Lemon Cream Parfait

Rick, cousin Wayne, Terri and Sherrie

This recipe was shared by one of the Park Hosts when I worked at Fort Stevens State Park. This was one of the most popular desserts at any potluck and always seemed to disappear first. I made this recipe almost every week to sell at my Mom's store--a seafood market, but everyone seemed to also want cookies and desserts. You can, of course, experiment with other flavors and create your own version of this dessert--I've included the Tropical / Coconut version, which is one of my favorites.

Lemon Cream Parfait

1 stick butter

1 cup flour

1 cup pecans, finely chopped (I use a small food processor)

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Cool Whip (from 8-oz container)

1 small pkg lemon instant pudding

1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

Remaining Cool Whip; additional chopped pecans for garnish

First layer: melt butter in 9x13 pan (can also make in a 10x10 pan; crust & all other layers will be slightly thicker). Mix in flour and nuts; pat out to cover the bottom of pan (yes, it is enough, even though it doesn’t seem to be). Bake at 350F for 15 minutes; cool--overnight is best.

Second layer: beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and one cup of Cool Whip; gently spread over cooled crust.

Third layer: mix pudding mixes and milk (okay to use same bowl & beaters used for second layer); beat two minutes with electric mixer. Spread over cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until third layer is firm, then top with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tropical Cream Parfait: slice 3 or 4 bananas over cream cheese layer, use 2 pkg vanilla pudding and add flaked coconut (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups) to pudding when mixed. Top with remaining Cool Whip. You can, of course omit bananas for a Coconut Cream only version.

EZ Beef Stew version 2.5

Family vacation in Lincoln City
(this guy was Rick's stand-in)

 The new and improved version. My brother likes the meat more than the vegetables (naturally!) so I increased the beef and slightly decreased the potatoes. To pump up the flavor even more, I also added some Campbell's French Onion Soup and some minced garlic.

2-1/2 pounds beef, cubed

(I used boneless beef strips--believe they're from what is known as the "rump roast" section, but I've also had good luck with cross rib roast)

2 - 3 Tbs oil

2 onions, chopped (I usually use Maui or Vidalia)

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 Parsnips, peeled and chopped into about 3/4-inch pieces

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into about 3/4-inch pieces

   (or you can substitute a similar amount of the ready-to-eat “baby” carrots)

1-1/2 to 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into about 3/4-inch pieces

one 14-1/2 oz can petite-diced tomatoes

about 20 oz beef broth (about 1-1/2 cans)

about 3/4 of one can French Onion Soup

3 or 4 Tbs red wine (optional)

2 or 3 minced garlic cloves

3 to 4 Tbs Minute Tapioca

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (or you can use a little Oregano & Thyme)

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325° F. Peel and chop the vegetables; reserve a little less than half of the onions. Place the remaining vegetables and onions in a large bowl and mix. Cube the beef. Heat oil in large dutch oven and brown in oil in batches. Remove to separate bowl. Place reserved onions in bottom of dutch oven, top with beef, then cover with the remaining chopped vegetables and onions.

Combine the tomatoes, broth, onion soup, garlic, tapioca, sugar, spices and herbs and pour over the vegetables and beef. Mix it just slightly (mainly the top vegetable part). Cover and cook for 3-1/4 hours—do NOT peek!

Sherrie's Meatloaf

Rick's first birthday
(he's slightly less messy these days!)

My brother Rick loves this meatloaf--this is the recipe we used to "inaugurate" his new stove.


8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice 

(I use S&W petite cut with roasted onion & garlic)

1 egg

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup uncooked oats

1/2 cup minced onion

1 pound ground beef (I usually use 80%/20%)

Topping:

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with plastic wrap. Sauté the onions slightly to eliminate the "raw" flavor. While they are cooking mix the tomatoes, egg, salt, pepper and onions into a "slurry" in a large bowl. Stir in the onions. Gently mix in the ground beef, using your hands. Press (don't pack!) the mixture into the loaf pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour—this lets the oats absorb the liquid.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a small pan (such as a broiler pan) with foil and invert the meatloaf onto it. Mix topping ingredients together and spread over meatloaf.  Bake about 55 to 60 minutes.

NOTES: I normally buy the beef they grind "in-store" because the meat in the "tubes" seems a little too compacted for me, plus I like to see what I'm getting. I also sometimes buy a little more than one pound (more beef!). Since the canned tomatoes are in a 15-oz can, if I make two meatloaves I usually just use the one can and add a spoonful or so of salsa to bring it up to 16 oz. If I only make one loaf I sometimes cook the remaining tomatoes with a little brown sugar and vinegar and make a sauce to serve on the side.

