Howard's Special Chocolate Mousse

This is a dairy, egg, and gluten free dessert, which could also be made into a Keto recipe by changing the sugar to a Keto approved sweetener.  I got this from a very good friend.


What you need:  2 - 250 gr containers of very soft tofu, sold at Bulk barn in tetra packs; 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on taste and chocolate choice);  1 box of baking chocolate, (6-8 squares),  of your choice, sweet, semi-sweet, bitter, or white.

What you do:  in a microwave safe bowl, slowly melt the chocolate squares. Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the tofu with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in chocolate. add is sugar in small amounts, until sweet enough for your taste.

Now you can use a bag and fancy tip to pipe it into small serving bowls, or pour into a large dish.  Place in fridge for at least an hour to set before serving.

Butter Tart Squares

This is adapted from a recipe my mother used to call 'crumb cookies'.  It has a shortbread type crust, and is filled with my classic butter tart filling.
Preheat oven to 325*F

What you need:

For the base layer: 1 and 3/4 cup flour, (can be regular white, or a blend of white and whole wheat, or a Gluten Free blend); 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 egg yolks; and 1/3 cup shortening.
For the filling layer: 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup currents or raisins. Optional, 1/4 cup maple syrup.


What you do:  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is like coarse meal. Add beaten yolks, and stir until crumbly. Press into an 8" pan.  Mix first 4 filling ingredients, until well blended. Add raisins or currents, and pour into pan on top of crust. Bake 20-30 minutes -(20 minutes at sea level, but longer at higher altitudes). Squares are ready when the filling is bubbly, and the crust seems golden brown.

Cool on a rack, then cut into squares to serve.

Avocado and Shrimp Appetizer

Avocado and Shrimp Appetizer - this is not a recipe I created. I had this at the home of a friend back in 1980, and asked if I could copy it. It was created by the boyfriend of a co-worker at the daycare where I worked for 3 years in Vancouver.

What you need, per person: 1/2 an avocado, about 3 Tbs of cooked shrimp, about 2-3 Tbs of alfalfa sprouts, and 1 1/2 tsp of Italian salad dressing.

What you do: About 3-4 hours before serving time, place all the shrimp into a glass bowl.  Pour the dressing over the shrimp, and stir. Place in the fridge, and allow to marinate.  About 10 minutes before serving time, slice the avocados in half. Rub cut sides with the dressing, or with lemon juice. Place each avocado half on a small serving plate. Fill the cavity with shrimp, and top with the sprouts. Drizzle a little dressing from the bowl over the top, and serve.
You can peel the avocado, or leave in the peels.

Enjoy.

Shrimp and pasta casserole

Tonight I posted photos from the casserole I made for dinner. Within an hour I had 2 requests for the recipe. Here it is.



What you need: 1 package of shrimp, the 31-40 per pound size; 1 Tbs minced garlic, 1 block of margarine, divided; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 3 Tbs flour, or GF thickener; about 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 300 gr dry pasta, in any shape you like; 1 small onion, chopped fine; 6 small sweet peppers, sliced into thin rings; 200 gr large grated Parmesan cheese; 400 gr Mozzarella cheese in thin slices; white pepper and salt to taste.

What you do: In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions in boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, in a 4 cup glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl, heat 2 Tbs of margarine for 30 seconds. Add the flour or thickening agent, and whisk until well blended.  Add milk, salt, and pepper. Cook on high power in microwave for about 4 minutes, or until sauce is thickening well. While sauce is cooking, in a frying pan, heat 4 tbs - or 1/2 the block - of margarine, and add garlic and shrimp. Cook until just opaque. Stir wine into sauce, and cook another 4 minutes, stirring every minute.  Drain cooked pasta, and return to pot. Stir in cooked shrimp and garlic. Add Italian seasoning, and stir well.  Add chopped onion and sliced peppers. Pour everything into a 9x13 lasagna pan or casserole dish.  Pour sauce over pasta mixture. Add Parmesan cheese, stirring gently. Cover casserole dish with foil, and bake at 350*F for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and take off foil. Cover with thin slices of mozzarella cheese. Return it oven and broil for 5 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.  Goes well with a green salad and a lovely glass of white wine.

