ISBET's RECIPES
INDEX
ARTICHOKE DIP
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1 stick margarine
grated Parmesan cheese
Bring margarine and cream cheese to room temperature in a 2- or 3-quart casserole dish, or warm in microwave-safe casserole dish for one minute. Drain and chop artichokes, then add to dish. Use a hand mixer on low speed to gently mix the chopped artichokes, cream cheese, and margarine. Sprinkle grated Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano cheese over top of mixture, to taste. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
Everyone agrees that Ritz® Crackers are the best way to eat this dip! They seem to bring out the flavors better than any other cracker or chip!
Health-conscious individuals might wish to use a "Lite" margarine and cream cheese instead of the full-fat variety — this recipe works fine, either way! I often buy Neufchatel cream cheese, as it is cheaper AND has less fat than the alternatives. Spinach can be added for a Spinach-Artichoke Dip, if you prefer!-ReturnToIndex-
BLUEBERRY PRESERVES
2 pints blueberries
1 apple
1·1/2 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Wash blueberries in water, remove stems and culls. Drain blueberries and place in deep saucepan on stove. Heat berries gently until the juice comes out of them, then bring to a boil. As berries are heating, peel and dice the apple, placing pieces into saucepan with berries. After reaching full boil, reduce heat and simmer until the juice reduces and the berries begin to cook to pulp. Stir sugar into berries, thoroughly mixing. Stir in lemon juice, cornstarch and cinnamon, bring to gentle boil again. Add vanilla extract and stir thoroughly. Turn heat down to low to allow the flavors to blend together. Place in small sterilized jars and seal, keeping 1 or 2 for yourself and giving the others to friends! -ReturnToIndex-
BREAD PUDDING
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
several slices of bread
1 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
Beat eggs, add sugar milk, and vanilla, then mix thoroughly. Tear bread into pieces and incorporate into wet mixture along with raisins. Pour into 2-quart casserole dish and sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top. Bake at 350°F until center is firm but not over done, approximately 30-40 minutes. Pudding will rise, but then fall when cool. Serve with lemon sauce or whipped cream.
This is my adaptation of a recipe by Mrs. Marcella Stapleton from Tampa, Florida, as printed in Foods for Favorite Folks, a cookbook published by the Women's Organization for Serving Youth (WOFSY) in Dasher, Georgia. This cookbook was given to my mother by her sister, my Aunt Carrie.-ReturnToIndex-
Isbet's CHICKEN POT PIE
4 chicken breasts
1 cup cream of mushroom/chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can VegAll® vegetables
Parboil chicken for 20 minutes on medium-high heat. Reserve 1/2 cup of chicken broth for this dish and the remainder for future use. Rinse chicken under cold tap water until it is cool enough to handle, pull apart from bone, and cut into bite-sized chunks. Mix broth and soup in 3-quart casserole dish, and add veggies, thyme, plus salt and pepper, to taste. Stir very well, then add chicken and stir again.
For biscuit-style topping, mix together:
1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour
1 stick margerine
Gently pour topping onto casserole, but do not stir! Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes - 1 hour. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Will feed 6 polite people or 4 hungry people!
Note: Cooling before serving is an important step. Not only will this help to prevent someone's mouth from getting burned, this will allow the gravy inside the pot pie to thicken! Leftover veggies from the refrigerator may be used in place of the canned veggies, for an even better dish! I've used leftover broccoli, lima beans, green peas, carrots, and corn, all with excellent results! -ReturnToIndex-
COBBLER
blend:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
stir:
1 tbsp lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
fruit, cut small
Assemble and bake in 325°F oven approximately 1 hour.
CORNBREAD
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the slightly beaten eggs and buttermilk. Stir just until batter is moistened throughout. Pour batter into a greased pan and bake in 400°F oven approximately 25 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Note: A Southern dietary staple. Serve warm, with slow-cooked pinto beans and collard greens. 'Nuff said. -ReturnToIndex-
CRISCO POUND CAKE
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 cup Crisco
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 tsp lemon flavoring
Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix really well. Prepare bundt or tube pan with baker's spray or a light coating of Crisco. Put cake in cold oven. Turn on to 300° and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool for a few minutes before putting on cake plate. Enjoy!
Note: This recipe was given to my mother by my Aunt Mary, who then passed it on to me. 
-ReturnToIndex-
FUDGY BROWNIES
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1·1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8" x 8" baking pan. In saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat, then whisk in sugar and eggs. Stir in flour and a pinch of salt. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 24 minutes, or until brownies test moist. Lightly dust with powdered sugar while warm, if desired. Cool on wire rack before cutting and serving. Cut 'em small, 'cause they're rich!
