Curtis Stone...I think I love you.

Do I love you for your eyes? Yes. Do I love you for your crazy cool hair? Yes. Do I love you because you can cook, you have a very cute accent, and you are on one of the most wholesome television networks on the planet with a neato theme song that my 3 year old can bug out to? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Mostly, I love you for your peppered sirloin steak with caramelized sprouts. It brings a smile to my face and makes my husband believe I am not mediocre in the kitchen.....and you know what they say..........idle hands are the devil's playground. You know what else they say.......if you say things that make no sense it will make your readers confused. Any who, I have made this with both a dry red and strangely enough a red sangria.....which was FANTASTIC!

14 oz brussel sprout

1/4 oz black peppercorns

four 7oz sirloin steaks

8 T butter (that's right....it will make your heart stop for all of the right reasons)

generous 1/3 c red wine

extra virgin olive oil

Blanch the brussel sprouts in a large saucepan of boiling salted water 2-3 min then refresh in ice cold water. Cut the sprouts in half and remove any outer leaves.

Sprinkle the crushed peppercorns over a large plate. Press each steak into the crushed peppers and then season both sides with salt.

Heat a large frying pan, add the olive oil and when hot, add the steaks and cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Place half the butter and brussel sprouts in a separate pre-heated frying pan and allow to caramelize for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the red wine and remaining butter to the steaks and remove the pan from the heat. Divide the Brussel sprouts between 4 serving plates, then place the steaks on top. Spoon the pan juices over the beef and serve immediately.

-Robin

Onion Law

( More OPP - "Old Popular Posts"!)



While surfing the web this evening looking for something to blog I discovered some outdated onionlaws. You can check more of these out at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/onions/onionlaws.html If you are a woman weighing over 200 pounds living in Ridgland, South Carolina you are in violation of the law if you are seen wearing shorts eating onions in a restaurant or at a picnic. O.K., now let me take a moment to make a fashion public service announcement. It is my personal belief that no-one should ever wear shorts because they are one of the most unattractive pieces of clothing ever invented, so forget the onion thing and lets just outlaw shorts. I mean for Pete'ssake ladies....wear a skirt. It's way more flattering. This, of course, excludes work out attire, around the house garb, and when you get all dressed up to go to the Walmart it's all right too.
Now, try this AWESOME French onion Soup Recipe we picked up from Carike Clements & Elizabeth Wolf- Cohen's book "French- Delicious Classic Cuisine Made Easy".


4 large onions
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 cups beef or chicken stock ( we use chicken )
2 tbsp brandy
6-8 thick slices French Bread
1 clove garlic
12 oz Swiss cheese, grated

In a large pot heat olive oil and butter, add onions and cook till soft and just starting to brown about 10-12 minutes. Add minced garlic, sugar, thyme and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes until onions are well browned, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir until well blended. Stir in the white wine and broth and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the brandy if using.


Preheat the broiler and rub each slice of toasted French Bread with the garlic clove. Fill oven proof soup bowls on a baking sheet and fill about three-quarters full with the soup. Float a piece of toast in each bowl. Top with grated cheese. broil about 6 inches from the heat 3-5 minutes. just till cheese begins to melt and bubble.

Cat Shame, Pop Tops, & Cheese

Some of you know I work in an art gallery and have even been to my place of employment. We do a little gallery hop every month and I usually whip up something for the hop. Over at The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree, aka 'the Pioneer Woman" made these awesome goat cheese 'logs' (what else would you call them...log sounds so..well ...YOU KNOW.) and I was dieing to give them a try. She was right as usual...they are tasty and super easy to make. I've seen other variations on these, goat cheese in fresh chives, nuts, and various other herbs and spices...there are a lot of great variations on this recipe in (hard to believe it I know) Martha Stewart's Hor's Doeuvres Handbook. If you do a lot of entertaining as I do..this is a must have! I found mine at Half price books for $9... SUCKA!

-Shelly

Goat cheese with fresh dill

Goat cheese with Paprika

Fresh fruit with Farmers Cheese and Brie

While I was busy taking pictures of the nibbles...I also wanted to share with you this amazing, talented artists named John Strickland who has a fantastic quirky sense of humor. As you can see in the top picture there is a painting called "Cat Shame" and in this bottom one there is one in the background of a pop top on a can of soda. Very creative I think.

This Bread will Cost You Some Dough!

More OPP - "Old Popular Posts".

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a grass that is cultivated worldwide. Globally, it is an important human food grain ranking second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize; the third being rice. Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads; cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles and couscous; and for fermentation to make beer, alcohol, vodka or biofuel.
The current financial market of wheat has recently fluctuated. Due to the possibilities with ethanol fuel, the “smart” farmers have planted corn. Because of this, wheat has become a more sought after resource, therefore, wheat prices of gone sky high.

