Spritz Cookies

Made these for the first time today.  They are really good!  Have always liked them growing up, but finally had the chance to make a batch (or two). The key... as I am told... is to have a hand cranked sprtitzer.  The automatic sprtitz machine is too unreliable.  Cookie doughs change too much from batch to batch to have  a set mechanical way of making them.

Ingredients:
1 C Shortening (use the butter flavored stuff)
3/4 C Sugar
1 Egg
2 C Flour
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Almond Flavoring
Food Coloring (pick the color you want)

Start out with a medium sized mixing bowl.  If you use a stand mixer it works pretty nicely.  Add in the shortening, sugar, egg, salt, baking powder, and almond flavoring.  Mix until it is combined fully.

-Add in the flour one cup at a time.  When you are done, the dough should kinda look and feel like playdough.
-Add in the food coloring of your choice.

-If the dough is too try, try to add a bit more almond flavoring, or food coloring, or Shortening. Just a bit usually does it.
-If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.  Don't get crazy. Usually only add a tablespoon at a time to check it.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

The first batch that you do on a pan... you should crisco the pan so that they don't stick.
These cookies are super easy, but they are also super finicky.  The size of the shape that you are making is going to change the time that the cookies cook and the amount that you need to put on the cookie sheet.  You will have to play with the time and the size a bit to get it right.  If you spritz out a cookie and it looks like crap, throw it back in the bowl.  If there is not much to the size of a cookie... cut the time way down.  If you are making cookie kind of like the ones pictured above... use the 8-9 minutes.

Usually for a decent sized spritz cookie it will take anywhere from 8-9 minutes.  BUT make sure you are keeping your eye on the cookies.  I like mine a little bit less done.  Some people like them with a bit more dark area.  You are going to have to play with the time and the size.

Take them off the pan as soon as they come out of the oven.  Otherwise they continue to cook.

They are really good cookies!  Have fun!

--Thanks Jack!

Prime Rib

Okay, so you are thinking what is there to a hunk of meat? Well, you can make it taste really good or you can eat a hunk of meat.  I got this one from Sanders 1907 in Grand Forks.  Real nice with garlic mashed potatoes.  It helps if you can prepare the Prime Rib the night before.

Ingredients:
A hunk of meat--should look something like this

--Olive Oil
--Garlic Puree
--White Pepper (or normal pepper) Not that big of a difference
--Sea Salt
--Basil
--Rosemary
--Oregano
--Bay Leaf (3-4)

-Clear out a large place in your fridge.
-Start off by placing your Prime Rib in a cookie sheet.  I usually start with the bottom side of the rib.  (Opposite of the picture up there.)
-Pour a little of the Olive Oil over the rib.  Make sure it is covered on the ends as well.
-Now you want to take the garlic puree and put it on pretty liberally.  You are just putting the garlic on the outside of a (huge) hunk of meat so don't be scared.  It should not form a solid crust or anything, but it should be spread out pretty decently.
-Now you are just going to use the rest of the ingredients, minus the Bay Leaves, to cover the rib in layers.  I usually do it in the order that the ingredients are listed, but I don't think that it matters.  Again, Huge Chunk of Meat so don't be scared.
-Turn the rib over and repeat.
-When everything is covered, place the bay leaves on the rib.  Spread them out.
-Cover the entire rib with plastic wrap and put it in the place you cleared out in the fridge.

It should look something like this...

...notice the ends are covered in seasoning!!  This is the piece you want to fight someone for.  Trust me.

So now you have the easy part covered.  Congrats!  If you can... drop the cooking, grilling, baking off on someone else.  It all depends on how done you want your prime rib.

USE A Thermometer! You can have one that just sits in the oven with it, or one that you check every once in a while, but use one.  I like my prime rib med-rare.  This will get you close to that.  But remember "all ovens and grills will cook at different levels".  I think that they just say this so that you don't call them and complain that it is not done enough or over done.  So don't call me either.

-Take the prime rib out of the fridge about two to three hours before you cook it.  This will get it up to room temp.
-Turn the oven on to 250 degrees.
-Place a pan slightly larger than the one that you are cooking the prime rib in  on the rack below it.  This will catch any drippings that spill over.
-Put the prime rib in the oven and turn the oven down to 200 degrees.
-How long do you cook it for???  Who knows..  I have usually done this recipe with about a 11-14 pound hunk of meat. It usually takes about 3 hours for those to cook. Cook the roast until it reaches 124 on your thermometer.  (Don't freak out!!)  Take the roast out and cover it with tinfoil until the temperature stops going up.
-As you are waiting for the roast to finish cooking on the counter... crank your oven up to 500 degrees.
-When the temp stops going up, place the uncovered roast in the oven again for about 10-15 minutes.  This is to get a nice crust on the prime rib. Not to mention your place will smell amazing and people will be drooling.
-After the 10-15 minutes are up, place the roast on a cutting board and let it sit for a couple of minutes covered.
-Cut the prime rib in to pieces a little larger than an inch and you have one hell of a meal on your hands.

**This should get most of the prime rib done to the same temperature.  If you like your prime rib so that it is a little more al a carte... (many different temperatures throughout the roast) you can cook it the same way you always do.  Just don't get mad when you can't have an end cut done at medium rare.

Spinach Con Queso

Got this one from the Moose.  It is really good, but kind of makes a mess in the crockpot.  Oh well.  It is worth it.

Things you need:
Crockpot--> try and get one that is the right size.  If you are making a normal batch of this you can usually put it in a larger dip style size.  If you are making a larger batch, basically double everything for enough for 10-15 people, then use a crockpot that is round rather than oval.  The oval ones have too much surface space on the bottom and it burns everything.

Pepper Jack Velveeta. --> Yeah this stuff is a little expensive, but it is the only thing that I have found that melts right.  This is not available in all stores... so you have to try and find it.

Ingredients:

2 Boxes of PepperJack Velveeta--I think they only come in that small sized box

1/2 White Onion

1 Package of Frozen Spinach-Thawed

Some jalapeno (depends on how spicy you like things)

Jalapeno Juice

3-4 Roma Tomatoes

Sour Cream
Milk 

--Cube up the Velveeta into smaller pieces.  Places these in the Crockpot.

--I usually turn it in on a medium setting.  The stuff takes a little bit of time to melt, but otherwise you have it too high and you get burnt stuff all over the place. 

--Let the "cheese product" melt for a bit.  You can also add just a little bit of milk to help it along.  Stir the cheese every once in a while to make sure it is not burning on the bottom.

--(Several Years Later/ Cheater Code) You can melt the cheese in an oven safe container with some milk and the entire process goes a little faster.  

--When the product is melted, stir in the chopped jalapeno.  I also add some of the juice from the jalapeno jar.  This is where you can add more heat if you want.  More jalapeno juice equals more heat. the consistency you like. 

--You will need to add some milk to your mix to make it the right consistency. How much? it depends on how thick you like your dip. Unfortunately, this is something you will have to play with to get 

--Chop up the Onion.  Again you can use more onion if you like.  I also try to get the onion to a pretty fine chop. Put this in the Crockpot.  

--Take the thawed Spinach and make sure to squeeze out all of the water.  Then put in with the rest of the ingredients. 

You are now at a point where you can just let it sit on low for as long as you want.  You will still have to stir it every now and then, but you can have it sitting waiting for when you are ready for it.  

--Just before you are ready to serve the Queso add in the chopped tomatoes.  Also add in a couple of heaping teaspoons of Sour Cream.  Stir everything together and you are set.  This stuff is really good!