CHINESE NEW YEAR
FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Better than last year;
It's put out to pasture.
For good fortune and fun,
Try two thousand twenty-one.

Happy Chinese New Year, y'all!

I like pork chops. I like cream style corn. Put my two "likes" together and you have this recipe. It's something different. I suppose you wouldn't think of combining those two, but this is a great dish. If you have thinner pork chops, adjust the first baking time accordingly. You know, we can get in a rut planning our weekly menu. Try something different this week. Try this recipe.

Apple butter is delicious. So is pear butter. You will agree after you taste this recipe. Pick up 3 pounds of pears at Food City and stir up a batch. Don't try to hurry it along by cooking it at a higher temperature. Grab a favorite read and sit next to the stove for the 1 3/4 hours necessary for its slow cooking. Read a bit and stir, read a bit and stir. Don't let it stick and burn. Who says you can only make preserves in the Fall. Whenever you see the necessary fruit in the produce section just pick up some and sir up a batch.

We had a heavy snow storm this last end of December 2020. The power would go out for a few seconds, then suddenly return with a “Bang!” I feared for our TV's and computer, but they survived the ordeal. Our electric coffee pot? Not so much. That was the end of Mr. Coffee.

Forget calorie counting when you dip your taco chip into this tasty mixture. But who's counting calories anyway. Make a bowl full to munch on while you are watching that movie on TV tonight. Stir it up and keep it in the fridge until the movie starts.

I like cookies with walnuts or pecans. Peanuts, not so much. But most everybody likes Rice Krispies. I thought, “Why not substitute Rice Krispies for nuts in a recipe.” When making my Christmas cookies one year, I came up with this recipe. There is another surprise tucked in that cookie, too. Cayenne pepper. It gives a little zing to the cinnamon spice. You will wonder why the cinnamon tastes so good: cayenne pepper. When you try this recipe, I hope it will become a favorite. Don't tell anyone about the cayenne. Let's keep it our secret.

You won't find any rice in this dish. Spinach is the star here. Use rice or potatoes any way you like in another side dish. Of course, you could use frozen chopped broccoli instead of the spinach. Makes a good meatless supper.

Hanukkah's an O. T. tale.
Kwanzea's seven can prevail.
But Jesus' the reason I will call
Merry Christmas to one and all.
"Merry Christmas"

Coconut is one of my favorite flavors. This is one of my current favorite cookies. There are other favorites, but this is the one I go to now. I try to use a cookie batter that doesn't have to be rolled out. Just drop from a spoon or roll into small balls, like this recipe.

Here is another use for those Earl Grey tea bags lounging in your cupboard. If you are looking for an unusual cookie, you've found it.

We all know and love the cheese dip made with Velveeta cheese. There are only three ingredients in that dip. This recipe is longer, but you are more apt to have all the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. Be sure to add the cinnamon. That spice goes especially well with chili powder, Three cups is a lot of dip, but it will go fast.

Let's say you want hashbrowns for supper, but there aren't any in the freezer. With no time to go to the store, you will have to grate your own potatoes if that is what you'll have for supper. Try this recipe.

Most of us have a can of biscuits lounging in our refrigerators. You have the turkey leftovers in there, too. This turkey stew will be a good use for them. I don't keep whole baby carrots on hand, but it's not much work to peel a carrot, dice and cook a few minutes in the microwave before adding to the casserole. It's an easy dish to make. I hope you try it.

Who doesn't like dumplings? I do. This another different way to use turkey leftovers. I hope you will try it.

I first made this salmon loaf about 14 years ago. This was an especially difficult time for me. My husband had passed several months before. I had run up a credit card bill helping my oldest son build a house. Money was tight. This recipe fit my budget. Try it. It's good, if you like salmon, that is.

You don't need to make this at holiday time. Of course, it would be good then. To me, a dish made with cream style corn is a treat anytime. If you have a cup or less of cooked chicken or turkey, this would be a good place to hide it. Just dice it up and sneak it in when you add the cream style corn.

Yes, I like onions. I remember from my childhood during the Great Depression that Mother flavored our monotonous menu with onions whenever possible. She only had that old 1936 Detroit Times cookbook for guidance. I don't know what she did before that. Introduce this recipe to your family. They will learn that onions can be used for more than just flavor. Onions can play a starring roll. It is simple but delicious.

This really is a Spam chowder. I didn't call it by it's true name because I figured you wouldn't look at it if I had the word "Spam" in the title. It is easy to fix and a bit different from your typical ham chowder - no potatoes.

CORNY HAM CHOWDER
1 tablespoon margarine
2 cups cubed ham or a can of Spam, cubed
1 cup sliced celery
16 ounce can cream style corn
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

Here is a hot dog recipe, South of the Border Style. Let's say you don't have any fresh buns on hand, but you do have some flour tortillas in the fridge. Make Taco Dogs. This is a great recipe for anytime. It is best to make these in the kitchen, not on a picnic. You need to prepare the fixings near your appliances. Since you will be preparing the Taco Dogs individually, you need to be near a heat source.

I remember when this pie first started appearing at potlucks. Those who made it tried to suggest that it was hard to do. Not just anyone could make it, they said. Not so. It takes a bit of fussing but nothing even a novice cook couldn't do. Try it. Cooks today will still think you are something special when you set this on the dessert table. Let them fuss over you.