Oatmeal, Crasins, Chocolate Chip Cookies, And Honey Wheat Bread!

I was a useless piece of crap Friday and Saturday when it came to cooking...Sunday, I caught fire- making that homemade pizza, and some really great Oatmeal cookies! I love my dried, sweetened cranberries, and semi-sweet chocolate chips that adds richness, but doesn't sweeten the cookie all that much! They came out chewy, and not overdone in any way! Two dozen are almost gone!
Today, I made a couple of loaves of home made light honey wheat bread... Tasty.. made ham and cheese sandwiches, with mayo, lettuce, and a touch of mustard.. Not bad, but Ithink this bread is better with just butter or honey..Didn't rise as much as some, quite substantial!
It's good to try new things...It's how we learn!

Friday Night Pizza- Only It's Sunday!

Friday night, did not feel like cooking.. went to a great fry food place and picked up a chicken and fish combo! Fish was so good, I went back Saturday and got two fish sandwiches to go!
Sunday, promises were to be kept, so I made what we call around here a "Dad" pizza! That means home made yeast risen crust, flavored with garlic, and red pepper! It means home made sauce, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, onion, red pepper, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, salt, and red wine vinegar.. It means hand ground Parmesan and Romano cheese.., It means Italian seasoned sausage, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon as meats.. It means covered with Mozzarella cheese, shredded.. 450F for 12 minutes, set for 5 more minutes.. Well, look at the photos!

A Left-Over Meal, And Chili!

Tuesday night, I fixed a sliced beef in gravy over brown rice for a "Use up the pot roast" supper.. The addition of fresh, sliced mushrooms into the simmering gravy beef mix worked well.. I thought the earthy flavors of beef and mushrooms would marry best with the equally earthy, nutty flavor of brown rice.. It all disappeared, as I suspected it would!
Wednesday, we went North to a casino, where it seemed every senior citizen in Michigan was gambling their children's inheritance away... We didn't win either!
Tonight, A rare occurrence in our house.. I made chili! As most of you know, I have competed in 40+ chili cook-offs, and have my share of awards- but I hardly ever cook it at home just for us! Not my competition batch, but close... Cooking at home offers advantages over contest cooked chili! I can make up a batch, throw in a slow cooker longer than contest times allow. I can after three or so hours, check and adjust flavors to where I want the texture, color, aroma, heat, and taste, without time constraints. Finally, I can make a chili I like, rather than one for a bunch of judges who don't even cook, and taste buds have been destroyed after 5-10 chili samples that are heated, highly seasoned dog food!
I have books upon books of chili recipes, and more books on chile peppers themselves.. I have heard more people say "I make the best chili ever!" I usually tell them, "Don'tcha know? We all do...
I have learned through experience, that taste buds are as individual as fingerprints, kiddos! Make it the way you like it, and enjoy... but don't try a throw-down with me.. I compete with 20-40 people every contest, and a "Throw-down" is one on one!

Pot Roast, Creamy Tomato Soup, And Frosted Brownies

Usually around Sat., I ask my wife what sounds good for Sunday dinner..I swear once a month, I know she is going to say "A beef pot roast". She loves this dish, as well as my son, who we drop off a plate every Sunday where he works. I use a lot of herbs and spices, a can of some cream of something soup, and some dry brown gravy mix- with a touch of red wine vinegar, too. I wrap the whole thing up (3-1/4lbs) in heavy duty aluminum foil- no leaks allowed! Baked at 325F for 3-1/2 hrs, it is fall apart tender, full of flavor, and you've made gravy for the potatoes right in the foil!
My wife and I have both been fighting the creeping crud that is going around, so Monday night was good old cream of tomato soup. I mix a can of Campbell's with diced tomatoes, basil, 4oz. of cream cheese, splash of milk and V-8 juice, with chopped Canadian bacon, and home made croutons..very filling and comforting!
I also summoned the strength to make frosted chocolate brownies... I can't do chocolate without adding either cinnamon, or almond extract- this time, cinnamon! If the surface of the frosting looks a little shiny, I hit it with my brulee torch for a quick glazing over..
Tomorrow we head North to do a little gambling...

Another Retro Appetizer, With Another Regional Name..

Polish Roses! Much better known through America as onion wraps! These simple treats have been on nearly every informal get together appetizer table I've ever been to.
We've had a husbands and wives Texas Hold'em card night 3 or 4 times a year for a few years now, with everyone bringing their own beverages and and appetizer or two to share.. I know they can handle the upscale stuff, but I also know they prefer the simple treats by far! I made deviled eggs( which disappeared!), and a tray full of these onion wraps, affectionately known as Polish roses. The descendants of Polish immigrants around here seem to love these things, and are at a lot of wedding buffets..
Simple to make, you get some good looking green onions, wash and trim back the greens not to be eaten, leaving some as a handle of sorts for holding them while you eat one! Trim roots off, leaving a flat end. Take dried or corned beef of appropriate size, spread with softened cream cheese, and wrap around edible end tightly- you now have one done! Refrigerate for two hours, and serve. Ham, roast beef, flavorings to cream cheese are all fun to try... A tip to some of you new cooks starting to get a little experimental- don't make it look like what people are used to, if you are going to change the flavor expected- warn them first, and they will like it more!

Another Blast From My Past... Pronto Pups!

What in the world is a Pronto Pup? Simply put, it's a corn dog! Corn meal mixed with flour, spices and liquid to form a batter that a hot dog on a stick can be dipped in, and then deep fried. Why do I call them a Pronto Pup? Because in the cities of Grand Rapids, Holland, and Grand Haven, MI that's all we knew them by..
One place in Western Mi you could get these was one of the few remaining Pronto Pup stands in the nation! A small building on the channel of the Grand River, it was only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There was always a line, all day long! If you went to Grand Haven State Park, you got a Pronto Pup- always..
Tuesday I made one of my stock up trips to Bird's Market. I picked up about 30lbs. of meat and poultry- and found some corn dogs, 16 to a box, in the frozen food section. I had been passively craving for one of these for awhile, so I picked some up. Last night I heated them according to instructions, and we enjoyed a pretty darn good corn dog! Same stuff you would put on a hot dog, can be used as a dip.. An afterthought I had- a chili cheese dip would have been perfect for this!

Retro Appetizer, And Simple Taste Appeased!

I think in the 50's, Betty Crocker did more for this country than Eisenhower did! That contrived image of a non-existant woman in the apron, showed more people(mostly women back then!) how to cook! One of my first cookbooks was a Betty Crocker, and to this day, it is a "go to" cookbook on basics..Anywho..
The point of all this is I go Retro once in a while- people forget who they were, and what defined them in their formative years. I revisit my past- the good times growing up, because we need to..
Bisquik sausage balls.. No party was a party without them!
1. 2 cups of Bisquik
2. 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, room temp.
3. 1 lb. of seasoned sausage, room temp.
4. Splash of a flavoring liquid of you choice(hot sauce!)
Mix together thoroughly and form into 1" dia. balls
Bake for 12 min. in greased pan at 350F, turn over, and bake for 12 min. more.
A retro treat that everybody still will love!
Supper last night was a simple Kielbasa sausage, with dip- and a great fresh roll.. Fancy? No, but a hit-the-spot flavor, for a light bite that night!