Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Smoked Turkey Drumsticks #SundaySupper

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

When I see a picture of a turkey leg, I immediately think of Henry VIII. Talk about Man Food!

Look at these beauties! They even come with “handles”! 😉

I chose to roast these turkey legs but I could have just as easily cooked them on the stovetop. Cooking in liquid reduces some of the saltiness that comes along with the smoking process. Smoked cuts of meat like leg portions from turkey or pig shanks and “hocks” can be covered with water or broth and simmered until done. I cook mine until the meat starts to fall off the bone and the internal temperature is at least 145. This temperature is for roasting too.
You really don’t need to do anything to the meat itself. Serve smoked turkey drumsticks with a dipping sauce like BBQ or a spicy mustard. Yes a cold beer wouldn’t hurt either!

Thank you Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen for hosting this Man Food Event!

Enjoy these great Man Food ideas sure to please the heartiest appetite from the Sunday Supper Group!

Manly Starters:

BBQ Chicken Nacho by Country Girl in The Kitchen
Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Burrata Bresaola and Arugula Appetizer by Family Foodie
Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
Chipotle Pork Belly-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers by The Redhead Baker
Coconut Beer-Battered Prawns with Spicy Marmalade by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Devils on Horseback by Nosh My Way
Fried Pickles by Cookin’ Mimi
Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly by What Smells So Good?
Maple Sriracha Chicken Wings by Manu’s Menu
Tomato Bacon Jam by Feed Me, Seymour

Manly Mains:

Bacon Bourbon BBQ Burgers by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Bacon Cheeseburger Crustless Quiche by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Beef Barbacoa by Casa de Crews
Beef Short Rib Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
Beer Brats with Pepper Relish by Jelly Toast
Beer Can Chicken by Curious Cuisiniere
Chicago Style-Pizza by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Chili Dog Casserole by Simple Gourmet
Chipotle Pork Chops by girlichef
Coconut & Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Colossal Burger by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Gluten Free Lemon Pepper Wings by Gluten Free Crumbley
Grilled Chipotle Chicken Pizza by Peaceful Cooking
Grilled Lobster with Miso Butter by Kimchi MOM
Grilled Sweet Guava Chicken by The Foodie Army Wife
Ham and Pineapple Pizza Pockets by gotta get baked
Huevos Rancheros Casserole by Pescetarian Journal
Lacquered Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker by Shockingly Delicious
Maple Chipotle Barbecue Pork Tenderloin by Flavor Mosaic
Meatball Burger on Garlic Bread by Healthy.Delicious.
Mom’s Slow Roasted Brisket by Food Lust People Love
Perfectly Pan Seared Steak by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Pollo al Peperoncino by Run DMT
Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki) by Rants from my Crazy Kitchen
Red Chile Shredded Chicken Tacos. How to win over your man’s stomach and steal his heart. by Simply Healthy Family
Ropa Vieja by Meal Diva
Salt of the Earth Ribs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Salisbury Steak w/ Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Smoked Turkey Drumsticks by Cindy’s Recipes and Writing
Stuffed Chipotle Bacon Cheese Burgers by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Stuffed Pork Chops by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Tex-Mex Gut Buster Chili by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
The Cleveland Hogg Burger by Seduction in the Kitchen

Manly Desserts:

Beer Funnel Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc.
Black Forest Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
Carob Chip Cookies by Pies and Plots
Chunky Monkey Vegan Banana Bread by Ninjabaking.com
Classic Cheesecake by Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
Fat Man’s Pie by Magnolia Days
Mandarin orange cake aka southern pig pickin’ cake by Baking & Browning
Pizookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Grilled Pound Cake Stacks with Roasted Strawberries by Melanie Makes
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie With Mascarpone Cream by La Bella Vita Cucina

Wine Pairings for Man Food #SundaySupper byENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Seafood Stew

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

This recipe was entered in the Food and Wine Conference Rosen Shingle Creek Recipe Contest.

Italy has always been a dream destination for me. My father’s side of the family was originally from Milan. Part of me feels a connection to the culture of Italy and especially to the food.

I lean more towards the rustic flavors of Tuscan cooking. Full-bodied meals made from local ingredients. Hearty soups and stews chocked full of fresh seafood or meat.

The challenge for this contest was to develop an original recipe inspired by one of the Rosen Shingle Creek dining options A Land Remembered – Steakhouse, Cala Bella – Italian Bistro, Mi Casa Tequila Taqueria – Mexican Restaurant, Banrai Sushi — Sushi, Tobias Flats & Watering Hole – Unique Flatbreads.

I naturally chose Cala Bella. I did get to enjoy a meal there at last year’s Food and Wine Conference. The atmosphere is relaxed yet elegant and so warm and charming!

So when it came down to choosing a dish I had to go with a Seafood Stew.

My version brings together a variety of seafood, fresh plum tomatoes and delicate greens. Served with crusty garlic bread, this stew makes an enjoyable appetizer or main meal.

Seafood Stew

Prep time

0 min

Cook time

0 min

Total time

0 min

Ingredients

2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound cod or other hearty fish cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 cups clam juice or fish stock
½ cup white wine
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 large plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
4 springs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste.
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup fresh arugula

Instructions

In a large dutch oven, saute shallots and garlic until translucent.
Add stock, wine and fish, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and mussels bring back to a boil, reduce heat add shrimp cook additional 3-4 minutes until opaque.
Add greens and thyme. Cook to wilt greens and release thyme flavor, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Posted in fish, seafood, shrimp, soup, stew, What's For Dinner? | Tagged fish, mussels, seafood, shrimp, stew | 22 Comments

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

Welcome to this week’s Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party!

Continue reading →

Posted in Foodie Friends Friday, linky party, What's For Dinner? | Comments Off

You’ve Earned a Good Night’s Sleep #insomniahelp #ad

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Cindy Kerschner

This is a Type-A Parent paid post to discuss sleep issues, and to share a new insomnia resource from the National Sleep Foundation.

There was a time when I could sleep anywhere, anytime. Even a pile of pesky pets (lovable as they may be) couldn’t keep me awake.
That picture was taken about 15 years ago. Things are a little different now.
Sleep is a hot topic where I work. We gather around the coffee maker, rubbing our eyes, mouths gaped wide open in a chorus of yawns. If we had better pitch we might be on to something.

I can’t speak for them why they didn’t sleep well. For me, it seems to be a combination of several things.

Clearing my mind can be difficult. I can sleep with a minor lingering thought or two.
Body stiffness creeps in and takes over more and more the longer I’m lying in bed awake. This makes getting comfortable difficult.
Staying asleep or falling back to sleep is often a challenge.

I have had some success falling asleep by practicing circular breathing. This is done by counting off seconds as you breathe in, hold your breath and breathe out. This focuses my mind on the breaths and off the problems of the day.
I still need help staying asleep and/or falling back asleep.
A new resource I’ve discovered is The National Sleep Foundation at sleepfoundation.org/insomnia.
There you will find a wealth of resources for insomnia and trouble sleeping.

An option I’ve found on their site is to try Stimulus control. The idea behind stimulus control is to build a positive association between the bedroom and sleep by limiting the type of activities allowed in the bedroom.

One suggestion would be to get out of bed if I’ve been awake for 20 minutes or more. This makes sense to me since I am a clock watcher. Getting out of bed and doing something relaxing for a few minutes helps break the pattern.

Another suggestion is to set wake times and bed times and try to stick with it even on days off. Good advice. When I think about it, I don’t really feel any more rested by sleeping in on weekends. Come Sunday night I’m back to thinking about if I’m going to get enough sleep since I slept in that morning.

These actions would help break the cycle of going to bed and trying to force myself to sleep because its late and just lying there.

Be sure to check out a new resource from the National Sleep Foundation at sleepfoundation.org/insomnia – a good place to start if you think you have insomnia or aren’t sleeping. The National Sleep Foundation is your trusted resource for everything sleep – understanding how sleep works & why it’s important, learning healthy habits, creating a relaxing bedroom & bedtime routine, & finding solutions to your sleep issues.