Angela's Kitchen

Cinnamon Blondies

2010-06-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Blondies

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

* * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * *

- preheat oven to 350

- cream the butter and sugar together

- add eggs and vanilla

- stir the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together

- slowly add to butter mixture

- grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan

- press the cookie mixture in the pan

- bake 20 minutes

- stir 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over top of the blondies

- cool, cut and serve

Pork Chop and Rice Casserole

2010-06-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Pork Chops and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

* pork chops

* 2 cups uncooked minute rice

* 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

* salt and pepper to taste

* * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * *

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- season the pork chops with salt and pepper

- in a saute pan, brown the pork chops

- in a casserole dish, combine soup and rice

- place browned pork chops on top of the rice mixture

- cover with foil

- Bake for 45 minutes

Pumpkin Pie

2010-06-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 premade pie crust

* * * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * * *

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Make pie crust according to directions

Mix all of the filling ingredients together until combined

Bake for one hour and place on a wire rack to cool

Lemon Rosemary Garlic Slow Roasted Chicken

2010-06-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

* 1 whole chicken

* fresh rosemary

* 6 lemons

* 10 cloves of garlic smashed

* butter

* fresh cracked pepper

* * * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * * *

* preheat oven to 300

* wash chicken and remove all the innards

* stuff the chicken with rosemary, smashed garlic and 3 lemons cut in half

* stir together a little bit of rosemary and garlic with softened butter

* cut slits in the skin and place bits of softened butter

* juice remaining 3 lemons and pour over chicken

* rub chicken with softened butter

* sprinkle fresh cracked pepper over the top

* place in dutch oven and roast for 3 hours, basting occasionally with juices

Chicken Fried Steaks

2010-06-13T04:54:00.001-07:00

Chicken Fried Steaks

* 2 cube steaks

* 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt

* 1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

* 1 cup of flour

* 1 egg

* * * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * * *

- season the steaks with salt and pepper

- dredge the steaks with flour... then eggs ... then flour

- sprinkle with salt and pepper again

- in a frying pan, heat the oil and add the steaks

- leave alone on one side until golden

- then flip over and repeat for the other side

- remove the steaks and let sit before serving

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

2010-06-13T04:40:00.001-07:00

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Ingredients

* Teriyaki Sauce

* one Zuchini

* one Yellow Squash

* one Carrot

* Mushrooms

* 2 chicken breasts

* white rice

*********

directions

*********

- Marinate your chicken in your teriyaki sauce of choice for at least an hour
Mine is Island Joe's Soyaki from Trader Joes.

- Cook your rice, according to directions

- cut all the veggies

- grill your chicken and cut into small bite sized pieces

- in the same pan, pour your mushrooms in and saute until browned

- Remove the mushrooms and put with chicken

- Add all the veggies and saute until soft

Add the chicken and mushrooms back into pan and pour some more sauce back over and heat until the sauce is warmed

- Pour this mixture over rice. Serves two.

Pan seared Cajun Salmon

2010-06-13T04:31:00.001-07:00

Cajun Rubbed Salmon

* 1 tablespoon of paprika

* 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

* 1/4 teaspoon of salt

* 1 pinch of cayenne pepper

* 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

* 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

* * * ** * *

directions

* * * * * * *

- mix spice together in a bowl

* rub salmon steaks with olive oil

* sprinkle mixture over salmon

* place in a saute pan on the stove and cook mostly skin side down so it gets crispy

* flip over and cook until the spices start to turn black

* remove from stove and serve

White Chocolate Chip Blondies

2010-06-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

These cookies came out so moist and delicious.

White Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter plus 1 teaspoon, softened

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbs of vanilla extract

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 bag of white chocolate chips

***********

directions

**********

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- cream the butter and sugar together

- add eggs and vanilla and mix well

- in a separate bowl mix the flour and baking powder together

- slowly mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture

- fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough

- grease a 9x13 pan

- press cookie mixture into pan

- bake for 25 minutes

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-06-13T04:04:00.000-07:00

These cookies are very moist and delicious.
However you only need one or two before you need a glass of milk.
These are very easy to make.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 jar 18 oz peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

* * * * * * * *

directions

* * * * * * * *

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- In a bowl mix together peanut butter, brown sugar, white sugar and eggs

- roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet

- press down with fork

- bake for 10 minutes

- cool on pan for a few minutes before moving to cooling rack as the cookies are delicate

Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

2010-06-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

I tried these cookie bars because we only had 3 eggs and most sugar cookie recipes had 4. The result was a mild tasting cookie that was very soft and moist.

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of butter, softened
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
1 egg

1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

- preheat the oven to 350 degrees

- In a bowl cream together the butter, sugar and cream cheese

- add egg and vanilla extract and mix together

- In a seperate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well mixed

- Grease a 9x13 pan

- press the mixture down inside the pan and bake for 20 minutes

- dust with powdered sugar

no bake chocolate & peanut butter bars - I'm Back..

2010-06-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

My new job doesn't really give me a lot of time to blog much anymore. I am going to try to actually post all the new things I've made. I do bake and cook a lot, I just don't get the chance to update everything on here.

no bake chocolate & peanut butter bars

***Filling***

* 1 jar (16 oz) peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
* 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs

* 2 cups powdered sugar

* 1 stick of butter

*** Topping ***

* 1 bag of chocolate chips (any kind you want)
* 1 stick of butter

--directions--

-On the stovetop, put one stick of butter in a pot and melt slowly

- add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar

- stir until combined

-- grease your pan

(however thick you want them - the above bars were 8x8)

-- press the warm peanut butter mixture in the bottom

-- on the stovetop, put one stick of butter in a new pot and melt slowly

-- add the chocolate chips on low and stir until melted

-- pour melted chocolate over peanut butter filling

-- spread until it covers the peanut butter

-- refrigerate for at least an hour

-- cut and serve

Lasagna Rolls

2009-10-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

There are several things that I love love love about this meal...

1. Its easy to pare down for a small group. You can easily make this for 1-2 people. Great for when you want lasagna but don't want to make a huge pan. Think of these like individual lasagnas.

2. They are easy to make

3. They taste great

4. You can just as easily make this vegetarian and you can mix and match toppings and fillings- whatever you want to dress it up. Leave out the spinach, leave out the meat.. it all works and comes out great.

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 lb ground turkey or beef (browned) (leave out for a vegetarian meal)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
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)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Stir the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl until blended

Add oil to boiling salted water and cook the noodles until al dente.

Lay out on a baking sheet so they don't stick

Combine the meat and the marinara sauce and pour some in the bottom of the pan

Spread the ricotta mixture on top the the noodle and then roll

Place into pan. Continue until all of them are done and in the pan

Cover with the rest of the sauce and put cheese on top

Cover with foil

Bake in oven about 25 to 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Scallopine

2009-10-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say out of all the recipes I've tried recently this is the only one I've made twice in two weeks. This picture is from my second attempt where I forgot to put parsley in. Either way it was still good. Lick my plate good.

This is definetly something that is going to be a regular around our house.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Scallopine

1 pound linguine
6 boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts
Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
Chicken broth (optional)
1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half & half)
1 heaping tablespoon capers
chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Flatten chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Salt and pepper both sides, then dredge in flour.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Throw mushrooms into the pan and stir. Immediately pour in wine, then squeeze juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon. Stir to deglaze the pan, then cook vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce reduces.
Pour in cream and stir, then add capers and parsley and stir. Turn off heat. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Don’t undersalt!
Place pasta and chicken on a platter and top with every last drop of sauce. Generously sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the top.

Quick Way to Spice up your morning oatmeal

2009-10-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Add a spoonful or two of pureed pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix (whichever you prefer) to your morning oatmeal and stir. Pumpkin is very high in fiber and potassium.

Some of my other favorite oatmeal mix ins: dried cranberries, cinnamon, brown sugar, almond, walnuts, berries, apples, bananas and peanut butter.

Did I miss anything else?

