A Common Street Peddler by Eboni

Cooking from "Scratch"

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:44:00 +0000

Cooking from scratch is sometimes simple, sometimes complicated or requires a mixture of experience and knowing what flavors work best with the dish. The southern, down-home recipes on this blog are designed for the new cook as well as the very experienced. All it takes is a little time in understanding the ingredients and steps.

I offer you recipes that I prepare often or recipes that are family traditions. I will tell you in advance if it is one that requires a bit of thought as I sometimes do not measure exact ingredients. These you can experiment with easily and none of them are complicated. That's the best part of scratch cooking, you can claim the dish as your own.

Note to new cooks: from scratch means you start with basic ingredients where nothing is pre-mixed and you have to measure the quantities.

Of course, there are recipes from others that have proven just too good to not share. Like the Best Breadmachine White Bread. It would be wrong to keep that to myself. Then there are those that are simply links to articles I've written elsewhere but they take you directly to the recipe.

We discuss using fresh vegetables, making your own seasonings, growing your own herbs and how to use them. I hope you stay for a while and enjoy using the recipes and suggestions. Leave a comment or share something. I will post the recipe with full credit to you if you do.

Cashew Pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Yummy scrumptious Cashew Pound Cake

Most of the time, when there are extra ingredients just sitting around I try to find something to do with them. And, if at all possible, use it in a pound cake or cobbler recipe.

This week I created a Cashew Nut Pound Cake using Fresh and Easy Cashew Nut Butter and Sunland Natural Tahini. I don't know if this is true of all Tahini but Sunland has no trans fat, no cholesterol, is sugar-free and salt-free. The cashew nut butter says not artificial preservatives, flavors or colors, no trans fat, no cholesterol. I mention the product by name because it is important to know exactly what the ingredients are not because I am an agent for that particular company. When I am I say so.

Along with the raw cashews added to the batter the results were outstanding and just what I was looking for. This is the perfect cake to serve with eggnog, coffee or tea. It tastes great toasted for breakfast. What it is not is low in calories and diet-friendly- it is loaded with butter and sugar.

Baking notes: I weigh the dry ingredients most of the time instead of measuring. You can find equivalents by Googling... or use this site: http://convert-to.com/conversion-of-ingredients-from-cooking-recipes

Cakes should be baked in the center of the oven.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound butter, room temperature
20 oz sugar
6 large eggs
6 oz milk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
20 oz plain white flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbl Tahini
2 Tbl Cashew Nut Butter
3 3/4 oz raw cashews, processed to fine or chopped

Heat oven to 350∘
Spray or coat a bundt pan to keep cake from sticking while baking. Set aside.

In the mixer bowl, beat/whip butter until it is fluffy. Add Tahini and Cashew Nut Butter and beat until all are thoroughly blended. Turn off mixer.

On the scale, add the ground nuts to the weighing bowl then add enough flour to make 20 ounces total. Remove from scale and put into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and nutmeg to the flour mixture and blend well with a whisk.

In a measuring cup, add 6 ounces of milk. If the milk is not room temperature, heat very briefly in a microwave to make it warmer. Add the vanilla flavoring to the milk and stir. Set aside.

Turn the mixer back on. Crack one egg at a time into a cup, small bowl or measuring cup and add one at a time to the butter mixture. When all eggs have been added, make sure they are mixed well into the butter.

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the milk; blend; add 1/3 of the flour; blend. Repeat until all is incorporated well and very fluffy.

Add batter to sprayed bundt pan. Mixture should fill most of the cake pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, checking after 60 minutes to test doneness. Cake should be firm in the middle and spring back after touching. Or do the toothpick test… stick a wooden toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean the cake is done. If dough clings to it continue baking.

OXO Cookies for Kids' Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:33:00 +0000

Win this super, special cookie spatula!

This is one of the most exciting campaigns I've ever been a part of and you can join OXO in supporting the movement to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

But first, enter to win the neat cookie spatula in the photo. Just add a comment about this story. Be sure to leave contact information so we can notify the winner. Winning is based on a name draw so everyone has a fair chance. By the way, the only way to get the spatula is by winning it here or by visiting Bed Bath Beyond, amazon.com or look for locations at the site…www.oxogoodcookies.com to find a local retailer. They are sold out.

"OXO Cookies for Kids' Cancer is a recognized 501(c)3 charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law."

This year OXO is donating up to $100,000 to support Cookies for Kids' Cancer. The organization was founded by two OXO employees and it is committed to finding a cure for pediatric cancer.

Okay, now for the good part- you can be a good cookie and help in the effort. It's easy!

Join OXO' Cookie Community at oxogoodcookies.com
Visit cookiesforkiedscancer.org to send fresh, made to order cookies
Host a bake sale! Register yours at cookiesforkidscancer.org

To learn more, visit oxogoodcookies.com or "like" the organization at facebook.com/OXO.

My Cooking Wishlist

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender - 200W

It's early I know but with all the cooking to be done beginning very shortly I've begun my wishlist! What I need most urgently is a hand blender, an immersion tool that will help with salad dressings, sauces and a number of other things.

One of my favorite things to do is boil garlic cloves in the water with pasta or potatoes. After draining off the water, I remove them and blend with olive oil and seasoning. If I am making a sauce adding them to the liquid is a simple process that gives delicious results.

A simple and healthy salad dressing to use the same ingredients that are in your salad (minus the lettuce or spinach). Plum tomatoes, red onions, chives, celery and carrots blended with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and other dried or fresh herbs is heart healthy, diet friendly and delicious.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:14:00 +0000

This is a really tasty version of Jamaican Rice and Peas, and it is authentic. There are many variations of the traditional dish but they differ only slightly. Your kitchen will smell wonderful when it is cooking and for a while afterward. You will love it!

