Phyllis,   You have a good idea there for the pickled beets.   I may never make my own brine again, though I will add a few whole cloves to that sweet pickle brine.    I agree that we need some helpful hints in cooking as we are older just as we did starting out.

Jane,  I've made that angel food cake with the pineapple and it is a very light and good dessert.

I agree. That does sound so much easier than what I've been doing. And pickles too! 

Here are some Swanson Soup recipes for Thanksgiving or just because. A little something to take the chill off.


https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipe-collections/swanson-more-signature-soups/

With the wonderful local apple harvest, we have been enjoying apples in many shapes and forms.    One of the things that we enjoy and is very simple is a thin sliced apples dipped in softened caramel sauce.    I never was one for caramel apples but this is good and lets you control the amount of the gooey stuff along with the crisp and tart apple.

I sort of like the apple slices dipped in warm peanut butter also. I have a hard time eating a apple by itself now.

I can bake anything except my own our crust so I never make pie.  My favorite is  strawberry rhubarb.  I always add strawberry jello mix to it, not much but a few tbsps.  I do the pie crust too but never eat it.  Maryc I will try your's.  It looks like even I could do it.  Ina, Betty, Julia, Martha and my favirite, Paula, have not been able to teach me how to make it without it turning out like old shoe leather.  I have "high" hopes.

I was just reading about the pie crust recipe...does anyone have an easy chicken dumpling recipe...my dumplings hardly ever turn out light and fluffy...I like the flat dumplings..thanks. CC

One way Darlene, is to buy canned biscuits and cut each one into fourths before dropping them into the hot liquid.

Istill like the ones. I made with bisquick

How's that Jeanne?  Add milk then drop by spoonful into broth?..The biscuit might be good...but think I would roll the cut pieces thin. Cc

Good luck with the pastry, Delphineaz!

I have everything ready to make a lasagna for dinner tomorrow.    It will be for our daughter's birthday.   It's been a while so I had to go back to a recipe.    I did the sauce this morning so it will be just a matter of putting it all together tomorrow.   

Need help with piecrust  Do you use whole milk?  Is milk ice cold?  Tks

Never use milk in Piecrust. Though that would make it touch. Always Ice Water

DelphineAZ,   Hope you weren't waiting on the answer to the pie crust.    I just use whatever milk I have in the ref.   Not necessarily ice cold because you add the vinegar and let it set until it curdles.....just a few minutes, so it isn't ice cold by that time.    My piecrust made this way is never tough.   Good luck.

Mary. I have never used the Milk and Vinegar in Pie dough. Now would that be the same as just using Sour Cream for the liquid? I have heard of using it . Not in sweet pies but in such as Meat pie dough.

JeanneP,   I wouldn't want to say that sour milk is the same as sour cream.    It is possible I suppose but the consistency might be a difference that would affect your pie crust.   I've been using this formula for many years and it has never failed me yet.   

Thanks Mary.  Glad to hear any milk as I never use whole milk.

It sounds so good!!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/240555/cranberry-sauce-with-honey-and-pears/?prop26=whatscooking&prop28=the%20sauciest%20sauce_8_1&prop29=title&prop25=4216363490&prop27=2016-11-10&did=95118

Today, I have the answer to "What's for dinner".  I made my stuffed acorn squash today and it just has to bake long enough to get hot when it's time for dinner.  The stuffing is some of the sausage that my neighbor gave me.  He and his brother made it.  It also has onions, mushrooms, some spices, butter and bread crumbs and an egg to hold it all together.  I can't wait to try it!  Anybody care to join me?

Yum, yum Jane.    Your stuffed acorn squash sounds just delicious.    I like anything  squash but this sounds exceptional. 

this was the first time I made it this way and it was outstanding.  I think the home made sausage was the topper!  There's just something about home made.  I have enough to share if anyone wants some.  And I only made half the recipe. 

Also, I think I forgot to say that the stuffing had chopped apple in it, too.

Here is a recipe from Culinary Ginger that  is also very good and those who like squash might like this one as well.

