You Tube : Frank & Nancy Ep 1

This is our very 1st attempt at doing a You Tube...We had a LOT of laughs doing this piece !!

The Bear`s Varenyky...( PEROGIES )

The Bear`s Varenyky

 Or as they are commonly known... Perogies

As a pre - amble, I need to pay a little homage to my sister Debbie! My “Perogies”, are good, but Deb is the QUEEN! She no doubt makes the best in my book ;o)))

There are many possible fillings for these dumplings, which are found in one form or other in every Eastern Europe cuisine. Except for times like Christmas Eve (when meat and dairy products are not allowed), many Ukrainian cooks fill the Varenyky with a cottage cheese filling or a potato and cheese filling, and serve them with sour cream and onions sautéed in butter. They can also be filled with sauerkraut combined with fried onion, or even cooked prunes or other fruit. The fillings may vary tremendously during summer time, with cherries, plums and berries.

Ingredients

Dough

- 400 g (about 4 cups) flour

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 tbsp. corn or other vegetable oil

- 2 beaten eggs

- 250 ml (1 cup) water

Filling

- 3 cups cooked & mashed Potatoes... (See my Thanksgiving recipe)

- ¾ cup of finely chopped onion

- pressed garlic cloves

- 3 cups of grated mild cheddar cheese

- ½ lb crispy crushed bacon

- 2 tbsp. corn or other vegetable oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Sautéed onions, for serving

Making the dough

1. Combine the flour and salt.

2. Mix in the oil, beaten eggs and water and knead the dough until smooth.

3. Cover and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.

Making the filling

1. Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent.

2. Mix into the mashed potato, cheese, bacon and season with salt and pepper.

Making the Perogies

1. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured work surface.

2. Using a round cookie cutter cut the dough into 10 cm (4") rounds. Place a spoonful of the filling in the centre of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough, fold in half to enclose the filling and seal the edges well.

3. The Varenyky can be frozen at this point in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, they can be placed into freezer bags.

4. To cook, drop into boiling salted water and cook until the dumplings are floating. Serve with sautéed onions, (and bacon if you wish).



It`s Dinner Time ;o)))

BAKED BEANS RECIPE

Baked Beans

Navy Beans (1 can = 540 ml) 4 cans thoroughly rinsed & drained

Soya Beans 2 cans thoroughly rinsed & drained

Red Kidney Beans 2 cans thoroughly rinsed & drained

Ketchup 1.25 litre

Home Sauce 1.25 litre

Tomato Paste 369 ml

Spanish Onion 2 diced & sweated off

Garlic Cloves 8 diced

Bacon 500 gr fried, drained & diced

Brown Sugar 1 cup

Molasses 1/2 cup

Dry Mustard 1 tblsp

Chili Pwd 1 tblsp

Dijon Mustard 2 tblsp

Malt Vinegar 1/4 cup

Bay Leaves 4

The Bear`s Special Spice Rub ;o))

THE BEAR`S

SPECIAL SPICE RUB

;o)))))))

Believe me when I state this, but I’ve worked on the chemistry of this Rub for a couple of years! Now, I’ve got it down to where it`s quite versatile. Meaning, I can use it as a full on rub, like on the Pork Shoulder you see in the background of the picture, or as an add-in to enhance the flavours of dishes, yet not be overwhelming. In the case of Thanksgiving I`ll use it on the Turkey, in the Stuffing, and a bit in the Mashed Potatoes.

Now, I’ll tell you what it is composed of, (of course leaving out 3 secret ingredients).......

· Dry Mustard - 1/4 cup

· Dry Ginger - 1/4 cup

· Cayenne Pepper- 1/3 cup

· Kosher Salt - 1 cup

· Dry Ground Basil - 1/2 cup

· Dry Ground Oregano ( Greek ) - 1/2 cup

· Garlic Powder - 1 cup

· Onion Powder - 1 cup

· Cumin - 1/2 cup

· Ground Chipotle ( homemade ) - 1/2 cup

· Paprika - 1/2 cup

· Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 cup

·       Brown Sugar - 1 cup

·       Ground All Spice – ¼ cup

WHAT IS GINGKO BILOBA?

So, as I get older, I’ve found that my memory is not as it once was. It was suggested that I should look into Gingko...

What is Gingko Biloba?

Alternate names: Maidenhair tree, Kew tree, Japanese silver apricot

Ginkgo is one of the oldest living tree species. The extract of ginkgo leaves is used medicinally in North America, where it's one of the most popular medicinal herbs, and many other countries around the world. In traditional Chinese medicine, the seeds of the ginkgo tree are used.

Why Do People Use Ginkgo?

· To improve mental function

· Alzheimer's disease

· Age-related memory loss

· Macular degeneration

· Sexual dysfunction

· To enhance blood circulation

Ginkgo leaves are believed to contain compounds that thin blood and help to improve muscle tone in the walls of blood vessels. This may enhance blood flow.

What are the Safety Concerns?

Constituents in ginkgo leaves may affect blood clotting, so ginkgo leaf extracts shouldn't be used by people with bleeding disorders. People with epilepsy (or anyone with a history of seizures) should avoid ginkgo, because it may increase the frequency of seizures.

Ginkgo leaf products may affect blood sugar levels, so people with diabetes should only be used under the supervision of a health care provider.

The Bear`s Cabbage Rolls

The Bear`s Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 cloves of Garlic pressed
• 1 onion, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

2. Steam the whole head of cabbage until it is al dente. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Brown both Pork & Beef together then set aside

4. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent then add the garlic. Then in a large mixing bowl toss all the rice, beef, pork, onions & garlic & “smoosh” it all up. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cut the leaves off of the cabbage and cut the larger leaves in half. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into a leaf and roll tightly. Place rolls in prepared casserole dish, stacking in layers. Pour tomato juice, & diced tomatoes over the rolls, using enough just to cover.

6. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 2 hours.

It`s Dinner Time ;o))