Silver's Recipes

Silver's Recipes:

My daughter Silver [her screen name] has had issues with her digestive system. She was having severe intestinal cramps and other symptoms. She was finally diagnosed with intolerance to Gluten products.

She told me about her finding the Barilla Gluten free pastas at the regular store and she posted a photo online for me. I asked her to send me her recipe. I told her I would let others know of her success to have a pasta dish that did not cause her gluten intolerance issues!

So here are photos of the dish and some others I captured from online to describe the recipe.

Silver's Barilla Gluten Free Pasta with Shrimp recipe

  

Barilla Gluten Free Pasta varieties

Click thumbnail to view full-size

Boxes of Barilla Gluten Free Pasta.

Source: There are four kinds of pasta: Penne, Elbows, Spaghetti and Rotini. My daughter likes the Rotini for her shrimp pasta recipe here

What is Barilla made from?

Barilla Gluten Free Pasta ingredients. 

How to tell if your shrimp is done

Shrimp cooks very fast!

Alfredo sauce and alternatives

If you want to make the dish Lacto-Vegetarian, you can omit the Shrimp. You can use vegetables. You can use what ever kind of oil you normally use in place of the butter, if you do not use butter. You can add your own preferred sauce that is not made from animal products if you are lactose intolerant. I looked at some of the Vegan and non lacto Vegetarian formulas and I am not sure how that would taste. There is a soy based Parmesan cheese with rice in it. One recipe called for rice milk or almond milk. I use almond milk instead of cow milk for my herb tea and granola. It tastes good. I have used rice milk also. It takes longer to cook down the rice milk. I am not sure how the almond milk tastes with this kind of recipe, but I really like almond milk. I do not have much of an issue with cream cheese, cow milk and butter, so I prefer to have the real Alfredo sauce once in awhile rather than the rice milk.

I saw a cauliflower sauce for Vegan Alfredo sauce online. It looked good. I have not tried it yet. In our house we go for ovolactarian Vegetarian recipes. My daughter and I eat fish, shrimp and chicken. We use turkey sometimes and once in a while beef. I prefer my Alfredo sauce either from the jar or from scratch with butter, cream cheese and cow milk.

Enjoy and let me know how your Gluten free recipe came out using Barilla Gluten Free Pasta!

Make it Vegetarian

This is a very simple recipe using Barilla Gluten Free Pasta.

You can omit the shrimp and add vegetables and substitute olive oil for the butter.

Ingredients

• One half box Barilla Gluten Free pasta Rotini
• 1 jar Store bought Alfredo sauce or make your own see below for recipe
• Two cloves minced fresh Garlic
• 1 TBSP Canola oil or Olive oil or Butter
• One pound Raw 30-40 count Shrimp
• Boiling water
• Extras: chopped onions, chopped bell peppers
• other chopped vegetables such as mushrooms

Instructions

1. Boil the water while peeling the raw 30-40 count shrimp. Or you can peel the shrimp after it is boiled. I used to add cold water to the shrimp to cool it down then peel the shrimp and rinse it again after.
2. Saute the shrimp with oil.
3. Add minced fresh garlic to shrimp,
4. It only takes about a total of 7-8 minutes for shrimp and garlic to finish over medium heat. You can add minced onions and other vegetables at this point. If you have a lot of vegetables, saute them first then add the shrimp as it does not take long for the shrimp to turn pink and it is done!
5. The pasta will be done within 10 minutes or less. Drain the pasta.
6. Then pour the Alfredo sauce over the hot pasta. Top with the hot garlic shrimp for a delicious delight! Nom! Nom!
7. No need to heat the sauce, it gets warm from the heat of the pasta.
8. You could use the whole box of pasta depending upon how many you want to feed and if it is a main dish or side dish. You can use more pasta if it is a side dish. For one to two people use less pasta.
9. Shrimp 30 to 40 size is a good size to use. Seven to ten shrimp per person is pretty generous even with a lot of pasta! It depends upon what ever else you are having with the meal.

10. Alfredo sauce from scratch - A gluten free recipe

    This recipe is a basic formula using butter, cream cheese, Parmesan and Romano cheese and regular cow milk.

    
    
    • Prep time: 10 min
    • Cook time: 10 min
    • Ready in: 20 min
    • Yields: 4

    Ingredients

    • 8 ozs Cream cheese
    • 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter
    • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese dry grated
    • 1/4 cup Romano cheese dry grated
    • 2 cloves of garlic minced
    • 1/2 cup or 4 ozs milk can be 2%
    • pinch black pepper
    • pinch of red pepper
    • 1 tablespoon fresh or dry parsley
    • ---------------------------
    • substitutes
    • 3/4 cup of heavy cream instead of cream cheese and milk
    • 1 teaspoon of dry garlic powder instead of fresh garlic

    Instructions

    1. On medium low heat or double boiler, melt the butter and saute the garlic. Add the softened cream cheese and stir and slowly add the milk or cream. Stir until smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and Romano cheese. Add the peppers. If it is too thick for your desires you can add 1 tablespoon at a time of milk to desired consistency. It will thicken up as it cools. No need for salt as the butter is salty enough. Pour sauce over Pasta and garnish with parsley.

                                         *^*^*^*^*

Silver's Gluten Free Cornbread and Chocolate chip Butterscotch cookies; Yukon Gold potato soup

Chocolate chip Butterscotch cookies

Nom Nom!

My daughter's Gluten Free Recipes

First I will have her Gluten Free Chocolate Chip cookies, followed by the Yukon Gold Potato Soup and lastly the Gluten Free cornbread.

My Daughter Silver is my 2nd to the oldest daughter. I live with IoBlue my youngest Daughter. The oldest daughter Miss Norway is the seamstress and I will have some stories on her sewing as well as her recipes from her and her husband Mr Chili peppers who loves to cook! He has always worked at as a cook at a pizza parlor as a second job for fun and extra income. Of course these are not their real names...

Gluten Free flours and items used for the Chocolate Chip Butterscotch cookies

Besides, corn, barley, oats, white and brown rice as substitutes for wheat flour, there are other things as well. The Rice flour seems to be the best for cakes and cookies, I have always added oats to my fruit breads and cakes to make them moist. Other things that are used are Almond flour which is great, I have used it, and Coconut flour, Ethiopian Teff flour, Arrowroot Flour, Italian Chestnut Flour, Garbanzo Fava Flour [aka Chick peas with Fava beans], Quinoa Flour [pronounced Keen - wah], Hazelnut Meal/Flour, Banana Flour, Tapioca Flour, Sweet Potato Heritage Camote Flour, Ground Cashew Flour, Sesame Flour, and the list goes on. All of the above flours are available at Amazon!

