This morning I woke up around four a.m. - feeling very sick.  The first few trips to the bathroom took care of ridding my body of everything I’d eaten that had already left my stomach.  It was during the fourth or fifth trip that the contents of my stomach made their exit.  There really are few things in life that are more gross and exhausting than throwing up.  I do it maybe once - sometimes twice - a year.  My stomach has always been sensitive.  RT thinks there’s something terribly wrong with me.  What he doesn’t understand is that I’ve always been this way.   RT and I ate all three meals together yesterday.  I didn’t eat anything that he didn’t also eat.  And he slept great all night and woke up feeling great.   My stomach just decided it was going to go on strike, and, to my dismay and lack of sleep,  it did.

So I’m staying home from work today.  Around 11:00 this morning I decided that I felt enough better than I could try eating a little food.  And absolutely nothing appealed to me except my standard-first-meal-after-being-sick menu: a poached egg on dry whole wheat toast sprinkled with a little grated cheddar cheese.  I have no idea why that has become my standard, but it never fails to help me recover after being sick.  So I prepared it, and it was delicious - mild, but filling - and with enough protein and carbohydrates to help me sleep off the last of my queasiness.

Here’s another great appetizer to serve at a holiday party. 

Fried Cheese Melt-In-Your-Mouth Appetizers

1 lb cheese (Monterey Jack, American, Swiss, Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar - whatever is your favorite)

vegetable oil

1 cup Bisquick baking mix

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

Cut the cheese into cubes.  Add oil to a saucepan to two-inches in depth, and bring up to 375 degrees.  Combine baking mix, milk and egg and mix until smooth.  Insert a round wooden pick into each cheese cube; dip into batter, covering the cheese completely.  Fry several cubes at a time, turning carefully until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  makes about 45 appetizers.

Here’s an easy appetizer to take to one of those many holiday parties:

BLT Bites

2 dozen cherry tomatoes

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/3 cup green onion, chopped finely

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely

Cut a small slice off the top of each tomato.  Scoop out and discard the pulp.  Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain while you make the filling.  In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spoon into the tomatoes and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.  You can garnish with a sprig of celergy or sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top.

(Dictated entirely by R.T.)

Here’s my recipe for turnip greens.  I made it, I ate it, and I liked it.  Nobody else had none, but they sure were good, and I wanted to share it with you.

Spirited Turnip Greens

Select fresh leafy turnip greens.  They may become soggy in the cooking process, but it is always best that they are crisp when started.  Wash to remove all grit.  Remove large stems.  Place turnips in a large saucepan.  Cover with cold water. Season with your choice of salt, ham hock, chicken boullion, beef boullion, and/or bacon.  Bring to a rapid boil and then cook your turnip greens.  Prior to serving, add a shot of Jack Daniels or Jim Beam.  You will be amazed at the rich, fullbodied flavor that your choice of bourbon or whiskey brings to your turnip greens.

A quickie meal - easy, only three main ingredients.

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

1 package grilled/diced chicken breast (or you can season, grill and dice your own)

6 large flour tortillas (more or less, depending on how hungry you are)

Grated or thinly sliced Mexican cheese (mixture of white and yellow cheeses)

Spray Pam in the bottom of a large frying pan and place a tortilla in the pan, fllat.  On one half, place some of the cheese and chicken.  Fold the tortilla in half.  Lightly brown each side.  I usually keep a pan in the oven to place the quesadillas when I’m finished with them.  It helps to finish melting the cheese and keeps them hot until I have enough prepared for everyone.  To serve, use a pizza cutter to slice each quesadilla into wedges.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.  Yummy!

A friend of mine brought this cheese roll to a party one time.  It is colorful and very festive-looking.  It also is delicious - very different from the typical cheese roll.

 Holiday Cheese Roll

two 8-0z packages cream cheese

1 small jar Maraschino cherries, drained, blotted and finely chopped

Very finely chopped onion (just a little bit - maybe 1 or 2 teaspoons)

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Seasoned salt

Mix ingredients well and form into a roll or ball.  Once formed, roll in finely chopped nuts (pecans are best).  Serve with crackers. 

This is a wonderful cheese roll to use at parties - colorful and delicious!

I love bananas foster.  It’s warm and creamy and banana-y.   I’ve made it a few times for my family.  I also love bread pudding for the same reason, except typically bread pudding isn’t banana-y.  Just delicious.  Now you I present you a recipe for a bread pudding that features the best of bananas foster.  Here’s the recipe:

Bread Pudding a la Bananas Foster

5 eggs

2 cups half and half (you can use heavy cream for a richer texture)

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons banana liqueur

2 Taablespoons rum (dark rum is best)

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 bananas, mashed

12 cups cubed white bread

custard sauce

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with Pam.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, rum, liqueur, bananas and cinnamon.  Add bread - coating well.  Let it stand for 20 - 30 minues.  Pour into the baking dish.  Put the baking dish into a larger roasting pan.  Add about 1-inch of water to the roasting pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes 0r until the center is set.  If it starts browning too much during the last half of the baking time, you can cover lit ightly with aluminum foil.  Remove from the roasting pan.  Spoon into dessert dishes and serve with custard sauce.

Custard Sauce

2 egg yolks

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 Tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons rum

5 Tablespoons butter

In a bowl whisk together the eggs  yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar and milk.  In a separate bowl whisk together the corn starch and water until smooth.  Add the cornstarchmixture, rum and vanilla to the egg mixture and poour into a medium saucepan.  Simmer, whisking continuously until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add the butter and mix until melted.  Serve warm over the bread pudding.

The title of this recipe has been cleaned up a little as you can imagine.   This recipe came from my daughter, Stinkeroo, but I’ve seen versions of it all over the place.  The alcohol cooks off, but it leaves the chicken super moist.  I’ve made this chicken several times, and it’s true - it’s deliciously juicy and tender.  Stinkeroo knows people who cook several and then freeze a couple for quick meals later.  It’s that good.

Chicken With a Beer Up Its Booty

1 whole chicken

1 tsp. Liquid Smoke

1 tsp. What’s-This-Here Sauce

1 can cheapest beer you can find (pour half of it out - or drink it)

salt, pepper, Emeril’s essence, a litle bit of every spice in your cabinet (within reason!)

Poke holes in the chicken - a lot.  Season the outside of the chicken with the salt/pepper and Emeril’s Essence.  Place the giblets in the beer can.  Then add the liquid smoke, What’s-This-Here Sauce, salt, pepper and other spices to the can of beer.  The combination is not real important.  Set the chicken on the can of beer and place it on the preheated grill.  It looks like the chicken is sitting on the beer can.  You can set this on a cookie sheet to make it a little more steady so it won’t tip over on the grill.  Cook on low for one hour and fifteen minutes.  DO NOT OPEN THE GRILL LID DURING THIS TIME.  That is important or it messes up the way it cooks.  When done discard the can - and enjoy the delicious chicken.

These make a great lunch or dinner - and they’re good for children and adults alike.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

2 cups frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, corn - whatever you like)

10 ounces canned chunk white chicken - drained (approximately 1 cup)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, your favorite)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 ten-count can refrigerated FLAKY biscuits

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with Pam.  Open the can of biscuits and separate each biscuit into halves, horizontally.  Press the bottom half of each biscuit into each of 10 muffin cuups.  Set aside.  Cook the vegetables and onion until tender.  Drain well.  Combine the chicken, cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic powder and vegetables in a large bowl and mix well.  Spoon the chicken mixture equally into the prepared muffin cups, and then cover with the top halves of the biscuits.  Bake until golden brown - about 25-30 minutes.

Scalawag (our 29-year old son) and his wife, Mia called a couple hours ago.  They were on their way home from having Thanksgiving Dinner with Mia’s side of the family.  They knew that RT had been sick all day, and so they had prepared two plates for us from their own Thanksgiving feast.  Actually there were FOUR plates - two containing all the side dishes, one of appetizers and one of turkey and SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE’.  Yes, I said sweet potato souffle’ - the one thing I’d been yearning for all day.  I had written earlier today about how RT and I had celebrated Thanksgving in our own minimized way because he woke up sick this morning.  There was only one thing that was missing - and that was our wonderful Sweet Potato Souffle’ - the very best dish we always have for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And Mia had made this sweet potato souffle’ herself following our family’s recipe.  It is wonderful.

As soon as Scalawag and Mia left, RT and I enjoyed a few bites of turkey - so tender and juicy - and an accompanying few bites of Sweet Potato Souffle’.  There is simply nothing that compares to it.  Our Thanksgiving is now complete.  AHHH!