Dish it up

Brown Sugar- Cinnamon Peach Pie

2011-07-02T21:21:00.003-04:00

I am loving all the time I have had to bake this summer. Now I'm sure I won't be loving my waistline after while but I love being in the kitchen. I received the July issue of Southern Living recently and on the front cover was a beautiful peach pie. As soon as I saw it I was dying to make it. Luckily peaches were on sale recently so I didn't have to wait to make this. We had an impromptu family dinner last night so luckily I could take this and not have to eat the whole thing myself! This pie was devoured. It is so delicious and I can't wait to make it again

I think this pie came out wonderful but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture at home and had to do so with my phone.

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Peach Pie

1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups AP flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (about 4lbs.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1. Cut 1 1/3 cups butter into small cubes, and chill 15 minutes. Stir together 4 cups flour and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup ice water with a fork, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened and dough begins to form a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press and shape dough into 2 flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes to 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425. Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around a rolling pin. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Press dough into pie plate.

3. Roll remaining dough disk to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

4. Peel peaches, and cut into 1/2-inch slices; cut slices in half. Stir together brown sugar, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 cup flour in a bowl; add peaches, stirring to coat. Immediately spoon peach mixture into pie crust in pie plate and dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter. (Do not make mixture ahead or it will become too juicy).

5. Carefully place remaining pie crust over filling; press edges of crusts together to seal. Cut off excess crust, and reserve. Crimp edges of pie. If desired roll excess dough to 1/4 inch thickness . Cut into 3-inch leaves using a knife. Brush top of pie with beaten egg; top with leaves. Brush leaves with egg; sprinkle with 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.

6. Freeze pie 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat a jelly-roll pan in oven 10 minutes. Place pie on hot jelly-roll pan.

7. Bake at 425 on lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375, bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack; cool 2 hours before serving.

Pioneer Woman Pancakes

2011-07-02T21:01:00.004-04:00

My sister in law gave me the Pioneer Woman's cookbook for my birthday a few weeks ago. I have been so excited to break it open and get cooking. I started with these pancakes because I wanted to freeze some so I could have them during them during the school year. These were just as easy as any other pancakes and they came out perfectly. Light and fluffly and delicious! To go with my pancakes I made a cinnamon syrup since I don't really care for regular maple syrup. The syrup made them even better than they already were!

Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes
Source: The Pioneer Woman

1 cup sour cream
7 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter

1. Place an iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
2. Place the sour cream in a medium bowl. Dump in the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir together very gently. Stop before being totally combined, it gives the pancakes an interesting texture.
4. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.
5. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/flour mixture
7. Stir together gently. Don't worry about the mixture being totally combined.
8. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the skillet. Pour the batter onto the skillet 1/4 cup at a time.
9. Cook for 1-11/2 minutes, then flip the pancake over. Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Cinnamon Syrup
Source: See Jane in the Kitchen
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk.

Strawberry Crumb Bars

2011-06-26T09:00:00.003-04:00

Yet again another strawberry recipe! I just can't resist their deliciousness this summer.
These little bars are absolutely wonderful. I had to pull myself away from the pan when they were ready to eat.

Strawberry Crumb Bars
Source: Smells Like home
1½ cups sugar, divided
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 sticks (½ lb) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
4 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 13×9 inch pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and flour. Mix in the salt and the lemon zest, and stir together with a fork. Cut in the butter and egg with a pastry blender (or two knives if you don’t have one) until the largest chunks are about pea-sized. The mixture should be crumbly without much loose flour. Spread about half of the dough mixture in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared pan and press down firmly to form the bottom crust.

In another bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the strawberries with a rubber spatula until combined. Spread the berry mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the berries. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

Strawberry Pie

2011-06-25T19:45:00.004-04:00

I love strawberries! I have a few more recipes with strawberries to add on here! My friend recently made this pie and it was just delicious. I asked for the recipe and made this for Father's day. It is really easy and the pie was really popular at our Father's day get together.

The one change I made to this pie was to not use the top pie crust and instead do a crumble topping.

Strawberry Pie
Source: My friend Liz

Make a double-crusted pie crust (or buy it)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

8 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tb. of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tb. heavy cream (i just use water)

Roll dough over pie dish, cut edges and allow to chill for 30 min.

Place strawberries in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about 1/2 cup of berries (i don't do this step b/c the juice runs over). Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly to the center. Dot with butter; place other dough on top of berries. (don't forget to poke holes through if you're doing a full crusted pie.)

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Lightly brush rim of chilled pie shell with egg wash and the top crust layer. Freeze or refrigerate pie for 30 min. (I skip this step too, haha, and it still turns out ok).

Place pie in oven and bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 min. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees, and continue backing, rotating sheet halfway through, until the crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and thickened, 40-50 min. Allow to cool

BBQ Chicken Kabobs

2011-06-11T13:52:00.004-04:00

Summer gives me more time to be in the kitchen and it makes me so excited to try my ever growning list of recipes.
We had these kabobs for dinner the other night and they were delicious. I was also able to conquer a new kitchen feat with this meal! I had never bought a fresh pineapple before so instead of using can or store prepared pineapple I cut the whole thing up myself and it is delicious!! I think it's all I can buy from now on, it was so simple and so much better than out of a can.

Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs Recipe:
Source: Hoosier Homemade
Ingredients:
1-2 pounds chicken, boneless skinless, cut into chunks
1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 each red, yellow and green peppers {you can use orange too if you like}
1 cup BBQ sauce {we used Sweet Baby Rays}
6 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
Directions:

1.Soak wooden skewers in water about 15-20 minutes.
2.Thread chicken, peppers and pineapple onto skewers.
3.Mix barbecue sauce and orange juice concentrate in a small bowl and set aside.
4.Heat the grill to medium-high.
5.Brush half of the sauce onto the skewers.
6.Grill 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.
7.Brush on remainder of sauce while skewers are cooking.
Servings:

This recipe makes about 18-20 skewers, with a little sauce left over. You can easily cut the recipe in half.

To grill pineapple, cut a 1/2 inch thick slice of fresh pineapple and place on grill. Turning once until the pineapple is slightly brown and there are grill marks on the pineapple

Strawberries and Cream Pie

2011-06-11T13:42:00.005-04:00

It's been awhile huh? I am so excited to finally have time to create in my kitchen. I have a whole list of recipes to try this summer. I made this pie for mother's day. It was a hit! I love how pretty it is and while it may look like it took some time to make it really took no time at all!

Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream Pie
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 quart fresh strawberries

1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature (light is fine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 9″ graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
1-2 ounces chocolate

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate large bowl, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Add about 1 c. of the whipping cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and well-combined. Add the remaining whipping cream mixture and mix until just combined. Spread in the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare the strawberries.

Wash the strawberries and cut off the stems. Blot dry with a paper towel and then gently press, cut side down, into the whipped cream mixture. Set aside.

If using a chocolate bar, break it into equal pieces and place in a small Ziploc bag. Microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stopping the microwave every 20 seconds to mash the bag. You want the chocolate to be melted but not hot at all. When the chocolate is melted, snip a corner off the bag and drizzle it over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. Serves 8.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-02-27T19:18:00.003-05:00

Here is another breakfast recipe for you! I recently found the blog Comfy in the Kitchen and she has some great recipes. On Fridays she has a Feasting in Fellowship link up. As I searched around one Friday I found this recipe. I thought it would meet my breakfast criteria perfectly! And it did, it was super simple, I will be able to grab it and go in the mornings and it tastes wonderful. It is really moist and has a great texture.
I hope you enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Source:The Unworking Mom
1 cup and 1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup brown sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bunt pan or 9x13 baking pan w/spray oil.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, cream cheese and margarine until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

Add to cream cheese mixture.

Fold in blueberries.

Pour the batter into pan.

Topping: Combine left over sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter.

Cook 1 hour in bundt pan or 30-35 minutes in a 9 x 13 pan

Glazed Cinnamon Scones

2011-01-09T18:33:00.004-05:00

I recently found this delicious recipe and when I saw the pictures I knew I had to make it. I made these to have for my breakfast throughout the week. It doesn't take much to make these. As soon as I took the first bite I was hooked. They are absolutely delicious!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I will this week!

Glazed Cinnamon Scones
Source: Money Saving Mom

Scone Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, separated
3 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice)

Crumb Topping (can be adjusted to your liking):
1-2 Tablespoons turbinado (or sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients (can be adjusted to your liking):
1 cup powdered sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk (enough to make a glaze)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

Separate the egg white and yolk. Set the egg white aside.

In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk, honey and buttermilk (or milk/lemon juice mixture). Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Form dough into a ball on a floured surface. Roll or pat out to half an inch in thickness and eight inches in diameter. Cut into eight equally-sized pieces.

Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Whisk the egg white until froth forms and brush over the tops of scones. Mix turbinado and cinnamon together and sprinkle over egg-white-topped scones.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze forms. Drizzle over scones after they bake.

No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie

2011-01-01T11:24:00.004-05:00

This is a dessert that I made for Thanksgiving. I know I'm a little behind!! My mom asked me to make something sugar free for my dad to have on Thanksgiving. When I saw this recipe I knew it was exactly what I wanted to make. My dad loves turtles so i thought this would be perfect.
It was easy to put together and I think it looks delicious! I received many compliments on the look and taste of this dessert!

No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie
Source: Sing For Your Supper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar free caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pecan pieces, divided
1 cup cold 1% milk
2 packages (4-serving size) vanilla sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tub (8 ounce) light whipped topping, thawed, divided

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin, and spices with whisk until blended. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cup whipped topping. Spread into crust.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with remaining whipped topping and 2 tablespoons pecans. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons caramel topping.

Nutritional analysis: (per one slice)
Calories – 165
Fiber – 2.7
Protein – 2
Total fat – 7
Carbohydrate – 23

Pizza Rolls

2011-01-01T11:14:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!!
We had a small party last night and instead of ordering pizza I thought these would be better instead. These were easy and really yummy!

Home Made Pizza Rolls
Source: Tidy Mom

2 cans refrigerated pizza crust
garlic salt
Italian Seasoning
1 cup sliced and chopped pepperoni
1 cup shredded cheese (we used Provolone and Pepper Jack)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Pasta Sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 425
Dust a large cutting board or piece of wax paper with flour and roll out each pizza crust.
Season each crust with garlic salt and Italian seasoning.
Top with cheese and meat
Starting with a short end, roll crust into a tight log
Slice into 1″ sections
Place on lightly greased pan and bake for 10-12 mins.
Serve with pasta Sauce for dipping

Candy Cane Blossoms

2011-01-01T11:05:00.006-05:00

I also made these cookies for Christmas treats. I think these cookies look so pretty. I enjoyed making them especially since they were so easy.

Candy cane Blossoms
Source:Hershey

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.
2 Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies

Chocolate Mint Puddles

2011-01-01T10:50:00.005-05:00

For Christmas I made a couple different treats. My husband really likes mint so I made these with him in mind. These were easy to make and this batch made a lot of cookies!!!

Chocolate Mint Puddles
Source: Sing For Your Supper
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints (Andes mints)

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, Press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. For smaller cookies, break mints in half.

Brownie Covered Oreos

2010-12-20T10:42:00.004-05:00

I love baking at Christmas time. I have a list of new things to try and these were one of them. I made them to take into school one day last week. They were a hit as I left with an empty plate! These were fun to make and I even got Chad to help make them!! That is an accomplishment! :)

Brownie Covered Oreos
Source: Picky Palate

1 Brownie mix (or use your own brownie recipe)

1 package Oreos, I used the Holiday ones

White chocolate, melted for drizzle, or Wilton White frosting pen works great

White nonpariels Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (doesn’t take long). As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan

2. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove drizzle with melted white chocolate or the Wilton White icing pen, sprinkle with nonpariels and EAT! Enjoy

Makes entire package of Oreos

Chicken Stir Fry

2010-12-20T10:31:00.005-05:00

This meal was delicious!! I love that it is so simple and so good. I have had it starred in my google reader for sometime now but just never got around to it. Now I could make this once a week!

Chicken Stir Fry
Source: Meal Planning Mommies

Ingredients
1-2 eggs, uncooked
1 lb chicken cut into pieces
1 tsp. garlic (1-2 garlic cloves)
1-2 cups rice cooked
vegetable oil
soy sauce (I used about 1/4 cup)
Frozen veggies

Begin to cook rice, according to the directions on the package. Pour 2-3 Tbs. oil into skillet and begin to heat oil. Toss in 1-2 eggs and scramble. Add 1-2 cloves garlic and chicken. Allow to cook until chicken is no longer pink on the inside. Throw in vegetables and cook for 6-8 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in rice and soy sauce. (more or less according to taste)

Herbed Rubbed Chicken

2010-11-23T20:02:00.004-05:00

We are always looking for new ideas for dinner, aren't we? I have been in a rut the last couple of weeks and I was determined to step out of that rut this week. Since it is a shorter work week it gave me a little more motivation to get back in the kitchen.
The picture of this dish is what drew me to it. Sorry if mine doesn't do the same for you! :) Talk about easy! This dish is so simple. You just put everything in the pan and let it be! I had my kitchen cleaned up by the time this was ready to eat! I love that.
I think the flavor of this is wonderful. I love the angel hair pasta in it too!

Herbed Rubbed Chicken
Source: The Mess Pot from Annie's Eats
Ingredients:

8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked ( I used a handful of Angel Hair)
2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence. Heat the olive oil in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low. Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted. If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pizza Puffs

2010-11-21T20:26:00.003-05:00

Most Sunday nights we don't usually want a big dinner. I thought these pizza puffs would be just right for our dinner tonight. They are so easy to put together which makes it another plus. I definitely want to make these again for maybe a football night.

Pizza Puffs
Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic/onion powder blend
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Directions:Preheat oven to 375o. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; stir in the milk and egg.

Stir in the cheese and seasonings and let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. (I used a regualr size muffin tin) Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.

Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Cornbread

2010-11-07T00:40:00.002-04:00

My grandmother was a great, true southern cook. She passed away a little over a year ago and I still have urges to call her to tell her about my newest cooking adventure. Tonight was one of those nights.
I was able to have many of my Grandma's cooking tools. Tonight I used her cast iron skillet to make this corn bread. I have never cooked with a cast iron skillet and I was excited to try something new.
I made chili for dinner tonight and decided to make cornbread to go with it. I had some buttermilk to use up so I searched on allrecipes.com. This was a simple recipe and the cornbread came out great, really moist and sweet.

Buttermilk Corn Bread Recipe
Source: All Recipes

1 1/4 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
1.In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a greased 9-in. round or square baking pan (pan will be full). Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2010-10-30T18:24:00.004-04:00

I never used to eat breakfast until I started working. I always try to have something different each week. I also don't give myself a lot of time to eat breakfast so it has to be something I grab and go. This bread fits my criteria! It is also one of the easiest things I have made before. It took me probably 10 minutes to make and that includes pulling out all of my ingredients!
Chad and I each had a slice as a snack and it was delicious. The cinnamon flavor was great and the bread was moist. I will definitely make this often since it is so easy and delicious.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Source: Sing For Your Supper
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cooking oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine the 1 cup of white sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl or mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, beat egg. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla and oil. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg/buttermilk mixture. Stir just until mixed. Do not over-mix.
Pour half of the batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Repeat With a wide rubber scraper or spatula, swirl mixtures together with a down and up circular motion.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until done. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Peach Cobbler

2010-09-25T21:12:00.004-04:00

My husband's Grandpa has been in bad health for the last few months. I have been giving him some of my jars of jam. He really enjoys it and why not give him great food to enjoy right now.

I thought I would also bring him a peach cobbler to enjoy before the end of the season. I searched on Food Network's website for a peach cobbler recipe. I pretty much already knew the best recipe would come from Paula Deen. I first found a video of her making this cobbler. The video shows just how easy this recipe is. Make sure you follow the exact directions she gives. Especially making sure you use self rising flour or add baking powder to your flour if it isn't self rising.

This was delicious and I love the crust. I will definitely use this recipe again and use different fruits as well.

The Lady and Sons Peach Cobbler

Source: Paula Deen Food Network website

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 (28-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, un-drained (use fresh peaches if available; see note*)
Cinnamon, for sprinkling, optional
Vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream, for serving
Directions
*If they are available, by all means use fresh peaches. In a saucepan, mix 2 cups fresh peach slices with one cup sugar and one cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir often, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Substitute this for the canned peaches.

*Cook's Note: The most important part of this dish is not stirring the mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put butter in a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and place in the oven to melt. Stir sugar and flour together and mix well. Slowly add milk and continue stirring to prevent the batter from lumping.

Being careful not to burn yourself, remove hot baking dish containing melted butter from oven; pour batter directly over butter in baking dish. Do not stir.

Spoon fruit on top of batter, then gently pour syrup on top. Do not stir. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of batter, if using. (The most important part of this dish is not stirring the mixture at this point in the recipe.)

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Your batter will rise above your fruit, producing the most wonderful of crusts. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Peach Crisp

2010-08-30T21:20:00.003-04:00

I picked up some peaches on sale today with hopes to just slice them up and enjoy with my breakfast or lunch. Well as I waiting on my husband to get home so I could start dinner, I was checking out the What's Cooking board. Of course someone had to ask for a peach cobbler recipe which got me thinking :)

I searched around allrecipes.com for something I had all the ingredients for and was super simple.

This recipe gave me all of that. I put this whole thing together and had it all cleaned up in about 15 minutes. That is my kind of dessert recipe!

Peach Crisp

Source: allrecipes.com

6 peaches- peeled,pitted and sliced

1/4 tsp almond extract (I was out so I just used vanilla)

1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8 inch square baking pan.

Place the peaches in the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle with the almondy extract.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter until the mixture resmbles crumbs.

Sprinkle the flour mixture in an even layer over the top of the peaches and bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the top is browned.

Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken

2010-08-30T21:01:00.004-04:00

I left school today with absolutely no energy. I really wanted to push this dinner to another night and instead just grab some fast food. On my way home I had to convince myself to stick with dinner and get it done. Alas, I stuck with it and also whipped up a dessert! What???

I am so happy I didn't give in and was able to try something new. This chicken is delicious. It received compliments from my husband which is always a plus! I served this with mashed potatoes and corn. (It was supposed to be corn on the cob but the grocery had not a single good looking cob!)

Enoy such a simple and delicious meal!

Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
Source: Delish

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Pound chicken to even thickness. Approximately 1/2inch to 3/4 inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper. In large dish (or ziploc bag) combine oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and garlic salt. Add chicken and allow to marinate 2-3 hours or overnight. Grill until cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Pizza Baked Spaghetti

2010-08-21T12:53:00.003-04:00

I took dinner to some friends last night that just had a baby. This meal was one of the easiest meals I've put together! I made pizza baked spaghetti, corn on the cob, garlic bread and dessert.

Pizza Baked Spaghetti
Source: The Burton's Block

Ingredients:
Spaghetti (I used an entire box which made a large casserole pan)
Jar of spaghetti sauce
1 Bag of mozzarella cheese
Pepperonis

Cook the spaghetti then layer ingredients in a greased pan.
Noodles, sauce, cheese pepperoni
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Parmesan Orzo

2010-07-14T22:58:00.003-04:00

I am always on the search for side dishes besides our usual corn or green beans.

This orzo was simple and delicious which made it perfect to add to out list of sides.

Source:

Loves to Eat

3 tbs butter

1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

1-1/2 cans (14.5 ounce) chicken broth

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup and 2 tablesoons chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbs 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 and pepper. Transfew to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Strawberrry Jam

2010-07-14T22:39:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago some friends and I got together to make jam! My friend Liz had made it in the past and was willing to show us how it's done. I am so excited I now know how to do this. I feel like it's something I can now cross off my cooking to-do list!

I'll admit before we made this jam I didn't actually really eat much jam or jelly. I mean I kept a jar of grape jelly in the fridge to use at times but that's about it. Well let me tell you in the 3 weeks since we've made this I am almost through my first jar. I have been looking for ideas on how to use it besides pb&j and toast.

I would encourage you to try this sometime it was so easy!

I don't have a recipe for this. We just followed the directions on the pectin package.

Here is my version of the steps.

Mash your strawberries- We used a potato maser and pastry cutter, it would be much easier to use a food processer just don't puree the strawberries.

Add the pectin to the strawberries.

Boil the strawberries.

Once it reaches a rolling boil add the sugar and stir on the stove for one minute.

Remove from the stove and funnel the jam into jars.

*You will probably want to skim the foam off

Close the jars and place in boiling water for 10 minutes and TA-Da you have jam!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2010-06-19T12:05:00.003-04:00

Another baby was recently born so I took a meal to the family. For their meal I made stuffed shells, green beans, strawberry salad and these cookies.

I made enough to keep a couple for Chad. I don't care for chocolate but I thought it would be yummy treat for him. To my surprise they were!! He actually commented how much he liked these cookies! They were just as easy as any chocolate chip cookie.

The recipe came from a cookie cookbook my SIL gave me for Christmas. I have many other cookies bookmarked to try!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Source: 500 Cookies

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) sweet butter
1/3 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of Salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped coarse

Preheat over to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter. Allow to cool slightly. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until thick and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate into the eggs and sugar, followed by the flour and semeisweet chocolate chunks.

Drop tablespoons of mixture onto baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Slide the parchment onto wire racks.

When completely cool, store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Blueberry Pancakes

2010-06-14T11:26:00.007-04:00

This summer has been great so far. I'm not committed to anything and I have just been taking it easy. One thing I did decide to do is preparing myself for next school year. I love to cook and most nights I have no problem making dinner but there are times when I'm stumped on what to have or I'm just too tired to make anything.
We were given a freezer recently so I am doing my best to make meals this summer and freeze them so we can have more wholesome meals on those tiresome nights rather than frozen pizza.

Along with dinner I get sick of deciding what to have for breakfast. I also give myself barely anytime to whip anything up in the mornings. I decided to make these pancakes for breakfast today and then freeze the rest for the school year. All I will have to do in the mornings is pop them in the microwave! My kind of breakfast :)

Blueberry Pancakes
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda). Use a whisk to blend together. In a 4 cup measuring cup or another medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the blueberries and vegetable oil (buttermilk, sour cream, eggs and melted butter) with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir the wet mixture in gently with the dry ingredients just until it starts to fully combine. The batter will be a bit lumpy. If you see streaks of flour, it's okay, but just don't overmix! Let the lumpy batter sit aside for about 10 minutes before you start cooking.

To prepare for cooking, use a 10- or 12- inch nonstick skillet and heat 1 teaspoon of oil or spray with cooking spray.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray enough to coat the bottom. Once the pan gets hot, carefully wipe some off the cooking spray from the pan with a pape towel. I like using a large scoop or even a small soup ladle to measure my pancake batter. You can also use a 1/4 cup measure if you prefer. Take a scoop/ladle or 1/4 cup full of batter and pour into your hot skillet. You should be able to fit 4 small pancakes in a pan, but fit whatever works for you. Top the pancakes with a sprinkle of blueberries once you pour them into the pan.

Cook the pancakes until the edges start to bubble, which means it's starting to set. Take a peek at the bottom of the pancake to see if it's golden brown and that the pancakes start to form bubbles that break on the top of the pancake. At this point, you can flip the pancakes with a spatula. Continue to cook the second side until golden brown.

Serve the pancakes immediately or to keep warm, transfer them onto a wire rack set in a 200 degree oven.

Spaghetti Sauce

2010-06-07T20:18:00.003-04:00

I am loving my summer vacation so far. I have a list of new recipes to try and a list of things to make to stock up my freezer!
Tonight I decided to try a new spaghetti sauce recipe. I had this recipe starred in my google reader and the picture is what drew me to trying this. I was really impressed with this sauce. It was delicious and so easy. It does not take much time except for chopping up your veggies which you could always do ahead of time. I hope you take the time to make this it is so much better than a jar of sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce
Source: Carrie's Sweet Life

•1 lb. Hamburger
•1 large onion diced
•1 green pepper diced
•dash of cyan pepper
•1 lg. Can of sliced tomato
•1 med. can of tomato sauce
•1 sm. can of tomato paste
•Thin with tomato juice
•Bay leaves
•Sweet Basil
•Oregano
•Hot Sauce
Brown the hamburger, onion and green peper together in a pan, drain off excess fat. In large pot add meat and veggies, tomato products and seasonings to taste. Simmer on very low heat for around 10 hours(I let mine simmer four about 30 minutes and it still tasted great) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lemonade Pie

2010-05-24T21:22:00.004-04:00

I recently took dinner to a family who just welcomed a new baby boy! For their dessert I chose this pie. Here in Indy our temps went from cold to HOT! I thought this dessert would be perfect to help stay cool!

Lemonade Pie
Source: There's No Place Like Home

Mix 1 tub of cool whip
1 can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
and 6 oz of frozen lemonade (or you can use limeade too)
After it is mixed together, put it in a baked pie shell( I used a frozen pie crust) and freeze it overnight.

Like suggested on There's No Place Like home. I made two pies as well so we could enjoy our own pie!

Taco Pie

2010-05-24T19:13:00.004-04:00

Summer break is finally here! I have not cooked in my kitchen in two weeks. The last three weeks of school I had something to do each night! I am so happy for summer to be here and the busyness to be done! I have a list of recipes to try and old favorites to get to as well.
For dinner tonight I chose this taco pie. Super easy and super delicious! I found this recipe from Meal Planning Mommies and as their site shows it is also a very inexpensive meal for your family. I hope you enjoy!

Taco Pie
Source: Meal Planning Mommies

Here is what you need:

1 tube crescent rolls
1 pound hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
2 cups sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed taco chips(Fritos)

Step 1: Brown hamburger, drain fat and then add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup of water. Cook until most of the water has evaporated.
Step 2: Put crescent rolls along the bottom and up the sides of a 9x9 dish. Sealing around the edges. (Instead of buying crescent rolls I bought "crescent creations", it is basically the crescent dough in a sheet instead of triangles)
Step 3: Place 1 cup taco chips on crescent rolls
Step 4: Put meat on top of crushed chips
Step 5: Put 2 cups of sour cream on top of meat and spread around.
Step 6: Place 1 cup cheddar cheese on top of sour cream
Step 7: BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 20 MINUTES.
Step 8: Take out and add 1 cup of crushed taco chips, then bake for 5 more minutes.

Chocolate Cheesecake

2010-05-09T20:38:00.003-04:00

This is my second dessert I made for mother's day with my mom in mind. I will say I have never made a cheesecake!!! I will be whipping up some more from now on. I love how this recipe uses the food processer to mix everything. It made it so easy. I actually made both of my desserts simultaneously and it wasn't difficult at all.

Low & Lush Chocolate Cheesecake
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures
recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan
Filling:
1 1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 graham cracker pie crust - homemade or store bought

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut each bar of cream cheese into quarters and toss the pieces into a food processor, along with the sugar. Process, scraping down the bowl 2 or 3 times, for a full 2 minutes. You’ll see how dramatically the cream cheese changes; it will look like white velvet at the end of its beating. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and give the batter 4 longish pulses, the scrape down the bowl and pulse 2 more times. Pour in the chocolate and pulse and scrape a few times to blend the batter well.

Remove the bowl from the processor and rap it hard on the counter a couple of times to de-bubble the batter. Scrape the batter into your prepared graham cracker crust.

Bake the cheesecake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes if you are using a large store bought graham cracker crust or a 9-inch pan or 45 to 50 minutes if you are using a standard store bought graham cracker crust or an 8 1/2-inch pan. The top should be puffed and set, but if you tap the pan gently, the center of the cake will still be a little shaky–that’s just fine. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or for up to 3 days. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate, if desired, before serving.

Cinnamon Cupcakes

2010-05-09T20:32:00.003-04:00

For mother's day today I made two desserts with my mom and MIL in mind. These cinnamon cupcakes were for my mother-in-law. She enjoys cinnamon treats so I thought these would be perfect.
They were extremely easy and tasted great.

I just realized I didn't get any pictures of my desserts!! Just know they looked and tasted delicious.:)

Cinnamon Cupcakes
Source: Loves to Eat

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup whole milk

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. grated orange zest

½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Stir milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat just until butter melts; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick enough for the batter to fall in a heavy ribbon when the beater is lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Add the flour mixture; beat just until blended. Add in milk mixture slowly. Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream the butter and the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and keep adding until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Source: adapted from A Southern Grace

Cheddar & Cracker Chicken

2010-05-04T20:37:00.003-04:00

Jolen did it again! She made another meal (which she found from Real Simple) I can add to my list! This recipe takes barely anytime to put together. With the cracker cheddar mix you can always make enough to have extra left over for another night. (Just be sure to set aside what you want to save before you dip the raw chicken into it.)

Cheddar and Cracker Chicken
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickeness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Beef and Broccoli

2010-05-04T20:28:00.004-04:00

I took another step in my cooking journey! I want to be more adventurous but yet I haven't put those words into action. Now when I say I cook Mexican or Italian cuisine I'm talking spaghetti and tacos! I finally stepped out of those genres and stepped into asian cuisine!
I know I'm a wimp. What was I thinking, this was so easy I don't know why I get so nervous to try something different!
Thanks to Joeleen for such a great recipe. This really was easy and of course delicious!

Beef & Broccoli
original Joelen recipe

Marinade:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (I searched and searched for this but could not find it in my grocery!)
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, and beef. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to prepare, warm up a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil to heat up. Once hot, saute the garlic and onion until softened.

Add the marinated beef and marinade to the skillet. Saute the beef until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the water, oyster sauce and broccoli florets. Let it come to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce and the broccoli cooks from the steam.

When the liquid has reduced almost completely, season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve over steamed rice or noodles

A fun oreo Easter treat.

2010-04-09T21:17:00.004-04:00

I found this super EASY and cute Easter treat over on Picky Palate. I definitely will be using this idea for other holidays and celebrations.

White Fudge Dipped Oreo Easter Cookies
Source: Picky Palate
Bag of Oreo Cookies

Bag of Wilton White Candy Melts (I found mine at WalMart)

Food Decorating Paste or Food Coloring (red, yellow, blue and green)

White nonpareils Sprinkles

1. Take half of the Oreos out of the package and set on plate so they are ready to go. Melt candy according to package directions until smooth. Divide white chocolate into 4 separate bowls then add paste or food coloring until desired color is reached. Start with just a tiny drop so you get pastels Stir then dip tops of oreos in chocolate. Use spoon to spread evenly. Sprinkle with sprinkles then place onto foil, parchment or wax paper to dry. Continue dipping until Oreos and chocolate is used up. Serve room temperature or chilled, Enjoy!!

Easter Lunch!

2010-04-09T21:02:00.007-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter. Chad and I had my parents and my aunt and uncle over for lunch after church. I was so excited to entertain this Easter. My grandma gave me most of her Easter decorations a few years ago and I was determined to really put them to use. I only wish she could have seen it. She was always such a great entertainer and I am sure that's where I get my love for it from!
Here is the table.

For lunch we had a delicious spinach and strawberry salad, Ham, Macaroni, Asparagus and of course Sister Schubert rolls!
The macaroni I made is from this post.
The asparagus is a recipe from one of my aunts.

For dessert we had chocolate pie and strawberry shortcake.

Marshmallow Brownies

2010-03-29T19:50:00.003-04:00

I am finally on Spring Break!! Woohoo! At school on the last day before break we always have a cookout! It's great with tons of food to celebrate the year almost being over :) I brought these super simple delicious brownies!! I don't care for chocolate (I know shocking!!!) so I didn't eat any but these were devoured so I think they were pretty good.

Marshmallow Swirl Brownies
Source: Lauren's Kitchen
Ingredients

•Cooking Spray
•1 pkg family-sized fudge brownie mix (plus whatever ingredients are listed on the box)
•1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
•1/3 cup chocolate frosting

Heat oven to 350. Prepare brownies as indicated on package with oil, water and eggs. Cool completely.

Spread a thin layer of marshmallow creme over brownies. Place frosting in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 10-20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle frosting over marshmallow creme. Swirl with knife.

Refrigerate 15 minutes. To cut cleanly, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray as needed. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Scones

2010-03-20T16:45:00.004-04:00

I've never made a scone before. I have many starred in my google reader to make but I always had in the back of my mind that they were hard to make. What was I thinking?
These are actually really easy! I will definitely start going through the list of other flavors to make!

Blueberry Scones
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
1½ cups (7½ oz.) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F. Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. (Like Annie did I used my food processer for this.) Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. Using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. (If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.) Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated, Spring 2009

Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2010-03-15T19:12:00.003-04:00

This was on the menu for last week but unfortunately I got sick! Thankfully all is well now and I was able to make this tonight. This is a great recipe. I'm also happy it included borccoli! Chad won't eat it usually but mixed in with something he is more likely to like it :)
Give it a try!

Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Source: A Taste of Home Cooking

3-4 broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium)
2 tablespoons oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise (or sour cream)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook broccoli and onion in a pan with 1 tablespoon oil until broccoli is just tender. Arrange in an even layer in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with butter; set aside. Add second tablespoon oil to pan and cook chicken until golden-brown. Arrange on top of broccoli mixture.

Melt two tablespoons butter in empty pan over medium-high heat then add flour. Cook for 1 minute, then add milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheddar and cream cheeses; stir until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise and water chestnuts. Spoon cheese mixture evenly over broccoli.

Place panko in a small bowl. Drizzle with remaining two tablespoons melted butter, and toss. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over broccoli mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until mixture begins to bubble and breadcrumbs brown.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2010-03-08T20:18:00.003-05:00

I finally made a good potato soup! Chad loves potato soup from O'Charley's and I have been trying to make his grandma's recipe but it never came out right. I thought I would try this recipe. It seemed easy enough and it was. It turned out great :) The only drawback was that it took some time to chop everything. I didn't even think about this when planning when to eat dinner so we ate slightly later than planned but it's ok we still ate :) I know I could have chopped my veggies when I brought home everything from the grocery but I was in a rush that day.
Definitely try this recipe!

Cheesy Potato Soup
Source: Crystal's Creations

Ingredients -
8-10 medium Red Potatoes
Water to cover potatoes
1 Green Pepper
1 large Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 package Bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup Milk
1/3 package Velveeta, cut into 1" cubes
1 teaspoon Celery Seed (I omitted)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Quarter and cut potatoes into small pieces. ( I cut mine into sticks) You can peel them or scrub and leave skin on. You may leave the skin on for red or new potatoes, and peel if using others.Place potatoes in large pot and cover with water; add salt. Boil, covered until tender.

While potatoes are boiling, place bacon, onion, garlic, and green pepper in another large pot and sauté until bacon is cooked, green peppers are tender, and onions are clear.

Drain bacon fat, except for about 1 tablespoon. Add celery seed, salt, and ground pepper and sauté for 1 more minute.

Add sautéd ingredients to undrained boiled potatoes. Turn heat to medium.

Add Velveeta and stir soup until cheese melts. Add milk, and stirring constantly, heat until soup is hot.

Be careful not to burn it.

Valentine Treats

2010-02-14T20:53:00.008-05:00

I love any excuse to make some sweet treats for others.

To make the little heart candies I used a silicone ice cube tray from the dollar bin at Target. I melted the chocolate in the microwave and then spooned it into the mold. I put the sprinkles on and let them harden back up in the fridge.

The candy cane hearts were pretty easy. I trimmed the candy cane down and formed the heart. Using parchemnt paper on a cookie sheet lay out the hearts. Put them in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes or so. I just kept my eye on them constantly! When they come out place the stick in the middle!

The last treat I made were brownies. I used a box mix and baked it in a 9x13 pan. After they cooled for a bit I used various size cookie cutters to form the hearts. I then melted some icing in the microwave and spooned it over the brownies. As you can tell in the picture there were more brownies on this plate but they were quickly devoured!

