Haitian Potato Salad

This potato salad is made from not only potatoes but beets as well offering it a pretty pink color 

6 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled, cooked and cubed

1/2 a large beet, peeled, roasted and cubed

5-6 medium eggs, boiled and chopped

1 cup cooked sweet green peas

1 large stalk of celery, diced (1/3 cup)

1 large carrot, peeled, boiled and diced (1/2 cup)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 onion, finely diced (1/3 cup)

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Peel and roast your beet in a 350℉ oven for 45 minutes or until you're able to easily pierce it with a fork. Peel and boil potatoes in salted water for 25 minutes. Cut carrot in half and boil for 10-15 minutes with sweet peas. Boil eggs for about 10 minutes.

Once cooked dice up your potatoes, beet, celery, carrots and eggs.

To a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, onions, celery, garlic, onion powder, salt, black pepper to make dressing; mix well.

To a medium-large bowl add potatoes, beets, eggs, green peas, carrots, dressing and mix well until you get a nice pink color. Chill and serve. Enjoy!

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Save Time in the Kitchen

Life can become quite busy and at times I myself feel like there is never enough time in the day. Have you ever felt that way?? One area in my life that seems to take a lot of time is work in the kitchen. Some ways that I have found to save time in the kitchen include:

• When buying fresh fruit take time to prepare it directly after shopping. By doing this it will be ready to use and also saves money by not buying prepped at store. 
• Prepare meals that allow you to cook once and eat twice. By saving prepared meals in microwavable containers they will be ready to heat up directly from the fridge or freezer. 
• stock up on easy ready to eat foods that are good for you like yogurt and tuna pouches. Saving time and still eating nutritious is good for your health and pocket. 
• Clean as you cook --- keep a sink of warm soapy water to do dishes as you go 

What tips do you have to share?? Please leave them in comment

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Japanese Fried Chicken #recipe

Japanese Karaage chicken is not like many other fried chickens as they do not have a batter or thick breaded coating to cover it. Many believe the trick is to fry the chicken more than once by frying it for a few minutes, removing it and frying it again. They don't take long at all and stay moist and juicy while the coating gets nice and crispy.

1 lb boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sake

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup potato starch

high smoke point oil for deep frying (I use rice bran oil)

kewpie mayo, to serve

sliced cucumbers, to serve

lime wedges, to serve

Mix together the chicken thighs, soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour 1 hour at room temperature, in a slightly cool spot. Letting the chicken rest at room temp means that the chicken won’t drop the temperature of the oil, which means that it’ll cook up crispier. Also, it’ll cook faster than if you cook it cold from the fridge.

Prepare a wire cooling rack over a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet. Heat up 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 inches of oil in a deep heavy bottomed pot until it reaches 325°F. It doesn’t need to be too deep, it depends on the size of your chicken bits.

Place the potato starch in a bowl and, working in batches, coat several pieces of chicken, shaking off the excess potato starch. Use a pair of tongs to gently add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the oil and let rest on your prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken until all of it has been fried once.

Turn the heat up to 350°F and fry the chicken a second time around until deeply golden and crispy, another 1-2 minutes. Drain on the wire rack and enjoy hot with kewpie mayo, limes, and cucumbers.

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photo credit: vwcampin Nashville Hot Chicken - Block 16 - Omaha, NE via photopin (license)

Recipe From My Childhood

S.O.S. aka S@#%! on a shingle

1/3 cup butter

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 jar Armor dried beef*, chopped small

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup milk

Melt the butter and add the onions. 

After about 2 minutes add the beef also. Saute' until onions are translucent. 

Sprinkle with pepper. Use salt sparingly (beef is pretty salty)

Sprinkle flour over the meat and onions and stir in well. The flour will burn, so work quickly. 

Gradually add in the milk, stirring continuously until mixture boils. Turn down heat, add the Worcestershire sauce and thicken to a gravy consistency. 

Serve immediately over toast.

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photo credit === kcatfish at medium.com <https://medium.com/@kcatfish/creamed-chipped-beef-16409fc3cc8c>

Food Allergy Awareness

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When an individual with the food allergy eats the food that they are allergic to their immune system will release massive amounts of chemicals that will trigger symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, the skin or the cardiovascular system. More than 30 million Americans are affected by food allergies. 

