I'm BAAAAACK!

Wow, it has been forever. After a busy, busy winter and an equally busy summer, I'm back with a redesigned blog and logo! I promise to try and keep blogging.  I swear.  To kick off my return, I present to you slow cooker chili mac! I just got a slow cooker and I have been testing out new recipes.  Fall is slowly making its way to winter and slow cooker recipes are just what I need on these frosty days. Also I can't wait to come home from skiing to enjoy a meal waiting for me in the slow cooker.

This chili is perfect for this autumn weather.  I prefer chili made with chuck roast but the BF likes ground beef chili better but this chili has good beefy flavor.  I am also of the Texas style chili persuasion- NO BEANS!  I made the chili in my slow cooker but you can easily make it on the stovetop.






 



TBC Slow Cooker Chili
makes 6 portions


3 slices of bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1½  lb. ground beef
½  tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cumin
1 TBSP. chili powder
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 can of water
7-8 drops hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat a skillet to medium heat.  When it is ready add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Next add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, spices and ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon.  Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and using the same tomato can, add 1/2 can of water. Stir to combine.  Add beef and tomato mixture to slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours.  If you don't have a slow cooker, bring the beef and tomato mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer on the stove top for 4 hours.

NO Fry Corn Dog Maker

What, you say? Is this possible?  Apparently so.  Thanks to @mylastbite I found this amazing contraption.  According to the manufactuerer:

Our No Fry Corn Dog Maker doesn't rely on messy frying. You can enjoy healthier and tastier treats by simply preparing your favorite batter, dipping in your food of choice, and baking them in our easy to clean non-stick, countertop snack maker.

Try your hand at corn dogs (veggie, kosher… it doesn't matter), pizza roll cheese sticks, breakfast pancake sausage rolls and even CANDY BARS on a stick! If you can dip it in batter and put it on a stick our new No Fry Corn Dog Maker can take care of the rest!

Great for slumber parties and Sundays in front of the TV catching the game!

Includes 24 sticks and a recipe book with a classic corn dog batter and a corn dog muffin recipe included.

Retails for $24.99, this will make a great Christmas present for your favorite weiner.  You can buy the No-Fry Corn Dog Maker at Perpetual Kid

Butternut Squash Soup

Winter is finally here! We are in the midst of a huge winter storm that is expected to bring over 20 inches of precipitation which can mean anywhere from 2-5 feet of snow. I have been holed up in my condo for several days now because it is SO COLD! Like 22˚F with crazy 75 MPH winds.  It is miserable.

Since it is so cold, I've been making really homey and comforting foods.  This butternut squash soup will warm you up and is super easy to make.  It only requires a few ingredients which is good on a day like today when the wind is howling, the snow is falling and going outside can be treacherous.  This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth however the soup will taste much sweeter! It is also a good gluten-free option for those with gluten allergies.

TBC Butternut Squash Soup
makes 4 generous entree portions or 6 appetizer servings


1-3 to 3 1/2 lb. butternut squash
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium sized boiling potato (about 10 oz), peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
Thyme, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line baking sheet with foil. Halve butternut squash lengthwise.  Scoop out and discard seeds. Brush one half with 1 TBSP oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place flesh side down on the lined baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Reserve the other butternut squash half for another use like butternut squash risotto.  When baked squash is done, you should be able to pierce the flesh with a paring knife with little resistance.  After the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and reserve.

Put the remaining TBSP oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and some salt and pepper (but not too much because the broth maybe seasoned already). Saute a few more minutes being careful to not burn the garlic.  

Add the broth, potatoes and reserved butternut squash. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a paring knife with no resistance.

Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some cream, chives or croutons if desired.

Song: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Oh Snap! Martha says it like it is

Don't mess with Martha!  Last week, Martha went on Nightline to do her first interview since her release from prison in 2004.  When asked about Rachael Ray, this is what Martha had to say:

  

"Well, to me, she professed that she could -- cannot bake," said Stewart. "She -- just did a new cookbook which is just a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes. She -- and that's not good enough for me. I mean, I really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing. Something that will really fulfill a need in someone's library. So, she's different. She's -- she's more of an entertainer than she is, with her bubbly personality, than she is a teacher, like me. That's not what she's professing to be... She does it very differently than I do, she's a totally different kind cook than I am. I don't know if she has a garden, I don't think so, but if she does, she doesn't show that on her show so much."

Nightline then followed up with Rachael Ray, who pretty much agreed with Martha.

"Why would it make me mad?" said Ray. "Her skill set is far beyond mine. That's simply the reality of it. That doesn't mean that what I do isn't important too... I don't consider it needling. I really just think she's being honest. She does have a better skill set than I do when it comes to producing a beautiful, perfect, high-quality meal. I'd rather eat Martha's than mine, too." 

