Category: Uncategorized

Let the good times roll.

Toe-tapping fiddle music, colorful Mardi Gras parades, and plenty of good eating are quickly envisioned at the very mention of “Cajun” cuisine. Or, as they say in New Orleans – Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Entertaining the Creole way means the host needs to have fun, too. Make the entertaining easy. One easy way to give side dishes and salads that “French Quarter” flair is to spice things up by using Creole seasoning in place of salt. Sprinkle on an authentic, all-purpose blend of Creole spices, readily available in the supermarket spice aisle.

Enjoy The Big Easy, the sweet onion version of the famed muffaletta sandwich, a New Orleans tradition. Choose ingredients with big Creole flavor, easy preparation and that little something extra, or “lagniappe,” as they say in the French Quarter.

Plan for leftovers, because some dishes taste better the next day after their ingredients have had a chance to mingle. Keep refrigerated leftovers fresh in tight-sealing plastic containers and pop in the microwave and to enjoy your treat another day.

 

The Big Easy

1 cup green olives, preferably Italian, pitted and chopped

1 cup chopped sun-dried tomato (packed in olive oil, drained)

1-1/2 tablespoons capers

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped, fresh oregano

(1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or other red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large round loaf Italian bread, about 7 inches in diameter

1 OSO Sweet onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

1/4 pound thinly sliced mozzarella

1/4 pound thinly sliced salami

1/4 pound thinly sliced ham

1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone

1/4 pound thinly sliced mortadella

 

Mix the chopped olives and the next 6 ingredients; stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator at least 12 hours to marry flavors. Olive mixture can be made up to a week ahead. Cut bread in half horizontally; remove bread from bottom and top of loaf (discard or save for bread crumbs) to form a thick shell. Spread half the reserved olive mixture (with liquid) on the bottom half, then half the onion rings. Next, layer the cheese and cold cuts in the order listed. Top with remaining onion slices, then remaining olive mixture. Sandwich can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Wrap tightly; store in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving. Cut into 6 wedges.

6 servings

Courtesy of: OSO Sweet Onions

 

Peanut Butter Cake With Banana Buttercream Icing

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup butter, softened

6 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray pan with nonstick vegetable spray. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, peanut butter and butter until light and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in combined flour, baking powder and baking soda until smooth. If desired, stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean when inserted in middle. Remove cake from oven and cool on cake rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on cake rack.

 

Banana Buttercream Icing:

3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

6 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon banana extract

 

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and banana extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using. Yield: 4 1/2 cups.

 

Blackened Rib Eye Steak

4 (10-ounce) Omaha Steaks Rib Eye Steaks

2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Heat cast iron skillet on high for 5 minutes. Season steaks on both sides with 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning.

Place seasoned steak in hot skillet. For perfect medium rare, cook 3 minutes, then turn and cook 2 minutes more. Serve with Dirty Rice and Creole Vegetable Kabobs.

Serves 4

Courtesy of: The Glad Products Company, Omaha Steaks and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasonings

 

Orange Walnut Bread With Sweet Marmalade Butter

Bread:

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup orange juice

Zest from 1 orange

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups chopped walnuts

Marmalade Butter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bottoms only of two (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans or five (5-1/2 x 3-inch) mini loaf pans. Set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs; mix well. Add sour cream, orange juice and orange zest; mix well.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; mix well. Stir in nuts.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake 45 to 55 minutes in 9 x 5-inch pans (35 to 45 minutes in mini loaf pans) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

To make Marmalade Butter, combine butter, powdered sugar and marmalade in small mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 loaves or 5 mini-loaves

Courtesy of: National Butter Promotion

 

Cool Down Cranberry Lemonade

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 cups ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate

4 cups cranberry juice cocktail

Fresh mint sprigs

 

In skillet, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is simmering. Simmer 10 minutes to make a sugar syrup. (should have about 2 2/3 cups). Remove from heat and cool.

Combine sugar syrup, lemon juice from concentrate and cranberry juice cocktail. Stir well.

Serve in tall glasses over ice.

As a festive touch, garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Makes 2 quarts

Courtesy of: The Catfish Institute, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends, and ReaLemon

 

Creamy Bronzed Catfish Dip

2 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)

2 tablespoons Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic, divided

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate

2 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Pepper Sauce

1/4 cup chopped green onions

 

Sprinkle each side of fillets with 1 teaspoon seasoning. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over one side of each fillet.

Place skillet over high heat until pan is hot, about 4 minutes. Place fillets in pan, oiled side down. Cook, turning once, until fillets are just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Fish is cooked when flesh flakes away easily. Set aside and cool.

Chop catfish into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.

In food processor, combine cream cheese, lemon juice from concentrate, pepper sauce and remaining 2 teaspoons seasoning. Process until cream cheese is fluffy and soft. Transfer mixture to mixing bowl and gently fold in reserved catfish and green onions. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Serve with your favorite crackers, or if you are watching carbohydrates, try this dip with celery sticks.

Makes about 3 cups

Courtesy of: The Catfish Institute, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends, and ReaLemon

 

Creamy Chocolate Honey Decadence

Spread onto shortbread or biscuits, heat and drizzle over ice cream or serve with fresh fruit.

2 (4-ounce) bars German sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 cup honey

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

 

Melt all ingredients together in top of double boiler over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to decorative bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator, tightly covered, up to 1 month.

Makes about 3 cups

Variation: After removing from heat, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of liqueur. Try Grand Marnier, Amaretto or Chambord.

Courtesy of: National Honey Board

 

Steak Jambalaya

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup yellow onions (1/2-inch chop)

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/2 cup red peppers (1/2-inch chop)

1/4 cup celery (1/2-inch chop)

1/4 cup sliced okra

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes in sauce

1 cup water

1 Omaha Steaks Blackened Rib Eye Steak (see recipe) sliced thin, then halved

 

Heat oil in skillet. Add onions and garlic; cook until soft. Add peppers, celery and okra; cook until soft. Stir in Creole seasoning. Add diced tomatoes in sauce and water; simmer 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and fold in steak slices. Serve over Dirty Rice.

Serves 4

Courtesy of: The Glad Products Company, Omaha Steaks and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasonings

 

Dirty Rice

2 ½ cups cold water

1/2 cup chicken livers and gizzards

1/2 cup cubed pork shoulder

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons diced onions

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons diced celery

1/4 cup sliced frozen okra

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1/2 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup uncooked converted rice

 

Place chicken livers, chicken gizzards and pork shoulder in cold water. Bring to boil and skim off any fat or foam that rises to top. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 30 minutes.

Strain off chicken and pork. Reserve liquid and finely chop meat.

Melt butter in large saucepot. Add vegetables and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are soft.

Add reserved liquid from meat and the rest of the ingredients plus Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and rice, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is cooked and most liquid has cooked away.

Serves 4

Courtesy of: The Glad Products Company, Omaha Steaks and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasonings

 

 

 

Fundraiser to benefit the 2nd Story Club in Minot, North Dakota!

 

 

The Wild Game Meat & Greet Fundraiser will be Friday, April 28th at 5:00 PM. We have an offer of $15,000.00 in matching funds, so our goal is to raise a minimum of $30,000.00 for the night!

It will be at
Off The Vine
15 South Main
Minot, ND

There will be a variety of :
Elk Sausage
Fish
Cheese/ Dips/ Crackers
Beer/ Wine

 

If you cannot attend in person, you can donate at the website!

http://secondstoryclub.com/

 

Plaid and Plagiarism

by Molly MacRae

 

Book 1 in the Highlands Bookshop Mystery Series

 

 

The mark of a really good book is that I find myself sneaking away from what I should otherwise be doing, just to get back into that world. When the characters in the book are just as real to me as the people I encounter at the local store, I know I have found a winner.

This book is a winner.

I would love to spend some quality time in Yon Bonnie Books, sitting by the cozy fire and reading snippets of new books while I decided which one to embrace first. Doing this while munching on tasty confections from the adjoining tearoom would be fun in fantasy, but in reality, the idea would be frightening to a bookseller!

While I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters in this book, it was a bit dismaying to find that I most closely resembled the murder victim. Luckily, I have no burning desire to travel to the Isle of my forefathers, so I will remain safe from the guilty party in this tale!

