Think I'll stick to recipee's & humor....."Paddy-Melt"..

Well Sir...I was just over at one a the blogs listed under my "Frends & Naybors"...to remain un-named...and after readin two of the posts he had up...I got so g*d-damned pissed off and depressed...I left a comment reflectin m'feelin's.....although I don't know's if he'll be a puttin the comment up cause fer the first time ever...I dun used profanity in one a my comments to emphasize how strongly I felt...

I tells ya....these were two of the most NEGATIVE and DEPRESSING articles I ever read on any of the blogs I'm aware of thus fer....hey guys & gals...let's LIGHTEN..THE..HELL..UP a might!!! I fully realise that what we deal with fer the most part are serious sitchuashuns and wurld events but lets use some MODERATION...throw an article in about yur kids or pets or the real heavy releave'n dump y'all took that mornin....

Now...I knows I ain't the first t'say this...and I've said it m'self a time or two before in some earlier posts....and...I ain't stick'n my head in the sand...but...like the old song (very old) says..."accentuate the positive...eliminate the negative"...

Damn!! I knows there be a whole ton a bad news everyday in this here wurld...but do we have to embrace it and roll around in it day in and day out......Gimmie a Break!....Give us ALL a Break!!...but...I guess thats just my way a thinkin.....

OK....Nuff said....now...who's up fer a great taste'n "Paddy-Melt"

1) Y'all gonna be a needin some good Ground Chuck , I find ground beef to fatty and Ground Round not flavorfull enuff.

2) Now...I prefers a good Swiss Cheese but ya can also be a use'n Montery Jack if'n ya's a mind to...or any good cheese that y'all really like.

3) Next...golden brown Saute'd Onions...naturally!

4) Agin...my choice is Sour Dough Bread , or y'all can be a usin Rye, Wheat or White.

OK....after makin yur hamburger paddy's t'yur desired size and shape...fry em up till done to yur tastes.

Next...place burger(s) on a pre-heated SEPERATE GRIDDLE OR FRYIN PAN (usually the fryin pan you used fer the burgers has too much grease in it).

Then...add a slice of VERY lightly buttered bread to the top of the burger (buttered side out)...turn bread and burger...add Saute's Onions to top of burger...then a slice or two of whatever cheese ya like...place anuther lightly buttered slice of yur bread on top.

Now...turn when bottom bread (first piece) is lightly toasted to yur likes....and toast the other side of the Paddy Melt till lightly toasted and cheese begins to melt......Enjoy!.........Cookie

Found a humorous poem bout m'great grandpappy..."Camp Cookie"...

I was perusin round the blogosphere and come across this here website with a similar name as mine..."Cook Shack"...so's I checked it out. Now this here feller had a great soundin recipee fer "Rattlesnake Chili"...so much so's that I wanted t'go out and kill me a Rattlesnake...ceptin we don't have too many of them critters here in upstate New York...so I continued lookin around his site and found some "Cowboy Poetry".

After read'n a verse or two of this one poem...I know'd immedjiately that this here poet...Baxter Black... was definately describe'n my poor deceased (God Bless his soul) Great Grandpappy.... Camp Cookie. Now...Great Grandpappy Camp Cookie was nice anuff t'pass all a his cookin secrets down through the family (some a which are mentioned in the poem)...and I still uses them to this very day....here's the poem that eulogizes him....The Camp Cookie.

He's the tumble weed chef and rides the wagon
ahead of the thunderin' herd.
His pots and pans clack like a diamondback's rattle,
he growls or he don't say a word.

His face is a roadmap, Looks like a carcass
hung to many days in the sun.
He smells like a mule and cooks with a shovel
and his fly is always undone.

The riders kin tell when he's in the kitchen--
the buzzards all come into view.
He spits in the pan and shaves in the taters
and clips his toenails inta the stew.

His gunpowder biscuits explode in the fire;
his beans explode in your bowels.
His medda lark souffle is hard on the belly;
they say it tastes 'bout like owls.

His coffee's so rank a housefly won't touch it,
even buckshot float in the slop.
You don't pour a cup, you twist off a swaller,
then chew a sip offa the top.

Now, cowboys are tough guys who face death each day
in blizzards or stampedes or storms.
They ride them bad horses and sleep with the snakes
and duel with the hooves and horns.