More Blueberry Muffins

2010-01-31T17:21:00.007-05:00

Don't these muffins look delicious? Ok I'm sure with some better photography skills they would really look as good as they taste!
I have made so many different blueberry muffin recipes! These muffins were just as great as all the others I have made. Now I have so many options to choose from when I make these again :)
I did not wait till breakfast tomorrow morning to taste these. I have already scarfed down 2!

Enjoy!!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Source: Vintage Victuals

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

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

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grease or line 18 muffin cups.

In an electric mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well-combined.

In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, stirring well after each addition.

Finally, stir in vanilla and blueberries. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin cups, filling two-thirds of the way full.

For topping, combine the sugar, flour, and teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle on top of muffin batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Yield ~ 18 muffins

Baked Lemon Pasta

2010-01-30T18:58:00.003-05:00

The Pioneer Woman doesn't usually disappoint and she didn't with this recipe.
I found this recipe on the Realistic Eats blog. This was simple and quick which is what I am always looking for. I loved the creamy taste of this too.
I changed this up a bit and added some chicken to it. I just threw it in the pan with the olive oil and browned it. When I added the lemon juice and garlic I let it sit in there for another minute our so. I removed it and added the sour cream. I then just mixed it in with the spaghetti in the dish!

Baked Lemon Pasta
Source: Realistic Eats from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispy Treats

2010-01-30T18:52:00.004-05:00

So I have to admit I don't remember ever making rice krispy treats. I mean how could I not have made them before, they are so easy!
I made these for the Colts game last week. It took about 3 minutes to whip these things up!

Cookies and Cream Rice Crispy Treats
Source: Picky Palate
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Cups mini marshmallows
8 Cups rice crispy cereal
8 oz bag mini Oreo cookies

1/2 Cup chocolate chips, melted

1. Place butter and marshmallows into a large microwavable bowl. Microwave for a few minutes until marshmallows puff up nice and large. Remove and stir in cereal and Oreos. Pour into a large 9×13 inch baking dish. With the back of a large spoon that’s sprayed with cooking spray press and smooth treats. Drizzle melted chocolate over top and let cool. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Mousse Torte

2010-01-18T17:31:00.003-05:00

We celebrated my moms' birthday yesterday. I was in charge of bringing dessert! I have so many dessert ideas I want to try it was hard to choose one. I went with this torte since I know my mom likes anything chocolate. I on the other hand don't care for chocolate all that much so I didn't taste this but it was given a great review! This was super simple to make and I was so excited when I flipped it out of the pan that it stayed together!

Chocolate Mouuse Torte
Source: Lindsey's Kitchen

Ingredients
37 Vanilla Wafers, divided
4 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each)Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk, divided
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.)Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
Fresh Strawberries

Directions
Stand 16 wafers around inside edge of 9-inch round pan lined with plastic wrap. Melt 3 chocolate squares as directed on package.

Beat pudding mixes and 2 cups milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Stir in 1 cup cool whip; pour into prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and remaining milk with mixer until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the remaining cool whip; spread over pudding. Top with remaining wafers. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Meanwhile, shave remaining chocolate square into curls. Invert torte onto plate. Remove pan and plastic wrap. Top torte with remaining cool whip ( so I used all my cool whip and was unable to do this step! oops!), berries and chocolate curls

Garlic Ranch Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie!

2010-01-10T18:40:00.004-05:00

Whew thats a long title! :) So I noticed I only tend to post chicken recipes! My husband only cares for beef and chicken. No pork and very few pasta recipes! So I'm stuck with two options. If we are going to choose beef it's going to be hamburgers or tacos mostly! So all I get is to do is experiment with chicken! Good thing chicken is so versatile and there are so many recipes out there!

This recipe came together of course really quickly! Now I'm not too big on using the cream of whatever soups but decided to go for it with this recipe. It was delicious!

I halved this recipe since it was only for me and leftovers for lunch.

Poppin’ Garlic Ranch Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie
Source: Picky Palate

4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (either bake, crockpot or pressure cook chicken for easy shredding)

1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Mix, reserve 1/2 teaspoon for topping

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 fresh cracked black pepper

2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup

10 oz can cheddar cheese soup

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Cup milk

2 15 oz cans Mixed Veggis, drained

3/4 Cup crumbled bacon pieces, already cooked

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 6 count can Pillsbury Homestyle Biscuits

1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt

1/2 teaspoon reserved dry Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cholula Hot Sauce to top, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shredded chicken into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in ranch mix (reserve 1/2 teaspoon for later), salt and pepper. Toss to combine seasonings.

2. In a large rimmed skillet or dutch oven, place soups, broth and milk over medium heat; whisk until combined. Stir in mixed veggis then shredded chicken. Transfer to a large 9×13 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over top.

3. Open biscuits and place onto wax paper. Cut each biscuit into 10 little triangle pieces (cut biscuit in half then cut each half into fifths). Place little pieces of biscuit over top of chicken mixture until it’s all covered. Sprinkle biscuits with remaining ranch dressing mix, garlic salt and 1/2 Cup cheese. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are cooked through underneath. Cover with foil the last 25 minutes of baking to prevent too much browning. Let cool for 10 minutes then serve. Serve with Cholula hot sauce if you like it spicy! Enjoy.

8 servings

Garlic Cream Chicken

2010-01-09T19:57:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't been too great at posting lately! I am still cooking but haven't had much energy to try new things. I am experiencing extreme tiredness and I haven't had any energy lately. Since I have been feeling this way I have been on the lookout for easy and quick recipes. This recipe definitely fit the bill. Chad wasn't home the night I made it but it just gives me an excuse to make it again soon. I know it is something he will really like!

Garlic Cream Chicken and Rice
Source: Burnt Toast who Adapted it from Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments, which she adapted from www.adamandmonika.com

6 cloves garlic, pressed (I only used 2)
4 chicken cutlets (or 2 full size breasts)
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
flat leaf parsley, rough chopped, for garnish
cayenne pepper, sprinkled over the top

Season chicken liberally with salt & pepper. Heat the butter and oil n a large deep pan over medium heat. Sauté chicken until nicely browned (~5 min per side). Chicken does not have to be fully cooked at this point. Transfer chicken to a plate and get the rice cooking.

Add garlic to the pan, lower heat to medium, and sauté until soft. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add stock and bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil.

Add cream and boil for about 3 minutes. Plate rice, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the rice. Add a little sauce then chicken and more sauce. Top with parsley and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Pizza Pizza

2010-01-03T15:16:00.005-05:00

I have not been very daring or successful when it comes to making homemade pizza. I usually use a pre-made crust as I have not been too brave when it comes to working with yeast. I also haven't found a sauce that Chad likes they always seemed to make him sick somehow. Well I think this recipe was finally a winner!

This pizza turned out great. The only downside was that it did take some time to put it all together. I also found out I won't be winning any pizza tossing contests anytime soon. My pizzas barely resembled a circle!!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Pizza:
Source:Jaime Cooks

Dough:
•2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for rising
•½ teaspoon dried herbs, i.e. oregano
•22 ounces (4 cups) bread flour
•1¾ teaspoons salt
•1 teaspoon sugar
•2 teaspoons instant yeast
•¼ cups white wine (I used chicken stock)
•1½ cups water
•cornmeal for dusting

Sauce:
•1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
•salt and pepper
•5 cloves garlic, roasted*
•2 Tbsp to ¼ cup fresh basil, torn

Assembly:
•10 ounces (2½ cups) part-skim mozzarella, shredded or sliced
•2 ounces (1 cup) parmesan, grated
•toppings of your choice, such as:
◦Sausage – hot, mild, pork, turkey, chicken, etc.
◦Pepperoni
◦Bacon
◦Ham
◦Chicken
◦Bell Peppers
◦Onions
◦Mushrooms
◦Black Olives
◦Diced Tomatoes
◦Jalapeño
◦Pineapple
◦Basil
◦Fresh Mozzarella

Garlic Bread:
•6 cloves garlic, roasted*
•6 Tbsp butter, room temperature
•1 tsp Kosher salt, added to taste
•¾ cup pizza sauce
•¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

For the dough:
1.Heat the oil and herbs in a small saucepan over low heat until fragrant. Mix in the water and wine.

2.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the liquid mixture. Continue mixing on medium-low speed until the dough comes together, and then knead on medium-low speed for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour or water as necessary to form a dough that is sticky but does not cling to the sides of the bowl. When the mixer is running on medium-low speed, the dough should not stick to the bottom of the bowl.

3.Drizzle about 2 Tbsp of olive oil into the bowl. Rub your hands on the sprayed bowl to coat them with oil, then quickly form the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

4.Either set the dough aside to rise at room temperature, which will take 1½ to 2 hours, or refrigerate it until the next day. If it’s chilled overnight, it will take about 5 hours at room temperature to warm and finish rising. You can also reduce the yeast to ½ teaspoon and let the dough rise on the counter for about 8 hours after it has been chilled overnight.

For the sauce:
1.Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor 10-12 times, until they’re pureed.

2.Transfer them to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl and let them drain, stirring occasionally for at least 10 minutes. You can get away with less time if you actively stir and press the tomatoes through the strainer; if you wait longer, you can stir less.

3.Transfer the tomatoes from the strainer back to the bowl of the food processor or previous bowl, and roasted garlic, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Start adding to the sauce slowly, tasting along the way. You can always add in more seasoning, but once it’s in there, . . . well, you know the rest.

Assembly:
1.Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500ºC. Place the garlic on the hot pizza stone for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.

2.Divide the dough and shape each portion into a ball. You have a few options of how to divide it. It makes enough dough for three 12-inch pizzas. However, I always cut it in half and freeze half. Then I divide the remaining dough into two more parts, one twice the size of the other. I make the larger one into pizza and the smaller into cheese bread (no sauce or toppings). Let the balls of dough relax for 10-30 minutes.

3.Using tongs remove the garlic from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Mince.

4.Work with one ball of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough, then pick it up and gently stretch it out, trying to keep it as circular as possible. Curl your fingers and let the dough hang on your knuckles, moving and rotating the dough so it stretches evenly. If it tears, just piece it together. If the dough stretches too much, put it down and gently tug on the thick spots.

5.Dust a pizza peel lightly with cornmeal and transfer the round of dough to the peel. Rearrange the dough to something reasonably circular; stab it several times with a fork. Add 1/3 of each of the garlic, sauce, and cheese, followed by toppings of your preference, and then transfer to a hot pizza stone.

6.Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is spotty brown. Let the pizza cool on the peel for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Garlic Bread Sticks:
1.If using hand blender, place garlic, salt, and butter into blender cup and blend until smooth. Otherwise, mince garlic as finely as possible and blend into butter and salt. You’ll have to taste the mixture when you first make it, as you want the salt to bring out the garlic flavor rather than overpower it.

2.Shape the reserved dough into a rectangle of your desired thickness. I usually aim for a 11×14″ sized sheet.

3.Spread butter mixture over dough, leaving a slight edge. If you wanted a cheesy bread, you could sprinkle with mozzarella and/or parmesan at this point.

4.Bake for 10 minutes at 500º. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

5.If you want a dipping sauce, simply use some extra pizza sauce. I give ours a kick by blending in some crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes:
•You can substitute up to 7 ounces (about 1½ cups) of whole wheat flour for the white bread flour, but expect longer rising times and a more stubborn dough. But if you’re patient during shaping, your crust will be just as light and crisp as dough made completely with white flour.

•Another important aspect of pizza crust is how you work with it. Be gentle with your dough. I need to stress that you really don’t want to use a rolling pin. Pull and stretch the dough. Pick it up, hanging the edges on your knuckles, and let gravity do the work. If it’s tearing or thinning unevenly, put it back down and just pull at the thicker parts. If it’s fighting you, walk away for five minutes to let it relax.

