DISH IT UP

Darn you, Pioneer Woman.... :):)

2010-03-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

...for drawing us in with your mouthwatering pictures and causing us to just NEED to make something!! Hubs and I were on spring break and we came across the cinnamon rolls. We just HAD to have them! Little did we know, it made 7 trays full! We loved them and shared with friends and family in order to avoid eating them all ourselves!
I followed PW's recipe exact so this is a copy/paste...
Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
* 1 quart Whole Milk
* 1 cup Vegetable Oil
* 1 cup Sugar
* 2 packages Active Dry Yeast
* 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
* 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
* 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
* Plenty Of Melted Butter
* 2 cups Sugar
* Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
* _____
* MAPLE FROSTING:
* 1 bag Powdered Sugar
* 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
* ½ cups Milk
* ¼ cups Melted Butter
* ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
* ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

"You don't make friends with salad...."

2010-02-24T22:17:00.002-04:00

....unless it's THIS one!! Out of the latest group of cookbooks borrowed from the library, I chose this recipe from the Newlyweds Cookbook because I had an avacado in the fridge and wanted to eat it desparately. I didn't make the dressing called for because it didn't seem appealing to me at all. Instead, I made a simple balsamic dressing. This salad was good and quite attractive too. It'd be a great choice to serve to guests.

Bacon and Avacado Salad
Spring mix
1 avacado, sliced
3 slices of bacon per plate, cooked and chopped
handful of feta, crumbled
Dressing
pinch of salt
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

1) Pile spring mix on plate.
2) Cook bacon and slice the avacado.
3) Sprinkle salad with dressing and top with bacon, feta and avacado.

Bruscetta- Julia style....

2010-02-22T22:10:00.003-04:00

Around these parts we love our bruscetta. We've grown accustomed to making it our own cheater way.....until now! I came across a recipe for a version that is similar to what Julia Child would've made back in the day. WAAAAAAY more decadent. WAAAAAAAAY WAAAAAAAAY WAAAAAAAAAY more decadent but also, much better as far as we're now concerned (3 foot tall family member included). The recipe is not so much a recipe as it is a method so I'll try my best to make it straight forward for you:

1 pkg cherry tomatos, chopped
1 loaf crusty bread, thinly sliced
olive oil- lots and lots of olive oil
garlic (I use pureed)
salt (kosher would work well)
a few fresh basil leaves, chopped

1) put a good glug or five in your pan and heat
2) fry the bread until golden on both sides (add more oil as needed)
3) mix the tomatos with another 5 or 10 glugs of olive oil, some basil, a tsp or so of garlic and salt. Taste it and add salt as needed. The tomatos should be glistening with oil.
4) top the toasty bread with the tomato mixture and eat it!
Yum....

My new favorite cookie??

2010-02-17T21:50:00.006-04:00

I borrowed the Pioneer Woman cookbook from the library. Everything in the book looks super yummy but everything is very fattening and well, after Christmas my thighs need a break! I found the Oatmeal cookie recipe tempting so I decided to put my own spin on it. The resulting treat was soft and yummy. Here's the result:
Healthier Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg plus white of a second egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 3/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut
at least 1 cup chocolate chips (couldn't resist)
1) Mix together wet ingredients
2) Stir in dry ingredients, beginning with flour, salt and baking soda. Once the oats have been added, mixture will be very hard to stir.
3) Bake for 10 minutes (or until golden) at 350 degrees.

TAAAAAAKE OUT! Taaaaaaaake Out!?!

2010-02-17T16:06:00.003-04:00

Hubs and I get a hankering for asian cuisine on a frequent basis but, given that we're students, we can't always afford it. So, I'm always on the lookout for decent recipes that give us that 'fix'. Here's one that is not only yum but also easy since it sits in the crock pot all day long....

Moo Shu Pork and Noodles
3 boneless pork chops (or small pork roast), sliced very thin
1/2 cup hoisin
1 tbsp seasame oil
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp ginger
1 clove garlic, pureed
1 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 bag shredded carrots
1 pkg chow mein or instant noodles

1) Slice pork thin and put in the crock pot.
2) Mix ingredients in bowl and then pour over the pork.
3) Pour veggies in pot and then stir.
4) Cook on low for 6 hours.
5) Cook noodles as directed.
6) Spoon pork over noodles and serve. Mmmmm!!

Chicken and Rice

2010-02-01T22:34:00.003-04:00

A casserole? Yes, I actually made a casserole! Not the wet, goopy kind so nothing to worry about! It just felt like that kind of day around here. Minus 10 weather does that to a girl!
I found this posted on another blog I like and just altered to suit us a bit.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
(Adapted from kayotic)
2 shredded chicken breasts
3 small carrots, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
1 red pepper, diced small
8 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp each- paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, onion powder
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups rice

1) Cook vegetables just until tender.

2) Mix all ingredients together and pour into casserole dish.
3) Bake at 375 for 45 minutes and check rice to ensure it is cooked. If needed, add more broth and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

A November Recipe

2009-11-06T10:13:00.003-04:00

I planned out the majority of my meals for the month of November in hopes of having an easier time blogging. The first recipe I made? Beef Bourguignon. Y.U.M. In addition, I made the Pork Chops with Apples and Rice which, wasn't super (in case anyone actually considered making it) and the Parkers Fish and Chips (which we liked but it was more fattening than we normally like). Since we liked the Beef Bourguignon, I figured it was a great one to post about. Hubs helped me get the ingredients ready and we threw it in the crockpot around noon. By 6 in the evening, we had a deeeeelish supper.....The broth was amazingly rich and dark, the meat was tender and the veggies were full of flavor. We topped the meal off with a nice glass of red wine...

