We had this last week, on Christmas Eve eve, but with all the stuff I've had to do between now and then, I haven't had a chance to post it! I did have the leftovers over the weekend while I was at work, so it made a lot of food and the leftovers were good, too. It's from S&D Nov/Dec 2008.
Beefy Tomato Rice Skillet
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam hates them)
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup water
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked instant rice
In a lg skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, celery, onion, and pepper until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the corn, soup, water, and italian seasoning; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes or until rice is tender. 6 servings
So this was quite easy to make. It wasn't fabulous, nothing to write home about, really. It's a lot like the goulash I already make, except all the kids will eat that. Not so with this, since it has rice. Sam did eat his and say it was good, but I didn't even attempt with the other two. They just had chicken nuggets, and I'm pretty sure Nathan is about to turn into one.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Party Time Mini Cheeseburgers
Well we were not having a party, in spite of the name. We had these for lunch yesterday, served with yummy tater tots. I thought the kids would think these were cute and fun, and I still don't really have a good meatball recipe either so I thought I would try these. It's from S&D Sept/Oct 2008.
Party Time Mini Cheeseburgers
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp dill pickle relish (we didn't have this so I left it out)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
3 slices American cheese
10 dinner rolls, split
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 10 patties. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, using small cookie cutters, cut out 10 shapes from the cheese slices. Immediately place on burgers; serve on rolls. 10 servings.
So Steve ate 4 of these (they're just little). Sam wanted 2 but could only eat one (that's how Steve ended up eating 4...he started out with 3). I ate 2, Emma ate 1!! A victory. These were a bit hard to cook, they didn't really stay together that well in the pan. Also that little tiny piece of cheese wasn't enough even though the burgers were small, so each person had like 3-4 shapes on theirs, but they did have fun cutting their own shapes. But I'm not keeping this one because I wasn't crazy about the mixture, and I can make little burgers any time I want. But you might like it, I don't know.
Party Time Mini Cheeseburgers
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp dill pickle relish (we didn't have this so I left it out)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
3 slices American cheese
10 dinner rolls, split
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 10 patties. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, using small cookie cutters, cut out 10 shapes from the cheese slices. Immediately place on burgers; serve on rolls. 10 servings.
So Steve ate 4 of these (they're just little). Sam wanted 2 but could only eat one (that's how Steve ended up eating 4...he started out with 3). I ate 2, Emma ate 1!! A victory. These were a bit hard to cook, they didn't really stay together that well in the pan. Also that little tiny piece of cheese wasn't enough even though the burgers were small, so each person had like 3-4 shapes on theirs, but they did have fun cutting their own shapes. But I'm not keeping this one because I wasn't crazy about the mixture, and I can make little burgers any time I want. But you might like it, I don't know.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
So yesterday was a fairly prolific day for me, as well, recipe-wise. I made this bread and the next recipe, the mini cheeseburgers. I have been wanting to make this bread for a while, I just seemed to never have the time or opportunity. So yesterday I made it (with significant "help" from Emma and Nathan). It's from Simple & Delcious Nov/Dec 2008.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
3 tsp ground cinnamon
In a large bowl (like your Kitchen Aid mixer bowl) combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and buttermilk until combined. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Combine cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl; set aside. Spoon half of the batter into 2 greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar; repeat layers. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Bake @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 2 loaves (12 slices each).
So this was pretty good. You could tell it was a quick-bread (as opposed to yeast bread) but it was still yummy. It didn't really toast up very well though, I think it was too moist. I'm sure I will make this again, but I will double the raisins, because many pieces only had 1 or 2 raisins. Nathan didn't have it, but the other kids did and there were no complaints, although no rave reviews either, but I think that still counts as a victory.
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
3 tsp ground cinnamon
In a large bowl (like your Kitchen Aid mixer bowl) combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and buttermilk until combined. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Combine cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl; set aside. Spoon half of the batter into 2 greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar; repeat layers. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Bake @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 2 loaves (12 slices each).
So this was pretty good. You could tell it was a quick-bread (as opposed to yeast bread) but it was still yummy. It didn't really toast up very well though, I think it was too moist. I'm sure I will make this again, but I will double the raisins, because many pieces only had 1 or 2 raisins. Nathan didn't have it, but the other kids did and there were no complaints, although no rave reviews either, but I think that still counts as a victory.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Cranberry Pork Chops with Rice
I know it seems I am on a cranberry kick lately; it's not my fault. These Simple & Delicious magazines are all like seasonal and stuff and cranberries happen to be featured a lot. My sister said to tell Steve I am just concerned about his urinary tract health, hence all the cranberries. We had this for supper on Wednesday night. It's from S&D Nov/Dec 2008.
Cranberry Pork Chops with Rice
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Rice:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (almost a whole can)
2 cups instant brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
In a lg ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook pork in oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce and vinegar; pour over chops. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice and cranberries. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Serve pork chops with sauce and rice.
Okay so I just want to say that is too much vinegar. If I make this again I will omit the vinegar. The smell was so strong the whole kitchen smelled of it. When Steve got home from work, he was like "what are you making?" and usually he says "it smells good in here." The vinegar made the sauce really sour too. BUT, the pork chops were very moist so I think the coating is good and the method of cooking. So I'm keeping the recipe but not using the vinegar next time...the rice was good too (the kids didn't like it...Emma just picked out the cranberries...I'm gonna keep on them about the rice, though...).
Cranberry Pork Chops with Rice
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Rice:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (almost a whole can)
2 cups instant brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
In a lg ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook pork in oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce and vinegar; pour over chops. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice and cranberries. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Serve pork chops with sauce and rice.
Okay so I just want to say that is too much vinegar. If I make this again I will omit the vinegar. The smell was so strong the whole kitchen smelled of it. When Steve got home from work, he was like "what are you making?" and usually he says "it smells good in here." The vinegar made the sauce really sour too. BUT, the pork chops were very moist so I think the coating is good and the method of cooking. So I'm keeping the recipe but not using the vinegar next time...the rice was good too (the kids didn't like it...Emma just picked out the cranberries...I'm gonna keep on them about the rice, though...).
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Apple Cranberry Crumble
This was the dessert I made yesterday. This was very very yummy. It's from the Fruit section of the TOH cookbook (pg 360), not from the desserts, which I would expect. It seemed like a good seasonal recipe since people always use cranberries around the holidays (I mean Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm not trying to get out of saying CHRISTmas or anything).
Apple Cranberry Crumble
3 cups chopped peeled apples (I used my PC apple peeler/corer/slicer...that thing makes a mess but it does work well)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional (I left these out because the crazies I live with don't like nuts)
In a greased 8-in square baking dish, combine apples and cranberries; sprinkle with sugar. In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter; sprinkle over cranberry mixture. Top with pecans if desired. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve warm. 6 servings
So this was quite tasty but not very big. It is over half gone already, and that is just with me having one serving last night, and Steve having one last night and one in his lunch today. So if you were baking for anything besides your immediate family you would definitely have to double this one. But we're keeping this one because it was very very good.
Apple Cranberry Crumble
3 cups chopped peeled apples (I used my PC apple peeler/corer/slicer...that thing makes a mess but it does work well)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional (I left these out because the crazies I live with don't like nuts)
In a greased 8-in square baking dish, combine apples and cranberries; sprinkle with sugar. In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter; sprinkle over cranberry mixture. Top with pecans if desired. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve warm. 6 servings
So this was quite tasty but not very big. It is over half gone already, and that is just with me having one serving last night, and Steve having one last night and one in his lunch today. So if you were baking for anything besides your immediate family you would definitely have to double this one. But we're keeping this one because it was very very good.
Cheesy Noodle Casserole
This has been a very prolific few weeks for me, as far as going through recipes goes. That's good, I am making progress! Last night we had chicken with this as a side dish. It's from the Taste of Home cookbook pg 300, in the pasta & pasta sauce section. It turned out to be just a glorified mac & cheese...
Cheesy Noodle Casserole
5 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz velveeta, cubed
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp butter, melted (how do you even measure that? I just guessed)
Cook noodles according to pkg directions; drain. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic salt, onion salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese (they mean Velveeta, which my friend Nina assures me is not even real cheese), stirring until melted. Stir into noodles (which you should put back into the cooking pot after you drain them then you will have room to stir this all up...the recipe says to add the noodles to the cheese but it also tells you to use a small saucepan so you would definitely not have enough room...sheesh I thought they had a Test Kitchen where they would figure this stuff out). Transfer to a greased shallow 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
So this was more expensive (due to the velveeta) than regular mac & cheese. Of course Steve liked it, the kids weren't crazy about it and I wasn't really either. So not a keeper. It reminded me of those packs of noodles you can buy at the store as a side dish that cost like $.97, like Lipton Noodles & Sides or something, they are called. But this cost me way more than $.97 to make so I guess I'll stick with the packets. It's not like this was a healthy thing to make it worth the extra money, anyway...
Cheesy Noodle Casserole
5 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz velveeta, cubed
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp butter, melted (how do you even measure that? I just guessed)
Cook noodles according to pkg directions; drain. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic salt, onion salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese (they mean Velveeta, which my friend Nina assures me is not even real cheese), stirring until melted. Stir into noodles (which you should put back into the cooking pot after you drain them then you will have room to stir this all up...the recipe says to add the noodles to the cheese but it also tells you to use a small saucepan so you would definitely not have enough room...sheesh I thought they had a Test Kitchen where they would figure this stuff out). Transfer to a greased shallow 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
So this was more expensive (due to the velveeta) than regular mac & cheese. Of course Steve liked it, the kids weren't crazy about it and I wasn't really either. So not a keeper. It reminded me of those packs of noodles you can buy at the store as a side dish that cost like $.97, like Lipton Noodles & Sides or something, they are called. But this cost me way more than $.97 to make so I guess I'll stick with the packets. It's not like this was a healthy thing to make it worth the extra money, anyway...
