tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62768945241298063392024-03-09T18:46:17.818-08:00Adventures In FoodDiscussion of my food adventures both good and bad.
How I got into blogging and some information on our kitchen remodelKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-44107661090436692592010-12-22T13:06:00.000-08:002010-12-22T13:06:11.796-08:00Rich Jelly Bar CookiesThis cookie recipe dates back to my early childhood. I fondly remember my mom making them every Christmas for our family. About fifteen years ago, I asked my mom for the recipe and I have baked them every Christmas since. We enjoy the festive color of the white cookie with the red raspberry filling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lATZ3zrtrx8XUlA-ruXN5prx20IvJFIr95CT2_p4gTkXKvla8Gvfi7nZOWWA1W2vYPfQXCG_seTVOFxOvYqEfKy4E07Oc2lhz_by1TwN7nRfurdP39LJDFzE9KTQQLfO31fCnHFPrTmo/s1600/DSC_9041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lATZ3zrtrx8XUlA-ruXN5prx20IvJFIr95CT2_p4gTkXKvla8Gvfi7nZOWWA1W2vYPfQXCG_seTVOFxOvYqEfKy4E07Oc2lhz_by1TwN7nRfurdP39LJDFzE9KTQQLfO31fCnHFPrTmo/s640/DSC_9041.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<u><b>Recipe:</b></u><br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
3/4 cup margarine or butter<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
2 1/4 cups flour<br />
Jam or Jelly for filling (Raspberry Preserves work best)<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1G0EVwtZkk4k5T7dqj5ARXFyjykqrgbTv2UIMg6oxwKT08b5g6dZsJKvh7GGZNo1B0GHCE_ns5uK4O0IYjQ8OOBuZyReLpjPtGgg2_5u_8QjqGIA9OQDELfWLTo1D2D1AToKuALCk4iB/s1600/DSC_9027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1G0EVwtZkk4k5T7dqj5ARXFyjykqrgbTv2UIMg6oxwKT08b5g6dZsJKvh7GGZNo1B0GHCE_ns5uK4O0IYjQ8OOBuZyReLpjPtGgg2_5u_8QjqGIA9OQDELfWLTo1D2D1AToKuALCk4iB/s320/DSC_9027.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>Cream sugar and margarine, add egg, baking powder, vanilla, and nutmeg – mix well.</li>
<li>While slowly mixing, add the flour until incorporated.</li>
<li>Divide dough into four equal portions.</li>
<li>Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Roll each portion into a long log, arrange two rolls to a cookie sheet, and flatten rolls into strips that fit the length of your cookie sheet.</li>
<li>Create a grove down the center of each strip (I use a table knife handle). Be careful that you do not make the grove too deep or the cookies will break.</li>
<li>Fill the grove with Jam.</li>
<li>Bake at 250 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove from oven and move parchment paper with cookies to metal cooling rack, let completely cool.</li>
<li>Cut cookies about 1 inch wide on the diagonal.</li>
</ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ADjf6NUq4Cz2nzfgtMpyxjupkpPxilZlsi38sECcZHawltB26g_98eUGw0WuUWTM9EzLTKeQFsMoDD9SO9ianaZKUuA-bIZwLSK3Uwepp23KEz1Yeg0AScdUdbtrAk8YXyqLu_haJh_u/s1600/DSC_9029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ADjf6NUq4Cz2nzfgtMpyxjupkpPxilZlsi38sECcZHawltB26g_98eUGw0WuUWTM9EzLTKeQFsMoDD9SO9ianaZKUuA-bIZwLSK3Uwepp23KEz1Yeg0AScdUdbtrAk8YXyqLu_haJh_u/s400/DSC_9029.JPG" width="400" /></a>The biggest problem I have had in making this recipe is finding raspberry jam that includes seeds. Using seedless jelly does not produce the same cookie. Several years ago, I purchased a jar of jam (jam has seeds, and jelly does not – or so I though), it turns out that most jams now have no seeds, now I purchase raspberry preserves that include the seeds.<br />
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It took several years of trial and error to find the best implement to make the groves down the cookie dough strips. I tried bamboo chopsticks and other implements until I started using the blunt end of the table knife. When I make the grove, I use the knife held at about a 45 degree angle and press it repeatedly down into the dough about 1 /4 inch deep, moving the knife down the strip about 1/8 of an inch every press. Once I make the initial grove, I lightly draw the knife along the grove to smooth out the rough edges.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwUNZOzAkp2wamiqoXbavdGpTPrXi9vBGCfW2zjuKKsNiBjaZkqBLq-H4W3L1gqoGPqxrB54cHunkXXH7ioSoiEQe_U80Ujt6VDnz-ZFPDmAPcldi5nvAY9rhJuIwIpaB4GMEKUREleeS/s1600/DSC_9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwUNZOzAkp2wamiqoXbavdGpTPrXi9vBGCfW2zjuKKsNiBjaZkqBLq-H4W3L1gqoGPqxrB54cHunkXXH7ioSoiEQe_U80Ujt6VDnz-ZFPDmAPcldi5nvAY9rhJuIwIpaB4GMEKUREleeS/s400/DSC_9030.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Fill the grove by spooning jam from the jar into the grove with two spoons. The first spoon to get the jam from the jar and the other spoon to scrape the jam into the grove and to smooth out any lumps in the jam.<br />
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In the past, I moved the baked cookies strips from the pan to the cooling rack using a large spatula, which led to cracks, splits, and breaks, but I have found that just sliding the entire parchment paper from the cookies sheet to the cooling rack keeps the cookie strips intact.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRhv1UBUOlNZjO6CVUuB3EXcvJHVfPXNBMbkjXpNgaDJFhBVTvU9NzLGxvYlcCWn1_IviEhykBc5YbhMZoWHLilXgvtxvCnFh-2e-7_KE2yvm8_lZ3Q78DJlJfVagymo8g9qPk_CKje2Q/s1600/DSC_9035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRhv1UBUOlNZjO6CVUuB3EXcvJHVfPXNBMbkjXpNgaDJFhBVTvU9NzLGxvYlcCWn1_IviEhykBc5YbhMZoWHLilXgvtxvCnFh-2e-7_KE2yvm8_lZ3Q78DJlJfVagymo8g9qPk_CKje2Q/s400/DSC_9035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These cookies are a fun and easy cookie to make. The sweetness and flavor of the raspberry the jam complements the nutmeg in the cookie and makes a great combination. This cookie will continue to be on my “nice” list.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
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</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-66531565318091031302010-12-17T08:14:00.000-08:002010-12-17T08:14:40.960-08:00Peanut Butter Cup CookiesI enjoy making <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/peanut-butter-cup-cookies/Detail.aspx">Peanut Butter Cup</a> cookies for two reasons: they are easy to make and they contain chocolate peanut butter cups. The first thing I do when preparing to bake this recipe is to sit in front of the TV and unwrap two small packages of peanut butter cups(one milk chocolate and the other dark chocolate). This unwrapping process includes watching a Christmas program and nibbling on a few of the peanut butter cups while trying to keep the little extra pieces of chocolate from getting all over the living room.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOdOiKdUOfaT-2DC5sBg0jMnvJr54Fu3HUrsN0REKt3dm2-3g2xB9a-N6k1BOhLRoAG5CTeCGo8o2DkCdG_MD7bFIi10aplzPM_2i6usaRKWshPm8zeF85iBBQZz2lPWXPbrsB95AK0sF/s1600/DSC_9038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOdOiKdUOfaT-2DC5sBg0jMnvJr54Fu3HUrsN0REKt3dm2-3g2xB9a-N6k1BOhLRoAG5CTeCGo8o2DkCdG_MD7bFIi10aplzPM_2i6usaRKWshPm8zeF85iBBQZz2lPWXPbrsB95AK0sF/s640/DSC_9038.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07YYmlu4TsLl3Q2tvdFQ6NlGiT-2H6XEvzcoysnkvxixTrvbl0EZw9htzT1rjb5SLnuG0Dmpka4wA-vGJNk1ZGvZOp9VmcUWXGbRTp7k83rZJGUR6pxNuNhV1ZiiQ3HPHJVC4OFYthhYX/s1600/DSC_9004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07YYmlu4TsLl3Q2tvdFQ6NlGiT-2H6XEvzcoysnkvxixTrvbl0EZw9htzT1rjb5SLnuG0Dmpka4wA-vGJNk1ZGvZOp9VmcUWXGbRTp7k83rZJGUR6pxNuNhV1ZiiQ3HPHJVC4OFYthhYX/s320/DSC_9004.JPG" width="200" /></a>With my peanut butter cups unwrapped, it’s time to make the cookies. Because there are only three steps to the directions, the recipe very easy to make. I start by creaming the butter with the sugar. Using my adjustable measuring cup, I measured out the ½ cup of peanut butter (Crunchy Jiff). I really like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Cup-Two-Adjustable-Measuring/dp/B000I21N7O?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">adjustable measuring cup</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000I21N7O" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> when I measure a sticky substance like peanut butter, molasses and corn syrup, because once you fill the measuring area, you push the plunger and then just scrape off the ingredient. There is no using a spatula (or your finger) and trying to get the all the sticky ingredient out of the measuring cup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf029fvGHaa3CmZV5ZBm5hO9avKVWP0oneZg49gunoJCDnjHtVdrGzewB4EI6rcv3NKnxDWm5oHFAE2OMFMitksVAikyQSmY-9kgrCoXvbsWBl0RsewGXRKE4KG4mGjZw-PXKEdVKTL_GH/s1600/DSC_9006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf029fvGHaa3CmZV5ZBm5hO9avKVWP0oneZg49gunoJCDnjHtVdrGzewB4EI6rcv3NKnxDWm5oHFAE2OMFMitksVAikyQSmY-9kgrCoXvbsWBl0RsewGXRKE4KG4mGjZw-PXKEdVKTL_GH/s200/DSC_9006.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once I creamed the sugars, I added the egg, vanilla, and milk and mixed, then I added the flour. The directions call to shape the dough into 40 small balls. If you try, you will quickly find the dough is very gummy and when you try to form the balls, you will just end up with a mess. To solve the problem you can either spoon about a teaspoon of dough into the mini muffin pan (that’s what I did this time), or chill the dough for about an hour, and then you can form the dough into balls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCskuMwfnqloUFgIvbV-deOWcxQz0Y-y2nMW39JKxrtJGHMChVYppu7QjfbeyKqy4YbMgUr-sBX8yBnoOTVyBNtrefM_hEefYXLNakJ46fBf9TDPrRrNgxyTDjArr6Zu97aJQjUu9mwBc/s1600/DSC_9009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCskuMwfnqloUFgIvbV-deOWcxQz0Y-y2nMW39JKxrtJGHMChVYppu7QjfbeyKqy4YbMgUr-sBX8yBnoOTVyBNtrefM_hEefYXLNakJ46fBf9TDPrRrNgxyTDjArr6Zu97aJQjUu9mwBc/s320/DSC_9009.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPski6CjipZqk6anrHk307k-ZgO9gSKk1XG_zt8QEs9LEJRroUu6fAYYzTT15p-oxJG-Br_yw7MmfBGzX6-BcPdKMe5c7c_bNNQ4SWV0cqK-WGt4xNoXjOQhqJvugsSDAQtBRBvz_CMRF/s1600/DSC_9008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPski6CjipZqk6anrHk307k-ZgO9gSKk1XG_zt8QEs9LEJRroUu6fAYYzTT15p-oxJG-Br_yw7MmfBGzX6-BcPdKMe5c7c_bNNQ4SWV0cqK-WGt4xNoXjOQhqJvugsSDAQtBRBvz_CMRF/s320/DSC_9008.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Once the pan of cookies has finished baking, I removed the pan from the oven and quickly pressed a peanut butter cup into the center of one of the cookies. I usually fill two or three cookies, and then I use a fork and remove the cookies from the muffin pan. I have found that if you wait too long to remove the cookies, the peanut butter cup gets very soft from the heat of the cookie and will deform when you take it out of the pan. You could wait for everything to cool before removing the cookies, but that would take about an hour for the peanut butter cups to cool. If you want to make another batch of cookies right away, then remove the cookies just after you press the peanut butter cup into the center.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImK2wHhS7uUmIcfnD06avi99lvu-Z3Wo37uZo2nU_aKrz_r2KxR1K25xA9YevKDhb_9Tku5RYD7njkRTZLtqE6d6VMJGjscdmbuy98Qz1Y-aZO_FKNZPa0QWPxpO-B4L8uGJ9iGzEqvab/s1600/DSC_9011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImK2wHhS7uUmIcfnD06avi99lvu-Z3Wo37uZo2nU_aKrz_r2KxR1K25xA9YevKDhb_9Tku5RYD7njkRTZLtqE6d6VMJGjscdmbuy98Qz1Y-aZO_FKNZPa0QWPxpO-B4L8uGJ9iGzEqvab/s200/DSC_9011.JPG" width="200" /></a>The last time I made this recipe, I ended up with about fifty finished cookies. Once they were completely cool, I placed them in a Ziploc bag and popped them into the freezer. When our family comes for Christmas, I will remove the cookies from the freezer about thirty minutes before serving and they will be just as fresh as the day I made them.<br />
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Find the recipe at: <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/peanut-butter-cup-cookies/Detail.aspx">http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/peanut-butter-cup-cookies/Detail.aspx</a><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-55241194896305744442010-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:002010-12-15T13:01:43.660-08:00Black-Eyed Susan CookiesWe enjoy having Black-Eyed Susan’s as part of our desserts for Christmas. These cookies are very festive being a white shortbread with a chocolate kiss added on top. My wife received this recipe in 1994 from a friend at a cookie exchange and we have occasionally made them at Christmas ever since. We have not made them every year because we have not been happy with the results.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKMYUI1Jxzb32OLswtOht4taqcU-HjnA01VIyyxBBsAbFCh7uUa7vx3iSFw4fG_21f8_d4qYFEpdAHIheloA4lBa2ufKfpKtbUFDW5n3J5UebI7o7jlTF5z8nSBCjl2pjUIK6QCrVidHX/s1600/DSC_8967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKMYUI1Jxzb32OLswtOht4taqcU-HjnA01VIyyxBBsAbFCh7uUa7vx3iSFw4fG_21f8_d4qYFEpdAHIheloA4lBa2ufKfpKtbUFDW5n3J5UebI7o7jlTF5z8nSBCjl2pjUIK6QCrVidHX/s640/DSC_8967.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The problem that we encountered with these cookies is that the original directions we received specifies to mix the dough, make balls and place on a cookie sheet, press a chocolate kiss into the center and bake. The resulting cookies were good, but the tips of the kisses burned and the rest of the chocolate bubbled and was not very appetizing. We tried adding the kisses near the end of the baking process which helped a little. My inspiration to fix this recipe came from making Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, where the peanut butter cup is added after the cookies finish baking and are removed from the oven. This year I found this process also works great when baking Black-Eyed Susan’s.<br />
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The following recipe includes the modified directions:<br />
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<u><b>Recipe:</b></u><br />
1-cup sugar<br />
1 ½ cups margarine or butter<br />
1 egg (room temperature)<br />
1-Teaspoon baking powder<br />
½-Teaspoon almond extract (optional)<br />
1-Teaspoon vanilla<br />
3 ½ cups all purpose flour<br />
1 Package Chocolate Kisses, Stars, or balls<br />
<ol><li>In bowl of stand mixer, add the margarine and sugar and beat on medium speed for several minutes until creamed.</li>
<li>Add the egg, baking powder, almond extract, and vanilla to the margarine mixture and mix until well mixed.</li>
<li>Add the flour slowly while mixing on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Mix until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.</li>
<li>Place bowl with dough in the refrigerator to chill for 1 to 2 hours. </li>
<li>Form dough into one-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.</li>
<li>Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes</li>
<li>Remove from oven and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.</li>
<li>Move the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack and let sit until the chocolate is fully cool.</li>
</ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOrxvrKAFbBl9Ys0QcBuGTl6ocJiuxUvXnNFVqSeYTRcMu6X5_jsJtlPPRkLAx_aJRALq-yLIV6nHRx9JAn8lSmCLAdc0cCOhIDgyz_nbhLVPFbZoTtfORYTcSjX8rIhG99gal6US-jHc/s1600/DSC_8964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOrxvrKAFbBl9Ys0QcBuGTl6ocJiuxUvXnNFVqSeYTRcMu6X5_jsJtlPPRkLAx_aJRALq-yLIV6nHRx9JAn8lSmCLAdc0cCOhIDgyz_nbhLVPFbZoTtfORYTcSjX8rIhG99gal6US-jHc/s400/DSC_8964.JPG" width="400" /></a>The cookies that I made this year are well formed and the chocolate kisses retained their shape and texture. I was out of almond extract, so I left it out and the cookies still taste great. These cookies are very light yet they retain their shape and don’t easily crumble, they also freeze very well. I place the cooled cookies into a large Ziploc bag, and put it in the freezer. Let the frozen cookies thaw for a few minutes, and they are ready to serve. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTihT7L5-xCDgH5BSu9yTb1JHXxRFhsfMubC533RfFNAVSJfzuNUEabwMCzZXCSitovA_rzx-31vNdwbYqBYr66Xv_23-ljyQOmxWeFpdYh_QSjwHLYDgF2VWtlFplSdHit9QVaO2zhSI/s1600/DSC_8966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTihT7L5-xCDgH5BSu9yTb1JHXxRFhsfMubC533RfFNAVSJfzuNUEabwMCzZXCSitovA_rzx-31vNdwbYqBYr66Xv_23-ljyQOmxWeFpdYh_QSjwHLYDgF2VWtlFplSdHit9QVaO2zhSI/s400/DSC_8966.JPG" width="400" /></a>The recipe made about four dozen cookies, just right for a bag of Hersey’s KISSES. <br />
