Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Holiday has always

been one of my favorite Holidays.

I love having a get together, I love

spending hours in the kitchen.

Preparing dishes that everyone looks

forward to each year. I feel as if I am

giving a personal "thank you" to each

individual that is partaking of the meal.

I have much to be grateful for,

and each Thanksgiving gives us

the opportunity to share that with

others. So even though you are not

sitting around MY table I want to

 express my gratitude for each and everyone

of you who take the time to support

me and my site. I am in awe just how many

come visit my site daily. THANK YOU!!

 Now what do you say we get cooking?

Believe it or not, I never had this

growing up. No one in my family

cared for sweet potato's. Although we did have

Yams (Sweet Potatoes) in Orange Pineapple Sauce

(My Mom made them with canned yams.)

Well since then I have come to really enjoy

the taste of sweet potatoes. This casserole is

simple to make, and can be served as a

side dish or even as a dessert.

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 Cups Sweet Potatoes~ peeled, cubed/cooked

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

4 TBSP. Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Toffee Pieces

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecan's *Optional

1 Cup Mini Marshmallows * Optional

1/4 Cup Honey

 

Preheat oven to 400

Mash potato's along with the butter.

Add in salt, nutmeg, cinnamon as well

as 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and toffee.

Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes

Remove from oven and top with remaining

brown sugar, toffee pieces.

**If you are adding in the pecans and marshmallows

you will just add them over the brown sugar/toffee

mixture.

Return to the oven and broil for a few minutes.

Watch carefully so it wont burn.

Before serving drizzle the honey

over top. DELISH!!

 

Happy Holidays,

Lark

 

 



Green Chilie Rice Casserole

This can easily be considered a

main or side dish. It would be great

served along side some Beef Enchilada's
You could also add a little "zip" to
your morning, by adding this into your
breakfast burrito!

Green Chilies Rice Casserole
1 C. Uncooked Rice ~
* you can also use 2 C. left over rice
2 C. Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 C. Sour Cream
1 (4 oz.) Diced Green Chilies
4 TBSP. Butter
Salt/Pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350
Cook Rice according to package.
(or use left over rice)
Mix rice with the sour cream, chilies,
salt and pepper. Spoon half of mixture
into a lightly sprayed 8x8 pan.
Top with half of the cheese, repeat
a second layer with remaining
ingredients. Dot the top with butter,
Place in oven for 5-10 minutes
or until warmed through.
OLE'!
Lark



 

Fried Apples~ aka "Cracker Barrel" style

 If you are a fan of the

restaurant Cracker Barrel, you are

going to love this recipe!

The simplicity of this recipe

will have you making it often.

 

Lark's Fried Apples

4 TBSP. Bacon Grease

1/2 C. Brown Sugar~ packed

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

2 TBSP Cornstarch

1 C. Water

4 Lg. Granny Smith Apples

 

In a large cast iron skillet heat

the bacon grease. (I don't keep bacon

grease on hand, so this gave me the excuse

to fry up a pound!)

This picture looks like there is a ton

of bacon grease in it, however

there is only the 4 TBSP.

In a small bowl whisk together

the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg

and cornstarch. Peel and slice the

apples. I like the apples on the

"thin" side, however you can slice

then as thick as you would like.

Add the sugar mixture to the heated

bacon grease, whisk to blend.

Slowly pour in the water while

whisking. Continue to whisk until

it begins to thicken and boil.

Let it boil for 3 minutes.

Now add in your apple slices.

Turn down your heat, stir until

the apples become fork tender.

Now they are ready to serve up.

You can eat these warm or chilled

which ever way you desire.

These will last  for up to 3 weeks

 in the fridge. I kept a jar of

these fried apples to make a

"Fried Apple Crisp" for dessert

later on in the week.

ENJOY,

Lark

 

 

 

 

 

 



Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw

Cole slaw is NOT hard to make.

Yet, not a lot of folks take the time to

make it themselves. They just go buy the

pre-made dressing and a bag of

shredded cabbage.  No effort involved

as well as no flavor!

Just try this recipe one time.

And I bet Y'all wont go buying that

flavorless store bought stuff again!

 

Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw

1 Head of Green Cabbage~ finely sliced

2 Carrots~ shredded

4 TBSP. Onion ~minced

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

1/3 C. Sugar

1/4 C. Whole Milk

1/4 C. Buttermilk

2 TBSP. Lemon Juice

2 TBSP. Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. Celery Seed

 

Mix cabbage, carrots and onion

together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine all

other ingredients, whisk until

sugar has dissolved. Let set for 5 minutes.