Soy flour is too dense and makes bread too heavy. I am sure a dash of it for some things is fine.

Here are some flours and the chocolate and butterscotch that my daughter uses,

Silver with the Gluten Free Cookies

Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Organic flour

Yummy cookies using Gluten Free flour! Silver used Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Organic flour is made from Gluten Free 70% Organic, Made with Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour.

Arrowhead Mills webpage says that the Total Ingredients in the Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Organic flour are: organic rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, organic tapioca starch flour, leavening ( baking powder, sodium acid pyrophosphate,monocalcium phosphate), rice bran extract, xanthan gum, and inulin.

All these ingredients are safe as well as the Inulin which Wikipedia says Inulin is safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since this flour has some baking powder, you might reduce yours a tad in your formula.

Silver and her kids love the products made with alternative Gluten Free flours. Besides the basic flours I noted that several of these companies now have complete pre measured box mix of cakes, cookies and even Bisquick© brand mix. Of course check the labels carefully to make sure they do not contain anything you do not want and contain Non GMO corn.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Ready in: 30 min
• Yields: makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients for Gluten free Chocolate Chip Butterscotch cookies

• 2 sticks or 1 cup of butter or margarine
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tablespoon milk or milk alternatives
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup or 6 ounces of Milk Chocolate chips
• 1/2 Butterscotch chips

Mixing and Baking Instructions for Chocolate Chip Butterscotch cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees [191 degrees C, Gas mark 5]. You can had mix all or use an electric mixer on medium speed, increasing and decreasing upon the addition of ingredients. Cream butter and brown sugar in a bowl. Add to the butter and sugar mixture the eggs, milk, and vanilla and set aside. In separate bowl mix gluten free flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, Lastly add chocolate and butterscotch chips. The dough will be very thick. Make cookie shapes on greased cookie sheet [ball shapes not advised) Bake 10 minutes, do not over bake. cool and store if you can stop the family from eating them all!
2. You can adjust the amounts of Chocolate Chips and Butterscotch chips to suit your needs. You can add nuts like walnuts if you wish.
3. My daughter can use regular milk, I have issues with too much regular milk so I use Almond milk now and it is very good in several things I eat. You can even thin it down for things like salad dressings where you would use cream or milk.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookie photos - Silver and her son "Hiccup" make these cookies

Start with all the ingredients in easy reach.

Gluten Free Flour.

Mixing the dough with a dough mixer or D shaped hand mixer.

Hiccup is working hard at mixing the batter which is very stiff.

Dough when you add the chips.

Place small shapes in pan.

Cookies cooling.

Cookies on the plate.

Cookies are done and here is daughter Silver.

Final product done and stored in a nice cookie jar that was a gift from her sister,

Chocolate chip cookies plan or with added ingredients? - Which do you prefer?

Typical Toll House original cookies may or may not have had nuts in them. New and exciting combinations of extra ingredients make for some lovely cookies. Such as the addition of shaved candy bar in Mrs fields chocolate chip cookies. My daughter Silver prefers the addition of the Butterscotch.

Yukon Gold Potato Soup

Yukon Gold Potato soup

Yukon Gold Potato Soup

This Yukon Gold Potato soup is Gluten free as it does not use any wheat flour to thicken the sauce. It uses Yukon Gold Potatoes, Pork sausage and leeks.

You can use red potatoes and I have even used Russet potatoes as well as White Rose potatoes.

I made my potato soup like my Mother did with out milk or cream as my brother was severely allergic to milk and dairy. So I learned how to make my potato soup with the Russet potatoes and mashed them into small chunks like marbles size. The potatoes make a nice thickness and I added chicken or vegetable broth to thin it.

I also used two large leeks and two large onions. I used to use bacon as my Grandmother did, then later I was making it more Vegan with out the meats and of course no dairy. My daughter IoBlue makes it Vegan style for us with out sausage.

• Prep time: 30 min
• Ready in: 30 min
• Yields: makes about 12 cups of soup

Ingredients for Yukon Gold Potato Soup

• 1 Leek
• 1 pounds ground Mild Italian sausage
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 6 - 8 Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 quart half and half cream
• 5 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper or less 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp onion powder - more if you like
• You will want to add seasoning to your own liking

Instructions for Yukon gold potato soup

1. Silver's recipe is with Sausage, If you want your soup to be Vegan, just omit the sausage.
2. Start by putting big pot on medium heat and rolling sausage into meatballs. Saute the sausage until brown.
3. Chop peeled carrots, celery, leeks and potatoes.
4. in a separate frying pan add olive oil and saute leeks until limp. Put leeks into blender with a cup of water and puree.
5. Add pureed leeks to meatballs in large pot and add six more cups of water, bring to a boil. add carrots and celery. Let boil for five minutes.
6. Add largely chopped potatoes and continue to boil for ten minutes - no longer or potatoes will melt into nothing! Add about 1/2 teaspoon pepper or less-maybe, and 1/4 tsp onion powder. ( You will want to add seasoning to your own liking) some people like the flavor fine without seasoning since you get so much flavors from the sausage and leeks! In a large cup or bowl put half and half and add 5 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Blend until starch is dissolved. Add this mixture to the soup while it is boiling, as soon as the soup is thickened, turn off heat immediately. * Make sure the starch is added to the COLD half and half first, then that mixture is added to the boiling soup. this causes it to thicken without flour.

Leeks in a painting

Part of Carl Eduard Schuch (30 September 1846 – 13 September 1903) painting of Leeks, fruit and cheese

Source: http://cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl

What is a "leek"?

Here is a definition and all you wanted to know about leeks at:Leeks

Yukon Gold Potato and Italian Soup

Saute the ground italian sausage.

Chop the potatoes, leek, celery and carrots. Chop fresh onions if you use them.

Half and Half is half whole milk and whole cream.

Saute vegetables.

Cook Vegetables.

Turn off heat and add half and half.

Start with a well stocked kitchen supplies

Having the basics in mixing, stirring, cooking, baking and storing foods is really helpful in the Kitchen. I really love the glass pans, as long as they are made by reputable glass manufacturers. Look for the label that says tempered to X temperature for ovens such as over 400 degrees F or a high gas mark.

Cookies come out great on the air-bake cookie sheets which is two layers of metal with the air in between.

