Old-Fashioned Vanilla Pudding

Nothing like a good homemade, bowl of old-fashioned vanilla pudding. It screams cozy-night-in or after school snack. Kestrel Growth Brands contacted me to try some of their products and of course I did not hesitate to try one of my favorite flavors- vanilla, their Organic Vanilla Extract to be exact. Yes, I am a vanilla ice cream kind of gal. In this new economy I find it urgent to support small businesses. Their owners are people with passion, enthusiasm, and a desire to produce the best quality products. The deeper I delve into the foodie world, the more wonderful individuals I meet living their dreams through their small businesses. They are entrepreneurs with huge ideas, creativity, and a can-do spirit. I am always inspired by them. For me, dealing with small business owners makes doing business more personal as they find pleasure in being more accessible to the consumer, me.


I did like this vanilla and its smooth flavor and delicious aroma. It definitely is a better quality than the brand I have in my cupboard. I felt it shined in my Old-Fashioned Vanilla Pudding which is thick, creamy, and mmm, mmm, gurg. So if someone hands you vanilla, make pudding. Will ya?


Old-Fashioned Vanilla Pudding
2/3 cup sugar
6 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
5 cups organic whole milk
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. vanilla- Singing Dog Vanilla!

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt then slowly whisk in milk. Continue stirring until the pudding thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap being sure the wrap touches the top surface of the pudding and seals it off from the air to prevent a "skin." Let cool a bit and eat warm or refrigerate until cold. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Serves about 8.

Robin Sue

Bulgogi Tacos with Spicy Slaw

Pairs well with Augustijn
For the rest of the Pack:
BREUGEL- Roasted Chick Peas
PIRAAT- Pork Tenderloin with Apple Arugula Salad
BORNEM TRIPLE- Citrus Alaska Cod with Tahini Drizzle
BORNEM DOUBLE- Pasta Bolognese
GULDEN DRAAK- Knock You Naked Brownies

My little girl Daelyn was thrilled that Momma made Korean food. I think it is the first time that I have made a Korean recipe and it is about time I add some Korean dishes to our dinner rotation. When I came across Bulgogi Tacos with Spicy Slaw I knew this would be a quick and easy dish for a busy weeknight meal. Serious Eats highlights some delicious recipes and does a great job with giving us very simple and flavorful dishes, this is one of them. I like the versatility, frugality, and speediness of working with ground beef. I can buy it in bulk from Costco and make a range of international dishes and now I can add Asian to the list.


The meat is the same wonderful Bulgolgi flavor I remember from Korea and the spicy-sweet slaw gives a great crunchy texture to the taco. When you need a quick meal with big flavor, try this one.

Bulgogi Tacos with Spicy Slaw- adapted from Serious Eats
For the bulgogi:
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
2 t. sesame oil
1 heaping t. garlic paste
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. mirin
1/2 t. black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 shallot, sliced thinly
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the spicy slaw:
1 10 ounce bag shredded cabbage
1 T. salt
2 T. fish sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. garlic paste
1/2 t. ginger paste
1 T. brown sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 t. toasted sesame seeds

8 flour tortillas

Sprinkle the salt on the cabbage and toss. Let stand for 20 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, mirin and black pepper, ground beef, shallot, and scallions then mix gently until the all ingredients are incorporated into the meat. Rinse the slaw in a fine mesh sieve very well and drain well. Place in a bowl and add the fish sauce, vinegar, chile flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions and sesame seeds. Stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. In a large skillet cook meat until brown, drain excess liquid. Readjust salt if necessary. Serve meat and slaw in warmed flour tortillas. This would also be good in large lettuce leaves.

Note- Purchased from an Asian market, I used garlic and ginger paste to save a bit of time. It is also best to make the slaw ahead of time to let the flavors marry.


Here is Little Dae-Dae enjoying her apple during our apple picking adventure with her Nonni and Papa.

