gather round, gather round, ladies & gents & spacemonkeys… it’s time for Carnival of the Recipes #18! hosted by…. me!! hooray!! the Carnival is huge this week, so let’s jump right in and get started… after, that is, we sing a little tune.

i’m feelin’ a Harry Potter theme kinda tune for this one…

the Carnival of the Recipes,
it makes us all so happy.
if you don’t belie-eve me…
i’ll argue with your pappy!
we share our fav’rite things to make,
we all learn lots of new stuff.
so come, we’ll tell you what to bake…
till you can’t get enou-ough!

anyway. shall we begin to feast? (rhymes free of charge, even the ones that don’t quite rhyme. i’m nice that way.)

we like to start off dinner by drinking something good, so come on, be a winner, try these ones if you would…

our favorite IowaSoccerMom, who’s sprung a blog (Anywhere But Here) since the last time i hosted the Carnival (she has an awesome blogmommy, ahem), has a yummy recipe for Mulled Apple Cider. sounds cider-tastic, i shall drink some and be filled.

Owlish of Owlish Mutterings is muttering something about these drinks called Scorpion Bowls. they sound very full of alcohol, whoa mama! not for the faint of heart, i assume, especially since you drink them from a communal coconut. :-O snazzy and fruity (and crazy!) !

there is no rhyme that i can make, to speak of appetizers. so here i’ll ramble for my sake, and you’ll be none the wiser.

Kin of Kin’s Kouch has an awesome recipe for Pot Stickers for Putzes, and i heart his pun!! “ooo… it’s pot in here.” hahahahahahahahaha.

this recipe could go in more than one category, but lest Kin get lonely, i’ll put it here. VW Bug of One Happy Dog Speaks has an easy Chicken Quesadillas recipe. sounds yummy for the tummy!

if you want to please your palate, and you don’t got no shallots, why don’t you sing a ballad, and feast upon some salad!!

Cindy from Notes in the Key of Life shares a recipe for the very best spinach salad and dressing. looks yummilicious, and i hear it’s outstinkingstanding.

if your face is kinda ruddy, like Skipper’s “little buddy”, you don’t have to eat putty, you should instead get nutty!!

ahem. Romeocat of Cat House Chat is passing along Taunton’s Spiced Pecans, which can be used in stuffing or as a snack. they sound excellent, but i’m quite sure they’d never last long enough to make it into the stuffing. all into my belly.

i sense you have a wish, to feast upon a dish, that’s healthy and de-lish, so how’s about some fish!!

Monica of InspiredInsomniac (who has an adorable blog, y’all) sends us an easy Orange Roughy recipe that she and her boyfriend invented (scroll down on the link). it sounds, um, easy and yummy, and i see she agrees with me about that nasty Kraft stinky-feet cheese. DO NOT USE!

you want some food to eat, so you can stay on your feet, and stroll along down the street, might i suggest some meat!![wow, meter’s really bad on that one, but it wasn’t when i wrote it. oh well.]

Monica has another recipe (overachiever!) for us, her dad’s Sicilian Meatloaf. it sounds really good, and it’s unlike any meatloaf i’ve ever had. it has ham in/on it! must try.

next, IowaSoccerMom has a second recipe (you too!) for Poor Man’s BBQ, and um, one of the ingredients is a can of Coca-Cola. that’s all ya gotta say, ISM. Coca-Cola is the love of my life. /boring SarahK trivia

Gullyborg of Resistance is Futile! has a recipe for Blue Cheese Steak Wellington, and it promises to be absolutely mouthwatering. i may make this for Frank soon so i can impress him.

speaking of impressive, Punctilious from Blog o’Ram has a most tantalizing recipe for Beef Burgundy. go check it out!

these are the dishes you make in a pot… stews and soups and other whatnots… [k, that was bad, i know.]

musee Heidi sent in her recipe for Heidi’s White Hot Chicken Chili.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (48oz) can Great Northern Beans
1 (16oz) HOT salsa (hottest you can find)
16 oz Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos, shredded
1/2 chicken broth (use Better then Boulion, if avail.) [Ed: i’m assuming this is 1/2 can?]
2 teaspoons cumin

Combine all except a few oz of shredded cheese in slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve with corn bread or tortilla chips, and sprinkle additional shredded cheese on top of chili before serving.

yum! sounds wonderfully spicy!!

another chili recipe is John Boy’s Chili, from uruloki of uruloki’s lair. this sounds really interesting; i don’t think i’ve ever had chili that has honey in it, i will have to try it! and so will you!

musee Dave in Texas (of Afterburner Chili fame) has sent in a recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup. there’s no need for me to write an intro, as he has done the work for me:

You know, you people, who live in places besides Texas, you wonder what we eat when we aren’t shooting deer and voting for Republicans.

