Monday, December 22, 2008
Festive
Things get going about 50 seconds in. I had to listen to it a few times to get that it was Jingle Bells, even expecting Jingle Bells.
So, MJ and I got the Christmas shopping done today. We didn't get too much for anyone this year, but we didn't get started early enough, and it seems we're a bit slow, so we're just finishing up now. We also went out to Carrabas for dinner since her mother gave us a gift card (technically for Outback, but it works at Carrabas) and we won't be getting another good chance like this for a date this week. It was a good evening.
We skipped out on what also sounds like a good evening with the Venturing Crew. They had a progressive dinner christmas party, and a couple of the girls brought presents for Jack-Jack. They really like him there, but who couldn't. Actually one guy up at crew with a stick up his ass doesn't. I don't know how he got through his own kids, but he sure isn't tolerant of noises from others. Happy noises even. Who gets pissy at a baby chattering on about whatever babies chatter on about? He even pointed out one time that if this were a movie theater we'd be asked to leave. I was quick to point out that I am very fortunate that it's not. Aside from this dill hole though, everyone seems to enjoy having the few babies around each week.
It's been a while since I've made it up there though. We've had a sick baby one week, a sick baby and a sick daddy the next, and now this party thing. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone for the New Year's event we run first aid for. I'm also looking forward to the next semester of school. I've got some good classes. I'm taking Ethical Theories, Biology, Analytical Chemistry, and Calculus, along with the associated labs for Bio and Chem, but that's a little ways out, so I should really be patient and enjoy the holidays and the break.
We've got Christmas Eve at my in-laws (sorry we won't make it over Berserk, hope you all have fun). They've been doing steak and shrimp for Christmas Eve for years now, but last year I grilled both of them. It was a massive improvement from the pan fried steak and oven baked shrimp the year before if you ask me, and I believe I'm doing that again. For Christmas Day here, we'll be doing a turkey and a ham, sadly neither with a deep fryer, but it should be some pretty good stuff. I didn't do Thanksgiving here this year, so I'm looking forward to it. I think I'd like to get some poppers made up again. If I do, I should be able to get some up to Berserk and his family this time.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Poppers
Here it is:
4 large jalapeno peppers (or 8 habaneros)
1/4 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup self rising flour (I used all purpose, I don't know the difference)
1/8 teaspoon garlic
Dash Paprika
Dash onion powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (I used bread crumbs)
Cut the stems off of the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain them, cool them, and blot them dry. If the insides are not dry, the cheese slips out.
Make balls of 1/2 ounce of cream cheese for the jalapenos, or 1/4 ounce for habaneros, and put one in each half pepper.
Beat the two eggs in one bowl with the teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Put the other half teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder, the paprika, and the onion powder in another bowl with the 2/3 cup of flour. Put the crumbs in another bowl.
Coat each popper with egg, then flour, then egg, then flour, then egg, then crumbs.
This all took me a couple hours, but I quadrupled the recipe, so maybe a bit less for you.
You have to freeze them for at least two hours, I'd go with overnight. If they're not frozen, the cheese will leak out when you fry them.
Put them in 350 degree oil for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and float. If you want to make them for future use, you can deep fry them for 1 1/2 minutes, and then refreeze them. You can fry or bake them later until they're hot (350 degree oil for 3 1/2 minutes or 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them half way through).
I find they go quite well with cranberry jelly, which only took a few minutes to make after I finished the prep work on the poppers.
4 large jalapeno peppers (or 8 habaneros)
1/4 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup self rising flour (I used all purpose, I don't know the difference)
1/8 teaspoon garlic
Dash Paprika
Dash onion powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (I used bread crumbs)
Cut the stems off of the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain them, cool them, and blot them dry. If the insides are not dry, the cheese slips out.
Make balls of 1/2 ounce of cream cheese for the jalapenos, or 1/4 ounce for habaneros, and put one in each half pepper.
Beat the two eggs in one bowl with the teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Put the other half teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder, the paprika, and the onion powder in another bowl with the 2/3 cup of flour. Put the crumbs in another bowl.
Coat each popper with egg, then flour, then egg, then flour, then egg, then crumbs.
This all took me a couple hours, but I quadrupled the recipe, so maybe a bit less for you.
You have to freeze them for at least two hours, I'd go with overnight. If they're not frozen, the cheese will leak out when you fry them.
Put them in 350 degree oil for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and float. If you want to make them for future use, you can deep fry them for 1 1/2 minutes, and then refreeze them. You can fry or bake them later until they're hot (350 degree oil for 3 1/2 minutes or 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them half way through).
I find they go quite well with cranberry jelly, which only took a few minutes to make after I finished the prep work on the poppers.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thanksgiving
Too late for a Thanksgiving post? Not if you have finals coming up. I'm between a couple of classes now, and have my chem lab final coming up in an hour, so here goes.
Thanksgiving was awesome. It's just a bummer that we couldn't be in more places at once, as I understand my parents had a good time at theirs, but I was already committed to deep frying a turkey. The deep fried turkey was, as everyone says, very moist. I've never had a turkey before where the white meat couldn't have used at least a little cranberry or gravy to keep it from drying out mid chew. I know my mother says she didn't notice a difference between deep fried and traditional, but she eats the dark meat, which is already pretty moist. It's nice that it's done in an hour, too. Also, it's really nice to have a big pot of hot oil on hand for making habanero poppers. They take a while to prepare before frying, and have to freeze as well, but they're worth it, at least occasionally. They go nice with the cranberry jelly too, also freshly made of course. And as long as you've got the deep fryer on hand and a ham to heat up, might as well make a cage out of a couple of wire hangers and throw that in as well. Half an hour later, you have the best ham ever.
So, I was impressed with the fryer, and intend to get one of my own a few years down. It really doesn't make the food greasy or anything as long as the oil is hot enough. Besides, it was just fun. There were plenty of people over. Mostly family, some friends as well. Most of the family was a sorry to hear that Berserk and Valkyrie couldn't make it over (they're very much the more the merrier type), but you can't be everywhere. I still have four poppers we've refrained from eating if I ever manage to get them to you Berserk. Unless you don't want week old poppers, in which case you should let me know, and I'll see to it that they don't see another day. Xkordave wanted the recipe, so I'll have to either type that out and email it to him, or more likely post it here, as soon as I'm at home and not busy with the baby.
Thanksgiving was awesome. It's just a bummer that we couldn't be in more places at once, as I understand my parents had a good time at theirs, but I was already committed to deep frying a turkey. The deep fried turkey was, as everyone says, very moist. I've never had a turkey before where the white meat couldn't have used at least a little cranberry or gravy to keep it from drying out mid chew. I know my mother says she didn't notice a difference between deep fried and traditional, but she eats the dark meat, which is already pretty moist. It's nice that it's done in an hour, too. Also, it's really nice to have a big pot of hot oil on hand for making habanero poppers. They take a while to prepare before frying, and have to freeze as well, but they're worth it, at least occasionally. They go nice with the cranberry jelly too, also freshly made of course. And as long as you've got the deep fryer on hand and a ham to heat up, might as well make a cage out of a couple of wire hangers and throw that in as well. Half an hour later, you have the best ham ever.
So, I was impressed with the fryer, and intend to get one of my own a few years down. It really doesn't make the food greasy or anything as long as the oil is hot enough. Besides, it was just fun. There were plenty of people over. Mostly family, some friends as well. Most of the family was a sorry to hear that Berserk and Valkyrie couldn't make it over (they're very much the more the merrier type), but you can't be everywhere. I still have four poppers we've refrained from eating if I ever manage to get them to you Berserk. Unless you don't want week old poppers, in which case you should let me know, and I'll see to it that they don't see another day. Xkordave wanted the recipe, so I'll have to either type that out and email it to him, or more likely post it here, as soon as I'm at home and not busy with the baby.
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