Bacon, Egg, & Potato Fry

Bacon, Egg, & Potato Fry
Dorcas Annette Walker

We’ve been having winter weather lately here on the mountain with cold temperatures and a few skiffs of snow, although overall winter this year has been mild. To pamper my hens we put out heated water dishes, turned the heat lamp on, and on cold days I fix up a batch of warm rice give to my hens- all which helps them keep laying. I’ve also mucked out the henhouse a couple of times giving them fresh straw and making sure that all the nests are soft. In return my hens continue to lay big fat brown, white, and cream colored eggs of which I’m expecting a double yolk any day now. Even in the midst of frigid weather there is lots of activity in the henhouse.

The big rooster, which was attacked by my hens, put in a separate pen, and lined up for beheading has managed to escape his fateful day. In fact Red Pepper is beginning to remind me of a cat with nine lives. When I was down with my arm, Dana decided it was too much work to fool with the rooster, who had started growing feathers back and looked healthy again, and without my knowing it, put my rooster back in the henhouse. As soon as I found out I protested indignantly -considering all the work I had given the rooster to keep the old boy alive-, especially when Dana admitted that the hens had begun attacking him again. I convinced Dana to rescue my poor rooster again and had him put Red Pepper in the back enclosed garden. Red Pepper shook his remaining bedraggled feathers looking quite the sorry sight as he began surveying his new domain. Since then I’ve fixed up a temporary shelter for my rooster, who has another batch of feathers coming back in while starting each day out with loud crows like an alarm clock. Once again the dear fellow has managed to avoid getting his head chopped off.

My Bacon, Egg, & Potato Fry is a hearty dish perfect for a winter day that can be prepared for breakfast, lunch, or supper. You can substitute sausage, hot dogs, or leftover ham for the bacon or add mushrooms, black olives and peppers if desired. Preparation time for the Bacon, Egg, & Potato Fry is around forty-five minutes and this recipe serves four.

Bacon, Egg, & Potato Fry

2 pieces of bacon
4 large potatoes
salt & pepper
6 large eggs
¼ c milk

In a medium-sized iron skillet fry the bacon crisp. While the bacon is cooking peel, wash, and dice the potatoes. Remove the bacon when done adding the potatoes to the hot grease. Salt and pepper to taste, cover, and let one side brown. Turn over the potatoes, crumble up the bacon and sprinkle over top, and re-salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about fifteen minutes until the potatoes are soft flipping the potatoes a couple of times. Beat up the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and cover. Stir until the eggs are cooked and scrambled. Serve hot. May garnish with ketchup!

Weekly tip: To determine if an egg is good or bad put in salt water. If it sinks it is okay, but if the egg floats throw it out!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Homemade Beef Fajita

Homemade Beef Fajita
Dorcas Annette Walker

Last week I featured an old recipe of my mother. This week I am giving what to me is a new recipe, although fajitas- a Spanish nickname- goes back as far as the 1930’s of what were throwaway parts of the beef given to Mexican cowboys as part of their pay then grilled and served on tortillas. I have my son, Dwight, to thank for introducing me to fajitas as he puttered around cooking in my kitchen this past week as I seldom eat out in restaurants preferring to prepare my own meals at home. While some love to eat in Chinese or Mexican restaurants- trying foods they have no idea of what they are eating, including my own dear children, I am a bit fussier. A couple years ago I was talked into going into one of these types of restaurants to try fried ice cream that my husband declared was delicious. Even though all restaurants are supposed to be inspected unfortunately this one did not meet my standard of cleanliness to start with and I wasn’t put at ease with all the chattering away in a language I couldn’t understand, but my waterloo came when I was presented with greasy ice cream that turned my stomach on sight. I couldn’t get out of the place fast enough. Now some people- like my husband- might enjoy mixed up stuff like fried ice cream, but I prefer my fried foods and frozen desserts to remain separate, thank you, especially when I have no idea of what is going on back in the kitchen.

