Smoothies – Ninja-style

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

My new favorite toy is the Ninja Blender. I like it because it comes with two sizes — a small blender, and a pitcher. There is a dual blade system that really does the trick. Pulsing the Ninja creates wonderfully chopped foods. Holding the blending button down creates wonderfully creamy treats!

The Girl Scouts were over to my house and we made Smooties. We had fresh fruit, ice, and the juice from canned fruit that we used. I have also put yogurt in them.

It was such a hit that when one mother’s blender broke down, her daughter said you have to get a Ninja!

Chocolate Cookies

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

These are ,by far, my favorite cookies. For some reason, I only make them around Christmas time — what a shame! They are a bit more “fussy” to make than most cookies because of the fact that the dough needs to rest overnight — and it is really sticky to handle. I use my favorite cookie drop to make the perfect circles of dough — I did break one cookie drop on the stiff dough, though!

Here is the recipe. I hope you give it a try — and not just save it for Christmas!

Chocolate Cookies

1/2 c salad oil
4 squares melted chocolate
2 c sugar
Combine and beat well.
Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each egg. Add 2t vanilla then add 2 c sifted flour, 2 t baking powder.
Chill over night. Form into balls roll in powdered sugar, place on well greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350o for 10-12 minutes DON’T OVERBAKE!!!!!

Well, after careful research and shopping, I decided to purchase a 12′ Lodge Logic Dutch Camp Oven.  I found the best regular price at Farm and Fleet, but it was also on sale there!

The recipe I picked from a Northern Iowa Girl Scout Cookbook called for three sliced apples (I cheated and used my Apple-Corer-Slicer-Peeler) layered in the bottom followed by a package of Gingerbread Mix on top.  I did use cooking spray to coat the lid and oven.

I used my new Charcoal Chimney, and prepared 24 coals.  I placed 16 on top and 8 on the bottom.  In about 45 minutes, the cake had pulled away from the sides of the pan — and it was done to delicious perfection!  Clean-up was easy too, as it did not really stick to the oven — used water only for clean-up!

We attended Dutch Oven Cooking 101 at the Hurtsville Interpretive Center north of Maquoketa, IA on Highway 61 yesterday.  Our chef and demonstrator, Doug, cooked up shake-and-bake chicken with cabbage leaves, scalloped corn, cherry pineapple dump cake, and bacon-wrapped smokies.  Another participant shared mock enchiladas.

He used a camp oven — a Dutch oven with legs.  This way, he could stack the dishes and better utilize all the coals.  His formula for temperature varied a bit from what the Girl Scouts say.  He said to take the size of your oven and double it.  Then, put 1/3 of that number of coals on the bottom and 2/3 of that number of coals on the top/lid.  Example:  12″ oven.  12×2 = 24. 8 coals on the bottom – 16 coals on the top.  He also suggested rotating the pot and the lid throughout the cooking.

In one hour, all the dishes were done to perfection for the participants to enjoy!

Well, the children took one look at the crock pot enchiladas and told me they were not going to eat them.  Our older daughter decided to try a few bites, and was surprised that she liked it.  Our little one, wouldn’t try it — maybe next time.

The new crock pot worked fine.  It does cook a lot faster than the old one — it seems.  I’m going to have to watch this.  It does have a “keep warm” setting that the old one did not have.  I did use that this time for the last 2 hours, but it was still a little brown and crusty on top — still good though, and I will definitely make it again.  Even my “non-spicy” mom liked it, and cleaned her plate!