BIEROCKS TOTALLY ROCK!!!

On our last trip to Ithaca (Dec), we stopped at the Farmer's Market http://www.ithacamarket.com/home.php
to get a bite to eat before heading out to start our Holiday Shopping Spree at the Cayuga Lake wineries. The Farmer's Market has an array of different ethnic food vendors so there's a lot to choose from. While walking down the isle I noticed a sign on a warming/steaming pot... HOT STUFFED BUNS $1.50 each!

Well, that hit the spot. It was a cold and windy day. This is just what we need. They had a choice of 3 kinds but I only remember 2 of them because those are the ones that we bought. We got one that was onion and bacon and the other was spinach, feta and garlic. And YES, I took pictures of them as we were driving!

They look like softballs. They were DELICIOUS!!! We couldn't stop talking about them. We were disecting the insides with every bite!

After we got home I posted the question, on my favorite web site, of what these buns were actually called because I wanted to make them. I found out that they were called Bierocks, sometimes referred to as Runza. They are German and often made with cabbage and ground beef.

I went on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and found a recipe that got good reviews. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pams-Bierocks/Detail.aspx

I used that recipe for the dough and then made our version of the fillings as we remembered them from our trip. The recipe made 18. I thought there would be a lot left over for another dinner. WRONG!!! All 18 were eaten! I didn't stuff the ones with the onions and bacon enough but the flavor was still there! We will be making these quite often.

Pam's Bierocks
SUBMITTED BY: PUSHKEMAA PHOTO BY: Michelle S "A German dish, these sweet dinner rolls are stuffed with ground beef, onion, and cabbage. A great alternative to the Finnish pasty!"

PREP TIME
50 Min
COOK TIME
25 Min
READY IN
1 Hr 30 Min
Original recipe yield 20 stuffed rolls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups all-purpose flour

I didn't make this filling but this was part of the recipe
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup melted butter

**The fillings that I used are:

-I defrosted a box of frozen chopped spinach and squeezed out the water. I then mixed it with crumbled up Feta Cheese and chopped garlic. There were no measurements. I just added until I liked the flavor.

-I sauteed chopped onions and chopped smokey bacon that we got from Oscar's Smoke House in Warrensburgh., NY. http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/

I'll miss going there being that it was a must stop on the way home from Plattsburgh.

And that's it. Replace those filling recipes in place of the filling part below *.

DIRECTIONS
Prepare dough: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Mix in sugar, margarine, egg, salt and 1/2 of the flour. Beat until smooth; add remaining flour until dough pulls together. Place in oiled bowl. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, OR let it rise for 1 hour.
*In a large heavy skillet, brown meat. Add onion, cabbage, salt and simmer 30 minutes. Cool until lukewarm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
Punch down dough and divide into 20 pieces. Spread each piece of dough out on an un-floured surface and fill with approximately 2 tablespoons filling. fold dough over and seal edges. Place on prepared cookie sheet and let rise for 1 hour.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with butter and serve.

UNCLE STAN'S ROLLS....YUM!!!!

Every year, just before Thanksgiving and Christmas, Uncle Stan comes to our house to bake his famous crescent rolls. This recipe was from Grammy (PJ and Stan's Grandmother) so it must be a very old recipe. He has been making these rolls for at least 3o years, probably closer to 40+.

My fondest memory of these rolls is when we had dinner at Gran's house, Stan would always pack up extra rolls for us to take home. We would all get in our car and start to pull out of the driveway but BEFORE we even would get out of the driveway... the kids would have the bag of rolls open and they'd sit there stuffing their faces! It happened EVERY time! Now that Grans house is no longer, Stan comes here to bake them. We always mail some down to Brooke to enjoy. She even started making them for her friends!So Saturday Uncle Stan came over to make his rolls for Christmas. We thought it would be nice for him to help us decorate our Christmas tree in between the risings of the dough. Scott and Alyssa got into their 'silly' moods and played a trick on us. I put the margarine in the microwave to soften it. Stan asked where the mixer was. I said that I put it on the counter for him. It was no where to be found! I asked S & A if they saw it and they said no. I then went into the microwave to get the margarine and Scott yelled that I'm loosing my mind if I'm looking for the mixer in the microwave! (He thinks he's funny). Where did the stinking mixer go??? We found it. Of all places, they hung it from a hook on the beam by the ceiling!! Leave it to them! Uncle Stan thought it was so funny!

A & S holding Brooke's ornament from the day she was born.

The rolls took a long time to make this year. The dough just wasn't rising. Also, I put them back in the oven in the morning because they were under baked. Much better now.
I hope the tradition of having these rolls for the holidays will carry on with the kids. It's a nice tradition.

SUPERB GOLDEN CRESCENTS

aka...

UNCLE STAN'S ROLLS

Mix together:

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of milk

1ts. salt

2 eggs

1 stick of margarine (melted)

Mix:

1/2 cup of warm water (closer to room temp) and 2 pkgs of dry yeast. Add to the above mixture. Mix all together then add 3 1/2 - 4 cups of flour. When mixed, leave in mixing bowl and put a dampened dishtowel (CLEAN) over the bowl. Put it in a draft free and warm area and let the dough rish until double.

Turn dough out, cut in half. Roll/flatten out into 2 circles; cut into 8 triangle pieces. Roll up into a crescent and lay out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover with the dampened dish towel. Let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Yield: approx 16 rolls

BBQ GLAZED HOMEMADE MEATBALLS

I made these meatballs a few nights ago. PJ called and asked what was for dinner and I told him "some sort of meatballs, rice and a vegetable". He sounded so sad. I asked him what he'd rather have, even though I already knew what he was going to say, and he said spagetti. He needs comfort food in other words! So I ended up baking these in the oven until they were a little golden in color. I put 1/2 aside to add to spagetti sauce and then made the sause for the BBQ ones. These were so good. They reminded us of the Cocktail Meatballs in Dunky Sauce that my mother used to make for parties some 35 or so years ago! These were bigger and used as part of the main meal though. Scott and PJ gobbled these up and even put them with the spagetti and mixed the sauce in too. I made a lot (I used 3 lbs of chop meat so I doubled everything) and we had leftovers for another meal. The next morning I noticed that there weren't ANY left for another meal! Scott and Chris ate them during the night! I guess I should be glad that the family enjoys leftovers!

BBQ Glazed Homemade Meatballs

PREP TIME
15 Min
COOK TIME
1 Hr
READY IN
1 Hr 15 Min
Original recipe yield 25 meatballs
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup quick cooking oats
6 1/2 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
In a bowl, mix beef, egg, oats, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and 1/2 cup onion. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish.
In a separate bowl, mix ketchup, garlic, sugar, 1/4 cup onion, and liquid smoke. Pour evenly over the meatballs.
Bake uncovered 1 hour in the preheated oven, until the minimum internal temperature of a meatball reaches 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).

Lynn's Version of CRAB AND CORN SOUP... SURPRISINGLY PRETTY GOOD!!!

Today is the 31st anniversary of PJ and my first date!!! (9-9-77) Normally he says Happy Anniversary first but this time I remembered first! I called him at work and he was very surprised that it was already the 9th! He was taking 1/2 a day today to take care of legal things with his mother so I decided to surprise him with a nice lunch. He brought tomatoes home from Saratoga the other day that need to be used so I made BLT sandwiches with them. BUT to make it extra special, I made my version of Crab & Corn Soup, one of our favorites. I had the ingredient list from Maxie's Supper Club in Ithaca (they won't give you the actual recipe). So I decided to wing it. We had 3 ears of corn left over from last nights dinner that I roasted on the grill so they had a nice smokey flavor. They would be perfect for this. I don't have a recipe for this soup. It's a little of this and a little of that all thrown together.

I started by cooking some bacon for the sandwiches and saving a little for the soup, including a few TBS of the grease to add to the oil and butter. Then I diced 2 ribs of celery and 2 shallots. I put 1/2 of a stick of butter in the pan, with a little veg oil so the butter doesn't burn on medium heat. I threw in the celery and onions and cooked them for about 10 minutes, making sure not to burn them. This brings out the sweetness in the onions. I added the leaves (chopped up) of about 3 sprigs of Thyme from my garden. Then, and I think this is what made it taste so good, I added about 1/4 of a cup of JOE'S SEASONINGS. This is from the New Orleans Cooking School. http://shopping.nosoc.com/

It's a low salt, no MSG, no preservatives all purpose seasoning, so really I guess any will do, but low salt would be best.

I stirred this through and cooked for a couple of minutes more. I added some flour, probably about 1/3 of a cup, and kept stirring for a few minutes more. I had about a quart of water that I froze from when I made corn in a pan so it has that delicious corn flavor. I dumped that in and kept stirring. I then added about 2 cups of 2% milk and kept cooking and stirring occasionally for about 10 more minutes. I then went to the fridge to get the 3 ears of corn. They were no where to be found! Chris must have eaten them in the middle of the night! I ended up finding some frozen corn, throwing that in and I even added a can of creamed corn! I cooked it for about 10 more minutes and it was basically finished. I spooned it into bowls and added chopped scallions and a little more Thyme to the top. DELICIOUS!

PJ was so impressed! He had the sandwich and soup and went back for a second bowl of soup!

"It ain't da seafood dat makes ya fat anyway -- it's da batta!"

New Orleans is the most interesting city if you're into different cultures and foods. There are so many cultures from so many different countries and it's all blended together to create some really GREAT food!

"it is an indisputable fact that no place loves its food quite as sincerely – or as indulgently – as New Orleans. Some people eat to live, but New Orleanians live to eat. As a result, the city offers one of the most incredible – and incredibly diverse – concentrations of exceptional dining and unforgettable cuisine in the world. "

We make sure we try different things and Scott seems to be the better one for doing that!

We learned to cook Gumbo, Jambalya, Bread Pudding and Pralines at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Note: When you cook Onions, Peppers and Celery together, it's called Trinity. See pic at top!

My pictures make everything look they are the same color but believe me, they weren't!

GUMBO

Jambalya

Bread Pudding

PRALINES

Scott had some Alligator Sausage made into a Po Boy

We had great smokey Ribs...

The Gumbo Shop was recomended to us as a place that the 'locals' love. It's not a chain and a little out of the way. It was good! http://www.gumboshop.com/

PJ and I both had the
CRAWFISH AND PASTA IN TASSO CREAM Penne pasta, crawfish tails and tasso, tossed in a reduced cream sauce

Scott had a BLACKENED CATFISH PO-BOY

All you want after the 3rd day after eating N.O.'s food is a nice bowl of

LIGHT SALAD!!!

3 NEW RECIPES CREATE A GREAT MEAL!!

I spent most of yesterday cooking. Sadly, I was very happy about it! There were some recipes that I wanted to try so I put them together to make a meal. Let me just say that I got compliments from EVERYONE on last nights dinner so I guess they were all winning recipes! I had bought 2 packs of those 2" in diameter pork tenderloins thinking that was enough for 4 adults. I knew one wouldn't cut it with the boys appetites. I was surprised to see when I opened it that each pack actually had 2 tenderloins so now I had 4! What the heck. Maybe the leftovers would make good sandwiches. Boy was I wrong! There were NO leftovers, just happy faces!!! I'm beginning to think that people are right that soaking meat in a brine is the key to moist meat.

As for the Asparagus Salad... What can I say. I think I ate 1/2 of the asparagus BEFORE I even grilled it. The dressing was so addicting I couldn't stop myself. It must have been all of the garlic! PJ started picking at it as soon as he came home from work. He was very impressed!

The AuGratin Potatoes were very good except I had to bake them for an additional 45 minutes. But we took helpings from the sides of the pan. Those were cooked through. They were very tasty though.... a little different being that they had nutmeg in the mixture.

Asian-Glazed 'Melt-in-Your-Mouth' Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS
1 gallon water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
1/4 cup grated onion
1 lemon, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice


DIRECTIONS
To make the brine, mix together the water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, 2 tablespoons ginger, onion, lemon, 5 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in a large container. Add the pork tenderloin, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
For the glaze, whisk together 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, sweet and sour sauce, hoisin sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, brown sugar, and orange juice.
Prepare an outdoor grill for high heat.
Cook the pork tenderloin on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, 7 to 12 minutes per side. Remove the tenderloin from the grill and cover with foil; allow to rest for 10 minutes. To serve, brush with glaze, and cut into thin slices.

Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo

He won the Food Networks 's latest Star contest.
Show:
Big Daddy's House

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches asparagus, stems trimmed and split lengthwise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped thyme leaves

1 (8-ounce) jar julienne sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, oil reserved

12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thin ** SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill on medium-high heat.
Add asparagus, chopped garlic, salt and pepper, rosemary and thyme to a large bowl. Mix together. Grill asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes. Place asparagus back into bowl. Add julienne-sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Mix together.
Remove 2 tablespoons oil from asparagus mixture, and place into saute pan. Add mushrooms; cook for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and crisp.
Remove mushrooms and mix into asparagus mixture. Serve at room temperature.

** I think any mushroom would be fine. The shiitake mushrooms are sturdier when cooked but are also quite expensive. I did a bad thing... I took the stems off of my mushrooms while in the store so I wasn't then paying for pieces that I would throw out! I do that with Portabello's also! SHHHHHHHH!

Herb Potatoes au Gratin
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo
Show:
Big Daddy's House

INGREDIENTS

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk 1/2 cup grated yellow Cheddar

1/4 cup grated American cheese

1/4 cup grated white cheddar

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds russet potatoes, washed and scrubbed, peeled and sliced thin

Au Gratin:

1 stick butter, melted

2 cups panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons smoky paprika

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, add butter. Stir in the flour until pasty. Add milk; stir to remove lumps and let cook for 6 minutes until it gets thick. (mine got too thick so I added more milk until it had a good creamy consistancy) Lower heat and add the cheese, bouillon, nutmeg and black pepper. Whisk until well combined and sauce thickens, approximately 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, combine butter, panko and smoky paprika. Stir well.
Place potatoes into a casserole dish. Pour cheese over potatoes and sprinkle au gratin on top. Wrap with foil and bake in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. ( I had to increase my baking time for an additional 45 minutes!) Remove foil and cook for 10 minutes uncovered. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

BOK CHOY SALAD, RIBS & BBQ CORN YUM!

This is a really nice, summer salad. Kris made it for the shower. I had 2 helpings and would have gone back for more had I not wanted to look like a pig!

I decided to make it last night to go with our RIBS and BBQ SMOKED CORN (recipes at the bottom).

As with all of the recipes that I try, nothing ever goes without some sort of problem. The recipe is easy enough but you need to pay attention! I put the 'mixture' on the stove to saute until golden brown. I then ran outside to put the corn in the smoker. I was rinsing out the cooler that the corn was soaking in with the hose when Alyssa came running out to tell me that the stuff on the stove is BLACK! Yup! I forgot about it! So I had to start all over again! Then when I was making the dressing, I put it in a tupperware container that has holes in the top that the steam can come out of. Being that this was very hot, I thought it was a perfect choice. I poured it in and it came to the top. That was my problem! As I snapped the top on, the hot oil mixture shot out onto my shirt and across the kitchen! What a mess. This recipe is really easy, it's just my mistakes that make everything so difficult!

The salad came out delicious and everyone enjoyed it, so much so that Alyssa and Scott finished off the leftovers this morning for breakfast!

BOK CHOY SALAD

4 Bok Choy (or 4 bags of coleslaw)

3 bunches of scallions

4-6 pkgs Ramen Oriental noodles soup

6-8 oz slivered almonds

6-8 oz sunflower seeds (I bought dry roasted)

Garlic powder

Chop Bok Choy and Scallions (white and green parts) and put in a large ziploc bag with holes in it. Refrigerate.

While still in unopened packages, crunch up ramen noodles well with your hands. Disgard the seasoning packets. Pour noodles into a large bowl; add almonds and sunflower seeds to make a nice even mix. Add garlic powder (as much as you want. I added quite a lot!). Mix well.

Saute 1/2 of the dry mix in a large skillet in some vegetable oil. WATCH CAREFULLY and stir often sop it doesn't burn! When a little golden brown, remove the mixture from the pan and repeat with the rest of the mix. Allow to cool. You can do that in advance and store in a container at room temp.

DRESSING

1 cup olive oil

3-4 TBSP soy sauce (I used low sodium)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

Boil all dressing ingredients together, mixing constantly while cooking. Remove from heat IMMEDIATELY when mixture comes to a boil and keep stirring until it stops boiling. Let cool and pour into a container and refrigerate. (I forgot to let it cool. That's where I went wrong!)

Prepare salad by mixing all ingredients together RIGHT BEFORE EATING so it doesn't become soggy.

BBQ CORN

INGREDIENTS
10 ears fresh corn with husks
1 quart beer
1 (7 pound) bag of ice cubes

DIRECTIONS
Place whole ears of corn in an ice chest. Pour beer over top. Dump ice out over the ears of corn. Place the lid on the cooler, and let sit 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat smoker** to 250 degrees F ( 120 degrees C).
Place corn in the smoker and close the lid. Cook for 1 to 2 hours, turning every 20 minutes or so. Kernels should give easily under pressure when done. To eat, just peel back the husks and use them for a handle.

**You can also cook these on a grill for about 30 minutes if you don't have a smoker.

PJ smoked the ribs the day before in the smoker. All I then had to do was brush on a BBQ sauce and grill them to warm them up for dinner. I chose to make my favorite BBQ sauce from my idol... Tyler Florence!

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 slice bacon , cut into 1/2 " pieces

1 bunch fresh thyme

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute bacon for a few minutes. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the ribs at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the ribs.

FRUIT PIZZA....

Today we're supposed to go to Stew's beach house in Atlantic Beach. Every year they have a 'Cornell Get Together' so friends can catch up on everyone's lives. I decided to bring a dessert that wasn't the usual chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies that so many people bring. I wanted something different with a little of the WOW factor! I had remembered how impressed PJ was years ago when we went to a travel lacrosse game upstate and a mother from the opposing team shared her dessert with our team. It was a Fruit Pizza. Her's was huge though, in an actual 16" pizza box! I decided that this would be the dessert to bring. I decided to cut out the crust making part and simplify things. I bought a tub of sugar cookie dough from the supermarket. I used a rolling pin to spread it on the pizza pan and I then baked it at 350 degrees for probably 25 minutes. I kept going back and looking at it until it had a nice light golden color and looked a little dry. It always hardens more after it cools. It's so humid out that I thought it would be too soft if I made it the day of, so I made it yesterday. Everything else was ready this morning and it took maybe 15 minutes to put the whole thing together. I have it waiting in the refrigerator. I hope it tastes good!!!

FRUIT PIZZA

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.
Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill.

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS AND PASTA SALAD..

While we were in Ithaca, I ordered a Black Bean Veggie Burger because I was feeling daring! I like black beans but thought it would be pretty boring. Too my surprise, it was delicious! The burger was topped with red onion, tomato, Montery Jack cheese and a Jamaican Jerk BBQ sauce. I decided to give it a try. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. They turned out delicious! To go with it, I made a pasta salad which will follow.

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers


PREP TIME
15 Min
COOK TIME
20 Min
READY IN
35 Min
Original recipe yield 4 patties

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Pasta Salad... A La Lynn

16 oz tri color pasta, cooked

Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Zucchini, Cucumbers, sliced olives, cherry tomatoes and a can of marinated artichiokes, drained, and whatever else you want to add.

1 bottle of Wishbone Bountifuls Tuscan Romano Basil salad dressing

Cut up all the vegetables into bite size pieces and put in a large bowl. Add the pasta and toss a bit with your CLEAN hands. Pour an entire bottle of the dressing into pasta salad mix and toss around. That's it! It was very flavorful and just right for a summer night when you don't have much time to spare!

SANTA FE CHICKEN SALAD

This salad is a lot like Chili's EXPLOSION SALAD without the quesadilla's. It's really good! It can be a little time consuming so I would suggest at least making the dressing and corn and bean salsa the day ahead of time. For those watching their weight, you can substitute fat free sour cream or fat free mayo in place of the regular mayo. Also, you may want to dip your forkfuls into the dressing instead of pouring it all over. You'd be surprised at how little dressing you actually use when you dip! ENJOY!!!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad


corn and black bean salsa

-Seed and dice two roma tomatoes. Put in a bowl.
-Finely dice half of a red onion. Put that in the bowl too.- Take a can of black beans. Drain and rinse well.
-use a cup or so of frozen corn. Put that in the bowl too.
-Seed and pith a jalapeno then dice. If you want it spicier, leave the seeds or add another pepper to the mix.

-Chop up some cilantro.-Squeeze in half a lime. Season the salsa with a little salt and pepper.
-Stir well then cover with saran and put in the fridge.-This can be made a day in advance.

southwest ranch dressing

-Take one package ranch dressing mix. Dump the dry mix into a bowl
-Add 1 cup mayonnaise. (Sour Cream can be substituted)
-Add 1 cup milk. Mix the dressing together.-Add 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce. If you want this spicier, add a little more.
-Add 1 tsp garlic powder.-Add 1 tsp chili powder.-Add 1 tsp cumin.-Squeeze in half of a lime.-Mix everything together. This dressing can be made days in advance. In fact, the longer it sits, the better the flavors will have a chance to marry and balance out.

Now to make tortilla strips!

-Take 4-5 fajita sized tortillas and cut in half.-Cut them into thin strips.-Heat some oil in a pot and fry the strips up. When they're nice and golden, pull from the oil and place on some paper towels.-As soon as you pull the tortilla strips from the oil, season lightly with salt. These *can* be made the day ahead. Put the strips in a ziploc or any airtight container so they don't get stale or soft.
Now it's time for the main body of the salad!

-Take a package of McCormicks Grill Mates Southwest marinade. Put 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a ziploc. Dump in the marinade (as prepared according to the directions on the package). The packaging says you only need to marinate for 15 minutes. Personally, I like it a little more seasoned, so I let them sit in that marinade all day, overnight if possible.-Grill, bake or cook the chicken on the stove until done.
-Using two forks, start pulling the meat apart. The shredded meat goes a long way vs. cutting into cubes.
-Put the chicken in a large bowl.-Chop up 1 head of iceberg lettuce and add to the bowl.
-Grate some cheese (1-2 cups). I used some cheddar and some monterey jack. Put all the cheese in the bowl too.
-Slice up one avocado. You can dice this and add directly to the lettuce bowl if you want. I leave them in slices and use on top.
-Toss everything in the bowl together. If your family likes olives, you can add some sliced black olives.
-Begin by putting some of the salad on the plate.
-Put a big handful of corn and black bean salsa on top in the middle.
-Put slices of avocado around the plate.-Put a small stack of tortilla strips on top like a haystack. These will be your "croutons" for the salad.
-Drizzle on some of the salad dressing and you're done! Time to eat up.

Fresh California Salsa... A TASTE OF CANCUN...

A made this salsa 3 days ago to bring to PJ's softball game along with sliced Semolina bread. The game was rained out so I threw it in the fridge when we got home. Today I remembered that it was in there. I still had the sliced bread and it was actually still very soft. I guess high humidity is good for something!

Alyssa and I couldn't stop eating this. Maybe letting it sit for 3 days really did the trick! It was so good and so fresh tasting... perfect for a summer treat! It reminded us so much of our favorite salsa at the Royal Solaris in Cancun. YUM. Alyssa and I decided that next time I make it, I'm making a bucket full!!!

Fresh California Salsa

INGREDIENTS
4 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Add jalapenos 2 teaspoons at a time, tasting after each addition to see how hot the salsa has become. I used 1/2 of a jalapeno. Next time I will use a whole one.

Potato, Tomato, Corn and Basil Salad

This is a very nice refreshing type of salad to have when you're BBQing. It can be made ahead of time to make it easier. I've made it with and without the potatoes... both are good. The only thing I did different this time is that besides the regular basil, I also used some Lemon Basil from the garden. YUM. I rough chopped both and then put a few whole leaves throughout.

Potato, Tomato, Corn and Basil Salad
Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman
Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings User Rating:

1 pound baby red potatoes

scrubbed 5 medium ears of corn (about 3 pounds)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced thinly (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

1 large bunch fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and leaves picked

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large lemons, juiced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

About 15 grinds freshly ground pepper
Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to boil. Cook until just fork tender, about 15 minutes. Fish out the potatoes with a spider or slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking.
Shuck the corn and break each ear in half. Cook in the same boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes until tender but not soft. Remove the cooled potatoes to a dish-cloth to drain. Immerse corn in the same ice bath until cool. Cut each potato into quarters and place in a large bowl.
Remove corn from water and also let drain. Use a chef's knife to cut the kernels off each ear. Add kernels to bowl. Add grape tomatoes, onion, and whole basil leaves. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss gently to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve immediately

Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasties

When I asked Scott to go to the store and get me a bunch of cilantro, he came home with a bunch of dill. I already had a bunch of dill in the refrigerator! So, what to do with all of this dill...

