Squash seeds roasting in a hot oven

Welcome to WONDERFUL Wednesday.

Are you baking today? I think instead of baking, I'll be roasting (which is kind of the same thing as the oven is involved.) All last fall, I saved my squash seeds.

Today, I'm going to roast them. (Did I mention we've run out of happy hour snacks?) Once they thaw, I'm going to toss them on a tray with some Wegmans basting oil (OMG it's yummy) a little kosher salt, and cook them until they're done. (I have no idea how long that will take. I'll keep checking on them.) Taking them out of the fridge/freezer gives me a little more room.

I've been rummaging in the freezers and finding stuff I didn't know we had. Like bagels. Clam strips. A single chocolate-chip scone. Wayyyyy more hamburger buns than we need and no burgers. It's like a treasure hunt every time I open the door!

Are your cupboards and freezer a treasure trove you didn't realize you had?

A not so wonderful National Day

National Tie-One-On Day arrives every year the day before Thanksgiving.

Is it really a good idea to tie one on?

It's been my experience that feeling tipsy is nice. Being drunk is not. The room spins and, at least for me, I spent an hour or so worshiping the porcelain god. Oh, and then there's the hangover where you feel like you will NEVER feel well again. I highly recommend NOT getting totally potted. Drink responsibly.

Have you ever wished you hadn't had too much to drink?

Celebrate with PIE

Yum-yum! It's National Pie Day.  What's your favorite?

Breakfast all day long on National Pancake Day

It's National Pancake Day. Imagine being at a charming B&B on Martha's Vineyard that overlooks the ocean, with beautiful gardens, and a hostess who makes you feel welcome with a wonderful home-cooked breakfast of pancakes. That's what I imagine it's like at Blythe Cove Manor, where there's always a little magic in the air. (Think sparkles!) What side would you want with those heavenly pancakes?

Haven't tried the Tales From Blythe Cove series? Read about it on my website. Just click this link

What's your pie pleasure?

It's National Pie Day! I'll bet there're three or four on offer everyday at Booked for Lunch. What's your favorite pie? (Mine is actually turkey pot pie. It has a crust--it qualifies!)

On the Breakfast Menu

Mmm-- delicious poppy seed bread (cake?) from the local Polish store. Of course, that's Mr. L's breakfast. Me? I'm having my usually green (vegetable) goop. 

Who do you think had the better breakfast?

It's surreal on National Cereal Day!

Aw, rats. It's National Cereal Day and I had (revolting) green juice for breakfast. What did you have? (My favorite cereal is wither Cheerios or plain corn flakes.)

Think--don't yank that plug!

And so we had a bit of toaster mishap recently.

Okay, not WE -- I had a bit of a toaster mishap recently.  I usually have green (*shudder*) juice for breakfast, but yesterday I was in a hurry.  (Green juice takes between 15-20 minutes to make.  A nuked egg and a slice of toast takes about two minutes.)

I have an elderly toaster. I don't consider a 58 old for a person, but let's face it, it's old for a toaster.  I bought my toaster in West LA more than 30 years ago and it has been a trusted friend ever since.  How do I know the toaster is 58 years old? Because the first owner wrote the date they bought it on the bottom. It's a Sunbeam, and isn't it a beauty?

Of course, like the rest of us--it's had it's little problems. The cord has been replaced, and the plug has been replaced more than once.  In fact, the current plug is REALLY snug in the wall socket.  It takes quiet a bit of tugging to get it out.

Okay, so I was in a hurry. The last slice of bread in the bag was a little bent, but what the heck--I put it in the first slot. You'll notice there no little lever. Nope, my Sunbeam has a little thingy INSIDE the toaster that senses toast and gently takes it down into the depths to bask in the heat of the glowing elements. After 58 years, my toaster is a little temperamental. You kinda have to watch it.  But I was nuking my egg,and kind of forgot. Next thing I know, the kitchen is filling with smoke from my charred toast.  So ... I yanked the plug. Only ... the plug stayed in the socked, and I held the cord in my hand.

