Combine a warm, crispy apple-stuffed wonton with a generous scoop of spiced ice cream. Take a bite, and you’ll experience a delightful harmony of flavors and textures.
Hot Dogs Covered with Mashed Potatoes and Cheese
Hot Dogs covered with mashed potatoes and cheese is such a comforting food. It’s also easy and quick to get on the table. A favorite for kids 2 to 92, it’s great with a salad and a good pilsner.
Jambalaya in the Nesco
In the midst of the last move, I forgot to close out the old gas bill and was not reminded when I turned the new gas on. I got a nasty letter from the gas company saying that they are going to turn off my gas in the new place if I don’t immediately pay the old bill and that I have to call a certain phone number when I make the payment. To make sure that the payment is properly recorded, I went to the local gas company on July 2, 2013, and paid the bill in person. Then I called the special number at about 3:30 pm and got a recorded message that the gas company was open from 8:00 am to 5:15 pm. I figured that in the information age, the payment would be recorded and all would be well.
The Problem
I was wrong. When I got home yesterday, Monday, July 8, 2013, Spane and I were hungry, so I started dinner early, at 4:30. I chopped the vegetables, cut the meat, put butter in the pan, and turned the knob – and ……. nothing. No gas. I called the gas company, the special number and again was told that the office was open from 8:00 am to 5:15 pm, a full 45 minutes before the office was supposed to close. When calling the regular number, I got a nice woman to whom I kept on apologizing to because I was so mad, and she said the gas would be turned back on tomorrow, Wednesday, July 10, 2013, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, and to make sure that all pets were secure and gates open. I chuckled and said, “Humph, you didn’t seem to have any problems turning it off, did you?”
The Solution
That meant that today, I don’t have gas. I have been on the phone with them, and have asked for a supervisor. I’m still waiting for a callback, but I’m not waiting anymore to make dinner. I have a small *Nesco, and I’m going to make my Jambalaya in it. This is one of the reasons I have this wonderful roaster oven, so I can cook no matter what.
My recipe for Jambalaya follows and I have more recipes for foods perfect for the Nesco.
I also have an updated recipe for Jambalaya in the Instant Pot. It’s a set it and forget it kind of recipe, just as spicy and delicious.
Independence Day No Bake Cake
This no-bake cake will be the star of your 4th of July celebration but won’t turn your kitchen into an inferno! Fresh strawberries, blueberries, tort wafers, and sour cream. Declare your independence from the stove! What’s not to like?
Out of Milk – Never Forget Groceries Again!
Review of the Out of Milk Andriod app. Never forget stuff at the market, keep a good pantry list so you don’t double up on stuff you already have.
Chicken and Rice Paprika Inspired By Hieronymus Bosch
This chicken and rice paprika is very easy to make and is comforting. You can spice it up if you wish, and it comes together in under an hour.
Franks with Apples and Onions – It’s Easy and Delicious
These Franks with Apples and Onions are a flavor treat for your mouth. They are easy to prepare and inexpensive. What’s not to love?
Teacher Appreciation Day – Apple Napkin Rings
Crafts in this Post
I love Teacher Appreciation Week. I love it because it honors the most important people in the world, the people who teach our children. Teachers are underpaid, and have to put up with increasingly larger class sizes. These dedicated men and women well deserve our appreciation. Last year, 2012, when Spane was in third grade, the PTA had a special luncheon in the newly created Teachers’ Garden, and I made a Lemon Wafer Cake that everyone thought was art, and not edible. The year before that, 2011, I made Star Party Sandwiches, because Spane had written about them in a second grade paper and his teacher really wanted to taste them. When Spane was in first grade, in 2010, I made Quick Meatless Enchiladas. I don’t think I knew about Teacher Appreciation Week when Spane was in Kinder, but if I did, I probably made something then, too.
Originally, I was going to make napkin rings for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, but then realized it is not a sit down type of affair, it’s a buffet featuring dishes prepared by parents (and they are ALL good cooks). So, I decided to make them just for his teacher. Part of appreciation week involves the kids bringing their teacher a present of some sort – Spane said that his teacher only wanted a card, and then when I presented him with these, he was happy.
These are very, very simple to make. You can probably find the apples in a craft store, although you might have a take them out of something else. The ones I found were loose and had been on some kind of spray. I was only charged one dollar for them – your mileage may vary.
Pasta Carbonara with Brocolli with Garlic Cheese Rolls for 40
Again, just as on the 1st of the New Year, when I made Ascencia Salad, there was no guest chef, and The Good Plate again came to the rescue. When I looked for what was on hand, there was still a lot of pasta in the pantry, so I made my list to make Pasta Carbonara. I wanted everyone to have a well balanced meal, so the green choice was brocolli instead of salad.
Luckily, there were two large bags of French rolls, perfect for my Garlic Cheese Rolls. We also had a wonderful salad of peas, pepper jack and celery made by guest chef Jerome. A good and healthy time was had by all.
Ascencia Salad – Tuna, Broccoli and Bean Salad
You never know what life is going to give you, and tonight, the very first night of the New Year, I received something that made my heart leap with joy. I got to cook dinner for 40 people!
When the guest chef did not arrive, I asked if I could cook dinner, and my friend said, “Yes”. First I looked in the pantry, and was amazed to not find any of the things I usually have in my pantry, like onions, or potatoes. There was a lot of pasta, and a lot of spaghetti sauce, frozen turkey sausage, frozen garlic bread, many cans of tuna, two cans of kidney beans, one can of pinto beans, and a can of chopped tomatoes. No problem! The Good Plate to the rescue.