Pumpkin Spice Dip

    by Joan Ricketts Locke

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

One pkg. Jello Pumpkin Spice Instant Pudding

One cup milk

One cup Cool Whip

 

Directions:

 

Mix pudding and milk together in large bowl.  Blend until smooth.

Fold in Cool Whip until creamy.

  (I added a few spoonfuls more  Cool Whip until I achieved

the taste and texture I wanted)

Chill

 

Serve with graham crackers, ginger snap thins, vanilla wafers, pretzels,

or cinnamon straws.

Note:  Pumpkin Spice is a "Seasonal Pudding" so stock up now!





Sweet Pepper Relish

 

by Joan Ricketts Locke
and Buddy Ricketts

 




Sweet Red Pepper Relish





Directions and Ingredients:

Wash your peppers.  Split and remove seeds
and membrane from peppers.   Chop finely

in food processor (enough for 6

cups, 4 cups red peppers and 2 cups

green peppers).  Peel and chop 4 cups onion.

Place above ingredients in large bowl.

 

Combine in large cooking pot:

 

6 cups sugar

2 tbsp. mustard seed

1 tbsp. celery seed

3 cups white vinegar

(I like the apple cider vinegar)

1 1/2 tbsp. salt
(add 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes if
you like a little heat)
 

Bring mixture to a boil long enough

to dissolve the sugar.

Pour vegetables in liquid mixture
and bring to a gentle boil.  Boil gently for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and ladle in sterilized pint jars.
 Fill hot jars to 1/2" from top of jar.  Process

in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

 Special Note:  I ladle a little more juice in the jars than what you'd probably get on a product purchased in the store.  If you prefer less juice, spoon up the relish with a strainer and place in jars, but you'll need some juice.  Also, if there is any juice remaining...I ladle it into a jar and can that too.  Buddy and Dad love to put the juice on cooked kale, mix into their bean crock before cooking and I use the juice to season a roast before baking.




Bud and Dad







Bud grows the peppers and Joanie makes the relish.
A great combination for a delicious product!
 



Blackberry Cobbler

  by Joan Ricketts Locke

 

The blackberry bushes have been abundant this year.  I have made blackberry jam, blackberry jelly, blackberry muffins and this delicious blackberry cobbler.  I hope you enjoy this treat created with inspiration from my back yard blackberries!

 

Ingredients:

2 c. Bisquick
1 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter
¼ c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
3 c. washed, drained blackberries

 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place blackberries in a bowl and stir in ½ cup sugar.  Set aside while preparing the cobbler batter.

In large mixing bowl:

Add bisquick, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, ½ c milk, 1 beaten egg and mix thoroughly

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 8 x 8 inch, or round baking dish.

Place ½ of the batter mixture in the buttered baking dish.  Next, pour  blackberries on top of batter.

Add ¼ c. brown sugar to the remainder of batter, then spoon the remainder of batter evenly over the blackberries.

Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

This recipe is great for blueberry, cherry, peach, or apples.  Use your imagination and come up with your own fruit mix.

 Special Note:  You can easily substitute Bisquick with 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup softened butter mixed together.

 

 



SCALLOPED YELLOW SQUASH CASSEROLE

 

By Joan Ricketts Locke

 

 



Wow yellow squash are growing in the garden abundantly and I wanted to share one of my favorite squash recipes with you.  I hope you enjoy my creation of a scalloped potato remake...using Yellow Squash!

 

Ingredients:

 

Three to four yellow squash, sliced thin

One medium white onion, sliced thin

Grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, but the dry type is ok)

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

 

Note: Depending on the number of folks you are serving, will depend on the number of squash and also the size casserole dish to prepare this tasty squash recipe.  Now here's a twist to this recipe...Brother Buddy adds a layer of cooked, crumbled Italian sausage.

 

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

 

Putting it all together, butter the bottom of casserole dish.

 

Layer:

squash, onion, sprinkle lightly some of the flour over onion,

shake on salt and pepper to taste, now add a generous layer of Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Repeat layers until you fill up your dish.  Always end with cheese.