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sausage & Beans with Rice
We had this for lunch yesterday and then I took the leftovers to work last night. This was so good! And pretty healthy, I think! Even though it has a couple of unhealthy things in it (you'll see) you cannot take away what is healthy about it, namely the beans and rice part. I am very pleased with this recipe, it is definitely a keeper. It is from Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2008.
Sausage & Beans with Rice
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam has been so anti-green-pepper the last few times, he doesn't even want to pick them out he just wants to not eat it at all. So I left them out. Stay tuned to see if this made a difference in him eating this nor not)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (this is kielbasa. I used light kielbasa, which I don't usually do, but I thought with so many other flavors I wouldn't really notice that it was "light" and I was right)
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup instant brown rice (Uncle Ben's has an instant brown rice which is healthier than the Minute Rice version...by the box it takes 10 minutes instead of 5, but it is more nutritious and more like real rice)
1 cup vegetable broth (they do not have this at Wal-mart, I had to get it at Hannaford)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp corn syrup (see? a little unhealthy)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I realize as I am typing this ingredient that I forgot to put it in...that stinks because I had to buy it for this recipe, and then forgot to use it...oh well)
In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Cover and bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 6 servings.
So Steve and I really liked this. The beans and rice had a kind of sweet flavor from the brown sugar & corn syrup. I am on a quest to get my children to like rice, because of anticipated future time we'll be spending in Haiti, where beans and rice are a staple. I thought this would be a yummy recipe for them...but all they did was pick out the sausage and eat that, leaving the rest. Sam tried to explain this by telling me that he was not that hungry before he even started eating, so he got full fast. He ate 3 of each bean, he told me. He is such a sweet boy that he never tells me that he doesn't like something, he just tries to explain why he won't eat it in a way that does not reflect on my cooking. He gets that from his Daddy, so considerate, I love it. Although I think it may be deceptive...just tell me if you don't like it, I understand, even I do not like everything that I cook...I guess if he read my blog he would know that. While Emma was watching me cook this, she told me she was not going to like it because she doesn't like rice or ketchup, and she didn't want her sausage touching those things, either. And while she was eating, she would put a bite of sausage on her fork and ask me if it had ketchup on it. I told her "no." But I am definitely keeping this recipe and making it again, bad reviews and all, because I really liked it. I think it will be the type of recipe that I will make for Steve and I to pack in our lunches, instead of a family meal, because it was so so yummy and also good for you.
Sausage & Beans with Rice
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam has been so anti-green-pepper the last few times, he doesn't even want to pick them out he just wants to not eat it at all. So I left them out. Stay tuned to see if this made a difference in him eating this nor not)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (this is kielbasa. I used light kielbasa, which I don't usually do, but I thought with so many other flavors I wouldn't really notice that it was "light" and I was right)
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup instant brown rice (Uncle Ben's has an instant brown rice which is healthier than the Minute Rice version...by the box it takes 10 minutes instead of 5, but it is more nutritious and more like real rice)
1 cup vegetable broth (they do not have this at Wal-mart, I had to get it at Hannaford)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp corn syrup (see? a little unhealthy)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I realize as I am typing this ingredient that I forgot to put it in...that stinks because I had to buy it for this recipe, and then forgot to use it...oh well)
In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Cover and bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 6 servings.
So Steve and I really liked this. The beans and rice had a kind of sweet flavor from the brown sugar & corn syrup. I am on a quest to get my children to like rice, because of anticipated future time we'll be spending in Haiti, where beans and rice are a staple. I thought this would be a yummy recipe for them...but all they did was pick out the sausage and eat that, leaving the rest. Sam tried to explain this by telling me that he was not that hungry before he even started eating, so he got full fast. He ate 3 of each bean, he told me. He is such a sweet boy that he never tells me that he doesn't like something, he just tries to explain why he won't eat it in a way that does not reflect on my cooking. He gets that from his Daddy, so considerate, I love it. Although I think it may be deceptive...just tell me if you don't like it, I understand, even I do not like everything that I cook...I guess if he read my blog he would know that. While Emma was watching me cook this, she told me she was not going to like it because she doesn't like rice or ketchup, and she didn't want her sausage touching those things, either. And while she was eating, she would put a bite of sausage on her fork and ask me if it had ketchup on it. I told her "no." But I am definitely keeping this recipe and making it again, bad reviews and all, because I really liked it. I think it will be the type of recipe that I will make for Steve and I to pack in our lunches, instead of a family meal, because it was so so yummy and also good for you.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
I made this on Friday when I was making a meal to bring to a family with a new baby. It was one of the recipes I had marked as wanting to try without having to buy ingredients. It was a bit of a gamble giving a new recipe to people, but I figured I couldn't mess up chicken and vegetables too bad. I saved a little for myself so I could try it and appropriately review it here for my reading public =) I thought it was pretty tasty. The original recipe was for turkey rather than chicken, but that's okay, poultry is poultry (even though Emma does not believe this). I liked that it had potatoes in it instead of noodles, so it was more like stew than soup. It's from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2008.
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I used red-skinned potatoes so left the skin on, because you can eat it and it is good for you. Fiber and stuff. But wash them first of course hee hee)
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tbsp flour
In a large saucepan saute the carrots, celery, and onion in butter until tender. Stir in chicken, water, potatoes, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in 2 cups of milk. Combine flour and remaining milk in small bowl until smooth (or do it right in your measuring cup if it's big enough). Stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. 4 servings.
So like I said, pretty good...try it if you like soup. I gave Easy Cheddar Biscuits along with the soup which I believe I posted earlier. At work last night I had it with a few tortilla chips. A weird pairing, I know, but I really wanted to work those chips into my meal somehow because I love tortilla chips. It turned out okay. This morning in church the husband told me that they liked the soup and that his wife wanted the recipe so that's two votes for the soup. Really if you count them individually it's more. So I guess it was good. And it was pretty easy even though it took a while to cut all the vegetables. So in this cold and flu season it would be a yummy easy restorative soup to make for your sick family member that would say "I love you and want you to feel better" just a little more than a can of Progresso would.
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I used red-skinned potatoes so left the skin on, because you can eat it and it is good for you. Fiber and stuff. But wash them first of course hee hee)
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
3 tbsp flour
In a large saucepan saute the carrots, celery, and onion in butter until tender. Stir in chicken, water, potatoes, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in 2 cups of milk. Combine flour and remaining milk in small bowl until smooth (or do it right in your measuring cup if it's big enough). Stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. 4 servings.
So like I said, pretty good...try it if you like soup. I gave Easy Cheddar Biscuits along with the soup which I believe I posted earlier. At work last night I had it with a few tortilla chips. A weird pairing, I know, but I really wanted to work those chips into my meal somehow because I love tortilla chips. It turned out okay. This morning in church the husband told me that they liked the soup and that his wife wanted the recipe so that's two votes for the soup. Really if you count them individually it's more. So I guess it was good. And it was pretty easy even though it took a while to cut all the vegetables. So in this cold and flu season it would be a yummy easy restorative soup to make for your sick family member that would say "I love you and want you to feel better" just a little more than a can of Progresso would.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Garlic-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
We had this for lunch today, in fact less than an hour ago. This may be my fastest posting time yet. It is from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2008. It was quite yummy.
Garlic-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp salt, divided
6 bone-in chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
6 medium red potatoes (2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
24 garlic cloves, peeled (that seems like a lot, huh?)(takes a long time to peel that many, too)
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside. Place the chicken, potatoes, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with remaining salt. Toss to coat. Bake @ 400 for 40 minutes. Drizzle maple syrup mixture over chicken. Spoon pan juices over potatoes and garlic. Bake 20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180 and potatoes are tender. 6 servings.
So we didn't eat the garlic. But it sure smelled good. This chicken had such a good flavor. It was moist and yummy. The potatoes were not all cooked all the way, but pretty close. The funniest thing about this meal was poor Emma. She took a bite of chicken and said "My chicken has a seed in it" and I told her chickens don't have seeds. Samuel pipes in "yeah chickens have babies" and I said, "No they don't, they lay eggs, right Emma?" Because we just learned in science last week that all birds lay eggs. And she said "I am NOT eating a chicken bird." Then she started crying, before I even really said anything, and she said "I AM eating a chicken bird." I guess she didn't realize that the chicken we eat comes from the actual bird that is a chicken. This was troubling news to my 4 year old. Sam helpfully says "You like chicken nuggets don't you?" and she agreed that she did. And he said "those come from chickens, too." This may have ruined her, I'm not sure. More updates to follow. But the rest of us really liked this chicken.
Garlic-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp salt, divided
6 bone-in chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
6 medium red potatoes (2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
24 garlic cloves, peeled (that seems like a lot, huh?)(takes a long time to peel that many, too)
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside. Place the chicken, potatoes, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with butter; sprinkle with remaining salt. Toss to coat. Bake @ 400 for 40 minutes. Drizzle maple syrup mixture over chicken. Spoon pan juices over potatoes and garlic. Bake 20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 180 and potatoes are tender. 6 servings.
So we didn't eat the garlic. But it sure smelled good. This chicken had such a good flavor. It was moist and yummy. The potatoes were not all cooked all the way, but pretty close. The funniest thing about this meal was poor Emma. She took a bite of chicken and said "My chicken has a seed in it" and I told her chickens don't have seeds. Samuel pipes in "yeah chickens have babies" and I said, "No they don't, they lay eggs, right Emma?" Because we just learned in science last week that all birds lay eggs. And she said "I am NOT eating a chicken bird." Then she started crying, before I even really said anything, and she said "I AM eating a chicken bird." I guess she didn't realize that the chicken we eat comes from the actual bird that is a chicken. This was troubling news to my 4 year old. Sam helpfully says "You like chicken nuggets don't you?" and she agreed that she did. And he said "those come from chickens, too." This may have ruined her, I'm not sure. More updates to follow. But the rest of us really liked this chicken.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Chocolate Chip Dutch Baby
I recently marked several recipes in my big Taste of Home cookbook and the Simple & Delicious magazines that I get that I don't need to buy any ingredients for; that I could make any night of the week without advanced planning. That way, I get through them faster. And I got unexpectedly downstaffed last night, so I had nothing planned for supper. This recipe was one I marked in the big TOH cookbook, pg 259, the eggs & cheese section. I thought it would be like a big pancake, but puffy. Or something. I definitely expected something different. I don't even know what a dutch baby is. Thought it was a small child from Holland. Apparently it is not, it is a weird pastry thing that nobody in your house will eat except your husband (and yourself), even though he says it tasted like a big chocolate chip cookie. Which isn't very healthy for supper.
Chocolate Chip Dutch Baby
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup brown sugar
Dutch baby:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
maple syrup and additonal butter
In a small bowl, combine mini chocolate chips and brown sugar; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat the flour, eggs, cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth. Place butter in a 9 inch pie plate. Heat @ 425 for 4-6 minutes until melted. Pour batter into hot pie plate. Sprinkle with chocolate chip mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top edges are golden brown. Serve immediately with syrup and butter. 4 servings
So I don't know where you would put additional butter on this thing. It was sizzling with butter as it was. I cut it up and put it on plates and it looked pretty pitiful. This was definitely not much food, even though it says 4 servings. Sam did eat his, because he is a sport, and he believed Daddy when he said it was like a big cookie (and it was). But Emma wasn't buying it. She had one bite. Nathan had maybe 3. So we won't be having this again, because it was just too weird and not well received.
Chocolate Chip Dutch Baby
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup brown sugar
Dutch baby:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
maple syrup and additonal butter
In a small bowl, combine mini chocolate chips and brown sugar; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat the flour, eggs, cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth. Place butter in a 9 inch pie plate. Heat @ 425 for 4-6 minutes until melted. Pour batter into hot pie plate. Sprinkle with chocolate chip mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top edges are golden brown. Serve immediately with syrup and butter. 4 servings
So I don't know where you would put additional butter on this thing. It was sizzling with butter as it was. I cut it up and put it on plates and it looked pretty pitiful. This was definitely not much food, even though it says 4 servings. Sam did eat his, because he is a sport, and he believed Daddy when he said it was like a big cookie (and it was). But Emma wasn't buying it. She had one bite. Nathan had maybe 3. So we won't be having this again, because it was just too weird and not well received.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday Brunch Casserole
Even though this is called "Sunday" brunch casserole, we had it on a Wednesday night. But it was still pretty good. I am in the "Eggs & Cheese" section of the Taste of Home cookbook Mom got me for Christmas last year, so this is similar to something we had a couple of weeks ago, but this has hasbrown potatoes and bacon in it, so I thought it would be better than the Oven Denver Omelette and I was right. Sam still didn't like it, even though this time I cut the chunks of green pepper bigger so that he could pick them out easier. Emma was not subjected to this since she had spent the afternoon Thanksgiving-baking with Oma and stayed there for supper. We had leftovers of this last night and they tasted as good as the first night, so that's definitely a plus.
Sunday Brunch Casserole
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dill weed (come to find out I didn't have any dill weed, so I left this out)
In a lg skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp (this took way longer than I thought it would because I always make my bacon in the microwave and it takes like 4 minutes). Remove to paper towels; drain skillet, reserving 2 tbsp drippings (so gross). Crumble bacon and set aside. In same skillet, saute onion and green pepper in reserved drippings til tender; remove with a slotted spoon (so you don't get bacon grease in your casserole, I guess...at least not more than the actual bacon will provide). In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Stir in hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture, and reserved bacon (so basically everything...why don't they just say "combine everything"). Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 8 servings.
So this was pretty good, like I said. I think I'll keep it, because even though it made a lot of food for us, I can always leave the peppers out next time and Sam will probably like it then. He likes omelets, anyway. And it would be a good breakfast if we had houseguests or something. Which we never do, but you never know.
Sunday Brunch Casserole
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dill weed (come to find out I didn't have any dill weed, so I left this out)
In a lg skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp (this took way longer than I thought it would because I always make my bacon in the microwave and it takes like 4 minutes). Remove to paper towels; drain skillet, reserving 2 tbsp drippings (so gross). Crumble bacon and set aside. In same skillet, saute onion and green pepper in reserved drippings til tender; remove with a slotted spoon (so you don't get bacon grease in your casserole, I guess...at least not more than the actual bacon will provide). In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Stir in hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, dill, onion mixture, and reserved bacon (so basically everything...why don't they just say "combine everything"). Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 8 servings.
So this was pretty good, like I said. I think I'll keep it, because even though it made a lot of food for us, I can always leave the peppers out next time and Sam will probably like it then. He likes omelets, anyway. And it would be a good breakfast if we had houseguests or something. Which we never do, but you never know.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Peanut Butter Clusters
I made this for snack for Women's Bible Study, which was poorly attended last night, probably due to the weather and upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, but anyway none of you got to try them. I liked the sound of this recipe because it only has 4 ingredients and sounded really easy. It's from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2008.
Peanut Butter Clusters
2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet because that's what I had and it was fine)
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup crushed ridged potato chips
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in peanuts and potato chips. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed-paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store in air-tight container. 3 1/2 dozen
So Becky and JoAnna were the only 2 I got feedback from on these, but they said they were good. Not like "SO GOOD" or anything, but neither of them gagged while eating. When Becky asked the ingredients and I told her, she said "very healthy Miss Monika." Even though these were super easy I don't think I'm keeping the recipe because I had to buy all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. So that makes them expensive...but nice to try for a change.
Peanut Butter Clusters
2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet because that's what I had and it was fine)
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup crushed ridged potato chips
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in peanuts and potato chips. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed-paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm. Store in air-tight container. 3 1/2 dozen
So Becky and JoAnna were the only 2 I got feedback from on these, but they said they were good. Not like "SO GOOD" or anything, but neither of them gagged while eating. When Becky asked the ingredients and I told her, she said "very healthy Miss Monika." Even though these were super easy I don't think I'm keeping the recipe because I had to buy all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. So that makes them expensive...but nice to try for a change.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pumpkin Cake
I got this recipe from my friend Michelle who goes to church with me. When we had Nathan (2 yrs ago) she brought us a meal and this cake was part of it. I thought it was so delicious and I asked her for the recipe. She gave it to me and it has sat it my cookbook since. Today was the first time I had made this cake, partly because I didn't have a bundt pan (then my friend Autumn got me one at a yard sale after I borrowed hers and returned it empty), and partly because Steve doesn't like pumpkin recipes. But tis the season for pumpkin recipes, so I thought I would make it and bring it to work today, and it was a huge hit!! Gone by 5 pm. I almost didn't get a piece. This cake is so moist and delicious. I thought it needed a glaze, so I googled glaze and got a good recipe for that. So here it is, for the interested parties...
Pumpkin Cake
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup nuts (optional---I left these out)
1 cup golden raisins
Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp water
Mix sugar and oil. Add eggs and beat well. Add pumpkin and water. Mix all dry ingredients, then add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in raisins. Grease your pan (she says you can use a bundt pan or 4 mini loaf pans). Bake @ 350 x 60 minutes (start checking @ 50...mine took closer to 70 minutes). Cool cake completely and put it on the plate you will serve it on. For glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and water, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency (I only needed 2 tbsp). Drizzle over cooled cake.
I am telling you this was so good. You need a BIG mixing bowl. I started in 2 regular sized bowls that I use for most of my baking and they were not big enough. Hope you enjoy it!!
Pumpkin Cake
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup nuts (optional---I left these out)
1 cup golden raisins
Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp water
Mix sugar and oil. Add eggs and beat well. Add pumpkin and water. Mix all dry ingredients, then add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in raisins. Grease your pan (she says you can use a bundt pan or 4 mini loaf pans). Bake @ 350 x 60 minutes (start checking @ 50...mine took closer to 70 minutes). Cool cake completely and put it on the plate you will serve it on. For glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and water, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency (I only needed 2 tbsp). Drizzle over cooled cake.
I am telling you this was so good. You need a BIG mixing bowl. I started in 2 regular sized bowls that I use for most of my baking and they were not big enough. Hope you enjoy it!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
That Yummy Stuffing
This is a recipe my sister made last year for Thanksgiving, and it is a new family tradition now. So say I, right now on this blog. It is so so delicious. It is so good I feel like you could make it as a casserole one night and just eat that for supper with nothing else. Jess & I made this yesterday for the annual Schmeling Thanksgiving Potluck. This is a get-together Brad & Autumn have so that you get to have Thanksgiving with the people you CHOOSE, not just people you are related to. So that on the actual day of Thanksgiving you are not sad because you miss all your friends, and you say "I wish I could have this yummy holiday with my church family too, and only have to make one dish instead of the whole meal," because that is what you just did at their house. At least that might be why they do it. It's why we go, anyway. And we both love our families very very much, and our own holiday traditions, but it is nice to get to celebrate twice with two sets of people. So anyway here is the recipe...it's actually originally a Pampered Chef recipe, but we have doctored it so that we don't have to buy their spice ingredient that it calls for.
