Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
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By now, if you eat all of the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas foods, you are probably getting a little tired of turkey. Of course, some people traditionally eat prime rib, and a few may enjoy ham; generally speaking though, fowl of some kind is usually what is gracing holiday tables. However, New Year’s is a day when it seems that the regional favorites are what show up on dinner tables, as opposed to holiday favorites. Being from the east coast, and of the southern persuasion, though, what will most likely be on my dinner table is b...
I don’t know about you, but in my family we usually had a meal the night before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s that wasn’t typical or traditional. In the northeast, Chinese food is typical fare for Christmas Eve, because Christmas Day most everyone will be feasting on turkey – again – or baked ham, or even a prime rib roast. Christmas Eve is for relaxing, enjoying being together before the mad rush to open presents and then the clean-up and big dinner afterward. So, the food should be equally as relaxing – comfort food – something tha...
Being an east coast crab, I’ve not only enjoyed my fair share of Amish food, but I’ve also had the opportunity to sample treats related to the Jewish. I went to school with kids of the Jewish faith, and attended a number of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and they do like their sweets. Chanukah celebration food, though, centers around the fried variety, which I love but don’t eat too often. The oil the food is fried in is representative of the oil used during the rededication ceremony of a desecrated temple that was won back. The Jews did not have enoug...
Wow! What a Thanksgiving. Hope everyone gobbled till they wobbled. I had a quiet day, being a bachelor crab, but still managed to roast a turkey and cook all of the traditional side dishes I remembered from my childhood, while getting my fill of holiday movies on television. I only ate one meal Thanksgiving Day, since it was also a tradition in my family to more or less fast until the big meal was put on the table. Afterward, we were too stuffed to even think about having another meal later in the day. Anyway, also as per tradition, I spent...
Hello, and I hope you are ready to get down to some serious eating tomorrow. Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday of mine because I love turkey. Yes, even though we crabs are scavengers, we do have discriminating tastes, and turkey is one of mine. This time of the year is also a time for casual and impromptu get togethers, and nibbling – one my favorite things to do. I would rather nibble on foods I really like, especially when they are being served at someone else’s home or office – it means someone else had to take the time to ma...
The University of Wyoming Extension nutrition and food safety educators offer Turkey 1.0 information for newbies and those who haven’t prepared the Thanksgiving meal for a while. The 10-page Turkey Talk provides buying and thawing information, roasting timetable and instructions, safe handling of turkey dinners to avoid bacterial growth, food storage guides and recipes for leftovers. The bulletin can be viewed or downloaded free at http://bit.ly/turktalk....
I know I generally try and share one sweet and one savory recipe with you when I have the opportunity to put a column together. But, since it is so close to Thanksgiving and Christmas I thought I would share some sweets recipes with you that are good just to serve as dessert, or even give as gifts. Being from the East coast, I have had a chance to sample a lot of Amish cooking, and I have to say some of their dishes are among my favorites. The first recipe I am going to share with you is an authentic Shoo Fly Pie recipe. This recipe came...
A new study “proving” that a brisk walk is as good as or better than a regimen of structured exercise for losing weight has caused quite a dustup. The London School of Economics reported that a half-hour of regular, brisk walking beats the gym if your aim is a smaller waistline. Their research found those individuals who engaged in walking at a good pace for a half hour or more had lower body mass indexes (BMI) and smaller waists than those who did other exercises such as going the gym or playing sports. But those who moan at the thought of...
Sure wish Mother Nature would make up her mind and decide whether we are going to be perpetually stuck with an Indian Summer, or whether the weather is going to progress completely into fall. Either way, I've already started cooking up some of my fall favorites, and again I'm going to share something sweet, and something savory, and both use fresh produce and ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboards. First off, I've been an apple butter lover since my mother first introduced me to it as a small crab...gotta love moms and...
The little red guy with the claws is back from the east coast! Even though we shellfish typically don't feel heat or cold, we do prefer chillier climates, colder water, which is why you haven't heard from me for awhile. Now that the weather is cooling down, you will be seeing me more often. It's almost the season for all things pumpkin – carving, decorating, and best of all eating! I love this time of the year, and especially using those giant orange orbs to make homemade goodies to give away. I was in the kitchen this weekend experimenting w...
Clarence and Vicky Steege of Burns announce the engagement of their daughter Amber Elaine Steege to Jon Fredrik Liljedahl, son of Gerald and Sylvia Liljedahl of Kimberling City, Mo. The bride-to-be graduated in 1996 from Burns High School, and then in May 200 from Concordia University in Seward, Ne., with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She works for the Bank of Oklahoma Financial in Tulsa, Ok., as a vice-president of mortgage credit risk analysis management. The... Full story
Hey there! My name is Crabbie Abner, but you can just call me Crabbie. That’s what I become when I’m hungry. My friends, who will tell you not to let my smile fool you, know better than to get within a claws-length when my stomach starts rumbling. Speaking of which.... I thought since this is my very first column that I would offer up a couple of (mostly) healthy recipes; one for vegetarians, and one for those that have a passion for chicken. Because I’m kind of a loner – who do you know that wants to share dinner with a fella like me – I ten...
