Twice Baked Potatoes (Pan Style)

A little over a month ago, my family got together to celebrate the holidays.  One night which has always been a quandary for us is new years eve.  Traditionally, the family celebration has always been new years day.  The night was a time spent preparing for the next days party, as many dishes need to be started the day before serving.  This year, even without my mother, things were no different.  The family party, which was generously catered by my cousin, was on January 1.  This left me with time to have a few family members (those who did not have another party to attend) over for dinner.

My dad happened to be in Safeway on a day when New York roasts were $5/pound.  He left Safeway with 3 roasts and could not believe his good fortune.  I could not believe my MISfortune, as the New York cut is not a cut I enjoy eating.  My dad has been through a lot of shit this year, so instead of arguing, I agreed to cook, not one, but TWO New York roasts.

In an attempt to placate myself by serving something I would enjoy, I attempted to make twice baked potatoes in the shells.  It was the first time I even considered making it in the shell, and I thought it would look fancy next to the slab of roast beast.  I guess it wasn't my time to make it happen because I ended up making it in a casserole dish.  It turned out to be a huge hit (in addition to the salad).  My cousins loved it.  I made 1 1/2 recipes, and most of it was gone by the end of the evening.  That's a lot of potato pulp for less than 10 people!

Since my cousin Otee is a devoted Kikukat follower, I thought I'd post the recipe for the potatoes (and a link to the dressing is above) for him.  Although he doesn't cook much, he is known to hibachi a steak.  He can print out the recipe for the potatoes and have his brother make it for him!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Twice Baked Potatoes

     4 russet potatoes

     2 tbsp butter

     1/2 tsp salt

     1/4 tsp pepper

     1 c sour cream

     1 c shredded cheese, divided

     1/2 c bacon bits

     chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake potatoes for 1 hour, directly on rack.  Let cook 15 minutes.  Scrape pulp into a bowl.  Combine pulp with all other ingredients, reserving 1/2 c shredded cheese for topping.  Place in an au gratin dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sour Cream Banana Muffins

Fall break came and went.  I'm not sure how I got so little accomplished.  I'm glad tomorrow is a holiday, election results notwithstanding.  I did my civic duty and voted (absentee).  And I will be expecting a day of leisure tomorrow.  Perhaps that's exactly how I got so little done over Fall break.  Oh well. . .

This weekend was far from leisurely.  I watched from the sidelines as our team lost a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals of the state football tournament.  They lost by 1 point.  One point.  Sure, there were tons of terrible calls made and an equal amount of infractions overlooked. . .all benefitting the other team.  But the boys held their heads high and hung in there until the end.  I guess yanking the facemask is allowed in the other league.  It's too bad stupid, integrity-lacking adults ruin it for kids.

On Saturday, OllieMama and I trekked over to the sunny side for some much-needed retail therapy.  We braved the food at Genki Sushi (my first choice Japanese restaurant was not open for lunch).  It was disappointing.  They had no avocado, so they made sushi without avocado.  How can a California roll NOT have avocado?  OllieMama actually wanted to eat the scallop mayo sushi, but it was no longer on the menu.  We also braved the Saturday crowds in Costco.  It was crazy.  At one aisle intersection, there was a massive cart jam.  The ladies "talking story" in the middle of the cart tangle seemed oblivious to the mess they caused.  Once again, I was reminded that Friday evening is the best time to go to Costco.

When I got home, which wasn't late at all, I was greeted by the smell of bananas.  The aroma was a not-so-subtle hint that it was time to do something (other than eat raw) with the bananas.  Luckily, I had sour cream on hand and could whip up a batch of these without a trip to the store.

And Sunday?  Oh, don't even get me started!

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Banana Muffins

     1/2 c butter
     1 c sugar
     2 eggs
     1 c mashed ripe banana
     1/4 tsp vanilla
     1/4 c sour cream
     1 1/2 c flour
     dash salt
     1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 18 muffin cups with liners.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add banana, vanilla, and sour cream.  Stir together  flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add to banana mixture.  Divide batter among liners.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Kabocha Ginger Scones

What a week!

I was hoping to start cleaning the house in preparation for D1's homecoming, but my movement was hampered by a late-week accident at work.  Or at least that's what I'm using as my excuse.

I took two friends out for brunch yesterday as a belated celebration for a milestone birthday.  By the time I got home, it was late in the afternoon and I had tons of crap to put away (Costco trip).

