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 Cella's News

October 2011

http://cellascookbook.com

Thanksgiving

The autumn hills in glory robed,
A golden field of grain.
A sunset's dazzling splendor or
The Milky Way's great plain,
The starry sky's sublimity,
The ocean's mighty power,
The wonder of creation in
The petal of a flower.

And so if we have failed to show
By word or act or deed
That we are thankful unto Him
Who fills our daily need,
May this day show we're grateful
When we've add up all the sum
Of the blessings we remember,
As we count them one by one.

(Willard G. Seaman)

My favorite new recipe this month has got to be "Toad in the Hole."  Chorizo link sausages are quartered, placed on a lightly greased baking pan along with red cherry tomatoes and baked in a 425 degree oven for five minutes.  Then thin Yorkshire pudding batter is poured over the meat and tomatoes and left to bake for 15 minutes.  The batter will be puffed, browned, and crisp, coming up half-way on the sausages.  I've got my third batch cooking in the oven now and I can hardly wait to have it again.  When the Toad in the Hole is baked, I cut it so that some Yorkshire pudding surrounds a bite of sausage and some tomato, then I just pick it up in my hand, folding the pudding around the sausage and eat it.

Thanks to Florence for her delicious cheesy potato casserole recipe.  I can't make these potatoes very often, they're so good, I just want to keep eating them.  I made Jackie Imhoff's easy Toffee Bars and took them to work and received rave reviews and multiple requests for the recipe. 

Terri's Apple Crisp is excellent hot out of the oven with ice cream and a good recipe to use with the abundance of apples we have this year.   Terri's recipe was one of the recipes featured in a new cookbook I purchased, just out in September, from the New Life Fellowship church.  The "Heavenly Recipes" cookbook includes recipes from church members and the proceeds are to help raise money for a new church and parsonage.  The cookbook is presently being sold by the church and White's Appliance. 

Toad in the Hole
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil to coat baking pan
6 (5-inch long) Chorizo link sausages, quartered
handful or two of red cherry tomatoes

Batter:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk 

Oil 10x15x1-inch baking pan with olive oil, place sausages and cherry tomatoes equally across baking pan.  You may roll the sausages and cherry tomatoes in the olive oil first to coat.  Place in a 425 degree pre-heated oven and bake for five minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt, eggs, and milk in a mixing bowl.  Pour over meat and tomatoes.  Bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the batter is brown, puffed, and crisp, but not burnt.  Cut and serve immediately.

Potato Casserole
(Florence Dunn)

1 (2-pound bag) frozen hash brown shredded potatoes
16-oz. carton sour cream
1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
14-oz. shredded Cheddar cheese

Put hash browns in bottom of buttered 9x13x2-inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, chicken soup, onion, butter, salt and pepper, and shredded cheese.  Sprinkle over potatoes and bake in 375 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until bubbly.

Favorite Toffee Bars
(Meet the Millers/Jackie Imhoff)

Cella used 2 (3.5-oz.) Ghiradelli 60 percent dark chocolate bars and the toffee was done in 9 to 10 minutes.

1 cup chopped nuts (for bottom of cookie sheet)
1 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark Karo syrup
2 (3.5-oz.) Hershey chocolate bars or your favorite (for top of toffee)

Lightly butter a cookie sheet before making this recipe and spread the middle section with chopped nuts.  There is no need to put nuts clear to the edges as the toffee will not spread that far. Place the butter, brown sugar, and Karo syrup in a large saucepan.  Stir constantly and bring mixture to a boil and boil for 10 to 12 minutes (mixture will darken and thicken), do not scorch.  Pour toffee over nuts.  Lay thin slices of chocolate bars over hot toffee.  When chocolate melts, spread evenly over toffee with a spoon.  Allow to cool and then break into pieces with a table knife.

Apple Crisp
(Terri Foster)

Bottom Layer:
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups apples, peeled, and sliced

Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter

Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon with the apples.  Place in bottom of baking pan.  Using the same mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and brown sugar with the butter into crumbs.  Sprinkle mixture on top of apple mixture.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until mixture is lightly browned and bubbly.  Serve hot or cold.  

Send your favorite family recipes to Marcella Stockin, 5200 Riceville Road, West Valley, New York 14171 or e-mail me at marcellastockin@yahoo.com.  I'd love to hear from you.  Providing you with recipes to help make you the best cook in the neighborhood.  Visit my website at cellascookbook.com for more recipes and archived newsletters.