MMMM!!! Gumbo of The North!

Ok, ok, so I have lived all over the South, but I have lived up North longer.... I still like all the food and alot of the culture of the South! Don't hate me for not being a fan of collard greens, but I've also never had them prepared very well... maybe I'll take a vaction to Lousianna or Georgia or Alabama and get 'em done right! HA! But I do LOVE ME SOME GUMBO!!! And this Montana Girl has made a really good recipe... ok well I think it's good anyways... ha ha ha!!! I made it up. and if someone else does it the same way...sorry! I promise I didn't copy you! So here are the ingredients you will need. Just remember, it's NORTHERN so I don;t have as much fresh available. (Dontcha Know, eh? LOL) OH!! And i love Okra, it really is the key ingredient to gumbo, it is what gives the gumbo the right texture and flavor. If you don't like okra... you probably won't like gumbo, he he he!

YOU NEED:
1 bag frozen Okra ( fresh if you have it and want to use it I suppose)

Baby Sweet Peppers ( 3 orange, 2 yellow, 2 red) or half of a big pepper of each color.

1 cup frozen Lima beans (More if you like them alot)

a handful or two of frozen sweet corn

1 can diced tomatoes (or fresh)

1 small can (really small, the 70 cent ones) diced green chilles

1 small can tomatoe sauce

1 lb (up to 2 lb, depending on how big your pot is) Pork country ribs or loin, chopped into bite

size chunks

1/3 cup flour

1 small purple/red onion copped into larger slices

1 cup strong beef, pork, or chicen broth

Garlic Powder, or fresh garlic ( I use alot, like 2 or 3 tablespoons, you use how much you like)

Black Pepper (several strong shakes, or fresh ground to taste)

Cajun Seasoning ( about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, but you can add more or less depedning on your tatses)

salt to taste

Olive Oil

Heat large kettle (dutch oven or soup kettle) with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, add chopped meat and brown well, until cooked through. about halfway through cooking add flour and stir briskly to coat meat. add chilles and stir, let cook a minute or two. Add seasonings and stir well. Add onion and peppers. cook a few minutes. Add tomatoes, tomatoe sauce, and taste, add more seasonings if needed. Add broth and remaining veggies. stir well and every so often. cook a minimum or 30 minutes, but can cook longer if time allows!( like stew, cook longer or shorter as time allows haha!) Serve over rice or alone, I personally think it would be good with kneophla or chewy dumpling noodles :) But I didn't try it yet ha ha!

crusty rolls would be good too! You could use chicken or beef I suppose as well. Of course, I do like gator! hehe! Enjoy!!!

pina colada cake

Hello Friends! Ok, so I have never, yes, NEVER made a homeade cake from scratch until this last week!!!!! It turned out to be so so so so yummy!!!! My husband ate almost the whole thing... ha ha ha! I got two pieces.. but they were exceptional! I halfways made this up and half ways am pretty sure someone else has already tried it! ha!!! Well, I like to think I made it up...even though I am more than likely wrong, I will still pretend I made it up, ha!!
ok so i took the yellow cake recipe from Better homes and gardens, but changed it just a little.
Cake:

Yellow Cake

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 eggs
3/4 cups milk
1/2 cups pineapple juice, mixed with the milk to make it sour
1 box coconut cream pudding (jello brand)

directions

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans, set pan(s) aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture, including pudding and milk/juice combo alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Just so you know, My cake took almost an hour for some reason, so allow possibly an hour for this to bake!

Ok, so now is the fun part!!! The filling!!!

you need:

3/4 can pineapple tidbits, crushed or chopped by hand , just slightly ( I mashed them in the pan with a potatoe masher a little bit)

1/2-3/4 cup brownsugar

1 tablespoon rum extract

1 tablespoon coconut extract

white sugar to taste ( about a tablespoon or so)

1 tablespoon butter

dash of salt

combine all ingredients, bring to a rapid boil, turn heat down and simmer until fruit carmelizes and becomes opaque ( slightly see-thru) add more sugar if fruit is not getting a medium thick carmel consistancy. This will be the fruit filling layer between the cakes and needs to be thick enough to not run. after carmelly and clearish... set aside to let cool while you take out the cakes to cool. I immediately removed cakes from pans by flipping them over and let cool on a clean towel. This way they cool faster and are flat on both sides.

TO COMBINE CAKE

I admit i bought some cream cheese frosting.... it tatsed like crud! haha! Find a good cream cheese recipe and make your own. LOL! Anyways instead of frosting between your layers, use fruit instead of frosting, cover entire outside of layer with cream cheese frosting and top with a cute flower or similar decoration. ENJOY!!!

Avacado Grape Salsa

Sorry everyone that I took the month of June off! It was way too beyond busy! I suppose I should have told you all that so that you wouldn't have to keep checking in :) . Anyways, My husband found this recipe and made it for the 4th of July, we added jalepenos for fun and it was a super hit!!! It is a little sweet to eat too much at once, but it is great on tortilla chips or in a beef steak wrap! YUM!

Ingredients
2 cups seedless red grapes, chopped
2 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice and a hint of the zest
1 teaspoon garlic powder
a dash of salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
Directions
Chop grapes in food processor for a few seconds, puree avacado in processor ( or mash well in bag) Place the grapes, avocado, red pepper, yellow pepper, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Season with lime juice, garlic powder, and black pepper. Gently fold the ingredients together until well mixed. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. This will only stay good for a few days as avacado doesn't last all that long. ENJOY!
I suppose you could use fresh garlic too, however, it's so yummy anyway you tweak it!