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2009-11-06T10:05:00.003-04:00

My mom turned 50 last week. I decided to make her a yummy cake for her birthday. A Caramel Toblerone cheesecake to be exact. It's a Kraft recipe and it was to diiiiiiiiiiie for.....
Toblerone Cheesecake
1-1/4 cups OREO Baking Crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 pkg. (250 g each) PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping (I used another 1/4 cup in the batter)
1 bar (100 g) TOBLERONE Swiss Milk Chocolate, coarsely chopped (i used the big one, and mixed about 5 melted squares into the batter)
1) HEAT oven to 350ºF.
2) MIX crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3) BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. 4) Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
5) BAKE 40 to 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.
Refrigerate 4 hours. Spread caramel topping over cheesecake just before serving. Garnish with chopped chocolate.

A Change of Pace

2009-10-26T12:41:00.003-03:00

Ok so...Obviously I'm a BAAAAD blogger. Life has taken over and 'most' of the fun stuff has taken a back burner to raising a baby, returning to work and starting school.
What I HAVE learned though is that I need to plan ahead in order to get us fed every day. I've been cooking for the freezer and meal planning in order to do it. This is where the change of pace comes in. I'm going to start documenting our 'monthly' menu. There'll be some recipes that are 'double' so that one can be frozen and some that are double duty. There'll also be some family favorites thrown in. I'll be posting links and recipes and maybe I'll even have time to post a photo or 2 by the end of the month!!
Without further ado...
November Meals
Garden Chowder- Will feed us twice
Chicken Rice Casserole- Will feed us twice
Chicken Pot Pie (in the freezer, from the book Best Make Ahead Recipes
Easy Minestone Soup- will feed us twice
Apple-Cinnamon Pork Chops & Cranberry-Rice Stuffing from Dinner Survival
Ginger Beef with Fried Rice
Fish and Chips
Chicken Fajitas (you know, the kind from a box)
Beef Bourguignon with Potatos- crockpot recipe, feeds us twice, recipe below
Candy Chicken- crockpot recipe below

Recipes
Beef Bourguignon with Potatoes

6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 lbs. beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can (10oz) condensed beef broth
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups red/burgundy wine
3 tbsp. tomatoe paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ground thyme 1 bay leaf
10 small potatoes
1/2 lb. small white onions, peeled
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove and drain. Add beef cubes and brown well. Place beef cubes in crock pot. Brown carrot and onion. Season with salt and peper, stir in flour. Add broth, mix well and add to crock pot. Add cooked bacon, wine, tomatoe paste, garlic, bay leaf, potatoes, white onions, thyme and mushrooms. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours; HIGH for 6 hours.

CANDY CHICKEN

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2/3 cup vinegar
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this recipe.
Plop the chicken into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth.

It's Party Season

2009-07-27T10:54:00.003-03:00

And with party season comes the need for some quick and delicious snack foods! This one was in the latest Kraft magazine. It's absolutely to die for and comes together in literally one minute! Oh, and did I mention it can be done on the BBQ?

Kraft Pesto Dip
1 block cream cheese, softened
1/3 pkg of 4 cheese italiano shredded cheese
1/4 cup pesto
about 12 cherry tomatos, quartered

1) Spread cream cheese in bottom of oven safe serving dish or tinfoil.
2) Pour pesto over top and sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese.
3) Bake until bubbly (or BBQ until bubbly)
4) Serve with tortilla chips.

Tuesdays with Dorie- Raspberry Blanc-Manger

2009-07-20T09:42:00.003-03:00

And yes, I DO know it's only Monday but I'm not going to be anywhere near a computer tomorrow...

This dessert came together really easily. It was quick to make (not quick to set up) and really quite pretty...AND, on an evening where the kitchen was 29 degrees, it was nice to make something didn't require the stove being turned on!!

In case you haven't been following- this recipe is from a book called Baking: From My Home to Yours, go out right now and buy it!

Rhubarb.

2009-07-13T13:47:00.005-03:00

My neighbours have a garden in their backyard and have been supplying us with some of their goodies. The most recent being rhubarb. And loads of it! So much, that I had to freeze a ton so that it doesn't go bad. The neighbour also gave me a recipe for rhubarb squares (although I think it makes something more like a coffee cake). The recipe is very easy but the batter is SUPER thick and it *almost* seems like it won't work since it is so full of fruit...
The combination of sweet from the sugar topping and sour from the rhubarb appeals to me quite a bit.

Rhubarb Squares
1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups rhubarb, chopped

1) Mix wet ingredients first.
2) Add in flour, salt and baking soda and mix well.
3) Stir in rhubarb. Mixture will be very thick.

Tuesdays with Dorie- A Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies

2009-07-07T10:24:00.003-03:00

Yay to me!! I finally have my own copy of the Baking: From my home to yours cookbook now! I received it for my birthday last week...no more renewing from the library!
This week for the Tuesdays with Dorie baking we made brownies...they were dark, chewy and yummy! The addition of coffee made them taste a little different than the other brownies I've made and it was a welcome change!
I couldn't believe how quickly they came together! I was hosting a BBQ and thought it was a good time to test them out!

No recipe here, BUY THE BOOK (trust me, you wouldn't regret it!)...It's the only baking book you'll ever need!!

Oooooooh, Honey Honey...

2009-07-03T10:29:00.002-03:00

The little man was gone for a visit with his grandparents and hubs and I wanted a quick supper. I had chicken breasts out so I knew that was going to be a part of dinner. I have this cookbook that is simply called "Chicken". I never use it and I dont' know why! Well, I had some pages marked with things I wanted to try and came across one for Honey Chicken. The recipe (if you can even call it that) was super simple and I'll repeat it again. I altered it slightly...

Honey Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- cut into small chunks
various veggies, cut into large pieces
toasted almonds
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1) Cook chicken until no longer pink and remove from pan.
2) Cook vegetables until tender-crisp
3) Add chicken to pan with vegetables and coat with honey and chili flakes.
4) Sprinkle with almonds and serve over rice.

