My eBay Auctions

Hi everyone,My eBay auctionshusband's auctions, and his website, for more information on Terri Schiavo.

While I normally don't do much past recipes and White Trash Wednesday on Rachael Ray Redux, I feel very strongly in the ongoing causes for Terri Schiavo, and wanted to do something to contribute to the donations being collected to save her life. Here is the link to my auctions:

The proceeds (minus shipping, insurance and fees) that I get from the auctions that I sell from Sunday's listings will benefit Terri's cause.

Please also see my

Merri's Pancake Recipe

As we wrapped up breakfast today, I thought I could share my pancake recipe with you. My family really enjoys it. To quote my son, "Mommy....your pancakes are even better than CEREAL!" I hope you enjoy them just as much!

*for those of you who are unfamilar with the terminology, "scant" means just short of the measurement. For this particular recipe, I put slightly less than 2 cups of milk into the batter.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (scant*)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp melted butter

Instructions

Sift the first three ingredients together. Add the eggs, stirring slightly. Gradually add in the milk, stirring (I use a fork or a whisk) until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and add the melted butter last, mixing until smooth. Heat a non-stick frying pan or a griddle to medium/medium-high heat. Pour desired amount of batter into pan (it will spread a bit), turn when bubbles form and start to pop. Cook other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings.

I have to admit that my favorite toppings are a strange combination. When the pancake is piping hot I spread peanut butter lightly on it and it melts just like butter. I top it with maple syrup. It tastes AWESOME!

When Trash Meets Seamen!

I done saved my best recipe for last. My ole man, he used to be a seaman (you know, the boys in those doggone handsome sailor uniforms). He brought home this recipe for S*&% on a Shingle (S.O.S.). While I rectum ya'll might want to stick with the recipe since you aren't a gormet chef like myself, I will also say I use good old ground chuck instead of the chipped beef - that stuff can be damn pricey!
Melt butter or fat in pan, then add the beef. Cook 3 minutes, or until brown. Add 2 cups of milk, but save the last 1/4 cup for later. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add flour to thicken, followed by leftover milk. Thicken to a glue-like texture, then pour over toast.

S.O.S. (dedicated to my seaman)

5 oz. of dried or chipped beef
2 1/4 cups of milk
2 tbs. butter or fat
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
6 slices of bread, toasted

When Texas Meets Trash - Tortilla Weenie Wrap

There ain't nothing easier than this recipe, I'll reckun with the exception of your sister Twila!

Tortilla Weenie Wrap

1 hot dog
1 tortilla
1 piece of store brand sliced cheese product

Put the cheese on top of the hot dog, wrap the tortilla around the works. Heat in the microwave until the cheese melts and the hot dog is warm (around a minute, dependin' on how old that there microwave is).

You can dip it into some taco sauce. I make it simple by using those, uh, left over packets from Taco Bell. Deeelish, ya'll!

When East Meets Trash - Hot Dog Fried Rice

There ain't no one outta there that can say we don't know how to cook a good meal loaded with culture. We ain't nobodys just cuz we don't have them fancy knives like that broad Rachael Ray (although she does have a garbage bowl - same as a trash bowl, I reckun!).

I like livin' classy and you can too, by serving up this meal that all yer family will not soon fergit.

Hot Dog Fried Rice

3-4 Hot Dogs, cut up into chunks (1 serving for each person ya'll are cooking for)
Minute Rice, cooked, enough for all of your eaters
An onion, chopped up
Some Soy Sauce (I use the packets from that Chinese diner in the mall)
Some eggs, scrambled

Take the hot dogs and fry 'em up in a pan. Add the onion and sweat it out (fancy talk, ain't it?). Put the rice in the pan and stir it all up with that soy sauce. Once that's all done, then throw in your eggs, and let them cook until done.

There you have it. If yer kin don't usually like Fried Rice, since there's hot dogs in there, you can serve it with some catsup and relish, if they like that kind of thing. I usually follow it up with a fortune cookie from that there Chinese diner we talked about earlier. Or a Ding Dong - they are good with everything!

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume VI

We're at it again! Me and my hillbilly friends invite you to pull up a chair and drink a shot of Cactus Juice as we roll out another "White Trash Wednesday!"

Please visit the trailers of my kin - I done listed their locales off on the lower right of this here page!

See ya'll tomorrow!

Mexican Chef Salad

This is a great recipe for a salad my sister made when I was growing up. It sure brings back memories!

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small to medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of chili beans, a little of the juice drained
1 head of lettuce, chopped into salad sized pieces
3-4 small tomatoes, chopped into pieces
1 package of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican 4-cheese, but you can use any you prefer)
1 small bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos (not the super size)

Instructions

Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in skillet. Add the taco seasoning during the browning process. Mix in the can of chili beans, heat through.

