Bold, Pungent and Scrappy

So if you saw my post before, you already know that the majority of our day was devoted to the awesome MOPS chili cook-off we hosted.  But don't worry, I didn't forget we had to celebrate, too.

As I said yesterday, today was "Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day" (Really?!?  I mean, really?!?!)  Anyway, sauerkraut was the first thing that came to mind and we needed a snack to go with the game (so not touching that with a ten foot pole, by the way) so I made some sauerkraut balls.  We're not huge sauerkraut eaters, so they got a 'just OK' rating around here.  Hey, I work within the limits of the silly National Food people, what can I say?

It's also, and more interestingly in my opinion, National Scrapple Day.  I can honestly say I'd never heard for scrapple before.  And when I did read about it, it grossed me out.  According to the information I found "Scrapple is short for meat scraps. In pioneer days and even today in Pennsylvania Dutch country scrapple was/is a way to use scrapes of pork during the annual harvest."  In other words, it's whatever's left over.  Ick.  But my recipe called for just ground sausage, which was a little more acceptable.  Basically it's the sausage and cornmeal mush that you make into a loaf, chill and let set, cut into slices and pan fry.  It is traditionally served as breakfast/brunch with maple syrup.  (And now you know, the rest of the story...)  Anyway, we gave it a go for dinner here tonight.  Not half bad, when all was said and done.  Not something that I'm going to be making anytime soon, I don't think, but not a huge flop, either.

We're headed to Ann Arbor tomorrow with the Kennedy's for a concert.  And we'll be celebrating vanilla cupcakes.  So until then...

 Frying up the sauerkraut balls

Ready for a taste test

 The scrapple ready for slicing and frying

 Cooking away

All dressed up and ready to go