1 1/2 lb. beef stew meat
package of small carrots
potatoes cut small
one large onion slice
one lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
one green pepper sliced
one stalk celery sliced
2 cans Golden Mushroom soup

Cut the beef stew up into pieces and brown in a skillet with a little oil.Cut the top off of a pumpkin large enough to hold all the above ingredients. Clean the seeds out and add the stew beef. Peel and cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces. Add the carrots, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, celery and soup with 1 can of water. Stir to blend up the ingredients.

Serve with a salad and cornbread

“I found this recipe at http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com“

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup hot water
1 can (6 oz.) orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 quarts milk
1 pint orange sherbet

Combine cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Stir in hot water and simmer, stirring, over low heat, for two minutes. Blend in orange juice and milk. Warm over low heat but do not boil. This can be poured into a “witches cauldron” for a great effect. Ladle servings into mugs or cups and top with miniature scoops of orange sherbet.

Ingredients:
1 Stick Butter
2 (10 oz). Packages Marshmallows
12 C. Rice Crispy Cereal
1 tsp. Yellow Food Color
1/4 tsp. Red Food Color
Green Decorating Icing in Tube
Black Decorating Icing in Tube
12 C. Bowl (not plastic)

Preparation:
Melt butter on low heat and add marshmallows. Stir marshmallows frequently. When marshmallows have dissolved, add food colors and mix well. When the marshmallow mixture is uniform in orange color add cereal and stir and mix until rice crispies are completely coated.

Pour mixture into the bowl that has been well sprayed with a non-stick spray. Carefully press down cereal (spray the spoon or your hands when pressing the cereal, this helps so the cereal will not stick). Place into the refrigerator until completely chilled and firm. When the pumpkin is chilled remove from refrigerator and invert onto a plate. Remove bowl and decorate with leaves and stem. A great jack o lantern smile will be the finishing touch.

The Jack-o-lantern makes a great centerpiece and a delightful treat.

Fall is in the air and so is Halloween. Are you planning a spook get together? If so, you will want to serve this delicious punch.

Makes 16 servings

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger ground
2 quarts apple cider or apple juice
3 cups water
1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 frozen Hand “Ice Ring” (see below, optional)

In a large pitcher or glass gallon jar, stir lemon juice and ginger until blended. Add cider, water and orange juice concentrate; stir until well blended. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until well chilled.

To serve cold, place punch in a large chilled punch bowl. Add ice ring. Serve in punch cups.

To serve hot, place mixture into a 4-quart sauce pot. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large insulated server, slow cooker or serving pitcher. Serve in heatproof cups or mugs.

Frozen Hand Ice Ring: Take a plastic glove that you use in serving food, and wash several times. Gently fill with water and tie closed tightly. Place in freezer until hand is frozen completely. When ready to put into punch bowl, take a sharp knife and cut glove off of ice.

For many folks, winter means playing outdoors in the snow, tackling the slopes on a weekend ski trip, participating in an adventurous mountain climb, ice skating on a frozen lake, and many other winter-related activities. I have to admit I love sitting by a fire, sipping a favorite beverage while watching the snow fall. Winter is my favorite time of the year!

Even though Winter is my favorite time of the year, we still need to beware of the dangers of cold weather and plan accordingly. Some things to keep in mind:

Dress in layered clothing and wear some kind of head cover.

Keep pets inside; when necessary to walk them, do so on the grass, not the cold sidewalk.

Protect livestock and other animals with adequate shelter, extra feed and supplemental heat.

Bring potted plants inside.

Cover outdoor plants with burlap or cloth. Cold will penetrate plastic.

Check space heaters for sufficient ventilation and wire condition.

Never place space heaters close to flammable objects, such as drapes or bedding.

Make sure fireplace flues are working properly.

Check extension cords for breaks or fraying.

Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors. They produce deadly carbon monoxide fumes.

