I’ve made quite  a few “copycat” recipes, most of those not quite up to snuff.  The same went for a recent Olive Garden Dressing I made.  I should have known when it began with a bottled dressing, but I gave it a try.  Finally, I combined a recipe I found with a cruet of Italian Dressing that I prepared from 2 envelopes of Good Seasonings, and I had my dressing!

FOR YOU EXPERIENCED COOKS, HERE’S THE QUICK VERSION:

MAKE 2 ENVELOPES OF GOOD SEASONS ITALIAN DRESSING.  MAKE THIS RECIPE AND MIX THE GOOD SEASONS ITALIAN DRESSING YOU HAVE PREPARED WITH IT.

Still don’t get it?  Just go below, I’ve combine all the ingredients you will need in one place:

Italian Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian spices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 9 tablespoons water (that’s 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon)
• 2 envelopes Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (each envelope is .7 oz)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Pour into small bowl and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Stir before serving.
4. Yes,yes, it makes a ton of dressing.  Put it in the fridge, you’ll drink it later.

Whenever we go to an Italian restaurant, no matter how fancy, my husband orders this. He looks at me almost apologetically when he makes his decision, passing up dishes with names we can’t pronounce that sound heavenly. So, when his birthday rolled around, my decision was easy: Spaghetti and Meatballs! This recipe was produced by combining two tried and true favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

Meatballs

1 cup breadcrumbs
4 -5 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley
2 lbs ground chuck
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese or 2 teaspoons romano cheese
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)

Mix bread crumbs, eggs and parley together; add remaining ingredients except oil. Mix thoroughly; if mixture is dry, you maay add a little milk. Mixture should be workable. Roll into balls; fry in oil about 10 minutes. Put the meatballs in the marinara sauce of your choice and simmer for at least one hour.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 -2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pinch sugar
salt and pepper 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
parmesan cheese, grated

Crush tomatoes with a potato masher. Film bottom of large wide pot with olive oil over medium heat. (I use a skillet). Add onions, saute until soft. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add oregano, red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper and stir. Add tomatoes and paste, rinsing both cans with water and adding this to pan. Add parsley and lower heat to simmer 30-45 minutes. Add basil, cook a few minutes longer and serve.

So last night I baked some pork chops for dinner.  I decided this was the perfect opportunity for trying out the Barefoot Contessa’s Homemade Gravy recipe.

 It was delicious…fattening, but delicious.  Now, I comfort myself with the idea that we had baked pork chops, dry bread, green beans and instant potatoes (I should be ashamed, I suppose) so the gravy was my one indulgence.  It was worth it.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
• 1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
• 1 tablespoon white wine, optional
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Directions

This isn’t the type of recipe that you really need a step by step instruction with pictures to make, but I took them, so you are getting them.  It is the type of recipe that you need to try soon!  I served mine next to spaghetti marinara and kept the salad on the side.

I got this recipe out of Ina’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Family Style.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Well, I love being at home but being here has its  own set of trials.  For one, we all got sick…one right after the other.  And when you are in a wheel chair, it’s hard to get umm..where you need to be.  Let me leave it at that.

Anywho, being sick at home is better than being well at the rehab (cough *nursing home*) facility.  I’ve been cooking my heart out before this illness too.  Making tacos, beer bread, apple cake.  Mind you these are all from a mix or Tastefully Simple products, but never you mind.  I have limits, people.  I did make one thing sort of from scratch…It’s called Cream Cheese Dessert Wedges.  I got the recipe from Taste of Home Magazine and it tastes like a dessert pizza from Untouchables.

Cream Cheese Dessert Wedges Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tube (7-1/2 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• TOPPING:
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• Separate biscuits into 10 pieces; place in an ungreased 9-in. round baking dish. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides, pinching edges together to seal. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until slightly puffed.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and flour until smooth; pour over crust. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over filling. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Today about 8 inches of snow blankets the grounds of the Cardinal Health Care facility.  It’s beautiful, but I must tell you I hate snow.  Employees don’t come in, making the hardy souls who managed to make it disgruntled and resentful.  Family can’t get up here to visit with patients (read: me) making them disgruntled and unhappy.  So, snow snow, go away.  We are in the South, or didn’t you get that memo?

Because of the above, I’ve dove into my pile of books to keep me amused.  I am still trying to muddle my way through Julie and Julia, bored as I can be.  I ordered the movie from NetFlix…hope it’s better than the book.  The one thing that bugs me most about this book is how lazy the author’s views on fidelity are.  She speaks of trying to seduce an actor with her Spiced Pecan Cake with Pecan Icing.  Good thing the actor in question didn’t succomb, or I’d have thrown the book against the wall.