HELPFUL NOTE:
Do not use dried pigeon peas. It takes special handling and a long, long cooking to get them soft enough. Do what native Jamaicans do and use canned beans, i.e. large or medium kidney beans or plain red beans.

Do not be afraid to use a whole Habanero pepper. It makes the dish just spicey enough for a great flavor.

Cans of coconut milk usually contain 13.5 ounces. You need 32 ounces for the dish.

Test for salt as this recipe uses a minimum amount.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Coconut Milk (be sure it is coconut milk and not coconut juice)
3 cloves of crushed, minced or sliced garlic
1 pound of red beans (use canned beans)
1 stick of butter
1 fat stalk of green onion
1 sprig of thyme or powdered thyme to taste
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (or use Habanero)
1 teaspoon of salt
4 Pimento berries (whole allspice)
500 grams of uncooked white rice (little over 2 cups U.S., just use 2 1/8 cups dry measure)

Wash and drain rice. Heat the coconut milk and garlic in a large pot. Bring to a boil (be careful it might boil over so keep an eye on it) and then add the beans. Add the stick of butter, salt, green onion, thyme, scotch bonnet (Habanero) and allspice berries. Add the drained rice, stir, cover and let steam for about 30 minutes.

Serve with Jerk Chicken and Red Stripe Beer

Chef Joseph Kalynuik's Jamaican Jerk Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:39:00 +0000

View of Jimmy's Buffet where Chef Joseph and his staff prepares the best

This is an authentic recipe for Jamaican Jerk Sauce. Chef Joseph is the head Sous Chef at Breezes Superfun Resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. He and his young staff produce some of the greatest dishes and meals outside of Louisiana!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground allspice berries
1/2+ cup packed brown sugar
6 to 8 garlic cloves
4 to 6 Scotch Bonnet peppers (Habaneros)

1 tablespoon ground thyme or 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 bunches green onions
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce to moisten

Instructions
Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. You may use allspice berries, if available, but use enough to give the equivalent of 1/2 cup ground. (Allspice berries and scotch bonnets are key ingredients.)

Rub the meat (chicken, pork or beef) with the seasoning. If using a pork shoulder, score the fat and rub seasoning in. With chicken, be sure to rub under skin and in cavities. Can also be used with fish but use a firm-fleshed like grouper.

Marinate overnight. Grill over a low fire until done. Charcoal is best but not essential. Meat will be smoked "pinkish" when done, and the skin will be nice and dark. Chop meat into pieces and serve traditionally with hard-dough bread and Jamaican Red Stripe Beer.

To make Dripping Sauce:
Reserve drippings from cooked product and add fresh chicken stock. Thicken with equal parts butter and flour; cook to make a blonde roux. Whisk into the heated liquid, strain. Saute minced carrot, jerk seasoning, garlic, scallions, assorted sweet peppers in vegetable oil. Flame with Overproof Rum (151 proof) and add Red Stripe beer. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with chicken, or pork. Can also be used on fish.

The Pig Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:18:00 +0000

What got into me? I decided that before I landscaped my backyard, I would roast a whole pig by burying it in the ground! Regardless of all my worries, it came out fantastic, succulent and delicious. This was a group effort. If you get about 12 of your friends together, it will cost about $20 per person, for 130 lb pig at Lizze's http://www.manta.com/c/mm288z5/lizze-custom-processing in Chino.

Get instructions from http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuehelp/a/aa061006a.htm.
I also thank S. Terry for responding to all the questions he answered by email. A big thing he clarified for me was that you do not have to line the walls of the pit with anything, just the bottom where the pig and coals will sit. It took exactly 100 standard sized bricks to do that.

ABOUT PHOTOS: First, I was so involved in the process that taking pictures was not even an option. Second, the most interesting photo options have no business on a cooking blog like this one, lol. But this pic from apexhogroast.com is what you get...

The process:
Day 1-3: One very hardworking son (Brit) spent 7 hours over three days digging a 4X3 pit in the hardest clay soil known to anyone. After 3 feet, he had to use a pick axe. Since we always used the area for gardening, that was really a surprise!

Day 4: Have your best friend, Bernice, drive you and another good friend, Veronica, to Chino to get the pig. All the pigs are live and you have to choose one. Prepare for a lot of squealing. Yikes. I just sort of pointed to one and Veronica and I ran away as quickly as possible.

It took about an hour and a half to process so we took off and had breakfast at a restaurant a ways down the road. I had Indio (cactus) tacos, freshly made potato chips, beans, rice and a fresh melon cooler. Yum! But while we were waiting, I got a call from Brit saying that the wood had burned to ashes! No way, that wasn't supposed to happen. The instructions said it would take most of the day for it to burn to coals which is why we started it that morning.

Back at the farm, we thought we would not get involved in any more of the processing if I just took my sales slip into the office, thinking they would go get my pig and load it into the car. No... I had to go onto the floor, the part where they are skinning and vacuuming out the entrails. Okay, we did what we had to do.

(I requested all edible parts. I love fresh liver, it is unlike any you get at your local market. Besides that there are the chitterlings, tripe and the head. My uncle made hog head cheese out of it the same day. It was delicious! The rest was frozen, waiting for Silvia to make Menudo.)

Back at home, Floyd, my son and Harry were waiting, thankfully. It was so tough handling 130 pound pig simply because there were no parts to grab onto. We got it into a cooler and washed it. Let me say this, out of the cooler my driveway immediately turned into a pig farm environment and it was quite a job keeping the meat clean and away from soil and flies. But persistence paid off.

Brit restarted the fire from 77 pounds of coal.