That's it, really!!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Perfect Party Cake

2009-06-30T19:25:00.004-03:00

I am loving this group! It's so much fun experimenting with the different recipes! This week, it was "Perfect Party Cake" and it turned out great!
I did just a couple of things different- no jam filling and I didn't cut my cakes into 2...otherwise I followed it exactly. Check out the site Tuesdays with Dorie and maybe visit some other bloggers websites for their take on this tasty cake!!

Taste and Create: Banana Coconut Loaf

2009-06-24T10:29:00.008-03:00

I signed up for a Taste and Create event for the month of June. Basically, they hook me up with another blogger and we make a recipe from each others blog! Fun stuff! I was connected to One Frugal Foodie . She has a ton of interesting dairy free recipes. I had a great time reading through them all and decided to choose one of her old recipes to try- from September 2007 called Banana Coconut Loaf. It looked really great and since it was sugar and egg free, I figured even the mini member of the house could eat some!

What a great recipe, I love it!! the directions say to use whole wheat flour if you have it. I didn't this time although I'll likely make it again once I do! This one would make a great breakfast (since it isn't overly sweet) or (like I've been doing) a great snack!!

Here's the recipe:
2 cups flour (she says you can use whole wheat, white whole wheat or all-purpose)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas (mine were brown and from the freezer)

1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Mix dry ingredients and then wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3) Add the wet ingredients to the dry by making a 'well' in the center of the dry ingredients.
4) Mix but be careful not to overmix of the loaf will be tough.
5) Bake for 30-40 minutes

Tuesdays with Dorie- Cinnamon Squares

2009-06-02T11:07:00.004-03:00

This is my first entry for the "Tuesdays with Dorie" group and I think it was a great first experience! How does it work? Every week a baker from the group chooses a recipe from the book "Baking: From my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan and everyone bakes it! This was a good one for a novice baker like myself...
I made the Cinnamon Squares featured on pages 210 and 211 (no recipe here, buy the book!!) and they turned out yummy. I served them at my little wine tasting party on Friday evening.
The cinnamon gave the cake batter a pretty speckled look and between it, the expresso and the chocolate the flavor was perfect! Hubs said the resulting squares were slightly 'tall' for his liking (he couldn't seem to fit a full bit in his mouth) but loved the taste.
The book called for the chocolate topping to be applied in swirls but I made mine a little too runny so no swirls here....

Jazzy Raspberry

2009-05-19T21:09:00.004-03:00

I was just telling hubs the other day that I'm not a fan of raspberry flavored 'stuff' even though I love raspberries. He is always after me to make muffins for him because he spends some long days at work. I was feeling the need to be the great wife this afternoon and I came up with a way to add raspberries to the mix.
Here's a look at what I came up with:

Raspberry Muffins
1 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup quick oats
1 cup raspberries, chopped
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup oil
2 tbsp lemon juice

1) Mix all dry ingredients, including the raspberries.
2) Add in the wet ingredients and stir to mix but do not over stir or batter will be tough.
3) Bake at 350 degrees.

The Rice that Binds

2009-05-15T21:46:00.002-03:00

My poor baby was sick. Now that he is on solids, I figured I could use rice to bind him up a little. Well, I ended up making waaaay too much rice and decided to try my hand at making rice pudding...I didn't follow a recipe, I just threw stuff in the pot so use my info as a guide if you make it yourself!

Rice Pudding
2 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

1) Add all ingredients to the cooked rice in a pot.
2) Cook until the rice becomes creamy and thick (about 20 minutes).
3) Enjoy!

My my my my muffins......

2009-05-15T21:28:00.005-03:00

Hubs is back to school 2 nights a week which means extra snacks so that he won't be starving by the time he comes home each night. I've been experimenting with different muffin recipes. Using the base of a muffin mix from one of my new favorite blogs- For the Love of Cooking, I came up with this yummy one...We've made it twice so far and trust me, they don't stick around for long!

Chocolate, Walnut, Coconut Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt or homemade if you make it!
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Mix all dry ingredients and then fold in the wet ingredients.
3) Fill greased muffin tins.

Whole Lotta Pasta

2009-04-29T19:51:00.005-03:00

I love pasta. What can I say? Maybe it's the carbs, maybe it's the endless variety of sauce choices. Either way, HUGE fan here. We eat some form of pasta at least once a week. I love trying new recipes and this weeks choice was a hit!
I have the Eat, Shrink and be Merry cookbook by the Podleski sisters and have been trying out some of their recipes lately. This weeks pasta was called Worth Every Penne. And lets just say this: It was worth every penny!

Worth Every Penne
2 tbsp basil pesto
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
penne pasta
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped red onion (EWWWW, I left this out!)
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups chopped chicken (I left this out)
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1) Mix the first 5 ingredients together and set aside.
2) Cook the pasta
3) Cook bacon, reserving some fat.
4) Cook chicken, mushrooms and onion in bacon fat.
5) Add chopped bacon tomatos and spinach to pan and wilt spinach.
6) Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan as well and stir in sauce to coat.
7) sprinkle with parmesan.

I like to eat, eat, eat....strawberries and bananas....

2009-04-22T21:08:00.003-03:00

I sometimes feel the absolute need for a sweet treat. This recipe is another from "For the Love of Cooking". It worked out really well. The muffins rose up over the tops of the pan...I LOVE that!!!
Here's the recipe for the strawberry banana-y goodness....

Strawberry Banana Muffins
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine (original recipe called for one stick of butter)
2 large ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure the strawberries get coated with the flour mixture.
3) Combine the last 5 ingredients in a separate bowl.
4) Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients just until there are no visible lumps of dry flour mixture.
5) Fill trays and bake for 20-23 minutes.

Ole, Ole....

2009-04-21T21:31:00.002-03:00

In all my 'free' time, I came across a really great recipe blog (For the Love of Cooking)...I was perusing the entries and came across a yummy sounding one I had to try out...
Shredded Pork Taquitos
1-2lb pork roast
2 cups chicken broth
1 can green chilies
1 tsp oregano
1 pkg corn tortillas
salsa
cheese
1) Slow cook pork roast in chicken broth, green chilies and oregano until it would easily shred.

