Christmas Food!

It has been WAY too long since I last wrote, mainly because the past 3 weeks found me coming home at 6 or 7 most nights (or later) then making dinner, and then flopping down, exhausted on the couch. There were so many things that didn't happen in the last couple weeks, not the least of which are blogging and sleeping. So, when school was finally over Friday, I was thrilled to have time to myself, in which I slowly checked off things on a giant list. And slept. And now, Thursday night has come, and I'm finally able to sit and relax. [And this, folks, is why teachers need two week breaks during the school year. But that's another whole blog post...]

One of the few things I allowed myself to do this week that was just for fun, was to make my favorite Christmas foods. I love to make the classics, like Chex Mix which I adore, and Peanut Butter Blossoms with the Hershey's kisses in the middle. However, I also like to make some ethnic foods and family recipes (peppernuts, caramels, etc.). I was inspired to make one of these after my Grandma Schmidt made these seasoned oyster crackers over the Thanksgiving holiday (and we ate the entire batch during the weekend). They have a tangy lemon-pepper seasoning and are then baked for a nice toasted flavor. It turns out, they are also perfect for teaching the dog to balance food on his nose and eat it before it hits the floor. (This didn't happen too many times though, since Ben and I ate most of them!)

Savory Oyster Crackers

1 (1 oz.) pkg ranch dressing mix

1/2 t. dried dill

3/4 t. oil

5 c. plain oyster crackers

1/4 t. lemon pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 250. Combine all ingredients but oyster crackers. Pour over oyster crackers and stir. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Stir once during baking. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate & mint in the air!

Last week, I was reading the events section of the newspaper and came across this article which talked about the Chocolate Walk in Cottonwood, AZ, one of the many tiny, old, mining towns in rural Arizona. This quote from a shop owner in the Old Town area of Cottonwood made me decide that we MUST do this:

"It is by far my favorite night of the year in Cottonwood, with everybody strolling and the lights on and the smell of mint and chocolate. You just meander in and out of the shops, which are all decorated, and pick up your chocolate."

So, on Saturday afternoon, I sat down to buy tickets online, about an hour before Ben, Marilyn and I left. I was crushed to discover that, according to the town website, it sold out quite early. However, I kept reading and saw that a few local shop owners still had tickets, so I started calling them. The 3rd one answered, and the woman said she had 3 tickets left. I said we were from Phoenix and would she possibly hold them for us? Thank goodness for small town kindness, because she said she would :-)

As per usual, it took us forever to get out of the house and on the road, but when we finally got there, I was more than a little concerned that the shop would be closed up tight, and we'd be stuck. However, by asking a few people, we found our way to her shop and were good to go.

The event itself was fantastic, and totally worth the one hour/40 minute drive. Essentially, it was trick-or-treating for adults, minus the costume. At the Civic Center, we received a map of Old Town, and a decorated paper bag (decorated by the local glitter merchant!) From there, we walked up and down the Old Town area, where each merchant checked off their name on the map, and then we each received a hand-decorated something or other from the merchant (none of whom were actually chocolate shops). The treats included everything from chocolate-dipped pretzels, to many variations of brownies, to fudge, to truffles, to brittle, to rum-soaked chocolate cake balls.

As we meandered through town, many merchants had hot chocolate or cider, some had live music, and many were decorated marvelously. We were highly impressed with the quality of stores, including a gelato store, a cute coffee shop, a fantastic retro diner in an old gas station (Bing's Burger Station - see photo) where we had supper after we'd collected our bags of treats. For an added bonus, it was a beautiful night, as we're in the middle of a warm snap, with highs in the 70s and lows in the mid 40s. One of my favorite stops was an olive oil and vinegar store, where I bought an AMAZING fresh peach white balsamic vinegar :-) Finally, in a chocolate-glazed fog, we headed for home, down the mountain. What a lovely time!

Needless to say, this is something I'll definitely try to attend next year! What a great way to get in the Christmas spirit!

Grand prize winner!

I wish it was me who won the grand prize, but I'm glad the lady in Taste of Home won a grand prize for this recipe, because it was fantastic. However, the hassle it caused me was less than fantastic.

I had a busy week this week and so I found some recipes that would use the slow-cooker, or could be started the night before. This was one. So, one night after cleaning up supper, I started this soup, basically thinking I just had to boil some beans to get it started. Contrary to my expectations, it ended up that I basically made the whole soup, which then simmered on the stove for 2 hours, before going into the fridge until supper the next day.

