Anya Cooks!

New home

2010-01-19T06:51:00.001-06:00

Well I've moved!

That's right Anya Cooks! now has her own domain!

http://kskitchenonline.com

I am not deleting this blog but I hope you'll come visit me in the new kitchen!

New Blog Site

2010-01-15T11:16:00.001-06:00

I am debating on moving my site to wordpress. Anyone have any thoughts about them? Good, bad, indifferent?

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-12T17:42:00.004-06:00

YUM! Really yum! This was such a tasty recipe. I am utterly delighted! I was going to bring my parents some but I think I will just make them their own. I think they'll enjoy it immensely (especially if I add the peas that I omitted because we dont like peas in this house). It had the wonderful thick sauce that I love and a nice crispy crust. I think I might add a bit more flour next time just to get it a tad bit thicker and hopefully it will hold together a bit better.

I think this one is a keeper!

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted slightly from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas (I omitted these because neither of us are big fans of peas)
1/2 cup sliced celery (These were omitted because I thought I had celery and didnt.)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
32 oz. carton chicken broth for boiling(reserve 1 3/4 cups chicken broth for sauce)
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I used one in a tin for the bottom crust and a rollout crust for the top)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a pot, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add the carton of chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (reserving 1 3/4 cup chicken broth for filling) and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and combine with the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery mixture. Here you can add more chicken broth if you like depending how runny you want your filling.

Place the chicken filling in bottom crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ten in 10: Ten Weeks to Healthy in 2010

2010-01-11T09:29:00.002-06:00

I am going to participating in the Ten in 10: Ten Weeks to Healthy in 2010 challenge hosted by recipegirl! I am deadset to get healthy this year if it kills me. haha. Anyway, yea more healthy! My primary goal is to be more healthy in general. This includes eating less red meat and definitely less fast food! Today I signed back up for sparkpeople and also joined "The Biggest Winner" challenge we have going at work. My buddy Lester is going to do it with me so that helps. Wish I had someone that lived near me though to go walk with. Ah well. I'll get a dog and she'll walk with me!!

Wish me luck, gang! This is gonna be a long journey!

I am back!!!

2010-01-05T06:53:00.005-06:00

Hello, my lovelies!! Are any of you still out there after my long absense? It has been so long since I have posted and I am sorry for that!

I have good news and then more good news! Which would you like first? The good news? Ok great!

We closed on our house and have been moved in since 11.17.09! It has been extremely hectic and busy with moving and the holidays so I havent really had much time to think much less focus on my cooking and blogging as I'd like. But I am back and the other good news is that I have a yummy recipe for you as well!!

Before I get to the recipe though I have more to share! Thanksgiving was *not* what I would say was a good food thanksgiving. It was good but mostly not homemade. We had just moved in and I couldnt find most of my pots and pans so we bought 99% of the food. I announced at dinner that I would be making a "from scratch" Christmas dinner and that was that.

Christmas dinner was wonderful! I was so pleased with how everything turned out. Fortunately Ethan was there to help me or I might have gone insane...well more insane! We had turkey, ham, cornbread sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, garlic cheese grits, deviled eggs, brussell sprouts, corn casserole, spinach dip with homemade pita chips, sausage balls (that I forgot to put out!!), watergate salad, peanut butter pie, yule cake, and banana pudding. Oh and of course a huge relish tray to nibble on while I was still cooking.

Everyone said it was wonderful and that made me very happy. We had snow for Christmas too which was good and bad. Great to have a white Christmas (the first in DFW since 1926, I hear) but bad because my parents couldnt make it to dinner. We sent them lots of leftovers though.

Ok so I've rambled enough. Time for food. I wanted to attempt a yule log because they always look so darn festive. I found a recipe that looked like it would be a great beginner recipe and ran with it. Other then the cake breaking into 3 sections when I unrolled it from the towel it was great! I almost cried when it broke but Ethan cheered me on and said I could fix it and no one would even know. He was almost right. heh.

Chocolate Cake Roll
Recipe from Kraft

6 squares semi-sweet chocolate, divided
6 Tbsp. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour, divided
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
3 cups thawed whipped topping, divided

HEAT oven to 350°F.

SPRAY 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper; spray with additional cooking spray.

MICROWAVE 3 chocolate squares and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on High 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Beat eggs in large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 min. or until thickened. Blend in chocolate mixture. Add 1/4 cup flour and baking soda; beat just until blended. Add remaining flour alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

BAKE 15 min. or until top of cake springs back when touched; sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Immediately invert cake onto clean towel; remove pan. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one short side, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on wire rack.

BEAT cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar in medium bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP.

UNROLL cake carefully; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture onto cake, completely covering top of cake. Roll up cake; place, seam-side down, on platter.

MICROWAVE remaining chocolate and remaining COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Cool 2 min.; spread onto cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Hiatus

2009-07-26T18:53:00.002-05:00

Ok gang. If you havent noticed I havent posted in awhile. I'm super busy with tons of OT at work and trying to purchase a house so I havent had anytime for anything but that.

I will be back though so dont give up on me! My goal is to be back by September 1st.

Mwah!
Anya

Coconut Delights

2009-06-21T19:48:00.002-05:00

Cookies are soooo bad for me especially ones that have sweetened condensed milk. These little cookie bars were so decandent and yummy! mmMm. I brought some to work for Darlene and Patty (my official taste testers) and they were scarfed down before I could blink!

Coconut Delights

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a small bowl and mix well. Lightly butter 13x9 inch pan. Press mixture firmly into bottom of pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk over crumb mix then top with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Next sprinkle coconut and pecans over the top.

Bake 25 minutes or until browned lightly. Cut into bars once cooled.

Lemon Bars

2009-06-14T00:09:00.006-05:00

My gosh I love lemon! My mom used to tell the story about when I was little and we went out to eat they would have me in my high chair with a plate full of lemons and I was happy as can be. I still love lemons!

Today I made Lemon Bars and they are sooo good I want to devour the whole pan! I'm not going to though. I'm going to take some to work and munch the rest! heh.

Another happy thing is that I have a new camera!! My dear friend Dawn over at Eat, Play, Live, got a new camera and was kind enough to give me her old one since I have been having such camera drama lately. Thank you, Dawny!! (Now I just have to learn how to take good pics! *LOL*)

Anyway, on to the yumminess! I found this recipe via Bakerella who always has the best darn treats on her site! Be sure to check her out and I guarantee you are going to get a massive sugar craving.

Lemon Bars

Found via Bakerella

Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan.

To make crust:

* In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
* Cut in butter until combined and crumbly. (I got to use my new pastry blender! YAY!)
* Press mixture into bottom of pan.
* Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:

* While crust is baking, prepare topping.
* In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
* Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
* Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
* Bake for 20-25 minutes.
* When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate.
* Cut into bars and enjoy them cold! (I had one warm and it was delish!)

Pace Picante Sauce Giveaway

2009-06-07T20:02:00.002-05:00

There is a great giveaway going on over at $5 Dollar Dinners y'all should all check out!

5 jars of their speciality salsa! *drool*

Rush on over and get that entry in! The deadline is Wednesday, June 10th at 5 pm EST.

$5 Dollar Dinners

Spotlight Sunday!

2009-06-07T16:38:00.004-05:00

I've decided that on the first Sunday of each month I am going to spotlight a food blogger that I admire. My first spotlight is shining on Michelle over at Big Black Dog. She may have only had her blog for a bit over a year but she's got food blogging down. The format is clean and easy to follow and not cluttered with a million different ads. The recipes are...well the recipes are all so wonderful I dont know where to begin.

I had a few questions that Michelle was kind enough to answer!

1. How long have you been cooking/baking?

I’ve been baking for at least 30 years now but cooking is rather new for me. I never really enjoyed cooking until we finished our 2 ½ year renovation project and my new kitchen was completely finished. I always say I’m a baker not a cook. Now that I am experimenting with cooking I really do look forward to it every day.

2. Why did you start a food blog? I started my food blog in February 2008, so it’s relatively young. I’m a Rottweiler owner and my blog, Big Black Dog, was actually supposed to be about my dogs. But I started posting a few recipes and well, my blog sort of took on a life of it’s own from there!

3. Do you have any tips for newcomers to food blogging?

One of the reasons people have a blog is to share something they love to do. But it’s difficult to get people to visit your blog so it’s up to you to do a bit of marketing and why not have some fun in the process.

And one of the best ways to market your blog is to enter some of the food blogging events that are available. Some are monthly events like Sugar High Friday, My Legume Love Affair, Bread Baking Day, Grow Your Own. And then there are weekly events like Presto Pasta Nights, Weekend Herb Blogging, Bookmarked Recipes. And then there’s some once a year events like Pi Day which is great fun. I belong to 2 weekly events Whisk Wednesdays, http://www.whiskblog.com/2008/01/join-me.html, and Tyler Florence Fridays, http://tylerflorencefridays.blogspot.com, and I thoroughly enjoy both of them. You can find many events listed on the blog, Is my Blog Burning http://ismyblogburning.com/food-blogging-events.

But then there are other aspects of dining that many times are over looked by food bloggers. Wine, cocktails and presentation are very important. I just started learning about wine and am fortunate to have a wonderful local wine store, Discount Wine Center, that is more then willing to coach me. I can even contact them via e-mail or twitter, quote my recipe and they will recommend a wine for my dinner that evening. And ten minutes later I’m at the store purchasing my wine. It’s so much fun.

