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American Family Magazine is about bringing families together through information, inspiration, communication, knowledge and the sharing of ideals and experiences by our staff, guest writers and you!TRANSCRIPT
Save The Eagles DayJanuary 10, 2010
AmericAN FAmilyJanuary 2010 MAGAZINE™
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Ron
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ick
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Get iNspired! Staff & Contributors
American Family Magazine
Doug [email protected]
Kevin [email protected]
Debbie Doces....................Food [email protected]
Peggy Plattner............Asst. Food [email protected]
Sara Thiel......................Healthy [email protected]
Robin Haglund..........Family [email protected]
Lisa [email protected]
Tim Thiers..................................Communitytim@afamilymag.com
Noah Gregg..............Home [email protected]
Christine Litavsky.................Family [email protected]
Lauren [email protected]
Eric Lundberg.......Home [email protected]
Shannon [email protected]
Elizabeth [email protected]
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American Family Magazine™1332 NE 62nd St. • Seattle, WA 98115
Family Talk is a forum for directed discussions of all things relating to the family. If you have topics of interest or ques-tions about any sort of family matters, leave a comment and we’ll discuss it here.
Kids nowadays. What are you gonna do with them?How about hike, bike, swim, climb, paddle, ski, sail or any of the other gazillion things to do outdoors (and occasion-ally indoors) in the beautiful Pacific Northwest?Check out this blog for weekly ideas on adventures, big and small, that you can share with your child.Update us on your own outings so that others can follow in your footsteps, your wake, or your single track.Explore and inspire.
Waste not, want not. Risk not, get not. Starting your own enterprise can be scary. But it can be incredibly reward-ing too. From smart business strategies to tax time tips to networking necessities you’ll find most of it covered here.
entrepreneur
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Brand-Aid: The Myths & Musts of BrandingIt’s that time of year again,
when we reflect upon the past year and set goals for the new one. As a business owner, you’re likely looking to build your busi-ness—and profits—during the upcoming year. Start the year off right by reevaluating your com-pany’s branding.A business myth is that brand-
ing has to cost a lot of money. Sure, a fancy, eye-catching logo helps, but the truth is if it doesn’t get seen, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is consistency and exposure. Include it on every-thing from the obvious, such as business cards and fax sheets, to the not-so-obvious such as your email signature. Consumers won’t bring you their business because of your logo. They’ll bring you their business because they remember your company. To gain customers, people must
first know you exist. Advertising,
in the traditional sense, is impor-tant but it’s certainly not the only means of exposure. There are many inexpensive and com-pletely free alternatives to get the buzz going. A big must is having an online presence. Don’t want to pay for web hosting? No problem. Set up a blog for free at Wordpress.com or Blogger.com.Drive your brand by network-
ing, both in person and virtually. Join local business groups, get
involved with community proj-ects and join social network sites. Getting your business known is a numbers game. The more who know, the more who will go to your business. (Check future issues for specific ways you can use social networking to build your business.)Possibly the biggest myth
about company branding is also the biggest challenge: you’re not in control of it. You can have a great logo and put it out there for all to see, but how your business is perceived is up to your exist-ing and potential customers. Do everything in your power to make sure that when people hear your company’s name or see its logo, they associate it with a consis-tently good product or service. Nothing hurts a business more than negative word of mouth and nothing builds it faster than commendations.
Shannon Medisky | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
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Robin Haglund | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010 family gardening
Many gardeners add compos-ted mulches to their gardens. We mix it into existing soil and top dress our beds with it. But, did you know that compost can be steeped into a nutritious liquid that can provide added benefits to the garden? To learn more about compost tea, I interviewed Howard Harrison, owner of Chinook Compost Tea.Robin: How did you get
involved in the compost tea industry?Howard: I love that I can help
people have healthy gardens without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Completing Soil Food web training at the Sustainable Studies Institute enables me to provide more expertise in helping folks with their gardens.Robin: Why would someone
who composts and mulches regularly also use compost tea?