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Next I may have to try making the recipe with some of the other <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Hersey’s KISSES varieties</a> like Special Dark or Mint Truffle, and see how they turn out.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
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</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-23681110065461558932010-12-14T13:48:00.000-08:002010-12-14T13:48:50.144-08:00Return from HiatusIt has been several months since my last food post. During that time, my wife and I spend about four weeks traveling around Germany and a week in the Czech Republic.<br />
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At some point, I will share about some of our experiences and some of the food that we tried.<br />
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I have been busy cooking and trying new recipes, and especially now that it is the month of December and close to Christmas, I have been busy in the kitchen with cookies. I have already made several batches of my <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-favorite-cookies.html">Ginger Cookies</a>. I also made and will write about; Black Eyed Susan’s, Mini Reese Peanut Butter cup cookies and a chocolate-Cherry checkerboard cookie.<br />
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Now I just need to get busy and write, so tomorrow I will have a new post!Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-35643770096366398112010-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:002010-08-24T11:18:53.768-07:00Frog Eye SaladRecently we invited to a family gathering where the hamburgers and hotdogs would be provided, and we were asked to bring a side dish. This gave me the chance to make Frog Eye Salad, my wife received this recipe years ago from her aunt and it continues to be one of our favorite salads. This recipe that makes a very large quantity of salad, and we only make it when there will be quite a few people present to consume it. This salad is very easy to make, though it does require some preparation the day before it is to be served.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOD8WBjshfCSvGN9l9fInZdZLKllPpzByqcCZHT_uqDQT2QpgNEmH4FoH-9TguHOuXqggxzzLWk-Wn342gFtrIiIpOWH5PiV8A5DSKW7RzF34DbMaboI6GMSXesawWwgH1DzJ2ogdJ5N-/s1600/DSC_5530-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOD8WBjshfCSvGN9l9fInZdZLKllPpzByqcCZHT_uqDQT2QpgNEmH4FoH-9TguHOuXqggxzzLWk-Wn342gFtrIiIpOWH5PiV8A5DSKW7RzF34DbMaboI6GMSXesawWwgH1DzJ2ogdJ5N-/s640/DSC_5530-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b>Frog Eye Salad Recipe:</b><br />
<b> 1 package Acini Di Pepe No 44 Pasta</b><br />
<b> ½ teaspoon salt</b><br />
<b> 1 2/4 cup pineapple juice (drained from cans of pineapple)</b><br />
<b> ¾ cup sugar</b><br />
<b> 3 tablespoons flour</b><br />
<b> 3 eggs</b><br />
<b> 2 cans chunk pineapple, 16 ounce (drained, save juice)</b><br />
<b> 1 can crushed pineapple, 16 ounces (drained, save juice)</b><br />
<b> 4 cans Mandarin oranges (drained, one can for garnish)</b><br />
<b> 1 cups small marshmallows</b><br />
<b> 1 cup coconut</b><br />
<b> 12 ounce Cool Whip</b><br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
<ol><li><b>Cook entire box of Pasta per directions on package with the ½ teaspoon of salt in a 3-quart pan. Rinse cooked pasta in cold water and cool.</b></li>
<li><b>In a medium saucepan, mix the 1 ¾ cups of pineapple juice, ¾ cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and 3 eggs. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until thick (approximately two minutes after it starts to boil).</b></li>
<li><b>Mix the sauce with the pasta and refrigerate overnight.</b></li>
<li><b>Mix remaining ingredients and mix with the pasta, garish the top with the remaining mandarin orange slices.</b></li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2RM7MG8Fbmv_OfzM-9twKachNpD9LVij9Y8wseesB8WJBgkzMhC3Gwil72xQSlvZatdJJ4NNDFCezSWWDLaT1_A2IsVJKVmHGgM8lpv-Lw6U_bkk9i0ud2g7kP9ypB7tm4z3pZJMjftg/s1600/DSC_5522-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2RM7MG8Fbmv_OfzM-9twKachNpD9LVij9Y8wseesB8WJBgkzMhC3Gwil72xQSlvZatdJJ4NNDFCezSWWDLaT1_A2IsVJKVmHGgM8lpv-Lw6U_bkk9i0ud2g7kP9ypB7tm4z3pZJMjftg/s320/DSC_5522-1.JPG" /></a></div>Because we were traveling to Seattle for the function, I decided to start the salad the night before we left home; I cooked the pasta with the salted water in a large stockpot. Once the pasta was completely cooked, I drained the pasta and placed it in a large ceramic bowl in the refrigerator to cool.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDQKvXMvWDoDnTvQuzKp7U6ZdS__YAQPSDG6nQyh0BQNbERGisCmXwQPLU3CDSrSH72-WZjkBnemEHOatVHkqoIAVBYmKcmIHgr7SxmTxlixq2Z-nGUw1ndMCcz2Ghks0D5MPCsRzWt6K/s1600/DSC_5523-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDQKvXMvWDoDnTvQuzKp7U6ZdS__YAQPSDG6nQyh0BQNbERGisCmXwQPLU3CDSrSH72-WZjkBnemEHOatVHkqoIAVBYmKcmIHgr7SxmTxlixq2Z-nGUw1ndMCcz2Ghks0D5MPCsRzWt6K/s400/DSC_5523-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>While the pasta cooled, I drained the cans of pineapple and mixed the ingredients for the pineapple sauce in a medium saucepan. I placed the saucepan on the range on medium heat and started stirring. It took about ten minutes to bring the mixture to a boil.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1lA1XKIpyjuDFOLTb8bHtYcVTFh1a5qWB1WtvtL2wWawlsdeNPEWmXQMxN4sPqX6ZOTOQhsw9Odw1XPMdF25ot3glsAA2hdqv02PNuym-NaU3_XEHwrv5Lp92wbBInB5Ta9EdWGJ3Z9B/s1600/DSC_5525-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1lA1XKIpyjuDFOLTb8bHtYcVTFh1a5qWB1WtvtL2wWawlsdeNPEWmXQMxN4sPqX6ZOTOQhsw9Odw1XPMdF25ot3glsAA2hdqv02PNuym-NaU3_XEHwrv5Lp92wbBInB5Ta9EdWGJ3Z9B/s400/DSC_5525-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I noticed that some of the egg whites where starting to cook together, but I just stirred a little more to break up the clumps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84wZlHIDr1dRN3WQuqqcQo0lasjcAtu35peByjz6ys9PiMZoqYxdhNjYDQN8ocov16RG8LzFeChrAvghAk37wW9zPcYHlAb42DVOjqonqUmmuF7tsyGnyTrm778FVhycNGR8KHDHuJWcA/s1600/DSC_5526-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84wZlHIDr1dRN3WQuqqcQo0lasjcAtu35peByjz6ys9PiMZoqYxdhNjYDQN8ocov16RG8LzFeChrAvghAk37wW9zPcYHlAb42DVOjqonqUmmuF7tsyGnyTrm778FVhycNGR8KHDHuJWcA/s400/DSC_5526-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I used a large mixing bowl and stirred the warm pineapple sauce into the cool pasta then I returned the pasta to the ceramic bowl and returned the pasta to the refrigerator for the night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j54UK10cPjoJkOU2eVwkA8WNqZw_helAkJD2x_qSrmqayHvhcWWqM9S5_dGTFGCg-ysKCY79bcbQvvbhrXSaJwza5OYIVbkgNzrB40T-st2jPr6ZGRlsIO2gPNQszSDbeAjWlrKfKtsQ/s1600/DSC_5527-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j54UK10cPjoJkOU2eVwkA8WNqZw_helAkJD2x_qSrmqayHvhcWWqM9S5_dGTFGCg-ysKCY79bcbQvvbhrXSaJwza5OYIVbkgNzrB40T-st2jPr6ZGRlsIO2gPNQszSDbeAjWlrKfKtsQ/s400/DSC_5527-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The next day we drove to Seattle where we spent the night. In the morning, I mixed the remaining ingredients into the pasta. The container of Cool Whip was only available in 20 and 10-ounce sizes, so I purchased a 20-ounce container and only used part of the contents. The cans of pineapple were also larger than specified in the recipe, but I went ahead and used the entire cans of pineapple in the recipe<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZwQs8urvm_RkFQYZYg99k9eNbIf4jDFwv4KHC9hgIxc7MCSKevJRSluVhOYwhoBVqPSiNsz2MT9kBHDQKC4iC9l7j4_AAtlEv343HJOXhRsZHxOcKzSajbR-Zl0rNc6hXu0_EQNJuGIM/s1600/DSC_5529-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZwQs8urvm_RkFQYZYg99k9eNbIf4jDFwv4KHC9hgIxc7MCSKevJRSluVhOYwhoBVqPSiNsz2MT9kBHDQKC4iC9l7j4_AAtlEv343HJOXhRsZHxOcKzSajbR-Zl0rNc6hXu0_EQNJuGIM/s400/DSC_5529-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We divided the salad into two bowls and garnished the top of each bowl of salad with the fourth can of mandarin oranges. I neglected to take a photo of the finished salad, so you will have to use your imagination. We divided the salad because in the past, when we serve one large bowl, sometimes only a small amount of the salad gets eaten (people think it is cottage cheese), so we decided to put out one bowl and if was eaten, we would put out the second bowl. As it turns out, there were only enough people at the event to eat the one bowl, so we ate the remainder with our family the next day.<br />
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If you need a salad to serve a large number of guests, Frog Eye Salad and a great salad to make. However, you might want to set out a small card with the ingredients, so people know exactly what they are eating. We will continue to make the salad, and over time, we may put out less and less so that there is more for us to eat after the party!<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=3f08f9bc-a2c3-4cea-9564-85da56b0e750" style="border: medium none; float: right;" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script defer="defer" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-53530254029227834092010-08-12T18:21:00.000-07:002010-08-12T18:21:32.943-07:00Panna Cotta with Balsamic BerriesWhile going through some magazines, my wife found a recipe, in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/House-Beautiful-1-year/dp/B00005N7QW?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">House Beautiful</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00005N7QW" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> that she thought looked good. It is a recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panna-cotta-with-balsamic-strawberries-recipe/index.html">Panna Cotta with Balsamic Berries</a> by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ina_Garten" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="Ina Garten">Ina Garten</a> the Barefoot Contessa. A few days after she gave me the recipe, we were having some friends over for to share a BBQ dinner, and my wife asked if I would make this recipe for dessert.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcisMRXIcBTTOfmWquiT6DuePa8x_HGQ0Ta3ZNWq7rBV7boXpvkxbWOpohTuRKt98ZgemLraXgD6llj9z48trv_7cd3UYshlOsASeHxl3DOdu4Klg5QDL54GVY4viOAB1N6bAUOdDP8LG/s1600/DSC_5508-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcisMRXIcBTTOfmWquiT6DuePa8x_HGQ0Ta3ZNWq7rBV7boXpvkxbWOpohTuRKt98ZgemLraXgD6llj9z48trv_7cd3UYshlOsASeHxl3DOdu4Klg5QDL54GVY4viOAB1N6bAUOdDP8LG/s640/DSC_5508-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdme8BLbTc5Yw9g2GMWXcy-_BvOvA5ftWmRcIllsMkiVNtczijlyT-wGcFtaOgPWNECtXj-_qbkhyeKdX_pSiSIeDk7fuzX-8cK26jxH-_lr-MQEx202JEiZOsZCJwaOTcpE0FyfTXSqv/s1600/DSC_5486-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdme8BLbTc5Yw9g2GMWXcy-_BvOvA5ftWmRcIllsMkiVNtczijlyT-wGcFtaOgPWNECtXj-_qbkhyeKdX_pSiSIeDk7fuzX-8cK26jxH-_lr-MQEx202JEiZOsZCJwaOTcpE0FyfTXSqv/s400/DSC_5486-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>After a quick trip to the store for whipping cream, one vanilla bean and some fresh berries, I was ready to make the dessert. I started the day before our BBQ and made the cream portion of the dessert. I read the directions and quickly decided that while the dessert looks complicated, it is quite easy to make.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKViObvV6vyCHM1lAnG9_Jtm14yRo9BMnbcg6AssrdwdKhvTYrfxSvyW7ZRCLqOMU2vAqjWaZw5Ccmmeeulmz_q4WS27ONBR9bNhGv8y-ZRT-w8RK7V8gEj9j0WqaSDx4krf0P0Dd-Te_/s1600/DSC_5487-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKViObvV6vyCHM1lAnG9_Jtm14yRo9BMnbcg6AssrdwdKhvTYrfxSvyW7ZRCLqOMU2vAqjWaZw5Ccmmeeulmz_q4WS27ONBR9bNhGv8y-ZRT-w8RK7V8gEj9j0WqaSDx4krf0P0Dd-Te_/s400/DSC_5487-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I started by cutting a slit the length of the vanilla bean and using the blade of a knife to scrape out the seeds. I was expecting seeds I could see, but instead the seeds looked like black tar as I scraped out the bean. Next, in a large mixing bowl I added 1 1/2–cups of the whipping cream, a pint of whole milk yogurt, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, the vanilla bean seeds and then used a whisk to mix all the ingredients.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpI3ptqV3iA5ViraWMqz7P-dUNNaeGQuoSOtv5m-Tl5k_kfQIbffKP2OiffzkmMJuCQFBIkKQnCeNOwja0-yoS5fHfamdpUT_xM08f5TPVIkh_SrhCmOr8s7bc5meJ2e_8zCAVnjVCGNh/s1600/DSC_5489-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpI3ptqV3iA5ViraWMqz7P-dUNNaeGQuoSOtv5m-Tl5k_kfQIbffKP2OiffzkmMJuCQFBIkKQnCeNOwja0-yoS5fHfamdpUT_xM08f5TPVIkh_SrhCmOr8s7bc5meJ2e_8zCAVnjVCGNh/s320/DSC_5489-1.JPG" /></a></div>Into a medium saucepan, I deposited another 1 ½-cups of the cream, and ¾-cup of sugar and stirred the sugar into the cream. I set the saucepan over a burner on the range and set the heat to medium to bring the cream to a simmer. While the cream heated, I added one package of unflavored gelatin powder into 1 ½ tablespoons of cold water and mixed. The gelatin had to sit and soften for 10 minutes, which is about the time it took for the cream to simmer. I didn’t want to mix the gelatin too early because I learned in another recipe that if it is left too long, it becomes a hard mess that is virtually unusable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjaEEmhdjiqu4eiSMgqn7C9K2DXsJ-CpgtXPNydM-Z5km7MREuwdeQl4jMCWPG6CJSUgPpKOD20d4yYOvHlcZQWXoDnfSgXxAlh_R-RacS8wKrfL856fCmobzdh9Jn5UL4VpsHyylcGeb/s1600/DSC_5490-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjaEEmhdjiqu4eiSMgqn7C9K2DXsJ-CpgtXPNydM-Z5km7MREuwdeQl4jMCWPG6CJSUgPpKOD20d4yYOvHlcZQWXoDnfSgXxAlh_R-RacS8wKrfL856fCmobzdh9Jn5UL4VpsHyylcGeb/s400/DSC_5490-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once the cream mixture began to simmer, I removed it from the heat and whisked the gelatin into the cream. Next, I slowly added the hot cream mixture to the cold cream in the mixing bowl and combined the two cream mixtures using the whisk. I set out eight ramekins, poured the cream mixture into the ramekins, filling seven of the eight. I could have poured less of the mixture into each ramekin and prepared all eight, but seven was fine for our dinner and gave a larger portion of the cream to each guest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6-qUt9pzwlQPyoBbraBzj7UhMtIb02XctcqS_Ks8Emt1KdqFBQX57BjXwNbiOT_Cpr1g0sDYorNXNNXCCvYNt27e73JXheJ5JXZcOP5fh2pRve9aF4YiaogXzsnxxyV8g5fN-M5v1vx5/s1600/DSC_5502-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6-qUt9pzwlQPyoBbraBzj7UhMtIb02XctcqS_Ks8Emt1KdqFBQX57BjXwNbiOT_Cpr1g0sDYorNXNNXCCvYNt27e73JXheJ5JXZcOP5fh2pRve9aF4YiaogXzsnxxyV8g5fN-M5v1vx5/s400/DSC_5502-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I placed the ramekins on a cookie sheet and placed them in the refrigerator to cool. Once the cream mixture was cool, I covered each ramekin with plastic wrap and I finished for the night.<br />
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On the morning of the BBQ, I did some more preparation of the dessert by slicing two pints of fresh strawberries into a large bowl. Next, I added a pint of fresh raspberries and a pint of fresh blueberries. I sprinkled three tablespoons of sugar over the berries and mixed the sugar into the berries. The recipe calls for two tablespoons of sugar, but the raspberries were a little sour so I added more. I covered the berries with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator to stay cool.<br />
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Thirty minutes before it was time to serve the dessert, I added five tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a touch of black pepper to the berries and stirred to mix.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tH1TjncVmh0PL8jAf3IaFICy_BywJgz3-7bTgghn6wiRMpFGev2GhdwIgJMdH324oGUhaY-H1-eCS1eZ9x5ETOeUr9Vq_wEZH-8gpntWFt07vklEuxPtxNjx1Q5jdNJKLQkQGyaIHAI8/s1600/DSC_5503-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tH1TjncVmh0PL8jAf3IaFICy_BywJgz3-7bTgghn6wiRMpFGev2GhdwIgJMdH324oGUhaY-H1-eCS1eZ9x5ETOeUr9Vq_wEZH-8gpntWFt07vklEuxPtxNjx1Q5jdNJKLQkQGyaIHAI8/s400/DSC_5503-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>Next came the trickiest part, the directions say to run a small knife around the sides of each dessert and then dip the bottoms in hot tap water to loosen the cream and then turn over on a plate and tap the bottom and the cream should fall out. I did all this and the cream remained stuck in the ramekin. I found that while having the ramekin inverted, I insert the knife blade along the side of the dessert to make a small opening to allow air to enter, and then the cream drops out of the ramekin onto the plate.<br />
