Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

The rhubarb harvest in our area is just beginning.  The first crop from my garden went into jam this week...and we enjoyed it on fresh biscuits before it had a chance to cool off. 

• 5 cups chopped rhubarb
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup orange or apple juice
• 1 small package strawberry flavored gelatin

1. Combine chopped rhubarb, sugar and juice. 
2. Stir well and allow to sit for about an hour.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat....and continue to boil for 12 minutes, stirring continually. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin.
5. Pour into sterile jars and refrigerate.  (Can also be frozen).

Enjoy...

Chocolate Biscuit Cake for Prince William

Have you been up all night watching the wedding of Prince William and Kate?

Wasn't she a beautiful bride and he a handsome prince?

We simply can't let this day go by without posting a cake in their honor.

When I heard that he had chosen Chocolate Biscuit Cake for the grooms cake I googled it and saw that it was hardly a recipe at all.  I regularly make ganache to frost cakes and this cake is essentially broken cookies added to melted ganache.

It's been  well known that Queen Elizabeth made sure that this cake was served for tea when Prince William would come to the palace.

It's a no bake cake with just a handful of ingredients.  You can tweak this however you like and be sure that it is nearly impossible to ruin.  I used  a combination of little bricks of dark and milk chocolate and 3/4 of a large package of Digestive biscuits.  It seems that if you open the package before you plan to make it. ..your package might not be full when you make your cake.  That happened to me so I added in some Breton Original crackers and it tastes terrific.  The cake can be made a day or two ahead, just wrap well with plastic wrap once it is firmly chilled.  Here is how I made my cake.



• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup whipping cream (33 % milk fat)
• 1 pound chocolate. .half dark and half milk
• 2 tbsp. cane syrup ( If not available you could use corn syrup)
• 1 egg
• 1 large packet  (500 gm)  or 2 7.5 ounce packages digestive biscuits. . .or 3/4 package and some Breton's.  (The exact amount is not a huge deal. . .if you want it more biscuity then add more biscuits and if you want more solid chocolate  ..add less.  Simple. If you can't find digestive biscuits where you live, just substitue any plan tea biscuit.

1. Line a 9 inch Spring form pan with parchment paper. .and then use one long strip to line the side once the pan is closed.  It will be loose in there but will quickly be pushed to the sides once you pour in your cake batter.
2. Melt the butter over low heat, add the whipping cream and chopped chocolate and stir until melted.  If you are worried about scorching the chocolate, do it over a double boiler but do not allow the chocolate to get wet. .it will seize on you and you'll have a mess.  Alternately, heat it in the microwave and stir every minute until it is melted.
3. Add the cane syrup and stir well.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork, add a small amount of melted chocolate into the egg and beat ..add a bit more chocolate to adjust the egg to heat.  Repeat this two more times so that your egg does not turn to scrambled egg.  Pour the egg and chocolate back into the chocolate and continue to stir over the heat one more minute.  The mixture should start to thicken slightly when the egg cooks.  If you are heating the chocolate in the microwave,  remove every 20 seconds and stir for an additional cooking time of 1 minute.
5. Put the digestive biscuits in a large zip loc bad ..squeezing out the air.  Crust to almond sized chunks.  Some pieces will turn to crumbs. .this is okay.
6. Stir the digestive biscuits into the melted chocolate mixture.
7. Pour into the prepared pan and chill until solid.
8. Remove from pan and set on a cooling rack which is on a piece of waxed paper.
9. Remove from pan, flip over to have the bottom at the top and pour ganache over, chill  and serve with whipped cream.

Melted Ganache

• 1 cup whipping cream
• enough chocolate chips to just come to the top of the cream.

1. Simply warm your cream until bubbles begin to form.
2. Dump in the chocolate chips. ..just enough so you can see them poking through the cream.
3. Stir until silky smooth.
4. Pour over the cake and smooth over sides.  Chill.

May Prince William and his bride Kate have a long and loving relationship.

God save the Queen!

Hired Hand Macaroni Casserole

Although I'm sure most of you make some kind of hamburger macaroni casserole,

this recipe originates with my MIL and comes with a story.

When Dad and Mom Klassen needed more outdoor help than their 2 boys could provide,

they often hired a man from Greendale. He had little education but knew how to work hard and kept my husband and his brother to task. He had a large heart and worked willingly even when he could not expect payment so he was sometimes taken advantage of because of this.

He had an equally large appetite but almost no teeth. Mom met these challenges by making this casserole in copious quantities when he came to work. I've added a few spices to the original version but otherwise it's the same as Mom K made it.

In our family this casserole bears his name but I've renamed it for this blog.

Whatever it's called it is popular with kids of all ages.

