Eggs 101

Every morning I wander out to our chicken coop to check for eggs.  One thing I’ve learned (the hard way) is to look first before reaching into the nest boxes.  One time I opened the latch on the egg door and started my reach just as I started bending over to look…a ditch tiger was in there hissing.  Who knew cats ate eggs!    Several times I’ve come close to petting a racoon and one time a smelly, dirty possom gave me a heart attack.  You just never know what you are going to get despite the best security plans.   After that possom almost killed me, I went electric.  Now those egg sucking bastards can fry.

Here’s a real oldie!

The thrill of seeing what has been set, of rustling the hens up off of their nests or reaching under their warm, soft bellies if they are feeling especially maternal, hasn’t left me after 20 years of pretending to be a poultry farmer.  Sometimes there are more browns than whites and sometimes the opposite, but after gathering up a fresh clutch of eggs, I always say, “Thank you,” to my girls.

Baby chicks each spring!

The eggs click and roll against each other and rattle in the metal bucket I carry as I walk back up the side yard to the house.  Remi turns into a boot licker when she hears the clatter, so I end up tossing her a tasty treat.   These eggs have been scrambled, whipped, boiled, fried, dropped, poached, flipped, and turned into the best noodles ever!  They have fed my whole family.  Over the years I have found a tricky way to make hard boiled eggs and I wanted to share my super secret technique with you.   Holidays and summer picnics will be here before the rooster crows so jot this down!

The best way to make hard boiled eggs

is in the  O V E N !!

Place these delicious ovals in a muffin tin, pop into a preheated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

The shells will peel easier after cooling and the taste is ten-fold any water boiled egg. 

Just thinking about the goop that oozes from eggs if they crack while boiling, and then remembering how  the ooze turns into rubber, gives me the willies.

After your eggs are cooled, why not have some holiday fun by making carrot tops for them?  Use cloves for the eyes.

Cheater Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 big frozen bag of mushroom stuffed ravioli

1 Jar Prego Spaghetti Sauce with Sausage and Peppers

1 Pkg. Ham Steak, cubed

1 Pkg. Fresh Mushrooms (optional)

1/2 Pkg. Frozen, Drained Spinach (optional)

Parmesan  Cheese, Shaved into big pieces like when you peel carrots.

Directions:

Cook Ravioli and drain.

To pot add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir to mix.

Top Dinner Plate with slivered parmesean cheese (big pieces).

Some crusty french bread, a store bought Ceasar Salad, and you are all set.

McSoup! Ten Nugget Trick to a Full House

I’m a fan of cheater recipes ONLY if they deliver a gourmet taste, save lots of time, and only dirty up one pan.  Make this soup out of Chicken Nuggets from McDonald’s!  It cooks up in 10-15 minutes, feeds six hungry people, and doesn’t disappoint.

Mmmm… something smells good!

“If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t winnin’.”   

Oh wait…that’s what I think when I try to steal the deal in Euchre. 

The first rule of cheater cooking is to get all your crap ready to go.  In this case, you’ll want to have your onion diced, your carrots sliced and blanched and your McNuggets cut down to size.

To a dutch oven melt and simmer until softened:

1/2 stick butter

1 small diced onion

Add in this order:

1/4 cup flour, stir to make roux and then add:

3/4 cup of white wine (a flavor booster)

3 cups of chicken broth

Bring to boil and add:

Two handfuls of Dumplings or Reames Frozen Noodles, let them boil and soften, then add:

1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley (or 1 TBL dried)

10 McDonald’s McNuggets, cut in thirds.  Tyson Frozen Chicken Nuggets work too!

1 cup sliced carrots (I dump mine in a measure cup filled with water and nuke for 3 minutes, then drain)

1 cup of heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

When I made this McSoup, I used some frozen dumplings that I had.  If you don’t have carrots, use peas.  If you don’t have chicken, use shrimp.  This is a very flexible soup base.  — I will post my dumpling recipe below.

The ONLY noodle that has a chance to trump my dumplings is Reames frozen noodles.

I can’t make fresh any better.

Use Reames Frozen Egg Noodles to really cheat your way through this recipe!

Dumplings are about the easiest (and cheapest) way to stretch any dish.  These little devils put the home in home cooking.  Here’s how I roll:

2-1/2  Cups King Arthur all purpose flour

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

2 Tbl. softened butter (not margarine!)

Seasonings to taste…can add some salt or chopped parsley if you like.

Mix ‘em up in a bowl and pinch them into little balls. They don’t have to be pretty.  Roll ‘em in flour and keep flour on your hands so the dough doesn’t stick.  Don’t make a mess:  put some flour on a paper plate and roll them and stack them on it.  Remember, these dumplings grow bigger when they are cooked!  Use what you need, ziploc the rest, and freeze them.  To eat, just boil them in water, sauce, or soup bases.

The kids will eat their peas and carrots if you toss in some dumplings boiled in water or chicken broth.  Just drain, add nuked (frozen, never canned) veggies and butter…makes a side dish they will gobble right up.

So put on your game face and win some points with McSoup!

Kelly’s Clam Chowder

This is not a recipe for sissies.  It is a lot of work but the payoff is huge.

Boil, drain and set aside

• 1 lb. of baby yukon gold potatoes (unpeeled) and halved or quartered to bite size

To a dutch oven (5 qt. casserole pan)  add

• 6 slices of bacon, diced
  

and cook until transparent.  Add

• 1 large diced onion
• 3 large diced stalks of celery
• 2 diced garlic cloves
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. marjoram
• 3 tsp. FRESH chopped basil
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves

and cook until tender.  All these seasonings make this dish aromatic and mouth watering.

Add

• 3 tsp. butter
• 1/2 cup flour

and cook for another 3-4 minutes over LOW heat until it thickens and forms a roux.

Add

• 4 cups of heavy cream
• 4 bottles of clam juice (sold near tuna in supermarket)

Heat until just boiling and Add

• potatoes that were set aside
• 2 bags of FROZEN clams with their juice

Bring to a boil slowly, stirring, and Add

• 1/4 cup chopped FRESH parsley
• 1 tsp. chopped FRESH dill

At this point I like to throw in 6-8 live clams and leave the shells in the soup pot for added flavor and to add interest when serving the chowder up.

Oyster crackers on the side and you’ve got about four quarts of soup that feed 12-14 people as a starter to a meal or 6 people as a main course.

My family truly loves this dish.   Please, please, please use fresh herbs and the frozen (not canned) clams.  It makes all the difference!

Cherry Bombs

 Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world,

had cookies at three o’clock in the afternoon and then

lay down on our blankets for a nap.

STEP 1:  To mixing bowl add dry ingredients:

2-1/2 Cups      Flour

3/4 Cup            Hershey’s Cocoa

1 Tsp.                Baking Soda

1 Cup                Sugar

1 Cup                Packed Brown Sugar

Mix dry ingredients, then add and mix until smooth:

1 Cup              Softened Butter

2 Tsp.             Vanilla

2                       Eggs

Step 2:  Roll into 1″ balls and press your thumb into center of each ball to make a little spot to hold a red cherry.  Drain a jar of Cherries, reserving 2 Tbl of liquid.  Drop a cherry into each chocolate cookie.

Step 3:  Microwave the reserved cherry juice, 1/2 bag of milk chocolate chips, and 1 Tsp. butter or oil until soft enough to drizzle chocolate mixture, with a spoon, over the top of the cherry-cookie.

Bake 350 for approximately 15 minutes, more or less.  You want the dough to just “set” so you have a soft, chewy cookie.

• I divide the batch up and make some with cherries and chocolate sauce and some with M & M’s.
• The cookie dough is a great base for just about any candy treats you want….kisses, heath chips, white chocolate drizzle.
• You can get two or three “looks” out of one base batch.

appy H

Holidays!

Camping Cake

 Coincidence?  I think not.

I’m about to share with you, my friend, a super secret super easy single serving cake recipe perfect for your next camping adventure.

Bake it using caution:  at minimum have a frosty mug of creamy, whole milk at the ready.

Shopping List:

1 – box  angel food cake mix

1- box any other cake mix (I used strawberry cake mix)

1- gallon size Ziploc bag

Directions:

Toss the two dry cake mixes into a Ziploc bag and knead until mixed.  Stow it in your camper or your cabinet until you are ready for a single serve of sweetness.

3-2-1  Recipe:  (Trust is a must or your game is a bust)

To a coffee cup or paper bowl add:

3   tablespoons of cake mix

2  tablespoons of water

–Microwave this for

1  minute!

You can top your cake with some powdered sugar, some canned frosting, a dollop of whipped topping or fresh fruit.  The possibilities are endless.

Always remember that one of the cake mixes has to be angel food.  Experiment with other cake flavors like pineapple, lemon, carrot, chocolate, or red velvet for the second choice.  Storage of the mix is simple:  toss it on a shelf–no need to refrigerate because it is dry.