SNOW!

We got snow Monday here in Maryland. Nothing significant but it was so pretty when it was coming down. This is the view from my kitchen window yesterday. I love the snow when it's falling...but that is the extent of my love for snow! This was actually snow and sleet coming down when I snapped this photo

Collapsible Cake Carrier

I love this food carrier....I am always baking cupcakes, pies and layer cakes and even deviled eggs to take to parties and cookouts. I could never find a carrier that would work for me. If I baked a three layer cake the frosting would always touch the top. Cupcakes and deviled eggs would slide everywhere. But this past week I ordered this carrier and I love it.

It is collapsible so I can make it tall for cakes or short for pies and deviled eggs! I can even fit a tall 5 layer cake in it and it holds up 12-24 cupcakes. And the best part...I can collapse it and store it flat in my cabinet!

Thought I would share my find with you today.....here's the link if you're interested. Remember, anything you buy through Welcome Home supports the NO KILL Advocacy Group to save the lives of dogs and cats who are killed unnecessarily while they wait for their forever homes. So any purchase through my page goes to support a good cause.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZSCTMO/ref=as_li_ss_sm_fb_us_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=399837&creativeASIN=B00AZSCTMO&linkCode=shr&tag=welchome08-20&qid=1376943980&sr=8-1&keywords=progressive++cupcake+and+cake+carrierSee More

♥ Creamy Shrimp Corn Chowder

Sometimes you just need a bowl of hearty soup to comfort your soul on a cold snowy day. I made this over the weekend and froze it for a day like today. Having it now with some cheddar cheese biscuits....oh yum!

Creamy Shrimp Corn Chowder

4 slices bacon, chopped...
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
6 small red potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups of sweet corn (frozen or canned)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
2 cups of half-and-half (heavy cream if you like your soup thick and creamy)
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning (optional)
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large Dutch Oven or soup pot, fry the bacon over medium high heat until almost crispy. Add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent. Whisk in flour and continuing whisking and cooking until golden brown. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, corn, thyme, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low boil and then reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Meanwhile, spray a large sauté pan with nonstick spray and over medium high heat saute the shrimp until pink and cooked through....usually about a minute or two per side. After the shrimp have cooked, remove from pan and chop into bite sized pieces and set aside. 

One potatoes are fork tender, pour in half and half or heavy cream and stir until thickened. Add chopped, cooked shrimp. Simmer soup for another 10-15 minutes and ladle into bowls and serve.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

MY THREE COOKBOOKS

Need the perfect Christmas gift for the Welcome Home fan?

I have three cookbooks available for those of who yearn for good old fashioned, uncomplicated home-cooked southern food. The kind of food that memories are made of; and they all co...me to you straight from my Mother's recipe box. The proceeds go to support the No Kill Advocacy Group in their efforts to save the lives of healthy dogs and cats that are being killed while they wait and hope for their forever family to find them.

My original cookbook is called, "Welcome Home Cooking." This is a beautiful 196 page cookbook with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It includes Main Dishes, Salads, Breads and Rolls, Desserts, and so much more. It is now available in E-book format for your computer, iPad, iPhones and now for your Android Smart phones. It's only $24.99 and can be purchased with your credit card or PayPal.

♥To purchase "Welcome Home Cooking" in E-book format for $24.99 today go to: http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/412757-welcome-home-cooking

♥The book is also available in Softcover and hardback with a dust jacket (my preference) and hardback with an image wrap and no jacket. To purchase "Welcome Home Cooking" in hardback or soft cover go to: http://www.blurb.com/search/site_search?search=welcome+home+cooking. The link will also be in the comments below.

♥And for a limited time, there is a discount for friends of Welcome Home who want to purchase the books. The publisher is offering Welcome Home fans a discount that will give you 25% off the purchase of any print book only. At check out you simply enter this code in all caps: SAVE25% and your 25% discount will appear.
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My second cookbook, released this past October is called, "Home For Dinner." It is a beautiful 152 page cookbook with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It is now available in E-book format for your computer, iPad, iPhones and now for your Android Smart phones. It's only $24.99 and can be purchased with your credit card or PayPal. It is full of easy to make dinner recipes for your family to enjoy. It also includes homemade soups and stews, breads, sides, and so much more.

