Gingersnap Cookies

Grandma Moog's Gingersnap Cookies

These are the best gingersnaps ever. In an airtight container, gingersnaps are crispy—left out, they’re chewy. Try some both ways. Gingersnaps are also the best dunking cookies. Kids love to help make them- rolling the dense, fragrant dough into balls, coating them in sugar, and then watching the cookies magically flatten out during baking. It’s almost as much fun as eating them. A very traditional (and easy) recipe from the twins and Lucas’s “cookie grandma.”

Ingredients

2 Cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 Cup vegetable shortening
1 Cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 Cup molasses
1 tsp. ginger, powdered
1 tsp. cinnamon, powdered
1/2 tsp. CLOVES, powdered
1/3 Cup granulated sugar (to roll dough in)

Directions

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the flour mixture in two parts, blending well. 

Shape the dough into a ball, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls thoroughly in sugar, place on ungreased cookie trays. 

The cookies spread out during baking, so don’t crowd them. Bake 15 minutes. Cool for a minute, then remove from cookie sheets. 

Store in an airtight container for crispy cookies, or in a regular cookie jar for chewy cookies.

Prep. time: 10 minutes plus chilling;
Baking time: 30 minutes total (2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes each)
Yield: 50-60 cookies

Reissalat (German Party Food)

Reissalat

Making Reissalat (German party food) for our Fourth of July Salad Extravaganza.

Ingredients:
4 c rice
7 c water or chicken stock
2 c peas
4 green onions, sliced fine
1 red bell pepper, diced fine
3 carrots, grated
1 pineapple, diced
3 T sweet curry powder
1 T turmeric
salt to taste

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Directions:
Cook the rice in the water or stock, let cool. Stir together the room-temp rice and all remaining ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Green Goddess Dressing DIY

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

1 T. Penzy Green Goddess salad dressing mix,
1/4 tsp. dill, 1/4 tsp. Fox Point, 

2 T. water.
Soak for 5 min.

Add 2 T. vinegar, let stand. Then mix with
1/2 C. Fat Free sour cream and
1/2 C. mayo.

Very delicious! Great as dressing or veggie dip.

Lasagna

Lasagna~Penzy's Recipe 

This sauce recipe makes a 13 X 9 pan or cut the recipe in half to make a 9 X 9 pan.
Directions:
For the sauce: 

16 oz. crushed tomatoes, 

16 oz. tomato sauce or puree,
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, 

2 T olive oil,
1 large chopped onion,
1 t. dehydrated minced garlic,
2T. Turkish oregano,
1 t. rosemary,
1/2 T thyme leaves,
1/2 t. crushed California red peppers (this really adds to the sauce),
1 t. sugar,
1 t. salt,
2 t. French basil.

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1 lb. lasagna noodles,
15 oz. ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese, we like it better),
2 c. grated mozzarella,
1 T. olive oil.

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Directions:

Fry the meat in a separate pan so you can drain the drippings.

Cook the onion, add the garlic, then the sauce, tomatoes and all spices excluding the basil. Simmer for 1-2 hours, adding the basil the final 10 minutes.

Cook the lasagna noodles, grease a pan. Put down a layer of noodles, cover with some sauce, dot on half of the ricotta or cottage cheese, then repeat. Put a third layer of noodles down, cover with sauce and then with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 325 for an hour, let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops With Apples And Onions

Pork Chops With Apples And Onions

Ingredients:

4 bone in pork chops 3/4 to 1 inch thick

1 tablespoon fresh sage or 

  1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon Penzy's Bavarian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large white onion, sliced

3-4 apples, cored and sliced

1 cup fresh apple cider

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If necessary, trim fat from pork chops.  Rub sage on both sides, and generously coat the pork chops with Bavarian Seasoning if using, and salt and pepper.  

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the olive oil.  Sear the pork chops on both sides until good and brown about 5 minutes per side.  Remove the chops.

Add the butter, onions, and apples to the skillet and sauté until the onions are caramelized and the mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes or so.  Stir in the fresh cider and return the pork chops to the skillet.  Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, turning the chops half way through.  

Serve the pork chops with a big scoop of apples and onions.  Enjoy! 

  

Breakfast Cookies

Breakfast Cookies

If you must eat breakfast on the go, these cookies are a great option.  This recipe is from Penzy Spices.

Ingrdients:

1 cup butter softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups regular or quick oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup flacked baking coconut

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted 10

   minutes in 350 oven

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Preheat oven to 350^ degrees.  In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs and extracts and mix well.  Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats and mix.  Fold in the remaining ingredients and stir until blended.  Drop by tablepsoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 14 to 16 minutes. 

Penzy's Beer Bread

Penzy Beer Bread

I have found the greatest source for the highest quality spices.  Penzy Spices has a home office in Wauwatosa, WI.  They have retail stores throughout the United States and also publish a catalog listing their great selection of spices and spice blends along with recipes.  Shipping is free on a thirty dollar order or more.  About four or more times a year they offer a free gift with a purchase.  With the winter catalog, if you bring in the included coupon you receive a coffee mug.  With a mail order the mug is also included.  The previous Holiday catalog included a five-dollar coupon for a discount on two different gift collections of spices.

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Penzy's Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1-1/2 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano, or basil,

    or cracked rosemary

1 12oz bottle beer at room temperature

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Topping:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and herbs if using.  Add the beer and stir until blended.  Pour the batter in a loaf pan (5 x 9 or 4 1/2 X 8 1/2) and bake for 1 hour.  Combine the butter and garlic if using.  When finished baking, pour the butter mixture over the top.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing.  Bread cuts easier when cool.

Penzeys Spices Of Menlo Park, CA

Penzeys Spices of Menlo Park, CA

Our daughter Barbara recommended Penzey Spices as a must see during my visit to the Bay Area. Having no idea what was in store for me I was overwhelmed with the selections available. I had no idea there were so many types of cinnamon available as well as many other spices. The freshest spices, herbs, and blends are available in many different sizes or weights all displayed with a sample jar to smell the fragrance of each spice or herb. Online orders are also available. Take a look at their website http://www.penzeys.com/