Also I try to enter Tablescapes Thursday hosted by Susan of Between Naps on the Porch, http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com. I’ve only been participating in Tablescapes Thursday for 2 months now but it is great fun and I’m learning quite a bit just visiting the other blogs and studying their entries for the week.

Mixology Monday. http://mixologymonday.com, is a monthly cocktail party and open to anyone that wants to mix up a new cocktail or two. I thoroughly enjoy reading the Mixology blogs and have learned so much about making syrups and other concoctions. I wish I had more time to devote to experimenting with beverages!

4. What's always in your fridge?

Some items that are always in stock are oranges, lemons, parsnips, radishes, green onions, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, Dijon mustard, anchovy paste, light cream/heavy cream, Kefir, sourdough starter and of course lots of butter. I usually keep at least 6-8 lbs of butter at any given time. And I always have 2-4 dozen eggs. Our cheese drawer is out of control and has been this way since I can remember. My husband and I both love cheese and our cheese selection over-floweth at our house.

5. Any funny (and/or embarrassing) cooking disasters you'd like to share?

Oh my, more then I could ever list here. I’ve made many mistakes and had some doozy disasters. Bread that never rose to just last week I had bagels that were rising to the point they were like 6” mini pizzas instead of bagels. Oh they were huge! Tasted great but they sure did not look like bagels.

Just last summer I was trying a new chocolate frosting out and I don’t know what happened but I had chocolate frosting everywhere. Frosting was up and down both my arms and there was even frosting on the dog’s head. I am a very neat cook. I measure everything out in prep bowls and line it all up. So for me to have a mess in my kitchen was highly unusual and very frustrating for me. There was so much frosting on just me that finally I put everything I could in the dishwasher, changed clothes and called it a day.

Be sure you check out her blog at Big Black Dog!

Perfection Pound Cake

2009-05-24T22:21:00.003-05:00

I actually squee'd when I was at the library the other day and saw they had "Baking from my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan. As soon as I saw it I snatched it (well as much as you can snatch this large heavy book) off the shelf and new I was going to be doing some baking! My gosh this book has some heavenly recipes. I'll be buying my own copy at Border's very soon hopefully!

I've been craving pound cake so I flipped through and found her recipe for "Perfection Pound Cake" and it was exactly that. Perfection. I cut it into slices and brought some to work because I definitely would eat the whole thing if left at home. That would be a bad bad thing!

Perfection Pound Cake

from Baking from My Home to Yours pg 222

2 cups all purpose flour or 2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: I am not posting the entire ingredient out of respect for Ms Greenspan's hard work on her cookbook. Since I dont even own a copy of the book yet it wouldnt be right for me to post her recipes for free.

Menu Planning Monday! 5.25.09 to 5.31.09

2009-05-24T21:39:00.001-05:00

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

I have been quite a slacker when it comes to menu planning lately. I am going to try my best to rectify that! So here we go again!

Monday:
Baked Herb Chicken
Rice

Tuesday:
Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Fries

Wednesday:
Pancakes

Thursday:
Papas con Juevos

Friday:
Spaghetti w/Sausage Sauce

Saturday:
Ham & Potato Casserole (Sandra Lee Mag pg 35)

Sunday:
Pot Roast

Baking:
Allspice Crumb Muffins
Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

"Healthified" Mexican Pasta Skillet

2009-05-22T21:32:00.002-05:00

I'm actually blogging about dinner soon after dinner and not days after. Go me! Tonights dinner was quite easy and very good. I have decided that I need to get medium salsa for recipes and just keep my hot for chips and such. Maybe I'm getting to old for "hot" salsa. *LOL* I found this recipe via Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie's menu last week. This is a great recipe for work nights it was so quick and easy.

"Healthified" Mexican Pasta Skillet

Found and adapted from Eat Better America

1 lb extra-lean (at least 93%) ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 jar (16 oz) Muir Glen® organic mild salsa (I used Pace Hot Picante Sauce and I think next time I will use med or even mild.)
1 cup Muir Glen® organic tomato sauce (from 15-oz can)
1 1/2 cups water (I actually used 2 1/2 cups water and it came out perfectly)
2 cups uncooked regular or multigrain elbow macaroni
1 cup Green Giant® Niblets® frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender.

Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information (info is calculated with beef instead of turkey)
1 Serving: Calories 370 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 650mg; Total Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g); Protein 25g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 8%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 3 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 2 oz-equivalents Grains, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Sausage Stuffed Shells

2009-05-21T01:28:00.000-05:00

This recipe was messy but a lot of fun to make. It was the first time I'd worked with stuffing pasta smallish shells and anyone watching me would have giggled their butts off. It really is a simple dish with lots of yummy flavor! My version was uberhot but we like it kickin' around here! ;)

Sausage Stuffed Shells

12-18 large pasta shells, cooked
1 lb ground italian sausage, skins removed (I used spicy italian sausage)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided (I used Pace HOT)
1 cup grated cheese, divided
28 oz tomato sauce
chili powder, to taste
green onion, for garnish

1. Brown sausage and drain.

2. Add seasoning, water, onion, and 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Mix together remaining salsa, tomato sauce,and chili powder.

4. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan.

5. Fill each shell with the sausage mixture and place in pan.

6. Pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese on top and garnish with green onion.

7. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-05-17T23:57:00.002-05:00

Ok so I really love Paula Deen. She's my idol. I've mentioned this more then once. Her food is definitely not great for any kind of low cal or low fat diet but my gosh it's good. I grabbed this recipe from her cookbook "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" and we liked it so much it's going in the "Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal" (that's where the recipes I really like are going!) The Hermit even liked it and he's not a chicken fan!

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (approx 5 to 7 oz each)
One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning (see below)
4 slices bacon
1 leek (optional) (I left this out)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Wash and pound each chicken breast flat. Lay chicken breast on cookie sheet or large platter and spread it with cream cheese, followed by a quarter of the feta cheese.

Mix together basil, oregano, and House Seasoning and sprinkle over chicken.

Roll up each breast and wrap with a slice of bacon. At this time, if desired, you can tie up each rolled chicken breast with the green top of a leek. Cut the green top off the vegetable, leaving it long enough to tie around the breast and allowing a couple of extra inches for a knot.

Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour melted butter over all. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover dish and increase temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake, allowing the bacon to brown, for 15 to 20 minutes. Or you could place dish under broiler for a few minutes to brown. Serve over rice, with pan juices poured on top.

Scottish Shortbread

2009-05-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Scottish Shortbread

INGREDIENTS

2 cups butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and brown sugar. Add 3 to 3 3/4 cups flour. Mix well.
3. Spread on well greased cookie sheet. Prick all over with fork.
4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cut into small strips.

Monkey Bread

2009-05-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Monkey Bread

INGREDIENTS
3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Garlic Cheese Flatbread

2009-05-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Garlic Cheese Flatbread

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a cup or small bowl, sprinkle yeast over the surface of the lukewarm water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture along with the olive oil. Beat with a sturdy spoon until dough is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and set aside until doubled in size, about 35 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a floured surface. Roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness or to the size of your baking sheet. Place on a greased baking sheet and spread butter over the top. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Serve warm.

Kolaches

2009-05-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Kolaches

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups warm milk
1 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves

DIRECTIONS
Pour warm milk over yeast, and let dissolve. Then add sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, egg yolks, and flour. Stir until well combined. Remove dough to a well oiled bowl, and turn once to coat the surface. Cover, and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Dish out dough with a tablespoon, and roll into balls. Brush each with shortening, and let rise until doubled in bulk.
Flatten the balls, and make a depression in the centers. Fill with fruit preserves. Allow to rise.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

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

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Roll into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Press center of each ball with thumb. Place a cherry in indentation.
In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
Bake for 10 minutes.

Coconut Cream Pound Cakes w/Vanilla Coconut Frosting and Chocolate Glaze

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

I altered this recipe slightly from allrecipes.com - My changes will be in red at the end.

Coconut Cream Pound Cakes w/Vanilla Coconut Frosting and Chocolate Glaze

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Blend in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the coconut extract. Mix in flour and baking powder until just moistened, then stir in coconut. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

I used 2 loaf pans instead of a tube pan. Additionally it needed to be cooked about 20 minutes longer then the 1 hr 20 min which I am assuming is because I used loaf pans instead of the tube pan. I frosted one with a mixture of vanilla frosting and coconut. The 2nd I "frosted" with

Satiny Chocolate Glaze

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.
Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-05-05T17:00:00.001-05:00

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

2009-05-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I actually just do more of a palm toss)
1 teaspoon nutmeg (I actually just do more of a palm toss)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and coconut extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (or until lightly golden) in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 36 cookies

Doodle-Bugs

2009-05-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

I found a cute little website that is apparently run by a woman who lives in a shack in backwoods VA. Hey that's what the website says! Anyway, I'm trying out some of her recipes just for something different.

