Greandmother Gibson's Strawberry Cake

Grandmother Gibson's (Johnny’s Grandmother – Ollie Gibson) Strawberry Cake

Lottie (Johnny's Mother, says that Grandmother Gibson would always tell, “Pam made the cake and "helt" out a teaspoon of strawberries - since she ate ‘em”! So, you may want to have extra strawberries on hand if you are planning on “holding out” of the recipe by eating some as you bake!
















1 box of strawberry cake mix
1 box of strawberry jello
3 T flour
½ cup of frozen strawberries (today we used strawberry preserves instead)
¾ cup of Wesson oil
¾ cup of water
4 well beaten eggs

Mix all at once, and bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean.


Icing:
1 box of powdered sugar
1 stick of butter (softened)
½ cup of frozen strawberries, thawed – not drained... (again we had to use preserves - and it turned out very good!)

Mix well, and ice the cake, and enjoy!
*I added a cup full of chopped pecans on top today! Yum!

Smothered Pork Chops...mmm

Trying to think of something different for today...and not wanting to go shopping - so, dug around and threw together what has to be one of my most fantastic meals...Kade is still licking his chops! Big praises - in his words, "Mom, there are not many kids that eat this good!"

Here is what we had on hand:

Huge baking potatoes - I washed them, poked about 3 holes in them, and coated each with butter and sea salt, put them in the oven at 400 degrees - thinking they would take about an hour.

In the meantime,

4 Boneless Sirloin Pork Chops
Butter - real unsalted butter!
Flour
Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
Lawry's Seasoning
Fresh ground black pepper

I rinsed the pork chops off with cool water, and dried with paper towel - sprinkled each with pepper, Tony's, and Lawry's seasonings - both sides...then gently pressed each side into a plate of flour, just a light coat.

I used my big cast iron skillet on medium heat - melted 4 TBSP butter and added the chops - just cooked them long enough on each side to brown a bit (about 4 minutes per side). Removed the chops and set to the side,

and then added the following to my big skillet:

4 more TBSP butter
Purple onion, red - yellow - green - orange bell peppers; all cut in stips about 1/4" wide; and a package of sliced baby bella mushrooms. Let this cook on medium for about 5 minutes, and then push it all over to one side and add the chops back into the bottom of the skillet. Make sure the veggies are all pilled up on top of the chops - that way they will not be overcooked. Add a can of chicken broth to the skillet, and cover - let it cook on medium to low until the potatoes are done.
















Slice the potatoes open and laddle a full scoop of the juicy gravy and veggies on top, and serve with a pork chop. We also had a romaine lettuce salad with garden fresh tomatoes and cucumber, hot rolls (love Sister Schubert's heat em' eat em's!)...and a yummy cake - see the next posting - that is another story!

Friendship Tea

Our dear friend, Alice (Allie) Black Parker has made our family this special tea just around the holidays for many years. Last year Kade had a yucky cold, and we were in between our normal time for having his on hand. Allie ran to town and gathered up all the special ingredients so he could have his requested cup of tea. (Isn't she a special friend! - we would not know what to do without her!) Funny - he shared his cold with all of us, and we all ended up piled up in the house for a few days - all drinking hot tea...and feeling better with each cup! With all the colds and flu going around - I thought it might be a good time to share this special recipe!

Friendship Tea
1 (18 oz.) jar dry Tang (orange drink mix)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pre-sweetened dry lemonade mix
1/2 cup dry instant tea (can use decaf if you like)
1 (3 oz.) package apricot flavored gelatin
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Store in an airtight container, and give to your friends!

To serve, place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mix (or more to your liking) in a cup and add boiling water. Stir well and enjoy. (This recipe makes about about 50 servings)

CHOCOLATE!!!

I think today is the perfect day for an oooey-gooey chocolate cake!

My Mother always made the most yummy cake for us when we were kids - and can you believe that she has lost the recipe!!! We are in mourning - and searching for a replacement recipe...the closest I have come to finding something similar is this: (but, we are still trying different versions to perfect it to be as good as we remember!)

Mississippi Mud Cake

Combine and mix well:
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of shortening
4 well beaten eggs
3 tsp vanilla

Mix well and then add to wet mix:
1 ½ cups of flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup of Hershey’s Cocoa
Add in 1 cup of chopped pecans.

Pour into well greased cake pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover with ½ of a package of mini marshmallows, and ½ package of chocolate chips. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

Cool and then frost with topping:
Mix together as listed:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 box of powdered sugar sifted with 1/3 cup of Hershey cocoa
½ can evaporated milk mixed with 1 tsp vanilla

and 1 cup of pecans to sprinkle on top.

Pour frosting on top of cooled cake, sprinkle with pecans, and let it set up for about an hour (if you can keep everyone out of it that long!)

There is nothing better than a warm cake and cold glass of milk! I think I should sample mine now!!!

