The Mess Pot

Fudge Brownies

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

This month's What's Baking was hosted by Nicole of Seven Ate Nine. (I love her blog name!) Since December is National Brownie Month, Nicole challenge us to make wonderful brownies. I found a chocolaty, fudgy brownies recipe on King Arthur Flour. These brownies have a crusty top, but are so rich, soft and fudgy. I loved them. I used dutch processed cocoa and chocolate chips. Yep, did I say they are rich. The night I made these, I had planned to halve the recipe because I don't like to keep baked goods around the house. I got through the first part of the recipe halving everything until I hit the cocoa, didn't halve it, so back to the store I went to get more eggs so I could make the whole recipe. I took them to school and all the teachers loved them. I hope you enjoy them, either plain or with ice cream! Happy National Brownie Month. Enjoy!!

Fudge Brownies
Printer friendly recipe
Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Or simply combine the butter and sugar, and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Continue to heat (or microwave) briefly, just until the mixture is hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the mixture to this point will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

While there is still the wonderful smell of fall in the air, I wanted to bring you a few pumpkin recipes. I love all desserts that have pumpkin in them. I have yet to venture into the savory pumpkin side of things. I love baking, but just don't want to keep a lot of sweets in the house. I have no control and will eat them all! I like to make them, keep a few for us to try and munch on and then send them off to work with him where there are lots of people to share with.

These were really soft and had a great pumpkin flavor to them. I really like snickerdoodles and the cinnamon sugar coating that encompasses them. These pumpkin snickerdoodles have that same great coating with an extra spice and punch of flavor from the pumpkin. I will definitely make these again. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Source: Annie's Eats
Printer friendly recipe

Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Butternut Squash Crumble

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Bringing you another fall dish before its to late. Michael was out of town one weekend and I like to try things that he would curl his nose up while he is out of town. I was looking for a vegetable dish that would make a great dinner as well as lucnhes for the next few days. I saw the butternut squash at the grocery store and knew that was the way to go. I love summer squash and have only tried acorn squash once. I was not a fan of it. Maybe I need a better recipe. We tried a butternut squash dish last year, but I don't remember to much about it. I wanted something different and this crumble sounded intriguing. It was really easy to make and the crumble part was amazing. I halved the recipe and used half of my squash because I wanted to try something else with the other half. That didn't happen. After finishing all of the crumble, I couldn't wait to make it again with the other half. It makes a fabulous lunch or would be wonderful along side your turkey for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Crumble
Source: White on Rice Couple
Printer friendly recipe

Ingredients:

Squash:
4 lbs Butternut Squash (1 large or multiple small) peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4″ pieces
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for sauteing butternut squash
Sea Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for sauteing shallots
1/2 c (3-4 lrg) Shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Smoked Chicken or Turkey Stock (regular stock will work fine too)

Crumble:
1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoon fresh Thyme, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4 c (1.5 sticks) unsalted Butter, cold and cut into 1/4″ pieces
2 large Egg Yolks
3-4 Tablespoon Ice Water

extra butter for buttering gratin dishes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F

2. Generously butter a 10″ gratin dish or several small equivalents.

3. In a very large skillet heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add butternut squash and saute until all of the squash starts to soften and brown (about 15 min). (If you don’t have a large enough pan, divide the oil and butternut squash into 2 batches and first cook one half then the other half).

4. While the butternut squash is cooking, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil then add sliced shallots. Saute until soft and lightly browned.

5. As butternut squash and shallots finish cooking, add them into a large bowl. Add parsley and stock, then mix well. Pour butternut squash mixture into buttered gratin dish(es). Cover tightly with foil or lid and bake in oven until just tender (about30 min.)

6. While butternut squash bakes, prepare crumble. Place flour, sugar, thyme, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Add butter pieces and pinch with your fingers until mixture is a coarse meal. (You’ll still have some pea sized lumps of butter.) Whisk together egg yolks and 3 Tablespoons of ice water. Add to flour mix until just combined. If mix is too dry, add remaining 1 Tablespoon of ice water. Set aside in fridge until squash is ready for topping and finishing bake.

7. Take butternut squash from oven. Remove foil. Scatter crumble topping over squash then return to oven. Bake for another 30 min or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Fudge

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, Michael and I went to a little island in Michigan that is know for its fudge. There were so many fudge shops each with its own variety of flavors. We went into a few of the shops to watch them make fudge. It it amazing to see them pour the fudge from a copper kettle onto a marble slab and then mould it by hand. We tried a few flavors and they were so good, super sweet, but really good.

I have never made fudge before because I always thought it was hard and time consuming. I saw a pumpkin fudge recipe on the Sugared Whisk and decided it was time to give it a try. It really was easy to make. My arm got tired from all the whisking but it was worth it. The pumpkin and white chocolate go so well together. This is a must make fall treat. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Fudge
Source: Sugared Whisk
Printer friendly recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup (5 fl oz can) evaporated milk
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups (12 oz) white chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow crème
1 cup chopped nut (walnuts or pecans)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil

Combine sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, butter, and spice in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Stirring constantly, over medium heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, still stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture reaches soft ball stage (a candy thermometer will read 234 to 240 degrees).

Quickly stir white chocolate chips, marshmallow crème, nuts, and vanilla extract into hot mixture. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until morsels are melted, immediately pour into prepared pan. Let hot fudge stand on a wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cooled. Refrigerate tightly covered.

To cut, lift cooled fudge from pan and remove the foil backing. Cut into 1” squares. Makes about 3 pounds.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

In my last post I told you that it was still warm here in the Midwest. Funny how a few weeks can change things. Fall has arrived! Its colder in the mornings and has been pretty chilly all day long. Fall is the perfect camping weather though. Michael and I have been camping the past few weekends and its so much fun to go for a walk through all the leaves that have fallen. The weather makes it more fun to snuggle up close to the fire as well.

For this months What's Baking, Ange of The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen challenged us to fall flavors. She asked that we try to go outside the normal flavors of pumpkin and apple. While pumpkin is the ultimate fall flavor to me, I decided to pick another vegetable that is in season in the fall, sweet potato. I love sweet potatoes and was intrigued when I saw them used in a cupcake. The sweet potato adds a wonderful warm flavor to the cupcakes. Michael is not a fan of sweet potato, but I had him try these without telling him the secret ingredient. He really liked them but could not put his finger on the flavor. He was surprised when I told him they were sweet potato, he might have accused me of trying to poison him, but he actually ate a second one. Maybe it was the marshmallow frosting which he burned with my torch before eating! Enjoy!!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs
17 oz. sweet potato puree
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Mix in the sweet potatoes and vanilla extract, beating just until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. (These cupcakes do not rise much, so fill the 24 cupcakes about 2/3 full) Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Corn Chowder

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

It is still warm here in the midwest, thankfully, but fall should arrive this week! I wanted to make a soup to celebrate the end of summer and corn was in abundance. I actually made this dish a few weeks ago and it was excellent. I love that the corn has a crunchy texture so it is not like creamed corn soup. When making the soup, you use the ears of corn in two ways. For part of the corn, you simply cut the kernels off the cob. The rest of the corn is grated on a box grater then scraped to get as much of the corn from the cob as possible. Like I said, I made this soup a few weeks ago and froze part of it. It thaws wells and still has a wonderful texture to it.

The next time I decide to make this, I do plan to add a little jalapeno to it for a little extra heat. So if you have corn to spare, try this wonderful soup. Enjoy!!

Corn Chowder
Printer friendly recipe
Source: America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients

10 ears corn, husks and silk removed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ounce bacon, (about 1 slice), minced
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
1 pound red potatoes (about 3 medium), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half and half
2 tablespoons parsley
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut the kernels from 4 of the ears of corn into a bowl. In a separate bowl, grate the remaining 6 ears of corn over the large holes of a box grater. Using the back of a butter knife, scrape any remaining pulp from the cobs into the bowl with the grated corn.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook until rendered and crisp, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the broth and milk, scraping up and browned bits. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaf, and grated corn. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the remaining corn kernels and half-and-half and continue to simmer gently until the corn kernels are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I was at Michael's mom's house and she shared a recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake that was her moms. Michael loves when I make family recipes and Dani at Cloud 8 1/2 challenged us to make a family favorite recipe for this months What's Baking. I am so glad I chose this recipe. It wasn't overly sweet and had an amazing texture. The cake flour is light and makes an airy cake. Not to mention the pineapple makes for an appealing top. I hope you give this one a try soon. Enjoy!!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Michael's grandmother

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
2 Tablespoons butter
Pineapple slices, about 5-6
Cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter, vanilla, milk, and egg.

Melt butter in an 8 inch skillet. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes until it is bubbly. Arrange the pineapple slices into the skillet and add a cherry into the center of each pineapple slice. Pour the batter over the top of the pineapple.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. After it has baked, allow to cool slightly and flip cake onto serving platter.

What's Baking: Celebrate Summer Round Up!

2011-08-29T18:21:00.001-05:00

This month I was the host of What's Baking. I choose the theme of Celebrate Summer, either with an ingredient or a recipe that reminds them of summer. There were wonderful summery submissions. Please check out each of them!

Angie of The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen made Banana Colada Cupcakes.

Sandra of She Cooks and Bakes! made Zucchini Muffins.

Jaida of Sweet Beginnings made Cherry Limeade Cupcakes.

Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks made Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables.

Carrie of Carrie's Sweet Life made Corn Bread.

Cara of The Boys Made Me Do It made a Tomato Pie.

Yudith of Blissfully Delicious made a Lattice-Top Peach Pie.

Nicole of Seven Ate Nine Bakes made a Chocolate Cake.

Ammie of Adventures in my Kitchen made a beautiful Tomato Ricotta Tart.

Lindsay of Peace, Love and French Fries made a Peach Blueberry Cobbler.

Jen of Beantown Baker made Baked Egg in a Tomato .

Catherine of Pursuing Domestic Goddess-ness made a Peach and Cornmeal Upside Down Cake.

Stephanie of Brownies and Blondies made Jello Pretzel Salad.

Jillian of JBean Cuisine made Tarte aux Fraises.

Jey of The Jey of Cooking made Moroccan Stuffed Tomatoes.

Amanda of Our Italian Kitchen made Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies.

Dani of Cloud 8 1/2 made Peach Crumb Bars.

Melissa of I Was Born to Cook submitted Cinnamon Mascarpone Baked Pears.

Lindsey of Our Share of the Harvest submitted a Peach Pie with Pecan Crumble Topping.

Katie of Southern Charm Treats made Strawbery Pie.

I submitted the Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream.

Dani of Cloud 8 1/2 is the host for September. Her theme is a family favorite. Be sure and check her blog out next month for wonderful entries.

Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

2011-08-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

This month it was my turn to host What's Baking. Since summer is coming to an end soon (I am so not ready!), I picked the theme Celebrate Summer. In the summer, I always like lighter desserts. As a child, I always remember my grandmother having angel good cake around in the summer, so angel food cake brings back memories. I paired it with strawberries, which is a must in the summer, and topped it off with homemade whipped cream.

This is the first time I have made homemade whipped cream. It was so easy to make and tasted fabulous. For the strawberries, I hulled and sliced a pint of strawberries and sprinkled a few tablespoons of sugar on them. It depends on how sweet your strawberries as to how much sugar to add. I let them sit for a few hours for the juices to get going.

Check back in a few days for the What's Baking roundup of Celebrate Summer. Enjoy!!

Angel Food Cake
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Alton Brown, The Food Network

*Note: I put a metal bowl, whisk and beater in the freezer for a few minutes to get really cold before combining the egg whites.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Whipped Cream
Source: Allrecipes

*Notes: I put a metal bowl and beater in the freezer for a few minutes to get really cold before whipping the heavy cream. Also, the heavy cream should be really cold before beating.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a chilled small mixing bowl and with chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Granita

2011-08-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, my family came to visit. My five year old nephew also visited. This was his first flight and he was excited yet a little nervous about the adventure. My sister told me many stories of the flight. He asked when as they were going through TSA why the had to take off their shoes, was it "so they won't fall off in the air?" It is always so funny to see how a child interprets new adventures.

My nephew also loves snow cones. My mom takes him to the snow cone stand in their town a few times a week. We don't have a snow cone stand in my town, but I know how much he loves them. I figured making granita would be the closest thing to a snow cone as I could get for the week. When he goes to the snow cone stand, it takes him a bit to pick out the one he wants because there are so many names. Darth Vadar, Shrek or Spiderman. How do you choose between those?

I let him name our snow cones. He picked Iron Hide, his favorite Transformer. So without further ado, here is Iron Hide the Snow Cone! Enjoy!!

Strawberry Granita
Printer friendly recipe
Source: The Perfect Scoop

2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
6 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
Few drops of a fresh squeezed lemon, optional (I omitted)

Slice the strawberries into pieces and toss with the sugar. Let stand for at least one hour at room temperature stirring occasionally.

Combine the strawberries with the water and few drops of lemon into a blender or food processor and puree' until smooth. Strain the strawberries to remove seeds.

Pour the mixture into a shallow pan (I used a 9 x 13) and place in the freezer. After an hour, check the mixture. Once it begins to freeze, use a fork to scrape the frozen puree that froze around the edges into the center. Return to freezer.

Check the granita every 30 minutes, and scrape again as before as the mixture hardens. It should take about 2 hours of freezing and scraping to finish completely.

When ready to serve, take the granita out of the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to scrape. Scrape the frozen mixture with a fork and serve.

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Side dishes are always a struggle for me. The main dish for diner is always easier to come up with but then I sit and stare at my cookbooks or the internet to find something perfect to compliment it. These baked zucchini fries were perfect. The panko breadcrumbs made them so crispy. Zucchini is becoming abundant in gardens so this is a great way to use up some of your fresh veggies. We dipped these in ranch but it would also be great in a marinara sauce. Enjoy!!

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
Serves 6 people 8 pieces

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb zucchini, cut into 4-5-inch sticks

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment.

2.Place flour in a large zipper bag.

3.Whisk eggs with 2 Tbsp water and place in a shallow dish.

