Overnight Breakfast Frittata

Ingredients:

1 bag 26 oz. frozen hash browns
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 16 oz. roll sausage
(Any flavor of sausage will do but I really prefer maple sausage)
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese


Directions:


Spray crock pot with non-stick spray and evenly spread hash browns at the bottom.
Crack 12 eggs in a large bowl. 
Mix well (and slowly) using a whisk.
Add the milk.
Sprinkle in the ground mustard.
Add salt & pepper. Mix well and set aside. (If you have a pepper grinder use fresh ground pepper. Much more flavorful). 

Cook the sausage on medium- high heat, drain and set aside.

Add sausage on top of hash browns.

Add the cheese & mix well.
Pour the egg mixture over everything in the crock pot. Using a wood spoon, even everything out so it's spread evenly.
Turn the crock pot on low for 8 hours. Now go wash your face, brush your teeth and get in bed. Go ahead and close your eyes, and fall asleep. Because when you wake up and walk into the kitchen, you'll see this...

Oh, my.

What do we have here?

A perfect recipe that reminds you that the day is worth living, that's what.

Some fun variations of this recipe include making it vegetarian by eliminating the sausage and adding the veggies of your choice. Peppers, onions and chives work really well. My personal favorite is asparagus and green onion. Yum Yum! 

Hummus Crab Cakes

24 small crab cakes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup small-diced red onion
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery
1 1/2 cups of each: small-diced red and yellow bell pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup hummus
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pound (8 ounces) jumbo lump crabmeat, drained (no claw meat!)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Preparation
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, celery, and bell peppers until soft. Season with Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, hummus, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the crabmeat to combine but don't over mix. The crabmeat should remain in large pieces. Combine ingredients from steps 1 and 2.
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and turn heat to medium. Scoop evenly-sized cakes into the pan using an ice cream scoop and sauté over medium heat until crispy on both sides.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

The Smoothie & The Roach Spray

Hi Folks! Normally, my postings are related to my cooking, recipes and such but my first love is firefighting. It's what I've always wanted to do. My Dad was a firefighter for 41 years and I always dreamed of following him into the "family business." Well, in April I will be entering my 17th year in the fire service, serving the citizens and visitors of the city where I live.

Firefighters, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Technicians encounter some bizarre stuff when we are helping out the general public. Now don't get me wrong, I'd never make fun of someone's misfortune because everyone has their own opinion of what constitutes an emergency & usually we are encountering people at their worst but some stuff is downright funny.

I have been toying with the idea of writing a book when I retire about my experiences as a firefighter with a working title of "You Can't Make This Stuff Up!"

I'd like to share two stories with you below that are experiences as a result of working in a first responder engine company. First responders, in my city are either an Engine Company or Ladder Truck that responds with firefighter/EMT's to a medical incident when there isn't a medic unit in close proximity, to provide needed EMS skills until the medics arrive or because the nature of the dispatch requires a first responder company (forced entry, lift assist, & such).

After you read these two stories, I'd like you to give me your honest opinion on what you've read. It will help me decide where I want to go with this. If there's a positive response, I'll keep my dream alive and keep adding to this massive MS Word document that I keep on a flash drive and ask others for some of their stories too & maybe I'll post a story here once in a while. If the response isn't that great then I'll keep adding to my MS Word file and have some great memories to reflect back on after I retire.

Names, actual fire companies, and locations have been omitted, or changed to protect the innocent.

The Smoothie

Early one morning, right after my fire company came on shift we were dispatched for a "Trauma Assault" incident. The dispatcher also notified us that this was a domestic incident and police were being dispatched & we were to await the police before entering the home. When notified to wait for police, you get a little on edge because you don't know what you're going to encounter & domestic incidents are always unpredictable.

