Category: Foodie Friday

Stacey Valley: Barbara’s Famous Fudge {Foodie Friday}

 

stacey valley barbaras famous fudge arwb foodie friday

Chocolate was one of the four food groups at my house growing up… Tab, Poptarts, TV Dinners and Chocolate. I still have an almost  insatiable sweet tooth, and this fudge is my absolute favorite.

 When my mom Barbara was about 10 years old, she started making fudge using the recipe on the Hersey’s Cocoa can. Then when she was in high school (go Weiner Cardinals!), a classmate’s mother taught her this recipe. Mom taught my brother and me when we were young, and we would argue over who got to lick the pot when she was done. This recipe was the go-to treat at our house (especially during the holidays), and I think it makes a perfect Valentine gift. 

stacey valley barbaras famous fudge foodie friday

Barbara's Famous Fudge
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Ingredients
  1. 1 stick real butter
  2. 12 large marshmallows
  3. 2 cups sugar
  4. 2/3 cup Pet milk
  5. dash of salt
  6. 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  8. 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
  1. Butter a pan (a pie pan or a 8x8 dish will do – or a heart-shaped pan for Valentine’s Day) and set aside.
  2. Combine first five ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a good boil. (You know you have the temperature right if the marshmallows are just about completely melted as the boiling starts.)
  3. Once it starts to boil, set timer for five minutes. Continue to stir constantly. The mixture will rise then condense as the color darkens to a nice caramel color.
  4. At the end of the five minutes, take it off the heat and add the chocolate chips, vanilla and pecans. Stir quickly until blended and then pour into your prepared dish.
  5. Allow fudge to harden. If you got the timing right, it should start to set quickly. Timing is tricky, so it might take you a time or two (or three) to get it just right, but once you do… you will never make another fudge recipe.
Notes
  1. If you like peanut butter fudge, substitute peanut butter chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips and follow the recipe otherwise. My brother created this version when he was about 10 years old
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

StaceyValley headshot

 

Getting to Know our ARWB Foodies

Staecy Velley
An Awesome & Amazing Life
Twitter: @staceyvalley
Instagram: @staceyvalley
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 What food reminds you of childhood? Explain. Poptarts. My mom didn’t cook at all, so Poptarts were my go-to breakfast as a kid. And I will still have one every once and a while when I’m at her house. She STILL keeps them in stock.

 What is your favorite international cuisine? Explain. That’s hard — I like so many. When I lived in Maryland, I had access to a variety of cuisines. I love Thai, Japanese, French, Italian, Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian. I can’t pick a favorite!

 What is always in your refrigerator at home?  Milk — organic 2% milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

What is your most used cookbook? 1980 El Dorado Service League cookbook called In Good Taste.

 What is your favorite kitchen gadget?  My blenders — Vitamix and a cheap single-serve one. I use them almost daily to mix up smoothies.

Do you have a favorite food indulgence?  Ice Cream!

What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again?  Olive oil — garlic olive oil if I have it.

What is your favorite food/ meal to cook at home?. Lasagna — I love all the different things you can layer in there. No two are ever the same.

 What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks?  Have fun and experiment. You don’t have to follow a recipe exactly — make your own substitutions and make the recipe your own.

When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Traveling

What else would you like us to know about you? I’m a wife to Anthony (@akvalley, Twitter superhero); mother to one by adoption, two by marriage, and one by foster care; and a work-from-home blogger/entrepreneur and health professional.

Amanda Farris with Italian Sausage Cheese Tortellini Soup {Foodie Friday}

Ok guys, seriously, you have to make this Italian Sausage Cheese Tortellini Soup. It is one of my most shared recipes with friends. Everytime I serve it to a group of people someone always goes home with the recipe. It has become one of our winter staples. It is our soup go-to meal when having guests over and it has never disappointed.
 
Last week we hosted our church body in our home during this cold January month for just a time of fellowship, food, and hanging out. We entertained with a trivia game, Italian Sausage Cheese Tortellini Soup, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Lots of laughter, conversation, and relationship building was going on around this pot of soup. 
I’m a firm believer that if you want to bring people together and make the atmosphere inviting and relaxed, serve good food in a comfortable atmosphere. Let them see your kitchen, have music playing, and treat them like family– not formal guests. 
 
