Well yesterday I made shortcrust pastry. We were watching Emeril the other day and he made some Cornish Pasties - sooo that is what is for dinner. I'll post the recipe if they taste good.

Mmmmmmmmmm pasties sound delicious. I haven't made them in about 20 years! Yes, please post if they are good.

Grind your berries for flour? What does that mean? I puzzled and puzzled and I still can't figure it out.

How did your Cowboy Casserole turn out?


Unfortunately I am not near my recipe books at the moment, but I know I use corn syrup for buttertarts and they turn out fabulous. (Same recipe I would use for pecan pie.) The problem is that you can't get golden corn syrup in the US.... it's clear. Or, at least you can't get it in Florida. So the last time I made buttertarts with a US corn syrup my buttertarts turned out horrible. Give the brown sugar recipe a go and let us know how it turns out, Marilyn.

Probably wheat berries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatberry

Ohhhhh, okay. Thanks Cassie.

I do what I can!

Meanwhile, I haven't a sweet clue what we are having for supper tonight!

My Mom's making a full roast beef dinner for the family tonight because she and my Dad are going to Buffalo tomorrow for the long weekend and I'm heading back to the US on Monday. Won't see them again until the summer.

Oh. Now I feel sad.

Awww don't feel sad krikit! Nice and sunny here in Florida, rain this weekend

Ok, so the pasties. They were very good really, the pastry is really nice, however I would change a few things (and I did change a few things).

- We rolled the pastry out to 1/4 of an inch, I would roll it to 1/8 of an inch.
- I added worcheshire sauce to 1/2 the meat and curry powder to the other half (also didn't use carrots).
- I precooked everything a bit first (meat, potatoes, onion)
- I didn't brush the pastry with egg - just because

These are ours:



These are Emeril's:




Cornish Pasties
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007

For the Short-crust Pastry:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces lard or vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons cold water
For the Filling:
10 ounces chuck steak, trimmed and cut into scant 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small Idaho potato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the pastry:


Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl and add the butter and lard. Using your fingers, 2 knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter and lard into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together and add to the flour mixture. Mix quickly, but thoroughly, until mixture just comes together to form a dough. Knead briefly until pastry is smooth with no cracks; the trick to making this delicate pastry easy to work with is kneading it just enough so that it can be rolled out and manipulated without breaking but yet retains its lovely crumbly texture. Press into a flattened disk shape and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight before proceeding.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and unwrap. Allow to soften slightly, then place on a lightly floured work surface and roll the pastry to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Using a small plate or saucer as a guide, cut out 6 (6-inch) rounds. (Scraps may be combined and reformed if you cannot get 6 rounds out of the first batch.) Stack the pastry rounds onto pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper (with pieces between each round to keep them from sticking together) and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.


For the filling:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the pastry circles from the refrigerator. In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, onion, carrot, potato, salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined. Place the pastry circles on a clean work surface and place about 1/2 cup of the filling in the center of 1 side of the pastry. Using the beaten egg, brush the edges of the pastry and then bring the unfilled side over the filled side so that edges meet. Press edges together to seal and then crimp using your fingers or a fork. Repeat with the remaining turnovers and then transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg and then cut several slits into the top of each pastry. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown around the edges. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the pasties are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

*Chef's Note: If you find that the pastry breaks when you try to roll it out, simply gather it together and add a bit more water and knead lightly so that it comes together in a smooth ball. Allow to rest briefly then try again. This pastry is delicate but worth the extra effort.

Sowwy....I should have been a bit more clearer on the berries thing. Yeah, I grind my own flour to make bread. I've been milling my own flour for a while now...makes a very good loaf of bread, no preservatives, and when the flour is used within 72 hours it retains all the nutrients. It's not as much trouble as it sounds.

As for dinner tonight...Joel and I are attending Relay For Life at the high school in the county where I teach, to walk some memory laps. There's gonna be lots of food to be had. We're walking in memory of his dad (David Pothier...passed October 2001 ) and my momma (Jerrie Ann Edwards...passed December 2005 ).

*sigh* I really miss Momma...she got me in the kitchen when I was 10 and started teaching me how to cook. For me, it's hard in so many ways...but especially when I cook. I don't have her here to call and ask "...now how did you do this?"