If you mix by hand get sturdy equipment. The new silicone items are really nice and will not melt in high temperatures.

A good pot is really helpful so your food does not stick and burn on the bottom such as foods with cream or tomato base sauces.

Golden Brown Cornbread

Golden Brown cornbread

Cornbread made with Gluten Free Flour

There are many variations of cornbread, My daughter Silver makes it with Gluten Free Flour. She has loved my cornbread since she can remember. I make it pretty much the same.

I have made it with water instead of milk, and also substituted the oil for applesauce occasionally, It is different for sure.

I have omitted the sugar and used the applesauce as well. You need the salt though. Silver likes her cornbread to be very sweet and uses a full cup of sugar.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 35 min
• Ready in: 50 min
• Yields: 12 generous portions

Ingredients for Cornbread with Gluten Free Flour

• 1 heaping cup Gluten Free flour
• 1 heaping cup GMO Free cornmeal
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup sugar - you can use up to a cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick = 1/4 cup solid - melted butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup Greek yogurt - optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients until incorporated.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until they are completely combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together, just until incorporated (do not overmix!).
5. Bake in a greased skillet or pie pan in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Golden Brown Gluten Free Cornbread

Ingredients ready to use. Non GMO Corn meal, Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour. etc.

MIx dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Don't over mix.

Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Tap pan on counter a few times to make bubbles rise out. Place in preheated oven.

Golden Brown Gluten Free Cornbread is done!

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Gluten Free Banana Bread

My Daughters Banana Bread with Gluten free flour

Why am I writing about Gluten Free flour?

My second daughter had been having severe stomach cramps and after they eliminated other issues she had and surgeries, she still had the cramps.

Some people asked her if she was allergic to wheat! Bingo!

That was something she had not tried. So she eliminated all wheat and wheat containing products from her diet.

You would be shocked to find out where they stuff wheat in your foods you would never guess, the same for sugar and salt!

You really need to be a detective and read all labels.

When one has these issues and allergies one does not go to just any restaurant or cook from a box mix which are notorious for added ingredients to preserve the food for shelf life.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour

We are for natural ingredients

So my second daughter, as well as my other two daughters have been on an elimination program to eliminate all pre-packaged foods. If we use any we make sure they only have less than 3 to 5 ingredients. They must be all natural ingredients.

My daughter started to make all her foods without wheat. My other two daughters restrict some of their foods and my son does not now seem to be affected. I had used soy milk for three of my kids as well as nursing them a long time, 3 months to 18 months. My oldest daughter kept getting eczema and other allergy symptoms so that is when I decided to have the other kids on soy milk after they were weaned.

Second daughter wanted to make some foods such as cornbread and noodles and a light dessert.

So she formulated some things such as this banana bread, chocolate chip cookies and cornbread using Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. I have the description of what is is made from in the section below.

She told me about her recipes and sent me photos so I could share with you what she has come up with!

Later I will add other recipes that are using Gluten free products that she has developed. Her chocolate chip cookies are great! Her pasta with shrimp is a garlic dream. She does not have any allergies to eggs or milk, so she does use eggs, milk, butter and sugar.

If you have an issue with any of those items, I am sure you already have substitutes for those things.

So here is the Gluten Free Banana bread without nuts, using Bob's Red Mill Gluten free flour.

How to make Banana Bread without Wheat Flour

What is Gluten free flour?

Gluten free flours have been around awhile it is only recently that it has come to major attention.

Wheat flour which is the primary source of problems for people who are Gluten intolerant.

A variety of flours have been developed over the years for those who found out they were allergic to wheat. Mainly Rice was used as a flour substitute in the past in the USA and then more and more flours were developed and brought in to the USA. I am not sure how it was for other countries. Add your input in the comments!

I have found that you can find a plethora of flours. I have used other grains and here are some examples plus if I have used them or not:

Rice Flour: The Rice flour seems to be the best for baked goods such as cakes and cookies. I have used rice flour to make pot stickers. I added some to the recipe.

Oat Flour: I have always added whole flattened Oats to my fruit breads and fruit cakes to make them moist. I have not used Oat Flour.

Almond flour: is great, I have used it one time to make fortune cookies.

Soy flour: is too dense and makes the bread very heavy. I am sure a small amount in some recipes is fine, it does not go well with breads as I have tried it.

There are other flours are: Corn [ not corn meal], Ground Cashew, Ethiopian Teff, Barley, Sesame, Arrowroot, Italian Chestnut, Garbanzo-Fava [or Chick peas with Fava beans], Quinoa [pronounced Keen - wah], Hazelnut, Banana, Coconut, Tapioca [not the pudding pearls], and Sweet Potato Heritage Camote.

There are many more from all over the world, many not available at your grocery store or even your Health Food market.

What is in Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour?

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour has a mix of Gluten free Flours from foods such as White Potatoes,Tapioca, Garbanzo or Chick Peas, Fava beans, and Sorghum.

Nutrition Facts for Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour includes: 1/4 Cup of Bob's Gluten Free flour in the dry state has 5 calories from fat, no cholesterol, 22 grams of Carbohydrates, 3 grams of Fiber, 1 gram of Sugar, and 3 grams of Protein.

Care is taken to not use any peanuts where the flours are processed.

Gluten free Banana Bread

Gluten free Banana bread

Source: Gluten free Banana bread

1 hour

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Ready in: 1 hour 20 min
• Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients for Gluten Free Banana Bread

• 3 or 4 Ripe Bananas, mashed
• 1-1/4 cups White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Real Butter
• 2 Whole Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk, any kind
• 2-1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten free Baking Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 teaspoons Bob's Red Mill xanthan gum, OPTIONAL
• 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup Walnuts, OPTIONAL

What is Xanthan Gum?

My daughter uses Xanthan gum in this recipe.

Xanthan Gum is a inactive bacterium also known as Xanthomonas campestris.

The outer layer of this gum is used as a thickener to bond foods together.

How to Make Gluten Free Banana Bread photos

Ingredients

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free White Flour

Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum

Sift Flour with Baking powder and salt

Add wet to dry ingredients

Add to pan

Cool and serve! Yum Yum!!

