tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179874616262682782024-03-13T22:59:46.194-05:00Margaret's MorselsWelcome to Margaret's Morsels!!! I hope you'll enjoy these cooking tips, techniques and recipes. If you like the site, please share it with a friend! I love to interact with readers so feel free to leave comments, questions or feedback or email me directly at margaretsmorsels@yahoo.com. Thanks for stopping by! Check back soon for the latest morsel. Bon Appetit!Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-90278533256691326582018-02-05T13:07:00.000-06:002018-02-05T13:07:24.798-06:00More than a Spread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fFfy95_RgZU/Wnicxc7GxdI/AAAAAAAAHfE/CbaVvpIJRdEHDdk7EBLbMKazNR8JPV41gCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4397_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fFfy95_RgZU/Wnicxc7GxdI/AAAAAAAAHfE/CbaVvpIJRdEHDdk7EBLbMKazNR8JPV41gCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4397_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">According to </span><a href="https://foodimentary.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Foodimentary </b></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">-- a website that keeps track of food holidays -- today is World Nutella Day. Nutella, a creamy combination of cocoa and hazelnuts, is best known as a dip or spread, but it actually has many other uses. You can add Nutella to cakes, cookies, pies, candies, ice creams and frostings too! It's also an ingredient in beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This time last year, a friend gave me the recipe for Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake. When I read the recipe, I immediately thought of tiramisu. Instead of ladyfingers and coffee, though, this recipe uses Nutter Butters -- the peanut shaped cookies I transform into <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-treats-for-little-ghouls.html">ghosts </a></b>at Halloween -- and milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Nutter Butters are softened by briefly dipping them in milk before placing them in the pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I use a spring-form pan, but you can use a 9-inch square pan or layer the ingredients in a pretty glass bowl. Depending on the size and shape of the pan you use, you may need more or less cookies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Half the filling -- cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, Nutella and heavy cream -- is spread over the first layer of cookies. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If the dessert is scooped out of the pan, you can get away with using low-fat cream cheese. If the cake is cut into slices, the pieces will be firmer and retain their shape better if you use regular cream cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Repeat the process with a second layer of cookies and the remaining filling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YY0ziBKRR-8/WnicvShMSXI/AAAAAAAAHe8/p41t8NUieYoOOH7YXXuJvvnxmVNmaXETgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4354_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YY0ziBKRR-8/WnicvShMSXI/AAAAAAAAHe8/p41t8NUieYoOOH7YXXuJvvnxmVNmaXETgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4354_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">You don't have to measure the filling, but make sure you leave enough to completely cover the top of the cake. The cake needs to be refrigerated overnight to firm up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cake is plain so I drizzle some chocolate syrup on the serving plate to add a little color before adding the piece of cake.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Whwgw-Q0Sfs/Wnicvv0XocI/AAAAAAAAHfA/yNTy7FYhkJIMv1y6miwJdBE7f8Bh1fxhwCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4376_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Whwgw-Q0Sfs/Wnicvv0XocI/AAAAAAAAHfA/yNTy7FYhkJIMv1y6miwJdBE7f8Bh1fxhwCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4376_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to dress it up even more, add a dollop of whipped cream, </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Yq3fuVLLas/Wnicxh1BLtI/AAAAAAAAHfM/jEMWquXtkr4a4DXxpfOlF-xn7RtoeawiACLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4416_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Yq3fuVLLas/Wnicxh1BLtI/AAAAAAAAHfM/jEMWquXtkr4a4DXxpfOlF-xn7RtoeawiACLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4416_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">a sprinkling of chopped leftover Nutter Butters </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oxe9UR2FmTk/Wnicyncl08I/AAAAAAAAHfQ/dxs-fkrllrcIqKVgqIvS_YIPhR9jU1TdgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4418_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oxe9UR2FmTk/Wnicyncl08I/AAAAAAAAHfQ/dxs-fkrllrcIqKVgqIvS_YIPhR9jU1TdgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4418_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">and top with additional chocolate syrup.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AaqPfmxQC68/Wnicy-heyLI/AAAAAAAAHfU/esM-Ga1fP6sgmwLwR0j3FArq0H0sf9MwwCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4421_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AaqPfmxQC68/Wnicy-heyLI/AAAAAAAAHfU/esM-Ga1fP6sgmwLwR0j3FArq0H0sf9MwwCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4421_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next time you see Nutella in the grocery and wonder what you can do with it, remember it's more than a spread!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4L8DUl9N08/Wnic9U3BctI/AAAAAAAAHfY/mIFBaBu50hkOTtaYq-YcnYw0m33KDBU9gCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4428_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4L8DUl9N08/Wnic9U3BctI/AAAAAAAAHfY/mIFBaBu50hkOTtaYq-YcnYw0m33KDBU9gCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4428_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nutter Butter Nutella Icebox Cake</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6 to 8 servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3/4 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 tsp. vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (13 oz.) jar Nutella</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups heavy cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">30 Nutter Butters (plus more for garnish, if desired)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">chocolate syrup (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix in Nutella until combined. Add heavy cream; beat 2 minutes, or until very thick. Dip Nutter Butters one at a time in milk. Line the bottom of a spring-form pan with the cookies. Top with half the cream cheese mixture. Make a second layer with remaining cookies and cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into slices and serve. Top with whipped cream, chopped Nutter Butters and chocolate syrup, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-79543138329770761402018-01-30T15:13:00.000-06:002019-07-21T13:08:28.931-05:00What a Crock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ED5td0F3aek/WnDBtgDtHpI/AAAAAAAAHd8/tXdBwc7WMP0btnYp4n1jQh3J9fmKOna0ACLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4088_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ED5td0F3aek/WnDBtgDtHpI/AAAAAAAAHd8/tXdBwc7WMP0btnYp4n1jQh3J9fmKOna0ACLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4088_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slow cookers have been in the news lately, but not because January is National Slow Cooking Month. In last week's episode of the popular NBC drama, "This is Us," a faulty slow cooker started a house fire which is presumably how a beloved character dies. Reaction was swift with some fans posting on social media they threw out their slow cookers. Crock-Pot -- the brand name -- reacted by setting up their first Twitter account (<a href="https://twitter.com/crockpotcares">@CrockPotCares</a>) to address the issue and assure consumers about the safety of crock-pots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although I've never watched this particular TV show, I am a fan of crock-pot cooking and have been since the late 1980s. Like any appliance I use, I follow certain safety precautions. I don't use a crock-pot with a damaged cord, cracked insert or if the unit is malfunctioning in any way. When I use my crock-pot, I place it on the counter away from any flammable items.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you like cooking with a crock-pot, here's a tasty recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken you might want to add to your collection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carrots, green pepper and onion are placed on the bottom of the crock-pot.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nG9p5EP4_Zk/WnDBrZSfi5I/AAAAAAAAHds/sN7SooNDusASDRFL4sXK22I0cCtIo2wxgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4044_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nG9p5EP4_Zk/WnDBrZSfi5I/AAAAAAAAHds/sN7SooNDusASDRFL4sXK22I0cCtIo2wxgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4044_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Minute tapioca -- also known as quick cooking and typically found in the grocery near boxes of gelatin -- acts as a thickening agent and is sprinkled over the vegetables.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CuBSmUWQ9Xw/WnDBuJ9G2VI/AAAAAAAAHeA/UQcye2D47Vw_rY1BsrlJIlkPakNU0V9JQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4225_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CuBSmUWQ9Xw/WnDBuJ9G2VI/AAAAAAAAHeA/UQcye2D47Vw_rY1BsrlJIlkPakNU0V9JQCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4225_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uei1RgqS84k/WnDBrS_uceI/AAAAAAAAHdw/ZwBvPtHynVsw7fSR7JbKlrhJzVRoKAmywCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4045_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uei1RgqS84k/WnDBrS_uceI/AAAAAAAAHdw/ZwBvPtHynVsw7fSR7JbKlrhJzVRoKAmywCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4045_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cubed, boneless, skinless chicken breasts go on top of the tapioca.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-7Gq4Y5kso/WnDBsH95deI/AAAAAAAAHd0/i2qMrw9GTIYnLZQZZEp5uSsFYNiv97ygQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4048_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h-7Gq4Y5kso/WnDBsH95deI/AAAAAAAAHd0/i2qMrw9GTIYnLZQZZEp5uSsFYNiv97ygQCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4048_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pineapple chunks go over the chicken. You can add two cans of pineapple, but make sure to discard the juice from the second can. If you don't, you'll end up with a thin sauce. To keep the pineapple from getting mushy, don't stir the mixture until it's done cooking.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vJM99NV01u4/WnDBtJ38BcI/AAAAAAAAHd4/MLD8Qr_5wpM39poIDs8corBI3KIzCNDzgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4053_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vJM99NV01u4/WnDBtJ38BcI/AAAAAAAAHd4/MLD8Qr_5wpM39poIDs8corBI3KIzCNDzgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4053_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine the remaining ingredients and pour them over the pineapple and chicken.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VB-KbKAD55Y/WnDBqvsgwfI/AAAAAAAAHdo/wvrlzJuesjsUNfPZydGtsYAOacAT9nxxQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN3843_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VB-KbKAD55Y/WnDBqvsgwfI/AAAAAAAAHdo/wvrlzJuesjsUNfPZydGtsYAOacAT9nxxQCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN3843_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you don't have instant chicken bouillon, you can crush a chicken bouillon cube and measure out 1/2 teaspoon of the granules. One cube makes approximately 1 teaspoon of granules.