Good Food Tuesday

Apple Dip

1 (8 oz) pkg of cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T. caramel ice cream topping

Beat cream cheese, sugars, vanilla, and caramel together until creamy. Slice apples and serve with dip.


I tried this one because it was short and easy. It's also ridiculously tasty. I doubled the caramel, because I LOVE caramel. It's really good, and really rich. It makes a lot, so you could probably half this recipe.

Good Food Tuesday

I know I know. I am totally behind on these. This is why I have a random blog instead of a thematic blog.

I lack blog discipline.

Today's recipe comes from page 7 of the appetizer section.

Artichoke Dip

1 (13 oz) can artichoke hearts (chopped)- Don't drain
2 c. mayonnaise
(This is kind of a lot, I actually ran out and had to use a cup of BSA's super nasty light mayo, which resembles strange smelling yogurt. It didn't affect the taste though, and was probably healthier, if you feel like going that route.)
4 oz Parmesan cheese
(I also ran out of this and had to substitute some mozzarella. When you check your fridge for ingredients, you should probably open those cans and see how much is actually inside.)
1 sm can diced green chilies

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a flat baking pan. (I used a 8X8) Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

This dip was actually really good. I love the artichoke chili combination.

Good Food Monday--Page 6

Good Food Monday

I have the Monday Blahs. We’ve been having constant storming rain. Last night we had a horrible storm, and all the constant banging and what not kept me up all night, thinking about the news story I saw that was all about the storm ripping walls and roofs off houses.

I was especially concerned since I spent most of yesterday bad mouthing our church service. But honestly, who ever heard of a Mother’s Day service that was all about honoring men?

A couple of hours later I realized that I was just being silly, and that what I really should be worrying about was the tree trying to smash its way through my window.

When I finally fell asleep, I had a dream where I was fighting zombies. In my labcoat. With a scalpel of all things.

When I woke up, I was light headed and head-achey, and when I got to work, I had 8 hours of class where I had to calculate, calibrate, and convert. Oh goodness my brain is fried.

But enough WHINING!! On with the food…

We’ve missed a few weeks, but now we’re onto page 6, appetizers.

Cheddar Ranch Snack Mix

3 c Kellog’s Crispix cereal
3 c Cheez-its white cheddar crackers
1 c mini pretzels
1 pkt dry ranch dip mix
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon & herb seasoning
1 tsp dill weed
¼ c vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine Crispix cereal, Cheez-Itz crackers and pretzels. Set aside. IN a small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour seasoning mixture over cracker mixture. Gently stir the mixture. Microwave on high 1 minute. Gently stire. Microwave on high for 1 more minute.

This one is easy and pretty tasty, although the seasoning is pretty strong. Tastes a lot like Chicken in a Biscuit.

Good Food Friday--Vegetable Nut Pate

I think by now we all know that I'll always be posting these late.

We're finally onto page 5! We leave drinks behind and enter the fascinating world of appetizers. I know my roommates are glad. You’d think I’ve been torturing them, the way they whine about having to consume fancy drinks once a week.

So, on to the pate, which I would like to point out, is NOT the easiest recipe on the page. (I’ve been getting some ribbing on this as well from roomie TSA (The Starving Artist)

1 ½ c cooked green beans, chopped
(You know those green beans you think you have in the cupboard? Now might be a good time to double check on that. Be sure to check behind the pop tarts.)
-A happy bonus to this ingredient? After you’ve added it to the dip, the rest becomes Tuesday Night Dinner. Mmmm.
2 hard boiled eggs, grated
(This sounded messy. I just diced mine with an egg slicer. It worked nifty keen.)
1 to 2 T. mayonnaise
Salt, Pepper, nutmeg to taste
(I don’t have nutmeg, but cardamom works as a substitute.)
¼ c chopped toasted nuts
(It never says how to toast the nuts. I put mine in the toaster oven. I recommend the “light” setting, otherwise your house smells like burnt nuts. If anyone else has a better way to do this, let me know.)
¼ c finely minced onion
1 T. white vinegar

Saute onions in a little butter until soft. Combine with remaining ingredients and chill well. Use as a dip for raw vegetables or as a pate with toast or crackers.

