A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....08/15/03....Cooking With FReepers - Carlo3b

dansangel; Billie

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear, Aquamarine ~

Several Finest FReepers have requested a thread whereby they would have the opportunity to exchange favorite recipes. Our motto around here is (among other things), "We Aim To Please." With that said, it is a pleasure to present to you ~

design by Billie
"the other stuff" by dansangel

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There are two schools of thought about eating. Many of us "eat to live" - that is, consume food instinctively to sustain life. Then there are others who "live to eat." I definitely fall into the latter category!

Toss some mixed salad greens with a luscious balsamic vinaigrette dressing, add Greek olives and feta cheese and I am sighing with delight. Pour expertly created Italian-style tomato sauce over carefully hand-made pasta and I am quivering with anticipation. Serve (almost) anything covered in decadent chocolate and I am purring like a kitten.

Blame it on my ethnic Italian upbringing, but eating is more of an event than an exercise in survival.

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FReeper Carlo3b has graciously agreed to co-host today's thread. For those of you who are not familiar with Carlo, he is a Master Chef and the one behind compiling and publishing "The Clinton Legacy Cookbook" ~ a collection of FReeper recipes traded online in celebration of the Klintoons exiting the White House. Our very own Billie is credited with some of the illustrations used in the book. For those of you interested in owning a copy of this entertaining and useful cooking aid, please send a FReepmail to Carlo3b for details.

Carlo3b

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Before getting underway with the flurry of recipe exchange, I'd like to start you all out on some favorite recipes of mine~



Baked Stuffed Mushrooms - Italian Style

Ingredients:

24 mushrooms (approx. 1 and 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter)
2/3 c shredded provolone cheese
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
1/4 c chopped onion
3 tbsp chopped green pepper
3 tbsp margarine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Wash mushrooms and remove stems from the caps. Chop the stems.
~ Sautee onion, garlic, green pepper and 2 c chopped mushroom stems in margarine until tender.
~ Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs and cheese.
~ Press mixture into the mushroom caps.
~ Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!





Chicken and Artichokes

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cut into 2-inch chunks
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 small jar marinated mushrooms
1/2 c seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp grated parmesean cheese

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~ Dip chunks of chicken in egg and then roll in bread crumbs.
~ Heat olive oil in frying pan and lightly fry coated chicken pieces. Set aside.
~ Partially drain artichoke hearts and mushrooms.
~ In a small-medium baking dish, layer chicken pieces on the bottom. Then, layer artichokes and mushrooms. Top with parmesean cheese.
~ Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Enjoy!





Chocolate/Butterscotch "Brownies"

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 can Borden's condensed sweetened milk
1 c Nestle's semi-sweet bits
1 c Nestle's butterscotch bits
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts

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~ Mix all ingredients well.
~ Press mixture into a well-greased 9" square pan.
~ Bake @ 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.
~ Cool 45 minutes.
~ Cut into 1 and 1/2 inch squares.
Enjoy!

Have fun trading recipes. Above all,

Mangia! :-)

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-11-03 Military Monday 08-12-03 High Road To China 08-13-03 FReeper Pets - Mama_Bear's "Boyz" 08-14-03 Dems: Vote No on Recall

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; Aquamarine and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew ValerieUSA................2 sons Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son

[carlo3b]

Here you go Meek....This is another Atkins type recipe, but, with a little added flavor... easy as a store bought pie..ha!

Amaretto Chicken Strips Kabobs

You can keep these delicious snacks  in the fridge for up to a week. For a tasty lunch, serve five or six over dressed salad greens.

• 4 bonesless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup Atkins Sugar Free Pancake Syrup, or Da Vinci Amaretto Sugar Free Syrup
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or dried tarragon


1. Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into strips, I get about 6.
2. Combine syrup, mustard and herbes de Provence in a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken.
Refrigerate 4 hours up to overnight.
3. When ready to serve, heat oven to 350 F. Thread strips on metal or soaked bamboo skewers.
Arrange on a broiler pan. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked through.

[dansangel]

Mmmmmmm!!!

A chocolate recipe that sounds *healthy* - I could get into that! LOL!!

I'll look into the dried egg whites. That's really neat.

[dansangel]

That's cheating! LOL!!

Well if it's good enough for Jarod.....

:-)

[MaryFromMichigan]

Thanks for starting this thread dansangel!
Carlo3b- your "Baked Stuffed Mushrooms - Italian Style" sounds delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
I love to collect recipes! Especially old family recipes!
As my older boys grew up, I began putting some recipes on my computer so that when they left home, they could take some of their old favorites with them.
As time went by, it occurred to me that I would appreciate a collection of the recipes that family members and friends and had shared with me over the years, so I started a compilation.
That "little project" turned into 2 books of family recipes that spanned six generations. LOL!
I'll watch this thread with special interest today!

[dansangel]

Hi ((((((Tooters)))))

Great to see you! :-)

Actually, the stuffed mushrooms are mine - I didn't exactly make that clear on the thread - my bad.

You can add a little sweet Italian sausage, minus the casing, to the mixture for extra "heartiness."

Please feel free to share a recipe, or two, or three....LOL! with us.

[boxerblues]

at least I know were I will be all day today...especially after last nights dinner.

[FreeTheHostages]

oh good, I'm *starving*!!

(Calendar is on vacation until August 20th, the website reports.) So let me just yell: "TODAY IS AUGUST 15th!!"

[dansangel]

Uh-oh....were you affected by the black-out up in your neck of the woods? :-(

Please feel free to hang out and trade some recipes! Or, just sit back and enjoy!

Happy FRiday (((((boxerblues)))))

[dansangel]

(((((((((Freezie)))))))

The calendar "took a vacation"????

OMG - the world has sure gone crazy! LOL!!

Thanks for the update and Enjoy all the food! :-)

[boxerblues]

We are just east of Cleveland so we were part of the mess. The power was off and on from about 1 am stayed on for good about 6:30 this morning. We decided to try out a couple of the MRE's that we had stashed in the basement OMG I have a new found respect for my boys and the rest of the troops who have been eating these things for months.

[MeekOneGOP]

Mmmm-mmmmmm ! Yer makin' me hawngry !!

Thanks !!

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe ! :O)

[dansangel]

We decided to try out a couple of the MRE's that we had stashed in the basement OMG I have a new found respect for my boys and the rest of the troops who have been eating these things for months.

I simply cannot imagine. That is one of the reasons I pray daily for all of our wonderful Military and the sacrifices that they make for us.

Thank you for putting into perspective just how *blessed* we are - thanks to these selfless men and women!

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, since the beginning of this week the calendar has said this last weekend.

Sigh. Wish we got a vacatiion! But frankly at the rate Billie pays us, I can't afford one.

[iceskater]

Me, me, me! Please share some Atkins recipes with me! I started Atkins a month ago and have lost 10 pounds (I'm totally happy with that - better results than I ever got with Weight Watchers). But I'm kind of reaching that point where I'm starting to get a little bored. So, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Got any easy, quick recipes for breakfast - other than eggs?

[boxerblues]

I have this article hanging on my office wall above my collection box that I send to the troops. the first 2 paragraphs sez it all, personnally the rock might of been made a better meal

---

The first indication that you're in for a culinary treat -- al fresco, no less -- are the cooking instructions: After assembling the various ingredients, the cook is directed to lean the package against a "rock or something."

There's even a diagram, with a badly drawn rock or something.

The second indication of quality is the boast on the side of the box: "Guaranteed Bursting Test 550 pounds."


http://sptimes.com/2003/03/19/Taste/Between_a_rock_and_a_.shtml

[humblegunner]

Nicely done, as always!
Hooray for Carlo!

[carlo3b]

I have begun to use a lot of ground Turkey as a substitute for ground meat for recipes that just need a lower fat diet.. kinda anti Atkins... This is one of those recipes that really lends itself to that conversion.. enjoy!
 

Fanterrific Enchiladas Casserole

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 cups picante sauce or salsa *( I'll post a great salsa in a minute...)
• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (8 oz) regular or light cream cheese, cubed
• 12 Flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) tomatoes, undrained, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, black olives, diced avocado, sour cream
   
1) In a large skillet, cook turkey until no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon.
2) Add 1 cup of the picante sauce, the spinach, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cumin and salt.
3) Cook and stir 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add cream cheese, stirring just until melted.
4) Spoon about 1/3 cup filling down center of each warmed tortilla; roll up and place seam-side down in a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
5) Combine tomatoes and remaining 1 cup Picante sauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Spoon over enchiladas.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese; return to oven 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Add whatever topping you wish and Yummmmmmmmm
Serves 6.

[carlo3b]

That "little project" turned into 2 books of family recipes that spanned six generations..

Hey...come on, no holding back.... can we take a peek?

[lonestar]

Have any good recipes for pears that you can share?

Dump them in a waterless cooking pot. Let it sit awhile and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. Start cooking on low and increase heat until the pears are cooking in their own juice.

That's all I know about that.

OH!! Do not let your "Granny" eat raw pears.

Weinie