Good Eats

Brazilian Lemonade

2011-07-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Anne. And I'm addicted to this drink. I make it all the time. I buy limes in the huge bag from Costco and they're gone within a week. My family is also addicted. Which means they are enabling me. But how we could we survive summer without a refreshing limey beverage? Its not possible. Resistance is futile.

Thanks again Our Best Bites! Another winner!
ps- I copied/pasted directly from their site so the recipe is right out of Kate's mouth.

Ingredients:

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

* a note from Anne, which is actually a tip from my fellow Good Eater, Staci. Don't use the Magic Bullet brand blender. Its too powerful and even if you do it for 5 seconds, its going to pulverize the limes too much and the peel will be too fine to strain out and your drink will taste strongly of lime peel because your drink WILL be lime peel. Long story short: use your regular ol' boring blender, capiche?

**Staci here...editing to add...I actually use a VitaMix and I think it would work fine, but don't blend for more than a second or two. You want the mixture to be VERY chunky. I think the first time I let it go for a good 10 seconds which was WAY too long with the Vitamix.

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

2011-07-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

If you are in looking for a show stopping dessert, you've met your match. Its got chocolate. And a chocolate moussee. And a toffee obsession. What else is there in life? Thanks for the fab gals @ Our Best Bites for posting! If you don't have their cookbook, stop reading now, run out the door and buy one. You won't regret it! Here's a link to their original recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake

1 recipe (more or less) Chocolate Ganache (posted below)

Crushed Heath bars or a bag of chocolate-covered Heath bits

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. cold water

2 Tbsp. boiling water (just heat it in a small bowl in your microwave)

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in 2 8″ round pans. Allow to cool and set aside. This can be done several days in advance; just freeze the cakes when you’re done.

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute. While gelatin is softening, bring 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prepare ganache according to directions. With a serrated knife, carefully slice the dome part of each cake layer off so the layers are level. Place one layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 of the chocolate mousse over the cake. Sprinkle generously with Heath bits.

Place second layer on top of Heath bits. Again, no skimping allowed.

Spoon ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides (because that's what makes it look fancy pants) Sprinkle with additional Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ganache Recipe

8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate

8 oz. heavy cream

Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don’t find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it.

The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it’s a little too thin for you, hang tight and it will be ready pretty quickly. When it’s completely cool, it will be thick and fudgey and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.

Guacamole Salad

2011-07-16T15:25:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there were 2 friends who had a food blog. Then one friend moved away. The other friend who stayed behind missed her and all the cooking adventures they had. Months passed. Then the friend who left, returned! It was only for a short while, but oh how happy the friends were! They ate and cooked and baked and ate some more. (Maybe they ate a little too much.) One night for dinner, this salad was born and the two friends ate in silence. The one friend said, "This is very good." The other friend said, "This is really good." And that was the end of the conversation because they were too busy eating the salad. With bellies full of good food, the 2 friends parted that night thanking the stars above for each other and for the fantastic thing that is guacamole salad. The end.

*inspiration came from this Mel's Kitchen Cafe recipe.
She is a beautiful person for sharing it with the world.

*need a grilled corn tutorial? click here.

Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cans (15oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4- 1/2 cup diced red onion (depends on how much raw onion you like)
3 ears grilled sweet corn, with the kernels removed from the cobs
1-2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 tsp freshly grated lime zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/4 cup EVOO
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced OR 1 tsp fresh chopped garlic from a jar
a dash (or two or three or seven) of cayenne pepper
3 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled and diced

* a note about measurements before we start with the directions. This recipe serves 6 as a side dish. Or it could also serve 2 ravenously hungry friends who sat down with a bag of tostitos new pepper jack tortilla chips and that was all they had for dinner. First, decide on how many people you are serving. If its on the "more" side, use the bigger measurement. If its on the "less" side, you could tone it down a little and still have lots of salad. You don't want a lot of leftovers because it doesn't keep very well. You know, the avocados turn brown and ruin the prettiness. Its not a "make the day before" salad. Next, adjust to your taste. Don't love corn? leave it out. (really, you don't love corn, what's your deal?) Like more black beans? Throw in another can. This is a starting point really. You can take it and run wild. And try the chips.
Seriously. They were made for this salad.

Directions:
Throw the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, corn, quinoa and lime zest in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the lime juice with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over the veggies in the big bowl. Mix 'em up good. Pop in the fridge until you're ready to serve, they can hang out in there for a few hours.

A few minutes before you bring out your salad and wow your guests, get the avocados seeded, peeled and diced and GENTLY fold them into the mixture. Give it a taste test. Or two. Or three. You are the quality control person. Needs another squeeze of fresh lime? Do it now. Needs another dash of salt and pepper? Get 'er done. Then put it on the table and watch it disappear. Every last corn kernel will have vanished. And your guests will be duly impressed. And you will say, "What? I cook like this all the time!" Well done friend, well done.

Heath Bar Cake

2011-03-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have had this recipe printed out for a long time, waiting for the perfect time to make it. That window of opportunity nicely presented itself last week. This was a delightful cake, simply delightful. So moist and toffee-esque. Might have made that word up, go with me here. Here's the link to the original recipe over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. If you don't follow her blog on google reader or facebook, you totally should. Good stuff, people, good stuff.

Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 (1.4 ounces each) chocolate covered toffee bars (like Heath), chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter. Crumble these ingredients together with a pastry blender, whisk or two forks until the mixture is crumbly and coarse. Remove 1/2 cup of the crumbs to a small bowl and set aside. To the large bowl with the remaining crumbs, add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it to the edges. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved crumbs and chopped Heath bars. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is no longer gooey but a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. The cake may fall slightly in the center leaving the edges raised. No fear! It will still be delicious.

*a note. I was in a state of frenzy when I was half way through making this cake because I realized that I forget to buy heath bars to crush up! Did I despair? Well, maybe for 5 seconds. Then, I grabbed my bag of skor bits and 1 8oz hershey's chocolate bar and went to town on the crumble. Mmmm, yum.

White chocolate walnut blondies with maple cream sauce

2011-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

You know that yummy, spectacular dessert that Applebee's has? The one that's served hot with the cookie bar, ice cream and sinfully delicious sauce? You know that one? The one that I would drive all the way to Applebees and not order dinner, just this dessert? Yep, that's the one. Well, thanks to A Hint of Honey, I have found the best knock-off. Ever. Period. The end.
Two things, #1- really splurge and buy the pure maple syrup. suck up the price tag, its worth it. #2- Serve with a really fantastically creamy vanilla ice cream. Make your own or buy a quality brand. It makes or break this. Okay, enough soapboxing from me. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Blondies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Cream Sauce:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (keep your Mrs. Butterworth's outta here!)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter and brown sugar until well-blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, until moist throughout (be careful not to overmix). Stir in the walnuts and white chocolate chips. (The batter will be very thick.)

3. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and baked in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

4. To prepare the maple cream sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the maple syrup and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened and reduced by 1/3. Let cool slightly before serving. (Or refrigerate and reheat prior to serving.)

5. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top of a warm blondie. Drizzle with warm maple cream sauce, sprinkle with toasted walnuts and serve.

Serves 12.

Steak Fajitas

2011-03-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Have you checked out Our Best Bites? I have been missing out! So many yummy things, so many fun things, so many cool things like a new cookbook and blog make-over. Anyway, found this fantastic recipe and after making it, my husband said it needs to be moved into the "keeper pile." So there you have it. Its a keeper. Fo' sure. I have posted my photo and copied/pasted their exact words. We used 1 lb of skirt steak and my family (2 adults and 3 kids) devoured it, so I am absolutely doubling this next time. We cooked them on the grill, meat directly on the grill racks, veggies in a metal grill basket. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on the meat before you serve it and that really adds the finishing touch. Make this tonight!

Measurements of meat and vegetables are approximate. Adjust depending on your preference and the number of people you're serving. This will serve about 4-6.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or steak

2-3 bell peppers, stem and membranes removed and peppers quartered

1 large onion (any color/variety) sliced into 1/2" slices

Marinade:

1/4 C fresh lime juice

1/3 C water

2 T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

3 t vinegar

2 t soy sauce

1-2 t liquid smoke

1 t salt

1/2 t chili powder, or chipotle chili powder

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/4 t onion powder

*If you're not familiar with liquid smoke, you can find it near the bbq sauces. Don't make this without it! It's definitely one of the key components. It makes things yummy and smoky and super flavorful. And if you're wondering, it actually is real smoke in liquid form. Interesting, eh?

Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Place vegetables in another. In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use. With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat bbq grill (my preference), indoor grill pan, or large skillet. If you're using a grill, place everything on at the same time. If using a skillet, slice peppers and onions first. Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender.

Remove vegetables from cooking surface and slice. Slice meat. Toss with reserved marinade and serve.

Pecan Bars

2011-03-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Every time I look at the name of these bars, I have a little voice in my head that says, " Pecan" in the twangest southern drawl ever. I obviously have issues. But moving on, lets talk about these, shall we? Shortbread base- a thousand times yes. Gooey caramel made with real cream- you know it baby. And finally, these bad boys are loaded with nuts, the good kind not the creepy kind. Sooo glad Staci wanted to make these. Good call mi amiga!
Thanks Martha Stewart Cookie Book!

Ingredients:

for the crust-
1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups all purpose flour

for the filling-
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups (8oz) pecan halves
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Make crust: Put butter and brown sugar into bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after addition. Continue mixing until dough begins to come together in large clumps.

2. Press dough about 1/4 inch thick into a 9x13 pan. Pierce the dough with a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce oven to 325.

3. Make filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, white sugar, and heavy cream in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in salt, nuts and vanilla. Pour filling into the cooled crust.

4. Bake until filling bubbles, 15-20 minutes. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan and invert onto cooling rack. Invert again on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1 by 3 inch bars. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

* a note. I didn't invert my pan onto a cutting board. I'm low class I guess, we just cut them out of the pan when we served them.

Bran Muffin

2011-02-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

Every once in a great while I think, maybe I shouldn't post all desserts.(don't worry, this doesn't happen too often.) Maybe I should post something that semi resembles health food. Cue today's post. Here's a tasty little bran muffin that doesn't weigh 10 lbs or have the density of a boulder. Sure, it has white flour and white sugar, but I'm feeling pretty good about that cup and a half of bran cereal. Aren't the experts always saying we need more fiber? Well, I'm happy to oblige. This comes from my "Just a matter of Thyme" cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose, unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups bran cereal
1 1/4 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin. Combine cereal and milk in a large bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add egg and oil to cereal mixture and beat well. Add dry ingredients all at once, stirring only until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake for 15-17 minutes or until very lightly browned. Makes 1 dozen. This batter may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks before baking.

are you out there??

2011-02-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Big news. Staci is coming back!! At the end of summer, she and her little family packed up and moved away from me, clear across the country. Some mumbo jumbo about furthering her husband's education, bettering their family, blah blah blah. Anywho, she is coming back for a visit! We have lots of fun things planned, namely involving food, because hello, that is who we are. Now, this poor blog has not had a lot of attention and we think its high time that changed. Next week we are doing a blog make-over and trying new recipes and taking kick-a photos. So to the loyal followers of this blog (Hi mom) I pose a question: what do you want to see more of? main dishes? desserts? snacks? kid friendly stuff? gourmet stuff? cupcakes, lots more cupcakes? If your answer included the words "low calorie" or "carb free" this might not be the blog for you, just sayin'. But for everyone else, stay tuned because Staci and I are cooking up a storm of good eats!

Cashew Caramel Cookies

2011-01-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

My BFF and fellow Good Eats bloggerista (just made the word up, go with it) Staci gave me a wonderful Christmas present. A Martha Stewart Cookie Cookbook. This was the first recipe I tried, they practically begged me to make them. These were FANTASTIC! Shout it from the rooftops baby! Mmmmm, love cashews. Mmmm, love caramel. Put them together and throw in a tasty cookie and you've got heaven in your hand. Now, to be fair, I need to confess something. This is the part where I tell you I *didn't* actually make the caramel sauce from the recipe but instead I used a jar of Mrs. Richardsons in my fridge. This is the part where instead of judging me, you say, "Oh Anne! You were in a time crunch and of course we still love you!" Thanks guys, you're the best! Glad we sorted that out.

Makes about 3 dozen

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24 cubes soft caramel candy (7 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.
Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture. Mix in reserved chopped cashews.
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Cashew-Caramel Cookies - Martha Stewart Recipes

Almond Joy Balls

2010-12-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

From Paula Deen via my mother-in-law to me and now to you. These were the jewels in the holiday goodie plate crown. A delectable combination of sugar, butter, coconut and chocolate. I'm posting the recipe in its original form but here's what I did differently: 1) ran out of almond extract and subbed amaretto flavoring instead, mmmm, good. 2) used slightly less powdered sugar as per my mother-in-law's recommendation. 3) tried rolling into balls and that was a mess. maybe I should have sprayed PAM on my hands?? I was in a huge time crunch so I used my cookie scoop instead. 4) I didn't dip them in chocolate because they weren't in true balls, more of a semi-ball, if you will. So I melted the chocolate and drizzled on top. Guess what? They still tasted amazing! And I quite liked the drizzled chocolate presentation. I'd love to hear how these turn out for you and if you decide to dip or drizzle. enjoy!

