Food Love: Installation No. 1 -- Tony Chachere's Original Creaole Seasoning

Read about Food Love here.

I don’t fully know what’s in Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning -- the ingredients list reads mysteriously: “ salt, red pepper and other spices, garlic and silicon dioxide (to prevent caking)” -- but it packs a spicy and delicious wallop. (It must be all the tasty silicon.)

In the past week since I discovered it (I must be the last one to the party since it’s been around since 1972), I’ve sprinkled it on fish, burgers, pizza, beans and rice, and right now, popcorn. My tongue and lips are tingling with flavor and fire, and I can’t wait to figure out what its jolts of heat and flavor will perk up next.

I know this probably doesn’t make sense, but it’s “zazzy.” And I like it.

Mother's Souvlakia with Tzatziki

The chicken in this Cooking Light recipe is quite good, but it's the tzatziki that makes everything delicious. Trust me and double the amount of tzatziki you make so you can drizzle it all over your chicken and some pitas toasted on the grill, too. It's so freakin' good.

All hail the mighty Tzatziki!

Mother's Souvlakia
Marinade:
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 32 bite-sized pieces

Skewers:
1/2 red onion, cut into 8 (1-inch) pieces
1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into 8 (1-inch) pieces
8 button mushrooms
8 large cherry tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
Tzatziki Sauce

To prepare marinade, combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours; turn occasionally.
Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread 4 chicken pieces, 1 piece each red onion and bell pepper, 1 mushroom, and 1 tomato alternately onto each of 8 (10-inch) skewers. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Place kabobs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce.

(Totals include Tzatziki Suace.)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 skewers and 2 tablespoons tzatziki sauce)

CALORIES 143 (31% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 16.5g; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; CALCIUM 69mg; SODIUM 277mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.5g

Tzatziki

1 cup finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation
Place cucumber in a colander over a bowl; sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Squeeze until barely moist.
Spoon yogurt onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl using a rubber spatula.

Combine cucumber, yogurt, parsley, and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Serve with Mother's Souvlakia.

Yield
1 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 21(29% from fat); FAT 0.6g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.0g); PROTEIN 1.5g; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 53mg; SODIUM 91mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2g

Death By Chocolate

In looking for a dessert recipe to bring to a Fourth of July party, I came across the "Over-the-Top" Chocolate Passion .


The Chocolate Passion calls for a layer of brownies to be topped by a "pudding cake" (made with butter flavored shortening!) and two layers of chocolate cake, in the midst of which are chocolate chip cookies secured with canned frosting. More frosting is used to cover the whole shebang, which is then topped by chocolate chips, and chocolate covered strawberries.

I feel sort of dirty just reading the recipe. And at the same time, I want to make it. And eat it. And that makes me feel dirtier.

It reminds me of The Simpsons' "The Good Morning Burger."

"We take eighteen ounces of sizzling ground beef, and soak it in rich, creamery butter, then we top it off with bacon, ham, and a fried egg. We call it the Good Morning Burger."

-- Homer watches a television advertisement, " Bart's Friend Falls In Love"

Mmm ... fattening.

Green Garlic Pesto

Saturday was the first day of the Canandaigua Farmers' Market season. (yay!) There was only a smattering of booths but among them was Honeyhill Farms from Livonia, NY selling pickled garlic scapes (delicious!) and fresh green garlic.

Green garlic.

Green garlic are the fresh shoots of the immature garlic plant (source). The woman I spoke to at the Honeyhill Farms booth suggested I use some to make pesto.

I'm so glad I did. The flavor is phenomenal! Spicy, intense, and fresh, this pesto will perk anything up. I'm planning to use it on pasta but I spread some on a Boca burger yesterday with fantastic results. And I've also topped a few tortilla chips with it. I'm not sure everyone would go for that, but I'm betting a thin spread of it would taste great on a cracker topped with cheese. And, come to think of it, maybe it could be mixed with a bit of sour cream and mayo for a veggie dip...

