yellow bowl bakery

french onion soup

2011-01-15T17:52:00.000-06:00

i made this tonight. it was delicious. even the baby is eating it! amounts here are approximate. just taste and adjust as you go.

5 white onions, cut into thin rings
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsp - 1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
4 cans beef broth, or 8 cups water + beef bouillon ('better than bouillon' is what i used)
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice

on medium-high heat, saute the onions in a skillet in the butter, adding sugar and salt after salted. cook until caramelized.

in a soup pot, combine remaining ingredients. bring to a boil. add onions after they're caramelized, then bring to a boil again. turn heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour.

meal planning- this week.

2011-01-15T11:35:00.000-06:00

saturday: french onion soup with homemade bread

sunday: mom's shepherds pie

monday: mom's lasagna

tuesday: french dip sandwiches

wednesday: fried chicken and mashed sweet potatoes

thursday: breakfast for dinner- pancakes or french toast, goetta, eggs

friday: (opening night of the opera) leftovers!

cinco leches cake

2010-10-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

are words necessary?

for the cake:
1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup veg. oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 350'. mix everything together until well-blended and bake in a 13x9" pan 30-34 minutes. remove from oven and cool 30 minutes. poke holes all over the cake with a fork or the end of a wooden spoon. bigger holes means the milk sauce will absorb better.

for the milk sauce:
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 oz.) can cream of coconut (coco lopez brand)
1/4 cup dark rum
t tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

pour over the cooled cake with a ladle. wait. until your first few ladles-full have absorbed to add the rest.

whipped cream:

1-2 cups heavy whipping cream (depending on how thick you want this layer)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp dark rum, or more to taste

whip together until to whipped-cream consistency and spread over cake.

refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

meal planning: overview

2010-09-15T00:21:00.000-05:00

beau and i are making some changes. one big change is that we're drastically cutting back on eating at restaurants. i prefer home-cooked food. it's healthier, cheaper, and we know what's going into it. tonight, (with a little help from husband and bestie) i compiled a list of our favorite main-dishes (and a few things we want to have more often) so i can start meal planning! i'm really excited about this. in the past when we've stuck to meal planning, it added a nice sense of structure to the day. anyway, here's the list, in no particular order, for when i need inspiration:

tamale pie
breakfast for dinner (goetta & eggs/pancakes/waffles)
roast chicken
pork chops
homemade pizza
bean soup
white chicken chili
chicken & dumplings
lentil soup
falafel
enchiladas
salmon patties with dill yogurt sauce
red beans & rice
pot roast
chinese chicken pasta salad
sesame noodles
minestrone
fried chicken & mashed sweet potatoes
chili & cornbread
tacos
lamb stroganoff
mexican burgers
turkey burgers
spaghetti & meatballs
spaghetti carbonara
linguini & basil pesto
baked salmon
pork tenderloin
meatloaf
baked tilapia
ham (leftovers: ham salad, soup)
tuna casserole
quesadillas
sausage & sauerkraut
cabbage rolls
stuffed peppers
bbq sandwiches/quesadillas
tilapia florentine
homemade pretzels & soup
grilled cheese & homemade tomato soup

fresh peach cobbler

2010-09-14T00:02:00.000-05:00

i've never been a fan of peach cobbler. when i've had it in the past, it's been doughy and dull, bland yet overly sweet. THIS cobbler, however... this cobbler changed my mind forever. and has probably ruined me for every other cobbler.

get ready for your life to improve significantly.

8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick salted butter, chilled and cut into small piece
1/4 cup water that's been microwaved for 2 minutes

3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

-preheat the oven to 425'.
-in a large bowl, combine ingredients from first list in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly. pour into a 9x13" pan and bake for 10 minutes.
-while that's baking, combine the flour, sugars, and salt. blend in the butter using your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal. stir in the water until just combined. you still want to see streaks of butter.
-remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over. sprinkle the top with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
-bake until topping is golden- between 20 and 25 minutes.

pink fluff

2010-09-10T01:17:00.002-05:00

is it cranberry time yet?

1 lb whole cranberries
1 cup sugar
20 ounce can of crushed pineapple in water/juices
1 cup cream
3 cups mini marshmallows

Chop the cranberries or run them through the food
processor.
Mix the chopped cranberries, pineapple (juice and all)
and the sugar.
Refrigerate.
Just before serving, whip the cream. Fold the cream
and the mini marshmallows into the pineapple-cranberry
mixture.

cake mix cookies

2010-08-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

i made these for my bestie amanda and her roommate, and she said they were the best thing she'd ever put in her face.

1 box devil's food cake mix
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup strong coffee
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

mix everything together in a bowl with a big wooden spoon. i made mine pretty huge and used like 1/4 cup dough per cookie. bake at 350 for about 13 minutes. let cool 10 minutes minutes before removing from the cookie sheet because they're pretty soft.

french dip

2010-08-05T22:22:00.000-05:00

fresh onion rolls + thinly sliced london broil, rare to med. rare

the jus:

1 carton organic beef broth (32 oz)
1 tbsp. 'better than boullion' soup base, beef
5-6 sprays bragg amino acid
1-2 tsp salt, to taste
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried rosemary

bring to a boil... stir it up... dip your sammich in it. you can either: a) dip the beef in the jus and then put it on the bun, or b) dip the sandwich in the jus. we prefer the latter.

toll house pie

2010-07-22T21:28:00.003-05:00

from skip to my lou... just wanted to be able to reference it!

½ Cup butter (melted)

2 eggs

½ Cup flour

½ Cup sugar

½ Cup brown sugar

1 Cup chocolate chips

1 regular pie crust- not deep dish

Preheat oven to 325°. Melt butter then set aside. Beat two eggs in a mixing bowl until foamy(I beat with a whisk just well enough to see a few bubbles). Mix in sugars and flour. Slowly stir in butter and then chocolate chips. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake for about 1 hour. This pie freezes beautifully. Serve warm with ice cream. YUMMY! This is such a simple pie and I am always asked for the recipe.

ETA:

all i had was a deep-dish pie crust, so this is how i did it:

3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

everything else, i did the same. YUM!

chicken nuggets!

2010-07-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

chicken has been my foe in the past. it has intimidated me and i've been afraid to eat it if i'm the one cooking. no longer!

1-2 lbs chicken tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup self-rising flour
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

combine the flour, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl. toss the chicken in the flour mixture to coat well.

in a large pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter 2 tbsp canola oil. when that's hot, toss in 5 cloves of chopped garlic, followed by the chicken. cook 5-10 minutes until chicken is done.

oatmeal coconut scotchies?

2010-06-23T22:33:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what to call these... I happened to snap a picture of the ingredients list, but could not tell you where it came from. Opps! Anyhow, I'm so glad i got that picture because these cookies are killer. Maybe they should be called Oatmeal Coconut Killers? Try them.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325'. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
Mix together the flour, salt, and soda, then dump into the butter/sugar mix and beat until combined.
Stir or beat in the remaining ingredients until well combined.
I used a big (1/4 cup) ice cream scoop to portion these.
Bake for 12 minutes. Drink with a glass of milk! YUM!

lamb stroganoff

2010-04-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

i loosely followed this recipe. but changed it so much that i can't really give it all the credit *grin*

1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 cup white wine (i used pinot grigio, the two-buck chuck variety)
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and mushrooms, season with salt, and cook until very tender. Mix in garlic. Turn heat to low. In another skillet set on medium-high, cook the lamb. Add in the wine, flour, mustard, and sour cream. Add in mushroom/onion mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

rhubarb delight

2010-04-30T00:57:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to my pal Val! The first time I ever had rhubarb, it was in this dessert.

"Rhubarb Delight"
by Mrs. William (Dora) Sabo and Mrs. Roscoe (Judy) Bonderman
Courtesy of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church Cookbook, Moltke Township, MN

SHORTBREAD CRUST: Bake 10 minutes at 325*
1/2 lb. butter
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar

RHUBARB CUSTARD: Slop on top of shortbread, bake 40-45 at 350*
6 egg yolks
2 c. sugar
5 c. rhubarb (about 2 lbs.)
4 T. flour
1 c. cream

MERINGUE: On top of custard, bake at 10-15 minutes at 350*
6 egg whites
12 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
pinch salt

black bean brownies

2010-04-30T00:55:00.002-05:00

We are invited to a Mother's Day Brunch, and the hostess requested only dairy(excluding eggs)/gluten-free items be brought. I found this recipe on allrecipes, and was not disappointed. You really can't taste the beans. Just be sure to puree them well- bean chunks are not so appetizing. The original calls for vegetable oil, which I forgot to add. They're still incredibly moist, and lower in points value. When cut into 16 pieces, they're only 2 Weight Watchers points per. Here is my slightly altered version.

