Ingredients:

6 large russet potatoes
6 large sweet potatoes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat BBQ.  Sharpen your knife.  Make a series of even cuts across the potatoes almost all the way through.  Place each potato in aluminum foil large enough to wrap potato.

Mix together garlic and olive oil and brush generously over russet potatoes.  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over sweet potatoes.  Season both sets of potatoes with salt & pepper to taste.  Fold the sides of foil to completely cover potatoes.

Cook over hot BBQ turning occasionally for 1 hour.  When ready to serve pinch ends of each potato to open the fans.

Many moms have told me they use this technique to get kids to eat potatoes.  I say whatever it takes.  You can always add cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese or whatever you love on your potatoes.  Enjoy!

xo–me

Our dish today comes from a cookbook that combines two of my loves–cooking and Star Wars.  Yes, I have several copies of the Star Wars Cookbook as many of my loved ones have realized what a perfect gift it would be!  If you own the cookbook, you will recognize that I have edited the recipe slightly as I hope by now, we all know how to dice a tomato.

Ingredients:

6 ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small avocado, diced
1 4-oz. diced mild green chiles
1 c frozen corn, thawed
1 lemon or lime
salt and pepper to taste
blue corn tortilla chips

Place tomatoes, onion and avocado in a bowl.  Drain green chiles and add.  Add thawed corn.  Cut lemon or lime in half and squeeze both sides over contents of bowl.  (NOTE:  The recipe asks you to use a tablespoon, I think its best when you use the entire piece of fruit.  To suit your palate, start with the Tbsp. and add accordingly.  My taste isn’t always yours!) Toss lightly to not bruise the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with chips.

This is a great go-to recipe when unexpected guests arrive.  Or you have a houseful of people chanting for their favorite team–Go Steelers!

xo–Darth Vader, err, me

Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes
1/2 c. Miracle Whip light
onion salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut potatoes lengthwise into wedges.  Brush with salad dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes until tender and brown.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

Serve a variety of dipping sauces ranging for sweet to savory.  Your guests will appreciate the options.  Enjoy!

xo–me

There are many ways to make this dish.  Modern versions include caraway seeds, brown sugar, apples, bay leaves but I prefer the simple way the Amish make it.  If you get a great piece of pork, you won’t need much seasoning.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. pork shoulder
1 quart sauerkraut
water, as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Wipe piece of pork with a damp cloth and place in a hot skillet to brown on all sides.  Remove and place in large stewing pan and cover with cold water.  Set over low flame to cook for 1 hour.  Add the sauerkraut and more water if necessary and continue cooking for another hour or more until meat has become thoroughly tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with mashed potatoes and baked apples.

If you are intrigued by the recipes with more seasonings and apples, I am sure you can find one you will love by googling it.  Be good to yourself today.  If you have traditions don’t forget to honor them and if you don’t, start a new one.  Whatever it is you will enjoy doing each yeah with those you love.

xo–me

In my old life, I would be treated to the most delicious and savory tamales every year near Christmas.  My dear friend John whom I did a good deal of business with during the month of December would always treat me to tamales he would pick up in east L.A.  He would always write me a sweet note that would begin with “To my Homegirl” and end with “From your Homie”.   The sweetness of the note was always in line with the sweetness of the corn tamale.  I miss those tamales but I miss my friend John more.  I would give anything for an east L.A. corn tamale.

This recipe is my cheap and cheating way of having some cornmeal.  I make this dish and close my eyes and pretend it came in a corn husk.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz. can chicken broth
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 7-oz. can corn, drained
1 4-oz. can green chilies, drained
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper (which I omit because of allergies)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Pour chicken broth into slow cooker.  Whisk in cornmeal.  Add corn, chilies, red pepper, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Stir in cheese and continue cooking, uncovered for 15 minutes until cheese melts.  Serve.

I know, I know, tamales don’t have cheese in them but this is the closest thing to a tamale this gringo can make.  Viva east L.A.!

xo–me

Ingredients:

1 lb. all purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 celery root, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. 1% milk
1 tsp. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes and celery root in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by about 1 inch.  Add a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.  Drain, reserving 1 c. of the cooking liquid.  Puree with a hand masher or in the manner in which you are accustomed.  Beat in the milk and butter.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If the mixture is dry, add the reserved cooking liquid, a few tablespoons at a time.

Introduce this to your nightly table and see what reactions you get from your family.  Enjoy!

xo–me

I discovered this recipe in a yard sale find this summer.  I attend a festival in the community adjacent to my hometown called the “Ox Roast”.  They have lots of delicious food, some entertainment and a large flea market/yard sale area.  (I have yet to find the answer to “do they really roast an ox?”  So if you happen to be one of my readers from my hometown, please email me and share the answer!)  I have only gone a few times in my adult life but each visit I find many treasures.  This year I found a set of recipe pamphlets from the 50′s and 60′s that were published by the Metropolitan Life Insurance company of New York.  Most of the recipes scare me like liver loaf and baked lima beans (ha) but there were many in the dessert section that I am anxious to try.

