This was absolutely delicious.  Okay, so my picture isn’t perfect, the patty-melt is in the front, the soup has been slurped up a bit.  But this is real life, not a photo shoot. :)

This was so simple, and it turned out perfect.  If you don’t have a Vitamix, I’m sure you could achieve same results in a regular blender and then heat on the stove.

2 cans of diced tomatoes (original recipe called for italian style with oregano, basil and garlic)  I didn’t have those, all I had was a can of stewed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes, so that’s what I used, and added a bit of basil leaves and garlic powder.

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese 

A dash of sweetener (I used 3 drops of EZ-Sweetz) or sugar, about 1-2 teaspoons to cut the acidity.

I put all of this in the Vitamix and set it to soup, in 6 minutes, I had hot wonderful tomato soup.  It keeps well, leftovers are great!

Since I used the Vitamix I didn’t soften the cream cheese to room temp, I just put it in cold, but if you’re blending in a regular blender I would soften cream cheese first...

I think I’ll try this same recipe with broccoli or cauliflower and add some cheddar cheese along with the cream cheese.  Who would have thought soup could be so easy...

A must make in this blackberry loving household!

I make skillet apple and peach pie, I posted the recipe last year.   This morning, my friend, Angi, sent me this recipe from Facebook for Skillet Blackberry Pie.  I would gladly give credit, but I don’t know where this originated.  Here’s the recipe, oh my, my family is going to love this!

Skillet Blackberry Cobbler

Don't make this in anything but a big black skillet~it won't turn out the same!

Ingredients
1 box of 2 refrigerated pie crusts (I prefer Pillsbury)
2 (14-16 oz) bags frozen blackberries, unthawed
1 stick butter, melted
1⅓ cups sugar (for berries)
½ cup flour
¾ cup sugar (for crust)
½ stick butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup water

Instructions
1.Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Unroll one pie crust and place in bottom and up sides of 12 " cast iron skillet.
3.Pierce bottom and sides of crust with a fork.
4.Bake 7 minutes; remove from oven.
5.Increase oven temp to 400 degrees.
6.In a large bowl, mix melted butter, 1⅓ cups sugar, and flour.
7.Put berries in bowl with butter/sugar/flour mixture; toss until berries are covered and mixture is crumbly.
8.Gently pour berries into skillet; sprinkle water over berries.
9.Unroll second pie crust over top of berries, sealing at the edges of the skillet.
10.Scatter the small pieces of butter on top of the crust.
11.Sprinkle ¾ cups sugar on top of crust.
12.Cut tiny slits in top of pie crust.
13.Bake approximately 45 minutes or until bubbly at edges and beginning to brown on top.
14.(I highly recommend a pie shield to keep edges of crust from burning.)

Does anybody remember this blast from the past?  I’ve always been a foodie and back in the early 1970’s, Graham Kerr’s tv show “The Galloping Gourmet” started the trend, he was the first cooking show I ever watched.

He was this goofy English guy who cooked food that I would never make, but he did have great wooden kitchen spoons that he called “Spurtles.”  They even gave them away in cereal boxes, but I bought a set of them from an address he posted on his show. They’ve always been my favorite kitchen tools and they’re still going strong all these years later.

Pictured above is my collection, and yes I use that Bakelite Grease Jar.  I low carb, I always have bacon grease.  I’m going back to my roots, people, my mother always had a jar of bacon grease next to her stove, I bet yours did, too.

But back to the Spurtle.  I’ve picked up additional sets and individual pieces when they’ve been available on eBay through the years and now have quite a collection.  Some of them have holes in them, some are shorter, some are angled,one is a spatula,  but the traditional Spurtle is the one I use over and over again.  It’s the long one with a curved bottom and straight side.   They all have the GG Emblem burnt into the handles and they’re my treasures, I’ve used them daily since the 70’s.

If you do nothing else today, click and watch this video below, and if it doesn’t make you laugh until tears roll down your cheeks, something is seriously wrong with you.

Oh, The Galloping Gourmet, he was one of a kind, there were no retakes on this old television show, what you see is what you get.  Funniest thing I’ve seen in ages.

 And finally, if all this talk of spurtles is making you think you have missed out all of these years, you can still get one.  Not the original, but this guy on Etsy has copied the design and is selling them for $20.  

Here’s the click, I would so invest $20 in one of these if didn’t have my original collection.  What’s so good about them other than nostalgia?  They are just designed so well, they have a curved bottom that gets in the corners, a straight edge that cleanly stirs sides of pots.  Oh, just buy the damn thing, trust me it’s a good thing.  ~ Jan

I was making breakfast this morning, watching Trisha’s Southern Kitchen and her college age nephew and his friends were on the show.  She cooked for them and of course they were wolfing it down.

One of the guys said that in his family when someone makes something really good to eat, the rest of the family tells them to “take a bow.”  I like that, what a great family tradition and it shows appreciation.