How to blend ingredients for the Gluten Free Banana Bread

1. In a separate bowl add 1-1/4 cups of White Sugar and 1/2 cup of butter. Mix or 'cream' the ingredients.
2. Add the two whole eggs to this mixture. Add the 1/2 cup of Milk and 1 tsp vanilla. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and to this wet mixture and mix well.
3. Add mashed bananas to this mixture and mix well. Set aside.
4. In separate bowl, sift 2-1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill All purpose Gluten free baking flour and the baking soda, and sife. Add salt, Bob's Red Mill xanthan gum [optional], nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well.
5. Take the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, mix until all the dry is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Put batter into well greased bread pan, You could divide the batter into two smaller loaves.
6. Bake one hour, check with toothpick in center of bread. If it comes out clean - its done!!! Yum yum!!!
7. Cool anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour depending upon the size of the loaf. Then you can slice it. Wrap tightly and refrigerate leftovers. You can freeze loaves when fully cooled and wrapped tightly. I start with a layer of plastic or waxed paper then cover that with foil. Label and date. Use within 3 months. Reheat a single slice for 10 seconds in the microwave or 1 minute in a toaster oven, if you wish.

Bob's Red Mill Products at Vitacost.com

• Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour -- 44 oz - Vitacost
  Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour -- 44 oz - All Natural Product Wheat Free Dairy Free Kosher. Specially designed for those sensitive to wheat and gluten, this mix can be made into delicious homemade cakes, cookies, breads and more.

More recipes from my other kids coming soon!

19 February 2015

Winter is still with us in a way

Even though it has been very nice weather for a week and temperatures in the low 70's some winter things are still with us.
The Flu and all the colds and virus type illnesses seem to be here still. I seem to have it again, or it never really went away.

Glad to see the sunshine nonetheless...

Sad news

My best friends husband passed away on the 13th. He had been ill for a couple of months and in and out of the Hospital and rehab for various things. They could not put their finger on what the cause was.  But suffice to say his lungs gave out and he passed away. Thank goodness she was with him when he did pass.

Linda posted this about her husband on Facebook:
Thomas C. Hamilton 
August 21,1943 - February 13, 2015
In loving Memory~
Your suffering is over my sweet husband. Thank you for all that you have
done for me and my children. Externally grateful. I will miss you dearly. 
Thank you for all the great memories we share.
I love you to the moon and back.

I added this photo of Thomas and the poem below.

The rose still grows beyond the wall

Near a shady wall a rose once grew,
Budded and blossomed in God's free light,
Watered and fed by the morning dew,
Shedding it's sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
Slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall
Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength
With never a thought of fear or pride,
It followed the light through the crevice's length
And unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view
Were found the same as they were before,
And it lost itself in beauties new,
Breathing it's fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve
And make our courage faint and fall?
Nay! Let us faith and hope receive--
The rose still grows beyond the wall,

Scattering fragrance far and wide
Just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side,
Just as it will forever-more.

© by A. L. Frink

My Crafts - Valentine's Day 2015

Valentine's Day 2015

Embroidered Heart

Valentine's Day Card with Embroidered Heart

Valentine's Day Card 
I made more than 50 hearts that I embroidered. I added three hearts to each card.   I made 15 cards. I have extra hearts and will make other things with them.  People can add safety pins to the backs for broches.  I added beads and pearls and buttons to some of them.  The ones I had to mail could not have the embellishments. I was trying to make the envelope flat as possible.
The tutorial and more photos coming soon!

Next Holiday is St Patrick's Day

I will have a short tutorial on this blog about one small felt Shamrock you can make soon!


The Dreaded flu

Well like most people who are older or under 12 or disabled like me, you probably got the dreaded flu or some sort of Virus lately.

I knew I would get several types of the cold and virus going around. I finally got the flu with the cough and a slight elevated fever.

I am finally feeling better with the help of my Nebulizer.  Thanks to the generosity of my good friend Nancy in Nevada who sent me her spare Nebulizer last May.  One has to wait for the five years to be up before you can get one. You cannot even buy one online because they are a controlled item! Why?  Because some idiots decided to use the machines to mist their illegal DRUGS with them! So you cannot buy one without a Rx.  If you have an Rx and want to get one [ or even to replace a broken one like me] when you are on MediCare and state insurance, they will not let you get one!
I feel sad for those whose machines die for some reason and they need the machines more than I do! Ridiculous!!!

Thank goodness my 5 years is in a few months so I can get a new machine.

I needed my Nebulizer two times a day with the flu. I use it once a day for COPD maintenance.

OK I am done ranting...

Happy Valentine's Day!

San Francisco 1961 - 1963

San Francisco 1961 - 1963
© by Sherry Ibidii 2015

Melvina did it again, she brought out some memories that I had that she wanted me to share.
Thank the Lord that me and my brother were protected by the Lord and our honesty and unprejudiced upbringing.
Here then is a very quick, 'DAD" down and dirty - unpolished first draft. Later to be refined and added upon when I get my brother's words first person.
This true story is a minor incident or incidents that were nothing compared to what the world has and is currently subjected to surrounding prejudices.

San Francisco 1961 - 1963
© by Sherry Ibidii 2015

I did not recollect the Rosa Parks as it happened as I was pretty young at the time [1955.] We did have events at school in San Francisco in the 1960's with inequality and prejudice with the teachers, staff and school district, kids and parents to cause 'riots'...

                                     

Old Mission High School San Francisco

Spring 1963: Mission High School:
 My cousin Karen two years older than my brother who was a freshman, told some of the kids not to hurt my brother as he was about to be thrown down a set of stairs. They knew she was not prejudice, and was class president or something. She told them that my brother was not prejudice either. So they left him alone.

James Lick Jr High still looks the same today

Spring 1963 James Lick Jr High School 7th Grade:
The kids knew I was not prejudiced as well and told me to stay in the bathroom when there was a fight with the bloods, the Crips and the white shoe gangs.
They knew I was neutral and did not join the gang.

What gang do you belong to?
I was walking down Noe street towards 22nd street as we lived on Hill street between Noe and Sanchez street.  I had on a pair of white plain tennis shoes, called Ked’s at the time.  Me and Brenda H. and Christine S.  The one boy asked me if I was a 'white shoe.' I did not know what a white shoe was.  Brenda, who was a white shoe or at least her brother was, told him I was not. That I was friends with her and we hung out, and that I was neutral.  I knew some about the gangs at school and that there were the Bloods and the Crips. Mom and Dad told us about gangs in their school days in San Francisco there was the Pachuco's and the Outlaws which was a forerunner of the Hell's Angels started by Ray Outlaw.
Brenda who was Filipino, Native American and a few other nationalities, and her family lived across the street from us on Hill Street. She was in the same grade as me and made friends with me. I hung out with her and we walked to school together some times.  She had a sister Carol who was a year ahead of us and an older brother who was married with a wife an son at the time.  The Mom worked somewhere where they were using the old ‘hanging chad’ IBM punch cards. Which she brought home the ones that were being recycled for us to use to draw on and play school with under the stairs at their home outside.

