June 22, 2010 · 11:00 am

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

These sweet treats disappear fast!  Elizabeth made them for a Sweet Swap she hosted during Christmas.  We’ve also seen them served at weddings and showers.

by Theresa, a friend of Mary Ellen’s family

Ingredients

1 1/2   Cups  Creamy Peanut Butter (15 oz jar)
1          Teaspoon  Vanilla
3          Cups  Powdered Sugar
1/2      Cup  Butter — softened
1/2      Teaspoon  Salt
1           Pound  Chocolate Flavored Candy Coating
2          Tablespoons  Shortening

Method

Combine peanut butter, softened butter, vanilla and salt and beat until blended.

Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat.  Continue adding 1/2 cups of sugar at a time until mixture will shape into a ball and hold onto a toothpick.

Shape into 3/4 inch balls and place on a tray and chill.

Combine candy coating and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and heat at a medium heat for 30 seconds.  Stir and repeat until smooth.

Method 1:Insert toothpick in candy ball and dip into melted coating.  Scrape off excess. Place on a waxed papered tray.  Remove toothpick and smooth over hole.

Method 2: Place ball on spoon, drop into chocolate and spoon chocolate over ball.  Do not stir.  Remove ball on the spoon and tap spoon on the side of the bowl a few times to create a smooth finish.  Carefully drop on to wax paper.  If the chocolate needs repairing, tap tray against counter to smooth any chocolate used to fill holes.

Top with a peanut half before chocolate hardens.

Refrigerate until candy is firm then remove from wax paper and store at room temperature in a covered container.

Makes 8 dozen

Use a toothpick to draw lines around the candy to remove excess chocolate.

Roll Peanut Butter mixture into balls.

Leave a comment

Filed under Candy, Holidays, Showers or Teas

June 22, 2010 · 9:44 am

Garden Salad with Almonds and Oranges

My friend served this at a dinner party that I hosted, and we just had to have the recipe. The sweet dressing and  candied almonds give it a memorable flavor.

by Tonya–Elizabeth’s friend from church

SALAD:

iceberg lettuce
romaine lettuce
green onion thinly sliced
11oz can mandarin oranges drained (2 cans for large salad)

ALMONDS:
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sugar

Combine in sauce pan over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar browns and coats almonds. Cool and break into small pieces.

DRESSING:
1 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 T parsley flakes
dash black pepper
dash red pepper

Combine and chill dressing. Combine salad, almonds, oranges and dressing just before serving.

Leave a comment

Filed under Salads, Vegetarian

June 21, 2010 · 5:29 pm

Crawfish Fettuccine

Our family likes to celebrate Easter with a crawfish boil.  Crawfish Fettuccine is a great dish to make with the leftover crawfish tails.



by Granny–Dolores Borel

1 1/2      cups  butter
3            medium  onions
2            medium  bell pepper
1/4        cup  flour
1/2        cup  water — warm
4            tablespoons  garlic
3            pounds  crawfish
4            tablespoons  parsley
2            pints  half and half
1/2        pound  velveeta
1/2        pound  cream cheese
24          ounces  fettuccine
1/2        teaspoon  tumeric
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Melt butter and saute onions and bell pepper.

Combine water and flour and add to mixture.

Add parsley, garlic, crawfish and seasonings.

Add half and half, velvetta, cream cheese.

Add cooked fettuccine.

Pour into greased casserole.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 350 30 minutes Cover with tin foil while baking

Leave a comment

Filed under Main Dish, Seafood

June 21, 2010 · 4:41 pm

Sensation Salad

by Janet, Pat’s sister in Baton Rouge

6          ounces Romano cheese
1/3       cup  blue cheese — crumbled
1           head  red leaf lettuce

3/4      cup  lemon juice
1/2       cup  olive oil
1 1/2    cups  oil
1/4       cup  white or red wine vinegar
1            teaspoon  garlic
2 1/4    teaspoons  salt

Leave a comment

Filed under Salads, Vegetarian

June 21, 2010 · 4:37 pm

Bluegrass Salad

from Southern Living magazine

1/2     cup  oil
1/4     cup  rice vinegar
1         tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
2        tablespoons  sugar
1         teaspoon  butter
3/4    cup  walnut — chopped
2        heads  romaine lettuce — torn
2        pears
1         cup  asparagus
1/2    cup  blue cheese — crumbled
1/2    cup  dried cranberries

Whisk together first 4 ingredients.  Chill 1 hour.

Melt butter.  Add walnuts and saute 5 minutes or until lightly brown.

Toss together lettuce, pears, asparagus and walnuts.  Sprinkle with cheese and cranberries.

Drizzle with dressing

*Broccoli florets or snow peas may be substituted.

