GRANDMA BEACH’S PEANUT BRITTLE

GRANDMA BEACH’S PEANUT BRITTLE

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cool Time: Several hours

Ingredients:

2C sugar

½ C water

1C white Karo (corn syrup)

2C raw peanuts

2t baking soda

1T butter

1t vanilla

Instructions:

Stir constantly throughout. Candy should be boiling throughout

v Cook sugar, Karo syrup and water to firm ball stage*

                medium heat – about 15 minutes

v Add peanuts.  

v Cook until golden color

                medium heat – about 25-30 min  

v Remove from heat and add butter & vanilla. 

                    butter and vanilla splattered a bit for me.

v Have a greased baking pan ready.

                we used our largest cookie sheet

v Add soda and mix until light and foamy – immediately pour in pan and spread thin.  

                Adding the soda is fun!

v Cool.  

v Break into pieces.

*Drip some of the syrup into cool water. You should be able to gather it with your fingers into a ball that holds its shape and has some resistance when squished

Super Delicious Bread

Bread recipe

5 cups hot water
7 cups flour (wheat or white)
Mix together

2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey or sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
1 cup flour
Mix together

2 Tablespoons yeast
Mix together

4-5 cups flour

Mix until it becomes smooth and pulls away from side of bowl.
Kneed for 8-10 minutes
Divide into greased bread loaf pans
Let raise 30-60 minutes or double its size
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

3 large sweet potatoes or yams (to yield 3 cups, cooked and mashed)
1/4-1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted

With vegetable peeler, remove skin and 1/4" slice from the ends of each sweet potato or yam.  Slice thinly, cover with water and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.  Whip with electric beaters and remove any "strings" that may collect on beaters.  Add butter and sugar to warm potatoes and continue mixing.  Add milk, vanilla and eggs.  Mix well.  Put in a buttered casserole dish (9x13).  Mix together the pecan topping ingredients and crumble on top of casserole.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serves 8-10.  (or more)

Male Chauvinist Chili

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon
10 oz hot links, cut into 1 inch slices
10 oz lean ground beef

1 lg Spanish onion, diced
1 bell pepper, cut in large pieces
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 C. water

1/2 c. worcestershire sauce

1 t. hot dry mustard
1 t celery seeds
1 1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t pepper

6 c. Italian tomatoes

1 (15 oz.)can pinto beans
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans

Instructions:

Brown bacon in pot. Drain. Brown sausage, then ground beef in a frying pan.

Cook onion, pepper, garlic and chili pepper over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Stir in water and worcestershire sauce. 

Simmer uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in mustard, celery seeds, chili powder, salt and pepper, 

simmer for 10 minutes. 

Mash tomatoes, add (with liquid) and meats to onion mixture.

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Rinse beans, then add to chili, heat to boiling.

Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Ginger Dressing

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Combine sugar, oil, salt, vinegar, ginger, and pepper in small bowl, whisk until blended.  Yield: about 2/3 cup. 

Crunch Oriental Beef Salad

This is a recipe I got from my cooking class.  Its a very delicious and aesthetically pleasing salad :)

 

1 1/2 lbs beef flank steak
2 Tbsp each: vegetable oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup each: thinly sliced celery and shredded red cabbage
4 green onions
1 package (3oz) beef flavor Ramen noodles
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp each: instant beef bouillon and garlic powder
1 head romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds*
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds**
Ginger dressing

Partially freeze flank steak by placing in freezer two hours prior to preparation time.  Make marinade by combining water, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, bouillon granules, and garlic powder; mix well.  Stir in beef flavor packet from soup mix.  Slice steak diagonally across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2 inch strips.  Pace beef and marinade in plastic zip-lock bag, turning occasionally. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Prepare ginger dressing.  Drain beef; heat large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Stir-fry, 1/2 at a time, 5 to 6 minutes or until brown.  Remove beef from pan after each batch is cooked.  Drain beef, add ginger dressing and toss with lettuce, celery, cabbage, almonds, and broken Ramen noodles.  Place in serving bowl.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*To add some optional deliciousness, try making candied almonds by mixing melted butter and sugar together, coating the almonds, spread them out on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven until golden brown.  After taking them out, lift them off the pan with a metal spatula, and try to keep them separated so they don't cool attached to each other.  Its kind of messy, but extra delicious :)

**To toast sesame seeds, heat sesame seeds in small pan over medium heat until golden, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour into small dish to prevent further browning. 

Pico De Gallo

Ingredients
· 1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
· 1/4 cup diced red onion
· 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos (optional)
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· Juice of 1 lime (or slightly less, to taste)
· 2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
· Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine all ingredients.