I {heart} Food

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Annie's Eats, these cookies are truly rich and delectable. I want to make them again very soon! (Picture also from Annies Eats)

1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup dark cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's Dark)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

¼ tsp. coarse salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder
1 small dash cinnamon (optional)

2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and cinnamon to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined.

Roll the dough into balls and flatten just slightly into a disc. Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. Bake 8 minutes making sure the middle looks a bit undone. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

2011-10-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

I found this yummy recipe on pinterest from My baking addiction's blog. It turned out really yummy, especially after it had cooled off completely which was hard to do since I wanted to eat the whole pan :) I also had melted down some caramels and poured them in between the cheesecake and cookie layer. YUM :P

Picture from brandysbaking.blogspot.com

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbs sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1 Tbs sugar until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken

2011-09-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe while browsing pinterest. It was originally called "Angel Chicken" but for the life of me I can't figure out why, while there is nothing quite angelic about it, it is packed with flavor and my family loved it.

Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 8oz. package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix
1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed mushroom soup (I olny had cream of chicken)
1/2 cup dry white wine (i subbed this with water)

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add dry italian dressing mix, mushroom soup, wine, and cream cheese. Stir occasionally until cream cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.

Place sliced mushrooms on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with chicken breasts. Pour sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over white rice.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

2011-09-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

I adapted The Food Nanny's Beef Roast to our families liking since we are not big beef eaters. It's the yummiest pork roast I have made so far in my crock pot!

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

1 (4-pound) pork shoulder or butt roast ( I had a 3 lb. in the freezer)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

sauce

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed

cream of mushroom soup

1 (1-ounce) packet onion soup mix

1 cup beef broth

5 large carrots, peeled and cut

into 1-inch pieces (optional)

6 red potatoes or medium

russets, scrubbed and

quartered (optional)

8 to 12 servings

1. Place the roast in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire

sauce, mushroom soup, onion soup mix, and broth; pour over the roast.

3. Add the carrots and/or potatoes to the slow cooker if it is large enough to

hold them.

4. Cook on high heat 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 10 to 12 hours.

If you choose not to add the carrots or potatoes to the slow cooker

Raspberry Blackberry Pie Bars

2011-09-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a recipe to use up some fresh raspberries and blackberries and I stumbled upon (or googled upon really) this yummy blog called The Angie River Show.

She has amazing little goodies on her site I want to try them all! Anyways so I made these pie bars and they were SO tasty :) Recipe and picture borrowed from her page.

Bottom Crust Ingredients
1 package of Pillsbury (or equivalent) ready made crusts (2 crusts)
Filling Ingredients
2 cans Raspberry Pie Filling
Crumble Crust Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. oats
1 tsp cinnamon
White Chocolate Raspberry Drizzle
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. white chocolate chips
3 tsp. half/half
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

Bottom Crust Instructions
1) Spread two crusts out over 8 x 17 pan and brush with egg white.
2) Place in oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Filling Instructions
1) Spread filling over crust with a rubber spatula.
Crumble Crust Instructions
1) Mix softened butter with sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon until crumbly.
2) Spread evenly over the pie filling.
3) Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
White Chocolate Drizzle Instructions
1) Mix softened butter with melted white chocolate until smooth.
2) Add in tsps of half and half and powdered sugar until smooth, but not overly thick or watery.
3) With a fork or spoon drizzle over the raspberry pie bars and let sit.

Hot Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-08-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Found this ridiculously yummy cupcake recipe from Tasty Kitchen :) It is now my go to chocolate cupcake recipe! I didn't stuff the cupcakes as the recipe calls for, just frosted them. Next time I am going to save my energy and just use store bought hot fudge, it didn't taste all that different and was kind of a pain in the butt to make.

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 whole Egg
¾ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Milk
½ cups Plus 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
½ cups Butter, Melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1-⅛ cup All-purpose Flour
¼ cups Dark Cocoa Powder
1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ cups Homemade Hot Fudge (recipe Below)
_____
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:
½ cups Butter, Softened
⅔ cups Peanut Butter
3 cups Powdered Sugar (you May Need 1 More Cup)
1 Tablespoon Of Milk (have 1-2 More On Hand)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
_____
FOR THE HOT FUDGE SAUCE:
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Dark Cocoa Powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Boiling Water Or Scalding Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream.
Sift dry ingredients together and then add to the wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then swirl in fudge sauce. Line a muffin tin (12 count) with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar with mixer on low speed and gradually add milk and vanilla extract. Add a pinch of salt and mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar.
Put the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Poke a hole in the cupcake with the pastry tip and fill the cupcake. Then frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
For the homemade fudge:
Combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour in a bowl or pot over a double boiler. Bring water or milk to a boil in another saucepan or in the microwave. Gradually add hot liquid to sugar mixture. Stir constantly until mixture thickens.
Once it has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Drizzle over cupcakes and store the rest of the sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-03-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

For sprinkling: 1-2 tablespoons sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and slowly mix until just incorporated. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon(s) — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

2011-03-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, excess fat removed
4 slices bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve salt and brown sugar in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Turkey Taco Soup

2011-01-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

2 - pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 - cups diced onions
1 - 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed
1 - 15 oz can kidney beans, drained ; rinsed
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz can mild rotel (tomatoes with chile's)
1 - cup water
1 - package taco seasoning mix
1 - 1 oz package ranch salad dressing mix

Tortilla chips, Sour cream, Grated cheese, avacadoes, cilantro

Brown the ground turkey and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned turkey and onions to a large slow cooker. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, rotel , taco seasoning, water and ranch dressing mix. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. To serve, ladle soup into each bowl and garnish withTortilla chips, Sour cream, Grated cheese, avacadoes, cilantro and any other toppings of your choice.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Oh My

2011-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Yield: 8 servings

1/2 cup 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

4 tablespoons butter

3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

1 1/2 cup(s) crushed pecans

1 (9-inch) unbaked piecrust, store-bought or homemade

Heat oven to 325F. In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended; beat in chocolate mixture. Stir in pecans; pour into piecrust. Place pie on baking sheet on middle rack of oven; bake about 55 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely at room temperature.

Avalanche Bark

2011-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of my most favorite things to get from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This stuff is seriously like crack, sooooo good. If you like it a little bit more like a rice crispy treat add a bit more cereal to the mix, and less if you like more of a bark style treat.

Picture and Recipe adapted from cookiesandcups blog. Yum check it out.

Avalanche Bark
1 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used butterscotch)

Melt the peanut butter and the white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave checking and stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Add the cereal to the mix and allow to cool slightly before you add your marshmallows and chocolate chips so they don't melt into the bark. And of course, enjoy :)

Green Chile Sauce for Pork or Chicken Tamales

2011-01-12T16:31:00.000-08:00

1 large chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, drained
2 cups diced green chilies (roasted and peeled if you are using fresh)
3 large tomatillos, husks removed
2 jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
1 cup 3water OR 1 cup chicken broth (broth is not traditional, but I like the flavor better)
2 tablespoons ground cumin (or to taste)
2 tablespoons ground chili powder (or to taste) (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using chicken broth)

Place tomatillos in boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. If needed, add more water until desired consistency. Pour over cooked and shredded meat

Red Sauce for Pork Tamales

2010-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

15 large dried chilies (such as Anaheim, New Mexico, California, or pasilla) - * All are pretty mild except the pasillas

2 1/2 cups of water

4 -5 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons olive oil or 2 teaspoons melted shortening

Remove stems and seeds from dried chili peppers.

Place peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast in 350°F oven for 2 to 5 minutes or until you smell a sweet roasted aroma, checking often to avoid burning.

Remove from oven and soak in enough hot water to cover for about 30 minutes or until cool.

Put peppers and 2 1/2 cups of water into a blender (use fresh water, usage of the soaking water will result in a bitter sauce)

Add garlic, cumin and salt.

Cover and blend until smooth.

Use a colinder to strain the mixture and throw away the chunks that do not mix in the blender

In a 2-quart sauce pan, stir flour into oil or melted shortening over med heat until browned.

Carefully stir in blended chili mixture.

Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. (If sauce gets too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of water.

Pour into cooked and shredded pork.

Note: When working with chilies, use rubber gloves to protect your skin, and avoid contact with your eyes. Wash hands throughly with soap and water to remove all of the chili oils.

Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Poppers

2010-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Believe me when I say that these guys will be the first things gone at your holiday party.

Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Poppers

1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) room temperture
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
10 jalapeno peppers
10 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise and remove all of the seeds and membranes.. Whip cream cheese, garlic salt and pepper with a hand blender. Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese mixture.

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap each jalapeno with a slice of bacon. Secure bacon by sticking a toothpick through the middle of each jalapeno.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 325 degree oven for atleast 40 minutes making sure bacon is fully cooked.

The taste best when served hot, but also taste good served at room temperature.

Cheesy Potatoes My Way

2010-11-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

Cheesy potatoes, funeral potatoes, call them what you want, are usually too dry and bland for my liking. I just amped it up a bit and it turns out so much better. I served these at my sister's bridal shower and everyone loved them.

Cheesy Potatoes

1 package frozen shredded potatoes (got mine from fresh and easy, Ora Ida just seem to be too thick and mealy for this recipe)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1/3 cup green onions

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Pepper, to taste

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, coarsely smashed

5 Tbsp butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green onions, cheese and pepper together. Mix in the potatoes and pour in a 9x13 casserole dish. Add smashed crackers on top and pour melted butter over the crackers.

Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

2010-11-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is a slight adaptation of PW's cinnamon rolls. They turned out absoluely fantastic which is a good thing considering that I'll be serving them at my sister's bridal shower brunch this Saturday!

