Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups rasins

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats, then rasins.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and squish into a patty
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Alcohol Substitutions

 Alcoholic Ingredient Description Substitution


we moved to the southern states a couple years ago and one of the issues still in the area is a ban on selling alcohol on Sundays. we try to plan out our meals and then grocery shop on the day we make them. However, we always have trouble remembering that if we need some type of alcohol for our Sunday recipe, it needs to be bought the day before. Hopefully this list of substitution will come in handy whether you are religious yourself, or simply lack the ingredient.








Amaretto Italian almond-flavored liqueur
Almond extract.
Beer or ale Various types.
For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice. For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock. Non-alcoholic beers may also be substituted.
Brandy Liquor made of distilled wine or fruit juice.
Scotch or bourbon. If a particular flavor is specified, use the corresponding fruit juice, such as apple, apricot, cherry, peach, raspberry etc. or grape juice. Corresponding flavored extracts can be used for small amounts.
Calvados Apple brandy
Apple juice concentrate or juice.
Chambord Black raspberry liqueur
Raspberry juice, syrup or extract.
Champagne Sparkling white wine.
Sparkling white grape juice, ginger ale, white wine.
Claret Light red wine or Bordeaux.
Non-alcoholic wine, diluted currant or grape juice, cherry cider syrup.
Cognac Aged, double-distilled wine or fermented fruit juice. 
Cognac is considered the finest brandy.Other less expensive brandies may be substituted, as well as Scotch or whiskey, or use peach, apricot or pear juice.
Cointreau French, orange-flavored liqueur.
Orange juice concentrate or regular orange juice that has been reduced to a thicker consistency.
Curacao Liqueur made from bitter Seville oranges.
Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Creme de menthe Thick and syrupy, sweetened mint liqueur. 
Comes both clear and green.Mix spearmint extract or oil with a little water or grapefruit juice. Use a drop of food coloring if you need the green color.
Framboise French raspberry liqueur.
Raspberry juice or syrup.
Frangelico Italian hazelnut liqueur.
Hazelnut or almond extract.
Galliano Golden Italian anise liqueur.
Licorice extract.
Grand Marnier French liqueur, orange-flavored.
Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Grappa Italian grape brandy.
Grape juice or reduced red wine.
Grenadine Pomegranate syrup, sometimes alcoholic.
Pomegranate syrup or juice.
Hard Cider Fermented, alcoholic cider.
Apple cider or juice.
Kahlua Syrupy Mexican liqueur made with coffee and cocoa beans.
Strong coffee or espresso with a touch of cocoa powder.
Kirsch (Kirchwasser) Colorless liqueur made of cherries.
Black cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, currant, or grape juice or syrup, or cherry cider.
Red Burgundy Dry French wine.
Non-alcoholic wine, red wine vinegar, grape juice.
Red wine Sweet or dry wine.
Non-alcoholic wine, beef or chicken broth or stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice diluted with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, tomato juice, liquid from canned mushrooms, plain water.
Rum Liquor distilled from molasses or sugar syrup.
For light rum, use pineapple juice flavored with almond extract. For dark rum, use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract. Or use rum extract flavoring.
Sake Fermented rice drink.
 Rice vinegar.
Schnapps Flavored, colorless liquor.
Use corresponding flavored extract such as peppermint, peach, etc.
Sherry Fortified dessert wine, sweet or dry, some with a slightly nutty flavor.
Orange or pineapple juice.
Southern Comfort Bourbon mixed with peach liqueur.
Peach nectar mixed with a little cider vinegar.
Tequila Liquor made of the agave plant.
Cactus nectar or juice.
Triple Sec Orang-flavored liqueur.
Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Vermouth Wine-based drink infused with herbs, sweet or dry.
For sweet, use non-alcoholic sweet wine, apple or grape juice or balsamic vinegar. For dry, use non-alcoholic white wine, white grape juice or white wine vinegar.
Whiskey (whisky) Distilled liquor.
Bourbon, Scotch and whiskey may be used interchangably. Small amounts may be eliminated. Large amounts cannot be effectively substituted.
White Burgundy Dry French wine.
Non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar.
White wine Sweet or dry wine.
Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
Broccoli Saute
1 (12 oz) package broccoli floretts, chopped
1(8oz) mix prechopped celery, onion, and bell pepper
1/4 cup (optional) bacon bits
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and celery mix; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add bacon, pepper, and garlic; saute 1 minute.

We don't care for spicy foods so we leave out the crushed red pepper

Soup
broccoli saute
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1.5 oz (1/3 cup) all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 (16 oz) block processed cheese, cubed

1. prepare Broccoli Saute
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. while broccoli mixture comes to a boil, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir flour mixture into broccoli mixture. Add remaining 2 cups milk; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes until thick. Add cheese to soup mixture, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat. 
4. There is also the option to blend half of the soup and return it to the pan; however, we skip this step.

We substituted bacon for chopped ham. 

Again, this is a picture taken with my cell phone

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

Breading
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer

White Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Fish
1 quart oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce
portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely
shredded

We used flour tortillas instead and also baked the fish rather than deepfry.

Pan fry: fry a single layer of fillets in a skillet with hot oil (350* F) until golden brown or flakes easily.

broil: preheat. place pan containing fish 4 to 5 inches from heat and broil 6-10 minutes until flakes at thickest part of fillet.

bake: preheat to 425. place in lightly oiled shallow baking dish. bake 6 to 10 minutes until opaque throughout.( this is the way we chose to cook it.)

1. To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).

2. To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.

3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4. Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

Note: We used wild caught cod fillets from Sea Best. The company uses sustainable fishing practices certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

starting to move the fish to the pan

some of what goes into the tacos

cod fillet

beerless beer batter (forgot to pick up the beer before sunday)

Easy Colcannon (Potatoes and Cabbage)

This is a great recipe for getting all those St. Patrick's Day fanatics off your back. We paired this recipe with a couple of Irish Bangers and Kielbasa, bread, and some mixed vegetables. No Boxy, Iv'e already got one man, don't want another.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs medium red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 7 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1/3 reduced fat butter
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

*I hadn't realize the ingredients had been skipped over, sorry if you are coming back to this recipe !

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender, adding the cabbage during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine green onions and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until onions are soft.
3. Drain potato mixture. Mash with milk mixture, butter, salt and pepper.

Make sure you drain the potatoes and cabbage very well. Our colcannon ended up a little runny. You can also try to add the milk in slowly so you don't end up using too much, might try using half and then adding more if needed. Adding in some all-purpose flour helped with the consistency when we didn't drain it well. The taste was still great.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• can also throw in chopped walnuts

I thought the pudding was weird as heck, but as I am the worst cookie baker ever, I deferred to the cookie baker experts. Apparently the pudding makes it soft and chewy. which it does! The cookies dont taste like pudding either.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookies sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Roasted Holiday Turkey

This recipe is from KRXQ out of Cali. --> Rob Arnie and Dawn- Robs Recipes

I brought this recipe with me to the East Coast and our family has been making it now for the last 6 years. The best part is the fact that it is never dry and tasteless.

I serve my turkey juicy and tender, thus it has a slight pink hue along the outer edges of each slice. I certainly cannot and am not advising you to not follow the USDA's guidelines for safely serving poultry to your family. If you, of your own free will, choose to serve your turkey as I do be ready for someone at the table to be "freaked out" by the presence of pink around their turkey. My answer to this always is, "don't eat it, then." You may want to cook your bird a little longer to avoid all of this.
Ingredients
2 Large Yellow or White Onions
1 stalk of celery
4 Large carrots
4 Large Shallots
Olive Oil
½ bunch fresh thyme
½ bunch fresh sage
½ bunch fresh rosemary
Salt and Pepper
Oh yeah... and a turkey

To Make...
1. Make sure the bird is fully thawed by placing it in the refrigerator at least 3 full days before cooking. If, on the night before, it is not thawed, place the turkey in a room temperature bath until it thaws.

2. The night before roasting, clean the turkey by removing the neck and giblets enclosed in the bird. Use them for the gravy, or discard. (See my gravy recipe for more info)

3. Rinse the raw bird completely with cold water, using your hands to "massage" the bird as it is rinsed with the water. Do this all over, and inside the bird's cavity. MAKE SURE that everything you touch is thoroughly cleansed afterwards.

4. Drizzle olive oil into the cavity of the turkey, followed by generous amounts of salt and pepper. Rub the salt and pepper all over the inside wall of the turkey.

5. Drizzle olive oil all over the turkey's breasts, legs, back, etc, rubbing the oil in. Follow it with generous amounts of salt and pepper rubbed all over the bird. The seasonings not only bring out the bird's flavors, but also help to keep the meat tender.

6. Place the bird, breast side up, in his baking pan, preferably on a rack which allows the turkey's drippings to accumulate beneath it.

7. Chop the celery, onions, carrots, peeled shallots, and herbs and mix together in a bowl.

8. Stuff the chopped herbs and vegetables into the cavity of the turkey. This is done to flavor the bird, and will not be eaten.

9. Cover the turkey and keep refrigerated over night.

10. On the day of cooking, remove the bird from the fridge in plenty of time for it to reach room temperature.

11. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

12. Place a fresh layer of olive oil along the outside of the turkey.

13. Place turkey, legs to the back, in the oven for 30 minutes.

14. Your turkey should be beginning to turn golden brown already. (if the bird is quite large, like say 20+ pounds, you may need to add an extra 15 minutes).

15. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.

16. Place a triangular piece of aluminum foil over the breast and continue cooking DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN CONTINUALLY. Just let the bird cook.

17. Despite common myths, there is no formula based on "minutes per pound" to figure out when your bird will be done. In my experience, an 18 pound turkey will need another 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours of cooking at this point, but you have to use some common sense. You want you turkey's legs to reach 175 degrees, and the breast meat to reach 155 degrees. At that point, you will remove the turkey from the oven, keep it covered and carve it 10 minutes later. I suggest checking your turkey after 1 hour of cooking at 300 degrees and determining at that point how well it's going. Given the choice you'd rather your turkey be done too soon, rather than too late.

 Turbo the cat, checking on the turkey.

Finished turkey

 two years later and she still wants to help around the kitchen