Spiced Pecan Cake with Pecan Icing by Paul Prudhome

Cake

• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, see note
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed,see note
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, see note
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, see note
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature,see note
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract, see note
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups sifted unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 cup milk, plus
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 egg whites, room temperature (save yolks for frosting)

Cake Glaze

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 egg yolks, room temperature (lightly beat all but 3 extra whites with pinch salt and freeze for other use)
• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, cut into pieces,room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
• heavy cream, if needed to thin
• pecan halves

Cake: Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.

To candy pecans, place on a large ungreased metal baking sheet. Roast 10
minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and
nutmeg in a medium bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup butter, and stir in hot pecans to
coat thoroughly. Return mixture to pan and roast 10 minutes, stirring every
2 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons vanilla, and roast another 5 minutes,
stirring frequently. Cool candied pecans to room temperature. See bottom
Note!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8″ round cake
pans. Cream remaining 3/4 cup butter with 1-1/2 cups sugar in large bowl of
electric mixer at high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
Sift flour and baking soda into another bowl. Combine milk and remaining 1
tablespoon vanilla in measuring cup. Add dry ingredients and milk mixture
alternately to butter mixture, beating at high speed until well blended,
scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Gently stir in candied pecans.
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a
time, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff but not dry, about 2
minutes. Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter in three additions.
Divide batter among prepared pans, forming a slight depression in the center
of each. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean,
about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then invert onto wire racks, and
cool to room temperature. Cake Glaze: Heat water and sugar in heavy small
saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, swirling pan occasionally.
Increase heat, and bring mixture to a full boil. Remove from heat, and stir
in vanilla. Immediately brush hot glaze over top and sides of each cake
layer. Frosting: Heat sugar and water in heavy 1 quart saucepan over low
heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and
boil without stirring until mixture registers 230 degrees F (thread stage)
on candy thermometer, swirling pan occasionally, about 15 minutes. Blend
egg yolks in the large bowl of an electric mixer at high speed for 5
seconds. Decrease speed to low, and add hot syrup in a thin stream, and
then beat at high speed until cool, about 10 minutes. DO NOT SCRAPE DOWN SIDES OF BOWL. Gradually add butter or margarine, beating at medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and blend in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add chopped pecans and beat at high speed until mixture is very thick. Thin frosting with cream if necessary. Stack cake layers on a serving platter, spreading 1 cup of frosting between each, refrigerating frosting as necessary to keep it firm. Smooth remaining frosting on sides and top of cake. Arrange pecan halves around top edge. Serve at room temperature. Note: If this does not sound rich enough for you, it can be made even richer. To do so, increase all ingredients used to candy the
pecans by one half. After cooling, reserve one cup of the candied pecans
and add these to the icing at the same time as the toasted pecans are added.

Makes one three layer cake

Paul Prudhumme’s Louisana Kitchen Cook Book

Pages 330-331

Even though I am stuck in this rehab center all day, I still hate to see the rain.  It makes my whole room gloomy.  Weekends are always so long here, no therapy and no activities to help pass the endless days.  I never thought I’d have this problem, having too much time on my hands.  sigh.

So, one of the books I’m reading is called In This Skin by Simon Clark.  In it these 4 strangers are pulled to this abandoned hulking dance hall called the Luxor.  Wouldn’t you know that it has a “doorway” to another world full of  creatures that skin humans and wear their skin a la Jame Gum.  I’m to the part where they get away from the “Skinners” and return to the little apartment within the hall to discuss a plan of attack.  The pregnant chick serves everyone cake and water.  So, I wondered what sort of cake do you serve when coming up with a battleplan against other worldly creatures who want to skin you alive?  I know what I’d serve in her spot:

Sweet Monster Cupcakes

From: Family Fun Magazine

• 2 dozen cupcakes from your favorite recipe
• 3.4-ounce box of vanilla-flavored instant pudding
• green food coloring
• 1 cup of green melting candy (we used Wilton Candy Melts)
• 24 large marshmallows
• skewers
• waxed-paper-lined baking sheet
• M&M’s Minis
• small serrated knife
• chocolate frosting
• black gel
• 2 green Tic Tac mints
• Bake and cool 2 dozen cupcakes from your favorite recipe. Prepare a 3.4-ounce box of vanilla-flavored instant pudding. Stir in drops of green food coloring until you have a shade you like, then place it in the refrigerator to chill.
• Next, microwave 1 cup of green melting candy (we used Wilton Candy Melts, available at party supply stores) for 1 minute at 50 percent power, then stir. If necessary, heat in 15-second intervals until completely melted. One at a time, spear 24 large marshmallows with a skewer and roll them in the melted candy, coating the sides. Set them on a waxed-paper-lined baking sheet, add M&M’s Minis for eyes, and place them in the refrigerator to chill.
• With a small serrated knife, remove a 1-inch-wide chunk from the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a tablespoon or so of the pudding, then spread chocolate frosting around each pudding hole.
• Cover each pool of pudding with a chilled marshmallow. Add black gel facial features and 2 green Tic Tac mints for bolts.
• Finally, top each monster head with a bit of frosting and muss with your finger or a fork. Keep the cupcakes chilled until serving time.