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sesCKuK8MGQ/WnDDYcIrxcI/AAAAAAAAHeY/rNVoROb9JkAQGrYFI-ZOT09p2kGvpo_lgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN3852_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sesCKuK8MGQ/WnDDYcIrxcI/AAAAAAAAHeY/rNVoROb9JkAQGrYFI-ZOT09p2kGvpo_lgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN3852_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In eight to 10 hours, you'll have a ready to eat entree. I serve the chicken over white rice with some <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2018/01/new-year-new-you.html">Broccoli with Lemon</a> </b>on the side to round out the meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether you use your crock-pot for soups, entrees, vegetables, desserts, or something else, remember two final safety precautions. When the food's done cooking, turn off the crock-pot <b>and </b>unplug the cord from the wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 to 6 Servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups sliced carrots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped green pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. Minute tapioca</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (8 oz.) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 Tbsp. brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/3 cup apple cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon granules</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. garlic powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. ground ginger</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/8 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Place vegetables in bottom of crock-pot; sprinkle with tapioca. Add chicken; add pineapple. Combine reserved pineapple juice and remaining ingredients; pour over chicken and pineapple. Do not stir. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-45153053922812811442018-01-22T17:17:00.000-06:002018-01-22T17:17:19.615-06:00New Year, New You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Weq_xhuwIqE/WlVy9sMBV6I/AAAAAAAAHcE/mSi-EaYRXQM_qFNla_pZcB5UIBi2jOFTgCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4151_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Broccoli with Lemon" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Weq_xhuwIqE/WlVy9sMBV6I/AAAAAAAAHcE/mSi-EaYRXQM_qFNla_pZcB5UIBi2jOFTgCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4151_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every year, eating healthier appears somewhere -- if not first -- on lists of New Year's resolutions. If this is one of your goals for 2018, here's a tasty and healthy broccoli recipe to whet your appetite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2011, I posted a <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/01/hold-cheese.html">Broccoli with Lemon</a></b> recipe made with butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper and, of course, broccoli. The recipe I'm sharing today, courtesy of one of my sisters-in-law, has the same name, but not the same ingredients. The new recipe includes the addition of chicken broth and, instead of butter, olive oil. These two ingredients give the broccoli a robust -- rather than citrusy -- flavor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing to remember is not all olive oils are the same. Although olive oils are graded according to their level of acidity, the flavor, color and fragrance depends on where the olives were grown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Extra virgin olive oil -- the most expensive -- comes from the first pressing of the olives and contains no more than 1% acid. The next grade, virgin olive oil, also comes from the first pressing, but contains up to 3% acid. A good rule of thumb is the darker the olive oil, the more flavor it contains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The last few times I've prepared this dish, I've taken some shortcuts. Rather than buy a head of broccoli and cut it into pieces, I use a bag of precut broccoli. It may cost a little more, but I find the time saved is worth the splurge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead of cooking the broccoli in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, I rinse the broccoli and cook it 3 to 4 minutes in the microwave in a covered micro-cooker I bought from Pampered Chef many years ago. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swXaOd1Atsk/WlVz_cH1toI/AAAAAAAAHcQ/osFzR89d6VowArCFWUs6Fz-J4cWH0ngPQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN4130_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Broccoli with Lemon" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swXaOd1Atsk/WlVz_cH1toI/AAAAAAAAHcQ/osFzR89d6VowArCFWUs6Fz-J4cWH0ngPQCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN4130_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you need to watch your salt intake, you can substitute low sodium chicken broth and omit the 1/4 teaspoon salt called for in the recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you prefer broccoli like the version pictured below, check back soon for a truly cheesy recipe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, here's a broccoli recipe that's better for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Broccoli with Lemon Version 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 Servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 lb. fresh broccoli, washed and cut into florets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 Tbsp. canned chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp. olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arrange broccoli in a steamer basket over 1-inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over broccoli and toss to coat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-86840814782014933532018-01-02T13:04:00.000-06:002018-01-02T13:13:51.137-06:00Out with the Old<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not too long ago, a friend sent me a link with the most searched foods in every state. As I read the list, I realized I'd shared recipes for 10 of these foods. While I ring in 2018 by preparing new blog posts, I thought I'd share these oldies but goodies from previous years. Did your state make my list?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alabama: My grandmother's made from scratch </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-piece-of-cake.html">pound cake</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> has been one of my top 10 posts since I shared the recipe in 2013.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MvsTinsukc/Wkqv2ZllxjI/AAAAAAAAHbE/mBhtZsG69CU_jeS0oNRfibSCVPtodrCwgCLcBGAs/s1600/LOAF%2BCAKE%2BDSCN1006C%2B3.22.56%2BPM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Loaf Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MvsTinsukc/Wkqv2ZllxjI/AAAAAAAAHbE/mBhtZsG69CU_jeS0oNRfibSCVPtodrCwgCLcBGAs/s400/LOAF%2BCAKE%2BDSCN1006C%2B3.22.56%2BPM.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arizona: You don't need a lot of </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/11/craving-chili.html">chilies </a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to add heat to this crock-pot chili.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kxB_8dcFxoc/WkqwBm8f3WI/AAAAAAAAHbI/etd142xfsrwbnbxBtfHPwBn1glOnREJPgCLcBGAs/s1600/WENDY%2527S%2BCHILI%2BDSCN0868C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Crock-Pot Chili" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kxB_8dcFxoc/WkqwBm8f3WI/AAAAAAAAHbI/etd142xfsrwbnbxBtfHPwBn1glOnREJPgCLcBGAs/s400/WENDY%2527S%2BCHILI%2BDSCN0868C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Illinois: This chicken and </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/02/soup-for-supper.html">wild rice soup</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is similar to one served at a popular restaurant chain.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DrhDiLpilVs/WkqwNTkdYbI/AAAAAAAAHbM/K-PL4tMBd84bGVVgKAd2ToxufzjwgUWDQCLcBGAs/s1600/CHIC%2B%2526%2BWILD%2BRICE%2BSOUP%2BSoup%2BTureen%2B%2526%2BLadle%2BC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Chicken and Wild Rice Soup" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DrhDiLpilVs/WkqwNTkdYbI/AAAAAAAAHbM/K-PL4tMBd84bGVVgKAd2ToxufzjwgUWDQCLcBGAs/s400/CHIC%2B%2526%2BWILD%2BRICE%2BSOUP%2BSoup%2BTureen%2B%2526%2BLadle%2BC.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Indiana: Hoosiers hankering for </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/03/oodles-of-noodles.html">noodle casseroles</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> might want to try this oodles of noodles lasagna recipe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rGu9BH3mB7Q/WkqwXHcXrYI/AAAAAAAAHbU/OQFOsQrDRfo7LZ_Jd_y2Mz7uKlchV5v-QCLcBGAs/s1600/OOD%2BOF%2BNOOD%2BLASAGNA%2BDSCN4732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Oodles of Noodles Lasagna" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rGu9BH3mB7Q/WkqwXHcXrYI/AAAAAAAAHbU/OQFOsQrDRfo7LZ_Jd_y2Mz7uKlchV5v-QCLcBGAs/s400/OOD%2BOF%2BNOOD%2BLASAGNA%2BDSCN4732.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kentucky: This peanut butter </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/02/fabulous-fudge.html">fudge </a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">requires no cooking, unless you consider softening ingredients in the microwave as cooking!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maine: You don't have to roll, cut out or fry these </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/06/doughnuts-for-dad.html">doughnuts</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IqA8VIvC3RI/WkqwqeAas1I/AAAAAAAAHbc/pqPVT2tgHQ4TCW5CbF8nOfsV3R2gEndbgCLcBGAs/s1600/BAKED%2BMINI%2BDONUTS%2BTablescape%2B3.22.37%2BPM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Baked Mini Doughnuts" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IqA8VIvC3RI/WkqwqeAas1I/AAAAAAAAHbc/pqPVT2tgHQ4TCW5CbF8nOfsV3R2gEndbgCLcBGAs/s400/BAKED%2BMINI%2BDONUTS%2BTablescape%2B3.22.37%2BPM.JPG" title="" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michigan: I don't make dessert very often, but when I do chances are I'm making these <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/10/from-ordinary-to-extraordinary.html">no bake cookies</a></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MEcLnpF1Hzs/Wkqw4Vv0E-I/AAAAAAAAHbk/MF5FcVXp0UA9dXsiYfGOceWRTWkF-T4jQCLcBGAs/s1600/CHOC%2BOAT%2BCOOKIES%2BPlated2C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MEcLnpF1Hzs/Wkqw4Vv0E-I/AAAAAAAAHbk/MF5FcVXp0UA9dXsiYfGOceWRTWkF-T4jQCLcBGAs/s400/CHOC%2BOAT%2BCOOKIES%2BPlated2C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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Ohio: The Buckeye State loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, especially in the form of <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/09/blue-ribbon-brownies.html">peanut butter brownies</a></b>.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxMPhhlqgx8/WkqxD_XryUI/AAAAAAAAHbo/uxme514lrPkJwFLB5lIS5a1bpRpBRSmNgCLcBGAs/s1600/PB%2BMARBLED%2BBROWNIES%2BPlated27C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Blue Ribbon Peanut Butter Brownies " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxMPhhlqgx8/WkqxD_XryUI/AAAAAAAAHbo/uxme514lrPkJwFLB5lIS5a1bpRpBRSmNgCLcBGAs/s400/PB%2BMARBLED%2BBROWNIES%2BPlated27C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Vermont: One of the few states whose most searched food is a vegetable. These pickled <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/09/just-like-mom-used-to-make.html">beets</a> </b>taste just like what my mom used to make.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1bHgJzAbb4/WkqxM805DzI/AAAAAAAAHbs/uTuWH6TjJ84DeWy1PTYPpBn0ne67i9BKACLcBGAs/s1600/PICKLED%2BBEETS%2BTablescape6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pickled Beets" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1bHgJzAbb4/WkqxM805DzI/AAAAAAAAHbs/uTuWH6TjJ84DeWy1PTYPpBn0ne67i9BKACLcBGAs/s400/PICKLED%2BBEETS%2BTablescape6.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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West Virginia: West Virginians love <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/11/one-pie-two-flavors.html">pumpkin </a></b>desserts. I hope they would agree pumpkin pie goes from ho hum to wow with this tasty pecan streusel topping.