Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread from King Arthur

i got this on my facebook this morning,through CABOT  and just had 2 share it with u all. 1 of the recipes i got 1 day led me to blogspot.com. thats how Lynn's Small Town Life was born! i love cheese almost any kind,even the stinky 1s and the moldy 1s. but my all time favorite cheese is cheddar and my all time favorite brand is CABOT and NO, cabot is not paying me to say that,lol. it's just a fact. my friend moved from VT to NC to FLA. she begged me 2 send her cabot cheddar. i mailed her 2 pounds. she savored it for 2 months! anyways here's the recipe,i think im gonna make it this week,enjoy!
cabot cheddar soda bread
btw CABOT and KING ARTHUR are both VERMONT companies.
 this bread is very delishous. especially fresh from the oven with butter on it! mmmmm
this is a pic of what it looked like when i made it.
btw this bread makes a great little snack. it fills that hole till dinner time. and it doesn't take much 2 fill full.

stuck inside making yummy treats

i am including a recipe for "corn starch pudding".  i did'nt have any cook and serve vanilla pudding on hand,so i made it homemade. the recipe wasn't on the box so i googled 1. here's the link...
homemade vanilla pudding  calculate it @ 5 servings. make this pudding to the point where you remove it from heat and add the butter and vanilla also add 1/2 cup peanut butter. if u made it this way,your filling is done. pour into a pre-baked pie shell.(recipe below) then go on to next step for the topping.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE
(FILLING)
1 box pudding(2 cups milk to make 1 box)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla(optional)
1 single crust pie dough(recipe below)

make baked pie crust 1st (recipe below)
mix milk and pudding in saucepan follow pkg directions. remove from heat when done. add the peanut butter and the vanilla,mix until well blended. i use a whisk. i add the vanilla to make it taste more homemade.         (topping made w/milk,below)

(TOPPING)                                                                    
6 ounces chocolate chips
2 tbsp cream (you can use milk,it's just not as creamy)

put cream and chips in a microwave safe bowl.
heat 30 seconds,stir. depending how soft they are you might have to heat them longer. 15 seconds @ a time. you want them melted and  mixed smooth.
spread on cooled pie. you can decorate the pie if
you wish. i just threw some peanuts on top.

PIE CRUST
how lucky am i, i usually use my betty crocker
cook book for pie crust. i have found that recipe online @ betty crocker. so heres the link...
pastry for pies and tarts


please enjoy this pie. it's really easy to make. if u are afraid of rolling out pie dough,ect. then buy a ready made,they even have them already in a pie plate in the freezer section. i've done it. or u can use a graham cracker crust .btw, i made 2 of these pies yesterday. 1 is for the friend that plows my drive way and 1 for us. i wanted to show you that the food i make rarely comes out perfect,my crust is "rustic" lol. as long as it taste good and calling it "rustic" or "peasent" food helps to explain your screw ups in a nice light,lol. i need to make a potluck thing for church tomorrow. oh and i made a coffee flavored cake yesterday and put on my "fudge" attemp that ended up like frosting. it was good. look for it in the future on here. possible a coffee fudge im currently working on.

meatloaf by Amber

       although my kids love my cooking/baking, my daughter wins in the meatloaf catagory!  i asked her to write down 1 of her many recipes. this recipe is 1 of my favorites!

 AMBER'S CONFETTI MEATLOAF

1 each of carrot,onion (or 1/2 a leek),stalk of celery
and a clove of garlic(or 2 tbsp jarred garlic)

dice or mince all these vegtables.
saute until softened. when cool add a beaten egg and 2/3 cup ketchup.
make crumb mix,grind in food chopper,1/3 cup wheat germ,2 slices
of bread and 1/2 a sleeve of ritz crckers. add to liquid mixture,then add
1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef  85% lean.
pack lightly into a bread pan,cover with a thin layer of ketchup.
bake @ 375f  for 45-60 minutes

i sprinkle 1 tbsp of brown sugar on the ketchup,but amber does not!
she says this is her recipe so dont tell ppl 2 put brown sugar on it! lol

if u r trying 2 hide vegtables from ur kids,mince them finely or run them
 through the food chopper,after they r COOKED.

