Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars

It is week #3 for sweet potato recipes.  If you have one that you would like to share, email it to me and I'll be sure to post it for everyone to try.  This is my own little concoction.

1 cup flour

½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup finely chopped pecans

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup cooked, mashed sweet potato

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Combine flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.  Add pecans and mix well; reserve ½ cup mixture.  Press remaining mixture into bottom of ungreased 8x8 glass baking dish.  Bake 15 minutes and remove from oven.  Cool slightly.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, sweet potato, eggs, vanilla and spices and mix on medium speed until well blended and smooth.   Pour over cooled crust and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 350º 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into squares.  Garnish with pecan halves if desired.

© Crackerberries 2011

Wheaties Chicken -- the supper of champions

Wheaties Chicken

{THE SUPPER OF CHAMPIONS}

1½-2 lbs chicken pieces (legs & thighs)

3 tbsp skim milk

1½ cups Wheaties, finely crushed

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven 400º and spray baking dish with cooking oil.  Dip chicken pieces in milk and shake in zip lock bag with Wheaties and cayenne pepper.  Place in baking dish and bake 20 minutes at 400º then reduce heat to 375º and continue cooking for 40 minutes longer; served here with “Fantabulous Potatoes” and acorn squash.

© Crackerberries 2011

PERMISSION GRANTED

PERMISSION GRANTED

I missed yesterday because I’ve been contemplating about putting this blog on or not.  I am scared.  What will people think?  What if I offend them?  Then I thought who cares what people think?  This is my blog and my opinion and I can put whatever I want to put on here.  This is the word according to Crackerberries.  If it is convicting, then I’ve done my job and maybe you have thought a little bit more about the things I write and do some contemplating of your own.

Permission granted are two words in the English language that used to come as an unexpected freedom.  Now they are two words that when used together, are completely taken out of context.  Permission is taken for granted and if not approved it doesn’t matter it is executed anyways.  Remember that standard old saying your mother or father used to say, “I give you an inch and you take a mile”?  My husband still says it to the dog when we go for our walks and he lets the lead out a little and no matter how much he lets the lead out, the dog pulls it right tight to the end.

Society has become our dog and permission granted has turned into deserved entitlement.  It really bothers me when I see people that use and abuse programs and systems that were put in place to protect and help the underprivileged.  Instead of enjoying the things that come unanticipated, society somehow came to the conclusion that they are owed compensation for being born.  They take advantage of anything and everything. 

I was talking with an acquaintance that was out to dinner with some people from work and could order anything they wanted on the menu.  She went for the most expensive thing; why because work was paying for it why not take full advantage?  I am privy to another story about a lovely young lady whose seasonal job is coming to an end and doesn’t have another job lined up yet.  She spent a large amount of money on a new handbag instead of saving the money.  Why?  Entitlement; taking for granted that a new job will come along when she is ready to take one.

I have to stop watching the news because it drives me crazy at how ridiculous this world has become.  For example, the quarterback for the local college football team failed to live up to the terms of being reinstated and is dismissed from the team for the 6^th time; supposedly permanently this time. I have nothing against the USC football coach or team or people in place that make the decisions.  Not that I know any of the details of the first five times, but hello?  Who is teaching who a lesson here?  What happened to three strikes your out?  Six times; why did he have that many chances; because he was a good quarterback star?  Apparently so and a very slow learner at that; he must be a yellow-dot. 

Then we have those foolish Wall Street protesters hanging out in the big cities making stupid signs, being obnoxious, dressing ridiculously and making a nuisance of themselves.  They complain about corporate greed and economic inequality.  Have you seen the clothes they wear, the laptops and the cell phones they carry around, the tents they camp in, even the food they are eating?  It seems like everyone interviewed has a gourmet coffee in their hand.  And who in the world is paying for the paint and other sign making supplies?  They probably ought to lower their standards and get a job even if it is at McDonalds.  I bet most of them don’t even know what they are protesting for.  Of course the media doesn’t help…who writes the questions they ask anyways?  Have you ever heard anything so pathetic when they interview someone who has just lost a loved one to a tragic death and they ask “How did it make you feel when you got the news?”  Hello?  How do you think it made them feel, idiot?

College graduates are upset because they cannot find a job in the field that they studied for hence making it impossible to pay their student loans.  A college education used to be a privilege and if you couldn’t afford it you couldn’t go.  Now people seem to think they are an heir of entitlement.  Can’t afford it?  Don’t worry, be happy, we’ll give you a student loan and you can pay it back. And then after that you can get a mortgage and buy a house and pay that back too.   Hello? The unemployment situation has had issues for quite some time now; jobs don’t come by easy.  Any student signing up for a college education thinking they are going to find a suitable job to pay back a loan four years later must be a complete moron. 

The people in the world have turned stupid.  A hamburger from McDonalds used to be a treat to enjoy and savor because eating out wasn’t “the norm”.  Now the average person eats out five times a week.  Five times!  I bet some eat out more than that.  That is crazy and it is no wonder people can’t afford to pay their bills.  Try a fried bologna sandwich, people.

Okay so I’ve gone off on my little rant about the world turning stupid and how people think they are entitled to everything and anything.  The only thing they are really entitled to is death.  Permission granted comes from the acceptance of Jesus Christ.  He is the way, the truth and the life.  No one gets to The Father except through Him.  Unexpected freedom comes when He sets one free from their sin.  I plan to take full advantage of that promise of life in eternity.  Forgive me Lord, for going off on a tangent.  It does not matter how crazy this world gets and how stupid people act because one day I’ll be in a place where everything is perfect.

© Crackerberries 2011

Spiced Pear Butter

Spiced Pear Butter

12 large pears, peeled, cored & chopped

Cook down for about 1 hour in 1 cup water (add more water if needed)

Mash/purée pears to equal 2½ quarts pear pulp

4½ cups sugar

½ cup orange juice

1 tbsp grated candied ginger

1 tbsp grated orange peel

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves 

Combine pear pulp and sugar in a large sauce pan and stir until sugar dissolves.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium/high and cook until thick enough to round up on spoon, stirring often (about 1½ hours).   Spoon into hot sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes; yield: 6 pints

© Crackerberries 2011

Sweet Potato Soufflé

It is week #2 for sweet potato recipes.  If you have one that you would like to share, email it to me and I'll be sure to post it for everyone to try.  A real southern belle shared this recipe with me.  Hope Hall from Lexington, South Carolina, this one is a definite keeper in our house; easy and tasty.

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup milk

1/3 cup margarine

Mix ingredients together and put in lightly greased casserole dish.

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup softened butter

Combine ingredients together until crumbly and sprinkle over potatoes.  Bake at 350º for 35 minutes.  Serve as side dish or dessert or I even had some for breakfast.  It is 'wicked' good.

© Crackerberries 2011

Honey Dijon Chicken

Barbie’s Autumn Chicken

1 large chicken breast

1 tsp lime juice

2 tsp vegetable oil

½ cup Dijon mustard

½ cup honey

4 slices bacon, halved

4 mushrooms, halved

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

4 slices cheddar cheese

Italian seasoning

Combine lime juice, vegetable oil, Dijon mustard and honey in medium bowl and beat with electric mixer just until frothy.  Remove skin and bone from chicken breast and divide into 4 pieces.  Place in zip lock bag and pour ¾ of the mustard mixture over the chicken.  Let stand for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350º. In a cast iron fry pan cook the bacon until crisp; sauté the mushrooms briefly in the last minute or so of cooking bacon.  Remove bacon and mushrooms and keep 1 tbsp grease.  If the bacon grease is too yucky, wipe out pan and use vegetable oil.  Sear chicken in pan for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown.

In same pan, brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade.  Lay two slices of bacon halves on each breast, top with two slices of mushrooms and one slice each of the cheeses. 

Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes until the cheeses is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble.  Top with Italian seasoning before serving. 

