Welcome to The Kitchen!



I've been wanting to put up a recipe section for a while now and it's finally here! Yay!

Listed below are some recipes that I hope you all will enjoy. Just for recipe context, I'm in the United States and all of my measurements are American. For the longest time I thought there was only imperial and metric but thanks to watching Glen and Friends Cooking Channel on YouTube I have found out that there are more measurement differences than that!

Some of my Neocities friends also have recipes!





Beverages
Crock Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine
Cold brew cafe de olla
Hot Chocolate

Bread
Drop Biscuits
Garden Herb Bread
Outrageously Oatmeal Bread
Pancakes for One

Seasonings
Burger Seasoning Recipe
Old El Paso Copycat Taco Seasoning

Cookies
1943 Lemon Cookies
Fudge Brownies
Chocolate Amaretto Brownies
Pecan Crescents
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Cakes
Rum Cake
World's Best Fruitcake
Kitty Litter Cake

Sides
Dijon Pasta Salad

Soups
Dutch Vegetable Meatball Soup

Vegetables
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Mom2's Yams
Hashed-brown Zucchini

Main
Robin's Meatloaf
Tuscan Parmesan Pillows
Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Jambalaya
Steak Stew
Crockpot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Chicken & Green Chile Enchiladas




Crock Pot Cherry Pie Moonshine

Add sugar, cherry juice and both cans of cherries to crockpot. Cook on low 1-2 hours or til sugar is dissolved and mix is heated. Allow mix to cool. Add in alcohol. Makes about 3 quarts. Can be drunk immediately - better if left to sit a while. Can also be made on stovetop.

l'm not sure where this recipe came from although if you search for 'crockpot cherry pie moonshine' you will get lots of results and this was probably from one of them. This is super delicious. I like to get cute little bottles and give them to friends. Because I can only drink so much on my own.

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Cold Brew cafe de olla

Place 2 cups water, piloncillo or dark brown sugar, orange peel, cinnamon and star anise in a small pot and heat just until piloncillo or sugar are completely dissolved. Set aside and allow to infuse and cool to room temperature.

Place the coffee grounds and 2 cups of water in an infusion vessel of your choosing (anything you can cover). Stir gently and top with cold spice infusion. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Strain the infusion through a fine mesh strainer and store it refrigerated. Serve over plenty of ice and consume within 5 days. Makes 3-4 cups.

recipe from The Arizona Republic, June 22, 2023

Notes: Piloncillo is also called panela or panocha. It's a type of unrefined sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. You can order it online if you can't find it locally or you can use the recommended substitution. It really has a unique characteristic, though, so it's worth it to look for it.

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Hot Chocolate

In a pot mix sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in hot water. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes until chocolate is smooth.

Add milk to pot and stir until hot. DO NOT BOIL.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Add toppings (marshmallows, whipped cream, etc) if desired.

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Drop Biscuits

Preheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients in food processor*. Dump in bowl, add milk and stir. Drop onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes. 6 huge biscuits.

* This is what I do because I find it easiest for me. You do you, though - you can crumble the flour and butter between your fingers, work it using 2 knives, get an official pastry cutter/blender kitchen tool. This isn't math - how you get there isn't important, it's just getting there.

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Garden Herb Bread

Add ingredients to your breadmaker in the order you usually do.

Recipe notes:

In the early 90s I was given a Wellbilt breadmaker that looks an awful lot like R2D2 and a recipe book full of awesome bread recipes. This is one of my favorites and one that I make almost every Thanksgiving. I use sage instead of marjoram and it's just wonderful both with dinner and to make leftover turkey sandwiches. Sometimes I'll let the breadmaker do the initial mixing and rise but I'll pull the dough out and put it in a loaf pan for the second rise, if I want square bread instead of half-rounds (which is what the R2D2 breadmaker makes).

recipe from Electric Bread (1993)

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Outrageously Oatmeal Bread

Add ingredients to your breadmaker in the order you usually do.

