Skyrim Sweet Roll

Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/3 cups four
1 ts. or 1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 sugar
2 tbs butter
1/2 ts. salt
2 eggs
1 Tbs ground cinnamon and sugar
Powdered sugar icing or cream cheese icing (Cool wip and cream cheese mixed)

1. In a large mixing bowl or mixer bowl combine 2 cups of flour and yeast. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan heat milk, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and salt until butter melts.
3. Add milk mixture and eggs to dry mixture.
4. Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds then use a wooden spoon or mixing spatchula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
5. Beat on high speed for 3 mins. Stir in remaining  flour as you can.
6. Turn dough to a floured surface and knead in enough flour to make a soft dough that is smooth and elastic.
7. Shape dough to a ball  and place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease dough.
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place til double in size in about 1-2 hours.
9. Roll out dough and place in greased tube pan.
10.Wrap dough around tube and press the remaining dough to fill out bottom of tube pan.
11.Cover dough with sugar and ground cinnamon.
12. Cook at 375° for 25-30 mins.
13 Let cool for 10 mins and add icing.

Beef Stroganoff Dinner

Ground beef, egg noodles and beef gravy with sauted onions and broccoli on the side.  

Ingredients:
2 lb.s Ground beef
1/2 lb. Extra wide egg noodles
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 big onion, cubed
2 small onions, sliced
8 Tbs. butter
6 Beef bouillon cubes
6 cups cold water
6 Tbs. cornstarch
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. Roasted garlic & bell pepper
Broccoli

1. Brown the ground beef and large onion and drain the fat.
2. Boil egg noodles in water and 1 Tbs. olive oil; drain water and return to pan
3. Add ground beef to noodles.
4. In large sauce pan add beef bouillon cubes, water and cornstarch; boil on medium heat until the mixture thickens.
5. Add gray to noodles and beef.
6. Steam broccoli; remove from steamer and add 4 Tbs. butter and salt.
7. Saute 2 small onions in 4 Tbs. butter and salt.

Mini Octopus Weenies

Boiled Octopus weenies using Ball Park Beef Franks.

As you may or not know I've been a fan of Japanese culture, anime and manga for many years. Several years ago I use to be subscribed to the Shojo Beat Magazine. In one of the sections of the magazine called East meets West they had a article on Beno Basics with recipes. One of my favorites was the Octopus Wieners (Tako Uinnar). The recipe in the article says cut the hot dogs in half but I decided to make mini ones instead. The other two recipes are Japanese Omelet (Tamagoyaki) and Rice Balls (Onigiri). Maybe in the near future if I can make these recipes decent after tweaking to my liking, I'll post them.

Ingredients:
Hot dog weenies

1. Cut each hot dog crosswise in 4 pieces or more if you are using bun size.
2. On each piece, stand it up on its end, with the flat, cut side pointing up.
3. Slice down the hot dog  two times half way down. (see diagram below)
4. Then turn  the hot dog and make two more perpendicular to the first.
5. Remove the resulting leftover piece in the middle to form the eight legged octopus.
6. You can also cut out  eyes and a mouth on the top part of the hot dog.
7. You can broil, stir-fry, microwave or boil your octopi until heated or cooked through. As they cook, the legs curl up a bit.

Fried octopus weenies using Ball Park Beef Franks.

Egg Drop Soup

Very easy egg drop soup recipe. 

Ingredients:
5 bouillon cubes
5 cups cold water
5 tbs cornstarch
5 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt
Italian seasoning
Onion powder or minced onions

1. In a medium pot, mix water, cornstarch, add bouillon cubes, salt, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Pour beaten egg into soup, and stir once around pot gently, in order to break up egg. Remove soup from heat immediately.

Make a Ritual Wine bottle

Reuse empty wine bottles. 

Need:
1 empty wine bottle with the label removed
2 square pieces of paper
glue stick
pen

1. Rub glue on the bottle 1 inch bigger than the piece of paper.
2. Place paper and smooth out to remove bubbles.
3. Write 'Ritual Wine' on your label.
4. Repeat 1 and 2 if you mix 2 or more ingredients to your wine.
5. Write the measurements of your ingredients on the back label.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake w/ Fried Potatoes and Ramps

My mother's two favorite dishes.  

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breast cubed
1 cup dry rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 can (26 oz.) Condensed cream of chicken soup

Italian seasoning

Favorite cheese

4-5 potatoes sliced

10-20 little ramp bulbs 

Bacon grease

Salt

1. In a 13x9 baking dish, mix soup, water, rice, chicken,salt and Italian seasoning 

2. Bake at 400°F for 1 hr. and add favorite cheese. 

3. clean ramps and cut only the bulbs off. 

4. In a medium frying pan add 1-2 tbs bacon grease, potatoes,salt and ramps. 

5. Fry potatoes and ramps until soft and one side golden brown. 

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 box Tri-color pasta
4 Carrots
Pepperoni
Zesty Italian salad dressing
Italian seasoning

1. Boil pasta, drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Add carrots, pepperoni, Italian seasoning and salad dressing; mix well.
3. Frigerate for a few hours before serving. Enjoy.

Easy Chicken Bake

Easy meal using fresh vegetables and stuffing.

Ingredients:

1-2 Chicken breast cut in 1 in. pieces

Fresh vegetables

1 can (26 oz.) Condensed cream of chicken soup

2 pkg. STOVE TOP chicken stuffing

3 cups chicken broth

1 (8 tbs) stick butter

Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large pot,boil chicken broth and butter then add stuffing mix; mix well. Remove from heat, cover and let set for 5 mins.

2. Mix chicken, soup, salt and vegetables in a 13x9 in. baking dish; top with stuffing. 

3. Bake for 45 mins. 

Note: I only used carrots I had on hand. Next time I'll add onions and leeks. 

Fried Venison Dinner

Ingredients:
Venison cut in strips.
white potatoes
1 Leek
1 Sweet onion
1/2  red cabbage
1 collard greens
Flour
Favorite spices
Salt
Butter
Olive oil
milk

1. Cut onion and cut only the white part of the leek to your liking. Save the leaves.
2. Pull the leek leaves apart and clean if there is any dirt. Chop the leaves to your liking.
3. Saute onion and leek in butter and salt.  
4. Cut cabbage and collard greens to your liking.
5. Saute cabbage, leek leaves and collard greens in butter and salt.
6. Flour venison in flour and your favorite spices.
7. Fry venison in olive oil and butter.
8. Place fried venison on a rack over a pan.
9. Boil potatoes, when tender to your liking, drain water and mash potatoes. Add salt, butter and milk to potatoes and mix well. Enjoy.

Fairfield Fiddle Farm Beginners Fiddle Book

The Fairfield Fiddle Farm Beginners Fiddle book 1 is a fun book to learn shuffling and double stops. I've had this book since 1996 and I never used  it until about a month ago. I've know how to play double stops for several years but shuffling is new to me. Someone explained the shuffling the easiest way of understanding of the bow strokes as long,short short,long.The first two song at the beginning are recognizable to most people in a country style: Mary had a little lamb and Old MacDonald had a farm. My favorite two songs that I can play fairly well from this book are the Camptown Races, Cripple Creek. 

A member from the Fiddlerman.com forum shared a link to a website that you can pick a old time song and jam with it called Old Time Jam. I haven't had a chance to try it out so maybe a future post about my experience. 

A video of me playing a few songs from this book. The reason for stopping and squeezing my hand because I have arthritis in my right hand causing me be sloppy on some parts. I didn't repeat part of the songs to cut down on time for the video. I've got a little bit better since this recording.

Honey Mint Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:
Whole chicken
1/2 cup Honey
1 pack Mint leaves
dash Garlic
Olive oil

1.

Preheat oven to 425°F, rub olive oil all over chicken, place chicken breast up in pan.

