Two novice chefs, one tiny kitchen

Change of address...

2007-11-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

Well after over 6 months here at blogger we've decided to make the move over to Wordpress. I hope you like the new layout and find the blog easier to navigate! I think the search tool will be especially helpful. See you over there!

http://juliatylerfoodblog.wordpress.com/

Lettuce Wraps

2007-11-04T21:05:00.001-05:00

Well we were finally able to get together all the right ingredients together to make this recipe properly. Last time I tried to make it I couldn't find ground turkey or water chestnuts (Super Target is somewhat lacking as far as groceries go, but it's so close and so convenient!) Tyler made this for us, I tend to shy away from all asian-inspired recipes. He makes all the stir frys for us, and come to think of it, all the fajitas too...couldn't really tell you why, that's just how we do it! I enjoyed this recipe, but it wasn't really rave worthy. Despite lots of cornstarch we just couldn't really get the liquid to thicken, so they were very messy and juicy lettuce wraps! We served them with rice to try to soak up some of the liquid. I think this is a good base recipe that could be tweaked to be made even better, I just don't really know how since I'm not very experienced with these kinds of dishes!

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (from sparkpeople.com)

Ingredients

Ground Turkey, 4 patty (4 oz, raw) (yield after cook (remove)
Cabbage, fresh, 1 cup, chopped (remove)
Onions, raw, .5 cup, chopped (remove)
Carrots, raw, .5 cup, chopped (remove)
Waterchestnuts (water chestnuts), 0.5 cup slices (remove)
*Canola Oil, 1 1tsp (remove)
*Kikkoman Lite Soy Sauce, 4 tbsp (remove)
Teriyaki Sauce, 100 grams (remove)
Green Peppers (bell peppers), .5 cup, strips (remove)
Chicken Broth, .5 cup (8 fl oz) (remove)

Directions
Brown the ground turkey in 1tsp oil. Add onion, carrot, and pepper. Add sauces and chicken broth. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and water chestnuts, reseason if needed with more soy. The longer it simmers, the more flavor it will have.
Add 1T cornstarch slurry (with 1T water) if you'd like to thicken the sauce.
Serve with lettuce or rice.

Another new cookie recipe

2007-10-29T17:12:00.000-05:00

The urge to bake struck me on Sunday afternoon but I didn't have any entire bag of anything sweet. I had partial bags of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, coconut, and macadamia nuts. I remembered a yummy looking cookie recipe that called for coconut and with a bit of searching I found the original recipe I was looking for. Wow these cookies were delicious. One of my new favorites. I ate a few and took some to work and sent the rest to work with Tyler. That's a first, he's always resistant to take food to work, I think it's because he's shy and is worried the cookies will attract attention. I think he probably dropped the bag of cookies in the break room and ran, but there were none left at the end of the day so I presume they were a hit!

Coconut Nut Chipsters (original recipe from BakingBlonde's blog)

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 1/3 cup Coconut (lightly toasting is optional)
1 cup macadamia nut pieces (or other fave nut)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Beat in egg. Slowly add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Gently fold in chips, coconut and nuts by hand just until combined.

Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes to keep cookies from spreading. Form dough into balls using medium scoop and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten dough balls with a fork.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

It doesn't get much easier...

2007-10-28T19:35:00.000-05:00

Tacos. Why do we never make tacos? Why am I always trying to make complicated meals?! On the way home from church today I realized I was craving tacos, and since we spent the last of our October dining out budget at chick-fil-a the other night (mmmm I love you forever chick-fil-a) it was make tacos myself or let my craving go unfulfilled. Tyler actually made the tacos, while I watched 40 First Dates for the millionth time (oh how I love that movie!) Tacos are truly a 30 minute meal (if that).

Taco Seasoning I (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

We cooked 1lb of ground beef, then drained the fat. Added 1/2 cup water with the taco seasoning and half a can of black beans. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Served with cheese, lettuce, and spicy guacamole. (FYI to KC area girls, the wholly guacamole can be found in the produce section and is on sale at HyVee this week, 1.87 each, and I used a coupon I clipped a couple of weeks ago for $1 off). On soft taco shells (heated the tortillas on the stove top for about 2 minutes each.)

Blue Cheese Please

2007-10-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

I love a good burger. My latest favorite burger place is Ted's Montana Grill, I'm especially fond of their blue cheese burger. Tyler always gets a salad there, weird, but he claims it's an amazing salad. We decided to recreate these burgers at home, it was quite simple and very tasty! To make this WW core friendly, use fat free blue cheese (or reduced fat and count the points, I think fat free cheese is terrible) and serve w/o a bun (obviously I did not follow my own advice!) And obviously count the points for the beer ;) Blue Moon is my favorite!

Blue Cheese Burgers (original recipe from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 French rolls or hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, blue cheese, chives, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and mustard. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat grill for high heat. Gently form the burger mixture into 4 patties.
Oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on rolls.

cranberry hooty-whats?

2007-10-14T16:54:00.000-05:00

You can't hide from it, Christmas will be here sooner than you think. I love the Christmas season, the baking, the buying, the family, the giving. It's all great. I plan on giving cookies and other baked goods to friends and co-workers this holiday season. I haven't figured out exactly what I'll make yet but I'm trying out some new recipes. One idea I really like is the "cookie in the jar" mixes you can put together. I already knew that they looked great, but I wanted to make sure they actually tasted good before handing them out to everyone I know! I'm glad I gave them a try because there were some things that needed tweaking. Also, Tyler loved them and I think these will replace the other cranberry white-chocolate cookie recipe I have used in the past.

Cranberry Hootycreeks (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart or 1 liter jar, in the order listed.
Attach a tag with the following instructions: Cranberry Hootycreeks
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy (Thanks to the advice of an allrecipes.com reviewer, I found out it takes 5-7 minutes in the electric mixer to get the butter, eggs, and vanilla to become fluffy). Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together by hand until well blended (If dough is dry and crumbly, sprinkle with a bit of water so it sticks together better, I also refrigerated the dough about 30 minutes before baking). Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets, or remove to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies (depending on how much dough you eat!)

Falafel Fun

2007-10-10T21:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the serious lack of posting again. Tyler has been doing most of the cooking for us and we've been eating some tried and true meals, nothing new until last night. This recipe is from the "best of" Cooking Light magazine from last month. We love falafel but haven't really figured out a place where we could get the good stuff here in Kansas City. Next time I make this I'll experiment with other kinds of beans. I think black beans or garbanzo beans would be equally good. This was also a very fast meal to whip up, which is always nice on a busy day!

I don't count this as a Core recipe (but it could be if you used FF cheese, no chips, and ate it without a pita). On the Flex system it is 6 pts per serving, and the recipe makes 4 servings. If you are thinking about joining Weight Watchers I really encourage you do to it before the holiday season is in full swing, WW is a great program for learning portion control and having some accountability during the tough holiday season! I've lost about 7lbs in the last 3 weeks, so I am clearly a fan! I'm already down a pant size!

Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

Patties:
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used pepperjack)
1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread:
1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado
2 tablespoons finely chopped plum tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (6-inch) pitas, each cut in half crosswise

Preparation

To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add Monterey Jack cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.

To prepare spread, while patties cook, combine the avocado, plum tomato, red onion, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Place 1 patty in each pita half. Spread about 2 tablespoons avocado spread over patty in each pita half.

Husband chef

2007-09-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

My husband is too good to me. I've been stressed and worn out the last few weeks working all day and then training at my second job at night. Plus I'm trying to change the way I eat and it's just so...tiring. Tyler volunteered to make dinner tonight plus he's been cooking for himself when I'm not here in the evenings. It's a fantastic arrangement :)

Tonight's dinner was pretty easy. We tried another recipe from Heather's Core blog and were very happy with it. I love me some mushrooms! And of course mashed potatoes, I can never have enough mashed potatoes. I could make them (and eat them) in my sleep at this point :) So glad they are a Core food!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2 tsp canola oil
3 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (four 4-oz pieces)
2 c mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 c chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

Heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick skillet. In a medium bowl, mix 2 TBS vinegar, the mustard, and the garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm (We seem to be incapable of getting chicken to cook all the way through in a skillet, so we stuck it in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees after cooking it for 3 minutes on each side on the stove top).

Heat remaining tsp of oil in skillet. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining TBS of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

Serves 4 (each serving contains 1/2 tsp healthy oil)

Pumpkin lures me out of my baking hiatus

2007-09-30T16:10:00.001-05:00

Well, I successfully went one month without baking. It was a long month, lol. I feel like I've gotten ahold of my compulsion to bake bake bake and eat eat eat. I'm trying to cut back to just doing it for special ocassions and focus on baking for others. This week we are celebrating a birthday at work as well as the first day of our new boss. I volunteered to make cornbread and pumpkin bars. I'm still trying to choose the perfect cornbread recipe but I made the pumpkin bars this afternoon. I just tried one and they are great! Thanks to bakingblonde for sharing her aunt's recipe with me. I made one batch for my sister and my parents and then I made a double batch in a 9x13 pan to take to work and share. These squares are not as fluffy as a sheet cake, but not as dense as a cookie bar or brownie. Somewhere in between I guess you'd say.

Pumpkin Squares
1/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves (I didn't have any cloves so I went without, but I'm sure it would add a great kick)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream cheese frosting (I used store bought instead of making it from scratch)
Chopped walnuts (I used candy corn instead, it's so festive! The candy corn pumpkins would have been fun too)

Preheat oven to 350 (I used a dark non stick pan for my double batch so I lowered the temp 25 degrees to keep the bars from getting too dark).

Lightly spray with 9X9 baking pan with Pam.
In a medium bowl, cream together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder (I did this step in my KA mixer).
Gently fold in the flour, just until combined (I did this by hand).
Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake bars for 22-30 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
Frost cooled bars with cream cheese frosting and top with walnuts (or candy corn or whatever you choose!)

