Rachael Ray Redux

I've Moved - But Rachael Ray's still on my new site!

2006-01-12T22:48:00.000-06:00

Check out my NEW SITE! When I started this site, I was using it to talk about Rachael Ray, post recipes, etc. I found that it limited what I wanted to talk about, so moved over to my new site, Merri Musings. The link above will point you to my section on all things Rachael Ray, but please feel free to explore the rest of my blog - I have a section called "Eat, Drink and be Merri" which is full of recipes, and the rest of my categories are more day-to-day, non-Rachael, non-food posts. I appreciate you stopping by here, but be sure to click that link and stop over at my new home. I also look forward to you marking "Merri Musings" as one of your favorite places to stop! Thanks! Merri

White Trash Vision

2005-03-30T20:10:00.000-06:00

Now, some of you done talk about my fine and speshul jus. Any of you who partake in my elixur will know that it can give you some mighty fine powers of pursepshun. Things have a way of turning out how you want it when you've done drunk yerself into a frezy. I've had some of my friends done talk about this. Here is what they spoke of: Family Pet Afore Dan's drank the speshul jus: Family Pet After Dan's bender: Ain't that some magic? How about this? This is my cuzin Beula Mae's boyfeller afore she drank the jus: And lookee what a little jus will do fer him: Well, it ain't much better, but she didn't drink enough, I reckon. A since this is more like a food site, I recon I should show you what that thare Preston tried to eat. He had been on an 8 hour drunkfest and thought he was eating this: This is what he actually chowed down on, and mind you it ain't purty: That damn Preston ate up Bit-Bit!!! Brittany, she was done pissed. But that nice feller, her man Federline got her another one. They named him Bite-Bite, in memery of dat traguty. Hmmm...I'll bet yer wonderin' why I put that damn picture there. Well, just gotta say I've had a coupln nips of the juice myself and find that picture to be, well, just damn freaky. Looks like my idiut ex, but my ex had the eyes tattooed right on his face. Now, doncha all know that ole Hector loves a lookin' at them girly magazines. He had a few chugs of my magic jus and thought he was lookin' at this: You may not have this learnin of Hector, but the poor boy can't read - not enough skoolin' for him. So here he goes thinkin' he's lookin' at a mighty fine piece of girlflesh and he actually picked up a copy of "I'm an Ugly Girl Dog:" Now lastly, my ole man done decided that he wanted to get us a new home. Afore he and me drank my magic poshion, this is what our new surroundings looked like: Now ain't that just a nightmare to yer eyes. Thank the good man upstairs we had ourselves a whole gallon of my joy jus. Once we drank it, our home looked much better: Ahhhhhhh....now THAT's livin large, ain't it? Love, Ray Dawn

John Cusimano - Rachael Ray's MAN

2005-03-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

There are a lot of people hitting my site due to their search for photos or information on John Cusimano, Rachael Ray's husband-to-be. He does vocals and guitar for his band "The Cringe" so I thought I would include a link to the band's bio page. John's picture is the one on the left. ENJOY! http://www.thecringeband.com/bios.htm

Sweet Pie Pastry Recipe

2005-03-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

This pie crust is AWESOME for fresh strawberry pie, or for a multitude of other pie recipes that contain sweet filling (apple, pumpkin, etc.). This recipe will make a top and bottom crust. Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 c + 2 tbsp butter, chop into very small pieces 1/4 c + 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 large egg Instructions Cut butter into flour with fork or pastry cutter. Lightly mix in sugar and egg to get smooth dough. Put ball of dough into plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. You will want to follow the pie recipe's instructions for baking time/temp. If you are blind baking (baking the pie with no filling) you will want to preheat your oven to 425 degrees (put a cookie sheet in while preheating). Place the rolled out dough into the pie pan. You will want to add a piece of parchment paper and pie weights (I use a bag of kidney beans and fill it approximately 1/3 of the way up). Bake for 20 minutes. When done, remove crust from the oven, pull weights and parchment paper out of the pie shell. Prick the pie all over the bottom and the sides with a fork. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool before filling.

It's Berry Pie Time!

2005-03-28T21:38:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year! One of my absolute favorite fruits is the strawberry, and they are now in season - and awesome! For Easter dinner, I made my family a fresh strawberry pie and thought I'd share this AWESOME recipe with you! Ingredients 1 baked pie shell (I recommend a sweet pie pastry - I will post this recipe as well!) 1/2 quart fresh slice strawberries (I used two plastic containers full) 1 cup sugar 1 cup boiling water 3 1/2 tbsp corn starch 4 tbsp strawberry Jello Instructions Place strawberries in the pie shell. Mix sugar, water, corn starch and jello over low heat until it boils. Remove mixture from heat and cool 15 - 20 minutes. Pour mixture over berries and chill 4 - 6 hours. I serve it with a spoon (or two!) of Cool Whip. YUMMMMMMMY!

How Jedi Are You?

2005-03-28T19:21:00.000-06:00

:: how jedi are you? :: I thought this was a cute little quiz - and can't help that I like the Star Wars movies! In light of III coming out in May, thought I'd take the quiz....I am Yoda. HEHEHEHEHEH Thanks, Emma! UPDATE: I know I'm probably behind the times, but the trailers at www.starwars.com are awesome. You should check them out!

A Joyous Easter to You!

2005-03-27T01:13:00.000-06:00

I'm bleary-eyed as I finish up my Easter Sunday preparations! Easter baskets are ready, the Easter bunny stopped by to deliver those and to hide the eggs. I know the kids are going to be so excited in the morning! I've got one cake done, pie dough in the fridge, deviled eggs ready to be, um, deviled and strawberries ready to be put into a pie. So many of these things tradition that was set when I was a girl. I'm so happy to share them with my kids and hope they can carry on some of those traditions. This is also a time to reflect on faith. With the passing of my mom in January, I have experienced so many things that affirm my belief that we are all here for a purpose much greater than we can imagine. I firmly believe that there is something beyond this life on earth. God bless you and your family this Easter and always. May you find a moment to reflect on life and its blessings.

Hick - White Trash Poet Extraordinaire

2005-03-23T19:52:00.000-06:00

I have this neighbor named Bette who dun lives across the way. Awhile ago, she sent me this right nice note about how us White Trash folks are infultratin' all necks of society, even high falootin' society. This is what she sent to me: The National Poetry Contest had come down to the final two contestants, a Yale graduate and a redneck (also known as White Trash iffin you didn't know that) from Texas. They were given a word, then they were allowed two minutes to study the word and come up with a poem that contained the word. The word that they were given was "Timbuktu." First to recite his poem was the Yale graduate. He stepped to the microphone and said: Slowly across the desert sand Trekked a lonely caravan; Men on camels, two by two Destination Timbuktu. The crowd went crazy! No way could the redneck top that, they thought. The redneck calmly made his way to the microphone and recited: Me and Tim a huntin' went. Met three women in a pop up tent. They was three, and we was two, So I bucked one, and Timbuktu. The redneck won hands down!! See! I done tole you that we'd perversere (oh hell, we'd win)! Ain't no high society trash person gonna win with our wit and worldyness.

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume X

2005-03-23T19:46:00.000-06:00

So ya'll, I'm a bit right late for my White Trash Wednesday bloggin - but don't ya reckon it's still Wednesday somewhere? Please pay a visit to my extended, inbred family over thar on yer right afore my paw gets his sawed-off mind-changer! Love, Ray Dawn

Real Life Wuz Here...

2005-03-21T13:14:00.000-06:00

Hi All, Seems as though I took a bit of a break from blogging (since Wednesday...ack!). In assessing the past few days, my only excuse is "real life." My hubby had his first run as a den leader for my son's Cub Scout Den (Den 1 - woo hoo!) and since it was at our house we had some fun getting the place presentable. I also made some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for the boys. Gotta keep that KitchenAid motor humming! Lastly, I can't seem to focus much because of the events in Florida regarding Terri Schiavo. Who wants to think about recipes and cooking when this poor woman is being murdered by her own husband when all she needs to sustain her life is food and drink, just like you and me? My hubby is blogging like mad on his site about it and I encourage you to check it out. Blogging is a powerful thing and he stands keyboard-to-keyboard with hundreds of other bloggers who are equally as concerned and shouting out. Terri is in my prayers and thoughts every waking moment of the day. I can only imagine what she is going through right now, and am pissed off that one man thinks that he can terminate his own wife's life in an effort, I believe, to cover something up and to allow him to no longer live an adulterous life (I mean, he does have another "common law" wife and two children - he sure doesn't talk about *that* much in public, does he?). He'll face the true judge at the end of his life here on earth and be judged appropriately - no Florida judge for him! I will be back soon - blogging my heart out. Thanks for hanging with me! :-)

Road Kill Cookin' - Water Fowl

2005-03-16T06:07:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share with you some recipes for White Trash Delicacies. Your chances of hitting water fowl are few unless you hit those parts of the backwoods that have swamplands or some other watery place. I reckon you would be best off iffin you borrowed BillyBob's 4x4 to wade through all that. Here's some bodacious bites that will set your heart aflight: Dakota Duck Remove breasts from the ducks you've "purchased." Put in the glovebox and go home. Soak in a beer bath for several days in the styrofoam cooler you borrowed from Aunt Helen. Mix a couple eggs, salt, pepper, and dip meat in mixture. Roll in crushed saltines here - use them "extra" packs you can get at the fast food joints in town. Fry 'em up in hot oil until they is brown, but make sure it gets cooked thru. There ain't nothin' gives you the scoots like undercooked water fowl! Serve on a bed of Ramen Noodles or store brand mac 'n cheese.... mmmmmMMM! Goodyear Goose Simple. Fry that bad boy up in a nice turkey fryer. Hell - "purchase" a couple of 'em - your turkey fryer's got room!

Use all yer Parts, cuz Parts is Parts

Lastly, I wanted to share with you fine folks that every part of your animal can get used when you are roadkill shopping. My Uncle Ernie, he done "purchased" him a cow (my uncle is the king of roadkill shoppin' - he done got this cow with a mini cooper - wasn't his mini cooper, don'tcha know, but boy howdy!). When he brought it home, his old lady went to work, and made sure she done used all the parts. Aunt Janine's hard work paid off:

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume IX

2005-03-15T21:26:00.000-06:00

Yup! It's that time agin, boys and girls. Me and my kin are celebratin' our heritage and our double-wides. Please join us tomorrow for another episode of "White Trash Wednesday." This comes to you from my cousin's on the right. No dummy, your other right. Use that scroll bar! Thar ya go! See ya'll tomorrow!

Rachael's Linguini with White Clam Sauce

2005-03-14T20:46:00.000-06:00

Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray I tried this recipe on my husband a while back and was very impressed (so was he). Now that I think about it, I should make it again soon - it was fantastic! Ingredients 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tin flat fillet of anchovies, drained, 6 or 7 fillets 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 4 or 5 sprigs stripped or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup clam juice or chicken stock 1 can (15 ounces) fancy whole baby clams 1 lemon, zested 1 pound linguini, slightly undercooked, about 6 to 7 minutes 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves Lots of black pepper and some coarse salt Crusty bread, for mopping Instructions Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan in a slow stream, red pepper flakes, garlic and anchovies and cook until anchovies melt into the oil. Add thyme and wine. Reduce wine 1 minute. Add clam juice or stock, clam juice will give the dish a stronger clam flavor, chicken stock will give it a buttery personality. Stir in clams and lemon zest. Drain pasta. Add to skillet and toss with sauce 2 to 3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and has absorbed some of the sauce and flavor. Add parsley, pepper and salt, to your taste and serve with bread for mopping up remaining juices. Enjoy!

Taco Cheesecake Recipe

2005-03-10T21:52:00.000-06:00

I was trying to organize some of my recipes tonight, and came across this one. If you ever need to bring a dish to a potluck or if you are having "Mexican food night" at your house, this recipe is AWESOME. It travels well and it is gone in no time! Ingredients & Instructions Mix together 1 cup crushed nacho chips (I use Doritos) 3 tbsp butter Press this crust onto bottom of 9" springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix together 2 packages of cream cheese (bricks), softened 2 eggs Add to this mixture 1/2 (or to taste) package of taco seasoning 1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies 1 package shredded taco cheese (I use the 4-cheese Mexican style cheese) Pour the mixture onto the crust and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the cheesecake has cooled, remove from springform pan and place in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving and spread with sour cream. Add chopped green onion, tomatoes, black olives to garnish (I chop them very fine). Serve with chips (I use the new Tostitos Gold since they are nice and sturdy). Enjoy!

A White Trash Vacation

2005-03-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Me and my family just got us back from our family vacation. We shore nuff enjoyed ourselves, other than a few little mishaps along the way. I done thought I'd share with all my buddies our pictures of the trip - iffin you'd like to go thar sometime yerself. My old man and I wanted to take the kids somewhere right special. We loaded up the truck and headed out on our road trip. We took us some cheese curls and bologna sandwiches to tide us over. My old man wouldn't let me drive, but I did get to change the tire on Bertha - our truck. He calls her Bertha cuz she is such a smooth ride he says. We kept driving and driving, and finally felt like the bologna and cheese curls weren't helping any more, so we stopped at our favorite eating spot "The Greasy Spoon." This was done out in the middle of nowhere, but boy do they serve up some mighty good chow. We were about to our destination when we saw a sign for the Boxcar Willie Museum. Only by the grace of God (and a bunch of 8-tracks) are we getting by in this world since Boxcar left us in 1999. We had to go in. My fondest treasure is of this picture of Boxcar's beauty told in a wax statue: Whilst I never did want to leave, my old man reminded me that the kids really needed to get to our vacation spot since riding in the back of Bertha gave them some darn awful windburn (not to mention the bag of cheese curls that blew out of Willie's hand and struck the window of the car behind us). Then, there it was. A beautiful sight - a sight that even Boxcar's Museum paled in comparison. The Billy the Kid Museum. What I knew of the Billy the Kid Museum was the stuff of stories while us younguns gathered aroun' old Papy's knees. And everything he said was true. I even got to see Billy's burial marker. But most importantly, I got to see the 6 legged calf my Papy was buggeyed about. He was so right that you could stare at that stuff forever. Well, we decided to set up camp for the night and stayed at the KOA. We love sleeping in the back of Bertha under the stars. I will say that next time I'm bringing the calomine lotion, damn chiggers. Next mornin' we decided to head back. It was cloudy out so the younguns could avoid any more sunburn. 'bout an hour into the trip, we came across a carnival - one of them traveling kinds with the rides you love to be on because it may be their last run, if you know what I'm saying. Sure adds a thrill! Anyway, we met Eugene and Willie in the midway. They sure gave the kids some nice prizes, although I had to say no to the 6' stuffed banana. Smile purty for the cameras, ya'll! Well, as you can reckon, me an my gang were dog tired. About an hour before home, the old man was hankerin' for something to wet his whistle. We were so excited to see a store at the top of the hill. We went in and there it was. The light was shining down on it so bright you'd have thunk it was on stage. My old man hadn't seen it for years and now, here it was. Mad Dog 20/20. Flavors upon flavors. The bottles all lined up so neatly, kept cold for him. We got him a bottle of each kind. My old man was so excited he even got me a bottle of Strawberry Hill, my favorite. But I couldn't help thinking how some of that exotic lookin' MD 20/20 would taste and I could only hope the old man would give me a sip when we got home. Well, we did get home, which is why I could share this will you fine folks. I reckon you must be mighty jealous of our expedition. But next time, we'll save some room for ya'll. Love, Ray Dawn

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume VIII

2005-03-08T22:03:00.000-06:00

Howdy ya'll! The gang is back tomorrow for another episode of White Trash Wednesday where us hicks get to make fun of our roots. Please join my fellow trash as noted on the right and kick back for some rip-roarin' fun!

Rachael Ray Factoids

2005-03-06T12:15:00.000-06:00

One of the things I do as a blogger is to scope out how people find their way to my site. While, of course, Rachael Ray's name is my number one draw, closely following are items such as "Rachael Ray knife? or "Rachael Ray married?" or "Rachael Ray birthday?" or "Rachael Ray's ass?" Well, after some investigating, I thought I could help out those looking for her knife, her birth date or her martial status. I'm sorry for those of you looking for her ass - that's something quite personal and I don't think I can help! You might try to find that FHM photo shoot she was in - I always see it on eBay. Is Rachael Ray married? Not just yet. She is, however, engaged to be married to John Cusimano (he is a member of the band "The Cringe"). I've seen a few reports that they will be getting married in Tuscany / Italy and it will either be in the summer or the fall of 2005. When is Rachael Ray's birthday? Every bio I have seen lists her birthday as August 25, 1968 (a child of the 80s, just like me!). What Knife Does Rachael Ray Use? Well, prior to 2005 shows, she was using a Wusthof Santoko knife with a double hollow edge and grand Prix handle, as I described in my first post to this site. I was proud of the fact that I owned her favorite knife (I found it on eBay!). Well, in seeing the most recent 2005 episodes of "30 Minute Meals" I have seen her using the new knives from Wustof's latest collection - Culinar. It appears she uses Culinar's version of a santoko knife (oriental chef's knife) and it appears to also have a double hollow edge. The handle is sweet - sleek and smooth. Okay, I admit I'm drooling. I'm using the "Cadillac" of knives currently, but can't help but drool for the "Hummer" of knives! I hope this helps out those of you who have found my site via these searches. I also encourage you to look around - there are some great tasting and simple recipes I have collected and shared here! If you have anything you are interested in seeing, don't hesitate to drop me a comment or an email!

Cheese & Broccoli Topping/Dip Recipe

2005-03-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

This has to be one of the best recipes for an appetizer or as a side dish (paired with potatoes) to bring to a family dinner or potluck. I've been hounded for the recipe time and again. Ingredients 2 packages Kraft Garlic & Cheese Tubes* 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 box frozen chopped broccoli 1/2 stick butter Instructions Microwave all ingredients together or heat in a small crock pot. *the cheese tubes are found with the refrigerated cheese - I find mine at Super Wal-Mart My 2 cents: This is awesome served over cubed Italian bread or cubed Vienna bread. You could also dip veggies, crackers or melba toast. Lastly, this is an AMAZING topping for baked potatoes. It would also taste great served over roasted, cubed potatoes. Enjoy!

White Trash Wednesday: Cocktails for the Common Folk

2005-03-02T06:09:00.000-06:00

Who has got the time to prepare them damn fruity drinks - blenders, ice, little umbrellas and a twist of lime? Ain't the purpose of drinkin' liquor to get drunk? Why waste yer time mixing all that stuff up when I can get you some simple recipes. Stuff you need to have that will allow you to get drunk: 1 glass or empty mason jar (I like them big ole mason jars - holds a lot of spirit iffin I do say) water out of the hose or the sink, depending on where you sit a big ole bottle of booze Here's recipes that'll get you to your pink elephant reality real quick like: Jack Daniels & Water Pour a few glugs of good ole JD in your mason jar. Add a splash of water. Drink. Wild Turkey & Water Pour a few glugs of that Wild Turkey in your mason jar (once your JD is gone). Add a splash of water. Drink until gone. Mad Dog 20/20 Hell with the mason jar and water. Pour that smooth stuff right into your mouth from that bottle. Drink until gone, makin' sure you don't spill none. Store Brand Scotch Get the cheapest damn scotch you can find. Sit in your chair. Drink right out of the bottle until gone. Chase it up with a shot of water, iffin you are still awake at this point. Who needs those confarndit cityfolk concoctions? We got the stuff dreams are made of right here!

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume VII

2005-03-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

Ya'll, We're at it again, I say. If you look forward to shooting the s&!* with some of my cronies, please pull up a chair and your whittlin' knife for adventure you won't soon forget (unless Jack Daniels has something to say about it!). Please be sure to see all my White Trash friends on that list on yer right - no, yer other right.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Spears

2005-03-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

I have always been fond of asparagus. Until I tried this recipe, I had always stuck with the canned spears - I'm not particularly fond of "crisp" asparagus, so steaming really didn't do much for me. I saw an episode of "30 Minute Meals" with Rachael Ray - she did bacon-wrapped asparagus bundles. I had a slight variation on this theme by individually wrapping the spears in bacon and grilling them. Here's my recipe: Ingredients 1 bundle of fresh asparagus center cut bacon EVOO to coat salt and pepper to taste juice of one lemon Instructions Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears (they will give in the right place as you bend the spear). Coat with EVOO. Count the number of spears, and use enough bacon to allow for 1/2 strip of bacon to be wrapped around each spear. Wrap as tight as you can (I chose thin sliced bacon for this - it stretched a bit and remained snug). Season with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill, cooking until bacon is crisp and spears are tender. Toward end of cooking time, hit with the juice of the lemon. I served this with country style BBQ pork ribs and baked potatoes. Very tasty!

My eBay Auctions

2005-02-28T00:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, While I normally don't do much past recipes and White Trash Wednesday on Rachael Ray Redux, I feel very strongly in the ongoing causes for Terri Schiavo, and wanted to do something to contribute to the donations being collected to save her life. Here is the link to my auctions: My eBay auctions The proceeds (minus shipping, insurance and fees) that I get from the auctions that I sell from Sunday's listings will benefit Terri's cause. Please also see my husband's auctions, and his website, for more information on Terri Schiavo.

Merri's Pancake Recipe

2005-02-27T10:06:00.000-06:00

As we wrapped up breakfast today, I thought I could share my pancake recipe with you. My family really enjoys it. To quote my son, "Mommy....your pancakes are even better than CEREAL!" I hope you enjoy them just as much! Ingredients 2 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups milk (scant*) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tsp melted butter Instructions Sift the first three ingredients together. Add the eggs, stirring slightly. Gradually add in the milk, stirring (I use a fork or a whisk) until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and add the melted butter last, mixing until smooth. Heat a non-stick frying pan or a griddle to medium/medium-high heat. Pour desired amount of batter into pan (it will spread a bit), turn when bubbles form and start to pop. Cook other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings. I have to admit that my favorite toppings are a strange combination. When the pancake is piping hot I spread peanut butter lightly on it and it melts just like butter. I top it with maple syrup. It tastes AWESOME! *for those of you who are unfamilar with the terminology, "scant" means just short of the measurement. For this particular recipe, I put slightly less than 2 cups of milk into the batter.

Merri's Pan Shrimp Scampi

2005-02-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

I'm a mom who also has a full time, crazy job outside of the home. As was the case tonight, I got home at 6:30pm (work, pick up my daughter, stop at the store). I brought home some steak and shrimp, with the idea of finding a really good, quick shrimp scampi recipe out in the world. I didn't find anything simple enough, so I came up with my own version. I thought it turned out pretty good, and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy! Ingredients Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns around the pan 3-4 tbsp butter, cut into chunks 3 cloves garlic, crushed from skin, but not chopped 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled with tails on (pick any size you like - I used large) 1/2 tsp (or to taste) grill seasoning (or kosher salt and ground pepper to taste) 2-3 gentle shakes of ground cayenne pepper 2-3 gentle shakes of Old Bay Seasoning Juice of 1 lemon A handful of seasoned breadcrumbs A handful of grated Parmesan cheese Instructions Heat up large skillet and add the EVOO, butter and garlic. Let the garlic sweat a little, over medium high heat until it starts to soften, but does not brown. Add the shrimp, grill seasoning, cayenne pepper and Old Bay and cook shrimp until pink/white, tossing occasionally. Toward the end of cooking time, add the lemon juice and toss the shrimp again. You will see the sauce start to thicken nicely right away. Add the breadcrumbs (I added enough to lightly coat the shrimp once tossed) and the grated cheese. Toss the shrimp together and serve immediately. I served mine with a nice, pan seared bacon-wrapped filet. YUM!

When Trash Meets Seamen!

2005-02-23T06:10:00.000-06:00

I done saved my best recipe for last. My ole man, he used to be a seaman (you know, the boys in those doggone handsome sailor uniforms). He brought home this recipe for S*&% on a Shingle (S.O.S.). While I rectum ya'll might want to stick with the recipe since you aren't a gormet chef like myself, I will also say I use good old ground chuck instead of the chipped beef - that stuff can be damn pricey! S.O.S. (dedicated to my seaman) 5 oz. of dried or chipped beef 2 1/4 cups of milk 2 tbs. butter or fat 1/4 cup flour Salt and pepper 6 slices of bread, toasted Melt butter or fat in pan, then add the beef. Cook 3 minutes, or until brown. Add 2 cups of milk, but save the last 1/4 cup for later. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add flour to thicken, followed by leftover milk. Thicken to a glue-like texture, then pour over toast.

When Texas Meets Trash - Tortilla Weenie Wrap

2005-02-23T06:02:00.000-06:00

There ain't nothing easier than this recipe, I'll reckun with the exception of your sister Twila! Tortilla Weenie Wrap 1 hot dog 1 tortilla 1 piece of store brand sliced cheese product Put the cheese on top of the hot dog, wrap the tortilla around the works. Heat in the microwave until the cheese melts and the hot dog is warm (around a minute, dependin' on how old that there microwave is). You can dip it into some taco sauce. I make it simple by using those, uh, left over packets from Taco Bell. Deeelish, ya'll!

When East Meets Trash - Hot Dog Fried Rice

2005-02-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

There ain't no one outta there that can say we don't know how to cook a good meal loaded with culture. We ain't nobodys just cuz we don't have them fancy knives like that broad Rachael Ray (although she does have a garbage bowl - same as a trash bowl, I reckun!). I like livin' classy and you can too, by serving up this meal that all yer family will not soon fergit. Hot Dog Fried Rice 3-4 Hot Dogs, cut up into chunks (1 serving for each person ya'll are cooking for) Minute Rice, cooked, enough for all of your eaters An onion, chopped up Some Soy Sauce (I use the packets from that Chinese diner in the mall) Some eggs, scrambled Take the hot dogs and fry 'em up in a pan. Add the onion and sweat it out (fancy talk, ain't it?). Put the rice in the pan and stir it all up with that soy sauce. Once that's all done, then throw in your eggs, and let them cook until done. There you have it. If yer kin don't usually like Fried Rice, since there's hot dogs in there, you can serve it with some catsup and relish, if they like that kind of thing. I usually follow it up with a fortune cookie from that there Chinese diner we talked about earlier. Or a Ding Dong - they are good with everything!

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume VI

2005-02-22T21:46:00.000-06:00

We're at it again! Me and my hillbilly friends invite you to pull up a chair and drink a shot of Cactus Juice as we roll out another "White Trash Wednesday!" Please visit the trailers of my kin - I done listed their locales off on the lower right of this here page! See ya'll tomorrow!

Mexican Chef Salad

2005-02-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is a great recipe for a salad my sister made when I was growing up. It sure brings back memories! Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef 1 small to medium onion, chopped fine 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped 1 packet of taco seasoning 1 can of chili beans, a little of the juice drained 1 head of lettuce, chopped into salad sized pieces 3-4 small tomatoes, chopped into pieces 1 package of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican 4-cheese, but you can use any you prefer) 1 small bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos (not the super size) Instructions Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in skillet. Add the taco seasoning during the browning process. Mix in the can of chili beans, heat through. In very large bowl, toss together lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add the beef/bean mixture, mixing thoroughly. Right before serving, crush down the Doritos, and add to the mixture, coating completely. Serve in large bowls. You can serve with Ranch dressing, sour cream, green onions, guacamole, salsa, or any other topping you like.

Roasted Garlic Recipe

2005-02-19T23:05:00.000-06:00

My dad and I have often joked about the fact that we must have Italian ancestry through his family - we both love Italian food! We'll never know for sure - Dad was adopted - but decided it doesn't matter anyway, because we'll eat like we are. For me, I am always seeking out Italian style recipes that are new, bold and fun to learn. One element that I discovered in many of the new dishes I found was roasted garlic. I looked awhile before I found a roasted garlic recipe that I liked and was easy to do. What's so good about roasted garlic? Garlic has a pretty bad reputation for being bitey, smelly and overpowering, right? Well, roasting garlic will mellow out the flavor and aroma, while developing a flavor that is incredible - sweeter and much more subtle than its raw form. Many of the dishes you see in restaurants that have a garlic cream sauce (or a cream sauce of any kind, at times) will be made with roasted garlic. Additionally, it is unbelievable what roasted garlic will do to a nice garlic bread (I'm drooling just thinking about it!) - and you can even spread it like butter on a piece of crusty bread. Trust me on this - this is a good recipe to have in your hip pocket to pull out as needed. Ingredients 1 head of fresh garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - aka EVOO - (no substitutes), enough to coat Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the head of garlic into individual cloves. Do not peel the skin off. Place the cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil and toss them in a teaspoon or two of EVOO (just enough to coat the cloves). Fold the foil into an airtight pouch and place in the oven for about 30-45 minutes (I put on a cookie sheet "just in case"). When the garlic is done, and cooled a bit, simply squeeze it out of the skin - the flesh should just slide out simply - like toothpaste. Use it in your favorite recipes, or you can refrigerate in an airtight container for a few days.

Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joes

2005-02-19T22:48:00.000-06:00

So, for a long time I used to crack open a can of sloppy joe sauce and mix it with some hamburger for a quick meal for the family. Then I saw the "30 Minute Meals" episode where Rachael made these homemade sloppy joes. They are awesome. The flavor is so much better and doesn't have that processed taste the canned versions do. Rachael also shared her potato salad recipe on the show, which is an excellent compliment to sloppy joes. I do have to say I believe my potato salad recipe is better - sorry Rachael! Once you make these sloppy joes, you will have a hard time going back to the canned stuff, I promise! Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan 1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning 1 medium onion, chopped 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 cups tomato sauce 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted and buttered (I don't butter mine as a preference) Instructions Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. My Two Cents: I recommend chopping the onion and red peppers fairly small - then you can get the kids to get their vegetables in because they won't even know they are eating them! recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Me and My Old Man, a White Trash Love Story

2005-02-16T07:22:00.000-06:00

Many of you wanted to know the real story 'bout how me'n my old man met. Well, I'll do my best, but it's so hard to 'ticulate in writing our amazing love story. Welp, here goes... Me and my old man met in Hi-Vue Trailer Park during a tornado. Those underground shelters are good for something after all! Well, that is until Ma and Pa got a bit upset after we didn't come out for awhile. Talk about a shotgun weddin'! It wasn't long after this picture was taken of Ma and Pa that the old man and me discovered we were gonna be a Ma and Pa, too. Here we are on our weddin' day. That Brittany and Kevin Federline ain't got nothing on us! Fast forward 5 kids later, and about 20 dogs, we're doing just fine, even with that little paternity show we went on with Jerry Springer. I told the ole man that Earl was his kid - hell he had his dumbo ears'n everything, but Jerry worked it out for us. Well, I guess that's thar another story. Here's a picture of some of our pooches getting their baths: For $10 for the lot of them, you can't blame us for hiring George and Geraldine - they wash 'em all up in less than an hour. Anyway, me and my ole man is doing fine. I got to thinking about Valentine's Day and how romantic he has been. He's got me some pretty amazing stuff to honor our love. Some I can think of is a new Jello mold (shaped like a razorback, our favorite mascot!), Spam flavored condoms, gift certificates to the Wal-Mart snack bar, and some grease for that squeaky front door hinge. I've got him some pretty darn nice stuff, too, including some new cinderblocks for the trailer, some clear floormats for the old Ford and a tattoo on my right ass cheek with a picture of his favorite pet pig "PicNic." This year's Valentine's Day was really special. Our old trailer was a shambles, and instead of fixin' her up, my old man got me a new one. Look at this...it's out and out purty: We just had Uncle Eustus haul the old one away and within the day, we were set up. What a great Valentine's Day! So, given I cook and all, I thought I'd set him up with an extra special Valentine's Day spread. I figger, a way to a man's heart is through his tummy, lest that's what Mamma said. Here's a picture of our meal (the old man likes Coors Lite tallboys and I like wine...spam is our favorite, iffin you didn't already know that): So, that about sums it up for a most beautiful relationship, don'tcha think? My next journal entry will probably be about my Uncle Eustus. He needs to go find himself. He's got interesting choices for dates since Aunt Pearl passed away.

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume V

2005-02-16T07:21:00.000-06:00

We're at it again! Me and my hillbilly friends invite you to pull up a chair and drink a little Mad Dog with us as we roll out another "White Trash Wednesday!" Beautiful Atrocities Cranky Neocon Cry Freedom Dangerous Logic Fistful of Fortnights Fragile Darkness Hector Vex's Infotainment It Is What It Is MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Rachael Ray Redux Riehl World View Six Meat Buffet The Ebb & Flow Institute The Jawa Report The LLama Butchers Vince Aut Morire

Cooking 'Round the Clock by Rachael Ray

2005-02-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

I got a copy of this book for Valentine's Day. Okay, so my 3 year old daughter, who knows I like Rachael Ray, just happened to see it on the shelf, walked over and said "Momma - there's Rachael Ray for you." I took it as an invitation.

I've had a chance to glance over this book, and love it. The book is designed to be a companion to Rachael's Food Network show "30 Minute Meals." What I like about it is that it's not all about full meals - there are muchies as well as full-blown dinners in the book. It is themed by hours of the day - breakfast, brunch, late night, etc.

The main reason I enjoy Rachael Ray is for her approach to cooking - simple, quick and full of flavor. This book chronicles many recipes that meet that standard. I'm including one of my favorites:

Bacon-Wrapped shrimp and Scallops

Ingredients:

12 jumbo shrimp (16-20 count per pound), raw, peeled and deveined 12 large sea scallops, trimmed and well drained Grated zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon flavored oil* 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (Montreal Seasoning by McCormick), or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 12 slices center-cut bacon, cut in half toothpicks 3 scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place shrimp and scallops in a shallow dish or bowl. Dress seafood with lime zest and juice, oil, grill seasoning blend, and red pepper flakes. Wrap each shrimp and scallop in a half-slice of bacon. Wrap each shrimp working from head to tail, pulling bacon snugly around the shrimp. Wrap the bacon around the outside of each scallop. Fasten bacon in place as necessary with toothpicks.

Arrange shrimp and scallops on a slotted baking pan, such as a broiler pan, to allow draining while bacon crisps. Bake shrimp and scallops until shrimp is pink and curled, scallops are opaque, and bacon is crisp, 10 to 14 minutes (shrimp may finish before the scallops).

Arranged cooked seafood on platter and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

*Rachael's recipe calls for toasted sesame oil, but I don't care for it due to its very strong odor/flavor. I recommend really any flavored oil. I use one that is flavored with garlic, ginger and chile, if I use flavored oil. The bacon gives it such flavor you could use just a regular, light colored oil.

Have Your Cake & Eat It, Too!

2005-02-14T21:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm not necessarily known for doing a lot of baking - I'm more a cook than a baker. I agree with Rachael Ray - cooking is more of an art (a dash here, a dash there) and baking is more of a science (exact measurements). I'd much rather throw something together than measure it! But this cake is very simple, and it is SOOO good. It is especially good when you are missing summer - with the mandarin orange and pineapple, it is like a slice of 80 degree weather, sunshine and tanning oil! Mandarin Orange Cake Ingredients for Cake: 1 box yellow cake mix 1 can mandarin oranges and juice 3/4 cups oil 4 eggs Instructions for Cake: Mix all ingredients well, and pour into 9x13" lightly greased pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool completely. Ingredients for Frosting: 9 ounces of Cool Whip 1 small box instant vanilla pudding 1 large can crushed pineapple & juice Instructions for Frosting: Mix together with spoon and let sit a few minutes. Frost cake and refrigerate.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2005-02-14T21:29:00.000-06:00

...to all my readers! I hope your day was a good one! I had a chance to cook my hubby a nice dinner last night (we celebrated a day early) - cooked him a nice ribeye steak and some jumbo spicy garlic shrimp with a baked potato. He doesn't like mushrooms, but I made some mushrooms with garlic and other seasonings to compliment my steak. YUM! I got him a 2-year subscription to Limbaugh Letter for Valentine's Day and he got me this. What a sweet guy!

Chili Verde Recipe

2005-02-10T21:47:00.000-06:00

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

As many of you are aware, I lost my mom to cancer in late January 2005. This is one of my favorite recipes of Momma's that I had the priviledge to learn prior to her passing. Here's to you, Momma! Ingredients: oil (such as canola, vegetable or corn oil) to cover bottom of large pot 1.5 pounds of good steak (the kind you'd grill, so it can get tender), cut into 1" pieces kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 jalepeno, ribs & seeds removed, chopped (or more to suit the "burn factor") 2 small cans of diced green chiles 36-oz of diced tomatoes (however many cans this takes - I get to used home canned...YUM!) 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces Instructions: Heat large pot over medium high heat. Once hot, pour in oil. Add batches of cubed steak, seasoning with salt and pepper, cooking each batch until browned (you want to cook in batches, or you won't get decent browning - I usually break it into thirds, reserving the cooked meat on a plate). Once all batches are cooked and removed from the pot, add the garlic, onion and jalepeno, cooking until the onions are tender (this also allows you to get those yummy "bits" from the bottom of the pan). Once the vegetables are tender, add the meat back to the pan, stirring. At this point, add the diced green chiles and tomatoes, juice included. Bring the mixture up to a bowl, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After this, add the diced potatoes and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Bring back up to a boil, cover and simmer another 30-40 minutes, removing the lid the last 10 or so minutes of cooking. Serve with warm tortillas for dipping (or for making "burritos"). My two cents: My mother grew up in New Mexico and lived in Texas many years. This dish was one of her best, and even though it seems like it might take awhile, it is worth the wait. This is a recipe I will pass down to my children. It is just that wonderful!

Curbside Cat "Poopsie"

2005-02-09T05:32:00.000-06:00

Recipe Courtesy of Buck Peterson Preparations: 1. Skin & clean "Poopsie" like you would a squirrel. 2. Stuff cavity with dressing & tie front legs back & back legs forward 3. Lay breast down in low baking pan, uncovered, with bacon stips across back. 4. Roast at 325 degrees for one hour, remove and make gravy from drippings. 5. As you dig in, recall all the midnight howling and torn garbage bags. Mmmmmm....good fixin's! You remember the "Meow Mix" Jello mold that ole lady brought to dinner at the Griswold's in "Christmas Vacation?" What a perfect compliment to this main course!

Squirrel - Treetop Tidbit Stew

2005-02-09T05:31:00.000-06:00

Recipe Courtesy of Buck Peterson Preparation: 1. Cut up squirrel carcass into 4 pieces. 2. Brown pieces in oleo 3. Cover with water, season very lightly. 4. Simmer until almost done. 5. Add diced, sliced, shredded favorite vegetables. 6. Mix 1/2 cup water and 6 tablespoons flower and thicken brew. 7. Now cook until done. I serve this with a fine dessert of twinkies or ho-ho's. Sometimes a nice warm poptart will top it off nicely! Also, don't forget the heel of a loaf of Wonder bread - dip it in the brew and you'll be in heaven!

White Trash Cooking - Preparations for Road Kill Shoppin'

2005-02-09T05:30:00.000-06:00

Now Ya'll - I know what you are thinking....that the idea of eatin' road kill is just a myth. Well, I'm here to prove you wrong. I have a bible here at my double-wide, and it is called "The Original Road Kill Cookbook." My buddy "Buck" Peterson compiled this book. 'afore I give you any recipes, you must prepare for your adventures in the discovery of fresh road kill quisine. Here are a few pointers from our friend Buck: Where to Shop (automobile required, rusty truck preferred): Near Water Near a Game Refuge Around Deer Crossings Near Heavy Cover (you know - trees, cornfields!) What you Should Put in the, um, Shopping Cart (Yeah, the Family Truckster): Chainsaw Shovel C.B. (what good person doesn't have a C.B.?) Rope Canvas or Tarp *Note - there are other less obvious necessities according to Buck - like enough gas to get you quickly home. Once loaded, don't speed and give the "badges" a chance to score your booty, though! Here's a link to Buck's webpage - iff'n you want to order any of his books. Be looking for some mighty tasty recipes coming up, courtesy of his "Road Kill Cookbook."

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume IV

2005-02-08T22:18:00.000-06:00

Hi ya'll, If you've visited my site over the last month, you will know all about "White Trash" Wednesdays - a time about a dozen of us bloggers get together and poke a little fun at our families, heritage and something close to my heart - the food we eat! Just to prepare you for tomorrow - think "Road Kill." YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Here's a list of participating blogs. Just e-mail if you'd like to join in the fun! Beautiful Atrocities Cranky Neocon Dangerous Logic Fist Full of Fortnights Hectorvex It Is What It Is The Jawa Report MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Rachael Ray Redux Riehl World View Six Meat Buffet Vince Aut Morire

Salmon Patties Recipe

2005-02-07T20:58:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, this is one of the few ways I can get my kids to eat fish - it is so tasty, and a favorite of my family since I was a little girl. Ingredients: vegetable oil (or similar light oil), enough to cover bottom of large skillet 2 6-oz cans of skinless, boneless pink salmon (or one regular size, with skin/bone removed) 10 saltine crackers, crushed 2-3 large eggs kosher salt and pepper to taste Instructions: Preheat large skillet over mid to high heat. Drain the salmon and add to large bowl. Crush the crackers into the bowl. Add salt/pepper and 2 of the eggs. Mix together with a spoon. The mixture should be quite moist, but allow you to form patties. If it is still dry, add the additional egg. If the mixture is too moist to make patties, then add a couple more crackers at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Form into patties of uniform thickness. Add oil to the skillet and then place the patties into the oil. Cook on both sides until a nice, golden brown crust forms on both sides. Remove from the skillet and drain on a couple of paper towels. My two cents: You can serve this with most anything - typically we serve it with fried potatoes or french fries, but you can also serve it with macaroni and cheese or a nice rice dish. I've seen some people use a cocktail sauce for dipping, and even tartar sauce. It also makes a nice sandwich!

Get the Breathmints!

2005-02-03T23:12:00.000-06:00

I have got to say one of my most favorite items in the food world is garlic. I love it with meat, with pasta, with potatoes, with most everything (unless we're talking dessert!). I'd like to share two recipes, courtesy of Rachael Ray, that are easy to fix, and are easily served together due to their common theme - garlic! 4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp Ingredients 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan 4 cloves of garlic, crushed away from skin 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact 2 tsp grill or steak seasoning blend (Montreal Seasoning by McCormick is best!) 1 lemon, jested and juiced 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves (a handful) Instructions Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add EVOO, garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Season with grill seasoning (you can also use course salt and fresh ground pepper) and cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink. Toss with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley. Remove shrimp to a serving platter, leaving the garlic cloves in the pan. Roast Potatoes with Rosemary (and GARLIC!) Ingredients 2 pounds small potatoes (baby Yukon gold or red skins) 6 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin 2-3 tbsp EVOO (enough to just coat the potatoes) 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 500 degrees or highest setting. Halve the potatoes and place on cookie sheet (I line mine with Reynolds Wrap Foil - makes for easier clean up!). Combine with garlic. Coat potatoes and garlic with oil and season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place on lower rack of oven and roast 20-25 minutes, turning potatoes once (around 12 minutes). Continue roasting until golden and crisp at edges. Enjoy!

WTW Presents: All Day Spam!

2005-02-02T01:23:00.000-06:00

Whodathunk that I would have waited this long to give you some great ideas for using SPAM? Spam is so versitile, and will easily fit into your budget. You should always have a few cans of this bodacious potted meat on hand! Breakfast: SPAM 'n EGGS Ingredients: 1 can of Classic SPAM 6-8 eggs, scrambled salt and pepper to taste Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste (optional) 2-3 slices of store brand American Processed Cheese Food (optional) Instructions: Cut up the SPAM into small squares. Place in hot skillet, cooking until the meat carmelizes slightly. Add the eggs, salt, pepper and hot sauce, consistently stirring in the pan until the eggs are cooked. You can add the processed cheese food slices at the end, mixing the slices into the mixture. The cheese should melt quickly, adding an additional layer of flavor. Serve with buttered toast, preferrably Wonder Bread. Lunch: Grilled SPAM and Cheese, served with Ramen Noodles Ingredients: 2-3 slices of SPAM, sliced thinly 1 slice of store brand Processed American Cheese Food 2 slices of Wonder Bread oleo, enough to cover each slice of bread evenly 1 pack of Ramen Noodles* water, based on noodle instructions *the beauty of this is that you can pick any flavor you want, since we aren't sure exactly what kind of meat SPAM is made from - seems like everything goes with SPAM! Instructions: Heat up small skillet. Place SPAM and cheese food between the wonder bread. Spread oleo on the outside of the sandwich and cook in frying pan until done. While the sandwich is cooking, prepare Ramen according to package instructions. For added flavor, add 10-12 chunks of SPAM to Ramen Noodles, taking time to ensure the SPAM is heated through prior to serving. Dinner: French Fry SPAM Casserole Ingredients: 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen french fry potatoes thawed 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups sour cream 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 SPAM® Classic (12-ounce) can cubed 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped green onion 1/2 cup finely crushed corn flakes Instructions: Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and soup. Stir in SPAM, bell pepper, and green onion. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with crushed flakes. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated. This tastes great served with saltine crackers on the side for dipping. Dessert (YES, EVEN DESSERT!): SPAM Jell-O Ingredients: 2 packages Jell-O, any flavor Water and ice, according to Jell-O package instructions 1 can of Classic SPAM Instructions: Prepare Jell-O following instructions for making a mold. Cut up SPAM into small pieces and add to Jell-O mold. Refridgerate until set, then serve. See? SPAM is the most versatile food you have in your cupboard. Your family will truly appreciate your creativity and excellent culinary skills as you prepare these amazing meals!

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume III

2005-02-01T23:44:00.000-06:00

Hi ya'll! Join me and my friends for the third installation of "White Trash" Wednesdays - a light-hearted, fun poke at my family and friends, particularly those left in my home town in the backwoods of Nebraska...and maybe a few other fellow white folk. This week, I will be focusing on everyone's favorite food - SPAM (not to be confused with those darn emails you route to your junk folder!). Here are the other "white trash" folk participating this week: Riehl World View Beautiful Atrocities Cranky Neocon Dangerous Logic It Is What It Is MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Six Meat Buffet Vince Aut Morire

Hush, Puppies!

2005-02-01T14:02:00.000-06:00

I had a chance to cook for my dad and my hubby the other day, and cooked them some battered cod, fried potatoes and onions and thought I'd take a shot at some hush puppies. This recipe was good - my hubby gushed about how good the meal was, particularly these little guys! Ingredients: 1-1/4 cup cornmeal 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder salt to taste (I found it takes quite a bit) 1 tsp (or more) Louisiana hot sauce, to taste 1/2 medium onion, minced very fine 2 large eggs, beaten 1/2 cup milk Instructions: Heat oil (canola, vegetable, peanut or corn) to 350 degrees. If you are using a fryer, follow your fryer's instructions. If you are doing this over the stove, you want 2-1/2 to 3 inches of oil in order to fully immerse the hush puppies while frying. Mix the first 4 ingredients, the dry ingredients, together until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing until moist. The mixture should hold well together. Take a table spoon and scoop out a small ball of dough and, using another table spoon, drop it into the hot oil. Repeat until you have several hush puppies frying at once. You will want to allow room for them to cook properly - they typically should not touch each other in the oil. Cooking time will depend on how dark you would like the outside of the hush puppies. The dough is completely cooked when the hush puppy starts to float on the oil. I typically like mine to be pretty brown, so I continue cooking until the color reaches the right shade. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm. My 2 cents: I like to serve hush puppies and other similar items with fish, but they would also go well with many other items - steak and fries, as a dipper for soups, etc.

...and Now....

2005-02-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

....back to our regularly scheduled programming!

A Final Tribute to My Mom

2005-01-29T01:42:00.000-06:00

To all my friends, We laid Momma to rest yesterday, Thursday, January 27, 2005. It was a beautiful service, and truly memorialized her life. There were so many flowers and plants - all of them gorgeous...in life, Mom would have been so thrilled with the flowers - roses, day lilies, irises....and so many in her favorite colors of purple and lavender. My husband, Eric, spoke as did my sister and some close family friends. I also had a chance to speak and would like to share what I said during the service. I first read the letter my son, Bradley, wrote to Momma before she passed away. Here is what I said following the reading... "I remember when I was a little girl, around Bradley's age, I worried about Mom and Dad because they were a bit older than my friends' parents. I feel so blessed to have spent 36 years of life with Momma. She had a profound influence on my life. These are some of the things that will always remind me of Momma:

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Hobby Lobby
music - especially Spanish songs and oldies
peanut butter and bananas
a good game of cribbage
spinach - with just a touch of vinegar
Christmas
my ability to balance a checkbook
BLT's with Dad's homegrown tomatoes
the most recent "As Seen on TV" gadgets
my love for Southwestern decorations/nic-nacs
home canned green beans - don't forget the bacon and onion
Howard the Duck
Sylvia Browne
the color lavender
grackels
frogs
Hershey's Peanut Butter Treasures
strawberries
Wheel of Fortune

I will miss Momma's laugh, her feistiness, her joy for the holidays, her love of my children, her cards in the mail, her stories about Dad, her frogs, her ornaments and her wit and wisdom. I know that now she's our guardian angel in Heaven, but to me she's been our angel all along."

It's tough for me to believe she's gone. When I think about it, my heart hurts. I think about how sick and in pain she was, and how, just a few days before she died, and well after she could no longer talk very well, she wanted to move to a chair from her bed. We wrapped her arms around me and I virtually carried her over to the chair in a "hug." When we got there, I could tell she was nervous as she was moaning as I was placing her in the chair. I kept telling her "I love you, I love you, I love you" in order to keep her calm. Once I got her sat down, she wouldn't let go of me and, clear as a bell, said over and over "I love you, I love you, I love you" back to me. It was one of the last times my Momma spoke to me. I will treasure that moment in my heart forever.

I wanted to share one last thing - something that was printed inside of Momma's memorial folder. It is so fitting for my Mom, given her brave fight with cancer:

He Only Takes the Best

God saw she was getting tired, And a solution was not to be, So He put His arms around her And whispered "come with Me." With tearful eyes we watched her endure And saw her taken away. Although we couldn't bear to lose her, We could not bid her stay. A golden heart stopped beating, Hard working hands laid to rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.

I also want to say a heart-felt thanks to each one of you who has had us in your thoughts and prayers. Those prayers sustained us, and got us through some of the toughest days in our life. God bless all of you.

Merri, Eric and family

You Know You Are "White Trash" When.....

2005-01-26T10:33:00.000-06:00

Please don't take this as a profession to my "White Trashiness." Sure, there's a corner of my world that I remember that involved a small town, cow-tipping, big trucks, ball caps, flannel shirts and potlucks....but I dun grown up! You know you are "White Trash" when.....

You have a can of "Beanee Weenees" in your cupboard
You know, or know someone who has gone cow-tipping
You have had to use an outhouse (especially if it is in your backyard)
Your idea of home improvement is attaching a camper shell to your double-wide
You decorate your window with the sheet Aunt Phyllis gave you for your birthday
You repair a cracked window with foil paper (you know, cuz it's purty)
You keep a can of Raid by the kitchen sink
The only picture you have of your husband Ernie is the one where he's holdin' up that plaque with numbers on it (and he don't look happy)
The sight of blind kids playing the banjo doesn't faze you
You have a horse tank in your backyard (and NO, it's NOT A SWIMMING POOL)
You call butter "oleo"
You still have a rotary phone in your trailer, er, home
You use Aqua Net for that "all day" up-do
You never had a dentist, and now you don't need one
You know what "7-Up Cake" is
You've ever made "spaghetti" with ramen noodles
Your idea of fine dining is eating out of butter bowls
You have a hairnet
You know the words to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"
You know who the Oakridge Boys are
You wore cowboy boots to prom (or that "company" Christmas party)
You can relate and empathize with the girl on Montel who doesn't know who the father of her child is
You are one of the guys that could be the father of her child

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume II

2005-01-26T03:08:00.000-06:00

Sometimes a girl's gotta be flexible. Most of the time, we're fixin' food for the family, but every once'n a while, visitors show up. The following recipes will help you be the most versatile cook in the trailer park! Traditional Spaghetti-O's, Family Style 1 large can of Spaghetti-O's (the plain kind)* *can be increased based on size of family Open can of Spaghetti-O's and pour into big pan. Heat through, and serve in bowl(s). Trailer Park Sleepover Spaghetti-O's Several cans of Spaghetti-O Shaped Pasta (dinosaur is a favorite!) Open cans of Spaghetti-O's and pour into big pan. Heat through, give plenty of spoons to sleepover guests and eat right out of pan. Company's Comin' Spaghetti-O's Dinner 2 large cans of Spaghetti-O's with Franks Open cans of Spaghetti-O's and pour into big pan. Heat through and serve in that fine Correlle serving dish Aunt Mae gave you last Christmas. Serve with slices of Wonder Bread and a bottle of "Mad Dog 20/20."

White Trash Wednesday

2005-01-26T02:06:00.000-06:00

Hi All, Even with all of the recent events with my family, the one break I've decided to take is to participate in week two of "White Trash Wednesday." I look forward to having fun with the gang! Here they are: Beautiful Atrocities, CrankyNeocon, Daisy Cutter, My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Nickie Goomba, Riehl World View, Six Meat Buffet , and Vince Aut Morire. See ya'll soon! Merri

A Letter to Nannie from Bradley

2005-01-25T04:54:00.000-06:00

Hi all, Things have been pretty crazy here since my Mom passed away. We're doing okay - lots going on both to prepare for the memorial services and to prepare my dad for the next leg in his journey. I wanted to share out a letter my 7 year old son, Bradley, wrote to his "Nannie" days before she passed away. He had just read a book called "Saying Goodbye." This was a good book to help Bradley understand what was happening with his Nannie. Here's what he wrote (I've included his exact words - no spelling corrections here!): Dear Nanny, Remember when you and I were together and went to Golden Corral? It was fun the time when you gave me lots of hugs. I wish we had you longer. I feel really, really sad because I love you. I hope your comfy in heaven. Thank you for being nice to me. Love, Bradley His pain and grief are my own. I don't think I could have said it any better.

We'll Miss You, Mom

2005-01-23T09:06:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law, Gena Woodward, passed away this morning. She was 76. We love you Mom, and we'll miss you. But you're free now, in a place where there is no pain and anguish. Where you can still watch over your grandchildren and sit down to lunch with your own mom and sister again. Thank you God, for granting my wish, and letting her leave this world warm, comfortable, and surrounded by her loving family. And thank you to everyone for their wonderful thoughts and prayers in this rough time. posted for Merri by Eric

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume I

2005-01-19T19:42:00.000-06:00

A few of my blogosphere friends decided to come together to celebrate "White Trash" Wednesdays, a brainchild of Dan's at Riehl World View. Preston Taylor Holmes at Six Meat Buffet sums it up best: This "essentially boils down to a chance for some of us caucasian-types to celebrate/expose the dark underbelly of our white bread culture." That being said, what better way to celebrate than to celebrate the cuisine that makes us "white trash folk" who we are? Throw the prime rib, crab legs and shrimp cocktail recipes aside, I'm a closet user of macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, hot dogs and other high quality cuisine. Did you know that Kraft has a Macaroni and Cheese in about any shape you can imagine? Yes, EVEN Spiderman! Also joining in on the fun is Gordon at Cranky Neocon, my dear hubby, Eric, at Vince Aut Morire and Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Anyone can join in, but I guarantee that I will have the best recipes. After all, I *do* live in the Midwest, in the middle of the corn belt. We also have more trailers per capita than, well, I could have ever imagined! My debut dinner menu centers around a nice meal that represents most of the food groups (yes, catsup DOES count as a vegetable): Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (Family Size, of Course) Ingredients: Stuff inside the box of Mac and Cheese 8 Cups of Water 1/2 cup margarine or butter 1/2 cup milk Instructions: Bring water to a boil. Add macaroni from box and cook until tender (7-9 minutes). Drain, do not rinse. Return to pan and add margarine, milk and cheesy powder. Stir together until mixed well. Serve with Hot Dogs (recipe below). Hot Dogs Ingredients: 1 package of hot dogs, on sale 1 pack of store brand buns mustard, catsup, relish, onions or other vegetables for garnish Instructions: Take dogs out of package and put a couple of holes in them (you can use your teeth - if you have any). Put them on paper plate and heat in microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on your taste. Put in bun and garnish. This menu is complimented by Kool-Aid (the green kind is a nice complement to hot dogs). I also highly recommend serving with Ding Dongs for dessert. You will be able to get this to the table in less than 30 minutes, which will give you time to watch your favorite shows on the Gameshow Network!

In and out of the Blogosphere

2005-01-19T00:31:00.000-06:00

Hi friends and fellow "foodies," As noted in a previous post, my mom is terminally ill, entering into Hospice care recently. She truly is not doing well, and we forsee her being with God in a matter of weeks, maybe even sooner possibly. I spend as much time as I can with her, but I like coming here to post as it gives me some connection with "normalcy." I may not be able to post daily, however. I just ask that you stay tuned - I haven't gone away, and will be back to my normal "routine" as soon as I can. Thanks so much for your understanding! Merri RachaelRayRedux

Chicken and Dumplings

2005-01-16T08:34:00.000-06:00

My thanks go out to Emma in the blogosphere - this recipe is for you!

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) 1 small onion, chopped fine 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 small carrot, grated 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces 8 cups chicken broth a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (or a ½-1 tsp of dried thyme) kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Dumplings

2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, cold 1/2 cup water

finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Warm a large wide pot and pour in EVOO, two turns of the pan. Put in the onion, garlic and carrot, cooking in the oil until softened. Add the chicken pieces, broth, thyme and salt and pepper, simmering until the chicken is tender, 30 minutes or more. Remove the chicken and set it aside. When cool enough to handle, skin and bone the chicken and shred or cut it into bite sized pieces. If desired, skim the chicken fat off the surface of the broth.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour baking powder and salt. Using a food processor, pastry blender, or two knives, cut in the butter until it is the size of very small peas and distributed throughout the dry ingredients. Add the water and knead 8 to 10 times. If the dough seems too sticky, add a little more flour. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares.

Bring the broth up to a rolling boil, drop in the dumplings, cover the pot and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. Toward the end of the 10 minutes, put the shredded chicken back into the pot. Be careful not to overcook, as it will cause the dumplings to fall apart. Stir in some finely chopped flat-leaf parsley to brighten the flavor.

My 2 Cents: Some people ask why I put the carrot in my recipe, which is somewhat different than a "traditional" dumpling recipe. I like the depth of flavor it adds to broth. Even though it will mostly cook away since it is grated, the flavor remains. I would also add that I cut the dumplings fairly small in order to speed the cooking process up. Growing up, my mom would actually form the dough into a larger ball shape, and just cook them a bit longer. It is tasty either way! Lastly, you can speed up the cooking process by purchasing a roasted chicken from the grocery store and using it instead of a fresh chicken. I would recommend that if you do this, cut the wings off the bird and simmer them with the broth for a few minutes in order to get that "cooked all day" flavor. Just scoop them out when you would normally scoop out the chicken in the recipe.

Alaskan King Crab Claws

2005-01-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown This recipe is so simple it doesn't seem real. My hubby and I love crab legs (complimenting a nice steak, especially!) and were dumbfounded when we watch an episode of Good Eats and saw this recipe. We were both thinking "not the microwave...it's king crab legs!" It really does work! Ingredients 6 Alaskan king crab claws, thawed 2 sprigs dill Instructions If necessary in order to fit in microwave, cut claws at joints. Wrap 3 claws at a time in a damp paper towel, along with 1 sprig of dill, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Place wrapped claws in microwave 1 package at a time and cook on high for 2 minutes. Remove and unwrap carefully. Serve immediately. See? Simple, isn't it? And yummy....it steams the crab legs since they are wrapped in the dampt towel and the plastic wrap. We like to eat ours with some melted butter. We melt some butter on a pan slowly and put some crushed garlic and lemon juice in so the butter is infused with those flavors. We strain and put into a bowl for the table. Enjoy!

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

2005-01-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, this isn't your "normal" chicken noodle soup recipe. I LOVE homemade chicken noodle soup - the thick noodles, the tasty veggies and tender chicken. I love it, but usually don't have the time to spend in the kitchen. So a few years ago, I got a copy of Taste of Home's Quick Cooking magazine and came across this great recipe. It is simple, but also very good. I like to serve it with a nice crusty, warm bread. Recipe Courtesy of Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Ingredients 2 quarts water 8 chicken bouillon cubes (see my note below about bouillon cubes!) 6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (I use No Yolks and they work great!) 2 cans cream of chicken soup (Campbells, please! The low-fat works, too!) 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken I get at the grocery store) 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream fresh parsley (dried works in a pinch) fresh ground black pepper Instructions In large pot, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles; cook, uncovered until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken, heath through. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper to taste. My 2 cents: I've grown to detest bouillon cubes - mostly because I need to beat the hell out of them to get them to "melt" into the water at the speed I would like it. there's also something very unnatural about food squished into hard little cubes like that. I found something better. In the same area of your grocery store that you buy the cubes, you can find chicken base. I use the brand called "Better Than Bouillon." They make both beef and chicken base (and perhaps others, but I've used the beef and chicken regularly). Their chicken base is made from roasted chicken and concentrated chicken stock. It has a better flavor and "melts" very easily as it is in more of a paste form. It is easy to measure and is easy to substitute for the cubes. I would definitely recommend it!

My Mom, the Family Chef

2005-01-10T22:35:00.000-06:00

I was thinking today about which recipe I wanted to post, but was having a hard time trying to decide - mostly because my mom had to make a very hard decision today. My mom has cancer. She's been battling lung cancer for quite some time now. They first discovered it when she went in for her double-bypass. They thought they got it all, but during a follow-up visit to see if her heart was okay, they saw that her lung was not. They took a third of her lung after that. We thought we were in the clear. Mom got pretty healthy after that - healthy for a woman in her 70s, that is. Well, about 13-14 months ago we got bad news. Mom's lung cancer was back and it was back with a vengance. Not only was it in her lung, but it had moved on to her liver. Inoperable was what we heard. Let's try chemotherapy. Let's see if we can lengthen her life by reducing the tumors. Here we are, today, and Mom made the decision to agree to Hospice care. I can't imagine making that kind of decision - it was hard enough being there to support her while she made that decision herself. Now it's all about treating pain and the person - not the disease. All about gaining closure on the things that happen at the end of a person's life. My mom. She's endured so much - many failed rounds of chemo, runs to the hospital, doctor appointments, meds. I see a woman who has been so strong the majority of my life now a mere shadow of what she had been. Walking is challenging - shoot, standing up is. She can't eat - she's down to 94 pounds. I know she's in a lot of pain. Hospice will be good for both her and Dad. If Mom makes it to April 2, they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. I think back to growing up as the baby of the family. As is the case in most families, celebrations always centered around food. My parents had the opportunity to see so many things while my dad served in the Air Force - their tours took them to multiple bases in the US as well as bases in Germany and Spain. Mom has some of the best recipes from both Spain and Germany. Dad also brought back recipes from his tours in Thailand. I grew up in a house where cooking and meals were important. We always sat down to dinner together, no matter what was going on. Mom has shared stories of me, barely old enough to walk by myself wanting to help in the kitchen. Okay, maybe it was the batter on the spatula that called me, but I was in there, learning what Mom knows. Without my mom's influence, I would not have learned the "art" of cooking. She has taught me about how to make gravy, how to can tomatoes, how to make pasties, the importance of garlic and the clear impression that Jasmine rice is the best rice in the world. There are recipes that have been in our family for years that I will be able to pass down to my girl - and she'll know that they came from her Nannie. These are the things I think I've taken for granted. Now that I know her time with us is limited, all of a sudden they are so important to me. I also think about the things I need to learn from my dad - like his secret Thai pepper steak sauce and that recipe for Carne Asada. I want Mom to be comfortable, and to spend this time with our children, her grandkids, and reflect on the amazing life she has lived. Not too many people now can say that they lived through the Depression, multiple wars, life with no electricity to computers and convection ovens. I treasure the time I've had with her and only hope I can teach my daughter half of what she has taught me.

"Stuffed" Pork Chops Recipe

2005-01-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

Recipe Concept Courtesy of Rachael Ray I love Rachael Ray's show "30 Minute Meals." I have found a number of recipes that are now "regulars" with my family. There are times, however, that some of the ingredients she uses don't really "fit" with the food combinations my family enjoys. The following recipe for stuffed pork chops is no exception. I love the recipe idea - pork chops that you can make quickly on the stove with a stuffing you place between 2 thin chops. You can see the original recipe here. I don't care for celery, though, and I've never been fond of apples in my stuffing, so here is my version of "stuffed" pork chops: Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling 2 slices bacon, chopped 10-12 small mushrooms, chopped fine 1 small onion, chopped 2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground dried sage 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried leaves Freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt 2 store bought corn muffins 8 thin boneless center cut pork loin chops Instructions Preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and bacon to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and onion and season the mixture with herbs, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Cook vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Crumble the corn muffins into the pan and combine stuffing. If you find the stuffing a little dry, you can drizzle some chicken broth, skim milk or even water into the pan until it is moist to your liking. I like mine on the moist side, so I've found a need to have some chicken broth on hand as well (but I've used milk and water and both are equally good). Preheat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle chops with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chops 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Do not over cook. The chops should be firm but still giving off juices. To assemble stuffed chops, set a thin chop on dinner plate or serving plate. Mound the pork chop with stuffing, allowing some to spill onto the plate, then top with a second chop. Repeat with 3 remaining servings. What I serve this with: The meat and the stuffing are pretty filling. I will usually pair this with a salad, or a nice veggie dish such as asparagus or green beans. On Rachael's show, she makes some smashed potatoes, and at times I will include those as well, along with a nice pan gravy made from the pork chop drippings (yum!).

Merri's Not So "French Dip" Sandwiches

2005-01-08T01:43:00.000-06:00

This is a pretty tasty sandwich that can be made fast! Merri's Not So "French Dip" Sandwiches These are so simple. Sometimes, we need to eat quick, but we don't want the standard fast food fare. This almost seems faster than fast food! Ingredients 1 jug of concentrated "Au Jus" sauce (we use one called "Johnny's" - it is AWESOME), 8 0z 16 oz water 1 lb high quality cooked roast beef, sliced about twice as thick as sandwich sliced (from the deli) fresh ground black pepper Steak seasoning to taste (we use McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning...yum!) slices of swiss or provolone cheese hoagie buns, sliced lengthwise and slightly toasted Instructions Place the au jus sauce, water, steak seasoning and pepper in a larger sauce pan, and bring to a simmer. Simmer approximately 5 minutes. Add the roast beef and continue simmering until heated through (approximately 5 minutes...you don't want to overcook the roast beef or it will get tough). Remove from heat. Using tongs, pile meat on top of a hoagie and add cheese slices to your liking (sometimes at this point I will place the sandwich half with the cheese on it under the broiler until it is melted...yum!). Ladle out some au jus sauce into a shallow bowl for dipping. You can make quite a number of variations - different spices or other ingredients will change the flavor of your au jus. Let your creative jus's flow (alright - I know it was a bad pun...you don't have to tell me!)!

Rachael's Macaroni & Cheddar Cheese

2005-01-06T21:23:00.000-06:00

Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray ...this one is for Emma out in the Blogosphere (oh, and it's tasty, too!)! Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches Salt (kosher, of course!) 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it Instructions Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the cheddar cheese on top. My 2 Cents: I love this recipe, but in true Merri form, I tend to alter things a bit. I can't always get white cheddar locally, so I've substituted other types of cheddar with success. I imagine that other cheeses can be substituted easily, too. One other thing - it is a *must* to put ground black pepper with my macaroni and cheese - can't seem to get over that. So....I usually add ground black pepper at the same time I'm adding the cayenne and nutmeg. Thanks for the idea to post this recipe, Emma! ...and thanks, Rachael!

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato...YUM!

2005-01-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

This time of year, I really like stuff you can throw into the oven - it warms the house in the dead of winter, and is easy. I also love potatoes (you won't see *me* on any low carb diet!). About 9 years ago, I got this recipe from my hubby's Aunt Roxanne (a really cool aunt, by the way!). It is yummy! Ingredients 1 stick butter, melted 1 small jar of Cheez Wiz (I use the spicy version, but both are good) - melt in the microwave 8 oz sour cream 1 can cream of mushroom soup (Campbells, of course!) 2 pounds frozen hashbrowns (cubed, not the shreds) kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 3 tbsp butter, melted (this is for the topping) Corn flakes, crushed (enough to cover the top of the dish to your liking) Instructions Mix the stick of melted butter, Cheez Wiz, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup together until blended. Fold in the hashbrowns, salt and pepper until the hashbrowns are well coated. Place in a baking pan (9x13). Spread the crushed corn flakes over the top and drizzle the remaining melted butter across the cornflakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Herb's the Word

2005-01-04T22:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, so my hubby will tell you I'm obsessed with Rachael Ray and "30 Minute Meals." Okay, so I am. Isn't admitting it the first step in the recovery process? Alright...seriously now... One thing I've learned from Rachael is the importance of using herbs in recipes - in particular, fresh herbs. In my cooking adventures, I've discovered a few that I really like and wanted to share some ideas and tips: Flat Leaf Parsley. Prior to watching "30 Minute Meals" I didn't know there was more than one kind of parsley. I thought parsley was for decoration on plates of food you got in a restaurant. Flat Leaf, or Italian Parsley, is amazing. Granted, the flavor isn't intense, but it really makes food taste "fresh." Flat Leaf Parsley looks a lot like cilantro, but cilantro has a strong scent, so you should be able to tell them apart in the grocery store. Cilantro. Cilantro is a great addition to fresh salsas, or some soups/dishes that have a Mexican flair. It is very strong, and a little goes a long way. Rosemary. Rosemary rocks. It is really, really good on roasts and is a GREAT addition to oven fries (a Rachael Ray recipe). Rosemary pairs amazingly with garlic. Rosemary has an excellent flavor and scent - woodsy in a way. As a matter of fact, fresh rosemary reminds me of a very young pine tree branch. Thyme. Thyme is a GREAT addition to a lot of soups and stews. Thyme leaves will easily fall off of the stem, and many cooks will put the whole thing into the dish they are making, and pluck out the stem at the end. I've paired thyme with virtually any meat I use (primarily with chicken and beef, but I think it would taste great with any poultry, veal or pork - probably even fish). It is also great in red spaghetti sauces. YUM! Basil. Basil rocks. I love Italian food and basil is an amazing ingredient for Italian cooking. Need I say more? Bay Leaves. It is rare that I find fresh bay leaves here in the Midwest (not sure why?). The dried ones work just fine - just don't forget to take them out at the end of preparation - they are not edible. Sage. This year was the first year I used fresh sage in my turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving (I have always used dried, ground sage). Now, don't get me wrong. The dried sage isn't bad, but the fresh sage is just that much better. I chopped it up very fine and added it to my stuffing - the flavor of the sage didn't overpower the stuffing, but added so much depth to the flavor. I'm hooked! Chives. Chives work great in salads (they add a nice subtle "onion-y" flavor). They, of course, are superb on a baked potato with sour cream. Chives are also great with steamed or broiled fish. YUM! Dill Weed. Dill is pretty strong - and for a long time I didn't think I liked it (although I LOVE dill pickles!). I came across a recipe for crab legs on Alton Brown's show. Crab legs. Cooked in the microwave. My first thought was "no way" but hubby got all the ingredients and we tried it. WOW! The dill added the most amazing flavor to the crab legs. I think a future post will be that crab leg recipe. Talk about amazing - especially for us Midwesterners who don't have access to ocean-fresh seafood. I took another tip from Rachael Ray. When I buy my herbs, I wash them right away (and use my small salad spinner to get them as dry as possible) and put them into a food storage bag with the herbs wrapped in a paper towel. Makes it much easier access when you are cooking, and increases the length of time they remain fresh. Give fresh herbs a try - your guinea pigs, er, family will appreciate it!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2005-01-04T21:49:00.000-06:00

Recipe Courtesy of Taste of Home-Quick Cooking Growing up, my mom and dad could make a mean potato soup. They would mix it up sometimes by including a little bit of sausage (such as little smokies cut up), or would spice it up with some red pepper flakes. I LOVED this soup. At least until I found the following recipe. The Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a blissful marriage of potato soup and a loaded baked potato from the Outback...I don't know any other way to describe it. It is hearty and thick and so tasty! In the middle of winter (yes, we are expecting upwards of 12-15" of snow by the end of the day tomorrow here in the middle of the good ole U.S.A.), this soup will warm you up! Ingredients: 6 bacon strips, diced (remember your meat guy - he makes the best bacon!) 3 cups of cubed, peeled potatoes 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth 1 small carrot, grated 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 tbsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp each celery seed, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (or to taste) 3 tbsp flour 3 cups milk (I've tried this with skim, and it is still creamy and hearty) 8 oz process american Cheese, cubed into very small pieces 2 green onions, very thinly sliced Instructions: In a larger pot, cook bacon until crisp, drain on a paper towel. Add potatoes, broth, carrot, onion, parsley, celery seed, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Combine flour and milk until smooth, add to soup. Bring to a boil; boil and stir 2 minutes. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts and soup is hot. Garnish with green onions if desired. My 2 cents: There really isn't an ingredient that I would skip in this recipe - each ingredient provides a nice layer of flavor in this soup. I have substituted celery salt in place of the celery seed with no problem. One HUGE recommendation is on the American cheese. I recommend only using Kraft American Cheese Product (it is a cheese located by the Velveeta, and is in a blue box). I've bought American cheese from the deli, thinking it would be more flavorful, but the Kraft product melts so much better, resulting in a smoother soup. The deli stuff tastes good, but doesn't always melt completely. Enjoy - if you like potato soup and like baked potatoes with all the fixin's, you will LOVE this recipe!

Merri's Chili for a Chilly Day

2005-01-03T22:23:00.000-06:00

Today was a pretty bad weather day - sleet causing very icy conditions - and we've got more coming - they are predicting more sleet tomorrow and then 6-12" of snow on Wednesday - UGH! How do I warm up my hubby, the mail carrier, after a long day of carrying mail in this crud? I know what you may be thinking, but let's stick with food....hehehe. Honestly, chili is one of his favorite meals on a day like today. Here's my "quick to put together" recipe that tastes absolutely delicious! Ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), two turns around a frying pan 1 medium yellow onion, chopped into small pieces 3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped 1 pound of lean ground beef or chuck (or venison, for those of you who have a hunter hubby) Kosher salt to taste Ground black pepper to taste crushed red pepper flakes to taste A couple of glugs of beer (optional) 2 cans of Bush's Best Chili Beans 1 can of Bush's "Chili Magic" (I use "Traditional" but any flavor will do) 1 can of tomato sauce 1 tablespoon (or to taste) of dark chili powder Instructions: Place a frying pan over high heat, coat with two turns of EVOO and toss in the onion and garlic, stirring and cooking until they are slighly opaque and tender. Break up the ground meat into the frying pan and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Throw in a couple of glugs of beer, if you like (the alcohol cooks out, leaving a nice concentrated flavor). Drain the fat off of the meat and veggie combination. In a larger pot, put the chili beans, Chili Magic and tomato sauce, gently mixing. Add the meat and onions, as well as the chili powder (at this point I also add more red pepper flake and any additional salt/pepper if needed). Heat through on medium heat, stirring occasionally. ENJOY - and I hope the weather is treating you better where you are!

New Year's Eve Finger Foods and Booze

2004-12-30T13:04:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite holidays is New Year's - more specifically New Year's Eve. With two children in the house, we are fortunate to know other couples with younger kids so we can all gather together to celebrate and not have to get a sitter. We traditionally get together in a hotel, and the kids can swim and play while we play cards, etc. Everyone (okay, not the kids) has their beverage of choice and we don't have to worry about driving. Oh, and there's lots of food - typically finger food. This year will be no different - no posts for me New Year's Eve for sure, and it's a little fuzzy for New Year's Day (also known as the day of recovery...hehehehe). I thought it would be fitting to post a couple of fun appetizers and a drink recipe in the spirit of New Year's Eve. Enjoy! The Shrimp Cocktail Sauce recipe courtesy of Alton Brown Ingredients: 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup prepared chili sauce 4 tbsp prepared horseradish 1 tsp sugar few grinds fresh black pepper 1/2 tsp kosher salt 32+ tiger (jumbo sized) shrimp, fully cooked with tails on Place all ingredients, except the shrimp, into a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (hint: the day or the morning before, I put the can of diced tomatoes into the fridge - as long as the other ingredients are chilled as well, you will have ready to eat, chilled shrimp cocktail sauce the minute you pour it out of the processor!). I typically buy my shrimp frozen, ready to eat. Another hint, from Alton, is how to thaw the shrimp. Place them in a strainer inside another bowl and run cool water over them. This thaws them quicker than any other method. Once they are thawed, be sure to drain well.

No matter where I bring this shrimp cocktail - it's one of the first things to go. YUM!

Mini Pizza Bites 2 Boxes Mini Fillo Shells (something I discovered last year!) small can of pizza sauce 20 or so pepperoni slices, chopped fine bag of shredded mozzarella cheese garlic powder The ingredient list is a ballpark - depending on how much you use in each bite, you may use more or less. I basically layer the ingredients into the shells as I would layer onto a pizza, then I bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5-8 minutes (until cheese is melted). This would be perfect for a toaster oven as well. My kids love these things hot or cold (just like regular pizza!). You can vary the ingredients to suit your own tastes, too. If you don't have access to these little fillo shells, you can certainly take regular fillo dough and cut into small squares that will line mini-sized muffin tins. The shells really save on time, which is at a premium this time of year. Merri's Amaretto Sours My favorite drink is an amaretto sour - and I'm particular about how they taste. I fill a cocktail glass about 1/2 to 3/4 full of ice, then pour on a shot of Di Saronno Amaretto (Sure, you can use other brands, but I won't use anything else!). Then take sour mix and pour a couple of glugs in (you will probably use less of the sour mix than the amaretto). Following this, pour enough diet 7-Up or Diet Sprite to top it off. Put a couple of maraschino cherries into the glass, and splash in just a bit of the juice from the maraschino cherry jar, mixing in with one of the cherries. I LOVE this drink! YUM! Best wishes to you and yours for a prosperous, safe, and joyous new year. May 2005 bring you the best!

Breakfast Egg Sandwich

2004-12-29T12:23:00.000-06:00

Introduction: I can't remember when I didn't make egg sandwiches. They are so simple for breakfast and sooo tasty! When I got married and made them for my hubby, he shared in my love for this simple little sandwich and it has become somewhat of a routine to have egg sandwiches for breakfast on our days off. Ingredients: 1-2 tbsp butter (depends on the size of your skillet - you want a nice layer with no dry spots) 1 large egg kosher salt, pepper to taste 1 slice of American Cheese (real and processed are both good!) 2 slices of wheat bread (or bread of your choice), toasted spray butter, or soft butter to spread on toast Instructions: Place butter in cool skillet on stove, melting butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, and pan is hot, start toasting your bread in the toaster. Crack open your egg into the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the egg has cooked to a consistency that allows you to flip it, turn the egg over, lightly sprinkling the other side with salt and pepper. Place the cheese slice on the egg, and turn the burner off. The egg will continue to cook and the cheese will melt. Once the toast is done, place it on a plate and either generously spray with spray butter, or lightly spread soft butter on both slices of bread. Place the egg/cheese on once slice of bread and put the other slice of bread on top. Lastly, enjoy this sandwich as the yolk runs down over your hand! What I serve this with: In a previous post, I mentioned my love for cast iron skillets. They are GREAT to cook bacon in! Bacon is a great side for this sandwich, and you can even throw the bacon on top of the sandwich. YUM!

Garlic Parsley New Potatoes

2004-12-27T22:00:00.000-06:00

Introduction: This is a recipe that was passed to me by my mom. I've used it for a long time. It is so easy and flavorful and goes with most any main dish, my favorites being a nice steak or pork chops. Ingredients: 1 stick of butter (you can substitute margarine, but why?) 2 cans of whole new potatoes, drained well garlic powder or garlic salt (my preference is powder, but both will work) dried parsley Instructions: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Put the stick of butter into the skillet, melting slowly. Once melted, pour both cans of new potatoes into the pan, turning to coat in the butter. Sprinkle an even, light coat of garlic powder over the potatoes, and do the same with the parsley. Turn the potatoes over, repeating the garlic powder and parsley coating. Cook over medium heat until a nice, crisp and brown coating develops on the outside of the potatoes. Turn over and cook on the other side until done. This whole process should take approximately 20-30 minutes at a maximum. What I serve this with: A nice pairing would be with the pan seared steak in my previous post. It goes with most anything. I would recommend cooking with a main dish that also includes garlic, so the theme of garlic carries through more than one of your dishes.

Pan Seared Rib Eye

2004-12-27T21:05:00.000-06:00

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown Introduction: Coming from the Midwest, steak is virtually a staple in our household (we're in "beef country!"). While this recipe of Alton Brown's calls for Rib Eye steaks, we have used different cuts such as New York Strip or Filet. Ingredients: 1-2 boneless rib eye steaks, 1-1/2 inch thick (I typically stick with an inch in thickness) Canola oil to coat Kosher salt and ground black pepper Instructions: Place 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature (this is very important!). When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste. Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30-45 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30-45 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes (the thicker the steak, the longer this time may need to be). Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes (This time is for medium rare steak. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns). Remove steak from pan, cover losely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes (this allows juices to redistribute so they don't all flow out with the first cut of your steak). What I serve this with: Of course this would work with a nice baked potato and a salad or other veggie (corn on the cob...yum!). I also like to serve it with garlic parsley new potatoes, whose recipe I will post in my next blog. My 2 Cents: I love Alton Brown, mostly because of this recipe! He helped me appreciate the finer side of cast iron! I can't describe the difference between this steak preparation versus others, other than to say it is a step up from most! I will say that we've never been able to get a medium rare steak by cooking 2 minutes on each side, as the recipe calls for. We are typically cooking closer to 3-4 minutes per side, and for thicker steaks, closer to 5-6 minutes. This could be due to a variance in our oven temperature, or my impatience while bringing the steak up to room temperature. You will want to experiment to get the right "doneness" for you. It comes highly recommended, though!

Christmas Day Prime Rib Recipe

2004-12-26T00:47:00.000-06:00

Introduction:

Here I am, on Christmas Day night sending out a recipe for my Prime Rib (perhaps I'm just wanting to relive the yummy experience!). It has become a tradition for my family to enjoy prime rib on Christmas Day - a little variance from our traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. I know this recipe doesn't seem "easy," but I've got to say it's easier than a turkey dinner, and easier than many every day meals. Enjoy! Ingredients:

One 5.5 to 6-lb standing rib roast (also known as prime rib). Ask your butcher to cut the meat away from the ribs, but use twine to tie the ribs back to the meat. Our butcher does this routinely and it certainly makes it easier to carve when you are done. The ribs play an important part in the cooking process, keeping the meat off the floor of your pan.
One bunch of carrots (tops removed) or 3 larger carrots. Cut them into even chunks, not too small
One medium sized onion, cut into 6-8 chunks
10 fresh cloves of garlic
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley tops (minimal stems)
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed, or 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons dry thyme leaves
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Instructions: Bring roast up to room temperature. This can take upwards of an hour to hour and a half, depending on the size of your rib roast. This helps your roast cook evenly (and it won't be too rare in the middle because the meat was cold). While this is happening, cut the carrots and the onions, placing the chunks in the bottom of a roasting pan with sides at least 1.5 to 2 inches tall. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place the roast, rib side down, on top of the veggies. The next order of business is to create a salt crust for the prime rib. This is an amazing trick I learned from a Tyler Florence show on the Food Network (Food 911). My version is slightly different, but it all does the same thing - it seasons the meat all the way through and allows for a moist roast. Take the 10 cloves of garlic and pop them out of their skins. On your cutting board, crush the garlic a bit with your knife. Generously sprinkle some kosher salt over the garlic and continue to crush, using the edge of your knife. The salt will bring out the natural oils/juices of the garlic. Place the garlic into a food processor (I have a nice small electric grinder that works well, too), and give it a couple of pulses. Chop the Italian parsley finely, and place it into the processor, pulsing two more times. Then strip the thyme leaves from the stems and place the thyme into the processor (or simply measure your dry thyme leaves into the processor, if that is what you are using). Grind a bit of pepper into the processor and pulse until finely chopped and mixed. Start to stream in the EVOO and process until you have formed a nice paste (it almost looks like pesto sauce, but slightly thicker). Spread the paste with a spatula or spoon over the top of the roast, taking care to spread evenly. Once spread, start sprinkling a generous amount of kosher salt over the mixture. It will seem as though you are putting an over-abundance of salt on the roast. I know when I've had enough when it no longer gets absorbed into the garlic/parsley mixture. Once this is done, place roast into the oven. With a 5.5-6 pound roast, medium rare, you will need to cook approximately 32-38 minutes per pound. I use a meat thermometer, and take the roast out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches approximately 150 degrees. Once you take the meat out of the oven, it should rest at least 10-15 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Once it has rested, scrape off the salt crust prior to slicing. Au Jus: A lot of prime rib is served with Au Jus, which is a dipping broth or juice that is a result of roasting the meat. I make mine by removing the veggies out of the roasting pan, placing the roasting pan on a burner on medium heat, and adding a can of vegetable or beef broth, taking care to scrape up the little bits of "stuff" from the bottom of the pan. I let this cook down for a while, stirring frequently. Toward the end, I add flavoring. I do this many different ways, but the quickest shortcut (and mighty tasty!), is to use a bottled "au jus" flavoring (the one I use is called "Johnny's Au Jus Sauce." I pour about a 1/4 cup into the broth/drippings and let it cook down a bit. The last thing I do is run it through a mesh strainer (you can also use a regular strainer lined with some paper towels) in order to strain out any remaining veggie pieces, etc. What I serve this with: For Christmas dinner, I served this with some potatoes gratin and some green beans with bacon and onion (one of my favorite side dishes, I would add!). You can really serve prime rib with a lot of sides, including a baked potato and a salad. No matter what you serve with it, the prime rib will be the star of your show!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2004-12-24T10:20:00.000-06:00

Bradley & Emily with Santa, Christmas 2004 I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Probably no recipes the next couple of days, as I've got much cooking to do. As a tradition, we have "finger foods" on Christmas Eve as we open gifts at my family's home (you know, the little weanies, some sausage, cheese and crackers, deviled eggs...all the stuff that's good for you!). Christmas Day brings prime rib, potatoes gratin, and homemade pumpkin pie (YUM!!!). This, of course, does not commence until the kids have opened every single present and lost at least part of one. :-) Have a joyous holiday, and eat, drink and be merry (I'll be Merri, thank you very much! hehehe)!

Stuffed Steak Recipe

2004-12-23T23:44:00.000-06:00

Introduction: Ladies...this one will win your carnivore's heart forever! This is one of my hubby's favorite meals, hands down. :) When I asked him what recipe I should post first, this was the first one he thought of! Ingredients:

One 2-lb boneless round steak, tenderized (either by the butcher or by beating the hell out of it - my preference, can't you tell?)
approximately 4 cups of cubed, herbed stuffing cubes (either homemade - butter bread and sprinkle with your favorite herbs, baking in the oven until toasty, cutting into cubes - or if you don't have the time, the shortcut I use is one bag of Pepperidge Farm cubed, herbed stuffing mix)
1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
1 can beef broth, 14 oz (you may not use all of it)
1-2 eggs (I use large sized eggs)
Your favorite Cajun dry spice (my favorite is a combination of salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, mustard, bay leaves, a small amount of ginger for a kick). You can usually pick up a nice concoction at your grocery store, or you can experiment with your own spices! What I shoot for in this recipe is something that has a bold flavor, plus a little bit of a kick.
a pinch of crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
salt (Kosher) and pepper (freshly ground)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of a cookie sheet with a light coating of EVOO.

Place the croutons and onion soup mix in a large bowl. Crack 2 eggs into the bowl, and sprinkle Cajun spices, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to your taste. Pour about a third of the can of beef broth into the bowl and start hand-mixing, adding beef broth until you have reached a very nice, moist consistency (the stuffing sticks together and is moist to the touch...no renegade hard, crunchy croutons should be left).

Lay the round steak flat on a cutting board or on a large piece of wax paper. Sprinkle more Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper on the steak, rubbing it into the surface (this will be what touches the stuffing on the inside of the "roll.") Roll out the stuffing onto the seasoned side of the steak, forming it into a "log" the length of the steak. Wrap the steak around the stuffing. If the steak is large enough, you should be able to overlap each end of the steak, otherwise you can secure with toothpicks. Place the stuffed steak seam down onto the cookie sheet.

Rub the outside of the steak lightly with EVOO and then sprinkle with additional Cajun seasonings, salt and pepper.

Bake your masterpiece in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. You want to be sure that you have cooked the steak and the stuffing completely through.

Once cooking is complete, let the steak and stuffing rest for 7-10 minutes. When ready to serve, slice the "roll" which will form wheels of stuffing, surrounded by steak.

What I serve this with: This is essentially your meat and one side rolled into one, so I usually will serve it with a veggie side dish. A nice salad works. One item we love to eat as a side dish is green beans with bacon and onion. I dice 2-3 slices of bacon and cook until crispy, adding one small, finely diced onions (or 1-2 small shallots, diced). I cook until the onion is tender, then I add the green beans (if you cook with fresh green beans you will need to cook them before you add the bacon/onions and will need to leave the liquid in...for frozen, be sure to include the amount of water needed to normally cook them with). We have the luxury to have home canned green beans, which can't be beat with this recipe!

Enjoy!

(Not So) Secret Kitchen Tips 1

2004-12-22T08:50:00.000-06:00

Before I post any recipes, I thought I would share some basic (not so) secret tips I've learned while "growing up" in the kitchen. Some I've learned from our friends at the Food Network (Rachael, Alton Brown, Tyler Florence to name a few) and others I've learned from Mom or picked them up myself.

Kosher Salt - a MUST have! Iodized salt is good for salting your food post-cooking if you want, but Alton Brown taught me that Kosher salt is the best salt for cooking. It coats your food more effectively, works well with boiling water or other hot items and makes a nice crust if you need to encrust anything in salt. Besides, it fits nicely into a sodium cloride vessel (yes, thanks to Alton Brown I own one of these) and is very inexpensive. All of my recipes will use kosher salt unless otherwise specified.
Pepper Mill - fresh ground pepper - nothing better. 'nuff said!
EVOO - extra virgin olive oil. This is a Rachael-ism! EVOO is a cornerstone of my cooking. It is one of the "better for you" oils and it doesn't take much when you are cooking. It is best for lower temperature cooking, however. For frying, peanut oil is a great choice!
Cast Iron - a definite must have if you are a meat-eater like me! I have a cast iron skillet and a cast iron stove-top grill/griddle. For a great steak, or for cooking bacon, cast iron allows you to bring out the best. Bacon gets nice and crispy, you get great color on a steak (and excellent flavor if you use the kosher salt!).
Fresh herbs and garlic - a must! Here in Nebraska, it is not always easy to find good fresh herbs. Some people grow their own (me, I have a black thumb versus a green thumb, which means instant death for any live plant that comes near me!), but I search grocery stores finding the herbs I like. You should always have some flat-leaf parsley on hand, if you can find it (also known as Italian parsley). It freshens up most anything! I had the opportunity to use fresh sage in my turkey dressing this year - what an amazing difference in flavor! Fresh garlic just makes sense - plus I get to "pop" the garlic with my Wustof knife! Violence in the kitchen - sounds like a great book!
A great meat place. We go to "Just Good Meat" here locally - a butcher that carries most anything. Regular store-bought stuff is okay, but you should try a butcher just once - you'll be hooked if they are good like my butcher. I love the smell of their place (my husband wants them to bottle and sell the scent...better than the most expensive purfume he says...hehehe) and there's nothing better than freshly smoked/cured bacon or ham!

These are just a few (not so) secret tips I've picked up along the way. These are very basic, I know, but some were eye-opening to me as I "grew up" in my kitchen.

Enjoy!

Welcome to this Little Corner of the Web!

2004-12-22T00:42:00.000-06:00

I want to take a moment and welcome you to Rachael Ray Redux. Why, do you ask, would I choose this name for my blog? Well, if you ask anyone that knows me, I seem to have quite a bit of Rachael influence in my life.

I bought the knife (yes, I am the proud owner of a Wustof Santoko knife with a double hollow edge and Grand Prix handle). Thanks to Alton Brown (yes, another Food Network celebrity that I love), I had to buy the Wustof steel. The newest addition to the family is yet another Wustof - bread knife.
I have a garbage bowl, although not a Texasware like Rachael [insert a sigh here].
I cut my veggies like her (she taught me a lot!).
I have several of her cookbooks (not counting the multiple Food Network recipe printouts that litter my kitchen).
My hubby even saw her microwave on the internet, although it was discontinued [insert yet another sigh here].

Alright, so this ain't the Rachael Ray House of Worship, but I thought I could share some ideas, recipes and other things. Many from Rachael, but some of my own, or from other Food Network faves.