I must be one of a handful of Americans who doesn't like sour cream. But, I do love plain yogurt. Yesterday while ripping the top off a new tub of Dannon Fat Free Plain, I noticed a recipe for this dip. Made with yogurt. Not sour cream.
Well, there's no time like the present to try a new recipe! It struck me that yogurt is runnier than sour cream, so I decided to strain the yogurt for a while to thicken it up. While that was happening, made a quick trip to Publix for the olives and refried beans.
The dip was delicious, and to save you the trouble of looking up the recipe, here it is:
2 1/2 cups ff plain yogurt, poured into a cheesecloth lined strainer and left for a couple of hours.
1 cup each sliced olives, shredded sharp cheddar, finely shredded lettuce, chunky salsa
1 can refried beans.
Mix beans with 1/3 cup salsa. Then layer in a glass pie plate or other flat dish:
1/2 the bean mixture
1 cup strained yogurt
1/2 cup olives
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup lettuce
1/2 cup cheese.
Repeat the layers.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Serve with corn chips.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Lesson learned: Buy More Fabric Than You Think You Need
Especially when you don't have a plan for it yet.
This weekend I finally started working on the sashing for my Hawaiian quilt. I've been working on the applique on and off for several years. Now there are 48 paper pieced sashing pieces to make. 14 are complete and I am wondering whether I will have enough fabric to finish my design. I'm going to sew all the strips together so I can use every last inch from now on.
Last week I paged through an OLD Southern Living cookbook, and found an interesting sounding recipe for Wholewheat Spice Cake. It was delicious - more of a cookie bar than a cake. Ingredients include dates, raisins, cinnamon, honey, pecans and chocolate chips! Now don't you want some?
I forgot the picture! Guess I'll just have to make it again.
This weekend I finally started working on the sashing for my Hawaiian quilt. I've been working on the applique on and off for several years. Now there are 48 paper pieced sashing pieces to make. 14 are complete and I am wondering whether I will have enough fabric to finish my design. I'm going to sew all the strips together so I can use every last inch from now on.
Last week I paged through an OLD Southern Living cookbook, and found an interesting sounding recipe for Wholewheat Spice Cake. It was delicious - more of a cookie bar than a cake. Ingredients include dates, raisins, cinnamon, honey, pecans and chocolate chips! Now don't you want some?
I forgot the picture! Guess I'll just have to make it again.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
#2 Son's birthday dinner - finally!
The college kid finally had time to come home so we could celebrate his September birthday. 21 years old. Time sure does fly.
He requested Low Country Boil, one of my favorite dishes. It seems like a strange combination of ingredients, but they are just delicious together. In case you need a recipe, here is an easy one:
For 4 hungry eaters:
Scrub 8 medium white or red potatoes and put in a large saucepan with 1 package smoked sausage or kielbasa cut into one inch pieces. Add water just to cover, 1/2 a lemon, at least 1 Tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning and some cayenne pepper if you like things hot. Bring to a boil and cook 10 mins. Add 4 or more cleaned ears of corn and cook another 10 mins, or until the potatoes are soft. Add one pound of shrimp (I think they taste better if the skins are left on, but peeled is OK too) and cook a couple of minutes more.
Drain off the water, then pile everything onto a big platter, or onto some clean newsprint right on the table! Dig in and enjoy.
Corn bread, crusty bread and butter, salad or a green veg make it into a balanced meal.
Tomorrow I'm trying a cake from an old book I found in a friend's cupboard: Whole Wheat Spice Cake. Pictures to follow.
He requested Low Country Boil, one of my favorite dishes. It seems like a strange combination of ingredients, but they are just delicious together. In case you need a recipe, here is an easy one:
For 4 hungry eaters:
Scrub 8 medium white or red potatoes and put in a large saucepan with 1 package smoked sausage or kielbasa cut into one inch pieces. Add water just to cover, 1/2 a lemon, at least 1 Tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning and some cayenne pepper if you like things hot. Bring to a boil and cook 10 mins. Add 4 or more cleaned ears of corn and cook another 10 mins, or until the potatoes are soft. Add one pound of shrimp (I think they taste better if the skins are left on, but peeled is OK too) and cook a couple of minutes more.
Drain off the water, then pile everything onto a big platter, or onto some clean newsprint right on the table! Dig in and enjoy.
Corn bread, crusty bread and butter, salad or a green veg make it into a balanced meal.
Tomorrow I'm trying a cake from an old book I found in a friend's cupboard: Whole Wheat Spice Cake. Pictures to follow.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Birthday treats
This week was the Hubby's birthday, so a grand meal was in order. He requested lamb chops grilled over charcoal, a favorite thanks to the time spent in South AFrica. Well, in S.A. you can't have lamb chops without boerewors, usually just called wors, which means sausage. (Pronounce it "vorse") This is not just any sausage, but a local recipe made from beef, pork, pork fat, coriander and other spices. Simply delicious. There is nothing like it here in the States.
Never being afraid of spending a few hours in the kitchen, I decided wors was in order for the birthday boy. Usually the casings come from the local specialty food store, where for some unknown reason they charge a hefty chunk of change for them. What do you suppose the demand for sausage casings is? So this time, the sausage was made middle eastern style, wrapped around a skewer. Son #1 grilled them on the bbq. What a treat. They were mm, mm, good!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
New Cat Toy
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Delicious Fish for dinner
Tilapia with Artihokes.
Serves 4
4 Tilapia fillets
2 cloves garlic
1 bag Kroger PS frozen artichoke hearts
(works better than canned)
2T olive oil
Press or chop garlic and saute in olive oil. When you can smell it, add artichokes, stirring to coat with oil.
Season fish with Lawry's seasoned salt (or whatever your fave is) and freshly ground black pepper.
Push veggies aside and lay fillets in pan. Cover with veggies then add a lid to the pan.
Steam for a few minutes on side one, then turn fish over and finish steaming side two. Total time about10 mins, depending how thick the fillets are.
Serves 4
4 Tilapia fillets
2 cloves garlic
1 bag Kroger PS frozen artichoke hearts
(works better than canned)
2T olive oil
Press or chop garlic and saute in olive oil. When you can smell it, add artichokes, stirring to coat with oil.
Season fish with Lawry's seasoned salt (or whatever your fave is) and freshly ground black pepper.
Push veggies aside and lay fillets in pan. Cover with veggies then add a lid to the pan.
Steam for a few minutes on side one, then turn fish over and finish steaming side two. Total time about10 mins, depending how thick the fillets are.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sad day in the household
Sad day in the household today. We had to say goodbye to sweet Chloe, our 20 yr old kittie. She was a rescue from a cat shelter near where we lived in Pittsford, N.Y. Youngest son Brian was just a toddler when we got her, so he can't remember life without her. Now we'll all have to get used to that idea.
Sad day in the household today. We had to say goodbye to sweet Chloe, our 20 yr old kittie. She was a rescue from a cat shelter near where we lived in Pittsford, N.Y. Youngest son Brian was just a toddler when we got her, so he can't remember life without her. Now we'll all have to get used to that idea.
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