Christmas In February- Cool!

Last night, during supper- a green chicken enchilada topping, on corn chips(sprinkled with Colby shredded cheese!) the door bell rang... It was UPS, delivering my Christmas present from my son in Kansas City- finally! A new food dehydrator, with the latest technology! My old American Harvest is still working fine, but nothing lasts forever, and for a while- I'll have doubled capacity for dehydrated goodies! American Harvest was apparently absorbed by Nesco- a fine company as far as electric roasters go- as I have one.. The price was in line for the quality of the product, and look forward to trying it out soon. If you do not have one of these versatile products, I recommend you get one and start saving big bucks on jerky, dried herbs and spices, dried fruit, and veggies! The fan unit dehydrators make time less of a factor- and the preservation factor is undeniable. I know I sound like an infomercial, but I get behind a good idea when I see one!
DoggieBloggie struck a cord on his post with me on a one ingredient making a difference.. we had thinly cut pork tenderloin, in BB-Q sauce, with onion sliced finely on buns Monday night. Sliced hamburger dill chips on those sandwiches made an extraordinary difference.. small things are not to be ignored!

Good Soups In Contest And Sunday Dinner..

Saturday, I participated in a small soup cook-off. Literally, all the soups were good, and different from each other! My Mac-N-Cheeseburger soup finished middle of the pack- even though it was the only one that was eaten down to the bottom of the pot! A couple of bar regulars won 1st and 2nd.. go figure! Still, a decent turn-out, with all enjoying hot soup on a cold day..
Today, I marinated a couple of pork tenderloins in an Oriental flavor, and served with what has become our favorite rice- organic brown! Marinate was rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, onion, and sesame oil. Also in the marinate was my "go to" out of the bottle sauce- Tiger sauce! This stuff is good as a shrimp dipping sauce, chicken BB-Q sauce, or great with pork also.. try some, you'll like it! Plain old chocolate brownies for dessert.. I wish Super Bowl would start earlier...

Soup Contest Saturday- Whole Lotta Tweakin" Goin' on..

Better than a year ago, I thought I was in a soup cook-off- but it got cancelled..Saturday we're going to hold one, kinda small(maybe 8 soups) but a lot of good cooks will be in it! As it will be a peoples choice, with the public being the judges- it will probably resemble a popularity contest instead of a competition! 3 or 4 cooks have already announced their entry, so everyone is trying to make something different. I was ready last time with a Mac-N-Cheeseburger soup, and with a few changes, that's what I'm bringing! This cold weather should guarantee a good turn-out... If I have time today, I may make some home made bread to go with the soup...
If you want to see a picture, or read ingredients check out my post around Nov 5-7 2007...

Meatball Mini-Meme... Two Questions...

There are many ways to make a meatball, and many sauces that go with/over said meatball!
The questions today are as easy as usual;
1. What are your favorite ingredients in a meatball?
2. What is your favorite sauce to go along with it?

1. I like a ground beef, pork, veal(or lamb!) combo, bound with fine dry bread crumbs, egg, Worcester sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Basic, and can be expanded with Italian spices and herbs to go one way, or savory herbs to go another.. the veal or lamb "softens" it's consistency, giving it a a juicy texture when eaten..
2. I love many sauces on meatballs; BB-Q, Italian, Brown gravy/Herb, Swedish, Danish, etc... but if I had to go with only one- Danish. It incorporates chix broth, sour cream, dill, and a few other ingredients that make it my favorite!
Teach me something I don't know today about meatballs!

A Little "Catch-up Post...

Friday was preparing for the first chili cook-off of the season... conned my kid into grocery shopping for me, for which he would receive a bag of home-made jerky, and a homemade pizza dinner (Dad pizza!). He was all over it!
Saturday was loading the coolers and van, to head out for a day of chili competition. Picked up my cooking pardner, Chili Dan, went to the American Legion Post, where it was to be held. Missing Mike, our other cook, showed up with daughter and we proceeded to turn a pile of ingredients into about 3 gallons of chili. Real happy with our pot full, our friends/adversaries Dragon Spit Chili were the next booth over. Last year, they edged us for 1st place, Buffalo Bros. took 2nd.. Lots of people sampled ours, and came back for more! We sampled other chilli's and weren't too worried... And the winner is- Not us or Dragon Spit! Three very bland chilli's placed, telling us the judges were rookies, or old people! Had a good time, though...
Sunday was a recovery day, did some cooking, but a lot of it was repeats- tuna fish salad( for lunches this week) broiled steaks, mashed potatoes, brownies for dinner, popcorn at night, to watch TV under warm blankets! Today I'll probably bake some banana bread with chocolate chips and crasins in it.

