• 18 OZ watermelon or peach flavored Jell-O
• 12 OZ Lite Evaporated Skim Milk (95% fat free) no other milk will work
• 5 drops green food coloring
• 2½ C boiled water
• 1 C cold water
• Vegetable oil or non-stick spray (to lubricate the mold)

1. Spray or smear oil into a dry mold wiping the excess away, and set the mold aside.
2. Empty the packets of Jell-O into a large bowl. Add the boiled water and whisk until the powder is dissolved, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the cold water.
3. Pour in the skim milk and mix for 2 minutes.
4. Add 5 drops of green food coloring to darken the mix and add that ‘gray’ color.
5. Pour the mixture into the mold, but don’t fill it to the top — leave approximately one inch.  Refrigerate overnight.

NOTE: If a clear brain is desired, leave out the skim milk and add an additional 1½ cups of cold water.

• ½ C apricot jam or preserves
• 1 TBS Grand Marnier or water (can also use other liqueurs) 

1. Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted).
2. Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps (if using liqueur, add it at this point).
3. Let cool until it is only slightly warm and then glaze the fruit or tart crust, using a pastry brush.

Yields enough to glaze the fruit on a 8 or 9 inch (20 to 23 cm) tart.

NOTE: Only lightly coat the fruit or tart shell with the glaze so that it does not look jelly-like when dry.

Variation: If glazing strawberries, raspberries or any other red fruit you can substiture red currant jelly for the apricot.

• ½ C grenadine syrup
• 1 C light corn syrup
• 1/3 OZ red food coloring
• 3 drops blue food coloring

1. Mix all ingredients together. Thin with more grenadine if needed.

• 3 QT water
• 1½ LB green beans (trimmed)
• ¾ C walnuts (coarsely chopped)
• 8 green onions (minced)
• ¼ C parsley (chopped)
• ¼ C dill (snipped)
• ¾ C olive oil
• ¼ C cider vinegar (may use part balsamic)
• ½ TSP salt to taste
• ¼ TSP black pepper to taste

Optional Garnishes:

• ½ C radishes or radish roses (thinly sliced)
• 2 TBS parsley and/or dill (snipped)

1. In a large saucepan, bring the water to boil over high heat. Add the beans, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until crisp but tender.
2. Drain the beans in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain well and place in serving bowl.
3. Blend the walnuts, green onions, parsley, dill, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth – about 1 minute.
4. Spoon over the beans and toss well.
5. Refrigerate, tightly covered, for about 1 hour. This will keep up to 24 hours.
6. Just before serving, garnish with the radishes and parsley, if desired.
7. Serve as a side dish or a light luncheon dish with cheese and a crusty bread.

8 slices of bacon
1 medium onion (chopped)
4 toes garlic (chopped)
2 C regular long-grain rice
20 OZ frozen green peas
2 C water
13 OZ chicken broth
1½ TSP salt
¼ TSP pepper

Temperature:

In a 12" skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels and set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir rice, frozen peas, water, chicken broth, salt and pepper into the mixture; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Toss the rice mixture together with the reserved bacon until well mixed and serve.

• 3 TBSP cold water
• 1 TBSP gelatin
• 1 TBSP edible glycerin
• 1 TBSP Crisco
• ½ C glucose
• 2 LB confectioner’s sugar (sifted)

1. Place the cold water in a heatproof container. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
2. Place over a pan of warm water (NOT HOT) then add the edible glycerin, Crisco and glucose to this liquid mixture and place over low heat until all ingredients are a clear liquid.
3. Sift confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl and make a shallow well in the middle.
4. Pour the warm liquid into the shallow well and begin to work the sugar gently into the warm liquid with a spoon or spatula.
5. When this mixture begins to get to thick to work any more sugar into it, grease your hands and begin to knead the sugar into it until you get the right consistency, adding more confectioner’s sugar as needed.

• 1 LB dry mixed beans (soaked 8-12 hours or overnight)
• 2 MED tomatoes (pureed)
• 1 LG red onion (diced)
• 1 bunch green onions (tops and bottoms, chopped)
• 1 TBS garlic (minced)
• 1 LG green bell pepper (diced)
• ¼ C fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1 TBS oregano
• 1 TBS cumin
• 1½ TBS chili powder
• 1 TSP allspice
• 16 OZ R.W. Knudsen’s Very Veggie (or V-8) – Spicy
• Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (to taste)

1. Place beans in an 8 QT pot with water about 1 inch above the beans.
2. Add the allspice and some Tony’s to the water and bring to a boil, allowing the beans to simmer for approximately one hour until the beans are tender and have cooked down some.
3. Stir in the pureed tomatoes, oregano, parsley, cumin and only 1 TBS of the chili powder.
4. Sauté the red onion, green onion, garlic and bell pepper in a small skillet using a little water and some of the vegetable juice. When the sautéed vegetables are soft stir them into the chili.
5. Add the remaining vegetable juice and the last ½ TBS of chili powder to the chili. Remember to add Tony’s to taste.
6. Bring the heat down to low and continue to simmer and cook 1 to 2 hours or until beans are tender.

