I made chicken salad sandwiches for lunch today on toasted bread. They were really good. (I’ll post the recipe in the next few days, it is REALLY GOOD chicken salad).

Anyway, I served up everyone’s sandwich as usual, and showed up at the table with a knife. I then cut my sandwich in half diagonally. I always do that.

LB and Magpie don’t — but I do, I think it makes it taste better. So what is the big deal?

Halfway through lunch, LB, who was really in top form today with his sarcasm and jokes says,

“Every time I see you cut a sandwich in half like that, I want to go over and slap your momma for spoiling you that way.”

You believe this? My momma cut my sandwich in half cause I liked it, and it was spoiling me? How?

I am just sitting there, enjoying my sandwich, the way I like it, and Wham, my momma gets hurt.

So I take another delicious bite out of my sandwich and say,

“Well, you should go see her on the day that I cut the crusts off of my egg salad sandwich and THEN cut it in half.”

I do cut the crust off sometimes, I just LIKE it that way. I give the crust to the birds out back, they love it, no harm done. It is a win win situation.

Momma, look out. If LB shows up at your door, DUCK! And DO NOT, under any circumstances, cut his sandwich in half the way you did mine. Cause apparently, it makes me special in certain circles.

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Mexican restaurants often offer a white cheese dip that is simple in ingredients, but very flavorful. It is often served with tortilla chips, or drizzled on tacos, nachos, burritos, and chili rellenos.

I’ve tried it alone or combined with sliced jalapeno peppers, and either way it is delicious. You can make your own at home. The secret is in the cheese you use. I’ve seen many recipes for white cheese dip calling for different cheeses. Experiment with several and see what you like best. Favorites include Asadero, Manchego, and white American cheese. Our recipe will use Asadero cheese.

Take note there are different qualities of Asadero cheese. Cacique Asadero is the cheese that is used in this recipe.

Adjust quantities based on how much dip you need. This makes a little over a cup of dip.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded Cacique Asadero cheese
• 2 diced freshed jalapeno peppers or sliced peppers in jar
• 1/4 cup Half and Half
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• homemade tortilla chips or Tostitos corn tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the tortilla chips.
2. Heat just until melted over low heat.
3. Use a double boiler or non-stick saucepan, watching closely.
4. Do not leave unattended and do not cook on high heat.
5. As dip cools, it will thicken, simply rewarm as needed.
6. Serve with tortilla chips or drizzle on nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or chili rellenos.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Craving Mexican food tonight? Make these easy cheese quesadillas. They are delicious and incredibly simple. Serve with an ice cold Corona in a chilled mug along with a lime wedge, and you’ll swear you are in the cantina.

I am picky about some things when it comes to food. I freely admit it. I want fresh milk, soft bread, and fresh tortillas. I plan my diet carefully, and the ingredients that comprise it as well.

When selecting tortillas, pick up the package, and toss it up and down, see if the tortillas are “pliable” and soft. If you bend them slightly, and they crack, they are dry and you will not enjoy them. Check package dates and look for the freshest and most pliable tortillas.

Here is another option; make your own flour tortillas. I own a tortilla press, and it takes a little practice, but you can learn quickly and make the freshest tortillas in no time at all. I’ll make a note to post a “how to” for making your own flour tortillas.

The quality of food you create is only as good as the quality of ingredients you use, so fresh is best.

Ingredients:

• Soft 8″ flour tortillas (Mission or Chi-Chi’s or Homemade in your tortilla press) The FRESHER the BETTER!
• PACE picante sauce (medium is our favorite or homemade when garden bounty provides)
• Hot jalapeno pepper slices (optional)
• white American cheese
• pepper jack cheese
• Sargento or Kraft shredded Mexican cheese blend (I’m picky about cheese too)
• Olive oil spray
• 1 Tablespoon room temperature butter (NOT margarine!)
• Optional: Ice cold Corona, a chilled beer mug, and a fresh lime (cut into wedges)