Note: I've tried several from-scratch brownie recipes, but this one seems to be the easiest, with excellent raves from the chocoholics I know! I usually keep a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the freezer, and use those instead of chopping baker's chocolate, for added convenience! If you use semi-sweet or milk-chocolate chips, be sure to cut the sugar down to about three-quarters of a cup, or they'll be too sweet! For a real chocolate "kick," use a full cup of chips! -ReturnToIndex-
GARLIC SPINACH with BABY CORN
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (depending on taste)
2 packages of frozen spinach
1 can baby corn
1 tablespoon butter or margerine
1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep saucepan. Meanwhile, peel garlic and mince into very small pieces (or crush with a garlic press). Sautée garlic just until tender (but not brown) in hot olive oil.
Add 2 packages of frozen spinach to same saucepan and add about one cup of hot tap water. Cover and simmer on medium heat until spinach is thawed and cooked. Add about a tablespoon of butter or margerine, plus salt and pepper, to taste, and stir into mixture, gently, coating all the spinach with the butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gently stir one can of baby corn into mixture. Allow to sit on burner, uncovered, for a few minutes, just long enough to warm the baby corn and to allow the seasonings to begin to penetrate the spinach.
Note: Be careful not to over-cook the spinach or it will have a mushy consistency! I've had friends, who professed to not liking spinach previously, rave about this dish! -ReturnToIndex-
MAMA'S CHOCOLATE ICING
2 cups sugar
1 stick margerine
1/3 cup cocoa
Boil on stove for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and set to thicken.
Note: My paternal grandmother made the most awesome chocolate frosting ever to grace a yellow cake! My grandmother, called "Mama" by all of the extended family, was an old-fashioned cook who used "a pinch of this" and a "dash of that." All of her 12 children tried to duplicate the recipe, both before and after she left this life for The Beyond, but no one was successful — something always seemed "missing," somehow. Even those who watched her and immediately tried to duplicate the results the same day fell short! Finally, one of my aunts miraculously managed to hit the right combination of ingredients, thankfully! -ReturnToIndex-
MAGIC MOLASSES COOKIES
2/3 cup butter or margerine, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2·1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp Durkee® brand Pumpkin Pie Spice
In large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, stir until well-blended. Add molasses and egg; blend well. Combine flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional sugar and place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake in upper part of oven at 350° for 10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired. Remove from cookie sheets, cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 30 minutes
HINT: Chill dough for one hour for easier handling.
Note: This particular variation of the old-fashioned molasses cookie was taken from a free recipe card hanging in the spice section of the grocery store, compliments of Durkee®. However, this is a very popular, old-fashioned cookie of the Deep South where I was raised! It was common in bygone days for the molasses to be hand made from sugar cane by a neighbor, and distributed to family & close friends in simple, unmarked mason jars. Molasses is good in many recipes, from Baked Beans to these wonderful cookies! -ReturnToIndex-
MINI-CHEESECAKES
12 vanilla wafers
2 standard 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Line muffin tin with foil liners. Place one vanilla wafer in each liner. Mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar on medium-speed until well-blended. Add eggs and mix well. Pour over wafers, filling 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes at 325°F.
Remove from pan when cool. Chill. Top with a small dollop of fresh fruit, fruit compote, preserves, nuts, or chocolate — be creative!
Note: One guy at my office (Willis) goes into heavenly orbit when one of us ladies brings these in! -ReturnToIndex-
PIG PICKIN' CAKE
1 bowl yellow cake batter
When I make this cake, I follow the recipe for the Simple Simon Cake for an incredibly simple & easy "from scratch" bowl of cake batter. However, you may also use a boxed cake mix and prepare according to the directions on the box.
1 can Mandarin oranges, optionally cut into small pieces
Fold Mandarin orange slices/pieces gently into cake batter. Pour into well-greased 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan. Bake according to the directions provided in the Simple Simon Cake recipe, or on the box of cake mix, whichever you used.
After removing cake from oven to cool, begin preparing the icing:
1 can crushed pineapple, or pineapple tidbits
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 8-oz container of Cool Whip
Drain pineapple, and reserve syrup. Thoroughly mix the package of instant vanilla pudding into the pineapple. Gently fold together with Cool Whip to make the frosting.
