END OF AN ERA

Good Sunday morning my bubbly buddies! How are you doing out there? I am good... just filling my lungs with some weekend morning air! I had a nice long sleep and am suffering from movie night hangover! I think I woke up sweating pepperoni and popcorn butter LOL! All the classic movies (Jurrasic Park, Beetlejuice, Titanic, City of Angels, and some other movies) combined with some steaming hot pizza and popcorn made for a very relaxed night! DS loves Jurrasic Park and DD loves Beetlejuice LOL! And once they went to bed it was "not-so-kid-friendly" movies like Final Destination, Friday the 13th, and the ORIGINAL Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Gotta love late night cult classic horror! LMAO!

Ok, now since one of the things I bring you each day is a new and/or improved recipe to try, I saw this article and thought that it would be a helpful bit of information for the "beginner" cook, or even us "more experienced" cooks who may just have a bad moment/day and need to rescue a meal so we don't waste money. Consider it your Kitchen "Food First Aid" Chart LOL!

10 Ways to Hide Cooking Goofs

By Joe Kita

You can hide everything from overcooked vegetables to stale rolls.

1. Overdone pasta: Put in ice water or run under cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking process and contract the starch. Then reheat in tomato sauce—the acid will perk it up further.

2. Sticky noodles: Drain and cool immediately. Then return the pasta to a sauté pan, add at least one tablespoon of olive oil, and toss while reheating.

3. Overcharred steak: It's all about spin, says John DeShetler, professor and chef at the Culinary Institute of America. Rub it with a mix of ground pepper, chili powder, and garlic, then present as "blackened." Or slice it up as is and use in stir-fries, salads, or fajitas.

4. Oversalted soup: For clear soups, add some uncooked pasta or a raw, peeled potato to the pot. The starch will absorb much of the salt. Discard the pasta or potato after 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Dry fish: Brush with a butter-and-lemon mixture, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro, marjoram, or savory. The sauce will add moisture, and "cool" herbs like these, flavor.

6. Overcooked vegetables: Cool as quickly as possible, in ice water, just like with pasta, then reheat briefly in hot stock and squirt on some acid (lemon, lime, or even orange) before serving.

7. Stale rolls: Wet your fingers and flick some water on them, then microwave in a microwave-safe cooking bag for no more than five seconds, or wrap in foil and heat in a 250-degree oven for ten minutes.

8. Limp greens: Bathe them briefly in a bowl of very cold water (no ice, which will bruise the leaves), then wrap in a damp towel and refrigerate.

9. Overripe fruit: When it's too far gone for even fruit salad, use for smoothies, purees, sorbets, or ice cream.

10. Burned bread: Scrape off the worst, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and present as crostini; or use for croutons.

Now for the final day of the 60's theme, I decided to show you another craft that research deemed very popular during the 60's... mosaic art. Now, for those who don't know what Mosaic Art is, well let me tell you. Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral. Small pieces, normally roughly cubic, of stone or glass of different colors, known as tesserae, (diminutive tessellae), are used to create a pattern or picture. How do I do mosaic art is probably your next question, right? Well, that's why I am here!



Craft Idea of the Day: Basic Mosaic Art

Materials:

Eye protection
Disposable face masks
Broken class, stone or other objects that you can make your Mosaic tiles out of
Glass and / or stone cutting tools
Glue (depending on what you are using for your Mosaic tiles. Weldbond works good)
Tile Grout

Directions:

Step 1: Come up with a design concept and simply draw it out with pencil.

Step 2: Decide the size of tiles that you will be using to achieve the level of details that you want.

Step 3: Glue your tiles onto your design surface one at a time. Make sure to leave at least a minimum 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap between tiles to fill in with the grout later.

Step 4: Make sure to allow the glue to set the full recommended time before attempting to start grouting the gaps (the recommended cure time should be posted on the glue products packaging).

Step 5: After the glue has fully cured or set, it is time to start grouting. Start by mixing your grout according to manufacture instructions. Always wear a face mask to avoid breathing the grout dust. Slowly spread the grout into the cracks. Using a sponge make sure to remove any and all excess grout. Rinse out your sponge often to avoid clumps dragging across the surface. Don't overdue whipping down the cracks or you will start to remove the grout between the tiles. Keep the surface damp at all time so the grout does not cure to fast as it will crack.

Well, it's Sunday... the final day of the Groovy 60's theme. Home cooking, casseroles, cheap eats, and even vegetarian curiousities all being the craze of the times. I've brought you chicken and beef this week in some great recipes. I figured I would end the week with some great pork. Its a casserole dish and its simple, tasty, and relatively frugal! You can experiement with different spices to fit your familiy's taste preference... like it spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne or thai chili powder. Want it with more Asian flavor? Stir fry seasoning helps punch things up. Or maybe you want more of an Indian influence... add some curry or some tumeric. I love versatile recipes! Eat & Enjoy!

