Laissez les bons temps rouler

Okay, I'm not Catholic.  Well, there was that time that I thought I was "in love" with a guy and I went to Catholic classes and I went to a Catholic church...but, long story-short...I'm not Catholic.  But, you know me, and I love an excuse to eat food related to a "holiday event", so Mardi Gras will be no different.  We love Cajun and Creole food so celebrating this night will be pretty easy for us.  I am not happy that it is called Fat Tuesday because I am trying not to be fat.  Usually I would fix a lot of each of the foods I want to eat, and then proceed to eat a lot more of it than I need to consume in one sitting.  So, this year, I'm cutting the original recipes in half.  My body will thank me later.

This year, I'm going basic.  Tuesday's menu consists of etouffee, toasted rice, lemon-garlic shrimp and grits, and good ol' gumbo.  By halving the recipes, I will get enough to enjoy, but I get to taste them all.  I am posting the complete recipe below, so you can make a large pot of the food, or half it like I'm doing.

---

 
Shrimp and Chicken Etouffee

Total Time:  1 hr 22 min    Prep:  45 min    Cook:  37 min

Yield:  8 servings   Level:  Easy

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound Andouille sausage, diced

3 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

Kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 stalks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons dry sherry

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and Andouille and cook, stirring, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Season the chicken with salt, then add to the pot in batches to brown, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate with the Andouille.
Make the roux: Remove the pot from the heat and cool slightly (there should be about 1/4 cup drippings; drain or add oil as needed). Return the pot to medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture smells nutty and turns a deep brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cayenne, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Whisk in the broth. Return the chicken and Andouille to the pot and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool slightly while the stew simmers; remove the skin and shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the shrimp and sherry and cook until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 more minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.


Toasted Rice
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups converted long-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 green onions, chopped
parsley, rough chopped, to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir in rice, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the rice is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and water; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in chopped green onions and parsley.


Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits
Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup instant grits
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne, if using, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and parsley; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.


Gumbo

Total Time: 2 hr 40 min   Prep: 15 min   Cook: 2 hr 25 min

Yield: 8 to 10 servings     Level: Intermediate

Ingredients:

3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons margarine

1 large onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish

4 cups hot water

5 beef bouillon cubes

1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice

2 cups frozen sliced okra

4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts

1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

 

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

 

---

 

 

These are all relatively easy to prepare and they taste great.  To complete the night, I am planning to find a frozen bread pudding or cream pie for dessert.  I would make a Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé, but that takes hours to make and has to be served immediately...after cooking the other stuff all day, that's something to save for another night.   I might get a King Cake for the girls, too.  I've never made one for them and I've seen them in the stores around this time of year.  Every kid ought to look for a baby in a cake at least once in their life.  The masks and beads are completely optional, too.  For your reference, the traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple-which stands for justice, gold-which stands for power, and green-which stands for faith.

 

I hope you get a chance to try one  or all of these, even if not for your Fat Tuesday.  I know you will think C'est Ci Bon!

 

 

It's Gonna be Soup-er Cold This Week

The winters here in Texas are usually pretty mild.  Our average temperature in February is a low of 41 degrees and a high of 61 degrees.  This week, we are expecting highs in the mid 30's to low 40' and overnight lows from the upper teens to low 30's, and three days of possible sleet/snow.  I am not equipped to handle driving on ice, so I don't chance it unless the choice is made not to cancel school for the day.

So, when I see a forecast of Cold and especially Wet Cold, I start looking for warm food to eat.  Since the Super Bowl was yesterday, I have some leftovers to use up, and we will do our best to eat those first, but I had a vegetable tray that left me with a lot of cherry tomatoes.  I decided to find a creative way to use up without eating them alone.  I found a package of frozen corn and I remembered that I still had green onions leftover from the other recipes I made.  I decided that tomatoes, green onions, and corn might just make a good soup.

