Monday Night Dinner- A little Chicken and Poppy Seed Cake

Poppy Seed Cake.  My Mimi brought it almost every other  Sunday for dessert when I was a young girl.  She was an awesome cook, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and one of my best friends. She and along with my mother (of course!) taught me so many things.  I never realized until I became a mother all the useful and good things they taught me.  Today, I came across her Poppy Seed Cake recipe and decided to make it!  After you see the finished product, you will want to also!

The recipe.  My family is known for not using recipe cards.  I do the same thing too.  I have a drawer full of proper, fancy and beautiful cards but never use them.  All my recipes that I write down are on scraps of paper.  Junk mail, old note paper, anything is game!

This was stuck to the back and I love it.  Those who knew her best know her love for Floyd Cramer music.  If I ever hear the song, "Last Date", there is only one person I think of and that is my Mimi.   The top of the note she wrote for my Pop.  After a day out tending to cattle and horses, he always returned home to messages as such.  

The ingredients. Not pictured is sour cream.  (It was gone fishin' on picture day).  See all my notes from my little Jack- he is always leaving these for me. 

Here it is!  It showed up for re-takes.

Add the cake mix.  Super easy!

Add the sugar.

Add your eggs and I added my twist.  A little vanilla.  

Mix.  Then add that sour cream!

So creamy and good!

Now, here comes the fun part.  Add the poppy seeds!

Pretty!

It makes a big amount.

The three loaves are done.  My Mom and my sister will get the extra ones. 

The finished product!  So delicious!

Now, for the main course.  This is not a family recipe.  I repeat this is not a family recipe.  It is something I made up though so I guess I can call it a "new" family recipe!

Mix up some mayo, cheese (I used parmesan) and I added some chopped olives.  You could add whatever your little heart desires- sundried tomatoes, chopped onion, you get the idea!  Be sure to line your baking pan with foil and then spray non stick cooking spray.  Mess free!
Spread it on top of some boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Add some bread crumbs on top.  Just enough to cover the chicken.
 Now bake at 425 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

The finished product!  So good!  The whole family approved!

Mimi Day! Oatmeal cookies and Goulash!

Today is another snow day and my boys requested cookies.  I decided to bake a recipe from my Mimi who was my favorite cookie baker in the whole world!  I think I got my love of baking from her.  I was blessed to have two wonderful Grandmas.  "Mimi" and my Grandma Barnaby- I will profile some of my favorites from Grandma Barnaby soon!   You could always count on Mimi for a purse full of Doublemint, Big Red and a few butterscotch disks during church.  She always came over for Sunday lunch.  I spent a lot of time with that lady.  She and Pop were definitely as my Mom always said, "The Cowboy and the Lady"!

My Mimi and Pop.  Such a beautiful couple.  They were both some of the kindest people around.  

The Oatmeal Cookie recipe.  Let's do this! She didn't make the frosting so I won't either!

The ingredients (minus the vanilla- I added it later on a whim!)

Cream the Shortening and Sugars!  Next add your flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the oats!

I added a splash of vanilla.  We didn't do nuts since Jack is allergic so we added white chocolate chips instead!

Roll it in Saran Wrap!

Ready for the oven!

The finished product.  Mollie tasted and squealed with delight!  

After we baked the cookies, we decided to declare it a "Mimi Day" so I put together a goulash for dinner.  My Mimi was well known in my family for her delicious goulash.  She didn't really follow a recipe- just used what she had on hand.  Boy oh boy, was it delicious!  I decided since we were making this in the late morning, I would make it a "goulash bake" so I could pop in the fridge and then bake before dinner.

The ingredients for the Baked Goulash.

Ingredients:
Chopped purple onion
Chopped Bell Pepper- I used red.
1 lb ground chuck
A little minced garlic.  I added around 2 tsp.
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
small jar of pasta sauce
Italian Seasoning
A small dip of ricotta cheese- just for creaminess.  That is my twist!
Mozzarella cheese and a small sprinkling of Parmesan.

My devoted helper, Jack.  He is back in action and ready for the task!

Add your ground chuck, onions and peppers.  Brown it!

After it cooks just a bit, add some minced garlic.  Fresh, jarred, garlic powder- Any will do!

Garlic on top!  Yummmmmm......

Okay, they are not not cooking but I have a girls riding toy being pulled with a horse rope.
See, I told you we were half bowman! ha.  Don't mind my dirty fridge.
Stainless and three little 'ens is not a good combo.

Add some Italian seasoning.  I did a generous sprinkle on the meat.

Now, it's browned. Add the tomatoes!

Add the small jar of sauce.  Don't forget to add a little water to "rinse" so you don't waste any of it!

Add the tomato sauce.  Smells so good!!!

Boil any kind of pasta.  I used rigatoni.  Normally, I would use elbow pasta but I didn't have any on hand.  So, I did what Mimi would do and I just used what I had!

Add a dip of ricotta cheese.  Yummmm. Creamy, Goodness!

Add a little parm cheese on top.  Stir to combine!

Order up! as Connor says.  Pasta is ready.  You don't want it too soft as it will cook a bit more in the oven.

So tasty looking!

Put it in your Grandmothers casserole dish!  It enhances the flavor!  Add cheese on top.  Just don't drop cheese on the counter like I did!  I used a little mozzarella and cheddar.   Then send to the fridge until ready to bake or go ahead and bake at 350 degrees.  Really good!   Don't forget the iced tea to drink!!!

Aunt Helen's Toffee with a Little Twist!

Okay, first of all, I have to say today is my sweet, pretty and spunky Aunt Helen's 90th birthday!  She and my Mimi were always very close therefore (and for other reasons) she holds a very special place in my heart.  Second, my Aunt Pat's birthday is today too and she holds a special place in my heart as she lives in my hometown of Skiatook and I grew up seeing her and Uncle Jack quite a bit.  After some difficulty of trying to decide whose recipe I would use, it became very clear.  I only had the ingredients to make Aunt Helen's English Toffee so that's who won! ha.   Next week, I will profile an awesome cake of my pretty and talented Aunt Pat's.

The always beautiful Aunt Helen and her handsome husband.  Such a pretty picture!

My Mimi's recipe book.  I love it.  She gave it to me a long time ago.  It's full of her favorite recipes.  This one is from Aunt He-len Lee. ha.  For awhile when he was very young, my brother thought her name was He-Len Lee from seeing a label with her name in it in a bag she had made for Mimi.  Funny!

Okay, it called for almonds but I used pecans because that is what I had!  I halved the recipe because I am a little short on butter until I go to the store.

Pour it all in!  Fire up the burner!  On low please!

Boil it 10-12 minutes.  If I was making a full batch I would boil a little longer.  Don't forget to stir!  If you scorch it, you have to throw it out! Trust me! 

Keep a'boilin!  Legal disclaimer: Do not let your children help with this one.  Danger, Danger!  Mollie was napping and like I said in my crock pot post the boys took a hiatus from kitchen work today! ha.

Now, after it has boiled, turn off the fire! You'll know when it's time!  Pour on a buttered pan.  I used a small square cake pan.  Add chocolate chips on top. Give 'em a minute or two to melt.  Then spread the melted chocolate with a kitchen knife.  After spreading, add your nuts!  Deeeeeeelicious, as Connor always says!

Let it chill for a bit.  I mean that literally.  Set it in your cool garage or if hot outside use your freezer.  After the chocolate gets firm, here comes the fun part!  Take a very sturdy kitchen knife and hit to break.  Take out your frustrations.  Feels good doesn't it! ha.  Now eat 1, 2, 3 pieces.  No one will know!  So good!!!