Floyd, Veronica, Bernice and Harry left. The guys said they'd be back by 4 PM and we would get the pig into the ground. Well, that didn't happen. So Brit and I laid out tons of clean plastic, then the chicken wire (you need that to hold the cooked pig together), soaking wet burlap, layers and layers of foil, then the pig. We used Lawry's seasoning salt and then I stuffed the cavity with tons of garlic cloves and more seasoning salt. Then wrapped it up tightly.

Day 4 (5 PM): This is where I was no longer any help. The pig was heavy. Brit had to use a dolly to get it to the pit and then all we could do was give it a heave and let it roll onto the coals. The wire made it easier to hook and adjust.

We shoveled the dirt to bury it and stuck pipes into it to measure the heat and we were finished for about 12 hours.

Day 5 (9 AM): Brit checks the temperature and says it felt cool to him. So another 80 pounds of coals were added to the top.

Day 5 (2 PM): Brit, Floyd and Harry uncover the pig and it is so hot they have to let it rest for an hour so they can handle it. We determined that the extra coals hadn't been necessary at all.

4 PM: Harry comes to the back door and yells, "I'm sorry, it's no good". I start to feel terrible, I am imagining all our work is for nothing! Then I see he is chomping down on a piece and he has one for me. OMG, it was so good! I couldn't even get mad at him for his joke. Our neighbors, who were really interested in the whole process, came over when we are unwrapping it. We share and marvel at how wonderful it tasted.

After unwrapping, I took a tray to freeze and the rest was put on the grill, not so much for the flavor but to keep it warm, safe and clean. Where else would you store 130 pounds of pork on a hot day. So that was it. It was worth every second. I love my friends so much!

THE MENU

The pig
Rice and almond salad (Veronica)
Baked beans (Cynthia)

Greens (Floyd)
Squash (Floyd)
Marieta Cookie cream dessert (Silvia)
Potato Chip/Pecan Crumble (Me)
Vanilla Ice Cream (Don)
Sweet potato Pie (Me)
Margaritas (Wendy)
Three coolers of Heinekin, Tecate and Budlight (Don, Floyd, Joe)
Don's Red table wine (Don)
An assortment of condiments that included Harry's mom's canned slaw, Slap your Mama Cajun seasoning and an assortment of mustards and barbecue sauces

Harry

Beer steamed shrimp tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:01:00 +0000

Beer adds a distinct and delicious flavor to foods. Just plain beer (the cheaper the better) but use whatever you have on hand. Today we have steamed large, fresh shrimp with Stella Artois and used them to make soft Mexican-style tacos. This is a great recipe that has no added fat and has nutritious, healthy servings of vegetables seafood. It hardly gets better than this!

Ingredients:

2 C Beer
6-12 Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp
1 Plum Tomato (ripe but firm)
Fresh Cilantro (about 1/2 c of leaves only)
1/2 Onion (small brown)
1 Pkg Corn Tortillas
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Lime (halved)
Salt to taste

NOTE: If you must have salsa, may I suggest that you use the onions, tomato and cilantro to make it? Simply chop them up, put into a bowl, add the juice of a lime and sprinkle with salt. Either leave as is or chop finer in a food processor. Allow the ingredients to blend flavors by covering the bowl and letting it sit while you steam the shrimp.

Clean shrimp by removing the shells and dark vein.

Wash in cool, clear water and drain off excess water. Store the cleaned shrimp in the refrigerator to avoid spoiling. They can go bad really fast.

Wash and chop vegetables.

For cilantro, I use a large measuring cup or pitcher to submerge them and allow the leaves to soak. They usually need to be handled this way because all the grit needs to be remove. Pick several leaves, about 1/2 cup, and discard the stems.

Wash the outside of the avocado. Cut it in half and discard the seed. Using a small knife, cut through the avocado down to but not through, the skin. Slice evenly horizontally all the way across. Bend the skin back and the slices should pop up. Remove and discard the skin.

Chop tomato first by slicing in half, then cut each half into strips. From there, dice each strip into squares.

Chop onion in the same way.

Meanwhile, pour the beer into the bottom of a steamer and bring to a boil.

When boiling begins, put steamer inset onto the pot and then add shrimp. Steam until they are pink, deep pink. Regardless of popular opinion, I prefer mine done as opposed to the rubbery fare served in restaurants. Just a minute longer will not make them too chewy. Personal taste so cooks are free to do as they please.

Heat an iron skillet well and then add as many corn tortillas as will fit. Sometimes it means only one will fit but it doesn't take long to heat them. Wrap them in paper towels or put into a tortilla warmer until all are heated.

If you made the salsa, simply place cooked shrimp on top of each tortilla and spoon salsa over.

If you did not make salsa, place shrimp on top of a tortilla. Place the fresh, chopped vegetables alongside on the plate. (See picture at top) To eat, squeeze on some lime juice, just scoop fingers full of veggies and place on taco, roll the taco so nothing falls out and then bite. Yummy!

A magnificent meal with fresh veggies and no added fat. You can't beat this for a quick and healthy meal anytime of day.

Grow an Italian Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:36:00 +0000

Fresh Fennel root

Plant an Italian garden to always have fresh herbs and vegetables on hand for preparing superb and nutritional meals. Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Fennel and Rosemary are basic herbs and standbys that grow well and produce plentiful crops.

Basil is one of the most rewarding crops to plant. Because a packet of seeds produces many plants, it is not necessary to use an entire envelope. Purchasing a small container of six sets is fine for the average family. It will also yield enough to share with neighbors and no one ever turns down fresh basil. For Los Angeles County, Basil is perfect as it is a warm season plant and requires full sun.

Oregano and Parsley are also love full California sun. Oregano is a spreader so allot appropriate space for its growth. Rosemary, that fragrant and wonderful bush type plant is highly drought resistant. Use Rosemary as a shrub border and attract beneficial bees to the garden.

