Hanging Planters

How clever is this?  I can see these holding small flowering plants easily.  Coffee cans would make an excellent start.  Poke some drainage holes in the bottom. Cover with decorative fabric and trim with your trusty hot glue gun.  poke holes in the top sides and attach some twine, and voila!  hanging planters.  Or just cover some cleaned out vegetable cans and decorate and add cut flowers.  Without the twine, would make clever tabletop decorations for an outdoor picnic or pool party.   And for those patio parties, fill with a little sand, and add in your citronella candles for a lovely ambient light with a purpose.

 For these and other decorating ideas, click on the link  INTERESTING PROJECTS AND IDEAS on the right side of our blog.  I am a collector of interesting projects and ideas with an artistic or creative bent.  I especially love turning nothing into something.

Sweet Tea and Cornbread: Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas!

Sharing a delicious recipe from my friend Kathy at Sweet Tea and Cornbread.    If you haven't visited her blog, you should.

     Sweet Tea and Cornbread: Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas!: As you can tell, if you have followed this site and my recipes for very long, I love spicy foods.  My favorite ethnic food is probably Italian, but I would have to say Mexican is a close second.  The city I live in has grown a lot over the last twenty five years or so and even though it's still just a midsized southern city, we do have a large Hispanic population and a lot of restaurants that offer some really good Mexican cuisine. 

 

 I like to try to recreate some of their dishes at home and I have even been known to ask some of  the Hispanic ladies about various ingredients at the local WalMart or grocery store.  The funny part is that many of these folks do not speak much English and my 2 years of high school Spanish and 1 semester of college Spanish is pretty much long forgotten, so  it can be difficult to communicate at times.  

 

 One day, at the cheese case, I was pondering over which white Mexican melting cheese to buy to make queso dip, because mine just never tasted like the kind you get in the restaurants, and there was a family there buying some cheese also.  I watched what they picked up and  I just asked them if what I had was good.  They looked at me blankly, so I picked two kinds and said this one or this one?  It was instant understanding.  The older woman took both of them and put them back on the shelf and then picked out two completely different things and put them in my cart.  She was talking the whole time and the younger girls with her were just smiling.  I thanked her with my best gracias...I did remember that much and we parted.   My husband had been waiting by the freezer across the way for me, watching and wondering what was wrong with me.  He said, I now know there is not anyone you  won't try to start a conversation with about food (or anything else really)  and succeed...even those who do no speak a word of English.  I now know the right Mexican cheese to buy though.  I like to go to the source of the best, authentic information.

 

These chicken enchiladas are one of the dishes I use one of those cheeses in and it makes them so creamy and good.  The rest of the recipe is adapted from a recipe my sister makes and gets rave reviews on from her family and friends.  I did use the chicken that I made for the Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos , but you can also just roast some chicken breasts seasoned with some taco seasoning. 

Here is what you will need for these yummy enchiladas.

 

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken seasoned with taco seasoning (3-4 breasts work for this)

6 large flour tortillas  (10 inch)

3 cups white shredded Mexican melting cheese or Monterrey Jack cheese (If you like spicier dishes you can use Pepper Jack Cheese)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

3 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

3 cups half and half cream

8 oz. sour cream

1  (4.5 oz) can of green chillies

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Tabasco sauce, increase if you like more spice)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.   

 

Divide the chicken evenly between the six flour tortillas and sprinkle with the white cheese, reserving 1 cup for the top of the dish. 

 

 I used the slow cooker chicken that I prepared for chicken tacos.  If you bake your chicken or use a rotisserie chicken you may want to add some taco seasoning to it for flavor.  Just mix in about 1 - 2 Tbs. with the chicken or sprinkle the breasts with it before baking.

 

Divide the chicken between the tortillas and sprinkle with some of the white cheese.  Roll them all up and line them up in the baking dish side by side.

 

This is the white cheese I used, if you can get it, it's really good, but you can use Monterrey Jack or even Pepper Jack for a little more heat. 

 

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the flour, cook for a few minutes.  Add the half and half, salt, pepper, garlic powder,  and cumin.  Whisk until it bubbles and thickens.  Turn heat off and add hot sauce and sour cream.  Whisk until smooth.  Add green chillies.

 

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the reserved cup of white cheese and the 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. 

 

Uncover and bake for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese is just starting to brown.

Sprinkle with cilantro and salsa or pico de gallo and serve with rice and or refried beans.

