Life at Willis Creek Ranch: 2023

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Little Smokies

I made these for our December wine night gathering.

Little Smokies

2 packages Little Smokies

1 bottle BBQ sauce of your choice

1 small jar apple jelly

Put all ingredients together in a crockpot and heat through. Quick and easy appetizer - perfect for New Years Eve.

Rolo Pretzels

I made these for our December wine night gathering.

Rolo Pretzels

Place parchment paper on cookie sheets.

Spread pretzels on pan (about 24-30 per pan). Place a rolo on top of each pretzel.

Bake in oven at 300 degrees for about 4 minutes until the rolo is soft but not melted.

Remove from oven and immediately press down with a pecan half, or another pretzel. Chill in refrigerator or freezer before serving.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

I made these for our December 2023 Wine Night gathering.

Peanut Butter Blossoms - Gluten free and Sugar free

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)

1 cup sugar (I used ½ cup Splenda brown sugar)

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

30 milk chocolate kisses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla and add remaining ingredients (except for the Hershey kisses).

Roll or drop by 1 ¼ inch balls onto prepared cookie sheet (I covered with parchment paper). Slightly press down using crisscross patter with tines of fork.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. (You can also leave that out and just have peanut butter cookies). If the cookie starts to crack apart you can gently shape it back together if you work quickly.

These are definitely a different texture, but they are quite tasty.

My lovely Aunt Aleta

I think of my Aunt Aleta so often when I am cooking. She was renowned for her cajun and creole dishes. She had learned from her creole landlady when she and Charlie were first married and living in New Orleans. I found some of her handwritten recipes and know they are cherished heirlooms. I am posting them here for the recipes themselves, and also for the family history.

See below for recipes for Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, and Red Beans & Rice Cajun Style

Gumbo

Shrimp Creole - this was probably my favorite - even better than her gumbo (and that was saying something!)

Red Beans and Rice Cajun Style -

Pimiento Cheese Ring

This is called Roslyn Carter's Pimiento Cheese Ring. I found it in an article and decided to make it for wine club. It was quite lovely!

Roslyn Carter's Pimiento Cheese Ring

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese

1 small onion, grated (see notes)

1 cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Strawberry preserves

Instructions:

Toast pecans in a large skillet over medium high heat until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove pecans from skillet to cool. Set aside a few Tbsp. to garnish the cheese ring before serving if desired.

Shred cheese then add to a large mixing bowl. Add grated onion, mayo, cayenne pepper, and toasted pecans then mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Spoon cheese mixture onto a serving plate then shape into a ring. This isn’t as hard as it sounds - use a rubber spatula and your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Remove cheese ring from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, sprinkle reserved pecans on top of ring then spoon strawberry preserves into the center of the ring.

Notes -

If your onion puts off a lot of excess liquid after being grated (most do), squeeze the excess liquid out with your hands. Grab a few fistfuls at a time and squeeze or place all of the onion between your hands and press them together.

You really should shred your own cheese for this recipe - do not use pre-shredded cheese.

Toasting the pecans isn’t mandatory, but it adds more texture and flavor.

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Jonathan's Breakfast (Brunch) Quesadilla

Another tasty concoction from Jonathan. I wanted to capture this for the blog so that I can make it myself in the future.

Cook sausage and set aside (cut up into bite size pieces). Cook two eggs in skillet - break the yolks but you don't scramble them. Put flour tortilla in skillet and cover with cheese. Then layer on the sausage and egg, followed by a bit more cheese and some seasoning (PC Southwest seasoning is perfect - can also use Everything Bagel seasoning) Cover with top flour tortilla and cook until browned and cheese is melty. Flip and repeat. :) Yum!!!!

Brianna's Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

3 cups of cooked chicken

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 bag frozen veggies (3 cups veggies)

2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)

2 cans Pillsbury biscuits (the 5 count Grands)

Directions:

Grease pan. Mix ingredients in bowl and spread evenly in pan. Then cut the biscuits into quarters and toss with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Spread them evenly on top. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the top of the biscuits are browned and the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Brianna made this more gluten friendly by only using the first 4 ingredients then baking biscuits on the side. That worked really well! A simple, tasty and flexible recipe. :) (of course to make it totally gluten free you could make your own homemade cream of chicken soup)

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Jonathan's Curry

Jonathan was whipping up his supper the other night and it smelled so good! When he brought it to me to offer me a taste I asked him immediately for his recipe. Here it is!

