Classic TV On The Internet

This is a great site for all you out there who grew up when I did. You know, in the old "classic" days (cringe). It's a fun way to reconnect to the past when TV actually showed something worth watching ;) Just the cartoons alone are worth it.

http://television.aol.com/in2tv

Four Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

When a friend of mine gave me this recipe for my son, who is on a gluten free casein (dairy) free diet, I could not believe it only had four ingredients. I was sure it meant they would come out yucky. No flour? No way! She assured me that they would turn out great. She had made them for her son (who is also on the same diet) for Thanksgiving, so he would have something sweet to eat. He had a few and everyone else ate the rest! Encouraged, I went home and made them that day. I swear, they are better than any version of peanut butter cookies I've ever had. Even if you don't have to avoid gluten or casein, you gotta try these.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

Mix all ingredients well. Roll small sections of batter into about 1 inch balls, place on baking sheet. Using a fork dipped in sugar, make a criss cross pattern on the cookie, being careful not to flatten the cookie too much.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

"Diligence is a good thing, but taking things easy is much more restful."
-Mark Twain

The Rice Game

My daughter told me about this website she learned about at school. But I didn't get what she was explaining until I saw an article about it in the local newspaper. It's fun, addicting, and it's for a great cause. Who can argue with that?

http://www.freerice.com/

Irresistible Chocolate Pecan Pie

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We managed to host Thanksgiving dinner without any burned food or relatives inflicting bodily harm on each other. Whew! And just to stir things up a bit this year, I tried a new Pecan Pie recipe- with chocolate! Am I an adventurous gal, or what?! Boredom was setting in with the same old pie every year so when I saw this recipe, I went for it. It is delicious! I think I might make another one around Christmas, for company, of course ;)

Chocolate Pecan Pie

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 Tblsp. butter, melted

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 pecans (I used walnuts-they were cheaper!)

1 unbaked pie crust shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler (I used the microwave; it worked fine. Microwave only until warm then stir until melted). Let cool slightly. Add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Stir until blended. Mix in pecans.

Bake in oven 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool to room temp. before serving.

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

-Edward Sandford Martin

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"

-Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving"

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

One of the pleasures in life is having food that makes you feel warm and cozy inside. This Chicken Noodle Soup recipe does that for me. I make it frequently in the winter but I also make it in the summer too, especially on a rainy day. The ingredients are easy to put together, and the soup takes a few hours to simmer. It's all worth it. The end result with have you sighing with contentment :)

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 meaty chicken frame (I use leftovers from Rotissorie chickens we eat for dinner)
1 boneless chicken breast uncooked, if needed for extra meat
8 cups water
2 onions quartered
1 can chicken broth or 1 tblsp. instant chicken bouillion granules
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 tsps. dried oregano, basil, or thyme, crushed
3 cups any combination of sliced celery, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, cabbage

In a large pot, place chicken frame, boneless chicken, water, onions, broth (or bouillion), garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken frame and cool. Remove meat from bones and discard bones.
Cut up boneless chicken breast to bite size pieces. Add to meat from frame.

Strain broth, discarding solids. Return broth to pot. Stir in undrained tomatoes, spice, chicken meat, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir in vegetables. Return to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Spoon over noodles. Serve with warm, buttered bread.

I usually use regular no yolk egg noodles for this dish but since my son is on a special diet and can't eat gluten, I used rice noodles from the "ethnic" section of the grocery store. They were very good and worked out well.

“To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup.”
-Laurie Colwin

"Beautiful soup, so rich and green
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup! Beautiful soup!
Who cares for fishGame, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth of beautiful soup?"
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

A Note Of Thanks

Here is an easy and fun way to thank a soldier today. With the upcoming holidays, I'm sure they would really appreciate anything that shows we are thinking about them.

http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins (Copy Cat)

Copy cat recipes are so much fun! So is going out to dinner, but when you are on a tight budget with a family, making restaurant meals at home can be a treat. This recipe is the ultimate in easy, especially since grocery stores sell frozen bags of chicken strips so all you have to do is thaw them and start cooking. Makes a great weekday meal.

Chicken Tenderloins Cracker Barrel Style

1 lb. boneless chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1 tsp. lime juice

1 1/2 tsp. honey

Mix dressing, lime juice, and honey together. Pour over chicken tenders making sure all chicken is covered. Marinate for 1 hour. Grill chicken or braise in a non stick pan on stove until lightly golden, but not dry.

Makes 2 servings (which of course I triple!)

"People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after."
-Oliver Goldsmith