Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Supermarkets have started using their own wording on meat packages to make you think the meat you are buying is a better grade than what it really is. Most of the major chains are buying more select-grade beef, but may call it by any number of fancy names such as "top premium beef", "prime quality cut", "select choice", or "premium cut." Be aware that these titles don't mean a thing.  

what is christmas about?

Skyline 3 Way – Chili, Spaghetti, Cheese w/ Hot Dog with Cheese and Mustard

Dinner Tonight: Skyline 3 Way – Chili, Spaghetti, Cheese w/ Hot Dog with Cheese and Mustard

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! It's been an almost bitter cold day around here most of the day. This morning the wind chill had it around 9 degrees, far cry from our mid 50's just a or so ago. Ran some errands for Mom, who is almost at full strength again. Then spent most of the afternoon baking some Pumpkin Walnut and Banana Walnut Bread. Baked 12 mini loaves and delivered them to several neighbors. Love Christmas time! For dinner tonight it was a Skyline Chili inspired dinner. I prepared a Skyline 3 Way – Chili, Spaghetti, Cheese w/ Hot Dog with Cheese and Mustard.







I used Skyline 3 Way – Chili, Spaghetti.  They sell it packaged for the microwave, a bit smaller size than what you get at a Skyline but just right for those still watching calories and carbs. It comes with Spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili. I added a few dashes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and Cheese to make it a 3 Way and used Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheese. The Chili Spaghetti is 270 calories and 20 carbs.

Then I also prepared an Oscar Mayer Extra Lean Turkey Franks, my new choice of Hot Dogs. Just boiled them for 5 minutes and they were ready. Served on a Aunt Millie's Reduced Calorie Hot Dog Bun and topped with French's Yellow Mustard and Sargento Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar. For a dessert/snack later a 100 Calorie Mini Bag of Jolly Time Pop Corn.










Oscar Mayer Extra Lean Turkey Franks

These hardwood smoked, bun length turkey franks are 95% fat free and only 50 calories per serving. Enjoy this lean poultry option the next time you’re looking for a hot dog, but without all the fat and calories of a beef frank.
Ingredients: TURKEY INGREDIENTS (TURKEY, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY), WATER, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF DEXTROSE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, FLAVOR, HYDROLYZED BEEF STOCK, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SALT, SODIUM PROPIONATE, MUSTARD FLOUR, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, LEMON JUICE SOLIDS, SODIUM ASCORBATE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, SODIUM NITRITE.



Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 50g Servings per Container about 8 Amount Per Serving
Calories 50 Calories from Fat 20
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.5g 4 % Saturated Fat 0.5g 3 % Trans Fat 0g 0 % Cholesterol 20mg 7 % Sodium 400mg 17 % Total Carbohydrate 4g 1 % Dietary Fiber 0g 0 % Sugars 1g Protein 5g



http://www.kraftbrands.com/oscarmayer/hot-dogs/extra-lean-franks.html

SKYLINE CHILI & SPAGHETTI 10 Ounce Microwavable Package Cincinnati Style

It's a great new way to enjoy your Cincinnati favorite, Skyline Chili!
* Microwavable in 90 seconds!
* No refridgeration required.  Store it on your shelf or in your desk!
* Totally portable, Just heat and eat!

Seafood of the Week - Sea Urchin

The sea urchin (Echinus melo)

Sea urchins or urchins, sometimes called sea hedgehogs, are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. About 950 species of echinoids inhabit all oceans from the intertidal to 5000 m deep. The shell, or "test", of sea urchins is round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) across. Common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, brown, purple, blue, and red. Sea urchins move slowly, feeding mostly on algae. Sea otters, sea stars, wolf eels, triggerfish, and other predators feed on sea urchins. Their roe is a delicacy in many cuisines. The name "urchin" is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs which sea urchins resemble.







Sea urchins are members of the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes sea stars, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and crinoids. Like other echinoderms, they have five-fold symmetry (called pentamerism) and move by means of hundreds of tiny, transparent, adhesive "tube feet". The symmetry is not obvious in the living animal, but is easily visible in the dried test. Echinodermate means "spiny skin" in Greek.
Specifically, the term "sea urchin" refers to the "regular echinoids", which are symmetrical and globular, and includes several different taxonomic groups: the order Echinoida, the order Cidaroida or "slate-pencil urchins", which have very thick, blunt spines, and others. Besides sea urchins, the class Echinoidea also includes three groups of "irregular" echinoids: flattened sand dollars, sea biscuits, and heart urchins.
Together with sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea), they make up the subphylum Echinozoa, which is characterized by a globoid shape without arms or projecting rays. Sea cucumbers and the irregular echinoids have secondarily evolved diverse shapes. Although many sea cucumbers have branched tentacles surrounding their oral openings, these have originated from modified tube feet and are not homologous to the arms of the crinoids, sea stars, and brittle stars.







The gonads of both male and female sea urchins, usually called sea urchin roe or corals, are culinary

Sea urchin (uni) served Japanese style as sashimi, with a dab of wasabi

delicacies in many parts of the world.
In cuisines around the Mediterranean, Paracentrotus lividus is often eaten raw, with lemon., and known as ricci on Italian menus where it is sometimes used in pasta sauces. It can also flavour omelettes, scrambled eggs, fish soup, mayonnaise, béchamel sauce for tartlets, the boullie for a soufflé, or Hollandaise sauce to make a fish sauce. In Chilean cuisine, it is served raw with lemon, onions, and olive oil.
Though the edible Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis is found in the North Atlantic, it is not widely eaten. However, sea urchins (called uutuk in Alutiiq) are commonly eaten by the Alaska Native population around Kodiak Island. It is commonly exported, mostly to Japan.
In the West Indies, slate pencil urchins are eaten.
On the Pacific Coast of North America, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus was praised by Euell Gibbons; Strongylocentrotus purpuratus is also eaten.
In New Zealand, Evechinus chloroticus, known as kina in Maori, is a delicacy, traditionally eaten raw. Though New Zealand fishermen would like to export them to Japan, their quality is too variable.
In Japan, sea urchin is known as and its roe can retail for as much as A$450/kg; it is served raw as sashimi or in sushi, with soy sauce and wasabi. Japan imports large quantities from the United States, South Korea, and other producers. Japanese demand for sea urchin corals has raised concerns about overfishing.

A Christmas Favorite - Sugarplums

A sugar plum is a piece of dragée candy that is made of dried fruits and shaped in a small round or oval shape.
"Plum" in the name of this confection does not mean plum in the sense of the fruit of the same name. At one time, "plum" was used to denote any dried fruit.  "Sugar plums" may be made from any combination of dried plums (aka prunes), dried figs, dried apricots, dried dates, and dried cherries, but traditional sugar plums may contain none of these. In one recipe, the dried fruit is chopped fine and combined with chopped almonds, honey, and aromatic spices, such as anise seed, fennel seed, caraway seeds, and cardamom. This mixture would then be rolled into balls, often then coated in sugar or shredded coconut.







The word came in general usage in 1600s, when adding layers of sweet which give sugar plums and comfits their hard shell was done through a slow and labour intensive process called panning. Until the mechanization of the process, it often took several days, thus the sugar plum was largely a luxury product. In fact in the 18th century the word plum became a British slang for a big pile of money or a bribe. However, by 1860s manufactures were using steam heat and mechanized rotating pans and it was now available for mass consumption.
Today, some candy manufacturers have taken "sugar plum" literally, creating plum-flavored, plum-shaped candies and marketing them as "sugar plum candy".







Sugar plums are widely associated with Christmas, through cultural phenomena such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker (Composed by Tchaikovsky, 1892), as well as the line "Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads," from Clement C. Moore's poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (1823), better known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
In the children's board game Candy Land the character Plumpy, a gingerbread troll, wore a sugar plum around his neck. Receiving the Plumpy card meant the player had to undo most of their progress, which could lead to great frustration and often prolonged the game. The Plumpy character was replaced in 2002 by Mama Gingertree.
Sugar plums have also gained widespread recognition through the poem "The Sugar Plum Tree" by Eugene Field. The poem begins "Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree? 'Tis a marvel of great renown!" Sugar Plum is also a 1971 jazz song by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, while Sugar Plum Fairies is a Norwegian folk and pop band formed in 2000.







Sugarplums

Sugarplums

Tightly covered, these keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 ounces dried figs
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons honey
Grated zest from 1 orange (1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar


Preparation:

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds to bring out their flavor. Remove from heat; cool. Combine the figs, cocoa, cinnamon, and almonds in a food processor, pulsing until peppercorn-size balls form. Add the honey, orange zest, and almond extract. Pulse 3 or 4 times more until well mixed. Spread the sugar in a shallow dish. Form the sugarplums into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar.



Nutritional Information:
Amount per serving
Calcium: 15mg
Calories: 59
Calories from fat: 0%
Carbohydrate: 12g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fat: 1g
Fiber: 1g
Iron: 0mg
Protein: 1mg
Saturated fat: 0g
Sodium: 1mg




Sugarplums
Photo: Evan Sklar

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sugarplums-10000000524084/

Christmas Recipes from Kraft Foods!

Need some last minute Christmas food ideas? Look no further just click the link at the end of the post. The
Kraft site is loaded with great ideas.




What would Christmas memories be without the wonderful Christmas food that comforts us during the magical holiday season. Let us help you plan an unforgettable Christmas dinner menu this year. Browse our collection of holiday recipes for Christmas cookies, Christmas side dishes and Christmas appetizers.





http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-entertaining/holidays/christmas/christmas-recipes.aspx?cm_mmc=Srch-_-Google-_-cons_holiday-_-christmas_christmasevefood

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Never buy meat that's already been shaped into patties (unless it's on sale). Instead, buy your own and shape it into patties yourself. Place a sheet of waxed paper between each, then place the entire stack in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer.