Cheeseheads

Considering the Packers play in the Superbowl on Sunday and Andy leaves for the game in a day and half, you'd think this "Cheesehead" post is about football fans.

Andy had a short meeting to make in Wasilla this week and I wouldn't let the opportunity for 3 free airline bags pass us up. He kindly brought an empty cooler and checked my list at Sam's Club. Pretty easy....meat and cheese...a chance to bring home a cache of chilled items within a few hours. Well, Andy is a provider, and clearly hails from the Midwest, because these beauties are sitting in our fridge.

I must be from the Midwest too given my approval!

(I wonder how often I write about dairy here.)

Anyway, meet the gang:

1.35 lb Wisconsin Aged Cheddar Cheese,

1.75 lb Dubliner (one our FAVES & imported from Ireland),

1.76 lb Three Alarm colby jack cheese ("intense pepper flavor"),

.77 lb Gruyere (perfect for fondue),

and the heavyweight is a whooping 2.01 lbs of Jarlsberg.

I can tell we're maturing given our tastes and exploration in cheese varieties. Despite a bias for the Dubliner, my guess is the Three Alarm will come out on top. Maybe we'll make it a "cheesy" Valentine's Day this year and stare into each other's eye across the fondue pot!

All I know is I'm gonna need a lot of wine to do this collection justice.

As for the Cheeseheads? Well, they tend to find each other.

*Amy

Some make Cookies, Some Want Meat

Last month I shared about some holiday goodies I made up. Well, guys sometimes make different treats during the winter. Like Bou Burger.

Start with free-range Alaskan caribou meat.

Forget the Kitchen Aide mixer. A Cabelas meat grinder is needed for the task.It may be a two-person job.And then quality control may arrive on the scene.At the end is a freezer with over 20 pounds of healthy ground meat. Caribou tacos and other meaty meals were consumed throughout the Christmas week. This author helped with the bagging process.Just as we appreciate the hours and skills needed for hunting and then processing the animal, we also appreciate the hours upon hours Nikki spent in her Nome kitchen to produce this stunning holiday cookie tray.We were lucky, and fat, because "Gorn Brothers and families" were sent some authentic Wisconsin cheese and meat for holiday snacking! Thanks Aunt Barb and Uncle P for the staples in our diets. I hope Bucky "going under the knife" wasn't the losing affect on this weekend's Rose Bowl performance.

Man, we were spoiled with good eats.

*Amy

Cookie for You, Cookie for Me

The big fat BOO of the week goes to Andy being in Florida during the holidays. It's a week of work for him in Jacksonville. So I'm doing happy holiday things to enjoy/get thru the solitude. First on the list was hosting a small Christmas Cookie Exchange today. It ended up being just 4 lovely ladies and 5 kids but there was mucho cookies to go around. Yum!

So I've been ripping up the kitchen while watching White Christmas and whatever else pops up on the ole tube, or playing a Christmas music blitz that Andy would not handle well.

First, get your ingredients laid out.

Make sure your environment is fitting for the task.Then, lay out your assembly line.Finally, present the final product for the taking.Gingerbread and christmas (corn flake and marshmallow) wreaths. Later this week I'll play movies Andy won't watch and whip up my usual peanut brittle and peppermint bark. I simply won't manage eating all these goods by myself so I guess Nome will have to be the beneficiary. Yes, I suppose I should bring the excess sugary cheer on our Nome Xmas trip!

I'm happy to report Andy is blissfully watching Megamind in 3D right now so the FL trip does have its benefits. He's been very excited to see this one. I even got a Happy Meal at McD's a few weeks ago to give him a Megamind toy.

Now, if I could just import some of the snow off the Metrodome's roof onto my property and I'd be all set. Enjoy your holiday happenings!

*Amy

A King's Dinner

In Kodiak I bought Alaska King Crab for $6/pound. Yes, I'm bragging. Half the cost was given to the Kodiak Boosters Club, so I was donating locally too! My co-worker and I took two each and placed them--alive--in heavy duty trash bags, then packed in a box. Checked them as luggage that day and by night I unveiled--the still alive--catch to Andy.

He worked quickly (before his Friday night shift) to kill, clean and cook our dinner fit for a king. What's on your plate?

Fairing Well

Ahh, Americana...over-eating fried food, navigating the crowds, the mixture of smells, squeals from the rides, the pride of earning a cheap prize, bumping into people you know, dust, hay, crafts, concerts...what's not to love about a State Fair?

Andy & I grew up going to some of the best of the Midwest. We know how to "Fair It." I was so excited this year to experience my first Great Get Together in the Northern-most state. Though smaller in size and offerings, the spirit & heart is huge near Palmer.

One of our great views from the top of the Ferris wheel.

We went with the crowds Saturday because of our tickets to see comedian Bill Engvall. He was better than expected and we enjoyed the show from the outdoor Borealis Theatre.