Veggie Stirfry

2009-10-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Veggie Stir-Fry
sliced veggies whatever you want
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce
sprinkle of sesame seeds
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
1 tablespoon of pineapple juice (or more depending on how sweet you want it)
cooked rice

* Combine all ingredients in pan except for rice and sesame seeds and stir fry until cooked
* About 1 minute to go add seeds to pan
* Pour mixture over rice and enjoy

Baked Turkey Ziti

2009-10-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Baked Ziti
1 lb. ground turkey
1 package penne pasta
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (your choice)
1 tsp italian seasoning
3 cups of shredded cheese - mozzarella and asiago cheese

* preheat oven to 375
* boil pasta and set aside
* brown turkey and add tomatoes, sauce and seasoning
* mix pasta and sauce together
* Layer in pan with cheese
* Bake 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly

Spicy Bean Dip

2009-10-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Spicy Bean Dip
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Old El Paso Taco Sauce (I used hot, you can use whatever you want)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp ground cumin

* In a saucepan combine all ingredients except cheese
* Stir until mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes)
* Remove from pan and immediately put cheese on top so it will melt.

Chipotle Marinaded Steaks

2009-10-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

Chipotle Marinade
1 small can of chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small orange zested
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor until smooth
Pour over steak and marinade for 1 to 2 hours.

We served this with pico de gallo on top,pinto beans and hot tortillas on the side.
You can use more or less peppers to adjust the heat. A full can of chiles is really spicy.

Cheesy Taco Casserole

2009-09-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Taco Casserole from Pillsbury

Look at the cheesy goodness. This dish is so good and a great way to stretch out a family meal. We had enough leftovers for lunch the next day plus it was rather inexpensive to make.

Ingredients
1 package refridgerated biscuits
olives sliced
cheddar and mozzerella cheese grated
1 lb hamburger meat
whatever veggies you want - mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own)
1 cup hot sauce or salsa

*Preheat oven to 350
*Cut biscuits into smaller pieces to fit into dish and coat with hot sauce or salsa
* Sprinkle half the cheeses over top with the olives
*Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes
* While baking - saute the onions and veggies in a pan until cooked
* Add the hamburger and brown until done
* Add the seasoning
* Pour over the top of the cheesy biscuits
* Add another layer of cheese
*Bake another 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

Serve immediately

Yum

Pioneer Woman's Stovetop Macraroni and Cheese

2009-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing this over and over on different blogs. The pictures make me want to drool. Seriously. I usually eat mac and cheese out of a little box and the one time I made homemade macaroni and cheese it was not so creamy - but still good. This looked so creamy, that I knew the next one I'd try would be this one.

Ingredients
4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated (I used half cheddar and half monterey jack)
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook macaroni in a pot until done
Drain and set aside
In a large pot, melt butter and add flour in gradually
Stir together for five minutes
Pour in milk and mustard and stir until smooth
Cook until the sauce thickens
Reduce heat and stir in the egg until smooth
Add cheese and stir until melted
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the macaroni into the sauce and stir to combine

Serve immediately

or you could top it with cheese and bake it, but really serve immediately.

Italian Pepper Pasta with homemade sauce

2009-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Macaroni Grill used to have a sausage and pepper pasta. I would order it all the time. It came with peppers, onions, chicken, feta cheese in a spicy tomato sauce or Arrabbiata Sauce.

The sauce is very easy to make on your own. It takes very few ingredients and what you are left with is a delicious dish.

Ingredients
Red bell pepper - chopped
Onion - chopped
Spaghetti - cooked

Sauce from Epicurious.com
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 14 1/2-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a chardonnay)
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Saute onion and garlic with red pepper flakes. Add the bell pepper
Add the tomatoes with juice and the wine bring to a boil
Turn down the heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until it thickens
Season with salt and pepper to taste

Add to pasta and toss with feta cheese.

Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles

2009-09-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to make this since I saw it because it seems like an easy clean up version of oven fries. I love oven fries. So when we were getting ready to make tri-tip again, I made these. It seems like half a potato works well portion wise and it seems like so much more than just a potato sitting on your plate. We had bought two big potatoes and it seemed like we really only needed to use one for the two of us. What a great way to stretch the groceries out.

Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles

Russet potatoes - cut into chunks
Yellow or white onion - cut into chunks
Butter
Heavy cream
Salt
Paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Place a peace of foil down and add a handful of potatoes and onions
Top with a slice of butter
Pour some heavy cream on top
Add the spices - salt, pepper, paprika and parsley
Fold into pouches and place on a baking sheet
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes

This is a really great recipe because it is so interchangeable - you could add some peppers, tomatoes, cheese, any spices you want really and it would turn out fabulous.

Mario Batali Spaghetti Sauce

2009-08-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the shelf at the store and I had no idea that he made spaghetti sauce. However it looked good. There were three kinds, we chose Tomato Basil. Its made with san marzano tomatoes and fresh basil. It looked really chunky and good. So I decided to give it a try.

I made it with a package of Trader Joe's linguine, grilled chicken breasts and mushrooms. I sprinkled some shaved parmesan on top. I think it came together really good.

I also made some cheesy garlic bread to go with it. Except this time instead of slicing the bread, I just cut the loaf in half and baked it that way. It came out really good. I think it was less maintence that way.

Two new things to try

2009-08-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

I love food blogs and I've been seeing a lot of posts about these two things:

Peanut Butter & Co's Dark Chocolate Dreams
(basically chocolate and peanut butter in a jar! yum!)

and

Barney Butter (or Almond Butter)

I grabbed both to try out and definetly worth it. Both were really good.

I think the chocolate peanut butter was really really really good. Like a peanut butter cup in a jar. Peanut butter cups are my favorite candy ever. I think having this in the house is dangerous.
The almond butter - well tasted like peanut butter - but apparently its better for you with more vitamins and minerals.

Moist Yellow Cake

2009-08-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

I made these for Aaron's birthday. I've been wanting to make yellow cake for awhile because its my favorite cake. Aaron likes really any cake thats not chocolate. He doesn't mind chocolate frosting though as long as there isn't a lot of it. The cake was soft and moist. I would definetly make it again.

Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line two cupcake pans with liners

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. With a mixer cream the butter and suger. Add the eggs one at a time.

4. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.

6. Center the pans onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I used this frosting and some store bought sprinkles.

I think they came out great.
The recipe was from epicurious.com

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

2009-08-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

I had some fresh blueberries sitting in my fridge that I didn't know what to do with. I've been wanting to make a coffee cake for awhile since my husband loves coffee cake. So I decided to find a recipe for a coffee cake to make. So I went to my favorite recipe hunting ground - recipezaar and found one that looked good.

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened

Combine the blueberries and 2 T flour;
toss gently and set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups flour,
2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar
and 3/4 cup milk in a large bowl.

Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer.

Add egg; beat one minute.

Fold in blueberries.

Spread batter evenly in a greased and floured 9-inch square pan.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl;

cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Spread this mixture over the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Slow Cooker Frijoles a la Charra

2009-08-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

I made these for Aaron's birthday to go with some chicken enchiladas I was making. These were really easy and the flavor was really complex. There was a lot going on. It was kind of smoky and spicy. They were good. A lot of prep work, but really not a lot to do once it was all in the pot.

Ingredients
1 pound dry pinto beans
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 (3.5 ounce) can sliced jalapeno peppers
1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place pinto beans in a slow cooker, and completely cover with water.

Mix in garlic and salt. Cover, and cook 1 hour on High.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until evenly brown, but still tender.

Drain about half the fat. Place onion in the skillet, and cook until tender.

Mix in tomatoes and jalapenos, and cook until heated through.

Transfer to the slow cooker, stirring into the beans.

Cover slow cooker, and continue cooking 4 hours on Low.

Mix in the beer and cilantro about 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Tasty Trader Joe's Lunch

2009-08-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

We went to Trader Joe's yesterday and I was excited that we were actually on our way home, so we could get some things from the refridgerated section and freezer section. I picked up some Thai Shrimp Gyoza and edamame. I made some up for a quick lunch and it was really good. Especially since it was ready in only 8 minutes.

I love fruit stands

2009-08-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Local fruit stands are all over around where I live. There is one not too far from where I live, but we hardly ever go by it because its more towards the country. Its called the Fruit Bowl. They have gelato and a restaurant. However the fruit is really good there. You can buy it by the flat or the bucket.
We were driving by on the way back from lunch at one of our favorite country restaurants and decided to stop.

We picked up the best cataloupe for only $1.50. Yum!

Do you shop local farmers markets/fruit stands? You should definetly give it a try.

Simple Tangy Steak Marinade

2009-08-20T01:06:00.001-07:00

Let me show you one of my favorite marinades for steak

Lets start with two juicy steaks

Add the juice of 1 lemon

Lots of crushed peppercorns

and lots of garlic put through a garlic press.. lots of garlic

It doesn't need long to marinade because of the lemon juice maybe 30 - 45 minutes

Grill and serve

Yummy!

Slow Cooker Barbeque Shredded Beef

2009-08-20T00:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need something you can just throw in the slow cooker and know it will be good. I was a little worried about making this because of the root beer. I've never really cooked with soda before so I was a little uneasy about the outcome.

It was good. It gave the meat a little sweetness. It definetly made it easy to shred. The only thing was as it cooked down, I didnt have more to add, so I just added water. Which was fine. It might have been sweeter if I had more - but i actually thought this came out just fine.

My husband actually ate his whole sandwich and half of mine. Then took the rest to work the next day for lunch. I guess he liked it.

Ingredients
1 pot roast (whatever size you want)
1 can of root beer (we used a 20 ounce bottle)
salt and pepper
1 bottle of barbeque sauce (whatever kind you like - we like sweet baby rays)

1. Turn the crockpot on low and put the pot roast in
2. salt and pepper the meat
3. add the bottle of root beer
4. cover and let cook for 7.5 hours on low
5. drain the pot roast
6. put back in slow cooker
7. Add bottle of barbeque sauce and let simmer for 30 minutes
8. dish up and serve. We ate ours on buns - but however you like it is fine

Trader Joe's Product Rave: Trader Ming's Soyaki Marinade

2009-08-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeing this for weeks at the store. It looks so good with the sesame seeds floating in it. You can see the ginger too. It has to be good...

and it is. Its not that sweet. For sweetness, I guess you would have to go for Island Soyaki which has the additional of Pineapple Juice. I almost got that one instead but I thought it might be too sweet. I think the soy sauce cuts the sweetness that traditional teriyaki sauces have. The addition of the ginger was really good.

I marinaded chicken in it for about an hour, grilled it up and served it with white rice and voila a quick and easy meal.

Corn Quesadillas

2009-08-20T00:44:00.001-07:00

If you read my blog you know that we love mexican food. So when I saw this on a menu at a restaurant I knew it was something I wanted to try to duplicate at home.

It really couldn't be simplier and its really tasty. Its nice to have a veggie option that my husband will eat. I think the sweetness of the corn and the creaminess of the cheese really made this something I would make again.

I love new twists on old favorites.

Ingredients
1 large flour tortilla

kernel corn off the cob
1 handful of cilantro

diced tomatoes

black beans

diced red peppers

diced jalepenos

diced onions

monterey jack cheese

butter

1. butter one side of a tortilla and place in a non stick pan over medium heat

2. add cheese and allow to melt a bit
3. Add corn, cilantro, red peppers, jalepenos, and onions.

4. fold over and serve with black bean salsa

Sugar Cookies

2009-08-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe from the Crisco container. I was really surprised how soft and moist they turned out. I don't really cook with Crisco a lot. Some of my cookies have came out a little flat, so I decided to give crisco a try. I think they came out perfect.

Definetly something I would make again.

Crisco Recipe

1/2 c. Butter flavored Crisco
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk

Cream Crisco, sugar, egg and extract.
Add combined dry ingredients alternately with milk.
Chill 1 hour.

Roll into balls and flatten onto a cookie sheet

Bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes

Pioneer Woman's Pasta ala Marlboro Man

2009-06-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

or aka Meatloaf Pasta because thats what the sauce tasted like.. it was delicious. Very meaty, I think next time I'll make it with a smaller pasta like penne. It was good though.

I love meatloaf, My husband does not. I think this is the sneaky way of getting the flavor I love in something he will eat. mwahaha.

Pasta alla Marlboro Man
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 generous teaspoon ground thyme
2 14-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 to 2 pounds rigatoni

Heat olive oil in large skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes, until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute, making sure not to brown the garlic.
Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of excess fat.
Add salt, pepper, and ground thyme. Stir to combine.
Dump in canned tomatoes with their juice. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Uncover the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese before serving

Cook rigatoni according to package directions—don’t overcook! Drain and place individual portions into bowls.
Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan into the sauce. Check and adjust seasonings. Ladle sauce over cooked pasta, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and serve.

Bobby Flay's Homemade Texas Toast

2009-06-14T01:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cloves garlic, pureed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 loaf good white bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
1/2 cup mozzerella cheese
italian seasoning

Directions
Mix together the butter and garlic in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush both sides of the bread with the butter and place in the oven. Bake the bread for 1 to 2 minutes per side until lightly golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese and italian seasoning and broil until melted.

Chicken Romano

2009-06-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

Awhile back my friend Jennifer and I went to the cheesecake factory because she had never been. I had Chicken Romano because the people next to me were having it and it looked good. They subbed the tomato sauce on the spaghetti for white sauce .. so I did too. Why not.

It was very good. I vowed to make it again at home and Jenn and I sat there and tried to figure out how. panko bread crumbs - she said and I agreed. Until I found a recipe online - and it said nothing about panko. So I did threw some panko in with the flour to give it some crunch..like we remembered and I thought it turned out perfect. I could be wrong. Maybe I should go again to make sure :)

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons romano cheese
salt and pepper
1 egg
2 teaspoons water

Directions
1. Whisk together the egg, and the water.

2. Pound out chicken breasts to, at most, 1/2 inch thick.

3. Season the flour with salt and pepper, and coat the chicken lightly. Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs

4. Then dip in egg, and cover with shredded Romano.

5. Place in frying pan on medium high, with a little bit of oil.

6. Cook until golden brown.

As for the pasta, its regular spaghetti with a white sauce.

Basic white sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in cold milk, cooking over direct heat and stirring constantly until sauce boils; reduce heat slightly and continue to stir until sauce becomes smooth and thick. When sauce thickens, simmer for an additional 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
Stir carefully to avoid lumps. If sauce becomes lumpy, use a stick blender or rotary beater to blend out lumps or else press through a sieve. Wondra flour may be used to great advantage since this flour does not have a tendency to lump.

garnished it all with some more sprinkled cheese and served it. It was really good!

Spicy Carne Asada Tacos

2009-05-26T02:21:00.000-07:00

Aaron's Spicy Carne Asada Tacos

My husband loves tacos from the taco trucks.. so much that he actually made this recipe up for quick at home taco truck tacos...

Ingredients

1 lb carne asada cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup tarasco
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs red chili flakes
1 red chili - diced
1 cup cilantro - chopped
1/2 cup onions -chopped
1 cup pico de gallo
1/2 lb monterey jack

directions
1. Saute carne asada in a pan season with the spices and the tarasco and let cook until done
2. throw peppers in at the last minute and saute a bit
3. Garnish with pico de gallo, monterey jack, onions and cilantro and serve.

Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-05-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

I used to make these all the time when I was a kid. My sister and I used to make these. I think I remember this recipe as one of my earliest baking memories. I love these cookies. They are childhood ...

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies - well except for my husband?

