Slow Times In Clermont     02/10-12/23

Lake Louisa State Park, Clermont, Florida

At the appointed time he (Antiochus IV Epiphanes) will invade the South (Egypt) again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before.  Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant (Israel).  He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant (apostate Jews). ~ Daniel 11:29-30

1. 168BC

This second attempt at invading the Egyptian empire is when the “line in the sand” was drawn by a Roman ambassador

2. Epiphanes, once again returns to vent his hurt pride against the Jews, but now has decided to show favor to apostate Jews (apostate – a person who forsakes his religion, party, etc.)

It’s been fairly quiet again for us.  One day, we took a walk, collected some mandarin oranges (these were sweet but full of seeds 😊), and later, Blaine went on a bike ride without me, where he saw a young buck and a baby elephant.

The next day, we splurged and went to see the new Avatar movie – in 3D. 

We’ve never been in a theater like this one in Clermont.  Quite the seats! 

It’s pretty amazing how they filmed it, and the movie itself was pretty good – except for the language they just had to throw in for some reason.  It’s such common language nowadays, I guess no one even thinks about it anymore.

And then there was the Super Bowl, and we ate all day long.

We began with cinnamon rolls, went to the Clermont First Baptist Church for their 8:30am service, talked with some friendly and welcoming people, went home, changed clothes and began eating again.

Homemade sushi for lunch, crab dip and wings for dinner, and to top it all off?  Pecan Pie Cheesecake.

Ugh!!! But very tasty!!!

The recipes are below, just in case . . . .

The Pecan Pie Cheesecake is too involved to add to this post.  If the pictures leave your mouth watering to give it a try, you can go to:     https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake/

Kansas City and Philadelphia provided a real nail-biter of a game for Super Bowl LVII!  But KC pulled it out in the last few seconds for a final score of 38-35.

Sushi

INGREDIENTS

1 c. sushi rice

1 1/2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. water

4 sheets nori

1 hot house cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced into long strips

1 small avocado, thinly sliced

4 sticks imitation crab meat, sliced in half lengthwise

3 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Soy sauce, for serving 

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash rice several times in large bowl with cold water until water runs almost clear. Drain rice very well.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved. Reserve until ready to use. 
3. In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, add rice and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, about 30 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer rice to a large, non-metallic, flat-bottomed bowl. Using a plastic spatula, repeatedly slice through rice at a sharp angle to break up lumps and separate grains while very gradually pouring in vinegar mixture. Cover seasoned rice with a damp cloth until ready to use. 
5. Place one nori sheet, shiny-side down, lengthwise across a clean, dry, cutting board. Dip fingers of one hand into a bowl of water and shake off excess. Pick up one-fourth of the rice and place across the center of the nori sheet. Spread rice evenly across the nori, leaving a 1” strip of nori on the top side uncovered. 
6. Place bamboo mat on top of rice and with the help of your cutting board, flip it, so that the nori is facing you. Place one-fourth of the cucumber, the avocado, and the crab in an even row across center of nori, making sure the filling extends to both ends of the surface lengthwise.
7. Starting with edge closest to you, pick up mat using thumb and index fingers of both hands; use remaining fingers to hold the filling in place as you roll mat forward and away from you. Roll forward, pressing gently but firmly. 
8. Working quickly, repeat to make a total of four rolls. Roll each in sesame seeds and slice into 8 pieces. Serve immediately with soy sauce.

California Roll Sushi Sauce

¼ C. each Miracle Whip & Hellmann’s

1 t. lime juice

1 t. soy sauce

1 ½ T. hot sauce (siracha, tabasco, etc.)

We tried a new wing recipe this year.  They’re made in the crock pot, so the end result is pretty wet rather than crispy.  However, the meat retained a lot of flavor, so for the most part, we just peeled the skin off.  That makes ‘em healthier any way, right? 😊  We opted for the slower version of 4 hours and had 3# of wings because that was the size of the package.  I kept all the ingredient amounts the same.

Crock Pot Honey Buffalo Wings

Cook in crock pot 2 hours on High, or 3-4 on low.  Recipe is for 4# of wings.

Ingredients

SPICE RUB:

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• ▢1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢1 tsp black pepper
• ▢1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢1 1/2 tsp onion powder or dried minced onion
• ▢1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢1 tsp chili powder
• ▢1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢1 tsp dried parsley

HONEY BUFFALO SAUCE:

• ▢3/4 cup hot sauce (Frank’s Original is what I always use)
• ▢1/2 cup honey
• ▢1 Tbsp melted butter
• ▢1 Tbsp molasses (optional but recommended)

WINGS:

• ▢4 lbs fresh chicken wings, patted dry

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, add rub ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.  Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add chicken wings.  Sprinkle rub over the top and use hands to massage the rub into all the chicken wings.  
2. In the empty rub mixing bowl, add sauce ingredients and whisk to combine well.  Pour over spiced wings and toss gently to coat.
3. Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or on LOW for 3-4 hours.

FOR STICKY GLAZE:  OPTIONAL

1. Cook slow cooker recipe as directed above.  Line a baking sheet with 2 sheets of aluminum foil, then place an oven safe wire cooling rack on top.  Place cooked wings on cooling rack, then pour sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan.  Add 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of water to a small bowl and whisk to combine well, then pour into sauce and whisk.  Cook over MED-HIGH heat until boiling, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and whisk as it cooks.  Cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. 
2. Brush wings with thickened sauce, then broil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce caramelizes a little.  Brush with more glaze and broil another 2 minutes.  Repeat this one more time and you should have perfectly sticky wings!

Crab Rangoon Dip (8 x 8 pan)

Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 12 ounces canned crab meat, drained (OR 1 pkg imitation crab meat chopped)
• ¼ cup Helmann’s
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, set aside an additional ½ cup for topping (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sweet chili sauce

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, green onions, drained crab, mayo, and sour cream well.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, Colby-Monterey jack cheese, salt, and pepper. Combine ingredients thoroughly to make sure that your dip is smooth.
• Spread your creamy mix in an 8×8 pan and sprinkle with the extra cheese you set aside if you’re a cheese lover. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling.

The Pecan Pie Cheesecake is too involved to add to this post.  If the pictures leave your mouth watering to give it a try, you can go to:     https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake/

Kansas City and Philadelphia provided a real nail-biter of a game!  But KC pulled it out in the last few seconds for a final score of 38-35.