                              Edison School today
Brenda wore white shoes and I think her brother was part of the early white shoe gang for Edison Elementary school in the late 1950's which we were attending 1960- 1962.
The next year when we all went to James Lick Junior High school I met many more kids and saw less and less of Brenda and Chris. Neither one were in any of my classes for the next 18 months that I lived in San Francisco and that neighborhood. I was involved with the Camp Fire girls so I had different friends in 6th grade. I did not stick with the Camp fire girls in 7th Grade or half of 8th grade.
I went to church and not much else.
I was friends with anyone and so was my brother. We had our own persecution because of our religion.
So in 1963 Spring I was in a cooking class.  Some of the girls who were bloods took my purse and opened it up and used my lipstick and rifled though my purse and inspected it all.  I said nothing.  I am sure I had a look on my face that said Hey that’s my stuff! So because I did not do anything about it they knew I was neutral. I had no idea how to fight or retaliate. I was quite a pacificist as I learned at church and from my family. My parents never told me I could not hang out with certain nationalities or religions. My parents had friends with every nationality and religion.
A few weeks later it was time for us to learn to make Coffee in the foods class.  I went to the teacher after the announcement of the upcoming menu. I quietly told her it was against my religion to drink coffee. I do not recall her saying anything at the time.  The rule was that you had to consume the foods that were cooked in the foods class. I was so honest and I hated to waste food, as we grew up on the poor side when I was under 10 and was taught to not waste things.  Dad made better money by the time I was 11 and they bought the house on Hill Street. It was only 2 years old.
So the next day in foods class the teacher made me stand up by her and announced to the whole class that I was not going to drink the coffee. Why the kids expressed on their faces but were not allowed to speak...  The teacher very spottily said it was because I was a Mormon... She then said some things that I do not remember as I was so embarrassed. I went home and told my parents.  Mom was outraged as she was subjected to the same. I am sure she called the school and told them that I did not have to drink the coffee and why and said that the teacher had no business bullying me in front of the class. That teacher was not very nice to me after that.     I do recall having some kids snicker behind my back something about a tail and horns... Can you believe that?  Mom said the kids used to come up behind her and flip up her dress and ask if she had horns.
So the bloods who took my purse saw that the other kids were being prejudice of me because I was a Mormon...  I had not experienced shunning before that and I was shocked that I was losing friends and they would not talk to me...
I remember sitting at the back of the bus and the bloods would say you are supposed to sit at the front of the bus. I had no idea.  The bloods knew I was neutral.
One day near the time of my brothers experience 1963, there was going to be a rumble.  I was in the bathroom and the bloods who were in my foods class shoved me back into the downstairs bathroom and told me to stay there.  I heard that there was a rumble - a knife fight with the girls!  I came home and told Mom and Dad. So they said that they were planning to move anyway that summer and that tied it. They were concerned for our safety.
That summer in 1963, I went to the dentist and my cousin was with me for two weeks visit.  We walked down to Mission street. We planned to take the bus to the show on Castro street after the dentist visit.
Some white shoe boys attacked us and were trying to take my purse. The same pocketbook with a wrist strap that the bloods had taken from me. The boys yanked so hard and for some reason the Lord only knows I was able to hang onto my purse. I am lucky my wrist was not broken, it was very sore a long time after. I was so shocked that these boys wanted my purse. I was lucky they did not use a knife or beat me up.  The Lord had a hand in this protection for sure.  My cousin also was shocked and ran away. Finally the boys left seeing how they were not going to get my purse. My cousin caught up to me and we went on to the dentist and the show. I had the bus pass so I needed that for sure. I only had the lipstick and some coins and probably a dollar not much else.  Mom and Dad told me after that to surrender my purse.  I decided that I was not going to use a purse after that.  I did not use a purse for 3 more years. I used one on and off but mostly hated carrying a purse after that.  Grandma had me take my coins and rolled them in a handkerchief and told me to tie it on my wrist.  Later I started to put my coins and bus pass in my shoe.

1964:  We moved to Marin county north of San Francisco. I did not have any more issues with anyone trying to rob me.  There were no gang fights at school.
All was well with the kids and I again was friends with anyone.  My church friends were limited as there were only 10 Mormons at school. We were a minority for sure.
Then when I was a Senior I was shamed again in front of the class.
I had this History teacher who must have been board or something. Every day when one of the girls who came around to collect the roll sheets he would stop his lecture and talk to the girl in front of the whole class. What an embarrassment for the girls.
One day a cute little blonde came and he asked her what her name was.  It was Smith like me.  He looked at me and then back at her. He said pointing to me was I her sister? Did we have the same father and was it a polygamous family! Were we related to Joseph Smith the leader of the Mormon church?
I was shocked and the poor girl was shocked. She could not even speak. I could not speak. She shook her head no and left as soon as he turned away.  I was sad that the teacher shamed me as if there was something wrong with me.   I felt bad for her.  I then was upset that this teacher who obviously looked at my school records which I did not even know listed me as a Mormon, had the nerve to use that on me in class...  I was so shy in class and only spoke up when the teachers demanded me to speak.   I was wroth with that teacher after that and could not wait to get out of that class. I never had any of the kids at that school make fun of me or say my church was wrong or any thing bad to me. I had many friends who were of the Jewish faith and they openly accepted me and I hung out with them at lunch and after school and parties.

My Life:   I did not ever have anyone ever be rude to me since in my 65 years. However my oldest daughter and her Mormon Missionary companion were attacked by a man on the train where they were serving their mission in the early 1990‘s in Norway. The man who yelled and screamed at the girls and saying in Norge that they were children of the devil then jumped at her companion and started to choke her!  Miraculously my daughter got the man’s hands off of her companions neck. The train just got to Kristiansand stop a few seconds later and they fled off the train.  They reported the incident but did not press charges. What a harrowing experience! That was Astronaut Lund’s daughter. The Lord made my daughter strong to withstand that man’s strength!

My brave Daughter: My daughter had other experiences as well. None of my kids were harmed but they sure took a blistering from the horrid things that were said to them. My 3 other kids have all be fortunate to stand up for what their convictions were way more than I did.  I had shrunk back because I was blind. I did not get back my voice or strength until I was well into my 30‘s!

