Recipes from the M+M Kitchen

Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

2012-02-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Homemade Whole-Wheat Bread.

Cheddar Cheese.

Green Onions.

Thin-Sliced Baker Potatoes, Pan-fried for 4 minutes on each side.

Bacon.

Cheddar Cheese.

Homemade Whole-Wheat Bread.

Baked. Potato. Grilled. Cheese.

Weeknight Chili

2012-02-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

Photo from America's Test Kitchen

This was the perfect dinner to feed to our weekend guests ~ It was so easy, hearty, and delicious! I was able to prep it all before they even arrived so that I didn't have to miss out on any of the fun! =) Don't be alarmed at the mass amount of chili powder in this recipe; because this is a slow cooker recipe, the heat dies down and you're left with great flavor.

Ingredients:

2 T. oil

2 onions, chopped medium

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped medium

1/4 cup chili powder

1 Tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt

6 garlic gloves, minced

2 lbs. ground beef (85% lean to help with the moisture)

1 (28 oz) can tomato puree

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, rinsed

Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.

2. Add the beef and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up the beef, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and diced tomatoes with their juice, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then pour into the slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Stir in the beans during the last hour of cooking. Before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Bagels

2012-02-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

Mac wanted bagels for his school lunches, so instead of going out and buying some, I made them. Crazy, I know. Quite simple, really... just a little time consuming. After they cool, I cut them all in half and freeze so they will last us a while.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water

3 T. white sugar

1 T. salt

1 T. molasses

Directions:

In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.

Cut into 8 or 10 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of molasses in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering.

When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.

Broiling option: For a glossier surface, place raised bagels on an ungreased baking sheet prior to boiling them. Broil them five inches from heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Then put them into the hot water to be boiled as above. Note: do not bake broiled bagels as long as non-broiled ones, 25 minutes should be long enough.

Lemon Crackle Cookies

2012-01-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

These are SO yummy, especially if you love lemon like I love lemon. I got this recipe from laurenslatest.com (the same place the pizza bread came from). I froze half the batch of dough to bake for later:

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Zest from one small lemon
Juice from one small lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1-½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Pizza Bread

2012-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

I've been craving pizza lately. The thing is, I don't really like pizza sauce... so, really, I'm just craving bread and cheese. Well, I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and decided to mesh it with my Healthy ATK pizza crust to satisfy the craving.

Final verdict: delicious cheesy bread and a ready-to-go crust in the freezer! You can either make two loaves of bread, two 14" pizza crusts, or one of each - both would freeze well, also.

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 1/4 tsps. instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsps. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

(For bread, you will also need cheese and herb butter)

Directions:

Pulse the bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, and salt in the food processor until combined. With the processor running, pour the oil, then the water, through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds.

Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer. If the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add 1/4 cup more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it into a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and separate dough into two balls. To freeze pizza dough, as I did, simply wrap one ball tightly in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag for up to one month. Let the frozen dough thaw on the counter for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge before using.

For the bread:

Shape one ball of dough into a long baguette. I twist mine as directed so that it holds its shape better. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once warm, place bread in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. While its baking, melt some butter (I used less than half a stick for one loaf) with a clove of garlic, some salt and italian herb seasoning (about 1/2 to 1 tsp of each) and slice your choice of cheese (I used about 8-10 slices of cheddar, and sprinkled with parmesan). Brush the loaf with half of the butter, then return to the oven for 5-7 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let bread cool for 15 minutes, then, slice into 1" slices diagonally about 3/4 of the way down. Brush the remaining butter into slices and then tuck in the cheese slices. Bake for about 3-5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately!

Mama 'Blicky's Easy Cookies

2012-01-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

Easy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with tin foil

Place saltine crackers on sheet in rows to cover bottom

Bring to a boil over medium heat 1 1\2 sticks butter and 1 cup brown sugar

Boil for 5-7 min or the "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer)

This is the toughest part if you don't have a candy thermometer, cause every stove is a little different, if it starts to smell like its burning take it off.

Pour butter and brown sugar mixture over the saltines and spread evenly

Place sheet in 350 degree oven for 5 min

Take out of oven

Pour 1\2 of a 10-12oz choc chip package and 1\2 of a 10-12oz peanut butter chip package (or however much you desire) over the cookie sheet mixture.

Then spread evenly with a knife as it softens and melts (takes a min or two to melt before you can spread it)

Refrigerate 1 hr and break into chunks

And ENJOY!!!

Four Cheese Veggie Lasagna

2012-01-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

Photo from allrecipes.com

This was an experiment to use up some stray vegetables and random tubs of ricotta and pesto. I personally loved it. The husbands reaction was as it always is with meatless dinners: "it's interesting." Give it a try! Try original recipe calls for pumpkin, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes instead of squash, bell pepper and canned tomatoes. Use what you'd like!

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pint ricotta cheese
9 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 7-oz container pesto
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
9 oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Place pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast in oven until browned and tender, about 30 minutes. Place green pepper rings on baking sheet in oven for last 15 minutes of pumpkin time; cook until tender.

In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, feta, pesto, eggs, salt and pepper until well mixed. Fold roasted pumpkin into ricotta mixture.

Spoon half of the tomato sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with italian herb seasoning. Lay three lasagna noodles over the sauce. Arrange a single layer of green pepper slices over pasta and top with half the ricotta mixture. Cover with three more noodles. Spread the diced tomatoes evenly over the noodles and spoon the remaining half the ricotta mixture over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Top with remaining three noodles. Pour remaining tomato sauce over all and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

How to stretch chickens for $10.

2012-01-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

Not physically, of course. I would know the first thing about stretching chickens - as much as I would like eggs, and some day hopefully will have chickens so I can have eggs, I'm pretty sure I will refuse to touch them, at any cost. I don't think that chickens need stretching anyways... they do it themselves when they get up after laying some eggs. Okay, enough. It's the end of a long day, and I'm starting to turn into a pumpkin. So sad it's not pumpkin season anymore...

Sheesh. Yes, we're talking about chicken here. So here's the deal: did you know that buying whole chicken is ridiculously cheaper than buying chicken breasts, or any other form of chicken? It is. At Winco the other day, boneless skinless chicken breast was going for $4.99/lb. Right next to it, whole chickens were $.99/lb. Crazy, I know.

What's crazier is that usually I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts, even though I'm fully aware of the price difference, and the ease of cooking whole chickens.

The craziest thing, is that I finally remembered how easy it is, saved myself some bucks, and bought the whole chicken.

And made 2 different dishes.

Double-batches.

That serve 8-10 people each.

And still have left over meat for sandwiches.

Crazy.

Oh, and not to mention, I used the left over bones to make 8 quarts of chicken broth.

2 chickens, $10, and a little bit of time in the kitchen, and I've got myself a fishes and loaves situation.

Okay, so I'm done rambling, and we're going to get down to the bottom of this. I'll tell you how to cook the chicken, you can choose what you want to do with it. I made freezer meals for some friends in need, and used one for pan for dinner this week of Chicken and Dumplings and Layered Chicken Enchiladas. Both freeze very well.

So, first, you want to make sure you have a big roasting pan. To cook 2 birds at once, they need to not be too cramped; they can touch, but just make sure they're not too squished. You'll also want a large u-rack. If you don't have a roasting rack, just make your own out of a bed of quartered onions and chunks of carrots. Works fantastic.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. To prep the birds:
1. Remove the innards (This is extremely disgusting, and I have to close my eyes and think happy thoughts, otherwise I think about how I'm digging inside a chicken and grabbing its heart and liver and such... gross. Just get in there, get the job done, and get out.)

2. Pat them dry with a paper towel

3. For each chicken, mix 2 Tablespoons of softened butter with 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, parsley, or chives, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. I know some of you may not like the idea of using so much butter (Total it will be 6 Tbsp.), but Test Kitchen says its extremely important for keeping the chicken from drying out in the oven.

4. Rub 1 Tbsp. of the butter mixture under the skin on each breast. I did this by using a spoon, then holding my hand over the skin and pulling the spoon out. I squished it all around; this kept my from getting my hands buttery and having them under the skin of the chicken. I find that gross too.

5. Brush each chicken with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

6. Roast for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees, rotate the pan, and roast until internal temperature (on an instant read thermometer) reads 170 degrees, about 30 minutes longer.

7. Tip the pan so that the juice from the cavity runs into the roasting pan. Let rest for 20 minutes on cutting board before carving. I'm sure there's a pretty way of carving, but since I knew I was using the meat as shredded bits, I just ripped the thing apart like a scavenger. It got the job done.

Aren't they pretty? I was able to get about 12 cups of meat off of these.

** To make chicken broth, put each carcass/bones in a large stock pot (so two pots), fill with water, add in large chunks of carrots, celery, and onion. Season with large spices such as thyme, sage, bay leaves, etc. Let simmer for at least 5 hours (We did ours on med-low overnight). Discard everything, skim off the fat, then freeze in quart-sized ziploc bags.

Cake Batter Truffles

2012-01-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

These require no words. Just eat.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. milk

Coating:
16 oz. white chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. yellow cake mix

Directions:
Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tbsp. of milk or more to make a dough consistency. (I used 4 Tbsp, and then let my KitchenAid run for a few minutes to form the dough). Add sprinkles if desired. Roll dough into 1" balls and place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

While dough is chilling, melt white chocolate until smooth (I used the microwave and stirred every 30 seconds; took about 1 1/2 minutes). Mix in cake mix until incorporated completed. Using a fork, dip the truffles into the melted chocolate and shake off any excess. Place truffles back on cookie sheet and let harden. Makes about 24-30 truffles.

