What happens when I let the kids talk me into watching the Travel Channel’s Donut Paradise with them?
The recipe is very similar to Paula Deen’s recipe for French Quarter Beignets.
(She worked so well I may not even buy a rolling pin!)
– All photos by Loey (with the exception of the last one by Katy) –
For this, my determined attempt at struggling back onto the blog challenge Wagon, I offer a few quotes on today’s subject:
“I don’t like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It’s just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess.” – Walt Disney
“In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.” – Charles Lindbergh
“It is like living in a wilderness of mirrors. No fact goes unchallenged.” – Bruce Babbitt
“Generally speaking, a howling wilderness does not howl: it is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling.” – Henry David Thoreau
Once you get over thinking, “Wow! If Walt could only see Disney World these days,” you can begin to appreciate the wide applications of the idea of wilderness, both literally and metaphorically.
One of my personal favorites is the wilderness of the biblical exodus. Well over 20 years ago, the pastor at my church at the time was preaching through the book of Exodus, and I remember him commenting how God could have easily chosen to shorten the days of Israel’s wanderings. But there was purpose in those 40 years. His admonition for our little flock was to remember that God could do the same for us. In whatever wilderness we might currently have been wandering, he assured us that it was completely within God’s power to remove us from it instantly. If He didn’t, we could be confident that there was a reason why we were still there.
I’ve thought of that lesson many times over the years as I’ve either strayed into a wilderness by my own neglect or a providential plunging which can only be ascribed to God’s good purposes. Often in such wanderings my eyes are either darting around so furiously in panic, or fixed so determinedly on my outward bound path, that I am oblivious to intersecting the wilderness routes of others. Sometimes I get frustrated with my fellow pilgrims because I assume they’re just being foolish and annoying as they zip along their merry highway, when it is likely they may be panicked or determined, too. I think most of us are usually in some kind of wilderness at least part of the time. I need to be more thoughtful and compassionate.
John the Baptist was a man of the wilderness. He ate locust and honey. When I was growing up and my family went on outdoor excursions, we ate Wilderness Sandwiches. They weren’t crunchy with locusts, but they were sweet like honey – and filled with carbs and protein for energy. To make Wilderness Sandwiches, you must either start with a pancake dinner or a pancake breakfast and intentionally make extra pancakes to use in the sandwiches. You take the pancakes, spread a thin layer of brown sugar on each, place a piece of crisp bacon in the center, and roll it up. I guess today, we’d call these Wilderness Wraps, but back then wraps were what we used to keep us warm on the trail. No matter what you call them, they’re good for sustaining you through a day of wandering in the wilderness – the real OR the metaphorical.
It was tempting to post about N being for NOTHING, or NIHIL, or NADA or NONE. It would be easy to note that and be done. But I signed up for this challenge, so I’m NOT giving up or giving so little so easily.
“NOT giving up” isn’t really a very original idea, though, is it? Who needs another blog about perseverance? Let’s go with something a little more edgy…like NIGHTMARE. To keep on theme, we could even call it a “Recipe for a Nightmare,” but that’s not really what it is. You could toss all the ingredients it took for my nightmare into your brain bowl, and you wouldn’t come up with the same result.
My nightmare was me being in college – some college, somewhere – none that I ever attended – and realizing that I had forgotten my schedule and missed all my classes. I’ve had this nightmare before – several times. It’s always either high school or college and I’m like a mouse in a maze trying to find my way to some classroom when I realize that I’m already too late. I will have missed the class. I will have failed to be where I was supposed to be and will have no good explanation for it.
I don’t know why I consistently have this nightmare. This never happened to me in real life.
But dreaming about college last night actually does make sense in way. I went to see a movie that was about a guy’s experience in college. I couldn’t stop thinking about the movie, so I guess it makes sense that I would find myself on a college campus in my dreams. The movie was based on one my favorite books, and even though I knew going into it that the movie had to be different to make the best possible movie, I couldn’t help but keep making comparisons as I was watching the movie. This was a lot of work for my little brain. The movie provides plenty for one to think about, so in this case, it might have been better if I hadn’t read the book. I could have just watched it for what it was. Still, I appreciated so much about it. It made me think about some hard things, but it also let me think about them in ways that allowed me to draw my own conclusions and see the beauty and the truth of a situation just through the imagery and dialogue (or lack of it.) It didn’t tell me what I was supposed to think, as if I couldn’t figure it out for myself. And in the end, the breath-taking end that it is, there is an element of “NOT giving up” on something.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Blue Like Jazz, based on the book by Donald Miller, I hope you’ll go see it. It’s NOT your average “Christian movie.”
