Sylvia's Scenario

I got a craving for Asian meatballs tonight so whipped up this recipe which turned out delicious.  Actually, the sauce really made them finger-licking good. If you want a good peanut sauce, this one is a winner.  We had these meatballs and sauce with brown rice, even though I know this is not Asian but brown rice is healthier, what can I say.   Makes 20 meatballs 1 pound ground turkey 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced red pepper 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped 1 egg 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1-1/2 tsp. grated ginger, divided 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup light coconut milk 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1.  Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, red pepper, cilantro, egg, salt, cayenne and tsp. ginger in a large bowl I combined the ground turkey that I had  with some ground beef because the turkey came in a package of only 12 ounces so I added 4 ounces of ground beef.  Y

It's that time of year again for Valentine cookies!  I like these cookies because of the little messages in the cookie cutters.  If you sprinkle the colored sugar just right onto the cookies before you bake them, you can see the message loud and clear.  The ones that don't turn out clear, end up being frosted. Either way they look very festive for Valentine's Day.  I use the same  cookie recipe  I use for  Super Bowl cookies ,   Halloween cookies , Spritz cookies . It's amazing how different all these cookies look but they all taste the same - delicious!!  I wish I could tell you where to get cute little cookie cutters like my "Hi, Cutie" and "Love Ya" cookie cutters but I've had these about 20 years and I bought them at a Hallmark, of all places.  They are just these cheap, little plastic cookie cutter. If you find any cookie cutters like these, buy them immediately!  They make Valentine cookies with a love message without any effo

Our Super Bowl party was super fun this year.   We made the party a New Orleans theme since the game was being played in the Super Dome in New Orleans. And since we were recently just there in January , we stocked up on Southern cuisine items to bring home such as the Hurricane and Cyclone drinks which are very popular in New Orleans. They were a big hit and went down very easy. Everyone brought incredible Southern food like mustard greens and polenta, shrimp and beans/rice, okra, black-eyed peas , gumbo, which was gumbo from a mix we brought back from New Orleans. Our main entree was baked ham which we always prepare for our Super Bowl party but instead of our usual au gratin potatoes that go with ham, this year we had cheese grits which are excellent with ham. We had the usual football food, too, to keep with a football theme. I had to throw a few vegetables into the mix but after everyone added their dishes

Cheese grits go great with ham and ham is what we always serve on Super Bowl Sunday.  Since we're having a New Orleans theme this year, cheese grits are a "must have".   They are a Southern staple.   This recipe is straight from  Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook .  Cheese grits is what I call the Southern version of au gratin potatoes.  So good. Serves 6-8 1 cup regular grits (do not use quick-cooking grits) - but I did use quick cooking because that's all they had at our local store. 4 cups water 1/4 cup butter 1 (6 ounce) package of sharp Cheddar cheese 1 tsp. salt 2 egg yolks, beaten well 2 egg whites, beaten stiff cracker or dry bread crumbs 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2.  Cook grits in the water according to the package's directions. 3.  Slowly add the butter, cheese, and salt. 4.  Add the egg yolks. 5.  Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and then fold into the cheese grits. 6.  Pour into a greased 1-1/2

Black-eyed peas are a favorite food in the South and since our Super Bowl party is in honor of beautiful New Orleans, I am naturally serving black-eyed peas.  This recipe is a version from  Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook - the best Southern food you can get!  Black-eyed peas are a traditional good luck dish in the south that are served on New Year's Day.  I guess it makes sense to serve them on Super Bowl Sunday to bring luck that your favorite team will win! Serves 8-12 1 -16 ounce bag dry black-eyed peas, picked over and washed 12 cups hot water 1 ham hock 1 chopped onion  2 tsp. salt 1 cup uncooked rice 1 pound sausage, browned 1 green pepper, chopped 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce salt and pepper 1.  Place the peas in a kettle with water, ham hock, onions and salt. 2.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2-1/2 hours or until tender. 3.  Drain (but save the liquid) and discard ham hock. 4.  Cook the rice in 2 cups o