The Yummy Stuffing
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 pkg (14 oz) herb-seasoned cubed stuffing
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups coarsely chopped apples (you can leave the peel on)
2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350. Place sausage in skillet; cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Remove skillet from heat and transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate (do not drain skillet). Add butter to skillet; heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until foamy. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. In a LARGE mixing bowl, combine stuffing, cranberries, apples, seasonings, and sausage. Add vegetable mixture and broth; toss until moistened (you should just stir it. If you toss it, it is so messy). Spoon stuffing into a big baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer or until stuffing is golden brown and heated through. 16 servings.
Try it and see! No kids liked it, but the adults did.
The Yummy Stuffing
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 pkg (14 oz) herb-seasoned cubed stuffing
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 cups coarsely chopped apples (you can leave the peel on)
2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350. Place sausage in skillet; cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Remove skillet from heat and transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate (do not drain skillet). Add butter to skillet; heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until foamy. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. In a LARGE mixing bowl, combine stuffing, cranberries, apples, seasonings, and sausage. Add vegetable mixture and broth; toss until moistened (you should just stir it. If you toss it, it is so messy). Spoon stuffing into a big baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer or until stuffing is golden brown and heated through. 16 servings.
Try it and see! No kids liked it, but the adults did.
Steak with Orange-Thyme Sauce, Mixed Herb Rice, and Sour Cream and Chive Biscuits
So last Wednesday was a very lucrative day. 3 recipes that I had marked in one meal. Pretty good. My mom says she is not going to die until all her projects are done, and at this rate she will live forever. I kind of feel like that about all these recipes I want to try...I have so many marked that I will never make them all. So anytime I can combine them and do more than one at a time, I am happy. Not so that I will die sooner, but so I can move on to other things...these 3 were from Simple & Delicious July/Aug 2008...
Steak with Orange-Thyme Sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme (I used dried)
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel (you can buy it like this, you don't have to like grate your own, although I suppose you could if you wanted to)
1 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I used more like 1/16 because I do not like spice)
1 1/4 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak
In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside 1/3 cup for basting. Broil steak 4-6 inches from the heat (spray your broiling pan with Pam first!!!) for 8-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness, basting with the reserved sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce. 4 servings.
So this steak was so moist! Every time I have made steak at home it comes out so dry...this had a very nice flavor and was very moist too. We had it with...
Mixed Herb Rice
1 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. 4 servings.
I have a rice recipe that I like, but I tried this one because it has a few spices that I have bought for other recipes and seem to never use, and I'm sure will be in my cupboard for a long long time. And it was very good rice. And we had this with...
Sour Cream and Chive Biscuits
3 cups biscuit/baking mix
3 tbsp snipped chives
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sour cream
In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix and chives. Stir in water and sour cream just until moistened. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (if you use stoneware, you don't need the cooking spray). Bake @ 450 x 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. 16 biscuits.
Okay these were okay but not great. The order of operations if you are making all of these at once...make the biscuits, and while they are baking get the steak ready. Once the steak is in, start the rice. All in all this was a very tasty menu. I am not being braggy (because I did not invent these recipes I just followed directions) but the steak and rice tasted like something you could get at a restaurant and pay a lot for. But Steve did not give me any money after this meal =(. Not even a tip. What the heck. Oh well the steak and rice recipes I will save, but not the biscuits.
Steak with Orange-Thyme Sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme (I used dried)
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel (you can buy it like this, you don't have to like grate your own, although I suppose you could if you wanted to)
1 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I used more like 1/16 because I do not like spice)
1 1/4 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak
In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside 1/3 cup for basting. Broil steak 4-6 inches from the heat (spray your broiling pan with Pam first!!!) for 8-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness, basting with the reserved sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce. 4 servings.
So this steak was so moist! Every time I have made steak at home it comes out so dry...this had a very nice flavor and was very moist too. We had it with...
Mixed Herb Rice
1 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. 4 servings.
I have a rice recipe that I like, but I tried this one because it has a few spices that I have bought for other recipes and seem to never use, and I'm sure will be in my cupboard for a long long time. And it was very good rice. And we had this with...
Sour Cream and Chive Biscuits
3 cups biscuit/baking mix
3 tbsp snipped chives
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sour cream
In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix and chives. Stir in water and sour cream just until moistened. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (if you use stoneware, you don't need the cooking spray). Bake @ 450 x 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. 16 biscuits.
Okay these were okay but not great. The order of operations if you are making all of these at once...make the biscuits, and while they are baking get the steak ready. Once the steak is in, start the rice. All in all this was a very tasty menu. I am not being braggy (because I did not invent these recipes I just followed directions) but the steak and rice tasted like something you could get at a restaurant and pay a lot for. But Steve did not give me any money after this meal =(. Not even a tip. What the heck. Oh well the steak and rice recipes I will save, but not the biscuits.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Apple-Spiced Pork
We had this for dinner last night. It was so so so so good. I loved every bite. I can't wait to eat the leftovers. That's how good. It's from Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2008.
Apple-Spiced Pork
2 cups uncooked yolk-free noodles (I didn't think this was enough so I made more like 3 cups)
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp canola oil
2 medium tart apples, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
Cook noodles according to pkg directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a lg skillet, brown pork with celery and onion in oil; drain (I had nothing to drain). Add apples, raisins, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and cinnamon. Cook and stir over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until pork is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and cornstarch until smooth; gradually add to the pork mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with walnuts. 4 servings
So when you cut the pork "lengthwise" you are supposed to cut it down the middle the long way, so instead of like one 8 inch log-o-pork, you end up with 2 thinner 8 inch logs-o-pork, which you then cut into 1/2 inch slices (I thought about this for a while, plus there was a picture of the finished product to help me visualize). This was pretty much a one-dish meal, since the apples and raisins filled the fruit and/or vegetable category (at least by my standards) and the noodles were the starch. We used whole wheat egg noodles so they were healthier, too. This was so tasty. Every bite I was like "this is so good." I was the only one who liked the walnuts, though. Steve had a few sprinkled on his but quickly picked them out. I didn't even try them with the kids because I knew what the response would be. And Emma didn't like the cooked apples either. But Nathan ate the pork (he thought it was chicken)(because I told him it was). So everyone liked it and this is definitely a keeper.
Apple-Spiced Pork
2 cups uncooked yolk-free noodles (I didn't think this was enough so I made more like 3 cups)
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp canola oil
2 medium tart apples, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
Cook noodles according to pkg directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a lg skillet, brown pork with celery and onion in oil; drain (I had nothing to drain). Add apples, raisins, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and cinnamon. Cook and stir over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until pork is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and cornstarch until smooth; gradually add to the pork mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with walnuts. 4 servings
So when you cut the pork "lengthwise" you are supposed to cut it down the middle the long way, so instead of like one 8 inch log-o-pork, you end up with 2 thinner 8 inch logs-o-pork, which you then cut into 1/2 inch slices (I thought about this for a while, plus there was a picture of the finished product to help me visualize). This was pretty much a one-dish meal, since the apples and raisins filled the fruit and/or vegetable category (at least by my standards) and the noodles were the starch. We used whole wheat egg noodles so they were healthier, too. This was so tasty. Every bite I was like "this is so good." I was the only one who liked the walnuts, though. Steve had a few sprinkled on his but quickly picked them out. I didn't even try them with the kids because I knew what the response would be. And Emma didn't like the cooked apples either. But Nathan ate the pork (he thought it was chicken)(because I told him it was). So everyone liked it and this is definitely a keeper.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
I made these for the adoption and orphan care seminar we had at church on Saturday morning. Steve wasn't crazy about the sound of it so I thought this would be a good venue to try them out. It's from the Nov/Dec 2008 Simple & Delicious, which I did skip a few to get to this one but these were seasonal recipes so I wanted to try them now, in November, so I wasn't like making pumpkin muffins in May or July or something.
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (which cost $4.99 @ Hannaford....you can make your own, just Google it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins
Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cold butter
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg, pumpkin, milk, and oil; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in oats and raisins. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and pie spice; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle 1 rounded teaspoonful over each muffin. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins
I made a double batch of these for the seminar, and I guess about half got eaten. My pickiest child has eaten two of them which makes me think they are a keeper, but nobody but him really liked them in our house. I thought they were okay, but wasn't crazy about the oatmeal in them. So suppose I did keep the recipe because Nathan liked it...I think he is just playing with me. Probably if I made them again he would be like "No no no no" etc. So I guess it's not a keeper for us, but if you like pumpkin-y things, you might like it. I was going to try it with chocolate chips but decided I better stick with the raisins the first time around, but that might be something to try too.