JUST in case you didn’t happen to get a copy of the 1993-94 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) recipe book with my friend, Lee’s, recipe for chocolate cake, I’m re-printing it here and including a few of my little changes. If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life this would be it. FYI, I usually only use about half the frosting that the recipe makes. I use the rest on vegetables or whatever…JUST kidding! Maybe. Seriously, though, the key to this recipe is not getting the frosting too thick (I usually don’t use the full pound of powdered sugar) and putting it on the cake while it’s still hot, so it sinks in and makes more of a nice glossy icing. JOY! JOY! JOY!
JUST the Best Chocolate Cake Ever
(That’s what I call it; my friend is more humble than that.)
Cake:
2 sticks margarine (I always use butter instead.)
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa (I use dark cocoa.)
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (I usually sour 1 % milk with vinegar, but prefer buttermilk if I have it on hand.)
Frosting:
1/2 cup margarine (Again, I use butter.)
3 Tbsp cocoa (Again, dark.)
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Cake: Preheat oven to 400. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat bring margarine, water and cocoa to a boil. Set aside. In mixer bowl, mix together sugar, flour, soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture to sugar mixture. Add beaten eggs and buttermilk mixed with vanilla. Beat well, pausing to scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Pour into a greased and lightly floured 9 x 13* cake pan. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Prepare frosting while cake bakes. Frost while still warm.
Frosting: Bring margarine, cocoa, and milk to a boil. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth. Top with nuts (if your husband and kids will let you get by with it.)
*Again, I switched things up a little. You’re supposed to use a 9 x 14 “sheet cake” pan, but I JUST prefer a thicker cake.
Thanks to the interest and ingenuity of my youngest daughter, I actually have something to blog about for today’s entry in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Moments ago, this was our conversation:
Me: Ugh! I still have to figure out something to blog about today.
Daughter: I – Italian food! You can blog about that great lasagna you made the other night!
This is probably a much better idea than what I was considering: insects. It was going to kind of be a justification for my son’s attempt to convince his teacher that he should be allowed to use Insects as the I food on his CHRISTMAS acronym food art activity. He was inspired by a television show he’d seen and we’d discussed just days before – Animal Planet or Discovery Channel – one of those shows. But the teacher was not impressed, so he had to use boring old ice cream. If you’re feeling curious, adventuresome, and iron-stomached, check out this website: Girl Meets Bug. I haven’t added any to the lasagna, but feel free to experiment!
Classic Lasagna With Italian Turkey Sausage
1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (puree in blender, undrained)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp pepper, divided
1/2 tsp salt
30 oz. fat-free ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
15 lasagna noodles (or enough for 3 layers in a 9×13 lasagna pan)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cook, rinse and drain noodles. Set aside. In a large saucepan cook sausage, onion, carrot, garlic and pepper flakes over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, basil and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and remaining pepper. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer one-third of the noodles, one-fourth of the meat sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Return to oven and bake uncovered 10 minutes or until cheese is lightly golden. (12 servings)
(Day 5 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge)
“E pluribus unum”
“Out of many, one”
A motto of America – the concept of a casserole
Think about it. You take a set of diverse ingredients and combine them into one dish where they harmonize and enhance one another. I mean no disrespect to America’s noble motto, although I do acknowledge that even the loosest association with that mystery glop they served in my college cafeteria might leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. Conversely, such an association might bring a measure of dignity to the common casserole. ..
Husband: “Sweetheart, what are we serving the Chesterfields for dinner Saturday?”
Wife: “But, of course, Darling! That fabulous new e pluribus unum dish!
Husband: “The one that goes so delightfully with a Malbec?”
Wife: “Exactly!”
Husband: “Magnificent!”
If this catches on, which I’m sure it won’t, I recommend using the acronym EPUC for “E pluribus unum – culinary.” (I added the C so no one would get it confused with Emergency Power Units or the European Peace University.)
Here’s my EPUC recipe. No mystery, no glop – just healthy diverse ingredients uniting to bring joy to your taste buds.
Enchilada EPUC
(This makes one 13×9 pan and an 8×8 pan. Even if you’re not serving a crowd, you’ll want the extra for leftovers.)
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can sliced stewed tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp black pepper
16 medium flour tortillas
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or more, depending on your diet!)
Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking pans with cooking spray. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the sausage, bell pepper, and scallions, stirring to crumble sausage. Cook until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Add the tomatoes, beans and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes.
To assemble the enchiladas, spoon the turkey mixture (about 1/4 cup) onto each of the tortillas. Roll up and place in the pans. Top with the cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.
So far my recipes for the A to Z blog challenge have included the oft-villainized cream cheese, breading, and bourbon. If we’re going to continue down this highway to diet hell, why not throw in a good dose of deviling?
My Secrets from the Southern Living Test Kitchens book defines deviled this way: “A term that refers to highly seasoned food such as deviled eggs or deviled crab. (Can I just insert my own salivating ‘Yum!’ here?) The hot, spicy flavor might come from red pepper, mustard, hot sauce, chili powder, black pepper, or horseradish.”