I will admit that once you stir everything up, it can look a little scary. It tasted pretty good though, and that’s with everything still warm. Mine is currently chilling in the fridge. So I’ll finish off my green beans and let you know how the pate tastes tomorrow.

UPDATE: Mmmmmmm, it's tasty. I had it on toast, and I really liked it.

Good Food Friday--pg 4

It's really really late I know. So late, it's gone around and back out the other side and now I'm actually posting early for Good Food Friday.

I should actually be going to Krav tonight, but my allergies are so bad that I've decided to stay home and wait for my face to stop feeling so puffy. Besides, it's hard to punch things when you're sneezing constantly. I could come away with a nickname like "BioHazard"

Help me Tylenol Severe Allergy and Sinus Congestion. You're my only hope.

So, Page 4 was all about the lemonade. The recipe for last week was mint lemonade. Basically, you mix some lemonade and then put in some mint flavoring.

Badda Bing. Badda Boom. Mint lemonade.

I actually prefer a little later in the summer, when the mint is fresh, to put in some stalks for about half an hour or so, and then it's awesome.

I was thinking about trying one of the frozen lemonade slushy recipes, but I couldn't find many of the ingredients, and my alterations have reached the point where I'm afraid I'll create the Frankenstein monster of lemonades if I actually put it all together.

You want to know what I was actually doing last Friday?

I was at a German restaurant. It's called Cafe Mozart, and it's this little hole in the wall restaurant in DC. You have to walk back through their little deli/grocery store to the back, where they've hidden the restaurant. It's really good. And they have an entire menu page of cakes and tortes to choose from when you get to dessert.

Anyway, I went with a bunch of friends from work, and I was joking about the hassenpfeffer, a traditional rabbit dinner that I know about from Looney Tunes.
Well Mozart Cafe actually offered it, and after a few dares I actually ordered it.
It came with german potato salad and a really thick tasty gravy. I had a little bunny back leg attached to some bunny ribs, and a piece I'm pretty sure was the neck, based on it's shape and the hard thing in the center.

Rabbits, like quail, game hen, squirrel and other small critters are a really big pain to eat with a knife and fork. You have to try to get those little bits of meat off equally little bits of bone. I was at a nice place so I couldn't just pick it up and gnaw.

The rabbit had a really interesting flavor. In texture it reminded me a bit of duck, except not as greasy. It also had it's own, distinctive gamey flavor. It wasn't bad, but I won't order it again.

Definitely didn't taste like chicken.

Good Food Friday- Page 3

Just a little late, but I'm pretty sure it's Friday-ish.

Orange Julius

Y’all should appreciate my diligence to the numerical page system, because everything on page 3 is a cold drink, and it is flipping freezing out today.

This one is especially appropriate, since I made mango lassi during the last General Conference. If I’m not careful, I’ll have to have an orange frothy drink for every conference.

Orange Julius

3 oz or 1/3 c frozen orange juice
½ c milk
½ c water
½ c sugar
½ tsp vanilla
5 to 6 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients together.

What is it with the partial can of oj recipes? Once again, I find myself asking “what will I do with 2/3 can of oj?” So it should be no surprise that I dumped that whole sucker in there. Actually, I meant to dump the whole thing, but the last third was being particularly difficult, so I just chucked it.

Then I doubled the portions for everything but the sugar, since that’s a whole lot of sugar. Our cute little blender whipped everything right up, and while digging ice out of the freezer, I had the opportunity to drop one down the back of BSA’s shirt. So all around an awesome recipe!

It’s VERY tasty.

Good Food Friday- Page 2

Page 2 of the Pig-Out Recipe Collection leaves us squarely in the Beverages portion of Beverages and Appetizers. Today’s recipe is “Slush Mix.”

1 lg package of strawberry Jello
4 c. sugar
4 c. water
1 (6 oz) can of frozen oj
½ cup lemon juice
1 (46-oz) can pineapple juice (seriously?!)\
1 (46-oz) can apple juice. (Do they even make cans this big?)