Check on the elderly often

I love a hot beverage when coming in from the cold weather. My favorite hot beverage is Chai Tea. It is really easy to make homemade Chai tea. Below is my favorite Chai recipe:

Homemade Chai Tea

2 cups water

2 black tea bags

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup honey

1 cup milk

In medium saucepan combine water, tea, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Cover and refrigerate Chai Tea base.

To serve hot: combine equal parts of Chai Tea Base and milk, then heat mixture on stove top or in microwave. To serve cold: combine equal parts of Chai Tea Base and milk over ice cubes.

Another favorite recipe is Spicy Mint Tea.

SPICY MINT TEA

6 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 whole allspice

2 cups fresh mint leaves

Honey- sweeten to taste (optional)

Bring water, cinnamon, cloves and allspice to boil. Boil 1 minute. Stir in mint leaves. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into cups. Sweeten with honey if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Enjoy the winter weather, take care of yourself, your family, animals and enjoy some new traditions of making your own hot beverages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together. You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com

Prepare what you need before you start. It’s how the pros do it and it simplifies the process when you are scrambling to put it all together. This really works and you will wonder why you have not always done things this way.

When using a broiler to cook steaks, pre-heat oven until it’s really hot. This will sear the outside of the meat and keep the juices in. And don’t use a fork to turn the steaks, use thongs or a spatula to prevent juices from leaking out.

Buy yourself a potato ricer for mashed potatoes. It a great gadget to have in your kitchen, it looks like a giant garlic press, costs about six bucks, but there’s nothing better for smooth airy mashed potatoes.

A folding steamer platform that sits in almost any pot works great for your steamed veggies. Important, be careful not to overcook the broccoli, you want it to be crisp but tender. No need for an expensive steamer.

Invest in a salad spinner. They’re inexpensive and work great. A great salad can be ruin in seconds by soggy lettuce.

Justin Wilson always said, “Never cook with any wine you wouldn’t drink!”

Substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves with 1 teaspoon of dried, but fresh is better. Try using a spray olive oil to coat your roasting pan.

To roast garlic, sprinkle the bulb with a little olive oil and white wine, salt and pepper, wrap it in tin foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for approximately one hour.

Try using a hand blender to puree the soup….it’s easier than transferring to food processor.

Mushrooms should be wiped off with a damp cloth and not washed under the faucet since they are like sponges and will absorb the water.

Make sure your roasting pan is the correct size and is placed on the middle rack.

When roasting, save the pan juices for your gravy.

Leeks are full of hard to get at sand and dirt, chop them first, then give them a bath in cold water and drain in a colander.

Try using carrots instead of sugar to sweeten your sauces.

When buying cabbage, look for heads that appear heavier than their size with crisp leaves.

Be sure your grill is hot enough before starting.

Grill meat and veggies about 4 inches from heat source and chicken about 6-8 inches away.

To add more flavor, try adding pre soaked chunks of natural hardwoods like Hickory.

Make sure grill is clean before cooking.

To prevent sticking, brush or spray a light coating of oil on grid.

If your grill has a top, close it to allow smoke to add it’s flavor.

To keep poultry from drying out, grill with bone in and baste continuously.

Poultry dark meat takes longer than white meat so start it sooner.

Sear chicken on the skin side first.

Keeping your kitchen cool during hot summer weather can be a challenge with all the cooking we do for our families. The range oven can generate enough heat to raise the temperature in your kitchen area and put a strain on your checkbook.

Using Alternative Cooking Appliances:

On hot days, plan meals that involve the use of different cooking appliances such as microwaves, crockpots, electric skillets, roaster ovens, grills & griddles, panini & sandwich makers, deep fryers or toaster ovens, which can either eliminate or reduce long range oven use.

A slow cooker is a wonderful way to keep your kitchen cool in the summer. With a slow cooker you can create wonderful meals without heating up your entire kitchen. Plus cooking in a slow cooker allows you to enjoy your day, rather than standing over a hot stove. A slow cooker will keep your kitchen cool in the summer.

If you want to be able to bake, but still keep your kitchen cool you may want to use a toaster oven. A toaster oven will allow you to bake just about anything, without having to use your regular oven. It’s best to have a model that’s big enough to hold regular sized pans so that you can create the same meals that you would in a regular oven.

