RECIPES FOR THE SERIOUS COOK

Strawberry Slab Pie

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 16 servings

 

Ingredients

for the crust:

• 2¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

for the pie:

• 6 oz strawberry jello
• 1½ cups sugar
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• 20 oz sprite (2½ cups)
• 32 oz strawberries, washed and tops removed
• Whipped topping or whipped cream for garnish.

Instructions

for the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a mixer bowl or food processor, mix until crumbly. Press into a half sheet pan (about 18 x 12). Prick all over with a fork.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

for the pie:

1. Add a jello, sugar, cornstarch, salt and Sprite to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and whisk until stir thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Slice strawberries. Arrange over crust. Pour filling over strawberries Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
3. Garnish with whipped topping.

Pecan Sandies Cookies

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 24-30 cookies

 

Ingredients

• ½ cup brown butter, cooled
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 2¼ cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup sugar for smashing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add brown butter, oil, egg, sugars and vanilla to a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until creamy. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar all at once and continue to mix at medium speed until well combined. Fold in pecans.
3. Scoop onto a lined or greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
4. Dip a fork into sugar and mash cookies criss cross.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Cool on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

To Brown Butter: add to a small skillet and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until brown bits form. Be careful not to burn. Pour brown butter into a bowl to cool until ready to bake.

THIS MIGHT REALLY HELP SOME OF US

Grocery On The Run

Grocery Delivery  Service

$4.99 Per Delivery

We Shop, We Care, We Deliver

 

Get your groceries delivered in 3 simple steps.

Step 1. Make your list.

·       Making your list could be done by email, text, telephone call, or pickup. Local stores including Kroger and Wal-Mart has designed email lists to make it easy to find all of your groceries and sort them into categories and aisles. If you choose to make your list this way, download the Kroger or Wal-Mart application. After making your list and sorting by aisles, send to: groceryontherun@yahoo.com

Step 2. Schedule your delivery.

·       A scheduled calendar can be used to help schedule your delivery. Circled days are delivery days, the two un circled days are used to put in your lists. Be sure to send your list before 6:30 p.m. the day before delivery. After your list is made, you may choose the date that you want to receive your grocery. We will schedule a time that your groceries will be delivered. We schedule times in 3 hour increments. With your list, please send your name, address, and telephone number.

Step 3. Your groceries will be delivered to your door.

·       Your items will be delivered to you. A Grocery On The Run employee will bring your items to you. You should check your grocery to make sure all items are accounted for, and correct. After this is done, you will then pay for your groceries and the $4.99 delivery fee. We accept, check, cash, debit, credit, and SNAP.

IS PATRIOTISM STILL TAUGHT TODAY

Words of Lasting Interest With Liberty and Justice for All An eminent professor poses a question that is even more relevant today: How do you teach patriotism? BY ROBERT COLES, MD.  

Miss Avery, my fifth-grade teacher, was a Vermont farm girl who was brought up to work hard and make something of herself. She let us know she wanted to impart to us the values her parents had given her. I remember her exhortations: Be diligent, a word she favored; be conscientious, a word she made sure we knew how to spell; be considerate of others. She also insisted we learn the meaning of a noun she liked to use, a long one, we thought: kindheartedness . And all year, Miss Avery kept on the blackboard this aphorism: "Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tries, a touch that never hurts. Never? I was skeptical that I could meet such standards. Miss Avery reminded us that we all slip, but that direction mattered: a goal to pursue, values to have and to uphold-in her phrase, "a larger vision. Those three words were tethered by her to something concrete that stood before us every day: the flag of the United States of America. She was constantly telling each of us, "This is your country. She took pains to explain what democracy meant, what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they fought for independence. Most of us were nine years old, but she wanted us to understand what we would inherit: the sovereign privilege and responsibility to vote, the bedrock of our participation in a larger community. It wasn't that she wanted us to avoid taking a candid look at America's past and present life-quite the contrary. We spent a lot of time learning about the mistakes and injustices committed over the generations. We learned about slavery and the long struggle of Negroes (that was the word we used then) for their rights. Indeed, 20 years before the civil rights movement, Miss Avery was reminding us that "equal justice under law," those words embedded in the marble of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, amounted not to a description of what is but a call to what ought to be and hence a call to action. Every day, we sang our national anthem, and every day, we proudly saluted our nation's flag. Every day, too, we had a history lesson right after that exercise in allegiance. It was then that a thoughtful and boldly independent-minded teacher made us turn from a glib recital of loyalty to something else. Miss Avery asked that we put ourselves in the shoes of the presidents and other leaders whose achievements and misdeeds we were studying. We were asked to take sides and argue a point of view before our classmates-with respect, say, to the Revolutionary War (the Tories vs. the Concord and Lexington farmers who stood up to the British) or the Civil War (the South's planters vs. the abolitionists of New England). By being asked to think about what is right and wrong and how we ought to live our lives, we were making a leap of the moral imagination. These days, I often find myself wondering how to ask my own children or my students to think about America. In school after school, I notice classrooms without the American flag. Many teachers tell me that the salute to the flag never takes place. Some of them say they abhor what one called reflexive patriotism, an unqualified hurrah to a nation. I respect holding a skepticism of unblinking avowals. Children do need encouragement to sift and sort, to be wary of what strikes them as phony or hypocritical. But children also need convictions-something and someone to trust, to hold up as worthy of admiration. Moreover, we are all Americans. This is our country, and there is much in its history for us to contemplate with pride: the sanctuary, for instance, offered to millions of orphans from various storms who have found so much that is sustaining. Yet, as Miss Avery showed us, there is a way to pay homage to a country while at the same time reserving the right to register disapproval, even to cry out at wrongdoing. When we spoke of "liberty and justice for all," she was quick to remind us of the difference between an idealized statement and the harsher reality for many Americans. No question, I have been in classrooms where ironies are not acknowledged, and at the other extreme, I have sat in rooms where only blemishes are dwelt upon. Our democratic principles-the things that enable the full and free discussion taking place-are ignored, as if the Bill of Rights in all its glory is to be as overlooked as the flag. It is important that we and our children keep in mind not only the errors made in our nation's past but also the social, economic, and racial struggles waged with success that have led to a decent and free life for millions of us. We have good reason to want our children to appreciate this country and to hail the flag as its symbol, even as we expect them to become citizens unafraid to look squarely at what still needs to be done if a nation's ideals are to become its everyday reality. 

