Honey Walnut Shrimp

This is such a sinfully easy recipe, if I were you I wouldn't tell any one how easy it is....it is better if they think you went to some real work here for this dish...

Just a few indredients...

1 pound of prawns I used the 16/20 per pound

2 egg whites

1/3 cup of cornstarch

1/2 cup of mayonaise

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup of walnut

1 cup of water

3/4 cup of sugar

shredded cabbage

ok let's get the party started!

put the walnuts and water and sugar in a pan and boil for 2 minutes,

take the nuts out and spread out and leave to dry on a plate.

for the shrimp batter....whip the egg whites until really frothy....

here we are really frothy! then

add the cornstarch.....

this will become the constistancy of elmers glue....set aside until you finish the sauce

for the sauce, put the mayo, the honey and the sweet milk in a bowl and mix....

thoroughly and set aside....add 1 cup of oil to a  pan and heat until a medium heat to medium high....

dredge the shrimp in the batter and drop in pan....cook until golden....

turning over....this goes rather quickly....

drain on paper towel and toss shrimp with the sauce, serve on a bed of cabbage (really good with the sauce on the cabbage). sprinkle the walnuts over top...

I guess it is just enough for 3 hungry people....

This dish is a very fast recipe to put together once everything is prepped, so have your side dishes ready, great with Thai rice or regular rice and a quick stir fried vegetables like pea pods. Another side note: you can put the nuts in the hot oil for a minute to crisp them up a little, they are crisp then on the outside and softish on the inside.....so good! 

This just came in: since you only used 1 tablespoon out of the sweetened condensed milk, you need to use up the rest of the can, take 1 can of the sweet milk, 1 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cube of butter and melt together and you have the best hot fudge sauce money can buy!!!!

Cheers to Happy  !!

VELVEETA "GOURMET" MACARONI AND CHEESE

First just let me say that this is the most fun little blog spot.
Debbie (my little sister) is just as fabulous as she seems. And yes when she cooks her kitchen looks just like the pictures. I always love being invited to her house for any reason. And especially for dinner, or any other meal for that matter. She is the best hostess anywhere.
And so now that I have explained all of that today I am going to show you how the others really live.  You see I like to cook too.  However things are not as neat when I am cooking.  I call it white trash cooking and that is a term of endearment at my house.
The dish I made to show you is an all time everyone comfort food favorite.  Remember when our Mom's would take elbow macaroni and velveeta cheese and whip us the best dinner in town.  Well here is the recipe and yum I say it is the best.

What You Need!

Right... the pantry isn't properly organized, it is all in here though. 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, divided

1/4 cup  flour

1 cup milk

1/2 lb.  (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

6 RITZ Crackers, crushed

Make It!

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MELT 3 Tbsp. butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 min., stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add VELVEETA; cook 3 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni.

One of the best things about Velveeta cheese, it is easy to cut.

See it is looking pretty nice, I am thinkin'.

Ok then, the pasta and sauce are all mixed up and

in the pans.

SPOON into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with Cheddar. Melt   remaining butter; toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.

It was going so well with the crushing the ritz crackers the proper way

in the zip lock bag and with the rolling pin.  However, it seems I did not have enough crushed crackers so I  just did what any good all American girl would do, crushed the rest with my nice clean hands, 

they are not as finely crushed at the others.  I think they give the dish a nice friendly rustic look.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through

While the Macaroni and Cheese is baking cleaning up the mess might be good.   As you can see I used lots of pots and pans.

So cute this kitchen is.  

With any luck at all the kitchen will be neat and tidy when you are finished.

What do you think?  I say it was good.

They all came back for more.  Happy Day!!

I was so glad there was a little bit left over for this casserole for later.  Yum comfort food.

Cheers to Happy!!!!

.

Thai Sticky Rice

I first started making this recipe when my kids were young and home, I had a friend, Thim, who is from Thailand and she taught me how to make it...she used to have ladies over for lunch and  I came early to help her cook. She taught me alot about thai cooking and about her native land....my kids would form it into a ball and eat it that way, it is a FUN food....

you start by soaking the rice for about 2-4 hours or( longer is fine too), this is a step you can skip but I don't recommend it......experience talking here....

you buy this big 'urn', we are calling it an 'urn', I am sure there is another name, but I don't know it, (I do want to be there when you go to the asian store and ask for an 'Urn' and a 'Hat'), it is inexpensive and I think important for the steaming process. I have never made this rice any other way.

Fill the 'urn' with water up until where the curve starts to go in, about half way up the 'urn', and bring to a boil.

then you also buy this bamboo 'hat' at the asian store, and don't let your granddaughter put it on her head, then you have to rewash it, and it does wash up fine in hot soapy water, just let it air dry thoroughly before you put it away.

put the hat, in the sink, then empty the rice into the hat, and begin washing with clear water,

wash, wash, wash...

wash, wash, wash...(it looks like I was slicing beets, my red thumb)

how about rinse, rinse, rinse...

then place the 'hat' on the 'urn' and...

find a lid that can cover, I chose this nice glass one

and here it is, ready to go! (and whose old hand is that?)

boil for 40 minutes, make sure to cook it long enough,

and ......

you have very good, tender, sweet sticky rice from Thailand!

When you are at the asian store you buy the 'thai sweet rice' it is the one with gluten'

you can ask someone, (again I want to be there)

I use about 1 1/2 cups of rice and it about doubles in size as it soaks, and cooks,

this is very good and such a fun conversation piece.....I hope you make it!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Homemade Laundry Soap

This is the first time I have ever done this, making laundry soap.....I frankly don't know anyone who has, either. It is so easy to make, very inexpensive, works wonderfully well, is hypoallergenic, the laundry comes out fresh and clean,  how could you go wrong? I know you all are saying why? Well I say, why not?

Just a few simple ingredients,

3 bars of Fels Naptha Bar Soap

4 lbs of Borax

4 lbs of Arm and Hammer super washing Soda

4 lbs of Baking Soda

You need to first grate the Fels Naptha, you can do this by hand or ....

cut in chunks like cheese and put it through your ...

food processor....(still looks like cheese)

Here is the Borax, Washing Soda and Baking Soda

I bought all the ingredients at Fred Meyer in the laundry soap section

(someone else must be making soap)

Weigh out 4 lbs of each one......

mix all together in a tub

Put on your pretty pink gloves and really mix it up....

and there it is ready to go!

You use just 1 or 2 tablespoons of the powder

for each load.....this soap should last me 6 months...

the cost was about $12.50...

What a fun bio-degradable 'green' project!

                          

Look no suds, rinses clear...and yes I mix yellow and light blue with white.....

Very fresh and clean, has that outdoor smell....

Cheers to Happy  !!