Don't You Just Love Shoes?

I know I inherited this passion--no, obsession, from my mother.  I finished Saturday school today (easiest job I have every had),  and went up town to get gas.  Then I decided to go to the Curio Cabinet and just look.  Well, guess what!  They have a bunch more shoes, and that is my downfall.  I just had to have these, and thank goodness it was time for them to close up shop or I probably would have found something else to buy. 
Since I have had toe surgery, I want something pretty open, and pretty, and I love the leopard print, and the beads! 

This is how I have to keep my toes bandaged for the next six months, and I can't stand anything tight.

STATE STUCO at ARLINGTON

On Sunday, April 1, at 7:00  am  these 16 student council kids, and I boarded a yellow dog and headed for Arlington for the state convention.  They slept most of the way because the prom was the night before, and most stayed up all night at various parties, and got home just in time to pack. 
It was so much fun and the kids were just great to be with.  I am glad a whole passel of them got to go so they will be all enthusiastic next year, and it was just good to get to know them better.  The convention center is right across a small pond from the Ranger baseball stadium, and close to 6 Flags Over Texas.  Monday night 6 Flags was closed to the public so all the student council kids could have their own private party (all 4500 of them).  I was still semi-crippled from surgery, and after I rode the Titan I was really "stove up" (as my dad would say).  The Titan is a beast that I should never have tackled.  We were headed down a huge incline straight for a tunnel that looked too small for anything to go through, so I instinctively ducked and the G--forces sucked me even further down.  One of my muscles in my back was  strained terribly, so the bus driver had to do the running at 6 Flags for me.  Thank God for women bus drivers!  Here is a picture of the Titan from various angles.

I took this picture from the road as we left on Tuesday.  You can see the clouds building and later on there were some bad tornadoes in area.

So, when you ride the Titan, sit back, keep your head against the back of the seat, hang on (because at times you will be lifted off the seat), and enjoy the ride!

FOOD!!!!!!

I don't have pictures, but I do want to post these two recipes just in case you are dying to make something good!!
I made the Key lime pie for the teachers lounge--$2.00 a slice for a STUCO fund raiser.  The recipe is from a Knox County cookbook, and I changed it some, but I will do the original and make a comment on the changes.  It was good!
TIM'S FAVORITE KEY LIME PIE submitted by:  Michelle (Coulston) Henry from Vera, Texas

Crust:
2 C. crushed graham crackers
2 T sugar
1/2 stick butter
Melt butter and mix with the cracker crumbs.  Lightly spray a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate with cooking spray.  Spread out the crust mixture evenly going up the sides and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

I did my regular pastry crust that I use for all my pies, and it was delicious.
Filling:
1 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 C heavy cream (I used 2 C, and it was perfect)
3 large egg yolks  (I use jumbo eggs)
1/4 C Key lime juice (regular lime juice will not have the same flavor)
2 T unsalted butter (I used salted from Falfurrias, Tx. and the extra salt was just right)
1 T finely grated lime peel

Method of Preparation:

1.  Mix the sugar, corn starch and salt in a heavy saucepan.
2.  Add the cream and stir until thoroughly mixed.
3.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and turn the heat to low; cook until thickened.
4.  Slowly whisk 1 C of the hot mixture into the 3 egg yolks in a bowl until smooth.  Pour back into the sauce pan and cook until it steams, but do not boil. 
5.  Stir constantly.
6.  Remove from heat, stir in butter and add the lime juice and peel.
7.  Pour the filling into a bowl and loosely cover until it cools to room temperature.
I don't know why I bothered with this long drawn out affair!
Here is how I do it and there was no weeping meringue and the filling was about as good as it gets (no brag, just facts that I learned from my little neighbor Mrs. Koonce, in Jayton).
Add the egg yolks to the cream, sugar, and corn starch, and cook until thickened (never let it boil), while you stir constantly with a whisk.  Add the juice, peel and butter and stir until blended.  Pour the super hot mixture into the pie shell, slap the meringue on it, and pop it in the over at 325 (forget the hot, 400 degree oven).  Bake until golden.

