54 Years of Wedded Bliss

We're thankful we're old and 

in a long marriage!  

😊

 

 

A Birthday for Grandpa with Classic Yellow Cupcakes

Grandpa needed help blowing out the candles on his birthday cupcake yesterday, so Matthew, came to the rescue! 

Grandpa and Matthew

Bill loves cupcakes and so does our 6-year-old grandson, and this Martha Stewart recipe came to my rescue.

Woo hoo!

Bill's birthday is actually today ~ he’s having 2 days of celebrating.  It was going to be a day of golf with Bubba, but due to thunderstorms, that’s postponed for a sunny day; instead, it’s off to lunch later at a favorite Mexican restaurant. 

On with the cupcakes…

Who doesn’t like a cupcake!  These cupcakes are moist, delicious and full of flavor.  The recipe calls for a dozen cupcakes, I doubled it.  Yellow is Bill’s favorite with chocolate buttercream frosting.  Matthew opts for yellow cupcakes with buttercream frosting. 

 The options for decorating are endless, we like sprinkles here!

Believe me, these cupcakes disappear quickly!

Yield: 12Author: Pam

Classic Yellow Cupcakes

prep time: 25 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 45 mins

Perfect classic treats for a birthday or any day!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Sprinkles, for decorating

FOR BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups congerectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup of Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°, line cups of a standard muffin tin with paper lines. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder,and salt. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.
2. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy,  3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool completely on a rack before frosting.
6. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix in up to 1/2 cup more sugar, (more for chocolate) or a few teaspoons of milk as necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.
7. Frost cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles before frosting dries to ensure that thy stick.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Our Special Little Guy, no recipe today…

Our perfect, (of course! ☺) grandson, recently turned 2, so today it’s photos of him and his gorgeous fun cake, no recipes here today…

Matthew is the apple of my eye and it’s apparent he has his dad’s sense of humor and his mama’s loving, caring ways and good looks. 

He has such a sweet soul ~ a good little boy who loves to share.  After a bite of his birthday cake, he placed another bite on his spoon for Grandpa, and grinned with delight as Grandpa devoured it.

Matthew likes to be barefooted, even pulls his shoes and socks off in the car in the dead of winter.  He loves his 2 dogs, Bella and Coco; Sesame Street, and his favorite---Elmo!

As he grows up, it reminds me the years are adding up for me also.  I am so proud of Matthew and my entire family. 

Grandma and Grandpa love you, little guy!  We are looking forward to the years ahead, watching you grow up.  

Bless your little heart ~ you are a huge joy in our lives ~ and may God bless you all the days of your life…

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

OK, I know there are endless recipes for chicken on the grill but, you really should try this one ~ it really attracted me!  Maybe it was the “mustard” that caught my eye.  Or, maybe it’s because of the word “Carolina.”  I love, love the “Carolina’s” and envy you if you reside there!

We looked at homes, and fell for one, in the Greenville, South Carolina area before we retired.  Due to some circumstances of elderly relatives here, we decided it was best to stay put.  And now we have our first grandchild, Matthew, who is 5½ months old and South Carolina is just too far from him.  Here is a photo of him since some of you have kindly asked about him:

Matthew at 5 months

As for the chicken…

This grilled chicken is about the best I’ve ever eaten.  According to the recipe in Food Network Magazine, they only have to marinade for about 10 minutes.  (Their recipe is for chicken thighs).  

I’m a “mustard” addict and this is a perfect mustard marinade.  It’s loaded with the good flavors of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and as much hot pepper sauce as you dare to use. 

Grill and serve the chicken with some reserved sauce, tomato salad and maybe a pasta side-dish.  Now, that’s good summertime eating!

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

Adapted

Ingredients:

½ cup Dijon or yellow mustard

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup packed Splenda Brown Sugar, or regular

1½ tablespoons dry mustard

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoons McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Method:

Prepare grill.

Whisk the yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Toss the chicken with about one-third of the sauce in a large bowl until coated.

Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Put ¼ cup of the remaining mustard sauce in a small bowl for basting and reserve the rest for topping.

Grill the chicken, basting occasionally with the sauce, until well marked and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 12-15 minutes per side.

Serve with the reserved mustard sauce.

I will be trying this on wings the next time!  Yum!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!

Supreme Salmon Patties and Matthew and Coco

First off:  for those of you who have asked about our adorable grandson Matthew, I thank you so much for thinking of him!

 

Matthew is 4 weeks old now, weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and is a sweet delight.  That’s Daddy holding him in the picture and his babysitter Coco supervising. 

Kathy brought 2 adorable Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers along with her when she married our son Matt.  Coco, the younger one, is amazing with the baby!  She leaves Matthew’s side only for the essentials and tries her best to get her licks in every chance she gets.  When we hold Matthew, the look on her face begs us, “Please let me have him ~ I know I could do better!”  I know Matthew and Coco will be best friends as Matthew grows up, and Bella also, who leaves the babysitting to Coco most of the time. 

Now for a great dish I hope you all will enjoy:

I guarantee you’ll like these salmon patties if you adore salmon the way I do!

This recipe is from an old friend and it is chocked full of flavorful ingredients to go with the canned salmon ~ corn kernels, Dijon mustard and paprika, for starters.  Mom used to make them but just added eggs, cracker crumbs and onion.  This is not my mom’s salmon patties!

The corn adds a crispy sweetness with the Dijon mustard and lemon juice adding zesty flavors.   I used “pink” salmon.  Refrigerating the patties for an hour ensures that they will not crumble when fried.  These are simple and easy to make for fast dinner.  Just flip them carefully when frying!

