Recipes

Cooking Without Photos – 5 Cup Salad

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Cooking Without Photos – Week 14

This week we take a trip up north and across the river. Yep! North Little Rock, AR.

Long story short, North Little Rock was only known as “opposite Little Rock” for the longest time. After some backlash from across the river and some other back and forth, what is now the historic Argenta neighborhood merged with North Little Rock in 1903.

This week our recipe comes from the very well loved cookbook, “Our Favorite Recipes: Compiled By The United Methodist Women Gardner Memorial United Methodist Church North Little Rock Arkansas”.

In 1903 the church began by holding their first services under a brush arbor where the church now stands with Rev. N.E. Gardner officiating. By the following year, they built their first building and held services. In 1946 a fire destroyed the church but a new building was built to replace the one that was lost. Now over 60 years later, services are still being held.

After tornados ravaged our state this week, Gardner Memorial opened their doors today and invited the Amboy congregation to join them. What a wonderful feeling it is to help your neighbor. Much love and prayers for those effected or displaced by our weather. May you all find peace after the storm.

I chose to make 5 Cup Salad this time around. I’ve seen it a few times and it’s also been called 6 or 7 cup salad. You can make this really however you want. The other things I’ve seen added are: cherries, grapes, mango and nuts. Really there are so many different ways you can make it.

I also switched out sour cream for whipped cream. I’ve seen it both ways. For sure use sour cream if you don’t like things too sweet. Sooo many different combinations for this one. Enjoy!!!

Cooking Without Photos – Chicken Salad

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I’ve been searching for a great Chicken Salad recipe for a while now. My search ended in Kaufman, TX.

Kaufman was originally named Kings Fort (1840) and then changed to Kingsboro (1845) both after the founder, Dr. William P. King. And then changed to Kaufman when Kaufman County was formed in 1852.

Kaufman owns the bragging rights for locking up Bonnie Parker of Bonnie and Clyde for the first time. Not sure how long she spent there since she was released to live her life of crime.

Back to Chicken Salad! While flipping thru “Goodness Pure And Simple: Episcopal Church Women, Our Merciful Savior Episcopal Church Kaufman, Texas”, I came across a recipe by Punkie Kinnan. I thought…curry powder?! What?! Let’s try it😆.

I’d just like to thank Punkie Kinnan for submitting this recipe. This has got to be the absolute BEST chicken salad I’ve ever had!

Delicious Chicken Salad: Let’s get in to it! Couple of things.

This makes a lot!

It calls for 5 lbs of chicken breast. Then it talks about deboning it after it is cooked. For some reason, finding bone in chicken breast is a challenge and when you do find it, it is super high. Why? I don’t know. I chose to use boneless skinless chicken breast. I used about 4 lbs and it was plenty. I also cooked it for almost an hour and a half. Why did it take so long to cook while covered in foil? Beats me. Just check it to see if it is cooked all the way thru. You don’t want to be eating raw chicken. Ew!

Also, if you cook almond slices for 15 minutes at 350° they will BURN!! Keep a watch on them or just buy already toasted almonds.

I served them on croissants. You could also use brioche buns, regular buns, crackers or just eat it with a spoon😆. Enjoy!!

Cooking Without Photos – Zesty Porcupine Meatballs

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This one comes from the previously shared cookbook, “Seasoned Love: Conway Christian Church Conway, South Carolina”.

I’ve actually seen variations of this recipe in other books and curiosity got the best of me😆. Zesty Porcupine Meatballs? That sounds weird…let’s do it!

Couple of things: this calls for “Zesty Tomato Soup”. I couldn’t find any so I added about two teaspoons of Italian seasoning. I’ve also added a photo of the before so you can see how much liquid it has. Fear not! It will cook down to almost a gravy. You could also serve this over some noodles. And you’re gonna need more salt!

Very tasty indeed! Who knew?!

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Cooking Without Photos – Chicken Rice Casserole

🎵🎶Ooooooooooooklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain🎶🎵 Yep. This week we travel to Ottawa County Oklahoma. Home of Miami, but NOT Florida! Pronounced “Miam-ah”. And also home to Picher. Never heard of it? Lemme tell you a little story, friends.

Picher, Oklahoma once belonged to the Seneca-Cayuga Indian tribes. Lead and Zinc were discovered in 1913 and much of their land was bought or stolen by mining companies.

