Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas my dear readers.  I know I have been slacking this month.  December is always a hard one on everyone.  A couple eggnog recipes for you lovely people.   Everyone seems to have a love/hate relationship with eggnog.  I personally love it.  Enjoy! Have a great New Year!

Easy Eggnog Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric beater (if available).

By turn, add milk & sugar.
Continue beating until mixture thickens slightly.
Add in the vanilla essence & ground nutmeg.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 3 hours).

Serves: 8.

Traditional Eggnog

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, separated
• 6 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy/ thickened cream
• 2 cups bourbon
• 1+ 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Directions

In a large bowl and using a mixer, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar for approx 10 minutes (you want the mixture to be firm and the colour of butter).
Very slowly, add in the bourbon and brandy - just a little at a time.
When bourbon and brandy have been added, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge (for up to 6 hours, depending on how long before your party you're making the eggnog).
30 minutes before your guests arrive, stir the milk into the chilled yolk mixture.
Stir in 1+ 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a mixer on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.
In yet another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture.
After ladling into cups, garnish with the remainder of the ground nutmeg.

Serves: 8.

Turkey Tips!

Thanksgiving is less than a week away here in the U.S.  Here are some turkey day tips from the fat kid to make your life a little easier!

If you need only enough turkey to make it through Thanksgiving dinner: Buy ¾ to 1 pound per person.

If you want enough leftovers for the long weekend: Calculate 1 pounds (or slightly more) per person. Get leftover turkey recipes and turkey sandwich ideas.

If you need a large turkey: Consider buying two 10- to 12-pound birds and roasting them side by side. Small turkeys cook (and defrost) much more quickly than supersize ones, and they tend to stay moister.

J.J.'s Quick Turkey Guide

Number of diners: 8.

Turkey size (including leftovers): 10 to 12 pounds.

Thawing time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 2 to 2½ days; cool water (changed every half hour), 5 to 6 hours.

Roasting time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast the turkey until a thigh registers 180° F, about 2 hours total.

Number of diners: 12.

Turkey size (including leftovers): 16 to 18 pounds.

Thawing time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 3½ to 4 days; cool water (changed every half hour), 8 to 9 hours.

Roasting time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast the turkey until a thigh registers 180° F, 2½ to 3 hours total.

Number of diners: 16.

Turkey size (including leftovers): 20 to 22 pounds.

Thawing time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 4 to 4½ days; cool water (changed every half hour), 9 to 11 hours.

Roasting time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast the turkey until a thigh registers 180° F, 3 to 3½ hours total.

Number of diners: 20.

Turkey size (including leftovers): 24 to 26 pounds.

Thawing time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 5 to 5½ days; cool water (changed every half hour), 11 to 13 hours.

Roasting time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast the turkey until a thigh registers 180° F, 4 to 4½ hours total.

Talking Turkey

Call either of these hotlines to speak with an expert turkey roaster, pie baker, or side-dish maker. Hours listed are for Thanksgiving Day.

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line:  800-288-8372 , 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST; www.butterball.com.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline:  888-674-6854 , 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST; www.fsis.usda.gov.

Classic Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

• pan juices from the turkey and roasting pan
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups turkey or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  

Directions

Strain the pan juices into a fat separator or bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Skim and discard the fat from the surface; set the juices aside.

Place the empty roasting pan over 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping to dissolve any bits stuck to the pan, for 2 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Still stirring, slowly add first the broth, then 1 cup of the reserved juices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the gravy has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper. Strain just before serving.

Quick Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

• pan juices from the turkey and roasting pan
• 4 cups turkey or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Strain the pan juices into a fat separator or bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Skim and discard the fat from the surface; set the juices aside.

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring the broth and 1 cup of the reserved juices to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water until no lumps remain. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the simmering broth. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper. Strain just before serving

If your gravy is too thin: Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 2 teaspoons cold water, or combine 1 tablespoon room-temperature butter with 1 tablespoon flour to form a paste. Whisk into 4 to 5 cups of barely simmering gravy and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens.

If your gravy is too thick: Add more of the reserved pan juices or warmed turkey or chicken broth, 1 tablespoon at a time. Or try a splash of a flavorful fortified wine, such as Madeira or sherry.

If your gravy is too pale: Try a few shakes of soy sauce, keeping in mind that paleness is only a cosmetic concern, unrelated to flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving, Yo!

