PIONEER WOMAN'S POT LUCK DINNER RECIPES

PW Green Bean Casserole

I've been DVRing the PW's cooking show on the Food Network each Saturday, but this morning I had the time to watch it air.  I can't wait to try her BBQ meatballs and her twist on the green bean casserole.  She posted the recipes on line this morning. Check them out - she is fabulous!

HOMEMADE TOOTSIE ROLLS BY PAULA DEEN

Homemade Tootsie Rolls

According to Paula Deen, the tootsie roll was introduced on this date in 1896.  My grandkids love tootsie rolls!

Ingredients

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon water, warm
1 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
wax paper or colored foil for wrapping

Directions

Line a baking tray (with sides) with plastic wrap and set aside.

In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate. Stop to stir every 5-10 seconds so chocolate will not burn. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Scrap mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and press down with the back side of a spatula to a 1” thickness.
(Paula’s Note: It will not completely cover the pan).

Cover mixture with another piece of plastic wrap and let it set overnight at room temperature.  The mixture will be stiff, but still moldable and flexible the next day.

Peel off the plastic wrap and cut into strips (about 1/2”-3/4” wide). Form each strip into a log and roll out the logs between your hands or on your work surface until they are about 1/2” in diameter.  Cut into sections as long as you like and set aside for a few minutes to harden up again after you have heated them with your hands.
Wrap in waxed paper or colored foil squares.

WALKING

So happy for my husband.  Today he received his foot/leg braces.  This is the first time in years that he is able to walk without dragging his foot.  (He had polio when he was 5.)  So happy!

FAT TUESDAY

Mardi Gras, literally "Fat Tuesday," has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the "last hurrah" before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That's why the enormous party in New Orleans, for example, ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday, with battalions of streetsweepers pushing the crowds out of the French Quarter towards home.

HORSETAIL FALLS AT EL CAPITAN IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Horsetail Falls

A window of time just opened in Yosemite National Park when nature photographers wait, as if for an eclipse, until the moment when the sun and earth align to create a fleeting phenomenon. This marvel of celestial configuration happens in a flash at sunset in mid-February — if the winter weather cooperates. On those days the setting sun illuminates one of the park's lesser-known waterfalls so precisely that it resembles molten lava as it flows over the sheer granite face of the imposing El Capitan.

"TAKING IT EASY" SUNDAY

BUTLER'S PANTRY

In college, I visited an older home that had a large butler's pantry.  I have always wanted one.  This photo brings back my yearnings for one.  Maybe in another liftetime!

SIMPLE KITCHEN UTENSIL STORAGE

Compartmentalize Drawer Space

An average drawer becomes all the more purposeful with the addition of a drawer organizer. A compartmentalized insert such as this neatly stores utensils. Add labels to the compartments to designate spaces for specific items.

COOKBOOK STORAGE

Kitchen Island Bookcase

Your cookbooks should be conveniently located without contributing clutter to work areas. Here's a great solution: At the end of this kitchen island, a built-in bookshelf keeps cookbooks off the counter and in one spill-resistant space. Besides giving the cook quick access to recipes,, the bookshelf provides warmth and a pop of color to the all-white, fairly formal kitchen.

Cookbook Bookcase

If you have a large cookbook collection, bring a bookcase into the kitchen to keep cookbooks handy. Top it with stone surfacing so it can double as an extra countertop.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients

1 jar maraschino cherries
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

Drain the cherries and pat them completely dry.

Put the semisweet chocolate into a heatproof medium bowl. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Turn off the heat and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper.

Holding the cherry by the stem, dip the bottom half of each cherry in the melted chocolate. Twist the cherry so that the chocolate forms a “tail” at the end. Set the cherry on the parchment paper.

Repeat with the remaining cherries. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans. Allow to cool or eat them right away.

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

OVER THE DOOR OR WINDOW STORAGE

Over the Window Storage

Don't overlook that extra space above your kitchen's doorway or window. Hang a shelf above the door or window and use it to store pretty china or serving pieces you use only occasionally.  Be sure to have the displayed items secure so they don't fall.

COOKING AREA PULL OUT CABINETS

Cooking Area Pull Outs

Keep the space surrounding the cooktop clear. Here pullouts on either side of the range provide convenient storage for spices and cooking oils. The pullout shelves put these essentials near eye level, making it easy for the cooks to find exactly what they need. When closed, the tiered pullouts create a hearthlike surround for the appliance.

KITCHEN MESSAGE CENTER

Kitchen Office Message Center

Having a home office or message center in the kitchen can be extremely helpful. However, without sufficient storage. the area can easily be overtaken by clutter. Here a deep upper cabinet conceals a television and keeps books, documents, and office supplies organized and off the counter. A four-cubby desk organizer mounted beneath the upper cabinet functions as a mini mailbox for each family member.

KITCHEN WINDOW SEAT STORAGE

Window Seat Storage

If you have the space in your kitchen, put in a window seat for additional seating and storage. Store special-occasion linens, glassware, flatware, serving pieces, and more in the seat's drawers.

BHG FEBRUARY STORAGE PROJECTS: KITCHEN

KITCHEN

Sort and Label. Evaluate all pantry items. Toss everything that's expired and give away everything you didn't use in the last year. (Write today's date on every item so you'll know next year if you actually used each item.) Put items back in pantry and label shelves.
Outfit a Drawer. Double the storage capacity inside a cabinet by adding freestanding wire shelves. Measure your cabinet interiors before heading to the home center or choose expandable shelves. Include riser-style inserts for small items such as spices or glassware.
Utilize Cabinet Doors. Evaluate the interior of every cabinet door and determine whether you can use the space to store spices, loose recipes, paper towels, or utensils. Add shallow shelves, racks, wall-mount pouches, and magnetic or cork boards.
Add Hooks. Install a utensil bar or metal grid above or beside your stove. Dangle five to eight frequently used utensils from S-hooks. Include a small wire basket to hold salt, pepper, cooking spray, and oil.

SUPER BOWL 2012 ADS

Check out all the 2012 Super Bowl commercials.  I especially like Clint Eastwood's Detroit ad, Dorito's baby ad, and the VW dog/Darth Vader's ad.

GREAT FOOTBALL GAME DAY DIPS

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Baked Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip

Check out more 

super dip recipes 

for the bowl games.

GROUND HOG'S DAY

Phil saw his shadow, 

so 6 more weeks of winter.  

We're enjoying the 60 -70 degree temps here

in Texas, so we know spring is on its way!

FIRST IRIS OF 2012

I don't have to wait for

Ground Hog Day tomorrow -

here's a photo of 

my first iris bloom of 2012.

SPRING IS ON ITS WAY!