HEALTH, OLD AND BROCCALI CHEDDER SOUP

I haven't been on here for awhile. I just haven't felt as good as I would like. You know the saying, "Its Hell To Grow Old"....well, suddenly, that has really hit home! Now, don't write me and tell me all the benefits there are to growing old.........I know the two. But I sit at my computer and look across my field to the neighbors back door. They are ancient, really old, both of them. They built a ramp to their back door, instead of the steps. I watch them come out, slowly, slowly, working their way to their car. They can barely get in but finally are settled and off they go. I sit, totally still and sort of sick thinking........"Wow, is that it? Is that really the future? Why? Is there any joy? Is there any fun?" Okay, I know there are still fun things ahead, its just a new challenge, a new way of life. Its just that I used to be so busy and so full of life and physically able to do anything. Now, can barely carry a 14 lb bag of dog food to the house from the car.........sigh. Now, don't get me wrong.......I'm not "down" or becoming depressed.......not on my watch........but I just have to accept a new way of life. And I will. I just refuse to dye my hair purple or where lace up black shoes with a polyester pants suit or ride in those little motorized carts at the big box stores...........oh dear.
Now, I want to thank everyone that has asked where my blog is.....I am always amazed at how many people read this. Remember you can google"Cooking for Bob" and see more, older blogs with more recipes.
I guess I am still into soup and boy is this a favorite. I just sort of made it up so hope it works for you.
Saute in a skillet, in butter: chopped carrots, chopped onion, chopped garlic and a head of broccoli florets........sliced.
When sauteed to a soft onion, stir in a Tblsp or so of flour and then add a cup or two of chicken broth, depending on how much you are making, continue to cook til all is soft. Then mush up with an immersible blender if you have one........love mine!.........or use the blender...........When ready.......add a cup or more of milk and a cup or more of shredded cheese......I used cheddar just because I had it on hand. Just stir til all is melted and serve warm. This is sooooo good.
Enjoy!

SUPER BOWL, DIP AND RICE CRISPY TREATS!

Of course, Sunday is a big day! Looking so forward to the game.......GO Broncos! Manning will have his hands full with Newton.......should be a great game!
I follow all trends in cooking. I subscribe to the cooking magazines, watch the cooking shows and read cook books like novels. One of the big trends this year for a Super Bowl dip......is Buffalo Chicken Dip. I've checked out several recipes and found this one pretty easy.
Beat 8 oz cream cheese, a cup of Ranch dressing and 1/2 cup of hot sauce together. Just fold in a bunch of shredded

chicken from a rotisserie chicken from the store.  Put in a buttered pie tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 min........Top with a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese and put back in oven for about 10 more min. That's it! Serve with corn chip scoopers.

BUT my favorite is Nachos.........lots of ways to make nachos so I'll just tell you how I like mine.
First.......make your own Pico de Gallo. Chop a couple tomatoes, add a chopped purple onion, add a chopped Serrano, add a bunch of chopped cilantro, then the juice of one lime, two if small and a good sprinkle of salt. Thanks it.
So, In a skillet brown a good amount of hamburger with some chopped onion, and add a tsp or more of New Mexico chili powder, tsp cumin, salt and pepper and sprinkle the whole works with a bit of cornstarch for a thickener and mix well. Now add about1/2 cup of beef broth and simmer til just a little thick. Stir in a drained can of pinto or black beans.  Okay, now put all of your corn chips on a large cookie tray. I make my own chips....just cut corn tortillas with a pair of scissors into 4 pieces, fry til crispy......cool on paper towel. SO much better. Then spoon the hamburger, bean mixture over chips, top with a lot of shredded cheddar cheese and place in oven, for about 20 min......til cheese is melted.
 HAVE all of the following toppings ready to top the nachos before serving.
Top with Pico de Gallo SALSA, and JALAPENO SLICES from jar, then chopped LETTUCE, I like BLACK OLIVES and thin sliced RADISHES  and final GUACAMOLE topped with chopped GREEN ONIONS.
Guacamole: 2 avocados chopped in a bowl, add chopped purple onion, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, a chopped hot pepper and sprinkle with juice of a couple limes.
Now, this is a whole meal......might be a little bit  time consuming but well worth it.
Are you too "grown up" for Rice Crispy Treats? Not me.........one of my favorites. AND you will be glad to know.........If you make a pan of 24 (9 x 13 pan) that one piece has only 47 calories.......this is if you make it yourself.
Stir over low heat 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) and 40 large marshmallows or 10 0z of miniatures.........til all melted. Stir into 6 cups of Rice Crispys......pour into a 9 x 13 buttered pan...smash down...that's it. Oh, I like mine a little more gooey.......I only add about 5 1/2 cups of Rice Crispys and they just taste better if you add a tiny red food coloring!
ENJOY the game and your dips!

PICTURES, MUFFINS AND HIMALAYAN SALT LAMP

Okay, you will never know how hard this has been for me to add this picture!!! I will not promise that I can do it again. About 80% of my readers come from googling  "Cooking For Bob".......the Googlers don't have a clue what I look like so this is for all of you, here I am.

Now, for those of you that know me, you know that I really don't cook "healthy" I love butter, cream, sugar, meat and especially meat with a lot of fat and I love deep fat fried foods.  But now and then, I run across a recipe that is deemed "healthy" and decide to give it a try. 

 

 

These muffins are made with lots of grated vegetables........they are so good, I will definitely make them again. 

In a big bowl add: 1/2 cup grated apple, 1/2 cup grated carrots, 1/2 cup grated zucchini or beets, and 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1 shot of honey (1 Tblsp) 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 eggs. Gently mix this all together and then add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon and a tiny salt. Fold all together. Last, fold in 1/3 cup of raisins and 1/3 cup flaky coconut. Bake is greased muffin tins at 350 degrees for about 20 min. I made mine in a mini muffin tin, as it makes me think I can eat 12 of them and I won't be eating as much! I also left out the raisins and then my dogs can have one as a treat. Bake in the mini tin for about 15 min.

Do you feel guilty if you don't clean your plate even if you are full?

Breathing Rosemary can help to increase your memory.........I am filling my house with rosemary!

Do you know how to tell if a pineapple is ripe? This came from my son, the Chef, Dustin, pull on the leaves in the center at the top, if they come loose, its ripe. All these years I've been smelling it. LOL!

My daughter, Misty, bought me a Himalayan salt lamp. I am so excited.....it is suppose to remove all the impurities in the air. It also tastes good!

I will be working on posting pictures of my food dishes...............please be patient......

 

 

 

 

BREAD AND THE BEST PORK CHOPS YOU WILL EVER EAT!

I have decided that one of the culprits of modern society weight gain is bread.  First of all we eat way too much bread and we eat really awful bread. I have tried not to eat any bread at all and of course that does not work. What about sandwiches? What about French Toast? What about Grilled Cheese sandwiches? Hamburgers, Hot Dogs? I believe I just gave you an old, old recipe I have had forever for French Bread, I keep this loaf frozen and just slice off enough to go with a bowl of soup, stew, or casserole. If we leave our bread in the bread box or out on the counter in plain view........we will eat more. I have found, my personal preference to be, Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat VERY THIN bread. If we must eat bread, this is the way to go.........if you haven't tried it, give it a try. Makes great sandwiches and you are eating at least half of what you normally would.

I was so hungry for Pork Chops and saw someone on a cooking show, making something similar to this..........sooooo good!
Started with an extra thick beautiful pork chop salt and peppered and browned really well on both sides in a little olive oil.  Remove from the pan.
To the pan add chopped red onion and a couple cloves of chopped garlic........throw in a sprig of rosemary and stir until onions are soft.........don't burn the garlic.
Then add about 1/4 cup of white wine and 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Double this for 2 pork chops. Add a tsp or so of capers, a Tblsp of Dijon mustard and a couple Tblsp of butter.............Stir well. Now add the pork chops back to the pan......place in the oven til cooked through......only 5-10  min. Don't over cook. My pork chop was so moist and tender could cut it with a fork. Loved the sauce, a little different from the norm.

I was thinking this morning.........Do you remember when we didn't have to make a decision about what conditioner to use.....because we didn't use one!? We had only a few shampoos to pick from and no conditioners at all. Many people washed their hair with hand soap. Boy, has everything changed...........sigh.

MAKE UP AND GUACAMOLE!

I guess I have got to buy one of those lighted, magnifying make up mirrors.  I am seeing strange things on my face.......I had NO idea were there. Have you ever seen an old lady with a black hair growing out of her face somewhere and thought OMG why wouldn't she get rid of that hair?! Well, now I know.......she can't see it, folks. That poor old lady cannot see that hair or any of those other strange things. Even if she has glasses....makes no difference. Do you wonder why she has those rosy cheeks, black eye brows and red lips that go out of the lines? Well, that's it........she doesn't have a clue! She can't see. The moral of this story is...........more patience and understanding for these poor old ladies that tend to look like clowns, now you know why.

So, did you love the play offs on Sunday? Well, anyway, the Broncos, Patriots game was really exciting. Sorry for the Cardinals, was really cheering for them, since I lived in Phoenix for 10 years and still have family and friends there. Peyton and Cam.....wow, am hoping for a good game, will be a fun day! So, on Sunday I told you I would be eating chili and apple pie, I ended up eating guacamole and home made chips and a chocolate angel food cake! Did eat the chili the next day.
I know there are many ways to make guacamole........I will give you my real Mexican recipe. First and foremost.........NEVER put your avocados in the blender and turn your guacamole into mush or baby food!
2 perfect ripe avocados, peeled and spooned into a bowl
Mash up a bit with a fork.........not too mushed, just a little.
Add Chopped purple onion, 1 small chopped serrano pepper (seeded) , juice of a lime and about 1 tsp salt. I use Kosher salt for almost all of my cooking. I keep it and my course ground pepper in two little fancy Mexican dishes by my stove. This is the way the Mexicans make guacamole.   I usually add  a chopped tomato. Its up to you. AND people fry your own chips.......cut up fresh tortillas and fry.......so simple and sooooo much better!
Remember if you miss some of these posts or you are just looking for something to read........you can always google Cooking For Bob.  I really enjoy hearing from you. Also, if you have a recipe you are searching for.........I have it.