In an effort to cut down on the fat (however healthy) inherent in pesto, I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light. If you prefer, substitute the water for more Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Green Garlic Pesto

6 shoots of green garlic, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup warm water
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*

Drop green garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Place next 4 ingredients (nuts through pepper) in processor; process 10 seconds. Combine water and oil in a measuring cup. With processor on, slowly pour oil mixture through food chute, processing just until blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*If using on pasta, add more oil until the desired consistency is reached.

FDA Deadline Extended!

A Lemon Vanilla Cupcake bon bon from Temper Chocolates. "Lemon zest and vanilla beans infused in a white chocolate ganache over a creamy graham cracker ganche, enrobed in milk chocolate."

According to Don't Mess With Our Chocolate, the FDA has extended their comment period to May 25! If you haven't done it already, go to the FDA's comment section (tutorial) and tell them NOT to change their current definition of chocolate. (And it wouldn't hurt to email your friends about the issue, either!)

Need a refresher on what this is about? Check these links:

The Courage of Their Confections -- LA Times

Hershey Battles Chocolate Connoisseurs Over Selling `Mockolate' -- Bloomberg News

An Argument Against 'Heathly' Chocolate -- NPR's Talk of the Nation (audio)

Cybele May's Editorial in the LA Times

Editorial: Chocoholics unite! Don't let the government redefine chocolate

Editorial: I've got some sawdust: can I call it chocolate?

Keeping Chocolate, Chocolate

"What?! They might reclassify chocolate?"

As a large -- and timid -- chocolate bunny stares at me from its bed of Easter grass, waiting for the moment in which I bite its little ears off, I'm thinking about a proposal put forth to the FDA.

That chocolate bunny -- tall, dark, and handsome; sweet, smooth, and decadent -- might next year have an inferior replacement. The Chocolate Manufacturers of America (CMA) in collaboration with the Grocery Manufacturers Association have petitioned the FDA to change the definition of chocolate, so that products made with milk substitutes and without cocoa butter can be sold under the label of "chocolate." Why? So the manufacturers can save money by selling cheap crap. (Check out the specific proposed changes.)

People, GREEDY CAPITALISTS ARE ATTACKING CHOCOLATE! (Nooooooooooooooooo!)

Now, if you're thinking "So what?" I want you to do a little experiment. Go down to your local grocery or drug store and pick up the cheapest, crappiest "mocklate" you can find (I'd recommend that Palmer Bunny Munny that are on sale right now).

Take a bite. Roll it around in your mouth. Maybe you're not going to spit it out (though you should) but obviously it's nowhere near as good as real chocolate. (You might want to eat a whole box of good chocolate just to make sure.)

OK, now here's the scary part: if this petition passes and the FDA reclassifies chocolate, the Palmer stuff -- and confections WORSE than Palmer, made with less care and quality -- could flood the market and still be called chocolate.

The big manufacturers might start producing your favorite candies with mocklate! Can you imagine the Hershey tinkering with the kiss? Mars screwing with the M&M? It could happen!

If I were Charlton Heston, I'd be running through the streets screaming, "Chocolate is vegetable oil and milk substitutes!"

But we can stop this dystopic future. All you have to do is send a comment to the FDA telling them not to mess with chocolate. Do it by the deadline of June 25, 2007. To make it even easier, DontMessWithOurChocolate.com guides you through the process, even providing you with a letter you can cut-and-paste into the FDA's comment box (but you should feel free to write your own letter).

Really: it only takes a moment and it's as simple as pie -- a delicious slice of chocolate cream pie, made with genuine chocolate.

Read more about this issue here and here.

One Year Old

In the beginning, there were cupcakes. And they were good.

It's hard for me to believe, but this blog was started a year ago today.

