Corn Bread

Here is my corn bread recipe

I told you folks I'd post.

This recipe isn't your traditional

crumbly corn bread. It's more

moist and a little cake like.

I prefer it this way, but some may not.

It's the only corn bread recipe I use.

It came from my mom's recipe box.

You can bake it in a 9 in. pan or muffin pans.

Butter and honey are it's best friends.

Corn Bread

3/4 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix together and pour into greased, 9 in. baking pan or muffin cups.

Bake at 350 for 20 min. for 9 in. or 14 min. for muffin cups.

Serve warm with butter and honey.

Enjoy,

Hope

Hubby Turns 24

Today is Joshua's birthday.

It's already his second birthday

as a married man. Time flies

when you are having fun.

Some of you probably wonder what he

thinks of me blogging. He is quite

supportive and helps me decipher if

a recipe is "blog worthy."

He often quotes when we sit down to eat,

"Well, now that the food is

photographed it's ready to eat!"

He's a supportive husband,

he seems to be interested in

most of my crazy ideas.

So todays post is dedicated to him.

A heart throb from the start.

8th grade field trip. No sparks flying here, none at all.

He looks rather annoyed. In fact he was, he told me so.

Not sure where his diploma is, but he did graduate.

After eighth grade Josh went to another school.

We had no connections until he started coming

to my youth volley ball games.

That's when he noticed I was no longer

gangly and annoying, braces were a plus too.

This is where it all started. A High School banquet I invited him to.

Everyone else thought I would invite this other guy so

I invited Josh to prove them wrong. Little

did I know that he liked me.

His Senior photo I remember treasuring in my wallet.

Then the dating began...

... and there were fancy restaurants for dates...

... motorcycles to be ridden...

... this one doesn't need a caption...

... then engaged...

...then married...

No baby carriage yet.

I love you!

Happy 24th Birthday.

Your Wife,

Hope

Chicken Fajitas

I was hungry for chicken fajitas.

Not the kind you dump a can

of sauce on and bake.

I wanted the real thing.

I stopped at the store and bought me

a jalapeno pepper and was ready to cook.

I used a recipe online as my bounce

board and was delighted with the results.

Cut chicken in strips and marinate for 30 minutes.

 Saute a onion and a pepper in a little butter.

Remove veggies and fry chicken until done. Add veggies

back to the skillet and simmer for a few minutes.

 Ready to wrap. And eat too.

 Ha... look at the hole in the bottom. It was so juicy it created

quite a mess, but it was worth it.

Chicken Fajitas

6 flour tortillas

3 large chicken breast

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

Marinate

4 Tbsp. olive oil

the juice of one lime

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

Slice chicken into strips. Mix together marinate ingredients.

Slice jalapeno pepper. Put chicken and pepper slices in a bowl

and cover with marinate. Let set for 30 minutes.

Melt butter in skillet. Add onions and peppers. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until soft.

Remove from skillet.

Add chicken with marinate to skillet, cover and cook

on low heat until done. Add peppers and onions back

to the skillet and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve with rice. Top with toppings of your choice.

The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy,

Hope

Grilled Salmon

I had never had much salmon until

Joshua's dad went salmon fishing in Alaska.

At first I wasn't sure about this pink looking fish, 

but soon found out it was mild and delicious.

I tried a new recipe tonight and loved it.

It nearly melted in our mouths. 

Use two layers of foil, this prevents the bottom from burning.

Squeeze on some fresh lime juice. Then top with 1 tsp. of wine.

Spread on a little mayo and top with herbs. Fold in edges and

put on the grill for 10 minutes.

Open foil and slice open the center. If its pink and a little firm its done.

Moist, flaky and delicious.

Up close and personal.

Grilled Salmon

4 salmon fillets
1 lime
4 tsp. white wine

mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. paprika

Lay out four squares of foil, doubled. Put salmon on foil

and squeeze lime juice on top. Top each fillet with 1 tsp. of

white wine. Spread a thin layer of mayo on top of each one.

Mix together herbs. Sprinkle evenly among the four fillets.

Let set for 15-20 minutes. Fold in sides of foil so that the

salmon is enclosed. Place on hot grill and cook for 10 minutes.

Open packet and slice the center open. If it is pink and slightly

firm it is done. DO NOT over cook. This makes your salmon dry.

Enjoy,

Hope

Herb Roasted Chicken

Wow... after a day like today I was

in the mood for a easy, one dish meal.

After being at the local DMV this morning

for third time, I still didn't have what I 

needed to switch our car title over to our names.

I left DMV trying to smile and not get grouchy.

I was setting at a stoplight and BANG!

The man driving the car obviously wasn't paying

attention and ran into me. It left two nice

big marks of my paint on his bumper, but 

my little car didn't have much damage.

We exchanged information and drove off.

For dinner I threw some chicken and vegetables in a dish

and made a herb sauce to pour over it.

My hubby kept saying how good it was to

the point I had to ask if he was putting

on to make me feel good. He affirmed the

truth and kept eating.

Colorful, easy and tasty.

Soft, juicy and savory. Ok, I'll stop with the cheesy adjectives.

Herb Roasted Chicken

5 chicken thighs

1 onion, chunked

1 sweet potato, chunked

3 red potatoes, chunked

1/2 cup of melted butter

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Lay chicken and vegetables in a 9 x 13. Melt butter

and add spices. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy the easiness,

Hope

 

Apple Dumplings

Fall is here... chilly weather and clear, crisp skies.

Fall is my favorite season. Something about

the coolness after a hot summer is so refreshing.

Bring on the soup and apple recipes.

I have made apple dumplings

for quite a few years now.

I break out this recipe every fall

and have never tried any other recipe.

It's from dear Esther Shank,

I modify a few things, but her

recipe is simple and delicious.

 Ready to make a huge mess. I should have taken after photos.

Lay apples on rolled out dough and cut around with a knife.

Cut square and fold centers together.

Apple dumplings are comfort food.

Mmmmm... find me some coffee.

Apple Dumplings

Dough:

4 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cup Crisco

1 cup milk

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in Crisco with a fork. Then mix with
your hands until crumbly. Add milk and press into a ball. Set aside.

7 Gala apples, halved, peeled and cored

(I've tried other kinds, but Gala is the best.)

Divide dough in half. Roll out into a 14"x18" rectangle.

Arrange half of the apples on top of the dough and

cut around them with a knife. Just enough to cover

the apple. Cut one square and see if your guessing right.

Lay with the circle side down. Sprinkle each apple half

with a rounded tsp. of brown sugar, and a little

cinnamon. Top with a small slice of butter.

Fold ends to the center and pinch edges together.

Place in two 9x13 baking dishes.

Sauce:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 cups of water

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

4 Tbsp. butter

Combine in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. 
Remove from heat and add the butter.

Divide sauce and pour over apple dumplings.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream.

Makes 14 apples dumplings.

Enjoy,

Hope