SKI BUMS :: The Easier Way Cafe

Hot Buttered Rum
Submitted by: Sally

In a large mug, pour 6 or 8 ounces of boiling
water; add a rounded tablespoon of dark brown
sugar and stir to dissolve. Add a cinnamon stick
and a generous piece of clove-studded lemon
peel. Stir in 2 or 3 ounces of rum (prefereably
dark Jamaican) and top with a butter pat and
grated nutmeg.

Glögg
Submitted by: Daniel

per serving:
1/2 cup orange peel zest
1-inch cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1 cardamom pod
1/2 tsp. honey
6 oz. red wine
2 tbsp. bourbon, rye or blended whiskey
1 tsp. raisins

Combine all ingredients and heat to the
temperature of hot breakfast coffee; garnish
with shaved almonds and serve warm. For
punch-bowl quantities, prepare ahead and let
steep two hours at room temperature, reheating
just before serving.

Spiked Hot Cocoa
Submitted by: Jimmy

No self respecting skier or boarder
makes hot cocoa with water. Use milk
or cream, and add Frangelico,
Peppermint Schnapps, or Amaretto.
Top with whipped cream!

Spiked Apple Cider
Submitted by: Jimmy

Warm up your apple cider, then add
rum, a teaspoon of sugar, a cinnamon
stick, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. For
extra good cider, prepare in a pot,
with cloves, orange and lemon peel,
and a pinch of salt!

Coconut/Chocolate Bars
submitted by: Jeff (after winning deep accolades on our bus trip home from Bunny Hill!)

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Melted Butter
1 1/2C. Crushed Corn Flakes (or similar - I use Smart Start)
1 C. Milk Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 C. Flaked Bakers Coconut
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Fat Free kind is OK - thankfully)

Process:
- Pre Heat oven @ 350
- Pour melted butter in bottom of 13X9 pan
- Evenly sprinkle in order:
     Crushed Cereal Flakes
     Coconut
     Chocolate Chips
- Drizzle Condensed Milk over everything so you have good coverage.

Bake 25 min or just until the coconut starts to get lightly tanned.
Remove, let cool a bit, then refrigerate before you cut into bars. Sharp (and strong) knife
recommended.

Famous No-bean Chili
submtited by: Chris

1 red pepper
1 orange or yellow pepper
1 medium-sized white onion
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 lb. ground beef
12 strips bacon
1 16 oz. can of stewed tomatoes (or crushed)
1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 packet of Chili seasoning mix
chili powder, cumin and cinnamon, to taste (or, a 2nd packet of Chili seasoning mix)

Dice the peppers and 1/2 of the onion -- don't dice them into pieces that are too small, about
1/2 inch squares should work. Set aside in a bowl. Dice the dried apricots, and set them aside
in a separate bowl.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat, then add it to a large pot with the
two cans of tomatoes. Add in the packet of chili seasoning mix, and cover. Begin simmering
the pot on low heat.

In a large skillet, fry the strips of bacon until crispy; make sure to keep the bacon grease in
the pan. Set aside the strips of bacon to cool on paper towels. Add the diced peppers & onions
to your bacon fat and sautee them on high heat, until the onions have turned a golden yellow.
Drain the fat. Add the sauteed vegetables and the uncooked apricot to the large pot. Once the
bacon strips have cooled, chop them into small squares, and add them to the pot too.

Finally, add about 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin and a pinch of cinnamon, to
taste (this depends on how spicy you like your chili to be). If you don't want to risk screwing it
up, you can just add another packet of chili seasoning mix. Simmer on medium heat for about
10 minutes to let the flavors settle in. Serve with garnishes like shredded cheddar cheese,
sour cream, or more diced onion. Corn bread is great on the side.

Serves: about 5

Cabernet Beef Stew
Submitted by: Blake

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 ½ cups halved mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
2 cups diagonally cut carrot
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped onion
1 ½ cups sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced (I get the garlic in a jar already minced)
1 ½ cups water
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (any salt will do)
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 (2 ¼-ounce)can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I leave this out!

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef, cook 5 minutes,
browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients
(mushrooms through garlic) to pan, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to
pan. Stir in water and next 6 ingredients (water through bay leaves); bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Stir in olives, and cook for 30 minutes or until
beef is tender. Discard bay leaves, Stir in vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over
warm mashed potatoes.

Yield: 6 servings.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
submitted by: Mike

1 box yellow cake mix
1 6 oz. box vanilla instant Jell-O pudding
(or 2 of the smaller 3 oz. boxes)
2/3 cup creme sherry
2/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs

Combine all ingredients together until thoroughly moistened,
but still slightly lumpy. Pour into muffin tins. Bake at 375
degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into
the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes about 12 muffins or so.

Squash, Tomato and Onion Casserole
Submitted by: Annie

2 medium zucchini (about 5 ounces each), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium yellow straightneck or crookneck squash (about 5 ounces) cut into
1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 slices
1 medium onion (about 4 ounces), sliced and separated into rings
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons reduced-calorie margarine (tub)
1 tablespoon each grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each basil leaves and grated lemon peel (if I don't have lemons, I use a
lemon and herb spice)
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. In bottom of shallow 1 1/2-quart casserole arrange
zucchini and yellow squash in a single layer, overlapping slices slightly; top with tomato
slices, then onion rings. Dot vegetables evenly with margarine and sprinkle evenly with
remaining ingredients; bake until vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves: 4

Apple Tart
Submitted by: Annie

Buy frozen pie shell or folded pie dough and prepare as indicated.

3 red Delicious or Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, cut into 12 pieces

Peel, core (removing all seeds), cut apples into quarters, then slice further into even
1/8-inch-thick slices. Or use food processor fitted with slicing blade to slice apples.
Arrange apples over pastry.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sprinkle over apples. Dab with butter. Fold pastry
edges up over apples. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until crust is golden.

Serves: 8

According to SKI BUMS legend,
the Easier Way Cafe
was founded in
the midst of a
major blizzard
in 1951, when
skier and
songsmith
Margaret "Madge"
Parnell found
herself stranded
on a mountain
with no clear way
to the lodge below.
She decided it was the ideal
place for stranded mountaineers
to stop for a bite to eat, sit for a
spell, and enjoy home baked
yummies before discovering the
easier way down! Here are a few
of the recipes that she'd
recommend for your next
vacation to the mountains. As
Madge would say, they're delish!