The Alaska State Fair's claim to fame is its GIANT vegetables, most of which are grown right in the Valley. We toured around a barn that appeared to be on STEROIDS! The cabbage, below, on the far left is 90 lbs. The farmer claims he will bring in two more that are 50% bigger. If so, it could be world-record cabbage.Upon seeing the giant mushrooms entered for ribbons, I concluded that we'll submit our own for competition next year. In our yard we have as big if not bigger toxic shrooms. What a claim to fame that'd be! One of my favorite moments was watching a solo alpaca chew it's cud with the intensity of having ADD.

My most favorite moment, though, was discovering the only stand to serve batter-fried cheese curds. The line was lengthy but Andy encouraged me to stick it out, and it didn't take that long afterall. The pay-off was worth it!

The people-watching alone is always a bonus at a State Fair. Andy & I sure enjoyed this end of summer tradition. Now we just need to unclog our arteries. And thanks to the Brown's for the parking on their nearby driveway!

*Amy

Seward's Day

Andy and I had the day off from work today! Why? It's a holiday celebrating Alaska's sale to the U.S., which was known for some time as Seward's Folly. I guess it's why we use U.S. currency and speak English instead of Russian!

Anyway, we started our day off with a great Alaska tradition, SOURDOUGH. Sourdough Starter has sustained many a meal for miners in the frozen North and many other pioneers and villages. I've kept my starter "alive" (because it is, considering the yeast) for about a year now after taking a great class in Nome. My starter comes from the village of Shishmaref. Its residency is the fridge in this jar:

I regenerated the Starter Sunday night so it was ready to whip into pancake batter the next morning. I wish you could smell the Starter from this photo (it's sour, obviously).The cool thing about sourdough pancakes is how they puff up big as you cook and flip 'em! I've also made cookies, bread and biscuits with this Starter. What Andy and I discovered & recommend is using Strawberry Syrup instead of Maple. How healthy that is...well, never you mind! Today we added real strawberries to the strawberry syrup...yummmmmm!I doubt the original gold miners had fresh, on-sale strawberries for their flapjacks!

It was a Berry-good long weekend when my friend Jodi & I made Triple Berry (straw-rasp-black) jam Sunday! To top off the fun, I bought a bike on-sale from REI and we went bowling! Andy's a great bowler, by the way, even when he's rusty! I broke a 100 which made me happy.

Along with being Jodi's Maid-of-Honor in Seward this June, my friend, Liz, has asked me to a be bridesmaid in Nome this July! She's very kind in sharing about it in her blog. Busy, joyous summer already planned. 

As for our wedding, Andy & I scoped out venues and accommodations today as well. Some things look promising!

*Amy

Boy, do I love a Curd

Judy's back in Wasilla. Know how I know? There are Wisconsin cheese curds in our fridge.Judy is Andy's mom and she's on her latest trip to Alaska. First in Nome to G2 &  family and now in Wasilla with us! It's great having her here although today we're in a Winter Weather Advisory. It's been snowing the good FLUFFY stuff since we woke this morning. Andy estimates we have 10 inches on the ground and it's expected to keep snowing for five more hours. That means we're enjoying the indoors and snacking A LOT. 

Judy is our cheese curd hook up. She feeds our Midwest-dairy-lovin' cravins'. Cheese curds are the yummy original pieces of newly made cheese:

Know what I love more than poppin' these squeaky nuggets? WHEN THEY'RE DEEP FRIED. In my world, cheese curds are what you buy at the Minnesota State Fair and eat until you're sick. At the fair, they're deep fried.I CRAVE them year-round in this form. And let me tell you, an authentic basket of fried curds are harder to come by because places are now opting for the pre-made "cheese nugget." Not the same thing, no way. Doesn't this make your mouth water?! If not, then you've never been to the MN State Fair. 

Well, given this snowy day, Judy and I have decided to try our own! We're sacrificing the original curds she lovingly packed and will coat them in beer batter and attempt the frying on our own. She's mixing ingredients right now!

So if you're interested, try the dairy section of your midwest grocer's. There are many recipes to Google, but here's an easy one I found:

3 12 oz. cheese curds

vegetable oil for frying

Batter: 1 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

1/4-1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

3 oz. (1/4 can) of beer

Mix batter (adding beer a bit at a time) until it's a thick liquid consistency.

Coat cheese curds in batter and drop into oil (about 375 degrees F) about 5 at a time.

Cook curds for about 1 minute (until they start to turn golden) and place on paper towel covered plate.

Enjoy (don't worry, we will!!)

*Amy

Fall Treat

This is something yummy my family mixes around Fall Time (especially Aunt Diane)...Equal parts peanuts (I use dry-roasted) and candy corn.

It tastes like an old fashioned Salted Nut Roll!

It also disappears around here pretty good so Andy must like it.

Other family Fall foods include getting Chinese on Halloween. It's a tradition that includes parents, grandparents, cousins, sibling and grandkids. Yum! Now I gotta find the perfect place in Anchorage  to get my Halloween dinner.

*Amy