Ghriardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Challange

Answer 10 short questions in the Ghirardelli® Intense Dark Challenge and you could win one of thousands of instant-win prizes and be entered to win a trip to San Fransico.

Costumes for adults and children!

My Savings Affiliate Link

MySavings Media- Quality Offers - Top Payouts Are you a fellow blogger? Looking to make some extra money doing what you are doing now? Mysavings, a popular coupon/sample site is now accepting applications (no money required) for their affiliate program. Get paid to post about those fabulous samples and coupons! Click on the link above or below to start the application process. It's quick and easy and most are approved within a day or so!

Barbecue Chicken and Turkey

Chicken, turkey, duck and other fowl are at their best when barbecued. The smoky flavor penetrated the delicate meat in a way that most people find pleasant. In fact, inexpensive poultry is so good barbecued, that it is the first choice of outdoor cooking with many outdoor chefs. The covered grill (brazier) makes the job almost foolproof. Proceed as follows: 1. Move all of the coals to one side of the unit, and place your whole poultry or parts on the other side of the grill. Open your vents wide, add a handful of wood chips and close the lid. 2. In 15 minutes, baste the top side, add a few more chips and close the lid. 3. In 15 more minutes, baste the top again, turn the pieces over and baste the other side and close the lid. 4. In 30 more minutes, the meat should be done, and should be nicely browned. If it is not brown enough to suit you, move the pieces over the coals and brown them quickly on each side. If you have a meat thermometer, now is the time to check the temperature. 165-180 is best for poultry. If you do not have a meat thermometer (get one!), cut the poultry in the middle or next to a large bone. Check for doneness, you do not want to see pink meat or blood. If undone, move poultry back to the side of the grill that does not have coals under it. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on each side. Return to coals and quickly brown 1-2 minutes each side. Check again for doneness. If you seem to have problems, return the poultry back to the non-coal side of the grill and repeat steps above but check often as the poultry will dry out. If you do not have a covered grill, or you are cooking over an open fire pit, simply brown both sides of the poultry about 4” above the coals. Raise the grill and cook for about 25 minutes turning and basting frequently until done. Large birds can be cooked whole either stuffed or unstuffy, in the same way, either on a rotisserie or without one in the covered grill. In an uncovered grill, large birds must be cooked on the rotisserie, in which case, you cook them the same way you barbecue roast beef. Use a meat thermometer in either case to determine when meat is done. Add some variety to your barbecue menu with one or all of the following recipes. BARBECUED CHICKEN For whole chicken, have your butcher split them and remove the backbone so that they will lie flat on the grill. Use small broiling chickens for this cooking method. If you buy large fryers, have them cut into serving pieces. Remember, use any of the following marinades for your split chicken, chicken pieces, or whole chickens. SOUR CREAM MARINADE: 1C sour cream; 2 garlic cloves, mashed; 1t Worcestershire sauce; 1T lemon juice; ½ t salt; ½ t paprika; dash of white pepper; dash celery salt. Combine all ingredients and pour over chicken. Refrigerate overnight before cooking. WILD RICE STUFFED CORNISH HENS: 6 thawed 1-lb Rock Cornish hens; 1 T minced parsley; 1/3 C melted butter; ½ C soy sauce; salt. WILD RICE STUFFING: 1/3 C wild rice; 2T soft butter; 2 T blanched almonds, slivered and toasted; ½ t sage; ¼ C golden raisins; salt to taste. Rinse rice and cook in boiling water until tender. Drain. Add butter, almonds, sage, raisins, and salt. Rinse hens and pat dry. Put ¼ C stuffing in each hen. Truss and close cavity. Tie wings to body and legs to tail. Balance on spit and secure with holding forks or follow preceding instructions for covered units. Baste with soy sauce, parsley, and melted butter mixture from time to time. Roast over medium coals for 1 ¼ hours. Serves 6. HERB BASTE: ½ C butter; dash dried savory; dash dried rosemary; dash dried thyme. Melt butter and add herbs. Let stand to allow flavors to blend. Add more herbs is desired. HONEY MUSTARD BASTE: ½ C honey; ¼ C prepared mustard; 2 T lemon juice; 1 t salt. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Don’t be stingy; baste frequently. GREEK MARINADE: ¼ C lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, mashed; ½ C olive oil; ½ t pepper; 1 t salt; 1 t thyme; 1 t marjoram; 1 small onion, chopped; ¼ C minced parsley. Combine all ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinate overnight in refrigerator. ROSEMARY MARINADE: ¼ C olive oil; ¼ C white wine vinegar; ½ t pepper; 2 t crushed fresh rosemary; ½ onion, sliced. Combine all ingredients and let stand to blend flavors. Pour over chicken and refrigerate overnight. TARRAGON BASTE: 1 C firmly packed brown sugar; ½ C tarragon vinegar; 2 T butter. Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Let stand to all flavors to blend. GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS: 4 large chicken breasts, split; ½ C melted butter; ¾ C flour; salt and pepper. Dip chicken breasts in melted butter. Then shake in a paper bag of flour, salt and pepper. Have a hot fire going. Place chicken on greased grill and cook for about 10 minutes on each side. Baste from time to time with melted butter. Skin should be crispy. Serves 4 CHICKEN WITH PEACHES: 2 small chickens, cut up. MARINADE: ½ C lemon juice; 2 T honey; ½ t salt; ½ C melted butter; 4 large peaches, peeled and halved. Mix together lemon juice, honey, and salt. Marinate chicken pieces in this mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour. Place chicken on grill over medium-hot coals. Cook for about 40 minutes, basting with marinade to which you have added melted butter. About 10 minutes before chicken is ready, dip peach halves in marinade and place on grill. Cook 10 minutes, basting frequently & turning once. Serve chicken on a platter surrounded by peaches. Serves 4 BRANDIED CHICKEN: 2 small chickens, split; salt and pepper; 1 small jar or can of red cherries; 1 can of apricot halves. BASTE: ½ C melted butter; ¼ C lemon juice; ¼ C brandy; ¼ C firmly packed brown sugar. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place on grill over medium hot fire. Cook for about 40 minutes, basting from time to time. Place cherries and apricots in a shallow foil pan, 10 minutes before chicken is done. Pour a little of the basting sauce over the fruit. The grill should be covered at all times except when you are basting. Serve chicken on a platter with fruit poured over. Serves 4. ORANGE BAKED CHICKEN: 1 3-lb Chicken, cut up; salt and pepper; 4 T orange juice concentrate, thawed; 4 T butter. Divide chicken in 4 serving portions. Place on 4 pieces of heavy duty foil large enough to wrap completely and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Pour 1 T orange juice concentrate and place 1 T butter on each. Wrap securely in foil and bake in or over hot coals for about an hour. Serves 4 ROCK CORNISH HENS WITH PINEAPPLE STUFFING: 4 thawed 1-lb Rock Cornish hens; ½ C melted butter; 1 t salt; 2 ½ T lemon juice; 1 1-lb can pineapple chunks, drained. Rinse hens and pat dry. Lightly salt insides. Stuff with pineapple. Truss hens and close cavity. Tie wings to the body and the legs to the tail. Balance on spit and secure with holding forks, or follow preceding instructions for covered units. Baste from time to time with a mixture of salt, butter and lemon. Barbecue over medium coals for 1 ¼ hours. Serves 4. CHICKEN TANDOORI: 1 3-lb chicken , quartered; 2 C yogurt; 4 garlic cloves, mashed; 3 T butter; 3 bay leaves, crumbled; salt to taste; 1 t cayenne pepper; ½ t powdered Cardamom; 1 t powdered cinnamon; ½ t powdered cloves; 1 t powdered ginger; 1 t curry powder. Prick chicken pieces all over with a fork and marinate for 5 hours in a combination of yogurt and garlic. Turn often. Mix remaining ingredients. Rub this paste on chicken and let stand for 2-3 hours. Barbecue over medium coals for 45-55 minutes. Serves 4 SPANISH STYLE CHICKEN: 1 3-lb chicken, quartered; ¼ lb butter; 1 garlic clove, mashed; ¾ t salt; ¾ t savory; ½ t paprika; dash cinnamon; dash crushed tarragon. Melt butter. Add garlic, salt, savory, paprika, cinnamon and tarragon. Place chicken on