Directions:

1. Shred the white American and Monterey Jack pepper cheeses; the finer the shred, the best melt.
2. You’ll find that a cheese or chocolate rotary shredder like those used at Olive Garden work best, but if you don’t have one, use a standard shredder. (and make a note to order a Zyliss Rotary shredder cause it is an amazing and versatile kitchen necessity)
3. Have a dinner plate allocated for each cheese quesadilla eater.
4. Place one fresh and very pliable (I cannot stress this enough) on each dinner plate.
5. Sprinkle some of each cheese (White American, Montery Jack Pepper Cheese, and the Kraft or Sargento Mexican Cheese blend) onto each tortilla.
6. Be careful not to concentrate in the middle of the tortillas; spread the cheese evenly and to within 1/4 inch of edge.
7. Strategically place jalapeno pepper slices on top of the cheese, maybe 4-8 per quesadilla (optional).
8. Put a top layer fresh tortilla on top to make a “sandwich.”
9. LIGHTLY spray a non-stick skillet with the olive oil spray.
10. Place 1/3 tablespoon butter in skillet; melt on medium.
11. Add quesadilla “sandwich.”
12. Don’t get tempted to start flipping and flipping, okay? Don’t do that.
13. Let the quesadilla cook. Using a spatula, lightly “mash” down on the top layer to see how cheese is melting.
14. When cheese appears to be melting, wait a minute or so longer, and lift up the quesadilla to check browning on bottom outside tortilla layer.
15. You want to get a gentle “brown” on the underside before turning. If you need to add a BIT more butter (not too much) to make this happen, or increase the heat a little, then do it.
16. When cheese is partially melted and underside of tortilla is lightly browning, carefully flip the quesadilla.
17. Immediately lift quesadilla, and place a bit of butter underneath, holding quesadilla up enough to allow butter to be “swished” to cover pan bottom.
18. Lower quesadilla back into pan.
19. Watch CLOSELY.
20. When quesadilla sides are sufficiently browned, remove to dinner plate.
21. Slice with pizza cutter or knife into “pie wedges”
22. Serve tableside with guacamole, sour cream, and Pace Picante Sauce for dipping.
23. For an even more authentic experience, add a chilled beer mug, an ice cold Corona, and a squeezed lime in the beer.
24. Serve fresh tortilla chips (Tostitos or make your own) on the side with Pace Picante Sauce or Salsa.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Tired of rice or potato side dishes? Here’s a delicious side that is so easy, and your family will love it.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of pasta (I mix elbow macaroni, piccolini, and colorful rotini)
• Red and/or yellow bell pepper
• Green onion bulbs
• Celery
• Black Olives
• Bacon
• Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning
• Mayonnaise
• Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook bacon and set aside to drain.
2. Dice all of the vegetables. Total of all vegetables is 1 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, no need to get too exact here.
3. Assemble the vegetables on a plate, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper, and set aside.
4. This pasta dish is best served warm, so finish other dinner preparations.
5. About 15 minutes before dinner, cook pasta according to directions.
6. Drain pasta, DO NOT RINSE.
7. Add vegetables and crumbled bacon to pasta.
8. Add mayonnaise to pasta and stir, use about 1/2 cup per 8 ounces of pasta, or according to taste.
9. Stir gently with rubber spatula.
10. Add grated Parmesan Cheese to top and pepper again.
11. Serve immediately.
12. Be creative with this recipe. You can add leftover meats like chicken, beef sausage, cheddar cheese, green or snow peas, diced yellow or zucchini squash, diced tomatoes, whatever you have available.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Meat loaf is most always served at my table with homemade mashed potatoes and brown gravy, English peas, and soft white loaf bread slices. If there are any leftovers, they are used to make meat loaf sandwiches the next day. The meat loaf can be prepared early in the day and refrigerated prior to baking. Add another 15 minutes to baking time if meatloaf has been refrigerated.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound of lean ground pork (I prefer ground pork instead of pork sausage because sausage has so much fat; ask your butcher); if you cannot get ground pork, you can use 2 pounds total ground beef instead
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard (not prepared mustard)
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 cups fresh homemade bread crumbs (see separate recipe)
• 1/4-1/2 cup Quaker oatmeal
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 4 slices lean bacon, each slice halved
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, allspice, and cloves. Blend well and set aside.
2. Place onions, green pepper, meat, horseradish, salt, mustard, and other spices in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Whisk together eggs, Worcestershire, and milk; add to meat mixture.
4. Work everything together thoroughly using your hands.
5. Add bread crumbs and oatmeal, continue mixing.
6. You can test seasonings by frying a small patty of mix in a skillet and tasting; adjust seasonings accordingly.
7. Place meat mixture in a 13×10 baking dish or jelly roll pan.
8. You want a loaf about 5 to 5-1/2 inches wide.
9. Slather the top with the ketchup mixture.
10. Lay bacon pieces across the top.
11. Bake at 350 degrees until meat is cooked through, about 1 hour. If meatloaf was refrigerated at time of baking, add another 10-15 minutes. You can test for doneness using a meat thermometer.
12. I prefer to pour off any excess grease in pan.
13. Let meat loaf sit at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve with choice of vegetables; I serve with mashed potatoes and brown gravy, soft white loaf bread, and English peas. I often substitute a green salad in lieu of the English peas.

