Sweet 100

so I’ve gotten 3 (possibly 4) other of these food lists stemming off the omnivore’s 100 and never quite gotten around to doing them… but I saw this one on a Nestie’s page in google reader (oh Amber, I can’t thank you enough for singing it’s praises… it’s one of the best things ever! and perfect for people like me…), I knew I had to finally do this one… I mean, with my sweet tooth how could I not… but I scored surprisingly low…

so the sweet 100: Just like the other 100 lists, you just bold what you’ve eaten. Cross out what you’d never eat.

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream (but I’ve had both items seperately so does that earn me 1/2 a point? LOL)
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy (wowza, I decided to check the differences and I’ve actually had all 5)
14. Halvah (possibly something really similar at least…)
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca “pearls”)
18. Dixie Cup (obviously I’m not old enough for the real deal, but I’ve had the knock offs… could that be 1/2 a point?)
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies (duh!! have you met me?!?)
24. Moon cake
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar (technically, no but I’ve had something very, very similar)
29. Baba au rhum (no, and further more…why on earth not?)
30. King Cake (one of the many reasons my best friend Mark was so super fab, when we lived in Jackson–and when it was the season–he’d drive down to nola on the weekends to get them and then call me over to help eat…)
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille (not sure)
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas (oh yes, and I’m realizing the pre-lenten season is one of the highlights of my food life…)
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines (and Ms. Mattie Lou’s are the best I’ve ever tasted but she coyly won’t give me the recipe and’s been holding out for over 1.5 decades…)
51. Gooey butter cake (it seems a crime I know, how this has happened I am not sure…)
52. Rusks
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Crème brûlée
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake) (sadly enough–shockingly enough–no)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi (nope, but I have had pistachio ice cream *raises eyebrows* so I’m really thinking I should try this…)
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen (no, and clearly this means I’m not appropriately loved… imagine to be so deprived)
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci (still not sure, couldn’t tell from the recipes/descriptions… at least have had something very close if not…)
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S’mores
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers (Idk, I’ve eaten tons of hermits and other molasses cookies I knew not how they were made so I reckon it’s possible…)
97. Sables
98. Millionaire’s Shortbread (possibly, as I’ve had something much of the like… but again I didn’t make it so who knows…)
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

My Score: 56 – I knew I’d had, 39 – I didn’t know what they were (7 of which I’d actually had) for a total of 63/100 (plus with 7 maybes, that I couldn’t decide if I’d had or just had something close, I could unwittingly hit 70… or even 71, if you spot me the 2 half points… LOL)
really no nevers, but 3 “I wouldn’t eagerly stand in line for but might try if placed in front of me” ones: 17, 24, and 66… (and 6 “I can barely stand that I haven’t had them know what they are” ones… plus others I’d eagerly try…)

Meals/Week in Review: 10/4-10

* Bill’s Talapia, Roasted Garlic Scalloped Potatoes, corn (I have pictures, but who knows when or if my darling hopalong will feel up to the attic trek to plug recipes in)

* Ravioli Soup

* Tuna and White Bean Pasta Fagiole garnished with shaved parm

* Crockpot Simmered Gumbo, Rice, and Daddy’s Cornbread

* Hubs went back to work so they made it out the door late (but supposedly he got them both to school on time) I took notes for Bluejay’s never ending story on Animal Habitats, went Cub Scouts where I became the go to mom having to help with all things paper mache (eew eew eww), and then I went to Target and ran around getting all the things we needed (including stuff to soak the Hubs’ foot) while hubby took the kids to the drive thru, did more junk including getting everyone ready for and in bed and trying to tend to the hubster’s foot: so we had BK takeout… I personally had a cold chicken sandwich (they did not hold the mayo, so I actually tossed the bread and lettuce and had a cold towelled of piece of chicken) and onion rings… starved to death and made a peanut butter and honey sandwich that I snarfed down at 10+ pm, maybe even 11… (and still went to bed hungry because I was too tired to bother)

* Beef and Mushroom Sauce over rice (rice leftover from gumbo), Girl Scout Potato Casserole, Salad

* Hubs made dinner (in spite of his foot) because I was so sick: Chicken and Rice Soup w/green beans in it…

