French Herbed Chicken

Momma says that if Grandmother made this for Sunday lunch - she never wanted to go over to Jeana or Beverly's house!  No wonder Im so particular about Sunday Dinner!!! If what my momma's cookin is better than what yo mamma's cookin - Im going home with my family!

1 ( 2 1/2-3 lb.) fryer, cut into pieces. ( You know that now days we would buy only the pieces that we want, instead of the whole chicken!  I'm just putting it down how I received it!)
1/3 Cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
oil
1 or 2 Onions, cut into large pieces ( this can be chopped, if you like smaller pieces)
1/2 cup, or several carrots, cut into small sticks
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 sprigs fresh parsley ( I'd chop this!)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 or 3 sprigs of celery leaves ( I usually just add  2 or 3 stalks of celery, making sure they are the tender pieces with leaves from the middle of the stalk. This also can be chopped small, if you prefer....which, as a child, I would have loved the celery and onion  to be chopped small...but Mom never did!)
1 Can of Cream Soup, undiluted, either Chicken, Celery or Mushroom; whichever you have on  hand.  (I like celery the best)
(Mom says that if you are using 2 chickens, use 2 cans of soup)

1. Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish.  Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.  Heat oil in skillet on medium/high heat, and brown chicken pieces on all sides, and drain on paper towels.  These don't need to get done, just browned.
2. Place chicken pieces in a 9x13" casserole dish.  Arrange onions, celery and carrots around the chicken pieces.
3. Mix soup, thyme and garlic together, and add to the chicken dish, spreading the mixture as evenly as possible over the pieces.  Add parsley and bay leaf. 
4.  Cover with foil, and bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees.  (Mom would bake it on 225 degrees for 3 1/2 hours, during church!)

Poppy Seed Bread

Much to my surprise when I came looking for our poppy seed bread recipe on here it wasn't here.  It is the very best poppy seed bread I have ever put in my mouth!  It was passed to me from my mother who got it from one of her sweet friends Renee Whitley.  Renee is one of the best cooks out there.  Everything that she cooks is worth putting in your mouth!
So, without further ado,

Poppy Seed Bread

3 eggs beaten

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 ½ teaspoons butter flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla flavoring

1 ½ teaspoons almond flavoring

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 cups flour

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Combine eggs, sugar, oil, poppy seeds and flavorings together.  Mix well. 

Add flour and milk alternating slowly.  Add salt and baking powder. 

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans, then grease and flour wax paper to line the loaf pans.  Pour in batter dividing it between the two.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Test with toothpick in the center of the loaf to make sure that it is completely done. 

Cool on wire racks for 3 minutes before removing from pans.  Carefully remove the bread and Glaze immediately

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ teaspoon vanilla flavoring

½ teaspoon butter flavoring

Brown Beans (Grandma Branhams way)

  

Sort a pound of pinto beans removing all the split beans as well as any little rocks that may have been in the bag.

Soak the beans over night in a stock pot of water.
This is the type of bean that Grandma would remove. She would throw that out!
Rinse the old water that the beans have been soaking in all night OFF!  Pour in fresh  new water - a couple inches above the bean line.

Cut the top off of a bell pepper just to open up the flavor.  Place the entire pepper, seeds and all still attached inside the stock pot of beans.
Put in a ham hock, and season with lots of salt and pepper!
Also add a couple teaspoons of baking soda. (it helps trust me)









Boil the beans good for an hour or so, and then simmer all afternoon.  Serve them with Jiffy Cornbread Mix and Fried Potatoes and Onions and you have yourself a meal!

Grandma Branham's Cole Slaw

3 Cups finely shredded crisp cold cabbage
green onions, diced fine
(Can add chopped bell pepper and chopped parsley)
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 1/2 teas. salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs. salad oil

1. Combine vegetables, tossing lightly.
2. Just before serving, combine sugar, salt, vinegar and oil, and shake or stir until sugar is dissolved and pour over vegetables.
Grandma would sometimes place the cabbage mixture in the freezer for 15-30 minute before we were to eat, so it would be super cold and crisp! Yum!

Grandma Branham's Potato Salad

Grandma's Potato Salad

Boil potatoes and mash and season with milk, butter, salt and pepper like you would make regular mashed potatoes.
Boil 5 eggs, and grate (save a slice or two to garnish the top)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/4 teas. tumeric
paprika sprinkled on top
2 Tbs. sugar
4 big blobs mayonnaise
5 heaping Tbs. sweet pickle relish.
2 Tbs. vinegar

Mix all up and ENJOY!

Pizza with Hatch Green Chili's

I had to share this video some guys at our church put together!  Isaac and Rob are just great!  Thanks for the shout out boys! Hope that you survived the snowmagedon!

Tip on Cheesecake

I learned this week that if you will bake your cheesecake with a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven, your cake will turn out much better.  I tried this with my mother's key-lime cheesecake just today.  I haven't ever made this cake where It didn't crack in the middle.  - Today it was perfect!  The pan of water made all the difference!  Can't wait to sink my teeth into it!  (in the refrigerator for 24 hours momentarily!)
Cheesecake loves a MOIST oven!

White Chili

It's a Chili sort of day around here with the national weather system that has moved through the area. Even in DFW we are below freezing!  What better to have for supper than Chili!

White Chili
1 pound white beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 clove minced garlic
1 onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can green chilies, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon oregano
1 dash of cloves, ground
1 dash of cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Combine chicken broth, garlic, onion, and beans in a large stockpot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simer for 2 to 3 hours.  Add remaining ingredients, except cheese.  Simmer an additional hour. 
Garnish with Cheese.
Serves 8-10

You can add in tortillas if you prefer!

The January Break

Well as you could tell I have been on a bit of a hiatus this month.  I have been hard at work on a project you will hear more about later.  But I will be more faithful in the coming days to share yummy recipe's that will keep those good ideas for supper coming!