Scallops

This recipe is for my husband...I don't do scallops, crab, mussels,clams, oysters, or squid..EVER. But, alas, he does; he is having these for Mother's Day dinner...I am making margaritas and lounging on the couch in new jammies. 16 medium diver scallops, cleaned 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for searing 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper In a medium bowl, marinate the scallops with olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let them marinate for 20 minutes. ETA..cook time should be adjusted to suit size of scallops; the scallops we bought were med-large and needed more time per side. He said they were excellent, btw. Recipe compliments of Food Network and Cat Cora..love the network...her, not so much.

EWWWWWW Raccoon Stew

Holy Mother of God...I actually found recipes..yes, as in more than one..for raccoon stew. I am horrified...who eats this? Never mind, I really do not want to know.

Be forewarned..I will not be testing, tasting, or making this recipe..you're on your own with this one, Skippy.


Raccoon Stew

Ingredients:

1 Raccoon, cleaned

4 Carrots, chopped

3 Potatoes, chopped

2 Stalks of celery, chopped

1 Bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes

Your favorite stew seasonings

Directions:

Remove glands and as much fat as you can from raccoon. Parboil until done, skimming fat off water as it rises to the top. Remove raccoon and let cool. De-bone meat and hold aside.

Add carrots, potatoes, celery, mixed vegetables and canned tomatoes to the pot. Add meat to pot. Add seasonings. Keep at a low simmer until ready to serve. For a thicker stew, add flour mix with cold water before serving, stir until thickened.

Serves 4

recipe comes from wisconsinhunter.com...a place I shall never visit again. lol

Soon..Raccoon Stew for You!

Soon to be made into a tasty stew...., hat, and antenna thingy.

(trust me when I say he earned it..and that you do not want to know how, when, or why...)

A Dire Warning

Audrey says:

Never substitute rice flour
for regular, in any proportion
in a chocolate chip cookie.

yuk.



Thats all for today.

An Ode to Tilapia

Our meat market carries it...not that unusual...but they have it encrusted in various flavors. OMG...it is to die for. The fish is mild..not fishy in the least. The toppings aren't thick or heavy...but they are wonderful. Friday night we had Tortilla encrusted; tonight, Coconut. 15 minutes in the oven, 5 minutes under the broiler. I found some frozen brown rice (by Bird'sEye), threw the fillets on top, baked it...heaven. Tonight, I am using rice pilaf. The fish is low calorie, the toppings add minimal cals and by baking...no added fat is used.

I had all but stopped eating fish when my husband gave up fishing for other, more stupid, hobbies, *rolling my eyes* but I am happy to have found Tilapia..thanks to my brother Jim, and SIL, Becky :)

Try it, you'll like it!

Dip for Fresh Fruit

Kids are here for the night, this is their snack today. And yes..you can use the light sour cream, light cool whip without any problem...infact, it is how I make it most of the time. 8 oz. sour cream 8 oz. Cool whip 5 tbs. brown sugar 2-3 tbs. Almond flavoring For adults..2-3 tbs. amaretto Add brown sugar to sour cream, mix well. Let sit in fridge for 15 minutes to allow the brown sugar to begin breaking down. Stir well, fold in Cool whip. Add almond/amaretto, stir, refrigerate. Serve with fresh fruit of your choice..and watch it disappear.

The Earth Isn't Flat

Therefore, I haven't fallen off the edge...but I enjoy living on the edge..does that count??? :p

My family is moving back to this area. YAY!!!!! What does that mean to you? Umm, probably not a whole lot, except I will be cooking regularly again..hence.. new/more recipes! * the crowd snores..I mean roars*

I am making this on Saturday. It is easy, can be kid friendly or strictly adult, depending on your taste buds. Once you have the basics, feel free to improvise, substitiute, and personalize.

7 Layer Dip

16 oz. sour cream ( light okay, fat free works if you are truly brave )
8 oz. cream cheese ( ^^^^^^^)

chopped lettuce
chopped tomatoes

here is where it gets optional...

re fried beans ( black beans, or any bean of choice )

seasoned ground meat ( can use turkey )

salsa

jalapenos, sliced

shredded cheese ( your choice )

chopped cilantro

onions, diced

Mix the sour cream and softened cream cheese together til smooth; spread on dish/platter
layer according to your desire w/ingredients of your choice.

I have made the stripped down version for kids ( base, lettuce, cheese/lettuce, tomato, cheese/lettuce, meat,cheese etc)
and I make the everything but the kitchen sink version...usually on the same night lol

The best thing about this dish is it can be personalized ..and easily split into a couple of dishes to accommodate different tastes.

Helpful hint...
base can be spread on dish/platter and covered w/lettuce, covered and refrigerated. Hold off on the tomatoes,salsa, anything that will add liquid, until just before serving.
I use pita chips, tortilla chips, Scoops, and soft flour tortillas when I serve; 2 of the girls like the flour tortillas cut into quarters so they can make wraps with the dip.