It is raining outside and in the 40’s!!!!

That might not be an interesting way to start today, but, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, you might be excited especially, in Spokane Washington. This means finally the weather is looking better. It means the days are getting longer and it is raining right now, not snowing or in the single digits temperatures. In other words the ground hog that forecasted the weather is partially right. Oh well, at least we can start thinking about planting and getting ready for the fantastic weather coming up. No, is doesn’t mean that I will break out the barbeque or start wearing shorts, (not a good sight), but making plans. It seems that Spring makes you get a renewed feeling of, (basically), YES. I am planning on putting up a wind break this year. It won’t help until next year, but at least it will stop the tunnel of wind that blows through to my backyard and the fences we put up for our yard. It seem the tunnel created by some tall houses in our back yard, makes the wind blow a lot faster than normal and it keeps knocking my fence down at it’s weakest point and I have to keep putting my fence up, since the person, (I use that term loosely), put our fence up last year, in his group of customers we were last of the group, (he quit the fence business after ours), so you can see why he didn’t care. He did a terrible job, I threatened to stop my last few payments, but he hasn’t asked for them. I think that he realized he did a very bad job of putting my fence up, I noticed the other fences he did are not having the problems that I am experiencing. So to counteract his poor job, I have to plant these really fast growing and tall “Lombardy” Poplar trees to break the tunnel of wind. I am going to explain what the tunnel has done. It blows so fast, it picked up my old gas barbeque and moved it about 5 feet and toppling it over onto the lawn. It also pick up my patio table which was on it side next to the barbeque and moved it about 10 feet along with all of the chairs. So you can see why I am taking such drastic measures. The trees will look good and serve a much needed “other” purpose. I know that my neighbors won’t like the rustling of branches and the leaves, but what other option do I have. Maybe if I purchased a big plastic bio-dome that would cover my entire house and yard. But, the wind would probably move it 10 feet on the first blast, which is ten feet of it lying in the street in front of me. That isn’t a nice picture, (I guess the bio-dome theory is out), sometimes I miss our old house that had a bunch of hardwood trees surrounding it. You would hear the wind sometimes, but not like this. Well since it is raining and the weather is sort of “wet”, I think it is time for some new recipes. Nothing I like more than brunches, I think they make it an easier day. Just think you sleep in late and eat a late breakfast instead of lunch and you don’t have to cook a third meal, you just eat a ton of BRUNCH!!!

Sausage Gravy:

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings
"This is my version of sausage gravy...the best! Pour over hot biscuits. Very fattening and good! Follow these directions and you won't be disappointed!"

INGREDIENTS:
1 (12 ounce) package maple flavored sausage
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. Stir in the butter until melted. Add flour, and stir until smooth. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until light brown. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook until thickened. Season it with salt and pepper, and stir in cooked sausage. Reduce heat, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. If gravy becomes too thick, stir in a little more milk.

Blueberry Sauce

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings
"Delicious, warm blueberry sauce which is fabulous on pancakes, waffles, cheesecake or ice cream! Fresh or frozen blueberries work equally well."

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin the sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Mom’s Good Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours
Yields: 12 servings

"Easy to make yeasted cinnamon rolls that are tied into bow shapes and baked in a pan."

INGREDIENTS:
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/3 cup sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and 2 cups flour. Beat mixture for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and oil. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside.
3. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces. Take each piece of dough, roll into a log and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the knots in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden.

Zippy Egg Casserole

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 9 Hours 45 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

"This egg casserole has a little zip to it due to the pepperjack cheese! A big hit at church

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound pork sausage
1 (5.5 ounce) package seasoned croutons
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
8 eggs
1 pint half-and-half cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon minced onion
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. In a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish, arrange the croutons in a single layer. Then, layer with Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and pepperjack cheese. Top with the cooked sausage.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, mustard, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour into the dish over the sausage. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next morning, bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 60 minutes. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Almond French Toast

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

"Toasted almonds make a delectable coating for tasty French toast!"

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup slivered almonds
3 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 thick slices French bread
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place almonds in a small saucepan over low heat. Tossing frequently, toast until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour, salt, baking powder, almond extract and vanilla extract. Soak bread slices in the mixture until saturated. Place slices in a shallow pan. Refrigerate slices approximately 1 hour.
3. Heat canola oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. One at a time, press one side of soaked bread slices in the almonds to coat. Fry bread slices on both sides until golden brown. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving,

Sausage and Sassy Scrambled Eggs

Yields: 7 servings
"Wake up to a hearty breakfast of spicy scrambled eggs and delicious turkey breakfast sausage links!"

