Just got back to the hotel after one of the best dinners that I have had at a restaurant in a long time. Mike and I drove down to Clarksville this afternoon for the annual Hellebores festival at Pine Knot Farms. I've been wanting to come down for years, but a 5 hour trip just never worked out before. Mike the non gardener is less than thrilled about the event, but he is being a good sport and I know despite his good natured grumbling that he will enjoy it. The weather is supposed to be cruddy, but so far it's ok. It was an enjoyable drive and we had a few laughs along the way.
Clarksville is a small town, but there is a small town flavor of a nice restaurant across the street from the hotel. For an appetizer, we had bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with jalapeno peppers and cheese. On Friday and Saturday, they offer slow cooked prime rib. I had that along with a twice baked potato and a side salad with homemade raspberry vinaigrette. Everything was delicious.
Getting Hot In Here- What's spicing up your Mid-At Kitchen?
... Oh no, now that song "Last Train to Clarksville" is going through my head...
Ooooh, a Hellebore Festival!!??!?!? How cool!!! Looking forward to LOTS of pictures!!!! < =D
Too sympatico - that song was going through my head too, and while you were posting I was googling the Monkey's song factoids to see if it was about this town. Nope, but interesting story anyway.
Loved the Monkees. That dinner sounds Yummy!
I'm glad you had a great dinner to top off a spectacular day! Happy Birthday, Aspenhill / Terri ! ! !
Happy Birthday, dear Aspen
Mmm mm mm Terri...yum
All kinds of yogurt chicken roasting going on out there , from the looks of my last recipe search. Kind o like this
http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2008/05/liz-pearsons-yo.html
I saw lemon yogurt before plain so yes speedy I got lemon.
And big bunches of kale, though kale does not sound like the right veg for a Greek recipe...I'll pretend it is spinach. Mark doesn't like eggplant. There's a good Greek restaurant between Catonsville and Ellicott City, on Frederick Road.
CLarksville WV?
We went to a park/ resort way down in WV one year, called Pipestem. There was very little nearby but did have a fantastic BBQ place near there, out in nowhere.
Clarksville, VA on the VA/NC border - about 1 hour east of Danville.
I hope you're getting some good rest tonight, Terri, so you can tip toe through the hellebores tomorrow! I'm so excited for you! I know you'll come home with something really special for your garden, too. I saw something about a NJ nursery visiting with witch hazels... sniff them for us, OK? I always hear how fragrant they are, but mine isn't, and the ones DPF had last weekend aren't either.
Oh, we're supposed to be talking about food... I was sorting out the freezer, trying to organize it, getting rid of UFO's (unidentified frozen objects)... and I realized I still had a turkey from Thanksgiving. A 22 pounder. How did I not know that? LOL I threw it in a cooler with some water to keep the surface temperature even, and it's been slowly thawing on the back deck.
We're all under the weather, so nobody really wanted turkey for dinner... I figured it would end up in stir fry or curry dishes, so I tried to get creative with it. I took several tablespoons of citrus/pepper/curry seasoning, plus garlic and ginger, and added it to half a cup of applesauce. It got a shot of soy sauce for salt and a couple spoons of honey to smooth out the taste. (I usually mix my seasoning into applesauce... easy to spread around, and it helps moisten & tenderize the meat.)
I loosened the skin and rubbed the seasoning all over the turkey (under the skin, so the flavor gets into the meat). Then I mixed up a little Sunny D, soy, and chinese vinegar to baste with. (Hey, you use what's on hand.) It turned out pretty tasty, and nowhere near as spicy as I thought it would be with all that black pepper. I'll boil up the bones and scraps for a bit tomorrow with the pan juices to get some stock to use with the meat.
So... turkey... it's not just for Thanksgiving!