My family likes to spread mashed potatoes on their plates, place a slice of meat loaf on the potatoes, and pour brown gravy on top. They then dip their white bread into the gravy mixture. For a beverage, you cannot go wrong with sweetened ice tea served in mason jars; my family loves tea in mason jars. It just seems to taste better for some reason!

Leftovers are used for making meatloaf sandwiches next day. I’ll post that recipe separately.

You can use ready-made bread crumbs if you wish. I make my own bread crumbs and will be sure to post a link here to that recipe soon.
Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Meatball Hoagies are delicious anytime, and these are so easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (made fresh see separate recipe)
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• a few dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cooking oil (do NOT add to meatball mixture)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (try Bertoli or Ragu and Prego mixed together)
• Cobblestone Mill Philly Style Hoagie Rolls
• Sliced cheese of choice (whole milk mozzarella, provolone, pepper jack); a variety of white cheese is recommended

Directions:

1. Mix first 10 ingredients by hand until thoroughly blended.
2. Shape into sandwich size meatballs.
3. Cook meatballs in salad oil in skillet until brown on all sides and done in the middle.
4. Drain on paper towels.
5. Gently press any remaining grease from meatballs using paper towels.
6. Place in warm crock-pot on low and pour spaghetti sauce on top. Place lid on crock-pot.
7. Allow meatballs to cook in sauce on low for about one hour.
8. Slice open hoagie rolls, and place meatball halves on hoagie bottom layer.
9. The sandwich is easier to handle if the meatballs are halved.
10. Pour sauce over meatballs.
11. Sprinke with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
12. Place cheese on top, place in oven or microwave to melt cheese.
13. Place hoagie top half on sandwich.
14. These are a little messy, so have napkins or paper towels handy.

You can use ready-made bread crumbs if you wish. I generally make my own croutons and bread crumbs and will be sure to post a link here to that recipe soon.
Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Southern Style Baked Beans are great with my Stadium Style Hot Dogs and Homemade Coleslaw. They also go great with ribs and potato salad. Barbecue baked beans are a delicious southern staple, so give them a try!

