Hopeful Cooking 2022

Well folks, I need your suggestions.

I have started to design my cookbook

and would love your input.

What do you love or (hate) dislike about a cookbook?

Here are a few sample pages.

They need editing- just over look that part.



Just in case you are already excited-

I plan to add recipes until I am 40, publish my cook book and then retire.

Not really, but it sounds good.

It will probably be quite a few years until it's printed.

Thanks for your input,

Hope

Belizean Fry Bread

I have visited Belize twice and

have always loved the native bread.

It's simply called fry bread-

but oh, so delicious.

The lady I call my sister, Lynette,

was from Belize so she taught me

how to make fry bread.

 Mix dough and roll in balls.

 Set balls in fridge for 15 minutes and work a few times in your hands.

Roll out as thin as you can and cut in half.

  When your oil is hot drop in dough. It should puff up

right away, if it does not your oil is not hot enough.

Flip When browned and lay on paper towels.

Mmmm... it's just as good as it looks.

We topped our fry bread with rice, chicken in green chili sauce,

cheese, and sour cream. It's also delicious with just jelly. 

You can serve it as you would any other bread.

Belizean Fry Bread

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt, heaping

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. Crisco

1/2 - 3/4 cup water

Mix together with hands. Add 1/2 cup water and add more as needed.

Just like you would mix pie dough. The dough should be soft and elasticy.

Knead until smooth and form into balls. Set in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Roll out thin. Cut circle in half and drop in hot oil. If the dough

doesn't bubble or it sinks, the oil is not hot enough. 
Fry on both sides until golden brown. 
Serve with rice and chicken or eat with jelly.

Enjoy,

 Hope

Good Bye Little Debbie

I buy little Debbie products to

stick in Joshua's lunch for quickness.

Convenience sometimes over rides healthiness.

I decided to save money and calories

by making granola bars to put in Joshua's lunch.

Any weary lunch packers out there?

After mixing together granola mixture, sprinkle chocolate chips on top

to avoid them melting from your hot marshmallow mixture.

Place greased wax paper on top and roll away.

Remove paper and you have nice, compacted granola bars.

Cut three wide rows from the skinny side and ten down the wide.

Hope this makes sense, you should have 30 bars in all.

Get out your sandwich bags and write love notes ahead of time.

I put two bars per bag so you will have 15 bags.

Ready for the freezer.

 I was weary of mushy notes so I drew a cross-eyed face.

Granola Bars

1- 10.5 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

2 Tbsp butter

1/8 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup peanut butter

4 1/2 cups rice krispies

1 pkg, graham crackers, crumbled

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup coconut

2 Tbsp. wheat germ

white and milk chocolate chips

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a saucepan melt 

butter, oil, and marshmallows. Remove from heat and add honey

and peanut butter. Pour melted mixture over dry ingredients stirring

constantly. Once everything sticks together, grease a 10 x 15 cookie

sheet and spread granola out. Sprinkle on some chocolate chips. Top 
with a piece of greased, wax paper and roll with a rolling pin to flatten.

Cut in squares and pack away for lunches.

Enjoy,

Hope

Just Like Grandma's

My Grandma Shank always makes

a wonderful rhubarb crunch.

She said she had boys that didn't

like rhubarb but liked this.

I was happy to have the recipe in

an old cookbook Grandma gave me. She 

went through and checked all the recipes

she has used over the years.

I consider it a real treasure,

and so is my Grandma.

Mmm... ooey gooey on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Grandma's Rhubarb Crunch

4 cups chopped rhubarb

Crumbs  

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

 1 tsp. cinnamon

Thickening

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. strawberry jello

1 tsp. vanilla

Chop rhubarb at set aside.

Combine thickening in a small saucepan and cook until thick.

Mix together crumbs and lightly press half of crumbs in a 9 in. baking dish.

Top with rhubarb and pour over thickening over rhubarb. Cover with

remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy,

Hope 

Freddie just started his modeling job for Downy.
He seems to enjoy his work. 

New Family Member

We are proud to announce

a new little one has arrived!

It was found wandering and confused

with no mother in sight.

 

Awww.... I said it for you.

The duckling is currently sleeping in

our guest box accompanied with a 

heat lamp and a plate of hard boiled egg,

lettuce and tomato.

We hope is all well and fluffy in the morning.

 

Good night,

Hope

Real Steak and Cheese Subs

I always see these mouth watering

photos of steak and cheese subs.

When we have steak it's usually grilled-

but tonight I bought steak just for subs.

It was worth it.

Toasted hoagie bread filled

with juicy sirloin steak,

sauteed onions and peppers,

topped with melted muenster cheese. 

It was around 2 lbs. of steak.

Saute onions and peppers and set aside.

After this photo I got really busy and missed

taking photos of the meat frying process.

 Our neighbor, Tim, ate dinner with us-

he was helping Josh put in an underground fence for our unruly dog.

Just letting you know so you didn't think I ate two and Josh and three. 

Steak and Cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

1 green pepper, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 lbs. sirloin steak, cut in strips

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning

slices of muenster cheese

6 hoagie buns

Melt butter in skillet. Add peppers and onions, sprinkle with salt

and pepper and saute until soft. Remove from skillet.

Melt butter and add steak, Worcestershire, pepper,

salt and steak seasoning. Cover and cook on high stirring often. Once

it starts to slightly brown add the sauteed mixture and cook a few 

minutes more. Do not over cook. You want the steak to

be pink in the middle. This makes a juicy sandwich.

Cut open hoagie buns and lay on a tray. Spread lightly with butter.

Broil in oven until toasted. Then spread on some mayo and add the 

steak mixture on one half of the bun. Top with cheese.

Return to oven and broil until cheese is melted.

Enjoy,

Hope

Danielle Hope

I took my little cousin Danielle's

two year old photos this evening.

She is a sweet gal, I love to hear her talk.

She can't say humming bird so she

says "hungry bird."

I quoted a lot of "cheesy pickles"

and "pretty, pretty" while taking the photos.

Here are some photos of the darling.

 

She has a new baby brother, Miles Franklin.

Blessings,

Hope

Chicken Pot Pie

I consider chicken pot pie a 

comfort food. Something about

flaky crust filled with warm

savory filling is comforting.

So if you want to be comforted

here is the solution.

Cook veggies in a pot with the chicken until soft.

Then set aside while you make the sauce.

Once sauce is thickened return veggie mixture to pan and stir.

 While the filling is cooking make your pie dough and

have the pie crust ready to fill.

Roll out the rest of the pie dough and cover your pie.

Make several small slits in the top for the steam to escape.

I had little dough and filling left over so I made these little guys.

 Just thought you would like to see the mess behind a recipe I post.

Ready to enjoy.

Comfort food for you.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust

  2 cups of flour

2/3 cup Crisco plus 2 Tbsp

1 tsp. salt, rounded

5-6 Tbsp. cold water

Filling

8 chicken thighs- cubed

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup diced celery

3 Tbsp. butter

Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.

4 Tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup cream

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in Crisco and mix with hands

until crumbly. Add water and knead until dough sticks together.

Roll out half for the pie bottom and use the

remaining dough for the top. Use a 10 inch pie pan.

In a saucepan combine butter, chicken, carrots and celery. Sprinkle 
with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until carrots 
are soft and chicken is done. Add peas and cook for a 5 minutes- 
don't overcook or peas will get mushy and loose their color. 
Set mixture aside.

Melt butter and add onion, cook until onion is soft. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and cream. Simmer until thick.

Add vegetable mixture and stir until combined.

Fill pie crust with filling, you may have a little left over

to eat plain or fill 2 mini pies. Cover the top with your other

rolled out crust and seal the edges. Cut away excess dough.

Make several small slits in the top so steam can escape.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy,

Hope

Chicken Pot Pie

I consider chicken pot pie a 

comfort food. Something about

flaky crust filled with warm

savory filling is comforting.

So if you want to be comforted

here is the solution.

Cook veggies in a pot with the chicken until soft.

Then set aside while you make the sauce.

Once sauce is thickened return veggie mixture to pan and stir.

 While the filling is cooking make your pie dough and

have the pie crust ready to fill.

Roll out the rest of the pie dough and cover your pie.

Make several small slits in the top for the steam to escape.

I had little dough and filling left over so I made these little guys.

 Just thought you would like to see the mess behind a recipe I post.

Ready to enjoy.

Comfort food for you.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust

  2 cups of flour

2/3 cup Crisco plus 2 Tbsp

1 tsp. salt, rounded

5-6 Tbsp. cold water

Filling

8 chicken thighs- cubed

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup diced celery

3 Tbsp. butter

Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.

4 Tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup cream

Mix together flour and salt. Cut in Crisco and mix with hands

until crumbly. Add water and knead until dough sticks together.

Roll out half for the pie bottom and use the

remaining dough for the top. Use a 10 inch pie pan.

In a saucepan combine butter, chicken, carrots and celery. Sprinkle 
with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until carrots 
are soft and chicken is done. Add peas and cook for a 5 minutes- 
don't overcook or peas will get mushy and loose their color. 
Set mixture aside.

Melt butter and add onion, cook until onion is soft. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and cream. Simmer until thick.

Add vegetable mixture and stir until combined.

Fill pie crust with filling, you may have a little left over

to eat plain or fill 2 mini pies. Cover the top with your other

rolled out crust and seal the edges. Cut away excess dough.

Make several small slits in the top so steam can escape.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy,

Hope