4.Place Panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish and mix to combine.

5.Place zucchini in the bag with the flour and shake until well coated. Dip the zucchini into the egg and then into the panko, turning to coat well.

6.Place breaded zucchini on the baking sheet.

7.Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

8.Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (Ranch is ou favorite).

9.They're best the first day, but to store leftovers, store in a single layer on a plate, wrapped with ziploc. Reheat at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes, until heated through.

Blueberry Boy Bait

2011-07-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

It is finally blueberry season! I was recently told that there is a blueberry farm close to our house and you can pick your own blueberries during the season. I have been waiting for them to post that they are open for weeks. The first week they were open it was scorching hot so we waited for it cool down a week. We went to the farm on Saturday morning and picked 4 1/2 pounds of blueberries. So now we have blueberries for pancakes, to eat in yogurt or just to pop them in your mouth for an afternoon snack. It really was so much fun. I think this will be a new tradition for us.

I tried a different blueberry recipe that we really did not care for so I searched again and found this one. I halved the recipe for just the two of us. I thought it was really good, but Michael wasn't that big of a fan. He thought it should be sweeter or have frosting. So boy bait it was not for me! I think it is perfect just the way it is. It is not an overly sweet cake so it would be great for breakfast, brunch or a light after dinner dessert. The sugar and cinnamon topping ads a nice flavor to the blueberries.

Lindsey of Our Share of the Harvest is the host for this months What's Baking. She challenged us to find an ingredient locally and use it in our baking this month. I loved this challenge. Even thought I knew I wanted to go to the blueberry farm, this really pushed me to go do it.

A few notes: Deb states in the recipe to use whole milk, but she used buttermilk because that is what she had on hand. I to used buttermilk and it worked just fine. She also states that the cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, if it lasts that long.

Blueberry Boy Bait
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Smitten Kitchen

Serves 12, generously

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (though buttermilk, which was all I had on hand, worked just great)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Layer Cake

2011-06-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

For the last week of school, I decided to do a layer cake for the teachers that are leaving. Annie of Annie's Eats posted this cake a few weeks before and it seemed like the perfect combination. Chocolate and raspberries are wonderful together. This cake is a creation of Annie so I knew it would be fabulous.

This cake does take time to make. The nice part about it is that you can do some of the components while other things bake or rest. Of course, being the messy cook that I am, my kitchen looked like a disaster area, but this cake is amazing. The flavours melt in your mouth together leaving you wanting more. All the components built off of each other and you can't stop smiling while you eat it. Again, it does take time, but totally worth the effort.

I am submitting this to What's Baking for June. This month is hosted by Heather Lynn of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks. The challenge this month was to bake a layer cake. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Layer Cake

Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1½ cups (4½ oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. espresso powder (I subbed coffee grounds)
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (18¼ oz.) sugar
3 large eggs
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp. (9¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt

For the raspberry filling:
16 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the raspberry frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry puree*
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pink gel icing color (optional)

For the chocolate glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Additional fresh raspberries

Directions:

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour the edges of three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Add in the boiling water and whisk together until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; stir together to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans about 15 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the raspberry filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained berries with a spatula. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, thick ganache is formed. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated. Let the ganache sit to thicken a bit so that it is suitable for spreading and piping. (To speed thickening, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure even cooling until the desired consistency is reached.) Transfer about ½ cup of the thickened ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Reserve another ½ cup of ganache in a small bowl or container. (This can be used later for decorative detailing, if desired.)

To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ½ cup of the ganache in an even layer over the cake. Using the reserved ganache in the pastry bag, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake layer. This will act as a well to help hold in the raspberry filling. Spoon some of the raspberry filling inside the ganache border in an even layer. Top with another layer of cake and repeat this process, layering with another ½ cup of ganache and additional raspberry filling. Top with the remaining cake layer.

To make the raspberry frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (I use my mixer bowl here to dirty one less dish.) Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.) Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, tint with pink icing gel to achieve your desired shade.

Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the raspberry buttercream, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.) Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides. Let the glaze set about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the remaining reserved ganache to a consistency for piping. (You can microwave in 5 second intervals on low power – it won’t take long to rewarm. If you overshoot and the ganache becomes too thin, simply chill again in the fridge or freezer until it is thick enough to pipe.) Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe swirls of ganache around the edge of the top of the cake and top each swirl with a fresh raspberry. Chill the cake until ready to serve.

Quinoa and Black Bean

2011-05-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

The first time I tried quinoa I was not impressed at all. I was determined to like it and have tried it a few other ways. Cooking the quinoa with corn and black beans is my absolute favorite. I have made this for lunch almost every week for the past month. I can't believe that I haven't shared it with you yet. Quinoa is a great source of protein and other nutrients so I plan to try it many other ways. Make sure that you rinse the quinoa before you cook it. If you are skeptical of quinoa, give it a shot and see what you think. Enjoy!!

Quinoa and Black Bean
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

2.Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

3.Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice

2011-05-02T19:28:00.001-05:00

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. I love Mexican food and enjoy this holiday every year. A few weeks ago I made Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice from the new American's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. I am still exploring this cookbook and love what I have seen so far. This Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice is fabulous. We even had leftovers the next day and they were fabulous as well. I would definitely suggest this dish at your Cinco de Mayo party. Do you do anything special to celebrate?

Still need ideas for your party, try these wonderful dishes:

Queso Fundido Burger
Red Chile Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
Tequila Lime Chicken
Chicken Tamale Casserole Mexican Chicken Casserole
Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice
Printer friendly recipe
Source: The American's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 to 6), trimmed
1 tsp canola oil
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed seeded, and minced
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 tbs fresh lime juice

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the lower position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine half of the garlic, 1 tsp of the chili powder, hot sauce, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, and corn; cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, remaining garlic and tsp of remaining chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth scraping up any browned bits.

Lay the chicken on top of the rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost fully absorbed, 50 to 65 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Cover the pot and let the rice sit and steam for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Stir in the shredded chicken, scallions, and lime juice into the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Nutrition Information:
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 410
Fat total: 9g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Cholesterol: 95mg
Carbs: 54g
Fiber: 30g
Protein: 390mg

Carrot Cake

2011-04-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

This month's What's Baking hostess, Leanne of The Martin Family, chose Spring Baking as the theme. It is the time of year when everyone is starting to plant their gardens and many fruit and vegetables are coming into season. I thought Carrot Cake would be a great way to introduce Spring. Michael has a co-worker whose wife has made this cake many times before. He brought a piece home one night for me to try the goodness. It really is a great carrot cake! I love that it is simple. There are no raisins or coconut or any other additions, just carrots.

I made this recipe into cupcakes for ease of serving at work. They are wonderful with the cream cheese frosting. They were a huge hit and I'm sure I will be making these again soon. Enjoy!!

Carrot Cake
Printer friendly recipeSource: Co-worker

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoons of salt
3 cups of shredded carrots
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan.

Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, eggs and oil. Add in the shredded carrots and walnuts. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Bake in a bundt pan for 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter
1 8oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb powder sugar

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the powder sugar and mix until well incorporated.

Chocolate Stout Cake

2011-03-17T06:00:00.009-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Last year I made Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting. They were amazing! This year I wanted to do something similar and found a Chocolate Stout Cake. Guinness and chocolate were made to go together. The Guinness enhances the chocolate flavor and this rich chocolatey cake melts in your mouth.

This recipe is made for a bundt cake. If you want to make an 8 inch layer cake, just double the recipe. This will make a wonderful dessert for your St. Patrick's Day feast. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Stout Cake

Printer friendly recipe
Source: Smitten Kitchen

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips

6 tablespoons heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Cake prep:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan well; make sure you get in all of the nooks and crannies. (Some people even go so far as to brush the inside of their bundt pans with melted butter–you cannot be too careful!). Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan, then turn cake out onto rack for drizzling ganache.

Ganache:

For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Reuben Sandwiches

2011-03-14T06:00:00.004-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner! I love the flavors of Irish food and was excited to try something new this year. Last year I made Beef and Guinness Stew and Irish Soda Bread with Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting and Shamrock Cookies for dessert.

I posted a few pictures of our tour of Guinness in the Beef and Guinness Stew post but thought I would post a few more of my favorites here.

Temple Bar Area

A farmer's market

And of course the Cliffs of Moher. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and can not wait to go back.

This year I wanted to try something different in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. My friend Page at From My Teeny-Tiny Kitchen made a Corned Beef last year and it looked amazing. I made the corned beef and decided to go with Reuben Sandwiches for dinner. The corned beef was fabulous on marbled rye with provolone and Thousand Island Dressing. They were so juicy and flavorful. I made the mistake of getting a corned beef that was in a brine. When you pick one up from the store, try to get one that isn't in a spice mixture.

I am entering this dish in this month's What's Baking group. Amanda at Our Italian Kitchen chose this month's theme which is Bake From Your National Heritage. Lucky for me, I do have a little Irish background in my family.

Enjoy!!

Corned Beef
Printer Friendly RecipeSource: From My Teeny-Tiny Kitchen

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs. corned beef brisket
2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place corned beef brisket and water in Dutch oven; cover tightly and simmer in oven, 1 hour. Turn brisket over and continue cooking, covered, 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket from cooking liquid and place, fat side up, on rack in broiler pan so surface of meat is 3-4 inches from heat. Combine honey and Dijon mustard, brush half the mixture over the top of brisket and broil 3 minutes. Brush with remaining mixture and continue broiling 2 minutes, or until brisket is glazed.

Makes 6-10 servings.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-02-27T13:23:00.001-06:00

Michael has been working nights lately so as he is getting up for the day, I am coming home from work and getting dinner prepared. Most days when he wakes up, he wants breakfast and not what I am making for dinner. Over the weekend, I decided to make something that took a little more time and give him a yummy start to his day. I took on the task of making cinnamon rolls.

I searched the internet for a recipe and asked some friends for advise. I was looking for one that didn't take all day to rise and wasn't so involved. These cinnamon rolls from Allrecipes took about an hour and a half to make from start to finish and they were so good. I even got a "these are bad ass" from of Michael! Now that's a good cinnamon roll.

The only problem I had when making these was mixing the butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture together and spreading it on the dough. Next time, I am going to try melting the butter, brushing it on the dough and then sprinkling the cinnamon sugar onto the melted butter.

I am entering these into What's Baking for the month. Dunne' at With a Cherry on Top is the hostess this month. She choose the theme for February as Baked with Love. These cinnamon rolls were baked with love to give my wonderful husband a sweet start to his day.

Cinnamon Rolls
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened

Directions

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in margarine; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened margarine.

Roll out dough into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with margarine/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in a 9x13 lightly greased baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin cups to cool. Top with cream cheese icing and serve warm.

Cream Cheese Icing
Source: Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth after each addition.

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

2011-02-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

I love eating bananas, but if I don't get to them fast enough they start turning brown. I hate throwing them out so I have learned to freeze them and use them later in recipes. I had planned on making banana bread with the bananas I have frozen right now, but Patricia at ButterYum raved about how wonderful this cake was. I wasn't in the mood for a banana bread, so I made this one Sunday afternoon. She warned that it was out of this world. She was right.

I had originally planned on doubling this recipe, but honestly I'm glad I didn't. I think my weight would have changed dramatically if I did as I would have eaten the whole thing! Michael loved this one as well. I will make this again as soon as I have frozen bananas. I may just go buy some and stick them in the freezer when I get home with them! Enjoy.

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Printer friendly recipeSoure: ButterYum

makes one 8x8 or 9x9 cake

Cake:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 mashed super ripe bananas (about 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or equal amount of pure vanilla extract)
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

To make cake (easily mixed by hand):

Preheat the oven to 375F (see note below). Cream together sugar, sour cream, egg, and 2 tablespoons softened butter. Add mashed bananas and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting:

Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together until smooth. Slowly add the heavy cream; stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla bean paste until fully incorporated. Spread on cooled cake.

Note - Bake at 350F if using a glass pan. Recipe doubles well (9x13 pan).

Chocolate Waffles

2011-02-14T19:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!
We are not big Valentine's Day people. I truly, madly, deeply love my husband and know that he loves me. I don't feel like we need a special day to celebrate it and spend money on flowers and candy. We normally get each other cards and just spend time together, which is the most important part to me. It is more important to me to do something fun for our anniversary in a few weeks.

Anyway, it is still fun to do something special for your loved one. So how about a breakfast in bed of chocolate waffles! This would be a great way for your special someone to wake up on a Saturday morning. I actually made these for dinner one night. I saw a reminder of them on Annie's Eats and thought about them all day long. They come together really easily and so good. Annie described them as cake like. She was exactly right. I thought they were fabulous with the cool whip and strawberries. They are a perfect chocolaty treat for breakfast. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Waffles
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats adapted from Alton Brown via Food Network

Ingredients:

1½ cups (7 oz.) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1¾ oz.) sugar
½ cup (1½ oz.) cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, beaten
4 tbsp. butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat the oven to 200˚ F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk to blend. In another bowl combine the eggs, butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Whisk to blend well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Fill the waffle iron with batter and cook until the waffle is crisp and completely cooked. Transfer finished waffles to the preheated oven and repeat until all the batter has been used. Serve immediately with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Snow Ice Cream

2011-02-02T14:12:00.000-06:00

We live in Northern Illinois. If you have been watching the news at all, you know that we got a small amount of snow this week. Nothing major, just around 17 inches. Blizzard watch has been going on for days and it finally hit last night. There were howling winds and white out conditions. It was a little crazy. This is outside my front door this morning.

So what do you do when Mother Nature throws that much snow at you? You make Snow Ice Cream that's what!

A friend suggested this when he saw my snow pictures on facebook. I immediately grabbed some snow and got started. I was a little skeptical about how this would taste, but it is really good! It is sweet with just the perfect amount of vanilla. This is not gourmet ice cream, but it is fun to make with simple pantry ingredients and makes wonderful memories with your family. Enjoy and be careful out there!

Snow Ice Cream
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 gallon snow
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups milk

Directions

When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.

