Unicorn Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3 oz. package of cherry flavored gelatin
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tbsp. lemon rind (optional)
2 eggs
1½ tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1½ cups cooking oats

Preheat oven to 375º. Place rack in center of oven.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter, gelatin and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs, orange rind and cherry extract and beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and cooking oats together and gradually add to mixing bowl, beating on low and scrapping sides of the bowl until mixed well.

Scoop by tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheets two inches apart. Bake at 375º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Cool one minute then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield 5 dozen 1½-2 inch cookie gems.

Food for Thought:

Use any flavor gelatin for Unicorn cookies.  Unicorn Cookies come in all colors and flavors.  You could even make several batches and mix them all together. 

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

 

Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers with Dill Sauce

12-16 oz. ground turkey

¼ cup cracker crumbs

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. marjoram

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. Srirache hot rooster sauce

Combine all ingredients and shape into 4 patties.  Make ahead and place in fridge for 2-3 hours before cooking for easier handling.  Cook on griddle over medium heat 4-5 minutes per side.

Build over grilled English muffins, lettuce, tomato and top with dilly garlic sauce.

GARLIC DILL SAUCE

4 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. fresh snipped dill

Stir ingredients together and let stand in fridge for 2-3 hours to incorporate flavors.

Food for Thought:

Burgers are a quick and easy throw together meal.  

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Strata

4 English Muffins or thick slices of day old French or Italian bread, cut into bite size pieces

3 oz. chopped turkey pastrami

2 cups cut up cooked asparagus

2 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed

2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed

1 oz. fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup plain yogurt

4 eggs

1 cup skim milk

¼ cup finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. hot sauce

Layer one half of the muffins in bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Add pastrami, asparagus, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. Top with remaining English muffin pieces.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and milk. Stir in mustard, hot sauce, and onions. Pour evenly over the layers in the baking dish.  Cover chill overnight, or at least for two hours.

Top with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered in a preheated 325º oven for 60 minutes or until internal temperature reads 170º F.  Let stand ten minutes before serving with salsa and extra hot sauce.

Food for Thought:

What the heck is Strata?  Trata or stratta is a family of layered casserole dishes in American cuisine. The most common modern variant is a brunch dish, similar to a quiche or frittata, made from a mixture of bread, eggs and cheese. It may also include meat or vegetables. The usual preparation requires the bread to be layered with the filling in order to produce layers (strata). Other recipes merely require that the ingredients are mixed together, like a savory bread pudding. A beaten egg mixture is then poured over the ingredients and then it rests anywhere between one hour and overnight before it is baked.  It is served warm.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Ravioli

Raviolis with Shrimp & Hot Peppers

18 frozen ravioli (or make your own-recipe below)

26 medium shrimp

1½ cup turkey, chopped

1¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

¼ cup shredded cheddar

2-3 jalapeño peppers, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup milk

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

Cook ravioli according to package directions.  Peel and devein shrimp.  Sauté garlic and peppers in hot olive oil for about 2 minutes then add shrimp and sauté another 3-5 minutes until shrimp turns pink and opaque. 

In medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour, add milk and heat until thick and bubbly.  Stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted.  Add shrimp, turkey and peppers to cheese sauce stir to blend. 

Place nine raviolis each on oven safe plates; pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes just until cheese bubbles.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Ravioli

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg                                                                              

1/3 cup water

½ tsp. salt

Beat the egg and water together. In large bowl combine flour and salt. Create a well in the center and slowly pour in the water and egg mixture. If too dry add a little water until pliable dough is formed.  Knead the dough until elastic.  Cut into two separate balls. Cover with damp cloth and rest for ten minutes. Cut each ball into four equal pieces and roll into 10x10 inch squares.  Cut each into nine squares.  Fill with cheese & turkey mixture.  Seal and cook in boiling water for 5-6 minutes.

Turkey/Cheese Filling

1½ cup chopped turkey meat

2-3 chopped jalapeno peppers

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

Combine all ingredients together until smooth. Spoon into prepared ravioli wrappers.

Food for thought:

→Pasta originates in China or Greece, but it’s a myth that the concept of combining flour and water was brought to Italy by Marco Polo upon his return from China in the 13th Century. 

→At first, dry pasta was a luxury item in Italy, because of high labor costs, as the semolina had to be kneaded for a long time. Only after the industrial revolution in Naples, when a mechanical process allowed for large scale production of dry pasta, did it become affordable and popular among the common people. 

→The founder of one of the world’s leading pasta makers, Pietro Barilla, is said to have dusted flour on the sleeve of his black suit on a daily basis. If he could blow the flour off without a trace, it meant that the flour was dry and finely grained and perfect for pasta making. 