Mr. L was not a happy camper. (He's the one who gets to fix the Sunbeam when I have a faux pas.)

I was out most of the day and came home to find this sign over the wall socket.

Yeah. I want toast.

What hoops do you have to jump through to get toast?

It's Foodie Friday! Pancakes on the menu

Some days you just need to eat breakfast for supper ... or lunch ... or even (heaven forbid!) breakfast.

That's the beauty of National Pancake Day -- you can eat them any time of the day or night. (Especially if there's an IHOP nearby.)

Pancakes have a number of aliases, too.  Like flapjacks, griddle cakes, hotcakes, crepes, blintz ... they all sound yummy to me.

So celebrate!

Related articles

FOODIE FRIDAY: Why British Food Doesn't Suck

FOODIE FRIDAY: The story behind the recipe

Because I'm basically lazy, I'm updating the recipes on my Lorna Barrett website at a rate of once a week.  Maybe people will keep showing up to get the next one, maybe they won't.  (I'm not seeing a huge influx of hits, so it's undoubtedly the latter.)

In MURDER IS BINDING, Angelica makes homemade meat sauce.  Well, there's always a little bit of me (okay, sometimes a LOT of me) in my books, and there's always a story behind every favorite recipe.

When I was growing up, my mother made sauce from scratch. So, the first time I invited my boyfriend over and made him a home cooked meal, I decided to make my sauce from scratch, too. We always had spareribs, meatballs, and sausage in the sauce we ate growing up.  I never cared for the pasta--just the sauce (and LOTS of Italian bread plastered with butter).

I decided to impress this boyfriend (now known as Mr. L) by making homemade lasagna WITH my mother's homemade sauce. I spent the ENTIRE DAY in the kitchen.  The house smelled HEAVENLY. (Formerly) Mr. S showed up, and when I brought out this GIGANTIC lasagna, he ate ONE TINY PIECE. I offered to send a big chunk of it home with him (hey, he had three teenagers at home) and he said, "No, thank you."

Let me tell you, Mr. S lost a helluva lot of points that night. In retrospect, he says he was a fool to turn down the leftovers, but his excuse was he didn't want to look grabby. My mother, father, and I ate that lasagna for a week. (Damn fine it was, too.)

Anyway, long story short(er), the recipe this week is my mom's homemade sauce. You're going to love it.
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Want your own Foodie Friday mug?  Get one here!
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Tea for two ... dogs and more!

By guest blogger Mary Jane Maffini

Winter is hanging around into April, longer and more unpredictable than usual. That means there are still days when it seems like I have a death grip on the steering wheel for hours because of icy roads and rough conditions.  Plus, we seem to have Olympic size potholes on our street. Simple errands cause my back muscles to knot. That’s when it’s great to come home to the words, “I put the tea on.”

I think this is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for a person.



Of course, as the dogs can’t be counted on to do that, it can only be the Little Mister. I truly appreciate this when it happens. It’s such a lovely thought and it’s a great way to unwind and share a little break together. I’m hoping to get him trained to set things up like this.

However, he’s a mug kind of guy. What can I say?  Sometimes a mug is just what the doctor ordered.  I know we all love (and I mean LOVE) teacups here on Teacup Tuesday, but tell the truth, do you sometimes take great pleasure in a very large mug of hot tea?  Especially if it’s in front of the fireplace and there’s a dog or two to snuggle up with.

So tell me, does a cup or mug of tea make your day? Would you prefer to substitute cats for dogs?  We make our own rules here – let’s hear yours.

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The very versatile Mary Jane Maffini writes a number of mystery series (The Camilla McFee, Fiona Silk, and Charlotte Adams Mysteries) and is also part of the mother-daughter mystery writing team of Victoria Abbott with the Book Collector Mysteries.  The first in that series is The Christie Curse.

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The winner of the Tea for One is Beth H. from Dallas, TX.
 


The winner of the Boneyard Tea sample from Latteda.com is Lisa M from Centerville, GA.

Related articles

Pet Peeve Thursday: Peevish Pets

Teacup Tuesday: The Joy of Regifting!

Hot off the Press!

Teacup Tuesday: Spill it -- hot or hotter?

Last week, I asked readers to tell me about the kinds of teas they like to drink--bags or loose. Whoa! Lots of opinions there!

Judy D. from Getzville, NY said, "My favorite tea is Mint Brook Meadow’s Peppermint and Spearmint caffeine free Herbal tea. I came across this tea last Spring when I was shopping at  Miller’s bulk barn located on Route 104 near Medina, NY. It is a very relaxing tea and is great if you have a slight upset stomach. I enjoy sipping the tea when I am reading, especially a great mystery book! Enjoy!"

Mare F. from Winsted, CT said, "I grew up with both loose and bags...leaves at my grandmother's and bags at home. My father even brought a jar of "instant tea" into the house but my grandmother shamed him so that it disappeared soon after. Tasted awful! Until the past few years I stuck with bags for convenience sake, but I find  myself ordering more 'I'm at home and settling in' routine each afternoon. I've two cups with china strainers in them and then tea balls at home."

Ruth N. from Dixon, CA said:  My oldest son and shared many a cup of tea. I lost him five years ago and I'm the only tea drinker left in the family. Down to a small pot instead of a big pot but lots of memories of our chats over a pot of tea.  I use both loose tea and tea bags, my son always wanted tea bags like his Grandma from Scotland shared with him.  I've branched out and try different loose teas.

Debbie C. Cottonwood, AZ said:  "At the moment, my favorite method of brewing tea is by teabag because there is a wide variety of places that I can buy them here in town.  However, we've just had the cutest little tea shop open up in Old Town that sells it loose, so I've been itching to try that method as well.  I made a brief venture in while I was waiting for my daughter to come dancing down the street with her ballet troop, decked out in one of her costumes for the Nutcracker for our town's Christmas parade.  What can I say, it was love at first sight. However, I knew I'd have to ease my husband into moving a larger stash of tea into the house.  Last time I brought home six new boxes and he just rolled his eyes at me.  Good thing he loves me. Honestly, I think I just grew accustomed to drinking tea from a teabag from the time I was little.  We would heat the water up in my grandma's old teakettle and then pour the water into a what would now be considered a vintage brown drip McCoy teapot  that already had a few bags in it waiting to be steeped.  Those were precious days sitting in my grandma's kitchen, sipping on tea while crunching on cookies.  It reminds me to make the most of the time I have with my family. But, that doesn't mean I can't be adventurous and try other methods."

Mary P. from Australia said:  "I use both loose leaf & tea bags. I have some very fussy family members who insist upon "real" tea. I generally just add the loose leaf to the pot - no infuser at all. The fun part is reading the tea leaves afterwards. (I'm still waiting for the tall, dark, handsome stranger to appear.)"

Antonette N. from Carol Stream, IL said: "I also love tea and try lots of different ones. On vacation I try to find a local tea - or at least one that 'feels' like the location. Current favorites are White Blueberry by Adagio Tea and Pomegranite Green Tea by Republic of Tea."

Vanessa P. from Seahurst, WA said:  "I too have had many teas that I found only once or received as a gift and then could not find again... my solution is to go see Vicki at my local tea shop; Cascadia Herb'n Tea! She has actually created blends for me!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And The Winner Is...

Brenda T. from Howard City, MI winds the tea for one pot and teabagholder.  She said:  "I usually use a tea bag, not because I think it is the best way to make tea it is just a convenient way for me to make my tea.  Such a pretty little tea set!  Would love to win and share with my grand daughters!"