Today I haven’t been feeling my usual chipper self, so I had to skip Bingo.  This is a travesty for a few reasons; one, it gets me out of my room and forces me to socialize and work my arms to get down there in the wheelchair.  Two, you can’t win fifty cents a game sitting in your room, now can you?  Three, dude came on a little strong on Monday and I don’t want him to think I’m afraid of him now…nobody finds numbers quicker than me.

But, I felt puny, as Granny would say, so I continued reading my large and ever growing stack of library books.

Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark has taken a silly turn.  I guess that’s not exactly true, as it isn’t rocket science I’m reading, but she does discuss some Southern sayings that I’ve never heard.  For example, she describes a recent trip to Home Depot on a Saturday with tons of people milling about by saying  ” Shoppers were swarming the place like ants on marmalade.”  Huh.  Who takes marmalade to a picnic?

Here are some of my favorite Southern sayings..at least the ones I’ve grown up with:

• “Your teeth are as yellow as gourds.”
• “Dispute me, Gaither!” (used when a child corrects an adults story)
• “I’m going to fly from here to Georgia!”  (used when same child is driving you crazy whining, et al)
• “I know another dog named Ring”  (used snidely to gossiper when gossiper is talking about another and the gossiper has done the same thing).
• “As scarce as hen’s teeth.” (near impossible)

On to the marmalde with ants…

Jim’s Orange Marmalade
2 lb	Seville oranges (about 5)
1	Lemon
6 c	Water
7 1/2 c	Sugar

Directions: Put 4 small saucers in freezer.
In a very large pot, combine oranges, lemon and water.
Cover and bring to a simmer.
Let simmer 2 hours.
DON’T ALLOW TO BOIL.
Turn off heat.
Remove fruit.
Let cool 5 minutes.
Cut in half and scoop pulp, seeds and pith back into pan.
Put shells to one side.
Bring pan to a boil and boil hard 5 minutes.
Strain through damp cheese cloth in a sieve.
Gather ends and squeeze out remaining juice.
You should have 6 cups.
Make up any difference with water.
Return liquid to pan.
Remove all white pith from skins.
Cut skins in fine strips (or as desired) and add to pan with sugar.
Place over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar.
Bring to boil.
Boil hard, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Boil hard until jell point is reached, between 60 and 90 minutes depending on natural fruit pectin available.
Jell point test.
Chill some saucers in freezer while preparing marmalade, 2 or 3.
Test: drop a small amount of hot marmalade on chilled plate and chill for 2 minutes.
Run finger through marmalade on plate.
If surface wrinkles, it has reached jelling point.
If still syrupy, continue boiling.
Repeat test at 5 minute intervals until jell point is reached.
Remove pan from stove and stir for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam.
Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Seal as you like

No, not you.  It’s the new book Susan from Housemasters Home Inspections brought me by today on her visit!  It’s is incredibly funny and written by Celia Rivenbark of  We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier fame.

Wouldn’t you know it’s chock full of food references?  This book is right up my alley.  When reading the first chapter I found this excerpt and knew the  book was for me:

Having a baby at age forty, or any age for that matter, is a whopping life-changer.  We went from impetuous, “What? A new martini and cigar lounge opens tonight? We are there!” kinda folks to the couple who spends Saturday night at K&W begging our twenty-month-old to please stop spitting creamed corn on our sweatpants.

I can relate.  To the lifestyle change, not having a baby at 40, thank god.  Anywho, creamed corn in the south never comes out of a can, uh uh.  My grandmother made hers in an iron skillet after taking an enormous knife to the whole kernels, and then turning the knife around and scraping down the cob with the blunt part to get the juices, too.  Put that in the skillet with a fair amount of butter, salt and pepper and you have got something heavenly.  That’s truly all you need to know to make good creamed corn, but if you are cooking/kitchen challenged here’s a step by step, ya’ll.  From Cooks.com: