BBQ Hot Dogs

This recipe is not exotic nor is it necessarily healthy, but for me it is comfort food.  It is one of those dishes that reminds me of home and family. 

This is easy to mix up and doesn't take a lot of unique ingredients.   I was salivating with anticipation when I made this.  I had been thinking about fixing this all day and couldn't wait to get my fork into it (okay, I didn't wait, I had to sample it while it was simmering).  These BBQ dogs make a quick supper to warm you up on a chilly evening.

I don't know where the recipe originated, it was something that we had at home when I was growing up.   Give it a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

We always had it with mashed potatoes and who am I to mess with tradition!  I will admit that I cheated and used the Bob Evans microwaveable mashed potatoes rather than making them the old fashioned way.




BBQ Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

1 package of hot dogs, your normal brand will do
1 medium onion, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons margarine
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
1 Tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce

Directions:

Slash hot dogs, but not all the way through.
Brown the hot dogs in a large skillet.  I typically add a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Simmer 15 minutes until everything is heated through.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.


....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!

 Christmas Fruitcake

Fruitcake.  You either love it or you hate it.  

While fruitcake is often the dreaded Christmas gift and the butt of bad jokes, I think this recipe might change the perspective of fruitcake haters!  This fruitcake is not baked so you don't have to worry about burning anything.   It looks difficult, but is really easy to make.  Ingredients are typically easy to find with all the holiday baking goodies at the local grocery.

Holiday time often triggers childhood memories.   This year it was the memory of making fruitcake with mom at the kitchen table in this huge pan.  It was a treat because it requires a lot of ingredients that are seasonal, such as candied fruit and combined with nuts, dates, raisins, etc. it becomes quite expensive to make.  Growing up, we had this for many years and the first year we didn't have it, I remember mom saying that the ingredients cost too much. 

This week I set out on a mission to find my mother's fruitcake recipe and recreate some memories.  This fruitcake doesn't contain any spirits nor is it baked, but rather made with a prebaked spice cake that gets crumbled up and mixed with all sort of goodies and packed into a 9x13 pan.  I was able to get all the ingredients at my local Walmart with the exception of candied red cherries.  I called and visited multiple stores in a two county area and no one had them!  Well, I was not about to have my plans derailed!  I bought some maraschino cherries and made the candied red cherries myself!

I learned that the recipe mom used is a Betty Crocker Recipe that originated in 1957 and was called Mystery Fruitcake.  I took a few liberties with the recipe, making some modifications to the quantity of some of the ingredients to avoid waste.  I also added a container of candied pineapple as well.

Give this recipe a try and create some new memories and start a new tradition!