Cocoa and Chicken?

Yes. First, think about mole. It's got unsweetened chocolate in it. This dish has cocoa in the spicy rub, and since there's also chili powder, oregano, and thyme, it too is reminiscent of mole. This is another one of Joe's recipes - like I mentioned the other day, he cooks things that I like to eat!

Cocoa-Chili-rubbed Chicken

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 375˚. In a small bowl, toss together chili powder, cocoa, oregano, thyme, sugar and salt.

In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium. Brush chicken breasts with remaining oil and rub each generously with the spice mixture on both sides. Place the chicken into the skillet and sear on both sides. Place the skillet into the oven and bake until the chicken has cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

I thought it was neat how everything continued to sizzle while it was in the oven. We could smell the cocoa, but really didn't taste it much. I used Penzey's Chili Powder for the first time, now that I've finally used up my old chili powder. This recipe is super easy to make, and it's definitely a keeper! Thanks again, Joe!


Don't forget Thursday Soup or Stew Night tomorrow! You have all day and all night to get your post up and sent to me at cholmaneee (at) uia (dot) net. I'll be doing the roundup Friday night.

Pumpkin Waffles

As I've mentioned several times before, I love to visit other people's blogs and then borrow recipes from them. One of my favorites is Joe's Culinary in the Country. Joe often cooks things that I like. I mean, why should I visit blogs where the food doesn't sound good? Joe's a great cook, and I want to know his secret of staying slim when he makes such wonderful treats and meals. Lucky guy. Anyway, one of the recipes I've borrowed from him is pumpkin waffles. After I made yesterdays' Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, I still had about half a can of pumpkin left. This morning I made a double batch of waffles so there are a bunch in the freezer now.

Pumpkin Waffles
from Joe of Culinary in the Country

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups vanilla soymilk (I used regular milk)
1 cup mashed pumpkin
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk, mashed pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moist.

Preheat waffle iron. Using about 1/4 cup of the batter per waffle, pour mixture into waffle iron. Let cook until the steam begins to subside - about 4-7 minutes. Remove waffles and repeat until batter is used up. Makes about 8 regular sized waffles.

What I like best about these is that they don't need as much syrup as regular waffles due to the brown sugar and the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

Orange Garlic Beef and Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

What a time we've had the past couple of days. First of all, Don's father was hospitalized Thursday night, and while I won't go into details to respect his privacy, it sounded very serious at first. It's going to be all right, but for two days Don was worried he'd have to be going on an emergency trip to Florida. I could hear the relief in his voice this morning when he called to talk to his stepmother and instead his father answered.

Then, Friday morning, my daughter called to say her car had been broken into outside her apartment (the second time in a year), her passenger side window was broken, and the CD player was stolen. So today, instead of relaxing in his recliner to watch the football playoffs, Don had to spend the day at T's apartment waiting on the glass repair guy to come replace the broken window. He's still not home.

Next, I went to a memorial service today for a fabulous man. Steve Wilson was a photographer and coach, married to Debbie, a counselor at the high school. I had both of their daughters in class, and they have grown up into wonderful young women. Debbie has been a comfort to me and a source of inspiration - she has this capacity to care about anyone and everyone more than you could ever know. Steve was diagnosed with brain cancer 7 months ago, and passed away December 19. The memorial service was delayed so that everyone who wanted to be there could be there - and I think there were 400 or more in the high school multi-purpose room today. There were fellow coaches from all around, teachers and staff from schools all over town, former students and players, family friends, and former school employees who worked with Debbie. It was so touching to be a part of the celebration of Steve's life.

I put dinner in the crockpot before I went down the mountain, so all I had to do when I came home was boil some Success brown rice (I use that when I'm in a hurry) and throw together a salad. Now that I'm a moderator of a Yahoo crockpot group, and I insisted on a new crockpot for Christmas, I need to use it as often as I can. This dish surprised me. It was really good. You really can't tell there's canned mushroom soup in it.

Orange Garlic Beef


3 tablespoon oil
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon orange peel
⅓ cup water
1 can condensed mushroom soup, (I used the fat-free kind)
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
2 tablespoon molasses
pepper, to taste

Brown steak strips in oil over medium-high heat. Remove from pan and transfer to crockpot. Top strips with onion, garlic and orange peel. Stir water,soup, tomato paste, orange juice, bouillon granules and molasses together and pour over mixture in crockpot. Sprinkle pepper over all. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours and serve over hot noodles or rice.

Also this morning, I made dessert, so that it could sit in the refrigerator and chill all day. I got this recipe from a fellow blogger named Patti, who has quit blogging. I would post her site here, but when you go there you get a message that she has stopped and asks that you remove her from your blogroll. But Patti, if you see this, these bars are good! You can taste all the spices - especially the clove and allspice. While these remind you of pumpkin pie, they're much better, in my opinion.

Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup finely chopped pecans
¼ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch ginger

Filling:
12 ounces cream cheese (1.5 packages), softened
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
¾ cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoons ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground clove

Preheat oven to 350˚. Generously grease 13" x 9" pan. Cream brown sugar and margarine. Add allspice, clove, nutmeg and ginger. With electric mixer on low, add Bisquick and nuts until mixture is crumbly. Reserve two cups. Press remaining mixture in pan with fingers. Bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese in electric mixer until smooth. Add sugars, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and clove and mix well until smooth. Pour mixture over crust in pan, and sprinkle with remaining two cups of crust mixture. Bake until center is set and top is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting, serve well-chilled.

Guilt-Free Fish Tacos

Over winter vacation, Don went fishing out of San Diego, and brought back a bunch of rockfish and whitefish fillets. We bagged them into 4 meals' worth, to go with the striped bass fillets we brought back from Lake Mead at the end of November. I've decided to make things easier for planning purposes by calling Friday "Fish Night." Tonight I decided to make fish tacos, using my favorite white chipotle sauce.

Guilt-Free Fish Tacos

boneless fish fillets, cut in small pieces
egg bath (equal parts eggbeaters and lowfat or nonfat milk)
breading (equal parts bread crumbs and corn flake crumbs)
corn tortillas
grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
shredded cabbage
Pico de Gallo (below)
White Chipotle Sauce (below)

Preheat oven to 400˚. Spray a metal baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Dip fillets in egg bath, then in breading, and place on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Serve in warmed corn tortillas with cheese, cabbage, Pico de Gallo, and Creamy Chipotle Sauce.


Pico de Gallo

1 medium tomato, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeno
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro


Creamy Chipotle Sauce
This is very similar to the sauce from Rubio's Baja Grill

2 tablespoons lowfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

Mix all ingredients. Serve on fish tacos.

Let's Warm Up With Some Soup

The last time I did a Thursday Soup or Stew Roundup was last March. It's been too long, but with the weather as cold as it's been lately, now seems as good a time as any to start again. I enjoy this for two reasons - one, I already know what I'm making on Thursdays (sort of - I have to pick a recipe each week), and two, I get to see what everyone else makes and find new recipes to try.

On with the roundup. It's a small one, but that's okay. It'll be fine.


First to send in her recipe was Lalaine of The Cookmobile, who created a dish called Lamb Caldereta. She stated that she normally uses a packet mix for this, but this time created it from scratch. It truly sounds wonderful.








I then heard from an old blogging friend, Dagny of Dagny's Empire (she visits my blog often and we "chat"), who sent in her recipe for Brunswick Stew. I've never had it, and it sounds like something I'd like to try - but with the chicken. Dagny says that back in the day it was made with rabbit!



My contribution this week is Corn-Potato Chowder, something that I created a few years ago and can throw together in half an hour. It's wonderfully creamy, due to the texture of the cream-style corn, the half-and-half, and the little bit of cornstarch.

Corn-Potato Chowder

¼ cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chicken broth
1 large baking potato , peeled and diced
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15 oz. can cream-style corn, undrained
1 cup half & half
1 cup milk, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup real bacon bits
Sauté the onion in the butter until tender. Add chicken broth and diced potato; bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes or until potato pieces are tender. Add corn, cream-style corn, half & half, and 3/4 cup of the milk. In a small jar or bowl, combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup milk; stir into soup. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add bacon and serve.


Some other great soups and stews I've seen this week:

Alanna of A Veggie Venture has made some 15-Bean Soup
Randi of Culinary Adventures made Paella



Any more?

Thursday Soup or Stew Night is Back!

After a long absence, I'm ready to begin Thursday soup or stew night again. So, get out your big pots or your crockpots, whip up a batch of your favorite soup or stew, or try a new recipe, and then write about it on your blog. Then, send me the link to your blog at cholmaneee (at) uia (dot)net by 9:00 pm PACIFIC time Thursday night, and I'll be sure to include you in the roundup on Friday.

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Rodeo Beans - a Long Lost Recipe

When Don and I were stationed at Zweibrucken Air Base in Germany, we attended lots of squadron parties and picnics. At one, the wife (Lizette) of a guy who worked for Don (Jeff Traw) brought these fantastic beans, which were really more of a main dish. I asked her for the recipe, and then, of course, lost it. For many years I've been searching for a recipe that had all the ingredients I remembered - sort of a beefed-up baked beans with bacon and jalapeno peppers - and I came across this one. It's from Costco, of all places!

It can be made in the crockpot or the oven, but since the crockpot cooking time is 4 hours, I chose oven. Any crockpot recipe that's got less than 8 hours' cooking time has to be done on the weekend, since I'm at work on weekdays for more than 7 hours. From start to finish, the oven version took an hour.

Rodeo Beans

1 lb. ground beef
½ lb. bacon , cut in 1" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped (about 2" long)
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz. can pork and beans
1 15 oz. can butter beans, drained
½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350˚. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, bacon, and onion. Pour off grease and add jalapeño, beans, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and ketchup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in a medium-sized covered casserole for 40 minutes, or for 4 hours on Low in a slow cooker. Serves 4. (Well, Don ate 2 bowls, I ate 1, and there's 1 left over.)