Breaded Pork Chops

I have been making breaded pork chops for many years, since it is something Wil loves. In fact, I learned to make this from him.  I had never heard of them before I met Wil.  A simple, and delicious version, which helps to hold the moisture in the chops. You can use centre cut chops with the bone in, but I like to use the little boneless loin chops.

What you need:  1 pork chop per person; 1 egg for every 2 chops; 1/4 cup bread crumbs for every chop; seasonings - salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder for sure, but you can add a little sage, or your favourite spice. Margarine or oil for cooking.

What you do:  in a flat dish whisk the eggs with a tbs water per egg.  In another flat dish, mix all your seasonings with the crumbs.  Dip each chop in the egg wash, then in the crumbs. (You can repeat if you like your breaking thicker.). Place on a plate, and repeat with each chop. Heat oil or margarine in a large skillet. Brown chops on both sides over medium high heat.  Reduce heat and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway, to prevent burning.
Serve with your favourite side dishes.  We often have with pan fried potatoes or mashed potatoes, and veggies or salad.

As always, enjoy.

Nanny George's Hurry Up Cake

This is a Heritage recipe, passed down from my great grandmother, Annie Murphy, aka Nanny George. This recipe came from Ireland, when her family emigrated to Canada in the 1880s. My mother made this often.


This recipe is easy to cut in half. I am putting the original quantities. Turn oven on to 350*F.

What you need: 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup hot milk, 4 Tbs melted butter, 2 tsp vanilla, and 2 tsp salt -( I have been known to reduce this to 1 1/2 tsp.) for topping: 1/2 cup grated coconut, 3 Tbs brown sugar, 3 Tbs melted butter, and 2 Tbs cream.

What you do: In a large bowl, beat eggs well, then add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. (The original says to sift flour, salt and baking powder together, but I don't think modern flour needs sifting, so I usually skip that step). Add flour salt and baking powder to the bowl and fold together. Add liquids altogether. Pour into batter, and stir well.  Pour into a greased and floured 9x13" pan.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and turn on the broiler.
Cover cake with topping mixture, and place under broiler for a few minutes, just until the topping is browned and bubbling.  Cool 10 minutes in pan, then cut into squares.  Goes well with ice cream.

I have also used this cake as a base for shortbread desserts, or trifle.



For shortbread, cut baked cake in half top to bottom.  Cover bottom with whipped cream and fruit, then add top. Cover with whipped cream and fruit. As an option, you can mix 1/2 cup jam into the whipped cream for the filling layer.

Bacon wrapped pork chops

This is a wonderful gluten free recipe which I created by combining 2 other recipes I found in a cook book. Of course, I did add a little twist of my own.


Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops


What you need:  a bowl of the spice blend, (recipe follows); 4-5 pork chops, boneless or bone in, your choice; toothpicks, one per pork chop; 1 tomato, sliced; 1 onion, sliced; 4 pieces of sweet peppers, either green, orange, or yellow; 2 slices of bacon for each pork chop; cooking oil.

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400*F.
 Make up the spice blend. Use a brush to coat each pork chop with oil. Let sit for 10 minutes.
 Sprinkle on some of the spice blend, about 1 tsp per side of chops. Place 2 strips of bacon in an X on a work surface. Place the spiced pork chop on top of the X. Add a slice of onion, a slice of tomato, and a slice of pepper. Bring up the bacon slices and secure with a toothpick.  Pour a little oil into a baking dish. Place the wrapped pork chops into the dish as they are prepared. Add any extra slices of veggies or bacon on top after all the chops are in the pan.  Place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, or until the chops are cooked through.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Spice blend:  1.5 tsp cumin, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix all these in a small bowl.  Use as above.


 I made rice to go with this, and I added 2 tsp of the spice blend to the rice cooker, along with the melted margarine, 1 Tbs of Epicure 3 onion blend, and 2 tbs of minced dried garlic.  The rice smelled divine when it was ready..........


As always, enjoy.

Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce With Pork Ribs

Today I created a new recipe for BBQ sauce, and BOY, does it ever taste great! The best part is it is GF for all those people who can't have gluten.