Speaking of brand new, I also want to quickly tell you about a new hardback 365 day devotional from Bethany House that just came out called Love is a Verb by Gary Chapman and James Stuart Bell with several other writers featured in it including myself. This devotional retails for $19.99, but I will let you have it postpaid for $20.00 if you send a money order or check to: 929 Wildwood Lane, Jamestown, TN 38556.

Now back to cooking. Fajitas are a true blend of Tex-Mex food. While our Homemade Beef Fajita uses beef you can also substitute chicken, pork, turkey, steak strips etc. adding mushrooms, black olives, salsa, tomato, lettuce, and sour cream to your heart’s desire or for added zest and warmth sprinkle on three to four drops of Tabasco sauce like my son, Dwight, does. Preparation time for the Homemade Beef Fajita takes only ten minutes and this recipe makes one fajita, although you probably won’t stop with only one.

Homemade Beef Fajita

¼ c shredded leftover beef
¼ c frozen seasoned onions
¼ c chopped red & green peppers
garlic, regular salt, & pepper
¼ c shredded coby-jack cheese
1 flour tortilla

Lightly oil skillet and slowly sauté on low the beef, onions, and peppers for five minutes adding the salts and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheese and let melt. Microwave the tortilla for fifteen seconds. Place the beef mixture in the middle of the warmed tortilla and fold over. You can use a toothpick to secure the tortilla. Serve hot!

Weekly tip: Each summer I chop up garden fresh red and green peppers layering them out on paper towel-lined trays to dry and then freeze for handy year round use or you can also dry the peppers in a dehydrator!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Mom's Pretzel Soup

Mom’s Pretzel Soup
Dorcas Annette Walker

Another New Year has begun laid out fresh and unmarred before us; a time to ponder the past and set goals for the future. Considering the medical catastrophes that hit our family and what we are still recovering from the previous year, I was ready to turn the page on a new beginning. Last year after only a couple of months had passed our lives did a complete u-turn when my husband, Dana, had open heart surgery. Then to finish out the old year I fell dislocating my elbow, which the orthopedic surgeon says may take up to a year or longer to get back to normal. Despite major setbacks there have been many blessings along the way. I’m thrilled that I can use my wrist once again making me independent, our circle of friends has enlarged, we have a wonderful sup-portative home church and caring pastor, and our family unit has grown even closer. There is so much to be thankful for.

The one way I keep from totally losing it when life throws a curve is by staying organized. This is time of the year I pull out all my lists and goals from last year and then revise, delete, or add for the coming New Year. There is something mentally challenging and exhilarating to me about taking inventory and planning ahead while shuffling through calendars and pages of notes- something that might drive some folk batty. I love finding ideas or projects that I stashed away during the past year to consider. One of my favorite things is starting a new cooking notebook for my column for the year while browsing through old and new recipes.

Since the New Year started off cold and snowy I decided to feature a soup dish. Not any soup mind you, but a favorite of my mother’s that she would make whenever we were sick- perfect for me right now as my elbow recuperates. My mother never used a recipe for her pretzel soup that is very simple and easy to make so I’ve had to measure out the ingredients as I made it up. My Mom’s Pretzel Soup has a slightly nutty crunchy taste and is a great digestive aid- a perfect help for colds and flu this winter. You can also substitute toast instead of pretzels if you prefer. Preparation time for my Mom’s Pretzel Soup is around ten minutes and this recipe serves one.

Mom’s Pretzel Soup

½ c pretzels broken into bite-size pieces
1 c milk
1 tsp butter
salt & pepper

Place the pretzel pieces in a bowl, add milk, and butter. Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Microwave for a minute or so until the butter is melted. Serve hot!