Ingredients:

• 10 bacon slices
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 large cans (31 oz size) Van Camp’s Pork and Beans
• 3/4 cup Heinz barbecue sauce flavor of choice (we like original or sweet & smokey)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons yellow prepared mustard
• 1/2 pound of lean ground beef, cooked and drained

Directions:

1. Lightly spray 13×9 casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Cut bacon into pieces and partially cook in skillet until you have 1/8-1/4 cup of bacon drippings.
4. Remove from pan and drain.
5. Add peppers and onions to skillet and gently sautee for about 5 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, combine cooked peppers, onions, (along with drippings), beans.
7. Add remaining ingredients except bacon (barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, cooked beef, and vinegar).
8. Stir to blend, then add to prepared casserole dish.
9. Top with bacon.
10. Place in 325 degree oven, and cook slowly for two hours until warm and bubbly.
11. Turn off oven. Cover with foil and leave in oven until ready to serve.

Do not forget to try this with my stadium style hot dogs. I have that recipe published elsewhere, but will add it here shortly and will add a link back on this page.
Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Good homemade coleslaw is something special to me. I cannot stand the taste of that “stuff” some restaurants have the audacity to call coleslaw, that tasteless mound of white glob.

I do not put onions in my slaw, you can if you want to. I store my slaw for 1-3 days for various things, and onions stored in a salad or slaw mixture take on an “odor” that doesn’t make for tasty left-overs. You can always use your own best judgment and adjust my recipes to your liking.

Use this slaw with my Stadium Style hot dogs, alongside Fish ‘n’ Chips, with hamburgers, or with mashed potatoes and fried salmon patties.

Ingredients:

• Head of fresh cabbage, outer leaves removed
• Good quality mayonnaise (don’t get me started, be sure to visit the mayonnaise poll
• salt, Hungarian paprika, onion powder, celery flakes, and freshly ground black pepper
• yellow prepared mustard
• Vlasic dill pickle slices (I am picky about crunchy high quality dill pickles, crunchy is way better than limp and lifeless; ever see a jar of pickles and have to wonder what color of “green” that is?
• granulated sugar
• apple cider vinegar
• carrots and celery (optional)

Directions:

1. Using the old style of hand grater, grate the cabbage into a large bowl. This can be messy, so use a bowl large enough for the entire grater to fit inside. (do not use a kitchen grinder or other appliances – it is better if the cabbage is hand grated). The core of the cabbage does not taste good, so turn the cabbage head and get the good tasting part of the cabbage and discard the core. One half of a head of cabbage makes plenty of slaw for 3-4 people.
2. If using celery and/or carrots, dice fine and add to slaw mixture.
3. Chop a handful or so of Vlasic dill pickle crunchy slices and add to mixture.
4. Lightly sprinkle with apple cider vinegar, don’t over do it; we are not wanting to “liquify” the slaw
5. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the slaw mixture.
6. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, and celery flakes. (I don’t measure, I hand sprinkle from the spice jar.)
7. Shake the mustard well so you don’t get a big blog of water in your slaw. Squirt in about a teaspoon or so of yellow mustard.
8. Add two globs of quality mayonnaise (don’t use crappy mayonnaise). I use Hellman’s.
9. Mix with a rubber spatula. You may need to add more mayonnaise. Because of the way I cook, I cannot really tell you exactly how much. You just have to get a feel for it. You do not want watery slaw, but you want plenty of mayonnaise. That is the secret.
10. Keep tasting it and adjusting spices and mayo until you get it right.
11. Before I serve or store my slaw in the refrigerator, I place it in a colander and let the excess “liquid” drain off. I do NOT mash it and try to remove the liquid, I let any excess drain off naturally. Then I place in a plastic container and refrigerator until ready to serve.
12. My mother always sprinkled the top with paprika because she said it made it look pretty. So I do that, too. My favorite paprika of all time is Hungarian paprika, I use it all the time in stews, soups, beans, boiled shrimp, and many other things.

Important things to remember: do NOT use the cabbage core, hand grate the cabbage, and use plenty of good quality mayonnaise.

Do not forget to try this with my amazing stadium style hot dogs. I have that article published elsewhere, but will add it here shortly and will add a link back on this page.
Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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Dedicated to my momma…
Juanita Laura Johnson Maness

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION IS coming shortly….

