Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

With tomorrow being St. Patrick's Day, I had to say something about corned beef and cabbage.  My mom used to make this in March every year, and sometimes more often if the price was right!  Such a great comfort food.  It's not rocket science by any means, but the one thing I've discovered that makes corned beef good is slow cooking.  No way around it - it has to be slow cooked.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Layer in large crock pot:
     1 medium onion, cut in wedges and separated
     4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
     1 small package baby carrots
     2 Tbsp. corned beef spices (this is in addition to the packet that comes with the meat)
     3-4 lb. corned beef, drained and rinsed (don't trim - the fat is important to the flavor)
     Spice packet that comes with the meat
     5 cups water (or enough to cover the vegetables and at least half of the meat)

Cook above on low for about 4 hours, then add 1 small head cabbage, cut into 8ths.  Cook another 4 hours.  When slicing the beef, always cut across the grain.

Cedar Springs Bloody Mary

These drinks are famous, at least on B Dock!  Thanks to Geno for the superior guidance in developing this recipe! The heat, of course, can be adjusted, as can the garnish.

Cedar Springs Bloody Mary

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 teas. Tabasco
1/4 teas. fine ground pepper
1/4 teas. garlic powder
1/4 teas. onion powder
1/4 teas. celery salt
2 teas. lime juice
2 Tbsp. juice from something pickled (olives, asparagus, pickles.....)
3 oz. vodka
24 oz. Clamato

Mix with ice in a pitcher.  Pour into glasses and garnish with something fun that you like to eat!  Could be the traditional celery, green olives, lime wedges, pickled beans (Tabasco makes a good one!), or pickled asparagus (not easy to find out here in the middle of nowhere, but when I find it I buy several jars - love it!). Makes 2 honkin' big drinks, or 4 petite, PC-sized drinks (I think - we just do the big ones!)

Susie's Chili con Queso

Here's the first recipe - it was tough deciding what to start with.  This is a favorite, whether as an appetizer or as a meal!

Chili con Queso

1 lb. bulk sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1+ jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 teas. cumin
1 teas. cayenne
2 teas. hot chili powder
5 shakes Tabasco
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown sausage, drain any fat if necessary.  Add onion, garlic, jalapenos and green chilies.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is beginning to soften. Add cumin, cayenne, chili powder and Tabasco, then add beans and tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium low and add cheeses, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until cheese melts completely. Add cilantro and stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

And I'm off!

Okay, so I finally took the plunge into the world of blogging.  I love to cook - it's a relaxing, creative outlet.  It's also a link to my mom, a tremendously creative artist and fabulous cook, who passed away almost three years ago.  Most of my cooking is done at home in my rather small kitchen (but well-stocked - my pantry has been the brunt of many a joke), but I also enjoy cooking in less than perfect situations.  Cooking in the small galley of our boat is a challenge, especially with only a small toaster oven, but we usually eat well.  And I'm not the type to put a can of stew on the fire when camping, no, no, no.

The name - Virago Susie.  I know, it sounds a little like a porn star alias, but I'm about as far from that as you can imagine.  Here's the story.  My husband and I ride motorcycles.  Specifically, I ride a 1996 Yamaha Virago 1100.  Shortly after we bought it, my husband was curious what virago meant.  Great - he came up with "a loud, obnoxious woman".  Insert many minutes of uncontrollable laughter.  This was actually the nicest definition that he found.  Strong (yes, actually, I think I am), aggressive (only when I need to be), loud (probably after a couple of drinks), violent (no, not really).  Anyway, you get the picture.  But I LOVE MY BIKE!  I know, that was loud.  When your inseam is only 28 inches, finding a bike where your feet can be flat on the ground is a difficult undertaking.  But this bike fits me perfectly.  And it has power.  And it's nice looking.  Okay, okay, I think you get the point.

Back to the point of this blog.  I am only an average cook.  I learn more all the time - from cookbooks, television shows, other cooks - anywhere I can. And cooking where I live (basically in the middle of nowhere - you know, one of those very sparsely populated red states in flyover country) is often a challenge.  My sisters help by bringing or sending me ingredients that I can't find locally, and when I head out of town, shopping for kitchen/cooking stuff is always at the top of my list (my husband tolerates this knowing he'll enjoy the end result).  I like the basic comfort foods, and I like to experiment with unusual flavors.  No theme.

I hope you enjoy - and I hope I do, too!