YIELDS 4

Curry roasted butternut squash and apple dip
15 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time

Ingredients

1 butternut squash(2 pounds) peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes to yield 3 cups
2 pounds sweet red apples peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 cup cannellini beans
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
Order Ingredients
Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° F.
Spread the butternut squash and apples  onto a baking sheet.
Drizzle with oil, salt, pepper and curry powder and mix well.
Roast for 20 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, apples and beans to a food processor. Pulse until they are chopped.
With the processor running, drizzle in the  coconut milk until the mix is smooth.

Her blog also has a delicious sounding pumpkin turtle cheesecake.

http://culinaryginger.com/pumpkin-turtle-cheesecake/

Today is a pot roast in the slow cooker.   Our grocery had the deal this week where you buy a package of two chuck roasts and get the potatoes, onions, carrots and a few other freebies along with.    I usually don't buy those deals because it is too much but decided this time to go for it.     I get a kick out of the onions that come with it.    They are a bag of small cooking onions with a catchy name like BOLD ONES,  Onions with Attitude.  Our store carries those all the time but I usually buy larger sweet onions.    These will be good.    We use a lot of onion in our cooking.

Maryc, your roast sounds delicious.  Yesterday our son-in-law came over and fried some really good fish he had caught.  We supplied Mac and cheese, a salad and corn muffins.  Today Larry and I are just eating some leftover Mac and cheese.  My daughter brought a lemon type cake dessert that had a strawberry filling between layers.  One of the best desserts I've eaten.

All of that sounds very good, Mary and Jean! Yet I wasn't invited? [attachimg=1] 

 

Oops Angelface,   Your invitation must have been lost in the mail.

FlaJean,  Your dinner sounded good too.  Mac and cheese is very high on my list of favorites.    It's been too long since we've had it at our house so must be about time.

As long as I did get an invitation!   


I have not been eating as well as I should except when the building puts on a feed, or I'm OTL. It's been a lot of hot or cold cereal or omelets, sometimes simply some toast and butter. So, I need to get myself back to eating actual meals again. That is a large part on why your meals sound so good! Too many times, it seems an impossible effort to make a meal for one.

Mini Pea Soup Bread Bowls Recipe   

Recipe type: Soup Cuisine: American Author: Lisa Huff - Snappy Gourmet
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: Makes 2½ cups soup
Mini Pea Soup Bread Bowls, easy homemade pea soup ready in about 10 minutes!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 (15 oz.) can Libby’s® Sweet Peas, drained & rinsed
¼ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
4-6 small crusty rolls
6 tablespoons precooked crumbled bacon
Instructions
Place butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about 1 minute or until softened and translucent.
Add chicken broth, drained peas, celery salt, pepper, and thyme to saucepan and stir to combine.
Stir in cream, and stir until it just comes to a boil; simmer about 1-2 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice tops of rolls off and remove inside bread to form bowl.
Using an immersion blender, process soup until smooth, or carefully use a blender (be sure to leave top slightly off of blender for steam to escape).
Spoon soup into bread bowls and top with bacon.
Notes
SNAPPY TIPS: The recipe makes about 2½ cups of soup. You may need more or less rolls depending on the size of your rolls. Small bite-size rolls would also be great for little appetizers!

SNAPPY SUBSTITUTIONS: Instead of chicken broth, you could use vegetable broth. Instead of cream you could use half-and-half.

Over in the Soda Shoppe board,  there were a couple gals who mentioned they were waiting for butter to warm up to room temperature so they could mix up some cookie dough,

I saw this good idea on FB the other day,  but haven't tried it yet.

If you forget to take out your butter for rolls for dinner or for any other reason that you need softened butter, here is what I read :

Take out a stick of butter and cut it in half.  Place it on a saucer or small plate.  Fill a glass with water and heat the water in the microwave   until it is very hot.  Pour the water out of the glass  and dry the glass good.  Place the glass over the 1/2 stick of butter on the saucer.  Leave the glass over the butter until the butter is softened up ready to spread.   A couple minutes. Sounds like a great idea.    (Don't put the butter in the microwave.)

Let us know if anybody tries it. 

Joy