Piece of Cake

Recipes that are pieces of cake to make are brilliant, but when they are actually pieces of cake, pie, brownies, etc. they go far beyond the spectrum of brilliance.

Finding recipes always seem to be difficult. Something may look good in the picture, but then I realize there are about a hundred ingredients I would have to buy at a specialty store in France. 

However, my family saves the day as usual. I can always trust my mom, Granny, or Diane will have the recipe. The trick is who to call. If I need exact amounts or anything to do with cookies, who should I call? Diane. That was too easy. Spice bars? Granny. Crockpot recipes? Mom. Fried chicken or bacon gravy? Granny! German Chocolate Icing? Ima. Potato Wedges? Amy Spanish Rice? Nancy Taco Salad? Toy Corn Casserole? Jean....ok so you get my point I have plenty of contacts.

Here is a recipe that sounds sophisticated and complex, but I promise that with four ingredients will be one of the easiest desserts you have ever made! 

YOU NEED TO TRY THIS!

COOKIE DOUGH CHEESE CAKE...yum

1 pkg. pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread 1/2 of the dough in the bottom of an 8 x 8" pan. Double the recipe for a 9 x 13". Blend cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla to taste. Pour over layer of cookie dough. With the remainder of the dough, break into pieces and drop on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Try this out and you are sure to impress!

Casserole: The One Dish Meal

Need an easy, quick meal for supper? Had a long day at work, but still want to put a good meal on the table? Well casseroles are the solution for you! Casseroles have been around for centuries, but it wasn't until the early 20th century that their popularity exploded. This was because of their convenience, general low cost and immense flavor.


One of my favorites to make for my friends up at school is spaghetti casserole. I always loved when my mom would make it for our family. Everyone can make spaghetti, but this recipe takes it to the next level. The most appealing aspect of casseroles, is that as leftovers, they taste great! So try out this recipe sometime and enjoy the great taste! Hope you enjoy!


1 lb. browned ground beef                    1 (26.5 oz) can of spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz) bag of mozzarella cheese       1 (16 oz) cottage cheese
1 (16 oz) bag of noodles, your choice of type
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste     Parmesan 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brown meat. Add spaghetti sauce to meat and heat thoroughly. Cook noodles as directed on package. Combine noodles, sauce, meat, and cottage cheese in a bowl. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with nonstick spray. Fill dish with mixture. Cover with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with Parmesan and enjoy!

Prepartying for No Apparent Reason

It's either her love of cooking, love of family and or her just showing off, either way she invites people over quite regularly. Many can vouch that they have received a phone call or text inviting them over for supper. It may be for a birthday, holiday, new keg, or for no apparent reason.


I am referring to my mother if you couldn't already figure that out! She has a gift for entertaining anyone and everyone. That is something I practice as often as I can up here at Texas A&M. Everyone remembers the entrée she makes, but what they don't realize is that the appetizers can be the hero of the party. They keep company content and their stomachs at bay while promoting conversation!


My favorite, which she doesn't make incredible often, is definitely Seven-Layer Dip. There are never really seven layers when I make it though. The layers seem to create interest and the recipe is likely to become a conversation piece, especially if you include the package of taco seasoning! It is a little time consuming, but the work will pay off. Pair that with a bag of good tortilla chips, preferably Julios, and you can guarantee your party getting off to a great start.


Mexican Layered Dip
1(16 oz) can refried beans                              1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 lg tomato                                                  1 c guacamole
1 c sour cream                                              1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c chopped green onions                            1/4 c chopped black olives


Mix the taco season into one of the layers. I have done it most often in the guacamole or sour cream layer. Then layer each item in a dish. I have used a 8 x 8in pan. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 


Don't be afraid to mix and match different ingredients. I have put browned, ground beef and that adds a different flavor to each bite! You can't mess this recipe up!


Another party fav is Cheese Dip! It is great that all you need is a block of velveta, a can of RoTel and some browned meat. Spray the hell of Pam into your crock pot and throw it all in for 1 1/2 hours. You can't go wrong with a pot of cheese dip!


Whether you are entertaining family, friends that seem like family or complete strangers, remember that a good starter or two can take your get together to the next level!

