Recipes

Lavender flavored lemonade, e-z and delicious

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Gardeing ideas, decorating ideas, recipes and such...Tina Rimmer always has an answer. She has given me permission to pass on her lemonade recipe made with just a hint of lavender

It is "jess" pie honey! A little history and my favorite Chess Pie Recipes.

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 08:00:00 GMT

Sandra's favorite lemon chess pie recipe is courtesy of Desperation Dinner Guru Alicia Ross and the chocolate chess pie is Sandra's favorite family Chocolate Chess recipe.

The Little Herb House

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 10:32:00 GMT

Looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift or just want to treat yourself, check out the The Little Herb House. It is a a delightful spot in Southern Wake County that has all your herb needs..........Also a wonderful chicken herb recipe.

Southern Bees, honey carmel and sweet bee bread!!!

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT

There is a secret society living, breeding, and working here amongst us. They are not a newly-formed social order. They were around during Biblical times. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans studied them. Without their consent, the English brought them to America.
Except for the lone female monarch, the females are forced workaholics; they must forge for food, take care of the young, and clean their homes. While the females work, the males contribute nothing. Their job is to live in the home the females provide for them, eat the food the females provide and when they are fat, ready and rested they search out and mate with a queen of a neighboring colony. But nature is not without its just rewards; as soon as the males perform their duty, they die.
Yet without these colonies our crop harvest would be significantly reduced. The number of fruits and vegetables produced and the size of each fruit and vegetable would be smaller and/or malformed. In order to avoid this decrease in the quantity and quality of our produce, entire families are loaded onto trucks in the night, ideally in the rain, when they are calmest, and then with little or no notice from our general population, more than 100 truckloads roll up and down Interstate 95 each year, taking these workers to their summer jobs from Florida to Maine. These families are part of the 1.1 million colonies of honeybees that are rented each year in order to pollinate 50 different crops in the United States.

Here in North Carolina, bees pollinate vegetables and fruits for human consumption and foodstuff for wildlife. To help understand the enormous impact bees have on production one needs to look no further than the cucumber crop. Our state is one of the largest producers of cucumbers, but without insects there would be no cucumbers. Cucumbers require insect pollination to set fruit. The average requirement is 12 insect visits to each cucumber flower per day. The only insect that is available in the numbers needed to fulfill this requirement is the honey bee. When there are not enough honey bees living in the wild (feral bees) owner-operated honey bee colonies are rented to fill the void.
The honeybee also plays a major role in the pollination of the berries and seeds that are needed for our state’s wildlife. It is true that several insects share in the pollination of our plants but without the hard work of the honeybee the black bear and many North Carolina birds would not have the food they need to survive.
Unfortunately there are several serious threats to our bee population. The rapid development of subdivisions and industry has replaced grass with many of the native plants needed to feed a large hive and in the last 5 years we (the U.S. and North Carolina) have lost over 1/3 of our managed bee colonies and 90% of the feral honey bee colonies have been destroyed by accidentally imported mites.
What are folks doing to help? There are many state, local and federal organizations to create interest, guide and watchdog over our bee population. The Wake County Beekeepers Association and Wake County Cooperative Extension Service work hard to protect wild bees and to keep the bee industry going strong. The department of Agriculture has a bee inspection program to help fight the mite problem.
There are more beekeepers in North Carolina than any other state in the Union. To increase these ranks North Carolina State University offers short courses at their NCBA (North Carolina Beekeepers Association) biannual conventions and the local Wake County organizations mentioned above also offer courses for beginners and certification for Master Beekeepers. Beekeeping classes are normally taught in the winter months. Bees kept by North Carolina beekeepers produce over $6 million dollars-worth of honey. I started taking a beekeeping class through the Wake County Cooperative Extension Service because I wanted to harvest a jar of honey or two from my own hive.
Honey is a source of antioxidants, calcium absorption, and contains “good bacteria” for the proper function of the GI tract. For great honey recipes see below and go to honey.com for a additional recipes.
ONE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT HONEY: from the National Honey Board:
DO NOT add honey to your baby's food, water or formula.
DO NOT dip your baby's pacifier in honey.
DO NOT give your baby honey as medicine.
Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism - a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies (under one year of age). C. botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods. Adults and children over one year of age are routinely exposed to, but not normally affected by, C. botulinum spores.
If you are interested in learning about beekeeping, contact your local Cooperative Extension office or call Don Moore, vice president of the N.C. State Beekeepers Association, at (336) 584-3195 or Dr. John Ambrose, NCSU, at (919) 515-1660.
Honey Caramels
- Makes 30 caramels -
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
2 cups honey
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely chopped almonds, optional
Directions
Line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with plastic wrap; set aside. Melt butter in medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream and brown sugar; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer registers 250°F to 255°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely in refrigerator before cutting into individual caramels with very sharp knife. Roll in chopped nuts or coconut, if desired, and wrap each individually in clear plastic wrap. Store, tightly wrapped in refrigerator up to 1 month. Caramels will be soft at room temperature and firm if kept chilled.

