Brunch Time

Yummy Brunch Dish!

I finally had time to try out my "own" recipe this weekend. I've been so busy trying out everyone else's "good eats" that I was beginning to wonder if I would ever make anything to blog about again. :~)

I made a great brunch casserole. Which would have been great, if I were having a brunch. But today it was just my husband and I, so we had a quite a lot leftovers... but it was good.

Company type of good!
Next time, I'm inviting my friends for a nice brunch.
In fact.....maybe two Sundays from now... a brunch get-together! And this will be at the top of my list...

Stone Masterpiece
(okay, so yes, I'm using my own last name. the original recipe was McGill Masterpiece, but...it's mine now)

What you need:
mild pork sausage
spicy pork sausage
1 med. onion
rice cereal
cooked white rice
shredded cheddar cheese
eggs
cream of celery soup
milk
butter


First, you must brown the sausage in a very large skillet.

You can do the chopped onion at the same time.





Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cooked rice and 5 cups of the rice cereal (any brand will do, but I like Snap, Crackle and Pop)





Spread the mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 casserole (notice that I buttered 3 casserole dishes before finding just the right one. I must LOVE to do dishes, as I seem to have a lot of them when I am done cooking)





Then put the sausage and onions on top of rice stuff.




Get the cheese ready

Grate the cheese

Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole mixture




Beat the eggs, soup and milk together.

Pour over the casserole
(press down lightly with a spoon)




Get the rest of the Rice Krispies/cereal and mix with some softened butter, then sprinkle over the casserole.




Looks good!!
Into the oven for 55 minutes.

Yummy!!
let sit for a few minutes while you get the table ready.


cut into squares

serve on a plate with fresh fruit
and go enjoy!

Stone Masterpiece
(you better be prepared to invite friends for brunch)

1 lb. mild bulk pork sausage
1 lb. spicy bulk pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped ( 1/2 cup)
6 cups rice cereal
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 10-oz cans reduced sodium condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. butter

Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
In a very large skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is done and no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain off fat and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 5 cups of the rice cereal and cooked rice. Spread rice mixture evenly in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Spoon sausage mixture over rice layer.
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs, soup and milk with a wire whisk until well combined.
Carefully pour over layers in baking dish. Press down lightly with a spoon.
Toss remaining 1 cup of rice cereal with butter.
Sprinkle over the top.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Cut into squares and enjoy.

kind of sad

It's really kind of sad, in a way, that I don't have a recent recipe or a real "food post and/or tutorial" on my blog...especially since Christy gave me the "Yum Yum Award".
But in my defense, since I've been making all the recipes at "Southern Plate" and "The Adventures of Kitchen Girl" and "Pioneer Woman Cooks" and "Mommy's Kitchen" ( I could go on), it would kind of be---um...odd? Since they've already been posted by the BEST OF THE BEST.
so, right now, I'm busy cooking....all of YOUR recipes. Thanks. (I'll have a new dish soon...)

Thanks Nigella

I was watching Nigella Feasts this morning. You know at the end, how she gets a "midnight" snack? It's her signature spot...that midnight snack.
Well today she got a piece of fried pork fat!!

It made a nice crisp crunch when she bit into it. It came from the fridge which got me to thinking...YUCK cold fat is gross! Not that hot fat is all that "un" gross, but a little bit of fat makes for good flavor, we all know that.

I guess, tho, that her fried pork fat is in essence just a home-made pork rind.

So...what do you think of fried pork fat?
Hot maybe....cold NEVER. For me that is.
What do you think of pork rinds?
Once in a great, great while, for me.
But of course, now I'm hungry for them.

Thanks Nigella!

If you like clams

Now, while I know that a "white sauce" is traditional for clam spaghetti, (and Barb B makes a very nice one btw), this red sauce is incredibly easy and good, Good, GOOD!!!!
I make both thru-out the year.

Red Clam Linguine

1/2 package linguine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1 can (10 oz) whole baby clams or 2 cans (6 1/2 oz) chopped clams
1 can (7 3/4 oz) Paul Newman or Golden Grain MARINARA (not spaghetti) sauce
2 Tbls chopped parsley
grated FRESH parmesan cheese

cook linguine according to package directions; drain. In saucepan, combine butter, garlic, clams with juice and marinara sauce. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley.
Serve over linguine and sprinkle with grated parm cheese if desired.

That's it. Wa-la!! Done.
Very good.

Now....if I have the time, I might steam some clams to go along with.
this is what I do

3-4 pounds live, small, hard-shelled clams (steamer clams)
Note: if open, tap on shell, if it does not close--toss it!

3 tablespoons butter
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
6 parsley stems
3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bottle of dry white wine
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
melted butter
thick slices of French bread

FDS recommends to soak the steamer clams in seawater or 1/3 cup kosher salt and 1 gallon water before cooking

one hour before serving, scrub clams with a brush in cold water and rinse. (the kosher salt soak will help remove sand from the clams)
In a steamer pot or large kettle, melt butter, sauté` onion and garlic until soft. Add white wine and pepper flakes and bring to a slow boil. Add clams and cover pot with tight fitting lid and steam over low-heat just until clams open, about 5-10 minutes. Do not over cook, as clams will become tough. Discard any clams that do not open.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer to large individual soup bowls with individual cups of melted butter. Pour broth thru a cheesecloth to remove any sand. The broth can be used as a dunking liquid for the French bread.

******

If you want a more traditional white sauce (which I do often), this one of Barb's is VERY GOOD.
You will find it in the Friday Friend cookbook, of which there are only two copies in the world (we're working on that)

Clam Sauce

3 cans minced clams
1/2 cup butter
3 T. sliced green onions
1 t. minced garlic
2 t. parsley flakes
2 T. Flour
1/2 cup white wine
1/8 t. Thyme
8 oz cooked spaghetti

Drain clams. Add chicken broth to make 2 or 2 1/2 cups liquid. Sauté onions, garlic and parsley in butter. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in clam liquid, wine and thyme. Cook till thickened. Stir in clams and season to taste.
Serve over pasta tossed with 1/4 cup butter and 3 T. parm cheese

While I love my Friday Friends

While i do love my Friday Friends, and they in turn LOVE to read my blogs, they aren't much for making comments. It saddens me greatly.
So... I am thinking....about....changing to a "foodie" blog.
What do you think, oh dear Friday Friends?
I like to cook, I like to eat. I like to read, I like to read about cooking. And eating. and I like to eat while I'm reading.
So....how can I go wrong?
Food blog. There is a whole world of them out there.
I am checking into one right now (or tonight) , where you are on a "food blog roll". But your blog has to be 80% about food and cooking and recipes or they won't take you in.
I am doing it...tonight.

So...what's for dinner?
Me? Clam Linguini and salad

perhaps I better learn how to spell too.....my FF's (except for Barb) have been linient about my spelling mistakes, but I will now have to face strangers...who most likely know how to write linguini.