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-czi5ZIHUOws/WkqxaL0NElI/AAAAAAAAHb0/rex7w3xeBZs7OnHxEuQeuSdBpZXhkX6EACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN2060C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-czi5ZIHUOws/WkqxaL0NElI/AAAAAAAAHb0/rex7w3xeBZs7OnHxEuQeuSdBpZXhkX6EACLcBGAs/s400/DSCN2060C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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If your state isn't listed, you can view the complete list <b><a href="http://www.delish.com/food/g4005/most-searched-food-every-state/?slide=1&src=arb_fb_d&mag=del&dom=fb">here</a></b>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-14826026828215099622016-11-17T08:59:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:25:59.030-05:00Roll Dough Creation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmloWPe9OMQ/WWptyCPzniI/AAAAAAAAF8k/ulHVnKUVBlIG_BjoDrAojaZiHWdNGzW7ACLcBGAs/s1600/PUMPKIN%2BSHAPED%2BROLLS%2BDSCN1614_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls " border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmloWPe9OMQ/WWptyCPzniI/AAAAAAAAF8k/ulHVnKUVBlIG_BjoDrAojaZiHWdNGzW7ACLcBGAs/s400/PUMPKIN%2BSHAPED%2BROLLS%2BDSCN1614_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently sorted through months -- if not years -- worth of recipes, discarding the ones that didn't sound as good as they originally did and filing the ones I wanted to cook for my family. One, however, was kept out because I knew it would be perfect for Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The recipe was from a flyer I'd received from Bridgford, a company that makes frozen bread dough. I was familiar with Bridgford because I use their Parkerhouse rolls to make <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2014/02/almost-homemade.html">better than garlic bread pull apart rolls</a></b>. This time, though, with just a few easy additions, the rolls are transformed into pumpkins.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IjTbitWSiKE/WWpi_gAthwI/AAAAAAAAF7U/Z4oSSYZvYsspg6jWUPSZJkWZgM1_6g0OQCLcBGAs/s1600/GAR%2BPULL%2BAPART%2BBRD%2BDSCN2672C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="400" height="190" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IjTbitWSiKE/WWpi_gAthwI/AAAAAAAAF7U/Z4oSSYZvYsspg6jWUPSZJkWZgM1_6g0OQCLcBGAs/s400/GAR%2BPULL%2BAPART%2BBRD%2BDSCN2672C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The visual design of the rolls was inspired by Holly, food blogger behind </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.beyondkimchee.com/">Beyond Kimchee</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, using a homemade roll recipe. I substituted the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-menu-part-2.html">roll </a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">recipe my family has come to expect for the holidays, but you can use your favorite roll recipe, or save time and start with a package of frozen rolls from the grocery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shape the homemade bread dough or thawed rolls into balls. I normally get 18 cloverleaf rolls from one batch of dough. I made the balls a little bigger so I only ended up with 15.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7s0VwLLHSXc/WC0HbNXzbRI/AAAAAAAAF1k/Jm3xMqWml_A5ievfI1kanpskpWnXFsRuACLcB/s1600/thumb_DSCN1312_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls " border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7s0VwLLHSXc/WC0HbNXzbRI/AAAAAAAAF1k/Jm3xMqWml_A5ievfI1kanpskpWnXFsRuACLcB/s400/thumb_DSCN1312_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Try to keep the balls close to the same size to ensure they bake evenly. Don't fret, though, if the balls aren't the same exact size because pumpkins aren't all the same size either! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put the dough balls on a greased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2-inches apart.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FGbgbEQfDs/WC0LRAuJu8I/AAAAAAAAF10/pldLEp8FfRgtInLddJ1Kg41dqc5lUQgagCLcB/s1600/thumb_DSCN1319_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls " border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FGbgbEQfDs/WC0LRAuJu8I/AAAAAAAAF10/pldLEp8FfRgtInLddJ1Kg41dqc5lUQgagCLcB/s400/thumb_DSCN1319_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flatten each ball slightly using the palm of your hand.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HtHJ39emT38/WC0LcvHxSNI/AAAAAAAAF14/39Z4ZqEEy98z8rYZF9mlTXjC3xK08iz0ACLcB/s1600/thumb_DSCN1323_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HtHJ39emT38/WC0LcvHxSNI/AAAAAAAAF14/39Z4ZqEEy98z8rYZF9mlTXjC3xK08iz0ACLcB/s400/thumb_DSCN1323_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using a pair of kitchen shears or a knife, make six cuts around the edge of the dough.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NX6o0Cpd0xc/WWpjSXwle3I/AAAAAAAAF7Y/qyUfBBpSU6ULQtSdT3dAsRjdecSY3HcCwCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN1326_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NX6o0Cpd0xc/WWpjSXwle3I/AAAAAAAAF7Y/qyUfBBpSU6ULQtSdT3dAsRjdecSY3HcCwCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN1326_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make a hole in the center of the dough using your pinkie.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQwARz7ASf0/WC0L2jPFsxI/AAAAAAAAF2A/16exFUfR6cET-wfqWCaCEj9BDHJz7rLrgCLcB/s1600/thumb_DSCN1341_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls" border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQwARz7ASf0/WC0L2jPFsxI/AAAAAAAAF2A/16exFUfR6cET-wfqWCaCEj9BDHJz7rLrgCLcB/s400/thumb_DSCN1341_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cover the dough and let rise until double in size. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Insert a pecan piece in the hole in the center for the stem.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgQ90YsTYM8/WWpjigD-FsI/AAAAAAAAF7c/NICe4xVHXo0Xw_czu9giCn8oK_3Kc43dACLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN1355_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgQ90YsTYM8/WWpjigD-FsI/AAAAAAAAF7c/NICe4xVHXo0Xw_czu9giCn8oK_3Kc43dACLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN1355_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCMg-_ztK0w/WWpjuwqdb-I/AAAAAAAAF7g/WK4tmZb8CNwt4xxyU6q5h2L8NdevGN3_gCLcBGAs/s1600/PUMPKIN%2BSHAPED%2BROLLS%2BDSCN1367_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Pumpkin Shaped Rolls " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCMg-_ztK0w/WWpjuwqdb-I/AAAAAAAAF7g/WK4tmZb8CNwt4xxyU6q5h2L8NdevGN3_gCLcBGAs/s400/PUMPKIN%2BSHAPED%2BROLLS%2BDSCN1367_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether you make the rolls from scratch or use a package of frozen rolls, these pumpkin shaped rolls are a whimsical and delicious addition to a Thanksgiving meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-77509841629800284312016-11-08T09:27:00.000-06:002017-09-11T14:52:31.330-05:00Fall Fruit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsroq56Nqyw/WWplDkwY52I/AAAAAAAAF7o/jKquxCbjvxoC1JCVDsMU3zmhEci810z2ACLcBGAs/s1600/APPLE%2BSALAD%2BDSCN0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Apple Salad " border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="400" height="270" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsroq56Nqyw/WWplDkwY52I/AAAAAAAAF7o/jKquxCbjvxoC1JCVDsMU3zmhEci810z2ACLcBGAs/s400/APPLE%2BSALAD%2BDSCN0365.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The leaves may not have changed color and the temperature doesn't feel very fall like, but I know fall is here and it's not because of all the pumpkin flavored beverages and baked goods showing up on menus and in the grocery. I know it's fall because freshly picked, straight from the orchard apples are appearing in the produce department. These apples are so much prettier and flavorful than the ones I've bought all year that have been in cold storage since they were harvested.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apples are a staple at our house. They make a quick and healthy snack and are easy to pack in a lunch box or take on the go. They're delicious <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/11/awesome-apples.html">baked</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/02/poached-not-baked.html">poached </a> </b>and in a <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/07/easy-as-pie.html">pie</a></b>. Apples are wonderful combined with other fruit in a <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/09/liven-up-lunch-box.html">fruit salad</a></b> and they're the star of the recipe I'm sharing today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years ago on a trip out of town, we ate at a restaurant that had apple salad on the menu. I'd never eaten it before and was hesitant to order it. I couldn't fathom how apples could taste good covered with mayonnaise and sour cream. I ended up ordering the dish and was hooked after one bite. When our very friendly server found out how much I liked the salad, she was more than happy to share the recipe with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dressing -- which I didn't think I would like -- was actually quite tasty. The sour cream contributes to the creaminess, but also adds a subtle tanginess that keeps the salad from being bland. I use light sour cream, but regular sour cream will add a richer flavor to the dressing. Depending on the sweetness of the apples you use, you may need to add some sugar, but don't add too much. You don't want the salad to be too sweet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I make the salad the way the restaurant did using only apples, craisins -- dried cranberries -- and celery.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MCkxZbpZtCU/WWplZNM8LYI/AAAAAAAAF7w/fOIkDS8jLEw3CNS_Tj3hqG4ka3uBjcdLQCLcBGAs/s1600/APPLE%2BSALAD%2BDSCN0671_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Apple Salad " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MCkxZbpZtCU/WWplZNM8LYI/AAAAAAAAF7w/fOIkDS8jLEw3CNS_Tj3hqG4ka3uBjcdLQCLcBGAs/s400/APPLE%2BSALAD%2BDSCN0671_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Additions can include nuts, raisins coconut, grapes, mandarin oranges and even pineapple chunks. Depending on the size of the addition, you may need to cut the ingredients into smaller pieces. You're pretty much limited by your imagination, the ingredients you have on hand and what your family likes to eat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a fancy presentation, serve the salad on a bed of lettuce leaves. A nice touch for a party is to combine the dressing and apples and put all the additional ingredients in bowls. That way, people can create and fall for their own one of a kind salad creation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apple Salad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 to 6 Servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup mayonnaise</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sugar to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 apples, diced (unpeeled)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 stalk celery, sliced diagonally</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine the first three ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-46651765138905986142016-10-20T12:44:00.001-05:002017-09-11T14:53:21.909-05:00Oktoberfest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oktoberfest may conjure up images of free flowing beer, but there's plenty of German cuisine available at this yearly 2 1/2 week Munich folk festival. One of the dishes, spaetzle, is a specialty of the region.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wasn't familiar with spaetzle until Simon, the wonderful young man I wrote about in January, asked me to fix it with <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2016/01/a-taste-of-germany.html">schnitzel</a></b>. I looked in the German cookbook he'd given me and learned that spaetzle is a pasta made from flour, eggs, water and salt. The resulting dough is too soft to roll out and cut so it's pressed through a spaetzle maker. The recipe intimidated me for two reasons. One, I'd never made pasta and two, I didn't have a spaetzle maker. I was relieved when Simon told me dried spaetzle was sold at the grocery in Germany. Since we live near several international markets, we decided to go on a spaetzle search.