Pumpkin Oat Muffins
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (which cost $4.99 @ Hannaford....you can make your own, just Google it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins
Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cold butter
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg, pumpkin, milk, and oil; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in oats and raisins. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and pie spice; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle 1 rounded teaspoonful over each muffin. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins
I made a double batch of these for the seminar, and I guess about half got eaten. My pickiest child has eaten two of them which makes me think they are a keeper, but nobody but him really liked them in our house. I thought they were okay, but wasn't crazy about the oatmeal in them. So suppose I did keep the recipe because Nathan liked it...I think he is just playing with me. Probably if I made them again he would be like "No no no no" etc. So I guess it's not a keeper for us, but if you like pumpkin-y things, you might like it. I was going to try it with chocolate chips but decided I better stick with the raisins the first time around, but that might be something to try too.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Oven Denver Omelet
I liked the sound of this one, because the recipe submitter was all "instead of making individual omelets, I combine all the ingredients into this oven version." Well, that sounds good to me, since whenever I make omelets there is a lot of prayer involved. I get ready to flip and I'm like 1...2...3...FLIP. And half the time it flips perfectly, and the other times it flips partially, and then that one is Steve's. Because he says he doesn't care how it looks because it all tastes the same. So I thought I would try this and see how it tasted. It's from Taste of Home...right next to the Asparagus Brunch Bake (soooo close to making that).
Oven Denver Omelet
8 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and half and half until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 9 inch baker (this greasing step is very important). Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until golden brown (mine took like 30 minutes).
So Sam did not like this! He is such a good eater he usually likes everything. Not green peppers, apparently (so now his don't-like-list is broccoli, mayo (yes!), and green peppers). Emma got a piece with only one piece of green pepper, so she happily ate most of hers. But poor Sam had green pepper in almost every bite. I did, too, and I'm not crazy about them, either, but I can deal. Steve, of course, liked it. We had a bit left over which I saved, but I'm not sure how it will reheat. So I sprayed my pan with Pam, and it was a stoneware pan. But still it took a lot of scrubbing to get all that egg off. Kind of surprised. So I don't think this will be a keeper. But I'm still not sure about omelet flipping either.
Oven Denver Omelet
8 eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and half and half until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 9 inch baker (this greasing step is very important). Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until golden brown (mine took like 30 minutes).
So Sam did not like this! He is such a good eater he usually likes everything. Not green peppers, apparently (so now his don't-like-list is broccoli, mayo (yes!), and green peppers). Emma got a piece with only one piece of green pepper, so she happily ate most of hers. But poor Sam had green pepper in almost every bite. I did, too, and I'm not crazy about them, either, but I can deal. Steve, of course, liked it. We had a bit left over which I saved, but I'm not sure how it will reheat. So I sprayed my pan with Pam, and it was a stoneware pan. But still it took a lot of scrubbing to get all that egg off. Kind of surprised. So I don't think this will be a keeper. But I'm still not sure about omelet flipping either.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Roasted Chicken with Rosemary
I made this on Monday night. It's from the big Taste of Home cookbook from my mom last Christmas. One month away from Christmas '08 and I have made it to page...157. So like only 1/4 through in a year...oh well. I liked the way this one sounded because you put the vegetables and potatoes in all at the same time. By the way, rosemary is in Vicks Baby Rub, and last year Nathan had the croup. So every time I smell rosemary now, I'm like, wow that smells like Nathan with the croup. And whenever Nathan is sporting Vicks Baby Rub I want to eat him. Hee hee.
Roasted Chicken with Rosemary
1/2 cup butter
4 tbsp minced fresh rosemary or 2 tbsp dried crushed rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 roasting chicken (5-6 lbs)
9 small red potatoes, halved (why 9? seems arbitrary)
6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch pieces (I just bought baby carrots)
2 medium onions, quartered
In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in the seasonings. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string (I don't have kitchen string so I skipped that part). Spoon half of butter mixture over chicken. Place potatoes, carrots, and onions around chicken. Drizzle remaining butter mixture over vegetables. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30-60 minutes longer or a meat thermometer reads 180 and vegetables are tender, basting occasionally. Cover with foil and let stand for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Okay so my chicken was not all the way thawed when I stuck it in the oven. It was frozen because I bought this chicken to make this recipe the week before Steve went to Haiti, then with all our busyness I just didn't have time to make it that week, but I didn't want it to spoil so I had to freeze it. I took it out Sunday morning to start defrosting to make Monday night. Monday at lunch time I pulled it out of the fridge because it was still pretty frozen. By the time I put it in the roasting pan it was quite cold but not really frozen (or so I thought). I thought I might have to add like 30 minutes to the cooking time or something. Well, I put it in the oven at 3:30. I pulled it out at 7:00 and it was still not done!! So we did not actually eat this on Monday night, even though I made it then. We had nachos on Monday night. While the kids were watching a settle-down movie at 7:30, I was deboning chicken. We had it for supper last night though. I do love chicken leftovers, even when 100% of the chicken is what is left over. The chicken was yummy and moist and flavorful. The vegetables were wasted because there was barely any cooking liquid to cook them in...I'm not sure if I'll try this one again or not...maybe you'll have better luck, as long as you start with a totally thawed chicken.
Roasted Chicken with Rosemary
1/2 cup butter
4 tbsp minced fresh rosemary or 2 tbsp dried crushed rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 roasting chicken (5-6 lbs)
9 small red potatoes, halved (why 9? seems arbitrary)
6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch pieces (I just bought baby carrots)
2 medium onions, quartered
In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in the seasonings. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string (I don't have kitchen string so I skipped that part). Spoon half of butter mixture over chicken. Place potatoes, carrots, and onions around chicken. Drizzle remaining butter mixture over vegetables. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30-60 minutes longer or a meat thermometer reads 180 and vegetables are tender, basting occasionally. Cover with foil and let stand for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Okay so my chicken was not all the way thawed when I stuck it in the oven. It was frozen because I bought this chicken to make this recipe the week before Steve went to Haiti, then with all our busyness I just didn't have time to make it that week, but I didn't want it to spoil so I had to freeze it. I took it out Sunday morning to start defrosting to make Monday night. Monday at lunch time I pulled it out of the fridge because it was still pretty frozen. By the time I put it in the roasting pan it was quite cold but not really frozen (or so I thought). I thought I might have to add like 30 minutes to the cooking time or something. Well, I put it in the oven at 3:30. I pulled it out at 7:00 and it was still not done!! So we did not actually eat this on Monday night, even though I made it then. We had nachos on Monday night. While the kids were watching a settle-down movie at 7:30, I was deboning chicken. We had it for supper last night though. I do love chicken leftovers, even when 100% of the chicken is what is left over. The chicken was yummy and moist and flavorful. The vegetables were wasted because there was barely any cooking liquid to cook them in...I'm not sure if I'll try this one again or not...maybe you'll have better luck, as long as you start with a totally thawed chicken.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Chicken Alfredo Pizza
We had this on Friday before Cinderella. As I was making it, I thought, the kids are not going to eat this. So I kept some of the chicken off the pizza and just gave it to them plain. So it was marinated but didn't have the vegetables or spices on it. Even still, Nathan would not eat it. Such a picky kid. Anyway this is from Simple & Delicious July/Aug 2008.
Chicken Alfredo Pizza
1 envelope zesty herb marinade mix (near the dry gravy & chili mixes)
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
1 prebaked Italian bread shell crust (they mean Boboli)
1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded pizza cheese blend
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned (don't really know how to do that, I just sliced it thin)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (how do they make these onions red? Is it the same as red cabbage? It stained my fingernails a little bit)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (left these out because mushrooms are slimy and gross)
In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp marinade mix, water, vinegar, and oil. (Save remaining marinade mix for another use, they say, but there really wasn't much left so I didn't bother). Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a large ziploc bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Broil 4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally w/ reserved marinade. Cool. Cube chicken and set aside (I didn't really let mine cool before I cubed it, I was working with a deadline here). Place bread shell crust on ungreased 12 inch pizza pan. Spread with alfredo sauce. Sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 of the cheese, green pepper, onion, mushrooms (if you like to eat fungus, I personally do not), cubed chicken and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, @ 450 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 slices.
So this is definitely an adult pizza. Not like XXX adult, but I mean the type only adults will like. It smelled so delicious, like a pizzeria, while it was cooking. It tasted pretty good too, although the alfredo sauce added something weird. Steve said, what's the white stuff, sour cream? And I said no silly alfredo sauce. He likes alfredo, which is the whole reason I chose this recipe to begin with. But neither of us was crazy about that part of it. On the whole though it was a yummy meal and we all got our princesses to Brewer Middle School on time for Cinderella.
Chicken Alfredo Pizza
1 envelope zesty herb marinade mix (near the dry gravy & chili mixes)
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
1 prebaked Italian bread shell crust (they mean Boboli)
1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded pizza cheese blend
1/2 medium green pepper, julienned (don't really know how to do that, I just sliced it thin)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (how do they make these onions red? Is it the same as red cabbage? It stained my fingernails a little bit)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (left these out because mushrooms are slimy and gross)
In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp marinade mix, water, vinegar, and oil. (Save remaining marinade mix for another use, they say, but there really wasn't much left so I didn't bother). Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a large ziploc bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Broil 4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally w/ reserved marinade. Cool. Cube chicken and set aside (I didn't really let mine cool before I cubed it, I was working with a deadline here). Place bread shell crust on ungreased 12 inch pizza pan. Spread with alfredo sauce. Sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 of the cheese, green pepper, onion, mushrooms (if you like to eat fungus, I personally do not), cubed chicken and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, @ 450 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 slices.
So this is definitely an adult pizza. Not like XXX adult, but I mean the type only adults will like. It smelled so delicious, like a pizzeria, while it was cooking. It tasted pretty good too, although the alfredo sauce added something weird. Steve said, what's the white stuff, sour cream? And I said no silly alfredo sauce. He likes alfredo, which is the whole reason I chose this recipe to begin with. But neither of us was crazy about that part of it. On the whole though it was a yummy meal and we all got our princesses to Brewer Middle School on time for Cinderella.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Johnny Appleseed Cake
This is my mom's recipe. It is featured in the awesome cookbook from the church my dad pastors on Deer Isle...in Oceanville. Doesn't that sound like a made up town name from a novel? But it is a real place, I have been there a few times so I am sure of it. Anyway this cake has a very "fall" feel to it, plus you have it with whipped cream instead of frosting so I'm sure it's healthier. Steve is on a diet, so we had a little bit of cake at home, then I took the rest to work, where it flew off the plate (I got there at 1:30 and it was gone by 2:30). So I would say this is a good choice. I have made this before (I think) but not in recent memory, so here it is for intersted parties (Autumn).
Johnny Appleseed Cake
1 stick margarine (I used butter because I LOVE butter...now that Steve is back to working full-time I can buy butter exclusively so this is a very exciting time for me)
1 3/4 cup sweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Once butter is melted, add it plus the applesauce and raisins to the dry mixture. Mix well. Pour into 11x7 or 9" square pan (I used 11x7 which I think is the way to go because then you get more pieces), greased on bottom only. Bake 40-45 minutes (check often after 35 minutes)(my Mom's advice, not mine). Serve with whipped cream.
So I think this was so moist and tasty. It almost reminded me of gingerbread, but not as dark and spicy. You should definitely try this one.
Johnny Appleseed Cake
1 stick margarine (I used butter because I LOVE butter...now that Steve is back to working full-time I can buy butter exclusively so this is a very exciting time for me)
1 3/4 cup sweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Once butter is melted, add it plus the applesauce and raisins to the dry mixture. Mix well. Pour into 11x7 or 9" square pan (I used 11x7 which I think is the way to go because then you get more pieces), greased on bottom only. Bake 40-45 minutes (check often after 35 minutes)(my Mom's advice, not mine). Serve with whipped cream.
So I think this was so moist and tasty. It almost reminded me of gingerbread, but not as dark and spicy. You should definitely try this one.
Chicken and Rice Dinner
So this is what we had for supper on Wednesday night. I thought it looked like an easy yummy way to make chicken and rice. And it was real rice, not minute rice, so I thought that was a plus. But my usual problem with rice happened here, too: it doesn't cook all the way! It is still chewy, like "al dente" pasta or something. Maybe I am just too used to Rice a Roni enjoy the real deal, I don't know. But here it is (from Taste of Home cookbook pg 160).
Chicken and Rice Dinner
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lbs) cut up (for a reminder, you do not have to do this nasty job...you can buy the chicken already cut up, without giblets, at the Wal-Mart, for under 5 dollars...it does have the neck though, so gross...just throw that part away)
1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
chopped fresh parsley (I left this out, as I almost always do with senseless and sometimes expensive garnishes)
Dredge chicken pieces in flour. In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in oil over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with chicken. Cover lightly with foil and bake @ 350 for 55 minutes or until rice and chicken are tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 6 servings.
So I am not keeping this one. It was okay, and we had the leftovers yesterday, but the kids really don't like rice, and I don't like undercooked rice (I think it's undercooked at least) so that's that.
Chicken and Rice Dinner
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lbs) cut up (for a reminder, you do not have to do this nasty job...you can buy the chicken already cut up, without giblets, at the Wal-Mart, for under 5 dollars...it does have the neck though, so gross...just throw that part away)
1/4 to 1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
chopped fresh parsley (I left this out, as I almost always do with senseless and sometimes expensive garnishes)
Dredge chicken pieces in flour. In a large skillet, brown chicken on all sides in oil over medium heat. In a large bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with chicken. Cover lightly with foil and bake @ 350 for 55 minutes or until rice and chicken are tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 6 servings.
So I am not keeping this one. It was okay, and we had the leftovers yesterday, but the kids really don't like rice, and I don't like undercooked rice (I think it's undercooked at least) so that's that.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Baked Apple Donuts
This is something I have made for a long time, but I am putting it on now because Lisa asked for the recipe. I found this one in like 2005, in my pre-blog days, so it wasn't on here yet anyway. It is such a yummy way to use apples this time of year!
Baked Apple Donuts
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1 cup grated apple (no peel)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted (may need more)
1 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon
Combine first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter w/ pastry blender. In separate bowl, combine apple, yogurt, and eggs; stir into flour mixture. Divide and spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from tins and roll in melted butter, then into cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes 18.
So these are so so so yummy. Back when we were doing bake sales for Haiti I would make like a triple batch every Saturday and they always sold out. I quickly grew tired of grating apple, and thought I would use applesauce in one batch. They were still okay but the muffins were a bit tougher, not as moist. So I would stick with the grated apple. After we stopped the bake sales I said I would not make these again for a very long time, and it must be true because I have not made them since. Time to dust off the recipe, I guess. Thanks for the reminder Lisa!!
Baked Apple Donuts
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1 cup grated apple (no peel)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted (may need more)
1 cup sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon
Combine first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter w/ pastry blender. In separate bowl, combine apple, yogurt, and eggs; stir into flour mixture. Divide and spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from tins and roll in melted butter, then into cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes 18.
So these are so so so yummy. Back when we were doing bake sales for Haiti I would make like a triple batch every Saturday and they always sold out. I quickly grew tired of grating apple, and thought I would use applesauce in one batch. They were still okay but the muffins were a bit tougher, not as moist. So I would stick with the grated apple. After we stopped the bake sales I said I would not make these again for a very long time, and it must be true because I have not made them since. Time to dust off the recipe, I guess. Thanks for the reminder Lisa!!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing with Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob
So this is what we had for supper last night, from 2 different magazines...it was a very yummy fall meal, all told. While we were eating I put a batch of cookies in the oven, so we had warm (nestle refrigerated cookie dough) Turtle cookies for dessert. It was a very cozy domestic day. Also it was our anniversary and Stevie only worked a half-day, and it was so nice having him home!! Anyway the pork chops are from Kraft Food & Family Fall 2008 and the corn is from Simple & Delicious July/Aug 2008.
Pork Chops with Apples & Stuffing
1 pkg (6 oz) stove top stuffing for chicken
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1 1/2 lbs), 3/4 inch thick
Heat oven to 375. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Spread pie filling into bottom of 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops, then stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 10 more minutes or until chops are cooked through.
Can you believe how easy that is? And it was so so yummy. The apples tasted so good with the stuffing, and the pork was moist. Everyone liked it except Nathan. So we call that a hit. It's definitely a keeper. We had it with the following corn...
Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 envelope onion soup mix
4 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
In a small bowl, combine butter and onion soup mix; rub over corn. Place each ear of corn on a 12x10 inch piece of foil (I put the corn on the foil first, the rubbed the butter mixture over the corn--less mess). Fold foil over corn and seal tightly. Bake @ 450 for 15-20 minutes or until corn is tender, turning once.
So Sam and Emma did not like the onions on the corn, but Steve and I did. It was so yummy and perfect. I have not had good luck with fresh corn in the past, but this was so easy and took the guess work out of "how long to boil? Should we grill it for like 3 years?" So this one is a keeper as well. 2 hits in one night. Wow.
Pork Chops with Apples & Stuffing
1 pkg (6 oz) stove top stuffing for chicken
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
6 boneless pork loin chops (1 1/2 lbs), 3/4 inch thick
Heat oven to 375. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Spread pie filling into bottom of 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with chops, then stuffing. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 10 more minutes or until chops are cooked through.
Can you believe how easy that is? And it was so so yummy. The apples tasted so good with the stuffing, and the pork was moist. Everyone liked it except Nathan. So we call that a hit. It's definitely a keeper. We had it with the following corn...
Buttery-Onion Corn on the Cob
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 envelope onion soup mix
4 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
In a small bowl, combine butter and onion soup mix; rub over corn. Place each ear of corn on a 12x10 inch piece of foil (I put the corn on the foil first, the rubbed the butter mixture over the corn--less mess). Fold foil over corn and seal tightly. Bake @ 450 for 15-20 minutes or until corn is tender, turning once.
So Sam and Emma did not like the onions on the corn, but Steve and I did. It was so yummy and perfect. I have not had good luck with fresh corn in the past, but this was so easy and took the guess work out of "how long to boil? Should we grill it for like 3 years?" So this one is a keeper as well. 2 hits in one night. Wow.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Banana Bread
I already have a recipe for banana bread that I usually use, but I don't love it. I also have a recipe for banana muffins that I got from Lisa, and I do really like that, but I don't know how that would translate into a loaf. So I thought I would try this one from the Taste of Home cookbook since I had ripe bananas. This one uses sour cream, which I think is a bit odd...and this banana bread is slightly less banana-y than my usual recipe...but the loaves were bigger than the other recipe. So I am torn. Guess I still don't have a recipe that I love...but here's this one anyway...
Banana Bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (instead I used mini chocolate chips...so much better)
In a lg mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas and sour cream. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts (or chocolate chips). Transfer to greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
I used some wheat flour with this recipe as well, to make it a little bit healthier. Of course it made it a bit heavier as well. But the kids liked it. Except Nathan. But one day I thought Emma would turn into a loaf of it, because she had it for supper the night I made it, then breakfast and lunch the next day. She said she loves banana bread. Obviously. So I guess my search continues...
Banana Bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (instead I used mini chocolate chips...so much better)
In a lg mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas and sour cream. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir into banana mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts (or chocolate chips). Transfer to greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
I used some wheat flour with this recipe as well, to make it a little bit healthier. Of course it made it a bit heavier as well. But the kids liked it. Except Nathan. But one day I thought Emma would turn into a loaf of it, because she had it for supper the night I made it, then breakfast and lunch the next day. She said she loves banana bread. Obviously. So I guess my search continues...