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chips

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in morsels.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

(not so) Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-05-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

I thought these sounded perfect. I followed every step and I'm not sure if they are meant to be flat, or if they are supposed to have puffed up a bit at one point? The cookies taste good, but the chocolate chips look like they are little mountains in the pool of flattened cookie dough. Definetly not something I will make again.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Cook’s Illustrated May/June 2009)

1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whish for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use a #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet.

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Greek Pasta Salad

2009-05-09T10:34:00.001-07:00

I made this for a potluck and I must say it was a hit. Everyone liked it. I thought it really came out great.

Greek Pasta Salad

1 box rotini or any pasta you like
1 can of olives

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 cucumber

1 tomato

1 large package of feta cheese

Red Wine Vinagrette
1 cup of sugar

3 cups of vinager

2.5 cups of oil

1/4 cup of italian seasoning

1. Cook pasta to al dente and drain

2. Dice olives, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes

3. Mix vinagrette ingredients well

4. Combine all veggies, pasta and dressing and stir well.

5. Refridgerate for at least a few hours or overnight

6. Sprinkle with feta before serving

Costco Rave: Morton's Chipotle Tri Tip

2009-05-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Morton's Chipotle Marinated Tri Tip

Who doesn't love pre-marinated tri tip. Its almost always juicy and flavorful. The question is will you actually like the flavor? I thought this was spot on and delicious. The chipotle flavoring made it smoky, spicy and really really good. There wasn't a lot left. Its definetly something we are going to try again. Its definetly worth the $15 investment.

Crockpot Corned Beef and Vegetables

2009-03-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

I make this every St. Patricks Day. I love Corned Beef and I should make it more often, but I don't. Its relatively easy.

Ingredients
3 lb. Corned Beef Brisket
4 potatoes
4 carrots
1/2 cabbage
fresh cracked pepper
2 cups of water

1. Wash and quarter the carrots and potatoes
2. Cut the cabbage into bite sized bits
3. Put the water in the slow cooker
4. Put half the potatoes on the bottom
5. Put the corned beef brisket on top, cover with the seasoning packet
6. Put the rest of the potatoes and carrots in
7. Sprinkle some pepper on top
8. Cover and turn on low for 4-5 hours
9. Make sure to watch the water level, it should at least cover 1/2 the brisket.
10. About 30 minutes to go, add the cabbage
11. When the brisket is fork tender and just falls apart with a slight nudge of a spoon, its ready.
12. Take out and place on a platter, serve while hot.

Garlic Knots

2009-03-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

These were really easy and we will definetly be making them again.

Ingredients
1 tube refridgerated pizza dough
3 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tbs softened butter
1 tbs melted butter
1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Unroll pizza dough and cut into 1 inch strips with a pizza cutter
3. Press a little bit of garlic into the dough before you tie it
4. Tie the strips into knots, take the ends and tuck under into the center. It doesn't have to be perfect - just knot it up however you want.
5. Sprinkle with the rest of the garlic and brush the softened butter on top
6. Grease a cookie sheet and place the knots on it.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until browned (mine didn't brown, but they tasted fine).
8. Brush with the melted butter when they come out.
9. Serve while hot.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

2009-03-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a BBQ quesadillas all over the place. I thought since I was making quesadillas, I'd try it with half the chicken. It turned out really good. However, my husband said it wasn't very Mexican but it was still good. Whatever, I thought it was good. lol.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup bbq sauce
2 cups monterey jack or cheddar cheese
4 tortillas
1 pat of butter

1. Season the chicken breast with half the bbq sauce
2. Grill chicken until cooked
3. Cut into pieces and add the rest of the bbq sauce
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
5. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
6. Layer the chicken on top
7. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
8. Repeat until ingredients are gone
9. Cut into triangles and serve.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

2009-03-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love quesadillas. They are so easy to make at home. They are really quick and easy very painless to make.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast (per 2 people)
1 sprinkle mexican oregano
1 sprinkle chili pepper
1 light sprinkle cayenne pepper
1 sprinkle garlic powder"
1 sprinkle black pepper
2 cups monterey jack or queso quesadilla
4 soft taco sized flour tortillas
1 pat of butter

1. Season the chicken breast with all the seasoning.
2. Grill chicken until cooked.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
4. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
5. Layer the chicken on top
6. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
7. Repeat until ingredients are gone
8. Cut into triangles and serve.

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-03-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

My Grandma used to make this all the time when I was a child. It was one of the first things she taught me to cook. I love it. I made this the other night for my husband's grandma. I love soup. This one is hearty and a meal in itself with the dumplings.

You can add any other veggies you want.

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
3 boxes of chicken broth
1 can of peas
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
1 small bag of baby carrots cut in half (they cook faster, you can use regular cut small)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings -
2 1/4 cup of bisquick
2/3 cup of milk

1. Pour 1 and 1/2 boxes of chicken stock into a pot with 3 chicken breasts bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
2. Take chicken out of pot and set aside to cool.
3. Add the rest of the broth.
4. Drop chopped carrots into pot for 10 minutes. Then add drained cans of peas, green beans and corn (you can use frozen, just put them in at the same time as the carrots)
5. Add all the seasoning to the pot
6. Shred the cooled chicken with a fork and drop into pot.

7. Mix bisquick and milk in a small bowl. Dough should not be dry but slightly sticky.
8. Wait for soup to boil and then drop bisquick into pan by the spoonfuls.
9. Dunk them under the water with a spoon, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

2009-02-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

My friend was talking about a Mardi Gras dinner coming up and I thought that sounds good. We normally make jambalaya. My grandma used to make dirty rice too. I thought red beans and rice sounded good. So I found this recipe from a cajun restaurant called Treebread. It looked easy enough. So I thought I'd try it out.

It came out good. A little soupy, but thats okay. Everything else was cooked perfectly. If you don't like the soupyness, It can easily be fixed with a slotted serving spoon.

This can easily be made vegetarian, if you don't add the sausage.

Ingredients
1 lb dried red kidney beans
6 cups water
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can diced tomatoes (I used the flavored variety with peppers)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb smoked sausage, cut in 1/2-inch slices

1. Sort and wash red beans. In a large soup pot, add 6 cups cold water and red beans. Let soak overnight.
2. Add onions, celery, and bell pepper to beans and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft.
3.Stir in seasonings, tomatoes and sausage. Simmer 30 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile cook a pot of rice, when done, stir rice into pot of beans
5. Serve while hot

Grandma's Cinnamon Apple Cake

2009-02-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

DH's grandma made this cake today. We had some when we visited and it was soo good! I asked her for the recipe. So this is not something I made, but it is really very good!

Grandma's Apple Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil until blended.
Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt
mix until well combined.
Stir in apples and nuts.
Spread batter in pan and bake 65 to 70 minutes

S'mores Cookie Bars

2009-02-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

I love smores. Who doesn't. We were talking about them on the knot board and I had the worst craving for them. I found this recipe along time ago and knew it was finally time to make these. They came out great. They were a big hit when I brought them to my friend's house for after dinner dessert.

They only thing is they are sticky and messy and a pain in the butt to cut and get over to her house for dinner. I kept having to put them back in the oven because they weren't done. Plus having to wait for them to cool didn't make them exactly quick either.

So only make these if you are not in a hurry. I thought oh I have two hours - thats plenty of time. Wrong! Prep took me about 20 minutes. Plus cooking and waiting for them to cool, I was thirty minutes late. I almost gave up on these and left without them. I'm glad I didn't though.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (my store was out of plain king sized bars - so I just bought milk chocolate chips and it turned out just fine.
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and/or line an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until there are no big pieces left and there is only crumbs.

3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
5. Place chocolate bars over dough (2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate if necessary to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick).

6. Spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate.

7. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff

8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
9. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Homemade Cornbread

2009-02-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

We usually use a mix, but since I've been on a baking kick lately - I decided to try making cornbread from scratch.

I asked on the cooking board and got a good recipe from Kmays. Its originally from Cooks Illustrated and it didn't look too hard, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was really good. It went great with the chili I made too.

