Sweetie's Kitchen Adventures

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

2011-11-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I DID IT!! Yep, I finally got around to making PW's cinnamon rolls. You see, I have a fear of yeast. A great big, I don't know what's wrong, why doesn't this stuff ever, ever, ever work kind of fear. And that isn't an exaggeration.

Well, fear no more! I discovered rapid rise yeast. AWESOME! Not only does it save time, it works! And I don't need to tell you how good these are, because they are by PW... right! Well, lets get to cookin'!

Ingredients:

dough

2 cups milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg rapid rise yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
filling
1 cup melted butter
1/8 cup cinnamon
1 cup sugar
maple icing
1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/8 cup strong coffee
dash salt
1 1/2 tsp maple extract

Directions:

Heat the milk, oil and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat, do not allow to boil. Set aside and cool to lukewarm (120 - 130 degrees). Mix yeast and 4 cups of flour. Pour milk mixture over flour and stir until just combined. Cover with a clean towel and let sit for 10 minutes (This replaces the first rise). Remove towel and add baking powder, soda, salt and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Stir to thoroughly combine. Pour dough onto floured surface and roll into a large rectangle about 30 x 10 inches.

To make filling pour melted butter over dough and spread to edges with your fingers. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the dough. Now start at the end farthest away and roll tightly toward you. When you get to the end pinch the seam together. Take a knife and mark your roll so that they will all be even. Now take a piece of floss, yes dental floss, about a foot long and cut the rolls. Slide the floss under the dough and bring it up to the first mark. Cross the floss at the top and pull. It will make a beautiful cut and all of the filling stays inside!! Pour a couple of tablespoons of melted butter in a baking dish and place rolls in the pan being careful not to overcrowd. Cover with a towel and let sit for 20 minutes; while they are resting preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 13 - 17 minutes.

**I got 22 rolls out of this recipe and used a 9x13 and a pie pan. The larger pan took the full time and then some...

While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Mix the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, salt and maple flavoring together until all of the sugar is dissolved and there are no lumps. When the rolls are done, pour on the icing and let it soak in. Now, thank PW for sharing such a wonderful recipe. I did, though I'm not sure she heard me. Thank you Ree!!!

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook

Banana Bread

2011-11-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

WOW... it's been a while :o) It's not that I've been out of the kitchen, I've just been busy with life, you know how it goes. It's always crazy here and I rarely get a chance to get on here. Well, enough chit chat, lets get on to the good stuff! Banana Bread!! I love banana bread, and this is by far my favorite recipe. It comes from my great aunt, and it is unbelievably easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Mix all ingredients well, pour into pan and bake 1 hour. Let cool 10 min, then remove from pan to cool completely. Store in an air tight container to keep moist.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-06-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

The most wonderful, delicious, tender, easiest cinnamon rolls.... ever!

Now dont get me wrong, I'm a lover of yeast but the fact that this recipe is without yeast makes it all the better, quicker... easier!

Ingredients:
For the dough:
3/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

For the filling:
3/4 oz. (1-1/2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the glaze:
2-1/2 oz. (scant 2/3 cup) confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. cold whole or low-fat milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan with cooking spray.
Make the dough:

In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle.

Make the filling:
Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough.
Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.

With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly.
Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
Make the glaze:
In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

Original recipe on OBB.

Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-06-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my... how cute are these!! I cannot believe they turned out so well.

My husband's aunt gave me this recipe. She actually called it a ding dong recipe, but I just couldn't resist putting those little white swirls on top! Next time I think I'll make them look like ding dongs... now where did I put that biscuit cutter???

Ingredients:
1 box milk chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate fudge intant pudding
3 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups water

1 can whipped vanilla frosting
3 squares chocolate almond bark
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3 tsp shortning, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line standard size cupcake pans with liners.

Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, sour cream and water with mixer on medium speed, about 3 min, until well combined. Spoon mixture into lined pans, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 18 - 20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cool, fill a pastry bag (or sandwich baggie) fitted with a small tip with whipped frosting. Puncture top of a cupcake with tip and squeeze a small amount of frosting, continue filling every one.

Next, in a small bowl melt the chocolate almond bark and two teaspoons of shorting for 60 seconds in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Dip each cupcake into the chocolate and place back on the cooling rack to harden.

Once the chocolate has hardened, place the white chocolate chips and last teaspoon of shorning in a small sandwich bag. Put bag in microwave for thirty seconds. Remove bag and kneed to combine. If it is not completely melted, continue microwaving at 10 second intervals. Once melted, snip the corner of the bag off and swirl designs on top of each cupcake.

OAMC

2011-03-15T16:04:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been a while huh?!? I can't believe that I missed the February Cake Slice Bakers cake (toffee and chocolate… I'm still planning on making it). Not to mention weeks of IHCC with Giada… she's my favorite! Where has the time gone. Well, this weekend I played a little catch up! It took me about 12 hours and I am completely exhausted but it was so worth it!! I stocked both freezers with dinner… for a whole month!! How awesome is that!!! Oh yeah, I made breakfast and lunch stuff too!

I came across a web site called Once a Month Mom a while back, and did a little crazy thing called volunteering to be a test kitchen. If you're wondering… it was awesome!! They make it so easy, from the grocery list to packaging the food… it's all there! Even labels (so you're not wondering what's in that bag 'giggle'). I enjoyed it so much that I'm already planning my menu for next month!

Now what… I'll be sharing some of the recipes I made and making some sweets too! Happy cooking!!!

Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls

2011-01-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

I love cinnamon rolls, and hazelnuts and icing... but mostly, I love that this recipe starts with a loaf of frozen dough!! I love short cuts and things that make my life easier... in general. I'm submitting this to IHCC for Potluck week.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (1-pound) loaf purchased frozen white bread dough, thawed
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Directions
Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. Mix the nuts, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl. Roll out the thawed dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush 1 tablespoon of butter over the dough. Sprinkle the nut mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top and bottom sides. Starting at 1 long side, roll up the dough jelly-roll style, forming a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the log into 9 equal pieces. Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in the prepared baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm draft-free area until puffed, about 45 minutes.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

Bake the cinnamon rolls uncovered until the tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese, and buttermilk in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the baked cinnamon rolls and then drizzle the cheese mixture over top. Serve warm.

Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake

2011-01-22T04:18:00.000-08:00

with Marshmallow Frosting!!!
Recipe adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

This was January's cake at the Cake Slice Bakers. My favorite part... the frosting!! I read another baker's review before I had a chance to bake mine and adjusted the ingredients to make it more marshmallowy :o). The frosting was oh so good... can I have s'more please!! (giggle) The cake itself was almost salty, If I were to make it again, I would probably decrease the salt and increase the sugar a little. Even the over sweetness of the frosting didn't balance it out. Did I mention that I wanted more frosting?

Ingredients
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup marshmallow fluff

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and dust it with flour.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, stirring until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting: Place the butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the vanilla and the Marshmallow Fluff and beat until smooth.

Spinach Salad in a Parmesan Frico Cup

2011-01-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Resolutions... My resolution is always to lose weight... Always! I find it very difficult because I am a self diagnosed Chocoholic with a huge sweet tooth and no self control! True diagnosis, I swear!! My favorite place is my kitchen, and I find cooking to be very calming, so while I can't resolve to stay out of the kichen I can chose healthier recipes to prepair... At least in January ;o) The theme at IHCC this week is Resolutions so I decided to find a healthy recipe to make and I saw Giada make the parmesan crisps on a show once and it kind of stuck in my mind, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Perfect!

Pretty, don'tcha think!!

Ingredients:

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Spinach Salad:
6 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups)
1 orange, cut into segments
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Special equipment: a silpat mat, a muffin tin, and a small drinking glass

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.

Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet. Place 6 (1/4-cup mounds of Parmesan cheese on the mat and gently tap down until each mound is flat and 4 1/2-to-5 inches in diameter. Bake for 8-to-10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Working quickly, use a thin spatula to transfer the Parmesan Frico to a muffin tin. Gently place a small drinking glass on top of the Parmesan Frico to mold it into the shape of the muffin cups. Let cool until firm, about 5 minutes. Continue with the remaining Parmesan cheese,

Tropical Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

2011-01-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

I know it's the middle of winter but we had some leftover Hawiian Rolls and you know I'm all about the desserts. So this idea just came to mind... I've never made a bread pudding before but it sounded good.

My Husband asked me why I was making this because I don't like bread pudding. You see the problem is that I dont like wet bread. The thought of it makes me gag... so I am not sure why this sounded so good. I will say I was disapointed when I first tried it out of the oven, it was very much like I expected. Very Wet Bread. But, the next day, it was so magnificently wonderful! More like a very moist cake full of flavors of coconut and pineapple. Wonderfully delicious, and made even better topped with a Rum Sauce. SO GOOD! Wish I had some more right now!

