Mystery Thread

[wil]

Holiday Fruitcake

1 C Water
1 C Sugar
4 Large eggs
3 C dried fruit
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 C Brown sugar
Lemon juice, nuts
1 FULL bottle of your favorite whiskey

Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Try half a cup.
Take out a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure that it is of the highest quality. Pour 1
level cup and drink. Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 C of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add 1 tsp. sugar and beat again.
Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another cup. Turn off the mixer.
Break two geggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Mix on the burner.
If the fried fruit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with a
screwdriver.
Tyr some more whiskey to check its toxisisticityly.
Next, sift 2 cups of salt.
Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey.
Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one tablespoon of sugar or something...whatever you can find.
Grease the oven. Turn on the cake pan to 350 degrees.
Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window.
Check the whiskey again. Go to bed.
Who the hell likes fruitcake anyway???

[Rouge47]

Originally Posted by wil

toxisisticityly

How do you pronounce that anyway? All I can get is toxi-bla-bli-la

[Tao_Equus]

Rflmao Will

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Variation on Hopping John

3/4 c. raw rice
1 lb. fresh or frozen black eyed peas
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 each green, yellow and red bell pepper (you can add orange or purple bell pepper if you'd like), chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (you can use galic powder if you'd like)
1 T. vegetable oil
1 (14 1/2 oz.) tin of diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. sliced carrots (I use either frozen or canned)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. salt
1/8-1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Cook rice and black eyed peas according to package directions. Drain peas. In a large skillet on medium heat, saute corn, onion, peppers, carrot* and garlic in oil until onion is transluscent, then add tomatoes and peas. Turn heat to low, mix thoroughly, then add rice. Mix again. Combine seasonings, add to the vegetables, mix again. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring to keep hopping john from setting off smoke detector.

You can also use a Dutch oven instead of a large skillet since this is a rather large recipe and it could end up decorating your stove.

* If using canned carrots, add with tomatoes.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[lunamoth]

I thought I'd already shared this recipie here, but I don't see it so I'll post it anyway. I just made these again today, substituting dried cherries for dried cranberries. Mmmmm....

In a large bowl:

1 stick (1/2 c) butter, softened
1/2 c vegetable shortening or margarine
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1 c sugar

(cream together in a bowl until well mixed and smooth)

add:

2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla (use the good stuff, it's worth it!)

(mix in well)

in another bowl combine:

2 c sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

add to the butter/eggs mixture in parts, mixing well after each addition

2 cups quick-cooking oats (I used old fashioned oats and it worked just fine)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate morsals (today I used a combination of what I had on hand, which included semi-sweet, milk choc., and white chocolate)
1/2 c or more dried cranberries or raisins or dried cherries
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

optional but a really good addition: 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

mix well. drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees 9-12 minutes, depending upon size of cookies, your oven variations, etc.. Cool five minutes on the cookie sheet, transfer from sheets to cool completely. Do not overbake.

I was happy to discover that even cooking at high altitutde these cookies came out great!

[lunamoth]

I'm printing this one out to try soon! Thank you, Phyllis!

Originally Posted by Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

Variation on Hopping John

3/4 c. raw rice
1 lb. fresh or frozen black eyed peas
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 each green, yellow and red bell pepper (you can add orange or purple bell pepper if you'd like), chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (you can use galic powder if you'd like)
1 T. vegetable oil
1 (14 1/2 oz.) tin of diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. sliced carrots (I use either frozen or canned)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. salt
1/8-1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Cook rice and black eyed peas according to package directions. Drain peas. In a large skillet on medium heat, saute corn, onion, peppers, carrot* and garlic in oil until onion is transluscent, then add tomatoes and peas. Turn heat to low, mix thoroughly, then add rice. Mix again. Combine seasonings, add to the vegetables, mix again. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring to keep hopping john from setting off smoke detector.

You can also use a Dutch oven instead of a large skillet since this is a rather large recipe and it could end up decorating your stove.

* If using canned carrots, add with tomatoes.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

I'm printing this one out to try soon! Thank you, Phyllis!

Consider the gesture reciprocated *checks pantry for the ingredients to lunamoth's cookies, planning a trip to the supermarket*

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[seattlegal]

Bump.
{'twas getting buried}

[flowperson]

Eggplant Lasagna:

Cover the bottom of a skillet with a film of olive oil.
Wash and cube 1 medium to large egg plant, skin on.
Chop 1 medium white onion.
Smash and chop 4 cloves of garlic.

Place all in skillet and sautee on low-medium heat until the onion begins to become transparent. Set aside to cool.

Grease 9x13 pyrex casserole with olive oil.
Cook 1# lasagna noodles in salted water until barely flexible. Remove from water and drain in collander. Take care not to let them stick together.

Mix: 1# whole milk ricotta with 2 tbsp basil leaves, 1 tbsp dry parsley, 1tsp garlic powder, and 3/4 cup bread crumbs together in bowl with a fork. Set aside.

Shred 1 1/2 # whole milk mozzarella and 1/2# monterey jack cheese and mix together in a bowl. I prefer grating it from chunks rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. It's fresher and better. Set aside.

You'll need about 1 qt. of marinara red sauce. I make my own but Trader Joe's or another of comparable quality will work fine.