Meringue:
4 large egg whites  (3 jumbos work fine)
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/2 C sugar (I use 1/4 C)

Last night I began searching all my cookbooks for potato rolls simply because I had potatoes that needed to be used and they do make really nice rolls.  Finally, I found this recipe in a cookbook Bobby brought back when he was in Georgia many years ago.   The cookbook was from Newnan, Georgia
MASHED POTATO ROLLS (fool proof, it says)
by: Mrs. Irwin H. Pike (Helen) from someplace in Georgia
1 package of yeast
1/2 C water (I use the water I boiled the potatoes in because yeast loves it)
1 C mashed potatoes
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C  oil (I used 1/2 C olive oil)
1 C milk
5 to 6 C flour (I never measure it)

Method of Preparation:
1.  Soak yeast in the lukewarm water.
2.  In a large bowl place potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, oil, and milk, and mix well.
3.  Add the yeast, mix.
4.  Add the flour gradually as you mix into a dough that can be kneaded.
5.  Place in a greased bowl, cover and refrigerate.
6.  Shape into rolls and allow at least 1 1/2 hour to rise before baking at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes.
I didn't put them in the 'fridge.  I made them this morning for Easter dinner, and they rose like crazy, and were gooooood!

THIS IS WHERE I LIVE...

I moved from Montana to Lubbock, Texas the fall of my sophomore year, because I didn't like the home economics department at MSU-Bozeman, and Tech had a highly rated school of home economics, with cheap out of state tuition, and warmer climate than Ames, Iowa (another possibility).  So, Mom did all the paper work, and the folks loaded me and my belongings in the Buick, and headed for Lubbock.  I was standing on the steps of the Tech library when they left me, and I waved until they went out of sight.  I graduated and re-enrolled in graduate school.  It was during this time I met Bobby, and we married.  I have lived in West Texas longer than I did in Montana, and have learned to love this country in spite of the sandstorms, drought, heat, and cold.  I hope you will take time to look at Wyman Meinzer's photo collection about this part of the world (I guarantee you will like the music), and you just might be surprised at the beauty, and see why I call this home, even though I will always be a Montanan.

 http://player.vimeo.com/video/22132017?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

"Laid Up"!

I had toe surgery during spring break, didn't figure it would slow me down, but it has.  How will I ever lose those pounds I put on after Thanksgiving, and during the two months Mom was here? 
I find that hydrocodone is poison, and all I want to do after taking it is to sleep!   I want to sleep when I should be doing school work, like making a power point on how to take care of your liver, by avoiding alcohol and drugs.  I want to sleep when I am reading a thriller by Lee Child.
 One good thing about this is I have empathy for people who are limping in pain, using crutches, and are "laid up" too.  I have had time to think about my dad and how he must have felt being side lined with his foot surgeries.  Sitting in a chair must have been torture for him.  I just didn't realize how hard it is to sit until now.  I will make up for lost time later, just like my dad did!  Until then I will try to stay awake and get some enjoyable reading done, and work on the power point later. 

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS with green chili sour cream sauce

Vickie from Rankin sent me this recipe and when I made it I  added to it, but here is her recipe.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
10 soft taco shells
2 C cooked shredded chicken
2 C shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 in pan.
2.  Mix chicken with 1 cup cheese and roll up in tortillas.
3.  In a sauce pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook until  bubbly.
4.  Add the broth and whisk together.  Cook until thickened.
5.  Stir in the chilies and sour cream and heat but do not boil.
6.  Pour over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
7.  Bake until the sauce is bubbling and broil for 3 minutes just to brown the cheese.

Here we go with my version.  I used olive oil instead of butter, just to cut a little saturated fat.  Believe me there will be enough to go around with this dish!  This is also a good time to add the onions.

After the flour, salt, black pepper,  and oil cook until it  bubbles, add the unstrained chicken broth and cook until thickened.  My camera focused on the whisk and not the broth.  I don't know what I am doing with it half the time.