2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Sugar

1 package Active Dry Yeast

4 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Melted Butter

2 cups Brown Sugar

Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 lb powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in package of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 3/4 - 1 cup of brown sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Pan Roasted Porkchops

2010-11-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best pork chop recipes I have had thus far! You will definitely not be disappointed. It is adapted from Sweet Nicks blog. You can check it out for the original recipe. I tweaked it a bit to our liking and it turned out fabulous. I think the brining here is the key. They were so tender and juicy, and the sauce is to die for. Made it with mashed potatoes and the sauce also complemented them as well. I doubled the recipe (except the brine which was enough) and it fed 4 adults and 1 kiddo perfectly.

Pan Roasted Pork Chops

Pork Chop Brine:

Dissolve in one gallon resealable freezer bag:

2 cups hot water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
Add:
6 cups cold water

Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water. It helps to set the bag inside a large bowl in case of spills or leaks. Add ice water to brine. This will cool the brine quickly. Add the pork and seal the bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before cooking, dry chops to remove excess brine.

4 1″-thick brined rip chops
2 T olive oil
1 T garlic, chopped
1 T sweet onion, chopped
1 T shallot, chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup half and half

Preheat oven to 425. Season chops with pepper. Dust lightly with flour. Brown one side in olive oil over medium-high heat. Turn, cover and roast in oven for about 10 minutes. While the chops are in the oven, in the same pan saute onion and shallot in the drippings over medium-high heat until soft. Add garlic. Deglaze pan with broth. Add sugar and vinegar; reduce by half. Add Dijon mustard and half and half and pork chops to pan and cook for 2 minutes each side until sauce is thick. Makes 1 cup sauce.

Perfect Pizza Crust

2010-11-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

No, it's not just good pizza crust or even great pizza crust - this truly is the perfect pizza crust recipe. Given to me by one of my besties (she came over to make me pizza AND then cleaned my kitchen after I had the baby!) Amazing? Yes I think so :) I don't have a picture yet, it gets eaten too fast! But I am sure I will get one up soon because we are now pronouncing a weekly pizza day in our house.

What are your favorite topping combinations? We love Canadian bacon with sweet onions and pineapple on one side and mushrooms with bell pepper and pepperoni on the other side and we are all happy campers! Ive also put motz. cheese folded under the crust... it is so great. I'd imagine this recipe would be great for bread sticks too.

Perfect Pizza Crust

Yeilds: 2 pizza crusts

2 cups warm water

4 1/2 tsp. active yeast

5 cups plus 3 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp kosher salt

Olive Oil

Preset your oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl mix the water, yeast and 2 Tbsp flour for a couple seconds. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp flour on top. Place aside for 2-3 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl wisk together the rest of the flour and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir together until fully incorporated. Kneed the dough for a full five minutes on a floured surface adding a bit more flour if dough is too sticky. Split dough in half and put in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

Roll rested dough out to desired size. Poke the entire surface with a fork and then brush the entire surface lightly with olive oil. Place on pizza stone or a greased pizza pan. Add your favorite sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake for 20 minutes.

*A GREAT sauce is much easier then you think. Just pour tomato sauce on the uncooked dough, sprinkle with garlic salt and italian seasoning (i like to extend the seasonings out to the crust) Top with mozzarella cheese and toppings, and enjoy!

Perfect Pumpkin Cookies

2010-11-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Perfection in cookies in my book means that every time I walk through the kitchen I have to grab one as I pass by because I just can't get enough. So this to me is a perfect recipe.
Don't ask me how many I ate.
Because I will lie to you and say "only 2...ish"
But you will know better then that.

I made them twice this week and sent home the recipe with my sister who was visiting because her fiancee couldn't get enough of them! :) Perfect pillowy pumpkin perfection!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter flavored crisco
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips, or any chip you like

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl for 30 seconds and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 10 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Light and Fluffy Waffles

2010-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Had breakfast for dinner last night... now I just wish I had doubled the recipe for this morning! The texture of these waffles are perfect, not too chewy and wonderfully fluffy. Enjoy!

Light and Fluffy Waffles

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and stir to combine.Beat the egg in another medium bowl until its about doubled in size, and combine with sugar, butter, and shortening, mixing well until smooth. 3 Add the half & half, buttermilk and vanilla and mix well. 4 Add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture while beating and mix until smooth. 5 If you can, cover and chill overnight, though the batter can be used right away. 6 Rub a light coating of vegetable oil on a waffle iron, and preheat it. 7 Leave the batter out of the refrigerator to warm up a bit as your waffle iron is preheating. 8 Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into the waffle iron and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the waffles are light brown.

Whats Keeping Me Away...

2010-10-01T13:14:00.001-07:00

... is this little girl. She'll be a week old tomorrow and we are so grateful for friends that have brought us dinner all week long. As amazing as that has been, I'm dying to get to cooking again! Here are a couple meals I have planned for next week:

Breakfast for Dinner (using a new waffle recipe)

Pot Roast (new recipe)

Spaghetti (have leftover sauce I froze from last week)

White Bean Chicken Chili

Taco Night (with Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans)

BBQ Pork Ribs

Ill post the recipes afterwards just to make sure they are as good as they look!

I also have another pumpkin to puree this week... I am going to try a recipe for pumpkin butterscotch cookies or a pumpkin cobbler. So until then!

Fresh Pumpkin Spice Loaf

2010-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Love LOvE LOOOOOVE this recipe :)

Of course the pumpkin puree can be substituted with canned pumpkin, but personally I love the flavor of fresh puree in baking over the canned stuff.

Fresh Pumpkin Spice Loaf

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
4 eggs (whites can be used for lower cholesterol)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla ext.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugars and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and pumpkin pie spice . Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.Bake for about 60 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

2010-09-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

(please ignore the smudgy fingerprints of a little girl who just couldn't resist)

I have a gorgeous and most curly headed three year old, whom I would give the world to. She is a girl after my own heart who loves all the things her mommy does especially cooking. So naturally when she was given a couple pumpkins from our neighbors garden all I heard from her was how she wanted to make pumpkin pie with me. So we did! And it turned out so good, I've never made a fresh pumpkin pie pie from scratch before but man does it make a difference! I didn't make my own pie crust, oh come on give the 9 months along pregnant lady a break! :) But I do plan on making my own come the holidays this year.

To prepare the pumpkin puree you will need 1 small pumpkin. Cut off the stem top and discard, cut pumpkins in half and discard all the nasty membranes and seeds. Actually YOU should save the seeds and roast them but I can't stand the flavor. Cut each half in thirds. Take a large microwave safe bowl/dish and place about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Place the pumpkin slices in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap making sure to seal the sides well. Microwave for about 10-13 minutes or until the flesh can be pierced easily with a fork. The skins will easily (sometimes not so easily) peel off. From here you can mash the pumpkin or blend it up for the puree.
I ate a couple pieces right out of the bowl before i pureed them...so good! I imagine it would be heavenly with a smudge of butter, parm cheese and a little salt and pepper :)
So here is the recipe I used, I found it online and made a couple slight changes :)

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

1 frozen pie shell
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups fresh Pumpkin Puree
3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus

1 egg for glaze
1 tablespoon heavy cream

sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line the baking sheet then set it aside. Combine sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, and 2 eggs in a large bowl. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and vanillla. Combine. Set aside.

Make the glaze: Beat the remaining egg, and combine with heavy cream. Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Sprinkle edges with sugar. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 servings

Spiced Sugar Cookies

2010-09-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

What a great cookie recipe, just in time for fall too! Found this on Tasty Kitchen. I can only dream of these smushed together with some buttercream frosting! YUM

¾ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 whole Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
¼ cups Unsulfured Molasses
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
½ teaspoons Ground Cloves
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Granulated Sugar, For Rolling Cookies

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the light brown sugar and blend until evenly incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the beaten egg and molasses; blend.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, in batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

Scoop out the dough by the tablespoon, roll into a ball and roll in the granulated sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 3″ apart. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time.

Transfer the cookies, using a metal spatula, to a rack and let them cool

White Bean Chicken Chili

2010-09-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hooray for new crock pot recipes!! I found this recipe this morning while browsing one of the blogs I follow, Chef Mommy. Can't wait for it to cool down so I can make this. Enjoy! If you happen to read this and have a favorite slowcooker recipe, do please share! Thank you!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1-2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I'm a wimp and only used 1 can)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup whipping cream

cilantro, chopped (to garnish)
paprika, (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with half the salt and half the pepper.

2. Then, in a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the chicken mixture to your slow-cooker. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings to slow-cooker as well. Cook on low for 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, shred the chicken with a fork and stir in sour cream and whipping cream, let cook for another 15 minutes on low.

5. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of paprika, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

Makes about 6 servings.

BBQ'd Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

2010-09-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am smelling the smokey BBQ'd goodness of these from my crock pot as I type this. I can't wait for dinner!!!
Update: Yummyness factor is pretty serious here folks, this one is a definite keeper!
Recipe and picture from a great blog Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
(Sauce adapted from Steven Raichlen via Serious Eats)

2 cups Ketchup
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Molasses (didn't have)
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (I used Franks Red Hot Sauce)
1 large onion, thinly sliced in half moons
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half (I used 7 small chicken thighs)
1 + 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4-5 hamburger buns or soft rolls

1. In a medium mixing bowl whisk, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, chile powder, salt, pepper and Tabasco together until well combined.

2. Pour into crock pot, add onions and chicken breasts. Cook on low 4 hours or high 2 hours.
Remove chicken to a large plate or cutting board and cool to the touch. Keep barbecue sauce warm in crock pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle shred it by pulling it apart by hand. Return to crock pot and mix with sauce or add to a medium bowl and mix in additional sauce.

3. Serve on toasted buns with cheddar cheese.

Easy version: Use a rotiserrie chicken. Simmer the barbecue sauce in a saucepan for about 20 minutes while you 'shred' the chicken. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce, heat through and serve.