And of course- serve them soup in the winter! 
 
Seriously, make this soup this week. Now. And then have me over to eat it with you.
Italian Sausage amanda farris
 
Italian Sausage Cheese Tortellini Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1-2 onions peeled and diced
  3. 6-8 cloves of garlic (diced)
  4. 1 lb of italian sausage
  5. 2 large can diced tomatoes (from your garden, just kidding- store bought is fine)
  6. 16 oz can tomato sauce
  7. 4-6 cups beef broth
  8. 4 cups chicken broth
  9. 4-6 carrots, peeled and diced
  10. 4-6 zucchini, diced
  11. 1 large package of cheese tortellini (sometimes I use spinach)
  12. (Sometimes I also add potato chunks-- just depends on your tastes)
  13. Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
  1. In a large stock pot, saute onion in olive oil.
  2. Add garlic and saute
  3. Then add sausage and stir until cooked.
  4. Reserving the zucchini and tortellini, add remaining ingredients and bring slowly to a boil.
  5. When soup has reached boiling point, turn heat down to simmer.
  6. Add zucchini and tortellini and simmer for 10-15 more minutes.
  7. Serve in large bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Goes great with French Bread!
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
 Farris-200 

Getting to Know our ARWB Foodies

Amanda Farris
Embracing Grace and Living the Adventure
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 What food reminds you of childhood? Explain.
Whoppers and Malt-O Meat- My grandparents would always give us whoppers every time I was at there house! Such a sweet memory that still continues! My grandparents are now giving my kids whoppers at every visit. Popsicles on a summer day will always take me back to my childhood, every single time. Growing up rurally and now raising our children rurally, those sweet summer afternoons with the sun setting and the whippoorwills calling always calls for a a popsicle!

 What is your favorite international cuisine? Explain. We love to eat Greek food! It is something that I can’t make very well at home , so always a treat to go out to eat for Greek!

What is always in your refrigerator at home? Basil Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. Pizza quesadillas and pizza sandwiches are a go-to staple for lunch at our house!

What is your most used cookbook? The one my sister-in-law hand wrote me for when I first got married! I love those “tweaked” family recipes that we all know and love! It’s real comfort food that is always served at family gatherings and dinners. Healthy, easy, go-to, staples for the family, made with ingredients you always have on hand.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget? My pampered chef meat chopper and of course my Kitchen-Aid.  I would also say that my jelly roll pans get a lot of use!

 Do you have a favorite food indulgence?  (Good) Ice Cream, Bread, and a good piece of cheese.

What is your go-to ingredient that you use time and time again? I love avocados in the summer.
Sweet Potatoes in the winter.

What is your favorite food meal to cook at home? Lasagna and homemade pizza are always big hits with the family!And if we are talking freezer meals here, my bbq meatballs are always a hit. We can’t leave out the soups either, Italian Sausage Cheese Tortellini soup never disappoints.

 What is a cooking tip that you would like to share with beginning cooks? Clean up as you go. Always keep a bowl nearby to put trash and scraps in. A messy workplace is stressful and you are more likely to make mistakes by being careless.

 When you’re not cooking, what are your favorite pastimes? Outdoors and Sports. Our family loves to hike, camp, float the river, and play any kind of backyard competitive sport. When the sun sets, and we can’t be outside, you will probably find us playing some kind of board game as a family or snuggled up watching a movie and eating popcorn.

 What else would you like us to know about you?  I’m a busy mom who is loving life and living the adventure. I’m learning to work smarter and not harder so that I can spend more of my time being with those that I love most!

  

Laurie Marshall: Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Foodie Friday Feature with Text (1)

My sister has a husband who is willing to try almost any kind of food – lucky her! Or, maybe it’s lucky him, since she is one of the best cooks I know. She is not afraid to experiment, loves to create her own recipes, and she makes bread from scratch too. I’m a little jealous of her kitchen skillz. Or, more accurately, the time and inclination she has to spend in the kitchen. Feel free to join me in directing some long-distance envious thoughts to the Pacific Northwest…

When she does make amazing food, she usually sends me a text with a picture of said food, and I always vow to pull out a notebook and start creating meal plans and utilizing the dozen or so cookbooks collecting dust in my kitchen. And I do that once, maybe twice, before falling back into the same old rut.