All-Purpose Cornbread

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Note: To make this in a cast iron skillet, place approx 1 Tbs of butter in the skillet and place it in the oven while preheating. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.

2. In food processor or blender, process sugar, thawed corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.

3. Using rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened.

4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish; smooth surface with rubber spatula. Note: If using cast iron skillet, remove from oven and turn pan to coat all surfaces with the melted butter. Pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. (I just kept an eye on it until it looked done.) Cool on wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool.

Easy Chili

2009-02-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

When I first moved in with my husband I made him what I considered chili. He called it bean soup. I grew up with that bean soup and I loved it. I always go over to grandma's for it and take a big tupperware container home for me. Nevertheless, I never made it for him again.

Then he asked me after we got married to make some chili for him. I asked if he wanted me to make mine again, and he said no, try something else. So I scoured the internet for a recipe, and found this one. It seemed simple enough. Instead of soaking and cooking my own beans - like I do in mine, I decided to just go easy and use canned. This was really good and it reheats well. You can mix up the beans - pinto, kidney,black and/or chili beans - whatever you like. I decided to stick with what I know and went with all pinto beans.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
16 oz can diced tomatoes
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. In dutch oven or a large saucepan, over med heat, cook beef, onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally, drain.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices
3. Cover; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionallly.
4. Serve immediately. You can your favorite toppings on top or serve plain.

Oven Red Potato Fries

2009-02-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for this from Rachael Ray. In the show I saw, she used herbs. I decided to use grill seasoning, which I think she's also done before. My husband loves red potatoes and this couldn't be simplier. Although I really disagree with RR's statement that these take 20 minutes. They take about 35-40 minutes - but maybe its just my oven?

Ingredients
4-10 red potatoes.
1/4 cup grill seasoning (I like McCormick Montreal Steak)
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash potatoes really good
3. Cut potatoes in half and then into wedges. I usually get about 6 fries per potato.
4. Grease a cookie sheet and place the potatoes on in a single layer, not overlapping.
5. Sprinkle with the grill seasoning

6. Place in oven and cook until tender and crispy. About 30-35 minutes.

Garlic Burgers

2009-02-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off the side of the worchestire sauce bottle and I've been using it for years. I love it. Its very easy and the burgers are flavorful and juicy.

Ingredients
1 1b. lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup worchestire sauce
1 tablespoon or 2 cloves minced garlic - as fine as you can get it

1. Mix all together, cover and refridgerate 30-60 minutes
2. Form into patties and cook

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

2009-02-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

The flavor of this chicken was really good. It was juicy and moist too. I think this is what I'm going to do from now on with any fried chicken, maybe any chicken dish in general. I don't think the buttermilk added any taste. It tasted more like garlic and cumin. I'm sure you could play around with the spices and flavors you add.

Ingredients
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
2 chicken breasts marinated in a buttermilk brine
4 cups oil

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium heat
2. Mix the salt and pepper with the flour
3. Set up a flouring station - buttermilk chicken, egg, and flour.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour
5. Dip the chicken in the egg
6. Dip the chicken in the flour again
7. Make sure the oil is ready - I like to put a wooden spoon in the oil to see if the oil bubbles up around it.
8. Place the chicken in the oil and let it cook until golden brown on both sides.

9. Take it out of the oil and let it drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

Buttermilk Brine for Chicken

2009-02-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

I love fried chicken, but sometimes it dries out from cooking. I'd like to be able to just fry boneless skinless chicken breasts - since thats what we normally buy. It would be nice to be able to just use what we have.

I've heard that buttermilk brines make really the chicken moist and juicy. What better to try it out with than a piece of meat that gets dry when fried?

Ingredients
1/2 qt buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cumin

1. Mix all together and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved
2. Place chicken in buttermilk mixture, cover and refridgerate 8-24 hours. (we marinated ours for a little less than 24 hours)
3. Remove and cook

Ultimate Game Day Nachos

2009-02-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 bag of tortilla chips
1 lb of monterey jack cheese - shredded
1 cup of salsa
3 cups of pico de gallo
shredded meat of your choice - I used spicy shredded beef

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Layer tortilla chips and sprinkle a lot of cheese over the top of the chips.
3. Make sure that the meat is drained of the juices so that the chips don't become soggy. Layer the meat on top of the cheese.
4. Make another layer of chips and cheese on top.
5. Add the rest of meat, sprinkle the cup of salsa around.
6. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted - about 8 - 10 minutes.
7. Add the pico de gallo on top and serve.

Spicy Chipotle Shredded Beef

2009-02-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1.5 lb pot roast

1 onion peeled and quartered

1 small can of green chiles

1 - 7oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 cup fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
5-6 garlic cloves - minced

3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp chili pepper

1 cup water

2 tsp salt

3 tsp ground pepper

1. Liberally salt and pepper the roast and place in crock pot

2. sprinkle the roast with chili pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and cumin.

3. chop all the veggies and crush the chipotles

4. Put all the veggies into the crock pot

5. Pour in a cup of water

6. Turn crockpot on low for 6-8 hours

Salsa and Cream Cheese Dip

2009-02-02T23:21:00.000-08:00

This is probably so old and overdone, but it is so good. There was a point that I had never heard of this.. so maybe there are others like me.

Ingredients

1 - 8oz block of cream cheese - softened
1 - 16 oz container of salsa - any kind the thicker the juice the better

* Cut softened cream cheese in half - lengthwise.
* Place in container
* Pour salsa over cream cheese
* Eat with tortilla chips

Yummy!!

Easy Pico de Gallo

2009-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
3 tomatoes
1/2 white onion
1 1/2 cups cilantro
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 jalepeno (optional)

* Chop the tomato, onion, cilantro and garlic
* If using the jalepeno - seed it and finely chop it
* Put into a bowl and stir together
* Add salt and juice of the lemon
* Stir together and enjoy

Black Bean Salsa

2009-02-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

I made this for the super bowl. It was really good!

2 - 16 oz cans of black beans
2 - small tomatoes
1 - jalepeno seeded and finely chopped (or more depending on how hot you want it)
1.5 cups fresh cilantro - chopped
juice from 1 lemon or lime
1 teaspoon of salt

*Put black beans into a colander and rinse well under cold water
* Chop tomatoes, jalepeno and cilantro.
* Combine the chopped items with the black beans and stir
* Sprinkle with salt and citrus juice
* Stir well.
* Let salsa sit for about an hour for the flavors to marry.

Baked Herbed Red Potatoes

2009-01-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

Super easy recipe!

Ingredients

4-5 red potatoes (or more depending on size)
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup olive oil

* Place potatoes in enough cold water to cover them
* Boil potatoes until fork tender
* Transfer to square baking dish greased with olive oil
* Cut them in half and mash down on them a bit to break them up
* Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with seasoning
* Bake for 25-35 minutes at 400 degrees
* Place butter on top and place under broiler for 5 minutes to crisp them up a bit

Serve with sour cream or alone.

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Parpardelle Pasta

2009-01-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

I bought this because I've seen so many people raving about it on the boards that I frequent. It is really good. Its great for an easy dinner because the pasta is already flavored. It can be served either by itself or with something simple.

I choose portabello mushrooms.

I cooked the pasta. While I was cooking the pasta, I sauteed the mushrooms with a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice, some fresh cracked pepper, a little olive oil and thats it. I tossed it all together and had a pretty easy meal in about 10 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-01-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

I make chicken enchiladas all the time. My husband loves them. They are pretty easy to do.

I try to make them on sunday nights because my husband likes to take the leftovers with him to work. They are also really good for when you invite company over.

This is a good dish to make if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

Ingredients
1 can of enchilada sauce
2 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and in sauce
1 lb of monterey jack - shredded
8 flour tortillas
optional additions: sliced black olives, sour cream

1. Set up an enchilada making station - 1 bowl of enchilada sauce (big enough to completely cover the flour tortillas when dipped), shredded cheese, shredded chicken and a greased 9x13 baking pan
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
3. Completely immerse the tortillas into the sauce and place them in the pan.
4. Fill the tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese, and roll them up
5. Line the rolled enchiladas in the pan until you can't fit anymore in.

6. Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce
7. Dump the rest of the cheese on top
8. If you are using olives, sprinkle them on top
9. Place the pan in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted (about 20-25 minutes)

Crockpot Enchilada Chicken

2009-01-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Normally what I do when I cook enchilada is - put some chicken in a pot with some chicken broth and simmer until cooked. Then when its done, I just shred it with a fork, pour enchilada sauce over the top.

I thought I would try this to see if it was easier. It was a lot easier. The chicken just fell apart when I touched it, so I didnt really have to do anything to it. It tasted the same too.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts - frozen
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes

1. Put chicken in crockpot pour enchilada sauce and tomatoes over the top
2. Set on low for 4 hours

Super Chocolatey Fudgy Brownies

2009-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
6 oz chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Grease an 8x8 pan
* In a saucepan melt the butter and the chocolate chips together. You can use any type of chocolate chips you want. I used milk chocolate.
* Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
* Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla
* Stir in the cocoa powder
* Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together
*Stir a little at a time into the wet ingredients
* Pour into pan
* Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

This goes great with my chocolate frosting recipe

Super Easy Chocolate Frosting

2009-01-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

This makes the best frosting and it is so easy!!

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter (softened)
5 tablespoons milk (any kind)
3/4 cup cocoa powder

* Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix together.
* I find its easiest to go in this order - powdered sugar, milk, cocoa, vanilla, butter
* You can adjust the recipe to include more cocoa if you want it more chocolatey

Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup

2009-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Let me just say - I love vegetable soup. I love homemade soups - canned soups, not so much. The weight watchers version has 0 points, probably more if you eat a lot of it. I ate this soup every day for lunch, sometimes for dinner and I still had bunches left. Next time I make this, I will definetly cut this recipe down.

The soup was good, a lot of veggies, pretty filling.

Ingredients
6 cups broth
carrots - peeled and diced
1 large onion - chopped
4 teaspoons garlic or 4 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 can green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large yellow squash, chopped

1. Saute the onions, garlic and carrots for 5 minutes on medium high
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the zucchini and squash and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes

4. Add the zucchini and squash and cook until they are tender.

Nutritional Information
Per Cup: 61 Cal (3% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 73% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; NetCarb10; 52 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers - 0 points

Product Rave: Tortilla Land Uncooked Tortillas

2009-01-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

We bought these at Costco. They were in the refridgerated section by the pastas.

We weren't sure how they would freeze, but we hoped they would. It says on the packet that once the packet is opened, to use all the tortillas in 20 days. I wasn't sure if we could eat 44 tortillas in 20 days. So when we got home, I split them into packets of 6 and 8 tortillas, put them in gallon freezer bags and put them in the freezer.

I left a bag in the refridgerator. The next morning I cooked some up with some eggs and bacon and made breakfast burritos.

The packet says to cook on medium heat. So I put them in a skillet and browned them up. It took about a minute or two per tortilla, so it was pretty time consuming, but the end product was worth it. Soft, moist, warm and really yummy.

Spanakopita

2009-01-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
2 eggs
1 large onion, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (200 g) package feta cheese
12 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing pastry

1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Drain spinach of all liquid.
3. Sauteé onions and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender, then add spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sautee 1-2 more minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture, eggs, dill, lemon juice and crumbled feta.
6. Butter a square or round pan.
7. Place phyllo between a damp (but not wet) towel so it doesn't dry out.
8. Layer 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, brushing each with melted butter.
9. Fill with spinach mixture and fold edges over.
10. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter.
12. Bake 45 minutes or until golden

this was really good! I would next time use another packet of spinach or two. It only filled about 1/2 up the pan I used.

Fudgy Blondies

2009-01-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

These blondies are moist and rich. Ooey gooey, everything I look for in brownies without the chocolately goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a 9x13 pan
3. sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
4. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl until combined
5. Add eggs - one at a time and whisk together
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture
7. Pour into pan, smooth out with a spatula and bake until top is shiny and golden - 22-25 minutes.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes

2008-12-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

I have never been to Magnolia Bakery in New York. I have heard of it. I don't know how they taste, or if this recipe is the same. The cupcakes were really good. I'm not sure I'd want to keep using two different flours in the future. I made them for my sister who lived in new york for awhile.

Here's the website: http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/

This recipe supposedly came from their cookbook... I found it online.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350
Sift two flours together
cream butter until smooth, add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. About 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each
Add some of the dry ingredients, and then milk, and then some more dry, and then the vanilla, and then the rest of the dry ingredients.
Mix until combined remembering to scrape down the sides, but do not overmix.
Scoop into a cupcake pan with liners. Fill them 3/4 full
Bake 20-25 minutes

I did not make the frosting, as I haven't ventured to try it yet. Maybe one day. :) I just used a plain vanilla frosting in a can.

Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake

2008-12-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make something easy for my inlaws. My husband and I make baked ziti all the time, so when I saw this recipe, It sounded easy, but different twist on what we normally do. It changes it up without being risky.

When I pitched the chicken sausage bake to my husband.. He didn't seem too enthused. He said - do you really think its safe to experiment on my family? Why not try it another night with just me?

So I said we'll its basically the same thing we always do, but it uses chicken sausage instead, so it shouldn't be too horrible. If anything it will be edible. Just not as good as the other.

Anyways, so he agreed... but he said we should nix the spinach and onions that was in the recipe, just in case since his dad didn't really care for either. So no big deal. If you want to add those back in, go for it. We didn't use them, but I'll probably add them in the next time I make this... and yes, there will be a next time. It was good!! It was just as good as the baked ziti that I normally make. I thought it was a refreshing change.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 c. vodka (optional)
1 onion chopped
1 can whole tomatoes with juice - slightly crushed with hands
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream

10 ounces baby spinach

1 pound rigatoni or penne

12 oz smoked chicken sausage (I used 4 links)
6 ounces of fontina cheese - shredded

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al-dente. Add spinach until it is wilted. drain and put back in the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic. Remove from heat. Add the vodka. Return to heat and cook until almost evaporated.
Stir in tomatoes and oregano. Cook the tomatoes until they are falling apart - about 10 minutes.
Add cream. Cook until warmed through. Add salt and pepper.
Add tomato sauce and sausage to the pasta pot. Stir to combine.
Add half to a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with half the fontina cheese. Add the rest and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the parmesan cheese.
Bake until browned and edges are crisp - about 30 minutes.

Baked French Toast

2008-12-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

We love french toast. We just don't make it that often. That could be because we don't really cook breakfast too often - and when we do - its eggs and toast or eggs and potatoes, or we use our awesome waffle iron to make some humongous waffles. I must say my waffle iron was a gift from my husband about a year after we'd been together. It was a weird christmas gift. I know we were talking about getting one.. luckily it wasn't my only christmas gift that year.

Anyways, back to French Toast. I had seen some recipes for baked french toast and it intrigued me. It sounded easy enough. I worried about the direction to "let sit it in the fridge overnight" would make it soggy. I guess I would find out.

Ingredients
5 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup half and half
1/2 loaf french bread - cut diagonally into 1" slices
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup of butter - melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl - whisk together eggs, milk, cream, cinnamon and vanilla
Dip bread slices into the mixture
Place in a greased 9x13 pan and refridgerate overnight

Preheat oven to 350
Take pan out of the fridge to take some of the chill off
In a small bowl - mix hot melted butter, brown sugar and maple syrup.
Spoon sugar mixture over the bread.

Bake 40 minutes
Let stand 5 minutes before serving

Verdict? - We both thought it was soggy. Maybe it was the fact that I used french bread? Maybe I should have used a thick solid bread. Maybe it was because it soaked overnight. Either way. I'm going to try again tomorrow to see if not letting it soak overnight makes it any less soggy. Either way,it was edible. Just not our cup of tea. We like moist, but not so much that it falls apart in your mouth.

