Category: MISC

FINALLY SOME RELAXTION – BOOTS ANYONE?

Many of you know that we came here to Texas to help family in an elder care situation.  We are still embroiled in major red tape with the VA also.  We hit the ground running when we arrived here and there has been very little relaxation time since considering, but we managed to steal a few hours last weekend to check out Brazos Bend State Park.
I wasn’t feeling too well, but we managed to get a few hours of exploration in before I had to give up for the day.  I did pretty well considering when I was finally dragged to the doctor on Friday I was told I had bronchitis, pharyngitis, strep throat and the beginnings of pneumonia.  Hey, I’m a tough old bird!  Kinda like this turkey that I literally almost walked right into at the nature center.  I was then pleasantly surprised to see that the turkey was shot by a turkey I know – LOL my uncle donated him to the park after a turkey shoot several years ago.

We took a short walk around a small lake and were rewarded with these sunbathing turtles.

There were tons of what I call Harry Potter trees throughout the park.  You know the kind of trees whose branches look like spidery arms that could scoop up a human being at the drop of a hat?
The creme de la creme though is the alligators!  They are such magnificent creatures. At least as long as you leave them alone!  We spent several hours searching for them to have them all be in the same place – sunbathing in a low lake.
How they can cover themselves in all that slime is beyond me, but it really camouflages them well.  My pictures are pretty clear, but it took some searching to distinguish them from rocks and other growth.

On the way out the park we were rewarded with this unlikely trio – all at peace with one another.

As for this guy, we were positive someone painted this guy up for the impending Halloween holiday, but when we blew up the picture, we don’t really think so.  It appears to be natural occurring.  

I do intend to go back one weekend soon and see if his “birthmark” is still there or if it has washed away.

Finally some relaxation ~ Boots anyone?

Many of you know that we came here to help family in an elder care situation.  We are still embroiled in major red tape with the VA also.  We hit the ground running when we arrived here and there has been very little relaxation time since considering, but we managed to steal a few hours last weekend to check out Brazos Bend State Park.  I wasn’t feeling too well, but we managed to get a few hours of exploration in before I had to give up for the day.  I did pretty well considering when I was finally dragged to the doctor on Friday I was told I had bronchitis, pharyngitis, strep throat and the beginnings of pneumonia.  Hey, I’m a tough old bird!  Kinda like this turkey that I literally almost walked right into at the nature center.  I was then pleasantly surprised to see that the turkey was shot by a turkey I know – LOL my uncle donated him to the park after a turkey shoot several years ago.

We took a short walk around a small lake and were rewarded with these sunbathing turtles.

There were tons of what I call Harry Potter trees throughout the park.  You know the kind of trees whose branches look like spidery arms that could scoop up a human being at the drop of a hat?
The creme de la creme though is the alligators!  They are such magnificent creatures. At least as long as you leave them alone!  We spent several hours searching for them to have them all be in the same place – sunbathing in a low lake.
How they can cover themselves in all that slime is beyond me, but it really camouflages them well.  My pictures are pretty clear, but it took some searching to distinguish them from rocks and other growth.

On the way out the park we were rewarded with this unlikely trio – all at peace with one another.

As for this guy, we were positive someone painted this guy up for the impending Halloween holiday, but when we blew up the picture, we don’t really think so.  It appears to be natural occurring.  

I do intend to go back one weekend soon and see if his “birthmark” is still there or if it has washed away.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN & ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL????????????

We’re HUGE football fans!  Well, it’s that time of year again! Football season is already several weeks old (where does the time go?) and that means it’s time for tailgating again at the games, serious football food and game day buffets.  Bring over your best appetizers and your biggest appetite and oh don’t forget the Brewskis to go with it all.  I like mine really cold please with a side of lime!
Tailgating Time will be posted every Sunday at noon and open all week for you to add your football favorites. We’ll play each and every week until Superbowl Sunday. I can’t wait to see what you’ll be bringing!
It’s Tailgating Time!
HOSTED BY:
Martha at Seaside Simplicity 
Tamy at 3 sides of Crazy 
Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet

Would you like to be a host of Tailgating Time too? 
Leave me a comment here with your email or with Martha over at Seaside Simplicity so we can send you the code and add you to the host list – more exposure, more links, more football food!