Shrimp Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-09-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

With the baby due in just 10 more days I find it incredible that I have the energy to actually get dinner prepared and on the table, get this... on time too! I made this last night and it was SUUUPER tasty. My three year old thought the shrimp was chicken and ate her entire plate. HA I love when that happens! If you are not a shrimp fan, I'm sure you can substitute it with chicken and still get great results.
Adapted the recipe and borrowed the pic from Pioneer Woman.

You can click on the link for illustrated step by step instructions.

Shrimp Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

¾ pounds Penne Pasta (was out so I used Farfalle)
1 pound Shrimp (used ready to cook shrimp and salt and peppered those babies)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cups White Wine (or To Taste) (used chicken broth instead)
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz) (used about 12 oz.)
1 cup Heavy Cream (used 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup fat free milk)
Fresh Parsley, to taste
Fresh Basil - To Taste (was out so I used a good couple shakes of Italian seasoning)
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Fresh Parmesan to grate on top

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Raspberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2010-09-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Y-U-M

And that's really all I have to say about it :) I found this recipe and adapted it a bit from Tasty Kitchen.

FOR THE CAKE:
2 1/2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Butter, Softened
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 whole Eggs
1/3 cup fat free milk (original recipe was much too thick so this helped thin it out a bit)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Raspberries (mine were fresh but frozen)

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup Sugar
⅔ cups Flour
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl until light, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix the eggs in one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Add milk until just incorporated. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, spoon the berries over the batter, sprinkle 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon over the berries. Top with the remaining batter.

For the topping, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the dry mixture until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the cake.

Bake for an hour or until a tester comes out clean. (Mine was done in 35 minutes so watch the time!)

White Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Update: Made this tonight for dinner as is - no changes, and it's fabulous, definitely keeping this one around!

Soooo... here is my re-vamped blog. It's not perfect but I wanted to simplify things on here.

Trying this one out for tomorrow nights dinner. I just don't see how this recipe can go wrong!

White Chicken Enchiladas

2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

Under Construction

2010-09-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

I don't get to be on here as often as I like so when I get a few minutes to update things I'll put it all back into order :) Sorry for the mess!

Ribbon Sandwhiches

2010-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

I had to copy a friends post for these sandwhiches, they were seriously so good. Thanks Miranda! She served these at her son's first birthday party and now they are on the menu for my baby shower ha!

------------------------------------------

WARNING!! Eaters discretion is advised. Recipe may cause over eating....

2 loaves of bread sliced horizontally. (this can be ordered from most bakeries, just ask for ribbon sandwich bread)

Cream cheese filling:
8 oz package of cream cheese softened
1 1/4 cups crushed pineapple drained slightly
1/4 cup sugar

Combine and mix well

Chicken Salad Filling

4 cups cooked chicken shredded
1 cup celery finely minced
1/3 cup yellow onions finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 Cup Mayonnaise

Combine ingredients and stir until well blended

Using 3 slices of bread, spread cream cheese on bottom layer, then next layer of bread, spread with a small amount of mayo, then cover layer with chicken mixture. Then add top layer of bread spreading top and bottom with mayonnaise. (We only did mayo on one side of the bread, but you can do what you want!) If desired top with paprika and dry parsley flakes. Trim crust on all 4 sides and slice each loaf into 12 sandwiches. Should have 24 sandwiches.

Red Velvet Cake/Cupcakes

2010-08-17T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've been looking for a great Red Velvet recipe for awhile and I think I have found a winner... for now. The texture is light and perfect and the cake is not too sweet. I'm still working on the frosting, the one I made from Paula Deen is super sweet, but much too cream cheesy and rich for my liking. Tastes like what you would put on cinnamon rolls. I can't wait until the holidays so I can make a full on cake, I just halved the recipe and made a dozen cupcakes for the test run.

I'll post the frosting recipe for kicks but I think I know what needs to be done to lighten it up a bit.

Red Velvet Cake/Cupcakes
Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup oil (can be partially or fully substituted with plain yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce but that may affect the texture a bit)
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used fat free milk plus 1 Tbsp. vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring (all I had was pink and I didn't add that much so mine were more rose colored)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine in a large bowl flour, sugar, salt, cocoa and soda. Sift or whisk together and place aside.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks, beat whites until soft peaks form (about a couple minutes) Place the whites aside.
In a medium owl blend oil, egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla. Slowly blend (or hand mix) into flour mixture until just blended. Do not over mix. Mixture should be not too thick and not too runny either. Gently fold in the egg whites until just blended.

For a cake bake in 3 8-inch round greased and floured cake pans for 20-25 minutes, check with a toothpick.
For cupcakes bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Will make 2 dozen
Cool completely before frosting.

(I omitted the coconut and pecans and just a note to self I believe it can be lightened up with a flour and milk sauce and less conf. sugar)
Frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 stick butter softened
2 cups melted marshmallows (or fluff)
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

2010-07-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is a refreshing fruit salad that can be tailored to whatever fruit you have, try it with kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, etc! The glaze is a fresh and tangy complement to the fruit.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 oranges peeled and sliced
2 cups of strawberries hulled and sliced
1 cup of seedless grapes (green or purple/red)
1 cup melon balls
Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a large bowl, combine fruit. Add dressing and GENTLY stir to coat. Serves 8.

Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp finely grated lime peel
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp ginger
Wisk until blended.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup

2010-07-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

The name says it all... HOLY YUM! It's like a cinnamon roll without the guilt, well without most of the guilt anyways! :) The pancakes came out nice and fluffy this time, I have tried other recipes and that have been heavy and dense. I adapted this recipe from Tasty Kitchen.

Cinnamon Pancakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Syrup

1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons White Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 whole Eggs divided
1 cup Milk
¼ cups Butter, Melted
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

In a small bowl whip the egg whites for a couple minutes until peaks start to form. Place aside.

In separate large bowl, beat together egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Gently fold in whipped egg whites until incorporated. (Important for fluffy texture!)

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Serve warm with syrup drizzled over the top.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Syrup

¼ cups Butter, Melted
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese, softened
Dash Of Salt
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 tsp vanilla ext.
¼ cups Whole Milk (more If Needed)
1 cup Powdered Sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth, adding more milk as needed.

Super Easy Zucchini-Squash Dish

2010-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect way to use up some of that zucchini and squash you have collecting in your garden or on your countertop. It can be used as a side dish or can be placed on top of cooked spaghetti noodles.

1 Tbsp (glug) of olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups spaghetti sauce (or tomato sauce dressed up with garlic and italian seasoning)
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Sprinkling of cheddar cheese

On low heat drizzle olive oil to coat bottom. Add your zucchini, squash, onions and let saute for a minute or two. Pour spaghetti sauce over veggies and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through. Add some fresh grated parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar over the mix and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

2010-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon. It's super quick and easy and so good you'll want to lick your fingers when your done :)

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

1/4 cup maple syrup (tastes better with the real stuff but it's expensive and the fake stuff works nicely in a pinch)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
A couple squirts of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine are Sweet Baby Rays and Lucilles)

1.In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2.Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, or a Ziploc baggie and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Throw on the BBQ on medium heat, and baste with the remaining marinade. (15 min?)
4. For the last 3 minutes of cooking put a squirt of BBQ sauce on each fillet (both sides) and brush to cover. Important to do this only the last couple minutes of BBQing, you only want the sauce to start caramelizing not blackening. Salmon is done when the middle flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!

Texas Sheet Cake

2010-07-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

I made this for the 4th of July BBQ we were invited to. It turned out fantastic and I even brought the leftovers to a pool party the next day where it tasted even better! I wouldn't make this for a weekday dessert (the butter content was driving me insane while I was baking :D ). It is definitely an indulgence that is meant to be shared with others.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk (I use regular milk with a touch of vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Chicken Salad Croissants

2010-06-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

I modified this recipe from Allrecipes.com. It turned out really yummy! I used to think grapes in the mix were disgusting... until I actually tried it! Somehow it is just so good :) To make it more savory add a couple crumbled strips of bacon. To make it more crunchy add slivered almonds or cashews. In a pinch you can use canned chicken but it tastes MUCH better to cook the chicken and shred it yourself.

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken ( I grilled mine in Italian dressing and garlic on the stove top)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 squirt prepared mustard

1 dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.Combine chicken, celery and grapes in large bowl; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; add to salad and toss to coat. Chill until serving. Serve atop croissants.

Weekly Menu

2010-06-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Monday- Creamy Farfalle Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Tuesday- Crockpot Pulled Pork sandwiches

Wednesday - Broccoli and Beef served with rice (just bought a mix for the sauce and marinade)

Thursday - Salmon with Maple Glaze served with asperagus

Friday - Leftover night!

Saturday - Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken with Fresh Corn Salsa served with Spanish Rice

Sunday - we do Sundays easy... be it mac and cheese or chicken nuggets!

Glazed Bacon Wrapped Weenies!

2010-06-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Someone great once said "everything's better with bacon on it" and it is so true... Now I just need an excuse to make these because I really reeeeeally want to!

Bacon-Wrapped Li’l Smokies in a Brown Sugar and Maple Glaze

1 pound Li'l Smokies
12 ounces, weight Center-cut Bacon
FOR THE GLAZE:
⅓ cups Brown Sugar
¼ cups Maple Syrup (the Real Stuff)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
A Small Pinch Of Cayenne (optional)

Empty the smokies onto some paper towels and blot them dry. Dry smokies will allow the bacon to adhere better. Place the dried smokies in a single layer (keeping them separated) onto a small cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 45 minutes.

While the smokies are in the freezer, cut the bacon into thirds. Separate each piece of bacon and place on a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Put the bacon in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The well-chilled smokies and bacon will help to keep everything from getting too slippery when you wrap the smokies later.