Hillbilly Housewife - Originating website

Doodle-Bugs

1 cup instant potato flakes
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
fat for frying (I just used regular vegetable oil)

In a large bowl combine the instant potatoes and the boiling water. The potatoes will swell up and absorb the water. Add the oil and salt. Stir until well combined. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir the mixture making a soft dough. Allow it to cool slightly, so it won’t burn you when you make patties out of it.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Oil it lightly, so the Doodle-Bugs won’t stick when you cook ‘em. Shape the cooled potato mixture into patties about 3 inches wide, and 1/2 an inch thick. Place them on the hot skillet and let them cook until they are well browned on the underside. Flip the Doodle-Bugs and brown the remaining side. This recipe makes about 10 or 12 Doodle-Bugs.

I don’t know exactly where this recipe got it’s name, but it is an old Southern favorite. Originally Doodle-Bugs were made with freshly cooked potatoes, or leftover mashed potatoes. I have altered the recipe to use instant potato flakes. These are best served with very spicy main dishes, especially those including cooked beans or lentils. Doodle-Bugs are filling. With a tall glass of milk or soy milk and a little butter or margarine, they make a good hearty snack for hungry children coming in from the yard after an afternoon of hard play.

These were, of course, a breeze to make but they are surprisingly good!

Donut Muffins

2009-05-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Donut Muffins

Recipe from Hillbilly Housewife

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, mixed with: 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup melted margarine

In a mixing bowl mash together the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and whisk it all up until it is smooth. Make sure you use shortening, Not Margarine. The shortening gives this recipe it's special texture. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into the bowl. Pour in the milk. Mix the batter with a whisk until it is smooth. Drop the mixture into 12 oiled muffin cups. Make sure not to over fill the muffin cups, 1/2 to 2/3 full is full enough. Bake the muffins at 350° for 25 minutes, or until the muffins are brown on top. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Take the muffins out of the pan. When they are cool enough to handle, dip the tops of the muffins into the melted margarine. Then dip them into the powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture. Arrange the prepared muffins on a large plate and serve while still warm. Makes a dozen. Very good for breakfast and after school or midnight snacks.

This recipe is very very old, at least 80 years old. It was created by a cook with leftover donut batter who didn't have time to deep fry them. She added a little milk to make the batter thinner, and cooked it in muffin cups instead of deep frying it. The nutmeg is the secret ingredients which gives these muffins their special old fashioned donut flavor. Necessity is the mother of invention, and bless the cook who invented these. My family is grateful.

These were very easy to make and would be good using jam instead of a powdered sugar top.

Easy Chocolate Covered Coconut Macaroons

2009-05-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

I needed to bake this morning because it's just going to be one of those heavy emo days and found this recipe on allrecipes.com - gosh I love that site.

Easy Chocolate Covered Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

* 10 cups flaked coconut
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
* 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut, flour and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until everything is well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 10 in the preheated oven, until coconut is sufficiently toasted. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
4. In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate chips , stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate and scrape off excess onto the side of the bowl. Place onto waxed paper until set.

Only changes I made to the recipe was to leave out the milk and reduced baking time to 10 minutes due to comments that reviewers left. The cookies turned out very well.

Food Blogging Ethics

2009-04-30T19:49:00.003-05:00

Ok question. I tried tweeting about this but 140 characters isnt enough space! *LOL*

If you are a food blogger, how do you feel about someone using one of your recipes and then posting about it in their own blog. I ask because I do this and never thought about it because I never use their pics and always link back to the originating blog. I try to make sure to give full credit for the recipes I use and post.

Your thoughts?

Pretzel Turtles

2009-04-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

Pretzel Turtles

INGREDIENTS
20 small mini pretzels
20 chocolate covered caramel candies (I used Rolos)
20 pecan halves

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. these take a LONG time to cool completely and set. Keep that in mind.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

2009-04-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Black Bottom Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, oil and water until blended. Stir in the vinegar and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with chocolate batter, then top with a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until done.

Island Bread Pudding

2009-04-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Island Bread Pudding

1 pound Hawaiian Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (recommended: King's)
1 cup pineapple chunks (recommended: Dole)
1 (7-ounce) bag dried tropical fruit trio (recommended: Sun Maid)
1 (12-ounce) can coconut milk (recommended: Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup dark rum (recommended: Myers's)
1 cup pineapple-coconut nectar (recommended: Kern's)
1 cup brown sugar (recommended: C and H)
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Spray the inside of a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, pineapple, and dried tropical mix.

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, rum, nectar, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and salt. Pour over bread mixture. Stir until well combined and bread is saturated.

Transfer to slow cooker. Dot with butter. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Island Chicken

2009-04-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Island Chicken

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/4 teaspoons salt-free Jamaican jerk seasoning, divided (recommended: The Spice Hunter)
Salt
1 (20-ounce) can no-sugar added pineapple slices, in juice with juice reserved (recommended: Dole)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat grill or cast iron grill pan to medium-high heat.

Remove any excess fat from chicken and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Use a pastry brush to brush with olive oil and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons jerk seasoning and salt, if desired. Set aside.

Drain pineapple slices and reserve juice. Season both sides of pineapple slices with 1/2 teaspoon of jerk seasoning; set aside.

In small saucepan, bring reserved pineapple juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon jerk seasoning, and brown sugar to a boil over high heat. Reduce liquid by 1/2, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Just before grilling, oil grate. Place chicken breasts on grate and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove to platter and tent with foil.

Place pineapple slices on grate and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until grill marks appear and pineapple is heated through.

Serve chicken breasts with pineapple slices and warm sauce.

NOTE: Chicken may also be broiled 4 to 6 inches from heat source for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Broil pineapple 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes & Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2009-04-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

Recipe originally found here

These were fun to make but way way too sweet for my liking. I think next time I make them I'll leave off the glaze and just use the buttercream frosting or maybe just use a teeny bit of the glaze.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients

1 cup root beer schnapps
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned style root beer (like A&W or Dads)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Root Beer Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup root beer
3 Tbs. root beer schnapps*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil

*for a more kid friendly version, replace schnapps with more root beer

You will also need some extra root beer schnapps (1 Tbs. per cupcake)
Or for the kiddies use root beer (again 1 Tbs. per cupcake)
You will also need some basic Vanilla buttercream ( there are many recipes online to try J)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, mix together root beer schnapps, root beer, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, mix until smooth
5. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Mix with hand mixer on low, while slowly pouring in root beer mixture.
7. Mix until smooth and lump free.
8. Pour into lined cupcake pan. (Use foil cupcake liners to avoid "leakage" later.) Fill nearly to the top, you may think its over-filled, but it puffs up perfectly this way. Don't be tempted to use more than 24 cupcake cups... trust me. Smiling
9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until golden brown and cake springs back when touched.
10. While cupcakes are baking, prepare your butter cream and root beer glaze. For glaze, put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wisk until smooth and lump free.
11. To assemble, start by letting cupcakes cool, still in the pan.
12. While still slightly warm, pour 1 Tbs. of root beer schnapps over each cupcake. Pour on slowly to allow schnapps ( or regular root beer for the kiddies) to soak in.
13. Once the schnapps has soaked in and let sit for a few minutes, pour a couple tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake.
14. When the glaze sets up a bit and isn't too runny, put a "scoop" of buttercream atop each. For an added touch, you can even place a root beer barrel candy on each one.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup sugar
* 1/3 cup water
* 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
* 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add a small amount of hot mixture to egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes longer or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, cream butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in cooked sugar mixture. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. If necessary, refrigerate until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Store in the refrigerator.

Anya's Spaghetti Sauce

2009-04-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

I made a huge portion of this so I could freeze a batch so you can definitely half this if you dont need as much. Also I didnt really measure anything and just went by taste.

Anya's Spaghetti Sauce

Green Bell Pepper, chopped
Onion, chopped
2 lbs ground beef
Italian Seasoning (next time I'm using individual herbs because the seasoning I have has just a tad bit too much rosemary in it for my tastes)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 15 oz can tomato sauce
garlic powder

1. Brown ground beef with onion and bell pepper. Drain.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Per The Hermit this sauce is even better reheated. Go figure. ;)

Adopt a Blogger Round #3!

2009-04-25T01:19:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to be participating in this round of Adopt a Blogger as a mentor! If you arent familiar with the Adopt a Blogger event then head on over to Dine and Dish and get all the details. Essentially Kristen over at Dine and Dish came up with the fab idea to pair older food bloggers (er...food blogs that are older!) with younger food blogs for 3 months. What a fantastic idea!

My mentoree is Thyme for Nourishment which is a beautiful blog run by a woman named Debbie. I am looking forward to exploring all of the yumminess she has shared so far and possibly collaborating on some things with her! Heck I've already found a couple of her recipes I want to try and I'm only on her first page! Be sure to go check out her blog and say hi!

Pfeffernuesse

2009-04-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Pfeffernuesse

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 dash ground black pepper
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine molasses and butter. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. When the mixture has cooled, beat in the eggs. Blend the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. While cookies are still warm, toss them in a bag with confectioners' sugar and toss to coat. When cool, toss with sugar again.

German Potato Salad

2009-04-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

German Potato Salad

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons dried parsley
ground black pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peeled and cut potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Add onions.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Gently stir in the potatoes and onion. Let stand for 1 hour before serving to enhance flavors.

