STORM2K

Kathy's busy at work in the kitchen today preparing some various foods for her "ladies bunco night" on Monday night. Our turn comes around once a year...and this is it!

She has a simple turkey, no bean, nacho dip that people just expect when we have a party...or go to someone elses. Another friend has a cratch double fudge brownie recipe that is always requested when he shows up.

I make a scratch butterscotch pie that is high on the request list.

So.....when you are invited, or when people invite you or your family to head on over for a party, what do they expect you to bring?

Is it as simple as the bag of chips? Or something you are really KNOWN for?

I'm the scratch-pizza, spaghetti, Oriental and "exotic" food man here...Philip does the house chili, and "studentmom04" is famous for her beef stew and ever-present CORNBREAD (Arrgghh!!!!!).

"firehead" is our "conspicuous consumption" expert...if it's conspicuous, he'll consume it! And Annabelle...she be a ho', as she will do ANYTHING for "people food"..she's absolutely SHAMELESS...BRAZEN, I tell you! :o

Sausage balls, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but,
some want them at other times of the year. I make the easy
Bisquick ones, but, tend to add as much cheese (extra sharp
cheddar or coon cheese) as sausage!

A 7 layer Taco dip is one request that I've made at least 25 times now. I don't even need to read the recipe! I also *stole* this from a good friend. LOL She knows....anyone who wants the recipe let me know, it's really good. And no meat (which is usually a necessary layer).

Lately it's been the Olive Garden salad from scratch. We just buy the salad dressing from the restaurant and make the salad ourselves. Nina and Laura are taking it to their Club Pride Banquet dinner for tomorrow night. Note to self: buy the dressing on Monday.....LOL

Christmas time: probably my Spritz cookies made with the old fashioned cookie press. My kids just love those. Me too!!!

Good topic Steve!

Lasagne! It takes me all day to make but I love to do it!

I want recipes. Miss Mary and Azskyman - give me your recipes - sounds like something I would love to try making.

I love to cook when I have time. Made hubby fatijas and spanish rice this afternoon - he nearly fainted when I was cooking.

I get asked basically to make anything and everything. I like to cook and most people enjoy whatever I make. I don't have any specialties, but I do like to experiment.

hmmmm....the request is always for my hot wings. My husband claims the recipe but I am the one who came up with it. And they are OH SOOOOOOOOO YUMMY! My family calls them "Big Daddy Wings" hehe BTW, Big Daddy is his nick name. Not because he's BIG by any means...but because he helped me create the most children in the family (4 boys) With the exception of my parents who had 8.

OK, start posting the recipes, you are all making me hungry. Especially MScoast with the Hot Wings..

My specialty is also lasagne, it takes me all day too, but I love it. I also am asked to make fresh salsa regularly. My wife makes a few special dishes that are requested always. One is a Croation salad, Chicken Wild Rice soup, Chili, and her most famous recipe is for her Chocolate Chip cookies. She has shared that recipe with everyone she knows and no-one can seem to make them turn out like she does.

As requested.......



Taco Dip

Ingredients:

2-3 avocadoes
1 bunch green onions
6-8 Roma tomatoes
1-2 14.5 oz. cans pitted large black olives
1 package taco seasoning, like Ortega
bottled taco sauce (3- 6 teaspoons)
lemon juice (1-2 teaspoons)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
4-5 cups finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 to 1-1/2 cans bean dip, like Frito Lay
Taco/Mexican chips


Layer 1: Spread bean dip on large plate or platter (preferably with a lip to it). Definitely use all of one can, and at least half of the second, depending upon your platter size. Leave an inch around the edge.

Layer 2: Halve avocadoes, remove peel and seed. Scoop out pulp. Puree in a blender or mash with a potato masher or mixer. Add lemon juice and taco sauce to taste. It should have a slight bite to it so keep tasting until you get it just right. Spread this layer on top of bean dip, still leaving the inch around the edge.

Layer 3: Blend mayo and sour cream in a large bowl. I prefer to use a mixer. Add half package of taco seasoning. Taste. Add rest if so desired. Spread on top of guacamole layer, covering it completely but leaving an inch still.

Layer 4: Finely chop tomatoes, evenly spread on top of mayo/sour cream layer. Tip: I prefer to slice Roma tomatoes lengthwise, discarding the center and pulp. I wash out seeds and then chop. This way you don't end up any seeds in this layer. You can use canned chopped tomatoes if in a hurry. The Roma tomatoes make an attractive and tasty layer I've found though.

Layer 5: Finely slice green onions, evenly spread on top of tomatoes. Go easy on onions, of all these layers I hear the most complaints about onions!

Layer 6: Slice black olives, evenly spread on top of tomatoes and onions.

Layer 7: Top with lots of cheese, now to edge of platter. Enjoy!