But many a cowboy who follered the wagon
has joined the "last roundup club."
Not from indians, gunfights, or even bad whiskey,
but from eatin' Camp Cookie's grub

Baxter Black

Yupper....that's m'Great Grandpappy.......

Open Letter to GWB........

Dear Mr. President (soon to be called El Presidente')

I voted fer ya GW...and supported ya in most things...but now ya gotta take a stand on sumthin, that, although ya didn't cause it....it's never the less happen'n on yur watch.

A few weeks back I took an unpopular stance amongst my collegues regardin immigration. I simply looked at the immense and unreasonably high cost and logistics of rounding up and incarceratin 12,000,000 illegal aliens, deportin em all...feedin em all while they be in jail...medical costs and such... and then I published my sentiments that said "hey...they're here...accept it....legalize em and lets move on". Took alot of heat fer that post I did....but because of certain thing that are a happen'n....I have definately changed m'mind bout that.

Now, as of late I been a read'n bout this here MEchA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan). It seems they want to "re-take" a large portion of our country (they be a callin it Aztlan) and form their own government..and they're own polical party(s). This kinda really pissed me off it did cause over the years, this here country has been pretty damn good to em...legal or not. Tawk about violatin the sanctity of our borders...they wanna be changin the borders to form their own country! I've also been a read'n bout a "Nation-wide walk out" they all a gonna be a sponsor'n and a havin in the very near future.....

Well Sir...since many of em (Illegal Aliens) are a gonna be at some central location or anuther demonstratin their little hearts out (and pissin on the American Flag)...that seems like a real great time for all local and State Law Enforcement personnel (and maybe even some Military folks) in the affected cities and States to be a checkin fer "Green Cards". Hell GW...they're a breakin the law...and although it's only a Misdemeanor...its still a broken law. When I was a Police Sergeant...we learned that "Selective" Law Enforcement was not a good policy.....led to a gross disrespect for all Laws as well as a systemic breakdown....so...we cain't be selective about this GW....so...lets BUST ALL THEIR ASS'S and fill up the Hoosgow's (old wurd fer Jail).

Now GW...maybe y'all could be a contactin various Mayors and Governors and kinda get the ball a rollin...watcha think? We won't get all 12,000,000 of em but we'll shur put a dent in their numbers. Now...I'm reasonably shur that some Bus companies might even donate their buses to take em all back t'the border.....and I definately know a whole bunch a good folks with Pick-Up trucks that would be a volunteer'n their services and trucks as well....and I don't care what border, country or Nation we're a tawkin bout.

Now's yur chance Big Guy....let's see some a that Presidential decision makin.....

Yur frend....Cookie.......

T'Days Recipee is the same as yesterday's...why...cause it took me half a yesterday mornin to type it out...and it's really a great tastin meal.....so take a second look... Kentucky BURGOO......

History Lesson...."A Big F*#Kin Stick".....Kentucky BURGOO

Well Sir...this here's gonna be a day of remember'n and learnin History. First off...Teddy Roosevelt said..."Speak softly but carry a big fuckin stick"..er sumthin like that. A British idiot named Neville Chamberlain believed he could "Appease" Adolf Hitler, make nice with him and avoid war...WRONG! George Santayana said...and quite correctly..."Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it".

Now...lets connect some dots...somethin not done prior to 9/11....Iran...puffin themsleves up like a fightin cock by show'n their weapons t'the wurld.....brand spankin new Submarine...highspeed Torpedo's.. "flyin boats"...radar defeating missles... and Nuclear materials enrichment...an insane President being told what to do by religious leaders who are just as insane.....hmmm....seems like a NO BRAINER to me...time fer the big fuckin stick!

Do y'all remember that scene frum the furst "Indiana Jones" movie where some FBI (Fuckin Big Idiot) was a challengin Indy and was showen off his prowess with a sword by adeptly performin tricks with it before he attacked...and Indy just stood there watchin fer several seconds...and when the idiot finished his display...Indy simply pulled up his gun and shot the stupid son of a bitch......ya don't take a sword to a gun fight....seems like this is a similar sitchuashun.....but...I guess thats just my way a thinkin...