Why did we tell you all this you may be asking yourself…because the ladies at my vintage kitchen aren’t just “Donna Reading” around!

We graduated from 6th grade too...sheesh!

Kisses - Robin & Shelly

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp veg oil

In a large mixing bowl mix your yeast, sugar, salt and yeast in warm water. When the yeast starts to bubble you can start adding in your sifted flour. When the dough begins to ball turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed. Knead the dough with quarter turns with the heel of your hand. Repeat until dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to the board. Place in a buttered bowl and turn the dough once. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until it has doubled. Punch down the dough and turn it completely over in bowl. Let rise again until almost double in bulk…about 30 mins.

Shape the dough and place in a loaf pan. Bake about 50 mins…bread is done when you hear the “thump”. Remove from pan to cool.

Down with OPP?

While we have been slowly moving from our typepad page to blogger I thought I would transfer the old recipes but there are just tooo many and I'm tooo lazy. We will just be posting some of our favorirtes....So if your down with OPP - "Old Popular Posts". Look out here they come.
-Shelly

PIMP MY DREAMCICLE

Have you ever seen that MTV show, pimp my ride, where they take a 1982 mercury linx and turn it into a stretch limo/tiki bar? Well, lets say if an orange dreamcicle were a mercury than well...enough with the metaphors. If you want to make this one you don't really have time for silly stories.

These Frozen Grand Marnier Souffles are tasty but be prepared to work fast and work out your upper arm! This recipe comes from a book written by our second favorite Bridget Jones "Appetizers, Finger Foods, Buffets & Parties" written by Bridget Jones, and apparently this Bridget CAN cook.

Serves 8
1 cup superfine sugar
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 tbsp powdered gelatin, soaked in 3 tbsp cold water
4 tbsp Grand Marnier... if you don't want to shell out the $35 for a bottle of this stuff you may sub 1 teaspoon of orange extract-though I am not promising the same side effects ; )
2 cups heavy cream

1. Wrap a double collar of baking parchment around eight dessert glasses or ramekins and tape shut. Whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar with egg yolks until the yolks are pale. This will take about 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes with an electric hand mixer.

2. Heat the milk until almost boiling and pour it on the yolks, whisking constantly. Return to the pan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the soaked gelatin into the custard. Pour the custard into a bowl and leave to cool. Whisk occasionally until on the point of setting...but be careful to work fast and not let it set otherwise your souffles will be chunky!

3. Put the remaining sugar in a a pan with 3 tbsp water an dissolve it over a low heat. Bring to boil and boil rapidly until it reaches the soft ball stage. Remove from the heat, in a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Pour the hot syrup on to the whites, whisking constantly. Leave the meringue to cool.

4. Add the Grand Marnier to the cold custard. Whisk the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold into the cooled meringue, with the custard. Pour into the prepared glasses or dishes. Freeze overnight. Remove the paper collars and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

This would also work in a large souffle dish if you would rather not do individuals.

Vegetable Lo Mein...

Cooking Chinese food has always been somewhat of a challenge. For starters there's that whole "I'm not Chinese" thing and then the fact that if you grew up in the 70's we thought La Choy was Chinese food....it's not, who knew.

The thing about it is that it never tastes as good as take out...until now. Give this a try... if you like lo-mein you will like this! You could easily add some shrimp, chicken, pork, cat, whatever. It will taste like the restaurant!

-Shelly

Vegetable Lo Mein serves 2 or 4 as a side


Boil 1/4 box linguine in salted water

In a bowl

¼ low sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp fresh grated ginger
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Thin sliced green scallions

In a pan with a TBLS Olive oil add

4 large mushrooms sliced
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic grated
1 cup bean sprouts (fresh...NOT that crap out of a can...don't say I didn't warn you)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it hot)

Cook until onions and mushrooms caramelize
Add and toss

1 cup thin sliced green cabbage
1 grated carrot

Add linguine and pour prepared sauce over everything, mix well.

Serve with more scallion sprinkled over the top.

Eggs and Cake

My last post was a vegan chocolate cake...I mentioned that I really didn't know why one need to put eggs in a cake. The vegan cake had no eggs and it held together perfectly. So, I thought I would give it another go with this butter pecan cake. As you can see it didn't really work out so well. No sooner than I frosted it a large chunk just fell right off. But, I will say this...it was the lightest cake I've ever made.
-Shelly

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Yeah that's right...I posted bacon and now I'm posting vegan!

