Cheese Ball Variations

Here are a few variations on cheese balls. The one one the top is a cheese ball snowman. I made a cheese ball from my recipe. then I shaped two balls and held them together with a toothpick to secure. I frosted the snowman with whipped cream cheese. He has a pretzel and chex mix top hat, olive eyes, a carrot nose, pretzel smile, celery arms and raisin buttons. I was inspired by this post.
The one on the right is a football cheese ball for the super bowl. It is has whipped cream cheese stripes and stitching and is covered with walnuts.

Red/Green Popcorn (or any other color)

You can make this popcorn in red and green for Christmas. The popcorn in the second picture is red, "white", and blue for the fourth of July. You can also make it in a mix of pastels for Easter or in your favorite team colors. I make this popcorn in a whirly pop brand popcorn popper. It’s a popcorn popper that you put directly on the stove and turn a manual crank that stirs the popcorn in the popper.
For Christmas gifts see also my red hot popcorn recipe and my cinnamon crunch popcorn recipe. This recipe came from the cookbook that came with the whirly pop popper.

Red Green Popcorn

INGREDIENTS
1/3 c unpopped popcorn
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c oil
1/4 tsp salt, optional

a few drops of food coloring, optional (use more for blue or purple)

Put all ingredients in popcorn popper (whirly pop). Pop until the popping almost stops and pour into a bowl. Pop only one color at a time and wash the popper before you make another color.

Oyster Crackers with Dill and Ranch

This is a more recent family tradition. We've been making these off and on since the late 80's. I think next year I may look for a different kind of cracker to make this with, something whole wheat. The oyster crackers are a bit blah as a cracker base. I do love this spice combo. This recipe is from my Dad's Aunt Mavis. I reduced the amount of oil.

OYSTER CRACKERS

INGREDIENTS

1/8 (2 T)cup oil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp dill weed

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing

1 pkg. Oyster crackers

Warm the oil. Drizzle some of the oil over the crackers. Stir. Drizzle, stir, drizzle, stir until most of the crackers are coated. Add the spices and stir.

Turkey on the Grill

Yum. Smoked turkey on the grill. I made this for Thanksgiving a few years ago. A friend of mine who had been to several Thanksgivings that year said my turkey won. Woo-hoo! I won. I even had the last turkey of the day, when he should have been absolutely sick of turkey.

O.K. Here's how you do it. First, make sure you choose a turkey that fits on your grill. Small to medium turkeys are your best bet no matter how you are cooking your turkey. It's better to cook two small turkeys then one huge one. The huge one is much more likely to be dry before it's completely cooked. I have a small Weber grill. On my grill a medium size turkey fits fine. However, I like to choose one that is short from breast to back and wide from leg to leg. If it is long from breast to back there is a chance that it could hit the top of my grill. It's a weird thing to keep in mind while shopping...turkey shape. In the picture, I rubbed sage herb butter on the turkey in a attempt to make it even better. At some point the butter must have made the turkey catch on fire. The bottom of the turkey was totally charred. I don't think that was better after all. I plan on skipping that step in the future. Because of the apparent turkey fire, my turkey turned out a bit dry. It was still very good though. I had planned to have leftovers for future salads and sandwiches. I grilled this only yesterday. But, friends and family taste testers have almost cleaned me out of turkey already. I made carrots and potatoes to go with the turkey. With about 1/2 hour of the turkey cooking time left, add potatoes. I sliced my potatoes in half. Then I inserted a slice of onion, sage butter (or regular butter), and salt and pepper. I double wrapped the potatoes in foil. In a separate foil packet add sliced carrots, sage butter (or regular butter), and salt and pepper. When you take the turkey off the grill, leave the potatoes and add the carrot packet. They will finish cooking as your turkey rests. The potatoes are really good and get a bit of smokey flavor. They are almost like potatoes cooked on a campfire.

TURKEY ON THE GRILL

INGREDIENTS

1 turkey (mine was 11 lbs)

2 gallons of water

2 C table salt

sage herb butter (only if you want to set your turkey on fire)

pepper

1. Rinse the defrosted turkey inside and out. Remove neck and giblets.

2. Dissolve salt in water and place turkey in the salt water and place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.

OR

Place turkey in a 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bag. Place that bag in a cooler. Mix 1/4 c salt with 1 quart of water until dissolved. Add the salt water to the turkey. Mix another 1/4 c salt with 1 quart water and add to turkey. Continue to do this until the turkey will be covered with water when the bag is closed. (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 gallons water) Add ice around the outside of the Ziploc bag until the cooler is full. Place in a cool place for 4 to 6 hours. Why should I brine my turkey and what's a brine? Note- I added more ice after I too the picture. I didn't want the ice to obscure the turkey in the bag.

3. Soak as many wood chips as will fit in a disposable Weber grill pan. About 1 quart. Make sure they are completely covered with water. They only need to soak for about 1 hour, but it is a good idea to start the wood chips soaking as soon as you finish step two so you don't forget to do it. It makes no difference if they soak longer.

