Donna Dodds Shrimp dip

This is the identical recipe the only difference is my mother used to dice or mince and now i just pulse in a food processor until I'm happy with it.  Probably loses a little texture but it is definitely part of my Quick, delicious and easy 15 minutes or less appetizers. 

2 4oz cans tiny shrimp
1.5 tblspns lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
salt & pepper to taste

put all ingredients but shrimp into food processor pulse until mixed crumble shrimp into processor pulse a couple of times till mixed and chill throughout serve w/crackers or however you see fit. 

depending on the day i may not even bother chopping the onions and celery.

Aunt Laura Drennan's Butterfinger Ice Cream

This is my aunt laura's recipe and i will type it as I read it.  Before, during and after "DQ's Blizzard" this is the best thing in the world. 

Beat 1.5 cups sugar into 3 beaten eggs.
Warm 1/2 gallon of milk and 1 pint of 1/2 & 1/2 until lukewarm add 2 tblspns vanilla and 1-2 tspns of salt

Stir egg mixture into the milk and mix pour into freezer can and 5 dissolved junket tablets dissolved in about 2 tablespoons water stir and let sit for about 15 minutes
for butterfinger add 5 crushed butterfinger bars 2.1oz
for peach ADD 1.5 cups diced sugar peaches .

Star of Party

I have been making guacamole from scratch for quite a long time.  The keys are always fresh ingredients and last minute preparation!  I usually make my own pico: tomatoes, white onion, jalapenos pepper, garlic powder, garlic salt, lime juice, cilantro and this is the key ingredient to my guacamole.  However, this post is about how to make a quick bring along appetizer that will be the "Star" of any party. 

Your shopping list:
Grocery store "Pico de gallo"
5 avocados
1 lime
1 bag 12 flour tortillas

What to do:
heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch canola/olive oil in pan till wooden spoon bubbles or 350 degrees
slice flour torts all at once into eights (like a pizza pie)
fry in oil till brown flipping as needed and dry on paper towel (don't forget to season before they dry)
cut avocados in half flipping seed out with knife and score half's of 5 avocados into 1/2 chunks but not cutting through the peal
Use spoon to spoon out avocado chunks into bowl
add approximately 1 avocado of pico with juice of one lime into bowl
mash ingredients just a few times to mix
seal w/double layer of plastic wrap
bag chips and go be the #foodie "Star" of the Party!

Turkey Burger

"Sam's club" meat section also contains 93% lean ground turkey 5 lbs for around 11.00$ it was cheaper before the gas prices began the rise.  I do not find any ground turkey in my local grocery stores for less than 2.50$ a pound with any consistency and that is the 80% lean stuff.  I promise if someone steps up to the plate and I can stop driving 30 minutes to Sam's club i will tell you who, what, & where.

I have always hated ground turkey and really only prepare it with thick flavorful sauces.  Spaghetti, Curries, and Cajun rice dishes.  Sometimes i will do meatballs in a chicken or Asian sauce with the meatballs containing lots of seasoning.  Basically low fat turkey is about as bland as it gets.  Thus, the problem of using turkey with burgers meat loafs.  The items you make with beef where the beef is the only flavor and makes the dish.  Finally. Ground turkey is very sticky and hard to make patties so i decided to add some instant oatmeal to thicken it up and this led me to my Turkey burger recipe:

preheat grill HOT

1/3 cup prepared beefy oatmeal  recipe at the end
1    tblspn paprika
1/2 tblspn ground cumin
1/2 tblspn ground coriander
1 lb ground turkey

mix all together form 4 patties give a little freeze
remove patties from freezer
place on hottest part of grill until grill marks form
Flip wait for grill marks again (not more than five minutes)
slide patties to finish on indirect heat reaching 160 degrees

prepare burgers with
tomato, lettuce, onion, burger sauce (recipe on blog)

Eat till your heart is content

beefy oatmeal:
1/3 cup instant oatmeal
2/3 cup water
2/3 tspn bouillon

boil water with bouillon in it add oatmeal prepare according to box

Burger Sauce

Now i am a firm believer that no red blooded burger needs any sort of a sauce!  In my opinion the only thing you should do to a burger is add salt and pepper to some ground chuck and grill it. however in this anti beef world burger sauce for the no fat turkey burger makes sense!  This is my burger sauce recipe:

1 tblspn   Mayo
1 tblspn   Miracle whip
1 tblspn   sweet relish
2 tspns     ketchup
1 tspn      mustard
1/2 tspn   soy sauce

just mix and serve, it tastes great

Red Rub

Cookbooks from "joy" to "weber" seem to have magical spice rubs for every piece of meat you could possibly put on a grill.  In the past I used to seek out new and exciting rubs to try.  however, when cleaning out my spice cabinet i realized the mass amount of waste/expense of trying all these rubs and my basic spice pantry is pretty thorough.  All of this information led me to try my own rubs and see if i could create something the family would like and not brake the bank.  "spice classics" offer decently price seasonings that allow you to buy numerous bottles for the price of just one small spice jar of other brands.  Also, I have lived my life with Lawrys season salt and have it around at all times this is how i used it with some "spice classics" to create my "red rub" I use on grilled pork.

1 tblspn  Lwry's season salt
1 tblspn  chili powder
1 tblspn  paprika

(add cayenne pepper if you want it really spicy, depending on the cayenne, it may not take much)

mix and apply over entire pork loin sear and then cook on indirect till reaches your desired inside temp.
I have now tried this with a beef chuck roast and it was not nearly as good as it was on Pork. 

Pasta & pan sauce

"Bon Appetit" magazine recently did an article about ultimate Pasta.  The recipe they used was very versatile and I tried one with my ingredients of pork chops & asparagus. (garden fresh, Woo Hoo!)  My tip is when it comes to the Pasta water and sauce making Less is More.  I work evenings and eat an hour or so before the Mrs so my battle is always Dry vs Wet and finding a long lasting middle ground!
"Happy Mothers Day" I am off to work!

Hormonal Meat

I have one huge problem with "Organic Food" movement and the people who worship at this alter,  #IGNORANCE! Labeling information provided by the USDA:(http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Meat_and_Poultry_Labeling_Terms.pdf)
If you learn something new please feel free to research the USDA website before spending 7$ a pound on pork or chicken because it is hormone free. WHY? because all pork and Chicken is "HORMONE FREE".  If i can teach you one thing...."READ" labels etc.