Leave a comment

Filed under Salads

June 21, 2010 · 4:34 pm

String Beans and Red Potatoes

by Pat Savoie

4         slices  bacon
1          onion
string beans
6         small  red potatoes
water
salt

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry.  Add onion and saute.  Add green beans, water, potatoes, and salt.  Simmer until beans and potatoes are done. You may have to add water if it evaporates too much.

Leave a comment

Filed under Side Dish

June 21, 2010 · 4:30 pm

Stuffed Mirlitons

IMG_8331Grandma, Ada Dufresne, grew mirlitons in New Orleans.  I (Pat) remember a vine growing over her back door where she could easily pick them when they grew ripe.   She would bring some with her when she came to visit.  She never learned to drive a car, so she would have one of her daughters bring her, or she would take the Greyhound bus.  We would pick her up in Lake Charles at the bus station.  I don’t remember mom ever buying mirlitons.  After I was married, I was surprised to see them in the produce section at the grocery store where they were called “vegetable pears.”  My sister, Linda, who lives in Slidell, Louisiana always brings this dish for holidays.

Recipe By Ada Dufresne – Pat’s grandmother

Method

Ada Dufresne, Jerry, Linda, Pat and Kathy

Ada Dufresne, Jerry, Linda, Pat and Kathy

8        mirliton
1         stick  butter
1         onion
1         clove  garlic
2        ribs  celery
1         bunch  green onions
1         pound  shrimp — peeled
salt
Tony’s seasoning
bread crumbs
1         egg — beaten

Method

Cut mirliton in half and boil until tender.  Scoop out meat with a spoon being careful not to tear shell.  Discard seed.  Place meat in a colander and let drain.
Saute onion, garlic and celery in butter.  Add mirliton and cook until thick and most of the water has evaporated.  Add shrimp that has been cut into small pieces, and cook until done.  Add 1 beaten egg and about 1/2 cup bread crumbs.  Put mixture in shells and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with tin foil.  Sprinkle each shell with bread crumbs and dot with butter.  Bake 350 30 minutes.

IMG_8315

IMG_8318

IMG_8322

Leave a comment

Filed under Holidays, Main Dish, Seafood, Side Dish

June 21, 2010 · 4:23 pm

Split Pea Soup

by Pat Savoie

1         package  split peas
1         onion
2         ribs  celery
3         carrot — diced
ham

Wash the peas, then add water and the vegetables.  Add ham pieces if you like.
Sometimes I buy picnic hams.  They are too salty to eat, so I boil them and save the water to cook split pea soup or red beans and rice.  If you use this water, be careful not to add too much salt.

I always serve cornbread muffins with this soup.

Leave a comment

Filed under Soup

June 21, 2010 · 4:18 pm

Rice Dressing

I am 58 years old and I don’t remember a Thanksgiving in my lifetime where my mother’s rice dressing wasn’t served.  Besides the turkey, it’s the first item to be placed on the holiday menu.  Grandchildren gather around the kitchen today inquiring when Granny will arrive with the rice dressing.  She brings the pot in and places it on the stove to heat, then stirs in the rice and green onions.  Let’s eat!   I, personally, like it served with cranberry sauce.

by Granny–Dolores Borel

Ingredients

2        pounds  ground meat
1         pound  Owen’s sausage
2        onion, chopped
4        stalks  celery, chopped
1         bell pepper, chopped
1         package  Savoie’s Dressing mix — frozen
1        Turkey Neck and giblets, cooked — minced
1         can  cream of mushroom soup
chicken broth
rice
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Tony’s seasoning (Combination of salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder)

Method

Cook rice in chicken broth or broth made from boiling the turkey neck and giblets.
Brown the meat sprinkled with Tony’s seasoning and add onions, celery, and bell pepper.  Cook until clear.
Stir in defrosted dressing mix, giblets, and cream of mushroom soup.  Simmer a few minutes adding chicken broth if needed. (Mixture should be wet)
When ready to serve, fold in cooked rice and green onions.

Leave a comment

Filed under Holidays, Side Dish

June 20, 2010 · 7:29 pm

Banana Fritters

During the 1930s and 40s my mom made us banana fritters many times for breakfast.  I, Dolores, thought they were awesome.   We lived in New Orleans on Magazine Street then in a two story house.  It had a big yard on the side for us to play and bathrooms inside the house!  Mom had a huge oak table in the kitchen that we’d gather around for meals.

This is a nice way to use up ripe bananas.

by Ada Dufresne–Grandma Du Du

Sliced ripe bananas
Pancake batter
Sugar (powdered or granulated)

Make your pancake batter.  Add the sliced bananas.  Heat 1/2″ oil in a skillet.  Drop batter with one sliced banana by tablespoonfuls onto the hot skillet.  When golden, turnover and cook on the other side.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar. Cook in batches.

*The Savoie family likes to cook theirs on a greased griddle.  We sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

1 Comment

Filed under Breakfast