Oh my Critt, that sounds delicious!! What did you serve on the side with that delectable turkey!? I make a typical "Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner" every Sunday evening, and quite frankly, I'm getting a little bored with it. I may just 'borrow' some of your ideas, if'n ya don't mind? =) I've got egg noodles, I've got rices... I've got a few different sorts of beans... what else?... I dunno. HA! I've got LOADS of garlic, that should help! < =D
I SOOOOO hear you about UFOs. There are some in my freezer too.
Orange- ginger- garlic, asian inspired,...sounds good! Whole turkey is such a good buy at Thanksgiving.
Yesterdays freezer find for me was bean soup. Heated with some chicken broth (poured off from baked chicken this week) and leftover sweet potatoes, and some sauce from sausage and peppers. - point being, it's real cooking that you scrounge, choose from what's there and make something tasty, hopefully.
UFOs is why I am not tempted by a large extra freezer. I Hate wasting food. I live within five miles of a dozen food stores, and am on the road almost daily. In my mind I can't save enough money on food bargains to pay for the electric.
(Bowing, getting off soapbox, walking away, ducking the year old hunks of frozen soup.....)
UFO's are really only "old" when you have birthday parties for them.
LOL!
I have a foil wrapped snowball from 2006. Or else a ball of foil, dated 2006 which has long since freeze dried!
Funny! I love trying to figure out what the item was originally.
lol Pirl!
Forensic Freezology!
Next stop ice cores from Antarctica! Or "from freeze to tableau" in under 30 minutes, Let frozen "dogs" lie.
I'm not looking til it's Spring or the living is easy, which ever comes first.
This message was edited Feb 23, 2013 10:15 PM
I found a few UFOs when I swapped our old 20 something cubic foot freezer for our new energy star 12.8'cu. Our electric co. actually gave us 2 rebates, 1 for purchasing energy star, and one for turning in the old one, totaling either $125 or $150. I find we do save quite a bit of money having a bulk freezer, often I buy whole sirloins, whole pork loins and such, as well as venison. We like frozen veggies from our garden too, it's so much easier to freeze rather than canning. The one thing I do like to can is red beets because I add pickling spice to them.
I am so looking forward to March 17th. Just thinking about corned beef brisket, cabbage,'taters,and Irish soda bread w/ European butter. Just thinking about it has me salivating like one of Pavlovs dogs. LOL Ric
Heehee. I need to empty out the freezer downstairs and clean it out and unplug it.
Spaghetti tonight with a sauce I'll make up soon. It will have sausage and onions and a red pepper. Maybe some carrots and celery, too. Then there will be some to freeze for Jeff when I'm gone. I couldn't help but chuckle when I typed the word freeze though.
Sounds so good, Ric. I could send over some frozen raspberry turnovers that are probably around the legal age for drinking.
I may just add pickles to my canning this year if I can find my Grandmothers recipe. She made a lime pickle to die for. Lightly spiced with a crunch and the fruitful flavor of lime, it made a tuna salad sandwich taste like a Waldorf salad.
Memories pressed between the pages of my mind. It appears this may have been first performed by the "King", Songwriters: CRAWFORD, DAVID JUSTIN / OGBOURNE, DELANO / VERGER DE DIOS, NICOLE . But I really loved Streisand version from "The way we were" . Ric
Ric--
Here is my Pickle recipe--always a winner. Yummy and crunchy...
See what you could finagle to add lime. May be good like your G-Mothers?
***************************************************
Gita’s Refrigerator Garlic-Dill Pickles
Need: 3 wide-mouthed jars (pickle type), or Mayo. Jars
One BIG bunch of fresh Dill
5-6 cloves Garlic (or to taste)—diced or thinly sliced.
10-12 pickling cucumbers--(such as Kirby). Fresh is best!
Store cucumbers are WAXED, and no way you can remove it! If you
must use store cukes, score them through the skin with a fork
and slice them thickly. They also have more seeds! But…it will
work if no others are available.
Lately—I have been using the long, English, seedless cucumbers.
They work very well.