 

 

CAPRESE CON SPINACHI

Caprese con Spinachi -- a beautiful fresh garden tomato and bull mozzarella salad served over a bed of baby spinach greens.  Easy, low fat and delicious.  Makes a wonderful dinner all by itself or as an accompaniment to any summer dinner.  Since I have bushels and bushels of tomatoes coming in my backdoor, we eat this frequently as supper.  It's light, but filling.  Quick to fix and always satisfying with those garden fresh tomatoes.  If you don't have or can't get fresh summer tomatoes, I recommend you use nice, red, ripe Romas.  Pick the reddest ones you can find.  Yield: 2 or more servings

Caprese con Spinachi Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium-large fresh tomatoes, peeled & cored if desired
1 sleeve of BelGiosi water pack Mozzarella (usually in Deli section)
Fresh Baby Spinach leaves
Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Basil (snipped or cut into chiffonade)

Directions:
Put a very healthy handful of baby spinach in the center of two dinner plates. Slice your tomatoes and lay around the edges of the plates.  Interlace slices of mozzarella between the tomatoes.  Scatter cut, fresh basil over all.  Generously salt (I use coarse sea salt) and pepper (fresh ground is best).  Drizzle EVOO over both plates; then drizzle vinegar over both plates.  Voila!  Ready to serve.

If you have extra tomatoes, and love them like we do, pare another medium tomato and cut into 8ths, not cutting all the way to the bottom.  I do this holding the tomato in my hand.  Spread out in center of plate.  Add some chunked up mozzarella and season when you season up the plates.

This is also excellent service with Triscuit crackers. We especially like with the Garlic Parmesan crackers and maybe a fresh green onion on the side and a big ole glass of cold tea.

Enjoy~
~~Aunt Betty

The Summer Tomato Saga

Today I'm still cooking up, peeling and canning tomatoes. More tomatoes.  Now that Mr. Jim has retired, it seems like he is checking that garden 2x a day.  It's hot in there and I have the a/c cranked down to 'meat locker' and still I'm sweatin' up a storm.  Maybe I can sweat some fat off.  So I'm off to ladle up the batch on the stove now.  Have a great afternoon everyone!

GARDEN CRISP COLESLAW

GARDEN CRISP COLESLAW
-- Aunt Betty's Kitchen (c)

I got this recipe from my mother sometime back in the late 70's or early 80's.  It is delicious and I remember her fixing it for reunions and gatherings around the house.  Toss together the night before to save time the day of your event!  Makes lots!

Ingredients
                                                      1 medium head cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups)

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
2-1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1/3 cup diced greed or red bell peppers
1/2 small onion, grated or finely diced

In large bowl, toss cabbage, pineapple, carrots, peppers & onion until well mixed.  Cover and chill several hours or overnight.  Just before serving, add dressing.

Dressing

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip)
3 Tbs each white vinegar, evaporated milk & sugar
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In small bowl, with whisk or fork mix all ingredients until smooth and well blended.
Yield: about 1-1/4 cups dressing.

Refrigerate any leftover dressing

OPTIONAL ADD INS:  Sunflower seed kernels, sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans

Sweet Tea and Cornbread: Zucchini Bread!

A delicious recipe from our friends at Sweet Tea and Cornbread: Zucchini Bread!:     
     This is a great way to use the abundance of zucchini so many of us have in the summer. 

Photo courtesy of Sweet Tea and Cornbread

This bread is a lightly sweetened bread good for breakfast or with a cup of coffee for an afternoon snack.  It's also a great way to get the kids to eat something nutritious without a fuss.  You might want to call it something besides 'zucchini bread' with them though...lol.   I like it with  a honey cream cheese spread.  You knew I would have to make it more fattening.  You can use light cream cheese though if it makes us feel better.   This is so easy to whip up, here is what you will need: 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar

1 cup shredded zucchini

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,

Mix first 5 ingredients in a separate bowl.   In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, eggs, oil, zucchini and lemon zest.  Add vanilla.   Gradually add flour mixture.  Fold in nuts.

Pour into a well greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before turning it out. 

Cinnamon Honey Cream Cheese Spread
1  8oz block of cream cheese, softened (I used light)
3 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

recipe courtesy of: SWEET TEA & CORNBREAD

MY FUR BABIES

Since I have no children, I do like to share pictures of my family, and my fur babies when I can.

Meet Buddy, our 9 year old male Weimaraner.  He gives new meaning to the term "Velcro Dog" and is always at your side.  As a puppy, he slept in our then bookcase headboard, but of course quickly outgrew that.  He is a bed hog and pillow snagger.  Left to his own devices, you will find him on my side of the bed, snuggled up in my pillows.  He used to love playing catch with just about anything, but old age is catching up to him now, and mostly he just like laying around on momma's bed and doing  whatever I'm doing.  He is curious, loving and still thinks he is a lap dog at 140 pounds.

