Ford remembers cookies at Christmas

Tiffany Ford grows her own herbs so she can make her own spices to use when she cooks.  

Ford is a self-taught cook but she did learn a few things from her grandmother Erma Jean Elenbaas. The two would always make cookies at Christmastime. 

She even makes cookies with her 4-year-old son, Daeghn, who loves to help her cook.

“He always wants to cook but because he is so young I don’t want him around the stove so we decorate cookies together and he always ends up getting frosting and sprinkles everywhere!” 

Ford tries to make it safe for him to be in the kitchen so he’ll often stir the bowl for a cake or he will stir the salad bowl. 

Ford is a fan of comfort food. Her favorite restaurant is Taco Bell and she always gets soft tacos with meat and cheese only.

About once a week she will make homemade pizza.

Although she still loves to snack on things such as fig bars and cheese sticks with jerky, she loves to wash it all down with her favorite drink which is Ginger ale.

Tiffany is from Utica and lives in the Coonshuck community near Beat Line.

She graduated with a degree in photography from Antonelle College in 2016 and works at Alpha Graphics in Pearl as a customer service rep and graphic designer.

REDHEAD CHILI

1-2lbs of ground beef or ground turkey

2 packs of mild chili mix

2 cans tomato paste

1-2 fresh tomatoes cut up

1 onion cut up

3-4 cans of kidney beans (can use fresh soaked)

1 tbsp oh honey (I use local)

4 pieces of Hershey chocolate 

2 tsp of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1 tsp of sriracha 

1 tsp of Southwest Chipotle Ms. Dash 

Cook ground beef in a skillet with onion and season as you’d like. 

Drain meat, set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a pot, add 2-3 cups of water. Cook until it gets to boiling temperature, turn down heat. Add ground beef and reduce heat to simmer, put a lid on the pan. Cook chili for 1-2 hours on low heat, adding water if needed. When the chili thickens, turn the stove on low and serve. 

MELTY MOUTH 

MEATLOAF

Preheat oven to 350

2 lbs Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/3 Cup Onion finely chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup jelly ( I love peach or strawberry)

1 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 cup ritz crackers (or crackers of your choice)

1 cup milk

Mix all ingredients above in a big bowl. 

Place mixture in a baking pan of your choice. I like to use bread pans. 

Bake for 1 1/2 hours 

Add the topping to the top halfway through baking.

Topping:

1/4 cup jelly

1/8 cup ketchup

1 tbsp Worcestershire

1/4 cup brown sugar

BREAD PUDDING 

YUM YUM 

Preheat oven to 350

Bread- I like to use sweet rolls left over from a day or two. 

-Pinch bread off and fill 9x13 pan with bread pieces

-sprinkle cinnamon on bread in pan

(Some like to add raisins or other fruit)

In saucepan mix ingredients:

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup milk 

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Heat on the stove until the mixture simmers. 

Pour ingredients mixture over bread in pan, make sure the bread is soaked, pushing it down into mixture. I let it sit and soak for 3-5 min. Once bread is soaked to your liking, you can place it in the oven.  

Bake for 30-45 minutes.  

Prepare the topping:

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp water

2 tsp amaretto (can be substituted with something else)

Once bread pudding is done, Pour topping and let it soak between bread pieces. I like to use a spoon and dig some holes and let the topping soak between the pieces. Let cool a few minutes and then serve.