Happy New Year With Blacked eyed Peas & Hungarian Coffee Cake YUM!

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land and this is MadJon saying I hope you have a very happy and healthy New Year to you and yours.  A big thank you to all my followers here on my Cooking With MadJon blog.  I hope you are enjoying the recipes that I put up and give them a try.   It is hard to believe that 2011 is just about to end and one door will close and another one will open for all of us.  Its like stepping out after a run and we get to do it all over again.  Fresh starts, you have to love it.  I don't know about you but 2011 was a pretty good year for me with more of my products going out the door and am starting my third season of the , Cooking With MadJon and Friends show.  I have had articles published on cooking and my recipes.   You have to love that.  Am also working on a few cookbooks which I can't tell you about as yet but very soon and I hope you all give them a great big try.  My hubby has had like two surgery's this year and it looks like we will be headed into 2012 with another one.  Please give a prayer out there in web land for us and we will be at MDA in Houston for awhile.  His in good hands.  If anyone out there would like to watch the shows and be a sponsor I say come on in and join us it will only cost you some money and you will get some business in return.  Let's talk about why we eat what we do on New Years Day.  Well we eat Black Eyed Peas for good luck and some Greens for money.  Like show me the money honey!  We did the TV show and made like Greens and some Hoppin John which by the way come from the slaves bought back from Africa.  Its Black Eyed Peas and Rice Mixed with onions and pepper.  Very tasty dish.  Any Who am going to give you a reuipe to make some Black Eyed Peas and also we are going to talk about a very easy and good Hungarian Coffee Cake that my friend Sylvia Berger said that she made and before I forget I want to thanks her for sharing this recipe.  I upped the cocoa amount from 1 tsp. to a 1 1/2 Tbsp.  This is a very good cake and everyone loved it.  So please give these two recipes a try and enjoy, Bona Y'all.

Blacked Eyed Peas

1 Bag Dried Black Eyed Peas
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Piece of Ham
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tabasco

Sock and cook the peas according to package directions.  Then to that you add the chopped onions, ham cut up, salt and pepper to taste, and a few dashes of Tabasco.  If you wish add about 1 cup of rice to the peas and some peppers and you can call it Hoppin John.  Also I like my peas creamy not watery when they are cooked.  You just cook them a little longer to reduce the water content.

Hungarian Coffee Cake

1 Box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 Small Box Vanilla Pudding
1/2 Jar Apricot Jam
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 jar Chopped Cherries

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundlt pan.  Mix the cake with the pudding, apricot jam, eggs, oil, sour cream, and cherries.  Blend well. Reserve and make the filling.
Filing:

1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cocoa
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and pecans together.  Then pour half of the cake into the pan and pour half the filling onto the cake mix and stir the batter with a knife and then top it with the rest of the batter and then pour the rest of the filling onto the batter and stir it with the knife like you are in a swirl pattern.  Bake the cake for about 1 hour or until a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

Well am going to go with my hubby to the ranch here in Texas and they will be roasting some oysters for New Years Eve.  I wish you all the best in 2012 and most important remember to take time to smell the Rose's is what my Momma used to say to me.  Love the one your with very much and give lots of kisses and hugs to everyone from me.  I hope all your wishes come true. Go see our new show at www.aikenstandard.com  Cooking With MadJon and Friends and view the recipes from the shows and go like my Fan Page on FB.  Come be my friend.  Send me some recipes to try at madjon51@aol.com .  Happy Trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Nothing Better then Home Made Key Lime Pie Have Some

Well hello to all you foodies out there in Web land its MadJon again and I hope you try some of this wonderful Key Lime pie that can be made right in your own home and its easy as pie!  Before we start with the recipe I hope you all have most of your Christmas shopping finished.  I have all of it but for writing one check to our daughter and I saw so much I could have bought for her today but she would rather buy for herself.  I don't blame her because from the time she was a little girl she and I never picked out the same thing.  She had her own mind then and she has it even more now.  Do you have any kids like that?  Of coarse you do because if you say you don't I don't think I'd believe you much.  Our daughter has wonderful taste in style and everything but she seems to have a problem in just one area but I guess I won't talk about that unless we are on Dr. Phil and I get money to tell it all baby. She has no problem airing everything I do to the world on that thing called Face book.  She tells you I snore and sleep naked, etc. etc., etc.  That's enough detail.  Besides that what woman doesn't sleep that way when she is my age.  Hot Hot Hot.  That's all I can say on that subject.  Any who kids, they step on your feet when they are little and step on your hearts when they are grown.  They can be real heart breakers and pains in the rear.  However that said I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world and am the only one that can say anything about her and get away with it.  I love her so and would do anything for her, as most parents would.  OK let's get off that and start talking about Key Lime pie.  My mother-in-law gave me this recipe and I changed it a little, not much and she has won Blue Ribbons with her Key Lime Pies. So let's give it a swirl.