→There are more than 600 pasta shapes worldwide, but in Italian pasta names don’t sound particularly appetizing.  Spaghetti means strings, vermicelli are small worms, farfalle are butterflies, orechiette small ears, linguine little tongues and ravioli little turnips. 

→Italians never use a spoon and a fork when eating spaghetti. This is an American habit. In Italy you simply twirl a fork against the dish. 

→Italians eat the most pasta per capita per year of any population in the world. But exactly how much is that? 60 lbs., per person, per year! 

→October 25th is World Pasta Day.  

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Quiche Marine

QUICHE MARINE

1 9-inch pie crust dough

1 tbsp. butter

3 medium onions, chopped

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 tbsp. minced garlic

5 eggs

¾ cup garden vegetable cream cheese

4 slices deli ham, chopped

2-3 tbsp. canned mushrooms

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Cook onions in butter 5-6 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently.  Add broccoli and reduce heat; cook 5 minutes longer until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook and stir one minute. Remove from heat; cool. Beat eggs in medium bowl until blended; add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie crust. Bake 350º 45-50 minutes or until puffed on edges and knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and dill.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Quiche Marine was hubby’s idea.  It came about from improvising.  I was out of ingredients for a basic quiche so Tall Cool ☺ne took what was available in the refrigerator and said “here, use this”.  I threw it together and turns out to be one of the best quiches I’ve ever made.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Pasta Kugels

PASTA KUGELS

1 cup pasta shells

1 stick butter

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1¼ cup cottage cheese

1¼ cup sour cream

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

4 eggs

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 425°. 

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse.

In heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Brush muffin tin with some of the butter.  Add onions and garlic to butter and cook, stirring often until well browned.  Transfer buttered veggies to large bowl and stir in pasta, sour cream, cottage cheese and poppy seeds.  Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper and add to past mixture. Spoon into prepared tins (fill to tops).  Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes.  Loosen the edges of Kugels with thin knife as soon as they come out of the oven, then let cool about 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.  

Food for Thought:

When mashed potatoes isn’t good enough for a side, and spaghetti just doesn’t fit the bill, try these little yummies on for size.  A little Kugel goes a long ways.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Okra - Only 2 Ways

OKRA-Pickled

1 Large bowl of fresh picked Okra

3 cups water

3 cups white vinegar

1/3 cup canning salt

2 tbsp. fresh ill

6-8 cloves garlic

6-8 hot peppers

Prepare the canning jars, wash the okra.  Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil.  Divide dill among the jars and place one clove of garlic and one hot pepper in each jar.  Pack okra into the jars. Pour boiling water over okra to cover.  Seal jars according to manufacturing instructions and boil in hot water bath for processing 25 minutes.  (Adjust salt/vinegar/water proportion accordingly to how much okra you are using).

OKRA-Fried

1 lb. (or so) small okra pods (10-15)

1 cup cornmeal

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup milk

1 tsp. Texas Pete hot sauce

Salt & Pepper

Cooking oil

Slice okra pods into bite size pieces. The smaller the pod, the sweeter the taste. Combine milk and egg and hot sauce. Place pods in mixture. Stir to cover all and let stand for 15 minutes.

Heat up oil in deep fryer or large skillet. Dredge okra pods through cornmeal mixture and deep fry for 5-8 minutes, flipping often to brown. Serve with your favorite condiment.

Food for thought: 

Preserving in the Kitchen

The air is hot and humid and the scent

of strawberries fills the kitchen.

Summertime and jalapenos,

green peppers, cucumbers,

and ripe cherry tomatoes fall off the vine.

Fresh plump figs droop on the branches

waiting to be picked.

The kitchen today is hot and steamy

with the old canning pot bubbling away.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining…yet.

First we whip up a specialty batch

Of strawberry fig preserves

(be sure to stir that pot often, honey).

There’s nothing better on a homemade

grilled biscuit than fresh preserves.

Follow up with a batch of mustard pickles

– a very secret recipe,

oh and just for shits and giggles

throw that Okra in one of those jars,

no point in letting them go to waste.

Garlic and fresh basil

with diced onions and oregano

simmered all day long

cooks up a delicious tomato sauce.

Twenty-six jars preserved and

my chores are done for today.

Tomorrow is a brand new adventure.

Thirty ears of corn await metamorphosis into

Old Time Corn Relish once those ears get husked.

Tonight I’m going outside in the heat

and pretend to be a kid again.

I’ll find a rock and wrap it

in a white handkerchief and

toss it up in the darkened sky

and wait for bats to come diving after it.

Just so I can laugh at the thought

of doing nothing,

or something close to nothing.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,