If you are having a New Year's Eve party tonight, you may find there are more non-alcohol drinkers there than you expected.   Someone has to drive home unless you are having the group sleep over, and that's unlikely.  Why not serve a non-alcoholic punch that's festive, instead of just soda, along with your other beverages?

Here's a punch that's like one huge ice cream soda with an almond twist to it.  And if you want, you can serve Peppermint Schnapps or Kahlua or Brandy on the side for those who are drinking.  People love this punch, but you need a large punch bowl.  Make the punch base ahead of time.  It just takes a few minutes.

White Christmas Punch

 

2/3 cups water

2/3 cups sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

5 oz. evaporated milk (small can)

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1 and 1/2 (2-liter) bottles Slice or other lemon-lime soda

 

Cook water and sugar until sugar has dissolved.  Add almond extract and evaporated milk.  Refrigerate.  At serving time mix softened ice cream and slice into sugar mixture in large punch bowl.  Add a small ice block if desired.

 

 

You may have read by now that two teen-aged boys were arrested in Oak Creek for allegedly stealing 32 cans of Spam.

I'm guessing it was for a practical joke, but you never know.  As I mentioned in my blog on Spam back in November, Spam production is at a high due to the economy.

Spammy Sammy Yummy

Otherwise, I'm thinking the boys must not have ever tasted Spam before.

As I said in that November post, I will admit to have eaten Spam.  There are plenty of other foods I would much rather eat if I'm going to go shopping.  I will tell you this, there was a time when my baby sister lived here and was on strike at AT&T for such a long period of time that she was forced to go to a government food line where she was given a bag of groceries that included potatoes, butter, cheese and...Ham Dingers.  Please...if there is a choice between Spam and Ham Dingers...take the Spam.

Note...my sister was welcome to eat at my home while her Union was on strike. 

No kidding...I was just asked that question half an hour ago.  I was out to dinner with my family at Maggiano's at Mayfair.  The temperature is -5 with a wind chill of when hell freezes over.

After a very nice evening of drinks, appetizers dinner and then dessert, which for me included Spumoni (I admit it, I'm a sucker for good Spumoni, and Maggiano's is one of the few places that has it where it is fresh and creamy) the server came by the table and noticed that my bowl of ice cream looked as though I hadn't eaten much yet. Well, they gave me what appeared to be an entire pint all to myself, which is why it looked that way.  She then made the following offer, "Would you like a box for your ice cream?"

I have family visiting from Colorado, and my daughter-in-law just said, "Only in Wisconsin!"

Yes, it is cold out there.  I could have taken my extra ice cream home in a to-go box.

Only in Wisconsin.

 

What are your favorite treats at the holidays?

There are just some food traditions, if you will, that I can't do without. 

Homemade popcorn balls of red and green.  I make them every Christmas and pile them up in a big silver bowl.

Ribbon Candy...I can't help it.  It's not that there's anything really special about it.  Maybe it's that I only think about it at Christmas.  I like chocolate covered cherries too. The liquid centered type.  Have you ever made them?  It's an interesting candy to make.

Christmas Cookies

We make many different types, but my  favorite one is the Turtle.  It has to be a double batch.  When I  was a girl, my mom's best friend always brought the Christmas cookies over.   I marveled at this cookie, with the little pecan legs, the slight maple flavor  and the shiny chocolate glaze.  While I can certainly make this cookie any time of year, I don't know why I don't.  But I need my turtle cookies at Christmas.  Mine never taste as good as Ann Alexander's though.  Why  was everything always better when you were a kid?

My mom's Lithuanian Bacon Buns.  A tradition in my family for holidays.  Here's a photo of a perfect, fresh batch made by my daughter-in law Erin and my son Jake this past Thanksgiving.  They have learned well.  A soft piece of bacon in each section of the yeasty roll.  The recipe has changed a bit over the years.  The bacon would be less "done" years ago and grease would cook more into the roll, but they are wonderful just the same.