I'm going to try and get a new recipe up today but, until I do, I just wanted to express how grateful I am to the people who visit and comment here, especially fellow bloggers Lis, Kevin, Rachel, Peabody, Emily, and Bibliochef. They are part of a community of talented, thoughtful people in the food blogging world, and I feel fortunate to come to the table and dine with them.

5 Things About Me meme

The lovely and inventive Rachel of Coconut & Lime, Food Maven, and Cupcake Supernova tagged me for a 5 Things About Me meme, and being a blogger, I am only too happy to divulge.


#1. I have an MA in Media Ecology (New York University) and a BA in Communication Arts (Marymount Manhattan College). This means that I spend an awful amount of time thinking and talking about a) the effects of mass media on society and b) the dynamics of interpersonal communication. In response, I typically receive blank stares. I’m learning to restrict my pontification to the college classroom (see fact #2) where I have an interested and, let’s face it, captive audience.

I am media junkie. I love to read (books, newspapers, and magazines are mass media, people, and don’t you forget it!) but since getting a laptop two years ago, most of my reading is done online. (Yes, I am pondering the effects of a switch from print material to digital content on my cognitive thinking.) I spend an obscene amount of time online, and that’s while the TV is on. I love good television and movies (The Sopranos, Dr. Strangelove, BBC’s production of Pride and Prejudice, Annie Hall) but I also love the bad/cheesy ones (Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Thornbirds). I think American Idol is a scourge upon society.

#2. I teach Communications and Media Theory at Monroe Community College and Finger Lakes Community College. Not having a Ph.D. or the desire to get one (the old saw that "academic politics are so bitter because the stakes are so low" is true) makes it difficult to get a full time gig at a traditional university (and given the political atmosphere...), so I’ve been focusing my efforts at the local CCs, primarily MCC.

I used to teach Freshman Composition and Introduction to Literature at FLCC (see next fact) but then I was hired by MCC to teach media/communications, and I jumped over as quickly as possible.

Teaching Freshman Comp and Intro to Lit was great – when I had interested students. Unfortunately, I frequently had a room full of people who weren’t good writers/readers and had no interest in changing that; they just wanted their required 3 credits, thank you very much. (You haven’t experienced hell until you’ve tried to lead a discussion on Young Goodman Brown with 23 students who not only haven’t read the story, but didn’t buy the textbook.)

But I digress: I LOVE teaching media/ communications: it’s my field of study and, because it’s typically the students’ field too, they’re engaged in the material. There are few things as satisfying as teaching a subject you love to a class that loves the subject. Plus, I caper around like chipmunk on caffeine, using lots of reality TV examples, and students typically enjoy the show. I am saddened by the death of Anna Nicole Smith, primarily because I can never again say “TrimSpa, baby…” in a breathy voice without hitting a somber note. (And I did do that in class. A lot.)

#3. My other job is freelance writing for GV, which is a technology trade book (oooh, look at the lingo!) for government, educational, and corporate markets. Some articles have been a blast to write, and others make me fall asleep just … thinking … of ... zzzzzz ...

I have the kicking-est editor in the world: Mark Pescatore. He is not only a damn fine boss, but a damn fine human being. (And he just got engaged. Yay, Mark!)

My writing experience is what led to (or maybe, “conned my way into”) teaching Freshman Comp and Intro to Lit. Prior to teaching and freelancing, I was an associate editor at GV’s sister mag . From September 1999 to December 2000, I was the ghost writer for this columnist. My email address for this job was accidentally released by Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign committee in 2000. This was a full-time job, and I was also a full-time grad student. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the same time I started growing grey hair.

#4. I’ve been working out for about a month and a half and have lost 12 pounds. I’m high strung and quick to anger (look up “Type A personality” and there’s a picture of me, brow furrowed) and hoped that by physically exhausting myself on a regular basis, I would start to chill out. Ironically, I have more energy and stamina, creating a greater ability to bitch even more people out.