♥To purchase "Home For Dinner" in E-book format for $24.99 today go to:http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/443961-home-for-dinner

♥To purchase "Home For Dinner" in hardback or soft cover go to:http://www.blurb.com/b/4696540-home-for-dinner

And for a limited time, there is a discount for friends of Welcome Home who want to purchase the books. The publisher is offering Welcome Home fans a discount that will give you 25% off the purchase of any print book only. At check out you simply enter this code in all caps: SAVE25% and your discount will appear.
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My newest cookbook has just been released and is now available only at Blurb.com. It's called "Home Sweet Home" and it is a collection of my Mom's best desserts. It is a beautiful 100 page limited first edition cookbook with vibrant full page photos to match each completed dish. This is the third book in the Welcome Home series and in this one you'll find her homemade Pies, Cakes, and other delicious sweets just in time for the holidays.

♥It comes in both ebook and print. The ebook is available for downloading to as many devices as you have....iPad, iPad Touch, iPhone, Android Smartphone, desktops and laptops, and the cost is $24.99. So many of you enjoy printing recipes from your computer and taking a recipe with you to the store to buy your ingredients. This is the perfect way to do it. You can purchase the new ebook and have it in seconds by clicking on this link....we are standing by to help you if you need any.

Here is the link to the e-book: http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/448415-home-sweet-home

♥The book is also available in Softcover and hardback with a dust jacket (my preference) and hardback with an image wrap and no jacket. It is bookstore quality and meant for those who are sticklers for top notch binding, gorgeous paper, and professional printing. This is not just an average cookbook. It is a limited first edition book and the production team at this publishing house produces each high quality book as they are ordered. In other words, your print book is handmade upon order and ship anywhere in the world for a very low shipping price. It usually takes about a week to ten days to arrive. There is a 25% discount when you spend a total of $50 by typing: SAVE25% (IN ALL CAPS) for the promo code.

♥Here is the link to buy the print book in soft cover or hard copy:
http://www.blurb.com/b/4792119-home-sweet-home

♥ Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

4 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 small can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and peel your potatoes (you can leave some of the skin on if you prefer as I did in the photo. Cut potatoes into large chunks and place in a large pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches and then add a generous amount of salt. You want the water to taste salty. Place the potatoes on a burner and set to high heat and allow the water to boil rigorously. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Usually about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander and return them to the pot and cover them to keep them warm. In a sauce pan, combine the butter and evaporated milk and heat on low until butter has melted and mixture is hot.

With a hand mixture, begin to whip the potatoes. Add small amounts of butter and cream as you continuing mixer until the potatoes are fluffy and creamy and when you get the right consistency you like best. As you are mixing add your salt and pepper to taste.

Top with Cheddar cheese and cover with foil for a few minutes until cheese has melted. You can also scoop potatoes in a bowl before adding the cheese and heat in microwave for a few seconds until cheese melts. Stir melted cheese into potatoes and serve.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

♥ Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

I watched Martha Stewart decorate Christmas cookies last weekend and she made it look so simple. So I got out my big Christmas Tree cookie cutters and made my own sugar cookie dough and icing and tried it. Look how pretty they turned out and it really wasn't hard at all. Just look closely at the cookie and you will see that I did it with the icing by just adding my dark green food coloring and dropping a spoonful at the top and then dragging it down to leave some extra at the bottom of each swipe. Then of course I added some sprinkles and even some chocolate fudge for the base. And I saved a little icing and added a little yellow food color for the star!

Sugar Cookies 

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons of butter, softened
1-1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour

4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
6 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoons lemon juice
food coloring
your favorite sprinkles

Blend 2 cups butter and sugar together; stir in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add flour; mix until well blended. Shape into a ball; cover and chill for 4 hours to overnight.

Roll out dough 1⁄4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface; cut out with christmas tree or your favorite cookie cutters as desired. Arrange cookies on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden; cool.

Frosting

Combine powdered sugar, milk, remaining butter (melted), remaining vanilla, lemon juice and food coloring, if using, in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Frost cookies when cool. 

 Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

♥ Ham, Peas & Creamy Noodles

Ham, Peas & Creamy Noodles

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of heavy cream
16 ounces of cooked and shredded ham 
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
the zest from 1/2 lemon
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 pound of your favorite pasta, uncooked like this malfalda 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet. Cook onion, stirring frequently until they are beginning to turn golden brown. Pour in the broth and cream. Bring to the boil then reduce to as quick simmer and cook until it begins to thicken up somewhat. Add in the ham and peas. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Stir in the pasta. Toss to combine and heat through. Serve immediately.

