The NASCARita

Before my daughter fell under the spell of Zac Efron and the music of High School Musical, she was content with the music on my Ipod. From the backseat, she'd request Dwight Yoakam or Johnny Cash or "Liquored Up and Laquered Down" by Southern Culture on the Skids.

(Southern Culture on the Skids)

The song "Liquored Up and Laquered Down" is a paean to big hair, booze, and white trash culture, but all this is lost on my daughter. She simply likes the song's danceable beat, sing-a-long lyrics, and vibrant mariachi horns.

The band's website contains recipes that showcase some of the culinary gems of trailer park cuisine. Incluced is the following drink recipe:

The NASCARita.

Ingredients:

• One part Tequila


• Two parts Mountain Dew
  

Preparation:

• Put it in a big ol' cup, forget the salt.


• If you want a frozen one, hit the 7-11 and get plain Slurpee ice first, then mix equal parts Slurpee, Dew & tequila.

Also known as the White Trash Margarita.

Here's a video for "liquored Up and Laquered Down" that uses clips froma movie called Sordid Lives. I'm not familiar with the move, but contains cross dressers, bars, Southern drawls, and Beau Bridges, so it's right up my alley. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Bars

Yesterday I baked a batch of pumpkin bars for a party we were planning on attending. However, my daughter and I were both feeling a little punys, so we stayed home. Now we havea pan of these crowd-pleasing sweets to tempt us. I've instructed my wife to take these to work, so my feeble will power won't be tested.

The recipe is easy to prepare. I think, the recipe came from Paula Deen and was originally titled Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cakes, but I find them neither ooey or gooey, so I just call them pumpkin bars.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
4. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Take care,
muddy

Beer Bread

This past weekend my wife and daughter traveled to Disney World, so I spent the weekend alone. I realized that I don't really like just cooking for myself. I also spent a lot of time talking to myself. A lot of my conversations, like the following, were with Mr. Crankypants:

Mr. C: What are you cooking?

ME: I'm baking a beer bread. It's a quick bread.

Mr. C: Bread shouldn't be quick. Good bread demands time, attention, kneading, proofing, and the hands of an artist. Those things build flavor, and there's nothing quick about it.

ME: Well, this bread is convenient. It also uses beer, which I think is kinda cool.

Mr. C: Convenience is the scourge of American culture. What kind of of beer did you use?

ME: Coors Light.

When he heard this, Mr. Crankypants picked up his copy of Don Quixote, grumbled something about shit and me being an idiot, and then he left the room. I didn't see him the rest of the afternoon. I must say that I was terribly lonely.

Here's the recipe I used from a book simply titled Baking by Chuck Williams. It's not a bad recipe; however, using dried chives didn't really add to the flavor of the bread. I need something with more punch.

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 table chopped fresh chives or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 1/2 cups beer
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree, and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dill. Stir int he beer and cheese until blended.
3. Pour and scrap the batter into the pan. Bake until a wood toothpick inserted into the center of the oaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
4. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.
5. Enjoy
   

keep your skillet good and greasy,

muddy

Skillet Apple Cake

There hasn't been much sizzle here at The Greasy Skillet. I could blame it on a hectic schedule or my attempt to fight off an ever-expanding waistline or my determination to solve the mystery of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box or my addiction to college football. I've just been busy not writing. Not writing is definitely easier than writing, but it's much less rewarding and satisfying.

Today I take baby steps to be a more prolific blogger.

Last night I had some mushy apples that demanded to be used, so I turned to a dogeared recipe in the King Arthur Flour Catalogue and prepared an apple skillet cake. With this quick recipe I might have regained my swagger.

Apple Skillet Cake

Ingredients:

Apples

• Four large apples
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons bakign power
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Prehate the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 - 10-inch cast iron skillet.
2. Combine the apples with the brown sugar, spices, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combinte the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Mix the warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into the prepared skillet.
5. Spoon the apple mxture onto the batter. Evenly distribute apples.
6. Bake the cake for about 1 hour, until it's brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and cool for 30 minutes. As you wait, enjoy the scent wafting through your kitchen. Fantasize about owning an orchard.
7. Serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

enjoy,
muddy