Chicken and Biscuits
So we had this last week. It is remarkably similar to the Chicken Tot Pie we had like 2 weeks ago. Usually I screen better than that, but oh well. So it really wasn't much different than the other one, but biscuits instead of tots. It's from Kraft Food & Family Fall 2008.
Chicken and Biscuits
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup (8 oz) sour cream, divided
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
3 tbsp milk
Heat oven to 375. Mix soup and 1/2 cup sour cream in 8-inch square baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables, and cheese; mix. Place baking mix in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and milk; stir until stiff dough forms. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into 6 mounds over chicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is hot and bubbly.
So, nothing to write home about (even though I kind of just did). Not bad, but not saving it either.
Chicken and Biscuits
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup (8 oz) sour cream, divided
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
3 tbsp milk
Heat oven to 375. Mix soup and 1/2 cup sour cream in 8-inch square baking dish. Add chicken, vegetables, and cheese; mix. Place baking mix in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and milk; stir until stiff dough forms. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into 6 mounds over chicken mixture. Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is hot and bubbly.
So, nothing to write home about (even though I kind of just did). Not bad, but not saving it either.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Carmelized Pork Slices
We have moved on to the "pork" section of my Taste of Home Cookbook that I got for Christmas last year. I see now that it will be to next Christmas and I will not be through this one yet. But Mom I still want a cookbook for Christmas because I like them. So this is from pg 121. It was very yummy, almost like little boneless pork chops.
Carmelized Pork Slices
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb) cut into 1 inch slices
2 tsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Flatten pork slices to 1/2 inch thickness (this just seemed silly. Cut the pork into 1 inch slices and then flatten to 1/2 inch? That is not what I did. I cut them 1/2 inch to begin with. I highly recommend it). In a nonstick skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute garlic for 1 minute; stir in remaining ingredients. Return pork to pan; cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. 4 servings.
So we had this with real brown rice, not minute rice. I figure we better get used to rice because of the whole Haiti thing. Well, Sam is a trooper and of course ate his. Emma didn't like hers. I explained that in Haiti we will eat a lot of rice so we need to try to like it. She was not convinced. But it actually tasted good, and the texture of it made me a little nostalgic. So a healthy supper, because you know pork is lean meat with protein and stuff. And brown rice is like the best kind. So it was a hit. We had a little of the pan juices over the rice to give it some more flavor. Pretty sure this one's a keeper.
Carmelized Pork Slices
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb) cut into 1 inch slices
2 tsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Flatten pork slices to 1/2 inch thickness (this just seemed silly. Cut the pork into 1 inch slices and then flatten to 1/2 inch? That is not what I did. I cut them 1/2 inch to begin with. I highly recommend it). In a nonstick skillet, brown pork in oil over medium-high heat. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute garlic for 1 minute; stir in remaining ingredients. Return pork to pan; cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. 4 servings.
So we had this with real brown rice, not minute rice. I figure we better get used to rice because of the whole Haiti thing. Well, Sam is a trooper and of course ate his. Emma didn't like hers. I explained that in Haiti we will eat a lot of rice so we need to try to like it. She was not convinced. But it actually tasted good, and the texture of it made me a little nostalgic. So a healthy supper, because you know pork is lean meat with protein and stuff. And brown rice is like the best kind. So it was a hit. We had a little of the pan juices over the rice to give it some more flavor. Pretty sure this one's a keeper.
Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
When I saw this recipe in the Fall 2008 Kraft Food & Family, I instantly knew I would be making it for my brownie-loving, peanut butter-loving family. It was pretty easy to make and of course tasted very yummy. I actually made this on Monday when it was still September, but due to the busyness of late, couldn't put it up until today. So October's numbers are totally going to be off. If I even kept track of them, they would be.
Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
1 pkg brownie mix, prepared in 13x9 pan
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups cool whip (do no thaw)
3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I left these out because Steve doesn't like nuts (even though he loves peanut butter so that makes no sense) and Sam thinks he doesn't like them because he threw up once after he ate a bunch of peanuts. I have told him the two events are unrelated and it was like 2 years ago but he is quite sure about this)
Make brownie mix according to box directions. While brownies are cooling, whisk milk and pudding in a bowl for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until brownies are completely cool. Spread pudding mixture over brownies. Microwave frozen cool whip and baking chocolate on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds (I had to do this for 1 min 30 seconds). Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.
So these were quite delicious. Couple of problems...you cannot eat them like a regular brownie, you have to eat it like cake, with a fork. Nathan would not touch these. He was very excited when I asked him if he wanted a brownie, but then when he saw one he was like "NO NO NO NO" etc. But everyone liked them. The peanut butter layer was runnier than I thought it would be by looking at their picture. But of course Steve loved these so I will be saving the recipe.
Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies
1 pkg brownie mix, prepared in 13x9 pan
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups cool whip (do no thaw)
3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped (I left these out because Steve doesn't like nuts (even though he loves peanut butter so that makes no sense) and Sam thinks he doesn't like them because he threw up once after he ate a bunch of peanuts. I have told him the two events are unrelated and it was like 2 years ago but he is quite sure about this)
Make brownie mix according to box directions. While brownies are cooling, whisk milk and pudding in a bowl for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until brownies are completely cool. Spread pudding mixture over brownies. Microwave frozen cool whip and baking chocolate on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds (I had to do this for 1 min 30 seconds). Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.
So these were quite delicious. Couple of problems...you cannot eat them like a regular brownie, you have to eat it like cake, with a fork. Nathan would not touch these. He was very excited when I asked him if he wanted a brownie, but then when he saw one he was like "NO NO NO NO" etc. But everyone liked them. The peanut butter layer was runnier than I thought it would be by looking at their picture. But of course Steve loved these so I will be saving the recipe.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Chicken Tater Bake
That's what the recipe makers called this one, but Steve thinks it should be called Chicken Tot Pie because it is like chicken pot pie but instead of a pie crust or mashed potatoes, it has tater tots on the top. This is what we had last night. One thing I liked about it was that it makes two, one for right now and one to freeze, which is always handy. But this was just so-so. It was quite tasty, but I also have chicken pot pie recipes that I like way better. This was easy, but so are most of the other recipes along these lines. But anyway it was still good. If you are a tot lover like Napoleon you will probably love it. It's from Simple & Delicious May/June 2008.
Chicken Tot Pie
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 pkg (32 oz) frozen tater tots
In a large saucepan, combine the soup, milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in chicken, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheese. Transfer to 2 greased 8x8 square baking dishes. Top with tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake remaining casserole at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake another 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. To use frozen casserole: Remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles, 6 servings each.
Okay like I said, not too bad. I did use the peas and carrots, because Steve claims that chicken pot pie with peas and carrots is the best way. I don't agree, but I do want my children to like more things than me, so I put them in. They ate them (hee hee). I had a little mountain of peas on the side of my plate, and Emma patted my arm and said "You like peas, bemember?" But she is wrong. I said, nope I don't, but I still want you to try them. Sam told her that if she eats them with a bite of something else you can't even taste them. I have heard this trick before and it has never worked for me. But it did for her. Nathan of course was like "I don't think so, where is my pressed fake chicken nuggets or no-real-meat-hot dog?" Anyway...that's the story. This was also the last recipe of this issue so it's on to the next one! Hooray!
Chicken Tot Pie
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 pkg (32 oz) frozen tater tots
In a large saucepan, combine the soup, milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in chicken, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheese. Transfer to 2 greased 8x8 square baking dishes. Top with tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake remaining casserole at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake another 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. To use frozen casserole: Remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles, 6 servings each.
Okay like I said, not too bad. I did use the peas and carrots, because Steve claims that chicken pot pie with peas and carrots is the best way. I don't agree, but I do want my children to like more things than me, so I put them in. They ate them (hee hee). I had a little mountain of peas on the side of my plate, and Emma patted my arm and said "You like peas, bemember?" But she is wrong. I said, nope I don't, but I still want you to try them. Sam told her that if she eats them with a bite of something else you can't even taste them. I have heard this trick before and it has never worked for me. But it did for her. Nathan of course was like "I don't think so, where is my pressed fake chicken nuggets or no-real-meat-hot dog?" Anyway...that's the story. This was also the last recipe of this issue so it's on to the next one! Hooray!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sloppy Joes
So we had a very successful Haiti meeting on Friday and this is what we ate...I doubled the recipe...would have tripled it but not enough ketchup...in fact Autumn had to bring ketchup for the tots...but it turns out we had just enough for everyone...and I think someone had seconds. It might have been Steve. It's from Taste of Home pg 107. So I will write the recipe in it's not-doubled form.
Sloppy Joes
1 pound hamburger
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink; drain. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve with sandwich rolls.
So like I said, pretty good. I thought maybe a bit too salty. But my friend Nycole said they were the best sloppy joes ever. So now we are really close. So I think this will be a keeper. Way cheaper than Manwich and yummy too.
Sloppy Joes
1 pound hamburger
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink; drain. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve with sandwich rolls.
So like I said, pretty good. I thought maybe a bit too salty. But my friend Nycole said they were the best sloppy joes ever. So now we are really close. So I think this will be a keeper. Way cheaper than Manwich and yummy too.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Cinnamon Raisin Coffee Cake
I made this on Saturday morning to bring to Autumn's scrapbooking thing. I love those pillsbury cinnamon rolls (too much) so I figured this would be a keeper. And it was very good. It was supposed to have pecans, too, but Steve doesn't them. Or raisins, either, but I still put those in. He can't have everything. It's from the May/June issue of Simple & Delicious.