Fennel is usable as a root vegetable and its seeds cultivated as a spice. The overall taste is like black licorice although true licorice does not contain any. See http://www.apinchof.com/fennel1031.html for complete information on its taste and usage.

Grow Italian at http://growitalian.com has a downloadable catalog of seeds from Italy. The site also offers authentic recipes of Peperonata (a slow-cooked yellow and red pepper dish), Squash soup (made with the winter version of the vegetable) and Bruschetta with tomato and arugala.

Organic seeds are found at Organica Seed Co at http://www.organicaseedco.com/herbs.html

True Italian seeds are sold at Italian Seed and Tool Company http://www.italianseedandtool.com

For some unusual varieties of Italian herbs, go to http://www.eseeds.com/c-91-unusual-vegetables.aspx for the beautiful green and purple heirloom artichoke.

Most Delicious Homemade Mayonnaise

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:42:00 +0000

This Mayonnaise recipe comes from Liam Bean http://hubpages.com/hub/Mayonnaise-and-many-variants, and is the best I've tasted of the homemade variety.

Many years ago, commercial mayonnaise was flavorful and free of unnecessary flavorings and additives. In recent times, the top sellers changed their recipes and, as far as I've researched, many consumers and cooks are not pleased with the results. I am one of them.

Since I began my hunt for great tasting homemade mayo, I have found a few that are really good. However, Liam's is fantastic and I am pleased to say it is the one I've chosen to use over and over.

What is so good about it?

The taste
The perfect consistency
The stability
The color
The simplicity in making it

Give it a try... http://hubpages.com/hub/Mayonnaise-and-many-variants

The OMG I Can't Believe These Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:39:00 +0000

The OMG I Can't Believe These Cookies!
Soft, Delicious, buttery and most excellent

I have a confession to make about the “OMG, I Can’t Believe These Cookies". It took me six hours to make them because I am hooked on Facebook Mafia Wars. If I hadn’t been running back to the computer looking for loot, I would have seen that the recipe only called for one egg instead of six.

All the drama began around four o'clock. The funny thing is I read “add the egg” and interpreted it to mean the writer had left the “s” off the word. I also thought I was going to add chopped German Chocolate chunks until I looked and saw that I had none.

Anyway, after realizing the mistake I kind of just sat for a minute to think. Should I just dump the batter or figure out a way to salvage everything. There was no way I could bring myself to throw away all that butter and those eggs.

So, it came to pass that I calculated I needed five times more of each ingredient excluding the eggs which was the problem in the first place. However, there was no way to get anything else in the mixer bowl so I had to get out my giant aluminum container and use the hand mixer.

It may have been the dumbest thing I’d done in a while but the result was the very best cookies I’ve ever made. I gave Bernice some this morning and she sent an email saying, “The cookies are da bomb!! You can make that mistake again.”

With no further delay, here is the recipe:

½ C Butter
½ C Brown Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla
1 Hershey Bar (2 oz) plain or your choice of chunk chocolate
¼ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Baking Soda
½ C Sugar (plain, white)
1 Egg
1 ¼ C Oatmeal
1 C Flour
½ Tsp Baking Powder
1 Pack Chocolate Chips ( 6 oz)

Note: Before you begin mixing, consider adding nuts too. I used ½ cup of toasted, roughly chopped Pecans. In the second batch, I wasn’t feeling it and left them out along with the extra chocolate chips and chunks. It was 10 o’clock already!

Mixing instructions:

Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla.
Put oatmeal in food processor and blend until it turns to flour. You may have to do it in batches.
Grate Hershey Bar in blender or by hand; set aside.
Mix powered oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. The easy way to do this is to put all the dry ingredients in the food processor and let the machine do it for you.
Combine all the dry ingredients (except chocolate) with the creamed ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix well
Add chocolate chips and the grated chocolate bar.
Make golf ball sized round mounds, put on ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes at 400'F.

Note: These are just like Mrs. Fields' cookies. Leaving out the nuts and extra chocolate from the second batch worked just fine. Every once in while you get a pleasant surprise by biting into a nut or piece of chocolate. If you bake them longer, around 9 minutes, they will not be soft but they will still be delicious.

I can't tell you how many cookies you get from this recipe but I've baked three dozen and still have a gallon freezer bag of dough.

For the large batch, here are the ingredient measurements:

3 C Butter
3 C Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
3 Tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
10 oz of Hershey Bar pieces
3 tsp Baking Soda
3 1/2 C Sugar
7 1/2 C Oatmeal (Quick Cooking, not Instant)
6 C Flour (All-Purpose)
3 Tsp Baking Powder

Awesome Fast Food Chicken made totally from Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:23:00 +0000

I experiment on Sundays because it is kind of lay-back time. Today, I looked around in the fridge to see what I had and luckily, there was a package of boneless chicken thigh meat.

So by now you know I do not measure anything unless it is crucial to the recipe (I wouldn't want anyone to mess up a big pot of gumbo). My recipes are very open to expermentation.

This recipe was made with other things just lying around in my spice cabinet that I saved from take-out. It is so affordable it's laughable. Here we go...

Any amount of boneless chicken thigh or breast meat
8 packs of fast food soy sauce
1 slice of orange or lemon peel
1 pack of Chinese mustard
1 pack of ketchup
1 pack of Taco Bell hot sauce
1 clump of brown sugar (you might want to taste sauce to get sweet to your taste
1 tablespoon honey
1 small clove of garlic, sliced
a sprinkle of ginger
a sprinkle of white pepper
a sprinkle of onion powder
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 cube chicken bouillon
3/4 cup water (room temperature)
1 tablespoon olive oil (any will do though)
1 1/2 tablespoons of cooking oil

In a half teacup of water, place the slice of lemon or orange peel. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Allow to remain in water while you open the packets of soy sauce. Empty packets into a small bowl.

Slice the peel thinly. This is easy to do with a pair of scissors. Add the peel to the soy sauce.

To measure the brown sugar, just squeeze out a clump into the bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil) and whisk or stir well. Allow to sit while you prepare the chicken.

Wash and drain chicken. Slice or cut with scissors into nice size portions. Do not add salt or any other seasoning.

In a proper sized skillet, preferably iron or one that will stand high heat, place the remaining cooking oil. Heat on medium until it covers the bottom of the skillet. You may have to swirl it around until it does.

Place chicken pieces in the warm oil and brown to a medium brown. It doesn't have to cook all the way through. Be careful not to burn.

Remove chicken from the skillet and drain off any excess oil. Add a little of the soy sauce mixture and use it to loosen any particles stuck to the skillet. Add the chicken. Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken.

Bring to a boil and then cover, cook over medium heat. When the sauce has reduced to where it is getting thick, remove the cover. Continue cooking until the sauce is thick like take-out Terriyaki chicken.

Spoon sauce over Perfect Rice http://www.ehow.com/how_4452561_make-perfect-rice.html /.

Dirty Rice, Spinach Salad and Strawberry Lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Cajun Dirty Rice Fresh ingredients for spinach salad Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Cajun Dirty Rice is a savory rice dish that is easy to make but it has a few extra steps. Probably not too different than pilaf. This dish will fill your house with an aroma that will wow your guests. It is also easy to adjust the serving size and you will know after you make it the first time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C rice, washed and drained
2 C water
3/4 lbs fresh chicken gibblets
1/2 lb ground turkey or pork
1/4 C olive oil, divided
1/2 stick butter, divided
1 lb fresh chicken livers, washed and drained
1/2 C chopped green bell pepper
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C chopped celery
1/2 C chopped brown onion
2 cloves chopped fresh garlic (powdered is not the same)
Salt and Pepper to taste. Start with 1 tsp but you can always add more later.
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper or Tobasco sauce
A large casserole with lid
Pan spray coating

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the giblets until tender in the 2 cups of water. Drain and reserve the broth.
Process the giblets in a food processor until finely ground but not liquefied.
Spray the casserole with pan coating. Add the giblets and chopped veggies (including garlic) in half the olive oil and butter.

Brown the giblets and veggies in a the casserole on stovetop. Add the rice, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add the broth from the giblets. Cook ingredients on stovetop. Stir occasionally. Cook until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, add the livers to the food processor. It's okay to not clean it of the giblets and veggies left over. Process the livers until liquid. Spray a skillet with pan coating and add remaining butter and olive oil. Melt but be careful, olive oil has a low melting temperature and will start to smoke. If it does, start over. Add the livers and cook until just the center is pink. Turn off heat.

Add the livers to the cooked rice, giblets and veggies. Mix well. Bake the dish in oven until rice is completely cooked and no signs of extra moisture remain.

Simple Spinach Salad
This is dollar store shopping at its best!

Ingredients
1 bag of dollar store fresh spinach
1 container of washed, mixed variety mini tomatoes ( mixed varieties usually come in yellow, grape, plum and cherry)
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 fresh juicy lemon
1 clove fresh garlic
1 squeeze mustard ( just take the mustard container and squeeze some out)
Salt
Pepper

Wash spinach and drain to remove all noticeable water. Dry with paper towels or salad spinner.
In food processor, put in two of each variety of tomatoes.
Add lemon juice.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add mustard.
Process until there are only small chunks of tomatoes showing.
Arrange spinach in a salad bowl. Pour dressing over it and mix lightly.

Strawberry Lemonade, another dollar store goodie.

Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries (or raspberries), washed and drained
1 C sugar
10 fresh, juicy lemons
Ice
Water to fill container
Tall pitcher or punch bowl

Mash or process berries until liquid.
Add sugar and process more.
Squeeze lemons and add juice to pitcher.
Add processed berries.
Add water, leaving room to add ice.
Stir and taste. Add more sugar to your taste. Stir.
Add ice and stir again.
Or leave out the ice and only add it to the glasses.

The Best Leg of Lamb Dinner We Ever Served

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:33:00 +0000

We are still getting phones calls thanking us for such a wonderful meal...

For Easter, Bernice, Johnnie and I started with a simple idea of preparing dinner for our usual Football Sunday group. Before I left for home that night the list had grown to 18 invited guests because we had this superb menu and we kept thinking of people we wanted to share it with.

MENU
*Recipe included on this page

Grilled Leg of Lamb
Grilled Marinated Chicken
Stuffed Prawns
Plain Grilled Prawns
Orzo Cucumber Salad
Spinach Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing*
Monkey Bread*
Green Beans and Cauliflower with Potatoes
Dirty Rice*
Spaghetti (for wee ones)
Strawberry Lemonade
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Traditional Pecan Pie
Lemon Dainties
Brownies

Hors d'oeuvres

Spicy Sweet Pecans
Cheese
Strawberries
Crackers

Wines

Don's Red 2002
Beringer Pinot Grigio
Beringer Merlot 2005

Johnnie was the Executive Chef and took charge of the meats, Bernice was Prep and I was the line cook. Believe it or not, we didn't plan it that way. It just happened when we decided which dishes we were each going to prepare. We are joking around about this but it pretty much describes what we did.

Recipes are in the next post…

The Best Breadmaker White Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:50:00 +0000

March was "Test My Breadman Breadmaker" month and before I found the perfect recipe, I had two loaves of bread with too much flour and no flavor. I used one for the bread pudding recipe that is posted earlier this month.

The new recipe is dangerous. Do not start it too late in the evening or you will be unable to sleep with the aroma floating around you. It was very hard not to get up and cut a slice for a midnight snack.

