Intermission

I'm taking a short break to get the kitchen back in order and eat all those yummy Christmas leftovers.

I'll be back with more pictures and recipes very soon. Meanwhile, enjoy something from the snack bar.

Christmas Day Buffet

The tradition here for Christmas is to not have a real meal at all. We like to have one main dish, such as chili or soup or a platter of sandwich meats, and surround it by all kinds of finger foods, cookies and candy. We don't sit down at any given time, but instead just kind of "graze" all day.

Because of the turkey dinner we're having Christmas Eve with my in-laws, I'll be putting out all the leftovers for our "main dish". In addition to the cookies and fudge I already told you about, and a few store-bought candies, I'll also be serving a platter of sliced cheeses, some store-bought chips and dips, a variety of snack crackers and also Spinach Dip To Die For and Cheddar Pepper Crisps.

With just Artsy Girl, her boyfriend, and Sparky here on Christmas to help us consume all the food, we should be set for leftovers almost until the New Year.




Spinach Dip To Die For

1 stick butter
1 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup celery, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half cream
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 dashes hot sauce

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter on high. When bubbly, add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Saute 5 minutes.

Add basil, Cajun seasoning, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper; stir well.

Add flour and stir until blended. Add cream and whisk until mixture begins to thicken.

Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Add spinach and stir well. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in hot sauce.

Can be served hot, at room temperature or chilled.

Makes about 3-1/2 cups.




Cheddar Pepper Crisps

1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1-1/2 cups (6 0z.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
coarsely ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle mixture with water and viengar. Toss with a fork until a ball of dough forms.

Wrap tightly in plastic warp and chill for an hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 375° F.

Divide dough into six portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place wedges on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.

Sprinkle with pepper and lightly press pepper into dough. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container.

Makes about 4 dozen crisps.

Christmas Eve With The In-Laws

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating the holidays with Spouse Guy's dad and step-mom. Since they weren't here for our Thanksgiving feast, we are more or less going to do a repeat performance.

The changes will be potato casserole instead of mashed potatoes, green beans with carrots and mushrooms instead of country-style green beans, and sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin roll.

Here are the recipes for the casserole and the pie.


Rich and Creamy Potato Bake

(Sorry there's no picture of this. It came out of the oven just minutes before we ate, and I completely forgot to snap a pic of it.)

3 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2-pound package shredded hash browns, thawed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350° F.

In large pan, combine cream, butter and salt. Cook and stir on medium heat until butter melts.

Place potatoes in 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish that has been sprayed with pan spray.

Pour cream mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown.

Sweet Potato Pie

4 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (about 3 med. ones)
2 cups sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice (to preserve color)
crust for two 8" or 9" single-crust pies

Heat oven to 375°. With mixer, combine butter, sweet potatoes, sugar and milk until blended well. Add vanilla, eggs, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and blend until smooth. With mixer running, very slowly mix in the lemon juice. (If mixture ends up looking grainy, either because of the lemon juice or because the butter particles start to harden again, don't worry…it will bake just fine.)

Divide filling between the two pie shells. Cover edges of crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Makes two 8" or 9" pies.

Serves 8 to 10.


Never-Fail Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups COLD butter (can use shortening or lard if you like)
6 tablespoons ice water
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Beat egg with water and vinegar. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until soft dough forms. Knead several times on a well-floured surface. Divide dough and roll as desired.

Once this crust has been mastered, start omitting the vinegar. Once that version has been mastered, start omitting the egg for the final recipe.

I've never seen an explanation why this works as a "teaching recipe" for making a good crust, but it does. I still like to keep the egg in mine, though, because it helps give it a golden color.

Pistachio Cake

Here's a popular cake that's made the rounds at potlucks and office "food days". Artsy Girl is made this for her boyfriend, whose birthday is today.


Pistachio Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 4-serving pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
3/4 cup oil
1 cup lemon-lime soda (7-UP, Sprite, Sierra Mist)
3 eggs

Heat oven to 325° F.

Combine all ingredients in mixer bowl and beat for 4 minutes.

Pour into greased and floured 13-inch x 9-inch pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.


Pistachio Frosting

1 3-oz. pkg. Dream Whip whipped topping mix
1 4-serving pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
1 1/2 cups cold milk
chopped nuts (optional)
shredded coconut (optional)

Combine Dream Whip mix, pudding mix and milk with electric mixer until mixture is stiff. Spread onto cooled cake. Sprinkle with nuts and coconut if desired. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes one 13 x 9 cake.

Fudge Won't Fool Me This Time

After last week's fudge failure, I've gone back to this recipe. I've heard it called either Foolproof Fudge or Fudge In A Flash. The texture isn't the same as fudge from scratch (it's actually smoother and creamier...to some that's a positive, to others a negative), but it comes out right every time. If you use the microwave, it takes about 5 minutes to make.*


Fudge In A Flash

3 cups (1-1/2 packages) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan, or line it with plastic wrap.

