http://www.foodiegazette.com Adventures in good eating -- recipes and food writing by Margaret "Meps" Schulte Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:33:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This is what I use instead of refried beans for tacos or burritos dinners. It makes enough for two people, as long as there are plenty of tortillas and cheese and other toppings. Soak 1 C of pinto beans and put into a pressure cooker. Add a large onion, cut into ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/simplest-pinto-beans Sandy said, surprised, "Normally, I don't like cornbread, but I like this cornbread!" 1 C flour 1 C cornmeal 2 t baking powder 1 t salt 1/3 to 1/2 C sugar, according to your preference 1 egg 1/4 C oil 1 C milk Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/simple-cornbread Our friend Cindy Johns, who is 11, is going to be a student ambassador with People to People this summer, and she's going to Paris and London. She's selling giant decorated cookies to help pay for her trip -- here's one of her recipes. 2-1/2 C sugar 1 C (2 sticks) butter ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/cindys-sugar-cookies This was published by Baker's Chocolate as a frosting for cookies, but it seems like a super-simple idea for frosting a cake or cupcakes as well. I haven't tried it yet, since I don't have a freezer to keep the Cool Whip in or a microwave! 8-oz tub of Cool Whip, ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/cool-whip-chocolate-frosting I ate some of these crispy, gluten-free cookies at a party last week, and Carol said she got the recipe from Pam. Then Pam said she got it from someone else, who got it from someone else. Anyway, it's so simple, if you take them to a party, you can ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/one-of-each-peanut-butter-cookies I made these as a bon voyage present for Dick and Larry on Ula G when they headed south in 2010. I hope they'll remember their boatyard-bound friend Meps, the one waving sadly from her boat on jackstands as they sail away. 1/4 C butter, softened 1/4 C shortening 1/2 C peanut butter 1 ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies 1 egg 2 T cornstarch 2 T cocoa 2-3 T sugar (depending on your sweet tooth) Generous pinch of salt 2 C milk Lots of chocolate chips and white chocolate chips Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Blend in the milk. Over ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/chocolate-chocolate-chip-pudding 1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened 1 can sweetened condensed milk (such as Eagle Brand) 1/2 C key lime juice (I use Nellie's bottled juice if I can't find key limes -- some stores put it with the mixers instead of the fruit juices) 12 oz tub of Cool Whip, thawed 1 9-inch ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/no-bake-key-lime-cheesecake In a prior life, when I had a freezer, I bought extra bags of cranberries in the fall and froze them to use all year. This past year aboard Flutterby, I missed my frozen cranberries. So I came up with a recipe for canning the cranberries in order to ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/cranberry-cherry-sauce This is just a brief Christmas eve photo essay, before I move onto making all my favorite Christmas Eve buffet finger foods. Barry and I received the most precious package of homemade cookies the other day -- a beautiful, fragile batch of ultra-thin, crispy Sand Tarts. Here we are, enjoying ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/cookie-rapture The Mom referred to is Odessa Simpson, who taught me to make this awesome dish in her 150-year-old kitchen. This is comfort food at its very best -- rich, heavy, simple Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. It doesn't look beautiful on your plate, but you just might find yourself going back for ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/pot-pie Based on a drink I found on barnonedrinks.com. I love the name, and the flavor is unique and very smooth. 2 oz Cruzan blackstrap rum 1 oz amaretto Dash of anisette 6 oz apple juice or cider http://www.foodiegazette.com/holly-jolly-roger-modified While we were working on pot pie, talk turned to Thanksgiving traditions. Odessa turned to me and asked, "Do you stuff your turkey?" "Sometimes -- if we cook it outside on the grill, we don't. But if we do it in the oven, we do. What about you?" She told me that ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/odessas-filling This can be done with Saltines, Ritz crackers, or even oyster crackers (little miniature ones). People LOVE these. Spread peanut butter on one cracker and top with a second cracker. Dunk in dipping chocolate and let harden. http://www.foodiegazette.com/chocolate-dipped-peanut-butter-crackers When you make a pumpkin pie using the Libby's canned pumpkin and the Libby's recipe, make the following two changes: 1 - use half brown and half white sugar 2 - add 1/2 C sweet flaked coconut http://www.foodiegazette.com/odessas-pumpkin-pie This makes enough for one or two pies. It's a farmhouse recipe, no precise quantities. The hamburger provides "umami" flavor that offsets the sweetness. About 2 lbs of hamburger A lot of raisins About as many apples, chopped, as the raisins About half as many currants as raisins Some cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt Citron (candied ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/mincemeat-pie-filling Take a jar of hamburger chips -- just the regular pickle,s not garlic or kosher dills. Drain them. Cover with granulated sugar and refrigerate for at least two weeks. You can add more sugar halfway through, when the first batch of sugar has all dissolved. The pickles become incredibly sweet and ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/candied-dill-pickle-chips Mix and chill until firm: 2 packages lime jello 1 C crushed pineapple (drain first, save the juice) 3-1/2 C water Mix and chill until firm: 2 packages strawberry jello 3-1/2 C water Heat pineapple juice and bring to boil. Dissolve 2 packages plain gelatin in 2/3 C cold water. Add to juice. Cool. Add 1 package ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/christmas-salad 5-6 C sliced carrots, cooked and drained 1 can tomato soup 1/2 C salad oil 3/4 C vinegar 1 t worcestershire sauce 1 medium onion, sliced thin 1 t dry mustard 1 t salt 1 small green pepper, chopped fine 1 C sugar 1 t pepper Mix all ingredients except carrots and pour over carrots. Keeps 2-3 weeks refrigerated. Serves 8 ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/marinated-carrots I've modified this to make 4 flavorful half-cup servings, and I've simplified the instructions as well. The original recipe is at the bottom. 2 C milk 3 T sugar 1/2 C crushed saltine crackers 1/2 C coconut 1 T vanilla 1 egg, beaten In a medium saucepan, scald the milk over medium heat and stir in the ... http://www.foodiegazette.com/cracker-pudding