Homemade Wine

The title of this post is real--this recipe is for homemade wine. Mom told me that when all us kids were young, Mom and Dad did not keep alcohol around the house, except for an occasional batch of this wine. I am sure that all my siblings remember the Dad making this wine. It is hard to forget the gallon jug with a balloon on top sitting around for weeks. When we lived on Lincoln, Dad would usually put the jug in the basement near the washer and dryer.

This wine takes time to make, about three weeks. When I made a batch for this post, I used a half-gallon jug because I wanted to use a glass jug and that size is what I had on hand. I simply halved the recipe. You could use any type of jug, such as a milk jug. The wine itself was not bad, and maybe even good. MDS asked me whether it was a merlot or a cabernet, but I told him it was concord. As in concord frozen grape juice concentrate. There is no French appellation for this wine. In researching tips on homemade wine, I read that any flavor frozen juice concentrate could be used. Next time, I will try peach juice frozen concentrate. Also, I used just regular yeast and it turned out fine. But, there are different types of yeast meant for winemaking that allegedly yield better wine. The wine tasted fine to me and was pretty sweet, so I did not need to add extra sugar. All in all, homemade wine was a success.

Homemade Wine

• 2 12-oz. cans of frozen grape juice concentrate, thawed
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. dry yeast dissolved 
• water
• gallon jug
• balloon

Pour the juice concentrate and sugar into a gallon jug. Add the yeast to one cup warm water (about 115 degrees) with a spoonful of sugar. After the yeast has foamed, add the yeast mix to the gallon jug. Fill the jug with water. Make a pinhole in the tip of a balloon and place the balloon over the spout of the jug. The balloon will inflate a bit as the yeast works. When the balloon deflates (about three weeks), the wine is ready.

The sediment will sink to the bottom. Pour the clear wine out and remove the sediment. You could also pour the wine through a filter (I used a coffee filter and sieve). You may add an additional cup of sugar to sweeten to taste. Enjoy!

Egg Foo Young

Growing up, ordering in Chinese food or actually going to our favorite place, Golden Wok, was a special treat. Perhaps because it was what I grew up with, the Golden Wok is still my gold standard for Chinese food. While I have since learned that Golden Wok serves the typical Americanized Chinese food, I still love it.

Every now and then, Mom would actually make homemade Egg Foo Young. Until now, I had never tried to make it myself. Of course, it is essentially an omelet, so it is quite simple. Egg Foo Young is easy to adjust to whatever ingredients you have handy. You can use any cooked meat, such as pork, beef, or chicken. Mom usually added mini-shrimp. The other classic ingredients include sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, sliced cabbage, mushrooms, and garlic.

Of course, what makes Egg Foo Young special is the brown sauce that is typically served with the dish. I recall that the Egg Foo Young from Golden Wok came drenched in the brown sauce. I served this Egg Foo Young on a bed of brown rice to help soak up the brown sauce. Egg Foo Young can be served with or without rice or noodles, or other accompaniment, but don't serve it without the brown sauce.

Egg Foo Young 

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix together the ingredients. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray or coat with oil. Heat the pan on medium. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture onto the frying pan. Cook until brown and then flip and cook the second side until brown. Repeat until all the egg mixture is used.

Egg Foo Young Brown Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Then, blend in the cornstarch and sugar. Gradually stir in the cold water and soy sauce. Cook and stir until thickened.

Serve the Egg Foo Young with the brown sauce. Enjoy!

Cheese Ball

Mom usually made this cheese ball for big family parties. This recipe is easy and should be made in advance. It can last in the frige for a while and it can even be frozen.

Mom recently hosted the family for Labor Day. Just the day before, I was flipping through Mom's recipe box when I came across this gem. It has been years since I have tasted this cheese ball, but it tastes just as I remember. Mom and I are pictured here enjoying the cheese ball before anyone else had even arrived at the party.

Mom usually used nuts with this recipe to coat the cheese ball, but the recipe states that you could use parsley or paprika instead. I used almonds when I made this cheese ball because I like almonds and had some around the house. Mom seems to think that she used walnuts, but any nut would work. Mom also remembered using parsley and paprika, so I will have to try those another time.

Cheese Ball 

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 jar (4.5 oz.) mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Drain and finely chop the mushrooms. Mix the cream cheese, mushrooms, onion and sauce. Chill for about one hour. Form the cheese into a ball and roll in the nuts. Serve with crackers. Enjoy!