While I did primarily grow up in the city in my younger years, my parents were born and bred country folks, through and through. My mom and dad grew up on dried beans, corn bread, and homegrown garden fare because that is what they had. While many associate dried beans with a poor man’s diet, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Surely you have at one time in your life heard the saying, “She’s as country as cornbread.” If not, you have not ventured far below the Mason Dixon line.

This recipe is dedicated to my momma, who truly loves pinto beans and taught me growing up that simple things can very often be amazingly good things. Food does not have to be gourmet or expensive to taste good. My momma and daddy believed in good country comfort foods: simple, affordable, and delicious.

Growing up in a family of 7 (yes 7, there are 5 kids in my family), my mom and dad had to stretch a dollar as far as they could. We never went hungry, and we grew up healthy and strong.

Beans are loaded with protein, and are quite tasty served up with diced sausage, rice, cornbread, sliced tomatoes, onion chunks, or those beautiful delicious green bulb onions, oh my I am getting hungry.

My husband and I are big chow chow and hot tomato relish fans, so we usually top off our beans with a big heap of hot chow chow or tomato relish. Beans are affordable, and they are easy to cook. Leftovers have so many uses such as burritos, nachos, tostadas, soup, and taco salads.

I love pinto beans served along with southern sauteed cabbage, heavily peppered and cooked in bacon grease. I KNOW it is not healthy, but you HAVE to taste it just once. I will go find that recipe after this so I can be sure to post it. Yummy.

Down Home Style Southern Pinto Beans and Cornbread

First of all, THE PINTO BEANS

Ingredients:

• Dried Pinto Beans
• Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Salt Pork, Thick Sliced Bacon, Ham Hock, Diced Ham Chunks
• Water

Directions:

1. Wash and sort beans. Be sure to remove any stones or rocks; these are common in raw agricultural products.
2. Place in a large stock pot, cover with water and soak overnight.
3. If you do not have time to soak overnight, then place in pot early in the day. Heat to boiling, and boil for 1-2 minutes. Let sit and cool down for an hour or so before beginning the cooking time.
4. Don’t over do it on the water, just keep an eye on them while they cook. You want to have SOME liquid, but not a pot full of it.
5. The beans will absorb water during their soak period, after that just keep enough water to produce what my momma calls “soup beans.”
6. General rule of thumb is to maintain about 2″ of water above the beans.
7. Slice your bacon or salt pork and add to beans.
8. If using ham hock, place the entire hock in the beans. You will later remove the hock, salvage any meat left on the bone, and return it to pot.
9. I tend to think the bacon makes for a tasty pot of beans, so I usually go that route. Use about 4-5 slices of thick bacon.
10. As the beans simmer, check them often, adding water as needed.
11. Beans require sufficient time to cook. Always test the beans to see if done. A cooked bean will be mealy and mushy. An uncooked bean will be crunchy. You do not want crunchy beans.
12. You want to end up with a pasty thickened soup liquid at the end; I usually take a few of the cooked beans (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and “mash” them up and return to the pot to thicken the “soup.”
13. When beans are nearly done, and the liquid is about the way you want it, add salt and pepper to taste.
14. Pinto bean “season” is optional, it is simply a “blend” of spices usually containing: onion, chili pepper and other spices, salt and garlic. If you use this seasoning, remember that it contains salt so don’t add too much extra salt.
15. When beans are the way you want them, cover them and let sit warm on the stove until time to eat.

Serving Suggestions:

• Crumble cornbread in bowl; ladle soup beans on top; add chow-chow and chopped diced onions.
• Top hot pinto beans with cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos, and chopped onions.
• Serve a large green onion with a nice size bulb alongside. Take a bite of beans, a bite of onion, and so on.
• Place warm cooked rice in bowl; add beans to bowl along with diced Hillshire Farms Hot Links and stir. Top with Hot Chow Chow.
• Make refried beans out of leftovers. Use in burritos, tostadas, nachos, or as a side dish topped with melted quesadilla cheese.