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Or maybe it is us that has broadened our girths. Either way, Christmas is coming. Whether you nibble your way through the next four weeks with carrots and celery, or savor every bite of sugar, cream cheese and chocolate, there is no denying the many tastes available right now. Chocolate serves as a nice holiday treat all by itself. However, drizzle it over candy or completely wrap the candy in it and you have Weight Watchers worst enemy. Chocolate c...
From now through the first week of the New Year, even the healthiest and fittest people experience a little tightness around their waistline. Between the extra sweets at work to the family two-hour-long feasts, there is hardly a chance to back away from the table. Fortunately, most of us work off the eight to 12 pounds we gratefully receive over the holidays. My goal this time of year is to make every bite count. As the trips around the sun stack up, I have noticed the gifts of the season that...
Some recipes scare me. For years, I would not attempt homemade cinnamon rolls, resigning my family to store bought, dry tube rolls or occasionally turning flaky biscuits into a version as close as I was willing to get to homemade rolls. Now, I make cinnamon rolls a couple of times a week, and even have the time down to about an hour from the yeast hitting the warm water to the frosting being drizzled over the warm rolls. You may not fear anything. You could possibly be one of those people who...
Once upon a time there lived a talented cook. She could bake rolls in minutes, whip up a fancy dessert without getting her kitchen messy. And she always had enough food in the pantry for anything she wanted to make. So, most of us don’t live in that fairy tale. That doesn’t mean you still can’t have a happy ending to a long day with a great meal. It has a lot to do with having the right tools. A magic wand isn’t necessary. Crock pots are a useful tool to have in your kitchen and have always been...
Pumpkins are center stage this month – in front of grocery stores, on candy wrappers, in decorations, and yes, even in our recipes. There’s a lot more to those hard shell jack-o-lanterns than decoration and pies, though. The pumpkin originated in Central America, named from “pepon,” which is the Greek word for large melon. It is a fruit, loaded with potassium and vitamin A and helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer as well as help protect the eyes. It’s rich in carotenoids that helps keep our immune system strong and healthy. Pumpkins...
Sometimes we are gently nudged into trying new dishes. We go to a potluck or football party and put a scoop of unfamiliar on our plate. Sometimes, we are pushed out to a sea of tastes our little buds find too foreign to try again. Columbus Day is Monday. It’s a good time to pack our buds and try some new flavors and dishes. The success of dishes is in good part to how it looks and how easy it is for the preparer. However, much of a dishes chances to be used again is due to its flavor. Columbus came from a land with many spices, seasoning and w...
There was a story I heard once that Henry Ford would take potential new employees to dinner before he hired them. If they salted their food before they tasted it, he would not hire them. Mr. Ford felt that no one should think they can make a chef’s creations better. After you taste it, you may want to add or enhance with salt or pepper, but try it first was his philosophy. Trust the professionals. I dabble a little in cooking for others and it is surprising to me how many diners request c...
The beginning of this week ushered in the cool crisp colorful season of autumn. Wouldn’t it be nice if our cooking and baking reflected those tasty adjectives? Oh, wait, they can! Pumpkin bars and pies are the first golden brown beauties usually to adorn our tables after the season changes. Pumpkin bars can be a quick alternative to the pie and shouldn’t be written off as a brownie recipe that has Libby pumpkin dumped in. Although, I will admit doing that once or twice. If you are in a toot, or...
I was looking at a house that had a mature garden, complete with a strawberry patch. The owner said “go ahead have all you want,” as he noticed me drooling over the tiny fence holding in summer sweetness. I only took one, but that taste reminded me of why I sat in the middle of a red and green patch so many years ago and didn’t stop eating until I was sick. It was so fresh. It tasted so much like summer, if summer has a taste. And the flavor lingered in my mouth long after leaving the garden. My...
So, rumor has it snow will be on its way by the time you are reading this. What better way to ward off the September chills than the smell of warm bread baking in your kitchen. I never tried bagels until this year. I always thought they were a bit “out of my league.” However, it turns out not only can anyone cook, anyone can cook anything with a solid recipe and a little patience. The recipe below carried me through my lack of patience and they turned out well. Try your hand at pulling some bag...
Cheyenne Frontier Days has wrapped up and Laramie County Fair will be over this weekend wrapping up our local fairs and festivals. We have ample opportunities to dine on the tasty treats of carnival food from mid June with Burns Day and the Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo in Grover through Trail Days in Pine Bluffs the first weekend of August. So, what happens when you crave a little grease accompanied by the flavor of the summer festivals? Fire up the Fry Daddy and have a festival in your home....
The calendar has found its way to the last full week of July. Which means, Cheyenne Frontier Days is in full swing. Many Cheyenne residents take their vacation not to attend the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, but to leave town until the dust settles around the capitol of our large neighborhood known as Wyoming. People come from other states, countries and continents to get a little taste of the west and Wyoming. Perhaps what they end up tasting is midway treats that have no connection to...
The three Rice Krispie guys have nothing on our favorite American holiday, the Fourth of July. Perhaps they hold up for a while under the saturating pressure of milk, but fireworks keep going long after our ears can hear. Maybe you are looking for a calmer, sweeter, and ultimately quieter way to celebrate tomorrow. Have I got the cookie for you. Many of us travel to the park, to family homes, or possibly to the lake. These little patriotic cookies hold their own in a Tupperware container and...