 Our engine goes out the door, lights blazing & sirens wailing through the streets of the city en route to the incident, preparing for the worst & hoping for the best. As we turn onto the street where the incident is located we see a few police cars already on location. We pull up, the driver stops the apparatus and we dismount. I grab the medical equipment and we see a circle of police officers and a man who is sitting on the step, holding a blood soaked towel against the side of his head. I take a look at his head and see a six inch by four inch laceration & the biggest lump I've ever seen. I begin to treat the injured man, cleaning and bandaging his wound, taking care to make sure I stop the flow of blood because head wounds are the worst bleeders.

My lieutenant says to the closest police officer, "What happened?" The police officer smiled and said, "You've got to ask him" & points to the man holding the towel against his head. The man says, "You got to understand, I'm a player! Last night I was out doing my thing & I came home and wanted to do my thing again, with my lady. She smelled some stank on my hang-low and got mad. We had a fight and she hit me with a smoothie!" My boss says, "A smoothie? What the heck is a smoothie?" The man replies, "A smoothie! You know, the thing you smooth the wrinkles out of your clothes with!"

His woman hit him in the head with the clothes iron!

Well, the woman was arrested, the medic unit arrived and took the man to the hospital where he undoubtedly received some needed stitches and we got back on the fire engine and we went back to the station ready for the next call.

All in a day's work.

The Roach Spray

One night I was working in a firehouse in the heart of the inner city when we were dispatched on a first responder call for an overdose/poisoning. The address of the incident was a high rise housing project that this fire company had been to quite often.

Upon arrival, the lieutenant told me that the elevators might be out of service and we would probably have to hoof it up the steps. Sure enough, he was right & we began our ascent to the 9th floor. Once we got there, the lieutenant knocked on the door, announcing, "Fire Rescue!"

A woman answered the door and said, "He's in the bathroom." The lieutenant says, "What's going on here? Why did you call?"

The woman says, "I'll tell you what happened. We were having an argument and he tried to put his hands on me so I sprayed him in the face with the roach spray!"

We go down the hall to the bathroom and all we see is this man, on his knees with his head in the toilet. I think that maybe he got sick from being sprayed in the face so I say to him, "Hey buddy, what's going on?"

The man lifts his head up, dripping with water, and says "The can of bug spray says to flush your eyes, so I am flushing my eyes. What's it look like I am doing?!"

At this point, the lieutenant, myself and the other firefighter just started to spontaneously laugh. We walked the man downstairs where we were met by the paramedics. We related the information to them, they chuckled and took the man to the hospital for treatment and we went back to the station.

Like I said, You can't make this stuff up!

I hope you have enjoyed reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed sharing them. Please take a minute to post something in the comments section below or on my Twitter feed @ https://twitter.com/RayClothier

Roast Chicken w/ Brandy-Vanilla Butter

Roast Chicken w/ Brandy-Vanilla Butter

Ingredients:

4 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft

1 tbsp brandy (Christian Brothers works well)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken, patted dry with paper towels

Directions:
preheat oven to 400 degrees (or metric equivalent)

In a medium sized bowl whisk together butter, brandy, vanilla extract, sugar, 1/2 tsp sea salt, & 1/2 tsp black pepper until you form a smooth, supple compound butter. In the beginning it will seem like the butter mix is curdling but keep whisking until the ingredients submit to your whisking and form a well mixed compound butter.

Season the inside of the cavity with the remaining salt and pepper. Loosen the skin at the neck and carefully slide your fingers underneath, slowly lifting the skin from the meat. Divide the butter into fourths and take 1/4 of the compound butter and reach under the skin smearing the butter all over the meat. Be generous and reach down as far as you can, trying to get all the way down to the thighs.

Take another fourth of the butter and repeat the process on the outside of the skin, top and bottom, repeating until your fourth of butter is gone. (Think hot oil massage!)

Grab another section of butter and rub all over the inside of the cavity until the butter is gone. Work it into every section of the cavity, including the front and rear entrances. Lube it up good! 

Take remaining butter and roll in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator.

Place the chicken on a baking or roasting rack set over a baking dish or roasting pan. Roast for one hour. Remove from oven and rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining butter until the butter is gone and the bird is dripping. Return to oven for fifteen minutes.