Second of all, THE CORNBREAD

My momma taught me to have one pan for cornbread and nothing else. I use Old Mountain Pre-Seasoned Iron Skillets. It is best not to wash your cornbread skillet with certain soaps, abrasives, etc. as it will affect the seasoning; (don’t gross out, just read the manufacturer’s directions).

Based on how you use your skillet, it is most likely you will, at some point, have to re-season it. It is not hard to do, just follow the directions that came with your iron skillet. I have one iron skillet for JUST cornbread, and other skillets for frying, blackening, etc.

In case you lost your directions on how to re-season your iron skillet. I’ll make a note to add a post on how to do that very thing.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup whole or lowfat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup white sweet milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Arm and Hammer baking soda
• 1/4 cup melted Crisco shortening
• 2 tablespoons Crisco shortening for prepping skillet (I prefer Crisco; I’m a brand freak with some stuff)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine everything in a mixing bowl, except the 2 tablespoons Crisco. Make note the 1/4 shortening should be MELTED prior to adding.
3. Place 2 tablespoons Crisco in your cornbread only iron skillet.
4. Place in oven to heat.
5. Don’t leave and go watch TV or wander off outside. Shortening CAN CATCH FIRE!
6. You want to get the shortening hot enough not to BURN or SMOKE TOO MUCH, but hot enough to “fry” that cornbread mixture when it is added to the pan. This takes practice, but is not hard once mastered. It should make a nice, sweet, SIZZLING sound.
7. Once heated sufficiently, again practice makes perfect, CAREFULLY (don’t get burned) pour your cornbread mixture into the hot iron skillet.
8. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently spread in the pan evenly if necessary.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
10. Remove from oven, and use a butter knife or spatula to “loosen” the cornbread edges from skillet. I have also been known to take a spatula and slide it “up under” my cornbread to make sure it plans to release properly.
11. CAREFULLY, I cannot stress this enough, place a plate on top of the iron skillet larger than its diameter, and flip the skillet.
12. Hopefully, again practice makes perfect, your cornbread releases perfectly onto the plate.
13. If it does not, it is absolutely fine. It won’t hurt the bread, the plate, you, or the skillet.
14. Just maybe your pride cause you wanted to be like those waiters and waitresses at that restaurant called “Cock of the Walk;” they came to your table and threw the cornbread up in the air, perfectly every time.
15. NEWS FLASH… I am suspecting that their cornbread got released in the kitchen before they came to your table?
16. Their skill lay in the fact they could throw and catch. The release came from inside the kitchen. I don’t know for sure, I never worked there.

Serving Suggestions:

• Slice cornbread, insert room temperature butter (NOT margarine) inside slices, and close cornbread back to allow butter to melt.
• Crumble cornbread into a chilled glass of buttermilk (THIS is living. You either LIKE or DON’T LIKE buttermilk.) Can’t say you hate it til you try it. You can also crumble it in a glass of sweet milk if you do not like buttermilk.
• This is more of a VARIATION than a serving suggestion: instead of cooking cornbread, I fry it like pancakes in a hot skillet. Cornbread “fritters.”
• Another variation, I see this as a separate post, and that is my homemade Hush Puppies! Too GOOD!
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Home canning supplies, tools and equipment are available to make your job easier.

First of all, purchase jars that are designed for high heat. The most popular manufacturers of home canning jars are Mason, Ball, and Kerr. Canning jars are purchased in cases or boxes and usually contain metal lids, screw bands, and jar labels. I never throw the original boxes or cartons away, because I use them to store my jars when not in use. They come with cardboard dividers that keep the jars from banging against each other and cracking.

I use a wing-nut style canner from All American because I do not like rubber gasket seal pressure cookers or canners. The seals wear our, crack, and require replacement over a short period of time.

You will need some cheesecloth, knives, a lid wand, a jar lifter, a candy thermometer, a timer, a spatula, pots and pans, and a colander. You will also need measuring spoons and cups, a jar funnel, spoons, and ladles. A kitchen scale is very handy and useful, but not required.