2. In a medium sauce pan add honey, minced mint leaves and garlic, simmer for a few mins.

3. Place chicken in oven for 30 mins.

4. Lower oven to 375°F and cook for 2-2 1/2 hrs.

5. On the last 30 mins brush on honey mint sauce.

6. After 15 mins brush on sauce again.

7. Enjoy. Stuffing goes great with this meal.

Got any left overs? Try shredding the chicken and fry in up with a egg in the morning.

Smack N' Good Macaroni and Beef (Venison)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or venison
1 1/2 uncooked small elbow macaroni
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 ts. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2-3 ts. Worcestershire sauce
4 tbs. A1 sauce
American cheese

1. Brown the ground meat, drain fat.
2. Stir in macaroni, onion, green pepper, salt, pepper.
3. Cook, stirring until macaroni is transparent.
4. Add tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce and A1 sauce.
5. Cover, simmer for 20 min, then stir.
6. Turn heat off, add american cheese slices on top and let stand for 5 mins.
7. Enjoy.

How I made my Athame

A few weeks ago in one of my posts I stated that I was working on my Athame and that I would share with you how I made it. I forgot to take a photo of the first part with the new handle but the process of my scabbard or sheath is the same way. There are diagrams in Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft in Lesson 3 pages 41-45. Also those pages explains how to etch and engrave your blade. To remove the handle with rivets make a shallow cut with a Dremel or small cutting disk in a angle below the rivets and use a flat head screwdriver and pop the rivets out.

Tools I used:

Athame:



This is what my blade looked like when I found it.




Handle removed.

New handle diagram from  Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft in Lesson 3.





New handle, handle of the blade is glued with epoxy between two pieces of wood for 24 hrs.



Handle is sanded down to a oval shape and added a second edge on blade.



Drilled a shallow hole on the end of the handle and epoxy glued a quartz crystal.Sanded the handle a little bit more.



Cut a oval hilt, wood burn vines and leaves then wood burn pentagram, my Zodiac sign, ruling planet and on the other side wood burned my Craft name in runes (it is a secret) on the handle.



Cut two rectangle pieces of wood and trace the blade on both. Before you trace the blade on your second piece of wood, flip the blade if the edge is not the same as the other side.

My husband was in such a rush to glue the wood together he forgot to let me take a photo of the pieces apart with the center cut with the grove shaped of the blade.

Sheath is almost done. It don't come out unless I twist the knife handle to me and away from me to lock it.

Sheath sanded and shaped.

Sheath engraved, wood burned and both sealed with clear semi-gloss.

Crunchy Italian Chicken with Black Cherry sauce

Ingredients:
Chicken
1 cup Flour
1-2 eggs
Progresso Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs-Italian style
Gia Russa Bread Crumbs-Italian Seasoned
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salt
Olive oil

1. Have 3 plates or pans, first plate with four, second with beat egg and third plate with both bread crumbs and shredded cheese mixed.
2. Slice chicken 2-3 times
3. Cover each piece with flour.
4. Then cover each piece with egg.
5. Cover each piece with the bread crumbs.
6. Heat olive oil on medium-low heat.
7. Fry each piece of chicken.

This breading works great with pan fish.

Black Cherry Sauce:
2 1/2 cups Black Cherries
2 tbs White sugar
2 tbs Cornstarch
4 cups water

1. Remove pits and chop cherries in food processor.
2. Add chopped cherries, sugar, and 2 cups of water in a medium size sauce pan on low heat.
3. When cherries are soft, combine water and cornstarch in a cup then add to the cherries.
4. Heat until the sauce has thickened.
5. Drizzle the sauce on chicken and enjoy.
Note: Red wine goes great with this meal.

Free Violin Lessons

I found a great website called Fiddlerman.com where you can learn how to play the violin or fiddle for free. He also has another website for Viola. I've been a member at Fiddlerman.com for a week and I'm excited to try his new International "He's a Pirate" Youtube project.

http://fiddlerman.com/
http://violaman.com/


I made a ad for his website.

At the point when I started to smile while I was playing my cat Neko-chan was hugging my feet.LOL she likes the way my violin sounds.

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir fry with carrots and green peppers.

Fried Venison Steak and Green Pepper Potatoes

Country fried venison steaks.