Tasty Tuesday -- More Autumn Seasonal Delights

This recipe will work great for the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, as a breakfast treat with coffee or tea, or as a snack.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 and 1/4 cup oats

1 apple -- peeled, cored, and diced (I often use Haralson or Braeburn apples for baking, but you can use a type you prefer).

1 egg

10 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/3 cup whole milk

A blend of cinnamon and sugar

Instructions:

1)  Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

2)  In large mixing bow, whisk together flour, sugar, and baking powder.

3)  Stir in oats and diced apple.

4)  In separate bowl, whisk together egg, butter, and milk.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened.

5)  On lightly-floured surface, pat dough into an 8" circle that is about 3/4" thick.

6)  Cut into 8 to 12 wedges and place on greased cookie sheet.

7)  Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

8)  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

I might not be back here before Thanksgiving, so I want to wish all my readers a lovely holiday.  May you be blessed.

Some Items I Made for the Show

I remembered this time!

Here are some photos of items I made for the show I was part of.

First, some little journals upcycled into a chic and shabby, vintage style.  I used old book pages to cover the booklet covers, then some ink and some pretty acrylic stamps I had, some pearl flat backs, and some lace ribbon. I made 33 of these, and I have to tell you, they are surprisingly labor-intensive.

Next is a photo showing 3 of the bookmarks I made.  These are of course intended to be used with actual books.  The ribbon goes inside the pages to be marked and the charms dangle out of each end.

I made two lengths, one for larger books, one for smaller.

And finally, a few of the rings I made.

I will be offering these and other items for sale either on Facebook, Etsy, or eBay starting this coming Saturday, November 19.  I will post an update on this blog then as to where you can go to purchase if you like.  I will also update my Facebook business page, which you can go to by clicking the button to it in the upper left.

Have a great evening.  I am off to finish cooking my cabbage soup.

TASTY TUESDAY AND A COMPLETED PROJECT FOR A GREAT FRIEND

Today's recipe is for a sweet fruity salad to go with your Thanksgiving holiday meal.

Cranberry Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

1 (6-ounce) package of cherry gelatin (or 2 (3-ounce) packages)

1 can whole cranberry sauce

1 pint sour cream

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1)  Dissolve gelatin in 1 and 1/4 cups boiling water.  When well mixed add cranberry sauce.

2)  Mix well and refrigerate until gelatin mixture begins to congeal.  Then add sour cream and pecans and mix well.

3)  Pour mixture into a casserole dish measuring about 7 x 11 inches.  

4)  Chill for several hours in refrigerator before serving.

And I know I said I would share photos of some art show items...

And I completely forgot.  I apologize for that, and right now my work table has active projects on it so I will share some photos tomorrow when I can get the table cleaned up and take some pictures. 

Instead, I am showing you a painting I made for a very good friend of mine, Saurabh, who is in the U.S. for a couple of weeks before he leaves for India again over the weekend.  We got together Sunday evening for an early supper, and it was wonderful to enjoy his company over a lovely Thai meal.  I painted a small canvas (about 5 x 12 inches) to celebrate friendship.  Right now the painting is in the U.S. mail system on its way to where Saurabh is staying at a hotel.   Here is a photo:

Wishing blessings to all of you.

Gotta Clean This Up

Good evening, everyone.  I am playing catch-up after sleeping late today since I stayed up most of the night to watch election coverage online.

Just wanted to share with you a photo of how my art desk looks when I have completed all the projects I want to make for a show and have not cleaned up the desk yet:

I need to get it cleaned up so I can take photos of items to list in my eBay store.  These are the times when I wish I had an art fairy to come out of the cabinet and clean up while I sleep.

Tasty Tuesday

Wow, what a week.  The show was on Saturday.  Over 3,000 people came through, and sales were better than they ever have been.  I was not sure what to expect with this being an election week and all.  I am a bit sore still from lugging around boxes of my creations and from being at the table all day.

I took my mom with me today as I went sourcing, gorgeous November day, no jacket required. 