But once in a while I throw some things together in a crock pot that are deserving of accolades and the recording of the process and ingredients. This recipe is a result of one of those times. Don’t let the color throw you off, this concoction is savory and delicious and freezes brilliantly, making it a great make-ahead option.

On top of this soup being delicious, it is super simple and inexpensive to make. So, let’s get to the serious business. And feel free to share photos on social media when you make it yourself – you deserve to be on the receiving end of envious thoughts just as much as my sister.

Foodie Friday Image 1

 

Creamy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips
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Ingredients
  1. 1 ½ cups yellow lentils
  2. 2 cups diced sweet potato
  3. ½ cup diced parsnips
  4. 1 clove garlic, riced or smashed and finely chopped
  5. 1 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 teaspoon curry powder
  7. ¼ teaspoon paprika
  8. ¼ teaspoon pepper
  9. ½ teaspoon allspice
  10. 2 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth can be substituted, if desired)
Instructions
  1. Soak the lentils as directed on the package, preparing for cooking. (I used yellow lentils, but any color is fine.)
  2. Drain the lentils and put them into a slow cooker with all of the remaining ingredients.
  3. Cook on your slow cooker’s low setting for six to eight hours, until lentils and other veggies are soft and mashable.
  4. Ladle soup into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth – it should only take a few seconds. Be sure to put the lid on the blender, even if it’s making a weird noise. Trust me on this. Depending on the size of your blender, you might have to do this step in a couple of batches.
  5. Serve your soup in a lovely handmade or vintage bowl, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, and enjoy it with some crusty bread.
  6. If you prefer your vegetables with a little more protein, add some sausage to the mix, but it is thick and savory enough to satisfy most folks without.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
Foodie Friday Feature Image

 

Enjoy!

lauriemarshall

 

In addition to her love for a perfectly turned phrase, Laurie Marshall has a passion for reusing and repurposing, and may get a little too excited about power tools and the wall of paint chips at her local home improvement store. She graduated from the BA program in Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas in 2007 at the ripe old age of 39, and after spending six years working at a desk job (that she loved!), she took the leap and began her freelancing career. Her work has been published on VisitRogersArkansas.com, TasteArkansas.com, NWAMedia.com, and in AY Magazine and Do South, among others. @LaurieMMarshall 

Laurie lives in Northwest Arkansas where her mother was a majorette in the high school band and her grandmother inspired her love for homemade and handmade. She is spoiled by the availability of locally-grown foods in her community. Being the decision-maker for dinner every night wears her out, but, thanks to Food Network, she still enjoys experimenting with new flavors and concoctions. She prides herself on the fact that no one has gotten ill after eating her food.

Alison Chino with French Peasant Soup {Foodie Friday}

t’s that time of year when we really need two things from our food: warmth + health. 

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I always think I’m going to eat really healthy after Christmas, but then the cold winds of January blow and I just want to be comforted by heavy casseroles. And pizza. The good news about this soup is that it packs a lot of comfort in every bite while still being easy on your caloric intake. 

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In fact, it’s so good for you that you can feel just fine about having a big slice of bread with butter on the side!

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French Peasant Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 4 large leeks, sliced thinly
  3. 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  4. 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (225 grams)
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  6. 1 tablespoon herbes de provence
  7. 1 cup french lentils (250 grams)
  8. 3 medium zucchini/courgettes
  9. 8 cups chopped Kale (200 grams)
  10. 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock (around 1500 ml)
  11. 1 1/2 cups pasta, cooked and drained (optional)
  12. salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In your heavy bottomed pot, Dutch oven or Le Crueset, pour in the olive oil and bring to medium heat.
  2. Add the leeks and garlic. Cook for about five minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme and herbes de provence.
  3. Cook about 10 more minutes until vegetables are soft.
  4. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Pour in lentils and cook for about 30 minutes or until lentils are done.
  5. Add zucchini (called courgettes in the UK) and Kale leaves. Cook about ten more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve warm with hearty bread or over pasta (kid-friendly option)
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

alisonChino 

Alison Chino is a wandering pilgrim who loves telling stories. She moved from Arkansas to Scotland with her husband and four kids in 2013 and they are on a journey to hike as many trails in the UK and in Europe as possible during their season as expats. Sometimes this means contending with gale force winds and thrashing rain. Living in Scotland has given them a new appreciation for waterproof gear and hearty soups. You can follow their adventures on Instagram.

