Life with the Family O

Tag: Family Recipe

  • A Delicious, Light and Yummy Cake!

    pineapple

    My mom makes the most delicious pineapple cake.  It is my sister’s favorite and has quickly gained more followers as I have started making it.  I never attempted to make it because I assumed my mom always slaved over it.  Seemed complex.  I don’t do cakes often.   But I wanted to know how to make it.

    Turns out this cake – is easy as pie!  But really, it is so easy!  Make it, trust me, you will love it and so will everyone who eats it.  It is a super light and fluffy dessert.  I asked my mom where she got the recipe and she said that my Grandpa’s sister used to make it.

    Disclaimer – I have no good pictures of it!  :O(   Next time I make it I shall update this entry, sorry!

    (IT REALLY IS PRETTY, I promise)

    pineapple cake

    Pineapple Cake

    about 18 servings

    1 box of yellow cake mix – bake according to directions on box

    1 can of pineapple chunks

    1 pkg lemon instant pudding (no cook)

    1 container of cool whip

    Walnuts

    Directions

    Bake the cake and let cool completely

    When cool, poke holes randomly with a fork all over the cake

    Pour the juice from the pineapple over the cake

    Place the pineapple chunks all over the top of the cake

    Make the pudding and then fold the pudding into the Cool Whip and make sure the pudding and Cool Whip are well blended

    Frost the cake and put walnuts on top

    Enjoy!

     

     

  • Family Recipe – Green Chili

    green chili

    The best green chili is here in print, something that has been hard to obtain even though the recipe has been in the family for generations. In fact, I was flipping through our family recipe book and this one is not in there!
    Being 5th generation Coloradoans we have a rich tradition of food and family.  Try this recipe and enjoy the flavors of Colorado and New Mexico cuisines.

    1 lb. of cubed pork

    1 tsp of garlic powder/ 1 crushed clove

    3 tbsp. of flour

    1 can of Rotel with green chilis

    1 1/2 cups of diced green chilis

    1 1/2 tsp. salt

    2 tsp.  garlic salt

    1/2 cup onion

    6 cups of chicken broth

    In a sauce pan, heat 1 TBSP of oil then add pork (I prefer tenderloin, some prefer fattier pieces) add garlic.  After pork is cooked add flour, stir and cook until the flour is brown, I remember my Grandma always saying the browning is the most important part.  Blend Rotel (a new twist to the family recipes, saves time!), water, onions and green chilis in a blender.  Add to pan of browned flour, add salt, garlic salt and simmer for at least an hour, add water to desired thickness.  Also, delicious the next day too!  Serve with tortillas, beans, cheese or over a tostada or burrito.

  • Aunt Sophies Outdoor Oven Spanish Bread


    Every couple of years I end up pulling out the old family recipe cookbook. It was put together for a family reunion in 1984. I learned how to drive a stick shift there, that summer, I was 12 – the good ole days right? It was a small town after all.

    Every time I pull out the book I usually have a purpose, on a mission looking for an old familiar. Until today. It has turned into quite the snowstorm outside so I decided I want to bake today, fill the house with the smell of bread. I initially went to allrecipes.com, then the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but then I came across the cookbook. Simply titled The Benavidez Family Cookbook. I flipped to the bread section, past the tortillas, the sopapillas and bunuelos that are so familiar to me to a recipe with a curious title.

    I read through the recipe titled Spanish Outdoor Oven Bread… hmmm. I decided to read through, I saw that I had all the ingredients I would need, still not completely convinced though. I skimmed down the page to see that my Grandma’s Aunt Josie submitted it, I made her sisters tortillas recently. So what got me? The last line of her recipe read “You have never eaten a better bread in your life”. OK – Fully convinced, I went to work.





    Ok, so I put the bread in the oven and left for the store. I told my husband to watch them and to pull them out when the oven beeped. Let me just tell you that when I came back all 3 boys and Daddy has mouths and fistfuls of bread… they were eating it plain, no butter even. I was like “it’s that good”? I seriously love bread but it always needs butter. However I tore of a chunk and WOW – it really didn’t need butter or anything, it was delicious! Nice hard crust too, not to crumbly. It really was the best bread I have eaten, and yes I did end up putting butter – almost heaven! So good, HIGHLY RECOMMEND – Go make it right now – go!

    The Recipe – notes on bottom indicate amounts halfed
    (Click to Enlarge)

  • Braided Egg Bread


    Again being inspired by so many awesome foodie blogs I decided it was time I learned how to make homemade bread. We are a bread loving family. My husband was running to the store and I told him to get flour for some cookies I was going to bake (Lemon Spiral), on a whim I told him to grab some yeast. I thought that at least if I have it in the house I would be able to make it when inspiration struck. He brought home Fleishmanns Rapid Rise yeast. I went straight to the internet to find some recipes that specifically called for it. All of those called for cream, which is something I am finding out most chef and bakers always have on hand. I on the other do not keep cream on hand. So off the allrecipes.com to find the perfect loaf. I searched Bread, Non-Machine, Loaf, Top 20. A recipe came up that looked and sounded delicious… and it was!
    Ingredients:

    3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons sugar
    1 package Fleishmanns Rapid Rise dry yeast
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup water
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    3 eggs + 1 egg yolks
    TOPPING:
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon water
    Directions:
    1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients along with eggs. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
    2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place rest about 10 minutes.
    3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Set a third of the dough aside. Divide remaining dough into three pieces. Shape each into a 13-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Divide reserved dough into three equal pieces; shape each into a 14-in. rope. Braid ropes. Center 14-in. braid on top of the shorter braid. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
    4. Beat egg and water; brush over dough. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

    This recipe was adapted from Marlene Jeffreys recipe on Allrecipes.com

  • Grandma Sadie’s Family Recipe Tortillas

    Aunt Josie’s Tortillas

    My Grandma Sadie never wrote down her recipes… Her tortillas were a family staple, I miss them. This recipe is from her Aunt Josie.
    3 cups flour
    3 tsp. baking powder
    2 tsp. salt
    2 tbsp. shortening
    1/2 cup milk
    1/2 cup water
    Put flour in a bowl, add baking powder, salt and mix well. Add shortening and into flour until well mixed. Make a hole in the middle. Add milk and hot water and mix and knead until smooth. More water may be added if necessary. Dough should not stick to hands. Roll dough into balls just larger than golf balls, roll flat with rolling pin and cook on hot griddle. Flip and pick how well you want them done. Smooth on butter and enjoy!

    mix 

    knead 

    form into ball, roll into circle (not like this weird shape I am just now noticing!) 

    the first couple were too puffy and oily more like bunelos –
    we ate these with homemade 3-berry syrup 

    Finally, no oil on griddle, rolled thinner – these were good!

  • Mom’s Spanish Rice

    Tootsie’s Spanish Rice

    This is my Mom’s recipe, a classic, brings back some sweet memories…She would make it with red chile sometimes, sometimes with steak, always with tortillas. I still remember the delicious aroma that filled the house.

    1 small onion

    1 green pepper

    1/4 lb. cubed bacon

    1 – 17oz can stewed tomatoes

    Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

    1 cup uncooked minute rice

    3 cups water

    Fry bacon, add onion and green pepper, saute. Add stewed tomatoes, simmer about 20 minutes.

    In separate pan bring water to boil, add rice and stir constantly until rice is done. Drain and rinse well, add rice to other ingredients.