Place chocolate chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the chips. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Stir. If chips aren't completely melted, continue to microwave in 10 second intervals until chips are melted. Stir in vanilla and nuts.

Spread into prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill several hours until firm. Cut into 1" squares.

Makes about 2 lbs. of fudge.

* To make on top of stove, put chips and sweetened condensed milk in medium non-stick pan and heat over medium heats, stirring constantly, just until chips are melted. Stir in vanilla and nuts and pour into prepared pan.

Cookies Everywhere

I mentioned on my other blog that it was getting down to the baking wire and I needed to get started in order to redeem myself. Well, consider me redeemed.

I spent five hours yesterday baking cookies. All told, I baked about 250 cookies, many of which will go to friends and neighbors. I made Coconut Macaroons, Copycat Sunshine Lemon Coolers, Festive 3-D Stars, Soft Milk Chocolate Chips, and the Mocha Chocolate Chips that Bluepaintred posted about on her blog. Oh, and quite by accident I made a few cut-out Christmas trees (because I got tired of making stars and had leftover dough). I just frosted those with pre-made cake frosting. Nothing special, but Sparky will like them.

And here's a tip for you...if you are going on a turbo cookie making marathon like this, start out with the lightest (in color and flavor) recipe first and work your way to the darker, more flavorful recipes (like the chocolate ones) last. Why? Because then you don't have to wash your mixer, beaters or bowls in between batches! At the very most, all you have to do is give it a quick rinse, and that's only if it has coconut or nuts in it that you don't want in the next batch. This saves a ton of time and effort.

Coconut Macaroons
(These are one of Spouse Guy's favorite. It's a small batch, making only a dozen, so I usually double it.)

2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups shredded coconut

Heat oven to 325° F. Grease and lightly flour cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).

In medium bowl, beat egg whites lightly. Add sugar, flour, salt and almond extract. Blend well. Add coconut and mix well.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on pan. Bake 13-17 minutes, until set. Remove immediately and cool on wire racks.

Makes about 1 dozen.


Festive 3-D Stars


(This was originally posted in Taste of Home Dec/Jan 2007. I have to say I'm not thrilled with this recipe. The shortbread cookies taste just fine, but getting them to interlock is a big pain in the butt. If they aren't thin enough, or if the slot cut into them is either too narrow or two wide, they won't interlock right. That's a lot of ifs. Also, I had to add quite a bit of extra flour to get this dough to a workable consistency; that could because I used all butter and no shortening. And the excess sugar makes a big mess on the cookie sheets, even with parchment paper. In any event, I file these in the "good, but not worth my time" file.)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup red or green colored sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-inch five point star-shaped cookie cutter. Cut a vertical slit between two points on each star to just above the center; spread dough apart to form a 1/4-inch opening.



Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 400° F. for 6-7 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Assemble by placing two stars together at slits.

Makes about 3 dozen (assembled) cookies.

Copycat Sunshine Lemon Coolers
(I've had this recipe in my card file for a long time, but this is my first time to try it. They are good little cookies; the only change I would make is to increase the Kool-Aid lemonade powder to make them more lemony. Also, this is a great dough to let your kids "play with" to make candy canes, snowmen and other shapes.)

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon (rounded) unsweetened Kool-Aid lemonade powder

Heat oven to 325°. Cream together sugars, butter, egg, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Add flour and baking powder.

If dough is crumbly, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time until a smooth dough forms. If dough is soft, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. The goal is to have a dough that is smooth and similar in consistency to Play-Doh.

Roll dough into 3/4" balls and flatten each slightly onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes or until light brown.

While cookies bake, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with Kool-Aid lemonade powder in a large plastic bag; shake well to mix. When cookies are removed from oven, and while they are still hot, add 4-5 at a time and shake until cookies are well-coated with sugar mixture. Place on wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Makes about 5 dozen.


Soft Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

(These soft cookies are most requested in Blogaritaville. It's the pudding mix that keeps them soft. Feel free to use semi-sweet chips instead of milk chocolate if you like.)

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 4-serving package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375° F.

Beat butter, sugar, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chips and nuts.

Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie pan. Bake 8-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

(These are my favorite of the five recipes. )

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
1-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350° F.

In large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well-blended.

Add rest of ingredients and mix until combined.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for one minute on cookie sheets before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 3 to 3-1/2 dozen.

This One Will Warm You Up

This recipe combines two of my very favorite things -- shrimp and Cajun/Creole food.

Shrimp cook quickly and easily. Some people who are worried about cholesterol steer clear of shrimp, but although they are somewhat high in cholesterol, they are low in both saturated fat and overall fat content (as long as they aren't fried), so the trade-off may be worth it if you like shrimp as much as I do. Living in the Midwest, shrimp can be a little pricey. I wait until it goes on sale for $2.99 per pound for 41-50 count, then buy up to 10 pounds at a time and put them in the freezer. Shrimp freeze very well, and in fact, any shrimp bought here in the middle of the country has probably been frozen, even if it is sold as "fresh".

