"Beerbeque" Sauce

I am not a drinker of it, but I really like the taste that beer gives to food. I bought this new sauce by Budweiser (the one on the left) while we were at the beach, and Gil basted pork chops and chicken with it and grilled them. It was delicious. When we got back to Birmingham, I found these two other sauces as well. The beechwood sauce is good, but I like the regular sauce better. We haven't tried the basting sauce yet. I recommend it as an interesting alternative to ordinary barbeque sauce. I served it with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. It was pretty tasty.

The Aunt's Corner - Maxine

As I have mentioned before, I have several aunts, (my mom's sisters) that I have been very close to all of my life. Over the next little while I am going to feature each one of them and post one of their recipes. This is my Aunt Maxine. She is the youngest and is only 9 years older than I am. I actually just call her "Maxine", without the aunt title. She lives here in Birmingham and has a husband, Mike, a daughter Tanya, a son, Chad, a daughter-in-law, Victoria, and a grandson, Reid.

I wanted to be just like her when I was a little girl. When she was a teenager, I used to spend the night with her alot at my grandmother's house, which I thought was amazing. I don't know how amazing she thought it was, though. I used to try to tease my hair like she did. Her hair always looked great and all I ended up with was tangles. I wanted to know all the songs on her records and sing along with them (and sometimes cry while I sang the sad songs) like she did, and put Noxzema on my face every night. Maybe her Noxzema regimen is why she is still so cute. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever known.

Today I am posting her bacon dip recipe. It is a crowd pleaser. I hope you enjoy it

Maxine's Bacon Dip

2 cups mayo
2 cups grated swiss cheese
2-8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped green onion
1-3oz pkg Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits

Combine all ingredients except bacon. Spread into 13x9 pyrex dish. Top with bacon. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with fritos.

A True Confession

I have to come clean about something. I kissed one of my patients today. I asked him not to tell anyone, and I know for certain that I can trust that he will never breathe a word about it. So, why the confession from me? I guess because I hear that it is good for the soul. I just couldn't help myself - I know it was probably unethical, but I couldn't resist him - all 4 lb and 14 oz of him.

Edible Autumn Leaves

I recently purchased these Wilton silicone molds at Walmart and decided to experiment with them. Believe it or not, they are oven safe. Gil was very dubious as to the outcome of my first experience with them. He said I that would be wiping melted red goo off the bottom of the inside of my oven. He had to eat crow with his first bite of muffin I baked in them, however. No meltage. You do have to place them on a cookie sheet. Don't try to place them directly on your oven rack. I first tried banana nut muffins. I wasn't thrilled at how they looked because they weren't as well-defined as I would have liked:

This is what the other side looked like:
See what I mean? I then tried cornbread, which did much better. They were cute and well-defined. Moist inside and perfectly crispy outside. I greased the molds thoroughly with cooking spray and the muffins came out without a problem. Just don't try to unmold them while they are piping hot. This is what the cornbread looked like:
Then I tried ice cream. I used butter pecan because I knew that Gil and Zac would like it. But it would be really pretty to use lime, lemon, pineapple, and orange sherbet for an array of autumn colors. Coffee ice cream might be pretty as well. As you can see in the picture, I softened the ice cream so it would be easy to mold. You also have to place it on a pan or pyrex dish for stability, as it is very flexible and wobbly. Then put it in the freezer until very firm. It will then easily pop out of the mold if you push it out from the bottom with your thumbs.

This is how they turned out:

Extremely well-defined. A couple of tips, though. The ice cream immediately begins to melt around the edges after you place it on a plate. It really helps to keep your serving plate in the freezer until you are ready to place the ice cream on it. Of course, then the ice cream is hard, and takes a few extra minutes to soften up enough to cut into it to eat. But what really matters is the presentation, right? I think these would be cool to place alongside a brownie or a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

My last experiment was with chocolate. I melted Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate morsels (my personal favorite) and I also melted Nestles white chocolate morsels. I then poured each into the molds and froze them until they were hard, maybe about 30 minutes. This is how they turned out:

I poured alot of chocolate into each mold, but you could pour less in and end up with a thinner leaf. Also, the backs aren't smooth. You could easily slice across them with a sharp knife and smooth them out.