Buddy aka Mr Curious

Pepper

Meet our 'little miss priss" -- Pepper --a poodle/schnauzer mix as best we can tell.  This little thing found me on a hot, and dark July night, down the lonely lane approaching our house, I saw something dark in the road as I returned from my brother's house about midnight.  There was no moon.  As I approached, I realized it was what appeared to be a puppy.  <Screech> The brakes went on, the door flew open and I called her.  She came a-running and jumped immediately into my lap and started giving me a million little puppy kisses.  I was surely doomed and facing some wrath by bringing home yet another dog.  I secreted her into the house.  Thankfully Mr. Jim was fast asleep.  Into my bathroom we went and I got my first good look at her.  oh my!  She was matted up something fierce. A brush couldn't go through her fur. She was covered in fleas and lord knew what else. I knew I could not let her around the other dogs, so I got her some food and water (she was so emaciated) and began to love her back to good health.  The very next morning off to the vet we went.  She weighed 10-1/2 pounds, very underweight; had conjunctivitis in both eyes but thankfully was heartworm and free of any other pests other than those fleas.  Next stop: The groomer.  I paid dearly for that visit.  I tried, well.... I made a few perfunctory stops... to try and find her owners.  I realized that if someone had loved her, she wouldn't have been out on the road, in the sweltering heat and in the condition she was in.  That was it. She was mine.  And whoever had her before me didn't deserve her and at that point I had a significant financial investment in the little squirt.  She is now my constant companion. I move, she moves.  She loves riding in the car. She particularly likes to go to the bank coz cookies come back through the window.  It's like I've always had her. I know she is now forever in my heart.

Mitzi - aka the Wonder Dog

Beautiful Heirloom Iris

These iris bulbs were rescued from my great Aunt Lettie's flowerbed and now bloom gorgeously at my maternal Aunt's house near Oklahoma City.  They are so striking with two such distinct colors.  I just had to share.  I need to dig some of those tubers up myself next time I go visiting my favorite Auntie.

Heirloom Iris, Jones, OK May 2013
AuntBettysKitchen1.blogspot.com

CHEDDAR'S SANTA FE SPINACH DIP *copy cat*

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pint half and half
• 2 cups Kraft’s Pepper Jack Cheese
• 2 8 ounce cream cheese packs
• 2 4 ounce green chili pepper cans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 20 ounces frozen spinach
• Salt and Pepper to taste (1 layer of top of mixing bowl)
• 1 Tablespoon Sour Cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, defrost frozen spinach in microwave for 5 minutes on high.  Drain excess water from mixing bowl.  Soften cream cheese blocks in microwave at 30 second intervals until cream cheese is mixable.  Add softened cream cheese into mixing bowl.  Add Pepper Jack cheese, green chili peppers, onion, salt, pepper, and chopped jalapeno peppers to mixing bowl.   Mix thoroughly.  Slowly add half and half stirring intermittently.  Pour spinach mixture into 9X13 baking dish.  Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for ½ hour.  Add sour cream and stir dip thoroughly for serving.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Source:  http://brassandwhatnots.blogspot.com/2012/09/cheddars-santa-fe-spinach-dip-copy-cat.html

NATURAL GNAT KILLER

Gnats in the summertime can be awful.  If you have a problem, this is a great solution.

Natural Gnat Killer

What you will need:
1 small jar or bowl
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbs water
1 drop of mild liquid dish washing detergent such as Dawn.

Here is what you do!
Pour apple cider vinegar into the jar/bowl.
Add water then add just one drop of mild liquid dish detergent.
Set the mixture in the area where gnats are a problem.
The gnats are naturally attracted to the vinegar and the drop of soap kills them.

Now this I am going to try

Courtesy of Jana's Skinny Friends Support Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/254983477933046/ 

LINKS FOR HOME CANNING & PRESERVING

Raw Pack Tomatoes-photo courtesy of NCHFP

CANNING HOW-TO

This page provides great tutorials for the beginning home canner.  I keep it bookmarked because occasionally I have questions too.

Another really good website showing that home canning can and is a family affair!
http://www.provident-living-today.com/Home-Canning.html

And, lest we forget, the National Center for Home Food Preservation
http://nchfp.uga.edu/multimedia.html




Happy canning!