Obviously, this recipe has a ward social in mind, or possibly, the D-Day invasion force. I cut it drastically. I used a small package of jello, cut the sugar and water in half, used a full can (12 oz) of oj because, honestly, what am I going to do with a half can of frozen oj? Then I used a 12 oz can of pineapple juice, and 12 oz of apple juice.

I couldn’t find any frozen apple juice. Has canned apple juice gone out of style? Or is my grocer deficient? We may never know.

Here’s the directions:

Combine jello, sugar, and water in a saucepan. (A really big saucepan) Heat until sugar is dissolved. Add orange, lemon, pineapple, and apple juice. Put this mixture into a plastic container and freeze.

To serve: Remove from freezer one hour before serving. When mixture is slushy, pour into punch bowl and add ginger ale or 7 up.

Mine is still freezing, but once we serve it up I’ll let you know how it tastes. It’s a bunch of fruit juice and a load of sugar. How could it be bad?


UPDATE: hmmm, it's gooood. Sweet though. Really sweet. I bet you could get away with not adding any extra sugar and it would just fine.

Eggnog Update

So...you CANNOT overcook eggnog. When your stirring it on the oven, once it looks like eggnog, thick and whatever, take it off the heat. Otherwise the egg solidifies and then its all over. When I took my nog out of the fridge, it had the consistency and texture of tapioca pudding. I couldn't bring myself to drink it, but I did eat some with a spoon, and it tasted like eggnog but that pudding thing...bleh.

Nog, Disposal...Disposal, Nog.

Good Food Friday - Page 1

My good friend Nan has started Good Food Fridays on her blog, and asked her friends to participate. I believe all you have to do is post a recipe, and then talk about it.

Unfortunately, most of my recipes look something like this:

1. Boil spaghetti noodles
2. Put Prego “Garden Variety” Spaghetti sauce on top of noodles
3. Dinner!

It gets even worse on Fridays, where it looks something like this:

1. Go to restaurant
2. Read menu
3. Dinner!

I went to our shelf of cookbooks for some help. My first thought was Rachel Ray, but then BSA reminded me of the unfortunate “Stoop” incident. A recipe so awful, that my subconscious has repressed all memory of it except for a vague shuddering recollection of a pot full of something red and lumpy. So instead, I’ve picked the “Pig-Out” Collection of Recipes from the Lincoln, NE 4th Ward Relief Society.

For Good Food Fridays (which will probably never happen on a Friday, but it’s the thought that counts) I’ll pick a recipe from a page, going through it in chronological order.

Since I’ll be napping tomorrow in preparation for the Leg Warmers concert in Maryland, I’m doing my Good Food Friday tonight.

Page 1
Appetizers & Beverages

Eggnog

2 c milk
6 eggs
¾ c. sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum extract (or imitation rum flavoring, or rum, or whatever)
Nutmeg

Now I know what you’re thinking, that’s a Gaston-level amount of eggs. I only made half the recipe, because there’s only 1 of me. But if you find yourself surrounded by 12 outlaw bikers whose rage can only be cooled by a big cool glass of eggnog, then by all means make the whole recipe.

Directions:
Heat 2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan, just until hot. Set aside. Beat eggs, sugar, and salt. Slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture and return to saucepan (I whisked the eggs into the milk, right into the saucepan, it didn’t seem to make any difference) Cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes.



This is important. If you don’t beat enough, or if it heats too much, you might suddenly get something that looks like really runny scrambled eggs. My solution to this little problem was to beat it silly.


Beating it silly
Once your done stirring, remove from heat. Stir in the 1 cup of milk and vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled. Before serving, add rum extract and sprinkle with nutmeg.

I don’t have any nutmeg, so I’m going to sprinkle mine with ground Cardamom, which is similar to nutmeg, but I like it better.

My eggnog is still cooling, so I’ll post an update when we actually try it (you have to refrigerate it for several hours.) Some of you who may have been around me during the holidays, or at least long enough to hear me refer to eggnog as a “nice big glass of holiday snot” may be surprised by my choice of recipe. Well, it was the only one on Page 1 that wasn’t hot, and it’s too warm to make hot cocoa or cider.