4. Obsessively clean your sink.

5. Drain wood chips and place in the disposable grill pan. Place pan over the front burner, put under the grill grates. Do this before you preheat the grill. O.K. Now you can preheat your grill. If you heat the grill first, you'll be sorry. It's the voice of experience.

6. Close all your windows near your grill so your house doesn't smell like smoke for days. This is also the voice of experience.

7. Drain turkey and pat dry. Pepper the chicken, but DO NOT SALT. The brine will make the turkey salty enough.

8. Place turkey in the center of the grill. Turn the burners down until the interior temperature of the grill is 375-400 degrees. Check the temperature often at the beginning of the grilling process to make sure you are grilling at the correct temperature. You can check it every once in a while after that. DO NOT OPEN THE LID OF THE GRILL. Every time you open the grill two things happen. First you lose smoke, and therefore lose flavor. Second, the grill temperature drops and it takes longer to grill the bird. If you must open your grill, be quick. Note- my turkey had a broken wing, so I couldn't bend both of the wings toward the bottom of the bird.

9. Roast the turkey. (times are for an unstuffed turkey cooked at 350 degrees)

6-8 lbs 1 1/4-2 hours

10-12 lbs 2-3 hours

14-18 lbs 3-4 hours

10. Clean kitchen obsessively. Realize that you could have cleaned you sink a little less obsessively before, because you just have to clean it again. Make sure you wash your cooler really, really well. Clean it with disinfectant or bleach. Make sure it is absolutely completely dry before you put it away. If you are concerned about disinfectant, let it dry. After it is really, really dry, you can rinse it out.

11. When your turkey is about a half hour from being done, add the potatoes. At this point your dog will be running around the grill and whining like he's completely lost his mind. What makes you think I'm grilling for you dog? Has it ever been for you? No. Just give is a rest already. Seriously. Knock off the crazy. You're driving me nuts.

12. When the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 165 or the thickest part of the turkey thigh reaches 170-175 the turkey is done. Transfer it to a cutting board. Add your carrot foil packet to the grill if using. Tent the turkey loosely with tinfoil and let it rest 30 minutes. Why should I let it rest?

13. Now you can carve your turkey and eat it.

Bunny Ear Pancakes

We went down to the town hall today for a pancake and sausage breakfast for the Wilton Ambulance. They also had an egg bake, which is a nice addition the usual pancakes and sausage fare. The Easter bunny was there handing out Easter baskets to the kids. They had bunny shaped pancakes. Well, at least I had a bunny shaped pancake. I thought it was a cute idea for Easter.

Easter Bread

I figured that I should post this recipe before Easter. I got this recipe from Karen who got it from Grama Brezden. In the old world, Easter bread was baked in a tall cylindrical pan and would form a tall upright loaf with a domed top. The top is similar to the onion dome tops of eastern European churches. Until just a few years ago I baked this bread in aluminum coffee cans. Even if you still have some aluminum coffee cans around, don't bake in them. The solder breaks down when you bake in them and lead leaches into the bread. If you bake in them more then once, it leaches even more lead. Unless I can come up with a tall cylindrical alternative, I plan on just making a round loaf shape. That's what Kristy did last year. This makes several (don't know how many) loaves of bread. You're friends and family will love you at Easter. I'll update when I make this bread again. My mom loves it toasted.

You may want to see my post on bread baking basics.

EASTER BREAD

INGREDIENTS

One saffron package

1 pint boiling water

8-10 egg yolks

2 cups sugar

Handful salt

1/2 cup melted butter

2 pkgs. Yeast

1 cup water

2 cups milk

1 pint cream

1 cup water

17 cups flour (this is an approximation)

2 cups raisins (optional)(or a mix of raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries and currents)

1. One saffron package to 1 pint boiling water. Mix and set overnight. Strain in morning.

2. Lightly beat the egg yolks and add 8-10 egg yolks to the cooled saffron water.

3. Proof the yeast in 1 cup of warm (105-115 degrees) water. Mix: 2 cups sugar, handful salt, 1/2 cup melted butter, and the yeast and water mixture, 2 cups milk, 1 pint cream (scalded, cooled), 1 extra cup water.

4. Add egg yolks and saffron and water mixture.

5. Add about 17 cups flour. Karen adds about 2 cups at a time, mixing and then kneading each time until it's not sticky.

6. Knead in 2 cups raisins or mixed fruit.(if using)

7. Let rise once, knead again

8. Shape into loaves and place on greased cookie sheets let the loaves rise. I think the loaves should rise until double in bulk, but I'm not positive. (Original instructions were: Grease coffee can. Fill coffee can 1/3 full with dough. Let rise to top.) Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Bread is done when a thermometer inserted into the bottom center of the loaf reads 205-215 degrees. You can frost top with a mixture of milk and powdered sugar. It won’t stay fresh as long if frosted. This recipe goes stale quickly. Use leftovers for french toast.