amber,my daughter,read my blog yesterday & made supper last night,adding asparagus,yum!! although she did forget the potatoes,lol,but it was awesome and filling. with chocolate mayo cake 4 dessert and a piece of pb fudge. u know writting this blog is gonna make my family fat.lol
              there is a pot luck after church sunday. im gonna make the kids go with me and im gonna try a cpl recipes on the guinia pigs oh i mean my fellow followers,hehe. i hope they like whatever i make. im working on a coffee fudge,it's not as easy as i thought it would be. lol

chocolate mayonaise cake

        so i'm thinking about chicken breast w/ cr of mushroom soup as gravy,w/diced potatoes and carrots and minced onion and celery. all cooked in the same pan in the oven.
        right now i can smell my chocolate mayonaise cake baking. when it comes out and cools,i will make some boiled frosting(like fudge). yum. i will include the recipe for the cake and the frosting. im also using the same kind of recipe used for the frosting,to make a peanut butter fudge! nick is gonna love his mom tonight! lol i'll also give u the fudge recipe.
        this is my mom's chocolate mayo cake recipe,as well as the frosting and the fudge recipe. mom always made beans,rolls and this cake with this frosting,for special occations and family events. thank you mom,for leaving me all your recipes and pyrex!

CHOCOLATE MAYONAISE CAKE
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
3/4 cup mayonaise
1 tsp vanilla
preheat oven 350f        
            
               Mix all ingredients together. beat until well blended,no lumps. pour into a greased & floured 8x8 baking pan. bake 25-30 minutes.

BOILED CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2  tsp vanilla

           mix all in a saucepan. bring to a boil; stirring occationally. bring to a full rolling boil. boil 3 minutes,stirring frequently. cool slightly,pour over cooled cake,spread evenly.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter

              set peanut butter and vanilla to one side. mix butter,sugar,milk and salt in a saucepan. bring to a full rolling boil, boil,stirring frequently. boil 5 minutes. remove from heat,add peanut butter and vanilla to the boiled mixture. i whisk it in, myself. pour into an 8x8 baking pan. cool. i cool it in the fridge so we can eat it sooner. lol

PICS: chocolate mayo cake(straight from the oven),what a ROLLING BOIL looks like( btw this is the "fudge base") and my son stealing PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE,before i was done taking my pic!

my mom's doughnuts

while digging through my recipe box i ran across my mom's donut recipe. i just had to make them. i took a picture of them. and i'm also sharing my mom's secret recipe,with you.

JUNE'S DOUGHNUTS
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp shortening
3/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1 cup sour milk
(1 cup milk+1tbsp vinegar= sour milk)

mix all ingredients together,mix well. roll or pat out dough and cut with donut cutter. reuse your dough until it's all gone. deep fry them at 380f. slide them in gently and flip when it floats to the top,fry about a minute,flip,fry about a minute. pull out and check for doneness. they turn a nice golden  brown as you can see.  drain on cookie racks on a cookie sheet. store in airtight container or zip top bag. you can dust powered sugar on top.

Sweet Potato Rolls

when my friend ED owned a bakery,he was telling me he was making sweet potato rolls for the holidays. i thought yum,so i found an old potato bread recipe and switched out the potatoes for sweet potatoes. i had a bunch of "yams" in a can,from the food shelf. since i think sweet potatoes are gross with sugar,ect on them,i mashed some of those up and used them,lol.  the other day was the 1st time i used a regular sweet potato that i baked in the oven with the beans,lol. they were even better! btw, when i serve sweet potatoes they are: mashed with milk & butter(like regular potatoes),baked wedges or french fried sweet potatoes! i have also home fried them,throw them in soups,ect. my son even likes them ,i started him off with sweet potato fries. anyways, i'm sure i missed a few other ways i use them,lol. now i'm done with my little salute to sweet potatoes and here is my recipe.

