tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13100768841027081212024-03-13T21:37:03.253-05:00I ♥ AldiRecipes that are made entirely with ingredients from Aldi (give or take a condiment, herb or spice).Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-60302161633894312122017-03-15T12:41:00.001-05:002017-03-15T13:06:29.917-05:00Quesa Quiche <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Will be updated later with photos. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I started this blog a long time ago, and I haven't updated it for more than 3-1/2 years. Its been a good place to store some recipes that my kids might use someday, but really it is <i>THE</i> place to get a manual for an old mixer. 5000 people have visited the Hamilton Beach Model E Mixer page. </span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Quesa Quiche</span></h4>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 ready-made pie crust (comes in package of 2)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">6 eggs </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup heavy whipping cream</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 package green onions, sliced from ends to about 2" into green</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Bake pie crust according to directions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Whisk eggs and heavy whipping cream in medium bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Add onions, tomatoes and cheese. Stir until mixed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Add mixture to baked pie crust. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Bake at 350</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">°</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> for about 35-40 minutes, or until center is set. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-67285983740389484142013-07-08T17:43:00.002-05:002013-07-08T17:43:32.542-05:00Bacon + Butter = Nirvana<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My adorable neighbor girl is going to turn 4 on July 12th. She told me that she gets to pick anything she wants for supper that day, so she chose f<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">ettuccine noodles with bacon butter. First, [shocker] a 3 year-old said this; and second, I wanted some too! I'm making it for supper tonight with </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">spaetzle noodles from ALDI. Why not make it richer and calorie loaded? (fettuccine is a special purchase item, not always available) </em></span><br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></em>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Bacon butter has taken over my thoughts since yesterday, so I looked for a recipe online. I found an awesome one that involved whipping cream and many steps and ice and other labor intensive activities, so the following is champagne bacon butter on a beer budget:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvoS0fGbSxM/Uds-t8AJ4NI/AAAAAAAAMJc/GbkVEJ3wFvk/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvoS0fGbSxM/Uds-t8AJ4NI/AAAAAAAAMJc/GbkVEJ3wFvk/s320/IMG_0643.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bacon Butter</span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 lb. (2 sticks) softened <u>unsalted</u> butter</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 pkg. real bacon bits ($1.49) </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tbsp. olive oil</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Blend or mix butter and olive oil, add bacon bits. Refrigerate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Spread on toast, pancakes, waffles, noodles, sandwiches - endless possibilities. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-84841826157203914212013-06-13T13:47:00.001-05:002013-06-13T13:52:42.940-05:00I am a Lymphomaniac<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Daily Mail recently published an article called, "The Real Reason Middle-Class Mums Love ALDI." It was for their gin. Nevermind that Brits can save <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">£1,700 a year vs. a competing grocer. The article is <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2339253/Battle-supermarkets-The-real-reason-middle-class-mums-love-Aldi.html" target="_blank">here</a> for those interested. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had gin once, thanks to some boys from Casco Point in Navarre, Minnesota. Not. My. Thing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A liquor store recently opened in the same building at my ALDI. Minnesota does not allow grocery stores to carry liquor, wine or strong beer, so there will be no competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What caught my eye in the Daily Mail article was that their ALDI stores carry compression bandages, and apparently they are right next to the cheese. I have become intimately acquainted with compression bandages, having been diagnosed with primary lymphedema at age 48. Turns out that at around 6 weeks gestation, my speck-size body decided to quit making lymph nodes. How or why I seemed to get along for nearly half a century without major problems from this is a mystery. I am paying for it now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You may have seen people in double-wide wheelchairs with tree trunks for legs. That is lymphedema. That is where I thought I was headed. I later learned that most of those people do not have primary lymphedema (a congenital problem), or secondary lymphedema (from cancer or chemotherapy), but rather because they accumulated so much overhanging fat in their stomach that their lymph nodes became compressed enough to quit functioning. There are some people with primary lymphedema that are at that point, but I learned that it is because they refused to do the work that would keep that from happening. Then I learned about a phenomenon where a person begins to identify themselves as a person because of their disability, and wishes to remain disabled. Not. My. Thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Primary Lymphedema has become a part time job for me. I have to devote about 3 hours a day to caring for my leg or bandaging it, and getting both legs into high compression. For this devotion, my reward is no wheelchair, no handicapped parking tag, as well as no government assistance. I am wearing shorts for the first time in my life because my stockings are hotter than hell, and getting stared at because people wonder why I am wearing "tan nylons." That's another issue - high compression stockings come in one color, which is Jersey Shore Tan. Persons of color, or no color like myself, are of no regard to the manufacturers of these things. They are also not made with UPF fibers, which would protect against UV radiation. They also cost upwards of $150 per pair. I'm whining so much here that I am starting to think that I'd like to try some ALDI gin. I can't fly to the UK to get it though - air travel is not good for lymphedema. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, ALDI, if you're listening.. maybe you would like to expand your compression bandage line to include compression stockings. You could place them next to the crackers.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0gSGSjZRE8/UboR1kUy-jI/AAAAAAAAMHA/KGctQsazy1U/s1600/041013_42562A_CheeseSnackSticks_D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0gSGSjZRE8/UboR1kUy-jI/AAAAAAAAMHA/KGctQsazy1U/s320/041013_42562A_CheeseSnackSticks_D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-43657143259141919832013-06-06T16:48:00.000-05:002013-06-06T16:48:13.685-05:00Positively Painless Pickled Peppers<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm not right in the head. A week ago, a woman rear-ended my car at a stoplight while my daughter was driving me to Aldi. My daughter is fine (TG!), I have a concussion. The woman's license plate number is imbedded in my bumper - it feels like it's imbedded in my head. Her inability to keep her eyes on the road has taken a week away from me, so far.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Concussions are strange. I have been doing some dumb things like walking straight ahead at the top of stairs and misjudging distances. Last night I put a Tide Pod in the dryer with wet clothes. I feel like I am going to cry all the time, for no apparent reason.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's another weird phenomenon that happens to people when you can't see an injury or illness - everyone thinks they are okay. I am not okay. Besides this temporary concussion, I have cancer (melanoma). I have several autoimmune diseases. I have primary lymphedema. I am on my way out. I don't know when that is going to happen, so I certainly didn't want to spend a week feeling rotten, filling out forms, seeing doctors, having an insurance adjuster come to my house and talking to several insurance adjusters on the phone. Its been a full time job. I'm writing this to remind myself, and anyone who might read it, that when you are driving a car, that is your full time job. You can text people or talk to them some other time. <b>Be a secure person</b>, nobody needs to hear from you while you are driving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, Aldi was selling banana pepper, jalapeño and tomato plants that were pre-loaded with fruit for $7.99. Now I have banana peppers coming out my ears - I've made salads with them, added them to recipes and left them on neighbors' doorstops. Today, I made pickled peppers. It was so easy that even a brain injured person can do it (even though she can't recite the rhyme).</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ewHUGEIHOPA/UbD-zjBSKlI/AAAAAAAAMGo/ZNs_rMS3qTw/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ewHUGEIHOPA/UbD-zjBSKlI/AAAAAAAAMGo/ZNs_rMS3qTw/s320/IMG_0510.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pickled Peppers</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">banana peppers (or any kind of peppers) (enough to fill 2 quart jars)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">1 cup white vinegar </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup water</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">garlic (peeled cloves, sliced lengthwise - maybe 6 per jar)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">3 tbsp. salt (I used Himalayan Pink)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Wash peppers, cut the ends off and cut a slit lengthwise. Slide your finger down the center to remove seeds (it's okay if you don't get them all). Slice into rings.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Place pepper rings and garlic into a jar with a lid, or some kind of glass container that seals shut.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Heat vinegar, water and salt to boiling. Pour over peppers. Let cool for a few hours and then refrigerate. Eat within 2 weeks. </span></span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-47207135763773486862013-04-13T22:38:00.002-05:002013-04-13T22:38:41.106-05:00No Spring for You!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I live in Minnesota, it's snowed every day here for the last 200 days. Okay, so I exaggerated a little, but seriously?! When is this going to end?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Aldi stepped into spring cleaning a few weeks ago. They have Swiffer WetJets for $16.99. Not a bad price, but its the sale price elsewhere. The hook was for Aldi brand pads to use on it, which I can assure you, are the real deal, at half the sale price elsewhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All this is well and good, but the solution is very expensive, and you will go through it really fast, and Aldi isn't carrying it. Besides, it's a chemical-laden product that you don't need (but it smells really really good!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I only want to use vinegar and water to clean my floors, so I found this "hack" for the magic special bottle.. all you have to do is heat the cap in near-boiling water for a minute and twist it off (you'll never get it off otherwise). Then you take a nail clippers and trim off all the little self-locking tabs inside the cap. Now you have a bottle to fill with whatever you want to use to clean your floors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don't have a recipe to write about today, but as long as you have the vinegar out, pour some in a bowl, then add some sugar and then add some milk and stir it up. Pour this on top of some sliced mini cucumbers from Aldi and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-73782957494862804982013-03-19T19:18:00.000-05:002013-03-19T19:18:55.925-05:00The Hopkins Model<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The only people who are good at cooking at the ones who are stuck doing it every day. They don't look at food sites or buy recipe books or rip recipes out of magazines because cooking is a hobby, they do all that because they are stuck. doing. it. every. day. <br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I was a kid, I would play at my friend Brenda's house nearly every afternoon. Around 5 pm, her mom would come home from work and magically turn a few ingredients into a magical meal for a family of 4 (5 if I was lucky, which was probably 80% of the time). I was completely fascinated with how Margo could do this - here she was tired from working as a secretary all day long, and she immediately went to work cooking. Everyone sat at their cool "breakfast nook" table together and visited and laughed during supper.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I learned three things from that part of my childhood.. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. I was going to be a secretary because they could do everything.<br />2. I was going to have a real family and we were going to have supper at the table every day.<br />3. If anyone was at our house during supper time, they were going to eat with us.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So far that's worked really well. I was a secretary from ages 15 to 25. I have a great family and we eat together at 6 pm every day. Everyone we know has an open invitation to join us.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you Margo, Denny, Brenda and Jason. I loved your family.<br /><hr />
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><h4 style="text-align: center;">
La De Da Enchiladas</h4>
</span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 pkg. Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, Southwestern (fully cooked)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 can cream of chicken soup </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup sour cream</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup salsa</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 tsp. chili powder</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 pkg. flour tortillas (10 count/medium size)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tsp. olive oil (to grease baking dish/pan)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 can diced tomatoes, drained</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #463355; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 bunch sliced green onions (or 1/2 diced onion) </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Mix soup, sour cream, salsa and chili powder in a bowl.</span></span></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 25px;">Chop chicken strips into smaller pieces and add them to another bowl, along with cheese and 1 cup of the soup mixture from other bowl.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 25px;">Scoop chicken mixture into tortillas, roll them and place seam-side down into greased baking dish/pan. Keep doing this until you run out of chicken mixture or tortillas or space.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 25px;">Pour remaining soup mixture on top of tortillas.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 25px;">Cover and bake 40 minutes at 350</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">°.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #463355;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Top with diced tomatoes and onions.</span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-23009164978159118752013-02-25T09:54:00.000-06:002013-02-25T11:37:56.100-06:00Permit to Conceal and Carry a Grudge<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire106709.html" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote">The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bodybold" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/voltaire106709.html" style="color: #0000aa; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote"><span style="font-size: large;">Voltaire</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">I find myself in a crazy situation. You see, I somehow got cancer despite doing everything known that would prevent this particular cancer. I <a href="http://wi.mit.edu/news/archive/2005/researchers-discover-why-melanoma-so-malignant">read that it's the smartest</a>, which might prove that being smart is not really a good thing</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">. It's so bad and smart that I don't have to bother myself with all the awful things that people associate with cancer - hospital gowns, bald heads, puking. You know, the kinds of things that bring out empathy in those closest to a person, the kinds of things that allow people to say the things they need to say. Things that give a sense of HOPE. I don't know if this cancer is killing me, or if my mind is killing me - but it's winning in either scenario. People ask me what stage cancer I have, I tell them they don't really stage cancer like this now, so I give them the designation of my particular tumor, I tell them my tumor had a high mitotic rate. They glaze over. I explain that the mitotic rate means that the cancer cells in my tumor were dividing very rapidly, which logically means that they are elsewhere. Elsewhere means metastasized. Where? I don't know, nobody knows, because of that smartest thing - somehow this cancer knows how to metastasize quickly and stay smaller than scans can detect until it's too late. That's pretty smart. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I don't know how it happened, but the people who are into fundamentalist religion (or evangelical or non-demoninational or whatever name they are using at the moment), are also into the idea that modern medicine is the devil's work. It's kind of a side job because they also like to sell supplements, acquire guns, mistrust "the government," wish they were independently wealthy, and so on. These are also the people who are usually kindest to me. I can't tell them that an alkaline diet is a bunch of BS because it will hurt their feelings. I can't tell them that sugars of any type turn into glucose and are used by all cells in a body, not just cancer, and a body could care less how it gets it's sugar - some sugars are just more efficient and lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. No, I can't tell them that. Instead, I amuse myself with CANCER FIGHTING FOODS, which shows that I take their advice. I know how to eat, and most of the time I don't care what it is, because, to be honest, I really am not into food. So, like the vegetarian secretly discovered eating a Big Mac, I will, when convenience strikes, eat some healthy stuff. Yesterday I bought Organic Romaine Hearts at Aldi for 99</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">¢. That's a really good deal.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--YXlX-qFBc4/USuIAuwpuEI/AAAAAAAAL2E/uPHX-YISD9U/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--YXlX-qFBc4/USuIAuwpuEI/AAAAAAAAL2E/uPHX-YISD9U/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-38326479077889120702013-02-10T14:44:00.000-06:002013-02-10T14:44:10.239-06:00WTF Aldi? WTF!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Horse meat? WTF? I know it's not your fault, and I know there are many other companies affected, but I love you, how could you do this to people? Please fix this NOW. Please be the leader in finding out how this happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For everyone else, the dishes affected are Today's Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese. If you want to read about it, search for it. I'm too grossed out to link anything. It seems to be a UK/French issue with Aldi, but I couldn't read far enough to find out for certain. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0VVA-O3jUm8/URgFuXuZTuI/AAAAAAAALzQ/ruANddFRMN0/s1600/Horsemeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0VVA-O3jUm8/URgFuXuZTuI/AAAAAAAALzQ/ruANddFRMN0/s320/Horsemeat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-16960165145394800812013-01-29T16:32:00.000-06:002013-02-08T14:40:21.783-06:00Macbeth Potatoes<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My friend Jane told me once that I must buy organic potatoes - all other were unsafe. I followed her advice, which really meant that I quit buying potatoes altogether. I felt like I couldn't afford organic potatoes. Well, my friends, those days are over. <b>Aldi now has 99<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">¢</span> organic potatoes!