Tag: The Box Project

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Nut Butter Ball Crescent Cookies

  • One cup butter
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp almond extract or 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1-2 cups pecans, chopped
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix butter with sugar until very light and fluffy.
  3. Add salt, extract, flour, nuts and mix well.
  4. Chill until dough is easy to handle.
  5. Shape into crescents.
  6. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  7. Bake until light brown, 12-15 minutes.
  8. While the cookies are warm, dust with confectioner’s sugar.

“I thought you said you didn’t like these cookies>”

“No, I never said I don’t like these cookies. They’re just my least favorite cookie you bake.”

Least favorite means I like the other cookies you bake better than this one. But the damage to our relationship was already done. My penance was being limited to one cookie. One. Cookie. Ouch!

Note the last two lines on the recipe card. Yes, these cookies are much better with chocolate. (and the picture of the cookie is for the reader who complained once about not enough food pictures).

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Cheese Enchiladas with Chili Sauce

The text message arrived after we were asleep.  The urgency was palpable.

“Need your enchilada recipe in the AM.  Please send.”

Parents are accustomed to dealing with emergencies like this.  But WHICH enchilada recipe?  If you’re looking for the chicken enchilada with sour cream version click here One Rotisserire Chicken, 50 Meals – #3 Sour Cream Chicken Enchillada Casserole.

It was a perfect opportunity to use my PhotoScan app and add to The Box Project.  But before I forget, here are the remaining ingredients from the back side of the recipe card:

  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 clove garlic

Filling

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 pound grated cheese

In the lower left corner you’ll find Source: Buena.  This recipe came from one of Grandma and Grandpa’s neighbors in Texas.  Nothing fancy here.  Just plain old Tex-Mex comfort food.

I think the crappy photo scan can’t be enlarged.  So here is the front of the card:

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 T flour
  • 1 green pepper chopped
  • 1 cup canned mashed tomatoes
  • 1 can chili con carne
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs chili powder
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Saute onions in butter.  Add flour, salt, chili powder.
  3. Add beef broth slowly, then green pepper, garlic, and tomatoes.
  4. Simmer 15 minutes.
  5. Add can of chili con carne and simmer until thickened.
  6. Dip tortillas in sauce.
  7. Lay each on a plate and spread 1 tbs onion and 1/4 cheese on each.
  8. Roll up and arrange in a baking dish.
  9. Pour chili sauce over and cover with cheese.
  10. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Tips

I sent him a text to tell him to use yellow corn tortillas, the white and flour don’t work as well. Also he would need to heat up each tortillas if was going to make cheese enchiladas or the tortillas will break.

There you go.

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Dad’s Batter for Frying

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To avoid any confusion this is MY Dad’s batter recipe.  So if you’re a sibling it’s your Dad’s recipe.  If you’re a child of mine (Guns & Roses…) this is your Grandfather’s batter on your Father’s side.  If you’re my grandchild…

I’m learning more about my Box Project all the time.  I’m not just capturing my own favorite recipes but also rediscovering family history too.

Rather than rewrite the recipe I simply posted a photo of the 3×5 index card.  This prevents me from revising the recipe as I write.  Because as I look at this recipe I can’t help but think beer not water and maybe heating up the oil before you start frying might be a good thing to do.  Or the “half glass” measure?  Trust me on this.  I had to have asked Dad for the recipe then wrote it down verbatim.

I’ve not deep fried anything at home in decades.  Not even sure anyone in the family besides my oldest grandchild would enjoy a piece of batter fried chicken.  Well, maybe he would.

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Buttermilk Pound Cake ala Rhonda

 

Here’s what the pound cake looks like right side up out of the pan.

Here’s the recipe.

Here’s the reviews:

Tastes like a big soft sugar cookie.

I’ll have another piece please.

I found the spaghetti !!!

It needs another stick of butter.

You can butter the sides, brown in a pan, and viola…breakfast!

Tips:

Trust your instincts and don’t use a dried spaghetti noodle to see if the cake is done.  I used a strand of fettuccine only to break off a sizeable piece.  The crowd was warned.  If you find the spaghetti don’t eat it. 

Thanks Rhonda wherever you are.  We won’t wait another 25 years before we make this cake again.

 

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Buttermilk Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter

4 large eggs

3 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Mix buttermilk and baking soda.  Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl cream butter, sugar, and salt.
  4. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg.
  5. Add half the buttermilk mixture and mix well.
  6. Add half of the flour and mix well.
  7. Add remaining buttermilk mixture and mix well.
  8. Add remaining flour and mix well.
  9. Add vanilla.
  10. Pour batter into your greased and floured bundt pan.
  11. Bake at 325° for one hour and 20 minutes.  Due to oven and atmospheric variations, check the cake after one hour and 10 minutes.

“Why do I always have to make dessert?”

“Because you are an excellent baker and all of your desserts taste wonderful.”

“Why don’t the neighbors ask you to make appetizers instead?”

“Because your desserts are better than my appetizers.”

Sometimes it takes time to decide what to make for a  neighborly get together.  Pound cake sounded good so we dug out this old recipe from the box.  Our first house was located on a cul-de-sac.  It was and still is a great spot to raise a young family.  A young family of four lived across the street and Rhonda was the source of this recipe.  I’ve not changed the ingredients but the instructions have been somewhat modified.

Don’t forget the strawberries and whipped cream.

pound cake