Howard: Spraying compost tea on plant foliage has the added benefit of coating the leaf surfaces with protective biology that helps to out-com-pete disease mechanisms that land on the leaf surface. Air pol-lution kills a lot of the natural biology that would otherwise populate and protect leaf sur-faces. In the soil the compost tea helps to augment the good biology that should be there in good compost. It inoculates the soil with beneficial microbes and may help combat non-
beneficial microbes present in the soil. Without adequate biology in the soil, plants can’t access many nutritive sources. Pesticides and synthetic fertil-izers kill soil microorganisms, disrupting the balance of life there, enabling harmful organ-isms to dominate.Robin: What do you think of
compost tea home brew kits?Howard: Aerobically aerated
compost tea brewers are… the only method that I recommend for high quality compost tea. These brewers have air bub-bling through the compost tea during the brewing cycle. This process selects for beneficial microorganisms. Otherwise you can get anaerobic, harm-ful organisms.When I asked Howard about
compost tea success stories, his first response was no sur-prise “Rhododendrons are often plagued with black spot and other diseases. Time and again I have seen applications of compost tea help to pre-vent the return of black spot.” Rhodie revivals via compost tea salvation are anecdotes often shared—heck, I’ve even got one in my own garden.
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Plants’ Tea Party
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Sara Thiel | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010 healthy living
6421 Latona Ave NE, Seattle 98115 • (206) 526-1188 • www.monasseattle.com
MONA’s Bistro & LoungeCulinary Delights | Relaxing Atmosphere | Handcrafted Cocktails
Ginger, spicy as she is, began her career swanning around the Indian sub-con-tinent. There she was com-monly used in Ancient Indian Ayurveda medicine and as a constant addition to savory dishes. Thus she was used for centuries to settle and sooth the stomach’s flim-flams, travel sickness, nausea and coughs, while delighting the culinary senses. Her secret is that her diges-
tive magic acts directly on the stomach and not the nervous system, regardless of whether she is in food, tea or a ginger lolly.This gentle digestive was
brought home to Greece by Alexander the Great. Thus it was the Greeks who intro-duced her many curative powers to the West. A com-mon means then of using gin-ger was to wrap it in piece of bread and eat it after a heavy meal and thereby sooth the stomach. This treat eventu-ally evolved into what we now call gingerbread. Our girl’s peculiar appearance
is that of the dimpled darling. She rolls around the refriger-ator in a rather chubby body of lumps and bumps but does so with an advantage: you can snap off any of her little appendages and use them for cooking. As an herb she is an all around dogsbody, but she has too much bang in her bite for some people. Her favorite venue is that
of being presented in cookies which, in utter devotion, were named Ginger Snaps. The variations on snaps boggle the taste buds, especially for the ginger aficionado.Mid Eastern foods are rife
with her scents and tastes. Likewise the Japanese, Chinese and Thailanders always offer a wee pile of chopped ginger to add a gourmet finish. During the holidays our elu-
sive gingerbread people are loved by all. But know this: our dogs are especially enchanted by the taste and smell of ginger. Therefore, don’t put gingerbread men on your Christmas tree if you have a bowser or you will likely wake
up to a pile of hanging wires and all the little men now gone off to puppy land. And as a reminder, remem-
ber to keep some ginger in your kit for your whole family while traveling or eating out: for that tummy rumble or tucked-too-full feeling, she’ll do her magic. Finally, if you have ever
wondered what the “diges-tive biscuits” were in all those PBS dramas, voila… they were ginger cookies.
If You Can Read This...So can your customers!
