In Favor of Butter

There are some people that are shocked at my unashamed use of butter. They question the saturated fat content, bring up the issue of heart disease, and try to lure me to the world of artificial fats. Sorry. I am not going there. I love my butter.

I grew up with margarine. I don't remember real butter ever appearing on my mother's table (not to say that it might not have from time to time; the huge tubs of Country Crock are just ingrained in my brain). I was fine with margarine and even continued to use it when on my own. Then, I finally tried real butter. Nothing compares. Instead of the slabs of fake saltiness spread on my toast, just a little smear of real butter offers a perfect creamy flavor. Its richness sets baked goods apart. Real butter is the real deal for me.

That isn't to say that I just grab sticks of the stuff straight from the fridge and chow down. Ew. Everything in moderation is really the key to a healthy lifestyle. I try to eat a balanced diet of whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. I indulge in ooey gooey treats from time to time, but I do try keep the number of doughnuts and Klondike Bars that I eat to a minimum. Really, I believe it is about moderation and not making any one item of food a villain. All life and all foods (except possibly marshmallow fluff...GAG) are to be enjoyed and savored. I truly do savor butter.

Someone else that absolutely savors butter is Paula Deen. That lady has more than earned the title of Butter Queen of the Food Network. I don't often watch her show, but I can't recall a time that I haven't seen her rolling a stick of butter from its paper wrapping into her mixing bowl. She is absolutely in favor of butter, which is what makes it so funny that when I finally decide to try one of her recipes, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE BUTTER. Truly. I was just as shocked as you.

I had salmon fillets defrosting and remembered that I had seen a couple of different Food Network chefs make Salmon Burgers. I wasn't searching for butter or Paula when I stumbled onto her recipe, but it seemed to hold promise and most importantly, used ingredients that I had on hand. After chopping the salmon and combining it with the peppers, onions, and soy sauce, the aroma from my mixing bowl tempted me to dig in right then. Instead, I formed the patties and fried them up in a little olive oil on my grill pan. Of course, I had to sample one right away without the Sesame Mayonnaise. Delish. Piling the patties on toasted whole wheat buns with the recommended sauce, lettuce, and tomato was flawless. Even a devoted butter lover like me can be incredibly happy when I have Salmon Burger with Sesame Mayonnaise On My Plate.

Salmon Burgers with Sesame Mayonnaise

Salmon Burgers

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds salmon filets, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

olive oil

8 toasted whole wheat buns

8 lettuce leaves

8 slices tomato

Sesame Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

In a medium bowl, combine peppers, panko, garlic, and salmon.
Add beaten egg, soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt, tossing gently to combine. 
Form mixture into 8 patties.
Lightly coat a grill pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Grill patties, 5 minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness. 
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all Sesame Mayonnaise ingredients. 

Spread sauce evenly over toasted buns. 

Top each with a lettuce leaf, tomato slice, and salmon patty. 

Cover with tops of buns.(Serves 8)

Fridge Friday: Episode 8

This episode of Fridge Friday should probably be called Fridge Friday Flop. I don't know if I jinxed myself in my earlier rant where I claimed that I didn't mind if some of my menus didn't exactly turn out as I had planned, or if it is karma kicking me for making fun of a commenter that stated they have never "served a bad or mediocre dish" on Epicurious's How to Throw Terrible Dinner Parties. (I cried bullsh*t. We have ALL made something that wasn't up to par.)

Now here I am, facing the time crunch of Friday ticking away from me and staring disgustedly at a pan of what was supposed to be a Baked Omelet Roll which is hopelessly overcooked and not willing to roll at all. Fridge Friday Flop. I had the eggs, ham, and cheese in the fridge and thought that this recipe that I have made a thousand times would be a perfect addition to the blog. The eggs had other ideas.

Thankfully, I had just baked a gorgeously delicious pan of Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins last night. The remainder of the carton of blueberries is still in the fridge (second shelf, between the pickles and the cherries, under the strawberries), and I can save this Fridge Friday post by sharing a beautiful muffin.

The recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook. They tell us that they were looking for "rich, moist, and dainty muffins, not the big, bland, coarse muffins so popular today." Let me tell you, with the addition of sour cream, there is no flop here. They hit their mark. While I certainly loved the light as air Blueberry Cinnamon Crunch Muffins that I posted back in March, the heavy batter of these muffins is more cake-like (dare I say possibly even pound cake-like?). Rich and even more beautiful when brushed with a lemon syrup and dusted with lemon zest and sugar, I won't mind a Fridge Friday Flop On My Plate with Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins.

Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins

Muffins:

2 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

Muffins:
Heat oven to 350.
Grease muffins tin.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk egg in a second bowl until light-colored.
Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick.
Add melted butter in 2 or 3 addition, whisking to combine after each addition.
Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.
Add blueberries to dry ingredients and gently toss.
Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed.
Use ice cream scoop to drop batter into greased muffin tin.
Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin come out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Allow to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Lemon Glaze:
While muffins are baking, combine 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest and 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl.
Bring 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a small sauce pan.
Simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 4 tablespoons.
After baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush tops with glaze, then dip tops of muffins into lemon sugar. (12 muffins)

Why Just Blogging Is Enough

I hear it all the time from the real bloggers: "This is not a hobby, it is a business."

I hear it all the time from well-meaning readers and friends: "You should have a restaurant/cafe/catering business/cooking show or classes."

Thank you. It is very flattering that you all think that I am capable of making this fun little venture into something more. It is awesome that you look to my future and see big dreams for me. You are wonderful. It is great to have such total support.

But, the reality is that this IS my hobby. This is an effective release for me. I like cooking. I like sharing it. End of story.

I am happy letting this all be fun and games. I am happy with good food On My Plate and still some of my menus being flops. I am happy with typing silly, little stories and sharing recipes. Maybe someday, I might want to expand my horizons. Maybe someday, just blogging for fun might not be enough for me. When that day comes, I will take the next step. But, for now, I just want to cook and eat and share and enjoy. 

I love your support. I love your comments and praise. Who wouldn't? But my ego gets kept in check within the reality of my kitchen. I am a real cook (not a chef or in any way a professional) that screws things up and honestly can't follow a recipe to save myself. I am an amateur with a cheap camera that often takes fuzzy photos in bad lighting. I get too wordy in most of my posts and discover embarrassing typos nearly every time AFTER I publish. But, I like to share what is On My Plate. I love to hear that you enjoy the posts, made the food for your family and friends, and even appreciate knowing when things don't quite work out.

Pasta with Zucchini, Bacon, and Goat Cheese fits that theme of ego check. I have made this meal no less than 4 times since recently pulling the recipe from an old Bon Appetit magazine. We heart veggie and pasta dishes, and this is a variation of something that we have prepared for years. Using ingredients that I usually have on hand (goat cheese being the only specific item that I would have to add to the shopping list), it fit very well into our menu rotation. I haven't yet shared it because I can't seem to get a good pic. The first time I made it, Hubs didn't get home from the farm until after 10pm...no light for a photo then. The second time, I seriously overcooked the zucchini and while the dish was still tasty, it was U.G.L.Y. Both the third and fourth times this dish graced our table, I should have checked the forecast because cloudy weather prevented good photos. 

I snapped a pic anyway. I am sharing it anyway. If I was blogging for a sponsor, that wouldn't work. If I was serving the dish to the public, the less than perfect presentation wouldn't work. The pasta is still delicious. We still ate it and will eat it again. We love good food and Pasta with Zucchini, Bacon, and Goat Cheese is the kind of good food that makes just blogging more than enough On My Plate.

Pasta with Zucchini, Bacon, and Goat Cheese

12 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

3 cups pasta (use your favorite shape, rotini works well)

3 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato (seeded)

1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano

1 cup soft, fresh goat cheese (crumbled)

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. 

Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. 

Pour off all but 4 tablespoons drippings from skillet.

Add onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. 

Add zucchini and toss with onion and coat with bacon dripping, saute lightly. (It should be tender, but still crisp.)

Add wine; boil until reduced by 1/3, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until slightly underdone. 

Drain.

Add pasta, bacon, tomatoes, and oregano to zucchini and onion in skillet. 

Toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. 

Add cheese and toss until beginning to melt, about 2 minutes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. (Serves 6)

Party on the Patio

There is no more perfect meal than one shared on the patio in the summer. I heart our patio. The hand-built table, the pots and pots of flowers and greenery, the Adirondack chairs for relaxing; it all is incredibly soothing, yet exhilarating for me. Who wants to be shut up in the house when the sun is shining?

Father's Day was the perfect opportunity for a party on the patio. My father-in-law and his sister were our guests as we grilled New York strip steaks and served them up with a fresh, tossed garden salad, my Cheesy Creamed Spinach, and the Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes. I know that I just linked to her detailed and wonderfully written, step-by-step directions, but what the heck, I will post them here, too. I actually always call them Smashed Hot Potatoes (not sure why...except they are smashed) and will add them to my index under that name just so that it is easier for my rattled brain to find the recipe when I want to confirm the roasting time. Really, once you give them a whirl that is all you need the recipe for, to confirm the roasting time (if you are as forgetful as I am). Smashed Hot Potatoes are so easy that I never have to tear myself away from the patio and the glorious outdoors for long to have them to land On My Plate.

Smashed Hot Potatoes

12 whole new potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

finely chopped rosemary

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.
Generously add salt.
Boil until fork-tender.
Drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan.
Arrange cooked potatoes on the cookie sheet with plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, press down on each potato until it mashes, but is still held together by the skin.
Sprinkle potatoes with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. (Serves 4-6)

P.S. I am trying out an option for having printable recipes from the blog. Just click on the name of the recipe, and it will take you to a page for easy printing. Please let me know what you think, and if the option works for you. Thanks! :-)

Fridge Friday, Episode 7

It is Friday, and guess what? Some of you have been brave enough to play along with me. You have shared photos of your fridges, and I LOVE IT!

I was totally shocked and honored when Jeanne at Jeanne Eats World posted her own Fridge Friday. How awesome is that? And, how great do steak quesadillas sound...on a brick patio...with s'mores made from homemade marshmallows and graham crackers for dessert? I don't know about you, but I think that I want to take up residence in Jeanne's fridge.

So...do you feel like a voyeur now? Peeking into everyone's fridge with curious hunger? Let me continue to feed your inquisitiveness. Here's a look at my Fridge Friday.

This might be the first week since the start of Fridge Friday that I actually had a meal plan in mind before I opened the fridge to get the photo. Notice that Ziplock bag of meaty goodness on the bottom shelf? Those are ribeye steaks. We are going to grill tonight. I can smell the smoldering charcoal already. I.Can't.Wait. But, my meal doesn't stop with the perfectly grilled rare steaks, seared on one side and flipped to the other over the red, hot coals. See those mushrooms on the second shelf? They are going to accompany those awesome hunks of beef.

Most of my holiday appetizer parties include a pan of Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms. The guests inhale these buttery, seasoned morsels. (Do I say that about every recipe I share? Really? I am sorry, but THEY DO. I guess that is why I know it is a recipe worth sharing.) Tonight, these mushrooms won't be an appetizer, but a side dish. They are so easy to prepare. If you can melt butter, you can make these. Seriously, it is more work to clean the mushrooms than it is to prepare Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms. But, don't let their simplicity fool you. They are delicious. Truly. Paired with a flawlessly grilled steak, they are heaven. I am going to toss up a spinach salad, grill some steaks, and whip up some Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms On My Plate this Fridge Friday. 

Sauteed Herbed Mushrooms

2 lb fresh mushrooms

(I use a mix of cremini and button, but whatever you have is OK.)

8 tablespoons butter

1 envelope (0.7 ounces) Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth (never put mushrooms under running water...they are sponges).
Halve or quarter any larger mushrooms. Leave smaller ones whole.
Saute cleaned mushrooms in melted butter for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the envelope of dressing mix. 
Stir to coat all mushrooms.
Simmer covered for about 5-10 minutes (do not boil). Stir occasionally. 
Add the parsley.
Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer or as a side dish with your favorite meal.

Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

The sun is shining today...for the second day in a row...after 5 days of constant rain and drizzle and wet and gray and cold and YUCK.  Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. 'Nuff said.

Something crisp and refreshing to sip as I enjoy this sunny day? Of course. How about a Pomegranate-Honey Cooler? This is basically a wine cooler, but not your syrupy sweet Bartels and Jaymes (rest assured, I had to Google to know how to spell Jaymes properly). Blending dry and slightly lemony Pinot Grigio with the mild and fruity pomegranate juice creates a brisk, fresh drink that is thirst-quenching on a sunny summer's day. Add just enough honey to balance the tartness, but don't go overboard.

Now, please excuse me. I have some sunshine to enjoy with the Pomegranate-Honey Cooler On My Plate (or rather, In My Glass...but that might be another blog).

Pomegranate-Honey Cooler

1 botttle dry white wine (I used Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio)

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

2-4 tablespoons honey

slices of lemon

Combine wine and juice in a pitcher.
Add honey and stir until dissolved.
Divided among 6 ice-filled glasses.
Garnish with slices of lemon. (Serves 6)

Makeover

Last year, we had an issue with the old house plaster ceiling in my closet. It decided that after almost 100 years of being a ceiling, it was tired of hanging out up above the room and found its way to the floor...crumbling over my clothes...and shoes...and handbags...and everything else I had stashed in that black hole known as my closet. I was forced to sort and wash everything as I pulled it from the debris. Clean-up involved arranging my wardrobe in half-hazard piles in the spare rooms. Plans were made for the ceiling repair. Paint and plaster were purchased. Organizers were researched. Then, just like everything else in my life, stuff happened. Hubs got busy with farm things; other commitments took all our time. My closet was a bare, empty ruin waiting for some much needed attention...and waiting, and waiting. For the past year, I have gotten dressed by pulling items of clothing from an ugly mess of tottering stacks in weird locations around the house. Don't peek in my windows in the morning. You may likely see me running from one end of the house to the other in various states of dress or undress with random articles of clothing in hand searching for the piece that I really want (or that actually fits my expanding frame~sigh).

Now, somehow, in the middle of the repairs and mess after the hail storm, we found some time to get back to work on my neglected closet. The plaster has been smoothed and sanded. And after an evening with oil-based primer in the non-ventilated space led to some very unpleasant nausea and dizziness, we have beautiful, white walls and a ceiling eager for paint. (Neither Hubs, nor I, have plans to become huffers after that experience.) The closet makeover makes me realize that so much of the clothing that I have been fighting with for a year needs to go. Why do I need 12 black skirts when I always wear the same one? Am I ever really going to be thin enough to want to wear those white pants again? Let's face it. I won't be sporting that hot pink sweater ever. Really. My wardrobe needs a makeover before it is returned to my *hopefully soon* renovated closet.

On My Plate, I recently gave one of our tried and true menus a makeover. Chicken Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy is an ultimate comfort meal for us. We don't indulge in the sinfully good, fried luxury often, but when we do, we go all out. Tenderized chicken is dipped in buttermilk, seasoned flour, and buttery cracker crumbs before bathing in hot oil until crispy, but melt-in-your-mouth tender. The mashed potatoes are made with butter and cream. Thick, milky gravy covers the entire plate. It is pure heaven...or pure sin, depending on your dietary frame of mind.

I didn't think that our comfort food needed a makeover. There were no falling ceilings to prompt a radical change On My Plate. I just happened to see a recipe request in an old Bon Appetit. A Seattle restaurant serves up a plate of fried chicken with Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes and Chorizo-Thyme Gravy. It seemed like the perfect makeover for my Chicken Fried Chicken. I love food with a little heat, and while my traditional menu was comforting, spice would be a great flavor addition.

I kept the prep for my Chicken Fried Chicken the same. I also followed the printed recipe for the Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes. It was with the Chorizo-Thyme Gravy that I made a few adjustments. I believe that the restaurant used the Mexican type of chorizo which is a loose, ground, seasoned sausage. They cooked and crumbled it before creating the roux as the base for the gravy. I haven't had positive experiences with that type of chorizo. I considered subbing some other spicy ground sausage, but had some Spanish-style chorizo on hand and went with that cured, firm sausage instead. Diced finely and heated with the onions, it imparted a smokey aura to the milky gravy. It was a perfect makeover that landed Chicken Fried Chicken and Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes with Chorizo-Thyme Gravy On My Plate. 

Chicken Fried Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4-1 cup buttermilk

1-2 cup finely crushed buttery crackers (I usually need 1.5 sleeves of Club Crackers)

3 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola oil)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, using meat mallet or rolling pin; set aside. (This is the most awesome way to relieve tension...especially if you haven't had a real closet in almost a year.) 
Combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish.
Pour buttermilk into a second dish.
Spread crushed crackers on a plate.
Submerge chicken breasts, one at a time, into the buttermilk
Dredge in seasoned flour.
Dip into buttermilk, then into crushed crackers to coat thoroughly, pressing with fingertips to adhere.
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. (Will have to do this one or two pieces at a time.)
Remove to oven safe platter or cookie sheet (I use a baking stone); place in oven to keep warm. (Serves 4)

Roasted Poblano Mashed Potatoes

2 large, fresh poblano chiles

4 pounds unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup butter (the real deal, no *shudder* margarine)

1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 500F.
Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan in the oven for 10-15 minutes, roast until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them occasionally. 
Remove the pan from the oven.
Immediately place chiles in a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes.
Peel and seed chiles; chop coarsely.
Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 14 minutes.
Drain well; transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat cream and butter in heavy small pot over medium heat until butter is melted.
Add warm butter mixture to potatoes; mash. (We like "smashed" potatoes with some chunks.)
Stir in sour cream and chopped chiles.
Cover with foil to keep warm. (Serves 4-6)

Chorizo-Thyme Gravy

1 tablespoon olive oil

1.5-2 ounces finely diced Spanish-style smoked Chorizo sausage

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1-2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped serrano chile (optional, we didn't have it on hand and left it out this time)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add chorizo and onion; saute until onion is translucent.
Add flour and Worcestershire; cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add cream and milk; reduce heat to medium and simmer 6 minutes, stirring constantly.
Mix in thyme and serrano (if using).
Stir until gravy coats the back of spoon, about 2 minutes. 
Season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4-6)

Fridge Friday, episode 6

Week 6 of Fridge Friday? Can you believe that I have actually kept up with this? Can you believe that I haven't made excuses and put it off and let is slide? Yes. I am still here, and frankly, it amazes me. My focus seems to be pulled in so many directions these days that my stick-to-it-ness suffers greatly. But, this *is* about food. Food does hold my attention...too much of the time, according to the every-growing size of my butt. But, I don't want to talk about my butt. Want to see my fridge?

So...what am I going to make? I am in the mood for a salad again. It is summer time. Thunderstorms moved through the region last night, and you can cut the humidity with a knife. Something crisp and refreshing would be good, but it has to be hearty and filling for my Midwestern appetite. I don't want to eat a big bowl of greens only to have hunger and cravings force me to dive face first into a pan of brownies a few hours later. A few years ago, I found a recipe online for a Broiled Feta and Caper Salad. Melty cheese AND crisp greens AND capers? Be still my heart. Grab the fixings and let's start cooking.

Did I mention that this salad has capers? I don't care if the sodium level is through the roof. 

I.Can't.Get.Enough.Of.Those.Salty.Little.Buds.

Broiled Feta and Caper Salad is truly a masterpiece with contrasts in flavors and textures. The crisp, sturdy romaine stands up well to the warm, gooey feta. Thin sliced red onions add depth that balances the pert, little capers. And what isn't better with tomatoes, basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Nom. Nom. Nom. This is not a puny salad. There will be no hunger diving with Broiled Feta and Caper Salad On My Plate.

Broiled Feta and Caper Salad

4 slices feta cheese (about 1/2-inch thick)

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil (chose a fruity one for this simple dressing)

4 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

fresh ground black pepper

4 lemon wedges

Preheat oven to BROIL.
Place the feta slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and broil until lightly browned.
On 4 salad plates divide and arrange the lettuce. 
Garnish with the onion slices.
Place a slice of the broiled feta cheese on top of each lettuce-onion mound. 
Place 2 tomato slices on each.
Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and top with the capers and basil. 
Sprinkle each serving with black pepper.
Garnish a lemon wedge on top of each serving. (Serves 4)

Fridge Friday, episode 5

Yes, I know it is Saturday. I had tried to get my act together for Fridge Friday this week, but a lot of other things pulled at my time and attention. Like keeping my house dry without any windows on the entire west side, and making sure the holes in the roof were covered, and cleaning up shards of glass from the floors and furniture (and in places that make no sense whatsoever), and crying over my beloved peonies, and replanting my garden after it was leveled. Yes, we had a hail storm last Saturday. An ugly hail storm that first dropped baseball-sized hail and shattered everything, then pelleted us with 3-4" of marble-sized stuff. It was incredible...incredibly awful.

Honestly overall, we were lucky compared to many. The entire town was hit hard with thousands of dollars of damages to virtually every structure, but our almost 100 year old stucco siding withstood the storm without damage. I can't say the same about the roof we had put on when we bought the house; the contractor stuck his hand clear through a hole into the attic. (Talk about ventilation.) But, interior damage for us is minimal with glass clean up on our hardwood floors being a pain, but so much better than the yards and yards of wet, glass-filled carpeting that is being pulled out of homes all across town. The 3 vehicles we had here at the house were all totaled with broken windows and fist-sized dents, but they are just things. Things can be repaired and replaced. Nobody was hurt. We have insurance. Life will go on.

Which brings us back to Fridge Friday. It is Saturday, and other than a hastily thrown together pizza, I didn't cook yesterday, but I hate to lose the momentum of this weekly post. I did take time to snap a pic of the VERY bare fridge. What do you see? Anything worth talking about? When I shared this pic on Twitter, someone said they thought I would use the blueberries or possibly dip back into the jar of artichokes. What do you think? 

I thought about being super lazy and just telling you that the Gladware containers on the second shelf were leftovers from our take-out Thursday night dinner from The Homesteader in Gregory. They seriously have the most awesome Kung Bao Beef ever...especially for a steakhouse. (Yes, I said steakhouse.) The Vietnamese owners also do homemade eggrolls on Thursday nights (the top container). Nom. Nom. Nom. I don't think that I have ever turned down their Kung Bao on my plate. 

However, even though I haven't cooked much this week, there is something in the fridge for which I could easily share the recipe. Have you noticed that jar of Candied Jalapenos on the second shelf in all of my Fridge Friday shots? Last year, I canned up a ton of these, literally. Hubs brought home a 5-gallon bucket full of jalapenos from the garden at the farm. After making so many poppers that I thought I would pop, I found a few other tasty uses for those heated peppers. 

Having a jar of Candied Jalapenos on hand, along with a block of cream cheese and a box of crackers is seriously the easiest snack or appetizer ever. People love these sweet, but spicy little gems. I have never put out a plate for snacking that wasn't licked clean when it returned to the kitchen. Hubs tops burgers with the Candied Jalapenos, and I have chopped them up and mixed into a pretty plain Jane potato salad for an extra kick. The hardest part of the canning preparation is slicing the jalapenos, but I used my mandolin slicer and it was a breeze...just don't cut yourself (or if you do...stay tuned to the blog, I have a surprise coming up in a future post). So, give it a try. Even after the stormiest of days, I am happy with Candied Jalapenos On My Plate.

Candied Jalapenos

4 pounds fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

2 pounds onions, diced

1 head fresh garlic, chopped

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

6-8 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

1 teaspoon ginger

Slice jalapenos into thin slices, dice onion, chop garlic. (Gloves are a must for this...and PLEASE don't touch your face or eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands. Those oils are nasty.)
In large pot, combine peppers, onion, and garlic with the remaining ingredients. 
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10-12 minutes, making sure sugar is dissolved.
Fill prepared canning jars with boiling mixture, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Adjust lids.
Water bath 5 minutes to seal the jars.