This is Dedicated to the One I Love.

When Roy and I lived in Pennsylvania, one restaurant we enjoyed eating at was the LoneStar Cafe.  It was a chain restaurant, but that had great steaks, baked sweet potatoes that needed their own dinner plate to be served on, and amazing appetizers.  The Cheese Fries was the best thing ever; seasoned steak fries smothered in melted cheese and crispy bacon bits; served with a Southwestern Ranch sauce.  Heart attack on a plate and we didn't care.  Then one day we discovered that the restaurant had closed; we knew a couple of the waiters who said they had reported to work, only to find a sign on the door saying it was closed for business.  Talk about a shocker!

Poor Roy, I think he was the most disappointed of both of us, so I decided to come up with a copycat recipe.  Took me a while to get it right, but I did it; and making the sauce was super easy.  While shopping for groceries, I discovered that Hidden Valley Ranch had a Southwestern Ranch dressing.  I purchased a  bottle and discovered it was exactly what was served with the cheese fries.  However, it wasn't always available at the supermarkets, so I learned to make my own by mixing regular Ranch dressing, not the buttermilk type, with Cholula sauce.

Copycat Recipe for LoneStar Cheese Fries

Ingredients:

peanut or canola oil
1 (16 oz) bag seasoned steak fries, frozen
1 (8 oz) bag shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese mix
1 cup real bacon pieces
Hidden Valley Ranch Southwestern Ranch Dressing, or mix Regular Ranch Dressing (not Buttermilk) with Cholula sauce till desired flavor and heat is achieved.

Preparation:

Fill a large skillet halfway with peanut oil, heat on high till a drop of cold water sizzles in pan. Fry the frozen fries one third of a bag at a time; use a slotted spoon to put the fries into the hot oil. Caution: the oil will sizzle and pop from the cold fries. Let cook for 4 minutes, drain on paper towels and repeat till all the fries are done.

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer one third of the fries into the dish, spread one third of the cheese and bacon pieces over them; repeat two more times. Bake for 15 minutes; serve with sauce while hot.

Makes 4 servings.

But I'm not finished yet, another one of Roy's joys is the Patty Melt; a diner classic that is rarely found in diners anymore. This is a grill top special - grilled onions, hamburger, rye bread with melted Swiss cheese. I make mine in a cast iron skillet which ensures even cooking, good flavor and a crisp texture to the rye bread.

The Classic Patty Melt

Ingredients:

1 large onion, cut into slivers
2 Tbsp butter
dash of salt and pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 (1/4 lb each)hamburger patties (80% lean)
8 slices marbled Rye bread
4 Tbsp butter, softened
8 slices Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet on medium-high heat; add onions, salt, pepper and vinegar; mix and let cook for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring. Once the onions are browned, remove to small bowl and add the patties into the same skillet; cook each side for 6 minutes. Remove to plate to rest.

Liberally smear softened butter onto one side of each slice of Rye bread; place butter side down in skillet. Depending on size of skillet, you may have to do each sandwich individually. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each slice of bread; let cook for 2 minutes. On one slice of bread, place a hamburger patty and a layer of onions. Flip over the other slice of bread on top of the other, press down with a spatula for one minute. Flip sandwich over in skillet, press down with spatula again for an additional minute. Remove to plate, slice sandwich in half and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

So there you go Roy; a meal just for you cause I love you so very much.

Mary Cokenour

Soup battles the Cold Weather.

After I came home yesterday, I noticed that the wind was beginning to pick up and the temperature was starting to drop a bit.  It had been a sunny day, but suddenly it darkened and I noticed the large dark clouds moving into the area.  The weather reports out of Salt Lake City were reporting a cold snap moving in, but the news media never seem to cover our area, so would it reach us?

I like to run on the side of caution, so the crock pot came out and soup was in the making.  I knew it had to be something hardy and filling, just in case snow shoveling became a factor later on.  Beef Barley Vegetable soup does the trick; shredded lean beef with loads of vegetables, plump barley and a rich, thick broth...oh so good and full of comfort, especially on a cold day or night.

Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup each chopped carrots, onions and celery
1 cup shredded white cabbage
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp each dried, crushed basil, parsley and thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup barley (NOT quick cook)
6 cups beef broth
2 lb sirloin roast beef, trimmed of fat

Preparation:

Set a 6 qt crock pot on low heat; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place all ingredients inside in order of listing. Cook for 7 hrs; take out beef and shred; place back into crock pot, mix and let cook for an additional half hour.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

First Time for Everything.

Yesterday I decided to try something for the first time - baking an upside down cake.  Roy had purchased several cans of pineapple to snack on, the pineapple that is, not the cans.  Since that seemed to be the typical fruit to use for this type of cake, I figured why not?  I printed out a few recipes and they all seemed exactly the same, some adding cherries to the center of the pineapple rings, some not.  Some using cake flour, others using all purpose flour; so I went with what was in the pantry.  Oh, and I had run out of milk, so used half n' half instead which made the cake itself very light and moist.  I like this trial and error stuff, it works out well most of the time, and I've noticed my attempts at baking are getting much better, or so the critics tell me.

So here's my attempt at Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter, melted plus 4 Tbsp butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
10 slices pineapple canned in syrup; retain 2 Tbsp syrup
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup half n’ half
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; using a nonstick 9” cake pan, pour melted butter inside and sprinkle brown sugar over evenly. Drain pineapple, but retain 2 Tbsp of syrup. Arrange 7 slices over the butter and brown sugar; cut the 3 remaining slices in half and arrange around the side of the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix together half n’ half, egg, vanilla and retained pineapple syrup. Add liquid and softened butter to dry ingredients and beat until smooth; pour into cake pan and try not to shift pineapple slices.

Bake for 40-45 minutes; until cake is golden brown and pulls away from edge of pan. Let stand for 5 minutes; turn upside down onto serving dish, tap bottom and sides to release cake. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Fig Newtons go Crispy.

Generations have grown up on Fig Newtons, the soft cakelike cookie surrounding a filling of mashed figs.  Well now Newtons have jumped into the realm of the crispy cookie with Fruit Thins.  A thinly delicate cookie loaded with small diced pieces of blueberry, fig or cranberry; and other flavors of  brown sugar, honey and citrus oat to compliment the fruit.

Each cookie is made of whole grain, five grams of fat, seven grams of sugar; real dried fruit is a minor ingredient though, since it's near the bottom of the ingredient listing.  Nutritional value is zero, except for the 4% of iron in each serving (three cookies); but you have to give Kraft Foods kudos for using natural ingredients instead of chemicals.

The cookies themselves are satisfying; good flavor and crunch.  The packaging keeps them from being crushed and keeps them fresh, so great for traveling.  While real fruit and veggies are the best snack, Newtons Fruit Thins are a good substitute, especially if you have finicky family members to make happy.

Good job Kraft!

Mary Cokenour

Twin Rocks Cafe is buff in Bluff.

Twin Rocks Cafe

913 E. Navajo Twins Drive
Bluff, UT 84512-0330

(435)672-2341

Website: http://www.twinrockscafe.com/index.html

Traveling south on Rte 191, on the way to Monument Valley, you'll pass through a little town called Bluff. Known for its artisans and history, be prepared to be tempted to spend the day here. The town is also surrounded by rock formations that will take your breath away; one such being "The Navajo Twins".

The Navajo Twins tower over the Twin Rocks Cafe, Gift Shop and Trading Post; and this is a must visit location while in Bluff. Entering the Cafe, dining is to the right while the gift shop is on the left. The Trading Post is another building next to the Cafe. Seat yourself and a friendly local will bring you your menus, place settings and take a drink order. There is also a patio area for outside dining.

The menu (American, Native American, Mexican and a few International dishes) is small which allows the items available to be done correctly; the Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; there are also appetizers and desserts available.

Since we arrived at 4pm, the lunch menu was still being served. I chose the Smoked Beef Brisket which came with fries and baked beans. I also had a house salad with honey mustard dressing. All the dressings and sauces are housemade and are quite delicious. The honey mustard dressing was a stone ground mustard which had a hardy, yet comforting taste; not the overly tangy taste normally associated with a mustard dressing. The Brisket, alone, was smoky and tender with very little fat on it. The BBQ sauce had the sweet taste of brown sugar and a mild spiciness; the mustard sauce was tangy and vinegar strong (great for chicken). The fries were crispy outside, fluffy inside and the fry sauce went so well with them. The beans were not in the traditional thick baked bean sauce, but a thinner sauce and had great flavor.

