I Gave My Love A Cherry. . .

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching!

Bless "Mr. Ed's" heart. . .

I haven't fixed a dessert for any meal since 

Christmas On Crooked Creek!

So~o~o. . .

today, I gave my love a Cherry Dump Cake for dessert!

My MoMa, Carmen was always cutting recipes

from the Kansas City Star Sunday paper and 

then she'd try a new recipe each week.

This was my favorite dessert as a teenager 

and the first recipe I asked for as a newlywed!

Instead of writing it down for me in her penned hand ~

she handed me the torn, ragged yellow clipping!

Cherry Dump Cake

Ingredients:

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, with juice

1 can cherry pie filling

1 yellow cake mix, 2 ~ layer size

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup margarine or butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9" X 13" baking pan.

Put in the undrained pineapple,

spreading it until evenly distributed.

Spread the can of cherry pie filling over the pineapple.***

Sprinkle the dry cake mix over all.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the cake mix.

Cut the butter into patties and put them 

at even intervals over the cake.

Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Do not stir.

Serve while still warm!

This will be slightly "gooey" 

and is delicious plain,

with ice cream

or with whipped cream!

Serves: 6 to 8.

* * * * * * * * * * * * Tip * * * * * * * * * * * *

I never have any luck trying to spread

cherry pie filling over undrained pineapple.

Instead, I use a tablespoon and spoon the

filling at even intervals!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cherry Dump Cake is perfect for a family gathering,

those carry in Pot Luck Dinners and for a loving

husband who has been e x t r e m e l y patient with

his wife's attempts to eat less carbs!!!

Until next time. . .

www.stonegable.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek will be joining

Yvonne @ StoneGable for

On The Menu Monday!

I've found some amazing

menu planning, kitchen tips 

and delicious recipes shared

at this weekly meme...

I'm sure you will too!!!

Fat Tuesday Cakes!

Oh ~ dear ones. . .
this cutting back on carbs is not an easy task!!!

"Mr. Ed" bought me The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl 
by Ree Drummond
for Christmas On Crooked Creek!

Love, LOVE, L O V E this new cookbook. . .
but I am quite smitten with Ree's recipe for 
Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes!

Usually, On Crooked Creek,
our cooked breakfast consist of 
"Mr. Ed's" Famous Waffles or my French Toast. . .
but we're both in L O V E with these
Sour Cream Pancakes!!!

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sour Cream
7 Tablespoons All~Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2  Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Flavoring
Butter
Maple Syrup

Directions:

Place your iron skillet or griddle over medium~high heat.

Place the sour cream in a medium bowl.

Add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Stir together very, very gently.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.
Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

Place the egg mixture into the 
sour cream / flour mixture.
Stir together gently.

Melt a Tablespoon of butter in the skillet or griddle.
Pour the batter into the pan 1/4 cup at a time.

Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and cook for
another 45 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes twelve 4 ~ inch pancakes!

When I gathered all my ingredients,
 I only had 1/2 cup light sour cream.
So~o~o. . .
I made half the recipe. 

Six perfect Sour Cream Pancakes. . .
three for "Mr. Ed" and three for me!

* * * * * * * * * * Tip * * * * * * * * * *
Next time, I would add
Bacon and fresh Strawberries 
to our Sour Cream Pancake Breakfast.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A perfect, quick, easy breakfast for two
any day of the week. . .On Crooked Creek!


Until next time. . .

www.stonegable.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek will be joining

Yvonne @ StoneGable for

On The Menu Monday!

Be sure to visit for great menu ideas

for your families dining experience!

One Pot Cookin'. . .

One pot cookin'

is one of the best kinds of cookin' I know
On Crooked Creek!!!

















Upon arising this morning on the Prairie,
I found that the temperature
had gone from 58 degrees to 14 degrees!

Br ~r~r~r. . .
that definitely calls for one pot cookin'!











 I loaded the blue enamelware oven roaster
first with a "Manager's Special" Pork Loin.
Saving $2.50 off the suggested price is my
favorite cut of pork loin, dear ones!

Then I added a half of a head of cabbage,
cored and cut into quarters.
Two potatoes, peeled and cut in half.
Two carrots, peeled and cut in half.
Left ~ over zucchini, cut into half.

Then I added freshly ground salt and pepper,
topped the pork loin with roasted red peppers,
added 2 cups of Chicken Broth
and placed it all in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours. 

Placed on the platter, this one pot cookin'
is truly a feast for the eyes!

















"Mr. Ed" sliced the pork loin for our meal today
and when we finished, he shredded the rest to
save for B ~ B ~ Q Pork with twice baked potatoes
for tomorrows dinner.

As this frigid cold front remains on the Prairie,
one thing is for sure. . .
there will be more one pot cookin' in the oven
On Crooked Creek!
For indeed, I'll be keeping the home fire a burnin'!


Until next time. . .

www.stonegable.blogspot.com
 

 

On Crooked Creek will be joining
Yvonne @ StoneGable for
On The Menu Monday!
You can be assured that I'll be searching for recipes
baked in the oven for this week's menu!!!

Baked Ham and Bean Soup!

Our recent Winter Weather On Crooked Creek
calls for another 1 ~ 3 inches of SNOW!

Winter weather
combined with SNOW =
Baked Ham and Bean Soup!

* * Tip * *
Instead of making the Traditional Ham and Bean Soup,
my MoMa put them in a roasting pan and into the oven.

I've adapted the original recipe, somewhat,
to include a few fresh vegetables and a bit more flavor.
Simple, robust flavor and a time ~ saver for busy wives!


Step into my kitchen and I'll show how it's done. . .

In cold tap water,
soak 1/2 bag of dried Great Northern Beans overnight.