Bavarian Liverwurst Dip

2009-04-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Bavarian Liverwurst Dip

1 cup liverwurst
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white onions, minced
1 teaspoon dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1. Blend the liverwurst and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
2. Add all the other ingredients, blending well.
3. May be served at room temperature or chilled.
4. SUGGESTED DIPPERS: Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Radishes, Asparagus, Cocktail Rye Bread, Lavasch Crackers

Butter Chunk Cinnamon Rolls

2009-04-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Butter Chunk Cinnamon Rolls

1/4 c cold butter
2.5 c Bisquick
1/2 c milk
1 egg
2 T soft butter
3 T sugar
1.5 t ground cinnamon
Glaze (recipe below)

Heat oven to 425.

Grease square pan 8x8x2.

Cut cold butter into 1/4 inch cubes. Toss bisquick and cubes until coated. Beat milk and egg, stir into butter mixture.

Turn dough onto cloth-coveredboard, generously dusted with baking mix; roll to coat. Fold and knead 10 times, roll into rectangle. 15x8. Spread with soft butter.

Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up tightly, beginning at 15" side. Pinch edge into roll. Cut into 12 slices with sharp knife. Place cut sides down in pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 min; cool 15 min. Drizzle with Glaze. Makes 12 rolls.

Glaze

Mix 1 c powdered sugar and about 1 T milk until smooth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

2009-04-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking
soda and salt.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the
butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until
just combined.

Add the flour mixture, walnuts and chocolate
chips, then beat on low speed until just blended.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on
an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes,
or until golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Super Easy Chicken

2009-04-19T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Super Easy Chicken

4 frozen chicken breast halves
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix
1 c chicken stock

Place chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle with dressing mix. Pour stock over chicken.

Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hrs.

Cream Cheese Poundcake

2009-04-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Cream Cheese Poundcake

1.5 c butter, softened
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3 c sugar
6 lg eggs
3 c all purpose flour
1/8 t salt
1 T vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan.

Bake at 300 for 1 hr and 40 min or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Chili in a Biscuit Bowl

2009-04-17T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

Chili in a Biscuit Bowl

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups biscuit baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting the work surface
1 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Toppings:
Shredded sharp Cheddar
Sour cream
Sliced green onions (white and green parts)
Corn chips

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Invert a muffin tin and spray the underside with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Stir together the baking mix, milk, and cayenne. Shape into a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Divide the ball into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place a dough circle over the back of each muffin cup. Press around the cup to form a bowl shape. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Remove the biscuit bowls and reserve.

Brown the ground chuck over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and green pepper and continue to cook until the meat is completely browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain off any fat and discard. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, chili powder, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 35 minutes.

When ready to serve, spoon the hot chili into the biscuit bowls. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, and corn chips.

Banana Caramel Spice Pie

2009-04-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am moving over some posts I'd made back when my cooking blog was on livejournal. Unfortunately I wasnt the best at crediting back then so if you recognize a recipe as your creation please please please let me know so I can give appropriate credit!

1 large ripe banana, sliced (I actually used two. One for the bottom of the pie and one to decorate the top)
1 Keebler Ready Crust Shortbread Pie Crust (I just used the standard pie crust I had in the freezer already)
2 c cold milk
2 pkg (4 serving size) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
Caramel dessert topping

Place banana sliced in bottom of crust.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes and cinnamon. Beat with wire whisk 1 minute. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 4 hrs until set. Serve with caramel topping.

Makes 8 servings

Chicken Fried Steak

2009-04-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

mMm. Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, steamed corn, biscuits, and iced tea. Really. Makes your mouth water just thinking about it doesnt it? My gosh I was so full after that meal I thought The Hermit was going to have to roll me to bed. That's just a happiness comfort meal right there! While I was browsing some food blogs I stumbled across a post over at The Finer Things in Life about Chicken Fried Steak and decided I was just going to have to make that for dinner. I'm glad I did. The Hermit made a point of saying he liked it too (without me even asking! *astonished*)

Chicken Fried Steak

found via The Finer Things in Life

1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 package chicken fries or round steak (if using round steak, cut into serving-size pieces and tenderize with meat mallet or fork)
1-2 cups flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
splash of milk

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Combine the eggs and milk. Pie plates work great for the flour and eggs.

Dredge the steak first in flour, then the eggs, then in flour again. Place in hot skillet.

Cook on one side for 5-10 minutes. The juices will come up through the flour. Flip it over. Cook for another 5-10 minutes on the other side.

Place cooked steak on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the oil.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2009-04-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

The weather here has been a bit insane lately. One day it's in the upper 80s and the next it's almost (if not) freezing. It was one of the cold days I decided to make some Chowder. Chicken and Corn. How could I resist??

I liked the recipe but felt like it was missing something. I'm not sure what that something was though. I would like to try it again sometime.

Chicken Corn Chowder

found via Myrecipes

1 tablespoon butter
6 green onions
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed and divided
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove green tops from green onions. Chop green onion tops; set aside. Thinly slice white portion of each onion. Add sliced onions to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, 1 package of corn, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

While mixture simmers, combine the remaining corn and milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add milk mixture to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle 2 cups chowder into each of 4 soup bowls; sprinkle evenly with green onion tops. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Menu Planning Monday 4.13.09 to 4.19.09

2009-04-12T23:45:00.004-05:00

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

This past week has been kind of crazy to say the least. We sorta followed the plan but ran a day behind. The Hermit will hopefully be helping me out with the cooking this week so it should be better.

Monday:
Mexican Stuffed Shells* (didnt get to them last week)

Tuesday:
Asian Beef & Noodle Bowl* - p139

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Pancakes & Bacon

Friday:
Unsure yet. Will be spending all day at hospital. Might be either takeaway or pizza.

Saturday:
Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream*

Sunday:
Leftovers

*Recipes will be posted later in the week.

Orange (sorta) Chicken

2009-04-12T17:03:00.004-05:00

Once again, Sandra at Full Bellies, Happy Kids posted a recipe I had to try. This time it was a very yummy and easy orange chicken. I was a little leary since there isnt actually any orange in the recipe but my goodness it was soooo good! I served mine with brown rice and even had great leftovers for lunch the next day.

This one is going in my Paula Deen book that Dawn at Eat, Play, Live gave me for my birthday.

Orange Chicken

3 lbs. Chicken, cut into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of cornstarch
4 beaten eggs with a little milk
oil

Sauce:
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Beat 4 eggs together and add a little milk. Mix cornstarch, flour and garlic powder together. Dip chicken pieces in the flour then egg. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Place chicken in casserole dish.

Sauce:
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are blended.

Pour sauce over chicken

Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. (There wasnt actually a baking temp listed so I baked mine at 350 for 35 min and it turned out perfectly)

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

2009-04-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute shrimp for 1 minute on each side. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon; set aside. Stir in flour and Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, then cook until thickened. Remove from heat, and season with salt and lemon juice. Return shrimp to sauce, and spoon over cooked pasta.

What do you look for....

2009-04-07T20:20:00.002-05:00

What do you look for in a food/recipe blog? What are the things you look for in a blog before you will visit regularly?

I know some of the things I look for are beautiful pictures, detailed/accurate recipes, and a friendly vibe to it.

Just curious what y'all are looking for! :)

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2009-04-05T21:54:00.002-05:00

Michelle over at Big Black Dogs tweeted about this recipe the other day and I had to try it. I am so glad I did! They were wonderful! I snuck some into the hospital for my Dad and for my Mom. Dad couldnt have one but Mom did and she said it was really good too. The Hermit liked them. They got YAYs all around! The only thing I might do different is put in more strawberries. I was worried I would put in too many and it would be mushy so I didnt put in enough or my dice was too small. Y'all be sure to check out Big Black Dogs blog because she has lots of VERY yummy recipes (and you can see just how pretty these cupcakes are!)!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp Instant Pink Lemonade Mix
4 large strawberries, carefully diced

Makes 9-10 regular sized cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 10 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and lemonade mix until fluffy. Add vanilla, soda, salt and eggs yolks. Mix in buttermilk and gradually add flour.

Clean berries and remove the stem. With a very sharp knife slice the berries and then dice into 1/4" pieces careful to not crush the berries. If the berries are crushed and then added to the cupcakes, there will be too much moisture and your cupcakes will not bake properly.

Fill each baking cup with about a TBL of batter. Then sprinkle in each cup 5-6 pieces of fresh strawberry. Then add more batter per cup filling each to about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a test straw can be cleanly removed.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe adapted from Sprinkle's Cupcakes

8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 stick butter, firm but not cold
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. Add vanilla.

Menu Planning Monday 4.6.09 to 4.12.09

2009-04-05T21:00:00.001-05:00

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Well last week didnt turn out so well so I will have a couple of things carry over from that menu. I've decided I need to win the lotto for 2 main reasons. One, I want a bigger/better kitchen and two is to be able to stay home and experiment with the thousands of recipes I have!

Recipes will be posted throughout the week as I make each item. :)

Monday:
CrockPot Brown Sugar Chicken

Tuesday:
Lasagne

Wednesday:
Chili over Pasta

Thursday:
Chicken Corn Chowder

Friday:
Country Fried Steak
Mashed Potatoes & Cream Gravy

Saturday:
Mexican Stuffed Shells

Sunday:
Leftovers

Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing

2009-04-04T17:08:00.002-05:00

This was so very tasty. Even The Hermit liked them a lot. I definitely like a panko crust much better then just a bread crumbs crust. This was also VERY easy to make so it's for a weekday meal.

