A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Halloween 2020: The At Home Family Party that Rocked

      

These two amazing kiddoes are the reason for our at home Halloween party.   Myia, who is  8 and the  cutest Black Panther-ess out there (okay, I might be prejudiced but look, she's  adorable!) had been very concerned about how this whole Pandemic thing was going to affect her trick-or-treating.  But Aunt Gonnie and Uncle Gene (and Uncle Hal) always take care of the kiddoes at Halloween.  We don't have kids ourselves but we've long thought that having our nieces and nephews around gives them people their own age to play with--especially at Halloween.

In our family, there was also a long tradition started by  our Aunt Bessie who always always had Chili on the stove on Halloween, along with  popcorn balls and cookies for  all the neighborhood kids. I loved that tradition so years ago, after Aunt Bessie was no longer able to entertain, I took over making sure at our house there was, and always will be, Chili, popcorn balls, and treats for all the family and friends.

Because the pandemic has changed so much in our lives, we've had to rethink our Halloween get togethers too.  Instead of opening the house to all, we focused on my brothers and sister, and their children, and grand child.   The  youngest are Junior (above, who started out the evening as a Mutant Ninja Turtle, but as he got hot ended up as mostly a naked child running through the house) and Shamyia, whom we mostly call Myia. All together there were 9 of us able to spend the evening together 

Since this is a food blog, I'll go through the food first, but at the end  I'll also talk about keeping everyone entertained which is also part of the fun of Halloween. There are four recipes: Chicken and Homemade Noodle Soup, Spider Bread, Knorr Spinach Dip, and Jello Spider in the Brain.  And then descriptions of three great activities:  Over the Top Large Halloween Word Search, Solo Cup Bowling, and Mini Cornhole.

For 30 years we've always had Chili on Halloween but this year we voted and they chose the lovely, country Chicken and Noodles  for the big pot on the stove.  And I said "No problem!"--fun change for me too.

 One note as you click on my recipe links, for some reason the blog's photo takes about 20 seconds to load so please be patient with it. I apologize. I'm working to solve the technical problem and hope to have that corrected soon.

 Glenna's Chicken  and Homemade Noodle Soup

If you are in a   hurry, I will say that Rheames makes a great homestyle egg noodle in two different shapes so if you're not in the mood to roll out pasta dough...slip over to the freezer section in the grocery store. Other than perfect shapes, no one will know the difference. 

My favorite food part of the night was Knorr Spinach Dip in my own little creation: The Bread Spider. It was a last minute "Hmm...would it work if I..." thought that  turned out to be my favorite foodie thing we had.  This will definitely become a tradition. Who doesn't like a spider than you can pull off his legs to eat dip with?

Dr Pepper Meatballs

T    Two of Gene's favorite eaty drinky things in the whole world are meatballs and BBQ.  One of my favorite things in the whole eaty drinky world is Dr. Pepper.  Yep, prune juice drinkers unite!  (Actually, that's a myth. Dr. Pepper is beloved even if it did have prune juice as its base but it does not. Too bad. We could drink it and pretend to be healthy.)  What do you get when you put all three of those eaty drinky things together?  Dr. Pepper Meatballs.  Which is three words that equal the three-lettered word:  YUM!

One of the great things about this recipe, aside from its deliciousness, is how customizable it is.  Don't feel like making meatballs by hand?  Use bagged ones from the grocery.  Don't like Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce?  We can't be friends. Just kidding! (Although it is my absolute favorite bottled BBQ sauce)  Feel free to substitute your favorite.  Don't need 24 meatballs? Freeze half.  Need 48 meatballs? Double the recipe.  You see what I mean, here.  It really is a jack-of-all-trades recipe.  We eat it over mashed potatoes, over sautéed zucchini and rice, by itself as appetizers.  You really can't go wrong with Dr. Pepper Meatballs and the recipe is very easy to make. The sauce comes together in a flash and the longest time spent is all about how fast you can make meatballs by hand.  I use a Pampered Chef cookie scoop to make the balls even but if you don't have one, a little diversity in size never hurt anything.  And let me tell you, not only will the spouse love these, the kids are going to love the idea of them so much they'll want to help make the sauce.

Chicken and Veggie Quesadillas

Quesadillas are one of those Tex-Mex restaurant dishes that's just as good, if not better!, made at home. Perfect for a family, they're easily customizable, delicious, and both quick and easy to make. Anyone can make these and I'm talking to you, Aunt Kay!  All you need is some kind of already cooked meat (or skip it and go vegetarian!) and at least a vegetable (or not and go carnivorous) and a hot skillet.  But since the goal is to eat healthier and get in those 5 servings of veggies a day, I went with the cooked chicken breasts that I had simmered in the chicken and orzo soup I made earlier in the week, and the onions, mushrooms, and red and yellow peppers that magically appeared in my crisper. By magically, I mean that Auntie Miranda found on sale at Aldi's and was kind enough to pick up enough for both of our homes since they were so cheap--thanks Auntie! 

 
 For those who know what a Girl Geek/Trekkie I am, is it really a surprise to know that my pizza cutter is in the shape of the Enterprise?  Yeah, I thought not.  Makes me smile every time I use it. 

 

 

Pinterest Recipes: Avocado "Salad"

 Has anyone else seen this photo on Pinterest and been intrigued?  It kept coming up and every time I would think "I love avocados...need to do this someday."  Someday became a couple of days ago and here's the shocker:  even my husband who hates avocados loved this on his BLT!  Seriously, it's sooooooooooo good. 

If you go to the blog web site http://www.neringa-blogas.com/ you'll find it's not in English but the Pin itself had these directions:  "Avocado with black pepper  1 avocado at maturity  1 v. tablespoon of soy sauce  1 v. tablespoon lemon juice  1.5 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil  freshly ground black pepper  pinch of spicy smoked Paprika    combine soy sauce, lemon juice, oil and chilli powder. Pour over avocado, sprinkle with black pepper." 

I saw a different version that said to refrigerate for two hours to overnight.

I was also intrigued by the overnight directions.  Avocados are hard to keep at my house because, like I said, my husband doesn't like them and I'd prefer to only eat half at a time but I hate wasting the browned edge from the second half I store.  I've tried the plastic wrap, leaving the pit in, and lemon tricks but none work perfectly well, in my experience. But I've never tried oil to stop the oxidation.  I think this recipe will work. Our avocado "salad" got finished off the night I made it with both of us eating it but I think either the oil trick might work or the fact that the balsamic vinegar I used browns the avocado a bit anyway the oxidation wouldn't be noticeable.  It's not like the oxidation changes the flavor of the avocado anyway, it's just a head thing I can't get around even knowing it doesn't mean anything.

This is delicious!  The combination of tart vinegar (or soy sauce/lemon juice in the original) with the spices and creamy avocado was spectacular, alone, and as a condiment/salad on our BLT's.  I also tossed the last spoonful of it later onto a salad and skipped the dressing. 

My version was a bit different but still in keeping with the original intent:

Glenna's Avocado "Salad"

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Adapted from Pinterest

 

Ingredients:

1 ripe Avocado, chunked

1 Tbsp good Olive oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Cavender's Greek Seasoning to taste (or simply salt and pepper works well too)

Optional:  Sriracha sauce to taste

 

Directions:

1)  Toss avocado chunks gently in olive oil, covering all sides of each.  (Use a bit more oil if needed).

2)  Add rest of ingredients and lightly toss as well.

Eat as is or add as a condiment or compliment to sandwiches, salads,  or grilled meat.

Nutrition per 1/4 recipe:  Calories:  111;  Protein:  1;  Carbs:  4;  Fat:  11;  Fiber:  4:  Potassium:  244 mg;  Vitamin C:  8% RDI.

 

 

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The Walking Dead Parody: The Snacking Dead Cookbook by D.B. Walker

The Walking Dead Parody: The Snacking Dead Cookbook by D.B. Walker

The Snacking Dead: A Parody in a Cookbook, by D. B. Walker.  "Walker"?  Really?  D.B. as in "don't be a"?  It's like an extra parody in the parody!

This cookbook was a gift from my cousin Jenn for my f-f-f-fiftieth (my second favorite "f" word) birthday. I've had tons of fun with it so far. My first foray into it was two weeks ago for the premiere of the new season.  I made three of the recipes:  "Dripping Ribs with Bourbon", "Squirrel Poppers", and "Li'l Ass Kicker Punch". I also looked at "Sweet-sh Fleshballs with Red Berries". That will be our next Walking Dead/Snacking Dead Sunday night while-we-watch dinner.  Our review?  We both LOVED the ribs. The citrus in the marinade/sauce is a great counterpoint to the sweet, sour, and heat.  Pre-baking and then grilling (or broiling for us that night) caramelized the meat for a sweet, savory, and fall apart deliciousness. We'll be using this recipe again and again.  Gene loved the "squirrel" (chicken) poppers; I was ambivalent. We both loved the chicken base (prior to shaping/breading/frying) so I'm going to use that recipe, with added vegetables, the next time I make chicken pot pie.  And the punch? Oh yeah! I did make one more southern (by my definition) ingredient substitution that I talk about later in this post. I made a smaller quantity punch than the recipe (party-sized) calls for but even so, the bottom of the pitcher was dry by the end of the night. 'Nuff said!

The book is available at all major bookstores. You can easily find your favorite in the drop down menu on The Snacking Dead's website by clicking on "Grab a Copy". 

 

Pinterest Recipe: King's Hawaiian Roll Mini Baked Ham Sandwiches

I've been seeing this recipe for King's Hawaiian Roll Baked Mini Ham Sandwiches for a long time. It looks and sounds great, but to be honest, I've been burned on some Pinterest recipes. The more loudly it proclaims "Best (fill in the blank) ever and only (fill in the blank) ingredients!" the more I now tend to ignore it.  But. I will say that this recipe is delicious.  I've seen several versions on Pinterest but I went straight to King's Hawaiian Rolls web site itself to get the recipe and it came out nicely.  The baked on sauce adds a little zing, a little salty crunch, and a little savory to the sweetness of the rolls. Yummy!

Swedish Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

 

 For my cousin James's birthday, we usually have a small get together of the Dexter Dinner crowd.  The hallmark of this get together is James's annual game of "Stump the Cooks" where he challenges Auntie Miranda and I on his choice of meal.  So far we have ALWAYS risen to the challenge, I'm proud to say! 

This year he challenged me to a dinner menu of "European peasant food" and since our family is primarily Scandinavian, that's the direction I went. His challenge to Auntie was "cherry and vanilla checkerboard".  Yup, nailed it on both!  Today, I present Swedish Meatballs (not made with the cream of mushroom soup man of us grew up on) with cranberry sauce.  Later this week I'll have recipes for Jannsson's Temptation, Cucumber Salad, and Auntie's Cherry and Vanilla Checkerboard Cake.

 

Chicken of the Sea Tuna, Tuna Salad, and Salmon Lunch-friendly Packs

Thank you Chicken of the Sea for creating these lunch box friendly Tuna, Tuna Salad, and Salmon packs!  One of my new favorite go-to lunch box pantry grabs that makes for a delicious and convenient protein snack or entree to keep me fueled for 12 hour shifts at the hospital.  Out of all the ways tuna and salmon are packaged these days, this is my favorite and there are always several in my pantry all the time:  for work and for home when I need a tasty lunch or a  snack on it's own or on some nice whole-grained crackers.  Thumbs up!

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Snow Storm Comfort: Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad

I first had this recipe about 20 years ago at my cousin, Ann's, table and  everyone in our family loves it as a casserole with a salad for dinner, on Liza Ashley's Angel Biscuits as an appetizer, or with crackers as a snack.  Chilled chicken salad is great but hot baked chicken salad is just a delicious and versatile and very warming on a cold winter's day.

Unbelievably, I couldn't find my handwritten recipe card of Ann's recipe but during a quick search I found this Paula Deen version that had one difference:  cheddar cheese.  Hmmmm.... cheese is always a good thing.  I like both versions, can't even pick a favorite, so I think my next time making this dish will all depend on my mood and if I have the cheese handy in the fridge or not.

The recipe is wonderful served piping hot or room temp, and heats up beautifully in the microwave.

Click for the recipe:

Paula Deen's Hot Chicken Salad

 Nutrition per 3/4 cup serving:  Calories:  381.6;    Protein:  20.2;   Carbs:   2.8;   Fat 32;  Fiber:  2.

 

 

 

 

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Hot and Cheesy Bacon Dip with Milton's Original Multi-Grain Crackers

       

 All we really need here are two words:  "bacon" and "cheese".

If pushed, I could probably say a few more words: like yummy to the tummy Milton's snack crackers.  I've been a fan of their gourmet line for many years but the beauty of the snack cracker line is that that crackers are smaller so you get the crunch, the whole graininess, and the slight sweet in a smaller version so you also get bacon and cheese with every bite--that's a win every way there is to win!

Out of the six flavors Gene and I, and lots of other family members, tried these were our favorite flavors:  Original Multi-Grain, Honey Multi-Grain, and Honey & Corn, all yummy on their own or as a great base for chips or chicken and tuna salad.

In this area, southwest Missouri, they can be found at Wal-mart, Target, and Sam's Club.