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
1 container of sour cream
1 tsp cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice
1) Mix all together

Guacamole
2 avocados, mashed
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped fine
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1) Mix all ingredients and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Fill center of tortillas with the pork mixture and cheese.
Place tortillas on cookie sheet, seam side down. Cook at 350 until the tortillas are crisp.
Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Left Over Turkey??

2009-04-09T14:49:00.003-03:00

To use up leftovers, I found this great recipe from Sandi Richard...well, it's not even really a recipe as much as a how-to...You could do this with your chicken too! (excuse my poor photography, the camera was acting up!)

Turkey in Bread Cups
enough bread, crusts cut off
chunked turkey
mushrooms, chopped
summer savory
cranberry sauce
gravy

1) press bread into sprayed muffin tins
2) sprinkle with summer savory
3) cook mushrooms and add to cups.
4) add turkey and bake at 350 until cups are browned
5) cover each cup with gravy
6) top with cranberry sauce
MMMMmmmm, leftovers!

Afternoon Tea...for one?

2009-02-08T14:57:00.003-04:00

A little birdie told me that I have NOT been doing a good job keeping up with this site and BOY was she right!
Hello 2009 and hello "M". Let's hope I can do a better job this year at posting! Now that the little man has arrived and is old enough to sort of occupy himself, I should be able to get on here a bit!
So, without wasting time blabbing on.....
I made these scones one day using a recipe book I received for Christmas. They look pretty cool and were super easy to make. Great for my afternoon tea for one! (although I could have served many!)
Cinnamon Chocolate Scones
(from McCormick Cooking with Flavor)

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine (book asked for butter)
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (book asked for 6oz chocolate, chopped)

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Cut in margarine until crumby.
2. Beat eggs, sour cream, vanilla together and add to flour mixture until dough forms.
3. Stir in chocolate.
4. Place dough on floured surface and knead until smooth. Place on baking sheet that has been greased.
5. Pat into large circle. Score top and make 'wedges'.
6. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until brown.
7. Cut into wedges.

"You Don't Make Friends with Salad..."

2008-07-20T21:22:00.003-03:00

Is the song my salad loving husband sings on a regular basis as he makes our garden salads...

Summer is the time for salads of all varieties and what better time to make them but for a BBQ! This weekend we had some friends over and I made a few. What's great is that they are really easy to make and nothing at all fancy but oh so yummy!

Here are the 'recipes' (if you can even really call them that):
Broccoli Salad (picture to come!)

1 head of broccoli

4 strips of bacon

about 1 cup shredded cheese

3/4 cup mayonaise

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbp vinegar

1) Chop broccoli in very fine pieces.

2) Cook and crumble bacon strips.

3) Shred cheese

4) Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar.

5) Combine all in bowl and refridgerate until serving...

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

450g spiral pasta

half of a tomato

half of a green pepper

half of a red pepper

6-8 sundried tomatoes (from bottle)

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3 tbsp powdered parmesan cheese

3/4 cup sundried tomato and oregano salad dressing

1) Cook pasta and drain. Let cool.
2) Cut up veggies into bite sized pieces.

3) Once the pasta has cooled, add vegetables, cheeses and dressing. Mix it all together.

I've Officially Gone B A N A N A S!!!!

2008-07-18T22:46:00.003-03:00

I have no good excuse. Except that eating and cooking haven't been at the top of my list very much lately..... I've got a junior version of my husband coming into the world in September and food (while I still eat it) hasn't been important to me (except for cake!).

After falling off of the wagon for sooooo long, I figured it's about time I try and get back on...even if it's not full force.
We've had a ton of bananas around lately as it seems that I really enjoy eating them. My husband has been really wanting banana loaf lately so I found a recipe I thought I'd like to try and "whipped" it up for him.

Banana Loaf

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup bananas (about 2 large or 3 small)

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup coconut

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas and eggs.

3) Blend into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix...but, be careful not to under mix either....

Baby's Been a Bad, Bad Girl...

2008-03-10T19:45:00.003-03:00

Please forgive me! I've been incredibly busy lately and also not feeling much like eating OR cooking anything exciting. But, I've been slowly getting back into the swing of things...
I love cheese. And I love sweet ANYTHING! So, when I found a recipe for a cheese stuffed chicken with a rather sweet sauce on it, I was instantly interested. So, without further ado, my first recipe back on the 'wagon'...

SMOKED-CHEDDAR-STUFFED CHICKEN WITH GREEN APPLE CHUTNEY
For the Chicken:
1/2 cup coarsely grated smoked cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (it's gotta be the fresh stuff)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup Scotch whisky
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
For the Green Apple Chutney:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Scotch whisky
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 very large Granny Smith apple, halved, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips (about 2 1/2 cups)
Directions:
1) Stir the cheese, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, cream cheese, and sage in small bowl to blend.
2) To stuff the chicken, either cut a 1 1/2 inch pocket in it or pound it thin.
3) Pack in 1/4 of stuffing and close with a couple of toothpicks.
4) Arrange chicken on small baking sheet.
5) Combine 1/4 cup maple syrup, whisky, brown sugar, and butter in small saucepan.
6) Whisk over medium heat until sauce comes to simmer and is blended. It should reduce slightly and the whisky will burn off.
7) Simmer apple ingredients until apples are just soft. Refrigerate.
8) Cook chicken at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes (until no longer pink).
9) Baste the chicken with the maple whisky sauce approximately every 7 minutes.
10) Serve with apple chutney, passing reserved sauce separately. Makes 4 servings.

Craaaaaazy Bakers!

2007-12-23T09:53:00.000-04:00

My mom and I got together to bake (or just make in some cases) a whole whack of Christmas treats. After a FULL day of it, sending my father out once for missing supplies, we ended up with quite a truckload of stuff! Here is a small sampling of some of the more interesting treats....

