Recipes, etc. (R)

Gainesville

Great couple of recipes, Sandy. Now, along with with Marty's, I have three new things to try with those ingredients, which I usually have to hand. And I'm embarassed to say I can no longer remember exactly what I did with them (!), but I know it ended up with the sauteed chicken pieces topped with a slice of tomato and a slice of cheese melted over it all, the avocado slices added to the plate when serving. I don't think the oven was involved, but I can no longer be sure.

Alas, I don't have a great recipe for crab cakes. I have several, but none of them live up to what I could get at any lunch counter in Baltimore, let alone at Memorial Stadium or restaurants in Fells Point or the Inner Harbor. It's an art, plus it's the insanely fresh crab, neither of which I have.

Here is the Slaw Recipe I've been making for 8 years now:

Texas Two-Step Slaw

"This easy slaw recipe won $10,000 for Betty Schroedt of Wisconsin in the 38th Pillsbury Back-Off contest earlier this year [1998]. It took top prize in the single side dishes category -- and will turn your picnic menu into a winner, too." [Yeah, whatever.]

4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 jalapeno chilies seeded and finely chopped
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 (11-oz) can Mexicorn
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 oz)
Fresh cilantro springs, for garnish

Dressing:
3/4 cup bottled ranch saladdressing
1 T fresh lime juice
1 t ground cumin

Combine green and red cabbage, onion, chilies, chopped cilantro, corn and Cheddar chese in a large bowl. Mix well

For dressing, combine ranch dressing, lime juice and cumin in a small bowl. Mix well

Pour dressing over slaw; toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro springs, if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time.

--Gainesville Sun, 21 May 1998

I am waiting (-ting) for the shipment of Magic Olives to arrive before making a shrimp cocktail recipe that calls for them. They didn't arrive today, but I expect them Any Day Now. Too late for this week, though.

Tonight I made Sandy's Cuke/ Jalapeno salad, and it was lovely. Made some forgetable 2-alarm chili to go with it.

You are already making baby step progress, Mom. Don't push yourself too hard. Your main job right now is to love yourself (take good and careful care of yourself) and heal. It's way too soon to "get serious" about FL. If I were you, I'd make it a goal to sleep in your bed again. Then take it very slow getting up and going. VERY slow. It's not a race. There is no wagon you've fallen off of-- when you're ready, you will step back in where you are. This wagon/train moves at variable speeds and leaves no one behind.

Didn't post last night as I got caught up in Monday Night Football, then, in the 4th quarter, had to watch Battlestar Galactica, since TiVo can no longer be trusted. In retrospect, I made the right choice. Really.

I will post that image of me from 1967 eventually, but my scanner is not working. Need to get Bill to do it for me, and then do the good old sneakernet transfer, as our LAN does not work properly either.

Now then. If only I can stop the hiccups, I'll think about heading to bed. Sleeping til 11:00, as I did this morning, makes for an all too short day, especially this time of year. Nine seems like a respectable hour, don't you think? Then, when we go back to real (solar) time in a few weeks, suddenly I should find it easy to wake up at... 8:00 AM!