Monday, January 31, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Well, another Monday, another recipe....We have another great cookie recipe from Lois Elaine Mueller's recipe box.

Lois had three children, all of whom, like most kids, loved cookies.  Lois was know for her terrific cookies, and today's cookie is really addictive.  We have all had Rice Crispy Treats - the marshmallow stuff that kids love - this isn't them.  Not even close.  Make a batch of these and they will go like wildfire...



Lois Elaine's Rice Crispy Cookies:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar (I substituted the Splenda brown sugar mix - used 1/4 c., turned out great)
1 egg
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
2 c. Rice Crispies

Cream the butter, then add the sugars, egg and vanilla.  Sift together the flour, soda, salt and baking powder; mix well with the other ingredients.  Add the Rice Crispies.  Mix and drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly-greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, and TGIF!  Here's another dog for your entertainment...

Princess Leia, the 10 foot tall poodle from Poteau has taken up running as a hobby.  She would be twice as fast if her extra long ears didn't create so much drag.  She's considering cosmetic surgery - an ear job....

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Few Secrets From The Kitchen

Hello - hope you are having a great Wednesday!  We're heading downhill to the weekend, thankfully.

It's been awhile since we had some around-the-house hints, so here are a few - I hope you will be able to use some of them.....

1.  Cottage cheese will stay fresh longer if you turn it upside-down in the fridge.

2.  Crisp up limp celery by dunking it in ice water for a few minutes.

3.  A pinch of salt with the coffee in the coffee-maker basket will make it taste less acidic.

4.  Freeze cookie dough by shaping into cookie-sized pieces and placing on a cookie sheet as though you were going to bake them.  Instead, put the sheet into the freezer until dough is solid, then transfer them to a freezer zip-lock type bag and store in the freezer until ready to bake.

5.  Give your cake frosting that glossy, smooth look of a professional baker by applying frosting as you usually do, then running hot water over a metal spatula and run it over the cake.

6.  Soften hardened brown sugar in a microwave, or use a cheese grater on it.

7.  Your baking soda and baking powder can get stale and no longer be active.  To test, put a teaspoon of baking powder in a half cup of water - it should fizz immediately if not stale.  To test baking soda, add 1/4 t. soda to 2 t. vinegar.  It should fizz immediately if active.

Happy cooking!

Monday, January 24, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

How about another recipe on this winter Monday?

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Cottage Cheese Dip. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Lots of people entertained in the 1950's and 1960's, and going out to a party was a big deal.  Great dips were as prized back then as they are now, and Lois' recipe for Cottage Cheese Dip looks like a good one.

Lois Elaine's Cottage Cheese Dip:

1 lb. Michigan cottage cheese, small curd  (note...I'll bet cottage cheese NOT made in Michigan will make a good dip, too)
1/2 t. onion juice or 3/4 t. Ivanhoe (note - I have NO idea what Ivanhoe is - I'll just squeeze the juice out of an onion)
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. Worchestershire sauce
1 t. horseradish
1/2 t. salt
cream

Mix in blender.  Add enough cream to reach proper consistency.

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, TGIF to everyone! 

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer got a pretty pink snuggie for Christmas.  Just in time for frigid temperatures, and in her favorite color - what could be better????

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The Holidays Are OVER!

Hello.....Hope it's not too snowy at your home these days....Now that the holidays are over, we can finally settle down to the new year ahead and get going on our goals and resolutions.  My holidays were personally forgettable, since I spend Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve at the hospital with my mom, who has been feeling under the weather for awhile thanks to a persistent infection.  Her holiday season was a lot worse than mine, though, because it was spent in a hospital bed.

It's a relief to put the holidays behind me this season.  One interesting thing, though, was my weekend of cookie-baking.  The weekend before Christmas I baked 150 cookies - Peanut Butter Blossoms, Rice Crispie Cookies and  Butter Cookies - from Lois Elaine's recipe box (see my Monday recipe blogs).  I packed them in plastic Christmas containers and gave them out to various family and friends.  Turned out great, and the people really seemed to appreciate and enjoy them.  I'm planning on doing it again in 2011 - it was kind of fun.

A friend ordered Lebkuchen and Springerle cookies from a Michigan restaurant.  Lois Elaine made these German cookies/cakes a big part of her family Christmas's, and I was stoked to finally get to try these.  Honestly, I was underwhelmed by them, especially the Springerle.  The Lebkuchen tasted kind of like gingerbread, with a similar size and texture.  Both desserts used the spice Anise, which has a taste like licorice.  The Springerle was white and really pretty, but the taste wasn't anything to shout about. I have to say, though, I have friends and family who swear by one or both of these, so Springerle and Lebkuchen both have lots of fans out there.

