Aunt Kaye's Waffles and Honey Butter

Some foods just remind you of home. My dad's famous awful waffles are on the top of that list. They are loaded with just about every kind of sugar you can dream of. And we like to use my Aunt Kaye's waffle recipe. Mmmmm mmmm!

Aunt Kaye's Waffles

* 2 eggs
* 2 cups buttermilk
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 2 cups flour
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 6 Tbs oil

Beat eggs well. Beat in the rest of the ingredients with a mixer until smooth.

Cook on my new cool Waring Pro Waffle Maker, courtesy of Lady Di and Granddad this Christmas so we can be just as cool as them making awful waffles, ... and enjoy!!!

AWFUL WAFFLE FAVORITES
Add butter, powdered sugar, homemade strawberry jam or homemade peach jam, whip cream and syrup if you really want to go all the way.


Aunt Kaye's Honey Butter

1/2 cube butter
1 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip fir 10 minutes and enjoy.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Thanks to Kyndra for passing this one on.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
2. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Chopped Avocado Salad

Thanks to Kyndra for this one. I sure wish I was still in the famed NYC Gourmet Club. This is my new favorite Avocado Salad.

Chopped Avocado Salad

Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Generously salt and pepper to taste

Salad (alter proportions to your taste):

8 thick slices of bacon, chopped
6 oz baby spinach leaves chopped
1 large granny smith apple, halved, cored, thinly sliced to bite size pieces
1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, cubed

toasted pine nuts

Ebelskivers

These were a favorite tradition at my home growing up. My mom didn't make them very often but I soooo loved them. I tried using her old pan for awhile, but alas it died. So I recently bought a new pan in Solvang. And I've made them twice this week already. My mom always put raspberry jam in them. My new favorites are lemon curd. Mmmm but the winner is nutella and bananas. Can't wait to make them again.

Danish Ebelskiver
Thanks to this website for the recipe.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling of your choice

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Put 1/2 of a teaspoon butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan.

Christmas Morning Rolls

These have been a tradition in our home for years. My mom would labor away at these on Christmas Eve every year to hand out to our friends. And of course she'd save a batch for us to eat on Christmas morning. Mmmm, I couldn't wait.

In our home we've decided to make them on the 23rd so we're not so rushed on Christmas Eve. Still just as good and just as easy.

Christmas Morning Rolls

1 bag of frozen bread dough
1 small box of Butterscotch pudding mix
a few tablespoons of cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups butter

Butter a pan. Place the frozen dough in it. When it thaws slightly cut it into 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle with pudding mix. Sprinkle cinnamon all over it.

Melt butter and brown sugar together and pour over rolls. Yes you need all that butter and sugar. The more the merrier. Cover with a dish rag and let rise several hours. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Be sure to put a pan underneath it with a silpat on it. If you've added the right amount of butter and sugar it will probably spill over and make a mess of your stove and then start to smoke and make your rolls taste not so good. Use a silpat to prevent burning. Life is so much easier!

REAL Pumpkin Pie

Mmmmm Mmmm. This year for Thanksgiving I was inspired to make a real pumpkin pie from scratch after sampling a piece from my friend Lisa. Oh it is truly much better when it is made from a real pumpkin.

REAL Pumpkin Pie

Cut pumpkin into pieces & steam until soft. Skin will come off. Let cool and peal off. Whip it to mush. Mash it well in a blender so it is not stringy.

2 eggs slightly beaten
1 3/4 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves ground

mix well
add 1 can evaporated milk
pour into unbaked pie shell

425 for 15 min.
350 for 45 min or until done.

Cinnamon Rolls

Thank you Nadia. I love them!!!! If you're up for making cinnamon rolls from scratch and not the tasty Christmas Morning Rolls just previously posted ... these are fabulous too!


Rolls:

2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm milk (105-110 degrees)
1/3 cup butter melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
3-4 cups flour

Filling:
2 1/4 Tbs cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup, softened

Icing:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp.. vanilla
1/2 cup butter
2 oz cream cheese
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Rolls -
1. Dissolve the yeast in a warm milk in a large bowl
2. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, flour and mix well
3. Knead the dough into a large ball using your hands dusted lightly with flour
4. Put in bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or doubled in size
5. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, in oblong shape, approx 21 inches long and 15 inches wide, 1/4 inch thick.
6. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl
7. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough
8. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over the dough
9. Carefully roll the dough up
10. With a thread or piece of floss, cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slides and place in a greased pan. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes
11. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown on top

Icing:
While the rolls bake, coming the icing ingredients, and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls are done, coat generously with frosting. Makes 12-16