Witchcraft's blog: "Recipes - Yum!"

Here's an old recipe... It's old to the point I had to change some terms to include the use of modern appliances that don't rely on burning wood to operate... Try it!! It goes very well with slow-roasted beef, ham or as a wonderful side dish with just about anything. Hope you like it!!

Butter your favorite oven-safe 1-1/2 or 2qt baking dish.

Pour into this dish, a can of creamed corn. (Save the can!!)

Stir two Tablespoons of flour into the dish with the corn.

Next, crack two eggs into the empty corn can. Beat the eggs nicely.

Blend a cup of cream or milk and a half teaspoon of salt, with the eggs, in the can.

Stir the egg mixture into the creamed corn.

Crack several soda crackers (saltines) over the corn to cover lightly and evenly.

Dot the top with butter.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 1hr and 15min


Feel free to adjust the basic recipe as you like.. Less milk will make the scalloped corn set more firmly. Some people like pepper or other seasonings.. Add a pinch to the milk and egg mixture before pouring it into the corn.

How to Check Eggs for Freshness

Old eggs have more air trapped inside their shell, so I use a simple method to determine whether or not my eggs are fresh. Gently place your eggs, one at a time, into a large bowl of cold water. Fresh eggs should immediately sink to the bottom and stay there. These eggs would be good to use in Hollandaise sauce, or prepared as poached, sunny side up or any other style in which the yolk may not be fully-cooked. Eggs which rise somewhat from the bottom of the bowl (but do not float to the surface) are okay to use in baking or any recipe in which the egg will be thoroughly cooked. Scrambled, hard-boiled, and the like. Eggs which either come almost to the surface or actually float should be discarded. These eggs are not fresh and are not safe to consume.

Storing Eggs

Refrigerate eggs immediately after purchase. I store them with the large end up to hold the yolks in the centers. Use your eggs within a week or so. Eggs can last much longer than this, so the easiest way to determine whether they are still edible or not, is to check them using the method described above.

Cold Water Method

Choose a saucepan large enough to contain the number of eggs you wish to use, and fill with at least an inch of COLD water above the top of the eggs. Place on hot stove and head rapidly to boiling. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let it sit 22 minutes. Immediately remove eggs and place in cold water to prevent further cooking.

Boiling Water Method

Preparation: Select the number of eggs you wish to use. Place them in a pan and cover them with at least an inch of water above the top of the eggs, then remove the eggs and place them in a bowl of warm water to prevent shell-cracking. Now, bring the pan of water to a boil. Transfer eggs from warm water to boiling water with tongs or spoon, reduce heat to below simmering and cook eggs uncovered, for 20 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to cold water to prevent further cooking.

Awwww.. This one is darling and the kids LOVE to make them ~ and eat them! Plus it takes a little time, to prepare. A great indoor project on bad-weather days!

1/2 Cup peanut butter

1/2 Cup honey

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

Milk Chocolate Morsels

1/4 cup sweet cocoa

Peanut butter and honey should begin at room temperature. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract until all ingredients are blended and smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until all the ingredients are blended and smooth. Chill in the refrigerator approxmiately 30 minutes or until the dough has slightly stiffened.

Place sweetened cocoa in a small bowl. Next, using a teaspoon, scoop a spoonful of dough, and place 2 or 3 milk chocolate morsels in the center, and then roll into a ball. Drop the ball of dough into the bowl of cocoa, and roll it around until it is completely coated to form the "truffle."

Place the truffles on a plate, and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until the truffles have slightly hardened.

Recipe makes about 30 one-inch truffles.

Creating a delicious meal just got easier with this FANTASTIC side, made with things you already have on hand, or can prepare ahead of time from leftovers!

4 medium baking potatoes, baked. (You know - like from the other night's dinner with baked potatoes? Just set a few aside!)

1/2 Cup Ranch dressing

1-1/4 Cup frozen broccoli cuts, thawed, drained and chopped.