© Crackerberries 2011

Halloween

What Makes You Go Boo!

          It was a dark and stormy night and fire burned from the carved eyes and mouths of the Jack-O-Lanterns that were strategically placed along the path of moldy gravestones.  A skeleton hung in the doorway that was partially blocked by a huge spider’s web, occupied by a black spider with furry gray legs.  A big black cat with yellow eyes perched on the window sill.  Rumor has it that the cat used to be a witch named Agatha who changed herself one too many times.  As the old legend goes, the Jack-O-Lanterns are used to ward off the evil spirits.   Jack-O-Lantern refers to an old Irish miser named Drunken Jack who made a deal with the devil to pay his pub tab.  He tricked the devil and ended up being banned from heaven and hell and is destined to walk the earth with a lantern until judgment.

This time of year makes me think of Stephen King and I often wonder if this time of year is a good writing month for him.  Halloween or All Hallows Day celebrates the death of the old year with rejoicing in the supply of fruits and other foods stored up for the coming winter. It is the season that the most candy is sold (part of that secular commercialization), more so than Valentine’s Day and Easter combined.  Halloween is the biggest holiday for parties and some houses are more decked out with creepy crawlers than Christmas lights at Christmastime. 

I saw on the news today an outside Halloween decoration that is getting quite a bit of attention.  It is a riding lawn mower over a bloody body.  Some people laughed while others are outraged; one person called 911 to report it because it looked so real.  You know what really scares me; the celebration of Halloween.   People turn death into a commercialized fun and games kind of thing.

Consider this:  Hell is a real place.  It is not a place where people go to hang out with their friends.   Unquenchable thirst, fire, grief, pain, everlasting destruction, tormented with  fire and brimstone, gnashing of teeth, burning coals, darkness, no sleep, no rest, not even a quiet moment; these are all references to hell quoted from the Bible.  You might be thinking, “Oh, I don’t believe that.”  It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not… it is real, it is true.

Demons are real.  Demons are here on earth.  Satan, the thief, does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy.  Anytime is a good time for him to catch a person off guard, but now is especially crucial because people let their guard down.  People tend to listen to ludicrous ideas and rituals.  It is easy to get enveloped in a trend and follow a path that is already laid.  The Bibles says “wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it”.   This is the perfect time for cults to be created, alternative beliefs to be practiced.  Do not let your guard down.  We must continue to stay focused on God and His word, His way, His statutes.

I looked at the picture of the lawn mower and perhaps it is distasteful and somehow inconsiderate of the squeamish.  But we live in a distasteful world.  Most people are concerned only for themselves and bringing glory to themselves even if it is in a repugnant manner.  God created a perfect world for us and we destroyed it and now we get to exist with the consequences of living in a sin cursed world.  

I find that people get bent out of shape over the most insignificant things.  Just listening to the news will educate a person enough to know that our world is very misguided.  Here are a few good examples of why not to believe everything on the news: one news reporter suggested that working nine hours a day for four days a week equals a 40 hour work week, while another reporter believes there are 52 states in the US and yet another highly educated person thinks Washington DC is a state.  We never should revere anyone except God and His word.  Believe the Bible and stay on the narrow yet difficult path.

© Crackerberries 2011

Beef Stew & Sage Dumplings

1 lb stew meat

½ cup flour         
1 tsp pepper

1 tsp thyme
Shake these ingredients together in a zip lock bag.

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

32 oz beef broth

1 qt tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper

Brown beef in vegetable oil on all sides; add beef broth, tomatoes, bay leaf and seasoning and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for on hour.

4 carrots, peeled & sliced

1-2 stalks celery, sliced

1 onion, chopped

6 small red potatoes, quartered

1 cup frozen peas

Add carrots, celery, onion and potatoes to stew and return to boil; reduce heat and simmer on med/low heat for 45 minutes.  Add peas and return to boil. 