Add 1/2 medium onion, chopped
        1 ~ 2 pieces celery, chopped
        2 ~ 3 carrots, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Saute in a skillet with 1 ~ 2 tablespoons butter
over medium~high heat about 5 minutes.

Place the partially cooked vegetables in a large roasting pan.

Drain the Great Northern Beans
and add to the pan with about 8 ~ 10 cups cold water.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and add 1 ~ 2 cups ham, chopped.
Return to oven and continue baking for 2 ~ 3 hours!

Simply delicious!
Makes 4 ~ 6 servings.

Serve with crackers.

. . .or if you're fortunate to have "Mr. Ed"
make his famous cornbread into cornbread muffins,

just add butter and enjoy!

On Crooked Creek
there's nothing more comforting than Baked Ham and Bean Soup
on a cold, SNOWY night!


Until next time. . .

www.stonegable.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek is joining
Yvonne @ StoneGable for On The Menu Monday!
Yvonne, I hearby declare January as Soup Month of 2013!!!
Be sure to visit and see what the other
Ladies in the Land of Blog are cookin' up!

FYI:

Dear Ones,
Unfortunately,
On Crooked Creek has been unable to
upload photos due to a problem within
Blogger and its Internet Explorer patrons.
Therefore,
I won't be able to do another post
until the issue has been solved!!!
Please be patient with me during this unfortunate mishap!!!

Thank you,
for your understanding!
Fondly,
Pat

Snowman Blend. . .

How silently came the SNOW to the Prairie
On Crooked Creek this past week. . .

 

 

it fell on the treetops, the rooftops

and painted most everything white!

 

 

 

Since "Mr. Ed" and I had no place to go ~

we sat at the patio window

and watched it SNOW, and SNOW, and SNOW!

 

 

I was in hopes

that we would receive enough accumulation

to make Snow angels.

 

 

1.5 inches isn't enough

to suffice a photo worthy Snow angel. . .

instead, I make a Snowman Blend!

 

 

 

 

I began with an ample sized SNOWman Mug.

 

 

 

 

To which I carefully added Cappuccino French Vanilla Mix.

 

Directions:

Add 3 tablespoons of mix per 1 cup (8oz.) of boiling water.

(Adjust amount to suit your taste)

I did a lot of adjusting, dear ones!

 

 

 

Next, I added some Coffee~mate Coffee Creamer.

Once again, a lot of adjusting!

Stir well.

 

* * Tip * *

I used a miniature wire whip

to incorporate more air into the Cappuccino!

 

 

 

 

 

Several dollops of whipped cream topping

make for a great finishing touch!

 

* * Tip * *

One could add cinnamon,

chocolate curls or other embellishments,

but for me this is the perfect SNOWMAN Blend!

 

 

For your viewing pleasure,

here are a few photos

taken On Crooked Creek

through the open patio door of our backyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As silently as the SNOW came to the Prairie, so it left.

But not before covering us with a blanket of white.

 

 

Pure enjoyment

describes the SNOW,

the SNOW scenes and

my SNOWMAN Blend !

 

 

Until next time. . .

 

 

www.stonegable.blogspot.com

 

On Crooked Creek is joining StoneGable

for Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

with our sweet hostess, Yvonne!

Be sure to visit and be inspired with amazing

step ~ by ~ step creative ideas for your own home!













Christmas Cakes. . .

It's the most magical, wonderful. . .
b u s i e s t  time of the year !

So~o~o. . .
I thought I'd share three amazing cakes for your
Christmas Celebration(s) ! ! !




Christmas 2010.

From  Christmas Past, a JOYful cake !

This amazing Red Velvet, two ~ tier cake
was ordered from the bakery department
at our local grocery store.

Joy, is the name of our Ladies Circle.

Creamy white frosted Sugar Cookies
were homemade by a local Cookie Lady.




A beautiful Christmas Tablescape,
done by our hostess of JOY Circle !

Earlier in the day of our Ladies JOY Circle meeting,
the hostess and I applied frosting to the backs of the sugar cookies
and attached them to the sides around the layers of the cake.



Mid ~ afternoon at the home of
our JOY Circle hostess!

An easy way
to make a one ~ of ~ a ~kind
Christmas Celebration cake !


The next two Christmas Cakes
can easy be made in your own kitchen.

The inspiration for this German Chocolate Cake
came from Paula Deen's Christmas 2009 ~ Special Issue.

** Tip:**
Instead of following Paula's lengthy recipe. . .
I made a store bought German Chocolate Cake Mix.
One can of German Chocolate Frosting,
one can of Milk Chocolate Frosting
and pecan halves for garnishing !
I followed her design, not her recipe !

Christmas Present !

A  Progressive Christmas Brunch Cake
for our Brunch Bunch is from the same publication.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake
with Peanut Butter Frosting
received rave reviews from our ladies.

 

 

Again, I used a store bought Milk Chocolate Cake Mix.

But this time, I made Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Frosting.

 

 



Paula Deen's Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 1/4 cups Butter, softened
1        cup creamy Peanut Butter
  1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
5 cups Confectioners' Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:

In a large bowl,
beat butter and peanut butter at medium speed
with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add cream, beating until combined.

Gradually add confectioners' sugar,
beating until smooth.

Beat in vanilla.

Spread Peanut Butter Frosting evenly
in between layers and on the top and sides of cake.
Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

My wish is for you to have ample time
to enjoy your own Christmas Celebration(s)
with those you adore and love.

These three Christmas Cakes 
will allow you less time in the kitchen
and more time to savor the Season! 


Until next time. . .

www.stonegable.blogspot.com

On Crooked Creek will be joining our sweet hostess,
Yvonne @ StoneGable for On The Menu Monday.
Be sure to visit for some of the best menu ideas
for your own family!