Drop in and Decorate

2009-12-12T13:38:00.006-05:00

Recently I was reading through my google reader and saw this blog post on Bake at 350. I have always wanted to do a cookie exchange but thought this might be a better idea. I recruited a friend to help me out. We ended up making about 100 cookies before the party.
We had a ton of fun last Saturday making these cookies. It was great to see some of our friend's hidden talents! We donated these cookies to the Ronald McDonald house at Riley Children's hospital in Indianapolis. They were so thankful for the cookies!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch-Chicken Bake

2009-12-10T20:15:00.004-05:00

We have another winner! I made this casserole dish tonight and it was delicous. The best part is that even though Chad was leary of it at first he ended up enjoying it :) This meal also ended up being super simple. After dicing up the peppers it took me about 5 minutes to put together. I hope this meal is something you can add to your menu!

Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken & Rice Bake
Source:Vintage Victuals

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (white or brown)
1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can of water
1 can of milk
1 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 medium-sized chicken breasts
2 cups cheddar cheese
6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces ( I forgot to grab this at the store so I didn't include it)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, the soup, the water, the milk, the ranch seasoning, and the diced peppers. Stir until well combined. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil and wrap tightly.

Bake for 45 minutes. In the meantime, lightly brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a small frying pan. When you remove the chicken and rice from the oven, check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through (I like to use a meat thermometer for this). Then, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and the browned bacon pieces. Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve hot. Yield 4-6 servings

Apple Biscuits

2009-11-08T17:20:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving and I haven't made one apple dessert this fall! I love any apple dessert. I found this recipe for apple biscuits and it seemed quick and easy. Something to satisfy my apple craving!
These were definitely quick and easy and they were delicious.

Apple Biscuits
Source: Full Bellies, Happy Kids
1 can of large buttermilk biscuits (8)
2 apples peeled and cored and chopped into chunks
cinnamon
brown sugar

In a small bowl, mix together the apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Just eyeball it and add more or less as needed.
Open the biscuits in half and spoon some of the apple mixture into the middle.
Squeeze the seams together to seal and using a fork or a toothpick or whatever, poke 3 or 4 holes on the top.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

2009-10-12T20:15:00.002-04:00

Muffins!! Oh how I love a good muffin and with this recipe I found another great one! I can get in such a breakfast rut and I am always looking for new and quick things to eat. These muffins are absolutely delicious!!! It made enough for me to have two muffins each morning this week but I so wish I could just eat them all every morning. I have kept this recipe in the back of my mind for a few weeks now. I am so glad I finally tried it out and I defintiely will be making them again soon.On top of them being delicious they were super easy to make like most muffins!
Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins:
Source: Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings

For the muffins:
7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:Preheat an oven to 350°F.
Grease muffin tin and fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla.

Stir just until evenly moistened. (Note: the batter will be slightly lumpy.)

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Put the melted butter in another small bowl.

Brush the top of a muffins with melted butter; coating evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar.

Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack.

Repeat with the remaining muffins.

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

2009-09-27T15:45:00.006-04:00

I'm sorry I have not posted in awhile. My Grandma became ill a few weeks ago and passed away last Saturday. For about the last month I have been down in Louisville helping take care of her. Yesterday we were able to celebrate her life and remember how special she was.
My Mema, as I called her, was an amazing cook. It was a true science for her and I loved learning how to cook from her. It always had to be a certain way! Lately I have been playing it safe when it comes to picking things to make for dinner or other recipes I choose. When thinking about my Grandma I know she would have encouraged me to make every recipe that I was nervous about. I am going to start making many of those recipes that intimidated me and hopefully will have some of them up on here soon.
Since I haven't been home on the weekends for the past few weeks I haven't had a chance to take the time to bake. I was determined to get something in the oven today! I love apple desserts and when I saw this recipe on the Picky Palate I knew it was a must. It truly is delicious and was perfect to make this weekend as we received some true fall weather this weekend!
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and take a leap of faith in your kitchen as well.

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars
Source: Picky Palate
3 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal, ground in food processor ( I used cinnamon graham crackers)
1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough or 2 pkgs Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Dough Mix prepared and divided into 2 equal parts
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
21 oz can apple pie filling
1.5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars (2 count), crushed (I actually did not use these instead I sprinkled some cinnamon over the cookie dough.)
9.5 oz Kraft Caramels
1/2 Cup half and half
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.
2. Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over. Top with the apple pie filling . Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely then cut into squares. Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions. Drizzle over each bar. Refrigerate leftovers.
9 squ

BBQ chicken crusted smoked cheddar mac

2009-09-13T20:29:00.005-04:00

I found something that Chad said was delicious! Usually Chad likes what I make but never raves about it! Tonight he said "It was epic"! He was really skeptical at first but luckily it turned out great! This meal was actually pretty easy to put together and didn't take a lot of time.

BBQ Chicken Crusted Smoked Cheddar Mac
Source:Picky Palate

(I halved this recipe and it still made a good amount for the 2 of us!)

1 lb mini farfalle pasta (use any pasta of choice)

5 Tablespoons butter
5 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
4 Cups milk, I used 2%
5 Cups shredded cheddar cheese (you could use any cheddar cheese)

2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken ( I boiled some chicken and covered it in baby jack BBQ sauce and let it simmer on the stove for a few minutes)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium high, stir continuously until liquid thickens and comes to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth then add cooked pasta. Pour mixture into a large baking dish then top evenly with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Baked Spaghetti

2009-08-15T19:16:00.003-04:00

My husband is a picky as can be! I found this site recently and I was so excited! I have bookmarked so many recipes from just the first few posts and I know my husband will approve of them!!

School has started back and it's going to be a challenging year! I was so ehausted every night last week that dinner didn't get made at all! I made this baked spaghetti so that hopefully I can enjoy some of it for lunches or when I don't have the energy to make dinner this week!

I hope you enjoy!

VIRGINIA'S BAKED SPAGHETTI
Credit: Gooseberry Patch Cookbook

(I cut this in half)
16-oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked

2-(24-oz.) jars spaghetti sauce

2 lbs. ground beef, browned

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

12-oz. evaporated milk

3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Combine spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat; add flour, Parmesan cheese, salt and garlic powder, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Add evaporated milk and one cup cheddar cheese; stir until thickened.

Pour half of spaghetti noodle mixture into a greased 13"x9" casserole dish and pour the cheese mixture over top. Pour remaining noodle mixture into dish; top with remaining 2 cups cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Serves 12.

Macaroni and Cheese

2009-08-15T19:05:00.003-04:00

I love macaroni and cheese! I have found some great recipes for it lately and now this recipe will be added to the bunch! I got this recipe from this site. I have gotten some other great recipes from this site as well so be sure to check it out!

Ingredients:( I cut this in half)
2 cups shredded mild cheddar,
2 cups shredded colby jack blend,
1 cup medium (or sharp) cheddar,
2 cups shredded velveeta or the small box/8 oz of large box,
1 box elbow macaroni (or noodle of choice),
4 eggs,
3 cups whole milk,
1 cup heavy cream (1/2 pint),
1/2 stick of butter,
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, set out and spray w/ non-stick spray a 13x9 inch pan that is at least 3-4 inches deep (or use several smaller round pans to share with others or save for later)

Step 1: Boil noodles as directed on package until just undercooked, quick drain- rinse- shake, set aside for later
Step 2: Mix eggs, milk, cream and salt and pepper, whisk until well blended.
Step 3: In a bowl combine the three types of shredded cheese; 2 cups mild cheddar, 2 cups colby jack and 1 cup medium/sharp cheddar
and mix
Step 4: In a greased 9x13 inch pan (at least 3-4 inches deep) pour 1/2 of milk mixture in bottom of pan.
Step 5: Add a layer of noodles, salt and pepper
Step 6: Top noodles with cheese and mix cheese up a little w/ noodles
Step 7: Add slices of velveeta over shredded cheese
Step 8: Repeat steps 5-7 (noodles, cheese, cheese- salt and pepper)
Step 9: When both layers are complete, poke holes through the top layer and pour rest of milk mixture over the remaining noodles and cheese.
Step 10: Melt 1/2 stick of butter (or more!) and pour over the top of the dish. Salt and pepper.
Step 11: Cover tightly with foil and bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5-10 more minutes more or until golden. Let stand for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Summer Strawberry Dessert

2009-08-01T17:55:00.006-04:00

Summer is just great for delicious fruity desserts!! I found this recipe using strawberries and it made me so exicted! I love strawberries and I have been eating them all summer. I am not sure where I found this recipe as it was just saved on my computer. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
(Sorry for the horrible picture!)

2 Cups Fresh Strawberries sliced(about 1 QT )
1 - 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 Container of Cool Whip (I use FF)
8 Oreo cookies
1 TBSP butter (melted)

Directions:
Line a bread loaf pan with foil.
In a large bowl mash 2 cups of the strawberries.
Add the condensed milk to the strawberries and stir.
Add 2 cups of cool whip and lemon juice and stir.
Pour into foil lined pan.
Crush the oreo cookies and add melted butter.
Spread the cookie mixture over the top.
Cover the top with foil and freeze for several hours.
Flip over and slice up and serve.

Unstuffed peppers

2009-07-17T20:57:00.003-04:00

I was able to get to another new recipe this week. This recipe turned out great and was a hit with the husband!! That's always a plus. I will definitely make it again! Since this wasn't served inside a pepper I served it with tortilla chips. Sorry for the lack of pictures but we were starving.

1 lb ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Brown hamburger and drain. Add remaining ingredients except rice and cheese. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or till peppers are tender. Stir in rice and heat through. Sprinkle cheese over the top and replace the lid. (You can turn the stove off at this point. You just need the cheese to melt.)

Baked Ziti

2009-07-13T21:18:00.004-04:00

I have had a pretty busy summer. I have about 3 weeks left till I have to start getting stuff ready for school so I am trying to continue to rest up and get as much in as possible. I've got some new recipes to try out this week and I started with this one. I don't know if I'll get to the other recipes this week and this created a great amount of food!! That's ok because it was delicious! If I make this again I will definitely take half and freeze it!

Baked Ziti with Mascarpone
From: Lauren's Kitchen
1 lb ziti pasta
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup sour cream
1-2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, brown meat with onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add marinara sauce to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Thin the sauce just a tad with about 1/8 cup water or chicken stock. Season the sauce with garlic & herbs, to taste.

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and cooked pasta.Layer the pasta, sauce and cheese in a large greased casserole dish as follows:

1/2 pasta
1/2 sauce
1/2 cheese
remaining pasta
remaining sauce
remaining cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

2009-06-15T20:14:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we went to a family reunion on Chad’s side. It was a pitch in and I decided to bring a dessert. I have tons of recipes starred in my Google reader! I decided to go back to the beginning of the starred recipes and start making them. So far I have made about 5 different things out of probably over 300!!!! These bars turned out great and were super simple to put together! That is always a plus.

This is a Pillsbury recipe but I actually found it from this site.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

from Pillsbury

2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour (I used Gold Medal)
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)
1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping
3 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour (I used Gold Medal)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup Milk chocolate and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I usually use Walnuts but omitted nuts this time)
Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease 13x9-inch pan.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well.
Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.
Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Return to oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set.
Cut into bars.

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Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-06-07T21:27:00.006-04:00

I have been anxious to get my ice cream maker out this summer. I have only made ice cream once and it turned out to be a disaster. I followed the instructions to a tee this time and luckily it turned out great!I have my list of flavors I want to try, my next one is mint chocolate chip.

Strawberry Ice Cream
Source: All Recipes

INGREDIENTS
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup white sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS
1. Place the berries into the container of a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl, and set aside.

2.Heat 1 1/4 cups of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble at the edge of the pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup cream, and corn syrup. Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain custard into the berry puree through a sieve, mix, and refrigerate until chilled.

3.Fill an ice cream maker with the mixture, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-06-03T12:52:00.004-04:00

I did it!! i finally overcame my fear of yeast! I was always so nervous to make anything with it and finally I decided to go for it. With summer break here I am in the mood to try out recipes I have been storing up. Chad had the day off so I thought these would be great for breakfast. They did not disappoint! I even froze half of the batch to give to my grandma when I see her in a couple weeks! These are really easy to make. I put them together last night and then baked them this morning! The recipe is from Pioneer Woman but I actually found them here.

ROLLS:
Ingredients: (This is 1/2 the original recipe)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar, divided
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
Cinnamon

Directions:
Mix milk, vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Remove from heat and let it cool 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in package Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute and then add 4 cups of flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

Next, add 1/2 cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together. From here, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to rise out of the pan, just punch it down. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls.

Sprinkle surface generously with flour and roll the dough into a thin rectangular shape. Brush 1/2 cup melted butter on top, then sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the butter, and finish with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Starting with the wide end, roll the dough tightly towards you in a neat line. Next, pinch the seam to the roll to seal it. Spread 1 tbsp of melted butter in each pan/dish. With a sharp knife, begin cutting the dough into 1 inch slices, and laying them in the pans. Let rest for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until golden.

FROSTING:
Ingredients:
1/2 bag powdered sugar
1 tsp. maple flavoring (I used vanilla)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup melted butter
1/8 cup brewed coffee (I didn't use)
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients, and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don't skimp on the frosting!

Delicious Dinner!

2009-05-31T18:58:00.006-04:00

I recently got my last Kraft food magazine. This magazine was great especially since it was free but they recently have started to charge for the magazine. I decided for now to not subscribe since I can get the magazine through my e-mail. This latest issue had tons of great recipes. I found this recipe I made for dinner tonight and it was wonderful. It will definitely be put in the rotation!

Grilled Chicken Roller
Source: Kraft Foods

4 skinless chicken breasts
4 slices of Kraft singles (I was really hard to roll this cheese inside the chicken as it kept falling apart. I might try a different cheese next time)
4 slices of bacon
4 Tbsp. Balsamic Viniageretter Dressing

Heat Grill to medium heat. Pound chicken to 1/4 thickness.

Top with cheese. Roll up tightly. Wrap bacon around long sides of roll covering exposed cheese, stretching bacon to fit as necessary. Secure with toothpicks.

Grill 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is done, turning frequently and brushing with dressing the last 5 min. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Frozen Fruit Salad

2009-05-11T19:52:00.002-04:00

This is another great recipe from my grandma. She got this recipe back when cream cheese first came out. The recipe was on the cream cheese box. When we were visiting her for Derby weekend she had this prepared. It is delicious. I made this for a Mother's day cookout we went to yesterday.

Ingredients:
8 oz. package of cream cheese
3/4 cup of Mayo
1/2 Bag of marshmallows cut in 1/4
1 can of pineapple ( you can use chunks, tidbits or fresh)
1 can of fruit cocktail
1 can of Queen Ann (or Royal Ann) cherries
1/2 to 3/4 of a container of Cool Whip

Whip together the cream cheese and mayo. Add in the marshmallows.

Drain all the fruits and mix together.

Add fruit to the cream cheese mix. Fold in cool whip.

Put in pan and freeze. I used muffin cups to freeze them in. My grandma uses old ice trays she found. You could also freeze it in a pretty mold.

Pizza Bites

2009-05-03T20:20:00.002-04:00

These little things were just delicious! We had them for dinner tonight and scarfed them down! I will definitely not wait long to make them again. These took very little time to put together.

This recipe came from here.
Pizza Bites
Modified from RecipeZaar

Ingredients
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough (I only used one can which made only one pan of bites)
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz thin sliced pepperoni
2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
pizza or marinara sauce

Directions

Prepare pizza dough and roughly chop pepperoni.

If you are going to bake some (or all!) right away preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 3 pie pans.

If using refrigerated pizza dough: roll one dough out into a large rectangle and cut into 24 square pieces. Repeat with 2nd pizza dough. If using homemade dough just pinch off walnut sized pieces as you go.

In each dough piece place a couple pieces of chopped pepperoni and a tablespoon of cheese. Seal dough around meat and cheese and place seam side down in pie pan.

Repeat, placing approximately 16 dough balls in each pie plate.
Once assembled, combine oil and spices and brush over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Now you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze or you can bake right away.

When ready to bake: bake at 400°F for 16-20 min. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.

Snickerdoodle Bars

2009-05-03T17:22:00.002-04:00

Some friends of mine have put together a group where we can get together and craft. It is a great time of fellowship and getting to see each other's creativity and share ideas. While I took a mother's day gift I am working on I also thoughtI would bring a great snack to have. These bars were great. They were super simple to put together! Which was great since I had barely anytime last week to make something complicated. I thought these were also nice since they weren't too sweet, just something nice to munch on! I found these from this food blog.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars (from Something Sweet)

Ingredients:
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

1 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease either a 9×9. (Depending on how thick you want them to be)

Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg. Gradually add flour mixture. Spread into pan.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over dough.

Bake at 350F for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown (or a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean). Let cool in pan. Cut into bars.

Milky Way Tarts

2009-05-03T17:15:00.003-04:00

I haven't made any desserts lately and I was getting the itch to have some sweets. We had friends over last week and I knew it would be the perfect time to have some dessert. This recipe looked pretty simple and delicious! I'm not a big fan of chocolate but I do like milky ways. I don't think this turned out exactly like it should have. Mine doesn't look as smooth as Peabody's but my guests said they liked it!

No Bake Milky Way Tarts from Peabody.

1 package (4 ounces) min i graham cracker pie crust (I used just one pie crust)

Midnight Milky Way Layer:
2 Midnight Milky Way bars (1.76 oz each), cut into small pieces
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 TBSP heavy whipping cream
1 TBSP unsalted butter

Milky Way Mousse
1 Milky Way bar (2.05 oz), cut into small pieces
1 cup plus 1 ½ TBSP heavy whipping cream

Garnish: Cut up Milky Way pieces

Place crust on a rimmed tray.
For the Midnight layer: Put ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir with a whisk until candy bars, chips cream, and butter melt and mixture is smooth. This takes awhile, about 10-13 minutes. Pour into crush, over and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm, or up to two days.
Put the regular Milky Way bar and 1 ½ TBSP cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir with a whisk until candy melts and mixture is smooth. Refrigerate 15 minutes to cool.
Add remaining 1 cup heavy whipping cream into the bowl of an stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk cream on high until stiff peaks form.
Add the cooled Milky Way mixture into the chipped cream. Whip for 30 seconds.
Spoon into piping bag( (I used a large star tip). Pipe in a spiral on top of Midnight layer.
Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 hours.
Right before serving garnish with extra candy pieces.

Adapted from Women’s Day Holiday Appetizers 2008

2009-05-03T17:12:00.002-04:00

Chad and I had some friends over recently for a cookout. I found this macaroni recipe and decided to try it out. It was such an easy recipe and required very few ingredients!! I will definitely be using this recipe from now on!

I found this recipe on this blog.INGREDIENTS

1 16 ounce box of pasta (cooked)
16 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into small pieces
16 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 stick (or more) Butter/margarine, separate into quarters, cut into small pieces
Milk (about a cup)
Salt and pepper (to your taste)

DIRECTIONS

In the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish spread a quarter of your butter.

Layer down half your pasta, a quarter of butter pieces, salt and pepper, half the Monterey jack add half the Velveeta.

Repeat above step.

Top with the last quarter of your butter pieces and evenly pour milk over the top.

Bake on 325 for about an hour. It will be nice and bubbly and little brown in some spots.

Strawberry Muffins

2009-03-14T20:05:00.004-04:00

I have been very bad about eating breakfast lately. I thought I should make something I could grab in the morning instead of taking to the time to eat it before I leave. I have been seeing strawberries in the stores for the last couple weeks and they went on sale this week. I thought muffins would be great and of course some strawberries in them would be even better! These muffins are delicious and now I will actually eat something each morning!

I had starred this recipe from the Pennies on a Platter blog. In my muffins I actually omitted the bananas since I don't really care for them.

Strawberry-Banana Muffins
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (cut into small pieces)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
raw sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or a vegetable spray. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.

In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold in the berries, making sure they are coated with flour. This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

Fill each muffin cup about two thirds full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 regular size muffins. (I actually got about 16 muffins)

Family Favorite

2009-03-14T19:30:00.005-04:00

This recipe is a family recipe. It starts with my grandmother. When my granddaddy was in the war my grandmother was invited along with the other wives to the colonel's home for a party hosted by the colonel's wife. This recipe is from the colonel's wife and my grandmother has been making it ever since! It was always what I requested on my birthday. I just love it. Unfortunately my husband doesn't care for it!! Once again he is a very picky eater! With the warmer weather coming business is picking up (thank goodness) and he is getting back to working more hours. Today I was all alone and decided to make this for dinner tonight and to enjoy as leftovers! I love to share this recipe and the story that goes along with it! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Hanburger Noodle Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. egg noodles
1 can of Tomato Juice
1 small can of mushrooms (stem & pieces)
1 jar of green olives
1 jar of old english cheese (I find this with the velveeta cheese)

Preheat oven to 350
Brown hamburger and boil 1/2 pkg. of noodles. Combine in casserole dish. Pour tomato juice over mixture until it comes to top. Bake for 45 minutes. Add cheese and bake about 15 minutes or until melted!

Chicken and Cheddar Skillet

2009-03-07T15:56:00.006-05:00

I found this recipe while I was clipping coupons awhile back. It is a Rice-A-Roni recipe. I am still looking for some new recipes for weekly meals and this will definitely be added to the list. It was easy and delicious.

1 package (6.9oz) Rice-A-Roni Chicken Flavor
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 cup chopped tomato (I omitted this)
1 pound (about 8) chicken tenders (I used 2 chicken breasts and cut in half)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (I omitted this)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In large skillet over medium heat, saute rice-vermicelli mix as package directs. Slowly stir in 2 cups water, seasonings and basil.

2. Place chicken over rice; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes; stir. Top evenly with tomato and green onions. Return cover and continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Potato Slabs

2009-03-07T15:32:00.003-05:00

I've seen this recipe on many blogs lately. I made these for dinner recently they were great! They are extremely easy and don't really take too much time. I didn't put any bacon on them since I didn't have any on hand but next time I will definitely use the bacon.

Sorry for the not so great picture!

2 russet potatoes I used 3
Salt, to taste I used garlic salt
Black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup colby-jack cheese I used sharp cheddar
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
Green onions for garnish, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Place potatoes on lightly buttered baking sheet and season each side with salt and black pepper. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

2. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Snickerdoodles

2009-02-22T16:47:00.003-05:00

This afternoon I was looking through the What's cooking board and saw someone had posted about making snickerdoodles! I took a look at their blog entry and knew I should make those cookies and that I shouldn't wait!
Last week I was out shopping with some friends when we stopped at Paradise Bakery for a snack. We got a box of cookies and since I don't care for chocolate so much I chose a snickerdoodle! It was delicious! I have thought about making some snickerdoodles for awhile but of course never did! I am glad I finally got around to it! They were delicious!
My only problem was that they spread horribly! I don't really know why. My butter wasn't soft and I chilled it as long as it said. Any suggestions on how to prevent this would be great!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, beating until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill dough for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Once slightly chilled, scoop 1-inch balls of dough and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until coated. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from pan immediately after baking. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Snow Day!!

2009-01-28T12:37:00.006-05:00

Yeah for a snow day! Although at the end of the year I won't want to go the extra days I am excited to have a day off today! I figured last night we would have a 2 hour delay at least so I made a list of things to accomplish today and making these pancakes were on that list. My husband was supposed to go into work but we couldn't even get out of our neighborhood. He finally left after they plowed it but it was great to be able to share these with him.
When we were on vacation this summer we stayed at a bed and breakfast. She made us the most wonderful blueberry pancakes! Ever since then I have been wanting to whip up some of my own. I searched around for some recipes and decided on Ina Garten'sour cream pancakes. These were delicous! I told my husband these might start becoming a regular on Saturday mornings!
Obviously her recipe uses bananas which I switched out with the blueberries.