Chocolate Chai Cupcakes

2012-01-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

recipe from shape.com

Perfectly moist.

Perfectly chocolaty.

Perfectly chai.

Perfectly vegan.

You read that right... vegan! I wouldn't go so far as to say these are "healthy", but they are vegan, and no one would know if I didn't tell them. Mac's response was "oh, yeah, these are definitely a keeper." He ate four. Perfectly perfect.

Ingredients:

Cupakes:

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp. apple cide vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting:

1/2 c. vegan margarine (okay, I cheated and used butter... but if you don't care about being vegan, then its okay)

3-4 cups powdered sugar (I used close to 4)

2 chai tea bags

2 Tbsp. boiling water

2 Tbsp. almond milk

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the vinegar and almond milk and let sit for five minutes. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk/vinegar, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into greased/lined cupcake pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until springy. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, steep the tea in the 2 tbsp. boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard tea bags and add in the almond milk. In a large bowl, beat butter until soft and creamy. Add the tea/milk, powdered sugar, and cinnamon to the butter and beat for 10 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar as desired for taste. Sprinkle frosted cupcakes with cinnamon.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

2011-12-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

I christened my new Test Kitchen Cookbook (Thanks, big brother!) with this recipe for New Year's Eve. It was a good choice for sure!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
4 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
18 oz. (3 c.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs

Directions:
For the crust:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a 9x13 pan by creating a foil sling and greasing. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Stir in butter. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of the mixture and set aside for the topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture in the prepared pan, and press firm with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake crust for 8 minutes, until light golden brown. Let cool on wire rack for an hour.

For the filling:
Whisk together flour, sugar, coffee, salt, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, until smooth, stirring frequently. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the eggs. Stir with the flour mixture just until incorporated. Spread evenly over the cooled crust.

Sprinkle the filling with reserved topping. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 2 hours before cutting. Makes 24 squares.

Blueberry Buttermilk Bake

2011-12-31T14:12:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a recipe from Pinterest... This made a fantastic group brunch dish... I'm sure you could use other berries (would probably be good with raspberries)

I forgot to take a picture... sorry!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest from 1 large lemon
2 c. white sugar
2 egg, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the sugar. Cream butter with lemon zest and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/2 cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease 2 9" square pans with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with reserved sugar. Bake for 35-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

2011-12-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I found this on Pinterest. And yes, I will repin this on Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I love this cake even more!

My brother loves cinnamon rolls, and as often as he'd love for me to make them, I just don't have the time. So, this year for his birthday, I decided to try out this Pinterest recipe that combined Cinnamon Roll and Cake. He (and all his co-workers) LOVED it. He said, "How did you do this?! It's a cinnamon roll, but its cake! It's perfect!" He almost didn't share, but it's a good thing he did considering how much butter there is in this! (Oh well, can't live with it, can't live without it!)

Original recipe from: http://cookinupnorth.blogspot.com/2011/07/cinnamon-roll-cake.html

Ingredients:

Cake:

3 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. white sugar (I used a little less)

4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:

1 c. butter softened,

1 c. brown sugar

2 T. flour

1 T. cinnamon

Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5 T. milk

Directions:

For the cake, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla, then add to the flour mixture. Slowly stir in the melted butter. Spread evenly in a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined (I used my food processor). Drop evenly over the batter and "swirl" with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake while warm.

Baked Apples

2011-12-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

Need a quick, healthy dessert? Here's your answer!

Ingredients (per 1 serving):

1 apple

1/2-1 T butter

2 T. brown sugar

Cinnamon

Directions:

Hollow out the apple (I just used a knife to get out the core, then a spoon to make the hole a little bigger). Peel a thin strip off the apple so that it can breathe in the oven. In a small dish, mix together the butter and brown sugar, then put the mixture inside the apple. Place the apples in a baking dish and cover the base of the dish with water. Sprinkle apple generously with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees until desired softness, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, or just gobble up!

Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T18:55:00.001-08:00

So, technically, this isn't a recipe post...

... sorry...

it's sort of related to food.

Sort of.

Tomato cages is "sort of related to food", right?

Okay, it's a stretch.

Anyways... I just really wanted to share this cute and frugal decorating idea, as we get in the Christmas spirit!

Tomato Cage Christmas Tree!

Ha.

Not sure if I love it or not, but it's cute. =)

Pumpkin Scones

2011-12-02T18:48:00.001-08:00

As you all are well aware, I'm on a pumpkin kick....

Pumpkin Scones - Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/14 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar (brown will give a richer flavor)
1/2 c. butter, cubed and chilled
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 T. white sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, beat together egg and pumpkin. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients, just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into two circles, about 1/2-3/4" thick. Cut each circle into 6-8 wedges (depending on how big you want them).

Place triangles on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes.

Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-22T19:06:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Beth!

I didn't get around to taking a picture of this, which is a little sad, consider how much I know you all love the food photos, but it was just gobbled up too quickly! Instead you can look at this really cool superhero cake that Krissa's friend made for her baby shower:

(it's relevant, right? cake?) ...

(pretty cool, huh?)

(if you think THIS is cool, you should see baby Aiden's nursery!)

(you can catch a glimpse of the theme in my present to them over at my ~Words~ blog)

... anyways, back to THIS cake!

I adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com - it was the perfect amount of sweet and spice (not too much of either!)

Ingredients:

2 c. white sugar

3/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 c. all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices, and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together sugar, oil, and applesauce until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla, then beat in eggs, one at a time. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until combined. (I just kept the Kitchenaid running on medium speed while I added each step).

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting. Delicious!

Apple-Stuffed Pork Chops

2011-11-20T21:42:00.001-08:00

I forgot to take a picture of this simple and delicious dinner, but this is kinda what it looked like:

We served this with asparagus and mashed potatoes: quick and hearty! Thanks to Matt for the recipe!

Ingredients:

4-6 thick-cut pork chops, sliced in half (I didn't cut through so that I would have a pocket)

1 small onion, diced

1 medium apple, peel and diced

2 cloves of garlic

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the garlic in oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the onion and apple and saute until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Fill the chops with the onion-apple mixture (I used a spoon, which worked great). Sear the chops, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven, and let cook for about 10 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink.

Test Kitchen Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-13T12:12:00.001-08:00

In my personal, unprofessional opinion, this bread had the best texture... so moist and dense! The crust was perfect, though this loaf may have had more dough than most people like (I credit that to my finicky oven). I made two loaves, one plain and one with chocolate chips for the hubby.

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin (make sure its unsweetened, NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1 c. white sugar

1 stick (8 Tbs) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. pecans/walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (I omitted these in one loaf, replaced the with chocolate in the other)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9 by 5 loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger together in a large bowl. Whisk the pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a separate bowl until frothy.

Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the nuts (if using). The batter will be very thick.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 45-55 minutes.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

Obsession

2011-11-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

I have an obsession with cinnamon rolls.

Sweet dough, slightly undercooked.
Brown sugar and cinnamon.
Butter. Lots of butter.
Cream cheese frosting.

Who wouldn't be obsessed?

Granted, I think I can blame the obsession on my husband who's answer to "What do you want for breakfast" is always... you guessed it, "Cinnamon Rolls". Every holiday, birthday, special day is celebrated with cinnamon roll indulgence.

If you don't believe that I'm obsessed, just look at how many recipes I've posted for cinnamon rolls:
Grandma Johnson's
Test Kitchen
Apple Dumpling Version
Mary's
Pioneer Woman's

I've also made cappuccino cinnamon rolls, but can't seem to find the recipe on the blog. There's one to post!

All that to say, I've found a new recipe to try... it combines cinnamon rolls with my other fall obsession: pumpkin. It donned on me yesterday that it's mid-November, Halloween has passed, and I have yet to make ANY pumpkin recipes! That changed quickly; 4 cans of pumpkin puree later, and plans to make my own in the near future, there are 2 loaves of pumpkin bread filling my house with its spicy aroma. Pumpkin scones are next on the agenda, then these:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Welcome, autumn flavors!!

Check out this recipe and let me know if you try it!

http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/09/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

All I can say is mmmmmm...!

Pioneer Woman has done it - these are amazing. Best cinnamon rolls I've ever made.. The rolls aren't too sweet, which pairs perfectly with the maple frosting. Just overlook how much butter is in this recipe, and remind yourself that its enough cinnamon rolls to feed a village.

Head on over to Pioneer Woman for the recipe... I can't compete with her step-by-step photo tutorial or her humor.

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

While you're there, you should probably check out the rest of her site.. she's pretty amazing. I aspire to be her someday.. in my dream world, of course.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

These are SO yummy! Perfect texture, perfect taste. Yum. Thanks, Justin Shinn, for the recipe base!

Ingredients:
4 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. plus 3 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

* Yes, it is CORRECT that there are no eggs in this recipe. It makes them nice and dense.

Directions:

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients, then add to butter mixture. Stir in the chips. Bake at 325 for 8-12 minutes, until lightly brown. Let cool 5 more minutes on the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

Surprise Success!