NOTE: Using canned beans will reduce cooking time, but it’s better if you have the time to cook the dry beans as you do not add the extra sodium and preservatives used in canned beans.

Yields 4-5 QT.

For Roaches & Most Other Insects
½ C sugar
½ C flour
½ C Crisco shortening
½ C powdered boric acid

NOTE: Do not add any liquids of any kind.

For Ants
1 TBS boric acid
1 TSP of Sugar
4 OZ water
Cotton balls
(see the instructions at the bottom)

Temperature:

NOTES ON BORIC ACID: get as close to 100% pure as you can get. Usually you'll find a container that lists 99% of the active ingredient as Orthoboric Acid (aka boric acid) — don't just get another product that "contains" boric acid. You can usually find it at most any grocery store in a 24 or 32 ounce plastic bottle, listed as a roach pesticide… just check the label. Boric acid is safe to use around pets and humans as it takes a whopping huge amount of it to do any damage to large mammals at all.

Boric acid by itself is one of the most effective agents used as a pesticide — it's a mild corrosive to organics, although safe to use on pretty much any surface, and a desiccant and that's eventually what kills the insect… dehydration and dissolution from the inside. By itself is only partially effective as it relies on an insect to walk through it and ingest it when it cleans itself — but if you add it to a mixture that will attract insects, then that's a whole other story.

The concentration of boric acid in these Roach Cookies is higher than in any other insect baits you can buy, and is therefore more effective. Just mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, making sure that it can hold its shape when pressed into a vessel, about the consistency of chocolate-chip cookie dough. Usually I use those cute little waxed paper Dixie cups folks buy to put by the bathroom sink for kids to use. I cut the cup to leave about ½" of the bottom as a shallow dish and press the cookie into that, level with the top.

Place these against walls and in corners wherever it seems likely that insects will walk or live — pantries, cabinets where food prepared, and under every sink are a few good starting places, but don't be shy about overdoing it a bit. You can even mix a little more Crisco into the batch and roll the cookies into balls that you can then roll into inaccessible places like behind the fridge, under the stove and dishwasher. You can also take this thickened cookie and smear it into places that are hard to get a cup or ball into as its pretty sticky.

This stuff should be good for up to about a year, as the Crisco keeps it moist and "edible" and naturally, the more rancid it gets, the more the bugs like it. After that it gets stiff and brittle and should be replaced with a fresh batch.

For specifically treating ants: mix the boric acid, sugar and water in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton ball in a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of ants.

That's about it. After a few weeks you should notice a decreased amount of critters roaming about, with fewer as time goes on. Boric acid is effective on cockroaches, palmetto bugs, waterbugs, ants, silverfish, carpenter ants, termites, fleas and a whole bunch more.

1 large onion (chopped)
3 TBS parsley (dried)
8 cloves garlic (minced)
2 LB ham cubes
2-3 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 LB smoked sausage or tasso
½ C green onion (optional)
1 LB black-eyed peas (soaked 6-8 hours or overnight)

Temperature:

In a heavy 5-6 QT pot, sauté onion in olive oil till soft and slightly browned on edges. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add ham and sausage/tasso, stir fry for 5 minutes. Add soaked beans, parsley, seasonings and water to fill pot 2 inches above beans. Bring to a boil then back the heat down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until beans are tender. Add water as needed to maintain a creamy consistency. Consistency is obtained by frequent stirring during the last 1/3 of cooking time. To thicken (if needed) mash a small amount of cooked beans and stir into the pot. Taste to correct seasonings in last 1/3 time. Serve with rice.

Pressure Cooker Instructions: Sauté ingredients as indicated above. After adding the beans and other ingredients add water to fill pot 1” above beans. Seal the pot and bring to full pressure. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Thicken the beans by mashing against the side of the pot while stirring, as you are not able to stir/thicken the beans as you cook. Taste to correct seasonings after cooking. If the beans are too thick, add water to suit. If they are too thin and watery, continue cooking the beans with the cooker lid off to evaporate some of the water. Serve with rice.

• 1 C cream of shrimp soup
• 6 OZ cream cheese (softened)
• ½ OZ unflavored gelatin
• ½ C hot water
• ¾ C mayonnaise
• 2 TBS ketchup
• 1 TBS Tabasco hot sauce
• 1 TBS worcestershire
• 1 C cooked shrimp (chopped)
• ¾ C celery (chopped)
• ½ C green onion (chopped)

1. Bring the cream of shrimp soup to a boil then remove from the fire.
2. Beat in the cream cheese.
3. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the gelatin to the cream cheese/soup mixture, blending well.
5. Add the gelatin and mix thoroughly.
6. Either spray then wipe your mold with a non-stick cooking spray, or apply a light even coat of mayonnaise as a release agent.
7. Pour in your mixture and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

If you would like a smoother consistency you can process the chopped ingredients prior to adding to the mixture.