AUNT BETTY'S FAMOUS HORSEY EGGS

AUNT BETTY'S FAMOUS HORSEY EGGS
http://auntbettyskitchen1.blogspot.com/

These deviled eggs are a must at any of our family functions.  They are spicy, but not too much and I never have any left, no matter how many I make.  If you are not taking to a large gathering, obviously you can cut the egg count down and adjust seasonings to your taste. I swear on the Alamo these are the best ever. ~~Aunt Betty

INGREDIENTS:
18 count carton of large eggs
1 jar of Kraft horseradish sauce
French's mustard
Miracle Whip
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In large kettle, put in eggs and water. Heavily salt the water.  Bring to full rolling boil. Boil 5 minutes. Turn heat off, and cover pot.  Let sit 15 minutes.

Drain eggs and run under cold tap water. Peel eggs. Shells should slip right off.

Halve the eggs, and drop yolks into your food processor.  Dump in all of the horseradish sauce, or as much as you can get out of the thing, a medium squirt of mustard, a big dollop of Miracle Whip, salt and pepper.  (I like white pepper in this).

Pulse until mixture is smooth.  Spoon into freezer zip bag.  get the air out and seal.  Squish the egg mixture to the bottom.  snip a smallish opening in the corner.  Lay out your egg whites. Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Pipe the egg mixture into the eggs. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Tomatoes Everywhere!

This winter's supply cookin' up!

Tonight's Tomato Bounty

We normally harvest in the evenings and this is a small sampling of tonight's harvest from our garden. I'll bet I have already given away about 8 bushels of tomatoes and at least 3-4 bushels of Zucchini and Squash.  Thank goodness the zukes and squash are slowing down (getting too hot in this Texas heat).

But the tomatoes are still coming off gangbusters.

This is my big stainless mixing bowl (on the left) and as you can see it is overflowing with rich, ripe goodness.  There were more cherry tomatoes, but I couldn't resist and ate a bunch of them after washing.  

And for the rest that had a few spots, were super ripe or were misshapen, into the pot they went and they are cooking away now.  Winter is always good at our house because I have lots of summer veg put up.  But we need 'super fan' in the kitchen during canning season.  All the burners going it gets hotter than a firecracker in there!

Don't worry about peeling your tomatoes. 

Get the bad spots out, peel off any funky peel or areas of the tomato, slice up and put in a heavy bottom stock pot.  Cook until they are reduced by at least half.  Run through a wire mesh sieve and any seeds and skins will be retained. 

I usually sieve into the giant Tupperware bowl that I've had since the early 1970's and then put it all back into the pot and cook about another 15-20 minutes. 

Have your hot sterilized jars and seals ready and ladle into prepared jars.  I add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 Tbs lemon juice to the top of  a pint jar (leaving 1/2" headspace), (or 1 + 1);  wipe the rims and seal.  Set on a tea towel on the counter and wait for them to seal.  You will hear them popping.  Double check after 24 hours to make sure they all sealed.  If you have one that didn't seal, stick it in the fridge and use it within a few days.  Once completely cooled, I remove the rings and store.  I never store my canned jars with the rings on because sometimes they get so stuck on you can't get them off later.  At least that's the way I learned.  DO NOT RETIGHTEN the rings once you tighten them.  There will be some contraction usually after they seal.

If you are a novice to canning and preserving, I can strongly recommend the 'bible' of canning:  Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, available at most book retailers, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Target and places like that.

THE LAUNCH

Launching my blog site and I'm so excited, and nervous.  I'm really happy to expand exposure to more friends who want to explore our southern Texas culture through food, family, friends, projects and ideas.  I still have my Facebook Group Kitchen #1 and Facebook Page Kitchen #2 of Aunt Betty's Kitchen, but we should have more fun and a wider audience here.

I learned to cook at the hands of my maternal grandmother, my maternal Aunt, and my ex's grandmother.  My mother wasn't much of an experimental cook and we never knew rice was supposed to be fluffy until I was grown!  When I first married at 18 I was pathetic.  Broiled steak, salads, HB Helper (c) and sandwiches.  Country farm boys do not like to eat that 24/7, so I got the bath of fire in a country kitchen cooking for my ex, his brothers, father, uncles, grandfather and farm hands 3 times a day.  To Nanny's dismay, I never really mastered her biscuits, but believe me I can make a mean pan of cream gravy anytime. Plain, country cookin' is what I do best.  Foo-foo cookin' is what I play and experiment with.

The hubby has just retired (officially July 5) and I have him started on that 29 year long 'honey-do" list of projects.  We just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary yesterday as well. So a whole new chapter is starting. We'll just have to see how it all goes and how many of these grand ideas I've had actually get done.  I hope to keep you entertained with the progress.

Besides gardening, cooking, and canning, I also have fun painting, drawing, working on fused glass, repurposing found objects into art and functional projects.  I will share some of my 'other' fun with you guys periodically.

So, let's have fun, get some cooking and recipe sharin' going on and get to know each other better.

~~Aunt Betty