Today is Friday....Steak and Lobster day at Emerald Island Casino.  They walk around the casino with goodies for you to snack on and fried pickles is one of their snacks... I thought I would share with you my favorite recipe for the fried pickles.  Here is my recipe:

1 jar of dill pickles or hamburger dill slices
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
4 dashes hot sauce
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Canola oil for frying

Preheat about 2 inches of oil in a large pot to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl combine buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce.  Beat with a fork to combine.  Drain pickle juice from pickle jar, add pickles to buttermilk mixture.  Stir to combine
Drop into hot oil in batches.  Drain on paper towel....then enjoy!!

Well I have some news for you....it has been dreary and rainy for 2 days here in Las Vegas...very unusual for us!  So good days to bake and make some great new dishes. But instead of cooking I was busy planning my Thanksgiving menu.. I came across this recipe and would like to share with you.  I think I will make this as part of my dinner this year. Here is the recipe:

Wayne's Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 16oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Combine water and sugar in pan and bring to boil. Add the cranberries and return to boil,then reduce heat and let simmer.  Add the apples, walnuts, Grand Marnier, orange and lemon juices, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.
(if you like raisins you can add 1/2 cup to the mixture)
Enjoy!!

Today is Wednesday, November 13, 2013.  Beautiful day here in lovely NV.  Went to eye doctors today and had a great check up.. I love good news from doctors. My Grandson is in college at UMES and has a radio show for one of his subjects..I tuned in tonight and we talked about food.  It was so much fun to interact with the people on the radio show through text and talk about the one thing I do love and that is cooking so needless to say after talking about it I felt I needed to post today.
This is what was on my mind. Clinton Kelly's recipe for Spicy Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin.  Here is the recipe:

1 medium onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt
1/2 cup of butter (more is needed)
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan (grated)
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
 black pepper
1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (1/2 to 1 inch cubes)
salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent.  Set aside
Melt butter and mix with flour in a sauce pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add the milk.
Stir until starting to thicken.  Remove from stove and add the cheeses and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss broccoli and cauliflower (broken into smaller pieces) into a buttered oval baking dish and cover evenly over the vegetables.
In a large bowl mix the breadcrumbs with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Top the vegetables with the breadcrumb mixture and bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

Well I am really enjoying our weather here in NV....just lovely and good for cooking some good food.
Today I will be making my Amish slaw...so good and a big hit with all who have tried it.   Here is my recipe:

I head cabbage (shredded)
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. regular mustard
3/4 cup oil ( I use canola)

In large bowl toss the cabbage and sugar together..set aside
In sauce pan mix the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 tsp. sugar, mustard and oil.
Bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Cool completely and then pour over cabbage...always better the next day!

Enjoy!

Today is Halloween!! Boo!!!!  I am going to dinner at my friend's house tonight.  We do not have trick or treaters in my neighborhood so Edna is having dinner for Marge and myself...We are having roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy...Marge is a very picky eater so we have limited menu to work with.  I am bringing dessert and snacks...
My Bruschetta is always a hit so here is my recipe:

I french baquette
Tomatoes
Red onion
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella
salt and pepper
olive oil
garlic clove

In a bowl mix together chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped basil, chopped fresh mozzarella (chop into small chops so it will fit on bread), salt and pepper.  Drizzle oil olive (and sometimes I drizzle some balsamic vinegar) over all and stir...Set aside to let the mixture marinade while baking the bread.

Slice the baquette on an angle and place on cookie sheet... bake in oven until the bread looks toasted.  As soon as you remove from oven rub each slice with a garlic clove.
Place some of the marinaded mixture on each slice of baquette and serve....

Enjoy!

There are many variations of bruschetta so don't be afraid to be creative...

Friday the 11th of October.....gosh where has this year gone?  Weather is getting cooler and time for some good comfort food.  I love to make stews, soups and crock pot dishes this time of year.  Also thinking ahead about my Thanksgiving menu.
I always make my sweet potatoes with walnuts and apples....just delicious.
Here is the recipe.

3 or 4 sweet potatoes
1 granny smith apple
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of King syrup (if don't have King syrup use honey or molasses)

Cook potatoes until fork tender.  Cut into pieces.
Peel and chop apple
Add the other ingredients and put in oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Well today is the 2nd of October 2013....just got back from visit to MD to see all my friends and family...had a great time and enjoyed every minute of my time there....also good to be home!
My son has left for MD as of yesterday and will be starting a new life there with family and friends...I wish him all the best and will be praying for him each day.... We had steaks for dinner before he left and I also made some stuffed tomatoes  which he enjoyed....here is my recipe:

 4 Whole ripe tomatoes
 4 cups bread that you have torn or cubes
 1 onions diced
 2 ribs of celery diced
 1 tsp of poultry seasoning
 1/2 stick of butter


Whole ripe tomatoes...cut the tops off and scoop out the middle putting it in a bowl to use later.

In a skillet saute onions, celery and some poultry seasoning in butter.
Add this to bread that you have cubed and mix well.  Then add the part of tomato that you scooped out.
Stuff each tomato and then dot with a pat of butter.   Bake at 350 until done. (approx 30 minutes)

Enjoy!