*hugs for Karen* I've been a part of three Relay For Life (my mom and dad organize the one in my hometown) and they are amazing events. I know that it will be hard for you tonight as you and Joel honour the memory of your mom and his dad. Will be thinking of you both.

Thanks Cassie...May is a hard month for me anyway, for reasons other than Joel's dad and Momma. I've done Relay For Life for the last four years and each one was emotionally hard. I definately appreciate the thoughts.

I like rain!

Mmmmm, those look nummy Trailmix. I especially like the fruit and foliage background display. A little gecko peaking out would be fun next time.



Wow. I'm impressed about grinding your own flour, Karen. I bet your bread is awesome. And (((((((BIG HUGS)))))))) for your memory laps tonight. I taught my daughter to cook and she still calls me (or asks me when I'm at her house) for a recipe or to find out how I do certain things or how I know something. That is one of the reasons she is getting her own recipe book as one of her wedding shower gifts. I received one put together by my family and friends and it's the most amazing gift I have ever received in my life. Two contributing family members have passed on since then and their recipes and funny comments would have been gone forever if I had not received it. I highly recommend it for those who are looking to give a unique and very personalized gift.

we ended up getting pizza from Papa Johns. Soooooooo good.

Two of my favourite recipe collections are by my grandmother, and the book my sister-in-law put together of their family recipes. Priceless.

rats....didn't think to put a gecko in there

roast chicken, stuffing, sauteed mushrooms and green beans.

steamers (clams) to start.

mmmm i am hungry

last night we had sandwiches and pasta salad and coleslaw from the deli down the street..

today we went to Shakeys for lunch amd ate from the pizza buffet....

tonight we are going to a BBQ at his brother's house.. so it will be carne asada and chicken

We tried the food from the Thai restaurant down the street tonight.

The satay isn't my 'favorite' satay, which I didn't really expect since that is a Singapore type, however! It came with a lovely peanut sauce so was delicious.

Also had a spring roll and some fried rice, the rice was very good! Husband had the green curry - he said it is spectacular!

Those look SO delicious trailmix! You did an awesome job! Thanks so much for the picture and recipe. I'm going to make some soon.

So no one having dinner this week!?

Last night we had ummm, trying to remember, hmmm. Oh right - spaghetti. So it was just basically Ragu and angel hair pasta - but here is the thing, the pasta sauce was too sweet. Can anyone recommend a pasta sauce that isn't sweet in ze U.S.A.?

i like Kroger brand... i don't think it is too sweet... but my tastes might be different then yours ...lol

last night I made brown sugar chicken, which was yummy and some white rice and steamed corn...

I make my own, which is pretty simple, really. I combine a large tin of Hunts tomato sauce and a small tin of Hunt's tomato paste with my meat and onion/mushrooms/peppers and basil and/or italian seasoning and salt and pepper. It doesn't taste exactly the same as it would if I were using the Canadian Hunts, but it's close enough. But use the plain sauce and paste, not the seasoned kind. The pre-seasoned stuff reacts with the can and makes it taste really tinny.

Tonight we are having steak and mushroom pies which I brought back with me from Millers Scottish Bakery. Can't wait! Which reminds me.... I need to go shopping for some broccoli and cauliflower and some other stuff. Sigh. Back to reality.

even in Canada I hated to buy sgetti sauce in the can...

I put the corned beef into the crock pot this morning and it is ready - yum! Having steamed potatoes, cabbage and asparagus with it (steaming them right now) and a salad with romaine lettuce fresh from our garden. Joe is home sick today with the cold I had last week - one of the few times he has taken a sick day since we've been married, poor baby. His appetite seems unimpaired though, so he will enjoy dinner.

Awwww flowers for sick Joe!


We had grilled Greek pork chops last night, with potato wedges, and asian green beans. The marinade for the pork was really good. Let me know if anyone wants it. Well, actually...everything was good.

Oops! Forgot about tonight's supper. Hmmm, I think maybe a ham, spinach and cheese loaf (in the oven). Maybe I'll skip the spinach in the loaf, and make a spinach salad instead. With cranberries!

Well, by the time supper rolled around I had a headache so I changed the menu to salmon, green beans and carrots, and garlic and butter rice. With date squares for dessert.... which I brought back from Canada.... and which were a big non-hit. Got them at Fortinos and was veeerrry disappointed in the flavour. Guess I'll have to make my own.

Tonight I'm thinking we may have the meat pies, but I'm not sure yet. I'll wait and see what everyone else is having first.

That spinach and cheese loaf sounds delicious Carla! Recipe please?

Well, I've made it several ways. I like the puff pastry (not phyllo), but for a change I've used either a frozen bread loaf, made my own bread dough, or in a pinch Pillsbury pizza dough. The same guts, just different ways of wrapping it!

I thaw out a frozen small box of spinach, then either roll out the pizza dough, or roll out a thawed bread dough, or make myown bread dough, or use puff pastry dough... and then spread a thin layer of dijon mustard, or any kind of mustard if you like. Then layer spinach, ham, shredded or sliced cheese. Sometimes I sprinkle some feta on it or shredded swiss. Then roll up jelly roll fashion and put on sprayed cookie sheet in the overn for about 15 min. (you'll have to look to see how brown it is). If I use bread dough, I brush sometimes with milk, if puff pastry, I brush with beaten egg. I then divide it up into four pieces, and we have one each at supper with soup or a salad and the other I give to Gene for lunch the next day.

Remember whatever you use for your "dough" to roll it up, and tuck in the ends. Pinch the seam as well. Sometimes it leaks cheese, but it's ooey-gooey! mmmmm

I was going to have a spinach salad, but now I've made up an Asian Ramen Noodle Salad. mmmmmmmmm I tasted it before putting it in the fridge....I LOVE this salad.

And sorry I was so late in posting this for your trailmix. I think you're an hour ahead of me? I was out until now, so didn't see this posting earlier. Enjoy!

No problemo! I am going to try this tomorrow, will need to go to the store to get .... one of the above mentioned wrappings

Thanks

Ooo. That spinach loaf sounds yummy, Carla. I have a recipe for something like that but it's a breakfast loaf with eggs. One of Jamie Oliver's. In fact, it's fabulous.

Well, I have changed my mind once again and we are now having stuffed manicotti casserole. (With a meat sauce and mozzarella topping.) And garlic bread. I really should go to the store to pick up some romaine and make a caesar salad too. Except I don't feel like going to the store.

Because it's too hot to go outside!

We were going to have fish - don't really like fish but I bought some frozen and breaded, or so I thought, until I opened up the package and they are just fillets (not breaded), guess the picture on the front is a recipe 'suggestion'. Whatever!

So instead we had sausages and....corn. Corn on the cob for me, corn off the cob for Mike and cornbread as well.

It was all very good, double corn items a bit.... different - but oh well it was what we had and it was good

Just got a text from the dear hubby suggesting a nice supper out -- yay!

Enjoy the supper out Cassie

We are having roast chicken, creamed spinach and potato salad (all prepared already from the grocery store).

Hey! We're having the same dinner! Same cook, too:-) - at least for the roast chicken and potato salad:-). Our spinach isn't creamed, just steamed - and I did add some steamed and seasoned zucchini and a romaine, radish and tomato salad (lettuce from the garden). Have some cantaloupe for dessert, too.

Oooh, your meal sounds even better ( I love zucchini).

It is my mother's birthday today and I bought a Friendly's ice cream log for dessert.

we are having chili burgers today.. i really wish I had some lettuce and tomato though

I was going to make some oven baked potatoes but I really don't feel like it

Picked up a new box of Quaker Barley yesterday and it had a recipe on the back for Chicken Barley Chili that looked good. I'm going to make that today.

Slow cooker chicken for dinner tonight...going to start it at noon today...

Adobo Slow Cooker Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1 small sweet onion, sliced
8 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces


DIRECTIONS
Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a small bowl mix the onion, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar, and pour over the chicken. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Didn't go to the store yesterday, so haven't tried Carla's recipe yet.

Last night we ordered Domino's pizza - it was ok.

Tonight, i'm not sure, about to go look in the freezer, I think it will be stew

Going to a cook-out to celebrate a friend's graduation.

*sigh* I am searching but can't seem to find that link for the cookbook maker thingie someone mentioned. I'm searching back through this thread but so far no luck. Even did a search for the whole VJ site. Meh, if someone can link it for me I'd sure appreciate it. I need to do something with the tons of recipes I have online...don't want to sit and type the whole bloody lot of them either. Believe me, there are literally tons of recipes on several sites. I should cull from them but dang it, it's hard to choose ones to delete. I'm a recipe pack rat.

Ok, we were really spoiled last night:-). Richard and his wife Anna invited us over for a real Ukrainian meal. Anna is from Kiev and she and Rirchard married 3 years ago. They live just a few miles away from us.

Anna cooked all day and we enjoyed her results last night. I don't have the proper names of everything so I will describe them. We started with little appetizers of black bread and butter upon which we then spread a garlicky and onion chopped ham mixture-really tasty. That was followed with what is called a vinegrette - a salad made of finely chopped beats, onions, cucumber, corn, carrots, and potatoes with a type of sweet dill sauce holding it all together - also yum! Then we had homemade borscht with sour cream - also excellent, and the main course was cabbage rolls filled with a beef mixture and simmered in a sour cream sauce. Dessert was a cake made with soft cheese (farmer's cheese as 'milk cheese' is not available here), eggs, sugar, a bit of flour and lots of raisins - like a thick, custardly cream cheese cake. The whole meal was excellent and we were both stuffed - and smiling!

We toasted the evening in Ukrainian cognac and a Ukrainian vodka made with lemon, honey and peppers added as flavouring - and yes, it had a bite! Anna and Richard brought the alcohol back on a visit to the Ukraine and literally flew through Heathrow the day before they imposed the ban on bringing liquids through security. They marvel at how lucky they were because they brought back lots of Ukrainian bottles - one day later and they would have lost it all!

So, no idea what we are having tonight, but Anna and Richard are having left overs :-) - maybe we should go back and offer to help them finish some of them off, you think?

this site??...

http://yourrecipebook.co.uk/


I am a recipe pack-rat too .... I have a tonne of recipes I want to try but I probably will never try them all

Wow. Your Ukrainian dinner sounds awesome, Kathryn. I'm sad I don't know who those members are, though. lol

Marilyn, your Cheez Whiz is on its way! I mailed it on Thursday. Not sure how long it will take to get to you.... the long weekend will probably mess with that. Just wanted to give you a heads up because I started thinking "Oh no.... the box isn't going to fit into her mail slot." Hopefully they have an office they can leave it at?

We got an early start on our day out yesterday. Did lots of shopping and then went for a mani-pedi. The salon is in the same plaza as the Fresh Market so picked up a steak for BBQing for Memorial Day tomorrow. As well as some other stuff, of course. The annual Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival is on this weekend. We didn't go/aren't going, but I think I'll pick up some corn later.

On the way home yesterday we stopped by Mike's BBQ and picked up some chicken and collards. They were yum. We set ourselves up to watch a movie on TV when the first of 3 storms rolled in our power went out so we watched the storm instead. The power came back on just long enough for me to make custard for the pie we purchased from Fresh Market before the next storm rolled in and the power went out again. Tonight we are having steak and mushroom pie with broccoli and cauliflower and cheese sauce.

thanks Krikit!! I can hardly wait... yeah either they will leave it by our door or leave a note thing in the mail box to pick it up at the post office...

Last night we went to Japanese Village for the Hibachi- it was awesome.

Tonight I am making roast beef poboys from the left over roast my mom made a few nights ago.

I had to google that. lol

Yay for the corn festival!

We stopped at McDonald's on the way home last night, I had a McChicken, or the 'classic chicken sandwich' as it were. Nothing like a McChicken, the bun was sweet and the chicken wasn't crunchy - oh well.

I forgot to buy pastry to try Carla's spinach/cheese recipe, also forgot to buy a few other things so no matter, will need to go back to the store soon anyway!

We're going to a cook-out at a local park with a bunch of our friends. Here's hoping it doesn't rain!

I'm making a cream cheese danish dessert with blueberries.

AAAAAAARRRGGHHH!!!! That is EXACTLY what I miss and crave here in the US! I am addicted to the ones you get at Tim Hortons. Cassie, PLEASE come for dinner.