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Put Some Snap in Your Life
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communityElizabeth Fiala | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
was one of the best things that has ever happened to them. My own parents were mem-bers of a babysitting co-op while I was growing up, and to this day they swear that they don’t know how they could have possibly survived with-out one. Not only was it a lot easier on the wallet than con-ventional babysitters, but the kids and the adults all got to know each other, so “babysit-ting” was actually more of a playdate that everyone looked forward to because the kids all kept each other busy while the supervising adult(s) could read or catch up on household chores. In the meantime, the other couple got to spend a few hours on their own, all the while knowing that their kids were in the hands of experi-enced parents that they knew and trusted, and not some teenager that might have been ill-prepared to care properly for their children.If you’re interested in a co-op,
then just ask around your com-munity. Daycares, after-school clubs, condo associations, par-ents’ organizations, and church
groups are all great places to look for existing co-ops. You probably already know those people, and even if you don’t, there’s a good chance that one of your friends does. If you can’t find a co-op that you like, then start your own! All you need to do is get every-one together, set up a list of ground rules to determine how you want to handle schedul-ing and what to do if someone leaves the group (i.e. whether or not they should be required to make up for time owed), and distribute a master list with everyone’s contact infor-mation and emergency con-tact information. Once you’ve done that, your co-op should be ready to go!
Many parents today have a hard time finding any time alone with their significant other. With the current reces-sion, more and more parents simply cannot afford babysit-ters, and with so many daily stressors, modern couples need more time to recharge their batteries, not less. Enter: babysitting co-ops.Babysitting co-ops are a fun,
easy, and inexpensive way to get away for a few hours while leaving your kids in good hands. Essentially, a co-op is just a group of parents who get together and take turns looking after each other’s chil-dren. The main advantage of a babysitting co-op is that it doesn’t cost anything. It’s a trade-based business, mean-ing that you get free babysit-ting in exchange for providing it for the other families every once in awhile. It’s a very “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” kind of thing. And most co-ops operate on a point sys-tem, ensuring that everyone gives as much as they take.Most co-op members I know
say that their babysitting group
Finding Kid-Free Time via Babysitting Co-ops
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Community Center • 4554 NE 41st • (206) 684-7529
Community Center • 6536 Ravenna Ave. NE • (206) 684-7534
Community Center • 7110 62nd Ave NE • (206) 684-7026
January 8 (Friday) 6 – 8 PMFriday Family Flicks & Food (F4)Enjoy a casual evening of Friday family fun watching the evening’s feature presentation and enjoying scrumptious snacks. All ages. Activity fee $3.
January 22 (Friday) 6:30 – 8 PMBrownies, Brownies, BrowniesJoin us for National Brownie Day! We’ll decorate brownies, play games with your family and friends, and of course sample our creations! Activity fee $3 per person.
Ravenna Graffiti Red Wagon RangersRavenna-Eckstein Community Center hosts a Graffiti Red Wagon Ranger Team with Seattle Public Utilities. If you are interested or would like more information on how you can help paint out graffiti in your neighborhood, please call 684-7534.
January 22 (Friday) 6 - 8 PMFamily Dinner & Game NightA tasty dinner followed by a fun night of classic games such as Uno, Con-nect Four, Sorry, Candyland, and Guess Who? Dinner is from 6 – 7. Games will take place the entire evening. To better serve our guests please let us know you’re coming for dinner and register by 1/20. All ages. Activity fee $5 per person for dinner.
January 9, 16, February 6, 13 (Saturdays) 12 – 2 PMMagnuson Park Wetlands Class/Volunteer ProjectLocation: Meet at South Wetlands Entrance (off of 65th St.)
January 16 (Saturday) 1:30 - 3:30 PMMagnuson Cinema Festival - FREE
February 5 (Friday) 6:30 - 9 PMLunar New Year CelebrationJoin us as we celebrate the Year of the Tiger with live music, tea room, dance, games, food (served between 5-7 p.m.) and more! The grand finale is an authentic Chinese Lion Dance. Always fun! Activity fee $5 individual, $20 family.