1997:   It was 34 years later when a man struck up a conversation with me at a bus stop. Started off with small chit chat and he finally said “Where is your purse?” I said: “I do not use a purse.”  I used a back pack then as I was going to college at age 47 and I had to hold my white cane as a blind person... It was clear that this man had intended on robbing me. After that I quit the bus as much as possible and started to take the disabled bus called Para-Transit.

I am just sad that race, religion and prejudices have to stand in the way of progress in the world.  It makes me ill every time I hear of all the injustices.  I have already written a story of how I was arrested because I looked like a criminal!
My heart goes out to those who have been harmed.  I know that there has to be opposition in the world and it is sad.
My spirit hopes that others will wake up and realize that we are all in the family of man.


Online references by others: Gangs -White shoes:     http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=Mission_District_Gangs_circa_1964-1972

Riots at SF state and High Schools in SF:
In the San Francisco Bay Area, during late 1963 and early 1964, local residents, including high school and college students, picketed and demonstrated against discriminatory hiring practices at local grocery stores, hotels, and at the automobile show rooms on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. By 1963, there was an annual Human Rights March up Market Street. At this time, open campus political activity was forbidden both at the University of California, Berkeley and at San Francisco State. On both campuses, students would begin to challenge the philosophy and dictum that they were not permitted to bring their involvement in current political activity on campus. Student frustration with this prohibition would lead to the 1964 Free Speech Movement at Berkeley, and the creation of the Speakers Platform at San Francisco State. Students here wanted an outdoor area on campus where they could speak freely about issues which interested them. SCOPE (Student Council on Political Education) pressed for such a facility, and was joined by other organizations on campus. A wooden speaker's platform was created in the little triangle of grass directly to the northeast of the present Student Union Building, and in 1963 formally "dedicated to unrestricted freedom of expression." The Speakers Platform, the first of its kind on a college campus, was to be a central location for strike activities.

http://www.library.sfsu.edu/exhibits/strike/case2-text.html

Wednesday February 4, 2015

Family Poems and Work in Progress

I have been working on adding the poems written my my family, friends and classic favorites this last month.  I finished friends and classics. Now I added my Aunt's Poems today.
It starts out with an introductory of my Aunts from my Mom's family - her 7 sisters.

                           

The sisters with their parents in 1956

The last photo of all the sisters [except Mona] and the caregivers for two who are seated - 2009

 My Aunt Geri was made Poet Laureate of Sonoma County California in 2005 for a year.

She wrote a poem about each of her sisters and I have added those. I have added several poems that she has written over the years that were published in her books.

                                    Geri in 2005

Her sisters [my Aunts] Patricia and Nancy also write poems and regularly participate in the yearly readings.  Aunt Nancy is the proprietor of the Keane's Family Bar in San Francisco called the 3300 Club started in the 1950's by her husband. Aunt Nancy has regular readings from the family and friends as well.
Aunt Geri's two daughters write regularly and participate in the readings as well.  Later I will add some of their works.

Here is the link to my blog page here within this blog:
My Aunts and Cousins Poems


                                    ^=^=^=^=^

I am still working on my Mom's page as there is a lot of material to go though from her files she has written over the last 60 years!

                                    ^=^=^=^=^

WIP

Felt Valentines Hearts are cut out

                 Embroidery done

Next is the buttons added to the hearts as well as other bobbles sewn on. Some will just have a heart shaped back that is sewn on the "V" part to make a bookmark that you slip on the corner of the book.

So when they are all done I will be composing a new tutorial of how I made these hearts plus patterns links for embroidery and other ideas on how to make these cute Valentine's felt projects!


:)

February 2, 2015 - Ground Hog Day

New page today
I added a new page today. It is called Poets from all time I never met

                           

The first poet featured is Rod McKuen. Rod passed away last week January 29, 2015 at the age of 81 in California complications from pneumonia.
Rod was the first male poet whose poems that I first loved.

The first female poet whose works I first loved was . Emily Elizabeth Dickinson who was born December 10, 1830 and died May 15, 1886.

Over the years since I first started learning about poets as a young teenager I first learned about the classic poets such as you hear from home or school.
I learned how to write poetry when I was 14 in 8th grade. I had a wonderful English teacher who went on to be a professor of English Literature and was the college director of the Little Theater at the College of Marin. The college of Marin was across the street from the Kent Grammar School/Middle school in which I attended in 1963 - 1964.

I will add more of my favorite poets from the classics and other Modern poets from my lifetime.

                           

Ground Hog Day:
Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, has seen his shadow on Monday morning (despite overcast skies), portending six more weeks of winter.
Wonderful... We never got any snow this winter. We rarely do, sometimes just a few flakes or an inch.  I do miss the snow as I lived in several states that had a regular snowy winter in Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington.

My Mom's Page:
My Mom's page is still a work in progress and as I go through her notes I will add what she has to say from her own words. Mom will be celebrating her 85th birthday in April this year. 

Hope your winter is all that you want it to be and or at least endure it!

My Vegan Spanish Rice Recipe and other recipes

My Dad was Born on Cinco De Mayo - The 5th of May

Dad passed away in 2001 - just 6 weeks after 9/11/2001, he would have been 90 on May 5th 2014.


This is how we decorated my living room with the big flowers made from tissue paper that Mom and I made. I saved the flowers and put them up each year.

The people in the photo are: my Mom on the left. To the far right is my sister in law. Her daughter is the one in black and my oldest daughter is the one in red -  1986.

My Dad was Born on Cinco De Mayo - The 5th of May

My Dad was born May 5, 1924. Dad always loved Mexican food. Growing up part of his years as a young man in San Francisco he loved Mexican food.

There was a Mexican restaurant where he went and was friends with the Frank Garcia family. I think it was called the Sinaloa Restaurant in San Francisco in the Mission District where we lived.

Every year on his Birthday he would stop by after work and Dad would place the order and they would make a covered metal tray of various Mexican entrees for the whole family dinner. What an awesome treat to have the restaurant food come home to us! This is way before take out!


Back then in the 1950's and 1960's in our neighborhood you could get Chinese to go, but not much else unless, like us, you knew a family that would prepare the food like that to bring home and keep warm in the metal steamer tray. Mom would send the tray back with Dad for the next time we got a meal from them a few times a year.

For Dad's Mexican meals Mom got the recipe for the basic Spanish rice and adapted it to suit the family tastes. She made it mild and Dad had his bottle of Tabasco sauce that he would add to it.

We celebrated his Birthday every year with a Mexican meal with all his favorites. I know potato salad is not a Mexican food, but it was his favorite - so that is what we had. We actually had it at every main gathering!

Dad's Birthday Menu

As the years went by, we moved out of San Francisco to Marin county north of the city.  Mom still cooked all the food and Dad made the potato salad.            Mom made a cake or his favorite Lemon Meringue Pie.

When I started cooking as an adult I made Enchiladas and Lady Baltimore cake we added  to the menu. Prior to my baking the Lady Baltimore cakes we got them from the bakery.

1. Spanish Rice and Cheese Enchiladas [recipes below]

2. Salsa and tortilla chips

3. My Dad's Potato salad [recipe below]

4. Green salad with Dad's Thousand island dressing [dressing suggestion recipe below]

5. Olives, pickles, celery, carrots and dip

6. Lemon Meringue Pie or Mom's cake or bakery cake.

6. Later, my Lady Baltimore cake with the whip cream topping [recipes below]

7. Plain vanilla ice cream

My Recipes added

As I learned how to make Enchiladas in the early 80's we added that. I learned how to make the Lady Baltimore Cake in the late 70's that was added to the menu.

My youngest daughter will make Spanish Rice with Brown or Jasmine Rice now with no meat. She makes this for our Mexican burritos. We will have Mission Chips or corn chips, salsa, and Guacamole she makes by hand. She will make some taco seasoned ground beef on the side for those who want it. She has all the ingredients and some big flour tortillas set out with all the fixings such as refried beans, shredded cheese, black beans added to a cooked mix of greens such as Kale, with bell and sweet peppers and onion and garlic. They do not care for sour cream, or tomatoes or lettuce in their burritos.   We each get what we want and add it to the tortillas. I use white corn flour [Masa] tortillas that are heated to crisp in the microwave. I like black sliced olives in my burrito. They use flour tortillas uncooked. The heat of the food heats up the flour tortillas for them.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Dad passed away in 2001 - just 6 weeks after 9/11 - September 11, 2001. Dad would have been 90 on May 5th 2014.


Dad's favorite Spanish rice

Mom cooked this as a main meal rather than a side dish. Omit the meat to make it a Vegan recipe.

Spanish rice photo and recipe link

My Mom's Spanish rice

Ingredients for Spanish rice

3 - 8 oz cans Tomato sauce
1 - 28 oz can whole tomatoes
24 oz water
4 tbsp Olive oil, or Vegetable
1 large Yellow onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice, any kind
1 clove Garlic, chopped - more if you wish
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 Bell Pepper any color, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Marjoram
1 1/2 pounds Ground meat, beef or other
Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 50 min

Ready in: 1 hour 10 min

Yields: makes 4 cups

Instructions for cooking Spanish Rice

Chop all vegetables and saute in oil until the vegetables look opaque, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Cook meat until no longer pink, drain and set aside.
In large Dutch oven or other pot add cooked drained meat, [skip meat for Vegan], vegetables and all the other ingredients except the rice.
Simmer, covered 15 minutes. Add rice and cook low covered for additional 35 minutes or until rice is done. You can cook in oven at 300 degrees at the point where the rice is added until done.


My Dad's favorite condiments:
Tabasco Original Sauce, Del Monte Ketchup and Best Foods Mayonnaise.

 

https://www.tabasco.com/       

https://www.bestfoods.com/us/en/products/mayonnaise/real-mayonnaise.html

Dad's Basic formula - Potato Salad
This recipe was developed in the 1950's before they told us that too much cholesterol was not good for you.

You can make this recipe and use less Mayonnaise. You can also substitute some fat free sour cream for most of the mayonnaise and it comes out really good. I have tried all tofu as well as all Greek yogurt. It does not taste very good with the tofu, I have tried it and I did not like it. The best is a few spoonfuls of each Mayonnaise, sour cream and then use the remainder of your formula to be Greek Yogurt. You can add the mustard, vinegar and spices to the formula of the 'dressing' in advance and it will flavor the dressing. You can do this the day before. For Vegans - your choice of dressing.

My brother was allergic to eggs and Mom made a potato salad and a macaroni salad with vegetable oil and vinegar using the same ingredients as above sans eggs and Mayonnaise.



Dad's Basic Potato Salad

10 pounds Russet Potatoes [He always made a BIG batch]
8 to 12 Hard boiled eggs, 8 jumbo or 12 regular
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Bell pepper, chopped
2 cups Best Foods Mayonnaise
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
Cook Time

Total Time: 3+ hours

Serves: 10 to 20

Instructions for my Dad's Potato Salad

This is the old basic recipe. Dad adapted it as time went by.
He used Best Foods Mayonnaise only! He used Wesson Vegetable oil only. He only used Russet potatoes. He used white vinegar until Mom started to by Apple Cider vinegar in the late 70's. He used the yellow onions and basic green bell peppers.
Later he started to use the green onions. He preferred the yellow onions. He liked basic foods. I don't think Dad used any pepper.
Mom said she added some paprika on her salad after he made the salad. Dad showed me how he made his salad when I was an adult as I was there making the salad for my daughters pre-wedding dinner party.

He cooked the russets in water to cover about 20 minutes or until tender. He took the pan and sat it in the sink to cool off the potatoes in running cold water.
As soon as the potatoes were cool enough for him which was a lot sooner than for me - he showed me how to slip the skins off under running water!

No peeling!

All the time I wasted peeling all those years!

So with a paring knife he would cut out the dark spots or blemishes. Then he chopped up the potatoes into the largest Tupperware Mix and store container which is about 23-26 cups, if I remember correctly.
That was a lot of potato salad. The bowl was perfect fit for his 10 pounds of potatoes and all the other ingredients. Then he chopped up all the veggies, Mom did this also. Then added the veggies. He mixed it all up. Then he added the chopped hard boiled eggs. Then he added the mayonnaise, vinegar, oil and salt. Mixing all thoroughly.

Dad said the warm potatoes helped to make the dressing and oil permeate the potatoes better after it got cold for at least 12 hours.
Emeril Lagasse says 3 hours minimum on his website for this recipe. I would also make it the day before. If I could not wait, I would at least have some that night after 6 hours.

My version: When I started to make this salad I began to add more things to it. I add the following items in any combination:
olives
chopped dill pickles or sweet or dill relish
bean sprouts
green onions
red peppers
pimentos
small cooked shrimp - not canned
About 6 pieces of crispy cooked bacon broken in small pieces
Jicama finely chopped
water chestnuts
garlic powder or minced garlic
parsley or cilantro fresh or dry
pepper
yellow mustard or Dijon Mustard
I would also make my salad from Red potatoes. I have made the salad from Yukon gold potatoes and that comes out fine as well. The basic salad as Dad made it is perfectly fine as is. I would always use a dozen regular size eggs. When I had my hens I could really tell how much better the salad was with my fresh eggs!