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The market we went to was huge and had products arranged by country. We found several brands of spaetzle and bought the one Simon recognized from Germany. This solved the problem of making spaetzle. However, what was I supposed to do with the dried spaetzle?</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yguqfxmL0Io/WWpmISTd9VI/AAAAAAAAF74/QAUgmhhkFZkLg0mtJ_CYhNO2HQXolbi3wCLcBGAs/s1600/SPAETZLE%2BDSCN0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Spaetzle " border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yguqfxmL0Io/WWpmISTd9VI/AAAAAAAAF74/QAUgmhhkFZkLg0mtJ_CYhNO2HQXolbi3wCLcBGAs/s400/SPAETZLE%2BDSCN0886.JPG" title="" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simon's grandmother, Oma, told me to cook the spaetzle in a large pot of boiling salted water, drain it and add butter to keep the noodles from sticking together. Spaetzle can be served with just butter, but it's tastier with a couple of easy additions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's common in Germany to stir Emmental cheese into the hot spaetzle until the cheese melts. That sounded easy enough, but it ended up being the hardest part of the whole recipe! I bought two different brands of Emmental, but neither one of them tasted anything like the cheese Simon ate in Germany. My son suggested we try Mozzarella, but it made a sticky mess! On my fifth attempt, I added some Swiss cheese. When Simon said the spaetzle tasted almost as good as what he ate in Germany, I knew I'd found the right cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spaetzle with cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While the butter and cheese are stirred into the spaetzle, the final addition, also common in Germany, goes on top. Diced onions are cooked in olive oil until brown and sprinkled on the spaetzle. I've eaten spaetzle with and without onions and I highly recommend adding them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBWY1bmsQB8/WWpmhIn5n_I/AAAAAAAAF8A/1UUSgOvSsWo2U0NyBmh0kD0m_q0fioq8wCLcBGAs/s1600/SPAETZLE%2B13735677_10154314016673057_4358015719560562828_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Spaetzle " border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBWY1bmsQB8/WWpmhIn5n_I/AAAAAAAAF8A/1UUSgOvSsWo2U0NyBmh0kD0m_q0fioq8wCLcBGAs/s400/SPAETZLE%2B13735677_10154314016673057_4358015719560562828_o.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spaetzle with onions served at a Munich</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">biergarten I visited this summer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few months after my first attempt at cooking spaetzle, Simon's grandmother showed me how to make homemade spaetzle and gave me a spaetzle maker. Until I get the courage to make spaetzle from scratch, I'll continue to used dried spaetzle. And when I do, I'll think about the young man who introduced us to this wonderful dish and look forward to the next time he's sitting around the table with us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simon's Spaetzle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 to 6 Servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (17.6 oz.) pkg. dried spaetzle</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. butter or margarine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cups finely shredded Swiss cheese</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 large onion, diced</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olive oil (enough to coat saute pan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cook spaetzle according to package directions. While spaetzle is cooking, cook the onion in olive oil on medium to medium-low heat until brown. Drain spaetzle and put it in a bowl; add butter or margarine and stir until melted. Add cheese; stir until melted. Top spaetzle with onion and serve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-29849701461156483902016-10-18T20:03:00.001-05:002017-07-15T19:30:11.369-05:00A Be"witching" Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0pj0atw5NM/WWpuRUGQ7QI/AAAAAAAAF8o/lxQhNF-ZH80sbhwnqXwvhQ7DDKUJHt1uQCLcBGAs/s1600/thumb_DSCN0758_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Witches Broomstick Cookies " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0pj0atw5NM/WWpuRUGQ7QI/AAAAAAAAF8o/lxQhNF-ZH80sbhwnqXwvhQ7DDKUJHt1uQCLcBGAs/s400/thumb_DSCN0758_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been a couple of years since I posted anything for Halloween. I thought I'd rectify that and share two witch themed cookie recipes this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Store bought fudge stripes cookies turn into witches hats with the addition of two ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Turn the cookies so the chocolate side is on top.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put a dollop of orange frosting -- I use Wilton decorating icing -- in the center </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and add a Hershey's kiss. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let the cookies dry and then store them in an airtight container.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you don't mind doing a little additional work, a pretzel rod and peanut butter cookie are easily transformed into a witches broomstick. I like the look and texture of these braided pretzels, but you can use a regular pretzel rod.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put the pretzels on a cookie sheet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJZHMSWkhB4/WWpvrKpvSyI/AAAAAAAAF9E/vEDhfjy0BVAoRuBDeZ8dsMrSDIQr34lHgCLcBGAs/s1600/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0601_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Witches Broomstick Cookies " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XJZHMSWkhB4/WWpvrKpvSyI/AAAAAAAAF9E/vEDhfjy0BVAoRuBDeZ8dsMrSDIQr34lHgCLcBGAs/s400/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0601_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mix </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up a batch of </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/06/award-winning-cookies.html">peanut butter cookies</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and roll the dough into balls. Place one ball on each pretzel, pressing down so the cookie will adhere to the pretzel when baked.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xhtTx66f5g/WWpv2-PDRqI/AAAAAAAAF9I/AAwKOyr_NEwP9SA-jWoAGYWIAdySk9UkQCLcBGAs/s1600/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0607_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Margaret's Morsels | Witches Broomstick Cookies " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xhtTx66f5g/WWpv2-PDRqI/AAAAAAAAF9I/AAwKOyr_NEwP9SA-jWoAGYWIAdySk9UkQCLcBGAs/s400/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0607_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use a fork to make vertical lines on the cookie to resemble the bristles of the broomstick. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjgK6ZCXQ94/WWpwB-ytAHI/AAAAAAAAF9M/ayj4KistXYQxxqv8nj5V61rfklSsxlDawCLcBGAs/s1600/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0620_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Witches Broomstick Cookies " border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjgK6ZCXQ94/WWpwB-ytAHI/AAAAAAAAF9M/ayj4KistXYQxxqv8nj5V61rfklSsxlDawCLcBGAs/s400/WITCHES%2BBROOMSTICK%2BCOOKIES%2BDSCN0620_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bake the cookies as directed and let them cool on a wire rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cookies don't have to look perfect because, at Halloween, the uglier, grosser and more disgusting, the better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-72313300986555915022016-10-14T09:57:00.000-05:002017-09-11T12:13:19.147-05:00A Recipe Revival<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not too long ago, I read an online article about seven forgotten dishes that should be brought back to life. Over the years, I've written about three of these dishes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2014/01/marvelous-meat-loaf.html">Meat Loaf</a></b>: The Sweet and Sour Meat Loaf recipe I shared in 2014 is a twist on the classic. It's not your grandmother's meat loaf!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZF7ABsuBzCA/WWpzSvUIkiI/AAAAAAAAF9Y/TkGN7TsO8rAyIjtYItj2h5ZoTgDj8-neQCLcBGAs/s1600/SWEET%2B%2526%2BSOUR%2BMEAT%2BLOAF%2BDSCN2401C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Sweet and Sour Meat Loaf" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZF7ABsuBzCA/WWpzSvUIkiI/AAAAAAAAF9Y/TkGN7TsO8rAyIjtYItj2h5ZoTgDj8-neQCLcBGAs/s400/SWEET%2B%2526%2BSOUR%2BMEAT%2BLOAF%2BDSCN2401C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/03/not-your-usual-steak.html">Salisbury Steak</a></b>: A fancy name for a humble hamburger patty. The version I wrote about three years ago calls for the sauce to be baked with the meat. Mix, shape, bake and serve.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dAG5__jMa88/WWq0AMPRQpI/AAAAAAAAGBQ/vwejDdo3wWsoibFK_iWv7Ju9d8DS0e1jgCLcBGAs/s1600/SALISBURY%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN4442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Salisbury Steak" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dAG5__jMa88/WWq0AMPRQpI/AAAAAAAAGBQ/vwejDdo3wWsoibFK_iWv7Ju9d8DS0e1jgCLcBGAs/s400/SALISBURY%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN4442.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/09/hey-mom-whats-for-supper.html">Tuna Noodle Casserole</a></b>: I shared this classic six years ago. Unlike the recipe from years gone by, this one is cooked in the microwave, except for the pasta.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click <b><a href="http://www.cheatsheet.com/life/forgotten-dishes-millennials-should-bring-back-to-life.html/?ref=YF&yptr=yahoo">here </a></b>to see the rest of the list and rediscover a dish or two you might have forgotten about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-55534855853604210072016-05-06T15:03:00.000-05:002017-09-11T12:13:36.143-05:00A Tribute to Mom<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Mother's Day right around the corner, I've been thinking about my mom and all the wonderful meals she cooked for her family. I've shared many of her recipes over the years from </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/09/dinner-in-dash.html">entrees</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/03/potluck-pleaser.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>side dishes</b></a><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/08/companys-coming.html">breakfast</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-piece-of-cake.html">desserts</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/12/holiday-tradition.html">foods</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> she made only for holidays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After she died, as I boxed up the contents of her kitchen -- the electric skillet she received as a wedding present; the measuring cups and spoons she taught me to use as a child; the white plastic mixing bowl she bought at a Tupperware party -- it hit me that I would never eat her cooking again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been almost two decades and I still miss my mom and her cooking. Although there have been birthday cakes, there's never been another one of her made from scratch, three layer coconut cakes with a cooked white icing sprinkled with coconut. While I'd love to have one more piece of her butterscotch pie, the food I miss the most, though, is her homemade rolls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Growing up, I can't remember an Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas that there wasn't a basket of icebox rolls on the table. These rolls also showed up on birthdays, when we had company, or when there were leftover mashed potatoes that needed to be used. Family and friends weren't the only recipients of these rolls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few months after we moved, a repairman was working in the house while a batch of these rolls were baking. He raved so much about how wonderful they smelled, my mother buttered a couple of rolls while they were hot and gave them to him when he left. He started eating one as he walked out of the house and said he would be glad to come back any time she was making rolls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mom always told me the secret to good rolls was not using too much flour when kneading and cutting out the rolls. For years, she made the rolls with homemade mashed potatoes, but later on substituted instant mashed potatoes without any discernible difference. I don't have any pictures to share because I've never made these rolls. It's also why I didn't elaborate on the directions. The recipe is exactly as it appears on my mom's recipe card. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks, mom, for all the wonderful memories, delicious dinners and the strawberry covered recipe box filled with the recipes of my childhood that I can cook for and with your grandchildren who never had the opportunity to know you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy Mother's Day from my mother's kitchen to yours!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2/3 cup butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3/4 cup scalded milk</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 eggs, well beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 cup cold mashed potatoes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 cups or more all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Melt butter; add to scalded milk. Add the sugar and salt; let cool to lukewarm. Add beaten eggs, potatoes, yeast and flour. You've added almost enough flour when the dough is hard to stir and you have to turn it out on a board and knead it with your hands. Add flour until the dough will not stick to the board; knead until smooth and elastic. Put dough into a bowl and let rise until double in bulk. Roll out and shape rolls. Place on a greased baking sheet; let rise about 1 hour. Bake at 400° until nicely brown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-69958325980244841132016-04-07T00:22:00.000-05:002017-07-15T19:33:14.911-05:00Soup Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDrNvv3fYTU/WWp1Gs43gSI/AAAAAAAAF9o/JcIaqlDe2Fg0DS3WDerwScnL5cbgF6z0gCLcBGAs/s1600/CROCK-POT%2BEZ%2BPOT%2BSOUP%2BDSCN4793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Easy Crock-Pot Potato Soup" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KDrNvv3fYTU/WWp1Gs43gSI/AAAAAAAAF9o/JcIaqlDe2Fg0DS3WDerwScnL5cbgF6z0gCLcBGAs/s400/CROCK-POT%2BEZ%2BPOT%2BSOUP%2BDSCN4793.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few Sundays ago, the youth at our church held a soup luncheon to raise funds for a mission trip. Each youth family was asked to contribute a pot of soup for the event. Before I even asked my son what he wanted to take, I knew he would say potato soup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Given his answer, you might think my son had always liked potato soup. However, he never cared for my tried and true crock-pot potato soup recipe, or my mother's stove top version. What he did like, though, was the potato soup served at one of his favorite restaurants. I found a copycat recipe online and, although my son thought the soup tasted good, I didn't think it tasted anything like the restaurant version. I had to plan ahead of time to make the soup since it required a lot of prep work. Once the prep work was done, I had to keep a close eye on the soup to ensure it didn't stick while cooking. In my opinion, the finished dish wasn't worth the amount of effort involved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year, while skimming through my box of untried recipes looking for inspiration, I spotted a potato soup recipe a friend had given me. Although my friend's recipe used several of the same ingredients as the copycat recipe, it also used some time saving shortcuts. I decided to make a batch hoping my son would like the soup. Not only did he think it was good, he thought this soup was better than the copycat recipe!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The soup starts with cans of sliced potatoes, a huge time saver since there's no need to peel and dice a bag of potatoes. If the potato slices are too large, I take a few minutes and cut them into four or six pieces, depending on the size of the potato.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The potatoes and remaining ingredients -- canned potato soup, water and heavy whipping cream -- are mixed in the pot the soup is cooked in which, for this recipe, is a crock-pot. Using a crock-pot eliminates the need to keep an eye on the soup and stir it periodically. While my tried and true crock-pot potato soup recipe made with raw potatoes takes eight hours to cook, this version is ready in two hours. The short cooking time stems from the fact the canned potatoes are already cooked. The ingredients just need to be cooked long enough to be heated thoroughly. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the soup's ready, ladle it into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Around here, that would be cheese and bacon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You may have noticed there's no seasoning added to the soup. I don't add salt because both canned items -- potatoes and potato soup -- have salt as do the cheese and bacon. I put salt and pepper shakers on the table and let everyone season their soup to taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The luncheon was held on a beautiful, unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon. All the soups were a hit and I came home with an empty crock-pot. I made the soup for supper recently on a rainy Friday night. While just as delicious, this time there were leftovers for Sunday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Easy Crock-Pot Potato Soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6 Servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 (15 oz.) cans sliced potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 (10 1/2 oz.) cans cream of potato soup (undiluted)<br />1 soup can water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 cups heavy whipping cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bacon, cheese, chives (optional; for topping)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cut sliced potatoes into smaller pieces, if necessary. Combine potatoes, soup, water and whipping cream in a crock-pot. Cover and cook on low 2 hours. Ladle into bowls and add desired toppings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-33338757678430962822016-03-21T19:31:00.000-05:002017-07-15T19:34:32.300-05:00Hop Into Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCZvmB9pcXg/WWqCcP0qBWI/AAAAAAAAF-s/IkwN_k3DKC8yIIJLLaX2PLsWkX8b_AhigCEwYBhgL/s1600/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Marshmallow Peeps Easter Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCZvmB9pcXg/WWqCcP0qBWI/AAAAAAAAF-s/IkwN_k3DKC8yIIJLLaX2PLsWkX8b_AhigCEwYBhgL/s400/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3029.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years ago, a cousin emailed me pictures of a cake she'd made for Easter. The cake was so cute, I knew I wanted to make it for Easter, but I didn't know when. My family was disappointed the year before when I replaced our traditional </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-menu-part-3.html">bunny cake</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> with a </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/03/24-carat-cake.html">carrot cake</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. I knew I couldn't replace the bunny cake two years in a row, so I filed the idea away until one Easter when we were having enough company I needed two desserts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cake isn't a recipe, but a method. Start by making a two layer cake, either from scratch or a mix. Fill and frost the layers with white icing such as buttercream or cream cheese.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mtAY09fzvbQ/Vu9pJOrqOiI/AAAAAAAAFpw/sNJJAu1Q6GUNQf5eVOjUFAmAwUrfBMeRQ/s1600/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN2989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Marshmallow Peeps Easter Cake" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mtAY09fzvbQ/Vu9pJOrqOiI/AAAAAAAAFpw/sNJJAu1Q6GUNQf5eVOjUFAmAwUrfBMeRQ/s400/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN2989.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think the cake would also look pretty with pastel pink or yellow icing. Although chocolate icing would be tasty, I don't think the decorations would stand out as well as they do on a lighter color icing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the cake is frosted, decorate the sides with marshmallow peep bunnies. The year I made the cake, the hardest part was finding all the different colored bunnies! I found pink and blue at Kroger, purple at CVS and green at Rite Aid. The bunnies aren't quite tall enough to cover both layers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4B1roUaOOZg/WWqDTi3UxgI/AAAAAAAAF-4/HWvXbPZyOU4Lii26YJjXcV9DqegTbk3lACLcBGAs/s1600/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Marshmallow Peeps Easter Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4B1roUaOOZg/WWqDTi3UxgI/AAAAAAAAF-4/HWvXbPZyOU4Lii26YJjXcV9DqegTbk3lACLcBGAs/s400/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3012.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />You can decorate the sides with just the bunnies, or add some pastel color M&M's above or below the bunnies. I found it easier and faster to put the candy above the bunnies.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5aIH6tub0wo/WWqDdQPFrzI/AAAAAAAAF-8/WYo7B7HIetAluiWzScZ8CDnO7_4yZpBgwCLcBGAs/s1600/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Marshmallow Peeps Easter Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5aIH6tub0wo/WWqDdQPFrzI/AAAAAAAAF-8/WYo7B7HIetAluiWzScZ8CDnO7_4yZpBgwCLcBGAs/s400/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3018.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The top is decorated with more pastel M&M's. My cousin piled the candy all over the top, but I used it sparingly. I also like to turn the candies over so the "m" doesn't show.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlODQJNF4GU/WWqDmLJI_qI/AAAAAAAAF_A/bjtQKbpZyi4kFhDIUUcEox7zTi0JgqLTQCLcBGAs/s1600/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Marshmallow Peeps Easter Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlODQJNF4GU/WWqDmLJI_qI/AAAAAAAAF_A/bjtQKbpZyi4kFhDIUUcEox7zTi0JgqLTQCLcBGAs/s400/PEEPS%2BEASTER%2BCAKE%2BDSCN3073.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This cake is easy to make, quick to assemble and a festive ending to an Easter meal. Easter is less than a week away, but there's still time to find the bunnies before they hop out of the store.