barb worthen potatoes

barb worthen was my piano teacher growing up, and also the mother of almost everybody in my family's best friend. these are sometimes referred to as "funeral potatoes" because that is often where you find them served, but they will always be barb worthen potatoes to me. so let's get started.

you'll need some large potatoes (2 for a square pan, 4-6 for 9x13), sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter, onion, and cheddar cheese. this recipe also calls for crushed corn flakes, but i like these better without, so i leave that step out. feel free to add it in if you want.
first off, bake your potatoes. if i remember, i do it the night before so they're cool enough to handle, but you don't have to do it that far in advance if you don't want. either way, you need your potatoes baked.

then in a mixing bowl, mix 8 oz. sour cream,
a can of cream of chicken soup,

4 tbsp. butter,
sliced.

1/4 of an onion, diced,
like this.
pour in 3/4 cup of grated cheese.

and mix together well.that looks disgusting.

now scoop a little bit onto your pan,and spread it on the bottom:
unroll your potatoes, and peel with a knife.
i use the knife to grab the edge of the skin, then use my thumb to pull it along.
then i slice it in half, and cut it into four long slices,
like this.
then i turn it the other way and cut it into cubes.

layer in your cubed potatoes,

like so:
perfect.
now pour on the rest of your soupy-cheesy mixture.
use a spatula to get it all out,
then spread it out evenly over the top.
like this:
the recipe says to pour a tbsp. melted butter over the top of this, but i think that's overkill, especially if you're not using cornflakes (which i don't like). so put it in the oven at 375* for 20-30 minutes or until it's bubbly. it should look like this:
mmmmboy. i love these potatoes.
word to the wise: these are not for the lactose intolerant.

barb worthen potatoes

4-6 potatoes, baked
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 diced onion
4 tbsp. butter
a cup mashed cornflakes or bread crumbs, if desired, and an additional tsp. melted butter

bake your potatoes in foil for about 2 hours, or until soft. cool in the fridge. sometimes i bake my potatoes the night before, if i remember. in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, cheese, onion, and butter. layer a small amount on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. peel and cube your potatoes, and put those in the pan, then pour the soup-cheese mixture on top of the potatoes. if desired, add crushed cornflakes on top and pour another tablespoon of melted butter. i skip this step 'cause i just don't like it, but feel free to do it if you want. cook at 375* for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. serve with ham and green beans. yum.

chinese sundaes

or hawaiian haystacks. call them what you will.

i'll just call them "delicious".

this is something easy and fast and customizeable (yeah, i just made that word up, what's it to you?--i just said "word up". sooo word girl of me) and so good. i didn't do step-by-steps of this because it's just that easy. what you'll need: chicken (breasts or strips), rice, cream of chicken soup, milk, chow mein noodles, and toppings that you like. i like tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and raisins. you could do green pepper. my mom adds hard boiled eggs, coconut...the list is endless people. seriously. you think it, you add it.

on this night, i didn't have a ton of things on hand, so i stuck with the classics: grated cheddar cheese, pineapple, and green onion. three things i always have on hand. start by boiling your chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cook your rice, and mix one can of cream of chicken soup with one can of milk and mix together. bring it to a low boil and remove from heat. now put all of your toppings into ramekins (isn't it pretty?) and serve.



let's start building (oooh, now i'm bob the builder. i must really love pbskids):


start with rice,then add your chow mein noodles,

and some diced chicken,

now your gravy goes next.

then add whatever toppings you can think of. i like to add the cheese first to the gravy because it's hot and melts the cheese and...well, is there any felicity in the world superior to melted cheese? (name that movie...before the cheese part)

next i did some green onion,
and topped it all off with my favorite part, the pineapple. i can't get enough of it. it's better with fresh, but i rarely have fresh pineapple on hand. just too tricky to cut up. so this time, it's just straight out of a can.
couldn't be easier people.

this is perfect for a party because it's easy, inexpensive, and very easy to make a lot of, and people can pick and choose their toppings. feeding 20 people? just make more chicken and rice. on the other hand, on this night dave was at class and my boys don't eat, so it was just me. i used 2 chicken strips and a tiny amount of toppings and it worked out great for one. the crunch of the noodles and the sweetness of the pineapple makes for a delectable, delightful dinner. try it, you won't be disappointed.

chinese sundaes

1 package of chicken strips
1 can of cream of chicken soup
milk
cooked rice
chow mein noodles
toppings (grated cheese, pineapple, green onions, mandarin oranges, diced tomatoes, raisins, etc.)

boil the chicken for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. cut into cubes. cook your rice. mix the cream of chicken soup with a can of milk with a wire whisk and bring to a boil. remove from heat. place toppings in ramekins and serve.

are you ready for new year's eve?

i love having yummy food and playing games on new year's eve. i've never thrown a new year's party, but some day when we're not in a recession, i want to do just that. for now, getting together with family, chowing on some chinese food, and having great food while we compete in the game decathlon my husband made up will have to do.

interested in some recipes?

i don't have the step-by-steps for these (yet) but i thought i'd give you a heads up on what i'm planning to make, so you'll have some ideas for your own get-togethers. and by the way, these are good any time. not just for new year's!

here is what i'll be making tomorrow:

• chili-cheese dip
• baked bean dip
• sausage stuffed mushrooms
• lemon berry pitcher drink
• aunt arlene's cheesecake
• non-alcoholic champagne chocolate mousse
  

what are you having?

mom's fried rice

this is something i rarely make, probably because i think i have to have it with egg rolls, and egg rolls are just so much work. but today for lunch i felt like fried rice, so you will all reap the rewards of that feeling. this is something my mom just made up (as far as i know) and it's delish and pretty easy. in fact, my senior year of high school i had to do a creative response to the book spring moon for english class. i forgot. so the morning the assignment was due, i called my mom from a pay phone and requested she make this ASAP and bring it by for me and 30 classmates. she kindly obliged, and it was a hit. except for the vegan in the class. i told her she could just pick out the ham and she goes "what about the eggs?" and i said "what about them? they're not meat." i soooo didn't get vegans back then.

odd tangent. sorry. so let's get started.

you'll need two cups of minute rice (or other rice...i just don't know how to cook other rice, but maybe i'll start to learn now that pioneer woman posted about how to do it), 1/4 of a white onion, 1/2 bunch of green onion, two eggs, some deli ham, soy sauce, and frozen peas.
start by cooking your rice.do not add salt to the water. the soy sauce and ham will make this dish salty enough.while your rice is cooking, melt a little butter into a small pan.crack two eggs and mix them together with a fork.then add into your pan. make sure the pan is not too hot or else you'll get egg lace. nobody wants that. except dave, who eats it with tabasco. yuck.

let the eggs cook like this for a minute or so.

when the edges have cooked, gently lift up one side at a time with a spatula and tip the pan so the runniness on top slides toward the edge to cook. do this for all four sides...
'til it looks like this.
then carefully slide your spatula underneath and flip, and continue cooking until there is no more runniness. i don't think that's a word. ah well.

next, dice up your onion and green onion.

if you buy the rectangular package of deli ham, it's the easiest (for me) to slice. cut it in half, and save or freeze the other half for the next time you're doing this on a whim (this was my frozen half. the other half i used at dave's birthday party).
cut it into cubes, like this:

then cut your egg into cubes as well.
like this.
in all honesty, you could probably skip this part. i usually do it because i have to make the eggs for egg rolls anyway so i might as well double it and add it to the rice. but really, do you need eggs in your rice? probably not. so if you're looking for a quick fix, skip the eggs.


now that everything is chopped and ready, put your onions in a pan and saute until opaque on medium-high heat. this part smells so good. noah came running in and said, "mom, what's that smell like?" as he sniffed the air. "soy sauce and onions," i told him.
sometimes i add a little butter at this point, but you don't have to. it might help when you add the rice if there's some butter in the pan, though.
they're lookin' good, eh?
now turn the heat down to low and add in your cooked rice.
and pour on your soy sauce. i would start with about 1/4 cup and continue adding from there, but you honestly don't need much more than that.
pour and mix, pour and mix, until you have the right amount.
the rice should be all light brown. any darker than this and it will be too salty.
perfect. just like me.
now throw in your ham. i'm not sure why my arm is contorted this way, but that's not necessary to the adding of ham.
stir it in.
then do the same with your eggs.
lastly, pour in a fistful of frozen green peas. i like to move the rice completely out of the middle and pour the pile right there where the heat is highest. i let them sit for a minute or two until they thaw out.
then the stirring begins again. make sure it's mixed evenly in and the peas are warm and no longer frozen.
and that's it! tasty, easy, yummy, fun fried rice. enjoy!
carma's fried rice

2 cups minute rice
1/4 white onion, diced
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
2 eggs
1/2 package deli ham
1/4 package green peas
soy sauce

cook the rice according to package directions. chop the onions and ham. cook the eggs like an omelet and chop. brown the onions in a little butter, then add the cooked rice. add 1/4 cup of soy sauce and taste. add more if needed. add in the ham and eggs, then peas. cook until heated through.