Weekly tip: A rule of thumb when serving soups: dish up thick soups into heavy china, pottery bowls, mugs, or sty foam while serving thin light soups in elegant crystal or fine china!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Dwight's Breakfast Bake

Dwight’s Breakfast Bake
Dorcas Annette Walker

It happened so fast right before Christmas. One minute I was on my feet changing my son’s bed with a list of things to get done that day when my foot caught on one of the numerous cords running across the floor and I fell flat on my face. I kept telling my son that his bedroom was a disaster area and that one day I’d break my neck. Thankfully it was my elbow that was thrown out of joint instead, although the pain was excruciating. It wasn’t like I hadn’t fallen before, but this time when I saw my arm sticking out in a position that wasn’t normal, I realized that I was in big trouble. On the way to the hospital in the ambulance I was given a shot for pain, which didn’t even faze me. Normally it doesn’t take much to knock me out. In the ER I was given a stronger dose of pain medication that barely took an edge off my agony. After x-rays- where it was confirmed that my elbow was indeed out of the joint- I was sent by ambulance down to the Cookeville hospital. On the way I was given another shot. Almost six hours later, I was still awake and hurting when the orthopedic surgeon finally came down to the emergency room, put me under, and got my elbow back in place.

The next day I spent throwing everything up- a reaction from all the pain meds I had been given- while my dear husband tried to nurse me back to health. Suddenly I couldn’t dress myself, put up my long hair, or even take a shower. I’ve always been independent. Now I was dependent on my two fellows that at times were quite helpless. Thankfully my daughter, Dawn, came to the rescue. Between helping me she cleaned my house, wrapped up all my Christmas presents, baked lots of goodies, and fixed meals. What at first seemed like a big disaster turned into a special family get-to-gether. Instead of spending only a couple of days with us, Dawn and her family spend the entire week. Despite having my arm in a cast our house was full of laughter and love during the Christmas season.

Dawn and Dwight helped me put together this week’s column. One morning Dwight fixed a new dish that I named Dwight’s Breakfast Bake. Not one crumb was left. Since I couldn’t take pictures with my arm in a cast, Dawn did the honors for me. Both of my children rallied around their mom to make lots of wonderful holiday memories that warm our hearts to carry into the New Year.

Dwight’s Breakfast Bake is an ideal way to use up leftover ham and can also be made for lunch or as a light supper. You can add or mix match sausage, pepperonis, hash browns, and black olives. Preparation time for Dwight’s Breakfast Bake is around forty minutes and this recipe serves eight.

Dwight’s Breakfast Bake

1 can of eight crescent dinner rolls
8 large eggs
4 pieces of bacon crumbled
½ c cooked ham chopped
½ c frozen seasoned onions with peppers
1 c shredded coby-jack cheese
salt & pepper

In a 9 x 13 greased baking dish layer the crescent rolls on the bottom. Beat up four eggs, add a little bit of milk, and pour over the rolls tilting the dish to cover. Sprinkle on the meats and onions. Beat the other four eggs adding a little bit of milk and layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheese and bake at 350º for thirty minutes. Serve hot!

Weekly tip: Have a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Dorcas Annette Walker

In case you haven’t noticed I’ve been a bit wild over chocolate recipes this year for the holidays. In my way of thinking how else can you properly celebrate unless chocolate is involved? For those of you though, who aren’t crazy over chocolate I’m going to give you a vanilla version or what I call my Snowball Cookies that are also rolled in powdered sugar. That’s the neat thing about cooking. You can always find or change a recipe to suit your own taste buds. I feel sorry for the folk that don’t cook. They are limited in so many ways when it comes to personalizing food. When you are the chef the sky or rather the saucepan is the limit. So this Christmas don’t be afraid to try a new recipe along with the tried and true ones.

These Chocolate Christmas Cookies are very simple to make and will go fast with their soft brownie-like texture dusted with a cracked powdered sugar crust turning a plain chocolate cookie into something fancy. The Chocolate Christmas Cookies are great dipped in a glass of milk (my son’s favorite way of eating cookies and cake) or by themselves. You can add chopped nuts if you prefer or mix in some chocolate chips for a double chocolate burst of flavor. Preparation time for my Chocolate Christmas Cookies is around twenty minutes and this recipe makes two dozen cookies.