I chopped up one bunch and put it in a ziplock bag and froze it. With the other bunch... I went to my 'go to' recipe site http://www.allrecipes.com/ and found an appetixer that uses dill and has great reviews. I made Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasties. The kids... especially Scott, LOVED these!

In the reviews, people mentioned to make the cream cheese spread at least a day ahead of time, try using fat free sour cream instead of the cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese) and also that they're good using the small loaf of Pumpernickle bread. I'll try that next time.

Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasties

PREP TIME
15 Min
READY IN
15 Min
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
1 cucumber, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed or chopped fresh dill
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on a slice of bread, and top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Asian Noodle Salad... A GREAT SALAD!

I made the Asian Noodle Salad from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. It was so good, especially the dressing! It made enough for an army yet after Scott and Alyssa's 10 pm second dinner, now it's almost all finished. It will make enough for probably 15 people as a side dish! The recipe is easy to cut in half or even into a 1/4. I wouldn't cut the dressing though. Use it over regular salad! And the jalapeno peppers didn't make it hot. Just be sure to get rid of the seeds without touching them! I think the key is all of the cilantro. I love cilantro! In all, I used 1 1/2 bunches... one in the salad and 1/2 for the dressing. Next time I will leave out the cashews, mostly because it gets too expensive. Speaking of which, the regular peppers were $5 per pound this week (for red) and I refuse to spend that on food! So I used whatever I had in the fridge. I also used romaine lettuce instead of the Napa Cabbage. Next time I will get rid of most of the EVOO to lighten it up a bit and add something else. Other than that... it's a keeper!
Asian Noodle Salad
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage
1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)
1 small bag bean sprouts
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers
LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch
1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet
DRESSING:
Juice of 1 lime
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped
More chopped cilantro—LOTS
Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients ( I put it in the blender) and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.

COMFORT FOOD NIGHT!!!!

Tonight was definately a comfort food night. I'll be walking extra miles after this one!

I made a spiral sliced ham along with Scott's favorite side that we call That Corn Dish. A friend from town gave me the recipe stating that 1/2 of the town makes it on Thanksgiving. I shared it with a bunch of friends who now also make it for Thanksgiving. You can't have it more than a few times a year because it's sooo unhealthy! Then we had my Grandmother's favorite way to cook cabbage which is now PJ's favorite also. It's an old Dutch recipe that was handed down to her. When I first made it I ended up in the ER needing 12 stitches from shredding the palm of my hand! Now I'm more careful! Last but not least, a healthy side, steamed carrots mixed with my favorite herb, dill. Here's the recipes:

NANNY'S CABBAGE

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

5 slices of bacon cut into 1" pieces

a sprinkle of caraway seeds

a few dashes of black pepper

a little salt if you wish. I don't add the salt because the bacon is salty enough.

In a pan, saute bacon until brown. Put cabbage in pan (yup, in all that bacon fat!). Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until cabbage is wilted. I like to cook it so some of the cabbage is actually getting golden in color. That's is, simple and delish!

THAT CORN DISH

1 can of creamed corn

1 can whole kernal corn - lightly drained

1 stick of better, melted

1 pkg corn muffin mix - Jiffy works best

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all and put in a casserole dish. Bake 45 minutes or until center tests clean and top is a little golden in color.

I haven't met ANYONE that doesn't like this dish!

Steamed Carrots mixed with fresh chopped dill. That's it... no butter or salt! The ONLY healthy part of the meal! YUM!

SLOW COOKED SHORT RIBS YUMMMMMM!

We enjoyed these ribs last night. PJ couldn't get enough of them, even saying what a great dinner it was!! They were very simple to put the ingredients together and throw into a crockpot and let them cook all day. I actually made them on Friday. When they were finished, I took the crock out of the pot and refrigerated the whole thing until last night. This allows you to get rid of all of the grease that comes out of short-ribs. I then put everything in a covered pyrex dish, and put it in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes to heat up. I served it with Garlic Smashed Potatoes and carrots. It was definately a keeper!!!

Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
PREP TIME
25 Min
COOK TIME
9 Hrs
READY IN
9 Hrs 25 Min
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add ribs in batches and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown ribs in butter.
Transfer to a 6-qt. slow cooker. In the same skillet, combine the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meat is tender.

Brisket with BBQ Sauce

I made this brisket on Friday yet we actually ate it on Sunday. I saved the last cooking hour that is mentioned in the recipe to do on Sunday. I let it cool, then I sliced it and put it back in the serving dish (oven proof) and put sauce over it. I covered it with foil and waited until Sunday to put it back in the oven for the last hour. Briskets always slice better if allowed to cool before slicing. It's a great meat to make when guests are coming over because the meat is already done!
This picture was taken from the web site where I found the recipe.