2011-10-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

What a spread.

Last weekend, we hosted a surprise 30th anniversary party for my parents. It was a HUGE success. Over 30 people came and honored the happy couple, and to top it off, Mom and Dad had no idea that we had this planned! I served brunch theme food, including Bacon Quiche Tarts and Quiche Lorraine Muffins. I know it looks like a lot of work, but there are two tricks: 1. Bake almost everything on a free day and freeze. 2. Don't be afraid of store-bought delights.

Besides the recipes mentioned above, we also had:

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Ham & Cheese Bake
Veggie Dip
Fruit Dip
Brownies (from a Ghiradeli box)
Costco-bought Cinnamon Rolls (Mac almost likes them better than my homemade ones!)
Aunty Christy's Cinnamon Muffins

The dips were delicious and easy to make; an easy must-have for any gathering.

Fruit Dip:

Cream together 1-(8 oz) package of cream cheese (softened) and 1 jar of marshmallow creme. Simple as that.

Lemon-Dill Veggie Dip:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. mayonnaise (I usually avoid mayo at all costs, but it's hard to make a creamy dip without it)

3/4 c. sour cream

4 T. fresh lemon juice

4 oz. crumbled feta

2 T. fresh dill

Salt and Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients well. Again, simple as that.

Bacon Quiche Tartlets

2011-10-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

It was brunch week at our house. Also, muffin week. Brunch because bacon is delicious; muffin because my new pampered chef tins are my current obsession. Make these. Eat them. Don't judge me for using store bought crescent rolls.

Ingredients:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

5 tsp. milk

2 eggs

1/2 c. shredded Colby cheese

2 T. chopped green pepper

1 T. finely chopped onion

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

*I did TRIPLE this recipe to make 24 tarts, but that was because I needed them for a party... you can make however many you'll eat (which will probably be all 24).

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add the eggs, cheese, green pepper and onion; mix well.

2. Separate dough into eight triangles; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the bacon into cups. Pour egg mixture over bacon; top with remaining bacon.

3. Bake uncovered at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm.

Tollhouse Pie

2011-10-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Picture from verybestbaking.com

The four-year journey of graduate school has begun, and I find myself completely powerless to make Mac's life any easier. I can't create more time in his day, help him study biochemistry or pharmaceutics, keep his clothes dry on the rainy bike ride, convince him that his six hours of work are just too much, or accomplish anything else remotely helpful. What I can do, though, is bake. And bake I will, until his taste buds are satisfied.

He asks for tollhouse pie, I make tollhouse pie.

Enough said.

You should make it too.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. butter, softened (I think melted and cooled would be a better option here)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts (I only used 1/2 c. and only put it in half the pie)

1 - 9" unbaked pie crust

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the sugars and flour, then beat in the butter. (I used softened butter, but I really think this will be smoother if you use melted butter. Just be sure to cool it completely, otherwise it will change the texture of the final pie). Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, then spoon batter evenly in the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes (in my oven's case, only about 40). You may also want to cover the pie crust for part of the bake time so that it doesn't get too brown. Just a thought. You also may want to serve this warm with vanilla ice cream. That's a command.

Quiche Lorraine Muffins

2011-10-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have a new pampered chef muffin tin that has been begging me to make something delicious in it. I'm feeling a little sugar-overloaded, so I went for a savory muffin. These were fairly simple to make and have quite a few variations - I made them with mushrooms rather than bacon (only because I made another quiche dish with lots of bacon). Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 c. canola/vegetable oil
6 strips bacon, roughly chopped (I substituted 1 1/2 c. thinly sliced mushrooms)
4 medium scallions, thinly sliced
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. yellow or white cornmeal
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. shredded Gruyere (5 oz) (This is pretty spendy... I read a lot of reviews that said you can sub swiss cheese for Gruyere and get similar flavor. I used colby jack, and it was a little bland)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prep your muffin tin (if it's nonstick, don't spray it)

2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 1 T. of the oil, then add the bacon and saute for 1 minute. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are wilted and the bacon is lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 10 minutes. (If using mushrooms, saute mushrooms and scallions for 4 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl util well blended. Set aside. Whisk the egg, egg yolks, and the remaining oil into the bowl with the bacon. Stir in the milk and cheese until well incorporated. Finally, stir in the dry ingredients until moistened.

4. Fill the tins three-quarters full. Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out with a few crumbs attached.

5. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. They can freeze for up to 3 months in the freezer.

And there it goes...

2011-09-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

... summer. How did it escape me? Somehow those hot, sunny days came and went without even a blink of an eye. Oh, that's right.... I live in Oregon; we had cold, rainy days.

Nevertheless, my favorite season is upon us; a time for harvesting, preserving, and feasting! I have every intention of updating this blog more regularly with delicious, mouth-watering recipes, but I've said that before.

To close out the summer days, I thought I'd celebrate by sharing photos of the ridiculously amazing food that we feasted on during our Hawaii trip (mainly because I have done ZERO cooking exploration over the last few weeks and have nothing to post). Please don't grow tired of me or assume this blog is extinct... while it may seem endangered at the moment, I promise it will be up and running in full capacity in the coming months - you can count on it! For now, enjoy salivating over these covetous meals:

Jam-time!

2011-08-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

When you pick 25 pounds of fresh, organic strawberries it's time for some jam!

This is only about 1/8 of the berries we picked. I only used this much on a double batch of jam! The rest went in the freezer to use throughout the year...

First, you need to hull the strawberries. The easiest way to do this is using a straw, as seen here:

After you hull, you mash. (Next time, I might puree... I think I like smooth jam best).

Then, you mix the mash with lots of sugar. Lots. I tell you, do not skimp on the sugar...

I did not want to put in as much sugar as I did, but it's necessary for the jam to gel.

For 4 quarts of berries, you use approximately 10-12 cups of sugar.

I know. Ridiculous.

But necessary.

So, go ahead... pour it in...

Then slowly bring that to a boil. You want to try to get it up to 220 degrees.

Meanwhile, start sanitizing your jars and lids (lids on the stove, jars in the dishwasher)...

And start your water bath...

... and make a yummy strawberry beverage.

(Strawberry puree, lemonade, and ginger ale)

... and start some strawberry fruit leather in the dehydrator

(accompanied by 5 layers of drying apples!)

Once the jam starts boiling, and the water bath gets going, I get too busy to take pictures. It's easy; you just ladle the hot jam into hot jars (straight out of the dishwasher), and process in the boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. Key points are to make sure:

1. Rims of the jars are clean.

2. Lid pieces are secure.

3. Jars are completely covered by water in the water bath.

After 15 minutes, remove the jars CAREFULLY, and voila!

Jam for the next 6 months! (or Christmas presents!)

Homemade Nutella

2011-07-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy lately to update posts, but I promise to have new recipes up sometime next week! For now, jump on over to Brynna Begins, and check out her awesome homemade nutella recipe!!

Lemon-Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

2011-07-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing goes together better than good dessert and good friends!

God has blessed me with three irreplaceable "kindred spirits" (yes, I'm an Anne Junkie)! We all live in different cities now, so any chance the four of us get to be together, we take advantage of it. This year, there happened to be ONE night that all four of us close to Corvallis, so we made it happen. In addition to enjoying fantastic fellowship and laughter, we also enjoyed this:

Lemon Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

I always wish that fancy desserts came in larger portions... This was so delicious and refreshing... my only complaint was that I wanted more!

Ingredients:

3/4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbl. sugar

2 Tbl. water

pinch salt

3 Tbl. water

3/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1/2 c. whole milk Greek yogurt

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest plus

3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

6 Tbl. sugar

Directions:

For the blueberry sauce, bring the blueberries, sugar, water, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is heated through, 2-4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, about 20 seconds. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much puree as possible (there should be about 1/2 cup sauce). Spoon the sauce evenly into six 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.

For the Mousse: Meanwhile, pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside to let the gelatin hydrate for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together until smooth.

Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar together in a large bowl. Set the bowl over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until it has tripled in size and registers about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes.

Off the heat, quickly whisk in the hydrated gelatin until melted. Whip the warm mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it forms stiff, shiny peaks, 4-6 minutes. Add the yogurt mixture and continue to whip until just combined, 30 to 60 seconds.

Divide the mousse evenly among the chilled ramekins with the blueberry sauce, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and set, 6-8 hours (I left it in the fridge overnight). Serve chilled.

Cinnamon-Chocolate Chip Chiffon Cake

2011-06-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

That's a lot of C's! I wanted to try something new for my birthday... something light, with chocolate, but not too rich. This was perfect! It was much more "bready" than I anticipated (not very sweet), and was nicely accompanied by homemade whipped cream. I was disappointed that the mini chocolate chips all sunk to the bottom of the pan (which created a layer of them on the top of the cake), instead of being scatter throughout. Next time I will try to solve that problem. I might also cut back a little bit on the cinnamon. Otherwise, a delicious birthday treat!

And for those who are wondering... my husband made me a fabulous birthday dessert last year (which I will post later), and he grilled some steak for us this year... I love baking my own cake; it's fun. =)

Ingredients:
2 c. cake flour
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. canola oil
6 large eggs, separated
2/3 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

garnish:
1 Tbs. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325. Have a 9 1/2-10 inch tube pan ready with at least 3 3/4" inch high sides. Do not use a nonstick pan.

Sift the cake flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large bowl. Use a large spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the oil, egg yolks, water, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the mixture until it is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and set aside.

In another large bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until the whites are foamy and the cream of tartar dissolves. Beat on medium speed until the egg whites look shiny and smooth and the movement of the beaters forms lines in the beaten whites. If you stop the mixer, the white should cling to the beaters. Slowly beat in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat for about 1 minute to firm, glossy peaks. Stir about one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the tube pan and gently smooth the top. Bake until the top of the cake feels firm when you gently press it and any small cracks in the top look dry, about 1 hour.

Invert the pan onto a narrow-necked bottle (a full wine bottle works well) and let cool for 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the bottle and run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the cake from the pan by inverting it onto a flat serving plate, then place a wire rack on the bottom of the cake and invert the cake onto the rack, sot eh cake is right side up. Cool the cake thoroughly on the wire rack.

Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon together, put the mixture in a small strained and dust it evenly over the top of the cake. Dust the powdered sugar mixture lightly with the cocoa powder. Slip a large metal spatula under the cake and slide it onto a serving plate. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake.

Skillet Chicken Tamale Pie

2011-06-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was craving a new recipe, something I had never made before... I flipped through my Healthy Test Kitchen Cookbook, and this was the recipe I landed on (mainly because I had MOST of the ingredients, and substitutes for the things I didn't have). I made two mistakes... I had cut the recipe in half, but kept the topping the same... the ratio was off; definitely needed to keep the filling the same! Second mistake was turning the oven on to 450 degrees when its 85 degrees outside... oops.

Try it out and tell me what you think. I will post the recipe as is, but add in my changes (minus the ratio)

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5-6) trimmed

Salt and Pepper
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (I subbed green bell pepper)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 (15-oz.) can hominy, drained and rinse (for those of you who don't know, this is found in the mexican aisle and really doesn't have a replacement... it's corn kernels, similar to grits... I just used frozen corn)
1 (7-oz) can chopped green chiles (I omitted)
1 ear corn, kernels removed (I used frozen)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro (I omitted)

Topping:
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
3 T. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
1 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 450. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

2. Add the onion and poblanos to the fat in the skillet and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cok until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the broth, hominy, chiles, and corn, and bring to a simmer. Add the browned chicken thighs, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and can be shredded easily, about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred into bite-sized pieces when cool enough to handle, then return to the skillet. Stir in the cheddar and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm while preparing the topping.

Topping:
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a lark bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until uniform, then stir in the melted butter until just combined.

2. Return the filling to a simmer over medium-high heat, then smooth into an even layer. Off the heat, dollop the cornbread topping evenly over the filling, cover the filling completely. Bake until the topping is golden and set, 15-20 minutes. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Laundry Detergent

2011-06-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

A little different than our normal posts... this is a peak into the crazy homemaking life of Mikaela. Yes, I make my own laundry detergent. You would too if you saw how easy it is and how much money it saves! The resource I use for my recipe broke down the cost between making laundry detergent and buying name-brand (he estimated 2 1/4 cents per load with homemade, and 20 cents with namebrand). That saves about $65 a year if you do a load a day!!

I recommend checking out the website for more money-saving tips... but, for the recipe, I'll post it here for you, because I REALLY want you to try it! I even made you a step-by-step picture tutorial. =) Try it. Just once, and if you hate it, you never have to make it again!

To make it you'll need:
1 bar soap
1/2 c. borax (optional)
1 c. washing/baking soda
3 gallons water + 4 cups
A 5 gallon bucket

Cut up the bar of soap... you can use any kind

Bring 4 cups water to a boil, then add the soap one handful at a time

When the soap is dissolved, take it off the heat

Put 3 gallons warm tap water into your bucket

Measure out 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax

Add the dissolved soapy water, soda, and borax and stir

Cover with a lid overnight

Voila! Laundry Soap.

It is normal for the soap to separate; just make sure you scoop out some solid and liquid if it does... also, you can add any essential oil if you want a scent. This bucket lasted me almost a year.

Chewy Chocolate-Oat Bars

2011-06-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

These are a forgotten favorite in our house... I always double the recipe to put in a 9x13 pan. It was gone in 2 days!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 c. fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. plus 2 T. old-fashioned oats

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Heat the chocolate chips and milk in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes; set aside.

Mix the flour, 1/2 cup of the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl with a fork until smooth; stir into the flour mixture until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough in a small bowl for topping.

Pat the remaining dough into a greased 8-inch square baking dish; spread the chocolate mixture over the dough. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oats and the butter to the reserved dough, mix with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Drop small spoonfuls of oat mixture evenly over chocolate mixture. Bake until top is golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

2 T. butter

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-06-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

I don't have a picture of these cookies, but this is the cookbook they came out of:

Thanks, Chama for the 2010 birthday present :)

Just imagine an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, 75% baked, with inconspicuous banana pieces. Take my word for it, they're amazing.

I froze half the batch, which worked out fantastic. Next time, I will use half the batch to make a chocolate-banana trifle. Stay tuned for that recipe. :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp (12 Tbsp)
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. oatmeal
4 c. chocolate chips
2-4 bananas, cut into 1/4" pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugars until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Add in the flour mixture with the mixer on low. Mix in the oatmeal, then chocolate chips, then bananas.

Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cook 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown and the tops look dry. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Mac's Guacamole

2011-05-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

This really isn't MAC's guacamole, but I think of it that way since he is always the one who makes it; and he does a killer job at it, too! He usually makes this to go in his fantastic 7 layer dip (which I'll give you the 7 layers for at the end of this post). The guacamole recipe is off of allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

7 layer dip:

The recipe calls for it to be warmed up, but Mac likes to serve it cold, and everyone likes it that way. Goes great with the Tostitos scoops! Just spread each layer in a 9x13 pan and serve.

1 can Refried Beans

8 oz. sour cream

Guacamole (1 recipe)

2 c. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 can sliced black olives

Jalapenos (optional)

Corn and Chicken Soup with Garlic-Cheese Biscuits

2011-05-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

I was sick for two weeks.... and while this soup did not help me get better, it was soothing. :) A new, simple twist on chicken noodle soup.

1 (16oz) bag frozen corn, thawed

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 T. unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped (I left it out for my anti-onion friends)

1 celery rib, sliced thin

Salt and Pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 cups egg noodles

Directions:

Combine 2 cups of corn and 2 cups broth in blender and puree until smooth. Melt the butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, celery, remaining corn, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in remaining broth, chicken, noodles, and pureed corn mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until noodles are tender and chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Believe it or not, this recipe came off the back of the flour bag! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. self-rising flour

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 c. buttermilk

3/4 c. cheddar cheese

2 T. butter, melted

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together flour and sugar. Use a pastry blender to cut in 1/2 c. butter until mixture is crumble. Stir in buttermilk and cheese until dough comes together. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and back 10-12 minutes. After baking, brush with mixture of butter and garlic powder.

Blog Fail.

2011-05-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry... I've failed at consistently posting new recipes lately... if you would like my sorry excuse of an apology, you can check out the "words" page. New recipes to follow shortly.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2011-05-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've been holding off on posting this recipe simply because I wanted to let the photo on Pulled Pork Sandwiches get you excited for it. Well, enough with the waiting! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 lb. pork roast (I used a top sirloin roast, but any will work)
1 12-oz. bottle/can root beer (we always use Henry Weinhards)
1 16 oz. bottle BBQ sauce (or make your own - we used Sweet Baby Rays this time, but I like to make our own)

Directions:
Place roast in a slow cooker and poke holes in it with a fork. Pour the root beer over the roast, then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove roast and shred. Drain the slow cooker, add the pork back in and mix with the bottle of bbq sauce and let cook about 30 more minutes, until warm.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling

2011-05-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Oh. man.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cake.

Peanut Butter Filling.

That's a lotta goodness.

Thank you, Erica, for introducing us to Rachael Ray's slice of heaven

Click here for the recipe!

ThreeTips:

1. Disregard the amount of butter

2. Cut the recipe in half

3. Still disregard the amount of butter

Coleslaw

2011-05-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

This is the coleslaw that goes with the amazing Pulled Pork. I love how crisp this stays... adds a nice crunch to the sandwich!

Ingredients:
1 head red or green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and sliced thin
Salt and Pepper
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. light mayonnaise
1/4 c. lowfat sour cream
3 scallions, sliced thin (I left them out)
3 T. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. honey

Directions:
Toss the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and let sit until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse the cabbage under cold water, drain, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Toss the dried cabbage and carrots together in a large bowl to combine.

Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, parsley, vinegar, mustard, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl until smooth. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2011-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yum.

Recipe to be added later... I just wanted to tempt to you and make your mouth water at the sight of our homemade pulled pork and coleslaw.

Enjoy the picture for now.

White Chicken Enchiladas

2011-05-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

I forgot to give credit for this delicious recipe... thanks to co-worker, Nick, for introducing us to this fantastic enchilada recipe at a potluck! We found that this makes a great freezer meal - I made two batches for the neighbors when they had their new baby. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

4 oz. can chopped green chilies

3 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. ground coriander

3/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

12 6" tortillas at room temperature

Directions:

Saute onion and green pepper in 2 Tbsp butter, combine with chicken and chilies in a bowl.

For sauce, melt 3 Tbsp butter, stir in flour, coriander and salt. Whisk in broth and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir 1/2 cup sauce into chicken mixture.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and place in greased pan:

6 enchiladas per square pan, topped with 1 cup sauce and 1/2 cup cheese

12 enchiladas per 9x13 topped with 2 cups sauce and 1 cup cheese.

To freeze: wrap well with foil, label, and date. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To Bake: to eat same day, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bubbly. From frozen, thaw completely and bake as mentioned, or bake covered 1 hour, then uncover and bake 25 more minutes until hot and bubbly.

Orange Julius

2011-04-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Just like in the mall! This can be made with a variety of yogurts or added fruit to customize it. I used strawberry yogurt this time. I also cut the recipe in half, making half a container of orange juice with the left over concentrate. A full batch makes 4 12 oz. servings.

Ingredients:
1 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
8 oz. plain yogurt
2 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Easy as that!

Grandma Johnson's Caramel Rolls

2011-04-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

The difference between Johnson-cooking and Mikaela-cooking: precision.

Mac's mother and grandmother have some amazing recipes, there's no doubt about that! But EVERY recipe I ever request from them goes a little something like this: "well, I put some of this and that together, then you add a little more and whip it up real good, then throw in some of this, and bake it til it's done"

Huh?

Even I, semi-experience-amateur baker need a little more direction than that! I guess I shouldn't be so picky, because EVERYTHING they make is delicious and perfect... apparently its the love that holds it all together. :)

Mac's birthday was on Thursday and I wanted to surprise him by making his grandma's caramel rolls. The problem, again, with making anything for Mac that comes from his family is he always responds "it's good, but it's different than how she makes it." As was the verdict with these rolls... Well, I can't be Mama O and I can't be Grandma Johnson, but I will sure try and learn from them! Maybe you can do a better job with this than I did... I'll try and add in MY specific measurements, since those tend to be lacking.

This was the original recipe:
Rolls- makes about 64 crescent rolls/large pan or 2 9/13 pans cinnamon rolls

4 cups evaporated milk or 1 2/3 powder milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 oil
3 well beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
10 -12 cups flour

3 Tbsp yeast plus 1 tsp sugar mixed into 1 cup warm water. Let yeast activate
Mix with liquid ingreds. and knead in flour. Knead well into a ball and place into
greased large bowl. Cover and let rise/double once. Punch down and form into
rolls and bake at 375 for 12 minutes.
For cinnamon rolls, roll out dough into a large rectangle onto a floured service,
about 1/2 inch thick. Spread dough with butter and sprinkle well with cinnamon
and sugar. You can use white or brn sugar. Roll length wise into a long log.
Take a piece of thread and lift log and place thread underneath it and cross over
on top slicing thru log. About 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices. Place into pan. Meanwhile
mix 1 pint of whipping cream and add brn sugar to it til thick. Pour this mixture
over rolls and bake at 375 till brown. Enjoy!

You can make a couple dozen of rolls and then just one 9/13 pan of cinnamon rolls
Secret make sure you do use alot of brn sugar for the carmel sauce!

Here's my version JUST for one batch cinnamon rolls:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 well beaten eggs (medium or 1 1/2 large)
1/2 tsp. salt
5-6 c. all-purpose flour

Filling:
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. softened butter

Topping:
1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. brown sugar

Directions:
Mix together water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar and let rest til foamy, approximately 5 minutes. Beat in milk, sugar, oil, salt, and eggs until combined, then mix in flour, 1 cup at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (I use my kitchenaid then knead by hand for 1 minute into a ball). Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until doubled.
After it's doubled, roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll lengthwise into a tight log and pinch to seal seam. Cut using thread or a serrated knife into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise til doubled. Preheat oven to 350.
For the topping, mix together cream and brown sugar until it's thick. Pour over prepared rolls. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and center is still gooey.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

2011-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

New favorite salad! Sorry... forgot the photo!

Ingredients:
2 c. cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), stemmed and quartered
1 cucumber (about 8 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1/3 c. pitted kalamata olives, chopped (we didn't use)
1/4 c. minced red onion
1 romaine lettuce heart (about 6 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a colander and let drain for 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Whisk the oil, vinegar, and garlic together in a large bowl until well combined. Add the drained tomatoes and cucumber, chickpeas, olives, and onion and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the lettuce, feta, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spaghetti al Limone

2011-04-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

I was too focused on the wonderful aromas filling my kitchen that I forgot to take pictures of both this dish and the salad for tomorrow's post.... as always when we have company, I wanted to try out a new recipe. This was another great meal from America's Test Kitchen (from my subscription to Cook's Illustrated Magazine)! It's hard to find a cream-sauce pasta that is still light. This one was perfect. I used whole wheat noodles and added baked herb chicken.

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. finely grated zest and 1/4 c. juice from 3 lemons (I used one large lemon)
1 oz. finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup) plus more for serving
Ground black pepper
2 T. shredded fresh basil leaves (I forgot this)

Directions:

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and hte pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 3/4 cups cooking water, drain pasta into colander and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty dutch oven and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 1/2 cups of reserved past cooking water and cream into pot; bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat, return pasta, and stir until coated. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the lemon zest, juice, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

3. Cover and let pasta stand 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining 1/4 cup reserved pasta water if necessary. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with oil and sprinkling with cheese.

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Best. Shortcake. Ever. Hands down. Strawberries were on sale, 4 lbs. for $4.98, so we just could not pass up the opportunity to indulge. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Strawberries:
2 qts. strawberries
6 T. sugar

Shortcakes:
2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
9 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled
2/3 c. half-and-half (I used part heavy cream and part 1% milk since I didn't have half and half)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 recipe Whipped Cream (see below)

Directions:

1. For the strawberries, crush 3 cups of them with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 5 cups and stir into the crushed berries with the 6 tablespoons of sugar. Let sit at room temp until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy, about 30 minutes.

2. While the berries are macerating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pulse together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a bowl. (You can also just whisk the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter if you don't have a food processor).

3. Blend the half-and-half with the beaten egg and pour into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly until the dough comes together.

4. Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6 inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut out 6 dough rounds (I used a floured 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter). Reform the remaining dough and cut 2 more rounds. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

5. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Let the shortcakes cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

6. For Whipping Cream, blend together 1 c. heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract on low speed until sugar is dissolved. Increase mixer speed to high and whip until doubled in volume and soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).

7. To assemble, split shortcakes in half, spoon a portion of the fruit over each bottom, and a dollop of whipped cream the replace top half of shortcake.

Chicken Parmesan

2011-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, I did some research on this recipe because I was confused at why it was called Chicken Parmesan when there is no parmesan cheese in it... turns out, I can't read recipes very well! I completely forgot the parmesan but it still turned out great! A lot of times chicken parmesan only uses mozzarella cheese. This recipe is not one of those... unless you're me and don't read the recipe correctly until you go to post it on a blog!

For those of you who are interested:

Parmigiana. I had to do some research... the answers are slightly differential, but at least they have the same conclusion of where the "Parmesan" comes from.

Both answers agree that it is not called Chicken Parmesan because of parmesan cheese. It either comes from the word:
1. Parmigiana, meaning "from Parma (northern Italy)", but the recipe is a classic southern Italian dish or
2. Parmiciana, which refers to the wooden slats that overlap in the middle of shutters like eggplant does in Eggplant Parmesan.

Either way, I can't get a straight answer. What do you think? Leave comments on this post, please!

Regardless of where the name comes from, and forgetting an important ingredient, it was satisfying! I served it with tortellini and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (panko, which is Japanese style breadcrumbs)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 large eggs
1 T. water
6 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick
2 c. tomato sauce, warmed (I used marinara sauce, but will include the tomato sauce recipe)
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 T. chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Combine the breadcrumbs and oil in a 12" skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, 10-12 minutes.

2. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish, let cool, then stir in the Parmesan. Combine the flour and garlic powder in a second shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

3. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. With one piece of chicken at a time, dredge it in the flour, then dip in the egg whites, then coat with the toasted crumbs (I use tongs for this). Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared wire rack.

4. Spray the tops of the chicken lightly with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the chicken registers 150-160 degrees, about 8-10 minutes.

5. Top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the sauce and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. Continue to bake until the cheese has melted and the chicken registers 160-165, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve with the remaining sauce.

Cowboy Cookies

2011-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

These are Mac's current go-to cookie. So delicious, perfect texture, just the right amount of goods... they can be made with or without the pecans (but you can hardly tell they're in there!) The recipe is meant to be a cookie-in-a-jar that you can give as gifts, so its a cinch to make! Thanks, Felecia for the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions for packaging:

Layer dry ingredients in a 1 quart jar in the order given. Press each layer firmly in place before adding the next layer.

To bake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients, butter, egg, and vanilla. You may have to use your hands to complete mixing (I just throw it all the in kitchenaid). Bake 8-12 minutes.

Homemade Poptarts!

2011-04-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Novelty. I'm not sold on the current state of this recipe, but simply the idea of a homemade pop-tart is solid in my book! I plan to play with the ingredients a little more and see if I can create a slightly sweeter and flakier dough.

Thanks to Heavenly Homemakers for the recipe!

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup plain yogurt
About 5 ounces of 100% fruit jelly or jam (I used my homemade blackberry)

Begin by mixing the flour, salt, butter and yogurt.