Breadmaker instructions tell you not to add the yeast to the liquid and that is the opposite for this loaf. Follow the instructions exactly and you will not be disappointed.

It calls for breadmachine yeast and bread flour. I used fresh active dry yeast and unbleached flour and it was perfect. The crust is tremendously crusty.

It makes a very tall loaf.

One hint, fluff your flour with a whisk before lightly spooning it into the measuring cup. Do this with each of the three cups required. It should equal 400 grams (if you weigh).

Here is the link to the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Bread-Machine-Bread/Detail.aspx?washelp=1&rid=727770&strb=1

Brenda's Quinceanera

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:30:00 +0000

What is a Quinceanera celebration? The Quinceanera celebration traditionally begins with a religious ceremony. A Reception is held in the home or a banquet hall. The festivities include food and music, and in most, a choreographed waltz or dance performed by the Quinceanera and her Court.

It is traditional for the Quinceanera to choose special friends to participate in what is called the Court of Honor. Usually, these young people are her closest friends, her brothers, sisters, cousins – the special people in her life with whom she wants to share the spotlight. The Quinceanera's Court of Honor can be comprised of all young girls (called Dama), all young men (called Chambelán or Escorte or Galán) or a combination of both..

The Quinceanera traditionally wears a ball gown, with her Court dressed in gowns and tuxedos. Guests usually receive small tokens, cápias and cerámicas, to commemorate the celebration.

tiara
cross or medal
Bible or prayer book and rosary
scepter

Other accessories for this special occasion might be:

flower bouquet
cake decoration
cake server set
champagne glasses
the last doll
guest book
photo album
invitations/reception cards
ceremony pillows
guest favors

There are many traditions throughout the quinceanera celebration. One of the most popular is the Changing of the Shoes. The father or favored male relative ceremoniously changes the young girl’s flat shoes to high heels. This is a beautiful symbol of the Quinceañera’s transformation from a little girl to a young lady.

At the church ceremony, a special Kneeling Pillow, sometimes personalized with the Quinceañera’s name, is placed in position for the young girl to kneel on during the ceremony. And, a touch of elegance is added with smaller decorated Ceremony Pillows for the presentation of the Quinceañera’s ceremony gifts, such as the Tiara, the Scepter and the Shoes.

At the reception, there is always the toast to the Quinceanera, known as the brindis. With decorated Champagne Glasses, the guests are invited to offer their congratulations and best wishes.

The Last Doll is used as part of the ceremony or as decoration and keepsake. In some customs, the Quinceanera doll represents the last things of a child now that the Quinceanera will focus on the things of a young lady. In some Hispanic cultures, the cápias (printed ribbons with the Quinceanera’s name and date) are pinned to the doll, and the Quinceanera circulates among her guests, thanking them for their presence and presenting them with a memento taken from the doll. Information from http://www.quinceanera-boutique.com/quinceaneratradition.htm.

Brenda's Quinceanera: Have you ever attended a very formal event and the atmosphere was like home? That is what great hostesses do, they give the best they have to their guests. Surrounded by the elegance of chandeliers, flowing and shimmery fabric, we were guests of the one of the most gracious hostesses ever. Silvia, it was an exceptional commemoration of Brenda's special day.

Our group of 15 ( Bernice, Floyd, Don 1, Don 2, Cynthia, Tamara, Gary 1, Tobe, Gary 2, Veronica, Joe, Carl, Wendy, Bug and myself) regularly get together for occasions that center around meals and celebrations. Veronica and Silvia are cousins and Silvia is Brenda's mother. Floyd is Brenda's pretend Grandpa and Silvia sent him a formal invitation, requesting his attendance at her daughter's Quinceanera. Lucky us! We walked into the hall, signed Brenda's guest book and then looked around. It was packed already. Spotting Gary 2 and Veronica (they're a couple), we greeted them and then found a seat at Joe's table. It wasn't long before the catered dinner was served and we enjoyed traditional beef in sauce (perhaps chilpotle), rice, beans and thick, homemade corn tortillas. It was classic and delicious with some non-traditional flavors.
(Silvia gives Floyd a smoochie)The food was served all night long and was still being served when we left at 9:30 pm. It was a lesson in hospitality because there is usually a cut-off point for most occasions. No guest was left unattended. Additionally, we sipped on Veronica's delicious, fat and tall Margaritas. Just like the food, the maggies, beer, water and soda were available forever, it seemed.

Brenda, though she was the guest of honor, was all smiles all night no matter what she had to attend to or how many people were clambering for her attention. (photo Brenda)

She was a princess in her white, red-trimmed gown. The back tied like a corset that cinched her already tiny waist.

After I took this photo, the dancing began. I have to remember to ask if there is a name for how the couples dance together. This wasn't the formal presentation dance. It is a two-step where the man is clearly leading and is done to very fast and energetic music. The woman wraps her arm around her partner's neck and he holds her closely and leans over her as they make their way around the dance floor. It was so fast, I couldn't get it with the Nikon. Maybe she will let me download the video and put it in this post later. However, here she is dancing with her girlfriends.

I spent some time with the little ones who were a part of her court.

Children were very important guests at the event. Left to their own devices, they played, they greeted, danced, ate, ran around and had a very good time. They were fascinating to watch because not once did any of them demand special attention. No tantrums, no crying and we are talking toddlers, five- and six year-olds.

However, my Nikon has tantrums. It will not fire off in the winter after 8 pm. Seriously. In the summer, it goes into daylight savings and gives me an extra hour and a half to get the job done. It may be because the flash knows I hate using it and, sometimes, especially when there is a great shot that I want, it knows it and won't cooperate. Never speak aloud in front of inanimate objects about their poor performance or you will be sorry. That is why I do not have a photo of Brenda dancing that special dance I told you about earlier. And that is why all the photos have the warm glow to them. I do prefer ambient light but it was very dark in the event hall.

