McDonald's Meats

For several years when we have driven up to TS's best-friend's cabin we have passed by this little butcher shop called McDonald's Meats in Clear Lake, MN. This summer, during a torrential downpour TS and I stopped in to buy Italian sausages and beef jerky. Once we tried the Italian sausage, we were hooked. Now, whenever we drive through Clear Lake, we always stop. During TS's last trip through Clear Lake he stopped and bought salsa brats. We decided since it was "warm" enough tonight for grilling, we would grill these brats.

All day I was trying to think about what would go with salsa brats. Something along the "Mexican" line of cooking, but what? I had some red potatoes (if you haven't figured out already, I always seem to have small red potatoes in my house) and I had half an onion from last night and I had a green pepper. I realized if I combined these three ingredients I would have a perfect side to our salsa brats. Here is my take on "Mexican Potatoes."

Mexican Potatoes

5 large red potatoes, sliced into thin disks
1/4 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
hot pepper olive oil (my mom makes this stuff and it is fantastic!)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat bottom of 9x9 pan with a drizzle of hot pepper olive oil.
2. place sliced potatoes, chopped onion and chopped green pepper in pan and mix together.
3. sprinkle salt, cumin and cayenne pepper over potato mixture, then mix together.
4. cover pan with foil and cook for 15 mins.
5. remove foil from pan and stir mixture, place back in oven, uncovered, for 20 mins.
6. when ready to serve, sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on each portion.

It turned out to be a tasty side dish to go along with the salsa brats, which by the way were really good. We will be buying them the next time we drive through Clear Lake.

On a different note, we are having a Halloween party at work tomorrow. I decided to make "brain" treats for my co-workers. How do you make brain treats? It involves, popcorn, marshmallows and red food dye.

Popcorn Brains

1/2 c. unpopped popcorn
3 tbsp oil
5 c. mini marshmallows
3 tbsp butter
red food dye
cooking spray

1. pour oil into large pot and add unpopped popcorn and cover pot.
2. constantly shake pot over the heat until all popcorn is popped (this will prevent your popcorn from burning.
3. pour popcorn into a large bowl.
4. Clean out pot, if necessary, and melt butter in pot.
5. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Once melted add one drop of red food dye to marshmallows.
6. Pour melted, dyed marshmallows over popcorn and stir together with a spoon coated in cooking spray until cool enough for you to touch the popcorn mixture. (Be careful, the top may be cool, but the bottom of the mixture could still be really hot - I learned the hard way).
7. Once mixture is cool enough to touch (it will still be really warm though), spray hands with cooking spray and being to form the popcorn mixture into a ball.
8. Place balls on cookie sheet to cool completely.

Enjoy eating your brains! I don't know if eating brains is good eating - wait I do. I once ate fried lambs brains. It tasted liked fried oysters - Yum! But eating popcorn ball brains are good too! So, here's to good, creepy eating!