Thanksgiving is next week and lets face it...most people don't give thanks but stuff themselves with good food.  This fat kid is thankful for many things whether I say things or not. So before we get to the recipes here is what I am thankful for:

1. Good friends...without you I may go totally insane.
2. People that send me recipes to try! Without you I wouldn't have this blog.
3. Medicare...yeah it has its issues, but it is so much better than no insurance at all!
4. The Food Network...I get a lot of inspiration from there.
5. The internet...it has been keeping me entertained since 1994. Thanks, Mrs. Walker, for the introduction during study hall!

 RumChata® Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus more for the preparing the pan
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup RumChata®
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each one 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Scoop the sweet potato out of their skins and into a medium bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, RumChata® and pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Butter an 8 by 8-inch casserole. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a bit puffy. Serve immediately.

What it s RumChata® you ask?

RumChata® is rum cream made as an authentic replica of the best Horchata you have ever tasted. It is made from scratch using real ingredients - rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. This is Real Horchata, not an imitation flavored horchata beverage.

In the western hemisphere, horchata is made from rice, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and either water or dairy. The only way to make 'Real Horchata' is to make it from these ingredients, not horchata flavor. If it says horchata flavor or it does not include not rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla it's not 'Real Horchata'.

Now that you know a little more about RumChata® here is a great shot or drink to have while waiting for dinner to cook.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

• 3 parts RumChata®
• 1 part vanilla vodka

Shake with ice and strain into a shot glass.

Serve with a piece of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal on top.

My bar serves it sans the cereal and with a splash of pineapple juice I believe.

I haven't tried this but it sounds YUMMY!

Cinnabon

• 3/4 oz. RumChata®
• 1/4 oz. Kahlua

Pour into a shot glass.

Duchess Potatoes

Ingredients

·         2 pounds potatoes (Yukon Golds work best), peeled and cut into chunks

·         Salt

·         1/4 cup heavy cream

·         4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

·         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·         3 egg yolks

Method

1 Place potatoes in a medium to large pot (3 qt) and cover with a couple inches of cold water. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (the tines of a fork easily pierce), about 20-25 minutes.

2 While the potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside. You will use this butter to coat the potatoes right before they go in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°. 3 When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander and put the potatoes back in the pot set over low heat. Allow them to release steam for a minute or so. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and mash the potatoes until the butter has been incorporated. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, heavy cream and continue mashing the potatoes. Once everything is incorporated, add salt to taste and the egg yolks. Continue to mash until the mixture is smooth. Do not over-mash or your potatoes will end up with a gluey consistency.

4 Using a piping bag with a large star point, pipe the potatoes onto a cookie sheet. Alternatively, you can just fill a casserole dish with the mashed potatoes, and use a fork to create lots of peaks on the surface. The swirled edges from the star-point piping bag forms or the peaks of mashed potatoes in a casserole dish will brown nicely in the oven.

The browned parts taste great, so you want to maximize them. Whether you make piped portions or a casserole, paint the potatoes with the melted butter. Bake in the 425°F oven until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• (or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

 POUR into pie shell.

 BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

 Pumpkin Bread        

• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. each nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon - or a teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 c. each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
• 1 c. oil
• 2 c. canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. each raisins and nuts (optional)

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the sugars, mixing well.

Mix dry ingredients with the oil and pumpkin, stirring until well combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 1/2 x 5 1/4-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Place on wire rack to cool.

I love pecan pie...I have used ths recipe for the last 12 years.

Pecan Pie

• 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup - this is one time I go brand name and I prefer dark
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.

3. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.

4. **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.

5. RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.

6. VARIATION: coarsely chopped walnuts may be substituted for pecans to make a walnut pie.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is probably my second favorite holiday. My ex and I used to have a huge Halloween party every year...I tried it the last couple years by myself with a huge failing.  I skipped it this year and even though its a little late, I decided to share some of my favorite recipes from these parties.

Kitty Litter Cake

• 1 box German chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
• 1 box  white cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 package vanilla sandwich cookies
• 3 drops green food coloring
• 1 package (12 ounce size) tootsie rolls

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan). Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy. Line a clean, new kitty litter box with a kitty litter liner.

Put cake mixture into box. Put half of the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs.

Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top. Heat 3 or 4 of the tootsie rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs. Heat the remaining tootsie rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs. Hang the remaining tootsie roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs.

To serve use the clean, new the pooper scooper for a gross Halloween dessert.



Day Old Bathwater Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (12 ounce size) frozen lemonade
• 1 can (12 ounce size) frozen pink lemonade
• 1 can (12 ounce size) frozen limeade
• 1/2 gallon rainbow sherbet

PREPARATION:

About 45 minutes before serving time, set cans of lemon and limeade and the container of sherbet out to thaw. After 15 minutes, scoop out half of the sherbet's containers contents and place it into a brownish color. Place the remaining sherbet back in.

Prepare lemon and limeades according to the package directions and pour into the punch bowl.

Carefully float spoonfuls of the brown blended sherbet on top of the lemonade mixture, spreading it around to look like dirty brown suds. Do not stir. Use a ladle to serve punch in cups.

Sicko serving suggestion: Float a handful of green, yellow and white tiny after dinner mints (tiny bars of soap), on top of your scummy punch.

Chunky Cat Barf

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 8 ounces cottage cheese
• 16 ounces Mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 quart spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

PREPARATION:

Cook squash. Fork out insides into a giant casserole dish. Add cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, peppers, and half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Mix until it looks like cat barf.
Top with the remaining cheeses.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 45 minutes.


Melted Fingers Pizzas

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 12 sticks (1 ounce each) mozzarella
• 8 small (about 5" diam.) baked pizza crusts
• 1 cup purchased pizza sauce

PREPARATION:

Core, stem and seed pepper; cut lengthwise into 1"-wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 1/2" pieces (fingernails). Round corners on one end of each piece.

Cut each cheese stick in half crosswise. On rounded end of each stick (finger), cut out a 1/2"-square notch into which a pepper piece will fit to make a nail.
Lay crusts slightly apart on 3 baking sheets, each 12x15". Spread 2 Tbsp. sauce evenly over each crust. Lay 3 cheese fingers well apart on each crust: fit a red pepper nail onto each. Bake in a 450 degrees F oven until cheese just begins to melt, about 8 minutes.

Vampire's Kiss

 

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. dry gin
•  1/2 oz. dry vermouth
•  1 tbsp. tequila
•  Pinch of salt
• 2 oz. tomato juice

 Old Fashioned glass, shake with ice, strain over ice.

I'm here for October...barely!

Here are two for October...My Mother and Grandmother used to make these out of the leftover mashed potatoes.  I like to make them for breakfast and have them with eggs.

The second recipe is one I stole from an ex.  I always loved it when they made this. 

Also...if you are out there...let me know you are there! Send me a recipe, just say hi, follow me or something!

Mashed Potato Pancakes

• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (left over)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 green onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 -2 tablespoon milk
• 2 -3 tablespoons shortening or 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1 Beat the egg.

2 Mix the beaten egg with the mashed potatoes.
3 Stir in the dry ingredients.
4 Add the milk and mix well.
5 The batter should be very thick.
6 Melt the shortening or heat the oil in a skillet.
7 Spoon batter into the skillet to form 3" to 3-1/2" inch wide pancakes, about 1/2" thick.
8 Brown on one side, over medium heat. Turn and brown on the other side.
9 Serve with ketchup.

Chicken - Rice - Broccoli Casserole  

•  1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
• 2 c. cooked, cubed chicken - I season mine with rosemary, garlic, pepper, and poultry seasoning
• 2 c. cooked rice
• 1 c. cheese, grated
• 1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup - If you don't like mushrooms use cream of chicken or celery
• 1 (3 oz.) can French fried onions
• 1 soup can milk

Combine chicken, rice, cheese, broccoli, and soup. Add 1 soup can of milk; mix well. Pour in buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. Top with onions. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until onions are brown and crisp.

What ever happened to the Sunday Dinner?

When I was a kid on Sundays we always a  large family meal. Sometimes it was at our house, other times it was at the house of my Aunt's an hour or so away.  The thing is we got together, broke bread, and socialized over a meal.  I remember as a small child we almost always had fried chicken on Sundays.  Whether my Grandmother fried it or it came from the Colonel (as my Grandmother called it) aka Kentucky Fried Chicken aka KFC as it is now known as.

