Whiskey Venison Jerky

Whiskey Venison Jerky

2 pounds sliced venison, 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup corn whiskey
1 cup water

Slice the meat when it is lightly frozen. The cuts should be long,
thin and with the grain. Cut across the grain if you want more tender,
but more brittle jerky. Trim off all of the fat. Marinate strips in a
glass container overnight. You may substitute 2 cups of red wine for
the corn whiskey and water. Pat dry and arrange pieces side by side on
an oven roasting rack, without overlap. Cook at minimum heat 150F for
6 hours. Leave oven door ajar to allow moisture to escape. Meat should
be dark, dry and store jerky in a cool, airtight container.

Braided Italian Flag Bread

Braided Italian Flag Bread

Susan Kim Otten

Bake-Off® Contest 38, 1998

Quick Meal!
Ready in less than
30 minutes!

Prep Time: 15 min ; Start to Finish: 40 min
Makes: 6 servings

1 (13.8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pizza Crust
3 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red bell peppers (from 7.25-oz.
jar), well drained
2 tablespoons purchased pesto, well drained*
2 tablespoons cream cheese with chives and onions
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon sesame seed

1 . Move oven rack to highest position. Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll
dough onto ungreased cookie sheet; press to form 12x10-inch rectangle.
Cut dough into 3 lengthwise strips.
2 . Spread roasted peppers to within 1/2 inch of edges of 1 strip.
Spread pesto to within 1/2 inch of edges of second strip. Spread cream
cheese to within 1/2 inch of edges of third strip.
3 . In small bowl, combine egg and water; beat well. Brush long right
edge of each strip lightly with egg mixture. Starting with long left
edge, carefully roll each strip into long rope. Pinch edges and ends
to seal, turning so seam side is down. From center, loosely braid
ropes to each end. Pinch ends together to seal. Brush with egg
mixture; sprinkle with sesame seed.
4 . Bake at 375°F. on highest oven rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until
golden brown. Remove bread from cookie sheet. Cool 5 minutes. Serve
warm. Store in refrigerator.

*To easily drain pesto, heat over low heat or in microwave just until
warm; drain on paper towels.

Justin Wilson's Hush Puppies

Justin Wilson's Hush Puppies

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons bacon drippings, hot
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
oil for deep frying

Combine all dry ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, onions and bacon
drippings. Mix well. Drop in hot oil by spoonfuls and brown on all
sides. Makes about 48. Best served hot.

Awesome Chocolate Muffins - TNT

My daughter got this recipe playing a Holly Hobbie game on nickjr.com. We will make these again, they were easy & taste so yummy!

Chocolate Muffins

1 3/4 c flour (we sub-ed in 1/2 c whole wheat flour)
1 cup sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c melted margarine
1/2 c chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, grease or line with paper cup liners a 12 muffin pan

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder & soda, and salt. Whisk to blend

3. Add the eggs, milk & melted butter. Stir until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Top with a few chocolate chips and I sprinkled the tops with sugar as well.

4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (check close, it could be chocolate chip instead of batter).

5. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes

Christmas Cookies #2

Pretzel Rings

I made a sheet full of these this evening. I'm sure I'll have to hide them if I want any left for the Christmas Day tray! I couldn't find rings, so I just used mini twists.

Carnival of the Recipes has a bunch of cookie recipes to browse!

I am still frosting cut outs & thinking I should make a second batch. However, I do have a few sewing projects left to finish... priorities.

Crudites Recipe

Crudites Recipe
Source: Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection - Finger Foods
Serves 10

A colorful selection of crunch fresh vegetables served with a choice
of dipping sauces is an ideal summer dish for health-conscious guests.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

For Sour Cream Dip:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon bottled horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt

For Vegetables:
1 English cucumber
2 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 small stalk broccoli
12 fresh or 13 oz. canned baby corn
1 cup snow peas
12 baby carrots
20 cherry tomatoes

For Herb Dip:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon each of chopped fresh chives, basil, parsley and tarragon

FOR SOUR CREAM DIP: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix
well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

FOR VEGETABLES: With a fork, scrape down the length of the cucumber
to create a ridged pattern, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the
celery and peppers into 2-3-inch long sticks. Blanch the broccoli,
corn, snow peas and carrots in boiling water for 1 minutes. Drain,
refresh in cold water and drain again. Remove the broccoli stem and
discard. Cut the bushy green part into bite-size pieces. Arrange all
the vegetables on a serving platter. Cover with damp paper towels,
then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR HERB DIP: Place the mustard in a bowl and whisk in the vinegar.
Gradually whisk in the oil before adding the herbs and seasoning with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the vegetables with the
dips on the side.

Nutrition Facts
Serves 10
Facts per Serving
Calories: 338 Fat: 31g Carbohydrates: 15g
Cholesterol: 14mg Sodium: 223mg Protein: 5g
Fiber: 3g % Cal. from Fat: 83% % Cal. from Carbs: 18%

Cinnamon-Spice Nut Mix

Cinnamon-Spice Nut Mix

Make a batch of these easy candied nuts and you'll find all kinds of
ways to serve them. You can set them out by the bowlful at a party,
use them to top a salad containing apples and goat cheese, or sprinkle
them over ice cream. And what could be sweeter as a homemade holiday
or hostess gift?

4 cups assorted whole nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans,
almonds, and macadamias)
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
teaspoon salt
teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

If using hazelnuts, preheat oven to 350. Spread hazelnuts in a single
layer on a baking sheet or pan. Bake, shaking the pan once or twice,
until nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Wrap
warm hazelnuts in a clean dishtowel and let cool 10 minutes. With the
towel, rub off as much of the papery skins as possible. Add to bowl
with the other assorted nuts. (You can omit this step if not using
hazelnuts.)

Reduce oven temperature to 225. Line a large baking sheet with foil or
parchment paper; coat with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Add nuts, tossing to
coat well.

In another large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger,
allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Blend well. Add nuts, tossing until
evenly coated with sugar mixture.

Spread nuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, separating
with a fork. Bake until coating is dry and crunchy, about 2 hours. Let
cool. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.

Yields 4 cups

Caramel Apple Dip

Caramel Apple Dip

1 stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 can Eagle Brand™ sweetened condensed milk
Preparation -
In saucepan, on low heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and milk. Raise heat to medium high. Bring to low boil stirring constantly. Lower heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Store unused dip in the refrigerator. Microwave a few seconds to soften before using if necessary.

Best Ever Popcorn Balls

Best Ever Popcorn Balls
Serves: 20

3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
2 teaspoons cold water
2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallows
5 quarts plain popped popcorn

What you do:
1 In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine,
cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until
the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with
the popcorn, coating each kernel.
2 Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated
popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic
wrap and store at room temperature.

HOT ARTICHOKE DIP

HOT ARTICHOKE DIP

2 cans (not marinated) artichokes, drained and quartered
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. Parmesan cheese
8 oz. pkg. shredded Mozzarella cheese
Pinch of garlic salt, onion salt, salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a 1-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees
for 1/2 hour. Serve with crisp crackers for dipping. Delicious hot.
(Recipe can be cut in half.)

Bacon Horseradish Dip

Bacon Horseradish Dip

Ingredients:

1 c Mayonnaise
1 c Sour cream
1/4 c Bacon (bits is fine)
1/4 c Horseradish

Instructions:
Stir all ingredients until well mixed. Cover; chill.
Makes 2 cups.

Red Onion Rings

"Some Good" Onion Rings

Peel and slice red onions into rings. Use only red onions! The amounts
you use in this recipe will depend entirely upon the amount of onion
you use.

In a paper bag, mix about a cup of white flour with paprika and 1
tablespoon salt. Dip the onion rings in buttermilk, then shake them
well in the bag of flour and fry them in hot, deep fat.

CLAM FRITTERS

My hubby love clam strips, I'm thinking this will be a good make at home replacement!

CLAM FRITTERS

1 pt. soft clams
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
Clam juice

Drain clams and chop fine. Sift flour and baking powder. Beat eggs.
Add clam juice and milk. Add slowly to flour; mix well. Add clams,
salt and pepper. Drop from spoon into hot fat (375 degrees), fry until
golden brown. Serve while hot.

Homemade Graham Crackers

Another one from my email. I'm not sure I'd tackle this but, maybe

Homemade Graham Crackers
This recipe clones the "honey" variety of graham crackers (that's the plain, most
common variety). If you want to clone the "cinnamon" variety, drop down
to the "tidbits" below.