Even though the dinner menu did not start till 5pm, hubby had no problem ordering the Bluff Burrito from it. Loaded with chicken (or beef is desired), sauteed red onion, bell peppers, diced green chiles and Pepper Jack cheese, hand-rolled in a flour tortilla; served with salsa and sour cream on the side. It is a monster burrito and the vegetables were crisp and fresh; with or without the condiments, it was delicious.

Thankfully we did not order any appetizers, or we would not have been able to finish these delicious meals; and we were certainly too full to try any desserts.

Again, when traveling to Monument Valley, make sure to visit Twin Rocks Cafe.

Mary Cokenour

Walking Sticks and Orange Rolls

Now if you happen to be picturing a posh gentleman wearing a tophat and carrying a fancy walking stick; sorry, wrong walking stick.  The walking stick I'm referring to is from the Phasmatodea species and it is an insect.  The most common colors are green and brown, so they are very adept at being unseen in their environment.  They don't bite, humans that is, and they can easily be kept as a pet and will thrive on organic lettuce.

Roy had often spoken about these little creatures that he remembers from childhood.  On Sunday, just after I had put a batch of orange rolls into the oven, Roy came up to me and said, "Hunny, remember when I told you about walking sticks?  Well lookie what I found outside."  From behind his back he brought his hand out and inside was a brown walking stick...I was mesmerized.  It looked like a 1/4 inch thick, 4 inch long twig with finer twigs branching out from the main body.   It was perfectly still and I immediately got the camera out; I was not missing an opportunity of photographing this wonderful creature.  After awhile, Roy transferred it to my hand and the little guy(gal?) got animated and started to walk about...it was fascinating.  After a few minutes though, it wanted to keep wandering off, so I had Roy transfer it outside and into my herbal garden.

Then I remembered the rolls and ran for the oven; a little browner than I'm used to, but not hard as a stone or burnt.  I let the rolls cool a bit before slathering on the orange cream cheese frosting.  A perfect treat after such an experience with nature.

Orange Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1(.25 oz) packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/2 cup cold butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup each white sugar and brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh grated orange zest

Preparation:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter and dissolve salt in milk.

In a large bowl, mix the yeast, egg and flour with the milk mixture to form a sticky dough. Lightly butter a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the butter. Cover with a clean, dry linen cloth; let rise in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking. Divide the dough into halves; roll each half out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangular shape.

Mix the softened butter, sugars and orange peel in a small bowl. Spread half of the butter mixture over each rectangle. Roll up the dough short edge to short edge and cut one inch slices. Place in greased muffin tins, or 6 into a nine inch greased cake pan; let rise until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400F; place tins and/or pans on center rack; bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before putting on frosting.

Makes 2 dozen rolls.


Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1(8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
8 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp orange zest
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Orange juice

Cream the cream cheese, butter, and orange zest until smooth and well combined. Turn off mixer; add the confectioner’s sugar plus one tablespoon of orange juice. With mixer on low, combine till smooth; it may be necessary to add an additional tablespoon of orange juice till desired consistency is achieved.

Makes enough to frost 2 dozen rolls.

Mary Cokenour

Nature Valley adds Thins to Granola collection.

Hiking desert trails or climbing Red Rock formations doesn't make a person just thirsty, but a might bit hungry as well. I always make sure to pack granola bars with the bottled water. While they can be crunchy and have a little sweetness to them, they are boring.

Then there are the times you might want a granola snack, but eating just one of the 2 bars that come in a package is enough; but what do you do with the other bar? Nature Valley came up with a solution that solves the problems of boring and too much with Granola Thins. A two by two granola square, one side smeared with a dark chocolate or peanut butter coating; just the right size and loaded with flavor.

The granola square, however, is half the thinness of one regular granola bar, so that makes for easy crumbling. Taking a small bite, you will probably break off more than you intended. Opening up the little package, it's not surprising to see a part of the square broken off and crumbled, or even the whole square crumbled apart. The coating doesn't do much for keeping it together as it tends to melt and stick to the packaging.

It's sort of a 50-50 deal with these Thins, sometimes they are perfect and sometimes not. Might depend on how many times the employees at the grocery store dropped the boxes while putting them on the shelves. Overall though, they are a tasty treat, especially when you're looking for just a little something to snack on.

Mary Cokenour