What's cooking?

[Laeori]

*laughs*

[Kalen]

Kalen's Sweet and Sour Beef

I don't have any set proportions for this recipe.  I know, that's pure evil, right?  The thing is, making this is slightly different for each time, and that's a large part of it's charm.  It depends on the sauce, it's thickness and consistency.  Is it saucy and runny?  Thick and stuck to the meat?  Sweet?  Spicy?  It's up to you.

Here are the basics.  you're going to need ground beef (lean is better, but hell, you're draining the fat anyway...)  a sauce base (ketchup is basic, spaghetti sauce is better.. it has to be a tomato base)  Brown sugar (white will do, but it's not the same) and vinegar.  Spices to taste, but we'll get to that.

In a deep frying pan or a pot, fry the beef until brown.  Drain the fat and discard.

As the beef fries, make the sauce.  The magic proportion is    1 - 1 - 1/2    What that means is this.  The tomato base and the packed brown sugar are used in exact proportion to each other.  (1 cup of each, for example)  The vinegar is only needed in 1/2 that amount.  (1/2 cup, to continue the example)   this sauce should be ready to go by the time you have drained the meat.

Stir in the sauce, and simmer, to thicken.

Now, here's where you turn this from MY thing, and into YOUR thing.  I prefer to add spices for all the more flavor at this point.  I add garlic and onion powders, steak spices, and Tabasco.  I've been thinking that green pepper and onion, diced, would be nice too.  But I digress.  Experiment here... see what you like.

You can eat this any way that you like.  With a spoon.  on Nachos.  On Cool Ranch Doritos (a very pleasant accidental discovery), in hot dog buns... see what works for you.  Try it out, let me know what works/doesn't work.  (I've also done this with leftover chicken or turkey... so nice)

[Josietta]

**This is a hand-me-down recipe from grandmother to mother for generations.. so the proportions on ingredients have been tested in the past 2 generations (Hence the eyeball it bit)... You may try to cut this down to a smaller amount if you so wish, but as with most older recipes it may be different each time you make it. My grandmother used to make it in a deep cast iron skillet, more recently my mother still uses that same pan**

Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
peanut butter (as much as desired… eyeball it.. usually up to 24 oz jar or as my grandmother would say.. "The Big Jar for cooking, not the jar for sandwiches")


**If you don't have a helper make sure you have a large buttered dish ready to pour your fudge into to cool and set before you begin cooking.**

add sugar and milk to a deep pan
cook on high
let boil for 3-4 mins until it gets sticky and syrupy
take it off the burner, let it begin to cool until it stops bubbling
quickly add peanut butter a spoonful at a time, stirring it in and let it melt in slowly until smooth and  creamy enough,
Once you have your desired amount of peanut butter melted in all creamy like
Pour it immediately into your already buttered dish (Corning ware works best) and spread it out.
Let it cool and then slice into squares and serve. (I used to love it when it was still warm myself)

If you wait too long it will get hard and crumbly and not worth much but to top on ice cream or in ice cream blizzard treats  :D.

*word of advice – wash your pan immediately after to help with easy of clean up*


**add ½ cup cocoa to milk and sugar mix for chocolate fudge using the peanut butter as a thickening agent (careful not to use as much as it will change the taste as expected)**

[Cecilia]

I think I just gained ten pounds reading that recipe, Josietta!  (Thanks...)   :P

I'm off to have a salad to compensate.

[MusicNeverDies]

Hehe.

Spaghetti.

[Josietta]

I think I just gained ten pounds reading that recipe, Josietta!  (Thanks...)   :P

I'm off to have a salad to compensate.

hahaha! yup its not exactly good for diets..but in moderation can be a nice treat :P

mmmm spaghetti.. i want..

I think i'm making angel hair pasta in cream sauce with sauteed garlic and onion shrimp tonight.

[Madriv]

Kung pao chicken, rice and red bell peppers - stir fried on *my* stove! I have electricity back! Hallelujah!!!

[Josietta]

Kung pao chicken, rice and red bell peppers - stir fried on *my* stove! I have electricity back! Hallelujah!!!

Yay!! *runs to Marti's for dinner cuz that sounds better than my frozen pizza (i forgot to lay out the shrimp to thaw out last night :( )

[Dawg]

Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS:

    * 1 large unpeeled eggplant, cut into one-quarter-inch slices
    * 2 eggs, slightly beaten
    * 1 cup bread crumbs
    * 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
    * 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 teaspoons oregano
    * 1/2 cup chopped parsley
    * 1 (10 ounce) package mozzarella cheese slices
    * 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dip eggplant slices in egg and then in bread crumbs.  Fry slices in oil for three minutes on each side; drain well.  In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, salt, oregano, and parsley; bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Place half of the eggplant slices in a greased 2-quart casserole.  Cover with half of the tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers.  Top with Parmesan cheese.  Bake 45 minutes.

SERVES: 6 - 8

[Lilias]

Pot roast: Beef brisket with carrots, parsnips, leeks, mushrooms and shallots. Whoever invented the slow cooker was a genius.

[Josietta]

tea plain black tea with lemon

[Paradox]

[celestia]

Buffalo chix wing dip and home made pita chips

[Greenthorn]

I made a dinner ham...mostly because I am going to drop most of it off in PA for the people running in and out of Grandfather's house moving things :)

[Kalen]

big... drippy... spicy... juicy DONAIR.

I'll save you a bite, Trieste!!!

[Bloody Paramour]

mmmm, alfredo.


well

that was like, 20 mins ago.

[Dawg]

Chicken Schwarma Freshley cooked and then wrapped in Pita bread with Fattoush Salad and Hommous

[Bloody Paramour]

Chicken Schwarma Freshley cooked and then wrapped in Pita bread with Fattoush Salad and Hommous

:Drool:

[Dawg]

:Drool:

So did I before I ate it *lick my lips*

[Bloody Paramour]

So did I before I ate it *lick my lips*

oh, so cold.

[Dawg]

oh, so cold.

*Hugs Bloodroses and gives her some of my meal*

[Bloody Paramour]

*Hugs Bloodroses and gives her some of my meal*

Yay! *nomz*

yum!

*cuddle*

[Paradox]

Back to the point here:

German Chocolate Cake!

[Kalen]

Mini  chocolate peanut butter cups!

[Bloody Paramour]

Back to the point here:

German Chocolate Cake!

OH NO< YOU ARE SO CRUEL!