Out of the 30 million individuals with food allergies affect children more than adults according to the CDC. The good thing is that many children may grow out of the food allergies as they age. The number of children with food allergies seems to be increasing However, keep in mind that a food allergy is never 

• an intolerance like lactose, gluten or other intolerance. An intolerance does not involve the immune system but only the digestive system. An intolerance occurs when enzyme needed to digest and process a particular food and symptoms are often related to gas, bloating, and abdominal pain..
• a food preference such as vegetarian or kosher

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photo credit - food allergic living <https://www.allergicliving.com/event/food-allergy-awareness-week/>

Southern Style Biscuits Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding and Southern Style Biscuts

These recipes were a couple of my husbands grandmothers favorites. Since it is grandparents day I thought I would honor her by posting these.

Banana Pudding

4 bananas

Vanilla wafers

Banana pudding mix

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. sugar

Vanilla

For an easy to make pudding, use an instant banana mix, prepare according to direction on box. Line bottom and sides with wafers. Then put alternate layers of bananas, pudding mix and wafers. Make meringue of 2 egg whites, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Spread on top and sprinkle with fine wafer crumbs. Brown meringue in slow oven, 300 degrees.

Southern Style Biscuts

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. shortening

2/3 c. buttermilk or use regular milk and omit baking soda

1 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk until dough leaves side of bowl and rounds up into a ball. (If dough is dry, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons additional buttermilk.) Turn until lightly floured surface. Knead lightly until smooth, about 10 times.

Roll or pat dough 3/4 inch thick; cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet (about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides). Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until golden brown 12 to 15 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Makes 6 large biscuits. Serve warm with butter and honey, sure to melt in your mouth

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Celiac Disease

During the month of May many will try to draw attention to many different causes and events. One of these is health awareness. Celiac Disease is one of those health issues that may is newer than others. It is caused by the protein found in grains including wheat, barley, spelt and rye. When an individual with Celiac disease eats gluten based food an immune response in the body will react leading to inflammation and damage to the small intestine. Celiac disease can lead to a variety of issues including both digestive issues as well as nutritional deficiencies. While only 1% of the population in the United States suffers from the disorder it is one that many may not be aware of. 

Most common signs and symptoms of celiac disease are:

• loose watery diarrhea stools are one of the earliest and most frequent symptoms 
• bloating is another common symptom. It seems that gluten may cause lots of individuals even those without celiac disease to bloat
• Excess gas is common with those with untreated celiac disease
• fatigue and decreased energy levels are common in those with celiac disease In addition sleep disorders are common issues as well. 
• weight loss as well as difficulty keeping rain on are early signs of celiac disease 
• celiac disease can impair nutrient absorption and may lead to anemia. Iron deficiency anemia occurs when a lack of red blood cells are in the body. Fatigue, weakness, chest pain, headaches, and dizziness can all be caused by anemia
• Celiac disease may cause individuals to be constipated. The small intestine may absorb moisture from the stool and a decrease in fiber may also cause constipation. 
• depression 
• itchy rash

Many of these symptoms can be caused by many different things so please consult with a physician before you decide this may be you. Trusted Source

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3 ingredient dump cake cooked in Slow Cooker

2 (21-ounce) cans pie filling

1 (15-ounce) box cake mix (we are gluten free, so that's what I use, but you certainly don't have to!)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted (my butter is salted; it really doesn't matter)

1 tablespoon water

Use a 4-quart slow cooker sprayed well with cooking spray. If you have a 6-quart and that's it, reduce cooking time by about a 1/3.

Dump out the pie filling into the bottom of your prepared slow cooker. (don't forget to lick the cans! that stuff is GOOD.) In a large mixing bowl, mix together together the cake mix, melted butter, and water. You're going to have a crumbly cake mix, but what you're really trying to do is to "wet" all of the powder.

(go ahead and eat a few spoonfuls of the mix. there's no eggs, and again, that stuff is GOOD.)

Pour this evenly over the top of the canned filling. Cover, and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for about 4 to 5 hours. Uncover, and continue to cook on high for another 30 minutes or so to release condensation.  

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photo credit: crockpot ladies  <https://crockpotladies.com/recipe/crockpot-cherry-dump-cake/> 

Liver and Onion

2 lbs. Kosher calves liver or other livers can be substituted

3-4 tbsp. oil

2 large sweet onions cut in rings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided 1/4 cup to dredge liver, 1/4 cup to cook onions later in recipe

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix 1/4 cup flour with salt and pepper. Dredge liver slices in the flour. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and saute till transparent. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Lower heat to medium low. Brown liver on both sides. Do not overcook. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Put onions back in pan and add 1 tablespoon flour.and little water and stir. Scrape up any bits of meat and mix in with the gravy. Use your judgment and add up to 1/4 cup of flour, a tablespoon at a time, and up to 1/4 cup of water, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until you achieve a gravy consistency. If it looks too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add a little flour. Once you achieve desired consistency, lower heat and cook for about 5 minutes.

