Thursday, September 27, 2012

Spinach Queso Dip


Happy Thursday everyone! So this is the last week of Football food month...Or is it?!?! Today my wife met me for lunch and found more football food. So we may be having a couple of bonus meals in the upcoming weeks. So to finish off the month I think a nice dip is in order. It is easy to make and will surly bring football rivals together.


 For Ingredients you will need the following:
- 1 lb. of Velveeta
- 10 oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
- 16 oz. of your favorite salsa. The cheese will lower the heat of your salsa so keep that in mind.
- 8 oz. of Cream Cheese
- A handful of chopped cilantro (optional)


For the hardware you will need just a crockpot.
You can also use the stove and microwave. I chose the crockpot because it is portable and I can not worry about it as much.


Directions:
  1. First chop your cream cheese and Velveeta into cubes.
  2. After you have chopped everything up. Throw it all in the crockpot and set on high for about an hour. If you choose to use the stove or microwave. Make sure to use appropriate containers.  
  3. Serve with your favorite chips and chow down
I found this meal over at Haystacks & Champage. Be sure to go visit the site and see all the good
 eats.



Enjoy!  

Monday, September 24, 2012

Zucchini Squashes the Competition



Late summer brings out the worst in gardeners. These seemingly innocent turners of the soil become
strategic guerilla warriors in a matter of weeks. What brings about this dramatic change? One thing:
Zucchini.

When you have a successful zucchini season, you start out happy, victorious….for once again, you shall
feed your family, but as the weeks go by, and every flat surface in your home has become a receptacle
for that nefarious veggie…..well…..your grip on sanity begins to slip.


You’ll start to pawn vegetables off on everyone you know. Your neighbors will begin to avoid you. Your friends won’t return your calls. Those stinking zucchinis will start to ruin your life.



Now, let’s not knock the zucchini, or if you’re feeling all fancy “courgette”, too much. Here are some
reasons you should be a zucchini fan:

• It is very low in calories. If you want to lose weight or reduce your cholesterol, zucchini should
be your be your new BFF.
• It is high in fiber and offers some protection against colon cancers.
• It is great for pregnant woman as it is a good source of folates which help in fetal development.
• Zucchini is also a good source of Vitamins A and C and lutein – great for your eyes and skin!
• It is a good source of potassium (in other words heart healthy) and can counter the effects of
sodium while reducing blood pressure.
• One of the best things about zucchini from a chef’s point of view is that its flavor is so mild; it
becomes a very versatile ingredient.
• So before you go all guerrilla zucchini warrior on your neighbor, try out this simple recipe:

Grilled Zucchini
Ingredients:
Zucchini
¼ cup each of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, diced

Instructions:
Wash and slice the zucchini into spears. Add all ingredients in gallon size storage bag. Give a good shake.
Place in freezer. Marinate for at least 6 hours; can marinate overnight for a richer flavor. Fire up the grill
and cook. Easy-peasy.

And if you get to the point, where you just can’t stomach the idea of eating any more zucchini, store it
for winter when you’ll be hungry for it again. Blanching and freezing zucchini is easy and not surprisingly
cost-effective. Blanching is an important process because it kills any bacteria that are lurking in the
veggies. For some reason too scientific for me to fully understand, the enzymes in zucchini are harmless

when fresh, but in the freezer, they take on a life of their own which could result in you getting
extremely ill from eating it if you freeze without blanching. Blanching also helps lock in the vegetable’s
vibrant color and preserve all those yummy vitamins.



Instructions for blanching zucchini:
Wash your room temperature zucchini. Cut off both ends and discard. Cut in half length wise and then
slice into ½ think half-moons.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and drop in your zucchini (carefully!) Cook for 3 minutes.

Remove the zucchini and place into a large bowl of ice water. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Transfer the zucchini into your labeled (and I find dated is also helpful) freezer bag and place
immediately into your freezer. You can store your zucchini this way for up to 9 months. Plenty of time
for you to have forgotten the zucchini debacle and plant your garden once again!

Keep a look out for zucchini warriors! If they don’t appreciate their harvest, now you will!

Happy eating!
Sarah

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Chic Fil A Nuggets


Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you have all had a good week thus far. So with this weeks meal I found a copy cat recipe for Chic-fil-a's chicken nuggets. I did some reading around and I found the secret ingredient......pickle juice. Weird right?!?! Anyway this is good football food to serve and any small party. Even if you do not use this at your next football party this will be a quick dinner for the kids that they will love.  I am not a parent but remember to keep a close eye on children when using hot grease.


Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast
3/4 Cup milk
1/4 cup pickle juice

1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 1/4 cup of flour
2 Tablespoon powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon peppr
1/2 cup peanut oil, divided (any oil will really do)



Hardware:
Large skillet
2 Zip lock bags
2 measuring cups (1/4 & 1 cup)
2 measuring spoons (1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon)


Directions:
  1. Cut your chicken into bite size pieces. If you want you can sprinkle a little salt and pepper. What is called in the ingredients is for the batter.
  2. Add your milk, egg, and pickle juice in a bowl or zip lock bag and mix it all together.
  3. Next add all your chicken and marinade to a large zip lock bag. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 2 hours.
  4. When the chicken is done marinading. Add the flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper to the other zip lock bag.
  5. Next drain your chicken and add it to your flour mix.
  6. When you have the chicken in the flour mix go ahead and warm your skillet to medium with 1/4 cup of oil.
    *All stoves are not created equally so adjust your heat accordingly
     
     
  7. When your oil is hot place about half pieces of chicken into the pan without overcrowding. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. When they are done place them on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Add the other half of the oil and chicken.
  8. While you are waiting you can make yourself some Zaxby's dipping sauce that I found on Pinterest. You are already making a copy cat meal. Go all the way.
    Mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper
     
     
  9. Put it all on a plate and enjoy. The serving size i use will feel about 3 people. So this is good for a small party but easy to increase the ingredients.
     
Also, swing by Iowa Girl Eats and check out the cool Cheeseburger Quesadillas!!  




Saturday, September 15, 2012

Mini Corndogs


Hey everyone hope you have had a good week. So great news, I won my first round of Fantasy Football and also ranked #1 in my league. This may turn out to be pretty fun. So if you missed last week I am using September to show you how to make different Football party food. Check out this weeks meal and let me know what you think.




Ingredients:
1 - 8.5 oz box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk

1 Tablespoon of honey
Hot Dogs (Turkey Dogs will also do for a healthier choice)
Cocktail Sausages (Optional)


 For the hardware you will need:
1 mini muffin pan
1 Bowl
1/2 tablespoon
1/3 measuring cup (not pictured)


 Directions:
  1. First thing first, preheat your oven to 400 degrees
  2. While you wait on the oven to preheat add the first 4 ingredients and mix well. Allow the batter to sit for a couple of minutes.
  3. Next slice your hot dogs into 5 even pieces. Also cut your cocktail sausages in half.
  4. Spray your muffin pan before you add the corn mix
  5. *Quick tip alert* Spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray so the batter will easily come out.
  6. Fill each well of your muffin pan with 1/2 TBS of batter. It is best to do one row at a time to make sure you have enough batter. I had enough batter to make 18.
  7. After you have added the layer of batter then add your hot dog/sausage and gently press them in just a little. If your dogs are a little big it is perfectly cool to trim them down to your liking. Here I cut my pieces in half.
  8. Add another 1/2 TBS of batter and slid them in the oven for about 10-11 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  9. Allow the corn dogs to cool and serve with your favorite condiments.      


 Also visit My Kitchen Adventures to see other meal. Also for those on Weight Watcher all the meals include the WW points.









Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Respect your Elder-berries



Sarah Nelson - Slow Food Correspondent
Especially when they turn out not to be elderberries….

My husband has this saying that he uses from time to time: “Sometimes you learn more from failure than you do from success.” This may be one of those times. If it isn’t one of those times, it is at least a time when I’m choosing to let you know fairly definitively that even I, intrepid slow food blogger, do not always get it right!

As a matter of fact, sometimes I get it wrong. Really wrong. Toxically wrong. So wrong that I almost poison all of my family and friends, and then who would read my blog?

Here’s what happened:

One of the most magical things about summer is berry season, but by late August, the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are all played out. It seems the berry is gone for another year. That is, unless you know where to look! As a converted slow foodie, you know that I’m not suggesting you go to the grocery store. Oh no, I say pack up the kids (or in my case, dogs) and hit the country roads and vacant wooded lots for an adventure.

I’m lucky enough to live on the backside of nowhere where uninhabited woods abound, but I’m even luckier to have spotted exactly what I was looking for in a neighbor’s yard. What was I looking for?  I was looking for an elder tree. That sounds vaguely Tolkien-esque, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a reason why.

The Europeans and Native Americans held a certain reverence for the elder tree and its magical properties. Many believed that the tree had the ability to drive away witches and kill snakes. (I can guarantee the last one probably isn’t true.) Some people believed that sleeping under the elder tree on a midsummer night would bring about the appearance of fairies. I can’t vouch for that one, but I do know that sleeping outdoors underneath an elder tree in midsummer is guaranteed to bring about the appearance of mosquitoes.



Historically, elder berries have been used both as a weight loss supplement as it is a natural diuretic and as a cosmetic known to tone and cleanse skin, lighten freckles and soothe sunburn.

Elderberries are rich in potassium, beta-carotene and Vitamin C.  The site www.herbwisdom.com reports some astonishing news about elderberries, such as:
1)      They are known to “lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health” and have been used in the treatment of coughs, colds, flu as well as bacterial and viral infections.
2)      Elderberry juice was used to treat the flu epidemic in Panama in 1995. “People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster….”
3)      In Israel, they have “determined that elderberry stimulates the body’s immune system, and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it.”

Elderberries are also known to be effective in treating colds, yeast infections, asthma, nasal/chest congestion and diabetes.

That seems worthy of a little hike through the woods, doesn’t it?

I had enlisted the help of my neighbor on this project since some of the trees were on her property, and after a short walk, we had a huge basket full of elderberries. It was late when we finished harvesting, and so, I opted to take the berries home to remove from the stems the next day.

Well, you know how sometimes a passing comment in the moment means nothing to you, but it sort of reverberates around in your brain hours later? I kept recalling my neighbor commenting on the thorns on the elder tree. In the moment, I was so locked into my opinion that I was picking elderberries that I didn’t right away process the importance of what she said. Thank goodness, I didn’t have time to do anything with those berries until the next day.



The following day, the thorn comment still niggled in my brain. I began to do a little online research, but I couldn’t really discern to my own comfort level if what I picked were in fact elderberries. Elderberries grow in wide clumps at the end of the stem, but my berries (as you can see in the picture) had berries going down the stem quite a ways.

I finally contacted Steve Brill at www.wildmanstevebrill.com with my photos, and he very helpfully pointed me in the right direction.

What I thought were elderberries were, in fact, berries from a tree familiarly known as the Devil’s Walking Stick. Besides the berries being in the wrong formation, the thorns were quite a good indicator. As you can imagine, any tree named after the Prince of Darkness’ walking aid has berries that are pretty toxic. In other words, I had a near miss. If it hadn’t been for my neighbor’s observation, things in my world would have turned pretty dire.

All those berries are in the compost pile now, but the moral of the story is that when foraging for food be absolutely, positively sure you know what you are picking. Otherwise, the results could be terrible. If you don’t believe me, watch “Into the Wild”.

If you are ever in doubt about an edible tree or berry, I highly recommend contacting Steve Brill. His website is extremely helpful and detailed with many pictures.

Happy eating! And careful foraging!
Sarah

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Cheddar Cheese Burgers


It is starting to cool down, so that means one thing. Fall is right around the corner! Light jacket days, leaves turning several colors. Seeing your breathe when your outside. The smell of the pumpkin patches and hayrides. And most importantly FALL FOOD & FOOTBALL!!! I am extra excited this year because it is my first year doing fantasy football. Wish me luck :).
 

So this month I will have a theme of good Football food for your parties. I found this recipe a few months ago and have been waiting to cook it.


Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1/3 cup of bacon bits
1 cup of cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of Ranch Dressing Mix
3 tablespoons of Sour Cream




Hardware:
Pretty much you need a bowl, Tablespoon, and 1/3 cup measuring cup. I measure the way grandma always did..eyeballed it. 

Directions:
  1. Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl
  2.  2 options:
    1. Cook your burgers on the grill on medium heat for about 7-9 min on each side. Or until done.
    2. Cook them in the oven until they are done. About 15 - 20 min.
     
     
  3. Add your favorite burger toppings and enjoy
I found this and other good meals at www.plainchicken.com 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken





So this week was a busy one like many others. Even though it is busy you still want to have a good meal. Crockpot to the rescue!! What you can actually cook in a crockpot will blow your mind. It goes way beyond the typical chili and soups. Ask Mrs. Stephanie over at Crockpot 365, I am sure she would agree. Dont have a crockpot? No worries, I have put up some info in the "Resources" photo album about how to slow cook with your oven.




Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1 tsp of paprika
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of black or lemon pepper

Optional:
pinch of chili pepper
4 whole garlic cloves
1 yellow onion, quartered
Hardware:
Crockpot
1 tbs measuring spoon
1 tsp measuring spoon
1/2 tsp measuring spoon


Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl  
  2.  Rinse off your chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Next, rub in the seasonings on the outside and inside of the bird. Put the onions and garlic in the cavity of the bird if you used them.
    When you have used up all of the rub, put your chicken into your crockpot. DO NOT add water to the crockpot.
    Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours
  3. When it is finished check to make sure it is at least 165 degrees F in the thigh area. That is one of the thickest places in the chicken 
  4. The chicken will be very tender and juicy when it is done. I lost the legs when I was trying to put it on the plate 
For more great crockpot meals go to www.crockpot365.blogspot.com
 
 





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