INGREDIENTS:
1 (1.48 pound) package turkey breakfast sausage Links
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
10 large eggs
1/4 cup 2% low-fat milk
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook sausages according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, bell pepper, green onions, salt and pepper sauce. Pour into skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set, 5 to 6 minutes; sprinkle with cheese and serve with sausages.

Pizza, Pizza, Oh! Pizza

Well, this is part 2 of 2, does that make sense? Anyway, I promised that I would go over some recipes of pizza and some other tidbits of information. Well here are the tidbits first.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Pizza/PizzaHistory.htm There was so much I couldn’t cut and past that. So I hope that you aren’t too bored. It is very interesting to see the history of pizza. I remember pizza….What can I say. My earliest recollection was when my Mom would make it from scratch. It was a very easy process. You just make the dough, spread it out on a pan, put some sauce and other goodies on top, sprinkle the cheese and throw it into the oven. It always didn’t come out right, it could have burned sometimes, and my Mom wasn’t much of a pizza maker. But, it was the thought that counted. Our pizza crust was usually very brown and sort of crispy like a pretzel, in fact I think it was a pretzel......Forgive me Mom, I was just kidding…..I remember my sister taking over the reins of pizza making. She did okay, but she would buy those rolls of pizza dough and spread them out and pour over the contents of the box, and sprinkle the fake cheese on top and put on whatever protein that felt comfortable using and Voilà, it was done. It was funny, that pizza crust also tasted and had the consistency of pretzels, Well, what I say my Mother like Daughter. I am sure my sister will be calling me after she reads this one. I know for a fact, she makes a fantastic pizza now. So, I hope I made up for the last (truthful) comment. ( Today we have every kind of pizza in the frozen food section of our stores, in every grocery story, they have fresh and cooked. I have a few favorites, and they are made my Papa Murphy’s, the Garlic Chicken and the Cowboy, two of my most favorite ever. Try the Garlic Chicken and you will know why. You will probably eat the whole thing. Well, here are some of the recipes I told you about. I hope you enjoy them. Some of these are difficult to make, but the satisfaction of doing it yourself and enjoy watching your family devour it, is worth the effort. So for the purest of us….

Who else can make the one of the nation’s best pizza…..duh, Chicago.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Crust:
Ingredients:

2 packages quick-rise dry yeast

2 cups tepid water (90 degrees F)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cornmeal

5 1/2 cups flour, divided

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in water. Add oils, cornmeal, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat for 10 minutes with a mixer. Mix in the additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Knead for several minutes. Pour the dough onto a plastic countertop and cover with a very large metal bowl. Allow to rise until double in bulk.
Punch down and allow to rise again.
Punch down a second time and you are ready to make pizza. Oil a round cake pans with olive oil. Put a bit of dough in each and push it out to the edges, using your fingers. Put in enough dough so that you can run the crust right up the side of the pan. Make it about 1/8 inch thick throughout the pan.
Filling

1/3 pound sliced Mozzarella cheese

2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and squished

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Salt, to taste

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:

Place the cheese in tile-like layers on the bottom of the pie. Next put in the tomatoes and the basil, oregano, garlic, and salt, reserving the Parmesan cheese for the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the pie and you are ready to bake at 475 degrees F until the top is golden and gooey and the crust a light golden brown. This should take about 35 or 40 minutes.
Additional variations:
Before you put on the Parmesan cheese and olive oil drizzle you might like to add Italian sausage, yellow onions, peeled and diced, pepperoni, sliced thin, mushrooms, sliced, green sweet bell peppers, cored and sliced thin.

Another Version:

Chicago Style Italian Sausage and Pepper Deep Dish Pizza

Difficulty: Easy Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizzas
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups thinly sliced green bell peppers

1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 recipe of Basic Pizza Dough

12 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, add the sausage and render for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Divide the dough in half and roll into a 14-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Press the dough into 2 greased 12-inch deep-dish pizza pans. Sprinkle each pizza with 6 ounces of the grated cheese. Spoon 1/2 of the onion and pepper mixture over each pizza. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sausage over the onion mixture on each pizza. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the top of each pizza. Sprinkle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of oregano. Bake the pizzas for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into individual servings.

Impossible Hamburger Pizza

Ingredients:
Crust

2 1/2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix 2/3 cup hot water

1 envelope active dry yeast

Meat Mixture

1 pound lean ground beef

2 teaspoons oregano leaves

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

Topping

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cups mozzarella or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Directions:
Mix the baking mix and yeast and stir in the hot water. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth, about 20 times. Let the dough rest a few minutes.
While the dough is resting, cook and stir the meat and onion in a large skillet until the onion is tender and the meat is brown. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano leaves, and pepper and set aside.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half on an ungreased baking sheet into a 13 x 10-inch rectangle or on a pizza pan 12 inches in diameter. Pinch the edges to make a slight rim. Spread the meat mixture almost to the edges. Top with the green pepper and cheeses. Bake until the crust is brown and the filling is hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cut into squares or wedges and serve.

This is a little different, but I think you will like it………

Taco Pizza

1 pound ground beef

1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 package taco seasoning

1 (8 ounce) can crescent rolls

1/2 pound American cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup black olive slicesSour cream

Brown the meat; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning mixes; simmer 5 minutes.
Unroll dough; press onto bottom and sides of ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Prick bottom and sides with fork. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cover crust with meat mixture; top with cheese. Continue baking until cheese begins to melt. Top with remaining ingredients.
Serve with sour cream.
Serves 4 to 6.

Instead of cold pizza for the next morning, surprise you family with this. It will knock their socks off.

Breakfast Pizza

1 pound bulk pork sausage 1 package (8) refrigerated crescent rolls 1 cup frozen loose pack hash brown potatoes, thawed 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 5 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage until browned; drain well. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in slightly greased 12-inch pizza pan, with points toward the center. Press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Seal perforations. Spoon sausage over crust. Sprinkle with potatoes. Top with Cheddar cheese.
In a bowl, beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into crust. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
You can use Monterey jack or Swiss cheese. Also, you can use about 1 1/2 cups potatoes instead of 1 cup.

Talk about surprisingly easy…….perfect when you are in a rush and want something good and fast for the big game.

During the Game Pizza

1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce 1 loaf French bread, split lengthwise and toasted 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced pepperoni 2 (4 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained 2 green bell peppers, sliced into rings 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Evenly spoon sauce over toasted bread. Evenly top with pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers and cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serves 6.

Basic Pizza Dough

Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy Yield: dough for 2 (12-inch) pizzas

Ingredients:

1 package of active yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F) 1/4 cup lard 3 to 4 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt Oliveoil

Directions:

In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until double in size, about an hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

Chocolate Pizza

Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 home made pizza dough or use one of the recipes above, or purchased pizza dough 2 teaspoons of buttter melted 1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella) 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Position the oven rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Directions: Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to a 9-inch-diameter round. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Using your fingers, make indentations all over the dough. Brush the dough with butter, then bake until the crust is crisp and pale golden brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the pizza then sprinkle all the chocolate chips over. Bake just until the chocolate begins to melt, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

Well you have it all, I am sure you all have your “best” of the best pizza’s out there, but I hope that you will try these and see if you like the real best of the best. See you later.