I found the recipe while browsing the What's for Dinner? blog. Cynthia has a lot of really great recipes and I'll definitely be back to visit lots!

Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing

adapted very slightly from original

Makes 2 servings

PORK
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (omitted because I was out)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 large egg white
1/3 cup panko
2 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon canola oil
cooking spray

DRESSING
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

To prepare pork, preheat oven to 450°.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and egg white in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in panko. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Place pork on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until done.

To prepare dressing, combine onions and the remaining ingredients. Serve dressing with pork.

Spicy Honey Chicken

2009-03-31T21:33:00.002-05:00

Yum yum yum! I <3 chicken! Especially spicy chicken and this one is spicy sweet! I think next time I'll use breasts instead of thighs though. I found this via Home Based Mom so be sure to check it out (and all the other yummy recipes)

Spicy Honey Chicken

Rub:

2 t Garlic Powder
2 t Chili Powder
1 t Salt
1 t Ground Cumin
1 t paprika
1/4-1/2 t Cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it)

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Glaze:
6 T Honey
2 t Cider Vinegar

Combine first 6 ingredients (all the spices) in bowl and mix well. Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Toss chicken with spice rub to coat all sides well. Brush grill surface lightly with oil. Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.
Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well until combined. Brush mixture on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling. Now because the glaze is sugar-based, you’ll want to turn the heat down so it doesn’t burn, but let it cook for a few minutes to caramelize. You can also cook this under the broiler if you don’t have a BBQ or the weather is bad.

Twitter

2009-03-30T18:03:00.001-05:00

I'm finally on Twitter so you can follow me around all over!

*points to the sidebar for the widget thingie*

Menu Planning Monday 3.30.09 through 4.5.09

2009-03-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Wow I really feel like I am in a rut! Anyone else feeling like that? I think it's the wacky weather we are having. Yesterday we had snow flurries and today it's 68F. Craziness! ;)

Monday:
Spicy Honey Chicken
Chicken Rice

Tuesday:
Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Chili over Pasta

Friday:
Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herbed Dressing

Saturday:
Orange Chicken
Rice

Sunday:
Leftovers

Menu Planning Monday 3.23.09 - 3.29.09

2009-03-19T08:55:00.012-05:00

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Nothing super spectacular this week in my menu planning. My father is in the hospital so I'll be spending my spare time up there with him.

Monday:
Pot Roast

Tuesday:
Dirty Rice
Cornbread

Wednesday:
Eggs & Potatoes Burritos

Thursday:
Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

Friday:
Chinese Spiced Pork Chops
Rice
veggies

Saturday:
Hot Dogs
Mac & Cheese

Sunday:
Hamburger Helper

S'more Cookie Bars

2009-03-16T22:15:00.003-05:00

Who doesnt love s'mores? That's one of my favorite things about camping is sitting around the campfire with your marshmallow on a stick (mine normally caught fire) then squishing it with a chocolate bar and graham crackers. Always a happy treat!

Well I live in the city with not a lot of time for camping so this was a great recipe to stumble across over at Lovin' From the Oven! The cookies are rich and yummy and remind me of being a kid camping at the lake!

S'mores Cookie Bars

Found via Lovin' From the Oven

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
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. 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.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. 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. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Menu Planning Monday 3.16.09 through 3.22.09

2009-03-15T19:49:00.004-05:00

~~To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.~~ This week Menu Planning Monday is being hosted by Erin at $5 dinners!

I have a new schedule! 5pm to 2am! That's going to make things interesting as far as menu planning. Right now my plan is to make dinner before work and have dinner on my lunch break. Then maybe a light snack when I get home then off to bed. We'll see how well that works!

Monday:
Jambalaya
Corn Bread

Tuesday:
Spicy Steaks
Potato Pancakes

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Pork Tenderloin
Rice
Veggies

Friday:
Penne and Chicken Tenderloins with Spiced Tomato Sauce

Saturday:
Red Beans & Rice

Sunday:
Pot Roast

Beef Lo Mein

2009-03-13T21:31:00.002-05:00

OMG soooo good. Serious yum! I found this tasty asian morsel in the blog The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch (along with a ton of other recipes that look REALLY good). Be sure to go check out her blog!

Ron (I think I need to come up with a netname for him!) wasnt a fan but I really enjoyed it! heh I enjoyed it so much I had two bowlfuls! Eeek!

Beef Lo Mein

Found via The Life and Loves and Grumpy's Honeybunch

1/2 lb fresh lo mein noodles or spaghetti (I used spaghetti)
3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup sake or rice wine (I finally got to use the sake a friend bought me a few years ago when he visited!)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 Tablespoon canola oil
3/4 lb beef top round, trimmed of all visibile fat, cut into thin strips
1/2 lb white mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced

Cook the noodles or spaghetti according to package directions; drain and set aside. Combine the broth, sake or rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. set aside. (NOTE: Do not confuse rice wine with rice wine vinegar. It is not the same).

Heat a nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of the canola oil, then add the beef. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Swirl in the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil, then add the mushrooms, scallions, and garlic. Stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes Stir in the beef and noodles. Cook, tossing frequently, until heated through, about 1 minute

Per serving: 1 cup = 1 serving, 290 calories, 6g fat, 442 mg sodium, 2g fiber
WW Points: 6

Boston Brown Bread

2009-03-12T14:50:00.003-05:00

Well I wasnt quite sure what to think of this. I thought it would be like the bread you get at The Outback, which I LOVE. It wasnt. That's not to say it wasnt good. It's a heavy bread and was great with our porkchops the other day. Especially when honey butter is spread over a warm piece. I dont know that I'll make this alot because I do have other breads I enjoy more but I will make it again.

Boston Brown Bread

found via All Recipes

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and brown sugar. Mix in molasses and buttermilk until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for one hour, or until done. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, and then remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Smothered Pork Chops

2009-03-10T07:31:00.002-05:00

Ok so they werent really smothered. I was uber tired and Ron isnt a fan of cream gravy anyway. Nice breading though, not to mention it was a quick fix.

Smothered Pork Chops

found via Tyler Florence on Food Network

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Menu Planning Monday 3.9.09 through 3.15.09

2009-03-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

Last week went pretty well! I didnt get to make the cookies I've been wanting to make but otherwise we followed the plan pretty darn well. *proud*

Tomorrow, depending on how my knees are doing, I am going to attempt the basic bread in my new bread book. Ron has asked me to make some buttermilk biscuits and sausage patties so that he can have those for breakie instead of hitting MickieD's everyday on the way to work. I make great drop biscuits but not so great on roll outs. heh. I'm excited to give it a shot.

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday:
Smothered Pork Chops
Rice

Tuesday:
Chicken Chili over Pasta

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Gorton's Fish
Fries

Friday:
Beef Lo Mein

Saturday:
Spicy Chicken Tenders
Mashed Potatoes

Sunday:
Leftovers

Quiche Lorraine Oh La La

2009-03-04T17:01:00.004-06:00

Ha! Do you know how hard it is to bake a quiche when your oven is mucked and will only go to 250F? Fortunately it turned out ok, just took forever to bake. It did remind me that I'm not a huge fan of quiche though. Ron loved it. Thankfully, because I had a piece and he devoured the rest.

Oven is fixed now! The apt complex came out and replaced the door because when they fixed the handle they apparently dented the door and caused it to stay open on the side (which I didnt even notice). It is still about 25 degrees off what it should be but I can compensate for that with no problem. YAY!

From the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook page 234

1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (I used a prepared crust I had in the freezer)
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, sliced
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 oz)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1. Prepare pastry for single crust pie. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or till pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook bacon till crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside. Cook sliced onion in reserved drippings till tender but not brown; drain.

3. In a medium mixing bowl stir together eggs, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the crumbled bacon and onion. Toss together shredded cheese and flour. Add to egg mixture; mix well.

4. Pour egg mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or till a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

This recipe is included in my 2009 Cookbook Challenge!!

Asian Peanut Butter Pork Crockpot

2009-03-04T09:10:00.003-06:00

I love my crockpot so always happy to try new crock recipes!

This had an interesting flavor. Ron really enjoyed it but I think it was missing something, I'm just not sure what. I'll be playing with the recipe a bit next time I make it.

Asian Peanut Butter Pork Crockpot

found via A Year of Crockpotting

1.5-2lbs pork tenderloin
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (garnish; optional)
1 lime, cut in wedges (garnish; optional)

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Put onion slices into the bottom of your crockpot. Put the pork on top. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter. No need to stir--the peanut butter needs to melt before you can do so. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The pork will be more tender the longer you cook it. 1 hour before serving, flip the meat over in the crockpot to allow the other side to soak up the peanutbuttery goodness. Garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve with lime wedges. The lime juice mixed with the peanut butter is delicious.

Menu Planning Monday 3.2.09 through 3.8.09

2009-03-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

Well the next two weeks of menu planning should be interesting. Because I was only able to work 40 hours on my last check (dang knees wouldnt cooperate) I am scrounging the cupboards. Yehaw!

What do you do when the budget is really too tight for a trip to the grocery?