Taco Soup on a cool fall day

Yum...just finished the easy version of taco soup...and the smell is just fantastic! This is my easy, fast version for days when I need to whip up a good meal with little time and effort. I never know exactly what will end up in the soup, but here is my staple recipe:

1 pound of Ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) - (today I used beef and doubled the recipe for freezer containers next week!)
1 Onion, chopped fine (about a cup full - today I cheated and used frozen chopped seasoning blend with green, red, yellow peppers and onion)
1 can Rotel or stewed tomatoes (I prefer Hot Rotel)

1 can of chopped green chilies

1 can pinto of black beans (or cooked dry beans)

1 can of whole kernel corn
1 pkg of dry seasoning Hidden Valley Ranch
1 pkg of taco seasoning ( I use the Hot version)
1 can of hominy (I prefer yellow - but can use white)

2 TBS ground cumin

Juice of about 1/4 of a lime

Brown meat and add onions until soft... add other ingredients, including juice in the cans, and heat through. Simmer until the flavors blend. Serve topped with grated cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, and/or black olives. I usually have yellow corn tortillas on hand and will slice them into narrow pieces and fry them in oil for a crispy topping! This soup freezes great - makes for an easy meal ready to heat and eat!

Granny Foster's Dinner Rolls

I love these sort of recipes...have a couple hundred of them under the desk in an orange (literally a fruit box) box right now (from my Dad's Mother - Nola Mae Moore).

This one is in my Granny's (Mother's Mother - Billie Foster) handwriting - written on the first thing I am sure she could grab at the moment. I can just envision her yakking on the phone with someone (probably a friend from church), and grabbing this envelope to jot down a shared recipe...




Hope you enjoy it as much as I have:

Enchilada Casserole

Some while back, I started cooking multiple meals on Sunday afternoons. Probably about the time that I started back to school, especially while taking my upper level Economic courses - seems my brain just needed the break from regression, time series analysis, and stats in general. And, it has been such a joy to end the day with a meal ready to eat in the freezer - waiting to be popped in the oven or microwave for a fresh meal for the family.

This week, I cooked a big pot of chicken stew...which my recipe varies from time to time.

And, I made my Mother's wonderful ENCHILADA CASSEROLE!
This dish has been one of my families favorites, and was a hit when I was a kid too.

Give it a try - it is easy, great to make in a double recipe and will freeze and re-heat well!

Meat mixture:
brown 1 lb hamburger meat (I have used chopped up cooked chicken for this recipe also)

add in, and cook meat mixture until well seasoned:
1 can tomatoes (I use Rotel instead)
2 cans tomato sauce
1 Tbls chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic

Cheese Sauce:
Melt together on low heat:
1 lb Velveeta cheese
1 can green chilies
1 jar pimentos
1 large can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

More stuff needed:
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c chopped onions (I cheat and use frozen)
about 2 dozen flour tortillas

Layer in casserole dish: Meat sauce, tortillas dipped in cheese sauce, onions, grated cheese…repeat until all used. Top off with large amount of grated cheese, and Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until cheese melts.

Serve with Chips and Salsa, or dinner rolls....mmm...speaking of dinner rolls - I have a special recipe I will share next!

Cool Evening Treats

A couple of cool evenings, and all I can think about are two favorites my Mother always made for us growing up...

Mother’s No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
1 stick butter
3-4 T cocoa
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 t vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Boil sugar, milk, butter, cocoa for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, vanilla, oatmeal and nuts. Beat until blended and drop on wax paper. Cool and eat. Most of the time, these barely made it from the pan to wax paper before we ate them up!

Mother's Real Hot Cocoa

4 Mounded Tablespoons of Hershey cocoa
1 cup Granulated sugar
A dash of salt
½ cup of Carnation Powdered milk

Start stirring in 2 cups of hot water to above mixture, keep stirring over low heat to keep all the lumps out. Add in a large of Carnation evaporated milk, and keep stirring over low heat, bring up to a boil and remove from heat. According to her directions, you will need to get Daddy to taste, and adjust if needed – add a little sugar or milk as needed. According to Mother, Daddy needs to be around for this recipe to be a success! So best wishes on your own! Serve with mini marshmallows…. And no bake cookies for a yummy treat on a cool evening!

A note about my early cooking skills from my Mother

Here is a recipe from one of my first Girl Scout summer camps...I included this in a letter home that summer, and my Mother has kept it all these years.

When I asked my Mother to contribute to my Tasty Plate project, she sent this note:

Shonda was in Girl Scouts and announced she was making our family dinner. She cooked everything by herself, I did not even get to be in the kitchen. She set the table with proper placement of silverware, napkins and even prepared dishes under covers! We all sat down and uncovered our meal revealing spinach and cream of chicken soup! : ) We ate as if it were a feast. Then daddy & I had to leave out and he said, "WHAT WAS THAT?!!!" We of course went to Dairy Queen! She was soooo proud of herself!

