Tag: cooking

Auntie E’s Cool Pea Salad

Auntie E’s Cool Pea Salad

pea salad

It feels like fall is in the air, and I can hardly wait for this favorite time of year. I love the cooler temps, the changing leaves, the clothes, football and pumpkin spice. But before I put summer completely in the books, I wanted to share one last warm-weather recipe courtesy of my Aunt Eyvon in Blue Jay Hollow.

While we were visiting Arkansas this summer, my Auntie E brought over a cool pea salad that was completely addictive and insanely easy to make. Last week while I was grocery shopping I suddenly had a hankerin’ for the yummy green stuff so I gave her a call in the middle of the aisle and asked her to hand over the recipe right then and there (yup, as easy as I remember). Needless to say, I whipped up a batch of this tasty pea salad as soon as I put away my groceries and I didn’t share a single bite with my boys (they don’t like peas), so it was a win-win for me, baby!

So here’s the recipe for this tasty cold salad; and although it seems like a summer dish, don’t think for a minute that I won’t be making another batch well into October.

Auntie E's Cool Pea Salad
Serves 4
A delicious and easy-to-make cold pea salad.
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 small bag of frozen peas
  2. 1/4 c. of mayo
  3. 1/4 c. chopped white onion
  4. 1/2 bag of prepared bacon pieces (or equivalent crumbled cooked bacon slices)
  5. 2 dashes of salt
  6. 6-10 dashes of black pepper, according to taste
Instructions
  1. Thaw the peas and pour into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the mayo, chopped onion, bacon pieces, salt and pepper to the peas.
  3. Stir gently but thoroughly until everything is coated.
  4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
  1. Warning: this dish is highly addictive. 🙂
Adapted from Aunt Eyvon
Adapted from Aunt Eyvon
http://www.smalltalkmama.com/
Banana Nut Bread Begging to be Baked

Banana Nut Bread Begging to be Baked

 

BNbread

mushingWhen you and your preschooler are cooped up on a cold winter’s day with really ripe bananas and leftover Christmas pecans (yep you guessed it), it’s as if banana nut bread is just begging to be baked. If your little ones are anything like my son, they probably love to be in the kitchen. After all, it is one of the few places where mess making is expected, especially when you let them do the ceremonially mushing of the bananas (we used a fork and a cutting board for that one, and it brought big smiles).

So if you find yourself in our shoes on a cold winter’s day (of which we still have plenty), try your hand at our banana nut bread — it’s tasty, fun and makes your whole house smell great.

Banana Nut Bread
Serves 16
Basic banana nut bread
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Cook Time
50 min
Cook Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  2. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  3. 1/4 tsp baking soda
  4. 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  5. 1/8 tsp salt
  6. 1 egg
  7. 1 c mashed ripe bananas
  8. 3/4 c sugar
  9. 1/4 c cooking oil
  10. 3/4 c chopped pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour the bottom of a loaf pan and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.
  4. In another bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar and cooking oil.
  5. Add this egg mixture to the dry mixture and stir until moist (the batter will be lumpy).
  6. Fold in the nuts.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  8. Bake 50 - 55 minutes.
  9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to finish cooling.
  10. Wrap and store to keep moist.
Notes
  1. Children will love mashing the bananas for this recipe. Try giving them a cutting board and fork to do so; but, as always, adult supervision is advised.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
http://www.smalltalkmama.com/
Tastes Like (Hamburger Dill) Pickles!

Tastes Like (Hamburger Dill) Pickles!

pickles2

This one is for all you Wednesday night Bible study ladies, because my homemade hamburger dills actually taste like pickles and I promised to post the recipe here at Small Talk Mama. Yes, my husband and I actually got the first taste of our maiden pickling project and we both gave it a thumbs up. I don’t know why we’re always so surprised, when we try a new recipe or grow a new vegetable, to find that it tastes exactly as it should. I remember our first harvest of broccoli years ago — it actually tasted exactly like broccoli. Imagine that! That being said, we haven’t yet opened the dill spears, but I’ll keep you posted — the suspense is just killing you, I know.

So here’s the recipe we used for hamburger dills, which were a great addition to our grilled burgers. Unlike most recipes of its kind, this one does not require a several-day soaking before the canning process. So if you’re “in a pickle” and can’t wait days to can, you might want to try this quick and easy recipe.

Recipe adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

Hamburger Dill Pickles
Yields 7
Canning recipe for hamburger dill pickles that doesn't require a lengthy ice water bath.
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Ingredients
  1. 4 lbs cucumbers
  2. 6 tbsp canning salt
  3. 4 1/2 c water
  4. 4 c vinegar
  5. 14 heads fresh dill
  6. 3 1/2 tsp mustard seed
  7. 14 peppercorns
Instructions
  1. Wash cucumbers and drain. Cut cucumbers into 1/4-inch crosswise slices, discarding blossom ends.
  2. Pack cucumbers into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
  3. Add 2 heads of dill, 1/2 tsp mustard seed and 2 peppercorns to each jar.
  4. Combine salt, water and vinegar in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil.
  5. Ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
  6. Lightly tap jars to remove air bubbles, and screw on two-piece caps.
  7. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water bath.
Notes
  1. This recipe makes delicious husband-pleasing hamburger dill pickles!
Adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
Adapted from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
http://www.smalltalkmama.com/

 

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