barbecue grill over medium coals. Baste frequently with butter. Cook about 45 minutes. Serve chicken over hot rice that has been seasoned with the basting butter. Serves 4 MUSHROOM STUFFING: 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced; ¼ lb butter; ½ onion, chopped; 4 C soft bread crumbs; ¼ t pepper; ½ t sage; 2/3 C chicken or beef broth. Sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes in a large skill with 3 T butter. Spoon out mushrooms into a large bowl, add 1 T more butter. Sauté onions until clear but not brown. Melt remaining butter and add it to mushrooms and onions. Mix well with bread crumbs, pepper and sage. Spoon broth over the mixture and mix gently. Makes enough to stuff a medium sized chicken. Double the recipe for turkey. Mushroom stuffing can be use for beef. CELERY-CARROT STUFFING: 1 C sifted flour; 1 t baking powder; ½ t nutmeg; ½ t salt; ½ C chopped pecans; ½ C wheat germ; 1 C bread crumbs, lightly browned in butter; ¼ C butter; ½ C brown sugar; 1 egg; 1 C shredded carrots; ¼ C chopped celery; 3 T chopped parsley. Sift flour with nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Stir in nuts, wheat germ and crumbs. Cram butter and blend with brown sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add carrots, parsley and celery. Add sifted dry ingredients and stir lightly. this makes enough to stuff a medium sized chicken. YAM STUFFING: 1 large onion, minced; ½ green pepper, minced; 2 T butter; 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; 12 cooked yams (sweet potatoes), peeled; salt and pepper; ½ t poultry seasoning; 1 egg, well beaten; 3 T cream. In a large frying pan, sauté onion and green pepper in melted butter until onion is just turning yellow. Add tomatoes, and stew for 5-6 minutes or until juices have evaporated. Add yams, which have been cut into small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Let cool. Then add egg and cream. Makes about 6 cup or enough to stuff a 5-6 lb chicken. TURKEY Turkey is generally cooked on a rotating spit because of its size. However, if you do not have a rotisserie, and your oven is small, you can have your butcher cut up a turkey and grill the pieces. You can use the barbecue sauce for either spit roasted or grilled turkey. Basting with plain melted butter, especially for a stuffed turkey, is simple and delicious. GRILLED TURKEY PIECES: Buy a 6-7 lb turkey to serve 10-12 people. Have your butcher cut it for you or cut it yourself as follows: 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 4 breast pieces, and 2 back pieces. Start your coals early so that you have a good, steady medium-hot fire. The grill should be about 7” above the coals. Cook, turning and basting from time to time, for about 1 ½ hours. The wings and back pieces should not be placed on the fire until the other pieces have cooked for at least an hour. Your turkey is done when there is no pinkness n the meat of the drumstick. Test by cutting open with a sharp knife. SPIT ROASTED TURKEY: Start the coals early so that you have a slow and steady fir. It is best to place them toward the back of your rotisserie and have a drip pan directly under the turkey. Sprinkle the inside of the bird with salt. The skewer should be inserted through the center of the neck skin to just above the tail. Insert the skewer forks into the breast and tail. Test for balance by rotating the skewer in your hands. Use a weight on your rotisserie to correct for any imbalance. This will insure even cooking of your turkey and will avoid strain on the motor. Use string or wire to secure the wings and the legs close to the body. Baste from time to time with melted butter and drippings. If you use the barbecue sauce, apply only during the last half hour of cooking. Use a thermometer for best results. This should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Be sure the tip is not touching bone, or your reading will not be accurate BARBECUE SAUCE: Again, plain melted butter is preferable for turkey. If you do choose to use this sauce, it also works well as a marinade for the cut-up turkey pieces. Marinate for about 2 hours at room temperature before cooking and use as a baste as well. Mix together: ¼ C melted butter; ¼ C soy sauce; 1 T orange marmalade; 1 t dry mustard; 1 t powdered ginger; 1 clove garlic, mashed.

