Remarkable fudge

I've always had poor luck with fudge -- I wind up scorching it, or it fails to set up. But my husband loves (I mean looooves) fudge, so I decided to try again this week. I found this recipe for "remarkable fudge" in my tried-and-true Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. It was delicious and easy and despite my initial fears that it was not going to set properly, a quick trip into the fridge gave excellent results.

Even if you are not experienced making candy, try this one. You don't need a candy thermometer; just patience while stirring.

Remarkable fudge

4 cups sugar
10 ounces of evaporated milk
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a 9x13x2 inch pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil (we sprayed it with non-stick spray). Set aside.

Butter side of a heavy 3-quart saucepan (non-stick spray again). In the pan combine sugar, evaporated milk and butter.

Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Add the chocolate pieces and stir well.

Add marshmallow creme, walnuts and vanilla. Stir until all melts and is well combined.

Beat by hand for one minute. Spread into prepared pan. Score the fudge while it is still warm. When fudge is firm, use the foil to remove it from the pan. Cut into squares and store in a covered container in the fridge. Makes about 4 pounds or 96 pieces (if you cut it in small pieces).

Savory favorite for Christmas

According to the box, people have been chowing down on the original Chex brand party mix for more than 50 years. I remember my grandmother bringing it to us in Norfolk, Va., from her home in Raleigh, N.C. And today when I smell the mix toasting in the oven, I think of her.

It is a Christmas favorite in my house and I have made countless batches of the stuff over the past 20 years. But the thing about the mix that makes me chuckle is the fact that I have never made it precisely like the “original” recipe – one I doubt is truly original. This year the recipe promoted on the Chex website gives microwave directions first. There are also methods for cooking it in a slow cooker. The directions used to urge you to melt the butter in a 9x13-inch pan, add the other flavorings, and then dump the cereal on top. Big mistake, unless you wanted some cereal soaked in Worcestershire sauce and some pieces with nothing.

The “original” recipe also calls for bagel chips (Seriously? We are supposed to believe that in the early 1960s people were commonly eating bagel chips? I couldn’t find more than two kinds of pasta at the grocery store 20 years ago.) It also calls for garlic powder and onion powder; I’ve never used either in this recipe.

The original recipe is available on any box of Chex brand cereal you might buy, so check it out for yourself. But I still think the best part of making this savory Christmas favorite is putting your own spin on it. Two favorite additions in my recipe are Bugles snacks and Cheerios. I am not a fan of the wheat cereal in this mix, so the other cereals make up for it in volume. Former coworkers in Norton, Va. suggested addding the Bugles and Cheerios. Both win rave reviews. But to be clear: I hardly ever buy the name brand cereals, especially when I am making snack mix. The generic versions are cheaper and, in my view, you can’t tell the difference. Yes, I am a cheapskate.

And I never follow the dump method suggested in some recipes. Don’t add the dry cereal to a pan of butter and Worcestershire sauce, unless you want a soggy mess. Instead, melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds, add the Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt. Stir well and slowly add it, while mixing, to the cereal, pretzels, nuts, etc. that are in the baking pan.

My version:

Savory snack mix

3 cups square corn cereal

3 cups square rice cereal

1 cup Bugles

1 cup round oat cereal

1 cup mixed nuts (I often add extra raw pecans, if I have them on hand)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine (half a stick)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup small pretzels (I often use sticks)

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Mix cereals, nuts and pretzels in a 9x13x2-inch pan. Melt butter in a microwave safe dish for 30 seconds. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt; mix well. Pour over cereal mixture, mixing well. Bake for one hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes.

The original recipe gives storage instructions (airtight container). We just gobble it up at our house.

Keeping warm from the inside out

For years I enjoyed making Russian tea and hot chocolate for the Norton, Va., Christmas parade. Hundreds of cold parade watchers would warm up inside The Coalfield Progress newspaper office and enjoy a cup of something warm, while the floats rolled past. But it has been since 2005 that I worked at the newspaper and this year the weather was so unpredictable that the Norton parade was cancelled.

