Starting the New Year Clean and Bright.

Recently I discovered there are various superstitions regarding what you should, or should not, do on New Year’s Day.  I have no idea where I must have been when these superstitions came about, but have not ever heard of them before.

Supposedly you should not shower or bathe, clean anything, or any room of the home, and not do any laundry as it will “wash away” all the good luck of the new year.  I, on the other hand, showered, did two loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen.  I wanted any residue of lousy 2024 to be washed away, and start off 2025 with a poltergeist moment of, “This house is clean!”.   By the way, did you know that the color of your underwear, on New Year’s Day, brings a desired wish?  The color I was wearing?  Whoa there, TMI.

Depending upon which state you reside in, in the USA, a certain food or grouping of foods, eaten will bring good luck throughout the new year; same for many countries as well.  It was always lasagna when I lived in New York; and pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes in Pennsylvania.  For Utah, it is…nothing special; that is correct, there is no traditional food to be eaten for New Year’s Day.  So, each year, Roy and I do our own “tradition” of, “What are you in the mood for?”

2025 called for something easy, pleasing, and full of bright colors to warm every sense.  A stir-fry of shrimp, various vegetables and angel hair pasta; oh, not a traditional Asian stir fry, but one using Mediterranean influences.  Those influences are olive oil, garlic, parsley and Feta cheese; lemon juice does not have to be used for every recipe of this cuisine.  With Feta cheese being used as a topping, using lemon juice would make this dish too tart and tangy, and overwhelm all the other flavors.

Stir-frying is a cooking technique that originated in China about 1500 years ago during the Zhou period (771-256 BCE). Ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok.  A wok is a deep bowl-shaped pan with sloping sides which traps, and evenly distributes, heat for fast and complete cooking of all ingredients. There are many wok sets available for sale with varying prices dependent on “name brand”, metal used, and accessories that come with the set.  Otherwise, a deep, 12-inch wide, skillet will do the trick just as well, just make sure to keep the ingredients moving so as to not burn, or have semi-cooked items.

For my dish, the protein used was shrimp, but chicken, pork, beef or tofu will work; all depends on what you enjoy.  A mixture of brightly colored vegetables included broccoli, green and red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots.  Do you have to use a protein?  Only if you want to, this dish can become purely vegetarian or vegan.  Instead of ramen or udon noodles, or rice, angel hair pasta was the main carbohydrate. Worried about gluten?  There are many varieties of gluten-free pasta products, and carb consumption, in general, is like anything else, ruled by moderation.

While this could be classified as one-pan cooking, sometimes there are stages when cooking with a wok, or a skillet.  Many ingredients might need to cook at different temperatures, or need a longer or shorter cooking time.  At the end though, after all stages have been completed, the result in the one-pan displays a masterpiece of colors, textures, scents and tastes.

 

Mediterranean Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 (12 oz.) bags stir-fry mix (broccoli, carrots, red and green bell peppers, sugar snap peas)

2 lbs. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked and kept warm

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

1 (5 oz.) container crumbled Feta cheese

 

Preparation:

In a wok or large skillet, heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil, medium-high heat.  Add in vegetable mix, garlic, parsley, black pepper and salt; mix thoroughly.  Cook for 3 minutes, stir to keep from sticking or burning as this will keep vegetables crisp and colorful.  Remove to bowl.

 

Increase heat to high, add 4 Tbsp. olive oil; add in shrimp.  Cook for 5 minutes, but keep them moving so they can turn pink, and get a slight sear.  Remove to bowl.

 

Reduce heat to medium-high, mix 4 Tbsp. into pasta and then place into wok or skillet.  Leave pasta alone for one minute; sizzling sound will be heard. 

 

 

Add back vegetables and shrimp, combine well and let cook for 3 minutes, mix together once every minute.  Remove from heat.

 

Place serving into large soup/salad bowl; sprinkle crumbed Feta cheese on top.

Makes 8 servings.

No matter how your new year started, try to make the year bright, colorful, and clean of negativity.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

Be An Open Book.