Robin Sue

30 Second Cheese Ball

This is not a recipe but a Rescue-me. Do you have any Rescue-me's? You know, not really recipes but items you throw together last minute and call it something fancy only to find that everyone wants the recipe? This is just that; two ingredients rolled together for a terrific appetizer in under 30 seconds. This cheese ball has saved me many times. You can always find cream cheese in my fridge and my spice cupboard is full of spice blends making it very easy to pull off this cheese ball at a moment's notice. Try one for yourself and just be ready to, ahem... give out the rescue-me.

30 Second Cheese Ball
1 T. of your favorite spice blend- I used Penzeys' Northwoods Seasoning
8 ounce cream cheese

Roll cheese into a ball. Place spice blend in a bowl and roll cheese ball in the seasonings until completely covered and spices are all used. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Note- It is best to use a spicy blend as the smooth, creaminess of the cream cheese will provide the perfect balance. I have also done this with Old Bay Seasoning with great results and compliments.

More Rescue-me's?
Pepperoni Dip
Cheese Pretzels
Mock Chocolate Fondue
Fancy Brownies

Robin Sue

Twackers: Wherein I use leftover Caramel Sauce

After making the Crispy Caramel Marshmallows last week I had about 1 1/2 cups of the caramel sauce leftover. Well more like 1 1/4 cups since I ate 1/4 cup right from the bowl- yes I used a new spoon with each bite. After seeing Grace's Twickers Bars I knew what would become of my caramel sauce. In order not to waste food I try various techniques at disguising leftovers to eat again and possibly again. This was a simple ordeal of layering the caramel between crackers and topping it all off with chocolate.


I left out peanut butter so that my allergy boy could have some too so these treats remained very bare minimum, simple, and very pleasurable. If you ever make my Crispy Caramel Marshmallows, you'll know what to do with the leftover caramel sauce because I'm sure without ice cream this apples suggestion brownie sundaes you apple pie would French Toast have milkshakes had cheesecake no idea.

Twackers- adapted from Southern Grace
1 1/4- 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce or another favorite thick caramel sauce
45 Premium Brand Saltines
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 T butter
crushed sea salt

In a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish, place a single layer of 15 crackers. Gently heat caramel sauce in the microwave until warmed through and spreadable. I used half-power in 25 second intervals. Spread 1/2 of the caramel sauce over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the second half of caramel sauce. Top with remaining crackers. In a microwave safe cup, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Spread over top layer of crackers. Sprinkle with sea salt. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes or until set and cut into desired sized pieces.

What to do with leftover frosting- Peanut Butter Cream Saltines

Robin Sue

Wacky Cake

I was fortunate enough to have met many of my great-aunties, great-uncles, and three great-grandparents, some of whom lived well into my teen and young adult years. I think aunties and uncles have to be about the most fun relatives one can have- besides cousins of course- but if they are great-aunties and uncles, even better. One year my grandparents jumped in my great-uncle Cal's RV along with a few other great-aunties and uncles and drove across country from Texas to New Jersey where my family- Ma, Dad, my brother Rob and I had lived. We called this little group of elders the Bengay Bunch or the Geritol Gang.

They were such a fun group, always joking and teasing. One particular morning on this visit, we stood at the back door of our beach house admiring all of the seagulls when my great-auntie Opal said, "My that gull has a big beak," to which great-auntie Jean said, "that's not a gull, that's Kern." My great-uncle Kern did have quite the schnoz. Sadly all my Greats are gone now but have left me with fond memories along with The Klaus Family Cookbook put together by my great-auntie Opal who was a very creative and artistic lady.


Last week we went to our friends' home for dinner and I needed a quick dessert. I was feeling lazy, hot, tired, and did not need a big mess either. I found great-auntie Opal's cake from the Klaus Cookbook to be perfect. It even asked if I was lazy. Yes, always.


This is a Wacky Cake made in a wacky fashion but it is deliciously moist and super simple.

Wacky Cake
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, whisk together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 rounded T. cocoa
1 cup sugar- I used brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda

Make three wells in the dry ingredients. In one well add 1 T. vinegar, I used balsamic. To the second well add 5 T. melted shortening, I used butter. To the third well add 1 T. Vanilla. The recipe calls for 1 tsp vanilla but I like lots of vanilla.

