A camping we will go...

I was cornered by the kids yesterday (the house was full again for the weekend). They all wanted to know what we were going to do since we would not be able to make it to Greenlake this year for the family camping (God willing we will be in Florida for Will's folks 50th). I told them that we would try to make it over to Greenlake another time, or possibly camp at Devil's lake before the Oakes Family Gathering this year. They were all fine with that too. They don't mind sleeping in tents as long as there is a "man tent" and the "girl tent". They are just too funny.

So as it stands right now, I will either be going to Green lake at a different time than the rest of the family, or I will be going to Devil's lake and possibly others from the family can come there. The kids just want to be together to explore. I look for the family time. It will be different.

I've been working on my cook book entitled Food, Family and Friends. I hope to finish that one pretty quick and get it up and running before Cranfest. The other books are still in the works. I have added a couple of chapters to 3 of them. I hope to at least get one done this year, to have at least one story finished and not rolling around in my head. It would be easier to accomplish if I could get back out on the route. That's where I write it in my head, then come home and type it out. Strange process, but it seems to be working. I know it's weird to write so many of them at once, but the ideas come to me and I have to get them down at least in part on paper.

If anyone has any recipes......send them to me. I'll be glad to put them in the family or friends category.

Have a great day.
dea

Who turned off the sun?

The weather guy said it was supposed to be sunny today, but I'm sure that I never saw it.

Here's a recipe that people love when I take it to potlucks.

Chocolate Trifle

1 devil's food cake mix made and baked according to instructions (I use the pudding in the mix kind)
4 small packages chocolate pudding mix
8 cups milk
1 large and one small cool whip.
2 cups brewed coffee

1. a large trifle dish or bowl crumble 1/2 half of the cake AFTER IT IS COOLED.
2. Pour 1 cup of the coffee over the cake mix and then press down with the back of a spoon to form a smooth layer.
3. Mix 2 packages of pudding mix with 4 cups milk and pour over the cake mix evenly. Allow to set a little
4. Stir the large cool whip with a spoon for easier spreading and spread a good bit over the pudding mix to form an even layer. How much depends on the size of your bowl. Half the fun of this dish is the presentation.
5. Spread the second half of the cake over the cool whip carefully.(Reserve a Tablespoon of cake crumbs)
6. Top with second cup of coffee and press down.
7. Top with another layer of pudding using remaining mix and milk.
8. Top with more cool whip (you may not need all of the little container depending on bowl size)
9. Sprinkle the cake crumbs over the top of the cake for effect.

Chill and enjoy.
dea

Abraham Lincoln?

I guess I'm confused. Maybe I'm not liberal enough to see it or maybe I don't have enough imagination (although I'm pretty overcompensated in that department).

What is with this new comparison from the pres. elect to Pres. Lincoln? I know that Lincoln fought for freedom from slavery, but the issues he faced were so much different than the ones today. I see no similarities....unless they are trying to increase public opinion by comparing him to one of the most loved pres's in history. I loved Lincoln. I studied Lincoln. He was a man full of wisdom....I have not seen any such wisdom from the new guy. Compassion.....still waits to be seen. Insight? On hold.. Leadership...waiting for fullfilment.. Fairness.. unknown...(my mind comes back to unborn babies on that one..)

I even saw one of the larger magazines say that he was "channeling Lincoln". Give me a blinking break. This man, who I pray for daily, because he will be our new leader HAS to earn people's respect on his own and not by standing on the memory of another man. This is the responsibility of each and every person. I am not known for the beliefs of my many times great grandfather. I would love to be a person like Corrie Ten Boom was, but I cannot just say...since I want to be loved like she was, I will compare myself to her and you should just think of my as the "new her".

This new administration will stand on it's own, fall on it's own, prosper on it's own or fail on it's own. There can be no comparison to any other...especially since he hasn't even taken the office yet. What a hoot. People are already deciding how he will lead and what his reputation will be and he doesn't even have the job yet. My opinion: Any one can read a recipe, but baking the cake can go wrong in so many ways. It all depends on too many factors. If a cake is like that, think how different it will be running a country. Now his "feast" after taking office is based on Lincoln's favorite foods....Give me a break! Let the man be his own man, he's not Lincoln, he never will be. Let's just hope that he can be the best man that "he" can be. Our country depends on it.

Quick and easy 5 ingredient Peach Cobbler

Ok , so I'm not sure where I got this recipe but I used it yesterday and it turned out great.

Peach cobbler

1 stick butter melted (I used unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup SELF RISING flour
1 cup milk
1 - 29 oz can sliced peaches reserve the syrup

In baking pan, pour melted butter. In a bowl mix the sugar, flour and milk until smooth. Pour over butter DO NOT STIR
Dish the peaches out of the syrup and spoon them onto the batter DO NOT MIX.
Pour the juice/syrup over the whole thing. DO NOT MIX

I sprinkled cinnamon over the whole thing, because I like cinnamon with my peaches, but the recipe did not call for it.

Bake at 350' about 45 minutes. You can tell when it's done.
It makes a thin cobbler as far as height. I'm going to try to double the recipe and see what happens. I'll let you know.

Cow crunch

Ok, so don't laugh at the name, but that's what we were calling it at work as a joke. It looks like melted dairy cows... or some such thing.. I cannot remember exactly what started the name.

Recipe:

Melt 2 pounds almond bark or white chocolate (the bark is better?)
crush one small package oreos into small pieces (not ground up)
Stir the oreos into the bark
pour onto waxed paper
let set/cool and dry
break into small pieces
store in air tight container

Addictive!!

corn casserole

This is a family favorite and I am under orders to take it to potlucks whenever I go to one.
******I usually double the recipe and bake it in a lightly greased cake pan (13 X 9) or in a larger casserole dish. You can also crumble bacon or cheese up in it, but my family really likes it plain.

Single recipe about 8 servings or more depending on serving size

8 oz. sour cream
1 stick melted margarine or butter
1 (15 oz.) can creamed corn
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernal corner (partially drained)
1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix

Mix sour cream and butter together. Add corns. Add muffin mix and stir well. Bake 350' until set and lightly browned on top. Usually about 20-25 minutes for single batch and 45 minutes for double. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the pan too.

Enjoy.
dea

BBQ muffins

Ok so here's your new recipe for fun food.

First make your favorite sloppy joe's. I usually make them pretty strongly flavored for this with lots of BBQ sauce, onions, green peppers etc, but everyone likes them a different way. Just remember you need to be able to taste the sauce in the muffins, so kind of over do the flavor.

Then in a muffin tin (lightly greased) press a ready made biscuit out of a tube of biscuits. Brand does not matter on this, it just cannot be the great big biscuits, so use the smaller tube ones.

Fill each indented center of uncooked biscuit with a Tablespoon of BBQ mix, pressing lightly.

Top with favorite cheese and bake.

People love these because they are not so sloppy, sloppy joe's.

***You can do the same thing with pizza ingredients for fun. It works!