                 SWEET POTATO ROLLS

1/2 cup sweet potatoes (use any kind of potatoes to add ur own mark)

1 cup milk                 1 pkg or 2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/4 cup shortening     1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar            4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt                   1 egg(beaten)

put into bread maker in order with yeast on top and egg on the bottom. or according to your bread maker directions. put it on the DOUGH setting. when done punch down and take out. make into rolls,let rise until doubled. bake at 400 f for about 15 minutes. until lightly browned.

HAND STIRRED DOUGH

if u do not have a bread maker...sprinkle yeast on 1/4 cup warm water add WARMED milk,shortening,sugar salt and sweet potatoes(warm or cold)then add the beaten egg. add the flour,1 cup at a time. knead the dough,until it's elastic. make into a smooth ball and set in a bowl to rise until it's doubled. punch down and make into rolls. follow baking directions as above.

almost a disaster

               So i made my sweet potato rolls, i make my dough in my bread maker. i opened the bread maker & there sits my dough,not risen. i said to my daughter,why the hell did'nt they rise,amber asks "did u add the yeast?"
lol  no i did'nt. dont ask me where my head was. anyways the dough looked really good,so i dissolved the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water with a tsp of sugar. when the yeast was activated i slowly folded it into the dough,added a little more flour & set it out to rise. it rose,woo hoo!
                 my mom's beans were not as forgiving as i hoped. amber said "they taste good,mom,but thier texture is like other peoples beans" sadly she is right. we like when the beans get mushy,so only boiling a 1/2 hour b4 putting them into the oven does not allow them to soften as much.
                 we did how ever,all three of us sit here and enjoy the beans & rolls. my son had 2 huge helpings! im going 2 have beans for lunch and of course a couple more rolls.lol

SUNDAY day of rest?

thank god my daughter sorted & soaked my beans last night,lol. ive already boiled them with baking soda & started them on the stove. i only able to boil them half an hour,instead of a whole hour,so when i get home from church im gonna boil them another half hour. my mom's beans r pretty forgiving.
       it is freezing outside,i opened the door to let my cat in and got a freezing gust of wind! brrr church starts at 9:30,but my neighbor prefers to be there early. so off ill go @ 8:30. BTW, the church is literly around the corner. i can see it from my place on the next street. i would walk,but as i mentioned it is maybe 15-20 f  degrees out today!! and 2 be honest with u the quiet time i have @ church,reading my book,is nice. omg, i can smell those yummy beans. the salt pork i got was like 5 inches thick,i had originally thought it was 2 smaller pieces,lol. but it had lots of lean on it. well im off to my methodist church for hymns & stories! oh,btw im going to take a picture of my beans and add it to the baked bean recipe blog.
   well im back from church. i realized that i never covered my beans when i tossed them in the oven! i have them boiling 4 the next half hour. they looked kinda brown but they "juice" taste like it supposed 2 so i think they will be ok. like i said my mom's beans r very forgiving.

well, my son requested i make grammas beans, he asked in a comment on my moms bean recipe,lol. if "desorcie's" our very small grocery/meat store,has salt pork,i can. yes i am stuck here in my small town. we hav'nt had a car in a year and with no means of getting a car,well we are stuck. i would have called my blog "stuck in a small town" but it would sound like i hated here. no it's quite the opposite.  i will edit this later today after i walk in the freezing cold to the store! lol
  well they had the salt pork! but man is it freezing out there! yummy baked beans tomorrow after church! maybe i should make homemade rolls,maybe sweet potato rolls!

swedish apple pie

i got this recipe from my friend robin,about 20 years ago. it's quick to make and delishous.

fill pie plate 2/3 full with peeled,sliced apples.. sprinkle with 1tbsp cinnamon and 1 tsp sugar.
mix together: 1 cup flour,1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 sticks butter,1 egg 1/2 cup nuts.
pour batter over apples. bake at 350 f  for 45 minutes.

my mom's baked beans

homemade baked beans are very simple to make. i double this recipe, everytime i make them.