Keep a supply of the metal seal lids on hand because these should never be re-used. When you open a jar of canned foods, the metal sealing lid should be discarded. You can sterilize the jar for re-use, just not the metal lid. Screw bands are only used to hold the lid in place during the canning process. After proper sealing occurs, the screw bands can be removed and stored as they do not serve any purpose during food storage.

Consume your canned foods within a year of canning. Be sure to label them with the date and contents prior to storage.

the Rancher’s Daughter
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Hillshire Farm Hot Link Sausage may not be available in your area. If not, I must say that I’ve tried other sausages and I personally believe there is no substitute for these sausages on this sandwich. You may come across a sausage that works for you, though, and if so I am glad.



Ingredients:

• Hillshire farm Hot Link Sausages
• butter (at my house we actually use butter, NOT margarine)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• mayonnaise and mustard
• fresh soft white bread (my family will tell you I am VERY PICKY about fresh soft bread)

Directions:

1. Slather both sides of bread generously with mayonnaise and mustard. Do not skimp, slather means “to spread thickly.”
2. Lightly salt each bread slice.
3. Generously pepper each bread slice. LIGHTLY salt, GENEROUSLY pepper. I ONLY use freshly ground black pepper.
4. Slice sausages in half lengthwise.
5. Heat butter in skillet, not too much, just enough for cooking, about a tablespoon. There are some things I just don’t measure when I cook.
6. Place the sausages in the skillet, I cook mine in an Old Mountain heavy iron skillet. It just gives them a better “fry” on the outside.
7. Nothing is too exact here, you want these warmed through. The sausages come already cooked so you are just warming them basically.
8. I like to cook mine until the outside sort of “burns” some making the casing a bit crisp.
9. I can see the posting pictures might help. I’ll remember to do that soon.
10. Remove the sausages, drain lightly on paper towels, and place on slathered bread slices.
11. Smush the bread slices together with the sausages inside. You’ll need about 2-3 sliced sausages per sandwich.
12. Enjoy! This is simple, economical, and delicious.

Great accompaniments include coleslaw, potato chips, potato salad. I am wondering what this might taste like with a fried egg added to the sandwich?

the Rancher’s Daughter
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One of my cousins, Donna Riggs, has allowed us to post her chili recipe. That’s two great chili recipes you can use for this cooler fall weather. After typing in these recipes, I am hungry for some homemade chili! Donna calls it Taco Chili cause the leftovers are really good in a taco salad.

Donna’s Taco Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can of Rotel (choose the heat based on taste)
• 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 1 package of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 16 ounce can water (more or less to taste)
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Directions:

1. Brown meat, drain, place in crock pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Simmer on low 4 hours.
4. Serve hot with shredded cheddar cheese and Scoops tortilla chips.
5. Leftovers make a good taco salad.

Thanks so much Donna! I am interested in trying this. The Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix and the Taco Seasoning Mix sound like some interesting ingredients to try.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
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Magpie’s Easy Chili

Magpie won an award for her Chili Recipe when she was in the 4-H Club in elementary school. Here is The Rancher’s Daughter’s Daughter’s Chili Recipe. This is a great recipe to use for teaching your kids how to cook. Kids are SO proud when they make such a delicious dinner all by themselves.

What you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• onion powder to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon hot Mexican style chili powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 each 29 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 each 16 ounce cans kidney beans
• 1 each 16 ounce can chili beans
• 1 each 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 each 6 ounce can tomato paste
• shredded Mexican style cheese blend
• sour cream
• sliced onions
• sliced jalapenos from a jar
• saltine crackers
• Crystal hot sauce
1. Brown ground beef in skillet.
2. Add onion powder and diced bell pepper halfway through browning process.
3. Drain.
4. Pour mixture into slow cooker (crock pot).
5. Stir in salt, chili powder, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste.
6. Cover and slow cook several hours.
7. Serve in bowls.
8. Sprinkle with Crystal hot sauce according to taste.
9. Garnish with peppers, cheese, sour cream, and sliced onions as desired.
10. Great with saltines on the side or crushed up in the chili.