Black Bean Soup with Kielbasa

2011-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

With it being so cold and snowy here lately, I have been wanting to try more soup. Black bean is one of Michael's favorites, so I did some research and found one on Smitten Kitchen that sounded great. It incorporates other vegetables and has a wonderful flavour. We decided to add kielbasa to it for my meat eater. The addition of the kielbasa did add a nice texture to the soup. This was definitely good and I will be making it again. To make it even easier, it is prepared in a crock pot!

Deb states that the cook times could vary. The original recipe says 6 hours, hers were done in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Mine were done at around 3 hours. Check them at 3 hours to see where they stand.

Branny at Branny Boils Over is sponsoring a Charity Soup Bowl. For everyone that submits a soup recipe she will donate $1 to the ASPCA. I am posting this in honor of our puppy, Nicole. I do still call her a puppy even though she just turned 9 years old. She will always be my baby. I also posted about her when I made her treats.

Black Bean Soup with KielbasaPrinter friendly recipeSource: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 kielbasas sliced
1/4 onion diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles from a can (this gives it a solid kick, dial back if you are wary)
7 cups hot water (I just used very hot tap water)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir one minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 3 hours.

Sauted the kielbasa and onion until the kielbasa until it turns brown. Add a small amount of water and simmer until the kielbasa is cooked through.

Transfer two cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of toasted sour cream over each bowl and serve.

Warm Apple Bread Pudding

2011-01-25T06:00:00.007-06:00

A few weekends ago, Michael and I went out to eat at a local Gordon Biersch. We were totally in the mood for dessert, so we shared the Warm Apple Bread Pudding with a Whiskey Carmel Sauce. Hands down the best non-chocolate dessert I have ever had!! The bread pudding melts in your mouth. The carmel sauce adds a wonderful smooth, richness to the pudding. The ice cream, well does it really need an explanation? Everything is better with ice cream! We could not stop eating this wonder fullness. I decided I HAD to remake this dish at home.

After doing some internet research, I found a recipe that I was willing to try. It was amazing. We struggled with finding the perfect carmel sauce since the one at the restaurant was a whiskey sauce. The first two we tried did not work out the way we wanted. I decided to try the one listed with the recipe I found online and it was perfect!

I am submitting the recipe to this months What's Baking.

Jen at Beantown Baker challenged us to try something new, a new technique or new recipe. When we had the bread pudding, I instantly knew this was my goal for the challenge. I have never made a bread pudding, but have been wanting to give it a shot. I am so glad to have this under my belt and loved that this was our challenge. Please make this very soon! You will be glad you did. Enjoy!

Gordon Biersch Warm Apple Bread Pudding
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Meemo's Kitchen

The Bread Pudding
12 ounces (1/2 loaf) Texas Toast, or French Bread cut into 1-inch cubes
3 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups whole milk
2 cups cream
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauteed Apples
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Caramel sauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream (or milk if you must)

Garnish
2 cups whole pecans
Ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar

The Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Mix eggs, egg yolk and 1 cup granulated sugar with electric mixer until the sugar is dissolved. Add milk, 2 cups cream, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour mixture over cubed bread in another large bowl and gently fold bread over with your hands until all pieces are moistened. Let bread soak for 30 minutes.

The Sauteed Apples
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan. Add sliced apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Saute apples, stirring often, f until they begin to soften.

Remove from heat, cooling apples until bread has finished soaking.

Assembling the Bread Pudding
Add a layer of approximately half the soaked bread into the bottom of the pan. Using a slotted spoon or your hands is the easiest way to do this. Be sure to save the soaking liquid, you will need it.Top with a layer of about half of the apple slices. Repeat with remaining half of bread, topping with remaining half of apples.
Pour the remaining liquid mixture that you used to the soak the bread over the bread cubes apple layers.

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and cool until you can cover and refrigerate to cool completely. You can serve this warm but the pudding will set up better when chilled.

The Caramel Sauce
Add ingredients for the caramel sauce to small saucepan. Boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

To Serve
Slice the pudding into six to eight portions, and lay each chilled slice on its side on a serving plate and microwave each one for 45 to 60 seconds or until warm. Spoon hot caramel sauce over and around the bread pudding. Sprinkle a handful of pecans around the pudding onto the caramel. Add a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar (tapped through a strainer) around the edge of the plate. Finish off each dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Dust scoop if ice cream with cinnamon
Serves 6 to 8.

Lasagna

2011-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Remember when I said we don't much pasta, yeah so here is another pasta recipe. I love lasagna. It is one my favorite Italian recipes. I love how the layers of of noodles, meat sauce and ricotta sauce all just melt in your mouth and create wonderful goodness.

I love making my own sauce instead of using a jar of spaghetti sauce. It takes some time to put it all together, but it really is worth it. I normally make this in a 9x13 dish, but decided to go with an 8x8 this time around. I like the thicker layers it provides. It does need to be baked longer if you decide to go this route. Sorry the picture looks so horrible. I was so ready to dig in when it came out of the oven that I didn't give it that much needed rest time. Enjoy yourself some wonderful lasagna goodness!

Lasagna
Printer friendly recipeSource: The Pioneer Kettle Volume II

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 clove of garlic
1/2 Tbsp dried Basil, crushed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 lb canned tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
5 oz lasagna noodles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c ricotta or cottage cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Brown meat slowly and drain; Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender; drain and rinse. Place half the noodles in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Spread with half the cottage cheese filling. Add half the meat sauce, then half the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Bake in a moderate 375 degree oven for 30 minutes; let stand 10 minutes. Filling will set lightly.

Brownie Peanut Butter Cups

2011-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi, my name is Jade and I have an addition to baking. Baking is more precise than cooking and I love all the measuring. My kitchen is normally a disaster after a round of baking, hence the name The Mess Pot, but that's what a dishwasher is for! I would bake a lot more, but I don't have that many people to give my goodies away to. Michael has told me I have to stop making so much for him to take to work that everyone is eating to many sweets at work. I feel it is my duty to send sweets so maybe the people he works with will eat them and be in great moods all day. I guess my mission should be to bake more healthy things for them to eat. Hm, like sweet potato cupcakes. Michael would love those!! (ha, he hates sweet potatoes)

I made these Peanut Butter Brownie Bites for him to take to work. These are really good and peanut buttery. The first one I ate, I tore apart so I didn't get the full peanut butter effect. The second one I just took a full bite and it is a big bite of peanut butter. The next time I make these, I will reduce the amount of peanut butter that does on the top. Enjoy!!

Brownie Peanut Butter Cups
Printer friendly recipeSource: ..And a Cookie for Dessert

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter chips plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus about 1/3 cup more for garnishing
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups. (I used a mini muffin pan and got 27 brownies.)

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar, butter, and water. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour and baking soda, stirring until blended. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then, stir in 1/2 cup each peanut butter chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into muffin cups.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly wet. Place pan on wire rack. Centers of brownies will fall upon cooling. If not, tap centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, then stir. While brownies are still hot, spoon about a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.

Chicken Cacciatore

2011-01-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

I have had this starred in my Google Reader for while. I use my reader and cookbooks when I am meal planning for the week. I try to meal plan each week to make grocery shopping easier and I feel more organized at dinner time. Flipping through my reader, the mushrooms stopped me in my tracks.

I love mushrooms and that put this recipe over the top in the make list. The flavors from the tomatoes, herbs and mushrooms add a wonderful earthy flavor to the chicken. We don't tend to eat much pasta, so every one in awhile, its ok to indulge. To make this dish healthier, use whole wheat pasta. This will definitely be a keeper in our house. Enjoy!!

So, do you make meal plans for the week?

Chicken Cacciatore
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats as adapted from Williams Sonoma
Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 chicken breasts, butterflied in half (4 pieces total)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz. white button mushrooms, cleaned and halved (I used 8 oz)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs fresh oregano
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs

Directions:

In a deep saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the bacon, chicken, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, thyme, red wine, chicken broth, and tomatoes (including juices) to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Queso Fundido Burger

2011-01-06T06:00:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!! I hope your new year is starting off right. I know it is the time of year when people make resolutions for the coming year. I, on the other hand, don't follow this tradition. My resolutions always tend to be the same, eat healthier, work out more and lower the amount of diet pepsi I put into my body. I have been trying to do this for a few years, so I don't really make it a big change at the first of the year. I just try to be healthier.

This recipe, however, is not that healthy. It does have vegetables in it, so I guess you can count that as a healthy aspect to them. I saw this burger on Elly Says Opa's Best of 2010 post. They looked so good and had an ingredient that I couldn't pass up, chorizo. These burgers are absolutely fabulous. Michael even said they were a home run!! Go me. I really urge you to go to your kitchen and make these right now. You honestly will not be disappointed. Enjoy!!

Queso Fundido Burger
Printer Friendly Recipe
Source: Elly Says Opa! adapted from Rick Bayless

2 medium poblano chilies
2 tsp. canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/4″ thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. chorizo, removed from casings, cooked/crumbled and cooled
1-2 chipotles in adobo, finely minced (I used 1/2 of a chipotle)
salt
4 thick slices chihuahua, Monterey jack, or asadero cheese
4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

Place the chilies over a gas flame (you could also do this under the broiler), turning occasionally, until well-charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Once cool enough to handle, rub the skin off and slice into strips, removing the stem and seeds.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the poblano strips and the garlic and cook for two minutes. Season with salt and set aside, but keep them warm.

Combine the ground beef, chorizo, chipotle, and about a tsp. of salt until combined. Form the mixture into four patties.

Grill over medium high about 4-5 minutes total for medium rare. Spoon the poblano/onion mixture on top of the burgers, and then top each with a slice of cheese. Close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese has melted, about one minute. Serve on toasted buns.

Saltine Toffee

2010-12-30T06:00:00.001-06:00

One more sweet treat for you. This would be a great treat to have out for your New Years party. This one is so fast to make and uses items that you already have in your pantry. Michael had a friend bring these to work a while back and he asked me to try them at home. I used a different cracker other than saltines and I didn't like the flavor at all.

I decided to try them again for friends for Christmas. I used the saltines this time. When they came out of the oven, I thought they were just ok, not my favorite candy. I put them in the fridge to munch on later. I took them out the next day and could not stop eating them. The butter and brown sugar create a wonderful toffee and when mixed with the chocolate, it is truly heaven! I urge to try these, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!!

Saltine Toffee
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

4 ounces saltine crackers (1 sleeve of saltine crackers)
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.

In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

2010-12-24T13:27:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and gets to spend quality time with family or friends. This month on What's Baking, the theme is holiday colors. When I think of Christmas colors, I think of red and white. I know green and red are considered the normal Christmas colors, but I think of green as the tree and red and white as the decorations. Living in the Midwest, we see plenty of white with all the snow, so I love red decorations to accent it and Santa's suit is red and white.

These Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are a wonderful minty cookie to serve at Christmas. Who doesn't love chocolate around the holidays. The peppermint candies add an unexpected zest to it. Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy!!

If you are looking for other cookies to leave our for Santa, these will be loved by the big man!

Christmas Cookies, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Source: Pennies on a Platter as seen on Every Day with Rachael Ray, Dec/Jan 2009

Printer friendly recipe

1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

Two 3.5 -ounce bars dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes or candies

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt; add to the mixer about one-third at a time, beating at low speed until smooth.

Lay a 16-inch sheet of parchment paper on a work surface; turn out the dough onto the paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a 12-inch-long cylinder; wrap tightly in the parchment and roll into a smooth, even log. Twist the ends to seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes; reshape the cylinder and refrigerate for 30 minutes more.

Preheat the oven to 350°; line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough; using a sharp knife, slice into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets; bake until firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

In a bowl, combine two-thirds of the chopped chocolate with the oil; microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. (If needed, heat for additional 10-second intervals.) Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until smooth.

Using an offset spatula, spread a scant teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie. Sprinkle the peppermints on top and let stand until set, 2 to 3 hours.

Peanut Brittle

2010-12-20T06:00:00.002-06:00

As a kid, my grandmother would always make candies to have around when everyone would come over for Christmas. My favoite candies she made were the peanut brittle and Martha Washington Balls. My grandmother, or Meme as we called her, passed away when I was 15 years old. She was 91. She was the oldest of 9 children and took care of the younger children learning how to cook for the others. She was a wonderful cook and was very well known for that. People still tell me how much they loved coming to her house for dinner.

I found several of her peanut brittle recipes among my notebooks. She had three recipes, but one them she had written "best" at the top. I chose to make that one and I am so glad I did. She knew what she was talking about I am not a peanut brittle fan, but I could not stop eating this brittle!! It takes a little time to make the brittle. The temperature has to get to 300 degrees. Watch it carefully as the temperature tends to rise faster as it gets closer. I took pictures along the way to show what to expect. I truly love this recipe and plan to make more this week. Enjoy!!

Peanut Brittle
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from my grandmother

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white Karo corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup raw peanuts
2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix sugar, Karo, salt and water in a 2 quart saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add peanuts.

Cook stirring occasionally until a candy thermometer reached 300 degrees. Sugar mixture will be a light amber color. Remove from fire.

Add baking soda, vanilla and butter. Stir slightly.

Pour onto a butter jelly roll pan

Spread with a fork.

Break apart after cool.

Garlic Knot Rolls

2010-11-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

I love making bread. I don't do it that often, but the smell of yeast is one of my favorite. These Garlic Knots are easy to put together and taste great. I have made these before and put pizza seasoning on them. I didn't put anything on them this time and they don't look as pretty when they have a little spice on them. These garlic knots will go great with most any meal and would be a winner at Thanksgiving. Enjoy!!

Garlic Knot Rolls
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights as seen on I Heart Food for Thought adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

Dough
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Glaze
2-4 cloves peeled, garlic
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional

Directions

1. For the dough - In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

2. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.

3. To make glaze - Unpeel garlic cloves. Mince the garlic and add in with the melted butter.

4. To bake - Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned butter. (You can reheat the butter briefly in the microwave, if it’s solidified).

Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-18T06:00:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Can you believe that it is almost the end of November! Last year I was still on crutches, but did my best to make a Thanksgiving meal for Michael and I since it was just the 2 of us. This year we are going to Michael's parents for Thanksgiving. Since we are traveling quite a distance, I will not be making much for Thanksgiving this year. Michael's mom has requested the Pumpkin Cheesecake, so I plan to take that with us.

If you are still trying to figure out what to make for Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas for you to check out:

Michael's grandmother's Chicken and Dressing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Creamy Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

The best ever Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Bars

Homemade Oreos

2010-11-08T06:00:00.002-06:00

Michael is a huge Oreo fan. They are his favorite cookie. Before we started dating, I was not a fan of Oroes at all. I never bought them and had them on the bottom of my cookie list. Well since we started dating and have gotten married, they are at the top of my list. I love the chocolate and the cream in the middle is the absolute best. We don't normally go for the double stuff or the ones with weird centers. We like the plain jane Oreos. Although we did try the Strawberry Milkshakes recently and thought they were just ok, not as good as the plain Oreos. Michael is also a milk dunker. I on the other hand like my Oroes plain.

I have seen the Homemade Oreos on several blogs. I thought they had been over done but was also scared to try them. They could no where near be as good as the store bought cookie that we have come to love to much. I wouldn't even tell Michael what I was making for fear of the immediate rejection before even tasting them. Well, my Oreo loving husband told me that these would do as he twisted his Oreo apart and licked the cream center! I could not believe my ears.

Dunne' at With a Cherry on Top said she made bigger cookies and made 18. I went with a smaller cookie cutter more the size of an Oreo and got a lot more than 18. I didn't count how many I made but I had a big batch of Oreos. So how do you like your Oreos? Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos
Printer friendly recipe
Source: With a Cherry on Top as adapted from Bake at 350, originally from Cookie Craft; Cream Filling from With a Cherry on Top adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Retro Desserts
Ingredients - Cookie

2 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the cream mixture, beating on low until combined. Add in the remaining flour mixture (1/3 at a time), mixing in between until both mixtures are combined together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it's 1/2-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter in the shape of your choice, begin cutting out the dough and placing on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place baking sheet in freezer for 5 minutes and then bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Ingredients - Cream Filling

1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Food Coloring (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and shortening. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue mixing until light and fluffy. If dyeing the cream, add in the food coloring to achieve the desired color.

Place the cream filling in a pastry bag or resealable bag with the tip cut off and begin assembling the cookies by piping a large amount of cream into the center of one cookie. Top with another cookie of equal size and gently press down so the cream filling spreads out to the edges. Continue this process until all of the cookies have been assembled.

Yield: 18 Large Cookies

Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes

2010-10-25T06:00:00.007-05:00

I recenly joined a baking group called What's Baking. We are going to get together each month, come up with a baking theme for the month and all post together. It will be so much fun. This is our first month and fall themed cupcakes was choosen. I thought of doing pumpkin cupcakes, but figured that was an obvious choice so I decided to go with something that included apples, another fall favorite.

These aren't the cupcakes you would normally think of when you hear cupcake. It seems to be more of a muffin. They don't have buttercream or another frosting on them but rather a glaze. There is so much going on in the cupcake that a frosting would take away from that. On the down side of these, they take a long time and a lot of dirty dishes to make, but they are really good. I didn't have amaretto so I used almond extract instead of the amaretto and I loved the soft almond flavor that it provided. It paired well with the apples and almond streusel. These cupcakes have a great flavor and are a wonderful lower calorie alternative to a supper sweet cupcake.

Now for the confession part of the post. After I preheated the oven, I prepared the batter and was ready to put them into the oven. Opened the door and the oven was cold! I was one upset girl. Michael was at work so when he came home, we figured out a different solution. The microwave! Yes, I cooked my cupcakes in the microwave. It took just a mere few minutes and they were done and really tasty. This is not a method I would recommend, but when your oven goes out, its a great alternative. Even in the microwave, these tasted great and I can't wait to try them in the oven. So I may not be providing any more baked goods for a few weeks until we can get the parts in. Enjoy these wonderful fall cupcakes!!

Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) (I used 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.

4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.

6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-10-20T10:04:00.001-05:00

Another great pumpkin recipe is here. I have never made cheesecake so why not do a pumpkin one! I was so nervous about trying a cheesecake. I was worried I would under cook it or even over cook it and then there is all the talk of to water bath or not ot water bath. So I was a little nervous going into this one.

I did this cheesecake as miniature. I didn't need or want that much cheesecake around the house and I so glad I did. This cheesecake is absolutely amazing. Before all of my pumpkin baking, Michael had only had pumpkin pie, which he didn't like, so that lead him to a I don't like pumpkin stance. So my pumpkin hating husband, who also doesn't like baked cheesecake, loved this one!!! His favorite part was the ginger snap crust. I have conquered my cheesecake fear, although this one didn't involve a water bath, but I am ready to go full out with this one! I am so glad I did only make the miniatures, I would be in serious trouble right now with a full cheesecake!! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Swirl
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon (about) purchased caramel sauce

Preparation For Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake the crust for 10 minutes and allow to cool. Drizzle 1/2 a tablespoon of caramel sauce on the cooled crust.

For Filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined.

Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Spoon caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Release pan sides from cheesecake.

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze

2010-10-15T06:30:00.005-05:00

As I have said before, I am not a shrimp eater. I have gotten so much better and even look for shrimp recipes. I have had this marked to try for a long time, but the hoisin sauce was throwing me and I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy a special ingredient that I may not use again. I am so glad I finally made it. This is the best shrimp dish I have ever made. In fact, we have had it twice in the past two weeks which is unheard of for us! It has a wonderful asian flare to it. I am not worried about being able to use all of the hoisin sauce. It will get used!!

I served this with a faux fried rice, which works wonderfully with the shrimp. Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze
Printer friendly sauce
Source: Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1.5 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. water
2 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Stir together hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, water, and scallions in small bowl. Set aside

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet with a lid over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, red pepper flakes, and sugar in medium bowl. Add shrimp to pan in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds.

Add the hoisin mixture and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

2010-10-11T06:30:00.001-05:00

For this weeks pumpkin post, I am bringing you Spiced Pumpkin Bread. This bread is moist and is full of fall flavor. It is a wonderful bread for breakfast. I read many of the reviews on Epicurious for this recipe and changed it around just a bit. The recipe calls for a 16 ounce can of pumpkin. Pumpkin comes in a 15 ounce can and I didn't want to open another can for just a few ounces. Next time I will add about a 1/2 cup to the recipe to amp up the pumpkin flavor. I also changed the spices around just a tab. My adaptations are shown in the recipe below. I also used one 9x5x3 loaf pan and 3 mini bread pans for the recipe. The mini ones are just so cute! Enjoy!!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugars and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2010-10-04T06:30:00.001-05:00

Fall is here which means pumpkin season! I am so excited to finally be able to make pumpkin goods. I am going to try to post a weekly pumpkin recipe. I can't make any promises, but I have been doing my research as to which recipes I want to try.

I chose these cookies to start things off. When they were baking, they spices left a wonderful fall smell in the air. The cookies are more of a cake cookie than your normal cookie. The cream cheese drizzle is a great final step. Why does pumpkin work so well with cream cheese!

For other pumpkin recipes, check out the Pumpkin Roll and Pumpkin Bars. Again with the cream cheese, but it works so well! Enjoy!!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cooks Like a Champion

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
(You can substitute 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the previous three spices.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy.

Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Continue beating until creamy. Gradually beat in dry ingredients.

Drop batter onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoonfuls and flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on racks.

While cookies are cooling, prepare frosting.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine powdered sugar and cream cheese on low speed. For extra flavor, add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Once cookies have cooled completely, pipe or spread the frosting on as desired.

Yield: About 40 cookies

Black Beans

2010-10-01T06:30:00.001-05:00

I am always searching for new side dishes. I like to make a lot of the same things, but want to still put something new in our weekly menus. I love black beans and could eat them all the time. They are so versatile and can go with breakfast or dinner. These are so easy to make and add tons of flavor to the beans. I made these on taco night and loved them. The next time I make them, I plan to leave out the bay leaf, but that is just for my taste. Enjoy!!

Black Beans

Its really hard to take pics of brown or black food, so sorry about the photo. They still make a great side dish!

Printer friendly recipe
Source: Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:

2 tsp. canola oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 fat clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 – 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)
sliced scallions or chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the canola oil. Once shimmering, cook the onion until translucent. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and bay leaf until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has cooked off a bit, about 30-60 seconds.

Add the beans to the pan and using a wooden spatula, smash about half of the beans. Stir in the chicken broth (start with 1/2 cup and you can always add a little more if necessary), chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and most of the broth has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.

If desired, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the top and sprinkle with scallions or cilantro.

World Peace Cookies

2010-09-29T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have flipped through Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours so many times and her World Peace Cookies have always jumped out at me. I decided to try them this weekend. I love the addition of salt into the cookie. It gives the chocolate a new dimension. I made my cookies a little smaller than the recommended size so I didn't cook them the full 12 minutes. They were soft, which I loved. I did make some a little bigger and cook them the whole 12 minutes, but they were to hard for my taste. The soft ones are perfect. Enjoy!!

World Peace Cookies
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cocoa.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s soft and creamy. Add the sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients (throw a towel over the mixer to stop the cloud of powder), and pulse the mixer on low speed to mix the dry ingredients in. Start by pulsing about 5 times, a second or two each time, and then check to see if there’s still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough. If so, pulse a few more times. Continuing at low speed, mix for 30 more seconds, just until the flour disappears into the dough. Try to work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t worry if it looks crumbly. Toss in the chocolate chunks and mix just to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in two. Shape each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (you can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days at this point, or freeze for up to 2 months.)

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Use a sharp knife to slice the logs into 1/2-inch rounds; if they crack a little when you slice them, just press them back together. Place the rounds on the baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes. They won’t look done, or be totally firm, but that’s okay. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan, and remove them to a cooling rack when they’re just warm.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing

2010-09-21T06:30:00.007-05:00

We recently went to a new restaurant and I ordered the Asian Salad. It was wonderful! It was a bed of spinach with flank steak, green onions, avocado and peas with an amazing sesame ginger dressing. I craved this dressing for days. I knew I had to find a recipe so I could recreate this dish at home. I did! I have made this several times since then and still love it. It is a nice light dressing, but full of flavor. It works wonderfully as a fast salad on a weeknight. Enjoy!!

Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Group Recipes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup palm sugar or light brown sugar, or honey
1 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic
2 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic paste (I used a splash of my favorite hot sauce.
1 -2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut oil or a more neutral oil,
such as safflower or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together with the exception of the 1/2 cup of oil stir the ingredients with a whisk, and slowly add the oil. This is a very thin dressing, and will separate. Simply shake it before use.

Seven Layer Bars

2010-09-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

Last week was Michael's birthday! Happy Birthday Michael!! We were going out of town for the weekend to see family, so I didn't get to make him a birthday cake. I decided to make Seven Layer Bars to take on our trip. Thse are also known as Hello Dolly Bars. Whatever you call them, they are so good. They are really, really sweet and rich, but so good. There are seven layer to these bars and when baked they melt together into perfection. Just beware, you can't eat just one! Enjoy.

Seven Layer Bars
Source: Baking Illustrated

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 8 minutes (watch carefully and stir to toast the coconut on all sides). Set aside. Meanwhile, place the stick of butter in the prepared baking pan and put it in the oven to melt, about 6 minutes.

3. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the melted butter. Toss lightly until all the butter is absorbed and the crumbs are evenly distributed. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

4. Return the pant to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Crispy Treats

2010-08-26T06:30:00.008-05:00

Rice crispy treats are a classic dessert. I love making them because they are so simple. Well simple if you butter the pan, but who doesn't butter the pan?? Ok, ok, so I forgot once. They still tasted great. Anyway, rice crispy treats are a great kid friendly bar.

Well, lets take the classic rice crispy treat and turn it up a notch. These treats are loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate. They are supper rich, but fabulous. I have said many times that peanut butter has become one of my weaknesses and even more so when chocolate is added to it. Try these out next time you want to amp up your rice crispy treats. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Crispy Treats
Printer Friendly
Source: Brown Eyed Baker as adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies
1 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows
¼ cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 bag (12-oz) miniature peanut butter cups (about 40), quartered
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped)

Directions:

1. Butter a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.

2. Measure the cereal into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the marshmallows and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat (or in the microwave for about 3 minutes, but keep watch so the marshmallows don’t puff over the sides of the bowl!). Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the cereal and mix well so the cereal is coated. Pour into the prepared pan and use a buttered piece of wax paper to press evenly into pan.

3. In the microwave, melt the peanut butter until thin, about 1 minute. Gently stir in the quartered peanut butter cups and then pour over the treats. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread the peanut butter mixture evenly across the top.

4. Again in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate across the top. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-08-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

It has been warm here in the Midwest, but sometimes you just need comfort food. I tend to think of chicken noodle soup as a winter, warm your bones meal. I made this on a rainy night, so it made us feel warm and fuzzy when dealing with the rain.

This chicken noodle soup is full of flavor. This took a little longer than what I would want to spend on a weekday meal, but I froze the leftovers to make other quick weekday meals. Enjoy!!

Chicken Noodle Soup
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
1.5 cups carrots, sliced
1.5 cups celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 cups homemade or good quality chicken broth or stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 (heaping) tsp. ground marjoram
1 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (always prefer it roasted, myself)
5 oz. (about 1.5 cups) uncooked egg noodles
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes before adding the celery and carrots. Continue cooking a few more minutes before adding the garlic. Stir until fragrant.

Add the chicken, broth, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, parsley and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce. Simmer lightly for 30 minutes.

Add the noodles* and simmer until cooked, about 8 minutes.
*Note: The noodles will continue to absorb the liquid as leftover sit in the pot/fridge. If you want to prevent your soup from thickening and becoming too chunky, you can reduce the amount of broth slightly and cook the noodles in a separate pot, combining with the soup in your bowl as you are about to eat.

Nutritional Information per serving (for 8 servings): Calories: 168 / Fat: 4.6g / Carbs: 17.7g / Fiber: 2g / Protein: 13.9

S'mores Cookies Bars

2010-08-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

Happy National S'mores Day!

A few weeks ago Michael and I went to a friends and make s'mores. It is so much fun to load your marshmallow up and toast it. Everyone likes their marshmallow a certain way. I like mine lightly toasted without all the burnt black pieces. Michael on the other hand loves them to be caught on fire and pitch black. He secretly is a pyro. I think he likes seeing the fire. You immediately put your marshmallow on a graham cracker, add the chocolate and the top graham cracker. I love the gooey melted marshmallow mixed with chocolate and graham crackers. S'mores are the ultimate camping dessert.

These S'mores Bars are the perfect s'more when you can't have a campfire in the backyard. You still have time to make these to celebrate National S'mores Day. I doubled the following recipe and used a 9x11 pan. You can never have enough smores. Enjoy.

S'mores Cookies Bars
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Crepes of Wrath from Baking Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow Fluff (not melted marshmallows because they harden when they cool)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and/or line an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Don’t worry if it seems thin; the baking powder will allow it to rise.

4. Place chocolate bars over dough (don’t layer the bars, just break them to fit if you need to), then spread the marshmallow Fluff over the chocolate bars. Finally, top the Fluff with the remaining dough by forming the dough into sheets with the palm of your hands and laying it down (as shown above). Don’t worry if the dough isn’t covering everything! It’ll spread out as it bakes.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. If the top is browning too quickly, you can always cover it with tin foil for the remaining baking time. Cool completely before cutting into bars. If you don’t allow them to cool completely, they will crumble when you try to cut them. Makes 16-20 bars.

Cajun Grilled Shrimp

2010-08-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

I have said it many times this summer that we love grilling. I especially love grilling quick and easy meals. I have been craving shrimp even though I am not the biggest fan. I wanted a little spiciness to the shrimp and this was packed full of flavor. This dish comes together fast and is a great weekday meal. What's not to love.

I served the shrimp with grilled corn which was a wonderful combination together. Enjoy!!

The wonderful Erin at Milk & Honey tagged me with a getting to know you challenge. My answers appear below. Thanks for thinking of me Erin!

1) What was on your To-Do list today:

-Laundry. Vacation is coming up!!
-Packing! Which I really do hate.
-Feed and play with Nicole, our puppy
-Submit applications to become a substitute teacher this fall.
-Pick up and clean the house. I love coming home to a clean house.

2) 5 Snacks you enjoy:

-Apples
-Peanut butter
-String Cheese
-Soy nuts
-Yogurt

3) 5 Places you have lived:

- At home with my momma!!
- In the wonderful dorm during the school year.
- In several apartments with friends during summer school.
- A townhouse when Michael and I started dating.
- Michael and I's current house.

4) What were you doing 5 years ago:

Five years ago, Michael and I were dating. I was working as a real estate closing agent and loving it! I went to Disney World with my mom and sister who was pregnant with my wonderful nephew. Michael was deployed to Iraq for the summer. We went on a cruise to Mexico when he returned. It was a great year!!

5) 5 things you would do if you were a Billionaire:
- Travel! We love to go to new places and traveling together would definitely be something we would do.
- I would donate money to humane societies and educational funds to help those in need.
-I would buy my wonderful husband the RV I hear so much about!
-Make sure our families are taken care of.
-Again, donate some to non profit organizations.

Passing on this little challenge to a few other awesome bloggers I follow:

Angie at Telly's Tasty Tidbits
Kelsey at Apple a Day
Page at From My Teeny Tiny Kitchen
Patricia at ButterYum
Pup at A Happy Girl and Loving Life

Cajun Grilled Shrimp
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread onto metal skewers. Brush with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix remaining spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture onto shrimp and pat lightly to help it stick.

Grill the skewers, covered, until the shrimp are barely charred and bright pink, about 6 minutes.

Beef Wellington

2010-07-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

So do you do all the cooking in your house or does your husband or wife join in the fun? Michael is a wonderful cook and loves doing it, but due to his long work hours he doesn't get to cook as much as he would like to. A few weeks ago, he had the week off work so I put him in charge of dinner on Friday. He gave me no clues as to what he was making other than the text of "where is prosciutto in the store?" Do you ever get those texts? My favorites are asking where something is in our house.

He waited for me to get home to start dinner so we could make it together. I still had no clue what he was serving up. He then announced that he was making Beef Wellington. He had watched this Gordon Ramsey video. Of course I laughed, but he is great at seeing something and then being able to put it together. So we started our Gordon Ramsey's beef wellington experience together. It was fabulous! Seriously. Michael is a great cook and I definitely want to have this again. It was full of flavor and melts in your mouth. We also ate this with breakfast the next morning. We removed the puff pastry and placed the meat on an english muffin and it was a fabulous breakfast. Enjoy!!

Beef Wellington

Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Gordon Ramsey

Ingredients:

1 pound beef fillet
3 portobello mushrooms
4 slices prosciutto
English mustard for brushing meat (we used spicy brown mustard)
2 Puff pastry
2 Egg yolks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat some oil in a large pan and quickly sear the seasoned beef all over until it's brown. Remove and allow to cool.

The point of this is simply to sear the beef and seal all those juices in, you don't want to cook the meat at this stage. Allow to cool and brush generously with the mustard.

Roughly chop the mushrooms and blend in a food processor to form a puree. Scrape the mixture into a hot, dry pan and allow the water to evaporate. When sufficiently dry (the mixture should be sticking together easily), set aside and cool.

Roll out a generous length of plastic wrap, lay out the four slices of prosciutto, each one slightly overlapping the last. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the prosciutto.

Place the beef fillet in the middle and keeping a tight hold of the plastic wrap from the outside edge, neatly roll the prosciutto and mushrooms over the beef into a tight barrel shape. Twist the ends to secure the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10 -15 minutes, this allows the Wellington to set and helps keep the shape.

Roll out the pastry quite thinly to a size which will cover your beef. Unwrap the meat from the cling film. Egg wash the edge of the pastry and place the beef in the middle. Roll up the pastry, cut any excess off the ends and fold neatly to the 'underside'. Turnover and egg wash over the top. Chill again to let the pastry cool, approximately 5 minutes. Egg wash again and cut a few slits in the top of the pastry dough. Bake at 400F for 35 - 40 minutes. Rest 8 -10 minutes before slicing.

And the winner is....

2010-07-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone that has read this blog or recenlty discovered it. I hope to be able to bring you more wonderful recipes in the future. If there is anything that you would like to see different or for me to try, please let me know.

And now what you are waiting for. I used Random.org to choose the winner. The winner of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book and an apron from SassyApron on Etsy.com is number 7!!

Pamela said...

Always love reading your blog! My go-to cupcake is a basic vanilla with chocolate frosting, but one of the best cupcakes I've had was called the Elvis--a banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting! So good! I'm also a FB fan!

Congraulations Pamela. Email me at themesspot@gmail.com to accept your prize!

Banana Pecan Cupcakes and a giveaway!

2010-07-16T06:00:00.018-05:00

One year ago today I started this little cooking blog. I really didn't think I would still be going at it a year later. I have truly enjoyed cooking more things and learning from my experiences. There are some things I was to scared to try, some that I am thankful I did and still yet others that I tried and failed at, but I learned from those experiences.

For a celebration everyone likes cake right! Well for this celebration, I make cupcakes. Michael chose the Banana Pecan Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes with the Carmel Buttercream. Remember that I spoke of failures just a second ago, yeah this was one of them! I tried to make caramel for the first time to go in the buttercream. I burned it! I will try again soon to make it, but I choose to do a cream cheese frosting to top off the banana pecan cupcakes.

These tasted really good! Very similar to a banana nut bread with cream cheese frosting. These would be great as a breakfast or brunch item. Enjoy!! Continue reading for more fun!

Banana Pecan Cupcakes
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans (about 4 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with banana mixture, and beating until just combined after each. Stir in pecans by hand.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in an airtight container.

To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with buttercream. Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; bring to room temperature before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

Now for the fun!!

One lucky reader will receive a gift certificate to Sassy Apron on Etsy.com (valued at $33.00) and a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

To enter, leave one comment stating your favorite cupcake flavor or just say hi! For a second change to win, become a fan on Facebook. The button is at the top of the page. Just leave another comment stating you are a Facebook fan. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, July 20th at midnight. Thank you for reading!!! Good luck.

For US residents only. Sorry to my international readers.

Grilled Asparagus

2010-07-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

We have been doing our best to add more vegetables to our meals. Michael introduced me to asparagus back when we were dating. He would use his tiny grill to cook me dinner which would include asparagus marinated in italian dressing. It was really cute and he is a good cook.

Since we both love asparagus I found a new way to spruce it up. This marinate adds so much flavor to the asparagus. I used a Balsamic Oregano Vinegar that I got at the Old Town Oil but this would work great with a traditional balsamic as well. Allow the asparagus to marinate while you work on your other dishes for dinner and then place on the grill. This is a fast and healthy side dish to add to your weekday meal. Enjoy!!

Grilled Asparagus
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
dash of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and salt and pepper in a zip lock bag. Add asparagus and allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

Grilled bread

2010-07-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

I have said before that we love to grill. We tend to grill fairly often in the summer. I think its easier, well for me anyway, I tend to supervise on these days and the food taste fabulous. This week we decided to add bread to our grilling list. I originally made grilled croutons for a grilled caesar salad but we changed the idea a little into grilled bread.

This was so easy to make and is a great addition to your grilled meal. The flavor can also be changed to your taste. Add a spice that you love or decrease one that is not your favorite. Just try it, you won't be sorry!!

Note: Please grill the bread at a separate time when grilling raw meat to ensure the bread is not contaminated. Enjoy!!

Grilled Bread

Italian bread
butter
garlic powder, dash
basil, dash
parsley, dash
dried parmesan cheese, dash

Heat the grill to low heat. Cut the italian bread in half. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the other ingredients. Brush the bread with the butter mixture, or just put the bread face down in the pan to coat it with the butter mixture.

Put it on the grill, face down. It takes just a few minutes for the bread to crisp up and have grill marks.

Fourth of July Cupcakes

2010-07-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Thank you to all of those who have served our country and made this day possible.

I have seen these cupcakes pop up on several blogs and thought they were so cute. These are so easy to make and the colors can be changed for any holiday or celebration. I used Dorie's Perfect Party Cake for the cupcake portion. You can choose any white cake recipe for the base of the cupcake or even use a box mix if you choose to. Enjoy!!

Fourth of July Cupcakes
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the cupcake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the buttermilk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the buttermilk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the three bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and blue to another. Leave one bowl of batter white.

Layer the colors into the cupcake tins. I used 1 tablespoon of each color to fill the pans. Cook for 18-20 minutes – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Transfer the cupcakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool to room temperature.

Easy Vanilla Buttercream:
Source: Annie's Eats as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Ingredients:

20 tbsp. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Fruit Pizza

2010-07-01T08:30:00.001-05:00

I love summer time when fruit comes into season. We have been eating a tremendous amount of fruit lately and I wanted a great way to showcase it for dessert. A fruit pizza is an absolutely wonderful dessert! It absolutely melts in your mouth and would be a great addition to your Fourth of July menu. Enjoy!!

Fruit Pizza
Printer friendly recipe

Sugar cookie dough, purchased or make your own. Here is my sugar cookie dough recipe.

Frosting:

Source: Adapted from Two Peas in Their Pod

1 package of cream cheese, (8 oz.) we used reduced fat
2 T sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon

Apricot preserves

Fruit:

This can vary as to what is in season and what you like.
I normally use:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Pineapple
Kiwi

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out your sugar cookie dough and bake for 10-12 minutes. The dough should be golden brown. Allow to cool.

To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, sugar, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together until smooth. It helps to allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature to mix in the remaining ingredients.

Spread the frosting on the sugar cookie. Arrange fruit on to pizza.

Warm 1/4 cup of apricot preserves in the microwave for a few seconds. Brush on the pizza after the fruit has been arranged.

Herbes de Provence Chicken

2010-06-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a simple way to cook chicken thighs one night while Michael was out of town. I had bought Herbes de Provence for this chicken recipe and was looking for another use for the spice. I found this recipe on Joelen's Culinary Adventures. I think it adds a great flavor to the chicken and is a fast meal for a weeknight. Enjoy!!

Herbes de Provence Chicken
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tablespoons Herbes de Provence spice mix
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 pounds cut up chicken (thighs, drumsticks, etc)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk the olive oil, spice mix, lemon juice in a bowl to create a marinade.

Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes for flavors to absorb.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until juices are clear (time will vary depending on size of chicken cuts you use.)

Chocolate Ice Cream

2010-06-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

So in my last post I said that Michael and I are doing P90X. The program has a fairly strict diet, which we are starting to move away from. We are doing our best to limit carbs and sweets. We have been doing really well with this. Enter this ice cream!!

I love ice cream. Its getting warm out which is the best time for it. I actually made this before we started this program. I have done really well with avoiding sweets, but last night, the thought of this ice cream in the freezer got the best of me and I HAD to have some. It really doesn't take much of this ice cream because it is so rich but it is so wonderfully creamy! I used semi sweet chocolate to make this recipe so next time I will try bittersweet or unsweetened and see if that makes a difference in the richness. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ice Cream
Printer friendly recipe
Source: David Lebovitz: The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Steak and Arugula Salad

2010-06-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Michael and I have started a new fitness plan. We are both doing P90X! This is a fitness program in which we work out 6 days a week. It also comes with a fitness guide which we have been trying to follow. The first month you are very limited on carbs, which is the hardest part!! I am going to be posting some of the recipes they use in the fitness guide. For lunch one day last week we had a Steak and Arugula Salad. I thought this was a really great salad. Michael grilled the sirloin to perfection which made the salad even better. Enjoy!

Steak and Arugula Salad
Source: P90X Nutrition Guide

Ingredients:

6 ounces top sirloin
2 cups arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup canned artichoke hears
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette (see below)

Directions:

Grill or broil steak until done, approximately 7 to 10 minutes per side. Cool and cut into 1 inch slices.

Toss together the arugula, tomatoes and artichoke hearts and arrange on plate. Top with steak and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 16

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons shallots, choppes
4 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator.

398 calories
11 g total fat
38 g protein
20 g carbohydrates
293 mg sodium

Classic White Bread

2010-06-02T08:30:00.003-05:00

I am trying to make more of my own bread and get the technique down. I absolutely love the smell of yeast. It is one of my favorite smells which is another reason I love making bread. Making bread really is a simple process, it just takes time do it. So lets get to it. I tried to put step by step pictures in the recipe for better understanding. Enjoy!

Classic White Bread
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Peter Reinhart The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Makes two 1-pound loaves, 18 dinner rolls, or 12 burger or hot dog buns

4¼ cups (19 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1½ teaspoons (.38 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant yeast
1 large (1.65 ounces) egg, slightly beaten, at room temperature
¼ cup (2 ounces) butter, margarine, or shortening, at room temperature, or vegetable oil
1½ cups (12 ounces) buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water until frothy, for egg wash (optional)
sesame or poppy seeds for garnish (optional)

1. Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Pour in the egg, butter, and milk and mix with a large metal spoon (or on low speed of the electric mixer with the paddle attachment) until all the flour is absorbed and the dough forms a ball. If the dough seems very stiff and dry, trickle in more milk until the dough is soft and supple.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook), adding more flour, if necessary, to create a dough that is soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. Continue kneading (or mixing) for 6 to 8 minutes. (In the electric mixer, the dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick ever to slightly to the bottom.) The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 80° F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size (the length of time will depend on the room temperature).

4. Remove the fermented dough from the bowl and divide it in half for sandwich loaves, into eighteen 2-ounce pieces for dinner rolls, or twelve 3-ounce pieces for burger or hot dog buns. Shape the pieces into boules for loaves or tight rounds for dinner rolls or buns. Mist the dough lightly with spray oil and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes.

5. For loaves, shape as shown on page 81.

Lightly oil two 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pans and place the loaves in the pans. For rolls and buns, line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment. Rolls require no further shaping. For hamburger buns, gently press down on the rolls to form the desired shape. For hot dog buns, shape as shown on page 80, although without tapering the ends. Transfer the rolls or buns to the sheet pans.

6. Mist the tops of the dough with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Proof the dough at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until it nearly doubles in size.

7. Preheat the oven to 350° F for loaves or 400° F for roll and buns. Brush the rolls or buns with the egg wash and garnish with poppy or sesame seeds. Sandwich loaves also may be washed and garnished, or score them down the center and rub a little vegetable oil in the slit.

8. Bake the rolls or buns for approximately 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and register just above 180° F in the center. Bake loaves for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through for even baking, if needed. The tops should be golden brown and the sides, when removed from the pan, should also be golden. The internal temperature of the loaves should be close to 190° F, and the loaves should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

9. When the loaves have finished baking, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving. Rolls should cool for at least 15 minutes on a rack before serving.

Guacamole Salad

2010-06-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was in the mood to grill again this week and I have been craving Tequila Lime Chicken. I needed a side that would fit well and Josie from Pink Parsley suggested I try this salad. This salad is absolutely so good. Michael and I both had seconds of this dish. I love black beans and avocado anyway, but when you add them to the bell pepper and red onion, its sends them into a whole new dimension. The dressing that goes with it is fabulous and the lime brings out the all the flavors. This is a must to make. It will be made at our house all summer. Enjoy!!

Guacamole Salad
Source: adapted from Pink Parsley as adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded ad 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper, seeded (1/2-1 jalapeno)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2 inch dice

Directions:

Combine the tomatoes, peppers, black beans, red onion, jalapeno, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlice, and cayenne pepper and pour over vegetables. Toss well.

Just before serving, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-05-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

I love having muffins for breakfast. There is just something about a warm muffin for breakfast that just makes you smile. I am not one to turn down chocolate for breakfast or muffins. So lets combine the two, chocolate chip muffins! These muffins are wonderful. I have made them several times in the past for Michael to take to work and they don't stick around long. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Annie's Eats as adapted from Williams Sonoma

Yield: 13-14 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13-14 muffin wells with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together with a fork. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Mix in the vanilla until well blended. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add the milk and mix until combined. Mix in the rest of the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chipotle Portobello Burgers

2010-05-25T08:30:00.001-05:00

Things are starting to get a little warmer here in the midwest so I am excited to get to use the grill more. I was a little worried about a mushroom burger for dinner, but these were very flavorful and filling. I can't wait to make them again. They are messy, which Josie at Pink Parsley, warns about. She suggested using a fork to eat it with, but where's the fun in that. I had leftovers so I could not wait to have the burgers the next day as well.

One note about the recipe. I accidentally grabbed abode sauce and not the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce as the recipe calls. I halved the recipe so I used 3 tablespoons of the sauce to make the marinate. I also skipped the onions but the avocado is a must with these. Enjoy!!

Chipotle Portobello Burgers
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Pink Parsley as adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Marinade

3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
coarse salt and ground black pepper

Burgers

4 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean with a paper towel
1 large sweet onion, cut into rings
2-3 Tablespoons butter, melted
4 buns or rolls
4 slices pepperjack cheese
4 tomato slices
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into slices

Combine the ingredients for the marinade in the food processor. Puree until smooth, and pour over mushroom caps. Turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Skewer the onions, or prepare vegetable basket for grill.

Grill mushrooms, gill side down, on the grill, brushing with extra marinade. Brush the onion slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill alongside the mushrooms. After 3 minutes, flip the mushrooms and onions, and brush with remaining marinade. Allow to cook until tender and sizzling. Lay a slice of cheese over each mushroom and continue to cook until it is melted and bubbly.

Brush buns with melted butter, and grill until toasted and lightly browned.

Starting with the bottom half of each bun, layer the onion, tomato, mushroom, and avocado. Serve immediately

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2010-05-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

These cupcakes are absolutely amazing! I am not a fan of a strong lemon flavor and tend to shy away from things that call for lemon. These cupcakes do not have an overwhelming lemon flavor but just a hint which I really liked. The frosting is out of this world. It is not your typical heavy sweet buttercream. This buttercream is so much lighter and fabulous. The strawberry really shines. It reminds me more a swiss meringue buttercream because you cook the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler to warm them. Everyone that tried one raved about the buttercream. This is a great treat for a summer day. Enjoy!!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride as adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temp
3 Tbsp lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1-1.5 lemons)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Strawberry Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare muffin tins with paper liners or baking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar on a high until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next one. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Turn mixer to the low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup ~3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pans at the halfway point. Allow cupcakes to cool completely in the pans before removing.

Strawberry Buttercream
Source: Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, pureed

Directions:

Place whites and sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Switch to a paddle attachment. With mixer on low, add strawberry puree, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

2010-05-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Chocolate chip cookies in bar form!! These were great with chocolate chips in every bite. I love making bar cookies. They are so much easier than scooping out the dough onto baking sheets. Spread the dough into a pan and go with it! Enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs 1 (12 ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spread into greased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then cut into bars.

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

2010-05-13T08:30:00.001-05:00

I love pizza and will try just about any type. Artichoke and spinach is a great combination. I used the pizza dough and pizza sauce as I have used before. The spinach and artichoke comes together fast and makes for a great pizza night. Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Proceed with Caution

Ingredients:

One portion pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 package frozen spinach
1/2-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Roll dough out to 9-10 inches in diameter. Top with sauce, then spinach, artichokes, and cheese. Bake on a preheated pizza stone (sprinkle corn meal on the stone to prevent the pizza from sticking) at 450 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Let the pizza rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers

2010-05-11T08:30:00.001-05:00

I need to introduce you to another member of our family. Our dear sweet Nicole. I have had my wonderful puppy for a little over 8 years, way before Michael and I started dating, but she thinks he is her man! You can seriously see the hearts darting out of her eyes at him! It is so cute.

I love making treats for Michael and I or for us to take to work. So why can't I make treats for our beautiful puppy. She would love them to!! Peanut butter is her absolute most favorite food. She starts drooling when she sees the container! I found a great peanut butter treat recipe to try for her.

She loved them and searched for more after she had one. I will continue to make these for her and will try other treats from the my kitchen for her. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers
Printer friendly recipe
Source: adapted from Bullwrinkle.com

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 15 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container.

Chicago Restaurant Review

2010-05-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

My last post was showing the food tour that Page and I went on in the Chicago. I am going to talk a little today about two of the restuarnts we also tried while she was in town.

We wanted to try Frontera Grill, 445 North Clark. Rick Bayless is an exceptional chef and we knew we would not be disappointed. We arrived at 4:50 and got in line, which was around the block. When we got inside, we were given a wait time of 1 1/2 to 2 hours! We added our name and went off to shop in the area.

After a little time, we went back to Fontera Grill to wait. We were finally seated at 7:00. We ordered an appetizer of Queso Fundido Clasico which is Samuels artisanal Jack cheese with garlicky roasted peppers, homemade chorizo sausage and oregano. It came with homemade tortillas which were out of this world. This was a great appetizer! For dinner I ordered the Enchiladas de Chivo al Cascabel which is described as homemade tortillas rolled around Kilgus Brothers Boer goat barbacoa, roasted tomato and caramelized onions, Cascabel-tomato sauce, queso anejo, arugula salad and it was served with black beans. I was a little thrown off by the goat. Ok, I was scared. It's a goat. I knew people as a kid that had them as pets, but it was really good. It had a nice flavor to it and the cascabel-tomato sauce was great. It has a little heat to it, but it gives the goat a wonderful flavor. Page had the Falda Asada "Brava" which is described as a spicy serrano-marinated grass fed flank steak with spicy salsa huevona (hand-crushed, grill-roasted tomatoes, jalapenos). Grilled knob onions and sweet corn tamales (topped with homemade sour cream and fresh cheese. I tried her steak and it was good, a little chewy, but flank steak normally is, but it was soo good. One other suggestion would be the Mojitos. Wow! They were great and a bit strong.

The following morning we started our day of shopping with a hearty breakfast at 3rd Coast Cafe and Wine Bar, at 1260 North Dearborn Parkway. I have eaten breakfast at this restaurant many times and we love going there. Their eggs benedict is wonderful as is the stuffed french toast. Stop in and have a nice breakfast in a great little place.

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T14:52:00.004-05:00

Today is Cinco de Mayo. I don't have a new post for something great for today, but if you are still needing a few ideas for dinner, I am going to make Grilled Chicken Quesadillas. There is also:

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Enjoy and have a great day!!

Chicago Food Tour

2010-05-05T08:30:00.005-05:00

Recently, Page from My Teeney-Tiny Kitchen came up to visit for the weekend. We decided to do our own food tour of Chicago. Joelen at Joelen's Culinary Adventures gave me some great ideas and places to try out as part of our tour. This post will be on the tour and my next post will be on the two restaurants we ate at as well.

We started the morning at Delightful Pastries which is located at 1710 N. Wells St.

We ordered breakfast here to get our morning started off right. I ordered a breakfast sandwich with an egg, prosciutto and provolone cheese on a croissant. I am a sucker for a croissant. It was really good. The croissant was a little to toasted, but it still tasted great. Next we choose a few pastries to take on our way to share later. We got several different flavors of macaroons. Ok, this was my first time to have them and I have been craving them ever since. Oh my!! These little darlings are wonderful. We also got a peanut butter bar, congo bar and almond croissant. Remember we were sharing! The peanut butter bar was so good as was the congo bar. I felt like the congo bar had to many nuts on top, but it was still great.

Next, we went across the street to Treasure Island, which is located at 1639 N Wells St. It is a small grocery store that has a lot of great finds. We didn't purchase anything in the store, but it is always great to roam around a grocery store and look at new products.

Next up was The Spice House which is located at 1512 N Wells St. The Spice House has every spice you could ever imagine and then some. The smells hit you as you walk in the door. I love buying spices and have tons at home. I picked up some dutch processed chocolate to make ice cream.

Next door is Old Town Oil. This is an amazing store. You walk into the store to silver canisters set up filled with olive oil and balsamic vinegars. You can taste each of the olive oils and balsamics. I have purchased the garlic olive oil and regular balsamic in the past and love them. This trip I purchased the Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar.

Next up was a cupcake run. We headed north and went to Phoebe's Cupcakes which is located at 3327 North Broadway Avenue. These cupcakes were fantastic!! We got a few and shared them.

Our favorites were the Salted Carmel and Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie. The Salty Carmel is described as vanilla cake soaked in homemade caramel with caramel buttercream frosting topped with Himalayan Rose Sea Salt. I can not tell you how good these cupcakes were. We even tried the Breakfast Cupcake and yes, it does have bacon on top. I was a little leery of this one. Can bacon really be good on a cupcake. Yes, yes it can!!

While waiting for dinner, we stopped at Vosges Chocolate which is located at 520 North Michigan Avenue. We sampled a few of their chocolates and Page picked up some gifts of chocolate bars with bacon in them! Are you seeing a theme here. I tried the bacon bar and it was surprisingly good. The bacon did not overwhelm the chocolate at all. It was a nice combo.

After dinner and a little walking around, we headed to Ghirardelli at 830 N. Michigan for dessert. I got the rocky road ice cream and Page got the strawberry cheesecake. Both were fantastic. Great place for anything chocolate.

Directly across the street is Hershey's. We did not go there on this trip, but I have been there several times. It is a chocolate wonderland. Most Hershey's products can be purchased here along with cupcakes and chocolate drinks. Totally worth stopping in for.

Check out tomorrows post for a review of Frontera Grill and 3rd Coast Cafe and Wine Bar.

chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins

2010-04-29T08:30:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love a good donut? How about a good muffin? How about when you combine them? These have a wonderful flavor and are so easy to make. The chocolate glaze just adds so much punch to the muffin and makes them irresistible. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Glazed Donut Muffins
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Elly Says Opa as adapted from Elle's New England Kitchen
Makes 9-11 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
scant 1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1.25 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a muffin tin.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the canola oil, butter, milk and vanilla until well incorporated. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, combining gently.