Almond Joy Balls

Ingredients

2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 (14-ounce) package shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl; add milk. Stir in almond extract, coconut, and nuts; mix well. Form candy into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With a toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.

Peppermint Bark

2010-12-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've been making this delightful Christmasy treat since December 2005 when it first appeared in Everyday Food. I love it. My kids love it. I love putting it on our goodie plates. I love putting some in a little airtight container and mailing it friends. Its easy, oh so very easy. Which is all the better, because lets face it, who has time to make labor intense treats this time of year? Exactly. Enjoy this crunchy treat!

Makes 36 pieces

Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1 bag (7.5 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped

Directions

Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies (see note below).
Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.
Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).
Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

2010-12-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

These are the most Christmasy blondies you will ever meet. And you'll be so glad that you did, in fact, have the opportunity to meet. Because they will change your Christmas. Last year, I made 6 pans in a 2 week period. No joke. They are now a permanent staple on my neighborhood goodie plate. And they've made appearances at a church function, school party and potluck, and each time, I've been begged for the recipe. Again, no joke. Thanks to the genius Mel for sharing this lovely holiday concoction.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 ¾ cups white chocolate chips (I used a whole bag)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside (I lined my pan with aluminum foil and then sprayed the aluminum foil with cooking spray).

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; cut into 24 squares. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

*makes about 24 blondies, depending on big you cut them. They do sink a little after they've cooled, TOTALLY NORMAL. As per Mel's suggestion, cut off the jaggedy edges that are higher than the center, save those for your kids and husband, and then cut the rest into uniform squares to serve. voila!

Dixie Salad

2010-12-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

My daughter recently has expressed her undying love for all things pomegranates. Since I am happy when they are happy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, I had to make this salad. And it has homemade whipped cream in it. Which makes me very happy. So really, its a win/win for everyone. Thanks to my lovely Mary Ann for sharing this with me!

The sauce: (yes, this is a salad but it starts with a sauce, just trust me!)

In a small bowl combine;

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Pour this mixture into a medium saucepan and add:

20 oz can crushed pineapple, DO NOT DRAIN

1/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Let cool completely!

In a large bowl combine:

2 apples, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2-3 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2- 2 cup pomegranates
1 cup whipping cream (whipped) with 1/4 cup powdered sugar & 1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 cup mini marshmellows

Add the cooled pineapple mixture to the bowl with chopped fruit. Fold everything together. Keep chilled in fridge until ready to serve. And like all things made with fresh fruit and whipped cream, its best to eat it all the day you serve it or else it gets mushy. Read: spoon heaping mounds onto your plate because you don't want leftovers and because its deliciouso!

Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

2010-12-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Doesn't the title alone grab you? Doesn't need much by way of introduction I'll tell ya that much! This comes from my good friend Heidi Dahl who kindly shared some with me a few Thanksgivings ago when she learned I wasn't making any pie that day. (Our family actually celebrated Thanksgiving earlier in the month with family up in Idaho so don't think we're anti-turkey day!) Anyway, there's some caramel and some apples and then some pecans and more caramel. Happy Holidays to me!

Original recipe from Taste of Home Oct/Nov 2007, adapted slightly by Heidi

Ingredients:
7 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature (I used Mrs. Richardsons)
1 unbaked pastry shell, 9 inches
3 tbsp butter, melted

Streusel topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla. Combine sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Pour caramel topping over bottom of unbaked pastry shell; top with apple mixture. This will be a heaping mound of apple goodness, don't be alarmed! Drizzle with melted butter.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, pecans and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned. Immediately remove from oven and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on wire rack. Serves 8.

*a note. I served this in the evening on Thanksgiving day so I made the pie early in the morning. It sat on my counter all day, don't refrigerate it. So its not a traditional "hot apple pie serve with ice cream" type deal.

Orange Chicken

2010-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

Last week my daughter said something really hurtful. She told me that school lunch was better than sack lunch. Ouch. I asked why. She said that the orange chicken she had for lunch that day was way better than a ham and cheese sandwich. I totally agree that *really good* orange chicken is "way better" than a ham and cheese sandwich. But still . . . cafeteria food had my child singing praises? I had to do something and quick! Allrecipes.com to the rescue! Tons of rave reviews? check. Ingredients I already have? check. End result super yummy AND everyone agreed that it is way better than the stuff the school passes off as orange chicken? check. I am pretty much a cooking rock star now in the eyes of a 6 year old. Make this and be the hero of the day in your house too!

here's the link to the original recipe off Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Add pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* my notes.
#1- Don't like the time consuming (and icky) task of cutting raw chicken into bite sized pieces? Me neither. Which is why I kindly asked the meat counter to do it when I purchased the chicken. Score for me.
#2- Lets talk spicy. If you want MUCHO spicy, add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes to the chicken marinade and add another 1 tsp to the orange sauce at the end (step 5 in the instructions.) If you want semi-spicy, just add anywhere from 1/4 - 1 tsp of the flakes just to the sauce. And if you want a very mild, sweet orangey chicken, omit the flakes all together. I like to add about 1/2 tsp flakes to the sauce at the end. My kids like it better that way.

Peanut Butter Bars

2010-09-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Who has too many recipes for treats? Who, I ask? No one, that's who. We always need another one and so here's one for today. It comes from my good friend Christy Miller. She's always cooking up something yummy! And I love how all the ingredients I already had in my pantry, nothing fancy to go buy. That means the time from getting the recipe to making the treat was dramatically reduced. Score.

Ingredients:
12 whole graham crackers, crushed
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 (12oz) chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

Directions:
Combine graham crackers, butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Pat firmly into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips until smooth when stirred. Frost the patted down mixture with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate for several hours. When chilled, cut into small squares, they are rich!!

Shrimp, Tomato, Basil Pasta

2010-09-14T08:22:00.003-07:00

I have loved this recipe for several years. Its fresh, fresh, fresh! And have I mentioned my love affair with basil? If not, let me mention it now. I have a love affair with basil. My husband and kids, not so much. But really, that is A-Ok with me. Because more for me. How's that for sharing, loving and giving? Ha! And shrimp, shall we talk about shrimp? So very, very tasty. Now the tomatoes are going to feel left out so here's a little diddy about them: they are the perfect addition to this meal. Can you imagine this dish without tomatoes? Me neither. Without further ado, I give you dinner tonight!

this recipe comes from Everyday Foods magazine, June 2006

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound linguine
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce, shrimp, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

Fruit salsa with Cinnamon/sugar chips

2010-08-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

When an Allrecipes.com recipe has like a bazillion positive reviews, there might be some truth there my fellow chefs. As in, you should make that recipe ASAP its that good. Over 2500 reviewers can't be wrong! Here's the link. Plus, it has my name in the recipe title. It was fate I tell you! All the book club ladies enjoyed this immensely. I.will.make.this.again.soon.

ps- no changes, I didn't sub any different fruit, made it exactly as laid out here. I used the costco cook yourself tortillas, made the tortillas and then followed with the cooking spray, etc.

Ingredients:

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored

and diced

8 ounces raspberries

1 pound strawberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

butter flavored cooking spray

2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Oreo No Bake Cheesecake

2010-08-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

The song "Isn't she lovely?" is playing in my head while I look at this photo. It was a magnificent combination of chocolate and pudding and swirly oreo goodness. I really liked what Melanie at Mel's Kitchen Cafe had to say about breaking it down into simple steps. Totally true! It is not, I repeat, NOT overwhelming when you take it one piece at a time. Plan ahead. You can do this. Not only will your guests be wowed but your husband might mention something about you being the best wife ever in between mouthfuls. I'm just saying . . .

from here down is a direct copy/paste from Melanie's post.
See I'm giving credit where credit is due!

*Note: this recipe has several steps but the good news is that they can be done in stages. The crust can be made up to 2 days in advance, as well as the cheesecake filling. The entire cheesecake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

*Serves 12

Cookie Crust:
30 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
7 tablespoons butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
2 pounds (4 bars) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces

For the cookie crust, place the cookies and the butter in a food processor and process until finely ground (alternately, you could use an electric mixer to combine the butter and cookies). Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until the crust has hardened and is set, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

For the cheesecake filling, heat 3/4 cup of the whole milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the milk comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, flour and remaining 1/4 cup milk in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick and glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the white chocolate until it is completely melted.

Transfer the pudding to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate the pudding until it is cold and set, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

After the pudding has chilled, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and mix in the chilled pudding just until it is combined, about 30 seconds. Pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chilled crust. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cookies over the surface. Again, pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the crust and sprinkle the remaining cookies over the top. Top with the remaining filling and smooth the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Remove the sides of the pan, cut into slices and serve. The cheesecake can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s country June/July 2008

Strawberry Banana Cream Pie

2010-08-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I first saw this on A Hint of Honey blog which linked me to Joy the Baker. Oh Joy. Joy, joy, joy, you know your stuff sweetie! Here's a link to her site and here's a link to this recipe. This is fruit mixed with heaven. The crust is not like a pie crust, think more shortbread cookie. Oh yeah, its pretty amazing. This has officially become the pie of the summer for me. And don't be discouraged by all the steps. Break it down to the 3 main components and do those at your leisure throughout the day, combine them at the last minute to serve.
Its not overwhelming, I promise.

ps- used a springform pan and not a fluted tart pan, still tasted great!

Instructions straight from Joy:

for the filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced
10 fresh strawberries, sliced

for the topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the tart crust, if not using mini Dufour shells:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted cutter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk

to make the tart crust:
Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.
Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

to make the filling:
Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.

Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.

When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.
Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.
Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.

for the topping:
With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.

Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

2010-07-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

I had a bag of lemons in the bottom drawer of my fridge that I needed to do something with and then I remembered a tasty treat I had made a while ago. I just didn't realize how long it had been. This gems come from the June 2006 Everday Food magazine. Yep, 4 years ago. But that should tell you how terrific they are, they made a lasting impression!

ps- finally learned about the macro setting on my camera, makes all the difference

FOR THE CRUST:
8 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 teaspoons zest and about 3 tablespoons juice)

Directions

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.
In a food processor, blend graham crackers with sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until moistened.
Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat in gently (wipe processor bowl clean, and reserve for making filling). Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.
Make the filling: Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice; blend until smooth.
Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken), 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool completely in pan. Cover very loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Use foil overhang to lift cheesecake out of pan. With metal spatula, lift cheesecake from foil; cut into 16 squares.

From Everyday Food, June 2006

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

2010-06-30T12:09:00.001-07:00

Something colorful? check. Something fruity? check. Something freshy fresh? check. Something sweet and zesty all at the same time? check and check. This salad looks and tastes like summer, I swear it. I mean, come on, its downright gorgeous. Kiwis are on sale at the grocery store, what are you waiting for? Enjoy! Thanks to Mel for sharing this with the world!

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional, but I loved them!)

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

This is ideally served quickly after mixing, as in, within an hour. Melanie mentioned that the strawberries tend to stain the other fruit in the salad after a while. No biggie for taste but it just doesn't look as pretty any more.

Berry Cobbler Pie Bars

2010-06-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hello folks out in bloggerland! I've been missing in action, but don't you worry your pretty little heads. I've got some yummy stuff coming your way and we'll kick off the festivities with a super yummy berry treat. Doesn't the name alone tempt you? And really, who can resist a shortbread crust? Its basically impossible. These came from a lovely new blog I've discovered, meet the talented Joy here . And click here for the recipe link, her photos are way better than mine.

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

zest of two lemons

Berry Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat with fine results)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen mixed berries, defrosted and drained

You can also use 6 cups of fresh berries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen berries and 3 cups of fresh berries.

(I used frozen berries myself. I'm going to try fresh next time just to see any difference. A tip Joy mentions is to avoid strawberries, they hold too much water and therefore will make the bottom soggy)

To make the crust and topping-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a half sheet baking pan (12×17-inch) with butter or cooking spray and set aside. If you use a 9×13-inch baking pan you’ll have thicker bars. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

(Anne's notes: used a 9x13, thought they were perfect and had good intentions of using lemons with my sugar until I realized I was all out. So going to try the lemon scented sugar next time!)

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling-

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the berries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the berries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!

Coconut Israeli Couscous

2010-04-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I haven't shared this one already. Its another favorite from the cooking class I took last year. Its simple, fast and oh so delicious. The only catch is that it only works with Israeli couscous, not the regular variety. The Israeli version is slightly larger and what with the absorption, etc, regular couscous doesn't set up as well. Anyway, like you needed another excuse to shop at Trader Joe's, right? This is a tasty side dish, slightly on the sweet side.
It would pair really nicely with a spicy main dish.

Here it is, in the middle. Makes my mouth water a little remembering this meal.

1 (14 oz)can coconut milk (I use Trader Joe's light coconut milk)
1 cup chicken broth (don't use reduced sodium)
1 1/4 cups Israeli Couscous (I use the 8oz box from Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp sliced green onions, cut on the bias

Bring broth and coconut milk to a boil. Add couscous. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes and then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and generously salt to your liking. Add cilantro and green onion, serve immediately!!

* really, serve immediately. Its not nearly as good room temperature.

Seven Wives Inn Granola

2010-03-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here's the wet ingredients getting bubbly on the stovetop

The dry ingredients mixed together
The granola is baking and making my house smell wonderful

This granola recipe is off the hook. I eat it by the handful, sprinkled on top of oatmeal, stirred in with some yogurt and did I mention I like to eat it by the large handful? Staci introduced me to this delight-some treat and I love how easy it is to pull together, how healthy I feel eating it and mostly, how good it tastes. There is actually a bed and breakfast here in St.George called The Seven Wives Inn (dates back to Brigham Young/Mormon Polygamy times) and they are known for their fantastic breakfasts showcasing their homemade granola. Store it in a resealable container and you can munch happy for weeks.

Ingredients:
8 cups regular old fashioned oatmeal (not quick, instant or steel cut!)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
8 oz coconut (wide, unsweetened if available)
8 oz almonds (I like to use slivered)
8 oz cashews
3 oz sunflower seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add wet to dry, blending very well. Spread on 2 large cookie sheets (I used my sil-pat liners, you'll want to use something to line your sheets so the granola doesn't stick.) Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Let cool and store in an airtight container. I try not to break it into itty bitty pieces, I like bigger chunks I can grab while snacking. ;)

Tomato, cucumber and feta salad

2010-03-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Staci recommended this food blog a while ago and I'm finding that I am enjoying it immensely! Check out A Hint of Honey and see what you think for yourself. This salad, (my first of 2010 but who's counting?) is fresh, tasty and colorful, everything a salad should be. And a quick note, if you are fresh out of turbinado sugar (also called organic sugar, also goes by the brand name "sugar in the raw") feel free to use plain ol' white sugar like I did. It was still great!

INGREDIENTS
pint of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, feta, and oregano.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drizzle dressing over salad (you might not need the full amount of the dressing- just use enough to coat). Toss salad to coat evenly with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4.

Cowboy Cookies

2010-03-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Another recipe I made for the soldiers with Operation Baking GALS. I wanted a cookie recipe that was hardy and used shortening, as opposed to butter, so it would have a bit longer shelf life. These came from Wendy Busenbark via the World Wide Word Cookbook. There is a little story printed next to the recipe in the book that tells how she teaches cooking classes at the junior high and how everyone, faculty and students alike, rave about these cookies.
They are rave worthy alright!

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening ( I use butter flavored crisco baking sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oats (I used old fashioned oats, but you could use quick, NEVER instant)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips (I am a milk chocolate chip fan)

Directions:
Cream the shortening, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, cream for 3-5 minutes. Trust me, its what makes the cookie. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Mix into batter. Stir in oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet or use your cookie scoop, placing about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Smoked Turkey, Brie and Apple Panini

2010-03-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

When someone tells you about a sandwich that they think is THE BEST THEY'VE EVER EATEN, I have tendency to sit up and take notice. Melanie, at the lovely My Kitchen Cafe, uttered such a statement and I had to see what all the fuss was about. She did not lie. It was (in my best sing song-y broadway voice) Fab-u-lous!! Here we go with the photo spread:

here is the finished product. I never claim to be a photographer
(my better half on the blog certainly is but she wasn't working the camera,
it was technically challenged yours truly.
I have lightening issues, needless to say, please forgive me)
my beloved panini press. I also have an electric one, but the top half doesn't unhinge in the back so it has a great tendency to cook unevenly. Enter the stove top press. I heat up the top side with handle while the bottom side is also preheating and that way, I don't have to flip half way.
I know, I'm a genius.
I do what I can people, I do what I can.
The secret ingredient.
Let me rephrase, the not so secret now but still amazing ingredient
The assembly stage and just to clarify, I like a slightly thicker slice of apple. You could do them paper thin and that would also taste marvelous if you are thin apple slice fan.

Ingredients:
your favorite bread,(needs to be slightly on the crusty side, perhaps an artisan or sourdough)
shaved smoked turkey
4 oz brie cheese or one individually wrapped wedge of Laughing cow light swiss spreadable cheese
1 apple, cored and sliced (I used Granny smith for its tartness)

Directions:
Whether you use a skillet with a brick, a stove top panini press or an electric, make sure it is on and preheated before you slap your beautiful sandwich on there. It needs to be preheating while you build your creation.
Cut your bread into desired number of slices, and spread with cheese (see note) add turkey, finish off with apple slices.
Lightly butter or brush with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) your the top and bottom of your bread just like you do when you make a grilled cheese.
Make your panini, eat while piping hot, repeat with leftover bread until you can no longer button your pants. The end.

*a note about the cheese. I bought the brie cheese the first time I made this and it tasted great! However brie is probably made from solid gold as its price tag is a bit on the heavy side. Also, there are rind/wax issues. Should you eat it or not? I personally prefer not to, so I have to take the time to remove it. Some people out there (serious cheese officiandos) say that it is sacrilege to remove anything from the cheese and to experience it, you have to eat it all. Hmmm, whatever. Soooo, long story short, thanks to my friend Heather, I always have some Laughing cow spreadable swiss cheese in my fridge at all times. I still had turkey, apples and bread but had used all the brie the first time around. Lightbulb clicked on! Use the swiss!! Its spreadable and takes .03 seconds to open and schmear on my bread. And the taste! It was terrific too! Less work, less money and equally delish. I'm going with swiss from now on. :)

*another note, I just went back to Melanie's blog and she has updated this recipe post to now include grilled red onions on the sandwich. Yum, I'll have to try it that way next!

Sensational Peppermint Patty Brownies

2010-02-24T14:36:00.001-08:00

here they are, all nicely packed in a ziploc container for a solider care package

this how the top of mine looked right when I pulled them out of the oven

Back to back brownie recipes because that's how I'm rolling in 2010. This one from my beloved Hershey's 100th Anniversary cookbook, page 100. And yes folks, they are sensational! I made them for a solider's care package. I will use this forum to put in a little plug for a great organization called Baking GALS (stands for Give A Little Support) because who doesn't love a box filled with homebaked goodness whilst serving your country on the otherside of the planet? No one, that's who. So I've made it my goal to join in the fun once a month, check out their website for all the details. Its been easy, fun and I can feel good about spending my afternoon knee deep in all things sugary. I will probably never meet the recipients of these brownies but I hope they could taste how much I appreciate their sacrifices.

Ingredients:
24 small (1 1/2 inch) peppermint patties
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl with spoon or whisk, stir together butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, stir until well blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, gradually add to butter mixture. Reserve 2 cups batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in a single layer over batter. Spread reserved batter over patties. Bake 50-55 minutes or until brownies began to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes about 3 dozen.

*a note. The batter is T-H-I-C-K that's why it takes almost an hour to bake! Start watching the last 10 minutes of baking to make sure your brownies are doing okay, some ovens cook hotter than others and you don't want hard, dry brownies.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

2010-02-15T07:52:00.001-08:00

I was first introduced to these little bites of chocolate/mint perfection at a "Death by Chocolate" party my fellow Good Eats blogger Staci and I hosted a few years back. Debbie Gourely brought them to the party and in a room full of chocolate concoctions, these stood out and won a prize. In one word, mmmmmm. In a few words, mmmm, mmmm, MMMMMgood. I confess I don't make these as much as I should because my husband doesn't really like mint. I know, its a shame. He's a purist in that sense. Anyway, these require a bit of time so plan early in the day what with all the chilling in between layers. You won't be disappointed!

Brownie Base:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (16oz) chocolate flavored syrup
1 cup sugar

Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp mint extract (I used peppermint extract as opposed to spearmint extract, your choice!)
3 drops green food coloring

Topping:
1 package (10-12 oz) mint chocolate chips
9 tbsp butter (1 stick plus one tbsp) softened

Combine the ingredients for the brownie base in a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, top of brownies will still appear wet, this is all part of the plan. Cool completely!!

Combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until creamy. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until set.

For topping, melt the chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a small saucepan (or in a microwave, watching like a hawk to make sure chocolate doesn't seize.) Let cool for 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over filling. Chill before cutting. The topping will have a nice, solid feel in contrast to the soft brownie and filling, its marvelous! Store in the refrigerator.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Melt

2010-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Otherwise known as an Egg McMuffin, this conjured up memories of my days slinging fries at the golden arches. While personally, I enjoy a sausage mcmuffin with egg, (otherwise known in Mickey Dee's lingo as a "smeg") I have never been one to turn down any thing that has the words ham, cheese or melt in it. This recipe comes from the Biggest Loser pocket cookbook that is included in the workout DVD. Why would I need a workout DVD, you ask? Something to do with chocolate toffee cookies and nacho cheese dip, that's all I'm saying. Back to the recipe . . . loved it! I made the hubby's sandwich with egg whites and mine I included the yolk because I don't have the same cholesterol issues he does. :) Tasty, tasty, can't wait to make them again!

1 Thomas' light whole grain english muffin, split and toasted
1 slice (1 ounce) lean, low-sodium ham or lean canadian bacon
2 egg whites
1 slice low- or reduced fat cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Using a well buttered (or well "I can't believe its not butter" sprayed) egg ring, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, pour egg whites into ring. Cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of the ring to break the egg loose, and remove the ring. Flip the egg over and cook it for about 30 seconds longer or until done. While egg is cooking, heat ham in the same skillet, its already cooked but you're just warming it up.

On one half of the warm toasted muffin, place the ham. Place the egg on top of the ham. While the egg is piping hot, lay cheese over it. Top with the remaining muffin half. Serve hot.

* Note, if you don't have an egg ring, you can use the ring from a widemouthed canning jar, sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

*more notes! I couldn't find the exact english muffins listed here, my store only carried the Thomas multi grain english muffins, I figured as long as it wasn't the white flour muffin, I'm being healthy, right? Also, didn't have the time to scout for a lean, low sodium ham so I grabbed the hillshire farm deli sliced ham and put one slice on my muffin. And I used kraft 2% american singles. At the top of the recipe in the book, its says to make 2 at a time and save one for breakfast the next day because they reheat well. I'm not too sure about that, but would be interested in hearing from someone who actually reheated one.

Sugar Dusted Pecan Squares

2010-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

From the fun "Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book #7" come these brown sugar laden beauties! The only thing is to make sure you leave ample cooling time before you powder sugar coat them. I only left myself an hour before I had to run out the door with some treats and lets just say they weren't the prettiest squares you've ever seen. When I came home and cut myself a fresh one from the pan, it was MUCH easier to handle and so the lesson we've all learned is patience makes for better looking treats. ;)

2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups chopped pecans
4 eggs
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350
Line a 9x13 baking pan with tin foil, extending foil over ends of pan; grease foil.

Mix together brown sugar, flour, baking soda and pecans in a bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; stir in melted butter. Stir in brown sugar mixture and vanilla. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, will still look quite gooey but the middle should be more done. I went the full 25 minutes. Cool in pan COMPLETELY before lifting foil from pan. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

2010-01-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

(notice my new silpat liners on the right? and also my new 3 tier cookie rack? Santa was good to me!)

Its the new year and what do I bring you? salad? something low fat/carb-free/zero calories? guess again. Its chocolatey, loaded with toffee and goes well with ice cold milk. You guessed it, the chocolate toffee cookie! They are rich, rich, rich and that is fine with me. Melanie has never led me astray yet, these are another My Kitchen Cafe hit! Make sure you use actual chopped chocolate and that you are not sneakily substituting chocolate chips. Chocolate chips, while lovely in many recipes, have wax around them to help them hold their shape and therefore, when using chocolate that is to be melted for cookies, use REAL chocolate and chop it up. And don't be grossed out because I just told you chocolate chips have wax, its a scant amount and you'll get over it. Meanwhile, start chopping!

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped (I like the Bakers brand)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, (unless noted, always pack brown sugar when measuring)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (I used Skor bars), coarsely chopped

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in small bowl. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50% power for two minutes. Stir and continue microwaving in one minute (50% power) increments, stirring after each minute, until chocolate and butter are melted and combined. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then chopped toffee bars. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Let them cool on the PAN for at least 5 minutes before you move to the RACK. they are too soft to move any earlier. :)
(Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Lazy Bum

2009-12-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

That's me. What I am. A lazy Bum. So I've been busy making and baking in the kitchen the past 3 weeks since my last post, don't get me wrong. But nothing new. All oldies but goodies. Maybe while you're running to Target for the 12th time in one day or reviewing your child's speaking part one last time before the school program, you're not thinking about dinner. Let me help you. Here's what I've been making lately. They're not new, but the fact that somebody else did the hard part (actually picking out what to make) consider this my Christmas present to you.
You're welcome. More new stuff to come soon, I PROMISE!!

Recently we've enjoyed: Honey Lime Enchiladas and black bean salsa

Baked ziti and breadsticks

I've made this creamy chicken and wild rice soup twice in the past month.

When my in-laws were here, we loved this chicken ole. I made the whole batch, not half.

My mom has been raving about the baked oatmeal and wants it everyday.

Next week we're having friends over for some chili and cornbread.

To one friend I've sent a loaf of coconut bread, and in another box to some soldiers overseas I mailed some loaded peanut butter cookies and peanut butter toffee cookies.

Just to eat and have around the house, I've made some peppermint bark and fantasy fudge.

Addiction

2009-11-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

This one I like to call "The Beauty Shot"

I love it when things are true to their name. Like, the Beatles are the "Fab 4" because they were fabulous and there were 4 of them. And Johnny Depp is People Magazine's 2009's "Sexiest Man Alive," because he is (one) of the sexiest men alive. And being true to its name, this snacky mix is Very Addicting. I love to make it when I have company coming so that I don't eat it all by myself. Seriously, not because I think, " Oh, others will enjoy this!" but more, "I can't make this and eat it all by myself . . . again." Without further ado, I give you Addiction.
Thanks to Cyndi for first introducing it to us 5 years ago!

ps- Staci has a version that is slightly different and uses golden grahams, she'll have to post hers too.

2 boxes of Chex (one rice and one corn, or can use 2 corn or 2 rice)
1 lb sliced almonds
4 cups wide coconut (NOT flaked coconut, I buy wide coconut at a local health food store)
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups light Karo syrup

In a ginormous bowl, (or brown paper sack works well too) combine cereal, almonds and coconut.

In a saucepan over medium heat, start melting the butter and then add the sugar and corn syrup. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Once bubbly, let it boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Pour over the dry goods and stir to make sure all the sticky goodness spreads over all the cereal. Keep in a resealable container and enjoy!!

Red Onion Spinach Salad

2009-11-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen requested this recipe. It is very tasty and a go to for salads. The great thing is that you can put just about anything in the salad and it works!!

Red Onion Spinach Salad

Dressing:
1/4c. sugar
1/3c. oil (not olive)
1/4t. salt
3T. red wine vinegar
1/8th red onion

Mix all in blender

Salad:
Mix together any of the following
Spinach
Red Leaf Lettuce (really any lettuce you have will do)
Granny Smith Apple
Pears
Bacon
Craisins
Toasted Almonds
Parmesan Cheese

Italian Wedding Soup

2009-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that came from my cousin Jenny. It is so delicious and hearty. I am a soup lover and this one makes it in to the meal plan about once a month! (I will post a picture next time I make it...I forgot to get one this last time!)

Italian Wedding Soup

Makes about 12 cups

1 (10oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1T. chopped garlic in 1/4 c. olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1T. dried basil
1t. SPIKE all purpose seasoning (you can find this in the spice aisle)
1/4 pound uncooked orzo pasta
1T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
grated romano to taste

Meatballs: (I have used many different recipes for these...you can buy the meatballs if you want too!)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1T. chopped parsley
1 clove garlic

Heat oven to 350*.

To make meatballs, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 chopped clove garlic. Form into tiny meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Microwave spinach according to package directions. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out all moisture and set aside.

Saute onion, celery, carrot, 1T. chopped garlic in oil, 5 minutes or until onion is transparent.

Add chicken broth, basil and SPIKE and let simmer 5 minutes.

Add orzo. Let cook 8-10 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring slowly until soup begins to thicken. Add spinach to soup, followed by meatballs. Top with grated romano and serve.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2009-11-20T08:18:00.001-08:00

Douglas loves pecan pies. When I saw this recipe I couldn't pass it up...take a yummy pie and add chocolate to it?? Yes please!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Everyday Foods Nov. 2009

Serves 10
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 recipe pie crust, rolled and fit into a 9-inch pie plate
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes (or melt chocolate in microwave). Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.

Bake just until set (filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped), 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

Green Bean Casserole

2009-11-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love green bean casserole?? I think it is another of those comfort foods that most enjoy. I love this recipe because instead of buying cream of mushroom soup and french fried onions, you do it all yourself!

Green Bean Casserole
Everyday Foods November 2009

Serves 8
3 cups vegetable oil
6 large shallots, cut into very thin rounds, rings separated
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together shallots and 1 1/4 cups flour until shallots are evenly coated. In batches, shake off excess flour from shallots and fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat if shallots are browning too quickly. With a slotted spoon, transfer to sheet and season with salt. Set aside. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature with a layer of paper towels underneath, up to 2 days.)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add broth, then milk. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate with plastic wrap on surface, up to 2 days. Reheat before using.)
Add green beans to mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve topped with fried shallots.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

I like pretty traditional Thanksgiving fare and I love sweet potatoes so this recipe fits the bill...my mouth is salivating just thinking about it. Hope you enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole
Everyday Foods, November 2008

Serves 8
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 8), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups mini marshmallows or chopped regular marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water by 1 inch; salt generously. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and return to pan. Heat over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; add milk, butter, and nutmeg. Mash until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer sweet-potato mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. (To make ahead, refrigerate, up to 1 day.)

Top casserole with marshmallows; bake until center is warmed through and marshmallows are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Thanksgiving Corn

2009-11-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

So I feel like I'm breaking the biggest food blogging rule EVER . . . I am posting a recipe of something I have not actually made or eaten. But, to be fair, it is a tried and true of my very good friend, Christy Miller and I have it on excellent authority that this dish is foolproof. It is a star at their meal and anytime I hear that about a vegetable (really, what veggie outshines dessert?) I have to try it. I am going to make it this year for Thanksgiving and who knows, maybe you want to too and if I wait till AFTER I make it to share the recipe, well, then Thanksgiving will be over. Hence my rule breaking. :)
I promise to add notes/photos after I make this.

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, drippings reserved
1/2 cup chopped onion (yellow or white onion)
2 tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 1/2 cups whole kernel frozen corn
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives (garnish, optional)

Directions:

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp, you don't want any wiggly parts. Drain grease and save 2 tbsp drippings. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In your skillet with the reserved drippings, saute onions until tender, add flour, garlic and salt/pepper. Cook and stir until bubbly, then cook and stir one minute more. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream (isn't this sounding yummy?) Add corn, parsley and 1/2 the bacon, mix and pour into a 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with remaining bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with chives as a garnish.

* Christy says she usually doubles this for Thanksgiving and it fits perfectly in a 9x13. She also says to get a really high quality frozen corn, she uses the frozen organic corn from Costco with great results.

Turkey Brine

2009-11-14T19:26:00.001-08:00

This is a recipe from my friend Holly. I tried it out last year and it made the most tender, juicy turkey I have ever had. I am definitely doing it again!!

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Brine:
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper.

Stuff the turkey with:
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
1 large orange, cut into 8ths
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme

Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn over, and baste with 1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Another Stuffing Option

2009-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sallie posted this on My Sister's Kitchen (see sidebar) and it is just what I was imagining so I will be giving this a go on Thanksgiving! p.s. I copied the recipe and picture straight from your blog Sallie...hope you don't mind :)!!

Bread and Sausage Stuffing

Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 loaf sourdough French bread, about 1 lb., cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 leek, white and light green portions, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sausage, onion, leek, celery and sage and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat browns and is cooked through and the vegetables are translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the bread cubes, parsley and half-and-half. Stir in the stock until the mixture is evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely before stuffing into the cavities of the turkey. Serves 8 to 10.

You can either use this savory mixture to stuff the turkey (see yesterday's recipe) and then spoon any extra stuffing into a buttered baking dish and bake it alongside the turkey during the last 40 minutes of roasting or just pile it all in a large baking dish. While the turkey rests, keep the stuffing in the oven to develop a golden brown crust.

Next up:
PIES--banana cream, chocolate pecan, and from scratch pumpkin
Turkey Brine
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Jello Salad

so...stay tuned!!

Simple Stuffing

2009-11-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is the stuffing my grandma always makes and I think it is so delicious. The stuffing is always what I want for leftovers. I think the trick to make this so delish is to not skimp on the butter. mmm.

BASIC STUFFIN'

Two 6 oz. bags Mrs. Cubbison's stuffing
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups broth

Combine dressing with butter or margarine and vegetables. Stir liquid in gradually. Spoon into 2 1/2 or 3-quart greased casserole dish. Bake covered 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove cover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer for a crisper top.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-13T07:59:00.001-08:00

It is right around the corner and I couldn't be more excited!! I mean, who doesn't love a holiday that revolves around eating delicious food full of butter and cream?? YUM. So, I am going to slowly share the recipes that I will be using for my Thanksgiving fare. The first will be mashed potatoes. I am a fan of fairly traditional mashed potatoes fror Thanksgiving...you know, the comfort type. This is originally from Martha Stewart and is rich and creamy (look at the ingredients, how could it not be!)

4 pounds russet, Yukon gold, or long white potatoes
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 cups milk or cream (go for the cream, it's Thanksgiving!!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
Peel potatoes, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in a medium stockpot, and cover with cold water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain.
While potatoes are cooking, place milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat just until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Press hot, drained potatoes through a ricer into bowl. Stir potatoes with a wooden spoon until smooth, about 1 minute.
Stir in butter until completely melted and well incorporated. Slowly pour in hot milk, stirring continuously. Add pepper, nutmeg, and salt; stir to combine. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Serve immediately.

Berry Smoothie

2009-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

So, in Septemeber I decided to buy a Vita Mix...you know, the mother of all blenders. I had a blender I had purchased from Williams Sonoma and it just didn't cut it. There were always chunks left when I would make smoothies. I debated over this purchase forever (they are pricey) but then just decided to do it! I don't regret it one bit. I have used it at least once a day since I bought it. It even grinds wheat. Anyway, if you are a blender user or would like to be, definitely check them out!

So, I have made many a smoothie. I try to get the kids to drink at least one a day. I throw in spinach, carrots, cabbage, celery etc....whatever I have on hand. You can't taste it and they are all raw and full of vitamins and nutrients. This following recipe has been my favorite lately.

Berry Smoothie

Handful of almonds (if you have a regular blender, blend these to a powder first)
1-1.5 cups good orange juice (I use Naked juice from Costco, but any orange juice NOT from concentrate will work)
Scoop of plain or vanilla yogurt (optional)
5-6 frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
Handful of baby carrots (5-6)
Handful of spinach
Half of a banana
4-5 Ice cubes

Put all in blender and blend until no chunks remain. Drink and enjoy!

Healthy Tip #4

2009-11-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Sneak healthy stuff into meals whenever you can. I always try to add whole wheat flour to bread, spinach, carrots, cabbage, celery and almonds to smoothies I make etc. Most of the time you can't even taste it and it makes it that much healthier. I am going to try to post my smoothie recipe tonight. We have one almost every day!!

Pizza, Pizza

2009-11-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

We love pizza in our house. My hubster has an off colored way to describe his love for pizza. Let's just say that the basic idea is that good pizza is really good and bad pizza is still pretty good sorta like something else. Anyway, I make pizza about once a week. I have tried a few recipes and these are some of my favorites.

Pizza Crust

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

2T. vegetable oil

1t. sugar

1/4t. salt

2 1/2 cups flour (I use 1.5 cups whole wheat and 1 cup white flour...just a little healthier)

Cornmeal

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt and 1.5 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll to fit your pizza pan (normally 13 inches or so). Grease pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan, building up edges slightly, Do not let rise. Bake at 425* for 12-15 minutes or until browned. Add toppings; bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Pizza Sauce

(this sauce comes from Sallie at "My Sister's Kitchen"--check sidebar)

1-14 1/2oz. can tomatoes (I drain these)

1-6oz. can tomato paste

1/4t. oregano

1/4t. basil

1/4t. black pepper

1/4t. salt

1/8t. garlic powder

1/8t. onion powder

1T. sugar

Place all ingredients in blender and pulse until it reaches desired consistency.

Assemble the pizza

So, I make my crust and prebake it. Then, I top it with desired amount of sauce. Don't over do the sauce or it will drip when you eat. Then I top with the toppings of choice which usually includes one or more of the following: pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, sausage, and spinach. I know the spinach sounds weird, but it is a good way to sneak some healthy stuff into your kids diets. The cheese then follows. Once all this is on, put it back in the oven and cook until cheese is melted and slightly brown.

Healthy tip #3

2009-11-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

This one if for all the "pickers" out there (I am a HUGE picker). I kinda subscribe to the philosophy of one for you, one for me. Not cool when cooking. So here is a tip I learned from doing Weight Watchers...pull out the bag of carrots and munch on those when cooking. Whenever you feel the need to pick, shove a carrot in. It really works!

Healthy Tip #2

2009-11-09T15:50:00.001-08:00

As a mother of little kids it can be hard to work out like I wish I could. So, I try to find chances to exercise whenever I can. One thing I like to do it walk, whenever I can...to a neighbors, while kids ride bikes, park farther away at the grocery store and walk in, whatever you can do. I think every little bit helps! I have gotten really lazy about this, but I am going to start being good again. Walk, walk, walk!

Steak Subs

2009-11-09T13:36:00.001-08:00

Isn't that picture mouth watering? I am a huge steak sub fan!!! That ooey gooey melty cheese, delicious grilled veggies and hunks of beef . . . I'm sold. These were so awesome, they just went in my monthly family dinner rotation. Thanks to Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe, she is fabulous. The link to her original post is here. Try serving with steak fries for a real diner experience.

*Makes 4-6 large sandwiches

3-4 pounds sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick (or whatever steak is cheapest!)
1 tablespoon sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tablespoons steak sauce (used A-1 bold and spicey, hubby's fav)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4-6 (6 inch) sub rolls, slit partially open lengthwise
6 ounces thinly sliced deli provolone cheese

Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat steak dry with paper towels and rub saute spice liberally into each side. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium high heat until rippling. Cook steaks until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side (this is all the cooking time the steaks get so cook them according to your preference). Transfer to plate and tent with foil. Let them rest for five minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.

Meanwhile, add remaining oil, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Off the heat, stir in steak sauce, oregano, and sliced steak until well combined.

Divide steak mixture among rolls and top with cheese. Arrange sandwiches on rimmed baking sheets and bake until cheese is melted and rolls are golden brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Serve.

ps- these are Melanie's exact instructions, not my words.

pps- just as good the next day. Refrigerate the innards and pick up with the baking in the oven step.

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-11-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

This is a different take on the coconut cream pie and I loved it!! I mean, come on, who doesn't like chocolate added to their desserts. Just try this puppy and see if you can eat less than I did.

COCONUT CREAM PIE

Everyday Foods November 2009

For the crust:

30 chocolate wafer cookies, broken into pieces (I used 15 whole chocolate graham crackers)

1/4t. coarse salt

5T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3cup sweetened shredded coconut

For the topping and filling:

1 3/4cups sweetened shredded coconut

2 3/4 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

3/4t. pure vanilla extract

1/2t. coarse salt

1 1 /2 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Preheat oven to 325*. In a food processor, combine cookies and salt; process until fine crumbs form. With machine running, slowly pour butter through feed tube and process until mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in coconut. Press crumbs in bottom and up side of 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Bake until crust is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pie plate on wire rack.

Make topping: Increase oven to 350*. Spread 1/2 cup coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Make filling: In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, eggs yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly until bubbles form at the edge and mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl and stir in 1 1/4 cups coconut. Pour filling into cooled crust and smooth top. Refrigerate until filling is chilled and completely set, about 2 hours (or wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate up to two days.)

To serve, whip cream until soft peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Waffles

2009-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

So, there have been a lot of waffle recipes posted, but I think this is the BEST waffle recipe I have come by :). We have waffles every Sunday for lunch so I have tried a lot of recipes, but none quite match up to this one! These aren't sweet (which is a good thing since I like cream and fruit on mine) and they come out of the iron nice and crispy. I used to beat the whites with this one because my mom always did that with her waffles, but in a hurry once I didn't and there was no difference. I think the real trick is not to over mix that batter. That way the baking powder can work as it should.

WAFFLES

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups flour (I use half white, half wheat)

2t. baking powder

1t. baking soda

1/2t. salt

1/3 cup butter (I always cut this way down to make them healthier)

Heat waffle iron. In bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and melted butter and mix until just combined (there may be a few lumps left). Pour batter onto hot, greased waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

Top with syrup, fruit, cream or buttermilk syrup (our favorite!)

It's that time of year...

2009-11-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, Christmas, fall...yes, yes, yes. But the time I am referring to is my time of cumpulsive eating. I don't know if it is the cooling weather, the holidays or what, but I do know that I tend to snack more, eat more, bake more, and weigh more. Well, here I am committing to not do that this year. I told my hubby last night that I was making a resolution to stop now. For heaven's sake, we aren't even to Thanksgiving yet.

The thing that is hard about this goal is that I LOVE to cook, bake and eat. I don't want to give that up because I do enjoy it so much. I just need to use a little more moderation. So, for the next little bit I am going to be posting my favorite good eating habits, mainly as a reminder to myself, but also for any of you out there who are like me and want to control the holiday gain.

So, here's to good luck to all of us.

Tip number 1:
Drink lots and lots of water.

I always find that when I am eating more, I am drinking less. Get out a large water bottle (I use the ones I got in the hospital after having my kids) and keep it full. That means that you need to drink, refill, drink refill. This will not only keep us from feeling as hungry, but also help ward off all the winter illness that seems to be going around.

Garlic Pepper Sauce

2009-11-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

This is the sauce that goes with the black bean soup.

GARLIC PEPPER SAUCE

3T olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped (4 cups)

2 green bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)

2 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)

5 garlic cloves

1t. dried oregano

1t. ground cumin

1 large tomato, cored and coarsely chopped (2 cups)

3 cups mixed cilantro leaves and tender stems

coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add bell peppers, galic, oregano, and cumin; cook, stirring often until pepper are crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomato; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes more.

Transfer to a food processor. Add cilantro, and puree until slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

If not using immediately, transfer sauce, in 1 cup quantities, to airtight containers. Freeze until ready to use, up to three months.

Black Bean Soup

2009-11-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

I asked my hubby the other day what his favorite meal was that I made and this is what he said! The great thing about that is that this is so easy...it is definitely my go to menu item. It is on the stove as I type this in fact.

The garlic pepper sauce can be made in advance and frozen. That is what I like to do. It will make enough for about 6 recipes of soup. One recipe will feed my family with no left overs.

Oh, and this recipe comes from Martha Stewart Everyday Foods...one of my favorite food magazines. Enjoy!

BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 cup thawed garlic pepper sauce (I never thaw it in advance, isn't that what the stove is for??)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water

Put (frozen, in my house) garlic pepper sauce, water and chicken broth in a pot and heat until garlic pepper sauce is thawed. Add black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes.

Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender (though I would totally recommend investing in an immersion blender...they are awesome). If you do it in the blender make sure to work in batches since the liquid will expand when blending. Season with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir in 2-3t. fresh lime juice. Serve with sour cream and cheese, if desired.

White Bean Chili

2009-11-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

My goal is to make/post more recipes from my "Just a Matter of Thyme" cookbook because when I do make things from it, I ALWAYS love them. I've been wanting to try a white chili for a while and while I quickly scanned the list of ingredients, I realized I already had everything in my pantry. Bonus. In the original recipe, it makes it on the stovetop, bringing to a boil first and then simmering several hours. I bypassed that and brought out the trusty crock-pot, dumped everything in at once and set on low for 5 hours. MMmmm, delish.

Ingredients:
3 (14oz) cans white beans (can use dry beans, roughly 1 1/2 lbs, make sure to soak overnight and drain)
4 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic minced (or 1 tsp fresh garlic in a jar)
1 onion, diced
1 small can chopped green chiles
scant tsp ground cumin
scant tsp dried oregano
dash of ground cloves (omitted, all out of cloves, oops)
4 cups cooked chicken, diced (or 2 12.5 oz cans of chicken, drained)
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Reserve cheese as a garnish, mix all other ingredients in a crock-pot and let it do all the work. Serves 6-8, equally great leftover as fresh.

Chocolate Turtle Brownies

2009-11-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

A word about my friend Mary Ann. She makes magic happen in the kitchen. Whether its her famous Christmas chocolates, sexy cornbread or just plain ol' chocolate chip cookies, she is renowned for her culinary prowess. This is her brownie recipe and I first had them at a Death By Chocolate party Staci and I hosted a few years back. I am ashamed to say this is the first time I've made them. Don't worry, I'll repent at least once a month by baking a batch. I had to hurry and take some over to various friends' homes or else I was at high risk of eating the whole pan. We're talking me, a fork and a 9x13 of chocolate/caramel goodness. So I did what any true friend does, I decided to share the calories around the neighborhood. This is a keeper.

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips, divided (I used milk chocolate)
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I prefer pecans so that's what I used)

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and butter together, whether in the microwave or stovetop. Stir till smooth. Stir in eggs, add flour, sugar, vanilla and soda- stir well. Spread batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips and all the nuts.

Bake 350 20-25 minutes.

In her original recipe, its says to drizzle the caramel topping over the warm brownies and I decided right then, I needed to double it, because I didn't want a "hint" of caramel, I needed a blanket of caramel. So here is the original version, know that I doubled it and it was caramel heaven.

Microwave 12 caramels and 1 tbsp milk on high for 1 minute- stir. Microwave at additional 10-15 second intervals until smooth. Pour over warm brownies. Let cool completely in pan before cutting into bars.

Lara Jensen Fancy Waffles

2009-11-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here is part 2, if you will, of another waffle post. Here I posted Lara Jensen's basic waffle recipe and now I'm posting her fancy waffle recipe. This one, being fancy and such, requires more time and effort, but the delectable waffles are your reward in the end. Pass the syrup please.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups milk (or buttermilk)
1/2 cup oil

Directions:
Sift together flour, powder and salt, set aside. In another bowl, combine the 2 beaten egg yolks, milk and add oil last, set aside. Stiffly beat egg whites, carefully fold other mixtures into egg whites. Don't over mix. Cook on pre-heated waffle iron.

Cheddar Biscuits

2009-11-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

CHEDDAR BISCUITS-Makes 10

2 to 2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for working surface

2 1/4 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

6 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425*. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, soda, salt and pepper. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture represents coarse crumbs, with some pea size lumps. Mix in buttermilk and cheese until combined. With a floured hand, knead dough against side of bowl until it holds together. If it is sticky, knead in up to 1/4 cup more flour.

After kneading biscuit dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough to 1 inch thick. With a floured biscuit cutter, cut out rounds as close together as possible. Place on a baking sheet. Gather scraps; pat again, and cut out more rounds. Place on jelly roll pan.

Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Pate Brisse with Thyme

2009-11-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

PATE BRISSE WITH THYME (used to top the Chicken Pot Pie in a Pumpkin)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 T. thyme leaves
1/4cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. All ingredients should be cold. Add the pieces of butter for approximately 10 seconds, or until the mixture represents coarse meal. Add the thyme leaves, and pulse to combine.

Add ice water, drop by drop, through the feed tube with the machine running, until the dough just holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add more water.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill for at least an hour.

Chicken Potpie in a Pumpkin

2009-11-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite dishes in the fall. It just seems so festive to me. I first made this 5 or so years ago. The original recipe was from the Martha Stewart website, but after quite a bit of searching, it seems to be gone from the website...no clue why. I will first post the original recipe and then let you know what I did to change it around to work for me. My hubby helped a ton with making this yesterday and it made a huge difference, so if you have a second set of hands, definitely utilize them!!

CHICKEN POT PIE in a Pumpkin--Serves 6

6 two-pound sugar pumpkins, preferably short and squat (if you have trouble finding these, they are also called pumpkin pie pumpkins...I got some of mine at Trader Joe's when I was in Vegas and a few others from a local grocer)
5T butter, plus 2T melted
2 t. salt
1t. freshly ground black pepper
1t freshly grated nutmeg (I have a little microplane that I use to grate the nutmeg and you can buy whole nutmeg in any spice section)
1 pound pearl onions (I think the package they sold at my grocer was 10ounces. I used that amount and it was great)
9 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used extra potatoes. I was serving guests and wanted to make sure to have enough. I cut them pretty small...make sure the potatoes and carrots aren't too big because they don't get much time to cook and will be hard if they are too big.)
12 ounces button mushrooms, quartered if large (no button mushrooms at my grocery store so I bought what they had and sliced them so they would stretch farther.)
8 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 medium carrots)
5T flour
2 1/2 cups chicken brith
1 cup milk
4 1/2 cups poached or roasted chicken (from a 5 pound chicken) (I ended up using two HUGE breasts and 3 thighs since I am a dark meat girl. It was more than enough meat. I steamed it in my steamer to keep in moist. It would have been much easier to pick up a chicken at Costco, but I didn't have a chance to get over there.)
2T. fresh thyme leaves (I have an herb garden so I did use fresh herbs, but I think dry could easily be substituted.)
3T. chopped parsley
2T. fresh chopped sage
1/2 recipe Pate Brisse with Thyme
1 large egg, beaten with 1T. heavy cream for egg wash

I didn't make the Pate Brisse. Instead I made my cheddar buttermilk biscuit recipe and topped them with that. I liked it better. It was easier, heartier and tastier IMO.)
I also added a little more of some of the things I had and then doubled the liquid to make it stretch. It was enough to fill the six pumpkins with just a little left over.

Heat oven to 375*. Slice the tops off the pumpkins. Scoop out the seeds (I find an ice cream scoop helps with this). Using a pastry brush, brush insides of pumpkin with 2T. melted butter. Season insides with 1/2t. salt, 1/4t. pepper, and 1/4t. nutmeg. Place pumpkins on a baking sheet; cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add onions, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water. Peel onions, set aside.

Melt 5T. butter in a large, high sided skillet set over medium heat (I used a large dutch oven). Add potatoes and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to turn golden. Add mushrooms and carrots and cook 4-5 minutes more. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, thyme, parsley, sage, remaining 1 1/2t. salt, 3/4t. nutmeg, and 3/4t. pepper. Remove from heat, and divide amoung pumpkins.

Roll Pate Brisse to 1/8 inch thickness. Pull center of dough upward to form a pumpkinlike stem. Place over the hollow of each filled pumpkin. Using the back of a small paring knife, mark the dough to simulate the lines of a pumpkin. Brush top of dough with egg wash. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

or, if you choose to make the biscuit dough:
Make the dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a bowl of cutter that will cover the top of the pumkins. Cut out dough and place on top of pumkin, covering the hole. Bake until the biscuit topping is baked, about 25 minutes.

Caramel Corn

2009-11-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Few things are better than snuggling up on the couch with a bowl of caramel corn. Pop a movie in the DVD player, tuck the kids in bed and enjoy a cozy night at home. This is my kinda comfort food! My husband and daughter bust out their spoons the next morning for a little pre-breakfast sugar rush, while they dig into the leftovers. I much prefer it warm, freshly made. Pair this with an ice cold beverage or smoothie and its my idea of a perfect night!

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light karo syrup

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. While stirring constantly over medium to medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Can be poured immediately over popcorn or can wait up to 20 minutes. If you let it sit for a while, be sure to stir again right before pouring over popcorn.

ps- I think caramel popcorn recipes with karo syrup are much better than ones that use marshmallows. I must be programmed to love all things extra sweet!

Creamy Red Pepper Soup

2009-11-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to try this recipe for quite some time. Considering it was in the Nov 2005 issue of Everyday Food, I'd say I've been meaning to make this soup for about 4 years! It didn't disappoint. I made it, used my immersion blender (bonus!) and invited Staci to lunch. Her words, "This is blog worthy." So there you have it folks, another soup to tantalize your taste-buds this fall. We enjoyed ours with a loaf of homemade wheat bread.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter
1 rib celery, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 medium red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch chunks (5 cups)
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch sugar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons roughly chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic; cook until onion is opaque and carrot is crisp/tender, about 10 minutes.
Add peppers, broth, 2 cups water, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until peppers are very tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaf; puree soup in batches in blender. Return to pot; add cream and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, gently reheat before serving, and garnish with chives

Chili

2009-10-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

My husband could eat this at least once a week for the rest of his life and be a very contented person. He practically weeps tears of joy when fall/football season comes around because that means its chilly enough outside to make some tasty chili inside. This recipe hails from my mother-in-law and what's great about all chili recipes is you dial in the spiciness to suit your family. Like it super hot? add the chili powder by the tablespoon. Not a spicy fan? add a scant 1/4 tsp of powder. See, so easy to make it the right flavor. This is such an easy, simple recipe if you've never tried chili before, this is the right "starter" recipe. Serve with cornbread, a dollop of sour cream and some cheddar cheese. I heart chili!

Ingredients:
2 (15oz) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (29 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8oz) can tomato paste
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 tsp fresh garlic
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp hot chili powder
3 dried chilies

Directions:
In a large skillet, season beef generously with salt and pepper, add onions and brown the beef. Into the crock-pot, add beans, garlic and cans of tomato product. Drain the grease from the skillet and add beef and onions to the crock-pot. Sprinkle in chili powder to taste, drop 3 chilies in, careful not to crush them or your chili will be very spicy!! Add enough water to have 3 inches of liquid simmering all day. I usually add anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup around mid afternoon because so much water has evaporated. Cook on low for 8 hours. When ready to serve, spoon out the 3 dried chilies and discard. Excellent re-heated the next day.

Apple Crisp

2009-10-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Fact: I have a food blog. Fact: I have a camera. Fact: I am a horrible photographer of food. Fact: there is entirely too much ice cream in the bowl for you to see the beautiful apple crisp hiding underneath. The delicate oats, the precious cinnamon-y clumps of goodness mixed with the tart apples. It makes my mouth water all over again! And not to mention this the PERFECT recipe if you want your house to smell like autumn. Thanks to Sallie over at My Sister's Kitchen for the post, I believe she originally got it from Leigh Ann.

ps- I used honey crisp apples because those are my absolute favorite.

Ingridents:

4-6 large Granny Smith apples
8 graham crackers
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C butter, melted

Peel, core, slice apples. Finely chop graham crackers (I use my food processor).

Combine crumbs, sugar, oats, flour and spices.

Add butter; mix well. Spoon mixture over apple slices.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Serve warm with ice cream.

ps- didn't peel my apples. My husband went on and on about how time consuming that is and how the nutrients are all in the peel, blah blah blah. Lucky for him, it still tasted great with the peel on, so save yourself some work. ;)

Edamame, almond and parmesan crostini

2009-10-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hard to tell by the picture, but the pile of toasted bread and the small dish to the side/front of the bread is the edamame with almond and parmesan. It was so delicious! This is again, from my cooking class called Downtown Cooking. While we were eating the appetizers, I had to constantly remind myself to save room for the entree, I just wanted to gobble the crostini right up! The warm toasted almonds were irresistible, good luck saving room for anything else.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked edamame, shelled
1/2 cup whole almonds (roughly 3 oz)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 tbsp fresh mint, julienned
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spread almonds on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from sheet pan and allow to cool. Rough chop.

Prepare edamame beans as directed. Rinse with cold water. Combine lemon juice, zest, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cracked pepper and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add almonds, beans, cheese and mint. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Crostini.

To make crostini, slice a small baguette on the bias in thin slices. Lay on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Chocolate molten Souffles

2009-10-28T12:35:00.001-07:00

Because there is no such thing as too much chocolate. Because this time of year, all attempts to eat healthy are thrown out the window. Because, by golly, souffles *sound* impressive. Because I've been meaning to post this since the beginning of August. There, those are my reasons for bringing you this sensational dessert today. This was served at the cooking class in LA, CA I took called Downtown Cooking. It was an awesome experience and my goal is to get all the recipes from the class onto this blog so I won't lose them. Serves 6, but recipe can easily be doubled. Hot Fudge sauce recipe is at the bottom. Enjoy something decadent today.

5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (or use a half bag of semi sweet chocolate chips)
10 tbsp unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450. Butter 6 3/4 cup souffle dishes, custard cups or ramekins. Anything that is that size and oven safe will do. Stir chocolate and butter in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture and flour. Pour batter into dishes, dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill)

Bakes cakes until sides are set but center remains soft and runny, about 11 minutes or up to 14 minutes for batter that was refrigerated. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Immediately turn cakes out onto plates. Serve with hot fudge and ice cream. Also excellent with strawberries.

Hot Fudge Sauce:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate is okay)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Add all but vanilla in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Take out, stir, and add vanilla. Microwave 1-2 more minutes. Serve over chocolate souffles. Great also for mud pie or banana splits.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-10-23T14:59:00.000-07:00

Paula Deen has never led me astray. She is one superb cook. And I love how she never apologizes for putting a pound of butter in every recipe. When asked about how healthy (or unhealthy) her dishes are she responded with, "I'm a cook not your doctor!" Amen Paula, amen. These potatoes were all that I wanted them to be and more. I did omit the bacon because we served these alongside steak and quite frankly, what with the holidays coming up and all, I don't need a 2800 calorie meal. But really, very tasty, I savored every bite and my husband, kids and baby all enjoyed them too. Victory!

Ingredients:

8 medium baking potatoes, about 4 pounds
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups (1/2 pound) shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 pint sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped chives, for garnish (optional IMHO)
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Pierce the potatoes and place on a baking pan. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until very soft. Allow to cool.

2. Peel and mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Or use your kitchen aide with the cookie paddle, worked great for me! Add the cream cheese, butter, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese and the sour cream. Stir well. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and stir again.

3. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place the potatoes into the dish. The casserole may now be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to bake.

4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Garnish with the chopped chives and crumbled bacon before serving. Serves 10-12

*a note. If you make it like this, its like a casserole. I preferred to save the potato skins and made these traditional twice baked potatoes. Just stuff the saved skins with the yummy potato mix and continue to follow the directions.

Eldena's Beef Stew

2009-10-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

When I made this the other night, my husband said, "Finally, some different food!" And I didn't have any idea what that meant and was starting to maybe not be so happy. But then he quickly explained that he meant he was glad it was another season and we had "new" food to eat, things we haven't had in a very long time. He proceeded to have 2 ginormous helpings of stew which erased any and all bad feelings from earlier. :)
I think he's a wee bit tired of "summer" food, because living here in the desert, summer lasts a long time. Anyway, this family recipe comes from Aunt Eldena who is a terrific cook. I make mine in my crock pot but you could also bake it in your oven, I'll give those directions at the end. This is fall eating at its best. And the roll you see hanging over the edge of the plate, I'll be posting the recipe for those later. They were wheat/white rolls and the perfect companion to sop up stew. This leaves your whole house smelling like a yummy fall day!

2 lbs stew meat, cubed into 1-2 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
8 regular carrots, sliced, or approx 20 baby carrots
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp white sugar
1 (14oz) can beef broth
1/3 cup tapioca (yes, the same tapioca used in making puddings and in fact it is located by the puddings. It is merely a thickening agent, don't be alarmed)
8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients (minus potatoes) and cook in a crock pot on low for 4-5 hours. After the 2nd hour, add potatoes. If you want to cook it in your oven, same instructions, oven should be at 300 degrees.

* a note. This doesn't make a huge amount, just right for a family of 4. With my husbands 2 huge servings, my 1 regular size and my kids 2 small, we ate it all without any left-overs. You could easily double this and it can still fit in the crock pot, I think you would increase the cooking time by a few hours.

White Wedding Cupcakes

2009-10-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

I love LOVE me a good doctored up cake-mix. Its a win win. Moist, easy and home-made all thrown together. Because I have to admit, I have made many a "from scratch" cake that is heavy and dry. I discovered this recipe by typing in "doctored cake mixes" on google.com and voila, stumbled upon this keeper. Thanks to Recipe Girl for introducing these to me, they are my go-to cupcake. My mom likes to make 2 9" round cakes, and spread lemon filling in the middle. This is quite the versatile recipe! My husband thinks they taste like they came from 25 & Main, a local cafe that is famous for delectable cupcakes. Its always cupcake season at my house. :)

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix (Duncan Hines works very well)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ tsp salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream ( I use reduced fat sour cream, fine results)

4 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you’ll need approx. 36).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Yield: 36 cupcakes

Cooking Tips

*Add a tsp. of almond extract (in addition to the vanilla) if you wish to have a different flavor.

**Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling.

***You can also use this mix to make cake. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

*cooking tips courtesy of Recipe Girl.

Basic chocolate frosting; (Better Homes and Gardens)

1/3 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat in any additional milk by the teaspoon, if needed, until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Lara Jensen Waffles

2009-10-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

As part of my bridal shower, people were asked to bring some of their favorite recipes to share with me, the new bride. This was one I received from my YW President (youth church group leader.) Actually, I received 2 waffle recipes from her, one called "basic" (this one) and another called "fancy," which shall be saved for a post another day. I serve these bad boys with whipped cream and sliced strawberries, . . . mmmm . . . divine. I've been making her waffles for years and they are always oh so tasty. Thanks Lara!

Sift together:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I have used half white/ half wheat before w/o any problems)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Mix together:
3 eggs
7 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cup milk (can use buttermilk)

Add wet to dry and stir just until incorporated, do not over mix. Cook by the 1/4 cup in your pre-heated waffle maker. These freeze/refrigerate very well.

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-11T12:50:00.001-07:00

These cookies have a history. I remember my mom making these when I was little, so soft and irresistible. (FYI, she got the recipe from the Libby's cans of pumpkin. Incidentally, its not on the cans anymore, they now exclusively promote their pumpkin roll.) Fast forward to my college years at the Y and I made them for my fabulous roommates. We would eat the whole batch ourselves! Fast forward over 10 years. All four of us are married and have kids of our own and without fail, we all make these cookies every fall. Repeat, all of us, every year. I have received several, "Hi, how are you, but really, what's that pumpkin cookie recipe again?" phone calls from across the country. This recipe has glued us together over the years and if that sounds sappy, its only because you have yet to make them and eat them. And a shout out to Angel, Amber and Bonnie, I think of you every time I make these. :)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup shortening)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry goods in a large bowl. In another large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin to the creamed mixture until well combined. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Add dry ingredients to creamed and mix well. Using medium cookie scoop (or just dropping by spoonful) onto lined (silpat, parchment, tin foil, something or else they are prone to sticking) cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Makes approx 3 dozen. Let cool completely before frosting.

Butter Frosting: (from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook)

1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in any additional milk by the teaspoon, if needed, until frosting reaches desired consistency. Tint any colored desired, but of course, when making pumpkin cookies, I think orange looks very festive.

PS- Angel and Amber would put the frosted cookies in the freezer and said that was their very favorite way to eat them, super cold, straight out of the freezer.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

This is Anne posting a recipe Staci made. :) While I might not have been the cookie maker, I had the honor of being a cookie eater and these were super yummy. They were in the Oct 09 issue of Everyday Food. To quote from Everyday Food, "These cookies are crispy at the edges, chewy in the center, and loaded with two kinds of chocolate." No alterations to the recipe, make, eat and eat some more!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in eggs, on at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated; fold in chocolate chips and chunks.
3. Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or a large spoon, drop dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet (you should have 24) and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange 6 unbaked cookies, 3 inches apart, on each of two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are light golden brown, 17-18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Bake remaining dough using new parchment.

To Freeze: Freeze unbaked cookie on a baking sheet until firm; store in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer up to 1 month. Bake from frozen.

JP's Big Daddy Biscuits

2009-10-05T10:21:00.001-07:00

Found this recipe a few years ago from AllRecipes.com and I have been loving them ever since. Slather in homemade strawberry jam or honeybutter and you have a little bit of heaven on earth. It received 4.5 stars by over 1,300 reviewers so that's saying somethin'. This makes 12 fluffy biscuits, resist the urge to get more than 12 out of the dough, you want a "Big Daddy" biscuit, not a little, flat, hard biscuit. I used buttermilk because I believe it makes everything taste *that* much better. Serve immediately, but they are also good with breakfast the next morning.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups milk (can substitute buttermilk, I used a scant 2 cups, more like 1 and 3/4 cups)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2009-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I went a little nuts with the sour cream, sorry. But don't let that distract you from the real star of this meal, the enchiladas! They totally lived up to the hype and were terrific. I'm so glad I tried these. I used chicken this time, but am interested in trying it with pork. Lime and honey are an awesome combo. Thanks to Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe for re-sharing this recipe. And she was right, its too good to be forgotten at the bottom of the pile!

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray your pan or pans. Some can get a 9x13 and an 8x8 out of this recipe, just depends on how fat your stuff your enchiladas. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

ps- these are all her words, they were so cute, I couldn't have said it better myself!

Buttermilk Syrup

2009-10-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

I am shocked I have never posted this before. This is a travesty! This recipe comes from Staci and at the top of the recipe is written, "Breakfast will never be the same again." Truer words were never spoken. At her house its called "Crack Sauce" and at my house, "Special Syrup" because its addicting and amazing. Another excerpt from the original recipe, "Serve over pancakes, waffles, ice cream or eat by the spoonful." Amen to that sister. And might I add, plate licking is totally allowed. Its that good.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (no substitutions)
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Combine all but vanilla in a large pan and stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Still stirring, boil seven minutes and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and can either serve immediately or let cool slightly. Keeps marvelously well in an air tight container in the fridge. Reheat just the desired amount, not the whole container.

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

2009-09-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Cookie Carnival for making this the challenge for September, these were fabulous! What's funny is that Staci sent me an email with the link to the recipe and told me I should make these. So it seems I was destined to make these delectable treats. Martha never leads me astray, I knew I would love these. If you like coconut, you'll love these. If you like brownies, you'll love these. And, a side note, I enjoyed watching the tutorial video on her website. It made it all the easier to follow the directions. I made these for a bake-sale last weekend and they were snatched right up. Make your day coco-choco-liscious!

Ingredients

Makes 24

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
FOR COCONUT TOPPING
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

Directions

For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).
Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.
For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.

Whole wheat pancakes

2009-09-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't need something new to try in the mornings? It seems like there's always a plethora of breakfast recipes floating around and I love trying each and everyone. This recipe is actually Staci's and I love using whole wheat that I ground myself. These pancakes are great, perfect consistency to soak up the syrup. And that whole wheat makes you feel all the better about getting your day off to a healthy (and tasty) start. Yum!

2/3 cup whole wheat
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 cup milk
4 tsp oil

Mix all together with a whisk until blended, do not over mix. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Cook pancakes on hot griddle, turning once when bubbles form around the edges but bubbles do not burst. Makes 12 regular sized pancakes.

PS- leftovers keep great in the fridge for several days, just pop in the ol' microwave and voila breakfast is served!

Penuche Icing

2009-09-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Cake makes me happy. Fat and happy. Is that so wrong? Home-made cake and homemade frosting makes me really happy. And for the record, I do not equate home-made with made from scratch. There is a difference. Moving on, this frosting is simply fabulous. All that brown sugar gives it such a butter-scotchy feel, its delightful on yellow cake. Thanks to my mother-in-law for sharing the recipe! Feel free to pair it with different flavored cakes, let your taste-buds guide you. I've included one of my favorite doctored up cake mixes from the lovely "Hello Cupcake" cookbook. Happy cake making to you!

Easy Penuche Icing:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 to 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in brown sugar. Boil and stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm, approx 120 degrees on a candy thermometer. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Place saucepan in a bowl full of ice water and stir with a wooden spoon until thick enough to spread. If its too thick, add milk by the tablespoon. If its not thick enough, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon until icing reaches desired spreading consistency. Makes enough for 2 9" layers or 9x13 oblong.

Doctored Yellow Cake Mix:

(will work with French Vanilla, Devil's Food or Yellow cake mixes)

1 box cake mix (I use Duncan Hines exclusively)
1 cup buttermilk (in place of the water called for on the box)
vegetable oil (the amount on the box)
4 large eggs (in place of the # called for on the box)

Make cake as per instructions on back of box. Frost with icing when cake has cooled.

French Bread Pizza

2009-09-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is E-A-S-Y! In fact, I debated not even posting it because its so un-glamorous, but then I thought, the name of this blog isn't Gourmet Today, its called Good Eats and well folks, french bread pizza fits the bill. This is the way my dad has been making it for years and years. We eat this about once a month, throw some veggies on the side, some ice cold root beer and there you have it!

Sauce:
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 tbsp Italian herb blend (if you don't have a blend, throw together equal parts dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.)
1 tsp fresh garlic (we like a heaping teaspoon)

In a small pot over low heat, stir ingredients together, just heating through and keeping warm until you spread it over the bread.

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Take one regular size french bread, slice it once the long way in half, and then I usually get 4 pieces out of each half.
Spread sauce liberally over each piece. One batch of sauce should be the perfect amount, you won't run out and you won't have any left over.
Sprinkle generous quantities of mozzarella cheese and top with your choice of toppings.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Eat immediately!

*a note. You can save left-overs, I just wrap them up in tin foil but microwaving really makes them soggy, I suggest re-heating in the oven or (shameful admittance,) eating it cold.

The Cornbread and honeybutter

2009-09-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here is The Cornbread and honeybutter recipe of the century. Yes, that's why its called "The" cornbread. Because it beats other cornbreads with a sharp stick and reigns supreme over all. It will forever hold this title because its is *that* good. Everything I love about a cornbread (and you should too) is here, its cakey, moist and the perfect corn flavor, very mellow not too over powering. I've made it twice, both times doubling the recipe and making it in the 9x13. A huge shout-out to Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe for introducing this to me and also to Sallie who posted it on her blog as well and inspired me to wait no longer, make it today!

and PS- the honeybutter is celestial, I'm just saying . . .

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center.

Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny).

Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:2 sticks butter, softened1/2 cup honey1/2 cup marshmallow fluff.

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

*a note. Use the toothpick test when making the 9x13 because it will have to bake a little longer than the time for the 8x8, but not much. Test it at 35 minutes, if not clean on the toothpick, set timer for 2 more minutes and check again, so on until done.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2009-09-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

I could never be on a no-carb or even low-carb diet. I love bread. In all its many splendid shapes and beautiful varieties. Cinnamon Swirl Bread happens to be a family favorite. And if we somehow manage to have any left-over, the next day I make french toast with it. MMMmmmm, that's some good stuff, I'm telling you! Thanks to Annette Winslow who is famous for her bread and made hand-outs with her recipes for everyone in our ward (church congregation.) I have made this many times.

BASIC WHITE BREAD:

1/2 cup warm water
2 packages (or 2 tbsp) rapid rise yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
5-7 cups flour ( I have used both bread flour and regular All-Purpose, both work well)

Dissolve yeast in warm water, let it get foamy, set aside. Heat milk but do not boil (this is called scalding.) When milk cools to lukewarm, pour into large mixing bowl and add butter and egg. Then add yeast mixture, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is easy to handle. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour. Punch the dough down and let rise for another hour. Knead for another 5 minutes.

Here's where you make it cinnamon-y swirl-y wonderful. Or you can skip the cinnamon/sugar and just make plain ol' white bread which is always a treat too.

Divide dough in half, roll out each part into a small rectangle. Spread 2 tbsp butter over the dough and sprinkle 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 sugar over the buttered dough. Roll back up, place seam side down in a greased loaf pan.

Let rise for another 20-30 minutes before baking at 350 for 30 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

2009-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Today, I am channeling Pioneer Woman because I have multiple, step by step photos! This recipe is bits and pieces from other recipes and more "I know enough about how this should all work, let me try putting this and this together." Make sense? All I know is, I love Mexican food and this meal is hot and tasty in under 30 minutes.

Let's start by making the fajita part:

1-2 lbs chicken (or meat of your choosing) cut into 2 in pieces
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
A generous handful of sliced, chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 packet Fajita seasoning mix
1 tbsp canola oil

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil, wait a minute, and add your chicken pieces and veggies. Saute for 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 a packet of the Fajita Seasoning Mix over the chicken and veggies. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and the onion is translucent. Remove from heat.

Now for the quesadilla part:(this is how it should look right before placing the other tortilla on top)

Pre-heat oven to 400.
Have 4 large flour tortillas and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ready. Place 2 tortillas on a cookie sheet (I put tin foil down so I wouldn't have to scrub baked cheese off my cookie sheet.) Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese onto each tortilla, then distribute 1/2 the chicken/veggie fajita mixture onto each tortilla. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup cheese over each chicken/veggie filling and end by placing another tortilla over top. Pop in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melty.

Remove from oven, and with pizza slicer, cut each tortilla into 6 wedges. Serve loaded with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, with black beans on the side. Dig in! Serves 4.

*a note. The beauty of this recipe, is you can adjust it to feed more people OH SO EASILY! If you're using more than 2 lbs of meat, use the full fajita seasoning packet and up the amount of veggies. Don't like mushrooms but love green peppers? Fix it the way you like your fajitas. Its more of a method than a recipe. Grill meat and veggies, bake with cheese on a tortilla and serve with toppings! Ta Da!

Lemon Pudding Fruit Salad

2009-09-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

The picture really doesn't do it justice, because it was very, very tasty. Love that lemony flavor with all the other fruit, and the creamy texture. Another hit from the "Essential Mormon Cookbook!" Make it in the earlier in the day so it has at least 3-4 hours to chill before serving. We served this alongside BBQ and beans and it was a great pairing, the spicy/hot with the lemony cool.

1 large (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained with juice reserved
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained with juice reserved
1 (3 oz) package lemon jell-o
1 (3 oz) package lemon pudding (NOT instant)
1 (8 oz) tub frozen whipped topping (read cool whip)
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup miniature marshmallows

In a large measuring glass, combine reserved fruit juice and enough water to make 3 cups liquid. Pour into a large saucepan and bring liquid to a boil. Mix in jell-o and pudding mix. Cook and stir until thickened. (Use your whisk to break up the clumps, you want a smooth texture) Cool. Stir in whipped topping, fruit, and marshmallows. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (should be more like 3-4 hrs) Serve the same day. Makes about 12 servings.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

2009-09-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

Apple and caramel, a match made in heaven! I have been jonesing for an autumn-y treat for quite some time now. Thanks to google for helping me find this gem. Here is the link to the recipe, its from Jamie at Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats, and the original comes from one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple. And I love how Jamie wrote that what attracted her to this recipe was all the butter! My kinda gal!

As I was chopping the apples, a tedious task for certain, I thought to myself, this better be worth all the work! One bite. That is all it took to convince me, it was well worth the work. The only thing that I might alter is that I would double the glaze, because it is not possible to have too much caramel with apples.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the dish
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the dish
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I omitted this, not a nutmeg fan)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans (left these out)
2 1/4 tsp vanilla

Caramel Glaze, recipe below (optional)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Heat oven to 325° F.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter and the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. The batter should be very thick. Stir in the apples, pecans, and vanilla. Scrape the batter into a buttered and floured 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes while you make the Caramel Glaze, if using. (If using, ha!!!)

Caramel Glaze

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the granulated and brown sugars and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Yield: Makes 16 servings

*notes. Jamie mentioned she had to bake her cake 65 minutes, so don't automatically pull your cake out at 60 minutes and assume its done. The toothpick test is vital with this recipe. This cake was fabulous warm, room temperature and for breakfast the next morning!

JJ's whole wheat bread

2009-09-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

As you can tell by the photo, I got a little carried away with the flour dusting before baking. Wanting to give it a nice "artisan" look, but went a tad overboard. Oh well, tasted great anyway. This recipe hails from my mother-in-law, Janet. She is a fantastic cook and is health conscious to boot. Who knew that was even possible? But I digress. This makes one loaf and I prefer to make it the old fashioned way, read no mixer, kneading the bread with my own 2 hands. Its very rewarding, an excellent stress reliever. Feel free to whip it up in your bread machine, (on quick cycle) or kitchen aide or bosch. Whatever floats your boat. This makes your whole house smell yummy, tastes super AND is good for you, a winning combo. Thanks JJ!

2 cup whole wheat flour (if you grind your own wheat, that's 1 cup kernels)
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup wheat bran (I buy in bulk at a health food store)
1/4 cup gluten (again, bulk )
1 tbsp yeast (my M-I-L recommends SAF brand)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp warm water

Dissolve yeast in warm water, let it sit approx 5 minutes until foamy. Mix whole wheat flour, bread flour, wheat bran, and gluten together in a large bowl. Add foamy yeast, oil and honey. Mix well, knead for approx 10 minutes. I spray plastic wrap with PAM, cover the bowl and let it rise until double. Must be because of the whole wheat and bran, (makes a denser bread) but it takes more than hour to double. Punch down, place in greased loaf pan. Let rise again, until 2 inches higher than top of pan. Bake @350 for 30 minutes. Cool in pan for a few minutes, than let cool completely on a rack.

Tried and True Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

Everyone has one, a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is their tried and true. The one they turn to when they want that homey comfort food. And this is mine. I dressed them up a bit and threw in white chocolate chips as well. The recipe comes from my "Just a Matter of Thyme" cookbook. I have the recipe memorized and this is my kids' favorite cookie, hands down. My husband insists I save some dough for him a baggie in the fridge for him to eat when he gets home from work. In short, these are one of my favoritest cookies ever ever ever.
(Tina, these are the ones I brought to Relief Society, this post is for you!)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 shortening (I use Crisco butter sticks)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (12oz) package chocolate chips (I use Hershey's milk chocolate)

Blend together softened butter and shortening until smooth. Cream with sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well (5 MINUTES!) In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Do not crowd- allow at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes. It is very important not to overbake! The cookies should be lightly golden brown, but not shiny on top. This dough will keep nicely in the fridge for several weeks enabling you to make just one dozen at a time if you like. Makes approx 3 dozen.