Ingredients:
10 - 12 Hawaiian Rolls
1 cup milk
1 cup cream of coconut
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 8oz can pineapple
1 cup sweetened coconut

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

Break bread into small pieces into an 9 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with coconut.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cream of coconut, sugar, pineapple, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

My Favorite Pasta

2011-01-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin??? My oh my…

This was so good! Rich and creamy full of flavors but nothing overpowering. Every flavor worked together beautifully, and the colors on the finished plate were magnificent!! I found the recipe over at Get Off Your Butt and Bake, one of my new favorite blogs!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of Cooked diced or shredded Chicken breast
1 cup of diced fried ham
1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon (for the top)
1 diced Roma Tomato ( for the top or can mix in)
5 to 6 stalks of cooked Tender Asparagus for the top
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for the top
Pasta: Whatever your family likes.

SAUCE:
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken Broth
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes (opt)
1 Teaspoon white sugar
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

Directions:
Fry bacon until crispy, place on Paper towels and set aside. Fry ham in a small amount of the bacon grease. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Brown Sugar on top of the ham, and toss until the ham is golden and the Brown sugar has caramelized. Chop or shred the Chicken Breasts, chop tomato, and chop tender cooked Asparagus.

Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour, seasonings, sugar and whisk together with the butter until bubbly. Continue whisking, and slowly add the milk, cream and the chicken broth. Whisk Constantly, so that you don’t get any lumps. You want your sauce to be nice and smooth. Keep whisking until the sauce has thickened. Turn heat to low, and add the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Once melted and mixed thorougly, turn your heat to the lowest temperature and cover. Prepare your pasta until al dente. Drain well.

Plate the pasta, and serve the sauce over the top. Crumble your bacon on top of the sauce, and also top with Asparagus, tomatoes and more grated Parmesan Cheese.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

2011-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Quinoa - Superfood! As well as an excellent choice for those new years resolutions of healthy eating. I found it over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. (I love every recipe I've tried from her blog)

I was so happy to have tried this recipe and have made it now several times. I love the texture of the quinoa and black beans, and the hint of heat from the cayenne is the perfect touch.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering and hot, add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in the frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let the pot sit off the heat until the corn and beans are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve warm or chilled – it is delicious both ways!

Fried Cabbage

2011-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Y'all! It's a tradition to eat black eyed peas and cabbage on new years... for luck and prosperity.

I did a little research this morning and this is what I found.

For New Years, pork represents health and wealth, and continued prosperity. Some say also that a pig also represents progress - since pigs pretty much can't just look backward without completely turning around, so a pig represents forward progress.

The tradition of black-eyed peas for southerners is believed to have originated back during Civil War times when Sherman's soldiers raided southern homes, taking virtually all of the food and burning the crops, but mostly ignoring the fields of black-eyed peas, because they thought them to be food for the livestock and of no value otherwise. As one of the few food sources left to sustain the people and the southern soldiers, those black-eyed peas came to represent good fortune.

The black-eyed peas represent coins, cabbage represents paper money and cornbread represents gold. I did not know that :o)

Don't worry, my recipe contains lots of pork. Oh, and and the meal will be rounded out with a batch of Dixie Cornbread! Yummy!! Now what should I make for dessert?? Maybe a chocolate sheet cake...
because in my mind, chocolate brings happiness!!

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp canola oil
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup ham, cubed
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet with a fitted lid, start by frying the bacon until done, then set it aside. (notice I didn't say drain it... you're gonna want all those drippings back in the pan!) Next, over medium heat, add the oil to the bacon fat, then add onion, garlic and about half of the cabbage. Continue stirring and adding cabbage until you get it all in the pan. Once it's in the pan add the water, cover and cook, stirring occationally, until the cabbage has softened (about 20 min). Remove the lid and add the bacon, ham, vinegar, salt and pepper, and cook until all of the water has evaporated. Add more seasoning if needed, I like a lot of pepper in mine!

Spaghetti Pie

2010-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

I've seen spaghetti pie recipes numerous times. But they all use the spaghetti as a crust and then cover it will toppings like a pizza. The "crust" looks dry and unappealing so I've never tried it until I came across this recipe for Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie on Mommy's Kitchen. I chose to omit the name Hillbilly because that isn't a name that is synonymous with Texas. Southern yes, hillbilly no. Now that we have the official new name for this recipe, we can proceed with the goodness!!

Ingredients:
1/2 - cup onion, chopped
2 - tablespoons olive oil
1/2 - pound ground beef
1/2 - pound sweet Italian sausage
2-garlic cloves, minced
1 - (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 - teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 - tsp Italian seasoning
1 - tablespoon sugar
1 - teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 - cups water
8 - ounces thin spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces (not angel hair)
1/4 - cup heavy whipping cream
1 - teaspoon dried basil
1/2 - cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 - cups grated mozzarella cheese
large cast iron skillet or 9 x 13 in baking dish

Directions:Saute onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium heat 5 minutes. Add beef and sausage, brown over medium-hi heat. While almost brown, add garlic, Italian seasoning and oregano. I drained off the grease from the ground beef and sausage before continuing with the recipe. Once browned, stir in crushed tomatoes, water, sugar and salt. Add broken spaghetti. Push spaghetti into liquid, and cover for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, stir pasta so the noodles won’t stick together. Reduce heat to medium low simmer for 6 more minutes until pasta is al dente (almost cooked but still a little firm). Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and cream, stir well. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, put in oven to broil until spotty brown.

Meatloaf - PW Style

2010-12-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

We were not big meatloaf eaters around here. Until now!!! This recipe has completely changed our minds. It is so unbelievable good!! No peppers or onions, a big bonus for this family (excluding me). This recipe is from Pioneer Woman and is to die for like everything else that I've made from her book and web site! I'm telling you, she is genius.

Ingredients

Meatloaf:
1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices White Bread
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ teaspoons Seasoned Salt
¾ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
⅓ cups Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
4 whole Eggs Beaten
10 slices Thin/regular Bacon

Sauce:
1-½ cup Ketchup
⅓ cups Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Tabasco To Taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2010-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

How do you get your family to eat fish?? I luckily came across a recipe on all recipes that makes it irresistible! I've changed it up a little... and it is awesome!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash onion powder
dash celery salt
5-6 tilapia fillets
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1.Preheat your oven's broiler. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

2.In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lime juice. Add dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. Season fillets with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Cranberry Cake

2010-12-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late posting this, but it was a good cake so I wanted to include it. This recipe was the cake selected for December at the Cake Slice Bakers blog. My husband especially loved the tartness of the cake saying it cut the sweetness. I'm tellin' ya it was good! I kept going back for more...

Cranberry Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes

Ingredients
For the streusel:
1 cup sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries

DirectionsMake the streusel: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch round springform pan.

Combine the almonds, butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Work the mixture between your fingers to form large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on a medium high speed until the mixture is lightened and increased in volume, about 5 minutes.

With the mixture on low, add the butter in a slow stream. Turn the mixture to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Gently but thoroughly fold in the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in the cranberries.

Scrape the batter into a prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake the cake until it is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to a wire rack. Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-11-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

I think these are the best pancakes I have ever eaten... No, seriously!! They are so good. After a brief conversation at work over what made the weird taste in the pancakes we were eating at the moment I decided that I would test a couple of recipes. So I went to Tasty Kitchen on Pioneer Woman's web site and found something I wanted to work with. To be honest, I haven't tried the second recipe yet, because these are soooooooo good!

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

4 tsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix dry ingredient in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Heat skillet or gridle over medium high heat. Once heated, mix wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Pour pancake mix in pan and cook until lots of bubbles apear, then flip. Cook second side for just about a minute. Once you get one of the pancakes done... taste it. Seriously, sneek a bite, they are so good! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Pudding Cake

2010-11-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is the second cake for the Cake Slice Bakers Blog. The cake chosen for November is a Cinnamon Pudding Cake.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this cake. The reviews thus far were not that great... but this one turned out well! I send sweets with my husband to work often and he said they would eat this up!! (That's a good thing)

Ingredients
For the Caramel Topping
1 cup plus 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
¾ cup water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

MMMM, look at that hot caramel!!!

Directions
Topping
Heat the oven to 350F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, then set aside to cool.

Cake
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm.

Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Buttermilk Pie

2010-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

First, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful compliments on this pie. The recipe was given to me by a dear friend a loooooong time ago. It is a simple recipe to make, and apparently, ahem… a forgiving recipe. Even with the help of a 2 year old!