Spoon the batter in the prepared muffin tins (I normally use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to fill the tins. Elly uses an ice cream scoop. Find what works best for you) and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a double boiler (or in a stainless steel or glass bowl over some simmering water). Stir until everything is incorporated and nice and smooth.

Dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and immediately top with sprinkles, if using.

Strawberry Muffins

2010-04-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had friends visit for the weekend. I wanted to make them a nice breakfast before we embarked in the cold to a Cubs game. Go Cubbies!! Strawberries are in season and make great muffins. I thought these muffins were fantastic. They mix up fast and are a great addition to any breakfast or brunch. Enjoy!

Strawberry Muffins
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in strawberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Sunshine Chicken

2010-04-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to clean out my freezer. I had cut up a whole chicken recently and had some thighs in the freezer. After doing some research, this recipe stood out as simple and tasty. It did not disappoint! The sauce that you use to baste the chicken with gives it a wonderful full flavor. The only change I made in the recipe was to use skinless chicken thighs. I really loved the flavor of this dish and will totally do it again. This can be used with any type of chicken. Chicken legs will work great and I may just do this again on the ones in the freezer!! (Sorry for the rough picture. Some food is just hard to photograph!) Enjoy!!

Sunshine Chicken
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken thighs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place chicken pieces in a single layer and skin side up, in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Mix the soy sauce, ketchup, corn syrup and garlic powder in a small bowl. Baste the chicken with the sauce, reserving some sauce for basting during baking. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven, basting approximately every 15 minutes, for 1 hour (or until chicken is done and juices run clear).

Baked Oatmeal

2010-04-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

I honestly can not say enough good things about this recipe. After a hard workout of running and running bleachers, I made this oatmeal and I fell in love with it. I will be making it again very soon, maybe tonight! It takes only a few minutes to prepare and then throw in the oven. I made it in individual ramekins so each person can have their own bowl. This is a keeper and you really must make it today! Enjoy!!

Baked Oatmeal
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Chicken Souvlaki

2010-04-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

This is a simple fast dish that works great for a weeknight meal. The chicken has a nice clean lemon flavor and the zucchini is a wonderful side. While the chicken is marinating, prep your zucchini and warm the grill. It will be done in no time. Enjoy!

Chicken Souvlaki

Source: Proceed with Caution

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray

Directions:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Serve with tzatziki sauce. (
I omitted the tzatziki sauce.)

Honey Mustard Chicken and Rice Pilaf

2010-04-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a simple, quick, yet healthy recipe for dinner one night when I came across this one from Pink Parsley. I have been wanting to try recipes from Clean Eating and this one sounded to good not to pass up.

I love kale and look for recipes in which it is included. The kale and rice pair very well together and the mustard sauce on the chicken adds a nice flavor to the dish. I loved it and will definitely make it again soon. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 4

1 1/2 cups brown rice
cooking spray
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 large bunch kale (at least 8 oz), stems removed and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
Cook rice according to package directions.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, and mist with cooking spray. Saute chicken for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Mist the same pan again with cooking spray, and add the onion, kale, and red bell pepper. Saute until just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Add rice to the vegetables and saute until warmed, about another 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, and 2 Tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken and honey mustard and saute for about 3 minutes, turning chicken often to coat with sauce.

To serve, divide rice pilaf among 4 plates, then top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining honey mustard, and sprinkle with parsley before serving

Marshmallow Fondant

2010-04-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Fondant has grown very popular and adds a nice smooth exterior to your cake or cupcakes. I have used Satin Ice fondant in the past but decided to make my own for my Easter cake. I was just going to use it for decorations and not to cover the cake, so I didn't make a full recipe. Marshmallow fondant is very easy to make with common things in your pantry.

Marshmallow Fondant
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cake Central

Ingredients:

1 – 16 oz bag regular or miniature marshmallows
1 – 2 lb bag confectioner’s sugar
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons flavoring (I used vanilla)
Shortening
cornstarch

Directions:

1. Grease your mixing bowl and a Pyrex or glass bowl that can be used to melt marshmallows in the microwave.

2. Place 16 oz bag of marshmallows, 2 Tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of flavoring of your choice in Pyrex/glass bowl coated with shortening and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir. If all the marshmallows are not melted, return to microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Stir. Continue this procedure until all marshmallows are melted.

3. Sift one half of the 2 pound bag of confectioner’s sugar in a mixing bowl which has also been greased with shortening. Make a well in the center of the confectioner’s sugar and pour the melted marshmallows.

4. I use the paddle attachment for my KitchenAid mixer for this first part of the mixture. Mix until all the melted marshmallows are incorporated in the confectioner’s sugar. Mixture will be thick but still a runny.

Sift the remaining half bag of confectioner’s sugar into the mixing bowl with the melted marshmallows. Change to your dough hook attachment as this will get extremely thick.

**Note: If you do not have a KitchenAid mixer or heavy duty mixer similar to a KitchenAid, mix this by hand. This is a very thick mixture and very hard even for a KitchenAid to mix. Sift the remaining confectioner’s sugar into the marshmallows/confectioner’s sugar in bowl and mix. Fondant will be very thick and have a dough like consistency

5. Wrap fondant in saran and make sure no air gets to it. It really needs to sit about an hour or so to cool down completely from the melted marshmallows. It needs to be air tight so it will not dry out.

After you have made the fondant, you can add color. I use Americolor soft gel paste. Make sure you put gloves on when you do this. You will dye your hands the color of the fondant if not!!

(Ignore the pink and orange fondant. That was for a different project that didn't turn out quite like I wanted)

Next, sprinkle your surface with corn starch. This will prevent the fondant from sticking. Corn starch is your friend! Be sure to use it. Roll the fondant out to the desired thickness, normally around 1/4 of an inch, depending on what you are wanting to accomplish with it. I rolled mine a little thicker since my flowers were going to be standing up. After it is rolled, use cookie cutters or fondant cutters to cut out your fondant.

Then decorate and add to your cake!

Dorie's Perfect Party Cake

2010-04-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter with friends and family. Do you have an Easter tradition like dying Easter eggs?

This is also my 100th post!! That is so hard to believe. 100 recipes over the past few months. Thank you for reading this long with me and I hope you stay around for many more recipes!

For Easter, I was invited to a co-worker's home for lunch. I decided to take a layer cake and have heard rave reviews about Dorie's Perfect Party Cake. It was an easy cake to put together and the buttercream is amazing!! I also added flowers to the cake that were prepared with marshmallow fondant. I will do a post on how to make and use it later this week. For now, Happy Easter! Enjoy!!

Perfect Party Cake
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing:
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the buttermilk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the buttermilk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream:

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.

Remove the bowl from the heat. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cakes:

Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one third of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you'll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.

Baked Kale Chips

2010-04-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have seen these around and thought there is no way these are good. If you have every had or used kale, it is a very hard thick green. Its great in soups and other dishes once it has been softened and tenderized so how could they be good on their own? Oh my!!! These are the best things ever. Seriously. With the seasoning salt, they have a crunch to them and just melt in your mouth. So similar to Lays Potato Chips, you can't eat just on, I dare you to try!! Enjoy!

Baked Kale Chips

Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.

3.Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Baby Bluebird Cupcakes

2010-03-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Easter is just a few short days away and spring is right around the corner. With spring comes new life. Plants start blooming and the world just feels better as it comes out the thaw. Soon we will hear baby birds chirping as the sounds of spring appear.

These are such cute cupcakes to welcome spring and Easter. They are very easy to make but just require a little time to get everything together. They are a really fun way to welcome spring and are a great cupcake for Easter. Enjoy!

Baby Bluebird Cupcakes

Source: Annie's Eats as inspired by Martha Stewart

1 batch of your favorite cupcakes (I used vanilla)
Shredded coconut
Pastry bags (large round and small “V” tips)
Chocolate frosting (I totally cheated and used chocolate frosting in a can-don't tell anyone!)
Vanilla frosting (I again used canned frosting, ssshhhh!)
Blue and yellow icing color
Chocolate (I used a few leftover chocolate chips)

Directions:

Level cupcakes if necessary with a small paring knife. Toast the shredded coconut and let cool completely before proceeding. (I used a skillet on the stove instead of putting it in the oven. Allows me to stir and watch it more carefully.) Transfer to a bowl.

Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring or two of chocolate frosting around the outside edge of each cupcake to form the foundation of the nest. (I also piped a small amount in the center just so you would have chocolate on the whole top of the cupcake. Just be careful not to run out before you all of your nest built.) Sprinkle a large amount of the toasted coconut over each cupcake, gently pressing it into the chocolate frosting. Shake off the excess.

Color some of the vanilla frosting light blue. Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip, pipe three mounds of frosting into the center of each nest to make the birds’ bodies. (If there is a little peak on the top of your mounds, just wait a few minutes until the icing begins to set and then gently smooth it down with a toothpick or your finger.) Color the remaining vanilla frosting yellow, and using a pastry bag fitted with a small “V” tip, pipe a beak onto each bird. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, in 20-30 second intervals until completely melted. Dip a toothpick in the chocolate and dot eyes onto each bird. (Honestly, I think my birds are eyeless as I forgot to do this part!!)

Snickerdoodles

2010-03-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to make Michael his favorite cookie one night, Snickerdoodles. Or so I thought they were his favorite. They aren't, but he still loved them and thought they were a really great cookie.

These are so easy to make. I love the cinnamon sugar flavor of this cookie. They come together so fast and are best right out of the oven, still warm. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 stick or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. At this point, I chilled the dough for an hour (or you can overnight) before scooping it, because I otherwise found it too difficult to scoop into balls and roll but the original recipe doesn’t find this step neccessary.

Once dough has chilled, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small ice-cream scoop* to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. In theory, they can be stored in an airtight container up to one week, but I say good luck wtih that.

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-24T08:30:00.001-05:00

Making Irish Soda Bread is a very old tradition in Ireland dating back to the 1800s. Sodaberad.com states to make Irish Soda Bread you must "put a pound and a half of good wheaten meal into a large bowl, mix with it two teaspoonfuls of finely-powdered salt, then take a large teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda,% dissolve it in half a teacupful of cold water, and add it to the meal; rub up all intimately together, then pour into the bowl as much very sour buttermilk as will make the whole into soft dough (it should be as soft as could possibly be handled, and the softer the better,) form it into a cake of about an inch thickness, and put it into a flat Dutch oven or frying-pan, with some metallic cover, such as an oven-lid or griddle, apply a moderate heat underneath for twenty minutes, then lay some clear live coals upon the lid, and keep it so for half an hour longer (the under heat being allowed to fall off gradually for the last fifteen minutes,) taking off the cover occasionally to see that it does not burn."

They also state that if your bread has raisins in it, its not Irish Soda Bread. Well mine has raisins, so its not traditional, but it sure is good!! I absolutely loved this bread. The caraway seeds and the sweetness of the raisins fight with your taste buds. I halved the recipe and then divided it up to make smaller loaves. I put the dough in small cake pans, not realizing how much it would rise. They look like really big muffins!!

Irish Soda Bread
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch round cast iron skillet or a 9 inch round baking or cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour (reserving 1 tablespoon), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds. In a small bowl, blend eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Stir the liquid mixture into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Knead dough in bowl about 10 to 12 strokes. Dough will be sticky. Place the dough in the prepared skillet or pan and pat down. Cut a 4x3/4 inch deep slit in the top of the bread. Dust with reserved flour

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool and turn bread onto a wire rack.

Gunniess Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

2010-03-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have seen these cupcakes everywhere on the blog scene. I wanted to make them, but did not want to do the same old thing everyone else was doing. I have to say that I am sooo glad that I actually went ahead and made these. They are wonderful. This is the moistest cupcake I have ever had. The chocolate and Guinness are wonderful together and make a cupcake you will want again and again. The Bailey's Irish Cream frosting is also to die for. I did not use the full amount of Bailey's in my frosting. I used a few tablespoons and then added a little milk, but it had the perfect flavor to me and was wonderful against the chocolate cupcake. It is a very smooth and creamy icing.

Deb at Smitten Kitchen suggests adding the powder sugar in small amounts to aid in a less grainy frosting and to use less sugar. I followed this advise and it really is a great buttercream. These are definite must try! Enjoy!!

Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work) (I used a knife and did something similar to the cone method where. I just made a circle in the cupcake. The cupcake is so moist that the section just comes right out.)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

[This is a fantastic trick I picked up while working on the cupcakes article for Martha Stewart Living; the test kitchen chefs had found that when they added the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frostings got less grainy, and tended to require less sugar to thicken them up.]

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

New Blog Design

2010-03-19T11:37:00.002-05:00

I have a new blog design! I am so excited to introduce the new design and custom domain. I worked with Jessica at The Frilly Coconut. She is amazing to work with and I highly suggest her if you are interested in updating your blog look. She is very creative and has wonderful ideas and suggestions if you need more direction. Also, I have bought my domain. If you are reading this in a reader, it will direct you to the correct post, so no need to change your reader information. Thanks for reading the blog and I hope to have many more cooking experiences coming your way.

Shamrock Cookies

2010-03-17T08:30:00.004-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I wanted to try a new cookie icing so I made shamrock cookies to bring to work to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. In my previous sugar cookie adventures, I made royal icing, outlined and flooded the cookies and then went back with detail, such as with these baby boy cookies. I am honestly not a huge fan of royal icing. I just don't like that it dries so hard and could practically break a tooth. This icing is a little harder to work with, but creates a softer icing. It dries hard one top, but soft beneath the harder exterior.

The glaze is made to the consistency of school glue. The cookie is then outlined, allowed to dry for a bit then filled in with the glaze. Instead of using a tooth pic to move the icing around, I used an offset spatula to smooth the icing out. I did not dilute the icing to fill in, but I will try this next time. This was a little hard on my hands as the glaze is fairly stiff. I love this icing because it give the cookie a great flavor, and is soft to bight into. This frosting makes it hard to stack the cookies though. They will need to be laid into more of a flat layer or bagged individually. The glaze does not dry as hard as royal icing making for a more fragile cookie.

