Caramel Corn

Once a year we indulge in the gooey sweet treat of caramel corn. It has been a family tradition for over 20 years. This year my daughter Laurie wanted to try her hand at bringing this wonderful treat for the family to enjoy. Cooking and baking are not her passion though she is very good at preparing scrumptious meals, she delivered with what I think was the best batch we have had to date!
There are always funny stories about her trips to the grocery store and how to properly convert 5 quarts or 20 cups of already popped popcorn, lets just say that we all have enough popcorn kernels to last us a couple of more years! In other words one bag of kernels is more than enough to prepare this recipe, not 6! Haaa.
This is a simple recipe and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.


Sheila
aka Meema


Oven-Made Caramel Corn

5 quarts popped popcorn (20 cups).... This means 20 cups of already popped popcorn

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pop popcorn and pour into large roasting pan. Put it in a very slow oven (250) to keep popcorn warm and crisp while you make syrup.

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a large saucepan ( 2 qts or bigger). Do not add baking soda yet!

Place over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to boil sugar mixture at a boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Syrup will foam.

Take popped popcorn out of the oven and pour hot caramel over the popcorn in a fine stream. Stir to mix well. 

Return to oven for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 

Pour out onto wax paper or aluminum to cool. Break apart if needed. Store in airtight containers.

Lemony Chicken Piccata

I always love fixing a dinner at home that is satisfying and better than anything I could have ordered out. It's easy, basic and you will feel like you are an accomplished cook when you serve this dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast (cut them in half)

flour

salt

pepper

2 tbsp oil

1/2 white wine

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp drained capers

2 tbsp butter

fresh lemon slices

fresh parsley

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour. Add oil to pan and saute chicken until golden.

This takes about 3 minutes on one side, then turn over and saute on other side for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Deglaze pan with wine. Add diced garlic and simmer until slightly brown and liquid has reduced, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, lemon juice and capers. Return chicken to pan and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, so that the chicken absorb the wine and lemon flavors. Transfer chicken to warm serving dish.

Finish the sauce with 2 tbsp butter and lemon slices until lemons are tender. Pour sauce over chicken breast, top with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

OXOX,

Sheila

aka Meema

Buttermilk Egg Bread

When it comes to any recipe that calls for yeast, I'm done! I get the deer in the headlights look and it is over. My mom on the other hand does well with this form of small pre-packaged foreboding ingredient! I mean really, how can something that comes in such a small package cause such grief? It can't be that the water or milk needs to be a certain temperature, or that it needs a slightly warm place to do what it cleverly does to aid in the wonderful creations of hot fresh bread with melting butter and homemade jam! I have the jam part down pat. Anyway, one day I will try, I mean really try and get over my fear of failure, or should I say push past the fear of this little pre-packaged tablespoon of leavening that seems to grip my chest and take my breath away like being on a packed tourist bus in some foreign country, like the one in "Romancing the stone"! you get the picture.

My mom swears that this is the easiest recipe ever and that anyone can do it if they just follow the recipe. Give it a try and let me know how you do! I will do the same.
(The picture above is my Mom's baked loaf) pfff, it's certainly not mine!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
3 to 4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 pkg active dry yeast
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Directions:
Heat water, butter and buttermilk to 130  to 140 degrees. Stir together the yeast, flour, sugar and salt. Add warm water and buttermilk mixture along with 2 of the eggs. Beat this mixture with a mixer for approx. 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in by hand the remaining 3 to 4 cups flour, kneading in the remaining flour as you go. Knead for about 5 minutes.

Once all of the flour has been kneaded in cover the dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Punch down and let rise until it has doubled in size, this will take about 45 minutes. Once the dough doubled divide the dough in half and shape into 2 twisted loaves. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg (beaten). Let rise 30 minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until golden. Makes 2 loaves.

Enjoy,
Sheila
aka Meema

White Lie Cake

This is article I read in a newsletter from HomeCook'n and just had to share! It reminds me that in God's eyes there are no failures, just lessons.

Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Presbyterian Church Ladies' Group in Tuscaloosa, but forgot to do it until the last minute.

She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets, found an angelfood cake mix & quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son pack for scout camp.

When she took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured and she exclaimed, "Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake!"

So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake.

She found it in the bathroom - a roll of toilet Paper.

She plunked it in and then covered it with icing.

Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect.

And, before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment itopened at 9:30 and to buy the cake and bring it home.

When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found the attractive, perfect cake had already been sold.

Amanda grabbed her cell phone and called her mom.

Alice was horrified-she was beside herself! Everyone would know!

What would they think? She would be ostracized,talked about, ridiculed!

All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing fingers at her

And talking about her behind her back.

The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think about the cake

And would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a fellow church member and try to have a good time. She did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP'd, she couldn't think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old south, and to Alice 's horror, the cake in question was presented for dessert!

Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake!

She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "what a beautiful cake!"

Alice, still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say,

"Thank you, I baked it myself."

Alice smiled and thought to herself,

"God is good."

Sheila,
aka Meema

Watermelon Gazpacho

This is not just a summer time appetizer, quite the opposite. I know in some area's it is tough to get watermelon in the winter, but here in California produce knows no bounds. Definitely a must try recipe. It is typically served in small bowls like a soup but we chose to serve and sip it from wine glasses. It was such a nice treat while we waited for dinner to cook and gave Bryan (My Beau) and I an opportunity to visit and wind down from our day. If you are feeling adventuresome add a small shot of Vodka to take it to the next level. I would only advise this if you are enjoying it from glass instead of the bowl. Something feels very wrong about sipping your cocktail from a bowl, but then again.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

1 large tomato, pureed

1 serrano chile, 1/2 if you are afraid of heat

2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp minced red onion

1/2 cucumber, seeded and minced

2 tbsp finely chopped dill, more for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

crumbled feta cheese

Directions

In a blender, puree the tomato, chile and 1/2 of the watermelon. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse until blended. Add the onion, cucumber and the dill, season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour into chilled wine glasses or bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese, remaining watermelon and dill.

Enjoy,

Sheila

aka Meema

Happy New 2012!

The New Year always sets a presidence on our list of things we want to accomplish this year that may not have been accomplished last year. For me, I would love nothing more than to lose more weight! Hell, who wouldn't? So instead of setting up a long list of forbidden foods in order to make this year different from those in the past, I make this year my year of moderation. Think about it, the way I see it is, there are so many wonderful foods out there to be sampled and  recipes to be tried, meals to be shared, that it seems foolish to attempt to banning them from my menu. Rather, why not have all of these things in moderation! I know this is a concept that is new and it is going to take a minute for everyone to wrap their mind around, NOT! What I will attempt within this discipline is yes I can have one, not six cookies. I can sample and not make an entire meal out of whatever it is I am enjoying. You get the idea, Moderation! Enjoy all things good, wonderful and tasty and do so with discipline. I bet we see a difference in our waistlines.

This Christmas I was given a window garden made for me by my crafty Contractor (My Love, Bryan). It is set up and ready to go on my back porch. I will attempt a small organic herb garden. In my excitement we have purchased all of the herbs and lettuces I think I am going to try. There is something that just says Ta-Da! about walking out my back door and harvesting these future beauties. I will keep you posted on my progress since a green thumb is not something I possess. Here she is, isn't she a beauty? She has been made with an old window and re-purposed barn wood, reinforced with plywood on the interior.

I hope whatever you attempt this year you find it, accomplish it and fulfill it to the best of your wildest dreams! Life is short so live it to it's fullest this is not a dress rehearsal.

Enjoy!

Sheila

aka Meema