As I got older the Sunday dinner menu changed, but we still took the time to sit together, eat, and socialize.  I can't pinpoint the exact time, but the family dinner started to drift off to when it was only holidays or special occasions, and now maybe one meal when I travel home to visit once or twice a year.

Do other American families still have a Sunday dinner or even dinner together of the evening through the week any more?  In today's ever busying society, I know many people who never cook everything they eat comes from a  fast food place or is a frozen meal.  Are people like me a dying breed?  I personally love to make a big meal and have my friends and family come sit, eat, and socialize with me.

Today I am making a meatloaf...something I have covered here before.  I am also making several side dishes to go with it and have invited friends over.  I hope they show up. Then My roommate, friends, and I can sit down and share a Sunday meal, like I used to back in the day.

Who was Colonel Sanders?

Harland David "Colonel" Sanders was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken company, now re-branded as KFC. His image remains iconic in KFC promotions.

At the age of 40, Sanders cooked chicken dishes and other meals for people who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky. Since he did not have a restaurant, he served customers in his adjacent living quarters. His local popularity grew, and Sanders moved to a motel and 142 seat restaurant, later Harland Sanders Café and Museum. Over the next nine years he developed his "secret recipe" for frying chicken in a pressure fryer that cooked the chicken much faster than pan frying.

Sanders was given the honorary title "Kentucky Colonel" in 1935 by Governor Ruby Laffoon. He was "re-commissioned" in 1950 by Governor Lawrence Wetherby.

It wasn't until 1950 that Sanders began developing his distinctive appearance, growing his trademark mustache and goatee and donning a white suit and string tie. He never wore anything else in public during the last 20 years of his life, using a heavy wool suit in the winter and a light cotton suit in the summer.

At age 65, Sanders' store having failed due to the new Interstate 75 reducing his restaurant's customer traffic, he took $105 from his first Social Security check and began visiting potential franchisees.

Dave Thomas, later founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Burgers, was offered a chance to turn around a failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. He helped save the restaurant, and revolutionized the fast food industry by simplifying its menu from nearly one hundred items to just basic fried chicken and salads.

Sanders later used his stockholdings to create the Colonel Harland Sanders Trust and Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable Organization, which used the proceeds to aid charities and fund scholarships. His trusts continue to donate money to groups like the Trillium Health Care Centre; a wing of their building specializes in women's and children's care and has been named after him. The Sidney, British Columbia based foundation granted over $1,000,000 in 2007, according to its 2007 tax return.

Sanders died in Louisville, Kentucky, of pneumonia on December 16, 1980. He had been diagnosed with acute leukemia the previous June. His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol; after a funeral service at the Southern Baptist Seminary Chapel attended by more than 1,000 people. He was buried in his characteristic white suit and black western string tie in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.

Since his death, Sanders has been portrayed by voice actors in Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials in radio and an animated version of him has been used for television commercials.

Are You Ready for Some Football Snacks?

It's already week two of the NFL season and I have not covered any game time snacks...Shame on me! So here they are! Enjoy!!! 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

• 1/2 Cup favorite bbq sauce
• 1 large prebaked pizza crust - I like Boboli
• 1 1/2 cups cooked/diced chicken
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 chopped sweet pepper...green, yellow...orange
• 1-2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Spread sauce on crust, top with remaining ingredients in order listed.  Bake as directed on pizza crust packaging. Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Baked Cheesy Salsa Dip

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
•  1 cup shredded Swiss
•  ½ cup cream cheese
•  1/2 cup light mayonnaise
•  1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
•  1 4-ounce can chopped green chili peppers, drained (these will be spicy)
•  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1 8oz can diced tomatoes
•  1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

 **Optional: Tabasco Sauce for an added spicy kick or take out the chili peppers if you want a milder dip

Directions

1.  Stir together cheeses, mayonnaise, cream cheese, corn, chili peppers, ½ of the can of tomatoes, and garlic powder in a mixing  bowl.

2.  Spread mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.

3.  Combine the remainder of the diced tomatoes,onion, and cilantro, cover,  and chill for an hour to allow flavors to combine (this will be placed on top of the hot dip after it is cooked).

4.  Bake cheese dish in a 350 degree oven 35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbling.

5.  Spoon chilled tomato mixture in the center of the hot cheese dip right before serving.

6.  Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, veggies, or potato wedges

The weather sucks...but this cake doesn't!

Pink Lemonade Cake...an old friend submitted it to me.  She has also sent me the Frozen Lemonade Pie...me thinks she likes lemonade.  Anyhow...this thing was freaking incredible.  Of course I had to make my own adjustments, which I will describe below.  As for now enjoy this entry and hope this fat kid survives the week of earthquakes and hurricanes in Maryland...speaking of hurricanes....that's one of my favorite adult beverages.  Think I will enjoy one with a piece of this killer cake!  

The hurricane is an extremely sweet alcoholic drink made with fruit juice, syrup or grenadine and rum. It is one of many popular drinks served in New Orleans.

 The creation of this passion fruit-colored relative of a Daiquiri drink is credited to New Orleans tavern owner Pat O'Brien. In the 1940s, he needed to create a new drink to help him get rid of all of the less popular rum that local distributors forced him to buy before he could get a few cases of more popular liquors such as scotch and whiskey. He poured the concoction into hurricane-lamp-shaped glasses and gave it away to sailors. The drink caught on, and it has been a mainstay in the French Quarter ever since. It is more commonly served in a disposable plastic cup, as New Orleans laws permit drinking in public and leaving a bar with a drink, but prohibit public drinking from glass or metal containers.   ---Got some irony to it doesn't it?

Hurricane

 Ingredients:

•2 oz light rum
•2 oz dark rum
•2 oz passion fruit juice
•1 oz orange juice
•juice of a half a lime
•1 Tbsp simple syrup
•1 Tbsp grenadine
•orange slice and cherry for garnish

 Preparation:

1.Squeeze juice from half a lime into shaker over ice.
2.Pour the remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker.
3.Shake well.
4.Strain into a hurricane glass.
5.Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Pink Lemonade Layer Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen and Kerri

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more, for coating pans
• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) box white cake mix
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons sweetened pink lemonade drink powder - I used unsweetened
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar
• 5 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate - I added more for a better lemon taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper or waxed paper.

Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions. To the batter, stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and pink lemonade powder. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1 cup butter until fluffy. Beat in the remaining frosting ingredients until combined.

Transfer one cake to a cake stand or large platter. Using an offset spatula, spread the top of the cake with a layer of frosting. Place the second cake on top of the first. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of both layers.

I got fancey and garnished it for the photo!

Drunken Chicken Master

I haven't been cooking much lately. It has been disgustingly hot here in the Baltimore/D.C. corridor and by some miracle of fate, I have developed a social life. (I've been dating this pretty awesome woman, spending lots of time at PW's with Mama, and hanging with the BFF aka the Fabulous Melissa,) Also, I have been having roommate issues that are beyond the control of this fat kid. Despite all of this...I did manage to cook a decent meal Sunday. Another roasted bird...I love chicken and I like it a lot of ways, but baked low and slow on a Sunday morning is my favorite.

Now this particular bird was done beer can style on a well washed, Mello Yello can. In said Mello Yello can, I filled it with water, rosemary, garlic, and chipoltle seasoning. I dressed the bird in olive oil and a seasoning concoction I will share with you at the end of this entry. I baked it in the oven on 175 for 4 hours then increased it to 250 for another hour and a half. The last hour, I cranked the oven up to 350 to finish cooking and crisping of the skin.

And, just in case there are readers that aren't familiar with beer can chicken...here is a brief history of it:

Beer Can Chicken is made by standing a prepared chicken upright on a partially filled can of beer and cooking it slowly in a barbecue or oven. The can goes into the opening of the chicken so that the beer evaporates and permeates the cooking chicken. It received the name dancing chicken due to way the chicken wobbles once the beer has evaporated and due to the fact the chicken is flavored with evaporated beer. The wobbling and falling usually indicates the chicken is done.

 

 

J.J.'s Chicken Rub

Measurements are approximate as I never measure.

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• ¼ teaspoon chipolte season
• 1 teaspoon Season Salt
• ¼ teaspoon sage

Left for the roommate so she wouldn't screw
with my chicken!

Beautiful! Those drippings made a
delicious gravy!

Simple and delicious!

The One Year Birthday Entry...

Hard to believe it's been a year since I started this blog and I have managed to post at least once a month for a whole year. I hope to make this place bigger and better in the next year. If you want to give Cooking with J.J. A great birthday present...tell your friends, follow me on twitter, or like my fan page on Facebook. Thanks for reading this fat kids ramblings!