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All that remained was to spoon some of the berries around the cream and then grate a little bit of fresh lemon peel onto the cream and serve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaV21aHBgXVRsFoFpcjkt3BkuF5M1VVNNoOHVViCuC_Ri0i9uk1JXjBAqTg5skq6c19skhExQ5oaAlXcv_g8SwLb2IAEtfAIgB5Q24jNiwfNBtJ_LZ-EdvE0m_7iETpWPtjLe5p-s9RQL/s1600/DSC_5507-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaV21aHBgXVRsFoFpcjkt3BkuF5M1VVNNoOHVViCuC_Ri0i9uk1JXjBAqTg5skq6c19skhExQ5oaAlXcv_g8SwLb2IAEtfAIgB5Q24jNiwfNBtJ_LZ-EdvE0m_7iETpWPtjLe5p-s9RQL/s400/DSC_5507-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Everyone enjoyed their panna cotta dessert. The cream portion was very light and the little bit of lemon zest added just a little enhancement to the flavor. I would never have thought to use balsamic vinegar with fresh berries, but the vinegar added just a little bite to the sweetness of the berries and was delicious.<br />
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This is a dessert that I will make again; the hardest part will be waiting until all three types of berries are again in season. At first glance, the dessert looks very difficult to make, but in the end I found it very easy to make. When I looked for the recipe on-line, I was initially surprised that some of the measurements of the ingredients were different, then I quickly realized that the on-line version is makes 4 servings instead of 8, so all the measurements are one half of the recipe from the magazine.<br />
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Find the recipe at: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panna-cotta-with-balsamic-strawberries-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/panna-cotta-with-balsamic-strawberries-recipe/index.html</a><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=b089907b-89dd-490c-b6bc-f7a090e5c92d" style="border: medium none; float: right;" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script defer="defer" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-34502635194410870782010-08-11T10:07:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:07:59.316-07:00Bunnymallow TreatsMy wife recently mentioned to me that we had some marshmallows that needed to be used up. On my next trip to the store, I picked up a box of Rice Krispies so that I would be ready to make marshmallow treats. When I went to make the recipe and got out the bag of marshmallows, I found that my wife had purchased the bag around Easter, and the marshmallows were in the shape of bunnies. I decided that no real bunnies would be injured in the cooking process of making the treats, and I decided to go ahead and make Bunnymallow Treats.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdovYiip8-4NQaJOrtF_Nmd87oKhNHBjCgw9KhcIjUQwb945kEAGGEx-N3BDlEoKAzoW7ZqwFYE8lbReMfle2fj_i1gy-GbxS9K60Z14xfJ3lLHlAVD5zNPNMH__33BDisGHl7nh9d_uBU/s1600/DSC_5446-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdovYiip8-4NQaJOrtF_Nmd87oKhNHBjCgw9KhcIjUQwb945kEAGGEx-N3BDlEoKAzoW7ZqwFYE8lbReMfle2fj_i1gy-GbxS9K60Z14xfJ3lLHlAVD5zNPNMH__33BDisGHl7nh9d_uBU/s640/DSC_5446-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvAKk5ITD6RDp5vuBzXrFkYcFwgeJngsPk8AHXnP0PKxZ5avdY9sA2SZ9OZd23UpD0G8PUAbrgtuz2n52NBDR39SYFknXsnlGq4kBO30EE8oavoCWXXJC1PtEfWMsIcx4N3YbS1bCGefo/s1600/DSC_5450-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvAKk5ITD6RDp5vuBzXrFkYcFwgeJngsPk8AHXnP0PKxZ5avdY9sA2SZ9OZd23UpD0G8PUAbrgtuz2n52NBDR39SYFknXsnlGq4kBO30EE8oavoCWXXJC1PtEfWMsIcx4N3YbS1bCGefo/s400/DSC_5450-1.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
I followed the recipe printed on the box of Rick Krispies and melted the margarine in a saucepan and then added the marshmallows and stirred until all the bunnies were melted. I was concerned at the color of the resulting mixture because the bunnies were several different pastel colors for Easter, but the resulting mixture was slightly pinkish-gray and didn’t detract from the final results.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJvFthzF0pweqWPUHInsfXNCCqSANOicEa4ePMIxoEGWjccPRNzRGbV-GaNcg9eLxtCDAnkPAqiW47sTb-V2y2f0SiGqwuz2wYda55uHH4ZguTksIMqnAJD8-hT8H25UAbd_pQiQvjSQm/s1600/DSC_5451-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJvFthzF0pweqWPUHInsfXNCCqSANOicEa4ePMIxoEGWjccPRNzRGbV-GaNcg9eLxtCDAnkPAqiW47sTb-V2y2f0SiGqwuz2wYda55uHH4ZguTksIMqnAJD8-hT8H25UAbd_pQiQvjSQm/s400/DSC_5451-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once all the bunnies melted, I added the Rice Krispies, mixed it all together, and spread it out in a prepared pan to cool. Once the contents of the pan were cool, I cut the treats into two-inch squares and individually wrapped them in plastic wrap.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike88qCg2W1nuAh6cgH2ABJhweINa1juA6Jppk-5ZZQyTlfq6k73nQU7AQxKbf25aWTjJJXA9bAKHpUVrv9zI43WwODTqGK6R5aEjzJp_6v6OqRVTzpkWHgZS67_pGJO3cEIDZXcgXFEUX/s1600/DSC_5452-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike88qCg2W1nuAh6cgH2ABJhweINa1juA6Jppk-5ZZQyTlfq6k73nQU7AQxKbf25aWTjJJXA9bAKHpUVrv9zI43WwODTqGK6R5aEjzJp_6v6OqRVTzpkWHgZS67_pGJO3cEIDZXcgXFEUX/s400/DSC_5452-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The bunnymallow treats are good, but had a taste that wasn’t quite right, they are almost too sweet. I checked the package of the bunny shaped marshmallows, and they were vanilla flavored, that explains the off taste.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvsnNvOuJolWA_sSoFMegRWaxnI594QRg9h_ikcUvTcZm5rgMrV0SlJpR-ygfv_OWsTpmLJApnvxuZe0c7C70nT0KBmuf28NHEvdP8Rfx9-THv4WLjWGo5uY_4BWqacmKVtQZd0PbuHWv/s1600/DSC_5454-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvsnNvOuJolWA_sSoFMegRWaxnI594QRg9h_ikcUvTcZm5rgMrV0SlJpR-ygfv_OWsTpmLJApnvxuZe0c7C70nT0KBmuf28NHEvdP8Rfx9-THv4WLjWGo5uY_4BWqacmKVtQZd0PbuHWv/s400/DSC_5454-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Making the bunnymallow treats was a great way to use up the extra marshmallows before they hardened. I guess we could have made smores with them, but somehow using bunnies shaped marshmallows for smores just doesn’t seem right. Next time I make marshmallow treats, I will stick to the standard white regular marshmallows without any color or flavoring.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-57268236591044350402010-08-05T17:26:00.000-07:002010-08-05T17:26:55.623-07:00Rosemary FoccaciaWhile my wife and I were out walking a few nights ago, we stopped to talk with a neighbor who was out gardening in her yard. Before we resumed our walk, I asked the neighbor if I could have a sprig of fresh rosemary that was growing beside her driveway. She said I could take all I wanted, and sent me on my way a sprig of rosemary in my pocket. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqYesoN5uGHbfspoUrEwVk62wYl742-o_g1w7GjZFmzMl-fhNHe5ukI2xj9cEuYIQWBJJv9l6UnbLs2r97vzCcnr7kHye3jW58kty7dGdYpbly6C1zKmgHmCjTmQOhpKtQor6ABr-pWpF/s1600/DSC_5466-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqYesoN5uGHbfspoUrEwVk62wYl742-o_g1w7GjZFmzMl-fhNHe5ukI2xj9cEuYIQWBJJv9l6UnbLs2r97vzCcnr7kHye3jW58kty7dGdYpbly6C1zKmgHmCjTmQOhpKtQor6ABr-pWpF/s640/DSC_5466-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
With some fresh rosemary in hand, I decided it was time to make some rosemary Foccacia bread. Several years ago (for medical reasons), I could not consume any salt for two weeks and had to specially prepare all my meals including making my own bread. I used a recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Salt-Cookbook-Eliminate-Without-Sacrificing/dp/1580625258?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The No Salt Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580625258" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> to make Foccacia bread with rosemary that didn’t contain any salt and it was a big hit in our household.<br />
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For this Foccacia, I turned to our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Machine-Magic-Exciting-Especially/dp/0312069146?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bread Machine Magic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312069146" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> book and the listed recipe.<br />
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Foccacia Bread:<br />
Courtesy of Bread Machine Magic by Linda Rehberg & Lois Conway<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<b> 1 cup water</b><br />
<b> 3 cups all purpose flour</b><br />
<b> 1 teaspoon salt</b><br />
<b> 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil</b><br />
<b> 2 teaspoons herbs (I used fresh rosemary finely chopped)</b><br />
<b> 1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3JL5r4zLoVgnqF_uOJ6MBHttVthE9q5uAUWh1HUrKHJ_ftVKJcU2Em3F8aCpWW_DNq6SWZLpwlcn3WWyTEEvvSEs3B3w4YAiWyfDcpbZqNANPlfbVuBDYjUVRsJEnlvI0cfj8J3BBGL5/s1600/DSC_5445-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3JL5r4zLoVgnqF_uOJ6MBHttVthE9q5uAUWh1HUrKHJ_ftVKJcU2Em3F8aCpWW_DNq6SWZLpwlcn3WWyTEEvvSEs3B3w4YAiWyfDcpbZqNANPlfbVuBDYjUVRsJEnlvI0cfj8J3BBGL5/s400/DSC_5445-1.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>All the ingredients are added in order to the bread machine and then I set the machine on the dough setting and pressed the start button. The bread machine mixed and kneaded for about 20 minutes and then let the dough rise. When the cycle was over, I was surprised to see the dough had not risen like I expected.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKspWIqZYfxRHCuNXpEm9aXuPAkiKCufNc77sImHKjkBgce7QoHXWKVuZZxmAV1F9UqhCDPwVSq-R2GN5qrOJVC6iNZyry2emcXGR9UWVFHJWgXc1Z_O3_AyPDbecohMENcEBhBRjJRYR/s1600/DSC_5459-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKspWIqZYfxRHCuNXpEm9aXuPAkiKCufNc77sImHKjkBgce7QoHXWKVuZZxmAV1F9UqhCDPwVSq-R2GN5qrOJVC6iNZyry2emcXGR9UWVFHJWgXc1Z_O3_AyPDbecohMENcEBhBRjJRYR/s400/DSC_5459-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I went ahead, removed the dough from the bread machine, and turned it out onto our baking stone sprinkled with corn meal. I worked the dough to spread it into a large rectangle for baking, but found the dough was very tough to work. This is not the experience that I had using the other recipe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sg-LHetHCWXR-m3oXtCyxt3OR_aR16uP03DBbz4a9oeR65Q43P4dgtxidzdn-bgDESIj4Tn2kXuIS8qPXe4GFBqiL-W-B3YFpkgsviT-kkfuhnZwQmIG7Kd014r60CSeIcXcTCko96Ua/s1600/DSC_5463-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sg-LHetHCWXR-m3oXtCyxt3OR_aR16uP03DBbz4a9oeR65Q43P4dgtxidzdn-bgDESIj4Tn2kXuIS8qPXe4GFBqiL-W-B3YFpkgsviT-kkfuhnZwQmIG7Kd014r60CSeIcXcTCko96Ua/s400/DSC_5463-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Trying not to overwork the dough, I managed to get a decent sized rectangle for the bread, though I did tear the dough in one area. The dough was like a rubber band, I would stretch it to shape and when I let go, it would snap back to its original size. I covered the resulting loaf with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 40 minutes. Once the dough had risen, I followed the directions, used my finger to poked holes in the dough about every inch to assist in the baking, and then brushed the top with olive oil. I baked the Foccacia at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.<br />
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The Foccacia had a pleasant rosemary taste though the bread seemed very dense and was not quite the light bread that I baked in the past. Possible problems could be the recipe that I used, or maybe our yeast is getting old. I am going to have to find our copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Salt-Cookbook-Eliminate-Without-Sacrificing/dp/1580625258?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The No Salt Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580625258" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> and make the recipe again to see if I can figure out why the Foccacia was so dense. I will have to take a walk down the street and ask the neighbor for some more rosemary and take a trip to the store for a new jar of yeast. It will be interesting to see how the two recipes compare.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
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Keywords: <br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=d93f801d-0311-4005-a80d-34f9d92964c4" style="border: medium none; float: right;" /><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script defer="defer" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-33413747236902586132010-08-02T18:03:00.000-07:002010-08-02T18:03:09.227-07:00Pork in Mushroom SauceThe other day my wife asked me what was for dinner. I responded that I didn’t know, and asked if anything sounded good. She said how about pork in mushroom sauce. I checked our freezer and we didn’t have any frozen pork chops or loin, so while I when I went out that afternoon to donate blood, I stopped by the store and picked up a package of sliced pork loin pieces. This recipe is so easy to make, I don’t even have to ask my wife how to make it anymore.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZQmMLzH2RyObmYHlbIQSRoBsNkPMxjm6no1c3wbwP3tPuAFr8onKIZ024F-KgH62H1437-L-8nYr-iSb2YveaLbrX7GaIIIGrltmKSou31yyLBwqY1ctyw-jyOAeuYB2IiC9SX_jCFeW/s1600/DSC_5464-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZQmMLzH2RyObmYHlbIQSRoBsNkPMxjm6no1c3wbwP3tPuAFr8onKIZ024F-KgH62H1437-L-8nYr-iSb2YveaLbrX7GaIIIGrltmKSou31yyLBwqY1ctyw-jyOAeuYB2IiC9SX_jCFeW/s640/DSC_5464-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b>Pork in Mushroom Sauce</b><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<b> Pork chops or loin pieces (enough to fill a 9x13 inch baking pan)</b><br />
<b> 2-cans <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_of_mushroom_soup" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="Cream of mushroom soup">cream of mushroom soup</a>, 10½ ounce, condensed </b><br />
<b> 2-cans mushrooms sliced, 4 ounce</b><br />
<b> 2-tablespoons Worcestershire sauce</b><br />
<b> Salt and Pepper</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbCH62flWpGonuh9swmBeTVZzWB21pOOg-uySnCc7yXvCLkbHClQh2T6XbECB2JFdsnJiOKPFUNXXkzkVdNgh5mYffjKTfHKkbnRSvyHwE2xJwTCR7krVZ9CMLOK-AC7nUCZlfgO4YsPu/s1600/DSC_5456-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbCH62flWpGonuh9swmBeTVZzWB21pOOg-uySnCc7yXvCLkbHClQh2T6XbECB2JFdsnJiOKPFUNXXkzkVdNgh5mYffjKTfHKkbnRSvyHwE2xJwTCR7krVZ9CMLOK-AC7nUCZlfgO4YsPu/s400/DSC_5456-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b>Directions:</b><br />
<b>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork pieces in a single layer in the baking pan then lightly salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Spread sauce mixture over the pork; be sure to cover the top of each piece to prevent drying. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 60 minutes or until the thickest piece reaches 165 degrees in the center</b>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN2LG-DQO1-Dyfr30jaUL_g_BexP2jIuu4IL81mU1Kk3M9hmjsCkoW2vd4_abLvmEEqCQ3Qkyj01Z-0XKiFxoX47Qt_Bew7fiyaMaAMoOldTwHCrlT4C2Srlrc8sRqjqNGdDTZg9mIbL0/s1600/DSC_5457-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN2LG-DQO1-Dyfr30jaUL_g_BexP2jIuu4IL81mU1Kk3M9hmjsCkoW2vd4_abLvmEEqCQ3Qkyj01Z-0XKiFxoX47Qt_Bew7fiyaMaAMoOldTwHCrlT4C2Srlrc8sRqjqNGdDTZg9mIbL0/s400/DSC_5457-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In the past, I found that if I use all the mushroom sauce to cover the pork, then I usually get a boil over in the oven and have to clean it afterwards. As I prepared the recipe this time, I filled the baking pan with the pork pieces and had three left over. Instead of freezing these pieces, I went ahead and used another small baking pan with the three pieces and there was enough mushroom sauce to fill both pans. Because I split the mushroom sauce between the two pans, I had no boil over in the oven. Hurray!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8HKaJ7U6YvnlKjzxNo944nD8gbE56DHlg2GUFXhoi8Nx2TBgk8vjNdYg20HqRpTwdBvRs16Pwh9gbW1xm9Pyiu79OPJv-Vid3aY1NGYZHPFdkgVh8oXrVoJ8EcybBB7z7Ngwet5sp-aj/s1600/DSC_5458-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8HKaJ7U6YvnlKjzxNo944nD8gbE56DHlg2GUFXhoi8Nx2TBgk8vjNdYg20HqRpTwdBvRs16Pwh9gbW1xm9Pyiu79OPJv-Vid3aY1NGYZHPFdkgVh8oXrVoJ8EcybBB7z7Ngwet5sp-aj/s400/DSC_5458-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These pieces are quite a bit thicker than I would normally bake (I would usually butterfly the pieces to make them thinner), so they required about 70 minutes baking before the pork pieces reached the correct internal temperature. Once I removed it from the oven, I let it sit for about five minute to allow the carryover heat to finish cooking the pork.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BjmYLyVGxKtMJ65sSGhoW9uS4zZKx9nv6XAZbLdu5pqR33Rfn56c6CaNT2MIWRqs33jDANVyGCxa0R7785VuL9GfiaNwZYO_4lzJAxAMGbBqX_4gLypBH9X00_K1nACCGnmKtEYUUCGM/s1600/DSC_5462-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BjmYLyVGxKtMJ65sSGhoW9uS4zZKx9nv6XAZbLdu5pqR33Rfn56c6CaNT2MIWRqs33jDANVyGCxa0R7785VuL9GfiaNwZYO_4lzJAxAMGbBqX_4gLypBH9X00_K1nACCGnmKtEYUUCGM/s400/DSC_5462-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We had our pork with mushroom sauce over brown rice and a green salad. The mushroom sauce goes well with either rice or baked potato. I like this recipe because it only requires about 10 minutes of preparation time, and then the rest is letting it cook while you do other activities. It seems like a hearty meal and we usually have it in the fall and winter, but on a summer night it tasted great and also made for a surprisingly light and delicious meal.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-56378203559623837712010-08-01T23:14:00.000-07:002010-08-01T23:14:18.035-07:00LimoncelloWe recently had a long awaited dinner at our neighbor’s home. The dinner was promised once our neighbor’s returned home from a vacation in Europe. They would provide us dinner and we would view their pictures (we were actually looking forward to this night). Two years later, the pictures are now copied to DVDs, and we enjoyed a great evening of food, beverages, and sharing stories around their trip.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXch56iOsqkQqRjVKd6rhqAiWu53KBO0VQIXupP0HM5rVJOwSyylGSHiSK34Eoo5VTxYEtwzi1p7ZZcIRM4wbabflXLvKHI3MkPMXLElJPBU8vyUgH8OfsKcho6jvFvf2aCEGTlJvidPb/s1600/DSC_5407-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXch56iOsqkQqRjVKd6rhqAiWu53KBO0VQIXupP0HM5rVJOwSyylGSHiSK34Eoo5VTxYEtwzi1p7ZZcIRM4wbabflXLvKHI3MkPMXLElJPBU8vyUgH8OfsKcho6jvFvf2aCEGTlJvidPb/s640/DSC_5407-1.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0HL8pMCROS-IGt7131w4rm1yPDPLz4Ve2109CweDkWgUsV-sTayt7xphgX9-Iyorx17sTmV4r7UaPuUq1rpyTqH4Nm09xUxrxJjDwlkxG6XZzaPinfvKD3HmX7vP4Q0e5gVtXGiFGx4y/s1600/DSC_5403-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0HL8pMCROS-IGt7131w4rm1yPDPLz4Ve2109CweDkWgUsV-sTayt7xphgX9-Iyorx17sTmV4r7UaPuUq1rpyTqH4Nm09xUxrxJjDwlkxG6XZzaPinfvKD3HmX7vP4Q0e5gVtXGiFGx4y/s400/DSC_5403-1.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>We started the evening with an appetizer of cheese, crackers, grapes and some Belgium Ale while we looked at some of the post cards the couple gathered on their trip.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIynFeBWS2jspL3vo1e2mcIxAgKFjyTQOINHAfWqf_xzaTlmFZePD9TALKTzy7FKxQevvYKNoY7dGAM2jGhgkx0sQz7Oo6P0Ea6cVAEWKWLpsFOQ1ApPeCq5uq0_3047flpI9Kg62Xhn5/s1600/DSC_5404-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIynFeBWS2jspL3vo1e2mcIxAgKFjyTQOINHAfWqf_xzaTlmFZePD9TALKTzy7FKxQevvYKNoY7dGAM2jGhgkx0sQz7Oo6P0Ea6cVAEWKWLpsFOQ1ApPeCq5uq0_3047flpI9Kg62Xhn5/s400/DSC_5404-1.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>While we continued to chat, the husband add the prepared chicken skewers to the corn on the cob already grilling on the barbeque. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3fmljwI9LyRFFdVkcyRiYbvHLXfT8f6t4Zi6G8weHcmu63VuyqKZDpTFavtaKIOSe3lS4AQdBrsrcJ5aAHDFCdEeIjgmn73p4AR6w9jGsUh7ah7vHjodadQ2rnW13JnYwnN9x24kheUE/s1600/DSC_5405-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3fmljwI9LyRFFdVkcyRiYbvHLXfT8f6t4Zi6G8weHcmu63VuyqKZDpTFavtaKIOSe3lS4AQdBrsrcJ5aAHDFCdEeIjgmn73p4AR6w9jGsUh7ah7vHjodadQ2rnW13JnYwnN9x24kheUE/s400/DSC_5405-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once the chicken was cooked, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the chicken, corn, green salad, red potato salad, and bread. While we ate the salad and in the spirit of the residents of the Czech Republic, we all enjoyed a small glass of apricot liqueur the couple brought back from Europe. The chilled liqueur was very light and complimented the flavor of the salad.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0YWLvgHUtErw1zf4fTlvDAeayEGH9N8vxdzsqExSxmxiq-b8PnbC9tX59ULp7LtFVtgYkj0dmcP4q1gw0CD0KMOOOqPmHk1Cd_4E4w-4Ez4h5126MG_jI1oxSHBLsUkcv_TqIcOWWb-4/s1600/DSC_5409-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0YWLvgHUtErw1zf4fTlvDAeayEGH9N8vxdzsqExSxmxiq-b8PnbC9tX59ULp7LtFVtgYkj0dmcP4q1gw0CD0KMOOOqPmHk1Cd_4E4w-4Ez4h5126MG_jI1oxSHBLsUkcv_TqIcOWWb-4/s400/DSC_5409-1.JPG" width="292" /></a></div>After dinner, we watched one of the videos of their European trip, which we thoroughly enjoyed. With one video competed, it was time for some dessert. Dessert was homemade blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Yum!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqbQfCajBaUH7A59ocmTWGj4J6X4pa8ye0atX9EXu9rQgS13u-ioX0_h0y27qesHpCbPyicx5rqS63d79iIEJYlE5qHlkdv2H84DxrmeHudWchwXjFpN3B8W__jfcb16ysKq5BKrBRm51/s1600/DSC_5410-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqbQfCajBaUH7A59ocmTWGj4J6X4pa8ye0atX9EXu9rQgS13u-ioX0_h0y27qesHpCbPyicx5rqS63d79iIEJYlE5qHlkdv2H84DxrmeHudWchwXjFpN3B8W__jfcb16ysKq5BKrBRm51/s400/DSC_5410-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once our blueberry cobbler was finished, we were able to taste two different kinds limoncello the couple brought back from Sorrento Italy. The bottles were interesting as they nestled into each other and glued together with a plastic representation of lemons and leaves. The first bottle contained straight limoncello, the second held a limoncello in cream. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQMkpDA0q3NJ_vGtY_GS1rlHf0jJp-nHFth6OKB0DdTOxi0y3uo6Jzkunk_iidZfJc6AtO2LZdkF7LQKS6QUssVdouzvdqSqdytkpmR_DvpD63FJkU6HO_tP5nj2LAzMgn9DyRbg0_vrV/s1600/DSC_5411-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQMkpDA0q3NJ_vGtY_GS1rlHf0jJp-nHFth6OKB0DdTOxi0y3uo6Jzkunk_iidZfJc6AtO2LZdkF7LQKS6QUssVdouzvdqSqdytkpmR_DvpD63FJkU6HO_tP5nj2LAzMgn9DyRbg0_vrV/s400/DSC_5411-1.JPG" width="282" /></a>We sampled the straight limoncello first. It had the refreshing taste of lemons with a slight citrus bite. Next, we tried the limoncello in cream. It had a similar flavor to the straight limoncello, but the cream tempered the citrus so it was very smooth on the tongue. With our dessert and after dinner liqueurs finished, we watched another video of the second part of their trip. <br />
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The dinner took two years to accomplish, and we feel honored that this couple saved several bottles of liqueurs from their trip to share with us. Now if I could just get my friend in Germany to send me a bottle of the Kräuterhex from Oberammergau, we could respond in kind.<br />
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The limoncello was very good and a little goes a long way. I found there are quite a few <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/limoncello-recipe/index.html">recipes</a> on the internet, I may need to try one, and we can see how it compares to the limoncello from Italy. That’s a project for another day.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-24356815835626616752010-07-28T22:08:00.000-07:002010-07-28T22:08:40.614-07:00Tostones (Puerto Rican Fried Plantains)A few nights ago, my wife and I went to our niece’s house an evening that included dinner and playing some board games. Because our niece was hosting, she provided the dinner and we brought a green salad and the game: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-of-Wonder-4098806-Ticket/dp/B000809OAO?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ticket to Ride - Europe</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000809OAO" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAEVGRmWOcWGNHShe3PAOJG3xcw7St5EDFn2LmppEI1newgFbkY5Rqq_3gzGBpTc_sMQiss9s_MGiQiTT1Rx3rcuvH9F6wITJKffVCQOV6TClEaNtMLifVOM942DtTbiUIrMJNBL-YpxC/s1600/100_7498-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAEVGRmWOcWGNHShe3PAOJG3xcw7St5EDFn2LmppEI1newgFbkY5Rqq_3gzGBpTc_sMQiss9s_MGiQiTT1Rx3rcuvH9F6wITJKffVCQOV6TClEaNtMLifVOM942DtTbiUIrMJNBL-YpxC/s640/100_7498-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyvy6d4GSk27RyYILwyZ2GBeovu_E3TbpCoRknmC0mbSNB8hoThJkmaDi_u3FDEWbCpVClnIJF3mMwbfygSQt8S9qYgg_HbCfqWoOeP-C-gk0RuDj9KXV9g4r_vwwGVNdWEUTxGczj-Kp/s1600/100_7492-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyvy6d4GSk27RyYILwyZ2GBeovu_E3TbpCoRknmC0mbSNB8hoThJkmaDi_u3FDEWbCpVClnIJF3mMwbfygSQt8S9qYgg_HbCfqWoOeP-C-gk0RuDj9KXV9g4r_vwwGVNdWEUTxGczj-Kp/s400/100_7492-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>When we arrived, our niece plied us with some assorted green olives for appetizer while she finished the dinner. She quickly applied a homemade jerk rub to the talapia fillets and placed them in the oven to bake. Next, she surprised us by making Tostones as side dish to accompany the fish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM9a3xbAfYxCoDVv51IwjpVRt5m29jkSWHmu85_Y3qcFlenUhOXc8aJyb8PgPtHqn2S6EdzPtXbVCY1gKEVyLDGABEBp17xoVEzUuF9QNuzYVeEN-vK5K-hiZ0ArHDFKzzEBJ4-f22U66/s1600/100_7486-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM9a3xbAfYxCoDVv51IwjpVRt5m29jkSWHmu85_Y3qcFlenUhOXc8aJyb8PgPtHqn2S6EdzPtXbVCY1gKEVyLDGABEBp17xoVEzUuF9QNuzYVeEN-vK5K-hiZ0ArHDFKzzEBJ4-f22U66/s400/100_7486-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Even though we took a trip to Puerto Rico in 2003, we had never experienced Tostones. The recipe is very easy to make. She started with four green Plantains and cut them on the diagonal into one-inch thick pieces. Next, she fried the pieces in about 1/2-cup of oil until each side was lightly browned. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZbek6G1KtCtN2KiRbwOANd4_MQ1hDcYVLMKIqwSLmAmitceYtHAbfxw4IejmxsrNQl9XIiiWDzJ64hV-3klO8dxLIIDXLnsPAO2DG-HuH3SeNZGgfb6cgBlMQHYUWHtiNn2YmBQsIblf/s1600/100_7487-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZbek6G1KtCtN2KiRbwOANd4_MQ1hDcYVLMKIqwSLmAmitceYtHAbfxw4IejmxsrNQl9XIiiWDzJ64hV-3klO8dxLIIDXLnsPAO2DG-HuH3SeNZGgfb6cgBlMQHYUWHtiNn2YmBQsIblf/s400/100_7487-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>She removed the pieces from the pan and placed them to drain on some paper towel. The next step was highly technical: one at a time, she placed the cooked piece on a small saucer and smashed it flat with a drinking glass. With all the pieces flattened, she put them back in the oil for a second cooking. Once the pieces cooked to a nice golden brown, she removed them from the oil to drain and sprinkled on some sea salt for flavoring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UhbAs4g3L5FriYxeFEQNFkJlzwQ99YO88cpG3F95iBhgjvOJd8AkJ5IueA83r7ZGYiYCnlCF9I6BrWAXFsyIJI8XhmjN7Bkj29YYv-hEKhVxlWhO5xyT4aYSvJ5Vj2NBMaXEMW3h9i8D/s1600/100_7491-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UhbAs4g3L5FriYxeFEQNFkJlzwQ99YO88cpG3F95iBhgjvOJd8AkJ5IueA83r7ZGYiYCnlCF9I6BrWAXFsyIJI8XhmjN7Bkj29YYv-hEKhVxlWhO5xyT4aYSvJ5Vj2NBMaXEMW3h9i8D/s400/100_7491-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>Unlike green Banana’s, green plantains are treated like a starch instead of a sugar. The first cooking softens the pieces so they can be smashed. The second cooking is like frying a piece of potato to make French fries: it cooks the piece through and browns the starch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7grK73O8nfG3y-uNcMRyNpTeOc7I1i9aMUdYgNlFoS2Lmxb_yISYM2wGICst0C9pgTzwuLY1kg-jrCObUAJwjabj9YX8THWvnVgc8CNe7z7-t2yOlLkRUpUwpFs1ROpPOGQQ4iR7zMI60/s1600/100_7496-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7grK73O8nfG3y-uNcMRyNpTeOc7I1i9aMUdYgNlFoS2Lmxb_yISYM2wGICst0C9pgTzwuLY1kg-jrCObUAJwjabj9YX8THWvnVgc8CNe7z7-t2yOlLkRUpUwpFs1ROpPOGQQ4iR7zMI60/s400/100_7496-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>I checked a <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/puerto-rican-tostones-fried-plantains/Detail.aspx">recipe on-line</a> and it suggested dipping the pieces in water between the first and second frying. Don’t do that, water and hot oil do not mix! One person wrote that when she lived in Puerto Rico, her family would soak the pieces in salt water between frying to preserve the pieces while making a complicated meal. That allowed the initial frying to be completed before the main meal activities, then just before serving, they would drain the water and blot the pieces before the second frying.<br />
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Our niece had purchased some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jufran-Banana-Sauce-12-bottles/dp/B000FNFS36?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Jufran Banana Sauce</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000FNFS36" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> for dipping the Tostone pieces with dinner. This sauce is like a sweet catsup with a slightly runnier consistency.<br />
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We had a great meal with the jerked tilapia, green salad, and Tostones. The fish was cooked to perfection, but the real hit were the Tostones. They were like eating a piece of fried potato, but lighter to the taste and the sauce was a nice addition without being too sweet or overloading the flavor of the Tostones.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-of-Wonder-4098806-Ticket/dp/B000809OAO?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Ticket to Ride Europe" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000809OAO&tag=advinfoo-20" /></a>After dinner we played several games of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Days-of-Wonder-4098806-Ticket/dp/B000809OAO?ie=UTF8&tag=advinfoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ticket to Ride – Europe</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000809OAO" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, a little dessert, and then our niece taught us a new card game which we enjoyed playing several hands.<br />
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Desert was a piece of white cake (cooked in a bunt pan) with a homemade blueberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. This dessert was very good and it was hard to not lick the plate when I finished (after all, we were with family).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDsbStCHf39v640HCHZ76k1xVqRr_JIu05_wHoq7lUq0BDY3_POcpVWGMFij3xZlvzK1MZT7jPBnX5BapaJxqicx7HfAQKwDb6X5Q6qLtzts5EZmvbY5nc8J5TM5E6SyxdMjC8vQzCkdQ/s1600/100_7502-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDsbStCHf39v640HCHZ76k1xVqRr_JIu05_wHoq7lUq0BDY3_POcpVWGMFij3xZlvzK1MZT7jPBnX5BapaJxqicx7HfAQKwDb6X5Q6qLtzts5EZmvbY5nc8J5TM5E6SyxdMjC8vQzCkdQ/s400/100_7502-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=advinfoo-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000809OAO" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />We enjoyed our evening of dinner and games. It was fun to experience a new dish we typically would not try to cook ourselves. I look forward to the next game night, and seeing how our niece will surprise us with another new recipe.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-40603186409986441172010-07-26T17:14:00.000-07:002010-07-26T17:14:05.652-07:00Trader Joe’s Meatless Corn DogsMy wife and I had to make a quick overnight trip to Seattle last week and we were both very tired when we returned home. I looked in the refrigerator and freezer for something quick to make and found a box of Trader Joe’s Meatless Corn Dogs. My wife enjoys occasionally eating a corn dog, but not caring what goes into some hot dogs (Moo, Oink, Squeak), we prefer a vegetarian product. We used to purchase Morningstar meatless corn dogs, until the parent company Kellogg’s removed them from the market several years ago.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VkVOGTAkmgZV2weae0K9mAh1uJS5sV-W1war4dVhmiFy-Ec4ZUPQN1oFlN0hfWIIWjnmkrC_HSc5o8Bfux7h9uoAc1CC58bQW_m1q5noMi2MtVvOlVU3Rf7OHzOMm7v264oCRRbCMUJ2/s1600/DSC_5391-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VkVOGTAkmgZV2weae0K9mAh1uJS5sV-W1war4dVhmiFy-Ec4ZUPQN1oFlN0hfWIIWjnmkrC_HSc5o8Bfux7h9uoAc1CC58bQW_m1q5noMi2MtVvOlVU3Rf7OHzOMm7v264oCRRbCMUJ2/s640/DSC_5391-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
About a month ago, we purchased the box of four Trader Joe’s corn dogs and when we got home, I placed the box in the freezer until sometime when we wanted a quick meal. This was the time for a quick meal, so I removed the four corn dogs from the box and placed them on a microwavable plate. Following the directions, I microwaved the corn dogs for four minutes, turning them after two minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dpZ4f7RPmHCzN3cDYhVjsBCSFBXipKIIgYN_yxLWQ-vqakUx2hiu8HPH2bDPP38FK9mA37IuB4PRrbMI1nsL6YVjiCVRLmlRltHkTOACvlnESuERJQzAiDfuIB_SiWYdbpKIm26WQERa/s1600/DSC_5392-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dpZ4f7RPmHCzN3cDYhVjsBCSFBXipKIIgYN_yxLWQ-vqakUx2hiu8HPH2bDPP38FK9mA37IuB4PRrbMI1nsL6YVjiCVRLmlRltHkTOACvlnESuERJQzAiDfuIB_SiWYdbpKIm26WQERa/s400/DSC_5392-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I served our corn dogs with some basic yellow mustard. The corn dogs had a nice texture and the meatless “hot dog” inside made from soy, had a nice firm consistency, and looked just like a true hot dog. We were a disappointed in the corn breading, because it was very dry. It was almost necessary to have a glass of water close by to wash down the breading. Even with the addition of the mustard, both my wife and I agreed that because they were so dry, we probably would not purchase these corn dogs again.<br />
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We will continue to look for the perfect meatless corn dog for nights when we want a very quick meal. We also join with the many other disappointed consumers in requesting that Morningstar/Kellogg’s solve their supplier issues and reintroduce their line of tasty meatless corn dogs.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
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</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-66537577356780740902010-07-23T20:39:00.000-07:002010-07-23T20:40:13.794-07:00Bratwurst and OnionsWhen I am busy working on a project, I always look for a relative easy dinner to fix. For this dinner, I had several fresh bratwurst sausages I picked up a few days before at our local store and 1/2 an onion remaining from making <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/bonnies-baked-beans.html">Bonnie’s Baked Beans</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tYD8uWKkpdlxGXdX005PbSMrrl2_AKGp2GRRI-QbB1p__XUpo3QF4FxhpqQm6e4Gu2dyEspL2hGEO3ZLuLhoi9_wxR8Wd-ZOen_y8htZBvr3dYWPUSl8j96rvz6vJsZGjBNxNDW2_YA7/s1600/DSC_5377-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tYD8uWKkpdlxGXdX005PbSMrrl2_AKGp2GRRI-QbB1p__XUpo3QF4FxhpqQm6e4Gu2dyEspL2hGEO3ZLuLhoi9_wxR8Wd-ZOen_y8htZBvr3dYWPUSl8j96rvz6vJsZGjBNxNDW2_YA7/s640/DSC_5377-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I started outside by lighting the briquettes in our barbeque, then went inside and started boiling about four cups of water in a medium sized saucepan. If I had some inexpensive beer, I would have used several cans instead of the water, but I had to use what was available. I added the bratwurst to the boiling water and let them simmer covered for fifteen minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoucel9A5a7LfKgaO74G3Q41NXf5xJn5m4QZnr7W2GcFRgCxHU_PJAmfI8uZWL1LahwKrRA9207_M50vMWU2Q7jvPcN73-5KpEheuXURCt-7R8kdxwWDDmlU4dVhZ-HRNPpdLuOZ48-87/s1600/DSC_5372-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaoucel9A5a7LfKgaO74G3Q41NXf5xJn5m4QZnr7W2GcFRgCxHU_PJAmfI8uZWL1LahwKrRA9207_M50vMWU2Q7jvPcN73-5KpEheuXURCt-7R8kdxwWDDmlU4dVhZ-HRNPpdLuOZ48-87/s400/DSC_5372-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I sliced the onions and tossed them with a small amount of Grape seed oil to keep them moist and prevent burning. With the brats cooking and the onions ready, I went outside and found my barbeque grilling pan and gave it a good cleaning then put the oiled onions in the pan. Everything was ready, so I cleaned the grill on the barbeque, added the grilling pan, put the brats on the grill, and closed the lid.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r1mSRmouySIsVI4aoKt1tQMYRS-o1GJvszgLE8xCO6KDhJXaJy9X5XBpmtO_1VDxR0fQbWi5JX2NAKxGwI_BR9RyUD7OqSfik7-y8VAS3RUbvPiw4F3yh1iXLjWAe0ixvnIOgrq4cNn9/s1600/DSC_5374-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r1mSRmouySIsVI4aoKt1tQMYRS-o1GJvszgLE8xCO6KDhJXaJy9X5XBpmtO_1VDxR0fQbWi5JX2NAKxGwI_BR9RyUD7OqSfik7-y8VAS3RUbvPiw4F3yh1iXLjWAe0ixvnIOgrq4cNn9/s400/DSC_5374-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>About this time, my wife returned from a friend’s house and she brought back a sweet onion. Because there were two of us and ½ a smaller onion doesn’t go very far, I quickly sliced the new onion and added to the other onions already cooking in the barbeque. I turned the brats about every five minutes while cooking for fifteen minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jr0x1R38ekpWGRJvgZZB2h30DBZ3X4f1dsjthaFD1Bcy3qDNAvh6s2VihMX4VT_36OcRRwZGJQglPwbboCXjvTfmV1pA6hdcyva4fw3LulAnY5hTJuZxdmtGbq0duLCt3rnGx-Xrl_nC/s1600/DSC_5375-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jr0x1R38ekpWGRJvgZZB2h30DBZ3X4f1dsjthaFD1Bcy3qDNAvh6s2VihMX4VT_36OcRRwZGJQglPwbboCXjvTfmV1pA6hdcyva4fw3LulAnY5hTJuZxdmtGbq0duLCt3rnGx-Xrl_nC/s400/DSC_5375-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>A little Original Deli style Monastery Mustard for the brats, some raw carrots, and we were ready to eat. We enjoyed our dinner of grilled bratwurst with sautéed onions from the grill. The meal didn’t take much in the way of preparation or attention while cooking, which allowed me to complete my other project while cooking. Sometimes it’s nice to have a simple, quick and tasty meal that allows you the time to do more pressing activities than cooking.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry Howell<br />
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</script></span></div>Kerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-63613744812903295502010-07-19T16:25:00.000-07:002010-07-19T16:25:46.345-07:00Paula Deen’s Hash Brown CasseroleWow, I went for two days without posting a new blog article - we had a busy weekend. Our son and his wife came to stay with us for two days because they were attending a wedding. Saturday, my wife’s family had a gathering so we attended that and I took <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/bonnies-baked-beans.html">Bonnie’s Baked Beans</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/04/sunshine-cake.html">Sunshine Cake</a>, both were a huge success. On Sunday, I decided to make the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/hash-brown-casserole-recipe/index.html">Paula Deen Hash Brown Casserole</a>. I watched her TV program when she made it and I thought it looked good, so I printed the recipe and waiting until we had some company to make it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY6Cm_ZVraymAO6TNtdnWjhhNQPOIFw0EWMr2vrplvJUZL0xy1bl3cEcSy3eNOk5ixZMOh5rHnJwL4JDJDW9NAqJwsbPs2nfOoOq_fkTiBeyLtmwpVX-F1V949KNOzRVAtkpaHV4X1rn5/s1600/DSC_5386-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY6Cm_ZVraymAO6TNtdnWjhhNQPOIFw0EWMr2vrplvJUZL0xy1bl3cEcSy3eNOk5ixZMOh5rHnJwL4JDJDW9NAqJwsbPs2nfOoOq_fkTiBeyLtmwpVX-F1V949KNOzRVAtkpaHV4X1rn5/s640/DSC_5386-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I made the casserole and about the time I took it out of the oven, I noticed a pain in my left lower back that was getting worse. I remembered the downside to potluck family dinners, is you never quite know how someone else handles their food. I let our family eat while I went a laid down to see if the pain would subside. No such luck, I had several bouts of nausea, but none of the other effects of food poisoning. A quick check of the internet showed the appendix on the right side, so that’s not the problem. After suffering with this for 12 hours, my wife convinced me to go to the ER at 9:30 pm to see if I had a kidney stone. After three hours and pokes, prods, and a CT scan, the results came back that outside of a slightly inflamed kidney, all the tests were normal. The doctor thought I might have a pulled muscle, but to take Tylenol, which has eliminated the pain. However, I lost a full day while lying in bed trying to get comfortable and sleeping.<br />
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I confirmed my decision to make this recipe for breakfast when I got up Sunday morning and everyone else was asleep (they had a late night). I had already thawed my one pound of Jimmy Dean Maple Sausage and rummaged around in the freezer to find a loaf of buttermilk bread.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt0WcbI4C3dytGEMbEalMhFNqXEoVTn-xuX3WnledcCNgOm2SqFxwFcLXy-0xiJ1nkFjQhyphenhyphenYltyxwIxYrgbgrGAlvmermc-KURIBj_e69LJPvfi_F_FUViOQLv0KBjAqvMfbdA2JEsa_H/s1600/DSC_5379-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFt0WcbI4C3dytGEMbEalMhFNqXEoVTn-xuX3WnledcCNgOm2SqFxwFcLXy-0xiJ1nkFjQhyphenhyphenYltyxwIxYrgbgrGAlvmermc-KURIBj_e69LJPvfi_F_FUViOQLv0KBjAqvMfbdA2JEsa_H/s400/DSC_5379-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I started by melting the butter in a large skillet while I chopped one-half a white onion. I sautéed the onion while I trimmed the crusts off the slices of bread, this was very easy because the slices were still frozen. Into another skillet, I browned the bulk sausage, realizing after I put the sausage in the pan, the skillet was almost too small so I had to be careful while turning the sausage to keep if from flying out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-xf8AUg5ywg2ojEWhWUkaV7c5Ky2P4yCGgRRtntccfEyuG0l1SATH1UZCIUrtoRiHs6YezUFDxGRinr5yD1pC9vOvnzEEm5yjOaDoBwYHKP3O1d3WDLQuN3AOn0HhvDXhrgXQ4EztOx4/s1600/DSC_5380-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-xf8AUg5ywg2ojEWhWUkaV7c5Ky2P4yCGgRRtntccfEyuG0l1SATH1UZCIUrtoRiHs6YezUFDxGRinr5yD1pC9vOvnzEEm5yjOaDoBwYHKP3O1d3WDLQuN3AOn0HhvDXhrgXQ4EztOx4/s400/DSC_5380-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once the onions were cooked, I added the half package of frozen hash browns to the skillet with the onions and cooked the hash browns for about five minutes. I had to switch from a rubber spatula to one made of metal so I could loosen the browning potatoes from the bottom of the stainless steel skillet. Once the potatoes were cooked, I spread them in the bottom of my prepared 9x13 inch glass-baking pan.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsQOMpLSXqLHF7nk9gK8Dg3rDzNN-sSjQtFOzdCnXjSfQYfLtdxDZ338-R8ljH_CDrPWIFi0C1HiLwxbSvs4HTxyT-MTlQyVeBWHBEjeksV1pjOtJa1KK0-V14kzQsN_GsAJ3ZUracTZ0/s1600/DSC_5381-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsQOMpLSXqLHF7nk9gK8Dg3rDzNN-sSjQtFOzdCnXjSfQYfLtdxDZ338-R8ljH_CDrPWIFi0C1HiLwxbSvs4HTxyT-MTlQyVeBWHBEjeksV1pjOtJa1KK0-V14kzQsN_GsAJ3ZUracTZ0/s400/DSC_5381-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96jRqOBA1W80cx9Be8cNcHm_FiPyFxWXhiT_O8wUIEOSwSXmAeTtok_iyUFaRcXiTL1RPAv3jW_4n-1v1SEJ1A7qNVsecBNFhsBb5E50PheCodKwbF4_Di7Qv4znLfFL4sJR4MRznQ6sr/s1600/DSC_5383-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96jRqOBA1W80cx9Be8cNcHm_FiPyFxWXhiT_O8wUIEOSwSXmAeTtok_iyUFaRcXiTL1RPAv3jW_4n-1v1SEJ1A7qNVsecBNFhsBb5E50PheCodKwbF4_Di7Qv4znLfFL4sJR4MRznQ6sr/s400/DSC_5383-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>On top of the potatoes, I spread the bread cubes over the potatoes and the sausage over the bread cubes. I quickly mixed the egg and 2% milk with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard. I poured the egg mixture over the top of the three layers in the baking pan trying to coat all the bread cubes. I shredded the parmesan and cheddar cheeses and spread them over the casserole then put in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFlmeqQT0Eh5YjdpqQSZy6YltFRNp1a3Dbtr4oo_baKNGp-NSWOLH_GiC4ICmgqtq6FT5DN_Cm6RcNC0riVlOaa-eiAmzouSjrgNORJ5unYpii0E5Ogr1eXbIEJiSi2kGE13dKnQwKVms/s1600/DSC_5385-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFlmeqQT0Eh5YjdpqQSZy6YltFRNp1a3Dbtr4oo_baKNGp-NSWOLH_GiC4ICmgqtq6FT5DN_Cm6RcNC0riVlOaa-eiAmzouSjrgNORJ5unYpii0E5Ogr1eXbIEJiSi2kGE13dKnQwKVms/s400/DSC_5385-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>By now everyone else in the house was up and ready to eat. When the casserole finished cooking, I took removed it from the oven, set it on top of the stove, and told everyone to dig in, and then I left to deal with my back pain.<br />
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I still have not tasted the casserole because the thought of it makes me feel a little nauseous. Everyone who ate the casserole really like the flavors, taste and texture, though it is very rich. Fortunately, my wife has agreed to freeze the remainder because I am not sure I could look at it right now. I do look forward to tasting it in the future, and it seems to be a hit when you have a group people for breakfast.<br />
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Find the recipe here:<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/hash-brown-casserole-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/hash-brown-casserole-recipe/index.html</a></span><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-38024107533193112672010-07-16T18:10:00.000-07:002010-07-16T18:10:08.361-07:00Bonnie’s Baked BeansIn 1978, my girl friend (now my wife) and I accompanied my parents to stay the Trinity Mountains of California at my uncle’s property for a week. Several of my uncles have spent part of their summers improving this property and have made a comfortable summer get-away location. When we visited, the site was still a little primitive (we slept in a large shipping container), but it was a nice place to enjoy the wildlife (rattlesnakes and deer), or go to the Trinity River and try panning for gold.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU66XNPQ1cD0DUXMBRtaMVvuUxaceoS-DbmET4vxK38Qiwz7cFWf6V4BG6kArxJtXbvmNNt5ptxbkSiDxleMwWkQqJLhB9za1HqCMmdkDD8j-61MN7fmRfPKXGySKcJfQp467ujqhW_ci3/s1600/DSC_5371-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU66XNPQ1cD0DUXMBRtaMVvuUxaceoS-DbmET4vxK38Qiwz7cFWf6V4BG6kArxJtXbvmNNt5ptxbkSiDxleMwWkQqJLhB9za1HqCMmdkDD8j-61MN7fmRfPKXGySKcJfQp467ujqhW_ci3/s640/DSC_5371-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
For one of the dinners, my aunt Bonnie made baked beans. We were very impressed an decide these were the best baked beans we had ever eaten. Before we left for home, we asked my aunt for the recipe because we were going to go home and make the recipe. Now 32 years later, we had not yet made the recipe. This weekend we are attending a family gathering and we were asked to bring a side dish to the potluck. We thought this would be a great time to make the baked beans, so my wife found the recipe and gave it to me to make.<br />
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Bonnie’s Baked Beans<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 ½ pounds of ground beef<br />
¾ pound of bacon<br />
1 cup onion, chopped<br />
2 cans pork and beans, (1 pound, 15 ounce, or so)<br />
1 can kidney beans, drained<br />
1 can butter beans, drained<br />
1 cup Catsup<br />
1-tablespoon brown sugar<br />
1-tablespoon liquid smoke<br />
3-tablespoons white vinegar<br />
1-tablespoon salt<br />
Dash of pepper<br />
