Subj : Re: Alive? To : Ruth Haffly From : Sean Dennis Date : Tue Jan 03 2023 17:16:08 -=> Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=- RH> Good to see you back (for some reason, my F6 and F9 keys aren't RH> working. I've been reqading, not replying this past month, too many RH> irons in the fire to give Fido much attention. I understand. My Christmas present this year was life itself. RH> We had a good, but cold (low 30sF for highs) Christmas Day, day before RH> was even colder. Since we had church, we baked a ham the day before & RH> Steve made a chocolate truffle cheese cake. Had rice and cole slaw with RH> the ham. I've been cooking a lot more with my Instant Pot. It's become difficult to chew with no teeth. With the VA refusing to help me and my inability to get dental insurance (can't make any money off of me since I have no teeth), combined with the high expense of dentures, I make do the best I can. Now the lack of teeth has caused me to get gastroparesis and I am trying in a roundabout way to force the VA to make me dentures. RH> I'll try to get back to being on Fido more regularly this year, only RH> one trip scheduled (so far) this year. Other than that, some hand RH> surgery is to be scheduled (on the right hand, I'm left RH> handed/ambidexterous) in the not too distant future. It looks like I will have my lower right leg amputated later this year so I am starting to prepare for it. I am undergoing three treatments on my hands to help with diabetic neuropathy (BioWave, PDC Restorer, and infrared light treatment) and they all seem to be working so far. The pain level has decreased a bit. I just started all of this very recently so I am giving everything a few months to see how well it works. I'm looking forward to some major changes in my life this year for the better. MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Basic Grits Categories: Starch, American, Corby Yield: 1 Servings 1 qt Water 2 tb Butter Salt to taste 1 c Stone-ground whole-grain - grits THE BEST GRITS Supermarket grits are processed hominy: corn that's been treated in an alkaline solution so that the hulls and germ float to the surface. Thus bleached, the corn is dried, enriched (some of the nutrients lost in the processing are added back in) and ground--too fine, to my taste. These tasteless, ashen grits are served as a matter of course in countless restaurants and homes throughout the South. It's no wonder outsiders don't like them. When early colonists arrived in the South, the Native Americans made hominy by soaking their corn in a solution of lye made from wood ashes. Ashen grits were made to preserve the grain through the winter and spring, when temperatures often stayed in the 70s and 80s. This processing was of course unnecessary up north. When I went looking for great grits, I tried more than two dozen mills before I found one that could consistently provide coarse-ground, whole-grain grits (see Ingredients and Sources). I now sell tons of the best grits I've ever eaten. They taste like freshly ground corn because they are just that; when cooked, they resemble creamed fresh corn, but are starchier. They can be used just like pasta or rice. Not only local home cooks and restaurateurs, but also cooks throughout the country have added real grits to their menus, so that old southern favorites like Lowcountry shrimp and grits have reentered the culinary vernacular as if they had never been missing. Some people cook their grits for a long, long time. It's true that the longer they cook, the creamier they become. You can put them in a slow cooker overnight, and they'll be delicious. But you can easily cook grits in less than 30 minutes if you're willing to watch the pot and stir occasionally. Cooked grits can then be enriched with egg, poured into a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or greased baking pan, and refrigerated. The chilled grits are then unmolded, cut into portions, dusted with flour or cornmeal, and pan-fried like polenta. Grits invite a host of accompaniments. Any sauce or gravy that you would put on pasta or rice is ideal. If you plan to serve the grits plain, a little stock made from trimmings from the main course is a welcome addition if stirred in near the end of the cooking. PROCEDURE: Bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil in a stockpot. Gradually add the grits, return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the grits, stirring occasionally so that that they do not stick or form a skin, until creamy and done to your liking, about 25 minutes. Many people like to cook them much longer; if you do, you may have to add more water. When the grits are almost done, you can turn the pan down to its lowest setting and cover it while you prepare the rest of the meal. MM format by Manny Rothstein, 7/15/98. Recipe-of-the-Month -- April 1995, By Corby Kummer "From The New Southern Cook", by John Martin Taylor. Bantam, 1995. Hardcover $27.95. MMMMM -- Sean --- MMail/FreeBSD * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200) .