Roasted Garlic Soup by Julie Kohl {Foodie Friday}

By Julie Kohl

I have been sick for the entire fall of 2014. I still have the sniffles and the “man voice” that makes all my students giggle. I am however determined to spend fewer days in 2015 under the weather.

Cold and flu season, and winter in general, is the perfect time to make and eat a lot of soup. I typically make a big batch of soup every Sunday and freeze individual portions that I can take to work all week long. Lunch prep is easy and it’s healthy eating.

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Today I’m making a delicious roasted garlic soup. Roasting the garlic sweetens it and takes away its sharp bite. This soup is sure to ward of any evil bugs but don’t forget to bring the breath mints!

Roasting garlic is easy and can be done easily and fairly quickly in the oven. I use an electric garlic roaster.

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This is probably one of my most favorite and most used kitchen appliances.  If you don’t have an electric garlic roaster just slice off the top of a whole bulb of garlic.  Sprinkle with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Wrap the bulb in foil and pop it into a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.  You will want to check the garlic at this point. Each clove should be golden and mushy.  If not – allow it to cook just a bit longer.  You can roast several bulbs together.

Let’s make soup!

Roasted Garlic Soup
Serves 4
A delicious roasted garlic soup to keep you warm and help ward off winter colds.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 onion, sliced very thin
  2. 2 tbs. olive oil
  3. 2-3 stems of fresh thyme
  4. 4 cups chicken stock
  5. 3-4 bulbs of garlic, roasted
  6. 1/4 cup white wine
  7. 1/2 cup heavy cream
  8. Salt and pepper
  9. Garlic Parmesan croutons, optional
Instructions
  1. Roast 3-4 heads of garlic as indicated above. Allow the garlic to cool and then squeeze to extract the cloves.
  2. Discard the skins and set the garlic aside.
  3. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions.
  4. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
  5. Add the thyme, roasted garlic and chicken stock.
  6. Simmer and cook for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend.
  7. Carefully remove the thyme stems.
  8. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until no large chunks of garlic remain
  9. Salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving add the cream and heat until warmed through.
  10. Top the soup with garlic Parmesan croutons before serving.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

Julie Kohl © Jacob Slaton PhotographyArkansas Women Blogger’s Calendar Cultivator and member Julie Kohl writes about her adventures with food, recipes, crafts and creativity on her blog Eggs and Herbs. As former Yankee who was “converted” to the south by her husband, Julie has grasped on to rural life in a sleepy, blink-your-eyes-and-you’ll-miss-it town in east central Arkansas. She raises chickens, horses, and English mastiffs and spends her summers off from teaching art growing an herb garden and crafting all kinds of delicious recipes

Jeanetta Darley: Feel Good Soup {Foodie Friday}

Scratchy throat.  Achy head.  Uncontrollable sneezing.  Or maybe you’re so stuffed up you’re spending your nights as a dreaded mouth breather.

Have I got the soup for you.  It’s quick and easy and full of lots of natural remedies.  So easy that even if you’re unsure of your ability to remain upright for more than a few minutes throwing this Feel Good Soup together in a big pot shouldn’t be any problem.

We’ve long heard that onions and garlic are chock full of compounds that mimic many over- the- counter cold medicines in that they dry out congested nasal passages and prevent mucus from building up.  Spinach leaves provide your body with much needed vitamin C, potassium, and iron that help you feel like getting back to your old self.  

And then there’s the bacon.  I mean come on.  Bacon cures a lot of what ails you.  The fresh stuffed pasta can be your own choice of tortellini or ravioli.  I use a chicken and bacon borsetti I always find in the deli section at Kroger.  You can easily leave the pasta out and replace it with thinly sliced potatoes.

Feel Good Soup Ingredients Collage

 

Feel Good Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1-2 onions sliced
  2. 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  3. 1-2 tablespoon minced garlic
  4. 6 slices of bacon cut into inch pieces
  5. 3 boxes of chicken stock/broth
  6. olive oil
  7. salt and pepper to taste
  8. Fresh stuffed pasta or thinly sliced potatoes (or both)
  9. Bag of baby spinach greens
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a heavy stock pot.
  2. Cook bacon, onions and mushrooms until bacon is nicely browned.
  3. If you are adding potatoes put them in at this time. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a rolling boil.
  4. Once you can pierce the potatoes with a fork, add the fresh pasta and boil as long as recommended on the package. Stir in the fresh spinach greens. Serve with bread and butter.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
 
Feel Good Soup in the stock pot
 

Headshot-Jeanetta Darley

 

Jeanetta is a crocheter & coffee addict, chicken keeper & goat wrangler, a farmer girl & maker of drunk jellies. You can find her online at www.jeanettadarley.com or on twitter, pinterest & instagram @jeanettadarley

 

 

Jerusalem Greer: Wylie’s Triple Treat Lasagna

 When my son Wylie was younger he had a bit of an obsession with Garfield, the lazy, fat cat with a lasagna habit, which in turn led Wylie to develop his own lasagna habit. A few years ago, while working on my book, A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together , I needed an Italian pasta recipe for the chapter on St. Joseph, so I turned to Wylie for inspiration. Together he and Sweet Man (my husband Nathan,) developed the following recipe which calls for three cheeses, three meats, and three sauces – a triple threat of deliciousness that will please a crowd!

jerusalem lasagna

Wylie's Triple Treat Lasagna
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound bacon cut into bite size pieces cooked crisp and drained
  2. 1 pound ground beef chuck browned and drained
  3. 1 pound ground pork browned and drained
  4. 1 cup grated Parmesan
  5. 3 cup shredded Mozzarella
  6. 1 15oz tub Ricotta cheese
  7. 1 24-ounce jar of your favorite prepared marinara sauce
  8. 1 15- ounce jar of your favorite prepared Alfredo sauce
  9. 1 6-7 oz jar of prepared pesto sauce
  10. One egg
  11. Prepared Italian or Panko bread crumbs
  12. 2 boxes lasagna noodles (We prefer the smaller square pasta sheets that have no ruffles. You probably will not use all of both boxes, but you will likely need more than one.)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400
  2. The best way to build a pan of lasagna is to first create a buffet of the various ingredients.
  3. Mix the cooked meats together in a large bowl.
  4. Mix the Parmesan and mozzarella in another large bowl.
  5. Put the ricotta in a third bowl and mix in the egg.
  6. Pour the marinara sauce into a fourth bowl (fairly good sized) and then refill your sauce jar with tap water, and mix this into your marinara sauce. (The extra water will be absorbed by the lasagna noodles, which will enter the baking pan uncooked)
  7. In a large lasagna pan, spread a layer of the thin red sauce, completely covering the bottom of your pan.
  8. Next place a layer of uncooked pasta on top of the sauce, followed by layers of Alfredo, meat, mozzarella/Parmesan, pesto, and ricotta/egg.
  9. Continue building layers in this fashion until you reach the top of the pan, always starting with the thin sauce
  10. The top and final layer should be composted in this way red sauce, pasta, red sauce, mozzarella/ Parmesan.
  11. Cover dish tightly with foil and place on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until it has thoroughly cooked through.
  12. Remove foil, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and return to oven until cheese and bread crumbs are browned.
  13. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing into portions (if you do not let it stand and cool the whole dish will fall apart into a slippery mess when you try to cut it.)
  14. Enjoy!
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
jerusalem1

 

Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a writer, speaker, nest-fluffer, recent farm-gal, and author of A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together. She is the Minister to Children, Youth, and Families at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas. Jerusalem lives with her husband and two sons on a little farm in Shady Grove, Arkansas. As a family, they are attempting to live a slower version of modern life.  She blogs about all of this and more at http://jerusalemgreer.com

Rhonda Bramell: Breaking Bread {Foodie Friday}

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As my deadline for this post approached, I was mulling over several different bread recipes that I could have shared.  I’m a bread eater; what can I say? I’ve never met a bread, roll or muffin that I didn’t like, so I knew it would be a tough choice.  As luck would have it, my  husband came home from work last week and told me the guys at work had requested that I make some cinnamon swirl bread for them. Bam! There’s my post.  I love when that happens.
 
I got this recipe for cinnamon swirl bread from my friend Reba, who was my daughter’s kindergarten teacher. She has a blog where she posts all of her family’s weekly meals and recipes, so I often look to it for fresh ideas. I hit the jackpot when I found this recipe!
 
This bread is so versatile that it can be served as breakfast with coffee, as a snack or even as a dessert. I like to eat it warm with a glass of cold milk in the mornings. In addition to feeding the guys at my husband’s work, it also goes well to potlucks and picnics. And last year I gave each of my neighbors a loaf during the holidays.
 
If you have a sweet tooth, this bread is definitely for you. Enjo

recipe collage
 
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Rhonda_bwfinal

 

I live in Northwest Arkansas with my husband and three kiddos. I write at Bramell, Party of Five , where I’ve been blogging for seven years.   I’m your typical Southern gal turned minivan-driving mama.  Life with twins + 1 is a crazy, busy life but definitely provides me with lots of creative inspiration.

Kaylyn Cavalier: Merry Merry Munchies {Foodie Friday}

Kaylyn 1To me, recipes are memories.

This recipe passed down from grandmother to granddaughter is host to countless scents, tastes, moments, and celebrations.

My fondest recollection of a recipe memory is my Mamaw’s Trash (or Chex Mix as it is more often called).  Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I spent a lot of time last week remembering my Mamaw and her warm kitchen full of home canned goods, Schwan’s Ice Cream (hah!) in the freezer, and a yummy treat always waiting to be devoured.

Our entire family coveted the days my Mamaw made Trash. The house always smelled a little bit spicy, a little bit buttery, and a lot loved. She kept it in a huge Tupperware cake  “taker” turned upside down because it was the biggest container she could find. There was always Trash on the holidays, so I suppose that’s why I correlate the two so much!

Trash Munchies
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Ingredients
  1. 1/ 2 cup salted butter
  2. salt
  3. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  4. 1 teaspoon onion powder
  5. 1 teaspoon sugar
  6. 3 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
  7. 8 cup Chex (mixture of rice, corn and wheat)
  8. 2 cups nuts (mixture of pecans, peanuts, and any others n hand)
  9. 1 cup pretzels
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250*.
  2. Put 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add spices, sugar and Worchester sauce and simmer until combined.
  3. In a large bowl, toss dry cereal ingredients, and then pour over butter mix. Toss gently to coat.
  4. Spread out evenly between baking sheets, and bake at 250*, stirring every 15 minutes, for an hour.
  5. Sometimes, we add a little hot sauce for a kick, or a little extra Worchester sauce for more spice!
Notes
  1. I think Trash is even better the second day, so save a little to enjoy!
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
 kaylyn collage 2 

 It’s is the merriest of all munchies for the holidays and I hope you enjoy my Mamaw’s take on this holiday favorite.

Merriest of Holidays to you!

Ikaylyn‘m Kalyn 
love music. love the outdoors. love life.
Following life around with a camera is my passion; along with mama-ing, DIY-ing, cooking, and exploring.  
 

Michelle Shellabarger: Tamales Panamanian Style {Foodie Friday}

Tamale Collage Panamamama 

 Growing up in Panamá I always looked forward to the holidays because it meant…

Tamales!  

Not the corn-husked wrapped, cheese smothered type that Arkansas is so famous for (which I have discovered are fantastic in themselves) but the fat, presents of corn dough and favorful meat wrapped up with banana leaves and twine.   No big party was complete without this special treat.  The steamy smell brings back wonderful memories of family and friends.  Traditional tamales take a long time to make because you cook the meat, cook, husk & grind green corn, find platanillo leaves etc.  Then put it all together.  A true labor of love.

 I learned how to make tamales by watching, but my recipe is adapted from a traditional recipe and is much simpler.  I don’t eat pork (thus, no lard or ham) and I’m not a total purist (meaning I don’t cook and grind up the corn myself.) I always like to make them after the holidays and use leftover turkey to make a great meal on New Year’s eve. (Freeze the turkey in bags and use it to make them a few weeks later.)  You could easily make them vegetarian by simply using veggies instead of the meat.

