Heartwarming Chili

Mac's mama's recipe... We made this to go on the hot dogs at the Wade's housewarming party, but it's great in a bowl with cheddar cheese and cornbread with it, too!Ingredients:1 1/2 c. kidney beans (soaked overnight with pinto beans)2 c. pinto beans1 lg. onion, diced1 lg. green pepper, diced1 lb. ground beef32 oz. ketchup (whole bottle)(about 28 oz) lg. can whole peeled tomatoes1 1/2 tsp. salt1/8 tsp. paprika1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper3 whole cloves1...

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Hot Dog Central

The lovely Mrs. Wade and her hubby bought a house last month! We were able to go up and celebrate with them and help out with the housewarming party. So creatively simple, she had a hot dog dinner, creating stations for 4 major city hot dogs. I thought it was a great idea, even if hot dogs aren't very healthy. There were some great sides to go along with the hot dogs and when I get the recipes from her, I'll be sure to share!Melted Swiss Cheese...

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Quick & Rich Vanilla Frosting

See the Devil's Food Cake for a photo of this frosting. It's amazing. I will never make another cake-frosting recipe again. Period.Ingredients:2 T. heavy cream1 tsp. vanilla extractA pinch of salt2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened2 1/2 c. powdered sugarDirection:Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together in a small bowl until the salt dissolves. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Beat in...

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Devil's Food Cake

Mac shares a birthday with Tana from our house church, so we made a Devil's Food Cake to share with everyone. It was light, fluffy, moist, and absolutely decadent! Couple of things.. the recipe calls for 4 cups of frosting and 3 8" cake rounds. I only had 2 9" pans and used the regular size recipe of frosting... it worked great.Ingredients:1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour1 tsp. baking soda1/2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt1 1/4 c. boiling water4 oz....

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Grama's Pie Crust

No pie crust is as a good as Grama Kay's... you can try and compare it with others, even Martha Stewart's and Test Kitchen's, and she still wins!Ingredients:2 c. sifted flour1 t. salt3/4 c. shortening5-7 T. ice waterDirections:Mix together flour and salt. Cut in half the shortening at a time. Add water and mix with a fork. Knead the dough until it sticks together. Part dough in half to make two shells. Roll out dough with flour. Put in pie plate and add filling.For the French Silk Pie, you need to bake the crust first. Preheat the oven to...

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French Silk Pie

We went on a married-date to Border's to look at cookbooks last week and while flipping through one of the Test Kitchen publications, Mac came across a picture of this recipe. His jaw dropped open and he said, "I want THAT for my birthday!" Well of course we didn't buy the cookbook, so I went on a hunt to find this particular recipe... lucky for Mac, lucky for me, and lucky for you, I found it! This recipe is pretty labor-intensive. You really...

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Baking Overload!!

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe, but let me tell you it's not due to lack of cooking! With Mac's birthday this week, I have a whole bunch of new recipes to add here, and then I'm going to take a short sabbatical from labor/time-intensive recipes. So get ready, here they come:* French Silk Pie* Grama's Pie Crust* Devil's Food Cake* Butter Cream Frosting* Chili* Cinnamon Rolls* Pancakes* Hot Dog Cent...

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Southern Pecan Pie

House Church potluck this week was themed "Southern Cooking." I had no idea what to make, so I thought of the Zac Brown Band song "Chicken Fried" and decided to make Pecan Pie! It was my first attempt and my first time eating it... thought it was pretty delicious if I do say so myself! Oh, and like all my faves, this is from Test Kitchen. Next time I'm going to try the Maple Pecan Pie version to reduce the sugar and butter and eliminate the corn...

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Hot Fudge Sauce

Mind if I just eat it by the spoonful? Yes, please! Sorry the picture is so bright; Lochmead Vanilla ice cream, while very edible, isn't very photogenic. Hot Fudge Sauce, a natural model and devourable (yes, I just made up a word)! This recipe is from a Crate & Barrel cookbook I got for Christmas from the lovely Mrs. Wade.Ingredients:2/3 c. heavy cream3/4 c. light brown sugar (do NOT substitute dark brown)1/4 c. superfine sugar1/2 c. unsweetened...

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Spinach-Artichoke Pasta Bake

yum yuM yUM YUM!!! We had the Dorfner's over for dinner on Sunday, and this was our main dish... and it was amazing. It's the one of four leftover dishes that I'm actually excited about eating all week long. Next time, I will add chicken into the dish (we had it on the side). Ingredients:about 12 oz. whole-wheat pasta (short, sturdy)1 - 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters (I cut each quarter in half)9 oz. frozen creamed...

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German Apple Pancake

America's Test Kitchen recipe... I would recommend using Braeburn Apples, not Pink Lady (like we did). Nonetheless yummy! Also, when I say to "dust with powdered sugar, if desired", I mean DUST HEAVILY WITH POWDERED SUGAR, even if undesired. A large shower of powdered sugar is a must. Don't skimp.Ingredients:1/2 c. all-purpose flour1 T. white sugar1/2 t. salt2/3 c. half-and-half2 large eggs1 tsp. vanilla extract2 T. unsalted butter3-4 large apples,...

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Creamed Potato Soup

We really enjoyed this soup, although it's fairly heavy... recipe from Passionate Homemaking Delicious served with homemade bread!Ingredients:5 medium russet potatoes1 large onion, sliced3 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp white pepper4 cups chicken broth1/2 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (save bacon grease for sauteing)1/2 cup milk1/2 cup sour cream1 cup grated cheddar cheese4-5 kale leaves, chopped, more or less as desiredDirections:Heat...

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Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Inspiration for the chocolate-dip came from a co-worker who shares my love for chocolate and peanut butter combos. The cookie recipe is slightly changed from the wonderful Mrs. Wade. :)Ingredients:1/2 c. butter, softened1/2 c. white sugar1/2 c. brown sugar, packed1 egg1 tsp. vanilla extract1 c. Adam's crunchy peanut butter1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour1/2 c. salt1/2 c. baking sodaapproximately 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (i'm not really sure on...

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Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

These would have been perfect had I used all the exact ingredients, prepped the potatoes as instructed, and cooked the full time. Do as I say, not as I do, and follow the recipe from RealSimple!Ingredients:2 medium sweet potatoes (1 pound), peeled2 medium russet potatoes (1 pound), peeled2 cloves garlic, crushed2 tsp. fresh thyme leavesSalt and Pepper2 1/2 c. heavy creamButter (for the foil)Directions:Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor...

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Favorite Pancakes

Do you know what my favorite thing is? Enjoying a delicious recipe that is ridiculously healthy! Enter, new favorite pancakes.Ingredients:1 c. whole-wheat flour1/2 c. rolled oats1/4 c. wheat bran (you can also crush up some bran cereal - it works the same)3 T. flax seed3 T. brown sugar1/4 t. salt1/2 t. baking soda1 t. baking powder2 c. buttermilk1 egg1 t. vanilla extract(and next time I'll consider 1-2 t. cinnamon)Directions:Mix together dry ingredients...

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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Mac made these today for dessert with friends' and everyone loved them - even me, who doesn't like cheesecake! So yummy... not healthy, but next time I will adapt the recipe a bit to increase the health factor.Ingredients:3/4 c. shortening3/4 c. sugar1/3 c. packed brown sugar1 egg1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour1 tsp. salt3/4 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 c. miniature chocolate chips3/4 c. chopped pecansFilling:2 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream...

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