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

2 c self-rising flour
1 c sugar
½ c cocoa powder
½ c shortening
2 eggs
¼ c milk
1 tsp vanilla & almond extract
1 c powdered sugar

In a medium-sized bowl mix together all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar until well combined. The batter will be stiff. You can add another drop or two of milk if needed. Take a heaping tablespoon of batter and form into a ball. Roll in the powdered sugar until well coated. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for ten minutes. Let cool for five minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Finish cooking and then store in an airtight container!

Snowball Cookies

1 c sugar
1 c shortening
2 eggs
½ c milk
1 tsp vanilla & almond extract
3 c self-rising flour
1 c chopped pecans
1 c powdered sugar

Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs together. Add milk and extracts. Stir in flour and chopped pecans. Take a tablespoon of dough, form into a ball, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes at 350º. While warm roll the cookies in the powdered sugar and let cool. Makes three dozen cookies.

Weekly tip: When rolling out cookie dough or forming it into a ball the dough is often easier to work with if you chill it first. Cover and place the cookie dough in the refrigerator for about an hour until completely chilled then roll out the dough or form it into balls!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Chocolate Peanut Nuggets

Chocolate Peanut Nuggets
Dorcas Annette Walker

Have you ever had a day when it seems like everything goes wrong? I had a “Calamity Jane” Saturday this past week. For some reason my dear hens decided somewhere along the way to go modern and stage an attack on my large white rooster that is twice as big as them. My “women libber” hens kept pecking and pulling feathers off of the rooster until they had intimidated the poor fellow to where he hid in the henhouse. Nothing deterred the hens no matter what I sprayed on or did to the dear boy to help him get his self esteem back. I finally decided Saturday afternoon that I had to move my rooster before the hens did him in. So putting on some old clothes and gloves I girded myself for the battle of catching my turkey-sized rooster. Feathers and straw flew everywhere with me biting the dust more than once until I managed to corner and catch the dear boy. By the time I put him into a large feed stack and deposited him in another pen I was out of breath. A couple of hours later I tripped over the small fence around my herb garden while gathering some chives for supper and landed flat on my face in the dirt again. By then my bones were definitely protesting. I dusted myself off and limped into the house for a cup of tea. As dusk settled in I went back outside to help my son get some firewood. We had made a couple of trips and were on our last load- Dwight pushing the wheelbarrow ahead of me- when I reached over and picked up the handle on my wagon to leave the woodpile. Just as I was getting ready to pull the wagon I heard a loud noise and looked up in time to see a dead tree falling in my direction. I screamed and totally froze. The tree twisted and thankfully landed on the workshop standing next to me. Dwight raced back in wide-eyed disbelief. I moved my body and wagon to safety while he pushed the tree over enough for it to crash onto the ground. I tell you once I got back into the house there was nothing that was going to get me out of the door again that day.

So this week I decided to do something simple and made up a batch of my Chocolate Peanut Nuggets. You can mix-match nuts, add dried fruit and/or rice crispies, or substitute white chocolate for dark. Also using decorative candy or cupcake papers will make the Chocolate Peanut Nuggets a perfect homemade candy Christmas gift. Preparation time for my Chocolate Peanut Nuggets is around twenty minutes and this recipe makes three dozen nuggets.

Chocolate Peanut Nuggets

2 lbs dark chocolate almond bark
1 (16 oz) jar of dry roasted peanuts
1 tsp almond flavoring
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl microwave the chocolate until melted. Stir in the flavorings and peanuts. Drop by large tablespoons into candy or cupcake papers in muffin pans. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer a few minutes until hard. Store in an airtight container!

Weekly tip: To help make it easier and less of a mess to get the melted candy into the papers to harden, use a table knife to first push the paper down into the muffin pan before dropping in the candy mixture!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com