Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Janae's First Day of School

My little precious leaving for her first year as a junior.

Janae with Robert.  He has feline leukemia and has lost over 10 lbs, but he is still hanging in there.

(Tear, sob)  I'm so proud!

My green beans.  I'm so proud of these too.  Janae said something to the effect that she didn't know anyone besides me who would take a picture of bottles of green beans.  All I can say is that I do know others that would take pictures of bottles of green beans.


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Lisa's Recipes

Lisa’s Harry Potter-esque Recipes
Lisa wrote out the recipes with the changes that she made to them, but also included are the website links where she got the original ideas/recipes.
I must say that the food was incredible.
 
 
Pumpkin Juice
Original recipe found:
 
Ingredients:
½ cup of pumpkin puree
2 cups of apple juice
½ cup of pineapple juice
1 teaspoon of honey (more or less to your liking)
dash of Cinnamon (ginger, nutmeg allspice etc to taste)
 
Directions:
1- Pour the pumpkin, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender.
2- Add the honey to the juices and blend thoroughly.
3- Add spices to taste.
4- Chill your pumpkin juice or serve iced.
 
This drink would probably also taste great as a warm fall/winter drink.
 
 
Butterbeer
 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butterscotch topping
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 bottle vanilla cream soda
 
Directions:
1- Combine condensed milk, butterscotch topping, and butter in a microwave safe bowl.
2- Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir until butter has been melted and incorporated into mixture.
3- Heat cream soda in another microwave safe bowl until warm, but still carbonated.
4- Put 1-2 Tablespoons (or to taste) of butterscotch mixture into the bottom of a mug.
5- Fill mugs with heated cream soda and stir thoroughly. Serve garnished with an old-fashioned butterscotch candy stick.
 
 
Steak Pie
Original dish found in Harry Potter is steak and kidney pie.  This is an original recipe.
 
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb top sirloin steak, trimmed and cubed
3 large potatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¾ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup peas, frozen
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup flour
1 pkg brown gravy mix
¼ tsp sage
¼ tsp thyme
½ tsp onion salt
1 recipe for two-crust pie dough
 
Marinade:
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp beef bouillon
½ cup water
 
Directions:
1- Mix all ingredients for marinade, and marinate steak overnight.
2- Make gravy according to package directions, and set aside.
 
3- Pour off most of the marinade from the steak, retaining about ¼ cup.  Put steak and remaining marinade into a large skillet.  Cook on medium heat for about 10 min, or until meat is cooked through the center.
4- In a separate skillet, sauté potatoes, onion, and carrot in ¼ cup butter until tender.
5- Toss sautéed vegetables with ¼ cup flour, sage, thyme, and onion salt until evenly coated.
6- Combine steak, vegetables, and gravy in the large saucepan.  Stir in peas.  Add either milk or flour by tablespoonfuls until sauce is the consistency of slightly runny gravy.
7- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare bottom crust in a 9-inch pie dish, trimming even with the dish, and poking holes in the bottom and sides.
8- Fill the crust with the meat and vegetable mixture, and cover with the top crust.  Trim evenly with the dish, flute the edges, and cut slits to release steam.
9-Bake pie in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown along the edges.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
 
 
Chicken Pasties or Chicken Potter Pie
Original food from Harry Potter is Cornish pasties.  These are essentially steak and radish turnovers.  This recipe looks the same as traditional Cornish pasties on the outside, but in my opinion is much more delicious on the inside.
 
Ingredients:
1 large can chicken
3 potatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
¾ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup corn
½ cup green beans
¼ cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
¼ tsp sage
¼ tsp dried rosemary
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 recipe for two-crust pie dough
1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp milk for egg wash (optional)
 
Directions:
1- Saute potatoes, onion, and carrot in ¼ cup butter until tender.
2- Add the flour, and seasonings until blended.
3- Gradually add the milk and chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
4- Stir in chicken and peas.
 
For Pasties:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out pie dough and cut into 6-inch rounds.  Place about ½ cup filling on one side of the round.  Brush the edges of the round with the egg wash.  Fold over and press the edges together.  Flute edges with a fork.  Cut a slit for steam or poke holes in the top of the pasty.  Brush the tops with egg wash.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
 
For Pie:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare bottom crust in a 9-inch pie dish, trimming even with the dish, and poking holes in the bottom and sides.  Fill the crust with the chicken and vegetable mixture, and cover with the top crust.  Trim evenly with the dish, flute the edges, and cut slits to release steam.  Brush the top with egg wash.  Bake pie in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown along the edges.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
 
Variations:
You can mix and match the vegetables in this recipe for your favorite ones.  You can also make the pies ahead of time and freeze.  If using frozen pies, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking.  Cover edges with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
 
 
Pumpkin Pasties
Original recipe comes from:
 
Ingredients:
1 small can of cooked pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp milk for egg wash
Extra sugar for sprinkling
1 recipe two crust pie dough
 
Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 35o degrees.
2- Combine the pumpkin, egg, spice and sugar in a medium bowl.
3- Roll out dough and cut into 4-inch rounds. Place about 1 Tbsp filling on one side of the round. Brush the edges of the round with egg wash.
4- Fold over and press the edges together.  Flute edges with a fork.
5- Brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
6- Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool to room temperature and serve.
 
 
Treacle Tart
Ingredients:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs
5/8 cup honey
5/8 cup light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp mild-flavored molasses
¼ tsp salt
1 coarsely grated peeled Granny Smith apple
1 recipe one-crust pie dough
whipped cream for topping
 
Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie or tart pan.  Trim edges even with the pan.  Pierce sides and bottom.
2- Bake crust in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Crust will not be brown, only set.
3- Combine honey, corn syrup, eggs, whipping cream, lemon peel, molasses, and salt in large bowl.
4- Stir in apples and breadcrumbs. Pour filling into crust.
5- Bake tart until filling is set in center and edges appear to be slightly brown.
6- Let stand 5-10 minutes.  Top with whipped cream and serve.
 
If you have access to Lyle’s golden syrup, substitute 1 ¼ cup for the honey and light corn syrup.
 
 
Chocolate frogs
 
Ingredients:
12 ounces of your favorite chocolate (a bag of chocolate chips will do)
Frog molds
 
Directions:
1- Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish.
2- Melt the chocolate on high for 1 ½ - 2 minutes, stirring well every 30 seconds.
3- DO NOT OVERHEAT THE CHOCOLATE.  If, after heating, the chocolate continues to be lumpy, do not continue to microwave it.  The chocolate seizes, or sticks together in large unmanageable lumps, when it is too hot.
4- If the chocolate seizes, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time stirring well.  The chocolate should have a thick creamy consistency with no lumps.
5- Pour the melted chocolate into the frog molds.  Refrigerate or freeze until solid (1 ½ - 2 hours).
6- Remove the frogs from the mold and enjoy!
 
 
Trifle
This recipe copied nearly verbatim from:
 
Ingredients:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
½ cup water
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy
 
Directions:
1- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1-inch squares.
2- In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain.
3- In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping.
4- Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Busby Family Reunion

We held the second annual Jim and Shauna Busby family reunion at the end of July.  The only time we could all make it together just happened to be on Harry Potter's birthday.  For all you muggles who don't know when that may be, mark your calendars for July 31st so you won't miss it next year.

A big shout out goes to Lisa and Todd for researching, planning, and preparing  the menu, and to everyone else who helped.  It was definitely a family affair.  Here are some pictures of our party.  Lisa and Todd worked like house elves to make this such a success.

Professor Snape, Hermione, and Professor McGonagall

 Hermione and the Fat Lady

Luna Lovegood

The Fat Lady, Prof. McGonagall, Fleur, Winky, Snape, Luna, Dobby, and Hermione
The Fat Lady and Mad-Eye Moody
(News Flash:  Yes, they are an item!)

Winky (aka Lisa) with her wonderful creations.
Pumpkin pasties, chocolate trifle, treacle tart and chocolate frogs.

Dobby, Luna, Winky and Neville; all working like house elves.

And what would a Harry Potter Party be without, well, Harry Potter?
Luna, Harry Potter, McGonagall

Petunia and Vernon Dursley were also in attendance.  Thanks to Sara Staker (Petunia) for the pictures.  Vernon must have been at Grunnings.