Kathy's Corner Recipes and Cooking Tips

Here in Alabama, the weather has cooled off a little, thank goodness. I love this time of year when the leaves start to change and it isn't so hot.

It is a time when we naturally start to think of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and yes, Christmas.

Times of Family and Friends Gathering around a Holiday Feast. A time of fun and fellowship.

So to begin this Lens, I plan on sharing some of our favorite Fall Recipes.

Please join me here and if you have a family recipe that you would like to share, please feel free to do that. Looking forward to hearing from you.

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Around the end of September is a time we think of as Harvest Time. We think of Pumpkins, Sweet Potatoes, and Corn.

Chuck Bartok, who encouraged me to write my book on cooking, talked about this time of year bringing thoughts of Pumpkin Soup served in a scooped out Pumpkin Shell with the top cut out and used as a lid. Now that is something I haven't tried, but it sounds delicious and he is looking for his family recipe on this soup. I can almost smell it cooking.
Hurry up Chuck. Need your recipe. :)

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OK, drum roll. Here is Chuck's Recipe for Pumpkin Soup.

Pumpkin & Shrimp Soup

Had to "blow the dust" of this ole' book. oops, don't let Shirley hear that. There is never any dust in her Kitchen.

Hope you can enjoy the fun of picking your own pumpkin. Look for good color and preferably a small one or two. The shrimp is optional. We use Crawdads sometimes. They are full in the rice fields just before Draining and we catch em up, wash, boil and peel and Freeze for later.

Oh, before we start, I always like a a "little sugar" to sip on while performing this arduous task....

This was wrtiiten for 6, but that is those petit polite size servings....we make MORE.

2 pound Pumpkin

Couple ribs of Crsip celery

2 cups (or more) of chicken stock (preferrably Homemade)

3 cups scalded Milk

Salt (I don't like it)

FRESH ground Pepper ( I like that...keeps the arthyritis away)

1/2 pound of raw Shrimp, peeled and veined ( I like 15-20 size)

1 Tablesp. Fresh Lemon Juice

Piches of Nutmeg

Lemon Slices

Chopped parsely ( a little cilantro does well also)

After assembling all that it is time for a sip of warmth.

Cheers.......

Carefully remove the meat from the Pumpin, leaving a nice thick rind, discard the center, but don't you dare throw away those Seeds...they need to be roasted and enjoyed later.

Cut the flesh into 1# pieces, place in that super Black stew/soup Pot you take camping. Add the celery, milk, stock salt and pepper. Simmer until tender.

Puree in a blender...when we are up in the Hills for the Fall Gather....we mash it by hand.

Return to the ole'Black Kettle, add the shrimp, bring to a boil....but watch it, take it down to a simmer quickly fo about 10 minutes

Time for another sip!

Add nutmeg, check salt and pepper and garnish with lemon slices and parsely.

Put back in the Pumpkin and take to the Table.....

When cold weather starts hanging around, we eat soups as the Main course, make enough for next days...always tastes better.

Homemade bread goes good, sour dough, our favorite.

Have some veggie soups from our larder later.

Chuck & Shirley Bartok
Team Health2Wealth
http://www.beginnersmarketingclass.com
http://focussociety.com

Chuck.....Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

My favorite food to cook at this time of year is: Pumpkin Bread.

I will share my recipe with you. This one was given to me many years ago my my High School Best Friend, JoAn Mallonee, now Davis.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup corn oil
4 eggs
1 can (1 lb) Pumpkin
3 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
½ tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
2/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and fill loaf pans half full.

Tip: save soup or vegetable cans and use them to bake the Pumpkin Bread. Fill the cans half full. This makes it pretty to serve and makes nice gifts.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Some of my favorites:

Sweet Potato Pie

1 9-inch pastry shell
1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup brown, 1/2 cup white
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1 tall can evaporated milk

Combine ingredients. Pour into pastry shell and bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Stay tuned for more great recipes.

Rhubarb grows wild in Alaska. Why do I mention Alaska so much? I spent 30 years there, that is where I grew up and much of my heart is still there.

But it is a place where the summers are gorgeous, but short and Fall, well, if you blink you missed it.

But there is Rhubarb, and Wild Berries.

Here is a little different twist on Rhubarb, I think you will love it. I know it is one of my favorites.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

3 cups Finely cut rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 egg yolks

Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Pour into baked pie shell.

Top with Mirange:
2 egg whites
4 tablespoons sugar
vanilla

Beat with mixer until soft peaks are formed.
Smooth over pie, brown in oven. Careful not to burn.

Each Family has their own Traditions for celebrating Christmas. At our home, when I was a youngster, our biggest day was Christmas Eve. That was my Mother's Birthday, so it became a dual celebration.

My earliest memories are while living in Louisiana and Texas. That was close enough to visit with both sets of Grandparents. We would visit one on Christmas Eve and another on Christmas Day. Those were awesome days.

Then we moved to Alaska and it was just Mom and Dad and me and my sister. Later there was a third sister. So we began our own traditions. We had fun even though it was a smaller group. At least we often had White Christmases.

As we began to grow up, get married, and have kids,
the whole family would get together for a huge dinner spread and then we would open presents. We also had a Birthday Cake for Mom.

On Christmas Morning, we always continued the celebration with more food and gifts.

These were wonderful times and now the family is spread across the country, making it harder to connect. Our Grandparents and Parents are gone now.

Thank goodness for phones, cards, and the internet.

Be sure to leave a comment about your traditions.

Here is the way Dinner went when everyone congregated at my home for Christmas.

Sometimes we fixed Turkey, but usually it was my Baked Ham with Pineapple and Cloves.

The Trimmings: Candied Yams, 3-Bean Salad (my Sister, Criss, made this), deviled eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, green beans or creamed peas (my Dad loved this), Fruit Salad (my Husband's specialty), tossed salad, and lots of deserts: pumpkin and/or sweet potatoe pie, my layered jello salad, pecan pie, and of course, Mom's Birthday Cake. This was a group effort, everyone bringing their favorites. You can tell we love to eat.

Here are some favorites:

Baked Ham with Pineapple and Cloves

1 Boneless Ham
1 large can of Pineapple (Rings, Spears, or Chunks)
Powdered Cloves
Brown Sugar
Walnuts (optional)
Marachino Cherries (optional)

Drain the Pineapple into a bowl, add brown sugar and cloves and walnuts. Mix well.

Put Ham in a baking pan and pour mixture over the ham. Cover with Aluminum Foil and Bake. 350 degrees until Ham is heated thru and top is starting to brown. You might want to uncover for the last few minutes.

Baste Ham several times during the cooking process.

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Criss's Three Bean Salad

Drain:

1 can cut green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can kidney beans
cut fine one small onion
oone small green pepper, cut as desired

Stir together and pour over the above:

1/3 cup salad oil
1/2 cup sugar, less about 2 tbsp.
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Let stand overnite or all day. Mix frequently to marinate well.

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Jello-Salad Dessert

Ingredients:
1 pkg Lemon Jello
1 lg pkg Phil. Cream Cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups small marshmallows
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup whipped sweet cream

Instructions:

Mix 1 package Lemon Jello and put in refrigerator until just wavy.

Mix, while jello is jelling.
Cream cheese, mayonnaise, marshmallows, pineapple, and whipped cream. When Lemon Jello is wavy, combine this mixture with the jello.

Pour into pan about 1/2" thick. Refrigerate until set.

Mix 2 packages Jello of another flavor, such as red, and chill until wavy. Pour on top of the Lemon Mixture. Refrigerate.

Note: If making for a potluck dinner - double everything.

Tip:
If trying to control carbs, use the sugarless jello.

Also, I like to put this in a glass pan, so you can see the layers.

This can be dessert or a salad. I like to eat it with my meal. This is a traditional dish for our holidays.

For some reason this time of year is triggering my kids to call and request this
favorite recipe. It is one they remember me making and now they want to try their hand at making it.

My Easy Cobbler Recipe....

Melt 1 stick butter in square Pan (I like to use a 9x13 pan and put extra fruit
in it.)

Mix 1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder

Pour this mix into the pan with melted butter.

Top with 1 Large can Peaches.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

Don't fill Pan too full or it will boil over in oven and make a mess.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

This is so good with Cool Whip or Ice Cream.

Spring is in the Air. Smell the flowers.

Visit my Squidoo Lens for Spring:
http://www.squidoo.com/springrecipes.

Stay Tuned, I will have recipes other than Desserts and Breads.

Be watching for my book to be published soon.
"Fall Recipes from Kathy's Corner Kitchen".

Why not leave a comment below and share a great recipe with us. Don't forget to rate my site. :)

Thanks for visiting with me.