We will just pretend, with all that help… that I didn’t originally forget to add the sugar… wonder why the filling didn’t fill two pie shells… put the pies in the oven… only to realize about three minutes into the cooking time what I had done… pull the pies out… spill filling all over the inside of the door and in the bottom of my oven… pour the filling back in the bowl… add the sugar… wash the cookie sheet… refill the pie shells… and back into the oven, to end up with some very pretty and tasty pies…. see, a very forgiving recipe! And, you totally don’t have to go thru all of that. In fact, it's much easier if you remember all of the ingredients the first time :o)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 regular pie crust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together. Pour in pie shell and bake 40 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

2010-10-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you how excited I am to have joined the Cake Slice Bakers!! The first recipe selected is appropriate for the impending fall-ish weather. (Come on Fall… come down to Texas, I can't wait for you to get here!!) And I am excited even further by the fact that I cooked my own pumpkin! (Not that you have to do that… just another one of those things I wanted to try). Anyways, this recipe is simple to throw together and delicious to boot! It goes perfect with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the milk.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down sides after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up to cool completely.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2010-10-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sounds a little naughty doesn't it... Mmmmm, pumpkin and cream cheese. Tiny little pumpkin cakes filled with a delectable cream cheese frosting, and to top it off they were so super easy to make! Seriously, if I knew they were that easy I would have made them the first night I read the recipe.

I halved the original recipe (thank goodness) because it made A LOT!
Ingredients:
For cakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp ground cloves
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, slightly chilled.
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
For filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Can I make a confession? I never preheat my oven at the beginning of a recipe. Seriously, how long does it take to warm up?? I usually turn it on just before I put the ingredients in the pan.)
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled baking... Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Wisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. In a separate bowl, wisk the sugar and oil together, then add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and wisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Using a cookie scoop, place batter on cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between each cake. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cakes cool completely on cookie sheets.
To make fillling, mix softened butter and cream cheese until well combined, add sugar and mix well, scraping sides if needed, then add the vanilla.
To assemble, put filling in a zip lock bag and cut the tip off of one corner. Turn half of the cakes so that the flat side is facing up. Top with filling, then place another cake on top. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to one day. (of course we didn't wait that long to try them, but they were really good once they had been refrigerated!)

Fried Ravioli

2010-10-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Benvenuto Giada!
I am so excited that Giada is the chef we will be cooking from for the next six months over at I Heart Cooking Clubs!!! She is my absolute favorite celebrity chef. Over the years I've made many of her recipes and can't wait to make more. After browsing through some of her recipes over at the Food Network web site I settled on a simple but oh so delicious recipe of fried ravioli.

They were so good! And easy... and GOOD!! Mmmm, just looking at the picture makes me wish I has more.

Ingredients:

Olive oil, for frying

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs

1 box store bought cheese ravioli

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Directions:

Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medioum heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the the ravioli on a baking sheet and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Nutella Brownies

2010-09-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

When I saw this recipe I just had to make them! I love nutella!! The recipe is so simple,only requiring four ingredents. Since nutella is a hazelnut spread it only makes since that the recipe would call for chopped hazelnuts, but my Wal-Mart doesn't sell them so I used slivered almonds. The recipe also says it makes 12 mini brownies, but I went a little light filling the cups and ended up with 15, which was a good thing since we had company for dinner. I found the recipe here.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup nutella
1 egg
5 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or almonds)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 mini muffin tins. Mix first three ingredients and fill each cup 3/4 full. Top with chopped nuts and bake for 11 - 12 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days... Yeah, they would never last that long!

Mint Brownies

2010-09-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, chocolate mint, how I love thee!! No really, I do!!

This is another Mark Bittman recipe to submit to IHCC. At the bottom of his recipes he always includes several "add in" suggestions and so to his basic brownie recipe I chose to add peppermint extract and mini chocolate chips. Brownies are so simple to make and the addition of peppermint and chocolate chips made these irresistible, so irresistible in fact that they just disappeared!! I wish I would have made more, because I just keep thinking about how good they were… Hmmm, maybe tonight I'll make another batch and add a little almond extract and almonds.
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus a little softened butter for the pan
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pepperment
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with butter or line it with aluminumfoil and grease the foil.
2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is just about melted, remove from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gently stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Pour and scrape into the prepared pan and bake until just barely set in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes. It's better to underbake brownies than to overbake them. Cool on a rack before cutting. Store, covered, at room temperature, for no more than a day.

Fresh Apple Cake

2010-09-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

With Brown Sugar Glaze

So I mentioned previously that I came across this web site called Cake Slice Bakers from one of my favorite blogs to visit Lick the Bowl Good. After seeing several of the cakes… I went out and bought the cookbook they are currently cooking from, Southern Cakes. It is well written with a little history from each of the recipes. This is the recipe posted for the month of September and since it got such rave reviews, I really wanted to try it!
Ingredients:
Fresh Apple Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking sodaa
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups finely chopped apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
Brown Sugar Glaze
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 cake pan (I floured mine too). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and wisk everything together.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a wooden spoon until pale yellow and foamy. Add the oil and vanilla, and beat well. Stir in flour mixture with wooden spoon and continue stirring just until the flour disappears. Add the apples and nuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. Place cake on a wire rack.
Make the glaze while the cake is hot. Combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a gentle boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
Spoon the glaze over the hot cake and let cake cool completely.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2010-09-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

My husband is totally a Velveeta guy. He will choose processed american melty cheese over anything else. And I do mean anything… in addition to macaroni and cheese, he wants it on nachos, melted in scrambled eggs, and even Philly Cheese Steak! (Personally, Velveeta mac & cheese is my favorite too, but it's not the only cheese out there right!?!?) So… I knew he wasn’t going to be thrilled about this recipe, but I really wanted to give baked Macaroni and Cheese another shot. When I've tried to make it in the past it has been dry and not very flavorful and well…. dry.
And the results were…
not bad!
I dont think it will replace our beloved velveeta but it is a nice change. This is a Mark Bittman recipe and I am submitting this to IHCC Pot Luck.
Ingredients:
21/2 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1 pound elbow, shell, ziti, or other cut pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11/2 cups grated cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup or more bread crumbs, preferably fresh

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Cook the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let stand.
3. Cook the pasta to the point where it is almost done but you would still think it needed another minute or two to become tender. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop the cooking, and put it in a large bowl.
4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about 1/4 cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk and continue to do so until all the milk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the cheddar and stir.
5. Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss in the Parmesan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch or similar-size baking pan and turn the pasta mixture into it. Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until bubbling and the crumbs turn brown, about 15 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Pizza Puffs

2010-09-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

After School Snack

I made the perfect after school snack for my boys first day back. To make them a little healthier I used turkey pepperoni, low fat mozzarella and skim milk. I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs. She is a neighbor living in Texas which is kinda funny since Texas is HUGE! So she probably doesn’t live anywhere close to here but that's ok :o)
I also discovered The Cake Slice Bakers from her site (More on that later though). So, back to the Pizza Puffs. My kids loved these!! They are simple to throw together and freeze wonderfully.

Ingredients:
3/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1Tbsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
3/4 c milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c mozzarella cheese
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 c mini pepperoni

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, seasoning and salt. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and let stand for 10 minutes. Fill pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.
**Note: I've also made these replacing the pepperoni with Italian Sausage, yum!!

Freezer Cooking

2010-09-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how overwhelmingly, hecticly busy my life is? With three kids, a full time job (with an hour commute each way), household chores, horses and homework, baths, boo boo's, sharing, it's not fair, I had it first, what's for diner, I dont want to eat that, can I have a cookie... I could go on and on. My stress level it close to 10 most of the time, and the one thing I really want to do, I mean REALLY, REALLY enjoy doing is making goodies. But I rarely find time to do that. There is something about making something from scratch. Reading recipes, trying new things, buying groceries, mixing ingredients, cooking, baking and the best part... the oohs and aahs. The imense pleasure of knowing that someone is enjoying what I made!!
So...

to create a little "me time" I'm going to stock my freezer with lots of home cooked meals. Instead of worring about whats for dinner, I can throw something in the oven and then...

MAKE A SWEET, TRY A NEW RECIPE, or BLOG!!!

Have you ever heard of OAMC? Once a month cooking. I came across it last year, and liked the idea. I did it for several months and it was really a time saver. There was always something available. There are several reasons for this type of cooking. To save money or in my case, to save time.

Happy Cooking!

Sweetie

Chicken Gumbo

2010-08-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

The okra is in great abundance right now in my in-laws garden. Funny thing is... my husband is the only one that will eat it in our family. I love to cook with fresh ingredients though, so I make many dishes with the odd little green vegetable.

Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 med bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh okra
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 lb chicken breast or thigh meat
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in a large sauce pan over med-high heat until hot. Wisk in flour and stir constantly for five minutes until mixture turns medium brown. Stir in onions, celery and bell pepper, cook five more minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. Next add garlic; cook for 30 seconds, then add tomatoes, broth, okra and seasoning and mix well.
Reduce heat to low, partially cover and cook for 30 more minutes.