PS. yes we were supposed to be in chicago friday night… but I was sick, so we only made it to somewhere in arkansas before having to turn around and cancel… so no fun!! (though we may go to the local zoo tomorrow after church) and Hubs will probably go on in to work on monday afterall, since we obviously won’t be driving home… but leaving a little earlier than usual to be in time to get us to the parent teacher conferences…

Girl Scout Potato Casserole

Behold the newborn son of blob... ok, potato casserole is not exceptionally photogenic... but it's pretty good, especially when you add the onion and cornflakes (I saute the onions with part the butter and coat the cornflakes with the rest of the melted butter)... if you open the oven half way thru to add the cornflakes you do need to cook it the full hour...

Girl Scout Potato Casserole (original recipe given, tried and true)
2 lb hashbrowns or cubed Irish Potatoes
1 pt Sour Cream
a can of cream of chicken
10 oz grated cheddar
1/2 c butter
1 c minced onion

Mix in 9×13 pyrex. Cook at 350. After 30 min, top with corn flakes and cook 30 min more.

My Modified Version: (as I was lazy and wanted to do even less)
28 oz bag frozen potatoes o’brian (diced potatoes w/peppers and onions; I measured and this was about 6 c), not thawed
1 c sour cream
1 c cottage cheese
s/p, garlic/onion powder
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 lb grated cheddar

Mix together all but cheese… Then top with cheese and bake about 50 min @ 350…

Beef and Mushroom Sauce

yeah I know, I am not a food porn artist... but I just eat, you are the ones who asked for pictures, despite being less than fabulous with the camera I try to indulge...

before the boil and simmer...

Beef and Mushroom Sauce
1.5 lb cubed beef
s/p, garlic/onion pwd
3T flour
(oil if needed)
1 c red wine (I used cab, oh yeah that S.African obsession)
1 c water (could use beef broth if you are prepared)
13 oz can mushrooms, drained (dr 8 oz; can use fresh and cook with the meat)

Season the meat and brown it up on all sides… push the meat off to one side and add the flour to make a roux with the run off (if you have leaner meat add oil as needed until the flour is coated, or you can drain the grease and do the whole thing with oil too)… stir the roux until the flour begins to golden a bit, the mix in the wine and the water, and then the mushrooms… Cover and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then reduce to a simmer… when beef is tender, serve over rice or noodles or even mashed potatoes…

Daddy’s Cornbread (Muffins)

Daddy’s Cornbread (Muffins)
1 lb bulk pork sausage, browned and drained
2 c sharp cheddar
1 batch cornbread batter (or cheat like I did this time, 2 boxes jiffy mixed up)

Mix up your cornbread batter and fold in your meat and cheese… I used silcone muffin cups, but if you don’t have or want to use those, you’ll probably want to use paper liner to prevent the cheese sticking to your pan…

Crockpot Simmered Gumbo

So first thing first, this isn’t really a crockpot recipe in the since of dump it all in the crock in 5 mins or less on your way out the door… but rather a “I have time to cook the bits but I need to leave the house a few times while it is simmering so I’ll put it in the crockpot” kind of thing… so you do need to plan some time to deal with it either in the morning or the night before… and you could skimp on browning your meats and sauteing your veg if you’re not worried about the caramelization/flavor loss there… but you should really take your time with the roux and get it nice and dark over a slow heat as this will make a huge impact on flavor, and if you rush it you’re likely to either burn it or have uneven patches and starting over makes it take a lot more time than doing it slow and right in the first place… so at least plan time for the roux…

If you want to make the whole thing on the stove, just use a serving platter to pile the cooked meat and veg on as you go and while you make the roux, then whisk in all your liquid and bring to a boil… add back all your bits, cover, return to a boil and reduce to a simmer… then add the shrimp in the last five minutes or so from when you want to eat and simmer right in the gumbo (until they are pink and curled up tight like a clip on earring)…

with the shrimp and over rice...