Back to the Quinceanera...

(Gary and Brenda)

I danced a little bit because it is hard to resist the upbeat of Latin music. But Floyd, Veronica and Gary didn't have a problem staying on the floor cutting it with the youngsters. Not saying me and Joe are too old but I wanted to shoot as many photos possible and Joe was tending the maggies, lol.

(Veronica and Floyd)

Then it was time for Brenda's presentation. Through the glass doors you could see her fluffing her dress for the grand entrance while her Chambelán lined up outside to receive her.

You could also see there was a line of guests waiting to be admitted but it was standing room only inside. No one could enter unless someone left and that did not happen right away. The line was still there when we left. It was wonderful that so many people came to celebrate Brenda's special day.
(Brenda and escort)(Chambelán)

Since I'd never attended a Quinceanera, there was a little part of the ceremony I didn't know about. It was about the cake. Having a serious craving for sweets, I was all set to indulge it with the goodness it deserved. A tiered affair with fresh roses sat on the court's table. It was very beautifully covered in fondant and wrapped in red ribbons. I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
The cake cutting ceremony was a separate affair and wouldn't be cut until the following day. There was much inward wailing and gnashing of teeth at this news! Floyd had the honor of breaking that bit of news to me.

When it was time to go, Gary said he was calling a cab for the three of us. Veronica and Joe were staying longer. It was the right thing to do.

The next day being Sunday, the cutting of the cake took place at Veronica's and Gary's. Veronica sent another invitation for us to attend. Floyd lives across the street from them. The cake cutting didn't take place until 9 pm I heard. I was home by 8 pm so I missed it.

Floyd, Joe and I agreed that Brenda's Quinceanera was one of the best events we'd ever attended.

How to Cook Bread Pudding in a Bread Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:39:00 +0000

I experimented with making Brioche in my Breadman Bread Machine, trying to get the flour just right. I tried measuring, weighing by ounces and then weighing by grams. It was all still too heavy for me so I put the loaves in the freezer. Saving bread is a great way to have enough for homemade dressing, something I love, love, love!

Then, again, I love bread pudding also and looked for a recipe for making it in a breadmaker. I thought it would be easy to find a recipe on the Internet but all of them had instructions for baking in regular ovens. "Stop being lazy" I told myself and just go experiment. On the first try, the results were just perfect! I am amazed, actually, because it usually takes at least three efforts.

This recipe is best with a dense textured egg bread. Since I am more into flavor than sweetness, you may want to add a little more sugar to the recipe. Do the same with the spices.

Ingredients:
In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, sugar and spices:
3 Medium eggs
1/2 Cup sugar (or more to your taste)
3/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
Beat the eggs and sugar together until smooth, then add the following:
1 1/2 Teasponns vanilla flavoring
1/8 Teaspoon lemon flavoring
1/4 Teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 stick butter, melted
Continue beating until smooth.
To the egg mixture, add enough milk to make 24 ounces total and then beating until all is mixed.

Cut the Brioche into small squares and place in a mixing bowl. Pour egg mixture over bread and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.

When the bread has taken up most of the liquid, Stir lightly to make sure the liquid has coated every piece. Place the bread into your Breadman Breadmaker pan. Use the "Bake" setting and time it for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Immediately remove from bread pan when the timer goes off and put it onto a place or suitable serving dish. Allow to cool a bit to serve warm.

It has a cripsy crust with a moist inside. It is just moist enough to slice without crumbling, great served with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Government Issue and Delicious!

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:35:00 +0000

I apologize for not having a photo of this dish...

I had some government-issued tins of chicken in the cabinet and was kind of skeptical of it. Sure, it would probably make great chicken salad sandwiches or do well in soup but what about as a main dish? Here is the recipe and the results:

1 tin Government Chicken Chunks
2 stalks of green onions
1/4 brown onion, dice
Garlic Salt
Seasoned salt
Flour
Cooking oil
Boiling water
1 can Government Cooked Potatoes
1/3 stick butter, melted
Evaporated milk

Carefully pick chicken chunks out of can and into a bowl. If it is in broth, drain. If it is condensed broth (that's thick and gelled), try to get most of it off but not all. Sprinkle with seasonings. In the meantime, chop onions and set aside.

In an skillet, preferably an small iron one, Put in enough oil to cover bottom of skillet. Heat.

Add flour to a paper or plastic sack, then add seasoned chicken. Shake to coat chicken on all sides and add to heated oil in skillet. Brown chicken to a medium golden brown. You can probably do it all at one time. Remove from heat onto a plate.

Drain oil from skillet, add chopped onion and cook until they are medium soft. Put the chicken back into the skillet with the onions and add just enough boiling water to cover nearly half way.

Put a top on the skillet and let cook until sauce is thick.

In the meantime, open the potatoes and drain. Put potatoes in a food processor and whip until only a few tiny chunks remain. Add melted butter and enough evaporated milk to loosen potatoes and whip again. Remove from processor and put into a microwave-safe dish. Cover. Heat potatoes until hot.

To serve, put chicken on top of whipped potatoes and spoon some gravy over it.

Broccoli goes well with this dish.

Results, this recipe is absolutely delicious and really cheap! I thought it would be dry and flat. Much to my surprise, the chicken was very moist and did not taste like the canned variety.

Southern Pecan Dainties

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Image by Molly Little

I had to make a dessert for Superbowl Sunday and had run out of options. All season long, I had served pound cakes, cobblers, chocolate cakes, etc. Originally, I was going to make Shrimp Po Boys but the main dishes had been covered.