The reason for the murder made total sense to me, as did the solution. On the other hand, the character flaw that got the victim murdered was not the flaw that made me say “Serves you right!”

I am totally unfamiliar with Scotland‘s legal process, but I do know that this would not be a trial where I would want to serve on the jury. Once upon a time, rumor had it that certain places accepted “he needed killin’…” as a valid defense. Were I working on the defense legal team, I just might be tempted to apply for a change of venue to one of those places.

 

 

It was my mom’s birthday on February 19th, and she turned 85 years old.

We sent up smiling rockets for her!

Not a warm day, but the sky was clear — it was 33F  when we went out and did the finale for mom’s birthday party.

Well, that certainly escalated fast…

 

For this year, it was my job/role/position to line up the “program speakers” for the Minot Camera Club. We have a short business meeting and then an educational program or presentation of some kind on the first Monday of every month.

The club is evenly split between the people who not only take photography and competition seriously but also gave lessons to Mathew B. Brady, Eastman and Kodak and the other half of us who are still learning to operate our first DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera.)

I especially like the hands-on projects where we actually use our cameras and do *stuff* at the meeting. I was able to line up one hands-on presentation on making use of the available light for people pictures and portraits this fall…and it rained. We did not have the same results inside the building that she had planned for using outside. Weather is never guaranteed, so that stuff happens.

I lined up two presentations where they showed us pictures and explained how they got them and what kind of different ideas we can try next time.

I wanted a presentation on lenses. I have read all sorts of reviews on different lenses. I have looked at several. I have clicked “add to cart” more than twice…but never pulled the trigger.

One person (from the experienced side of the club) who I spoke to thinks it is a silly idea for a program, but he already has more lenses than he would ever be able to carry to a single event. He scoffed at the idea of us poor beginners ever buying a serious lens. As I actually know people who put a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a Viking range in their kitchen and only use them to heat up pre-packed Lean Cuisine frozen dinners, the argument that we beginners would refuse to spend a chunk of change on a good lens does not hold water.

We do, however, need some education to know what we are buying!

I wanted a knowledgeable retailer to come in with a selection of lenses to present and explain. This is what we carry, this is what we can order, these are really a great deal for the price, these are extremely expensive but worth every penny, these are overpriced and over-rated….

You know…information.

The first choice for me was the place where I bought my camera, but he was not available for the dates I needed to fill.

So I started looking around for retailers that sold both Canon and Nikon camera lenses. The best local selection seemed to be at Best Buy, so I talked to the assistant manager there. He seemed agreeable, but said he needed permission from “corporate” because the guy would have to be “on the clock” or he could not ask him to do it.

OK, that makes sense. For him to remove the lenses from the store, he would need to be on duty.

Yesterday, I went over to check back in with the assistant manager I had spoke to and make sure it was approved. He said sure, no problem. Then he added a bombshell – since that would be considered a branded Best Buy Service Call, there would be a “small” service charge of $100.00.

Ummmm – no.

I am not going to pay you to make a sales pitch of your products to a captive audience. Aside from the fact that the camera club does not and cannot pay for speakers, I personally refuse to pay for advertising.

 

 

Marketing strategy for the win!

 

Over the past two months, my social media newsfeed has been filled with pop up sales and testimonials for LuLaRoe clothing. Glowing testimonials abound!

However, I find their listed sizing confusing. I have seen some items that are tempting, but I have never purchased any.

Six months ago, I had honestly never heard of the company. Suddenly, I am seeing it everywhere I look, which fits my definition of marketing genius. It appears to be sold on the party plan, like Tupperware and so many others. **

**disclaimer – I tried selling Tupperware.

Twice.

Sales is not my strong point, but I do love Tupperware.

So I clicked the links on “you can make a kazilllion dollars selling LLR with no work” and “selling LuLaRoe for fun and profit!”…etc.

The links took me down a rabbit hole. Glowing testimonial after glowing testimonial led me to actually check out what kind of investment is required.

Whoa!

Not quite the hundred dollar investment I expected to pay for my basic initial starter kit. I was thinking maybe five hundred dollars, but my decimal point was misplaced.

