Since moving to Northern Arizona, I have not been able to get us our annual Christmas Haul.
Around Thanksgiving or so, at the Mall in Southern Arizona, I could go to a Hickory Farms Pop-Up store and buy all our favorites.
That ain’t happen’ here in Cowboyville!
So what’s a gal to do?
Thank you World Wide Web!
AH YUM!!!
DH just about had a kitten when he saw the credit card charge, but heh! “This is our Christmas gift to ourselves”, I exclaimed.
Ummm, he changed his mind once I set out his first Snack Plate of the Season.
😄
Cook for your friends and family! (and buy them fabulous food gifts too 😉)
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Hot Pepper Jelly. That’s right and I love that stuff. You know what I’m talking about, that savory, sweet, mildly hot jelly that gets poured over a softened block of Cream Cheese. Just gimme a spoon and some nice crackers and I’m happy.
Well, if you added in a glass (or three 😏 of wine), that wouldn’t hurt.
I have no clue why I decided that I needed to make this, but I did, so there.
No, I remember now! I wanted to do something different for our community’s bi-annual Craft & Bake Sale.
It did very well!
Hot Pepper Jelly
Makes 6 half pint jars
1 ½ C. finely chopped and seeded Red Bell Pepper
1 C. finely chopped and seeded Yellow Bell Pepper
1 ¼ C. finely chopped and seeded Green Bell pepper
¼ C. finely chopped and seeded Jalapeño
1 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1.75 oz. package powdered Pectin
5 C. sugar
6 8oz. canning jars
Sterilize the jars and hold in warm water until ready to fill.
In a large saucepan over high heat, add in the four different Peppers, Vinegar and Pectin, bring it all to a boil while stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and add the Sugar; return to the heat and bring back to a boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and skim off any foam on the top.
Ladle jelly evenly into sterile jars, filling to ¼ inch from top of jar. Cover with flat lids and screw on screw bands tight.
Place jars into canner with hot water that is not boiling. Water should completely cover the jars by 2 inches.
Over high heat to a rolling boil.
Process for 5 minutes.
Remove the jars from the water bath and set aside on a heat-proof surface (I use a wooden cutting board covered in an old tea towel).
Allow the jars to cool for 24 hours, undisturbed.
Check seals by pressing the centers of lids with finger. (If lid springs back, it’s not sealed, and refrigeration is necessary.)
This Hot Pepper Jelly did so well at the sale, I was commissioned to make a batch for this nice gal.
Remember, a recipe is simply someone else’s idea, take it and make it your own.
Cook for your friends and family!
… and if you could, hit that ‘like’ button, leave a comment below maybe just to say ALOHA; subscribe to my blog if you like what you’re reading and get an email when a new post has been uploaded.
You already know that I hang around with a bunch of Gals here in my neighborhood and we get together at each others homes for Wine Food and Game Afternoons.
I always make something to bring and share with everyone, this particular afternoon was no different.
YUM!
This was a sample plate, `cuz ya know, I gotta do a quality check 😉
This snack is very simple to prepare and fun to eat, with or without toothpicks, but then anything on a toothpick is good, right?
Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
14 slices bacon
1 (14-oz.) package Lil Smokies (mini smoked hot dogs)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
42 toothpicks
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut each piece of bacon into thirds.
Wrap each of the Sausages in a piece of Bacon. Insert a toothpick all the way through each one to hold the Bacon in place. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
In a bowl, stir together Brown Sugar, Honey, and Garlic Powder. Top each of the Lil Smokies with 1/4 teaspoon of the Sugar mixture. Bake until bacon is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
I served these up to the Gal Pals on a big ole’ platter with a coupla different dipping sauces, BBQ, Honey Mustard and Ketchup… all store bought. 😀 Do I need to tell you that they were a huge hit? ⭐
Remember, a recipe is simply someone else’s idea, take it and make it your own.
Cook for you family and friends!
… and if you could, hit that ‘like’ button, leave a comment below maybe just to say ALOHA; subscribe to my blog if you like what you’re reading and get an email when a new post has been uploaded.
If you’ve been following my blog, than you already know that I have a group of Neighborhood Gals that I hang out with, go to lunch with and gather together to play games… cards, dominos, all sorts.
I like to bring along a snack for everyone, sometimes sweet and sometimes savory or even both on occasion.
I went sweet this time around…
I saw the biggest Marshmallows I’d ever seen in my life at the Mega-Mart… I had to dream up something cool to do with them!
I melted some Dark Chocolate, skewered the Marshmallows with Cake Pop sticks, dipped and then rolled them while still wet in an assortment of sprinkles. Graham Cracker Crumbs Candy Dots White Nonpareils Rainbow Jimmies
I must say, my personal favorite was the Graham Cracker Crumbs, it tasted alot like a S`More!
Remember, a recipe is simply someone else’s idea, take it and make it your own.
… and if you could, hit that ‘like’ button, leave a comment below maybe just to say ALOHA; subscribe to my blog if you like what you’re reading and get an email when a new post has been uploaded.
I know I’ve told you folks that I love to go to grocery stores and just poke around to see what I can find.
Recently I was in our local Trader Joe’s and I had been looking for their Mini Brie Bites, love those things, but they said that they were having issues with the manufacturer and yet THERE THEY WERE!!!
I usually pick up a loaf or three of the Ciabatta Demi Baguettes. And as I was strolling past the frozen food case I spied this
Hmmm …
I sliced the Ciabatta, gave them all a quick toast under the broiler, followed the directions on the package of Mushrooms and assembled.
I arranged them neatly and took this tray next door for yet another afternoon of card playing with my Neighborhood Gal Pals. These tidbits were gone in a New York Minute.
Remember, a recipe is simply someone else’s idea, take it and make it your own.
Cook for your friends and family!
… and if you could, hit that ‘like’ button, leave a comment below maybe just to say ALOHA; subscribe to my blog if you like what you’re reading and get an email when a new post has been uploaded.
is Matsumoto’s for Shave Ice (please note-it is NOT Shaved Ice)
MAN!
Myself, I prefer the traditional Rainbow with Ice Cream and Azuki Beans on the bottom … I can’t remember which flavor DH ordered.
On this last trip back home to Hawaii Nei we went to Waiola’s, which is suppose to be even better than Matsumoto’s
Meh, not so much really.
We don’t mind that long ride out to Haleiwa.
DH insisted that he remembered how to get to Waiola’s, hmmm, we drove around for ever with no success. I looked it up on my smartphone and we were way off
Our story will continue, so stayed tuned …
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I am one of those odd folks, who really does not care for Chocolate all that much
I saw this recipe on Pinterest for Truffles made with Dove Promises!
I thought, what the heck, let’s try this.
We’ve been invited for a Couples Board Game Night, and you know me, I always take a snack for the entire class
Basic Chocolate Truffles
9 oz. Dove Promises, unwrapped
1/3 C. Heavy Cream (sometimes it’s called Whipping Cream)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (or a nice liquor is nice too, like Kahlua)
Combine the Chocolate Candies and Cream in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the Chocolate is fully melted.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the Vanilla, keep whisking til you have a smooth texture.
Cover the surface of the Chocolate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
Using a small disher, scoop out little balls onto a parchment lined sheet pan.
Roll each Truffle in the palms of your hands, gloves are very helpful here!
Set out in small plates, whatever types of coatings that you want to roll your Truffles in.
Once coated, refrigerate covered until you’re ready to serve.
These will keep in an air-tight container in the `fridge for about two weeks.
Or freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to three months.
So there’s chopped & toasted Macadamia Nut rolled Truffles, toasted Coconut Flakes and Health Bar Chips… our hostess is a self proclaimed “Chocolate aficionado” as she says
This tray was history in no time flat!
Remember, a recipe is simply someone else’s idea, take it and make it your own.
… and if you could, hit that ‘like’ button, leave a comment below maybe just to say ALOHA; subscribe to my blog if you like what you’re reading and get an email when a new post has been uploaded.
I was invited over to Mrs. Two-Doors-Over Gal Pal to come play cards. You know me, I always take along a snack to share with the entire class.
I had just finished making some Hard Boiled Eggs, so I morphed them into a large plate of Deviled Eggs.
I wasn’t really sure how many gals were coming, but I figured 16 halves would fill that platter nicely. But just one flavor isn’t my style, I made four.
You already know how to make Deviled Eggs, pop the cooked yolks outta the halved Eggs, mash the yolks with a fork and add what you like. I divided the contents of the bowl into four and went from there.
and who can resist BACON!!
Those were the first to go, naturally. One of my Gal Pal’s said that she had tried making Bacon Deviled Eggs before, but it didn’t come out as good as mine did… “What’s your secret?” she asked.
(photo courtesy of Walmart.com)
I always have Bacon Bites in my pantry! I chopped them up pretty fine, stirred in a tablespoon or so and them reserved some for a topper.
Maybe next time I will do all one flavor!
*Cooks Note: I found it much easier to fill the Egg White Halves if I take a small Zip Bag, fill it with the Yolk mixture and snip a corner to “pipe” with. You could get fancy and use an Open Star tip, like the one you use to make a Cake look pretty.
Okay, so you have this great idea for a dish.
You gather all of your ingredients, you think that this will be fabulous and everyone will love it.
AND DANG IT!
Stuff happens, right? I know this has happened to you at least once?
I kept seeing this idea on Pinterest for Mini Corn Dogs. Sounds outstanding.
I was invited to another gathering of the Neighborhood Gal Pal’s, all the time being mindful of our Social Distancing and meeting on the patio, for cards and cocktails. MMM! This should be a home run.
Here we go …
Assembly, check
Mix, bake, cool, check …
OOPS!
I used a Mini Cupcake pan with JUMBO Hot Dog pieces,
not good! I couldn’t get more than 5 of the dozen and a half Mini Corn Dogs out of the pan without them falling apart!
Plan B, ALWAYS have a plan B!
Fortunately I had a bag of frozen Pigs In Blankets; some lovely dipping sauces of Ketchup, Hickory Farms Sweet Hot Mustard as well as their Cranberry Mustard. This is already a Tried & True hit with the Gals, so there ya go …
I posted this article back in April of 2013. Here we are, about the same time SEVEN years later in the middle of a SIP Mode, and I’ve been needing to come up with more meal ideas than usual 🙂
So, I’ve been using my blog as a resource for different dishes to make with what I have on hand. I’ve always got at least one can of Spam® in my pantry!
Spam is a wonderful thing, I’m talking about the canned meat, not that junk in your email box. In Hawaii, we make something called Spam Musubi (moo-sue-bee), it’s something like sushi I guess you could say.
I knew that Spam became very popular there during World War II, as well as much of the Pacific. The USArmy found that it was the most effect way to get meat to the soldiers.
I did a Google search on Spam and was simply fascinated. I won’t do any lengthy copy&paste for you, I’ll just hyperlink the Wikipedia article for you to read. One fact I do want to point out to you though, in the United States, Hawaii residents consume the most Spam per capita. Do I still count?
Steam the rice and allow to cool down enough to handle, but still warm.
In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves, set aside.
In a dry skillet, brown the Spam well; set aside. Wipe out the pan, add in the sauce and bring to a bubble; add back in the spam, turning occasionally, until sauce thickens.
Time to assemble!
Place a piece a plastic wrap over a board. Cut each sheet of Nori in 4 equal pieces, there should be perforations to follow on the sheets. Place a piece of Nori shiny side down on the plastic and the Musubi form over the middle of it.
Fill the form with rice; press down very firmly with the top piece of the form that has been moistened with water. While still holding down the handle of the top, carefully remove the form and top piece.
Place a slice of Spam over the rice; wrap the Nori tightly over the Spam and rice, damping the last edge with water to ensure it sticks to itself.
Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes, this softens the Nori a bit and makes much more pleasant to eat.
Unwrap and enjoy a little piece of Hawaii, preferable at the beach! Back home, these yummy treats are enjoyed anytime of day or night. They can be found just about anywhere, even at gas stations.
My Kitchen In The Middle Of The Desert 
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