Rice Pilaf

2010-08-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! I am submitting this to IHCC. I haven't participated in a while... in fact I haven't cooked anything new lately. But I needed a side dish to go with my Tilapia, and I new Mark Bittman would have something to fit the bill.

The rice turned out so flavorful and he has a ton of different options. The recipe is very versitle!

Ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups rice, preferably basmati
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups stock
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Directions
1. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice all at once, turn the heat down to medium, and stir until the rice is glossy, completely coated with butter or oil, and starting to color lightly, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to low and add the stock all at once. Stir once or twice, then cover the pan.

3. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat to the absolute minimum (if you have an electric stove, turn the heat off and let the pan sit on the burner) and let rest for another 15 to 30 minutes. Add the remaining butter or oil if you like and fluff with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning, fluff again, garnish, and serve.

Recipe by Mark Bittman - How To Cook Everything

Pineapple Burger Sliders

2010-07-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a pineapple burger? A big thick burger filled with a ring of pineapple and a special sauce.

This is a delicious memory from my childhood. My mom made them and they are so easy… however, when I tried to recreate this memory my burgers turned out dry and flavorless (excluding the pineapple and sauce in the middle). So I decided to change it up a bit. I made these first as meatballs and then when I came across Sweet Hawaiian rolls and a slider maker thingy… it's like it was meant to be! Sweet, Simple and Delicious!!!
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (I use 85/15)
I small can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
Salt and Pepper
Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

Directions
Mix molasses, ketchup and mustard to create a sauce. Pour half of sauce into a large bowl, then add pineapple, ground beef, salt and pepper and combine ingredients together but do not over mix. Shape small burgers and cook in a skillet until completely cooked through basting with sauce towards the end.

Slice each roll in half, fill with a mini burger, top with additional sauce and Voila!! A super addictive, satisfyingly sweet and savory slider! Enjoy one or two or three… I won't tell ;-)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe… it reminds me of a line in the movie Aladdin "another suitor for the princess". The mundane process of mixing, scooping and baking… the time consuming work that results in a good cookie, but not the perfect cookie.
But… I'm gonna keep trying them until I get it right. I have this idea in my head of what the perfect cookie should be. The taste, texture, color, etc… and this one is closer than any other I've tried. It's a really good cookie; a chewy cookie which is the only thing that keeps it from being perfect.

The taste - Delicious! The appearance - very appetizing!! The Texture… well, chewy... so if you like that kind of thing!!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 oz chocolate chips
parchment paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed in a stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until creamy.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Beat in chocolate chips just until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake at 350 for 10 to 14 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Tex-Mex Squash Casserole

2010-07-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

The only squash casserole I ever knew existed consisted of sauteed onions and squash, saltine crackers and sliced american cheese. I mean, don't get me wrong... I love the stuff, but when I came across this recipe I just had to try it!!

Please pardon the terrible picture. It does nothing more than show you how amazingly cheesy this casserole is. To be honest, grabbing the camera was an afterthought.

This casserole was wonderfully full of flavor and did I mention cheesy?? I love cheese. The real stuff that you painstakingly shred yourself, not the weird bagged stuff. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did!

note: it was spicy (which was perfect for us)

Tex-Mex squash casserole

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash and 2 zucchini, cut into coins (4 cups)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 can of Ro-Tel
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cups total of grated pepper jack and cheddar
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. When melted, add the squash, onion and jalapeno, and sauté until onions are translucent and the squash is soft, about ten minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and cook for a minute. Then stir in the flour and cook until a light-brown paste forms, about a minute.

Now add the broth and tomatoes and stir until the mixture thickens, which should happen in a couple of minutes. Add the half and half, sour cream and cilantro and turn off the heat.

In a greased casserole dish, layer the bottom with the crushed tortilla chips. Pour on top of the chips the creamy squash mixture and then cover the whole dish with the grated cheese.
Cook uncovered for thirty minutes.

Recipe found here.

Fried Rice

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

This recipe does not replace the rice from our favorite restaurant, but it's good. Really good... and my kids love it so it's a keeper! I found it on Our Best Bites, and changed it just a little to fit our taste.

Ingredients:

6 cups cold cooked rice

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tbsp chopped green onion

1/4 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped carrot

4 tbsp soy sauce

Seasoning:

1 tbsp dried onion

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp celery salt

1 1/2 tps sugar

First mix the seasonings and put in an airtight container (note: it makes way more than you need... the first time I made this I used WAY TO MUCH). Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute onions and carrots until tender, then add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Next add rice and soy sauce and then season to taste.

Hmmm, what should I try to make next??? Maybe Lo Main?

Broccoli and Beef

2010-07-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have been devastated since our favorite Chinese food restaurant closed a couple of years ago. We've searched the area looking for something, anything that measures up... but no luck thus far :( and to add insult to injury... I cannot recreate any of our favorite dishes. I mean not even close! I can cook Mexican exceptionally well and Italian practically flawlessly (well, it's pretty good) but I have yet to find any good Chinese recipes... until now.

This recipe was simple and delicious! (tomorrow I'll share the fried rice recipe pictured)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb Steak (I used a flat iron steak)
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp sugar
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bag frozen broccoli

Directions:
Slice steak, against the grain, in to thin slices. Mix ginger, sugar, soy sauce and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the sliced steak, making sure its all coated and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet and pour marinated meat in the pan. Once meat is cooked, add broccoli and cook until heated through.

ENJOY!!!

Ruben Sandwich

2010-07-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a super quick recipe for a delicious sandwich.

Ingredients:

Rye Bread (Pictured is Russian Rye, but any will work)

Turkey Pastrami

Swiss Cheese

Sauerkraut

Mayonase

Mustard

Butter

Directions:

Heat Sauerkraut in a pan to warm and dry the liquid so that your sandwich is not soggy. Next, assemble the sandwiches. Take two slices of bread, two slices of swiss cheese and two to three slices of pastrami, depending on the thickness. Spread mayonase on one slice of bread and mustard on the other, then cover one slice with a piece of cheese followed by pastrami, sauerkraut, another slice of cheese and the topped with the final slice of bread. Butter the outside of the sandwich and heat in a pan until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Banana Pancakes

2010-03-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm... What can I do with this one lonely banana???

I need two for banana bread and three for banana cake... Oh, I know!! Banana pancakes!! Yummmm! They are so good, and easily made with stuff you probably already have!

Now you can cook these on a non stick pan or griddle (this is what I usually do), but for a really heavenly treat, melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan before you pour your batter and then sprinkle chopped pecans over the uncooked batter and finally top with pure maple syrup. I swear, it taste like butter pecan ice cream.

Now, let's get cookin. First you'll need one of these little helpers.

They are invaluable for mashing bananas, stirring eggs and pouring things!

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup pecans (optional)

Directions
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and beat with a wire whisk just until smooth. Stir in pecans.

Heat lightly buttered griddle to 350 degrees or a skillet over med/high heat. Spread 1/4 cup batter onto pan. Cook until bubbles form (2-3 min). Turn pancakes and continue cooking until brown. Serve with butter and syrup.

Smores... on a stick

2010-03-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

I love to make goodies for my kids. I just imagine how excited their little faces will be when they see the assorted sweets and treats. So I had pretzel rods, marshmallow and chocolate, and this really cute idea... but things don't always work out the way you imagine them. The original idea was doomed from the get go... A stressful trip to the store where we forgot the dipping components... an unsuccessful attempt putting more than one sticky marshmallows on a pretzel and a crying toddler... put them all together and I had a recipe for disaster. I should have just stopped while I was ahead, but I didn't... and I'm glad! The end result of toasted marshmallow covered in sweet chocolate and a touch of graham crackers were oh so tasty, borderline addictive... and surprisingly not very messy!!

Ingredients
Pretzel Rods
Large Marshmallows
Dipping Chocolate (almond bark, candy melts, etc.)
Graham Crackers, crushed

Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break each pretzel in half, then using a chop stick, or something similar in size, poke a beginner hole in one end of a marshmallow. Next, carefully work marshmallow onto the broken end of the pretzel (this seems like it would be so easy... but it's not) and lay the it on the baking sheet being careful not to let them touch.

Once your sheet is full, or your tired of working with those pesky marshmallows turn the oven on to broil and place the pan in leaving the oven door open enough to watch them. And watch... seriously, it only takes about a minute... if that. Once they are toasted on the first side carefully turn them over and toast the other side. Place toasted marshmallows in the refrigerator to cool while you crush the graham crackers and melt the chocolate. Now carefully dip the cooled marshmallows in chocolate in roll in graham crackers then put them back in the fridge for a few minutes to harden... remove and enjoy... and try not to be too hard on yourself for giving up on those marshmallows and not making more... Your gonna want more!!