Pour over cabbage mix, stir to coat well.

 Cover and let chill for at least

an hour before serving.

** I think it is best if you make this

the night before you want to serve it.

The longer you chill the better it will be.

Homemade taste's better,

Lark



Loaded Spinach Skillet Frittata

Have you ever noticed that during the hot

Summer days, you just don't ever want to

prepare a recipe for dinner that requires

you to turn on your oven?

At least that is how I feel.

(Yet, I seem to crave those dishes)

This recipe does call for the use of your oven,

however you only need in on for 15 minutes!

I can handle that!

If even 15 minutes seems like to much,

you can always serve this up for

breakfast!

 

Loaded Spinach Skillet Frittata

8 Egg's

1/2 C. Milk

1/2 lb. Fresh Spinach~ torn in pieces

1 (4oz.) Diced Green Chilies

1/2 C. Diced Cooked Ham

1/4 C. White Onion~ diced

1/2 C. Fresh Tomatoes ~ diced

1/2 C. Fresh Mushrooms~ sliced

1 C. Colby Jack Cheese~ shredded

Salt/Pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 450

In a 12" cast iron skillet place your

chilies, ham, onion, mushroom and

spinach. Cook on medium heat stirring often

until spinach is wilted and veggies are tender.

Then add in your tomatoes.

In a bowl beat together the eggs, milk

and salt/pepper.  Pour into the skillet,

you will NOT stir! Sprinkle the shredded

cheese over top. Turn down heat, and cook

until the egg around the edges of pan

are set. Then place into your oven and

bake for 15 minutes. **making sure the

center is cooked all the way through.

Let set for 5-8 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Lark

 



Fried Rice

Have you ever made enough rice

to feed a crowd, yet you only have a

family of three? Ha, ha...yeah that

is what I have done on many occasions.

I am not a huge lover of left over rice.

To me it only tastes good when made fresh.

So I wanted to come up with a couple

new recipes that featured rice,

so I wouldn't waste the rice already made.

This is a very simple recipe to make

that you can make fast.

 

Homemade Fried Rice

3 C. Cooked Rice (left over)

2 Eggs

1/4 C. Green Onion~ chopped

1 C. Frozen Pea's

1 C. Frozen Carrot's

2 tsp. Oil~ (sesame oil)

 

In a skillet scramble the eggs in the oil.

Add in all other ingredients, toss until

rice and veggies are heated through.

That's all there is to it!

No more wasting that left over rice.

Enjoy,

Lark

 

 

Sweet Potatoes in Orange Pineapple Sauce

Who says Sweet potatoes are a Fall

ingredients? NOT this Girl!

You are gonna love fixing these to take

along to your next gathering.

Make sure you take a copy of the

recipe along with you, because I

am positive your friends will be asking for it. 

 Sweet Potatoes in Orange Pineapple Sauce
1 lb. Sweet Potatoes~ cooked, peeled, cubed
1 (20 oz.) Pineapple Chunks~ drain, reserve juice
1 C. Orange Juice
Zest of a Lemon
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. White Sugar
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
2 TBSP. Corn Starch
2 TBSP. Butter

Preheat oven to 350
Place cubed sweet potatoes and pineapple chunks
 in a baking dish, set aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat combine the
reserved pineapple juice along with all
remaining ingredients. Stirring constantly
until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat
and pour over sweet potatoes and pineapple.
Stir to combine, bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
*You can also place these in a slow cooker
on low heat for 2 hours.
These are great served warm or chilled.
Therefore making it a great side dish for
all your Summer food gathering's.
Enjoy!
Lark

 



Pimento Cheese Stuffed Shell's

Yup! I sure DID, I went there!

All I can say it that this is NOT a

dish you want to prepare if you are even

entertaining the idea of going on a diet.

Are currently on a diet, counting points,

or counting calories! ~just sayin'!

Pimento Stuffed Shell's

2 lbs. Sharp Cheddar Cheese~shredded

1/2 C. Mayo

8 oz. Cream Cheese~ softened

1 (4 oz.) Pimento's~ drained

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/8 tsp. Garlic powder

1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells

 

Preheat oven to 350 

Start by cooking your pasta shell's

to al dente stage. Rinse and toss in

a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place all ingredients into your mixing bowl.

Blend until smooth, fill shells.