Brisket with BBQ Sauce
PREP TIME
10 Min
COOK TIME
6 Hrs
READY IN
14 Hrs 10 Min
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds lean beef brisket
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Pour liquid smoke over brisket. Rub with onion salt and garlic salt. Roll brisket in foil and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place brisket in a large roasting pan. Cover and bake for 5 to 6 hours. Remove from oven, cool, and then slice. Put slices back into pan.
In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, ketchup, butter, water, celery salt, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir, and cook until boiling.
Pour sauce over meat slices in pan. Cover and bake for 1 more hour.

STUFFED BAKED POTATOES FOR CRAIG

Craig is having a party today and he invited us. That NEVER happened before!!! I asked what I could bring and he was almost afraid to answer. He said he's been craving my stuffed baked potatoes lately so I offered to make them! Nothing in my life has gone smooth without a glitch but it's always a learning experience. While the potatoes were baking, I kept hearing noises and thought my neighbor must be working on something. NOT! Aboyut 5 of the potatoes exploded in the oven! What a mess. I guess when I poked them with the knife, I must have missed a few! I was baking 35 potatoes so it's easy to miss a few!

I don't have a real recipe for making these. I bake the potatoes for about one hour @ 350 but this time it took 1 1/2 hours until they were cooked through. I then slice them in half, scoop out the insides and add some warmed milk (or cream or 1/2 and 1/2), some melted butter, some sour cream and salt and pepper. This time I also through in leftover creamcheese that had bacon and scallions in it from the bagel store and a handful of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. This is definately NOT the food of choice if you want to live a long healthy life! I mash that all together adding more liquid as needed. Then I refill the potato skins and put into a baking dish. I then top it with shredded cheddar and chopped scallions. At the party, we'll bake them at 350 for about 45 minutes. I ended up with about 55 of these which Craig will probably eat about 20 of them!!!

LOBSTER ROLL

Last night I was looking through a binder of recipes that were made into scrapbook pages by the people from the web sites who sent them. (Don't ask!) There was one recipe that caught my eye and I decided to give it a try today. It was for a Lobster Roll that is from the Montauk restaurant called Lobster Roll. I made it today and Chris had 3 of the rolls for lunch!!! He really liked them. They are so easy also. I think these would be perfect for a simple dinner on a nice spring/summer night. I didn't use lobster though. I used imitation crab. I made a second batch but took the picture without the rolls! It's very pretty to use as a salad also!

Lobster Roll
1 lb. lobster meat, drained if using from a can (I used imitation crab)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup mayo NOT DRESSING like Miracle Whip!
1/2 ts white pepper (I used black)
4 hot dog rolls , lightly toasted
Toss all ingredients together except the buns. Divide between 4 buns
Enjoy!

Scott's Favorite Sandwich

When Scott was home for Spring Break, I asked him what he would like me to cook... something that he missed being away at school. He didn't have to think long. He wanted those 'chicken sandwiches' that I hade made before. I got the recipe from a blog that I frequent often... Pioneer Woman Cooks. She has a blog of her life on the ranch which has beautiful photography! It's called Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. Links to those are listed at the top of my blog. Marlboro Man is the name she has given to her husband who is quite a looker!

Marlboro Man’s Second Favorite Sandwich

The Cast of Characters: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Lemon & Pepper seasoning, peppered bacon, cheese (American, Colby, PepperJack, Swiss etc any kind that you like) and sandwich buns.

There's no real amounts of any of the ingredients, just use your imagination!

Cut bacon sliced in half and cook in pan until done. Drain on a paper towel. Pour off all of the grease except for one or two tablespoons.
Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning liberally on both sides of the chicken pieces.
Make sure the pan is nice and hot again and put chicken pieces in. Cook the chicken breasts on one side for about four minutes, or until the edges are no longer pink. Then flip ‘em over.
After you flip the chicken breasts, begin arranging the cooked bacon slices on the cooked side of the breasts.
How much bacon you place on each chicken breast depends on a) how much bacon you want to put on each chicken breast OR, in my case, b) how much bacon you have left after your family has walked through the kitchen and popped slices into their mouths.
Now lay slices of cheese on top of the bacon.
Cover for a few minutes to let the chicken finish cooking and to allow the cheese to melt.
Done! Without fail, in the time it takes for the cheese to melt thoroughly, the chicken finishes cooking. Just don’t overdo it or everything (even the cheese) will start to dry out.
Put the chicken on a plain ol’ hamburger bun. Enjoy!

WENDY'S RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BISCUITS

Chris had a great time visiting his friends in Rochester. Before he would tell us anything about his trip, he told me that Wendy (Jay's Mom) made the best biscuits and that I should ask her for the recipe. He just raved about them! So I went straight to the computer and within a few hours, I had the recipe. On Easter, I decided to make them to go with our dinner and not let Chris know. As he walked up to the table, the biscuits were the first thing that he saw. He looked at me and said... "you made these"? I told him that I had heard back from Wendy. He grabbed one and started to eat it. He said "they look like Wendy's... and they taste like Wendy's"! He was so excited! Thanks again Wendy!!!

Here's Wendy's version of the Red Lobster Biscuits.

Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits
Serving size: 10

2 cups Bisquick (I used Heart Smart Bisquick)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (you can shred your own or buy it that way)
2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, cheddar, and milk into soft dough. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. Spoon 10 biscuits onto greased cookie sheet (I use a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper). Smooth down tops (Bisquick forms sharp points otherwise). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 450 (10 minutes worked perfectly for me).

While baking, melt butter in pan and stir in garlic powder. Take biscuits from oven when done and brush butter on tops and serve hot.

DON'T COOK WHEN YOU'RE BORED!!

Yesterday was a nasty day in NY. What better thing to do when you're homebound than cook. NOT! It was brought to my attention after I was finished... "Ma, I think you over did it a little, don't you"?

I needed to use up the beautiful peppers that I bought a few days ago. The price was right so I sprung for the yellow and orange ones besides the usual red and green ones. My first thought was to cut some up to save for a taco salad for maybe Wednesday's dinner and to slice some for Sausage and Peppers. That didn't work because I threw them all into the pot to cook! They were so pretty... like springtime!

I had a ham in the oven for dinner but when PJ called to see what was for dinner, I could tell Ham wasn't what he was in the mood for. That's fine. We can make other meals out of the ham. I told him to call me back when he figures out what he'd like. He called and said he'd love to have either hotdogs or Brats. Such a simple man! So Brats it is... smoked and also New Orleans style. One pack would have been enough but I wanted to try the New Orleans style and I know the guys like the smoked so what the heck. In the mean time I had defrosted a package of ribs, just because. There wasn't enough for an entire meal so I figured they could be added to brats for dinner. The leftover brats can get thrown in the Sausage and Peppers. There has to always be a plan! Today I will finish making the sausage and peppers.

I hope the neighbors didn't see my at the grill. There's only 3 of us at home and a lot of food on the grill! Good thing they didn't know there was a ham in the oven and a pot full of peppers and onions!

We ended up having a very nice dinner. I liked the brussel sprouts the best though. (recipe for B.S's and ribs below. YUM!) Now I don't have to cook for a few days. I guess that means I have to do the laundry!

Barbecue Ribs
INGREDIENTS:
4 pounds pork spareribs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 dash ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1.Boil ribs in water for approx 1 hour.
2.In a bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rum, chili sauce, garlic, mustard, and pepper. Coat ribs with sauce and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
3.Preheat grill for medium heat. Position grate four inches above heat source.
4.Brush grill grate with oil. Place ribs on grill, and cook for 30 minutes, basting with marinade.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

CAJUN SHRIMP ETOUFFEE

Last night's dinner was delicious. In keeping with the Mardi Gras theme for this time of year, I decided to make a dish that I loved when we went to New Orleans. It was pretty easy and had just the right amount of heat. Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp Etouffee
An authentic Louisiana recipe with a rich and spicy fresh tomato based roux with fresh garlic, bell peppers, celery and onions mixed with crawfish and shrimp. Serve over steamed rice.
PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
50 Min
READY IN
1 Hr 10 Min
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fish stock
1 pound crawfish tails
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Gradually stir in flour, and stir constantly until the mixture turns 'peanut butter' brown or darker, at least 15 or 20 minutes. I use a large fork with the flat side to the bottom of the pan in a side to side motion. This is your base sauce or 'Roux'. It is very important to stir this constantly. If by chance the roux burns, discard and start over.
Once the roux is browned, add the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the skillet, and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and fish stock, and season with the seafood seasoning. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season the sauce with hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper (if using), and add the crawfish and shrimp. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.

ALYSSA'S FAVORITE MEATLOAF

Before Alyssa went back to school, I wanted to make her one of her most requested meals... MEATLOAF! This recipe is from allrecipes.com but I tweaked it out of necessity and it turned out to be great! **The recipe calls for quick cooking oats which I realized that I didn't have. I did however, have a box of cinnamon maple brown sugar INSTANT oatmeal. What the heck! I took out my fine strainer and opened up each packet dumping it into the strainer to get the sugar and flavoring out. I then used that oatmeal. Well, the flavor was GREAT to say the least. So now when i make it, I add some cinnamon and a squirt of maple syrup to the mixture!

Here's the original recipe:

Mini Meatloaves

PREP TIME
15 Min
COOK TIME
45 Min
READY IN
1 Hr
INGREDIENTS
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. **SEE NOTE ABOVE Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

WHAT BETTER FOOD TO HAVE THAN A NACHO PLATTER WHEN WATCHING FOOTBALL!!

I'll admit it. I actually thought TODAY was the SUPERBOWL instead of next week. It just goes to show you how much I hate football!! Every time I make this, it looks and tastes different. I just throw together whatever we have on hand. I make this in layers separating each ingredient in half. Make one layer of each ingredient then start with chips again and repeat. I start with a layer of chips, then add cooked chop meat that has taco seasoning mixed in. This time it was chipotle taco seasoning by Ortega. I also added a can of black beans, a can of sliced olives, a small can of chopped green chilis, (red) salsa, Tequila Lime Salsa and cheddar cheese. I put that in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes. When I took it out I added chopped tomatoes and chopped scallions. It was way too big for us but tastes yummy the next day put into wraps!