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-34706286499494184072016-03-07T14:36:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:35:00.962-05:00Pasta Pleaser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75Aour9jo5s/WWqEkYnedzI/AAAAAAAAF_I/erG71SjaLrEdo9l9WRADUWwOJfCRGpxRACLcBGAs/s1600/SPAG%2BCASS%2BDSCN9146_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Baked Spaghetti " border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-75Aour9jo5s/WWqEkYnedzI/AAAAAAAAF_I/erG71SjaLrEdo9l9WRADUWwOJfCRGpxRACLcBGAs/s400/SPAG%2BCASS%2BDSCN9146_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he transition from winter to spring is never easy for me. Although days are getting warmer, nights are still chilly. This makes it challenging for me to know -- not only what to wear each day -- what to cook each night. The weather's not cold enough for </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/12/soups-on.html">soup</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/11/craving-chili.html">chili</a></b></span><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/11/craving-chili.html"> </a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/01/low-and-slow-cooking.html">stew</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, but not warm enough for </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/08/summertime-staple.html">chicken salad</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/08/mad-about-molds.html">congealed salad</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> or a </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-soup.html">chilled soup</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Baked Spaghetti is the perfect compromise for those nights when Mother Nature can't decide if it's winter or spring. Baked Spaghetti isn't as hearty as my traditional </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2014/01/slow-simmered.html">spaghetti</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, yet it offers warmth on a chilly night via a delectable blend of spices. Most of my recipes have a story behind them and this one is no exception.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Years ago, we belonged to a church that held a luncheon on the first Sunday of each month. Members would bring a dish or two to share and the congregation would eat together in the fellowship hall after the church service ended. The selection varied from month to month, but there were some dishes you could always except to see on the table: a two layer mandarin orange cake piled high with frosting; a big bowl of banana pudding topped with meringue; a pan of piping hot, perfectly seasoned, baked spaghetti.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After enjoying baked spaghetti on more than one occasion, I found out who made the dish and asked if she would share the recipe. She graciously did but, like many good cooks, she didn't measure the ingredients. She gave me a list of what she put in the dish with approximate measurements and the method she used to put it together. I eagerly bought the ingredients and made the dish a few days later.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPa5awvHXy8/Vt2HlsdbUlI/AAAAAAAAFns/k0rewCO8nQY/s1600/DSCN9105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Baked Spaghetti" border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPa5awvHXy8/Vt2HlsdbUlI/AAAAAAAAFns/k0rewCO8nQY/s400/DSCN9105.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first attempt was good, but not as good as what she made. Over the next few months, I tried unsuccessfully to duplicate the recipe. My version was either too runny, too dry, too spicy or not spicy enough! The recipe was too good to throw away, so I filed it complete with notes and revisions in a recipe box with plans to cook it again at a later date.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple of years later, a coworker gave me a recipe for a spaghetti casserole. As I read the recipe, I noticed how similar it was to the recipe for baked spaghetti, except it used additional ingredients and was only seasoned with salt and pepper. I was able to combine the two recipes, using the measurements from the spaghetti casserole with the assembly instructions from the baked spaghetti. Figuring out the right proportion of spices was trial and error, but I finally came up with a combination that pleased everyone in my family. If my version is too mild for your taste, you can add more chili powder and cayenne pepper; too spicy, decrease those two ingredients.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although the spaghetti is baked, the prep work takes more time than the dish is actually in the oven. To save time, I chop the vegetables and measure the spices ahead of time. When I'm ready to cook, I put a pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti while I brown and drain the meat and vegetables. Once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, I combine the ingredients in the same pot used to cook the spaghetti and let it simmer 10 minutes. If you want, you can add a drained 8 ounce can of mushrooms to the mixture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The mixture goes in a greased 3-quart pan and into the oven for 20 minutes. To make a cheesy version, add a cup of grated cheese on top before you put the pan in the oven.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether you like a little bit or a lot of heat, add the cheese or leave it plain, baked spaghetti is a quick and easy pasta dish sure to please on a cold night.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baked Spaghetti</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6 Servings</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (7 oz.) pkg. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 lb. ground beef</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped onion</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped green pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes (undrained)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (8 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (optional)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup water</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. black pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/8 tsp. garlic powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp. chili powder or to taste</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tsp. rosemary, crushed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 tsp. sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 c. shredded cheese (optional)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package; drain. While spaghetti is cooking, saute ground beef, onion and bell pepper in a skillet until meat is no longer pink and onion and green pepper are tender; drain. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in a large pot and simmer 10 minutes. Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish; sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-34024275828724696992016-02-11T21:02:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:37:40.840-05:00All in One Valentine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1BDOTwkloms/WWqFQGXL7fI/AAAAAAAAF_M/8oyo6EM1mQcG2iQcPwN6kPTMryBkxVgrwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1BDOTwkloms/WWqFQGXL7fI/AAAAAAAAF_M/8oyo6EM1mQcG2iQcPwN6kPTMryBkxVgrwCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9376.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I'm doing something I haven't done before. Instead of sharing a recipe in the traditional sense, I'm sharing a 'recipe' for a cute and easy craft perfect for Valentine's Day. My son and I used to make these for his classmates when he was young, so this was an opportunity for me to take a sentimental stroll down memory lane.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me preface this by saying I am not a crafter. I don't sew, knit, crochet, embroider, cross stitch, paint, draw, quilt, weave or make jewelry, so you don't need to worry about seeing many -- if any -- posts like this in the future.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Four years ago, I wrote about making <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/02/crafty-edible-valentine.html">heart shaped lollipops</a> </b>out of leftover Christmas candy canes by adding a lollipop stick, melted white chocolate and sprinkles. This craft uses a lollipop stick too, plus cardstock, adhesive and a hole punch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo0Ngwpt_YY/WWqFsgdOJoI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/R5XpK-xk4TkL_ZLn3L6d5kx8JSePDZm6wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo0Ngwpt_YY/WWqFsgdOJoI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/R5XpK-xk4TkL_ZLn3L6d5kx8JSePDZm6wCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9287.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cardstock is a thicker, more durable paper typically used in scrapbooking. It's available in 8 1/2 x 11-inch and 12 x 12-inch sizes. You can use either size, but I've found there's a bigger selection of colors and patterns to choose from in the 12 x 12-inch size. I'm not a fan of red so I tend to pick shades of pink and, although not as heavy as solid color cardstock, patterned papers that have a Valentine's Day look to them. The total number of sheets depends on what size paper you buy and how large you make the hearts.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll need to cut out four hearts for each lollipop. This can be done in several ways. My artistic friends can do this freehand, but not me. I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler! To solve this dilemma, I bought a heart shaped paper punch that cuts out hearts that are about 2 1/2-inches tall.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LRW29gyw56I/WWqF0ao238I/AAAAAAAAF_U/gIArEtB3NhYRn2f-TFneU9-8JqsdF_J6gCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LRW29gyw56I/WWqF0ao238I/AAAAAAAAF_U/gIArEtB3NhYRn2f-TFneU9-8JqsdF_J6gCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9301.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzuwvmdbWcI/WWqF74POUFI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/g7lixPBXA6oM4Cse0d7AmtnAXhtXo9tbQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wzuwvmdbWcI/WWqF74POUFI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/g7lixPBXA6oM4Cse0d7AmtnAXhtXo9tbQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9306.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are heart shaped templates available on the Internet, but you'd have to print and cut them out which could be time consuming. Depending on the craft stores in your area, you may be able to find precut hearts, but the sizes and colors might be limited.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stack four hearts together -- you can use the same color or be creative and mix and match -- and use a small hole punch to make a hole approximately 3/8-inch from the bottom.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XYK4aM2ZVQY/WWqGJX-vRSI/AAAAAAAAF_c/EHUDT-fwIqksjFTKkS03Gd0gEzpj2PibwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XYK4aM2ZVQY/WWqGJX-vRSI/AAAAAAAAF_c/EHUDT-fwIqksjFTKkS03Gd0gEzpj2PibwCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9312.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p2aFk2qP0s0/WWqGQ4_QO4I/AAAAAAAAF_g/4_eQBxamKiwpOF06OJsAwJNdgxiEQFLiwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p2aFk2qP0s0/WWqGQ4_QO4I/AAAAAAAAF_g/4_eQBxamKiwpOF06OJsAwJNdgxiEQFLiwCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9316.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first time I ever made these, I used a regular size hole punch. Not being a crafter, I didn't know hole punches came in different sizes, including 1/8-inch which is what I use now. If you want to include to/from, conversation heart sentiments, or a message to someone special, now is the time to do that.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fold the four hearts in half lengthwise to make a crease. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gza8NB-kanQ/WWqGYwZyrMI/AAAAAAAAF_k/qkebSkjTg-Ia7BDwmEsa63lGAj5roqu_QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gza8NB-kanQ/WWqGYwZyrMI/AAAAAAAAF_k/qkebSkjTg-Ia7BDwmEsa63lGAj5roqu_QCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9323.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Line up the holes and insert a Dum Dums lollipop. If you're not familiar with Dum Dums, they're lollipops that are available in numerous flavors including classics like grape, orange and cherry, plus fan favorites like blueberry, cotton candy and bubblegum. Dum Dums are gluten free making them a treat almost everyone can enjoy. If you can't find Dum Dums, you can substitute other lollipops, but don't use any that are too big or heavy for the size hearts you made.