I didn't win the lottery, but I won some football bowl boards.  After a year of disasters in Oklahoma (one of which resulted in a soft-ball sized piece of hail sitting on my living room floor), my home has been repaired and is safe and secure.  My friends and family survived the year, as did my dog and my car.  I still have my job, which is a huge blessing in itself considering the plight of the country right now.  All in all, it was an ok year, not the greatest, but definitely not the worst, either - not even close.

I hope you made it through 2010 with some wins, and no losses.  After all, isn't that the point of the game?

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope you aren't having a snow-free week wherever you live!

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Creamy Corn Chowder. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

The Muellers lived in Saginaw, Michigan, where it gets cold and can be a little depressing in the winter.  Months of snow can keep a person chilled to the bone, and Lois Elaine kept her family warm by serving up great dishes like Creamy Corn Chowder.  Serve this nutricious chowder in a bowl just like stew and try it with a nice cast-iron skillet full of warm cornbread with lots of butter.

Lois Elaine's Creamy Corn Chowder:

2 slices of bacon, diced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, pared and diced (about 2 cups)
3/4 c. water
1 can (1 lb) cream-style corn
1 1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter or margarine
1 1/4 t. salt (try reducing the salt to make it healthier)
1/2 t. sugar
1 1/8 t. pepper
chopped parsley

Saute the bacon and onion until brown.  In medium saucepan, mix the bacon, onion, potatoes and water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil gently, covered, for about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender, not mushy.

Add the corn, milk, butter, salt, sugar and pepper;  simmer, covered, until hot.

Serve in a soup bowl.  Garnish with parsley.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Happy very cold Friday, everyone.  To warm you up, here is a pooch....

Today we have Clayton, who is a very sophisticated and handsome dog.  Clayton prefers a spot of tea and fresh flowers every morning.  It's a dog's life....

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Oprah Book Club Selection #10 - Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman

Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman. 1999 Berkley, 336 pages.

It’s time for another book review. This is selection #10, with only two more to go from my year-long Oprah Book Club challenge.

This is a very good, well-written, frustrating novel.

The main character is March Murray, who returns to her small town for the funeral of the housekeeper who was her surrogate mother. March brings her teen-age daughter, Gwen, who is struggling with issues and has a bit of an attitude. March leaves her husband, Richard, who also grew up in the town, in California, where he is a college professor. The reader’s initial expectations are that March, as the protagonist, will also be the hero of the story, but these expectations will soon be dashed.

March promises her husband that she will return very shortly, but her long-lost love who broke her heart all those years ago steps in to change her plans.

I found March Murray to be totally unlikeable. She is selfish, narcissistic, seems to care little about her daughter, who she virtually abandons in her old farmhouse and is willing to give up everything, including her friends, husband and daughter, for her high-school sweetheart. Even more shocking, she risks her daughter’s safety while relentlessly pursuing the man of her dreams.

What makes this book mildly satisfying is that her old flame turns out to be a monster, and he and March do not live happily ever after. There are several characters that are much more interesting than March, including her daughter Gwen, March’s alcoholic, hermit brother, Alan and her nephew Hank.

If you like seeing people get their just rewards, and you love richly-drawn characters, then you will likely look past the frustration of your protagonist having few redeeming qualities.

This is a good book, well worth your time.

Out of five stars, I give Here On Earth….

* * *

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Howdy from the Sooner State!  After the holidays and in the midst of winter, sometimes things can get kind of depressing.  Cold, short days, long nights, winter doldrums.

What better way to get out of the depression ditch than to make a batch of candy?

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.


Lois Elaine's Peanut Butter Fudge:

2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. oleo (this means margarine or butter substitute)
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. milk
6 T. cocoa
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chopped nuts (your choice)
1 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine all but the peanut butter and nuts.  Boil 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and nuts.  Beat well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Pout into buttered pan and let set up.

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello and hope your Friday is nice and warm!

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer likes to read books in the winter - We have just interrupted her while she's choosing her next title...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Part II of A Burglar's Secrets

Here's the final part of some practical advice to keep your home safe and secure.  Last week we had Part 1, here is Part II....

More Things A Burglar Won't Tell You....

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.


12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system . If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.
14. Sometimes I carry a clipboard. Sometimes I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

16. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

17. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again.. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

18. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

19. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

20. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

21. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

22. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.


Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope your holidays were wonderful and now you can get down to paying those bills and waiting patiently for Spring.

Today, straight from the recipe box of Lois Elaine Mueller, is a recipe for Roquefort Dressing. For the next several months I will be featuring Lois Elaine's recipes every Monday. Her heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Even though you can buy salad dressing right off the shelves, the best cooks make their own.  Lois Elaine's recipe box has several dressings, and today we'll look at her Roquefort.

Lois Elaine's Roquefort Dressing:

1 pint sour cream
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. celery salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2. T. vinegar
1 t. salt
1/2 lb. Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Mix all together really well and put in a jar.  Store in the ice-box (refrigerator).