Popcorn, pizza, pfantastic and pforever-----

Obviously, I have a thing for “p”‘s. The first one is the subject for me today. Popcorn, again this is going down my memory lane, I hope you don’t mind. I was about 8 years old when I first was introduced to that wonder smell and flavor of buttered popcorn. I think we all know what I mean about that don’t we? Well, one of my brothers, which I had 3, let me hang out at our “downtown” theater, you know that kind that were built with just one screen, and it had a stage that announcers with microphones that they would tap to see if was working and would make the usual announcement about not smoking in the theater, but in the glass enclosed balcony, (I guess even back then they had a place for smokers). He would talk to us and set up the mood of the movie. Also, we ushers that used flashlight to keep the older kids from smooching, back then that is all they did. Boy, times they are a changing. (That’s another story) Well, anyway, I watched my brother unfold popcorn boxes, know the kind that were square and were smaller and the base and large on top. They were usually red and white striped, I think. Well, I was given the opportunity to unfold these. They usually came flattened in a box, and you had to push them together with both your hands the flip down the bottoms with your fingers to get in to close and stack them on top of each other. I had a problem getting coordinated at first, but I became very proficient at it. So, much so, the manager of the theater would always let me do it. I became so fast, it became a game with me; I would see how fast I could get the whole box emptied between movie shows. I remember taking them out to the candy/popcorn counter and I would smell that fresh popped popcorn, I don’t know what they did, but it would make me to start drooling immediately. Also, it was fun to watch all of those “younger”, ( don’t see how that could be), kids looking at all of the candy with huge eyes, taking in all of the color and dreaming of having just the right one in their hand and their mouths. I remember, dots, crows, sugar babies, Ju-Ju-Bees, (which I didn’t like because they always got caught in my teeth), Bit-O-Honey, Butterfinger, black licorice, (I don’t remember the red stuff, maybe it came late), and candy bars like three musketeers, that seemed bigger back then, but they were thicker, not longer and would break into threes, hence the name. (Below is a list of all the 50’s candy). Boy what memories and I know I had all of these at some time of my youth. I am surprised that my teeth aren’t all gone. Anyway, I would get a pass for the theater from all of my hard work. I think it was worth 25 cents back then. I worked like a dog for a 25 cent movie pass. Boy did that manager know what he was doing and that he had a dumb kid doing all of his hard work. Eventually, I would get two passes and then three; I guess he was feeling guilty. This went on for several months, until one day he “let” me clean the back of the chairs for a whopping 10 movie passes. Wow, I was in heaven, until I got into the theater with my bucket of soapy water to start with the first row and then finish up to the last row, do you know how many chairs there are? I think there is a thousand, at least it felt that way, I also remember that sticky feeling on the bottom of your shoes from all of the soda pop that people spilt and chewing gum that was on the back of the chairs and other places. After that experience I didn’t want anything to do with the theater. That manager didn’t know what a gem he had in me, or was it a dumb, innocent and inexperienced kid, any way I had free-range of the theater, I would go upstairs to the balcony and remember the awful smell of smoke and I would go down behind the screen and pick up the microphone and turn it on and tap it a few times. Also, I learned a trick that my brothers taught me. I would open the exit door for them and their friends. It was quite the experience. All of this was because of the smell of freshly popped popcorn…..any way I have some recipes for popcorn I’ll tell you more about pizza later on in another story. I just had to use the “P’s”.

The Candy List for the 50's
5th Avenue bar, Almond Joy, Anise Squares, Atomic Fire Balls, Baby Ruth, Barley Drops, Barley Pops, Bazooka Bubble Gum, BB Bats, Beemans gum, Bit-O-Honey, Black Jack gum, Black Taffy, Bon Bons, Boston Baked Beans, Bun, Burnt Peanuts, Butterfingers, Canada Mints, Candy Buttons, Candy Cigarettes, Candy Drops, Candy Necklace, Carmel Creams (Bulls Eyes), Caramel Squares, Charleston Chews, Cherry Mash, Chick-o-Sticks, Chiclets, Chocolate Cigarettes, Chocolate Gold Coins, Choward's Scented Gum and Violet Mints, Chuckles, Chunky, Cinnamon Tooth Picks, Circus Peanuts, Clark Bar, Clove gum, Coconut Stacks, Cotton Candy, Cracker Jack, Crows, Dentyne Gum, Dots (Mason Dots), Dubble Bubble Gum, Flicks, French Chew (Bonomo's replacement), Goo Goo Cluster, Goobers, Good & Plenty, Heath, Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar, Hershey Kisses, Honey Combed Peanuts, Horlick's Malted Milk Tablets, Ice Cubes, Indian Brand Pumpkin Seeds, Jaw Breakers, Jelly Nougats, Jelly Rings, Jujubes, Jujyfruits, Junior Mints, Kits, Lemonheads, Licorice Babies, Licorice Bites, Licorice Laces, Licorice Pipes, Licorice Snaps, Licorice Wheels, Life Savers, Lik-m-Aid, Mallo Cups, Marshmallow Ice Cream Cones, Mary Janes, Milk Duds, Mounds, Moon Pie, Necco Wafers, Nestle Milk Chocolate, Nestle Crunch, Nik-L-Nips (wax syrup bottles), Oh Henry, Orange Slices, Pay Day, Peach Buds, Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Brittle, Peanut Patty, Pez, Planter's Peanut Bar, Pop Corn Balls, Raisinets, Red Hot (Raspberry) Dollars, Red Hots, Reed's Candy Rolls, Rock Candy, Root Beer Barrels, Saf-T-Pops, Salt Water Taffy, Satellite Wafers, Sen Sen, Sky Bar, Slo Pokes, Smarties, Smith Brothers Cough Drops, Sno Caps, Spearmint Leaves, Squirrel Nut Zippers (Chews), Stick Candy, Sugar Baby, Sugar Daddy, Teaberry Gum, Tootsie Pops, Tootsie Roll, Valomilk, Walnettos, Wax Fangs, Wax Lips, Whoppers, Zagnut, and Zero