January 22 (Friday) 6 PMAmadoo and the Crocodile & Other African Storiesby Clay Martin’s Puppet Theatre and Magic ShowEnjoy a collection of African folktales featuring Anansi the Spider and other memorable characters. The show includes stories like “Anansi and the Witch,” “Amadoo and the Crocodile,” and “Nyap and Nyakwe.” There is also a magic show by The Magic Man, a puppet based on a painting by the late African-American artist Jacob Lawrence. All stories are accompanied by au-thentic African music. Activity fee $3 per person, $10 per family.
Community Center • 10517 35th Ave NE • (206) 684-7522
• • • Magnuson • • •
• • Meadowbrook • •
• • Ravenna–Eckstein • •
• • • Laurelhurst • • •
Seatt le Parks & Recreat ion
w w w . D i g i t a l – P h o t o – S t o c k . c o m(don’t forget the hyphens)
Copyright © 2010 Ron Reznick
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Eric Lundberg | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010 home improvement
Welcome to 2010 every-one! This is going to be a great year filled with family, friends and memories. This month I will be addressing a highly overlooked, and often ignored, area of the home: the crawlspace. This may not be the most pleasant of areas, but rest assured, a few hours of your time could save you agonizing repairs in the future. Proper venting and air flow
is vital for the sub-structure of your home. Make sure to check every foundation vent making sure all leaves, branches and other debris are not blocking them. Installing bricks or pre-made concrete vent wells can help keep them clear in the future. Also fas-tening quarter-inch screen over the vent will insure any unwanted objects—and rodents—steer clear of your crawlspace.
Inside the crawl-space, check over the entire area for any wood scraps or branches. These can invite dry rot or wood-d e s t r o y i n g insects. Check around the foun-dation for wood form boards also. If you have forced air heat-
ing in your home, inspect all ducting for splits in the cou-plings. Small metal screws or even duct tape can seal any possible leaks. Make sure all ducting is securely hung from the floor joists with metal strapping. Any loose or dislodged
insulation can affect the temperature of your home. Insulation can be re-hung with metal insulation rods or with twine stapled to the underside of each joist. Twine will need to be woven back and forth along oppo-site joists in order to be effective. Any dirt coming into con-
tact with the structure must be cleared away. Standard crawlspace clearance is eighteen inches between dirt and floor joists and twelve inches between dirt and support beams. This also helps to prevent dry rot and wood-destroying insects. Finally, spread a six mil-
limeter black plastic vapor barrier over 100% of the crawlspace floor. Make sure
it is black—and not clear—plastic, in order to reflect off any sunlight entering through the vents thus deter-ring weeds from growing under the barrier. The bar-rier will of course keep any and all moisture from seep-ing into the crawlspace. Make it a New Years reso-
lution to properly maintain your crawlspace. It will give you peace of mind know-ing your home’s structure is safe. Be sure to make 2010 the best year yet.
Begin 2010 Down Under
saving moneyShannon Medisky | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
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or month. On the other hand, it makes even more sense to stock up when there’s savings to be had on staples you purchase and use all the time anyway. Strive to keep a supply of such ingre-dients in your pantry and only purchase to replenish if they’re on sale. In the long run, you’ll appreciate having the stock of staples on hand and the added savings.Become a master of disguise
when it comes to leftovers. Forget boring leftovers and instead pur-posefully plan your meals to cre-ate enticing “encore” entrees. For example, instead of eat-ing the same meal two or three nights in a row, devise and dis-cover different ways to reinter-pret the same food. One night’s mashed potatoes and pot roast can become the next night’s shepherd’s pie. What once began as leftover spaghetti noodles can quickly become the next night’s stir fry. A bit of culinary creativ-ity can help ensure no food goes to waste, no money gets squan-dered and no one’s taste buds suffer from boredom.
If the holidays have left your pocketbook feeling a little less full than your stomach, you’re not alone. At the top of nearly everyone’s New Year’s resolution list is the wide-reaching goal to “save more money.”Begin by planning out your
meals in advance. Whether you plan a week’s worth or a month’s worth of meals in advance, doesn’t matter, you’ll quickly being to save money. If you’ve already got the food purchased and in your home ready to go, suddenly getting in the car, driv-ing to the restaurant and shell-ing out a bunch of money for meal doesn’t seem as attrac-tive. (Click here to download and print a handy meal planner worksheet.)Rethink how you spend your
grocery dollars. Yes, it makes sense to base your shopping list and purchases around the spe-cific meals planned for that week
Plan Meals Wisely to Save Money
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Now that the pandemonium of the Holidays has passed, we can reflect on the memories that resonate most strongly in our minds. What made the big-gest impact on you this year? For many, holiday parties and their classical music breed a special form of nostalgia. You may have been to grand parties that feature music cascading around you as you move throughout each room of the house. How do you turn your house into that house?Many whole-house
audio systems start in the construction phase with speaker and networking wire snaking from each room to a centralized location usually in a mechanical room where a fully featured stack of equipment is located. With this setup, any device that one wants to hear—iPod, Radio, CD, and Internet Streaming Music—can be heard in any room of the house. This configuration allows for the greatest functionality and flex-ibility because this layout is
standard among the industry and virtually any system on the market will work in this applica-tion; it’s just a matter of finding the right fit.More often than not, however,
homes are already completely
built and new wiring can’t be installed between rooms with-out major retrofitting and dry-wall repairs. But just because your home can’t accommodate new multi-room wiring doesn’t mean that you need to host your next party in silence, or with the blare of a boom box. New multi-room audio systems take advantage of the WiFi that is already installed in most
homes, and they distribute their music via the home network. In each room that will have music, there simply needs to be a small box with speaker wire running from it to the speakers. Even the most difficult installations
can usually be com-pleted with minimal intrusion if the wir-ing is within the same room. These sys-tems are controlled by handheld wire-less touch screens, and some even have applications on your favorite touch screen smart phones to run the entire system!By ignoring your
home’s construction challenges and lever-aging a technology
that you most likely already have installed, it’s quite easy to transform your home into a house of music. Whether you’re inviting a long list of guests at your next big soirée, or having a quiet dinner party for four, a whole house music system makes entertaining and attend-ing parties more fun.
home electronicsNoah Gregg | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
Whole-House Audio Systems Made Easy
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Common sense too often is not a common denominator. Sorry, we all blow this one as we blame others for this sometimes venial, sometimes mortal, sin most commonly referred to as “human nature.”
Run through these items that prepare our children for a successful, happy, self sufficient life and see which ones that you have maybe overlooked.
First, recall that our children mimic what they see and hear, not unlike many creatures, including the cold blooded ones.
Second, recall that the parents of human offspring set behavior patterns both good and bad. Notice how common sense is creeping in here.
Third, other than what seem to be our normal, daily, home routines
we depend on school to do much of what common sense says should at least be initiated at home.
The first of these, common sense tells us, is that our children should take over doing whatever they can do as soon as they can do whatever they should be doing. This includes things like sharing household responsibilities.
Consider that learning can develop into responsibility; even if doing so takes longer and is done somewhat ineptly.
Common sense does tell us that this is how we learn: repeat, eliminate mistakes, and move on. Isn’t this interesting? Didn’t we all fudge on this? Not do some things we should have? Not take the time or be patient enough? Run out of excuses but, gee whiz, I can’t do everything. And you’re right, none
family mattersDoug Thiel | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
of us can, being mortal and such.So, what to do? Common sense
tells us that we can learn to compensate for mistakes and move on down the road.
How? We take the advice of Polonius to his son Laertes who is departing for France in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “This above all: to thine own self be true/And it must follow, as the night the day/Thou canst not then be false to any man.” But you probably knew this anyway.
That Rascal Common Sense
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Christine Litavsky | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010 family pet
My son and I were in a pet store when he saw the bunny. It was tiny and gray, with ears that were impossibly pink. For my son, it was love at first sight. He begged. He pleaded. He offered his stash of birth-day money. The salesperson (who seemed only slightly older than my 10 year old son) assured me the bunny was a dwarf variety that would grow only as large as a small guinea pig. Relieved, I gave my son the green light, and the bunny became his.This bunny, christened Pepper,
is now the size of a very large housecat. She quickly began hopping out of her original cage and is now ensconced in a pricey rabbit hutch in the backyard. The pink dye used to highlight her ears is entirely gone. She eats massive quan-tities of food and hay. She is tame, but far from cuddly. We’ve learned some valuable
lessons about rabbits:
First, purchase your rabbit from a breeder. Just as dog breeds vary in size and temper-ament, so do rabbit breeds. A rabbit breeder will be passion-ate and knowledgeable about their rabbits. You can find breeders through your local 4-H club or your veterinarian. Second, decide whether you
want an indoor or an outdoor bunny. The rule of thumb is large breeds do well outside while the smaller varieties fare better indoors.
Third, understand that bun-nies have sensitive stomachs, especially while they’re young. They cannot tolerate water-rich produce like lettuce; it wreaks havoc on their diges-tive systems and makes for an extremely messy cage, espe-cially if they’re indoor rabbits. Stick with rabbit food, hay, and the occasional carrot. Fourth, hold your bunny sev-
eral times a day, especially if they live outdoors. This will gentle them. Resist the urge to hand feed them. They should never associate your hands with food, or they may bite. Also, get in the habit of clipping their back nails often. They grow quickly and become razor sharp.Finally, enjoy your bunny.
They are beautiful, calm ani-mals that are fascinating to observe. Our hutch is right outside our kitchen window and we love watching Pepper busy herself throughout the day.She’s a bit larger than we
expected, but she’s still delightful.
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Taking Good Care of Your New Bunny
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Although the Northwest has
great skiing, the powdery
Rockies offer a light, easy
glide down the slopes. With
more than 30 ski resorts in the
state of Colorado, it’s tough to
choose the one that’s perfect
for your family. Here are some
of our favorite places, along
with suggestions for accom-
modations and restaurants.
Beaver Creek’s strong suit remains its uncrowded slopes of accessible beginner and intermediate terrain as well as its down-home, low-key vibe. On the hill, Beaver Creek proves to be one of the best ski areas in America for lower intermediates. The top third of the mountain is almost entirely easygoing. The more adventurous skier can find the steeper terrain on the lower portion of the mountain. More recently with the linking of neighboring Arrowhead Resort and Bachelor Gulch, develop-ers have added 30 percent more novice and intermediate terrain.Where to Stay: The Charter
at Beaver Creek, Sheraton Mountain Vista ResortWhere to Dine: Vin 48,
Grouse Mountain Grill
Snowmass is the second largest ski area in the coun-try—36 Disneylands could fit within the ski-area bound-aries. With a vertical rise of 4,406 feet, Snowmass has the highest vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S. New attrac-tions to note: Snowmass Park’s 22-foot superpipe and the new 25,000-square-foot Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center on Fanny Hill. The first of its kind in the snows-ports industry, the Treehouse includes a family-friendly climbing gym, teen activities, kids’ retail shops and a host of themed rooms for ages eight weeks and older.Where to Stay: Capitol Peak
Lodge and Hayden Lodge for ski-in/ski-out condos. Where to Dine: Lynn Britt
Cabin, Cirque Bar & Grill
Vail lives up to its tagline “America’s favorite resort.” As the largest single ski area in the United States, Vail offers roughly 5,300 acres of skiable terrain with the fastest high-speed detachable quads on one mountain. Plus, Vail main-tains a strong commitment to the environment. The resort uses 100 percent wind-generated energy and is the second-largest cor-porate purchaser of wind power in the country. When you’re ready to take a break from the slopes, Vail offers museums, ballooning, dog sledding and more!Where to Stay: Lion
Square Lodge, Vail Cascade Resort & SpaWhere to Dine: Up the
Creek Bar & Grill
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destinationsLauren Hopkins | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
Hitting the Slopes in Colorado - Helpful Mini Guide
Beaver Creek Snowmass Vail
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Can you find 15 differences between these photos?
OxRabbitSnake
__________________
RatTigerDragon
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HorseMonkeyDog
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SheepRoosterPig
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 woods peter puff asp counting mustang no evil crow yeller porky jerry paul
The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines Chinese New Year dates. The calendar is also used in coun-tries that have adopted or have been influenced by Han culture. Place each year next to the animal to which it is associated. Use hints below each year.
by Kevin
P u z z l e s & G a m e s
Chinese Calendar Puzzle
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comfort foodDebbie Doces & Peggy Plattner | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
January is a wonderful time to have a beer tasting party! Before your party, go to www.ratebeer.com and print out a description of each of your beers. Be sure to include the alcohol content and descrip-tion of flavors, and arrange them on your table from the lightest flavor to heaviest. Serve this hearty meal that is guaranteed to chase away the winter chills and thrill your guests! Start your meal with a tray of sliced veg-etables (carrots, celery, lightly steamed fresh green beans, lightly boiled purple potatoes, sliced, Broccoflower). Serve with Hidden Valley Ranch Dip.
Sauté meat in olive oil until browned, remove, then saute onion and garlic until soft. Put all of the ingredients into a pot that will hold at least 24 cups and simmer over low to medium heat 20 minutes. This recipe is easy to double or triple and freezes well. Serve over cheese grits (see recipe).
1 cup Albers Grits (in the hot cereal section of the grocery store. Use only Albers)1 cup grated medium or sharp cheddar, or pepper jack cheese Salt to tasteBring 4 cups of water to a boil. Slowly add grits while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add grated cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and combined. Taste, add salt if needed. Serve hot under chili. Serves 6.
Beer Tasting Party Abby’s Chili (from Debbie’s Grandfather)
Cheese Grits
2 1/2 pounds ground meat (we use turkey)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar pimentos
1 teaspoon celery seed
8 to 12 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
2-6 tablespoons ground chili powder to taste
1 large can V-8 vegetable juice, spicy or regular
2-3 (14.5 oz) cans crushed tomatoes, to taste
4 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Dip Recipe
3 cups buttermilk1 cup mayonnaise1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
Mix all ingredients together.
If You Can Read This...So can your customers!
Advertise Here(206) 527-4417
19
Debbie Doces & Peggy Plattner | American Family Magazine™ | January 2010
Crust1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs1/2 cup pecan pieces2 tablespoons raw sugar6 tablespoons butter, meltedPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Put pecans and sugar into a food processor, process until pecans are finely ground (not a paste), add graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, and pulse until combined.Turn into a deep-dish pie plate and press with fingertips so that it is evenly spread on bottom and all sides. Bake for 10 minutes, or until sides are a light toasted color.
dessert
Filling3/4 cup raw sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks, whipped with fork
4 cups whole milk
3 ozs bittersweet chocolate,
finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 large ripe banana
Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Warm milk in microwave until very warm, not boiling. Place sugar and cornstarch in a blender and with blender on, add warm milk. Turn to low speed and add egg mixture. Pour into a 2-quart pot, stir until mixture begins to boil and thicken, then remove from heat.Put 1½ cups of custard into a bowl with chopped chocolate let stand until chocolate melts. When chocolate is melted, stir and put into cooked pie shell, and set aside until pie is room temperature. Slice banana onto top of chocolate mixture. Meanwhile add rum and butter to remaining custard, put into refrigerator. When chilled, pour gently over chocolate and bananas. Carefully spread over entire pie. Chill for several hours.
Topping2 ripe bananas1 1/3 cups whipping cream1/4 cup powdered sugar2 tablespoons dark rum or vanilla1/4 cup shaved dark or milk chocolateRemove pie from refrigerator. Whip the cream, add powdered sugar and rum or vanilla. Slice bananas and put on top of custard, then gently spread cream. Top with shaved chocolate and serve.
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