Now for the nitty gritty...Who doesn't love copy cat recipes? I know I do. This is one of my favorites. Who doesn't love those yummy little biscuits they give you baskets of at Red Lobster? Thats right folks, I present you:

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This recipe is a variation of Red Lobsters "Cheddar Bay biscuits". Honestly, I like my way better. They are so GOOD!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450.
2. Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheddar cheese.
3. Stir together.
4. Spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I usually use parchment paper.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. In a small sauce pan combine butter, garlic powder and old bay seasoning.
7. Heat until butter is melted.
8. Spoon butter mixture over hot biscuits.
9. Eat em' up! 

And since it is still summer and the dog days as they call them...lets talk lemonade. I love lemonade...pink, plain, strawberry, or raspberry. My favorite lemonade being from Chick fil a. If you live in an area that doesn't have a Chick fil a...all I can't say is...I'm sorry.  

Pink Lemonade Lemons

As a kid, I thought lemonade came in a powder form in a pack or a canister. As I got older...I discovered real lemonade. Now when I am feeling lazy or I have kids at the house, I do fall back upon the Kool-Aid or Country Time brands. Now for myself...I need real lemons and real sugar and real water and real ice. It doesn't get much more basic than that folks. You can can control tartness Vs sweetness when you make real lemonade. Did you also know there is such a thing as pink lemonade lemons? They are really pink! I learned this a few weeks ago on Martha Stewart when I was too lazy to change the channel...I guess that annoying bitch is useful after all!

Here are a couple recipes I enjoy...

Lemonade

• 2 quarts plus 3/4 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup sugar - of course you can use as little or as much sugar as you like!
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced 

1. In a small saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup of water with the sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

2. In a large pitcher, combine the remaining 2 quarts of water with the lemon juice and sugar syrup. Add the lemon slices and refrigerate until chilled. Serve the lemonade over ice.

Strawberry Lemonade

• 2 large strawberries
• Ice
• 3 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 ounces water
• 1 1/2 ounces Simple Syrup
• 2 lemon wedges 

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries. Add ice and the lemon juice, water and Simple Syrup. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Garnish with the lemon wedges.

J.J.'s Adult Lemonade

• 6 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee whiskey – I'm not a whiskey fan...I use vodka.
• 2 oz sweet and sour mix
• 20 oz Sprite or 7Up
• 4 splash grenadine syrup

Pour the Jack Daniels, Sweet and Sour over ice into a collins glass (or similar). Now pour in the Soda allowing the soda bubbles to do all the mixing. Drink and enjoy! Adding a splash of Grenadine Cherry Syrup over the top will give it a sweeter flavor, almost like "pink-lemonade."

Serves Four

You wanna go where people know people are all the same...

You wanna go where everybody knows your name...
OK the place isn't named Cheers, but it is called PW's Sports Bar or PW's for short. If you go there enough, yes people will know your name. Why am I writing about PW's? The food is freaking awesome and cheap...did I mention you get a lot of it too? You can check out the menu here. ← Click that!

Here is another cool fact about PW's...It's a GAY sports bar. Is that not cool? Actually they are friendly to all open minded people. The majority of my gaggle of friends that hangs there are straight. Everyone is friendly and I always have a great time.

Mama Debbi Enjoying
her Mimosa!

I have ate here several times over the last six or seven months. Everything I have ever tried is delightful. My Mama Debbi introduced me to PW's and I am very glad she did. The first thing I ever ordered there was the wings. I got regular Buffalo and the were awesome, but HOT. It those are the normal ones I would hate to taste the hot ones. I've also had the BLT (count the bacon...there is a TON), the bacon and 'shroom burger among other things. The menu has a great variety and they have daily specials. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My new favorite meal there being the Sunday Brunch.





Crab Omelet



I've been to the Sunday Brunch a few times now. It is a relatively new thing. They have many flavors of Mimosas and a build your own Bloody Mary bar. I haven't had a Bloody Mary yet but I do indulge in the Mimosas. The crab cake Eggs Benedict is to die for. This past Sunday I had the crab omelet. It was divine. It was basically a crab cake in the omelet with Swiss cheese. It was sooooo good. Every brunch plate comes with fruit, asparagus, and home fries.

