Our last morning in Georgia.....why not make a special breakfast?
Panetonne Bread Pudding! I have "googled" and read several recipes. I think this will be a wonderful last meal with our loved ones and will get us started onthe drive home through, Georgia, Tennesee and Arkansas!

Now down to put it together, ready to bake in the morning!
[Image and recipe available at "Wives with Knives" blog.]

Baking on a Sunday...

This is an art journal page about comfort food. I often end up baking something on Sunday afternoon. It is one day when I have several hours at home.

This past Sunday, I was looking through a art project from my childhood. It was a collection of mimeographed recipes we had made as a third grade class in order to give our moms a cookbook for Christmas. [by the way Mom, I have that cookbook here!] among the recipes was this easy recipe for a cherry cake, AND I just happened to have a can of cherries sitting on my counter!

It was obviously meant to be that I should try this one! [It is rather like a cherry clafouti, just simple and wonderful!]

If you move your cursor and click, the photo of the page will enlarge and you can read the recipe. [You will also see that turning to baking for comfort food is BIG with me! My current stress??? We have been short-handed at work, but as of yesterday (Monday) we have someone else to help us, so I can relax!]

NOTE: I used only 3/4 c sugar and it was plenty. Be sure to add natural almond flavoring if you have some, almond flavor compliments the cherry flavor so well!

We have had days of SUNNY WARM weather and the time change brought lots of positive energy...Awakening Joy for sure! [recent journal page]


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We are now having another taste of winter with some sleet and snow. I am supposed to work in a booth at a "Taste of Home" cooking school this evening....I hope they will have great samples there! LOL![ We will have sewing machines in our booth!]

Cold weather makes me crave comfort food. Here is a recipe from Weight Watchers for a wonderful meatless main dish! [Shown above]

I will be making Irish soda bread this weekend, for St. Patrick's Day. I plan to make the whole wheat version that Martha Stewart has in her current magazine issue. There are also lots of whole-wheat Irish Soda Bread recipes on-line including one from Weight Watchers.

What's for dinner?

Our friend Lizzzie is coming to town. I want a comfort food dinner... from the crockpot as today is a day full of errands.

INGREDIENTS
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seed, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast

Brown pork roast in a hot skillet on the stove top. Place pork in a crockpot. Deglaze the skillet with the balsamic vinegar and pour over the roast in the crockpot. Add all other ingredients.

Cook slowly all day. Enjoy!

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Note: I am at a low energy moment...the time change, staying up late to watch speeches [McCain's was wonderful!], and working long days. My days off are spent on errands or creative projects... SO I am not getting around to many blogs now. Hope to catch up one day!

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My daughter is about to post information on her blog of their recent trip to Mexico. I love these photos of my grandchildren! Note the photo of my SIL with the fish he caught....

A good day for comfort foods.....this cooler fall weather makes me want to cook!!! Also, we are assembling some favorite family recipes for a bride-to-be.

This pork chop recipe comes from "Fine Cooking" (Tauton Press) September 2008

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce by Jennifer McLagan
A fast, creamy pan sauce dresses up these simple seared pork chops; serve them with rice or noodles to soak up the sauce.Serves four.
Ingredients:
Eight 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork chops (about 3 oz. each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lower-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup stoneground or country-style mustard

Season the chops lightly with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.
Put the butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 4 of the pork chops and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining chops, adding another tablespoon of oil to the pan if necessary.
Pour off any fat in the pan, add the wine, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to medium high and boil until the wine is reduced to about 2 Tbs., 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, chicken broth, and mustard and boil until reduced to a saucy consistency, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return the pork and any juices to the pan, turn to coat with the sauce, and then transfer back to the serving platter. Drizzle any sauce remaining in the skillet over the chops and serve.
From Fine Cooking 95, pp. 94a
September 1, 2008
photo: Scott Phillips
FineCooking.com© The Taunton Press 2008, All rights reserved

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A wonderful Summer Squash and Cornbread casserole!

This cornbread uses a jalapeno cornbread mix, cooked summer squash, butter, onion, and cream style corn.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup cooked squash (yellow or zucchini)
1 can cream-style corn
1 pkg. jalepeno cornbread mix(mixed according to pkg. directions)
Preparation:Sauté onion until tender, but not brown. Mix all together and pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees, 20-30 minutes.
Notes: I like to make my own cornbread because I have stone-ground cornmeal.USE recipe for homemade cornbread (omit sugar) and add 1 can (7oz) chopped green chiles. Use more squash & only 1/2 stick of butter. May need to add salt. Top with grated cheddar cheese.






Read more wonderful recipes here....My Blog (The Southern Cooking Blog by Diane)



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I love all things pumpkin this time of year!



Starbucks has their "Pumpkin Spice Latte" [I have found that sometimes adding cardamon and pumpkin pie spice to the coffee in my coffee maker makes a wonderful seasonal treat!]



Here is a "cookie" recipe. The cook who created it says that it is very much like a muffin top....which is perfect for me as a favorite treat has been a local bakery's Pumpkin Muffin Top!

[For a wonderful Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, see my post from September 10th!]




Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oat
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 cups raisins (or nuts and chocolate chips)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla then stir in the pumpkin puree. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Mix in raisins. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
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We are making a loose-leaf notebook for the bride, Natalie. Each recipe page will be in a plastic page protector. Hopefully it will be a real treasure for her! I'll post photos as we get it "pulled together!

[Note: I am writing this away from my home computer so have used images from the internet which go with the recipes!]