Wheelbarrow Grill, barbecue fish, fish n' dip bbq receipes

Fire Building Tips

INTRODUCTION TO BARBECUING

Everyone enjoys a barbecue. The mere mention of the word in enough to evoke images of lazy afternoons and relaxed dinners with family and friends. The smokey flavor that food obtains when they have been cooked on a barbecue, are what make them so delicious.

Charcoal is probably man’s oldest manufactured cooking and heating fuel. In its original form, it retained the size and shape of the wood materials from which it was made. The major features of charcoal -slow, even burning, and ease of handling. Thanks for the first charcoal briquette goes to the father of the mass produced automobile, Henry Ford. Being a frugal man, Ford made use of the scrap wood left over from the production of automobile frames. He had it converted to charcoal, ground into powder, mixed with a binder and pressed into the now familiar shape of briquettes. He also manufactured thin steel collapsible stoves with “Ford” stamped on the cover. An indispensable item for family campouts in the 20’s and 30’s.

Today, cooking with charcoal, whether done on a simple wire grill in the woods, or on an elaborate backyard barbecue is one of America’s favorite ways to cook. In addition to being good eating, barbecue cooking is fun.

EQUIPMENT:

Barbecue equipment is of two types: grills, both open and covered in which food cooked directly over or near the coals, and heat source implements such as a Dutch Oven, in which food is cooked by placing it over a charcoal fire and placing coals on top.

To protect the bottom of your new barbecue, it is advisable to place a layer of sand or small pebbles in it before using it. Drippings from the meat will be burned up by the fire, and the fine charcoal dust will settle into your layer of pebbles or sand. Once or twice a season, you should empty the pan and replace the pebbles or sand.

The grill is practically self-cleaning. Just set it over the coals for about 5 minutes before you are ready to cook on it and the old residue and drippings will burn off. Then rub it quickly with steel wool and you are ready to go.

Grilling is the way most people cook when cooking outside. You can grill on a wire rack placed on rocks over coals, or you can use an open charcoal grill. Use plenty of charcoal and sear the meat close to the coals on each side. The raise the grill and cook until done.


BARBECUE ACCESSORIES:

1. A good pair of insulated gloves or mitts.
2. A pair of cotton garden gloves for placing non-lighted briquettes in your unit. It doesn’t matter if they get dirty on the outside. Just leave them in your charcoal bag or holder. You’ll do a better job with clean hands.
3. A pair of tongs are essential, especially for hot briquette handling. The longer the handles, the better. They are also good for turning steaks, chicken, etc. A barbecue fork punctures the meat and allows juices to drop on the coals, causing flare-ups.
4. A squirt bottle with water is good for dampening coals that become too hot or flare-up.
5. A barbecue thermometer. There are basically two kinds of barbecue thermometers: air temperature and interior meat temperature thermometers. The air temperature types are quite often found built into the hood of the covered units. Also, the may be purchased separately to put inside your unit when roasting. This will then tell you the approximate oven temperature, so that you may regulate the coals or vents in your unit for an even heat. Knowing the heat level allows you to figure the time necessary for cooking to the desired doneness. The best barbecue thermometer is the insertion-type interior thermometer. These you insert near the end of cooking to determine doneness (rare, medium) of thick meats, such as flat roasts, turkey, whole chickens, etc. They can be used on rotisserie roasts or spit-roasted birds, but they are clumsy and may become damaged if the dial gets too close to the coals or strikes the side of the barbecue while turning.
6. A long handled basting brush. A good long-handled brush is useful on hot fires. Wash well directly after using. Dishwashers won’t hurt them.
7. A roll of aluminum wire. Essential for tying up stubborn birds and roasts. String may do the job, but wire is better. It’s rather difficult to re-tie a hot, dripping 6lb.roast! But be careful. The wire is strong enough to tear the meat if over tightened.
8. Some regular pliers with a wire cutting notch. Great for tightening up loose bolts on your various apparatus and for tying the wire around your roasts and birds.
9. Some small-mesh flexible wire cloth. Just the thing for those odd size fish or scallops or toasted sandwiches. It can also be used to form a frame for foil ‘tents’, to serve as a fire basket, etc.
10. Two hinged metal broiling racks, one large and one small: They should have fairly long wooden handles and a close mesh. Ideal for burgers, hotdogs, fish fillets and vegetables.
11. A heavy metal pot with a long handle to keep your baste warm. There is usually a place on the grill or in the coals for this pot. It’s a good container for your brush too. Keeping the baste warm and stirred guarantees the best results.

