I was trying to channel Michael Odom yesterday while preparing a
marinade for a chuck steak. It didn't work very well, though. I don't
have his flair or his love of hot stuff. I just grabbed a bunch of
Penzeys jars (California Pepper or whatever iti's called, Prime Rib
Seasoning, Krakow Nights, at least one other jar of something), some soy
sauce, olive oil, and -- are you ready? -- apple juice and dumped it on
top of the steak and then vacuumed it in my Food Saver vacuum marinator
thingy.

It was pretty unimpressive but we ate it anyway. At least I didn't
overcook the meat.

I nuked a big baking potato for 4 minutes, cut it lengthwise and then
cut 3/4" slices and browned them in butter in a skillet over medium-high
heat for a couple minutes per side. That was an easy and relatively
quick way to prepare a fresh potato.

Somehow I got a hankering for creamed spinach and found this easy peasy
recipe with a search using http://recipesearch.googlepages.com/. I
made half the recipe using a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach.
Actually, now that I look at it, I didn't follow the recipe instructions
for preparing it, only the measures.

===============
Creamed Spinach

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 bag or 2 boxes (16 to 24 ounces total) frozen spinach
salt and pepper
dash nutmeg

Melt butter in top of double boiler over low direct heat. Blend in flour
until smooth. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add
milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add spinach. Cover and cook
over boiling water, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Season with salt,
pepper, and nutmeg.
SERVINGS: 4
SOURCE: http://southernfood.about.com/od/spinach/r/bl40628m.htm
BARB'S NOTE: I made a half recipe. I nuked the spinach for about 7
minutes in a covered casserole; I made the white sauce on top of the
stove and mixed it into the cooked spinach. It was tasty. Freshly
grated nutmeg would have been lots better but I don't have a nutmeg
sitting around.

I can never be Michael. Only Michael can be Michael.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com