Great-Grandma Sophia's Poppy Seed Kolaches

Paco’s Remake Kolaches

Based on Great-Grandma Sophie's Poppy Seed Kolaches Recipe

Makes about 2 dozen Kolaches

Paco's Pork Pozolé

I just had this recently, and hit the spot!!! I've also made it with beef and chicken. You can always add more or less of any of the ingredients.

2 - 3 pounds of pork, cut into bite-size pieces

4 to 6 c chicken stock - depending on how soupy you want it

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 head shredded cabbage

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

2 c red chili sauce (the kind that comes frozen)

Fried Rice, Beef & Veggies

Tonight's Dinner: Fried Rice and Beef with random veggies

I used cabbage and carrots because that's what I had in the fridge AND they needed to be used! But this can be made with any veggies, really - fresh, canned, frozen - just pick two. I've made it with any protein too - chicken, pork, beef & shrimp - just cook to recommend temp before eating.

Berry Sweet Cream Cake

The cake was first introduced to me several years ago when my parents bought one for Tonie’s birthday. It was the best cake I had ever eaten (and I don’t like cake!). In and on the cake, there was an array of berries: Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries – Let me tell you – It was delicious!

And to top it off, the icing wasn’t that heavy, sugary, thick goop you usually find on the bakery buttercream cakes.

Since then, there has been a couple of trial and errors in my endeavor to make the mouthwatering cake for myself, and I am happy to share with you my results! I am by no means an expert cake decorator or baker, but I do like to have a little fun!

I am calling this a Berry Sweet Cream Cake, not because it is full of sugar and super sweet, but because there is hardly any sugar in the icing and that makes it an awesome treat for those who don’t want a super sweet treat! 

Now, That is Sweet!

Because this cake is made of real cream and real fruit, the refrigerator life is not that long (honestly don’t know how long because it is so delicious, there is not much to refrigerate afterward). I have had great success when the cake is made the day before it is eaten.

Critters

Critters are best if grilled over a charcoal grill. Bacon fat creates a lot of greases and will cause a gas grill to catch on fire.

Tamales by Paco

Tamales 

The first year I made Tamales, I didn't have a Tamale steamer so I used my Roaster Oven. I liked how they worked out. Mostly... the sides burnt a little bit.

We've continued, and now we have a tradition of making tamales fresh for us to eat.

Canning Seedless Cranberry Sauce

Like a lot of families, I grew up with the classic Thanksgiving Dinner with the turkey, ham, dinner rolls, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, gravy; you know - the usual... But there was one thing that differed from others; the cranberry sauce that seemed to grace everyone's table but ours...

Now that I'm older and with my own family and I'm setting my own table with foods, I'm trying out foods to figure out what it is that I like. Guess what; I love the Jellied Cranberry Sauce that comes in the can to go with my turkey. Thinking of how much I love the cranberry sauce with my foods, I could only imagine what it would be like if I made it from scratch and canned it on my own!