{Amish Friendship Bread}

Today I made Amish Friendship Bread, and remembered how much I love this recipe. I received my first start last year, made the recipe a few times and had my fill, but I was worried that I would never get another start. So I did some research, thank you Internet, and found the recipe for the "starter". I found this same recipe over and over again on line, so I know it is good. Whenever I make Amish Friendship Bread I always make it in small loaf pans (that take half as long to cook) and then when I share the starter, I add a mini loaf of bread (because you have to show our friends that it is sooo worth making this incredible bread), a copy of the full recipe/instructions and I try to also include a box of instant vanilla pudding. It is the one ingredient that everyone needs to run to the store for when making the recipe. This is a great visiting teacher gift too. I hope you'll give it a try. It really is worth the 10 days of preparation. Enjoy!

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

1½ Cups Milk
1½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1½ Cups Sugar
2¼ Teaspoon (one .25 ounce package) active dry yeast

The day you make the starter is the considered day one. Date the bag so you can track the day you are on. Follow the 10 day cycle on the recipe below.

Amish Friendship Bread

Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing, do not refrigerate. If air gets into the bag, let it out. It is normal for the mixture to bubble and ferment.

Day 1: Do nothing, this is the day you receive the batter. (date: _________________)
Day 2: Mush the bag
Day 3: Mush the bag
Day 4: Mush the bag
Day 5: Mush the bag
Day 6: Add to the bag, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk (mix together first)
Day 7: Mush the bag
Day 8: Mush the bag
Day 9: Mush the bag
Day 10: Pour contents into a non-metal bowl, add 1½ cup flour, 1½ cup sugar, 1½ cup milk and mix together. Into 3 zip-lock bags place 1 cup of the mixture per bag, and give to three friends with a copy of the recipe. Make sure you date the bag so your friends know when the first day was. I also date the first day on the recipe sheet.

With remaining batter add:

3 beaten eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup milk
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 large package vanilla instant pudding

For dusting the loaf pans
½ Cup Sugar
1½ teaspoons Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease 2 large loaf pans or four mini loaf pans. Dust greased pans with half of cinnamon and sugar mixture. Pour batter evenly into loaf pans and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 1 hour for large pans or 30-35 minutes for mini loaf pans. Check with toothpick to see if done. Cool until bread comes loose from the pans, transfer to a wire rack. Should the starter not be passed on the 10th day, be sure to date the bag so they can keep track of the day they are on. If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days.

{A Tribute to Another Great Recipe....Raz-Pepper Preserves}

While doing my canning this year I came across an amazing recipe for Raz-Pepper Preserves and decided to give it a try. I made a double batch, took a jar to a family party and it was a huge hit! We all loved it so much that the very next day I made another double batch. This recipe comes from the blog "Gather Round Our Table" . It is a great blog and this lady can really cook. I have yet to find something that I didn't completely love. Thanks Teresa! Well here's the recipe for your enjoyment, but don't forget to visit Teresa's blog for more great recipe finds.

Raz-Pepper Preserves

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (I always use fresh)
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno (for mild, remove the seeds, for hot, leave some of the seeds in)
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. liquid pectin

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except pectin. Bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes. Stir in liquid pectin. Pour in jars and seal.

If you like spicy and sweet, you'll love this recipe!

{A Tribute to Some Great Recipes...Creamed Corn}

I have found some really outstanding recipes on food blogs that I visit regularly. With that being said, I thought that I would start something new by honoring those recipes. I hope that the authors of these recipe blogs will find this flattering and not be bugged by the fact that I am essentially stealing their recipes to post here.

The first recipe, Creamed Corn is one that I have come to love, love, love. My entire family loves it too! You can find this recipe on "Kearnzie Cooks" along with many other great recipes.

Creamed Corn
2 lb
1 1/2 cubes Cream Cheese
1 C Whipping Cream (can use milk)
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cube Butter

Cook in crock-pot until it bubbles.

Give this recipe a try. I highly recommend it.

{Mom Thorpe's Amazing Bottled Salsa}

Last year I got bit by the canning bug and with that came experimenting with different recipes. I tried a couple of salsa recipes last year and then I was given this one by my brother-in-law's mom. It was late enough in the season that I was only able to make one batch with my Mom and sister, so we had to split it. Which was okay....but in no way enough salsa for the year. Loni had her salsa gone before December. My Mom had one bottle left about a month ago, but only because it got pushed behind something else and no one knew it was even there. As for me, we opened out last jar (and mourned because it was our last jar) in about March. Needless to say I have already canned my first batch this year....and it is mine, all mine! We got 46 jars, that's right 46 pint size jars out of one batch. Actually, 43 pint size jars and 3 quart size jars. I already want to eat it with every meal...okay so we have already eaten it with every meal. It is so good, and I believe if a recipe is good, then you must share. What good is a good recipe if you don't let others enjoy it too. I want to give a shout out to my sister's mother-in-law, Audra Thorpe. Thanks for sharing and teaching us so much. You are an amazing woman and I don't think you know how highly you are thought of in our family. You are a good seed that has grown into an amazing tree of knowledge and inspiration. THANKS!!!