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday:
Asian Peanut Butter Pork Crockpot Recipe (I keep forgetting this is on the darn menu!)
Rice
Veggies

Tuesday:
Quiche Lorraine from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Peanut Butter Cookies

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Pancakes & Bacon

Friday:
Baked Chicken
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Veggies

Saturday:
Turkey
Stuffing
Veggies

Sunday:
Leftovers aka Fend for yourself :P

OMG! The grocery store robbed my bank account!

2009-02-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Seriously, with grocery prices (and, it seems, all other prices) on the rise faster and faster I am curious about how much the average reader spends weekly on groceries.

I generally spend about $100/week on groceries for Ron and I. Now this does include non food items as well, such as kitty supplies and normal household supplies. I would like to get that down to $50/week so I'm perusing the frugal blogs for ideas on saving money.

I know one thing I need to do is start using coupons so that's first on my list. The other is to try and get Ron to enjoy a meatless meal one or two nights a week. (Any ideas on how to help me with that one are appreciated since he's the kind of person that thinks meat should be included in every meal)

What do you normally spend per week for groceries and how big is your family?

Things I Love Thursday

2009-02-26T19:44:00.002-06:00

I'm a little late in the day but I love this idea so here is my "Things I Love" post!

I love my little $4.96 handmixer from Wal-mart. I have a very tiny kitchen and my big mixer has to sit in the dining room on a rolling cart because I have no room for it in the kitchen. My baby mixer is perfect when I just want to whip up a batch of cornbread or something simple. I had my original for about 2 yrs before I needed to replace it. Pretty darn good for only $5!!

Go check out the rest of the fun at The Diaper Diaries!

Baked Sausage Dogs!

2009-02-26T02:12:00.000-06:00

Ron loves corn dogs. I amazed by how many he can put away in one sitting. They are entirely too expensive to buy by the box though and I'm not sure how healthy they are anyway.

So I was going to make this Friday but it got bumped up on the menu list and was made last night. This recipe was originally posted by Robin Sue over at Big Red Kitchen and when I showed Ron he wanted me to try it but with sausage instead.

Mine didnt turn out nearly as pretty as hers did but it was tasty. Ron wants it again and asked me to try adding bacon bits and onions to the cornbread. We'll see. I also think I'll use hot dogs next time. The sausage is heavier so it sunk to the bottom and was too big so just didnt work quite right.

Baked Corn Dogs
3 cups yellow self-rising corn meal mix (see note below)
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
6 sausages

Preheat oven to 425°. In a stand mixer, mix all of the ingredients together leaving out the hot dogs of course! Once the mix is smooth, pour into a very greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the hot dogs in the batter according to the picture (I only had 10 hot dogs). Bake for 22-25 minutes or until corn bread is cooked through. Let cool slightly, then with a sharp knife cut around each hot dog insuring each dog is surrounded by corn bread. Serve with favorite condiments. Makes 11 Corn Dogs.

*I didnt have self rising cornmeal so I used the substitution equation of 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons cornmeal, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt for each cup of self rising cornmeal.

mMm Manicotti!

2009-02-25T09:56:00.003-06:00

Ok seriously, stuffing chicken tenders into manicotti shells is gross! It was worth it though because this manicotti was yummilicious! I've never had manicotti before and figured I'd try something easy so I wouldnt be grumpy if it turned out bad. Well not as grumpy at least.

I found this recipe via the blog Full Bellies, Happy Kids. Y'all should visit. She has tons of great recipes! My tummy was very happy with this recipe and Ron's was too!

Easy Chicken Manicotti

1 jar (26 to 30 ounces) tomato pasta sauce (any variety) I used Ragu Onion and Garlic
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
14 uncooked manicotti shells (8 ounces)
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Heat oven to 350 F. Spread about one-third of the pasta sauce in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches.

Sprinkle garlic salt on chicken. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing from each end of shell to fill if necessary. Place shells on pasta sauce in dish.

Pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with olives and cheese.

Cover and bake about 1 1/2 hours or until shells are tender.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 2.23.09

2009-02-23T14:37:00.002-06:00

My Simple Woman’s Daybook For Today… February 23 , 2009

Outside my Window… is a bright sunny day that I ventured out in early today and wont be out again if I can help it :P

I am thinking… that I should put all of these old computers up on freecycle.

I am thankful for… libraries who provide me endless hours of free entertainment for the mind

From the kitchen… I'll be serving a delicious pot roast for dinner tonight

I am wearing… blue shorts, blue tank, and pink fuzzy slippers

I am reading… Eat, Pray, Love

I am hoping… that I can make it through this week without falling or having any knee "issues"

I am hearing… Bizzare Foods on TV, my fan, and Meeko chortling for a boyfriend

I am creating… small posters for inspiration. not decorator friendly but definitely spirit friendly

One of my favorite things… my much strangled gator, Gregory

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… packaging Ethan's birthday prezzie and getting it mailed off, work, going through the storage closet and getting rid of at least 1 box worth of crud I never use.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Meeko isnt a fan of cameras!

Menu Planning Monday 2.23.09 through 3.1.09

2009-02-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

More menu fun! I did pretty well last week but I did miss two days. I am having such a good time making my menu plan that I'm slightly disappointed when it's done! *LOL*

What's your family's favorite "busy work week" meal?

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday:
Pot Roast
Salad
Banana Coconut Pecan Bread

Tuesday:
Super Easy Chicken Manicotti
Garlic Bread
Salad

Wednesday:
Hamburger Helper

Thursday:
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Salad

Friday:
Asian Peanut Butter Pork Crockpot Recipe
Rice
Veggies

Saturday:
Leftovers

Sunday:
Baked Corn Dogs
Fries

Gawd I am a cookbook addict!!

2009-02-20T20:59:00.003-06:00

I received a 40% off coupon for Borders and thought I'd swing by and finally pick up Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day because I've heard such great things about it. I did pick it up! YAY! But I also picked up 7 other cookbooks! Oy!

Now in my defense they were ALL on clearance sale. $3.50/ea. Seriously, how could I pass that up?? *G*

Now it will just come down to when I am able to actually use them. I've been down for the count with my knees this past week and missed waaaay too much work so I'll be making up time there for at least the next week. Dont see any baking time in the near future.

I'm still happy I got my book though!

Melting Pot Ohh la la

2009-02-19T22:50:00.001-06:00

This is the "review" I posted on FoodBuzz. Thought I'd share with you guys :)

This is definitely a restaurant designed for romance. From the candles on the table to the low lights and cozy booths there is no way to escape it.

Ashley, our waitress, was very perky and helpful with the menu and walked us through ordering. She also explained each course as it was brought out and how the fondue was created.

The food was good but this isnt a restaurant that you eat at because of the spectacular food (except the Cherries Jubilee. YUM!). It’s also not about low cost. This is not a budget friendly restaurant ($130 for 2 inc tax/tip.) It’s all about the atmosphere.

Am I disappointed? Not at all. Would I go back? I doubt it. Not for a full 4 course meal at least.

Odd Chicken Tastiness

2009-02-19T05:08:00.003-06:00

This was kind of an odd recipe. Most chicken salads are munchable on their own with no bread needed. This one....not so much. It was really good as a sandwich but alone. Eh.

Parmesan Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Source: Easy Family Food Magazine 1st Quarter 2009 - page 23

1/2 cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (2)
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
salt and ground black pepper
12 slices whole wheat bread

1. For dressing, in a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice and basil. Set aside.

2. For salad, in a medium bowl, combine chicken, Parmesan, green onion, and celery. Pour dressing over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours. Serve chicken salad on toasted wheat bread. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Cal: 194, Fat: 12g, Sat Fat: 3g, Chol: 61mg, Sod: 366mg, Carb: 2g, Prot: 18g, Fib: 0g

This recipe is included in my 2009 Cookbook Challenge!!

Kitchen Girl Giveaway Banana Nut Cheerios Gift Basket

2009-02-17T05:56:00.003-06:00

Hey!!

Hey!!

Hey!!

Jo over at The Adventures of Kitchen Girl is giving away 3 very cool Banana Nut Cheerios Gift Baskets! All you have to do is leave a comment on THIS post with what you normally have for breakfast and a way to contact you! How easy is that?!

Make sure you hurry on over though because the deadline is 2.18.09 and you dont wanna miss your chance!

Good luck y'all!!

Pineappley Goodness and Chicken that........

2009-02-17T05:28:00.006-06:00

Ron's favorite cake is a Pineapple Upside Down cake and when I stumbled across this recipe for one over at No Special Effects I knew I'd make it for him.

Wow! Uber yum! I'm not going to post the recipe here because I followed exactly how it was originally posted but here's the link : Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The directions are laid out in a way that even a beginning baker could follow them and it was just fun to make!

Ron liked it so much that when I woke up this morning I saw he had eaten half of the cake while I slept. heh. That's a good thing!

On the other end of the cooking spectrum, the chicken & dumplings I made were horrible. The recipe called for entirely too much thyme, especially considering it was the only spice it used, so when you took a bite that was all you tasted. I was extremely disappointed but I am not giving up on that cookbook (Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2000.)

Tonight we are going out to The Melting Pot for our anniversary. I've been wanting to go there for eons and no one has wanted to go with me. I had joked that since I got him tickets to Cats that I got to pick the restaurant we went to next and voila, now we will be dining with fondue fantasticness tonight. YAY! I'll let y'all know how it was!