 

Bake in preheated oven of 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until squash is done.  Squash will be soft when poked with fork.

 

Note:  If you're wondering why we don't add liquid, well that's because squash is naturally loaded with water.  Oh...zucchini squash are very tasty in this recipe too!

RED, WHITE and BLUE

    by Joan Ricketts Locke

 

 

A quick and easy dessert, especially festive for a celebration!

 

Ingredients:

 

One large tub of Cool Whip

One large box of vanilla instant pudding

One Angel food cake (pound cake is good too)

One can of Cherry Pie Filling

One can of Blueberry Filling

Two cups milk

 

 

This dessert shows best in a trifle bowl or any large clear glass bowl.

 

Cut Angel food cake in to bite size pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, place pudding and milk and mix thoroughly.  Add two cups of Cool Whip and whip until creamy.

Open pie fillings.

 

Let's put this together now:

 

Layer:

1/2 cake in bottom of glass dish

Next spread blueberry pie filling

Spread pudding mixture evenly on top of pie filling

Layer remainder of cake

Spread Cherry pie filling on top of cake.

 

Finish with dollups of Cool whip around the edges of the cherry pie filling (see photo above)
 

 Note:  You can also use fresh blueberries, strawberries, cherries, etc. instead of pie fillings. If you are making this dessert for "just adults" try adding a "jigger" of your favorite liquor.  I used whiskey mixed in with the cherry pie filling and I used pound cake vs. angel food cake. 

 

Enjoy this festive and yummy treat for your celebration!

 

 

*****GOD BLESS AMERICA*****



 

Easter Pineapple Poke Cake

    by Joan Ricketts Locke 

 

 

 

A moist, festive cake that packs a delicious pineapple/coconut punch.  Enjoy!!

  

Ingredients: 

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 box white cake mix
1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter
2 jiggers of Coconut Rum
1/2 cup finely chopped coconut

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt  cake pan with cooking spray.

 
Drain:  pineapple; measure 3/4 cup juice in to cup and set aside to use with cake mix. Reserve remaining juice for soaking mixture.

In a large mixing bowl:

1 box white cake mix
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Instant Vanilla Pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract
 

 Beat: Cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil and 3/4 cup pineapple juice with an
electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add vanilla to cake batter, mix and then fold

in crushed pineapple. Pour into prepared pan.


Bake: 38 to 42 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean.

While the cake is baking, let’s make the “soaking mixture.” In a small

 saucepan add: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp. butter and two jiggers of

Coconut Rum. Add remaining pineapple juice, 1/4 cup coconut and heat

until butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.


Remove cake from oven and set on a wire rack. While cake is still hot and

in the pan, poke holes in cake with skewer at ½” intervals. Pour soaking

mixture over cake (NOTE: if soaking mixture begins to pool, poke

additional holes). Allow cake to cool in pan 30 to 40 minutes.

When cool, invert cake upside down onto cake plate and remove pan. Cool
completely. If desired, drizzle glaze over cake and sprinkle with 1/4
coconut.  Confectioner’s Glaze: Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar
and 1 tbsp. Coconut Rum.    



The Ricketts Family, Easter Sunday
Forestville, Maryland
 

 

 

MONKEY BREAD

 

     By:  Angela

 

Ingredients:

2 cans refrigerated biscuits 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 stick butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Directions: Mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small zip-lock plastic bag.   Cut biscuits in half and place in bag.  Now shake it! Layer biscuits in a well greased bundt pan, offsetting the rows. In a small saucepan melt 1 stick butter and 1/2 cup light brown sugar.  Stirring to dissolve sugar.  Immediately pour over biscuits in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes Serve warm and enjoy!
Photo of Angela, her children and Great-Grandad Ricketts   If serving a large crowd of folks...just double the recipe and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Special Note from  Angela:  You can use margarine instead of butter, but I use butter.  If you use margarine, the taste is different and it changes the consistency of the top of the Monkey Bread.