Then the “anti” videos started popping into the stream. Not everyone has glowing reports on their experience selling LLR, it seems. The drawbacks I saw on these videos about being part of the sales force were enough to convince me not to buy a starter kit. Plus, there is that whole “**disclaimer – I tried selling Tupperware.

Twice.

Sales is not my strong point, but I do love Tupperware.” thing.

I know Tupperware. I use it daily. I have used Tupperware for fifty years, and still love it today. If I cannot make any money selling a product I will praise to anyone who listens (and some that don’t) – how can I possibly expect to make money selling a product I have never seen?

So now I am on the prowl to find these products in “real life.” I had good luck the last time I bought a product “sight unseen” under similar circumstances – and I did also flirt with the idea of selling Jamberry products. However, that flirtation came after using and loving the product. Which totally proves the marketing genius of LuLaRoe, at least to me.

So if you decide to have a local party selling LLR, I would love an invitation to see these products in real life. (And if you have a local party selling Jamberry or Tupperware, you would be a fool to *not* invite me, as those are things I do love already…)

 

 

 

 

 

Looking over some of the past topics, and this one still rings true for me.

 

With a new grandbaby on the way, I was thinking of all that advice everybody loves to give new mommies.
The best piece of advice I ever got actually came when I was not actually a “new” parent any longer – and it came from a highly-unlikely source, but it is still the best advice I have ever heard for parents of all ages.
When your kids need a ride, for a school trip, to a dance, to a movie, to the mall, to the next county, even! – do not bother keeping score to say “I drove last time, it is Suzy’s mom’s turn to drive this time.” Just say “yes, I can drive.”
If you drive, you know where the kids are, who they are with, and what they are doing. Plus, you hear the blow-by-blow discussion between the kids in the back seat on the trip home – inside information you will not get when they arrive home and you ask “how was the dance?”

The worst piece of advice I got came from a highly trusted source, and I am ashamed to say I followed it for far too many years:  “do not let your kids hear you praise them, because it will give them a swelled head. If you are out with child A, praise child B.”
I did that for years.
It was wrong.
I am truly sorry I followed that piece of advice.

Praise your kids to other people – and let them hear you.
Trust me.
It is good advice.

Drunken Beanie Babies

 

Once upon a time, in a world not-so-very-far-away, there was a short-lived craze to “invest” in Beanie Babies. Several local people actually put their retirement account money into plush toys as an investment.

People were paying premium prices for “rare” toys, or the one that was currently in popular demand. While the manufacturer was selling them at the normal retail price of less-than-ten-bucks, people were going insane and paying out premium prices as an “investment” in the “rare” toys. The maker of the toys did not get any part of these high prices that were being paid by speculators.

These were an item currently being made. Now, Picasso paintings can command a premium price as an investment because the world contains a finite number of them, but an item still being produced can always be produced in increased quantities.

Which brings me to the “drunken” part of my tale…

The city of Minot sells a liquor license for $3,125 per year. That is what everybody should be able to pay to purchase a liquor license from the city of Minot. There should not be any limit on the number of liquor licenses issued in the city – just let the market determine how many places can turn a profit by selling liquor. If I want to buy a liquor license and hold dollar-per-cup keggers in my garage, that license should be available for me to purchase. If a club wants to sell beer at their club meetings, they should be able to buy the license to do so.

Current license holders are screaming objections to issuing more licenses. They claim if the city opens the doors to competition, it will cheat them out of all the money they spent on their investment.

Ummmmmm – no. Just like the people that paid a premium price for real estate after the flood, they paid the “going rate.”

Much like those gamblers that speculated a purchase of Beanie Baby “collectibles” would increase in value, they have discovered that not all investments will retain the same value we pay for them originally.

Adding a huge “application fee” for new license holders is wrong. Minot already has a reputation of being the “good ol’ boys club” and working hard at keeping out new people. Don’t add more fuel to that fire.