Sweetnicks' "Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sausages"

One of the things I'm enjoying about getting back into food blogging is that I can visit old friends. I've been checking out blogs that I used to read nightly, and since it's been a long time, there are a lot of new things to see. One "old friend" is Cate of Sweetnicks. Her recipe for Italian sausage in the crockpot caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. I made only a few minor changes from Cate's original recipe - I halved it, I added a few chopped bell peppers, and I used red wine instead of water. Oh my! Don and I loved it and have declared it a "keeper." It will definitely be made again and again. We followed Cate's suggestion to eat it over pasta, so I cooked up some Dreamfields spaghetti. I cooked 8 ounces of spaghetti, and we now have two bowls of leftovers. There was enough sauce and meat for more pasta, but Don poured out some on his plate and sopped it all up with some bread. Thanks, Cate, for such a wonderful recipe!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sausages
from Cate of Sweetnicks


1 lb sweet Italian sausage (about 5 links)
1 6 oz. can tomato sauce
1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce, (I used Newman's Own)
⅓ cup chopped bell pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup red wine
Place sausage in skillet. Cover with water. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Add sausage. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve in buns or cut sausage into bite-sized pieces and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Also tastes great in a toasted roll with melted cheese.

Take-Along Breakfast Pockets

I was "chatting" with my friends on Pantry Challenge, and one of them asked the group about hand-held breakfast ideas that her husband could take to work. Tabby mentioned home-made hot pockets, which sounded interesting, so I asked her for details. After following her guidelines, I came up with these wonderful breakfast pockets that I can keep in the freezer and pull out for work. (I have a microwave in the office.) Don likes them, too, so I'll have to share.

Take-Along Breakfast Pockets

1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean!)
1 teaspoon mustard
8 eggs
2 8-count cans Grands refrigerated biscuits (I used the Whole Wheat ones)
approx. 2 cups grated cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375˚. In a large skillet, crumble the breakfast sausage and cook until brown over medium-high heat. Stir in mustard. Add eggs, reserving part of one egg white for egg bath. Mix with meat and scramble until eggs are done.

Open biscuits, and place one on a sheet of waxed paper. Place another sheet of waxed paper on top, and flatten it with a rolling pin.

It should be 5-6" in diameter.

Divide mixture in skillet into 16 portions (it's easier than you think - divide it in half, then divide the halves in half, and so on until you have 16 portions that are about 2 tablespoons each.) Place one portion on flattened biscuit, and top with a couple tablespoons of grated cheese.
Fold over and crimp edges with a fork to seal.








Using a pastry brush, spread a little of the reserved egg white across the top of each pocket.
Place pan in oven and bake approximately 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Two of these are perfect for breakfast, and they will freeze well in zip top freezer bags. Once thawed, they can be eaten at room temperature or zapped in the microwave.












You can vary the fillings of these:

For breakfast, try using
- bacon
- mushrooms
- Swiss instead of cheddar
- spinach
- artichokes
- green chilies
- diced ham
- hash brown potatoes

Tabby uses these for lunch and dinner, and has filled them with:
- sloppy joe mix
- pizza sauce and pepperoni
- taco meat

You could also try:
- refried beans and cheese
- baked beans and cut-up hot dogs
- chicken and vegetables with a little condensed cream of chicken soup
- shredded beef or pork or chicken with barbecue sauce

Any other ideas? I bet there are some great ones Tabby and I haven't thought of. Let me know!

Pork Chops with Tangy Cherry Sauce and Fantail Potatoes

As part of the Pantry Challenge, I'm going through my cabinets and finding things that have been in there a while and need to be used. On today's list was dried cherries. I had used most of the bag on the Cherry-Pistachio Bark I made last month. This recipe was simple and quick, and the only caveat for anyone trying it is that it's sweet. Now I like sweet things on my pork - apples, teriyaki, pineapple, etc. - so this was just up my alley.

Pork with Tangy Cranberry Sauce

1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup apple juice, divided
2 boneless pork chops
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a small saucepan, bring cherries and 3 tablespoons of the juice to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook pork in butter and oil 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, bring the vinegar and remaining juice to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in cherry mixture; heat through. Return pork to pan; turn to coat.

To go with these, I made a simple baked potato recipe that's been in my notebook for years.

Fantail Potatoes

4 medium potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 Tablespoon melted butter
4 Tablespoon grated Cheddar cheese
1 ½ Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2-3 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Peel potatoes if the skin is tough; otherwise, just scrub and rinse them. Cut potatoes into thin slices but not all the way through. Use a handle of a spoon to prevent knife from cutting all the way through. Put potatoes in a baking dish. Fan them slightly. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. Sprinkle with herbs. Bake potatoes at 425F for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake potatoes for another 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned, cheeses are melted, and potatoes are soft inside. Check with a fork.

Still using up pantry items, I made dessert for Don (I'll probably have a small piece). I've had some marshmallows back in the back, getting old, plus a half-empty (half-full?) jar of chocolate peanut butter. I'd bought it at the commissary a couple of months ago because I just had to try it, and haven't eaten any of it. My daughter's eaten the half that's gone during some of her weekly visits. She can do without the rest. : )

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Treats


1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate-flavored peanut butter
40 large marshmallows
5 cups crisped rice cereal

Butter a 13 x 9" baking pan. In a large stockpot, melt the butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows over very low heat until all the marshmallows are melted. Stir in rice cereal and stir to mix. Quickly pour out into baking sheet, and flatten using your hands, which you dampen often with water (to help press them down and to cool them down). These will be ready to cut and eat within 15 minutes.

Cranberries, Cranberry Bread Pudding - WHB #114

I haven't participated in Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging in a long, long time, and decided it's time to start again. I'm making cranberry bread pudding today - two batches; one to eat now and one for later. I still have some frozen cranberries in the freezer, and need to start using them up. Cranberries aren't an herb, but WHB is for more than herbs, and can include fruits or vegetables.

I've seen the commercials for Ocean Spray with the guys standing in flooded cranberry bogs, and decided to learn a bit more about how they're grown and harvested.

Here's what I learned from Wikipedia:

"Historically, cranberry beds were constructed in wetlands. Currently cranberry beds are constructed in upland areas that have a shallow water table. The topsoil is scraped off to form dikes around the bed perimeter. Clean sand is hauled in to a depth of four to eight inches. The surface is laser leveled with a slight crown in the center to facilitate drainage. Beds are frequently drained with socked tile in addition to the perimeter ditch. In addition to making it possible to hold water, the dikes allow equipment to service the beds without driving on the vines. Irrigation equipment is installed in the bed to provide irrigation for vine growth and for spring and fall frost protection.

Cranberry vines are propagated by moving vines from an established bed. The vines are spread on the surface of the sand of the new bed and pushed into the sand with a blunt disk. The vines are watered frequently during the first few weeks until roots form and new shoots grow. Beds are given frequent light application of nitrogen fertilizer during the first year. The cost of establishment for new cranberry beds is estimated to be about US$70,000 per hectare.

A common misconception about cranberry production is that the beds remain flooded throughout the year. During the growing season cranberry beds are not flooded, but are irrigated regularly to maintain soil moisture. Beds are flooded in the fall to facilitate harvest and again during the winter to protect against low temperatures. In cold climates like Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and eastern Canada the winter flood typically freezes into ice while in warmer climates the water remains liquid. When ice forms on the beds trucks can be driven onto the ice to spread a thin layer of sand that helps to control pests and to rejuvenate the vines. Sanding is done every three to five years.

Cranberries are harvested in the fall when the fruit takes on its distinctive deep red color. This is usually in late September and into October. To harvest cranberries, the beds are flooded with six to eight inches of water. A harvester is driven through the beds to remove the fruit from the vines. For the past 50 years, water reel type harvesters have been used. Harvested cranberries float in the water and can be corralled into a corner of the bed and conveyed or pumped from the bed. From the farm, cranberries are taken to receiving stations where they are cleaned, sorted, and stored prior to packaging or processing. In 2005, a new type of cranberry harvester called the Ruby Slipper was introduced into the industry. Whether this type of harvester with fewer moving parts will be accepted by the industry still remains to be seen."

Cranberry Bread Pudding

¼ cup honey
2 large eggs , beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups warm milk
2 cups cubed French or Italian bread
1 cup fresh cranberries

Stir honey, eggs, vanilla and salt into milk. Add bread and cranberries. Toss gently to mix. Pour into a shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish and bake at 350˚ 25 minutes or until firm. Good served with cream or vanilla ice cream.



I made a double batch, and this is the one that's going into the freezer.

Note for next time: This will probably be just as tasty with Splenda instead of the honey, and I bet I could try multi-grain bread instead of the French bread.

Kalyn's Cottage Cheese Muffins

One of the things I'll be doing to save money AND eat better will be to take my breakfast and coffee instead of going to Starbuck's and then a fast food place. Kalyn posted this recipe a while back, and decided it would be a perfect one to start with. Hers didn't have mushrooms; I added them because I had them. They're going to be perfect low-carb breakfast for me until I run out!

Cottage Cheese and Egg Breakfast Muffins with Mushrooms, Bacon and Green Onions
from Kalyn's Kitchen


1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/3 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup almond meal (this is less than in Kalyn's recipe)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons water
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup real bacon bits (I buy the large bags from Costco)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (include green part)

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a medium skillet, sauté mushrooms until tender. Remove from heat.

In mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, white whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, water, and beaten egg. Mix well. Gently mix in mushrooms, bacon and green onion, until well distributed in batter.

Spray 18 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 25 -30 minutes, until muffins are firm and lightly browned. Serve hot or room temperature.

These will keep well a few days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them and thaw in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds, or they'll get tough.

Sunset on the Beach

This was while the sun was still behind the clouds before it set.













About 10 minutes after the sun had set.

What We Look Like These Days

Photos from the Midway

One thing we had to do since we were in San Diego was visit the aircraft carrier Midway. We've been in submarines and destroyers, but this was our first time in an aircraft carrier.













Even though the beds look cramped here, Don's first observation was that the enlisted guys have a lot more room on an aircraft carrier than they do on a submarine!











Behind bars in the brig.











Sick bay.












Up on the deck, Don stands with one of his favorite aircraft.











Looking towards the tower on the main deck.

Back Home, Back in the Kitchen

So, we had to come home early from our camping trip-3 big storms are getting ready to hit the West Coast beginning late tonight, and we didn't want to be at the beach, but here at home in our mountain cabin. It's supposed to snow later, but the initial rain will most likely casue some mudslides here like it always does.

I stopped at the commissary at March for my monthly trip, and picked up a couple of great bargains - 90% ground beef @ $1.49/pound, and a ham butt @ $.80/pound.

Don and I have looked at the freezer and cabinets and estimate we could eat out them for two months. There. I've said it. I'll have to pick up milk and some produce later, but I'm going to try to see how long I can go without going to the commissary. Today's trip was $178.

I came home and immediately made meatballs, based on a recipe from a Yahoo group I'm in:

Freezer Stash Meatballs

3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 ½ cups soft bread crumbs
3 eggs
6 tablespoons minced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, mix beef, crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 11/2-inch meatballs. (A miniature ice cream scoop makes fast work of shaping.)

Arrange in two 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pans. Bake in preheated oven until meat is browned, with no trace of pink and juices run clear, 10 to 13 minutes.

Drain, let cool to room temperature, divide into fourths and freeze each portion in vapor-moisture proof containers. (I use my FoodSaver). Each portion serves 2.

As I use them, I'll post the recipes for what I made with them.

I then pulled out some old sliced barbecued tri-tip, reheated it with a little barbecue sauce, and served it on toasted hamburger buns for dinner. That way I didn't have to cook anything, since I was tired from driving, cooking, and from putting the food from the commissary trip away. (That entails a couple of hours on my feet).

After dinner, I made two quiches, that are now in the oven. I'll let them cool, and then freeze them for later.

A Pair of Quiches
Mushroom /Asparagus with Ham

2 frozen pie crusts in foil tins, thawed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced or coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1 12-oz. can asparagus pieces, drained
1/2 cup chopped ham (I used some luncheon meat ham and diced it, but any kind of ham will do)
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 eggs
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I didn't have any this time, so I doubled the Cheddar)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg

In a medium skillet, sauté the bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms in butter until tender. Spread evenly in bottom of one of the pie shells. Put the asparagus, ham, and Swiss cheese in the other pie shell. With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add eggs and half-and-half. Stir in grated cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour egg mixture into dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. If you're going to eat one right away, let it stand 10 minutes before cutting.

For freezing: Let cool to room temperature. Cover with foil and freeze. The night before you want to eat it, move it to your refrigerator to thaw. Then reheat at 350˚ for about 15 minutes.

Holiday Greetings from San Diego

We're spending the holiday vacation in two places - first, we're at Santee Lakes Preserve, camped right on a small lake that's part of a 7-lake system in northeast San Diego. The temps are much warmer here than back home in the mountains - it was shorts weather today while we toured the Midway aircraft carrier. Don's spent lots of hours fishing (not catching - just fishing), and I've been able to relax, stitch, play on the computer, read, and not think about work.





This is the view out my back window. That's one of the things I love about this trailer's floorplan - the rear kitchen and a window to see what's behind us.




Just before we left to come on this trip, I received a statement from STRS (State Teachers' Retirement System), which predicted what I'll be making when I retire. It's considerably less than what I'm making now, and Don and I had a long talk about how we can plan even better than we have. The first thing we're doing is "practicing." I've been looking at websites about cutting grocery bills, and will be trying to implement some of the strategies I've learned about. One strategy is finding the "loss leaders" at the grocery stores. I learned that the front and back pages of the grocery store ads are where the loss leaders are found, and that I shouldn't even look at the inside pages. Another strategy is to locate the "manager's specials," which can range from specials that aren't in the ad to meats just at the edge of their expiration dates. Our local Vons store always has manager's specials on meats, and I make it a point to see what's available. Thursday I found a fabulous bargain on pork. They had a package that had a pork roast, about 8 inches long, then 14 thin boneless pork chops, and 6 1 1/2" thick pork chops. The total value of the package, which was originally a large boneless pork loin, was $35.00. They had marked it down to $11.46. Wow! I'm going to get 9 meals out of it, since the roast will make two different meals. I cooked two of the thicker chops first.

This recipe is an adaptation of one I've tried in the past, and we decided that we like this version the best of all.

Spicy Orange-Glazed Pork Chops


2 boneless pork chops, cut 3/4 to 1" thick
salt and pepper
flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Sprinkle chops lightly with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Heat oil in a heavy skillet; brown pork chops on both sides. Combine remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour over chops. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes. Liquid will form a glaze. Turn chops to coat, and remove them to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to mixture, followed by cornstarch and water mixture. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Serve sauce over pork and cooked rice. Serves 2.

Breakfast this morning was a variation of sausage-egg casserole. I made it in muffin cups using refrigerated flaky biscuits. I think it came out pretty nicely, and they sure did taste good!

Sausage-Egg Breakfast Muffins

1 5-count roll flaky biscuits (they have to be the flaky ones)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 oz. (about 1/3 of a 1-pound roll) pork breakfast sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375˚. Separate layers of flaky biscuits and place them in pairs in 6 muffin tins sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Since there are 5 biscuits and 6 tins, you'll need to "borrow" some layers from the others to make up the 6th one. When you put them in the tins, stand them on end, bottoms touching, and press to form cups. Sprinkle the bottoms of the cups with half of the cheese. In a skillet, saute onion and sausage together, breaking up sausage as it cooks. Stir in mustard. Break eggs into sausage, and continue to cook and mix until eggs are done. Divide mixture into muffin cups and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven 17 minutes or until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Makes 6.

Surprisingly Good Chicken!

I've had this recipe in my files for a while now, and decided to give it a try the other night. I had some turnips I wanted to cook, and so I needed a sweeter main dish to contrast with the pungency of the turnips.

Apple Chicken

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut and pounded to uniform thickness
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced (any kind will do)
1 4-oz. can apple juice (equal to 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a skillet to rippling hot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Brown about 2 minutes on one side, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and turn. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and keep warm. Deglaze the skillet with the vinegar. Add apple, apple juice, and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat until juices reduce and thicken, about 4-5 minutes. Add lemon juice and other tablespoon butter; when butter melts pour mixture over breasts. (There will be almost no liquid left.) Serves 2-3.

It's Candy Making Time

My husband's favorite treat is peanut brittle, and I really hate paying the high prices to buy it already-made. This recipe is so easy! You make it in a microwave! I've made it dozens of times, and only once did I cook it too long, and that was when I bought a new microwave that was higher wattage than the previous one. Once I made the adjustment in time, I was back to perfect peanut brittle. I got the recipe from a woman I used to know about 25 years ago, so it's named after her.

Delilah's Peanut Brittle
Make this in a microwave!
Times are for a 1200-watt microwave. Add 1 minute to each segment for 800-watt ovens.

1/3 cup white corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Spray a baking sheet with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray (or use regular butter). In a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine corn syrup and sugar. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes. Add peanuts and microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla, and microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir in baking soda, and quickly pour out on greased baking sheet. Spread it out if it looks thick. (It'll look like you ruined it at first, but it regains its rounded shape as it cools.) Once it's hard, after about 5 minutes, break into small pieces.

Since we need to make a thank-you/Christmas gift for our neighbor Carol (for watching our newspapers and house when we go camping), I thought I'd make her some chocolate bark. I received some of this last year in a foodie exchange, and it's now a favorite that I'll make every holiday season. It's very easy to make, and you can get the cherries, pistachios, and milk chocolate chips at Trader Joe's.

Cherry-Pistachio Bark
This recipe makes a lot, so it can be easily halved.

3 8-oz bars semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli's)
1 12-oz. bag milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 8-oz. bag dried Montmorency cherries
1 cup chopped pistachio meats, divided
In a bowl over simmering water, melt chocolates together with vanilla. Add cherries and 2/3 cup of the pistachios. Spread mixture on waxed paper, using an offset spatula to make it of uniform thickness. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios. Place in refrigerator or freezer till it hardens (takes only about 10 minutes). Break into small pieces.

Now THIS is a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I don't remember where I first had one of these, but it was back in Theresa's soccer days so it was a long time ago. The combination of flavors intrigued me, and now I make it often because we like it so much. Our local Vons store has the best bread - it's a multi-grain bread with a sourdough base, so it crisps up beautifully when you grill it.

Southwestern Grilled Turkey Sandwich

For one sandwich, lightly butter one side of a piece of sourdough and place it on a hot griddle. Layer with swiss cheese, sliced avocado, sliced turkey (smoked or regular), and some diced green chilies (from a can). Top with another slice of lightly buttered bread. Grill on both sides.

Get Ready for Thursday Soup or Stew Nights Again!

Beginning in January, I'll be hosting Thursday Soup or Stew Nights again on "Ruminations." All you'll need to do is cook up some soup or stew, post about it on your blog, and then let me know by 9-ish Thursday night that you've done so. I'll do a roundup with a link back to your blog and recipe, and I'll include a pic of your completed dish. In honor of the return of the event, I made some soup - and had just a small bowl (Don had two large bowls!) since it was so rich.

Baked Potato Soup

3 large baking potatoes
5-6 green onions
3 tablespoon butter
¼ cup flour
1 8 oz. carton heavy (whipping) cream
5 cups milk
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
⅓ cup real bacon bits

Bake the potatoes (70 minutes at 350˚). This can be done the day before, and potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cut them in half, and scoop out the potatoes from the skins. Chop one of the skins up and set aside.

Thinly slice the green onions, separating the white parts from the green.
Melt butter with white part of green onions over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, and cook, stirring, another few minutes until mixture is pale golden. Add cream, milk, white pepper and salt, and continue to stir while cooking over medium heat. Add potato, chopped potato skin, green onions, sour cream and bacon. Gradually add grated cheese, and stir until all cheese is melted.

Alanna's Turnips and Carrots - Wow!

