Recipes

I've been asked about my recipes on a couple of different occasions.  I will always share my recipes, I have none that I hide.  Now with some of my Gram's recipes, unless you know the secret and can accept her way of measuring, you'll never duplicate her recipes.  When Gram's recipes say add 3 Tablespoons of flour, that means you put as much flour on each of those tablespoons as possible.  Don't level it off.  Don't put it in the spoons so that it's still fluffy.  You put that measuring spoon in the flour and use it like a shovel, filling it as heaping as you can get it!  LOL.  I never use a recipe that isn't mine without giving credit where credit is due, that's the right thing to do.  

I was asked to share some of my planned over recipes.  As for the planned over recipes, well, I don't actually use recipes most of the time.  This is pretty much because when I started doing this was way before the internet and I couldn't check out Food Network or Allrecipes so I was winging it.  That's a hint in itself...don't be afraid to experiment.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  You never know until you try.

Take my jams for instance.  When I get an idea or a suggestion for a new flavor, I'll look at recipes to get an idea of what people put into them or how others mix ingredients and then I will play around with it to make it mine.  Sometimes it works and sometimes I've thrown out a batch of jam.  It happens.

Back to planned overs.  When talking about chicken, I mentioned chicken a la king.  My friend, Sue, shared an easy one.  I melt butter in a pan about 6 tablespoons, add the same amount of flour, cook slightly but do not brown it.  I add a cup of milk and then 2-3 cups of chicken broth until it is slightly thicker than gravy.  I add some white pepper and then add the chicken, about 2 cups of shredded.  My family prefers when I serve this over those Puff Pastry cups.  If I can't find those on sale with a coupon, I serve it over toast.  Hey, Peppridge Farms Puff Pastry cups are expensive!  LOL!

When we have chicken & dumplings, we like them made with Spaetzle.  I think that is spelled right.  I just use some chicken broth that I generally have in the freezer (or you can use a carton from the store), some shredded chicken and the spaetzle.  To make spaetzle, use a fork to blend one egg and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Stir in one cup of water and then slowly work in 2 1/4 cups of flour.  I usually mix it in 1/2 cup at a time.  I just dip a spoon into the hot broth and then scoop up some spaetzle and put it in the broth.  The dough won't stick to the spoon this way.

For chicken salad, I just mix chicken, mayo, diced celery, cut grapes, nuts (usually walnuts or pecans), some seasoning...sometimes I use Old Bay, sometimes poultry seasoning...just whatever I am in the mood for.

With beef, I do so much with the extra meat.  Beef Manhattans are so easy, left over beef, I make some mashed potatoes and some gravy.  You can use a gravy packet if you want.  I would never recommend using instant mashed potatoes, but you can if you want...LOL

For vegetable soup, I just literally mix the bits and pieces of beef, if you have no saved veggies in the freezer, you can use a package of mixed vegetables, some beef broth (again, from the freezer or a carton).  I like to add barley to my veggie soup and sometimes alphabet noodles.  It really is a "whatever I have on hand" kind of soup.