If that doesn't work, I'm going to change the bread.

Crispy Herb Grilled Chicken

2008-12-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy dinner. I made this last night. The chicken has a crispy flavorful outside and a juicy inside. Yum!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all spices together in a bowl
Add olive oil to cover spices, Mix to make a paste
Spread over chicken breasts in a covered dish, cover and let marinate for an hour (or grill right away)
Place on a grill over medium heat (we used a cuisinart griddler so that both sides would be crispy - you can use a regular grill pan or a foreman grill)
Cook about 10-15 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees, about halfway through so that the crispy outside is all over and not just lines down the one way.

Remove and serve.
We served this with some pesto spaghetti and some homemade cheesy garlic bread.
The next day we used the two left over breasts, cut them up and put them over a green salad for lunch.

Fabulous Sugar Cookies

2008-12-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe online. The original recipe called for almond extract - which I didn't have - so I doubled the vanilla extract. I wonder if the almond extract would have made it sweeter? Either way, my husband didn't think the cookies were sweet enough. They didn't roll out very easily either. The dough was super sticky and kept sticking to my rolling pin and my counter. After awhile I gave up and just made cookie balls. My husband preferred the cookie balls to the cutouts because they were softer. The cutouts were crisp... but they held their shape really well.

Either way - here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

5 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees

* Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light

* Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each egg

* Add vanilla and almond extract

* Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixture a little at a time

* do not overmix
*Chill dough for up to 1 week. (I chilled it for about 4 hours)
* Roll out on a floured surface and cut into your favorite shapes (all I had was the men cutout, butterflies, ladybugs and hearts..)

*Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes and cool on a wire rack

*I tried to make red frosting by adding what was left of my red food coloring to the white frosting. I guess I didnt have enough left because all it did was make hot pink. It turned out okay for the heart cutouts I made. I was just making the heart cut outs for my husband anyways, so no one really cared or saw them anyways. A few of my gingerbread men had pink scarves though. :)

Gingerbread People

2008-12-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

One of the cookies I made this year for christmas was Gingerbread ~~Men~~ People.

This was a relatively easy recipe. I think I rolled them too thin because they were pretty fragile. My platter looked like a battlefield - broken heads, legs, arms, people broken in half... but they were pretty tasty anyways.

An important lesson I learned was do not frost when you are tired. Seriously.. some of them just looked ragged or messy... and I had a failed attempt at red frosting that turned out hot pink.. lol..

Oh and I didnt take much pictures because i forgot..

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup butter at room temp

1/2 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350
sift together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and cinnamon and set aside
cream butter and sugar until smooth
Beat in the molasses, water and vanilla
Gradually mix in the flour mixture a little at a time
Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate 2 hours or until firm.
(I left mine in for about half a day)
On a lightly floured surface - roll out dough just under 1/4" thick.
Use cookie cutters of your choice

Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet
Bake 9 - 12 minutes
Let cool five minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool
Frost (or not) and enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Brownies

2008-12-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

These brownies are really good. I love the ooey gooey brownies that are still soft days later.. and well this is it. I was kind of worried when I looked at the batter and it didn't look like the typical store bought mix batter. It was lighter - much lighter. I doubled checked the recipe and I didnt think I had missed anything. So I figured, I'll just bake them and see if they get darker.. and they did..

Ingredients
1 cup of Butter

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

2 tablespoons of vanilla

1 package of andes mint chips (in the baking aisle)
OR a package of whole andes mints chopped

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9x13 baking pan
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat - let sit for a minute or two to cool down

Add melted butter to sugar, vanilla and eggs

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt
Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture
Add 1/2 cup of chopped andes mints and fold them in

Pour the batter into a pan and spread it out
Bake 35-40 minutes
Right when the brownies come out, pour the rest of the mint chips on top

Wait for them to melt a little and start spreading the chocolate out with a spoon

Cut the brownies right away and let cool for 5 minutes or until you can safely touch the pan with your bare hands

remove brownies and let cool on a wire rack

Enjoy! :)

This made 12 brownies

Hollandaise Sauce

2008-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

I love eggs benedict. I get it sometimes when we go out for breakfast. I've just never made it at home because of the sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce always sounded very daunting to me. I don't know why. When I came across this recipe online, I thought it didnt sound so hard. So I thought I'd give it a try. It was pretty easy to make. For awhile, I wondered if it was ever going to thicken, but when it did, it thickened fast

Ingredients

5 egg yolks

5 tablespoons of butter - melted

1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of water

pinch of cayenne

Whisk yolks and lemon juice together until mixed in a big glass bowl
Place bowl over a pot of boiling water (the bowl should NOT touch the water)
Whisk the egg mixture - don't let it get too hot or they will scramble
Slowly add the melted butter
Whisk until the sauce is thick
Take off the heat and whisk in the salt and cayenne

I thought this recipe was really lemony. Almost like biting into the lemon itself. If thats what floats your boat keep it- I think if I make this again, I'll add only a little bit of lemon juice and just subsitute water for the rest.

Taco Stuffed Shells

2008-12-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I am always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to cook my husband's favorite cuisine: tacos and really all mexican food in general. The only thing that he knows how to make other than things on the grill is tacos. He loves tacos so much that he figured out how to make them. That says a lot - it really does.

When I first proposed this recipe while walking around the grocery store, my husband did not seem impressed? Pasta and tacos? baked salsa? cream cheese? I could practically see him mapping his escape once dinner was done and declared completely disgusting - believe me its happened once or twice. There was the disasterous cornflake chicken incident.. which he likes to bring up every now and then when I suggest new recipes.

This was really good... surprisingly my husband had not only seconds.. but thirds. So much for the planned escape... in fact we have no leftovers. Surprisingly. I had figured that I would at least have lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
4 oz cream cheese (half a small container)
15 jumbo pasta shells (we made about half a box of jumbo shells)
1 jar of salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups cheese (any kind you want - we used monterey jack)
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a pot of salted water, cook jumbo shells plus a couple of extra incase they fall apart.
When cooked, drain them and set them out apart on a piece of foil so that they don't stick together to cool (make sure the foil is large enough to fit and cover the 9x13 pan - you will be reusing it)

In a pan, brown ground beef, and add taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet. When finished set aside to cool
Add cream cheese over low heat and stir until melted and blended in with the ground beef

Pour the jar of salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 pan

Stuff the shells with the meat mix and place them in the pan face up.

Drizzle the taco sauce over the shells.
Cover with the now empty foil piece and bake for 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, uncover and cover with cheese.

Bake for another 10 - 15 minutes
Sprinkle tops of shells with italian seasoning

Serve immediately and enjoy. I know we did!

Chex Muddy Buddies

2008-12-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

I first had these when I was a kid. Who wouldn't like chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar together. Yum.

Its super easy, very snackable and people of all ages love it. I know I still do. I make this for movie nights when I don't feel like eating buttery popcorn.

Ingredients

6 cups chex cereal (any kind you like)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Now you can find two sets of instructions for this - stove top or microwave. I never really feel comfortable melting chocolate in the microwave. Its better to melt it over low in a saucepan - but to each their own.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.
When the butter has melted, add the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
Stir until melted and immediately take off the heat.

In a big mixing bowl, measure out 6 cups of cereal
Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and stir until all the cereal is covered - you can add more cereal if you think there is enough chocolate to go around.

Put the chocolate covered cereal in a big Ziploc bag and pour the powdered sugar on top.
Close the bag and shake until the cereal is covered with powdered sugar.
You can pour the cereal on foil or wax paper to cool and dry, or you can just pour in a bowl and eat while its still gooey. Which is my choice. Its not really sticky or anything, it will eventually set. I'm a big fan of eating stuff while its still gooey or melty... but if thats not your thing. Then let it cool and dry first.