Anyway, time to focus on the recipe.  I enjoy many kinds of Asian food, and I have been craving egg rolls, chow mein, beef and broccoli, and more types of Asian food lately.

So, to hopefully help satisfy the Asian food cravings, I am sharing a recipe for:

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Salad Oil

4 cups cold cooked rice

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed, rinsed, and drained of excess moisture.

1 cup shredded or diced cooked pork, beef, or shrimp

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste (optional)

6 green onions, including tops, thinly sliced or chopped

Instructions:

1)  Saute rice in oil over medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

2)  Add meat and peas to the rice.  

3)  Pour beaten eggs over rice mixture.

4)  Cook, stirring often, until egg is set.

5)  Mix Soy Sauce with the sugar and salt,

6)  Sprinkle onions and pour Soy Sauce over the top of the rice mixture.

7)  Stir until blended and then serve.

Tasty Tuesday, Sort-of

Yup, It's Tasty Tuesday, but since I am a little late, it might be Tasty Wednesday by the time I publish this.

It is late at night, and I have been busy making items for the craft show this coming Saturday.  Even though I am cutting back on the different types of products I am making this time, and I am trying to use only what I have available at home, I still find myself on the wrong end of the clock.

As far as recipes go, I have been thinking about the coming holidays and foods that can be enjoyed at a holiday feast or enjoyed as part of a regular evening's dinner side dish.  I dug through my box and found one, though I can't recall who gave it to me.  It is good, though.  And it is definitely not diet food.

Bacon Carrot Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, cut in half and then each half sliced in half lengthwise.  Carrots will need to be partially cooked.

6 slices of bacon, diced, cooked in skillet, and drained.

1 can condensed tomato soup (do not add water).

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 small onion, diced.

Instructions:

1)  Put sliced and partially-cooked carrots along with bacon in 1 and 1/2 quart casserole dish.

2)  Add soup, brown sugar, and diced onion.

3)  Stir until well mixed.

4)  Cover and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5)  When done, let stand uncovered for 2 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

That's it for now, everyone.  Thanks for stopping by,  I hope you enjoy this recipe or that it sparks creative cooking ideas for you.

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This is the first Tasty Tuesday on the new Abundant Empress blog.  I love food; I am a true foodie.  I love to try new recipes, and I love my old-standby recipe collection.  Cooking and enjoying food (especially with friends) is part of my concept of living an abundant life. 

My goal with Tasty Tuesday is to provide recipes and ideas that have some nutritional value, that are fairly easy to make, and that do not require a long list of ingredients.  I don't like making fussy meals, and I am not a gourmet by any means.  I like fixing tasty, simple, and hearty meals, so those are the types of recipes I will share here.

If I have a recipe or if I come across a recipe that I enjoy that is also a specifically "healthy" recipe, I will share it.  I generally try to cook dishes that are on the fairly healthy side, but I am NOT all about the sprouts, the kale, the gluten-free, the fat-free options (and humans need a certain amount of fat in their diet anyway).  

I also share recipes on my Facebook page (Abundant Empress, LLC on Facebook) every Thursday, so if you want more recipe options, you can check that out as well.

Of course, if you have ideas for altering recipes to your taste,by all means go ahead.  These recipes can be followed to the letter or you can play around with them according to your preference. 

Today's Recipe is Chili Beef Pasta

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rotini (spiral) pasta

1 pound of ground beef (or you can use ground turkey if you prefer)

1 can of spicy chili beans (such as Bush's or Kuner's)

1 can (about 14 or 15 ounces) diced peeled tomatoes (do not drain)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1)  Cook pasta according to package directions,  Drain.

2)  While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef or turkey in large sauce pan or Dutch oven (medium-high heat).  Drain.

3)  Add cooked pasta, beans, tomatoes, and chili powder.

4)  Cook and stir for about 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.

5)  Top each serving with cheese while hot.

Serves 6

Additional topping options:

Small dollop of sour cream on each serving
chopped oniion
cooked bacon bits
broken-up corn chips

Enjoy!