I decided to blend the corn with chicken stock to make it creamy.  I sautéed 1/2 of a dice yellow onion in olive oil and added the leftover cherry tomatoes after I cut them in half.  I added the green onions when I added the corn mixture and other ingredients.   After I combined everything and let it simmer a bit, it wasn't creamy enough for me and it seemed a little watery.  So, I added some milk mixed with flour to thicken it up.  I tried to remember how much of what I added to the pot, but I bet if you have more or less of any of the items, it will turn out pretty close.

Corn and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, coarsely chopped (or  ½ yellow onion, diced)
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 1/4 cups (1 pound) frozen corn, thawed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 ½ teaspoon of dried)
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk

Directions

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Stir in the tomatoes and garlic, and simmer on low until the tomatoes mush and the juices thicken, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, place the corn and chicken stock in a blender, reserving ½ cup of the corn.  Blend until smooth.  Once the tomatoes are thickened, add the basil and remaining corn, and pour the blended corn mixture into the saucepan.  Bring the soup to a boil.  In a small container with a lid, place the milk and flour together, and shake until blended.  Add it to the pot.  The soup should thicken quickly while stirring.  Turn the heat down to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors combine.

Hopefully, if you make this, it will turn out well.  I don't typically buy canned corn because I like the freshness and flavor of frozen corn, so I can't say whether it would be good with canned corn...but it's probably still worth a try if that's what you have on hand.

Good luck!

Ah, Fall is Here! And the Eating Season is Upon Us!

That means goodness is coming.  Here in Texas, the summer heat can be brutal and I always welcome the first real cold front.  Much like all weather in Texas, we never know when it will come, but I am ready whether it is closer to the beginning of November or at the end.  Fall means root vegetables and comfort food. Thanksgiving is always about tradition for us.  We always fry our turkeys, we always have cornbread dressing and giblet gravy, and we always have buttermilk pie.  As much as I love our traditions, I also enjoy trying new dishes to mix it up a bit.  Here are some of the dished I make every Thanksgiving. 


One year, my nephew raved about the Loaded Mashed Potatoes.  Ever since then, my mother requests them every year.



3 1/2 - 4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

8 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, divided

1/2 bunch green onions, sliced

Place potatoes in saucepan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook until tender, then drain well.  Preheat oven to 375° degrees F.   Transfer potatoes back to the saucepan. Masher with a potato masher until almost smooth.  I have used a ricer to get them ultra smooth. Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Continue mashing until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and half the bacon. Spoon mixture evenly into a lightly oiled 3-quart casserole dish.  Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake for 5 more minutes to melt cheese. Serve immediately.   Serves 8

 

 

 

Being a good southern girl, I love cornbread dressing with my turkey. 

 

 

1/2 bag herb-seasoned stuffing, preferably Pepperidge Farm

1/2 bag cubed stuffing, preferably Pepperidge Farm
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups finely chopped sweet onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
5 cups chicken or turkey stock
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoons thyme
Salt and pepper

 

I cheat and make up a double batch of Jiffy Cornbread Mix in a skillet. 

The cornbread can be made up to 2 days in advance when using for the dressing. Store until needed, then crumble and follow instructions for the dressing.

For the cornbread dressing, preheat oven to 350°F.
Crumble the cornbread into small pieces (makes about 5 cups). Combine the crumbled cornbread and stuffing mix in an extra large mixing bowl (or stock pot) and toss to combine.
Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 to12 minutes. Add the onion and celery to the cornbread mixture.
Melt the remaining stick of butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, chicken stock, eggs, and sage, and whisk to combine. Add to the cornbread mixture and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, until the dressing is set and golden brown, about 45 minutes to 50 minutes.

 

 

 

 

The most popular root vegetable for Thanksgiving has to be the sweet potato.  My southern mother taught me to make nothing else but Praline Sweet Potatoes.

 

 

3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

TOPPING:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans                        

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter, melted

 

In a bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Combine topping ingredients until blended; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 4-6 servings.

 

 

 

 

As you can imagine I watch a lot of cooking television.  I watched Paula Deen cook Fried Green Bean Bundles one year, and I was mesmerized.  There is nothing healthy about them, but they are so good.  This one gets at least one request a year.  It's messing and time consuming, but so worth it!