Since I wanted to go to bed and was worn out from making two meals in a row, I had Ben put it in the fridge before he went to bed an hour later. I was just about asleep when I hear cursing and things crashing to the floor. I go out to the kitchen, preparing to be furious that my whole evening's worth of work (and next day's supper) were now ruined. Luckily, it was just a container of liquid that had spilled while he was trying to adjust shelves to make the soup pot fit, though still not fun to clean up at 11:30 at night. Thankfully, the soup was fine, (my beauty sleep was less than fine) and the next day, it was hot and ready to go for supper, when I got home late. And, I don't know about you, but I think ham (I used chopped ham, not a ham bone) is an excellent addition to pretty much anything :-)

Click HERE for the recipe to Ham & Bean Chowder.

Civic Duty

This morning, I spent my Sunday School hour doing my civic duty, by filling out my early ballot. It was SO long!! It literally took me 2 hours to fill it out, though there was some thinking/researching involved (which is TOTALLY why early ballots are the way to go). I knew that I was planning on using the description of all the propositions on the ballot from the newspaper, but I couldn't find it.

After some work, I eventually tracked them all down, and compiled them below. These were quite helpful, because they have a brief description of each proposition, give a short pro and con argument for each, as well as describing who is paying for/supporting each one. Additionally, to complete the vote for retention for a BILLION judges, I found a website that gives approval ratings of judges by attorneys, jurors, and defendants, which was super helpful. Since it took me so much time to find all this info, I thought I'd share it. Hope you can use it to make educated decisions!

Prop 106-Health Care

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/09/24/20100924arizona-proposition-106-health-care.html

Prop 107-Affirmative Action

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/09/28/20100928arizona-proposition-107-affirmative-action.html

Prop 109-Hunting and Fishing

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/09/26/20100926arizona-proposition-109-hunting-rights.html

Prop 110-State Trust Land

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/09/25/20100925arizona-prop-110-state-trust-land.html

Prop 111-Lieutenant Governor

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/09/29/20100929arizona-prop-111-deputy-governor-office.html

Prop 112-Petition Deadline

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/09/30/20100930arizona-prop-112-ballot-petitions.html

Prop 113-Secret Ballot

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/10/01/20101001arizona-prop-113-union-vote.html

Prop 203-Medical Marijuana

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/26/20100926arizona-medical-marijuana-prop-203.html

Prop 301-Land Conservation

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/10/02/20101002arizona-prop-301-conservation-money.html

Prop 302-First Things First Funding

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/10/03/20101003arizona-prop-302.html

JUDGE RECOMMENDATIONS from http://www.azjudges.info/home/index.cfm

Perfectly Pleasing Potluck

Last week we had potluck day and parent-teacher conferences at school. On the same day. Which happened to be the day before I had 850 grades due. Needless to say, it was a busy week. I love potlucks, not only because they give me a tasty meal, but I get to try a new recipe without having to eat the entire thing if it isn't fantastic :-) However, like I said, it was a busy week, and I wasn't sure where I was going to find time to bring something.

Since I'd been doing grades in every spare moment I had all week long, I hadn't had time to plan in advance what I'd bring. So, it came down to me warily eyeing my row of cookbooks at 8:15 the night before. As always, I was looking for a dessert, but it had to be quick and easy, and ideally use the crockpot, since that was the kind of time crunch I was under. Additionally, I have a co-worker who has celiac's disease, so I wanted it to be gluten-free for his sake.

Needless to say, I wasn't terribly hopeful I was going to find anything to fit all these categories, but I knew the best place to start would be the old Fix It and Forget It crockpot cookbook. Generally, this cookbook has not been my friend because the bulk of the recipes center around large (read: expensive) hunks of meat, which is just not the way I cook. Knowing this, I knew there was not a lot of hope that a gluten-free dessert would appear in the pages of this meat-laden book, but surprise, surprise, in the 12 page dessert section, there were two whole pages of something that fit the bill: rice pudding.

I couldn't believe my good luck. Not only was it a dessert that was gluten-free and made in the crockpot, it served 10 and was made in approximately 3 hours, which fit right into my time frame. I do know that some people do not have a taste for rice pudding, but this was just too perfect not to try.

Due to the order of things that needed to be combined, I just took the few ingredients with me to school. First, the milk, sugar, and rice boil together on high for several hours. (Every time I walked by that morning, it smelled wonderful :-) Then during the last half hour (when I had a prep), I added in the last cup of milk with the eggs, vanilla, and salt. It was just right by the time we were ready to eat, and since people had parent-teacher conferences, they wandered in and out the rest of the day. Every time I walked through the hall, there was someone else with a cup of rice pudding in they're hand :-) Lucky for me, I work with a group of teachers who actually do like rice pudding. Even my gluten-free friend said it was one of his favorite things :-) Give it a shot! It's just right for a cool fall day!

