Pantry Revisited

Carla Vavalas - Food Fusion and Friends - Quiche

2012-01-25T13:50:00.000-06:00

This week I made a quiche from Carla's book FFOF. I personally cannot eat quiche, but my husband likes it and likes to take it for his lunch. This was a spinach quiche and I added proscuitto, mushrooms, onions and cheese to it.

If you want the recipe, you can buy Carla's book on Amazon for only $10 or you can email me. Very easy recipe. Check out Joanne's page to see what she made this week.

30 Minute Thursdays - Hazan's Tagliatelle with Quick and Simple Meat Sauce

2012-01-19T05:33:00.002-06:00

In working my way through Guiliano Hazan's 30 Minute Pasta Book, this is about my fifth recipe. All have been excellent. My twitter friends Margaret and Kayte also participate in the 30 Minute Thursday group so check out their webpages and see if they cooked with Guiliano this week!

This one was really easy to put together, but for my taste in pasta, I felt it needed a few more ingredients. If you like a sauce with a lot of meat and not much sauce, then this is for you!! Chandler loved it as he loves all pasta.

If you want the recipe, email me. Or purchase the book. It called for tagliatelle or rigatoni. I could not find tagliatelle so it was rigatoni for me. The sauce is a simple mixure of ground round, onions, fresh tomatoes and grated parmesan.

Hope all you in bloggerville have a wonderful weekend. It is a little chilly for me here in the sunny south!

FOFF - Irish "Stout" Beef Stew

2012-01-18T08:41:00.000-06:00

My friend Joanne and I are cooking our way through Carla Vavalas' book, Fusion of Food + Friends. You can buy the book on Amazon for a mere $10. I have yet to cook anything from it that was not tasty. I am a day early posting this as Joanne likes to post on Thursdays. Check out her webpage tomorrow to see what delicious something she has cooked up!

I chose Carla's Irish "Stout" stew this week because it has been cold and rainy here for a few days. The recipe calls for a stout beer and red wine, or just a regular beer. Since my husband's favorite beer is Guinness, that is what I wanted to use, but we were out. I opted for another beer that was dark. I did add just a half cup of white wine (instead of the suggested red) because that is what I had open in my refrigerator.

It was delicious served with some fresh french bread. I cooked it in the crockpot since the recipe said it needed to simmer for a while to get the bitter taste of the stout out.
The stew was amazing and we did not notice any bitter taste. If you want the recipe, email me. Or buy Carla's book! This is about the fifth recipe I have tried from it and they have all been good.

Hazan's Thirty Minute Thursdays - Pasta!!!!

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week I decided for my Thirty Minute Thursdays group to make Hazan's Spinach and Ricotta Penne. This is my third recipe from Hazan's book Thirty Minute Pasta. Loved the first two and loved this one as well.

As the spinach was cooking, I kept "sampling" it and I am surprised there was enough sauce left to mix in with the pasta when I finished cooking it!

It is very easy to make. Chandler could eat pasta every day of the week so I cannot go wrong making it for him. He was not too happy last night, however, when I fed him an egg sandwich because I had spent my evening cutting out stars and painting a crescent moon for an upcoming banquet!

My twitter friends Margaret and Kayte also make Thursday pastas so be sure to check out their websites and see what they made this week.

Buy the book and try this recipe. You'll love it. Guiliano Hazan's 30 Minute Pastas. It truly is one of the most delicious and useful cookbooks I own.

Donna Hay's Chicken and Bacon Burger

2012-01-11T20:14:00.000-06:00

I have a lovely group of twitter friends and we are choosing one chef per month to spotlight. We can make anything from that chef's collection of recipes so I chose Donna Hay's Chicken and Bacon Burger. This is my first time cooking with this group! The photo of my finished product will become my twitter avatar for the month!

I cannot say enough good about this "burger." It is healthy, tasty, just enough spice to it, and very filling. I cut one chicken breast in half to make two sandwiches. The avocado and bacon added so much flavor, but I loved the spicey mayonnaise dressing. I used french rolls but might try a different bun next time. You can find the recipe by googling Donna Hay online.

Saturday morning pancakes!

2012-01-09T10:55:00.000-06:00

I made some "easy" pancakes for Chandler and me last Saturday as a special treat. Usually we have frozen waffles and whipped cream. I took the recipe from the Bisquick box for pancakes, and added one mashed banana and one tablespoon of cinnamon. Delicious and quick and easy!

Tuesdays with Dorie - Kids Thumbprint Cookies

2011-12-28T09:45:00.001-06:00

I am a day late posting these. Family just left yesterday from a fabulous holiday weekend.
This is the end to a wonderful journey through Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I started with the group three and a half years ago. The first year I participated every week, but then had a few slack off periods. I missed my first opportunity to host but was able to host later on. Dorie has been very encouraging to our group along the way. I have learned so much from all the other bakers, and wonderful friendships have grown along the way. I'm not a fabulous baker by any stretch, and a worse photographer, but it has been a journey I am glad I took.
The kids thumprints were very easy. I chose not to roll them in chopped peanuts and I added some chocolate morsels to the centers instead of jam. I love peanut butter and chocolate so it was a no brainer for me to do that.
Be sure to check out the other bakers at http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/
We will be starting a new book and group in February. I received the book for Christmas and am anxious to flip through and check out the recipes.
Thank you to Laura and Julie for managing the group for four years!! They did an excellent job. And thank you to all the bakers in the group that encouraged me along the way with your sweet comments, emails and tweets. Love you all!! Happy New Year!!

Tuesdays with Dorie - Visiting Swedish Cake

2011-12-13T08:42:00.001-06:00

As our TWD group is ending, and we are finishing up Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Dorie cookbook, I wanted to bake a few of the recipes that I missed along the way.

Tonight, I am taking dinner to a sick friend and I wanted some sort of dessert. My twitter friend Nancy hosted this Swedish Visiting Cake when it was her turn and she has made it several times since. I have made a recipe similar to this years ago that I loved, so I decided to try Dorie's version today. It will be the perfect dessert for our dinner tonight.

I did not have a cast iron skillet as it called for in the recipe, so I used a heavy duty square cake pan and sat on top of a cookie sheet. It was a really easy recipe to whip up. No mixer required. Easy ingredients.

My square pan made it thinner than I would have liked, so next time I will use a smaller round cake pan. This is going to be my "go-to" cake this year. I'm going to make several to share with my neighbors.

If you love almond flavor, you will love this. I also added a little vanilla flavoring per Dorie's side instructions. Dorie says this cake can be cut into small pieces and eaten with your fingers. That is what I have done. Will be perfect for my Christmas Day night appetizer buffet meal.

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.
Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic. (I saw Dorie doing this on the Martha Stewart show yesterday and it tickled me because I learned this trick, among many others, from her.)
Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Whisk in the salt and the extracts.Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.
Finally, fold in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar. If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.
Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it. You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Words for Wednesdays - Holiday Thoughts

2011-11-29T17:25:00.000-06:00

My son writes beautiful poetry. Because of him, I became interested in the flow of words and decided to try and see if I could write a verse or two. If you have been following my blog, you have seen on Wednesdays my attempts at poetry. Not sure if I like this one, but the substance and feeling is there.

Holidays

Thanksgiving.
With great speed it comes,
then leaves with a haste
after a quick taste
only to be followed by a rush
of St. Nickolas.

Christmas.
Long wait and anticipation
long lines and frustration
decorations abound while
Cards and boxes are found,
Santa arrives, it's here they shout!
only to find the fire has already gone out.

New Year's Eve.
One night out of the year
streamers flying, horns blowing,
breath freezing in the air
can you make it til midnight
for one kiss - do you dare?
A new year begins.

Holidays come and holidays go,
but the warmth and love live on.

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

I have no food posts this week to share, but I will be back next week. I want to wish all of you out in bloggerdom a very happy, healthy, and blessed Thanksgiving. I hope you have good friends and/or family to share with, good food, and a fun day!

As for us, we will be enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving with friends this year. And a quiet birthday the next day for me!!

God's blessings be upon all of you during the holiday! See you next week!

Thirty Minute Thursdays with Guiliano Hazan

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is only my second time making something from Thirty Minute Pastas and I chose Penne with Asparagus and Proscuitto. I do not have my usual Fusion +Friends post this week, hopefully will be back with a new one for next Thursday!

This took very little time to prepare and was truly one of the best pasta dishes I have made in a while. When I went to the grocery store, for some reason I had pancetta on my brain instead of proscuitto so there was a tiny substitution made.

This was fabulous and I cannot wait until tonight to eat the leftovers! May have to nibble a bit during the day on them. It will definitely be on my rewind list to make again and again. If you want the recipe, please email me.

My twitter friends, Kayte and Margaret, also cook from this book on Thursdays so you should see what they have cooked up this week. Join us! There is no scheduled recipe each week and no rules other than just to post on Thursdays.

Words for Wednesdays - Smiles

2011-11-16T06:00:00.003-06:00

A Smile

It costs nothing
yet brings warmth to coldness,
hope to despair, and light to darkness.

An effortless expression
that releases its power
to the universe and becomes infectious.

Pass the message of love
without words to a stranger
then pass one back to yourself.

TWD - Alsatian Apple Tart

2011-11-15T05:00:00.009-06:00

Hostess: Jessica of Cookbook Habit Check out her blog and get the recipe!

Our Tuesdays with Dorie group is finishing up Baking With Dorie after almost four years. It is hard to believe there are only a few recipes left. I have learned so much from this group in the three years I have been a member and I hate to see it end. I'm still not a great baker by any stretch. I still make so many mistakes in the kitchen. But I have learned a great deal and made a lot of baking friends. It makes me a wee bit sad of course, but I hope we all stay in touch with our other groups. I do want to go back and make some of the great recipes that were made before I joined. When I first joined in July 2008, I figured I would last maybe six months. Because of all the encouragement, I'm still here three years later. Thank you all. It is a great group of bakers!
This week we had two choices, Bittersweet Brownes or Alsatian Apple Tart, in our TWD group. I wanted to make both, but I chose the apple tart.

Nothing went right for me that day. First off, my tart pan was eleven inches instead of the required nine inches. So I decided in the interest of time, I would just use a nine inch cake pan with removeable bottom. So that is what I did and I tried to make it look like a tart. I hope you got a little chuckle from that statement. As you can see, it does not look like it was cooked in a tart pan. I think I am making it my priority today to go find a nine inch tart pan!! Most recipes call for that rather than the eleven inch that I have.

Then, do you see something missing? It's apples! I apparently was short an apple or two to make the required pound so I used what I had. I used Golden Delicious as Dorie suggested.

I baked the piecrust for only about 15 minutes and then froze it. However, when it was finished, the outside edges were a bit hard so I'm wondering if I overcooked it.

The tart was easily whipped up. It reminded me of another dish I prepare called Peach Kugen. I have made that for years and it is always a hit. Sort of custard around the apples. We really enjoyed this tart. We served with a little whipped cream on top for our nightly snack for a few nights. Wish you could join me for a slice. .. . or two!

Spankin Spinach Roll and Sausage, Zucchini Pasta

2011-11-10T05:00:00.001-06:00

This will be a double post. First, my twitter friends, Kayte and Margaret, post the most delicious pastas on Thursdays. Margaret and I also enjoy a game or two of Words with Friends occasionally. She usually beats me.

I was intrigued with the pastas so I ordered the book from Amazon. Guiliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pastas. This is my first attempt at a recipe from the book and I will say it was easy to prepare, quick, very good directions in the book, and the result - fantastic. We really enjoyed this pasta! It is basically fusilli with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and sausage. If you want the recipe, just grab the book off Amazon.com or email me and I'll send to you! My photo does not do this pasta justice.

Next, my friend Joanne of Applecrumbles and I are working our way through Carla Vavala's Fusion Food + Friends (FFF) cookbook. This week we made the Spankin Spinach Roll! It is basically a pizza rolled up in a roll, and then sliced. It would be fantastic for an appetizer for a football game or just a dinner. It is filled with fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, and cheese. Easy to make, easy to slice, easy to serve. We loved it. Come join us as we make our way through this book!!

Words for Wednesdays - Respect

2011-11-09T06:00:00.055-06:00

Respect

Is respect something the modern
world has obliterated and its people
no longer cherish?
Dare we hope it may
resurface and not with
contempt but pride.

Shall we not confuse it with
tolerance and its negativity
but rather embrace it with
dignity and deference.

Define it with positive
feelings for traditions and
people of authority,
remember it as showing honor where honor
is due.

Respect, worthy of a second chance?

Virtual Thanksgiving Party!

2011-11-06T12:08:00.000-06:00

Our Twitter friend, Phyl, decided to organize a Thanksgiving roundup and I was lucky enough to be included. Phyl is making the turkey while the rest of us are preparing the side dishes and dessert. I had an idea that I wanted to do green beans with a twist. I decided on Gingered Green Beans. These were very easy to put together and we found them to be delicious. This is a good trial run for a few Thanksgiving recipes and I am pretty sure already that I will be including these at my Thanksgiving table this year.

Phyl will be doing a roundup later this week so check out his webpage to see how the virtual "dinner" turned out. Thank you Phyl for organizing and to all the other cooks who participated. I cannot wait to get some new ideas and see what they made.

Here is my recipe for the beans:

One pack frozen whole green beans

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. seasoned pepper
1/4 cup toasted pecans
Three slices cooked bacon crumbled

Preparation
Cook green beans as package directs.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; sauté 2 minutes. Add beans, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and pecans.

Happy Thanksgiving early to everyone! Thanks for stopping by.

Words for Wednesday - A Ghostly Tale!

2011-11-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

A Halloween Tale

Louisa and Jacob lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone. They lived in a large house in the city, white with a picket fence surrounding it. They thought they had everlasting love, but their love ended too quickly and tragically.

One Halloween night, Louisa awoke to a noise and found Jacob missing from their bed. She jumped up, lit a candle, and tiptoed to the parlor. A tiny flicker of fire gave the room a hazy glow. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a shadow in the corner, and as she looked around she realized with horror that it was her beloved Jacob slumped on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding him. Louisa ran to him and removed the large knife that was embedded in his chest, but death had already taken her love. Suddenly, she was startled by a noise in the front yard. Quickly making her way to the front door, she found it standing open. In the dark distance, she saw shadows of two riders galloping away on horses.

Louise never found out who murdered Jacob or why. She grieved herself to death just months later, but her spirit never left that house. Every Halloween, people report seeing
a lady in a white nightgown coming down the stairs and moving toward the parlor with
a flickering candle to the spot where Jacob was brutally slain. Her ghostly body would appear to fall to its knees and begin to scrub the floor with an urgency, then it would drift away not to be seen again until the following year.

Although the house had many owners, none stayed very long. No one could remove the blood stains from the floor. The flooring was replaced several times and covered with carpet, but each time the blood stain returned on Halloween. To this day, in the wee morning hours of all hallow's eve, neighbors are awakened by a blood curdling scream coming from within the house and the front door is always standing open. Louise will find no rest until her soul reunites with Jacob.

TWD - Far Breton

2011-11-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

This week we had two selections for TWD. I had every intention of making the scones yesterday, but the festivities of Halloween only allowed time for one so I made the Far Breton. I had to google to see what Far Breton meant. This dessert comes from Brittany, France area and Far means Flour. It is like a flan of custard with fruit. The recipe called for prunes and raisens, but I only used raisens.

My Far Breton had a mishap. It rose beautifully but when I took it out of the pan, it fell. I also noticed some of the pudding had run under the parchment in my cake pan. So I have what I am renaming as Flat Far Breton. The taste was like a rich cakey egg custard. Chandler loved it, I was okay with it.

Check out Tuesdays with Dorie to see how the other bakers did with this recipe and also check out Nicole (who chose this) of Cookies On Friday and to get the recipe if you are interested in trying it.

Chocolate with Francois - Ginger Angel Food Cake

2011-10-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

In my Chocolate with Francois baking group, we cook from Charles Payard's Chocolate Epiphany cookbook. This month, our group made the Ginger Angel Food Cake chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious. . .chocolate of course. Everything in his book is chocolate. Some of the recipes are complicated, but this one was very easy. I used Ghiradelli chocolate - my personal favorite. I did not have any candied ginger to put on top for decoration, but I did add ginger to the mix.

I scrimped a bit on the cocoa because I thought it might be too chocolatey (if there is such a thing) but once it baked I realized I should have gone with Charles' version. The ginger in it complimented the chocolate very well. Also, he suggested a cake pan, but I used a bundt cake pan and I am not sure that was the wisest choice. I had a bit of a struggle getting the cake out of the pan!

The chocolate glaze is to die for. I was practically eating it by the spoonfuls. I actually took a piece of the cake and just as we Southerners used to say, "sopped" the glaze up like gravy. Chandler loved it too. I made two of these and took one to my next door neighbors who are always helping us move a piece of furniture or some other favor.

Check out Leslie's blog later in the week for the recipe, or you can email me for it. Also check our webpage Chocolate with Francois to see how the others did with this recipe.

KOREA - My Kitchen My World

2011-10-30T08:10:00.003-05:00

In our group My Kitchen My World, we "pretend" travel to a different place each month making recipes from that area. This month was Korea.

I am not familiar with Korean food so I had to go to my "google" help and see what I could find. I ended up making Korean Roasted Chicken (served it with rice) and steamed cabbage.

This recipe is delicious. I made two changes to the recipe. One, I used regular onions instead of green onions. Two, I used chicken breasts cut into pieces rather than larger pieces of chicken. I will definitely be making this again and again.

KOREAN ROAST CHICKEN

1 chicken, cut up
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. minced onions
3 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. dry ginger)
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place chicken in large baking dish. Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn each piece and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until done.
You can also make this in a skillet in a stir-fry fashion.

Carla Vavala's Potato Pea Soup

2011-10-26T18:00:00.003-05:00

A few of us are working our way through Carla Vavala's book, Fusion + Friends. It is a healthy choice of recipes. This week I chose the Potato and Pea soup since it is getting chilly here in Alabama. I also like to try and do a meatless meal on Mondays.

It was easy to put together and then you simmer for two hours. Basically you cook the onions, celery and garlic in a little olive oil, then add potatoes, peas, tomato sauce and at the end I added some small penne pasta to finish it off.

Chandler is suffering from a cold this week so he was delighted that I made soup. And he ate two bowls of it and took one for his lunch today. He said "it is delicious." I think soup just hits the spot when you are congested, but it was a very good soup. I halved the recipe and it still made a good sized pot of soup.

Check out Joanne's webpage at Applecrumbles for the recipe.

My Words for Wednesdays

2011-10-26T06:48:00.000-05:00

Soulmates

He sends a look across
the room that makes
her very soul shiver.
Bones shake beneath
her skin, a momentary quiver.

Eyes close and
eyelashes flutter in
anticipation as
she patiently waits for a tender caress
that will burn the skin with
a needed heat.

Sweet air crosses paths
as his breath comes so close
and she trembles when their bodies meet.

Does the word soulmate
adequately portray the
depth of this love?

TWD - A Fig Cake for Fall

2011-10-25T07:04:00.000-05:00

Hostess this week: Ursula of The Cookie Rookie. You can get the recipe at her webpage or in Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Dorie cookbook.
http://cookierookie-alvarosa.blogspot.com/ Also, check out our group TWD, to see what the other bakers did with this recipe.

I used to pick figs off my ex-mother-in-law's tree and eat them back in my 20's. Loved them. Other than that and fig newtons, I know nothing about figs. It seemed lots of the group were having trouble finding fresh figs, but I went to Publix and they had them in their fruit section. When I began to cut them in half, some were really mushy, while others were not. So not being a fig "expert," I was not sure which ones were good to use. I decided not to use the really mushy ones.

As a result, I did not have enough figs to cover the top of my cake.

I did not have "port" as the recipe called for, and I hesitated to buy it because we would not drink the leftover, so I just used a rich red wine and added a little sugar, along with the honey.

The DH and I enjoyed a piece while we watched tv last night drizzled with the port/cabernet sauce. I did not love the texture of this cake. The cornmeal in it made it more like cornbread to me and cornbread and sweet figs just did not seem to go together. But it was interesting. Check it out and try it for yourself.

Tip about Life - too sweet

2011-10-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

TWD - Jazzed Up Ginger Brownies

2011-10-18T07:29:00.000-05:00

Bubie's Little Baker chose jazzed up ginger brownies this week in Tuesdays with Dorie.
Check out her webpage to get the recipe and check out TWD to see how the other bakers fared with these brownies.

I love me some brownies. I'm just not convinced I love me some brownies with ginger in them! However, on the plus side, they did smell fabulous while baking. Having your house filled with the fragrance of ginger is never a bad thing! I only used milk chocolate in mine as I am not a fan of dark chocolate.

Loaf Roundup!

2011-10-16T07:52:00.000-05:00

My blog and twitter friend Di at Di's Kitchen Notebook asked several of us to join her in a "loaf" roundup! It could be any loaf, bread, meat, etc. Since it is fall and Halloween is just around the corner, of course I had to do something with pumpkin.

As I looked for my loaf pan, I found this little pan that made four mini loaves so I decided to use that. I used a good basic recipe for these. They turned out delicious and oh so cute!

Be sure to go over to Di's webpage (link above) and see what the other bakers have come up with for this roundup! Have a happy Sunday.
Recipe:

1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl beat together eggs, oil and pumpkin until well mixed.
Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Mix just enough to combine. Do not over mix. Pour into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Bake 40 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (My mini loaves took about 25 minutes).
Let bread cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Serve. Makes 1 loaf.

Chicken, Potatoes, and Carla Vavala's "Italian Butter" for Bread

2011-10-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

Guess I was in an olive oil mood today. In French Fridays with Dorie last week, the group cooked olive olive cornish hens. I didn't get around to making those, but I did take a whole chicken today and adapt part of Dorie's recipe to make it work for me. This was my first time to remove a chicken breast bone in order to lay the chicken flat. I was amazed how easy the process was. Deboning the breast makes your chicken cook a lot faster in the oven or on the grill than it would if you left it whole. He looks a bit like he's had a train wreck, but he was delicious. It also makes it easier to cut into serving pieces. Basically my version is just chicken drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.

To go along side the chicken, I made my own version of a potato dish that I had tasted at an event last weekend. Peel and slice two large baking potatoes, top with thinly sliced onions, more potatoes, provolone cheese, bake for about an hour at 350, then add a topping of mushroom soup mixed with 8 oz. sour cream, about a cup of grated mexican cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Put crushed ritz crackers and almonds on top and bake again until all is hot.

I didn't have any ritz crackers or sliced almonds on hand, so I just sprinkled with bread crumbs. Delicious.

As Joanne of Applecrumbles and I cook together through Carla Vavala's new Fusion + Friends recipe book, this week we made "Italian Butter" for Bread. Joanne does fabulous photos of her food so be sure to check out her webpage. Just click on the link. The bread and dip was a nice start to my chicken and potato dinner. Joanne will have the recipe posted, but you need to buy this book! Amazon.com has it. You just mix together a few herbs, add olive oil, and dip your bread!

Have a wonderful weekend. See you next week for more good eats!

Words for Wednesday - a bit about whining

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've decided to share random thoughts with you on Wednesdays. I hope you like them. Each week will be a different subject matter of course. Comments are welcomed.

She Whines

The world cannot escape
The masses of whiners
That work their way through our lives
each day.

Dare we judge whether
whiners are selfish or
Just helpless creatures trapped
By a mind that creates a deep dark
Loneliness they are unable to escape
On their own.

Is it selfish to look
For tiny droplets of approval
If that gets one out of the
Darkness for even a fleeting moment
Or is their energy simply
Misplaced.

But must we walk a mile in
Their shoes or simply
choose to be more caring
whilst all the while not forgetting
to look into the mirror
at our own fears.

TWD - Basic Biscuits

2011-10-11T07:28:00.000-05:00

Jennifer of Cooking With Comfort chose basic biscuits for us to make this week in our Tuesdays with Dorie group.

Biscuits always remind me of my sweet mother who passed away three years ago. Mama made homemade biscuits almost every day of her life. I did not appreciate them as much as a child as I did an adult. She had it down to such an art. She rolled them out and then gently flipped the dough over, then cut with the biscuit cutter so that after they cooked, they would open up easily for your jelly or jam. I have never been able to make biscuits like my mama made. Instead of jelly, I now eat my biscuits with cheddar cheese or maybe bacon and cheese. Love them!

Dorie's had quite a bit of butter in them and I cut back on that a little just to save a few calories. I'm sure the butter would make them even more delicious though. I also halved the recipe. You can get the recipe at Jennifer's webpage if you click above on her link. Also go to Tuesdays with Dorie and see how the other bakers fared with their biscuits this week! Thanks Jennifer for a fun and easy pick.

Stuffed Pumpkin and Chicken Pot Pie

2011-10-06T18:49:00.001-05:00

I have been dying to try the stuffed pumpkin in Dorie Greenspan's book Around My French Table ever since I got the book. This week I jumped in and did it. I bought a small pumpkin, scooped out the insides, inserted the stuffing, and baked for a little over an hour. We loved it. I am going to make another one though and this time I am going to put in some brown sugar, cranraisens, and nuts. I think it needed the sweetness those items can provide.

This one just had bread chunks, cream, fresh rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper. I think you could put just about anything in there you wanted. I quickly took photos, but you can put the entire pumpkin on a round platter and serve it right at the table. It slices nicely and is just such a cute way to serve fresh pumpkin! These photos do not look very appetizing, but I promise you it was delicious!

My neighbor just had pancreatic cancer surgery so I thought I would whip her up a casserole of some kind. I have been making this chicken pot pie for 30 years. It is the easiest thing to make and so delicious. She is doing really well from her surgery.

First, I cooked some chicken breasts and chopped that up. Then I used a store bought piecrust (I like Pet Ritz) found in the dairy section. I put one of the crusts on the bottom of my pan and save the other to top it off. Put the chopped chicken down in the bottom. Top that with a can of drained Vegall, then a can of cream of celery soup, a touch of sour cream (optional) and top with the other pie crust. Dollop butter on top and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until crust is lightly brown. Even children love this dish.

Have a great weekend!

TWD - Apple Muffin Cake means Fall is in the Air!

2011-10-03T23:00:00.004-05:00

I was excited to see our Tuesday with Dorie's pick this week. Apple Muffin Cake. With fall in the air, it was a perfect choice. Thank you to our host this week Katrina of Baking with the Boys. As proof of fall coming, it has been in the 40's here at night. Brrr. After a very hot summer, I'm not quite ready for the cold nights.

I used Granny Smith apples. They are not good for snacking, but great for baking.

I made a couple of changes to Dorie's recipe. First, I left out the raisens. I like raisens but I am just raisened out lately. My cereal in the morning is full of raisens and that is enough for me each day. Secondly, while the cake was still warm from the oven, I poured a mixture of brown sugar, milk and butter that I had heated up over the top of the cake. Made it super moist and gave it a little brown sugar taste.

We loved it! Get the recipe at Katrina's webpage. Just click on the link above.

You can never go wrong with a Dorie Greenspan recipe!

Carla Vavala - Babbaganoush and Biscuits

2011-09-27T07:44:00.002-05:00

Check out Joanne's version of these on Wednesday at Applecrumbles. She and I are trying some healthy foods from Carla Vavala's book Fusion + Friends. This book is only $10 on Amazon.com so it would be a great gift for someone with the holidays coming up!

This week we made Carla's babbaganoush and sour cream biscuits. I've never eaten babbaganoush much less made it, but it was so easy and delicious. Really, I could have just made my meal off of it. You are supposed to serve it with pita bread, but we used italian bread instead that I had toasted in the oven with a little olive oil drizzled on top.

First, you bake the eggplant. I halved the recipe. And yes, I know this photo is not flattering.

Then you just peel the eggplant and put in a food processor with the other ingredients, whirl away for a few seconds and voila - you have a fabulous appetizer to enjoy! I had no idea what tahini paste was and I could not find it at Publix, so I substituted peanut butter and it worked really well with this. This photo does not do it justice. It really is so tasty.

The sour cream biscuits had a secret ingredient in them. Club Soda. I did not have any on hand so I substituted milk. Have you ever tried this milk? I just bought some this week and it is delicious and it has a 70 day shelf life! Not that it will last that long around here, but it is really good milk.

These biscuits are easy and fabulous. As a matter of fact, I plan to make them again this weekend for some guests we have coming over. They have very simple ingredients, just boxed biscuit mix, grated cheddar, fresh rosemary, garlic, sour cream, and a little bit of club soda. You just drop them out, bake and they are soft and so delicious!!

Carla Vavala - Richie A to Zucchini Pie

2011-09-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to make Potstickers today but that did not happen. Something more important came up - trust me.
But I did, however, make Carla's Zucchini Pie on Tuesday and guess what? It was so good we ate it all up before I remembered to take a photo of it. That is the honest truth. I halved the recipe for Chan and me and we scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow. I know, you are all disappointed that there is no photo. I'll make this again though and I will photo it because it is just that good! I am not best friends with zucchini, but I like it on occasion and in special ways. This was the easiest recipe. I guarantee you it will be on my rotation every month.

Check out the potstickers at Applecrumbles and see what you think. If you want to cook along with Joanne and me on Thursdays, I think we are just going to work our way through Carla's Fusion Food + Friends book. The next recipe is Really Good Babbaganoush and I am excited about that one. But Joanne may have something else in mind to make next week so please check her blog to see.

Try this. I promise it is just so easy and so delicious!! And healthy too!

4 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced
1 cup biscuit mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix all together and back in ungreased pie plate for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm.

New group forming! Healthy foods.

2011-09-12T12:15:00.001-05:00

My friend, Joanne, at Applecrumbles wants to start a new weekly cooking group using Carla Vavala's new book called Fusion Food + Friends. The book is only $10 on Amazon.com. The group will post on Thursdays I think. If you are interested in joining in, this Thursday Joanne is making the first recipe in the book which is Caponata. You make it in the crock pot so easy breezy. If you make it, just send Joanne your photo and your link to your post and she will post on her website. We are trying to see how many have an interest in doing this before we launch a website.

Here is the recipe for the Caponata:

Mix all in crockpot and cook for 7-8 hours
1 med. eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 (15 oz) can diced seasoned italian tomatoes undrained
1 med. onion chopped
green olives sliced (optional)
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup medium jarred salsa
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T. capers drained
3 T. balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 T crushed red pepper

Enjoy with sliced baquette bread, or put on your favorite pasta!

Chocolate with Francois - Chocolate Rice Puddings with Cherries

2011-08-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

Francois Payard is the author of the cookbook Chocolate Epiphany that our group uses each month. This month was my pick and I thought this pudding with cherries looked delicious and interesting.

I halved the recipe since there are only two of us here eating and we already had been chowing down on Big Bill's Carrot cake for the first part of the week. Not to mention I bought a few doughnuts yesterday at the store. Walmart is now selling Tastycakes here in the south, something I have really missed since we left Ohio. I could get addicted to those!

This is not a difficult recipe, but as many of Payard's are, it is a bit time consuming. Risotto is not a quick rice to prepare first of all. But the smell coming from your oven as this is baking is worth the effort. My kitchen smelled of chocolate and oranges!

The pudding is lighter than most chocolate pudding recipes because whipped cream is added into it after baking. And you could substitute another fruit for the cherries, but we do like cherries. It is a wonderful ending to a meal, not too sweet. The cherries are delicious with the browned sugar on them. Check out CWF and see if any of the other ladies in the group made this month's recipe.

First you make the rice pudding:
Cook the rice in water for five minutes, drain, set aside.

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in cocoa powder. Romove from heat and stir in rice. Pour into 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for about an hour stirring every 20 minutes or so until the rice is tender. Immediately whisk in the egg yolks, cover with saran wrap and press down on top of the pudding, then chill for an hour or a day.

Make the cherries: Melt the butter over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the brown sugar stirring until melted. Add the cherries and cook for 6-8 min. Add the lemon juice and let cool.

Cream: Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract. Fold half the whipped cream into the pudding and spoon into ramekins. Add whipped cream and cherries on top to serve.
Ingredients:
1 cup risotto rice
1 quart whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean or 2 T pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange
1/3 cup cocoa powder
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups plus 1 T heavy whipping cream
2 T unsalted butter
2 T light brown sugar
1 pound cherries, pitted and kept whole
Juice of one lemon

Blogging Break

2011-08-15T07:38:00.000-05:00

I am taking a cooking/blogging break. I will be back later in the month. Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!!

Chocolate with Francois - Flourless Chocolate Cake

2011-07-31T00:10:00.004-05:00

In our Chocolate with Francois group, the recipe for this month was Francois Payard's Flourless Cake. Apparently these cakes are popular in France. They are easy to make, but oh so rich. If you do not like chocolate, and I am serious here, you would not like this cake. I'm sure my friend Kayte would not even look once at this recipe!

My friend Joanne, of Applecrumbles, was the host this month. Joanne makes the most fabulous foods, a lot of them are vegetarian dishes but she also prepares meat dishes for her husband. And her photos are amazing!

Okay back to this cake. It was easy. You mix it up, cook in a water bath, then freeze.

I probably kept it frozen for a couple of weeks. Francois said if you cook in a regular cake pan it might be difficult to unpan it and he was right. I ended up using my hairdryer to blow across the bottom of the pan and then it came right out. It was not a pretty cake. And my photos of the cake as a whole cake turned out unfocused.

Chandler put whipped cream on his. I think the whipped cream might cut a little of the chocolate flavor off. This is one very rich cake. I could not eat a very large piece. But it was delicious.

You can get the recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany or Joanne probably will have it posted on her webpage.

My Kitchen, My World - Great Britain

2011-07-30T20:00:00.002-05:00

This month in our group MKMW we virtually went to Great Britain to find a recipe to share. My friend Sarah lives in London so naturally I went straight to her for an opinion. She sent me the recipe for Toad in the Hole. Now I've made Toad in the Hole before where you just cut a hole in a slice of bread, drop an egg in, and bake. This is not the same thing.

The only change I made was you were supposed to wrap the sausages in proscuitto and instead I had some ham I needed to use so I just put some chopped up ham in mine. We loved this dish and I hope you will if you make it. Check out MKMW and see what everyone else came up with for Great Britain. I cannot wait to check it all out.

Go here for the Toad in the Hole recipe.

I'm in afternoon LOVE - Pecan Pie Mini-muffins!

2011-07-27T13:22:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night in our dance club, my friend Pam brought the most delicious pecan pie muffins. I had eaten them once in a restaurant near my house called The Three Eared Rabbit but I had never made them. I asked her for the recipe, but today, I couldn't wait any longer so I made up what I thought the recipe would be. They did not taste "exactly" like hers, but these are to die for if you love pecans.

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup broken pecan pieces
I sprayed my mini muffin pan with olive oil spray and this made ten muffins.
350 degree oven. Cook for 15 minutes or so. Remove immediately from muffin pan.

You will be in afternoon love too!

TWD - Dark Chocolate Sorbet

2011-07-26T06:59:00.000-05:00

This week's TWD was a sorbet recipe. Steph of a Whisk and a Spoon chose this for us. Steph has some wonderful treats on her blog. Check them out!

I treated myself this month to a new ice cream maker - the Cuisinart. I was tired of the old salt and ice routine. This was the perfect time for me to use it. It does not hold a lot of ice cream, but that is perfect for us since it is just the two of us.

I followed Dorie's recipe and then at the last minute I added just a pinch of kosher salt, and a handful of butterscotch morsels. Oh this was so tasty! Now I'm thinking peanut butter morsels would have been even better. Our only problem with it was it melted very rapidly. As soon as we spooned it into our bowls, it started to melt. So a lot of it tasted like chocolate water. Did I do something wrong?
You can get the recipe at Steph's blog. It is really easy to make.

Asian Slaw - Great for Picnics

2011-07-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever want coleslaw but that mayonnaise just sitting there in the sun keeps you from enjoying that wonderful dish? Try this Asian Slaw. It has no mayonnaise in it. I made it Sunday for a pool party we attended and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I still kept it on ice just to be safe and because it really is better cold. At the end of the party as we were leaving, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to put the sugar in it!!! Everyone said that was fine and not to put the sugar in next time. But I think it is better with a little sweetness.

Easy to make.
Mix
16 oz coleslaw mix
3 oz chicken or beef flavored ramen noodles broken up
1 8 oz bottle Paul Newman's oil and vinegar salad dressing
Sprinkle the ramen noodle seasoning in
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup almonds
1/2 cup sugar

stir and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. Delicious!!

2011-07-21T00:07:00.002-05:00

There's just something about a chocolate cake . . . . .
This week in our Ina Garten group (Barefoot Contessa), the theme was Sweet Baked Love. If you have baked something from one of Ina's fabulous recipes, please leave your linky below.

The members of our group are Chaya - Bizzy B. Bakes; April of The 21s Century Housewife and The 21st Century Housewife’s Kitchen; Louanne of Louanne’s Kitchen;
Mia of Bright Morning Star; Yummy Chunklet and me. Check out their webpages to see what they cooked this month for their "love bake."

For me, it had to be this cake. The batter is a bit runny after you add the coffee, but it all works out in the end for a beautiful cake. Now that I am enjoying my new Keurig coffeemaker, making just one cup of coffee for a recipe is a snap.

I did not butter my parchment paper as Ina suggests in the recipe. I always cheat and use spray olive oil. Cakes always come out easily when I do. It baked in 30 minutes - a little less than the recipe stated.The frosting was fun to make, and so creamy and tasty. I think it may be some of the best frosting I have ever tasted. Just the barest hint of coffee flavor. Chances are you will not even notice that was an ingredient. The cake is very moist. Definitely will be made again at my house!

Hope you are having a wonderful week! Be sure to try this cake and do it soon!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Chocolate Frosting6 ounces good semisweet chocolate1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake

Fish and Tomatoes en papillote

2011-07-13T07:38:00.000-05:00

Get the recipe here http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2007/08/cooking-in-a-cocoon-salmon-and-tomatoes-en-papillote.html

I did not take a photo. But last night I prepared Dorie's Salmon and Tomatoes En Papillote only substituting tilapia for the salmon. It was fabulous. Cooked up so easy and quick - just 12 minutes in the oven. I used parchment paper instead of foil.

I also made a potato gratin from my new book Cooking Light Vegetarian and a squash casserole that I tossed together with cheese, egg, onion and breadcrumbs.

The husband was in heaven. I strongly recommend cooking the fish this way. Dorie never fails.

Again, sorry there are no photos today.

TWD - Cream Scones

2011-07-11T22:00:00.002-05:00

I've never had a lot of luck with scones. That is, they have always seemed rather bland to me. This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Lynn of Cafe Lynnlu

We did not have much in the way of breakfast foods this weekend, so I decided Saturday morning to go ahead and make the scones. I had all the ingredients except for raisens so I substituted dried cherries.

These were fast to prepare - you don't want to over handle the dough - and they cooked quicker than Dorie's instructions. My only disappointment was that I hurriedly cut them and they were not all the same size. Does not affect the taste however. Chandler was busy on a carpentry project and he was delighted to enjoy a little mid-morning snack of scones. These were a big hit and I will definitely make them again and again.

Daily Devotional - Angels Among Us?

2011-07-11T07:41:00.001-05:00

I have always had a fascination with angels. I love reading about them, looking at photos of them, admiring statues of them. Have you ever studied about angels? I thought I would take a minute this morning in my "quiet" time and just read what the Bible has to say about angels. I know that angels are mentioned in the Bible from the beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelation) so they must be important.

The word “angel” is from the Greek word aggelos. Aggelos means “messenger.” In Hebrew the word mal'ak means angel.

Angels are not glorified human beings. They are spirits. I think of angels as beings that communicate with God and then somehow pass that information on to us. In Matthew 22:30 we read that angels do not marry or reproduce. Also, there is no mention that I can find of an angel being a chubby little baby. They are all adults. I also think when they took human form in the Bible, they were mostly males. The angel Gabriel, for example, came to Mary to tell her she was going to have a baby and name him Jesus.

Angels are mentioned at least 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament. I'm not sure if angels carry out the same tasks or if each angel has their own specific talents. From what I read, angels were most likely created in the beginning when God created the earth.

Hebrews 13:2 says "be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for in doing so some have unwittingly entertained angels." I always think of that passage when I pass a homeless person on the street or notice a stranger lurking off to the side seeming to stare or appear to be keeping watch over something. Do they watch over us? Do they protect us? I hope so!

I've had some personal angels in my life. You might call them friends, but to me they have been angels. They are people God has placed in my lives at certain times to give me encouragement, comfort, and just walk beside me when I needed a friend. God can always send someone to "make us feel better" when our lives seem to be going in the wrong direction.

Have you had an experience with an angel? If so, please share with me!

Angels make me happy and bring peace to my life. I hope you all have an angel in your lives this week!!

Ina's Garden - Zucchini Graten

2011-07-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

This week in our Ina's Garden group, the theme was Vegetable Delight and I am the host for our group. I chose Ina's Zucchini Graten. I am not in love with zucchini, but I do like squash casseroles so I was hoping Ina's zucchini would spur me on for this abundant summer vegetable. It was very good and the topping was so crunchy and delicious. I'm not "in love" yet, but it was a very good dish if you like zucchini. I used Vidalia onions in it - they are the best - so sweet and delicious. This was easy to prepare. Chandler loved it. I served it with a pork tenderloin and a tortellini salad. I would highly recommend you try this for a wonderful side dish.

If you have made any Ina Garten squash dish, please leave your linky below. Just be sure as a courtesy to mention our group in your post. Thank you. Check out our webpage for upcoming themes and recipes. http://gartenofina.blogspot.com/

Our theme for July 21 is Sweet Baked Love chosen by Mia. Jump on board and make something sweet from Ina's collection and leave your linky on the 21st!! We would love to see what you come up with.

You can find the recipe for the zucchini graten here.

Bal's No Butter Chicken and Corn with Aromatic Seasonings

2011-07-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

Last night some of my twitter friends and I made an Indian dinner together. It was my first time to "cook together" with someone while tweeting about it. I added a little drama to the session when my first attempt at chopping onion caused me to drop my knife. On its way to the floor, it made a slight detour and swiped my leg which took me to the ER for a few stitches. Ouch. My kitchen looked like a murder had occurred! When I returned, I cleaned up everything and still managed to cook along with Kayte and Margaret. I think Leslie cooked later. Abby and Katie used tofu in theirs. The meal was delicious.
We made Bal's No Butter Chicken and Madhur Jaffrey’s Corn With Aromatic Seasonings as a side. The sweet cream of the corn was a nice coolness against the spicey hot chicken. Although this recipe is not too hot. It is just right. I am definitely going to make this again soon. It was quick and easy to prepare. A perfect meal to end a wild and crazy day.

TWD - Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Muffins

2011-07-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

The host this week was Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles. Check out her link and you will find the recipe there for these delicious muffins!!

When I was hosting a couple of months ago, I kept going back and back to this recipe because it just sounded so delicious. I'm glad Bridget chose it. They are fabulous! Of course, I'm on a new heart healthy diet that strictly forbids me to have any caffeine, but I had to take just a bite of these fresh out of the oven. One bite won't hurt a fly, right?

These are rich in chocolate with nuggets of bittersweet hidden inside. Delicious.

Seven Devotionals - Day Seven - Miracles

2011-07-04T09:16:00.001-05:00

Today is the end of my seven days of devotionals. These are just my thoughts and in no way reflect a professional opinion in any way. Thank you all for reading along and for your emails and comments. You have all inspired me!

Are you looking for a miracle in your life?  Most people are at some time or another. I'm going to give you my thoughts on miracles and please feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts.

