Cranberry recipes wanted

On my way to Reno on Friday, (to do some Christmas shopping), I was listening to the "Martha" channel on Sirius Radio. (I have 162 miles of pretty much nothing but high desert to drive thru), and they were having a cranberry relish contest.
There were only 3 that they were judging...
one had rum, one had red currant jelly, one had....something else. I can't remember.

I got very excited about cranberries, let me tell ya. And I was thinking, that I need to have a cranberry contest....or a themed party. I'm big on themed parties. My bookclub will be having a 'congealed salad' party in December. Inspired by Christy at Southern Plate's Congealed salad. But mostly by her Mom shaking her head and saying "because it's a congealed salad", when asked why they just don't call it a Jell-O salad. So, in honor of that, we will all be bringing a congealed salad to share.

But, back to the cranberry..... how do you make yours?
Relish or Sauce? Family secret?
Recipes please.

I found that Tina at "Mommy's Kitchen" has a good recipe that I might try. Check it out here: http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/

But I want more. MORE, MORE.... who else has good cranberry recipes?

Adult book club?

Caution! Oh my gosh...

With a title like that.....I wonder, if you're here reading my blog right now, what you are expecting?

It's just my story from book club. Or "after" book club last month.
Books play a supporting role in my short story, (so I'm completely comfortable posting on my bookworm blog ) which is true. Every last word of it.
I'm still searching for my blogging niche.... but for now am sharing my book club story from the day before Halloween.

from October 30th, 2008

Last night, after I got home from Book Club....(where we discussed the book, Tangerine--a great Junior Highish age novel ) I wandered into the family room where my husband Rich was watching TV. We visited for a moment, I am always very excited when I get home from a book club and I need to talk, and then..... (some of you might want to quit reading now---gets a bit x-rated from here on out).... I took my bra off.

Yes, it's true. I just slipped it off under my shirt and laid it on the chair... my intention was to pick it up when we went upstairs to go to bed. It was uncomfortable!!!
The girls needed to be freed. Ahhh....sweet relief!
It's a sad fact of life, but for a large breasted woman in her late 40's, the taking off the bra moment is the best moment of the day! (sigh)

I picked up my book and sat down to read for a bit.... I got sleepy. Rich got sleepy... he began to turn off lights, I followed him up the stairs...off to bed.
but, we had left behind one important piece of evidence behind....THE BRA!!!

Had it slipped my mind that my 25 year old son is now living with us again? Had it slipped my mind that he was not home and would soon be arriving?
His M.O. is to grab a snack and watch a movie or the news or something.... in the very same room where said bra was left.

I have no idea what horror he might have gone thru at the sight of that... b...r...a... just lying there over the arm of the chair. (sigh)
My mind cannot go there....poor child.
Even if he tried to go on with his life.....his routine of turning on the TV, eating a snack..... his eyes must have been drawn to the grotesque sight again and again, like one is drawn to a car accident. With every flash of light from the TV screen in the darkened room, it must have jumped out like a hideous phantom, like the boogy man in a house of horrors. (I can hear horror music soundtracks in the back of my mind).

Hopefully, when he finally went upstairs to take his slumber (and there is no doubt in my mind he went up earlier than usual), he was not bothered by nightmares.

The house was dark this morning as I walked down the stairs.. As I do every morning, I grabbed my book and headed to the coffee pot. I made the brew and then walked slowly out into the family room, turned on the light by the side of my chair and YIKES, YIKES, YIKES!!! There it was---evidence of parents who are gross and disgusting! I grabbed it and ran up the stairs, into the bathroom where Rich was in the shower and began screaming (In a stage whisper), "OMG!!! I forgot my bra!! It was just lying there on the arm of the chair, for the world to see!"
He said "so?"
I said, "Your son!! Dustin was down there!"
He said, "Well Dustin is 25 years old, I can pretty much guarentee you, he's seen a bra before."
I said, "Not his MOHTER'S! Just lying around in the living room, like we'd been.... you know."
He said, "no. I don't know."
I listed all the things I think Dustin might be going thru....disgust, annoyance, horror, fright repulsion, etc.
Rich, as supportive (ahhahaah--a pun. Bra? Supportive?) as he usually is, just laughed at me.
Kind of like the clown in a horror movie..... laugh clown, laugh!! Laugh Rich laugh!

I guess this horror I must have put my son thru is appropriate...after all....tomorrow is... HALLOWEEN!!!

*****

Photos below are:

Totally Lit (erature) Book club friends!! We're missing a few friends. We come and go, we can't all make every meeting. We Average around 8 or 9 at each meeting. I have never missed a disscusion. I think I'm the only one who can say that. We've been meeting every month since January, 2003. And I have a list of all the books we've ever read.

Our book for the month, Tangerine was a great read, if you want to give it a try.

Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

I have been so embarrassed to say....I gave up on the sourdough from scratch. But you already know that, don't you?
I just couldn't get past the..... the hooch, actually. the stuff that gathers on the top of the sourdough that you are supposed to stir back in.

Anyway, my plan was to make the sourdough starter and to keep it alive for years to pass on down to my grandchildren. Forgive me future grandchildren (and current grandchildren Camron and Evalynn), I just couldn't do it.

So, instead, I made some cinnamon rolls from yeast...the way God intended for me to make them. But I thought I could at least experiment with some different recipes, to see which ones are my family's favorites.
Until a few weeks ago, my family (at home) consisted of myself and my loving husband, Richard. Rich for short. And I do have to tell you....we eat more than any 2 people should when I am on a "finding the best recipe" kick. We are really going to have to stick to a walking regiment and walk off this weight.
It's a hard thing when you like to cook and bake, to not eat too much.
One of our adult sons moved back home a few weeks ago...he's in a transition period.... so at least he is around to take some of the calories away.
And come to find out, my picky, picky grandson Camron loves cinnamon rolls. So, whew... I wasn't forced to eat 12 cinnamon rolls all by myself.

This recipe I used is from Peter Reinhart's "The Baker's Apprentice".
I don't own this cookbook... but I printed it off from somewhere and have it stuck in my cooking notebook, so I thought I'd give it a try.
And it was a hit. It was a little bit different, as it had lemon zest in it. But it was really good. One thing that was different, was that there was no "melted" or "softened" butter to spread on the dough before sprinkling with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. I ended up spreading a cube of softened butter on the dough.... it would have been too dry otherwise. I think. Obviously, Peter Reinhart didn't think so.
They were really good.

Cinnamon Buns

6 1/2 T. of granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
5 1/2 T. shortening or unsalted butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp lemon extract or zest
3 1/3 cups unbleached bread, or all purpose flour
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk, room temp
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Cream together the sugar, salt and shortening on medium-high speed in an electric mixture with a paddle attachment. Whip in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast and milk. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium,mixing for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky, but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to cover with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until dough doubles in size

Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough, with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick, and 14 x12 inches for large buns. 18 x 9 for smaller buns. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the surface and roll the dough up into a cigar shaped log, creating a spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8-12 even pieces, each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns, 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.

Line 1 or more sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the buns approximately 12/ inch apart so that they aren't touching but are close to one another.

Proof at room temp for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown together into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the fridge for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the fridge 3-4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack in the middle shelf.

Bake the buns for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cook the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then glaze the tops. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

*******

The stuff I used. Minus the cinnamon...which is a REALLY important ingredient in "cinnamon" rolls.

In the moment.... not too big of a mess. Yet.

Mixing it up.

Rolling it out. (yes, I added nuts...to half of it. None for Rich)

In the pan and ready to go...Yummy!

Corn, Chile & Cheese Quesadillas

Corn, Chile & cheese quesadillas

My husband's first comment was "do these have cilantro in them?" with a heavy sigh.
He's not a big fan of cilantro, but he went back for 2nds, because these were that good!

This is a complete meal.....you don't need to have a "meat" with it, but I picked up a roasted chicken from the market, because I knew the cilantro and so much freshness could be a problem for (dang Honeybunch for using the name grumpy already. LOL ) Rich.
Rich prefers meat and potatoes. And potatoes and meat.
But this night he ate a quesadilla with a piece of chicken and then when he went back for 2nd's, he only came back with a quesadilla. He had shredded a bit of chicken on it, but hey, he enjoyed it.

I took the recipe right from the cover of "Fine cooking...cooking Fresh" magazine.
page....37.
Aha!! This magazine is on display until November 30th only. So....LUCKY YOUS... you can have it here, any time you want.
I changed a few things...such as olive oil, when they said vegetable oil, and I used frozen corn, YIKES!

Corn, chile & cheese quesadillas

5 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup small-diced fresh mild chilies such as Anaheim or poblano
1 1/2 cups small-diced summer squash, such as zucchini or yellow crookneck
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/8 tsp chipolte chilie powder
1 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
flour tortillas
sour cream for dipping

Heat 1 Tbs of the oil in a skillet over med-high heat until hot. Add the chilies and cook, stirring until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring until the squash softens and starts to brown, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the corn and chipotle powder and cook for 2 minutes. Spoon into a bowl, let cool for a few minutes and then fold in the tomato, cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture.
Heat a tortilla, spread 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the tortilla, and about 1/4 of the vegetable mixture over half . When the tortilla is browned use tongs to fold the tortilla over the vegetable side.
Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with reserved vegetable mixture and sour cream.


what to use


all chopped up


No tutorial, but these pics because it just looks so good!!

Time to eat.....with the chicken for my husband (but you don't really need it)

Thanks Georgie

A Gift from a friend.....

I'm not sure where to put this post...as it is not exactly a cooking blog, nor a book blog, but it does have food in it, so I guess here is good enough.
Yesterday at work, my phone rang, and it was my good friend Georgann, whom I hadn't talked to for quite sometime. E-mails, yes, but over the phone, no.
She asked if I was going to be home today because she was sending me something perishable.
I said yes.
I was intrigued.
Our conversation was short.

We have been (the original Friday Friends Forum) discussing Jell-O salads, and I jokingly asked if that was what she was sending me. She just laughed. (I shared this in the FF Forum and I know everyone was just waiting to see what she was sending... it was perishable was all we knew)

The afternoon, the DHL man showed up at my door! How exciting.

I try to sneak a quick picture before he drives away..... I am not quick enough, it is blurry.

The Box. wow! This is exciting.

I slowly open the box....

awe... a note from Georgann!!

WOW! How fun.... she knows me, she really knows me. I love apples and all things apple desserty. (If Theda is the pumpkin Friday Friend, I am the apple one).
She sent me a Fuji apple with homemade caramel and chocolate, sprinkled with almonds and coconut.
THANK YOU SO MUCH GEORGANN!!
It was a huge apple. I mean really big.

mmmmm good.
Opening......

Slicing. Look at that caramel!

and a bite out of it!! Blurry as I am shaking in my boots with ecstasy.
(it was really good)

Yay! A wonderful surprise gift in the mail.
Thank you.

Chicken Vegetable Bake

Chicken Vegetable Bake
from...my mother in law!

This really is the easiest thing in the world to make, but it looks like you slaved all day.
Roasted chicken and vegetables is really all it is...but a different take on how it's put together.

About 10 years ago, my mother in law, Teresa, put together a family cookbook and gave it to everyone as a Christmas gift. It was fun, because my in-laws let the whole family know they were going to do this project in January, so all year long we were all sending in our recipes.
And we are a pretty big family.

This year for Christmas, I will make copies of the family cookbook for my 3 sons and 2 daughters-in-law, to give them for their own collection.

Chicken Vegetable Bake

1 3-4 pound chicken or chicken parts
3 T. vegetable oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
5 large potatoes, cubed
1/2 pound small whole mushrooms, cleaned
5 large carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and brown for 20 minutes in oven. Meanwhile sauté the onions in remaining oil, until nicely browned. Stir in the chicken broth.
Remove chicken from oven. Place potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and celery around the chicken (or on top of in my case) and pour browned onions over all. Lower oven temp to 350 degrees. Cover the chicken and veggies and bake 1 1/2 hours.

The browned onions enhance the flavor of the chicken and other vegetables. Good served with a green salad and hot rolls and dessert.
From the kitchen of Teresa Belcher.

** you can use any combination of veggies you want to roast. I added some brussel sprouts and kept my potatoes whole and had 2 different types of mushrooms.
I also didn't cover them... I let them "roast" and get good and browned.

epilogue

Camron: Grandma? Did you make this cake?
Me: yes, Cam, from scratch!
Camron: It's verrrryyy good.