Free Shortstack...

Flip for Free Pancakes!

Join IHOP on March 1, 2011 from 7am to 10pm for National Pancake Day... Receive ONE Complimentary Short Stack FREE..!  In return for the free flapjacks,   IHOP asks you to consider leaving  a little something behind  for  Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and  other designated local charities.  Last Year IHOP raised over 2.1 million, thanks to the generosity donations of the public.. IHOP began  National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then,  IHOP has raised $5.35 million  for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals  and other local charities.. More than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes have been made to date for  this very worthy cause..!! See you  tomorrow at IHOP...!!!

Stop The Clock..!

That feeling of Nostalgia....

My conversations the past several weeks

with those I have known since childhood,

has me yearning for those past 

days of a much more simplified time.. 

Remember the Corner Store?,

usually family owned and operated..

One such store was located on

the block I lived on..

And after we moved to the home

my parents purchased,

around the corner was 

another "little corner" store..

Before taking the short walk

or skipping as I sang...loudly,

(Yes, I was that child)

I counted my pennies 

so I was sure to know exactly

how much candy I could purchase...

Yes, there was a time when

one could purchase candy for one cent,

leaving the store with a small brown paper bag

filled to top with one cent candy..!

I usually left the store with more 

candy than pennies...

The owner was very good friends 

with my Grandfather..:)

and he liked my singing...! 

The candy was usually kept behind a glass

cabinet in large boxes with the lid torn off,

allowing you to claim your own individual pieces..

Most times leaving the store

my journey was short..

I would plop down on the

steps of the store and dig into my overflowing

bag filled with my favorite treats..

Here are a few of my favorites

that filled my bag...

Bazooka Bubble Gum

Candy Buttons

Candy Lipstick

Candy Necklace

Filled Wax

Fruit Striped Gum

Sugar Daddy

Tootsie Filled Pop

Tootsie Roll

Swedish Fish

Any of these look familiar or one of your favorites?

The funny thing about my favorite list above,

Today, I wouldn't eat most of what is shown..!

Yes, today at this time of my life...

It would be some rich Chocolate,

(as my friend Wendy describes)

"Decadent and Fabulous" creation..!

Have a Fabulous Week

K

A Little Less Is Best.....

I get many recipes for my main cooking

dishes from the

Food Network Link

and also from

All Recipes...

 

I frequently compare different 

recipes to my personal liking

to what the ingredients are..

if there is a certain ingredient(s) I do not care 

to work with or like,

or an easier way to prepare...

 

I'll search for a recipe that does not

call for that particular ingredient(s)

and/or cuts down on the preparation time..... 

It can be time consuming,

but worth the research...

 

Some say if you skimp on the high 

fat ingredients,

your dish will not taste as it should....

I say, "Fewie"...!

Any dish can be scaled down to Low Fat

and Low Calories..

 

Below is a recipe I follow for 

Low Fat Fettuccine...

The only ingredients I change is

the Low Fat Milk 

to

Fat Free...

I weaned from whole milk 

to fat free milk when my son was 

able to make the change,

so we are talking many years ago....

To this day I have a hard time

eating "real" whipped cream

and drinking milk higher in

fat than skim milk..

 

 Low Calorie Fettuccine Recipe

From Food Network   

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-fat (2%) milk
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.

Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.

Per serving: Calories 490; Fat 15 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 48 mg; Sodium 734 mg; Carbohydrate 66 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 20 g 

My son makes an awesome Fettuccine Dish....

The garlic smell is out of the ball park when 

he cooks...

Sometimes the need to crack a window

or open a door is necessary...

The final taste is well worth it!!

Have A Great Weekend..!

K

Food Fight...!

If your following the news for the past several weeks,

you may be privy to the Food Fight 

with the

Whoopie Pie Between Lancaster County, PA 

And The

State Of Maine..!

Maine wanting to claim 

the fame of being the

state of the original 

Whoopie Pie..!!??

Being a born native Lancaster County Gal,

I'm here to tell you...

The war is on!!

Whoopie Pies are an origin from the Amish,

in Lancaster County, PA..!!

The Whoopie Pie Recipe is from the 

Old German Decent

of the Amish...

There is no written date as to when the first 

Whoopie Pie was made in

Lancaster County with the Amish,

Due to the fact that Amish Recipes are

Old Recipes that have fed 

generation to generation

for many many years...

The first Whoopie Pie known to be made

in the New England States was made commercially in

1925 at Labadie's Bakery in Lewiston, Mass.

Theory has it,

how the popular Whoopie Pie 

made it's way to 

the New England States is addressed

in a cookbook called

"Yummy Book"

by the Durkee Mower Company,

the Manufacturer of Marshmallow Fluff...

The traditional Amish Whoopie Pie Recipe

does not have Marshmallow Fluff

in the cream filling....

So Maine,

you may want to chose your

second choice for your

State "Treat"....

The Blueberry Pie!

and the rumor is...

Foodies say, Blueberries compliment 

Shellfish very well:))

 Here is a traditional Amish Whoopie Pie Recipe

 1 cup shortening *lard

 2 cups sugar

1 cup hot water with 2 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 cups flour

4 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cup sour milk

2 tsp vanilla 

1 or 2 shakes of salt

Filling: 

1 cup milk

1 cup shortening (lard)

4 Tbls flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

Mix cookie ingredients together.
Batter is slightly thick so it can be dropped from a teaspoon.
Drop onto cookie sheets small rounds of batter,
try to keep them the same size.
*I use a large fruit scoop*

Bake at 375 degrees F
Bake 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

For the filling: 

Cook on low/med heat the milk and flour,

 stirring continuously until thick,

stir so mixture does not stick or burn,
(I use a whisk)

Place in small bowl after cooked.

(I usually let this cool to room temp 

and place wax paper on top

so a skin does not form)

 add shortening and beat 

until very smooth,

then add sugar and vanilla. 

Beat until smooth and creamy.

 Choose two cookies about the same size, 

spread some filling on one and place the other one on top, 

bottoms together

 And a little secret...these taste great frozen...!!

Take it from a true PA Dutch Gal:))

Can you Say...Fun and Spring?!!!

 My "Spring Cuppie"....

I took this idea from my last  post,

and created a Fun and Spring Like Large Cupcake..

My batter of many colors in Cupcake Mold

While shopping last week I came across this

smaller size Mold for A Large Cupcake...

The molds I have seen in the past are much

larger than this one,

and I was not overly fond of the large size.

When I found this on sale for $9.00,

I grabbed it...!

The picture below are the tops 

cut off the Top and Bottom portions of 

the baked cupcake in order for

the two to sit level when assembled together...

This picture gives you an idea of how the colors 

bake so well together and create 

this awesome Cupcake...

I love how Bright the colors are..!

Final Outcome after baking

 Below would be Wendy...

She is the "Special" Lady who this Cuppie 

was baked for..!

Wendy's first reaction when opening the bag

 Wendy likes Chocolate as much as I do..

So, with that in mind..

I topped with rich chocolate fudge..

I was a bit disappointed how the fudge set 

immediately after topping the cake..

I did not use my own homemade fudge,

thinking I wouldn't have enough...

I'll know better for next time..!

I think Wendy Likes "Her" Fun Cuppie..!

Enjoy Wendy..!!

Spring Cupcakes..

I am featuring "Clutzy Cooking"  Blog post

for

Lucky Charms- Double Rainbow Cupcakes

These cupcakes are simply..AWESOME!

and so easy to create...!

Don't they just "shout" Spring!!!

Listed below are detailed instructions taken from

Clutzy Cooking Blog

These are just from a mix and a can! I was making so many other things, I decided to cut corners here. I divided the white cake mix batter into 6 small bowls, dyed them each color, and poured them one at a time into cupcake pans. It created the rainbow marble look beautifully, and in the proper layers! I love this, really. It was so so fun. I just frosted them with a can of Whipped Vanilla icing and then put rainbow marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal. That way, the cake AND the marshmallows were both rainbows, providing, OH MY GOSH! a Double Rainbow! 