Sage Dumplings

1½ cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp fresh rubbed sage

Mix all ingredients together just until moistened.  Once stew is boiling add dumplings by spoonfuls, cover, reduce heat and cook 13-15 minutes.  Do not remove cover while dumplings are cooking.  Cool 10-15 minutes with cover off before serving. 

© Crackerberries 2011

Candied Sweet Potatoes

My plan is to add a sweet potato recipe each week until Thanksgiving.  They are so yummy.  If you have a favortie recipe you would like to share, please, do email it to me and I’ll cook them up, take a picture and post them and all the credit will go to you.

4 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup real maple syrup

2 tbsp brown sugar

½ cup butter

Nutmeg (optional)

Slice cooked sweet potatoes and arrange in greased baking dish.  Melt butter and combine with remaining ingredients.  Pour over sweet potatoes and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes until brown and glazed over; spoon sauce over potatoes before serving. 

© Crackerberries 2011

Fried Ravioli & Marinara Sauce

It is official; we’re "living" in the south now.  Never saw it coming.  We had fried pasta for supper last night ... and we liked it.

12 oz Five cheese frozen ravioli

1 pint marinara sauce

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup roasted vegetable Ritz cracker crumbs (finely crumbed)

1 egg

¼ cup half & half

Oil for frying

Slightly thaw raviolis (15 minutes or so).  Combine cracker crumbs with ¼ cup parmesan cheese in one bowl.  Beat egg and half & half in another bowl.  Dip raviolis in egg mixture then coat both sides in crumbs.  Deep fry in 2 inches of hot oil (325º) for about 2 minutes (flipping once during cooking).  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with marinara sauce and bread sticks.

© Crackerberries 2011

Pork & Pear Combos

Porky Pear Egg Rolls

1 lb pork tenderloin cut into bite size pieces

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp Creole seasoning

1½ tsp fresh ground gingerroot

1 tsp allspice

1 cup finely chopped pears

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp brandied pear preserves

8 egg roll wrappers

Oil for frying

Sprinkle pork with pepper, garlic powder and Creole seasoning.  Cook in large skillet until no longer pink, remove from pan.  Cool slightly and then chop up very fine, almost minced.

Add onions and pears to same pan as pork was cooked in and sauté 5 minutes or so.  Return pork to pan and add gingerroot, allspice and pear preserves; cook just until aromatic and hot.  Remove from heat.

Let mixture cool for about 15-20 minutes.  Spoon 2 Tbsp into each egg wrapper and roll and seal like a present.  Deep fry at 350º until golden brown, turning occasionally (about 2 minutes per side); drain on paper towels and serve with fried rice and homemade duck sauce (A.K.A. Brandied Pear Preserves)

© Crackerberries 2011

No Bake Cookies

Chocolate for BREAKFAST

This is my way of it being okay to have chocolate for breakfast.  What?  There is a good healthy dose of oatmeal in each cookie!

2 cups sugar

3 tbsp cocoa

¼ cup butter

¼ cup butter flavored Crisco

½ cup milk

3 cups rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla

2½ heaping tbsp chunky peanut butter

¼ cup toasted coconut

½ cup raw peanuts

Melt butter and Crisco together in medium/large sauce pan; add sugar, cocoa and milk and bring to a boil.  Boil one minute and remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, oats, peanuts and coconut.  Drop by mounds on waxed paper and let cool completely (they will harden as they cool).  Great with morning coffee!

© Crackerberries 2011

Mini Jalapeño & Chive Cornbread Loaves

1½ cups self-rising cornmeal

¾ cup milk

1 egg

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup fresh chives

1 cup shredded mozzarella

8 slices (pickled or fresh) jalapeños

Combine milk, egg and oil together in large measuring cup.  Pour over cornmeal in large bowl and mix just until moist.  Fold in chives and most of mozzarella (save some to sprinkle on top).  Spoon into greased mini loaf pans; sprinkle with leftover mozzarella and add two slices of jalapeño to tops of each loaf.  Bake 375º for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before removing from pan and serve warm.

© Crackerberries 2011