But I still enjoy making these drink mixes for my family and friends. They are super simple and make great gifts. The Russian tea recipe using a favorite drink mix from the 1960s, Tang. And the hot cocoa mix comes from a church cookbook in Wise County, Va. The addition of coffee creamer and powdered milk makes this recipe, which is blended with hot water, particularly creamy.

Consider making a batch of either or both. They are great gifts and guaranteed to please a crowd.

Russian tea

3 cups sugar
2 cups Tang
1 cup instant tea mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix thoroughly. Add three heaping teaspoons to a mug of hot water.

Best-ever hot chocolate

Two 10-ounces boxes powdered milk

16-ounce bag powdered sugar

1 large jar coffee creamer

1 large container Nestle Quik

Mix ingredients thoroughly. Add 2-3 heaping teaspoons to a mug of hot water. Enjoy!

Pizza Meatloaf

This was a delicious creation born from ingenuity and what was on hand in the fridge Sunday night, plus some creativity from my 9-year-old son. It won raves and a guarantee to be repeated soon.

Pizza meatloaf

One pound ground chuck
1/2 cup pizza sauce, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 slices bread, crumbled
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/4 cup mozzerella cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients together, except 1/4 cup pizza sauce and the grated mozzerella cheese. Shape into a loaf and place in a 9x13x2 casserole. Cover with the remaining pizza sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and add grated cheese; return to oven for 5-10 minutes so cheese melts. I served this with white rice and green beans -- it was terrific.

Beef stew, revisited

I mixed up a pot of beef stew early this morning, based loosely on the recipe I posted here earlier this year. Take a look at my: Burgundy beef stew. This morning, I substituted rose wine for burgundy, steak sauce for worcestershire, and threw in a handful of thyme sprigs that are making the house smell divine.

Bottom line? Cooking is about experimentation. Try what you like. Substitute what you have. Improvise. But keep trying. I am so glad dinner was handled before 8 a.m. Now on to other challenges....

Chicken and vegetable soup

Certainly I love using my slow cooker year round, but as the weather turns colder I especially enjoy making soups. This recipe is a healthy option; its packed with vegetables -- both fresh and canned -- and I used chicken breast tenderloins, which are low in fat and high in protein.

Chicken and vegetable soup

8-10 chicken breast tenderloins
14.5 ounce can green beans, drained
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
15.25 ounce can corn, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 potatoes, diced
4-5 cups water, or chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste



Dice all the fresh vegetables (potatoes, carrots and celery) and place them in a 6-quart slow cooker.

You'll go from this... to this...

I used Yukon gold potatoes, which are my husband's favorite. They have a beautiful golden color and are buttery when cooked. Then add the canned vegetables, water or stock and the dried seasonings.

Next, cook the chicken breast tenderloins in a small amount of oil (about 1 teaspoon) over medium heat. Brown the tenderloins slightly, then let them cool.

Don't these look yummy? I let these tenderloins rest on the cutting board for about 5 minutes, then diced the chicken meat and added it to the slow cooker.

Stir to blend all the ingredients, then cook on low for about 8 hours. This soup was delicious (I ate three bowls!). Yield is about 10-12 cups. Plenty of leftovers to enjoy today.

Best-ever grilled chicken, improvised

Life happens. Things break. Some days the chicken you want isn't available at the store. The propane runs out. The grill won't work.

All those things happened about 10 days ago when we aimed to make my recipe for Best-ever grilled chicken. No chicken thighs at the store (we bought breast tenderloins). Two days later when we aimed to put them on the grill, the grill refused to cooperate. At first, we thought the tank was out. Then, we figured it might be that the ancient, rusty grill may have given its all.

But nearly everyone in America has one of these, right?

We had marinated the breast tenderloins for about two days.

Then got them on the hot grill.

Close the lid and grill the tenderloins for about 7 minutes.

Because the grill cooks from the top and bottom, you will get beautiful grill marks on both sides.

I'll not tell you that the indoor method is as great as grilling outdoors, but it was still pretty fine. And nothing tops this marinade. As the weather is turning colder, consider this method. It's delicious, I promise.