1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp honey, warmed
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1-3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. combine shortening with sugar, honey (warmed
for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave), and vanilla in a large bowl. blend
with an electric mixer until smooth. combine flours, salt, baking powder,
and baking soda in another large bowl, and then add the dry mixture to the
wet ingredients and blend well with an electric mixer. Slowly add the
water to the mixture while beating. you may have to mix by hand until the
mixture forms a large ball of dough. divide the dough in thirds and roll
1/3 out in the shape of a rectangle that is at least 1/16 inch thick on
wax paper. This dough should be paper thin! It will double when cooked to
the desired 1/8-inch thickness. use a knife to trim the dough so that it
has straight edges in the shape of a rectangle slightly smaller than the
size of the baking sheet you are using. Grease the baking sheet with a
light coating of shortening. turn the dough over onto the baking sheet,
and carefully peel away the wax paper. Use a knife to score the dough in 5
x 2 3/8-inch rectangles. Use a toothpick to poke holes that are 1/4-inch
apart across the entire surface of the dough. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or
until the dough begins to turn light brown around the edges. be sure to
turn the baking sheet around about halfway through the cooking time. Cool
the graham cracker sheets before breaking them apart along the scored
lines. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Makes 44 crackers.

Tidbits.... if you would like to clone the cinnamon variety of graham
crackers, simply combine 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon with 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar in a small bowl. before you put the graham cracker dough
in the oven, sprinkle a light coating of this cinnamon/sugar mixture over
the top surface of the dough. Shake the baking sheet around gently to
evenly distribute the cinnamon/sugar and bake as instructed.

Cracker Jack

Cracker Jack

3 quarts popped corn
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Cook all except popped corn over medium heat to 260 degrees F or hard
ball stage. Boil slowly. Pour over popped corn. Bake for 1 hour,
stirring 3 times during baking. Let cool.

Beignets

Since I was in a "get my hands dirty in some dough" mood I made a batch of these (as well as the pizza hut dough). I only fried up a small bit to try & they are fantastic. The rest of the dough is in the fridge waiting for the Prince to come home from school. Then I can fry some up fresh for him. I don't know how long the dough keeps in the fridge though.

BEIGNETS (french market doughnuts)

1/2 cup boiling water
2 T shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 egg, beaten
3 3/4 cups sifted flour
powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl pour the boiling water over the shortening, sugar and salt. Add the milk and let stand until warm. in a small bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water and add to the milk mixture with the egg. Stir in 2 cups flour and beat. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Place the doube in a greased bowl turning to grease the top. Cover with wax paper and a cloth and chill until ready to use. On a light floured surface roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Do not let dough rise before frying. Cut into 2-inch squares and fry, a few at a time, in deep hot oil. Brown on 1 side, turn and brown the other side. Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot. Makes 30.

BUFFALO CHICKEN NACHOS

Found this one surfing the web & thought oh yeah, Super Bowl Sunday here we come!

BUFFALO CHICKEN NACHOS
http://franksredhot.com/recipe/franks/buffalowings/bcnachos.html
Servings: 4 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Owner/Copyright:RBI/©2007

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cup Frank's® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 (10 ounce) bag tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese
Blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
Sour cream


DIRECTIONS:
1. Toss chicken with Buffalo Wing Sauce.
2. Layer chicken mixture with chips and cheese in baking dish or on pizza pan.
3. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes until hot and cheese melts. Garnish as desired. Serve with blue cheese dressing, sour cream and additional Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Tip: You may substitute 1/3 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce mixed with 3 Tbsp. melted butter. Variations: Add 1/2 cup of the following to nachos along with chicken: chopped bell peppers, sliced green onion, sliced black peppers or diced jalapeno peppers. For a change of pace, substitute 2 cups diced shrimp.

Homemade "Cracker Jacks"

These are one of my biggest weaknesses, therefore I don't make them often!

HOMEMADE CRACKER JACKS

Have ready 5 quarts of popcorn and 1 cup of peanuts in a very large baking pan. For convenience I use the insert for my electric roasting pan, it is large, deep & fits in my oven.

SYRUP:

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter, 2 sticks
1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1 tsp. salt

Boil 5 minutes, stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, mixture will foam.
Pour syrup over popcorn mix and bake in 250 degree oven for 1 hour every 15
minutes cool and store in covered contained.

My Rice Crisp Treats

These are our favorite snack. Sometimes I will add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter.

My Rice Crisp Treats

1/4 c butter
1 bag of mini marshmallows
about 5 cups of crisp rice cereal
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Grease a 9x13 pan (I use a small jelly roll pan). Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add marshmallows & stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the cereal & chocolate chips, fold together. Grease your hand & press the mixture into the pan. Let sit for an hour or so until everything is set

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

This is my new favorite party food! I usually just set it out as a dip & don't bother with the pecans at all. I have served this with a variety of graham crackers, cinnamon & chocolate are the favs. It also works with teddy grahams.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Serves/Yields: About 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, soft (no substitutes)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 T brown sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
Variety of graham crackers

Directions:


In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar, beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate
chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Place onto saran wrap;
shape into a ball. Refrigerate at least 1 more hour. Just before
serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.