New England Baked Beans

Image via WikipediaI finally bought a Bean Pot.  Always wanted one, and when I found one on sale I could not resist.  Scoured many baked bean recipes and this is the one I selected.  Learned alot on my first bean outing.  Overnight soak on dry beans work better than the "quick soak" method.  Sort em, cook em for a couple hours, let them stand overnight, and cook em again.  MAKE SURE THEY ARE TENDER BEFORE YOU PUT EM IN THE BEAN POT.  They will not soften that much more while baking.  All you will accomplish by baking longer is the risk of scorching your sauce.  So, again, be sure the beans are soft enough before you begin.

Boston Baked Beans

1 pound dried Great Northern Beans
1/2 pound thick sliced bacon strips, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups ketchup
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sort beans and rinse with cold water.  Place beans in a Dutch Oven.  add enough water to cover by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; cover and let stand for one hour or until beans are softened.  Or let set overnight. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.  Return beans to Dutch oven; add 6 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.  Saute onions in drippings until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drain beans, reserving the cooking liquid; place in a un-greased 3 quart cooking pot or bean pot.  Stir in the onion mixture and bacon.  Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2-1/2 hours or until beans are tender and have reached the desired consistency, stirring about every 30 minutes.  Add reserved cooking liquid as needed.

Enjoy.
The Old Guy (slightly more flatulent after eating the above)

Things that you always wanted to know!

Image via WikipediaWhat follows are a list of things that you always wanted to know, and will also make you an expert at Trivial Pursuit.  You will amaze your friends with these little known facts and such..........

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.  If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. (really)

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.  It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat unitl warm.  This keeps the crust crispy.  No soggy micro-pizza.

Store your open chunks of cheeses in aluminum foil.  They will stay fresher much longer and not mold.

Hate foggy windshields??? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep in the glove box.  When the windows fog, rub with the eraser.  It works better than a cloth.

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something minside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two.  It will unseal easily.

The end.
Enjoy.
The Old Guy

Creme De Menthe Cake

Image via WikipediaThis is a easy, fast, and fancy dessert you can Wow your friends or at your families next potluck.

Creme De Menthe Cake

1 package White cake mix
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Creme De Menthe liqueur
1 (16 ounce) can Hershey's Chocolate syrup
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

Prepare White cake as directed on package, except substitute 1/2 cup Creme De Menthe for 1/4 cup of the water.  Bake in a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan, according to baking directions.
Remove from oven when done and while cake is still hot, poke holes on cake with fork or skewer or handle of a wooden spoon.  Pour the chocolate syrup evenly over the top of cake.  Refrigerate.  After cake is cooled, mix the Cool Whip with the remaining 3 tablespoons of Creme De Menthe, mixing well to eliminate "streaks".  Spread over cake.  Store in refrigerator.
Cut into squares and serve, and wait for the "Wows".  Yummm

Enjoy.
The Old Guy

Parkway Hamburgers

Image via Wikipedia
Here is a favorite Burger recipoe of mine I found many years ago.

Parkway Hamburgers

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 dash hot sauce
2 teaspoons Heinz 57 steak sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons horseradish
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons onion, minced
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Chili sauce

Mix all ingredients and let stand, refrigerated, for 12 hours. Form into patties  Place in a skillet and brown.  Be sure to msoak up the bun in the cooking ":juice".

Hungarian Beef Short Ribs

Served over wide egg noodles, this is one of my favorite dinners.

Hungarian Beef Short Ribs

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 medium onions, sliced
1 can (15 ounces) tomatoe sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Cooked wide egg noodles

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Brown on all sides.  Add onion; cook until onions are tender.  Combine all remaining ingredients except noodles; pour over ribs.  Reduce heat to simmer; cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 3 hours.  Thicken gravy if desired.  Serve over noodles.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Enjoy
The Old Guy

Asparagus Shepherd's Pie

I got this recipe from Siri, a co-worker of mine.  I hope you enjoy it as much as
Siri and I do.

Asparagus Shepherd's Pie

6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed Cream of Asparagus soup, undiluted
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Paprika (sweet Hungarian)

In a saucepan, cover potatoes with water; cook until very tender.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, over medium heat,
cook beef until no longer pink; drain.  Add onion and garlic; cook until tender.  Stir in soup and pepper; pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish.  Cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes; drain and place over beef mixture.  Drain potatoes; mash with milk, butter, sage and salt.  Spread over the asparagus.  Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Yield: 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!
The Old Guy