Now Sir...this here's a meal that was popular on ships, before and during the Revolutionary War, and later became very popular down in Kentucky....some a you Southern boys may have had this or remember it...BURGOO . Now...the smallest recipee I could be a findin was fer 16-18 servins...so...if'n yur plannin on havin a big get-together, or y'all just want somethin that sticks t'yur ribs on a cold Spring or Fall day...and has got just about everthin but the kitchen sink in it...here y'all go..... Kentucky BURGOO

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 green peppers diced
1 pound Beef shank
1 pound Pork shoulder
3 pounds skinless chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 small onion
3 quarts water
5 whole cloves
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Bay leaf
3 cups of chopped onions
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 package frozen Ocra
2 Cups of diced Potatoes
1 package frozen Corn
8 ribs of Celery, diced
1 Stick Butter
1 pound, 12 oz can tomatoes
½ Cup flour
1 pound of Carrots, diced
2 Tblsps. Worcestershire Sauce
1 10 oz package frozen butter beans
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat 1 Tablespoon of Oil in an 8 quart pot. Add the Beef, Chicken and Pork and brown on all sides over LOW heat. Add Water and Salt, cook over LOW heat until just tender, skimming if necessary.

Let cool…remove the meats cut them up into bite sized pieces and return the Beef and Pork to broth( hold the Chicken out and add after 45 minutes of cooking). In a separate small frying pan, heat the remaining oil and saute’ Onions till limp. Add saute’d Onions to broth along with Garlic, Potatoes, Celery, Tomatoes, Carrots, Beans, Peppers, Red & Black Pepper, The Small Onion stuck with the five(5) whole cloves, bay leaf and Brown sugar.

Cook slowly for 1 ½ hours (remember..add chicken after 45 minutes), skim and stir occasionally. Add Ocra and Corn, cook 15 minutes longer. Now…knead the Butter and Flour together until well blended, and stir into the Burgoo until it thickens slightly. Adjust your seasonings and add the Worcestershire if desired. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Makes 16-18 servings……

This excellent served with a good homemade Yellow Cornbread (future post).

I've made this several times fer various large gatherin's and everone just loved it....

First time diabetes ever did sumthin good fer me......Smothered Dove.

Well Sir....As I was sposed to...I showed up at the local County Court House fer Jury duty yesterday. They was about 60 of us perspective jurors there....the jury pool they calls it. Then they started havin us a fill out all these differant questionaires and such...ya know...about how we feel bout certain things and any medical problems that might interfere with the trials....so...since this was a civil case involvin a big corporation and some poor little guy...I told em that I really disliked "big business" and specially them upper level management types & such (which I don't). Thait didn't sit too well with em but they still kept me around...

So's...right in front of the judge, attorneys and court clerks...I popped a couple a my pain pills I got fer my diabetic foot neuropathy, painfull stuff it is. "What are those pills fer?" ask's the Judge. Pain says I....Codiene! After the Judge and t'other attorney's got done exchangin some very concerned glances with each other....the judge just looked at me and says..."Excused frum Jury Duty!" Imagine that...! Now...y'all got a be understandin that after twenty one years of Police wurk...I've seen enuff courtrooms....hundreds of em....don't care to see anymore. Anyhow...nows I can be a puttin out recipee's fer y'all......

Nuther thing I'm a doin right now is a cookin up a storm for a big installation dinner tomorrow night fer the Marine Corps League...Emerald City Detachment (Chittenango, NY..I'm an Associate Member cause a bein an old Seabee and all)...SEMPER FI mates....

Fer all you bird hunters out thar that maybe got a few breasts still in the freezer...here's a recipee from Vicki Yowans out in Kansas...she and her hubby are regular recipee contributors.......and if'n y'all got a recipee...send it to thecookshack@aol.com along with a short story bout yurself so's I can be a givin ya credit fer the recipee....here Vicki's......Smothered Dove

3 Dove Breasts
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup Flour
8 T. Fat
4 t. Worcestershire Sauce
4 t. Lemon Juice
1 c. Water

Salt and pepper Dove Breasts. Put Flour in a paper bag.
Drop Breasts in paper bag and close, shake well.
Melt Fat in pan or iron skillet.
Fry Dove Breasts in fat until golden brown.
Put 1/2 t. Lemon Juice on top of each breast.

Add 1 Cup water, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until
breasts are tender.
About 30 minutes into simmering, add 4 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
and remaining Lemon Juice. Fresh squeezed Lemons may be substituted
for store bought Lemon Juice.

Serve. ( If smothering more than 3 Dove Breasts adjust recipe ).

Mmmmm...mmm....sounds great don't it? I knows it ain't good fer ya but ya gotta admit...if'n ya cooks sumthin in "Fat"...it shur duz taste alot better.....

Now...Miss Vicki sent in another recipee...one fer Quail....and it sounds just as good...if not better...but I'm a gonna be savin it fer anuther time....sorry all you bird hunters.....meantime...y'all come back now..hear.....Cookie

D'rather have some humor.....

Well Sir....I checked out all the regular blogs and since everything was the same "heavy" and serious Wurld and National news and situashuns...I decided I would be a leave'n all that up t'the big guys who are more polically astute and aware than this old Cookie....so I think I'll just plug in a little comedy fer t'day.....

The owner of a business in Upstate, NY was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his secretary for some mathematical help. He called her into his office and said, "You graduated from SU and I need some help. If I were to give you $20,000, minus 14%, how much would you take off?" The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everything but my earrings." You gotta love our Upstate women. S'more...OK....

NEWS FLASH! – UPSTATE NEW YORK…OSWEGO COUNTY’s worst air disaster occurred when a small two-seater Cessna 150 plane, piloted by two Syracuse University students, crashed into a cemetery earlier today. Search and Rescue workers have recovered 300 bodies so far and expect the number to climb as digging continues into the evening. The pilot and copilot survived and are helping in the recovery efforts........OK..but this next old boy's frum Tennessee.....

A man in Tennessee had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it. Then he got back in the car to wait. A passerby studied the scene as he drove by and was so curious he turned around and went back. He asked the fellow what the problem was. The man replied, "I have a flat tire." The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?" The man responded, "When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back! I never did understand it either."......

I'll be havin a recipee or two fer y'all tommorrow........Cookie

If'n y'all wanna wet yur pants laughin...go here...

Seriously...It's Sunday...and I'm sure most of us can use a real good laugh so...if'n y'all wanna piss yur pant's a laughin....go here...let me set the seen fer y'all...it's a guy on a cell phone who witnesses an accident in front of him while a tawkin with his friend...swear t'God...ya won't regret it...make sure yur sound be on.......and when ya get there..hit "play"....

Aside from our Pirate antics...this hits hard...

I was over at Misha's and he turned me on to this post...y'all just gotta read it....

All tuckered out I am...Venison recipee's....

Well Sir...first off I just gotta be a sayin how much fun and enjoyment we in the Pirates Armada had yesterday swapin sabre & cutlass blows with them thar "progressive liberals"....yupper...grand time it was matey's...of course it goes without sayin that we caught em "becalmed" in the "Libland Sea"...and after several volleys from our "small guns" they began erase'n all our comments off their site..The Daily Kos"....so we ran up the victory flag in as much as they had set sail fer the horizon.

Now...in all fairness..a few of em wanted t'debate and address some of the day's more important worldly issue's (as laid out in the rules of such things)...but others just a wanted to whine and piss & moan about trivail aspects of the nature of our Pirate Raid...so's they came over t'one of our sites..The Dread Pundit Bluto's..and continued with their baby like diatribe...but...this just meant more fun fer the good Pirates of the Armada.

Well sir...I had so much fun I did that t'day I'm just gonna put up a couple great soundin recipee's sent to me by Vicki Yowans out Kansas way...good folks they are..her and her hubby John (a real computer whiz...can help ya with just about anything). So...if'n ya still got any venison in the freezer...give one a these great soundin recipee's a try.....Deer Hobo Dinner

Deer Burger
Onions Carrots
Potatoes
Grated Cheese. ( Your choice...Mozzarella or Provolone work well )

Season Deer Burger and brown in frying pan.
Put in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Cover with layers of sliced Onion, Carrots. Potatoes and cover top with Cheese.
Salt and Pepper vegetables (use your own judgment).
Cover and bake in 300 degree oven until vegetables are tender.

Serve.....

Or.....Cashew Deer

1 lb. ground Deer
1 Onion minced
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 c. Milk
1/4 c. Chopped Green Pepper
1/2 c. Chopped Celery
1 sm. can Mushroom pieces
1/2 to 3/4 c. Cashew nuts (some people like more nuts, other don't).
1 ( 8 oz ) package of Egg Noodles
1 T. Cooking Oil
Plain Potato Chips ( like Lay's )

Brown ground Deer Meat and Onions in 1 Tb. cooking oil.
Cook Noodles in salted water. Drain Noodles.
Mix all other ingredients together with Noodles.
Pour into greased casserole dish and top with crushed Potato Chips enough to cover entire dish.
Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.