Not sure how these ants found their way to the bottom of the cream honey jar but here they are. What a shock to find them, encased in the crystallized honey. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I reached for this toast topping. It was a jolt!
I think I’ll stick with jam.
My sister suggested looking up chocolate covered ants and yes, you can buy them to be shipped to your home.
Doesn’t one catch more flies with honey?
Maura and I worked together to create another Minnesota Hot Dish for the family tonight (recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Maura said “take a picture and show your Minnesota friend”. Audrey ! (Click to see her post on Elusive Sleep)
Here’s the guest blog of another inspired Hot Dish
And the original post from last month
It’s Spring!
Here’s the Pasta Primavers Recipe I used as a guideline. By Giada Delaurentiis
Rainbow carrots, zucchini, garlic, broccoli, green beans, cherry tomatoes- halved, red onion, garlic cloves, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of Italian Seasoning a mixture of herbs. Roasted in a hot oven. The green beans and broccoli were leftover from the past two nights so added the warmed beans towards the end.
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dc, the Florida guy, is a blog follower and frequent commenter. His words make me laugh out loud! He’s the one who doesn’t care for mushrooms. 😉
dc was inspired by the Minnesota Hotdish blog post (thank you Audrey!)
Here’s what happened after he read the collaborative post I did with the help of Audrey H of Minnesota Prairie Roots blog.
dc wrote
What is the difference between hotdish and casserole?
Definition: Casserole is the name of the dish used to cook with, whereas hot dish is the meal itself. Ingredients: Casseroles can contain any ingredients under the sun practically, where hot dishes have set ingredients they have to have.
“Today’s post was an inspiration. Photos to follow.”
Here are the photos dc sent me throughout the day
Thanks dc. That was fun. I know it tasted good.
Hotdish? I learned a lot about Hotdish from fellow blogger Audrey of Minnesota Prairie Roots Blog. And yes, turns out we call it a casserole around here. This blog post is a collaborative effort as Audrey lives in Minnesota. I wrote to her for enlightenment on Hotdish.
Audrey wrote when I inquired about Hotdish
Now, on to hotdish, which you likely know as “casseroles” in your area of the country. Same thing. Simply a mix of foods combined in one glass casserole dish or a 9 x 13 cake pan. Tater Tot Hotdish is Minnesota’s signature hotdish consisting of cooked hamburger mixed with a vegetable and a condensed creamed soup and then topped with tater tots and shredded cheddar cheese. I hope I got that right. I haven’t made it in years and actually seldom make hotdish, with the exception of Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish.Hotdish has always been a staple of church potlucks and family reunions in Minnesota. Easy to make. Serves a lot. And everyone loves a good hotdish. My mom always made one with hamburger, noodles and tomato juice with cheese stirred in. It was a favorite growing up.In 2006, the Minnesota Historical Society Press even published a book, “Hot Dish Heaven–Classic Casseroles from Midwest Kitchens” by Ann L. Burckhardt. And, yes, our DC legislators hold an annual hot dish competition. You can purchase cookbook online by clicking link.
And guess what honor I received from Audrey?
“The State of Minnesota does hereby grant honorary residency to Ruth Ella Hendricks upon successful completion of the unofficial state culinary dish, Tater Tot Hotdish. Congratulations!
America’s Test Kitchen recipe for this Minnesota Hotdish was on the PBS channel the other night. Here is the link to the video from the episode. Although I don’t remember purchasing a single Tater Tot in my life, watching them put this Hotdish together made me think about making it. With just two of us in the house it seemed a good recipe to try on the larger family when I visited in Ohio. I used a 2 pound bag of Simple Truth Potato Puffs from their local Kroger grocery store. I saw the brand Tater Tots had cottonseed oil in them and I thought that can’t be a good thing. I doubled the amount of the meat to 3 pounds. I omitted the mushrooms as several family members do not care for them but I read that if you needed to make if vegetarian you could use just mushrooms in the creamy bottom layer and no meat.
When I told my friend Joanne about the Hotdish she told me how growing up they didn’t have casseroles and she learned about them in high school cooking class. Her teenage son and his friends would devour her Tater Tot Green Bean Casserole when they lived in Omaha Nebraska. And after talking to her, I used the green beans instead of the frozen peas and corn in the original recipe.
My fellow blogger and friend Audrey of Minnesota Prairie Roots blog post says “Here’s a link to a story about small town Minnesota which includes a photo of a sandwich board advertising Tater Tot Hotdish”
There is an event in Faribault Minnesota that sounds like a lot of fun
Audrey told me about the Flannel Formal
At the Faribault Flannel Formal last Saturday, a Best Lumberjack Hotdish Contest was part of the annual event attended by about 500, all called upon to dress in flannel (like Paul Bunyan).
And a Snowplow naming contest too? “…as I’m watching the news last evening, I was reminded of another recent hotdish “thing” in Minnesota, the naming of a snowplow as “Blader Tot Hotdish.” Here’s a blog post I wrote about this Minnesota Department of Transportation contest and winners”
You can see why I asked Audrey to help me with my HOTDISH blogpost. I could’t have done it without her.
My teacher friend Jen S. stopped by for tea snd conversation after school, Thursday afternoon. Towards the end of our visit, she checked the time on her watch
Wow, I said. Now those are big and bold numerals.
Jen said she often looks at her watch and it’s 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55
A magnetic pad shopping list, Xmas cards, photos from childhood- I had to get a new fridge cause there were no new or used parts available for my old model. A fridge has to have a good seal.
Slicing onions to sauté for rice snd beans supper I looked down snd saw a face in the onions Center. No one in particular. Just a little face. two faces in two slices. Smiling. I felt a little bad chopping them up.
How do you like your eggs?
Just the other day, my friend Joanne told me of a documentary about Hummus. She sent me the trailer on YouTube and I was able to stream it and watch the various cultures claim the origin of this Middle Eastern Chickpea dish. Here’s the trailer of the film
Chickpeas – high in fiber and can lower cholesterol – two health benefits listed.
Hummus recipe you can make at home
Hummus Yes or no? If yes, What do you pair it with? Do you make your own?
“Oren Rosenfeld Award winning Documentary “Hummus The Movie” official trailer. Beyond the mystique and competition, and even beyond religious and political divides, Hummus! showcases the personal stories of the colorful women and men who love their Hummus. Secret recipes, a Guinness World Record and the power of Hummus to bring Muslims, Christians and Jews together… in the Middle East, America and around the world.”