I love kicked up crackers. Seasoned with ranch spice mix and baked, every scoop of dip and tuna or chicken salad are even tastier when on top of these fantastic crackers.
PREHEAT oven to 275 degrees. Place crackers on a baking sheet and lightly brush both sides with melted butter or oil.
Place in a resealable or brown bag and sprinkle with a packet of ranch spice mix. Shake for at least 1-2 minutes to coat evenly. Check to be certain and place back on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
Recipe Notes
Like spice? Add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the dry ranch spice seasoning before sprinkling on the crackers in the bag.
This heesy chicken broccoli rice casserole recipe is a keeper. With the addition of water chestnuts and topped with cheese, it is a comfort food that will be made often.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
4 TBS unsalted butter* 8 oz pkg fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt (to taste) 2 cups freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided 3 cups chicken broth* 2 cups milk* 1/4 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper 1/3 cup flour 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 cups fresh broccoli florets (boiled for 5 minutes and drained well) 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 1/2 – whole can chopped water chestnuts, drained
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and spray a Dutch oven with oil; set aside.
Bring the chicken broth, milk, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of thyme to a simmer in a sauce pan; reduce heat and keep warm.
In a skillet, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter and add the sliced mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt and pinch or two of red pepper (or cayenne). This amount of butter really adds flavor and if you want to cut it down you may. I do not suggest any less than 2 tablespoons of butter.
When the mushrooms are tender, add the flour and mix together until it forms a mushroom paste. Remove from the heat and add to the warm chicken broth mixture. Turn up the heat to medium and add 1 cup of the shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and stir until smooth.
Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, drained broccoli florets, rice, shredded chicken and water chestnuts. Taste and if it needs more salt please do it. Mix and pour into the cast iron Dutch oven. Bake for 45 minutes, covered, or until rice is tender and mixture thickens. Add the remaining shredded cheese on top and bake uncovered until melted.
Recipe Notes
Butter: This amount of butter really adds flavor and if you want to cut it down you may. I do not suggest any less than 2 tablespoons of butter.
*Chicken Broth Substitute: 3 cups water and add 1 heaping tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
*Milk Substitute: I used 2 cups of water and 2/3 cups of dry non-fat powdered milk
I used a heavy cast iron Dutch oven this time and baked for 45 minutes on 350 degrees. If I baked this at 375 or 400 degrees and used a 9×13 inch casserole pan it would have been done sooner.
I like the results in a 9×13 inch pan better. If using a 9×13 inch pan, use two cups of shredded cheese on top instead of one for topping.
This baked rotisserie chicken is mind blowing delicious. It is double brined; so it takes two days of preparation before you serve it but the steps are simple.
The chicken is so juicy and the skin is so crispy – it’s addicting actually. Note: You may want to do two chickens.
Baked Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
If you want to serve this is on Saturday, start with the first brine on Thursday and the secone brine on Friday.
Mix oil and vinegar together. Mash the garlic and add to the vinegar oil mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour the seasoning mixture over it and be certain the marinade is covering the chicken completley. Seal and let marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees.
The next day remove from the marinade the place chicken breast up in a roasting pan.
At this point you may quarter potatoes and put in the bottom of the pan and place the chicken on top of the potatoes. Once the chicken is in the oven, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until chicken reaches 160 degrees.
If the skin is getting too dark, just loosely cover with foil as it continues to cook.
Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before carving. Top with freshly chopped mint or parsley before serving.
Recipe Notes
*How to Brine a Chicken
one gallon warm water 3/4 cup kosher salt whole peppercorns 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 1 tsp garlic powder
Add the cleaned chicken to a large stock pot and cover completely with water. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from the stove and let cool completely in a bath of ice water in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Flip approximately half way through brining.
The next day rinse the chicken well and pat dry.
I think the first brine is essential and request you try it when making this the first time. This is where the juiciness and crispiness comes from.
Catching blue gills is so much fun, not to mention they make a delicious meal.
Offering easy tips on what to use for bait, how to catch them, what they eat, habitat and more below.
Blue gills are the most popular fresh water pan fish around. Children and adults alike love to fish for them, and if you see a bobber floating – that is a telltale sign that they are fishing for bluegills.
Depending on what are you are from – they are also called brim, bream or coppernose. In some parts of the country they call the bluegill “sunfish” or put them in the “panfish” category.
In the summer, they will bite on a lot of things. Use bait like worms, flies, live crickets, a kernel of corn, spinners and much more.
In the winter when ice fishing, use wax worms and red worms when jigging and you can catch them anytime of the day.
Here’s a quick bluegill fishing tip: If your fishing at dawn or dusk try using a bright and colorful bait like red or orange.
They spawn in June and this is when the males are on the spawning bed, protecting the eggs. Some of the males will change their color to match the females, and then the “guarding males” aren’t aggressive towards them. Slick. Then they enter the nests and spawn.
Depending on the size, they are often used as bait for larger predators like the musky, walleye and northern pike.
Do you want to learn how to catch them? Following are some bluegill fishing tips to net the big bluegill. Here are the items you basically need:
Rod and Reel Night Crawlers Fish Hooks 3 lb test line bobbers small split-shot sinkers
Don’t forget your stringer and net. Get your children out and fish for blue gills on a lake where they are known to live. They will love it. Who knows, you may have the next professional “fisher person” in the rough.
(picture courtesy of gardenweb.com, a great website.)
Do you see the area that is fanned away and clear of any debris? That’s their spawning bed, and he is guarding it with his life. The males “scope” the shallow areas looking for a bed that is not guarded by another male, and then fertilize the eggs they find.
Bluegills prefer clear and quiet water on a sunny day. (I do too) After they are done spawning and the weather is warmer, you’ll find them “hiding in the weeds” where it is cooler and abundant with food.
Because bluegills prefer to stay in shallow water (under 9 feet), it’s easy to fish off the shore or bank. On the lake, you will normally find bluegills under a fallen tree and in weed beds.
In the spring and the beginning of the summer, they can be found in shallow water. Remember that the males are protecting the spawning bed, they bite on smaller lures at this time. In the heat of the summer, fall and winter, blue gills are found in deeper water (over 10 feet).
Now, back to catching a blue gill. I can get off track easily, please bear with me.
The bobber you want to use for fishing should be light enough for the gillies to pull under, and large enough to keep your bait afloat. You may use one or two split-shot sinkers approximately 2 to 2-1/2 inches above the hook, (use a number 8 fish hook) so the fish can see it down in the water. If it is too light, you will have the bait floating, and if it is too heavy, it will pull down on your bobber (and we can’t have that).
The bobber should be able to hold your bait at least 2 inches off the bottom of the lake. After you cast and the bait is sinking to the bottom, make “jerking movements” as it cascades down. This gets their attention fast. By the time the bait reaches the bottom, most of the time you will already have a fish on the line.
If the bobber is jerking up and down a little, you have a fish nibbling. If the bobber starts moving away from you or the bobber is pulled under water; set the hook. (Pull up!) If you set the hook too hard, the hook will be ripped out of their mouth. Now walleyes are different, but I will get to that on another page.
I have more than just information about blue gill fishing – check out navigation bar at upper left or below.
The subject today is wild turkey and I want to relay some interesting behavior and information about this bird.
I will explain their social structure, breeding behavior, turkey calls and terms so you will know what others are talking about and even impress them yourself with your knowledge.
I know most of you have seen a one, but I do want to describe what they look like for those of you that haven’t. The tom has three areas on his head that will turn bright red. They are the caruncles, wattles and snood. The close-up of the tom’s head in the picture on the left show these clearly. The tom has a large featherless head and throat with fleshy looking growths called caruncles. These caruncles turn red when he is angry or in courtship. His body is black with a large fan shaped tail and has rear spurs on the lower part of the leg that they use as weapons. He is substantially larger than the hen and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, gold and bronze.
In the above photo, the tom has wattles under the throat and on the neck which are folds of skin, and the flap of skin that hangs over the beak of the tom is called a snood . Both of these areas again will turn red when the tom is ready to fight or trying to impress a hen during the mating season. During mating season the American Turkey’s head can be alternate between red, white or blue and can change color in a few seconds or so. (fitting name)
The hen’s head coloring is a grayish blue and she also has caruncles and a snood which is smaller than the toms. Their feathers are duller overall with shades of gray and brown.
The tom will grow a cluster of hair-like feathers from the center of his chest called a beard; averaging 9 inches in length. Fifteen percent of the hen population also grow beards. It is not scientifically known why the wild turkey has a beard, but we have our own opinions.
Wild turkeys are very agile and fly close to the ground for no more than a quarter of a mile. They roost in trees at night to protect themselves from predators. They have very keen eyesight. You can get away with some things in a tree stand when hunting for deer, but if the whitetail doesn’t bust you for doing it, a wild turkey will.
If you think that the wild turkey has spotted you, first look at where the head is pointing at. If they are looking straight ahead (beak facing you), you are NOT busted. The turkey must turn his head and look at you sideways to spot you.
Always remember this. A predator (like us) has eyes in the FRONT of our head like: lions, wolves, tigers and bears. Wild game animals and birds have eyes on the SIDES of their head like: elk, deer, turkey, pheasant, etc and they are the hunted.
Wild turkeys are very social and many turkey calls have been created to mimic the sounds they make. From calling in their young to mating calls the basic ones you’ll hear are: gobble, yelp of a hen, cutting of an excited hen, cluck, purr, cluck and purr, putt, fly down cackle, adult hen assembly call, and kee-kees. Wow.
Early spring is mating season and the first sound of a tom in the area is hearing a gobble. This announces, “hey ladies, I’m here, ready to jump your bones; toms – get out of my way; or I’m going to be your worst nightmare.” Or something like that. This gobble can be heard for up to a mile. He will also emit a drumming sound.
The cluck reminds me of that of a chicken. One note or several. It’s generally used to get another bird’s attention. When hunting, it’s a good call to use assuring the approaching tom that the “hen” is waiting for him.
A putt is a single note or several sharp notes, and is an alarm sound to the rest that they have seen or heard something and are alerting the others of danger. (not something YOU want to hear)
The normal yelp of a hen is a normal wild turkey sound that you hear and has different meanings on how the sound is relayed. Basically they will yelp to let the mature toms know where they are. The toms have also been known to yelp like the hens. Hens can gobble, but rarely do.
The cutting of a excited hen is a series of fast, loud single notes; like a modified cluck. You can hear this a long ways away as the gobble and it basically means the same thing…she needs companionship.
NOTE: Look for tracks that are 2-1/4 inches or larger. If you can clearly see the imprint of the scales on the middle toe, this indicates a heavy bird.
The adult hen assembly call is a series of loud yelps used to gather her poults (chicks).
When a turkey is flying up or down from his roost or across a creek, (or just flying) the sound that they make is called a cackle. It’s only heard when they are moving.
A purr is a soft rolling sound that turkeys make when they are content, like at feeding time. They will also cluck and purr which is “flock talk” and can be amplified at times. Again, it just means you have a happy group of birds.
When young turkeys are lost, the sound they emit is called kee-kee. Adult turkeys will also use a variation of this sound. If someone is talking about a kee-kee run, it is a kee-kee with a yelp at the end.
My oatmeal carmelite bars are delicious. These oatmeal bars have a pecan and oatmeal crust and filledwith a caramel. A delightful combination.
Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? A delight to eat and easy to make.
Best Malted Milk Ball Cookies
These old fashioned cookies are almost equally part candy and cookie. The candy part is chunks of chocolate covered malted milk balls and big chips of chocolate.
CHOCOLATE “WHOPPERS” COOKIES 1-3/4 cups flour 1 cup malted milk powder 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 stick plus 3 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup whole milk 2 cups (6oz) malted milk balls (Whoppers), coarsely chopped 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips or chunks PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Sift the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium for 3 minutes or until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for one minute after each addition. Add the vanilla and don’t be concerned if the batter looks like it is curdled – it will even out when you add the dry ingredients.
Reduce to low and add half of the dry ingredients only mixing until it disappears into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until they just disappear in the batter. Do not over beat. The batter will look like frosting, and that is fine. Fold in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 6 minutes.
When done, the cookies will be puffed and set, but slightly soft to the touch. Let them rest for two minutes and transfer them to cooling racks. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches. Kids will devour these delightful cookies before they had a chance to completely cool.
I have more than a recipe for malted milk ball cookies, check out more of my homemade dessert recipes at the links below.
2-1/2 cups ripe bananas (5 bananas) 1 cupsour cream 1 tsp vanilla ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese icing.
Beat softened cream cheese with vanilla until creamy and smooth. Then add softened butter a little at time, beating that until smooth. Finally, add powdered sugar to taste (I usually don’t use the full amount).
If it is too “cream cheesy” for your taste, just use one package of cream cheese. I love it, but I know everyone is different.
If you want a sweeter frosting, just add more powdered sugar; 1/4 cup at a time.
I love this angel food cake dessert! It’s creamy and rich and so easy to make. Crush a heath bar or butterfinger candy bar on top and they will come running. Trust me on this.
Angel Food Cake Dessert Recipe
This scrumptious angel food cake recipe was one of my mom’s recipes. I have tried using homemade whipped cream but it doesn’t hold up the same. I LOVE this so much I could (almost) eat it every day (really I could). It’s delicious with crushed Butterfinger candy bars too.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE DESSERT
Ingredients
1 homemade angel food cake (see above for recipe) 3/4 cup of butter 2 slightly beaten egg yolks 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 large (16 oz) tub of Cool Whip 2 Heath candy bars, crushed (I use a hammer)**
Directions
Tear cake into small bite-sized pieces and place in the bottom of a 9×13 pan and set aside.
Melt butter and let slightly cool. Whisk as you add the egg yolks to the butter so you do not cook them. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in Cool Whip.
Pour cool whip mixture evenly over the ripped up cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy bars.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight (if you can wait that long).
**You may use chopped Snickers or your favorite candy bar.
Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring while the mixture boils over medium heat for five minutes so it does not burn.
Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan and let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe Notes
I recommend good butter like Kerrygold Irish Butter
My spicy potato sausage soup recipe is over the top with goodies added like sausage or chopped brats, then topped with cheese. This creamy soup is perfect with crusty bread.
Cheesy Potato Brat Soup Recipe
This spicy potato brat soup warms the belly during those cold winter days.
7 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size chunks 2 cups potato flakes (thickening) 2 cups half-and-half cream 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (halved) 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded 3 brats, cooked and chopped into bite-size chunks (optional)
Place the potatoes in a large pot; at least 4 quarts in capacity. Fill it with enough water to barely cover the potatoes and boil until fork tender. Turn down to simmer.
Add the potato flakes and stir until incorporated. Add the half-and-half as well as half of the shredded Monterey Jack and all of the Pepper Jack cheese. Stir until all the cheese has melted. Add the brats (or sausage) and stir. Top the soup with the remaining shredded Monterey Jack cheese and serve.
Recipe Notes
Substitute cooked crumbled sausage for the brats
Use Cajun-style brats or spicy sausage for more kick