This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning. That was about right for my taste -- a little on the hot side. If you're concerned about the heat, start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up to your desired taste.


Creole Shrimp and Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 15-oz. cans of diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning blend
1 10-oz. package whole or sliced frozen okra, thawed
2 lbs. shell-on shrimp, shelled and deveined (or 1 lb. shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined)

Shell and devein shrimp if necessary. Refrigerate until needed.

In large skillet, heat oil. Add uncooked rice to skillet and cook until rice begins to turn light brown, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with liquid, water, Creole seasoning blend and okra. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir peeled and deveined shrimp into hot rice mixture. Stir. Cover and cook just until shrimp turn pink and are fully opaque, about 5 minutes.

Serve hot with corn muffins or garlic toast and a cool salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

Onion-Smothered Chicken and Country-Style Mashed Potatoes

I thought I'd do a bit of a step-by-step process with the pictures on this recipe for Onion-Smothered Chicken. It's a dish that originally called for skin-on chicken leg quarters and 1/4 cup of olive oil. By substituting boneless, skinless chicken breast halves and just 2 tablespoons of oil, I think this can now be considered something of a low-fat main dish. It's shown here with Country-Style Mashed Potatoes with similar seasoning as the chicken.


Onion-Smothered Chicken

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in half crosswise
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white wine
3 bay leaves
3/4 tablespoon grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

Optional:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup additional white wine


Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken pieces.








Cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.









Increase the heat to high. Add onions, wine, bay leaves, gingerroot, oregano, black pepper, thyme and rosemary; mix well. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until meat thermometer stuck into thickest piece of meat reads 180° F. Discard bay leaves.

For low-fat version, the recipe is complete at this point. Removed chicken and onions to serving platter with slotted spoon.

If a little extra fat is not an issue, you may thicken the sauce as follows:

In small saucepan, melt butter, then stir in flour. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute to form a roux. Remove from heat. Remove chicken from pan to serving platter. Add 1/2 cup wine to pan and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a gentle boil. Add roux to simmering liquid, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Spoon over chicken in serving dish.

Serves 4 to 6.



Country-Style Potatoes

These potatoes call for unpeeled potatoes. The skins of the potatoes I used today weren't fresh enough to consume, in my opinion, but I do use mash potatoes with the peels on when I can. They add fiber, vitamins and flavor.

4 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled
6 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cottage cheese (or sour cream, if preferred)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces; place in medium saucepan.

Peel garlic cloves and place in the pan with the potatoes; cover with water.

Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, place milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir until milk is warmed and butter is melted.

Place potatoes and garlic in large bowl.

Mash potatoes with hand masher or electric mixer on low speed just until potatoes are mashed. Beat in warm milk-butter mixture and cottage cheese until mixture is almost smooth.

Blend in parsley, rosemary and thyme. Serve potatoes immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Name That Cookie

I think most of us have probably had these cookies -- or a variation -- at least once in our lives. Both Spouse Guy and I had them lots of times growing up. They are a candy/cookie hybrid that we always called No Bake Cookies or Refrigerator cookies. They are a mix of butter, milk, and cocoa, peanut butter, vanilla and oats, cooked on top of the stove and dropped by spoonfuls onto parchment or waxed paper, then chilled until they have set.

Does anyone know if they have a name other than No Bake Cookies?

Regardless of their name, you can call them fun, easy and good!


No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
3 cups oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Boil milk, sugar and butter for 1 minute. Add peanut butter, then other ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Chill to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Failure Is Always An Option

I was all set to do a post today featuring some Christmas treats. I found a nice-looking fudge recipe on another blog (that the blogger had found somewhere else herself), but when I tried to make it, it seized up terribly and was hard as a rock before I could even pour it into the pan.

I followed the directions without alteration, but I must have cooked the sugar and evaporated milk too long or at too high a temperature. I don't own a candy thermometer because I don't make candy often, and I don't make candy often because I don't own a candy thermometer. I think I'll just go back to my Foolproof Fudge recipe. It's specially designed for non-confectioners like me.

So, instead of fudge, you get some hints and tips I've used in the recipes I've posted recently. I find these ideas helpful; maybe you will, too. And if you know of better ways to do the same things, by all means, share!

1) Use non-stick pan spray any chance you get. It will make your life easier. I spray the inside of the crockpot before using it each time and it makes cleanup much easier. I spray pie pans, and roasting pans. I use parchment paper for baking cookies and cakes, but if I expect them to be especially sticky after they're baked, I spray the parchment paper, too. I have one of these, which I fill with extra light olive oil. You can use any oil you like in it. Extra light olive oil doesn't have the strong olive taste that extra virgin olive oil has, so it's ideal for cake and cookie pans. I also give a skillet a quick spray for frying eggs or sauteing vegetables.

2) Keep your meat a-movin'! That might not sound like a cooking tip, but stay with me here. When you are browning ground beef, pork, sausage, etc. for tacos, chili, pizza or any other dish where you want a finer meat texture, keep the meat in motion as you brown it. The more you stir, turn and flip it, the smaller those pieces will be.

3) If you're pressed for time, use the minced garlic that comes in a jar. It's not quite as tasty as mincing a fresh clove, but far superior to trying to substitute garlic powder.

4) Have multiple sets of measuring spoons and cups. If you cook a lot, you don't want to stop to wash and dry these utensils.

5) If you use a lot of shredded cheese, like we do, go ahead and buy it already shredded. It used to be that you had to pay for that convenience, but lately most basic cheeses (like Cheddar, Mozzarella and Monterey Jack) are the same price whether shredded or in a block.

6) If you have time, consider making up big batches of spaghetti sauce and freezing it in 2-3 cup amounts in zip-top bags (a typical large jar of sauce at the store is just less than 3 cups). If you lay them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze, you can later stand them on end in a freezer basket and they won't take up much room. If you don't have time or freezer space to make your own sauce, try some of the store brand sauces. I find them to be just as good as the name brands.

7) Consider buying bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves instead of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They are considerably less expensive nearly all the time, and it's easy to fillet the breast yourself (here's one way). The bones will still have a lot of meat left on them; wrap them up and freeze them, then boil them later, remove the bits of meat from the bones, and use the broth and meat for soup.

8) Use a salad spinner to spin the water out of thawed frozen spinach. Pressing water out of spinach is a job most cooks hate to do, but the spinner makes it a much easier and cleaner job.

9) Store onions in the refrigerator to help reduce eye irritation when cutting them. I love onions, but I'm extremely sensitive to their fumes and often end up crying like a baby. That's not safe when you're trying to keep cutting. Keeping the onions chilled has helped in my case, but I'm more than curious if any of you know of any other ways to reduce eye irritation.

10) I like to cook with alcohol. If you don't keep wine or liquor on hand or don't want to use it in your cooking, you can always substitute another liquid. Try apple juice, water, chicken broth or even the liquids from canned vegetables instead.

Pork Roasts of the Caribbean

"That roast has killer flavor."

That's what Spouse Guy said when he tasted this Crockpot Caribbean Pork Roast. I used a rolled and tied pork butt roast. It's a bit fattier than other cuts of pork, but it yielded meat so juicy and tender it literally fell apart when I tried to slice it. A pork loin would be leaner, and probably slice-able, but it might end up a little dry, so be forewarned if you go that route.

With the pork, I served long grain rice and Spirited Sweet Potatoes. The picture and recipe are below.


Crockpot Caribbean Pork Roast

1 boneless pork shoulder roast - 2 - 3 pounds in size
6 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
1 piece of ginger root, approximately 2 inches, cut into slivers
20 whole cloves
2 T. brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup dark rum
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

On all sides of meat, make small slits. Insert garlic and ginger slivers and whole clove's. Pat roast dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and mustard. Rub all over the roast. (At this point, if you like, you can place the roast under the broiler and broil, turning to ensure that roast is browned on all sides. I did not do this with the roast pictured, although I do believe it would have added to the flavor had I taken time to do so.) Transfer roast to crockpot.

In a small bowl, combine jalapeno, salt, pepper, rum and lime juice. Pour over roast. Cook on low heat for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

Remove roast and keep warm. Skim fat off of cooking juices and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch-water mixture and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve alongside pork.


Spirited Sweet Potatoes

2-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (I don't recommend canned, although previously cooked and frozen sweet potato puree is fine)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon or apple juice (yeah, I used bourbon)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Bake sweet potatoes until very tender, about an hour. Remove sweet potatoes from oven; let cool 10 minutes: leave oven on.

Scoop pulp from warm potatoes into large bowl, discard skins.

Add butter to bowl; mash with potato masher until potatoes are fairly smooth and butter has melted. Stir in brown sugar, bourbon, cinnamon and vanilla.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into sweet potato mixture.

Spray 1-1/2 qt. dish with nonstick spray. Spoon sweet potato mixture into dish, top with pecans. Bake until mixture is slightly puffed and nuts are toasted, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spinach Lasagna and Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms

I never cook my lasagna noodles beforehand when I make lasagna. It isn't necessary and I find I'm not very coordinated when I try to work with limp, wet noodles. In the stores I've seen "special no-cook" lasagna noodles. You can buy those if you like, but any kind will work just as well.

I like to serve this lasagna with garlic toast and Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms. This is probably my favorite recipe for green beans.


Spinach Lasagna

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, or better yet, homemade sauce if you have it
1/4 cup dry red wine*
1/4 cup water
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
12 oz. cottage cheese**
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 12-in. x 8-in. baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside

In bowl, combine spaghetti sauce with wine and water. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom of pan. Place a single layer of dry lasagna noodles over sauce.

In medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, garlic powder, chopped onion and Parmesan cheese until mixed well. Spread half of this mixture over lasagna noodles in pan.

Sprinkle half of the well-drained spinach over the cottage cheese. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles and half of the remaining sauce mixture.

Repeat layers of cottage cheese mixture and spinach.

Top with remaining 3 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Make sure noodles are entirely covered with a layer of sauce (the need not be submerged in sauce, but should be well coated).

Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil and back at 350° F. for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 4- 6.

* Or you can use 1/2 cup water if you don't want to use wine.
** If you prefer, use Ricotta cheese. Spouse Guy prefers cottage cheese, so it's what I usually use.


Green Beans with Carrots & Mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
5 medium button mushrooms, with stems, sliced
1 pound whole fresh or frozen green beans (thawed if frozen)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in large skillet. Add all ingredients and saute until carrots and green beans are tender-crisp.

Serves 4 - 6.

Breakfast Is Ready!

I'm a big fan of oatmeal. I like it for breakfast, in cookies, mixed into bread dough and sprinkled on top of apple crisp. I don't think I've found a way to eat it that I don't like. It's also a great food to eat if you're trying to lower your cholesterol.

Some people don't care for oatmeal for breakfast because it tends to have a bit of a slick or even slimy texture. I'm not bothered by the texture at all, but if you are, you might enjoy this hearty recipe for Baked Oatmeal. It has a firm, almost dry texture, yet it's soft and warm. Think warm, hot granola, and you'll get the idea. It's very yummy, and has a pleasant texture, even after pouring a little warmed milk over the top.

Here's the recipe. It came from the book New Recipes from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams. I made the recipe just as it was in the book, but I already have an idea for a variation. If it turns out, I'll post it, too.

The only drawback to this recipe is that it has to be assembled the night before you want to serve it and refrigerated overnight before baking it.


Baked Oatmeal Porridge

1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats (not instant)
Warm milk, for serving

Melt the butter and set aside. Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with non-stick spray. Break eggs into casserole and beat slightly. Add the brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Mix well, making sure there are no brown sugar lumps. Whisk in the melted butter and milk, then stir in the oats. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Uncover the oatmeal and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is brown. Remove from the oven, transfer to serving dishes and pass warm milk to pour over the top.

"Recipes" For A Clean House

I noticed this morning that I was out of window cleaner. I make my own, and since I need to get the "recipe" out anyway, I thought I'd post a handful of formulas for homemade cleaning items.

I don't use...or buy...very many cleaning items. I make my own Windex-type window cleaner, my own laundry detergent and I came up with my own bathtub/shower/sink cleanser. I also use straight ammonia, white vinegar, bleach, Dawn dish soap for tougher cleaning projects. These items will take care of most cleaning and laundry needs. For really tough cleaning, I also use a product called Greased Lightning, and I use a steam cleaner if necessary.

The homemade products I use are less expensive than those sold in stores, they are safer (you know just what's in them), and I find they work as well or even better than their store-bought counterparts. Most of the ingredients can be easily found at the grocery or discount stores.


Homemade Window Cleaner

(1 gallon costs less than $1)

I use this for just about everything...windows, counters, laminate wood floors, daily cleaning in the bathroom, mirrors, appliances, etc. I keep spray bottles of it in the kitchen, in the bathroom and in our camping gear in the summer.

2 tablespoons ammonia
1 teaspoon Dawn dish liquid
1 pint (2 cups) rubbing alcohol
4 drops any color food coloring (optional)
a few drops of any scented or essential oil (optional)

Put all ingredients in a clean, empty gallon jug. Fill the rest of the way with hot water (fill very slowly, as it will suds up if you add the water too quickly). Pour as needed into smaller sprayer bottles. Use as you would any window or all-purpose spray cleaner.

1 batch makes 1 gallon of cleaner.


Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

(30 load batch costs approximately $1.50)

The ingredients can be a little hard to find sometimes. I have found the Fels Naptha bar soap in the laundry sections of some Wal-Mart stores and some grocery stores. If you can't find it anywhere, you can use Zote soap (also in the laundry section and sometimes hard to find, but available in many Mexican food stores), Ivory Soap or homemade soap. As for the washing soda, it will probably be in a box in the laundry section that looks very similar to baking soda. Do not substitute baking soda, however. The Borax is also in the laundry section, and should be easy to find.

I've used a hand-grater to grate the soap, but the easiest way I've found is to use my food processor with both the grating blade in place and the chopping blade in the bottom. This results in a very fine powder. One bar of Fels Naptha soap yields just over a cup grated, so I usually just grate the entire bar.

If you have small pieces of the bar left after grating, save them. If there are stains on your clothing, just spray them with a little water and rub the slivers of soap on the stains. Most of the stains will come right out in the wash.

1 cup grated Fels-Naptha soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight plastic container. To use, simply add 1 level tablespoon (not a typo) of detergent to your laundry as you would any other detergent. Please note that this detergent doesn't form suds like most commercial brands, but cleans as well as any, and better than some. If you have really grimy laundry, use up to 2 tablespoons of detergent. But you should never need to use more than that.

