Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 142

Vanilla Sugar

This is something that is always good to have on hand.

4 cups of sugar
1 vanilla bean

Pour sugar into a large, clean jar with a tight fitting lid. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully slit the vanilla bean lengthwise. Place both halves into the sugar. Place the lid on your jar and shake making sure both halves of the vanilla been is covered with sugar. Store in a cool dry place for 2 weeks before using. This will keep indefinitely. It's great added to coffee, sprinkled over toast, fru...

Tara's Candy - Pulled

This is recipe that I named after a young lady who bought a copy of my cookbook. She and I have something in common... we both dislike regular chocolate and prefer white chocolate so I promised I would make a candy just for her.

Tara's Candy can be loads of fun to play with. You can add coconut to the chocolate, use different dried fruits. You can use milk chocolate chips. Add coconut or crushed cookies on the bottom instead of pretzels. Or try crushed, yes, crushed potato chips in place of t...

Ingedient Substitutes (Part 2)

Chili Sauce - 1 cup - Substitute - 1 cup catsup, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and allspice

Chives, Finely Chopped - 2 tsp. - Substitute - 2 tsp. green onion tops finely chopped

Chocolate Chips, Semisweet - 1 oz. - Substitute 1 oz. sweet cooking chocolate

Chocolate Semisweet - 1 2/3 oz. - Substitute - 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate plus 4 tsp. sugar

Chocolate Semisweet - 6 oz. pkg. - Substitute - 1 cup chips

Cocoa - 1/4 cup or 4 Tbl. - Substitute - 1 oz. sq. unsweetened chocolate (dec...

Banana Marshmallow Pie

I love to take a banana marshmallow "moon pie," put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds, just enough for the marshmallow to puff up and the graham cracker part to get just slightly warm and then chow down. If you've never tried this, you're missing out. There is only one thing I would change in a banana moon pie and that is the graham cracker crust. I'm not that big of a graham cracker fan. My recipe for Banana Marshmallow Pie reminds me of those pies but it has an advantage, at leas...

Yields & Equivalents (Part 5)

Rice, Brown - 4 cups cooked = 1 cup uncooked

Rice, Parboiled (converted) - 3 - 4 cups cooked = 1 cup uncooked

Rice, Precooked White, Instant - 2 cups cooked = 1 cup uncooked

Rice, Regular Long Grain - 3 cups cooked = 1 cup uncooked

Rice, Wild - 3 cups cooked = 1 cup uncooked

Shrimp (uncooked with shells), Jumbo - 1 lb. = 21-25 count

Shrimp (uncooked with shells), Large - 1 lb. = 31-35 count

Shrimp (uncooked with shells), Medium - 1 lb. = 41-45 count

Shrimp (uncooked with shells), Small - 1 lb...

Roasted Red Potatoes

1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup real bacon bits
2 lbs. red potatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon bits in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss lightly. Spoon into a 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Changes - use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch. Instead of cheddar cheese, use blends such as Me...

Coconut Cheesecake Pie - Pulled

This recipe can be changed by simply changing the flavor of the pie filling. I've made this with cook and serve pie filling and instant. The cook and serve has a better flavor and texture but you can save time by using the instant. One suggestion is to change the crust. I've made this using crushed pretzels with 1/4 cup of melted butter and changed the pie filling to Pistachio. I've also topped it with small marshmallows and lightly toasted them under the broiler in the oven. This was not onl...

Windy Cookies - Pulled

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I have a friend called Windy. He has been such a great help to me with my sites that I had to name a cookie after him. This recipe was originally called Cowboy Cookies. But I've simplified the recipe by making just a few changes. Windy says he's the voice of a many so what better cookie than one that has all of the many great things such as coconut, chocolate, nuts and oats? Thank you Windy!

BUT, again I have to tell you that I've pulled this recipe to be included in Think With Your Taste ...

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

In this recipe I use regular sausage but you can also use chicken or turkey sausage, I like to add diced black olives for extra flavor or add even more flavor by sprinkling the tops with Parmesan cheese before baking.

You can view the full recipe by going to Martha's Kitchen Korner.

Yields & Equivalents (Part 4)

Olives, pimiento stuffed - 1 up sliced = 24 large or 36 small

Olives, pitted - 1 cup sliced = 32 med.

Oranges - 1 Tbl. grated peel = 1 med.

Oranges - 1/3 to 1/2 cup juice = 1 med.

Pasta, Macaroni - 4 cups cooked = 2 cups uncooked (6-7 oz.)

Pasta, Noodles, egg - 4 cups cooked = 4 to 5 cups uncooked (7 oz.)

Pasta, Spaghetti - 4 cups cooked = 7 to 8 oz. uncooked

Peppers, Bell - 1/2 cup chopped = 1 small

Peppers, Bell - 1 cup chopped = 1 med.

Peppers, Bell - 1 1/2 cups chopped = 1 large