This recipe reminded me of my mommie’s baked corn so I tried it.  It was less of a souffle and more of a casserole dish.  I really enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

2 c. corn
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 pint scalded milk
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat eggs. Add milk, fat, corn and seasonings.  Pour into greased baking dish.  Set dish in pan of hot water.  Bake until firm, about 1 hour.

For those wondering, fat is the butter.  That’s what it was called in the days of the Beaver, and sock hops.  Enjoy!

xo–me

Ingredients:

3 c. carrots, peeled and sliced
10 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water.  Cook over medium heat until crisp and tender.  Drain.  Combine carrots, soup, and cheese in a casserole dish lightly sprayed with vegetable spray.  Mix bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over carrot mixture.  Bake for 20 to 25.

Now honestly, who wouldn’t love a carrot smothered in these extras?  Enjoy!

xo–me

With summer coming to an end, now is the time to take advantage of ripe farm stand tomatoes.  A great way to do this is to can them. Canning is a method of preserving that has been in my family for generations. It is a link to the past and a wonderful way to have tasty tomatoes in the dead of winter.

Prepping the Jars
They need to be sterilized before filling them. I do this in the dishwasher. Run only the jars through the dishwasher on the hottest setting you have (no other dirty dishes). The jars can also be sterilized in by placing them upright in the canner covered with hot water. Boil them for 10 minutes Place the sterilized jars on a kitchen towel, with the open end down. Put the lids and rings in a sauce pan and cover with hot water. Bring them to a boil and let them simmer in the hot water until you need them.

Prepping the Tomatoes
The tomatoes need to have their skins removed before canning them. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a small paring knife cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato. This will help the skin come off easier.  Place five to six tomatoes in the boiling water at a time. After one minute, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place in the ice bath. The skins should just peel right off now. Process all tomatoes in the boiling water and the ice bath to remove their skins.

Filling the Jars
If you are using pint size jars put ½ tsp. of salt and 1 tbs. of lemon juice in each jar. If you are using quart size jars put 1 tsp. of salt and 2 tbs. of lemon juice. Cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters and stuff as many as you can in each jar. If you think you can’t fit anymore in the jar try to stuff another one or two in, but leave ½ inch space at the top of the jar.  They should be really packed in. Using the bubble remover (it is the long flat, clear, plastic thing that looks like a letter opener) run it down the sides of each jar to remove the air bubbles. Wipe off the top of the jar with a clean towel or rag. If the top of the jar is dirty it may not seal. Using the lid wand (it is the plastic stick with a magnet on the end) get your lids and rings out of the simmering water and place them on the jar. Twist on the rings as tight as you can, use the jar lid wrench if you have one.

Boiling-Water Canning
Place the canning rack on the bottom of the canner and fill it with water. Bring to a boil. Using the jar lifter place each jar into the boiling water and set into canning rack. The jars cannot rest on the bottom of the pot without a canning rack, otherwise the glass may crack. Once the water has come to a boil again cover the pot and let the jars of tomatoes process for 30 minutes. Then remove the hot jars using the jar lifter and place on a towel on the counter.

After you have processed all of the jars of tomatoes in the canner you may start to hear a popping noise, this is just the jars sealing. After 24 hours check to make sure all jars have sealed. You can do this by pressing on the lid. If you can press it up and down and hear a little popping noise, then the jar didn’t seal. Place any unsealed jars in the fridge and use within a week.

I am so grateful Amanda has taught me how to do this!  I have always been intimidated by the thought of canning and look how easy it can be!  Thanks to Amanda.  Let us know how you do.

And if you want to be a Friday Friend with a tip or a special recipe or idea to share, please write me!

xo–me

Ingredients:

quality water
your choice of the ingredient to float in the center (see below)

Fill each cubicle of the tray half full of water.  Place in freezer until partially frozen, about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from freezer and place chosen ingredient in the center of each cube.  Cover the cubes with enough water to fill the tray.  Freeze for at least 7 hours or overnight.

Options:

Berry–blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries are delicious in daiquiris, lemonade or iced tea.
Cherry–pit cherries before using.  If they are enormous, half.
Chili Pepper–dried red or green pepper add a kick to coke based drinks.
Citrus–a slice of lemon, orange, lime peel is perfect for any citrus, soda or tonic drink.
Coffee–substitute coffee for water in the cube preparation.  Add a chocolate covered espresso bean in the center.
Cucumber–a quarter slice of cucumber inside the cube is perfect for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Use your imagination when makiing your ice.  And let me know what you create!

xo–me