I left the gravy on the burner on warm and then cooked the corn tortillas in olive oil, just until they are limp, but not so soft they tear up.  These are local tortillas from Odessa.

And they  had a really good flavor.

Now, for the chicken.  I added about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. cumin, some salt, and about a tsp. of chili powder along with a shake of Vulcan salt to the chopped chicken.  I left the chicken in chunks instead of shredding it.  The Vulcan salt and chili blend are a gift from Robert and Marina.  They special order it from the Spice House in Chicago,  a place they discovered on one of their tours.  It is excellent and so is the chili blend.

The Vulcan salt has habanero pepper in it so I went easy on it (Mom isn't much for hot stuff).

I used 1/2 C chopped green onions, and sauteed them before adding them to the gravy with the chilies.

I dumped (maybe that is not the most sophisticated cooking term, but it is what it is) the chicken into the gravy, and then scooped it out into the tortillas.  I really can't stand dry enchiladas, so I like a little gravy with the filling. Next time I am making an extra cup of gravy just for the filling.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the enchiladas.  I used  lot more cheese than the recipe called for and half of it was Colby.

Now, it's time to put the sour cream into the gravy, heat it just a little and pour it over the enchiladas, pop them in the oven, set the table, make a nice little salad.

I like the green onion and may add more than half a cup the next time.  They are pretty mild, but add color.  I made more gravy than I needed to, but I like lots of it so the dish doesn't dry out in the oven.

I think chicken enchiladas are supposed to be fairly bland compared to beef, but I still like some spice to them.  These were pretty darned good, and I recommend you fix them for a bunch.  This batch made over a dozen.  Now, it is time to go to Mustang Fitness Center. 

Ritz-Carlton Blueberry Muffins

Last week Mom and I went to the Main Street Deli for supper.  The place is decorated somewhat like a tea room, and has a few books on the shelves along with some dishes, and other stuff for cozy, homey atmosphere.  I looked at the books while waiting for a cheeseburger and found the Ritz-Carlton cookbook.  So, here is their recipe for blueberry muffins, and I am trying it this morning. 

RITZY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS  Bake at 375
8 T butter (one stick).  I used olive oil to cut the sat. fat.
5 eggs (I used jumbos)
1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C sugar
3 1/2 C sifted flour (sift and then measure)
1 tbs.  baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (if you are using salted butter).  I used a tsp.
4 C fresh blueberries (I used frozen, and they are just as good)
1 pt. ice cream

METHOD OF PREPARATION
1.  Grease muffin tins with 2 T butter and line with paper.
2.  Melt the butter and beat it in with the milk and eggs so they are emulsified.
3.  Measure the sifted flour into a large bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients.
4.  Blend the dry ingredients well.
5.  Dump the milk, egg, butter emulsion into the dry ingredients.
6.  Stir only until mixed and don't over mix.  That is what makes them peak with tunnels, and they won't win the county fair.
7.  Serve with a dollop of the ice cream and then go jog a couple of miles.

Mix the blueberries in with the dry ingredients.  The real recipe says to fold them in, but they are talking about fresh and besides I am obsessed with not overmixing.  Do it however you like.

Use a whisk and beat the egg milk mixuture until it is thoroughly blended, because you are not going to mix very much when you combine the dry and wet (I harp and preach this at school all the time).

I let the blueberries melt a little too much.  Stir them in just before you pour the milk mixture in, and get the batter into the muffin cups quickly.

This makes 16, loaded to the top. muffins.  Bake them on about 375 for 6 or 7 minutes and then back off to 350, just because they are so thick.

Mom liked them and ate two in one sitting (with butter).  I think you will have to use jumbo eggs because I just barely got this mixed as it was.  We didn't have the ice cream but Mom got all the saturated fat she wanted with the butter.  She goes through a stick by herself in about a week and a half!
Now that I know this is good, I will put chopped pecans in them the next go around!