Remove from oven and set on a cutting board for ten minutes to allow the juices to return to the chicken then carve and enjoy.

North African Stew

Ingredients 

• 6 skinless chicken thighs cut into 2" cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 2 cups carrot, peeled and cut into large dice
• 1 large eggplant (about 5 ½
• cups), peeled and cut into large dice
• 2 zucchini (about 3 ½
• cups), halved vertically and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 head cauliflower florets (about 5 cups)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 14 1/2-oz cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 14 1/2 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
• 1 cup dried currants or raisins
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½
• teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 14 1/2 oz can chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a 6 quart slow cooker and stir to mix well.2. Cover and cook on high heat for 8 1/2 hours.
3. Verify seasoning and serve over couscous.
Note: If a thicker stew is desired, place 5 cups of the stew into a blender and puree until smooth. Then, stir puree mixture into the stew.

A Little Help

Hi Folks! Today I'd like to go off the beaten path a bit. I have a friend. Her name is Alice. Alice used to be an emergency room nurse until medical issues forced her from the profession she so dearly loved and now her sole income is disability payments from Social Security from which she runs a household, and as a single mom, raises a young daughter.

As everyone know, times are tough for all of us right now and for Alice, it's no different.

Recently, Alice's dog, a German Shepard named Pete has taken ill and has some lung issues which are causing some serious veterinarian bills that Alice simply cannot afford. This woman has had it hard and she loves this dog like he's one of her kids. I am asking for some help to cover a bit of Pete's medical bills. Both Alice & Pete could use a little of that pay it forward attitude that makes our country so great.

Alice has a Paypal account and if you'd like to help out, donations can be sent there.

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/send-money-online

Alice's email for transaction purposes is redhawkwoman@hotmail.com

Thanks in advance. 

Ray

Places Where I Would Like To Meditate

As you may have gathered from the title of my blog, I am a student of meditation. I truly enjoy the serene feeling I get from meditation. It's like a detachment from all that surrounds me and it helps me to return to center and regain my focus and it helps me to send helping energy to those in need.

I have made a "Meditation Bucket List" of places that I would like to spend some time meditating. In no particular order they are listed and pictured below.

Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty  (618–907AD). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world. 

Hussain Sagar Buddha Statue

The Buddha statue situated at the center of an artificial lake in the city of Hyderabad is one of India’s most famous Buddha statues. This figure stands at 56 feet tall and weighs 320 tons. The single largest monolithic statue in all of India, it was sculpted by a group of artisans from a single piece of stone. Tragically, during the statue’s installation in 1992 the figure tipped over and fell into the lake, causing the death of 8 workers. The government recovered the statue and restored it to its full height and stature.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

 Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses The Emerald Buddha, one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.

A jade statue adorned in gold clothing, the Emerald Buddha was, according to legend, created in India in 43 BC in the city of Pataliputra, where it remained for 300 years. In the 4th century AD it was taken away to Sri Lanka by Buddhist monks to save it from destruction by war. Eventually the statue made its way to Thailand and was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1779. The statue has three different sets of gold clothing, which are changed by the King of Thailand in a ceremony at the changing of the seasons.

Gal Gal Viharaya Buddha 

Located in north central Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa is the site of one of the most breathtaking of the world’s representations of the Buddha – the Gal Gal Viharaya. This massive rock temple was constructed by Parakramabahu the Great in the 12th century. The central attraction of the temple are 4 large Buddha statues carved into the face of a granite boulder. Among these giant stone figures are a reclining statue of the Buddha that measures 46 feet in length and a standing figure measuring 23 feet high.

The Borobudur Temple 

Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 25 miles northwest of Yogyakarta, the Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. The Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. Containing over 500 representations of Buddha it is one of the most amazing Buddhist temples known to mankind. It was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash.

That's my "Meditation Bucket List" folks. I hope to visit all of these before I hit my 60th birthday. That gives me 13 1/2 years to visit each of these serene and beautiful Buddha representations. I think that my goal is well within reach.