Pizza Wheel

I have kids.  Kids like to eat, but also need their food cut.  I use my pizza wheel to cut everything from fish sticks to french toast.  Oh yea, it works great on pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, making chicken nuggets out of chicken patties, and just about any other goodie!

A Recipe That Will Make Your Mother Proud

Logan’s BBQ Meatloaf

I like to throw this together on shopping days and freeze in advance.  It makes a quick meal and is very easy to split into portions. 

1 medium onion – diced

1 bell pepper – diced

1 ¾ lb to 2 lb – ground chuck (less fat than beef)

2 tbs dry steak seasoning (we use Montreal or Lawhorns)

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 clove garlic – minced

¾ cup breadcrumbs (I like to use Planko)

1.      Mix everything but the BBQ sauce in a large bowl.
2.      Using an ice cream scooper, scoop into balls.
3.      Work the individual meatballs with your hands to keep them from falling apart in the pan.
4.      For freezing - place meatballs onto a pan or plate, just touching, cover, and freeze overnight.  After they are frozen, store them in a freezer ziplock bag until ready to cook.  Use them within 3 months.
5.      To cook – place the desired number of balls into a raised 8 by 8 inch pan or pie plate, cover with BBQ sauce and cook until the internal temperature reaches 170° to 180° F.
a.       If they are fresh, 25-35 minutes
b.      If frozen, 45-55 minutes
6.      For crunchier meatballs, coat the outside in bread crumbs.

Thirsty Thursday! Grape Bilge Wine!

In my last post, I mentioned that I like to make wine.  I'm sort of a science geek and putting the "Yeasty Boyz" to work in a gallon of grape juice for some easy (and cheap) wine is a real kick!  So, here is my first lesson for Thirsty Thursday:  If you are in a hurry for good wine...head to the store and buy a bottle.  If you want to put together a gallon of 30-day (bilge) wine we will need to assemble a few ingredients first.  Head on over to your favorite homebrew supply store or website (I buy locally in Orlando from www.heartshomebrew.com, this saves on shipping and they are very helpful!).  You will need 1 packet of champagne yeast.  Next time you stop at the grocery store, get a gallon of grape juice.  Keep it simple the first batch.  Apple or peach is ok, too.  You will also need a rubber glove and a 1-cup measuring cup.

Pour 1-cup of juice out of the gallon jug.
Sprinkle the yeast into the jug (don't shake it!).
Cover the jug opening with the condom or glove and secure it with a rubber band.
Use a needle to poke three holes into the tip of a finger or the end of the condom.
Wash the cap and save it for later.
The juice will start foaming, then it will start to bubble.  Keep an eye on it, the glove will inflate!  I use the middle finger just for fun!
Put your jug in the pantry or under the sink.  In a few weeks, the bubbling will slow.  Don't be tempted!!!
After a month, give it a try.  If the Yeasty Boyz did their job, the wine should be somewhat tart.  If you like it dry, you are done, if you like it sweeter, bring a cup of water and a cup of sugar to boil (simple syrup) and sweeten to taste.

Here is how it works.  The yeast eats the sugar in the juice and poops out alcohol and farts carbon dioxide.  If you want a stronger wine, add more sugar.  The yeast will kill itself when the alcohol reaches a certain percentage.  Check out this link: http://www.lalvinyeast.com/strains.asp  The champagne yeast kills itself at 18%.  That is a stout batch of hootch, but it will taste like really bad mouthwash!  If you don't like the taste, mix it with more juice as you drink it! 

Check it out and tell my how your batch goes.  Next Thursday, I will be putting another batch together.  (A sacrifice for the blog!)

Well, here we go!

I'm Brad.  I'm just a regular guy who loves to cook.  There is something about throwing this and that together with a pinch of that and a drop of that.  When the fire is turned down, the lid comes off, and my kids appear relatively happy (and oblivious to a hearty serving of the green stuff), then...mission accomplished!

I have a few hobbies that I will be sharing.  1.  I love making wine.  I've tried to make wine from many different fruits.  Some common, some exotic. Sharing my wine making adventures will be fun.  2.  Like many guys, I like gadgets.  I will be reviewing gadgets that I find at a few of my favorite kitchen stores (and explaining how to use common tools for the newbies)!  3. Most people can follow directions, but sometimes I like to think out of the box and try some crazy substitutions.  My recipes will come with pictures, and I will learn to shoot some video for the real fun ones! 

For you professional cooks, mothers, chefs, and gormets... keep your comments productive!