Blue Deviled Eggs

Friends Chuck and Merry
(no, those aren't eggs--different party!)

By definition "blue deviled" is an archaic term meaning sad and dreary, but these eggs are anything but! My friends Chuck and Merry introduced me to these, and now I'm hooked. There are other recipes online that call for using blue cheese and mayonnaise, and if you've got some blue cheese on hand, by all means add some, but my version uses a good-quality refrigerated blue cheese salad dressing (such as Lighthouse). My friends' version included salad shrimp and also water chestnuts for  a little "crunch," but I've listed these as optional ingredients, since not everyone likes (or can eat) shellfish, and some people may feel the same way about water chestnuts.

Blue Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 or 3 green onions, finely sliced
About 1/2 cup Blue Cheese dressing
1 tsp Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard (adds a little "kick," but can be omitted)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
optional: Crumbled Blue Cheese
optional: cooked Salad Shrimp, finely chopped

optional: About 4 or 5 canned Water Chestnuts, finely minced OR a little finely minced Jicama (which is what my friends add when they are in Mexico)

Place egg yolks in medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add green onions, Blue Cheese dressing, seasonings and other optional ingredients as desired. Spoon or pipe mixture into egg white halves and refrigerate until serving. Can garnish each half with a little piece of green onion and/or a shrimp (which is probably a good idea if you're including them, as it lets people with shellfish allergies know what is in them).

Gluten Free Beefy Dog Biscuits

Cousin Becky with Baxter & Sophie
at Gleneden Beach, August 2013

Since I've learned that some dogs are sensitive to gluten, I've changed some of the ingredients in the recipe I posted last year to make this gluten-free version. Any dog will love this version!

Gluten free 
Beefy Dog Biscuits

1 cup ground beef

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 cups rice flour

2 cup cornmeal

1 cup oat bran

1 tsp salt

Using the paddle blade of a stand mixer stir the ground beef, broth, vegetable oil and eggs together on a low setting until well mixed. Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl then mix them into the wet ingredients. Pat or roll the mixture out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut to biscuit size. Bake on foil-lined cookie sheets at 350 F for 25 to 35 minutes until solid and slightly crispy. When cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes: You can usually purchase smaller amounts of rice flour, cornmeal and oat bran in the bulk foods section of the grocery. 

I’ve found it easiest to just pat the “dough” out on a piece of waxed butcher paper or another cookie sheet, then use cookie cutters near the edges of the dough and just slide it away from the rest of the dough (peel any excess from around the biscuits after cutting). Transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheets and re-pat the dough to cut more.

This recipe is easiest using a large “stand” mixer, but can be mixed by hand using a large wooden spoon and plenty of “elbow grease.”

Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas card photo 1955

Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

The first time I made these cookies I mistakenly used Almond Paste instead of the Almond Filling--the batter was much stiffer, instead of spreading the cookies maintained their pre-baked shape and they were not as sweet--but they were tasty anyway! 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can Solo Almond Filling

2 egg yolks

1 tsp almond extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Raspberry Jelly or Jam (seedless is preferrd)

Powdered sugar

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add almond filling, egg yolks and almond extract; beat until blended.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl--stir into butter mixture with wooden spoon to make soft dough.  Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, placing on parchment-covered baking sheets about 1-1/2 inches apart.  Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation.  Spoon Raspberry Jelly or seedless jam into a decorator’s tube with a large tip and fill indentations (this method is much quicker and easier than trying to spoon it into ech cookie). Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer cookies on parchment to wire rack.  Sift powdered sugar lightly over tops of cookies, if desired.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Notes: the dough will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, so you don't have to bake all the cookies at one time. I have also found one easy way to sift the powdered sugar directly onto each cookie is by using an individual wire-mesh tea strainer.

Sherrie's Apple Cake

My brother's first birthday

Sherrie's Low-fat Apple Cake

Most Apple Cake recipes seem to contain quite a lot of oil or butter, but there is a really good packaged mix (Little Granny's Northwest Apple Cake) which has no oil and the only liquid is from the apples, eggs and vanilla. The packaged mix isn't readily available in most stores and it is quite expensive, so I "tweaked" some apple cake recipes and came up with my own version, which is quite moist and tender. I confess I chickened out on omitting oil entirely, but it has only two measly tablespoons!

1 cup sugar

2 tart apples such as Granny Smith, 

peeled and chopped (about 1/2-inch dice)

2 eggs

2 Tbs oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place sugar and chopped apples in a large mixing bowl and stir to start macerating the apples. Add eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients and spices together in a separate bowl (or sift onto waxed paper), then stir into the apple mixture until well combined. Stir in the cranberries and nuts, if desired. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan and bake for about 35 minutes or into about 12 muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes.