Posts tagged with "Food"
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 4:18:28 AM
Recipe, Food, Crafts
Butternut, Bacon and Blue Recipe
Simple, elegant. Tasty. I make it a meal or a side dish. GREAT for a holiday dinner or just any ol' time.
Oven 375 degrees
Get a roaster pan or a big casserole dish ready.
Peel, seed and large dice a big butternut squash.
Throw squash into your baking dish and squizzle some olive oil over it. Not a lot; just enough to kind of coat the squash. Sprinkle the squash with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Get your hands in there and toss the squash cubes all around.
After you've washed all of that olive oil off of your hands, COVER baking dish with aluminum foil.
Put this puppy in the oven and bake 30-45 minutes.
While your squash is baking, cut about 6 strips (or 12 or 16, heck, I use a whole pound) of bacon into 1/2" pieces. This works way better if the bacon is mostly frozen. It's a trick I learned a long time ago. Separate your bacon chunks and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Take the bacon out just before it gets done and place on paper towels. A cool little process called "carryover cooking" will take it the rest of the way.
After your 45 minutes is up, take the squash out of the oven, uncover the dish, and if the squash is fork-tender, sprinkle on at least a half cup of blue cheese, and bake another 15 minutes or so (UNcovered) until squash is lightly browned and blue cheese is getting kind of melty-ish.
Take it out of the oven and sprinkle the casserole with bacon.
Try NOT to eat all of this yourself. Share. It's the nice thing to do.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 4:03:20 AM
Crafts, Recipe, Food
Why are these called "Boing-Boing Tarts?" Because I like the word “boing” instead of “pop…” and I think they make a "boing" noise when the toaster goes off. I eat two instead of one. So they go, “Boing-boing.” I cannot STAND a frosted PopTart, and
unfrosted poptarts are becoming extinct in the stores. Must be another cog in the wheel of making America fatter and fatter. SO; to alleviate my disappointment, I found a recipe and then, as per my usual, I tweaked it a little...
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011 4:00:18 AM
Recipe, Food, Crafts
Lemon Marmalade
Ingredients:
• 10 large lemons
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
Preparation:
Using vegetable peeler, remove yellow part of peel in strips from lemons. Cut strips into 1-by 1/8-inch strips. With knife, cut off all white membrane, or pith, from peeled lemons.
Cut peeled lemons crosswise into 1/4- inch-thick slices. In heavy nonaluminum 5-quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine lemon peel, sliced fruit, and water. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.
Heat lemon mixture to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lemon mixture is very soft, about 1 hour.
Add sugar to lemon mixture and increase heat to medium-high; stir until sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling and reduce heat just so mixture boils gently. Boil uncovered, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer registers 220 degrees F., 45 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare three 1-pint canning jars with their lids and bands for processing following manufacturer's directions. Spoon marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top of jars.
Wipe jar rims clean. Seal with lids and bands. Process jars in boiling-water bath 15 minutes. Cool jars on wire rack. Label jars; store in cool, dry place.
After opening jar, store marmalade in the refrigerator.
You may make a citrus marmalade by using some oranges and limes mixed in with the lemons, about 3 of each with another orange to make 10 fruits.
Yield: 3 pints
Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:11:06 AM
Writing, Poetry, Food, Blogathon
Okay, so I admit I love blue cheese. Which prompted a cheesy poem.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009 2:48:44 PM
Writing, Food, Karin Slaughter, Fried Things
...
Okay, one of my favorite authors,
Karin Slaughter, posted a question on FB this morning, asking if it was wrong to want corn dogs and funnel cakes for breakfast. Of course, I don't think it's wrong to have fair food at any time, but I am, admittedly, a food-a-holic, which is neither here nor there.
As a big thanks to Karin for writing such KILLER (and I do mean KILLER) novels, here's my
Killer Funnel Cake Recipe:Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Directions:
1. In a deep skillet, heat about two cups of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the hot oil. If it sizzles right away without smoking, it's perfect.
2. Beat egg and milk. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to the egg mixture, beating until smooth.
3. Using a funnel, drop into hot oil working from center outwards in a web pattern. (You can use a gallon sized freezer bag instead of a funnel by pouring the batter into the bag, snipping off a small corner of it, and squeezing the batter into the oil.)
4. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, remove from the oil when golden brown and crispy.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
6. Fight off anyone trying to snag your funnel cake and tell them to get their own.
You may find Karin's novels at an
independent bookseller near you. Support local booksellers!Here's an idea: Enjoy both at the same time, but don't grease up the pages!
Saturday, April 4, 2009 5:05:14 PM
Food, Food Network, Vegetarianism, Why I Love Golf
I love bunnies. I love fuzzy chicks that peep until they just can't peep any more. I
me some woo-ooooo-oo-ooly little grazing lambs. Speaking of our sheepy little friends, I saw the CUTEST cupcakes EVER,
HERE. No animals were harmed in the making of those cupcakes (if you use vegetarian marshmallows)!
But I'd rather not see any of our furry or feathered friends in pieces this early in the day. Well, not ever, but you gotta see it every once in a while, especially if you watch TV.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that Easter is right around the corner, it's "Rack of Lamb Day" on The Food Network. Blech. Being a vegetarian, it's sortof (okay, it's gut-turningly) disgusting to see all the bloody, greasy chunks of slaughtered lamb meat being gobbled down by gibbering, salivating chefs on TV.
There's a lady on PBS gleefully slicing chicken sausage that looks like something a dog would upchuck.
I think I'll clean. Or read. Or download music. Or work in my garden.
Or maybe just watch some golf; even if it's a rerun.
Blech.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 4:03:27 PM
Self-Worth, Food, Weight Loss, Quote
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
~Wayne Gretzky
I've read that some people actually MISS the weight they've lost, psychologically (unconsciously?), because it was a physical part of them. Is it because they've felt as if they've lost a limb or a family member? No; I don't think so. But I do think that it's a loss, nonetheless, and you can actually feel it. So maybe it's almost like something you learn in Science class: A balancing act of molecules or a certain formula that doesn't make very much sense at all until the light bulb above your head finally brightens:
In the process of losing weight, I've discovered that I have to find self-worth. Do I have to find enough self-worth to fill the so-called "void" of every pound I've lost? Self-worth doesn't take up space. Pounds do. But isn't self-worth so much more? CAN'T it take up so much more space in your life? Yes, it can. And think of the good it can do. Think of how much you can do with it. Can you do much without it? Not really. Sure, you can get through the day and work and buy groceries and watch TV and walk the dog and do laundry. You can, and you do. But with a boatload of self-esteem, self-worth, self-love; whatever you'd prefer to call it, just think of how it would FEEL while you buy groceries: Picking up a bag of flour is easier. Watching TV is okay, too, but you'll FEEL like walking in place or doing wall push-ups during commercials. Walk the dog...but RUN the dog. Walk farther. Doing laundry is easier because you can bend easier, lift more. Do more without wearing out, shutting down, giving up.
Giving up and giving in are lost by the wayside and you, with more self-worth, will give MORE.
Eating is not what got us into this mess. Eating wrong, eating too much, and eating bad foods is what did it. You have the power to find control. Grab control, don't let it get away. Grab the self-esteem and the confidence. It's right out there, waiting for someone to make use of it.
Why not you?
Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:33:51 AM
Vegetarianism, Food, Recipe
Yummy Kidney Bean & Veggie Bacon Salad
1 package Morningstar Farms vegetarian bacon strips
2 cans light or dark kidney beans; drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery; rinsed and diced very fine
1/2 medium (depending upon how strong it is) Vidalia, red, or yellow onion; diced fine
1 bell pepper, any color; seeded & stemmed, then diced fine (I've found that the orange or yellow is spectacular)
1/2 cup or so of mayo (or vegan mayo if desired)
pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Cook veggie bacon strips on medium-low heat in a dry, non-stick skillet, turning to evenly cook both sides. When bacon starts to brown, remove it from the heat to cool. It should be crisp once cooled. (You can also cook bacon in a toaster oven, but make sure to watch it very closely.) Crumble the cooled bacon into a large mixing bowl.
Add the kidneys beans, veggies, and mayo. Mix well.
Add more mayo if desired, but only after thoroughly mixing in the first half cup to gauge how "mayonaissey" it is. Once you get the consistency you prefer, season with a little pepper, if desired.
Add a sprinkle of Parmesan if you like; it doesn't particularly need it, but it does add another dimension of flavor. This salad really doesn't require salt because the beans are salted when canned, the soy bacon contains salt and the celery has a fairly decent level of sodium in it as well.
Diced, fresh tomato would probably be very good in this. So would some green peas (the frozen kind) or even fresh broccoli florets or shredded carrots. But don't get carried away...we want a simple salad, right?
Store it, of course, refrigerated and in an airtight container. It's always better the next day. I make a large batch because it's highly addictive. And partly because I can't control myself on a regular basis.
Bonus: Another highly addictive salad that you've probably already tried...
Holy Moly, This is Good Bacon, Broccoli, and Raisin Salad
1 pkg vegetarian bacon, cooked and crumbled into mixing bowl
1 or 2 large heads of broccoli, florets removed and cut into smaller pieces, add to bacon
1/2 medium red onion, diced fairly small, add to bowl
throw in 1/2 cup (or so) of raisins
Dressing:
In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup mayo, a splash of cider vinegar (1 or 2 tablespoons?), and a small amount of sugar or Splenda (1 or 2 teaspoons) until sugar is dissolved. Mixture should be fairly thin. Add this to the bowl and mix well. Store, airtight, in refrigerator.
Shredded cheddar and some rinsed and drained (canned) black beans are TO DIE FOR in this salad. Interestingly enough, a small apple, cored and diced is pretty dang good in it, too.
Thursday, February 5, 2009 3:21:12 PM
Weight Loss, Food
...there was a thin girl inside of me, screaming to get out.
I killed the little screeching bitch seven years ago.
It took several dozen pounds of garlic hot wings, hundreds of 2-litre bottles of Coca-Cola, massive doses of chocolate-covered (insert random name of food item here), a little bit of coffee in my sugar every day, a diet completely void of fiber except for the sesame seeds on the Whopper buns, extra cheese on those extra cheese, cheese pizzas, 546 pounds of pepperoni, and at least enough ice cream to replicate a life-sized model of Mount Rushmore.
It can be done, people.
And now, it is being undone. I'm inviting the skinny little whiner back into my life, only on one condition: She can't say a word about sushi, Chinese food or dark chocolate. I'm sure we'll get along just fine.
Sunday, January 11, 2009 11:34:59 PM
Food, Weight Loss, Confessions
I walk at night because I don't want anyone to see me.
I sometimes talk myself into eating something that I know is going to push me backwards and ruin the hard work I've done to lose 60 pounds so far.
I don't think enough of myself sometimes to get up and do the extra work I need to do to keep up with my goals.
I have a habit of saying, "I should" instead of "I must" or "I will".
There is nothing that motivates me some days, not even the fact that I could die because of my weight. And I don't know why.
Other days, I have all the motivation I need. Plus some. Like right now, because I am going to quit typing and go outside and do my walk like I told my Mom I was going to do.
Have a great week, everyone.
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