Well, honestly, that stuff keeps us pretty busy. But not so busy that we didn’t notice that chain restaurant chain (did that make sense to everyone?) “Chili’s”, well they kinda stole my mom’s recipe for Chicken Enchilada Soup and put it on the menu like they invented it or something.

As if.

Now, back when I was in High School (yes, we had electricity. Shut up. [Ed: sure, powered by your army of hamsters.]), we would take the leftover chicken enchiladas and make soup. It was not this complicated.

I have to impress you now, so here ’tis. NOW we have to have this “gucci” recipe, like no one ever heard of “leftovers”.

Fine. Whatever.

Here it is y’all (bona fide, Texas vernacular there):

* 1 bag tortilla chips, cut in halve-sies, ok?
* 1 sm. onion, chopped. Do you goobers know how to chop an onion? Remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon in the desert?

“HASSAN…….CHOP”!

Do it like that already.

* 1 clove garlic, crushed. Crushed, dispirited, depressed, I mean, one hopeless “life is not worth living” hunk o garlic. That clove better be cryin before you dispatch it, ok?
* 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. You can afford it, it’s down to $47 a barrel now. Splurge!
* 1 sm. jar picante sauce. Hot. None of that stuff from New Jersey. [Ed: and no self-respecting Texan would use Pace.] Alternate ingredient, a can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles. Your call.
* 1 can beef broth. This stuff also comes in a cube like they made people into from that old Star Trek episode. Don’t use any of those. Yech.
* 1 can chicken broth. Comes in a can. Buy it at HEB.
* 1 can cream of chicken soup. I am reliably informed this comes in a can too, you can get it at HEB, AND it’s creamy.
* 1 can chunk-style chicken. Ok, let’s visit for a second on this. You could buy a chicken. You could par-boil that sucker, peel pieces off of it, pour off the broth even to satisfy the broth requirement. All of these things are possible. Or you could buy a can of chunk-style chicken and pour it into this stuff. In the final analysis, no one will know the diff, and your secret is safe with me.
* 1 1/2 cups of water. Any water will do. Do you need any directions on water?
* 1 tbsp. steak sauce. I prefer A-1. You may prefer Heinz 57. Use A-1. This is my recipe.
* 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Worchestershire is that place where the Hobbits came from.
Oh I crack myself up sometimes.
* 1 tsp. cumin. Fresh ground is best. Factory ground is second best. No one will know.
* 1 tsp. chili powder. This is where you say “BAM”!
* 1/8 tsp. pepper. Black pepper. Texas-T.
* 3 c. shredded cheddar cheese. Ok, I have no idea what a “c” is. Cup? Container? Call it a cup… you will want lots of cheddar cheese. [Ed: yes, cup.]
* Paprika - a big spoonful from the T.

Saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons hot oil in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and paprika and chips; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Add 1/2 bag of chips and cheese; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and serve with reserved tortilla chips. Yield: 8 cups.

Now, doesn’t that sound yummy? It does. Did I mention drink a few Fosters while you’re making this stuff up? Trust me, you will enjoy the magic of cooking even more! Be careful with those “reserved” chips. They are special.

BAM!

what more is there to say?

next we have That1Guy’s Beer Beef Stew. ok, T1G, you’re forgiven for not entering last time i hosted. this stew sounds stew-tastic!

i love this, we have so many one-dishers this week, and those are the best for winter! our next of these is from musee Wayne, a recipe for Chili Verde:

Chili Verde can be a labor-intensive all day project, or a time and labor saving delicious change of pace. If you are craving delicious Mexican food, and a hearty yet unusual stew fits the bill, this
melange of cubed pork, onions, broth and tomatillos, (green tomatoes), will be a tender yet authentic treat.

* 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, trimmed, 3/4 inch dice
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
* 1 15 ounce can tomatillos, (available in Mexican section of larger supermarkets), drained
* 1/4 Cup La Victoria green taco sauce
* 2 Cups chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon prepared garlic, chopped
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon coriander (optional)
* 1/4 teaspoon thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 to 3 teaspoons chili powder*
* 1/2 Cup water
* 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

You have your choice of using a low or high setting on your slowcooker. You can prepare this recipe in a 2 to 4 quart cooker. Combine broth and pork in crock pot and cook on high setting for one hour, or low setting for 2 hours. Combine tomatillos, onions, green pepper if desired and remainder of seasonings in cooker and cook on low setting another hour.

Occasionally check the fluids in stew. You are looking for a chowder-like consistency at this point. Add more water if needed.

Combine reserved water and cornstarch to form a thin paste. Return crock pot to high setting and stir in cornstarch mix, stirring until stew reaches a thickened consistency.

Serve with Mexican or white rice, and snack sized flour tortillas. To heat tortillas, simply wrap in plastic wrap and microwave 15 seconds per side. Allow two flour tortillas per person.

Will serve 4 to 6. *Adjust the chili powder to your personal heat preference.

mmm… good.

Songstress7 of News from the Great Beyond (new festive design!) asks, “What’s a Garbanzo Bean, Soup?” or is that What’s a Garbanzo Bean Soup. it has a variety of wacky ingredients, all thrown together, so it must be great!

and i, SarahK, include my world state Metroplex-and-Select-parts-of-Florida-famous Shrimp Jambalaya. it’s a recipe that’s been floating around my family for over 20 years, and my favorite meal in the entire world.

there’s only one dish that i can’t do without, it’s chocolatey or tangy or cheesy, no doubt! i’ll have it for breakfast or dinner or lunch, i’ll have it at parties while sippin’ on punch! life would be harder, and i’d be berserk, if i didn’t have that wonderful meal called dessert!!

how festive! Caltechgirl of Not Exactly Rocket Science has a scrumptious-sounding recipe for Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti. (!!!) sounds great, but i think i’ll just eat the batter by the spoonful. is that ok?

The Glittering Eye’s David, who is all things food to me, has the recipe for his wife’s famous English Toffee, and i have to ask. is it ok to have a food crush on him and his wife? ’sokay? good. he says we should all make several batches before Christmas. and he promised to ship me a batch. oh. he didn’t? wishful thinking…

wow. Nic of Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax has … pardon me… drool… what was i saying? oh yes. beigli and chrusciki come from Nic, and both recipes sound so good i might weep. oh yes, thank you, Nic.

Jay of Accidental Verbosity sends his recipe for Cranberry Pie, and it sounds absolutely divine (i heart cranberries!). Jay says it is astonishingly good, and i believe him.

oh, i must have these! Chocolate Covered Cranberries come from El Capitan of Baboon Pirates. i do have one little contribution to make; i’m thinking instead of the tedium of chopsticks, use a slotted spoon to get the cranberries out while leaving the extra chocolate behind. yummy!

Jordana of Curmudgeonry has a variety of cookies for us to choose from, and they all sound sweetly fabulous and fabulously sweet! and she’s recently had a baby, to which i must say congratulations!

oh blissful day, rockinteach of Confessions of an ADHD, ADHD Teacher (good name!) submits a Black and White Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe for your enjoyment. i don’t even care how it tastes, it sounds like so much fun to make (cooking therapy!)!

Christina of Feisty Repartee has a Black Russian Chocolate Chip Kahlua Cake for your consideration. be still my saliva!

i heart Snickerdoodles! booklore submits Betty Crocker’s recipe for Snickerdoodles and makes me want them right this second! would that it were not midnight.

Tammi of Road Warrior Survival is sharing her Infamous Pie Crust recipe. i will have to try it the next time i make a pie! thanks, Tammi!

Allan of Inside Allan’s Mind has a recipe for Kentucky Cream Candy. yum. i vote for yes on the dark chocolate option, and i’m also thinking that you could add some peppermint extract and go for a completely different flavor. so many options!

UPDATE: two late entries from Marybeth of Random Thoughts… Fudge Ecstasies and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. oh my yummy!

so that’s the conclusion, that’s all that there is,
you go to the grocery, handle up on your biz,
next week it’s Trudy of Food Basics to host,
so start thinkin’ now of which recipes to boast.
i hope you enjoyed your perusal this time,
sorry for the corny, ridiculous rhymes!

this Carnival brought to you by the word Yum.
thanks to Beth for letting me host this monster party.
links to past Carnivals.