Here is a recipe that fits the topic perfectly-----

Pizza Popcorn

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon saltPepper

2 quarts hot popcorn

Directions:

In blender, blend cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper about 3 minutes. Place popcorn in large bowl; sprinkle with cheese mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
Makes 3 quarts.

Popcorn Snack Mix

Ingredients

3 quarts popped popcorn

2 1/3 cups salted peanuts

2 cups pretzel sticks

2 cups miniature cheese crackers

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon curry powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder3/4 teaspoon steak sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine popcorn, peanuts, pretzels and crackers. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over popcorn mixture; toss to coat. Place in 2 ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 250 degrees F for 1 hour; stir every 15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container when cool.
Yields about 4 quarts.

Cheddar Bacon Popcorn

Ingredients:

5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

10 cups popped corn

1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, finely grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large baking pan, combine bacon, popcorn and cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is just melted.

Now for the sweet stuff-------

Baked Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 quarts popped popcorn, unsalted

Directions:

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla extract. Gradually pour over popped corn, mixing well. Turn into 2 large shallow baking pans. Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove from oven; cool completely. Break apart.
Makes about 5 quarts.

Butterfinger Popcorn Balls

This recipe's "hands-on" preparation is a thrill for kids and results in a sweet and chewy combination of chopped Butterfinger, crunchy popcorn and miniature marshmallows. Easy to make and fun to decorate, Butterfinger Popcorn Balls will be a smash at your next Halloween bash.
Ingredients:

6 cups popped popcorn

3 (2.1 ounces each) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bars, chopped

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Combine popcorn and chopped Butterfinger in large bowl.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in marshmallows. Heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
Pour over popcorn mixture; quickly toss to coat well. Spray hands with nonstick cooking spray. Form popcorn mixture into six 3-inch balls. Place on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container.
Serving size: 6

M&M Peanut Butter Popcorn

Directions:

10 cups popped popcorn

1/2 cup plain M&M's

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Put popcorn and candies into large bowl.
Grease the sides of a medium-size pan with the butter. Put sugar, honey and corn syrup in a pan. Set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil. Stir sugar mixture carefully with a large wooden spoon for 3 minutes, then remove pan from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla extract to hot syrup, being careful not to let syrup splatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until peanut butter is melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn and candies. Mix with 2 large spoons until popcorn is completely coated. Spoon onto a large pan and spread. Let cool. Break into bite-size pieces.

Popcorn Haystacks

Ingredients:
1 quart popped popcorn

1 cup peanuts

3 ounces chow mein noodles

12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions:
Toss popped corn, peanuts, and cm noodles together in large bowl. Set aside.
Place chocolate chips in glass bowl. Microwave on medium-high for 3 minutes. Pour over popcorn mixture. Toss until well mixed. Place spoonfuls of the tossed mixture onto wax paper. Cool until firm. Store in tightly covered container.
Makes 24 haystacks.

Well, are you eager to go out there and make a feast of popcorn? I know I am. There are so many recipes. I could only give you a few.

I am bad…….boy am I bad……I almost forgot Valentines Day!

I was going over some of my recipes and I just remembered that next week it will be Valentines Day!!! I haven’t gotten my wife a card or gift yet. So I was thinking wouldn’t it be nice if I surprised her with a very sweet dessert. I am now going down memory lane….I don’t know if you remember in the early days of school, your mother bought you a whole bunch of valentine cards for the whole class at your school, you know the little ones that were in a box or bag, and you had to fill them out and give them to the whole class, the only problem they were pretty generic and what was good for girls, was not good for the guys. For some reason, I would put them on the desks and I always got one back from the most homely girl in the class, she was really the last person on anyone’s list for these cards, so I would be forced to be nice to her. I guess I was the only one, because she would always smile and wink at me. But, back them I didn’t know what that all meant, (hmmmm), it was sometimes down right embarrassing, but, back then no one cared. You were not type cast as “funny” like you are today. I liked going to class, because the teachers always had goodies for us. I remember the candy hearts, which I gave to my daughters until they went to college. My oldest would always want them, but when she was older, she played like she didn’t care, but I know down deep, she missed getting her heart shaped box of candy hearts with all of the dumb sayings on them. At least I thought they were dumb, back when, she was enamored by them. My wife and I exchange cards every year, I think she keeps hers. She is what you call a romantic. She keeps all of her cards, for all of the holidays that we exchanged. I think she has box full of them. Someday she will break down and send them to card heaven… I remember whenever I go to a candy store or any market; they would have this huge display of valentine products, usually huge hearts full of all kind of delectable goodies. I usually headed for the chocolates, I love chocolate. Anyway I would grab and big box, shaped like a heart and I was done. I would bring them home secretly and give them to my wife on the BIG day. But, oh I forgot about her being on a diet, oh well, I wouldn’t want them to go to waste, so I would take them off her hands quickly, and enjoy them for about a week, of course, hiding in my room, out of sight and sound. I didn’t want her to think I was enjoying “her” Valentines gift. Was there method to my madness, duh, I think so… Well, I have get off memory lane, and back to business. I have some really great recipes that you will like for that “special” someone in your life.

Choco-Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Simple chocolate-topped bars have a creamy filling and tender cookie crust.
Ingredients:
1 roll (18 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 egg, separated
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 drops red food color
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, finely chopped, drained on paper towels
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Break up cookie dough into ungreased 15x10-inch pan with sides. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
2. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat 1 egg white until frothy.
3. Remove partially baked crust from oven. Brush egg white over crust. Return to oven; bake 3 minutes longer or until egg white is set.
4. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add egg yolk, 2 eggs, the condensed milk, almond extract and food color; beat until well blended. Stir in chopped cherries.
5. Remove partially baked crust from oven. Pour cherry mixture evenly over crust. Return to oven; bake 16 to 20 minutes longer or until set. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, heat chocolate chips and margarine over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool 20 minutes.
7. Stir whipping cream into chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread over cooled bars. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store in refrigerator. Makes 48 bars.

Cherry Pie Cups

Easy and adorable! Bake individual little pies in muffin cups using Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust.

Ingredients:
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Preparation Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Remove crusts from pouches; unroll on work surface. With 3 1/2- or 4-inch round cutter, cut 6 rounds from each crust; discard scraps.
2. Fit rounds into 12 ungreased muffin cups, pressing in gently. Spoon about 2 tablespoons pie filling into each crust-lined cup.
3. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is bubbly. Makes 12 pie cups

Sugar Cookie Chocolate Crunch Fudge

Granola bars add the tasty crunch to this unique fudge that starts with refrigerated cookie dough.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 roll (18 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies, cut into small chunks
2 bags (12 oz each) Hershey®'s semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 teaspoons vanilla
6 Nature Valley® pecan crunch crunchy granola bars (3 pouches from 8.9-oz box), coarsely crushed (heaping 1 cup)*
Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

Directions:
1. In 3-quart heavy saucepan or deep 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook corn syrup, butter, salt and condensed milk over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until well blended. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cookie dough chunks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and candy thermometer reads 160°F. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Add crushed granola bars; stir until well blended. Cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is shiny. Spread in ungreased 12x8-inch or 13x9-inch pan. ** Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours or until firm.
3. Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Serve in decorative candy cups or mini paper baking cups on platter garnished with mint sprigs. 48 candies
Notes: *To easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap; use rolling pin to crush bars. Notes: ** To easily cut fudge, line pan with foil so foil extends over sides of pan. Lift candy from pan using foil.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

Refrigerated cookie dough is pressed into a company-special dessert! Have you had your chocolate fix today?
Ingredients:
1 (18-oz.) roll Pillsbury® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
16 pecan halves, if desired
Prep Time: 15 min (Ready in 1 hr 50 min )

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove cookie dough from wrapper. With floured fingers, press dough in bottom of ungreased 10 or 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350°F. for 14 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
2. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and water; mix well. (If necessary, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture is smooth.) Drop spoonfuls of mixture over baked cookie crust; press evenly to cover crust.
3. Spread melted chocolate chips over peanut butter mixture. If desired, carefully swirl chocolate with fork. Garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

16 servings

Chocolate Cream Angel Slices with Cherry-Berry Sauce

A cloud of chocolate-scented whipped cream with a luscious berry sauce floats on angel food cake.

Ingredients:
Sauce
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 cup frozen whole raspberries (from 12- to 14-oz bag)
2 tablespoons amaretto, if desired
Angel Slices
2 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon amaretto, if desired
1 loaf (10.5 oz) angel food cake (about 7x3x3 inch)
Topping
8 teaspoons chocolate-flavored syrup
(Ready in 20 min)

Directions:
1. In small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of the whipping cream.
3. In medium bowl, beat remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in chocolate mixture and amaretto. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
4. To serve, cut cake into 8 slices; place on individual dessert plates. Spoon about 1/3 cup sauce over each slice. Top each with about 1/4 cup chocolate cream mixture; drizzle with 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup.

8 servings

Here I am, on a diet and giving you all of these fantastic desserts. I am bad…….boy am I bad……

We were so close……..but yet, so far……

As you can see I am a Seahawks fan, and it was a great game, I feel that some of the call where bad and if it weren’t for those we would have had a better chance. Oh well, we can’t cry over spilt milk as the old saying goes. It was a very exciting game, but ……Well, on to another topic. I am back on the wagon again. I have gained back my 30 lbs. that I lost a couple of months ago. I was going to get on a pair of jeans I just wore yesterday and I noticed this huge split down the back. I am glad I have a very long coat that I wear, because no one was able to see it. I thought, I better weight myself and well,( it seemed that I was on the right track), and when I did, I about croaked. Ya, just like a frog! Not like in dying, I try to keep this blog upbeat. So, I am now back on the weight watchers program. Do you ever see yourself doing that? Well, it has been my companion for this many years. You would think that I could stop this up and down weight thing. But, when I see food I go nuts. Well, this little story reminds me of a lot of great seafood recipes, (that is not a play on the prior words), in honor of the Seahawks. One thing, I would like to see if anyone else that read this blog has any great recipes. I would like to hear from you.

In honor of my brother, who moved to Alabama when he was very young, an married a beautiful southern belle, and settled down.

Alabama Shrimp Bake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

3/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon coarsely gound pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 tablespoon hot sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 pounds unpeeled large or jumbo shrimp

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced Fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Rinse shrimp with cold water; drain well. Layer the shrimp, lemon slices, and onion slices in an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Pour butter mixture over shrimp. Bake uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, basting occasionally with pan juices. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.
Serves 6.

Louisiana Shrimp Boil

Ingredients:

4 quarts water

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot sauce

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 bay leaves

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled

Directions:

*Lemon wedges (for garnish)Peppery Pepper Sauce
In an 8-quart pot, combine the water, paprika, pepper flakes, Louisiana Hot Sauce, mustard, garlic powder, lemon juice and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pot. Stir, return to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and garnish with lemon wedges.
Serve with Peppery Pepper Sauce.

Ingredients:

* Or you can leave shells on shrimp.
Peppery Pepper Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced chili peppers1 clove garlic, minced3/4 cup chopped pimentos1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon coarse mustard1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped lemon sections

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions, chili pepper and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. In a blender, combine the vegetables, roasted red peppers or pimentos, paprika, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar and lemons. Purée until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Makes 1 cup.

New England Clambake

Ingredients:

4 small baking potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams

2 dozen clams in the shell (preferably cherrystones)Cold water

4 ears fresh corn

2 (2 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chickens, quartered

1/2 pound butter or margarine

2 (1 pound) live Maine lobsters

4 small onions, peeledRockweed or cornhusksLemon wedges

Directions:

* NOTE: To prepare lobster before adding to kettle, lay each lobster on wooden board. To sever spinal cord, insert point of knife through back shell where body and tail of lobster come together. Turn lobster over. With sharp knife, split body of lobster down middle, cutting through thin under shell just to back shell and leaving back shell intact. Discard dark intestinal vein running down center of lobster; also discard small sac below head. Crack large claws.
Scrub potatoes. Scrub clam shells under cold running water, using a stiff brush to remove dirt and sand. Place clams in a large bowl; add cold water to cover and let stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, use scissors to trim off tops of ears of corn. Remove a few outer husks from each ear and reserve. Turn back remaining husks; remove and discard silk. Replace husks as they were. Soak ears and reserved husks in lightly salted water until you are ready to cook the corn.
In a large skillet, sauté chicken, a few pieces at a time, in 2 tablespoons butter. Brown chicken on all sides until golden, adding more butter as needed. This should take about 10 minutes per side. Meanwhile, if you are using lobsters, prepare them as directed in the note below.
Place wire rack in bottom of a very large kettle with tight-fitting lid. Pour in 2 cups cold water. Arrange potatoes and onions on rack; cover with a layer of rockweed or cornhusks. Add corn, more rockweed, and then the chicken and/or lobster. Top with clams; cover with rockweed or any remaining husks. Cover kettle and place over medium heat. Steam for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until potatoes, onions and corn is tender. Remove clams to a large bowl.
Transfer chicken, lobster and vegetables to large platter. Pour broth into 4 (8-ounce) cups or bowls and serve to dip clams in for flavor.
Melt butter for dipping clams and lobster.
Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.
Makes 4 servings.

Perfect Fish and Chips

In England, the city of Bradford, has the BEST fish and chips take away place (apparently in the whole of England!) I cannot for the life of me remember what the name of this place was named, unfortunately, but the Fish and chips are FANTASTIC!
I would like to find the best way of making batters they have so fantastically accomplished in England over the years and the recipe below is pretty close in my opinion. I am definitely making this again, so hope you enjoy it everyone.
1 1/2 pounds sole fillet, skinned

Lemon juice

Salt and white pepper

1/4 cup flourOil for frying Batter

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon oil

3/4 cup beer

1 egg white

Kosher salt

1 pinch granulated sugar

4 large russet potatoes

Directions:

Fish: Wash fish filets in lemon and water.
Season with salt and pepper. Chill while you prepare the batter.
Batter: Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let stand until dissolved.
Place flour in a bowl with the salt and sugar and make a well in the center. Add the dissolved yeast, oil and 2/3 of the beer and stir with a wooden spoon just to combine. Stir in remaining beer.
Let the batter stand, covered, in a warm place 30 to 35 minutes, until it has thickened and becomes frothy. Dry fish with paper towels and cut each fillet diagonally in 2 pieces. Slice the potatoes with the skin on. Place in a large bowl with cold water. Heat the oven to warm. Stir together remaining flour, pepper and salt in a plate. Heat the oil. Whip egg white until it forms soft peaks and fold it into the batter. Coat fish with seasoned flour, patting so they are evenly coated. Shake off excess flour. Using a 2 pronged fork dip the fish in the batter. Lift it out and hold it over the bowl 5 seconds to drip off excess batter. Carefully lower the piece of fish into the hot oil and deep fry, turning once until golden brown and crisp. Fry 1 or 2 pieces at a time, transferring to paper towels as you go. Keep warm in the oven until all fish is done, or until you finish frying the potatoes. Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water. When oil reaches 320 degrees, submerge the potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees F. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. Season with kosher salt and serve with fish, lemons and tartar sauce immediately. This is definitely an acquired taste, I made these while I was visiting my brother and he wife in Alabama, I tried to make a traditional southern dinner, hush puppies and okra and potatoes. It seemed that I was a hit. My sister-in-lay “the specialist”, liked it.

Tennessee Fried Catfish

6 skinned, pan-dressed catfish or other fish, fresh or frozen

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups cornmeal
Thaw frozen fish or purchase fresh my the market. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Beat eggs slightly and blend in the milk. Dip fish in the eggs and roll in cornmeal. Place fish in a heavy fry pan which contains about 1/8 inch melted fat, hot but not smoking. Fry at a moderate heat. When fish is brown on one side, turn carefully and brown the other side. Cooking time is about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve immediately on a hot platter, plain or with a sauce.
Serves 6.

An last but not least.....

Salmon Steaks

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients until well blended. Place 4 (1-inch thick) salmon steaks on a greased broiler pan. Spread one side of each steak with 2 teaspoons topping. Broil 5 inches away from heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn steaks over and top each steak with 2 lime slices. Continue broiling 5 to 6 minutes or until salmon flakes with fork. To serve, place lime slices beside steak and top each steak with 1 tablespoon topping.