Pour 1 C. of cold water, I used milk, over the entire dish and stir until well mixed. Bake in same dish in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. The original recipe states 30 minutes but mine was done in under 20. Cool cake a bit and glaze with:

Chocolate Espresso Glaze- my addition
3 T. melted butter
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. powdered instant espresso

Stir chips and espresso powder into the melted butter until smooth. Pour over cake and spread evenly. Serves about 10.
Note- The cake itself is not overly sweet and has that wonderful homemade from scratch flavor. The glaze then makes it perfectly sweet and scrumptious.


This recipe was published by the B.P.W. Club of Kaw City, Oklahoma, and sold for ten cents to help girls attend Girl's State and the recipe was accompanied by the above poem.

Robin Sue

Sausage Bread

When I was a little girl there was only one kind of sausage-Italian. No I stand corrected, there were two- Sweet Italian and Hot Italian. When we were told that we were having sausage for dinner no one ever asked what kind. As we got older, Ma ventured into other cuisines introducing us to kielbasa, bratwurst, and knockwurst. When Himself and I moved to Germany I was exposed to all different kinds of wursts such as blood, curry, weisswurst, and bratwurst. My favorite being the Weißwurst which is a very traditional Bavarian white sausage of pork with subtle hints of nutmeg and parsley.


Here I am at the German Embassy in DC last week enjoying meine Wurst und deutsches Bier. Pinkies out.


You are entitled to use any sausage or wurst of choice in this recipe as it is a basic recipe that can be made using any combination of flavors. Instead of Italian sausage why not a chicken sausage, ham, and Swiss cheese in place of the mozzarella for a Cordon Bleu Bread? Or how about brats, drained sauerkraut and Emmanteller for a German twist? A Breakfast Bread can be made with breakfast sausage, scrambled or hard-cooked eggs and cheddar cheese. You get the picture. Ja?

Sausage Bread
one pound loaf Italian Bread, unsliced
1 pound Italian sausage or sausage of choice
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped fine
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
herbs of choice- I used fresh oregano and basil-1 T. each, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp Kosher salt, depending on meat choice
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella or cheese of choice

In a skillet brown onions and sausage. Set aside. Slice bread opened length-wise. Pull out then inner soft portions of each half leaving a thick shell. Whisk eggs together with milk, Parmesan, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and toss in torn bread pieces stirring to coat bread well. Pour in meat mixture and mix well. In bottom half of bread sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese then top with meat mixture. Cover meat with the remaining cheese and top with top portion of bread pressing down to seal. Wrap tightly in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and let set for 5 minutes before slicing. Serves about 6.

Compliments a salad or soup very well. Nice in a lunch box too.

Robin Sue

Lemonade Pie

I do not handle change well and I am heading for a big change, our last weekend of Summer Vacation. It's not that I am not looking forward to having the children start school or be back in the classroom myself, it's that I am sad one more summer is over and gone and now a memory, a very sweet memory. The summer Dryden lost three teeth, the summer Deven went to over-night camp for the very first time, and the summer Daelyn talked us all to death.

I do not measure my children's years by what grade they are in but measure them by our summers. The even summers we go to Seattle to see Himself's side of the family and the odd summers we go to visit mine in Boston. So in many conversations we say, "Oh that was the summer we went to Boston and the kids were..." whatever age they were. So in holding on to summer and its memory by my fingertips, I give you one last hurrah- Lemonade Pie, not to be sipped on the front porch listening to the night creatures' song and watching the children play but savored with whipped cream following one last summertime meal.

Lemonade Pie
5 ounce can evaporated milk
1 small box instant lemon pudding mix
2- 8 ounce bricks cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar + 1/3 cup lemon juice mixed or 2/3 cup lemonade concentrate
one graham cracker pie crust

In a large mixing bowl beat cream chesse until soft and fluffy. Add pudding and milk and mix well on medium speed. Slowly pour in lemonade concentrate and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 6-8. This pie is very rich and creamy. Delicious.

What were some of your favorite memories from this summer?

Robin Sue