Chocolate Truffles with Almond Liquor (from Kraft)

2.5 pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of any liquor

1) Melt 8 squares of chocolate and beat in cream cheese. Add liquor and refridgerate until firm.

2) Spray hands with cooking spray and roll mixture into 1tsp size balls. At this point, I refridgerated again.

3) Melt remaining chocolate and dip truffles in. Store in the fridge.

makes about 30 truffles

Ritz Cracker Chocolate Mints (also from kraft)
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate squares

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

36 Ritz crackers

2-3 candy canes, crushed

1) Melt chocolate and add peppermint extract.

2) Dip crackers into chocolate and let excess drip off.

3) Sprinkle with candy cane and let harden. Store in the fridge.

Orgasmic Caramilk Fudge

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 can condensed milk

3/4 cup butter

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 caramilk bars

1) Microwave 1st 3 ingredients 8-9 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes

2) Add next 2 ingredients and mix with hand mixer for 4 minutes- Be VERY careful as it is really hot

3) Be quick for next step, as mix hardens- place 1/2 mixture into well greased 8x8 pan

4) Lay caramilk bars on mixture

5) Put the rest of mixture on top and smooth with spatula

Set aside 30 minutes

Pour Some Sugar On It...

2007-12-12T21:59:00.000-04:00

'Tis the season for pine trees, egg nog and beautiful packages. 'Tis also the season for sweet treats and baked goods. My mom and I usually try to get together before the holidays to make some of these yummy things. With so many recipes in cookbooks, magazines and online, it's hard to know where to start or what to choose! Our family doesn't actually stick with 'traditional' sweets as my mom has always enjoyed baking (she's an AMAZING baker even if she won't admit it) and we love everything!

Our local newspaper asked people to send in their favorite treats. I found one for ginger cookies that I thought sounded incredibly easy and had to try them. As always, I altered it somewhat to suit my tastes....

Ginger Sparklers

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour, plus extra if needed

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg (recipe called for cloves but I didn't have any)

2-4 tbsp white sugar

1) Mix dough. Add more flour if the mixture is not pliable.

2) Roll into one inch balls and roll in white sugar.

3) Place on cookie sheet, leaving a fair amount of room as cookies will spread.

4) Flatten down with fork.

5) Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 8 minutes or until golden but not too brown.

Mmmmmm, fresh gingery goodness! :)

How Cheesy!

2007-12-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

It's winter (no, really?) and it's now getting cold. I'm all about making those comfort food type things once the winter weather hits. Macaroni and Cheese is definitely one of those. Funny thing about it is that I never make it the same way twice. Guess that's what happens when you don't use a recipe.....

I'll at least post the basics.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 bag of any small pasta

2 tbsp margarine

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 container of 4 cheese blend

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs
Sounds super exciting right?

1) Cook the pasta- I hate crunchy noodles in my mac and cheese :)
2) Melt margarine in a pan and add the flour. Stir vigorously until it becomes a thick paste.

3) Add the milk and again stir well until it has thickened.

4) Add 3/4 of the cheese to the thick mixture to make cheese sauce.

5) Pour cooked noodles into a greased oven ready pan and stir in cheese sauce.

6) Add pepper, stir and then top with grated cheese and bread crumbs. I spray the top with a little cooking spray to brown crumbs.
7) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and then take the cover off to let it brown for about 5 minutes....

Oooo La La...Pasta!

2007-11-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

Saturday night was the perfect night for a pasta dish! It was a little bit chilly here and nothing warms me up like pasta!
I found this recipe in an old Kraft magazine and since the last one was pretty good I gave it a try. I added a few of my own things too....
Creamy Bow-Tie Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli
3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked
4 cups broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing (I used about 5 tbsp)
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 roasted red peppers, chopped finely (my add on)
2 cups tomato-basil spaghetti sauce (I used plain sauce and added 1/2 tsp basil, oregano, greek spice blend and chili pepper flakes)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook pasta as directed. Meanwhile, heat dressing in frying pan and add chicken. If chicken is extra thick, pound it thin first.
2. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes on each side.
3. When pasta is almost cooked (about 3 minutes left) add broccoli to the pot.
4. Remove chicken from pan and add about 2 tbsp more dressing and the roasted red peppers. Cook until heated through.
5. Add sauce and cream cheese to pan and stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Slice the chicken and add back to pan, stirring to coat.
7. Mix with pasta. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan before serving.

I'm going to send this one to Ruth at Once Upon a Feast for Presto Pasta Nights.... http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.ca/

Ratatouille, Ratatouille

2007-11-18T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to think ahead and make something that could be eaten some evening this week to save time. I had seen this recipe on a television show called "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" for a ratatouille type tart. It looked good and not too difficult. I'm trying (although not succeeding) to eat healthy since Christmas is fast approaching and the treats will be out in full force. This tart fit the bill (minus the cheese- which I added extra of) and tasted very flavourful. Here's the recipe with my adjustments highlighted:

Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart

Crust:

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal (I used 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour (I used 2/3 cup)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons water
Filling:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup) (didn't use since I don't like them)

Cooking spray

1/2 pound thinly sliced eggplant rounds (about 1/3 medium eggplant)

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds (about 8 ounces)

3 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly (killed mine by cooking too long and couldn't use)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (used marble cheese b/c that's what I had)

1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves (didn't have fresh so I used about 1/4 tsp dry)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup feta cheese (this was my own add on)

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse about 20 times, until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add water and pulse until mixture forms a loose dough. Remove dough from processor and press into bottom and about 1/8-inch up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable rim. Press aluminum foil into the bottom and sides of the pan on top of the dough and weigh down with uncooked rice or pie weights. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove rice and foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until no longer shiny and wet. Remove from oven and let cool.
For the filling:

Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat; saute shallots until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices on the trays in a single layer and brush with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast the vegetables until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables from oven and cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the eggplant slices in 2 layers on the bottom of tart; cover with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and some of the shredded basil. Add the zucchini and shallots, top with another 1/3 of the mozzarella and basil, then the tomatoes. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables have further wilted. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into 8 slices. Serve warm. (I added the feta with the other cheese in between and on top of the layers)

Stick to Your Ribs, Back Ribs

2007-11-12T15:47:00.000-04:00

I'm really really back! Everything feels great, and I'm soooo happy to be actually cooking again. On saturday, I made back ribs for dinner. I was out Christmas shopping (I know, I used that word) and so I started them in the slowcooker. I then transfered them to the oven for about a half hour just to carmelize them a little bit...They were very very good...I'll probably use the slowcooker every time now.