Chocolate Lime Cheesecake

2010-03-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

This week's theme at IHCC is Going Green...

So my first though, of course, was how am I going to make green chocolate??? Well... just leave it to Nigella to have a recipe for Chocolate Lime Cheesecake!! You cant get any greener than a lime, right? Thank you Nigella!!

Ingredients
7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 pound cream cheese (recommended: Philadelphia)
1 cup sugar
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
4 limes, juiced or 3/4 cup
Special equipment: spring form pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a large overlapping piece of aluminum foil over the bottom of the springform pan, and then insert pan ring over it. Fold the foil extra foil up and around the pan and place the whole thing on a second piece of foil, also folding it and pressing it securely around the pan, having a water tight covering.

In a food processor, process cookies until they are crumb-like, add melted butter and continue to process. Pour crumb mixture into springform pan and press with your fingers to line the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set while you prepare the cheesecake.

Place a kettle of water on for water bath. In a food processor beat the cream cheese until smooth, add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and lime juice.

Take crumbed pan from the refrigerator and place it in a roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the crumb pan, and then carefully pour the hot kettle of water into the roasting pan so the water reaches 1/2 way up the pan so the water does not splash into cheese cake.

Place roasting pan in oven for 1 hour, checking after 50 minutes. It should feel set, but still wobbly in the center. Take the roasting pan out of the oven, carefully remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and place it on a rack. Peel off the outer layer of foil, and tear away the side bits of the first layer of foil and leave the pan to cool. Once the cake comes to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving. Transfer to the plate you're going to serve it on, a plate without a lip, or a cake stand. Unclip the springform pan and remove the outer part. Carfully lift the cheesecake removing the metal bottom. The aluminum foil can stay on the cake. Serve chilled.

Original recipe found here.

Chocolate Croissants

2010-03-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to finally get to participate in IHCC this week! It has been crazy busy around here, and I haven't had a chance to find a recipe, get to the store and make stuff in quite a while. The theme this week "Tea Time" and while I dont drink hot tea this recipe goes equally well with a good cup of coffee. I chose Nigella's Chocolate Croissants because well... I love chocolate... and I already had everything I needed.

Ingredients
1 package butter puff pastry
chocolate chips
1 egg beaten

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Open the sheet of pastry and then cut it into 6 squares.

Cut each square diagonally to give 2 triangles. Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away from you.

Sprinkle about half a teaspoon of chocolate chips on each triangle.

Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle.

You should now have something resembling a straight croissant, seal it slightly with your fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.

Place the chocolate croissants on a lined baking tray and paint with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy.

Original recipe found here.

Crock Pot Spaghetti

2010-03-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have a full time job and an hour commute each way so with what little time I have left in my day I love to cook recipes like this! (not to mention that it's good) I mean is there anything better after a long day than coming home to a home cooked meal. It has a combination of hamburger, italian sausage, cute little peperoni and noodles cooked in the sauce rather than water which makes them extra flavorful. Oh yeah, it has mushrooms too... which are totally gross... fungus... yuck, but my sweetie loves them so there they are... for his enjoyment.

1 lbs ground beef
1 lb italian sausage
1/2 6oz pkg sliced pepperoni
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
4.5 cups tomato juice
24 oz dry spaghetti broken into 4-5 inch pieces
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Brown and drain ground chuck and italian sausage.
2. Combine all ingredients except spaghetti and parmesan cheese in a large crockpot
3. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hrs, or high 3-5 hrs. Turn to high during the last 30 to 40 mins and stir in dry spaghetti. If the spaghetti is not done to your desired degree of doneness let it cook another 10 mins.
4. Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese and serve.

Original Recipe found Here.

Jen's Lasagna

2010-03-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

This is a spouse pleasin, kid pleasin, pan filling simply good lasagna recipe, and anything that is good enough for my picky little kids to clean their plates must be shared with the masses. Thanks for the recipe Jen!!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 26 oz can spaghetti sauce (I used Hunts traditional)
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 24 oz container cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella (Jen uses Monterey Jack which melts beautifully)
12 lasagna noodles
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Boil noodles per package directions. Brown ground beef, drain fat, add sauce and season to taste. Mix ricotta, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella and season again to taste. Put just a little of the meat sauce down in a greased 9x13 pan. Place four lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping each noodle a little. Next, cover with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the meat sauce. Noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce and finish with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and bake for 45 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 5 min before serving.

Peanut Butter Pie

2010-03-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

From time to time I send some of the goodies I make to work with my darling husband.

One of his co-workers asked if I had ever made a peanut butter pie... and, up until now I had'nt. Believe it or not, with three kids under the age of 12 in the house we do not eat a lot of peanut butter so it is not a recipe that I would even consider. But I came across this recipe on Homesick Texan and thought I'd give it a try.

Peanut Butter Pie

Filling ingredients:
2 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cups of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
¾ cup of peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Meringue ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar
Your favorite pie crust.

Directions:
In a pot, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, flour and salt. While stirring, cook on medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne and peanut butter.
Meanwhile, poke holes in your pie crust with a fork and bake it at 350 until it’s brown, about 20 minutes.
Beat your egg whites with salt and when they start to get fluffy add the sugar.
Pour the peanut butter custard into the baked pie shell and top with the beaten egg whites.
Bake pie until peaks on the meringue are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Banana Pudding

2010-03-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Did you know that banana pudding is not made from a box???

Because I didn't, for the first 24 years of my existence. Then one day at work (a long time ago) we had a baby shower and someone brought banana pudding... Oh, I was in love. I had to know how to make it, I had to make it so that I could eat it... any time I wanted to. I can't believe I never knew about this!?!? To answer your question... yes, I must have been living under a rock. This is not a quick recipe. You have to stand and stir but it is worth the effort, I promise! The results are amazing!

Banana Pudding

Ingredients
Pudding
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 dash salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 bananas, sliced
Vanilla Wafers

Sweetened Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Mix sugar and eggs in a saucepan, then add cornstarch, salt and milk and wisk until well combined. Bring mix to a boil over med-high heat stirring constantly until thick. (10-20min)

Remove from heat, add vanilla and mix well.

Layer wafers, bananas and pudding, then let cool while you make your whipped cream.

Place mixing bowl in freezer to chill. Once the bowl is nice and cold pour the cream in and mix on high speed until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Cover banana pudding with whipped cream and top with crushed vanilla wafers. Now comes the hard part... waiting. Oh why do I have to wait!! Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least a couple of hours to give the cookies time to soften.

Caribbean Creams

2010-02-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

I love all things tropical. This is simple to throw together and delicious!

INGREDIENTS
6oz coconut yogurt
6oz double cream
1 tablespoon coconut rum, Pariot Bay is my favorite
1 banana
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Toasted Coconut

Directions
Stir together the yogurt and cream with the rum, and whisk until slightly thickened.
Slice the banana and then divide the slices between four 125ml-ramekins to form a layer at the bottom of each one.
Spoon in the thickened yogurt and cream mixture, filling the ramekins equally.
Sprinkle about 11/2 teaspoons of sugar over each ramekin, then wrap them in clingfilm, and place in the fridge overnight or for the day.
Sprinkle with toasted coconut and enjoy!!

ADDITIONAL INFO
You need to make these the morning of the evening you want to eat them (or the day before, if that’s easier for you), but they take no more than 5 minutes to prepare.

Original Recipe by Nigella Lawson

Lasagna Rolls

2010-02-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

Can you ever have too much of a good thing? I love Italian food and this is a good thing!! This is a pretty simple recipe of lasagna noodles filled with prosciutto, spinach and cheese tucked in a creamy béchamel sauce then covered with marinara and more cheese... I had you at béchamel didn't I!! I love to say béchamel, it sounds so sophisticated... So foodie! This recipe is sophisticated in flavor yet simple to make and requested quite often.

Ingredients
Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions
To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Original recipe by Giada De Laurenttiis found here.

Crab Cakes

2010-02-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Several years ago a local restaurant advertised crab cakes. They advertised, I asked to go, he said no. They'd advertise more, I'd ask again to go, and he'd say no. This went on for weeks until, finally, I wore him down. We went and I was very disappointed. Perhaps it was because of all the anticipation that I had built up, I'm not really sure but that disappointment prompted me to create my own. My first and most important adjustment would be to omit the red bell pepper. I played around with the recipe and what I came up with and received rave reviews from my toughest critics!!

Ingredients:
2 cans crab meat
1/2 cup bread crumbs (may need more if batter is too wet)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tbsp helmans mayonnaise
2 egg whites

Directions:
Drain crab meat. Mix all ingredients together and pan fry until golden brown.

Cowboy Beans

2010-02-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but, growing up, beans were a weekly occurrence around our house (I wasn't a fan), and if you asked my husband he might exaggerate and say that they had to eat them every day! (though I'd guess he's not exaggerating much) As a child, there's nothing fun about a bowl full of stupid little beans... boring, blah, yuck! But, beans have great nutritional value, they are inexpensive and easy to make, and now that I am grown up I can appreciate them.

I've had many opportunities to eat beans at his parent's house. One version my mother in law makes is cowboy beans. She cooks onion and ground beef and then adds it to the pot of beans along with a can of rotel. I've taken that idea and doctored it up into something not only palatable but delicious and oh so easy! Of course if you're feeling particularly productive that day you could fry up some cabbage and potatoes to round out the perfect comfort meal!!

Cowboy Beans

Ingredients:
1lb bag dried pinto beans
1lb meat (See choices below)
1/2 can rotel (again, see below)
1 tbsp salt (plus more to taste)
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
8-12 cups water
Directions:
Rinse and sort beans (yep, I've found rocks in there before). Then put everything in a crock pot, give it a stir and turn on low for 8-10 hours. When you get home dinner is magically ready and you can spend more time on the stuff you love... like blogging!!
Meat choices: Steak, brisket, sausage, ground beef w/onions, etc.

Note: Any time we eat steak, brisket, or BBQ... you can pretty much guess what we're having for dinner the next night. Also, when I find hamburger on sale I'll buy at least 10lbs, pre cook it (some with onions, some without) and separate it into 1lb bags to freeze. Perfect for meals like this!

Rotel: a whole can of rotel is a little too spicy for the kids so I use half and put the other half in a small freezer bag for future use... such as chicken spaghetti.

Baked Hot Chocolate

2010-02-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to me! I saw this recipe a while back and knew I wanted to make it. Chocolate is the best stuff on earth what better day to try this rich decadent dessert.

Baked Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

9 ounces 60% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange ovenproof coffee cups or mugs or 8-ounce ramekins in a baking or roasting pan.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water, and whisk occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Stir the eggs and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer then set over the simmering water and stir until warm to the touch. Place the bowl on the stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer, and fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture until it is light and smooth.

4. Spoon the batter into the cups. Add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The baked hot chocolates will be done when the tops lose their glossy finish. A wooden skewer inserted in the top will emerge clean, but batter toward the bottom of the cup will still be very moist.

5. Carefully remove the cups from the pan. The cakes can be served warm, at room temperature, or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. To reheat, bring to room temperature and place in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 5 minutes, or until warm.

6. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream. (as you can see from the picture... I couldn't wait that long, but I'm sure it would be really good)

Snow Day Chili

2010-02-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

Crap! I forgot the chili seasoning packet. I wanted something to warm us up when we came back in from the snow. Thats right, I said SNOW!! We are in Texas and we got a snow day! That never happens... ok, rarely happens.

But I have never seen this much snow... EVER! You see we broke a record getting 12 inches in one day. The previous record was like 7 inches set back in 1964 or something... but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that its here for a very limited amount of time and my sweeties will be playing out in it all day so they are going to need something warm.

Now back to my problem... I've always used one of those packets to make chili and I was not about to chance driving in this weather to go get it so I googled chili recipes. I serched allrecipes, as well as some of my favorite blogs and didnt see anything that stood out so I just picked out the things I liked and this is what I came up with. This isn't the perfect chili recipe, but it is good and easy.

Snow Day Chili

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil

1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of louisiana hot sauce
1 53oz can of pinto beans, drained
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 28oz can tomato sauce

Directions:
Saute onions in oil until they are translucent or until your kids and hubby can't see them in the finished dish (yep, I have to do this all the time). Next add garlic and ground beef. Once meat is brown add all seasonings and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over low heat for at least an hour stirring occationally. I serve my chili over rice with cheddar cheese and a little sour cream, because lets face it... everythings better with sour cream! Enjoy!

Irish Cream Tiramisu

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

How do you say love in Italian because this recipe deserves that kind of description. The smooth creamy texture of the mascarpone cheese flavored with a good espresso and Irish Cream... and then topped with a decadent dark cocoa powder. It is good! I love Tiramisu. Let me confess my love for Tiramisu. (Gasp) oh I can't find the words. I love it so much; I order it every chance I get. But I can tell you that Nigella got it right!! Her recipe for Irish Cream Tiramisu is absolutely heavenly, and it is as good as any I've had. But, how can you go wrong with Irish Cream, right? I'm rather impatient so I made this a little earlier in the day and them enjoyed it after dinner rather than waiting overnight per the instructions... and then I enjoyed it the next day... and I think I'll finish it up tonight. Yes people, it's that good!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups espresso coffee
1 cup Baileys cream liqueur, separated
2 x 200g packets Savoiardi (Italian lady finger) biscuits
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
16 oz mascarpone
2 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1. Mix the coffee with 3/4 cup of the Baileys in a shallow bowl.

2. Dip the biscuits into this liquid; let them soak on each side enough to become damp but not soggy. Line the bottom of a 22cm square glass dish with a layer of biscuits.

3. Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. Whisk the two yolks and the sugar together until thick and a paler yellow, then fold in the remaining 1/4 cup of Baileys, and the mascarpone to make a moussy mixture.

4. Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy; you can do this by hand with such a little amount. Fold the egg white into the yolky mascarpone, and then spread half of this mixture on top of the layer of biscuits.

5. Repeat with another layer of soaked Savoiardi, and then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.

6. Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, push the cocoa powder through a small tea strainer to dust the top of the tiramisu.

Original Recipe by Nigella Lawson

Sopapilla Pie

2010-01-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

I know it's not Saturday... but I'm posting a sweet. Yep, I cheated. I didn't stick to my plan but I just couldn't help myself. I was searching for a link to another recipe that a friend recommended when I found this. This is a recipe from a local fire department... and these firefighters know a thing or two about cooking!!

Ingredients
2 cans crescent rolls
2 pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 stick butter (plus more to butter baking dish)
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp cinnamon
*my notes:
1.The crescent rolls were to long and not wide enough for my pan so I just trimmed them to fit.
2. The recipe did not specify what size package of cream cheese to use, but I think two 8oz pkgs was a little too much so next time I make it (oh yes, there will be a next time) I will change it to one pkg.

And, just incase you were wondering what the inside looks like... it's heavenly!!

Directions
Grease a 9x9 baking pan liberally with butter. Open one can of crescent rolls. Don't tear the rolls apart, but roll the solid sheet of dough across the bottom of the pan. (Tip: put the can in freezer for a few minutes, as this is easier when the dough is cold).

Bake the first layer for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Take it out of the oven when the top of the dough gets brown.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about a minute. Take it out and mix it in a bowl with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooked layer of crescent rolls.

Open the second can of crescent rolls and lay it in a solid sheet over the cream cheese mixture. Melt the remaining stick and a half of butter and use a whisk to mix this with a half cup of sugar. Then whisk in cinnamon until the liquid turns brown.

Spread this mixture evenly over the top layer of uncooked dough. Crush Sprinkle half cup of pecans over the buttered dough. Then bake again at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Again the dough will be brown on top. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for ten minutes before serving.

Original Recipe found Here.

Sweet Saturdays

2010-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

I've started a diet challenge at work. We are basing it off the "Biggest Loser" and I'd stand a pretty good chance of winning... if I could only get my sweets consumption under control. Oh the sweets, the cookies, candy, cake, pie, ice cream, pastries... and CHOCOLATE!! Sweet, sweet, beautifully dark, rich, decadent chocolate. How I crave you!! I am a self diagnosed chocoholic... which can be confirmed by my husband, children and pretty much anyone else that knows me! I will skip a meal to eat dessert... actually I would skip all three meals and eat desserts all day (I have... to be honest) and not give it a second thought. But, that is what got me where I am today... needing to do a weight loss challange. Since I am pretty sure I would not be able to cut out sweets cold turkey (and really do not want to), I have designated one day a week to bake and consume the most wonderful desserts. So every Saturday for the next (gulp) 12 weeks... I will be taking on a much healthier life style. Now all I have to do is decide what to make first.

Spanish Rice

2010-01-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

Spanish Rice? Mexican Rice? Its just rice here and it is the perfect addition to any Mexican meal. It's a requirement at our house, and very easy to make. I think depending on what region of Mexico you are in, you will get different things in your rice (carrots, peas, etc.) but we are basic here... no extras. Of course that could all be in my head??? Not really sure where I got that information from. Enough of the chit chat, lets get cooking! Oh yeah, this recipe was taught to me by my mother in law who learned it from her father in law so this is family secret here ;) ... Shhhh, I wont tell if you wont.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

4oz tomato sauce (half of a small can)

1 cup rice

2 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Start by heating oil over medium high heat in a skillet with a tight fitting lid (very important that the lid is tight or you'll have crunch rice... crunchy rice=not good). Saute onions until translucent then add garlic and rice. Stir together and then add the tomato sauce, water, and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring rice to a boil then reduce heat to low cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove rice from heat, leave covered and let stand about 5 minutes before consuming large quantities... Seriously, this stuff is addictive!!