If leftover chili is too thick, thin with tomato or V-8 juice.

Variations:
Cincinnati Style Chili: add cooked thin spaghetti noodles in bottom of bowl before adding chili.
Chili Burritos: place chili in a soft flour tortilla; add cheese, peppers, sour cream, and onions. Roll up tightly and microwave for 20 seconds to melt cheese.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
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When people think of preserving peppers, most often they think of freezing them or drying them. Those are fine ways to preserve peppers, but here at the ranch we tend to go a little further with our pepper preservation by making hot pepper vinegar, salsa, piccalilli, chow-chow, hot chili sauce, hot pepper sauce, spicy homemade ketchup, pasta sauce, barbecue sauce, and our own wonderful blend of grilling sauce for pork, fish, and chicken.

My husband and I love hot peppers. We grow many pepper varieties in our garden, and we use them in many different ways. We make homemade salsa from our homegrown tomatoes, tomatillos, and hot peppers. We then process several jars at once in our pressure canner so we have plenty to last us through the winter months.

My preferred pressure canner is the All American brand manufactured by the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. I do not profit in any way by recommending their products. I’ve owned many pressure cookers and canners over the years, and I’ve had some good ones and bad ones. I love my All American because it seals without utilizing any type of rubber gasket seal. The rubber seals wear out over time and present a maintenance issue.

In addition to the hot salsa, we also make a milder variety for our daughter and for visitors who don’t have the flair for hot food that we do. Our milder salsa includes milder and sweeter pepper varieties.

We use our hot tabasco peppers to make our own hot vinegar sauce. We use hot vinegar pepper sauce on our turnip greens. We also use it on salads, slaw, burgers, refried beans, and tostados. Cooked pintos can always use some spicing up with hot vinegar sauce.

I leave some peppers on the vine until they turn red, then I mix the red and green peppers together in the sauce. All you have to do is wash the peppers, place in a pour style salad or vinegar bottle, add some salt, and pour hot vinegar into the jar. You need to use a bottle that can withstand the hot vinegar without cracking.

I make different flavors by using different vinegars. There are so many fantastic vinegar varieties available today so you can experiment freely. Most often I use white or apple cider vinegar, but you can also use sherry or wine vinegars or any other flavor you think might taste good. You can also add some spices if you like, such as garlic or onion.

Something else we love is hot chow-chow. We eat chow-chow on beans. We eat pintos, red beans and rice, black beans with yellow rice, blackeyed peas, etc. Blackeyed peas are wonderful mixed up with rice and bacon with some homemade chow-chow on top. We make several jars at once and seal in the canner. We also make piccalilli using green tomatoes from our garden along with sweet and hot peppers.

Our large bell peppers are preserved by slicing off the top of the pepper, steaming gently for a few minutes, and stuffing with a fantastic blend of meat, rice, and sauce. I place the peppers upright in a casserole and quick freeze. Remove once frozen enough to handle easily and place in zippered freezer bags and return to freezer. These will keep for about 3 months and can be thawed and baked or placed in a crock pot. I will be sure to post this recipe on the site.

Next time you need to preserve peppers, get creative and make some tasty salsa and sauces. Growing and preserving peppers is easy, and the rewards of a bountiful pepper crop can last you throughout the winter. Happy Gardening!

~the Rancher’s Daughter
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Late June. Harvesting plenty of zipper peas, okra, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant. We’ve got Sweet 100 tomato plants almost reaching up to the second story and summer is far from over. Lots of melon blooms on the cantaloupe vines. We were fortunate with lots of rain up until now. Every day is hitting 95 degrees or above, so work outside is done EARLY or LATE. All of it worth it, though, for a wonderful bountiful garden harvest. Happy Gardening!

The Ranchers Daughter
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