When it is nearly time to take the smokies out of the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Make the glaze by whisking together the brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, and cayenne (if using). Whisk the mixture well to ensure that the larger pieces of brown sugar have broken up.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each smokie, pressing firmly on the final edge of the bacon to better ensure it does not spring open during baking. Try not to stretch the bacon when wrapping the sausages. Place the bacon-wrapped smokies onto the foil-lined sheet pan, seam side down. Continue with the rest of the bacon and smokies. Using a spoon, put a little bit of the thick glaze on top of each bacon-wrapped smokie, trying to coat each one evenly. You should have just enough glaze to do the entire batch.

If they won't stay wrapped you can secure them with a toothpick.

Bake the smokies for about 35 minutes or until they are lightly brown on top. Immediately transfer the smokies to a serving plate or a slow cooker set on low to keep warm. These a very addictive. I apologize in advance.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

2010-06-09T17:32:00.001-07:00

No not a cupcake... you don't feel as bad eating a chocolate muffin for breakfast then you would a cupcake right? Therefore it is a muffin, it puts my mind at ease. :) I got about a dozen and a half out of this recipe. So good though!

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter

1/4 cup sour cream

4 ounces (4 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 cups flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk (I make my own SO Easy! Per 1 cup milk add 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes)
1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate squares together in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir and heat for intervals of 30 seconds stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted. Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not over mix the batter. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Ice cream revisited

2010-06-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Found this great recipe for chocolate ice cream over at The Brown Eyed Baker

Gonna make it just because!

For a classic super yummy vanilla bean recipe revisit last years post here.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

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

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

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

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

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

This Weeks Menu, just because...

2010-06-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

...i'm sick of five o' clock rolling around everyday and wondering the same thing... what the heck will I make for dinner tonight?

...i'm tired of over spending on food I think I am going to make during the week then I never do and end up throwing half of what I bought away because its spoiled.

i'm ready to make this part of life a little simpler, let's see if this helps and lets's hope I stick to it!

Click on the links for the recipes!

Monday - Homemade Spaghetti, Lion House Rolls, asparugas (amended! We spent the day at Disneyland and had Chic Fil A instead!)

Tuesday - Southwest Chicken Salad (store bought southwest salad mix topped with grilled chicken, fresh corn, black beans, cilantro and avocado)
Fresh Strawberry Pie (making with graham crust, the hub is no fan of regular pie crusts)

Wednesday - Mondays spaghetti dinner (going to spread butter, parm cheese, italian seasonings and garlic salt on rolls and possibly make them into breadsticks Olive Garden style!)

Thursday - Crispy Yogurt Chicken, roasted potatoes, salad

Friday - Night Off - something easy like mac and cheese or chicken nuggets

Saturday - White Chicken Enchiladas

Sunday - Leftovers!

Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks

2010-05-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Too not make the kitchen get too hot in the summer, instead of sticking them in the oven you can make foil packs and put them on the BBQ. Yum!
Recipe and photo courtesy of Tasty Kitchen

Update: I made this last night YUM! I used boneless skinless thighs and marinated them in 2/3rds of the sauce for a couple hours and then BBQ'd them right on the grill for about 25 minutes, basting them with the rest of the sauce while they cooked. I am also going to crank up the hot sauce next time, it needed just a little more kick, I used only 2 tsp. of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and i'm going to try a Tbsp or 2 next time.

1 cup Apricot Preserves
½ cups Ketchup
¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 - 4 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 pounds Drumsticks (about 12)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

Breadsticks with Parmesan Herbed Butter

2010-05-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am a out of control carb-aholic... there I said it! How I feel so much better to have that out there. One of my absolute favorite things to eat is bread. Give me any bread, roll, pastry, bread stick, crust, etc. to munch on and I'm pretty much a happy camper.

These are great and airy and fluffy with just enough salty herb pop to make your mouth happy.
Still on my journey to make Olive Garden style breadsticks, these are as near as I've got to them so far!

Breadsticks with Parmesan Herbed Butter

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/8-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Couple good shakes of italian seasoning (5 or 6?)
1/8 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until it becomes frothy. Add the oil, egg, salt, flour, and remaining sugar. Beat until smooth. Now add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until you form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6-in. rope. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile mix melted butter, parm cheese, garlic salt, italian seasonings and salt in a small bowl. When sticks are done rising, brush amply with butter mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Triple Threat Brownies

2010-05-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe and photo on Tasty Kitchens website. These little treats have a brownie base, cream cheese frosting middle, and a topping of chocolate and peanut butter Rice Krispies. Holy cow! I can't wait to make these.
There

Triple Threat Brownies

1 box Brownie Mix
16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
½ cups Butter, Softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Coarsely Chopped Peanuts
1-½ cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Peanut Butter
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

For the brownie base, mix brownies according to package directions or use your favorite recipe. Bake in a 9×13 pan and allow to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fully mixed. Spread on top of cooled brownies and sprinkle with nuts.

For the chocolate peanut butter rice krispies topping, in a large pan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter over low heat. Continue stirring until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted. Stir in cereal, making sure to coat all the cereal with the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
Spread the cereal mixture on top of the brownies and frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Keep covered and store in the refrigerator.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

2010-05-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Recipe and photo courtesy of Annie's Eats

Made this for dinner tonight... Yumma!

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Ingredients:
½ batch of perfect pizza crust (or Fresh and Easy also has a fab pizza dough in the fridge section)
¼ cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½-1 grilled chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces I grilled mine over the stovetop with a teriyaki sauce)
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 green onions, chopped
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500° F. Allow the stone to heat for at least 30 minutes. In the mean time, cut a round of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone. (Alternatively, use a pizza peel.) Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal or semolina flour. Gently roll out the pizza dough into a large circle, leaving a thicker ring around the edge for the crust. Spread the Ranch dressing in a thin layer evenly over the unbaked crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Top with grilled chicken, tomato and green onions. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Once assembled, carefully transfer the parchment round and pizza to the preheated baking stone and return to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Easter Truffle Eggs

2010-03-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 jar (17.3 ounces) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar

6 cups (36 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup shortening

Directions
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Form rounded tablespoonfuls into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening: stir until smooth. Dip eggs until coated; place on waxed paper to harden.
For more decorative eggs, place about 1/4 cup melted chocolate in a small plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag; pipe chocolate over tops of eggs. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

Mushroom Pasta with Bacon

2010-02-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

Mushroom and Bacon Pasta

(Adapted and pic courtesy of The PW)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms diced
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup Half-and-half
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.

Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.
Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***
Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.
Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-02-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

It's M-Mmm-good!! My sweet husband made this for me when I was down and sick the other day. I swear it was the one thing that made me feel so much better. I love to serve this with my buttermilk bread.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2 quarts quality chicken broth
1 quart water
1 store-bought salt and peppered roast chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onions, cut into medium dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size
2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 small bay leaves
3 cups egg noodles
Chopped italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Throw skin away or give it to a furry friend as a special treat! Add bones to the simmering broth. Add thyme and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard leaves and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high.

Add oil, then onions, carrots and celery. Saute until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and broth. Bring to a simmer. Add egg noodles and parsley and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa

2010-02-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

This fresh and colorful salsa is perfect as a dip or I also love to serve it over my cilantro lime baked chicken. Yum!
photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Fresh Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa

4 ears Sweet Corn
½ whole Red Onion, Diced
2 whole Very Firm Avocados, Diced
½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
½ whole Hot Chili Pepper, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 whole Juice Of Lime
Plenty Of Chopped Cilantro
Salt To Taste
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sugar

Slice kernels off the corn, and combine it with all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate before serving

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

2010-01-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

I don't have a pic for this yet, I had it at a bridal shower a year or so ago and had to contact the bride for the recipe! I've been craving it ever since, it's an excellent party dish. I'll be making it for my sister's baby shower at the end of this month.

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

1 bag fusilli, rotini or bowtie pasta
4 small chicken breasts
2 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 bottle of Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing
1 cup sliced almonds or cashews
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Steam chicken on stove top with 1-2 cups of water, covered for about 20 minutes. (Check water level at close to the end you don't want to burn the bottom of the chicken.) Check to make sure fully cooked. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic salt.

Drain the oranges. Blend in dressing, as well as the rest of the ingredients. Chill until served. Tastes excellent in croissants or dinner rolls.

Potatoes au Gratin

2010-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Potatoes au Gratin

adapted from Pioneer Woman

4 large Russet potatoes, peeled or scrubbed

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup fat free milk

3 1/2 Tbsp. flour

3 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt and more for sprinkling potatoes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear butter all over bottom and sides of a 8x8 baking dish. Slice potatoes and then cut into fourths, giving them a small sprinking of salt. In a seperate bowl wisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt and lots of ground pepper (don't skimp, you'll regret it :) )

Place 1/3 potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of cream over potatoes. Repeat two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Remove foil and bake for an extra 15-20 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and bubbly. Add the grated cheese on top of potatoes and bake for 3 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Oreo Truffles

2009-12-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

1 Package Oreo cookies, finely crushed and divided

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 packages (8 squares each) semi sweet chocolate, melted

1.Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2.Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3.Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator

Grandma Hastain's Apple Crisp

2009-11-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

I was given the task of making THE apple crisp for the Hastain thanksgiving... it is a tradition and I think it turned out fantastic...(I even tweaked it but don't tell grandma!)

Filling:
5-6 apples, cored and peeled (I used Roma)
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Place apples in a greased 9x13" pan. Mix water, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined and pour over apples. Set aside.

Crust:
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1/1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients except the butter in a large mixing bowl with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle crust over apple mixture. Melt the butter and pour evenly over crust. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then turn the heat up to 400 and let bake an additional 10-12 minutes.
I find that giving it the additional time at high heat really caramelizes the apples and browns the top nicely. Enjoy warm with whipped topping or ice cream!

Ultimate Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2009-11-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

What I'm bringing to Thanksgiving!

Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
12 ounces gingersnaps
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of salt

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (full fat, room temp.)
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 heaping cup fresh pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (plus some for sprinkling)
1 jar caramel topping
extra chopped pecans
extra crushed gingersnaps

Crush gingersnaps in a food processor (or a ziploc bag). Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt and pulse (or mix) until combined. Press into a springform pan (9 or 10 in.) Chill for a half hour.

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch. Add vanilla . Blend in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. beat in whipping cream, do not overmix.
Remove 1 1/2 cups pf batter and set aside. Gently blend in pumpkin and spice to remainder of batter.

Remove crust from fridge. Pour 1/2 container of caramel onto crust. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Gently pour pumpkin batter on top of caramel and pecans. Drop small spoonfuls of plain batter and push slightly down. Swirl mixtures together in a figure 8 until swirls appear.

Place cheesecake in a water bath 1" high. Bake at 350 degree for 1 hour 15 minutes, check, if still soupy then bake an extra 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cool for atleast 2 hours in the oven. Pour remaining caramel topping on top and crushed gingersnaps on top. Refridgerate for atleast 4 hours.

Sesame Noodles

2009-10-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Simple Sesame Noodles
adapted from Pioneer Woman

I'm on a roll with Pioneer Woman's recipes right now! They always come out so tasty, I need to log these in so I don't loose them! They are definite keepers. I served this with broccoli and sauteed chicken.

12 ounces thin noodles, cooked and drained (angel hair, thin spaghetti, or Asian style)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil (more to taste)
4 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
3 to 4 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 heaping cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!

Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2009-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

I thought these mini pumpkin pie bites were too cute! Find the recipe here at Bakerella.com

Frosted Banana Bars

2009-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Frosted Banana Bars
adapted from allrecipes.com

I found this great recipe from a food blog that has the greatest recipes! I wish they had a Cafe Zupa's down here, now i'll just have to search one out on my next trip to Utah. Can't wait to try this one it looks wonderful!

Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the wet batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until completely smooth.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-09-11T20:25:00.001-07:00

BBQ Chicken Pizza

12" pizza dough (my fav is from Fresh and Easy, seriously so good and easy!)
3 Tbsp. bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
3 Tbsp. ranch dressing

Roll out dough into a 12 inch circle and transfer onto a greased pizza stone or pan. Mix Bbq sauce and ranch together and spread on to unbaked crust.

1 cooked and shredded chicken breast (I season with garlic salt pepper, etc whatever is in the cupboard!)
1 small diced tomato
1 c. fresh spinach
1/2 c. sweet onion (I used red onion)
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
A few squirts of Bbq sauce, eyeball it.

Mozzarella or pepper jack cheese

Combine these ingredients, except for the cheese, in a bowl and mix until blended. Pour on top of crust. Sprinkle cheese on top of toppings and place in a preheated oven. (425 for 15 minutes)

You can sprinkle some more fresh cilantro on top before serving

My Favorite Steak Topper

2009-09-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

So easy, so delicious, period! I know most of the recipes for this sauce uses some kind of wine in a reduction but it tastes perfectly fine without it. Goes perfectly with the marinade recipe on the previous post.

Mushroom and Onion Steak Sauce
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup mushrooms
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. sour cream (or heavy cream)
salt and pepper to taste

Place butter onions and mushrooms in a shallow saucepan, cover and cook on low for about 7-8 minutes, or until almost softened. Uncover, turn the heat up to med./high and saute until carmelized, maybe another 7-8 min or so, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking. Lower heat to low again and add the salt and pepper and sour cream (or heavy cream) to saucepan, mix until combined and cook for an additional couple minutes. Perfect time to whip up your steaks while this is cooking!

My Favorite Steak Marinade

2009-08-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've got real love for my BBQ... some might even say I am a better griller then the hub... I know don't tell him I saide that! haha This is a savory sweet marinade that on the right cut of meat (look for good marbled swirls) will just melt in your mouth! Yum I seriously can't wait to throw it on the fire again.

Teriyaki Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce/marinade
2 (6 ounce) lean beef rib eye steaks (I used a thin cut flank steak)

Whisk together the soy sauce, water, sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, olive oil, onion powder, garlic, and teriyaki sauce in a large bowl. Pierce steaks several times with a fork. Marinate steaks in soy sauce mixture for at least 2 hours.
Grill the steaks over medium heat; 7 minutes per side for medium. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C).

Lemon Sugar Crusted Blueberry Muffins

2009-08-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

I wasn't to wild and crazy about the first blueberry muffin recipe I posted on here so I am hoping this one is up to par. I am sure it will taste fine with frozen berries but to me fresh tastes so much better and doesn't overwhelm the batter with excess juice and water. Plus I can't wait to try baking them with my vanilla bean infused sugar (which is making everything I bake with extra vanilla-y and yummy!) I love the paring of zesty lemon and the mild blueberries in this recipe. But I'll probably half it since my hub isn't a muffin lover.

Lemon Sugar Crusted Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Muffins:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
zest from one lemon

For the topping, stir together sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

For the muffins, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse one cup berries under cold water and spread on a double layer of paper towels to dry well. Bring remaining one cup berries and 2 teaspoon sugar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Toss the berries that have dried on the paper towels in with the flour mixture. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be lumpy with a few dry spots of flour - don't overmix. This is the key to moist and tender muffins.

Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill the cups). Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. Using a skewer (or toothpick or dry spaghetti strand), gently swirl the berry filling into the batter using a figure eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

Bake until the top of the muffins are golden and just firm, 17-18 minutes. Cool muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Knock yer socks off Zucchini Cakes

2009-08-01T12:27:00.001-07:00

Since I don't have a garden myself (still traumatized by the tomato worms of '07!) I am glad that I have great friends with even greater gardens! A great way to use up all those zucchini's you got lying around!
Also try this great chocolate zucchini bread recipe, which is indeed more like a cake and is ta-die-for :)

I made these last night for dinner with some steaks. They were really super tasty. I'll definitely be making these again. These taste great by themselves, with spaghetti sauce or ranch dressing.
Keep bringing on the good stuff PW!

Zucchini Cakes
Makes 1 dozen cakes

1 large zucchini
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup Progresso bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Wash and cut ends off zucchini. Shred zucchini with the large holed side of a cheese grater. Squeeze the zucchini shreds in a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
Combine zucchini, garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well mixed.

Heat olive oil in a shallow skillet (with oil being about 1/4 inch deep). When the oil is nice and hot, place a glob of zucchini into the oil and flatten slightly. Cook each side about 2 minutes each or until nice and browned.

Dark Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

2009-07-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off of Pioneer Woman's new recipe collection Tasty Kitchen. It was a super horrible bad idea for me to log onto that site last night at 10pm with a wicked chocolate craving.
I halved the recipe but being tired and addiction crazed I used just regular unsweetened baking cocoa and double the sugar without realizing it. Fortunately it turned out really good and I went to bed much happier.

So if you like a not so sweet cake use unsweetened baking cocoa (3 tbsp + 1 Tbsp oil = 1 square (oz) of baking chocolate, and double the sugar. (I also had to add 1 Tbsp. milk to thin it out a bit) But if not stick to the original recipe.

It also tastes wonderful for breakfast the next day...

Please don't judge me.

Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 4 servings

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 tablespoons Flour

You can serve this with whipped topping or the much better tasting homeade version:

2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!!!)
2 tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Dust with powdered sugar

Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.

Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Easy Peasy Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

2009-07-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of my safe go-to dishes that tastes great and is super easy to make. It also makes great leftovers!

3 cups of cooked white rice (sometimes I use garlic rice)
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I just steam them in a shallow pan with seasonings)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 small container sour cream (I've also used ricotta cheese and cream cheese)
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 sleeve Ritz cracker crumbs (just smash inside sleeve, inside a ziploc bag)
5 Tbsp. butter melted

Preheat oven to 375
Mix together in a small bowl; cream of chicken soup, sour cream, pepper and poppy seeds. Place aside.
In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish place rice as bottom layer. Next, arrange shredded chicken over rice until rice is completely covered. Pour sour cream mixture over chicken, until chicken is completely covered. Sprinkle Ritz crumbs over the entire casserole. Pour melted butter slowly over cracker crumbs so cracker crumbs are moistened. Bake for 25 minutes.

Summer Potato Salad

2009-07-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

I've had to rack my brain to get this recipe written down... it's hard you know. I can't exactly write "put 2 giant blobs of dijon and however many potatoes your biggest stockpot will hold..." well you get the point. So please excuse me for the short hand recipe. I love potato salad yet my husband loves it so much more. So it's quite the staple over summer while we are 90% BBQ'ing around here (probably why there has been a shortage of posts going on around here! Just staying cool and falling back on my usual recipes I guess!) I really prefer the taste of red potatoes in this salad then regular baking potatoes. They give it a more unique mild flavor.

3 lbs. new red potatoes (about 10?)
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (got to be the full fat stuff!)
3 Tbsp. Grey Poupon dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. white vinegar (or whatever kind ya got)
2 Tbsp. prepared sweet relish
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic salt
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
5 slices cooked bacon
1/2 c. green onion
3 Tbsp. very finely chopped vidalia (sweet) onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in a large pot with salt water until tender firm (about 20 min?) Cool and drain. Chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard, dijon, vinegar, relish, sugar, garlic salt. Stir until incorporated. Add chopped onion, green onion, and celery, bacon and eggs. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add mayo mixture to the potato cubes and combine. Dust with paprika if desired and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Strawberry Cream Pie

2009-07-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm making this for a small get together at a friends house tomorrow night... I can't wait to see how it turns out!