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k0PRs9_6B5Q/WWqGgr9xH9I/AAAAAAAAF_o/k6rQp1HDoWIZw_kVfu6kXCQEqQXrLTYrQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k0PRs9_6B5Q/WWqGgr9xH9I/AAAAAAAAF_o/k6rQp1HDoWIZw_kVfu6kXCQEqQXrLTYrQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9328.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn't a flower shape, but I had to do it</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">this way in order to take a picture.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put a small bit of adhesive -- glue, double sided tape or clear mounting squares -- on the top or bottom of each heart. I use mounting squares which are a scrapbookers version of double sided tape. Mounting squares are smooth and thin with a sticky bottom and a removable strip on the top. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0vqoSEmeRU/WWqGsb0Ne2I/AAAAAAAAF_s/zos06A-dckQcfvfVkTX6l8cHfFQoz1GuQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0vqoSEmeRU/WWqGsb0Ne2I/AAAAAAAAF_s/zos06A-dckQcfvfVkTX6l8cHfFQoz1GuQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9334.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of the mounting square.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34bGp8kmlAw/WWqG3cgBr6I/AAAAAAAAF_w/4G1C474L-gAe76KmGP7SRmFnLhTOuzTAQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN9343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Dum Dums Valentine Flowers" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34bGp8kmlAw/WWqG3cgBr6I/AAAAAAAAF_w/4G1C474L-gAe76KmGP7SRmFnLhTOuzTAQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN9343.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's hard to see, but the upper right heart shows</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the adhesive that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">remains after the strip is peeled off.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peel the strips off, press the hearts together and you're done. If you use glue, allow plenty of time for the glue to dry.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are fun to give out on Valentine's Day to young kids, the young at heart and everyone in between. It's a card; it's a flower; it's candy. On Valentine's Day, what more do you need?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-8769109414818956192016-01-30T16:20:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:39:14.900-05:00Cook it Slow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EqyuRqnFsrw/WWqN7cS-6CI/AAAAAAAAF_8/jYsJ8U4S8pc0_p3CaHbeuNvhr-sNm0YdgCLcBGAs/s1600/SWISS%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Swiss Steak" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EqyuRqnFsrw/WWqN7cS-6CI/AAAAAAAAF_8/jYsJ8U4S8pc0_p3CaHbeuNvhr-sNm0YdgCLcBGAs/s400/SWISS%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN0403.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">January is cold; a month to make and break resolutions; the month bills from Christmas start arriving. It's also National Slow Cooking Month, something I'm slow writing about this year!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love cooking with a slow cooker -- or what my family refers to by the trademark name -- crock-pot. I use a crock-pot for <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/05/cinco-de-mayo-parte-dos.html">appetizers</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/11/craving-chili.html">chili</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2014/01/slow-simmered.html">sauces</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/01/low-and-slow-cooking.html">stews</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/03/crock-pot-cooking.html">entrees</a></b>, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/01/slow-and-easy-cooking.html">entire meals</a></b> and even a <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/07/some-assembly-required.html">sandwich</a></b>. Some of the recipes were specifically for the crock-pot but others, like the one I'm sharing today, I adapted from the oven to the crock-pot.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My husband loved eating at my mother's house. One of the entrees she cooked that he really enjoyed was round steak smothered with onions, tomatoes and seasonings and baked a couple of hours until tender. That entree -- Swiss Steak -- was never one of my favorites. My mother used a lot more tomatoes and onions than I liked, plus she only added water to the ingredients which made for a flavorless gravy. Shortly after we got married, my husband asked if I would make Swiss Steak for supper sometime. I told him I would, but I'd need to find a recipe first.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't remember where I found it, but my husband deemed the first Swiss Steak recipe I tried a keeper and I've been cooking it ever since. The recipe was actually very similar to my mother's recipe. The round steak was pounded, coated with flour and browned in a skillet, but it used fewer tomatoes and onions and, instead of water, a jar of beef gravy. For years, I cooked it in the oven but, on a particularly hectic day, discovered it was equally delicious cooked in a crock-pot.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One day in the late 1990s, I realized I had a late afternoon appointment the same day I'd planned to cook Swiss Steak for supper. The meat had been thawing in the refrigerator for two days so it had to be cooked that day. I could fix the Swiss Steak according to the recipe which would make for a very late supper, or I could try cooking it in the crock-pot. Suppertime is always a stressful time of day for me even under the best of circumstances, so I opted for the latter.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since crock-pot cooking is different from cooking in an oven, I had to make a few changes to the recipe.</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't pound the meat because low and slow cooking in the crock-pot tenderizes even the toughest cut of meat.</span></li>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbWnT7dFj58/WWqOKU_nKqI/AAAAAAAAGAA/9B9-7Q3NdV0oE1ZIsh5ukaGGipQuiWYWwCLcBGAs/s1600/SWISS%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN3362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Swiss Steak" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qbWnT7dFj58/WWqOKU_nKqI/AAAAAAAAGAA/9B9-7Q3NdV0oE1ZIsh5ukaGGipQuiWYWwCLcBGAs/s400/SWISS%2BSTEAK%2BDSCN3362.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first couple of years, I skipped browning the meat because I'd read it was an unnecessary step in crock-pot cooking. One day, on a whim, I decided to see what would happen if I browned the meat first. I don't think browning the meat improved the flavor, but I think it made the finished product prettier. If I have time to brown the meat, I do; if not, I don't. It's delicious either way.</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I cook Swiss Steak in the oven, my baking pan is big enough to hold the ingredients in one layer. Due to the size and shape of my crock-pot, I have to layer the ingredients. To compensate for that, I put some tomatoes, onions and gravy over each layer, instead of putting everything on the top layer.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two layers of ingredients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Layered and ready to cook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cooking Swiss Steak in the crock-pot takes longer, but it makes suppertime so much easier for me. All that's left for me to do is fix a couple of sides -- baked potatoes and steamed broccoli in the winter and fresh <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/07/corn-y-post.html">corn-on-the-cob</a></b> and a salad in the summer -- and supper is ready.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">January might be National Slow Cooking Month, but crock-pots are wonderful to use all year long. After all, what's better than coming home to a hot cooked meal any month of the year?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Swiss Steak</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 to 6 Servings</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (2 lb.) round steak, cut into 8 pieces</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 cup vegetable oil*</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup finely chopped onion</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (12 oz.) jar beef gravy</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Add meat, two pieces at a time, tossing to coat thoroughly. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat and cook one minute; turn meat over and cook the other side for one minute. Put a layer of meat in the crock-pot; put some onion, tomatoes and gravy over meat. Continue layering until all ingredients are used, ending with gravy. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*If you don't brown the meat first, omit the oil and proceed as directed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels </span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-61620287331695236962016-01-19T13:25:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:39:28.959-05:00A Taste of Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the beginning of the year, I always like to share a healthier alternative for a traditional food. Over the last few years, I've shared recipes for </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/01/baked-not-fried.html">salmon patties</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/01/hold-cheese.html">broccoli</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/01/sauteed-not-fried.html">pork chops</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/01/baked-not-fried-appetizer-edition.html">Mozzarella cheese sticks</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. I want to share a recipe this January too, but we're going to have to take a little detour.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the 2014-15 school year, my family hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany named Simon. We enjoyed getting to know this fine young man and learning about his country's customs and culture. In exchange, he was able to experience life in an American family, attend an American high school and try American food. He was a good sport about trying and eating new foods, but after a few months he started missing the food from home. When he arrived, he'd given me a German cookbook as a present. At the time, I had him mark the recipes he liked with sticky notes and told him at some point during his stay I'd fix a German meal. When that day arrived, the first thing he wanted me to fix was schnitzel.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Schnitzel -- a thin slice of meat dipped in eggs, coated with bread crumbs and fried -- is the German equivalent of American chicken fried steak or country fried steak. Although I'd never eaten German food before, I had heard of wiener schnitzel which is made with veal, a meat we don't eat. Simon told me schnitzel could be made with other meats, including pork which is what his family used.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not long after that, Simon helped me interpret the recipe in the cookbook, putting it together with the way he remembered his grandmother fixing schnitzel. We coated boneless pork chops in flour, dipped them in eggs and then coated them in plain bread crumbs. Staying true to the recipe, we fried -- not my preferred cooking method -- the pork chops in canola oil. Unfortunately, they didn't taste like the schnitzel he ate in Germany, but like pork chops cooked in an American home.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few weeks later, I decided to surprise Simon with schnitzel, but I changed a couple of things. Instead of using pork chops, I sliced a pork tenderloin into pieces and pounded them flat.