Saturday Afternoon QUICKIE - German Dill Salad Dressing

What is a "QUICKIE" anyway?...hmmmmm, found this online: "Very little foreplay, quick finish. Usually 5 minutes, start to finish.." Perfect! Since I've demonstrated how blog challenged I am this year, a speedy, once a week drop-in is JUST what the doctor ordered (wink!).
So clear your calendar, I'm all yours for 5 minutes every Saturday afternoon...rawr

Let's make the dressing - YUM...



Well....summer is knocking at our door....salad weather is almost here....my rear-end needs more salads, quick. Yes, I created this dressing based on an older recipe I printed years ago (don't remember where I got it!) - my Oma would have been proud, I think. Simple, fresh and delicious.

This week has been CRAZY with the end of school (remember, I homeschool...yes, I'm one of THOSE people :)), so I had to squeeze this post out quick - sorry for the lack of photos. :(
Enjoy and get creative...I hope you like it!

German Dill Salad Dressing enough for 3 dinner salads or tossed to lightly coat one large salad
1 shallot - finely chopped (decent sized, but not massive!)
2 TBL. sunflower oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar (a good one...please)
1/2 tsp. dried dill
100 ml heavy cream
salt & sugar - start with 1/4 tsp EACH and then increase amount to taste

Directions: Ummmmmm, whisk everything together, let set in the icebox for an hour at least. YOU-ARE-DONE!



Now, if you're not a "vinegar," fan...well, then by all means scale it back in this recipe - let's just say if my husband smells it in anything, he's already OUT!
I've never stored this, as we use the entire amount each meal...so use your best judgement.

Thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

Just Do It..please..snip your plastic six-pack holders

Only a quick plea....
Take a moment, grab some scissors and snip every loop on any plastic six-pack holder you're about to throw away.
Many creatures have DIED as the result of becoming entangled in or ingesting these holders according to reports.

The good news: the manufacturer of these rings now claims they are photodegradable...to degrade after being exposed to sunlight for 90 days.
HOWEVER,
I remember as a child witnessing a poor seagull struggling along the beach shore wearing one of these ring holders...what a sad and heartbreaking sight...I'll never forget the image. :(
Even if it saves one poor creature...who can't wait 90 days for the rings to fall apart...just snip the rings before discarding into the garbage, please. :)
See you this weekend....

Saturday Afternoon QUICKIE - yummy Carne Asada Marinade

What is a "QUICKIE" anyway?...hmmmmm, found this online: "Very little foreplay, quick finish. Usually 5 minutes, start to finish.." Perfect! Since I've demonstrated how blog challenged I am this year, a speedy, once a week drop-in is JUST what the doctor ordered (wink!).
So clear your calendar, I'm all yours for 5 minutes every Saturday afternoon...rawr

Let's make the marinade - YUM...



My Carne Asada Marinade make approx. 1 3/4 cups (enough to marinade 2.50 - 3 lbs. of Flap Meat)
1 of each: orange, lime, lemon (use two if lemons are tiny), juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, slivered
2 TBL. high quality apple cider vinegar (I ONLY use Bragg Organic with the "Mother" in it!)
1 TBL. onion powder
1 TBL. garlic powder
1/2 TBL. soy sauce
1 TBL. sugar
1 TBL. dried parsley
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. seasoned salt (I use Lawry's)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chipotle sauce (I use Tabasco's version)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Start by rolling the hell out of your citrus fruits. This is a MUST DO -



Simply combine all ingredients well and whisk to blend. That is it!



Now...gently pound the flap meat to tenderize. Next, dump the meat and marinade into a SECURE ziplock plastic storage bag. Get out the air bubbles and then massage meat for minute or two. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, turning the bag over every hour. Now get your meat on the grill - Delicious! Now here is what's weird....
I actually created this recipe entirely BY MYSELF, drawing upon childhood memories of eating at many of the local family owned mexican restaurants in my So. Calif. hometown. Just the other day, I came across a marinade recipe that was so similar to my creation, it kicked me on my a$$. I either have an evil twin out there somewhere..or someone's tongue simply works just like mine....
Have an AWESOME weekend friends!! And, as always.....

Thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

Saturday Afternoon QUICKIE - homemade mayonnaise

What is a "QUICKIE" anyway?...hmmmmm, found this online: "Very little foreplay, quick finish. Usually 5 minutes, start to finish.." Perfect! Since I've demonstrated how blog challenged I am this year, a speedy, once a week drop-in is JUST what the doctor ordered (wink!).
So clear your calendar, I'm all yours for 5 minutes every Saturday afternoon...rawr

Let's make homemade mayonnaise - YUM...

The History of Mayo
Mayonnaise was invented in 1756 by the French chef of the Duc de Richelieu. After the Duc beat the British at Port Mahon, his chef created a victory feast that was to include a sauce made of cream and eggs. Realizing that there was no cream in the kitchen, the chef substituted olive oil for the cream and a new culinary creation was born. The chef named the new sauce "Mahonnaise" in honor of the Duc's victory.

Okay - now that the history lesson is over, let's move on to my super quick, easy and delicious way of making gourmet garlic mayonnaise :) Oh, and did I forget to mention that my version is based on an old German recipe? Yay Deutschland!! Get ready to be converted -



Garlic Mayonnaise makes approx. 1-1 1/2 cups?
1 fresh large egg
1 tsp. mustard (creamy German or Dijon type)
2 tsp. high quality apple cider vinegar (I ONLY use Bragg Organic with the "Mother" in it!)
250 ml sunflower oil (other oils can taste bitter, sunflower always works well)
1 small clove of garlic, very finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

First things first...all the ingredients should be at room temperature - the mayo may not emulsify properly if you cheat here.
For convenience, I always use a large wide-mouth canning jar for both preparation and refrigerator storage. Sort of Hillbilly, yes..but it works.
Start by cracking in your egg and adding the vinegar. With your handheld mixer, give it a couple of pulses to begin the process. You want the egg yolk and white to appear properly broken and combined.



Now, for the important step, the oil.....
S-l-o-w-l-y drizzle the oil in a thin and constant stream while mixing with the handheld mixer at medium speed. You've hit the target if you begin to quickly see the miracle of emulsification!



After the oil has been properly incorporated and your mixture has reached the desired texture, it's time to add your garlic, mustard and spices.



And BAM, you've just made the best tasting mayonnaise ever!

And here is my Hillbilly way to store it in the fridge...with a canning ring - I screw a plastic sandwich bag onto the jar. It works, it's easy and can be thrown away after you've consumed the last of the mayo. MAKE SURE you use the mayo within 4 days (I actually went a day or so longer once...I'm still alive :)) - this stuff is fresh, not processed like the garbage on the grocery store shelf. Plus, the whole SHA-bang should only take you about...5 minutes. :)



Thanks for the QUICKIE (wink!), I'll see ya next week!

If Winnie the Pooh Experienced Roid Rage!

O-M-G....WHAT???? hahaha, noway!!!
Am I going straight to "HELL" for laughing at this pic??

My sick, twisted, 1/2 German mind thought this was hilarious...just had to post it! Get em' Tigger -
It reminds me of the disturbing fairy tales my Oma (German Granny) so lovingly shared with me while still a tot - not for the weak of heart, however.

Here's to mixin' it up on the weekends!! Have a great week!

Weight Watchers 1 pt Creamy Cauliflower Soup!

Welllllll, I've been hiding out these past months - trying to lose weight. Yes, I'm aware women can be "all-that" regardless of their size, HOWEVER, I could stand to lose some of "that", quite frankly!
So, to make this short..I would love to share with you a yummy, quick recipe I've enjoyed these past couple of weeks. I discovered this recipe at an INSANE Weight Watchers recipe blog... Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes. This is her Dad's recipe, but I made a couple of minor changes.....
This soup tastes great whether you're watching your cals. or not, promise. When company comes over or for any of the skinny bitches out there (I say this with love, of course! wink!), you can easily kick this up a notch by adding a touch of half-n-half, crumbled prosciutto and finely chopped chives. Enjoy this creamy, smooth, and delicious treat!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup WW 1 pt = 1 cup serves 4-5
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, small diced
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 TBL. butter
2 tsp. flour
1 head cauliflower, cleaned and chopped into evenly sized pieces
4 cups quality chicken broth/stock, fat free
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium/low heat - saute the onions until transparent. Throw in the garlic at the end, so it won't burn.


Toss in the butter, and allow to melt. Now sprinkle in the flour. Yes, you're making a rue. Cook for approx. 2 minutes, constantly stirring.


Now add your chicken stock and cauliflower.


Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down and allow to simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Here's the fun part - get your immersion blender and puree the heck out of it! Mad this week? This is your moment...puree until the cows come home..beat this soup UP!


It's hard to believe, but TRUST me, this mixture will turn out smooth and glorious in the end -
Season with salt and pepper...enjoy!
p.s. - I threw in some cubed left over grilled chicken last week - SO GOOD! This soup is so versatile...

Fridge Beauty....

Tomorrow the testoserone with be flying as I live in a house of men..don't look now, but here comes Super Bowl Sunday -

That being the case - I deemed today as,
Super Sandy Saturday! Yea me.

Now, don't be scared...it's just me, my coffee and robe under a homemade facial mask! :)

My son refers to me as, "The ZOMBIE," when under my yogurt mask. If anything I'm doing his future wife a huge favor, hey, THIS IS WHAT CHICKS DO TO STAY PRETTY, take note young man. (wink!)

So, the mask was great. A few simple ingredients, and a click of your heels..and there you have it - a kitchen spa.

This mask can be whipped up in seconds and after a full application to your face and neck, just let it sit for 30 mins. You might feel a slight burn at first (lactic acid doing it's magic!) but no worries. The honey will help to moisturize and the banana will nourish your skin with loads of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins A, B, E, and F.

Stay lovely, friends!

FRIDGE BEAUTY MASK - 1 application

1 TBL. yogurt

1 tsp. honey

1/3 banana - mashed with the back of a fork

Goat Cheese-a-holic...that's me

Hi, my name is Sandy and I am a cheeseaholic (more specifically, a GOAT Cheeseaholic, thank you very much)

I actually stole that line from a fun blog, Cheeseaholics Anonymous....hehe!
Well, let me take a moment and describe for you a piece of what my perfect heaven would be: Sitting in the biggest comfy chair on the planet placed next to a beautiful bay window on a crystal clear day overlooking my enormous horse farm in the South in a constructed-to-perfection Southern Living home drinking a fantastic Shiraz and nibbling until my fingers are numb on Winey Goat cheese ~

Whew, was that a run-on sentence or what? :) Heaven, a fantasy....yes, but I'll never stop wishing for it!

This cheese is my absolute favorite....right up there with anything dark chocolate from See's Candies. You pretty much could ask me to do just about ANYTHING while waving this stuff under my nose.

Winey Goat is a soft white cheese made in Spain. The cheese's rind is soaked in a delicious local red wine as it cures and the result - a light, smooth textured cheese that offers a peek-a-boo essence of fruit and nuts. a.k.a. - HEAVEN.

A little goes a long way...and it's fantastic all by itself OR on bread with a "drop" of apricot preserves. What about on top of a salad with candied walnuts, dried cranberries? Yikes, I'm drooling...

I usually find Winey Goat cheese at Henry's Market ..... but this week, I actually found it at Ralphs!

Yes, it's a bit pricey ($21.00 per lb. approx.)..but so worth it.

Many have never tried goat cheese...and truth be told, goat's milk does indeed smell and taste different than the standard cow stuff we've been cubing for decades. However, it's worth a go even for the scaredy cats...not to mention, did you know that goat's milk products are easier on your digestive tract? :)

So there you have it...my mini Five Star recommendation. Drop a line if you get a chance to try it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Fall is the season....

...for CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER!! (sorry for the bad picture, it sooooo does not do this chowder the justice it deserves!)

Yes, it's still like 100 degrees out there....however, my trusty calendar says it's time to put away my white capris and start thinking along the lines of warm fireplaces and falling leaves.

I love, love, love this time of year! This recipe is based on one of Paula Deen's, however some changes were necessary. Even with my changes, I still consider this a rich chowder...just so you know. I hope this recipe will help you get into the mood of cold crisp nights, overly priced boots and some awesome quality time with a loved one or two! B-T-W, it is majorly kid friendly...

Chicken Corn Chowder serves 6-8

1 stick salted butter

½ onion, small dice

1 carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 cobs of corn, boiled and kernels removed

3 cups of quality chicken stock

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small cubes (store bought rotisserie birds work great!!)

1 cup half-n-half

1 cup milk (2%)

pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

In 6 qt. stockpot, boil corn cobs for 5-10 minutes. Remove cobs and let cool. Cut kernels from the cobs and set aside in a small bowl.
Pour out water, then melt butter in the stockpot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic for only 2-4 minutes. Add flour and make a roux. Cook roux until slightly brown, then turn off the heat to cool.
During this time, combine corn and chicken stock in another saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock and corn into the stockpot with the roux, whisking briskly to prevent lumps. Mixture should be begin to look deliciously creamy!

Let this mixture reach a gentle boil, then turn down the heat to low-medium. Dump in the cubed chicken, stir. Slowly stream in the half-n-half and milk into the chicken corn mixture, whisking to combine. Gently simmer for about 10 minutes until chowder thickens just a bit.

Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Real Men Drink PINK LEMONADE...

Some history...

"Henry E. Allott, known all through the Middle West as 'Bunk' Allen, member of the old Chicago gambling syndicate, saloonkeeper, theatrical promoter, circus man, and inventor of pink lemonade, died here today. At 15 he ran away with the circus and obtained a lemonade concession. One day while mixing a tub full of the orthodox yellow kind he dropped some red cinnamon canides in by mistake. The resulting rose-tinted mixture sold so surprisingly well that he continuted to dispense his chance discovery."---
"Inventor of Pink Lemonade Dead," New York Times, September 18, 1912

Sorry gals, it wasn't some Southern Belle in the deep South, on a plantation somewhere, who invented one of America's favorite Summer beverages...

It was actually a 15 year old carny GUY! Wouldn't cha know it...

Regardless, we love drinking it in my house! And my boys love to show off their muscles when it comes time to use the glass juicer. Here is our super-duper easy version of an old favorite -

My Pink Lemonade
12 juicy lemons
10 cups water
1 ½ - 2 cups sugar
2 tsp. Grenadine syrup

In 3 qt. covered sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool a bit.Roll lemons to make them juicy. Juice lemons using an electric juicer, lemon reamer, citrus press..whatever. Remove pulp if desired….In a 3 qt. pitcher, add lemon juice, Grenadine syrup and warm sugar water. Stir to mix well. Serve in glasses filled with ice. The addition of fresh mint or additional lemon slices will make nice finishing touches!

**Don't forget to seek out local lemons...SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMER!"

Pain d' Epi

Whew! Now that was a long break! I haven't messed with my blog all Summer. The kids will be starting school again in a couple of weeks and I can't believe how fast this pickin' Summer went. ...I'm convinced I need more time off...

Well let me tell you a story. A story of a frustrated hausfrau who moved to the high desert in search of peace and tranquility. She was so excited...she was going to ride her horses, get pedicures while the kids where at school, see her soap company to success, and bake great homemade bread. Well, NONE OF THE ABOVE actually happened. The horses became lawn ornaments and the pedicures never happened because she had to homeschool the kids. The soap business took a back seat and became a hobby, for the same reason. Now the bread...let's just say someone neglected to tell her that at her elevation (3410 ft. approx.), bread comes out like a freakin' brick!

After many failed attemps, she was about to completely give up...until.....TODAY!

I picked up a great little book at the library, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, this past week. Well, I tried my first bread recipe, Pain d' Epi.

Hello! It's awesome! I did, however, make a couple of minor adjustments because of my elevation...and let's just say, "WOW!"

Here is my adjusted recipe for Pain d' Epi, to make #2 loaves, 1 lb. each.

1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water

2 1/4 tsp. coarse salt (has to be, of course..)

1 1/2 tsp. Fleischmann's Highly Active Yeast

3 1/4 cups bread flour

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until all flour is incorporated. Cover loosely and let proof on the kitchen counter for two hours. Then place in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours.

Time to bake!: Divide the batch in half, placing one half on a lightly floured surface, the other back into the refrigerator. Guess what?? The dough will keep for two weeks!!

Gently work dough into a ball and sprinkle with flour. Roll into a long loaf shape. Let sit for thirty minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly flour the loaf, then make superficial slices across the top. Transfer to a baking sheet that's been sprinkled with cornmeal.

Place a pan on the lower oven rack and fill with 2 cups of water. Place bread on baking sheet on the middle rack. Let bake for 25-30 minutes.

Yum...my kids were begging for more!

For all the folks that don't have a major elevation disability like mine, here is the standard recipe that actually is designed to make #4 loaves:

3 cups of lukewarm water

2 packets of granulated yeast (or 1 1/2 TBL.)

1 1/2 TBL. coarse salt

6 1/2 cups bread flour

Have fun baking!!