Soft Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ginger cookies are our favorite cookies to make and eat. We love the ginger and molasses flavor, and the soft, chewy texture. 

Ingredients

3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. molasses
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
granulated sugar

Directions

Set oven to 350°. Lightly grease the cookie sheets. Or you can line them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine shortening and brown sugar.  Cream until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg. Mix well. 

Pour in molasses. Beat until thoroughly combined.

Stir in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt.  Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the flour, mixing until combined.

Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator for about an hour, otherwise the dough will be too sticky to roll into balls. 

Add granulated sugar in a bowl or low sided dish. You need this sugar to roll the dough balls in before baking. 

Remove dough from the refrigerator. Remove about a tablespoon and a half of cookie dough. Roll the dough between the palms of your hands.  

Roll the dough balls in the sugar and place the balls on a cookie sheet.  Put 12 dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet.  Do not flatten the cookies. They spread out as they bake.

 Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until done. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Pork Chops and Gravy 

Flavorful, moist and tender pork chops served with gravy. This dish is comforting, just like my mother used to make. Serve the gravy over rice or mashed potatoes, for a delicious meal.

Ingredients

4 pork chops with the bone
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour
1/2 Tbs. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less)
2 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. butter

Gravy

1 Tbs. butter
1 onion, sliced thinly into half rings
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. flour*
1/2 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.

In a low sided dish or pan, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

Dredge both sides of the pork chops in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour.

Heat a cast iron skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the pork chops in a single layer. Cook until the underside is golden brown, then turn the pork chops over. Cook until the pork chops registers on a meat thermometer. Each side takes about 4 minutes to cook.

Remove the pork chops to a dish and cover to keep warm while you make the gravy.

In the same skillet you cooked the pork chops in, melt butter. Add onion slices. Cook the onions until they become carnalized. Stir them occasionally, so they do not burn on the bottom. This takes about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Stir in the flour. Cook and stir the flour, along with the onions and garlic, for about 2 minutes. This will remove the flour taste.

Pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly.  Be sure to scrape off the bottom of the pan to remove the flavorful bits.  Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Pour in the heavy cream. Stir until well blended.  Bring back to a simmer and allow the mixture to simmer for about 2 minutes, whisking often.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return the pork chops to the skillet. Spoon some sauce over the top of the pork chops.  When the pork chops are warmed through, and the gravy is bubbly, it is time to serve and enjoy.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes

If you have extra flour from dredging the pork chops, use that instead for the gravy. That way, the flour is already seasoned, and it will not go to waste.

Broccoli with Garlic Butter

Ingredients

2 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 c. butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbs. brown sugar (more or less depending how sweet you like your sauce to be)
5 Tbs. soy sauce
4 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash crushed red pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot with an inch of water. Add the broccoli and bring to a boil.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp tender. Drain well and cover to keep warm. You can also steam the broccoli in a basket over hot water if desired.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Sauté garlic for a minute or two to release the flavor into the butter. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and a dash of red pepper. Bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer until the mixture reduces and thickens, stirring occasionally. 

Pour the sauce over the broccoli and stir to coat.

Serve over rice if desired.

Notes

If you want a thicker sauce, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir until smooth. When the sauce comes to a boil, gradually pour in the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.  Cook until thickened.

You can use frozen broccoli instead of fresh.

Depending on your taste, if you like a sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar or honey. If you like the taste of soy sauce, add more of that. As always, taste the sauce as you make it. You can always add more soy sauce or brown sugar, but it is really hard to remove those ingredients after they are added.

Crispy Cornflake Baked Chicken 

You don't have to use flour to make crispy baked chicken.  Crush up some cornflakes and use that instead.  This makes your chicken crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy on the inside.  This is a chicken recipe that my entire family enjoys making and eating.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
4 c. cornflakes, crushed into coarse crumbs
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4  tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 chicken quarters
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a baking pan and set it aside. You can also line the baking sheet with foil and then spray the foil for easier cleaning.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk until thoroughly combined.

In a low-sided plate or a big sealable bag, combine crushed cornflakes, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Taking one piece of chicken, dip the chicken in the egg and milk mixture, coating all sides. Allow the excess to drip off. Then dip the chicken into the cornflakes mixture, rolling or turning the chicken over to coat all sides.

Place the chicken, meatier side down, on the prepared baking pan in a single layer.

Repeat the process until all the chicken has been coated and placed on the baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the chicken over.  Bake another 20 minutes, or until the chicken tests done. The internal temperature of the chicken should register 170° to 175° when taken with a meat thermometer. 

Notes

You can use chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into strips.  You will have to adjust the baking time as they will not have to bake as long.  

Pepperoni Tortilla Pinwheels 

We first had these in a restaurant years ago, and we thought they were the best.  Since then, we save a lot of money by making our own instead of getting them at a restaurant.

Ingredients

1 (12 oz.) pkg. sliced pepperoni
1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more if desired)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can green chilies, drained and chopped
1 (4  1/2 oz.) can olives, drained and chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut the pepperoni into small pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, red pepper flakes and garlic powder.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.

Stir in pepperoni, cheddar cheese, green chilies, olives, onions, and garlic powder.  Mix well. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the cream cheese mixture thinly and evenly over one tortilla wrap, stopping about 1/4-inch from the edge of the tortilla wrap.   Roll the tortillas up tightly. Repeat with the remaining tortilla wraps. 

Wrap each rolled tortilla in a sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, cut the tortilla wraps with a sharp serrated knife into a 1/2-inch or 3/4 inch slices. 

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Notes

You can add or change out and use different ingredients with this recipe. Try adding bacon, ham, diced chicken, smoked salmon, or even dill pickles. If you want a more Mexican flavor, sprinkle in some taco seasoning or a seasoning packet from Ramen noodles. 

Tortilla Pinwheels will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Cinnamon Muffins

These quick and easy muffins, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Then dipped in melted butter add a coating of cinnamon sugar, and you have a delicious treat that is sure to please. They disappear fast at our house.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbs. butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease or use paper liners in each muffin cup.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, mix milk, butter, egg, and vanilla together until well combined.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour in the milk mixture.  Stir only until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough.

Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4s full. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin. Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin.

Pour melted butter into a shallow bowl.

In another shallow bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. 

Dip the muffins tops in the melted butter.  Then, dip them in the cinnamon sugar mix.  If you did not use paper liners for the muffin cups, you can dip the entire muffin in butter and then dip them in the cinnamon sugar if desired. However, you may need to melt more butter and mix up extra cinnamon and sugar. 

They are best when served warm.

Vegetable Ground Beef Stew

With the rising cost of beef roasts and stew meat, ground beef is a good alternative to making this stew.  It saves you some money, and it is comfort food. This dish fills you up while adding healthy vegetables. It's so easy to make, and it is so delicious.

You can use leftover, cooked and cut up chicken meat, ham, or sausages instead of the beef. For vegetables, you can use any kind that you and your family like best. 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with chilies
3 1/2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. red wine (optional)
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. frozen peas or mixed vegetables

Directions

In a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, add the ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain

Stir in the diced tomatoes with chilies, beef broth, tomato paste, beef bouillon, oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic powder.

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover the skillet or Dutch oven with a lid. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, so it does not stick to the bottom.

Add the frozen peas or vegetables to the stew. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.   Test the vegetables to make sure they are all tender and done.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!