Spread red sauce thinly on the bottom of the casserole. Place a layer of noodles on this base. Then alternate layers of the egg plant, ricotta mixture, shredded cheeses, red sauce, and noodles until you reach the top of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread sauce on this and top with the last of the shredded cheese. Sprinkle top liberally with olive oil.

Lay a piece of foil loosely on top but do not seal it to the dish. Bake in a medium oven for 1-1 1/2 hrs until the noodles begin to crisp around the edges, and most of the liquid has stopped bubbling in the dish. Let cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. Serve with freshly grated Asiago Parmesan or Peccorino Romano cheese as a garnish. Mix them together if you wish.

A variant on this that my Grandmother used to make is to partially cook 1-1 1/2 # penne rigate and mix together with a ricotta mixture as detailed above. Place this in a 9x13 pyrex casserole greased with olive oil, saturate well with marinara sauce, cover with shredded cheeses as described above, sprinkle liberally with olive oil, cover loosely with foil and bake 45 min.-1 hr. in a medium oven, or until pasta is crisped around the edges and the sauce has been reduced.

Good stuff to eat, but not so hot for the waistline. But that's part of what it means to be Italian !

flow....

[China Cat Sunflower]

The first time I tried making breaded eggplant it somehow got some mace in it. Someone among the guests had a little canister of mace, I don't know how but it wound up in the eggplant dish. Man, we started eating the stuff and everybody noticed a strange, spicy taste that made out tongues burn.

Anyway...

Chris

[InLove]

Hi and Peace--

Hey, I had almost forgotten about this thread! Thanks for the bump, Seattlegal.

Okay--I just have to ask. Lunamoth, why is your recipe entitled "Terrible Cookies"? Did I miss something? Inquiring minds want to know.

And China Cat, you mean like a little thing of mace that people carry for protection on their keychains?? Or was it a spice bottle of mace?? And no one sued??

And I'm with Paul James on the issue of fruit smoothies. I'd love a recipe for a mango smoothie, and one for a cappucino smoothie. The healthier the better--low fat is good, but I'll try anything.

Well, since we have a recipe for terrible cookies already, here's another. It's one that no one will probably ever use, but I just can't resist.

TRUDY'S PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY BEAN COOKIES

Refer to your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. Before baking, make a thumbprint in the center of cookie. Bake. While cookies are still warm, press a jelly ben into the center of each one. Cool. Feed these to little kids who don't care whether these are very good--they will like the jelly beans. Or you can give them to an adult you don't like very much. Just don't take them to the bake sale.

For those who may wonder why I posted this silly recipe, you can find out more on the Mad Lib Story Thread here in the lounge.

Just having some fun....

InPeace,
InLove

[InLove]

Hmmm...before anyone asks what a "jelly ben" is--of course, I meant "bean". But I hear that jelly bens are good, too.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

This isn't really a smoothie, I guess (not being familiar with smoothies except when I go through the grocery store or in some radio commercials ["Lose weight with {X brand} Smoothies"! ]) I got the recipe from a cookbook I bought to help support the Global Student Alliance on campus.

King Tutankhamon Juice (Egypt)

2 yellow bananas, cut into 2 inch cubes
2-3 fresh strawberries
1 1/2 T. sugar
1 c. water
3-4 drops of vanilla
2 c. milk

Place bananas, strawberries, sugar and water into a blender. Blend for 1 minute. Add milk and vanilla. Blend 1 minute.

That's it. *shrug*

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[InLove]

Hi and Peace, Everyone--

Thanks for the recipe, Phyllis. I have been meaning to look around for some more smoothie stuff to post. Our blender died a while back, so I haven't been trying any at home, but I do find that even though I don't care much for Starbuck's coffee, they do have some incredible smoothies there. (I haven't been there in a long time, but my daughter brings them to me when she visits.)

Anyway, yesterday while trying to honor a batch of fresh East Texas peaches by making a cobbler to take to the aforementioned daughter's new house, I ran across the following in an old spiral notebook full of favorite recipes. Does anyone here remember Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gourmet"? I used to watch his program all the time, and I copied this down one day. I have been wondering where it was ever since I started this thread. I have always thought it would make a good plaque or needlework to hand in the kitchen or dining area:

The Perfect Meal

Eggs of the Hour

Bread of the Day

Wine of the Year

and

A Friend of Thirty Years

I think this is beautiful. I also can't help adding that if you are sitting down to a meal with a friend of thirty years, enjoy it well, because it may be one of your last! (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

InPeace,
InLove

[Janz]

Rocky Mountain High Sun Tea
from Jamarz(Jan)

Start with 2 gallon glass sun tea container with lid.
Fill with warm water.
Add 5 tea bags of Stash Premium Earl Grey Black Tea
Add 4 tea bags of Stash Moroccan Mint Green Tea
Add 3 tea bags of Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice
Place container with lid screwed on somewhat tight in a
sunny spot for 3-4 hours.
Then bring inside, squeeze tea bags in the container for the last drop
of yumminess. Discard tea bags in compost or however you dispose
of them.
Serve Ice cold and enjoy.

Remember this tea does have caffeine so if you cannot drink caffeine, you can try an Earl Grey decaf(?). But the distinct bergamot oil is important for that lavender-like bouquet so one cannot substitute.
This concoction is from my own creative experimenting for a refreshing and stimulating sun tea.