Donna's Easy Bean Dish

Originally (and a long time ago!), I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Donna.  If you would like to  make a quick 'n easy baked bean dish, you will really like this recipe!  And,... almost everyone within 'smelling range' will like how your kitchen smells!  I like taking this to picnics and other pot luck doings.


Combine and simmer for about 15-minutes on the stove top:

1 # lean bacon that's been fried, patted 'dry' and cut or crumbled
1 large onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry yellow mustard powder


Pour the above hot mixture over the following:

2 cans (15-16 oz. each) drained butter beans
1 can (15-16 oz.) drained kidney beans
1 can (15-16 oz.) drained Lima beans
1 can (15-16 oz.) drained black beans
1 larger size (close to 30 oz.) Van Camps or Bush pork 'n beans with liquid.

Note:   I do save the combination of 'drained juices' only until after serving the beans.  Why?  For just in case they would end up being a little dry after a while.  If that should happen, which it usually does NOT, I could add a little 'bean juice' instead of anything else.

Gently mix beans together well, put into a casserole dish and bake for about 30-minutes, or into a crock pot for a couple of hours on low heat to simmer.

Coconut Cream Pie

Wayne has always liked to 'order' a piece of coconut cream pie 

every now and then-- usually, only when we'd eat in the cafe' part 

of the Bonduel Equity Market.  Since we don't frequent that 

market now that we haven't sold animals for a while, 

I decided to make one right here.

Below:  One of the differences I noticed was the darker YELLOW of the 

custard part of it.  It is SO YELLOW because the eggs I used 

came from our free-range chickens (the yolks of those 

eggs are a deep yellow, almost a little orange!). 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 baked pie shell (could be of pastry dough, or graham cracker crust)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk (I found it in the aisle of ethnic foods)
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks.
• 1/4 cup sifted cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (for a coconut flavor, replace vanilla with 3/4 tsp. coconut flavoring).
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 or 2 cups whipping cream (depending on how thick you want the top layer)
• 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar (depending on which portion of cream you use)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted to light brown

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine sugar, coconut milk and regular milk in a medium saucepan.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs and yolks, cornstarch and salt.  Whisk until frothy and well combined.
3. Heat first mixture in saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly until it just begins to steam.  Remove from heat.  Pour about 1/2 cup of the steaming hot milk mixture into the beaten egg mixture stirring constantly until very smooth.
4. Stirring constantly pour egg mixture into saucepan with hot milk.  Place saucepan back onto medium heat and cook until mexture begins to thicken.  Stirring is the key to keeping filling from scorching and also making it creamy smooth.  Add vanilla and butter.  Stir well.
5. Pour hot filling into your favorite baked pie shell.  Cover with waxed or parchment paper and allow to cool on counter for 15 minutes, then place in refrigerator for at least two hours.
6. After custard mix in pie crust is cooled, whip cream with remaining sugar and vanilla until thick.  Top cooled pit just before serving.
7. Spread coconut onto a baking sheet.  Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 1 minute at a time, giving pan a shake every minute.  After 2-3 minutes the coconut will be toasted golden.  Allow to cool.  It will take on a crunch texture as it cools.  Sprinkle over cream layer. 

Recipe adapted from one submitted from the "kitchen of Kathy".

Apple Bundles*

I didn't know anything this simple to make could taste so goooooooood!  Really,...just crescent roll dough, apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon and a can of citrus soda??

Since this is more the 'old time' version of apple dumplings, 

their bottom ends up 'slightly soft/soggy' (on purpose).  

*This is a favorite dessert of our 

Grandson-in-law, Steven Schloemer!!

Yield: 16 Apple Dumplings **

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (any other 'firm' apple will do)
• 2 of 10 oz. cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 of 12 fluid ounce can or bottle of Mountain Dew® (I used a can of Sierra Mist®)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.
2.  Peel, core, and cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside.
3.  Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles.
4. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end.  Pinch to seal all edges and place in the baking dish.
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugars and cinnamon-- heat until very smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.   Pour over the apple dumplings.
6. Pour soda over the dumplings and sauce.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.  

Just before going into the oven, they look like this 
(the 'lighter color' is from the fizzy in the soda)...

When they come out of the oven, 

they will look like this...

E-n-j-o-y.............

**Adapted from an apple dumpling recipe submitted by docs wife from Morganfield, Kentucky.