I will continue to use this glaze and experiment with it more. I will let you know how my Easter cookies turn out.

Glaze Icing
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cake Central

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons skim milk (or other type milk, or water)
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 tsp. clear vanilla or almond (optional) (I skipped this, but will use it next time)
15 drops brite white food color (optional) (I skipped this since I was going to color the icing)

Directions:

In a bowl and with a spoon, mix together the first four ingredients until fully combined. Add the brite white and mix well. Adjust the icing until it is the consistency of white school glue by adding powdered sugar to thicken, or corn syrup to thin. (The brite white seems to help prevent the icing from spotting, and also seems to help food colors "bond" to the icing and bleed less).

Beef and Guinness Stew

2010-03-15T08:30:00.002-05:00

It is almost time for St. Patrick's Day!! Last summer, Michael and I went on vacation to Ireland. It is absolutely a beautiful country. We loved it and can not wait to go back. One of our tours for the week was at the Guinness Factory. He was so excited to do this.

It was really fascinating to tour the facility and see how they make their stout. As you enter the facility, a waterfall runs through the building.

As you wind your way up the stairs, you can watch the kegs of Guinness move through the factory.

At the very top of the factory is a bar in which each person gets one free pint. It is one of the highest points in Dublin and has great 360 degree views.

While we were in Ireland, we got a chance to try some wonderful food. We had bangers and mash on our first night there, fish and chips and a lamb boxy, which was wonderful. I was not able to try any stew there and have since had it in a pub here in the states. When I saw this recipe for Beef and Guinness Stew, I knew I had to try to make something close to Irish food at home, even though in Ireland it would more than likely be made with lamb. I really thought it had a great flavor and loved the different vegetables. This is definitely a keeper.

Beef and Guinness Stew
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions) (I reduced the amount of onion)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.

2. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Poppy Seed Dressing

2010-03-12T08:30:00.002-06:00

I may be rushing this spring thing with this salad, but it is totally worth it! I went out to eat a few days ago and ordered a salad with Poppy Seed Dressing. I have been craving it again ever since.

This dressing is very easy to mix up and has a wonderful flavor. I made a salad with spinach, chicken, strawberries, pineapple and feta cheese. This dressing set off the sweet flavors nicely. You can change this salad to add additional fruit that you may enjoy. Blueberries and mandarin oranges would work wonderfully. Enjoy!!

Poppy Seed Dressing
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Epicurious

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup wine vinegar
2 teaspoons onion juice
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seed

Directions:

Dissolve the sugar, salt and mustard in the vinegar. Add the onion juice and oil. Beat until the dressing is well blended. Stir in the poppy seed and shake well.

Note: The recipe directions day add mustard but it is not listed in the ingredients of the recipe. As I was blending the mixture, I added just a very small amount of dried mustard. This will be more about taste as far as sweetness for you as well. I added a little more sugar than the recipe called for.

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

2010-03-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

It warmed up a little here in the Midwest this weekend. It got up to a whopping 42 degrees, maybe! But it sure felt like spring and I wanted to grill. I have seen sliders on a few other blogs and just thought they were the cutest little things. This was the way to go on a day when it was still chilly. These burgers cook up so fast and are so easy to put together. I was a litte worried about the shallot mixture, but with the pickles, they have amazing flavor. Hopefully the weather is warmer where you and you can enjoy these as well.

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons butter, softened
8 (1-ounce) Parker House rolls
16 dill pickle chips

Directions:

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and sirloin. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Lightly coat both sides of patties with cooking spray. Place patties on grill rack; grill for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Combine shallots, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and butter in a small bowl, stirring well. Cut rolls in half horizontally. Spread shallot mixture evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer 1 patty and 2 pickle chips on bottom half of each roll; top with top halves of rolls.

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

2010-03-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

Today is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day. I LOVE peanut butter. I could eat it on apples or bananas for breakfast, waffles or pancakes. I actually even have some in my purse right now. Maybe I need a peanut butter intervention!

Michael and I even love having the occasional fluffy nutter. Who doesn't love a good old fashioned fluffy nutter. Its quick, easy and satisfying. A peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwich just does a body good! What were you thinking?

These cookies are amazing. When you read the title and see that they have peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chips, you might think that is overload for a cookie, but trust me, these are great. Even the dough is great by itself. Try them and see!!! So tell me, how do you enjoy your peanut butter? Enjoy!

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters
Printer friendly recipe
Source: From Baking, From My Home to Yours, suggested by Proceed with Caution

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter--chunky (my choice) or smooth (but not natural)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Red Chile Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

2010-02-25T08:30:00.000-06:00

I was looking for a great mexican chicken dinner that was not your every day enchiladas when I came across this recipe. It has enough pizazz and cooks fast enough to spice up your weeknight meals.

I was worried the rice was going to be dry due to the water cooking out of it so fast. I pulled the dish off the heat to early so make sure you watch that portion of the recipe and make sure your rice has fully cooked. This is a great dish that we will definitely have again. I will just be more watchful of my rice next time. Enjoy!

Red Chile Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
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Source: Pink Parsley as adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.25-1.5 lbs. total)
2.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, large dice
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (OR 1/3 cup cilantro) OR a mixture of both (which is what I did)
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, for serving
lime wedges and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of chile powder. Preheat a large skillet with oil until shimmering. Brown chicken on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

Sautee onion, rice, and jalapeno until the rice is toasted and is no longer translucent and turns opaque. Add the remaining chili powder, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook 1 minute, then stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and the black beans to the pot, stir, re-cover, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes.

Taste a grain of rice. If it is slightly chalky in the center, remove the pot from heat, stir in the green onion and cilantro, and let sit, covered, 5 additional minutes. If it is not cooked through, re-cover the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until done.

Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2010-02-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

Michael was recently working nights, so I wanted to have a treat ready for him when he came home from work. These were perfect. I like that I could put these together the night before and do minimal work for breakfast the next morning. These cinnamon rolls were fairly easy to make although time comsuming due to waiting for them to rise and proof.

One note when making these again. I will drizzle a little icing on the tops and put the rest next to them for others to add more if they choose. The icing is really sweet and actually takes away from the cinnamon rolls just a bit. Enjoy!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Alton Brown, Foot Network

Ingredients

Dough:

4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:

8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:

2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
I added a little vanilla extract to help cut the sweetness.

Directions

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Homemade Granola

2010-02-17T08:30:00.002-06:00

I have been trying vary what I eat for breakfast and snacks throughout the day. I normally just eat cereal for breakfast during the week. Granola is healthy way to add variety to your breakfast. This is great on yogurt. It adds crunch to the yogurt and gives it more substance. This is also a great snack to munch on. The next time I make this, I will add more dried fruit to it and the cashews. I didn't have any when I made this recipe, but I truly think it would be amazing with them. Michael grabed some this morning when he got off work and thought it had great flavor. Enjoy!

Granola
Printer friendly recipe
Source: The Food Network

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Valentine Heart Cookies

2010-02-15T08:30:00.001-06:00

Here is another Valentine's Day cookie design. I am including two designs in this post. Again, I used the Christmas Cookie recipe for the cookies and Bake at 350's royal icing recipe.

The first cookie is an inspiration from Wilton. It is a two-toned cookie in which I began by outlining one half of the cookie with full strength red icing and the other half in full strength white icing. Allow the outline to dry before flooding. Next, flood the side outlined in red icing with icing that has been watered down to a syrupy consistency. I then flooded the side outlined in white with the white flooding icing.

Next, I took a toothpick and drug it from the red to the white and from the white side to the red to create the lines. This sounds a little complicated, but it is not at all. It is actually a really easy way decorate a cookie.

The next cookie I am going to share also came from Wilton.

I again used the same cookie and icing recipe as mentioned above. I outlined the cookie in red, then outlined a pink heart and white heart. I flooded the area with the corresponding color.

Lovin' Couple Cookies

2010-02-14T08:30:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope everyone has a great day planned and will spend it with someone you love or care about. Today's cookie design comes from Wilton and I think it is super cute. I again used the same Christmas Cookies sugar cookie dough and the royal icing from Bake at 350.

First, outline the cookies in red and allowed the outlines to dry. Next, flood the hearts with pink. After the flooding, the cookie needs to dry overnight before adding the details. Next, using a tip 3, create the eyes with white, mouth with black for him and red for her and pink noses and cheeks for both. Using a tip 1, make the eyebrows for both and eye lashes for her.

Conversation Hearts

2010-02-12T08:30:00.006-06:00

I decided to make several sugar cookie designs for Valentine's Day this year. The next few post will be a different cookie design to celebrate love! We are not huge Valentine's Day people, but I could never turn down a day to decorate cookies. First up are conversation heart cookies. I love the conversation hearts as a kid. You never knew what saying you were going to get on your heart. We would pick through them and hand our friends the call me heart or the cutie pie. As times have changed, some hearts now say text me. These cookies were very easy to make.

First I used the sugar cookie recipe that I made the Christmas Cookies from. This time I added a teaspoon of almond extract. This is such an easy dough to work with and I am so happy that I have it in my arsenal. After the cookies have been cut out and baked, outlined the cookies using Bake at 350's royal icing recipe. This was a much fluffier royal icing and was easy to work with.

Allow the outline to dry then flood the cookie with royal icing that has been thinned out to a syrup consistency. After the cookies have dried, write on them with full fun sayings using full strength icing. Also see the post of Baby Boy Cookies which gives more details about using royal icing. This is a great time to be creative. You can write any saying on them that you choose and can make it fun. I make a special one for my hubby.

Royal Icing
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Bake at 350

4 TBSP meringue powder
scant 1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp light corn syrup (optional)
few drops clear extract (optional)

Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy.

Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!)

Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. ( I think the corn syrup helps keep the icing shiny.)

Increase speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form.

Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.

This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a teaspoon at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."

Cranberry Orange Scones

2010-02-08T08:30:00.001-06:00

Michael and I went to Ireland last year for vacation. It is such a beautiful country. Most places serve scones for breakfast along with other traditional Irish breakfast foods. On the morning of our tour to the Cliffs of Moher, we stopped in the local coffee shop and grabbed scones for our trip. They were so good and had so many different flavors to choose from. We made sure to pick some up again before we left.

Since that trip, I have had scones on my to do list. I tried them a few months back and wound up with a blob of dough. Page, My Teeny-Tiny Kitchen, and I had this on our list of things to try together. I had heard rave reviews about this Ina Gardner recipe.

This recipe has tons of flavor. The cranberry and orange work well together. These were not as sweet as I had hoped they would be and they were a litte dry. I truly beleive that is an error on my part. After you put the dough on the coutner to knead, I believe I used to much flour to knead in the dough, so be careful with the amount of flour you add.

Cranberry Orange Scones
Printer frienldy recipe
Source: Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2010-02-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

Last year I order vanilla beans from Amazon. They are much cheaper to buy in bulk than to buy a few at a time at your favorite grocery store. Since I tend to bake quite a bit, I go through bottles of vanilla extract. After doing some research, I found how easy it is to make vanilla extract at home. If you are careful with your supply and and add vodka or rum back to the bottle as you use it, your vanilla extract will last for a very long time.

This would also make a great gift. After the beans and liquor have steaped for a few months, pour the vanilla into small bottles. Be sure to place a small piece of vanilla bean in the bottle to allow it to continue to flavor the liquor. Enjoy!

Homemade Vanilla Extract
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Chocolate and Zucchini

3 medium vanilla beans, or 1 1/2 fat ones
1 cup rum or vodka (I used vodka)

Using a sharp knife, slice the beans open lengthwise to expose the seeds. Tuck the beans in the jar and fill with liquor. Close the jar, shake it a few times, and place it in a cool, dark cabinet.

Let the jar rest in there for 8 weeks, shaking it again once or twice a week, or whenever you remember to. The mixture will get darker and darker over time.

You can start using your extract by the end of the eighth week. Use however much you need, and when you notice that you're running a little low -- that you've used, say, 20% of the extract -- top it off with more liquor (preferably of the same type) and shake again.

And every once in a while, when you're using a fresh bean in a recipe, you can add the empty pod (rinsed off and dried if it's been steeped in milk or cream) to the jar**.

If you continue to "feed" it this way, the extract will keep forever; just remove some of the older beans if the jar becomes too crowded.

** Remember that those empty pods can also be placed in your sugar jar, olive oil bottle, or tea tin to flavor them, too

Quick Kale with Bacon and Onions

2010-02-03T08:30:00.001-06:00

I believe kale is one of those vegetables that many people run from or would rather just skip. Kale is a great source of beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C. It is a great vegetable to include in your diet. It is in the cabbage family so it tends to not get the attention it deserves.

I grew up eating turnip greens that my grandmother would fix. I absolutely loved them and really miss those. That is a dish I have yet to tackle, but should really try that soon! This dish makes a great side dish and pairs well with the Spiced Pork Tenderloin. Enjoy!

Quick Kale with Bacon and Onions
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (I used a little less that this amount)
10 cups chopped kale, divided
1/2 cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
6 lemon wedges (I omitted the lemon)

Directions:

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; saute 6 minutes or until onion is tender and begins to brown. Add 5 cups kale, 1/4 cup broth, salt and peppers to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 4 minutes. Add remaining 5 cups kale and remaining 1/4 cup broth to pan. Cover and cook 16 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally Sprinkle with bacon. Serve with lemon wedges.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

2010-02-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

Roasting pork tenderloin is one of the easiest meals to make. This recipe is very simple and makes for a wonderful, quick meal. I paired this up with kale to make a wonderful dinner. Enjoy!

Spiced Pork Tenderloin
Printer friendly recipe
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspsoon salt
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder (I used chile powder)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 minced garlic cloves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly on 2 (3/4 pound) trimmed pork tenderloin. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155 degrees.

Notes: I used a one pound pork tendloin and used the entire spice rub on that one tenderloin.