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
6 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder*
2 tbsp instant coffee
4 tbsp fiber sure (fiber powder)

*use b.p. if you want cakey brownies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment.
Puree the black beans, then combine with the eggs, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a large bowl; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40 to 45 minutes.

alton brown's soft pretzels

2010-04-20T23:35:00.001-05:00

tonight, baby jack and i made soft pretzels for dinner using this recipe. the results were outstanding! these are definitely going to become a family tradition. it's a fun, quick, and minimally messy recipe. alton's directions say to use a stand mixer and dough hook. however, we're in a temporary apartment with only the bare necessities kitchen-wise, so i kneaded the dough by hand.

we'll definitely be trying a cinnamon-sugar version of these.

PSA

2010-03-30T01:17:00.000-05:00

the next time you make tacos, add a few tablespoons of dill relish to the meat mixture near the end of it's cooking time. just trust me. do it.

peanut sesame noodles

2010-03-29T14:21:00.002-05:00

last night, some friends came over and we had an impromptu dinner and movie night. i made my own version of this. it's a keeper! i had almost everything on hand, including some leftover rotisserie chicken that dear amanda so expertly shredded. here's my version!

for the peanut sauce:
in a blender, combine and blend until smooth:

1/2 cup natural (no sugar added) peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger (i used pureed ginger from a tube)
1 tbsp fresh garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp sriracha hot pepper sauce

1 lb spaghetti or linguine, broken into thirds and cooked in heavily salted water
1 rotisserie chicken, picked over and shredded

cook the pasta until al dente. drain and rinse well with cold water. add chicken and pour sauce over. toss well. serve cold or at room temp.

asian chicken spinach pasta salad

2010-03-20T23:17:00.003-05:00

...can anyone suggest a more interesting name? anyway, this salad is delicious, filling, and healthy. you cook the pasta the night before, and marinate it with the shredded rotisserie chicken in one batch of the dressing. then right before serving, dress the salad with another batch of the dressing and toss with the salad/chicken. adapted from this recipe at nobiggie, which is a great blog i just discovered.

the dressing: make two batches of this, keep one in the fridge until the next day

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (i think rice wine vinegar would be good too)
1/3 cup sesame oil (YUM! this makes it spectacular, IMO)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp (or more) freshly grated ginger

combine batch #1 in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. combine batch #2 and stick in the fridge. make sure you taste and adjust your seasonings!

the salad, pt. 1: prepare the night before

1 box bowtie pasta
breast meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

the salad, pt. 2:

1 bag spinach
1 small bag snow peas
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 bunch green onions, chopped

assemble! :

cook the pasta until al dente- mine was just right at around 7 minutes in the water. drain and rinse well. combine in a large zip top bag with the shredded chicken and one batch of the dressing. marinate in the fridge over night.

the next day, combine all your fresh ingredients in a large bowl and add the pasta/chicken mixture. toss with your second batch of dressing.

convert-you carrot cake

2010-01-30T13:16:00.004-06:00

(for an 80's themed birthday party!)

...so named because if you don't like carrot cake, this will make you a convert. it made me a believer in the goodness of carrot cake! it's adapted from this recipe. i made it gluten-free for a friend's birthday just by substituting gluten-free all purpose flour. easy peasy! (disclaimer: i'm no expert on GF stuff so just changing the flour might not make it 100% GF.) i'm sure that the oil could be reduced- this cake turned out very moist. i didn't want to risk it, but next time i'm going to try cutting it by at least 1/4 cup.

* 4 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour or GF all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
* 3 cups grated carrots
* 1 cup chopped pecans

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups +/- powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup milk +/- (as much as needed)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* pinch of salt
* 2 tbsp lemon juice

-Preheat oven to 350'. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.
-Beat together eggs, oil, and sugars. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots and pecans. Pour into pan.
-Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

-For Frosting: Whip together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add in sugar, lemon juice, salt and vanilla. If it's too thick, add milk. Beat until it's at the spreading consistency you need. You can stretch this frosting out by adding more sugar and milk.

my perfect brownies

2010-01-14T21:21:00.003-06:00

these are fudgy and rich and i can't make them again anytime soon because they're dangerous. my jumping-off point was the recipe on the back of the box of unsweetened Baker's chocolate.

3/4 cup unsalted butter
5 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 packet starbucks via instant coffee
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

-preheat oven to 350'.
-in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate together for two minutes. stir until melted.
-stir in sugar and eggs, the remaining ingredients.
-pour into an 8x8" pan lined with parchment paper. bake 30-33 minutes.
-let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.

excellent with coffee ice cream.

cutout sugar cookies

2009-12-29T17:08:00.002-06:00

these are absolutely the best sugar cookies i've ever tasted. the recipe comes from my husband's cousin, alicia.

1 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour

preheat oven to 300'.
beat together the butter and sugar, then add in the egg yolks and vanilla.
add the flour and beat until combined.
divide in half and roll out to 1/4" thick.
cut out and bake 15 minutes. ice when cooled.

icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water (maybe less)

decorate!

i don't understand why these are so good when there isn't much sugar, no salt, and no leavening. but they are fantastic.

jam-filled muffins

2009-12-15T20:00:00.003-06:00

these are rich, buttery, and delish! adapted from Prudent Baby

2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
heaping 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
jam, jelly or curd of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Whisk together dry ingredients.
Melt butter, then slowly whisk in milk.
Add eggs and beat until well blended.
Add liquid to dry and mix until all dry ingredients are moist. Batter will be thick.
Fill 12 cups of a muffin tin a little less than 1/2 full, then make a small well in each cup. No need to use muffin cups or to grease the pan!
Add a heaping tsp of your favorite jam, jelly, or curd.
Cover jam with the remaining batter.

bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Work a knife around the edge of each muffin to loosen from cup and gently lift out each muffin.

eggnog pumpkin pie with pecans & brown sugar on top!

2009-11-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

i made two of these delicious pies to take along to the two thanksgiving dinners to which we were invited. i've made eggnog pumpkin pie before, but saw this topping on bakerella and adapted it to use what i had on hand. i used marie callender's frozen pie crusts (shame on me) and they were tasty! beau found some 'pumpkin spice' flavored eggnog, and that's what i used. this recipe makes two pies.

1 large can pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups eggnog
scant 1 1/3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
scant tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

either prepare your pie crusts or take them out of the freezer to thaw, and preheat the oven to 375.

in a large bowl, beat all the above ingredients. i gave my custard mixture a taste and adjusted the spices and salt. you might want to try doing that too. i think i added extra salt and cinnamon. if you have pumpkin pie spice, try using that. i didn't have any. anyway, once the mixture is well-blended, pour evenly between two unbaked pie crusts. bake for 30 minutes.

meanwhile: in a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp agave nectar (bakerella used maple syrup; i didn't have any)
1/8 tsp kosher salt

after the pies have baked 30 minutes, sprinkle this mixture evenly over both pies. bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until pies are puffed and still a bit jiggly. cool several hours and serve either at room temp or chilled.

at-home mocha (single serving)

2009-11-17T20:01:00.002-06:00

this is SO yummy. the hubby bought me several tins of peet's dutch cocoa, and i adapted my recipe based on the one on the side of the tin.

1 tbsp dutch cocoa
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg
1 packet starbucks via (instant coffee)
1/4 cup water

combine above ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. whisk until smooth. add in 1 cup of milk and a few drops of vanilla. heat until almost boiling. enjoy!

things to take on an extended trip, pt. 2

2009-11-13T16:47:00.002-06:00

http://www.gentsupplyco.com/All-In-One-Cook-Prep-Set mixing bowls, measuring spoons & cups that all nest together.

http://www.gentsupplyco.com/Non-Stick-Serrated-Knife-For-Top-Chefs might be a good little knife.

things to take on an extended trip

2009-11-10T15:58:00.003-06:00

now that we've become semi-nomadic, i'm learning a few things about what to take if we'll be away from home for a month or two or three. here's a list of pantry staples that are a pain to buy and easy to bring along. i made the mistake of not bringing any of this with us, and i have it all at home. in addition to wasting a lot of money, i now have enough cinnamon to last until the apocolypse.

bring your own:

salt & pepper
baking soda
baking powder
spices & herbs
flour
sugar
cocoa powder
vegetable/olive oil

good knives(!!!)
kitchen scissors
french press/coffee grinder
mixing bowl
hand mixer
spatula
microplane
measuring cups/spoons

that's all i can think of for now.

kelly's creamed spinach

2009-09-25T23:04:00.002-05:00

i humbly declare that i made this tonight without a recipe. it was barely enough to serve 3 people so next time i'll be making more for sure.