FOOTBALL-CHILI RULE

I am not sure if this is written somewhere......in the Bible, in History Books, maybe even the Constitution but I know it is a written rule somewhere.......... that you must eat Chili on the day of Football Play Offs! Maybe its because the weather is generally cold and believe me, it is going to be a cold game in North Carolina tomorrow! The Cardinals.......are in for a jolt! Leaving balmy Arizona and the Panthers have already been practicing in the snow.
And, who isn't excited about watching the Manning/Brady Show!! I can't wait!

I really doubt if there are many out there that have made more batches of Chili in their lives, than I have. Unless of course, you are a Chef in a Mexican restaurant. I have always loved Chili and have tried lots of different recipes, some much better than others. I believe when making Chili.......if you like it really spicy, as I do, you must be careful as you don't want to ruin the taste of the Chili with too much spice......theres a limit. Also, big difference between green chili and just good 'ol red chili. (American)
I also know that Chili is always better the second day........another rule......make a day ahead. Okay, heres my recipe for a really good old fashioned chili.
Brown, in your large cast iron pot, a lb of hamburger and about a lb of cut up sirloin.
Next add chopped onion (lots) and chopped garlic. When this is browned good add:
a can of diced tomatoes.....(I like fire roasted), about a cup of beer or more, any left over coffee from breakfast, about a cup of beef broth and a couple Tblsp of tomato paste..........stir and bring to a boil.
Now, here are the spices: 2 or more Tblsp of any of the following......Sriracha, Chipolte Tabasco, Cholula Hot Sauce.......whatever you have on hand.
a couple tsp of cumin, a sprinkle of Mexican oregano, a good tsp of New Mexico Chili Powder and a bunch of salt to taste.
Now add a couple cans of whatever drained beans you want. I like pinto but I guess I also like dark kidney beans or even black beans......what ever you have. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour or so. You may want to add more liquid....beef broth or tomato sauce........just depends on how you like it.
Now, you just have to decide what to eat with..........crushed up soda crackers, always a favorite, tortilla chips, a quesadilla (my favorite) or even a grilled cheese sandwich.
I hope you enjoy the day of football tomorrow and your bowl of chili as much as I am going to. I think there might be another rule that you must eat homemade apple pie for dessert!

TIRES AND CHEESECAKE FOR ONE

First, if you didn't try the bean soup in my last blog.......you really need to. So good, I just finished my last bowl yesterday.
Okay, so a couple days ago I decided that while my car was cold I needed to check a few things. I checked the oil, fine, I checked the water, fine and then I checked the air in the tires, 5 #'s low. Oh, dear. Now I know that in cold weather your tires loose some air but I felt 5 #'s was a little too much. Being alone, I worry about having a blow out or some kind of tire problem. So, I pulled the car around to my garage door, got out the air compressor but do you think I could figure out how to attach my valve stem attachment to the air compressor? NO. The reason you are hearing this story......is that, as much as I hate it, my memory is slowing waaaaay up! I stood in the garage going through all of Bobs tools, talking loudly to myself, furious that I could not remember how to attach the two together. Finally I gave up. A few days later Bobs son, Bill, reminded me of how I did it before with the coupler. Oh, yes, now I remember. But he also said, 5#'s is not too much. I just need to watch it. Okay, that's done.
Do you ever get so hungry for cheesecake but don't really want to make one? I do. I refuse to buy a frozen one and to make one is just too much. But, I found the best recipe for one or two people.  Its so simple and believe me, it tastes just like a real baked cheesecake!
First make your crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 c. melted butter and 2 T sugar
Mix and press into a buttered 9" pie tin. No cooking.
Now, mix tog. 8 oz softened cream cheese. 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tblsp lemon juice, dash of vanilla and dash of salt.......beat in 2 eggs, one at a time and pour into the pie crust. Bake for 25 min at 325 degrees.
Remove and stir tog. 3/4 c sour cream and 2 Tblsp sugar  and smear over the warm cheesecake and back into the oven for 10 more min. Cool on the rack for an hour and then in frig for a couple hours.
I was so impressed with this.......serve with strawberries or blueberries or both thawed. I keep those in the freezer at all times.
Now, I was thinking. Does anyone still eat tapioca or tuna fish casserole? I do. My poor daughter Misty, had to sit at the dining room table for a couple hours, when she was about 5 years old because she refused to even take one bite of tuna casserole! She still hates it!  Enjoy the cheesecake!