If you haven't tried this - I really recommend this. It satisfies both my crunch cravings that popcorn does AND my sweet cravings. Anything thats left, put in a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware on the counter.

nom nom nom

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

2008-12-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

I usually get my macaroni and cheese fix from a little blue box. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I've never really had homemade mac and cheese. So I wondered - is it better? Is it worth the extra effort?

So I had to see for myself.

I got this recipe online, I also noticed that they had a recipe on the back of the macaroni box. It called for more milk and more butter. I wonder if it would have made it creamier?

Here's the recipe I tried:

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups of milk or half and half (I used half and half)

1 bay leaf

1 large egg (beaten)

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

fresh cracked black pepper

Toppings
3 tablespoons of butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta to al dente.
In a separate pot, melt butter and whisk in flour at a little at a time, keep stirring for five minutes. Make sure its lump free.
Stir in milk, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Add egg and stir in 3/4 of the cheese, season with salt and pepper.

Fold macaroni into the mix.

Pour mixture into a cassarole dish. Top with remaining cheese

Topping

In a skillet, melt butter and fold in the bread crumbs.

Wait until they turn golden brown
Top cassarole with bread crumbs

Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.
Let sit for five minutes before serving.

Amazing Artichoke Stuffing

2008-12-17T21:07:00.000-08:00

My brother in law is a really good cook. He would have to be... my sister can barely cook.

He made this stuffing for thanksgiving and it was really really good.

Ingredients
15 cups 1-inch cubes crustless sourdough bread (from two 1-pound loaves or sourdough rolls)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 8-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, coarsely chopped
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth (or vegetable stock to make it vegetarian)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Divide bread between 2 baking sheets.
Bake until cubes are dry but not hard, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions, celery, and garlic.
Sauté until celery is soft, about 10 minutes.
Mix in artichokes, thyme, and mint; sauté 2 minutes longer.
Transfer artichoke mixture to large bowl. (Bread and artichoke mixture can be made 1 day ahead.
Cover separately. Store bread at room temperature. Refrigerate artichoke mixture and reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)
Add bread to artichoke mixture; toss to blend well. Mix in cheese, then 1 cup broth. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake seperately from turkey:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Add enough extra broth to stuffing to moisten (3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cups).
Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down.
Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.
Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer

Spicy Shredded Pork

2008-12-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe for spicy shredded pork somewhere online. It sounded good. My husband and I love Mexican. Usually when we make tacos, we cut up carne asada or use hamburger. Carnitas is something we eat when we are out. It looks easy enough.

I need some more Mexican recipes. My husband love Mexican food. I'm sure if he had to choose one cuisine to live off of, Mexican would be it.

Ingredients
4-7 pound Pork Shoulder Roast
1 medium sized onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
Lime wedges (for garnish)

Peel and quarter a medium sized onion and three to four garlic cloves
Put the garlic cloves, onion, all of the spices and the vinegar into a food processor

Turn the food processor on to create a chunky paste

Wash the pork shoulder
Rub the paste all over the shoulder.
Pour 1 to 2 cups of water into the bottom of a crock pot.
Place the pork roast into the crock pot and pour the rest of the paste over the top

Turn the crock pot onto low and cook for 6 to 8 hours occasionally basting the roast with the juice at the bottom. Also check periodically towards the end to make sure that the water has not evaporated.

When there is about an hour to go, break the pork roast up so that it will simmer in the juices.

Scoop the meat out and place on a platter, garnish with avocado slices and lime wedges. If you want you can drizzle lime juice over the top.

Optional: If you want the roast to come out spicier - add some red chili flakes or some hot sauce to the food processor.

Fried Mozzarella

2008-12-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

I was hungry and I didn't feel like making anything big. I was thinking about a caprese salad, but then decided that I wanted something hot too. I considered a can of soup I had in my pantry.. but then I had a great idea. Fried Mozzarella with a green salad.

Its really easy to do...

Ingredients
Mozzarella (the round balls works best)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil

First set up a breading station.
From left to right - flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs

Slice a ball of mozzarella into thick slices
Take the slices and dredge them through the flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Be sure to make sure they are well coated

In a frying pan, heat up the 1/4 cup of olive oil on medium heat, you can add more oil depending on your pan size, to get the depth to come up about halfway on the mozzarella slices.
You can tell if the oil is ready by putting the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles up around the handle, its ready.
Put the slices in and let them sit. Wait until you can see the edges are browning up, and then flip them. Try not to move them too much. You don't want the coating to break and the cheese to melt out.

When the breading is golden brown and the cheese has melted (you can check this by lightly pushing in at the top), remove them from the pan to a plate with paper towels or napkins on it to soak up the excess oil.
Serve with a side of marinara sauce, or a salad. I almost put the salad on top - that might be really good, salad on top, or maybe some shrimp scampi? or sauteed veggies...

However you serve it, it really should be served hot out of the pan. This way the cheese is still the same melty goodness it was right out of the pan.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2008-12-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

When I went to the grocery store to buy the buttermilk for the cupcakes, they didnt have the little cartons. So I bought a half gallon.

So what do you do with so much leftover buttermilk? So I made my husband some buttermilk pancakes the next day. Which prompted him to look at me and ask why I was bothering to make them from scratch when we had perfectly good pancake mix in the cupboard.

I think these were delicious - sweet, light and fluffy. It also gave me a good opportunity to try out our new Cuisinart Griddler. It is an amazing appliance. I like it so much better than our previous foreman grill. The interchangeable plates and the ability to lay flat makes it one of my favorite wedding gifts.

FYI: This recipe made about 10 good sized pancakes.

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a bowl beat eggs until frothy
Add buttermilk, melted butter (room temperature) and vanilla - mix well.
Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat on medium speed until blended
Heat griddle to 350 degree.
Ladle pancake mixture onto hot griddle.

Wait until the topside starts bubbling and flip
Remove when both sides are golden and enjoy.

We like to put syrup and butter on at our house..

YUM!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2008-12-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have been talking about red velvet lately. I think the first time I saw red velvet cake was in the movie Steel Magnolias. I love that movie and that crazy armadillo cake.

When I read the ingredient list of red velvet cake, it seemed like something that both my chocolate hating husband and I would like. It has a little chocolate, but not enough to make my husband turn up his nose. It seemed like the perfect compromise.

I think these cupcakes came out really nice, moist and flavorful. Definetly worth a try. I'm sure there are tons of recipes out there. This is just one that was recommended to me.

Ingredient List

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
With a flour sifter, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a bowl and set it aside.

If you don't have a flour sifter, I use can use a handheld strainer. Really though they arent expensive. I bought mine for $12 at Macy's.
In a seperate bowl, mix the vegetable oil, sugar and buttermilk together until combined.

Then add the eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well

Slowly start to mix in the powdered ingredients a little at a time. Be careful to not over mix. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Line a cupcake baking pan with cupcake liners and scoop the batter in using an ice cream scoop. I used a medium cookie scoop.

Do a couple of test cupcakes, if you want. This batter does not rise much, so make sure to fill the liners at least 3/4 of the way up.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Remove from cupcake tray and let cool on a wire rack.

When the cupcakes are cool you can frost them and add decoration.

Welcome!

2008-12-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my hopefully interesting recipe/cooking blog.

I am a newlywed with a kitchen full of culinary wedding gifts just begging to be used. Like my new dutch oven -which I love and a new nice sharp set of knives. Plus some new cooking utensils. My husband begged for a sushi making kit - but honestly I doubt you are going to see any sushi here, because I wouldn't even know where to look where I live for sashimi grade fish other than the sushi restaurants in town.

I am also a food network, cookbook, recipe junkie. I swear I write down or save tons of recipes - that I never make. Well that's going to change. Anything to break us from the spaghetti, enchilada, hamburgers rut we've been in. Not that we don't change it up once in awhile. Not that I'd really consider grilled chicken salad or tacos really "changing it up". We only really do tacos on nights where I don't want to cook. My husband makes really good tacos.

I hope that someone finds some inspiration or at least a new dish or two here :)