One batch takes me less than 10 minutes to make and will wash approximately 30 loads of laundry.


Homemade Tub/Shower/Sink Cleanser

(cost is minimal; you probably have the ingredients on hand already)

Dawn dishwashing liquid
Baking soda
Scrubby sponge

There's no set formula for this solution. Simply wet a scrubby sponge with water, squirt a little Dawn onto it, and sprinkle a little baking soda onto it. Use as you would any scouring powder or liquid. The Dawn cuts through any grease and oils on the tub, shower or sink and the baking soda acts as a scouring agent. Works like a charm, with no bleach, fumes or toxic chemicals.

But be very careful, especially if you get in the tub or shower to clean it like I do. This stuff is VERY slippery. Be sure to rinse it off well with water.

Olive You Very Much

The picture doesn't do this dish justice. Tonight we went meatless with Olive Lovers' Fettucine, with French bread and salad. I thought about having a glass of white wine with it, but decided against that at the last minute.

My husband, Spouse Guy, doesn't mind meatless meals a few times a month, especially when pasta is the main ingredient. I like meatless meals because they are usually quick and easy to make, tasty, fairly healthy, and good for the budget.

I try to make as much of our bread homemade as I can, but I didn't have time today, so I bought some from the grocery store bakery's day old shelf and made garlic toast with it.

This pasta is great as it is, or you can dress it up with any of the gourmet olives that are now available at most grocery stores.


Olive Lovers' Fettucine

12 ounces fettucine
1 (6 oz.) can pitted black olives
1 (3 oz.) jar pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 small bunch fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the past using the package directions; drain. Cover pasta to keep warm.

Drain and slice the black and green olives. Chop the parsley. Mince th garlic.

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Saute just until the garlic begins to brown. Stir in olives, parsley, water, oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the pasta to a heated serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the past. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 4.

I Confess...

We eat leftovers.

Not only do we eat leftovers, I plan my menus with every intention of having leftovers.

Don't get me wrong, I love to cook. But I'm busy and broke most of the time, and having planned leftovers saves me both time and money.

I hear people complain that they (or their spouse or kids) don't like leftovers. But what's not to like? Most things hold up well to being refrigerated and reheated, and many things (like chili) taste even better when they've chilled overnight.

As a way to save time, I make large batches of almost everything I cook. On average, I cook three complete meals each week. We eat each meal twice (on consecutive nights or spaced out, depending on our moods) and on the seventh night of the week, I normally fix a fast, simple meal that we eat only the one time. Or we might go out to eat on the seventh night. (And on the Seventh Night, God rested by going to Applebee's.)

I've been cooking this way for about four years now, and I can't imagine going back to cooking every night of the week. It's so nice to look at how my week is going to play out and plan to have the leftovers on the busier days.

You can probably see how eating leftovers saves time, but you might be wondering how it saves money. Good question. The savings go along with that old saying that time is money. Any time I don't spend in the kitchen cooking can be spent otherwise, maybe making or saving money in other ways. And whenever I feel crunched for time and I'm tempted to grab some carry-out food, I know that the leftovers are there waiting for me and can be reheated in the same time (or less) it takes to bring something home from the drive-thru, yet they are less expensive and probably more healthy.

But leftovers just don't taste as good, you might be thinking. Part of problem is in knowing how to handle them. A quick cooling and an airtight container is usually all it takes to successfully store food in the fridge. Cooling quickly keeps condensation from forming and dripping onto the food, and the airtight container keeps flavors from transferring back and forth between foods.

If I'm going to freeze something, I find it helps to put plastic wrap around each piece of meat, or right on the surface of soups, refried beans, mashed potatoes, etc. It really helps to keep those ice crystals from forming and freezer burn from happening.

Another complaint I hear about leftovers is that they are boring. There's a way around that, too. Try transforming them into an entirely different meal. If you make sauce with meatballs to go over spaghetti on Monday, try using the leftover meatballs for meatball subs on Wednesday. If you roast a chicken on Sunday, turn the leftover meat into a chicken pot pie on Monday.

Leftovers might not be "your thing". But if you think your family might go for it, and you want to save a little time and money, try planning a few meals from leftovers. Even one night a week will save you a couple of hours in the kitchen. If nothing else, it'll give you more time to spend blogging!

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

My friend Granny at Granny Geek posted this recipe last Friday, and I think it's great. I tried to make it according to her recipe, but out of necessity and lack of desire to go to the store, I had to substitute dried basil leaves (about 2 teaspoons) for the fresh chopped basil, and plain home-canned tomatoes for the canned stewed tomatoes. I threw in a little chopped red bell pepper I had in the freezer to regain a little of the "stewed tomato" taste.

This stew is sweet, but not too sweet, and the cinnamon and nutmeg aren't overpowering (I'm sometimes leery of using cinnamon in savory dishes). And Granny's right, it's smells great as it cooks. I think it has a slight orange aroma.

We'll be eating the stew tonight with cornbread muffins and mixed green salad.

We love leftovers, but if for some reason you don't, you might cut this recipe in half. It makes a huge batch that would probably feed about 8-10 people.

Dressed Up Meatloaf

Tonight's meal is a dressed up version of meatloaf called Meatloaf Wellington. The originally came from the October/November issue of Taste of Home. I made one fairly major change; I added 3/4 pound of ground pork in place of 3/4 pound of ground beef.

We ate this meatloaf with a mixed salad, some of the apples and onions leftover from last night, and these cheesy potatoes that I came up with based on a basic macaroni and cheese recipe.



Meatloaf Wellington

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (or 3/4 pound EACH of ground beef and ground pork)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls

In a large bowl combine the egg, 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.

On a piece of heavy-duty foil, pat beef mixture into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese and all of the parsley to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side and peeling foil away while rolling. Seal seam and ends. Place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour; drain. Unroll crescent dough; seal seams and perforations. Drape dough over mat loaf to cover the top, sides and ends; seal ends. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer meat loaf to a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with remaining spaghetti sauce.

Serves 8.


Three-Cheese Potatoes

8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Velveeta, cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Place diced potatoes in medium saucepan. Add water just to cover and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are just beginning to get tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine Velveeta, milk, salt and pepper. Stir frequently until Velveeta melts completely. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

Drain potatoes and return to pan. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and stir well to coat. Spread potatoes into 13-in. x 9-in x 2-in. baking dish that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake at 350° until potatoes are tender and cheese is bubbly and golden, about 20 minutes.

Serves 8.

Amish Apples and Peasant Pork

Tonight we had the epitome of comfort food: Gravy made from boiled smoked pork shanks along with Amish apples and onions.

Pork shanks are basically cross-wise slices of a ham near what would be considered the hogs ankle. The meat is sparse, but what's there is tender and smoky. The gravy is great served over homemade biscuits (or those handy frozen bake-n-eat kind...those're good, too) with a salad on the side.

We left the table very happy.


Pork Shank Gravy

1 pkg. (about 1/2 lb.) of smoked pork shank slices
1 qt. of water
approximately 4 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed into about 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Place pork shanks in water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about an hour.
Remove pork shanks from broth. The meat will literally fall off the bone.
Remove any fat and bones, shred the pork and return it to the broth.
Bring broth and meat back to a gentle boil.
Stir in cornstarch and water mixture and stir until gravy thickens. (You may have to add additional cornstarch and water mixture.)
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 over biscuits.


Amish Apples and Onions
(from More Recipes From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams)

3 T. bacon fat (can use oil)
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 medium apples, skins left on, cored and sliced 3/8" thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Saute onions in bacon fat over medium heat until tender and onions are just beginning to take on color.
Spread onions evenly in pan, then top with apple slices.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, cinnamon and brown sugar over apple slices. Do not stir.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and let cook without stirring for 10 minutes.
Remove lid, increase heat to high. Stir mixture lightly.
Continue to saute mixture until apples are tender and liquids have thickened. This may take 10-15 minutes, depending on type of apples used.
Serve as a side dish along with pork or alongside bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Serves 6.

Mexitalian Chili, Anyone?

Originally posted on Sunday, November 7, 2006, at Wasting Away In Blogaritaville.

As if election day isn't enough to give you indigestion, here's the chili recipe I tried over the weekend. Dave asked for the recipe. So did Bon, although she had stipulations about chili aftershock.

I love trying all kinds of chili recipes, and I thought this was one of the better ones. It's not all that spicy, and it has an interesting hint of Italian flavors. I also cut the amount of beans in the original recipe by half, so it's not that gassy, either. Like most chili recipes, it will freeze well if you have leftovers. I made mine in a pot on top of the stove, but it's meant to be a slow-cooker recipe. A slow cooker is a good idea for anyone who has a history of burning chili. I won't mention any names this time, but you know who you are.


Slow-Cooker Chili
(as tweaked by Blogarita from a recipe originally appearing in Taste of Home Oct/Nov 2006)

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (16 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-15 oz. each) stewed tomatoes (or regular canned tomatoes), cut up, with liquid
1 can (15 oz.) pizza sauce or pasta sauce
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
4 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Brown the ground beef in Dutch oven, pour into a colander/strainer and rinse with water to remove excess fat. Return beef to pan or 5-qt. slow cooker.

Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat on stove for 2 hours or in slow cooker on low for 6 hours.

Makes 8-10 servings.


Back during my school days, whenever the cooks served chili, they always served sandwiches made from peanut butter with a little honey mixed into it. Spouse Guy thought that was a strange side dish for chili until he tried it Sunday. He's a believer now!

Two Versions of Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies

Originally published on November 30, 2006 at Wasting Away In Blogaritaville.


Some of you showed interest in the Pumpkin-Oatmeal cookies I made yesterday. I have to admit, the only reason I made the fat-free version is because the butter was in the freezer and I didn't want to wait for it to thaw. But the fat-free cookies were pretty good anyway. A little chewy/stiff, but that's the nature of a cookie without fat, I think. The flavor was just fine. Here are the recipes, both fat-free and full-fat.

You can add a little more sugar if you like, but I don't mind a cookie that's not quite so sweet. You can add a cup of raisins or chocolate chips if you like (I didn't). If you like, you can substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves (I did). You can make the cookies with any kind of cooked pumpkin or winter squash - just note that if you cook fresh pumpkin/squash, it will probably have more water content than canned, and you might need to add up to a cup more flour (I did).



Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies (FAT-FREE VERSION)

1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin (or any kind of cooked winter squash)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, or egg substitute for 2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups oatmeal

Thoroughly mix pumpkin and brown sugar; then beat in eggs or egg substitute. Gradually mix in the flour, soda and spices, than mix in the oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls on non-stick or oil-sprayed* cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-20 minutes. Makes 4 - 5 dozen.



Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies (FULL-FAT VERSION)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin (or any kind of cooked winter squash)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups oatmeal

Thoroughly mix pumpkin and brown sugar; then beat in eggs. Gradually mix in the flour, soda and spices, than mix in the oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls on non-stick or oil-sprayed* cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-20 minutes. Makes 4 - 5 dozen.

* I use parchment paper any time I bake cookies to keep them from sticking and to make cleaning up easy. But I still sprayed the parchment with non-stick spray when I made the fat-free cookies. It adds next to no fat to the recipe and I think you really need it to get the cookies to release when they are done.

Let The Feasting Begin!

Originally posted on November 17, 2006 at Wasting Away In Blogaritaville.

In Blogaritaville, it's one big food fest from now until the beginning of the new year.

Tomorrow is Spouse Guy's birthday*. Artsy Girl and Sparky will go out to eat with us. He hasn't decided where we're going yet, but I'm betting he'll pick either Italian or Chinese food.

Then it's Thanksgiving on Thursday. Mom and Dad are planning on joining us. We'll be having a pretty typical meal of turkey and all the trimmings. SG bought a fryer, so we'll be giving deep-fried turkey a try. Instead of pumpkin pie, we'll be having pumpkin roll. It's a pumpkin cake with a sweet cream cheese filling, all rolled up jellyroll-style. We love it so much it's become a Thanksgiving tradition.

My birthday is in mid-December. We'll go out to eat then, too. At this point I have no idea where we'll go, other than it will be somewhere we haven't been before. For me, going somewhere new is half the fun of going out to eat.

Then comes Christmas. The tradition here is to make a big pot of chili, soup or stew, then an assortment of appetizers to munch on whenever we like throughout the day. It's all very casual and fun.

Going out on New Year's Eve doesn't hold much appeal for us anymore, but I'm sure we'll stay in with some movies, more appetizers and a champagne toast, if we can manage to stay awake until midnight**

Finally, on New Year's Day, I try to cook something a little different. Usually it's either a Cajun, Southern or Soul Food meal, any of which could easily include those traditional blackeyed peas for good luck and prosperity.

If all that isn't enough, there will probably be a few unplanned get-togethers and a lot of cookies and candy thrown in for good measure.

What are some of your holiday food traditions?

*Spouse Guy turns 30 this year. Finally, I no longer have to say that my daughter and my husband are both in their 20s.

**We're too old to go out and party. Spouse Guy is 30, for pete's sake!

A Little Lovin' From The Oven

We had homemade pizza tonight, so I thought I'd re-post this. It was originally posted on Friday, April 28, 2006, at Wasting Away In Blogaritaville.

There are three things Spouse Guy can never get enough of: sex, beer and this...

Everybody's had bad beer, and I think most of us have had bad sex. But is there such a thing as bad pizza?

I've heard it said that pizza is like sex: when it's good it's great, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good.


Take last night for example. We were busy, out dumpster diving for good strong boxes for moving in a few weeks, and since we were behind the $3.49-all-you-can-eat pizza place anyway, we decided to go in the front door and have us some buffet. It's good pizza. Not great by any means, but good, and we both stuffed ourselves silly for less than $8.

On the other hand, tonight we'll be having some of my homemade pizza, a lot like the one in the picture (that I made a while back). No matter that we just had pizza last night; Spouse Guy is always up for it. And my homemade pie is great pizza. The kind you keep going back to throughout the evening for "just a little more".

I better go restock the beer fridge and get my dough to rising. Y'all have a great weekend. I know we will.

Welcome To Blogarita's Kitchen

Here in Blogaritaville, we love to eat and I love to cook. This is my place to write about some of the things that show up on our table.

There are no rules here. Sometimes I will post recipes with pictures. Other times, I'll post recipes without pictures, or pictures without recipes. I'll probably post a lot of other stuff here too, like homemaking tips, ways to save money (especially on groceries), and pictures of our granddaughter Sparky.

This is my frugal/wifey/homemaker blog. If you're into that sort of thing, pull up a chair and visit for a while.

If not, check out my other blog here.