Warm Cider with Mulling Spices

It is fall! In this house it means putting another quilt on the bed, attending fall festivals, carving pumpkins, using apple butter instead of jam, making/eating pumpkin nut bread, making/eating apple related foods and drinking cider/cranberry juice/coffee with mulling spices!

I just love mulling spices. I got this jar for free! If you have never heard of Penzey's Spices then please check them out here.They have a Richmond location in Carytown. The spices are great and mailer is free. The mailer sometimes comes with coupons for half off/free coupons, which is how I got the mulling spices for free. The mailer also includes recipes that are created by customers. The business does not create them at all. It is pretty cool to see what others are doing. Please check them out.

First Cookout of the Year

Since it was going to be beautiful Sunday we decided to have a cookout for my birthday instead of going out to dinner.  Such a great decision!  It was so fun to have people over to sit outside and just chat. All while eating yummy cookout type food of course. Can't wait until it actually stays warm and we can do this all the time.

Mrs. Kim's Potato Salad (the best ever!)

I think this is the best potato salad. Not much to it, but sometimes I feel people get carried away and overload potato salad.

5 lb red potatoes or dutch yellow potatoes (skin on)
6-8 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1.5-2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons celery seed
salt and pepper taste

Chop potatoes in half or in quarters depending on size.  Add salt and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes. You do not want to under cook or over cook the potatoes since it will result in a mushy potato salad.  The potatoes are done when a fork goes in easily.  Cool on a cutting board, but do not let them sit for too long or they will turn dark.

Chop potatoes in into small chunks leaving the skin on.  Add chopped egg and celery salt. Start with 1.5 cups of mayo. Stir and add more if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves 15-20 people.

Mom-Mom's Chicken Dish

This is my grandmother's recipe.  It is very easy and is the epitome of comfort food for my family.  The recipe has been passed down to her children, daughter-in laws, grandchildren and one day great grandchildren.  It is usually served with mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and rolls.

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 packet of onion soup mix (store brand or Lipton's)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 to 1/2 cup light whipping cream (depends on how thick/thin you want the gravy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine soup mix, mushroom soup and whipping cream in a bowl.  Place chicken breasts in a oven safe dish and pour gravy mix over chicken.  Cook 30-35 minutes.

The extra gravy is great on mashed potatoes even if they are instant.

This recipe is great during the work week since it is so quick to prepare.  The gravy could be made in the morning and placed in the refrigerator until ready to use that night.

360 calories per serving if you use 1/3 cup light whipping cream.

Ausuki

I am part Lithuanian (in case you didn't know).  My grandmother on my moms side carries the Lithuanian heritage.  We call her Nan and she just loves to bake and cook.  She is not as mobile as she once was and cannot cook/bake as much as she would like. She told me it makes her so sad because she enjoys it so much. My sister and I must have gotten our cooking/baking genes from our grandparents who both adore this wonderful hobby.  My mother is not a huge fan of cooking/baking for fun. Everything she makes is yummy, but she would rather do many other things than whip up something in the kitchen. She would joke when were in high school that if she could have given us a pill packed with a complete meal then she would have done that rather than cook. Some people cook/bake because they have to feed the family and that is quite alright. I make many of the meals my mother made us. Pure comfort food especially since it reminds me of her and how I felt when eating the dish way back when.

I love to cook/bake for fun and take on bigger recipes.  My sister is the kind of girl who wouldn't bring chips and a dip, but rather whip up some tacquitos and bring in enough for everyone at work. 

Our Nan really wants to teach us some traditional Lithuanian foods.  Especially a common Lithuanian cookie called Ausuki and sometimes referred to as Kruscuki, which means "little ears".  They are a deep fried cookie sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Mainly they are made around Christmas or Easter.  I do not remember eating these, but Nan says I have. My mother loves them as well, but does not have a ton of interest in learning how.  Based on how my grandmother explained it to me, it is involved.  If you don't like the bake then I can understand why you would not want to learn.  However, my sister and I are excited to learn the process and hopefully carry it on within our families. My grandmothers mother made these and her mother and so on. I do not want the tradition to come to a halting end.

My sister and her fiance just bought a house and are moving in the first week of January.  Once they are settled I will make a trip from Richmond to learn how to make these cookies.  Most likely this will be in February and I will post how the process went.