For the crust:
Please don't cheat and buy a pre-made crust! They taste like junk and this one is so easy to make :)

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 pkg crushed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 Tablespoons melted margarine or butter

Mix above ingredients together. Using the back of a large spoon, press crumb mixture firmly on bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool then fill.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
1 small pkg Cream Cheese (3 1/2 oz.)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip
(I buy a small cool whip, you will use the rest for the top of pie)

Beat Cream Cheese with hand mixer, until smooth. Blend in Powdered sugar until smooth. Blend in the cool Whip. Fill Cooled Pie shell with Cream Mixture on bottom and almost to the top of crumb shell. Refrigerate while preparing berry mixture.

Berry Topping:
1 1/2 to 2 cups of sliced or whole Strawberries
1 pkg Strawberry Danish junket (4 3/4 oz.)
It's close to the jello in the grocery store)
1 3/4 cups COLD Water

Stir contents of junket pkg into 1 3/4 cups cold water in medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil or medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one good minute. The Berry sauce, will darken in color after that minute. Cool slightly, and then add your sliced or whole berries. Pour Berry Sauce over the top of Cream mixture, being careful, not to cover the tops of the graham cracker crust completely. It will make your crumbs soft. Cool in the fridge until pie is well set. Top with additional Cool Whip if desired. Enjoy! So simple.

Watermelon Lemonade

2009-07-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hey. I'm a slacker. They say the first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. Hello. I am Allison. I don't keep up on my blog. There. I feel better.
Walah... and since I am instantly forgiven I would love to share this recipe with you put out by Smitten Kitchen. Loooove them! Just in time for summer too!

Makes one pitcher of lemonade.

1 cup (8 ounces) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 cups (16 ounces) fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3/4 cup (6 ounces) simple syrup*
3 cups (24 ounces) cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice. Garnish it with a thin watermelon or lemon wedge, if you’re feeling fancy.

Spritzy variation: I have never met a beverage I didn’t think would taste better bubbly, thus, if you’re looking for a spritzier version of this, swap one-third (1/4 cup) or more of the water with seltzer or sparkling water.

Boozy variation: My husband thinks this would taste even better with a splash of vodka. I am not one to argue.

* Make your own simple syrup: Please. I see it sold in stores and it just boggles my mind. Simmer one part water with one part sugar (I did a cup of each and ended up with more than I needed for a quadruple batch) until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Or, you can use my speedier method where you simmer one part sugar with half as much water and once it has dissolved, add the second half of the water, cold, which cools the mixture down faster (when you like nothing to slow your pace to the nearest mocktail).

I'm Back!

2009-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Whew...what a vacation! If you are interested in seeing some pics you can check out my family blog here. Now if I can just get in to the swing of things again I'll be back to posting recipes shortly :)

Off to Maui!

2009-05-23T09:57:00.001-07:00

The wait is finally over! We are leaving for 2 weeks on Monday - flying out to MAUI!! Wooot I can't wait :) No posts until I get back...this is because I will be so busy stuffing my face with-

and

Can't wait to try out the local cuisine and friut stands!

Reese's Pieces PB Cookies

2009-05-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite things combined and making some magic together...hmmm I seem to say that alot, I guess I have a lot of favorites! Food in general is my favorite I suppose :P

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Reese's Pieces

Mix both sugars, peanut butter, and butter. Separately - mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine both sets of ingredients and add Reese's Pieces. Bake at 350 for ten minutes, or until edges are slightly starting to brown. REMEMBER! A cookie that looks done is an over cooked cookie! So don't be afraid when the middle is slightly doughy, it'll finish baking while they are cooling off.

Chicken and Spinach Calzones

2009-05-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mmmm these looked so yummy - the only thing I would change is to make your own alfredo sauce (find the recipe HERE) instead of buying a jar of store bought stuff. It's yucky and gross and the homeade sauce will just knock your socks off.
*photo courtesy of Christy's Kitchen Creations.

Chicken Spinach Calzones

3 chicken breasts, chopped
1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach
1 (16-ounce) jar prepared Alfredo sauce
1 (8-ounce) package sliced provolone cheese, diced
1 (8-ounce) package fresh basil
About 1 cup cooked mushrooms (I omitted)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 (13.8-ounce) cans refrigerated pizza dough
Prepared marinara sauce and pesto sauce (optional)
Garnish: fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, Alfredo sauce, cheese, basil, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper.

Unfold one can of dough onto prepared baking sheet. gently stretch or roll into an 11-inch square; cut in half diagonally, forming two triangles. Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture in the center of the triangle, leaving a 1-inch border on each side. Fold 1 side of triangle over filling, rolling up edges of dough to seal. Cut a small slit in top of calzone to allow steam to escape. Repeat with remaining dough and chicken mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce and pesto sauce, if desired. (The marinara was fantastic with these!!) Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Whopper Bars

2009-05-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe here. Baking Cakes Galore is a really fun baking blog chock full of yummy desserts. It is a UK blog, so I tried to convert all the ingredients accurately. I'm going to try this one if not tonight then tomorrow, I have been totally craving Whoppers lately and I definitely wanted this one to put in the vault.

Chocolate cake:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup (6 oz) good quality baking chocolate, broken up into squares
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Malted Milk Topping:
1/2 cup malted milk powder
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
3/4 cup whoppers, roughly chopped

Use a 13x9 baking pan lined with foil (over lapping at each long side with foil) grease foil. (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F

For the chocolate base: In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder set aside for later.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and chocolate stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs until blended in and then lastly the flour mixture until it’s fully combined. Spread the mixture over the prepared baking tin levering the top with a spatula. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

For the malted milk topping: In a small bowl stir together the malted milk powder, milk and vanilla extract until combined into a smooth mixture. In another bowl, add the butter and powdered sugar and beat together until blended, add to the malted mixture and beat together.

When the chocolate base is nearly cold spread all the malted topping over with a spatula until fully covered and then top with the chopped whoppers. Let set and slice into bars.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

I know it's not Mother's Day...yet, but I won't be posting until Monday, we have a full 2-day Mother's Day fiasco going on out here...busy busy busy! This is what I am bringing for dessert for my mom on Sunday. I can't think of a more perfect dessert on a HOT spring (although it already feels like summer) day lounging by the pool with my mom and family.

You can find my own adapted homeade ice cream recipe here.
I'll serve it with this pie which is seriously sooo yummy. To lighten it up a bit I'll use Neufchatel cheese, fat free milk, and light whipped topping.

Strawberry Pina Colada Pie

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (whirl around until fine in food processor)
3 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. completely melted butter

Mash together (I just use my hands) until blended and mold into a 9 in. pie pan. Cook for 8 min. at 350. Let cool.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 pkg. (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed, divided

1/4 cup coconut, toasted (throw in oven at 350 for a couple minutes. Keep watching so it doesn't burn, just let it get nice and light toasty brown)

1-1/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

BEAT cream cheese and milk in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add dry pudding mix and pineapple; mix well. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping; spoon into crust.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm.

TOP with coconut, strawberries and remaining whipped topping just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Smashed Potatoes

2009-05-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

I make these babies up at least twice a week or more (it's what I get for buying a gazillion pound bag of potatoes at Costco) So good! (Pictures courtesy of Mrs. Fabulous herself, The Pioneer Woman)

What you need: Red potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese (optional)

Take however many red potatoes you want to make (I usually do 6 for the 3 of us), put them in a deep pot of water. Boil them just until they can be pierced easily with a fork (20+ min??)

Place hot potatoes on a cooking sheet and smash them with a potato masher.

Generously brush the tops of smashed potatoes with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. That's it! Easy Peasy - now just put them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they look crispy and golden. Then I put a sprinkling of cheddar cheese over each one, but they taste great without cheese too.

Garlic Rice

2009-05-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

So I made cream cheese chicken two nights ago...dang that stuff was GOOD. I served over garlic rice and I just wanted to include that recipe here.

Garlic Rice

1 cup long grain rice (not instant)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (although any cooking oil will do)
1 tsp minced garlic packed in olive oil (approx. 2 cloves minced)

Love this stuff! Ultimate time and smelly hand saver!

Put rice, oil, and garlic in a large shallow saucepan and saute on med/high heat for about 5-7 minutes stirring frequently, until rice starts browning. Add-

1 14 oz can chicken stock/broth
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter

Put a lid on it and turn heat on low. Cook for about 20 min or until liquid is fully absorbed. Try not to stir it until it is completely done to avoid sticky rice. Optional: Serve with chopped green onion

My Fav CCC Recipe

2009-05-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

I posted this a while back on my family blog. It's my adaptation of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I know, I know - these CCC recipes are everywhere!! Everyone claiming to have the BEST recipe. I'll just say this cookie does not disappoint. You can check out my previous post here on how to adapt your fav CCC recipe too!

{Original Post}
Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip recipe...and this is mine.They are my absolute fav because they are very moist and chewy (and they stay that way!) as chocolate chip cookies should be and they don't go flat after you cool them. Let me know what you think if you happen to whip these little babies up. Happy Baking!

1 stick (1/2 C) butter (room temp.)
1/2 C. butter flavored Crisco (room temp.)
1 1/8 C. brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1 1/2 C chocolate chips (more or less depending on how much you prefer)
*(Ive tried different chips and the Ghirardelli semi sweet ones taste the BEST!)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter, and Crisco, both sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs and beat for about a minute. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a large spoon. Fold in chips. Spoon onto cookie sheets and bake for 6-7 minutes. The cookies will not look entirely done in the middle but take them out anyways! Cool and serve

This is also excellent made with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts!

