July 5th 2007

My new friend at Little Foodies blogspot was asking about what to cook as they were learning about America and with yesterday being the 4th of July.... I had mentioned Southern Fried Chicken and boy did their chicken make my mouth water. I remember when we would be having picnics and how my mom and my grandmother would be frying chicken in big huge skillets. And the lovely smell of the chicken frying and the poping of the hot fat sizzling away. And if I was lucky I would be allowed to pinch a bit of the brown crunchy bit to gobble down hungrily. I could hardly wait for the picnic as the tables would be laden with fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad and all sorts of salads and vegetables like corn on the cob and juicy fresh tomatoes, then there would be desserts.... My grandma was excellent at making pies.... we would have chocolate, butterscotch and lemon merringue pies and then there would always be a banana cream pie too and the fruit pies.... Apple, cherry, blueberry and peach.... The whole family would get together with kids running and screaming and playing and having a great time the men would all be huddled together in one area drinking a beer and the women would be together laying the tables with all the food and chatting. I do miss those times when we would all get together to have fun and enjoy good home cooked food. So thanks Amanda for reminding me of one of the foods that brings back fond memories of my life.





Smoothie

I am getting better at this smoothie making.. This one was really yummy!!!
Into the blender went some fresh blue berries and red raspberries some frozen fruits of the forest mixed fruit, a fresh peach chopped into chunks, a banana sliced, some strawberry yogurt, ice cubes and some orange juice ohhhhh and some fresh from the garden red currants. Very nice, but you did need to watch out and not bite down on a currant pip.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Fudgies
Talking about being nostalgic... here is another recipe that brings back lovely memories.... I used to make this for the boys when they were growing up. (Actually I think it was more for me than it was for them, but used them as a good excuse to make them.) They are quick and easy to make and very very bad for you, except for the oats and the fruit if you add that. Guess maybe there is a bit of calcium from the milk and butter and protein from the peanut butter. So maybe they aren't that bad after all..... and isn't chocolate supposed to be a super food???

No-Bakes
2 cups sugar/400 grams granulated sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk/125 ml
1/2 cup butter /113.5 grams
1/2 cup peanut butter/113.5 grams
2 cups of porridge oats the kind that are whole round flake things. (I won't give this to you in grams as it will vary and I think you will need to pour in a bit more so use a large mug)
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and cocoa powder and mix together kind of getting rid of some of the cocoa lumps.

Next add in the milk and stir till it is a smooth paste.

Add the butter.

Now bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiling turn down to a rolling boil and stirring all the time for 2 minutes. (this is important make sure it is a good boil for 2 minutes) But don't let it over boil.

Remove from the heat and working kind of quickly stir in the peanut butter and the oats. If the mixture looks a bit wet add more oats but don't put too many in or they won't hold together and you will have chocolate covered muesli.

Drop by teaspoon fulls onto waxed paper or a silicon sheet. Cool thoroughly. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Now you can vary these a little by what you add to them. I like raisins or sultanas in mine and you can add nuts, marshmallows at the very end or dried fruit bits or???

Enjoy!!!!!!! Recipe can be cut down in half if you are really watching your weight.

Other dishes....
Some of my other dishes this past week have been.....
Rhubarb Crumble thanks to my friend Linda for the lovely Rhubarb!!!
A tip for all you crumble fans out there... while making the crumble bit add a bit of vanilla extract or fresh vanilla or some vanilla sugar to the crumble part. Ohhhhh was it ever nice!!!!



Brian and I ate it with some lovely vanilla ice cream that comes from Scotland. The only ice cream here that I really like.

I also made some Pistou soup. It is a bit like bean soup and minestrone mixed together. And very very garlicky!!!

And to go with the soup I made some French sticks which we then made Garlic toast as if the soup wasn't Garlicky enough.


And my courgette plants were still producing an abundance of male flowers so.... we had some more deep fried goats cheese and spinach stuffed flowers this week. The poor plants aren't doing so hot now with all the rain we have had lately. I have a major case of mildew on them at the moment. Trying to clear it up, but not sure how it will go.


And another lovely garlicky meal was some quick roasted vegetable pasta.