Portuguese Rice Pudding

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A Perry Original

Portuguese Rice Pudding

Portuguese Rice Pudding Sorry Margaret, I had to make just a few changes. I love family recipes that kinda leave you to fill in the blanks. Seriously! My grandmother would say about a handful of salt. Or while shaking the cumin over soup or beans about this much. This rice pudding recipe had no cooking instructions but I’ve heard (Thank you Melissa Lopes) slow cooking while stirring constantly is important. And in cast iron if you have it. I’m always looking for an excuse to buy kitchen tools. Take a look at my new cast iron.

Wish I could have used the dairy’s milk. Heavy with cream. So, when Margaret says whole milk she means it!

If you aren’t into sugar … know this is very low in sugar but still sweet. Yes, I could eat the whole thing! It has very little similarity to the rice pudding you find at your grocer’s. It’s very creamy and the rice is noticed but not chewy. Because Margaret (my second cousin btw) suggested as an option adding vanilla pudding mix I decided her recipe may require eggs if the pudding wasn’t used. And being a bit of a purist, trying not to use processed if I can get around it, I added egg yolks. Again, the cooking is crucial to thickening and helps with clumping tendencies too. Margaret very well could have made the recipe without eggs or pudding mix.

Always made for a very large crowd … I’ve made the recipe more suitable for a family of four or five. Continue reading

Quick One Bowl Mix Banana Spice Cake

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Easy Quick Dessert – Banana Spice Cake

Banana Spice Cake

Everyone is clamoring for dessert but you have none! Ten minutes to mix up and by thirty you’re eating it! Don’t get me wrong … I love fancy. And I don’t mind complicated. But sometimes simple and quick is needed and welcomed.

Banana cake in its simplest form is delicious. And it seems banana bread and muffins are plentiful wherever you go. So, I’m into changing up banana baked goods just because after years of somewhat the same taste I need a change up. Try my Hint of Orange Banana Nut Bread recipe too.

Why just one layer? This is a cake meant to be eaten up quickly. It will keep for a day or two and freezes well. But the idea is, oven fresh!

You have young chefs … This is a great learning experience and simple enough for a beginner to put together.

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Portuguese Black Beans (Feijoada)

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Portuguese Black Beans (Feijoada)

How can this be a family recipe? Brazilian? Connie joined our family almost a year ago as I joined hers. Our children married. Connie’s family is originally from the Azores but lived in Brazil most of her youth. She has shared with me her recipe for feijoada. I’ve made a few minor changes to ingredients but will include her version and mine. And the cooking method was changed slightly.

If I haven’t captured your attention … It’s hard to be passionate about beans BUT not for me! Portuguese Black Beans doesn’t fully describe this recipe. This is an amazingly delicious meat stew with beans. Served with rice and collards.

You’ve got to try this!

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Whats on the Menu?

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There’s A Full Menu For The Week!

Last week was busy with visiting family, and food preparation but not too much time to post. And I was nominated for the Liebster Award again! Love it! The rules have changed. See my first Award Nomination. This is not necessarily for just new bloggers. Now we want to know more revealing information about our bloggers. Yikes!

Today I’d planned to finish another Martha Stewart Triscuit entry. But I’ve lost my light with the rain. And my twenty-nine dollar plate does no justice. 🙁

But, what’s next?

Portuguese Rice Pudding And I’m sharing the secret aside from cooking in cast iron.

Portuguese Black Beans (Feijoada) Recipe straight from a family member who grew up in Brazil.

Involtini for Italian Cuisine Sunday formerly Pasta Sunday.

Fudge PopsThe Fudge Pops were a success! Dot is waiting for a drip. Or more. 🙂

S’Mores

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Oven SMores

S'Mores

If you have 2 and 3 Year Olds who want to make S’Mores this might be a better option … And they can participate in the fun! After they have placed their favorite toppings on the graham crackers and have sprinkled with their favorite miniature marshmallows you place the cookie sheet under the preheated broiler for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove and immediately top with another graham cracker. Yum! For the Grown ups use chocolate chip cookies instead of grahams and use your best chocolate.

S'Mores

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One Dish Meal California Style

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Amazing One Dish Meal California Style

One Dish Meal California Style

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of company this week and a great time to make this one dish meal! Serves eight easily with a green side salad! We loved it and hope you love it too!

California one dish meal is just a wonderful company meal for a crowd. Lots of company with lots of children of all ages. We’ve eaten it all.

 

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Appetizer or Pasta Dish

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This Versatile Topper Works

As An Appetizer or A Pasta Dish

Appetizer or Pasta DishUse this recipe to top your favorite cracker or toast for an appetizer. Or place this over a thin spaghetti or angel hair for a deliciously light meal.

Family is coming to visit this week. And wanted to get in this post before all heck breaks loose. (If my family reads this, oops, sorry.)

YES, we have winners in the Giveaway. To be announced soon!

Hope you try this very easy tasty recipe! I submitted this in Martha Stewart’s Triscuit Contest just for fun.

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Fudge Pops and Chocolate Frosties

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Only One Recipe for both

Fudge Pops and Chocolate Frosties

Fudge Pops and Chocolate Frosties

Only three ingredients and a few minutes of your time and you will be enjoying these summertime treats. If you are looking for a dark chocolate taste and more icy than creamy this is not the recipe.

Here are two rich creamy milk chocolate ice cream treats in one recipe.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

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Making Your Own Peanut Butter –

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter CookiesMaking Peanut Butter Cookies is pretty easy. And this is one cookie most bakeries have figured out. But I’m still looking for the Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie! Most Peanut Butter Cookie connoisseurs have their idea of perfect. Mine is a cookie I remember from my childhood. It was slightly dense, very intense peanut taste, not too sweet, neither caky nor crispy, and slightly sandy in texture. And where did I taste this delicious cookie? Sierra Vista Elementary School! The school cafeteria had a full kitchen … And I believe all the food for the school was cooked in this kitchen at least initially. I have convinced myself the peanut butter was made there too.

I’ve always received compliments on my peanut butter cookie recipes.  (Thank you David for saying mine were better than your wife’s. Yikes.) Yes, I make the ones with the candy kiss too. I certainly appreciated the compliments but realized too, many of my friends didn’t bake. And let’s face it, there is something about a homemade cookie!

After I determined, whether fact or not, the answer to the Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie was adding homemade peanut butter to the recipe it was a done deal. I wasn’t sure how to go about this but…. My first attempt was with raw Spanish peanuts. If anyone tells you the skins pop off easily after roasting, hmm, nope. And it’s messy. Raw peanuts have very little taste and need lots of toasting to achieve what we would describe as a peanut taste. This attempt was a failure. I took a big leap and moved right to roasted salted peanuts. My mistake was adding too much peanut oil. I liked the idea of no honey or sweetener. I moved forward and made these cookies with the second batch of peanut butter and while all was delicious the Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie is still out there.

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