A George Forman is a great way for you to keep your kitchen cool in the summer if you don’t have a way to cook outside. You can quickly prepare grilled meat and vegetables for a delicious meal. Also the cleanup is a snap.

Serve a Cold Buffet

Cold buffets are very refreshing on hot days and involve very little if any, cooking appliances. A great opportunity to use time-saving appliances like food processors, food choppers, deli slicers, breadmakers, and your beautiful relish and veggie trays.

Not only will these meals be refreshing, but they’ll be healthy as well. You could prepare sandwiches, salads, cold soups, etc. To add protein to your salads, buy chicken strips in the meat section of your supermarket.

Your family will love making their own cold plate from a choice of salads, greens, vegetables and dip, pickles and relishes, assorted cold cuts and fresh bread or buns.

Barbecue or Outside Grill

Barbecuing or grilling in the outdoors adds fun to any meal and keeps your kitchen cool during hot weather. You can cook almost anything on a grill.

Plan a Picnic

The whole family will enjoy a picnic at the beach, a park or in the country. You can even enjoy a picnic in your own back yard. These informal meal settings build great family memories for all involved.

Improve Kitchen Air Circulation & Cooling with a Ceiling Fan

Consider the benefits of changing your kitchen ceiling light to a ceiling fan with lighting fixture, to improve air circulation and provide a cooling breeze in your cooking area. Keep the cook cool and happy during meal preparation. I have a ceiling fan in my kitchen and would not have it any other way. It really helps keep your kitchen cooler.

I know you have heard this phrase over and over again. This afternoon, my husband, my husband’s grandmother and I all went to the kitchen to make a peach pie. While all three of us have cooked more years than I would like to admit, we all had different ways to make the peach pie. We needed a camera as I’m sure we would have made “Funniest Home Videos” show. Grandma instructed my husband to put on a pan of boiling water on the stove. Both of them stood there looking at the pan of water waiting for it to boil. They joked and said “watched pot never boils.” They continue to stand there and finally Grandma said, “your water will boil faster if you put a lid on the pan.” So my husband looks for the lid and puts it on the pan. A couple of seconds later, Grandma looks at the water and it is not boiling. Then a few seconds later my husband opens the pot and the water is not boiling. Grandma tells him to stay out of the pot. Haha! My husband said, “don’t we need ice water to put the peaches in after we blanch them?” “No”, Grandma said, “you don’t need ice water, just run some water from the faucet.” My husband says, “the chefs on TV always use ice water.” Grandma says, “they don’t know what they are talking about.” Finally the water is boiling and she handed him the “pinchers” which were the olden day kitchen tongs. He looked at the tongs and then looked at me with this expression on his face like, “what is this?” Grandma said to take the pinchers and put six peaches in the pot. He does this and then she says, oh move them around, don’t let the peaches sit still.” Okay, he says and then Grandma says, “take them out of the water, you’re leaving the peaches in the hot water to long.” So we get the peaches out of the water and my husband starts peeling the peaches. Over at the table I’m measuring the sugar and the corn starch. She says to me, “you have to stir the sugar and corn starch. Okay Grandma, I’m getting the spoon. Then she tells me to “carefully stir the sugar and corn starch in with the peaches. “Carefully? I ask” You don’t want to break the peaches. Then the debate starts as to cook the peach mixture or not. I cook my peach mixture for about five minutes, but Grandma does not cook her peach mixture. So, we go with Grandma’s instructions and I “carefully” pour the peach mixture into the pie crust. Then Grandma says to place wax paper on the table and turn out the second crust on the wax paper. She carefully cuts slits in the pie crust and tells me to lay it on the peaches and pinch the two crusts together. Once the pie is ready to go into the oven I ask her, “do you sprinkle sugar on your top crust?” Grandma says, “sometimes I do.” So I sprinkle the top with sugar. My husband says, “what about melted butter on top the sugar? “Yes, you can melt a pat of butter and drizzle the butter on top. So my husband melts the butter and drizzles the butter on top of the peach pie. Finally the pie is in the oven. I ask Grandma, “How long do you cook your peach pies?” She tells me, “until it is done.” We all laugh and guess who was left to clean up the mess. Our “Grandma, Betty and Doyle Recipe for Fresh Peach Pie: 2 pie crusts 6 to 8 peaches, peeled and sliced ½ cup sugar 2 ½ tsp corn starch Mix sugar and corn starch and pour over peaches. Carefully mix until all peaches are coated. You may need to add a tiny bit of water. Pour peach mixture into one pie crusts. Cut slits in the second pie crust and cover the peaches. Pinch the edges together. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Melt a pat of butter and drizzle over the sugar on the crusts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until knife inserts into pie easily. Let cool and top with vanilla ice cream. Spend time in the kitchen cooking with loved ones. Cooking with your 94-year old Grandma is priceless!