When I think of miracles, I think of something happening that is against the laws of nature. If someone cut my ear off, for example, and then just stuck it back on without medical help, that would constitute a miracle in my mind. Or if a car were coming straight at me on the highway and then suddenly before impact it flew in the air above me. Many people refer to childbirth as a miracle. While I think it is a glorious and wonderful event, I see it more as a natural occurrence rather than a miracle. It is certainly a gift from God, however, and its glory should not be overlooked.

The dictionary defines miracle as "an event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God."

Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. We can read about that in John 2:1-11. This was perhaps the beginning of his teaching for the disciples. The host of the wedding ran out of wine so Jesus' mother asked Jesus to help him out. So he took some big urns of water and turned them into really good wine.  I believe I read somewhere that it was about a hundred gallons of wine so that was a lot.

I think Jesus performed miracles during his walk on earth so that people would believe in Him. Now that we have the Bible, we no longer need miracles to believe and have faith in our saviour. We can simply read about the miracles and faith allows us to believe them. As far as I can tell, all miracles that Jesus performed were immediate except for the one where the blind man had to go wash in the pool of Siloam and then he was healed and could see. Weren't most of Jesus' miracles a healing of some sort?

Jesus also gave the power of healing to his disciples. We see that in Matthew 10:1 which says, And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

In Matthew 15:29 we read about Jesus feeding a multitude of 5,000 with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

One of the greatest examples of miracles in the Bible to me, was when Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. This miracle is only noted in one of the four gospels. I believe it must have been omitted for a reason in the other three, but I will have to study that some more to get answers. John 11:1-43 is where we read the wonderful story.

“…he [Jesus] cried with a loud voice,

Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth…
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary,
and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees,
and told them what things Jesus had done”(11:43-46)

I can only imagine what this miracle was like for those who witnessed it. Their were plenty of witnesses - the Jews that showed up to mourn the death of Lazarus saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and some of them went and reported this miracle to the Pharisees. After hearing about this, the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead more than ever. I can only imagine the pain Jesus must have felt to have to bring his friend back from Paradise to live on earth again.

I do believe in miracles. I'm just not sure they happen today in our everyday lives if I follow my definition of miracle. However, I do believe in the power of prayer. God can heal, God can provide for us, God can change an event in our lives. All we have to do is pray believing on Him, trusting in Him, and have faith.

I have learned a lot this week with these devotionals and I hope my sharing has helped in your life in some small way. I know it has helped mine. Please feel free to email me any time and we can learn together. As always, I wish you peace, joy and love in your lives. Since today is July 4th, I would like to close with a prayer from an unknown soldier and then follow that with a prayer for you and me.

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey...
I asked for health, that I might do great things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things...
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise...
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God...
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things...
I got nothing I asked for - but everthing I had hoped for;
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!
Attributed to an unknown Confederate soldier

Dear Lord,
I pray today for myself and my friends that we may love you in all things and above all things. We pray for strength when we are weak, health when we are sick, comfort when we are struggling. Thank you for all your blessings and help us to grow together in wisdom. Help us to remember that all good things come from you. For those who are hurting today, please envelop them with your arms of love and take their pain away.  We ask these things because of your promises to us that you would never leave us and that you would provide for us in our times of need. Please place your love in our lives and your peace in our hearts. Amen.

Seven Devotionals - Day Six - Why Worry?

2011-07-02T07:00:00.007-05:00

Worry - we all do it, just some more than others. And yet, worry does not accomplish anything. It is a complete waste of time. It never helps any situation. The more you worry, the more your brain is clouded so that you are not free to make positive decisions.

In the Bible we read that there is no need for worry - God will take care of you and all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33 says "So do not worry, saying what shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Jesus said in Luke "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest."

You can avoid worry even in your darkest hour by trusting in God.

Wikipedia says "Most people experience short-lived periods of worry in their lives without incident; indeed, a moderate amount of worrying may even have positive effects, if it prompts people to take precautions (e.g., fastening their seat belt or buying fire insurance) or avoid risky behaviours (e.g., angering dangerous animals, or binge drinking)."

But needless worry will get you down and even cause health problems. So how do you stop worrying?
1. Jot down on a piece of paper your worry and then tell yourself you will come back to it at a later date. In other words, learn to postpone your worry!
2. Another thing you can do is any time a negative thought pops into your brain, replace it with a positive one.
3. Get busy. Make good use of your time so that you do not have time to worry!
4. Take care of yourself - eat right and get plenty of sleep.
5. Relax with good music.
6. Attack the problem and make a final decision and move on from it.
7. Write down everything in a journal and then close the book and walk away.
8. Take a walk or read a book and in doing so you will distract yourself from worry.
9. Get support from friends and family.
10. Count your blessings.

I'm not a professional and I worry right along with you. But maybe we can take it one day at a time and reinforce our positive energy together!

I always say, "Tomorrow is a new day!"
My challenge for you today is take just one thing you are worrying about and toss it in the garbage and move on from it. Have a peaceful day.

Seven Days of Devotionals - Day Five - PRAYER

2011-07-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

How many of us pray on a daily basis? Prayer develops our relationship with God. If we never spoke to our friends, family, or spouse, those relationships would quickly fall apart. In the same way, lack of prayer causes your relationship with God to suffer, so it is important to keep those lines of communication open.

There are different types of prayers. There are individual prayers, community prayers, prayers for forgiveness, prayers for healing, prayers for help and guidance, prayers for financial aid, prayers for thanksgiving, etc. One can pray with words or sometimes I personally like to pray with song. When I take time to play the piano and I sing hymns to God, that is my private time with Him. As believers, we can pray from our hearts and use our own words to convey our feelings. Your prayer does not have to be eloquent or wordy, just from your heart. You can kneel to pray, stand, go in a closet, fold your hands, whisper, or speak out loud. God hears all.

Do you sometimes feel as though God is not hearing or answering your prayers? I think we all feel that way at some time in our lives.  I often question myself and wonder if maybe I am not praying in the right way or maybe my prayer will be answered at a later date when it would be the most beneficial to me.  Prayer should not be a grocery list of things that we desire. It should be a quiet time to talk to God about your worries, your needs, asking help for others in need, asking for His healing power. Just a sweet time of connection.

Joel Osteen said the other day that our prayers should start with reminding God of His promises to us rather than just asking for thing after thing after thing. If you are a parent and your child begs you for this or that, sometimes we turn a deaf ear. But if that child comes to us and reminds us that we promised him or her a particular thing, our ears perk up and we listen because we do not want to disappoint by breaking a promise. God is the same way.   He does not break his promises to us.

God instructed us to pray in Matthew 26:41: "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

The first mention of prayer is found in Genesis.

Genesis 4:26 - "And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD."
Despite our heartfelt prayers, things do not always go the way we want. You may lose a loved one or your job. The relationship you are in may fizzle out.  You pray and yet the outcome seems to be the opposite of what you asked for.  I do not profess to have all the answers, but I know God has made mighty promises to us if we only pray. He wants to hear about our heartaches and He works in your life for your good if you love Him.
I love this verse and it brings hope to me.

1 John 5:14-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."I leave you with this prayer:
Dear Lord, bless those that are reading this today. Place your love in their lives and your peace in their hearts. Amen.

Seven Devotionals - Day 4 - FAITH

2011-06-30T08:29:00.002-05:00

Today faith is on my mind. Are you firm in your faith, or struggling? Faith plays a very important role in our religious beliefs. It is the belief that things will turn out well and that we can enjoy our "now" because we know we have a future.

The dictionary tells us that "faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing or belief that is not based on proof." In the Bible we read,

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

God's word (the Bible) can give us knowledge to live a good life. But along with that knowledge, we need faith to enjoy God's promise of eternal life.

Atheists and agnostics refer to faith as superstition and put it in a category with other material concepts. I believe we can have faith in God the same way we have faith that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake or George Washington cut down a cherry tree. While we cannot see God, we have the Bible to guide us, which is a written history of the beginning of the earth, and we have the beauty of His creations all around us. As Christians, we enjoy faith in healing, in prayer, in others, and hope for our future. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 we read We live by faith, not by sight.

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

Mark 9:23
"Everything is possible for him who believes."

Our faith is our earthly connection to God. If we have faith, He will use his maximum power to handle any situation that comes our way. Our faith will get us through every storm that arises in our lives.
Peace, love and joy to you this week. Thanks again for reading along with me. I welcome your comments!

Seven Daily Devotionals - Day 3 - Hope

2011-06-29T07:55:00.001-05:00

Hope. What is it? Hope is the feeling that what is desired can be obtained or that future events will turn out for the best. We all need hope and yet it seems to be a vague concept for many people. Hope deals with the things we cannot see and also with the things we have not received. Without hope, how can we move forward? When the world says give up, hope whispers within our hearts to keep trying.

Hope is never passive in the Bible. It is life sustaining. We do not have to look hard to find verses in the Bible showing us positive results in the lives of those who believe and live accordingly. It is not an escape from reality or problems. Our hope, if based on God's promises, will strengthen us and lift us up!

In the following verses, we find that hope has rewards and blessings. It gives us courage, joy, protection, peace, strength, comfort, and confidence.

Psalms 33:22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, oh Lord, even as we put our hope in you."

Psalm 31:24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.
1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Hope is reassurance of our expectations. It is with certainty that we can rely on God's promises that what He promised us is true.

Christopher Reeve (Superman) once said, "Once you choose hope, anything is possible."

And my personal favorite quote on hope is from Emily Dickinson. Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.

Has hope helped you through a tough situation? Has it changed who you are and what you are doing with your life? My challenge to you this week is to examine your life, release your worries, and give hope a chance to bring you peace! Thank you for reading and studying along with me this week. I appreciate your comments as they help me in my daily walk!

Seven Daily Devotionals - Day 2 - What About Love?

2011-06-28T07:43:00.002-05:00

This is day two of sharing my daily devotional with you, the readers.   I will have seven days of these and then return to my food posts. Please leave comments if you agree or disagree. We can learn together.

Let's start by defining love. Most of us think of love in romantic terms or having to do with family members.  Love is an "intense feeling of deep affection." Love is "an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment."

The Greek uses four words to describe love.

1.Eros, meaning sexual or romantic love.
2.Phileo, a brotherly love.
3.Agape, the deepest love.
4.Storgay, which is the love of one's relatives.
When most people today speak of love, they generally are referring to the love of a mate, parent or child.

Most Christians believe God is the source and essence of love. In 1 John 4:8 we read

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Jesus called these two the greatest commandments:  "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength," and "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4–7

I only have to read this verse to know God's love for me and for you was unconditional "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16).

Nothing we can say or do will ever change God's love for us. He made us, He loves us, He provides for us, He blesses us, He watches over us and His love never fails us. It gives us peace in our hearts to know that when the entire world may be against us, God is still in our corner loving us. When we mess up, and we do, God is still there loving us. He has promised to never leave us. He refers to us as His children. Being a mother, I know how deeply I love my children and His love is infinitely greater than that.

I wish you love today in your life. Romantic love, love from your friends and family, and most of all that you allow yourself to feel God's agape love - the deepest love of all. My challenge to you today is for you to show the important people in your life that you love them. Trust me, they never tire of hearing those three words, "I love you."

Seven Days of Devotionals - Forgiveness

2011-06-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

My blog has been used for the primary purpose of sharing recipes with my friends. This week, however, I would like to share my thoughts and have a daily devotional with all of you who read on a regular basis. I am not a professional in these matters.  My only intent is just to blog about matters of the heart and share my own personal feelings.

Yesterday I spent five hours in the emergency room. I'm okay and hopefully my doctor will get my medicines straightened out soon. If you have ever been to an emergency room, I know you will agree with me that being there gives you plenty of time to think while you are waiting. . and waiting. . and waiting.

One subject that came to my mind yesterday was "forgiveness." Have you ever needed forgiveness and it did not come, or knew you needed to forgive someone but you did not want to?   If you are human and you are reading this post, at some point in your life you have been hurt. Sometimes deeply. Your hurt might have come from a friend, a co-worker, or a family member. Please know that my heart goes out to you because I understand that hurt and grieve with you.

Forgiveness is a decision. First, let's look at what forgiveness really means. To forgive means we release our resentment, release our need for bitterness, and release our need for revenge. Yes, as humans, sometimes we think of ways to get back, to get even. We think we want our offender to suffer. And anger can make us feel powerful. But that feeling is short lived and in most cases, our unforgiving hearts hurt us more than it hurts our offender.

Sometimes, the first thing we want to do is call a friend - someone we can trust to take our side in the matter, and help justify us to keep open that wound of unforgiveness. Really, wouldn't a better friend be one who would help us rethink the situation, turn our thoughts into positive actions, and remind us to forgive even when we do not feel like it. I'm thankful that I have a few friends that fit that category.

Sometimes we need to forgive and move on. Other times, we need to forgive and reconcile with that person. While one can forgive on their own, reconcilation involves both parties being willing to forgive and make changes in their behaviour. Both parties have to reach out and work together to restore the relationship. How do we do that? First, we need true forgiveness. Next we have to let go of our superior attitude remembering that all have sinned, yes that includes ourselves. We do not have to pretend the hurt was not there, we just have to let go of it. We may have to even acknowledge that we have caused pain. We have to accept responsbility for our own past actions and be willing to change, grow and improve our future actions.

An unforgiving heart focuses on the past hurt and does not care to move past the anger and bitterness.  A forgiving heart does not keep a record of wrongdoings and seeks to mend the relationship.

We can certainly take a lesson from Jesus, who was constantly offended and suffered more hurt than we can know. He always forgave and he wants us to. In Colossians 3:13, we read "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Thank you for reading. Again, these are only my thoughts for the day and in no way am I judging anyone. I hope you will pray for me in my daily walk, as I will pray for you. I would like to leave you with this thought - forgiveness will free you and reflect a Godly heart. Isn't that what we are all seeking?   My challenge to you this week is to find forgiveness for someone in your life and thus find peace in your own.
Wishing you joy, happiness, love, and peace this week.

CEiMB - Tuscan Chicken

2011-06-22T23:24:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogger friends, Margaret of Tea and Scones is hostess this week and she chose Ellie Krieger's Tuscan Chicken. I'm hardly ever disappointed in Ellie's recipes, plus I always know I am eating healthy when I prepare one.

This is basically a chicken dish loaded with good vegetables - zucchini, tomatoes, fennel. I love fennel - so licoricy. Is that a word?

You can google the recipe or you can find it at Margaret's webpage.
Going into the oven:

And the finished product was a delicious, healthy dinner!

We loved this! Thanks Margaret for a great pick this week.

Tuesdays with Dorie - Date Nut Loaf

2011-06-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hostess this week is Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet. You can find the recipe for this fabulous loaf cake - prepared the "correct" way at her webpage. Sandy is in a couple other groups with me and she always has delicious goodies to share on her webpage. Check it out.

Would you believe Publix did not have any dried dates? I used to remember always buying Dromedary dates that came in a box. I wanted to make this so I ended up getting dried apricots. Dorie's recipes are usually very adaptable so I figured it would work.

The recipe says your mix will look curdled at first and not to worry. I'm glad it said that because mine looked really curdled in the bowl until I added the flour.

I have to say that the smell coming from my oven was heavenly. It was a mix of almond flavoring and apricots. You have to love those smells! It seemed like it took a long time to cook, but bread loaves usually do. I couldn't wait to cut into it. Mine was a bit on the dry side, but tasty. Anyone else have that issue? Also, it appears I did not fold the apricots and nuts in appropriately as they are random throughout the cake.

Delicious. Thank you Mary!!

INA'S GARDEN - Chicken Piccata

2011-06-15T23:00:00.020-05:00

We are starting a new group and we need you to particpate!! Yes you. All of you!! If you love Ina Garten's (the Barefoot Contessa) recipes and are willing to cook along with us twice a month, please join in! All you have to do is cook the recipe and then link up below. As a courtesy, we do ask that you mention in your post where you linked up. It is as easy as that!

Once per month we cook together what that month's host has chosen and two weeks later we choose what we want to cook from a "theme." April of 21st Century Housewife chose Comforting and Delicious Chicken Recipes for the theme this week. Check out April's blog to see what wonderful chicken dish she cooked this week.

I chose the Chicken Piccata. Made for a delicious dinner for the two of us. You can fine the recipe here. It is a fairly easy recipe and oh so delicious. I'm a huge fan of Ina's. My breasts were huge. Seriously. I pounded and they did not flatten very much. So I cooked them a bit longer than the recipe required. It was lemony and delicious.

Check back in two weeks (July 7) for our next Ina recipe which was chosen by me! I chose Ina's Zucchini Graten. You can find the recipe here. Please join us in cooking and blogging about this delicious vegetable dish.

Don't forget. If you make a chicken recipe of Ina's please link up with us below! The link will remain up for several days.

CEiMB - Cinnamon Raisen Toast with Honey Walnut Spread

2011-06-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

A great blogger friend, Kayte, of Grandma's Kitchen Table, chose this week's recipe for our Ellie Krieger group. She chose Cinnamon Raisen Toast with Honey Walnut Spread. You can find the recipe on Kayte's blog or in Ellie Krieger's cookbook, So Easy. Or I am sure you can find online.

This was an easy recipe and with summer here, we all need easy. I love cinnamon bread so I was anxious to try it with the spread on it. You just heat up the walnuts to get the flavor going, mix in with yogurt and honey. I used a fresh pear to top mine. The spread will keep in your refrigerator for a few days. Delicious. Thanks Kayte for an excellent pick this week!

CEiMB - Apple-Pecan Muffins minus the pecans!

2011-06-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

My sweet blogger friend, Joanne, of Applecrumbles.com was the hostess for this week's CEiMB group. I really wanted to make these muffins with her.

The DH and I have gotten hooked on Mexican Train dominoes. We play whenever we get the chance. We do not like regular dominoes, just the train ones. Tonight, we decided I would put the muffins on and he would grill some pork chops and while they were both cooking, we could get in a game or two of dominoes. You know where this is going, right? While we were playing, it did not dawn on me until too late that he had closed the door to the patio and I could not hear my beeper go off in the kitchen. When I did realize, I rushed to the kitchen only to find twelve burned bottom muffins!! I tried to salvage what I could and we ending up eating the tops of them and they were good.

Please go to Joanne's webpage and see what glorious muffins she made. I would do a remake tomorrow night, but I will be out with some friends. So here are my burned muffins. But get the recipe from Joanne's webpage and try these. Or, you can find them in Ellie Krieger's book The Food You Crave, on page 22. They are delicious and loaded with fresh Golden Delicious apple. I did leave out the pecans. And I added a little brown sugar on the top of some of mine for a streusel effect. Unfortunately, that did not add much to the burned effect! I decided to just go ahead and let you all view the burned muffins!! Bless their hearts.

Ina Garten's Tabbouleh

2011-06-01T20:00:00.003-05:00

This week in our Barefoot Contessa group, Louanne of Louanne's Kitchen chose Tabbouleh for us to make. You can get the recipe from Louanne. We are a new group trying to work our way through some of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes. On the first Thursday of the month we cook the same recipe together. On the second Thursday of the month, we cook any recipe of our own choosing from Ina's collection, as long as it fits with the theme chosen for that day. Be sure to link up at the bottom if you have made Ina's tabbouleh.

I'm traveling this week so my post will be short. The tabbouleh is easy to make, just a lot of chopping. It is minty and refreshing!

Be sure to come back in two weeks when our theme will be "Comforting and Delicious Chicken." If you want to join in, make any Ina chicken dish and come link up with us!

CEiMB - Spicy Egg and Avocado Wraps

2011-06-01T19:59:00.002-05:00

This week's host is my sweet friend Marthe. Her blog is bakingbluefinger.wordpress.com

Marthe has chosen Ellie Krieger's Spicy Egg and Avocado Wraps. I made them tonight but we are planning to eat them in the morning so I cannot give a review on how delicious they are. But I trust Ellie. I have never made a recipe from her collection that I did not think was healthy and tasty. I am hoping my avocado does not turn brown in the refrigerator overnight! I left the yolks in my eggs even though the recipe only called for a few yolks.

I have a lot of trouble photographing "wraps." If anyone has a secret to help me, please free free to advise!!

Check out the other cooks at Cravingellieinmybelly.blogspot.com We are a small group that enjoys cooking together on Thursdays and posting healthy, delicious Ellie Krieger recipes. Come join us!!

INA'S GARDEN - Grown Up Macaroni and Cheese

2011-05-18T21:00:00.001-05:00

In our new Barefoot Contessa group, the choose your own recipe linky theme of "Pasta with Pizazz" was chosen this week by Chaya of Bizzy B. Bakes and Comfy Cook’s Kosher Kitchen.

We could choose any pasta recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's collection of recipes. I chose the grown up macaroni and cheese because it is comfort food to me. I might even jump out there and proclaim that it is my favorite food of all foods!

The one thing that did not delight me about the recipe was that it contained bleu cheese. Neither I nor my DH enjoy bleu cheese. I only used half what the recipe called for. I did use the gruyere (which I love) and a sharp cheddar. I put some Italian herbs in my bread crumbs instead of the fresh basil. My DH said it was the best macaroni and cheese he had ever tasted in his life. I thought it might be a bit better if my bread crumbs had been larger. I guess I got a bit carried away with the food processor. Gadgets make me happy so sometimes I tend to go too far. My photo of this mac and cheese does not do it justice. You should try it! You can find the recipe for the macaroni and cheese here.

Louanne of Louanne's Kitchen has chosen Tabbouleh for our June 2nd recipe.
Also, check out our new blogsite http://gartenofina.blogspot.com/

Leave your linky below if you have a favorite pasta dish of the Barefoot Contessa you want to share with us this week.

CEiMB - Muesli Parfaits

2011-05-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

Sarah of http://sarahskitchenadventures.blogspot.com/ Sarah's Kitchen Adventures chose the muesli parfaits for this week's group recipe. Since I am allergic to oatmeal, I substituted bran cereal. It was delicious. I enjoyed it for breakfast this morning.

As you all are in the same boat, you will understand when I say I have been trying to post this for two days! Blogger has been down for maintenance or something. Glad it is back!! Check out Sarah's blog for the recipe.

TWD - Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

2011-05-09T23:00:00.004-05:00

It is my turn to host!

Almost three years ago I had no idea what a food blog was, much less that there were ladies and gentlemen all across the world baking and writing about such things, and sharing and growing with each other over recipes. I'm not a chef or a great baker, but I do love to cook for my family so I decided to join in. Since we are just two days past Mother's Day, I want to thank my sweet mother (who passed away three years ago) for sharing her love of cooking with me.

My first Dorie recipe was a fruit galette. I remember still how delicious it was. I even remember the first comment I received on my blog. It was like an award to me! I still love reading all your comments, so thank you to those of you who regularly stop by to leave encouragement and stop for a second to say hello.

Now about Dorie. I love the way Dorie explains her recipes step by step. While some of the recipes in her book "appear" complicated, I think any novice could follow along and easily manage most of them. I have to say thank you to Dorie Greenspan for enriching my life with these wonderful recipes! My husband thanks her too. I have learned so much being in this group not only about baking, but also about online friendships.

Also, it is a great book to gift to a friend or family member. Baking From My Home to Yours - Dorie Greenspan.

Love bundt cake and love brown sugar so my pick was a no-brainer. Thank all of you in the group for baking along with me this week and I hope you enjoyed the cake. You can go to TuesdayswithDorie.wordpress.com to see what variations on this cake the other bakers used. I made this the first time several months ago and used pears, walnuts, and craisens. This time around I used toasted almonds, almond flavoring, pears and the craisens (instead of prunes).

Ready for the oven!

I think it is a very versatile cake and would accommodate ingredient change easily. It would be delicious for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Or, even a bedtime snack!

The end result is a beautiful cake with a dense yet moist texture and a wonderful aroma of brown sugar.

Next week in our group, our host is Lindsay from A Little Something… Sweet and she chose Maple Cornmeal Biscuits. I cannot wait to try those.

Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. ground hazelnuts or walnuts (or 1/4 c. more all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. (packed) light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract (only if you're using the ground nuts)
1 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 c. moist, plump prunes, snipped into 1/4-inch pieces, or 1/2 c. moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Getting Ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. If your pan is not nonstick, dust the interior of the pan with flour, then tap out the excess. (If you've got a silicone Bundt pan, there's no need to butter or flour it.) Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.

Whisk together the flour, nuts, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and the almond extract, if you're using it. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately - add the flour in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated and scrape down the bowl as needed. With a rubber spatula, stir in the pears and prunes. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. (If the cake looks as if it's browning too fast, cover the top loosely with a foil tent.) Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack.

When you are ready to serve, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.

*Dorie's Note 1: Dorie suggests, if you have the time, to wrap the cake well and leave it on the counter to ripen the flavors for a day before serving.

TWD - Basic Marbled Loaf Cake

2011-05-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

Hostess this week is Carol of The Bake More

I have to thank thank thank Carol for choosing this basic marbled loaf cake. I might have passed right by this in the book and never made it had she not chosen it this week. I have to say this was delicious!! One of the best loaf cakes I have tasted or baked. Such a simple cake, easy to make, and such flavor. And the smell. .. .just amazing.

I used Dorie's white chocolate and peppermint version and we just loved it. I'm not the best marbler but I had a great time making this and trying my best to make the marble work just right. I used Dorie's method of putting alternating rows of cake batter and then using the knife to slightly zigzag through them. I did cook mine about ten minutes less than Dorie suggested and it was perfect. Very moist.

I think I cut it a tiny bit before it was cool enough because I had trouble with crumbs while I was trying to photograph it. But what's a few crumbs on the side, right?

We loved it and I highly recommend you hop over to Carol's webpage (on the link above) and get the recipe and try it for yourself. There are so many variations you could use with this cake. I want to try butterscotch next time. Grab a fork and a glass of milk and join me while I eat another slice of this!!!!

CEiMB - Asian Noodle Bowl

2011-04-27T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hostess this week is one of my favorite blogger friends, Margaret, of Tea and Scones. When we were up for recipe choosing for this month, this was my first choice but it had already been chosen by Margaret. I was glad because I had been wanting to make it. We loved loved it, however my photos do not do it justice. Was in a hurry the day I made it, snapped a few shots, and went on my merry way. I'm sure you have all been there on occasion. This really is a great recipe and as Ellie's recipes always are, you can bet it is good for you as well.

Simply delicious. Full of vegetable surprises.

Hop over to Margaret's blog to find the recipe. Come join us at Craving Ellie! It is a small group of wonderful ladies sharing healthy recipes each week.

TWD - Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

2011-04-25T20:21:00.001-05:00

Hostess this week for our Tuesdays with Dorie group is Valerie and you can reach her blog to get the recipe by clicking on this link - http://unegaminedanslacuisine.com/ Valerie has a beautiful blog so you will definitely find it interesting.

Calling all TWD bakers for some help figuring out where I went wrong with these cookies. I made the dough. I put into a baggie and rolled out just to Dorie's instructions. I put in the refrigerator for two days. It was very easy dough to work with. I took a ruler and I cut the cookies exactly to 1 1/2 inch square. I thought they looked a little thicker than the 1/4 inch Dorie specified, so I did squish them out just a tiny bit more. I pricked each one with the fork. I cooked for five minutes less than the recipe called for. They had all spread out, run together, and they are thin. Not at all like the pretty squares in our book. And the fork pricks were no longer showing so I added a few after they were baked.

I will say, I could have eaten the entire two cookie sheets of them in one sitting. They are buttery, and sort of like a sugar cookie but not as sweet. We really loved the taste.

But I was very disappointed in their appearance. Would love constructive feedback from you all!!

Hope you had a wonderful Easter holiday. These were a great pick Valerie - thank you!

New Group - Ina's Garden - Orange Poundcake

2011-04-21T07:02:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to announce the formation of a great new cooking and baking group.

“Ina’s Garden."

If you are a huge fan of Ina, a/k/a the Barefoot Contessa, you will love this group. I love her recipes and her laid back entertaining style. So several like-minded bloggers have gotten together to form this new blog hop group. We will be cooking her recipes together as well as discussing our experiences.

This is how it will work:
On the first Thursday of every month we will all make the same recipe together. You do not have to participate every month, just join in when you can. Recipes will be announced in advance and on the day, you will be able to join with the co-hosts and link up your posts about them. All you have to do is copy your permalink (please link to your actual post, and not just to your blog homepage). Then click on where it says "add your link" in the linky below this post. You will then be able to add a link to your own post and even choose a picture for the thumbnail. By linking to any one of the host sites, your post will be visible on all six of our sites. You will have fun and make new blogging friends, and your posts will get maximum exposure too.

We do ask as a courtesy, that you link back in your post to whichever host site you have linked to. It is just good blog hop etiquette!

On the third Thursday of every month, you can choose any recipe from Ina's collection from within a "theme" chosen by one of the co-hosts. The theme will be announced in advance so join in whenever you like. There is no obligation to participate every time. Once again, you will then be able to join with the co-hosts and link up your post about whatever recipe you have chosen in the same way, and your post will be visible on all six of our sites, whichever host site you link to.

My fellow co-hosts for this group are Chaya of Bizzy B Bakes and Comfy Cook, April of The 21s Century Housewife and The 21st Century Housewife’s Kitchen, Louanne of Louanne’s Kitchen, Mia of Bright Morning Star, and Yummy Chunklet.

Our first official recipe will be hosted on May 5th by Yummy Chunklet. She is starting the group with Ina's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars! The link will be open for several days.
The theme for our May 19th meeting is Pasta with Pizazz. Find your favorite pasta recipe from Ina's collection and come join in.

To kick things off today, all six of us have made Ina’s Orange Pound Cake. The recipe can be found at Bizzy B Bakes site. We hope you will make the pound cake and come link up with us!

The recipe makes two loaves so I halved it since there are only two of us here to eat it. I made this recipe twice. The first time I used a pan that had never failed me, but the cake stuck and fell completely apart when I tried to take it out of the pan. It just would not release. So we had a bowl full of pieces of poundcake. They were good to eat however!! The next time the cake came right out of the pan. Also, when I sent Chandler to the store to get my supplies, he was supposed to get navel oranges and he came back with tangelos. When I asked how he could confuse oranges with tangelos, he replied "well they looked orange to me." So I used those and they gave this a nice tangelo flavor.

The recipe for the Orange Poundcake can be found on Mia's blog brightmorningstarsfoodie.

We hope you will join us on May 5th for the delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.

CEiMB - Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon Chicken

2011-04-20T17:58:00.000-05:00

Posting a bit early on this one.

Hostess this week: Leslie of Lethally Delicious This salad did not appeal to me at all, but Leslie is one of my favorite blogger friends and I wanted to cook with her this week. Hop over to her blog on the link above and get the recipe there for this salad.

First of all, what ARE wheat berries? I have never heard of or eaten any that I know of. I looked for them at Publix, but did not find anything called wheat berries. I thought a good substitution might be Bulgar Cracked Wheat. I mean if I don't know what a wheat berry is, I could pretty much substitute anything I wanted to and call it a good substitution, right? Actually, the photo of the wheat berry reminds me of Sugar Smacks cereal but I sort of figured that would not work. This was a very easy to prepare and light dinner for us. Funny, we liked it except for the Bulgar Wheat substitution. I guess that will teach me! Maybe it will be better tomorrow after it has chilled? The chicken was delicious.

The wheat did not take long to cook - only 15 minutes. I left the scallions out since Chandler is not a fan. I added some onion flakes instead.

CEiMB - Tuna Noodle Casserole

2011-04-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

It is my week to host! Yea! It was really hard for me to choose a recipe this time. We enjoyed all of Ellie's recipes. I went with the Tuna Noodle Casserole because Chandler loves tuna and it looked like it would be a nice healthy meal for us. Visit the Craving Ellie webpage and check out what the other members did with this recipe and what other delicious foods we will be cooking in the coming weeks.

It was filled with a lot of good stuff. First you sautee onions, celery and mushrooms. Adding chicken broth and milk makes a nice creamy sauce. It also has broccoli and peas in it.

Although it called for whole wheat fettucine, Publix did not have any. They had whole wheat every other type of pasta, but not fettucine. So I just went with regular fettucine.
I added almonds on top instead of the grated parmesan, just because I like almonds better. Gave it a nice crunch. I also cheated and did not make my own bread crumbs. I'm sure it would have been better had I done that, but in the interest of time, I purchased some.

It made a huge 9x13 casserole and we have already eaten it for three meals with a lot left over. Next time, I will halve the recipe. Thank all of you who cooked this with me this week - you are all special to me - and I hope you and your family enjoyed it as much as we did.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

•5 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts included
•1 tablespoon canola oil
•1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
•1 large stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
•1 (10-ounce) box white mushroom, stemmed and chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
•1/4 cup all-purpose flour
•3 cups 1 percent milk
•1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
•3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•1/2 pound whole-wheat fettuccine noodles, broken into thirds and cooked according to package directions
•1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
•1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, thawed
•4 (6-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water, drained

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place bread in food processor and pulse for 30 seconds into bread crumbs (makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups crumbs).
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are soft and translucent, 8 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 6 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their water, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour all at once and stir immediately and vigorously with a wooden spoon until flour is completely incorporated into vegetable mixture until there are no flour lumps. Add milk and broth, stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a vigorous simmer and cook, stirring, until liquid has thickened and reduced by about 1/2 cup, 7 to 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine. Combine cooked pasta, vegetable-liquid mixture, broccoli, peas and tuna and toss to incorporate. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch casserole. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown and toasted.
Per Serving:
Calories 500; Total Fat 7 g; (Sat Fat 1.5 g, Mono Fat 2 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 49 g; Carb 56 g; Fiber 11 g; Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 990 mg

TWD - Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

2011-04-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hostess this week for our TWD group is Sarah of Teapots and Cakestands. Sarah chose the Strawberry Rhubard Double Crisp. It is a double crisp because it has sort of a crust.

I had issues with this recipe so I almost didn't make it, but Chandler loves rhubarb so I wanted to try it. First, I am allergic to oats so the crisp part was going to be a challenge for me. Second, it is not rhubarb season. I did manage to find some frozen rhubarb at Publix and it worked really well.

I have only tasted rhubarb once in my entire life. It was when we lived in Cleveland, Ohio and we bought a pie from some Amish ladies. It was a strawberry rhubarb pie and whoever made it had flooded it with sugar. Waaay too sweet for my tastes so I never pursued anything rhubarb after that experience. This however, turned out nicely and we really liked it.

As I mixed up the filling, I realized my cornstarch was ancient and I tossed it in the garbage. I decided to substitute flour (3 T. for each 1 T. of cornstarch). It worked really well to thicken up the strawberry part of the filling. Dorie said to smash up the berries, and I decided to try my new immersion blender on them so they might have gotten a little more mashed than Dorie had in mind!

Instead of oatmeal, I decided to try a jiffy yellow cake mix to use as the crust and the topping. I put a little too much for the crust which didn't leave me much for the top of the crisp - so I goofed there. But all in all, it turned out tasting delicious and that is what matters to us!!

Check out what the other bakers did at TWD. Apple tart coming next week!

CEiMB - Crispy Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce

2011-04-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

In our Craving Ellie group this week, Jennifer of The Rookie Baker chose the chicken fingers. They could not be easier to make. Go to Jennifer's blog on the link above to see how she fared with hers and to get the recipe.

I'm home with workmen this morning hanging sheetrock, and today is Chandler's birthday, so he is coming home for a lunch of good chicken fingers!! If he is a good boy, I might take him to the Cheesecake Factory tonight for dinner.

The chicken fingers were simple. Really just marinate in buttermilk, then coat with a cereal coating. I used Multi-Bran Chex because that is what I had on hand. I did add some red pepper flakes to the mix to give them a bit of a kick. I took my friend Kayte's advice and cooked them on a rack in the oven with a cookie sheet underneath. They came out very crispy all over. Great idea Kayte. Thanks!

The honey mustard sauce is my favorite. These were very good and a great pick! Stop by next week as I am hosting and we will be cooking up some Tuna Noodle Casserole!

TWD - Coffee Ice Cream Tart - NOT!!!

2011-04-04T17:23:00.000-05:00

First, my deepest apologies to Jessica of Domestic Deep Thought of the Day who chose Coffee Ice Cream Tart this week in our TWD group. I can only say ice cream does not like ME. I am sure this tart is fabulous as are all of Dorie's creations. I decided in order to keep baking along with the group, I would do a rewind of a cake that was chosen before I got into the group. Big Bill's Carrot Cake. Be SURE to hop over to Jessica's blog and check out the coffee ice cream tart by clicking the link above.

This week my sweet husband celebrates his birthday (number 41 again and again and again - he is stuck on that number for some reason) and since he loves carrot cake it was the perfect choice. I did make it in a 9x13 pan instead of the traditional layers.

The recipe was really straight forward - nothing hard about it at all. And let me tell you this is one fabulous carrot cake!! Look at all those good for you carrots in it!

The frosting is fabulous. Cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, butter and a touch of lemon juice. I think the lemon is what makes it so good.
Then I toasted some coconut to put on top. Here is the finished product! Delicious.

Chocolate with Francois - Chocolate Pudding Cake

2011-03-30T21:00:00.006-05:00

It is such an honor to be the "host" of a food group. You bake together with your friends and then one day you get to choose the recipe that your group bakes together. This month I got to choose and I chose Charlie's Chocolate Pudding Cake from Francois Payard's Chocolate Epiphany cookbook. In our Chocolate with Francois group, we choose a recipe per month to prepare together and we post on the last day of the month.

In Francois' recipe, he uses certain percentages of chocolate with each recipe. Here is a guide for this:
30-40% = milk
50% = semisweet
60% = bittersweet
72% = extra bittersweet
99-100% = unsweetened
I had to figure this out because this recipe called for 50% chocolate and I had no idea what Francois was talking about! I learn something every time I cook with one of my groups. This cake is full of delicious, rich, yummy chocolate. And who doesn't like chocolate, right?

We have a small group but the recipes are really interesting and challenging. This one, however, was easy to put together. I made a few mistakes along the way, but I got rave reviews on the end result. This cake is uber chocolate so if you are not a chocolate fan you should not even consider making it. If you are, you'll be in heaven with each delicious bite.

First, I got some ingredients together.

Then mixing of the batter:

It was a nice thick beautiful batter.

You bake the cake in a water bath. After cooking, you put in the freezer for a little while. For me, it was a week before I could get back to it to glaze it. The instructions said to run hot water over the bottom of the pan so that it releases the cake. I had to run a knife around the edges several times and let it sit in the warm water for a while before I finally managed to get the cake to come out of the pan. So as you see, there are some rough edges where I was prying with my knife! It finally let loose and came out.

After making your glaze, you pour over the top of the cake making sure some drizzles down the sides. Francois says after the cake sits a while and the glaze hardens a bit, to tap the back of a spoon on top and make the glaze crack. Well, my glaze never got hard enough to crack. But it was delicious anyway!

This is my finished product. I accidentally deleted from my camera the best photo I had of the cake, so this one will have to do. Chandler and I indulged in a piece, but you cannot eat a large piece of this cake at one sitting. It is extremely rich. I took some friends at work a slice and it was a huge hit with them. All in all, I definitely would make this cake again for a special occasion and for chocolate-holic friends. Thank you Francois. Check out our group and see if the other bakers liked it. Thank all of you who made this fabulous cake with me this month!!!
Here is the recipe:

For the cake:

Vegetable cooking spray, for the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces 50% chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

For the glaze:
7 ounces 50% chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Procedures
For the cake:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Dust it with flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.
Bring the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and eggs together until just combined. Stir in the chocolate mixture, then the cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 18 minutes, then put a piece of aluminum foil and a baking sheet over the top of the cake, to keep it from rising too much and to keep it moist. Lower the oven temperature to 360ºF and bake for another 20 minutes. The cake will be just set around the edges, and very loose in the middle, like a pudding. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool to room temperature while still in the pan. Place it in the freezer for at least 45 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
For the glaze:
Combine the chocolate and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour it over the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth. Let the glaze stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter.
To finish the cake:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place a wire cooling rack on top of the paper. Remove the cake from the freezer, and dip the bottom of the pan in hot water to unmold it. You want the pan to be just warm enough for the cake to come out smoothly, but not melt. Flip the pan out onto the rack and tap the pan until the cake pops out.
Pour the glaze over the cake, using a spatula to even out the top and help the glaze run down the sides of the cake. Carefully, with a serving spatula, lift the cake from the rack and place it on a serving platter. Allow the cake to come to room temperature for 30 minutes, which will give the glaze time to set up. Using the back of a spoon, lightly tap the top of the cake in a large "figure eight" swirl, going from one end of the cake to the other. Serve at room temperature.

CEiMB - Creamed Spinach

2011-03-30T19:27:00.001-05:00

This week Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen chose Creamed Spinach. I love raw spinach. Cooked spinach is not so great for me. So I was not really excited about this recipe, but I tried it anyway.

The Gods however, were not with me on this one. First of all, I did not have any chicken broth so I used buillon cube (fake broth). It made the spinach pretty salty.
Second, I wasn't sure reading the recipe how thick the cream sauce was supposed to be.

And third, and the worst of all, AFTER I mixed in the evaporated milk, I noticed it was a little off color. So I looked at the can and it expired in 2009! It was too late. It was already mixed in the spinach. My husband assured me it would be fine. I quickly googled (my favorite past-time) and there were many comments on there that said expired milk would be fine to use as long as the can was not puffed up. However, there was this ONE comment that said there was a reason they have expiration dates on the cans - because after that date it is unsafe to use and it would poison you. We ate it. Here's hoping.

I think I'm just a raw spinach type of girl.

TWD - Honey Nut Brownies

2011-03-21T21:00:00.002-05:00

Suzy of Suzy's Homemaker chose this week's Honey Nut Brownies. If you know me, you know I never turn down a brownie! Unless they have mint in the middle of them - ok I'm not a big fan of those. But I love peanut butter brownies, butterscotch brownies, blondies, deep chocolate brownies, any of them! So I was excited to make these.

After I got everything mixing up, I realized my honey jar was not going to give me a full cup of honey as the recipe required. Rather than take off to the store, I decided to substitute Karo syrup to finish out my cupful. I also used semi-sweet chocolate instead of the bittersweet. I added pecans.

I usually have trouble with my brownies rising as tall as I would like. But these babies exceeded any expectations on rising!

Chandler says they taste more like chocolate cake than a dense brownie. We really liked them! They were very moist. My only negative is that I would have liked for them to have been a bit more chocolatey. Maybe frosting them would have added that. If you like cake-like brownies, you will love these. You can get the recipe at Suzy's blogspot.

CEiMB - Savory Chinese Chicken Salad

2011-03-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Danica's Daily is the hostess this week for our CEiMB group. You can go to her blog and check out her version of this Chinese Chicken Salad. Get the recipe here: Ellie's Savory Chinese Chicken Salad.

Happy St. Patty's Day to you!

I was very excited about Danica's choice because I had contemplated making this salad several times but just never did. Unfortunately, my salad is lacking a key ingredient. Green cabbage. It called for both red and green. I remember choosing a head of green cabbage at the store, but somehow it got lost on the way home. I checked my trunk, everywhere and could not find my green head of cabbage. I keep thinking one day I will look in my pantry and there will be a head of green cabbage in who knows what condition.

If I made this again, I think I would just use romaine lettuce. I'm not a huge fan of the raw cabbage. We really enjoyed it for our lunch on Saturday. One ingredient in it that I love is water chestnuts. Love them!! I also chopped my carrot instead of shredding it and it would have been prettier had I shredded.

I loved the salad dressing on this. Very tangy with an Asian flair.

Thanks Danica and I hope everyone in my group enjoyed this as much as I did.
Leaving you with a little funny . . . .

TWD - Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins

2011-03-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

It's sunny here. After a long cold rainy week last week, that is very exciting to me. And today, I made Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins thanks to our host Lauren of Bella Baker who chose these. Check out her blog to get the recipe.

They were very easy to mix up. Took no time at all.

I followed Dorie's advice and mixed the zest and sugar with my fingers. It smelled so good! And I took my orange and I squeezed it to death trying to get a cup full of fresh juice from it. I'm telling you I squeezed that poor orange so dry if it had lips it would have needed some chapstick. It came to just about the required one cup when I finished.

I used craisens in these because I just really like craisens.

I was trying to do more than one thing at once (i.e. laundry, clean kitchen, cook chicken salad) and I overcooked them just a bit. Or. . . maybe 20 minutes was just too long in my oven. At any rate, they were still good muffins but just a tiny bit on the dry side. I saw right down after I made these and just enjoyed one all by myself. They were not too citrusy, just the right hint of orange flavor in them. Check out Tuesdays with Dorie to see what the other bakers did with this recipe!!

CEiMB - Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

2011-03-09T19:31:00.000-06:00

It is raining here. And I do mean Raining with a capital R. Felt like I needed a boat or paddles at least to get to work today. I love it when it rains overnight and then sunny during the day. Wouldn't that just be perfect? We have had a lot of snow, then last week it was sunny, and now cold and rain.

So. . it's raining and it is a great night for stew. My sweet friend Kayte over at Grandma's Kitchen chose this week's recipe for our Craving Ellie group. Go over to her blog to see how she cooked it up and to get the recipe. If you are interested in joining our group, click on Craving Ellie and check out the other bloggers and all the good food coming up.

As for the stew, somehow I was not excited about adding butternut squash to stew. I do trust Ellie Krieger though to produce healthy, delicious recipes. I was "tweeting" with Marthe and Kayte earlier today and they were cooking it up and it sounded so good. So I gave it a go. The verdict? We liked it, but next time I think I would leave the cinnamon out. I also wish my meat had been a little more tender. Crock pot would have worked great for this. It said to serve with couscous, but I served with rice.

Earlier in the week our TWD group made corniest corn muffins and luckily I still had two muffins leftover which went really well with the stew.

I have to give kudos this week to my husband, Chandler. Chandler loves the food I cook and he hardly ever complains. And he does a lot of the grocery shopping for me which helps tremendously. He sometimes makes mistakes - like tonight. He got my diced tomatoes, but forgot the tomato sauce. I just substituted some spaghetti sauce out of a jar for the tomato sauce. Hey, whatever works, right? He's just my best friend and in case he reads this blog this week, I want him to know how much he is appreciated.

Is anyone watching Off the Map on tv? I just love that show. Sort of like Grey's Anatomy in the jungle. Comes on Wednesday nights at 9 CST. Try it. And one of the main characters (Martin Henderson) isn't so bad either. What do you think?

TWD - Corniest Corn Muffins

2011-03-07T19:50:00.000-06:00

Hostess this week in our Tuesdays with Dorie group is Jill of My Next Life. You can go to her blog here and get the recipe for today's delicious muffins. http://jillbuker.blogspot.com/ I do not know Jill personally, but I think I might work with her niece who is a lovely young lady.

Being a southern gal, I make cornbread a lot. It has been a staple food in my life as long as I can remember. My mom made cornbread every night for our dinner or "suppah as she would say." She mixed it up with cornmeal and buttermilk and baked it in an iron skillet that had hot Crisco shortening sizzling in it. So I was very excited about these muffins. They are comfort food to me. While traditional cornbread or corn muffins do not contain corn kernals, I usually put cream style corn in my cornbread. Dorie's recipe calls for the whole kernals though and let me tell you - these are some good muffins! We loved them!! Thank you Jill for a great pick this week.

We went to a Mardi Gras party last Saturday night and had a blast. Thought I would share a photo of me with two of my good friends. They looked so cute!

MY KITCHEN MY WORLD - Going to Italy this month

2011-02-28T10:22:00.000-06:00

After visiting Italy last summer, I decided I wanted to learn to cook real Italian food. Not just spaghetti from a jar as most of us do here in the states. I have made this spaghetti sauce three times now and it never fails so I am posting it for the MKMW post this month. This recipe came from the La Cucina Italiana Magazine and is a delicious bolognese sauce. It is not a difficult recipe - just takes a long while to simmer, but believe me it is worth it in the end. I made it exactly as the recipe said, except I left off the milk at the end. I know spaghetti is not very "creative" when it comes to Italian food, but to me it is the BEST Italian food there is. I can't wait to see what the other cooks made for this month's journey to Italy. Check them out here

You can get the recipe here http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/recipe/ragu-alla-bolognese

On another note, I won the give-a-way on MKMW that Andrea posted last month. I wanted to show you all what I got. I love these! A new freezer container and a beautiful red pie plate! I cannot wait to try them out. Thank you Andrea! I never win anything so I was super excited.

CEiMB - L.O.V.E. Wrap Sandwich

2011-02-23T19:26:00.000-06:00

In this land of bloggers, you grow close to each other. You are, after all, sharing your love of cooking and your life in the writings of your blog posts. That's how friendships form - a common bond, right? I feel that way about my friend, Joanne of Applecrumbles. Joanne is the hostess this week for our Craving Ellie group. Be sure to check out Joanne's blog. She always makes everything look so delicious and her photos are outstanding. Joanne has helped me a lot with food substitute recommendations and she always has very creative ideas. I enjoy cooking with her.

I was not excited about this sandwich however. First, even though I love egg salad, I couldn't imagine egg salad with bell pepper and onion. Secondly, Chandler does not eat bell pepper and onion so I knew he would not like it. I figured I would make him a pepperless, onionless version.

I cannot believe February is almost over, can you? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating 2011 coming in, and now in another month spring will be upon us here in the south. We have had a cold, hard winter with lots of snow which is unusual for this area. Spring is my favorite time of the year so I am getting excited already! I love the flowers blooming, but most of all I love the sunshine and the warmth it brings to my body. I hate being cold!!!

Back to the sandwich - my verdict after tasting it is that - it was really good! My whole wheat wrap was a tiny bit on the dry side, but other than that, we really enjoyed these. Maybe it was because they were low fat??

I served them with an apple waldorf salad and some cinnamon mini-muffins. My photos did not show the inside of the wrap very well and I had to use a toothpick to keep it together! You couldn't ask for an easier dinner, however! I'm all about easy.

Here is the recipe if you want to try it:

Ingredients

8 hard boiled eggs

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

4 pieces whole-wheat wrap bread (9 inches in diameter)

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

12 thin slices red onion

8 leaves romaine lettuce, torn into pieces (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

Dice 4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites and put into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and stir with a fork, mashing somewhat for desired consistency. Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper. Place wrap bread on a plate and spread the egg salad in the middle. Top with the peppers, onion slices and the lettuce. Fold into a wrap sandwich.

TWD - Bourbon Bread Pudding

2011-02-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

This week Sharon of Simply Southern chose Bourbon Bread Pudding for the Tuesdays with Dorie Group.

I have been under the weather this week so this will be short and sweet. I will just say I love bread pudding. Started with the driest bread ever. I left out the bourbon in this however because I do not like the flavor. I added a few chocolate chips to the mix. Some whipped cream on top. Everyone loves this.

Cannot wait to see what the others did with this recipe. Dorie never fails.

Chocolate with Francois - Chocolate Nut Loaf

2011-01-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

In this land of blogging, it is fun to meet new online friends and share your cooking/baking experiences with them. One of my favorites is Leslie of Lethally Delicious. Leslie makes food that causes my mouth to water just looking at her photos. I always learn something when I visit her blog. And as a plus, she is a really nice person.

This month in our Chocolate with Francois group, Leslie hosted our group and chose the Chocolate Nut Loaf for us to try. We use Francois Payard's book Chocolate Epiphany. Often Francois' recipes are too difficult for me to master, but this one seemed like something I wanted to try. I cannot wait to see how the other cooks made out with this one and what variations they made to the recipe.

Here I am on Sunday afternoon just lazing around with a headache. I watched a movie that was older called Murder in the First with Kevin Bacon and Christian Slater about a guy that tried to escape Alcatraz and was placed in solitary for over three years. It was so moving and I hope Kevin Bacon got an oscar or something for his role in it. I cried several times during the movie. After the movie, I watched my DH play the WII. He cycled, he skied, he laughed, it was quite amusing! Men. . .they are just big grown up boys aren't they?

Ok so I dragged myself off the couch and went to make my cake. I got all my ingredients out, turned on the oven, lugged my mixer from the cabinet to the countertop (my oh my those Kitchen Aid mixers are heavy, or am I just a big ole wimp?), prepared my pan, and started mixing the batter. When I got ready for the nuts, I discovered I did not have any almonds except for the kind that are covered in sea salt. Hmmm. . the only thing I could do was drive to the store or use walnuts. I bet you can guess which this lazy girl chose. How are walnuts going to taste with an almond flavored chocolate loaf cake? We'll see. Let me just say this loaf had a ton of butter in it. I cannot wait to see what the texture will be like. And I thought the batter was a little runny, but all of a sudden it really thickened up.

Cooked for 50 minutes. I was afraid I had overcooked and it did not rise much.

I decided not to glaze the entire cake so you are only getting a portion of the glaze here on one corner.

The verdict is that it was delicious cake with just a touch of almond flavor which I love. It was a little on the dry side, so maybe 50 minutes in my oven was just a tad too long?? But we ate it and loved it.
Oh where has the afternoon gone. Now it is back to work tomorrow! I hear snow may be coming to my area again in the middle of this week. I'm so ready for warm weather and spring flowers!

TWD - Nutty Chocolatey Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

2011-01-25T15:52:00.000-06:00

I'm all in for any kind of bundt cake. I remember my first bundt cake that my mom made when I was a child. They are always good at any time of the day. This one has a layer of swirly goodness baked inside. I'm freezing it for later eating. We are just desserted out this week already.

Dorie's recipes are great because they are very detailed and tell you exactly step by step how to proceed.

That does not mean, however, that they always turn out for the best when I am the cook!

The host this week was Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort. Thanks for choosing this Jennifer!!

Cooking Italy - ragù alla bolognese

2011-01-23T22:00:00.000-06:00

This is my first post in the group Cooking Italy! After visiting Italy last summer, I decided I wanted to learn to cook real Italian food. Not just spaghetti from a jar as most of us do here in the states. So I have joined a lovely group of ladies who are learning to cook Italian food through the recipes of Marcella Hazan from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking), This recipe came from the La Cucina Italiana Magazine and is a delicious bolognese sauce. You can find the recipe here. It was not a difficult recipe, but it takes a while to simmer which to me, is part of the joy of cooking. I made it exactly as the recipe said, except I left off the milk at the end. We prefer ours to have that rich tomatoey sauce flavor!

So here I sit on Saturday afternoon, laptop in lap, simmering the most delicious smelling sauce ever. I can hardly wait to put it on Chandler's plate for dinner tonight. I am confident the way to my husband's heart is through his stomach, so I fully expect him to fall in love all over again with me about 5:30 tonight. I, of course, have already sampled the sauce each time I stirred and it is fabulous. Rich in taste and perfect in every way.

While it simmered, I watched Inception with Leonardo Di Capio. Boring and strange. Now I am watching a western from the late 1980's about General Custer. I love western movies on the weekend afternoons because they are the best to nap with. They are slow moving, yet informational, and usually a hint of a love story in there somewhere. I've always been sympathetic to the American Indians in how we robbed them of their land, however, the scalping and torturous ways of the natives do not bring me pleasure to watch. In this movie, General Custer is depicted as bit of a dandy, always combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and dabbing on some sort of cologne. Not at all how I have pictured Custer in my mind.

Thank you all who have visited this blog today and let me share my wonderful sauce. You must try it if you are a spaghetti fanatic as I am!! Now you will have to excuse me while I go eat this fabulous plate of pasta!

CEiMB - Vanilla Spiced Oatmeal, or Risotto as a Substitute!

2011-01-19T19:49:00.000-06:00

Hostess this week: Mary of p://www.popsiclesandsandyfeet.blogspot.com/

I'm allergic to oats. I know that sounds weird, but last year when they tested me for shellfish allergy, the biggest thing that showed up was oats. So I was told never to eat oats again.

I wanted to cook along with Mary this week and she chose an oatmeal dish, so I substituted risotto. I was thinking the ingredients sounded a lot like rice pudding, so maybe it would work.

I would not advise anyone to make this with rice. It was "okay," but not great. I am sure the oatmeal was better. Of course, I was not in a great mood tonight when I tried to eat it, so maybe that was the case too! Let's just say it was a trying day at work.

Ellie's recipes are always so good and I enjoy making them. They are healthy to boot. We have a great group cooking together each week so if you want to try Ellie's recipes with us, come on over and join in!

I'm already looking forward to next week's challenge.

CEiMB - Beef Mushroom Barley Soup or NOT?

2011-01-05T23:00:00.000-06:00

This week's hostess: Jennifer of The Rookie Baker

Let me start out by saying I'm sorry - love soups but this soup just did not appeal to me somehow. I do not love mushrooms nor do I like barley. So I prepared the Peggy version of this soup and used penne pasta in it instead of the barley and left the mushrooms completely out.

I wanted to cook along this week so I just changed the recipe to fit our needs. It was a great soup to carry to work for lunch, especially since we have had rather chilly days this week. I'm not a fan of winter, but I love soup and chili and spaghetti in the winter months!

If you want the recipe for Ellie Krieger's Beef Mushroom Barley Soup, go to Jennifer's blogsite highlighted above. I'm one hundred percent sure it was a big hit with most of the Ellie group.
Hope you all had a fabulous New Year and rang it in at midnight with appropriate cheers!

Christmas and other things

2010-12-26T09:28:00.000-06:00

I get a little lax with my blogging during the holidays. As soon as this week is over, I'll be back to cooking and blogging again. I hope you will bear with me as I take a short break, but the holidays are always a little downer for me. I believe Christmas is about family. When you have no family to share it with, it can be the saddest time of the year. Fortunately for me, I have good friends that try to fill that void for me as my children are traveling this year to visit other relatives.

Also, while I believe the reason for the season is to celebrate Jesus' birth, I wish we could all celebrate His birth every day of the year, not just on the 25th of December.

I hope all of you out there in blogland had a wonderful day yesterday filled with many blessings. And I hope the New Year brings you good health, happiness, and fortune! Thank you all for your continued support of my tiny blog. Hugs to you!

CEiMB - Beef Taco Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing

2010-12-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Hostess for the week - Peggy of Pantryrevisited.blogspot.com! That would be me of course.

It is always a treat to get to host one of the food groups. It is not an easy task. Not for me at least. I analyze it to death. How easy will it be to make on a work night? How accessible are the ingredients to the majority? How good will it taste? I figured we would all be turkeed out (is turkeed a word) after Thanksgiving and might like a welcome change of just a good, taco salad.

I got some vine ripened tomatoes at the store. However, they were not as firm as I would have liked.

They did not dice easily.

The only change I made to the recipe was I used bottled lime juice instead of fresh.

The finished product:

My rating. We thought this was good, but nothing spectacular. Easy to make, easy on the budget, and tasty. Definitely worth trying. Thank you all for cooking with me this week!! Thank you Ellie for great, healthy recipes!

Now all of you get out there and get that shopping done! I mean it. Finish up. Christmas is NEXT week!!!!! Hope you are all having a fun holiday so far.

The recipe:
For the Meat:

3/4 pound lean ground beef (90 percent lean or higher)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
1/3 cup water

For the dressing:
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
2 ounces baked corn tortilla chips (about 32 chips)

Directions
To prepare the meat, heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat up with the spoon. Add the garlic and beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cayenne and water and stir until well combined and some but not all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Meat mixture may be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To make the tomato dressing, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes (with their juices), oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Dressing may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Place 2 cups of lettuce on each plate or in a lunch container. Top each serving with 1 cup of the beef mixture then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese. If making to-go, pack 3/4 cup of the tomato mixture in a separate sealable container and put about 8 chips in a separate bag. Right before eating, pour a portion of the tomato mixture with the liquid on top of each salad, and crush tortilla chips on top.

CEiMB - Spinach Tortellini Soup

2010-12-02T03:00:00.000-06:00

Hostess for this week: Bri of Yoshimi vs. motherhood at http://yoshimivsmotherhood.blogspot.com/

Well Thanksgiving is over and what a fabulous week it was! As most of you already know, I got to multi-task and celebrate my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one week. It was almost too much fun for one body to handle. Wanted to share this photo with my beautiful flowers that a friend of mine sent me for my birthday. My son also sent me some lovely autumn flowers. I cooked a lot during those three days. I had both my handsome sons home for a day and a half. We made the most of our time together. We had a great bowl of chili while we watched the Iron Bowl, then later we had our Thanksgiving feast of turkey, dressing, green beans, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes and corn casserole, with pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. The next morning we had Ellie's Blueberry Almond French Toast and it was a big hit with everyone. My beautiful new granddaughter was here too and just a bundle of love. Also, we enjoyed meeting my younger son's new girlfriend Serena. They live in Orlando and my other son lives in Dallas. It is always great to see them when they can visit.

Now it is December and that means decorating the house for Christmas. I have the tree up so that is a big start, right?

On to the soup. That is why you are here. This was a spinach tortellini soup that contained some celery, carrots, and onions. It really was just a good vegetable soup with a tomato base. I think I went a bit overboard with the red pepper flakes though because we found it to be quite spicey. I also think it would have been good to add some chicken to it, but I made it like Ellie's recipe this time. Love tortellini. I just used regular ones, however, instead of the spinach ones. It was a quick and easy soup to make on a weeknight and tonight was about as cold a night as we have had here in Alabama so it was the perfect night to enjoy a good, hot soup! We served it with a hunk of french bread.

For the recipe, you can find it at Bri's blogsite or you can get Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook. Come join us at Craving Ellie. It is a great group of cooks.

CEiMB - Cioppino, or Fish Stew without the Fish!

2010-11-17T19:32:00.000-06:00

Hostess this week is one of my favorite bloggers, Margaret of Tea and Scones!

As you all know by now, I'm not a fish/shellfish person, but I really wanted to cook along with Margaret this week so I substituted chicken for the fish. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was delicious! So good in fact, I cannot wait to have the leftovers for tomorrow night's dinner.

Well next week is Thanksgiving and I wonder if you all are already getting overwhelmed about how you will manage getting it all together. For me, I have my family coming in from out of town and we plan to have our Christmas together at the same time. So it is a double whammy for me. I have half a tree put up in my living room, and a couple of gifts bought, but this weekend will be interesting to say the least! I'm a list maker, so I will probably have more lists made than I know what to do with. A grocery list for sure.

Thanks Margaret for a wonderful pick. I never would have tried that recipe and now I have found a new wonderful soup to make this winter. Check out Margaret's blog for the recipe for this and other great foods! And come join us over at Craving Ellie.

CEiMB - Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese

2010-11-11T07:51:00.000-06:00

HOST: Kayte of http://www.grandmaskitchentable.typepad.com/

Kayte is one of my favorite blogging friends and we are in several cooking groups together. I love going to her blog because there is always something good to whet my appetite on there! Check it out and see what her version of this week's salad is.

I do not, however, love whole wheat pasta, so the only substitution I made in this recipe was that I used tri-colored regular pasta. Plus, the different colors in it excite me. I don't know why! I paired this with a rotiserrie chicken and Chan loved the pasta! He wanted to eat the entire bowl of pasta but I made him pace himself. I had to keep reminding him that we had dessert which was coming later.

I know there are all different types of cooks out there and we all have our own way of doing things. For me, I like to get all my ingredients out on the countertop before I even begin to read how to put the recipe together. Sort of like Rachel Ray. I also love that she has a garbage bowl right beside her. I use the small side of my sink to dump my garbage in. Same principle I guess. I would love to hear what your routine is!

This is just another example of why I love being in these cooking clubs. I probably would never have even noticed this recipe had Kayte not chosen it, but now that I have actually made it, I will definitely have this on my rewind list to make again and again. Thanks Kayte!

I saw this on the internet and since it is just a little past Halloween, and since Chan wanted to eat the entire bowl of pasta, I thought I would share this story with you all. I loved it. Let me know if you have read it before.

The Legend of Strega Nona

Strega Nona is a traditional Italian fairy tale about a witch who has a magic pasta pot. The magic quality of Strega Nona's pot is that it produces pasta at her command. The young boy who serves her can't get enough and he secretly longs for Strega Nona's power over the pot. In secret, he watches Strega Nona as she casts her spell over the pot.
When Strega Nona is called away on an errand the boy gets his chance. He is finally alone with the magic pot! Before the witch leaves she warns her servant to stay away fom the pot. Of course the minute she is gone, the boy trys the spell and sure enough the pot begins producing delicious pasta.
The pot keeps producing pasta as fast as the boy eats it. Even though he has a strong appetite, eventually the boy gets full. He suddenly realizes that he doesn't know how to stop the pot. The pasta soon fills up the house and floods out the windows and doors and begins travelling toward town. The boy keeps trying to stop the spell, but the pot just keeps producing pasta. Hope is lost until at the last second, Strega Nona returns and "uncasts" the spell.

TWD - Not Just for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread

2010-11-08T18:14:00.000-06:00

Host this week: Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen

Jessica is one of my favorite bloggers. I was excited she chose this cranberry shortbread so I could try it out before the holiday arrives. And it was worth the trying out! We absolutely loved it. And it was so easy to make. The dough came together really well. Next time I might add a tad bit more sugar to the cranberry mixture however.

Mine did not rise a whole lot. I'm not sure how tall it is supposed to be. It is about the size of a one layer cake. I cannot wait to see how others turned out. I plan to make this again this weekend to take to a friend's house for dinner. They are serving chicken pot pie so I think this will be perfect with it.

Going into the oven:

Coming out of the oven:

I can't wait to eat another piece tonight!!

TWD - Peanuttiest Brownies

2010-11-01T18:57:00.000-05:00

Hostess this week: Nicole of Bakeologie

Well Halloween has come and gone. That means Thanksgiving and my birthday are right around the corner!!! And the best part of Thanksgiving this year is that I get to see my new grandbaby again. I am counting the days. Halloween brought lots of goodies at work including a pumpkin decorating contest (I lost), lots of candy, a free breakfast and dessert party, and the Saturday night a fun-filled night of dancing and wearing costumes at our dance club. Chandler and I went again as pirates wearing our costumes from last year and we were fortunate to be one of the costume winners this year! I made some brownies to take that had swirls of pumpkin in them, and I was not a fan. I'll take my brownies plain thank you. Chandler and I watched a scary movie (as is our custom). I prefer some type of ghost story like a haunting, but we chose Frozen. Kids stranded on a ski slope. It got really gruesome though and there were parts I simply could not watch. Then we watched a Lifetime Movie called Secrets in the Walls and I actually liked it better. I'll have nightmares tonight from that Frozen one!!!!

I'm just curious, have any of you ever had any "ghostly" experiences or lived in an actual house that you thought was haunted? I would LOVE to hear your stories about that!

My mom used to tell a story about when she was little and they were all sitting on the front porch and a big ball of fire fell from the sky, hit the ground, and rolled down the hill towards her grandmother's house. She said they all saw it but did not know what it was. The next morning her grandmother passed away. Weird.

I love peanut butter so I was excited about these brownies. And I love blond brownies. The only change I made to Dorie's recipe was I left out the additional chopped peanuts and I used self-rising flour. I give these a big thumbs up! As a matter of fact, I could eat the entire pan in one sitting. Wait. . I did eat them all. . .no, there are a few still left!

Go to Nicole's blog to get the recipe.

My Kitchen, My World - Traveling this month to Japan!

2010-10-31T12:41:00.000-05:00

This month with my group My Kitchen My World we traveled together to Japan. We each get to choose what recipe we will prepare from a certain country each month. Check out the blogsite to see what other "travelers" came up with. mykitchenmyworld.blogspot.com Next month we will be touring Afghanistan. That should be a challenge!

I tried to find something truly authentic. My DH and I love all sorts of asian food (except for the shellfish which I have to avoid) so I was excited to see what I could find. So I do what I always do and Google. Google is just truly amazing to me. You can find anything you want on there. I found Glo's
Sausage Fried Rice. Glo says it is an easy to prepare recipe passed down from her Japanese mother and that you won't find anything like it in the restaurants.

It was pretty easy to prepare. I have to say, however, I would have really liked it had the main ingredient been chicken instead of the sausage. I was not a fan of the sausage. The DH, however, loved it. He is so easy to please! Here is the recipe. It makes a ton of fried rice, so I suggest you halve the recipe. I halved it and it still made a big bowl. Try it!!

Glo's Sausage Fried Rice

1 pound ground pork sausage

5 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 head cabbage, cored and shredded
3 carrots, chopped
6 cups cooked white rice, cold
1/4 cup soy sauce, or to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can bean sprouts, drained
1 (6 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
ground black pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped

Directions
1.In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until evenly browned. Drain, and remove sausage from the pan. In the same pan, using the remaining coating of grease from the sausage, scramble the eggs, stirring frequently until cooked through. Set aside.
2.Heat the oil in a very large skillet or electric skillet over medium-high heat. Stir fry the cabbage and carrots just until the cabbage has wilted. Add the cold rice, and fry, stirring so that there are no clumps. Mix in the sausage and pour in some soy sauce. Stir in bean sprouts, peas, and eggs, mixing well so there are no big chunks of egg. Season with pepper, and stir in green onions just before removing from the heat. Adjust soy sauce to taste, and serve.

Pumpkin Decorating

2010-10-29T14:06:00.000-05:00

We had a pumpkin decorating contest at work. A team of four. Judged on creativity, etc. This was our entry. We thought we were very original, "current," and good presentation. We LOST.
I am disappointed for my team. It did, however, look much better in a dark room. What do you think?

TWD - Caramel Pumpkin Pie

2010-10-18T18:33:00.000-05:00

Hostess this week: Janell of http://lkmortensenfamily.blogspot.com/

I really wanted to do a great job on this pie. Well all things considered, you have to give me a break this week and not expect greatness!

I had a little surgery last Thursday. It was not "supposed" to be a big thing. This procedure was to determine 100% that I did not have cancer. It did that. YEA!! God is good. Nothing in my life comes without drama. Apparently my blood pressure did not cooperate and dropped dangerously low in the recovery room so they had to work with me for a couple of hours. Thank God I was high on morphine and demerol, and they just kept giving me more so while I was aware that things were happening around me, I really didn't care that much! Oh yes, I can laugh now.

Today I tried to work but I almost fainted shortly after getting there so I spent five and a half hours in the emergency room where they finally determined that my blood pressure was low again. After running tests, they decided I must still be reacting from the anesthesia. Seriously, how long does this stuff stay in one's body?

Now, on to the PIE. I really wanted to make this pie.

I'm not sure my caramel turned out right. Was it supposed to thicken? Mine did not. But it was a nice dark color as Dorie suggested. And it smelled really good.

Okay, I cheated and used a bought pie crust because I was not sure I could stand on my feet long enough to make it from scratch. Forgive me? Now I wish I had made small tarts instead. My pie plate was too big and there was not enough filling to fill up the crust.

After cooking 50 minutes, it was still not ready. And it never got ready. It tasted like canned pureed pumpkin that never cooked. What the hay happened? I've made pumpkin pie many times before and always perfect. This was one not. Here is my ugly picture.

Basically, nothing went my way with this pie. I think I'll stick to my regular pie recipe next time.

CEiMB - Apple Brown Betty

2010-10-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hostess of the Week: Jessica of Learning to Love Vegetables

I've never had apple brown betty. Never. I've heard of it, lusted after it, but never tasted it. Until today. While baking, it filled my home with the delicious aroma of apples and cinnamon. I figured even if it tasted bad, the smell was worth the effort of making it, right?

I've always wondered about the name. Don't you think Apple Brown Betty is strange? Why not Apple Brown Lulu for example. So I googled. This is what I found. A bit of history for you.

Betty or Brown Betty - A Betty consist of a fruit, most commonly apples, baked between layers of buttered crumbs. Betties are an English pudding dessert closely related to the French apple charlotte. Betty was a popular baked pudding made during colonial times in America.

According to The Oxford Companion To Food, by Alan Davison:
The name seems to have first appeared in print in 1864, when an article in the Yale Literary Magazine listed it (in quotation marks, implying that it was not then a fully established term) with tea, coffee, and pies as things to be given up during 'training'. That author gave brown in lower case and Betty in upper case: and, in default of evidence to the contrary, it seems best to go along with the view that Betty is here a proper name.

Simple to make. Easy to eat. Healthy and delicious thanks to Ellie Krieger's recipe. I substituted white bread for the whole wheat because that was what I had on hand and I used apple butter instead of apple cider.

You can check out Jessica's link above and find the recipe there or go to Craving Ellie's website and see what our other bakers did with their bettys.