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/01/ham-hock-peas-creamy-noodles.html#uds-search-results

♥ Turkey and Dumplings

I always put my leftover turkey to good use after Thanksgiving. Here are the turkey and dumplings I just made this afternoon. Oh yum!

Turkey and Dumplings

Stock

3 quarts of water
2 chicken or turkey bouillon cubes
1 turkey carcass with scraps
2 cups cut up turkey pieces
Salt and pepper to taste


Dumplings

2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup ice cold water
lots of extra flour for dusting

Place turkey carcass along with meat scraps into a huge stock pot. Add any leftover broth or fat and bouillon cubes. Add 2 1/2 quarts of water so that water came to about 1 inch below the top of the pot. Heavily salt and pepper the water and carcass in the stock pot. Cover with lid and cook down several hours. I cooked mine about 5 hours. You will have to add about a quart of water half way through. Turn off heat and let carcass and broth cool while you make your dumplings.

About 30 minutes before you turn off the heat on the turkey stock you just made, start making your dumplings. Add flour and salt to large mixing bowl. Add in your eggs and stir with a wooden spoon. Next add the cold water and mix well to form a dough. You can add a little more water if needed. Turn out dough on a floured surface and sprinkle heavily with flour. Knead the dough until you get a smooth elastic texture.

Tear dough ball into 6 pieces. Use plenty of flour when working with your dough. Don’t worry about how much you are using. Any extra will go into the pot and naturally thicken the broth. With a rolling pin start rolling out dough. Roll a couple of times. Turn dough completely over and sprinkle with more flour if necessary. Roll a couple more times and turn dough 90 degrees.

Keep doing this a couple of times. Your dough is of right consistency because you have kneaded it long enough it rolls really easily and stretches like elastic. If not, you will really have to work it hard with a rolling pin to get it to roll out. Keep rolling your dough from the middle to the outside until you get a really thin dough. You will be able to tell when it is done because it almost stops being able to be rolled. Next, using a pastry wheel start cutting your dough for dumplings and once you have them cut, let your dough sit for at least an hour to dry out.

Remove the carcass, de-bone all the meat, and get the pot ready for boiling the dumplings. Add salt and pepper and a little parsley if desired to the pot and some water to fill about two-thirds of the way full. Bring the pot of liquid to a boil and begin dropping dumplings into the pot....you may want to add flour to keep them from sticking to your fingers. At this point, you can add larger pieces of left over turkey as I did if desired. Cover the pot of dumplings and cook for about 45 minutes or until done.

If you want a thicker broth like mine, just a tablespoon corn starch to a cup of cold water and mix thoroughly before adding to the boiling liquid.

*** Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

Beautiful people do not just happen.

Beautiful people do not just happen.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat in their lives. They have known suffering, known struggle, and known loss. They have found their way out of the deepest lows.

These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with true compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern for others. Beautiful people do not just happen.

~Elizabeth Kubler Ross

♥ Thanksgiving Southern Green Beans And Ham

I made my Mom's country green beans and ham this Thanksgiving as my table just wouldn't be complete without them.

When I was little I can remember my Mom taking me out to the garden to pick fresh green beans. I thought it was so much fun carrying my little basket and walking behind her and watching her every move. Then we would sit out of the back porch and with two big bowls in our laps, we would snap them and I just loved that sound. What she created for supper that night with those green beans has never left my memory. She used to say, "we gonna have a big ol' mess of beans and cornbread tonight. What a supper!

Southern Green Beans And Ham

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced or chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 or 4 ham hocks, ham end pieces or ham shanks
2 to 3 pounds of fresh green beans, cleaned and snapped
3 cans chicken broth
3-4 cans of water (I use broth cans to measure)
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Place ham hocks or shanks in water enough to cover & let simmer a good 2 hours. Remove and set aside to cool. Reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into chunks. If using ham end pieces like I did in the photo, set aside to use for later.

In a large heavy stock pot, melt butter on medium high. Add onions and garlic and ham. Cook until onions and garlic are tender and meat has browned just a little.

Turn down the heat to medium and add green beans, chicken broth and 3 cans of the broth from the cooked ham hocks. You want to just cover the beans with the liquid. If you need a bit more water, add it. Cover and cook beans for about an hour. Add, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well. Remove lid for the last 10 minutes of cook time. Check and re-season if necessary.

*** Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.