Celebrate Chili Season!

2007-09-23T19:43:00.000-05:00

Tyler was nice enough to whip up this batch of white chicken chili while I made the beef and bean chili tonight. Honestly I'm not sure where I got the original recipe and it's driving me nuts. If you know please jog my memory! I just have a copy of it that I printed out ages ago, probably off an old email account so I can't really trace the origins! Actually it looks like a photocopy...omg I'm going to drive myself crazy. Here's the recipe!

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic
1-2 cups chopped chicken breasts
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cube chicken bouillon
15 oz can white beans
1 pkg taco seasoning (we were out so we used this recipe instead)

Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic, chicken, and 1/2 tsp taco seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add canned tomatoes (can be run through the food processor to chop into smaller pieces if desired), chicken bouillon cube, rest of taco seasoning and if necessary some water if too thick. Simmer and then eat! Serve with tortilla chips or tortillas, cheese, sour cream, whatever you like! Tyler adds Tabasco sauce because he loves more heat.

I believe this recipe is WW core friendly.

Officially Chili Season!

2007-09-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of fall, which means I can now make chili without getting yelled at by my dad! (although I heard a rumor that he made a batch last weekend, tsk tsk!) We made a couple of chili's tonight and will freeze quite a bit of it for easy grab n go lunches. First up: traditional beef and bean chili. This is the recipe that has been perfected by Tyler's dad, and it is wonderful chili! We will likely never make another version, this one is just perfect and fits my WW Core diet.

My Father-in-Law's Chili

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 tsp. chili powder
1 beef bullion cubes
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 TBS parsley flakes
1/2 TBS sugar
red pepper flakes or tabasco sauce to taste
salt if needed

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef then drain off grease.
2. Saute onion and garlic with the meat until onion is translucent.
3. Transfer meat/onion/garlic mix to crock pot, add the rest of the ingredients (do not drain any of the beans!) let cook on low 2-3 hours. This could also be done on the stovetop in a stockpot, simmer on low for a couple of hours with the lid on.
4. Serve with cheese, sour cream, crackers, etc.

Who doesn't love a man in the kitchen?

2007-09-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

So I confess Tyler actually made this meal 2 weeks ago but I've been dragging my feet about posting it. I'm not really busy...just trying to keep my mind off of food as much as I can, lol. I'm still eating and cooking though, just nothing terribly exciting. We are making 2 kinds of chili tonight, I'll share those recipes later!

We were at the City Market over Labor Day weekend and bought some fresh produce and some unique pasta at a booth that sold Pappardelle's Pasta. It took us FOREVER to decide which pasta to buy but we eventually settled on Tunisian Harissa Fettucine and Tyler was kind enough to offer to make the meal (with each pasta there is a recommended recipe that they give you). It took him 3 hours. Yeah. 3 hours. He is a bit meticulous in the kitchen, so I don't really think that's the average cooking time for this dish. Roasting the peppers was a lengthy process and since it was his first time he had to stop and look at the directions a lot. After 3 hours of cooking we ate dinner around 9 P.M.

It's a different kind of dish for me because I'm used to pasta with some kind of sauce on it. This has no sauce because the pasta itself is flavored and the meat and peppers provide the rest of the flavor. Very tasty, and perhaps a healthy-ish meal (if you use low fat sausage). Not a Core recipe though, but could be made into one with whole wheat pasta and some lean meat. We may try roasting peppers again now that we know what we're doing! We'd also be interested in buying more pasta from Pappardelle's. They had so many delicious looking flavored pastas, and I think they would make great gifts! You can even order online, something to think about as the holidays slowly creep closer.

Tunisian Harissa Pasta with Sausage, Peppers & Tomatoes

1 lb. Pappardelle’s Tunisian Harissa Pasta
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
10 oz. sweet Italian sausage, skinned/crumbled
1 each: roasted red, green and yellow peppers, peeled and cut into long strips (we followed the Food network directions found here)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until lightly golden, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, cover skillet with lid slightly ajar, reduce heat to low and simmer until the liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I'm still here!

2007-09-18T18:34:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the post-less week, I haven't really been cooking much. Mostly because I was eating out or making some of my favorite guilty pleasures before I started back on Weight Watchers this week :) Real smart, huh? We had sushi, cheese dip, potstickers, Chipotle, chick-fil-a....ahh such food debauchery. Now I am back on the wagon and back in the kitchen. We are following the Weight Watchers Core plan, which so far I am loving. So brace yourselves for healthier recipes! One of my greatest discoveries was this food blog. Thank you Heather for sharing so many great Core recipes with those of us that have no clue what to make! She is my new food blog goddess.

This meal was so quick to whip up and tasted great. LOVED the guacamole sauce. I will definitely be using that recipe for many other dishes. It'd be great on fajitas! The chicken was a little sweet, which makes sense since there was brown sugar in it, I might cut back on the sugar and increase the spices next time. I served the chicken with corn and a side of black beans simmered in lime juice, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Should have thrown some cilantro in but I spaced it. It feels good to be cooking and eating well again!

Cumin-dusted Chicken Breasts with guacamole sauce

Sauce:
1/4 c finely chopped green onions
1/4 c finely chopped cilantro
1/4 c fat-free sour cream
2 TBS fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 ripe peeled avocado, seeded and coarsely mashed

Chicken:
2 TBS brown sugar (not Core, but 0 WPAs per serving of this recipe)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

To prepare sauce, combine first 8 ingredients; set aside. Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare chicken, combine sugar, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over. Place pan in oven; bake at 400° for 10-20 minutes or until done. Serve chicken with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and about 3 tablespoons sauce)

Corny corn casserole

2007-09-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

Corn is an iffy vegetable for me. I don't like eating it on the cob because it gets stuck in my teeth, and the canned/frozen stuff isn't that tasty. I bookmarked several recipes from the latest issue of Cooking Light and am slowly knocking them off my "to try" list. This recipe was first published in the magazine in June of 1996 and was submitted by a reader from Kansas, who knows, it could be someone just down the road :) I baked it in my Pampered Chef deep dish pie plate, which I think I'd only used once before. It looked so pretty in that pie plate :) I'm all about pretty serving dishes, they are one of my many downfalls. I have far too many pretty serving dishes for my small kitchen. This casserole was much better than plain corn muffins or corn bread, very sweet in taste, but pretty healthy as far as casseroles go.

Easy Corn Casserole (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 large egg)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no-salt added whole-kernal corn, drained
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no-salt added cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2 oz) package corn muffin mix
1 (8-oz) carton plain fat free yogurt

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray (or a deep dish pie plate or other medium sized casserole dish). Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Yields 8 servings.

A cold day in September

2007-09-10T19:29:00.000-05:00

Well I was trying to hold off on making soup until the first day of fall but it is 59 degrees outside right now and the sun hasn't even gone down yet! I am so pumped :) I am slowly letting fall creep into our apartment, I put out my fall pillows and plugged in a nutmeg air freshener yesterday. The rest of the fall decor WILL wait until the 23rd though!

So for dinner tonight I made broccoli cheddar soup, a kind of soup I love to eat but had never made before. I was a little skeptical about the noodles in the soup, but they were perfect and made it a much heartier soup. I would like to figure out a way to make it a bit thicker/creamier next time. Maybe I won't use skim milk or I'll try adding cornstarch or something. Overall I really enjoyed the soup, Tyler said it was good but kind of "plain" (I don't really know what that means but I think he prefers soups with some kind of meat in it). I will make this soup again on another chilly day!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup, from JMitchKC-another KC real bride.

3/4 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp. olive oil (or vegetable, canola)
6 Chicken Boullion cubes
6 c. water
1 pkg. Egg Noodles (8oz)
2 - 10oz pkgs. of frozen broccoli (I used mini florets)
6 c. milk (I used skim, but the soup may have been creamier if I'd used 1 or 2% instead)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese (cubed)

Directions:
Add oil and sautee onions, not brown. Add water and dissolve Boullion cubes.
Bring to a boil and add noodles. Cook until noodles are soft, then add
broccoli. When broccoli is thawed and not hard, add milk, garlic powder,
salt and pepper. It is very important the milk DOES NOT BOIL.
Add cubed velveeta and stir frequently until melted. You will cook
this slow, so that it doesn't boil or the milk & cheese will curdle.

Another popular recipe

2007-09-05T20:08:00.001-05:00

I know everyone and their mom has made this orzo recipe by now (at least in my small food blogging circle) but I always come in late in the game :) Tyler offered to make dinner tonight but we ended up cooking together so we could eat sooner. We make a pretty good team most of the time! He prepared the chicken (parmesan dijon chicken, one of our faves) and I whipped up the orzo and the green beans. Both of which I oversalted, whoops. Still yummy though, just needed a big glass of water to wash it down!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil (original recipe from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter\
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt (go easy, especially if you didn't use low sodium chicken broth) and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Feast your eyes!

2007-09-05T20:03:00.001-05:00

Made the peach-raspberry cobbler again last weekend (had to find some way to use up the 12 peaches crammed in that little bag at the store!) Since I didn't have a picture last time I figured I'd share it now. Here's the original entry with the recipe. I used frozen raspberries this time and it tasted just as good!

Too easy, too yummy

2007-09-02T15:41:00.001-05:00

I needed a dessert that I could whip up fast and I didn't want to go through the whole "from scratch trash my kitchen with flour and sugar" mess so I went the easy route. All you need are some peanut butter cups and a box of brownie mix with its required ingredients. The end result: yummy peanut butter cup brownies.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix
any ingredients that the box of brownie mix calls for + an extra egg
1 bag mini peanut butter cups

Directions:
Mix up brownie batter with an extra egg for fluffier brownies.
Pour brownie batter into muffin cups lined with paper or foil wrappers.
Stick one peanut butter cup (all wrapping removed of course) in the center of each brownie
Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until brownies are fluffy but not gooey inside.
Cool and then eat!

I used a box of pillsbury chocolate chunk brownie mix and it yielded a dozen brownies in a regular sized muffin tin. A mini muffin tin could also be used for bite sized brownies.

More butter please...

2007-08-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

It's strange to think that a year ago I could NOT make a batch of cookies from scratch without seriously screwing them up, getting frustrated, and pitching them into the trash can. I have learned several tricks of the trade and feel much more confident now. By the holidays I will have many cookie recipes under my belt (and uh..literally as well I suppose, heh). I'm working my way up to Tyler's favorite cookie recipe, to be revealed at a later date (probably in December). These cookies don't look like Amber's, but they taste great. This was a "recipe of the week" ages ago, but I bookmarked them from Amber's blog because I loved her presentation. A word to the wise, although the cookies taste great the dough basically just tastes like butter, not so good for snacking on!

Buttery Pecan Cookies
(Source: www.williams-sonoma.com)

These buttery cookies are very easy to make. Just roll the dough into a log, slice and bake.

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth. Turn off the mixer a few times so you can scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and nuts. Continue mixing until the dough looks like moist pebbles, then turn off the mixer. (Note, I think I overmixed the dough until it was creamy, which may explain why my cookies came out so thin and crispy, not thick like Amber's).

Gently squeeze the dough together with your hands. When the dough comes together in a mass, place it on a large piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, shape it into a log 10 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Unwrap the dough and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into slices 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on the foil-lined baking sheets.

Place 1 baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies until their edges are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second and then the third baking sheets.

Lift the cooled cookies off the baking sheets with your fingers. Store the cookies in an airtight container. Makes about 40 cookies.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life Books, 2000).

Indoor grilling

2007-08-26T19:17:00.000-05:00

I have to be careful not to go overboard on new kitchen tools and gadgets since our kitchen has such limited space. We were disappointed when we moved into our new apartment earlier this summer and discovered that grills are not allowed. Our George Foreman grill is limited in its abilities, plus it's a pain to clean, so we decided a couple of weeks ago to get a good ol fashioned grill pan and use that on the stovetop. I got some steaks on sale last week and Tyler cooked them up tonight while I whipped up some green beans and mashed potatoes. Very delicious meal!

Steak marinade (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 pounds beef rib eye steaks

DIRECTIONS

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper. Add the steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F).

Loaded mashed potatoes (by Julia)

4 large russet potatoes, washed, peeled, cut up, boiled, then drained.
2 T butter
1/3 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup diced green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Combine cooked potatoes with other ingredients in mixer, mix to desired consistency.

Better than a trip to the food court

2007-08-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

Well I'll be darned, these really do taste just like the soft pretzels you'd buy at the mall! Don't know what I was expecting, but these are darn good! Check out Amber's blog for the original recipe as well as some ideas on variations. I'm still getting the hang of the oven in our new apartment, next time I will turn the heat down so they don't get so dark (and black on the bottom).

Soft Pretzels
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
1/8 cup hot water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
4+ cups flour
Coarse kosher salt
Baking soda
Butter or shortening (to generously grease cookie sheets)

Directions:
In a large bowl mix together hot water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the warm water and brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.

Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour counter. Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work)

Grease cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening. Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 475. (It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets very well)

Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbls baking soda.

Divide the dough into equal sized pieces.

Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape (obviously I opted to make pretzel sticks instead, I was in a hurry)...

1). Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. Bend the dough into a U shape. (if you have trouble rolling the dough into a rope slightly wet your hands and try again).

2). Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.

3). Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.

4). Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly.

Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not to many bubbles) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan). Repeat until all the pretzels are done.

Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.

A no shop dinner

2007-08-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Well it's almost the end of the month and I'm pushing it as far as keeping within our grocery budget (but we were still restocking our pantry from our move...at least that's one excuse!) So I'm trying to cook with what we have and do minimal grocery shopping. I will of course go get more milk and fruit and Dr. Pepper as needed, but otherwise I'm going to try not to buy a lot of new food items. I'm glad I chose a simple meal for dinner tonight because somehow I managed to get lost on my way home from work tonight. I thought I was taking a shortcut but it took me twice as long to get home, ugh. I should just stick with what I know! I swear Kansas drivers are so much worse than D.C. drivers though, I have seen some manuevers on the highway this week that literally made my jaw drop. But anyways, you're here to see what I made for dinner, so back to that :)

French Toast, originally from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

6 thick slices bread
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
salt to taste

Directions

Beat together egg, milk, salt, desired spices and vanilla.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle of skillet over medium-high flame.
Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot.
I like to sprinkle mine with powered sugar and drizzle with syrup.

Scrambled Eggs for Two (how I throw them together, by no means an exact science)

3-4 eggs
some salt
some pepper
a little bit of milk (maybe a 1/4 cup? I just eyeball it)
some cheese, usually I have Mexican blend on hand.

Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and milk. Pour into skillet over medium heat, stir constantly until eggs cook up and are the texture you desire. Sprinkle with cheese, allow it to melt over eggs and then serve. Eat promptly unless you like cold eggs!

A classic

2007-08-23T18:56:00.000-05:00

I accidentally bought sausage links (dogs?) the other day thinking they were brats. Whoops. So I decided to make meatballs for the first time, and they turned out great! I actually bought the "hot" Johnsonville sausage that has red pepper flakes in it, delicious! We love spicy food and with sausage that flavorful I didn't have to add much seasoning to the mix. Tyler and I really loved these meatballs! They had a lot of zip to them, next time I might try mixing in some ground beef if we had it on hand, my father in law does the beef/sausage mix and it's very tasty! So without further adieu, I give you spaghetti and meatballs...err rotini and meatballs actually since I ran out of spaghetti!

Pasta with Italian Meatballs, another experiment brought to you by Julia

1 lb sausage (I used Johnsonville hot sausage)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white onion chopped finely
1 egg

Mix sausage, breadcrumbs, parm cheese, onion, and egg in a bowl (I use my hands). Form into small round meatballs, I made about 25 if I remember correctly. Saute in a large skillet with a little bit of oil, when browned drain the grease from the pan and then add a jar of spaghetti sauce, I used Spicy Tomato and Basil by Classico. Allow meatballs to finish cooking through as they simmer in the sauce, about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil water and cook whatever pasta you prefer, we used rotini since we were low on spaghetti. Serve sauce and meatballs over pasta, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese (and seriously buy a block and grate it yourself, it tastes so much better than the canned Kraft stuff!)

Yum, cobbler!

2007-08-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

So I'm about to commit a big sin in the sphere of food blogging, I am not posting a picture with my recipe! The recipe is just too good not to share and I may not make it again until next summer, so I don't want to deprive you until then! I took this peach-raspberry cobbler to dinner at my in-laws this evening and forgot my camera and then we gobbled the whole thing up! Check out the original recipe here, it's from Cooking Light. I made some changes, the big one was adding raspberries, my favorite fruit! When I make it again I will probably use a little less milk (maybe 3/4 cup) since the cobbler came out pretty juicy and it was hard to tell when it was done cooking.

Peach-Raspberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

Filling:
3 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 2 pounds)
1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Batter:
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 cup milk (I prefer skim)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white or turbinado sugar for topping.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

To prepare batter, place butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Place dish in oven 5 minutes or until butter melts. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through dash of cinnamon) in a medium bowl. Combine milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter over butter, spreading evenly (do not stir with the butter at the bottom of dish). Spoon fruit mixture over batter, gently pressing the fruit into the batter. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar (or white if you don't have turbinado on hand), and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

yields: 8 small servings or 6 good size servings!

A lazy day?

2007-08-15T16:39:00.000-05:00

So I attempted to make this several weeks ago only to discover one of my ingredients had gone bad (now I make sure to check all my dairy products before I purchase them, the expiration date is not always a good indicator, check cheese for green stuff!) I was able to successfully pull this recipe off the other night with some non-moldy ricotta. I really liked it, but Tyler was kind of ambivalent. Maybe he doesn't like ricotta? I think he was not impressed with the semi-homemadeness of this meal. I'm not really up for making ravioli and tortellini from scratch just yet. I foresee a week of him cooking every night in the very near future, then we'll talk about taking shortcuts when cooking! ;)

Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce (original recipe from Giada's Family Dinners)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds tortellini or ravioli
3 cups marinara sauce (I used one jar of Classico spicy tomato sauce)
1.5 cups ricotta cheese (I used part skim, and next time I will use less ricotta, I tripled the original recipe but it was too cheesy for Tyler)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the water to help prevent pasta from sticking. Add the tortellini and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the tortellini, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the tortellini with the remaining oil to coat.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Whisk in the ricotta and enough reserved cooking water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, use less pasta water; for a thinner sauce, add more water. Return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1/2 cup sauce on plate. Arrange the tortellini over the sauce. Drizzle another 1/2 cup sauce over the tortellini. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the basil, and serve.

Garlicky Green Beans (experiment by Julia, and a tasty one at that!)

Ingredients:
2-3 cups fresh green beans, ends trimmed, washed thoroughly.
2 gloves minced garlic (I'm lazy so I put them through my garlic press instead of chopping them with a knife myself)
1-2 tablespoons butter.
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute green beans with butter and garlic in a large skillet until tender crisp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, serve hot.

Olive Oil Dipping Sauce (another Julia experiment)

On a small plate mix together some salt, pepper, basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese, and thyme. Add extra-virgin olive oil and serve with your favorite bread!

Update #3

2007-08-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the last update for today! I'm giving you lots of reading material :) Last night we had a delicious dinner at a friend's house and I told her I'd bring something chocolate for dessert. I wanted to try something new and wanted something that had chocolate and raspberry, one of my favorite flavor combos. I wanted something quick and easy so I found this brownie recipe that fit the bill. Very tasty but VERY rich, do not attempt to eat without a glass of milk!