 

IRISH SEAFOOD CHOWDER
 

by Joan Ricketts Locke

  and some great Irish Chefs

Irish Seafood Chowder and Irish Soda Bread served at
Inch Beach Pub

After a walk on Inch Beach, the Irish Seafood Chowder was warming and absolutely delicious!





Inch Beach

 

Inch Beach

 

 

 



Inch Beach is located on the Dingle Pennisula in County Kerry.

Trying to remember the tastes of several Seafood Chowders that I had the pleasure to enjoy while in Ireland, I made several attempts at making this chowder.  This is my final trial.  Hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:

2lbs of any white fish, mussels, salmon, shrimp and crab meat
1 1/2 pints of fish stock (I used Swanson Cooking Seafood Stock)
1 1/2 pints whole milk
1/2 cup  finely chopped onion
2 cups white or red potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 sticks finely chopped celery
1/2 cup yellow corn  
salt and pepper to your taste
8 oz. white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the fish stock, milk, onion, potatoes and celery to a boil, turn heat to low. Simmer until the veggies are soft.   With a wire whisk, mix in the flour, then add...salt, pepper, corn, wine and tarragon. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cut fish to bite size pieces. (make sure the mussels are washed thoroughly).  Now, add all of your fish combination to the pan and simmer gently for 4 minutes until mussel shells have opened and all the fish is opaque.    Gently pour in cream, stirring lightly.

Ladle in to your favorite soup bowl and serve with a warm, buttered slice of Irish Soda Bread.

 

 BANGERS AND MASH

                 by Joan Ricketts Locke

 

 

In May 2012, my husband, Wayne, and I travelled to Ireland.  One of the  entrees I thoroughly enjoyed was "Bangers and Mash" (Irish sausage and mashed potatoes).  In fact...I enjoyed this delicious dish four times during our three week stay.

 

Recipe:

1 pound fresh Irish sausages (8 large sausages)

1 pound Red potatoes, peeled and diced

Kosher salt (we use sea salt)

2 tablespoons butter , or margarine

1/3 cup milk

2 teaspoons whole-grain or coarse mustard

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 1 teaspoon onion powder

 

Directions:

 

Place sausages in a prepared fry pan of 1 tbsp. olive oil on med/high heat, brown sausages on both sides and then turn your heat down to medium, continue cooking until the sausages are just cooked through.

 

While sausages are cooking, place the potatoes in a large saucepan with 1 tbsp. salt, add enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until potatoes are done. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. To potatoes, add butter, milk, whole-grain mustard, dry mustard, 1 tbsp. salt, and pepper, beat potatoes on low speed to mix in ingredients, increasing speed until smooth and creamy.

 

Back to our sausages, add 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp. onion powder, and one bottle of Irish Beer (We use Guinness or Smithwicks) Remove sausages to a platter.  Back at the fry pan, increase heat to high and add 1 tbsp. flour to liquid, stirring constantly, to make a thickened gravy. Return sausages to gravy and let simmer ten minutes.

 

Ready to eat...place a mound of potatoes in center of plate and top with one or two sausages. With a gravy ladle...place one ladle of gravy on top of sausage and potatoes.   Sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy!!

 

 

Make this dish a tradition at your next St. Patty's Day Celebration!  We purchased Irish Sausages at COSTCO.  Brother Bill says he is glad I introduced him to this dish and now he loves cooking and preparing this dish for our St. Patty's Day dinner.
 



 

SOME NEW FAVORITE RECIPES

by Family and Friends
 

Dad's Great-Grandkids...our future chefs!
 

 

We're adding a new section!

 

Friends and family have requested the addition of new dishes which The Ricketts Family, and friends, have come to enjoy since the original cookbook was created.

 

We hope you will enjoy these additional recipes. 

Special Request: If you have a favorite dish you would like to share with us,  well...we'd love to try it and share with everyone else. Please send your recipe, with your name, a few comments why this is your favorite, and a photo of your recipe to joanlocke1@gmail.com