Almond Roca Cookies

2010-01-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

What better way to start off a New Year's Resolution of losing the ten pounds gained over the holidays... and then some, than to make an awsome batch of cookies. I planned to make these for my christmas cookie tray, but ran out of baking time... so today, when I was planning my menu for the next two weeks, I saw this recipe on My Tasty Treasures and remembered that I already had all the stuff. If you get a chance to make these... I really recomend it!!

Almond Roca Cookies
Recipe found here

Ingredients
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temmp
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package toffee bits
1 cup coarsely ground almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate
½ tablespoon shortning

Directions
Preheat oven to 300. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed, add butter to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and the toffee bits. Mix just until blended.

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place in oven for about 22 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate along with the shortning. Drizzle this over the cooled cookies. Place in fridge until chocolate is firm.

Bacon Cornbread Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-01-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

Mushrooms.... Yuck! Just the thought of them makes me gag... My darling husband on the other hand loves them. So, when we saw Sandra Lee make these on Food Network, I thought I'd give them a try. The things we do for our men... I can't tell you how good they were, but when I asked him if they were good, he said... Hell Yeah!!! So there ya go. Now... what am I going to do with the bottoms???

Bacon Cornbread Stuffed Mushrooms
original recipe, by Sandra Lee, found here

Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) packages baby portobello mushrooms
4 slices bacon
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
8-10 mini cornbread muffins, crumbled

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the stems from the mushroom caps.
In a skillet, over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towels to drain.
In the same skillet, add the onions and saute until translucent. Stir in the rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for 2 minutes.
In a small bowl combine the cream cheese with the crumbled corn muffins. Stir in the sauteed onion. Finely chop the reserved cooked bacon and stir into cornbread mixture. If the mixture is too dry add a few tablespoons of warm water. Spoon the filling mixture into each mushroom cap. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

2010-01-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmm.... Portion controlled cheesecake... zero guilt!!

(Seriously, how many calories could one little square have... right?)

I love this recipe! It is very easy and it is goooood!!

*Plan Ahead: The bars need to cool completely (about 2 hours) and chill in the fridge (about 3 hours) before serving.

Crust:
2 cups crushed graham crackers
8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup frozen sweetended strawberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil, letting edges hang over the side, and grease foil.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the butter, brown sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake the crust until beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl, scraping down bowl and beaters as needed. Gradually beat the sugar until incorporated, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until completely combined. Beat in the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla until combined.
Pour strawberries in a blender and blend until there are no whole pieces of fruit left.
Pour the filling over the crust, then spoon blended strawberries over batter and swirl with a spoon.

Bake the bars until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, 35 to 40 minutes.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours, then cover with foil and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove bars from pan using foil and cut into squares and serve.

Recipe originally found here. I've made several of her recipes and loved every one!!

Sour Cream Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

2010-01-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here is the story on how these came to be... We are into football, I mean really into it! and that includes Pee Wee Football coached by my husband. I'm not talking about that cutesy "every ones a winner, let's just have fun crap". I'm talking if it aint broke get back out there... if your bleeding, rub some dirt on it... and if you're gonna cry GET OFF MY FIELD kinda football!! We are here to win... if you're not first you're last kinda football!! So, starting back in 2007 after every game we would meet at a little mexican restaurant to celebrate (probably because of the free margaritas... but who cares what the real reason was). This little restaurant made spinach enchiladas with a sour cream sauce, and one Saturday afternoon they were out of spinach!! I had my mouth watering for one of those enchiladas... dang it!! So I went home, looked up a sour cream sauce recipe and Ta Da!! History in the making. (Oh, and I decided to add chicken because my hubby is a meat and potatoes kinda guy. He will eat his veggies, but there had better be some meat in real close proximity.)These are to die for... seriously!! They are that good (and they freeze well too!)

Sour Cream Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 T olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 package fresh spinach
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups sour cream
4 oz can green chilies
2 T chopped cilantro

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9x13 pan.
Sauté onion until soft, then add spinach and garlic and sauté until wilted.
Add chicken and salt to vegetables; let cool and add cheese.
Soften tortillas by heating in microwave, fill with chicken mixture and place seam side
down in 9x13 pan.

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for one minute.
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies. Pour sauce
over enchiladas and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with this rice recipe, refried beans and a Margarita!!

Caramel Croissant Pudding

2009-12-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Small Plates:
A desert just for two... ahh how romantic. Rich buttery croissants submerged in sweet decadent caramely goodness with just a hint of brandy... mmmmmm!! Now I will say that that I do not like bread pudding... there is just something about wet bread that triggers my gag reflex however, this recipe is different and am I ever so glad that I found it. The croissants are a different texture and not gummy at all.

Caramel Croissant Pudding

Ingredients
2 stale croissants
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, beaten

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small oven safe dish.

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the stove over medium/high heat. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it all turns a deep amber color; this will take 3 to 5 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and add the cream - ignoring all spluttering - followed by the bourbon and milk. ***Ok, at this point, I ended up with a big ball of gunk sitting in a cream/brandy/milk bath, but I put the pan back on the heat and stirred until it dissolved.*** Whisk to mix, then still whisking add the beaten eggs. Pour this quickly over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Tom and Jerry Drink

2009-12-29T17:43:00.000-08:00

I tried a new drink over the Christmas holiday and it was scrumptious to say the least! But I can't really explain how good it was without explaining how freaking cold it was. It was our first White Christmas ever (YEA), and this was the perfect drink to warm me up. Ya know, I'm a Texas girl... and I can only handle small spurts of cold... very small. This was blizzard like conditions!! 40 mile an hour sustained winds with gusts up to 60 and below freezing temps! Seriously, I don't know how people up north survive??? So cold it just chills you to the bone... unless, you insert yummy warm drink and then, I'm a happy girl!!
I reseached several recipes to make sure I got it right, so first I will give you the recipe I ended up making (enough for a couple of servings) then I will give you the recipe that Lorie gave me (enough to share!) Thanks Lorie!

So here ya go!

Ingredients
1 egg separated
1 tbsp sugar
rum
brandy
hot water
nutmeg

Directions
Start by heating water (I just ran about 4 cups thru my coffee pot). Then, separate egg into two bowls. Beat egg white until stiff, then beat yolk with sugar until lemon yellow in color. Carefullyfold whites into yellow for form a batter and refridgerate until ready to use. Now it's time to make a drink.

Place a heaping spoon ful of batter in a mug (filling about 1/3 full). Add half a shot of each rum and brandy then fill with hot water. Stir and top with a sprinkle of nutmeg and enjoy!!

Now here is the recipe that Lorie gave me
Ingredients
1 dozen eggs
1 lb powdered sugar
rum
brandy
hot water
nutmeg

Directions
Start by heating water (I just ran about 4 cups thru my coffee pot). Then, separate egg into two bowls. Beat egg white until stiff, then beat yolk with sugar until lemon yellow in color. Carefullyfold whites into yellow for form a batter and refridgerate until ready to use. Now it's time to make a drink.

Place a heaping spoon ful of batter in a mug (filling about 1/3 full). Add half a shot of each rum and brandy then fill with hot water. Stir and top with a sprinkle of nutmeg and enjoy!!

Note: I mixed powdered sugar in the egg, but found that it wasnt sweet enough for me, so I added about three spoons of granulated sugar to my cup and it was perfect.

***Warning: Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may cause certain illnesses***

Biscuits and Gravy

2009-12-29T16:13:00.000-08:00

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

This is a real stick to your ribs kinda breakfast, and it is gooood!! With all this weird, cold weather (come on, it Texas! what's up with that???) we need some substance. Now, I've tried this biscuit recipe a few times, the first attempt was sad... my darlin husband (who is not afraid to voice his opinion) mentioned how they could be used as skeet, as well as other negative comments that I chose to ignore... however, the good news is they keep getting better every time I make them.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe on Food Network by Alton Brown

Ingredients
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Arent they purdy!!

Sausage Gravy

Ingredients
1/4 cup breakfast sausage
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper

Directions
Start by browning sausage in a skillet until it is completely cooked then remove to a plate. Turn heat down to medium-low and add about 2 tbsp of flour to the grease and whisk immediately. Depending on how much grease you have you may need to add another tbsp of flour (or, if by some odd chance your sausage did not make enough grease you can add some oil, shortning, butter, etc.) You want to find a good balance between the flour and the grease.