Beef Jerky And A Long Cold Day In Michigan..

Yesterday, I sliced and marinated some 5lbs. of beef eye of round, that was on it's way to becoming a common treat around here called beef jerky... Normally, I cut it with the grain of meat- to make it chewier..but being lazy, I decided for a more edible product this time, and went across grain. Came out plenty chewy, and took the marinate flavor(Worcester, soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, onion, liquid smoke, and sea salt!)really well!
My wife is working long hours, so I made up a plate of those pigs in a blanket for her to munch on when she gets home! Weather is so cold and snowy, letting the Airedale out is easier- I just open the door, out she sprints, she pees and poops- and comes runnin' for the warmth of the house! Reminds me of a joke...
Woman buys a parrot and finds out the bird has been taught quite a few cuss words... complains to the pet store owner, who says "Just stick him in the freezer for a bit when he swears, and he'll quit cussing soon enough".. Woman says to bird "Polly want a cracker?" Bird says "Fu*k you and your cracker"... She grabs the bird and sticks him in the freezer.. Bird looks to the right of him and sees a frozen turkey.. "Jebus buddy! What did you say to the bitch?"...

Whole Roast Chicken And Brown Rice In Chicken Broth..

Two foods that go together in a myriad of combinations is chicken and rice... Roasted, broiled, boiled, fried, etc., chicken always finds a pardner in rice! The rice can be white, brown, wild (which really isn't rice!), steamed, re fried, in a casserole, etc... The pleasure derived from recreating two ingredients that can't miss when together, is a good way to experiment with your cooking!
My chicken carcass( I ought to rephrase that!) is simmering as we speak, to create a broth or a stock that will be the base of chicken soup in the next couple of days... flavored with what you enjoy, this is a worthwhile effort that is easy. Simmer the carcass in the juices rendered, adding water or chicken broth, with your favorite flavors- start with poultry seasoning if you don't know what to do! 2-3 hrs. is plenty... pick the meat off, and add to your soup. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, noodles, rice, onions, are all excellent companions to your chicken soup- go nuts, and see what happens!

Remember The First Time You Had Pound Cake?

Boy, I sure do! My mom was an indifferent cook, probably because my dad was an indifferent eater! However, coming from a Dutch family, she could bake with the best of them! Her recipes were hand-written, and a pinch of this, and a dab of that would actually be the instruction... One day, I came home from school to see a squat, bread shaped baked good I had never seen before.. "Mom! What did you bake?" "It's a pound cake, with lemon glaze". She had me at lemon- up until that moment, my favorite dessert was lemon meringue pie! It looked pretty plain, and my first bite was hesitant- but my eyes widened at the moist richness, and lemony flavor that assaulted my taste buds!
This cake can be made so many different ways, I won't even go into it. The original "pound cake" was just that- 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of flour, 1 pound of eggs... most recipes aren't that far off from that, even though we add salt, baking powder, and flavorings... Today I made a Sour Cream Almond Pound cake... it will probably get topped with whipped cream!
Just got done, and have never been more disappointed in my life.. 6 eggs, 3cups of sugar, etc., my pound cake was a bust. Recipe off Internet, got to edible pieces out of a whole cake.. This is the second time I trusted some idiot who wrote down a recipe, and found it inedible! Shame on me- never again!
Tonight we also had a Midwest snack we call "Pigs in a blanket" .. a cooked sausage link,wrapped in a cresent roll and baked for about 10 minutes at 400F. Made 8, you saw the last one! Good stuff!

Jeez-O-Petes! What A Weather Pattern!