Then add liver back to pan and cook for about 5+ minutes. Judge if it is done by cutting into liver. Liver should look slightly pink in the center.

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Celebrate the hamburger

Most of us would recognize the above picture as a hamburger or simply as a burger. Most are served sandwich style with one or more cooked patties of meat inside of a sliced bread roll or bun. The ground meat patty which is normally beef can be pan fried, grilled, smoked or flame broiled. You can top the hamburger sandwich with anything you choose. Some of the most popular toppings include cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, pickles, or chilies. When the hamburger is topped with cheese it is often renamed a cheeseburger. 

Early Hamburgers in the united States

A lunch wagon in New Haven, Connecticut owned by Louis Lassen is said to have sold the first hamburger and steak sandwich in the United States in 1900. As sort of a substitute for a steak Lassen used ground beef trimmings to form into a patty and grilled it up. The meat was served as a sandwich on two slices of toast. 

At the Seymour Wisconsin fair an individual by the name of "hamburger" Charlie Nagreen was selling a meatball between 2 slices of bread in 1885. 

How do you like your hamburger served?? 

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Flowers for Mothers Day

Happy Mother's day to all mothers. Around the world mother's day is celebrated but not always on the same day. Most often a celebration of moms, motherhood, and the influence that mothers have played in the world occurs in the months of March or May but there are places that celebrate it as early as February and often later in the year. Here in the United States a great lady known as Anna Jarvis helped start the celebration. It all began in 1908 when Jarvis hosted a memorial for her own mom in Grafton West Virginia. However, Ann Jarvis a pace activist who took time to care for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War began her campaign to celebrate mothers even before the memorial. 

Mother's Day became a formal holiday in 1914 when Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May to be Mother's Day. This would be a day to honor all mothers. 

carnations are thought to be the original Mother's day flower. Anna Jarvis herself included carnations during the first Mother's day celebration. White carnations were her mothers favorite flowers and it only seemed fitting while celebrating her mom that they be part of the celebration as well. Christian legend tells that pink carnations are believed to have first grown from the ground where the Virgin Mary shed tears over the death of her beloved Jesus. 

Roses are also a popular choice for Mother's day flowers. In ancient Greece roses were thought to be sacred to goddess Isis known as the ideal mother and Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty. The Rose has long been seen as the queen of flowers as well as the symbol from the Virgin Mary. Even the color of roses has meaning:

red rose === passion 

pink rose === happiness

yellow rose === friendship

Tulips are huge colorful flowers that grow in the Netherlands. The first tulips came from Persia and Turkey. Tulips bloom in the spring at around the same time as mothers day. Many will opt for pink tulips as a gift for mom. 

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Its Time To Barbq

Inside your fridge you may find a bottle that is perfect for those chicken pieces known as nuggets as well as other items. NO!!! It is not the bottle of ranch dressing that my teenager seems to crave.... look next to it though and you may find a bottle of barbecue sauce. Barbecue sauce... around here often simply called BBQ sauce is perfect for marinading, basting, using as a condiment or a topping for meat. It can be served along side or with pork, beef, and chicken as well as here in these parts a number of other delicious recipes. However, there are a number of different ways to make the sauce depending where one lives the main ingredients primarily remain the same and include vinegar, tomato paste, liquid smoke, onion powder, as well as a combination of spices and sweeteners 

Here in the United States the word barbecue often refers to the technique of cooking meat outdoors over a fire. Pit barbecue offers a distinctive smoky taste to the meat. The southern United States has built a strong rivalry between barbecue competitions as well. The first documented barbecue in American colonial times occurred in 1672. Barbecue expanded as the country expanded moving along the Gulf of Mexico out west and north along the Mississippi. 

Here in the Southern Part of Illinois are many great barbq spots. One of the best known is found in Murphysboro Illinois where Mike Mills cooks. 

Mike Mill’s Magic Rub, from Peace, Love, and Barbecue

1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt, finely ground
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp mustard powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic
2 Tbsp cayenne

Mix all ingredients and store in a tightly covered container. You'll want to keep some in a shaker next to the grill or stove. Keeps indefinitely but won’t last long. Sprinkle 4 racks of ribs (about 2 pounds each) liberally with the Magic Dust, coating both sides. Put them in a shallow pan or on a cookie sheet and cover them with clear plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use: Marinate them for at least an hour, but overnight is better for the meat to soak up the most flavor.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

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