Knead the dough just a little bit to make it nice and workable. Roll out the dough on a large, well floured surface. Use a knife to cut the dough into the desired poptart size you would like.

Place about a 1/2 teaspoon of jelly on 1/2 of the dough rectangles. Spread the jelly around, leaving the edges free.

Top each jelly-coated rectangle with a plain one. Seal the two together using a fork. Bake in a single layer at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until they are golden brown.

*I put the entire batch in the freezer and then reheat them in the toaster - delicious afternoon snack!

Failure in the Kitchen

2011-03-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

I learned something about myself tonight....

... I am a terrible fryer!

That's right, I attempted to fry something and I failed - miserably! Let's just say that I'm airing out the house, my eyes are faucets, and there's two batches of makeshift churros in the garbage!

Some keys to successful frying include:

1. Using the right amount of oil

2. Heating the oil to the correct temperature (using a thermometer)

3. Precisely measuring each piece of dough to the same size

4. Frying until golden brown

None of which I did. It's okay; I'm perfectly fine with not adding frying to my repertoire! I'm all about healthy cooking, and churros do NOT fall into that category... however, if you are having a Mexican-food potluck (like me), and want to be the hero (unlike me) who brings churros, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts oil for frying
1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.
Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Pizza Spaghetti

2011-03-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

I did something brand new - I made up a recipe! The players: a bunch of things that needed to be used in the fridge and cupboard. The winner: delicious spaghetti!

Ingredients:

1 lg. (28 oz. can) whole peeled tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz. sliced white mushrooms

2 (4 oz) cans sliced black olives

1 (5 oz) package pepperoni, diced

1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. italian herb seasoning

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Directions:

In a large pot, saute onion, mushrooms, and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil and a splash of butter until soft and mushrooms begin to release liquid, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add in tomatoes, sauce, paste, and spices. Slightly smash the whole tomatoes, then add in pepperoni and olives. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in according to package instructions. Off the heat, add the pasta and cheese into the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Serve with parmesan cheese!

Sour Cream Waffles

2011-03-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Mac's Favorite!!

These are a wonderful, light waffle, best served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs, separated
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sour cream. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites (I use my kitchenaid) until stiff peaks form. In an additional bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolks and sour cream, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the egg whites, and cook about 1/2 c. batter on an waffle iron.

Chocolate-Filled Peanut Butter Scones

2011-03-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

These were Mac's favorite... of course anything with chocolate and peanut butter will be his favorite! I thought they were good; but much more like a tall, dense, cookie than a scone. I adapted the recipe from a vegan website, and thought it turned out pretty well!

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 T. butter, chilled

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/3 c. milk plus 2 Tbsp. cream (or all milk)

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. peanut butter chips

1 1/2 oz. bittersweet/semisweet chocolate.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut the margarine into 1/2-inch cubes, and distribute them over the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Whisk together milk, cream, egg, and vanilla then add to the flour mixture.

Add the peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir or knead until combined. Knead in the peanuts.

Pat the dough out into a 1/2-inch thickness on a cutting board. Using a 2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter round biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of the dough. Re-knead the scraps and cut out again, repeating until all the dough is used up. You should have 16 rounds.

Place 8 of the rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top each round with a piece of chocolate and one of the remaining circles of dough. Press the edges gently to seal. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

And the winner is...

2011-03-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

... Lemon-Berry Scone!

The healthiest of the bunch, I used whole-wheat flour, the least amount of butter and sugar, and a combination of homemade blackberry jam and fresh-lemon glaze. Perfect in texture, taste, and overall goodness!

The recipe can be found at 101cookbooks, or on my blog.

The other 4 were all devoured, loved, and close-seconds! Most people in the office could not make a decision about the "best" scone because they just loved them all. This one is my personal favorite, but I also enjoyed the oatmeal scone from Test Kitchen. All the recipes will be posted soon!

Scone Bake-Off

2011-03-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

I'm having a scone bake-off!! If you have any scone recipes you'd like to contribute, please leave a comment. A co-worker of mine always asks for free scones at coffee shops, and always gets let down. So, I thought I would provide some free scones for her, and the rest of the office. However, a discussion came up about the texture of scones and how they can be really good or really bad. So, I'm on a hunt to find the best recipe!

The trick here is that I am choosing a variety of scones, which may be difficult to really compare to each other. Nonetheless, these are the recipes that caught my eye...

These are the candidates:

Mega Scones (with blackberry jam and lemon glaze)

Test Kitchen Cream Scones (considering crystallized ginger as the add-in)

Test Kitchen Oatmeal Cream Scones

My 1938 Watkins Cookbook English Cream Scones

Peanut Butter Scones adapted from a vegan website (to un-veganize it!)

Look for the results in the coming days!

Thin Crust Pizza & Sauce

2011-02-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

I did something crazy on Saturday...

Had 16 middle school girls in my house!

And to make it more fun... we did this:

Made our own pizzas!

We all had a blast and it went really, really smoothly! No pizza crusts stuck to the ceiling, nothing smashed on the floor (aside from one grape), no burnt pizzas or fires, and no shortage of food or fun!

Anticipating the entire volleyball team including all 4 coaches to come, I prepped enough dough (5 batches) and sauce (2 batches) to make 22 personal-size pizzas. It was incredibly easy, quick to make (two days before the party), and wonderfully scrumptious! I would like to try it with whole-wheat crust, similar to my previous posting of Herbed Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough, but for the palate of 11 and 12 year olds, this was perfect.

The recipe I used is of course, from Test Kitchen (technically Cook's Illustrated Magazine), and make 2, 13" pizzas. The dough can always be frozen if you want to save one for later!

Dough:
Ingredients:
3 c. bread flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. instant or rapid rise yeast (I used 1 tsp regular)
1 1/2 c. ice water
1 T. vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
1 1/2 tsp. table salt

Directions:
In food processor fitted with a metal blade, process flour, sugar and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube until no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
Add oil and salt to the food processor and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the workbowl, 30-60 seconds. Remove dough and knead briefly on a lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days.

Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Process all ingredients in the food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza:
*NOTE*: I baked at 425 (since parchment paper can't go in a 500 degree oven) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper so that the transfer for each individual pizza was cleaner... it worked just fine, but did not give a crispy crust like following these directions will.

One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to second highest position and set pizza stone on rack, heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth tight balls and place on lightly oiled baking sheet, covering loosely with plastic wrap coated with oil. Let sit one hour.
Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and gently flatten into an 8" disk, leaving 1" of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using hands, gently stretch disk into a 13" round, working along edges and giving the disk a quarter turn as you stretch. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over surface of dough, leaving a 1/4" border. Add on cheese and desired toppings, making sure not to add more than 4-6 ounces. Bake 10-12 minutes on preheated pizza stone.

Green Chicken Enchiladas

2011-02-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Though the photo portrays a mass amount of greasy cheese, the recipe is really low-fat and super duper yummy! Test Kitchen strikes again!

Green Enchilada Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 poblano chiles, stemmed and seeded (or 5 jalapenos)

1 pound tomatillos (about 12), husked, washed and dried

Vegetable oil spray

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves

1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Arrange the chiles, skin-side up and tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet and spray with oil. Broil vegetables 6" from broiler until blacken and begin to soften, 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Remove veggies from the oven, let cool slightly, then remove the skin from the chiles. Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 recipe enchilada sauce (above)

1 c. finely crumbled feta cheese (4 oz)

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 (6") soft corn tortillas (I used whole-wheat flour tortillas)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Combine chicken and sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10-15 minutes. When it's simmering, cover rand cook until chicken is done, 10-15 more minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred into bite-size pieces. Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup of the sauce, feta, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with oil spray. Place 6 tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until they are soft and pliable, 2-4 minutes. Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each and lay seam side down in a 9x13" baking dish.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup more sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer.

Sweetheart of a Husband

2011-02-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

I had a really... long... day...

but, I was greeted at home with this:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Moonstruck Chocolates, and Red Roses

And this:

Grilled Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Skillet Asparagus!

Not to mention, it all came with folded laundry and a clean kitchen!

I love my Valentine. :)

Recipes for dinner to follow...

Wheat Pita Bread

2011-02-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

I thought for sure I had already posted this, but I can't find the post anywhere, so here it is again!

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

Stir together water and yeast in the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until yeast is dissolved and foamy.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn mixer to medium speed and knead for 10 minutes. Transfer to a greased glass bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

Hummus

2011-02-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

This goes really well with our cracker or pita bread recipes... Pita Bread recipe to follow!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
5 Tbsp. water
1/4 c. tahini (this is sesame paste... let me save you trips to 5 grocery stores and hours searching every aisle, and tell you it's in the peanut butter section!)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove, mined
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend til smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Put in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Breakfast Strata

2011-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

This was fantastically delicious. I had too many eggs so I wanted to make an "egg dish" for dinner... Mac and I both looked forward to the leftovers every breakfast after until it was eaten up!

