Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Snow Ice Cream


This was so much fun when we were kids. Remember the time when everyone thought snow was actually clean. Well kids still eat snow, so if you are not afraid, try it. This is a lot of fun with the grand kids.
If you don't want to try snow, shaved ice will work fine. We bought one of those little shaved ice machines for around 20 bucks and it works great. 
All you need is-
*10 cups snow

*1 can (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

*1 teaspoon vanilla

-Directions-

Place snow or shaved ice into a large bowl. Pour condensed milk over and pour in the vanilla. Mix it up and serve.

Friday, November 22, 2013

No Foolin', Baked Potato Candy


Baked Potato Candy
This one is from the old days, fun to make with the kids or grandkids at Christmas time.

½ pound semi-sweet chocolate chopped – in the old days they used the powdered chocolate, if you know how you can substitute it for the pieces

½ Cup potatoes (bake and peel, then mash up nicely)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1 lb confectioners/powdered sugar

Directions

  1. In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring some as you go, get the chocolate  melted nice and smooth. (now remember this is an, old time, recipe, but if you are more into modern livin’ melt in the microwave, just check it a lot as you go, won’t take but a couple of minutes.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the potato, (this is a baked, not boiled or fried potato, and no ground up potato chips, they will not work, tried it) salt and vanilla. Sift the confectioners sugar over potato, stirring and adding about a 1/3 at a time. Then another 1/3, save the last bit. Mixture will liquefy when first sugar is added then gradually begin to thicken. (Not sure why all these candy recipes call for confectioners sugar, haven’t used that term much in my 65 years. By the way a confection is defined as a very sweet food, must be all that powdered sugar.
  3. When it reaches the consistency of stiff dough, knead it until it evens out; remember not all the sugar has been added yet. Add the rest of the sugar and kneed again. This might sound a little too needy, but it only takes a few minutes.
  4. After kneading, cover with a damp cloth and chill until a small spoonful can be rolled into a ball. Shape in small 1/2 inch balls. Dip balls in melted chocolate then roll in coconut.

*Note- when writing this recipe up for your friends, make sure you spell kneading with a K, not, needing with an N and definitely not kneeling, I did see that once, nice laugh, that’s for church.

 

** Note #2 this is the place where the word yield is used to let everyone know how many pieces of candy this will make. Well not here, yield, depends on how big you make them, but should be about a dozen (12), if you make them my size.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thanksgiving Leftover Pie-What to do!


By revered Wyoming chief, outdoorsman, historian, writer and all-around good guy.
Neil Waring

We have a, good ol’ traditional Thanksgiving, at our house, kids, grandkids and maybe a few others.  Seems like every year we have too many leftovers, at least for too many for a senior citizen couple like us.

Trying to make every kid and grandkids favorite desert has proved to cause a giant left-over delectable desert dilemma. (Alliteration makes every recipe sound better). The pies, cookies, puddings and cakes of Thanksgiving, are all excellent but way too much. So here is a way to get rid of the extra filling from your pumpkin, apple, mincemeat or cherry pie.

Friday Morning Pie Pancakes

Ingredients:
4 cups of your favorite pancake mix
1 cup pie fillings from the left-over’s Sorry you will have to toss the crust, or do like I do and eat it after heating it in the oven with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on, one of my favorite cookies
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
2 tbsp. soft butter
4 tbsp. milk – add a little touch more if the mix is too dry
½-1 tsp. ground cinnamon

This should feed um all, so use it on Friday, or Saturday morning, just before the guests hit the road.


In a big ol’ bowl combine the pie filling and the pancake mix, with water or milk – the side of the box will let you know how much. Stir it up pretty good but not too smooth. Cook like normal pancakes, if you have never fried up pancakes before - ask one of your guests to do it. No need for them to still be lying about all day, doing nothing.

Combine the sugar, butter, cinnamon and last pour in the milk in a small bowl with a fork or whisk until fluffy. I stick with the fork, to Wisk sounds a bit sissy for this old cook, set it aside. But I do like the word fluffy.

Serve with a chunk of left over cake or a dollop of pudding on top.  I love using the word dollop; there I used it twice, in recipes.

Pour your normal favorite syrup over the top and chow down.

Serve with, juice, coffee, eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and a spoonful of cranberries.