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board, has this to say about potatoes:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><i>Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes-the nation's most popular vegetable-they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, </i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><i>"I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."</i> (PREVENTION Magazine)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chemicals are so absorbed into the very being of non-organic potatoes that even obsessive Macbeth-ish washing is not going to make one bit of difference. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No recipe today, who needs one? A baked potato is pure perfection.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PJHBCtA3fGA/UQhNHz8Q2TI/AAAAAAAALzA/YMsK7I5PLHo/s1600/DSCF7782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PJHBCtA3fGA/UQhNHz8Q2TI/AAAAAAAALzA/YMsK7I5PLHo/s320/DSCF7782.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-20495036750858926492012-10-06T19:23:00.000-05:002012-10-06T19:23:15.712-05:00Ghetto to GangnamA new Aldi opened next to my CVS yesterday. If you know me, the significance of this is too great to put into words.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26otmoao3jM/UHCfVukNIrI/AAAAAAAAI2A/d-AFOZOG3BI/s1600/Woodbury+Aldi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-26otmoao3jM/UHCfVukNIrI/AAAAAAAAI2A/d-AFOZOG3BI/s320/Woodbury+Aldi.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've been shopping at an Aldi in a VERY BAD AREA for a few years now, so my first trip to the new Aldi was pretty exciting, knowing that I didn't have to fear for my life. Instead, I encountered one confused-irritated person after another leaving the new store empty handed. This is called First Trip to Aldi Syndrome.<br />
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Everyone who isn't wondering where their next package of Ramen is coming from will probably suffer from FTTAS, but it is highly curable.<br />
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The food at Aldi is the identical food you buy at any other grocer. It tastes the same, it is the same. The difference is that it probably costs 30-50% less at Aldi and you won't see a logo you are familiar with. If you don't like something, for whatever reason (such as the corn flakes taste like Kellogg's and not Post, or the cheese crackers taste like Sunshine and not Nabisco), then you bring your item back to the store and Aldi will return your money, plus give you a replacement product. That's a pretty bold guarantee.<br />
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If you're new to Aldi, start simple and buy some fresh produce, condiments and dairy items. The next time you go, add a few more items, such as a box of cereal and something frozen that looks good. It won't take long to win you over.<br />
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My husband and I went on a 7 day Caribbean cruise with the savings from shopping at Aldi in one year's time. I like labels and logos as much as the next person, but I like white sand beaches and someone else cooking me elegant dinners a whole lot more.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pBUMG2H_Hg/UHC7TPuJjWI/AAAAAAAAI2Q/nlUqhjvW1xc/s1600/IMG_0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pBUMG2H_Hg/UHC7TPuJjWI/AAAAAAAAI2Q/nlUqhjvW1xc/s320/IMG_0391.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Zucchini Sausage Bake</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li>2 zucchini, sliced (3 for $1.29-$1.69)</li>
<li>1 pkg. smoked brats, sliced ($2.49)</li>
<li>3 tbsp. butter (1 lb. $2.29)</li>
<li>1 pkg. (brick) cream cheese ($1.19)</li>
<li>1 tsp. minced garlic in olive oil </li>
<li>coarse ground black pepper</li>
<li>1/3 pkg. garden vegetable crackers, crumbled ($1.49) (these are identical to Carr's Gourmet)</li>
</ul>
Sauté sliced brats, zucchini and minced garlic on medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add butter and continue to sauté until butter is melted. Add cream cheese, cut up into sections, and stir until melted. Add black pepper to taste.<br />
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Transfer mixture to a baking dish. Crumble crackers over top and bake at 350<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">°</span></span></span> for 30 minutes.<br />
Less than $1 per serving.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-5071269673096716052011-07-02T19:53:00.000-05:002011-07-02T19:53:46.337-05:00Turkey Wrap it Up and Shut it Down<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Is it just my neighborhood, or are people drinking like it's 1981 again?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OB_ZU1Zojrs/Tg-6xOx7EbI/AAAAAAAAALk/wsmG8Y9KP-w/s1600/old-scary-people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OB_ZU1Zojrs/Tg-6xOx7EbI/AAAAAAAAALk/wsmG8Y9KP-w/s1600/old-scary-people.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Happy 4th of July! Not.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Turkey Wraps</b></span></div><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1/2 cup mayonnaise</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1/4 teaspoon <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/S8VRc6JIdqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/J-WJJ7O3VDo/s1600/DSCF4769.JPG">dried basil</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1/4 teaspoon dill weed</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1/4 teaspoon <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/S8VRc6JIdqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/J-WJJ7O3VDo/s1600/DSCF4769.JPG">garlic in olive oil</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">10 (6 inch) flour tortillas</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">1 medium onion, sliced thin</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">10 (1 ounce) slices cooked turkey breast</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">10 slices cheddar cheese</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">Fresh Spinach</span></li>
</ul><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a small mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread over the tortillas.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">Sprinkle with onion; top with turkey, cheddar cheese and spinach. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">Roll up tightly; serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and chill.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-73722008097871586712010-12-20T16:55:00.001-06:002010-12-20T17:13:05.326-06:00The Morning after Candle Salad<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Candle Salad has made a come..back.</span></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Most people don't know that it was Minnesota's own Betty Crocker who started this holiday tradition, and she was reeling them in early. Candle salad was in the Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls, published in 1957. You can get your very own free copy of this cookbook </span></span></span><a href="http://ia700106.us.archive.org/12/items/bettycrockerscoo00croc/bettycrockerscoo00croc.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">here</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">. If the link goes dead, email me and I'll send you a copy (it's a 10 mb pdf file).</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">This recipe might explain the peculiarities of the Jones Generation (people born between 1954 and 1965). </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TQ_SXeoo72I/AAAAAAAAAKo/hAabZz5eugw/s1600/candle+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TQ_SXeoo72I/AAAAAAAAAKo/hAabZz5eugw/s320/candle+salad.jpg" width="220" /></span></span></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Of course you can squirt some Reddi-Wip on the candle, if you are so inclined. Aldi has their own magic whipped cream, half the price, most likely canned at the same location.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><hr /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">I don't know what to do about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals. We had ham yesterday for an early celebration; we ate turkey for a week after Thanksgiving; and my mom is making prime rib for the grandchildren Christmas on Sunday. I'm thinking about Shepherd's Pie with a cornbread topping. Sounds fitting for Christmas and remembering why we celebrate the day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">As I sat here making a grocery shopping list, I also decided that I would make a Christmas breakfast. Thankfully, this recipe involves minimal morning effort..</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><hr /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><b>Morning after Candle Salad</b></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">1 loaf French bread </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">8 large eggs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">2 cups half-and-half</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">1 cup milk</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">2 tablespoons sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">4 ripe bananas, sliced</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">carmel sauce</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">canned whipped cream (for the table)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">butter (for greasing dish and the table)</span></span></li>