Recipe notes: instant oatmeal doesn't work but quick-cooking oats do.

recipe from Electric Bread (1993)

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Pancakes for One

Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt and butter in medium-sized bowl. Fold in flour and baking powder. Whisk til smooth.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Brush or spray with oil. Add 1/3 cup batter to skillet. Cook til bubbles appear on surface. Gently lift and flip. Cook til brown on other side.

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Burger Seasoning Recipe

Combine, stir, store in airtight container. Use 2-3 ts per pound ground meat.

Once again, another recipe whose original source is lost to me. This is a really yummy seasoning. I will often buy a 3 pound package of ground turkey and make a bulk batch of turkey burgers. I will then vacuum seal and freeze them. It's really nice having something quick I can just grab from the freezer if I'm stuck for an idea for dinner.

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Old El Paso Copycat Taco Seasoning

Mix, store in airtight container. Use 3 Tablespoons of mix and 2/3 cup water per pound of meat.

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1943 Lemon Cookies

Cream butter and sugar. Mix flour, salt and baking powder together.

Add egg to butter/sugar mix. Then add lemon zest.

Slowly add in flour. Drop by teaspoonful on pan covered with parchment paper Bake at 375F for 8-10 min.

This recipe is from the Glen and Friends Cooking channel on YouTube. He has a segment on Sundays where he makes recipes from old cookbooks. Here is the episode this recipe is from. This is a really good, not too sweet cookie.

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Fudge Brownies

In a medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in flour and 1/2 cup nuts. Spread batter into a greased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350F oven 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Frost or glaze top. If desired, sprinkle with chopped nuts. Cuts into bars. Makes 24.

recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1989) Tenth Ring Bound Edition

Notes -- When I make this I leave out the nuts. I don't like anything interfering with the chocolately goodness. I also sprinkle the top with powdered sugar instead of using frosting or a glaze. And I get 9 squares. 24? Who are they feeding, Thumbelina? And if you're wondering about the brownie being categorized as a cookie, well, that's the section of the cookbook that it was in.

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Chocolate Amaretto Brownies

Brownie: Frosting:

Combine shortening and chocolate in heavy saucepan; place over low heat, stirring constantly, until combined. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture, stirring well.

Pour batter into a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch pan.

Bak at 400F for 20 minutes; cool.

For frosting: Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar and mix well. Start adding in powdered sugar a bit at a time until all is mixed in.

When brownies are cool, frost and decorate with sliced almonds.

Notes: if you can't find unsweetened baker's chocolate, you can substitute 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 Tablespoon oil (or some other fat like butter) for each ounce of baking chocolate.

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Pecan Crescents

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with lengths of parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and nutmeg.

Stir together the butter, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in half of the sifted mixture, 1 cup pecans, then the remaining sifted mixture.

To form each cookie, take a heaping teaspoon of dough, roll into a log, form into a crescent and place on the lined cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press pinches of the remaining pecans on top of the crescents.

Bake the cookies for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until set. The undersides should be a very pale golden color. After 1 minute, transfer the cookies to cooling racks.

Cool for 5 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, carefully dredge them in the confectioners' sugar. Cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

recipe from "Baking for Gift-Giving" by Lisa Yockelson

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Soft and Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. I used an electric hand mixer and it took several minutes for this to happen. Then add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed butter mix and mix til combined. At first my mix was kind of dry and crumbly but keep going until it gets smooth!

Scoop by tablespoon onto pan. Bake til edges are crisp, about 9 minutes. Sprinkle with salt or sugar, if desired. Cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Store in airtight container for several days.

Notes: my cookies spread quite a bit and were rather large and thin but this worked out for me because they were crispy on the edges and chewy like a brownie in the middle. If I had put the dough in the fridge for a little bit to firm up then maybe they wouldn't have spread out so much. Also, I didn't top them with sugar or salt - I had them naked and they were so good!

Original recipe

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Rum Cake

Cake: Glaze:

Prehat oven to 325F. Grease and flour bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour in pan. Bake 1 hour.

To make glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in rum (DO NOT BURN YOURSELF ON RUM STEAM)

Glaze cake using ONE of these methods:

  1. Invert pan on plate, remove and drizzle glaze over cake
  2. Pour part of glaze on cake in pan, wait 5 minutes or so for absorption, then invert and drizzle remaining glaze
  3. Prick holes in cake for better absorption
  4. Remove cake from pan, pour 3/4 glaze in empty pan, put cake back in, pour remainder over bottom of cake. Poke holes before starting! Let cake sit long enough for glaze to soak in.
recipe originally from Bacardi - 1960s?

I have a feeling this recipe must have originally come from a clipping from my mother's recipe box, since it's older than I am. This is an absolutely wonderful rum cake. I used Goslings Black Seal Rum.

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World's Best Fruitcake

This recipe comes from the website A Beautiful Plate and can be found here. I'm not a particular fan of fruitcake. My mom used to terrorize us with a fruitcake recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. I think it had some 70s recipe name like Tropical Jeweled Fruitcake. And it was so chunky with all kinds of nuts. Mom liked it. I'm pretty sure no one else did. So, given my bad memories of fruitcake, I'm not sure what possessed me to try this one out. But you know what? It's really good! Like, super delicious!

I'm not going to post the recipe here. Go to the website, check it out there. In addition to the recipe there are a lot of hints, tips and tricks and even a section with commonly asked questions.

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Kitty Litter Cake

Prepare the cake mixes and bake them (pan size doesn't matter - the cakes will end up being crumbled).

Prepare pudding mix and chill.

Crumble the vanilla sandwich cookies in a food processor in small batches, setting aside about 1/4 cup.

To the reserved cookie crumbles, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix in.

When the cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half of the cookie crumbs and the vanilla pudding.

Transfer to kitty litter pan.

Put unwrapped Tootsie Rolls on microwave safe plate and heat until soft and pliable. How many? Well, however "poopy" you want your "litter box" to be. Soften them up 3 at a time. Shape them appropriately. Partially bury them in the cake mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cookie crumbs over, including the ones you have colored green (these are supposed to look like the chlorophyll pieces in real kitty litter).

Serve with kitty litter scoop!

I used to be bring this to my cat lady gatherings (we all volunteered with an animal rescue and would occasionally have get togethers) and of course, it was a big hit with that crowd. I've seen this recipe use chocolate or German chocolate cake instead of the spice cake, so you have some options. This really is a tasty cake, if you can get over what it looks like!

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Dijon Pasta Salad

Cook pasta in boiling water just until done, usually 11-13 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and mayonnaise. Add pasta and all other ingredients to dressing, mix carefully, and taste for seasoning. Chill thoroughly before serving.

recipe from "Dying for Chocolate" by Diane Mott Davidson

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Dutch Vegetable Meatball Soup

Soak bread in milk in a large bowl until soft; mash.

Add ground meat, egg, curry powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Saute onion, carrot, and celery in heated butter and oil in a large kettle 5 minutes. Add bouillon and thyme or marjoram. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook slowly, covered, 20 minutes. Add meatballs and cook about 25 minutes, until vegetables and meatballs are tender.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese

Line large pan with foil, spray with cooking spray. Heat oven to 425F. In large bowl toss cauliflower with other ingredients. Spread out on pan. Roast 25-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or til tender and lightly browned.

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Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil or spray cooking sheet or pan.

Place broccoli in single layer on sheet. Add olive oil, garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Bake 10-12 minutes or til tender.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with parmesan and lemon juice.

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Mom2's Yams

Boil yams. Peel, mash. Add 1 Tablespoon butter. Mix well. Add pineapple and about 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice. Place in buttered baking dish. Bake at 325F about 40 minutes til bubbly. Add marshmallows on top and brown.

Mom2 is my former mother-in-law/second mom (hence the '2'). She makes this for our holiday dinner. I love yams, she loves yams. No one else in the family eats them. More yams for us!