Ina Garten's
Sour Cream Pancakes

Cook Time10 min
LevelEasy
Yield- 12 pancakes (I cut everything in half)

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup
Directions
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-01-25T19:38:00.005-05:00

I said in my last post how I had found some great new recipes and this is one of them! This was delicious and my husband actually agreed! That is always a plus! I changed it up a bit by using things I had on hand. This will definitely be made again!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
from: Good Thymes & Good Food
2 Chicken breasts, pounded thin and very dry
3-4 tbsp. butter, melted
4 slices of very thin ham
2 slices of thick swiss cheese(I had some shredded asiago I used instead)
1/2 - 1 cup Italian style Panko Bread crumbs ( I used just regular bread crumbs)
salt
pepper
aprox. 1 tbps flour

Sauce
1 tbsp. butter
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup half and half ( Just used regular milk)
1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
splash of white wine (Used chicken broth I had leftover instead)
salt
pepper
Shredded Parmesean Cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 2 slices of ham on one side of thin chicken breast. Add swiss cheese in the middle of the ham. Roll up chicken breast and secure tooth picks. Do this with both chicken breasts.
3. Make sure top of chicken is very dry, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread flour all over Chicken "roll", then dip in butter until coated, then roll in breadcrumbs. 5. Place in a greased baking dish and then cover with foil. Bake for aprox. 40 - 50 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. (I removed the foil at the end and turned on the broiler for about 5 minutes to brown the top.)
6. While chicken is baking, melt butter in small saucepan or skillet.
7. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of white wine and cook another minute or two. In a small bowl, whisk together half and half and cornstarch then add it to the wine/butter mixture.
8. Keep whisking everything in the pan until thickened and smooth.
9. Add salt, pepper and a little bit of shredded Parmesean Cheese.
10. Drizzle over Chicken Cordon Bleu just before serving.

Crispy Chicken

2009-01-19T18:59:00.003-05:00

I found a new food blog yesterday and along with it I got some great ideas! Tonight's dinner was great! My husband is sick though and didn't feel like eating this so I will definitely be making it again so he can try it! I basically made the same meal too. Instead of the mashed potatoes I used the left over potato cakes from last night. This was my first time making fresh green beans and it definitely won't be the last!
Sorry for not having a picture again but my camera was dead and I didn't want to wait for it to charge up!

Chicken:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
One 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts.)
1 large egg white
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used white)
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning - didn't have so just used garlic powder
1 tsp. sweet smoke paprika

1. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425.
2. If using whole chicken, remove and discard the skin from the chicken, except the wings.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs, four, Cajun seasoning and paprika; season with salt.
6. Coat the chicken with the crumbs and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
7. In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add 4 chicken pieces and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes.
8. Transfer to a clean baking sheet and repeat with the other chicken pieces.
9. One the bottom rack of the oven, bake the chicken until cooked through and crisp, about 22 minutes.

Pan Sauce/Gravy:
Using the pan that the chicken was in, I added about 1/2 tbsp. butter and let it melt. Then I added about 1/2 tbsp. flour and let it cook for 1 minute. I whisked that all together. Salt and pepper. Then I added about 1/2 cup chicken stock and brought that to a boil. I let it bubble for about 5 minutes. It was the perfect consistency and so good on the chicken.

Garlic Green Beans: (this is the way she made the green beans but I didn't change it up though)
I only made enough green beans for the two of us. I didn't want leftovers. So I had maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups of fresh green beans. I wasn't really paying attention - sorry! I steamed those for about 4 minutes and then in a small saute pan over medium low heat, I melted 1/2 tbsp. butter. I added 1 small clove pressed garlic and then it cook for about a minute. Then I added the green beans and tossed it together. I also added a little salt and some pepper.

Cheese Potato Cakes

2009-01-18T18:53:00.005-05:00

I was trying to make my menu this week and looking for new ideas. I found a ton and I am exicted to get them up on here through the week. Usually on Sundays I don't feel like having a big dinner so I thought these would be great. I served it with a rotisserie chicken I picked up at the store. Well I ate the chicken. When my husband walked in the kitchen and saw the little chicken sitting there. He picked up the pieces I had put on his plate and put it back. He said he couldn't eat the chicken because it looked like it just walked out of the barnyard. Oh the joys of living with a picky eater! These were pretty easy to put together and tasted really good. Instead of serving it with ranch I just used some sour cream.
The recipe came from here.

Cheese Potato Cakes

Makes 8-10 potato cakes

Two large Russet potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus some for garnish
1 cup shredded cheddar
3 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
ranch dressing

Peel and cut up potatoes. Boil in water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, add milk and mash. Let potatoes cool.

Preheat oven to 425˚ and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Crush the crackers in a medium bowl and mix in butter.

Mix the green onions, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper with the mashed potatoes. Shape into desired sized (thick) patties (I make them quite large and got 8). Coat each patty in the Ritz crackers, one by one, and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, then carefully flip each patty and bake an additional 10-12 minutes.

Place patties on serving platter. Drizzle with ranch dressing and garnish with extra chopped green onions.

Blueberry Muffins II

2009-01-11T19:00:00.004-05:00

I took another cooking class at my husband's aunt and uncle's appliance store. This time it was a baking class. We did three basic methods for baking. A muffin, biscuit and cake method. These muffins were great. The recipe is from Alton Brown. These also gave me a good excuse to use my new silicone muffin cups my sister gave me for Christmas!

Dry ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch of kosher salt

Wet ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt (I didn't have any yogurt so I used about 3/4 cup of milk)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite add in
Preheat your oven to 375. Spray your muffin tins and set aside.
Sift the dry ingredients together. Next mix the wet ingredients together and add your flavor of choice. (blueberries,dried apples etc.)

Now mix the dry into the wet mixture, be careful to not overmix the batter. Portion the batter into your muffin tins and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes for large muffins. Small muffin tins will cook much faster so keep an eye on them. The muffins are done when they reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees or a tooth pick intserted comes out clean.

A new toy!!

2009-01-11T18:51:00.003-05:00

For Christmas my parents got me a food processor! I am so excited to start using it. I broke it in this weekend and made some bread crumbs. My mom had a ton of rolls left over from a party and didn't want to keep them. I graciously took them off her hands! I am so excited to find other uses for my new toy! If you have any ideas let me know!

Chicken Fajita Pizza

2009-01-01T19:48:00.003-05:00

I have felt so uninspired lately and I really wanted to change that. I went through a couple cookbooks, my e-mail and food blogs to get some ideas. Tonight I went with a recipe I e-mailed to myself from allrecipes.com. I think this was pretty good. There wasn't anything too special about it but it helped add another idea to weeknight dinners! It was also pretty easy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup sliced green bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Unroll the pizza crust onto a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Prick dough several times with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute chicken in oil for 5 minutes. Add the green pepper, onion, chili powder, garlic, cumin and salt; cook 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Spoon over crust; top with salsa and cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-17T21:32:00.004-05:00

I decided to whip up some holiday goodies for those that I work with. I made some chocolate pretzels and chocolate covered candy canes. This was so easy and fun! I can't wait to hand them out tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-07T21:41:00.003-05:00

We have our good friends from the Ukraine here visiting us. They are missionaries affiliated with our church and good friends of our family. They are a great family and have a beautiful little girl. Whenever you are around her she just lights up a room. She is so sweet and full of joy. Her birthday is December 18th if you didn't already know because she is letting it be known! Her and her family will be in Pennsylvania visiting other friends on her birthday so we decided to throw her party before they left. The party is a surprise so I'm excited to see her reaction. Here is her cake I made for her.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T11:31:00.007-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year I found this cute idea. I think it came from one of my Taste of Home magazines. All you need are fudge stripe cookies, mini reece cups and some frosting. It also said to use a chiclet for the hat's buckle but I didn't want to search for those. I made some sugar cookies and these cookies with my sister in law, my husband's cousin and our good freinds from Ukraine's daughter. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2008-11-11T20:43:00.002-05:00

I wasn't away too long this time! For dinner tonight I decided to try something new. I had this recipe starred in my google reader for a few weeks now and have had it on my list to make. I finally got my chance tonight. This turned out really great and was pretty easy. Don't mind the fact that I forgot the only healthy part of the recipe. I was convinced I had broccoli in my freezer and then I went to pull it out and none could be found! I made this for myself and really didn't cut back the portions since I knew I would need some for lunch tomorrow. I think it would feed 4 people well.

1 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup kraft parmesan cheese (I used fresh)
1 cup milk
6 slices chicken breasts , 1/2 inch thick (chicken tenders) (I just used 1 LARGE chicken breast sliced into tenders)
vegetable oil (frying)
2 cups dry bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/2 cup white wine (I used chicken broth)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon basil leaves
3/4 cup mild asiago cheese (finely grated)
Garnish

4 broccoli florets (lightly steamed)
2 white mushrooms (quartered lightly steamed)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Wash and drain chicken strips.

Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together.

Place milk in dish for dipping.

Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs.

Place in fry pan in which oil has been heated and fry at medium to medium low temperature until golden.

Remove and drain chicken.

In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter, add olive oil.

Whisk in flour until mixture is blended.

Quickly add garlic, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt stir well.

Add wine and blend.

Immediately add half and half and sour cream stir.

When mixture is smooth add grated cheese stir until melted.

Finally sprinkle fresh basil in the sauce and stir lightly and remove from heat.

Place 2 cups pasta in individual a pasta dish.

Spoon about 1/2- 3/4 cup sauce over pasta, add broccoli and mushrooms.

Place Parmesan Chicken on pasta and sprinkle red crushed pepper and add grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Macaroni & Cheese

2008-11-08T19:40:00.007-05:00

I'm such a slacker!! I haven't updated in forever. They say the first year of teaching is tough. I don't necessarily feels its that bad it just keeps me busy!! I have been cooking but I've been sticking to some old recipes. This weekend I finally took some time to do what I enjoy. I decided for dinner tonight to have some homemade macaroni. I don't know if you remember my last attempt at making homemade macaroni but it didn't quite turn out. I decided to give it another try. This time I didn't even have a recipe. I took my cousin's version of her macaroni and changed it up a bit.

I used:
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/4 cup ricotta or you could use sour cream
A couple tablespoons of milk
Seasoned salt and garlic powder
Butter
Colby/monterey jack mix
Mozzerella
Mild Cheddar
This turned out really good. I may have used a little too much cheese but other than that it really has a great taste!

I also had the chance to make an apple pie. I have been wanting to make one for weeks now. We went to the orchard last week and I used some of the apples to make TONS of applesauce and then this apple pie
Well I'm off to go enjoy a slice of pie.

Fall is Here!

2008-10-05T20:44:00.002-04:00

This weekend was an arts and crafts festival in our town. I went on Saturday and got a great deal on a few things but I also got an itch to start some fall baking. I have been saying for weeks that I should make an apple pie but just never got around to it. I finally decided to go for it this weekend but chose a crisp instead. I found this apple crisp recipe and the picture sold me! I love anything apple related but I have never made a crisp. This turned out perfectly yummy!

Apple Crisp
Topping:
1/2 cup of firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch grated nutmeg
7 Tbsp all purpose flour
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup ice cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

5 large apples, peeled, cored & cut into wedges (about 6 cups)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter an 8 or 9 in round or square baking pan.

To make the topping, in a bowl, stir together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour & salt. Add the butter & oats. Using fingers or a pastry blender, work in the butter until the ingredients are well blended but not over mixed.

To assemble the crisp, spread the apples in an even layer & sprinkle with cinnamon. Drizzle the water over the apples & spread the topping over the fruit.

Bake the crisp until the topping is brown & crunchy and the apples are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Applesauce

2008-09-28T19:12:00.003-04:00

My grandma makes the best applesauce! I won't even touch store boughtapplesauce. I recently was at her home and took a good stock of some she had frozen. My mom was back there this weekend and I asked her to bring me back some more! Well when hurricane Ike hit Louisville my grandma's power was out for 8 days. She tried to salvage as much as she could but the applesauce didn't make it but as she always does she encouraged me to make it. She would always say its so easy but I just didn't think I could make it like hers. Well it turned out to be SUPER easy and its pretty close to tasting like hers.This may be something that I don't really need to post as its so easy but for me I didn't really have a clue as to how to do it. Hopefully it helps someone!
I used granny smith apples but my grandma always uses the apples she gets from her tree.