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Brown the ground beef, drain, and put in crock-pot. Brown bacon and onion, drain and add to crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on low 4 to 9 hours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIIHksIxaxslBW_UmvoSdMrbg5xsl6OnpNaitYXlxMxcoIA234Q72oX4DtCUey9FIvKwaurViwJP78tyPYdzjP8CYTAz9Ni4aPyAF8KmSAGzs_iArPdc37WHOFc99u8sL4qfP1wwy05pB/s1600/DSC_5368-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIIHksIxaxslBW_UmvoSdMrbg5xsl6OnpNaitYXlxMxcoIA234Q72oX4DtCUey9FIvKwaurViwJP78tyPYdzjP8CYTAz9Ni4aPyAF8KmSAGzs_iArPdc37WHOFc99u8sL4qfP1wwy05pB/s400/DSC_5368-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I took a shopping trip to get the ground beef, bacon, and a couple large cans of original flavored Bush Beans. We normally do not eat ground beef because years ago we just missed getting some of the hamburger tainted with Mad Cow disease, now we are better safe than sorry, and this is why we often use buffalo instead of beef. As ground buffalo does not have much flavor, I went ahead and purchased ground beef from a store that only offers naturally raised beef.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_KRAake9PJcME5KtJX8eez1glLqqomX9lA15xvy79aG_HL7F36gNVOgHaDeJqMpU0FRbbYM7Zer3U1Wn-YywM5P7FC0STAXviaWkpmkOb49s6hOndsNFTrl8KUW2_N6OuaYB0BfKDRgu/s1600/DSC_5367-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_KRAake9PJcME5KtJX8eez1glLqqomX9lA15xvy79aG_HL7F36gNVOgHaDeJqMpU0FRbbYM7Zer3U1Wn-YywM5P7FC0STAXviaWkpmkOb49s6hOndsNFTrl8KUW2_N6OuaYB0BfKDRgu/s400/DSC_5367-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Following the directions in the recipe, I browned the beef and added it to the crock-pot, then browned the bacon in two batches. As the bacon comes in 1-pound packages and the recipe calls for ¾ pound, I used some of the bacon to make a BLT sandwich for my lunch. I browned the onions then added the onions and bacon to the crock-pot. Next, I opened the cans of beans and added them to the crock-pot as well as the remainder of the ingredients. I stirred everything together until it was mixed and set the crock pot on low setting to cook for 8 hours. Occasional I would go to the kitchen to stir the beans and sample a small amount to make sure they were edible.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZS7bxXDCYVRltPi8rraUucTZf6sMqD6cQlEN9Bx6Gho5vK-PdalMQepe6_J3c2tNpwhKQPvyOUVnwKLAsZVIvQ-SZGwlGQTcQycvaP2MJdvemCcZCJeSp_K5K203t1IFbC86bQVFD1aX/s1600/DSC_5369-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZS7bxXDCYVRltPi8rraUucTZf6sMqD6cQlEN9Bx6Gho5vK-PdalMQepe6_J3c2tNpwhKQPvyOUVnwKLAsZVIvQ-SZGwlGQTcQycvaP2MJdvemCcZCJeSp_K5K203t1IFbC86bQVFD1aX/s400/DSC_5369-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once the beans finished baking, I transferred the contents of the crock-pot to a large metal bowl to cool. We were surprised to see that there was an area in the crock-pot where the beans had burned to the side of the crock. Fortunately, it was just a small area and the burning didn’t affect the flavor of the rest of the beans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurZKF6Qk956NeUcE8CqsSONQEv270qeaYojqmsyVjogGyI1YzFbuSUN1-ZW1QhCCzu2h_5dZffSx6WTgZl1T-ldTCbWVdKn9vOhsVvCzNx36a7HBD5stsSdXp93SCHTUbHhBJ1JeaXQPL/s1600/DSC_5370-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurZKF6Qk956NeUcE8CqsSONQEv270qeaYojqmsyVjogGyI1YzFbuSUN1-ZW1QhCCzu2h_5dZffSx6WTgZl1T-ldTCbWVdKn9vOhsVvCzNx36a7HBD5stsSdXp93SCHTUbHhBJ1JeaXQPL/s400/DSC_5370-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My wife and I had a small ramekin of the hot beans with our dinners last night (we had to make sure they were ok to serve to others), and we really enjoyed the richness of the flavors. The ground beef added some body to the beans and the seasonings added a nice tangy taste.<br />
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Now that I have finally made this baked bean recipe, I will make it again. Next time, I will only bake the beans in the crock-pot for about 6 hours to make sure that I don’t get the burning I experienced this time. This recipe makes a large amount of baked bean, so next time I make the recipe; I will probably freeze some of the finished baked beans to use later. All I can say is that 32 years after we first tried them, these are still the best baked beans that I have ever eaten.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-6691182314761379992010-07-15T17:02:00.000-07:002010-07-15T17:02:45.616-07:00Quick Artichoke SaladNow that summer is here with very hot days, I didn’t want to heat up the house by using the oven and at 90 degrees, it is too hot to be outside grilling dinner. I went to my stack of recipes to try that I print after watching programs on the Food Network, and I found the recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/quick-artichoke-salad-recipe/index.html">Quick Artichoke Salad</a> by Sunny Anderson.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQBb1DFYwTr5xIryPXgi1jZwKaA69smMZFAeAhi5GX079WNgtOxvsLQlnQdWXJfJ70d86kRubgOJhOegihfuTB4CmJliTNoYHcDfDTpwLHEk4zEh13fFePLagPHFE9aiTfYWvc3Cp4Hjy/s1600/DSC_5351-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQBb1DFYwTr5xIryPXgi1jZwKaA69smMZFAeAhi5GX079WNgtOxvsLQlnQdWXJfJ70d86kRubgOJhOegihfuTB4CmJliTNoYHcDfDTpwLHEk4zEh13fFePLagPHFE9aiTfYWvc3Cp4Hjy/s640/DSC_5351-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E6BKP3eiZRbpuIGKRS85qTXmwi2c93qvu10YwxV9RaNU_9Sr_IQc-0qqf6YFDgVpH7DS2WE2_jYBjBozJX5r6-FKIFxOKL0X6Seqhl-11ZGMGBuSWj3ddEJysrMdH7beQURH0jPrgOos/s1600/DSC_5348-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E6BKP3eiZRbpuIGKRS85qTXmwi2c93qvu10YwxV9RaNU_9Sr_IQc-0qqf6YFDgVpH7DS2WE2_jYBjBozJX5r6-FKIFxOKL0X6Seqhl-11ZGMGBuSWj3ddEJysrMdH7beQURH0jPrgOos/s400/DSC_5348-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>I already had all the ingredients in the pantry and I could see the only item to heat would be the boiling water for the bowtie pasta. I gathered all the ingredients and started to work. The recipe calls for ½ pound of the bowtie pasta, and the bag that I had contained a full pound, so I went ahead and cooked the contents of the entire bag. Because I was using twice the pasta, I doubled the remainder of the recipe. While the pasta boiled, I sliced a full can of black olives, chopped a small red onion (the onion I didn’t double), 8 sun dried tomatoes (I used dry tomatoes, not the ones soaked in oil). I used the remainder (about half) of a supersized jar of artichoke hearts, making sure all the pieces were quartered.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4gChCNvsvsa0Kky4gBods3gsnzylZEWhkPg32BmW2CiRDaL9g1M9thR9j3ji6Cu5YpgrYGSq12X0d4EutqEQlv11Uqhfvgcey2xy3Q2av6RFq3Temj9CcTPqHe9SCyXK3osZVDvIrqe2/s1600/DSC_5349-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4gChCNvsvsa0Kky4gBods3gsnzylZEWhkPg32BmW2CiRDaL9g1M9thR9j3ji6Cu5YpgrYGSq12X0d4EutqEQlv11Uqhfvgcey2xy3Q2av6RFq3Temj9CcTPqHe9SCyXK3osZVDvIrqe2/s400/DSC_5349-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once I prepared each ingredient, I dumped it in a large mixing bowl. When the bowtie pasta were cooked, I drained the water from the pan and added the pasta to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl. I added twice as much of the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil on top of the rest of the ingredients and stirred to mix. I covered the salad with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to cool and for the flavors to mingle for about thirty minutes until we were ready to eat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyjbyluSuOZloR_P68R6YPBjcsLYuhhDQJ1g14nxw7GdYWknC2pGdJ6QMYVv1xPi0sEBTzoG1Hv4veerzq2B8cOZBzqlYzgNmfn7fYnX_LPV6RPk8e8YHue-HU3ngJC9igKLqg-AZyPsy/s1600/DSC_5350-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyjbyluSuOZloR_P68R6YPBjcsLYuhhDQJ1g14nxw7GdYWknC2pGdJ6QMYVv1xPi0sEBTzoG1Hv4veerzq2B8cOZBzqlYzgNmfn7fYnX_LPV6RPk8e8YHue-HU3ngJC9igKLqg-AZyPsy/s400/DSC_5350-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>While the salad cooled, I sautéed a chicken breast in the liquid left over from the jar of artichoke hearts. At dinner time, I served the salad and found that I should have used a large spoon to mix the salad instead of the large fork, because the onion and garlic were still at the bottom of the bowl. Fortunately, when I served the salad, I used a large spoon and mixed everything together to get a good distribution of ingredients. We had a great dinner of the sautéed chicken breast and artichoke salad. We were surprised at how much of the dressing the pasta absorbed and I ended up adding even more lemon juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil to the remaining salad.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmYpIu40O_jSb3WY3n-bq3-pPhUgPPp3oVslHXsIanxmeGCYxGZmKmjV8abdL38l21VCSGbeIAFMb-NUlj5hzP3ekXNpdw2XE844BcF14Bs2BOJMVuh6GzLAzm62SbkExvNaMyhSbAhox/s1600/DSC_5352-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmYpIu40O_jSb3WY3n-bq3-pPhUgPPp3oVslHXsIanxmeGCYxGZmKmjV8abdL38l21VCSGbeIAFMb-NUlj5hzP3ekXNpdw2XE844BcF14Bs2BOJMVuh6GzLAzm62SbkExvNaMyhSbAhox/s400/DSC_5352-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The artichoke salad was very sweet tasting: possibly due to the red wine vinegar. My wife had some feedback for me on the salad. She really liked the taste and ingredients, but she would like more dressing, some additional color interest like raw broccoli and maybe some julienned Italian salami. I realized when I was writing about making this recipe, that I forgot to add the chopped parsley leaves, which would have added some nice color to the salad.<br />
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Neither one of us liked the chopped onion pieces, because the pieces were small and tended to sift to the bottom of the bowl. My wife suggested using quartered strips of the red onion that would stay suspended in the pasta, unlike the small chunks.<br />
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I am keeping this recipe to use again, possibly when we need to take a cold salad to a picnic or a party. I will add some other ingredients like the salami, broccoli, green olives, carrot and whatever else I find in the refrigerator. Hmmm, I should have added some of the fennel bulb and stalk. Oh well, next time.<br />
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Find the recipe here: <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/quick-artichoke-salad-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/quick-artichoke-salad-recipe/index.html</a></span><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-68752415302315332172010-07-14T17:26:00.000-07:002010-07-14T17:26:09.573-07:00Cheryl’s Fresh Berry SurpriseA few days ago, my wife asked if I would like to have some berries for dessert. I was in the other room and I said that some cool berries sounded good. When she returned, I was quite surprised to see what she brought, and that is how we came up with the name.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6N7yaPXLsGdMQ0xVEMpkmLjNQlEAVitW67OrNt2psVKO8ab5wy_4IZRjTIFI9yfKe7GAu0Sp08YMWWbuXwOjY4wsZiEf_5u3x9MKU_8O-oV2rFdEsGj8_YWQZxTM2BDIFS7saw5lSE1y/s1600/DSC_5311-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6N7yaPXLsGdMQ0xVEMpkmLjNQlEAVitW67OrNt2psVKO8ab5wy_4IZRjTIFI9yfKe7GAu0Sp08YMWWbuXwOjY4wsZiEf_5u3x9MKU_8O-oV2rFdEsGj8_YWQZxTM2BDIFS7saw5lSE1y/s640/DSC_5311-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Recently I made the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/lemonade-pie.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+http%2Fadventuresinfood123blogspotcom+%28Adventures+In+Food%29">Lemonade Pie</a> recipe, and as a result, I had a large container of raspberry sauce left over. For several nights, I used a spoonful of the raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream and enjoyed the raspberry flavor with the vanilla.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkIwFMmzWEoVNM4RRQpXMUUN88dnxtg4jnWz_qdAzyOB9x8wxFpmNsqAakORuAjujgPVahu0x9ft2rCgWRmF6_bOtsvLI5LuJCpivVyBH1UCIsaDj7I-HF8OhfFROTcvjA-p3GDJNw1hp/s1600/DSC_5309-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkIwFMmzWEoVNM4RRQpXMUUN88dnxtg4jnWz_qdAzyOB9x8wxFpmNsqAakORuAjujgPVahu0x9ft2rCgWRmF6_bOtsvLI5LuJCpivVyBH1UCIsaDj7I-HF8OhfFROTcvjA-p3GDJNw1hp/s400/DSC_5309-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>For my surprise, my wife washed about a cup each of fresh raspberries and blueberries, drained them, and split the berries into two serving dishes. Next, my wife took the remainder of the raspberry sauce (about two tablespoons) and mixed it with about a cup of Cool Whip whipped topping. She applied the resulting topping to the top of the berries and served.<br />
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We enjoyed the treat of fresh berries with the creamy raspberry topping. The vanilla flavor of the Cool Whip extended the raspberry sauce and gave it a smooth texture, which made a surprisingly flavorful topping. The only problem now, is that we are out of the raspberry sauce, so now I will have to make some more sauce.<br />
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Find the recipe for the raspberry sauce here: <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/lemonade-pie.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+http%2Fadventuresinfood123blogspotcom+%28Adventures+In+Food%29">http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/lemonade-pie.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+http%2Fadventuresinfood123blogspotcom+%28Adventures+In+Food%29</a></span><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-6872217041507200642010-07-13T21:04:00.000-07:002010-07-13T21:04:14.679-07:00Tropical Blueberry SmoothieOne of the recipes I picked up at our Saturday Market from the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is for a Tropical Blueberry Smoothie provided by the Dole Food Company. As we are now in the fresh blueberry season, I decided that making smoothies would be a great dessert after dinner.<br />
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The recipe is very easy:<br />
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple (drained)<br />
1 ripe banana<br />
1-cup milk<br />
1-cup fresh blueberries<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgfJdQp3-LyZJO8UNsKXUzGX6Nw71KsP6XU0rTnUI8IvpRoYwPPJGnA7VswG4YFwKckYUZyDBPpN5ZNMHp2UUdWZ9gVx6ONIDrOtKOrKcA3vAxUctCh07yTn2BwVlPqq_ZzP336SNyapg/s1600/DSC_5354-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgfJdQp3-LyZJO8UNsKXUzGX6Nw71KsP6XU0rTnUI8IvpRoYwPPJGnA7VswG4YFwKckYUZyDBPpN5ZNMHp2UUdWZ9gVx6ONIDrOtKOrKcA3vAxUctCh07yTn2BwVlPqq_ZzP336SNyapg/s400/DSC_5354-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until thick and smooth. As we were having another warm evening, I also threw in a few pieces of ice to make sure the smoothie was very cold and frothy. This recipe made enough to fill two large glasses so both my wife and I enjoyed a glass. When we drank the blueberry smoothie, we could taste the three fruit flavors and enjoyed the thick and frosty consistency. <br />
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This is an easy recipe to make on a warm evening that highlights the fresh taste found in summer blueberries.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-56474155454635087692010-07-12T22:16:00.000-07:002010-07-12T22:16:46.876-07:00Sautéed Chicken Breast with Whole Grain Mustard and SageI found this recipe on the Food Network web site in May while looking for recipes that use chicken breasts. The recipe had a five star average rating, so I printed the recipe and added it to my stack of recipes to make in the future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypp4H4rsAFn3uv3xWohWxvHhBOk3Wuvhxg0RvoX9E2WjL3s9swA0qki7gsl5l_TjsLH8XkIdCIGy4O3W2VrWsw_pZpDH3H4uUidP2MvcazfoozbeCPg8Y_iKs5zvUJ7GP6FLBGRzktYKD/s1600/DSC_5347-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypp4H4rsAFn3uv3xWohWxvHhBOk3Wuvhxg0RvoX9E2WjL3s9swA0qki7gsl5l_TjsLH8XkIdCIGy4O3W2VrWsw_pZpDH3H4uUidP2MvcazfoozbeCPg8Y_iKs5zvUJ7GP6FLBGRzktYKD/s640/DSC_5347-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Yesterday I pulled several recipes to make for meals this week and the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sauteed-chicken-breast-with-whole-grain-mustard-and-sage-recipe2/index.html">Sautéed Chicken Breast with Whole Grain Mustard and Sage</a> came to the top. I am glad that I chose a recipe that didn’t require too much preparation time because we were out running errands for most of the afternoon, and after a brief stop at the store to pick up a few items, it was already early evening and I didn’t want to eat too late.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy57liSIemI-CNrXkFs9OJzWsI_QOQcwgTCPToT9WUy7WCaqfjR9D4Sv6yMkYZ9Z72utaVD7BZ3Hc2i86lDrpx1cXqAiaZNTvgYGeFtAgJ_jgLb1OpdG3-YUnnvsz7h2CUlEVx1WGnLdW3/s1600/DSC_5341-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy57liSIemI-CNrXkFs9OJzWsI_QOQcwgTCPToT9WUy7WCaqfjR9D4Sv6yMkYZ9Z72utaVD7BZ3Hc2i86lDrpx1cXqAiaZNTvgYGeFtAgJ_jgLb1OpdG3-YUnnvsz7h2CUlEVx1WGnLdW3/s400/DSC_5341-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I decided to use our large stainless squared sided skillet for cooking the chicken to help reduce the splattering on the stovetop. While the skillet heated over medium heat, I got out the chicken breasts, sprinkled on salt and pepper, and then dredged them through some all-purpose flour. I have learned that when dredging meat in flour, it is best to shake off the extra flour so that it doesn’t get gooey (this is an instance when less is more). Once the skillet was hot, I added about a tablespoon of grape seed oil to heat. I placed two chicken breasts in the pan to cook and put the last piece of raw chicken in the refrigerator, as three breasts in the pan would have been too crowded.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTqDCv7diEggWtRrgOwY8o-eDg2VqwLVy1_QGTFFdjkg-htwkEXXT3iydN7_jfyx_tgydyoGC6CmJ18LdXSBr80GOam-lzD-ambjRmitQXCWwktftohnNjd3o3RZIRvixNzWCmfdt343l/s1600/DSC_5342-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTqDCv7diEggWtRrgOwY8o-eDg2VqwLVy1_QGTFFdjkg-htwkEXXT3iydN7_jfyx_tgydyoGC6CmJ18LdXSBr80GOam-lzD-ambjRmitQXCWwktftohnNjd3o3RZIRvixNzWCmfdt343l/s400/DSC_5342-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>I used skinless chicken breasts so I let them cook on one side for four minutes. Part way through the four minutes, my wife came in and asked me to turn the fan on full as the smell from frying the chicken was spreading in the house. I said that I am sautéing the chicken; see it says so in the title of the recipe. Oh, wait, hot pan, hot oil, add meat, she was correct that this is frying. I turned the pieces of chicken over and cooked them for another seven minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWSlaQQN3pG1pufxr8zjdveJ88r7910ofRsi3w8BDBb9k6kliUimEeXPn9WDBnIENmcIIzPM4xROiME4D1YbWkdSoxd3P3AAk9_Qje8_e4KXk0WYnlX2rID5tLv8x5rJ2aQ-WC2Kc4TWH/s1600/DSC_5345-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWSlaQQN3pG1pufxr8zjdveJ88r7910ofRsi3w8BDBb9k6kliUimEeXPn9WDBnIENmcIIzPM4xROiME4D1YbWkdSoxd3P3AAk9_Qje8_e4KXk0WYnlX2rID5tLv8x5rJ2aQ-WC2Kc4TWH/s400/DSC_5345-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once the chicken breasts were cooked, I removed them from the pan, placed them on a plate, and covered them with foil to keep warm. I started the sauce by adding ½ cup of white wine to the skillet and stirring with a spatula to deglaze the pan. I had to turn up the heat to medium high and I cooked the wine until it thickened. To the wine, I added the 1 ½ cups of chicken broth, eight fresh sage leaves and let the mixture cook for about six minutes until the sauce reduced by about ¼. I removed the skillet from the heat and whisked in two tablespoons of margarine and 1 ½ tablespoons of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://monasterymustard.com/mustard_shop/product_info.php?products_id=43&osCsid=913b416bf5d54d3d92286b8328c6784f">Deli Original style Monastery Mustard</a>. I tried using my spatula to integrate these two items into the hot sauce, but it just wasn’t working, so I used the whisk as specified in the recipe (I dislike dirtying more utensils than necessary).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCBMtr40R4vqsALyDLY0K_laqFyfXJBgKRlSOSzGIZkZPhNemeD0yGDJwiA8WaXak8PQDKnADFaoQSqK6ieJpeswl0RZP4bdS5jAl07vUFMOy6vgQ0AUNAbzoHgE0Tgca3FoxkIXTJIXM/s1600/DSC_5346-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCBMtr40R4vqsALyDLY0K_laqFyfXJBgKRlSOSzGIZkZPhNemeD0yGDJwiA8WaXak8PQDKnADFaoQSqK6ieJpeswl0RZP4bdS5jAl07vUFMOy6vgQ0AUNAbzoHgE0Tgca3FoxkIXTJIXM/s400/DSC_5346-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I cut the chicken breasts in half (to make sure they were completely cooked), served each half breast with brown rice, topped with about ¼ cup of the sauce. We enjoyed the dinner though the mustard was a little spicy and next time I may only use one tablespoon, but it was still good. The sage leaves in the sauce added a subtle flavor and made a nice garnish on the rice.<br />
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I was unsure if I would make this recipe again until we ate the remainder for our lunch. The chicken was quite flavorful after soaking in the remaining sauce overnight and though the sauce was still a little on the spicy side, it made a very enjoyable entrée for our lunch and my wife asked me to keep the recipe in our meal rotation.<br />
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Find the recipe here: <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sauteed-chicken-breast-with-whole-grain-mustard-and-sage-recipe2/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sauteed-chicken-breast-with-whole-grain-mustard-and-sage-recipe2/index.html</a></span><br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-21722980553677900492010-07-11T13:23:00.000-07:002010-07-11T13:23:27.500-07:00Pulled Pork RollupsAfter cooking the <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/easy-roasted-pork-shoulder.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+http%2Fadventuresinfood123blogspotcom+%28Adventures+In+Food%29">Easy Roasted Pork Shoulder</a>, I was left with a very large bowl of shredded pork, which I distributed, into multiple bags that I sealed and froze. Now that these bags of pork are in the freezer, what do I do with them? With the help of my wife and a friend, we recently came up with one answer to that question.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_3J9MyEvv_uVCtCogHAE8IHokAFeZLcPYqutIQPM1N1ILBjd8Yw6ambWNOoSf1N50nOA4kRdpHyh0uYpyDZeQqh1Wa4BX-IP9gpskEI34GepYTuvOEke9B2qSNRVuewCZdh6riqrLAA5/s1600/DSC_5297-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_3J9MyEvv_uVCtCogHAE8IHokAFeZLcPYqutIQPM1N1ILBjd8Yw6ambWNOoSf1N50nOA4kRdpHyh0uYpyDZeQqh1Wa4BX-IP9gpskEI34GepYTuvOEke9B2qSNRVuewCZdh6riqrLAA5/s640/DSC_5297-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
In a previous blog entry, I mentioned how my wife and I traveled to Corvallis Oregon to stay with a friend. For dinner that night, we volunteered to bring a bag of the thawed shredded pork for dinner. When we arrived we decided to and make pork rollups (soft tacos).<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2-cups pulled pork<br />
1-package tortilla shells (we used six-inch gluten-free rice tortillas)<br />
1-cup prepared guacamole<br />
1-cup salsa<br />
1-cup sour cream<br />
1-cup grated cheese (Tillamook extra sharp cheddar is excellent)<br />
8-miniature sweet peppers, sliced<br />
4-cups lettuce<br />
3-green onions, sliced<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCw7dl9_8D7mwa23PKxmfouTNFgxm6mgRRZKNcEypa2mSc6Xtc6_ep9U-ntiA4igjyy8QDFyJoxXUEhB9StVAOoXXMFfM929ktEKuIBEUK8Mc7_uMssiP51re4NpaiMU2mYQTlXKjPY02/s1600/DSC_5294-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCw7dl9_8D7mwa23PKxmfouTNFgxm6mgRRZKNcEypa2mSc6Xtc6_ep9U-ntiA4igjyy8QDFyJoxXUEhB9StVAOoXXMFfM929ktEKuIBEUK8Mc7_uMssiP51re4NpaiMU2mYQTlXKjPY02/s400/DSC_5294-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We started by washing all the vegetables, and then tearing the lettuce into smaller pieces and slicing the onions and peppers. Next, we grated the cheese and heated the pork in the microwave.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARlA-SMGbyYl4daLBzEkm1otJYhBMIE6RUuaybedrEpwAjBkdl5FcwXXozcYm0NvXplShPEQkt3_ArLtYKf5bAiedxwg5Td1lAGgZvkbyfLqmOkFy24PusfgAOTLl5MXBVtCWQ3iOz_n-/s1600/DSC_5295-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARlA-SMGbyYl4daLBzEkm1otJYhBMIE6RUuaybedrEpwAjBkdl5FcwXXozcYm0NvXplShPEQkt3_ArLtYKf5bAiedxwg5Td1lAGgZvkbyfLqmOkFy24PusfgAOTLl5MXBVtCWQ3iOz_n-/s400/DSC_5295-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The next step is easy, lay one of the tortilla shells on a plate (optionally warm the tortilla), and layer the ingredients on the tortilla. Once the desired mix of ingredients are added, the tortilla can be rolled for eating by hand or left flat for more refined eating with a fork. The biggest problem that I encounter when preparing my rollups is that I use too much of each ingredient, which makes it difficult to roll the tortilla and keep all the contents inside. I guess the answer would be to use a larger diameter tortilla, but then I would just add additional ingredients inside and be back where I started.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2A8xKZs5ZV1ixZsEpweP4grcgRvhIaOvLIUzaxjKGA1SIxbVbXnhxhdHVPvCYNM58lt9NWvdhV4oR74RIeEIeLs1Gag5jnxzltrfbrbF2FC90um2FFchqKucuf9HxsvSzPg7dj6RYreaE/s1600/DSC_5296-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2A8xKZs5ZV1ixZsEpweP4grcgRvhIaOvLIUzaxjKGA1SIxbVbXnhxhdHVPvCYNM58lt9NWvdhV4oR74RIeEIeLs1Gag5jnxzltrfbrbF2FC90um2FFchqKucuf9HxsvSzPg7dj6RYreaE/s400/DSC_5296-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We enjoyed our dinner with the pulled pork rollups. It is refreshing to have the crunch of the peppers to contrast with the other soft ingredients and add some body to the meal. The nice thing about this meal is each diner can make their own rollup with their own set of ingredients. This is also a summer great meal (when it is 90+ degrees outside), the rollups can be made without using the stove or oven. I thought it was a great time to try a new recipe with the frozen pork. One package of shredded pork used, and three frozen packages to go. <br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-56571256805000439992010-07-10T21:36:00.000-07:002010-07-10T21:36:34.221-07:00Saturday MarketToday I took an early trip to the Hillsboro Saturday Farmers Market with the goal of watching the Chef Live demonstration, getting some berries, and a bunch of cut flowers for our house. We had a visitor coming to our house at 10 am and it was necessary that be back by that time, so I arrived at the market around 9 am.<br />
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I walked the length of the market reviewing the offering of fresh berries and their mentally noting the prices. I looked at the pre-made bouquets offered at the four different flower stalls checking out the colors and types of flowers available. As I walked to the area where the Chef Live demonstrations take place, I met Ellen that performs the Chef Live demonstrations. She noted that I was very early today, and that she was just heading out to gather the ingredients for her demonstration of making fruit salad in seconds. Ok, scratch my first goal of seeing the Chef Live demonstration.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMjj9viQPT5esZZihfy1CLafkKq_iCTJyrQvJ6-T18bOLkVf3Pwy5cL8s70G398kYqGdPRdEnizovsZ9i1Y9gLTx4SrthcT5Wzw_Sy7gTA0IsgafkAVU0aiOmnhTOHrcH0TqiZg65IykE/s1600/DSC_5314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMjj9viQPT5esZZihfy1CLafkKq_iCTJyrQvJ6-T18bOLkVf3Pwy5cL8s70G398kYqGdPRdEnizovsZ9i1Y9gLTx4SrthcT5Wzw_Sy7gTA0IsgafkAVU0aiOmnhTOHrcH0TqiZg65IykE/s400/DSC_5314.JPG" width="296" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k2T9hI-qolwT4RjVVFAkFwjEIbCH-NSU3vTSomgWNxdBMV91DSDCAiKeHcxM4sdycJ5eDyem3sTEE54lPyCG-BVjarZCz07xHTtyQtc5Mvb7EfFa32WC4zllyxRdrDd3Mx22CKwrhocz/s1600/DSC_5323-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7k2T9hI-qolwT4RjVVFAkFwjEIbCH-NSU3vTSomgWNxdBMV91DSDCAiKeHcxM4sdycJ5eDyem3sTEE54lPyCG-BVjarZCz07xHTtyQtc5Mvb7EfFa32WC4zllyxRdrDd3Mx22CKwrhocz/s400/DSC_5323-1.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
I walked back through the market to pick a bouquet of flowers. After considering all of the options, I chose a vendor where we have purchased flowers in the past because she offers hardy flowers in a wide variety of colors. The woman who operates the stand was also kind enough to let me come in to her stand and get down on my hands and knees to take some of my favorite type of photography: close-up photos of flowers. I am glad that wore shorts to the market, as once I finished taking my photos, I just quickly wiped the flower stems and petals from my knees and I was off to continue my shopping.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnFm3iqeN-CKMcDNoJ5XAKf82jHiOXkJEgxqQjbyALbDDy2cN0qok4bdZTkHg7Skoy0JUKlf70EnklKz1190aE4PS9KPfgp5U3DiO-Vt-jLcWTH99ddUSiqcdrvXcBn-njkioT6qcV4uG/s1600/DSC_5324-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnFm3iqeN-CKMcDNoJ5XAKf82jHiOXkJEgxqQjbyALbDDy2cN0qok4bdZTkHg7Skoy0JUKlf70EnklKz1190aE4PS9KPfgp5U3DiO-Vt-jLcWTH99ddUSiqcdrvXcBn-njkioT6qcV4uG/s400/DSC_5324-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>With my bunch of flowers in hand, I was headed to purchase some berries, but I was sidetracked by the stand where we occasionally purchase fresh Oregon cherries. I tried a sample cherry and found it to be very sweet and plump. Now I headed to my car with a handful of flowers and two pounds of cherries.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXhgrtO5HeRfkfoEu_wZtamdNLF3drNxRQzjUyfpdNQo14YEhoR6OZSKWlMo6QumnD9yk58xHCA14X_-83oP1BZECbhoDsYu6boJlqb1tYEoTpFoK9NX-qHyiJWtcoMgdBVrqjVj8ncFo/s1600/DSC_5327-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXhgrtO5HeRfkfoEu_wZtamdNLF3drNxRQzjUyfpdNQo14YEhoR6OZSKWlMo6QumnD9yk58xHCA14X_-83oP1BZECbhoDsYu6boJlqb1tYEoTpFoK9NX-qHyiJWtcoMgdBVrqjVj8ncFo/s400/DSC_5327-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Once I dropped off my load, I headed back to the market to pick up a flat of berries. As raspberry season is just about over, I decided to pick up ½ flat of raspberries and ½ flat of blueberries. That should hold us over until next week.<br />
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I see on the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://hillsborocheflive.blogspot.com/">Chef Live blog site</a> that there will not be a demonstration next week, but the last Saturday of the month, Ellen will demonstrate Super Veggie Wrap, so I plan on stopping by and sampling the wraps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpK0q8rZLi2KK1X8sx4s3TW_0GW7KJ-AqVnBjvfrricnRHBQQhC9n_AR4Kh5VL7m-AX0bLHCtBk0OKi2z3K3WdSB1mgHFrhBlPkPDJOK8vc7Lz9ytqhAYAN82RzG71Qou7wjSoIsyuwha/s1600/DSC_5319-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpK0q8rZLi2KK1X8sx4s3TW_0GW7KJ-AqVnBjvfrricnRHBQQhC9n_AR4Kh5VL7m-AX0bLHCtBk0OKi2z3K3WdSB1mgHFrhBlPkPDJOK8vc7Lz9ytqhAYAN82RzG71Qou7wjSoIsyuwha/s400/DSC_5319-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In the end, I was very satisfied with what I accomplished at the market. I purchased flowers, cherries, raspberries, and blueberries. I took some excellent photographs of the flowers, but I missed seeing the Chef Live demonstration. I did make it home in time to store all my purchases and to be ready for the meeting. I have learned that the best selection of fresh produce is available earlier in morning when the market opens, but to see some of the demonstrations, plan to arrive after 10 am. Now I must wrap up my writing for today because I have quite a few blueberries to freeze.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-81746829607389506582010-07-09T11:39:00.000-07:002010-07-09T11:39:52.298-07:00Le Patissier – Raspberry CharlotteHow could my wife and I go to a French bakery and only get a croissant and no dessert? We didn’t! While I ordered the Almond Cream Croissant at<a href="http://www.lepatissier.net/index.html"> Le Patissier</a> in Corvallis Oregon, my wife ordered a more exotic pastry: Raspberry Charlotte. I am sure it was hard for her to choose, as all the dessert pastries in the display case looked wonderful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZimVE95CxqmslyNnF2PXbG_85K0Io_P4U6Huqb-BH2uN2eJtBkIPB316p8v6d4Tfa-dHOTR_Ax_0CZaemC2VvjErglUEdTkql26qIOrT6LbIJo9YXFTx4hvELC2b6hjtf83qILgEjQ30V/s1600/DSC_5303-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZimVE95CxqmslyNnF2PXbG_85K0Io_P4U6Huqb-BH2uN2eJtBkIPB316p8v6d4Tfa-dHOTR_Ax_0CZaemC2VvjErglUEdTkql26qIOrT6LbIJo9YXFTx4hvELC2b6hjtf83qILgEjQ30V/s640/DSC_5303-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsMTh70TNuKyMokax8l4mARH5F58Hnc0bik4sf308VtQhdcJiiJbAiraxR9qGujSU8IP6D5kRTgv3k8oOHDpxORzlIZGRnoE9SYZTkcxnRDxr0VL4n6ZEPT_zdUkVNVGOhrYCiJfqnM6S/s1600/DSC_5302-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsMTh70TNuKyMokax8l4mARH5F58Hnc0bik4sf308VtQhdcJiiJbAiraxR9qGujSU8IP6D5kRTgv3k8oOHDpxORzlIZGRnoE9SYZTkcxnRDxr0VL4n6ZEPT_zdUkVNVGOhrYCiJfqnM6S/s400/DSC_5302-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I thought the Mont Blanc desserts looked delicious and it was not until I returned home and looked at the pictures did I realized that they have little faces drawn in white icing. Those are the same smiles we had on our faces when we were at the top of the <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/05/traveling-chamonix-france.html">Aiguille Du Midi</a> which is just below the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHYVSgbHPcTAzHJxmv1SEhDBF6-hNWY0xKhN4rQdrD4KHIwgCNAPsOnNFiWj62wacqy2mpreV8fQwiTdeh14rD3K0m-8FPfl8F6eEJXPhZ3RXeiwr60XqZe31m_H8_Ro5ePSMLjATzYuy/s1600/DSC_5300-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHYVSgbHPcTAzHJxmv1SEhDBF6-hNWY0xKhN4rQdrD4KHIwgCNAPsOnNFiWj62wacqy2mpreV8fQwiTdeh14rD3K0m-8FPfl8F6eEJXPhZ3RXeiwr60XqZe31m_H8_Ro5ePSMLjATzYuy/s400/DSC_5300-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>There were so many desserts from which to choose. I always enjoy eating the fruit tarts, and éclairs. However, we had never eaten a Raspberry Charlotte, so it was a new adventure for us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr83uBdMf2gPNqjs7Sagtmrd2bqownH3QMwb9u0bk86LvaUFg7vS4jqSma409iZpwVncwyakQd1FnryDjTek7d9X7QKpuCxFOh50Ix7LCdKCYY88y2bVuPlnMo5shasp7igtBCh78SEnF-/s1600/DSC_5305-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr83uBdMf2gPNqjs7Sagtmrd2bqownH3QMwb9u0bk86LvaUFg7vS4jqSma409iZpwVncwyakQd1FnryDjTek7d9X7QKpuCxFOh50Ix7LCdKCYY88y2bVuPlnMo5shasp7igtBCh78SEnF-/s400/DSC_5305-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>While we ate, I managed to arrange a trade with my wife for a bite of my Almond Cream Croissant for a bite of her Raspberry Charlotte. In some ways, I wish I had ordered the Raspberry Charlotte. Looking at the dessert, I thought the outside layer was a hard cookie (like lady finger’s) similar to the recipe I made for <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/06/charlotte-russe-with-strawberries.html">Chocolate Russe</a>. However it was actually a light sponge cake that is baked in a sheet, the back is trimmed to make it thinner and more flexible, and then it is cut to the correct length to fit around the outside of the dessert.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8azf9Bcfvg3Lo5rscGTgAgvIJRyn6AFfaAdN289Ydzjt5une8yAlQii7DqwElJ-J52h2BFgzSA7MEMOtQ66hZHKigQ4BCPmqx9XU1Cqk1cu1FiKHTPPpKCU1Rk1sa8yrP65UA-0kiHWf/s1600/DSC_5306-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8azf9Bcfvg3Lo5rscGTgAgvIJRyn6AFfaAdN289Ydzjt5une8yAlQii7DqwElJ-J52h2BFgzSA7MEMOtQ66hZHKigQ4BCPmqx9XU1Cqk1cu1FiKHTPPpKCU1Rk1sa8yrP65UA-0kiHWf/s400/DSC_5306-1.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