Note: You can make this dip as mild or spicy as you like. For example, you may use Mexican shredded cheese, hot taco sauce and seasoning. Purely a personal choice. I've found most people prefer this dish on the mild side though. If avocadoes are under-ripe, you can quickly ripen them by putting them in a paper bag, closing the top and placing it on top of fridge for a day (if you have time). I've served a mix of chips with this dip (yellow and blue corn chips) and that's always a hit too.

While looking for my Taco Dip recipe, I found this recipe I made only about 3 times last winter. I found it in an issue of Midwest Living back then. It's so good, your family will ask for this again and again. Now I realize summer is upon us, so tuck this one away for next Fall/Winter. When it's cool again, make a pot of soup and a salad to accompany this bread. You will have the perfect comfort-type meal when the wx is nasty outside - something we never talk about here at Storm2K!!!


Honey-Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups boiling water
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1/3 cup honey
1 Tablespoon butter or cooking oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten (optional)
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

To brush/sprinkle on top:
Milk
Quick-cooking rolled oats

1. Place the 1 cup oats in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over oats; let stand for 15 minutes or till mixture is lukewarm (105 to 115 degrees).

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 minutes to dissolve.

3. Add honey, melted butter or oil, salt and yeast mixture to the oat mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir enough of the flour so the dough can be handled (at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the entire amount of flour, even more if possible). The oats and honey make this stickier than regular bread dough.

4. Turn dough out onto a slightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Knead 12-15 strokes till dough is elastic, but still rather sticky, adding remaining flour as needed; don't add too much flour at a time.

5. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rest in a warm place till doubled (about 1 hour). Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface (use a very lightly floured surface, as the dough should be a little sticky). Divide the dough in half. Shape each piece into a loaf. Place loaves in two greased loaf pans (8 by 4 by 2 inch size) or on a large greased baking sheet (I prefer to use this method along with parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place till doubled in size (for 30 minutes). Brush with milk and sprinkle with additional oats.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or till the loaves sound hallow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Tip: we like to eat this bread when still slightly warm! Sooo good. Honey butter goes great with it too.

Makes 2 loaves (32 slices). Nutritional facts per slice: 106 cal., 1 g fat, 1 mg chol, 151 mg sodium, 22 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 3 g pro.

Suggestion: someone should pester Dennis for his Caramel Popcorn recipe. I have one but I think his sounds better......

Dennis?

O'TAY.......first off, my fried chicken is a MUST at parties, my dear mother taught me how to fry chicken when I was but a wee lad, the secret to GOOD fried chicken, a cast iron skillet, get the oil super HOT, singe the flour on both sides, turn down the heat to med and cover. Now I soak my chicken in a variety of spices for 24 hours, garlic, Natures seasoning, basil, rosemary, paprika THEN I spice the flour mixture as well with the same spices, Mmmmmm, Mmmmmmm


NOW...let's see if I have this right, I made so much caramel corn over the holidays that I should have the recipe down:

Caramel Corn

8 quarts of fresh popped corn (preferably hot air popped, microwave doesn't work too well)

1 cup of butter
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup Karo syrup (light not dark)
2 cups nuts (optional.....I use cashews, peanuts)

Combine butter, brown sugar and the Karo syrup in a med sauce pan, bring to a low boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.

Preheat oven to 250°

Pour mixture over popcorn and mix well. Spread popcorn on a large cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool down and break apart!

*note* I use wax paper on the cookie sheet, it makes it easier, the popcorn will not stick to the cookie sheet PLUS it saves a LOT of clean up time!

Dennis

Thanks Dennis - see I knew there was a difference to our recipes. I have to resort to microwave popcorn. Maybe I should invest in a hot air popper? Do you recommend a certain brand? Also, never thought of the waxed paper while roasting. I use it when done and in the cooling stage.

Naa, all hot air poppers are pretty much the same, the GREAT thing about the hot air popper, it makes the kernels *HUGE* We bought a new one last winter, the old one (6 years old) burnt out, they range in price from $14 to $20, not that expensive, I "LOVE" mine! Yeah, the wax paper works WONDERS, saves time and effort.

Dennis

OH....almost forgot, salt is optional in the recipe, I don't use it, it makes the done product really dark in color.

Dennis

*note to self* ALWAYS proof read the post "LOL!" I just noticed I put FLOOR instead of FLOUR, *singe the floor on both sides* "LOL!"

Dennis

Because I love to cook, I'll bring whatever anyone requests.

I guess the major request would be for homemade pies of all kinds and also homemade cheesecake (white chocolate with macadamia nut crust is a winner). Next would be any Italian foods (especially homemade manocotti). Italian wedding soup is right up there.

Dennis that popcorn is the best!!!! Hey, my floor is already brown - do I have to singe it again???
Karan

potato salad and brownies

Only one time of the year am I expected to make anything - Christmas. And that is when I put on my baker's hat and bake usually 10 to 12 different kinds of Christmas cookies. My mom used to do that every year and when she died, I took over for her. The most popular are the chocolate pinwheels. Yummy!