 

 

 

1 pound fresh green beans

1 bunch green onions, cut into strips

2 tablespoons House Seasoning, recipe follows

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

Oil, for frying

 

Bundle about 5 green beans by tying in the center with a green onion strip. Combine house seasoning and flour. Dip green beans in buttermilk and roll into flour mixture. In a deep frying pan or Dutch oven, fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Makes 6-8 servings. 

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 

 

 

 

A new favorite last year was roasted root vegetables.  I purchase a produce basket from a weekly produce club, and I have the privilege of getting to learn what certain items are and how to prepare them.  Celery root was one I received last year.

 

I know they look rather odd, but you can peel them and cut them up for some tasty dishes.  Last year, I put them together with other roasted root vegetables for a nice change for Thanksgiving.  Any vegetables can be used in this combination, not just the ones I have listed below.

 

 

3 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt

1 large red onion

1 pound turnips

1 pound parsnips

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F.
Toss the celery root with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and salt to taste in a bowl. Pile onto a double layer of heavy-duty foil; bring the ends together and crimp closed to seal. Put the packet on another baking sheet and roast in the middle of the oven until almost tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the rest of the root vegetables with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a bowl; season with salt. Spread on the preheated baking sheet and roast until tender, about 35 minutes.
After the celery root has roasted for 25 minutes, open the foil and spread on the baking sheet; roast 15 more minutes. Toss with the other vegetables and parsley.  When everything is cooked, toss everything together in one large bowl.




Finally, my marvelous husband's grandmother always made buttermilk pies, so that's his number one request for the holidays.



2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon flour

Pinch of salt

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter, melted

1 unbaked deep dish pie crust shell

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and flour. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.



This year, we have been so busy with school and band activities that I will not be cooking the entire Thanksgiving dinner for all 22-27 of us.  We will still fry the turkeys, and make the dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and buttermilk pie.  It will be interesting to see what everyone else decides to bring.

Hummus-A 'Good Thing' I'm Happy to Share

I really like hummus.  My kids really like it, too.  I pack it as the entrée in my kids' lunches every other week with pita chips.  I have purchased Sabra brand hummus, to the tune of $3.99 plus a container, when I have been in a rush and unable to make it myself.  When time has allowed, I have made a batch for us to eat, but I have always been disappointed in the texture.  My hummus always seemed grainy, where the ones I purchased from the grocery store were so smooth.  Over the years, I have tried recipe after recipe but I never found one that reaped creamy, smooth hummus.  I finally decided that a little research was in order, if I was ever going to find out why the ones at the store were so much better.

It didn't take me long to find the answer either.  I read two different blogs in a very short amount of time that stated the trick is to peel the outer layer of the bean off before grinding them.  I decided that if two people said it, there must be something to it.  I drained two cans of chickpeas, reserving the liquid to use later in the recipe.  I was hopeful that I could just squeeze the beans and the outer "skin" would just come off.  Although many of the beans were easier than others, most of them didn't just peel right off and it took a long time to get to all the beans.  I didn't actually clock it, but I know I was at it for an entire movie and then some.  Two hours of my time can be quite valuable, or expensive if that description can apply here.  Nevertheless, I persevered and peeled them all.  I placed them in the food processor and pulsed them until they become powdery crumbs.  I scraped the sides down, and pulsed it another four to five times.  I added one cup of purchased tahini, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, and more than 1/2 cup reserved chickpea canned packing water.  I blended everything together in the food processor until completely mixed and creamy.  I had pita bread left over from gyros I made earlier in the week, so I heated it up and used it to dip in the hummus.  Yum!! 

I have a recipe to make homemade naan, so that may be my next adventure.


So, to recap:

2 cans 15-ounce chickpeas, drained and peeled
1 cup tahini paste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
4 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Approximately 1/2 cup reserved chickpea canned water, more to reach the creamy texture you desire

Grind the chickpeas until powdery crumbs.  Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend.  Add reserved water until desired texture is achieved.  Add any additional seasonings for taste you desire: paprika, basil, parsley...Makes 3 1/2 cups hummus.

If you never take the time to make this recipe, I hope that you appreciate the time it takes and how tasty it is!

Recipes for My Menus in the Previous Post

Hopefully, you read my last post about my menu planning.  I have finished finding initial recipes for the entrees I compiled. 

Poultry:
Grilled chicken quarters
Crockpot chicken tacos
Crockpot chicken thighs
Freezer chicken parmesan
Crockpot chicken and dumplings

Beef:
Meatloaf
Ground beef tacos
Salisbury steaks
Burgers
Sloppy joes

Seafood:
Fish tacos
Parmesan tilapia
Lemon pepper white fish
Fish sandwiches
Dill salmon

Pasta:
Spaghetti
Soup and sandwich (best quick soup for the money)
Mixed vegetable pasta bake
Crockpot lasagna
Soup and salad

Pork:
Crockpot pork chops
Smoked sausage (my new favorite, recipes on website)
BLT wraps
Ham and cheese sliders
Gyros

Vegetarian:
Tomato pie
Stromboli
Baked potatoes
Cheese enchiladas
Quesadillas

Beans:
Crunchy black bean tacos
Turkey chili
Black bean burgers
Charro beans
Red beans and rice


I know these are not all the healthiest.  Where possible, I substitute better ingredients.  Some of these are just plain good because they are "comfort" foods.  Like I mentioned in the last blog, I choose sides based on what I get in my Bountiful Basket, what I have on hand in the freezer and pantry, and I almost always have the fixins' for salad.

If you are strapped for time and ideas, I hope that these help you out, too.  Check back for new ideas and recipes.

No Money and No Time Makes Shauna Go Something, Something, Something....

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!

Over the past year, two things have happened that have rocked my world.  We had some financial situations and obligations pile up, and I went back to work.  For fourteen year, I was used to planning a menu and having time to shop of the better deals on food.  I was used to having all day to get dinner ready.  Luckily, I'm also used to cooking more than one meal in a day.

Since I work while the kids are in school, and I haul them all around town the rest of the time, I don't have a lot of time to cook and clean anymore.  Since I am only working in order to eliminate the debts that have suddenly popped up, I have resorted to cooking less gourmet meals.  My new mean plan includes less expensive ideas and ingredients, but is also fairly easy to prepare some items ahead of time...on cooking day.  This will continue to be a plan in progress, but I have come up with my first month...for September.  It just might repeat itself all year.

My plan was relatively simple. First, I made seven categories: beef, pork, beans, vegetarian, pasta, seafood, and poultry.  I assigned these categories to a day of the week.  In my case, Sunday is beef, Monday is pork, Tuesday is beans, Wednesday is vegetarian, Thursday is pasta, Friday is seafood, and Saturday is poultry.  Secondly, I chose five easy to prepare and less expensive entrees for each category.  I included recipes that cook quickly or in a crockpot.  I also tried to choose entrees that can be prepared on Saturday or Sunday and keep well in the refrigerator or freezer all week until needed. 
Thirdly, I also pack the girls lunch instead of having them buy in the school cafeteria.  It would definitely make my life easier if they could eat at school, but for now we need to save the money.  Ugh!  Anyway, I chose ten quick to fix entrees, especially those that can be prepared ahead of time.  These ten entrees just repeat over and over for the whole year.  Although it can get boring, at least there are ten things to choose from instead of just a sandwich everyday.  Lastly, the girls are dropped off at school at 6:25am for band practice.  Neither of them are early breakfast eaters.  I chose light, easy to eat on the run foods, expect for Saturday.  Typically on Saturday, we eat later in the morning, so instead of lunch, we eat dinner earlier...I know, like old people!

When I had my 35 entrees chosen, I created a simple menu to plug them into, along with school lunch and simple, on-the-go breakfasts for the girls.  I have only chosen the entrees because I rely on freezer stocked sides and what I get in my Bountiful Basket each week to complete the meals.  The girls lunch usually has a fruit cup, cheese stick, juice pouch, chips, snack cracker or mix, and cookies.  Having a plan is half my battle every day!

I have compiled my menu and looked up recipes to find the easiest and least expensive ways to cook them.  I am working on my grocery list next.

 



So, here's my plan so far.  I hope to much better financially in a couple of months.  I think I will really mix cooking fancy after a while.  I hope the simplicity will make it easier on me while I am working!

Groundhog...Smoundhog, but the little critters are kinda cute...

I've never thought of Groundhog Day as a holiday for celebrating, however this year my twin daughters have mentioned February 2 more than once a day.  Not because it's Groundhog Day, but because it's their half birthday.  That means, tomorrow, they will be 12.5 years old.  At 12, that's a big deal, I guess.  Their father refused to celebrate their half birthday, but he will join in on an "Ode to the Groundhog" dinner. 

So, the Groundhog sees his shadow and retreats into his burrow for 6 more weeks until spring emerges.  I think that tradition is just crazy.  This winter has been  mild here in Texas.  Yesterday and today, the high temperature was 75 with lots of sunshine, and tomorrow it will be 70 and mostly cloudy.  A year ago, during the Superbowl, we were in the middle of an ice/snow storm.  The old adage-If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait about five minutes, it'll change-is true.  You never know from hour to hour just what you are gonna get around here.  If memory serves me, it has been cloudy here on Groundhog day the last 5 years.  According to folklore, spring should be immediate every year.  Last year, we had 2 very long weeks of temps in the teens and lots of ice and snow dumped on us after Groundhog Day.  The groundhog is busted!  We usually have very mild winters, and spring and winter tend to meld into Sprinter or Wing, but by March we are sticking to the 60's most of the time.  So, I guess the groundhog is correct in that most winters can be chilly until the end of March, when spring actually shows up.  Nevertheless, Groundhog Day is tomorrow, and like I said, the critter is cute.  The idea of an entire day devoted to a groundhog is kind of cute, too.  So, to acknowledge the groundhog, we are having a special dinner and watching the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day tomorrow night.

The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phill of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.  Most people never give much thought the groundhog, but there are other notable groundhogs: Murray the Groundhog of New Jersey, General Beauregard Lee of Snellville, Georgia, Staten Island Chuck of New York City, and Sir Walter Wally of Norh Carolina.  The famous Canadian version is Wiarton Willie of Wiarton, Ontario.  Groundhog Day stems from a pegan/Christianity holiday of Candlemas Day with the Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."  I always find it interesting to find the roots of a holiday or minor celebration tracable back to the growth of the Christian church.

My dinner menu for tomrorow night is very kid friendly.  I will have Groundhog Pecans to much on before dinner.  I am taking pecan halves and tossing them in maple syrup, butter, mace, cardamom, and nutmeg, and backed for 20 minutes at 350.  We will have Whistle Dogs in honor of Wiarton Willie.  These are hot dogs with bacon and american cheese, pickle relish and onions, and whatever condiment you prefer.  We will have three sides to accompany the dogs.  We will macaroni and cheese in honor of General Beauregard Lee.  I would have Dutch Baked Beans in honor of Punxsutawney Phil, but no one in my family likes sweet beans.  So, we will southwest pinto beans instead.  Last, we will have Palisades Park French Fries in honor of Murray the Groundhog.  Palisades Fries are soaked in vinegar water for a little while and then fried in very hot oil.  They are served with Malt Vinegar, if desired.

For dessert, I am making Groundhog Cupcakes in honor of Sir Walter Wally.  They looked too cute not to try making them.  I haven't decided whether I will make carrot cake cupcakes or red velvet, mainly because I already have those cake mixes.  Whatever I decide, I will decorate them with candy bars, jelly beans, and brown M&M's to make a groundhog sitting in the middle of the cupcake.

So, I hope that I have helped you to see that the groundhog is worth checking out.  There's history, there's pretty tasty food options to recognize each famous groundhog, and well, just look at him...he's just so cute!