In very large bowl, toss together lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add the beef/bean mixture, mixing thoroughly. Right before serving, crush down the Doritos, and add to the mixture, coating completely. Serve in large bowls. You can serve with Ranch dressing, sour cream, green onions, guacamole, salsa, or any other topping you like.

Roasted Garlic Recipe

My dad and I have often joked about the fact that we must have Italian ancestry through his family - we both love Italian food! We'll never know for sure - Dad was adopted - but decided it doesn't matter anyway, because we'll eat like we are. For me, I am always seeking out Italian style recipes that are new, bold and fun to learn. One element that I discovered in many of the new dishes I found was roasted garlic. I looked awhile before I found a roasted garlic recipe that I liked and was easy to do.

What's so good about roasted garlic? Garlic has a pretty bad reputation for being bitey, smelly and overpowering, right? Well, roasting garlic will mellow out the flavor and aroma, while developing a flavor that is incredible - sweeter and much more subtle than its raw form. Many of the dishes you see in restaurants that have a garlic cream sauce (or a cream sauce of any kind, at times) will be made with roasted garlic. Additionally, it is unbelievable what roasted garlic will do to a nice garlic bread (I'm drooling just thinking about it!) - and you can even spread it like butter on a piece of crusty bread. Trust me on this - this is a good recipe to have in your hip pocket to pull out as needed.

Ingredients

1 head of fresh garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - aka EVOO - (no substitutes), enough to coat

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the head of garlic into individual cloves. Do not peel the skin off. Place the cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil and toss them in a teaspoon or two of EVOO (just enough to coat the cloves).

Fold the foil into an airtight pouch and place in the oven for about 30-45 minutes (I put on a cookie sheet "just in case"). When the garlic is done, and cooled a bit, simply squeeze it out of the skin - the flesh should just slide out simply - like toothpaste. Use it in your favorite recipes, or you can refrigerate in an airtight container for a few days.

Rachael Ray's Super Sloppy Joes

So, for a long time I used to crack open a can of sloppy joe sauce and mix it with some hamburger for a quick meal for the family. Then I saw the "30 Minute Meals" episode where Rachael made these homemade sloppy joes. They are awesome. The flavor is so much better and doesn't have that processed taste the canned versions do. Rachael also shared her potato salad recipe on the show, which is an excellent compliment to sloppy joes. I do have to say I believe my potato salad recipe is better - sorry Rachael!

Once you make these sloppy joes, you will have a hard time going back to the canned stuff, I promise!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted and buttered (I don't butter mine as a preference)

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

My Two Cents: I recommend chopping the onion and red peppers fairly small - then you can get the kids to get their vegetables in because they won't even know they are eating them!

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Me and My Old Man, a White Trash Love Story

Many of you wanted to know the real story 'bout how me'n my old man met. Well, I'll do my best, but it's so hard to 'ticulate in writing our amazing love story. Welp, here goes...

Me and my old man met in Hi-Vue Trailer Park during a tornado. Those underground shelters are good for something after all! Well, that is until Ma and Pa got a bit upset after we didn't come out for awhile.

Talk about a shotgun weddin'! It wasn't long after this picture was taken of Ma and Pa that the old man and me discovered we were gonna be a Ma and Pa, too. Here we are on our weddin' day. That Brittany and Kevin Federline ain't got nothing on us!

Fast forward 5 kids later, and about 20 dogs, we're doing just fine, even with that little paternity show we went on with Jerry Springer. I told the ole man that Earl was his kid - hell he had his dumbo ears'n everything, but Jerry worked it out for us. Well, I guess that's thar another story. Here's a picture of some of our pooches getting their baths:

For $10 for the lot of them, you can't blame us for hiring George and Geraldine - they wash 'em all up in less than an hour.

Anyway, me and my ole man is doing fine. I got to thinking about Valentine's Day and how romantic he has been. He's got me some pretty amazing stuff to honor our love. Some I can think of is a new Jello mold (shaped like a razorback, our favorite mascot!), Spam flavored condoms, gift certificates to the Wal-Mart snack bar, and some grease for that squeaky front door hinge. I've got him some pretty darn nice stuff, too, including some new cinderblocks for the trailer, some clear floormats for the old Ford and a tattoo on my right ass cheek with a picture of his favorite pet pig "PicNic." This year's Valentine's Day was really special. Our old trailer was a shambles, and instead of fixin' her up, my old man got me a new one. Look at this...it's out and out purty:

We just had Uncle Eustus haul the old one away and within the day, we were set up. What a great Valentine's Day! So, given I cook and all, I thought I'd set him up with an extra special Valentine's Day spread. I figger, a way to a man's heart is through his tummy, lest that's what Mamma said. Here's a picture of our meal (the old man likes Coors Lite tallboys and I like wine...spam is our favorite, iffin you didn't already know that):

So, that about sums it up for a most beautiful relationship, don'tcha think?

My next journal entry will probably be about my Uncle Eustus. He needs to go find himself. He's got interesting choices for dates since Aunt Pearl passed away.

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume V

We're at it again! Me and my hillbilly friends invite you to pull up a chair and drink a little Mad Dog with us as we roll out another "White Trash Wednesday!"

Beautiful Atrocities
Cranky Neocon
Cry Freedom
Dangerous Logic
Fistful of Fortnights
Fragile Darkness
Hector Vex's Infotainment
It Is What It Is
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Rachael Ray Redux
Riehl World View
Six Meat Buffet
The Ebb & Flow Institute
The Jawa Report
The LLama Butchers
Vince Aut Morire

Cooking 'Round the Clock by Rachael Ray

Bacon-Wrapped shrimp and Scallops

Ingredients:

12 jumbo shrimp (16-20 count per pound), raw, peeled and deveined 12 large sea scallops, trimmed and well drained Grated zest and juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon flavored oil* 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (Montreal Seasoning by McCormick), or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 12 slices center-cut bacon, cut in half toothpicks 3 scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place shrimp and scallops in a shallow dish or bowl. Dress seafood with lime zest and juice, oil, grill seasoning blend, and red pepper flakes. Wrap each shrimp and scallop in a half-slice of bacon. Wrap each shrimp working from head to tail, pulling bacon snugly around the shrimp. Wrap the bacon around the outside of each scallop. Fasten bacon in place as necessary with toothpicks.

Arrange shrimp and scallops on a slotted baking pan, such as a broiler pan, to allow draining while bacon crisps. Bake shrimp and scallops until shrimp is pink and curled, scallops are opaque, and bacon is crisp, 10 to 14 minutes (shrimp may finish before the scallops).

Arranged cooked seafood on platter and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Have Your Cake & Eat It, Too!

Okay, I'm not necessarily known for doing a lot of baking - I'm more a cook than a baker. I agree with Rachael Ray - cooking is more of an art (a dash here, a dash there) and baking is more of a science (exact measurements). I'd much rather throw something together than measure it! But this cake is very simple, and it is SOOO good. It is especially good when you are missing summer - with the mandarin orange and pineapple, it is like a slice of 80 degree weather, sunshine and tanning oil!

Mandarin Orange Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can mandarin oranges and juice
3/4 cups oil
4 eggs

Instructions for Cake:
Mix all ingredients well, and pour into 9x13" lightly greased pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Ingredients for Frosting:
9 ounces of Cool Whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 large can crushed pineapple & juice

Instructions for Frosting:
Mix together with spoon and let sit a few minutes. Frost cake and refrigerate.

Happy Valentine's Day!

...to all my readers! I hope your day was a good one!

I had a chance to cook my hubby a nice dinner last night (we celebrated a day early) - cooked him a nice

ribeye steak and some jumbo spicy garlic shrimp with a baked potato. He doesn't like mushrooms, but I made some mushrooms with garlic and other seasonings to compliment my steak. YUM!

I got him a 2-year subscription to Limbaugh Letter for Valentine's Day and he got me this. What a sweet guy!

Chili Verde Recipe

As many of you are aware, I lost my mom to cancer in late January 2005. This is one of my favorite recipes of Momma's that I had the priviledge to learn prior to her passing. Here's to you, Momma! Ingredients: oil (such as canola, vegetable or corn oil) to cover bottom of large pot 1.5 pounds of good steak (the kind you'd grill, so it can get tender), cut into 1" pieces kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 jalepeno, ribs & seeds removed, chopped (or more to suit the "burn factor") 2 small cans of diced green chiles 36-oz of diced tomatoes (however many cans this takes - I get to used home canned...YUM!) 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium high heat. Once hot, pour in oil. Add batches of cubed steak, seasoning with salt and pepper, cooking each batch until browned (you want to cook in batches, or you won't get decent browning - I usually break it into thirds, reserving the cooked meat on a plate). Once all batches are cooked and removed from the pot, add the garlic, onion and jalepeno, cooking until the onions are tender (this also allows you to get those yummy "bits" from the bottom of the pan). Once the vegetables are tender, add the meat back to the pan, stirring. At this point, add the diced green chiles and tomatoes, juice included. Bring the mixture up to a bowl, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After this, add the diced potatoes and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Bring back up to a boil, cover and simmer another 30-40 minutes, removing the lid the last 10 or so minutes of cooking. Serve with warm tortillas for dipping (or for making "burritos").