HAMBURGERS , HOT DOGS, & STEAK

HAMBURGERS:
Although most of us would prefer steak and roasts, we seem to end up with hamburgers and hotdogs. The barbecue is a blessing because the charcoal flavor makes these everyday staples into delicious specialties.
Hamburger for the barbecue should contain some, but not too much, fat. Extra lean meat dries out quickly and must be basted. For this reason, ground chuck is preferable to ground round steak and is normally the correct choice for grilling. Never make hamburgers smaller than ¼ lb per person. They’ll dry out. The addition of one egg and ¼ cup bread crumbs per pound of hamburger helps hold the hamburgers together, although un-doctored patties will usually survive on the grill (make the patties up ahead of time and freeze, they hold their shape better while cooking). Make your 1/4lb patties about ½” thick. Sear them as you would a steak and then raise the grate (grill) on your grill and finish cooking. Normally 4-6 minutes on each side is sufficient cooking time. (be sure to check the internal temperature to ensure doneness) Hamburgers should always be basted. Use your favorite barbecue sauce or a small amount of salad oil.

HOT DOGS/SAUSAGE:
Hot dogs are easy and fun. The kids love them so they are perfect for a family barbecue. There is no better way to cook hot dogs than to grill them, either whole or split, over charcoal. (A moderate fire is best to prevent bursting and curling.) They are tasty as they are, or can be dressed up with stuffings or sauces. Cooking delicate sausages such as bratwurst takes more care than the grilling of a regular hot dog. They must be cooked gently and thoroughly. When cooking on your grill you must be sure to turn them frequently. Use tongs, not a fork. (You don’t want to puncture the skins and lose the juices.) Your coals should be very low. I recommend that you precook them before placing them on the grill. Just put them in enough water to cover them, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. If the sausages do split while cooking, don’t get excited. Just put some light type cheese in the cavity and go on as if nothing happened. Everybody will think you planned it that way.

STEAK:
Use plenty of charcoal. There should be no spaces between the briquettes and the coals should cover a larger area than the area that the steak occupies on the grill. The steak should be at room temperature. First slash through the fat on the outside of the steak at 1” intervals to keep the steak from curling. Place the steak on the grill and lower the grill to within about 3” of the fire. If your coals are hot enough, the steak will char very rapidly. This seals in the juices. The fat from the meat will drip on the coals and they will blaze up. At this stage, let them blaze away. In a minute or two, the meat will be a rich brown-black charred color. Now, turn it over (with a pair of tongs, not a fork) and sear the other side. If you like a rare steak, you are through. If you like medium or well done, do the following: (1) If you have a covered grill, move the steak completely off the coals to the furthermost point on the grill away from the fire. Open your vents, and close the lid. The blazing fire should go out right away. If it doesn’t, close the vents for a few seconds and then open them. Leave the steak inside for about 10 minutes for a 1 ½” steak for medium and longer for well done. Don’t be afraid to cut the steak open with a knife to see how its coming. Now, remove it to a serving platter and add salt and pepper, or you can brush it with a small amount of butter that’s been mixed together with garlic salt and pepper. (2) If you have an open grill, raise the grate and rotate the steaks away from the coals by turning it. Now let the fire go out, use the spray bottle if necessary. Then rotate the steak back over the coals and cook in the raised position for about 5 minutes on each side for a 1 ½” steak. Follow directions for testing and seasoning in (1) above.

A properly grilled steak, over charcoal, is one of life’s great experiences. You’ll probably make a few mistakes, but one you get the timing down, you’ll produce consistent results.