Salad in a Jar

Creamed Corn with Maple Bacon

December 21, 2011

Creamed Corn with Maple Bacon

When meeting new people, I like it when they suggest a hook to help me remember their name. For example, I often say, “My name is Paula, like Paula Abdul on American Idol.” (Outdated, I know.)

But today, I’m saying, “My name is Paula, just like Paula Deen.” (I’m pretty sure I have more in common with Paula D. than Paula A. anyway.) My younger sister sent me Paula Deen’s newest cookbook for Christmas, and one of the recipes inspired me to dress up this family favorite for special meals.

My older sister makes an easy creamed corn dish my husband loves. It’s so simple really– you don’t even need a recipe. After allowing canned creamed corn (pumped up with extra corn) to simmer on low heat for awhile, it becomes thick and slightly caramelized. Paula Deen gave me the idea to top it off with maple bacon. She added it to hominy, but it also takes this creamed corn to new heights.

Feel free to substitute fresh or frozen corn for the whole-kernel corn depending on your emotional disposition regarding the canned stuff. Although I love fresh corn, canned corn evokes good memories for me, going back to the basement cafeteria of my elementary school years in Lucerne, Indiana, where it was easily the best vegetable on the menu.

Click here to see the recipe.

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Crunchy Gingerbread Bites (Pfeffernusse) for Christmas Giving

December 14, 2011

Crunchy Gingerbread Bites are perfect for Christmas gift-giving or entertaining.

A few years ago, my entry into the Star-Telegram Christmas cookie contest made the first cut. It was exciting even though the prize was no big deal.

I didn’t win.

These cookies did–I think, or maybe it was second place. I’m not sure. Anyway, I printed the details and stuck it in my someday-I-want-to-try-this file.

When I heard our church needed cookies for the Christmas baskets we give to the older and less mobile members, I dug out this recipe. It was the perfect opportunity to experiment because I would have something to do with them besides stuff my face. Turns out they make excellent gifts for three reasons:

They don’t crumble.
They stay fresh and delicious up to 3 weeks or can be frozen.
No decorating required.

By the way, I made up the name “Crunchy Gingerbread Bites” because who can pronounce their real name unless you speak German? I won’t even try to explain the translation, pepper nuts, but you can read about it on Wikipedia.

These miniature sweets are some trouble, officially qualifying them as Christmas cookies. I’ve figured out if you want to be labeled a Christmas cookie, you must be either red, green, or labor-intensive. Not saying these are difficult to make–they couldn’t be easier. It just takes a chunk of time to cut all those little pieces of dough. Don’t worry, the last tray only took about a third of the time of the first tray.

Roll a piece of dough about the size of a pencil. Cut in 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.

Originally, I thought I would roll each little ball by hand. HA! There must be about a thousand per batch. People eat them by the handfuls, so trying to make them look perfect is wasted energy.

Space far enough apart so you don't end up with any Siamese twins like I did.

To package them, I put about 3/4 cup in each cellophane bag (available at craft stores) and tied with red raffia. A cute Christmas label would have been nice. (Sigh) Maybe next year.

p.s. While “googling” about the Star-Telegram cookie contest, I ran across this post written by Amy of Sing for Your Supper. She is a local food blogger who actually won the cookie contest in 2010. She published her winning recipe here. I have met Amy and was so excited to find out about this. A belated “Congratulations” to you, Amy.

Click here for the recipe.

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Brown Butter and Rosemary Dinner Rolls Dressed Up for Christmas

December 7, 2011

Brown Butter and Rosemary Dinner Roll Wreath

Are you looking for something easy but festive to take to a holiday gathering? Or perhaps you want to start a new tradition for Christmas dinner.

Although homemade yeast rolls issue an aromatic, come-hither statement on their own, this simple wreath configuration is guaranteed to make them memorable. Don’t fret if you aren’t Mr. or Ms. Bread-Baker-of-the-Year. There’s more than one way to do this. Use the following guide to assess your situation and choose your plan of attack.

No time or too many bread-baking insecurities? Use store-bought frozen bread dough.

No desire and/or time to mix and knead bread dough by hand? (This would be me.) Use a bread machine or a heavy-duty stand mixer to do the job. You could even use a bread machine mix from the grocery store.

Already have a favorite roll recipe but want to dress it up? After letting your dough rise, start with the instructions for shaping the rolls in step 5 and proceed as directed.

Looking for a fantastic bread recipe everybody will snarf up before you have a chance to take home leftovers? Keep on reading.

Not sure about the wreath but want to try the rolls? (They make great slider buns.) Skip the whole wreath idea and put dough balls into two 8 or 9-inch pans as seen here and start from step 5 in the recipe.

The combination of brown butter (click here to see how easy it is to brown butter in the microwave), rosemary and black pepper in this light and fluffy dinner roll recipe means you probably won’t have to worry about leftovers. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out this video for instructions on how to make perfect little balls with yeast dough. No fancy twisting, knotting, or similar frustration required.

Click here for more fun…

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How to Make Salad in a Jar That Lasts a Week–a Video Debut and FAQ

November 30, 2011

I‘m not much in the mood to cook this week. I usually feel that way after marathon cooking sessions connected with holidays or parties, even though I love doing it. Just as well. I have something else to share.

I recently put up a new video on You Tube entitled “How to Make Salad in a Jar That Lasts a Week”. This is no great Hollywood production but I hope it will inspire you to give this idea a try if you’ve been curious.

This also seems like a good time to answer questions about making Salad in a Jar in a way that’s easier to read than sifting through the entire comment section. If you still have unanswered questions, leave them in the comments here and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Frequently Asked Questions about Salad in a Jar

I’ll start with the NUMBER ONE, TOP QUESTION! Keep reading…

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Divide and Conquer– A Skinny Secret for the Holidays

November 26, 2011

I’m taking a break from my regularly-scheduled programming to bring you this special message that may or may not be helpful during this time of seasonal surplus.

I know it's hard to tell in this picture, but these are half-size versions of standard-size baking pans.

Is it just me or do you also have trouble resisting leftover desserts from holiday celebrations? With Thanksgiving behind me, but hopefully not still ON my behind, I am contemplating my plan of defense against the traditional weight gain of the Christmas season. For me, the leftover pie, cake or cookies beckon most loudly when everybody has gone home. Of course, I try to pawn off any extra food, but I’ve observed that more and more, people decline. And who can blame them? Few of us need extra padding. Click here to read the details…

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