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies (source: Cooking at a Glance - Cookies, recipe as posted on cooking.com)

Ingredients:
For Brownies-
1/2 cup butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

For Frosting-
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions:
For Brownies-
In a medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, lightly beat in flour until just combined.

Spread batter into a greased 8x8 baking pan, Spoon raspberry jam in dollops over batter, run a knife through batter several times to achieve a marbled effect. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 35 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a rack.

For Frosting-
In a medium mixing bowl stir together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir in enough boiling water to make a frosting of spreading consistency (add it in one tablespoon at a time so you don't put in too much!) Spread over cooled brownies. Cut and serve.

Update #2

2007-08-13T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna keep going with the updates today! Here is my second ode to Amber and her delicious recipes! I know this has been getting raves from many food bloggers. It is absolutely rave worthy! Check out the original recipe here, I'm posting it with my changes.

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta (Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth
1.5 tbls lime juice
1 tbls corn starch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1 tbls butter
Few drizzles of olive oil
8 oz pasta (I used Barilla Plus penne)
1-2 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen broccoli florets, thawed them before cooking them)
Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
1) Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of pasta cook time add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.
2) Mix together all the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through parsley) and set aside.
3) Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add bite size chicken pieces into heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.
4) Toss cooked broccoli and pasta with the chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Update #1

2007-08-13T13:16:00.000-05:00

Time for some updates! I have been cooking and baking the last week but just haven't been updating much. I tried a couple of recipes from a fellow food blogger that I want to rave about! Amber has so many creative and "down-to-earth" recipes. I'm going to try her homemade pretzel recipe this week, can't wait!

I was out of brown sugar but craving cookies with oatmeal in them and found this recipe for no-bake cookies on Amber's blog. So easy to make but beware, they are SERIOUSLY addictive. We got about 3 dozen cookies out of this recipe and they were gone faster than any cookies I've ever made before. I've posted the recipe here with the changes I made, I used chunky peanut butter and added some coconut, delish! Check out Amber's original recipe for other recommendations on add ins.

No Bake Cookies (from Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

Line 2 large baking sheets with wax paper, parchment paper, or alum. foil and set aside.
Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute.
Add peanut butter and stir until melted. Add oats, vanilla, peanuts and coconut (if desired) and mix well.
Quickly drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto lined cookie sheets.
Place in refrigerator until set. Once set remove cookies from sheet and place in air tight container in a cool, dry place.

Versatile black bean dip

2007-08-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

So unemployment does not sit well with me, I have basically been glued to the couch all week (for the 4th week in a row now), occasionally getting up for a Dr. Pepper or to go to a job interview. Hopefully I will be hired soon and out of my funk! Funk=no cooking (except for sugary treats) so I really don't know what we've done for dinner this week...chik fil a, frozen pizza, chicken salad. Tonight I finally snapped out of it and whipped up a real dinner, it felt good to be back in the kitchen chopping and stirring and making a mess (Tyler gets to clean up, hehe).

Tex Mex Black Bean Dip from allrecipes.com (can be eaten w/chips or used as enchilada filling)

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup mild picante sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place black beans in a medium size mixing bowl, partially mash beans -- beans should remain a little chunky.
In a medium size frying pan, heat oil over a medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes.
Mix beans, corn, tomato, picante sauce, cumin, and chili powder into the frying pan; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese, cilantro and lime juice; stir until cheese is melted.

Black Bean Enchiladas

3 cups Tex Mex Black Bean Dip
5-8 large flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 can enchilada sauce

Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup of the black bean mixture down the center of each tortilla, top with some cheese. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in a 13x9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with enchilada sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and cilantro (optional). Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Chocolate fix

2007-08-02T20:13:00.000-05:00

This week definitely called for chocolate, thanks to Peabody for discovering and sharing this fantastic recipe from recipezar! I think I prefer them over the mint brownies I usually make, not quite so rich, just the right balance of chocolate and mint!

Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
Andes mints candies, broken in half

Heat oven to 350°F.
Over low heat, combine butter, sugar and water.
Heat until melted and add chocolate chips until partly melted.
Remove from heat and stir.
Pour into large mixing bowl.
Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed.
Reduce mixer to low speed and add flour, salt and baking soda.
Beat until well-blended.
Chill one hour (dough is almost liquid before chilling but hardens and is easy to shape after chilling).
Roll into balls, place two inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Place an Andes Mint half on top.
Allow to melt slightly and spread with a spoon.

dessert revealed

2007-07-29T15:29:00.000-05:00

Whoops a day late, sorry! Here's the dessert I ended up making this weekend, it was perfect on our picnic last night. Thanks to Deborah for the cake recipe.

Blueberry Almond Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup blueberries (more for topping if you prefer, I just bought a pint and used the rest on top)

Cream cheese frosting (see recipe below or you can use the canned stuff)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl combine butter and granulated sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in egg, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Fold in almonds and 1 cup blueberries then pour into baking pan - spread evenly.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting with cream cheese frosting and cutting into squares.

Cream Cheese Frosting from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Can't help it I'm addicted to orzo

2007-07-26T19:05:00.000-05:00

Love that stuff! It's pasta shaped like rice...so cute and so versatile! I decided to liven up our oh so gourmet dinner of hot dogs and baked beans with an orzo salad. This recipe of Joelen's was my inspiration and I got my recipe for the dressing from allrecipes.com. Very tasty result! We will probably take the leftovers with us on a picnic this weekend when we go to watch an outdoor performance of Footloose. I can't wait. Tune in tomorrow to see the dessert I'm whipping up for this picnic. I'll leave you in suspense til then ;)

Orzo Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Salad:

1 1/2 cups orzo cooked (that's 1 1/2 cups before cooking)
chopped black olives (as much or as little as you like)
chopped celery (as much or as little as you like)
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 bag of baby spinach
feta cheese (I used the tomato and basil kind)

You could also add tomato if you like them, I do not. Poor Tyler.

Cook orzo according to directions on the box. Let cool, then toss with black olives, celery, pepper, spinach, feta, and balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

A little bit of Giada

2007-07-25T19:16:00.001-05:00

I decided to try a couple of recipes out of one of my new cookbooks, Giada's Family Dinners
They did not disappoint! In fact it's one of the better meals we've had in a long time, then again I have been living on frozen pizza for what feels like weeks now, so I'm starved for real food :)

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces) (I actually used 5 pork chops and didn't increase anything else, there was plenty of coating for them all)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet (or 2 medium/large skillets) over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. (After 5 minutes on each side the pork chops were getting browned on the outside but still pink in the middle, so I transferred them to a baking sheet and stuck them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, they still came out juicy, flavorful, and actually cooked all the way though!) Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon butter (I used cooking spray instead)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 5 big potatoes, not sure how many lbs it was)
1 cup whole milk (I subbed with skim milk!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (I think I only used half a stick, figure it won't kill us as soon)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (used one of those bags of Kraft Italian cheese blend)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (see above, Italian cheese blend again)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs (used Progresso Italian bread crumbs)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter (or cooking spray!) and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. (Note, I transferred it all to my Kitchenaid Mixer instead of doing it by hand) Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Tyler's new favorite cookie...

2007-07-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

I made these cookies a week or so ago and although they tasted alright, they looked terrible. I hadn't yet figured out the temperature issues with my oven so I think the problem was that the temp was too high. I have since learned how to work with my unruly oven and the second batch I made yesterday turned out much tastier (and prettier!) Thanks to Amber for sharing this recipe, originally from Cooking Light.

Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(Source: Cookinglight.com)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place nuts in a small baking pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted; cool.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda, stirring well with a whisk.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat until combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in peanuts, chocolate chips, and salt.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

I doubled the original recipe and got about 3 dozen cookies.

Millions of peaches...

2007-07-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

It's peach season, and I got some huge ones at the store the other day and let them ripen over the course of a few days. I originally intended to make a cobbler but changed my mind at the last minute and made a pie instead. I also intended to make my own crust...but the day was going so well and I get cranky when I make pie crust, so I went with the store bought kind instead. It's just so....easy. The pie was a hit with my family, and Tyler and I just polished off the last two pieces a few minutes ago.

Simple Peach Pie

Ingredients:
pie crust for a double crust 9 inch pie
5 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (5 large peaches were enough, but you may need more if you have smaller peaches)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together flour, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon, set aside. Wash, peel, and slice peaches. Mix peaches together with dry ingredients. Pour into pie crust (I did not prebake the bottom crust, it turned out fine). Dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cut slits in the top, seal the edges. Sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover the edges with foil or a crust guard to prevent crust from burning. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust. You can remove the foil/crust guard for the last few minutes if you want to brown the outer crust a bit. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Baking the day away

2007-07-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

If you like cookies with fruit in them and like more "cake-like" cookies I think you will like these! I actually am not a big fan of cakey cookies but these taste so yummy I don't even mind the consistency. I altered the original recipe so they would not be too sweet. Since I used Craisins that are already sweetened I used less white sugar in the actual dough. I rolled them in sugar for a bit of extra sweetness to balance out the orange flavor. I think they turned out just right, not too orangey, not too sweet. My altered recipe is posted below.

Orange Cranberry Cakey Cookies (adapted from an allrecipes recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup white sugar for dough plus another 1/2 cup set aside for topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 egg
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dried cranberries for dough plus another 1/2 cup set aside for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Stir in the egg, orange juice, orange extract, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix into the orange mixture. Stir in the dried cranberries. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop and shape each cookie, then roll it in white sugar and stick 3-4 dried cranberries on the top, place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are starting to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Two new recipes

2007-07-17T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'm really pushing myself to try new recipes. Not necessarily "out there" recipes of things I never thought I'd try, but some new stuff. Tonight I made orzo for the first time and I broiled something for the first time. Also made my own dressing for the first time...I think. I don't remember ever making salad dressing before so I'm pretty sure this was a first. It got the blender dirty, I hate cleaning that thing, good thing Tyler has to do the dishes tonight ;)

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs (adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger)

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry (did not have, so left out)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press or minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sherry, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and stir until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, turning once, for 1 hour. The chicken can be marinated for up to 4 hours. I only marinated for an hour, wish I had done it for longer though.