8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (...because you might have made a few slices extra at yesterday morning's breakfast?)

1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut a lengthwise slice from the top of each potato. Remove skin from top slice. Scoop pulp from potatoes into a medium bowl, leaving 1/4" thick shells.

Mash pulp and ranch dressing in the bowl. Stir in broccoli, cheese and bacon. Spoon potato filling equally back into the potato shells. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are heated through. Garnish with more crumbled bacon, chives or whatever else you might like.

Another good old harvest-time recipe...

1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 medium egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and baking powder. Set aside. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, shredded zucchini and egg. Add oil and lemon peel, mix well. Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased 8x4x2 loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until done.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to thoroughly cool on wire rack.
Wrap and store loaf overnight before slicing.

You just know with a name like Eisenhart, there's going to be an old-world German recipe thrown in here somewhere, modernized a bit ~ maybe even simplified for the Crock Pot? Well.. Here's one:

Rhineland Sweet and Sour Cabbage

4 slices bacon, diced (Speckstreifen)

1/4 cup brown sugar (braune Zucker)

2 Tbsp flour (Allzweckmehl)

1 tsp salt (salz or Tafelsalz)

1/8 tsp pepper (Pfeffer)

1/2 cup water (Wasser)

1/4 cup vinegar (Weinessig)

1 medium head red cabbage (Rotkohl) shredded ~ about 6-8 cups

1 small onion, finely chopped (Zwiebel)

Cook bacon in skillet and set aside. Combine 1 Tbsp of bacon drippings in Crock Pot with sugar, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in water and vinegar. Add cabbage and onion. Cover and cook on Low 3-4 hours. Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle cooked bacon on top. Makes 6-8 servings.

While I'm on the pork chops and Crock Pot kick, here's another one..

5 to 6 pork chops, each 1-2" thick.

1 (7oz) can whole kernel corn, un-drained.

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 Tbsp instant minced onion

2 Tbsp minced green pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sage

With a sharp knife, cut a horizontal slit in the side of each chop to make a pocket for stuffing. Mix undrained corn, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper (to taste) and sage. Spoon mixture into pork chops and close slits with toothpicks or skewers.

Place chops on metal rack or trivet in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

For a nice treat, serve with fruit salad and lemon-buttered broccoli.

Here's an old Crock Pot recipe I completely forgot to post last Fall ~ so now you'll have to wait a little bit to sample it! (Unless of course, there's acorn squash available where you are, depending on the season...) The guys like it. Do you?

6 pork chops

2 medium acorn squash

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp kitchen boquet

1 Tbsp orange juice

1/2 tsp grated orange peel

Trim excess fat from chops. Cut each squash (unpeeled) into 4-6 crosswise slices and remove seeds. Arrange three chops on the bottom of your Crock Pot. Place all the squash slices on top, and then top with the remaining chops. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and spoon over the chops. Cover and cook on Low about 4-6 hours or until done.

Serve one or two slices of squash with each pork chop. Makes about six servings.

4 slices bacon, diced 
1 Tbsp diced onion 
1 Tbsp flour 
1 (17-oz) can peas, drained
1 Cup milk
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Partially fry bacon. Add onion and cook until golden. Drain some of the grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add flour and stir well. Add peas and milk. Cook until heated through. Add mushrooms. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.

Makes 6 Servings

3 Tbsp oil 
2 med. onions, thinly sliced
1 lb. boneless chuck, round, or sirloin, cut in 1” cubes
1 1/2 Cups shredded cabbage 
1/4 Cup dry red wine 
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, undrained
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
dash Tabasco sauce
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Sauté onions until tender, about 3 min. Remove and set aside. Add beef - a few pieces at a time - browning on all sides and remove as they are browned. Keep warm until all pieces have been cooked. Return beef and sautéed onions to kettle. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over moderate heat until vegetables are tender and stew is thickened, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serves 4