"Flaming Mo"

I haven't determined a fitting title for this festive drink, so in honor of The Simpsons, I am calling this "The Flaming Mo" for now. If you have suggestions, please post them!

Fill glass with ice.

Add equal parts of Root Beer-flavored vodka and Whipped Cream-flavored vodka.

Add an equal part of club soda and another equal part of Coke.

Top with a scoop of ice cream.

Drink slowly! These go down way too easily!

Happy New Year. Be safe, be prosperous, and be grateful.

This is a PERFECT side dish for Thanksgiving!

WILD RICE SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

1 box Uncle Ben’s wild rice mix, cooked according to package directions

½ cup diced celery

½ cup diced red pepper

½ cup diced yellow pepper

½ cup toasted, chopped pecans

¾ cup dried cranberries (I use Craisin’s, can find with the raisins)

Dressing:

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup olive oil

(may have to fool around with the oil measurements – I sometimes use a little more, but you don’t want the rice to be dripping with dressing, just to coat for taste.)

Combine cooked and cooled wild rice mix with celery, red pepper, yellow pepper, pecans and cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, brown sugar, and mustard. Slowly begin to whisk in the oils. Whisk together until well blended. Toss enough of the dressing into the salad to coat and flavor well. Season and pepper, if desired.

P.S. I make this for every Thanksgiving and every party I’m invited to and it’s always a hit, even with kids! Serve room temperature. It’s gross if it’s too hot or chilled.

Green Fruit Salad w/ Honey Lime Vanilla Dressing

Green Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vanilla Yogurt

This is truly an eyeball-it recipe. Use as much fruit as you like, in the proportions that you like.

green grapes
sliced kiwi
sliced bananas
cubed honeydew melon
diced green apples
zest and juice of one lime
fresh chopped mint
Combine and mix. Lime adds flavor but also helps keep fruit from oxidizing

Vanilla yogurt (about 1 cup)
Lime juice and zest (about 1 lime)
About 1 TB honey

Mix and serve over the fruit or on the side

Killer Roast Beef Sandwich

For one sandwich:
1 onion roll, split
Spread each half with mayo and horseradish, to taste

Take bottom roll and layer with good quality deli roast beef slices, spinach, arugula or lettuce, cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion, fresh tomato, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top with other half of onion roll.

YUMMY!!!!!

Topping for roasted corn on the cob, etc.

This "pesto" could be great for roasted corn on the cob or roasted tomatoes.


Into a food processor or blender, put
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (out of shell already)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup shredded quesadilla cheese (or manchego)
pinch of salt
pinch of chili powder

Blend until smooth.

Put over hot roasted corn (roast on grill, turning every 3 minutes for a full rotation, about 15 minutes) or roasted tomato (cut large tomato in half horizontally and roast in oven with pinch of salt for 10 minutes on 375) and add a sprinkle more of cheese while it's hot so it melts.

Carmelized Bacon Popcorn

By popular demand via Facebook, I am posting this.

Carmelized Bacon can be used in a variety of recipes. You can crumble it over a salad (don't expect to eat much of the lettuce, though), put it on a BLT, make it a way guilty snack, or put it in popcorn.

Here's my popcorn bacon recipe.

Cook 5 pieces of bacon in a stock pot until all of the fat is completely rendered. Don't worry about the state of the bacon. . .you are after the fat.

Add some vegetable oil and popcorn kernels, add a lid. . .and pop like you did when you were 10 years old (if you're my age. . .before the age of microwave popcorn and when Jiffy Pop was a novelty!)

In a bowl, mix 3 minced cloves of garlic (fresh is best) with 4 TB brown sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 2 TB olive oil. Mix into a paste. Add more oil to make the paste as needed.

Take 10 strips of raw bacon and slather each side with the paste. Put on either a wire rack on top of a baking sheet or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 - 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes every minute - you don't want it to burn. The bacon should appear crisp.

Let bacon stand for 5 minutes to crisp up further. Crumble into the popcorn and add 1 TB smoked paprika.

That is, if you don't eat all the bacon first. It's addictively awesome.

I put it in a salad one night and brought to my friend Toni's house. She picked all the bacon out and ate no salad. It's THAT good.

Enjoy!

Addition to Tuscan Soup Recipe--Correction

After the soup simmers with the beans in it. . .mix 3 tablespoons of milk (I use fat free, lactose free and it works fine) with 3 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch. Drizzle into the soup slowly, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 more minutes until the soup slightly thickens. Should not be too thick. If need be, thin with more chicken broth.