Ginger Man Cookies

I have missed my blog! And all my blog friends. The last of our company pulled out yesterday around noon and I spent the rest of the day trying to get both my home and myself back together.  I had thought I would blog about some of the food we made for Thanksgiving, and post some recipes, but I  find myself wanting to put that behind me and move forward. 

Today, we are having a rainy day--one of those deary all day rains. I have beans soaking to make a bean soup for supper, I'm enjoying the quietude, and thinking about Christmas baking.  I have put away my Thanksgiving recipes and have out my folder of cookie recipes.

I am making lists of both items to bake and a companion grocery list. I like to make both sweet and savory goods and something new each year.  Last summer, while I was going through some of Mama's old recipes, I found Aunt Wanda's oatmeal cookie recipe, so that is added. I also recently discovered a recipe for peanut butter shortbread with salted chocolate, which sounds scrumptious to me, so I'll be baking those. 

To kick things off, here is a copycat recipe for the crispy and spicy Pepperidge Farms Ginger Man Cookies that I have always loved.  I found the recipe at keyingredient.com and they really do taste like the actual cookie. 

Ginger Man Cookies
1 cup dark brown sugar - (packed)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Sugar crystals
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream together the sugars, shortening, molasses, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring while you add it.

Roll a portion of the dough out on a heavily floured surface. Roll to under 1/4-inch thick. Cut the cookies using a man-shaped cookie cutter, or any other cookie cutter shape you’ve got.

Place cookies on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Bake only one cookie sheet of cookies at a time.

This recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies.

**These cookies expand a lot, so leave plenty of room between them**

Bacon, Spinach, Pear & Blue Cheese French Bread Pizzas

I have continued with the theme of super simple suppers, not only because I cut the dickens out of my thumb, but because I've been busy getting ready for a slew of company for Thanksgiving.  Also, I've been trying to use up bits and pieces of things in the refrigerator to make room for a big food shopping day. 

These were tasty! I realize I could call them open face sandwiches, but it is more fun to call them pizza and that also makes them taste better. 

Bacon, Spinach, Pear & Blue Cheese
French Bread Pizzas
French Bread
Olive Oil
Fresh minced garlic
Red pepper flakes
Red onion slices
Crisp bacon slices
Pear slices
Blue cheese crumbled
Fresh spinach
Provolone cheese slices

Slice the French bread horizontally, then cut into approximate pizza serving sizes. Brush each piece with a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until beginning to get toasty. Top each piece with a few slices of onion, then bacon, pear, and blue cheese crumbles. Top with a big handful of fresh spinach leaves and top that with a slice or two of provolone cheese. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Homemade Poultry Seasoning + Save Big on Herbs and Spices--A RE-POST

(Originally posted 11- 3-2009)

I have never been a fan of buying commercial spice blends. You know, poultry seasoning, chili seasoning, taco seasoning, grill seasoning, apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, seasoned salt. There are hundreds of them; they are expensive and often contain excessive salt, starch, MSG, sugar, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. The most expensive have celebrity chefs' names, with pretty labels. (I do like Old Bay seasoning.)

Here is a good poultry seasoning, which is easily adjusted to your own tastes. It contains no salt, so you can salt separately, if desired. It is delicious in stuffing/dressing, and also good on many autumn vegetables. Needless to say it is wonderful on chicken.

Poultry Seasoning
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. sage
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. marjoram
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

All spices and herbs should be dry. Grind together in a mortar and pestle, or use a spice grinder. Store in an airtight container.




A huge money saving tip: buy your herbs and spices in bulk, at the health food store. Recently, while at the grocery store, I realized I was out of cumin and needed it for a recipe that evening. Feeling too lazy to make an extra stop at the health food store, even though it is a whopping mile out of the way, I said to myself, "I'll just go ahead and get it here." When I went to the spice aisle, I was shocked to discover that a tiny bottle of cumin, .9 oz., was $4.96. Yikes!

I quickly realized a extra stop was definately worth it. I bought bulk cumin for 79 cents an ounce. I calculated that the grocery store cumin was roughly 700% more expensive than what I bought from the bulk jar. Not to mention that it was organic and non-irradiated.

It is also a good way to keep your spices fresh as you can buy only as much as you need. Plus a good way to try out new spices and recipes you may be unfamiliar with. No need to make an investment in something you are not likely to use again.

Start saving those spice bottles you already have and refill them from the bulk jars.

What We ARE NOT Eating Wednesday: Veal Kidneys Flambeed

My friend and blogging buddy, Melynda, started a really fun feature on her blog last week.  She loves old cookbooks and decided to choose an icky recipe from one to post as "What we ARE NOT eating Wednesday" each week.

Last week, she focused on a salad made with both lemon jello and baked beans.  I'm not joking. You can check it out here.  This week, she DOES NOT eat French-Style Liver.

Because I also love old recipes and old cookbooks, and I thought it was such a cute idea, I decided to join her. A while back, my husband came home with a cookbook he found at a rummage sale. It is the first volume of Gourmet Magazine cookbook, published in 1950. I chose the Veal Kidneys Flambeed because I love the copper chafing dish but the thought of eating a baby cow's kidneys makes my stomach hurt.  And it also looks pretty awful.

If you want to join in on the fun, check with Melynda at her very sweet blog, Mom's Sunday Cafe. 

Taco Soup

I don't want to gross you out and I'm not giving gory details, but let's just say I was in my kitchen, happily slicing potatoes with a mandolin. . . yes, you know where this is going. I sliced a little more than potato, namely my thumb. 

I knew I was going to need super simple recipes for a few days, recipes which did not involve slicing or chopping vegetables. While I really don't feel like I have cooked if I don't dice something, necessity prevails.  I saw a recipe for Taco Soup on one of the many blogs I follow, and decided to try it. 

I used a packet of taco seasoning, unheard of for me.  I even bought a package of shredded cheese, which I never use because the cheese doesn't taste as good as freshly grated.  But I did what I had to do. I didn't follow Claudia's (love the name) recipe exactly, but then I never do.  I did use a jar of my home canned summer tomatoes so  I did have at least some of my tender loving care in the soup. 

I was surprised by how tasty this was and how much I enjoyed it!

Taco Soup

(adapted to What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine)

1 pound ground sirloin

1 package taco seasoning

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 quart tomatoes with their juices

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 cup water (rinse out the tomato sauce can)

In a soup pot, brown the ground sirloin. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeno peppers and serve with tortilla chips.