Posted on

‘Tis the Season

…for Fear and Loathing™. It’s autumn and my BIG birthday looms. Meh. I usually get a little melancholy this time of year and this year is no different.

I don’t have any big complaints, really. My family – or lack thereof – has been bothering me. I’ve been completely disowned, apparently, and although I’m better off without those people, it still bugs me that somehow I’m always the bad guy. It’s not fair and not true. It’s true that I do think they are militantly ignorant and act like uneducated hillbillies. I’ve got tons of proof of that. That does not mean I feel that I am “better” than they are, it means that I choose to live my life differently and I will not stop living my life as an intelligent, in control, educated adult to appease them. I don’t want to be like them, that doesn’t mean I am a bad person.

They choose to believe that I’m just a bad person who hates them and that’s that. Well, ok, but that’s not the truth.

I cannot do anything for them. I can’t make them get better Drs. I can’t make them take better care of themselves. I can’t make them do what’s necessary to get the care they need. I can’t make my brother listen. I can’t make any of them listen. As I’ve said, my parents could be dead for all I know. Since the big fight with my brother months ago, I’ve not heard a peep.

I guess it’s the not knowing that sucks.

Whatever. I can’t change them and they don’t want my input. I guess they can just sit in that house until they die. ::shrug::

Nick has been feeling bad again, so that’s probably part of my melancholy, too. I’m worried about him. We are pretty sure he has Lyme Disease. I bought a kit from IGenEx to get his blood tested for Lyme with the Western Blot method (the only accurate one, $500) and we are hoping that crazy Dr Erramilli will be onboard for the test and for longterm treatment. There are few Lyme literate Drs in the US and pretty much NONE in the SE US. I hope Erramilli will be willing to go on this journey with us. ::fingers crossed::

I’m just trying to stay positive until my birthday passes. I’ve got Heather coming in town in a few weeks, so that will hopefully be a diversion. I do need to start looking around for a tattoo shop to do our tattoos. They are going to be great!

Well, that’s enough of my whingeing. I’ll post a separate post about Missy Kat’s new diet.

Posted on

Smoky Pimento Mac & Cheese

I had this dish at a pricey restaurant downtown and decided I could replicate it at home, so I did. It’s just mac & cheese, but made with smoked gouda (I found some with BACON!!) and white cheddar. I used roasted red pepper from the jar rather than pimento.

Smoky Pimento Mac and Cheese
Smoky Pimento Mac and Cheese

Smoky Pimento Mac & Cheese
2 Tbl Butter
1 big Tbl flour
3 oz shredded white cheddar (about half a cup)
4 oz shredded smoked gouda, with bacon if you can find it (about 3/4 cup)
1 (1/2 pepper) roasted red pepper from a jar, diced
2/3 – 3/4 cup half n half
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1.5 cup dry pasta, cooked al dente in salty water. Hold pasta in the water. I used Kroger brand cavatappi rigate pasta, which is a large corkscrew style that is ribbed for your pleasure. You could use elbows or penne if you like.

Melt butter over med heat then add flour and stir for a couple minutes. Add the cheeses, pepper and paprika and stir until it gets all melty. Add in 2/3 cup half n half, stirring. You’ll probably need more, I did. You want this sauce thick, but loose enough to coat the pasta but not be sticky. When you get the consistency right, check salt and pepper. It should be a little saltier than you think it should be because the pasta will soak up the salt. Scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon or spider and allow a bit of water to stay on it – this will make your sauce perfect. Check seasoning after you stir in pasta. Serve while warm.

Posted on

Dinner on the Grill! (Carne Picada w/ Rice & Beans)

We were sitting on the deck last night and heard a transformer blow, then another. No power! I live in a 60s era house with an all electric kitchen (that I DESPISE), so this meant: no dinner. I had already done all the mise en place, so all I needed was heat to assemble the dish… To the gas grill! The dish turned out perfectly, I’m happy to say and the recipe is pretty awesome, so I’ll share it with you! No grill required, but it is pretty fun. Apologies for the quickie phone pix!

Carne Picada with rice and beans!
Carne Picada with rice and beans!

Spicy Carne Picada

1 pack (about 1#) of carne picada, which is beef that is barely ground and chunky. Kroger has it occasionally. Or you can use large grind beef – usually labeled chili beef.
1 Tbl cumin
1 Tbl ancho chile powder
1 Tbl chipotle powder (less if you don’t like spicy)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbl garlic paste (find at Indian store)
2 Tbl olive oil
half a small can of tomato sauce
Veg
1 bell pepper, large dice
1 onion, large dice
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Tomato Rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup chicken stock
.5 cup water
1 tsp salt
half a small can of tomato sauce

Black Beans
2 cans seasoned black beans, drained
1 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbl minced onion
1 clove minced garlic (or use 1 Tbl garlic paste)
S/P
Slice one green onion for garnish.

Break up the carne in a large bowl and add in all the spices and oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Prep the veg.

Rinse the basmati rice three times to remove the excess starch. You can skip this, but you’ll have fairly sticky rice if you do. Put rice, stock, water and seasonings into a 2 qt pan then bring to boil, reduce to simmer. It takes about 15 mins for basmati rice to cook. Follow package instructions. Spicy yellow rice is awesome with this, too.

Put the drained black beans in a pan and add seasonings. Heat up over medium heat and simmer until onions and garlic are cooked. About 10 mins.

Heat a large skillet over med hi heat and saute the onions, peppers and garlic for about 5-7 mins in olive oil. When they soften, push to the sides and add beef. Saute beef and veg until beef is cooked, about 10 mins. You can drain this if there is a lot of fat.

To serve:
In a large bowl, put rice and beans side by side and add beef on top. Garnish with green onion and enjoy!

Cooking on the grill!
Cooking on the grill!

Veg and meat!
Veg and meat!

Posted on

Spicy Figgy Jam

Print

Spicy Figgy Jam

This is the best fig jam you'll ever have! Promise! And very easy to make!
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Jam
Cuisine American
Keyword fig, figgy, jam, spicy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 pints
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 1 large dutch oven or any large heavy bottom pot

Ingredients

  • 3 pint figs, quartered about 6 cups
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 3 Tbl lemon juice, fresh about 2 lemons
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbl pectin to ensure it sets

Instructions

  • Put figs, sugar, lemon juice and spices in large pot over med hi heat.
  • Cook at a low boil for 15-20 minutes until figs break down and get thick.
  • Once jam is looking good, pull off heat and add in the pectin.
  • Pour into pint jars. See notes.

Notes

This recipe can be canned in a water bath or kept in the fridge. 
If you're doing a water bath canning, fill your prepped jars with 1/2" head room, clean the rims, add lids and rings, just finger tight. Process in water bath for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and seal. 
If you don't want to do the water bath, jar the same way, but turn jars over to heat seal then refrigerate when totally cooled. This jam will keep indefinitely until opened. 
Recipe can be doubled, but be judicious with spices. TASTE. 
Posted on

Angela’s Biscuits and Gravy

I use the standard biscuit recipe on the White Lily bag, slightly modified, but my gravy recipe is unusual so I figured I’d post it for y’all.
biscuitgravy

Biscuits
White Lily Recipe
My version, due to my never having Crisco or buttermilk on hand:

Angela’s Southern Biscuits
2 cups White Lily SR flour (The BRAND is important here, for those living outside of the South. FIND White Lily. Trust me.)
1/4 cup butter [half a stick], cold, cut into cubes (I never keep shortening.)
about 2/3 cup half n half w/ 1 Tbl white vinegar in it as a homemade buttermilk substitute (I never keep buttermilk on hand.)

Preheat oven to 450F (I have never cooked them at 500F!) Cut in the fat with a dough cutter until flour and fat are about pea sized. Add in the milk in thirds – you may or may not use all of it, it depends on the weather. [I used about a half cup today since the humidity is 100%.] Stir dough together with a spatula just until it’s combined. You want it pretty wet and sticky. Don’t overmix. Plop on a well floured surface then generously flour the top of the dough. Turn dough over to make sure it’s not sticking (use more flour if you need to) then pat into a disk at least 1″ thick. Use a cutter or a glass and cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on an ungreased sheet pan – I do not like mine to touch, but if you do, fine. I’m not the boss of you. Bake on middle rack for about 12-15 mins depending on your thickness. They should be golden on top.
This recipe makes about 8 – 10 biscuits.

Southern Gravy for Biscuits
This recipe has evolved due to my never having milk on hand, only half n half, which makes gravy THICK. I also sometimes run out of bacon fat, so I use schmaltz (chicken fat) or both, which is fantastic. Duck fat would be awesome as well. The choice of fat is pretty flexible, actually, as long as you use the right amount. You can do this with pancetta, bacon, sausage or no meat at all.

Angela’s Southern Gravy
1 Tbl bacon fat
1 Tbl schmaltz
1-2 Tbl cubed pancetta
2 Tbl flour (AP or SR, doesn’t matter)
3/4 cup half n half
1/2-2/3 cup chicken stock
S/P

Put the fats and pancetta in a nonstick skillet on med heat. When the pancetta has rendered (about 5 mins), turn up the heat to med hi and add flour. Stir flour into fat until smooth and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in half n half and stir until smooth. This will be thick! Add in about 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp black pepper. Start adding chicken stock until the gravy is the consistency you want. I like mine thick for biscuits! When you get the consistency you want, kill the heat and check your seasoning – it should be a little salty if you’re using it on biscuits. Use immediately, gravy does not hold well.

Add in some homemade figgy jam and you’ve got Sunday breakfast! Bon Appétit!