If you decide to try this, I hope you have fun with it! It looks like you went to alot of trouble, but they are actually quite quick and easy. If you can't find them at Walmart, Michael's might have them. They will probably come out with Christmas ones, too.

Let me know what you think!

Autumn Tablescape

I had a party the other day and I wanted an autumn tablescape, but on a small scale. I bought these pumpkins and gourds at Target and Publix. I have clear vases in varying sizes, so I chose three different ones, and grouped a small bunch of the same kind of flower in each one. This was a daytime party, but if you were doing something at night, you could intersperse candles with the pumpkins. I really liked this height because everyone could see one another over it while they were sitting at the table. You could also do this on a mantel or coffee table.

Handkerchief Gift Wrap

For a small gift, such as jewelry, you can use a scarf, or, as in this case, a handkerchief. For those of you who live in Birmingham, I bought this handkerchief at Smith's in Mountain Brook.

Lay your gift like so:

Fold the 2 outer corners, one at a time, toward each other on top of the gift, and tuck them over it.

Bring the bottom corner up and then the top corner and tie a bow to secure it. You could also secure this with a vintage pin or a pin with their initial, or buy a handkerchief or linen hand towel with their monogram on it. (Smith's also has monogrammed linen hand towels.)

Uncommon Gift-Giving

I have always enjoyed wrapping and giving gifts. I like to make the giftwrap special, and sometimes the giftwrap can be a part of the gift itself. Today I am posting a baby gift that I recently gave to a friend.

I started out by going to the craft store and buying an unfinished letter, which was the first letter of the baby's name. I went to A.C.Moore, but Michaels and Hobby Lobby also have them. The letters varied in size and font. I thought this "E" was particularly cute. It was only 79 cents. I painted it with white acrylic paint, let it dry, and oversanded it slightly to give it an aged look.

I wanted a blanket that was extra snuggly and I love pom poms, so I made this blanket, but you can use a purchased blanket for this project. I sometimes will give something small, like baby wipes, and then put a gift card on top. Just whatever fits will work. I folded in the 2 side corners over the gift, one at a time, then folded the bottom up, and then the top over so that it looked like this:
I secured the corner with a diaper pin and tied a bow around it. I tied a white ribbon onto the letter, and then tied it into the bow.

Thank You

I want to say thanks to the reader who wrote about her adventure of seeking "the gouda". It was so funny. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad you and your husband like my recipes. (Her comment is written after my ham quiche post, for those of you who haven't read it). It was also nice to hear from you, Jenna. I will post those recipes soon. Thanks to everyone else who have left comments. Spread the word to anyone you think might enjoy reading my blog!

Silly Fun

I love kid's cookbooks. The Boys and Girls Cookbook (above) was my very first one and it was given to me by a neighbor when I was 10 years old. I made alot of the recipes in it and the appetizer I am featuring, Bunny Salad, is one that I made as a child, and then I made it for my own children. You can often get kids to eat something they might not normally eat if it's something that looks cute or funny. I continued to collect kid's cookbooks while my children were growing up and they made many of the recipes in them. One time, for our anniversary, Amby and Zac made us an entire dinner from one of these cookbooks as a surprise. They served it to us in their playroom, played beautiful music, and they set their pint-sized table up on blocks so we would be comfortable. It is one of my sweetest memories from when they were growing up. Amby is now a great cook. When people meet her, they, of course, see how beautiful she is, and Nathan adds,"and she cooks, too". I encourage you to involve your children in your cooking adventures, including your boys. Men make great chefs.

These recipes are really fun for children's parties, too.

Bunny Salad

Canned Pears
Cottage Cheese
Sliced Almonds
Whole Cloves
Lettuce
Carrots

Place lettuce on plate. Arrange pears as desired. (It is helpful for serving to place each bunny on his own leaf of lettuce). Use cloves for the eyes and nose and almonds for the ears. Carefully form the tails with cottage cheese. Arrange carrots in the middle. ( If you are using baby carrots, they look brighter and fresher if you peel off the outside layer with a vegetable peeler).

Zany Hamburger Men

Hamburger meat made into patties
Sliced cheese
Pimiento
Olives, black & green
Mushrooms
Alfalfa sprouts

Cut cheese into rounds using a biscuit cutter. Cut into 2 sizes and layer 2 colors, if desired. Grill burgers and add cheese at the last to melt. Decorate with kooky faces.

Lion Cookies

Peanut Butter Slice & Bake Cookies
M&M Minis
Chow Mein Noodles
Decorating Icing in brown or black
Shape cookie dough into rounds. Place chow mein noodles around top for mane and use for whiskers. Place M&M's for eyes and nose. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes. Cool. Draw mouth with icing.

Witch's Brew

This is a fun idea that can be used for Halloween, or maybe for a children's party. One night, I hosted the dessert portion for a progressive dinner for our church youth group. I turned all the lights in my house off and lit about 100 candles and set them everywhere, including my front porch. We had a variety of desserts on the dining room table and we had ginger ale with dry ice in it to drink. It really had a magical, enchanted feel.

Tonight I am posting a delicious recipe for a cold apple juice punch that you can put dry ice in to get the amazing smoking effect. You probably already know this, but dry ice is actually frozen carbon dioxide. Its surface temperature is -109.3 degrees F (-78.5 degrees C). It is not something you want to touch with your bare hands and touching metal to it will make a wierdly goulish screeching sound. I suggest plastic tongs and/or rubber gloves. An advantage to dry ice is that it breaks down by sublimation-it turns directly into carbon dioxide gas instead of a liquid, so it doesn't water down your punch. You should store it in an ice chest or cooler only, never in your freezer or refrigerator. Publix sells it for $1.09/lb and there are a couple of sizes to choose from. It is completely safe to consume. Just don't put a piece directly in your mouth.

Now that the science lesson is over, go have some crazy fun.

Smoking Apple Punch

1 quart apple juice
6 cinnamon sticks
16 whole cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 quart chilled ginger ale
dry ice

Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain. Chill. Pour into a punch bowl and pour ginger ale into it. Add dry ice just before serving.

Yield: 2 quarts

Ham Quiche

This recipe can be altered to use any kind of meat: ham, smoked turkey, bacon, or even chicken. You can also use any kind of cheese. This last time I made it, I used the leftover smoked gouda cheese from the gouda cheese grits recipe. It is very easy to make and has a nice,creamy texture. I usually use All Ready Piecrust in a pyrex, but you can also buy the frozen piecrust that is already in the pan. I used individual piecrusts this time because it was what I had on hand and Gil and Zac thought they were cool. It is much more elegant-looking if you use your own crust in a pyrex dish or quiche pan, but for a casual family dinner, this is easy and yummy.

Ham Quiche

pastry for a 9" pyrex dish or individual piecrusts
1 cup cooked, diced ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/3 cup onion, chopped and sauteed (opt)
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 -1/2 tbsp dillweed

Line pyrex with piecrust or use prepared crust. Prick with fork and bake at 400 for about 8 minutes. Line piecrust with ham, cheese, and onion. Beat eggs with a whisk and add 1/2 & 1/2 and seasonings. Pour over ingredients in pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until firm.

If you are using individual piecrusts, decrease your baking time to about 25 minutes.

This is especially good with sliced tomato, salad and field peas.

White Chocolate Macadamia Bread Pudding

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup macadamia nuts (almonds or pecans are also good
7 cups day-old bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes, crust included
12 oz white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 and place bread cubes into a 2 qt baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, cream, and milk. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour over bread. Bake until firm, about 1 hour. Top each serving with white chocolate sauce.

White Chocolate Sauce

1 cup heavy cream
12 oz white chocolate chips.
Microwave ingredients until melted, starting with 60 seconds and stirring with a whisk until smooth.
Note: If you have a bread machine, homemade
white bread makes this taste unbelievably wonderful.

Feelin' Better Bags

These are flannel covered bags which are filled with rice, eucalyptus, and mint and they have a comforting smell that is beyond description. You place them in the microwave for about 2 minutes and they have a moist warmth that lasts for about 30 minutes. It is great to use when you are stuffy with a cold, have muscle aches, or just need some comfort. When I come home after a 12-hour shift, or after I've been exercising, I love to take a hot bubble bath and crash on the sofa with one of these. They come from a place called Hartley's Herbs, (www.hartleysherbs.com) and their website is now listed as one of my links. It is a very cool site. They have many interesting products that would make great gifts and stocking stuffers. They also ship to you really quickly. I recommend this bag for everyone on your Christmas list.

Smoked Gouda Grits

While we were in Seaside, we ate at a wonderful restaurant called The Great Southern. They served grits made with gouda cheese with several of their entrees and it was incredible. I have rarely used gouda cheese but I wanted to try it, so I found a recipe online and altered it. The results were outstanding and the recipe is VERY easy. I served it with ham steaks and biscuits.

Smoked Gouda Grits

3 cups chicken broth (almost 1 full carton of Swanson)
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 bag frozen white shoepeg corn
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits (not instant)
1 cup grated smoked gouda cheese
3 tbsp butter

Bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese and butter, stirring until melted. Yield: about 6 servings

Cinnamon Pinecones

I am pretty much a fragrance purist-I don't like strong flowery smells, unless it's actually a flower. I like unusual, clean, earthy fragrances, such as eucalyptus, tea tree, and menthol. And I love cinnamon. For years, during the fall months, I would smell the cinnamon pinecones as I would get near the crafts section at Walmart. It was like they beckoned me. A couple of years ago, I finally bought some. They come in a net bag (shown) and cost $2.96. They are great to put in a basket and place in any room, or possibly on a porch. They could also be glued to a fall or Christmas wreath. They are very strongly cinnamonly fragranced, however. Beware. They are not for the faint of heart non-cinnamon-lover. To me they smell like fall and Christmas combined. I highly recommend them.

Oatmeal Scotchies

This is a very old recipe that I used to make many years ago. I baked them the other night and my family really liked them, so I decided to post it. The recipe is also on the back of the Nestle Butterscotch Morsels bag.

Oatmeal Scotchies

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats (I use old-fashioned)
1-11 oz pkg Nestle Butterscotch Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans (I added this)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is really good any time of the year, but especially in the fall. There is a wonderful recipe for it in Bay Leaves, which is a very good cookbook, but I use it as a guide for my own version, which to me, is equally as good. I am going to post the original recipe and then my interpretation of it. I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken, simply because I don't like dark meat. My recipe is also basically doubled. There are several other subtle differences. You really can't go wrong either way.

Brunswick Stew

1/2 pound onions, chopped
1 stick margarine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp hot sauce
3 ounces vinegar
1- 3-oz can tomato paste
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 cup creamed corn
1 pound potatoes, cooked and mashed until lumpy
1 chicken, cooked and diced

Saute onions in margarine. Add other ingredients except potatoes, meat, and water; cook 30 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of water to prevent sticking, especially when using fresh corn. Add potatoes and chicken; cook 15 minutes. Add water (2-3 cups as necessary) and cook 1-2 hours. Also very good with fresh pork.

Brunswick Stew (Revised Version)

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 ounces apple cider vinegar
1-8 ounce can tomato paste
1 bottle Kraft Hickory Smoke Barbeque Sauce
1 small bag frozen shoepeg corn
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and chopped, with skins left on
6 chicken breasts

Saute onion in butter and set aside. In a large saucepan, cover chicken with water and cook until tender. Remove chicken from water and allow to cool. Cook potatoes in chicken broth. When potatoes are done, add remaining ingredients. Shred chicken and add to mixture. Add as much water as needed to achieve desired thickness and consistency. Simmer for about 30 minutes. This recipe yields about 12 servings.