Dec 13, 2011 |
I’m writing this a day early. I usually schedule my posts a day or two ahead of time, so this is not so noteworthy. Except the reasons I’m doing this, is we’re expecting a snowfall tonight and tomorrow and I want to be able to enjoy it. I’m sure if we get that much snow, I’ll photograph it and blog about it and squeal with girlish delight…
I”m sitting on my loveseat in front of my big picture window, watching the Scrub Jays fight the Cactus Wren for the trove of peanuts I put out for them; while the sparrows, finches and even a phoebe are fluttering all around the seed feeder and kicking up the ground to search for more.
A storm is most definitely coming in.
And I intend to enjoy it.
These are my favorite moments. Sitting in the warmth of the house with my cats, watching the birds try their best to beat the clouds. Checking the weather report every ten minutes to find its changed yet again (for the better, or worse, depending on your desire for snow). Drinking my Keurig peppermint tea and eating some Doo-Dads while listening to the Waltons on the dvd player and enjoying the lights of the Christmas Star and the Tree.
These are definitely some of my favorite moments.
When it snows tonight or tomorrow, we’ll stand out in it, listening to the quiet. Enjoying the darkened sky as it falls on our tongues and down our necks. Then we’ll come inside and drink hot cocoa, eat snacks and watch a Christmas movie.
I’m glad for moments like this.
Living in the high desert of SoCal, we don’t get snow, or even rain, like most of the country. While it’s not always sunny and warm, it’s not always winter. And there’s something about being less than two weeks away from Christmas with a forecast of “65 and sunny” that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s the gray skies, the chill wind, and the foraging birds that make winter seem more real, make Christmas seem more enjoyable.
We’ve been getting more snow each year, but it’s still only a few inches now and then. I’m fairly certain that within a few years we will be reclassified as “the place formerly known as High Desert” but until then, until this becomes the norm, it’s a cozy experience.
And I intend to enjoy every minute of it. So forgive me if this post is fluff and flakes. But I like my winters that way. I’ll take it as a Christmas gift from Mother Nature.
This storm is for the Birds. And each and every one of them.
Dec 12, 2011 |
One of my favorite channels is, of course, the Food Network. And my favorite shows are “Food Network Challenge” and “Cupcake Wars”. I love seeing how other chefs create tastes and presentations.
I never intended this Blog to have a focus on recipes. I always thought it would be just me. Getting through life. And sharing my ridiculous stories with whoever cared to read them. But when some of those stories began in my kitchen, I noticed something. You paid attention.
I love cooking. I love baking. Creating. Decorating. And you like hearing about me setting off the fire alarm with my blackened salmon or spilling the chili all over my foot … okay, I haven’t shared those stories with you yet, but I will…
My point is, my writing and cooking don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And You figured that out before I did. So thank you.
My life-long friend Lisa sent me a great Christmas gift: two boxes of food for my pantry. How amazing is she?! And as I opened the boxes I started singing to myself. Loudly. Lisa lives in Florida. It’s been 30 years since we’ve seen each other. But we’re still friends. And she knew what she was doing when she sent this to me. Because this gift is more than just food. It’s the chance for me to create a menu and play with my food. And then write about it.
With the ingredients she sent me, I’m going to plan out some great meals for January. And I’ll post them here. Some will be old recipes. Some will be trial and error. I’ll share them all with you here: the good, the bad, the tasteless.
[Except the homemade cookies. We’re gonna eat those like yesterday!]
IN THE FOOD BOX:
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Canned Pineapple Chunks
Boxed Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
Boxed Sugar Cookie Mix
Packaged Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
Packaged Sugar Cookie Mix
Packaged Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 Jar – Peanut Butter
Boxed Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Bag Stuffing Mix
2 Cans – Pot Roast Soup
1 Can – Diced Tomatoes
3 Cans – Tomato Paste
2 Cans – Meatless Chili
2 Boxes – Onion Soup Mix
Dried Beans – Pinto
Dried Beans – Great Northern
Dried Beans – Navy
Dried Beans – Green Split Pea
I’m looking forward to my own little Food Challenge. I have no idea what I’ll create. But I’m pretty sure I’ll have fun creating it!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Eat!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 11, 2011 |
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
And this is what it looks like in my house:
See that salty good mix? This is my version of the original Chex Party Mix. I’ve always known it as “Doo Dads”. A little this, a little that. How could you not want some Doo Dads?
You can deck the halls all you want, but in my house it’s not The Season until the Doo Dads are made.
We pretty much live on a diet of this mix and hot cocoa the week before Christmas. We have to parcel it out and make sure nobody comes in to steal all the Cheez-Its out of the container. Hence, the Security Patrol, otherwise known as Nutcracker. And believe me, there’s a lot of Doo Dads to guard. At least, at first.
It may not look like a lot from this shot, but that tin is 14 inches tall and 10 inches wide. And this is just one batch! I usually make two batches in one day, but this year I did the first one just before Thanksgiving and the second one earlier this week.
Wanna guess how long before we ran out of the first batch? Let’s just say I made the second batch when nobody else would be home for hours. Easier to guard with less snack attackers around.
Here’s a few helpful hints when making this recipe:
*20 cups of cereal and snacks can be a lot for one bowl to contain, so I usually put all the dry ingredients into a large trash bag for easier mixing. If you do this, make sure to use a regular plastic trash bag and not a “scented” or “clean fragrance” one. You don’t want your Doo Dads to taste lemony fresh. That’s so not part of the recipe.
*After mixing all the dry ingredients, pour the butter sauce into the bag. Make sure you have a tight grip on the bag and shake it, shift it, however you want to mix it. Just make sure you don’t crush the Doo Dads. You’ll know when it’s all coated once the bag itself has been coated on the inside.
*Use large roasting pans. To make clean up easier, I buy the cheap disposable ones. No matter how many batches I make, all I have to do when I’m done, is toss them out. No dishpan hands for me!
*If you’ve mixed the Doo Dads in a large bag, make sure you have a good grip on the bag, taking in all the excess and holding it like a pour spout. The mix will tumble out quickly so be careful not to overfill the pans.
*When stirring every 15 minutes, I take one pan out, stir it and set it aside. I take the next pan, stir, and put it where the first pan was; rotating each pan clockwise, and putting the first pan into the last empty spot. Of course, they’ll roast no matter where they’re placed in the oven, but this ensures that the roasting is nice and even.
And now, from my house to yours… The Recipe.
Merry Christmas. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Corn Chex
- 5 Cups Rice Chex
- 5 Cups Wheat Chex
- 4 Cups Cheerios
- 1 Bag (12 oz.) Pretzel Sticks
- 1 Box (13.5 oz ea.) Cheez-It Crackers
- 2 Cans (14.5 oz ea.) Salted Peanuts
- 1 Cup + 2 TBS Butter
- 1/3 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
Instructions
- Mix together cereals, pretzels, cheese crackers and peanuts. Set aside.
- In small saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- Add worcestershire sauce to butter, stir.
- Add garlic salt and seasoned salt to butter sauce. Stir constantly until blended.
- Pour sauce over dry mix. Mix thoroughly.
- Spread into shallow baking or roasting pans.
- Roast at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
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https://franklymydearmojo.com/2011/12/11/holiday-recipe-doo-dads/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