Fresh Sticky Buns for breakfast.  Prepare them before you go to bed.  Pop them in the oven when you wake up. Yum.  Too bad Santa has already left.







STICKY BUNS

18 Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls (bag has 36)
1 small pkg. Butterscotch Pudding (not instant)
1/4 cup melted Margarine
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped Pecans

Before you go to bed, grease a bundt pan. Place 18 frozen rolls in pan. Sprinkle butterscotch pudding mix over rolls. Pour margarine over pudding mix. Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Sprinkle over all. Leave out on counter overnight. In morning, bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes or until golden. Invert onto serving plate.











Christmas Cheer

I love the different Christmas beverages of the season, whether they are non-alcoholic or alcoholic.  They are all so festive...some warm and some cold.  Whether you have them in a fancy glass, a mug or in a punch. 

Cheers!

CLICK For RECIPES

These are just some of my favorite "food things" at Christmas. 

I'm sure you have yours.

Feel free to share!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


From last Christmas

Twelve Favorite Things

That may be the newest trend for restaurants if they take the lead of one Upper West Side NY Japanese eatery.

But I'll get to that in a minute.

Chic European restaurants normally serve smaller portions.  That's just the way it's always been.  It's not all you can eat.  It's about presentation, moderation and grazing. 

This fill your plate up attitude had to have started here in the U.S. as a way to do just that...cover up your plate to make it look like you were getting more, don't you think?  Fill your plate with cheaper food, like fries, or salad, or a vegetable.  Then it just went out of control.  Suddenly everyone became a "hungry man."  We were all expected to be Paul Bunyan or something and eat the steak, including the grizzle.  And then, the food became expensive. 

Then the actual plates themselves started becoming a little smaller.  The slice of cheese on the fish sandwich became a third of a slice instead of a full slice.  Little cuts here and there.

Now about the clean plate club.   That NY restaurant?  They are going to start charging a "surcharge" of 3% if you don't finish what you take on your all-you-can-eat plate.  I suppose it will spread like wildfire to other restaurants soon enough. 

That'll teach ya.

"At Hayashi Ya Japanese restaurant on the Upper West Side it's all you can eat for $26.95, unless your eyes are bigger than your stomach and then -- like the sign says -- it will cost you extra.

When asked if he had ever been hit with a 3 percent charge for packing some stuff up and taking it home, Gene Nadelson of Sheepshead Bay laughed.

"No, we are trying to finish everything here," Nadelson said.

Patrons said they don't mind the surcharge because it helps with their waistline. The manager said he implemented the extra cost two years ago to help with the restaurant's bottom line.

The manager told CBS 2 HD the main motivation for the charge is to eliminate waste. And cost. "


Click to continue

 

 

~Thanksgiving Menu At Camp David~


Free-Range Roast Turkey

Cornbread Dressing

Cranberry Sauce

Sautéed Green Beans

Morelia Style Gazpacho with Spinach Salad

Zucchini Gratin

Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes

Buttered Mashed Potatoes

Giblet Gravy Fresh Clover Rolls with Honey Butter

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Topping

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Mousse Trifle

Fresh Fruit Platter

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/firstlady/

 

Two Apple and Two Pumpkin...

Here's my apple baking process

Roll out crust, slice apples and mix with spices, add filling.

Roll out top crust and place on top of pie; crimp edges.  Bake.






Enjoy your beautiful pies.




Not bad if I do say so myself!

I've been using the same Betty Crocker Apple Pie recipe for 30 years.



Apple Pie ~

For one pie:

1	double pie crust (homemade or store bought - your choice)
1/2	cup sugar
1/2	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg
6	cups thinly sliced peeled apples (4-5 large)
1	tablespoon butter or margarine
	Milk
	Additional sugar

 

Do you buy a fresh turkey or a frozen?  I’ve gone both routes over the years.  Do you stuff it or make the dressing on the side?  I just have to stuff mine…It’s just not the same if it isn’t stuffed.  Are you having your traditional home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner at home?  Or going to a visit a relative?  Maybe going out to a restaurant?  Hopefully you have a place to share the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Thanksgiving is a holiday of family traditions for many people.  It’s hard to break from some of the same foods you are used to eating…the same old ones just taste so good. 