Here is the recipe:

Back Ribs

One large vacuum sealed package of pork back ribs (very precise, eh?)

1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp worchestshire sauce (can't say that word)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp molasses

1. Cook in slowcooker for at least 4 hours.

Sauce
1 cup ketchup

1 tsp worchestshire sauce

2 tsp vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp molasses

1. Remove ribs from slowcooker and place in single layer on baking sheet.

2. Bake for 30 minutes at 325, basting with sauce every 10 minutes.

I'm Sorry, So Sorry...

2007-10-30T13:55:00.000-03:00

I've been VERY ill this last couple of weeks so no blogging or cooking, or even grocery shopping for that matter! I'm better now so as soon as I grocery shop, I'll be blogging again!!

My New Favorite Fast One

2007-09-28T14:00:00.000-03:00

Last week, I received the latest issue of Kraft magazine. Usually, I thumb through it and throw it in a pile with all of the others. Many of the recipes seem odd to me with strange combinations. I mean really, how many KD recipes can one person have? This time I thought the cover photos looked yummy but I hadn't given it any more thought until a coworker said that she'd made it and loved it.

I made it this week and it was very tasty and super simple. Ready in 25 minutes for the husband who had to leave to go for class. I'll be making it again for certain. Here is the recipe wtih a few "tweaks" to suit us.

Quick Chicken Stir Fry
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken in bitesized pieces
about 2 cups broccoli
1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup Asian Sesame dressing from Kraft
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
about 2/3 box of angel hair pasta

1) Cook chicken for about 6 minutes or until browned.
2) All at the same time, steam broccoli, fry mushrooms and cook the pasta. Be careful as the pasta will cook in about 4 minutes.
3) Mix dressing, spices and soy to make sauce and pour about 2/3 of it on chicken.
4) Put all ingredients in a bowl with the remaining sauce and sprinkled with the peanuts.
Since I forgot to take a picture before we ate, here is what the leftovers for my lunch looked like....

I'm entering this one in the Presto Pasta Nights at Once Upon a Feast....You should come!!!!! http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com

Put a Little Junk in Your Trunk

2007-09-20T22:31:00.000-03:00

Friday at work is Cookie Friday. Each friday, someone takes a turn to bake or buy for the 35ish members of the cookie club. Well, this friday is my turn. I baked this evening for the occasion. Personally, I couldn't imagine buying my treat as it seems like a jip for my coworkers. My treat is double chocolate cookies. They are incredibily ooey gooey yummy. With all of that goodness of course comes calories- lots of calories actually- hence the junk in the trunk reference.
Who cares, it's friday right???? :)

Chocolate Drop Cookies

1/2 cup marg

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup lard

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 cup chocolate chip
1) Mix all ingredients together. Drop by tsp on a cookie sheet.

2) Bake for 350 8-9 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet.

My Addiction...

2007-09-19T22:03:00.000-03:00

I have a secret addiction that I need to share. Maybe, just maybe somebody else has it too! I am sooooo in love with recipes and I borrow 3, 4, 5 cookbooks from the library EVERY week! I read at least 10-12 per week!
Here is the pile I have at home right now...

I Eat Alone!

2007-09-14T08:47:00.000-03:00

The husband went out for wings and beer with some friends last night. Great, I thought- perfect night to have salmon since the husband detests it anyway! I had been wanting to try a recipe I found from Dave Lieberman which was for Chili Salmon with Mango-Cucumber Salsa. It was pretty simple (simple is a word I really really like) and tasted really unique and good....

Here is the recipe

Chili Salmon with Mango-Cucumber Salsa

4 filets of salmon

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp dried oregano

3 tbsp oil (i used waaaay less)

salt and pepper

Salsa:

1/2 English (hothouse) cucumber, finely diced
2 mangoes, flesh removed and finely diced

juice of one lemon
1/3 cup orange juice
1 small red onion, finely chopped (I HATE onion so I left it out)
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (left this one out too)
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 grinds fresh black pepper

1) Season salmon with salt and pepper and then coat with oil.

2) Mix the chili and oregano in a small bowl and rub all over salmon.

3) Let sit for a few hours. (Dave says 6 but I didn't have that much time)

4) Mix ingredients of salsa together.

5) Grill or fry salmon on both sides (I left mine on for about 4 minutes per side but you can go longer if you have to).

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2007-09-11T08:44:00.000-03:00

I was trying to be creative...I was also trying to give the husband his peanut butter fix....

This is what i made...
Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp vinegar

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1) Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl

2) Add oil and one cup of cold water
3) Stir with a fork.
4) Quickly stir in vinegar
5) Pour into an 8x8 baking dish that was sprayed with cooking spray.
6) Drop on counter to get rid of bubbles.
7) Bake at 375 for about 23 minutes.
8) Melt peanut butter in microwave and add chocolate chips, stirring contstantly to melt.

Mmmm Butter....