• 3 cups macaroni
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 213 ml tin tomato sauce
• 1 234 ml tin tomato soup - undiluted
• 1/2 cup ketchup or bottled chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups grated cheese - cheddar and/or mozzarella

1. Cook macaroni in salted boiling water. drain.
2. While macaroni is cooking,brown hamburger in a fry pan, draining excess fat and place in large casserole dish (or 2 smaller ones). Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside
3. Add onions and peppers to the pan and sautè until wilted. Add to casserole.
4. Add soup, sauce and ketchup, basil and oregano and mix well with hamburger and vegetables.
5. Top with grated cheese (be generous)
6. Bake at 350º for 1/2 and hour or until casserole bubbles.
7. Serve with a green salad.

Note: If you like, you can make this in 2 casseroles, eat one now and freeze the other for a night when you don't have time to cook.

Lemon Chicken Stir-fry

We loved this chicken stir fry and the sauce has a surprising ingredient. Pair it up with cooked rice or noodles and you have yourself a quick and wonderful meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut in strips
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 cup of red peppers, cut in strips
• 1 mango, peeled and cut in chunks..if you don't have a mango just omit, it will still be good
• 1 small package lemon jelly powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Asian Sesame Dressing
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Add the chicken strips and cook until thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the sugar snap peas and peppers, stir and cook for 2 minutes or until preferred tenderness.
3. Mix together cornstarch, jelly powder, water, dressing, garlic and salt and whisk till jelly powder is dissolved.
4. Add to pan with the chicken, peas and peppers and cook till sauce thickens. Stir in mango chunks. 
5. Serve hot on cooked rice or noodles. 
6. Yields: 4 to 5 servings  

Eggs A la Goldenrod

For those of us who made Seerney Paska this is a great recipe for using up all those egg whites. The basic white sauce can be kind of bland for some who like some zip in their food so I added some prepared mustard to the sauce along with some chives. The chives give the dish some added color.

Eggs a la Goldenrod

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of white pepper (you can substitute black pepper if you’d like)
2 Tablespoons snipped chives
A Tablespoon or more of prepared mustard according to taste. We enjoyed the country mustard with horseradish added.
8 hard boiled eggs.
4 slices of toasted bread cut into triangles.

Method:

Peel the hard boiled eggs and separate the yolk from the white. Slice the egg whites into bite size portions. Press the yolks through a sieve and set aside. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and blend well. Add the salt and the pepper. After approx. 4 minutes of cooking over low heat add the 2 cups of milk and turn up the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the milk begins to thicken. Whisk in the mustard. Add the chives and the eggs whites and heat through.

Toast the bread and cut each piece into 4 triangles or whatever shape you’d like. Place bread on a plate and scoop a good portion of the prepared white sauce mixture over the bread. Garnish with the egg yolk that was pressed through a sieve.

Note: In retrospect I think this recipe would also work well with some cooked crumbled sausage or bacon added to the white sauce.

This recipe will make at least 4 generous servings.

Swiss Steak

I love meals that I can cook in my slow cooker, especially if I have a busy day, or plan for company or family coming for Sunday dinner after church.
This is a versatile dish that can easily made into more if you are cooking for a larger crowd.
I made this for 16 people and used about 1/2 lb. per person.
But to make for 6-8 servings start with-

• 3 lbs of round steak cut into pieces, the size of your palm.
• 1/2 cup of seasoned flour
• 2 large onions chopped
• 2 green or red peppers
• 1 can of tomato sauce 398 ml/ approximately 1 and 2/3 cups
• 1/2 of the can with water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Coat the round steak with the seasoned flour and brown in a bit of Olive Oil.
2. Place the browned steak in a casserole dish or Slow Cooker
3. Saute the onions and peppers until soft
4. Place on top of steak.
5. Pour over the tomato sauce, water and Worcestershire sauce
6. Cover and bake at 350 for 2 hours.
7. or on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours
8. Serve with Mashed Potatoes Rice or Noodles, good with any of these, pick your favorite.

Bread For The Journey / High Hopes Part 2 ~ Easter Sunday~

Thank you for joining us this glorious day of celebration of Christs resurrection.
Did God fail......Here is the rest of the story. If you missed Part 1 just scroll down a bit.
A continuation from the book "Diapers, Pacifiers and other Holy things, written by Lorraine Pintus. lorrainepintus.com

We have an advantage over Mary. We know the end of her story. We understand how, even though it seemed impossible, God would fulfill His promises to her.
Knowing this, wouldn't you love to step back in time and comfort Mary at the foot of the cross? Wouldn't you love to put your arm around her and whisper, "Don't cry, Mary! It's going to be okay. No grave can hold your son. He will be king. God hasn't let you down. Be patient; you will see. God is about to surpass all you've ever dared to hope or dream!"
God has an advantage over you, too. He knows the end of your story. He already knows how you will get through the thing in front of you.
Can I put my arm around you and whisper something in your ear? "Don't despair! God will not fail you. He has a plan. Be patient; you will see. God intends to do something in you and through you that will surpass all you've ever dared to hope or dream."
Our God is mighty. Bigger than anything facing you. Trust Him. Trust in His high hopes for you. He says, "For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told" (Hab. 1:5).

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26

HAPPY EASTER