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Hashed-brown Zucchini

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Robin's Meatloaf

Mix all but chili sauce in large bowl. Cover, refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Pat meat mix firmly in 2 loaf pans. Place on center oven rack, bake at 350F for 90 minutes. Brush top of each loaf with chili sauce, bake another 30 minutes. Allow to set 5-10 minutes before slicing. 4-6 hearty servings.

I got this recipe from a friend who got it from a friend of hers and that is who the "Robin" in the title is. Whoever came up with it, this is a delicious recipe. The friend I got it from suggested serving it with scalloped potatoes and green beans. I serve it with green beans and, if I'm going to have a starch, mashed potatoes. Best thing about meatloaf? Leftover meatloaf sandwiches!

*This was part of the original recipe. I do not eat veal. I use a whole pound of ground pork.

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Tuscan Parmesan Pillows

Mix first six ingredients. Shape into 12 1-1/4" thick patties. Let stand 15 minutes.

Heat oil and butter in large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties, cook til well browned on both sides, no pink in center, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining parsely, serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over patties.

from Woman's Day magazine 2-1-95

Oh, this recipe is so good! There's just something about the combination of lemon, parsley and parmesan that is mouthwatering!

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Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 9" pie plate.

Heat skillet over med-low heat. Add butter. Stir in onions, cook til soft and just begnning to brown on edges. Stir in garlic. Cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. In bowl mix eggs, cream, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Transfer onion mix to pie dish, sprinkle feta over mix. Distribute spinach evenly over feta. Pour egg mix over all. Bake 50-55 minutes or til set and brown on top.

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Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over med-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Increase heat to med-high, return to low boil. Place biscuits on lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8" and cut in 1/2" strips. Drop strips, one at a time, into boiling broth mix. Add carrots and celery. Cover, reduce heat to low, simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent dumpling from sticking.

Notes: I add the carrots and celery before the biscuit strips

from Southern Living

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Chicken Jambalaya

In large skillet cook celery, onion and green pepper in butter till vegetables are tender. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, rice, basil, garlic salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in chicken; cook till heated through. Discard bay leaf. Makes 4 servings.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (1989) Tenth Ring Bound Edition

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Steak Stew

Saute beef cubes in pot in 2 Tablespoons butter til just browned. Remove beef, reserve. Drain drippings but save browned bits. Melt remaining 3 Tablespoons butter, add flour, stir constantly til you have a smooth paste. Slowly pour in beef stock, stirring so mix stays smooth. Add vegetables, bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add beef cubes, simmer another 15 minutes.

"In the Kitchen with Bob" by Bob Bowersox

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Crockpot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

For roux: in a heavy 2 quart saucepan stir together flour and oil till smooth. Cook over med-high heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more or till a dark, reddish brown roux forms. Cool.

In a 3 1/2, 4, 5 or 6 quart crockery cooker, place water. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2-5 hours. Skim off fat. Serve over rice. Makes 6 servings.

Note: older crockpot recipes have longer cooking times. Newer crockpots cook at higher temps. If you have a newer crockpot, you will most likely have to adjust your cooking times. The Spruce has some suggestions on what you can do.

Better Homes and Gardens New Crockery Cooker Cook Book (1987)

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Chicken & Green Chile Enchiladas

Stack tortillas, wrap in foil, and place in a 350F oven until heated through (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, cumin, and oregano; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft (about 10 minutes). Stir in chiles and cream. Boil over high heat, stirring often, until thickened (about 2 minutes). Add chicken and tomato; remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the jack cheese.

Spoon an equal amount of chicken filling on each tortilla; roll up tortillas and place, seam sides down, in a single layer in a lightly greased 8-by-12-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and remaining 1 cup jack cheese. Bake in a 425F oven until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through (12 to 15 minutes). Garnish with sour cream and olives, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

recipe from Sunset Quick and Easy Recipes (1991)