Bluebery Pie

My family and I went blueberry picking yesterday. We came home with over twelve cups of berries. Using some of these berries I made a blueberry pie.

For a 9-inch pie:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, if desired
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with berries. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan; sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.

Cover with top crust which has slits in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

~Betty Crockers Cookbook~

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

These cookies were enjoyed by my whole family. Before I had even finished mixing all the ingredients together my little sister commented: "Mmm! This is yum."

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest*
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3/4 cups salted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 egg large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
     In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, lemon zest, coriander and poppy seeds. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
     In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until mixture forms a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add yolks egg and lemon extract. Beat at medium speed until fully combined.
     Add the flour mixture and beat till just combined. Do not overmix.
     Drop  by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 21-23 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to cool surface.**

~Mrs. Field's Cookie Book~

*Lemon zest is simply lemon peel, and I used the stuff that you get in a little jar at the store. In other words, it wasn't freshly grated

**Cool surface: i.e. cooling rack, plate

Pineapple Yams

These are yammy!

2 pounds yams
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 can crushed pineapple, drained

If using fresh yams, prepare and cook as directed here. Cut each crosswise into half-inch slices.

In a medium skillet, combine brown sugar, butter and pineapple; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add yam slices; stir gently unil glazed and heated through.

How to Cook Yams or Sweet Potatoes

For a while, my family and I weren't quite sure what was the most effective way to cook yams. However, thanks to my looking for a recipe for yams, I found a good way to cook them.

Wash the yams, but do not pare (peel). Heat enough salted water to cover yams to boiling. Add yams. Cover and heat to boiling; cook 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. Drain. Slip off skins. Leave whole, slice, or mash.

~Betty Crocker's Cookbook~ 

Cashew-Nutmeg Drops

Mine were just Nutmeg Drops because we didn't have any cashews or pecans. These taste rather plain without the icing, so be sure to include it!

1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dairy sour cream or buttermilk plain yoghurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup copped cashews or pecans
2 recipes Powdered Sugar Icing
                                 Oven 375 degrees

     In a mixing bowl beat margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. add about half  the flour, the brown sugar, sour cream, egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Stir in nuts.
     Drop by rounded teaspoons two inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool cookies on wire rack. Frost with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes about 48.

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

      Milk or orange-juice

     Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk or juice. Stir in milk or juice, 1 teaspoon at at a time, till of drizzling consistency. Makes 1/2 cup or enough to drizzle over one 10-inch tube cake.

~Better Homes and Gardens® New Cook Book~

Peanut-Butter Cookies

For this recipe, I used a 1/2 cup butter for the shortening, and 1/4 cup honey for the brown sugar. Also, I didn't chill it. It was still DELICIOUS!

1/2 cup shorteningbutter
1/2 cup peanut-butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)1/4 cup honey
11/4 cups all-purpose flour*
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix throughly shortening, peanut-butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and egg. Blend in flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill.

Heat oven to 375 degrees Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. With fork dipped in flour, flatten to 2 inches. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not hard.

*If using self-rising flour, omit soda, baking powder, and salt.

~Betty Crocker's Cookbook~ 

Chocalate Peanut-Butter Pebbles

I made the delicious recipie below with a few alterations: I used butterscotch chips, and creamy peanut-butter.

One 12 oz package chocolate chips

1 cup crunchy peanut-butter

4 cups mini-marshmallows

In a large saucepan melt chocolate chips and peanut-butter; stir together until well blended. Cool chocolate peanut-butter mixture for five minutes. Add marshmallows and stir until well coated. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate several hours until firm.

~Mini-Marshmallows Package~