What you need: 2 Tbs cooking oil, (I used canola); 1 medium onion, chopped finely; 2-3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 large can (796ml) crushed tomatoes; 300ml water; 3 Tbs white vinegar; 1/2cup of GF soy sauce; 1/2 cup molasses (I used blackstrap); 1 tsp each ground mustard, ginger, coriander, and  laos or galengal - (this is an Indonesian spice often used in my kitchen.); 1 Tbs crushed red hot chiles - (you can increase or decrease the hot peppers to your own comfort level; salt and pepper to taste.

What you do: heat oil over medium heat in a 2 L saucepan. Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened, but not browned. Reduce heat to low.  Add all the other ingredients, and stir well, letting the sauce simmer for 20 minutes or so.

I am planning to make ribs for dinner, so I will pour the sauce over the prepared ribs and allow them to marinate for a couple hours, then cook in the oven for 2 hours at 300* F.

To prepare the ribs, I cut them into pieces of about 4 ribs, and then put them into a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Let the ribs simmer about 40 minutes to an hour.

Scripture Cake

I just came across this and thought it would be fun for some of my friends who are familiar with the Bible.  This is NOT an original recipe, it was published in a cookbook from Shearwater; one of the ladies clubs, I think, where each member contributed several recipes, and then sold cookbooks as a fund raiser.  I copied it out of my mother's book, so do not know the person who this came from.  Community cookbooks are still a common fund raiser for many service groups and clubs.
You will need to have a bible handy to look up the references for each ingredient, and to follow the instructions. Bake an hour at 350*F, or until the centre is dry when tested with a toothpick.  Have fun.

Scripture Cake


What you need:
1 cup Judges 5:25 (last clause).                                    1 pinch Leviticus 2:13
1 cup Jeremiah. 6:20.                                                    2 cups 1 Samuel 30:12
2 cups Nahum  3:12.                                                     2 Tbs  1  Samuel 14:25
2 tsp  2 Chronicles  9:09.                                              1 cup Numbers    17:08
2 cups  1 Kings  4:22.                                                   2  Tbs. Amos      4:05
1 cup    Judges  4:19 (last clause).                                3  Jeremiah       17:11

What you do:  As for all cakes blend any fats with sugar, mix dry ingredients together, and wet ingredients together separately, and alternately add the the sugar mix. Follow Solomons directions for  making a good boy - Proverbs. 23:14. Until you have a nice batter. Stir in any other items not included above in wet and dry.  Pour into a large loaf pan.

Enjoy.

Dad's Sugar Pie

French Canadians have long been known for this traditional pie, which originates from the Normandy part of France. (Possibly other parts of France, and Belgium as well). My Dad used to make this pie often, since it was relatively cheap and easy to do. I was looking for recipes for 'Shoofly Pie' and realized it is very similar to sugar pie, but uses molasses rather than brown sugar, or maple sugar. As with Tourtière, every cook has a little twist. Some have eggs, or flour, or use whipping cream, but from my memories Dad did not.

What you need: 1 unbaked pie crust - 9"; about 2 cups of brown sugar -( I use Demerara); 1 can of evaporated milk -( not the sweetened condensed milk).

What you do: Pre heat your oven to 450*F.  Fill the pie shell with the brown sugar, and then pour about half of the can of milk over in a circling pattern so all the sugar gets a little wet.  Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350*F, and continue to bake for about 30 minutes more.
Allow to cool before cutting. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Shrimp and Cheese Tarts

Shrimp and Cheese Tarts. - Appetizers


These were an adaption of a quiche we used to buy frozen from the preschool where the boys went back in Mission, BC.


What you need: 45 tart shells - homemade or frozen. (If you buy frozen ones, make sure they are not the sweetened ones). 1 Tbs olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 bag, 300-400 gr., frozen uncooked shrimp, or a shrimp and scallop blend; 4 Tbs butter; 1 container 500gr. Of cream cheese, softened; 3 eggs; 2 cups grated Gouda cheese; 100 ml whipping cream; 1 Tbs dried parsley flakes; 1 tsp salt.