PORK CHOP SUEY CASSEROLE

1 lb. cubed pork, browned
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans water
1 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 c. raw rice
2 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

Mix all ingredients. Place in 2 quarts or larger casserole. Dot with butter. Cook uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to stir casserole 2 or 3 times while baking.

Well I hope that you have had a blast to the past this week. Sparking some great memories for you and bringing you some fun facts and food has been very fulfilling to me. And I hope you have had fun as well. Tomorrow will bring you more fun and fantastic adventures to help ease you through the wretched summer heat! But as for today I am gonna get off here and maybe cook or craft or something... not sure yet LOL. I will see you again tomorrow! Peace, Love, and 60's HUGS!

LET'S TALK FOOD AND COMMENTS

Well good morning everyone! How are you doing today? I'm good... I spent most of the day with my mother yesterday. I took her to the store, helped around her house, and just joked and laughed and kept her in a good mood. Well today is the final COMMENT DAY so make them count ok?! LOL... If you are new, check out the Jan. 4th post about the Crock Pot Giveaway for the rules!

Seeing as the last few days I have had the incurable munchies... I want to talk about food! I absolutely love food of all kinds... I love the tons of ways you can prepare the billions of kinds of foods, the sizes, colors, and shapes of it all, and even the chemistry of food. What do I mean by chemistry? Well for one... did you ever realize how chicken can have a hundred different tastes just by changing a couple of spices? Or how about how certain chemicals in some foods can literally alter your mood, energy levels, and even sleep patterns? Yes I am a food nerd! Some would say obsessed, but you know what? That "obsession" allows me to know how the food is best prepared (both taste and safety) and makes every meal a success! So its an addiction I happily admit to LOL! Take last night's dinner here. Remember I had all those whole chickens out, right? Well instead of the rosemary and lemon (which I know is an awesome combo in itself), I cut the chickens in half and put my usual S/P/G on them and added some Emeril's esscence. I seared them and then put them in a baking pan and coated them with a Mesquite flavored marinade (regular old Kroger brand currently on sale for 10 for $10!). I baked them and then about 30-40 minutes later I pulled them out and OMG YUM! I went to put some on plates for each person and they literally fell apart! Oh geez... it was awesome! I paired it with some Collard greens and cheese rolls and they were loving it! Look... It was a beautiful dinner!



Ok so if you are like me, then you need to shop on a budget right? We have discussed coupons and farmers market's briefly, but have you ever heard of Discount & Salvage Grocery Stores? These are places that take the over-orders, the scratch and dents, the discontinueds, etc. and offer them for like 30-50% off normal retail! Granted, your selection may be limited but you can alot of the times find some killer deals in there. My mom recently told me about a website called Anderson's and they list discount and salvage stores across the US. You can find the list HERE... check it out and you may have one closer than you think! I would love to hear about your trips and finds if you go! And the Kroger 10 for $10 sales is ending today, so I spent last night after dinner while we were watching a movie sorting and clipping coupons to go make an attack! Tons of things I can stock up on! Broccoli is 10lbs for $10 too... and the crowns are about as big as my steering wheel again! YAY! I got 2 crowns yesterday while I was with my mom, and those 2 weighed 4 pounds! Pears, carrots, and a ton of other stuff is 10/$10 too, so you better believe me and the store are gonna be bestest buds today LMAO! When you feed as many as I do, you can never EVER have too much food LMAO! My family even says I am addicted to shopping for food LOL!

And if you sit there and think about it... well food can be an adventure! By adventure, I mean... trying new foods is an adventure, searching a grocery store or farmers market is an adventure to see what you can find, the act of trying to prepare something new to you is an adventure too! Food is a source of pleasure AND pain... comfort foods vs. eating disorders. Food makes common people into celebrities. Did you ever really sit back and think about all this? Food is a powerful thing! Boggles the mind doesn't it? When I started this blog, my purpose was to educate and share... to celebrate food while teaching you about control. As long as you remember that there is a happy medium to everything...



Take this dinner... I made this for all the guys not long ago. You see lobster, steak, broccoli cheese rice, and peas right? Well I see protein (meats), vegetables (peas), starches and grains (rice), dairy (cheese in the rice), and fats (butter). I see a very well balanced dinner. Didn't the food pyramid teach us we havd to have all these things? That's what I'm talking about... balance LOL! I try to make sure each meal has a component from every section. Remember use... not ABuse food! And (in my opinion)... abuse includes waste! I try to waste nothing in this house!

And shall we not forget food crafts? OMG there are so many edible crafts, its unreal! But today I want to share a favorite with you...



Craft Idea of the Day: Candy Sundae

This Chocolate Sundae is an easy and fast candy craft project and it is as much fun to make as it is to eat! It would also make a fun party favor for guests to make and take home for sweet memories for a long time to come.

Supplies

Sundae glass
Hershey’s chocolate kisses of one flavor or several
Straight candy cane (stick candy)
Life Savers
Curling ribbons
Chenille wire or thin stem wire
Scissors
Wire cutters

Instructions

Prepare a Sundae glass. In this case a 3.5” diameter x 6.5” height sundae glass.

Fill the Sundae glass with the Hershey’s chocolate kisses.

Insert the stick candy of the corresponding color into the glass.

Put Life Savers candy on the top representing “whipped cream”. You may use mini glue dots to hold these candies in place.

Take curling ribbons of several colors that match the kisses wrappers. Or you can buy a ready curl swirls.

Take a piece of chenille wire and tightly wrap it around the middle of the curling ribbons. Instead of chenille wire you can use white stem wire. Curl the ribbons by pulling them over the edge of the scissors.

Insert the curling ribbons in your arrangement. Your Candy Sundae with chocolate kisses is ready!

As for dinner... well as of right now, I plan on making Rosemary-Scented Pork Loin Stuffed With Roasted Garlic, Dried Apricots and Cranberries and Port Wine Pan Sauce (I know a mouth full LOL!) with some asparagus, some kind of potatoes, and a homemade bread probably.



Rosemary-Scented Pork Loin Stuffed With Roasted Garlic, Dried Apricots and Cranberries and Port Wine Pan Sauce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
16 whole peeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
1 (8 pound) whole boneless pork loin, patted dry, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (snip with scissors), divided
16 dried apricots (or similar amount of your favorite dried fruit)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Heavy kitchen string or twine
1/4 cup apple jelly
1/4 cup port
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons apple jelly
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.

Turn pork loin fat-side down. Slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of unslit meat at each end. Brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 Tb. of the rosemary. Line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.

Brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary. Brush mixture onto meat.

Roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees. (Start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. Stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. Pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 Tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. Simmer until lightly thickened. Slice pork and serve with a little sauce.

I guess this morning I was just feeling super intellectual and wanted to stimulate you as well. Hopefully I have stimulated your mind as well as your palate! As for me... well first I'm off to get my copy of the Michael Jackson movie "This is It" that was released at midnight (yes hush, I am and always have been & will be a fan :-P LMAO), then an attack on Kroger, and maybe get some cleaning time in too LOL! You have a wonderful day and I look forward to all the great comments! Until tomorrow... HUGS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Good morning!!! Does my screaming give you a headache? LMAO! Hope your parties went great and let me wish all my readers a very Happy New Year! Its gonna be a great 2010! I’ve set my yearly list of 20 goals and set up my planner already. Dinner is brewing in the slow cookers, the table is full of munchies, and I’m already planning my crafts and gifts for the upcoming year. One thing I have to do is make another fleece tied blanket for my cats as they have taken over my blue camo one!! Darn cats LOL! I saw some cute black fleece with white paw prints that I think I am gonna go get for them and make them a kitty blankey LOL! Maybe just half the normal size though… after all they aren’t as big as I am LMAO! Gotta keep the furry kids warm too!

Ok, so yesterday we talked about New Years food “traditions… If you have come here looking to dress up the “same old boring foods”… well you came to the right spot LOL! I got a great recipe for each food you should be partaking in today! First off, I’m not sure what type/cut of pork you are making, but lets assume it is traditional ham… all kinds of fruit goes real well with baked ham, especially apricots, apples, and pineapple. You could also beer glaze ham… so try this on for size:



Beer-Glazed Ham

Ingredients

1 boneless fully cooked ham (3 pounds)
1 can (12 ounces) beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons ground mustard

Directions

Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score the surface of the ham, making diamond shapes 1/2 in. deep. Set aside 2 tablespoons beer. Pour remaining beer over the ham. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and reserved beer; spread over ham. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 140°, basting occasionally.

Ok, so there’s your ham… now what to do with your cabbage? Here is a yummy recipe that even people who don’t care for cabbage should try because it just might surprise you!



Cheddar Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients

1 large head cabbage, shredded (about 12 cups)
1 onion, chopped
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook cabbage in boiling water until tender; drain thoroughly. In a large skillet, saute onion in 5 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in soup. Add cheese; stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cabbage, salt and pepper.

2. Transfer to an ungreased 2-qt. baking dish. In a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Cook and stir crumbs in butter until lightly browned; sprinkle over casserole.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Now for your last component… the peas. Many people don’t care for black eyed peas, but here is something to put the bang in your New Years meal!



Black Eyed Pea Chowder

Ingredients

1 pound bacon
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cans (16 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) beef consomme
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup diced jalapeno pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings; saute celery, onion and green pepper until tender. Add bacon and all remaining ingredients; heat through.

Then of course you need a dessert… try some:



Better Than Sex Cake (hey I didn’t name it! LOL)

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)

Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Well I hope you enjoyed our New Years dinner. Tomorrow will be taking down the last of the decorations, and shooting them to storage, more cleaning, cooking of course, and getting everything ready for them to go back to school Monday YAY!!!! If you venture out today, be safe… and see you tomorrow! HUGS!