The Hot Diggity Dog Challenge

I’m making this short today because I shouldn’t be blabbering on with you folks all day about vaginas and things that make vaginas feel tingly. I do have some standards. A few. Anyway, I’m on a writing deadline and you are serious distraction, my friends. A lovely distraction.

I’ve been memed by Evil Chef Mom who has asked me to write a six word memoir. And she has demanded that I be “funny”, “bizarre” and “touching”. No pressure or anything. Heres a recent picture of Evil Chef Mom:

And another:

So, here's my six word memoir, the six words that say everything about me:

Urine on floor. Cheese in potty.

Perhaps, I should work on the touching part...Well, I went with this one because it's the chaotic, crazy, totally adventure-driven, loud, imperfect and perfectly wonderful messiness of our lives that I love so much. Okay, I guess that's touching. And I even got food in there...

Now for your first challenge...

The six word memoir challenge is pretty difficult. It's not easy to sum it all up in 6 measly words, so instead of me memeing people right and left and shaming them into participating with my Catholic guilt arsenal (which is large and powerful) if you want to do it, just let me know in the comments section and I’ll post your sites and links this weekend, so people can check them out.

Now, challenge number 2: I want you to make your own hot dogs.

That's right you heard me. You can stop bitching about all the nitrates in the Oscar Meyer's and all those little pieces of intestinal backwash and guts scraped into a trowel by some minimum wage worker at the slaughterhouse that you know are taking up residence in your bratwurst. Now, you can free yourself of the salmonella-drenched innards thanks to my friend NTSC at The Art of the Pig - a man who really knows his way around a pork butt. Check out his blog - this guy is serious about charcuterie. The things he and his wife do in the kitchen are inspiring.

I love these dogs and so do the kids and they are pretty easy to make. Plus, because you have to do it in steps and let the meat sit over night in the fridge, it's manageable with kids streaming through the house pretending to be airplanes and knocking over the furniture because there's no last minute time crunch. The main thing is keeping the meat cold while you work with it. As always, I tested this recipe while breastfeeding and it can't be that difficult if I can do it one-handed.

It's time to up the game...What's it gonna be the meme or the dogs???

xxoo YM

Hot Dogs From Scratch

From The Art of The Pig, who got it from a course on Sausage Making at CIA.

Ingredients

10 oz lean ground beef

1/2 lb smoked fatty bacon, minced

1 Tbs salt

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 pinch garlic powder (be generous, use more)

6 oz crushed ice

1 oz nonfat dry milk

Method

1. Place the bowl to the food processor in the freezer, place blade in ice bath.
2. Combine ground beef with seasonings, place in freezer along with bacon until semi-frozen
3. In the food processor place the meat and the ice; process to a smooth texture until the temperature reaches 40 F.
4. Add the bacon and process until well blended and temperature reaches 50 F
5. Add dry milk and process to mix in.
6. Pipe onto plastic wrap, roll, tie every 6 inches. Refrigerate overnight.
7. The next day poach in water at 170 F until internal temperature of 155 F; shock in ice water.
8. Unwrap and refrigerate until ready to use.