Red Ants on a Log

dried cranberries
cream cheese
celery

This is a simple variation to the popular "(Regular) Ants on a Log".

First separate the celery stalks and trim the tops and bottoms.

Next, spread cream cheese into the celery's groove.

Finally, stick the cranberries on top of the cream cheese.

Cider Brats

1 package of your favorite brats
1 bottle of your favorite cider
sliced adequate amount of fruit corresponding to the cider

put brats, fruit and cider in pan and cook over medium-high heat until brats are done. serve brats and cover with cooked fruit.

variation:

replace fruits with vegetables like onions, bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes. put the veggies in the pan with some olive oil and brats. cover and cook on medium-high. stir occasionally and when the brats are slightly browned or the veggies start to carmelize.

Strawberry Marcsapone Parfait

8 oz marscapone cheese
1/2 pint whipping cream chilled
sugar
8 oz fresh strawberries
dark rum
angel food cake

in chilled metal bowl, whip whipping cream until firm. add sugar to taste. give marscapone a few stirs with spoon to smooth it out, then fold into whipped cream and splash of rum. remove stems and cut strawberries into halves or quarters depending on size. cut cake into 1 inch cubes. sprinkle rum onto cubes. be careful not to soak cubes, only a few drops of rum are needed per cube. in any pilsner or tall dessert glass create a layer of cubes and strawberries. then a layer of marscapone... until full. garnish with a bit of cream and a strawberry on top. serves 2-4.

Peach Pizazz

Peach Pizazz

6 inch crepes
1 peach (firm is ok)
1 can 100% Peach/Mango/Orange juice concentrate
dark rum
Water
powdered sugar

Pre-make your crepes. If you're making 20-30, it could take as long as an hour.

Cut peaches into 16ths. put peach slices and one shot glass of concentrate and two shot glasses of water. If the peach is very firm, it's ok, just cook until soft. feel free to add an extra shot of water or two until peaches are cooked. 5-10 minutes. you may add another shot of concentrate for every two shots of water. stir a bit with wooden spoon. once peaches can be cut in half with wooden spoon, and there isn't much liquid left, though some is ok and necessary. remove from heat and add one shot of rum. be careful not to ignite rum. return to heat and ignite rum. cook until all alcohol is burnt off. remove peaches into glass bowl.

in pan, add remaining concentrate and equal parts water and one shot rum. cook this down until a slightly thick syrup is formed. add to bowl of peaches.

add 2-3 peach slices per crepe. put in middle, then fold over each side of crepe. put on plate, add one more peach slice on top with some of the peach syrup. sift a dusting of powdered sugar over each
crepe.

the concentrate will have a little tartness to it. depending on your taste, you may add more or less water, concentrate, and rum. generally one peach, 3 shots of water, 1 shot of concentrate and 1 shot of rum for the peach mixture yeilds up to 4 servings.

Dessert Crepes

Dessert Crepes
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon dark rum or vanilla extract


In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar, cake flour, and salt. Add the eggs and whisk well. Whisk in the oil and the milk. the mixture should form a thick paste. Pour in the remaining milk a little at a time while mixing and then add the rum (or vanilla).
Heat the crepe pan over medium-high heat for about a minute. Cover the surface of the pan with clarified butter until it gets sizzling hot.
Ladle some batter onto the middle of the 8-inch pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Pour the batter so that it's very thin on the pan.
Cook the crepe for about 30 to 60 seconds (heat may vary) or until it's brown around the edge and dry in the center. Using a thin spatula flip the crepe quickly and cook for about 15 seconds. Using the spatula, remove the crepe to a warm plate. Sprinkle the crepe with sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Will make 20+/- crepes depending on the size and thickness of the crepe / batter.

Banana Marscapone Pie

Banana Marscapone Pie

1 box instant banana pudding / pie filling
1.5 cups milk
8oz marscapone cheese
two smaller bananas
1 shot dark rum or banana rum
1 pre-made graham cracker crust

mix milk and pie mix in bowl for two minutes. mix in rum. pie mix should have thickened up a bit. depending on your marscapone, give it some stirring to smooth it out and get out any lumps. add it to pie mix. if you have trouble getting it to smooth out, mix it real quick with an electric hand mixer. once all combined, slice up one of the bananas into slices. fold/stir into pie mix with spoon. pour entire mixture into pie crust. chill for at least 30 minutes, or freeze slightly for firmer pie. cut other banana in half, then cut each half into slices the long way, approx 6-8 slices. put banana slices on top of pie. cut pie into 6-8 pieces.