WEEKLY MENU

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
Monday 11/1 CEREAL SANDWICHES Recipe Experiment Night
Tuesday 11/2 TOAST LEFTOVERS Sloppy Joes
Wednesday 11/3 YOGURT SOUP Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Thursday 11/4 FRUIT CHEESE & FRUIT Jambalaya
Friday 11/5 OATMEAL C.O.R.N. CHILI HOMINY BAKE
Saturday 11/6 Farmer’s Breakfast leftovers Chicken Paprika in Cream Sauce
and
Maple Glazed Carrots
Sunday 11/7 Toasted French Toast HOT WINGS Shredded Chicken Vegetable Egg Rolls

Pumkpin Parmesan Pasta: The Perfect “Pre-Trick or Treat” Dinner

Hi, everyone!  My name is Angie from Cocina Diary and today I am guest posting at this wonderful Krazy Kitchen.  Well, it is the day before Halloween and everywhere I look, all I see is Halloween decorations and candy.  This festivity immediately conjures thoughts of candy, so I immediately thought about a dessert, when deciding on a recipe for today.  But the more I thought about it, the more I moved away from that idea.  Do not get me wrong.  I love candy but too much sweetness deserves a little savory, especially around Halloween.  And so, I want to share with you my Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta.
Here is why this pasta is such a great adult alternative for a Halloween celebration, or any other gathering.  First it is delicious and easy.  Second, it has pumpkin in it, and you can feed a crowd because the ingredients are affordable.  So, in other words: my type of recipe.  Now for the actual recipe. 
 
You will need the following ingredients:
  • 3-4 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. sweet sausage.  I buy the package that already comes with the meat out of the casing, which saves time.
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1 can, plus 2 tbsp chicken broth (If you do not want to open another can of broth, you can substitute the broth for water; here is a quick tip I use.  I freeze leftover broth in ice trays– which comes to about two tbsp.  That way I alway have it handy for recipes like this)
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • a pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • a pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sage
  • 1 box of penne pasta (cooked al dente)
  • some parsley for garnish
  • 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano
 Instructions:
1. In a large skillet, over medium, heat the garlic in the olive oil. 
2.  Add the sausage and cook until done.
3. Once cooked, put the meat and garlic in a separate bowl.
4.  Add the broth to the skillet to deglaze it and get those delicious bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the sour cream, half and half, pumpkin, 2 tbsp cheese, and the spices.  Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Also add the meat you set aside before.
7. Simmer until the sauce starts thickening.
8. Serve and garnish with parsley and cheese.
This pasta has a delicate flavor, and although the sausage also adds a little bite to the flavors, it does not overpower the pumpkin flavor.  You will also find that the sauce is very creamy and delicious.  This whole dish is like a warm cozy blanket around your shoulders; it will make you smile.  And it will provide the right sustenance and energy before you go trick or treating.  🙂 I hope you enjoy it.
 
I also want to thank the talented posse at Our Krazy Kitchen for giving me the opportunity to post one of my recipes here today.  Thanks a lot and I hope you guys like it!  Have a great weekend.

CARAMEL PRETZEL CRISPS ~ MOCK TURTLES

These are sooooooooooooooooooo simple and sooooooooooooooooooo good too!
CARAMEL PRETZEL CRISPS ~ MOCK TURTLES
1 bag pretzel crackers (regular pretzels work too)
3 rolls ROLOS
1 bag pecan halfs

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a cookie sheet with pretzel crackers.
  • Set 2 ROLOs side by side on the crackers.
  • Bake 2-3 minutes, just long enough to soften ROLOs.
  • Press down pecan halves into each ROLO.
  • Cool.
  • Enjoy.




