Crispy Potatoes!

These potatoes aresuper crunchy. You have to try them out.

Fried Cabbage Fritters

Howdy food lovers!  

Shred one head cabbage

Cook in water until soft ( boil about 10 minutes), drain and dry well.

Saute 2 onions  and 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil over  a medium heat.

Beat together 3 large eggs and add to dry cabbage along with 4 T of flour, some salt, pepper and even a bit of red pepper if you like.

Mix well.  Mixture will be similar to potato pancake mixture.

Heat some oil in a pan.

Drop the cabbage mix by heaping  spoonful  into the oil and fry until crispy golden brown on both sides.

photos from YouTube

In bowl, mix sour cream with dill , 1 grated large cucumber and a pinch of red pepper.  You can also use yogurt instead of sour cream. 

Mustard sauce is also good with these.

It seems that cabbage is good for digestion and your stomach. 

Swedish Meatballs.

These are great for dinner, or increase the recipe for parties, canapes etc. You can make them in a crock pot if you like.  

This recipe comes from Campbell's and its one of the best you will ever try.  There are others but they take longer.  This one is easy and simple and perfect for a busy family.

1 pound ground turkey or ground beef.   Beef really gives more flavor.

1 small finely chopped onion 

dash of garlic

1 egg

1/2 cup plain panko 

1 small onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, dash of allspice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter to cook the meatballs in.. which gives more flavor

3/4 cup  Beef Broth

1 can  Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 

2 tablespoons sour cream

 

 mix the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, onion, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Shape the turkey mixture firmly into about 20 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the meatballs and cook until well browned on all sides (make sure the skillet and oil are hot before adding the meatballs to prevent sticking).  Pour off any fat.

 

Add the broth to the skillet and heat to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Stir in the soup and sour cream.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.  Season to taste.  Serve the meatballs and sauce over the noodles.  Sprinkle with the parsley.

Italian Meatballs.

I have used this recipe for many years and it always turns out nice.   It is really nice on an Italian roll as a sandwich but equally good as appetizer or in spaghetti sauce over pasta.  

photo from the web.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 finely chopped small onion

1  egg beaten

1/2 cup  Italian flavor  bread crumbs or whatever you like.

1/4 cup milk or cream for better meatballs.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup of Parmesan or Romano Cheese. (Yes Virginia there are non dairy versions of those cheeses)

Mix all together in a bowl and roll into balls that are about an inch and a half in size. Place them on a greased aluminum covered pan and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes. You just want them to lose the pink color of the meat.

They are delicious in any kind of sauce you choose to make and very good as a dinner with plain brown meat gravy with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.. Belladonna Took Baggins

From JRR Tolkiens books


Belladonna Baggins Very Elegant Lemon Cake

1 box of lemon cake mix... follow the directions but add 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to it.

Prepare a bundt cake form and pour the mixture into it after oiling and flouring.

Bake at the time and temperature on the package.

Serve with lemon frosting or sprinkle on confectioner's sugar.

Lemon Frosting

1 cup of butter
5 cups of powdered (Confectioner's ) sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest ( grated lemon peel)
yellow food coloring ...but you don't need it.
 Mix the sugar with the butter until completely mixed.
Add the lemon juice and zest and mix it in.
If you need to stiffen up the frosting you can add more sugar as you need it stirring in until you get the right consistency.

Frost the cake when it is cool and sprinkle with more Poppy Seeds.

Cuban Black Bean Soup 2

 Cuban Black Bean Soup

3 15oz cans of  black beans. I use Rienzi as they are very low sodium and better for you (other brands are over 400 mg sodium, Rienzi about 30) Lower your sodium, help your heart and blood pressure!
3 cups of  low sodium chicken broth or use your own or veggie broth  even.
4 garlic cloves chopped
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
1 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 big stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
mince a large.. really large!.. yellow onion
chopped red bell pepper
chopped yellow bell pepper
chopped green bell pepper
tsp of salt (less or more as you like)
1 orange, juiced up and add the pulp too
avocado sliced
cilantro leaves
Lime or lemon wedges

Rinse off your beans a bit
Add to pot
add bay leaves  and the orange, sliced in half.
Add rest of ingredients and cook for about an hour, stir occasionally.
When the soup is cooked to your liking remove the orange and squeeze in  the juice from the orange.
If you like chunky soup, leave as is and serve with avacado slices, sour cream, additional onions or tortilla strips and chopped cilantro.
Serve with lime slices to be squeezed as wanted over the individual bowls of soup.
If you like it more creamy you can use a hand blender to cream the soup.

Gurkensalat, Cucumber Salad

Gurkensalat
2 big cucumbers, sliced and drained
Vidalia onion sliced very thinly or red onion sliced thinly.
1/2 tsp of salt to pull out moisture
(1/2 tsp of mustard if you wish.. but  I don't use it)
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 T. of white vinegar
1 tsp of dried dill weed
1 tsp of dried parsley
1 tsp of paprika

Remove as much of the water from the cukes as you can. Some use salt to do that and let stand for 30 minutes to drain them out.
Squeeze out the moisture a bit.

Mix the sour cream , vinegar and spices into a small bowl and fold in the cucumber and onion slces.
You need to refrrigerate over night to marinate the flavors.
Sprinkle with a wee bit of paprika and serve.

Philadelphia Style Soft Pretzels

Philly soft pretzels are a hit all over the country.

 They are very easy to make and delicious.
Hint: you can buy frozen bread dough, thaw it and use that instead of making your own bread dough.

 Here is the recipe I have used. I used to make them by the dozens for the kids every week. I also use this for pizza dough.
Also if you don't shape them into pretzels, they are bagels.
 I won't swear to it, but I think I used to use this recipe for Elephant Ears also. You just deep fry the dough in Elephant ear shapes, then dip in powdered sugar as a dessert.

5 cups of flour

1 tsp of sugar

4 tsp of active yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil

4 cups hot water

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup of warm  (110F) water to dissolve the yeast

1/2 cup of baking soda.

