KIDS ARE COMING and COOKING....

Today is a wonderful day because the kids are coming out to the farm. This is the oldest of our two. He and his wife have been married for 2 years, but have been together for 7. They live about 45 minutes from us in the Quad Cities. They are both very career minded right now. She is finishing up her degree and he is an engineer.



We usually see them a couple of times a month. If we haven't seen them for awhile, I try to lure them out here. I love to cook so, I will usually fix lunch.

Today on the menu is marinated mesquite chicken, new red potatos and garden green beans. Deviled eggs and mandarin orange jello and for dessert, Mamma Mud Slide (a name my daughter gave this concoction I dreamed up one day).

I may have been raised in the city, but I have been a country girl for 32 years.
My mother-in-law taught me some old family recipes early in our marriage.

I honestly think she wanted to hone my skills with her son in mind.

One of the family staples in the summer, was green beans out of the garden.

This is how I was taught.

First you needed to pick them

then snap them

then cook or can them.

Cut up 4-5 slices of bacon and brown it right in your pressure cooker (mine is one that goes right on the stove, not electric)

throw in 1/2 onion cut up; cleaned snapped beans; a pinch of salt and 1 cup of water.

put your lid on, lock it down and regulator on top.

When your regulator starts bobbing and your pressure button is sealed, set a timer for 5-6 min. (I do 5 minutes).

When your timer goes off, run cold water over the lidded pan and cool until the pressure is released, open and serve.

Mandarin Orange Jello

2 small boxes of Orange Jello

1 small box of Instant Vanilla Pudding

mix together in big bowl

2 cups of boiling water, whisk until all dissolved

1 large can of mandarin oranges, juice and all.

Stir into jello mix, chill.... mmmmm.....

Mamma Mud Slide

2 small boxes of Instant Chocolate Pudding

2 1/2 cups of milk

1 container of Cool Whip

1 Angel Food Cake

chocolate syrup

butterscotch syrup

1 Hershey's candy bar, cut up into small pieces

Mix the Jello with 2 1/2 cups milk. While the jello is not set up, break Angel Food Cake up into "bigger than bite size" pieces. Put in with Jello and by folding with a spatula, coat all the pieces.

Next, get a container that you can layer this dessert in.

1st layer, 1/2 the jello and cake mixture.

2nd layer, some Cool Whip

3rd layer, some chocolate syrup, butterscotch syrup and 1/2 the Hershey bar sprinkled over top.

Start over with 1st layer.

I usually just make 2 layers of each.

I smush down the top so they are packed tight by tapping on the bottom of the container with my fist.

Cover with lid and keep refrigerated.

I find that this is better if made the night before.

I do this in a lock n' lock and it keeps for a few days....

What is a family staple you learned at a young age and still fix today? or what kind of meal says SummerTime to you? SHARE WITH US!!!