Boil the apples in water for about 5-8 minutes. They don't need to be totally covered in water. I then threw them in the food processer with the water and added some sugar and butter. For three apples I used about 2 tbs. of sugar.Its that simple!

Go Colts!!

2008-09-07T16:32:00.013-04:00

Tonight is the 1st regular season game and we are having a couple people over. It started as just my parents for my dad's b'day but it has now grown! We are going to order pizza but for dessert we are having some cupcakes I ordered before I knew all these people would be coming over and I also decided to make some blondies! I chose these peanut butter blondies! They were super easy and yummy.

Peanut Butter Blondies with Peanut Butter Cup

6 Tbs. melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional, but creates a lighter texture)

1/3 cup peanut butter (I used smooth, but you could use crunchy)

1/2-1 cup peanut butter cups (I used miniature ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8×8 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Then mix in peanut butter. Add salt, flour and baking powder. By hand, mix in peanut butter cups (I put mine in the freezer for a few minutes so they wouldn’t melt while I tried to chop them).

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. Cook on rack before cutting.

Another suggestion—drizzle the top with chocolate!

Here are the yummy cupcakes I ordered as well. I got them from this cute little cupcake and popcorn shop that opened in our town recently.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2008-09-01T18:54:00.003-04:00

We had a cookout today and I chose to bring this dip. Unfortunately I spaced the picture till it was already eaten into. My cousin made this and it tasted great! Mine however tasted great it just wasn't as creamy as I would have liked. There really aren't any measurements for this. When my cousin made this she made a huge amount in a deep 9x13 foil pan using 4 cream cheese blocks and 3 tubs of sour cream. I used a smaller pan and used 2 cream cheese and 1 16 oz. of sour cream. I think I should have used a little more extra sour cream.

I also added
1/2 cup mayo
Garlic powder or minced garlic
Salt and Pepper
1 box of thawed spinach with the water squeezed out
A jar or aritchokes drained and chopped
Real Parmesan Cheese

Blend (I use the mixer or food processer) cream cheese(softened),sour cream, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mayo I usually let it mix for about 2 or 3 mins. then add the spinach and fold in the artichokes.
Put into pan. Bake for 30 mins. on 350. Take out and add parmesan. Bake for about another 10 mins. Serve hot.

To serve along with the dip my cousin also gave a great idea.
Take french bread and slice it or at our grocery you can buy little french bread slices. Take the juice from the artichokes and some italian dressing and drizzle over the bread. Broil on both sides till toasty. Delicious!!!

I'm back!

2008-08-10T21:40:00.003-04:00

So after spending a lot of my summer out of the kitchen, I finally got back in it tonight! School starts back tomorrow and I'm not used to get up early just yet! I spent last week in meetings and had a hard time getting up and having enough time for breakfast. I decided to make something I could grab real quick in case I was running late. I was going to make blueberry muffins but at the last minute saw this Blueberry Cake recipe. I figure it can count as a coffee cake and deem reasonable to have for breakfast! This was really easy to put together and I hope in the morning to say it tastes just as good as it looks! I found this recipe here.

Blueberry Crumb Cake
from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home

For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,
crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

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Back to the Grind

2008-07-31T20:58:00.007-04:00

So I'm finally back from my month of vacationing. My husband and I just got back from New York/ Montreal. We visited the Saratoga/Lake George region in New York.
While in New York we stayed at a bed and breakfast. The owners gave us excellent recommendations on places to eat in the area. One place we chose was called the 132 Glen Bistro. It was a small little place but the food was great!
Chad chose the filet mignon and I chose the cowboy pork chop. It was huge. Both meals came with excellent mashed potatoes and vegetables.

While in Montreal. We also had some great food. I was dying to get a good crepe. We found this cute little restaurant in Old Montreal. Our table was placed right in front of this cute open window. I got a strawberry crepe that was served with whip cream and two delicious scoops of ice cream.

So now that we are back we've gotta get back to work. Hopefully I can get back in the kitchen considering I only cooked 2 real meals this entire summer!!

I'm back but not for long

2008-07-13T21:30:00.004-04:00

I'm back from our family vacation. It was such a great and relaxing time but next week we will be gone again for our own vacation with just the two of us. So that means not many new recipes will be coming out of our kitchen this next week.
Today we had a cookout for my sister as she just graduated from photography school.
My contribution to it all was a new dessert.

I received many compliments on it. It really was very good!

Grape Salad
2 lbs of green grapes
2 lbs of red grapes
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
8 oz of sour cream
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla

for the topping:
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
1 cup of chopped pecans

Wash and stem grapes. Set aside.
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla by hand until well blended. Stir grapes into mixture and pour into a large serving bowl (I used a trifle/parfait dish).For topping: mix brown sugar with pecans. Sprinkle over grape mixture until covered. (I put 1/2 of the grape mixture, then 1/2 of the topping and then did another layer like that).
Chill overnight.

Louie Giglio - Laminin

2008-06-24T15:14:00.001-04:00

Found this video on another blog. Hope you like it.

I'm still here

2008-06-24T14:17:00.002-04:00

Things have gotten really busy with summer now here. I have been working a lot and haven't even had a chance to make anything. Chad and I had the day off today and so I thought I would make him bruschetta, which he loves. Chad loves tomatoes so of course he would love bruschetta. I didn't really follow a recipe. I looked some up and took ideas from each of them.
My version of bruschetta:
Using little slices of french bread I rubbed a garlic clove over them and then either drizzled them with olive oil or italian dressing. I broiled them for a minute or so.
For the tomato topping. I used a can of petite diced tomatoes (drained)and fresh mozzarella. I diced the cheese up and mixed it with the tomoatoes and added a little garlic powder. Topped the bread with the tomato mix and stuck it back under the broiler to just warm the cheese slightly.

Strawberry Pie

2008-05-31T20:25:00.005-04:00

I haven't been in the kitchen much lately. I have been pretty busy. Part of the reason I have been busy is because I received a teaching job!! I am now a kindergarten teacher and we celebrated this week!
With summer here I was craving a cool summer dessert. I went in search of something with strawberries. What I found was something different. This pie was easy to make but the taste was a little different. The recipe calls for ice cream but I used frozen yogurt. I also used sugar free jello. Those changes may be the reason for the taste being slightly off but I do think it was good just could have used that extra sweetness. The recipe came from allrecipes.com

Frosty Strawberry Pie
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and gradually add ice cream, stirring until melted. Note: if pie is to be chilled 3-4 hours before serving, increase to 1 1/2 cups water.
Chill til thick but NOT set (15-25 minutes) and then fold in strawberries and pour into pie crust.
Chill until firm; garnish with whipped cream and walnut halves.

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-05-12T20:06:00.009-04:00

I found another yummy dessert! This is a perfect way to do strawberry shortcake in a new way. I got the recipe from this blog. I made her recipe for the homemade shortbread. The shortbread was really good! If I make this again and don't have much time I wouldn't make the homemade shrotbread but other than that it is really easy and fast!

For the custard:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1 container fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
Whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish

For the custard:
Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping in a bowl; refrigerate.

For the glaze:
Place sliced strawberries in a bowl/container with lid and sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for several hours to allow strawberries and sugar to create their own sweet juicy glaze.

For assembly:
Place 1 layer of cake in a large clear bowl. Top with a layer of glaze, followed by a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for remaining cake, glaze and custard. Top cake with 3 whole fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves.

Grandma’s “Southern” Fashion Shortcake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden.

Taco Bake

2008-05-06T19:58:00.003-04:00

Still trying to go through my google reader recipes. I found this one recently and I am so glad I did. It is so simple and very tasty. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture but it really is great!
It comes from this blog.
1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
15 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. seashell pasta
8 oz package cream cheese (softened in microwave)
1/2 c. sour cream
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef, drain. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.

Spray bottom of 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spoon ground beef mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Cool about 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Charlotte

2008-05-02T12:18:00.005-04:00

Every year at Christmas my grandma makes a Charlotte Russe. The way she prepares the Charlotte Russe is with a custard and ladyfingers on the outside.

Well this weekend we went to my grandma's for her big derby party she has every year. I found this recipe for a charlotte and thought she would be interested in it.

Her friends always make such great and decadent food for this party and I thought I should make something to go along with it all. This recipe was actually pretty simple to make. It tasted great but unfortunately I think it came out dry.

Orange Layer “Charlotte” with Buttercream Frosting and Berries
For the cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier (I just used the juice from the orange I zested)
1 Tbsp Orange zest
4 large egg whites

For the frosting:
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier(Used the OJ again)
1/4 tsp lemon extract

For assembly:
Ladyfingers (approx 36 for an 8-inch cake)
1/2 pint of blue berries
1/2 pint of raspberries
1/2 lb strawberries
Ribbon (approx 2 yards)

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of two 8-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; spray parchment. Dust pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 3/4 cups sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, Grand Marnier, and orange zest. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating until well blended between additions. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining sugar. Beat egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter in 3 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; remove parchment paper, turn cakes over, and cool completely. Level the cake layers, if necessary.

For frosting: Cream cream cheese and butter on low until smooth. Turn the mixer off and add all powdered sugar at once. Turn mixer on “Stir” until the powdered sugar is mostly incorporated and increase speed to low. Add Grand Marnier and lemon extract; mix until smooth (approx 4 minutes). Thin the frosting with water or milk, if necessary (I added about a Tbsp of milk).

For assembly: Rinse the berries and pat dry. Cut the top from the strawberries and slice thinly. Spread approx 3/4 cup frosting on bottom layer, top generously with raspberries and blueberries, lightly pressing the fruit into the frosting. Top with second layer. Frost tops and sides of cake liberally.

Sift powdered sugar lightly over the top of the ladyfingers. Pipe a line of frosting onto the back of the ladyfingers and apply to the side of the cake, allowing about 1-inch of the cookies to stick up over the side of the cake. Press onto the cake. Arrange remaining blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries over the top of the cake, as desired. Tie with a ribbon. Refrigerate overnight if not serving the same day.

Notes: The amounts above are half the original recipe, which makes 2 10-in cakes.

Yields: 1 8-inch, 2-layer cake
Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2006

Cheesy Chicken Roll- ups

2008-04-29T19:26:00.002-04:00

This recipe was delicious and extremely easy! It's from my Kraft food and family magazine.

8 flour tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups lettuce
1 targe tomato, chopped

Preheat oover to 350
Top each tortilla with salsa and chicken. Fold in opposite sides of each tortilla, then roll up burrito style.
Arrange tortillas seam side down, in 8 inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 15 min. or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with lettuce and tomato.

Who Am I Casting Crowns

2008-04-27T16:21:00.001-04:00

My husband showed me this video the other day. I thought it was pretty awesome!

Biscuits and Gravy

2008-04-05T12:38:00.016-04:00

A week ago I went to a cooking class offered by my husband's aunt and uncle's appliance store. The theme of the night was diner food. We learned some great recipes and it all tasted SO good! Biscuits and Gravy was one of the many recipes we learned. Chad loves biscuits and gravy so I knew I would have to make this for him. The biscuits turned out great. I also didn't ruin the gravy which I was so nervous about.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Servings:12
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup buttermilk (full fat)
1/3 cup yogurt
1 egg
Preheat oven to 450
In a medium size bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Using a box grater, grate the butter on top of the dry ingredients and using your hands cut the butter into the flour.

In a small bowl combine the buttermilk, yogurt and egg. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry mix and carefully stir just to combine, over mixing will yield tough biscuits.
Using a scoop or spoon drop the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and for about 15 minutes until nicely browned. (I baked mine about 12 minutes as the bottoms started to become dark.)
Sausage Gravy
Servings:4
1 pound pork sausage. sage works well
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 quart milk (I used about 2 1/2 cups)
black pepper and salt to taste
In a large pan over medium low heat fry the sausage until fully cooked trying not to brown it too much. When the sausage is cooked add the butter and cook until melted, dust with the flour turn the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk about one cup at a time until you have achieved your desired thickness. Season heavily with the pepper and salt if desired.