 

It’s homemade Panamanian tamales time! with @thePanamamama

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The hardest part of making the tamales is in the wrapping. Finding the banana or platanillo leaves can be difficult depending on where you live.  Check out your local Latin grocer (sometimes Asian or Indian stores have them also.)  Try and find fresh, pliable, very green leaves.  The fresher the leaves are the easier to wrap the tamales.  Wrapping might take a couple of tries, just remember it’s like wrapping a ribbon around a package!

 tamale

Tamales Panamanian Style
Yields 10
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For masa dough
  1. 1 cup of butter
  2. 4 Tablespoons of coconut oil
  3. 4 cups of masa
  4. 2 Tablespoons of baking powder
  5. 4 cups of broth or bouillon (I like to use vegetable or chicken)
  6. 1 cup of cooked sweet corn off the cob (frozen or canned)
  7. salt & pepper to taste (this will vary depending on your broth)
  8. achiote paste or powder for coloring if desired
For Filling
  1. ½ of an onion, finely diced
  2. 1 large clove of garlic, diced
  3. 1 green bell pepper, diced (or 7 aji criollo peppers, if you can find them)
  4. 4 cups of leftover cooked chicken or turkey (more or less is fine too!)
  5. 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
  6. 4 Tablespoons of tomato paste
  7. 1 cup of green Spanish olives (more or less if desired)
  8. 2 Tablespoons of capers if desired (I like more!)
  9. a handful of golden raisins or chopped prunes (if desired)
  10. 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
  11. Spice to taste (salt, pepper, Sazon or saffron)
  12. 2 Tablespoon of Goya’s Recaito or 2-3 culantro leaves, chopped *Culantro is used in Panamanian cooking, but is not easily found in the United States. Goya Recaito is a cultantro based sauce that adds a bit of the flavor. Cilantro is NOT the same spice but can be used if nothing else is found, just chop about ¼ cup of leaves and add to sauce.
  13. Banana or plantanillo leaves for wrapping tamales
  14. Cooking twine
Instructions
  1. Mix masa and baking powder in bowl.
  2. Add hot broth and mix. (Your hands or pastry cutter work well for this.)
  3. Beat butter and oil in mixer and slowly add in masa mix, beating until fluffy.
  4. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  5. For filling pull or chop meat into small bite sized pieces.
  6. Saute onion in large skillet, medium heat, until almost translucent.
  7. Add garlic and peppers and continue cooking until onion is translucent.
  8. Add meat, tomatoes, tomato paste, culantro, and broth and stir, cook for two minutes.
  9. Add olives, capers, raisins and spices. Cook until mixture is warmed through and raisins are plumped.
  10. Cut banana leaves to about 12-15” long pieces and wash & dry leaves.
  11. Spread about 1 cup of masa dough fairly thin, in a square shape in middle of leaf (about the size of a slice of thin white bread.)
  12. Add a few tablespoons of meat mixture in center of masa.
  13. Carefully roll up leaf with masa, tucking ends under as you go. Sometimes the leaves will rip, especially if they aren’t very fresh. Don’t worry, just use another leaf to wrap up the one you are working on. You just don’t want any masa showing that can leak out while cooking.
  14. Take twine and wrap up tamal like a gift, tying a knot fairly tightly.
  15. In a large steamer place water to cover bottom of pan, then banana leaves to cover steamer rack. (I use my canning pot with the jar rack on bottom, water to top of jar rack and banana leaves on top of that.)
  16. Carefully place tamales in layers in steamer on top of rack. On top you can place another leaf to hold steam in nicely.
  17. Steam for about an hour over medium high heat.
  18. Carefully remove tamales, unwrap, and enjoy!
Notes
  1. Some people like a sofrito sauce over the tamale, but you don’t have to use anything. I personally like a bit of hot sauce! Any extras will freeze beautifully if you let cool and place in a bit of waxed paper, then freeze in a freezer bag. To reheat just pop in microwave for awhile or re-steam.
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I’ve been a baker, translator, and candle-stick maker, (among other things) now a mom of four trying to live a “green” life in the city.  Chicken keeping, simple living, art and road trips make me happy. I lived mainly in the Republic of Panama til I met my man and moved to Arkansas, which I now call home.