Heat the broiler to high. Arrange the chicken on a broiler pan skin side down and broil until brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and broil until almost cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown and the chicken is done, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Orzo Salad (adapted from Everyday Italian with Giada de Laurentis)

4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved (I used grape tomatoes)
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (did not have so I omitted this ingredient)
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat, be careful not to use too much like I did (I dumped it all in instead of measuring out 3/4 of a cup)! I found that the recipe made more dressing than needed. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

I'll definitely make both of these recipes again, I'll just make sure to marinate the chicken for a few hours and go easy on the dressing for the orzo salad! Overall trying new recipes and new cooking techniques paid off!

Breakfast Anytime

2007-07-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

Well now that we are settled into our new place and I am officially unemployed it is time to try out some new recipes in between job applications! I had definitely gotten into a rut and now that I've been unable to cook/bake for the last month due to our vacation and the move and I am just itching to get in the kitchen.

Cheddar, Bacon, and Green Onion Scones

I saw these scones on Confections of a Foodie Bride's blog awhile back and bookmarked them (click the link to the see the recipe, adapted from the book The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather ). What a fantastic recipe! Only change I made was to use turkey bacon, it was still very flavorful. Tyler made banana pancakes to go along with the scones. Probably a mistake since the scones are SO filling. Pancakes were a bit much on top of that! Whoops! Too bad we don't know our new neighbors, otherwise I'd have them over to share all this food with us! I'm sure I will enjoy the leftovers tomorrow morning.

Banana Pancakes (made by Tyler, first thing of his we've posted in ages!)

Directions:
Mash 2 ripe bananas and mix in with pancake batter. Cook pancakes as usual. Enjoy!

Expect more posts from me this week, I will stay busy in the kitchen!

A no bake summer delight

2007-07-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

I actually made this a couple of weeks ago right before we moved, all of our kitchen stuff is in a moving truck somewhere in Pennsylvania right now but will supposedly make it to Kansas by Wednesday. It better, because I am really getting the itch to cook and bake and prepare my own meals again! I feel like I haven't cooked in about a month and I think that's pretty accurate. I made this recipe when I noticed there were some really good looking raspberries on sale. I love the combination of raspberries and lemon so I went to the jello website and found this one. Hopefully by the end of this week I will be back in the kitchen!

Raspberry-Lemon Pie

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 cup cold milk

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1/4 cup raspberry preserves

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1 cup raspberries

BEAT cream cheese, dry pudding mix, milk and lemon peel in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

SPOON preserves onto bottom of crust; cover with the pudding mixture. Top with the remaining 1 cup whipped topping and raspberries.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

The Great State of Maine

2007-06-23T16:12:00.001-05:00

So we're not technically back yet, and I don't technically have any recipes to post, but here are some pics of the yummy food we had on vacation (I held back and chose not to photograph our meals everynight, that would be way too embarrassing). I did however snap a couple of shots of things I'd like to recreate myself. Oh, and if you ever go to the coast of Maine (Portland, Bar Harbor, Camden, or Ogunquit) ask me for restaurant recommendations, I've got some great ones!

Fresh blueberry pie with shortbread crust and crumble topping, from Poor Boy's Gourmet in Bar Harbor, ME

Popover with strawberry jam at Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor)

Oh and just for kicks, here's Tyler eating "Lenny the Lobster." We couldn't resist naming him before we gobbled him up ;) Turns out neither of us really likes lobster that much, for shame!

Separation anxiety...

2007-06-14T19:50:00.000-05:00

Looks we won't be cooking or baking much for the next 3-4 weeks. Unless you count grilling hot dogs on the Foreman grill...yeah. We are leaving for our much belated honeymoon to Maine soon where we will dine on lobster and blueberry pancakes and anything else we feel like indulging in. I had hopes of going to Eminger Berries and trying a cheesecake or tiramisu stuffed strawberry but it appears the store has closed down. The website is gone, her phone is disconnected, and word on the street is she has charged customers but not fulfilled orders for the last month. Very strange indeed.

After our trip we will return to D.C. for a few very short days before we pack up and move back to Kansas City where we can have some great bbq, mmmmmm. The bbq in D.C. is not impressive, but every other type of food is amazing, I will miss it all so much! Hopefully there are greener pastures ahead, even if the Indian food isn't quite as good. Maybe I'll post some pics of our vacation food when we return ;) I'll let you know what I think of lobster, I've never tried it before.

Tried this cookie recipe out at our last game night with some of Tyler's co-workers. They proved to be a hit! I'm pretty sure this recipe originated with Joelen, but I snagged the recipe off of Amber's blog. Sorry for the shadow, maybe I was leaning in to grab one ;)

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (or "pudding cookies")

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (or any kind of instant pudding you like)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

I got about 3 dozen cookies... and probably ate a couple more in dough alone ;) What can I say? I love cookie dough.

For my gainfully employed husband...

2007-06-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

So in honor of Tyler's new job that he starts in just a few short weeks I made his favorite kind of pie for the first time. I decided to give it a wacky name ala the movie Waitress that we saw a couple of weeks ago (great movie!) We will be moving soon and will be able to afford a dog since we won't have to travel around the holidays anymore. We are getting a pug, and perhaps naming him CHUBBS if I get my way. So that's the backstory, and now I give you:

"No More Patent Examining, Now We Can Get a Pug Blueberry Pie"

Ingredients:

Two 9'' pie crusts (do not pre-bake) I used the refrigerated pie crusts you can buy in packs of 2 at the grocery store. You just unroll and go. Really fast and they are good quality pie crusts. Making pie crust from scratch makes me cranky, so I opted not to do that.

Filling:
4 cups (2 pints) fresh blueberries, all stems removed (frozen blueberries can also be used.)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 t. lemon juice
2 T butter

Topping:
1 to 2 T. milk
2 t. sugar
dash of cinnamon

Directions:
Prepare crusts beforehand and place bottom crust in 9'' pie pan. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss gently to mix. Spoon into crust, dot with butter. Top with second crust, seal edges and flute. Cut slits in top crust.

Brush crust with milk, sprinkle with 2 t. sugar and dash of cinnamon.

Bake at 425 for 45 to 55 min. or until golden (middle will puff up). Cover edge of crust with strips of foil or a crust guard (pampered chef makes a great one!) after 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.

Serve ala mode unless you are crazy and like naked, lonely pie like my husband ;)

The Great American Meal

2007-06-08T18:18:00.000-05:00

Mmm fried chicken. Can't say I've had the real thing within the last year, but the oven fried stuff is very tasty, so tasty I *almost* don't miss the real thing :) This is not the healthiest recipe, I think next time I want ranch flavored chicken I can make a "light" version, but this was a great splurge. I served it with mashed potatoes, a dish that I am constantly playing around with (should have made a veggie too but I was in a hurry and Tyler wasn't around to remind me to eat my veggies). There are so many great versions of mashed potatoes, it's hard to make the same kind twice. Experimenting is just so much fun :) I got the chicken recipe from the lovely Joelyn and reduced it from her party-size portion, check out her blog if you haven't already, she makes some great stuff!

Oven Fried Chicken

marinade:
6 pieces of chicken - thighs & drumsticks (I used boneless skinless chicken breasts since we are trying to eat through our freezer)
1/2 bottle of prepared ranch salad dressing
1/4 small jar mayonnaise
1/4 can evaporated milk

coating:
1/4 box of wheat or corn flakes, crushed
1 cup tempura flour (didn't have so I omitted this)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 dry packet ranch dressing

Place chicken in a large container to marinate.
In a separate bowl, combine the ranch dressing, mayo and milk.
Pour marinade over chicken to coat.
Marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine coating ingredients in a shallow pan.
Dredge marinated chicken in coating mixture.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Spray tops of chicken with cooking spray to add color.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or when done.
Allow chicken to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Good warm or cold and can be reheated well.

Mashed Red Potatoes (recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.

Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy.

More cookies...

2007-06-02T20:21:00.001-05:00

I played around with this recipe yesterday and today and now I'll share it with you :) I originally got the recipe from allrecipes.com but tweaked it a bit.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries (if using unsweetened dried cranberries increase white sugar to 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 18 cookies if using a medium sized scoop (love my Pampered Chef cookie scoop!)

The green stuff

2007-05-30T19:10:00.000-05:00

We definitely love Mexican food around here and probably have it at least once a week. I've been working on perfecting my guacamole recently, but I still like to cut corners a bit and use a package of Produce Partners Great Guacamole seasoning. Lawry's also makes a good guacamole seasoning (the McCormick stuff in the orange package is nasty though). Eventually I may move to a completely from scratch guac with peppers and other spices, but for now I like my easy semi-homemade guac :)

Easy Mild Guacamole
4 ripe avacados (skin will be dark and the avacado will yield to slight pressure)
3 small roma tomatoes, seeds removed
1/4 of a white onion
1 packet of guacamole seasoning
juice of half a lime
dash of salt

Remove peel and mash up avacados in a large bowl. Chop up tomatoes and onion, add to the avacado mixture. Mix in packet of guacamole seasoning, lime juice, and salt. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate cake, meet my lovehandles.

2007-05-27T09:48:00.000-05:00

Yikes this chocolate cake is sinfully good. It's my third from scratch cake and maybe the best yet, but how can anything beat chocolate cake? Not possible. This stuff is amazing. Warning: do not attempt to eat without a big glass of milk. Thanks to Michelle for recommending this recipe on her blog!

Texas Sheet Cake (from Cooking Light magazine)

Cake Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used skim)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

ICING Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 F.

To prepare the cake, coat a 13x9 cake pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set prepared pan aside.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 3 ingredients (2 cups flour through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; pour into flour mixture. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add buttermilk , 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375 F for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on wire rack.

To prepare the icing, combine 6 tablespoons butter, milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in powdered sugar, pecans, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Cool completely on wire rack.

Mexican Lasagna

2007-05-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

I don't have much to say except this is another one of our standbys. It tastes AMAZING the next day, not that it's bad the first night, but after it's cooled in the fridge the layers settle in well and it reheats great. Leftovers will take care of lunch for the next 2-3 days! So here's the recipe, I got the original from Allrecipes and tweaked it to my liking.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers
1 (2 oz) can sliced black olives
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (8 oz) jar medium taco sauce
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
6-8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded colby jack or mexican blend of cheese
(optional addition is a can of black beans and/or corn, but you'll definitely need a large skillet for all that filling!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat.
2. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, and taco sauce. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by a layer of refried beans then more meat mixture and cheese. Repeat tortilla, beans, meat, cheese pattern until all the meat mixture is used up, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

A favorite standby

2007-05-20T19:07:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite meals to make because everything mixes up quickly and you can bake them all at the same time. So outside of baking the potatoes the meal takes less than 45 minutes start to finish (with a little help from Tyler trimming the fat off the chicken!) The first two recipes are taken from the Betty Crocker Cooking Basics cookbook which I totally love. This is one of the first meals I learned how to make. I highly recommend that cookbook if you are just starting out. There are tons of helpful tips and a picture for every recipe. Plus it's Betty Crocker, you can't go wrong with Ol Betty.

Parmesan Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut in half.
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 T melted butter
2 T dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix melted butter and dijon mustard in a large bowl or flat dish. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a large ziploc bag.
3. Dip the chicken into the butter/mustard mix making sure to thorougly coat it. Then toss into the bag and coat with crumb mixture. Place chicken in single layer in an ungreased rectangular pan.
4. Bake uncovered 30 minutes, making sure to flip the chicken over halfway through baking. Chicken is done when juice is no longer pink when you cut into the center of the thickest piece.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed clean.
2 large spoonfuls sour cream
2 T butter
dash salt and pepper
2 T milk
1 cup colby jack or mexican blend shredded cheese.

Directions:
Poke holes in potatoes and bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
Let potatoes cool, then cut in half and scoop out the potato, place skins on baking sheet to be refilled.
Mix potato, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper on medium speed. Add in milk until the mixture becomes smooth.
Spoon potato mixture into skins, top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dried
1 cup stuffing mix
3 T melted butter
6 oz can creamed corn
dash of salt and pepper
1 egg

Directions:
Mix butter and stuffing mix together until moistened. In a separate bowl mix egg, creamed corn, broccoli, and salt and pepper. Add in stuffing mix and then pour it all into an 8x8 greased pan, bake for 35 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

20 minute meal

2007-05-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

So depending on how long it takes you to to chop and saute the veggies this meal could easily take less than 20 minutes to make, and who doesn't love a super fast meal? I had a bunch of tomatoes and decided to make fresh salsa for the first time. We decided to whip up some quesadillas and call it a meal. We had leftover quesadilla filling so we had them two nights in a row, yum.

Quesadillas (made by Tyler)

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 green pepper
Shredded 4 cheese Mexican cheese
Flour tortillas

Chop up onion and peppers into small pieces, saute with a little oil over medium heat until tender. Place tortilla in pan and put cheese and onion/pepper mix on top, fold over and cook, flip to cook other side until cheese is melted and outside is slightly brown. Serve with fresh salsa.

Fresh salsa (made by Julia)
2 tomatoes, seeds removed
1/2 white onion
2 jalepenos, seeds removed (be careful not to touch the inside/seeds or else your skin will burn for hours!)
1/2 cup cilantro or however much you prefer
juice of one lime
dash of salt
1-2 cloves garlic chopped

Chop up tomatos, onion, peppers, put in food processor and add cilantro, lime juice, salt, and garlic cloves. Pulse/chop in food processor until finely chopped. Serve with quesadillas and chips.

Easy black beans (made by Julia)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 t cumin

Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite Mexican dishes.

Fondue night

2007-05-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

We are always looking for reasons to celebrate and bust out our fondue pot. Birthdays, valentine's day, anniversaries...but this week we wanted fondue and decided to use the series finale of Gilmore Girls as our reason. Not that we are happy it has been canceled, but celebrating 7 great years of my favorite show (though the last year was a little less than stellar!) Obviously this was my idea, not Tyler's ;) We whipped up fondue and it was good but not as good as last time. I skimped on cheese and bought Kraft shredded sharp cheddar, I should have gone for extra sharp and bought a block of the good stuff to grate myself. One should not skimp on cheese. I found the original recipe by googling "the melting pot's cheddar fondue" and we've tweaked it a bit to our liking.

Melting Pot Cheddar Fondue (made by Julia and Tyler)

3 to 3 1/2 oz beer (our chef at The Melting Pot said they use Miller High Life so that's what we use)
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1-2 Tablespoons worcestshire sauce, however much you prefer, it can be strong.
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup swiss cheese

Grate cheese and mix in some flour to very lightly coat the cheese and keep it from clumping.

Mix beer, mustard powder and garlic in the fondue pot, bring to a simmer.
Add in cheese in small batches, and stir until the consistency is right. Add in worcestshire sauce and continue stirring until thickened.

Serve with whatever dippers you prefer. We use Italian or French Bread, Pumpernickel & Rye, and granny smith apples.

For dessert we had chocolate covered strawberries, very yummy. I was not impressed with the microwaveable tub of bakers dipping chocolate. It worked and tasted fine but it clumped up terribly so I wasn't able to use all the chocolate. Next time I will melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove so I can better control the temperature.

Menu planning tip

2007-05-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I was completely out of meal ideas and drawing a complete blank on what I know how to make. I was trapped in a rotation of the same 4-5 meals and really needed to break out of it. So I followed the advice of a friend and created a list of everything I know how to make, broken up into categories. Now when I am planning meals I can look at this list and choose a few oldies but goodies to add to the list of new recipes I want to try. It makes meal planning for the next week much quicker. Here's my current list that I am always adding to, let me know if you want the recipe for any of these that are not currently posted on my blog:

Asian: potstickers, stir fry, curry

Mexican: burrito pie, black bean casserole, fajitas, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, taco salad, chicken enchiladas, black bean and rice enchiladas.

Italian: baked ziti, lasagna, spaghetti, lemon spaghetti, ravioli/tortellini, chicken parmesan, pizza, balsamic chicken drummettes, lasagna rolls

American & Other Misc: cheeseburgers, parmesan dijon chicken, slow cooker pork chops, pot roast, french dips, turkey-swiss sandwiches, pancakes, chicken salad, grilled chicken salads, greek pitas, slow cooker bbq chicken

Soups/Stews: chili, potato soup, santa fe chili, chicken and dumplings

Side Dishes: broccoli casserole, quiche, pasta salad, fruit salad, twice baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, oven fries, salad, black beans

Lasagna rolls....just the way I like em!

2007-05-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

So I made lasagna rolls a few months ago and BLECH I hated them! I used as much spinach as the recipe called for and I felt like I had to choke that green stuff down. Frozen spinach does not taste so great, especially in large portions. So this time I decided I was going to make the lasagna rolls my way, and not follow the recipe so closely. So I took the original recipe, adjusted the spinach to ricotta ratio, and topped them with meat sauce made with our new favorite tomato sauce: Classico spicy tomato and basil.

Lasagna Rolls with Meat Sauce

Meat Sauce:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion chopped
26 oz of your favorite tomato sauce, store bought or homemade

Lasagna Rolls:
10 lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 package of frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry (they come in 10 oz packages)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 t salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella & provolone cheese (or just mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat, drain fat. Add tomato sauce, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cook lasagna noodles in a pot of boiling water, drain and set aside.

Mix ricotta, spinach, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl until blended.

Spread 1/2 c tomato sauce on the bottom of 13x9 glass pan to prevent lasagna rolls from sticking to the bottom.

Spread 3-4 tablespoons of cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle, roll and place seam side down in 13x9 glass pan. Cover with meat sauce, sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before eating.

lasagna rolls before covering with sauce and cheese

Making bread for the very first time

2007-05-13T18:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Amber for introducing me to this recipe, it was intimidating at first but I'm glad I took on the challenge! Kneading the bread and punching it down was good stress relief. It was an all day project but the bread turned out quite tasty though a little denser than I expected (this could have to do with the bread not rising as much as it should, who knows). This is a Williams Sonoma recipe that you can find on their website.

Parmesan Cheese Bread

Use freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, preferably imported, for the best flavor. And you will achieve better results in bread making if you buy one of the professional-quality active dry yeasts, such as Engedura from Holland or SAF from France. You can also make the dough by hand: Stir together the ingredients in a bowl and then knead the dough on a lightly floured board until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more
as needed
1 Tbs. (1 package) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions:

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the 3 3/4 cups flour, the yeast and salt. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until just mixed together. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over the dough. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and begin mixing and kneading on very low speed. When the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, brush it with a little olive oil and return it to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Brush a 9-inch round pan with olive oil.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on a plate. Punch down the dough. Return it to the floured work surface and knead a few times. Then, using your palms, roll the dough to form a log about 12 inches long. Cut the log in half crosswise, then cut each half crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Knead each dough piece a couple of times, roll it between the palms of your hands into a ball, and then roll it in the cheese to coat lightly and evenly, shaking off any excess. As each ball is coated, place it in the prepared pan, resting it against the rim and pressing down slightly to form a 2-inch disk. Arrange 9 balls around the rim and 3 balls in the center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the cheese remaining on the plate. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, cut a slash 1/4 inch deep in the top of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until brown and crusty, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls rest in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan; the rolls will come out in a single loaf.

Serve the loaf warm, breaking off the rolls at the table. Or let cool, top side up, on the rack. Makes 12 rolls.

And I'm back...

2007-05-13T17:15:00.000-05:00

I did not want to cook last week. At all. I don't really know what we ate but we survived and today I made up for my lack of enthusiasm with a whirlwind day in the kitchen. I baked bread, made a cake from scratch, and I made lasagna rolls for dinner. I will reveal the bread and lasagna rolls shortly, but let's do dessert first ;) I was surfing the food network website this morning looking at the Barefoot Contessa's amazing recipes and found this one and since I had the ingredients on hand I went for it. I've posted the recipe below with my changes in italics.

Ina's Strawberry Country Cake (made by Julia)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (they warm up to room temp really fast if you soak them in a bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes)
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling for each cake:
1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream, chilled (the store was out of regular heavy cream so I had to buy presweetened bakers cream. It tasted fine when whipped up so I did not have to add the sugar or vanilla)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans. (I didn't have parchment paper but some non-stick cooking spray and flour did the trick).

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (my cakes cooked much faster since they were in dark nonstick pans, I don't think they baked for more than 30 minutes). Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries.

2007-05-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Tyler was kind enough to whip up dinner tonight (well I did the sides, he made the chicken). This recipe has received raves so we thought we'd give it a try. It is Giada's recipe for chicken drumettes but we used chicken breasts instead. We did not have sesame seeds on hand or the fresh herbs so we used the dried stuff, it would be even better with all the ingredients! This was a great chicken dish, we will definitely make it again.

Balsamic Chicken (made by Tyler)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, halved
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsleyCombine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

5 minute dessert

2007-05-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

I whipped these up as fast as instant pudding. Sooooo tasty. A great Monday night dessert to eat while watching Heroes :)

Peanut-Butterscotch Haystacks

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups chow mein noodles

DIRECTIONS

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter on top of a double boiler, or in a microwave. Blend together.
Stir noodles gently into the melted peanut butter mixture.
Drop dough by forkfuls onto waxed paper. Cool until set. Keep refrigerated.

Outrageous Brownies

2007-05-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd give from-scratch brownies a try this weekend since we need a delicious dessert for our Cinco de Mayo party. This recipe has been getting raves and I saw Ina make it on her show recently. They taste intensely chocolatey! Ina recommends keeping these brownies in the fridge instead of serving them at room temperature.

Ina's Outrageous Brownies

1/2 pound unsalted butter
1/2 pound plus 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 extra-large eggs
1.5 tablespoons instant coffee powder (I omit this ingredient)
1 tablespoons real vanilla extract
1cup + 2 tbsp sugar
0.625 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1/2 cup for batter and 2 tbsp cup in the chips and nuts)
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1.5 cups diced walnut pieces (also optional, I left them out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. (325 degrees if using a dark non-stick pan)

Melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler (I did this step in a glass dish in the microwave at 30 second intervals). Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not overbake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Easy Italian

2007-05-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

Mmm I love this dish! It takes less than 40 minutes including prep time and cook time. I served it over rotini with some garlic cheese rolls I threw together. This is an allrecipes.com recipe that I have tweaked to my liking.

Tomato Chicken Parmesan (made by Julia)

INGREDIENTS

1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 pound pasta sauce
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (Tonight I used a mix of mozzarella and provolone)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
Pour half of tomato sauce into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle cheese over each breast, then bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and chicken is no longer pink inside.

Love.These.Cookies.

2007-04-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

I discovered this recipe about a month ago. Not much to say about them except that they are so delicious! I'm taking them to work tomorrow to share the yumminess. This recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies if you don't eat too much of the dough!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (made by Julia)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs (at room temp)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 oz white chocolate chips
5 oz. chopped macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the white chocolate and nuts. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container.

BBQ without the grill

2007-04-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

I've been craving bbq but since we don't have a grill (well the tiny george foreman grill doesn't really count) I decided to try shredded bbq chicken sandwiches in the crockpot. I love crock pot meals, especially on the weekend when I'd rather be out and about than cooking all evening. With a side of baked beans and corn on the cob it was a delicious summery meal!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken (made by Julia)

INGREDIENTS:

3 large chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar (any type)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
20-25oz bottled barbeque sauce (we used KC Masterpiece)

Place chicken, water, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and cumin in slow-cooker set on low. Cook for 6 hours. Drain juices. Shred chicken right in slow-cooker using two forks to pull it apart. Pour in barbeque sauce; stir to combine. Cook on low for an additional hour. Serve on buns with your choice of sides. Makes about 4-6 servings.

A Chili's Favorite

2007-04-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

I love the southwest eggrolls at Chili's, thanks to Robin for introducing me to them freshman year in college on one of our many trips to Chili's when we probably should have been studying! Sometime last year I got the recipe off a message board and I've made them a few times since. They of course do not taste just like the Chili's version but they are healthier and just as tasty. No frying involved! I serve them with a side of guacamole, this time I added some ranch dressing to create the "avacado-ranch" dipping sauce that I get at Chili's (though mine is more of a guacamole and less of a salad dressing).

"Skinny" Southwest Eggrolls (made by Julia)

Ingredients

5 oz. can cooked chicken breast

1/3 c. corn kernels (frozen or canned)

1/2 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 tbsp. jarred jalapeno juice

2 tbsp. salsa

½ tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (optional, we don't like cilantro so we leave it out)

½ tsp. cumin

1/3 tsp. salt

pinch cayenne pepper (also optional depending on how much heat you want)

1 c. shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (I often use the Mexican cheese blend)

3-4 flour tortillas

vegetable oil

Combine all but the last three ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over
medium-high heat until well blended. Remove from heat and stir in
Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Spoon even amounts of filling into
tortillas. Fold ends and roll, securing with a toothpick. Place
eggrolls on oil-coated cookie sheet, and brush rolls with oil. Bake at
425* for 15-20 minutes, flipping eggrolls half way through to brown on
both sides. Serve with salsa or guacamole.

Another fantastic quiche

2007-04-26T14:04:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting here at work trying to plan our menu for the next week and all I can think about is how much I love quiche. We've had two quiches in the last month and I will probably wait awhile before making one again but I figured I'd post this recipe in case anyone else is up for trying a quiche soon. It's another allrecipes find.

Quiche Lorraine

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
6 slices bacon (I use turkey bacon it is tasty and low fat)
1 onion, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Line pastry with a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until crust is set. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease in skillet. Cook onion in reserved drippings until tender; drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in bacon and onion. In a separate bowl, toss cheese and flour together. Add cheese to egg mixture; stir well. Pour mixture into hot pastry shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edges of crust with foil to prevent burning. Let quiche cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta Night

2007-04-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick vegetarian meal that Tyler really likes. I didn't make any major changes but I did toss in some chopped up asparagus that I sauted until tender. I garnished with some fresh parm, yummy.

Giada's Lemon Spaghetti (made by Julia)

1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I use the stuff from my spice rack and season to taste)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

A tale of two cakes

2007-04-24T16:21:00.000-05:00

I was looking through photos and found this one of the Hummingbird Cake I made for Tyler's birthday. It was my first cake from scratch and I was so excited that it turned out. I grew up on cake from a box or the store bought kind. I still love those (see funfetti goodness below) but now I love the challenge of making a cake from scratch. Hummingbird Cake is a favorite of Tyler's family, and when I googled the recipe I discovered that it is the most requested recipe in Southern Living Magazine history.

Hummingbird Cake (made by Julia, woo hoo!)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped bananas

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Fold in chopped pecans.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator.

A couple of changes that I made: I didn't have 3 pans, so I made it in 2 which meant it had to cook longer and may have been a bit denser. I also forgot to combine the chopped pecans with the frosting before I put it on the cake so I just dumped them on top!

_____________________________________________________________

Funfetti Cake (made by Tyler for Julia's bday)

Directions:
Follow directions on Funfetti Cake Box
Frost with Rainbow Chip Frosting, other frostings are just not the same.
Eat it fast before it falls apart.

I'm not really sure if my husband had ever frosted a cake before...

The cake split apart and the top layer started sliding off the bottom layer...it was still yummy!

Another semi-homemade dessert

2007-04-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

We went to a game night at friend's home yesterday and in lieu of a rich and chocolaty dessert we took mini-fruit pizzas instead. I saw the recipe on the Pillsbury website a few weeks ago and bookmarked it in hopes that I'd have an occasion to make them soon. Now that strawberries are back in season I am always looking for an excuse to eat them! These were quick to make and tasted great! We are still chowing down on the leftovers! I used fruit I had on hand, strawberries, kiwis, and mandarin oranges.

Mini Fruit Pizzas (made by Julia)

1	(18-oz.) pkg. (20 cookies) Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ Refrigerated Sugar Cookies
1	(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2	tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1/2	cup powdered sugar
10	fresh strawberries, quartered
1	kiwi fruit, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 10 slices
1/2	cup fresh blueberries
1/2	cup fresh raspberries

1 .	Bake cookies as directed on package. Cool 10 minutes or until completely cooled.
2 .	Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine cream cheese, limeade concentrate and powdered sugar; beat until smooth.
3 .	Spread each cooled cookie with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture. Arrange fruit on top of each. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.

The perfect weekend meal

2007-04-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

This is my second quiche in as many weeks. I first discovered this recipe while on Weight Watchers over a year ago, but had misplaced the recipe since then. After some extensive googling I located a copy and decided to whip it up this weekend. It's easy and tasty, we needed a light dinner for tonight and the quiche is just right!

Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche (made by Julia)

6 oz pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated (I use the frozen Pillsbury deep dish crusts to save time)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup red onion(s), chopped
1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Press pie crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate until ready to use.
To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

Tyler's turn in the kitchen

2007-04-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

Tyler discovered this stir-fry recipe about 6 months ago and it is now one of our favorite meals. We've tried other stir-frys but keep coming back to this one. Our recipe is adapted from a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal recipe. You can make this with chicken or beef. We eat so much chicken that we usually make this with london broil just to shake things up. Tyler is not comfortable enough with this whole "food blogging thing" to write an intro himself but here's what he said when I asked if he had tips for this recipe: "Taste the sauce as you go along, be careful not to let it get too salty." There you go folks, tips from the chef himself ;)

Satay Stir-Fry with Orange Scented Jasmine Rice (made by Tyler)

3 3/4 cups water
2 oranges, zested
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons canola oil
Flank steak or london broil cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bag of your favorite variety of stir fry veggies.

Satay sauce:
4 rounded tablespoonfuls chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 orange, juiced

Heat water with orange zest to boiling. Add rice, return to boil, stir. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook rice until tender, 18 minutes. Fluff with fork.

For stir-fry, heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add beef, garlic and onion, stir-fry 3 minutes. Add remaining veggies and stir-fry 5 minutes more. Heat all ingredients for sauce together in a small pot over low heat, stirring the sauce until all ingredients are combined. Add sauce to meat & veggie mix, stir until coated. Serve over orange-scented jasmine rice.

Game Night

2007-04-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Tyler and I had some of his work buddies over for game night yesterday. I'm proud to say that I beat all of them in some Vegas Showdown board game. I'd never played it before but apparantly I am a natural at building fake hotels and casinos, who'd of thought? Since there wasn't much time to prepare dinner I went the easy route, baked ziti and a bagged salad and ready to bake garlic bread. I don't have any pictures but here's the ziti recipe.

Baked Ziti (made by Julia)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry ziti pasta (penne is a good substitution)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I prefer Classico, the cabernet marina is my favorite)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Chocolate time

2007-04-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

I needed a dessert for game night but I didn't want to have to buy any ingredients since we are trying to tighten our grocery budget. These cookies can be made with ingredients most people have in their pantry all the time. They are perfect for satisfying any chocolate craving! My mom made them for us growing up, one of my favorites!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups softened butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter & sugar in large mixing bowl, add eggs and vanilla, blend well.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, blend into creamed mix.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool until set 1 minute, cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Warm soup, Cold day

2007-04-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite recipes. My friend Kristen gave it to me in college and it's the only potato soup recipe I've made since. It is thick and creamy and perfect on a cold day. Since winter seems to keep going on and on this year I figured mid-April was still okay for soup. Usually we only make chili's and soups from the first day of fall to the first day of spring. I love this soup so much I may make it year round...hope you enjoy it!

Restaurant-Quality Baked Potato Soup

3 russet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped white onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/8 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup heavy cream (I always substitute fat free half & half or skim milk to make it healthier)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
8 ounces bacon - cooked and crumbled (turkey bacon is a tasty and healthier alternative)
2 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake potatoes for 1
hour, or until done. Set aside to cool. (I pop them in the fridge for 3o minutes)

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until
tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, and cook 5 minutes to make a
roux. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add cornstarch and mashed potato
flakes. Season with salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil,
reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the skin from the cooled potatoes, and discard. Dice the
potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and stir into soup, along with the
half-and-half. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. Spoon into
bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped green onion.

Tart and sweet

2007-04-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

Blueberry-Lemon Bread (made by Julia)
We love blueberry bread (I usually just use blueberry muffin mix) but I'm trying to learn to bake more things from scratch. This was an easy recipe and very tasty! I got it on allrecipes.com where I get most of my recipes. I love reading reviews from other people to get a good idea of how to tweak the recipe and get the best results. In this case I decreased the sugar to 3/4 cup to help the sweetness balance with the tart lemon flavor. I left off the sugary glaze because I wasn't really in the mood for it.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 lemon, juiced
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x4 Inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat well. Mix in the juice of 1 lemon. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Fold in the lemon zest and blueberries. Pour into prepared 8x4 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. For the glaze, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle over cake while still warm.

Potstickers aka the tastiest thing I have eaten in months

2007-04-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

Tyler and I love our sister-in-law Xue's potstickers. Since we only see her once a year that's about as often as we have them. We got a craving and decided we were up for the challenge. I had to drive all over town to find the potsticker wrappers (Giant and Safeway do not carry them, but Wegman's does) and it was so worth it!

Pork potstickers (made by Tyler)

Recipe is a cross between Xue's and one I got from one of my favorite food bloggers.

1/2 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2/3 cup green onions
1/4 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Potsticker wrappers (they are small and round, you need about 30-40)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Mix raw pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, cabbage, and garlic in a bowl. We did not find in neccessary to run it through a food processor, we just mixed it by hand.

Lay a potsticker wrapper on a flat, dry surface and put a Tbsp of mixture in the middle. Using your fingers, dampen the wrapper surrounding the filling and fold the dumpling, pressing the seams together.

Add oil to a skillet over medium heat and add dumplings (we cooked about 12 at a time in our large skillet) Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover tightly until all the liquid cooks off. Flip when the dumplings are golden brown on one side. They will be done with they are slightly browned on both sides and a potsticker cut in half reveals no pink.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Tyler's dipping sauce: a mixture of soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and green onions.

Tyler hard at work, I just took the pictures!

Rough Day. Need Cookies

2007-04-10T19:34:00.000-05:00

The oh so popular Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(made by Julia)

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

I like to refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes before I bake the first batch.

To keep the cookies from getting all puffy I slam the cookie sheet down on the stove top a couple of times when I remove them from the oven. It releases the air and they flatten out.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Monday night Mexican

2007-04-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas (made by Julia)

I bookmarked this recipe on allrecipes.com a few weeks ago and this made a quick and easy (not to mention really tasty) Monday night dinner. We love Mexican food and I'm trying to make one vegetarian meal a week to cut down on how much we spend on pricey meat at the grocery store and to cut fat in general.

I made a couple of modifications based on what we had in our pantry. Instead of topping the enchiladas with salsa I used a can of mild enchilada sauce. I also omitted the cilantro since neither of us is a fan.

This picture is not so great, I was in a hurry to eat and didn't have much patience to get a beautiful shot. Plus I think it's kind of challenging to make enchiladas smothered in sauce and cheese look pretty. ;) Despite how they look they tasted great and we will definitely make them again, maybe with some green onion on top and some black olives inside.

INGREDIENTS

1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1/4 cup picante sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup salsa
1 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through and mixture thickens. Add rice; cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.
Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides over filling and roll up. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon salsa over each tortilla. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Easter Sunday, new beginnings

2007-04-08T19:30:00.000-05:00

I love reading food blogs and despite my husband's teasing have decided to create one of my own, modest as it may be. It will be fun to chronicle our cooking (mis)adventures and look back on them later.

Easter Sunday we stayed busy in the kitchen. Well Tyler did most of the work and I cheered him on and took photos.

Garlic-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Potatoes (made by Tyler)

Recipe from a nestie whose name I cannot recall, when I googled this recipe it came up on the Viva Paper Towels website, which explains the constant recommendation to use paper towels in the directions!

In this variation, the jus is omitted and the potatoes roast in the flavorful drippings. The roasted garlic cloves can be spread on bread and eaten alongside the chicken.

Serves 3 to 4
Chicken and Brine

1/2 cup table salt
10 cloves garlic , unpeeled
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), giblets discarded

Garlic-Rosemary Paste

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or press through garlic press (2 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing chicken

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes (2-inch), quartered
10 cloves medium-large garlic , unpeeled
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. FOR THE CHICKEN AND BRINE: Combine salt, garlic, and rosemary in zipper-lock bag; seal, pressing out air. Pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until garlic cloves are crushed. Transfer mixture to large container or stockpot and stir in 2 cups hot tap water; let stand 10 minutes to release flavors. Add 1 1/2 quarts cold tap water and stir until salt is dissolved. Submerge chicken in brine and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set V-rack in small roasting pan and lightly spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

3. FOR THE PASTE: Stir together rosemary, garlic, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl. Rub about 1 1/2 teaspoons of paste in cavity of chicken. Carefully loosen skin over breast and thigh on each side; slip half of remaining paste under skin on each side of breast, then, using fingers, distribute paste over breast and thigh by rubbing surface of skin (see illustrations 1 through 3, below). Tie ends of drumsticks together with kitchen twine and tuck wings behind back. Rub all sides of chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and season with pepper. Set chicken breast-side down on prepared V-rack and roast 15 minutes.

4. During first 15 minutes of roasting, toss potatoes, unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt and pepper in medium bowl. After chicken has roasted 15 minutes, scatter potatoes and garlic in single layer in roasting pan; roast for another 15 minutes.

5. Remove roasting pan from oven; decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees. Using tongs or wads of paper towels, rotate chicken breast-side up; brush breast with 1 teaspoon oil and stir potatoes. Continue to roast until chicken is medium golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thigh registers about 160 and 175 degrees, respectively. Transfer chicken to large plate.

6. While chicken rests, transfer potatoes and garlic to large paper towel-lined plate and pat with additional paper towels. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and garlic.

Asparagus sauted over medium heat in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. (made by Julia)

Strawberry-banana trifle. (made by Julia)
I suppose you would call this a "semi-homemade" dessert. I layered store bought angel food cake with vanilla instant pudding, cool whip, strawberries, and bananas. It gets soggy after sitting in the fridge overnight so it's best to make it and eat it promptly.