aprons 3

Pan Seared rib Eye Steak

Sometimes you just want a great steak.  No fancy marinades, no fancy sauces, no fancy spices…  And much as I like my Grill… Sometimes you just want to have pan to serving plate in less than 15 minutes.  Give this a shot and you may never eat a steak another way… The technique comes a bit from Alton Brown.  Although he finishes in the oven (which I would do if using a thicker slice of meat).  Here’s the key… HOT HOT HOT pan.  Not a hot pan with oil, but a HOT pan. I use my cast iron skillet for this.  Heats evenly, retains heat and is so much fun to hear the sizzling steak when you start cooking.  Fair warning, the process will cause smoke.  No, it is not burning, but you do want to have a window open or the fan over your stove top running.
OK, here we go…
  • 2 – 1 inch thick Boneless Rib-eye Steaks (about a 8 oz each) 
  • 1 teaspoon Canola Oil 
  • 1 TBS Kosher Salt 
  • 1 TBS freshly ground Black Pepper
  1. Allow steaks to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
  2. Heat your skillet… High for 5 minutes.  No oil, no seasonings… just cast iron and heat.  You want the skillet to be about 500 degrees.
  3. Lightly coat steaks with conola oil, then liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the steaks in the pan and do not touch them for 1 minute.  Use a kitchen timer.  (Note: expect a lot of smoke, turn the fan on your hood).
  4. Flip the steak with tongs (note: NEVER use a fork, never put holes in your meat when cooking, always use tongs) and cook for another 1 minute.  Your steaks are now temped @rare.
  5. Repeat each side for 1 minute each and your steaks are @medium rare (perfect for me)
  6. Repeat each side for 1 minute each and your steaks are @medium (perfect for Jackie)
  7. OR… Check the internal temperature of your steaks.  Medium Rare steaks are done when they reach an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees (mine took 4 minutes to cook).  Medium Well steaks (shudder) are done when they reach 145-150 degrees (Jackie’s took 6 minutes).
  8. Rest the meat for 5 minutes (Note: this step is VERY important.  Have you ever seen steak served in a pool of blood?  This step will fix that unsightly problem.  The juices will collect in the meat and remain if you rest the meat uncut for 5 minutes.  Actually, I rest mine in a double layer of aluminum foil.  This also keeps the meat hot the entire time, so you can serve a HOT medium rare steak at the same time you are serving a HOT medium well steak.  Just trust the temperature prob, and DO NOT EVER CUT INTO THE STEAK TO TEST DONENESS! 
Alton does explain the proper way to check for internal temperature (from the side, not the top.  You want to measure the temp at the thickest part of the meat, in the center.  When you check from the top, it is hard to find the center).

He also explains a complicated set up for resting.  I confess that aluminum foil works for me, and I did not follow his resting collection method for collecting juices.  Buy the book and take a look for yourself if you want to get complicated.

Here’s a shot of a medium rare steak and a medium steak (trust me, medium rare is better), but notice no dripping juices, they are all in the rested meat.





…

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy!  

 … I CAN COOK THAT! 

And so can you!
…
…

Buffalo Chickpea Patties

I’ve been enjoying a lot of vegetarian meals lately. I LOVE beans, they are healthy and cheap!

I’ve made bean patties before but so far, these are my favorite. I got the recipe from Veggie by Season and I even attempted to copy her presentation!  It looked so nice! 

I liked how she pureed some of the oats, I think that led to them sticking together better.  They made a very nice appetizer! 

We ate these with a delicious Apple and Caramelized Onion Pizza. 
Buffalo Chickpea Patties
Adapted from Veggie by Season
1 – 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 c. buffalo sauce, I used Franks
1 egg white
1 small onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

For serving:
Buffalo sauce
Ranch or blue cheese
Carrot Sticks
Celery
Cucumber

Add chickpeas to a bowl, use a potato masher or fork to mash, some chunks are okay.  Add the buffalo sauce to the chickpeas. 

Add half the oats to a food processor, pulse to create a crumb, add to the chickpeas. Then add the rest of the oats. Beat the egg white into the chickpeas.  Grate onion into the chickpeas, finally add the garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Combining ingredients well. 

Heat a griddle over medium, spray with nonstick spray.  Use a 1/4 measuring cup to portion out chickpea mixture onto griddle.  Cook patties for about 5 – 7 minutes, until crispy and brown, flip gently and cook for another 5 – 7 minutes.  Serve immediately to retain crispness. 

I served these as an appetizer and got about 7 patties.  You could make larger patties and serve as a burger as well. 

Total calories = 616 calories
7 patties = 88 calories per patty

BEDROOM MAKEOVER

There’s a Bedroom Makeover Contest going on over at THE Motivation Station.  The makeover doesn’t have to be drastic, just something to make you feel better.  For me, it couldn’t be drastic as I’m in a temporary room while helping relatives with an elder care situation.  But, my bedroom at room NEEDS a REAL makeover when I get back.
BEFORE

With the help of CSN stores I was able to create a temporary haven for after those stressful days!  But that doesn’t mean I’m not anxious to get back and do a REAL makeover on my room!

AFTER

Try a New Recipe: Sourdough Starter + Bread

If you’ve ever wanted to try making sourdough, now is the perfect time to get “started!” OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN is holding the 3rd Annual Need to Knead Bread Roundup, and if you “start” now, you can have some fabulous sourdough bread to enter in the roundup!
This recipe came from one of my Taste & Create partners last year: Grace of A Southern Grace. (If you’d like to sign up and participate in November, go here by Nov. 8!)

As I was looking around Grace’s blog last year, I kept seeing all the fabulous things Grace does with her precious Ebenezer, her sourdough starter.

And I thought:

Exactly what kind of cowgirl doesn’t have a jar of sourdough starter?

Can I actually claim to be a cowgirl, having never made a loaf of bread from my own starter?

Does Grace have a recipe for sourdough starter?