Coarse salt or Kosher salt.

dissolve the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar in the 1 and 1/4 cups of warm water and let stand until it is creamy. This might take 10 mins.

In another bowl, mix your flour, 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add in the oil and yeast mixture.

Form this into a bread dough.

You can add water if its too dry by Tablespoon fulls of water. Be careful.

Knead the dough for about 8 minutes or so and form into a ball. Coat lightly with oil and then wrap the bowl over with Plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

This takes about an hour.

In a bowl, dissolve your baking soda in 4 cups of hot water and set that aside.

Turn the risen flour onto a floured boards and divide up to form your pretzels. Roll pieces into ropes and twist into pretzel shape. (this can be confusing sometimes but, you will get the hang of it).
Now dip each pretzel into the baking soda water..this helps keep inside soft, outside crispy.
Place on a greased baking sheet.

You can sprinkle it with coarse salt or not as you like.

Bake in preheated 450F oven about 8 mins.

They should be golden brown outside. 

In Philly they are eaten with mustard on them!

  

You can put anything on top before you bake them.

Poppy seeds, Sesame seeds, kosher salt dried onion, Caraway seeds.. whatever you like.

 

Super Easy Chocolate Mousse PIe

All you need is a pre-made cookie crust and you are good to go.
The best part is it is pretty darn good and you can dress it up for company.
Children love it too.

Ingredients:

photo from Pillsbury

1 pkg Jell-O instant Chocolate Instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups ice cold milk
1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip.
1 oreo pie crust.. ready made.

 Here is how:

Mix the pudding with the milk and 1 cup of Cool Whip for about 2 minutes.
It will thicken.
Add to pie crust.. chill and serve with Whipped Cream and Chocolate sprinkles on top!

Strawberry Champagne Cake

recipe from Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:




1 package of a 2-layer-size white cake mix
Champagne or sparkling wine

1  16 ounce can vanilla frosting
Few drops red food coloring
Sliced or whole fresh strawberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set aside.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, except replace the water with an equal amount of champagne. Pour batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly. Bake according to package directions. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on racks.
Tint frosting with food coloring to make a light pink. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate. Spread with about 1/2 cup of the tinted frosting. Place remaining cake layer, rounded side up, on top. Frost top and side of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with strawberries.

Hamburger Joe Hamburgers with Cole slaw

If you like Turkey Joes (turkey sandwiches with coleslaw on them), you will also probably like Hamburger Joes  which are popular at the Rock & Roll Cafe.

 Here is the recipe for our great hamburgers:

1 lb of lean ground beef
1 egg whisked
1 tsp of Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard.
1 small grated sweet yellow or Vidalia onion
Mix all ingredients with  the ground beef and form into patties that are 3/4 inch thick.
Depress the center of each burger with a spoon to prevent them from puffing up too much during frying.
Cook until no longer pink.. about 6 to 8 mins per side but check for done by seeing what color the juice runs when you press on the burger.  Clear is well done.

Serve on a toasted bun and pile the burger with plenty of coleslaw

Rock & Roll Coleslaw:

1/2 cup of Mayonnaise
2 T of  white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of vinegar
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
1/4 tsp of salt or celery salt if you like
Add all ingredients in bowl and whisk well.

Shred 1 small head of cabbage and 2 large carrots and mix in the mayo sauce.
Pile coleslaw onto the burger
Offer ketchup, mustard, etc and tomato for the burgers and serve with french fries and pickle on the side.

Slovak Segedinsky Goulash

 

Slovakian Sauerkraut Stew

 3 T of olive or vegetable oil (the original recipe calls for lard )

1.5 lbs of beef cut up into 1 inch pieces
1 bay leaf 2 pounds of sauerkraut well drained and rinsed and chopped up coarsely.
1 cup of heavy cream
1 and 1/4 cup of bone broth or plain water, but bone broth will add good flavor.
You can now buy it in the supermarket where the packaged broths are sold.
 salt, pepper to taste
1 tsp of Caraway seed
2 big sweet yellow onions chopped up.
2 Tablespoons of Paprika

saute the onion in the oil over a slow heat. Soften them up nicely.
Add the beef chunks, caraway and bay leaf and brown the meat. Now add the paprika and pour in the water quicly as paprika can burn very fast!
Cook until the beef is done.
Add the coarsely chopped sauerkraut. You chop it since you don't want long strings of it in the stew.
Simmer about 30 minutes.
Serve in a bowl with dollops of sour cream.
Have it with crusty hot bread and butter and a salad or vegetable on the side.

Chilly Weather Veggie Soup

V
egetable Soup:

1 can of garbanzo or red kidney beans
8 sliced carrots
2 large Vidalia or Sweet Yellow Onions, chopped up
4 large celery ribs chopped
2-3 cups of chopped green cabbage
2 cups of chopped green beans
2 cups of peas
1 cup of sweet corn
1 big cans of Italian tomatoes.. chop them up.
Chicken or Beef broth to make the liquid part of the soup but about 4 to 6 cups worth.
6 to 8 baby potatoes cut into halves or you can also add some cooked pasta  instead of the potatoes.for a very filling meal.
1 bay leaf, some pepper, some dried basil.
1 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp marjoram though you won't miss them if you don't add them.
If you like add a big beef bone for more nurition and flavor or add a pound of cut up beef.

Everything into a big pot and cook on medium heat until done.
That's all there is to it.
Adjust the heat to keep it from burning and stir often.

Long Island Iced Tea

For most of us iced tea is just tea with lots of ice, some lemon and maybe a sprig of mint.
For the rest of you:

Old Fashioned Ice Cream

I made a graphic for this recipe.

I am not sure where the recipe came from but I've had it a while.
Enjoy.