What you do: Heat olive oil in a nonstick frying pan, and cook onion and garlic for a few minutes until they are fragrant and softened. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat the softened cream cheese, and beat in eggs one at a time. Add the cooked onion and garlic. Add the butter to the frying pan, and over medium heat, cook the shrimp until the flesh is pink and just cooked through. While shrimp is cooking add whipping cream, salt, and cheese to the bowl. Stir in the cooked shrimp, and the parsley flakes.
Arrange the tart shells on a baking sheet. Fill 3/4 full with the shrimp and cheese mixture. Bake at 425* F for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

For people who are allergic to shell fish, or who just do not like it, this recipe can easily be changed to use chopped ham, chicken, or turkey in place of the shrimp. Just add butter and chopped cooked meat to the cooked onion a garlic in the pan, skipping the cooking part. Mix into the cheese as above.

Slavinken

Slavinken is a word which roughly translated could be 'butcher's finches'. No one is quite certain why they have this name, but one theory is that  they reminded a butcher of the little song finches which used to be common in the markets around Holland.  This is a traditional Dutch recipe. (you can use beef, pork, lamb, or a mixture). It can be served with boiled or mashed potatoes, rice or noodles, along with salad or steamed vegetables.


What you need: 500-600 grams ground meat; 1 egg; about 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; salt; pepper; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp garlic powder; about 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1 tsp nutmeg; 12 slices bacon.

What you do:  in a large mixing bowl, mix everything except the bacon, until well blended. Divide meat mixture into 12 equal portions and roll into small logs, about the size of your thumb. Wrap each log into a slice of bacon. Add to a frying pan, and cook over medium heat, turning often, until browned on all sides. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.

Serve hot with your favourite side dishes.

My Favourite Macaroni and Cheese

The basics for this are from the macaroni that my Dad used to make regularly. According to my sister, Mom used to make it too. Maybe Dad learned from Mom. I don't know, but this has been a favourite all my life.


What you need: 3 cups elbow macaroni, about 200 gr of cheddar cheese, 2 cups milk, 2 Tbs butter or margarine, 2 Tbs flour, about 1 tsp Aromat, about 3/4 tsp white pepper, one 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, about half a stack of soda crackers, 6-8 slices of bacon, 1 cup chopped ham (optional).  Slices of cheese (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375*F
What you do:  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil in a large pasta or stock pot or Dutch oven. Add macaroni, and boil for about 9 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to your preferred level of tenderness.  Meanwhile - In a 1 litre size glass measuring cup, melt the butter or margarine in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds on medium high power. Whisk in the flour. Add Aromat and white pepper, and mix well. Add the milk and whisk to blend well. Cook on high power for 5 minutes, stirring after the first minute, then every 30 seconds. Meanwhile grate the cheese, and add in small batches to the sauce. After the first 5 minutes, cook on medium power until all the cheese is added, and the sauce is smooth, with no lumps. Drain the pasta, and place in a large oven proof bowl or casserole dish. Add tomatoes, and chopped ham, if using. Pour in the cheese sauce. Mix well.
Crush the crackers, and sprinkle over the macaroni. Cover with slices of cheese, if using.  Add the slices of bacon.

Bake for 40 minutes to an hour.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

A friend had a FB post about a casserole based on the 'messy burger' called Sloppy Joes. I read the recipe, which she had copied from another post. The ingredients looked to sweet for our family's taste, so I created my own version.



What you need:  for the meat layer -  750 gr lean ground beef; 1/2 cup finely chopped onion; 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced;  1 can , 540 ml, of crushed tomatoes; 1 can, 540 ml, of diced tomatoes and spicy red peppers; 1 package of Sloppy Joe seasoning mix, water, salt and pepper.
For the top crust layer.: 3 cups flour - I used 2 cups white and 1 cup whole wheat, but you can put any kind of flour, even GF flours; +_ 1/2 cup shortening; 3/4 tsp salt; 1 T bs baking powder; 1 and 1/3 cup milk; 1-2 cups of grated cheddar cheese.



What you do: cook the ground beef with the salt and pepper until it is no longer pink. Add the onion and garlic, with the seasoning mix. Stir well. Add the 2 cans of tomato, and a little water to completely empty the cans. Let this mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.
Turn the oven on to 400*F.
In a large bowl mix the flour , salt, and baking powder. Add the shortening, and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the grated cheese, in small batches, stirring so the cheese gets coated with flour. Add the first cup of milk, and stir. Add extra milk as needed to make a dough which is easy to handle.