When cake is cool, poke small holes all over the top and drizzle the reserved pineapple syrup all over, allowing the juice to enter the holes, to make the cake very moist. Frost cake with the pineapple & Cool Whip frosting. If cake will not be eaten soon, refrigerate until serving. May be served either chilled or allowed to reach room temperature — your preference!
Note: What a perfect dessert to serve after a huge meal for a light, fluffy bite of something sweet! This is an old down-eastern North Carolina recipe, common after a Pig Pickin' — when a whole porker is slow-cooked in a pit dug into the earth. When the cooking is complete, the meat is "picked" off in chunks, and everyone eats until they turn into pigs! 
*oink,oink* -ReturnToIndex-
QUICKIE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Mix indgredients thoroughly in bowl and roll into walnut-sized balls, by hand. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with two crisscrossing patterns with fork. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before storing in air-tight container.
Note: Trying to measure peanut butter in a measuring cup is the pits! If you buy a 40-ounce jar of peanut butter that has straight sides, rather than tapered sides, you can use a marker to make 3 marks on the jar, divinding it into four equal portions. Use one of these portions in the recipe! Also, if the dough is sticking to your hands and difficult to form into balls, you need more peanut butter — not less — in the mixture! -ReturnToIndex-
Grady's PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
2 cups peanut butter
1 box 4x powdered sugar (one pound)
1 stick margarine (8 tbsp = one-fourth pound)
1 tsp vanilla
Melt 1 stick margarine and one 1-pound box of 4x powdered sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. When creamy (with no lumps) increase heat slightly and work-in 2 cups of JIF® peanut butter until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir thoroughly. Mixture is ready when it become stiff-enough to begin to "follow the spoon" as you stir. Turn-out into well-greased pan to harden. The pan I use is 7" x 11", but any size will do. Cut into squares when fudge reaches room temperature. Refrigerate for storage.
This is my father's recipe! He developed it, himself, and it was one of his favorite treats. He was adamant about using JIF® brand peanut butter, because he said it never tasted as good with any other brand. A couple of weeks after he passed, I made a batch of it, in his honor, and shared it with the other ladies in my neighborhood.
Note: Trying to measure peanut butter in a measuring cup is the pits! I usually buy a 28-ounce jar of peanut butter, which has straight sides, and use about two-thirds of the jar in the recipe. The quantity of peanut butter isn't really critical, so a little-more or a little-less is fine. -ReturnToIndex-
CLASSIC PECAN PIE
(my interpretation, based on the Karo® Syrup website)
1 cup Karo® corn syrup (light or dark)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1˝ - 2 cups of pecans, chopped*
1 deep-dish pie crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix ingredients well and pour into crust. Top with another crust and crimp the edges. Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake pie 60-70 minutes. Pie is done when center reaches 200°F, or when center springs-back when touched. Allow to cool completely before serving.
If desired, garnish each slice with a pecan half. Doing this might help folks identify what type of pie it is, should you take it to a covered-dish/potluck dinner, since it doesn’t look like a conventional Pecan Pie. People with allergies to nuts will thank you for doing so!
For high-altitude preparation, reduce sugar to two-thirds of a cup, increase butter to 3 Tablespoons, and reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
* My father has always loved Pecan Pie, but had trouble eating it with dentures. My solution? Chop the pecans — finely — with an electric chopper or food processor. He had no trouble eating it that way, and I think it tastes better, too! -ReturnToIndex-
RED VELVET CAKE
1 boxed yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
5 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
Mix the above ingredients and bake according to the directions on the boxed mix.
(Ignore any eggs, oil, water, etc... that the mix calls for!) After baking, allow cake to cool thoroughly before assembling with the cream cheese icing, detailed below.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
for Red Velvet Cake
1 package cream cheese (8-oz), softened
1/2 box + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter or margerine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place cream cheese, butter/margerine, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
Cream-together with an electric mixer, adding powdered sugar a little at a time.
Note: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use a cup of whole milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice added (great substitute for those folks who don't use a lot of buttermilk!) -ReturnToIndex-
RICE PUDDING
1/2 cup rice
1/4 cup raisins (Golden)
1/2 cup water
Put all above in saucepan — let water absorb until rice and raisins have good start in cooking. In same bowl it will be served in, beat 1 egg, ½ cup sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Set aside.