Jack Kennedy's Fettucine

I have no idea where I got this recipe but I know I've had it for a long while now.
A favorite of President John F. Kennedy

• 1 tablespoon  butter
• 1 lb fettuccine pasta     
•  1/3 cup onion
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• a cup of sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives  
• 1/3 cup finest parmesan cheese

 Here are the directions:

1 Parmigiano reggiano cheese finely grated.
2  cook fettucine for 8 to 10 minutes al dente. Drain well.
3 Now, in another pan melt butter on medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until softened and transparent.
4 Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes . You want to reduced it slightly.
5 Whisk in the cream and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
6 Add cooked noodles and sour cream; toss to combine well.
7 Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8 Transfer to a deep platter. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the top and sprinkle with a ton of  cheese.

Emigrant Stew

As people began to emigrate westward, they took family staple recipes and adapted them to life on the trail in a covered wagon.

They brought along salt pork and bacon for the trip. Salted fish if they had it . Pickles for vitamin C, plenty of coffee, some tea and makings for flour biscuits.

One recipe was made with hunted meat,usually buffalo or deer but you can use beef.
Beef was not found on the pioneer trail menu.
 But once they settled down and cattle flourished, this recipe was adapted for beef.

Try buffalo though. It is good for you. Low in cholesterol and fat.

Emigrant Stew
Cubed beef, about 3 lbs.
Chopped onion 1 cup
1 cup chopped turnip
2 cups of canned tomatoes. Include the juice
Potatoes, peeled or not as you prefer. 4 to 5 medium sized
2 cups chopped up celery
Lots of chopped carrot.. as much as you like
couple of garlic cloves

4 cups of water or beef broth
pepper, salt to taste
1 tsp of Coleman's English mustard.
Dredge meat in 2 T. of flour.
Brown in a pan with a T of olive or shortening and add to Dutch oven or crock pot.
Add rest of ingredient and cook 4 to 6 hours in crock pot or 2 hours on low in Dutch oven.

If you like things spicier, you can add a bit of ketchup and worchestershire sauce to the mix. Be careful and taste as you go!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

I found this recipe a long time ago and it is a family favorite because it is delicious and the kind of meal you want to eat a lot of.

• broccoli florets (you can use frozenand you want to use the equivalent of half a head of fresh)
• cauliflower florets equivalent of about half a small head of cauliflower
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• black pepper
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 8 ounces of pasta shells or elbow macaroni
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese
• kosher salt to taste 

 Prepare your pasta and drain well.
Toss the broccoli, cauliflower and tomato slices with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes or until they are roasted and tender.
 Now heat the remaining olive oil in a sauce pan and heat.  Add the flour and whisk together well for  half a minute then slowly add the milk whisking as you go to blend completely.
Allow the sauce to thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in your cheese. The sharper the cheese the more flavorful the dish.
Add to this your vegetables and pasta and place all in a baking dish.
Cover top with more cheese (and  you can add a blend of cheeses too) and bake at 425F for about 5-6 minutes or until golden on top.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

It is so much better to make things from scratch.

Homemade taco seasoning

They are lower in sodium, more heart healthy for that reason alone, and have far less artificial ingredients.
I make my own taco seasoning and use it for tacos, taco salads, etc.
It is very low in sodium when compared to the commercial ready made brands that have a huge amount of sodium in them.
Even better there is no MSG in this recipe!

Here is my recipe for the seasoning.
Maybe you will find it useful.

2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Paprika(any kind will do according to your taste)
1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 pinch of Cayenne pepper
salt to taste (I do not add salt)
Pinch of red pepper flakes if you like it hotter.
Mix all this well and store in an airtight container.

It takes about 2 T. of this mix to a pound of cooked ground turkey or well drained ground beef   but add to taste please so you don't over do or under do it.
You then add a small amount of water ( about a third of a cup) to mix it all in and return to cooking until most of the water is absorbed.

I mix the turkey mixture with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, non dairy cheese subsitute, non dairy sour cream and chopped onions.
 My family like it a lot.

Russian Tea Cakes

Sometimes called Wedding Cookies, Butterballs... take your pick. They are delicious by any name.

Salmon Patties

There is nothing like fried Salmon Patties for lunch or supper.  They are good any time of year and are even good in a sandwich the next day.
Here is a recipe I use:

1 large can of Pink Salmon (usually 14.75 oz)
2 large eggs
 some chopped parsley or about 2T of dried parsley
1 to 1 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, flavored or not is your choice.
Pepper to taste ( you can use Lemon pepper if you like)
a dash of garlic powder if you do not use flavored bread crumbs.

Mix all up in a bowl and then shape into round balls. Then flatten into hamburger shaped  patties.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter and brown the patties nicely on both sides.
You can drain them on paper towelsl

They are delicious with tartar sauce, seafood sauce (ketchup and horseradish), mayonnaise, or lemon juice.
Serve with french fries, or boiled tiny new potatoes with parsley and butter.

Keftes de Prasa---Leek Fritters

I am referring you to the recipe on  THIS BLOG because it is one of the best I have found for these delights.
This is one of my favorite foods and I hope you will like them as much as I do.
Leeks have a wonderful, gentle flavor and they are so good for you too.
Skip over to Baleboosteh and see her lovely recipe.

Navajo Fry Bread

This is my favorite bread. I make it almost daily and have for years and years.

3 cups of flour
1 and 1/2 cup of very warm, almost hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2Tablespoons of shortening
3 tablespoons of powdered milk (I usually don't use milk in these at all)
3 Teaspoons of baking powder.
Oil to fry with
Extra flour for handling the dough.

 To Prepare:

1. Sift the flour, salt, powdered milk(if you use it), and baking powder into a large bowl.
2. cut in shortening and mix to a pea like consistency
3. Pour the water over the flour mixture  
4. Stir the dough with a fork to form a ball.
5. Flour your hands and mix the bread with them and then form a ball. (Don't knead it like regular bread or it will get heavy.)
6. Form circles with your hands about 5 inches round.
7. In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F.  
8. Fry on both sides until golden brown and bubbled up.