It's stupid cold here right now, but life goes on... They are predicting sub- freezing temps here for a least a week... The plow service we hired is doing a great job! I am pondering my life choice to die in this frozen Hell called Michigan! We all only got X amount of air left to breath- don'tcha think we might want to reconsider staying where most of the landscape was formed by glaciers? God, I'd kill for a Mammoth rib steak right now...

God Bless The Folks Who Grow It, For Us Mere Mortals To Cook It!

My wife got an "Air Garden" for Christmas from my eldest.. she is currently growing chives, basil, and thyme.. It made me think how hard some folks work, bringing food to market, and all the time and effort in consumes. I am no farmer. I love to cook it when it's ready to be cooked! Meat, fruit, vegetables, spices, etc. are something us foodies must pay homage to- If it wasn't for them, well, anyone seen the movie "Soylent Green"? We give token thanks for our meal, praying without meaning it. Think about what I've written, and if you can't thank God, thank the farmer who raised or grew it..
Today, I made a meatloaf of home ground pork, ground chuck, and ground venison.. heavy on herbs and spices, I am expecting a good meatloaf! The from scratch scalloped potatoes with sour cream and parsley should match. You'd think I was Polish for my love of seasoned, sauteed mushrooms! The German Chocolate cake lets you know I can match food, that has never been next to each other!
Want to see a wonderful cartoon that foodies can smile and laugh at? "Ratatouille" is a cute cartoon with a message- "Anyone can cook"! Anyone can, if they want to...
P.S. If anyone didn't wish Mona a Happy Birthday, please do so now... She is drop dead cool and deserves yours blessings..

Mini-Meme! Why Is It We All Don't Like The Same Stuff?

Sunday, I made those twice baked potatoes.. My wife and son love potatoes and frankly, I don't! In the afternoon, I made banana bread. I love banana bread, as does my wife- but I like it with chocolate chips and dried cranberries(or dried cherries!) in it, and she doesn't! She likes it with walnuts in it, and I hate nuts in bread! As shown, we end up eating good, plain banana bread!
After the football game, I made tuna salad, for sandwiches or salad... I would have used a lot more mustard in it, but I know my wife doesn't care for it mustardy... see where I'm going with this?
Today will be a simple one question/answer;
1. What is one dish you love one way, and hate prepared another way?
Me first- to illustrate!
I love almost any kind of meat in a sauce made from the base juices.
I hate meat in almost any kind of sauce made from fruit.
We are not passing judgement here, I hope I strike a cord with everyone who cooks or eats with someone they disagree with- but still gets along with!

Is It A Side Dish, Or A Meal...

Ever since New Years Eve, the tastes buds and appetites have been a bit off.. Happens every year! I have mentioned before, my wife and son love potatoes. I have also mentioned I took 2nd place in this years State of Michigan BB-Q Potato category, with a twice baked potato. Would you believe I've never made them for my own family? Well, today that all changes! I have some massive Russet potatoes, and all the goodies used to create these for dinner. A side of veggies will go along with the "meal in a skin", and we're calling that enough for a meal! I think I'll include the recipe today, if anyone out there wants to know how easy this is...
1. Four large (1LB.) Russet potatoes, scrubbed, rinsed, sprayed(or rubbed!) with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Bake in oven at 375F for 45 minutes, turn, spray again, and bake for 45 minutes more. I don't stab or wrap them- skins come out better!
3. Fry 6-7 strips of bacon until well done(crumbly)while potatoes baking. Have 8 oz of shredded cheddar cheese ready also.
4. When potatoes are done, cut a thin layer of skin off the top, discard. Carefully scoop out cooked potatoes, placing in bowl for mixing and mashing. This will leave you with 4 hollow skins- to be refilled with potato mixture.
5. Mash potatoes with 4oz. of sour cream, and 4 oz of butter, adding milk if too stiff. Onion and garlic powder to taste.
6. Refill skins with mixture and bake for 10 minutes at 350F
7. Remove from oven, top with cheddar cheese and bacon, which has been crumbled.
8. Bake again until cheese melts, top with sour cream and chives if desired- and serve!
Freezing rain/snow mix going on outside, so no outside activities planned today!