Crockpot Rice Pudding

1 c. white rice, uncooked

1 c. sugar

8 c. milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

2 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

cinnamon or nutmeg

1. In slow cooker, combine rice, sugar, and 8 c. milk. Cook on High for 3 hours.

2. Beat together eggs, 1 1/2 c. milk, vanilla, and salt. Add to slow cooker and stir. Cook on high for 30-40 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve warm.

[NOTE: Non-crockpot rice pudding requires a good amount of stirring during cooking, like risotto, but this recipe does not, which makes it easier. However, this recipe is not as smooth and creamy as the recipe I usually make, while I'm standing by the stove cooking something else. Two different recipes for two different purposes...]

Chili Weather!

This week has FINALLY heralded the arrival of fall in Arizona. A week ago,the temperature was hovering around 108 degrees for a high. Now, highs average in the low to mid 90s, with nights in the 60s. We can finally keep our doors and windows open at night! What brought this sudden change of temperature? A gigantic storm, that the Valley is still recovering from.

On Tuesday, the first big cell hit around noon, when the power went out at my school for the rest of the afternoon. I left school at 3, when it was sunny and starting to clear a bit. I was psyched for cooler temps and so I decided to take the dogs for a walk. By the time I got all of their leashes and whatnot ready to go, it had started to rain. However, at this point, there was no turning back, so we went around the block and got rained on. Unfortunately, the last third of

the block, we got drenched. So, upon return, I just decided to give Nimbus a bath since we were both soaking already anyway.

When I finally put on warm clothes and dried off, I was psyched to get my chili on. One of my FAVORITE things is to be inside and warm and cozy while the weather outside is wet and nasty (needless to say this doesn't happen all that often in Phoenix, so I enjoy it when I can). Hence, while I was making this chili, I put on some John Coltrane and enjoyed myself. Admittedly, the valley was getting pounded with hail at this point, (including our garden! see pic) and I knew many people weren't happy, but I was enjoying myself for the time being, at least.

I adore this chili though because it's got a great almost smoky flavor from the bacon and the beans. It is not a mild chili, but not burn-your-mouth chili. You might call it medium :-) But

you can adjust that with the amount of chili powder you put in. It's great served with cornbread. Hope you like it!

Black Bean Salsa Chili

2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and divided

2/3 c. water

1 T. brown sugar

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 c. sweet onion, chopped

1/2 c. chopped green pepper

1/2 c. chopped red pepper

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 1/2 T. chili powder

1 T. cumin

1 t. dried oregano

1/8 t. crushed red pepper

1 1/2 c. mild salsa

3 T. tomato paste

1 14 oz. can beef broth

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1 t. lime juice

1. Combine 1 1/2 c. beans, 2/3 c. water, and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine bean puree and remaining beans in a bowl.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey and cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove turkey from pa.

3. Add onion, bell peppers, and bacon to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until bacon and onion are lightly browned. Return turkey to pan. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper to pan; stir well to coat. Stir in bean mixture, salsa, tomato paste, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.

4. Combine sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Serve chili with sour cream mixture.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Breakfast for Supper

As a kid, the only time I ever saw my dad cook anything was when he made pancakes for breakfast (or dinner or supper). In fact, he made them so often, that I couldn't eat pancakes until I was 17 or 18. The issue was not their syrupy sweetness, the issue was the frequency. Syrup is, in fact, one of my favorites, especially on French Toast, just not multiple times a week.

As luck would have it, my husband loves breakfast food (for any meal), and last week was time for some comforting breakfast-for-supper food, so I busted out a pancake recipe from the first couple I lived with when I moved to Phoenix. They hit the spot that night, and hopefully they will for you too. If you need to call it healthy, there's even some fruit mixed in :-)

Puff Pancakes

(serves 2-3)

3 eggs

3/4 c. milk

3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat eggs, milk, flour and salt till smooth. In a heavy 12-inch skillet or 9 inch pie plate, melt 1-2 T. butter, then pour batter over skillet. Bake 15 minutes, lower temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 10 more minutes.

Filling:

1 lb apples or peaches, peeled and diced

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

While pancake is baking, saute apples or peaches in butter, sugar, and cinnamon/nutmeg to taste. Place pancake on serving dish, add apples to 1/2 of pancake. Fold over and serve.