Category: MISC

TAILGATING TIME 2.0

IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
 
 We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

Hasselbeck Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes are a Swedish version of baked potato. The outside crisps up nicely and the soft center it’s a pleasure to eat. It’s makes a nice presentation and is easy to prepare. I’ve made these and brought them in a crock pot to a party, and it works nice keeping them warm. Perfect for the holidays. They are always a big hit, I get requested to make these often.

Slice the washed small red potatoes 1/4 inch slices but not all the way through. You can use chopsticks or a wooden spoon if you have trouble stopping before you cut all the way through. Then slice up some cloves of garlic and slide a slice in between the slits in the potato. Place the potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper,or add fresh chopped herbs, or dried. Bake in 400° oven for an hour until the outside is crisp and the potatoes are cooked through. They end up a little crisp on the outside and nice and soft inside.

I sprinkled some Parmesan on them halfway through the cooking time.

I was so excited to eat these the photo blurred….no, umm… they were hot out of the oven and steamed up the lens….that’s it.

Serve with your favorite herbed sour cream, sprinkled a little extra Parmesan and herbs on top, and there you have it.

They go nicely with roasts and baked fish, heck they are garlic potatoes, they taste good with anything or I could make a meal of them by themselves.

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE with BLUEBERRY CARAMEL SAUCE

When I was a little girl my great aunt, Looney Louise, (okay we didn’t call her looney to her face, but it is what made her such fun) made a blueberry pudding cake with a tart lemon sauce that was out of this world!  When Ron asked me to review NuNatural’s products Aunt Louise’s recipe was the furthest thing from my mind.  After reviewing all the wonderful products that NuNaturals was gracious enough to send me and perusing the hundreds of recipes they also sent me, I settled on the blueberry cheesecake recipe.  The more I thought of blueberries, the more I thought of Louise and so I made the requisite recipe changes to make it my own and bring me close to the reverse of Looney Louise’s recipe.
Recipe aside, I have to say that every NuNatural’s product I tried is excellent.  I am a total convert!  I was forced years ago to give up any chemically altered sugars so only had full bodied sugar to live on.  NuNatural’s products are not chemically altered, but based on Stevia, a natural plant! 
KEY LIME PIE with CARAMEL BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Crust: 
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs   
6 tablespoons butter   
15 drops NuNatural’s liquid stevia extract

Filling:  
16 ounces cream cheese 
1/3 cup key lime juice  
1 egg   
1 teaspoon NuNatural’s white stevia powder

  • Crush about 12 graham crackers to make 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. 
  • Combine graham cracker crumbs, stevia extract and 6 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. 
  • Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides, pressing it to make it firm. 
  • Bake at 350° until golden brown (about 10 minutes). 
  • Allow to cool completely before using. 
  • Using a mixer, mix the ingredients in a bowl until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Don’t overdo it. 
  • Pour the mixture into the sugar-free graham cracker crust, spreading evenly and bake at 350° until lightly browned (about 30 minutes).

Sauce:

2 cups fresh blueberries
5 tablespoons water, divided
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
4 teaspoons NuNatural’s white stevia powder
7 drops NuNatural’s liquid Vanilla stevia 
2 tablespoons Hershey’s caramel sauce
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Combine berries, 1 tablespoon water, and coarse salt in medium saucepan. 
  • Stir and mash over medium-low heat until reduced to sauce consistency, about 4 minutes. Set aside. 
  • Combine sugar, 4 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. 
  • Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, 9 minutes. Remove from heat. 
  • Stir in blueberry sauce; let stand 5 minutes. 
  • Cool sauce to room temperature. 
  • Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

  • I was not paid for this review, but did receive free products to try. All opinions are my own. Their products are all natural, easy to convert and taste great!

Caramelized (or at least it should have been) Chipotle Chicken – Fire Day Friday

Sometimes, when you skip a step in a recipe, the outcome can still be really good, but the final product just isn’t quite what you had envisioned.  Take this lovely piece of chicken.  Had I not been in a hurry and allowed my glaze to cook and thicken, I truly would have had a piece of chicken that was wonderfully caramelized.  But, life gets in the way sometimes and well, like I said, the chicken was still pretty dang fantastic… it’s just that…. well.. it could have been that much better!

So the lesson here is…. don’t skip any of these steps.  Take the extra few minutes and I promise, you will not be sorry.  Your chicken will be a bit spicy, a bit sticky, and a ton of oh so good!!

Caramelized Chipotle Chicken
Created by Jenn’s Food Journey

– Serves 2 –

Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon chipotle puree (to make puree, dump entire contents of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a can into your food processor and puree)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all ingredients except the chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens up just a little bit.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat grill to 375 degrees F and oil grill grates.  Brush a little of the glaze on both sides of the chicken and place directly over the fire and cover.  Allow to grill for 6 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brush with more glaze.  Grill another 6 minute, flip and brush on more glaze.  Let the chicken finish cooking (internal temp of 165 degrees F.) and then remove from grill.  Brush on more glaze if you prefer and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

TOMATO BISQUE with BAKED CHEESE CROUTONS

Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled
4 cups chicken broth
3 or 4 sprigs fresh parsley
5-10 fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for servin

  • Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
  • Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
  • Tie herbs together in cheesecloth and drop into the soup. This makes it easy to remove later.
  • Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
  • Remove herbs and discard.
  • Add whipping cream and blend until smooth.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.

CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. 
  • Melt butter in flat bowl. 
  • Combine cheeses in flat bowl. 
  • Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. 
  • Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. 
  • Float croutons on top of soup bowls just before serving.

    Pairs really well with Tuna Melts.

    Ice Cream Cake-Save Room for Dessert

    White Chocolate Macadamia Nut flavored ice cream with a white cake mix
    Today I’ve got an ice cream cake for you. But, not like you might think. 
    This cake uses a cake mix which usually isn’t my first choice but is worth the exception in this case.
    This cake is simple and extremely moist. 
    Not to mention there are so many flavor combinations.

    Red Velvet Ice Cream with Red Velvet Cake Mix
    Ice Cream Cake
    Recipe from Omnomicon
    1 box of cake mix (any flavor)
    1 pint of ice cream–softened (any flavor)
    3 eggs
    1 cup of water
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
    Grease pan 9 x 13 or bunt pan
    Beat all ingredients for 4 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes.
    Serve with your favorite frosting or glaze. 
    I used a powdered sugar/milk glaze.
    Please come visit me at Paper Plates and China
    

    FINALLY HOME MENU

    Since there are no groceries in the house, we’re not sure when the moving company will deliver and we’re not sure when utilities will be turned on, I’m making this a super simple menu week.
    Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

    		 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
    Monday 11/14 CEREAL SANDWICHES SUBWAY SANDWICHES
    Tuesday 11/15 TOAST LEFTOVERS MAC & CHEESE
    Wednesday 11/16 YOGURT SOUP TUNA MELTS & TOMATO SOUP
    Thursday 11/17 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT FRIED EGG SANDWICHES
    Friday 11/18 OATMEAL SANDWICHES PIZZA
    Saturday 11/19 BACON & EGGS LEFTOVERS CHILI & CORNBREAD
    Sunday 11/20 PANCAKES & BACON C.OR.N. BLTs & CORN CHOWDER

    ALMOST HOME

    Being a So Cal girl at heart, surfing was always a saltwater sport and usually done in warm weather.  The thing that surprised me the most when we came east was that the great lakes have waves too.  The lakes are soooooooo large that they look like an ocean at first glance.  I caught this surfer in a rainstorm on Lake Michigan today and he was looked so at peace even though I never actually saw him catch a wave!
    On another note, the plant below was sent to me by my SIL when we first moved into our investment house 5 years ago.  It grew huge in my kitchen and had to be cut back monthly.  When we went west to help my in-laws, the poor plant froze the first night out.  I kept it and babied it while at my in-laws and it began to come back.  That was 2 years ago.  I keep babying it and it keeps hanging in there.  I can’t wait to put it back on my kitchen counter and see where it grows.  I call it my Bobbie plant!
    I should be home tomorrow and then begins the arduous task of reversing the winterizing from 2 years ago and getting the utilities on.  I’ll fill you in on the rest of the Chronicles of a Major Move at that time.

    BUFFALO CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS

    Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells Adapted from Sugar Crafter
    1 package 12 oz. jumbo shells
    13 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breast
    3/4 cup hot sauce, I used Franks
    3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
    3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, part skim
    3 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded
    1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, part skim
    1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, light
    1/2 cup ranch dressing, light

    Directions:  Prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Mix all the ingredients except for the shells in a large bowl. Stuff each shell with as much filling as it will hold. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place in a dish sprayed with cooking spray. I put these in a 9 x 13 and an 8 x 8 casserole. Top with green onions if desired.

    Modifications:
    -I used Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
    -I added extra chicken and cheese on top of the shells.

    Here’s what you’ll need:
    • Put the chicken in water to cook.  Also, cook the shells according to the package directions.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Mix together the wing sauce, cream cheese, ricotta, and cheeses.
    • Take the chicken out and shred it.  Add it to the wing sauce mixture.

    • Drain the shells and place them in a greased baking dish.
    • Spoon the mixture into the shells.
    • Into the oven for about 10-15 minutes (that’s my pizza stone underneath the dish)  
    I decided to add a bit more chicken and cheese to the top of the shells.
    Here’s what you’ll end up with:

    TAILGATING TIME 2.0

    IT’S OFFICIAL – FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!
    We have decided to make a change this year in the way Tailgating Time will work. Instead of a new linky for each week we will be using the same linky to keep all the great recipes in one place. This will provide easy access to the recipes and create one big awesome recipe index collection. There is no limit to how many you add – of course we hope you will add a new recipe each and every week! Tailgating Time will generally be posted each week on Sundays at noon.

    It doesn’t matter if you are a football fan or not, great party food is always a good thing. Bring over your grilled goods, chips and dips, appetizers, chili and chowders, cocktails, or any recipes that would be great for the football party buffet!

    If any of you would like to host along with us you can click –> get the InLinkz code to add the linky to your blog too. You can post it once in awhile or every week during football season, that’s up to you. The only thing we ask is that you leave a comment here to let us know you are co-hosting, and that you visit and comment on as many of the participants as you can. 
     
     We can’t wait to see what you will bring to the party. Let the games begin. Whoo-hoo!

    Chicken and Everything Good

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    • 2 (10 ounce) cans of cream of chicken soup
    • 1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted
    • 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
    • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, corn and red peppers
    • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
    • 1 (8 ounce) package cornbread stuffing mix

    Spray, large slow cooker.

    In mixing bowl, combine soup, melted butter and 1/3 cup water and mix well.

    Add chicken, vegetables and stuffing mix and stir well.

    Spoon mixture into cooker.

    Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.

    Serves 4 to 6.

    Happy Eating…

    BE SURE AND THANK A VETERAN TODAY

    Thank a VETERAN today for your freedom.
    Learn more about Veterans Day here.

    The Sack Lunches

    I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

    Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Chicago – to Great Lakes Base. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq ‘

    After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to Chicago ‘ His friend agreed.

    I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

    Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’ ‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’

    After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

    Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

    Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’ Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

    It seemed so little…

    A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check Made payable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’ That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’