Tracy R. from Paducah, KY winds the free tea sample from Latteda.com.  She said: "To be honest, I have never had tea from loose tea leaves. I am a huge coffee drinker, but I am starting to enjoy tea more. I have a terrible cold now, so I am having a hot cup of tea that is from the Boston Tea Company. My hubby, Jeff, got me a trio of tea tins for Christmas. Right now I am enjoying Jasmine Green from this trio. This is the first time I have had it, and I really like it. I will have to try the loose tea and see which I prefer. I love Teacup Tuesdays!"

P.S.  I still haven't heard from last week's winner (Sharon S), although I e-mailed her.  If she doesn't get back to my before next Monday, we'll be giving the bone china mug to another reader.

Next week ...

Okay .. are you old school and boil your tea water in a kettle ... or heat it in the microwave?  Confess all!

Foodie Friday: Homemade ranch dressing. YUM!

 I'm trying to get away from processed food.  I'm eating more grains, more veggies (which I love), and limiting what I eat that comes out of a can, box, or bottle.  The latest?  Homemade (low-fat) ranch dressing.  The recipe calls for fresh herbs, but I've made it with dried and it's still pretty tasty.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
 freshly ground pepper
1-2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
2 cups 1% low fat buttermilk

Directions:
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, combine the sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, chives, salt, and cracked pepper. Mix well. Stir in the white balsamic vinegar; then buttermilk.  Adjust the seasonings to taste, adding another tablespoon of balsamic vinegar if desired. The flavors will become bolder over time.

Do you have a favorite homemade salad dressing? .

Fabulous Fiber!

Recently my doctor put me on statins.  I do not like them.  They have side effects.  I repeat:  I do not like them.  But, I want to live a long hand happy life, and if I want to get off of them, it means lifestyle changes. I'll find out in a few weeks what's going on with the cholesterol thing, but I've been actively working to integrate more fiber into my life.  Fiber gets RID of cholesterol.

I drink a (often disgusting) fiber-rich smoothie for breakfast almost every morning.  (Okay, once a month I have a bagel.  So hit me with a wet noodle.) It contains spinach, cuke, celery, apple, carrot, oatmeal, sunflower seeds and protein powder, plus a generous shake of cinnamon (which is the only thing that makes it palatable).

I do a lot of digging on the Internet and, as I knew, dried beans are rich in fiber. One smoothie recipe said to add them. So guess what's going into today's smoothie? I soaked the beans yesterday, and decided halfway through that, whoa! That's a lot of beans! So we decided to take 3/4 of the beans and bake them.  (The other 1/4 went into the baby crock pot for the smoothie.)

Mr. L's mother used to make THE best lima beans, but she was a "toss this in" kind of cook who never had a recipe.  So Mr. L got a recipe from his sister. I knew it wasn't the one his mother made, because her beans were white, and sister's beans use molasses--but the directions are kinda spotty.

They turned out pretty well.  I skipped the brown sugar, as I'm trying to cut down on sweets, and they tasted just like Grandma Brown's Baked Beans, which is what we were going for.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound bag dried beans (navy or lima) soaked for 8 hours or overnight
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
3 tablespoons molasses
hot water
brown suger (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 300F.  Place the onions on the bottom of a casserole dish.  Add the soaked beans. Mix the salt, mustard, and molasses in a cup measure; fill the cup with hot water and stir until mixed. Pour over the beans and gently mix. Pour more water over the beans until covered. Bake for 6-8 hours, stirring every so often, and covering with more water until the last hour of baking. (You can add the brown sugar at any point.)

They turned out pretty well. The only problem? That's a LOT of beans. But luckily, beans freeze well. I'm going to be actively looking for more bean recipes.  Are you interested?

(Oh, and we're just going to have fake it to figure out how Mr. L's mother made her beans. Makes me feel kinda like a mad scientist!)

Foodie Friday: A Sweet for your Sweetheart

Oh, how I love cake.  It used to be that cookies were my favorite dessert/sweet, but not anymore.  Mind you, I will not turn down an oatmeal cookie (or chocolate chip, peanute butter, snickerdoodles, molasses ... well, you get the drift).

Once upon a time, I even took a cake decorating course.  It did not go well.  Oh, the cakes tasted fine, and I think once or twice I might actually have made an icing rose that sort of (kind of) resembled a flower. But that was years ago.

These days, I stick to mostly unfrosted cakes.  If not, I always make my own frosting, because those tubs of stuff from the supermarket are LOADED with Trans Fats, which are really, REALLY bad for you. (And you HAVE to look at the ingredients to see it, too--they're not going to advertise the fact next to the dough boy.)

One thing that's bad about cake (one?) is a double layer or bundt cake makes a lot, and we're just two (not so tiny) people. That's why I love this recipe. It's just right!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
2¼ cups cake flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
4 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
5 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: 
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour one 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. Then mix in the lemon peel, poppy seeds and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, In a saucepan over low heat; cook 3/4 cup white sugar and the lemon juice until stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to just warm or to room temperature.
Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack-place a cookie sheet underneath this rack. Prick the top of the cake several times with a toothpick. Brush the top of the cake with the warm or room temperature syrup, allowing lots of the syrup to run down and soak into the sides and bottom of the cake. Cool slightly in the pan before removing the cake to the wire rack to cool completely. When completely cooled, wrap the cake in foil or plastic freezer wrap and let the cake rest at least one day before serving to your guests.

(Okay, I'm not very patient.  I've eaten in the same day.  Tastes great.)

What are you baking up for your sweetheart on this Valentine's Day?

Food Friday: Winter got you down? Bake a cake!

I love to bake.  I've been telling Mr. L for weeks, "I feel like baking."  Well, today's the day, and I'm going to make my favorite carrot cake. This cake is GOOD. In fact, it's so good, I don't even put cream cheese frosting on it. Just dust it with a little confectioner's sugar. I like to pretend that it's good for me because it has a veggie in it, but the truth is -- it's decadent!  It's not a cake I bake often because it is so rich, but once in a while it's fun to indulge.

Try it -- you'll like it!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil  (can substitute unsweetened applesauce)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice—drained
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/3 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Spray a Bundt pan with pan spray. Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat oil, sugar and eggs at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut, and nuts. Pour into the Bundt pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and completely cool on rack before frosting.

What's your most favorite cake in the entire world???  (Share recipes???)

Foodie Friday: A different kind of pie

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a lover of pie.  Fruit pie that is. But meat pie?  Now that's a different kind of pie. My aunt makes the world's best steak and mushroom pie. I make a pretty mean chicken pie.  But here's one you probably haven't tried:  sausage pie.

OMG -- it's soooooo good.  I found this recipe via Taste of Home magazine and adapted it by adding an onion.  I love it, and I bet you will, too.

Ingredients
4 Italian sausage links, casings removed, halved and cut into 1/2-in pieces
1 medium tomato, cut into chunks
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 small yellow tomato, cut into chunks
1 cut thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced yellow summer squash
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, squash, peppers, salad dressing mix, garlic powder and fennel seed.  Cook and stir for 10 minutes; drain.  Cool for 10 minutes.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge.  Fill with the sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with cheeses.  Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling.  Trim, seal and flute edges.  Cut slits in top.

Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.  Yield:  6-8 servings.

What are you having for supper tonight?

Foodie Friday: Much better than orange veggies

My character, Amanda Shelton, from the Tales of Telenia (not-quite trilogy), found herself stranded on a strange planet where most of the fruits and veggies are ... orange.  Not only are they odd-looking, but they sure don't taste like the food she grew up eating in Minnesota.

In fact, poor Amanda really doesn't like the food on Telenia.  Except for one thing:  honey cake. It's absolutely delicious and the one thing she found on the planet that vagely reminds her of the food back home.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced almonds
 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup honey
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the sliced almonds in the bottom of the pan, reserving 1/4 cup for the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter, honey, and eggs. Stir in the reserved flour mixture, then the sour cream or yogurt and reserved almonds.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure everything is evenly moistened, then mix for one minute more. Gently pour the batter over the almonds in the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edge of the cake pulls back from the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, invert the cake onto a serving plate and allow it to cool before serving.  Decorate the top with powdered sugar if desired. Yield: 1 cake, 16 servings.

Yum-yum.  I know you'll enjoy it just as much as Amanda does!
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So far, two of the three books in this series are now available. (I'll eventually get to #3 -- I promise!)  They are:
Tales of Telenia: THRESHOLD  Amanda Shelton is clever, adventurous, and tough--and she's going to have to be, because she's just crash landed on a world where her saviors might really be her enemies. It takes fierce determination to prevent the people of this frightening and unfamiliar place from stealing her shuttle technology, or from imprisoning her while they do it. Yet what she knows could save countless innocent lives—including the life of one she’s come to trust. Facing this terrible test of spirit will take everything Amanda has...if she survives at all.
Kindle | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Sony | Smashwords
Watch the book trailer!

Tales of Telenia:  JOURNEY   Life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Paxdon bans Amanda Shelton from Telenia’s Summer Palace, but that’s just the first step in an incredible journey that has her leading the province’s oppressed women into a life of self-sufficiency. The threat of war remains, and others are watching her every move as Amanda leaves the safety and security of the rural north and ventures to the capital city where she faces peril and life altering decisions.  Will her future be a life of luxury or despair?

Kindle | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Sony | Smashwords

Foodie Friday: Skillet Hash

Many Christmases ago, when I was 12, my mother gave me a Betty Crocker cookbook.  It has been my go-to basic cookbook ever since.

The other night we celebrated the holiday with a prime rib dinner.  It was like a classic English Sunday Roast, with Yorkshire pudding, honey carrots, Brussels sprouts, and peas.  Yum!  But guess what?

LEFTOVERS!

What should you do with leftover prime rib?

Why, make hash, of course.

And what cookbook did I turn to?  You got it, Betty Crocker.

Here's the very simple recipe for (skillet) hash:

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped cooked beef
2 cups chopped cooked potatoes
2/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped parsley (I used frozen from my garden)
dash of salt and pepper
1/4 cup shortening
2/3 cup water
(I added 1/2 cup of frozen green peppers, too)

Combine beef, potatoes, onion, parsley, salt and papper.  Melt shortening in a large skillet over medium hat.  Spread meat mixture in the skillet.  Brown hash 10-14 minutes, trning frequently with a wide spatula.  Stir in water.  Reduce heat; cover and cook 10 minutes or until crisp.

Serves 4 (yeah, right)

You can also toss cheese on the top or a couple of eggs and let them cook through.  Either way, it's wonderful on a cold, snowy night.

What are you making for dinner tonight?

Foodie Friday: Whole lotta baking going on!

What is it about the holidays that makes us want to eat more cookies (than usual)?

I found a great recipe for dipped coconut shortbread.  (Mmmmm.)  It's been hanging around for so long, I have no idea where I got it from, but it's GOOD.

3/4 cut butter (no substitutes)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortning

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Combine flower and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in coconut.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Cool on wire racks.

Eat and enjoy!

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening.  Remove from the heat; dip cookies halfway into chocolate.  Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet until set.  Yield:  about 2 dozen.

Looking for a cute little cookbook as a stocking stuffer?  Look no further:  Recipes to Die For.
Trade Paperback:  http://tinyurl.com/9j8page
Kindle:  http://tinyurl.com/mcmrtlf
iBooks:  http://tinyurl.com/mxabj7f
Kobo:  http://tinyurl.com/m5pnuml
Nook:  http://tinyurl.com/6ncwq7c
Sony:  http://tinyurl.com/k3o7aaa
Smashwords:  http://tinyurl.com/l77fwfj