New Years Eve... 2008 Until Midnight!

We have a loose tradition of fixing a rather special meal for my son(sons) and either a friend or their girlfriend... My son , who lives about 4 miles from my house was here for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, The 29th and 30th(power outage at his place!) and was back for more food New Years Eve! He had given me a nifty deep fryer for Christmas, and we decided to have a deep fried meal NYE... We had Mushrooms, chicken wings, shrimp, mozzarella sticks, pickles- all deep fried! White chocolate cheesecake was the dessert... First try at using a new device is usually a mixed bag of success and disaster- and this was no exception! Shrimp and mushrooms were best, chicken and pickles- need work. Cheese sticks were just flat out pooched! Sauces were good, but learned a few tricks about deep frying! Freeze cheese sticks, then batter and fry! Don't overload the fryer basket! Make sure your health care is current!
We then drove 30 miles to play cards with friends... came home with $100 I didn't bring with me! This morning my stomach felt like I tried to eat dinner at Jiffy Lube.. Happy New Year, and try to eat healthier- I'm gonna!

Mini-Meme...This Last Year, This Year To Come..

2008 was not the year I expected, but in retrospect- when was a year what you expected? I thought this to be a perfect time for me and all of you that visit, to reflect on our past year, but also discuss what you think the next year will hold for you... I wish I had a crystal ball- but I don't!
Questions for today- 1. The events worth remembering in your life about 2008
2. Your plans or hopes for 2009.
Here we go... 1. I lost a significant portion of my retirement funds, due to the downturn in stocks. My house went down in value, about the same percentage.. I still retired out of the metals business, because after 35+ years in it, I was burned out. I feel it was the right decision, even though it looked pretty stupid at the time.
2. I'd love to tell you this year looks bright for all, but I think the world will be a long time getting back to where it was. Personally, I hope to find a small niche business, either to start or buy, where I can enjoy my work once again..
I've focused on the smaller delights of life lately, and found a lot of stuff I either forgot, or overlooked... If you have food, shelter, clothing, and people who care about you- everything else tends to be something you want, but not necessarily need!
I wish you all a bright 2009- Happy New Year!
P.S. Tonight, my new deep fryer Christmas present will be broken in!(photos later!) Then I have to take a white chocolate cheesecake to a party, and play cards with friends.. Drive safely, everyone!

A Little Off Our Feed...

After a couple of big food days back to back, we tend to lose appetite.. Plus my wife and I have both been experiencing flu-like symptoms, which doesn't make food sound all that great! The weather has been conducive to just staying home and veggin' out. The wind was 40+ miles an hour and it rained for about two days.. The result of this was a large portion of snow disappeared, and I ended up with two house guests until Tuesday! My son's power was knocked out- no heat! He and his girlfriend moved in here for a couple of days, until power is restored!
The first photo of food you see was a Saturday night classic; tomato-basil soup, with an open face broiled cheese sandwich... The second photo is my attempt at shrimp spring rolls, with fried pork and shrimp rice... Spring rolls were tasty, but could have been prettier! The rice was good! It's going to be a strange place here for a couple of days....

Random Photos And Happenings At Christmas 2008..

First , my son that was in the accident is fine! Went back to K.C. next day, and spent Christmas with his girlfriends' family. Missed him, but we'll try to organize a trip out there in the spring..
The first photo was taken on the 23rd- ever see a bacon cheeseburger on a hoagie bun? You have now!
Christmas Eve was hectic- our driveway was blocked with snow, wife's car got stuck(about had a heart attack trying to get it out!) I got a hold of a plow service that actually would come out before we had to leave that night! That was our present to ourselves this year... a plow service! I cooked all day, and my son had the day off so he grocery shopped for me!
Christmas Eve was at my sister-in-laws... I forgot to take pictures of the BB-Q ribs(they were killer!) but did manage a photo of a piece of Key lime cheese cake with raspberry-Chambord drizzle...
Phone call comes in at the party- my brother-in-laws niece was in a car accident... in the hospital, but the really bad news was that her step daughter in the car with her was dead. Two of the group headed for the hospital, called and warned everybody the roads had glare ice on them.. Coming home that night, the roads really had iced over.. more fun..
Christmas Day was open presents, then a big meal. We had Herbed loin of pork, steamed broccoli, roast red skin potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, gravy, and a sourdough bread... No one wanted dessert! Sorry, not one photo of the meal- I was busy! I did take pictures of my presents, and a few shots of our oddly decorated Christmas tree..It has all red lights, old hand made ornaments(I made that elf in 3rd grade!)and the "angel on the top we named "The Devils' Mistress"! We didn't intend the tree to look so Satanic- really!
Today is the 26th, and we don't have a darn thing to do, except recover...