Martha then went on her show today (Monday) and issued a formal apology to Rachael Ray stating:

"there are no bad feelings between us nor have there ever been. I truly believe that Rachael has done a terrific job bringing people — many people who would of never have even stepped into the kitchen or made a dish — to cook."

I myself am not a fan of Rachael Ray (I worship Martha).  Every time she says EVOO or Yum-o, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me.  Absolutely drives me nuts.  But I will have to agree with Martha that she does introduce cooking to many people who would normally never cook.  She really does simplify cooking. Whenever anybody asks me about getting into cooking, I always recommend Rachael Ray's books because all of her recipes are easy to make.  In fact, I think my first cookbook was a Rachael Ray book.

You can watch the Nightline video footage here

Then later at a red carpet event, Martha was asked about Sarah Palin.

"She's very boring to me, very boring. And a very, to me, kind of a dangerous person. I mean, she's dangerous. She speaks, she's, she's so confused. And anyone like that in government is a real problem."

The reporter then asked Martha whether or not she was catching any of the hoopla and publicity surrounding Sarah Palin's new book. In which she replied:

"Oh I wouldn't watch her if you paid me."

SNAP! 

Blizzard Dog Ice Cream

There was an article in the NY Times about sixteen year old New Yorker, Christian Liendo. Christian invented an ice cream for dogs.  He came up with the idea for an entrepreneurial competition. Inspired by his afternoons at his grandmother's eating ice cream but not being able to share his delicious treat with her dog, Max, Christian experimented with dog friendly ingredients such as carbo powder, soy milk, lactose free milk. With Max as his taster, Christian soon developed flavors doggies craved! He hopes to sell his doggie ice cream  alongside regular ice cream at ice cream stores. Hopefully sooner than later, Christian.  I know Hank and George would like to try some!

You can read more about Blizzard Dog at the NY Times.

Photo: Robert Stolarick/NY Times 

Bacon MMMvelopes -Mailing letters has never been so tasty!

This bacon craze has gone too far. Now there are Bacon Flavored MMMvelopes. From the bacon obsessed peeps at J&D's , makers of Baconnaise and Bacon Salt, now you can get the flavor of bacon when sending your snail mail. These standard 10" envelopes look like bacon and taste like real bacon. It does not contain real bacon so there is no need for refrigeration and your vegetarian friends can enjoy the taste they miss the most. According to Gizmodo "you get the taste of bacon and a deep feeling of emptiness inside yourself." You can buy this great invention at mmmvelopes.com, $6.99 for 25. Also be sure to check out the J&D's website for their other bacon products.


Source: Serious Eats

Homemade Dog Biscuits

I have been so bored! This lack of weather in my new home is really driving me bonkers. To pass the time in between dog walks on the golf course and Farmville sessions, I have been experimenting with baking in the high altitude (The town of Mammoth Lakes is at an elevation of 7800). For my first experiment I thought I would make dog biscuits because dogs don't care about texture or whether or not the dough has risen properly.

After some Internet research, I found this great website www.bullwrinkle.com. It has a ton of great dog biscuit recipes as well as information and tips about bulldogs and owning dogs. I made the Everyday Dog biscuit and my dogs LOVE them. These dog biscuits are super easy to make and are made with ingredients that are found in any typical pantry. The high altitude didn't affect the recipe too much (I added a little extra of water) and I omitted the garlic because I read somewhere that garlic may not be so great for dogs digestion. Also since I just moved and didn't have any honey I substituted black strap molasses. I've heard of molasses dog treats so I don't think the molasses substitution affected the outcome too much. Hank and George still gobbled up the treats.


Everyday Dog Biscuit
Originally published at www.bullwrinkle.com

2 tsp. dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 TBSP dry parsley
2 TBSP minced garlic (I omitted the garlic)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 TBSP honey ( I used black strap molasses)
1 egg
5-6 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a bowl, dissolve yeast into water. After it foams (about 5 minutes), stir in parsley, garlic (if using), honey, egg and chicken broth. Gradually add flour, stirring to combine until a stiff dough forms. If using a stand mixer, using the dough hook, mix until dough pulls away from the side of the ball, forming a ball on the hook. It should be smooth. If mixing by hand, knead on a floured surface, until smooth. Shape dough into a disk and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

Using dog bone cutters, make biscuits. Gather scraps, re-roll and cut out more biscuits. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and turn over. Bake for another 15 minutes. After the biscuits are done baking, transfer all the biscuits to a baking sheet and leave in oven overnight to crisp.