How to beat the heat - Part One

When the temperature dips into the 90's I try to save on the AC and cook outside. I looove my dutch oven. A few briquet's, a sturdy pot. What more do you need?

A new favorite I made at girl's camp last week that can easily be made at home too:

Chocolate Love Me Not Cherry Cobbler

1 Devil's Chocolate Cake mix (be sure to get the lumps out)

1 cube butter - divided into tablespoons

2 cans unsweetened cherries, partially drained

1 can of Coke

Pour the two cans of cherries with a little juice into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cake mix and dot with butter. Pour the entire can of Coke over the contents. Bake with about 8 briquets on the bottom and 8 on the top. It takes about 30 minutes if you leave the lid on. Serve with ice cream or the bottled whipping cream.

Seriously, this stuff is awesome!

A Celebration Feast!

In honor of the Inauguration tomorrow, I'm going to shamelessly copy Peter over at thinking or sitting, and prepare a special patriotic feast tomorrow night, not quite as fancy as his - but hopefully still red, white, and blue enough to pass even the stiffest constitutional critic. A copy of the menu is below.

Grilled Hamburger Steaks on Toasted Buns

(Grilled artichoke burger for me.)

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Sliced Red Tubers of Potato Origin, Lightly Salted

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Sliced Cabbage with Carrot, Red Cabbage, and Apple

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Green Beans in a Light Butter Sauce

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Gold and Delicious Apple Pie

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Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (straight from the cow)

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Sparkling Cranberry Cider

*****

New Years Eve - An Ode to Bread and Cheese

New Years Eve is fondue night at the Lula O household.

Cheese fondue is our favorite:

2 tsp. dried mustard, 1/3 cup flour (Mix these two together in your fondue pot). Add -- 2 cups half n' half, slowly until smooth, 2-3 tsp Worcestershire, and 2-3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar.

Stir until melted. Keep on low heat. Serve with diced french bread, cubed cheese, cauliflower, broccoli, sliced apples, more bread....Just about anything - except for maybe my son's old shoe - is good with cheese on it.

We also have another pot of peanut oil for diced chicken and steak, served with a variety of whatever sauces you carnivores eat...

I always feel like a beached whale after eating this stuff, because I eat mostly the bread.

Bread and cheese.....Hmmm....Is there anything better?

Happy New Year...Try not to drink too much, you party animals.

Happy Christmas! Day 11

~~How to keep your house filled with sweet holiday smells instead of little boy, ah... odors.~~

Heat in a small pan on the stove:

2 cups water
1 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole allspice
orange rinds

Keep on low heat. Remember to check periodically throughout the day as the liquid will burn away eventually. I just keep adding water. The spices should last two - three days and keep your house smelling of gingerbread.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Twilight - makes you want to have s-e-x cake - Recipe of the Week

Although I'm not particularly gaga over the saga, I hear the movie puts you in the mood for a little titillating circus play. So, those of you that have seen it, is that true??? I'm always looking for an excuse to engage my mind...elsewhere, and I guess if I'm not willing to see the movie, I can just rely on this Better than S-E-X Cake recipe. Nothing like chocolate passionately attached to caramel and whipping cream to stir one's blood. If it's not drained from your body that is...

Ingredients -
Chocolate cake mix
Jar of caramel
1 can sweetened condensed milk
A couple of cups of whipped cream
A bag of toffee crumbles

Make the cake as instructed and cool 15 minutes. Poke holes in the top with a fork until it's covered. Mix together the jar of caramel and can of condensed milk. Pour over the cake and completely cool. Top with whipped cream and toffee crumbles.

Pure gooey bliss!

Obama's Real Birthplace Haystacks - Recipe of the Week

Normally I would call these Hawaiian Haystacks in honor of President-Elect Obama's birthplace, but I hear conservative talk radio is on the prowl for his REAL birthplace (outerspace) because they believe his birth certificate from Hawaii is a forgery. What? The likes of Rush and Hannity think there's a conspiracy? How odd. I'm so surprised.

Apparently it matter's not that his mother, Ann Dunham is a naturally born American citizen, and the law could be interpreted as such that technically she could give birth on Mars and he'd still be an American.
So, whether you call them Hawaiian or Martian Haystacks, they are definitely a family fav.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken, cut up
4 cups cooked rice
1 can chow mein noodles
3 med tomatoes, diced
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup coconut

Combine soup and broth in medium saucepan to make gravy. Stir to blend. Simmer. Then it's time to pile all the other ingredients in a haystack fashion starting with the rice, then the gravy onto your plate. Use your imagination to fill in the rest. Makes about 8 servings.

The Celebratory Purple Cow - Recipe of the Week

This cow looks like she did alittle too much celebrating last night. Please try not to do the same, whether you're drowning your sorrows and think this country's headed down the blankety-blank or your joy is at its zenith and Utopia is right around the bend. Either way, enjoy.

Kids love this drink. It turns their tongue's purple and gives them a violet mustache. But you must recite this poem while drinking it:

I NEVER saw a Purple Cow

I never hope to See One

But I can Tell you, Anyhow

I'd rather See than Be One.

Purple Cow # 1

1 1/2 cups cold skim or reduced fat milk

3 Tablespoons frozen grape juice concentrate

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or ice milk

5 medium ice cubes or the same amount of crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!