2007-09-06T13:35:00.000-03:00

I borrowed yet another cookbook from the library last week...it's called The Simpler the Better: Sensational Italian Meals. It's by Leslie Revsin. Last night I made a dish called Linguini with Butter, Parmesan Cheese, and Mushrooms and the book lived up to it's name as it was very simple. The husband enjoyed it very much....
Here is the recipe:
Linguini with Butter, Parmesan Cheese, and Mushrooms
1 package fresh linguini
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 lb mushrooms (button are fine)
1 clove garlic, crushed slightly

1) Boil well salted water for pasta, slice mushrooms very thin and heat 1 tbsp of butter in pan.
2) Add garlic clove to melted butter in pan until butter is fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes.
3) Drain pasta and add mushrooms to pasta, removing the garlic clove first.
4) Mix in butter and cheese.

A Moment on the Lips....

2007-08-28T13:29:00.000-03:00

In a weak moment last night, I decided to make the husband a treat. Ok, who am I kidding? I ate some too!

Butter Tart Squares

(courtesy of Modern Woman Family Favorites)

base:

1/2 cup softened margarine

1 cup flour

2 tbsp sugar

1) Press into 9-inch pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

filling:

1 1/2 cups b sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3 eggs

3 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2) Stir filling together while base bakes. Remove base from oven and pour filling over top.
3) Bake for another 20-25 minutes until filling is dark brown. It'll be jiggly but will firm up once it cools.

Eatin' Our Veggies!

2007-08-27T21:40:00.000-03:00

It was hot here this weekend. Today was no exception so out came the crockpot and several vegetables for this soup. It was easy to make and tasted quite good. The husband thought it needed meat but personally, I thought it was great the way it was...
Vegetable Soup
1 can tomato juice
3 cups beef broth
3 cups water
2 large carrots
3 average size potatos
1 zucchini
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can chickpeas
1 celery stalk
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1) Chop vegetables into bite sized pieces. Add spices, chickpeas, corn, broth, juice and water.
2) Cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours.

Finger Lickin' Chicken

2007-08-24T08:47:00.000-03:00

This is the absolute easiest yet most flavorful chicken EVER! EVER!!

Here's what I did:

1) Marinated the chicken in Sundried Tomato and Oregano salad dressing for about 1 1/2 hours.

2) BBQ'd chicken and basted one side during the last ten minutes. I flipped the basted side down and topped the other side with shredded cheese, basil and more dressing....That was it! Easy! Next time I'll probably add some fresh tomato but mine was looking a little old....

I Dream of Tortellini

2007-08-21T21:07:00.000-03:00

Every day, the husband asks me the very same question- "what are we having for supper?" And many days I have an answer but on the days I don't, I'm scrambling to figure out what quick and easy concoction I can muster up for that nights supper.
Tonight was a definite scrambler. Truth is, I hadn't even given eating a thought! Imagine! Me, one of the food obsessed and I forgot about supper!
Some fresh tortellini and a few other ingredients later and we had this easy, satisfying dinner.

Here is the recipe:
Balsamic Tortellini
1 pkg fresh cheese tortellini
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp red wine
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh parmesan
1) Cook bacon and chop or break into small pieces.
2) Remove bacon from pan, add half of the balsamic and add the mushrooms.
3) Once cooked add the bacon, remaining vinegar, red wine, chili flakes, parmesan and salt.
4) Add tortellini to pan and coat well.
Super easy and really great!!

Bangin On My Drumstick All Day!

2007-08-14T20:32:00.002-03:00

I love watching food television programs- dreaming and drooling over the wonderful creations. Last week, I was watching Everyday Italian (the show with Giada deLaurentis as the host) and she made these really good looking chicken drumsticks. Normally, I'm not a fan of the greasy, fatty little legs but the magic of the televised drumstick version drew me in.
I followed the recipe pretty much exactly...well, I added MUCH less garlic as I'm still getting used to cooking with it, and I used dried rosemary, not sprigs...
Here's the recipe:
Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, halved
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1) Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag.
2) Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar.
3) Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.
4) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
5) Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet.
6) Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.
7) Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).
8) Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.
9) Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter.
10) Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do......better?

2007-08-13T21:04:00.000-03:00

There hasn't been too much in the way of good home cooking or baking happening around here this last week. We've been too busy or lazy even to bother. I made some chocolate chip cookies one day but I didn't use a recipe so it's not something to post.
I did however receive a loaf of homemade bread from my new elderly neighbour.
The husband thought he'd died and went to heaven. I must admit myself that it was very good bread and it wasn't hard to tell that she'd had many years to perfect her craft. Eating this made me think, how hard could it really be to make a nice loaf of bread................?
I started searching online for a simple recipe to get me started. I found a basic white bread recipe that had few ingredients and thought I'd give it a shot (changing it to suit me as I have a hard time following a recipe exactly). The result?
I think I'll be making it again for sure!
Homemade White Bread
1/2 package yeast
1 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp melted margarine plus 1 tbsp for brushing bread
1) I followed the 'quick rise' method on the yeast package, using 1 cup of flour, the sugar and the salt.
2) After adding the hot water and stirring well, I added 2 tbsp of the margarine and stirred well.
3) I then slowly added the remaining flour.
4) Once the 2 1/2 cups of flour were in the mix, I started kneading the dough, adding flour where needed.
5) Eventually, a ball was formed and I let it rise covered, for about 30 minutes until it doubled in size.
6) I then kneaded the dough again, for about 3 minutes.
7) The dough was then left to rise again in a well greased loaf pan for another 30 minutes. At this point, the dough filled the bottom of the pan.
8) I brushed margarine on the top and baked it for 30 minutes in a 360 degree oven.

Did I Say I Don't Like Baking??

2007-08-05T15:57:00.000-03:00

This weekend we had a BBQ party to celebrate our new house. I wanted to make a dessert and I'm still on a blueberry kick so I called my mother for a recipe. I have no idea where she got it from, or if it even has a name...I just call it Blueberry Dessert.

