Posted on 02/02/2021 4:28:15 PM PST by Jamestown1630
We had a 'snow day' yesterday. It used to be that snow days were an unexpected and very welcome respite from the workday routine, perhaps coming along once or twice per year here (though I remember one year when we were 'locked down' for over a week with huge snow, and then rain on top.)
But yesterday, we were still expected to 'telework', since we'd been doing it for a year anyway; and it wasn't quite the same :-(
I haven't been eating well, during the past year of lockdown. It's been too easy to just order lousy food for delivery and not bother cooking - and then throw half of the lousy food away. But this past weekend, I decided to change that, and made a couple of old favorites.
I know I've posted this before, but it's my favorite recipe for 'Spanish Rice' - I began making it as a kid, from the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls - though I think I've upped the bacon, onion and green pepper somewhat :-)
Spanish Rice
1. Prepare One Cup of Raw Rice
2. Heat Oven to 400 degrees
3. Fry: 6 slices bacon until crisp; drain and crumble
4. Pour bacon grease from pan, leaving about 2 T.
5. Add 1/2 C. minced onion and ½ C. diced green pepper
6. Cook until onion is yellow
7. Add in fry pan: 3 C. Cooked Ric;, 2 C. Canned tomatoes, chopped and drained; 1-1/2 tsps. Salt; and the crumbled bacon.
8. Turn all into greased baking dish. Sprinkle top with lots of grated Cheddar Cheese.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes.
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I've become a great fan of Chef Jean Pierre - he's been on the Internet for a long time, but I never knew anything about him until recently. He has a great idea for preparing and preserving chopped garlic for future use (this is one of his earlier videos, but there are lots more, all funny with wonderful recipes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv67FKqvjqI
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I remember the night when we were locked down by a blizzard. The electricity went out, but we had candles, a gas stove that still worked, and things in the pantry.
We tried roasting garlic, and spread it on good, buttered bread. I will never forget how beautiful that night was, with the storm raging beyond the windows, the candlelight, the smell of caramelizing garlic in the oven, a little red wine - and good friends all stuck together for the duration.
http://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-make-roasted-garlic-4-easy-ways
(The painting at the top is by the Austrian artist Richard Drasche-Wartinberg, and appears to have been one of his very last. It's entitled 'In Deep Winter'.)
I ate this for lunch. The red sauce was Hunts from a can with some fresh cooked shrimp and mushrooms I added. I rather have inferior pizza served red hot at home than lukewarm pizza at a good restaurant. One short cut for a single huge and loaded slice is to buy the cheapest frozen pizza at Aldis. Goes for a bit over two dollars. Cut in half. Put one half in large fry pan, cover on, lowest flame and it is ready in 30-35 minutes. Stick two old spoons under the pizza so it does not burn. Do this about 10 minutes in.
Meanwhile take the other half and scrape off all the toppings. Put them on top of the half that is “frying” about 20 minutes in. I always sprinkle bit of cayenne and salt on while it is “frying”.
Eaten red hot of course. This way the underside gets nice browned and crisp. No oven needed.
BAKED CHEESY SWEET POTATO CRISPS
ING 2 med sweet potato 2 lge egg whites 2 oz Parm 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp black pepper.
METHOD Set wire rack atop sheetpan. Spray. Grate peeled sweet potatoes; squeeze out moisture.
(The more moisture you remove, the crispier they will be when cooked).
Now mix in egg whites, cheese, pepper, rosemary. Scoop out potato mixture; set on wire rack.
Press out as thin as possible. Bake 25-30 min---crispy and dark at edges. Serve w/ Dip.
Blue Cheese and Chive Dip:
Combine sour cream, mayo, l/juice, blue cheese, honey and chives. S/p, garnish with chives.
Have you ever seen the “right brain” “ left brain” ballerina?
First showed to to my kids. She was moving clockwise for my daughter, right brain, but my son at the same time saw her moving counterclockwise ,left brain. All 3 of us watched her change directions at different times.
After my morning coffee, she would go left brain. After a glass of wine, right brain!
https://www.mindmotivations.com/resources/free/rightleft-brain-test
Just watched the Chef Jean Pierre vid. I’ve been using my food processer and freezing garlic for years. I put in a freezer bag, flatten it as much as I can and freeze it flat that way I can easily break off as much as I want.
For some reason, since the pandemic, I’ve been craving garlic bread.
When I was in college I dated a neighbor who introduced me to a garlic press and we did a lot of cooking together. He and I ate a lot of garlic.
Well my Grandparents who LOVED garlic smelled a bit funny. I assumed as a kid that was because they were old, until I realized my boyfriend and I started to smell just like them! We cut back on the garlic.
“Cup of lard “
Growing up, every once in a while my dad would make fantastic tacos.
A few years ago I made an Alton Brown pie crust recipe that called for half butter and half lard. for a special occasion. (Yummy) Well had a bunch of left over lard.
So I decide to fry some taco shells in lard. Then I understood how my dad made fantastic tacos. They were so good.
When I hit 80 years old, I’m frying all my food in lard, starting with french fries!
I think I’ve seen that before. I start out seeing her going clockwise; and then after about 10 seconds, she seems to go counterclockwise.
My point was just that sometimes we grow up thinking that we don’t have talent in a particular area - and simply thinking so causes us to never even try.
But if we overcome that assumption to the extent of actually TRYING, we can become much better at a skill - and even excel.
Korean people almost always smell like garlic :-}
Jean Pierre has lots of really great recipes, and wonderful humor.
Been laid off since March but luckily I’m a food hoarder.
The last 2 months I’ve only spent $10/month on food. Plan to keep doing it for awhile.
Well, I have wonderful neighbors who do me a bunch of favors like shoveling my walkways and I “pay” them with bake goods.
I’ve got a bunch of tortillas in my basement freezer. Next time I owe them I’ll try this.
p.s. Still waiting for your cookbook.
I LOVE Ham & Bean soup. I have one of those 15-bean dried mixes and plenty of homemade chicken stock on hand. Thanks for the reminder! :)
See below for some bread to go with your bean soup!
Sold! I’ll actually probably make that when I get home. And I still have 3-4 servings of the ham and bean soup in the freezer.
Will that work with a Lodge (non-porcelainized cast iron) Dutch oven? I think that’s what I have that would be the right size. My only one that’s porcelainized is 8 qts or better. It’s what I make beef bourguignon, osso buco, and the like in. Too big for that loaf.
Scratch that question, the parchment paper tip would solve any potential problems.
I second the suggestion to put parchment in first.
(I ruined my husband’s fine cast iron/enameled dutch oven when it was brand new, making a no-knead bread :-(
Nice link, thanks I just made a kleenex box last week. Took pictures of a cube one and shrunk all the sides down and printed it. It even has real kleenex coming out the top.
My favorites are the vintage food products. I made a cute little Quaker Oatmeal box out of free online printables :-)
I’ve got some of those they are pretty old now. Since there is an attached greenhouse I made bags of fertilizer, potting soil, plant food, gardening books. It’s fun and theraputic too! :)
I have a bunch of unopened Chrysnbon kits.
Retirement can’t come soon enough :-)
Will have to look that up tomorrow. No clue
They’re plastic; but you can finish them with stains or even just magic markers, and make them look like wood or iron.
(My favorite is a model of an old wood stove):
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