Blue Ribbon Key Lime Pie

crust:

14 Crushed Graham Crackers
3 T. Sugar
3 T. Melted Butter
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Filling Key Lime:

4 Egg Yolks, beaten
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 8oz. Cream Cheese, softened

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Crush graham crackers and to that you add the sugar, butter and cinnamon, mix well and bake in oven for about 10 minutes.  While the crust is cooking mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, key lime juice, eagle brand milk, and the beaten egg yolks  together until well blended.  Then pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes and top with sliced almonds.  Cool and serve with some whipped cream.  Serves 8.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and please let me know at madjon51@aol.com and also send me some recipes to try.  Come like my fan page on face book at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon and go to http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV 95 Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  Have a Happy and safe holiday season.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.
Almonds sliced for top

Merry Christmas Let's Make some Eggnog Pie Goody Goody

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in webland I hope all is well for you this holiday season.  I feel very blessed this season with my hubby getting a good report on his medical test but he is still going to have to have some surgery but he will live.  I hope that all your wishes come true for you this holiday season.  I remember one Christmas my dad lined the three older kids up and said that times were bad and the three of us would not being getting presents from Santa jsut the little ones and I was maybe six at the time.  I turned to my sister Brenda who was all of 8 and said, gee, now I wish there really was a Santa Claus.  After that I don't remember alot of Christmas gifts until after I got married and my dad made good money he just spent it all or gave it away.  We would go from rags to riches in a instant.  He would sometimes wake us up in the middle of the night and off we would be going to another state to live and he'd leave all of our belongings behind, furniture, household items and even what toys we owned sometimes we'd go of with jsut the clothes on our backs.  What a life ups and downs and all around.  I can't even count how many schools we were in and out of,  sometimes we'd live in a state for like 6 months but my dad's problem was he spent money, drank and liked lots of women even the kind with rings on their fingers.  I know that is one of the reasons we moved so much, he just couldn't keep his hands off and his pants up.  We lived on the North, South, East and West of this country.    It didn't hurt me much, I learned how to make friends and how to survive. meaning to exist in spite of adversity and to live.  Sometimes I lived alittle to much but as my mom always said, well that's the way the cookie crumbles.  She used to say all you girls make sure to use what you have to get into the front door and if your looks do that for you then so be it.  After your in then that is the time to show them what your made of.  Which everyone of us learned very fast how and what to do.  We made the best sales people in the world.  We gave the men a run for their money when it came to sales.  Out sold everyone of them and they couldn't stand us.  If fact, I had a job one time selling cars and I had to really teach myself on how to close the deal. The men hated me and the last month I was there in that little town I out sold the men and put out 7 units for the month and topped the money held on the cars.  I did alright.  Just remember that you have to ask for the sale.  They are not going to say I want to buy that car, you have to do your job and pitch it and listen to what they are saying and don't ever not pay attention to the wife or girlfriend, because they will control the sale.  Not the man, when your ready you put the paperwork in front of them and ask, may I have your business and they are going to say yes or no and if they say no then ask why not and it usually is money, then take them to the finance guy and if his any good he will close the deal for you.  It dosen't matter if you are selling a big ticket item or a small one, you sell it all the same way.  Well any who I didn't mean to get off on that I guess am remembering the Christmas at our house sometimes.  Well lets talk about Eggnog Pie and I hope that you give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.

Eggnog Pie

1 Cooked Pie Shell, deep dish and 9 "
1 Tbsp. gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla
pinch of Salt
3/4 Cup Milk
4 Eggs, separated
1 1/2 Cup Cool Whip

Place gelatin into the water for about 5 minutes.  Mix the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and milk.  Cook in a double boiler until thick.  Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture and fold in egg whites that you have beaten until stiff with 1/4 cup of sugar.  Then fold into the mixture the cool whip.
Then pour the mixture into the cooked pie shell and refrigerator until cooled and ready to serve.  Optional: Bourbon to taste.

I hope you give this recipe a try and write me with the results at madjon51@aol.com.  Come visit me at https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingwithMadjon and like it. please.  I want to say have a safe and Merry Christmas and I hope you and your family have many special memories to share.  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Please send me some recipes to share.

Merry Christmas And Nothing Better then Home Made Eggnog WOW!