 I will be substituting the Lucky Charms with
the Fruity Cheerios...

I definitely will be making these Cuppies..!

A Very Good Place To Start....

The very beginning...

I've been researching my heritage on both

my Father's and Mother's side of the family...

My Cousin, Linda has done family research

on our Mother's side,

the Fredrick and Myers Families...

My Grandmother, Grace was a Fredrick,

who married my Grandfather, Gilbert Myers...

What We do know so far is,

the Fredrick's are orginal

descendants of Lititz,

coming to America after being stricken with

bankruptcy in Germany..

They settled in Lititz mainly 

for the Moravian teachings in which

the founding of Lititz was based on..

In doing research,

I came across a book published in the early

1900's by

John Zook,

Titled "Historical and Pictorial Lititz"

(click on title for complete publishing of book)

 In this book detailing the early years

of Lititz, is a letter written by

the First Schoolmaster of Lititz,

Prof. John Beck.

This letter is dated 

May 31, 1865

The letter explains in great detail how

Prof Beck came to be the schoolmaster

to which he held the position for 50 years...

What is most exciting about Prof Beck's 

letter is,

His listing in chronological order include

the families of Lititz, their address, occupation,

and if they were a student of his...

And much to my surprise and excitement...

I found my Great Grandparents Morris and Katie Fredrick,

along with their children,

listed among Prof Beck's Chronicles...

My Great Grandfather was the Blacksmith of Lititz...

Note the last name listed is Grace,

That is MY Grandmother..!

Unfortunately, my grandmother
passed at an early age of 54,

to which I never had the privilege of  knowing her.

My mother was very close with her family

on the Fredrick side,

I grew up knowing each and everyone,

and the ironic side of it..

I was called "Katie" by most,

not "Kathy"....

I never questioned it...

Perhaps "I" reminded them of

Great Grandmother Katie..?

There have been several books published on 

the History of Lititz,

this book mentioned by John Zook

is the most accurate...

My next research will be on my Grandfather Myers,

His Grandfather, My Great Grandfather was the 

Ice Man in Lititz..

It's so exciting to see how your heritage comes together...

Thanks for taking this journey back in time with me... 

More to come..!!

Chocolate Waffles

 

I came across this recipe for

Chocolate Waffles...

Who would not want this served 

to them on Valentines Day...?!

Or

ANY DAY..!!

Last year for VDay I was taken out for

A VDay Breakfast and ordered a similar

Waffle...

And as I recall...

it was spectacular..!

I'm hoping for the same this year;/

Have A Wonderful Valentine's Day..

Remember,

It's The Day To Love,

One Another..!

No special Ingredients needed,

 

Just An Open Heart!

Waffle Recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (I just quickly chopped up some regular chocolate chips)

Berry Sauce and Topping:

3 cups berries (Any combination)

1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam

2 Tablespoons hot water

Whipped cream

Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Start by making the berry sauce

Combine jam and warm water and whisk until combined. Add in the berries and gently stir until combined. Set berry sauce aside and make waffle batter.

Waffles:

Preheat a waffle iron. Combine flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Use a whisk to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla until frothy. Slowly fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Do not over mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. This is a thin batter, and you shouldn't need to grease your waffle iron. Best to Laddle your batter onto hot iron so the chocolate chips are evenly distributed.  Be careful not to overfill. Cook according to your waffle iron instructions, This batter will expand during cooking and waffles will become more crisp after removal from waffle iron.  Top with berry sauce and whipped cream. Yields 4 Waffles.....

 This recipe is also great with Ice Cream and Hot Fudge.  Enjoy......

Amish Mud Sale

It's that time of year....

What memories I have from my childhood years,

attending Amish Mud Sales with my daddy and grandpa....

My Great-Grandparents were very strict Mennonites,

to which my father was basically raised as, until his teen years....

My father spent a great deal of time with his Grandfather,

who according to my father, only spoke Pennsylvania Dutch,

the German Language spoken by the Amish....

Great-Grandpa could speak the English Language,

however, daddy said if you wanted an answer from him,

you spoke to him in PA Dutch....