The book goes on to provide a recipe which includes Dijon mustard and instant potato flakes. It says the flakes make for a “full-bodied filling.” Feel free to turn your eggs into voluptuous temptations, but for now I think I’ll stick to the boring basic-bodied variety.
In my opinion, one of the secrets to a heavenly deviled egg is starting off by mashing the yolks with a fork to a fine, crumbly consistency. Lumpy deviled eggs are just dastardly. Then I add a little salt, a little sweet pickle juice, Miracle Whip (NOT mayo) and plenty of mustard. I cream this mixture with a hand mixer and then pipe it into the egg whites. I prefer paprika for a garnish, but if you want to go Southern Living style, use fresh dill springs instead.
Isn’t deviling divine?
“BIG C
little c
What begins with C?”
– Dr. Seuss’s ABC
In this case, Dr. Seuss and I don’t come to the same conclusion. He was perhaps a little more creative with his camel on the ceiling, but my first thought was CHOCOLATE. I have, however, already had my climactic moment with chocolate this week thanks to an NPR article. It seems almost cavalier to encroach again upon its crave-worthy blessedness. Instead I will bloviate on carrots.
Two things: first, that well-intentioned maxim our mothers taught us about eating carrots to improve our vision has been proven false. One has only to check out my thick glasses to confirm this fact. (I ate my carrots! Honest!) Secondly, if my husband and I are any example, the way you approach carrots says a lot about your relationship. In our case, opposites most certainly attract.
In my appetizer-less, meat and potato family, savory ruled supreme. Take for example the often mistaken-for-a-vegetable grain (and fellow C-word), corn. Rather than canning the corn we grew, my mother cut it from the cob, stirred in half and half and butter and baked it before freezing it. I still remember the summer she got the recipe from a fellow ranch wife. Copacetic!
In my husband’s family, all vegetables received a healthy baptism by sugar. We have had to compromise, which to be honest, usually means that my husband has to doctor up his own veggies. With one recipe; however, I have succumbed. That it includes bourbon may help its case. I think I’ll make these for Easter to go along with the chocolate bunnies. That ought to ensure a good sugar coma.
Bourbon Carrots
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp bourbon
1 1/2 lbs baby carrots
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
Chopped parsley for garnish
Bring water to boil in a 3 quart pan. Add carrots, granulated sugar and salt. Return to a boil and cook 5 minutes or until carrots are tender. In a large skillet, melt butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat. Stir in drained carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes or until well-coated. Add bourbon. Cook and stir 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish. Garnish with parsley.
Today is “B” day in the blog challenge. I haven’t checked the stats, but it seems like B words ought to be one of the biggest occupants of the English dictionary. It was tempting to choose blogging or books. I even thought about transcribing the entire Berenstains’ B Book, as I spent a good portion of my life with a kid or two or three on my lap reading it till I was sure I was blue or brown or burgundy in the face…”Big brown bear, blue bull, beautiful baboon…” But I’ve decided to stick with boiling up food-related themes. Here I seek to bolster support for breading.
It seems like breading gets a bum rap these days, but I’ve learned from one of the country’s most credible weight loss programs that it can be used in healthy ways. And lo and behold it’s actually quite quick and easy to make something taste “special.” All you have to do is take 4-ounce cuts of turkey or chicken breast (sometimes I pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness) or boneless pork tenderloin cutlets, season them with salt and pepper, brush both sides with a thin coating of reduced fat mayonnaise and press them into Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. Place them on a lightly greased broiler pan and broil them 4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
I will be completely befuddled if this method doesn’t boost your opinion of breading.
Abyss. Arizona. Atheist. Ambien. (I could use some.) Thanks to my friend, Laura, at Spotts in the Valley of the Sun, A-words are firing around in my head like comets. She tipped me off about this blog challenge – perhaps just what I needed to re-activate my enthusiasm for blogging.
As the mother of an Annie who is in culinary school, I’ve settled upon the word appetizer, because regardless of what happens to be firing around upstairs, the ardors of my stomach usually win out.
Before I was married (nearly 27 years ago) I had hardly ever eaten appetizers. Growing up as a ranch kid I was trained early to go straight for the potatoes and meat – corn-fed and fattened yards from my bedroom window. But marrying the man who is still my husband and the gourmet of the family (at least until Annie graduates) introduced me to the art of appetizers and the friends who rocked them. Like Susan Eden. Here’s a recipe we begged her for after devouring them at a football bash.
Stuffed Mushrooms
12-14 large mushrooms
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp finely minced onion
4 pieces crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
grated cheddar cheese
Clean mushrooms, remove stems and hollow out cavities. Cream together cream cheese and all remaining ingredients EXCEPT cheddar cheese. Spoon into mushroom caps and place on a greased baking sheet. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned.
Bon appetit!
WomanNeverSleeps 