1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 oz neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
10 oz. bag spinach
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter

heat a skillet to medium heat. melt 1 tbsp of butter, then add the onion. saute a few minutes until the onion is beginning to become translucent, then add the garlic. after a few more minutes of sauteing, add in the cream cheese, whipping cream, parm, and salt and pepper. stir well until combined and the cream cheese is dissolved.

in a larger skillet, melt the other tbsp of butter and add the spinach. cook until wilted and add to cream mixture. serve and enjoy!

serves 2!

brown sugar oatmeal cookies

2009-09-25T23:03:00.000-05:00

...or should i call these 'apple golden raisin brown sugar oatmeal cookies'? because that's what they are. and they're delicious.

2 sticks butter, softened (all i had was salted)
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup golden raisins
1 tart apple, peeled and chopped

preheat oven to 350' and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and lightened in color. add in the eggs and vanilla.

in another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. add to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.

add in oats, raisins, and apple and beat again until just combined.

with a medium-sized ice cream scoop or disher, scoop out 12 cookies per sheet. use your fingers to slightly press down the dough balls.

bake pans separately for 10-12 minutes or until set but not too browned! makes about 3 dozen good-sized cookies.

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins 2.0

2009-09-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 small can (15 oz.) pureed pumpkin
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat oven to 400 degrees. prepare muffin tin with paper liners.

beat eggs together in a large bown with sugar, pumpkin, and butter. beat until smooth and combined

in a medium sized bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, spices, and salt. blend into pumpkin mix. after thoroughly mixed, fold in chocolate chips.

fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way. bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

wicked good chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

2009-08-03T23:05:00.002-05:00

these are dangerous. i had the husband take half of them to some friends today because i would eat them all by myself over the course of a day otherwise.

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees. cream together the butter and sugars. beat until fluffy. add in the eggs and vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy.

in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, powder, soda, and salt.

add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips.

line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, put 8 balls of dough on each sheet. bake each sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. cookies will look puffy.

makes about 30 big cookies.

zucchini bread

2009-07-15T22:24:00.003-05:00

i haven't tasted this yet. it's based on a recipe from a family cookbook, but i've made big changes so there's no telling how it'll turn out. i'll let you know.

2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup crisco (butter would probably work too)
2 eggs
1 cup grated zucchini, peel on
1 tsp baking soda
zest and juice of half a lemon
zest and juice of half an orange
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)

preheat oven to 375 degrees. cream together sugars and crisco. add in the eggs and beat well. add in the zests and juices and beat until combined.
whisk together the flour, spices, soda, and salt. add into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. stir in zucchini and nuts and put into a greased loaf pan.
bake for about an hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

update: it's delicious! but next time i will bake at 425 degrees. the top got a little too dark before the center was done. other than that, i wouldn't change anything!

perfect oatmeal raisin cookies

2009-07-11T14:48:00.003-05:00

it's been a while since my last post, but i have a good reason!

that's my beautiful baby boy. he was born last friday and is the best thing ever.

two nights ago i got a massive craving for oatmeal raisin cookies, a cookie i've never particularly been crazy about in the past. i guess my tastes are changing now that i'm a mother... :) this is based on the quaker oatmeal "vanishing oatmeal raisin cookie" recipe, but i've changed several things. these are chewy, soft, and rich.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 heaping cup raisins

preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. add in both eggs at the same time and beat well. add vanilla. stir together the flour, powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt and add to butter mixture. fold in the oats and raisins. using a cookie scoop (mine holds about 1/4 cup) measure out onto cookie sheets. bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes each. makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

white chocolate orange cookies

2009-06-21T11:46:00.002-05:00

my own recipe! picture to come when my hubby gets home with the camera. this makes a sturdy dough and the cookies stay nice and round, which i love. flat cookies don't appeal to me! although i still eat them. these are very sweet and very yummy with a glass of cold milk!

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
zest of two oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees. cream together butter and sugar. add orange zest and vanilla extract. add egg and beat until fluffy. sift together flour, soda, powder, and salt. add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and blend until combined, but do not overbeat. stir in white chocolate by hand. drop by scant tablespoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake until lightly golden- about 13 minutes.

my mama's banana bread

2009-06-14T21:48:00.003-05:00

1/2 cup crisco
1 large egg
2 cups flour
heaping 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup freckled banana, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream together shortening and sugar until well-blended. beat in the egg and lemon juice. whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. add to shortening mixture and blend well. batter will be thick! fold in the bananas and nuts. pour into 9x4" loaf pan that you've lined with parchment and sprayed with baker's joy. bake 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. cool on a wire rack.

i could eat this for breakfast every day. and i plan on doing just that for the next 2 weeks or so, because i baked 2 large loaves of it tonight.

biscuit quest 2009

2009-06-14T21:32:00.003-05:00

one of my goals for this summer was to find the perfect biscuit recipe. it's turned out to be a short-lived search, because i think i found it on the second try. and wouldn't you know, it's the recipe on the back of the Gold Brand Self-Rising Flour bag. the only change the hubby and i made was to add 1/4 tsp of salt. the flour does have salt in it already, but i'm pregnant and have had to add extra salt to pretty much everything for the past 7.5 months. anyway, these are stellar and beau and i each ate two and a half of these straight out of the oven.

Gold's Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp sugar
1 stick butter, straight out of the fridge
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

preheat oven to 450 degrees. sift together flour, sugar, and salt. cut the butter into small pieces and then using your fingers, cut into flour until only some big chunks of butter remain. add in 3/4 cup buttermilk and stir gently. if the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, don't add anymore. we had to use about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon. gently knead on a lightly floured surface until just smooth, then roll out to a generous 1/2". use a biscuit cutter and press straight down (DO NOT TWIST!). place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 9-12 minutes or until they're the golden color that whets your appetite. 9 was the right amount of time for us.

best garlic cheese bread ever.

2009-06-05T21:12:00.004-05:00

i can't tell you how delicious this bread is.

1 loaf italian bread, sliced lengthwise
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise

preheat oven to 350'.
in a bowl, combine all ingredients except the french bread.
spread the bread with the mixture. place side-by-side on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or foil.
bake until cheese is melty, then broil until cheese starts to turn golden.
remove from oven, slice, and serve.

samoas cupcakes- a.k.a. caramel de-lites

2009-05-19T19:14:00.004-05:00

you could also make this in cake form! if you did a bundt, it would really look like a big samoa :)

butter cake:

1 pkg plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
3 large eggs
1 tsp. (or tbsp.) vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

-combine all ingredients well and bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes. when you take the cupcakes out of the oven, turn the temp up to 425 and then proceed to make the caramel coconut topping.

caramel coconut topping:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (7 oz.) bag shredded coconut
1 tbsp vanilla extract.
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt

-pour the sweetened condensed milk into a small pyrex dish, then place that dish into a bigger dish. pour water into the outside dish, about halfway up the side of the dish w/ the milk. cover the entire thing with foil and put in the oven for 45 minutes. at that time check the water level and add more water if necessary. bake another 45 minutes or until the milk has turned a rich caramel color. carefully remove from the oven and transfer caramel to a larger dish if necessary. add coconut, salt, and vanilla and enough heavy cream to get it to the consistency you want. top the cupcakes and spread evenly.

chocolate drizzle:

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 1/4 cup heavy cream

-microwave chips in 30 second increments until melted. also microwave the heavy cream for about 30 seconds until slightly warm. pour small amounts into the chocolate and stir until smooth. keep adding cream until it's thin enough to drizzle, but don't make it too thin. you might need to keep microwaving in 10 second increments after you add the cream. transfer into a ziploc bag and seal. snip off the corner and drizzle over the cupcakes. chocolate will set after a few hours.

more meal planning

2009-05-14T20:42:00.004-05:00

for my information... this may change- 3 weeks ahead of time might be too early to plan, even for me!

spag & meatballs
meatball stroganoff
pork chops, biscuits, roast veggies
leftovers
i will attempt falafel & tzatziki! with salad.

meal planning!