That was how my father became very fluent in PA Dutch..

Great-Grandpa

So when we attended the many Amish Mud Sales,

my daddy fit right in and I had no flippin idea what

was being said...!

Of course my eyes were always on the homemade goodies

those Amish Ladies made to sell at the Sales,

and always a cup of hot chocolate, too..!!!

Daddy was always interested in purchasing mechanical tools,

his trade and hobby was restoration of Antique Automobiles...

At sales such as these, daddy was able to find some real

treasures in the tool department....

Personally, I found it a bit boring after my treat of choice

was eaten and the last drip of hot chocolate was tasted...

I still to this day do not find Mud Sales a "Must Do"...

I think that part I inherited from my Mother:))

Take the time to read about Amish Mud Sales,

you may want to give one a try if your in the

neighborhood....I guarantee you'll find some awesome Goodies to sample!!

Click on Link below to read up on the Amish Mud Sales..

Amish Mud Sale and Auction in Pennsylvania Dutch Country

This week is just whipping by....

And Spring is not so far away,

the sun is warmer and the days are getting longer!

~YAY~

As I mentioned earlier in the week,

I finally made it to the

Good Cooking Store...

I was very impressed with the

large assortment of cooking

gadgets, pans, crocks, dishes and bakers..

Also in stock were many items

for the "Younger" cook and baker...

Which is always a winner with me!!!

One thing I found to be very interesting,

the many stone bakers and pans

sold there are manufactured by the 

same company that also manufactures

stones for Pampered Chef...

I mentioned while browsing,

the many stone bakers

and pans for sale looked 

very similar to those I have

which I purchased from

Pampered Chef...

That's when the "little" secret 

was shared by the Owner's Daughter,

the stoneware came from the same

manufacturer and I might add, 

for a 

lot less in costs than Pampered Chef....

 My three picks from the 

Cooking Store...

Plastic Mixing Bowl with Rubber Bottom

 I have a bowl with a rubber bottom,

which has a track at the top 

where it attaches to a mixer..

When I pour the mix from the bowl to the pan,

batter mix becomes lodged in the track 

causing the mix to drip...

Now I have no more

dripping!

Ceramic Juicer

This ceramic Juicer is one of those items 

you wish you had every time you hand squeeze 

an orange or lime for that favorite muffin or cake recipe..

But.. never got around to purchasing one

Silicon Spoon

I purchased a blue Silicon Spoon as shown

for $5.00, what a great bargain...!

What I really wanted to purchase was a

Biscuit Cutter, and wouldn't you know,

they had none in stock.....however

I was promised some would be in stock 

with in a week or two...

so....it gives me an excuse to go back,

not that I really need an excuse:)

I now need to find a home for my 

new mixing bowl..

I honestly do not have room in my 

cabinet..

~Have a great weekend~

K

I finally made it to the

Good Cooking Store...

I purchased a few things I will post later..

After Shopping, lunch was served at

The Olive Garden

One of my favorite places...

And of course I had to
keep room for some dessert...

New to me at the Olive Garden are
individual "little" desserts called Dolcini..
 The perfect size for one,
or in our case..
The trio to share..!

Dolcini

Piccoli Dolci means "little dessert treats"

consisting of layers with cake, mousse, pastry creams and berries.

Our Choices..

Just the right size and amount to satisfy the sweet tooth,
My favorite...
The Chocolate Mousse with Dark Chocolate Cookie Crust..!!!


The Lemon Cello Mousse had a nice cool
Lemon taste..


The Strawberry and White Chocolate Cream Cake,
was my least favorite..
The Strawberry was very sweet,
almost like a jelly...

I also tried a new entree

 Venetian Apricot Chicken

  Grilled chicken breast in an apricot citrus sauce.

Served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes.

The amount served was perfect for lunch,

the Apricot sauce was not overly sweet

which made for a very tasty lunch...

So if your in the neighborhood

of 

The Olive Garden..

I highly recommend the 

Chicken Apricot Dish

and make sure you leave room for dessert!

Temperatures reached near 40 degrees today,
And It was Wonderful..!!!


Have a great week:)
K