Once you find it, just keep stirring with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for a few minutes. As you whisk, scrape in the anything from the bottom of the pan as you go. You want to cook it for at least 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. After 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, pour in about a cup of milk. If the mixture is dry, lumpy or pasty, add in more milk. Once the gravy is at a good consistancy add the sausage back to the pan and salt and pepper to taste. Break biscuits in half pour gravy on top!!

Alcoholic Hot Chocolate

2009-12-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

MMMMM.... In searching through Nigella's recipes I kept coming across this one... I just had to make it, and I am so glad I did. I was worth every calorie that I consumed, and every extra minute (175 of them) that I will spend on the elliptical to reverse the damage! Alcoholic Hot Chocolate makes me a very happy mommy.

There is such a sense of peace and contentment and bliss in this little cup that I cannot fully express to you. You are going to have to try it for yourself... Seriously... try it!

Ingredients
2 cups milk
3 1/2 ounces best-quality dark chocolate, bittersweet or semisweet, as preferred
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum, or to taste

Directions
Put the milk into a saucepan and break the chocolate into pieces and add to the milk along with a cinnamon stick, honey, and sugar and heat gently until the chocolate is melted.
Add the vanilla and mix with a small hand whisk and still whisking, add a spoonful of the rum first and taste to see if you want more. Add more sugar if you want this sweeter, too. Take out the cinnamon stick and pour into 2 cappuccino or caffe latte cups.

Cranberry Almond Cookies

2009-12-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a variation of Giada's Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing. It was Day 2 of the Food Network's 12 days of cookies. I used cranberries instead of cherries and they were delicious!! One note: the icing recipe makes a lot, way to much for one recipe of cookies... My solution of course is to make another batch of cookies :o)

Ingredients
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Icing:
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons water, plus extra, as needed

Directions

For the Cookies:
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and beat on the lowest speed until just blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dried cranberries and almonds.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance).

Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Transfer the dough slices to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges and puffed, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes.

For the Icing:
Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the vanilla extract and water, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture becomes a drizzling consistency. (Makes about 2/3 cups icing, enough to ice both variations.)

Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or a fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 1 hour.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

2009-12-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

I love cookies. In fact I think I might be addicted... but when I was searching for the perfect cookie recipe to make this week, I came across this Triple Chocolate Brownie recipe that I just couldn't pass up! You see... chocolate is an obsession and the simple fact that these have three (that's right, I said three!!) different kinds of chocolate, well the search was over... I had to try it. And I am glad I did! They were warm, super rich with bittersweet chocolate and butter and required nothing more that a cold glass of milk. Plus, the recipe made filled a 9x13 pan so there are plenty to share.

The challange this week for I heart Cooking Clubs was Cookies or Dessert Exchange and here is the recipe I chose.

Ingredients
3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white chocolate buttons, chips, or morsels

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate buttons, chips or morsels

Approximately 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Special equipment: Baking tin (approximately 11 1/4 inches by 9 inches by 2 inches), sides and base lined with baking parchment.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan over a low heat.

In a bowl, beat the eggs together with the superfine sugar and vanilla extract.

Allow the chocolate mixture to cool a little, then add the egg and sugar mixture and beat well. Fold in the flour and salt. Then stir in the white chocolate buttons or chips, and the semisweet chocolate buttons or chips. Beat to combine then scrape and pour the brownie mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for about 25 minutes (I cooked mine for about 33 minutes). You can see when the brownies are ready because the top dries to a slightly paler brown speckle, while the middle remains dark, dense and gooey. Even with such a big batch you do need to keep checking on it: the difference between gooey brownies and dry ones is only a few minutes. Remember, too, that they will continue to cook as they cool..

To serve, cut into squares while still warm and pile up on a large plate, sprinkling with confectioners' sugar pushed with a teaspoon through a small sieve.

Chocohotopots

2009-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

MMMMMM... My inner goddess knows exactly what she wants... she wants Chocolate.

Chocolate that is rich and decadent and sinful.

I am so pleased that I came across and chose to make this recipe. It was absolutely divine! The top formed a perfect crust with a gooey chocolatey filling that words simply cannot discribe.

Chocohotopots

Ingredients

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, with 60 percent cocoa solids

2 eggs

3/4 cup superfine sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Special equipment: 4 (2/3 to 1-cup capacity) ramekins

Directions

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Butter the ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter.

Either in a microwave or in a bowl suspended over a pan over simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and 1 stick butter, then set aside to cool a little.

In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between the 4 buttered ramekins. Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooked and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.

Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve... If your inner goddess is feeling generous enough to share, make sure to warn people that these desserts will be HOT!

Italian Feast Part 2 - Cheesy Stuffed Shells

2009-12-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

pièce de résistance

I was watching Food Network... like I often do when I have time... and when I go to print the recipe I was looking for (that is completely unrelated to this) low and behold there it was, gleaming on the corner of the page... I swear it was calling out to me... a picture of this recipe.

mmmm... this smells good!!

Look how snug they are in the nice warm sauce!

And a little more sauce... now they are ready for the oven.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Adapted from Melissa D'Arabian (food network)

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup grated zucchini

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Freshly ground pepper

For the Shells:

1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and saute until soft but not brown, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the dish. Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Italian Feast Part 1 - Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2009-12-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I can't just make Cannoli, nope... gotta have something to go with it and since I was making Cannoli... I decided to do a whole Italian Feast! After seeing this recipe on Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I knew I had to make it.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

2 cups cubed pancetta rind removed (I used bacon)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth

4 eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground nutmeg

Directions
Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.

When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.

Cannoli - Daring Bakers Challange

2009-11-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

I have a confession... I have never eaten Cannoli!! I've seen it on the menu, but never ordered it... in fact, I've never ordered any Italian desert, other that Tiramisu... I LOVE TIRAMISU!!! There are no words to describe the ulitmate pleasure you get when eating Tiramisu. I mean seriously people, rum saturated lady fingers, covered with creamy marscapone cheese, topped with decedant cocoa... is there anything better??? Whew, I feel better now. Ok, back to the subject... so, when I read my first Daring Bakers Challenge, I was rather intrigued.

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Cannoli are popular Italian-American pastries, althought they date back to Palermo in Sicily, where they were made during the Carnevale season. The cannoli are fried, tube-shaped pastry shells filled with a creamy sweetened ricotta cheese, chocolate, candied fruit or zest, and sometimes nuts. They can also be filled with pastry creams, mousses, whipped cream, ice cream... you could even make them savory. I'm sticking to the sweet stuff though!

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2. Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3. Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

6. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:

1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:

1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.

Now that I've completed my first challenge, I think I'm gonna go back through and make some of the previous challenges. What's that you say... over-achever??? Nah, I just like to eat!!

Comfort in a Cup - Minty Rich Cocoa

2009-11-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

Weekend mornings are my chance to have me time; to sit with a cup of coffee and enjoy the silence; to think of things to make for my sweeties. This morning I decided to wake them up with a scrumptiously decadent cup of Minty hot chocolate.

Ahhh, the weekend.

My sweeties are asleep

and I've got a little time to spare.

(ok, not sure what's going on here... I've already picked him up off the floor once)

Minty Rich Cocoa

1 1/2 cups powdered nondairy creamer

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup milk chocolate chips

peppermint sticks divided (crushed for mix and whole for stiring)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. (this makes a lot so have a container handy to store the rest)

Place 1/4 cup cocoa mix into a cup and add 3/4 cup boiling water... stir and enjoy! Now go wake those kids up.

Garlic Roast Potatoes

2009-11-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Side Dish Superstar!!

What a busy day! I have so many things to be thankful for, but most of all I am thankful for my wonderful family. I chose Nigella's Garlic Roast Potatoes as my Side Dish Superstar. They were absolutely delicious... I just wish I would have gotten a better picture before they disapeared.

Garlic Roast Potatoes

Ingredients
3 pounds maincrop potatoes (I used red potatoes)
1/3 cup regular olive oil
1 head garlic
Kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash and dry the potatoes, and cut them into about 3/4-inch dice. Toss in a large oven tray and pour over the oil, smulching around with your hands to mix well. Separate the head of garlic into cloves adding them to the tray, and roast for about 1 hour, turning once or twice during that time, until crispy and golden but still soft on the inside. When they're done, remove to a large plate and sprinkle with salt.

Bread Bowl - first attempt

2009-11-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

My first adventure... a challenge! I came across a recipe for Broccoli and Cheese soup in a bread bowl. The soup itself would be no problem but the bread bowl, on the other hand, is terrifying. I don't quite know what the problem is with me and yeast but I just cant seem to get it right very often. Here are the results... a few of them were usable. My darling husband suggesting using the rest of them for skeet but I had another idea. Even though this is not a sourdough, the texture of this bread reminded me of a Schlotzsky's sandwich and so I went with it. They were absolutely delicious!!