Cornbread And Other Matters

First of all, it is great with great reluctance that I post a link to the Mission Menus Challenge Site.  My two minute video is up and I am cringing.  *Cringe*  But thank you all again for voting for me.  I had a fantastic experience.  Friday they will reveal the winner.

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I wish I could jump into the whole baking and heartier food-cooking season that is technically supposed to be underway right now, but it's hard to use the oven when it's 92 degrees outside.  The weather here in southeast Mississippi is ridiculously hot and dry.  I don't think we've had rain in 40 days.  (I just picked 40 because it seemed like a number that sounds like a really long time, but now that I think about it, I am pretty sure that number is not an exaggeration by much.  That's how dry it is here.)

I am talking dry, depressing fall weather.  I am completely uninspired to cook or bake. 

Sad times.

I did manage to pull myself off the couch and make some delicious cornbread the other day, and I think it's worthy of posting here.  It is a twist on my grandmother's broccoli cornbread recipe, which uses cottage cheese.  The texture is almost pudding like, probably because of all the eggs.  

This would go well with chili, soups and stews, but none of that stuff is happening here right now.

This recipe uses a cornbread mix, and I usually use Jiffy because it's slightly sweet, but you could certainly substitute another brand.  

I used a 10 x 10 inch pan for the picture, but I think this would work better in a 9 x 9 inch pan for a thicker piece.

Mexican Cornbread

Printable Recipe

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 (8.5-ounce) box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1/4 cup milk

1 medium chopped onion

1 cup shredded Monterey jack, cheddar or pepper jack cheese

1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles

1 (14-ounce) can corn, drained (not creamed corn)

Stir together all ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl
just until combined.  Spray a 9 x 9 inch
square casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the batter in evenly.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or
until cornbread is done and golden brown.

Fourth Of July Strawberries

I have a friend, Beth, who really should have her own food blog, or better yet, her own television show.  She is crazy talented in all things food and craft related, and she posts pictures and ideas all the time on Facebook, where I make note of them for future use.  Last year around this time, she posted a picture of some patriotic strawberries that she had made, and I swiped the picture and put it into my food ideas folder.  I've been waiting all year for the Fourth of July to roll around again so I could make them myself.

Yesterday I was at Sam's, and they had large three pound containers of strawberries for a good price, so I bought some.  Unfortunately, I had to throw out about a pound of them because there was some mold, but I salvaged enough to make a batch of these strawberries. 

I melted one cup of white chocolate chips and one tablespoon of shortening in a metal bowl placed over some simmering water, and stirred until smooth.  I'm sure you could use almond bark or the white melting disks, too.

I washed and dried the strawberries, leaving the leafy tops, and poured blue sugar crystals and blue nonpareils in small bowls. I preferred the taste of the ones dipped in the blue sugar.  Walmart has Great Value brand blue sugar crystals in the baking aisle.

I dipped the strawberries in the white chocolate, then in the sugar or nonpareils, then I placed them on a wax paper lined baking sheet until they hardened.  I also inserted some of the strawberries with lollipop sticks, but I recommend doing this after you have dipped them and they have hardened, because the sticks loosen easily and slip out.  I learned the hard way.

Hope y'all have a fantastic Fourth of July.

Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Pie

 

Berry pie-making is a cinch, and I don't know why I don't do it more often.  Your family will forgive you for heating up the kitchen with your oven while it's a 104 degrees outside when they smell this pie.

This would be perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend.  

Here's a few tips:

-I used this pie crust recipe because I like the vinegar in it.  A few weeks ago, I made a double batch which yielded six crusts, and since I already had flour everywhere, I turned right around and made another double batch.  I patted them all into balls, then wrapped each one separately in wax paper and put them into two freezer bags and into the freezer.  When I want to make a pie, I take a dough ball out, let it thaw in the fridge, then proceed as I normally would with any given recipe.

-I did not use a whole dough ball for the cutouts.  The remainder was left in the freezer for the next time I need a design for the top of something.  Or for when I want a nice bite of raw pie dough.  

Just kidding.  I don't eat raw pie dough.  Anymore.

 























-I usually use an egg and water egg wash, but here is a great article about different types of egg washes, such as water and egg, cream and egg, egg and salt, etc.  There are pictures that show the results from each one.  Very informative.

-I love the orange zest in this pie, and I prefer it to lemon zest.  I really think it makes this pie pop.

-Let it cool before cutting.  You'll probably want to cut it while it's hot and put ice cream on top, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you want it to cut cleanly, then it needs to cool.  I let my pie cool completely and had perfect slices, but I forgot to photograph. 

Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Pie

Printable Recipe

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

The zest of one medium orange

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 unbaked pie crust plus enough pie crust scraps to make
decorative cutouts for top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Stir together the blueberries, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and orange  zest in a large bowl.  Pour into an  unbaked 9-inch pie crust.  Cut butter into small pieces and dot the top of the fruit.
 

Roll out the remaining pie crust scraps and cut shapes using cookie cutters dipped in flour.  (I used different sized star shaped cutters.)  Place the shapes on top of the pie in a decorative pattern.

Beat together the egg and water.  Lightly brush the mixture onto the pie crust shapes and around the perimeter of the crust.  Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes or until  bubbly and golden brown.  Let cool on wire rack completely before cutting.