Blackberry Swirl Pie

It seems like the only time I make pie is in the fall and it is usually apple, pecan or pumpkin pies.  This summer I want to make an effect to make more pies. I was surfing the net checking out pie recipes while visiting Better Homes and Gardens Online I came across a beautiful pie and I had all the ingredients on hand. Can you ask for anything more simple to make and it only has 6 ingredients.  It's a sign I have to make this pie.  I used frozen blackberries that way I can keep on track on using everything in my freezer.

Blackberry Swirl Pie

You can find the recipe here at Better Homes and Gardens

1 recipe single-crust pie pastry or rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust

1 8 oz carton sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups fresh blackberries or 1 16oz bag frozen blackberries

Preheat over to 450 degrees. If using frozen berries allow them to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Prepare pie crust dough and line a 9 inch pie plate.  Line crust with double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 4 minutes.  Remove pie crust and allow to cool. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a bowl mix together sour cream, sugar, flour and salt.  Add blackberries and gently fold them into the sour cream mixture.  Spoon into pre-baked pie crust.  to prevent over browning cover edge of crust with foil and bake 25 minutes (55 minutes if using frozen berries).  Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until filling is bubbly and appears set.  Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve or cover and refrigerate.

Until Next Time,
Pam

It's going to be a little slow here for awhile...

We are having serious issues with our water well and pump.  Not sure if it's the pump, the water table is low or our well has dried up.  We have made a call for our pump guy to come out and check everything out.  He will try to come today but so far it looks like it will be tomorrow.  Funny how this always seems to happen on the weekend or holiday.  This time it was both.

I had cut back my blog recipe posts to 2 a week.  Now it looks like they will be cut back to once a week until we have water flowing again.

The person who unloaded sold this house to us lied and said that the well was fine and produced enough water.  We find out from a neighbor above us that he would go around saying he had 42 acres and a bad well.  We could hire an attorney and go after the seller except that the neighbor doesn't want to go on record so we are screwed.  Plus we just don't have the money to hire a lawyer if nothing is going to pan out.

I am just sick about all this we sunk everything we had into this house and have already put out thousands of dollars on the well and pump.

My cooking has now come to a halt.  It is getting too hard to haul water to the house to do dishes.  We are already having to haul water in every other day just to flush toilets and a friend of my husband gave us a key to his building in town to take showers.  I had planted a container garden and unless we get water soon it looks like that is over too.

Sorry to be a downer but I really needed to vent otherwise I will be crying.  Prayers, thoughts and good vibes that you could send our way would be appreciated.

Pam 

Strawberry Bread

I know it's strawberry season and I'm using frozen strawberries.  I have a habit of filling up my freezer and then not using what's in there.  My goal is to start using up things in my freezer and not buying anything else until it is emptied and cleaned.  Then my going to figure out a freezer system of what is in there and how it is going to be used.  Wish me luck!  

Thanks to this idea I have on cleaning out my freezer I have come up with a very tasty Strawberry Bread, your welcome.

Strawberry Bread

3 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1/3 cup water

1 cup oil

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

16 oz bag frozen strawberries, thawed and mashed

Mix together in a large mixing bowl sugar, eggs, vanilla, water and oil.  Sift into sugar mixture flour, salt, and baking soda. Fold in strawberries and divide batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake in a pre-heated 350º oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

I just took ravioli out of the freezer, stay tuned. 

Until Next Time,

Pam

Mashed Potato Salad

Not going to lie this is a goofy photo but it is the only one I have since the potato salad was devoured right after I made it.  I love potato salad and I like to dry different recipes but this is my tried and true recipe that I don't even have to look it up I have made it so many times I can make it blindfolded.  

My favorite potatoes salads have always been the creamy mashed ones with some chunks of potatoes.   After that the skies the limit in what you can put in a potato salad.  What are your favorite add ins?

Mashed Potato Salad

5 large russet potatoes, diced

5 pickled hard boiled eggs, diced (you can use regular hard boiled eggs)

3 large jalapeño peppers, diced (optional)

1 large onion, diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

5 stalks celery, sliced

1 large can black whole olives, rough chop

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup miracle whip

4 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons stone ground mustard

1/2 cup pickle relish (sweet or dill, I used sweet)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasonings (optional)

Peel and dice potatoes place in a large dutch oven and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, drain.  While the potatoes are cooking dice and chop the eggs, peppers, onion, cilantro, celery and olives place in a bowl and set aside.  Take 1/2 the potatoes and mashed them up really good add the remaining potatoes and give them a light mashing so there are still chunks.  Add the bowl with all the items you chopped up and mix them into the potatoes.  In the bowl that had the veggies add mayo, miracle ship, mustards and relish and mix together.  Add the salt, pepper and creole seasonings mix together and taste for seasonings adjust if needed.  Mix into the potatoes.  At this point this is your base some people like their potato salad wet add more mayo or miracle whip until it is the way you like it.  I add a little more of the miracle whip I like the tangy sweetness.  Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

Until Next Time,
Pam

Italian Turkey Puff Pastry

I'm a fall kinda gal I like the heavy comfort food, wrapping up in a blanket with a cup of coffee on those brisk days.  But what I do enjoy about the summer months is being able to sit out on the deck and read sipping an ice tea, nights that stay lighter and summer thunderstorms.

Looks like summer is here in Utah we getting into the high 80's here up on the mountain.  When the temps start rising I want lighter meals or appetizers for dinner.  How fast and simple is this Italian Turkey Puff Pastry serve with a salad dinner is ready from prep to table in 30 minutes.  The way I look at it you now have room for dessert.

Italian Turkey Puff Pastry

Tomato Topping

1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered if large

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Dice and/or chop tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil and place in bowl.  Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix together.  Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Tart

Pepperridge Puff Pastry Sheet

 1 cup sliced into bite sized pieces Jennie-O Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Breast

1/2 container Philadelphia Cream Cheese Italian Herb Cooking Creme

1/2 cup kalamata olives, rough chop

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shaved

Thaw puff pastry and roll out to about 12 x 12 roll edges for a more rustic look.  Spread half the container of Philadelphia cooking cream on dough.  Top with turkey breast, olives and parmesan cheese.  Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve with the tomato mixture.

Until Next Time,
Pam

What's In A Name?

What's in a name?  Everything!

When I was in living in California I had a Food Blog my daughter came up with the name House of Pamcakes.  I gave up the blog when we decided to start looking to move out of state.  I didn't have time for a blog while we were getting our house ready to put on the market.

When we finally fixed the house up, moved and living here in Utah I went to re-activate House of Pamcakes....It has been taken over.  Not only was it taken over the person has only written one blog post and that was in 2011.  What a waste of my old blog name.

Then the smarty pants I am I will get the web rights in a dot com how silly of me to think it would be available.  Someone has their cake business with that web address.  Excellent choice Pam.

Living Rancho Delux doesn't scream Food Blogger but it does scream the way we live now.  I am embracing the rural life.  Hey, I have also been thinking about getting some goats, anyone for some homemade cheese?

So the moral of this story.... If you find a name you love hang on to it, embrace and live it...

I am now Living Rancho Delux

Until Next Time,

Pam

Baking Partners - New York Style Pizza

I am really late with my Baking Partners post.  This month was New York Style Pizza and I loved doing this challenge.  This is by far the best recipe for pizza I have ever made.  Below is the exact recipe however with the sauce I did add extra garlic and red pepper flakes and instead of halving the onion I did dice the onion (I love onions).  I'm all about free-form when it comes to the dough.