I’ve been looking around some of the blogs and seeing some of the Turkey Day ideas out there.  I thought I’d share how I “brine” my turkey.  Many people use this method now.  Have you tried it? 

If you don’t try it this year, cook up a small turkey some time in a few months using this method.  You’ll be surprised at how good your turkey tastes.

On Righty Blog….


The Righty Way to Prepare That Turkey

 

It’s always been Pepsi for me…

But the problem for Pepsi and Coke is, people haven’t been drinking either lately.

What’s the No. 1 beverage you see people carrying around with them? 

WATER


You have to wonder how we ever survived before there was bottled water, or how our kids survived before we had them bring a bottle of water to sports practices.

Then you have all the other types of beverages that have become popular over the past decade. 

Those include fruit juices, energy and boost drinks, and flavored, black and green teas ~ and no, Kool-Aid isn’t on the list.

So, what’s an old favorite like Pepsi to do?

Come up with a new advertising campaign…that’s what.

"ONE of the longest relationships in advertising is coming to an end as PepsiCo shifts the creative duties in the United States for its flagship soft drink, Pepsi-Cola, from BBDO Worldwide, which has produced campaigns for the brand since 1960.

For decades, BBDO and Pepsi-Cola collaborated on some of the most popular and successful sales efforts ever developed on Madison Avenue. The ads created by BBDO, part of the Omnicom Group, carried themes like “The choice of a new generation” and “The joy of Pepsi.” Many of the campaigns helped transform Pepsi-Cola from a sleepy also-ran behind the leading soft drink, Coca-Cola, into a tough competitor that challenges Coke constantly for control of the carbonated beverage market.

But lately, the battle between Coke and Pepsi is being won not by either brand but mostly by noncarbonated products like juices, teas, energy drinks, sports beverages and bottled water. And the most recent campaigns that BBDO has created for Pepsi-Cola have not resonated with consumers the way previous ads did."


Continued at the New York Times HERE

The answer is yes, if you are cooking turkey.

Your homecooked feast will cost more than last year.

Turkey and cranberries have gone up in price.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, about 6% for a dinner for ten, for about $45.00.

(Somebody sure needs a lesson on how to carve a turkey)

I want the truth…

Who of you out there has eaten Spam?

Will anyone admit it?

How about if I rephrase it and ask if anyone was ever forced to eat Spam?

I’m going to admit it.

I have eaten spam.

First let me tell you why I’m bringing up this product.

Spam , made by Hormel , of Austin, Minnesota, is in the news.  It seems that they can’t keep up with the production of Spam.  During hard times production of Spam increases.  Austin has many restaurants that actually serve Spam on the menu.   I mean, would you go out to a restaurant and actually order Spam?  I have a hard time going out to a restaurant and ordering spaghetti since I think that’s too plain and simple and should be made at home.

Now I grew up in a very simple family.  There were eight of us…and for a time we had three kids in each bedroom.   We were crowded.  We had a small house but a lot of land and a huge garden and orchard with organic vegetables and fruits.  We ate simple food.  And yes..sometimes we ate spam. 

I remember asking my brother a few years ago how he prepared his turkey for Thanksgiving…he said he just carved a can of spam into the shape of a turkey and had that. …he didn’t want to go to any trouble.  He was just making fun of our Spam days.  But seriously…A sandwich of Spam, cut thin, fried, with lettuce, mustard and tomato on fresh white bread wasn’t all that bad…at least from what I remember.

I don’t eat Spam now but I won’t look down on people who do.  Wow,  that Spamburger in one of the restaurants is $6.29! 

