La Nina is Back!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center has just confirmed that La Nina appears to be strengthening and is forecast to continue into the winter of 2012.

Their official winter outlook comes out mid-October, but it appears that we will be seeing a 'back-to-back" La Nina event. Typically, La Nina occurs every three-to-five years, but back-to-back episodes occur about 50 percent of the time.

In the short term, the return of La Nina should mean a continued active hurricane season through November.

This forecast is certainly not good news for Texas. La Nina winters tend to bring warmer than normal temperatures and drier than normal conditions . This means drought conditions are likely to continue in drought-ridden states like Texas.

Before La Nina becomes much stronger, let's hope we get some much-needed rainfall!

Mango-Pineapple Salsa

Sandy and I recently had a version of this at a restaurant, and I was inspired to give it a shot! This can be as hot as you want it to be, depending upon how many jalapenos you want to use in it. I use about 3 medium for what I call "PG-13" heat. If you want "R" rated salsa, add more!

This goes well with chips, grilled chicken, or with grilled fish.

As always, let me know what you think of this recipe!



2 large mangoes, ripe, but still firm, peeled
1 pineapple. peeled and cored
1 large red bell pepper, seeded
1 medium red onion, peeled
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

1. Cut mangoes, pineapple, red bell pepper, and red onion into 1/4-inch cubes.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Parmesan Chicken

This is what my wonderful wife, Sandy wanted me to cook as part of her recent birthday celebration. I have it with grilled or steamed veggies, but pasta works, too.

Let me know what you think! When you fix it, go to my Facebook page, upload a photo of it, and post a comment.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 extra large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 ¼ cups Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Unsalted butter

Olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼” thick. I use a meat mallet and wax paper.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a large dinner plate. In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On another plate, combine the bread crumbs and ½ cup grated Parmesan.

Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg wash and dredge both sides in the bread crumb/Parmesan cheese mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook breasts on medium-low heat until cooked throughout. I usually cook two at a time in the pan.

Add oil as needed, allow to reheat, and then continue cooking.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Buttermilk Fried Green Beans

I had such a great response to my Squash Patties last month, I wanted to share another one of my summer favorites from the garden. Serve these "as is," or with Ranch dressing on the side.

Let me know what you think, and enjoy the "Crunch!'

Buttermilk Fried Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb. Green beans

½ cup Buttermilk

2 cups Flour

½ cup Cornmeal

2 tsp. Baking Powder

2 tsp. Salt (plus more for sprinkling)

¼ tsp. Cayenne (optional)

oil for frying

Trim, rinse, and thoroughly dry the green beans. Put them in a medium bowl and toss with buttermilk to coat. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a large re-sealable plastic bag.

Drain green beans and toss them in the flour mixture to coat thoroughly.

Bring about ½” of oil in a wide, heavy skillet to 350-275F degrees over high heat.

Shake excess flour-mixture off beans as you add enough of them to form a single layer in the oil; don't crowd them. Fry until golden to medium brown and beans are tender-about 3 minutes. Transfer with tongs or slotted spoon to a cooling rack set over wax paper or paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot. Allow oil to return to temperature before frying next batch.

Zucchini Patties

It's summertime, and there will be an abundance of squash in gardens all over the Big Country. This is a recipe that my Mom and Grandmother made all the time, and I loved it growing up. Every time I make these, it brings back some great memories!

My only advice is: Watch your fingers when grating the zucchini! I usually have a scrape or two, but it's worth it!

I hope you enjoy one of my favorites!

2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoons, and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden.
3. Drain on paper towels, then serve.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp With Margarita Butter

I've had this recipe for about 5 years, and love it! Honestly, I'm not even sure where I got it. Don't be intimidated when making the Margarita Butter; it's not that hard, just jump in, you can do it! After you try it, let me know what your thoughts!

Spicy Grilled Shrimp With Margarita Butter

12 Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

1 Tablespoon Prepared Chili Powder

(such as McCormick’s, Spice Islands, or Fiesta)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat grill, and allow coals to burn down, oil grate or use non-stick foil

Season shrimp with chili powder, salt, and pepper

Brush with olive oil

Grill on each side for 5-6 minutes.

Margarita Butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup diced red onion

½ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 shot (3 tablespoons) tequila

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add onion and cook unto translucent. Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce by half. Add cream, lower heat, and reduce by half. Stir in butter a bit at a time until all is used and sauce is thickened. Stir in tequila and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, drizzle the margarita butter over the shrimp.

IN the Middle of Wildfires-The Right Kind of Spark

In the Middle of Wildfires - The Right Kind of Spark

There have been tremendous losses suffered by so many folks due to the recent wildfires. None more tragic than Eastland Volunteer Fireman, Greg Simmons, who lost his life fighting the fire near Carbon and Gorman.

As family and friends began to speak of Greg, there was a common theme:

“He loved being a volunteer fireman and he died doing what he loved.”

His job didn’t pay a salary, and it was totally sacrificial – it was all about helping other people in danger.

Greg Simmons’ story prompts me to ask myself:

“What am I involved in that offers no salary, is totally sacrificial, and is all about helping others?”

“ And if I died while doing that activity, folks would say, He died doing what they loved.”

It’s so easy to become self-absorbed and “too busy,” to volunteer or help others, but these two questions continue to echo in my head and challenge me to do more for others.

In President Bush’s 1989 Inaugural address, he made his famous “Thousand Points of Light” speech.

“I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in."

It would be ironic and, at the same time, so appropriate, if Gregory Simmons’ sacrifice would spark a thousand points of light across West Texas, and ignite all of us to get as passionately involved with helping others as he was.

I think that’s one wildfire Greg Simmons wouldn’t want to extinguish.

Severe Weather in April

An outbreak of severe weather is as much a part of springtime in the United States and West Texas as wildflowers and windy days. April is a very historic month for severe weather in the USA and Texas.

It was on April 3, 1964 that the famous Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide track nearly 4 miles long, killing 7, injuring 111, and destroying 225 homes.

On April 5, 1936, The USA’s 4^th deadliest tornado on record struck Tupelo, Mississippi, killing 216 residents. The very next day, the USA's 5th deadliest tornado on record struck Gainesville, Georgia killing 213 people.

April 9, 1947 Woodward, Oklahoma was the target of the USA's 6th deadliest tornado on record as 181 people were killed.

April 11, 1965 was known as “The Great Lakes Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak.” 51 tornadoes strike Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa killing 256 and injuring over 1500 people.

April 18, 1880 The USA's 15th deadliest tornado on record strikes Marshfield, Missouri killing 99 people.

April 20, 1920 The USA's 21st deadliest tornado on record strikes Starkville, Mississippi and Waco, Alabama killing 88 people.

April 24, 1908 The USA's 7th deadliest tornado on record strikes Amite, Louisiana and Purvis, Mississippi killing 143 people. On the same day another tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 91 people. This is the 19th deadliest tornado on record in the USA.

Wow! A pretty sobering look back at severe weather history for the month of April. As severe weather season continues into the month of April, keep you all-hazards radio handy, and stay tuned to KTAB-TV for timely and accurate information. Remember, “During severe weather, you are not alone.” The KTAB Weather Team is severe weather coverage you can count on.

When the storm clouds roll in, we’ll be here for you.

Best Cake Ever!

This is my wonderful Mother-in-Law's recipe, and it's the BEST CAKE EVER! It's been in her family for several years, and I wanted to share it with ya'll, because it's too good to keep to myself. If there's ever a dessert that I could just sit down and eat till I popped...this is it!

Please let me know your comments after you try it! It's supposed to be served after sitting in the refrigerator until it gets cold, but I never can wait that long!

ENJOY!

Silver White Cake

2 1/4 cups flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups milk

2/3 cups shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two round pans (8” or 9 ½”) or rectangular pan 13 x 9 x 2.

Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, shortening, and vanilla in large mixing bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes.

Beat in egg whites on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes.

Pour into pans – layers 30-35 minutes; rectangular 40-45 minutes of baking time, or until tester comes out clean.

Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 – 8 oz. Pkg cream cheese

½ cup margarine

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

chop fresh strawberries on top

Valuable Skywarn Training

The 2011 severe weather season is fast approaching. Each year local National Weather Service offices conduct a weather preparedness campaign in various locations across the West Texas. These Skywarn severe weather training programs have been scheduled across the area as part of a public education program prior to severe storm season.

At these Skywarn training programs experts from the National Weather Service will discuss thunderstorm formation, severe weather production, and features associated with severe storms. The presentations will also review tornado formation and behavior. Spotting operations and recommended reporting procedures will also be covered in the sessions.

These programs are free and open to the public. Even if you don’t want to become an active storm spotter, you will learn about how storms work and the visual clues you can identify when storms are in your area.

We, at the KTAB Weather Team, consider the storm spotter network a vital part in communicating important information to viewers when storms threaten our area.

I strongly encourage KTAB viewers to attend the local Skywarn training sessions that are being held near your community. Better trained viewers means better prepared viewers when severe weather occurs.

A complete list of area Skywarn training sessions is posted on our website: www.bigcountryhomepage.com.

Find the session nearest you, and we’ll see you there!

Drought Outlook for 2011

The past two months have been very dry across West Texas and the Big Country. La Nina conditions continue to dictate our weather, bringing above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. The rains we received on December 24 helped things temporarily, but the outlook through March is not very optimistic based upon the latest U.S. Drought Monitor released recently.

According to this National Weather Service study, four major items of concern for our area are forecast through March:

1. Above normal wildfire conditions, including possibly a few significant fires
2. Drought conditions to intensify, especially south of Interstate 20
3. Continued supplemental feeding of livestock
4. Surface water supplies continued to be depleted from evaporation, municipal and agricultural consumption.

Most Big Country counties have Burn Bans in place, and we must all be very careful of wildfire potential for the next few months.

In the meantime, we're all waiting for that next big rain that hopefully, will come sooner than anticipated.

Sinful Oatmeal Cookies

I know everyone's got a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, but I still want to share one more cookie recipe. I got this recipe from a magazine on an airplane a few years ago, and I hope you all will forgive me for tempting you with it! I hope these don't de-rail your New Year's Resolutions too much! Enjoy!

Sinful Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 ½ cups quick cooking oatmeal

1 ten-ounce package Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips

1 cup raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine soda with flour, and mix into the butter mixture. Stir in the oatmeal, and then add the chips, raisins, and nuts. Batter will be thick. Drop onto parchment lined baking sheet by heaping teaspoonfuls and bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Melt and cool:

3/8 cup shortening

3/8 cup margarine

Add:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

Sift together and add:

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ingredients well by hand and chill for 30 minutes. Form into one-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will crinkle while baking. Makes 3 dozen.