Place in baking dish, cover with foil. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

*I even poured some Alfredo Sauce over top

one pan, to see how it would turn out. I

actually liked that one more. The shells were

not at "dry". Give it a try and see what you think.

I would also like to say I did "pat dry"

the excess grease from the melted cheese.

That is what happens when you melt

a ton of good ole' cheese.

Enjoy... for the Diet starts tomorrow!

Lark

 



Gooseberry Patch "Game Day Fan Fare" Cook Book Review & Giveaway!

One bonus of being a Food Blogger

are times like this....getting to review

Gooseberry Patch Cook Books.

If you are ever looking for a

cook book that will give you

"tried & true" recipes, you need

not look any further than the

Gooseberry Patch Cook Book Series!

This new Game Day Fan Fare Cook Book,

is packed with fun foods to serve

ant time of the year.

I chose (3) recipes to share with y'all.

With the Hot Summer months ahead I

wanted to share some recipe that you could

fix for all those backyard BBQ's.

*( Pg. 99~) All Season Coleslaw

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

1/3 C. Milk

1/4 C. Sugar

1 tsp. Vinegar

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

16 oz. pkg Coleslaw mix

* I also added in 1/4 tsp. Celery Salt

Place the coleslaw mix into a bowl,

set aside for now. Mix all other ingredients

together in a small bowl. Whisk together until

smooth, Pour over slaw mix.

Toss coat evenly. Cover and chill at

least 1 hour before serving.

 

 *(Pg. 138~) Nana's Baked Beans

1/2 lb. Bacon~chopped

1 Onion ~chopped

1 C. Dark Brown Sugar

1/3 C. Molasses

1/4 C. Worcestershire Sauce

1 TBSP. Mustard

3/4 C. Ketchup

2 (15oz.) Pork and Beans~drained

 

In a deep skillet over medium heat,

cook bacon until crisp; drain.

Add in remaining ingredients, reduce heat

stirring to blend. Transfer beans to a

3 quart baking dish. Bake uncovered

at 350 for 30 minutes.

 

*( Pg. 115~)Teriyaki Burgers

1/4 C. Soy Sauce~* I used Aloha brand

1/4 C. Honey

2 Cloves Garlic~ minced

1 tsp. Ground Ginger

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

2 lb. Lean Ground Beef

1/3 C. Mayonnaise

6 Hamburger buns

 

In a large bowl combine the first 6

ingredients together. Reserve 2 TBSP.

of this sauce. Add in the ground beef to

the majority of the sauce. Form into

patties. (I chilled them for an hour before

I grilled them. It helps keep the patty together)

Now combine the mayo with the 2 TBSP.

of sauce. Chill until ready to serve.

Grill burgers on medium heat until

no longer pink in the center.

Spread the saucy-mayo onto buns,

add any other topping you like.

 

 This whole meal was a hit!

Now you can enter to win a

copy of Game Day Fan Fare,

You have (3) easy ways to enter!

 

1.) Leave a comment below naming your

favorite item to take to a BBQ.

2.) "Like" Gooseberry Patch on Face Book.

3.) Follow Gooseberry Patch Blog.

 

* Winner will be announced on 6-18-13

GOOD LUCK!

~Lark

 

All opinions are my own, I was provided will a copy

of this cook book by Gooseberry Patch.



Creamy Italian Macaroni Salad

This salad creation is the combination

of a Pasta and Macaroni Salad.

I love the Italian dressing flavor

of your standard pasta salad.

Yet the mayo/mustard base of

a macaroni salad is just as good.

I guess I had one of those

"light bulb" moments...and put

them together!

(queue the streamers, horns and drums)

 

Creamy Italian Macaroni Salad

 1 lb. Pasta Noodles~ any style
1 C. Mayonnaise
1/2 C. Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese~ shredded
2 Roma Tomato's ~chopped
2 Hard Boiled Eggs~ chopped
1 (4oz.) Sliced Olives
1/4 C. Green Onion~sliced
1/2 C. Celery~chopped

Prepare pasta noodles according
to package directions. Drain and
place into a large bowl with remaining
chopped ingredients.
In small bowl combine the mayo,
italian dressing, salt and pepper together.
Pour over noodles and veggies.
Stir until well coated.
*If salad is to "dry" for you can double the
dressing to make a more "wet" salad.
Chill for at least 1 hr. before serving.
Hot days, Cool Salads.
Lark



 

Farmers Market Quiche w/ Hashbrown Crust

If you are looking for a dish

to impress company with, this is it!

It is a very versatile dish.

I love adding in fresh grown veggies

from my garden or farmer's market.

Just use whatever you have on hand,

or what is in season.

Farmer's Market Quiche w/Hash brown Crust

12 oz. Spicy Ground Sausage

6 Egg's~lightly beaten

1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 C. White Onion~finely diced

1/4 C. Green or Red Pepper~ diced

2 TBSP. Fresh Parsley

2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese~shredded

2 1/2 C. *Shredded Cooked Potato's~

*You can use frozen hash browns

that have been thawed.

4 TBSP. Butter~ melted

Salt/Pepper to taste

**Any other veggies you want to add

Preheat oven to 375

Start by greasing a 9" pie pan.

In a bowl mix together the hash browns,

melted butter, salt/pepper.

Stir until all potato's are coated.

Press into the pie pan forming

a crust on the bottom and sides.

Bake the crust for 20-22 minutes,

or until crust is golden brown.

While crust is baking, add the sausage

onion, peppers in a skillet.

Cook until veggies are tender and

the meat is no longer pink.

Drain of excess grease, set aside.

Combine eggs, cream, parsley and cheese

together. Stir in meat mixture.

Pour over baked crust, return back

to the oven to cook for
25-30 minutes.

Make sure center is "set".

Serve warm with a side of salsa

and sour cream.

Magic Mornings,

Lark

Strawberry Tapioca Salad

This is NOT your typical Tapioca.

Although it takes a little time, it is

well worth the effort.

The Middle school students in my

cooking class, say it tasted like

strawberry marshmallow cream.

That's not your typical salad. (lol)

Strawberry Tapioca Salad

5 C. Water

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 C. Pearl Tapioca~ uncooked

1 C. Sugar

1(3oz.) Strawberry Jello

1(8oz.) Cool Whip

2 C. Fresh Strawberries~sliced

In a large pot bring water and salt to a boil.

Stir in the tapioca pearls, cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in jello and sugar

until dissolved. Cover and chill for a couple hours

or overnight. Just before serving fold in

the cool whip and fresh strawberries.

Happy Baking,

Lark

Loaded Potato Skins

Oh My flipping Heck these are addicting!

 You have got to give them a try....YUM

I have never baked potato's just for the intention

of making potato skins. However I was entering a 

recipe contest and wanted to use the featured

ingredients is a different way. These Loaded

Potato Skins are what I submitted.

My family asks me to bake potato's

just to make them into "skins" now.

So I think I am safe to say they were a hit!

Loaded Potato Skins

2 lg. Baker Potato's~ Cooked

1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/4 C. Sour Cream

1/3 C. Salsa~*I used Mild Rotel w/Chili's

Johnsonville Irish O' Garlic Sausage links

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Chopped Green Onions

Preheat oven to 400

Start by cutting your baked potato's

in half length wise, then cut each half into

3 strips lengthwise again.

This will give you (12) skins.

Place in the oven to crisp for about

5-8 minutes or longer depending on

what you like.

Now in a skillet place the sausage links

to cook on med heat. Once they are browned

on all sides, remove from pan and cut each

link into strips, return them to the pan to cook.

 Once they are cooked, drain on 

a paper towel. Cut into smaller pieces.

Mix the sour cream and salsa together.

Now your  going to "load" the skins in layers.

Take the hot skins out of the oven, sprinkle with

sharp cheese, spread the sour cream/salsa

mixture over that. Add as much of the cooked

sausage as desired, dollop the nacho cheese sauce

and top off with the green onions.

DIG IN!

Lark

Chicken Cordon Bleu Ball's

I love chicken.

I always seem to have it on hand too.

My family likes it, just not as much as I do.

So I try to think up ways that I know they will

enjoy eating it. This recipe is one of those that

they beg for me to make again. (lol)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Ball's

2 lbs. Ground Chicken Breast's

1/2 C. Cooked Ham~ finely diced

1/2 C. Panko Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 Egg Whites

1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 tsp. Pepper

6 String Cheese~ cut into pieces

Oil for frying

Preheat oven to 350

Start by Mixing all the ingredients except the cheese

together blending well. Then form into 1 1/2" balls.

Make a well into the center of each ball,

place in a piece of string cheese then roll into a ball

 making sure the meat is covering the cheese.

Repeat with remaining meat and cheese.

Chill meat balls for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet heat some olive oil to brown

all the edges of the balls.

Let them drain on a paper towel, then place

on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing.

Winner, Winner Chicken dinner!

Lark