Dad's Thousand Island dressing

Dad's Secret Formula was these specific brands: Best Food's Mayonnaise, Del Monte Ketchup, French's Mustard, Wesson oil, Distilled White Vinegar, Dill pickle relish and Tabasco sauce. The amounts was the secret! But it was a great dressing for the basic salad. They used: Head Lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, chopped celery with the leaves, green onions and cucumber.  My parents had this salad at the main meals. They never added any other ingredients into their salad.  Dad would add a couple of spoonfuls of Mayonnaise to the top of the salad. Later when they learned that mayonnaise was not such a good condiment, he only used a tiny spoonful of the mayonnaise.  He had a  very hard time giving it up. The same with my Mom she still used the Mayonnaise until she stopped cooking for herself and only had it occasionally.

Sherry's Cheese and Green Chile Enchiladas
- Adapted from several recipes.

Ingredients

2 large 28 oz cans of Old El Paso Enchilada sauce
16 large Flour tortillas [You can use any kind of Tortilla]
1 large yellow red or white onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped [less if you like]
3 to 4 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 large can 27 oz of Ortega whole green Chiles
1 large 16 oz can Black sliced olives
1/4 cup fresh cilantro plus reserve leaves for garnish
1 cup sour cream
Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 1 hour

Yields: 8 - 2 for each person

             

Awesome Chile Rellenos Casserole - very yummy!!!

You can measure each of your items into 16 parts so you have equal cheese and onion mix.  A muffin tin or two is great for this.
Rinse and slice the green chiles lengthwise for all 16 of the chiles. Set aside. Chop together the onion, garlic and cilantro. Reserve some sprigs of cilantro for garnish at serving time.

If your olives are whole slice the olives. Shred cheese if necessary. If you pre-warm the flour or corn tortilla for 10 seconds in the microwave they will bend easier and not break.  Assemble the 16 tortillas in a large 13 X 11 x 4 or larger pan so that the tortillas are like a taco with the bottom flat to the pan. Add some cheese to each tortilla.

Add one sliced chile to each tortilla. Add a spoonful of onion, garlic and cilantro mix to each tortilla.

Add more cheese to each tortilla and 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Carefully roll up each tortilla. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas. Add Enchilada sauce to the top of all the tortillas. I like to cover all of the tortillas.

Chop the remaining chiles and add to the top. Add sliced olives to the top. Cover with foil to seal. Bake 350 for 20 to 30 minutes

Keep covered until ready to serve then add some cilantro and dot with the sour cream.

Heat remaining Enchilada sauce for those who want more sauce.We found some whole grain flour tortillas that we really like and work nice for all our needs.

The Lady Baltimore Cake

                                  My son 2nd Birthday and his Lady Baltimore cake [angled cake for photo]

My 2nd Daughter's 3rd Birthday - my Lady Baltimore Cake

Lady Baltimore Cake Recipe - White cake with whip cream topping and fruit on top and the middle

Traditional Lord and Lady Baltimore cakes were white cakes with a boiled frosting. Topped and filled with raisins, dates, figs and topped with some nuts. They marinated the fruit in Sherry wine.

I worked for a bakery in the 70's and the recipe she made she used the coconut, cherries, peaches and bananas. I have gone to bakeries that have had their cakes with the raspberry filling. I have even had one with the strawberries. I added the coconut of my own idea. You can use any kind of fruit combination.

https://www.pillsburybaking.com/products/moist-supreme/classic-white

Lady Baltimore Cake

Cook Time

Prep Time: 30 mins prep, 30-40 minutes bake

Total Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Serves: 12 to 18

Ingredients for Lady Baltimore Cake

1 Pillsbury Moist Supreme White Cake
3 egg whites for cake mix
1-1/4 Water for cake mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil for cake mix
Fruit for filling and topping
1 -15 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium size jar maraschino cherries, about 12 to 20 drained
12 oz  unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup canned peaches, drained and diced
1 banana, ripe but not overly ripe
1/2 cup chopped nuts or Almond slices

Whipping Cream topping recipe
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold, 35-40% butterfat content)
1 or 2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions

Mix the cake according to directions. [You can use any white cake mix or white cake from scratch] Pour into a 9 inch x 13 inch pan that has been oiled and floured or lined with parchment paper. Bake 350 pre-heated oven 30 - 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Check box for directions. Cake will be moist. Let cool. While cake is baking or before as you need a cool room, make the Whipped Cream Frosting. It is very helpful to have the cold room and to place your mixing bowl [preferably metal] and electric beater whisks in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes. Add heavy cream to bowl and start machine on low speed. Then add vanilla adding sugar gradually. Slowly increase the speed to high to whip the heavy cream.Cover and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups whipped cream.
After cake has cooled - assemble fruit that has been drained, coconut, chopped walnuts, and sliced banana. You can add the coconut to the outside and the inside.
Mark your cake with toothpicks sticking out the sides of the cake. Take dental floss holding it in both hands with a foot in between your hands. meet the center of the cake side like you are going to tie the floss. Place the floss above the tooth picks. Pull the floss through the cake to cut it lengthwise in a sawing motion. Place a thin cardboard between the layers and scoot the top layer on the cardboard.
The alternate method is to divide the batter and bake two pans of cake.

Frost the top of the one cake. Add banana, peach chunks and pineapple chunks at intervals in one layer. If you do not want any of this kind of fruit, you can use what kinds you want such as strawberries, and kiwi. As long as the fruit is dry, or well drained.

Add some of the whipped topping to cover the fruit. Carefully add the other half of the cake on the top. It is OK to use clean toothpicks to hold the layers together. Just let your guests know before hand. Add the remaining whip cream. Decorate the top with pineapple and cherries. Use your hand to add a layer of coconut to the side of the cake that has been frosted with the whip cream. Add chopped nuts to the top of the cake lightly. The nuts and coconut are optional. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed. Be sure to cover any leftovers.
The Pillsbury Moist Supreme White Cake with Pudding in the mix is available at WalMart.

                                                     Dad with my 2nd daughter 1979

I Love you Dad!   J.E.S. 1924 - 2001

This page is dedicated to my Dad. He would have been 90 on May 5, 2014