Does it get any sweeter than this?? This is my great-granddaughter and her daddy, Kevin, taking a little nap. My granddaughter is really good with a camera and I think that she would win if she entered this picture in a contest.
Top 'o the mornin' to ya, even though it is almost night, but we are getting into the spirit of St. Paddy's Day, which is this Sunday according to my Seahawks calendar. I plan to celebrate the day by watching a spring training game with the Mariners. If I were entertaining that day, I would cook corned beef and cabbage, along with potatoes and lots of horseradish sauce. And good beer.
I always have good success cooking corned beef, except for once, and that was totally not my fault. The local butcher at that time assured me that his own cured corned beef was the best. It wasn't!! and I had a house full of guests. In fact, it was inedible due to amazing saltiness, even though I rinsed the hell out of it and boiled it - just like he said. Good thing we had lots of beer.
Boiling your corned beef is the traditional method of cooking it and it works fine, but I really think it turns out much better in a cooking bag. I think that the directions are in the cooking bag box but in case they aren't, these are the directions from the Reynolds' site. I usually do not add the allspice or salt, because it is plenty salty already, in my informed opinion.
Ingredients
1 Reynolds™ Oven Bag, Large Size1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
1 corned beef brisket, about 2 1/2 pounds
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 head cabbage, cut in 6 wedges
1 large onion, cut in 6 wedges
3 large carrots, cut in half crosswise and then lengthwise
Prep
- PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
- SHAKE flour in Reynolds Oven Bag; place in 13x9-inch baking pan. Add water to oven bag. Squeeze bag to blend in flour.
- ADD beef to bag, fat side up. Sprinkle allspice, salt and pepper over meat. Place vegetables around beef.
- CLOSE oven bag with nylon tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top.
Cook
- BAKE 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until fork-tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove and toss top leaf from cabbage. Slice beef and serve with vegetables and meat juices.
You will thank me for this little hint, especially at clean up time.
Since it is coming up to St. Patrick's Day, it is time to move the shamrock from the holiday plant nursery (the guest room) and hit it with the Schultz's plant food. Once it assumes its rightful place in the bright north window, it will bloom its little heart out all summer.
This shamrock was part of Grandma Lou's big giant one and her daughter, my daughter-in-law, Miss PeggyRae, gave me a chunk after Lou passed away. It is special to me, and meaning no disrespect, we both call it "Lou", as in, Lou needs water, or repotting. I'll take a picture when she gets up to her full beauty.
Okay, let's take a look at the ad. QFC is still running the promo where you buy four boxes of cereal and then get a gallon of milk free. I took advantage of this once when my grandson was going to be here for a week. He was very impressed when I whipped out my coupons for his favorite cereals that were on sale and then got a free gallon of milk.
Here are my picks this week:
3 day ad - Friday thru Sunday
Corned Beef Brisket - $2.99/lb
Green Cabbage - $ .59/lb
Red or Yukon Gold Potatoes - $ .79/lb
Regular ad
Franz Bread - $2.50/loaf
Tide Laundry Detergent - $4.99/small size (coupons in March PG insert)
Land O Lakes Butter - $2.50/lb
Coffee Mate Creamer - $2.79/qt
QFC Sour Cream - $1.25/16oz (cut with horseradish sauce, yum!!)
Tillamook Yogurt - $ .50/6oz
USDA Ribeye Steak - $5.99/lb
Fresh Dover Sole - $5.99/lb
Asparagus - $1.69/lb (very good price)
Fuji or Cameo Apples - $ .99/lb
Daffodils - $2/10 stem bunch
Primroses - $1/ea (beautiful colors yesterday)
Carpal Tunnel Surgery Update:
It is over!! and in less than two weeks. My last stitches were removed today and I can finally start putting cream on my hands again. I still can't go out and start shoveling or anything crazy like that but I'm on my way.
We've had corned beef twice this month already (can you tell we love it in our house?). This year I've tried something new and have been cooking it in the crockpot. I throw it in with about a cup of beer or wine (whatever I have on hand) and sprinkle it with the spice packet it comes with and let it sit all day. I check it periodically during the afternoon and if I think it is getting overcooked I'll change my setting to keep warm. So far around 8 hours has worked well and I've roasted my cabbage and potatoes seperately in the oven. This is my new favorite preparation! The veggies and potatoes aren't soggy and the corned beef has been moist and perfect everytime!
ReplyDeleteI love MMP cooking ideas in those cooking bags. No cleanup and everything is always cooked to perfection. I must make the leap some time. I have always cooked my corned beef in the crockpot since way back in the early 70's when I got my first crockpot. Remember those first ones? You had to soak the whole thing in the sink because 1) it didn't have a removable cooking pot 2) it definitely wasn't nonstick 3) the cord did not remove from the bottom of the pot. I'm amazed that we didn't all burn our houses down with those things! My glass lid had a chip in it and one of the little legs rotted off and it still kept cookin' away for years and years. About 10 years later I finally bought a new crockpot with a removable liner and set the old crockpot on top of the outside garbage can. My husband came in after work with the crockpot in his hands and said that it still worked and it looked sad out there. So, I put it back on the shelf and it sat there unused for another 10 years, but with a happy face. I throw on 1/2 of my cabbage and let it cook all day with the corned beef because I love the cabbage flavor mixed with the corned beef. Then, about an hour or so before I'm ready to eat, I take the rest of cabbage and cut it into 1/4s and push it down into the juice and cook some more. I've never thought about putting my own seasonings on... What a concept!
ReplyDeleteMore tax tips:
If the dust is collecting on Granpa's old coin collection or you just have too many Monet's for your wall space, you may be considering selling them. Be aware that these are taxable income items. They are considered collectibles and you do not get the lower capital gains rate as you would if you sold that vacant lot next to the shopping center downtown. Or if you buy gold or silver coins when the price is down and sell when the price goes up. These are considered collectibles also. Could have serious tax implications. Be sure to talk with your tax advisor before you sell. Who would have thought that you would be penalized for buying gold coins versus gold stocks? The laws these congressmen come up with...