To rice mixture, add 1 quart milk. Let mixture cook over medium-low heat until rice is cooked. When rice is cooked (20 - 30 minutes), add a few spoonfuls to egg & sugar mixture quickly — stirring rapidly. Do not curdle egg when it meets hot rice mixture! Then, quickly add the rest of the egg mixture to the pot of rice mixture. Cook all over low heat, stirring gently and constantly about 10 - 15 minutes until it thickens on spoon. Return to bowl and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Note: This recipe is more labor-intensive than some others I've seen, but it is worth it for those you care about! This dish is wonderful both hot & cold! Leftover rice pudding is fabulous for breakfast, right out of the refrigerator! If it begins to dry-out after a couple of days, just a touch of half-and-half to the bowl and stir! -ReturnToIndex-
SALMON PATTIES
1 can salmon
1 egg
enough cornmeal to stiffen mixture
Open can of salmon and remove any bones that you see. You can also remove any skin, if desired. Add the egg and stir into salmon. Salt and pepper, according to desired taste. Add cornmeal, a very little at a time, until the mixture takes on a consistency that can be formed into patties, very much like a hamburger patty.
Place patties into pre-heated very hot oil, cook until brown, then flip over and cook until brown on the other side. Serve on hamburger buns, with your choice of condiments & side dishes!
Note: My mom made this occasionally when I was a child. To this day, it remains a pleasant reminder of my childhood! Lower-grades of salmon (which is all I can usually afford) might make your kitchen a bit smokey, so use adequate ventilation, or cook on an outside grill! -ReturnToIndex-
SIMPLE SIMON CAKE
1·1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
Mix dry ingredients, above, in a mixing bowl.
Break 2 eggs into a measuring cup and finish filling to the 1-cup mark with milk. Pour into mixing bowl with dry ingredients. Then add:
2 tbsp. melted butter or margerine
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well and bake in pre-heated 350° oven for about 20 minutes in a well-greased 9" x 13" x 2" pan.
Note: This is one of the simplest "from scratch" yellow cakes that you can make! It is so quick and easy, and the two variations mentioned below are only the beginning of the creative things you can do with this great, simple cake! Let your imagination run wild!
To make an "Upside Down Cake," put 1 can of pie filling into pan before pouring batter.
Follow the directions here to make a: Pig Pickin' Cake -ReturnToIndex-
SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN
2 chicken breasts
1/2 jar salsa
2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh thyme)
Parboil chicken breasts at medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Reserve stock for future use. Rinse chicken breasts under cold tap water until they can be handled comfortably. Pull apart meat, with fingers, into stips. Place in skillet with 1/2 jar of prepared salsa, and add thyme, plus salt & pepper, to taste. (If desired, a few drops of hot sauce, also to taste, may be added for those prefering a spicier dish!)
Simmer over medium-heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid in salsa has been reduced and chicken has absorbed the flavors of the salsa & seasonings. Serve immediately!
Note: This was one of my son's favorite homemade concoctions, made in haste one day when the cupboard was almost bare! If you do not have a jar of store-bought salsa on hand, simply put a small can (14-ounce) of tomato puree or crushed/diced tomatoes into skillet, with some chopped onions & bell peppers! -ReturnToIndex-
TEA CAKES [variation #1]
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon thick, sour milk
Enough flour to make stiff dough. Recipe from Mrs. W.W. Graddy.
OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES [variation #2]
1 stick margarine (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ice water
1+1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon cinammon
Mix all ingredients, adding flour last.
Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F about 8 minutes or until brown around edges.
TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE
1 box (16 oz) of your favorite small pasta (shells, twirls, wagonwheels)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans tuna (6 oz), drained
1 small onion
1 jar diced pimentos (4 oz) - optional
1 cup small, sweet green peas - optional
salt, pepper, & ground thyme
Cook pasta as you normally would. Drain cooked pasta, then dump into 9" x 13" baking dish. This is a good time to preheat oven to 350°F. Add the cream of mushroom soup, straight from the can. Add a half soup-can of water. Add tuna. Mince one small onion into teensy little pieces (I usually use a small electric chopper, to get the onion bits super-fine). Dump minced onion into dish, along with drained, diced pimentos (optional), or a small quantity (1 cup or so) of drained, sweet green peas (optional). If you are a big mushroom fan, you could even add some bits of minced mushroom at this point. Add salt, pepper, and ground thyme, to taste.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool on the stovetop for a few minutes before serving — this will allow the sauce to thicken and to keep delicate tongues from being burned!
NOTE: If you find this recipe difficult, then you are not doing it right! It's all about simplicity, throwing together things that you like, making it one of the ultimate "comfort food" dishes there is! Try your own variations — you can't go wrong! Put your hair up in pigtails, become a kid again, and enjoy! -ReturnToIndex-
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