Honey Glazed Carrots

We discovered a new recipe for our Christmas Dinner and will now be on every special family dinner menu!

Ingredients

16 ounces carrots, regular or baby
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp dill
Pinch of thyme
Dash of Love

Directions

Microwave carrots for 5 minutes or boil in sauce pan for 10 minutes. Drain water.
In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, honey, brown sugar, dill and thyme. Toss gently to coat carrots. Cook until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. We doubled this recipe for our family gathering.

Fresh Green Beans

Don't you love buying fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer? I remember sitting on the porch with Gramsy helping her snap a big bowl of fresh green beans, getting into a rhythm of snapping the tops and then in half. If you visit farmer's markets be sure to ask if the produce is freshly picked so you can hear the green beans snap instead of bending like a wet noodle!

I discovered the secret to making the best green beans from one of our band moms a few years ago. 
She uses ham bouillon.

To prepare, just snap off the tops of beans and rinse well. If they seem too long then snap them in half or thirds. You'll have to estimate how much to cook for the meal and store the rest in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

Fill half of a large pan with water. Bring the beans, a sliced onion, 4-6 red skinned potatoes and some pieces of ham to a simmer and cook until beans and potatoes are done. Add pepper if you'd like and don't forget the love.

Amazing Instant Mashed Potatoes

© Zigzagmtart | Dreamstime.com - 
Mashed Potatoes With Butter And Parsley Photo

This summer I attended a dinner and had the most delicious mashed potatoes. I asked how they were made and to my surprise it was instant! However, they also added garlic powder, parsley and chicken broth! Ah-ha!  I discovered a similar recipe on Pinterest, so that's were I started. I bumped the recipe up by one quarter. You've just got to try these next time!

Serves 4-6

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 cups potato flakes
4 TBSP butter
Pinch of dried parsley
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of love

Heat the chicken broth, whipping cream and butter in a sauce pan. Do NOT bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add potato flakes, stirring constantly until smooth. Add all seasonings. Stir until well blended. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. You can add to the amount of seasonings but you really should use all 4. This has no chicken, garlic or onion taste. Just an amazing flavor. Enjoy!

Fresh Frozen Corn

1999, Tommy & Katie shuck corn

One of the earliest memories I have of Grandpa Ray is when he tried to see how long it would take me to realize that the bowl of corn had passed around our table for the second time. Recently I asked my father if he knew when our family started preparing corn and freezing it for the winter in this manner.
I'm not sure I got an answer but it was a way of preserving the very end of summer corn without canning it.
So, every year in my home we carry on the tradition. It's always so busy around the time school begins but we make it a point to try out the corn from various farms. When we find the best tasting then we purchase anywhere from 7 to 10 dozen.

1. You shuck the corn and rinse off the silk.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. You only need a few inches of water because the corn on top can be steamed. I cook about a dozen at a time.  Cover and bring it to a boil. Set the timer for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove the corn with long tongs and place on a large tray. Take the tray to the sink that has been cleaned, sanitized and filled with cold water and ice. Quickly immerse the corn in cold water for a couple minutes. Place corn back on tray.



3. Using a 9 x 13 cake pan, cut the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. Then scrape the cob with a butter knife to get the remaining corn. We picked up a Corn scrapper at an Amish store that saves a lot of time.














4. Measure 2 cups of corn per freezer bag. Push the air out before closing. Use permanent marker to date the bags before freezing.
















5. To prepare, thaw bag of corn.













6. Cook in skillet with a tablespoon of butter until all liquid has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Candied Yams

In the past our family poured the canned yams and liquid into a skillet, added some brown sugar then let it boil down. I think the purpose of simmering so long was to create a thick, syrupy sauce. But what we would end up with was mushy yams and runny sauce.
Last Thanksgiving (2010) I got a bright idea for the sweet potatoes. I thought about the sauce we make for sticky popcorn and decided to work with those ingredients plus corn starch for thickening.

1 large can sweet yams
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter

Drain and reserve yams juice from can. Add water until you have 1 cup of liquid. Add 1 Tbsp corn starch and stir until dissolved. In a skillet add butter and liquid, stir constantly over medium heat until thickened. Add corn syrup and brown sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Place canned yams in syrup and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until yams are hot in center. This dish will truly become a family favorite. Enjoy!

Oven Potatoes

4 - 5 potatoes, washed & dried, diced with skins on

COMBINE:

1/4 cup oil                                                   

Italian seasoning

garlic salt

seasoned salt

paprika

Combine oil and seasoning. Coat potatoes.  Arrange in  single layer on cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

Make this popular summer Broccoli Salad with Marzetti's Slaw Dressing instead of the sauce recipe below.  It's so refreshing!

2-3 bunches broccoli

1 med. red onion

1/2 cup raisins or grapes

8 slices bacon, fried, crumbled

Dash of love

SAUCE: 
1 cup Marzetti's Slaw Dressing
or

1 cup mayonnaise                           

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBSP vinegar

Pour 1 cup of  Marzetti's Slaw Dressing and combine with all ingredients. Don't forget the love. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight.  

Fried Beets

Flour, salt and pepper canned, sliced beets.  Fry in skillet with oil until browned.

Fried Zuchinni Summer Squash

Slice zuchinni, summer squash, onion.  Fry in small amount of oil or Pam until tender. Season with salt & pepper.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

2 large onions

1 cup beer

1 cup flour

Mix beer and flour.  Coat onion rings.  Deep fry.

Can also use cauliflower, broccoli or squash.

Grilled Vegetables

Marinate yellow summer squash, zucchini and large onion slices in Italian salad dressing for several hours.  Grill.

Corn Casserole

This is a great side dish with Oven Chicken Fajita and Almost Homemade Spanish Rice!

1 can creamed corn

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

3 tsp brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup green pepper, diced

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 TBSP butter

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Saute green pepper and onion in butter.  Mix corn bread mix with milk and egg.  Add onions and cheese.  Combine. Prepare casserole dish with Pam. Bake at 400 for 30 - 35 minutes. 

Easy Cheesy Potatoes

Another family favorite!

1- 1/2  bags frozen hash browns, thawed (approx 48 ounces)

2 TBSP butter

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 small onion, diced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or mix cheddar and Monterey Jack
sprinkle with love

Saute' onions in butter.  Mix all ingredients together.  Bake uncovered in 13 x 9 dish at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes. Check with fork and continue baking if potatoes are not completely tender.