</ul><div class="instructions" style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Slice bread into 1" slices. Arrange in a buttered 9 x 13" baking dish in two layers, overlapping slices. In a bowl, mix eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a whisk. Pour mixture over the bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Bake at 325</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">°</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">for about 40 minutes.</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 9px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Heat carmel sauce in microwave, pour over casserole when removed from oven, top with sliced bananas and serve immediately. Individuals add butter and whipped cream.</span></span></span></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-57992874458635750762010-12-13T13:43:00.000-06:002010-12-13T13:43:32.336-06:00As the Cookie Crumbles<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I can't bake a cookie to save my life. More holiday guilt. Have you finished your Christmas shopping? I've bought one gift card. Have you wrapped all your presents? Did you know that Christmas Eve is only 11 days away? </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Everyone I know has everything they need, and they know it. My older kids just want money. My youngest wants presents, but she can't find anything she wants for a present. Want to know why? Because SHE ALREADY OWNS EVERYTHING. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I've managed to avoid the cookie exchange for exactly 15 years. I actually ran away from home the morning after the last one I attended. This year, I did have one looming. Thankfully, a blizzard took care of that on Saturday.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TQZz-S0RysI/AAAAAAAAAKk/I5HSkVl5sgg/s1600/cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TQZz-S0RysI/AAAAAAAAAKk/I5HSkVl5sgg/s320/cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So, I can't make cookies. Shoot me. I can, however, make cookie dough. If anyone here wants cookies, I will hand them a brick of dough and a pan.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<hr /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Dough for Dummies</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(one recipe, hundreds of variations)</span></span></div><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3/4 teaspoon baking powder (omit if making thumbprint with filling, ball or spritz)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 large egg</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract</span></span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for at least 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, mixing well after it's added, and then add the vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If not using dough right away, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. You can freeze the dough: Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a sealable bag. It will keep 1 month.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><hr /><br />
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Chocolate variation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">: Replace 1/3 cup of the flour with 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><hr /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Spice variation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper when you add the flour mixture.</span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><hr /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Citrus variation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">: Replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest (lemon, lime or orange) and 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice.</span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><hr /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Peppermint variation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">: Replace vanilla extract with peppermint extract.</span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><hr /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Thank you Martha Stewart Magazine</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-3000536515594410522010-11-24T04:03:00.001-06:002010-11-24T04:13:35.528-06:00Bring on the Bourbon!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This was my shopping list for Thanksgiving:</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Turkey</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sage-Seasoned Sausage <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(fresh)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sage <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(fresh)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rosemary <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(fresh)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thyme <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(fresh)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Celery</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Garlic</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lemon</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Onions (white)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Onions (yellow)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Shallots</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Potatoes</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sweet Potatoes</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mushrooms</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eggs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Butter (lots!)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cheddar Cheese</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Evaporated Milk</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Olive Oil</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Brown Sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Green Beans</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Corn</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Creamed Corn</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cream of Mushroom Soup</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chicken Broth</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Vegetable Broth</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">French-fried Onions <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(sold out)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bread Cubes <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(I wanted bakery dried)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cranberry Sauce <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(had dried, but not canned)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pickles</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Black Olives</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Green Olives</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sparkling Apple Juice</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1-Gallon Zip Bags</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1-Quart Zip Bags</span></span></li>
</ul><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The only items I couldn't purchase at <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Aldi</span> are in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">red</span>, the sage sausage is in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">green</span> because it came from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Trader Joe's</span> (owned by Aldi). Have you been near a regular grocery story this week? Do people only eat once a year? The trip to Aldi took less time than the trip to pick up the items in red. There were fantastic sale prices at the other grocery stores, but I still saved $27 dollars by choosing Aldi.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm making two new recipes this year. One is stuffing with sage sausage and the other is sweet potatoes on the grill with fresh rosemary and olive oil. I'm on my 14th year doing an herb-infused turkey, which is a big pain in the butt, but worth it. We're also having our die-hard traditional mashed potatoes with shallot and herb gravy, green bean casserole and bourbon corn pudding. My mom is bringing dessert and rolls (my favorite).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This Thanksgiving I am feeling especially thankful for my husband. He offered to take everyone out for dinner this year (even researched places to go) because of how rapidly my health has deteriorated in the last 6 weeks, but I couldn't do that to the kids; so instead, he drove me grocery shopping and is planning to chop, dice and slice with me for a few hours tomorrow night to get ready.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wishing everyone reading this a Happy Thanksgiving full of friends and family and good things to eat!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TOzd1o2A4HI/AAAAAAAAAKg/ByfDNx0nRk8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TOzd1o2A4HI/AAAAAAAAAKg/ByfDNx0nRk8/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><hr /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Bourbon Corn Pudding</b></span></div><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 large eggs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 can evaporated milk</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 cans cream-style corn</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3 cups corn (frozen or drained from can)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 tbsp. butter, melted</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 tbsp. brown sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp. water</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 tsp. ground nutmeg</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5 tbsp. bourbon (my friend Sara said molasses works great as a substitute and they carry it seasonally at Aldi) </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. ground white pepper</span></span></li>
</ul><span class="b" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.<br />
<br />
Beat eggs and evaporated milk together in large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients and pour mixture into baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until slightly browned and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="b" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><hr /></span></span></span><br />
<span class="b" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>P.S. I still can't get the formatting right for this blog since I switched to a Mac!</i></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-13199112109862266602010-10-06T17:18:00.001-05:002010-10-06T17:21:50.830-05:00Aldi vs. the Drive-Thru<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My friend Jane and I were talking about how sad it is that it's far less expensive to eat at fast food dollar menus than it is to cook at home. I've cut our grocery expense in half by shopping at Aldi, but I could cut it again by 50% if I were to get dinner at the drive-thru every night. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seriously. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my lifetime, I have seen the number of grocery stores reduced dramatically. I lived in a town of 12,000 people for several years and I believe there were 11 full stores when I moved there, as well as several neighborhood stores; and by the time I left, 13 years later, there were 2. I listened to many excuses for this, the main one being that the two stores remaining were larger and more competitive. I believe it was really about the fast food industry, and the push to convince people that their time was too valuable to shop for and prepare food. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I live within a few minutes of every imaginable fast food place, and I can still make supper quicker than it takes to get to, and go through, a drive-thru (<i>notice we don't even have time to write out the word "through"</i>). I won't even get into the nutritional and health difference.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Shopping for food is another story, and I believe that is where everything went to hell. Just the thought of having to go to a big grocery store, especially after work, is enough to make anyone want to head to the nearest yellow letter in the sky; and this is precisely why I became an Aldi addict. Aldi is small - there are 5 aisles; you can be in and out in 10 minutes with enough food for the next 3 days. There's no maze to wander through and no fancy displays of high-profit impulse items. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Aldi has brought back the main street grocery store.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Reconditioning yourself to let go of the familiar label is the only difficult part - it's still the same stuff inside, Aldi's products come from all the popular brands; the advertising cost is removed to save you money. If you don't like something, you can return what's left, and they refund your money and give you an alternate product. Who else offers this kind of guarantee? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, instead of making supper, I wrote this. I'll see you later, I have to go to Mc.. kidding! We are having left-overs, another great benefit from cooking your own food. Have you ever tried to eat left-over fast food? Enough said.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-29121622041224410672010-09-20T03:41:00.000-05:002010-09-20T03:41:48.135-05:00The Push-Pull<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I found this ingenious device in Arkansas, it's called a Push-Pull. It's for pulling the oven rack out and pushing it back into place. Yes, it's a stick.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJccUNIFxOI/AAAAAAAAAKY/UH4JTM5HmpY/s1600/IMG_0153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJccUNIFxOI/AAAAAAAAAKY/UH4JTM5HmpY/s320/IMG_0153.jpg" /></a></div></div></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's September, so that means you are probably being pushed and pulled in every direction. Blame Jupiter, the giant magnet that takes over our September sky. You're probably too busy in September to even take 5 minutes to go look at what's to blame for your anxiety, so my plan today is to push you outside tonight when it gets dark. Jupiter hasn't been this close to us since 1963, and it won't be this close again until 2022.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is what the Push-Pull sounds like (Jupiter in your brain):</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxd1lTZxQTtN2ryVGl4YMg6xThI9Nw3DyzYp8zHxzTjkYlmc_ab6--zuMhFfYfJKL_A-VLRU4M9etkXH8hSmA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, get outside and shake your fist at the bane of your existence, or simply enjoy the bright pretty light in the sky. Here's an extra five minutes to make up for the time spent doing that..</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><hr /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Sweet & Sticky Chicken</span></span></b></div><b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4 chicken breasts</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/3 cup honey</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/3 cup soy sauce</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/3 cup olive oil</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> </span></li>
</ul></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Take a one gallon zip lock bag and pour in olive oil, then honey, then soy sauce. Add chicken breasts. Freeze.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some night, when you don't have time to fix supper, dump contents of bag into a baking dish and bake at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">325</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #463355; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 42px;">°</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> for 90 minutes. </span><br />
<hr style="color: #463355; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 42px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #463355; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 27px; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">P.S. Happy Birthday to my son Shane, the first love of my life.</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-79054481596615222112010-09-15T20:25:00.002-05:002010-09-15T20:41:01.726-05:00Easy (i)Mac<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was pretty far up Bill Gates' butt, cheering him on as he amassed his fortune, and singing the praises of Windows. I jumped on the bandwagon at Windows 1.0 and never gave up, we're talking nearly 25 years of Windows. 20 years ago, I was gleefully telling my coworkers that soon everyone would be using Windows, it was <i>the</i> future. This sort of talk sickened the <i>real</i> programmer I worked with, he would sneer at me and tell people I was neurotic. Didn't phase me. Then, along came a mandate that hundreds of work stations needed to be transitioned to Windows 3.11. Guess who became the neurotic? It's been a great marriage.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So.. last week, I converted to Mac. It's been fairly smooth so far, mostly since I realized that Mac chose left-handers over right-handers and said, "now you live in our world, deal with it." It's not easy to go against 90% of the population and survive, and then thrive. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm still learning that "X-ing" out of something doesn't really end it, it just makes it hide. "Quitting" something is where it's at. I am considering a name change to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="Command Modifier icon" height="13" src="http://newmacuser.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/command-modifier-icon.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="12" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bill Gates, I quit you.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We all know that a major relationship breakup requires some comfort food, and what is more comforting than..</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJFwB74UN-I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/2yx76Mb0Q08/s1600/Mac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJFwB74UN-I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/2yx76Mb0Q08/s320/Mac.jpg" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><hr /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: large;">Easy (i)Mac (and cheese)</span></span></b></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8 oz. macaroni, cooked and drained</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 cups shredded cheddar cheese </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 cup shredded m</span><span class="SpellE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ozzarella</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> cheese</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 eggs</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1-1/2 cups milk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3/4 stick butter</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 can evaporated milk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">salt and pepper</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Melt butter in Crock Pot.<br />
Layer macaroni and cheese (saving some of both cheeses).<br />
Beat eggs and add both milks and pour mixture into C</span><span class="SpellE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">rock Pot</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> over macaroni and cheese.<br />
Top with remaining cheese.<br />
Cook on low for 3 hours.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><hr style="color: #463355; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-4713482996816932692010-09-14T13:56:00.008-05:002010-09-15T20:38:09.988-05:00Under Pressure<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I recent became an iConvert, so I gave my Blackberry to my oldest son. He said, "I'm going to feel like a jerk." That's how I feel when I go to a grocery store where someone bags my groceries for me. Somewhere along the line, that became my job. It wasn't a job I did well, there was too much pressure - as soon as I got started, the person behind me needed my space, much the same as the short stint I did working at the Jolly Green Giant factory in Glencoe, Minnesota when I was 18. My "job" there was to line up cobs of corn on a conveyor belt under a laser beam so they could go through a cutter to make perfectly sized frozen cobs of corn so people could enjoy that summer feeling all year round. My hands were next to the guillotine and I had steam under my feet and cold frozen air above me, all while standing on a 1' square platform, six stories above the ground. I would glance around me and see others visiting pleasantly in Spanish, while easily keeping up with the conveyor belt, all while my corn kept piling up like a disaster on the interstate during rush hour. I lasted about 6 hours. The next day I signed up for Fall classes at the AVTI to become a bookkeeper (that's what we called accounting in the early 80's).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Aldi understands grocery bagging pressure. Your groceries go back in a cart for you to take to a long counter to bag at your leisure. If you want to put laundry detergent in the same bag as your vegetables, you have their blessing.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I haven't written recently because I have been on two vacations, one from heaven, and one from hell. The first was spent in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas. The second was spent in front of my broken computer. I am happy to say that I am now writing from a new iMac, a gift from the husband I do not deserve. I haven't figured out universal formatting, hence the odd look to today's entry.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJAb_ZtxrsI/AAAAAAAAAKI/sv5IR7nyNZk/s1600/DSCF6350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TJAb_ZtxrsI/AAAAAAAAAKI/sv5IR7nyNZk/s320/DSCF6350.JPG" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Spaghetti Pie</span></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Toss cooked spaghetti, parmesan, and egg. Place in 9" pie plate. Press along sides and bottom to form a crust.</span><br />
<ul><li>8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained</li>
<li>1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese</li>
<li>1 egg, slightly beaten</li>
<li>1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (or ground turkey/vegetarian substitute)</li>
<li>2 cups spaghetti sauce</li>
<li>8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese</li>
</ul><ul></ul><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mix cooked meat and spaghetti sauce. Spread over spaghetti crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bake at 350</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #463355; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;">°</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into pie slices.</span><br />
<hr style="color: #463355; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 42px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-40647459355710835692010-08-17T02:36:00.000-05:002010-08-17T02:36:56.758-05:00East Side Insalata Caprese<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My husband drinks tomato juice like other people drink water. It makes a <i>glug-glug-glug</i> sound when he's pouring it out of the can. I can't leave the house without him saying, "I'm almost out of tomato juice." He also loves all kinds of tomato-based foods, especially Swiss steak, which I made for supper tonight.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>So..</i> you'd think that he'd love fresh tomatoes, right? <b>No</b>, he won't touch them. He even makes a face when he's looking at them, and I've seen him fling a tomato slice off a burger faster than a magician could make one disappear. Two of my kids, however, LOVE fresh tomatoes, and last week, we were given some beauties from the Pearson garden in Mound, Minnesota {{<i>thank you again</i>}}. I have two left and they are going to disappear like a rabbit under a top hat tomorrow. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our house has been torn apart from one end to the other for the past two weeks and that made me forget about food and blogs, so I apologize to my 3 followers. My youngest finally got her grown up bedroom remodel, it's pink on pink on white. Of course that led to another thing that needed to be changed/fixed/cleaned, and another and another. My favorite new thing is carpeting on the stairs. If I had a laptop, I would be sitting on the new carpeted stairs writing this. I still am not iPad savvy for writing beyond a sentence or two.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TGo5I-_z1pI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/F08nUK4omPU/s1600/DSCF6212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TGo5I-_z1pI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/F08nUK4omPU/s320/DSCF6212.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aldi is now stocking fresh mozzarella cheese. I don't know about you, but nothing excites me more than a ball of cheese in an open cooler. I don't know who is making this cheese for them, but it slices perfectly and tastes heavenly.<hr /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>East Side Insalata Caprese</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">fresh<span style="color: #0000cc;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">mozzarella cheese ball(s)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0000cc;">, </span>sliced 1/4"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">tomatoes (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">same size as cheese if possible</span>), sliced 1/4"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> fresh basil (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">or you can use <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/S8VRc6JIdqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/J-WJJ7O3VDo/s1600/DSCF4769.JPG">this stuff</a> but it won't be as good</span>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">olive oil </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">coarse ground salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">coarse ground black pepper</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stack cheese slices on top of tomato slices and arrange on a plate.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tear up pieces of fresh basil and scatter over the top.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sprinkle with salt and pepper. </span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Drizzle with olive oil.</span></span></span><br />
<hr /><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-80134719334250578542010-07-30T00:51:00.000-05:002010-07-30T00:51:39.045-05:00Hamilton Beach Model E Food Mixer Instruction Manual<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The instruction manual <a href="http://iheartaldi.blogspot.com/2010/07/all-mixed-up-and-going-bananas.html">for my new toy</a> arrived today. As I was looking through the brittle 75 year old pages, I realized that I might be the only person in the entire world who owns this booklet, and that isn't right, so I have decided to share it. It wasn't an entirely selfless act, as it stinks to high heaven. I could smell it before I even reached the mail box. It has that grandma's farm-house cupboard drawer stink which is completely repugnant in a nostalgic sort of way. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope you realize that you will now be seeing Hamilton Beach Model E Food Mixers everywhere now. That's called the <a href="http://www.damninteresting.com/the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon"><i>Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon</i></a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you arrived here only to <strike>steal</strike> view this rare booklet, please leave a comment. My three followers and I would really appreciate having something new to read. <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><b>HINT:</b> If you click on each photo, the image becomes very large, and if you right-click on the photo, you can save it to your computer forever.<hr /></i></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiOKBaz1I/AAAAAAAAAGg/ieOtgUc_3po/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiOKBaz1I/AAAAAAAAAGg/ieOtgUc_3po/s320/Image1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiRWbUCRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/0b4u6gUN0As/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiRWbUCRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/0b4u6gUN0As/s320/Image2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiVYbJoII/AAAAAAAAAGw/QgkB8Sf9eT4/s1600/Image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiVYbJoII/AAAAAAAAAGw/QgkB8Sf9eT4/s320/Image3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiYVrAePI/AAAAAAAAAG4/pNsRqtNxJ60/s1600/Image4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJijyNAd_I/AAAAAAAAAHY/wcJrAUFMv2c/s320/Image8.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJimklSbiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/lUXSIIkJMRI/s1600/Image9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJimklSbiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/lUXSIIkJMRI/s320/Image9.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJip-ltm5I/AAAAAAAAAHo/qz8FJgMQj1M/s1600/Image10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJip-ltm5I/AAAAAAAAAHo/qz8FJgMQj1M/s320/Image10.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiugPAaWI/AAAAAAAAAHw/IOyKb8sce-M/s1600/Image11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiugPAaWI/AAAAAAAAAHw/IOyKb8sce-M/s320/Image11.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJiw48zJVI/AAAAAAAAAH4/JY2Ob79dOfU/s1600/Image12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJi7eMdxkI/AAAAAAAAAIY/cit0onRhE7Y/s320/Image16.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJi95nQoWI/AAAAAAAAAIg/VaG6eSEZXwQ/s1600/Image17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJi95nQoWI/AAAAAAAAAIg/VaG6eSEZXwQ/s320/Image17.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJi_1XP1JI/AAAAAAAAAIo/syHpPPNDOUw/s1600/Image18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJi_1XP1JI/AAAAAAAAAIo/syHpPPNDOUw/s320/Image18.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjCKh8AoI/AAAAAAAAAIw/-SO_ON3alY0/s1600/Image19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjCKh8AoI/AAAAAAAAAIw/-SO_ON3alY0/s320/Image19.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjEK7eWRI/AAAAAAAAAI4/s8_LcJQkdHs/s1600/Image20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjEK7eWRI/AAAAAAAAAI4/s8_LcJQkdHs/s320/Image20.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjGV8omHI/AAAAAAAAAJA/nucJ3o170Gg/s1600/Image21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjGV8omHI/AAAAAAAAAJA/nucJ3o170Gg/s320/Image21.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjIRpIuOI/AAAAAAAAAJI/F4bY0Nzm5sg/s1600/Image22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjIRpIuOI/AAAAAAAAAJI/F4bY0Nzm5sg/s320/Image22.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjKZCi6GI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/8LqB3lwUBIU/s1600/Image23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjKZCi6GI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/8LqB3lwUBIU/s320/Image23.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjMXfLyxI/AAAAAAAAAJY/e3VytAx4-5k/s1600/Image24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjMXfLyxI/AAAAAAAAAJY/e3VytAx4-5k/s320/Image24.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjNsCivBI/AAAAAAAAAJg/Op1mHYaE6C8/s1600/Image25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFJjNsCivBI/AAAAAAAAAJg/Op1mHYaE6C8/s320/Image25.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span>Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-13777866631380512832010-07-29T14:30:00.001-05:002010-07-30T14:59:18.217-05:00Tow'Mater Corn<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've got St. Louis ribs in the crock pot, smothered with <a href="http://www.sweetbabyrays.com/">Sweet Baby Ray's</a>. I won't eat the ribs because I had to wake up and look at them in their raw state and then had to grill the fat off them. That image gets burned in my mind for a few days. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the things I love most about my husband is that he never complains about food. I spent 10 years in proximity of someone who did nothing but complain and criticize everything I cooked, and nearly everything I did or said. Of course I didn't believe it. I am part of the <i>Free to Be... You and Me</i> generation. My husband was from the <i>Age of Aquarius</i> generation, the two fit nicely together.</span> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFHQOSvKfLI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/2urM8TS0fEM/s1600/sexist-ad-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFHQOSvKfLI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/2urM8TS0fEM/s320/sexist-ad-3.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFHWX9XNsEI/AAAAAAAAAGY/CKMamlPcew8/s1600/DSCF4393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFHWX9XNsEI/AAAAAAAAAGY/CKMamlPcew8/s320/DSCF4393.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Normally I'd be all about the fresh veggies, but not when it comes to frozen corn or frozen skinny string beans at Aldi. Don't you hate it when you buy fresh corn-on-the-cob and it isn't very good? That will never happen with Aldi frozen corn. <i>Never</i>. Never is a good word. So is always. Saying, "I always almost never," before a statement will keep you out of trouble if you know someone who likes to call out your bullshit.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am going to make this masterpiece tonight to sit beside the ribs. You could also do it in a crock pot, but mine is busy right now.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFMu887FwJI/AAAAAAAAAJo/faSZXI4SDVE/s1600/DSCF6082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFMu887FwJI/AAAAAAAAAJo/faSZXI4SDVE/s320/DSCF6082.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tow'Mater Corn</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">1 bag frozen corn</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 onion, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 can diced tomatoes (or very ripe garden tomatoes, if you have them)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">salt and pepper</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Place the corn, <i><b>half</b></i> the bacon, onion and tomatoes in a pan and cook slowly until nearly all the liquid cooks out. Mix in rest of fried bacon and salt and pepper.</span><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-54640291793199969322010-07-28T22:26:00.000-05:002010-07-28T22:26:17.997-05:00(shhhhhh, it's a secret) Goodbye Theo<h1></h1><div style="float: left; width: 100%;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFDz_cl8kpI/AAAAAAAAAGI/dr9p6bMf2DA/s1600/_48523446_albrecht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFDz_cl8kpI/AAAAAAAAAGI/dr9p6bMf2DA/s320/_48523446_albrecht.jpg" /></a></div><div class="byline"> <b> </b></div><div class="byline" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By JUERGEN BAETZ ,</b> Associated Press </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="float: left; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; width: 100%;"><!-- End Sidebar --> </div><div class="articlePageDiv" id="pageDiv1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;">BERLIN - Theo Albrecht, the secretive co-founder of Germany's worldwide discount supermarket chain Aldi, a co-owner of Trader Joe's in the United States and one of Europe's richest men, has died at age 88.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The retail machine that Albrecht built with his brother Karl has won over German consumers with their no-thrills but super-cheap offer, making billionaires of the two and spawning imitation "hard-discount" stores across Europe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The company's Aldi Nord division said in a statement Wednesday that Albrecht was the driving force behind Aldi's internationalization, expanding stores to France, Spain, Portugal, Poland and the United States, among other nations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The company said he died Saturday <i>(7-24-10)</i> in his home city of Essen, but gave no cause of death.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Even that bare-bones statement marked unusual openness for a company known for its extreme secrecy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">When Forbes featured the brothers in 1992 as two of the world's richest men, the magazine had to uses silhouettes rather than photographs to illustrate the article since no pictures of them had been published in many years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The German Retail Federation said the country had lost one of its greatest entrepreneurs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"There are only a few people who have stamped their mark on an entire business sector of the economy. Theo Albrecht achieved just that," the federation's managing director, Stefan Genth, said in a statement.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Albrecht and his elder brother Karl both served as German soldiers in World War II then returned home to Essen and took over a grocery store their parents owned.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">They flourished as the German economy, in shambles after the war, came back to life in what is often called the "economic miracle."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">By 1950, they were already running 13 stores and five years later, they had expanded throughout Germany's western industrial Ruhr basin.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The first Aldi stores — an acronym standing for "Albrecht Discount" — opened in the early 1960s under the motto: "concentrating on the basics: a limited selection of goods for daily needs."</span><br />
<br />
<div class="articlePageDiv" id="pageDiv2"> <span style="font-size: small;">It was a formula that sold well: Aldi carries a limited selection of fastest-selling, nonperishable consumer items, a strategy that allowed them to increase order volume, cut handling costs and waste, and buy their goods cheap — savings passed on to the consumer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Aldi now has more than 4,000 outlets in Germany alone, where it is known for its no-frills shopping environment, streamlined processes and a limited range of discount products.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The two brothers in the 1960s decided to divide up what was then West Germany, with Theo running stores in the north. However, they used their combined bargaining power to lower purchasing prices, enabling them to garner higher profit margins while keeping prices low.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">As their concept proved successful, Aldi started to expand around the world. In the U.S. alone, the company says it now has about 1,000 shops.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Aldi does not publish sales or profit figures. Aldi Nord says it employs more than 50,000 people around the world but will not reveal how many stores the company has worldwide.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In 1979, a family trust established by Theo Albrecht bought the U.S. specialty grocery chain Trader Joe's. In keeping with Aldi's culture of secrecy, Trader Joe's refused Wednesday to comment on Albrecht or Aldi, even refusing to confirm that the chain is owned by the Albrecht family. The business information provider Hoover's confirms that billionaire brothers bought the U.S. company in 1979.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Albrecht quietly managed Aldi Nord until 1993, when he stepped back from its day-to-day operations. But he still wielded huge influence as chairman of a foundation that holds the biggest stake in the company.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The publicity-shy Albrecht — of whom barely any photos exist — kept a very low profile. In 1971, he was kidnapped in Germany and released after 17 days after paying a ransom of 7 million German marks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Albrecht brothers have regularly led lists of Germany's richest people.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Forbes magazine's 2010 list of the world's richest people estimated Theo Albrecht's fortune at $16.7 billion, making him one of the wealthiest people in Europe. Karl Albrecht, 90, is said to have an estimated wealth of $23.5 billion, making him number ten worldwide.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Albrecht is survived by his wife Cilli and his two sons, Theo and Berthold. German media say he was buried on Wednesday in a small family ceremony.</span> <br />