Any time I need a new or different vegetable recipe, the first place I go is Alanna's A Veggie Venture. This time I wasn't even looking for a turnip recipe, but this one caught my eye, since I had turnips in the fridge. The main reason I tried it was because of the cute photo of the two 7-year-olds enjoying it. I figured if 7-year-olds liked it, I probably would too. I made just a little bit - it's only Don and me - and we ate all of it. So the amounts below reflect what I made; if you want Alanna's original recipe, go here. I don't have a picture because I've misplaced my camera! Ack!

Alanna's Glazed Turnips and Carrots

1 large turnip, peeled and trimmed and cut in 3/4" cubes
1 1/2 cups baby carrots, sliced at various angles - try to make them about the same size as the turnips
2 tsp butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice

In a large nonstick skillet with a cover, melt the butter. When it's melted, swirl to coat. Add the turnips and carrots in an even layer, stirring to coat, then let cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Stir again, let cook another 4 minutes. Add the broth, brown sugar, and lemon zest and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to high. Let cook, stirring frequently until liquid cooks down to a glaze. This only takes a minute or two. Stir in lemon juice and serve immediately. Serves 2

Getting Your Veggies for Breakfast

I love Jimmy Dean sausage. I won't eat any other brand, except for the occasional Costco links that my husband likes. But he likes Jimmy Dean, too, especially in biscuits and gravy. Once in a while I like a good breakfast or brunch strata. This one seemed like a good one to make this morning since we have our first snow and the oven helps warm up the house.





Sausage-Spinach Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
4 eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
9 slices whole grain bread, cubed
6 oz (approximately 1/3 of a 1-pound roll) Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 10-oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375˚. Spray a 9 x 9" or 11 x 17" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Let sit while you prepare the rest.
In a skillet, crumble the sausage and sauté with the onion and garlic until meat is browned. Add to egg-bread mixture along with the spinach and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Stir until well-mixed and pour into prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Have You Ever Tried Greek Yogurt?

While I was getting a pedicure the other day I was leafing through Food and Wine magazine, which someone had brought to the shop and left. I came across a recipe for pasta with zucchini, and the sauce was made with Greek yogurt. Having never eaten Greek yogurt before, I decided to give it a try. So off to Trader Joe's I went, and found a small container. I decided to change the recipe by adding some chicken, since I know my husband really likes meat. I used only one chicken breast, which ended up being just right. The Greek yogurt (to me) looks and tastes just like sour cream - so I might continue buying it. The sauce in this dish ended up reminding me somewhat of the sauce for Fettuccine Alfredo - but much lighter. This is a recipe we'll definitely have again!


Bowtie Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini
Adapted from Food and Wine



1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
a couple dashes of Famous Dave's Chicken Seasoning
8 oz. bowtie (Farafelle) pasta
2 medium zucchini, shredded
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper

First, prepare the chicken. Split the boneless breast and sprinkle with a very small amount of Chicken Seasoning. Grill (outside or on a grill pan or electric grill) until done. Cut in small pieces.
Meanwhile, bring several quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta. Shred zucchini. About a minute before the pasta is ready, add zucchini to the pot. Cook about a minute; drain.
In a large skillet, melt butter. Remove from heat. Add yogurt, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Turn heat back on to medium-low, and add chicken and pasta-zucchini mixture. Toss to combine and heat slowly. Serve with more Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Back to the (Low Carb) Grind Again

After a few months of truly slacking off (meaning "eating lots of potatoes and sweets"), my doctor has chewed me out and said I need to get back in the low carb mode again. I can do it. I just need to plan better. Blogging about it is going to make it "public," and this should also help me get back on track.

The first thing I did after my doctor's visit was run to the grocery store to get lunch, since I need to stay away from all the fast food places near my office. (My office shares a building with the best fried chicken place in southern California, and it's so hard not to eat it when I smell it all the time!) I got a South Beach Diet frozen chicken meal. It was the Garlic Herb Chicken with Green Beans Almondine. Verdict: I have to start bringing lunch from home. I really didn't care for the chicken in this dish. The taste of rosemary was, in my opinion, overpowering. The chicken pieces were of good quality, though - not gristly or fatty. The green beans were okay. But I didn't finish all of this, so I'm filling up by drinking a Coke Zero. If you've never had one, because you've always drunk Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, you have to give Coke Zero a try. It really tastes non-diet. I don't know how they did it. But I don't taste the artificial sweetener in it like I do with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.

The second thing I did was go back to Kalyn's Kitchen. She's the queen of low carb cooking and eating. Really! I've already figured out the conundrum of what to do at my weekly Friday breakfast with my pals. Oatmeal. I like oatmeal. And Kopper Kettle makes a great oatmeal. I can bring my own Splenda to sweeten it, and I'll be good all morning. I could even bring in a little peanut butter to add to it, as Alanna does. Speaking of Alanna, that's another great place to go for ideas, as she can tell you how to cook any vegetable under the sun. I like vegetables, too, which is a good thing if I have to back off the potatoes again.

So, now that my lunch break is almost over, mind mind is whirling with lists and ideas, and I can't wait to get to the commissary for my monthly grocery trip on Saturday. If I pack the right foods for our camping trips, then I'll be fine. It's when we're home that I come up with all kinds of not-good-for-me treats. Don is glad I'm doing this - he's trying to lose a little weight and get back in shape, so we get to do this together.

Stay tuned! It'll be fun!

Lake Mead, Nevada and Some Great Fried Fish

With a week off for Thanksgiving, we returned to one of our favorite winter camping places, Lake Mead. Gary had moved his motorhome to Echo Bay since Overton Beach had closed, and he invited us there to do some fishing. (Well, he invited Don to do some fishing - I enjoyed hours and hours of uninterrupted stitching time.) The bucket above represents only one afternoon of fishing, and was turned into 4 meals' worth of boneless striper fillets - plus one catfish. We ate fried fish two nights, and brought home 5 meals' worth of fish. So now I need to share with you the best way to make fried fish! This is how Gary makes it.

Fried Fish (Striper or Catfish)

1 cup Stovetop Stuffing mix (any flavor)
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
8-10 boneless striped bass or catfish fillets
vegetable oil (about 1/2" deep in a large skillet)

Put stuffing mix in a plastic or brown paper bag. Use a rolling pin (a can of vegetables will do in a pinch!) to crush the cubes. Combine stuffing mix, cornmeal, and Mrs. Dash in a large bowl. Place flour in a large plastic or brown paper bag. Combine eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Shake fish fillets in flour until coated, and place in egg-milk bath. Then dredge in cornmeal-stuffing mixture, and add to hot oil. Fry until lightly browned on each side.

Sauteed Mushrooms

So simple to make, and so tasty. I used to make large pans of these, and the kids and Don and I fought over who would get the last one. I made these on our trip to Lake Mead last week - and we decided just one basket of mushrooms wasn't enough!

Sauteed Mushrooms

1 8-ounce box fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup red wine (any will do)
2 Tbsp dried onion (not fresh)
1 tsp beef or chicken bouillon

Combine all ingredients in a skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning mushrooms once, until wine is almost evaporated. Serve hot.

Bo Luc Lac Spaghetti

One of my favorite Asian dishes is Vietnamese - called Bo Luc Lac, or Shaking Beef. I normally get it at Le Basil, a Vietnamese/Asian restaurant in Redlands. Theirs is basically beef, sauteed in Maggi sauce with garlic and onion, and served over rice.

Craving that flavor, but also wanting some Dreamfields pasta, I made a variation of my Steak & Veggie Spaghetti last night. I used some low-sodium Tamari soy sauce, and didn't use the zucchini (mainly because I didn't have any). The result was a variation that I'll definitely repeat.

Bo Luc Lac Spaghetti

8 oz. spaghetti (I use Dreamfields since it's low-carb)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. sirloin, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed or put through press
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large bell pepper (any color), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup pimentos, diced (small jar)

While spagetti cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with soy sauce, and add to pan along with garlic. Cook very quickly (only about 2 minutes) and remove from pan. Add onion and bell pepper, and saute until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and pimentos, and cook another 2 minutes. Drain spaghetti, and add to vegetables along with meat mixture. Heat through.

We ate this last night with Parmesan, since that's what I do with the Steak & Veggie Spaghetti, but it's not critical. What was really good, however, was that we sprinkled crushed red pepper on it. At the restaurant, I add green hot sauce to my Bo Luc Lac, but the red pepper was just as tasty.

In Praise of the Clay Cooker

Many, many years ago I contemplated buying a Romertopf - a clay dish used for cooking meats, fruits and maybe even casseroles in the oven. I didn't. I had no clue how to use one, so I just didn't. Then about 10 years ago I attended a party for "Cookin' the American Way," a home party company similar to Pampered Chef. I bought an apple baker, which the consultant said would be great for meats. I put it up in the cabinet in my kitchen, and there it sat for 10 years.

Recently, a Famous Dave's Barbecue opened up in Redlands, and my husband and I go there occasionally for lunch. They have a roast chicken that's divine, and the waitress let us know about the seasoning that was available for sale. She told us to try doing the chicken in a clay baker, and refreshed my memory for how to use it.

Yesterday I decided to try the baker and the seasoning with a small pork roast. While the oven was preheating to 350˚, I soaked the lid in a large bowl of water. Note: Do NOT preheat the oven like I did. I learned from the commenter below, as well as recipe sites, that if you put a cold clay pot in a hot oven, it's likely to crack. I got lucky!!!! The inside of this one is glazed, so there's no need to oil it. I put the pork roast, some red potatoes, and some baby carrots in the baker, and sprinkled them with some of the seasoning from Famous Dave's. After about 20 minutes of soaking, I put the lid on and placed the dish in the oven. An hour and a half later, all was done. OH MY GOODNESS. I have NEVER had such tender, succulent roast pork. No matter how I've cooked it in the past, it has always come out tough and dry. The meat is so lean, that the experts on the Food Network recommend brining. No need with this cooker. This meat was juicy, cooked perfectly, and so tender you could cut it with a fork. It just melted in your mouth. The potatoes and carrots, which were left whole, were exactly right.

I'm looking forward to trying a roast chicken, and roast beef, and maybe even some ribs. Wow. I can't believe I've waited 35 years to try a clay cooker.