MOLLY'S MOST EXCELLENT PANCAKES

First of all, to make the very best pancakes ever, you need an electric griddle. They cook pancakes to perfection. You will never have to throw the first one away because you didn't gauge the pan temperature, the griddle does all the work. And they clean up very nice with a little baking soda and water.
Also, USE BUTTERMILK. Truly good pancakes are all made with buttermilk.

1 cup flour
2 TB sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

1 1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk)
1 egg
1 TB oil
Fresh or frozen blueberries, if desired.
(If using frozen, thaw them out first and dab with a paper towel to drain
excess moisture)

375 electric griddle

Whisk the dry ingredients, then add the buttermilk, egg and oil and stir until well blended.
If you are adding blueberries, add them to the pancake rounds after you pour the batter on the griddle. The blueberries don't get mushed by the stirring process that way.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 pancakes, double it for more.
Any leftovers freeze well if you wrap them up  nice and tight.

HRH JILL'S LARRUPIN' GOOD SWEET POTATOES

In HRH Jill's Veryown Words...


Okay, to make this larrupin' sweet potato stuff, you first want to boil a bunch of sweet potatoes. You want to end up with about 3 cups worth of mashed ones, so how ever many taters that is, use that many. You boil the sweet potatoes with the skins on, and after they're boiled, the skins just slip right off in your hand, practically. On the other hand, trying to peel one raw sweet potato, let alone a whole potful of them, would be enough to sour you on this recipe from the get‑go.

So boil 'em, them peel 'em, and dump them in a big bowl and put in AT LEAST 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup milk, 1 stick butter and 1 running‑over teaspoon of vanilla. You also need just a dash of salt in there or it will taste flat. The sugar part you have to do to taste: Start with a cup, and if it needs more, then by all means, put more. After you get done tasting and testing, then beat in 2 eggs. Trust me, you do not want to put the eggs in first and then go tasting to see if you've got enough sugar in there. After all that's done, put the tater stuff in a greased casserole dish. (You can make a vat of this and freeze it.)

The topping is the kicker. You want 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of pecan pieces. Stir that all up together and spread it over the top of the taters. Bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour.

MINI MEXICAN PIZZAS

3–4 large tortillas, or enough to cut out 12 small circles
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup browned lean ground beef
1/2 cup salsa
2 tsp dry taco seasoning
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 425ºF
Grease 12-count muffin tin
Lay each tortilla out and cut 3-4 circles using an empty can or glass
Press each circle into a muffin cup
Brown ground beef and onions until done, drain
In a small bowl, combine meat/onion mixture, salsa, taco seasoning and refried beans
Scoop a small amount of mixture into each tortilla cup
Top with shredded cheese
Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted
Let cool a bit and serve with sour cream and taco sauce

WANDA'S PUMPKIN BREAD

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
15 oz canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups of flour, added one cup at a time, stir after each addition
2 teaspoons baking soda
Nuts - if desired

Grease two loaf pans well. Preheat oven to 350°
Mix ingredients in order, stirring well after each addition. 
Blend until batter consistency. 

Pour into greased loaf pans.
Bake one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

CHICKEN OR BEEF FAJITA SOUP

1 TB olive oil
¾ cup chopped onion
¾ cup chopped green pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 TB Fajita seasoning mix
½ tsp Mrs. Dash Southwestern Seasoning (optional)
½ teaspoon cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

or

1 pound ground beef, cooked and crumbled

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup red kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn

Cooked rice (optional)
Tortilla chips and hot sauce for serving (optional)

Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil until tender.

Add stock, then add all ingredients except for the kidney beans and corn.

Cook on low for an hour, then add the kidney beans and corn and cook for 15 more minutes.

Add cooked rice before serving.   

TURKEY BRINE

(FOR 12 – 24 HOUR SOAK)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

¾ cup kosher salt

32 oz vegetable stock

2 ½ gallons cold water

3 Bay leaves torn into pieces

Poultry seasoning

Savory

Chopped onion, garlic and celery

Sage

Peppercorns

Other than the measurements given, it is your choice as to

how much you use of the spices and chopped vegetables.

You can chop in big chunks and you can use garlic skin and onion skin.

You have to do a bit of refrigerator reorganization to make this big

container fit.

Refrigerate in a 5 gallon container covered with plastic wrap, foil or a lid

for 12 – 24 hours

NEW YEARS BLACK-EYED PEAS

1 1/2 cups black eyed peas, soaked overnight (discard anything that floats)

2 TB butter or oil

Chopped ham, celery, onion, green pepper, garlic

Chicken stock

Bay leaf

Pepper and Cajun seasoning (there is salt in the Cajun seasoning)

Rice for serving   

Sauté chopped ingredients in butter or oil five minutes. Add peas, stock and seasonings, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until peas are tender.

They can also go in a crock pot for 3 hours on high.

Serve over rice.

If you like things spicy, hot sauce is good on these.  

Serves 4, double if needed.