Cranberry Bread

CRANBERRY BREAD

I’ve made this with half whole wheat flour and half white flour, and that’s good too. The rest of my whole wheat lovin’ family shockingly likes the white flour version better. The recipe says to store for 24 hours before cutting. The bread’s never made it 24 hours in my house, so I have no idea if that helps the texture or not. This recipe is from "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American."

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Juice and grated rind of 1 orange

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp oil

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely ground

1/2 cup walnut meats, coarsely chopped

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Put the juice and grated rind in a measuring cup and add enough boiling water to make 3/4 cups liquid. Add to the dry mixture. Add the egg and oil and mix just enough to moisten the flour mixture. Stir in the cranberries and nut meats. Bake in a greased loaf pan 60-70 minutes at 325. Store 24 hours before cutting.

Potato Soup

This is a real crowd pleaser. From Epicurious.

POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (about 4)

3 1/2 cups chicken broth (2 cans)

6 slices of bacon

1 onion, chopped coarse

12 mushrooms, chopped coarse

2 cup milk

8 oz cream cheese, cut into bits and softened

In a kettle combine the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch Pieces, with the broth and simmer the mixture, covered for 20 Minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the kettle from the heat and in the kettle mash the potatoes with the potato masher. Whlie the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat until it is crisp and transfer it to paper towels and drain. Crumble the bacon into ½ inch pieces and reserve it. Add the onion and mushrooms to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add the reserved bacon and the onion mixture to the potato mixture. Stir in the milk, the cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, and heat the soup over moderate heat, stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the soup is combined well (do not let the soup boil).

Makes 4 ½ cups, serving 4 to 5.

Apple Crisp

APPLE CRISP

I've decided to stop making apple pie and only make crisp. It has less butter and sugar then a pie and I like it much better. This reicpe is from America's Test Kitchen.

serves 4 to 6

to double use a 13x19 pan, bake 55 minutes at 375 without increasing oven temp

Topping:
6 T unbleached AP flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
5 T cold unsalted butter, in 1/2 in pieces
3/4 c coarsely chopped nuts, almonds or pecans preferred, or walnuts

Filling:

3 medium granny smith apples (1 1/4 lbs)
3 medium mcintosh apples (1 1/4 lbs)
1/2 tsp grated zest and 1 1/2 T juice from 1 lemon
1/4 c sugar


1. Topping: Place flour, sugars, spices, and salt in food processer and process briefly to combine. Add butter and pulse 10 times, 4 sec for each pulse. Will first look like dry sand with lumps of butter, then like coarse cornmeal. Add the nuts, then process again, four or five 1 sec pulses. The topping should look like slightly clumpy wet sand. Be sure not to overmix, or will become too wet and homogeneous. Refrigerate topping while preparing fruit, at least 15 min.
2. Oven rack to lower middle position, preheat to 375
3. Filling: Peel, quarter, and core the apples, then cut into 1" chunks (about 6 cups). Toss the apples, zest, juice, and sugar in a medium bowl. Scrape the fruit mixture with a spatula into an 8" square baking pan or 9" deep dish pie plate.
4. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit. Bake 40 min; increase oven temp to 400 and continue baking until the fruit is bubbling and the topping turns deep golden brown, about 5 min more. Serve warm. (The crisp can be set aside at room temp for a few hours and then reheated in a warm oven just before serving.)

Cheese Ball

CHEESE BALL

This is also good when made with Swiss cheese. I saw someone on TV add chopped bacon to the cheese mixture. I’ve never done this. (I have two vegetarian sisters.) But it sounds good to me. This recipe comes from the Pillsbury cookbook my mom received for a wedding present.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3-oz cream cheese

3 T Mayo

½ tsp Worcestershire

1 tsp white wine

dash each of

onion salt

garlic salt

celery salt

Sliced or chopped olives, OR chopped nuts OR chopped fresh parsley, OR dried beef to roll in. (OR a combination that makes sense)

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Blenders will work in a pinch, but they will make you swear. Cover and chill until firm. Shape mixture into a ball and roll in nuts or whichever covering you’re using. . Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until serving.

Cranberry Relish

CRANBERRY RELISH

A more tart, uncooked version of cranberry sauce. I’ve found many people who don’t like the traditional more sweet/syrupy style like this version.

INGREDIENTS

1 granny smith apple, not pealed, cored and cut into 1-2inch pieces

1 orange, pealed and torn in 2 segment sections

1 cup pineapple (I use canned)

1 bag cranberries

1/4-1/2 cup sugar (I use 1/4 cup, but my family likes things tart)

Blend fruit in food processor, preferably or a blender. Blenders are harder to use because you have to keep scraping down the sides, but they’ll work if it’s all you’ve got. Process until it looks like a cranberry colored applesauce. Stir in sugar. This recipe can be made 2 days in advance.