Here's the recipe.....
Blueberry Dessert
For the crust:
1 cup margarine
4 cups graham crumbs
3 tbsp brown sugar
1) Save about 1/2 cup of mixture.
2) Press remaining amount into a 9x13 pan.
3) Bake for 5 minutes at 375.
For the filling:
1 pkg light cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 large container light cool whip
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups blueberries
1) Beat cream cheese until smooth.
2) Add sugar and beat again. Add remaining ingredients except blueberries and beat until it is very smooth.
3) Fold in blueberries.
4) Once the bottom has cooled, cover with blueberry mixture and top with the extra crumb mixture. Chill until serving.It was soooo good and super easy to make! Even my friend Dor who HATES cheese loved this one.....

I also decided to test out a brownie recipe I had been dreaming about for the Brownie Babes contest. Here is the link to the page at Once Upon a Tart: http://onceuponatart.blogspot.com/2007/07/who-is-gonna-be-next-browniebabe.html I wanted it to taste sort of like the Turtles candy. Let me just say this brownie turned out to be by far the most satisfying and yummy treat EVER!
My friends said "If this one doesn't get crowned winner, I'd really really really love to try the one that does!"
"Turtle" Brownies
In a square microwavable pan combine:
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
Mix well in the pan and microwave on high for 5 minutes if microwave has turntable or 3 minutes if it doesn't.
In a double broiler combine:
20 caramels
1/4 cup margarine
Let caramels and margarine melt down and mix well. Once it is plyable, pour over brownie base. Top with 1/3 cup of chopped pecans.
Melt 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, 3 tbsp margarine and add 2 tbsp cream. Mix until well combined and drizzle over caramel.
Let cool completely before cutting....

The photos just don't do these justice!

The Coffee Cake that wasn't.....

2007-08-03T13:47:00.001-03:00

So, this week I bought fresh blueberries. I thought I'd better use them to make SOME kind of blueberry treat and since I was home alone every night this week, I tried making a blueberry cake from a local cookbook called Maritime Flavours. I figured the husband would be home early enough that we could enjoy a piece of cake and cup of coffee...Not so much. He didn't get home until I was headed for bed and I had already had my cake with a glass of wine (better than the coffee actually).
While the cake tasted good, it didn't rise very well. I'm not much of a baker. Ok, actually I'm usually pretty good at it, I just don't like to bake. Actually, I like to bake but when I bake, I eat what I bake....Errrr...I'll stop now.
I think this weekend I'll try my hand at another blueberry creation...See? A true hater....

One Mighty Meaty Supper

2007-08-01T08:39:00.000-03:00

It's been super hot here lately. NO, I'm definitely NOT complaining...After days and days of cool weather and rain, I've welcomed the heat with open arms. The key is, to spend as much time outside as possible and avoid using the oven at all costs.
This week, I decided to use the crockpot. Monday night I pulled a package with 2 pork tenderloin out of the freezer. Yesterday morning, I popped them along with all kinds of stuff, into the crockpot.
The result was shredded pork tenderloin perfect for topping toasted rolls for supper....

Shredded Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloin one bottle of BBQ sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp pepper flakes
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1) Remove silver skin from tenderloin.
2) Put tenderloin in crockpot on low temperature.
3) Sprinkle meat with seasonings
4) Mix all wet ingredients and pour over tenderloin.
5) Let cook on low heat for 7-9 hours.
* My crockpot is fairly large so I also added about 1 1/2 cups of water to keep it from burning.

Totally EASY macaroni salad...Mmmmm

2007-07-31T13:20:00.000-03:00

My husband worked on Sunday so I couldn't get groceries. Knowing we would need lunch for Monday (and today b/c it made that much), I made this salad. It's super easy to make and would make a great addition to a potluck...

Here is the recipe:
Macaroni Salad

3 cups macaroni
1 ripe tomato, diced
½ cup green pepper, diced
Sauce:
¼ tsp pepper
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
½ tsp salt
Pinch paprika
½ cup oil
¼ cup vinegar
1) Cook macaroni.
2) Mix all ingredients of sauce in small bowl.
3) Mix everything together. (yep, it really is THAT simple...what more can i say??) :)

I'm super excited because I'm entering this one in Presto Pasta Nights at http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com
LOVE that place! And the husband thinks I'm nuts...blog, blog blog

Childhood memories are sweet

2007-07-30T22:08:00.000-03:00

All of my extended family lives in Cape Breton. My parents moved my brother and I to the 'big' city when I was seven. We'd make the 5 hour drive to visit the rest of the family on a fairly regular basis then and sometimes I'd even get to spend a week or two there on my own.
Grandmother would get up early and make us grandkids homemade pancakes from her very own recipe. Her old cast iron frying pan would be sizzling with butter before she'd spoon in her thick batter. The small, crispy disks were the perfect size for small mouths and were loaded up with thick cornsyrup.
Now, whenever I need a taste of home, I dig out the old recipe that my wonderful grandmother used for so long and whip up a batch. Will they ever be as good as hers? Maybe someday but for now, they are just the sweet reminder of a lovely grandmother and her Cape Breton kitchen.
"Ma's" Pancakes
1 1/3 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp vanilla
1) Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2) Beat egg, add milk and vanilla.
3) Flip when bubbles appear.

This past saturday morning, I used the last of the local strawberries in my pancakes....

Joined the Foodie Blogroll!

2007-07-27T13:39:00.000-03:00

There's a cool link on the left side of the page. It'll take you to tons of great food blogs. You should check it out!

I'm a Blogging Chick!!

2007-07-24T13:43:00.000-03:00

I love to cook, love to eat, love to talk....this IS the perfect outlet for all of that!

On Sunday it was warm and sunny and seemed to me like the perfect night to try a roasted tomato recipe that I had been thinking about for weeks....

My hubby and I purchased a new digital camera a couple of weekends ago so I thought I'd try it out on our supper. The verdict? No food photography award headed my way yet!!

After the tomatoes, (which by the way tasted really yummy although NOT something I would recommend making on a hot day since the oven had to be turned on) we had a summery Lemon Zucchini Pasta. It also tasted pretty good but I'll definitely be turning up the flavor the next time I make it! Again, my photography wasn't super....