Easter is Fast Upon Us

I can't believe Easter is the day after tomorrow and I have way too much to do. I am in my first year of college, and this week is the final week of my current class, Introduction to Literature. I enjoyed this class but it was very labor intensive (lots of reading). I am hosting my annual Easter Brunch for family and friends. Normally I would have most everything ready to go by now. Now that I am a college student again the housework and holiday preparations have fallen by the wayside. To make it easier this year I told everyone this would be a potluck. I would provide the ham, make scones, make the bunny cake, and beverages.

One of my daughter's-in-law dropped off a 12 pound turkey for me to prepare as her offering. I cooked it off today, while filling Easter baskets. The turkey is done, the baskets are not. I did get my shopping done this morning, I only forgot one thing, the flaked coconut for the bunny cake. I've decided to not worry about the condition of the house over-much - after all this has become 'the college dorm'. I've decided to turn the turkey into a casserole my grandmother Vella used to make. My family all love it. She made it out of Thanksgiving leftovers. The casserole consists of a layer of dressing, a layer of boned turkey, and a layer of gravy or mushroom soup or a combination of both, but I am going to make it out of the turkey I just cooked. While shopping this morning I picked up a couple cans of Cream of Chicken - Mushroom soup. I am going to make a medium white sauce, and mix the soup with that to top the casserole with. Tonight I will prepare the dressing.

I am going to make my favorite, cornbread dressing. I was in the Women's Army Corps many years ago and I was stationed in Alabama, While there I became acquainted with traditional Southern style cooking. I fell in love. I ate cornbread dressing for the very first time in the Army mess hall where I was a cook. The following is the recipe for the cornbread dressing I learned to make while stationed at Ft. McClellan, Alabama.

This recipe consists of the cornbread recipe for the dressing. It is definitely not good to eat with butter on it. The consistency is perfect for making a really good dressing, but does not taste good to eat as is.

Calamity Pam's Favorite Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten lightly

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Sift dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients all at once, until just mixed together. Pour into a buttered 9-inch pan and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.

Cut cornbread into 1-inch slices and spread out onto a baking sheet. Dry at room temperature for 2 days.

*Tip - when short of time I put the baking sheet into a 250-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours to dry the corn bread out.

Dressing:

3/4 cup butter
3 large onions, diced fine
6 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 tbsps. thyme, diced
1 1/2 tbsps. sage, diced
1 recipe cornbread
4 cups white bread cubes
2 1/4 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet melt butter and saute onions and celery until soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Add herbs, cornbread and white bread. Add stock until stuffing is light and fluffy and holds together. Season with salt and pepper. Place dressing in buttered casserole and place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

*Tip - I haven't stuffed a turkey in years. The dressing absorbs the moisture from the turkey and dries it out. The turkey cooks faster when not dressed and there is less chance of Salmonella. The turkey is much easier to serve.

My family and extended family have always enjoyed week-end breakfasts together. I developed this recipe for our communal breakfasts.

Calamity Pam's Scones

2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsps. sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. grated orange peel, optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced raisins, optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced candied fruits, optional
evaporated milk
sugar

Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Sift dry ingredients, cut in butter (like for pie crust),add eggs, evaporated milk and flavorings. Stir to blend. Add fruits or nuts as desired. Turn onto lightly floured board, knead very lightly, divide dough into two parts and roll each into a circle, until dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into quarters and place on buttered cookie sheet. Brush tops with evaporated milk and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake about 15 minutes or until tops are light golden brown.

Makes 8 scones.

I usually double this recipe and make one batch with everything in it and one with only the orange rind and flavorings. This dough doubles well. I sometimes have trouble scaling the dough so all the scones are the same size when I double it, but the scones always taste great. There are always a few like me who like them with all the goodies, and most of the kids prefer them plain.

I especially like the leftover scones, split, buttered and grilled on my old cast iron griddle. They are wonderful with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

**Any recipe I provide that calls for butter - means butter! Unsalted butter specifically. You can use margarine but you will have an inferior product. It just won't have the same, aroma, texture, color, or flavor.

Happy Spring to one and all! I am happy to answer any questions related to cooking. If I don't know the answer I will ask someone who does. I would also enjoy any comments.

Regards!!