The filling was a very light and flavorful raspberry mousse sitting on a circle of sponge cake and topped with dense whipped cream and white chocolate shavings. I enjoyed my bite and my wife really enjoyed the remainder of the pastry.<br />
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I think that it’s a good thing that the La Patissier is about 79 miles (one hour and fifty minute drive) from our house, because that distance helps me space the amount of time between visits to sample their pastries. I did get a reference from a friend on a French bakery in Portland, so the next time we go on one of the city walks, I may have to go by and check out their offering.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-19139029800653603862010-07-08T21:55:00.000-07:002010-07-08T21:55:17.480-07:00Le Patissier – Almond Cream CroissantThis morning I missed an early viewing of my favorite yearly two-week sporting event showing scenes of France. I am referring to the Tour de France being shown on the <a href="http://www.versus.com/cycling/">Versus channel</a>. On a typical race day, I will get up, get my breakfast, and watch the Tour that I recorded on our DVR starting at about 5 am. However, yesterday my wife and I drove to Corvallis Oregon to spend the night at a friend’s house. Because we were out of town, I had to wait until this afternoon when we arrived home to watch the recorded program.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpe2vNCDHr4h7TNMcFCirkR0TINavwankmpFyysj_jZhJEQhdb3AHGECXNfyL8VzEWDu1xXbF7OWltI2TlzRPQqxoia_oK87ojGzCix8UrbPyM1s-d5rVFE3ynyvwpW-5DI5XzjtTjruu/s1600/DSC_5304-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpe2vNCDHr4h7TNMcFCirkR0TINavwankmpFyysj_jZhJEQhdb3AHGECXNfyL8VzEWDu1xXbF7OWltI2TlzRPQqxoia_oK87ojGzCix8UrbPyM1s-d5rVFE3ynyvwpW-5DI5XzjtTjruu/s640/DSC_5304-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxYNvlsIt7lmcR1wXJjZkqzQJ3uVLYrA7hkDC4gXC88oY0Vt-0fgGV5IQX6s0_7udYaYrn5luSuKYmFBr971bbyalQoiKaNSbLiSbLYV3m5Vo-xsaGpyRoPEvbgsAxKGcJRGdbIdDnh3E/s1600/DSC_5298-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxYNvlsIt7lmcR1wXJjZkqzQJ3uVLYrA7hkDC4gXC88oY0Vt-0fgGV5IQX6s0_7udYaYrn5luSuKYmFBr971bbyalQoiKaNSbLiSbLYV3m5Vo-xsaGpyRoPEvbgsAxKGcJRGdbIdDnh3E/s400/DSC_5298-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Yet this morning I did get a taste of France. My wife and I drove about a mile from our friend’s house to a small French bakery: <a href="http://www.lepatissier.net/index.html">La Patissier</a>. When I walked in the door, the smell told me we were in France! The wonderful aromas found in an authentic French bakery are unlike the smells found in US bakeries. <br />
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I reviewed the display case and looked at all the fine pastries: several varieties of croissants, cream cheese danish, Pain au Chocolat and apple turnovers. We made sure that we arrived at Le Patissier about 9 am, as we knew they often sell out of the popular pastries by 10 am. Now I must admit that I already knew what I was going to order (because my wife brought one home to me the previous week), I ordered an Almond Cream Croissant.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswdBTJBFPUQ6Sgk6e67dQ9jGgzqD003bDryPyk4G2yG5Vz7lrvMTQKWWcla6JR684vUJGEpeYxtP3V-rcm-BGUTKreQ7FhM5lyFIzOLpx3KXuebaupMH1IVBCcNAst1butLAaAGENsLE5/s1600/DSC_5299-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswdBTJBFPUQ6Sgk6e67dQ9jGgzqD003bDryPyk4G2yG5Vz7lrvMTQKWWcla6JR684vUJGEpeYxtP3V-rcm-BGUTKreQ7FhM5lyFIzOLpx3KXuebaupMH1IVBCcNAst1butLAaAGENsLE5/s400/DSC_5299-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>We sat at one of the small tables and enjoyed our pastries while French music played softly in the background. The croissant tasted just as they do in France; just crispy on the outside almost to being burned, but light and soft on the inside. Most croissants offered to consumers in the states are soft rubbery imitations of French cooking. The croissants sold at Le Patissier are the real thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgq4YO8qtxoErG6o0xvocLttLI8n4_WgVM5d5ez9dibvaaUNHOxxeJT1lGZgyhjDGHIEZpEbsUBvmQPt75Hkjec2GlLwUblvgLEXEsQfGMq70X6GNMqVp6y1T4jVefLyG5HnjrqQDFpyv/s1600/DSC_5308-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgq4YO8qtxoErG6o0xvocLttLI8n4_WgVM5d5ez9dibvaaUNHOxxeJT1lGZgyhjDGHIEZpEbsUBvmQPt75Hkjec2GlLwUblvgLEXEsQfGMq70X6GNMqVp6y1T4jVefLyG5HnjrqQDFpyv/s400/DSC_5308-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>What makes the Almond Cream Croissant unique is after it is baked, the croissant is sliced in half, and the center is spread with almond cream. The almond cream is not overly sweet and adds just the right amount of creamy texture in the center of the croissant. I savored every bite of my croissant and felt the only thing missing from my experience was the chatter of people speaking French.<br />
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I may not have been able to watch the Tour de France first thing in the morning, but I was able close my eyes and be transported to France and enjoy the wonderful smells and tastes that I have experienced in the past. Go teams Columbia and Radio Shack! <br />
au revoir.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-79951057699956242112010-07-07T11:12:00.000-07:002010-07-07T11:12:31.435-07:00First Summer BlueberriesLast night my wife and I attended the Hillsboro first Tuesday art walk. I looked at a couple of the galleries then headed off to the Farmers Market because I know that it is now blueberry season – Finally!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OFeseZKU4lOv7FJPH6-z8vIr17Sw4VJNd4K-s9pIFoYzSrbCtGZG7lreWeGVU8d-TgkPPjAB4uSSrrJYXZGaLwo4YKXRqFNn1DEr5KrS8elLumoOxE5-kk5kdpcPBzejO9e36fXBYsaN/s1600/DSC_5291-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OFeseZKU4lOv7FJPH6-z8vIr17Sw4VJNd4K-s9pIFoYzSrbCtGZG7lreWeGVU8d-TgkPPjAB4uSSrrJYXZGaLwo4YKXRqFNn1DEr5KrS8elLumoOxE5-kk5kdpcPBzejO9e36fXBYsaN/s640/DSC_5291-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3GsTKcT7yVLkAjMEyyQwybl48QL0cdtWAFjvbD1mDEKdTdqqtMa9o3T5d3A0A0I5tScbOL01PNx-RqtXmilnjRr1LCtfhLoTz0cEjqpkhLIBDRqGI6-q-4jUM5egHc3OfZO49zyyirBR/s1600/IMG_0344-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3GsTKcT7yVLkAjMEyyQwybl48QL0cdtWAFjvbD1mDEKdTdqqtMa9o3T5d3A0A0I5tScbOL01PNx-RqtXmilnjRr1LCtfhLoTz0cEjqpkhLIBDRqGI6-q-4jUM5egHc3OfZO49zyyirBR/s400/IMG_0344-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>I walked through the market and looked at all the booths offering different food cuisines and enjoying the smell of the different foods cooking. I walked along and admired the classic cars on display, and then went to find the blueberries. There were about six different vendors offering strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries by the pint, half-flat or full flat and I carefully weighed the attributes of the blueberries at each booth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVRgWqofWAtnQdw7SfYWz-y-sSjCFr3b9DqJ3rkYSYW9WGqFwMJjCjS_0-AHWFu8wU2ulDQXUL4NKRwApx7gBlELDgRTPc4bGUFfRZ6vGFXcbE8YtH0FayLHFd4zt7kdjXoMK-Ghi7Yvc/s1600/IMG_0345-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVRgWqofWAtnQdw7SfYWz-y-sSjCFr3b9DqJ3rkYSYW9WGqFwMJjCjS_0-AHWFu8wU2ulDQXUL4NKRwApx7gBlELDgRTPc4bGUFfRZ6vGFXcbE8YtH0FayLHFd4zt7kdjXoMK-Ghi7Yvc/s400/IMG_0345-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I chose to purchase from Van Dyke Farms, one of the local Hillsboro producers because they offer full flats (with large pints) priced at several dollars less than other vendors. I was interested to overhear a conversation about the blueberries and how some of the berries have small brown puckered areas caused by hail damage earlier this spring. These damaged areas don’t affect the taste, but just the appearance of the blueberries.<br />
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By the time we returned home, I had already eaten about ½ a cup of berries. My wife washed a pint and I had about another ½ cup over about two tablespoons of vanilla ice cream. The berries are very firm with a good taste, but they are not as sweet as some years, this is probably due to the lack of hot weather (that should not be a problem next week as we are entering into 90-degree weather).<br />
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This morning I had about a cup of blueberries on my morning cereal, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have several blueberries recipes to test and I am looking forward to sharing the results over the next few weeks.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6276894524129806339.post-24064176344543786422010-07-06T16:23:00.000-07:002010-07-06T16:23:16.457-07:00Potato PalsI recently wrote about visiting the local Hillsboro Saturday Market, and about our friend, that presents the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/06/hillsboro-saturday-market-chef-live.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+http%2Fadventuresinfood123blogspotcom+%28Adventures+In+Food%29">Chef Live</a> demonstrations. Recently, adjacent to the Chef Live booth was a booth representing the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). At the WIC booth, there were discussions and recipes on how to make nutritious yet inexpensive meals.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeC30w08u0sNe9wU0livUwIQHV9uyNOJWOS2oC_iU44h9iQOpKVbQfm_HY9D7fHgnlKJjl16EPxS7iO6PGzCDzr-pM5Y3ejWVayyFD0geMk2vqlClYcMl0FqmxhFcHm6eo5T-RlKcy4ym/s1600/DSC_5289-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeC30w08u0sNe9wU0livUwIQHV9uyNOJWOS2oC_iU44h9iQOpKVbQfm_HY9D7fHgnlKJjl16EPxS7iO6PGzCDzr-pM5Y3ejWVayyFD0geMk2vqlClYcMl0FqmxhFcHm6eo5T-RlKcy4ym/s640/DSC_5289-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I picked up a few of the recipes and decided to cook a few of them and see how they turned out. I was planning to prepare steak for dinner (your basic top sirloin), and wanted a side dishes to accompany the steak, so I chose the recipe for Potato Pals that was supplied to WIC by the Oregon State University Extension Service. <br />
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This recipe is very easy to make, it calls for 1 pound of red potatoes, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, pepper, and some garlic powder. Wash and peel the potatoes, cut into one-inch cubes. Place cubes in a bowl, add the oil, and toss. Place on cookies sheet, sprinkle on the spices and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rC127BV2K2oKA0x1q77xT356dWiyWne-4vWHbj_qUNBSqTOqtSLxs5NKojNRm5frent5nVKYWegE_yx3aIwM9WHV_zpUWnVnLdWUUwA9zCATvmu73m6tOLEolbedkNmCLyQluCs0CUT1/s1600/DSC_5285-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rC127BV2K2oKA0x1q77xT356dWiyWne-4vWHbj_qUNBSqTOqtSLxs5NKojNRm5frent5nVKYWegE_yx3aIwM9WHV_zpUWnVnLdWUUwA9zCATvmu73m6tOLEolbedkNmCLyQluCs0CUT1/s400/DSC_5285-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I didn’t have any red potatoes, so I used one large sweet potato and two russet potatoes. I washed and peeled the potatoes. I cut them into (roughly) 3/4 inch cubes so I would be sure they would fully cook in the allotted time. I placed the cubes in a large mixing bowl, poured in some olive oil, and stirred with a slotted spoon. I dumped the oiled cubes onto my cookie sheet and sprinkled the sweet potato pieces with just a little salt, and sprinkled the salt, pepper and garlic powder on the russet potatoes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESMtnbDJ-qa3d-yAIIxuO3MR4cnVJMrA-c9AVJhyeDm4D5aqqD6D4A1K5SbyrcAvQ8prDEoLFxYPH5TmVZjdc2am2OcwHuOGtIEEovHntxDFb1p-04TxozgKfchfGa7J_RSuLUPnAagZp/s1600/DSC_5286-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESMtnbDJ-qa3d-yAIIxuO3MR4cnVJMrA-c9AVJhyeDm4D5aqqD6D4A1K5SbyrcAvQ8prDEoLFxYPH5TmVZjdc2am2OcwHuOGtIEEovHntxDFb1p-04TxozgKfchfGa7J_RSuLUPnAagZp/s400/DSC_5286-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The oven was already hot because I was trying to <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/02/cracking-case-of-coconut.html">crack open a coconut</a> (I finally used a hammer), so I put the cookie sheet with potatoes in the center of the oven to bake for twenty minutes. While the potatoes baked, I went outside and cooked the steak on our camp stove using the grill that belongs to our indoor range. I didn’t want to make a mess in the house, and our air conditioning unit is the perfect height for me to use as a grill stand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcgYRhS1K5Fmjy1Jttm7YCQGri9XH0zbSOtCY96Itk6Sp3NHvG6sFVx0aZvHv1_MEKqHUHfcnH5X8ViEZgJVo28mnOAISOoSwY9lcz-dmE7WFBM03Y-FX9hOYqMWfL6IeiYwG6jtNH9Ky/s1600/DSC_5288-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcgYRhS1K5Fmjy1Jttm7YCQGri9XH0zbSOtCY96Itk6Sp3NHvG6sFVx0aZvHv1_MEKqHUHfcnH5X8ViEZgJVo28mnOAISOoSwY9lcz-dmE7WFBM03Y-FX9hOYqMWfL6IeiYwG6jtNH9Ky/s400/DSC_5288-1.JPG" width="400" /></a>The potatoes finished baking just after I returned to the kitchen from grilling the steak. I turned off the oven and placed the Pyrex pan containing the steak into the oven to keep the steak warm while I prepared the <a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/03/brussels-sprouts-with-pecans-and.html">Brussels sprouts</a>.<br />
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We enjoyed our dinner of steak, Potato Pals, and Brussels sprouts and finished with ice cream with some of the left over raspberry sauce from the<a href="http://adventuresinfood123.blogspot.com/2010/07/lemonade-pie.html"> lemonade pie</a>. Both the sweet potato and the russet potato pieces were fully cooked and the tops had just the start of some browning. The olive oil kept the cubes from drying out, but next time I would stir the cubes half way through the baking because some of them started to get a little dark on the bottom.<br />
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This was a fast and simple way to make a side dish for a meal. The cubes were bite sized and easy as well as fun to eat.<br />
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Adventures In Food: Author: Kerry HowellKerry Howellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16619152700148535428noreply@blogger.com0