Sweet Potato Hay

 

 

Sweet Potato hay has been served in diffrent part of the world for hundreds of years, in america the recipe goes back to pre-Civil War times. And now it is back in the news because they were

served this year at the Obama Inaugural Luncheon

Slice two or more large sweet potatoes into very thin slices, (smaller than shoestring potatoes)

 

Slice and damp dry the potatoes and drop handfuls (hands full?) at a time into the oil

Deep fry in hot oil – a tad over 350 works best

They will tangle and come out in kind of stuck together piles – a like little hay stacks

 

I am not a sweet potato eater, not at all, but I like these

 

The Masterpiece and a Smoke Alarm

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

I really hate it when the smoke alarm goes off when I am creating one of my kitchen masterpieces. Not sure if I need a new smoke alarm or a new recipe. You would think the smoke alarm could smell the difference between something burning and the yummy smells of my most recent culinary invention.

Oh-I burned the heck out of it and my wife said, “You know, there is a lower setting on the broiler.”

I thought about playing dumb but instead, fessed up, “there is?”

New Fangled Apple Butter

New Fangled Apple Butter

-Almost like mom used to make –

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

Well another Christmas has come and gone and we have a new year, forgot which one, but it is new.

Look over at the big table in the dining room and what do you see, sure, it’s the same every year a basket full of wrinkling apples. We all love apples at Christmas, but we never eat them, not any more. When we were kids things like apples, oranges and soda pop were treats, not any more, now we have them all the time.

“What do we do with all the left over apples,” Thanks for asking.

 Don’t you hate throwing away or composting something that should have been eaten three weeks ago? Well you can still eat it, maybe not as a crunchy apple, but how about some new fangled, old fashioned Apple Butter?

It’s easy, it’s tasty and it’s really kind of fun to make. (It refers to the Apple Butter)

-Here’s the how and what you need stuff-

·        Apples, as few as 4 or 5 will work, more if you have them

·        Crock Pot

·        Cinnamon

·        Clove (if you like it—I do)

·        That’s it – NO SUGAR NEEDED

 

ü Peel apples-this is important as peels do not cook down worth a darn and then those little bitty pieces will get stuck in your teeth and you will have to pull them out before you put teeth in a glass of water for the night.

ü Cut your peeled apples into small chunks (about an inch by two) and not more than a ½ inch thick.

ü Put a tiny amount of water in the bottom of the crock pot, just enough to cover—no more.

ü Toss in apples

ü Turn on high for two hours or until apples soften to a state where they can be easily mashed (or if you prefer-smashed)

ü Mash with fork, spoon or potato masher, or you can get in there and walk around, wine making style, if your crock pot is large enough and you are mashing a few thousand apples.

ü Turn crock pot to lowest setting-mix in cinnamon to taste and as much clove as you can stand—too much and it will make your mouth numb, kind of cool really

ü Leave on lowest setting for 8-10 hours (all night?)

ü In the morning turn the setting up and cook all day, checking, stirring and tasting every two hours. (do not let it burn and stick around the edges)

ü When the excess water has cooked off you have apple butter (it’s just applesauce until then)

There you have it an old fashioned treat made in a new fangled way.

ENJOY AND HAPPY COOKIN’

 

 

Next Year?

Jan 1, 2013 – Going on official record – “I love the New Year and I love New Year’s Resolutions.”

6:00 a.m. - Eight hours of sleep, healthy, balanced breakfast, went for a walk, did my stretching and lifting workout, spent some hobby time, did some putting away and picking up in my workshop.

8:00 a.m. - New Years are great-reinvigorating, life anew

9:00 a.m. - Feel like I need a nap, have a bit of an upset stomach, my shoulders, hips and feet ache.

10:00 a.m. – Doing much better now, reclining on the couch, watching first of many New Year’s Day Bowl Games, still resting after my workout, and dreaming about the next year.

11:00 a.m. - Very soar, dull pain starting on top of my head and ending on the bottom of my feet, not feeling well at all, will take a handful of pain killers and continue resting on couch.

I really do not like New Year’s—except for the Football

Noon – Drinking soda, eating chips and peanuts, still resting on couch, feeling some better, game has reached halftime, watching shootout on the Western Channel until second half starts.

“Maybe Next Year, never have liked New Years stuff, too much hype, just another day for this ol’ cowboy”

-Happy New Year-