Crockpot Simmered Gumbo
3/4-1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1.5-2 lb cubed beef **
1.5-2 lb chicken breast tenders (mine were frozen), cut in spoon friendly chunks
2 qts chicken stock, separated (if you want to make this not in the crock you’ll probably want around 3 qts)
1/2 lb cajun style bacon ***
2 lg onions, diced
1 head garlic, minced
oregano, garlic/onion pwd, thyme, blk pep, bay leaves
1/2 head celery, diced (about 2-2.5 c)
7 carrots, diced (about 2-2.5 c)
about 1/2 c flour
1-2 bell peppers, diced
handful of okra pods (or say 7), finely sliced ****
1-1.5 T King Creole seasoning (courtesy of Joelen from the prize booty, but please adjust to your tastes)
2-3 lbs shrimp (most people will prefer these shelled, I’d suppose)

Preheat your crock on high, preheat your pan to med high or high… Brown up the sausage on both sides, add to the crock… brown up the beef on all sides (doesn’t have to cook thru just want a good sear with some nice browned bits), and add to the crock… then I added water to deglaze the pan and poached the chicken a bit to thaw it and make it easy to chop… chopped and added them to the crock… topped the meat in the crock with 1 qt of the stock… dumped the deglazed poaching liquid down the drain (as I didn’t need the extra liquid in the crock and knew the stock would be tastier)… reduce to medium, and set about crisping the bacon, drained off about 1/2 c of the bacon grease (most of it)and reserved… add the onions and garlic (more oil if particularly needed, I did not but depends on the leanness of your bacon and how crisp you cooked it, so you gauge that) along with the seasonings (which I actually remembered to measure but didn’t remember to write down) and cook until onions are becoming translucent… add celery and carrots (I add only half the celery to saute so there is a contrast of soft and crisp, but you can saute all or none as you wish…) and continue cooking until they caramelize a bit, then add to the crock… I reduce the heat to med-low (but you could probably get by on med if you are careful, attentive and a diligent stirrer) add the reserved bacon grease and the flour to the pan to make your roux, and darken to about a walnut color, stirring constantly… whisk in the other qt of stock and bring to a boil, boil 2-3 minutes to thicken and pour into the crock… add the peppers,okra, and cajun/creole seasoning and reduce the heat to Low and allow to simmer all day… when we were getting ready to eat, pulled out some of the gumbo broth into the pan to boil the shrimp and add back to the gumbo (I added them to the kids’ and the Hubster’s portions)…

give it a little stir... and now you are ready to simmer it, while you go about what you have to do...

this is about how dark you want it... trust me, it is worth it to go slow...

Ive got carcasses, yes I do... but Im not making stock, how bout you?

 

 

 

 

 

             NB: technically, I took the roux a touch darker than the pic… but that was a good point to snag the pic and still get the broth in in time…

** If you want to use pork instead that is fine, but it’ll need to be cooked all the way thru first as it’s not gonna taste so good cooking from the simmer… hence beef is easier if you don’t have leftover pork roast or such on hand…

*** pretty much a hickory smoked one with a dry rub on it, so you can use regular and add more seasonings if you don’t have this… I just like that it’s smoked with the rub, need to get charlie’s to make it this way as their bacon would make a better base… [note to self: attempt to sweet talk the butcher into cajoling whoever smokes it]

**** but oddly this time it was truly a fluke as it was just a grab and bag… I only counted as I was chopping, but it brought a smile to my face… and I forgot to measure but I’m guessing this was in the neighborhood of 1 c… of course if you like okra feel free to use however much you want, personally I hate the stuff… but for me gumbo is not gumbo until it’s got that okra ooze in it (even if I do fish out the actual pieces)…

Tuna and White Bean Pasta Fagiole

we really liked the mini bowties... so cute... 🙂

Tuna and White Bean Pasta Fagiole
7 carrots, 7 stalks celery
1 lg onion
1/2 head garlic
13 oz can mushrooms, drained (drained weight)
2 cans tuna
3 c white beans
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1.5-2 c small pasta (we had no elbows)
1 qt water or broth
lemon juice, s/p, oregano, thyme, red pep flakes

Saute the diced/minced raw veg, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until pasta is cooked (under 10 mins).

NB: I’d like to add more lemon, some blk olives, and fresh parsley for starters… but this will be made again, and I will tinker…