Friday Friend recipe #302 and #303--Meghan's Hot Apple Pie and Game Hens and Tamale Dressing

 

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #302 and 303

Meghan's Hot Apple Pie and Game Hens with Tamale Dressing

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook

I often have to purchase random food items for this cookbook countdown, but this one is worth it!

Because then you can make this--

And you thought you were going to get a dessert, right?

LOL

I've been making all the hot drinks on Sunday mornings to take photos of and to taste.

(please Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins)

They are kind of like desserts. So.... 

Hot Apple Pie it is!

And then there is this--Tamale Dressing!

I kept saying 'stuffing' and Rich looked at those little Cornish game hens and said, "I don't think you have enough game hens."

It made a lot of dressing.

Stuffing/dressing--what's the difference!

Except it was the real cause for the civil war! 

(so says author Rick Bragg)

Northerners stuff their bird, Southerners don't.

We westerners do it however we want!

But I did not want to stuff a bunch of Cornish Game Hens!

This is really good! But my dressing was a bit spicy.  My dressing was very spicy!  My tamales were spicy AND those peppers, which I roasted and peeled, must not have seeded like I should--those were spicy.

But so very tasty!

This is Meghan's 10th appearance/post in the Friday Friend Cookbook.

You can see all her recipes here--just click.

Let me give you a little bit more background about the Friday Friend Forum--we were witty and funny, throwing comments back and forth like we knew each other. (well I DID know everyone--but they didn't all know each other.  I tried thru-out the 10-year FF Forum life, to get people together.  Sometimes it worked out)

Like I've pointed out before, we had diet contests, Secret Santas, raised money to go to a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship--and we also might have betrothed some children to each other.

Hey--it happens. 

We might have betrothed my niece, Devin to my friend Theresa's son, Max.

Okay fine! We did! We betrothed them when they were four years old.  They will be 20 this year.

Maybe it's time to let them in on it.

Here is the Handyman making the betrothal deal with our sister-in-law, Meghan.

And here are our friends, Theresa and Mike Mavity--looking on to see if the Dowry will be adequate. 

Oh it is!  The betrothal was finalized and the waiting and wondering tension is gone-- now let the celebration begin!

Look at all that food on the table!

And here is the happy little couple

With my nephew Nate in the middle.

Max and Devin!

It's okay Buddy, he's going to be your brother-in-law.

****

Then a few years later---this came up in the forum:

from Meghan Stone in Livermore, CA:

You know what is a great name for a boy?

Michael! Who doesn't love a Mike?

Me, Cherrie, Bev and Theresa do...to name a few!!

Devin's boyfriend at school is Michael B (last name Buti--pronounced BOOTY...she'll keep her maiden name) DON'T tell the Mavity's!  We like to keep our options open..

****

I promised I would never tell!!

So...shhhhh.

 I'm sure that thing with Michael Buti is long over.

So.... whataya think?

Is it time to let them in on the betrothal?

2 years ago, they both graduated from High School--in the height of the pandemic.

(all classes of 2020 got screwed out of a regular senior year, graduation, etc. Stupid Covid!

just sayin')

Devin had dance pictures that day...the day of the betrothal...

I took that as a sign at the betrothal...

Devin with her dad, my brother-in-law, MIKE. 

Because Max's mom, my friend Theresa, is a DANCE TEACHER!

And they both have dad's named Mike.

It's kismet, I'm sure!!

But then again, maybe not Kismet.

(oh geez, the Handyman just walked by and said he didn't know what Kismet meant.  You? 

It's written in the stars, providence, fate, destiny, kismet!)

If you recall, Meghan owned and operated a little catering business at one time.  She loves to cook and has 'cooked' for all important family events for some time.

And she loves her children!

Apparently, Theresa loves her children too--

This came across in the forum in October 2009:

from: Theresa

subject: the children

and she writes:  are quite tasty if you cook them.  We enjoyed them last night.

Now that is  kinda scary!

The children are tasty??!

I don't want to write this part, but (sigh) I will.

I know what she is referencing.  It's not children---it's CHICKEN!

Or at least we certainly hope so.

A spelling error?  Spell check?

We had just had a Harvest Hops and Grapes event and the chicken wings were not cooked--still frozen, so the Chamber board of directors took some home.

Those are what were quite tasty if you cook them, NOT the children.

I'm laughing even as I write this.

And these my friends, are

recipes #302 and 303

Only 64 left to go!

I can do it!

WOO HOO!  I am below 100 recipes now.  Yay!  Yahoo! Whoopie!