Once mining started, it expanded quickly and covered a huge area. It’s been said that the Tri State Mining district was so overly mined, a person could drive a car from Picher, Oklahoma to Joplin, MO all while being underground in the mines. That’s roughly 25 miles.

Back then, mining companies were not under many regulations. They mined and took what they wanted and put the rest in a big pile on top of the ground. ”Chat” was what was left and they made huge piles of it all over Picher. HUGE! Folks didn’t really know what to do with it. They tried to make uses out of it, but there was just too much of it. Kids played on it. It was in everyone’s back yard. Folks would come and visit just to climb a pile of it (me included). In the end, it sat around for almost 100 years, slowly poisoning everyone. Yes.

In 1994 the Centers For Disease Control began testing the people of Picher and it was discovered they all had lead in their bloodstream. 35% of all of the children what were tested had more than 10 micrograms per deciliter, which is considered to be a health concern. Among other health problems, it causes developmental delays.

Huge long story short, after many tries and fails, the government declared Picher, Oklahoma uninhabitable. The residents had to move. The whole town was closed down. And in the end, it will eventually all cave in because of the extensive undermining and become a massive sink hole.

Fun fact: there have already been multiple sink holes that have opened up and swallowed buildings in places as far away as Galena, KS. (Part of Tri State Mining District). If you’d like to have more information about this topic, Tar Creek Documentary is available on Amazon Prime for a small fee. Very interesting indeed.

Now back to cooking. I chose to use a recipe out of the cookbook, “Ottawa County Bi-Centennial Cook Book: Compiled by Extension Homemakers Of Ottawa County Oklahoma 1975”.

My own Mama made something similar to this recipe my whole life. I did do a couple of things different. I used minute rice, cooked it at 350° for 1h and 15 minutes, added 1/2 cup more milk and I put the rice mixture on the bottom so the skin would be crispy. Oh! And I added salt and pepper to the top. It didn’t say anything about doing that for some reason. AND I added mushrooms because we are mushroom people🤷🏻‍♀️ Enjoy!!!

Cooking Without Photos – Goulash

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This time we make a short drive to Benton, AR.

Other than having the best VFW around and being home to the famous Brown’s Catfish (now closed), did y’all know that Benton used to have 13 pottery firms? Yes! Thirteen!

Apparently, kaolin (a type of richly colored clay) was found in and around the Benton area. Folks made all kinds of things out of it and sold it for a profit. In fact, at the turn of the twentieth century it was Benton’s primary industry. The most famous being Niloak Pottery.

This week’s recipe came from, “A Taste Of Heaven: A Collection Of Recipes By Northside Church Of Christ Ministries”.

Believe it or not, but I’ve never made goulash before. Our Mama made it for us, but I’ve never tackled it. This was a super easy recipe. I did have to use the suggested small can of tomato sauce and also about a half of a cup of water. Just use your judgement. Enjoy!

Cooking Without Photos – Marinated Macaroni Salad

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Here’s a midweek recipe from the previously shared cookbook, “Reflections of Beary Good Cooking: From England First Baptist Youth Group”.

If you like boxed Suddenly Salad, you’ll never make it again after trying this side. One thing with this Marinated Macaroni Salad. If you think you’ll have leftovers, put your cheese to the side and add in as you plate. That way your cheese won’t get soggy when you re-refrigerate. If you’re taking it to a pot luck, go ahead and add that cheese in. There’s not going to be any left❤️

Cooking Without Photos – Magic Cookie Bar

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It’s up in the air how Texarkana, TX got their name. There are several stories that claim the origin of the name. One story is that it is named from a combination of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Another is that there was a steamboat with the same name. And still another that a General named the town. It’s a mystery.

Moving along. In case you don’t know, Texarkana, TX is a twin city with Texarkana, AR. Yes. They even have twin post offices, split right down the middle on the state line. Indeed.

Texarkana’s history is hugely important. For hundreds of years, The Great Southwest Trail was the main line of travel for Indian villages of the Mississippi River. When the railroad arrived in the late 1850’s along that same trail, Texarkana quickly became a hub for the area. The population of the area has gone up and down, but one thing remains, the railroad. Still an important part of who they are as a city.