Menu Planning Monday 2.16.09 through 2.22.09

2009-02-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

I love making lists! Have I mentioned this before? Menu planning is fun for me! We followed the menu that was planned last week so I'm very proud of that! We did switch the Chicken & Dumplings and Steaks but that's it. Btw the C&D were horrid. Bleck.

Monday:
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Rice
Veggies

Tuesday:
Dinner Out

Wednesday:
Parmesan Chicken Salad Sandwiches - Easy Family Food Magazine 2009 - pg 23.
Kosher Dill Pickle
Pringles

Thursday:
Hamburger Helper or Pasta Salad

Friday:
Asian Peanut Butter Pork Crockpot Recipe
Rice
Veggies

Saturday:
Croque-Monsieur New York Style - Easy Cooking for Today Volume II pg 53
Chicken Noodle Soup

Sunday:
Gorton's Garlic Fish Fillets
Fries

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Sooooo many recipes....

2009-02-15T19:46:00.002-06:00

So little time!!

Oy! I have been trying to get all of my recipes organized and there is so much that I want to cook and bake right now! There just isnt enough time or money to cook it all!

What's your alltime favorite recipe?

Darn those smokey steaks!

2009-02-11T11:40:00.005-06:00

Ok I have to admit something. Something embarrassing.

I can not cook a steak without setting off at least 1 of our 3 of our smoke alarms. Even then it's a good thing I like my steak rare because they are barely cooked. Last night I managed to set off all 3 smoke alarms! *hangs head in shame* The steaks were good but my apt was filled with smoke which is annoying to say the least.

Any tips on how to grill the perfect steak indoors?

Anyway I do bring a gift of yummy recipes with me today and not just whining! The cornbread was soooooooo yummy I couldnt stop eating it. *LOL*

These are both from 30 Minute Meals 2

Rio Grande Spice Rub Strip Steaks

4 sirloin strip steaks, 1 inch thick (8 to 10 oz ea)
1.5 Tablespoons ground ancho chili or dark chili powder (a palmful)
1.5 Tablespoons ground cumin (a palmful)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 4 thick slices
Extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, to coat onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove steaks from refrigerator and let them rest for a few minutes to take the chill off.

2. Preheat grill pan or indoor electric gill to high heat. Combine spice rub ingredients: ground ancho chili, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, and rub well into steaks.

3. Coat red onion slices in a drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Grill steaks and onion slices, 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Let meat stand 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Season with salt. Top with seperated rings of grilled onions. Serve with hot Cracked Corn and Cheese Squares and Mexican Fiesta Salad.

Cracked Corn and Cheese Squares

1 package (8 1/2 ounces) corn muffin mix, mixed to package direction
softened butter, to grease baking dish (I actually used Crisco Cooking Spray instead of butter)
1/3 pound Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch dice (I used Pepper Jack and think it gave the squares a nice little kick)
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an 8" square baking dish with butter. In a mixing bowl, stir cheese, corn, and scallions into corn muffin batter. Pour batter into baking dish and bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.

These recipes are included in my 2009 Cookbook Challenge!!

Menu Planning Monday!

2009-02-09T15:42:00.007-06:00

Ok trying something new that I found via my dear friend, Dawnie, over at Eat, Play, Live. Because the way my work schedule plays out I'll be posting my menus on Monday afternoon/evening. YAY for lists!!! (I'm a total listaholic!)

Oh and I work 10 hr shifts 4 days a week (end up away from home about 12-13 hrs on those days) and could really use some tips for super easy things to make for din din on those nights!

To join in on menu planning, join me and all the others over at Menu Plan Monday. Laura hosts this weekly shindig on her blog, I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday: Pizza Pie aka Mock Lasagna served with salad and garlic bread

Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2000 page 88, Cherry Scones

Wednesday: Spaghetti & Meat Sauce with salad and garlic bread

Thursday: Gorton's Garlic Fish Fillets & Fries

Friday: Rio Grande Spice Rub Steaks, Cracked Corn and Cheese Squares, Mexican Fiesta Salad from Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 pages 78-79

Saturday: Leftovers from the week

Sunday: Jennie-O's Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, and Mixed Vegetables

Favorite Cookbooks

2009-02-05T17:06:00.002-06:00

Ok I have a plea to whomever might stumble across my wee blog.

What is your alltime favorite cookbook? You know, the cookbook that you would pick if you could only have one cookbook. Yes! That one! What's the name of it? ;)

Rum Glazed Banana Cake

2009-02-03T19:07:00.004-06:00

mMm. This is not a cake for kiddies or those with an alcohol issue. The glaze gives it a very strong rum taste but it's sooooo good.

Rum Glazed Banana Cake
from Cooking Light: Annual Recipes 1998

1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup stick margarine, softened (I used unsalted butter)
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used 3 medium size bananas)
1/2 cup vanilla low fat yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
vegetable cooking spray
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum or 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract plus 2 tablespoons skim milk (I used dark rum)
1 tablespoon stick margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat brown sugar and 2/3 cup margarine at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute, beating until well blended.

2. Combine banana and next 3 ingredients in a bowl; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3. Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove cake from pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack. combine powdered sugar, rum, and metled margarine; stir mixture until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Yield: 16 servings.

Calories: 285, Fat: 8.7g, Protein: 3.6g, Carb: 47.5g, Fiber: 0.9g, Chol: 0mg, Sodium: 180mg

This is the 2nd recipe I am including in my challenge to make at least 1 recipe from each of my cookbooks in 2009!

New Look

2009-02-03T16:11:00.002-06:00

*twirls* the ole blog has a fresh new look! Makes me hungry! heh

Jerry's Mexican Pie

2009-02-03T11:39:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was busy but fun! We finally picked up the truck from the collision place where it's lived for 3 weeks getting a facelift after the Ron wreck was in. I am sooo happy we have 2 vehicles again! Had to be up at 4:30am to go get it but definitely worth it to have that freedom of 2 vehicles and I get my Jeep back fulltime! YAY! :)

After that it was home to make up the menu and grocery list for the week. heh I still need to clean up all the cookbooks spread all over the bedroom floor. I realized I have a TON of low carb cookbooks I need to get rid of. Most of my cookbooks are low carb! I need to expand my library a bit!

I also got to have lunch with Dawnie of Eat, Play, Live at Mexican Inn Cafe. (The steak fajitas and cherry empanada were wonderful!) I really really love TexMex food. If I had to pick one of style of food to eat the rest of my life that would probably be it. YUM! Dawnie and I had some giggles about our significant others and lots of food talk. I want to pick her brain for all she is learning in culinary school! *LOL* She also brought me an awesome belated birthday present, Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal. Paula Deen is my idol. This woman utterly amazes me. She went from practically destitute to the Queen of Southern Cooking. My hero!

Anyway, last night for dinner we had Mexican again because well I just cant get enough Mexican. heh. This recipe was super easy and fast and was soooo good.

Jerry's Mexican Pie
from Froggy Bottom

1 prepared pie shell (I was concerned on if I should bake the crust first but it was great just as is)
1 can refried beans with chili peppers (Believe it or not I couldnt find with chilis so I just used regular refried beans. I would probably only use about half of a standard can next time because it was very beany)
1 can green chile peppers, mild
1 pound ground meat
1 (3 1/4 oz) can chopped ripe black olives
1 large onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning (the hot and spicy kind adds a wonderful kick, especially if you cant find refried beans with chillis)
1/2 cup Montery Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
Sour Cream, for topping (we skipped this because I forgot to pick up sour cream)

1. Put beans in pie shell. Layer green chilies over the beans. Saute meat and onions together. Drain off fat.

2. Add the ripe olives and taco seasonings. Mix well and put over beans and peppers.

3. Cover with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Slives and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

This recipe is going to make it into my regular rotation! It's also the first recipe I am including in my challenge to make at least 1 recipe from each of my cookbooks in 2009!

2009 Cookbook Challenge!

2009-02-01T14:11:00.012-06:00

Taste and Tell had a great idea in her blog to make use of all the cookbooks she has so I'm gonna steal that idea (hopefully she wont mind!) and try to do the same thing!

I want to use all my cookbooks this year. Any book I dont use is gonna go to half price books!

I'll add cookbooks here as I use them. Along with a link to the post where I blogged about that recipe. I dont promise pictures but I'll do my best to keep up with this to try and be a better blogger and to make use of the piles of cookbooks I have!

Cookbooks:
Froggy Bottom - Jerry's Mexican Pie - 2.2.09
Cooking Light : Annual Recipes 1998 - Rum Glazed Banana Cake - 2.3.09
30 Minute Meals 2 - Rio Grande Spice Rub Strip Steaks & Cracked Corn and Cheese Squares - 2.10.09
Easy Family Food Magazine 1st Quarter 2009 - Parmesan Chicken Salad Sandwiches - 2.18.09
Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook - Quiche Lorraine - 3.5.09
Cooking Light : Annual Recipes 2000 - coming soon!
Martha Stewart's Cookies - coming soon!
Easy Cooking for Today Volume II - coming soon!

Root Beer Float Cake

2009-02-01T12:12:00.003-06:00

I promised my dear friend Dawnie I'd post this recipe so here it is. Super super easy cake to make. I grabbed it from a magazine called "easy family food" by Better Homes and Gardens.