#5. I’m a good writer but I’m a fantastic editor (modest, too, and this does not actually mean I am perfect). I actually like editing better than writing and can (and will) spend 20 minutes playing with a single paragraph. I am a big fan of parenthetical statements (as I’m sure you’re already aware).

#6 BONUS FACT: I met my husband through an online dating service. Not any of the wholesome ones either. The kind of porny one. (It was edgy in 2001, I swear.) I did not go on one bad date using that service, either. It was awesome, and I felt like Wonder Woman.

So now, I tag Peabody at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and Kevin at Acme Instant Food. Dish it, guys!

RRC#2 Submission: Lime Honey Dressing

So appealing, don't you think?

The recipe for Lime Honey Dressing comes from the 1957 edition of Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook. Corbitt was the director of restaurants at the "famous" Neiman-Marcus store in Dallas. Here’s a partial description from the bookflap:

This Yankee-born authority on food is a truly creative cook and superlative party-giver. Earl Winston called her “the greatest cook in Texas.” The Duke of Windsor asked her how she made the Avocado Mousse she served him in Houston. Governors, politicians, college presidents, oilmen, and literary figures have for years requested the recipes for the superb dishes she created for Neiman-Marcus’ Zodiac Room.

Based on this recipe, I don’t know what all the fuss was about. It's dressing in theory: you know it’s there, but you can’t taste it. Even after I doubled the amount of lime juice, I could just barely detect a citrus flavor. Meh.

Hence, I’d serve this on an iceburg lettuce salad for a retro weenie roast: the titles of both just set you up for disappointment.

Lime Honey Dressing

1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup honey
1 cup salad oil
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. prepared mustard
½ tsp. salt
Grated peel of 1 lime

Blend all ingredients and keep in a cool place.

Grade: C

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Yep, more jam. There were some brilliantly ripe raspberries for sale at the local farmers’ market and I couldn’t pass them up.

I had to make jam before I realized this but jam has twice the amount of sugar as it does fruit. Seriously: don’t think you’re eating preserved fruit with a dusting sprinkling of sugar. It's closer to Pixie Stix than Nature's Candy.

Which is probably why I wanted to make it.

The one issue with raspberry jam is that the berries are rife with firm little seeds. Even after straining half the mixture through a sieve, there are still tons of seeds. Next time, I will either buy 1 quart of raspberries and strain them down to 2 cups or strain 2 pints of raspberries and make up the difference with blueberries, strawberries, or a combination of both.

Raspberry Freezer Jam
2 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 pt. fully ripe red raspberries)
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Rise clean plastic (I used glass -- LR) containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

Crush raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove some of the seeds, if desired.) Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix pectin with lemon juice. Add to raspberry mixture; stir 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. (I found that the jam began to gel after about 5 minutes. –LR) Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using. Yields 5 cups.

Grade: A

Carolyn’s Strawberry Jams

Strawberry Freezer Jam (left) and Traditional Strawberry jam.

I’ve shied away from making jams. Buying the jars, lids, and the special pots, measuring out the fruit, working with the pectin, sterilizing everything, timing the whole process -- yikes. It just seems like a whole lot of trouble for something to smear on toast.

But yesterday Carolyn, canning goddess of the Finger Lakes, made many (many, many) batches of strawberry jam and I was there, pen in hand, ready to learn.

The first thing I learned is that there are different types of jam:

Traditional, where you boil mashed fruit, sugar, and pectin, pour it into jars, seal them, boil the hell out of them, let them cool and they’ll keep fresh in your pantry all through the long, northern winters,

-and-

Freezer jam, where you mix together mashed fruit, sugar, and pectin, pour it into jars, close them, let them sit for 24 hours, and then pop them into your freezer until you’re ready to use them.