Serving Suggestions
Drop one into a cup of hot coffee or tea or enjoy this delicious treat on its own.

Note: Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for children and adults. More details

The honey health and wellness benefits emphasized in the brochure include honey’s nutritional profile,” The brochure features recipe suggestions to help consumers take advantage of some of these wellness benefits, including a “Fruity Honey Smoothie” recipe to take advantage of honey and calcium absorption and recipes for “Honey Hydrator” and “No-Bake Honey Energy Bars” to help honey and athletic performance. The “Honey and Wellness” brochure also includes a chart please see:honey.com
Bee Sweet Banana Bread
- Makes 1 loaf -
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Cream honey and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, Combine dry ingredients in small bowl; add to honey mixture alternately with bananas, blending well. Stir in walnuts. Spoon batter into greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Bake in preheated 325°F oven 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age.

Dr. Bill's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 19:29:00 GMT

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

  Everyone should have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe. And we all know that most really good things in life, recipes included, don’t happen over night. They evolve over time. Dr. Bill Jones and his wife Frances have been cooking chocolate chip cookies from his recipe for more than 30 years. They brought their recipe to Wake County in 1974 when Bill Jones opened up the first pediatric practice in Cary, Cary Pediatrics Center. Evolving out of that venture, Fuquay-Varina Pediatrics opened its doors in 1995, and in 2003 Apex Pediatrics was established. After 42 years of practicing pediatrics and 31 years of practicing in Cary, Cary’s first pediatrician has retired. Dr. Jones retired on December 1st of this year but he did not get away without sharing his delicious Chocolate Cookie recipe with me.
      Bill and Frances Jones grew up together in Henderson, N.C. Bill attended Duke University as an undergrad, UNC Medical School, and fulfilled his internship and residency requirements at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. In his third year at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Jones was the first physician chosen to receive a two-year cystic fibrosis fellowship from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Between his career at NIH and starting Cary Pediatrics, Dr. Jones spent one year practicing in his hometown, Henderson, N.C., and one year at Babies Hospital in Wilmington. Dr. Jones left a pediatric practice in Hampton, Va., to start Cary Pediatrics.

   What prompted the initial move to Cary? They came here to see David Thompson play basketball for NCSU. While in town for the game, they stayed with friends living in Cary. By the end of that week end Bill and Frances made their decision to move back to North Carolina and to open the first pediatric practice, in what was then a sleepy little town of 10,000 people.
     In August 1974, Dr. Jones opened Cary Pediatrics Center (CPC). Dr. Jones said it was slow at first but two things happened in the beginning of 1975: the gas shortage hit (Cary residents no longer wanted to make the trip to Raleigh) and then the flu came to Cary. During that first flu season, Dr. Jones single-handedly saw as many as 80 patients a day. Sarah Britt Randell, long-time employee of CPC, says, “I have never heard Dr. Jones complain and he has always stayed until that last sick child was seen.” When Sarah started at CPC in 1977, she remembers, “in the old days, when you called Cary Pediatrics, Dr. Jones might answer the phone; we scheduled our patients around favorite soap operas. A ‘sick’ visit was $15.00 and a house call $20.00 (yes, house call).”At that time there were no stop lights on Kildaire Farm Road. It was a paved two lane road with bad ruts on each side, but the view was nice. Pony pastures and dairy barns stood where businesses now line the multi-lane highway.
     Cary, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina have changed so much since Dr. Jones moved to Wake County. Our towns now have multi-lane streets and even our quaint town of Holly Springs has a fast food restaurant. With all the change one thing still remains the same, for most good things in life, nothing beats years of experience. My husband, Dr. Mark Simpson, has practiced medicine with Dr. Jones for over 22 years and always says that “Bill Jones can spot a sick baby from across the room.”   Dr. J., your expertise will be sorely missed.