Top with butter and powdered sugar if you like or serve like a taco with ground beef, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce,etc. You can place any sandwich ingredients, even melted cheese on top and fold into a taco like shape or just eat as a dessert with the sugar.

War Cake

This was a recipe popular during WWII when rationing made sugar and other ingredients hard to come by.

It is easy to make, easy to adjust and alter to your own tastes.
Best of all it is great with or without frosting.
 It is even good toasted with butter!

In a saucepan mix the following:

1/3 cup shortening (housewives used a lot of lard in those times.)
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of cloves
1 1/4 cups of water
1 cup of brown sugar
 2 cups of raisins (Optional if you don't like them)
  Boil these together for about 3 minutes then cool.
 Now add 1 tsp of baking soda that you have dissolved in 2 tsp of water.
Now  you can add 1 cup of chopped walnuts of pecans  if you like.

Mix 1 tsp of  dry baking soda into 2 cups of sifted flour.
Mix with the wet ingredients and pour into a greased and floured 8  inch square pan and bake for 50 minutes at 325F.
It is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

To fancy it up a  bit, place a doily over the cooled cake and sift confectioners(powdered) sugar over the top to form a pretty pattern!
Enjoy

Crock Pot Roast

• 8 medium carrots, cut up
• 1-2 stalks celery cut up 
• 2 medium onions, cut up as you prefer
• salt and ground pepper and Italian seasoning.
• 1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trim off any excess fat
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 cut up cloves of garlic

In a heavy pan, place about 2 T of olive oil. Heat the oil enough to sear the meat when added. Salt and pepper the clean roast and coat with the seasoning and then brown it all over in the pan. A browned roast makes better gravy. Once it is completely browned, remove it to a plate and add the onions and brown them as well. Place vegetables, roast and wine in your crock pot and cook low for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is very tender. Keep checking that liquid is sufficient for gravy. Serve with potatoes or rice and a green vegetable. You can thicken the gravy if you need to, but usually it will be fine as is.

You can cook your potatoes in the pot as well. Add them half way through.

Mock Kishka

This is a simple but very tasty recipe I have had for years.

 8 ounces of Wheat Tam crackers (they add nice flavor!)
1 finely chopped sweet large onion
2 finely chopped celery stalks
2 grated carrots
6 ounces of margarine
1/4 tsp of pepper
1 large egg
 salt to taste
 Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.

Grind the crackers and veggies. (You can use food processor or just crush crackers and add to prepared veggies and spices.)
Form into a long cylindrical shapes about 3 inches thick on aluminum foil and wrap up.
 You can also use parchment paper.
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or place inside your cholent pot and cook all in your usual manner.

Corn Fritters

Fritters are perfect for breakfast or lunch.

 This recipe gives a more crepe-like fritter than usual recipes which are heavier and bulkier.
These are light and crisp.
 For enough to feed 4 to 6 people you will need:
 corn, about 1 1/2 cups  but you be the judge of how much you will use.
3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt(to taste really especially on a low sodium diet)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper (optional)
a Pinch of Cream of Tartar
1 teaspoon of sugar
 6 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of chopped chives for garnish

Set over to 200 F and place baking rack in the center position. You will use the oven to keep the fritters warm as you fry them all.
Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks, flour, salt and pepper and your corn.
 If you use freshly grated corn off the cob, use the pulp that is created as you grate.
 If not just add in your corn kernels.
In another bowl, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer on low. Add sugar gradually and using a medium speed beat until stiff peaks form.
 Fold the egg whites gently into the corn batter.
 The batter should not be too runny. Judge your use of flour accordingly but if you need to add more, do it by very small amounts or the recipe will be ruined.
 Heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in a large non stick skillet on medium high heat.
The oil should be hot..test by dashing a fingertip of water onto the skillet. If the water skittles and pops, its ready.
Drop about 6 big heaping tablespoons of the fritter mixture on to the pan and flatten them out with the back of your spoon.
 Cook until they begin to puff and are golden brown on the edges like a good pancake.
 Flip and cook until both sides are golden then place on paper towels to drain off excess oil.
You can keep them warm in the heated oven until they are all fried up and ready to serve.

 These are delicious with chopped chives and sour cream or you can serve them with hot butter and maple syrup.   Two very different approaches but both delicious.

Smothered Round Steak

An old fashioned dinner:

 Ingredients:

 2 pounds round steak
1 large onion, chopped

 red bell pepper, chopped in lengths
1 clove garlic, minced
 3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika (not too much or you' ll end up making paprikash and you can skip the paprika completely if you like)
Salt, pepper, red pepper if you like things spicy.
about a quart of water

Dredge the steak in flour, salt and pepper and a bit of paprika if you like.
Begin cooking over a low heat in some of the oil.
Brown on both sides nicely.  Cook and stir it around until the flour browns as well. Remove the meat.
If some of the flour mixture is stuck to the bottom, don't let that bother you.
Add the water and stir well.
Bring this all to a boil, then lower the heat , cover it and simmer for about one hour. You want the steak to become tender.
  You can add more water if the sauce gets too thick. And of course you can season it as you like.
It is nice served with crushed up boiled potatoes or even wide noodles.

Crock Pot Hungarian Goulash

2 pounds of roast beef. Chuck roast is good.
A large onion, preferably sweet yellow, chopped well.
1/2 cup of ketchup
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.  (Gefen makes a nice kosher sauce)
1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons of salt (to your taste)
2 teaspoons of  Sweet Paprika
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of all purpose flour  and 1/4 cup of water (for thickening the sauce later)


Place the meat in the crock pot and cover with the onion.
 Put half the flour and 1/4 cup of water to one side. You will use that later on to thicken the sauce.

Mix everything else together as a sauce and pour over the meat.

Cook for 8 to 10 hours.
When meat is falling apart tender, mix the flour with the cold water and stir into the goulash.
Heat on high until sauce thickens nicely.