However, even though LC was watching the show with me, he didn’t tell me to take a bow for his sausage, eggs and toast.  Hmmmm, so I’m thinking he’s either just taking breakfast for granted, or it wasn’t that good.  But I do think this is such a good idea, it’s those simple things, ladies.

Are you reading this LC? Hello!!!!!  

Men, Schmen!!!

I first posted this recipe back in 2007.  My elderly next door neighbor gave it to me and she's gone now but she was such a wonderful cook.  Pair this with some crusty fresh bread and a green salad and it’s just the best, ever!!!

So here it is again, if you make black-eyed peas for luck on New Years Day, this is a winner!

2 cans black-eyed peas, I drain and rinse for a more subtle flavor
2 cans italian stewed tomatoes  
1 lb. sweet italian sausage, with casing removed  or you can use 1 lb. of Polska kielbasa instead of Italian sausage
1 large onion  
2 tablespoons of italian seasoning  
1 teaspoon of oregano, if desired 

Small pasta, I like ditalini or Creamettes small shells

Brown onion and sausage, drain, crumble and dump all in a crockpot, simmer on high for 3-4 hours, meanwhile cook a cup or so of pasta, any small pasta will work and stir it in at the end.  

This is so good, and so easy….

Enjoy and Happy New Year

Oh so easy for the holidays.  Just precook the bacon a bit, roll in the cinnamon rolls and bake for 12 minutes.  

Just had to share ~ Jan

I was making these grilled cheese sandwiches at lunch (that’s 1 carb bread ladies, and it’s awesome).  I’m now using cast iron almost exclusively and loving it.  It gives food such wonderful flavor and I took a deep breath and listened to my sons, I don’t use soap on my skillets, I  soak them a bit in hot water and use my trusty Lodge scrubber on them.  This was really hard for me to do, but I’ve done it for a few months and hubby and I haven’t had food poisoning, so it must be okay.  And the best part, my skillets are now as smooth as a babies bottom, I can even fry eggs in them with no sticking.

So, I have a few favorite things to show you.   The first is a Lodge Scrub Brush.  John had one of these, I told Ryan about them, he looked them up on Amazon and we both ordered.

\What a great brush this is, I use it exclusively on my cast iron and it does a fine job.  $9.97 Prime, it’s a great price, too! 

Here’s the link

Then I bought the Lodge Silicone handle.  It fits all sizes of Lodge skillets, and keeps your hands cool when you use them.  It’s only $6.00 Prime.

You can buy it here

And for only $4.62 you can get these great pot scrapers.  Perfect for getting all of the residue off your skillets when you’re washing them.  It’s not Prime, but it is an add-on.  Here’s the click

And finally, this grill scraper.  You all know how hard it is to get between the ridges of a grill pan, well this little gadget will fix that problem for only $4.43 or $9.99 for a four pack, all Prime.

Here’s the link

I bought this 9” preseasoned skillet back in September specifically to make this Trisha Yearwood’s appe recipe that I posted on Jan CAN Cook.  This pie is a winner, and just as good, if not better with peach pie filling.  Want the recipe?  Grab it here!

But back to this 9” skillet.  It’s fantastic, my grab it every day, go to skillet of choice.  It’s on Amazon for $23.22 Prime and worth every penny.  A must have if you want to make that pie, a larger skillet won’t work.  Here’s the link to the skillet

These Lodge accessories would make great stocking stuffers, that pie would be amazing during the holidays, but you really do need to treat yourself to this skillet.  I’m telling you, it’s the perfect size!  

And I also have a great blog entry on how to make old cast iron new again, hubby is working on that little project for you.  It’s coming in a week or so… ~ Jan

It’s that time of year again, and I have Thanksgiving recipes from several years ago that my friends shared with me.  Busy day, but here’s a quick link, I’ll put them in the sidebar later.

Just click on the picture, you will link to the original file and from there, just click on individual recipes.  They’re good ones!!!!

And while I’m at it, I might as well give you the link to the Christmas ones, too.

Just in time for Thanksgiving.  Thanks, Libby!!!!

After I posted my recipe for Hammie Sammies, my cousin, Phyllis emailed me with her version.  This one has mayo and Phyl is a great cook, so I’m sure it’s yummy!

I pound baked ham
1 dozen dinner rolls ( the Hawaiian rolls are too sweet for our taste).

I mix about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup salad dressing together .. Add garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Spray bottom of pan with Pam

Cut rolls in half .. Spread a light coating of mayo mixture on rolls

I take ham and cheese and alternate on bun

I use mozzarella or provolone cheese

After I get all 12 rolls assemblied I brush a brown sugar mixture on top of them

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Dab of Worchester sauce

I melt all in saucepan

Put in refrigerator about an hour or overnight

Bake at 350 degrees till cheese is melted - about 20 minutes

I have used roast beef and pepper jack cheese

I like them on croissants