups sliced strawberries
3 cups blueberries
3 cups blackberries
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup sugar for top crust
2 T cornstarch

Pie Crust
I double this recipe for a cobbler.

Place all of your berries in a large bowl. Pour sugar and cornstarch in and mix very well. Let sit on the counter while you roll out your crust. The juices from the berries will thicken a little while sitting there and that is fine. Place your bottom crust in a deep 9x13 pan. I used a lasagna pan for this cobbler. Pour in berries. Roll out top crust and place on top of berries. Seal top to bottom crust. Cut slits in top crust and sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar on top. Bake at 325' for 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.

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.

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!!!!

Challah

I really like to eat Challah right out of the oven. The honey in it makes for a sweet but moist bread! I put poppy seeds on mine and Raven loved the crunch. This recipe comes from the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" cookbook. Give this one a try on soup night! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 3/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 T yeast

1 1/2 T salt

4 large eggs beaten-I use free range

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup oil-I used vegetable

7 cups all purpose flour

egg wash-1 egg beaten with 1 T water

Poppy or Sesame seeds

Mix yeast, salt, water, eggs, honey, and oil in your Kitchen Aid mixer. Now add in flour a cup at a time until all of the flour has been added. Cover and let double in size. You can now break off 3 orange size balls of dough. Place the rest in a covered bowl and place in fridge for later use. I took each of my orange size balls and rolled them in my hands to make ropes that were pretty equal in size. Next I joined them together and braided them together on a parchment lined baking sheet. Braiding bread is just like hair. Same technique. Looks fancy but is really pretty simple. Brush on eggs wash and sprinkle on as many poppy seeds or sesame seeds as you like. Bake at 350' for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

Thanksgiving 2014

Hello world!!  I know it has been a while since my last post.  A lot has happened in the last few months.  I started working at Lowe's in the Garden Center, and now I am working in the Installed Sales office. If you need something installed give us a call. We have quite a few foodies at work too!  It is so much fun to talk to people who enjoy food as much as I do. ;)

Well this is the first year that I will be planning our Thanksgiving Feast while working.  I love Thanksgiving and love being able to cook everyone's favorites dishes and few new ones to boot!

Give me a couple of days and I will post this year's menu.

Tulsa School Day Cinnamon Rolls

I am crazy library book searcher. Is that a name???? I just love to look online at books and then check them out. Well the other day I came across a cookbook that sounded so good that I could not wait to get it. It finally came in and I was surprised when I opened the book to find it was signed by the author and the she was from Tulsa, OK. The book is America's Bread Book and the author is Mary Guber. I did some research and found out that she passed away just this year I was so sad that I never got the chance to meet her. Her life was one that sounds like one I would have loved to live. Please, if you can buy this book or if you are lucky like me and have it in your library system, check it out! This recipe is one of many that I have tried out of this book but I have loved them all.



Needed:

4 packages yeast
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter-melted
1/2 cup instant dry milk
2 t salt
3 eggs-beaten
9 cups flour-maybe a little more or maybe a little less due to humidity
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
Warm Coffee

In a large mixing bowl combine the yeast and water, stirring until dissolved. Add the sugar, butter, milk, salt, and eggs, blending thoroughly. Beat in 3 cups of flour to make a smooth batter. Gradually add sufficient flour to form a soft, workable dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Round into ball and place in a warm buttered bowl, turning to coat the top. Cove loosely with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Large Rolls
Butter 6 muffin tins (twelve 2 inch muffins per tin) or 6 9-inch cake tins. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each piece into an 18x10 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter amd sprinkle heavily with Cinnamon Sugar. Roll up from the long side (the tighter you make the roll, the more swirls you will get), jelly-roll style and seal the seam. Cut into 1 inch slices and place in prepared tins. Cover and let rise until light, about 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350' oven for 25 minutes.

To frost, combine the powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whisk on a sufficient warm coffee to make a thin icing. When the rolls have baked, turn them out on a serving tray and cover with warm icing.