Charlotte’s Kitchen

Archive for November, 2007

Almost everyone likes Chex^® Snack Mix. I’m sure if you attend any amount of parties in December, you’ll see it all over the place. Well here’s a delicious twist on the idea. If you serve this, make sure you have copies of the recipe available because people will be asking for it. Or you could just refer them to this page.

• 5 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 2 teas. Watkins Maple Extract
• 8 Cups Crispex (or other brand of Chex type cereal)
• 1 Cup Stick Pretzels
• 1 Cup Peanuts

1. Melt margarine with sugar and maple flavoring.
2. Pour over Crispex to coat
3. Cook in microwave 2 1/2 minutes on high.
4. Stir well and microwave another 2 1/2 minutes on high.
5. Add pretzels & nuts & mix together.
6. Cool spread out on wax paper. This is the key because it will stick if you don’t do this.

Enjoy!

Here’s another soup recipe that we love. John loves to make pea soup in the winter, in fact the other day he asked me if we had any split peas so I’m sure it’s coming soon, This one is different because, as the name says, it’s baked. Also, it uses Polska Kielbasa as it’s meat source.

• 1 package (16 oz) dried split peas
• 8 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1-1/2 cups sliced celery
• 2 tbsp Watkins Onion Flakes
• 2 tsp Watkins Thyme
• 2 tsp Watkins Chicken Soup Base
• 1 tsp Watkins Celery Seed
• 1/4 tsp or to taste Watkins Black Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 pound fully-cooked Polska Kielbasa sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick then cut in half

1. Rinse peas under cold water.
2. In a large oven-proof kettle or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients except sausage.
3. Bake, covered, at 350°F for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Add sausage, bake 30 minutes more or until peas are tender and sausage is heated through; remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes 8 servings.
If you prefer a thinner soup, just add more water when you add the sausage.

Enjoy!

What’s the best thing about onion rings? The taste! What’s the worst thing about onion rings? The Fat!! We love onion rings. We just never seldom ate them. That’s because they were deep fried and we just don’t want that fat. With this recipe though, you don’t have to worry about the deep fryer and it’s fat. These delicious onion rings are baked.

• 3 large onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Cup buttermilk
• 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp Watkins Paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 Cup cornflake crumbs
• Watkins Cooking Spray

1. Separate the onions into rings and mix with the buttermilk in a large bowl to coat.
2. Stir occasionally and set aside at least 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Spray a baking sheet with Watkins Cooking Spray.
5. In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, Watkins Paprika, and salt.
6. In a second shallow dish, lightly beat the egg whites.
7. In a third shallow dish, add the cornflake crumbs.
8. Dip each onion ring first in the flour mixture, next in the egg whites, and then in the cornflake crumbs to coat.
9. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
10. Spray the onion rings with Watkins Cooking Spray.
11. Bake in batches for 15 mins until golden brown.
12. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

This cake is as flavor-packed as you could possibly get. It’s basically a pound cake but it works great for birthdays or any other special event. You’ll love it.

• 2 sticks butter or margarine
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 tsp. Watkins Baking Powder
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 5 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. Watkins Coconut flavor
• 1 tsp. Watkins Rum Extract
• 1 tsp. Watkins Butter Flavor
• 1 tsp. Watkins Lemon Extract
• 1 tsp. Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla

1. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, which have been beaten until lemon colored.
3. Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
4. Stir in flavorings.
5. Spoon mixture into prepared 10″ tube pan (Bundt pan must be 10″ or hold 12 cups; an angel food pan may also be used)
6. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done.
7. Add glaze if desired.
8. Cool in pan about 10 minutes before turning out.

GLAZE

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. Watkins Butter Flavoring
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. Watkins Lemon Extract
• 1 tsp. Watkins Coconut Flavoring
• 1 tsp. Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
• 1 tsp. Watkins Rum Flavoring
• 1 tsp. Watkins Almond Extract

1. Combine ingredients in heavy saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is melted.
3. Pour on 1/2 of the glaze while cake is still in the pan, and the other 1/2 when removed.

Enjoy

If you like fancy breads, but never thought you could make your own, here’s an easy way to make one.

Ingredients

• 1 package Watkins Good Tastings^® Bread Mix
• 1 12-oz can lemon-flavored sparkling water or soda
• 3 tbsp Watkins Rosemary
• 3 tbsp Watkins Parsley
• 1 tbsp coarsely-ground Watkins Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Combine bread mix with sparkling water.
2. Pour half of batter in loaf pan.
3. Combine rosemary and parsley; sprinkle 4 tbsp over the batter.
4. Pour in remaining batter and spread evenly.
5. Sprinkle remaining herbs on top, followed by sea salt.
6. Drizzle with butter and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Enjoy

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we have had our first year here in Indiana.  We spent the day at Mom and Dad’s and then the kids stayed the night with us before going home.  The pumpkin rolls were a hit yesterday and so was the pie.  The crust on the pie was rich but oh so good!  I didn’t have whipping cream so here is what I did – let some Cool Whip
sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes, when  it got runny and used 3 tablespoons of that.  It worked :-)

Last nigh our son, Dave and his wife Sarah and their two sons spent the night before driving back to Frankfort, Kentucky.  That’s right Michael and Joseph were here with us last night and today.   We went to Momma Milanos in Milan for lunch and had delicious calzones.  They were huge, all of us got boxes to put the portion we couldn’t eat and brought home for
another meal.  Dave, Sarah, Michael and Joseph have just left for Kentucky.

I made this soup for last Wednesday night at church.  Every Wednesday we  ave supper at church and then our regular evening service and it was my group’s turn to prepare the meal.  The Cheeseburger Soup was a big hit with everyone, but especially the teens.

Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2      cups water
• 2  cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Watkins Beef Soup and Gravy Mix
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 8 ounces processed American cheese, cubed
• 2 1/2    cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper(depending on your tastes)
• 1/2 pound bacon, coked and crumbled

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients; bring to a boil.
2.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in beef and 2 cups milk; heat through.
4. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup.
5. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
6. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted.  Add cayenne pepper.

When serving, top each bowl of soup with crumbled bacon.