Turn the meat mixture into a  9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with pieces of the dough, ( I just picked up a small handful, and shaped it to put on top of one corner of the pan, and continued doing that until the whole top was covered.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve with a salad, or veggie of your choice - or as Luc's choice none at all.


As always, enjoy.

Seafood Lasagna. * gluten free version adaption below

This recipe is a little like the chicken Lasagna I posted last year, but it is made with luscious seafood in place of the chicken. We had this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit with everyone at the table, as well as the four legged one under the table - he was hoping in vain that someone would drop some to him. I had to send him out of the room, so we could eat in peace.


What you need: 10 lasagna noodles -( these can be cooked or the oven ready kind, your choice); one package each of frozen scallops, frozen shrimp, and frozen or fresh crab meat - about 400-600 grams each; 1 and 1/2 cups milk; 1 small carton half and half cream -250 ml; 1 onion, chopped fairly fine; 2 garlic cloves, minced, or a Tbs dried minced or jarred garlic, 250gr of cream cheese, or a small carton of softened cream cheese; 1 can of cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup -(I only use celery, since I am allergic to mushrooms, but you can choose); 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 2 cups of grated Mozzarella cheese; 1 leek, sliced very thinly; 4 Tbs butter or margarine; salt and pepper; and 3-4 Tbs flour for the sauce.

What you need:  10 lasagna noodles-( I use the oven ready kind, but you can choose the kind you prefer); 2 Tbs butter or margarine; 1 onion, chopped fine; 2 cloves garlic, minced; salt and pepper to taste; 1 package each of frozen scallops, shrimp, and crab meat - about 400-600 gr. each;  1 small tub of softened cream cheese; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 can of cream soup - (I use celery, but you can use mushroom); 1 leek sliced into very thin slices; 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese.
For the sauce: 2 Tbs butter or margarine, 1 and 1/2 cups milk; 3-4 Tbs flour; 1 small carton of half and half cream.

What you do:  preheat the oven to 350* F.  Cook lasagna noodles until al dente, if using that kind. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbs of  the butter or margarine in a frying pan, and add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook over medium low heat until the onion is just transparent. While it is cooking, chop the seafood into small pieces.  Add to the frying pan and increase heat slightly. Cook just long enough for the shrimp to all turn pink,  add salt and pepper to taste. Add the soup and the cream cheese, reduce heat, and stir until well mixed. Add the leeks, and stir again.
Make the sauce:  melt 2 Tbs of butter or margarine in a 1 l microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, in the microwave on high heat for  20 seconds. Add the flour, and stir. Add milk and cream. Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute for 4 minutes, then every 20 seconds, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Add 1 cup of water to thin the sauce a little if using the oven ready style of noodles.

Put about one cup of sauce into a lasagna pan, and spread evenly over the bottom. Place 5 noodles over the sauce. Pour all the seafood mixture onto the noodles and spread out evenly. Add second layer of noodles. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover pan with foil and place into the oven for 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven and increase heat to 425*F.  Add all the mozzarella cheese on top of casserole. Place the pan back into the oven for 20 minutes. (If you want to make garlic bread to have with your lasagna, you can put it into the oven to heat at this time. )


Serve with salad or a veggie platter.

* if you prefer to have a gluten free version - substitute the noodles for gluten free noodles, and follow package direction to cook. Make your sauce with corn starch or other gluten free flour to thicken it. Everything else should be ok.

As always - enjoy.

Chicken Spinach Casserole

A very delicious casserole, made with a variety of cheeses, cooked chicken and pasta. This was a quick fix dinner made with chicken bought already cooked from the grocery store, packaged grated cheese, and pasta sauce mix.

What you need: 2 cups of Tortiglioni pasta - or any pasta of your choice,  2 cups diced cooked chicken,  2 handfuls of fresh spinach, 1 package of creamy garlic sauce mix, 2 cups of shredded cheese - mixture of Edam, Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Provolone, and Fontina. (I actually bought a blend of the last 4 cheeses, already grated.)