The evening life is nice too. Jackie and Melissa the sexy Bartender, will take good care of you. They both make great Amaretto Sours. On Monday nights this summer, Melissa the sexy Bartender offers up several flavors of margaritas. I personally recommend the Billy's Ocean. It's blue!!! Both of the bar ladies also offer up great mixed shots and awesome service.

If you are ever in the Baltimore/DC area, I suggest you check out PW's. You might just run into this fat kid. I will either be eating, singing karaoke, or playing trivia...maybe a combination of all three.

Inch by inch, row by row

I have a small yard but manage to have a large garden for its size. What does J.J. Have growing this year, you ask? Here is the breakdown:

• Pumpkins
• Tomatoes
• Jalapenos
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini

• Yellow Squash

Purple Sweet Peppers

• Purple Sweet Peppers
• Orange Sweet Peppers

I'm very sure that I will be writing about my fresh veggies in the near future.

Yellow Squash

Baby jalapenos



Now down to business...in less than a month, on August 2nd this blog will be a year old. How are we going to celebrate? Here is what I want you to do for me...send me your favorite recipes...like me on Facebook...tell your friends and family about J.J....follow me on twitter...follow me here on blogger. I am going to try to be better about posting more often. I do need some recipes to try out. I would like to aim for a posting once or twice a week. A bare bones minimum of twice a month. Send me your feed back! cookingwithjj.baker@gmail.com

 

As for cooking...I haven't been doing much lately. Even I get in a slump. Fast food has been my poison or the Cookie Monster has been feeding me. Did anyone happen to try the banana pudding milkshake at Chick-fil-A? That thing was phenomenal. I was hopping they would keep it around. I have a new Friday night thing where I go get a milkshake. Sometimes with the Cookie Monster, sometimes alone. In this fat kid's opinion, Chick-fil-A has the best milkshakes of a fast food place.

 

 Also thanks to the Cookie Monster...I have a new ice cream addiction: Blue Bunny Bordeaux Cherry Chip. I can't even describe how good this stuff is. I am not a huge ice cream fan...I know hard to believe...I do like my milk shakes, but regular ice cream...meh. I know my Mom reads this and she could testify in a note about the ice cream thing. Now this BBBCC...I can eat that every night and go back for seconds. For me, that makes it EPIC ice cream. I'm thinking about making a milk shake with some of it to try. That bad part about the BBBCC...in my area, the only place you can find it is Wal-Mart. This Fat Kid hates Hell-Mart...being a former employee and all.

 

Finally, yesterday was my birthday. The fabulous Melissa remembered me and got me a new griddle! SWEET! It is a sweet griddle...it has a nice weight and cooks pretty evenly. You know I had to try it. I wasn't in the mood for pancakes or french toast, so I fried some ham on it to go with my eggs. Tomorrow I will try a grilled cheese.

Post 4th of July

So the 4th of July has come and gone and it is now four days till this fat kids 34th birthday...I revisited some recipes I have covered before this year for Americas birthday. I did make some changes. I made lemonade pie again this year...still delicious. It was even more delicious with the changes I made. I first brought you lemonade pie in August of last year.

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Ingredients
For the Crust
•2 cups graham cracker crumbs
•1/4 cup sugar
•7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


This year I used pre-made tart sized crust for miniature/baby pies. I bought 12 but propably could have used 18.

For the Filling

•2 cups heavy cream - the original recipe calls for Cool Whip
•1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
•1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw) [I used 12ounces] – This year I used pink lemonade...this made for a better over all flavor.

For the Topping
•1 cup blueberries
•1 cup raspberries
•2 tablespoons sugar
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.

Make the filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight.

About an hour before you serve the pie, make the topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries

I also grilled some chicken this year. I love grilled chicken thats been kissed with BBQ sauce. This chicken was the bomb. I rubbed it down with a newly created rub this year. I would have ate it without the sauce, but I love the sauce. I import it from back home and only use it for myself or very special people. I love Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce. The Montgomery Inn is a restaurant in Cincinnati/Montgomery Ohio and they have hands down the best ribs and I think the best bottled BBQ sauce on the planet. I would seriously drink this sauce if you asked me to. As for this rub I think I want to try it on a pork loin at some point.



J.J.'s Chicken Rub

• ½ cup brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon fresh course ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Chipotle seasoning – I used the one you get from Pampered Chef

Rub on chicken at least 4 hours before grilling/cooking

.