Cream Cheese Chicken

2009-05-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Making this one tonight. I think I'll serve it with some garlic rice. We'll see how it goes, I'll return and report (and hopefully have a pic if I don't forget) While your surfing you can check out another great cooking blog here.
Oh yeah, you may see some recipe repeats... what can I say, she makes good food so I steal her secrets!! Thanks for all the great recipes Lettie :)

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup water

Cook these ingredients for 4 hours on low in your crock pot.
Then add:

8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup

Cook one more hour on low or until sauce is bubbly. If sauce is too thick add more water!
Serve over Rice, Mashed Potatoes, or Noodles

Must Try Cheesecake

2009-05-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe here, this is not my picture but doesn't it look absolutely amazing?? Now wipe up the drool from your keyboard, and let's go get our cheesecake on! The Bryce-man always asks and bugs me about why I don't make cheesecakes anymore. And I kindly said "Sweetheart, the man that I love, I'll tell you why!" There is only 2 of us around here you know. 2 sweet toothed foodies + 1 giant cheesecake = The reason I gained 10 pounds the first year we were married. Helloooo, why do you think I don't make them anymore? Are we not going to Maui this month and you want me to make what??? Sigh...but he is so cute when he begs and I'll most likely give in to my own cravings anyways... and I think this is the one I am going to try next, you know to get some peace and quiet around here. Momentarily that is.

She has topped hers with a chocolate ganache, you can whip your own up with good chocolate, heavy cream and butter.

Crust
20 Oreo cookies or similar chocolate sandwich cookie, crushed fine
1/4 cup melted butter + 2 Tbsp.

Cheesecake

6 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each, room temperature

2 cup sugar

5 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. melted quality dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Add melted chocolate to remanding batter and mix until fully blended. Pour into the middle of the pan, on top of the plain batter. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, in the shallow water bath, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

The Best Apple Dip. Period.

2009-04-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is starting up a food blog and has a great recipe for a fruit dip, you can find it here. So anyways it had me thinking about my favorite dips and things and I remembered this caramel dip I made for a UFC party and my daughters birthday party. Let's just say there is no such things as left overs with this dip.

16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer. Fold in caramel mixture. Serve immediately.

Frozen Limeade Punch

2009-04-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

I had this punch at a bridal shower recently. It is seriously to die for and perfect for a hot summer day. They serve a drink similar to this one at Red Robin and they put raspberry syrup and blueberries in it. Loooove at first sight...I'm a believer!

5 1/2 qt. water (22 cups)
1 c. frozen limeade concentrate
3 cups of sugar
1 large bottle Sprite/7up/Sierra Mist

Mix water, until the limeade and sugar are completely dissolved. Pour drink mix into gallon size freezer Ziploc bags (each about 2/3 way full, sealed tightly) and freeze until completely frozen (over night). When ready to serve punch, smash bags on hard surface to loosen up frozen drink mix and pour into punch bowl. Pour bottle of soda over it and mix until nice and slushy.

Water Punch

2009-04-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

I love to serve this punch at family get togethers, summer bbq's, as well as baby and bridal showers. It is a lighter tasting punch with a great pop of color from the floating citrus fruit. You can get powdered citric acid from any pharmacy or health food store.

5 qt. water
3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon extract
1 Tbsp powdered citric acid
Ice
lemons, limes, and oranges (about 2 or 3 each)

Dissolve the water and sugar together. Add lemon ext. and citric acid and stir until completely dissolved. Add ice. Cut up citrus fruits in slices and place on top.

Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

2009-04-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

My absolute favorite thing that I am craving going into summer is angel food cake. I got this recipe from Williams Sonoma, I've been wanting to make one from scratch. In the past I have taken the easy route and made one from a box, so we'll see how it goes. I know there is a TON of egg whites in here, but it's the yolk that's got all the cholesterol and fat...ahhh but I hate waste...I'll have to find some other recipe now that just calls for yolks!
After the cake is cooled I hull and cut about 20 strawberries or so and add about 1-2 tbsp of water and some sugar (add to taste - at least a couple of Tbsp.) and I smash the crud out of them with a potato masher (lol! I know but it's all I have!) Then in a separate bowl I whip up about 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (add 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla) use a handheld mixer and whip it until consistency of cool whip (do not over mix though or cream will curdle)

I have to find a good recipe for some lemon curd, I was at a dinner and they served angel food cake with warm lemon curd and it was heavenly! Just another idea for ya :)

Eggs are easier to separate when they are cold. Carefully crack the egg and, holding it over a bowl, pass the yolk back and forth between the shell halves and let the whites fall into the bowl. Drop the yolk into a separate bowl, then transfer the whites to a third bowl. Separate each additional egg over an empty bowl, for if any speck of yolk gets into the whites, the whites will not whip up properly. If a yolk breaks, start fresh with another egg. Let the separated egg whites come to room temperature before using them in the batter.

Ingredients:

1 cup cake flour

1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups egg whites (from about 10 eggs)

1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Fresh berries for serving

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a 10-inch angel food cake pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, 1 cup of the superfine sugar and the salt three times; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the whites are soft and foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup superfine sugar and beat until medium-firm peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Do not overbeat. Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest.

Transfer the egg mixture to a very large bowl. Sift one-fourth of the flour mixture over it and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold it into the whites using deep strokes. Add the remaining flour mixture in three equal additions, sifting and folding each time.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden and springs back when touched, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert the pan onto its feet or the neck of a wine bottle. Let cool completely.

Gently run a long, thin-bladed knife around the outer sides of the pan, pressing it firmly against the pan to prevent tearing the cake. Then run the knife or a skewer around the inside of the tube. Invert the pan and let the cake slide out. Remove the paper lining. Garnish with berries and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serves 10.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).

I can't believe it's lowfat butterscotch banana bread

2009-04-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking to one-up my recipes that I have on hand. I have about 3 or 4 go to banana bread recipes I use but this one just blows them out of the water. The butterscotch really sweetens up the bread - it's more dessert then bread I guess you could say...but that's what I like. This bread is dense but also light at the same time, which I would say is a perfect balance. I lightened the caloric and fat load which makes me feel just a tad better after I eat the entire loaf myself.

1/4 c. butter (softened not melted)
1/4 c. low fat sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice (didn't have so I squeezed fresh lime)
1 c. browned bananas, mashed (about 2 1/2 lrg ones or so)
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 Grease 1 or 2 bread pans (I made 2 half loaves)
Combine the softened butter, sour cream and sugars. (Do not use mixer it will take away from natural denseness of bread) Add the egg whites and stir well after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Add mashed bananas, stir well until combined. Add all the dry ingredients to the mixture and stir until just blended (do not over stir, it's the dang gluten I tell ya!) Lastly add the chips and fold in gently. Pour the mixture into pan(s). Bake for 35-40 minutes ...check inside w/ toothpick or dry spaghetti noodle. If not clean stick in for 5 more minutes.
Now praise the brown banana gods and try to share with others.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2009-04-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Pioneer Woman constantly astounds me with all her excellent recipes. I honestly don't think she's capable of make something mediocre, and it's all simple. As in simply incredible! This is a must try ASAP! The Bryce-man loved it and even the squirt gave it thumbs up...as any two year old is capable of doing. But the pictures are brought to you buy PW, by the time I thought to snap a picture this pasta was looong gone!

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

3 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.

Roast red peppers, (I placed them in a pre-heated broiler and flipped them every couple minutes to get all the sides nice and black) then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. (While peppers are "sweating" you can toast the nuts as shown below) Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.

Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Give thanks for Italy.

Black Bean, Chicken and Red Pepper Stew

2009-04-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

I have never been a real soup/stew maker, but maybe (just maybe) I'll have to become one. It's supposed to be so easy right? Stick all your ingredients into a crock pot/ stock pot and boom bang bam your done. I just couldn't pass up putting this recipe in my bloggy cook book. Every ingredient in it sounds amazing, there is just no way to go wrong.

But you just might want to stand to the side while I blow out all the dust from my crock pot. Time to put this sucker to good use.

Thank you Annie's Eats!

Black Bean, Chicken and Red Pepper Stew
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2-3 chicken breasts, cut up into chunks
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, chopped (or fresh roasted peppers)
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion to the pot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Mix in the black beans, diced tomatoes, red peppers, green chiles, chicken broth, cumin, and cayenne. Return the chicken to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. When finished, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir in fresh cilantro.

Cilantro-lime chicken with avocado salsa

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Let's be healthy today for a change... mmmm this came from one of the blogs I stalk...I mean follow! Doesn't it look so fresh and fabulous! If only I had some tomatoes in my fridge I would whip this up right now. I LovE fresh cilantro, it's so unique and reminds me of a summer BBQ.

Cilantro-lime chicken with avocado salsa

Serves 4 (1 chicken breast, 1/4 cup salsa)

CHICKEN:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tsp garlic
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt

SALSA:
1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. To prepare chicken, combine cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chicken and olive oil in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill over medium-high heat until done.

2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato, onion, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add avocado and cilantro; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

Homeade Buttermilk Bread

2009-04-05T13:12:00.001-07:00

Here is the bread recipe I used when i went on this weird "I want to be self-sufficient" trip. It is so unlike me to want to make bread, how domestic is that anywho!? But I did but I am glad because it was soooo super good. It reminded me of when my mom used to make it for us when we were growing up. The smell is absolutely incredible as it's baking.

Now I made these 2 loafs with no mixer and no bread maker...talk about skill! Haha no really that's how unprepared I was...I was lucky I had packets of yeast in my cupboard (what the crap were they doing there anyways!?) Also, I didn't proof the yeast but not having a bread maker I probably should of (didn't rise as much as it should have) and I only ended up using 4 cups of flour - all purpose...I know that's a no-no in bread making (bread flour has more protein in it to aid in rising) ...again probably why my dwarf loaves didn't rise completely...

Meh

That just goes to show anyone can really cook and not have a clue about what they should be doing.

Well this domestic episode has me coveting for a bread maker. I want it right this moment! So I guess we'll see. I should have it by the end of this week :)

Buttermilk Bread

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS

Proof yeast in warm water.
Place the butter or margarine and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until butter or margarine has melted. Cool to lukewarm.
Place sugar, salt, baking soda, buttermilk mixture, and yeast in large mixing bowl. Add 3 cups flour one cup at a time, and mix with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer. Gradually add the remaining flour while continuing to mix. When dough is not sticky, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Place in a greased bowl, and turn once. Allow to rise until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough. Divide, and shape into 2 loaves. Place in two well greased 8 x 4 inch bread pans. Allow to rise until dough has risen one inch above pans.
Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Loaves are done when nicely brown and hollow sounding when thumped.

Truck Stop Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

This week it seems like we have been eating buttermilk up the nose! I had a quart in the fridge that was nearing death and refrigerator resurrection (aka old and moldy!)
So to save it's buttery life and to fill our tummies we have had buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk bread (recipe to follow), homeade buttermilk ranch dressing, buttermilk in my brownies...wowee I swear if there was any left I probably would have put the rest in my bathtub!! (good for the skin? maybe!)

So these pancakes are STELLAR! I (like most of you) always made pancakes from the bag (Krusteaz, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, etc.) But after eating these I don't think I can go back! Seriously they are drool worthy!

2 eggs
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 cups and 1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/8 pinch salt (optional)
2 tablespoons and 1/4 teaspoon sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar; stir into the wet ingredients just until blended. Adjust the thickness of the batter to your liking by adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Continue with remaining batter.

Chicken, Lemon and pea Risotto

2009-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to cooking with Risotto from my good friend from Italy. I buy it at Costco, but for smaller packages I'm sure you can get at Trader Joes or maybe even local supermarkets. Risotto is known to be a tad more temperamental than regular rice, so your first time I would recommend you not to Facebook or watch Dexter or Good Eats...as I often do while cooking:) Enjoy!
I haven't tried this one out yet...but seriously how could it not be good??? I'll return and report soon!

Chicken, Lemon and Pea Risotto
Inspired by Donna Hay

Serves 4
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and thinly diced
1 stick of celery, thinly diced (optional)
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly chopped
zest of half a whole lemon
1 cup Aborio rice or really any type of risotto you can find
Good splash of dry white wine
Approximately 3 c. Chicken stock
Good couple handfuls of frozen peas
1 cup shredded cooked chicken, white, brown meat or a mixture
Juice of half a whole lemon
Salt and pepper
handful of parmesan cheese

Heat the stock in a small saucepan.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot add the onion and celery and sweat (with the lid on), stirring occasionally until soft but not brown (5-10 mins).
Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for a few minutes, again stirring frequently.
Add the rice and turn up the heat. Stir to coat the rice (from here on you need to stir much more frequently to stop the rice sticking or burning and also to release the starch to make it deliciously creamy).
You should notice the rice become translucent and at this point you need to add the wine and continue to stir.
Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add the first ladel of stock and turn the heat back down to medium. Keep stiring.
Once this ladel of stock has been fully absorbed by the rice, add another ladel, stir and repeat until the rice is cooked (try it - is it soft with a little bit of bite left? Yes - then move on to the next step, No - add more stock).
Add the frozen pea before the last couple of ladels so they have time to cook.
Once the rice and peas are cooked, remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and chicken. Stir to mix well, season to taste.
Scatter the parmeson (and a few small knobs of butter if you like) over the top, replace the lid and leave to become oozy/creamy ( few minutes).
Once the cheese and butter(if using) have melted, stir well and serve.

Enjoy!

Baked Mac and Cheese

2009-04-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

I really do love homeade Mac n Cheese. So here is good ole Martha's take on it. Yum!

Martha Stewart's Macaroni & Cheese
Serves 12

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad

2009-03-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite summer pasta salad...I made this for a changing shift party for my hubbers and it was gone before we even got up to the table. I sometimes also add chopped pepperoni to mine for an extra pop. Enjoy {Kim} lol :)

3 cups tri-color rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup Athenos Traditional crumbled feta cheese
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped unpeeled cucumber
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1/2 cup Kraft Zesty italian dressing
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend the flavors. This makes about 8 1 cup servings.

Super Fast and Easy Steak Stroganoff

2009-03-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Steak Stroganoff

Cook your choice of swirly cut short pasta (tastes better than long noodles) in a large pot according to manuf. directions. I used Picollini (mini bowties), because I love it and it's super cute too. While pasta is cooking,

1 lb steak flap meat (sliced thin), defrosted
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Couple dashes of Montreal steak seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic (I use the pre packed in olive oil minced stuff)

Cook meat in oil, soy sauce, seasoning, and garlic in a shallow saucepan for about 5 minutes per side
Once meat is cooked, remove from pan and cut in to 1 inch pieces. Set aside.

1/4 c. butter
1/2 med. onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Saute butter, onion and garlic for about 5-7 minutes unitl softened. Add

1 1/4 c. finely chopped mushroom ( I give mine a whirl in the food processor )

and cook another 5 minutes. Add

3 Tbsp. cream cheese (reduced fat)
1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/3 c. milk (we use fat free...hellllo Im trying to stay healthy here)
1/2 c. sour cream (lite)

Stir ingrediants until completely combined. Let cook on med/high for 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta when al dente. Combine the pasta and meat with the sauce. You can sprinkle parm. cheese on top if you wish. I didn't wish, but you might :) Serve HOT!

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Bake

2009-03-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Think 'spinach and artichoke dip in pasta form'...where do I sign up?? The original posting of this recipe calls for tortellini, but I figure what the hay...If Ive got them that's fantastic...If not I'm sure ravioli or even any type of shaped pasta would be marvelous in this dish.

To make it a little lighter you can use fat free milk, reduced fat cheeses, and choose a non cheese filled pasta.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

Serves 6

2 pounds fresh or frozen ricotta-filled tortellini, ravioli, or any shaped pasta
salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups milk
a few grates fresh nutmeg (or for us lazy's 1 shake of McCormicks)
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out
1 13.75 oz can artichoke hearts, or 1 10-ounce box frozen quartered artichoke hearts, defrosted
ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese (I usually don't have this on hand...I'm sure it doesn't make a big difference if you skip it)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan - Romano
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat broiler.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, salt the water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain cooked pasta and reserve.

While the pasta is working, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the butter. Cook the garlic in the butter until aromatic, about 1 minute, then sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook for another minute. Whisk the milk into the roux and bring up to a bubble to thicken. Add nutmeg, spinach, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are heated through.

Add the reserved pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Transfer everything to a large casserole dish and sprinkle with the cheeses. Place under the broiler to brown, about a minute.

Bread and Pasta a la Pioneer Woman

2009-03-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Pioneer Woman Garlic Cheese Bread

1 loaf crust French bread

1 stick butter

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup real mayonnaise

4 green onions, white and light green parts minced
Dash of salt

4 cloves garlic, finely minced.

Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise and the green onions. Add dash of salt to taste and set aside or keep in fridge until you need it.Cut loaf of bread in half, then each half into half again.Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add 1/4 of the minced garlic.Place 1 of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.Spread cheese mixture on warm loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.Slice and serve.

Pioneer Women Pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 generous teaspoon ground thyme

2 14-ounce cans whole tomatoes

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 to 2 pounds rigatoni

Heat olive oil in large skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes, until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute, making sure not to brown the garlic.Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of excess fat.Add salt, pepper, and ground thyme. Stir to combine.Dump in canned tomatoes with their juice. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times.Uncover the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.Cook rigatoni according to package directions—don’t overcook! Drain and place individual portions into bowls.Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan into the sauce. Check and adjust seasonings. Ladle sauce over cooked pasta, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and serve.

Best Ever Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2009-02-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my grandma - who I think secretly adds a poof of grandma magic to everything she cooks. I swear I don't know what she does but everything that comes out of her kitchen is so super good. This really tastes more like a cake than bread, it makes a fabulous dessert.
You would also never guess that it is a low fat recipe either. The applesause and sour cream really make it moist but not too dense as some breads are known to be.

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

11/2 cups sugar

1/2 oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray your pans with Pam. 2 loaf pans or a cake pan.

Melt unsweetened chocolate on stovetop or microwave.

In large bowl combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Add sour cream, applesauce. Beat well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Add chocolate chips and mix until coated. Do not over mix. Pour into pans and bake 60 to 70 minutes for loaf pans, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cute Valentines Idea

2009-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

I had to keep this for my records and to share with you. So cute! My husband is a die hard cheesecake fan (come to think of it he's really just a die-hard food fan generally speaking!) so I am going to make one for him and then add these little Oreo Cakester babies as decoration. Thanks Bakerella!

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

2009-01-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

Cafe Rio?? What in tar-nation is that? Don't worry...I had to google it to find out too. It's a Mexican grill based in Utah that is supposedly drool worthy. But I guess I will be the judge of that!! ;)
I found this recipe on a blog while I was blog stalking...Oops! I mean blog searching. I am going to put this together soon for my hubbers who is WILD about mexi food. It sounds so interesting and I cant wait to try what the pork tastes like - cooked in coke and all. I am guessing it is using a roast (shoulder/butt/etc.) cut in the recipe.
I read a tip from the comments on their post that said the cilantro ranch sauce is better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Thanks Cookin with Friends!

SWEET PORK
2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

Directions for the Salad:
K so now to make it all PERFECT... Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, NOT ICEBURG) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it! It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro! Try it and let me know what you think! I KNOW you won't be disappointed!!