Cal per serving: 340
Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 255 mg
Carbs: 23 g
Protein: 16 g
Fiber: g
Sodium: 1050mg

I'll try not to make this too much a novel, but I think some of the key steps have really interesting points:

Use bread cubes and toast them: Strata is traditionally made with layers of sliced bread... dried bread cubes of bread don't overwhelm the texture of the custard and allow the strata to souffle slightly.
Toss the bread with the custard: Whereas traditional stratas are built in layers, Test Kitchen found it best to toss everything together to make sure the bread gets evenly soaked through.
Weight the strata and let it rest: It is important to press it and let it sit for at least an hour to give the bread time to absorb the custard. Using a zippie full of dry beans or sugar is a great weight. It can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking; the longer it rests, the more flavorful it will be.
Use a flavorful and lower-fat cheese: Replacing cheddar with feta helps cut a lot of fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

*DO NOT substitute oil for the butter or lowfat/skim milk... they are both important for the richness of this dish*

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf supermarket french/italian bread cut into 1/2" cubes (4 cups)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used 1/4 c. chicken broth and skipped the wine step in #2)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. whole milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

8 oz. sliced white mushrooms plus 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275. Bake bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet until thoroughly dry and crisp, 30-40 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms (if using) and cook, covered until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until the pan is dry and the mushrooms are well browned, about 10 minutes longer. [if leaving out mushrooms, cook the onion for 5 minutes, uncovered].

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the wine to the skillet and reduce to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes; set aside to cool separately.

3. Lightly oil an 8" square baking dish. Whisk the eggs, reduced wine, milk, salt, and pepper together. Stir in the spinach mixture, 1 cup of the feta, and the dried bread cubes until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap. Weight the strata down with a large zippie full of sugar or dry beans. Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

4. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the weight from the strata, let stand at room temp for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining feta. Bake until the surface is puffed and the edges pull away slightly from the dish, 50 to 55 minutes.

NEW AND IMPROVED Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm always hesitant to try reduced-fat, less-sugar cookie recipes due to the fact that they tend to just make really tough, bland cookies. BUT, I've found the recipe that fools everyone! The new and improved Chocolate Chip Cookies from Healthy Test Kitchen Cookbook!

It drop the calories from 290 to 120, the fat from 15g to 5g, and the cholesterol from 55mg to 20mg. And they taste AMAZING! The process is slightly more labor intensive than a regular batch of cookie dough, but I promise... if you want to cut the calories, it's well worth it!

We subbed Heath Bar crumbles for the chocolate chips on this go around...

KEY POINTS:

Brown the butter
Whisk and rest the butter
Underbake the cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (next time I will probably use half whole-wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until completely melted.

Whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla into the melted butter until incorporated. Whisk in the egg until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Repeat his process of resting and whisking twice more until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Stir in the flour mixture and 6 tablespoons of the chips until combined. (I use my KitchenAid for this entire process, and also throw in all the chips at this point).

Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Press the remaining 2 tablespoons of chips into the tops of the cookies.

Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft, puffy, and underdone, 8 to 11 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

Bruschetta

2011-02-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and chopped medium

1/3 c. chopped fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

1 (12" by 5") loaf crusty Italian or French Bread (we used Sourdough), sliced 1" thick

1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix the tomatoes and basil together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust an oven rack 4" from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2-7 minutes.

Rub the garlic clove over one side of the toasted slices and brush with the olive oil. Drain the tomato-basil mixtures of excess liquid and spoon it over each slice of bread before serving.

Zesty Salad Dressing

2011-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

The lovely Mrs. Wade requested a homemade alternative to the "Zesty Italian Dressing" used in Marinated Veggie Salad. This has sent me on quite the hunt... unfortunately, "Zesty Italian Dressing" is simply a creative marketing title rather than a description of a commonly used dressing recipe. So, I decided to look up the ingredients in Kraft's dressing and compare them to my TK cookbooks dressing recipes.

This is the ingredient list in Kraft's Zesty Italian:
Water, Soybean and/or Canola Oil, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Contains less than 2% of Garlic (Dried), Garlic, Red Bell Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Xanthan Gum, Spice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium Edta and Sulfiting Agents As Preservatives, Oleoresin Paprika.

This is what we're replacing it with:

3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. red or white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced red onion
1/2 tsp. dried herb (tarragon, dill, basil, or oregano)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
Salt and Pepper

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Let me know what you think!

Marinated Veggie Salad

2011-02-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

This was a salad served at the party last weekend, courtesy of the honored-guest's mother-in-law! Enjoy!

1 - 2 english cucumbers, sliced thin
1 container of seasoned mozzarella balls, drained, cut in half
1/2 purple onion thinly sliced
1 container grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch of chives, chopped (or the green ends of small onions)
1 can black or burgundy olives, halved (or 1 can sliced black olives)
1/2 bunch asparagas, thinly sliced and blanched
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
4 - 5 small red, yellow or orange peppers, sliced thin into rings
1 can hearts of palm, drained and sliced thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 cup Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing, or to taste. I try not to make it too soupy.

Put everything in a large bowl and mix it up!

The amounts of items can be increased or decreased depending on the number of people you want to serve.

Dinner Party!

2011-01-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

I had the amazing privilege to plan and "cater" a party in honor of my friend Melissa's 30th birthday. Unfortunately, in the midst of all the planning, cooking, and partying, I failed to take photos of the meal, and many of the guests!

Planning a party may seem like a lot of work, stress, and money, but if done right, it can be smooth sailing. It takes some organization and creativity. We had a blast!

~The Menu~

The Prep:

Appetizers:

Bruschetta (recipe to follow in a later post)

Veggie platter with Green Goddess Dip (recipe also to follow in a later post)

First Course:

Minestrone Soup

Toasted Sourdough Bread

Main Course:

Tomato-Mozzarella Casserole

Spinach-Artichoke Pasta Bake

Summer Broccoli Salad (recipe to follow)

Mixed-Veggie Salad (recipe to follow)

Madonna Salad

Dessert:

Courtesy of the talented Katelyne Willard!

Skillet Chicken Potpie

2011-01-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love my new favorite cookbook!

Ingredients:

Biscuits:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermlik
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 lb. carrots (about 6), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 onion, minced
1 celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. dry sherry (I didn't have any, I just used extra broth)
2 bay leaves
4 oz. baby spinach (about 4 cups)
3/4 c. frozen peas
3 Tbsp. half-and-half
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Directions:

For the biscuits:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and melted butter together. Gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined and no pockets of flour remain.
2. Divide the doug evenly into 6 pieces, shape into balls and space them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 10 minutes, until the biscuits have risen and set but are still pale.

For the filling:
3. Toast the flour in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until fragrant and light golden, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the flour to a large bowl to cool. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
4. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onion, and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft, 7-9 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
6. Whisk the broth and bay leaves into the bowl of toasted flour until evenly combined, and then whisk the mixture into the skillet. Add the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken registers 160-165 on an instant read thermometer, about 12 minutes.
7. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it. Meanwhile, continue to simmer the sauce over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
8. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, until wilted, about 1 minute. Off the heat, add in the chicken, peas, half-and-half, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Arrange the biscuits on top of the filling in the skillet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Monster Cookies

2011-01-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

A co-worker said he gets excited when viewing my blog thinking that every recipe on here contains M&M's, and I realized that there are NO recipes with them! Time to change that...

These are amazing cookies from Mac's grandmother. This makes a HUGE batch, so I recommend cutting it in half, unless you are feeding a small army (as I often do).

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. peanut butter (I use Adam's, as there is less sugar and fat)
4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. butter
1 lb. m&m's
1 lb. butterscotch chips
9 c. oatmeal
1/2 to 1 c. whole-wheat flour

Directions:

Mix together in order given, beating after each addition. Drop by tablespoons on a well-greased (or parchment-paper lined) cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork or hand.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2011-01-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

This is my go-to bread when I forget to plan ahead for soups or pastas.

Ingredients:
2 c. whole-wheat flour
3 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3 T. white sugar
3/4 c. buttermlik
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1/4 t. cream of tartar.

Directions:

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in the butter. Beat the egg into the milk and then add to dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. At this point you can either drop on a cookie sheet, or knead until smooth, pat into a rectangle and cut with a biscuit-cutter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Applesauce

2010-12-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

Last fall (2009), we made 21 quarts of applesauce. This year, I made about 7, but still worth it!

The kitchen becomes a workshop!

First you wash the apples...

Then you quarter them...

Put 'em in a big pot

Add a little water and cook 'em til they're soft but not mushy

Get your water-bath canner ready (fill with water and bring to a boil); Start sanitizing those lids too!

Set up the "Squeeze-O"

Mash the apples through the squeeze-o

See the pretty applesauce come through the filter!

Ladle the applesauce into a jar using a wide-mouthed funnel and sanitized jars!

Put the lids on, making sure no water is on the rim, and stick 'em in the water-bath

Process 20 minutes with the lid on, and then let them cool!

Pink Lady apples make pink applesauce. :)

Lasagna

2010-12-31T15:30:00.000-08:00

From the ATK Healthy Family Cookbook, this is a modified lasagna with less fat and carbs than traditional lasagna. As usual, no photo due to the quick consumption by 4 hungry men!

This recipe calls for ground chicken, however I used lean ground beef instead.

Ingredients:
2 c. nonfat ricotta cheese (16 oz)
3 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese (1 oz)
1 c. chopped fresh basil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1 onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 lb. ground chicken
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
16 whole wheat lasagna noodles (Or 12 no-boil lasagna noodles)

Directions:
Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, the parmesan, 1/2 of the basil, egg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or pot) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened slightly about 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and set aside until needed.
[skip this next step if using no-boil noodles] -->Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the lasagna noodles and 1 T salt and cook, stirring often until almost al dente, but still firm to the bite. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, Lay pasta out over clean kitchen towels.
Preheat oven to 375. Spread 1 1/2 c. of the meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Place 5 noodles on top of the sauce and spread 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture evenly down the center of each noodle. Spoon 1 1/2 cups more of the sauce evenly over the ricotta. Repeat this layering two more times.
For the final layer, place the remaining 4 noodles on top, spread the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the noodles, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella. Spray some foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna.
Place the baking dish on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes longer. Let cool 10-20 minutes before serving.

New Cookbook!

2010-12-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I received thew newest Test Kitchen Cookbook!

You can expect to see many recipes from this new favorite in 2011!

Mama Leone's Chicken Soup

2010-12-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

Mac's co-worker passed along this recipe to us and it is phenomenal! I had seconds. :) Next time, I will add more chicken.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 t. salt plus extra for chicken

1/2 t. black pepper plus extra for chicken

1 T. olive oil

4 t. butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 T. minced garlic

1/2 t. dried tarragon

1/2 t. dried oregano

2 t. paprika

1/2 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour

8 c. chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 c. fat-free evaporated milk

2 c. thinly sliced fresh spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and place ona baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

When cool enough to handle, dice the meat and set aside.

While the chicken is baking, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Saute the onions and celery until the onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes.

Add the garlic, tarragon, oregano, paprika, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the flour and stir until well-combined. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the reserved chicken breast and simmer 10 minutes more. Just before serving, stir in the spinach.

Peppermint Bark

2010-12-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

These have been my favorite Christmas treat so far.

Ingredients:
20 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
30 peppermint candies, crushed, divided
10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 T. heavy cream
1 t. peppermint extract

Directions:

Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt half the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water stirring frequently. Spread the white chocolate in the pan and sprinkle 1/4 of the crushed peppermints evenly over white chocolate. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate, heavy cream and peppermint extract together in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Quickly pour the chocolate layer over the chilled white chocolate layer, spread evenly. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Spread quickly over the chilled bark. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint pieces, chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Cut or break into small pieces to serve.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

2010-12-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

I thought these were a little on the sweet side, next time I will reduce the amount of sugar and use dark chocolate.

Ingredients:
2 c. milk chocolate chips
2 T. shortening
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
Melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Stir occasionally until smooth, 3-5 minutes.
Coat 30 mini cupcake liners with about 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until hardened.
While the liners are chilling, combine butter and peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted 4-6 minutes. Stir in the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Press about 1/2 tablespoon of the filling into each chocolate cup. Spoon about 1/2 melted chocolate on top of the filling. Spread to cover. Refrigerate until firm and then carefully peel off paper cups. Store refrigerated.

Pumpkin Bread

2010-12-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

From allrecipes.com. I adapt and use 5 mini-loaf pans and 1 large loaf pan.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

2/3 c. water

3 c. white sugar

3 1/2 c. flour (I use 2 cups whole wheat, 1 1/2 regular)

2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cloves

1/4 t. ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pans (3 7x3 inch loaf pans).

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Gingered Nuts

2010-12-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

From a good friend of the Ovenell Family, Debbie Sutherland.

Ingredients:
1 lb. unsalted mixed nuts
3/4 c. minced candied ginger
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2 t. coarse salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. sesame seeds
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all but the sugar and water. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, and stir occasionally, about 3 minutes. Pour syrup over nut mixture. Bake in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until nuts are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool.

Christmas Treats

2010-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time, I have a crazy baking frenzy. This year, my wonderful friends Melissa and Katie joined the bonanza. This years treats are listed below and recipes are posted following this post:

* Gingered Nuts
* Pumpkin Bread
* Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
* Chocolate Covered Pretzels
* Peppermint Bark
* Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Gingerbread Mayhem

2010-12-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when 5 tired 20-something year-olds attempt to build a gingerbread house with limited decorations...

The hot tub, bbq, and american flag are the work of Jimmy Neutron Drebin... "ladder" and reese's tornado are from Brett. :)

OH MAN, there goes a wall!

I think the frosting is just AMAZING...

Intense work here...

Finished product...

I promised the guys I would post this on the blog, so here you go, boys!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Healthy

2010-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is not a recipe. Just a little disclaimer of my philosophy of nutrition... :)

God created a variety of wonderful foods, all with its each unique purpose and place in human development. Man added a few crazy edible items to God's list, all of which are not as easy to digest and most which tend to add pounds and discomfort. The best way to eat is food in it's natural, original form. This includes fat foods like unsalted butter, olive oil, and avocados. Our body needs fat, sodium, sugar to survive and work to the best of its ability. The KEY is to eat a well-balanced and whole-foods diet. That means EATING protein, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, and some sweets. Everything in moderation...

That being said, my recipes will be a compilation of both "healthy" recipes and "treat" recipes. The one trend amongst them all is whole, natural foods. I do my best to include recipes that use ingredients that I could either grow given the space/time or make in my own kitchen (again given the time/resources). In addition, I only use ingredients that I could explain to an 8 year old how it was made or where it came from. SO, these recipes might not always seem low-fat or low-sugar, but I will try to use such ingredients (for example, butter instead of canola oil... i know, seems silly, but really it's better for you...).

Also, God created us to enjoy things of this earth in moderation. As long as we're not gluttonous and addicted to "bad-for-you" foods, it's okay to savor a sweet every once in a while.

Alright, disclaimer done! Just thought I'd share some thoughts...

Healthy Fudge

2010-12-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

No picture as I have not made this yet for the season... I've made this recipe for fudge a couple times, and while it is not quite as delicious as my Aunty Pam's fudge that I remember from childhood, it's a close second. My grandpa's wife requested that I post some "healthy" dessert recipes, so this is my attempt to start that trend... :) Here you go, Bea!

Recipe courtesy of http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/

Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup coconut oil, divided (virgin unrefined coconut oil is recommended for its nutritional value), palm oil or butter
3/4 cup honey (raw honey is recommended again for its nutritional value)

Gently melt half of the coconut oil in a small saucepan. Allow too cool slightly. Place the remaining 1/2 cup solid coconut oil in your blender with the cocoa and honey. Carefully add the melted coconut oil and pulse a few times till smooth. Make sure not to over blend or else it can seperate. Line a bread pan with a layer of parchment paper or saran wrap. Carefully pour the fudge into the pan. Place in your refrigerator until solid, about 1 hour. Gently remove from pan and cut into squares. Makes about 12-15 squares. Store in refrigerator till ready to serve.

Fruit Cobbler

2010-12-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Now is the time of year when I resist the urge to use ALL of my frozen summer berries at once... Unfortunately, once those holiday get-togethers pick up, my ability to maintain composure fails completely and I succumb to baking one of these delicious cobblers, just so I can have a little taste of summer to share with everyone... You can use pretty much any type of fruit (fresh or frozen) for this cobbler, as I have listed for your enjoyment. My favorite so far has been the peach!

Ingredients:
1 recipe fruit filling (see below)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 tsp sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. buttermilk
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. PLace the fruit filling in 9" deep-dish pie plate. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fruit begins to release liquid, 20-30 minutes (about 60 min for frozen fruit).
While the fruit is baking, whisk the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla together. In a third bowl, toss the cinnamon with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Once the fruit filling has begun to release liquid, gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until the dough is just combined and no dry pockets remain.
Remove the cobbler filling from the oven and stir. Pinch the biscuit dough into 8 equal pieces and place them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar.
Return the cobbler to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Fruit filling varieties:

Blackberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch (2 T if frozen), 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla
Blueberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch (2 T if frozen), 1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar, and 1/2 t. cinnamon, 2 T lemon juice
Peach/Nectarine (4-5 whole fruit), peeled, pitted, and cut into thick slices, plus 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, pinch cloves, 1 t. vanilla extract, and 1 T. brandy
Raspberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch, 1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla
Strawberry (2 quarts) plus 1 T. cornstarch, 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla

If you would like the ratios for apricot, sour cherry, plum, or strawberry rhubarb, let me know!

Pumpkin Bars

2010-11-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I figured it's about time I provide a semi-useful recipe! These are a favorite in the M&M household, first introduced to us by Mary King. While they are wonderful anytime of any day, I recommend them as a special Thanksgiving breakfast treat!

Ingredients:

2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar. Add in cinnamon, powder, soda, salt, and flour and whisk gently until blended. Pour into a lightly oiled 11 x 15" shallow pan (or a 9x13" will do fine). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting:

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
2 - 3 c. powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese, then add in vanilla. Mix well. Add powdered sugar gradually, continually mixing until fluffy.

Chicken Soup

2010-11-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

Yummm, bring on the winter chicken noodle soup!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
3/4 c. frozen peas
1 lb. chicken thighs
2 c. wide egg noodles
1 c. canned tomatoes
32 oz. chicken broth
1 t. pepper
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. italian herb seasoning
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
Bay leaves
1 t. cilantro
1 t. marjoram
1 t. basil

Directions:

Put onion, carrots, and celery in a crock pot. Layer chicken thighs on top of vegetables (I put my on frozen). Add in tomatoes, broth, and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. In the last hour, remove chicken and shred. Cook noodles according to package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add chicken back to the crock pot, along with the cooked noodles, reserved water, and spices. Cook until heated through.