1 pound of dry  beans                  1/4 pound salt pork
1 tsp salt                              1/4 cup molasses
1 small onion(chopped fine)  1 cup white sugar
                         1 tsp dry mustard
sort through your dry beans,picking out any non bean stuff. rinse the beans. put into a pot,add water to cover beans. soak over night.
                 add salt and boil gently for 45 minutes or until skins break. about 15 minutes before done boiling,add 1/2 tsp baking soda(this helps the skins 2 break)mean while, make cuts through rind of salt pork,about 1/2 inch apart.  when done remove from stove,drain and rinse.
                 mix molasses,dry mustard,sugar,onion and enough water to cover the beans. cook on top of the stove for an hour. then bake for 4-5 hours with cover on. remove cover about 1/2 hour before done to brown them. check the beans once in awhile to make sure they have enough liquid,so they wont burn,add extra water if needed.

CROCK POT DIRECTIONS
                  follow the recipe,until you get to putting them in the oven. pour the bean mixture into crock pot. cook on low for 4 -5 hours. check once in awhile 2 make sure the beans dont go dry(add a little more water if needed)
              

im happy to help

if u have any questions,don't hesitate to ask. if i don't know the answer,i will try to find out. also feel free to add your own spin on any recipe i post. i do that all the time. if u try ur own twist,comment what u did to "make it yours" under that recipe. i'm always looking for new ideas myself! i hope i figure out how to make my page better for all of us in the future. thanks for stopping by my "small town".

Broccoli Salad

i got this recipe from a friend,about 20 years ago. i have twisted & tweaked it. you can use cauliflower instead of broccoli or both. lemon or lime juice or a different kind of vinegar can be subsituted for the white vinegar. i also use light mayo in mine & no one is the wiser. this salad goes really fast,and everyone will ask for the recipe!

1 bunch of broccoli
8 oz extra sharp cheddar
1/2 lb bacon
 DRESSING
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
 cut broccoli into bite size pieces. dice cheddar and crumble bacon. toss them together.
mix mayo,sugar and vinegar in a seperate container. stir until sugar disolves. mix mayo mixture and broccoli mixture until all coated.

NOTE: u can use the stem of the broccoli as well,u just have 2 cut into small pieces.
also u may add an onion,dices up.

Bacon Praline

you are saying bacon? in sweet stuff? well it's awesome. my daughter,amber thought that my praline topping could use some bacon,so i tryed it,yum! we practically inhale it,it is soooo good!

3 tbsp butter         2/3 cup pecans (actually any nut will work)                                 
6 tbsp light brown sugar      1/4 cup crumbled bacon                                                                    
                            pinch of salt
preheat oven to 325 f

 melt butter,sugar and salt in a saucepan. bring to a full rolling boil. boil without stirring 1 full minute. remove from heat,stir in nuts and bacon. pour into a greased  9x13 baking pan. bake in 325 f oven for 10-12 minutes;
stirring after 6 minutes.

NOTE: i chop the nuts "topping" size,but you may chop into bigger chunks.

"PLAY DOUGH"

1 cup flour                                     1/2 cup salt
1cup cold water                             2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vegtable or olive oil                food coloring  

heat oil in a sauce pan,stir in the rest of the ingredients, mix &
stir until a ball forms. cool slightly & knead a few times. play
with it or just cool it. store in airtight container or a zip top bag.

my 1st post

this is my 1st post on my blog page. i am hoping u can all bear with me.
i love 2 cook & bake. i can't wait 2 share my recipes with everyone.
i also have alot of advice & opinions & needed 2 express them some where.
im a single mom. i have a daughter who is 27,28 next month in march. i also have a son who is 15,teenage boys r worst than teen age girls,believe me! i have dog,cats & a guinia pig. i go to a methodist church that treats us all like family. ive always wanted 2 live in a small town,now i do. i used 2 live 10 miles away in a small city. im so glad that life took me here. the city we used 2 live in has tripled in crime since we moved almost 10 years ago. i will write more later,since i have 2 finish making my blogspot page,lol.