Here is this amazing salsa if you want to give it a try.

1 large box of tomatoes...about 40 lbs.
6 large green peppers, deseeded and diced
2 yellow peppers, deseeded and diced
3 red peppers, deseeded and diced
6 green anahiem peppers, deseeded and diced
3 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and diced (3 jalapenos make a mild salsa, add more to your liking)
1 bunch of celery, finely chopped - THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT...Don't leave out.
4 large yellow onions, diced
1/3 to 2/3 cups sugar (1 use 2/3 cup)
4 cups lemon juice
2 TBSP black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup salt (i use 1/2 cup)
4 TBSP cumin
1 large bunch cilantro
6 cloves garlic, minced

Remove tomato skins by placing whole tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute. The skins usually split when they are ready to come out of the water. If the skin has not split simply stab with a knife (just barely) and remove from the water. You don't want to loose any of that good juice, so skin a dish and dump into the pot you plan to cook your salsa in. As you remove the skins, quarter the tomato and remove the stem. We use to large stock pots to make one batch of salsa, so be prepared. Place equal amounts of ingredients into stock pots and bring to a boil, cook for 3-4 hours, stirring often. Pour hot mixture into hot jars leaving a 1 inch space at top of jar. Place in a water bath of 20 minutes, covering the jars with water 1" over the rim.


This is very important...keep finished jars away from any breeze. The cool air with shatter the jars and then all your hard work goes down the drain. We like to place towels out and line the jars on a towel, then we cover them with another towel while they are really hot. Once they have cooled a little you can remove the towel and it will be okay. Some of the jars with not seem to be sealed, but they will seal as they cool. The popping noise you hear is the bottle sealing correctly.

{Easy Mini Meat Loaves}

Tube of refrigerated biscuits
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup Ketchup
shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Mix well beef, ketchup, onion, egg and oats together. Cut uncooked biscuits in 1/2. Press across the bottom and up the sides of grease muffin tins. Roll beef mixture into little balls and set in middle of biscuit cup. Top with a little ketchup and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min.

For dinner group I doubled the meat mixture and used 3 tubes of biscuits.

These were all pretty good recipes, so hopefully everyone will enjoy.

{Marinade for Turkey or Chicken}

2 cups 7-up
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Soy sauce
1T horseradish
1t garlic salt

Mix well (it will foam). Add your chicken or turkey. Marinade anywhere from 2 hrs to overnight (it's better overnight). I like turkey the best, but it's hard to find.

{Pulled Pork}

Pulled Pork
3 to 4 lb boneless pork roast (I did 8 or 9lbs)
2 liter bottle Diet Coke
2 Bottles Honey BBQ Sauce or whatever you prefer

Cook together in slow cooker on low for 12 to 14 hours or high for 8 hrs. Discard fat and cooking liquids. Shred roast and add Honey BBQ sauce to taste (2 bottles). or use any BBQ sauce you have on hand. Cook in slow cooker until heated through. Serve on buns.

{Knorr Spinach Dip}

I got this recipe from my friend Angie W. Thanks Ang!

1 large package (10 oz.) of frozen Spinach
1 Container (16 oz.) Sour Cream
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix....must be Knorr!
2 to 3 Cans Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 Green Onions, Chopped

Thawed and squeezed dry spinach. Get as much water out of the spinach as possible otherwise your dip will be soupy. Combine all ingredients and chill for about 2 hours. Serve with sliced/cubed french bread or crackers.

{Buttermilk Syrup}

I love, love, love this stuff! Definitely one of my family's favorites!

3/4 Cube Butter
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. Karo Syrup
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

In a LARGE saucepan melt butter. Once butter is melted add sugar, buttermilk and Karo syrup, continually stirring. Once mixture reaches rolling boil, allow it to boil for 3 minutes, continually stirring. Turn down heat and add baking soda, THERE WILL BE A REACTION (this is why you need a large sauce pan). KEEP STIRRING! Once mixture starts to reduce from reaction add the vanilla. This is so good with pancakes, Germain pancakes or even poured over popcorn.

{German Pancakes}

1/4 Cup Butter
6 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Salt

Pre-heat oven to 450°. Melt butter and pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour into the buttered 9 X 13. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar and buttermilk syrup. YUM!