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I coated the pieces with flour, dipped them in eggs and coated them with bread crumbs, just like I did the first time. Instead of frying them, though, I baked them in the oven. Simon said the schnitzel was much better than my first attempt, but it needed more seasoning. He looked through my spice rack, smelling some of the spices, until he found what he was looking for: garlic powder and Italian seasoning. When he showed me those spices, I knew exactly how I was going to make the schnitzel.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One cold winter night, Simon burst through the kitchen door, stopped and exclaimed, "It smells good in here!" What he smelled was my American version of schnitzel. Since he liked the schnitzel made with pork tenderloin, I used it again, but decided to coat it with the same ingredients I use when I make <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/04/ready-in-under-hour.html">Chicken Parmesan</a></b>. I omitted the flour completely and dipped the pork in eggs and then a mixture of Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder before baking it in the oven. Simon loved it and ate with gusto that night!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know if my version could really be called schnitzel since some of the ingredients and the baking method are different. Regardless of what you'd call it, two things are certain. One, it's delicious. Two, it's a healthy entree since it's baked not fried.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I look forward to trying German cuisine -- including schnitzel -- when we go to Germany later this year. The thing I look forward to the most, though, is seeing Simon again. I can't wait to see how much he's grown and give him something he hasn't had since he left last June: a hug from his American mother!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Update: After this was posted, Simon texted me and said he didn't mind me using his name in the article. I've revised the copy, replacing "our student" with "Simon." I also included his name in the recipe title. The rest of the entry remains unchanged.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simon's Schnitzel</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6 to 8 Servings</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 (1 1/4 lb.) pork tenderloin, cut into eight pieces and pounded 1/4-inch thick</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 eggs, beaten</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beat the eggs in a bowl; set aside. In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Dip each piece of meat in the eggs and then coat both sides thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Place meat on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Turn meat over; bake 12 minutes more, or until thoroughly cooked. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-84470595643409652402015-12-21T15:53:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:39:46.742-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 12<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWShSLPO5P0/VnhiivsZf2I/AAAAAAAAFjo/qWkOM-ewKwo/s1600/DSCN8640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Cheese Ball" border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWShSLPO5P0/VnhiivsZf2I/AAAAAAAAFjo/qWkOM-ewKwo/s400/DSCN8640.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started this series with my go to Christmas gift from the kitchen, <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2015/12/12-days-of-christmas-gifts-from-kitchen.html">Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies</a></b>. I want to end the series with the gift my mother made and gave to friends, relatives and neighbors for close to 30 years. Instead of something sweet, she gave people a small <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2010/12/tasting-in-new-year.html">cheese ball</a></b> and a sleeve of Ritz crackers. Why Ritz crackers? When made in a log shape, a slice of the cheese ball fits perfectly on a Ritz cracker.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-91101225754633729482015-12-19T14:02:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:40:03.815-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BreWpIxSt2U/WWqv4xHUItI/AAAAAAAAGA4/hW-N3tma5SUTKH2S_HW3VPafGdgEXXDOQCLcBGAs/s1600/LOAF%2BCAKE%2BDSCN1006C%2B3.22.56%2BPM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Loaf Cake" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BreWpIxSt2U/WWqv4xHUItI/AAAAAAAAGA4/hW-N3tma5SUTKH2S_HW3VPafGdgEXXDOQCLcBGAs/s400/LOAF%2BCAKE%2BDSCN1006C%2B3.22.56%2BPM.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My most popular recipe in 2013 -- and my fourth most popular of all time -- is my grandmother's made from scratch pound cake, or what we refer to as <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-piece-of-cake.html">loaf cake</a></b>. Instead of making one cake, make multiple cakes by baking the batter in miniature loaf pans. A nice touch is to bake and give the loaves in holiday themed pans like the ones pictured below. The number of cakes will vary depending on the size of the pans you use. The mini loaves will bake faster so remember to reduce the baking time.</span></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-32375515657504605252015-12-15T12:35:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:54:31.561-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bar cookies might not come to mind at Christmastime, but for me they are the equivalent of a bow and go gift. Bar cookies are a real time saver since they don't have to be rolled and cut out. Frosting is easy since it's typically done in the pan -- not individually -- and can be as simple as a sprinkling of powdered sugar. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/03/quick-fixes-with-mixes-lemon-bars.html">Lemon Bars</a></b> are quick and easy to make, especially when they start with a tasty shortcut!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGkRP4sHqg8/WWq2byeqx6I/AAAAAAAAGBU/uK8WyLbeXpoMvZ0DXTQMHcOCAkdrNGW4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/SUN%2BLEM%2BBARS%2BDSCN9468_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Lemon Bars" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGkRP4sHqg8/WWq2byeqx6I/AAAAAAAAGBU/uK8WyLbeXpoMvZ0DXTQMHcOCAkdrNGW4ACEwYBhgL/s400/SUN%2BLEM%2BBARS%2BDSCN9468_1024.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-35220515313047034022015-12-11T09:20:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:44:52.354-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/08/brunch-part-3.html">Coffee Cake Muffins</a></b> taste just like coffee cake, but with the ease of mixing up a batch of muffins. Give someone a dozen, or bake them as mini muffins, put them in pretty Christmas tins and give them to several people.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ntnoqE8oCxQ/WWq262Joj_I/AAAAAAAAGBY/7yMxwjGOs5QAg1EYbeYwwpyfXpDJHjOVQCLcBGAs/s1600/BRUNCH%2BDSCN7637C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Coffee Cake Muffins" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ntnoqE8oCxQ/WWq262Joj_I/AAAAAAAAGBY/7yMxwjGOs5QAg1EYbeYwwpyfXpDJHjOVQCLcBGAs/s400/BRUNCH%2BDSCN7637C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-67138500503144346632015-12-09T16:36:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:55:42.096-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gifts from the kitchen aren't limited to cookies and candy. This <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/11/afternoon-appetizer.html">Cranberry Delight Spread</a></b> makes a tasty gift. An easy way to present it is in a small Mason jar or a seasonal bowl. A nice added touch is to put some vanilla wafers or gingersnaps in a Christmas cellophane bag, tie the bag closed with colored raffia and attach a Christmas spreader for an all inclusive gift.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBUmp-JGIbA/WWq3SAuvztI/AAAAAAAAGBc/uCf2lCBlcCI9KDU3YSpDRqiXHlNpTDU6QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1842C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Cranberry Delight Spread" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBUmp-JGIbA/WWq3SAuvztI/AAAAAAAAGBc/uCf2lCBlcCI9KDU3YSpDRqiXHlNpTDU6QCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN1842C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-9828064544127531562015-12-08T08:19:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:46:55.964-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kids love to help decorate these <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-bake-snowman-cookies.html">snowman cookies</a></b>. You don't even have to make the cookies. They start with a package of Nutter Butters!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6oBNvbcQC4w/WWq3dFFN5HI/AAAAAAAAGBg/M-5xJ-go3p8eIEEltWN8_MRPAU3iP7R_QCLcBGAs/s1600/SNOWMAN%2BCOOKIES%2BPlated14C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | No Bake Snowman Cookies" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6oBNvbcQC4w/WWq3dFFN5HI/AAAAAAAAGBg/M-5xJ-go3p8eIEEltWN8_MRPAU3iP7R_QCLcBGAs/s400/SNOWMAN%2BCOOKIES%2BPlated14C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-16951514196834790382015-12-06T18:06:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:47:46.283-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today's gift from the kitchen is a match made in culinary heaven! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2012/09/blue-ribbon-brownies.html">Peanut Butter Brownies</a></b> elevate brownies from ho hum to wow!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnOsTc1NL20/WWq3p5SwJqI/AAAAAAAAGBk/fX6V__RRTxUP9nz8CvG1vPTZML3Z0aS6wCLcBGAs/s1600/PB%2BMARBLED%2BBROWNIES%2BPlated27C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Peanut Butter Brownies" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnOsTc1NL20/WWq3p5SwJqI/AAAAAAAAGBk/fX6V__RRTxUP9nz8CvG1vPTZML3Z0aS6wCLcBGAs/s400/PB%2BMARBLED%2BBROWNIES%2BPlated27C.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-22631896819997868152015-12-05T12:49:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:56:33.819-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought I'd stick with yesterday's theme and share another candy recipe. I've made this <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2013/02/fabulous-fudge.html">Peanut Butter Fudge</a> </b>for Valentine's Day, but it's also wonderful to give as Christmas gifts. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One batch yields 70 pieces making it easy to cross several names off your list at one time! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You don't even have to turn on your stove to make this fabulous fudge. It's made in the microwave!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717987461626268278.post-42828997434430796902015-12-04T14:16:00.000-06:002017-07-15T19:51:21.933-05:0012 Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen: Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every year at Christmas, one of my former coworkers would give me a Mason jar filled with homemade <b><a href="http://margaretsmorsels.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweets-for-your-valentine.html">chocolate covered cherries</a></b> made by his wife. She decorated the jar by attaching a round piece of Christmas fabric between the lid and the ring. This added a touch of festivity to the delicious treat waiting inside. I don't have her recipe, but I do have one that I shared four years ago. If you want to make these, you need to plan ahead because the finished cherries need to sit five days before they're ready to eat. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hkp8G5gN8YU/WWq4eUGMQ2I/AAAAAAAAGBs/OFeQq11SHYQEThkwIp4wJZ6S52KaM779gCLcBGAs/s1600/CHOC%2BCOV%2BCHERRIES%2BMartini%2BGlassV2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Margaret's Morsels | Chocolate Covered Cherries" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hkp8G5gN8YU/WWq4eUGMQ2I/AAAAAAAAGBs/OFeQq11SHYQEThkwIp4wJZ6S52KaM779gCLcBGAs/s400/CHOC%2BCOV%2BCHERRIES%2BMartini%2BGlassV2.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">© Margaret's Morsels</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #952930; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12557824257494434594noreply@blogger.com2