Christmas ..Blessings And Bad Luck..

Today, I went out to get a new cell phone in a blizzard.. Roads were gridlocked with shoppers getting ready for Christmas- regardless of the weather. Got a phone(Verizon great!, roads and drivers-bad!).. Got a call from son who lives in town- had a flat tire, he changed it, emergency brake stuck! Talked him through it, in about three phone calls..All OK! Wife comes home from work early, we are both excited about our son coming in from Kansas City, got his old room ready- but worried about the weather... Our worries came reality when he called from Bumfuck,Iowa to let us know he just rolled his Jeep after hitting black ice and was not going to make it home for Christmas. He was safe. He was unharmed. Our holiday plans changed because of this. We had to sort through it, but found that Christmas miracles still happen.. my first born son is alive and well. Priorities can change in a heartbeat, be thankful that your loved ones are safe and sound tonight. Give them a hug and a kiss, like this just happened to you. I now have the Christmas spirit that has been missing, but it scares me when it takes a revelation like this to make me realize what it's all about.
A heartfelt Merry Christmas, to one and all! May all your loved ones be safe and sound.

Sunday, Wash Day...

My son and his girlfriend came over for dinner; steaks, Au gratin potatoes(from scratch!), home made bread, mushrooms, and brownies. Got the tree up, and watched the snow fall some more...
Later that night, my wife did a couple of loads of laundry... She usually checks the pockets for money, pens, money, keys, money, etc., but missed one item in my U of M hoodie sweatshirt- my cell phone. For the record, don't put these through the washer, as they don't work after that... I was due for a new phone, but I do like the 100 or so phone numbers stored to be downloaded to the new phone. That ain't gonna happen! I briefly checked the new phones available, and was overwhelmed by the choices... I wonder how much an underwater phone costs?....

Friday Nite Brats... And About a Foot Of Snow...

It snowed all day here... side streets blocked with cars, driveways blocked with snow plow wash. Got out in time to get some eats, beverages, and hole up until the storm passes.. Good, fresh Bratwurst, will be our simple fare tonight- and hopefully TV will have something good... Our neighbors sure helped with the driveway clearance, I must make them a cheesecake to square the score!

A Christmas Post Tale, And A Little Food, Too!

When we were first married, my wife and her sister would go Christmas shopping, while my brother-in law and I would go get a live tree.. Indian Joe, who actually was an immigrant Lithuanian, had a so-called tree farm for the season of Christmas.. These trees were where you found them on his land.. He combed his hair with whiskey(really!) and was rumored to have buried cash in Mason jars all over the land he lived on, which was on the shores of Pickerel Lake. He rented row boats in the summer, was about half crazy, and was a True American Character! We got a tree one year, that looked more like a tumbleweed, but it was the best we could find. We had more fun laughing at that tree, than money could ever buy!
Neither my brother and sister-in-law(or us!) had any money yet- they lived in a dinky rented house, we lived in a dinky rented apartment- but I remember those days as some of the best I ever had! Later, after Joe died, the heirs sold the land to Fred Meijer- a billionaire. He made it into a trail/preserve area, with his name on it. And they did find rotted paper money in Mason jars on the property- but not all that much! If you have any local legend stories, it's a good season to share them!
Sunday food was good ole pot roast, roasted potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, with stock gravy... I also made macaroni salad- macaroni, hard cooked eggs, the last of that Goddam ham, green olives, onion, celery, one Jalapeno pepper, mayo, mustard, Italian spices, salt, and black pepper! Boy! did we get after that salad!