All the brunch pigging out rendered me unable to cook dinner.  The Help graciously offered to get dinner for himself.  While he was gone, I discovered a small package of pureed kabocha.  Imagine The Help's surprise when he came back to me actually baking something. . .too full to eat, too sore to clean. . .but not too tired to bake!

When I came across the small package of frozen pureed kabocha, I remember wondering a few weeks ago if it was even worth saving such a small amount.  I guess I got my answer.  The scone recipe doesn't use a whole lot, and I think it's more for the color than anything else.

What I love most about these scones is the strong, bold ginger flavor.  I also love the flavor surprise when the candied ginger isn't processed too fine.  I've made this with expensive candied ginger nuggets as well as with the candied ginger sold in the asian preserves section.  Both types of ginger will work with this recipe.  Buy the cheaper one.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Kabocha Ginger Scones

     1/4 c sour cream
     1/4 c pureed kabocha (or any type of winter squash)
     1 egg
     6 tbsp sugar
     1/4 c coarsely chopped candied ginger
     2 c flour
     1/2 tsp salt
     2 tsp baking powder
     1/4 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
     1/2 tsp ground ginger
     1/2 tsp cinnamon
     4 tbsp cold butter
     1/2 tbsp butter, melted
     1/2-1 tsp turbinado (coarse) sugar (may use granulated sugar if turbinado sugar isn't available)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, kabocha and egg.  Set aside.  Pulse sugar and candied ginger together in a food processor until ginger is finely chopped.  Add flour.  Sift salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices into bowl of food processor.  Pulse until spices are evenly distributed.  Add cold butter, and pulse until butter pieces are thoroughly incorporated into dry ingredients.  Add to sour cream mixture.  Stir only until mixture clumps together.  Turn onto floured board and knead a few times.  Pat into an 8" circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Place on parchment paper, leaving 1/4" space between wedges.  Bake for 18 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Sour Cream Muffins

OMG!!!  I'm getting too old for this.  I don't know how my friends who are resource teachers do it.  The stuff one must deal with. . .the stories, the crises.  I cannot.  I just cannot.

While I've been stressing out with my "cruise" summer job, the Ds have been chugging along.

D2 is enrolled in a summer program with the county.  Last week she went paddling and did something I have never done. . .she swam in Hilo Bay.  Yup.  She came home and said prior to jumping in the canoe, she had to take a swim test which entailed swimming a lap in the bay and treading water for 10 minutes.  I wouldn't have passed the test.  Then after paddling, she said she willingly tumbled "scuba style" out of the wa`a and into the bay.

This week she is going camping for 2 nights.  KN's mom told me they are sleeping in tents and have been practicing putting up a tent during the program.  Bingo!  Again, something I've never done. . .never went camping where I had to sleep in a tent.  Glad it's not me! 

D1 has been spending a lot of time, hanging out with friends.  She has been going out, and they have also been hanging out here.  I don't mind them coming over, but sometimes I feel guilty about not always having stuff for them to munch on in the morning when they spend the night.

I am a breakfast person, probably because I am a morning person (another reason why I agreed to my second summer job).  D1 is not a morning person, although she might have the potential to turn later in life.  But that's how I know she won't be up early cooking breakfast for her friends.

I suppose if I wasn't so lazy (apparently laziness trumps feeling guilty), I'd make these muffins more often.  These are easy to throw together and can sit without refrigeration while waiting to be eaten by hungry teenagers, or guilty adults.

And if you buy the big tub of sour cream, you will have enough leftover to make a delicious dip or real dessert (cake).

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Sour Cream Muffins

     2 c Bisquick
     1 c (8 oz) sour cream
     1/4 c sugar
     1 egg
     1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 12-cup (regular size) muffin pan with paper liners.  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Turn into prepared muffin pans (I like to use a #20 disher) and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.  These muffins do not get very dark.

FATTIE's Chicken Curry

Thank you to Presidents Washington and Lincoln for inspiring the USA to create a holiday in the middle of February!  I'm enjoying my day off while I take a trip down memory lane.

This is very similar to a delicious dish I was served at the wedding rehearsal dinner of someone an ex-boyfriend could not get over.  While the company at the dinner sucked ass, the curry was remarkably creamy, satisfying and comforting.

While this picture and the rehearsal dinner featured chicken in the curry, this can also be made with shrimp.  In fact, I do prefer curry made with shrimp, however, out of respect and compassion for D1s possible shellfish allergy, I'm trying to minimize the cooking/serving of questionable food while we await our appointment with Dr. Kuo.

Enjoy the holiday!

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FATTIE's Chicken (or Shrimp) Curry

     1/2 c butter
     2 cloves garlic, crushed
     4 tsp curry powder
     1 lb shrimp or chicken
     1 can chicken broth
     2 thin slices lemon
     1 bay leaf
     1/2 c flour
     1 c sour cream
     condiments:  chutney, chopped egg, bacon bits, chopped celery, chopped peanuts or mac nuts

Cut chicken into strips (If using shrimp, shell and devein).  Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in garlic and curry powder.  Add chicken/shrimp and saute until cooked.  Remove and set aside.  Add chicken broth, lemon slices, and bay leaf to saucepan.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Remove and discard lemon slices, and bay leaf.  Remove 1/2 c of liquid from saucepan and add to flour.  Stir until smooth then add to saucepan.  Stir until thickened.  Add sour cream.  Stir until fully incorporated.  Return chicken/shrimp to sauce mixture.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve with assorted condiments.

My original angle was to post a scathing account of the indignities I endured, but The Help suggested I tone it down, after all, the food should be the focus. . .not details of my sordid past relationships.  If you are like me and love a good story, email me and I can give you all the details!

We celebrated Valentine's Day!

Free picture collage customized with Smilebox

The Help bought us girls a Dream Cake from Zippy's.  D2 had been talking about the cake for weeks, saying it was her favorite cake. I used to see this cake in the dessert cases at Robert's Bakery and Lanky's Bakery, but it was not something my parents ever bought even if I asked for it many times.  Something about those chocolate curls. . .

D2 gave me a rubber band ring.  It fits me perfectly.  In addition to me, her dentist also received a gift.  He got a rubber band bracelet.  Thank you again, 3M, for the rubber band loom and supplies.  It came in handy this past weekend when KN and KB spent the night with D2.  Glad there is something which provides a break from the electronics these kids seem to love so much.  

The Help got me gold...liquid gold.  Not sure where he found this bottle of Kirk and Sweeney Dominican rum.  I will not be making a rum cake with this.  I will be using it as an antiseptic...to wash away the ills of a bad day.  It should be gone in a fortnight!

Toaster Oven Food: Sour Cream Biscuits

I missed 2 days of work last week.  In addition to the day off I took on Monday, I also spent a day taking care of medical stuff.  Yuck.

It was a good thing I was off on Monday.  D1 had a Key Club service project which entailed providing refreshments to 40 kids, so I was glad I could help with that.  There is no way Mr. Dependable would participate (or if he was willing, he would likely have been late).

I have no idea how D1 is going to manage all her activities next year.  She has cheer tryouts in a month, and she is hoping to make the team again.  If all goes according to her plan, she will have cheerleading, Key Club and class president to juggle next school year.  She will also need to take Driver's Ed at some point after early June (when she will be eligible to take the written test for her learner's permit).  Throw an AP class into that mix, and I'm already out of breath.  I'm feeling sorry for her and this school year hasn't even ended yet.

This is the time of year when work becomes fast and furious too.  Disgruntled parents have had enough and try to push schools around.  It all happens in late spring.  Too bad because I'd love smooth sailing for the next month.  Without any holidays left to look forward to, I'm just trying to survive til the weekend.  The weekend is when I can unwind and relax.  I enjoy sleeping in on Sundays.  Because I get up before 5:30 daily, "sleeping in" is sleeping past 7:30, which might not be what other call "sleeping in".  The weekend is also when I have time to bake things.

Speaking of baking. . .in late 2012, I had a pv (photovoltaic) system installed at my home.  It cost a pretty penny, even with the energy tax credits, but I'm glad I did it.  I don't think HELCO fees will ever go down.  Prior to the pv installation, I was only minimally aware about how my baking was adding to the electric bill.  Since installing pv, I've been very conscious about energy consumption, and I've been trying to look for ways to control my usage (blame the many cloudy days in Hilo, but I have never had a "Joe" bill. . .KumuKit commercial protagonist).  One of my recent adaptations has been using the toaster oven to do my baking.  My toaster oven can accommodate a pan up to 12" x 12".

One of the first recipes I tested in my toaster oven was sour cream pan biscuits.  I was shocked to see a well-risen, golden brown slab emerge from my toaster oven.  Since then, I've done a lot of other things in my toaster oven.  These are all things for which I would normally have fired up the big oven.  Now it seems like such a waste to use the large oven for something which fits in the toaster oven.  Wish I thought of this even before I got pv.

Regardless where they are baked, these biscuits will not disappoint.  They are sweet enough to eat with just a slab (yes, I meant slab) of butter, but because I have a sweet tooth, I love to smear jelly on them too.  The greatest challenge for me is being sure I have sour cream in the fridge.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

Sour Cream Pan Biscuits

     2 C Bisquick
     1/2 c sugar
     2 eggs
     1 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 degrees for dark coated pans).  Grease a square pan (8" x 8").  Combine Bisquick and sugar.  Add eggs and sour cream.  Mix well.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

On Saturday, The Help and I drove over to the dry side of the island to pay a visit to the conures at Petco and to stock up on provisions at Costco.  On the way back, we pulled off the road so The Help could gather dry branches to make into perches.  Someone must have cut down a huge tree because there were chunks of wood scattered on the side of the road.  I buy CalOak firewood from Safeway for about $5 for just under a cubic foot.  I told The Help that if I had a saw, we could chop the chunks into manageable size and bring them home for firewood.  The Help said he was glad we did not have a saw.  Now why would he say something like that?

As far as food goes, this wasn't a very exciting weekend for me.  I got to eat my ahi nicoise salad at Village Burger on Saturday, but I actually had pork & beans (yes, canned) and Hillshire Farms cheddarwurst little smokies too.  I guess the cheddarwurst little smokies was foreshadowing because Mama & Papa Help returned from Honolulu and brought back some kim chee sausage.  Papa Help saw it at Palama Supermarket and had to try it.  They loved it so the brought some back for us to try.  I thought it was okay (keep in mind I do not like Portuguese sausage). . .better than Portuguese sausage.  The Help loved it and can't wait to get more.  He ate it with rice, taegu, and some kind of Japanese pickled cucumber which tasted like chiso.

Thanksgiving Memories: Cranberry Sour Cream Bundt Cake

I hastily posted a slideshow on Thursday with pics from the Thanksgiving luncheon at Aunty Janice's house in Paradise Park.  I posted a pic of a cake, for which I neglected to include the recipe.  It is one of the easiest and tastiest cakes out there, and I've been making it since 1990 (made it for an ex-boyfriend's family first. . .guinea pigs!).  Ex-boyfriend and his family are long-gone (good riddance), but the cake has stood the test of time.  Click for printable recipe.

Now comes the part where I sigh. . .the 2012 elections are finally over, but there are still signs (both winners and losers) all over town.  This year, one particular lot on the main highway never ceased to amuse me with signs, most notably about the mayoral and prosecuting attorney races.

The prosecuting attorney race was a really tight race between Lincoln Ashida and Mitch Roth.  Both have numerous years in the prosecutors office, but the owner of this piece of property had a clear favorite.  I was initially amused by the sight of the used (this is an assumption) toilet bowl beneath the large "Lincoln 4 Lincoln" sign, but only after I uploaded the pics onto my computer did I see the "me" "me" "me" all over the sign!

There was another sign saying "Lincoln walk on people", but I didn't get a pic of it.  The "artist" seemed to enjoy using "walk" in the signs, as another sign spoke of Roth "walk da walk".

I waited until the elections were over before posting this because I didn't want to be accused by either camp of spreading propaganda.  Hilo is a small town, and people who are close to me know/like both Lincoln Ashida and Mitch Roth.

Every Sunday, on my way to the rubbish dump, I would check if any new signs had been posted.

Sometime after the Lincoln/Roth signs were posted, pro-Harry Kim (former mayor) signs appeared, along with a "Dump Billy" (Billy Kenoi, current mayor) sign.  I don't know of anyone in Hilo who could not have noticed those signs!

The signs were just hilarious.  In addition to the use of creative spelling, the media of the signs ran the gamut from wood to ceramics to metal (plywood, toilet, and lampshade, to name a few things).  I think my sculpture professor, Charles Smith, would have been proud of the artist.

On November 6, Mitch Roth prevailed over Lincoln Ashida by a very narrow margin, and Billy Kenoi won re-election after a close victory over Harry Kim.  In general, Hilo politicians do not advertise on television, and there was very little mud-slinging, if any, from them.  This was a good thing, because my television time was spent being entertained by the Mazie Hirono, Linda Lingle, Ben Cayetano, and Kirk Caldwell mud-slinging ads.  Too funny!

Anyway, with elections and Thanksgiving behind me, I'm looking forward to the next holiday.  15 more work days until Winter Break!!!  I know Uncle will be gone for at least 2 out of those 15 days, so I'm going to decide if I'll need to pull the sick leave card to make the time go by even faster.

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