What Could Be Cookin' At The 'Creek?

if I were cooking...

Greetings!

I've admitted before that cooking is not my favorite thing.  But, I really admire folks who have a passion for it (and especially share the by-products of that passion!)  Sometimes one has to cook and believe it or not, there have been times where I have gotten compliments!  I thought I would share a few recipes with you now to try out this holiday season.

None of the recipes are complicated or require exotic ingredients, though the stuffing takes a little time.  Most are from the backs of boxes or cans, family or friends (who probably got them off the back of boxes or cans LOL!)  However, they are really good and full of calories.  Feel free to share these and Enjoy!

Corn Pudding:

2 EGGS, BEATEN
1/2 C BUTTER, MELTED
1 8.5 OZ BOX OF JIFFY CORNBREAD MIX
1 15 OZ CAN WHOLE KERNEL CORN, DRAINED
1 14.4 OZ CAN OF CREAMED CORN
1 C SOUR CREAM

Place in buttered baking dish and put into a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown.

Marynelle's stuffing:  

1 1/2 LOAVES DRIED BREAD TORN INTO SMALL PIECES
3 EGGS
1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
1/3 LB OF BACON, LIGHTLY BROWNED (STILL SOFT) AND CHOPPED
1 C CELERY, CHOPPED
1 LG CAN MUSHROOM PIECES, DRAINED
1/2 CHOPPED ONION
POULTRY SEASONING, SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE
1 1/2 LBS BUTTER, MELTED

Using the biggest bowl you have mix wet ingredients, then add bacon and seasonings.  Stir in bread gradually.  Put in a greased pan or pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, according to how deep it is.  If by chance you over bake, you can generally save it by adding a tiny bit of turkey broth.

Barb's Broccoli & Cheese Casserole:

2 16 OZ PKGS OF FROZEN BROCCOLI FLORETS
1/2 LG BOX OF VELVETTA
2 STICKS BUTTER
2 ROWS OF RITZ CRACKERS

Cook broccoli until just tender, but not soggy.  It will finish cooking in the oven.  Pour out water and add 1 stick of butter while pan is warm.  Then add chunks of Velvetta until all is melted.

While broccoli is cooking put 2 rows of crackers in a gallon size baggie.  Crunch with rolling pin, but leave little hunks.  Add 1 stick of melted butter to the bag and mush around until all is moistened.

Pour broccoli mixture into buttered 11 x 14 dish.  Layer the cracker mixture on top.  Put in 350 degree oven 20 mins or until bubbly and slightly browned.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Dip:  

8 OZ CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED
1/2 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
3/4 C CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR
2 TABLESPOONS BROWN SUGAR
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
1 CUP OF MINIATURE SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to the cheese mixture; stir. Stir chocolate chips through the cheese mixture.  Some folks shape into a ball and decorate, but we dip it out of the bowl with chocolate graham cracker sticks.

Pink Fluffy Stuff aka Ambrosia:

1 LG. CAN CHERRY PIE FILLING

1 TUB OF COOL WHIP (not low calorie--I prefer whipped cream, but I make an exception for this)

1/2 PKG OR SO MINI MARSHMALLOWS (colored or plain)

1 CAN PINEAPPLE TIDBITS
1 JAR MARASCHINO CHERRIES DRAINED
1 CAN MANDARIN ORANGE SEGMENTS DRAINED
1 CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

Dump all in bowl, stir, refrigerator a couple of hours and serve.

Candied Pecans:

1 LB BAG OF SHELLED PECAN HALVES
1/4 C OF ORANGE JUICE
1 C OF GRANULATED SUGAR

Put all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Cook on high, stirring every 2 minutes until sugar crystalizes (about 6-8 mins) being careful not to burn them.  Pour onto greased cookie sheet and separate to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Tried and True (See the back of the packages):

Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce  (It doesn't get any easier than this!)

Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust (on the back of the key lime juice bottle.)

Jiffy Mix Cornbread  (People love that I add whole kernel corn to it.  It makes it more moist and less bland.)

Until next time!

Gale

Lucky You! A "Two-For" Review!

Hello 'Creekers!

Audra and I feel it is our duty to scour Central Ohio for good food (hey, why make something that takes an hour when you can drive an hour there, wait in line and drive an hour back???)

Today we are featuring not one, but two really good sandwich places.  Both were started as family-owned restaurants.  The first one we visited is popular with the Ohio Wesleyan students in Delaware.  There is also one near Polaris Mall.  Turns out it is a national chain so you can look it up at their website linked here:

820 Sunbury Road, Delaware, Ohio location

Dickey's Barbecue Pit

Their sandwiches are huge and reasonably priced.  The meals are the best deal.

I had the green beans.  They were spicy and really good, but my baked potato casserole was a tiny bit dry.  Guess that would be expected because they weren't actually mashed potatoes.

This is a strip mall type place you can either eat in or get take out if you think you will get sauce all over you.  You pick the sauce out and dispense in a cup.

Then then we have...  

Johnny Buccelli's

This is the largest photo I could find.  It is located at 830 Bethel Road in Columbus, Ohio.

This place is connected to Hoggy's and serves really good sandwiches.  I had the Steakhouse Cheesesteak with Provolone.  Audra likes the meatball one.  You can get several sides, but most everyone gets the homemade potato chips which are served warm and come with a sauce sort of like Cane's sauce.  Well, more than sort of...  the prices weren't terrible and the wait for our carry-out was short.  They also serve pasta dishes and paninis.

For more info on either of these, just hit the links above.  

Shortly, I will be posting a "cookbook" with recipes I like when I have to cook!

Until then,

Gale