Blueberry Buckle

I got this recipe from my trusty Holiday Home Cooking. Again, simple and easy and oh so good!

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13” pan.

TOPPING

In a small bowl, combine:

• ½ cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbl butter, softened

Mix til it looks crumbly.

BUCKLE

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

• ¼ cup butter flavored shortening
  
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1 2/3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups blueberries

Pour into pan. Sprinkle blueberries over batter. Sprinkle topping over blueberries.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if possible.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

We love this for camping. I mix it together before we leave home and heat it up on the side of the fire.

Otherwise you can....

In a 1 1/2 qt baking dish, mix:

• 1 8 oz package softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
• 2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken (the canned kind works fine also - it keeps well in the camping pantry)

Bake at 350, for 20 minutes or on the side of your fire until it's hot. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Hollandaise Sauce for Steamed Asparagus and More

This is so simple and easy, and there is nothing that enhances the flavor of asparagus, eggs, salmon or even your finger than Hollandaise.

Ingredients

* 4 egg yolks
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
* Pinch cayenne
* Pinch salt

Directions

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Poppyseed Cake

This is a great cake for a cold day, warms up the kitchen! Any leftover cake will be really good toasted later.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt ban.

In a large bowl, stir together:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbls poppyseeds

In another bowl, mix together:

• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ tsp butter flavoring
• 1 ½ tsp almond flavoring
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 cup oil

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

While it's baking mix together:

• ½ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup frozen, concentrated orange juice
• ½ tsp each of almond, butter, and vanilla flavorings

When you pull the cake out of the oven, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour oj mixture on top while still warm.

The New Dirty Dozen List - Go Organic for These

Here's a link to a printable shopper's card:

http://www.foodnews.org/sneak/EWG-shoppers-guide.pdf

And here's a closer look at the 2010 Dirty Dozen from the DailyGreen blog:

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.

6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.

11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

Fresh Tequila drinks

These recipes also come from Sweet Basil - Fresh is key!

KJ's paloma (my new favorite drink)

2 oz. reposado tequila

2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

1 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. simple sugar syrup

2 oz. Squirt grapefruit soda

Combine the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Float the Squirt soda on top and serve.

K.J.'s margarita

2 oz. silver tequila

1 oz. Cointreau

1 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. simple sugar syrup

Make the simple syrup by combining one cup sugar in two cups of water in a saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and cool. Combine all the ingredients and shake. Serve in a salt-rimmed glass and garnish with lime.

Sweet Basil's Paul Ander's Guacamole

Chef Paul showed us a trick to get that avocado out of its peel. Cut it in half, lengthwise. Remove the seed and smash it, cut side down, on a grid (like a cooling rack) placed over a bowl. Fast!! And it makes a nice, chunky guac.

8 avocados, diced

zest of 2 limes

1/2 lime, juiced

1/2 small jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, minced

Pinch of cilantro, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seed, toasted

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed, toasted

Gently mix all ingredients together and serve. Keep the seed in the guacamole and cover it with plastic wrap until you're ready to serve it to keep it from turning brown.

Rhubarb Infused Vodka

I put a bunch of cut up rhubarb into my infusion jar with 1/2 a vanilla bean (cut lengthwise) and pour a bunch of good vodka over it. Then I let it sit until I can't wait any longer (at least a week). Pretty and pink and delicious!

Better Than Sex Cake

The name speaks for itself. I've had this recipe (from the Miami Herald) for years and years. I love to serve this for Easter Brunch.

In a 13x9 inch pan, bake

• 1 package yellow cake mix, according to directions

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine

• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice
• 3/4 cup sugar

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
When cake is done, remove from oven and pierce top with a fork in 1-inch intervals. Pour on pineapple mixture and spread evenly over cake. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, combine

• 2 3 1/2 oz packages instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups milk

and blend until thick. Spread over cake.

In medium bowl, beat

• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
  

until soft peaks form. Add

• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat until stiff and spread over cake. Refrigerate 24 hours. Before serving sprinkle with

• 3/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted (you can toss with a few drops of food coloring for Easter, if you like)

This makes about 16 servings (ha!)

A Cabbaging of the Corned Beef to ya!

You can do this this morning and come back from a day of revelry to enjoy a wonderful dinner! (or after-party snack).

Buy 1 or 2 flat cut corned beef chunks from your meat department. They are on sale this time of year, and come in a red liquid with a spice pack.

Dump the meat and the liquid into your crock pot (on low) and sprinkle in the contents of the spice pack. Add water just to cover the meat. I prefer to drop in small potatoes in about 3 hours before mealtime, but they can swim all day if you like.

When I get home, I cut my cabbage into 6ths, and spread the pieces on top of the meat, not soaking in the water. Give it a half hour while you recycle your green beer and find your Guinness and wash that silly paint off your face.