November 2005

According to an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, men who eat low-fat dairy products reduce their risk of developing diabetes.

In the study, each daily serving was linked to a 9% reduction in risk!

Diabetes is one of the ugliest, meanest, cruelest diseases I’ve ever witnessed (My mom battles its presence daily). If there is anything proven to lessen your odds of getting this disease: do it, drink it, eat it and use it!

What I’m wondering about is whether it would hold true for women, too. You’d think that if that were the case, the study wouldn’t have just mentioned men. I’ll look into that a bit further….

Joi

The terra cotta VillaWare® Garlic Baker is available online for just $5.49.

Roasting the garlic before using them on bread (garlic toast that’ll blow your mind wide open!) other spreads, or sauces makes the flavor come out more intense. But trying to roast it yourself without burning it is danged near impossible without a little garlic baker such as this one. For just a little over $5.oo, they’d be perfect for getting a few for Christmas presents as well as one for yourself!

Joi

4 onions
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Dash of pepper
1 cup buttermilk

Slice onions 1/4 inch thick. Separate into rings.

Soak in ice water for 2 hours. (VERY important step.)

Drain and pat dry gently with a paper towel. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl.

Dip onion rings in batter, and fry in hot deep oil until browned.

Delicious!

2 (6 oz.) cans evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 envelopes onion soup mix
2 pounds ground beef
4 cups ketchup
2 cups brown sugar

Combine 2 tsps. of the Worcestershire sauce with the milk and soup mix; blend well. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef, mix well.

Shape into 1″ balls. Place on rack in broiler pan.

Broil 5-6 inches from heat for between 10-12 minutes. Combine the remaining Worcestershire sauce with the ketchup and brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through.

Add meatballs; serve.

These freeze really well, if there are any left over!

During the holidays, you’re probably going to have to fix at least one dish to take (or for someone else to take) to a party or luncheon. Promise me you won’t make the mistake I did.

I always make Sweet Potato Pies for my husband’s Thanksgiving luncheon at his office. Each year, they’re delicious and beautiful. Well, brain that I am (not!), I decided to try a new recipe this year. Did I try it out a week early to see how I liked it? Heck, no! I made the pies the night before he had to take them. I could tell almost immediately that I didn’t like the way it was going - the color and texture didn’t suit me - but it was late, so I marched on.

I made three, so I could use the third one to test the recipe out first hand. I was disappointed even when they came out of the oven because they weren’t as pretty as my normal SP pies are. Then, when I tasted the test pie, I was equally disappointed - it didn’t have much flavor. So it not only was homely, it didn’t have a personality either!

I was set on going to the store and getting other ingredients to make my own recipe, but my husband and daughters said the homely ones were just fine. I have a tendency to be too picky with my cooking, so I was inclined to believe that maybe I was overreacting. But all night I wanted to get up and start over again! He took them as they were the next day, but I knew in my heart that they weren’t as good as they could have been - and I”ve felt bad about it ever since.

Learn from my goofs: First of all, never try a new recipe out in public! Keep it to yourself, or at least to your family, until you know if it’s good enough to make a grand appearance. Also, if you’ve got a perfectly good recipe, why mess with it??? (That’s what I keep asking myself! I’ve yet to come up with an answer.)

Ironic, I don’t know if it was on this particular blog or in an article, but I recently wrote how it’s a bad idea to try out a new recipe at the last minute. THEN I WENT AND DID IT! Didn’t listen to my own preaching.

Second of all, if you’re giving something away that you don’t feel 100% happy with, stop dead in your tracks. Start over and get it right - don’t stop until you do feel every bit of the 100%!

Now I’ve got a whole year until I can redeem myself!

Have a great weekend,
Joi

Get a load of these beautiful dishes! I was actually looking for Holiday dishes to post, but when I came across these, I HAD to give them their own post.

I cook ALOT of Mexican and Mid-West meals and these would be absolutely gorgeous served alongside the reds, greens and yellows of salsas and guacamoles.
Clay Art “Cayenne” 4-Piece Dip Bowl Set

Clay Art “Cayenne” Salt & Pepper Shakers

Click one of the links above to see the rest of the collection.

Have a fun weekend!
Joi

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! My turkey this year was actually the best it’s ever been - very moist and yummy. I basted it often and cooked it on a lower rack than usual. Apparently it helped.

I got up at 5:15 this morning, hit the ground running and have only just stopped - (it’s 11:04 pm!) So, I’m headed straight to bed!

Joi

If you’re looking for a perfect stuffing recipe, you couldn’t do much better than Paula Deen’s Southern Cornbread recipe.

On the same page, you’ll find a (link to) a recipe for deep-fried turkey as well as one for fancy green beans. I’d love to try the green bean dish, but my family is pretty addicted to the traditional green bean casserole.

There’s also a recipe for Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes….I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I’ll be trying those this week-end!

Have your best Thanksgiving ever!

1 egg white
1 pint pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 9″ pie crust, unbaked

Beat egg white. Add the next six ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake for 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without Pumpkin Pie and this Pumpkin pie recipe is one of the easiest I’ve found. It’s also really, really good - as long as you don’t take too many liberties with the nutmeg!

1 (10 - 12 pound) turkey
1 cup honey
1 cup apple cider syrup
3 large apples, cut into eighths

Wash turkey in cold water. Dry.

Make several 1/2 inch slits into skin on thighs and breast. Loosen skin from meat. Mix the honey and apple cider syrup together.

Using a baster, insert honey-syrup mixture into the slits. Insert apples into the cavity. Place turkey on rack in covered roasting pan. Roasted turkey, covered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes per pound, basting frequently.

Uncover, and roast 20 minutes longer until browned.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

This turkey recipe makes a wonderful Thanksgiving even more so!

Joi