New York Style Pizza Sauce

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/new-york-style-pizza-sauce.html

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of sugar

pinch red pepper flakes

kosher salt

2 six inch springs fresh basil with leaves attached

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split in half

Yield 4-3 makes enough for 2-4 12 inch pies depending on how much sauce you like

Active Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hours

Special Equipment:

Food mill, food processor or hand blend

Process tomatoes and their juice through food mill, pulse in food processor until pureed, or puree with hand blender. Puree should not be completely smooth, but should have no chunks larger than 1/16 of an inch. Set tomatoes aside. Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted.  Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, onion and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour.  Season to taste with salt.  Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

New York Style Pizza Crust

http://feelingfoodish.com/the-best-new-york-style-pizza-dough/

To see a video and to read the 14 Tips for success click on the link to the website

This recipe makes 4 14” pizzas or can be halved to make two 14” pizzas

Author Marie B, Feeling Foodish

28oz (6 cups) all-purpose flour
17.4 oz (a little less than 2/14 cups) water (cool to room temp)
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
2.5 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions:
1. Place water in mixing bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix salt and yeast into flour
3. Combine flour/salt/yeast mixture into water and mix until all the flour has been incorporated
4. After flour has been totally incorporated, add oil and knead for about 4 to 5 minutes (see note)
5. Test final dough temperature, which should ideally be between high 70s to low 80s (optional)
6. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces (using a digital scale if possible; each ball should weight 11.5 oz) and place in a sealed quart-sized container or freezer bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours (after much experimenting, I have concluded that I like 3 days best)
7. The following day, remove your dough balls within 1 or 2 hours of baking and allow the dough to
come to room temperature (the dough will tend to blister more if the dough has not been allowed to come to room temperature) 
8. In the meantime, place your pizza stone in oven and preheat at 550 degrees (depending on
thickness of your stone and your oven’s power) for at least 1 hour
9. Open each dough ball using care not to degas, transfer to a pre-floured pizza peel (or parchment paper) and top with sauce, cheese and other toppings of your choosing 
10. Transfer pizza from peel to oven or slide parchment paper onto preheated pizza pan/stone and bake for 4 to 6 minutes each until browned and cheese has melted but not burned. 

Notes: Weighing the flour is highly recommended. Using a cup to measure will typically yield
inaccurate results, plus different flour brand have different weights. If you want to use the doughthe next day, knead a little more (slow speed for about 8 to 10 minutes) or if you have time to let the dough rest for 3 days, knead 4 to 5 minutes, low speed or hand knead. if using King Arthur flour it is 6.5 cups of flour) 

With the extra dough I made a pizza with a pesto base and mushrooms and chicken apple sausage

Until Next Time,

Pam

New Winner Announced

After 4 days the winner of the Chinese Takeout Cookbook did not contact me.  I have deleted the post and a new Winner is about to be announced

Congratulations

Jo Ann Buller

Please email me at caponefamily3[at]yahoo.com

Thank you for entering,

Pam

Baked Breakfast Quesadilla

Here is a Cinco de Mayo Breakfast that packs a lot of flavor.  My Baked Breakfast Quesadilla which can be served with or without scrambled eggs they also make a yummy appetizer for your Cinco de Mayo Party.

Baked Breakfast Quesadilla

1 pound country ground sausage

1 bag Simply Potatoes - Diced Potatoes with Onions

6 flour tortillas 

1/2 onion, diced

1 large jalapeño pepper, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chipolte chili powder
Salsa

2/3 cup mexican blend cheese
serve with a side of salsa and sour cream
Optional:  Scrambled Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder.  Heat oil in a skillet and add the onions and jalapeño pepper sauté for 4 minutes.  Add sausage and 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture. Using a wooden spoon break up the sausage as it cooks.  Cook until crumbled and no longer pink.  Add potatoes and the rest of the spice mixture and cook until potatoes are a golden brown.  Place flour tortillas on a cookie sheet and spoon the sausage mixture onto half of the tortilla (at this point you can add scrambled eggs on top of the sausage and potatoes if desired)  Top with salsa and mexican blend shredded cheese.  Fold tortilla over and place in the oven, bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Cut in half serve with salsa and sour cream.