SOME MORE TASTY SOUNDING RECIPES

Peach-Gingersnap "Shortcake 

2 to 3 ripe peaches, pitted 

1 teaspoon sugar or other sweetener 

1 1/2 'cup's whipped cream 

About 20 gingersnap cookies 

Slice peaches into thin wedges. Set aside 4 wedges. Cut the remaining slices in half crosswise. Toss peaches with sugar. 

In each of 4 individual serving dishes such as half-pint jars, layer peaches, whipped cream and gingersnaps. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving. Garnish each dish with a cookie half and one of the reserved peach wedges. 

Makes 4 servings. 

Mixed Berry Trifle 

1 (3- to 3.5-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding 

2 'cup's cold milk 

2 'cup's whipping cream 

6 to 8 'cup's cubed cake such as pound cake, angel food cake or spongecake, divided use 

1/2 'cup' berry jam or jelly, warmed to thin 

1 pint blueberries 

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced 

In a medium bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk until smooth; set aside. 

In a separate bowl, whip cream to firm peaks; set aside. 

In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other large, deep dish, layer half of the cake pieces. Spoon a small bit of jam over the cake, then top with half of the pudding, followed by half of the fruit and half of the whipped cream. Repeat layers. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours before serving. Garnish with additional berries just before serving. 

Makes 12 to 16 servings. 

Key Lime Icebox Cake 

1/4 'cup' Key lime juice 

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

2 generous tablespoons sour cream 

2 sleeves honey graham crackers from a 14.4-ounce box, about 18 full rectangles 

1 'cup' whipping cream, whipped 

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest 

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, beat Key lime juice, condensed milk and sour cream until thick and creamy. 

Arrange a single layer of graham crackers in the prepared dish. Spread half of the Key lime mixture over the crackers. Add another layer of graham crackers and top with whipped cream. Add a third layer of graham crackers and spread crackers with remaining Key lime. Add the fourth and final layer of graham crackers and top with remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle with lime zest. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. 

Makes 9 to 12 servings. 

Chocolate Mint Cookie Trifle 

1 (15.25-ounce) package mint-creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies 

1 (3- to 3.5-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding 

1 3/4 'cup's milk 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature 

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 'cup' PLUS 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 

1 1/2 'cup's heavy whipping cream 

Line the bottom of a trifle bowl or other deep, 2- to 3-quart serving dish with a single layer of cookies. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Pour over cookies. 

In a separate medium bowl (or wash and dry bowl used for pudding), beat cream cheese with butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth; set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat whipping cream to firm peaks with an electric mixer. Add 3/4 to 1 'cup' of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat on lowest speed. 

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pudding. Top with remaining whipped cream. 

Break the remaining cookies into quarters and sprinkle over the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. 

Makes 12 servings. 

Variations 

Lemon Cookie Trifle: Substitute lemon-creme-filled cookies for the mint-filled and lemon pudding for the chocolate pudding. 

Peanut Butter Cookie Trifle: Substitute peanut-butter-filled sandwich cookies for the mint-filled and add 1/2 'cup' creamy peanut butter to the cream mixture. 

ARE YOU SLEEPING WELL

Tips for middle-of-the-night insomnia Published June 28, 2016.  

It is a frustratingly common scenario: You fall asleep easily at bedtime but are wide awake at 2 or 3 in the morning. Only after a half-hour or more of staring at the ceiling can you finally fall back to sleep. This middle-of-the-night insomnia happens to everyone every once in awhile. It is an appropriate, normal response to stress, doctors say. But for a significant number of people it can become a chronic disorder. In fact, this type of insomnia is the most common, more so than having trouble falling asleep at bedtime. About 30 percent of American adults have symptoms of some sort of insomnia each year, according to scientific studies. Chronic insomnia is generally defined as having difficulty sleeping at least three times a week for three months or more. Chronic problems falling asleep at bedtime are often associated with stress and anxiety, says Michael Perlis, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Waking up too early is often linked to depression. Either type of insomnia can be caused by a circadian rhythm disorder, where there is a mismatch between one's biological clock and normal sleep times. Middle-of-the-night awakenings can be caused by medical conditions like sleep apnea, chronic pain or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Older adults are more likely to wake up overnight. Hot flashes from menopause and some prostate conditions that cause frequent urination can drive people out of bed. The best thing to do to prevent an occasional bout of middle-of-the-night insomnia from turning into a chronic problem seems simple: "Nothing," says Dr. Perlis. "Don't sleep in. Don't nap. Don't go to bed early the next day and everything will turn out fine. 

A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR

On the Lighter Side 

The Mixed Blessing 

The fourth-grade teacher had to leave the room for a few minutes. When she returned, she found the children in perfect order. Everybody was sitting absolutely quiet. She was shocked and stunned and said, "I've never seen anything like it before. This is wonderful. But, please tell me, what came over all of you? Why are you so well-behaved and quiet?" Finally, after much urging, a little girl said, "Well, one time you said that if you ever came back and found us quiet, you would drop dead!" 

The Parting Gifts 

A priest, a rabbi, a doctor and a lawyer are gathered at a mutual friend's graveside to mourn his passing. The priest says to the others, "I would like to honor our good friend in a special way." He pulls a $100 bill from his wallet and drops it on the casket. The rabbi agrees, "That's a fine idea," and drops his own $100 bill on the casket. The doctor, not to be outdone, does the same. The lawyer murmurs, "What a wonderful thought," as he gazes down at their friend's casket. Whipping out his pen, he quickly writes a check for $400, drops it into the grave and takes the three $100 bills as change. 

The Secret 

At a dinner party, several of the guests were arguing whether men or women were more trustworthy. "No woman," said one man, scornfully, "can keep a secret." "I don't know about that," huffed a woman guest. "I have kept my age a secret since I was 21." "You'll let it out some day," the man insisted. "I hardly think so!" responded the lady. "When a woman has kept a secret for 27 years, she can keep it forever." 

Today's Definition 

Auction: A place where, if you're not careful, you'll get something for nodding. 

Today's Oxymoron 

"No one goes there anymore; it's too crowded."

DO REAL PEOPLE REALLY DO ALL THIS

Why you should never buy pre-packaged ground beef Published June 23, 2016. 

No need to buy pre-ground meat. Have a butcher grind it up right before your eyes.  Beneath all of a burger's cheese, bacon, and fancy condiments, there's a patty. It's the reason you fired up the grill in the first place. And unfortunately, it's sometimes too perfect.  Those perfectly circular, finely ground burgers you make from pre-ground meat might look great, but they're not delivering the juiciness, tenderness, and flavor you deserve. The good news is, you don't need to go to a specialty butcher to get the best ground beef for your burgers. You just need to know the right moves at the supermarket.  The fresher the beef, the better the burger patty.  Here's your three-step plan: Get Fresh, Be Clean If your supermarket has a butcher counter (or even just a meat guy), you have almost no excuse for not getting your burger meat ground to order at the store (unless you're grinding it yourself, congrats!). "If you just pick up a package of something labeled ground meat, you're getting the lowest common denominator," said Goldwin. The meat can be from scraps from unproductive dairy cattle, can have extra seasonings added, or come from a facility that's nowhere near the butcher counter you're browsing. And those factors can affect the food safety and flavor. So leave the mystery in your beach novel and choose the piece of meat.  Don't Fear the Fat The good news is, choosing that cut couldn't be easier. A chuck steak is widely available, super-affordable, and thanks to its 20% fat content, it has the richness you need for your burger. "If you're high heat grilling, when fat gets hot, it develops great flavors and aromas," said Goldwyn. Fat is what gives even a blend of tough cuts plenty of juiciness, and by asking the butcher for a custom grind, you can get even more of that. "I've even recommended taking the fat level up to 30%," said Goldwyn. To do that, just choose a steak with plenty of extra fat along the edge.