Sweet Challah

You Will Need:

 2 packages of dry yeast
2/3 cup of 110°F degree water
 3 Whole Eggs that are lightly beaten
7 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
 2 Tsp salt
 5 egg yolks – lightly beaten 
4 ½ cups of flour
½ cup of sugar
1 beaten egg yolk and  Poppy or sesame seeds for topping

Assembling the Bread:

 1. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water with   1 tablespoon of sugar. Yeast should 'foam' up in a minute or two. If it doesnt your yeast is stale and you need to begin again.

2.  Combine your egg yolks, eggs, oil,the rest of the sugar, the salt and your yeast mixture.

3.  Now add flour to make a sticky dough. It should be fairly stiff.

4. On a floured board knead for about 6 minutes or so.

5. Now form a ball. Place it in a greased bowl and turn the ball around to grease all sides. Cover with a tea towel and place somewhere warm out of drafts.
Let it double in bulk. This takes about 2 hours.

6. Punch down the dough.. just slam your fist into the center , then knead it again briefly.

7. Roll the dough out into 3 long ropes and braind them   

8. Line a baking sheet with parchment. It will bake nicer that way.

9. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg yolk, sprinkle  with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if you want, and allow too rise until dough doubles in size. This takes about 50 minutes.

10. Bake until golden brown in a pre-heated 375 degree oven – 35 to 40 minutes.

 Cool and serve!

Hurricane Food

Take One bottle Vodka..
Add One straw..

Enjoy.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Ingredients

•  3 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup lemon yogurt 
• 1 1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•   1 cup sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen  

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Sift together:

• 1 1/2 cups flour, 
• baking powder,
• salt into a bowl. 
• In another bowl, whisk together:
•   yogurt,
•  1 cup sugar, 
• the eggs,
•  vanilla 
•  Butter

 Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with spoon. Don't beat the mixture.
 Mix   blueberries with  remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Once cake cools down, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Meatloaf.. Italian Style

If you like Italian sausage and do the kosher thing as I do, you will know a butcher who makes it but,  it can also be bought online. It is not that difficult to find and well worth it.
If kosher food is not a concern for you, then any good Italian sweet sausage will do.

Combine 1 pound of lean ground beef
half a pound of  a sweet Italian sausage with casing removed
1 cup of tomato juice
Bread crumbs or oatmeal and since people vary in how much of this filler they add..  you add as much or as little as pleases your palate.   3/4 cup is about average I would say.
 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped oregano. Just a tsp or so if its dried ground oregano.
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 large egg beaten
 1 large ripe tomato sliced thinly.
 Spinach leaves.
 Thinly sliced red sweet pepper ,  sliced mushrooms   ... use your imagination here

Mix all the above ingredient except for the tomato and separate into 2 halves.
Place one half of the mixture into a baking pan and shape into a flat rectangle/ Not too thin though. 
Layer the tomato over this half. If you use red peppers and mushrooms layer those now as well.
You can also add left over deli meats at this point if you wish . 
 Just don't make the layer too thick.

Now make the 2nd half of the mixture into the top layer and form into a nice loaf shape.
Top the meatloaf with the glaze
Bake at 350 F for about an hour
The core temperature should be around 160 F. when its ready to serve

Serve with potato or rice and a dark green vegetable.
Make additional sauce if your family are sauce lovers.


An alternative way to make the loaf is to flatten out the entire meat mixture into a long wide rectangle , layer the fillings on top and then roll up.  This will give a pinwheel effect when sliced.

Enjoy.

Close up loose edges to contain the goodies inside.

Glaze:
2 large tomatoes cored and quartered
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar packed
1/4 cup of basil leaves packed
2 Tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce.
Mix all in a food processor for about 1 minute and then cook in a small saucepan until thickened.
This takes about 20 minutes so be sure to stir well to prevent burning or sticking.

Down Right Mean Deviled Eggs

Do you like spicy? Then this is the perfect deviled egg recipe.

One dozen eggs hard cooked, cooled and peeled.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 or 3 Tablespoons of prepared horseradish (less if you are not so fond of spicy hot)
2 Teaspoons of yellow mustard
2 teaspoons of white table sugar
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
and Paprika for garnish


Slice the peeled eggs in half and scoop out the yolks.
Place in a dish  and mash the yolks well.  
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix well.
With a teaspoon   refill the egg halves with the mixture.
Or for a pretty touch, use a pastry bag to fill the eggs
Garnish with paprika and some parsley if you like.
I have even seen some garnish with relish for a lovely touch.

Enjoy.

Old Fashioned Vinegar Pie

 If you like old fashioned tastes and food, this is right up your alley. It is a nice alternative to lemon pie. It is smooth and delicious.

Here is what you will need to make this delicious old fashioned pie.
 9 inch pie crust
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fine flour
1/2 tsp lemon extract  or 1 Tablespoon of lemon zest.
1/2cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups of   water
3 well beaten  very large eggs
or 4 smaller ones
1 Tbs of butter.

Set your oven at 425 F
Combine: flour, sugar , and the zest  and blend  them well with spoon.
Add vinegar and stir as you  pour it in
Do the same with the water..stir it in.
Now cook this mixture over a medium flame  stirring constantly until it reaches a boil.
Take off the flame and  stir a little bit of the hot liquid into the eggs.
DO NOT DO THIS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.  THE LIQUID MUST GO INTO THE EGGS.
NOT EGGS INTO LIQUID!
Then stir that warm egg mix into your  remaining hot mixture.
Add butter and then stir it lightly.
Pour this  into your prepared  pie shell and bake it for 10 mins at 475 .
After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 minutes more.
Let the pie  cool all the way before you serve it.
The filling will get firm as it cools.

Lavender Lemonade

You will need the following ingredients to make about 6 servings.

• 2-1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers.    Make sure its for culinary use please!
• 1 cup
• 2-1/2 cups cold fresh water
• I cup sugar
• 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Boil the sugar and water. Use spring water if you want a really wonderful taste.
Take off the heat once its boiled and sugar is dissolved.
Add your lavender and let this stand for a couple hours and then strain and serve over ice in your prettiest glasses.

Love Apple Soup

Love Apples was the first name for tomatoes found in the Andes. They were thought to be poisonous at first and then thought to be an aphrodisiac.
They are tasty whatever they are.
Here is a lovely English recipe for them:

1 medium tomato chopped
1 Tablespoons of butter
3 1/4 cups of chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
salt, pepper to taste
a teaspoon of sugar
1 pound of large ripe tomatoes. If they are New Jersey tomatoes this will taste 100 times better.
chives to garnish

Cover the tomatoes with boiling water to help remove the skins. If they stand about a minute, the skin should slip right off.
Chop them up. If you want to mash them up or run through a food processor, you can. It will make the soup a puree in that case.
Melt your butter and gently cook the onion until it is transparent.
Add the tomatoes and onions and spices to your stock and season to taste.
Bring it to a good boil, then lower your temperature  and simmer for  half an hour.
Serve with chopped chives or chopped green onion on the top and hot crusty  bread.

French Fry Heaven

McDonald's fries are not on my list of things to eat. Nope.. don't eat there but their fries have a reputation as being delicious. 'Heavenly' was the word I heard used.

Now an article HERE tells the secret for making perfect crisp fries every time.
You can do it at home.

"McDonald's French fries are shipped to outlets frozen. "We do all of ours fresh everyday," says Myers who uses the same recipe at his restaurants and at home. Myers also uses the best Idaho russet potatoes, French sea salt, and super fresh cooking oil.
He says the key to making a perfect, consistent, McDonald's-style fry is in the advance preparation. The cut potatoes need to be soaked for at least two hours before cooking which pulls out excess starch and ensures the crispiest product. Also, Myers recommends that, "you have plenty of paper towels, a lined sheet pan, and have your oil ready to go."

So there is the secret to crispy fries. Soak them first to remove more starch.
Just be extra sure you dry them out pretty well or they will spit and crackle badly when placed in hot oil and that is dangerous.

Crock Pot Flank Steak

Cooking dinner in a crock pot saves time and energy. Your dinner can cook while you are out doing other things or at work and when you arrive home you have a meal waiting for you.

This recipe for flank steak is delicious. Because flank can be a tough piece of meat, the long cooking ensures tender meat.

You will need:

1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, cut in half
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup water
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Brown the flank steak in a pan with some oil and when it browns on the outside, place it into the crock pot.

Saute the onions in the same pan and oil.
Now add your water to this pan and stir to loosen up cooked bit left behind...hopefully not burnt ones.
Add the rest of the ingredients and pour it all over the flank steak in the crock pot. Cover and cook for 8 hours.

Now all you need do is make rice, potatoes or noodles and a vegetable and dinner is ready.

Winter Warmer Hot Drink

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It's cold! This hot drink is perfect for after school snacks or as a treat anytime. It does well at any event on a cold day. The plus is that not only does it taste good but it is good for you as well.
Another benefit is that as you are simmering this mixture your whole house will smell wonderful.

It's an old decorator's trick to simmer cinnamon and cloves in a large pot of water to give a warm and inviting winter scent to the house. Especially if you are trying to sell your home.

For a party you might keep it warm in a crock pot.
And for an alcoholic version you can adapt as you see fit try this.

You will need:

• 1 quart of apple juice or apple cider
• 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a 2 quart saucepan and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.
To serve, remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick and place in mugs.
You can top it with slices of fresh orange if you wish and some people place individual cinnamon sticks in each mug.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

You can use wings, drum sticks and thighs for this recipe.


The Batter:
1 c. cornstarch or flour
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. savory salt or seasoning salt (garlic)
Add milk to make a paste. Heat oil to deep fry.

I never trust deep frying to really cook chicken as sometimes the outside is done but not the inside. I am also not a fan of deep frying things in general as its dangerous and too fatty as well.
I par boil my chicken to make sure it will be completely cooked before I fry it. Yup, I do. And yes, I have heard all the no no's about it. Its my own personal quirk.
Then I dip it in the batter and fry it in a frying pan with enough olive oil and turn the pieces often until they are crispy and golden.
Drain on paper towels to absorb excess grease.


The dipping sauce:

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
2 tbsp. ketchup
2/3 c. vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce (use the low sodium)
Mix all ingredients, boil, stir. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
You can coat the pieces before serving or you can put the sauce into little bowls and let people dip for themselves.

Serve with Rice , with pineapple, with broccoli or just as an appetizer.

Wellesley Fudge Cake

When I first made this cake many years ago I was amazed at how rich and delicious it was.


The recipe  was created  in the 1800's at the Wellesley Tea Room in Massachusetts.
Here is the recipe. You will not believe how good this cake really is until you try it.



Here are the ingredients you will need:

3 eggs ,
 3/4 cup milk,
1 teaspoon full of vanilla extract. (use real extract. its better)
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 2/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 3/4 cup sugar (divide this in half)
1/2 cup water

Here's How to Make It:


I use round cake pans since this is a layer cake.
Grease two of them and set oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the chocolate with half the sugar and the water over a low flame. Keep it very low, and stir it continuously so you do not burn this.
Then let this mixture cool down to a tepid temperature.

Cream the butter.
Then beat the rest of the sugar into the butter and mix until it is fluffy looking.
Now add your eggs one at a time and beat them in as well.

Now for the flour. mixture:
mix all the dry ingredients together and stir them well to be sure they are dispersed throughout very well. Flour, salt and baking soda.

Now you can begin to add the flour mixture and the milk to the egg mixture.
The trick is to alternate adding flour, then some milk, then flour..etc until both are mixed in nicely.
Beat them in well to make a nice smooth mixture.
Now add the vanilla to the chocolate and stir in well.
Then add the chocolate-vanilla mixture to the rest of the ingredients.

Pour the cake mixture into the oiled and floured pans.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350F
Test if its done by touching the center. If it springs back it is done.
Cool the cakes down on racks.