What you do: bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook pasta sauce according to directions. (I love sauces cooked in the microwave, but today did to on a burner, since my microwave has not yet moved to my new home.) If you like, replace 1/2 cup of milk with dry white wine. Add half of the cheese to the sauce to melt. While the sauce is simmering, dice the chicken, and add to the pasta sauce. Add cooked drained pasta to the sauce blend. Stir in the spinach.
Pour the mixture into a greased pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes.

Serve with a glass of white wine.

Asian Pesto Shrimp dinner

This came from a recipe which I found I one of those supermarket cookbooks at the checkout counter. I tweaked it some what to make it a complete meal, rather than just an appetizer.

What you need: a package of raw frozen shrimp, 400 gr the 51-68 size; one box of bow ties pasta, 340 gr; Marinade ingredients-  1/3 cup olive oil, 3 TB s each of dried mint leaves, basil leaves, and cilantro -(but you can use parsley if you do not like the flavour of cilantro); 2 tbs of minced garlic; 1/4 cup of lime juice;  other ingredients - ground pepper to taste; half a package of small golden tomatoes; 2 mini sweet red peppers; grated Parmesan cheese.

What you do. Cook pasta according to package directions. Place shrimp in a water bath to thaw. In a large skillet, heat the marinade ingredients and add the shrimp. Cook until just turned pink, add pepper, halved tomatoes, and sliced sweet peppers. Cook until vegetables are just tender. Drain cooked pasta and add to the skillet. (I added a 1/2 cup of dry white wine.) Stir well. Serve hot with grated cheese.

Serves 4 unless Luc comes, then it serves 3.  Enjoy with a glass of dry white wine.

Bacon herb cheese biscuits

So delicious, but so simple to make.  Preheat oven to 425*F

What you need: 2 cups flour; 4 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 Tbs garlic powder; 1 tbs onion powder; 2 tbs parsley flakes; 1 tbs dried chives; 1/2 cup shortening; 5 - 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled; 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese; 1 cup milk.

What you do: mix flour, salt, baking powder, and seasonings in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is like coarse meal. Add crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir with your hands until well blended. Use a spoon to stir in the milk just until all the dry ingredients are picked up. Knead a few times. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and pat into circles about 3-4 inches across. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 425*F.

Serve with butter, and enjoy. You can eat this with a meal like stew, or pasta. Goes with almost anything.

Easy Fruit-misu Desserts

Here is a simple way to make an elegant looking dessert, using some pantry basics. You need canned frozen or fresh fruit, with a gelatine dessert in the same flavour. Add a little whipped cream and mascarpone, and you have a wonderful dessert which is not too sweet.

What you need: either 2 cups of fresh or frozen, or 1 (28 oz)can* of fruit; 1 box of gelatine to match the fruit; 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese, or cream cheese; 6 oz of whipping cream, whipped. A can of whipped cream topping.

What you do: if using canned fruit, drain the liquid into a small microwave proof bowl, then divide the fruit into two equal portions. Place half of the fruit into a blender or purée machine, and blend to a smooth purée. Heat the liquid from the can or 1/2 cup water until almost boiling. Add half the gelatine powder and whisk until the powder is dissolved. Add the fruit purée and cool. Add the mascarpone or cream cheese and whisk well. Whip the 6 oz of cream, and fold into the mixture. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, or divide into small dessert dishes, filling them about 2/3 full. Chill for about 2 hours. When chilled, begin the top layer. Heat 1/2 cup water to boiling point, and whisk in the remaining gelatine powder. Allow to dissolve completely.   Cool until it just begins to set. Layer the remaining fruit on top of the cream base. Pour the cooled gelatine on top of fruit, and chill to set completely. Top with whipped cream topping just before serving.

I used a 28 oz can of peaches.
 

Favourite Christmas Brussel's Sprouts

This is one of those foods which people either love or hate. We enjoy Brussel's sprouts just boiled, or steamed, but this  is our favourite way to eat them.
 What you need: 1 bag of frozen Brussel's sprouts, 5 or 6 slices of bacon, chopped, 1 onion, chopped.
What you do: cook the bacon at medium heat,in a skillet, stirring often, until nearly crisp, and then add the onion. Cook until the onion is transparent. Add the sprouts, and about a cup of water. Cover the pan, so the lid is just off slightly, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Most of the water should be gone, but if there is still some there, remove the lid and let the rest of the water cook off. as always, enjoy.