The No Campfire Girls

book review by Nikki D Paulsen

 

As we sit back and search for a break from all the holiday whirlwind, a fun book shows up at the top of my reading stack. The No-Campfire Girls by Mark R. Hunter (ISBN 97814497559264)

While people around me are singing “White Christmas” and telling me this snow is a good thing because “We neeeeeeeeed a white Christmas!”…I am heartily sick of snow. Having yet another blizzard in the forecast does not please me.

Escaping into a sultry summer day was exactly what I needed to get my mind off the nasty weather. And this book is just plain fun, set in a “Lookout Girls” summer camp. (Disclaimer – part of the proceeds from this book go to “Friends of Camp Latonka” to assist Camp Latonka, of Wappapello, Missouri with maintenance and operating costs. While I never went to that camp, as the book points out, once you’re a Girl Scout, you’re always a Girl Scout!)

The Lookout Girl’s camp is Camp Inipi, located in southern Indiana. Camp Inipi is in the middle of the county that is part of a county-wide burn ban area, so campfires are forbidden. As campfires are a big part of camp life, the no-open-fires rule causes some muttering and aggravation among the campers.

I like the girls we get to know in this book — Beth, who is a bit of a know-it-all; shy Cassidy, who did not realize how important her heritage was to her until she found herself fighting to defend it; and Rotten Ronnie, who shot off fireworks during the worst drought in thirty years.

The big fire, however, was not caused by the fireworks. It was caused by lightning, which packs a far greater punch than a package of Black Cat firecrackers. The circumstances that placed the teenagers on the front line of the fire crew were both believable and realistic. As the author is a real fireman, the fire fighting scenes in the book actually taught me a few interesting things I did not know!

The No-Campfire Girls is available on the author’s website www.markrhunter.com, on Amazon.com, or can be ordered through your local book retailer.

 

Christmas Decorations

 

 

I want to live in the house you see pictured on the Christmas cards. The one you see pictured in a two-page centerfold in every glossy magazine. The house with the perfect decorations in every single room.

So every year, while I am thinking about Christmas, I have these visions of putting up a Christmas tree in every room of my house. Family lore told me that I had an aunt that did have a tree in every room, so I think it is possible to do. When I was a child, I heard the stories of my Aunt Beece and her amazing decorations every year. We lived a thousand miles apart, and so I never did get to see her decorations in person. I never even saw very many pictures of them! Kids today, growing up with email and digital cameras and internet connections, will never understand why photographic sharing was limited “back in the day.”

Without having actual pictures to see exactly what my Aunt Beece was putting up, my mind came up with spectacular decorations, stuff with amazing special effects that would make Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg jealous. In my mind’s eye, I can see all of these lovely Christmas trees. I picture each of them with a different decorating theme, something special and incredible for each room.

Now that I have my own house, I imagine replicating these amazing decorations from my imagination. I could put up one tree with all doll decorations – Barbie and Raggedy Ann and Madame Alexander will all play nicely with each other, and maybe I could also hang some of those adorable tiny china teapots for them to have a treat at teatime.

I could put up a tree with fun Star Trek ornaments, so we can Live Long and Prosper. My grandsons would be thrilled to see a tree filled with all different trains and trucks and tractors – but I am not sure how long those would actually stay on the tree. It is fun to imagine all the different “themes” I could have on multiple trees.

Reality, however, always speaks up.

Silly old reality, anyway!

Reality points out how much work would be involved in trying to set up and organize multiple Christmas trees.

I scoff at Reality.

Starting with good intentions, I carve out a spot in my living room for the first tree. I start looking in other rooms for the perfect location to set up tree number two and tree number three.

Then I remember the part where I am lazy, and it takes me far longer to finish decorating the first tree than originally planned. For example, this year’s tree is not-quite-halfway decorated at the moment. When I unwrap an ornament, I often need to stop to tell the story. I have a wardrobe of stocking hats on my tree, each hanging there because my little one made it in school. Nestled against the hubby’s fancy Terry Redlin collector ornament hangs the stocking hat made of yarn and a piece of cardboard tissue roll, up against the beautiful “You Paid HOW much?” ornament snuggles the snowman painted and created from a wooden paint stir stick.

I think about setting up fancy themed Christmas trees. There is nothing fancy about the tree I set up, but it does have a theme – the theme of my tree is love.