To Do: Stuff jars ¼ full of fresh dill, stems and leaves! Sprinkle a gene-
rous amount of the chopped garlic on top. Mix up a bit.
Stuff jars as full as you can with speared/sliced cucumbers, inter-
spersing them with some more Dill and a bit of garlic.
For MY taste---I usually have too much garlic in these.
Some love it!
Prepare the Broth: In a 2Qt. saucepan, combine the following:
2 and a half cups water….3/4cup white vinegar (can be part
Apple Cider vinegar)…1 rounded, regular Tbs. KOSHER, or
Pickling salt (DO NOT use regular, iodized salt!!!).
1 regTbs. Sugar, 1tsp mustard seed, 1tsp. Pickling
Spice….or--1-2 Bay leaves…6-8 pcs. Whole Allspice,
And about 1/2tsp. Hot pepper flakes.
Bring broth to a boil. Lower heat and simmer all, stirring often,
For about 10-15 minutes. Keep VERY hot until ready to use!
,b>Filling Jars:
Stirring constantly, to distribute spices, ladle hot broth
evenly into jars until all contents are covered. Seal jars. Invert
each jar a couple of times to mix contents.
Let jars cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate.
Pickles are ready to eat in 2-3 days! They will be delicious and
crunchy! Use them up in about 2-3 weeks, as they will soften
with time, but will still be good.
Enjoy! Gita
Thank You Gita, you're the tops! Ric
...I don't think that I can take it, cause it took so long to make it and I'll never have that recipe again...
Fret not over 'lost recipies' there is help. Public Radio has a feature whereby they help people recreate foods they remember tasting but no longer know how to make. The team keeps adjusting until it is just right. Interviews I heard were very much like being back at Grandma's kitchen and the finale results "just like grandma used to make"!
The Lost Recipe Project
NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/13/161078540/a-little-patience-a-lot-of-salt-are-keys-to-a-lost-pickle-recipe
Hey, not only is the upstairs freezer cleaned & sorted, but I even put a whiteboard on the door with a list of what's inside, saving me from the "what's available?" recitation every time I say the dinner plan is to have something from the freezer.
The turkey turned out moist and flavorful, not terribly exotic (it really takes a lot of spice rub to make more than a subtle impact on a turkey, I think). We had some tonight with rice and/or leftover pasta. I boiled up the drippings and the bones (super easy to do by throwing everything into the roasting pan, add enough water to mostly cover, then into the oven for a few hours at 250'). With that and the meat (which I've pulled/cut off the bones but haven't cut into bite sized pieces yet), we'll be set for quite a few meals. I'm thinking stir-fry, mostly... simple seasoning, garlic and ginger and 5-spice. It's a little too sweet for most curry dishes. The turkey could be served "straight up," also, and the stock could be used to make a nice sauce on something like carrots as a side.
Last weekend, we made spaghetti sauce in the Nesco roaster (14 quarts) and froze 5 meals' worth of mini-meatloaves. Together with the usual complement of leftover stir fry, red-eye chicken, soup, etc, we've got a pretty full freezer... so I'm thinking I don't have to do much cooking for a while. :-)
Does anybody else use Ann Landers' meatloaf recipe? We love it. It's the one I grew up with. The only change I've made is to (usually) use my home-made chili sauce instead of ketchup in the meat mixture. (That worked so well the first time we tried it that I've made a couple of chili sauce batches with extra cloves and other seasonings that I think will work especially well with the ground beef.)
Not knowing just what Ms. Landers' recipe was, I had to look it up... and I'm sorry to say, "no", I have never made it just like that, but I have done some variations of it. Never thought of using water in a meatloaf... wonder what that does. (??) I also use chilli sauce in mine though, rather than ketchup or plain tomato sauce, it just seems to give it a 'zingier' flavour.
Last night was left-overs, I was just too tired to cook a 'real' meal. DH and I spent 11 hours cleaning up and organizing the basement, so all my body parts were ready to fall off when we were done. Had some left-over BBQ pork in the fridge; defrosted some sub rolls and had fries with BBQ pulled pork subs.
Today, I think it's marinara-making day. =)
Good Morning speedie----
Off to the meeting.....we will, probably, be served doughnuts and juices and coffee.
They usually have something....Not much appetite this early. G.
Gooood morning!! Probably out the door already, but BOY have you got a BIG D-mail waiting for you when you get home! < =D
I think the hot water in the Ann Landers recipe hydrates the onion soup mix and the bread crumbs. It works, so I'm not messing with it. Her recipe freezes very well, but only *after* it's baked. I tried freezing it "raw" one time, and it wasn't very satisfactory.
I do double the amount of "sauce" for topping the meatloaf (usually some mix of tomato sauce, ketchup, chili sauce). I have a pan that makes 8 rectangular "muffins" (like a muffin & a half, or a mini bread)... Instead of doing one big meatloaf, I make 8 mini loaves from a recipe, then poke a big dent down the center of each one so I can really add a lot of tomato topping before baking.
Mmmmm that sounds really yummy! Now I want to make a meatloaf again. =) Where did you get that interesting baking pan? ... not that I have room anywhere for any new baking items... but that's beside the point. =)
Made that marinara today and it sure smelled up the house nicely! For dinner... the ol' Sunday stand-by, Roast chicken... didn't have the oomph to do any thinking about how to do it differently... OTHER THAN.. I brined it first. I have never brined a chicken before roasting, but I've brined parts for other recipes, so I figured why not? It's roasting now, so we'll see how it turns out.
speedie---
A rotisserie Chicken from Costco is the world's best!!! The yummiest I have ever had!
And--only $4.88. OH! The flavor!! And--all the fat has dripped off....Why bother cooking?
I am not a member--but was last year. Got a big one--ate it for a week!
Have the 60 day free at BJ's. It will expite on 2/28. Gotta make a trip to get a few things.
Will check out their rotisserie chicken.....G.
I brine the Thanksgiving turkey. Usually my chicken goes rinse and season and into the oven, no brine.
My yogurt marinated chicken was good, can't say much different, and I will say that smearing a handful of yogurt on a raw chicken is quite a slimy experience. Made a big pot of kale and turnip greens today, lots of lutein for good eye health.
Sally--
buttermilk is also a good marinade for chicken. You can leave it overnight.
Then wipe off the B-Milk and cook as you wish. it is supposed to make the meat more tender.
When i roast chicken--I season it inside and out with: S&P; lots of onion powder; a bit of garlic Powder;
and, sometimes, a bit of Poultry Seasoning.
Chunk up some carrots and celery and put some inside--and all around the chicken.
Some whole Allspice and a bay leaf or two.
Do 400* for about 1/2 hr. to brown--and then 375* till done.
I baste with the juices as often as i can. Always good!
G.
The chicken turned out really yummy, and the gravy (from the drippings) was... I'm not sure how to describe it other than "more flavorful" than usual. Not salty, but really rich!! I make up my own "house-seasoning blend", which I keep handy at all times. It's a conglomeration of : Onion powder, garlic powder, basil, parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, ground black pepper, paprika, coriander, ... and whatever else grabs my attention at the time. Oh, and about 1/4 tsp of Kosher salt... all in a 6-ounce sized shaker bottle. I use my coffee grinder to grind up the leafy herbs super fine. LOTS of paprika!! =) That blend is what I use on my chicken ALWAYS, over and under the skin. Massaged all in.. I feel like a Swedish masseuse, HA!
Speedie--
Just once! Promise me you will do this when making gravy. OK? Everyone else too....
When your gravy is all done--no matter how you do it--and you have removed it from the heat,
mix in a glob (~2 full Tbs.) of SOUR CREAM. YES! You will not believe how it changes the taste to awesome!
This goes for ALL gravies you make....I would not make a gravy without it!
Let the gravy cool a tiny bit before you do this. Take a half a cup of it out and
mix the Sour Cream into that--then mix it into the hot gravy. Makes it come out
smoother. If you just put the SC into the hot gravy--it will clump up and it is harder to
smooth it out.
If you are not sure you want to do this--take a small amt. of the gravy and mix into that
a very small amt. of SC and taste it--then taste the plain gravy. See which one tastes better.....
Gita
That sound yummy Gita. Ric
Ric--Thanks--
Sour cream has many uses--not just in dips...Like in a lot of cakes...
EX: Craving something sweet and "decadent"?
Take some reg. SC on a spoon and dip it in sugar. YES! It is amazing!!!
Try it! You'll like it!!!!
Something else you may like--Ric-the-cook...
This Casserole is VERY good--feeds a crowd--can be frozen and re-heated,
Great for pot-lucks, etc....Easy to make too.
****************************************************
MACARONI, HAM, AND CHEESE CASSEROLE
From: Gita Veskimets
6-8oz. (dry) elbow, bow knot, or any other small macaroni
(cooked per directions and drained) I use elbow..
4-6 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
4 eggs
1 ¾ cup light cream or 1/2 and 1/2
½ tsp. Salt and ¼ tsp. Pepper—or to taste for both
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
½ tsp. Paprika
3 cups good, cooked ham in ¼” dice (One lg. ham steak will do)
1 ½ cups shredded, sharp Cheddar Cheese (more is yummy)
1 med. onion—minced
1—10oz. Pkg. Frozen peas (optional) for color
Cheese Crumb topping (recipe at the end)
DIRECTIONS:
***Have all dicing done ahead of time!***
In a 9x11x3 casserole dish (or similar)—(half a disposable foil pan works great):
--Put drained, hot macaroni into the casserole pan.
--Toss cooked, hot macaroni with the butter/margarine.
--Lightly beat eggs with a small amt. of the cream. Add all seasonings and whisk
until well incorporated. Add remaining cream.
--Mix the ham, onion and cheese into the macaroni and pour cream mixture over
the top.
--Sprinkle top with cheese crumb topping. (Can be frozen at this stage).
--Bake in a 375degree oven for 45min.-1 hour until firm and bubbly.
--Serves 8-10.
CHEESE CRUMB TOPPING:
Combine ½ cup shredded, sharp Cheddar Cheese with 2-3 Tbsp. of fine, dry bread crumbs and 2-3 Tbsp. of melted butter/margarine. Sprinkle over casserole. I tend to increase all these amounts. Never too much good stuff!
Note: Do not fill pan to the top. This may bubble over as it bakes.
This makes a great potluck dish. It makes a ½ aluminum foil pan full
**This freezes VERY well. To use, thaw out in the fridge and bake as usual.
Mmm, I love sour cream. "Blue Box" or even house brands of mac 'n cheese are so much better if you skip the butter & milk... instead, stir in the cheese powder with a generous amount (1/4 cup at least) of sour cream. Add salmon, peas, and basil, and it's positively "gourmet." Add salsa, corn, and a couple of cut-up hot dogs, and it's something totally different.
My mom used to make a simple "dressing" for fruit salad with just sour cream & sugar. I hadn't thought of it in a long time, until Gita mentioned eating it on a spoon on a treat.
I threw one of my UFOs, no date, from the old freezer in the crock pot to see how or what becomes of it. I think it may be a sirloin tip. Threw in generous portions of caraway, cumin, and celery seed, as well as cracked pepper and onion. By 3-4pm I should know if I have supper or fox food. LOL Ric
LOL... well, if you've been clearing out your freezer, you probably have a backup dinner you could heat & serve!
Yes, Olive Garden or Subway? LOL As I sit here chatting I have 2 beautiful Pileated Woodpeckers feeding on the suet feeders a couple of hours ago. They really have an appetite, between them and all the others we go through a suet cake a day. Ric