Enjoy, and happy eatin’ - and Happy Thanksgiving

Friday, September 20, 2013

Bad Week for the Old Guy


Started off the week with a sprained ankle, guess maybe guys my age should quit playing basketball, even if I do still have considerable game. OK, actually I did it stepping off a two inch step in Jackson Hole last weekend. By Tuesday I added a nose running, sneezing, itching eyes, cold. Thursday the flu set in. Today I am about as miserable as anyone can be.

I will attempt to remedy my maladies by watching dozens of football games in the next 48 hours, I believe it will work. And I have all the channels to give it a tremendous effort.

Wish me luck, I know it will be tough, but I have pillows properly arranged on the couch, assorted drinks, heating pads, throws, lap top, kindle reader and other goodies to get me through my time of need. And, of course, my wife is tending to me quite well. She went down to one of the local stop and rob’s and picked up a 7UP for me. When I finish it, I believe that will make, exactly one 7UP in the past several decades. Hey, tastes pretty good.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Oh-Well, I Will Try Again

Always save- just lost a very nice post on smoked chicken. Will try to re-write, I know better too. Power went out, lost router, I shut down my laptop to restart and lost the unsaved word document, I know better.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Veggies, Jelly and Football


Love this time of year, fresh veggies from the garden and some fresh fruits also. We already made jelly, with more to come, and are really enjoying fresh roasted vegetables on the grill, with some good meat on the side. I will be posting one of my favorite summer time grilling recipes, right here, next week—stay tuned.

Can you, football on television in August, this is great.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Old Time Cowboy Food


Many cowboys ate four identical meals every day, especially cowboys of the American southwest.

The first requirement for such meals was frijoles, a Mexican dish in which pink or black kidney beans were first soaked in water and then boiled, mashed together with oil and onion to form a lumpy puree and finally seasoned generously with salt and fried in bacon fat. Much like today’s canned refried beans, but a little more flavorful.  Three to six fried eggs was then placed on top of the beans. The meat most commonly served with such meals was mutton and, if the cowboy was lucky enough to have a large plate the meat would be placed alongside the beans and eggs. Cowboys much preferred beef but settled for mutton although some were served pork if it was available.

If cowboys had small plates everything was piled on top of other things, if they had a large plate food items could be placed beside each other. Seems like this would get a little old to me but when cowboys went to town they often ordered the same thing and maybe a single shot of red-eye.

Out on the range cowboys often ate canned peaches and canned tomatoes to supplement whatever they could hunt or to help make the ever present jerky taste, at least, palatable.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Burn That Hot Dog - or Not


 

Ever heard someone say, “come on over we’ll burn some dogs on the grill and crack open a few beers”?

Well maybe not. But I do like my hotdogs on the grill, very well done, OK, burned. I like the crunch and I like them after they split and some of the juice escapes. Made me think about other foods I like burned-not many.

The top of a Pizza is nice burned as is the top of Lasagna and baked Mac and cheese. When we were kids we loved starting marshmallows on fire, blowing out the flame then eating the black charred mess. Grand kids love them still.

Don’t have anything else today-too hot, but I wanted to touch base with my readers. Can you think of any foods you like burned?

Monday, July 15, 2013


Ice Cream Bread

The web, mostly Facebook, has been full of this recipe the past week or two, thought I would give it a try.

-Here’s Your 2 ingredients- 

*2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened, I let it set out until I could work it easily.

* 1-1/2 cups self rising flour (or 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, which makes self rising flour, or pretty darn close)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Use an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan and spray  ‘ er up with baking spray.

2. In a big ol’ bowl, stir ice cream until smooth; mix in flour, not too much, just a little stir. Ladle into the sprayed up pan.  Bake 45minutes, check with the old toothpick trick, stick it in the middle and when it comes out clean-wala- cake is done, could take a minute or two or three more.

3. Cool a little while, I don’t know how long, just some, dump cake out, might take a bit of knife work around the edges. Eat is right away, it is really good warm.

4. You can add in fruit or even vegetables, if you are nuts, or add nuts, might take a might longer to bake depending on how much you put in.

