Dragons!

Made by my favorite artist

Lemon Snaps

This is one of my family's favorite cookie recipes.  The recipe comes from Food to Live by: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook by Myra Goodman.  I usually double the recipe because we like to share.

Lemon Snaps

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

grated zest of one lemon

Cream butter and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Beat in egg and lemon extract.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger, salt and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix thoroughly until the dough is smooth.  Preheat oven to 375.  Roll dough between your palms to form 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake until set and lightly golden about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

At The Fair

The fair was in town for the past week and a half.  I went out one Saturday with the family just to look around and of course, eat.

I always enjoy looking at the quilts and the photography but seeing art by my very favorite artists was really special.

People watching is a lot of fun.  There are plenty of friendly faces and then there are people that you never see in everyday around town life.

Pork-a-Bobs are a must!  These were fabulous.

You can't leave without a funnel cake.  All you need is a big vat of boiling oil and some dough.

The results are delicious.

None of us ride the rides but it fun to watch and listen to others.

Smokey Bacon and Cheddar Stuffed Eggs

Easter and Easter eggs will soon be here so I thought I would post my favorite egg recipe.  It comes from Robert St. John's cookbook Southern Seasons.  All the recipes that I have tried from this book have turned out great.  But this has to be one of my favorites.

8large hard cooked eggs, peeled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chives, very thinly sliced, divided
3 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped very fine
2 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Halve eggs lengthwise.  Gently remove the yolks and place in a small mixing bowl.  Reserve the whites.

Using a fork, smash the yolks together with the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and half of the chives.  Once the mixture is smooth, fold in the bacon and cheese.  Fill each half of the egg whites with the yolk mixture and garnish each one with the remaining chives.  Cover and Refrigerate until ready to serve.  I like to garnish mine with a sprinkle of smoked paprika.  It looks pretty and adds to the taste.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

This recipe comes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger.  I made it for the first time this week end and it was very good.  I made a few changes.  Potato soup is one of those things that is easily adaptable.

Start with 5 lbs of russet potatoes.

Wash, peel and chop potatoes into 1 inch cubes.  Put them in the crock pot and add enough water to cover them.  I used part chicken broth.

Cook on high for about 5 until the potatoes are cooked and falling apart.  Turn the cooker to low, add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), 1 cup half and half and 1/2 cup sour cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and cook for 20 more minutes.  The recipe didn't call for it but I blended mine smooth.  

Serve garnished with crumbled bacon, grated cheese and sliced green onions.  

Happy Valentines Day!

Gumbo

We had some friends over for supper tonight and I made gumbo.  I love gumbo but I don't make it very often.  When I do make it, I make lots of it so we will have plenty of leftovers and some to freeze also.  This is the recipe I use.  I do add about a pound of okra and I think next time I won't add so much oil.  I end up skimming alot off the top.  The recipe comes from www.gumbopages.com.

Perhaps the simplest of the gumbos, but a hearty one and a classic combination. If you can't find andouille, use a local smoked sausage or kielbasa or whatever smoked sausage you like. This one's easy to knock off quickly for a great evening's meal.

• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 quarts chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
• 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
• 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
• Filé powder to taste

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats.


In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.

Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Accompany with lots of hot, crispy French bread.
YIELD: About 12 entrée sized servings.