My two cents: My mother grew up in New Mexico and lived in Texas many years. This dish was one of her best, and even though it seems like it might take awhile, it is worth the wait. This is a recipe I will pass down to my children. It is just that wonderful!

Curbside Cat "Poopsie"

Recipe Courtesy of Buck Peterson

Preparations:

1. Skin & clean "Poopsie" like you would a squirrel.
2. Stuff cavity with dressing & tie front legs back & back legs forward
3. Lay breast down in low baking pan, uncovered, with bacon stips across back.
4. Roast at 325 degrees for one hour, remove and make gravy from drippings.
5. As you dig in, recall all the midnight howling and torn garbage bags.

Mmmmmm....good fixin's! You remember the "Meow Mix" Jello mold that ole lady brought to dinner at the Griswold's in "Christmas Vacation?" What a perfect compliment to this main course!

Squirrel - Treetop Tidbit Stew

Recipe Courtesy of Buck Peterson Preparation: 1. Cut up squirrel carcass into 4 pieces. 2. Brown pieces in oleo 3. Cover with water, season very lightly. 4. Simmer until almost done. 5. Add diced, sliced, shredded favorite vegetables. 6. Mix 1/2 cup water and 6 tablespoons flower and thicken brew. 7. Now cook until done.

I serve this with a fine dessert of twinkies or ho-ho's. Sometimes a nice warm poptart will top it off nicely! Also, don't forget the heel of a loaf of Wonder bread - dip it in the brew and you'll be in heaven!

White Trash Cooking - Preparations for Road Kill Shoppin'

Now Ya'll - I know what you are thinking....that the idea of eatin' road kill is just a myth. Well, I'm here to prove you wrong. I have a bible here at my double-wide, and it is called "The Original Road Kill Cookbook." My buddy "Buck" Peterson compiled this book. 'afore I give you any recipes, you must prepare for your adventures in the discovery of fresh road kill quisine. Here are a few pointers from our friend Buck:

Where to Shop (automobile required, rusty truck preferred):

Near Water
Near a Game Refuge
Around Deer Crossings
Near Heavy Cover (you know - trees, cornfields!)

What you Should Put in the, um, Shopping Cart (Yeah, the Family Truckster):

Chainsaw
Shovel
C.B. (what good person doesn't have a C.B.?)
Rope
Canvas or Tarp

*Note - there are other less obvious necessities according to Buck - like enough gas to get you quickly home. Once loaded, don't speed and give the "badges" a chance to score your booty, though!

Here's a link to Buck's webpage - iff'n you want to order any of his books. Be looking for some mighty tasty recipes coming up, courtesy of his "Road Kill Cookbook."

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume IV

Hi ya'll,

If you've visited my site over the last month, you will know all about "White Trash" Wednesdays - a time about a dozen of us bloggers get together and poke a little fun at our families, heritage and something close to my heart - the food we eat!

Just to prepare you for tomorrow - think "Road Kill." YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Here's a list of participating blogs. Just e-mail if you'd like to join in the fun!
Beautiful Atrocities
Cranky Neocon
Dangerous Logic
Fist Full of Fortnights
Hectorvex
It Is What It Is
The Jawa Report
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Rachael Ray Redux
Riehl World View
Six Meat Buffet
Vince Aut Morire

Get the Breathmints!

I have got to say one of my most favorite items in the food world is garlic. I love it with meat, with pasta, with potatoes, with most everything (unless we're talking dessert!).
Enjoy!

I'd like to share two recipes, courtesy of Rachael Ray, that are easy to fix, and are easily served together due to their common theme - garlic!

4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
4 cloves of garlic, crushed away from skin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
2 tsp grill or steak seasoning blend (Montreal Seasoning by McCormick is best!)
1 lemon, jested and juiced
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves (a handful)

Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add EVOO, garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Season with grill seasoning (you can also use course salt and fresh ground pepper) and cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink. Toss with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley. Remove shrimp to a serving platter, leaving the garlic cloves in the pan.

Roast Potatoes with Rosemary (and GARLIC!)

Ingredients
2 pounds small potatoes (baby Yukon gold or red skins)
6 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
2-3 tbsp EVOO (enough to just coat the potatoes)
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees or highest setting.

Halve the potatoes and place on cookie sheet (I line mine with Reynolds Wrap Foil - makes for easier clean up!). Combine with garlic. Coat potatoes and garlic with oil and season with rosemary, salt and pepper.