I really like salmon straight out of the can!  Do you?

Supreme Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

2 cans (7.5 oz. each) salmon, drained

½ cup finely-diced onion

½ cup corn kernels, canned or frozen

Pepper, to taste

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes hot sauce

½ teaspoon paprika

1 egg

½ cup crushed saltine crackers

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Place salmon in a large bowl and combine with onion, corn and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces and paprika.

Gently fold into salmon mixture.

Lightly beat the egg.

Fold into the salmon mixture along with ½ cup of the cracker crumbs.

Place remaining crumbs on large plate.

Form the salmon mixture into 8 patties.

Coat them with the panko bread crumbs carefully.

Refrigerate, loosely covered, for one hour.

Melt butter/oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Cook the patties 3-4 minutes per side, pressing down on them slightly with the spatula.

Add more oil or butter if necessary.

Remove and drain on paper towel.

Serve with lemon wedges or tartar sauce.

They’re tasty ~ scrumptiously good!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

Update- Bella passed away March, 2017, 12 years old.

Murphy’s Law and Chicken Noodle Soup

As per my last post, you may know we are proud grandparents now.  Matthew was born Thursday, Feb. 10th and went home from the hospital on Saturday.  As Murphy’s Law would have it, Bill contracted the flu on Sunday, Feb 13th and passed it on to me Wednesday.

That took care of our week ~ no visiting precious baby Matthew and little cooking.  He had his first doctor’s appointment and passed with flying colors with a gain of 5 ounces.  Bill and I are cured so that means we will be making up for lost time this week in seeing “our sweet little guy.”

Thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments on my last post about Matthew.  I truly appreciate them and I see that many of you are grandparents also.  I’m so happy to join you in that!

Kind of off the subject but, since Feb. 2^nd, we’ve gone from a blizzard and 21-inches of snow to negative 9 degrees, to 60 degrees to a thunderstorm yesterday.  The saying in Chicago is “if you don’t like the weather, wait a day”.  Can your area top this weather fluctuation?

Like I said, having the flu means there was little cooking here this last week and we all know what a cure-all chicken noodle soup can be for that condition.  This is an easy recipe for it and I hope it renders you all flu-free!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

2 celery ribs, sliced

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups chicken, cut into bite sized chunks

2 cups wide egg noodles

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a large sauce pan until hot.

Add onion, carrots and celery.   Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add noodles and cook according to package directions.

Season with salt and pepper.

4 servings

Grandma was right; a bowl of chicken noodle soup is good medicine!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Our Great Valentine Gift ~ 4 Days Early and Appalachian Stack Pie!

I am thrilled to say that I have been a Grandma and Bill a Grandpa since 4:25 a.m. Thursday, February 10^th!  This is our first grandchild and we are looking forward to many years of loving and spoiling him. 

 

Our younger son Matt, and his wife, Kathy, are the proud parents of Matthew, who weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and is 19 inches long.  He’s tiny, adorable and perfect. 

Mom and baby, and Dad also, are doing great and I know Matt and Kathy will be wonderful loving parents.  The world is already a better place now that Matthew has arrived!

 

He is the absolute best Valentine’s Day gift ever!  And speaking of Valentine’s Day, I have a great recipe for a Valentine’s Day treat!

Maybe you’ve heard of or even enjoyed Appalachian stack cake.  It’s usually filled with dried apples and lots of spices.  With wedding cakes being so expensive, the legend goes that stack cake was a community-baked wedding cake.  The dough for the cake was rolled into 9-inch very thin layers and baked in cast-iron skillets.  Each family attending an Appalachian wedding baked one of the 6-12 cake layers and carried it to the wedding.  The bride’s family was in charge of cooking the apple filling and assembling all the layers into the finished cake.  It is a practical wedding cake that supposedly took 3 hours or more to make.

A modernized version of it was in the Chicago Tribune the other day.  It’s made with pie crust dough, resulting in 3-inch miniature Appalachian stack pies, instead of stack cakes.  Practical, delicious and easier to make!

The filling takes about 30-60 minutes to cook, so it could be made the night before you want to serve the dessert.  The rest is easy as it uses one roll-and-bake pie crust from the refrigerated section of the market.  Cut a dozen 3-inch pastry circles; it’s enough for 4 sweet pie stacks that look pretty also!  Serve them immediately after stacking them or the crisp pastry rounds will get soggy and your stack will topple.

Appalachian Spiced Apple Stack Pie

Pie circles:

1 roll-and-bake ready-made pie crust

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

1 package (6-ounces) dried apples

2½ cups water

1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Pinch each: sea salt and ground nutmeg

½ cup cream, whipped, optional

Method:

For pie circles: 

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out crust and cut into 12 three-inch circles.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Prick each circle several times with a fork.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle a little on each pastry circle.

Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.

Remove sheet to cooling rack.

For apple filling:

Place dried apples in microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of the water and ½ cup of the apple juice concentrate.

Cover bowl and microwave 10 minutes.

Pour apple mixture into a saucepan, cook over medium heat, gradually adding remaining 1½ cups of the water and ½ cup of the apple juice concentrate as liquids reduce.

Cook until apples are soft and the liquid has reduced, about 40 minutes.

Add the spices and salt; cook stirring often, until liquid has reduced to a small amount of syrup, 10 minutes.

Remove spiced apples from heat.

Place a round of pastry on each of 4 plates.

Spoon some of the apple filling onto each round.

Top each with another round of pastry.

Spoon on more apple filling.

Top with third pastry round.

Spoon a small dollop of whipped cream on top.

These little pies are perfect ~ however you stack ‘em!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Welcome to the world and our family, darling baby Matthew!