Jonathan's Curry

Chop up an onion and saute in olive oil. Add some chicken (he used chicken breast tenderloins this time around) and garlic powder (could totally use fresh garlic but didn't have any). Saute till close to cooked through. Add some curry powder and paprika (he thinks he probably used about a 2 to 1 ratio on that but he isn't sure). Then some half and half. (bet you could use coconut milk, too). Not sure how much half and half he used but I would say it looks like about ½ cup to ¾ cup. Serve over rice.

This was for one BIG serving for him only. SO DELICIOUS! Better than my restuarant version yesterday! This kid can cook!

Monday, July 31, 2023

Random July

Photos that haven't made their way into other posts during the month of July 2023.

July 11, 2023

Anne arranged for our Books With Friends group to make lunch for the day campers at church camp on this day. It was wonderful to get the opportunity to serve with these ladies.

I told Debbie and Karla I was getting an 'action shot' :)

Then Anne and Colleen said we needed the 'oh we have worked so hard' shot :D

Debbie had the longest arms to take our selfie

Someone at the church took this for us

On the way home I stopped to see Daddy and we watched Jackson and Jonathan in the front yard taking photos of the 2 year old fillies. Jackson is wanting to work on selling them so needed some photos. I could just sit and watch my boys forever. :)

Friday, July 14, 2023

The boys had been working in there on that gate area around the back of the new horse barn.

July 19, 2023

Marvin got the gate finished on the pool deck - it looks great!

July 20, 2023

Anna and Matthew sent this cute photo to Daddy, who passed it on to me. :)

July 21, 2023

A happy Dad and daughter - upon James' arrival home.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

A fellow came up to take a look at Gemma and ended up buying Luna instead. Worked out well for Jackson. I always hate to see a horse leave the place, though. :)

Jackson sold Luna

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Pete and Kady came to have breakfast with Daddy. That is always a wonderful event. :)

July 31, 2023

Anna and Matthew came up to visit Daddy.

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Mav & Carlile Late-July

Saturday, July 22, 2023

I had a new camera and I was just trying out the new lens with it - while Mav and GranGran played.

Don't really have commentary from this day - too long ago and I can't really remember anything! ha!

Mav loves to look at the photos on display - especially those of his parents on their wedding day. :)

We were all enthralled with what was going on down at the horse barn! We were watching a man take a look at Gemma to possibly buy her. He ended up buying Luna instead (which was actually a better deal for Jackson!)

I went ahead and tested my new camera and lens :)

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

We babysat Carlile while Brianna had her play practice. Mav was at VBS and Jackson was finishing up haying in Columbia (in brutally hot weather! It was 103 here!!)

Carlile likes to sit up in the play seat with his blanket around him

He really engages! He talks and makes eye contact and communicates. :)

He also has this very concerned look... ha! That furrowed brow gets a real workout from Carlile! :)

He wasn't too sure about those toy figures in the play seat. :)

Marvin has such a way with babies...
what a wonderful man!

Jonathan is sure getting skilled, too!

Friday, July 28, 2023

Sweet happy boy. Great personality. He talks and talks and moves his whole body - very expressive. Talks much more than Mav did at this age.

Love that little ornery look! :)

Sunday, July 30, 2023

After Sunday lunch we babysat Maverick while Jackson finished up haying. (Brianna and Carlile were in St. Louis).

This Dress Up Joey has been the best toy! Maverick still loves it! Uncle Jonathan was helping him get the hat on just right. :)

ta da!

Mav said the fireman is his favorite - I think he said he wants to be a fireman when he gets older. I told him that I bet his preschool will get to go visit the fire station in person this year! :) (surely they will...)

After his nap he wanted to play with the ‘alligators’. He was having a fun time putting them all together. And then he decided to make alligator soup. He put them all back in the container with his ‘secret ingredient’ of two little trucks. :D Then he put them under the chair and said they were cooking. He had both of us use hand fans to get them to cook. :D Then he served it to me and I told him it was delicious!! :D This kid just has creativity coming out of his pores. :)