Well hello to all my foodies friends out there in webland.  I hope all is well and that your holidays are the best they can be.  I've been busy with going to Charleston for my birthday and eatting at some mighty fine restaurants.  Like we ate at Husk which had some mighty fine Southern cusine.  I had the pork Chop with Black eyed peas and Greens with a taste of some of the Oatmeal pie.  The pie taste alot like my Buttermilk pie that I make.  I just love going to Charleston and shopping at the market and watching the basket making and tasting all the fine foods that they have to offer.  Didn't want to come home.  Anywho let's get back to talking about Egg Nog.  There are a few ways to make this seasonal drink.  I haven't found many of them that I don't like. I just don't like alot of the hard stuff in it.  However my husband's grandmother used to make it and whenever we went to visit I tried really hard to stay away from the eggnog bowl, hers would knock your socks off!  When I was a kid I used to make it at home around the holidays because I didn't like alot of heavy spices mixed in it.  Anywho here is a recipe that I used to make for our holiday drink.  I hope you give this a try.

Eggnog (Cold)

This serves about 10 servings

6 Fresh Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 pt. Heavy Cream
1 pt. Whole Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 oz. Rum
1 pt. Bourbon
Nutmeg Ground or Fresh

Beat the 6 egg whites in a bowl till they are fluffy.  Then in another bowl add the 6 yolks, beaten, sugar, vanilla, cream, milk, cinnamon, and mix like crazy.  Then to that add the egg whites and mix.  Then add the rum and bourbon, mix.  Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Remember not to put to much nutmeg on the tops, it will make it bitter.  If you wanted to cook the eggnog, just mix the yolks, milk, cream and spices together really good and heat on the stove until right before it boils and then slowly add the egg whites and beat really fast and then add the rum and bourbon to the mix and chill in the fridge.  Serve with the nutmeg on the tops.

Well I hope that you enjoy this Christmas drink that has been around for along time.  Remember not to drink to much of this stuff and drive.  HEHE.  Anywho go watch my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Go view my fan page on FB and like it.  Like my Thanksgiving page as well on the Aiken Standard site.  Sen me some recipes that I can write about and try for my TV show.  My email address is madjon51@aol.com  Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, madjon

Breakfast Anyone? French Toast (ameritte) Lost Bread

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land, hope all is well.  Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast?  I did.  We went to D.C. to visit our boys and ate dinner with their friends.  Had the best Time and the food was fabulous.  We had Turkey, Dressing, Macc and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole , rolls, 3 or 4 different desserts. It was all Yummy!  I know that when ever the holidays roll around one of the best meals with my family is the late breakfast that we have.  Like the sausage and egg casseroles or the old stand by the sausage balls are my daugthers de'lite and monkey bread.  Fresh fruit and sometimes crepes with fresh cream and fruit.  This year I think we should have French Toast with fruit and lots of home made syrup like I used to make when I was a kid at home.  Now with my cake syrups around the house I can have just about any flavor of syrup I want.  What do you all eat for breakfast during this special time of year? We only have about 26 days left to wait.  I love this time of year and I love having the family around me as well.  We hardly get to see our son so its always a treat for him to be home.  I get to spend some extra needed time with our grands.  Well any who let's get to writing about our wonderful French Toast recipe that we will be putting up today.  FYI, French Toast has been around since the Roman times.  No one likes to waste food and this is a good way to use up the older breads that you have in the kitchen and its quick and easy to do.

Serves about 4 people
Prep is about 5 minutes
Cook time is about 5 to 8 minutes

French Toast

4 Eggs, Beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla
pinch of Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 TBSP Confectionery Sugar
2 TBSP Cream or Baileys
1 Stick Butter
6-8 slices Stale Bread

Beat your eggs, add to beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, confectionery sugar,and cream, mix till well blended.  Heat about 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan, do not burn butter, heat on low.  When melted and heated then take a slice of bread and roll it on both sides of eggs and place in pan.  Repeat another slice of bread and brown on both sides of the bread.  Then repeat with the butter in pan until all the bread is toasted.  Cut the toast in half and dust lightly with confectionery sugar and serve with heated syrup and fruit.  Remember t cook it slowly to brown so it does not brown because the sugar may want to make it burn as well.  Cook it nice and slow, see.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and write me at madjon51@aol.com with any questions or recipes that you would like to share.  I always like to hear from you all.  Have a happy holiday and enjoy your family and friends.  Enjoy all the food and cooking that is going to be passed your way.  Come like my fan page on Face book, Cooking With Madjon and friends.  See the show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/  Happy trails to you until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.