DR. BILL’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Preheat oven to 375
1 stick of margarine, see note about butter.
½ cup solid Crisco.
½ cup white sugar.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 ¼ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 full cup of chopped pecans
By hand, cream margarine and Crisco, add sugar and continue to cream. Add eggs, continue to mix, add vanilla. Stir salt and soda into the flour and then add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cook at 375 degrees for 8 minutes and then start checking. (cont’d)
Secrets to Success
1. After timer goes off, “hover” over the cookies, checking them every 30 seconds.
2. The cookies should be slightly wet-looking in the center because the cookies will continue to cook for a minute or two more after they come out of the oven.
3. If you use butter instead of margarine, the cookies are more likely to
burn on the bottom.
4. Cool cookies on rack. As soon as they cool, store in airtight bags.
5. I don’t think you can have good cookies without the right pan. The first time I tried to make this recipe, I used a pan as thin as a pizza pan, BIG MISTAKE. I bought one of those “bubble” cookie sheets and they turned out O.K. Bill Jones says his cookie sheets are so heavy it would do some damage if you dropped one on your foot. I think I will take his word for it.

Pimiento Cheese Recipe

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 19:36:00 GMT

Click here for my Pimento Cheese Video

Pimiento cheese recipes run the gamut of ingredients, most of them southern secrets passed down through the generations. From beer to bourbon, I have collected and tried all the pimiento cheese recipes that one southern woman could experience in her 50 years. Some southern family recipes for pimiento cheese are argued over about as much as who will inherit grandma’s seasoned iron skillets. Bill Neal, God rest his soul, the famous southern cookbook writer, chef and co-founder of Chapel Hill restaurants, La Re’sidence and Crooks Corner (yes the one with the pig on the roof) said “that pimiento cheese is the pâté” of the south. Well folks, get your crackers ready if you are looking for pâté. If you are more the drugstore sandwich type, get your white bread ready, your bacon fried crisp and your home-grown tomatoes sliced because here is Southern Sandra’s recipe for pimiento cheese, secrets included.

The recipe:
8 oz. hand grated cheese. I prefer to mix white and yellow cheeses.
¼ cup or more of Dukes Mayo.
4 oz. jar of pimientos with juice; mash slightly before adding to mixture.
Texas Pete to taste. Take it easy here if you are using hot-pepper cheese.
A touch of red wine vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon

With a fork, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. As often as needed, taste and adjust to your liking,
Secret No. 1. Start with room temperature cheese.
Secret No. 2. Use a hand held grater with small holes. This makes the pimiento cheese creamy. It just is not as good unless it is creamy!! My family has always used the Mouli rotary grater. I know you can buy the fancy French ones now from Cuisipro.
Secret No. 3. Use good mayo. Dukes is the quintessential southern mayonnaise. If you are accustomed to eating the light go ahead and use it but, don’t expect the kin folk to like it unless you use the high-test Dukes.
Secret No. 4. If you double the recipe, don’t double the pimientos. 4 ounces is enough either way.
Secret No. 5. If you use the old fashioned hoop cheese (southerners call this rat cheese) you may want to hit the mixture with a little red wine vinegar; this takes the bite off that sharp rat cheese. My favorite combination is ½ the recipe with hot pepper cheese and ½ the recipe with sharp cheddar.

The way my kin folks ate this was grilled on white bread with bacon and tomato. My Grandmother would grill the sandwich right in the same pan in which she cooked the bacon. I prefer my pimiento cheese sandwich on whole wheat with sprouts or as an appetizer with whole wheat crackers. Anyway you serve it pimiento cheese is just good eating.

What to do When Guests go Both Ways

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 18:06:00 GMT

What to do when a vegatarian gets mixed in with your meat-eating guests.