Root Beer Float Cake

1 2 layer-size caramel or yellow cake mix (I used yellow)
Root beer
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 recipe celebration icing (see below)
crushed root beer flavor hard candies (optional)
maraschino cherries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, except substitute root beer for the liquid and add vanilla and lemon peel. Pour batter into a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool completely in pan.

2. Spread celebration icing over cooled. If desired, sprinkle with crushed root beer flavor hard candies and/or garnish with cherries. Makes 12 servings.

Celebration Icing: In a medium mixing bowl, beat 1/3 cup softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 3 tablespoons root beer and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2 cups more powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in a little more root beer or powdered sugar to make icing spreadable.

For a double layer cake: Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Cut cooled cake in half crosswise. Frost the top of one cake piece with some of the frosting. Top with remaining cake half and frost top of layers.

Per serving (with frosting): 347 calories, 8g fat (4g sat fat), 14 mg chol, 321mg sodium, 69g carbo, 0g fiber, 2g protein.

Sorry no pics. I have a new camera but it sucks :(

Better Than Sex Cake

2008-10-22T12:28:00.005-05:00

Ok first off, this is not better than sex. No way no how. It is good though. VERY VERY rich. VERY VERY sweet. Not a good cake for diabetics. *LOL* I made this for a birthday spread for a co-worker. Everyone loved it to say the least. I had a tin full of crumbs to take home.

Better Than Sex Cake

16 servings (smaller pieces are better because this is such a rich cake)

1 (18 1/2 oz.) pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 jar caramel sauce
12 oz. carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 Heath bars, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13x2 inch pan. Prepare cake mix as directed on package; pour into prepared pan. After 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Continue baking until cake is done.

2. While cake is still hot, poke holes in it with handle of wooden spoon. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake; let cool. Top with caramel sauce, then whipped topping. Sprinkle with candy bars. 12 to 16 servings.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 305 Calories; 13g Fat (37.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 242mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Fat; 3 Other Carbohydrates.

Ham and Sausage Jambalaya

2008-10-07T11:39:00.007-05:00

This was good. Not as good as my mom's or my grandmother's but I think they have some special "mom" ingredient they use and dont tell anyone about. heh. It was very good though. Ron really liked it considering it made enough for about 6 people and I only had 2 servings. He gobbled the rest. yay!

Ham and Sausage Jambalaya

Makes 6 Servings

from "Louisiana Cookin' from Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce" Cookbook

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pkg (20 oz) kielbasa, cut into 1/2" slices
2 large onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes, peeled, undrained (I used diced tomatoes because I hate the taste/texture of whole cooked tomatoes)
1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce (shame on me but I was out of Tabasco and substituted Frank's Hot Sauce)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

In large saucepot or dutch oven heat oil. Add kielbasa, onions, green pepper, celery and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, ham, bay leaf, tabasco sauce, thyme and allspice; simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Add rice. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. If necessary, add more broth or water and simmer until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve with additional tabasco, if desired.

Per Serving: 339 Calories; 11g Fat (29.3% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 952mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll

2008-10-03T14:39:00.004-05:00

Dinner last night was really breakfast! Yummy omelet roll. The entire thing took about 25 minutes to make and it was really good.

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll

Recipe from Dine and Dish

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cooked ham, chopped or 9 slices of any deli ham
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Beat eggs and milk until fluffy.

Add flour, salt and pepper and beat or whisk until smooth.

Pour into a buttered or greased 9 x 13 baking dish or pan.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until eggs are just about set.

Sprinkle with chopped ham or lay slices of ham evenly on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Starting at short side, roll up omelet while still in pan.

Place seam side down on serving dish. Cut into slices.

Creole Shrimp and Spaghetti

2008-10-01T19:38:00.004-05:00

I've been feeling like crud lately so I needed something quick and filling to make for dinner. Since Ron brought shrimp home last night I thought I'd try out this recipe I found on one of my favorite recipe sites, All Recipes.

I did some minor tweaks after reading the reviews and loved it. Very nice kick. Very yummy. Now I'm gonna have to play with it to make it a bit more calorie friendly. ;)

Creole Shrimp and Spaghetti

Modified from this recipe

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Creole-style seasoning (use less if you dont like a kick to your food)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine butter, Creole seasoning, black pepper, and teriyaki sauce. When butter is hot add the shrimp and simmer for 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink throughout.

Spoon the shrimp on top of the pasta and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tenders ala me!

2008-09-24T15:04:00.006-05:00

I am trying to cut out fried foods because they really arent good for you but gosh they taste so darn good and last night I was craving chicken tenders. Now the recipe is gonna suck because I didnt measure anything. heh that's why I always use others recipes.

Chicken Tenders

2 lbs chicken tenders, tenders cut in half
flour
2 eggs
splash of milk
7-8 drops Frank's hot sauce
black pepper
cayenne pepper
canola oil

1. Whisk egg, milk, and hot sauce together in a bowl.

2. In 2nd bowl mix flour, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

3. Heat canola oil in large frying pan.

4. Dip tenders in egg mixture then flour and drop (carefully) into hot oil.

5. Turn once. When golden take from oil and drain on paper towel covered plate.

6. Serve with ranch dressing, honey mustard, or just munch alone!

Foodie TV

2008-09-20T20:14:00.001-05:00

Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie is a wonderful show I thought I'd give y'all a heads up about. It's on PBS and you'll have to check your local listings for times.

only 30 minutes but lots of great foodie fun in that 30 minutes!

Food Blogging Events

2008-09-16T14:50:00.002-05:00

Ok coolest thing ever...
well maybe not ever but it's still cool...

Is My Blog Burning?
"Is My Blog Burning keeps you updated with all the latest food blogging events and the best foodie links from across the web."

Maybe I'll actually enter some of these. heh.

Foodie Blogroll

2008-09-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

YAY! I got approved for The Foodie Blogroll today. hehe
I know I'm a total geek. I bookmarked it eons ago and finally got around to getting added. They have a very impressive list of food blogs if you like just browsing random blogs. :)

Food Blogroll

Camera Recommendations

2008-09-15T21:35:00.006-05:00

Ok gang I'm searching for a new camera. I would like one that I can use for my foodie pics mainly. I dont have a lot of money and would really like to stick to less then $200 if possible.

Any recommendations?

heh if you wanna make a donation to the camera fund (I promise I am not to proud to take donations *LOL*) you can hit my paypal account below.

Banana Coconut Muffins

2008-09-14T13:29:00.009-05:00

I have been out trolling all the delicious food blogs again. Seriously there are some absolutely fantastic blogs out there! This recipe is one I snagged from A Cookie A Day.... I always seem to end up with 1 or 2 bananas that are just well too ripe before I can eat them. Usually I just toss them or make banana bread but I really wanted to do something with these (other then banana bread!) and when I stumbled across this recipe I thought it was perfect!

Banana Coconut Muffins

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (3/4 cup) very ripe bananas, mashed
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Special equipment: a muffin tin with 8 (1/2-cup) muffin cups; paper liners (I used mini muffin tins to help lower the calorie content and make cute little snacks for my co-workers.)

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.

3. Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes (I cooked the minis for 12 minutes). Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Nutritional Info (calculated for mini muffins not fullsized):
Calories: 53
Fat: 2g
Sod: 26g
Carb: 8g
Prot: 1g

New Look!

2008-09-14T00:57:00.002-05:00

I want a different look for my blog. This one is just entirely too generic. Anyone out there in cyberspace know of step by step walk through instructions on how to customize it or anyone wanna do it for me? hehe.

Tomorrow I will have a new recipe for y'all!! mMmmm.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-08-31T21:05:00.007-05:00

I have a new favorite baking site. Joy the Baker. I want to try every darn recipe she has on her site! They all look so wonderful!

I did try her Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and, yes, they were excellant! (and yes I know my pics still suck. No camera! *sob* Having to use my Blackberry for now.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter- crunchy or smooth, but not natural
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips, whatever kind you have on hand
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies

1. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350 degrees F . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chocolate chips. You’ll have a soft a pliable dough.

4. Pour the 1/2 cup sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the backing sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Dip the tines of the fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction- you should have a flattened rough of dough with crisscross indentations.

5. Bake the dough for 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still be a little soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 135
Fat: 8g
Sod: 63g
Carb: 16g
Prot: 2g

List of 100 foods

2008-08-31T09:45:00.003-05:00

Found via Cooking Down Under Blog

* Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
* Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
* Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
* Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

I know my results are sad. Ok well, my challenge to myself is to try everything on this list!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
~~75. Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Southwestern Pork Chops

2008-08-22T07:26:00.005-05:00

This was another really easy recipe. I used hot salsa and loved that high spice taste. If you dont like uber spicy just use a mild salsa and I bet you'll still love it.

Southwestern Pork Chops

4 (4 oz) boneless loin pork chops, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bottled salsa, chunky
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
cooking spray
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, optional

1. Sprinkle pork chops with garlic salt and pepper. Combine salsa and lime juice; set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat chops with cooking spray; add to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Add salsa mixture to pan, cook over medium heat 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, if desired.

Nutritional info:
Calories: 127
Fat: 6
Sodium: 428
Carbs: 3
Prot: 14