About the Author: Betty Lynch, author of “Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen” Visit www.mycountrykitchen.com to sign up for My Country Kitchen’s monthly newsletter.

Do you keep in your pantry items to make a meal in minutes?

Take-out food is so expensive. When you do a little preparing, you can actually fix meals in minutes. While meals in minutes are probably better for you and your family than a burger and fries. The good thing is that you are saving money.

I always keep a bag of precooked fajita meat in the freezer. Stir fry the meat, onions and bel peppers. Add lettuce and toast to make a fajita salad. Open a can of fruit for dessert.

The same fajita meat can make Nachos. Spread tortilla chips with bean dip, add fajita meat and cheese. Microwave until cheese is melted.

Quick fajitas can also be made with the meal. Add chips and hot sauce to make your meal.

Boil noodles and top with the stir fried fajita meat. Add a jar of gravy and heat until hot. Serve meat over noodles. Add a salad to complete your meal.

Frozen meatballs are another staple I keep in my kitchen. Brown meatballs in a skillet until thawed. Add a can of spaghetti sauce and simmer. Boil spaghetti pasta. Broil under the broiler toast with butter and garlic powder for garlic toast. Add a salad to complete your meal.

Brown meatballs in a skillet. Cook Ramen noodles. Toss meatballs with noodles. Add a salad.

Brown meatballs in the skillet until thawed. Pour in a can of beef gravy. Open a box of macaroni and cheese. Add a salad to your meal.

I always keep a package of the frozen skillet meals in the freezer. These can be made within 15 to 20 minutes. Add a salad and a can of fruit and your meal is complete.

Kids love this dish– take 2 cans of Ravioli. Layer Ravioli, cheese and crushed corn chips. Top with cheese. Microwave until the cheese is melted. Add your salad and your set.

Fix a package of stuffing mix according to directions. Take thick slices of turkey that you can purchase from your deli. Roll stuffing inside turkey to make a roll. Pour a jar of turkey gravy over the top and microwave until warm. Serve with a can of green beans.

All time favorite is soup and grilled cheese sandwiches or soup and a salad is a big hit in the winter time.

A list of “never-outs” would be:

Precooked frozen fajita meat

Salad fixings

Bean dip or refried beans

Shredded cheese

Jar gravy

Noodles

Ramen noodles

Frozen meatballs

Spaghetti sauce

Macaroni and cheese mix

Frozen skillet meals

Ravioli

Corn chips

Stove Top Stuffing mix

Turkey gravy

Make a list of your “meals in minutes” and tape to the inside of your pantry door. When you are in a hurry, turn to your pantry instead of the phone number to your favorite take out restaurant. Every time you fix a quick and easy meal instead of take-out food, put the money you would have spent into a jar. Tell your family about the money jar. As a family, decide what you are going to do with this money. (I.e., Disney trip, etc.) Fast food is a habit everyone gets into, so make getting out of the habit fun for everyone.

About the Author:

Betty Reed Lynch, owner of My Country Kitchen, author of “Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen” Visit her web site at: www.mycountrykitchen.com to subscribe to her monthly newsletter.