</div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-42195370900871744722010-07-24T13:08:00.001-05:002010-07-30T23:46:57.618-05:00All Mixed Up and Going Bananas<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's <a href="http://www.lumberjackdays.com/">Lumberjack Days</a> in Stillwater, Minnesota, the birthplace of Minnesota. My husband, youngest daughter and I went yesterday afternoon. We watched the K9 show and wandered through the vendors and then went to Mill Antiques in the old saw mill.. where I found a 1936 Hamilton Beach mixer for $35. Whomever owned this beauty did not like to cook because it looks brand new. It's identical to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-K45SS-Classic-250-Watt-2-Quart/dp/B00004SGFW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1279991536&sr=1-11">KitchenAid</a> on sale at Amazon.. well, give or take a pair of glasses.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I like knowing that women in Minnesota and Wisconsin owned mixers during The Great Depression. They probably got a big discount since they had to build them. I also like that this mixer is not worth much because it LASTS FOREVER, probably because it was built by women.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdSv_X_5I/AAAAAAAAAFg/3KLLRa_GQ-c/s1600/DSCF6075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdSv_X_5I/AAAAAAAAAFg/3KLLRa_GQ-c/s320/DSCF6075.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdXFZYjBI/AAAAAAAAAFo/cdytpntxE-c/s1600/mixmaster_assembly_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdXFZYjBI/AAAAAAAAAFo/cdytpntxE-c/s320/mixmaster_assembly_01.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdbVF0ZWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/2oLS2w2hZY4/s1600/il_430xN.116037862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsdbVF0ZWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/2oLS2w2hZY4/s320/il_430xN.116037862.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, I bought the instruction manual on eBay last night..</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEseo_2KgvI/AAAAAAAAAF4/XnsGGLUQec4/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEseo_2KgvI/AAAAAAAAAF4/XnsGGLUQec4/s320/book.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am really excited to see all the attachments <i>that I cannot get</i> for it. It came with the small bowl with the pouring lip, but the juicer was missing. That's okay, it's pretty weird looking anyway (found this picture online)..</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsg3AAyZ_I/AAAAAAAAAGA/LZjwDlvTzYs/s1600/365287912_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEsg3AAyZ_I/AAAAAAAAAGA/LZjwDlvTzYs/s320/365287912_o.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, onto using a mixer for something totally cool that involves egg whites. If you don't have an awesome mixer like mine, you'll just have to come over and eat this at my house. There's no food depression happening here. That's because I shop at Aldi.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFOqm0LICUI/AAAAAAAAAJw/XM2NjOKJKL4/s1600/DSCF6090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TFOqm0LICUI/AAAAAAAAAJw/XM2NjOKJKL4/s320/DSCF6090.JPG" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">All Mixed Up and Going Bananas </span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp. melted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">2 ripe bananas (as ripe as possible without being rotten)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 large egg yolk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp. lemon or lime juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">4 tbsp. sugar (just get the sugar out, you need 2, then 1, then 1)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. vanilla </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">3 large egg whites</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">tiny bit of salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">powdered sugar (to sprinkle on top)</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a small mixer bowl, blend the bananas, egg yolk, 2 tbsp. sugar, lemon or lime juice, and vanilla on a slow speed until smooth. Pour into a big bowl and set aside.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Butter 4 soufflé cups and coat with 1 tbsp. sugar (pour loose sugar from one to the next to the next).</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the large mixer bowl, beat the egg whites and the salt until it kinda peaks. Then add the 1 tbsp. of sugar left and beat until it peaks and is glossy.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Use a spatula to fold the egg whites into the banana batter - just do about 1/4th at a time. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fill soufflé cups to the very top, you can jiggle or tap them to make sure they're full.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 400° for 15 minutes, but watch them the last 3-5 minutes as they grow way above the top and you want the tops to look brown.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sprinkle with powered sugar and serve immediately.</span><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-23647132602701647292010-07-21T12:20:00.003-05:002010-07-21T12:33:28.090-05:00Smear Campaign<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have an addiction to happy kitchen dishes, knives, appliances and gadgets. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-4-Piece-Place-Setting-Sunflower/dp/B00005LD3F">Fiesta</a> had been fulfilling that need, but.. now I've found the greatest bowls on earth, which happen to have a Zero Landfill Policy and a Recycle-a-Bowl Program. They are called <a href="http://www.calibowl.com/home.html">CaliBowls</a>, and I love them! After an unfortunate graduation party accident that nearly left me footless (refried beans [aka napalm] spilling out of a bowl onto my bare foot), I have total confidence that a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calibowl-Ceramic-Stack-Mixing-Bowls/dp/B002WYK1RO">CaliBowl</a> would never have harmed me in such a vicious manner. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wish people came with a "no-spill" lip, as my feelings were recently napalmed, but, <i>such is life</i>, hopefully that will heal faster than my foot.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEcnZynWn0I/AAAAAAAAAFY/TqcZKM1ReTY/s1600/DSCF6037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TEcnZynWn0I/AAAAAAAAAFY/TqcZKM1ReTY/s320/DSCF6037.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of my favorite things about Aldi is that they always have avocados in stock and in varying states of ripeness, and they always cost way less than anywhere else. Sometimes they are only 29¢.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is something you can spread on anything, I haven't found one thing that doesn't taste better with(out?) avocado, except maybe chocolate, but I haven't tried it.</span><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Smear Campaign</b></span></div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">1 big ripe (or 2 small) avocado</span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp. <span class="text_exposed_show"> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/S8VRc6JIdqI/AAAAAAAAAAc/J-WJJ7O3VDo/s1600/DSCF4769.JPG"><span class="text_exposed_show">minced garlic in olive oil</span></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup plain yogurt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp. mayonnaise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp. lemon juice (or a packet of <a href="http://www.truelemon.com/">True Lemon</a> or True Lime)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1 tbsp. <i>very</i> finely chopped onion</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cut avocado in half and remove the pit, scoop the fruit into a bowl, and mash it with a fork. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>NOTE:</b> The secret to keeping avocado-anything green is to keep the air out, so if you store this, put a piece of wax paper over the top of the spread before you seal it in a container</span>.</span></i></span><br />
<hr /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1310076884102708121.post-1533323912748119842010-07-15T01:57:00.000-05:002010-07-15T01:57:38.140-05:00Herb Infused Oil<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's the middle of summer today, so you can either say summer is half over or we still have half of summer left. That's the power of mediocre thinking.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am going to deviate from Aldi today. Actually, my Aldi is becoming too scary to shop at and I am too lazy to drive 9 miles to one in a retirement community. My choices for Aldi seem to be risking my life or getting rammed in the back with a shopping cart by an elderly person asserting their independence. I am partial to the life-risking because those people are damn interesting. Yesterday, I listened to two women shouting at each other from across the store - one would be in aisle 1 while the other was in aisle 4, or one would be in the front of the store, while the other was in back. It went on for a good 10 minutes and was entertaining. The man who reeked of urine was not.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, Aldi has a sibling rival. He is Trader Joe. It's a cool story, you should google it sometime. Anyway, Trader Joe must be the pot smoker in the family, because once you walk in the store, you are greeted with fresh flowers and colorful fruit and all the employees are wearing Hawaiian shirts and want to be your best friend.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trader Joe's has the best price on olive oil and Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Soap and I often run out of both at the same time. Of course you can get olive oil at Aldi too, but it's not a big bottle. I have to have the big bottle. You will not find fresh herbs at Aldi. You might find the seeds to grow your own. Ironically, its probably easier to buy pot in front of Aldi than in front of Trader Joe's. I don't know this for certain.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think you could experiment with this recipe and make some nice skin products too. It worked for Palmolive.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TD6tyV3Uz4I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/vlVoR5ZGv-A/s1600/BH1218-lrg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LHH69iAQBI8/TD6tyV3Uz4I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/vlVoR5ZGv-A/s320/BH1218-lrg.jpeg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><hr /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Herb Infused Oil</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (rosemary or basil are nice)</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Place olive oil and herbs in a Crock Pot and cook on high uncovered for 2 hours. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Drain using a white paper towel as a filter to catch the herb pieces. Transfer drained oil to a sealed jar. Store in the refrigerator. It will stay flavorful for about a month. Don't panic if it gets cloudy, it will look fine once it is room temperature.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Use the oil for bread dipping, or to coat pasta or anything else you can think of. This is an easy thing to bring to someone's house or a gathering with a few loaves of sliced french bread from a bakery (Trader Joe's has great bread). You can tell people you infused your own oil and they will be impressed. Or not.<hr /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><span><span><span><span>Disclaimer: I do not own these recipes. I cook from memory and often adapt things I've seen, tasted, heard about, or read about.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3