Palette Family Black-Eyed Pea Dip

I don't know about you, but I have been eating as much black-eyed pea dip as is humanly possible, because I want as much good luck as possible this year. 

Since apparently some of my dear readers are uncultured heathens who have never heard of such a thing, please feel free to use my family recipe. 

Palette Family Black-Eyed Pea Dip

2 c. Ranch Style black-eyed peas, drained
3 Jalapeno peppers
1/4 medium onion 
1 can green chilis (4 oz.)
1 clove garlic

1/4 lb. Old English cheese (Kraft glass jar)
1 stick butter

Put first 5 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Heat mixture in a chafing dish or microwave. Add last 2 ingredients & stir until melted. 

I prefer to eat mine with multigrain Tostito Scoops, but this also tastes great spread on warm cornbread. 

Calypso's Storm

While up in Virginia, some friends took me to a place called the Colonial Tavern where we all had adult beverages with our meal. The waitress asked me what I wanted, and all I could see on the menu were the usual draft beers and lagers, so I said "I don't know. I like my drinks to be fruity, girly things which taste like candy. Can you do something like that for me?"

She smiled widely at this and said "I can mix something for you, sure. Would you like that?" I said yes, and she brought me a Calypso's Storm. It was so tasty that I had to ask her for the recipe, and here it is:

Calypso's Storm

• 1 shot Captain Morgan
• 1 shot Malibu
• 1/2 shot Watermelon Pucker

Fill glass with pineapple juice, top with grenadine, garnish with a cherry (in the drink) and orange slice (on the glass). 

If you're at the Colonial Tavern in Fredericksburg and have a cute waitress named Grace, be sure to tip her well and tell her I said hi!

The LGBTQ Sandwich

When I plugged yesterday's post on Google+ and Facebook, I introduced it with "I swear, I'm about ready to call us all 'sandwiches' because obviously we're some kind of BLT with Queso and Guacamole."

While that comment was made it jest, it sounded damn tasty. And many other people thought so as well. Therefore, I am Proud to present to you this recipe.

The LGBTQ Sandwich
(aka "the Queer")
(also aka "The Stonewall" if you want to sound classy)

Ingredients

• toasted bread
• Lettuce 
• Guacamole
• Bacon (1/4 pound minimum)
• Tomato
• 2.5 ounces Queso dip, spiced to your taste (go here for recipe suggestions)
• mayo, mustard, or other condiments to your taste

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.
2. Toast the bread.
3. Spread condiments on bread as desired. 
4. Add lettuce. 
5. Add 2 slices of tomato on top of lettuce.
6. Arrange 3 slices of bacon evenly on top of tomato. 
7. Spread guacamole over bacon. 
8. Add more bacon so that the guacamole is layered between bacon slices. 
9. Add top piece of bread. 
10. Heat queso dip until it is nearly molten and serve in a ramekin. 

Dip the sandwich into the queso, fondue-style.

Enjoy the delicious flavor of gender and sexual diversity!

SHTFriday: Recipe Week

It's been recipe week over at Blue Collar Prepping, where we've shared our favorite camping meals, ways to make scraps go further, and how to make the nasty into tasty.

In my entry for today, I talk about a dish I created while camping.

Trust me, it's tastier than it sounds.

Birthday dinner!

When someone in our family has a birthday, they are allowed to ask for a special birthday dinner. My father always asks for steak & lobster, while my mother always asks to be taken out for dinner. I, however, always ask for a special dish called Rouladen.  You could almost consider it a "German haggis," only with better ingredients (beef and bacon instead of porridge and stomach).  Mom says it's easy to make, just time consuming.

Here is our family recipe.

Rouladen

8 slices bacon
4 pieces top round steak
4 t. mustard
1 medium onion, chopped-1/2 cup (may use onion flakes instead)
4 medium dill pickles, finely chopped-1/2 cup (may use sweet relish instead)
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup dry red wine
1 envelope or t. instant beef broth
1 ½ cups boiling water
½ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
3 sprigs parsley
1 T. butter
1 T. flour


1) Cook bacon; drain; chop coarsely. Save 2 T. bacon fat in skillet.

2) Pound steak to 1/4". Spread with mustard; sprinkle with bacon, onion & pickle; roll up and tie with string.

3) Brown rolls in bacon fat. Remove from pan.

4) Saute celery & carrot in same pan; add red wine. Dissolve beef broth in boiling water; stir into wine mixture with salt, pepper & parsley. Return rolls to pan; cover. Bring to boiling; lower heat & simmer 1 ½ - 2 hours, until tender. Remove rolls to serving platter & keep warm.

5) Pour liquid into blender & puree. In same pan melt butter; add flour & lightly brown; add liquid until mixture thickens.

6) Remove strings from rolls; slice into pieces, if desired.

Serve with mashed potatoes (gravy works equally well over both meat & potatoes) and either beets or red cabbage.

Guten appetit!

Blarney Stones

Currently feasting on these. Enjoy!


Blarney Stones

Icing
1 box sifted powdered sugar
½ t. vanilla
½ t. coconut flavoring
½ t. butter flavoring
2/3 c. milk
2 lbs. Spanish peanuts, salted, roasted, & finely chopped

Blend together until smooth all ingredients except peanuts.


Batter
4 eggs
1 c. sugar
3 T. cold water
1 c. flour, sifted
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
½ t. almond extract

Separate eggs and beat the yolks lightly. Add ½ cup sugar, then beat until light & creamy. Add water, flour, cream of tartar, vanilla, & almond extract. Blend well. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add remaining ½ c. sugar to whites & beat until they hold a peak. Fold into the egg mixture carefully. Bake in an ungreased 13x9" pan. Start in a cold oven and bake one hour at 300 degrees. Let cake cool completely. Loosen with a sharp knife. Cut into 1 1/2" cubes and dip into icing, covering all sides. Then roll in finely ground peanuts. If icing gets too thick for dipping, add a few drops of milk.