"Here in Austin, local officials have tried to capitalize on Spam’s kitschy cultural status, even if a decidedly unpleasant odor hangs over the town (a slaughterhouse next to the Hormel plant butchers 19,000 hogs a day). Austin advertises itself as “Spamtown,” and it boasts 13 restaurants with Spam on the menu.

Jerry’s Other Place sells a Spamburger for $6.29. Johnny’s “Spamarama” menu includes eggs Benedict with Spam for $7.35. At Steve’s Pizza, a medium Spam and pineapple pizza costs $11.58."

You ‘ve got to read the entire article from the New York Times…

HERE

It wasn’t always that way in Europe.

Fruits and vegetables had to practically perfect in every way…sort of like Mary Poppins.  Talk about being a Nanny State.

Like it really matters if your eggplant has a dimple or your carrot is curved.

Oh, no...they had to actually be thrown away.  Sheesh.

There are hungry people in the world.

Well, now because of the econonmy, suddenly imperfections in legumes are acceptable.

Now, while we may not find bent veggies in a Sendiks...we don't ban them.  A store has always been able to sell them if they choose.  It' s personal choice.  You just don't throw them away.  They'd be great for use in a vegetable soup!

Misshapen fruit and vegetables won a reprieve on Wednesday from the European Union as it scrapped rules banning overly curved, extra knobbly or oddly shaped produce from supermarket shelves.

Ending regulations on the size and shape of 26 types of fruit and vegetables, the European authorities killed off restrictions that had become synonymous with bureaucratic meddling.

The rising cost of commodities also persuaded the European Commission that there was no point in throwing away food just because it looked strange. 

Read all about it HERE

Tonight while you are waiting for the election returns to roll in…there may be nothing better to sooth the nerves than chocolate!

Now, anyone…male or female can make this.  It's too easy!

Then pull up in front of the T.V. and wait…and hope you don’t need something stronger for a chaser in your mug after you’ve finished!




CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE


 1  Coffee Mug (microwave safe)
 4  tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)
 4 tablespoons sugar
 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
 1 egg
 3 tablespoons milk
 3 tablespoons oil
 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
 Small splash of vanilla

 Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
 Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using)
 and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for
 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but
 don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if
 desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now you are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!



You know, I’ve heard Nader may have his best election year ever!  Have you talked to anyone who actually voted for Nader?  I have. 

One who said he would vote for Obama…but changed his mind…he just couldn’t do it in the end and decided to go with Nader.  Another who just can’t vote for either of the two and “settled” for Nader…and a die-hard Nader fan.  Wasted votes all (in my opinion, of course).

Will Nader make a significant dent in this election that will hurt either of the candidates?

Honey Crisp                                                           Courtesy of WA Apple Comm

I confess..I liked being a country girl growing up.   I wasn’t a “farm girl,” but I lived out in the country on several acres of land in the boonies, surrounded by farm land, fields, woods and cows.  Life was a dream, for a kid back in the 60s anyway.

From the “Bye!” in the morning until I decided to stroll back home sometime later in the day, I guess around dinner time, the day was pretty much an adventure, with the fields, woods and streams being  my playground for me, my sister and my friends…oh, and our dogs, Smokey and Beauty.

Thirsty?  Drink straight out of the brook (I’m still alive).  Hungry?  There was always some sort of wild fruit growing out there…and it didn’t seem to matter if it was ripe or not…we ate it anyway.   We always knew where to find the wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, black walnuts, pears, grapes, rhubarb, and apples.   And if that apple was especially green and sour, well, a little salt would help that out…right off the salt block for the cows.  (I’m still alive).  Nothing better than a sour green apple with salt on it.  My brothers must have taught me those things.  Oh, the fun kids miss nowadays.



Pink Lady                                                                Courtesy of WA Apple Comm




Apples… you sure won’t find me eating a plain apple much lately.  They just aren’t one of my favorite fruits.  I love them dehydrated and I have my own dehydrator.  The trouble is, when I eat them that way, it’s hard to remember that eight little chips are like eating a whole apple.  You can easily eat four apples in a matter of minutes and not even know it.  But I love homemade applesauce, a baked apple, apple pie… and fresh apple cider. But apples are so good for us…

About that high blood pressure…the Iowa Women's Health Study named apples as one of only three foods -- along with red wine and pears -- that decrease mortality risk from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

Apples not only taste good, but they are packed with antioxidants that help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.  A study in the Journal of Food and Science points to apples as being the fruit with the highest content of antioxidants.

As far as cider being healthy, it has long been known that drinking apple cider vinegar is good for your intestines, but German researchers say that apple drinks such as apple cider, because of the fermentation in the colon, fight cancer.

There are two kinds of cider.

• Fresh cider: Squeezed from fresh apples. It's very perishable and needs to be kept cold or frozen. Many fresh ciders now are pasteurized. Only buy unpasteurized cider from a maker who doesn't use windfall apples, which can be contaminated by bacteria.

• Hard cider: Fermented cider. It tastes like sweet, fizzy beer. Although it was difficult to find for many years, it is slowly returning to the market, made by artisan producers. Look for good hard ciders in some specialty wine stores.

Source: U.S. Apple Association



There are always new varieties of apples coming out. One of the hot varieties that almost everyone has heard about is the Honey Crisp, which has a taste of cider. There’s a striped Cameo, which is tart, and a rosy-yellow Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), which is on the sweeter side, the sweet and crispy Fuji, or the sweet and creamy Fiesta, and finally the crunchy and tart (and probably needing a little salt) Lady Alice. 


The saying, “An apple a day,” still stands.




Lady Alice                                                                Courtesy of WA Apple Comm



Taffy Apple Bars 

 1 ready to bake Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough tube

8oz cream cheese – softened

½ c. peanut butter

½ c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

Granny Smith Apples

1 c. peanuts – coarsely chopped

Caramel topping 

Spread dough on a cookie sheet.   Bake per directions or until baked through.  Cool. Blend cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar & vanilla.  Spread over cooled dough. Thinly slice enough Granny Smith Apples to cover the mixture.  (Soak in white soda to prevent browning). Sprinkle with peanuts and drizzle with caramel topping.  Cut and serve.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Apple and Celery Salad with Peanuts 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 crisp red apples such as Fuji or Rome, cut into
1/4-inch-thick julienne
2 tart green apples such as Granny Smith, cut into 1/4-inch-thick julienne
4 large celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick julienne
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Whisk together lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl. Add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. Add apples, celery, and parsley, tossing to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with peanuts.

Cooks' note:

Salad may be made 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Serves 8-10 as part of a buffet


from Epicurious - I have made this and it is really good!

Every great cook will have their own opinion of what is essential for the well stocked kitchen.  An everyday cook has their own ideas of what they think they need.  But maybe they aren’t quite sure.  Sometimes it helps to have another opinion.  Usually the best way to become an expert in the kitchen is by repetition, and tweaking…until you get it right. Or from experimenting over enough years until you have found just the right product.

Two cooks weigh in on the Los Angeles Times with their opinions on some kitchen essentials.  I have to say they are pretty right on with most of what they suggest, at least from my viewpoint.  And I’ve been cooking for a very long time.

I have one disagreement and one addition

my addition…

I can’t live without a Chinese cleaver.



While these cooks say they get by with just paring knives, a cooks knife is also in my home, but I haven’t been without a Chinese cleaver since I can remember and don’t make a meal without it. 

One of the most important cooking ingredients I use, and grew up with in my family, is red wine vinegar.  I have found one that excels above all others, and was first given to me as a gift when my children toured wineries in Napa Valley.  It’s  Robert Mondavi Red Wine Cabernet Vinegar and I savor it as though it’s fine wine.  That’s how good it is.  That’s how much flavor it adds to whatever dish I add it.

The Kitchen Essentials, and Items You Can Pass By -   HERE

Pomegranate fruit, opened


I have been enjoying pomegranates for over thirty-eight years.  I bet for most of you reading this, the pomegranate seems to be a newer fruit...as new as the pomegranate martini.  But this healthy fruit has been around for what seems like forever. 

Maybe it was just another regular fruit of the day for me because I lived in the south…but this red fruit from Iran, India, and the Mediterranean, was always in our home, eaten just as shown in the picture above..nothing special done with it while I was growing up.  Of course...martinis weren't flavored back then.

"As yellow leaves spiral down from the maple tree outside my office window, I find myself thinking about Persephone, who, according to Greek myth, will soon be heading back to the underworld. A few pomegranate seeds – a few luscious, scarlet pearls that burst, tart and sweet, on her tongue – and she had to return to the underworld for a season every year.

As the grass fades to pale brown and the foliage peaks in reds and oranges, I can imagine a pitched cry from Demeter, who loses her daughter again each year. Then, while Persephone pays penance in the underworld, we experience the silent mourning of winter. "

From Christian Science Monitor   Continued

 Pomegranate Fruit Facts

Pomegranate Martini 

6 fluid ounces (3/4 cup) chilled gin
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

In a medium pitcher or bowl, stir the gin, fruit juices, and syrup together.

Divide among 4 martini glasses

 4 servings

 

The more we see problems creep up with our food, such as salmonella and ecoli nationally, or with the tainted milk in China, the tighter we will see our laws regarding labeling and packaging become.



The newest law is called Country-Of-Origin- Labeling (COOL) and goes into effect October 1st.  There will be some problems with the law/ multi-origin products will not be required to be labeled (example chocolate covered nuts) and neither will processed meats (Spam or chicken nuggets).  We should look for some problems to be reported in the near future while things are ironed out.

 

"No more wondering where your hamburger came from, or where your lettuce and tomatoes were grown: Starting this week, shoppers will see lots more foods labeled with the country of origin.

Here are some common questions as shoppers navigate the change:

Q: What does the new law require?

A: That retailers notify customers of the country of origin — including the U.S. — of raw beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, goat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and whole ginseng. (The aim was big agricultural commodities; ginseng was added for fear of imports masquerading as U.S.-grown.)

Q: Where will I see the country of origin?

A: Anywhere it fits. The rubber band around asparagus; the plastic wrap on ground beef; the little sticker that says "Gala" on an apple. If a food isn't normally sold in any packaging — such as a bin of fresh green beans or mushrooms — then the store must post a sign.

Q: Aren't many foods already labeled?

A: Some fresh produce already uses origin labeling as advertising. "Fresh from Florida" or "Jersey Grown" or "Vidalia Onion" tags don't have to be changed under the new rules; the shopper should realize they're all U.S. products.The COOL law mandating such labels first passed in 2002, but lobbying by grocery stores and large meatpackers led Congress to delay the U.S. Department of Agriculture from implementing it. Seafood labeling was phased in first, in 2005 — a key change given recurring safety problems with fish and shellfish from certain countries, including China.

Q: What's the biggest exception?

A: The labels aren't for processed foods, meaning no label if the food is cooked, or an ingredient in a bigger dish or otherwise substantially changed. So plain raw chicken must be labeled but not breaded chicken tenders. Raw pork chops are labeled, but not ham or bacon. Fresh or frozen peas get labeled, but not canned peas. Raw shelled pecans, but not a trail mix.

Q: What if the foods are merely mixed together?

A: They're exempt, too. So cantaloupe slices from Guatemala get labeled. Mix in some Florida watermelon chunks, and no label. Frozen peas, labeled. Frozen peas and carrots, no label. As for bagged salads, USDA considers iceberg and Romaine to be just lettuce, so that bag gets a label. Add some radicchio? No label.

Q: Must all stores comply?

A: No. Meat and seafood sold in butcher shops and fish markets are exempt.

Q: What if companies buy food from various places — beef from both U.S. and Mexican ranchers, for instance?

A: That's a bone of contention between large U.S. meat producers and smaller ranchers that produce exclusively U.S. animals. Tyson Fresh Meats, for instance, says it's too expensive to separate which of its cattle came from which country. So in a July letter to customers, Tyson said it would label all beef "Product of the U.S., Canada or Mexico." The National Farmers Union is protesting; USDA is considering the complaints.

Q: Aren't country labels on some processed foods?

A: Yes, tariff regulations have long required that a food put into consumer-ready packaging abroad be labeled as an import; that doesn't apply to bulk ingredients.

Q: When does the change take effect?

A: The law goes into effect Tuesday, although USDA won't begin fining laggards until spring. Violations can bring a $1,000 penalty. "

Read the entire article  HERE

Hungry for some good barbeque?

I had some today.

I visited " The Big Pig Gig” in Menomonee Falls (street parking).

And yes, what we had was good.

One pork shoulder sandwich was really outstanding (Barbeque Company).

Brisket sandwich and pulled pork (on a Tennessee Taco) really good (Florida Skin and Bones).

All I have to say is, “Oink.”

One place, Florida Skin and Bones, is going to leave with a Brinks truck following them home.  If you ever wanted to test the theory of whether people will go somewhere just because there’s a line in front of a place …it’s true.  It didn’t matter if the food was good or not.  Because the place had a line…people got in it.  The place has 20 trophies out in front of it and maybe that is what attracted people there in the first place…but seriously, a line makes people believe that the food is better than the rest.  It was no better that some of the other establishments.

The bad?  Just two minor things.

Pricey…and you have to buy “tokens, ”  not tickets.  Whoever came up with that concept…making the customer carry around tokens rather than tickets…..well, duh.

And the only brand of soda is Sprecher.  No Coke or Pepsi products.  If you don’t want a beer…and aren’t in the mood for a root beer, somehow a Sprecher product doesn’t do it for you.

The details… CLICK on the banner

It’s apple season. 

My favorite variety is Macoun..but they aren’t ever around very long.  They’re tart and crisp and great for pie and dehydrating.  I used to dry apples a lot when my kids were young. 

I like to make homemade things like my own vanilla for cooking and infused vodka with different flavors.  I happened to come across this old recipe for Welsh Apple Wine.  My husband is Welsh...this sounds interesting.  But six months before I can drink it?  It must be really, really good….


Welsh Apple Wine (Gwin Afalau)  

4 quarts apples
2 lemons
1 gallon boiling water
6 cloves
1 piece bruised ginger
sugar 

1. Crush apples and put in large crock.
2. Pour boiling water over the apples and cover with cheesecloth.
3. Let stand two weeks, squeezing apples daily.
4. Strain and add cloves and ginger.
5. Measure liquid and add 1/2 pound of sugar to each pint of liquid; stir to dissolve.
6. Add the juice of the lemons and stir.
7. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand until a scum has formed on the surface (fermentation ended).
8. Skim, bottle, and securely cork.
9. Age for at least six months before use.

 65 servings 



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I could always just settle for fresh apple cider from one of the local orchards.

Wisconsin Apple Orchards


My favorites from the list are:

Awe's Apple Orchard

8081 S 10th St
Franklin, WI 53132
Milwaukee County
Phone: (262) 425-1426
Description: Visit our Apple House for fresh picked apples or pick your own. Cider, caramel apples, queen's apple (sundae), gifts, pumpkins.

(I love their homemade donuts!)

Patterson Orchard

124th Street
New Berlin, WI 53151
Waukesha County
Phone: (414) 425-0563
Open: Mid-August to Mid-March; Daily, 9:00am-5:30pm. Closed on major holidays.
Directions: Located on 124th Street between Beloit Road and Layton Avenue.
Description: Apples, pears, grapes, cider, honey, Michigan peaches, plums, tomatoes, jams and jellies, frozen foods, pies.


(This orchard has a long season and the best caramel apples!)