Place on lower rack of oven and roast 20-25 minutes, turning potatoes once (around 12 minutes). Continue roasting until golden and crisp at edges.

WTW Presents: All Day Spam!

Whodathunk that I would have waited this long to give you some great ideas for using SPAM? Spam is so versitile, and will easily fit into your budget. You should always have a few cans of this bodacious potted meat on hand!
water, based on noodle instructions*the beauty of this is that you can pick any flavor you want, since we aren't sure exactly what kind of meat SPAM is made from - seems like everything goes with SPAM!

Breakfast: SPAM 'n EGGS

Ingredients:

1 can of Classic SPAM
6-8 eggs, scrambled
salt and pepper to taste
Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste (optional)
2-3 slices of store brand American Processed Cheese Food (optional)

Instructions:

Cut up the SPAM into small squares. Place in hot skillet, cooking until the meat carmelizes slightly. Add the eggs, salt, pepper and hot sauce, consistently stirring in the pan until the eggs are cooked. You can add the processed cheese food slices at the end, mixing the slices into the mixture. The cheese should melt quickly, adding an additional layer of flavor.

Serve with buttered toast, preferrably Wonder Bread.

Lunch: Grilled SPAM and Cheese, served with Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

2-3 slices of SPAM, sliced thinly
1 slice of store brand Processed American Cheese Food
2 slices of Wonder Bread
oleo, enough to cover each slice of bread evenly

1 pack of Ramen Noodles*

Instructions:

Heat up small skillet. Place SPAM and cheese food between the wonder bread. Spread oleo on the outside of the sandwich and cook in frying pan until done.

While the sandwich is cooking, prepare Ramen according to package instructions. For added flavor, add 10-12 chunks of SPAM to Ramen Noodles, taking time to ensure the SPAM is heated through prior to serving.

Dinner: French Fry SPAM Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (20-ounce) bag frozen french fry potatoes thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 SPAM® Classic (12-ounce) can cubed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup finely crushed corn flakes

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and soup. Stir in SPAM, bell pepper, and green onion. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with crushed flakes. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

This tastes great served with saltine crackers on the side for dipping.

Dessert (YES, EVEN DESSERT!): SPAM Jell-O

Ingredients:

2 packages Jell-O, any flavor
Water and ice, according to Jell-O package instructions
1 can of Classic SPAM

Instructions:

Prepare Jell-O following instructions for making a mold. Cut up SPAM into small pieces and add to Jell-O mold. Refridgerate until set, then serve.

See? SPAM is the most versatile food you have in your cupboard. Your family will truly appreciate your creativity and excellent culinary skills as you prepare these amazing meals!

"White Trash" Wednesdays, Volume III

Hi ya'll!Riehl World View
Beautiful Atrocities
Cranky Neocon
Dangerous Logic
It Is What It Is
MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Six Meat Buffet
Vince Aut Morire 

Join me and my friends for the third installation of "White Trash" Wednesdays - a light-hearted, fun poke at my family and friends, particularly those left in my home town in the backwoods of Nebraska...and maybe a few other fellow white folk.

This week, I will be focusing on everyone's favorite food - SPAM (not to be confused with those darn emails you route to your junk folder!).

Here are the other "white trash" folk participating this week:

Hush, Puppies!

I had a chance to cook for my dad and my hubby the other day, and cooked them some battered cod, fried potatoes and onions and thought I'd take a shot at some hush puppies. This recipe was good - my hubby gushed about how good the meal was, particularly these little guys!

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt to taste (I found it takes quite a bit)
1 tsp (or more) Louisiana hot sauce, to taste
1/2 medium onion, minced very fine
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

Heat oil (canola, vegetable, peanut or corn) to 350 degrees. If you are using a fryer, follow your fryer's instructions. If you are doing this over the stove, you want 2-1/2 to 3 inches of oil in order to fully immerse the hush puppies while frying.

Mix the first 4 ingredients, the dry ingredients, together until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing until moist. The mixture should hold well together. Take a table spoon and scoop out a small ball of dough and, using another table spoon, drop it into the hot oil. Repeat until you have several hush puppies frying at once. You will want to allow room for them to cook properly - they typically should not touch each other in the oil.

Cooking time will depend on how dark you would like the outside of the hush puppies. The dough is completely cooked when the hush puppy starts to float on the oil. I typically like mine to be pretty brown, so I continue cooking until the color reaches the right shade. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.

My 2 cents: I like to serve hush puppies and other similar items with fish, but they would also go well with many other items - steak and fries, as a dipper for soups, etc.

...and Now....

....back to our regularly scheduled programming!