This week is sort of cheated. I was flipping thru, “Sharing Our Best: A Collection Of Recipes By Echo Hills Missionary Baptist” and I came across Magic Cookie Bars😍😍😍

My husband’s Grandma made these and they are fabulous! All of his cousins would just rave about them. The first time I had them, I asked her for the recipe. She laughed and said, “Honey, everybody thinks I came up with this myself, but it’s on the back of the Eagle Brand milk can.” What?! 😆 I loved it and she was the best❤️

Note: you can absolutely make your own Graham cracker crumbs. I was just lazy.

Hope you enjoy!!!❤️❤️❤️

Cooking Without Photos – Ham Chowder

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Alma, Arkansas will always hold fond memories for me. It was our pit stop on the way to visit our Oklahoma cousins. Home to everyone’s favorite ice cream, Braum’s! And when you need to shop but also love being surprised…A to Z has it allllll!!!

Did you know Alma was first called Gum Town? Settlers came to the area around 1835 and Gum Town got its’ name because of the huge number of gum trees in the area. When it was incorporated in 1874, the new name of Alma was chosen.

Early on Alma produced huge numbers of cotton, strawberries and hay. Once they discovered how well spinach and mustard greens grew, Alma quickly became the Spinach Capital of the World! They even have a statue of Popeye the Sailor Man in front of their Chamber of Commerce building. And their water tower is painted to look like a gigantic spinach can😆😆 I kid you not! It’s fabulous!

Today’s recipe comes to you from, “Feeding The Flock: Women First For Faith, First Baptist Church Alma, Arkansas”.

Since it’s been so yucky lately, I wanted to make some sort of new soup. I’m just a soup kinda lady! This recipe didn’t disappoint either!

Couple of things:
This is a great recipe to make in a Dutch oven. Perfect actually.
I doubled the recipe because I was feeding more people.
It doesn’t say what to do with the celery. I put it in when I put in the potatoes. You could also sauté it with the onion too. It’s up to you really.
Nothing was mentioned about any corn. I feel like you can’t go wrong adding a can into the mix.
Don’t add your salt until AFTER your ham has cooked. You may not need much.

This soup is excellent! I served it with oyster crackers, but cornbread would be a great choice too. Hope you like it! Yum!!!

Cooking Without Photos – Buffalo Chip Cookies

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This week we make a stop in St. Francis County in Hughes, Arkansas this week.

First off, I love this cookbook even more because it is compiled by the band. Gah! My heart!

Being in close proximity to the Mississippi River, Hughes was a prime location for farming. Primary crops included cotton, corn, strawberries, grapes, raspberries and sweet potatoes. With the arrival of the steamboat on the Mississippi River, agriculture thrived.

Between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, the mighty Mississippi changed its course. Where Hughes was was once in the prime location for trade, they then became further from the river and it made trading much more difficult. Thankfully, the railroad arrived in 1916 and Hughes was once again a bustling town.

Around the same time that the railroad arrived, landowners saw the need for growth in their business districts. Several of the larger farms donated pieces of land and businesses began to grow.

Sadly, between and flood in 1927 and a terrible drought a few years later, many Hughes residents moved out and did not return. These factors coupled with The Great Depression era are the main reasons that Hughes went from being a smaller city to a small community that they are today.

Like most small towns, Hughes’ school is at the heart of their community. I believe I found this week’s cookbook, “The Best Of Hughes” in Hot Springs. How it arrived there, I’ll never know.

While flipping thru pages of recipes, coupled with random facts about their town, a cookie recipe caught my eye. Buffalo Chips 😆. That sounds terrible! We gotta try these!

Whooooop, nothing about this recipe is hard! Just do it! One thing, this recipe makes A LOT OF COOKIES!! I cut the recipe in half and it made 3 dozen. Also, to avoid buying two packages of baking chips that you’ll use half of, I bought a package of chocolate chip/ peanut butter chips and it was the perfect amount. Perfect combo of salty and sweet! Enjoy❤️

Cooking Without Photos – Black Forest Pie

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I just keep going back to this cookbook. When cookbooks are worn, have stains all over or generally falling apart, you know they’re gonna be spectacular!

This time I’m sharing Black Forest Pie😍😍 Super easy!

One thing: unless you want a half of a can of cherry pie filling left over, double this recipe and make two pies. Keep one and share one. Also, I feel like there are a ton of options to switch this recipe up. One way I’m thinking of is to use banana pudding and then drizzle chocolate fudge over the top. Yaaaasssss!!!!