Pecan Pie Surprise Bars

I did not know what to expect from this recipe. But who doesn't like pecan pie? Because it was so quick and easy to make, I will definitely use it in the future for get-togethers. Despite the nice handwriting on this lovely recipe, I had no idea who its author was until I made a call to my mother (who has recently decided to try her hand at facebook). After much debate between my mother and grandma, they determined that it was my mom's handwriting. She had not ever made it, but says it looks pretty tasty.



This was an interesting dish due to the pre-baking of the "crust" and then the pecan pie layer on top.





The roommates enjoyed this as well as members of our IT team at work. The top layer had the consistency and texture of pecan pie. The bottom layer was soft yet formed a bar-like crust. Nichole said it had a very southern-pot-luck taste to it.




Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 c. melted margarine
  
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. pecans, chopped
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c. dark karo
• 1 t. vanilla

Directions

1. Mix 1/3 c. cake mix, margarine, and 1 egg til crumbly
2. Pour in bottom of greased 9x13 pan
3. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes
4. Mix 2/3 c. reserved cake mix, brown sugar, karo syrup, vanilla, 3 eggs
   
5. Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes
6. Pour mix over baked crust
7. Sprinkle with pecans
8. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
   

Ultimate Chex Mix

After many attempts at tempting my general manager with sweet bakeries, I finally realized that he is a salty man - not a a sweets man. And of course, I'm always up for a challenge. So I dug through my recipe box and pulled out a chex mix recipe. When I was younger I had made plenty of chex mix - you know - the recipe on the back of the chex box. But this had to be different - over the top even. I ran across a chex mix recipe from a magazine clipping that was a little more involved than the recipe I had been used to.



I ran straight to the carb isle at Kroger to stock up. The pita chips ended up being the best addition with the sour dough nugget pretzels a close runner up. Next time I will double the quantity of those. This recipe seemed light on the nuts also - I'll double up there as well. In the future, I'd like to get creative and see what else I can throw in here for pizazz. I'll definitely make this again.



This recipe was incredibly easy and fun. Just dump and stir. Heat. Stir. Heat. Stir. Heat. Stir. Heat. Spread on paper towels.

I ended up making 2 batches, since I had that much of the ingredients left over. Each recipe yielded 12 cups of snackage.



The roommates enjoyed sampling. I know I snacked to little more than I should. I had hoped for it to be a staple at work during this weeks meetings with corporate and our launch team. But, they were a little too down-to-business to enjoy good eateries, so I spread the love around the office. I used 9x13 pans because I did not have a roasting pan - I had to stir with extreme caution and spilling was unavoidable.

Ingredients:

• 6 T. margarine or butter
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 t. seasoned salt
• 3/4 t. garlic powder
  
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 3 c. corn chex cereal
• 3 c. rice chex cereal
• 3 c. wheat chex cereal
• 1 c. mixed nuts (I recommend 2 c.)
  
• 1 c. pretzels
• 1 c. garlic-flavor bagel chips (1-inch pieces) (I recommend 2 c.)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Melt margarine in large roasting pan in oven.
3. Stir in seasonings.
4. Gradually stire in remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
5. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Spread on paper towels to cool.
7. Store in airtight container.

3-Way Tex-Mex Chicken

This slow cooker recipe was fun due to the minimal prep work and various textures, colors, and flavors that are incorporated. This recipe caught my eye in a magazine well over a decade ago and I just never took the time to test it out - until now.



Kroger hooked me up with discounted chicken thighs - and bought them out. I also enjoyed the versatility of this recipe - as I made tacos out of it and then used the leftovers on a salads for work.



All the roommates enjoyed dinner tacos before we rushed off for Sarah's surprise 90's skate party on Saturday.




Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos, drained
• 1 1/4 c. salsa verde
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (10-12 thighs), fat removed
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded, sliced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed, coarsely mashed
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) corn, drained

For tacos:

• 12 hard taco shells
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. In a 5 to 5 1/2-qt slow cooker, combine tomatoes, 3/4 c. salsa verde, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken, peppers, and onion; stir to coat. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 hrs or LOW for 4 1/2 hrs.
2. Remove chicken from slow cooker to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
3. Strain mixture over a large bowl or measuring cup; set liquid aside. Return vegetable mixture to slow cooker; stir in black beans and corn. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 min.
4. Meanwhile, s red chicken and stir back into slow cooker with remaining 1/2 c. salsa verde and 1 c. of reserved liquid.
5. For tacos: Set aside half to the mixture (3 1/2 c.) Heat shells according to package directions. Divide mixture evenly among shells; top each with 1 T cheese and 1 or 2 avocado slices. Freeze remaining half mixture for future use.

Note: Mixture can be used in a quesadilla or wrapped in a flour tortilla

Per taco: 217 calories; 10g fat (3g sat); 16g protein; 17g carb; 4g fiber; 389mg sodium; 53mg cholesterol

Southern Buttermilk Pie

Let me start this off by being entirely honest with you. I've never made a buttermilk pie. In fact I've never made pie at all, minus a diet pie and that in all seriousness doesn't count. Now that I think of it, I dont think I've ever even tasted a buttermilk pie, but something about the name sounds so rich and comforting. It seems to encompass all things southern.

I found this recipe while skimming through my mother's stash box. After calling her up, I learned that she had made it before and liked it enough to type it out on a typewriter, but she doesn't remember where, when, or how she obtained this recipe. Curious and curiouser.


This recipe creates enough batter to make two pies. I decided to go by the book on the first pie and get a little creative on the second. At almost 11 at night, I began my first baking endeavor for the project: Scrumptious.

I did struggle with the butter as it did not want to take very well to declumping in the eggs and buttermilk. Next time I will melt it prior to mixing. Once I had mixed all ingredients, I poured half the batter into a pie crust. I then added 1 bag of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of angel flake coconut into the remaining batter and mixed well.






I tasted the chocolate first - and man-o-man was it great! I was so satisfied with the flavor that I didn't even really want to taste the "plain" buttermilk because I knew it could not compare. Its not very often that I need to say that I'm wrong - but I was wrong! The rich and creaminess of the buttermilk without interference from the chocolate was heavenly. Buttermilk pie has now become one of my all time favorites.

Some of the pie was distributed to our City Life group in care packages. Some of it was taken to Sarah's surprise 90s birthday skate party along with Nichole's wonderful angel food cake with strawberries. The audience seemed evenly torn between favoring the chocolate buttermilk vs the original buttermilk.



Recipe -
Buttermilk Pie

• 6 Eggs
• 3 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. butter (melted)
  
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 pie crusts
  
• Optional: 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate & 1 c. angel flake coconut
  

Mix eggs, butter, and buttermilk.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Optional: Add chocolate & coconut and mix well.
Pour into pie crusts.
Bake @ 350 for about 35 min.

And so it begins...

If you have not seen Julie and Julia - stop reading this very minute and watch the movie!
I will not be undergoing the Joy of French Cooking, but my heart beats in unison with these ladies for the love of cooking and community that comes with it.

I like to cook, but I love to cook well. I am overwhelmingly passionate about creating a dish that captivates, takes you to a place where flavors marry together to create harmonious sensations beyond expression. For me, one bite of grandma's banana nut bread paints an image of the homestead kitchen when I was 6 on a warm summer day at a time in my life when the most important question was "do you want it warm with butter or cool with whip cream?". I love love love to take part in sharing those moments with others who may or may not have had someone special to help form those kind of memories. Great food is a gift from God that I wish to bless others with. When someone takes the time to tell me how much they enjoy food I make, I am reminded that my work is pleasing to the Lord.

In the pursuit of earth-shatteringly great food and the joy and sharing this with people around me - I will undergo the following project.

Scope: to go through all of the recipes I have stashed away - magazine clippings, scribbles on paper from myself, family, or someone entirely unknown to me, index cards, and more.

Once I have successfully worked my way through those the scope will change to encompass new things never imagined by my mind.

This project will be one of daring feats. Unforeseen terrors. And expanding waist lines (hopefully not mine).