Bruschetta Salad

2009-09-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

MMMmmmmm. I can still taste it. So summery. So flavorful. So simple. Once you are comfortable with the recipe, its easy to adjust it to make a little or a whole lot, depending on how much you need. What a way to use up those garden tomatoes! And to boot, Staci used fresh basil from her garden. Can you say "FANTASTIC?" Thanks to Sarah for introducing me to this a few years back, its now a staple in my house.

6-8 large tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped, (could also use cherry tomatoes, halved)
1 loaf crusty, artisan bread, cubed and toasted (I use the rosemary/olive oil or the garlic artisan bread from Costco)
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, (they come in a 2 pack at Costco, just use one cheese and save the other one for the next time you make this salad, they keep quite a while in the fridge)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin pieces
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
6 tbsp EVOO
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 scant teaspoon fresh garlic (if using a garlic-y crusty bread, scale down or omit)
salt and pepper to taste

I toast my bread on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes, watch closely, don't let it brown too much.
Meanwhile, prep your cheese, tomatoes, and basil, put them in a very large bowl.
Whisk your EVOO, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper together.
Toss the bread with everything in the bowl.
Drizzle the dressing on, toss until thoroughly combined and dig in! This serves a crowd but eat it right away, the bread gets a tad soggy the next day and its not as nearly enjoyable. Bon Appetite!

Shredded BBQ beef

2009-09-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad recipe blogger because I have been forgetting to take pictures! I guess I could post without photos, but it just seems so plain and boring. Don't we all love a picture to go with the recipe? Anyway, thanks to google for providing this one. Its pretty darn exact, in my opinion. This recipe hails from Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 7, and I love that its a crock pot recipe. I simply adore them. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of just plain roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, that whole spread. But . . . I do like to do something else with all those roasts in my freezers every once in a while. Enter BBQ beef sandwiches! Its a family favorite round these parts. Just the right mix of sweet and spicy.

2 -3 lbs beef chuck roast ( I buy whatever beef roast is on sale. I figure its gonna get cooked to bits so who cares who fancy it is?)
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed and divided
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
7 oz bottle ketchup (basically one cup)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
pepper to taste

1. Place roast in your crock pot, add enough water to cover. Top with sliced onion, heat on high for one hour. Reduce to low and continue cooking for 7 hours.

2.When its all done in the crock pot, remove and with 2 forks, shred the meat.

3.Place in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar; heat until liquid evaporates.

4.Combine remaining ingredients with remaining brown sugar in a mixing bowl, pour over beef in skillet. Heat until warmed through. Serve with buns or eat by itself, serves 6.

Rice Pudding

2009-09-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

Firstly, I totally ripped this picture off the net, thank you google! And that is because we snarfed it all, no leftovers, didn't even have time to get the ol' camera out. Secondly, if you are not a rice pudding fan, I ask you, why not? It has everything a homey, old fashioned dessert should have; milk, cinnamon and sugar. Well, and the rice too, of course. But seriously, its so cinnamony-sugary fantastic. Perhaps a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for those not counting calories. MMMMMmmmm, it truly is comfort food at its best.

3/4 cup rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (could use nutmeg instead, I'm much more a cinnamon kinda gal)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
5 cups milk (my guilty secret? I use whole milk)

Mix all ingredients together. Bake 1-1/2 hours in a 2 qrt baking dish at 375. Let cool slightly and serve.

Creme Brulee

2009-09-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

This is the very best creme brulee I've ever had. Ever. Beats any restaurant. And that includes the one I had in Paris. As in Paris, France, the home of amazing confections. The creme brulee in Paris was served cold, and that really is not the very best way to serve it. According to Chef Peon, (the fantastic pastry chef who's notes on this recipe from AllRecipes.com made ALL the difference in the world) part of the tastiness of creme brulee comes from the contrast of the cold creme and the hot, crunchy sugar crust. If you re-chill it after you torch the top, the top will soften again as it chills. So the very best way to serve it is immediately after caramelizing the sugar on top, to contrast the hot and the cold, the smooth and the crunchy. There's my discourse on dessert. Thanks to Cookalot who submitted this recipe on AllRecipes.com, its never failed me yet.

6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately
After pouring a little of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture and whisking briskly, pour the cream/yolk mixture into the rest of the cream and whisk. There will be a lot of foam on the top. Skim this off with a strainer and throw away.
Pour the hot mixture into individual serving dishes or ramekins and place in a baking dish. Set the dish with the ramekins in it on your oven shelf, then pour hot water in the dish so the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake at 375 anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. They are done when you shake the dish gently and the brulees jiggle just slightly in the middle. The jiggle shouldn't be a liquid jiggle, but more of a gelatin-like jiggle.
Remove from oven and let the brulees cool in the water bath for about 15 minutes, then remove and put the brulees in the refrigerator to chill completely.
Just before serving, sprinkle the tops with white granulated sugar and shake off the excess. Place under broiler til caramelized or use a propane torch to burn the tops. Serve immediately.

*a note. This serves 5. If you want to adjust it for different amounts, say you want to make 8, you can go to AllRecipes.com, find the original recipe and there is a feature that allows you to change servings. It will adjust the amount of ingredients, but not the directions. And I've incorporated Chef Peon's comments into my directions here so they are not identical to the directions you will read there. So be careful of that. Also, I have made this a day ahead, I stick them in the freezer, I pull them out about 10 minutes before I want to broil the top and I've never had a problem.

Banana Muffins

2009-09-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie. Sometimes, I get sick of banana bread. So, I needed something to do with those bananas that have the lovely brown spots and voila! A banana muffin is the answer! Thanks to my trusty Better Homes and Gardens versatile muffin recipe, see notes about variations.

1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup mashed bananas

1. Line a 12 cup muffin tin. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Add the mashed banana and any nuts (optional) to the dry mixture with the egg mixture.
3. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes.

*a note. Variations include:

blueberry: prepare muffins except fold 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and increase milk to 3/4 cup.

oatmeal: reduce flour to 1 1/3 cups, increase milk to 3/4 cups and add 3/4 cup rolled oats to dry mixture.

poppy seed: increase sugar to 1/2 cup, increase milk to 3/4 cup, add 1 tbsp poppy seed to dry mixture.

cranberry muffins: combine 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries, increase milk to 3/4 cup, and 2 tbsp additional sugar, fold into batter.

cheese muffins: stir 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese into dry mixture, increase milk to 3/4 cup.

Ranch-style Beans

2009-09-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

My family loves beans, its something all of us enjoy eating. So I love recipes that add a little spice and pizazz, like this one, instead of boring from the can beans. I hope you like it too! Thanks to my Essential Mormon Celebrations cookbook for another winner. Fix these at your next BBQ!

1 lb bacon, cut in 2 inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped (I used red)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
2 tbsp mustard
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) can white or pinto beans, drained (I used pinto)
1 (16oz) can lima or butter beans, drained (I used butter beans)
1 (16oz) can red kidney beans, drained
2 (16 oz) cans pork and beans, UNdrained

Fry bacon in a large skillet until cooked but not crisp. Add onion and chopped pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain off bacon grease and discard or save for another use. In a large baking dish, combine all other ingredients. Stir in bacon, onion, and pepper mixture. Bake at 325 for about 1 hour. Makes 12 servings.

*notes. In an effort to use my oven less and my crock-pot more, I put these in my crock-pot on low for about 3 hours and they were gggggreat!

Fresh Wheat Bread

2009-09-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Brittany at Sisters' Cafe for sharing this recipe! I ground my own wheat and thought this bread was fantastic. The recipe is designed for a kitchen aide so don't worry if you're not all cool and fancy with your bosch (cough, cough, Staci). I loved her tips at the bottom, very helpful. Happy bread making!

2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
4 to 5 cups bread flour, sifted
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 Tbs yeast (a rounded Tablespoon)
2 ounces honey (1/4 cup)
1 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup milk
½ stick butter (1/4 cup)

1. In a large mixer bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt and yeast.
2. In a medium bowl, combine honey, milk, water and butter, and heat to 105 degrees in the microwave. (About 60 seconds - I used a candy thermometer. It worked great.)
3. Stir liquids to melt the butter and add, all at once, to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.
4. With the dough hook installed on your stand mixer, mix dough. Add more flour by the Tablespoon, as needed, until the dough comes together and clears the bowl. Mix for 8-10 minutes with the dough hook until no longer sticky, adding flour as necessary.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Remove from bowl and divide dough in half. Make each half into a 10 x 12 rectangle and roll each up from short end. Pinch the seams. Roll on the countertop to make a uniform log and place in an oiled breadpan seam-side up. Shake the roll to oil the bottom, turn the pan over, catch the dough and reinsert it into the pan, seam-side-down. (or just spray your plastic wrap with oil before covering so it doesn't stick. I don't like to use a towel to cover because it can dry out the dough.)
7. Return to warm place and let rise an additional 30 minutes or until at least 1 inch above the pan top. Bake in a preheated 400°F. oven for 25 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.

Yield: 2 loaves

Cooking Tips
*To create a nice, warm place for your loaves to rise, turn on oven for 60 seconds and then turn it off. Turn the oven light on too. The temperature should be just about right for your loaves to rise nicely. (don't forget to turn off the oven!)
*If you do not plan to eat both loaves right away, they freeze beautifully. Wrap loaf with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven- just foil, nothing else- the wrapping-while-hot trick retains the moisture so when thawed it's very fresh tasting.

Baked Oatmeal

2009-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

From Melanie's Kitchen Cafe, this recipe was oh so oaty delish! I love loved it! A great way to have oatmeal and yet its also a treat. Thanks for sharing!

PS- I halved it in an 8x8, perfect for me and Travis, and it heated up well the next day.

6 cups oatmeal (you can use quick or rolled, I used quick, per Melanie's suggestion)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups milk
4 beaten eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I enjoyed mine with some milk poured in the bowl and some cut-up fruit on top.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2009-08-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from Travis' girlfriend from high school's family. How's that for a connection? We call them Nebeker oatmeal cookies. These are fantastic, pretty much my favorite oatmeal cookie ever. A few things, #1, I hydrate my raisins before I throw them in the dough. This consists of me taking about 1 and 1/2 cups of raisins, putting them in a medium size bowl, filling the bowl mostly full of water and popping it in the ol' microwave for about 5 minutes. I always hydrate before I start making the cookies, then the raisins have time to cool down, soak up that water and become plump little beauties. #2, Just for cookies in general, I cream the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla for 5 minutes. Seriously. I set my timer for 5 minutes, and let my Kitchen Aide work some magic. EVERY cookie will benefit from the extra "creaming" time. Thought I'd share that wonderful tid-bit.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening (I resisted my natural impulse to use butter, and used butter flavored Crisco, love how they turned out)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot water
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 cups oatmeal (I use quick oats, never use instant oatmeal)
tons of raisins

Cream together sugars, shortening, eggs and vanilla

Add the tablespoon of hot water

Combine dry ingredients, flour, salt, and soda and add them to the creamed mix. Mix just long to have it sorta pull together, then add the oats and raisins. Then mix thoroughly to combine.

Bake at 370 (odd temp, I know. I'm just going off the recipe card, folks and its always worked for me) for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream

2009-08-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

If you don't have an ice cream maker, get one before summer is gone!! They are fantastic and homemade ice cream is SO YUMMY! Who wants the processed stuff with seaweed they sell in the grocery store when you can have creamy, flavorful, creamy, tasty, and did I mention creamy, ice cream at home? This is from the June 2009 issue of Everyday Food. I copied all the pictures from the website because they really helped me follow the directions better, hope they are not overwhelming. I have made this several times now and I always have made vanilla, but there are a host of other flavors waiting to be tried. See my notes about flavor at the bottom. Leave a comment if you end up making a different flavor, I'm curious how it turns out.

ps- I have a cuisinart ice cream maker, it works great!

prep time 20 minutes
total time 50 minutes + freezing

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups skim milk
Choice of flavoring (see notes at bottom)
2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in milk.

2.Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10 to 12 minutes.
See notes about flavor at the bottom, for vanilla stir in 2 tsp pure vanilla extract.

3.Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).Notes: there are different flavor choices

CHOCOLATE- in step 1, stir 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into egg-yolk mixture before adding milk
STRAWBERRY- mash 4 cups sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar, and let it stand 10 minutes. Add to ice cream as it churns in the ice cream maker
GINGER- after step 2, stir in a 2 inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks, into custard. cover and let stand 30 minutes
ORANGE- after step 2, stir 6 strips orange zest into custard. cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Mother's 1-2-3 pie

2009-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Failed again to snap a photo. Please forgive me! But I really liked this. EASY!!!!! and delish. Great way to use fresh summer produce. I know some who like crunchy fruit crisps, but I am all about the cake-y cobblers and this fits the bill. Hhhhhmmm, I can taste it again right now. From the World Wide Ward cookbook, page 300, submitted by Jeannie Juergens of Houston, Texas.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) softened
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 quart fruit, drained (any kind, I used peaches)

In a 2 qrt baking dish, mix all ingredients except fruit; beat until there are no lumps. Pour in drained fruit, do not mix, just spread fruit evenly. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Best served warm with cold ice cream.