Southern Fried Turkey for a Happy Thanksgiving Moist to eat

Hello to all you foodie friends out there in web land, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving to you.  I hope all your travels are safe ones and all your memories are treasured ones.   As you know if you read my blog am off to DC to visit our boy's.  I love going to visit DC its so exciting.  We are going to be very busy and I've been asked to make my coconut cake.  Yum Yum, another Southern favorite.  Right now we are going to talk about frying a turkey.  If you have never fried a turkey for the holidays then you are in for a treat.  You have to make sure that it is nice and dry on the inside and outside of the turkey.  The oil needs to be about 300 to 325 degrees.  You need to cook the turkey for at least 3 minutes per pound.  Example the one you are looking at was about 10 pounds and we cooked it for about 30 minutes.  It was perfect, and moist.  You need also to remember when you drop the turkey into the hot oil you need to do it very slowly.  You need to also leave it sit out for about 45 minutes before firing the turkey.  Am going to write down a rub that you can use on your turkey and make sure that you lift up the skin on the breast and apply some rub and put some of the rub on the inside cavity and under the skin of the turkey.  You will like a fried turkey.

Rub:

1 TBSP Onion Powder
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1 TBSP Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 TBSP Cajun Seasoning
1 TBSP Dried Sage

Mix all ingredients and after you dry the turkey and right before you fry it, then you need to add the rub to the Turkey with your fingers and work it into the breast by rubbing the breast under the shin and if you want add some rub to the outside of the turkey, but not to much.  I also tie up the legs and wings of the bird. Remember when you dress a turkey make sure you wash your hands good and make sure that you clean up your work station with soap and water.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Come see my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/ ASTV Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Also come like me on Facebook.  Come view more recipes at http://www.aikenstandard.com/local/1120-go-eileen-hutson-thanksgiving-recipes--3582801.  Happy Trial to you until we meet again.   Eileen Hutson, madjon, madjon51@aol.com.

Happy Thanksgiving and let's make some "Pumpkin Pecan Swirl Cheesecake"

Well hello to all my foodie friends out there in web land.  Its nice to See you again.  I've been really busy with filming the Thanksgiving and Christmas show.  Then I have the New Year's day show to film and then I will be set for this holiday season with all new recipes.  I hope you try them all.  You know its not easy to film the shows sometimes.  It's alot of work and sometimes things go always go like you want them.  Like when we did the Thanksgiving shoot and I had to find small pumpkins for the Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pies baked in the pumpkin shells.  Halloween was over and there were no fresh pumpkins t be found. Then we have the recipes for the brine for the Turkey fry and I had to fry three turkeys before I got the recipe to where the turkey wouldn't brown.  Now its perfect.  Well am always in the test kitchen cooking away.  I had to make our daughters wedding cake and the first large cake I made broke in half and I had to start all over again.  Such is cooking, stuff happens and you just learn to deal with it. Any who it keeps me busy.  The recipe I have here is one I made up for like a test recipe for one of the seasonal shows.  Anyway I made it and sent the Cheesecake packing to my hubby's work and they loved it.  So am going to pass this one on to you.  Where are you going for Thanksgiving?  Am headed to D.C. to be with our son and am excited about that but I will miss our daughter and grandchildren who are headed in the other direction.  Too bad, so sad.  I hope you all will be with family and friends as well.  This time of year I try to remember how grateful I'm and count my many blessings.  Am glad I live in the USA and that there are people who fight for our freedom and even lay down their lives for each and everyone one of us, to them I say a big Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.  I wish you and your families the best.  Safe trips to us all.  Now let's get started with our recipe shall we.

Pumpkin Pecan Swirled Cheesecake:

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed Graham Crackers
4 TBSP. Brown Sugar
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Pre Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix the crackers, sugar, pecans. cinnamon, and butter together until well blended.  Press into the bottom of a cheesecake pan.  Wrap some foil on the bottom of the pan and place in a shallow cookie pan.  Ready to make the mix.

Cheesecake:

4 -  8 ozs. , Cream Cheese, softened
4 Eggs, Beaten, room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Beat the cream cheese with the eggs until blended.  Then to that add the sugar, vanilla, and sour cream.  Pour mix onto top of the graham cracker crust.  Time to Mix Pumpkin:

Pumpkin Mix:

1 can Pumpkin Pie
1 Egg beaten
1 Cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
3 TBSP  Cream

Mix the can pumpkin with, the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cream, and pecans.  Now take a spoon and spoon the mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture until all gone and then take a butter knife and start swirling the mixture into the cream cheese mix.  Then place the pan with the shallow cookie pan in the oven and bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Don't forget to add some water to the bottom of the shallow pan for the hot bath. The reason you use a hot bath to cook the cheesecake in is because it keeps the cheesecake from cracking and it will come out smooth.  You will like the texture of this cheesecake.

I hope you enjoy this Cheesecake and have fun making it.  Have some happy holidays to you and yours go make some memories.  E-mail with some recipes to try and your comments at madjon51@aol.com.  Watch my TV show at http://www.aikenstandard.com/astv/madjon/ and come like my Fan Page on Face book, Cooking With Madjon and Friends.  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen F. Hutson, MadJon.