I like the idea of the traditional jam (it's so Martha!) but the efficiency of the freezer jam. Then again, when you go out the strawberry fields (as Carolyn and her kids did) and pick your own berries (as Carolyn and her kids did), and then cut them up (as Carolyn, her daughter Kathryn, and I did), and mash the hell out of them (as Kathryn, her brother Richard, and friend Katie did) before you even start to cook, efficiency doesn’t enter into it.

Of course, both are delicious. The strawberry freezer jam has a fresh fruit taste, along the lines of just-picked berries sprinkled with sugar. The traditional jam has that lovely homemade preserve flavor -- gourmet preserves, that is, because you made them at home.

But it is a lot of work. If you’re up for it, here are the recipes (also found in the Sure-Jell CERTO pectin packaging):

Carolyn’s Traditional Strawberry Jam

Before starting, please read the USDA’s Principles of Home Canning . Not only will it give you all the information required to prep for making shelf-stable jam, time adjustment advice based on altitude, and a nice little lecture on botulism, but it will alleive my worry that you will expose yourself to food poisioning simply by following a recipe you found on a blog.)

4 pts. very ripe strawberries (yes, hand picked is best)
7 c. sugar, measured into its own bowl (sugar substitutes will NOT work)
½ tsp. butter
1 pouch Sure Jell CERTO liquid pectin

Have sterilized jars, lids, and screw bands ready. Bring water to a boil in a boiling water canner. (Water should ultimately cover jars by 1 to 2 inches.)

Wash, dry, hull and crush strawberries (crush one cup at a time) using a potato masher.

Measure out 8 cups of mashed berries and pour into a 6 to 8 qt. saucepan. Stir sugar into fruit and add butter (to reduce foaming). Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in pectin quickly, and return to a full boil. Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle mixture quickly into prepared jars, filing within 1/8 of the jar tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two piece lids. Screw bands tightly (but not too tightly) and place jars on an elevated rack in boiling water canner. Lower rack into canner. Water should cover jars by 1 to 2 inches, adding boiling water if needed. Cover and bring to a gentle boil and boil for 10 minutes (adjust for elevation if needed*).

Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If lid springs back, the lid isn’t sealed and the jam with require refrigeration.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Store unopened jams in a cool, dark, dry place for up to a year. Opened jam should be stored in the refrigerator.

Yields about 8 cups

*Note from the Clemson Extension: If you are at an altitude of 1,000 feet or more, add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of altitude.

***

Carolyn’s Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 pts. very ripe strawberries (yes, hand picked is best)
4 c. sugar, measured into its own bowl (sugar substitutes will NOT work)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pouch

Sure Jell CERTO liquid pectin

Wash and rinse containers with tight fitting lids.

Wash, dry, hull and crush strawberries (crush one cup at a time) using a potato masher.

Stir sugar into mashed berries, mixing until combined. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice with pectin. Set aside.

After fruit mixture has sat for 10 minutes, add in pectin and lemon juice. Stir constantly for at least 3 minutes until sugar is (mostly) dissolved.

Pour jam into prepared containers, leaving ½ inch head space, and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or store in freezer for up to a year. Thaw freezer jam in refrigerator before using (2-3 days).


Grade: A

Sweet N Spicy BBQ Glaze

Looking at the back of a Lyle's Golden syrup* bottle and improvising a bit, I came up with the following sauce. Brush it on your meat of choice (best with chicken or pork, I think) just before it's finished cooking. Reserve leftover sauce for serving alongside the grilled meat.

Sweet N Spicy BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ cup Golden syrup
¼ cup tomato paste
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. five spice Chinese powder

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, mixing thoroughly. Grill meat and, just before the meat is fully cooked, brush with sauce. Cook for few additional minutes to set sauce.

Grade: A+

*I found it next to the corn syrup and molasses in the baking aisle.

Peeps on the Lawn Dessert Salad

A petite Peeps serving.

A plethora of Peeps.

WARNING: If you don't like your sweets super-sweet and neon-colored, don't make this. Instead, have some melba toast and a cup of sugarless tea while looking at some other recipes.

Doug over at Cooking With Peeps suggested his Peeps on the Lawn dessert salad to use up the many, many peeps I've bought (90). He describes the dish as "a Snickers Salad with some Peeps on top."

Excited, yet troubled by a dessert that combines instant pudding, Cool Whip, Snickers, and apples, I did a Google search for Snickers Salad. Apparently, it's very popular and a must for many families' holiday dinners.

Gordon at Everything2 explains:

This dish is a family tradition in my wife's family. I first ran into (away from) it the first time they shared Easter dinner with me. Not being a fan of potato salad (or most creamy salads and side dishes, for that matter), I was hesitant to sample the small dollop that was occupying space on my plate that I thought would have been better suited to ham. Or mashed potatoes. Or more ham. By the time I worked up the courage to try some, and thus realize that it did happy things to my mouth, I was too stuffed to consider eating more. And although I know it tastes wonderful, its appearance and the concept of drowning chocolate bars in pudding and Cool Whip befuddles me.

I found that reassuring.

It is good, in a kitschy Lutheran* pot-luck-dinner-dish sort of way. I liked it, though my husband thought it was so awful ("Bleggh! Are you trying to kill me?" ), he washed it down with a glass of scotch. (Really, any excuse to drink his paint-thinner Laphroaig). To each his own.

Peeps on the Lawn is extremely easy to make; all you have to know is how to chop and mix.

Peeps on the Lawn dessert Salad (adapted; see the original here)

1 3.4 oz package instant French Vanilla Jello Pudding Mix
1 cup milk
1 12-oz container Cool Whip

2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional, but recommended)
Green food coloring
1 pkg. Snickers minis , chilled and diced
5 Granny Smith apples
Small chocolate pastel candies
Peeps

In a large bowl, mix pudding together with milk until combined; fold in Cool Whip and vanilla. Tint green with food coloring. Fold in chilled Snickers bars.

Just before serving, peel, core, and dice apples; fold into pudding mixture.Transfer mixture into serving bowl. Decorate top with Peeps and pastel candy. Enjoy festive Springtime dessert.

Many thanks to Doug and Gordon for their help!

Update: I served this in a large glass bowl today at an Episcopal Church luncheon -- it was well received. Shane thinks that next time, I should cut the peeps in half and line the bowl with them. That would go over big.

*Yes, I know what those Lutheran dinners are like. I was raised Lutheran.

Tags:

cooking, peeps, baking, Marshmallow Peeps, candy, Easter, spring, recipe, Snickers, Snickers Salad, dessert

Dog Biscuits

Apparently, all that fur makes him look slimmer. Maybe I should try that.

My husband and I just came back from taking Flurry, our American Eskimo dog, to the vet. I was quite worried about him as in the past month, he’s had two can’t-stop-running-seizure-like episodes, the second of which happened yesterday morning. They weren’t actually seizures – when we held him gently, he was able to voluntarily stop moving – but they were frightening.

Anyway, the vet thinks the problem is muscle spasms which are a) painful and b) scary for the dog, hence the uncoordinated running. The vet put Flurry on a diet, wrote a prescription for painkillers, and told us to increase his exercise.

I am so relieved that it isn’t anything too serious, I thought I’d celebrate by giving Flurry some extra petting and posting this dog biscuit recipe.

Don’t tell Flurry though; he has to lose weight.

Dog Biscuits
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp. dried milk
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1 to 1-1/4 cups water or broth

Preheat oven to 250-degrees. Stir together dry ingredients, then add egg and water. If the dough is too wet or dry, add more flour or water, respectively.

Knead dough until smooth. Roll dough ¼-inch thick (preferably between two sheets of parchment paper) and cut with cookie cutters. Place cutouts slightly apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment) and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly dry inside. Turn off oven and leave biscuits inside overnight. Store in an air-tight container.

Grade: I don't know -- I'm not a dog.