Frosting/Icing:


You will fill the cake with chocolate filling and cover the outside with it too.
You could use your favorite canned frosting but here is a nice fudge recipe that goes with this cake:

1 pound of confectioner's or 'powdered' sugar traditionally used for making frosting or icing .
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate
2 Tablespoons of butter
a little dash of salt. Not alot, just enough to bring out flavor.
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Over very low heat, mix the butter and the chocolate , stirring until it is a nice smooth mixture.
Take it off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
You can let it stand a while if the consistency isn't right.
Spread between the layers then put the two layers together and frost the entire cake, both top and sides.
If it is too thick add milk in tiny amounts until its spreadable.

This recipe is very nice for cupcakes as well.

Good luck and enjoy.

Buttermilk Pie

Oh this is so delicious!

Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pie crust you make or buy. You only need one crust.

Heat up your oven to 350.
Beat the eggs together and then add your flour and sugar.
Pour this all into your unbaked pie shell.
Bake for about 40 minutes but keep an eye on it as baking time can vary a lot.
If you see the crust might get too dark, you can place foil on it or reduce the baking temperature a bit more as well.
It's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serve with whipped cream if you wish.

For a variation on the pie, you can also add a spoonful of lemon zest to the mix before baking. Also you might consider making these into tarts, like in the photo. They are tiny personal pies that are so good too and look adorable.

Lavender Sugar

There is nothing quite as  lovely as creating your own fragrant and flavored sugars.
You can use a variety of things to scent and flavor sugar but lavender is quite lovely.
You will need to obtain some culinary lavender buds. These are untreated and safe to eat
You can buy them online or in specialty shops.
The photo I found  is a sample of what they sell Here and it seems reasonably priced, though I have not bought from them as yet myself.  Just be sure it is culinary lavender so its not been treated with  insecticides, etc.
If you grow your own lavender you have it made in the shade!

For lavender sugar you will need the following:

2 cups of fine sugar.
3 generous Tablespoons of culinary lavender. You can use fresh buds if you grow your own and they are not chemically treated.
You may leave the  buds whole or you can run everything through a processor or spice mill to finely chop and mix it all.
But some people do not want the buds or even pieces to be left in the sugar. If that is the case, leave them whole mixed into the sugar and store in a tight glass jar that you place in a cool, dark place for a week or so.
Once the scent is completely through the mixture, you can strain out the buds using a mesh sieve and then place the sugar back in its jar.

 You can select a pretty mason type jar to both create the sugar and keep it.
To make a pretty touch, you might cut a circle of fabric a bit larger than the jar top  with pinking sheers and  decorate the top of the jar with it by securing with a ribbon.
I found this nice do it yourself tutorial on making them HERE.

Your lavender sugar is ready for tea or topping cookies... whatever you wish .

Lemon Ice

photo:NCR

2 cups sugar.
5 cups of  water
1 1/3 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice. (bottled just will not taste the same but, you can use it if it is what you have ) This takes about 8 lemons by the way.
2 Tablespoons of grated lemon zest (that is the rind of the lemon grated finely)
Do NOT grate in the white part because it is very bitter.  You can leave the peel out, children tend not to like it with the peel in it or even on it.

mint leaves for garnish.(Grow your own! Its wonderful to have)


Add  the sugar to the water and bring up to a boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes and don't stir it.
Pour the mixture into a ceramic bowl and refrigerate 2 hours at least then add the lemon and lemon zest.
Pour into an ice cream maker and continue as the ice cream maker recommends.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, just pour the mixture into a metal container and freeze for 5 to 8 hours. Then, to  serve, break off pieces and pulse quickly in a blender or food processor.

Easiest Preparation Instructions:
These are far easier but require more hands on time as you must stir it often.
Pour your mixture  into a freezer container or metal bowl.. Now freeze for about 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes  until mixture turns into  slush.. 

You can serve in tiny cups and garnish with mint leaves if you wish.

Gazillion Calorie Bourbon Macaroon Dessert

This cake is literally loaded with calories and guaranteed to put you on sugar overload for a long time. The thing is, it is also delicious and you ought to know how to make it!

You will need:
Macaroons....  about 2 dozen should do it.
Bourbon... 1/4 cup 
 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces or so of whipped cream
toasted pecans chopped . or plain pecans if you wish.

Macaroons

Soak the crushed macaroons in some Bourbon. Don't make it watery or swimming in the stuff, just enough to thoroughly coat and let them soak in it.
Spray a Jello mold or a pretty bowl with cooking spray and then line with plastic wrap.
  Take your bourbon soaked cookies and press them into the pan creating a kind of shell.
With a mixer, combine the cream cheese  and condensed milk  into a smooth creamy mixture.
Now add the nuts and fold in the whipped cream.
Spoon this mixture into the macaroon shell.
Cover with tight wrap and freeze it until firm.

To serve this, just turn the bowl or mold over  and tap lightly. You can also use a warmed tea towel on the bottom for a few seconds to loosen the frozen dessert. You want it to come out in a ball.
Remove the plastic cling wrap and decorate with whipped cream.
  Drizzle   with some nice caramel sauce or chocolate sauce
You can find a nice caramel recipe   HERE.

Coconut Cream Pie

I love coconut cream, chocolate cream and banana cream pies.
They are delicious and I can't get enough.
Here is how to make Coconut Cream Pie the old way:

You will need:

1 cup of flaked and toasted coconut.(spread your coconut around on a baking pan and simply bake it at 350°F for a few minutes until browned. You might need to mix it up once or twice and keep an eye on it too. It should take about 5 minutes or so.)
2 large eggs
3cups of half and half cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt
 1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
a  baked pie shell, your own or bought
1 cup of whipped cream
3/4 cup of white fine sugar.

How to assemble:

Combine the half and half, eggs, flour, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a boil over low heat while stirring constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3/4 of  your coconut and the vanilla extract.
Pour the mixture into your pie shell.
Refrigerate the pie for several hours. usually around 3 is enough.
It should be firm.
Top it off with the rest of the toasted coconut and fresh whipped cream.
You can even put a cherry on top.
Now make a pot of coffee and one of tea and invite your friends over for dessert.

Ice Cream Sodas

These are wonderful for kids and you on hot summer days.
Grab the milk and ice cream ....

Here's How:

Pour 3oz of chocolate syrup in a large fountain style glass. 

(Gourmets and Purists always used to use the Kosher for Pesach Ubet which is sugar only and considered the finest chocolate syrup available. I have not used it in years however and have no idea as to its kosher status now.)

Fill the glass nearly half full with icy cold seltzer or club soda and stir it very well.

Add 1 or 2 scoops vanilla ice cream and watch the foaming begin.
Fill with more ice cream if you can manage it and top with Whipped cream.

Summer Lime Rice Salad

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This is a complete meal. Its very delicious and easy to prepare.
You will need:

1 can black bean, rinsed and drained
2 cups brown rice, cooked and hot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
 a pinch  of salt and pepper(cracked pepper is nicest)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
If you can think of other veggies to add, go ahead. 




Preparation:
Cook your rice, Keep warm.

Heat up the olive oil in a pan over a medium high heat and stir in  your corn . Brown them lightly. This takes about 8 minutes but watch them carefully. You don't want to burn the corn.
Add in the black beans, heat a bit and then remove from the heat.

In another bowl mix together your lime juice, 2 Tablespoons of oil , the salt and the pepper and then add in the rice.
Now toss in the corn and bean mixture and then the rest of the veggies in the list.
Toss it carefully and test the seasonings.
Garnish with lime slice and  Italian Parsley.
Tomato wedges are nice with it also.
Serve with crusty bread and tall glasses of frosty iced tea.
This is nice at room temperature.
Enjoy.

Dafina

Here is my recipe for what is called Dafina.

  1-1/4 cups  dried chick-peas (soaked over night or use canned if you like, drained )


3 tablespoons Olive oil (more if you need it)

2 mediums Onions, chopped (about 1 cup)  I like Vidalia but many like Spanish onions for this. You can add more if you love the taste.

4 whole cloves garlic (or to taste)

1 pound of  Beef  or veal bones (you dont need to use these but it does add huge flavor.)

3 pounds Beef brisket  ora nice chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces . You can use cheaper cuts because you are going to cook the dickens out of it . It will be fork tender.

12 medium Potatoes peeled (you can even use sweet potatoes or yams for extra flavor. I use both white and sweet potatoes)

5 Pitted dates cut up  or 3 tablespoons honey (up to 6 if you like things sweeter. I use sparingly)

1 tablespoon Paprika  (use good Paprika)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground tumeric (news item says tumeric is a huge cancer fighter)

 6  crumbled  saffron threads (this stuff is expensive. The recipe is nice with it, but you can do without.)

2 teaspoons sea salt, about ( be careful) and you can use whatever salt you like, not just sea salt of course

Ground black pepper to taste  . Freshly ground just adds more flavor

 6 jumbo or large  Eggs, in  their shell  or 8 small ones. As many as the crock pot will hold as far as I am concerned. I love these eggs like this!

Saute the onion and  the garlic  in a bit of the oil until onion is translucent.
Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a large crock pot. Add  the onion and sauteed garlic and  cover the whole mess with nice water.
Oh.. don't forget to put the eggs in., uncooked and in their shells. They will change color and take on the flavor of the stew. They are absolutely delicious.
Set on low and let it cook overnight.  It can cook for 12 or more hours and still be delicious.
Enjoy.
I have a computerized crock pot that cooks for 10 hours then sets itself on low for the rest of the time.
10 hours usually will cook it all nicely .
As I make it pre-sundown on Friday, it cooks all that time until Sat. afternoon. So, don't worry if it cooks a long time.

You can serve the eggs with the meal . I have one at least that day but I put others away in refrig. to have for lunch and breakfast during the coming week.

Cinnamon and Hot Sauce in your Coffee

Yahoo recently posted the idea of having coffee with Cinnamon and hot sauce to control cholesterol, stomach ailments and for diabetes. Seems Cinnamon and hot sauce as wonder products in that regard.

I know that if you feed black pepper to chickens in their mash they won't get salmonella nor will their eggs have it.

So I found a few recipes for coffee that might be interesting.

I am trying some Cinnamon and hot sauce in my coffee this morning and it's great and you don't taste the hot sauce.

Interestingly, hot sauce in chocolate candy is said to make it "gourmet".

Here is what Yahoo had to say:

Cinnamon goes back to ancient times and has been used to soothe indigestion, prevent stomach ulcers, prevent tooth decay and a whole host of other problems. Science finds that cinnamon has antiseptic qualities and also helps diabetics metabolize sugar.

Cayenne, also known as Capsaicin, has been shown to aid digestion, ease muscle pain with topical treatment, relieve cluster headaches, lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease, plus others. Cayenne pepper juice is found in most hot sauces and Capsaicin is found in many muscle rub creams.

Now I know you might be doubtful about adding hot sauce to your coffee, but you don't actually taste the difference. And it's been found that hot foods don't CAUSE ulcers, but may cause pain to an existing ulcer. Nonetheless, a few drops in coffee with your creamer should soothe any problems for those with ulcers.

Find their directions HERE

Cayenne Coffee:

(Makes 2-3 Cups)

1/2 Cup Coffee Beans ground to your liking.(or just use coffee as you usually do)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

unsweetened chocolate powder - to taste

Mix all these together before you add water to make the coffee.

Cinnamon Coffee:

Coffee of your choice for the pot

a teaspoon of Cinnamon and 4-6 drops of red hot sauce.

Add the Cinnamon to the coffee before brewing. Drop in the hot sauce to the pot.

Enjoy.

You can also use a Cinnamon stick to stir your coffee.