Will this sourdough starter really, truly be hard to kill, as Grace alleges?
Please let it be hard to kill, and easy to maintain.

What should I name it??

And I made a list for Number One and sent him off to the store.

Sourdough Starter
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes

To make starter:
Mix water, sugar, yeast, and potato flakes. Let ferment on counter for two days. Then feed with starter feeder and continue with the instructions found in the bread recipe and/or links below.

Starter Feeder
Mix together:
½ c sugar
3 T potato flakes
1 c warm water

Add to jar of starter, (I mixed mine a little with a wooden spoon) and let sit on the counter for around 8 hours.

Grace says: Eb lives in the fridge until feeding time, which can be anywhere from 3 to 14 days after his last meal. (I’ve actually gone longer than two weeks without feeding him and he still did fine.) Upon feeding, he sits on the counter for about 8 hours, and then he’s ready to go.

After sourdough has been on the counter for 8 hours, proceed with any number of sourdough recipes. (Click this link to see all the things I’ve made with sourdough starter!)

The sourdough starter went off without a hitch. It sat and fermented and bubbled and stewed on the counter. I added the starter feeder, and it bubbled away some more. I decided to name it Virgil, which means “growing.”

When it was time, I decided to go ahead with the most basic recipe, Sourdough Bread. I followed Grace’s recipe to the letter. 12 hours later, the dough had risen, but certainly wasn’t overflowing out of my bowl like Grace’s was out of her trifle bowl. Perhaps my bowl was bigger, or something?

I decided I’d make just two loaves instead of three loaves like Grace made. I left the loaves in the oven for 8 hours, just like Grace recommends.
My bread turned out lovely! Perfectly risen, (see above!) golden brown on the outside. The very middle was just a bit doughy, so next time I will preheat the oven to 350 before I start the timer! I think that will take care of that little problem. But, this bread is delicious and easy, and I started baking more of my own bread! I also tried some other sourdough recipes, and I even got my neighbor started with some starter of her very own!
I am sold and converted. Now I’m a real, live cowgirl with real, live sourdough starter in the fridge. Howdy, Virgil. Thanks for coming into my life! I know we’ll make some beautiful things together.
Grace’s Sourdough Bread
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sourdough starter
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ

Combine all ingredients in a large non-metal bowl. Stir everything together, adding more bread flour as necessary to create dough that’s no longer sticky. Transfer the dough into a second non-metal greased bowl.

Roll it around so the entire ball becomes glorious, set it in a warm place, cover it with sprayed aluminum foil…and watch it grow for about 12 hours.

After 12 hours, punch down the dough once, right in its middle. Turn it out of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead it a few times.

(Although Grace divided her dough into three, I only felt like I had enough for two loaves this time).

Divide the dough into two or three even hunks, and knead each a bit more. Place the dough into greased loaf pans.

Place the pans in the oven, cover with sprayed foil, and leave to rise again for around 8 hours.

Grace says: Just FYI, the pans are put into the oven to rise so they don’t have to be moved later and risk collapsing.

After the second rise, remove the foil and bake the dough at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Preheat the oven before you start the timer!
Don’t forget to visit me at The Bad Girl’s Kitchen for more fabulous recipes!

Save Room for Dessert…Donuts!

During our little cool spell a week or two ago, I decided that I would tackle donuts!  I’ve long made Sicilian sfinges, but I’d never made the roll and cut variety.  It’s actually quite an easy process. It’s not a project to do if you have little ones underfoot, however, as you do deep fry these treats and the flour tends to splatter.  I definitely recommend using a thermometer if you don’t have an electric skillet with a temp guage.  The oil temperature needs to stay around 370-375 degrees to keep the donuts from becoming greasy.
  
I was inspired to make these after reading the new culinary mystery series, A Donut Shop Mystery by Jessica Beck.  This rrecipe was in Glazed Murder.

A Good Beginning Donut from Glazed Murder
4-5 cups bread flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg (recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon, but I love nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (recipe calls for 2 dashes)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
Powdered sugar for rolling
Oil for frying

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients. 
  • Using a fork, beat together the sour cream, egg, and buttermilk, then add to the dry ingredients.
  • Beat together until mixture resembles bread dough.
  • Roll dough 1/4″ on a well-floured surface.
  • Using a donut cutter, cut your donuts.
  • Heat oil (3 inches deep or so) to 375 degrees.
  • Carefully lower donuts into hot oil.
  • Fry for 2 minutes on each side.
  • Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels or a rack before dusting with powdered sugar.
  • Continue frying remaining donuts and donut holes.  Dough may be rolled again to cut more donuts.

I made 1 dozen donuts and 1 dozen donut holes.