I love animals and children – sometimes in that order! During the Christmas holidays, my 13-year-old shih tzu wasn’t eating and just was not herself. She was sleeping all the time and we had to pick her up to take her outside for walking.
The day after Christmas, I took her to the world’s greatest vet, Dr. Blane Cooper, and he checked her out. He told me she wasn’t doing well and that we probably had some decisions to make after the first of the year. We were to try to get her to start eating and get stronger.
The next week of my Christmas holidays, I stayed home with Dixie. I prepared her a scrambled egg every morning. I purchased canned chicken and turkey for her to eat during the day. I also gave her chicken that I had baked and leftover turkey from the holidays.
She began to eat and even started back on her special diet dog food. I noticed that she was much more active and was going outside on her own and beginning to have a little “spring in her step.”
One day I missed her, and she had jumped on the bed for a nap – something she had not done in a very long time. That afternoon when Steve returned from deer hunting, she met him at the door, wagging her tail and sitting for him to pick her up.
I know that my precious dog is not going to live forever and that her days may be numbered, but I am certainly going to enjoy the happy days that we are having together.
If you aren’t an animal lover, you don’t understand what I mean. If you are an animal lover, you know that I am cherishing all the days that we have left. It has been a little over a month since that trip to the vet, and she is still going strong. Just look at what a little love and some good food will do – for humans and our four-legged friends.
The Super Bowl is headed our way. It is the second largest food holiday that we celebrate during the year — the first one being the 4th of July.
The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will battle it out during the most watched football game of the year. I know that many people, like myself, are in it for the great commercials.
Today I have some great recipe ideas for the game. Using the crock-pot is a terrific way to prepare food in advance so you won’t miss any of the game or any of the commercials. Hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
WYNTER’S WHITE
CHICKEN CHILI
*We were served this at a beauty pageant we recently judged at East Mississippi Community College. It was divine. The lady who prepared it was name Wynter. I didn’t want y’all to think I couldn’t spell.
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
Prepared rice
Mix and place first 7 ingredients in crock-pot. Place cream cheese on top. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours. Stir melted cream cheese into mixture before serving over rice.
JALAPENO POPPER
and SAUSAGE DIP
1 lb. ground hot sausage
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, cubed
4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeno peppers
Assorted fresh vegetables and crackers
In a skillet, brown sausage and transfer into a slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, chilies, and peppers. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours or until heated thoroughly; stir before serving. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables and crackers.
TANGY BBQ WINGS
3 – 4 lbs. chicken drummies
2 ½ cups ketchup
2/3 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup honey
½ cup molasses
3 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. liquid smoke
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken drummies on two greased baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes; drain. Turn wings and bake an additional 30 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine ketchup, vinegar, honey, molasses, pepper sauce, salt, Worcestershire, onion powder, chili powder, and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Drain wings. Place one-third of the chicken into a slow cooker, top with one-third of the sauce. Repeat layers twice and cook, covered on Low for 3 – 4 hours. Stir before serving.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
