Super Sliders. The BEST EVER.

A platter of "Sliders" , chips, a big green salad, and an Angel Food cake!

This is a recipe I make over and over again,  Mike our middle son found the recipe and gave it to me in 2004.  I think it was a recipe that Alton Brown on "foodtv" featured and Mike took it down and passed it on to me.  It is sunny, in the 70's and our mood is picnic like!  I've got sweet tea and I am ready to go!

It is not hard and it cooks fast but there is a bit of prep work to it but it is well worth it.  The trick is the seasoning.  It is placed inside of the patty and it flavors it throughout.  That and rolling the meat out to a very thin sheet, placing the seasoning and folding the meat over on its self..  At any rate Mike asked me to fix sliders for Sunday night supper along with a big salad and an Angel Food cake,  I am happy to do so and it is nice not to have to come up with the menu for a change.

Ingredients for Sliders:

1 pound fresh ground chuck

1/2 t, onion powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 t. kosher salt

8 small rolls split (potato rolls or silver dollar rolls work well)

2-3 T, mayonnaise

condiments

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Preheat the griddle to 350 degrees F.

I am making a double batch thus two dishes of seasoning!

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.  

Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper.  Place the ground chuck in the center of the pan.  Cover securely with a large sheet of plastic wrap.  Start by using a rolling pin and roll the meat until it covers the surface of the pan.  It should be VERY thin.

I use a wooden spatula to push the meat around after starting with the rolling pin.  

Remove the plastic and sprinkle the seasoning even;y over the entire surface.

Carefully fold the meat in half, over on its self.  Ease the parchment off of the top half and press it together gently.  

Use a pizza cutter and cut the meat into 8 even squares.  I go back over it with a knife gently to even up the squares.

Wrap the buns in foil and place them in the oven to warm for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile place the sliders on the hot griddle and cook for 3 minutes per side.  Remove them to an oven proof platter and cover with foil.  Keep them warm in the oven until serving time.

Assemble the sliders on the buns and serve with condiments immediately.  Stand back 'cause these will be a hit!  I double the recipe and reuse the parchment making 2 batches.

Making Healing Aloe Vera Gel in My Kitchen.

My Aloe Vera Garden is Indoors During the Winter and Moves Outside in the Spring.

Before my Dad passed away my parents lived in Florida and I have several plants from their home that have thrived here in Indiana.  One is an Aloe Vera plant.  Recently I found a recipe for making and preserving the gel from it's flesh.  I am really excited to try this.  http://www.healthy-reading.com/aloe-vera-gel-recipe-how-to-make-it-2488978

Ready for the bites, rashes, itches, stings, and scrapes of summer.  Aloe preserved in this manner should be good in your refrigerator for about 8 months.

Many times I have split a leaf and used it shiny gel on burns, cuts, and scratches.  It is great for so many things.  I plan on taking all of my plants outside soon and it will be a good time to pull off a few of the large lower leaves to stir up my new found concoction!

Ingredients for Aloe Vera Gel:

1,  500mg tablet of vitamin C
1,  400IU capsule of vitamin E
4 T.  pulp from large aloe leaves

Dark Glass container to store the finished product.

After cutting the aloe leaves at an angle from the base of the plant use a small spoon to scrape out the gel, trying not to break the outer skin.   Accumulate the gel until you have 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup of the liquid and pulp.  (For each 1/4 C. gel use one vitamin C and one vitamin E.)

Meanwhile if the vitamin C is in pill form crush in a mortar and pestle or using the back of a large wooden spoon on a hard surface.  After this puncture the end of the vitamin E capsule and squeeze out the liquid.

Blend the aloe gel, powdered vitamin C and liquid vitamin E all together dissolving everything and stirring until a smooth consistency is reached.  I actually just pitched it all in the food processor and gave it a quick whiz.   Seal in a glass jar, dark if you have one, and store in the refrigerator.  The home made Aloe Vera gel should last refrigerated for up to 8 months.

I'll bet my Mother, sisters, brother, children, and grandchildren would all find this beneficial with summer just around the corner!  Sounds like I may be busy making up these little first aid jars!

Perfect Deviled Eggs the Easiest Way I Know!

A sprinkling of paprika makes a tasty and pretty garnish.

Food processors make many chores so much easier and making Deviled Eggs is at the top of my list. The perfect deviled egg at my house has a filling that is smooth, creamy, and seasoned just right. Not, dry and lumpy with bland flat flavor!!

HELPFUL HINT:
The first step is to try NOT to use the freshest eggs you can find.  When hard cooked very fresh eggs will be way harder to peel.  I look through the dates on the egg cartons at the grocery and try to select the ones that are the oldest but still within the safe to use dates.  Or, I just buy the eggs ahead and save them back a week or two in anticipation of preparing them.  Many times you know ahead of time if you plan to make them for a reunion or gathering.

Next cover the eggs with about an inch of water, that I salt, and bring to a boil over high heat in a covered pan.  As soon as it comes to a boil turn the heat off, leave the lid on, and set your timer for 15 minutes.  After  15 minutes drain the eggs and cover with cold water.  Drain again and peel under running water.

Please understand that you will need to taste the egg filling and tweak the seasonings until you like them and they are "just right" for your family.  I never measure these ingredients.  I taste so I am estimating and tasting as I make these.  So please understand I am estimating the ingredients based on how much I estimate using for this number of eggs.  Please taste and tweak!


Ingredients for Perfect Deviled Eggs:

6 peeled hard cooked eggs cut in half
1/4 - 1/3 C. Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise ( I prefer Miracle Whip for this.)
1- 2 t. sweet pickle juice or sweet pickle relish  ( I like the relish best.)
1/4 - 1/2 t. yellow mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of celery salt
pinch of cracked black pepper
paprika if desired for garnish, optional

Lay the halved egg whites onto a platter and set aside for now.  Place the yolks of the eggs into the bowl of the food processor and add all of the remaining ingredients beginning with the lesser amounts.  Depending on the size of the eggs you very likely will need to add a bit more wet ingredients.  If the amounts I have suggested are not quite enough, by all means add a little more until you get them "your way"!

Cover and pulse until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  If still too dry add a small amount more wet ingredients.  Pulse again until smooth.

Spoon the filling into the empty egg whites and garnish as desired.  My kids love paprika but olives, fresh dill sprigs. and tiny pickles are all quite nice as toppers.  If making ahead cover well and refrigerate until serving time.

Note:  Many people use a pastry bag to place the filling and that is another option.  I like the looks of these, probably because that is the way my Mother and her Mother did them.  It is just how ever you would like them! 

I usually consider 3 halves a serving because our crowd loves these.  Yield 12 pieces.