There are three ways to get to know what a book is all about.  Look at the cover only and form a conclusion based upon no factual information.  Read the tease on the inside, or back, cover and form a conclusion based upon rumor or gossip.  Read the entire book, beginning page to ending page, and form a conclusion on every point of factual information.

As a species, humans are comfortable when they can label each other.  That way, they can place an individual into a box or file folder, and know how to deal with them without stress.  It is also a form of protection; you know who is just like you, and who to be cautious of because they are different from you. This is what happens when only the person’s outward appearance is looked at, what is “heard” about this person, or garner facts by speaking, and getting to know, someone.

In cooking and baking, the same kind of “judgments” can be made.  Does the food look appetizing?  Many, if the answer is no, will not try the dish.  The same happens if only a little knowledge is known about the ingredients.  Who wants to put something into the mouth, only to spit it out again, and no one looks graceful doing that.  But, as I have stated before, life is an adventure, fear is the mind killer, and sometimes you just have to take the plunge.

Take, for example, the recipe I am about to give you, Mint Balls.  It is a small round cookie, very plain on the outside, but inside it is packed with mint and chocolate.  Sort of like Doctor Who and his Tardis; it looks like a small police call box, but inside it is immense.

Mint and chocolate are an enticing combination of coolness and rich decadence.  Remember the commercials for York Peppermint Patties, where someone bites into a patty and goes into another dimension of sorts.  This combination is not a 20^th century creation, but dates back to the 16^th century.  European explorers returned from the “new world” with cacao beans which were used to make a beverage by the indigenous people.  However, the drink was very bitter, so spices and herbs, one being mint, were added to make it more palpable.

The York Peppermint Pattie originated in 1940 at the York Cone Company, York, Pennsylvania, owned by Henry Kessler.  The concept developed due to consumers requesting a softer type of mint candy, but how to keep it from melting into a gooey mess.  The peppermint mixture was given a granular texture, then covered in a thick coating of dark chocolate.  Kessler’s company was eventually bought out by the Hershey Chocolate Company, Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1988.

A rival candy to the Pattie was Junior Mints, developed in 1949 at the James O. Welch Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The idea was to make a peppermint patty that could be eaten in one bite, and had a creamier texture inside.

Other popular brands you may have tried, or simply heard about, are: Andes Candies, After Eight, Ghirardelli Squares, Lindt Balls, Dove and Palmer’s.  Ghirardelli, Lindt and Palmer’s also make peppermint bark which only comes out for the winter holidays.  So, if you do not have a clue as to what gift I will be expecting, you will not go wrong with peppermint chocolate candy.

Now here is the recipe for Mint Balls that I mentioned earlier on.  By the way, this recipe appeared in the Food for Friends cookbook, published 1995 by The Friends of The State Museum of Pennsylvania.  It was created to raise monies for the support of the museum, and my recipe was recreated during a PBS special about the museum, and the cookbook.

Happy Holidays!

 

Mint Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

3 dozen “Junior Mints” candies

Preparation:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract; slowly add the flour and salt to the creamed mixture.  Cover and chill till the batter becomes firm, but manageable.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Take the batter by teaspoon, place a candy mint in the center, and form a ball around it.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet (Air Bake is the best for baking), and continue forming balls.

Bake for 10-12 minutes; cookies will be lightly browned.

Let cool; can be eaten as is, or rolled in confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 36 cookies.

Note: before baking, the balls can be rolled in crushed nuts; and if you are seeing the pun, then have a great laugh.

Mary Cokenour

 

Bribery for Santa.

 

The basic tradition for welcoming, and bribing, Santa Claus is to leave out a plate of cookies, and a glass of milk.  It is a given that Santa, therefore, must love sweets, and be able to tolerate dairy very well.  But what if, and I am just throwing this out there, you threw aside the traditional, and went for full outrageous form of bribery?

Not talking cookies here, but cake…cheesecake! See, Santa does not care if the treats you put out are store bought, homemade or semi-homemade.  He appreciates that you thought of him, and made an effort; does not matter how big or small, but that you tried.  Yes, tis the season for giving, and he appreciates that you did not forget to say thank you in some way.

Now for the story behind “Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake”, the ease to make it, and the smile of appreciation it brings when given as a gift.

During the 2012 holiday season, I pulled out of a cooking magazine a recipe for "Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake”.  The year previously, Philadelphia Cream Cheese came out with a new line of “indulgence” products, one being milk chocolate cream cheese.  Before you ask, yes, this product is still on the market, and available at Sam’s Club if you happen to have a membership.

Back to the story, I was taking my mother-in-law out for dinner (yes, we get along very well), and she kind of hinted about what dessert to expect for Christmas dinner.  Not too subtle at all, right?  When time came for holiday baking, I pulled out that magazine recipe; as I read it, changes came to mind. Instead of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies for the crust, how about chocolate cookies? Instead of fruit as a garnish, what about more cookies, or chocolate candy?

I wanted this cheesecake to be all about vanilla and chocolate, no other flavors would do for this creation.  I crushed up Oreo cookies that had chocolate filling instead of the traditional white cream; no mixing with butter, prebaking or cooling in the refrigerator for the crust.  As the vanilla layer of the cake baked, the chocolate filling oozed up into the cake layer, here and there, to create little pockets of chocolate inside the vanilla.   For the chocolate mousse topping, I increased the amount used from one eight-ounce container of Milk Chocolate Indulgence to two and only used the recommended two cups of whipped topping.  Oh my, Oh my, Oh my!!!  Drooling yet?

When it comes to baking, I have always been told that you have to follow all the precise measurements, ingredients and rules.  Sometimes being a rule breaker can be a really great experience; more often not, but you never know till you try.

Mom-in-law loved it!  Oh, the fruit swirl and topped cheesecakes are still her number one favorite, but this newest one was her second fave.  Since I did make several changes to the original recipe, I renamed it to reflect the focus on vanilla and chocolate.  Oh, Santa?  Yule and Christmas of 2012 were very, very good; so happy we went the bribery route. *Wink*

 

Vanilla Cheesecake with Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

14 Oreo cookies with chocolate filling

2 (8 oz.) packages plain cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 (8 oz.) containers Philadelphia Brand Milk Chocolate Indulgence Cream Cheese

2 cups whipped topping

10 Hershey kisses

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F; spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and spray the paper with the nonstick baking spray. Put 12 of the Oreo cookies into a resealable plastic bag, crush them and spread them out over the parchment paper.

 

In a medium bowl, beat the plain cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs until smooth; about 5 minutes on high speed. Spread mixture evenly over the cookies and bake for 35-40 minutes; cool cake on counter for a half hour, then for two hours in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

While cake is cooling, set milk chocolate cream cheese containers on the counter to soften. Once cake is cooled, remove from refrigerator. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, about one minute on high. Fold in the whipped topping until well incorporated and a uniform chocolate coloring. Spread over the cake in pan; place back in refrigerator for one hour to set.

 

 

 

When ready to serve, use a sharp knife to help release cake sides from pan before opening springform. Place unwrapped kisses evenly around cake; place remaining two Oreo cookies in center.

Makes 10 servings, each serving will be topped with a sweet chocolate kiss.

Note: Usually, I bake cheesecakes in a Bain Marie (water bath), but since this cake was getting a topping, I was not concerned with the top cracking.  However, do wrap aluminum foil around the base of the pan, in case any fluids find a way to seep out.

Mary Cokenour

An American Culinary Blunder.

 

 

Candy Cane Fudge, Chocolate Mint Fudge, Divinity Candy

From experience, coming up with recipes in the mind, figuring out ingredients and putting it all together can be either delicious success, or “what the heck was I thinking!” failure.  However, once in a great while, a recipe seeming to go wrong ends up creating an amazing yummy mistake.

Take, for example, the origin of the smoothly decadent candy known as Fudge.  When someone exclaims “oh fudge it!”, the word fudge is substituted for the naughty “f” word.  The term “fudged” refers to the failure to successfully complete a goal, the act of cheating, or substituting something that eventually completes a goal, just not the way originally intended.

Fudge is a completely American mistake from the 19^th century.  While its origin seems to have occurred in the 1880s, the name of the confectioner who made the mistake is not known.  However, he, somehow it was known he was a he, was attempting to cook up a batch of French style caramels to sell for Valentine’s Day.  However, he ended up overcooking the ingredients which resulted with a smooth creamy confection that became known as fudge.  Why the name fudge?  Cause he fudged it! (insert canned laughter, and snorting equal to a face palm)

One of the earliest written accounts of making fudge was from Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York.  In 1886, she cooked up 30 pounds to be sold at a college auction.  Later on, it became a trend for women attending college to cook up pots of this sweet treat, in their dorm rooms, whether rules allowed or forbade, it did not matter.

By the 20^th century, fudge had become so popular that the recipes were being shared overseas in countries like England, Scotland, Wales and even France. Of course, since it was a mistake in crafting French caramels that created fudge, the French call the two confections, “cousins”.

So, how exactly is fudge made? Fudge is made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and added flavorings, the most popular being chocolate.  The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals. The result is creamy and smooth semi-soft, yet dense, texture, but a hint of sugar crystals is not a bad thing. After cooling, it is usually cut into slabs or bite-size squares.  While boiling, no matter how much you want to, do not stir the mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage.  Otherwise, it will become a grainy mess of crystallized sugar.

Making fudge from scratch is a time-long process, so, of course, dessert companies, and home cooks, came up with easier ways. Three brand name companies, Carnation, Nestle and Eagle Brand simplified fudge making by introducing sweetened condensed milk into their recipes. Only trial and error will tell you which recipe is good, better and best. 

Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Crème has a recipe on the jar label for fudge, so it is not just for making the classic “fluffernutter” sandwich.  The original recipe for “Fantasy Fudge” contains walnuts, but another nut can be used, or leave them out altogether.  Use the recipe as a basic guide and experiment with other types of add-ins.

Fantasy Fudge

Ingredients:

3 cups white sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

⅔ cup evaporated milk

1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Gather all ingredients.

Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Mix sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Stir in marshmallow creme until incorporated. Mix in walnuts and vanilla.

Transfer fudge to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread out and flatten.

Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Yield: 3 pounds.

Luckily, if candy making is not your thing, fudge is offered, for sale, in various candy shops across the nation, and Utah is no exception.  A few retailers that offer online sales: Wasatch Fudge, Fudge Co., Brittles & Fudge, Startup Candy Company, Fernwood Candy, and the list goes on.  If you live in an area that has an authentic candy shoppe, and most specially creates their own inhouse, then consider yourselves very blessed in the sweet tooth department.

Now what candy is called fudge, is not a fudge at all, but its taste as been likened to the divine?  Divinity fudge is actually a candy with a texture closer to Turkish Delight, marshmallow or a very soft nougat.  Its origin, well the first appearance of a recipe, can be traced back to 1902 and the Corn Products Refining Company with their introduction of Karo corn syrup.  Supposedly the taste was said to be “Divine!”, and the name stuck.  This candy is made by cooking sugar and corn syrup together until firm, then beating egg whites into it.  Add-ins can be nuts, chocolate, coconut, and candied fruit, but since pecans are the most popular, it is often called “Southern candy”.  Replacing white sugar with brown sugar, plus adding vinegar and baking soda, results in a confection called "sea foam"; a crunchy, airy candy similar to meringues.

Will fudge be on the holiday sharing list this year?  Only Santa Claus knows for sure.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Time to Plan the Holiday Sweets.

It is December 1^st as I am writing this and, being the ultimate holiday month, time to plan out what sweets to make for sharing.  Correct, for sharing.  Each year I endeavor to make enough treats to give out to those who have provided services throughout the year.  There are also the folks that Roy and I have friendly relationships with, and want to show our appreciation for having them in our lives. 

So, I will be giving you recipes for two treats that may, or may not, make the giving list this year.  All depends on my mood; the effort is always worth it though.

“Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

Shoo, fly, don't bother me,

For I belong to somebody.”

This song has two origin stories, first sung by Civil War soldiers during the 1860s; secondly in 1898 by soldiers during the Spanish American War.  Both related to the swarm of flies and mosquitoes during the hot, humid summer months.  The two versions, which happened to include the “N” word, were eventually tamed down throughout the 1900s and became, oh you guessed it, a nursery rhyme.

In Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, there is a pie that would put anyone in a diabetic coma; that pie is called "Shoo Fly".  The name originates from the bakers having to "shoo" flies away from the pie, since the little buggers were very attracted to the molasses and sugar that are the two main ingredients.  "Shoo Fly" is a dense, sticky pie; extremely sweet and definitely an acquired taste.  It is best served warm with a scoop of ice cream, usually vanilla, on the side; strangely enough, the ice cream mellows out the pie's sweetness.  I did make this for a holiday party once, and it was said to be similar to pecan pie, but without the pecans, and much gooier and sweeter.

 

Shoo Fly Pie

Ingredients:

Filling

1 and ½ cups molasses

1 and ½ cups warm water

1and ½ tsp. baking soda

Topping

4 cups flour, sifted

2 cups sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup butter, melted

2 (9 inch) deep dish pie crusts

Preparation:

On low heat, in a deep saucepan, cook together the molasses and water for 10 minutes; do not let the liquid boil.

While liquid is warming, preheat oven to 375F; cover center rack with aluminum foil in case of dripping (and it usually does). In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and melted butter to form loose crumbs.

Add the baking soda to the liquid mixture; it will become frothy; stir well to dissolve all the baking soda. Divide the liquid between the 2 pie crusts; divide the topping between the two, slightly pressing some of the crumbs into the liquid. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and finish cooking pies for 35 minutes; let pies cool slightly before serving.

Serving suggestion: while still warm, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Makes 8 servings.

While we did have a bit of snow for the Thanksgiving holiday, snow for the December holidays is purely magical. Anyone who lives in an area that has snowfall has, at one time or another, did the classic stick out the tongue and try to catch snowflakes on it. Come on now, you know you have, especially when you were a child, and I bet you still try it out as an adult. What about making a snowball and putting it in the freezer? Then when summertime came, you looked for it planning to surprise someone when they get hit with it?

When it comes to "eating" snow, the first thing you might think about is the snow cone; shaved or pulverized ice with flavoring poured over it and served in a paper cone. There is a particular type of "cookie" though that you can place in your mouth and let it melt into sugary goodness; or you can mash it up to use as a topping and it will resemble snow. That cookie is called a meringue; made mostly from egg whites and sugar, then baked in the oven at a very low temperature before letting it finish off as the oven cools. Meringue cookies can be made in a vast variety of color and flavor combinations; eaten as is, used as a garnish, even tweaked into a cake called a "Pavlova" which is then topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.

If you are worried about the amount of sugar needed to make meringue cookies, do not fret! The Splenda brand of sugar substitute and the natural herb Stevia can be used instead; while one cup of Splenda equals one cup of sugar, only one teaspoon of Stevia equals one cup of sugar. You will also have to use a higher temperature for the baking part of the recipe; basically, it is 225F for sugar, 300F for Splenda and 350F for Stevia.

 

Meringue Cookies

This is going to be a basic recipe for vanilla meringues; you can make different flavored meringues by substituting other flavored extracts for the vanilla. If you want chocolate meringues, add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder; also add one cup of mini chocolate chips for a double chocolate experience.   To make colored meringues, use drops of food coloring; for example, a few drops of red for pink meringues, but add strawberry extract for that extra flavor boost.   When adding items such as mini chips or shredded coconut, gently fold into the stiffened egg whites so as to not “break” them.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 225°F.

Beat egg whites in large, clean, metal bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high; add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Drop by rounded teaspoons about 1-inch apart onto two large baking sheets sprayed with nonstick baking spray; or use a piping bag with decorative tip to form cookies as they are piped onto the baking sheets.

Bake both sheets of meringues for 45 minutes; turn oven off. Leave meringues in the oven for one hour, or until completely cooled. Amount will depend on size of meringues being made; typically, 6 dozen if dropping by teaspoon full.

There you have it, two recipes for holiday sweets, that you may not have heard of, or even tried to make yourself.  Now you have no excuses.

Mary Cokenour

Grateful for more than a Good Harvest.

Essentially, what is the holiday of Thanksgiving all about?  This made me recently wonder due to Thanksgiving being notated on my wall calendar, but for different countries.  I knew about the holiday happening in the USA and Canada, but more countries than those two?  Our basic definition is an autumn holiday designated as a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest, and all the “good” that occurred during the year.  In other countries, it is still an autumn holiday, but has a much deeper meaning than a bountiful harvest.

In Grenada, Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on October 25, marks the anniversary of the 1983 day when US-led military forces arrived to stop a coup after the country’s president had been executed.

In Japan, it is called "Labor Thanksgiving Day", celebrated on November 23, and designated as a day to commemorate labor and production while also giving thanks to one another. The celebration includes an ancient Shinto ceremony.

Other countries that have a version of a “giving of thanks day” are: Philippines, Saint Lucia, Rwanda, Netherlands, Liberia, Brazil, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, to name a few.  Being thankful for a bountiful harvest takes place around the world, each country giving the day its own name, and date of celebration.  Imagine if you were able to travel to each country, on that specific date, and taste the various food dishes served?  It would give a whole new meaning to “jet lag”, considering the excess weight you would put on after each meal.

Now, I could give you recipe after recipe related to Thanksgiving, not just in the USA, but other countries, but I already seemed to have done that.  Looking back at the lists of foods served, I was gobsmacked by the number I had already written about in the San Juan Record.  Here I was, thinking just to introduce all you folks to foods of other countries, not knowing they were holiday related in some way. Then it occurred to me, another meaning related to the holiday, and that is being grateful for the family and friends in your own life.

Once in a great while, I am talking once in a blue moon while, my hubby, Roy, will actually, not just help out in the kitchen, but cook a meal.  Oh yes, I still have to supervise, but at least he makes the effort and actually wants to try something new.

Thanksgiving is busy for me as I make two complete meals, one for us, and one for his family in Moab.  Why not eat together?  The work schedules for both Roy, and his brother, do not mesh well, so this is just easier, for everyone, all around.  However, after all the stress and demands of getting Thanksgiving dinner prepped, cooked and cleaned up after one year, I finally had a meltdown.  By Saturday afternoon the headache and muscle cramping hit big time and decided to stick around until Sunday night. My hunny made me tea and fluffed my pillows, he cooked up scrambled eggs and biscuits as it made me feel calm all over.  Oh, I can hear you all going, “Aww”., and yes, it was very sweet of him.

I had promised him Pepper Steak with Onions for dinner for Sunday, but I just could not find the energy. Who came to the rescue?  Roy, and he once again did a great job with the prep work and the cooking of the dish itself. He did moan and groan though and several times gripe, "but it looks so much easier when you do it". Me? I snickered in smug satisfaction.  But, kudos to my hubby and his amazing kitchen skills...when he is desperately hungry that is.

 

Oh, before I give the recipe, and end story time, I would like to wish Donna Blauer, residing in California, a huge “Happy Thanksgiving!”.  Donna was a born and raised resident of Monticello for many years before moving to California.  I have fans of my food column, but folks at the San Juan Record call her my “biggest fan”.  She is planning on making the Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cake Mix Muffins, I wrote about in the November 6, 2024 issue, for Thanksgiving.  I know Donna reads this column, so Donna, I am happy to have gotten to know you, and hope those muffins are a huge hit.

Pepper Steak with Onions

Ingredients:

2 lbs. London broil, cut into - inch thick strips

2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and cut into ¼-inch thick strips

2 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch thick strips

2 Tbsp. canola oil

½ cup soy sauce

½ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. ground ginger

Preparation:

In a large skillet or Wok, on medium-high heat, brown the meat; remove to bowl and set aside. In same skillet or Wok, sauté the peppers and onions with the oil until softened. Add back the meat; add the soy sauce, white pepper and ginger; mix thoroughly. Let cook an additional 10 minutes before serving over white, fried or brown rice.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour