I forgot to post pix of Brandon's Birthday.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Missed Brandon's Birthday
I forgot to post pix of Brandon's Birthday.
I was just thinkin'
Chick Magnet
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Paula Deen’s easy fruit skillet coffee cake
Paula Deen
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• One 12-ounce tube buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or thawed frozen (or canned, drained fruit)
Streusel topping
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. To make the streusel, combine the almonds, sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until large crumbs form.
2. In a 9-inch cast iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until melted. Arrange the biscuits in a single layer in the pan; scatter the blueberries over the biscuits and the streusel topping over the berries. Bake until the biscuits are golden and a tester inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and serve from skillet.
Slice & Grill Bacon Cheeseburgers
Slice & Grill Bacon Cheeseburgers
2 pounds ground beef, no more than 85 percent lean
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 slices bacon
8 hamburger buns, cut in half
In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to combine all ingredients except bacon. Use a gentle touch and work the mixture until just combined. Form the mixture into a log, about 10 inches long. Seal tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Before it’s time to cook the burgers, prepare bacon slices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet that has sides with aluminum foil. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook the bacon in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Bacon should be partially cooked but still pliable enough to wrap around burgers.
Remove ground beef log from refrigerator. Unwrap and use a sharp knife to slice into 8 rounds. Use two slices of bacon to wrap around each hamburger patty, using wooden toothpicks to fasten the ends that meet.
Grill the burgers over direct heat, medium to medium-high, turning once, until nicely charred and cooked through. About 1 minute before the burgers are done, place the buns directly on the rack, cut sides down, and grill until toasted. Assemble burgers on the buns with embellishments of choice. Makes 8 burgers.
Tips from the cook
For safety purposes, the USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Just don’t cook the burgers until they are so dry they become hard disks.
Use your fingers to make a slight depression (about ½-inch deep) in the center of each burger before placing them on the grill. This helps keep the burgers flat during cooking.
Do not be tempted to smash the burgers with a spatula as they cook. You’ll squeeze all the flavorful juices from the burgers.
When my mother-in-law made these burgers, I don’t think she had a choice when she purchased ground beef about how fat or lean it was. I’ve discovered ground beef with some fat in it makes the juiciest burgers. I use 85 percent lean ground beef for these burgers.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Abc's of Praise
The Great Outdoors
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Mango Salsa
Mango Salsa
1-2 Mango
1 Papaya
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2-Whole Cantaloupe
2-3 Roma Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
2-3 TBS Frozen OJ Concentrate
2 TBS Chopped FRESH Mint
2 TBS Chopped FRESH Basil
1 pint of finely chopped Strawberries (optional)
Chop Mint and Basil. Set Aside in Large Bowl.
Peel and coarsely chop remaining fruits and vegetables. Using a food processor chop fruits and vegetables until small consistency occurs.
Add processed items to chopped herbs. Add Orange Juice concentrate and Lemon Juice. Stir and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Keeps in fridge for up to a week. Stir in Strawberries just before serving. (I often omit Strawberries. They shorten the shelf life of the salsa to 48 hours.)
MAKES A LOT!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Our Little Letter Writer
Tonight Brandon was honored in front of the West Fargo School Board for his contest entry in Letters for Literature. http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/letters/index.html