At 8 years old Shonda wanted me to help her go on a diet! I told her no seconds or extras, only her meal at school. When she got home, like most days when I wasn't working, I had cookies coming out of the oven. She came in and said momma can I get off my diet for just five minutes? That is what I taught my daughter!!!!

"The Plan" for this blog

I am an organization fanatic - and work best with a plan and 'to-do' list in front of me...

To give you just a taste...every Friday I will update this blog with a new entry including...

1. Breakfasts

2. Lunch - Supper or Dinner, depending on where you are from!

3. Holiday Favorites

4. Cookin' Out

5. Special Treats and Eating Out

6. Grand Finale - Desert!

7. Childhood Memories - Girl Scouts, 4-H, and Family

8. Remedies...from the oldest recipe boxes

Now, you know what to look forward to!

Let me know what you think - and be sure to share your fondest memories of tasty plates!

How the Tasty Plate got started...

Can you think of family without thinking of some great food? Well, I can barely get through a story of what we did, where we went, or who we saw, without adding something about a tasty dish. I started this project in 2000 – nine years ago. At that time, I gathered up a lot of recipes and stories, and then we moved to our new home, and life as gone fast and furious since.

A few months back, I was talking to a fellow student who lives in Tennessee; and before the end of our conversation memories of a childhood trip through the Smoky Mountains entered my mind. Along with memories of my sister (Mistie) biting me as we rode in the back of the truck in the camper topper (ooh she will be mad that I brought that back up again!), collecting Kachina dolls and seeing real, live Indians – I recall picnics of bologna sandwiches along the side of the road, and feeding the bears grapes (although I think there were signs along the way that said “Do not feed the bears!”)

Again, I thought of my unfinished project, and decided this was the year to complete it!
Sometimes I look down at my hands as I am driving or typing, and I see someone else’s! My mothers, my grandmothers...When I walk in a movie theatre, or in the hospital lobby, and smell popcorn popping…I think of fun times with cousins all flopped out in front of Aunt Claudia’s fireplace! And around the holidays, I think of the table full of candies that Aunt Chris whipped up every year. And, gathering up at Granny and Grandad Foster’s for Christmas always gave good opportunities for Aunt Barbara and Uncle Paul’s yummy treats!

I can’t get through the grocery store without seeing a buttermilk pie – and thinking of how good Granny Moore’s pies were; and how sad that anyone would have to buy one in a grocery store! Driving by Poncho’s restaurants, I think of the special treats of eating out with Granny and Grandad Foster. Do you ever look for Foremost dairy products when you are shopping? I still catch myself looking for the familiar white and orange-red cartons that were always plentiful in Granny’s fridge.

Over the past 10 years, seems like we’ve lost a lot of our family and friends… and with that loss, many of my most fond memories are filled with our gatherings…great fun, visiting, sharing, story-telling, and of course, some yummy food!

Our “cookbook” grows as our families grow – I was thinking about how diversified our foods have become as we have added new people in our lives. Never would I have considered noodles a staple for holiday fare until I met the Tomasek’s, nor would Johnny Gibson think about eating cream of wheat and rice dishes until he got me! Since we have this unique blending of family and friends, I hope you all enjoy the benefits of these tried and true family favorites.

I have asked all of our family, including some friends we cherish as family, to share their “tasty plate full of memories”… and here you have it, a compilation of it all. Keep sharing with me, as you will see that I have designed this project to be expanded for years to come!

Love you all – thanks for the memories!

Introduction and Welcome

Today I begin to blog about a lifelong love of creating tasty plates! Seems every occasion in my life has called for a new recipe, or attempting to re-create a family favorite...and thought I would attempt to share those recipes and stories with my friends and family online.

You may wonder where the name comes from - Shon D'Amore Recipes...if you know me well, you will see the resemblance to my maiden name - Shonda Moore. Several years ago, when I was working for FoxValley Corp out of Wisconsin, I had to call in a weekly order for products - and over the years, we were finally computerized. When that happened, I started receiving confirmation of those orders - and the order taker (whom I had worked with for several years) noted my name as "Shon D'Amore" - sounded pretty smart and French - so, I decided then that would be my "pen name" for the day I found the time and energy to write.

Now, if you don't know me well - you will also need to understand that I have a strong southern drawl - and my name can become quite long when heard by folks unfamiliar with the Texas dialect! To be honest, just about everything I say becomes quite long and drawn out! You should have been around here as we tried to teach 2 young boys to spell - "sounding words out" was a nightmare around here! but, that is another story...

Since I am now attempting to write about my lifelong love of creating tasty plates, I decided the moment was appropriate to utilize my pen name! Besides, is sure expresses my love (amour) for creating and serving up some fantastic dishes...

So, here we go...let me know what you think! And, Be sure to share with me your favorite dishes and memories associated with them - I am always looking for a new tasty plate!

Love to you all!
Shon D'amore