2009-05-14T19:30:00.003-05:00

the hub and i are working on our budget, and after realizing what a huge amount of money we spend on dining out each month, i am even more resolved to start cooking at home as much as possible. i love cooking, and there's no reason why we shouldn't eat all our meals at home at least 5 days a week!

having an apartment with a fully functional kitchen will make this easier. 2 weeks and 1 day until we move in! so here's to pre-planning the first week...

sunday: roast chicken, buttermilk biscuits and roasted veggies
monday: chicken quesadillas (w/leftover chicken)
tuesday: stuffed peppers made with buffalo, yellow bell peppers and extra onion
wednesday: tamale pie, also made with buffalo
thursday: leftovers
friday: gnocchi & sauce if i'm feeling up to it, mexican hamburgers with baked fries if im not!

bow ties in cream sauce

2009-04-17T00:20:00.002-05:00

this is adapted from a "members only" recipe on tasteofhome.com. i changed it quite a bit but in case you're interested, over there it's called "creamy bow tie pasta recipe"

1 box uncooked bow tie pasta
2 tbsp salted butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
2 cloves minced garlic
salt to taste
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vodka or white wine (i had vodka but i suspect white wine would be better)
1/4 cup water
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
2-4 tablespoon sour cream

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in the oil, flour, garlic and seasonings until blended. Gradually add the milk, vodka/wine and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Remove from the heat; stir in cheese and sour cream. Drain pasta; toss with sauce.

no-bake nutella cheesecake

2009-04-13T02:19:00.002-05:00

i made this for easter this year and it was fantastic.

2 blocks neufchatel cream cheese, room temperature
1 (13 oz.) jar nutella
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 store-bought oreo cookie crust

blend together the first 4 ingredients until smooth. pour into crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

______

i had more nutella in another jar, so i microwaved about 1/4 cup of it until runny and drizzled it over the top before putting it into the fridge.

chocolate lava cake in a mug! in the microwave!

2009-04-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

this is adapted from this recipe at the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog, which has become one of my favorite food blogs.

in a large mug, whisk together:

4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

then add in:

1 egg
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp milk
a splash of vanilla extract
a splash of orange extract (optional, but delicious!)
dash of salt

whisk together thoroughly until well combined.

chop approx. 2 oz. chocolate. i used 1 part dark chocolate to 2 parts milk chocolate, because that's what i had. dump on top of the batter but do not stir.

microwave for ONE minute, then stir. microwave another 20-30 seconds, and voila! chocolate cake in under 5 minutes.

___

this would also be good with peppermint extract and/or a small handful of andes mints. i guess technically this isn't a lava cake because it's sort of lava throughout- some of it is solid and some is liquid, and that's exactly how i like it! this would be great to share because it's very rich.

super delicious burritos

2009-03-17T01:39:00.002-05:00

i was inspired by a friend to make a big batch of burritos to put in the fridge/freezer. it may be a symptom of nesting- putting up lots of food for after the baby comes sounds smart. only i'll be halfway across the country when that happens. these taste better than taco bell's grilled stuffed burrito!

8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 large can mexican-style refried beans
1 package uncle ben's spanish rice (the kind that you microwave for 90 seconds and it's done)
1-2 cups prepared guacamole- mine came from trader joes
2 cups mixed cheese (i used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 mozzarella)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken, well-seasoned with salt

lay out 8 large pieces of foil, and put a tortilla on each one. if you know you'll be microwaving the burritos, use plastic wrap instead.
spread about 1/4-1/2 cup of beans on each tortilla
spread 1-2 tbsp on top of the beans. i like guac so i used 2 each.
sprinkle a couple tbsps of rice on top of the guac
sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on top of that
sprinkle 1/4 cup chicken on top of that
fold up edges and roll. then fold up the foil around the burrito. your burritos should be sort of flat.

to serve:
you don't have to do it this way... nuking in the microwave for a minute or two would be fine, but i love the texture of a good toasted tortilla! if your burrito is frozen, let it defrost on the counter or microwave to defrost.

heat a skillet to medium and melt 1/2 a tbsp of butter. fry seam-side down for several minutes. spread a bit more butter on the side that's up. when golden and crispy, flip over and cook the other side.

YUM!!!

breakfast of chubby champions

2009-03-15T01:02:00.002-05:00

i made this up this morning. it's not really creative or original, but i've never seen this EXACT thing before, so i'm calling it *my* recipe.

1 slice bacon, cut in half. 2 slices if you really mean it.
2 slices bread
1 egg
cheddar cheese (1 slice? however much you like. i like cheese a lot.)

-using a small juice or shot glass or even a fancy biscuit cutter, cut a hole in the middle of one of the pieces of bread. i don't care what you do with the bread round. you could toast it up to sop up the delicious egg yolk goo that is in your near future.
-heat up your skillet to medium and fry the cut bacon on one side. when it's nice and crispy and brown, flip it over and swirl the fat around. don't you dare drain any of that fat.
-arrange your bacon so that you can place the holey bread on top of the bacon and still see the bottom of your frying pan. press lightly.
-crack the egg into the hole and sprinkle with a dash of salt.
-let the egg fry for a minute or until the white is... white, on the side touching the pan.
-with a spatula, lift up the bread and swirl the bacon fat around. flip the bread/egg/bacon, then top with cheese and additional piece of bread.
-after another minute, flip one more time to toast the intact bread and melt the cheese a bit more.
-savor.

perhaps the best lasagna ever.

2009-02-16T02:16:00.003-06:00

this makes a LOT of lasagna: 3 pans, to be exact. feel free to halve or quarter. this started as pioneer woman's "the best lasagna ever", but, with all respect to PW, she only called for basil and parsley, and hardly any garlic and i can't fathom lasagna without at least oregano. so the original recipe has been doubled from hers and then heavily doctored.

3 lbs ground beef
2 pounds hot italian pork sausage
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 12 oz. cans tomato paste
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tbsp oregano
2 9 oz. packages no-boil lasagna noodles
2 tbsp oil
6 cups cottage cheese
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese (the powdered kind)
another 2 tbsp dried basil
2 lbs shredded mozzarella

in a large skillet, combine beef, sausage, and garlic. cook until brown and drain off half the fat. pour in tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, and 1 tbsp salt. mix together and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

white meet is cooking, mix together cottage cheese with 4 beaten eggs, the kraft parm. cheese, the other 2 tbsp dried basil, and 2 tsp salt.

layer your ingredients as follows: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella, meat mixture, and repeat ending with meat mixture. top generously with more kraft parmesan. bake at 350' for 30-45 minutes.

martha's macaroni and cheese 101

2009-01-28T16:27:00.002-06:00

this is HANDS DOWN the best homemade mac and cheese i've ever had. the fact that it was made by my mom didn't hurt!

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ to ½-inch pieces
5½ C milk
½ C all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt, plus more for water
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4½ C (about 18 oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 C (about 8 oz) grated Gruyère cheese or 1¼ C (about 5 oz) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Melt 2 T of butter and pour over bread in a medium bowl; toss. Set bread crumbs aside.

Warm milk in saucepan over medium heat. Melt remaining butter in high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk flour mixture constantly, while adding hot milk a little at a time. Continue cooking and whisking until mixture bubbles and thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, 3 C cheddar cheese and 1½ C Gruyère cheese (or 1 C Pecorino Romano cheese). Set cheese sauce aside. Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain macaroni under cold running water. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce and pour mixture into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheeses and bread crumbs over top. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Transfer disk to wire rack for 5 minutes Serves 12.

Note: For lots of crust, bake in a broad, shallow casserole dish. Recipe divides easily in half (use a 1½-quart casserole dish).

***the only change i would make to this recipe would be to add some ground mustard! i can imagine this with really crispy bacon mixed in... yum!

mom's shrimp scampi pasta

2009-01-24T22:10:00.002-06:00

i've been home visiting and mom made this for dinner tonight. as promised, it was delicious. you can't go wrong when garlic, white wine, and shrimp are together!

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp
5 + garlic cloves, put through a garlic press. IMO, the more garlic, the better
1/2 tsp dried hot red- pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 lb angel hair pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

bring large pot of salted water to a boil.

meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over med. high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about a minute on each side. transfer w/a slotted spoon to a large bowl. add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. remove skillet from heat.

cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta in a colander. toss pasta well with shrimp and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water IF NECESSARY to keep moist.

the only changes i would make to this recipe would be:
-more shrimp
-saute the garlic slightly before adding the shrimp, to take the harsh bite off the garlic
-more salt

triple layer mud pie

2009-01-19T16:01:00.002-06:00

i usually make this for thanksgiving as the 'chocolate option', along with eggnog pumpkin and bourbon pecan pies. i'm making this for my brother's birthday celebration, because he loves oreos and chocolate pudding. here's a tip if you try it though: leave out the pecans; they get gummy.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/triple-layer-mud-pie-51081.aspx

tonight's bean and sausage soup

2009-01-18T22:13:00.002-06:00

1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. hot italian sausage (out of it's casing)
1 lg. can crushed tomatoes
1 lg. can diced tomatoes
1 can each: kidney, cannellini, red, pinto, great northern (all drained and rinsed)& spicy refried beans
4 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

saute the onion until translucent. add sausage and brown. add garlic, and remaining ingredients in order. bring to a boil and simmer at least 1/2 hour before serving.

i love beans.

LA Times Gingerbread People

2009-01-18T16:30:00.002-06:00

(i haven't tried these- just posting for my own reference!)

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
1 egg
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the molasses until incorporated, then the egg. Mix in the grated and ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, cloves and cardamom until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least two hours -- and up to one week.

3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Take half of the dough and roll out on a floured work surface to slightly less than one-fourth inch. Using cookie cutters in the desired shape, cut out the dough and place the shapes on a cookie tray lined with parchment, about 1 inch apart. Bake about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to color slightly. Do not over-bake. Cool cookies thoroughly on racks before frosting.

Royal icing and assembly

2 egg whites
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 recipe gingerbread cookies
Decorations, as desired

1. Place the egg whites and lemon juice in the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a mixing bowl, if using a hand mixer) and mix until combined. Gradually add in the sugar, mixing until well combined. Pipe onto cookies with a piping bag (remember to cover the unused portion of the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying out). Garnish the cookies as desired with decorations, then dry at room temperature until the icing is hardened. Store in airtight containers for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.

Each of 42 servings: 118 calories; 1 gram protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 14 mg. cholesterol; 126 mg. sodium.

martha and kelly's chewy gingerbread cookies

2008-12-20T22:37:00.003-06:00

i made these cookies today, from marthastewart.com. they definitely don't roll well (i tried that a few years ago), but make excellent ball(?) cookies. i made a few changes, because generally i don't like to copy other people's recipes. i like to make a recipe my own:

-i added one egg, because i thought it needed an egg
-used light brown sugar, because we didn't have any dark,
-omitted the cocoa because we didn't have any of that either (living in someone else's house is hard!).
-omitted the fresh ginger (see above) and added an extra 1/2 tbsp of ground
-added another tbsp of flour
-added 1/8 tsp each of allspice and ground black pepper

ETA: these were phenomenally good. and the most beautiful cookies i've ever made! since i made so many changes to the original recipe, i'm changing the title. i hope martha doesn't mind. i think it could stand another egg and i might try that when i make another batch tomorrow. but these are gorgeous, super spicy, almost perfect gingerbread cookies.

best compliment ever.

2008-12-11T22:10:00.001-06:00

"Your brownies are a symphonic extravaganza for the taste buds. They are like the clarion call of trumpets that herald the approach of kings. Nothing in the world is as delectable as your sweets!"

thanks, Mark Lear!

Brownie Mix Cookies

2008-11-21T14:07:00.003-06:00

Holy Crow, these are fantastic. I've already eaten three. I made them to sneak into 'Twilight' tonight.

1 box brownie mix, pref. Ghirardelli (the kind with chocolate chips in the mix)
2 eggs
3 tbsp coffee
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup veg. oil
1/2 tbsp orange extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 cup (or more) chopped nuts. i used pecans because thats what i had.
1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 350'. mix everything together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. spoon onto parchment paper-lined pan and bake 9-10 minutes or until just set.

edited to add: i was freshly pregnant when i made these. in hindsight, they sound absolutely foul.

martha's cranberry chutney

2008-11-20T21:19:00.002-06:00

This is the recipe for the absolute best cranberry sauce i've ever had. It was featured in Martha Stewart Everyday in 2005 and has been a part of my Thanksgiving meal every year since! After the big day, I eat sandwiches made of sourdough, this sauce, mayo, and turkey. For every meal. For at least a week.

sopapilla cheesecake

2008-11-16T18:22:00.002-06:00

this is similar to cheesecake bars served to us while on a group trip to Albany, Texas, after a recital. I altered it a bit.

2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese
2 cans crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg

1/2 cup melted salted butter
ground cinnamon
honey

preheat oven to 350'. spray the bottom of a 9x13" pan, sealing the perforations and spreading to the edges. combine cream cheese, sugars, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and egg, and mix until smooth. top with remaining can of crescent rolls. pour melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. bake 30 minutes or until crescent rolls are puffed and golden. drizzle honey over the top and cool before serving.

mariotti cake

2008-10-01T20:23:00.001-05:00

a cake i came up with last year for amanda's birthday. named after a delicious chocolate orange gelato!

1 devils food cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 cup frozen oj concentrate, thawed and microwaved 1 minute
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet choco chips
1 tbsp (or to taste) orange extract

mix all ingredients together, folding in choco chips last. grease and flour baking pan/s. bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

and here's the dark chocolate orange buttercream:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1+ cups dutch process cocoa, sifted with the powdered sugar
4-6 tbsp orange juice concentrate, room temp
2-4 tbsp milk (as much as necessary)
2+ tsp orange extract, or to taste

whip the butter until fluffy, then add in sugar, cocoa, and oj. add milk until smooth and spreadable. add extract and taste as you go!

this is indescribably delicious. i had to restrain myself from licking the bowl clean.

fruitcake 2008

2008-09-27T12:13:00.002-05:00

this year's fruitcake is in the oven as i'm typing it. i've made a few changes from last year's recipe, so here is the new one.

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour (i used organic, unbleached)

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, fresh if possible

scant 1 tablespoon allspice

scant 1 tablespoon ground cloves

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

zest of 2 oranges*, finely chopped

1/2 cup calmyrna figs, chopped

1/2 cup mission figs, chopped

1/2-1 cup dried cranberries, chopped if necessary

1/2-1 cup dried blueberries

1/2-1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped

1/2-1 cup dried strawberries, chopped

1/2-1 cup prunes, chopped

1/2-1 cup dried pears, chopped

1/2-1 cup dried apricots, chopped

3 cups dark rum

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup pecans, chopped

soak chopped fruit in rum for at least 24 hours, in an airtight container at room temperature.

grease and flour two tube pans, and line bottoms with parchment cut to fit. preheat oven to 225 degrees farenheit.

cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy. add eggs and beat until combined.

in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger.

beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well-combined. stir in fruit (which will have plumped considerably), nuts, and orange zest. divide between two pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, one to two hours. the idea is to bake slow to get rid of some moisture that will be reintroduced in the form of rum during aging.

remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for ten minutes. while cooling, lay out a layer of cheesecloth that has been soaked in rum. flip fruitcake right side up onto cheesecloth. sprinkle approximately two tablespoons of rum onto surface and wrap tightly in parchment. seal in an airtight container. let age for at least two months, sprinkling with rum every five days.

*i tried using a spice grater rather than a zester, to see if it would grate so fine that i wouldn't have to chop the zest. it worked great and produced so much juicy zest that i only used one orange. but, if using a zester, the resulting zest will be bigger and drier, so use two oranges.

spicy black bean dip with goat cheese

2008-08-15T11:34:00.005-05:00

inspired by stephanie over at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com!

-1 big can + 1 small can black beans (because thats what i had)
-4-5 cloves garlic
-1 tsp grains of paradise (which i used because i had them, NOT essential! this is a kind of pepper. you can substitute ground black pepper).
-1 tbsp potlatch seasoning (or sub 1 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp chili powder. potlatch is available at williams sonoma and is our favorite spice blend! it also includes paprika, crushed red pepper, and oregano, i think.)
-2 tsp salt or to taste
-several dashes tobasco. i used garlic tobasco.
-2 tbsp olive oil.
-2 tbsp lemon juice

-5-6 oz. goat cheese

drain beans and rinse well. combine all ingredients (except goat cheese) in food processor and process until smooth. stop the machine and taste a few times and adjust and fiddle with your spices if necessary. layer half the mixture in a small casserole dish. crumble half the goat cheese and layer evenly over the bean mixture. repeat.

bake at 350 until cheese is melted and golden and beans are heated through. (mine is still in the fridge. i'll update this later)

ETA: this didn't turn out as well as i'd hoped, but i think i just left it in the oven for too long and it got pretty dry. next time i might just microwave it (covered) for a several minutes and then stick it under the broiler to finish it off. this had potential to be delicious but fell short.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2008-08-12T19:55:00.002-05:00

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt (if desired)

combine pb and butter, blending until fluffy. add remaining ingredients and whip until light and fluffy, adding more or less milk depending on the thickness you want!

Ariadne auf Naxos Opening Night Party Menu

2008-08-12T18:53:00.002-05:00

BYOB

Pigs in Blankets (as per my husband's request)
Bean Dip (don't know what kind yet)

Sausage Lasagna
Green Salad w/cranberries, nuts, and gorgonzola
Garlic Bread

Liz DeShong's Blueberry Grenadine Pie (SO excited to try this!!)
those cookies from 2 posts ago (SO much chocolate to use up!!)
S'mores!

healthier version of those last cookies

2008-08-07T16:12:00.001-05:00

in place of the oil, substitute 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 cup oil. the results are cakey. very yummy.

chocolate chip cookies made with oil

2008-08-06T19:01:00.002-05:00

these are TO DIE. the only thing i would change would be to add a little butter-flavored extract in addition to the vanilla.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (i used dark brown)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups chopped hershey bars, plus another 1 cup to roll dough in.

preheat oven to 350'.

whisk together flour, salt, and bakng soda. in another bowl whisk together sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla. add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir until blended. stir in chopped chocolate.

line your baking sheet with parchment paper. form dough into balls using a tablespoon. add chocolate chunks to any 'empty' spots. bake for 8-9 minutes. cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

bye-bye studio artists party

2008-08-01T15:02:00.003-05:00

on the menu...

-yummus hummus
-baked spaghetti
-chocolate chip cookies
-oatmeal raisin cookies
-chocolate bread pudding
-pumpkin pie bread pudding

all made with ingredients i had on-hand! yes, it's a LOT of sweets- but that's what i do!

chocolate bread pudding

2008-07-30T19:13:00.004-05:00

2 pkgs hamburger buns, cubed
5 cups milk
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 bag semi-sweet choco chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp vanilla

combine all ingredients (except buns) over low heat until well-combined. put a layer of buns in the bottom of a pan, moisten with a cup or two of the custard mixture, and a handful of chocolate chips, and repeat until buns, custard, and chips are gone! bake at 350' for about 40 minutes.

i haven't actually tasted this yet, so it may need some tweaking!

lasagna made with what i had on-hand

2008-07-13T13:53:00.003-05:00

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 small things fat free ricotta
2 eggs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, + more for top
1 bag fat free cheddar cheese (or mozzarella if you can find it F.F.)
2 jars whatever tomato-based sauce you like
1/3 cup pesto
1 lb lean turkey sausage
2 cloves garlic, chopped

combine the ricotta, parm, and eggs. take the sausage out of it's casings and brown on med. heat. season with s&p. add in the garlic and saute a minute, then stir in the sauce. put a very thin layer of sauce in the bottom of your dish. put a layer of noodles, a layer of sauce, a layer of ricotta mixture, a layer of the cheddar, and a layer of the pesto.. repeat twice. on your top layer of noodles, put just a layer of sauce (make sure all the noodles are covered!), more cheddar, and a bit more parm. bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until you can stick a knife in and the noodles are soft. make sure to let it sit at least 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven so it can congeal a little.

like most lasagna i've ever made, i kind of made this up as i went along. it turned out delicious though! i was quite skeptical of the whole wheat lasagna noodles, but in the end they are so covered in cheese and sauce, it's really not noticeable if they're a tad rubberier than regular noodles. i had pesto that needed to be used up, hence it's appearance in this recipe. and the cheddar was the only cheese beau could find that was fat free.

rice pudding

2008-07-09T11:11:00.002-05:00

this is good. really good. i don't even love rice pudding that much, but this... is delicious.

3 cups day-old short grain white rice
4 cups skim milk, divided
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste. i always add extra.)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp pure vanilla
1 cup raisins, if you like raisins. i don't, unless they're enrobed in chocolate.
1 tbsp butter

combine rice, 3 c of the milk, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan and cook on medium until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. pour in remaining cup milk, then eggs, vanilla, & butter (& raisins if you like em). cook 2-3 more minutes until combined and thick.

adapted from a stellar recipe on allrecipes.com!

vegetarian chili 2

2008-07-05T13:21:00.003-05:00

okay, this is really just the bean soup i mentioned a few days ago, with a few minor changes.

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (because that's what we had on hand)
garlic to taste
1 lg. can CRUSHED tomatoes (so much better than diced!)
1 15 oz. can fat free refried beans
1 " can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 " can pinto beans
1 can water
1 bottle beer (i used yuengling black & tan)
1 packet mccormick chili seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

saute onion & garlic in a bit of EVOO until onion is translucent. add remaning ingredients. bring to a boil, then simmer on low for at least an hour.

i can't wait to eat this with ff hot dogs or tortilla chips!!

oh, and P.S., the baking-soda-at-gas-neutralizer did NOT work. or maybe i just didn't use enough?

4th of july party!

2008-07-03T13:01:00.002-05:00

tomorrow is the 4th, and it'll be our 2nd annual party. last year we had a good 40-50 people! i have a tendency to cook too much food, so this year i'm trying to be prudent and only making one batch of everything. well, maybe not ONE batch, but not 5 batches. even though i said we were only doing burgers and dessert, but i can't resist the temptation to make other goodies if i have the ingredients on hand. so, i've been a busy bee and made:

-hummus. about a half-gallon of hummus, actually.
-pesto pasta salad w/sun dried tomatoes, green onions, and parm.
-8 pounds of hamburgers!
-kahlua brownie trifle.
-patriotic fireworks cake. mostly a novelty cake, but hopefully it'll taste yummy in the jello-and-cool-whip sense.

bean soup

2008-06-30T12:42:00.004-05:00

this is adapted from a weight watchers recipe. i can never just follow someone else's recipe to the letter! it's still WW friendly.

1 vidalia onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
" " black beans
" " white beans
" " kidney beans
" " fat free/vegetarian refried beans
1 (30 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 bottle beer, whatever you have on hand.
2 c water
salt and pepper to taste
***1 tbsp baking soda- this will neutralize the, um, gassifying? effects of the beans.

saute onion and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil. add remaning ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes. the alcohol needs to cook off or it will be too beer-tasting.

ETA: okay, i've had 3 servings of this soup today. it is so delicious, and filling, and healthy. HOWEVER, next time i will not use trader joe's diced tomatoes... the chunks are too big. i just like a suggestion of tomato, or else it's too much like chili. or i may just use tomato paste and extra stock or water.

wedding cake!

2008-06-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

a friend asked me to bake a wedding cake for her dad and his new bride; a challenge i happily accepted! they need cake for 200. yesterday i baked a total of thirteen cakes- 6 sheet, 2 tiers comprised of 3 layers each, and 1 left over. they are:

-mocha almond chocolate chip cake with almond buttercream (the actual wedding cake and 3 of the sheet cakes), and between the wedding cake layers is whipped cream icing
-lemon cake with lemony buttercream (3 sheet cakes). i like to give a non-chocolate option, because some people don't like chocolate! can you imagine?

total came to $165 for all the ingredients and supplies... of course, if i were a 'professional', i'd get all my ingredients at cost, and already have supplies. i imagine if i were a pro, it'd cost at least 2/3 less than what i spent. my total time spent working was about 16 hours.

the friend i did this for offered to pay me, and i told her she didn't need to (but could if she wanted to). even if she doesn't, i learned a LOT in the last 2 days, and that might be as good as getting paid!

for example, i learned to NOT use skim milk in my buttercream. for the first batch i did, and it was thin and had no body, and i ended up covering it up with the better buttercream that i made later. for the next 2 batches, i used half and half, and it's gorgeous. i also learned that chopsticks make great stakes to keep the layers from sliding around, and they're free.

most importantly, this experience solidified for me that this is what i want to do. and if it's meant to be, someday we will have a professional kitchen in our home, and there will really be a Yellow Bowl Bakery! the thought of someday having a business is TERRIFYING to me.

i took a few pictures of the process. will post later

baking day...

2008-06-11T23:34:00.000-05:00

tomorrow i'll spend the day baking with the other opera wives... on the menu so far:

frito candy (chocolate, sugar, peanuts, pretzels, and yes, fritos!)
blueberry crumble- a martha recipe
peppermint chocolate cake (as per request of a friend)
" " cupcakes

i'm really looking forward to it. if any of it survives the night, it'll be given to the cast of Un Giorno di Regno to celebrate their opening on friday.

memorial day cookout

2008-05-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

mark summers just informed me that a "bbq" requires special tools so slow roast foods, and since we don't have any tools like that, we're having a cookout and not a barbeque.

here's the menu, as provided by us (bc people are bringing what they want also):

good old fashioned hamburgers
-specially seasoned, topped with: lettuce, tomato, onion, BACON, gorgonzola, cheddar, on whole wheat buns
peach cobbler
banana pudding
brownies (maybe)
sweet tea
mango margaritas
strawberry margaritas
tuna steaks for person on weight watchers

big boy pizza

2008-05-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

i can't take credit for this, though i wish i could. i was served this tonight by my best friend's mom. all amounts are approximate as i watched her make it and didn't think to ask for the exact recipe

1 large boboli pizza crust
1 small (approx 16 oz) jar frisch's big boy tartar sauce
1 lb ground beef, seasoned, browned and drained
sliced dill pickles (i'm guessing 1/4-1/2 cup), and 2-4 tbsp pickle juice
1/2 bag finely shredded lettuce
1/2 bag finely shredded cheddar cheese

layer ingredients on crust evenly in order given. bake at 350' (i think) for 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.

pumpkin pie bread pudding

2008-04-21T20:38:00.000-05:00

1 package hamburger buns (8 buns) (or 12 cups day-old bread cubes)
6 egg yolks
2 (15 oz) cans pureed pumpkin
5 cups milk (2.5 cans full)
large pinch salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp orange extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

slice buns into cubes and bake in a low oven until dry, or use stale. put into a large pyrex dish.
in a mixing bowl, combine ingredients (excluding buns). beat until well combined. pour over dried bread and gently toss until all buns are well coated, making sure custard mix is evenly distributed.
bake in a preheated 350' oven for 1 hour or until top is browned.
serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

dried cherry chicken salad

2008-04-03T23:10:00.000-05:00

1 cup dried tart cherries
4 chicken breast halves, cooked, torn into large pieces
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 granny smith apples, coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

mix cherries, chicken, celery, apples, and pecans in a large bowl. combine the mayonnaise, parsley, and raspberry vinegar in a bowl; mix well. add to chicken mixture and toss lightly to coat well. season with salt and pepper. chill 2 hours of longer.

taken from the 'best of the best of america cookbook'.

Swedish Rice Pudding

2008-04-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 1/2 cups mixture of whole milk and half and half, scalded
2 tbsp butter, melted in hot milk
2 tbsp vanilla (less, if desired)
2 cups rice, cooked the day before
raisins (optional)

beat eggs; add sugars, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. mix well. slowly add heated milk and melted butter. mix. add vanilla and rice; mix. add raisins, if desired. put into a large buttered casserole. sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon over top. place casserole into a pie pan with hot water. bake 1-1 1/2 hours at 325' or until knife inserted comes out clean. let cool.

taken from 'best of the best from america' cookbook. when i try this i will probably decrease the sugar and use brown rice, and maybe some dried sour cherries!

2008-03-10T11:17:00.000-05:00

the ultimate internet compliment... to be referenced in a LOLcat.

chicken salad

2008-02-07T17:18:00.000-06:00

i have a huge bag of frozen (pre-cooked) chicken from the freezer that i just warmed up. i've also got some fuji apples that need to be eaten, so i'm going to make a big batch of chicken and apple salad. too bad i don't have any onion, that would be nice. it's just going to be basic- chopped chicken, mayo, a dab of mustard, salt, and chopped apples.

that last recipe (pumpkin date loaf) is going to be one of the subjects of a paper i have to write for my math class, which is the last class i'll ever have to take in undergrad! i'm going to use it to demonstrate cost vs. profit. i'll also be writing about how ratios are important to baking (ie amounts of baking powder in cookies). it should be interesting!

pumpkin date loaf

2008-02-06T17:02:00.000-06:00

it makes me long for october!

the rightful name for this should be Pumpkin, Date, Coconut, Hazelnut, Pecan, Rum, and Cranberry Loaf.

1 large can pumpkin
6 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

4 3/4 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
scant 1 tbsp salt

3/4 cup hazelnuts, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 to 2 cups chopped dates that have been soaked in rum for at least 15 minutes
1/2 to 1 cups cranberries
1 cup shredded coconut

preheat oven to 350'. grease and flour large loaf pans.

in large bown, mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar until well-combined. in seperate bowl, whisk flour, spices, soda, powder and salt. beat into pumpkin mix until combined. mix in remaining ingredients by hand. put in pans and bake until done, about 60 minutes.

vegetarian chili

2008-01-03T11:02:00.000-06:00

i sort of made this up when it turned autumn and i wanted chili but without meat, and had 5 different kinds of beans on hand.

1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet onion, diced
1 small-med jalapeno, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 bottle beer
2 (16 oz) kidney beans
1 (16 oz) can white beans
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans

saute onion, peppers, jalapeno and garlic in a large saucepan until onions are golden, 10-12 minutes.

add chili powder and cumin and cook 2 minutes.

add remaining ingredients and cook until heated through and serve with shredded cheddar and crackers.

chocolate stout floats

2008-01-03T10:59:00.000-06:00

not a new idea, but a delicious one.

1 pint premium chocolate ice cream
2 cans double chocolate stout beer

put 2 scoops of slightly softened ice cream in a large mug or stein. pour beer over. drink with a spoon and/or straw. delish.

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

2008-01-03T10:57:00.000-06:00

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 small can (15 oz.) pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ginger and nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat oven to 400 degrees. prepare muffin tin with paper liners.

beat eggs together in a large bown with sugar, pumpkin, and oil. beat until smooth and combined

in a medium sized bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, spices, and salt. blend into pumpkin mix. after thoroughly mixed, fold in chocolate chips.

fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way. bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

pumpkin squares

2008-01-03T10:53:00.000-06:00

i make two things immediately when october arrives: these pumpkin squares, and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. these squares are my hubby's absolute favorite. i don't make them very often during the holiday season, because we will literally eat them (and nothing but) until they're gone.

for crust:
1 box yellow cake mix, divided
1 egg
1 stick melted butter

for filling:
1 large can pumpkin
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (i usually add extra)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
a pinch or two of salt

for topping:
1 cup cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter, semi-cool
1 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 350 f.

mix ONE cup of cake mix, egg, and butter and press into a 9x13" pan.

mix together filling ingredients and pour into crust.

for topping, cut ingredients together with knives or your fingers and sprinkle over filling.

bake for 45-50 minutes or until topping is crunchy. allow to come to room temperature (or even refrigerate!) before diving in! it doesn't taste nearly as good warm, in my opinion!

fried green olives stuffed with bleu cheese

2008-01-03T10:50:00.000-06:00

i took this from Bon Appetit and have been wanting to try it. i just had the thought, though, that lots of groceries have olive bars, and specifically stuffed olives. i bet this would be good done with deli olives, or goat cheese stuffed olives!

1 oz mild blue cheese, such as Maytag
24 pitted Spanish olives, patted dry

peanut oil, for frying
all purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Method -roll small amount of cheese into log shape narrow enough to stuff into 1 pitted olive. stuff olive with cheese. repeat with remaining olives and cheese.

-pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to measure depth of 1 inch. heat oil to 350. roll stuffed olives in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs to coat. fry olives until golden brown, about 30 seconds. using slotted spoon, transfer olives to paper towels to drain. serve hot.

doo doo's, a.k.a. no-bake cookies

2008-01-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

these are addictive. the only bad thing about these is that you have to wait for them to cool in the fridge.

1 stick margarine
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 - 3 cups uncooked quick oats

melt margarine in pan. add sugar, cocoa, and milk. cook until boiling, then 1 1/2 minutes longer. take off burner. add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. stir and drob by teaspoons on wax paper or pour into baking dish. cool in fridge.

cucumber dip

2008-01-03T10:47:00.000-06:00

this came from Southern Living, and i haven't tried it yet actually! but it looks good for a summer lunch, doesn't it?

5 small cucumbers, unpeeled
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
Garnish: fresh chives
Pita chips

Grate cucumbers into a medium bowl. Toss with rice vinegar, salt, and 1/2 tsp. garlic salt. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drain cucumber mixture well, pressing between paper towels.
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, and remaining 1/2 tsp. garlic salt at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Stir in cucumber mixture and chives. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Garnish, if desired, and serve with pita chips.

chocolate buttercream icing

2008-01-03T10:44:00.000-06:00

this is my standard chocolate buttercream recipe.

6 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3-3/4 c dutch process cocoa
2 2/3 cup unsifted confectioners sugar

cream butter, add cocoa & confectioners sugar alternately with milk. beat to spreading consistency and blend with vanilla. spread on cake or cupcakes immediately.

chilled strawberry soup

2008-01-03T10:42:00.000-06:00

i first had this with my bff hannah, when her mom hosted a tea for us.

2 pints strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup dry champagne
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp honey

process the berries in blender or food processer until pureed. add remaining ingredients. process until blended. chill until serving time.

you may substitute a mix of 1/4 cup sparkling water and 1/4 cup white grape juice for champagne.

betsy's dorito casserole

2008-01-03T10:40:00.000-06:00

i know this looks disgusting, but it is probably my favorite casserole ever. and thats saying something.
feel free to use a deli chicken if you're pressed for time... that's what i usually do. mmboy, this is delish!

4 raw chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can chopped green chiles
2 cups mixed cheese
1 bag doritos (nacho cheese flavor), crumbled

boil chicken in about 2" of water. best if water boils down and chicken browns slightly. shred with forks. mix shredded chicken with soup. layer in baking dish in the following order:

doritos
soup/chicken mixture
chiles
cheese
doritos
soup mix
chiles
cheese
doritos

bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and crispy.

bread pudding var. 1

2008-01-03T10:37:00.000-06:00

i made this over the summer when we had a 4th of july party and ended up with several bags of leftover hamburger and hot dog buns. it was my first ever attempt at bread pudding!

10 slices white bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups scalded milk*
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter one 2 quart baking dish.
Combine bread cubes, butter, cinnamon and raisins; mix well and place in baking dish.
Beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add milk, mix well and pour over bread cubes.
Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for 25 minutes.

*i didn't bother scalding the milk, because for these purposes its a pointless step. i just warmed it in the microwave a bit until it was about room temp, so that it wouldn't curdle the eggs. really its best if you have the time to let everything come to room temp! oh, also i melted the butter.

cobblerish

2008-01-03T10:35:00.000-06:00

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 large can pie filling, OR 1 large bag frozen mixed berries of your choice.

preheat oven to 350 f.

in a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, and water. stir until moistened, beat at med. speed for 2 minutes. spread into greased 13"x9" pan. spoon pie filling over. bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.

ina garten's brownie tart

2008-01-03T10:34:00.000-06:00

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 1/4 cups (20 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3 extra-large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Grease and flour a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a bowl set over simmering water. Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips, remove from the heat, and stir until the chocolate melts. Set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, and the walnuts. Fold the flour mixture into the batter until just combined. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is puffed (the top may crack). The inside will still be very soft. Cool to room temperature before removing the sides of the tart pan.

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips with the heavy cream and drizzle on the tart.

bacon and eggs in a basket

2008-01-03T10:32:00.000-06:00

i'm getting rid of another recipe account elsewhere, so i'll be dumping a bunch of recipes today!

2 slices toast of your choice
2 eggs
crumbled, cooked bacon (about 2-3 slices worth)
salt and pepper
butter

a glass or cookie cutter
Method using cookie cutter or glass, cut the center out of your slices of bread. heat up a skillet and melt lots of butter in it. place bread in skillet and crack eggs, put egg in center of bread. sprinkle bacon over egg immediately, as well as salt and pepper. toast bread centers alongside for dipping in yolks.

when egg has set on bottom, add more butter to skillet and flip bread. cook until yolk is at whatever stage you like.

2007-12-27T10:18:00.000-06:00

later today i plan on making a green olive tapenade to use up all the olives i bought for holiday entertaining that didn't get eaten... i have garlic olives, jalapeno olives, and feta olives so it should be pretty salty and delicious:). i'll let you know.

the fruitcake is scrumptious, if i do say so myself... our english friend darryl says that it is an authentic english fruitcake and only needs some marzipan to make it perfect.

gorgonzola cheese ball

2007-11-24T12:24:00.000-06:00

here is the official recipe for the gorgonzola cheese ball, which i want to share with you because it was utterly sumptuous.

1 (5.5 oz) container crumbled gorgonzola. other bleu would work well too.
1 package cream cheese, at room temp.
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped sweet nuts, either homemade or from a bag

in a bowl, mash together the cheeses until well combined and the lumps of gorgonzola are broken up. add in the cranberries and mix until well distributed, adding more if you please. line another small bowl with plastic wrap and put mixture in, and then form into a ball and refrigerate a few hours until firm. when firm, roll in the chopped nuts. place on a plate with plain crackers and spread knives and serve!

sugar & spice nuts, aka 'trusting my instincts'.

2007-11-20T14:19:00.000-06:00

i'm bummed to have just wasted 2 cups of perfectly good nuts, but pleased that i came out on the other end with my own recipe and method for exactly what i wanted.

backing up: i wanted sweet nuts (like you'd put on a salad), and wanted to make them myself. i went on allrecipes and searched "candied pecans", found the recipe with the most positive reviews, and after i'd made a half batch (2 cups chopped nuts- i used 1 cup pecans and 1 cup walnuts) that the recipe was actually for something like divinity. it's delicious, but it's not at all what i was looking for. so, i heated up my skillet, quickly whisked together 1/3 cup brown sugar, a tablespoon of water, several dashes of salt, and several dashes of cinnamon. i stirred until everything was well coated and started to smell like delicious pecans:), and turned it out onto a greased cookie sheet to cool. voila, exactly what i wanted!

if you're curious, the nuts are going to coat another new recipe: gorgonzola and cranberry cheese ball! it came to me in a vision. the cheese ball is going to be half cream cheese, half gorgonzola, chopped dried cranberries, and it will all be rolled in the sweet nuts. i'm making that along with my mom's cranberry chutney today for Thanksgiving. and tomorrow is baking day! i'll be making a pecan pie (2 if i have enough nuts left... the thought of facing the grocery at this point of holiday madness is terrifying), 2 eggnog pumpkin pies, and a no-bake triple layer mud pie.

edited to add: i ended up popping the nuts into the oven at 300 for about 10 minutes, just to dry them out. they were a little too sticky before but the oven made them just about perfect!

a few ideas for the future

2007-11-17T18:28:00.001-06:00

i'm really intrigued by the idea of herbs in baked goods and not just savory dishes. of course its not a new idea, but i've never attempted it, so the new possibilities are exciting! i'm going to try to make a rosemary simple syrup to add to a plain vanilla (or almond) pound cake, and i've been wanting to make lavender strawberry shortcakes for a while now. and what about a lemon basil pound cake? i suppose i go to pound cake first because its just so simple and straightforward and the taste does take the front seat.

jewish penicillin

2007-11-08T15:43:00.000-06:00

a.k.a. matzoh ball soup

i do this by feel and taste, so amounts are only approximate.

for the soup:
1 package chicken tenders, cooked and chopped into bite-sized chunks
2 large boxes low-sodium chicken stock (i like to control the salt)
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
6 slices ginger root
ground ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste
a spash of lemon juice

-cook the chicken tenders in a skillet in an inch of water. leave whole, and chop after they're done cooking. (i avoid touching raw meat as much as possible.) while chicken is cooking, chop the veggies and combine with the stock and ginger root in a large stockpot. add cooked chicken to stockpot, and bring to a rolling boil. add seasoning to your taste, then add prepared matzoh balls.

for the matzoh balls:
1 cup matzoh meal
4 large eggs
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp stock or water
1 tsp salt

-with your clean hands, mix meal, eggs, oil, and salt together until combined. add the oil and mix again and refrigerate for 15 minutes. drop into soup and let boil for 30-40 minutes or until matzoh is cooked through. take out ginger root before serving. serve, enjoy, and then feel better!

a modern take on fruitcake

2007-11-07T22:48:00.000-06:00

i came up with this recipe tonight after experimenting with a few others, one traditional and one not at all. the traditional recipe had nasty candied fruit, and another was waaay too soft and light. i think this is a wonderful combination of traditional texture and modern flavor. here, natural dried fruit takes the place of the traditional technicolor candied yuckiness, and i've maintained that wonderful moist denseness that is so familiar. it is spicy, rich, spiked, and most importantly, delicious.

3 cups all purpose flour
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground nutmeg, fresh if possible
scant 1 tbsp allspice
scant 1 tbsp clove
zest of 2 oranges, finely chopped
1/3 cup dried figs, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup dried sour cherries, chopped
1/3 cup dried mango, chopped
approx. 2 cup dark rum
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup pecans, chopped

soak chopped fruit in 1 cup rum for at least 24 hours, in an airtight container at room temp

grease and flour two tube pans, and line bottom with parchment cut to fit. preheat oven to 225 degrees farenheit.

cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy. add eggs and beat until combined.

in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.

beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well combined. stir in fruit (which will have plumped considerably) to equal 4 CUPS, nuts, and orange zest. divide between two pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-2 hours. the idea is to bake slow to get rid of some moisture that will be reintroduced in the form of rum during aging.

remove from oven and allow to cool in pan 10 minutes. while cooling, lay out a layer of cheesecloth soaked in rum. flip fruitcakes right side up onto cheesecloth, sprinkle approx. 2 tbsp rum onto surface, and wrap tightly in parchment and sealing in an airtight container. let age for at least 2 months, sprinkling with additional rum every 5 days.

edited to add:
i had enough leftover fruit for two more fruitcakes. i made the happy accident of adding ginger to that batch of batter, and i had run out of orange zest. again, the batter was amazing and i wanted to lick the bowl!

2007-10-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

test post