Purple Cow # 2

3/4 C. 1 percent low-fat milk

1 1/2 T. frozen grape juice concentrate

1/4 C. fat-free vanilla yogurt

Combine ingredients in a container with lid and shake until well blended. Pour into a tall glass.

Welch's Purple Cow
Welch's Purple Grape Juice

Vanilla ice cream

In a 12 oz. glass, combine two scoops of vanilla ice cream with chilled Welch's Purple Grape Juice.

Frozen Purple Cow

1 cup milk

3/4 cup grape juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

Whisk together milk, grape juice and sugar. Add lemon juice. Pour into molds and freeze.

Election Hummus - Recipe of the Week

Chickpea Slather - Sit down and enjoy something fat - free, yet tasty and good for you on this historic election day! But beware, environmentalists love this stuff. I might make you all tree-huggers yet!

1 15 oz can garbanzos beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste, usually found in health food section of the store)
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, pausing once or twice to scrape the sides. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serve with cut tortillas, crackers, or chips.

A Spooky Menu!

Every year right before Halloween, my extended family puts together a special holiday meal (I swear my kids look more forward to this than Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner) My sister did a fun menu, and my kids had a blast. A copy of her menu list is below, along with a description of each of the items ‘secret spooky’ meaning. It was way fun!

TONIGHT'S MENU!

Appetizers:
Batwings (Chicken fingers carved in the shape of wings)
Eyeballs (Deviled eggs with an olive in the middle of each one)

Main Dish:
Spookghetti with Blood Sauce (We made the noodles green with food coloring)
Ghoulsticks (Breadsticks with Salad Supreme sprinkled on them)
Skull and Crossbones (A pear half with choc chip eyes and crossed celery sticks)
Purple Slim Jello (You can make your own design here)

Drink:
Vampire blood (Any red drink, one year I put gummy worms in the ice cubes)

Dessert:
Mummy Tarts (Cupcakes decorated like mummies)

Spiced Pumpkin Squares - Recipe of the Week

Sweet and spicy and everything nicey. Just like the Democratic Party. (And please, like the Democrats, just give these poor, defenseless ‘squares’ a chance.)
Happy Halloween!

Mix dry ingredients –
2 cups flour
1 tblsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt

In blender mix –
2 sticks butter
1 ¼ cup sugar
Add one egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Add dry ingredients and a bag of choc chips

Grease and flour a 9 X 13 cake pan
Spread mixture in it and bake for 35-40 minutes
At 350 degrees until the edges pull away from the pan
Cut into squares
(I got this recipe from a Martha Stewart magazine)

Cucumber Dip - Recipe of the Week

Cucumber Dip -
Like the 'Dips' in Congress, it's filled with sweet things and bitter things and when mixed together, it's only real use is on potato chips and a carrot.

1 pint of sour cream
1 8 oz cream cheese softened
---- Mix together well with a blender
Add:
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
1 cucumber peeled and shredded over a paper towel, squeeze and drain
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste.
Mix together well and chill.

Recipe of the Week - Sarah Palin's hearty quick (Say it ain't so, Joe) or slow (Katie Couric interview) stew

Like her message, it's filled with folksy ingredients and no meat -
Perfect for those cold Alaska nights, or wherever you are.

1 32 oz. can tomato juice
2 14.25 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, Italian style
2 cups water
2 medium potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup each of red and green peppers, seeded and diced
1 10.oz package frozen chopped spinach
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch julienne strips
2 tblsp. dried parsley
2 tblsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin

Topping:
1/2 cup reduced calorie sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Combine all ingredients, except topping. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender. It also works well, cooking low and slow in the crock pot.
Garnish with topping and serve with corn chips.
(Because Palin is all that, and a bag of chips...)

This makes a lot of soup. I freeze the leftovers in usable amounts. Fantastic for fall!

Recipe of the Week - Republican Convention All White Brownies

Republican Convention All White Brownies -
(No explanation necessary)

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube margarine - softened
2 eggs
Mix together and put in a greased 9x13 pan.
In a bowl combine:
1 8oz. cream cheese - softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
Mix together and pour on top of cake mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until brown in the middle.

The Seven Layers of John McCain Tortilla Pie

Recipe of the Week -

The Seven Layers of John McCain Tortilla Pie
(But beware, this pie, like John McCain, may fill you full of gas)

2 15 oz. cans pinto beans (drain and rinse)
1 cup salsa (divided)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup tomato (chopped), 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
(Now stop here if your just making a great bean dip for chips!!)

7 8" tortillas
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salsa and sour cream for topping

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Mash pinto beans, add 3/4 cup salsa and garlic, mix. Then in separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup salsa, blackbeans, cilantro, onion, tomato. In a pie plate, layer tortillas, pinto mix, cheese, tortilla, blackbeans, cheese, then alternate with cheese ending up on the very top. Cook 40 minutes.

Obama Zucchini Bread - Recipe of the Week

Obama Zucchini Bread

(Chocolatey on the outside, gooey and good for you on the inside)

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 1/4 c sugar
3 tsp vanilla
2 c grated zucchini
1/4 c baking cocoa

Mix together, grease and flour bread pan, and bake @ 325 degrees for 40-60 minutes or until done.
Cool in pan 20 minutes before removing onto drying rack. Waiting that long will help it retain moisture.

This recipe is excellent for using up that prolific cucumber-like squash that is so abundant this time of year.
Who knew chocolate and a vegetable could be so good together!!!