My observations, this is a very palatable cake, moist with good flavor, not one of my all time favorites, but pretty good, fun and easy. Good one to make with the grand kids. Now if someone could just come up with a delicious, two ingredient apple pie.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

The Old Cook is Down But Not Out - Not Yet


I am starting to feel better, finally, after a month of the worst sinus problems in all my 65 years. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear (my wife says it was even worse than my normal selective hearing), tough time sleeping and got little or no work done. Hope to be back blogging in a few days, the nice weather here in eastern Wyoming is helping. See you in a week or so.

Neil
Oh- I did make some donuts today - think I must be feeling better!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Lost Art of Home Cooking


Americans are eating their weight and more  every year in genetically engineered food, a new Environmental Working Group analysis shows. "On average, people eat an estimated 193 pounds of genetically engineered food in a 12-month period. The typical American adult weighs 179 pounds."

Maybe it’s because old time home cooking is becoming a lost art. Traditional cooking skills are dying out; so many modern cooks use boxes and cans as a basis for everything they do in the kitchen. Making gravy, custard, biscuits, pastries and stews seem to be a lost art. Even slow roasted meat, pot roast and homemade noodles seem like, “old people food,” to a lot of modern cooks. Too bad!

When we eat out I can’t wait for my next meal at home – so I can eat something good. Seems like in today’s world most people eating at home can’t wait to eat out. Not this old pot slinger.

-And a word on snacks – In Japan they say everybody is either in the Sweets Party or the Spicy Party. Divided as to whether they would rather have a sweet snack or a salty/spicy snack.


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Cornmeal Mush


Today we are going back in time – way back

I can remember my dad (born in 1914) talking about eating cornmeal mush as a kid. He grew up on a prosperous farm and always had plenty, but cornmeal mush was a common breakfast for his family. On other days they may have eaten bacon and eggs but in those days they did not have the convenience of a box of cereal, this may have been the cereal for Americans in pre 1920s.

Here it is – give it a try

Cornmeal Mush –or- Indian Mush

Boil 2 cups water, add 1/2 tsp. salt, and sprinkle in cornmeal slowly while stirring until mush becomes thick. Use your own judgment as to how much cornmeal is needed

Eat warm with butter, honey or molasses

Another variation of this, and one I have tried, and liked follows—

 Pour cooked mush in a bread pan and refrigerate until set. (A few hours) Slice and fry in a pan sprayed with a generous amount of vegetable spray or you can use butter for a little decadence

Fry until crisp on both sides, then serve with maple syrup or honey, or use your favorite flavored pancake or waffle syrup. (Mine is Boysenberry)

Cornmeal Mush is, as almost all foods made with corn, an invention of American Indians, it became popular in other countries, and in other cultures, but it is a decidedly American dish.

Note 1. Sometimes mush is referred to as Gruel, but technically gruel was made with oatmeal instead of cornmeal

Note 2. In days past this dish was most often referred to as simply - mush.

 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Cowboys, Chocolate and Corn on the Cob


Two old Wyoming Cowboys were sitting around the bunkhouse on a lazy Sunday afternoon. After a couple of hours they tired of talking about the weather, politics and sports and the conversation drifted to cooking.

   The first guy said, "I bought a cookbook once but I could never

do anything with it."

 
  "Too much fancy stuff in it, eh?” asked the other.

 
  "You said it", the first guy replied.  "Every one of the

recipes began the same way, 'take a clean dish'..."

  

A  Sunday food riddle - What food do you, Peal off the outside, Cook the inside, eat the outside, And throw away the inside? Answer below:

 

 Corn on the cob


Did You Know? Chocolate has always been included on every American and Russian space flights

Friday, February 8, 2013

Is Pasta Really Bad For You?


With all the discussions about healthy foods vs. unhealthy, thought I would take a look at the much maligned Pasta. Pasta is almost all carbohydrates, and only four calories per gram. That sounds like something that would be very good for you, especially if you are active.  So why all the bad press?

Because most pasta, canned, frozen or restaurant, has too many calories and too much salt in the sauce and too many calories and too much fat in the cheese toppings.  I am exhausted from using the word too so many times. Another bad rap, the servings are too big.

Here is what we can do.

1.    Make pasta at home – come on its pasta, it is about as hard to make as toast

2.   Keep the serving size reasonable (especially if you are like me and head to the freezer for a bowl of ice cream about nine in the evening).

3.   Make your own sauce and keep the salt out, black pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning will make a wonderful and fresh sauce, add any other herbs of your choice

4.   Sprinkle on the cheese – remember it is to add taste – it is not the taste

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Crockpot Corn Chowder


By
 
Neil Waring Revered Wyoming Chef, outdoor cooking expert, admired woodsmen, award winning author, retired politician and honored citizen.

 
Make it in five or ten minutes and let it cook from Morning until Supper Time.
 

 The two types of corn add depth and great texture of this one

Ingredients:

·         3 cups frozen corn

·         14 oz. can creamed corn

·         1 onion, chopped

·         2 (14 oz.) cans ready to serve chicken broth

·         1/8 tsp. pepper

·         1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

·         2 Tbsp. cornstarch

·         3 Tbsp. water

Putting it together

 Mix everything but the cornstarch and water in 3-4 quart Crockpot and stir it up good.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until corn is tender. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and mix it in; stir into the Crockpot.

Cover and cook on high for 10-15 minutes until it thickens.

 Top with crackers and its ready to go

Makes enough for four (it is really clever using two 4s in a row)

 

Monday, February 4, 2013

World's Best Burger - At Home



Wait – what kind of recipe is this? Making a hamburger, everyone knows how, or do they?

Almost everyone makes hamburger at home, so why is it that after eating them so many of us are unsatisfied and dream of a good fast food burger? A burger that in your dream like state tastes better than home made, but do they really? If they do there are several reasons why. And here they are.

Fast food burgers are hot, fresh off the grill, out from under the heat lamp or micro waved just before bagging. At home we fry or grill them, put them aside and do a bunch of other stuff and then –“the burgers are ready,” might as well add, “Cold”.

Other than hot, here are the keys to a - Good Ol’ Home Burger

1.  Buy cheap, really cheap, if you can find them, white buns

2.  Make them thin and fry them hot and fast

3.  Salt & Pepper – No other seasonings

4.  When burgers are finished, set aside; butter the buns and brown in skillet. (after, of course, wiping out the skillet with a paper towel)

5.  Place bun on plate and add your veggies, pickles, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cabbage, beets, whatever you like

6.  Microwave burger for 20-25 seconds – if you are a cheeseburger type add cheese now

7.  Put burger on bun and now, only now, add the usual condiments, ketchup, mustard or both

8.  Serve – now that is a good burger!

Now I am starting to get a little hungry.

 

 

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Good Ol’ Boy Corned Beef Hash


Got 'er done!

This is now one of your favorite recip                    

Stuff you will need - Ingredients

·      3 tablespoons butter

·      1 large onion, finely chopped

·      2 cups diced corned beef

·      4 cups diced potato

·      Salt and pepper – this really does not need salt but if your BP is good sprinkle a little on



 

1. Get out the big old black skillet for this one. I love it when I get to use this one – hunting camp type food – let the calories fly

 

2. Turn heat to medium/high melt the butter toss the onions in hot oil until they soften and turns a nifty golden brown

 

3. Toss in the corned beef and potato. Stir and let them sizzle, don’t let it get too hot, fry until potatoes start to turn soft

 

4. Press the potato mixture down to creating a more compact layer.

 

5. Cook for a few minutes continuing to smash down potatoes (like one large pancake), takes a few minutes to get a nice golden-brown crust, but that’s what you want

 

6. Flip and cook for another few minutes to heat through.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

 

*This is great with wild game made corned beef

 

 

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Super Bowl Snacks


Super Bowl Sunday is coming up – are you ready for some super Bowl snacks?

Following is my top 10 list of super snacks while watching the 49eres and Ravens.

1.     Sausage and Cheese Pinwheels – Use biscuits in a can – Sausage on one side cheese on the other - tasty

2.     Pigs in a Blanket- Hot Dogs wrapped, you can use more of the biscuits in a can, in dough and baked in the oven - delicious

3.     Sliders – Mini-burgers -flavorsome

4.     Huge Veggie trayCarrots, lots of celery, yummy cabbage leaves, radishes, turnip slices, grape tomatoes and yogurt dip –who am I kidding?

5.     Chili – Make two, spicy and mild, make sure to have grated cheddar and chopped onions for toppers - scrumptious

6.     Buffalo Wings -Your version, but don’t buy them at the supermarket or order out, make them at home, great fun and - Yummy

7.     Taco Dip and Chips – One of my favorites - mouthwatering

8.     Potato Chips and Dip – Won’t hurt you, not today, pass the dip please- delightful

9.     Pizza – Whatever you like, make your own or order, just keep um coming – lip smacking good

10.    Cup Cakes – Gotta have something sweet, for even more fun tell the kids   to go make them - luscious

11.    Flavored Popcorn – Butter, caramel, cinnamon, cheese, chocolate, humus, sardine, pick your favorite, still a great game day food – enchanting

12. Beer - Could have been ten but don’t forget the Beer, soda for the kids     

 

 

 

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Chicken alla Cacciatora


Chicken alla Cacciatora


-by-


Neil Waring
Revered Wyoming Chef, outdoor cooking expert, admired woodsmen, award winning author, retired politician and honored citizen.


I am not big on ethnic foods, usually preferring good old Middle -America country food - what else for someone who grew up in Nebraska and now lives in Wyoming? But I do enjoy Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and especially Italian on occasion.


 

So what is this alla Cacciatora stuff? Or am I the only one asking? It refers to hunter style, game meat most often poultry, cooked with onions, herbs and tomatoes in a wine sauce.

Ø  Cut up one whole chicken, or 3 chicken breasts, or parts and pieces of your choice, sprinkle the pieces with flour, salt and pepper and fry.

Ø  Take chicken from skillet and set aside. When cooled cut into bit sized chunks about ½ by ½ inch each

Ø  Chop one large onion, cook until soft in a small mixture of the leftover fat and 2 chicken bouillon cubes

Ø  When the onion has browned, add back the chicken and one pint fresh or one can diced or stewed  tomatoes and half a dozen sweet green peppers or one rough chopped green pepper.

Ø  When the gravy is thick enough add enough hot water mixture (use a mix of I teaspoon of cornstarch, 1 crushed chicken bouillon cube and one cup water- add slowly).

Ø  To prevent the burning of the vegetables, turn down the heat. Cover the pan tightly and simmer until the chicken is very tender. Add more hot water if needed, but don’t let it get too thin.

Ø  You can make this with chicken breast meat, but I like to use pieces of the darker meat also-tastes great either way.

Enjoy!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Ol Time Macaroni Soup


Remember those cold days growing up when grandma would bring us in after a day of building snowmen and sledding? We were so cold and she would set us down and bring in piping hot bowls of Macaroni Soup—NO—I don’t remember those days either, but this soup sure would have been good. Here it is.

 

Old Time Macaroni Soup

Ingredients:

ü 2 chicken breast fillets (chopped into approximately 1/2 inch squares)

ü 2 tablespoons oil

ü 1 med sized onion (chunked into medium piece)

ü 1 garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic

ü 3 medium sized carrots (chopped about same size as onion chunks)

ü 2 celery stalks (chopped); leaves (finely chopped) – I don’t like the texture of celery but I do like the taste, I substitute celery seed about a ¼ teaspoon

ü 1 small can evaporated milk

ü 2 chicken bouillon cubes (don’t forget to take the little yellow wrappers off)

ü 2 quarts of water

ü 1 cup elbow macaroni (cooked according to package instructions I really hope no one has to still read these)

ü Salt and pepper (heavy on the pepper and very light on the salt – I do not use salt as the bouillon seems to have enough salt)

ü Splash of oregano, and thyme (to taste)

ü Grated cheese-medium cheddar or fresh parmesan sprinkled on top –don’t overdo it

Directions:

·         In a Large pot, heat oil and toss in the garlic and onions until golden.  (Please- do not do this step if you are using granulated garlic)

·          Add chopped chicken to the oil, stirring and flipping all the time until browned nicely

·          Add the carrots and chopped celery to the mix chicken.

·         Boil the macaroni to a firm – al dente state.

·         Add  milk, and sautéed chicken cube mixture to the pot

·         Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for an hour (low heat)

·         Add your seasonings

·         Serve in bowls with grated cheese – can add celery leaves or parsley for color

·         At Christmas time we like to sprinkle the soup with a bit of paprika and parsley-fun and extremely festive for this ol’ Wyoming boy.