Any Traditions Out There?

Now that I have began this blog, I am curious to hear about your family traditions! You have anything you enjoy and hope to pass on?

Where to Begin?...

The Rihn's have a knack for cooking all things yummy. But where did they receive such a talent? Granny. Granny is actually a Schott, but she married my Grandpa Denis, in 1957 and she became a Rihn.


Granny is an amazing woman. Just imagine meeting a woman with salt n' pepper hair, a smile, and the first words out of her mouth will probably be "would you like me to fry you an egg?". She can be described as proud, strong, and full of love. She would give anything to have her family all together. Most like for that reason, she cooks us breakfast after church every Sunday morning. To be honest, that might be the #2 thing I miss most when I am here at A&M. Not only does her breakfast make you salivate for the last ten minutes before you get out of mass, but the opportunity I get, weekly, to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins is priceless.


Recently, Sydney, one of my younger sisters, applied to Texas A&M (WHOOP!). (Sorry, I may be a little too excited about football season rolling around the corner.) Back to my story. She had to write a few essays to attach to her application. One of the topics was: Tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you. She chose Granny. It just made so much sense. She has lived through so much and she has made her family something to be proud of.


But back to one of the best things she could pass on for future generations to enjoy, her cooking! And I can vouch for the future generations enjoying!


Granny can cook just about anything. You know it is going to taste good just by the way it smells. I look forward to the aroma that will hit me when I walk in the front screen door of her house. Some of my favorites she makes are as follows: breakfast fajitas, egg bread (aka French Toast to all you freaks out there...just kidding. I am just a little proud of egg bread.), bacon and broccoli quiche, SPICE BARS, smothered steak or chicken, stew, deviled eggs, potato salad, and FRIED CHICKEN, to name a few. She loves cooking for people. 


My mom recently told me that Granny said she would rather cook for her family rather than just herself. I believe this is the fundamental of our family tradition. Family first, and we enjoy it! There is no pulling teeth to get me to her house or even a reunion. This has been passed on to my mother. Although, my aunts all have a knack for cooking, it is my mom's that I have been able to enjoy most!


But I will acknowledge that Diane makes amazing desserts, Ima makes the best German Chocolate Icing and is the most efficient at cooking lbs and lbs of mashed potatoes, Nancy has mastered spanish rice and pretty much anything of the mexican food variety, and Amy has probably the most courage to try new things or add something new to an old recipe.


My Mom: Teresa Tschirhart is grooming herself to be the predecessor to my Granny as one of the best cooks you'll know in your lifetime. I can't even count how many things (most aren't recipes but more like improv mic night) I love. She is a pro at all things that include a crock pot. She will make your kids love black-eyed peas and she will make you want them more than once a year. She can make dips, roasts, beans, chicken, and even dessert in her ole' faithful of a crock pot. Her talents also extend beyond a slow cooker. She can cook to save money and or time and the taste will always make you happy.


The tradition of family and cooking are intertwined and compliment each other. Maybe it's because of that, that we are able to continue it so fluidly.


My hope is to be able to encourage you to find a family tradition, whether it be cooking, camping, fishing, dancing, etc and to carry it on into the future. I also will include most of the recipes I attempt so that you may feel the need to become involved in your kitchen!

Me and my Definition of Family

My name is Alyx Tschirhart. I am a Agricultural Communications & Journalism major at Texas A&M University, class of 2012 A-A-A WHOOP! 


Anyways, one of the few things I love more than Texas A&M, is my family. And when I refer to family, I am not one of those who is talking about just their mom, dad, and siblings. Don't get me wrong, I think that family is what makes you happy so it has to be defined by you and only you. However, for me my family includes not only my parents and siblings, but my grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and the rest of my extended family. I have grown up immersed in family. Reunions, holidays, birthdays, Sundays and any other day we just feel like seeing each other I am with my family. 


The thing is though, my family is characterized by the "Tschirharts" and the "Rihns", my dad and my mom's families. In this blog, I will specifically talk about the Rihn tradition of cooking, but I will also reference the Tschirharts because we have different traditions that I appreciate. And also to clarify, Granny is the Rihn, and Grandma and Grandpa are the Tschirharts.