Since I hadn't made the Pecan Meltaways for Christmas, that seemed like a great, light dessert option. Uh oh, time for shopping had run out and there wasn't enough flour in the house. No eggs either. Guess you can say things were a bit unorganized that weekend, lol.

So, brilliant me, looks for a recipe for one cup of flour and out of the tons of cookbooks in the house, there wasn't a single one that used that amount. So I made up my own recipe using the ingredients I had on hand. This is not a true Southern Pecan Dainty but it is a great recipe if you prefer flavor to sweetness.

Southern Pecan Dainties (my version):
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees

1 Cup Soft Butter
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Plain Flour
1 Cup Quick Oats ( not instant)
1 Tablespoon Water
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups of Pecans (chopped roughly but in small pieces)

Toast pecans in microwave or oven until you can smell them. Be careful not to burn.
Put oatmeal in food processor and grind as fine as you can. Hint: after first round in the food processor, add the 1 cup of flour and grind again.
Add the sugar and process until mixed well.
Mix the water and vanilla in a tea cup or measuring cup.
Add the butter, water mixture and pecans to the flour.
Process until a ball forms. Some dough will stick to the sides but that's okay.
Remove the dough from the food processor and place in a bowl. Or use a rectangular plastic container if you are in a hurry, it will cut out some of the time it has to be in the refrigerator.
Place container or bowl in the refrigerator and chill until dough is really firm.

Scope out dough with a tablespoon and form into a ball. Ball should be 3/4 of an inch round. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Space balls evenly on ungreased cookie sheet. Don't worry, cookies do not spread, they will remain in the shape you made them.

Bake in a slow oven, 300 degrees, for about 20 minutes. Place cookie sheet in the center of the oven or else your bottoms will burn. Note: I kept forgetting I had cookies in the oven because I was watching the game. A little extra time baking didn't hurt them at all. This recipe makes 6–8 dozen.

They are delicious with a lot of buttery flavor and not too sweet. The pecans are the perfect nut for them.

Cheap Cindy: My First Award!

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:32:00 +0000

I just received the Lemonade Award for my lemonade recipe from:
Cheap Cindy: My First Award!

I am nominating the following blogs for having great attitude and gratitude...

http://aretheyalseepyet.blogspot.com/ because Chelle is so very funny and has a genuine love for life, family and setting things right.
http://pleasejuststoptalking.blogspot.com/ because it is an enjoyable read.
http://messierobjects.blogspot.com because I like her and her blog is a nice read on family life.
http://taralskinner.blogspot.com because Tara is nice, calm and has sweet kids.
http://marycuevas.blogspot.com because Mary has the world at heart and keeps up updated on the latest rumblings around the globe. Plus, she is well traveled and has a keen sense of justice.
http://theglassdoorknob.blogspot.com because the writer is very, very interesting.
http://www.nikibrown.com/designoblog/ because the writer is a fellow designer and I follow her on Twitter.
http://twocuteblondies.blogspot.com because we Bzz together and she's a great mom. The name of her blog is Tell Your Sister You're Sorry. No Nanny 911 here, though.
http://www.azcookbook.com/ because Farida is a great cook and she is local and in my town. Here recipes are fantastic. Cooks enjoy other cooks' work. We just love food.
http://paradise-bat-bc.blogspot.com/ because Trax is a John Prine fan and just as loyal as they come. It is hard to resist reading about chili, cornbread and beer for Superbowl Sunday. You go, Trax!

When you post your award, please:
1. Put the lemonade logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate 10 other bloggers who you think demonstrate good attitude and/or gratitude.
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Comment on their blog to let them know they have received this award.
5. Link back to this post and the person whom you received this award from.

Real Southern Cornbread

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Use this recipe by muzikpeach for authentic, southern cornbread baked in an iron skillet!
http://www.ehow.com/how_4589287_really-southern-corn-bread.html

Contest is Closed

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:29:00 +0000

We had three very good comments on various topics on ACSP.

Winners are Chelle Bryerly for straight out humor, Bernice Strickland for straight out flattery and Mary Cuevas for straight out support. I will be in contact!

Thanks to all who read my recipes and notes.

Happy New Year

Rant

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:18:00 +0000

Isn't it frustrating to click on an ad and one of these two things happen?

It takes at least five clicks on five different pages to get what you are looking for?
It takes one click to get to the advertised site but it is not selling what you are looking for?

Rant over and thank you!

Lemon Jello Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:32:00 +0000

Here is a family favorite cake recipe. It's standard recipe with a little twist that makes it even more delicious. One piece is not enough!

Lemon Jello Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Duluxe II yellow cake mix (do not use other cake mixes, especially those with pudding)
1 package of lemon jello (3 oz)
4 eggs (large)
3/4 cup Crisco Oil (Crisco is best for this recipe)
3/4 cup water (room temperature)

For glaze

2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube pan well with Pam.
For cake, put eggs, water, oil and jello in mixing bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined. Add cake mix. Beat well, first on medium then on high for five minutes. Pour into cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or untl a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn cake onto plate. Poke holes into top of cake.

While the cake is baking, mix the ingredients for the glaze. Stir and blend well. Just before you pour it onto the cake, stir well again. It is best poured onto cake while cake is still warm. Later, after cake has cooled, pour on some more, making little swirly designs.

This is the perfect dessert because it is so refreshing.
Make ahead of time and freeze.
Room temperature, it lasts for days because it is so moist.
The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13X9 in pan.

Contest For Best Comment Posted

noreply@blogger.com (Eboni) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Win a custom 2009 year-view calendar! That's right, your photo with whatever text you want. To enter, simply post a comment to any recipe at this blog. Whether you try a recipe, share one or just comment, the best comment wins. Contest ends January 1, 2009. The winner will be notified via a post on January 2, 2009 and given information on submitting the photo of their choice.