Vegan recipes are great....they are perfect for me as I'm not so good about keeping eggs on hand, or milk for that matter. Alright truth be told milk and I don't get along, we don't have a very em "nice" relationship. I'm waiting for cheese to betray me as well, but so far we're still "OK".

This is really easy, the cake sticks together wonderfully, and in all honesty I think it taste just like those box cakes...and lets face it as much as we wish our homemade cakes were as light and tasty as box cakes, they just aren't. Except this one.

Note: Frosting....out of a can
Kumquat...just for looks (I'm shallow that way)

Recipe

Also, I'm starting to think that using eggs in baked goods is sort of an old wives tale. I always thought it was the eggs that held it all together, but apparently not. I'm not sure why this cake works so well.

I'm not Alton Brown you know!

-Shelly

Snooping

One of my favorite things about reading other peoples blogs is when I get the chance to snoop. Sure it's great to see what people are cooking, but I'm always curious what their home looks like. Is it polished and perfect, are there shoes and newspapers everywhere, are there 6,000 animals running around. Do they have a couch that dates back to 1972, is their space as sophisticated and sheek as the seemingly sophisticated and sheek meals they prepare? So, I thought maybe since blogging is a way of letting the world in on what your doing and sharing a piece of yourself with whomever comes along (reader/stalker) I would let you snoop around my living room/dining room in my "attic" apartment. I live in a historic house on the third floor in a little downtown district. As you can see I have an ancient TV that has been around since I was in High School and have a penchant for bouquets of pink flowers. This weeks happen to be carnations. And just as a side note and little tip, when buying bouquets of flowers ( which one should do regularly) try and buy ones that are all the same color...I find they look much better than bouquets with a mix of crazy yellow, purples, greens and reds. Just my opinion...but I'm right ;)

-Shelly

Mountain Medley vs Cheese and Bacon

Sometimes it sucks trying to watch what you eat. I was not blessed with one of those super fast motabolizisaazzms. I try to only eat this sort of greasy breakfast food goodness on Sundays. The rest of the week it's Mountain Medley Kashi with rice milk...or maybe if I'm really feeling crazy a piece of toast. I use to be one of those breakfast skippers and then I read that fat people usually skip breakfast...well that settled it...if skinny people eat breakfast I'm doin it! No need to twist my arm! Plus my sister, Mizz Robin, has often harped on the goodness of breakfast and no matter what it is...it's better than nothing.

So in honor of what I really wanted this morning instead of the granola I ate, here is a recipe for simple baking powder biscuits. Now in full disclose I would recommend making these for something such as sausage gravy as I find the biscuits a bit heavy....to heavy this little sandwich you see above....I ended up tossing half the biscuit and hitting it with a fork. SO...if you happen to know of a lighter biscuit please send the recipe my way at myvintagekitchen@gmail.com and I will post it and give it a go!

-Shelly

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Crisco
milk
butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in crisco with pastry cutter or fork. Add enough milk to make dough, do not mix too much. Place dough on flour surface and pat out to about 1/2 inch thick, try not to work it too much the less handled the more tender the biscuit. Cut biscuits with a floured cutter or glass. Place on cookie sheet

Top each biscuit with just a little bit of butter
Bake for about 10 minutes or until they start to brown on the edges.

Stinky Funky Fish from a can....is good.

I found a great blog called Janet is Hungry....unfortunately Janet appears to not be blogging much these days, but that's OK...it gives me time to catch up on all her amazing looking food! I tried this little number out....here is the recipe. It's a Salmon & Cream Cheese Crepe and it is wonderful! This was my first crack at a crepes and turns out they are not so hard...and it also seems I've forgotten how heavenly they taste....even without the cream cheese and salmon...but I'm not saying I was eating them as I was making them...and I'm not saying I ate so many that my stomach hurt, and I'm not saying that I secretly wanted to keep them all to myself and and eat this entire cream cheese fishy delight.

Oh and one more note...if you have not ever dealt with salmon from a can...it may seriously be the most disgusting thing I have ever done....it does not smell good, it does not look good, and I still can't believe I ate it...but it was awesome...you know, once it was "doctored up".

-Shelly

Beef Bourguignon

This came out of Real Simple magazine and I have to say the sauce is INCREDIBLE! The only thing is, the way they want to you cook the meat just does not give it time to get nice and tender. It's just too fast. So I would suggest altering the recipe as follows. Use a 2 lb roast...put it in a crock pot with a box of beef stock ( or homemade for you stock snobs)and let it cook all day. Then make your bourguignon ( man that's hard to spell) sauce. The secret weapon is a little can of condensed Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup. I'm guessing if your a stock snob this will probably not work for you either...but trust me it rocks!

2 lb rump roast or another lean roast...I know everyone wants "marbling" but I like it lean and just cook it all day....it will be super tender and fall apart.
10 oz mushrooms ( I added a little extra cause I love the mushroom...baby portobello and button)
1 sm bag frozen pearl onions
1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
2 Cups of good red wine ...DO NOT USE THAT "Cooking wine" Please!!! If you wont drink it don't cook it. ( I know I can use condensed soup and box stock...but this I'm picky about)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
OK....here we go...After you have cooked your roast let it rest for about an hour...it should be cool enough to slice 1/2 of it up into 1" cubes ( I like to use the rest for sandwiches.) Over medium heat put your tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add your meat. Toss it around till you get some nice caramelizing going on...this will give a little something special to the sauce. Remove the meat and set aside. Add your mushrooms and onions and cook until all the liquid evaporates off your vegetables and you get a nice color. Add 2 cups of wine and cook down till about half of that liquid is gone. Add your can of mushroom soup plus 1/4 cup water...bring to a boil, add your meat. Let it all get incorporated and simmer for about 10 minutes.

This is a beautiful dish and it tastes complex (it's the wine)...but relatively easy to make. I served it with some grilled asparagus and a baguette.
Now on to the sandwich. You can use the rest of your baguette for these yummy sandwiches the next day! I slice a few mushrooms and start to cook them in a pan with a little butter...I like them to get a little crunch on the edges and carmelization ( carmelization makes the world go round). Once the liquid is gone deglazed the pan with some red wine...just enough to make a rich sauce. Butter your baguettes and pop them face down on a cookie sheet at 400...watch them so you just get a nice warm crusty texture.
Pile your meat on the baguette sprinkle with a little season salt, layer on your mushrooms, then pour some of that thick sauce over the top...grate a little fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Put the lid on your sandwich and slice it up! This is SOOOO GOOD!

Pizza Snob

For those of you who know me, you are aware of my pizza issue. I just don't get it. My taste buds are obviously SO refined that pizza does not nor has it ever seemed like a good idea. It is the sauce and cheese thing. It's like a warm box of wine to me...not really appealing, but, it will do in a bind. Then, a friend of mine introduced me to a FABULOUS and easy hors-devours. It is pizza-like in appearance, but with a fantastic twist. It's the vegetable version of a fruit pizza. So, put that room temperature glass of Franzia away and celebrate the New Year with this slightly different and very pretty addition to the table.

Vegetable Pizza
1 baked pizza crust
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 oz cream cheese
1 packet of ranch seasoning
random fresh vegetables to your taste (I used tomato, cucumber, red and green peppers) shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top

Mix the mayonnaise and cream cheese together along with the seasoning packet. Add chopped vegetables and sprinkle with cheese. POOF it is finished.

Cookie-A-Day #4 Cherry Coconut Bars

Have a cherry bar this Christmas

It's the best one of the bunch

I don't know, how far they'll go

So have one with your lunch

Have a cherry bar this Christmas

It's not been on the floor

Tastes so good, like cookies should, so you'll come back for more.

Oh, but, the coconut.Sprinkled to and fro.

Goes on the cherry bar.

It's not just for show.

Have a cherry bar this Christmas.

And in case you didn't hear.

Oh by golly, have a cherry bar this Christmas.

This year.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter (no substitutes)
FILLING:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries
1/2 cup flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
For filling, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the egg mixture. Stir in walnuts, cherries and coconut. Spread over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Cookie-A-Day #3 Russian Tea Cakes

Sing this one to the tune of White Christmas aloudwhile you sit in your office in front of everyone sothat you can go home early because you have LOST YOURMIND!

I'm dreaming of a white cookie, just like the ones made out of dough
where nuts are baked on, the sugar's caked on, the kind that looks a lot like snow
I'm dreaming of a white cookie, like the ones I really love to bite, man they really taste out of sight and may Russian Tea Cakes all be white Russian Tea Cakes.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla untilsmooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugarand flour; stir into the butter mixture until justblended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on anungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool,roll in remaining confectioners' sugar.

Cookie-A-Day #2

Here is a little ditty devoted to our Aunt's "ChristmasTree" Christmas cookie!

Oh Cookie Baum

Oh Christmas cookie, oh Christmas cookie

We made you oh so hasty

Oh Christmas cookie, oh Christmas cookie

Your dough of almond Paste (eeey)

you started as a pile of mush

your not a tree, more like a bush

Oh Christmas cookie oh Christmas cookie

You really were quite tasty

Pictured is the cookie cut in half. This is #2 for our Countdown to Christmas Cookie-A-Day! This cookie is the second to the last in yesterdays photo.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1 bag of chocolate kisses
green sugar
powdered sugar.

Mix everything butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and nuts. Form the "tree" around the chocolate kiss. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. While cookie is still warm roll in powdered sugar and sprinkle with green sugar. There you have it! Yummy little "Christmas Trees".

Cookie A Day

Hmmm where to begin....I think smack dab in the middle with the "Salty Hugs". I don't know if this is really a "cookie", but it's close enough. This is perfect for you salty/sweet lovers out there.

1 bag Seyfert Extra Dark, Extra Salty Round Pretzels
1 bag Hershey's Hugs ( white chocolate/mint)
1 lg bag Plain M&M's ( Christmas Colors)

Place a sheet of wax paper on a plate that can be put in the microwave. Fill the plate with the pretzels. Add a Hershey Hug to the center of the pretzel. Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute & 20 seconds. Immediately remove from microwave and put an M&M in the center. As you push in the M&M try to move the melted hugs to fill in any blank areas. Leave on wax paper & slide on to a cookie sheet. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Take these to the office Christmas party and they will be gone in no time flat!

Turkey Veggie Roll-Ups

If I were a plate full of leftover turkey, this is what I would be.

These really could be made with your favorite veggies. 1 roll-up... Serves 2. This makes a nice alternative this time of year as well....you know...because of all the cookies. By the way we will be starting our Countdown to Christmas Cookie- A- Day tomorrow!

8-10 asparagus tips
1/2 orange bell pepper
green leaf lettuce
4 slices of turkey
1 sun-dried tomato/basil tortilla

For the sauce
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Greek Oregano
1 teaspoon fresh chopped flat leaf Parsley
Pinch of Morton's Light Salt

After everything was spread out on the tortilla we lightly salted the turkey and veggies again as well as added some fresh cracked green and red pepper.

Roll up and serve! If you want to serve as appetizers we recommend subbing the sour cream for cream cheese and letting them chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. This makes them MUCH easier to cut and they will stick together better!

Fwoodie Tawk

Substitution is an evil word. I should know as I have just substituted for the most evil group of middle schoolers on the face of the earth. So, lets pretend that the real vanilla left because she washaving a baby and I (the imitation vanilla substitute) decided to come in and add flavor to the souffle. Then, all of the eggs with their ipods and headphones decided to gang up on me, the imitation vanilla substitute, and create utter chaos! It was all a big deflated souffle. Do you get what I'm saying? Do you? You crazy foodies....I knew you would understand. Now, here is a cheesecake with no substitutes.

Mandarin Cheesecake (This makes a small cheesecake)
3/4 C crushed graham crackers
2 1/2 T butter-melted
2 T sugar

Mix and bake for 5 minutes at 325 degrees

Mix
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 t lemon juice
8 oz cream cheese
1.2 t vanilla
1 egg

Put filling in prepared crust and bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

For Topping
Juice of 1 11oz can Mandarin oranges
1/3 cup orange juice
1 T cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 drop red food color and 1 drop yellow

Bring to a boil for 1 min
Place your Mandarin oranges around the edge of the cake and pour your topping in the center covering the entire cake.

Chill for 2 hours and enjoy

Confetti Chicken

One time I was in a parade where I had the privilege of riding on the back of a corvette. It was owned by the guy that ran the local Dairy Queen. Now, how can I describe this guy? I don't want to say pompous...as I am a good girl I am, but, he was pompous. There, I said it. Before I got into the car he made me take my shoes off so that I didn't track in any dirt. (because I had obviously been to a mud buggy race or something....jerk...I'm clean I tell you CLEAN!) Any-who, what I enjoyed the most that day in the parade were the clowns that threw confetti directly into the car. It doesn't get much better than that....dirty dirty confetti in his pretty pretty car. I love clowns.

[ Shelly here... what my sister Robin failed to mention to you in her little story about clowns and jerks is the REASON she got to ride in jerks corvette....hehe...but I am going to tell you....She was in a beauty pageant and HAD HAIR AS BIG AS TEXAS! BWAHAHAHA]

OK on to the recipe,

3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups potato, cubed
2 cups chicken broth ( from the 2 chicken breasts you will cook)
Simmer in sauce pan for 20 min
Next combine in Large casserole
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces (about 3 cups)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
4 oz mushrooms
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
add simmered vegetables

Mix together
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon ea green and red pepper
1 cup shredded cheese ( Cheddar or whatever you like)

Spoon on top of casserole mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on the top and put back in oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese.