white chocolate orange cookies

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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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!

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.

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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

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

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.

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

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

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