Cinnamon Raisin Coffee Cake
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tubes (12.4 oz each) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 to 4 tbsp raisins
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside icing packets from cinnamon rolls. Separate dough into 16 rolls; cut each into quarters. Place half of the roll pieces, cinnamon side up, in a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans, raisins, and half of the cinnamon sugar. Top with remaining dough. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar. Bake @ 375 for 25-30 minutes (mine was more like 22 so watch it) or until golden brown. Spread with reserved icing; serve warm. 8 servings.
So this was very good. Jessica said she was full and was going to eat hers later, but I ate it. And, there was just a little bit left in the pan which I ate on the way home. So yummy. Definitely a keeper. Next time I won't bring it anywhere, we'll just all eat it at home. Hee hee.
Cinnamon Raisin Coffee Cake
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tubes (12.4 oz each) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 to 4 tbsp raisins
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside icing packets from cinnamon rolls. Separate dough into 16 rolls; cut each into quarters. Place half of the roll pieces, cinnamon side up, in a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans, raisins, and half of the cinnamon sugar. Top with remaining dough. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar. Bake @ 375 for 25-30 minutes (mine was more like 22 so watch it) or until golden brown. Spread with reserved icing; serve warm. 8 servings.
So this was very good. Jessica said she was full and was going to eat hers later, but I ate it. And, there was just a little bit left in the pan which I ate on the way home. So yummy. Definitely a keeper. Next time I won't bring it anywhere, we'll just all eat it at home. Hee hee.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
So Emma and I made this yesterday while Nathan was sleeping. We knew Steve would like it and we were right. It's from Simple & Delicious may/june 2008.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
1 tube (16.5 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (my sister saw this in my fridge and said what is this? This is not how we make chocolate chip cookies. Then I showed her the recipe; she was not convinced)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
12 oz cool whip, thawed, divided
3 cups cold milk
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
chopped nuts and chocolate curls, optional (I left these out)
Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13x9 baking pan. Bake @ 350 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 3/4 cups of the cool whip (like I measured that. I just did like half). Spread over crust. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls, if using. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight until firm. 15 servings.
So I know I do not need to say this was a big hit. I liked it too. Even Nathan did. He said it was ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
1 tube (16.5 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (my sister saw this in my fridge and said what is this? This is not how we make chocolate chip cookies. Then I showed her the recipe; she was not convinced)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
12 oz cool whip, thawed, divided
3 cups cold milk
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
chopped nuts and chocolate curls, optional (I left these out)
Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13x9 baking pan. Bake @ 350 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 3/4 cups of the cool whip (like I measured that. I just did like half). Spread over crust. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls, if using. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight until firm. 15 servings.
So I know I do not need to say this was a big hit. I liked it too. Even Nathan did. He said it was ice cream.
Garlic Beef Enchiladas
So we had this last Friday but we have been so crazy busy that this is the first time I have been able to sit down and put it in. And technically, I don't really have the time to do it right now either but I want to get it in so I can file it away and off my counter...it was quite good, from Taste of Home pg 107. This was my first foray into Mexican cooking that did not involve Old El Paso or Ortega, so I wasn't sure how it would go, but it was good. It smelled yummy too.
Garlic Beef Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
Sauce:
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 to 2 tbsp chili powder
1 to 2 tsp ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp salt
10 flour tortillas (7 inches)
2 cups shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
In a saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour and seasonings until blended. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer x 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce into an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 tbsp cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce. Cover and bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
So I would call this a success. We had filling and sauce left over even after our tortillas were all filled. It's still in the fridge, not sure what to do with it without tortillas and cheese. On all the spices that had a range, I used the lower range because I don't like spicy stuff, and it wasn't spicy, just flavorful. So I suppose if you like spicy you should go higher. Okay that's it for now...also I made a dessert yesterday which I will list separately.
Garlic Beef Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
Sauce:
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 to 2 tbsp chili powder
1 to 2 tsp ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp salt
10 flour tortillas (7 inches)
2 cups shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
In a saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour and seasonings until blended. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer x 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce into an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 tbsp cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce. Cover and bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
So I would call this a success. We had filling and sauce left over even after our tortillas were all filled. It's still in the fridge, not sure what to do with it without tortillas and cheese. On all the spices that had a range, I used the lower range because I don't like spicy stuff, and it wasn't spicy, just flavorful. So I suppose if you like spicy you should go higher. Okay that's it for now...also I made a dessert yesterday which I will list separately.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Cappuccino Mousse Trifle
So last night was my mom and my little guy's birthday (one turned 53, the other 2...you can guess who was who). So for Nathan we had cupcakes, courtesy of this awesome caterer we know, and for Mom we had this. Steve hates coffee and coffee-flavored things (this and strawberries are the only things he doesn't like. Oh, and raisin-containing foods) so I can only make things like this when we are having people over. Of course, I could make them and eat them all myself, but that wouldn't be a good thing. As it is, I have half of this left over that I have to eat all by myself. But it was really good. This recipe came with my Pampered Chef trifle dish. This is the first time I used the dish that I really wanted. Jessi says I should mark the box with tally marks to prove that I'm using it. That way when I want another specialty dish and Steve says I will never use it, I can say, "Yes I do use my specialty dishes. As you can see by these tally marks, I used this trifle dish on Nathan's birthday. What's the matter, don't you love our children?" And he will let me get the dish.
Cappuccino Mousse Trifle
1 16 oz frozen pound cake (I used Sara Lee)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1/3 cup instant coffee granules
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) vanilla instant pudding
16 oz cool whip, thawed, divided
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, grated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes; set aside. Whisk together milk and instant coffee; let stand 5 minutes or until dissolved. Set aside 1 cup of the milk mixture. Add pudding mixes to remaining milk mixture; whisk until it begins to thicken. Gently fold in half of the cool whip. To assemble trifle, place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of trifle bowl, pressing down gently. Pour half the reserved milk mixture evenly over cake cubes. Top with half of the pudding mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated chocolate over pudding. Repeat layers one time (reserve remaining chocolate for garnish). Spread remaining cool whip over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining chocolate and cinnamon over the cool whip. 10 servings.
So I'm pretty sure everyone liked this. Even though Corinne, Grampie's girlfriend, left like 2 bites on her plate. I wanted to say "what's wrong with my dessert? Eat it!" But I didn't, I just threw it away. But my in-laws, my parents, my sister, and Grampie all ate it. Then Steve's friend Simon came over and he ate some too. So this is a keeper, even though I can't make it again until there's a big to-do over something. And even then I probably won't make this exact thing again because I have other recipes I want to try in this thing. One of them contains strawberries...
Cappuccino Mousse Trifle
1 16 oz frozen pound cake (I used Sara Lee)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1/3 cup instant coffee granules
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) vanilla instant pudding
16 oz cool whip, thawed, divided
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, grated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes; set aside. Whisk together milk and instant coffee; let stand 5 minutes or until dissolved. Set aside 1 cup of the milk mixture. Add pudding mixes to remaining milk mixture; whisk until it begins to thicken. Gently fold in half of the cool whip. To assemble trifle, place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of trifle bowl, pressing down gently. Pour half the reserved milk mixture evenly over cake cubes. Top with half of the pudding mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated chocolate over pudding. Repeat layers one time (reserve remaining chocolate for garnish). Spread remaining cool whip over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining chocolate and cinnamon over the cool whip. 10 servings.
So I'm pretty sure everyone liked this. Even though Corinne, Grampie's girlfriend, left like 2 bites on her plate. I wanted to say "what's wrong with my dessert? Eat it!" But I didn't, I just threw it away. But my in-laws, my parents, my sister, and Grampie all ate it. Then Steve's friend Simon came over and he ate some too. So this is a keeper, even though I can't make it again until there's a big to-do over something. And even then I probably won't make this exact thing again because I have other recipes I want to try in this thing. One of them contains strawberries...
Monday, September 1, 2008
Colorful Chicken Pizza
Because you cut up crayons on it. Nah, just kidding. It's because it has red & green pepper. Anyway, we had this for lunch after church yesterday. It was very good, but Emma and Nathan had chicken nuggets. I knew they wouldn't like it and didn't want a battle. Sam had some but I could tell he wasn't crazy about it when he left some on his plate. He is getting to be a big eater, and usually finishes a lot of food as fast as Steve does, leaving me & Emma still chewing and talking long after they are done...this one is from Simple & Delicious May/June 2008.
Colorful Chicken Pizza
1 Boboli pizza crust (14 oz) (I used whole wheat, which only weighed 10 oz, but it was fine)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (6 oz) ready-to-serve grilled chicken breast strips (they won't tell you, but I will...they're Oscar Mayer and they're near like the prepared chicken pot pies and stuff...and they only cost $2.69, which is way less than what I was expecting)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded pizza cheese blend
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (I left this out)
2 tbsp minced fresh basil (I left this out, too...I don't like mincing herbs so I was going to use dried, but I just forgot about it)
Place the crust on an ungreased 12-in pizza pan (I used my lg Pampered Chef round stone). Brush with oil. Combine the chicken, barbecue sauce, onion, and garlic; spoon half over crust. Sprinkle with pizza cheese. Top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with peppers, gouda cheese, and basil. Bake @ 450 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 slices.
Okay so this was good, but small. There might be 6 slices, but not 6 servings. The three of us cleaned it up. We decided this would be good if we had friends over, and just the 4 grownups ate the pizza, and if you had a salad or something to stretch it, and the kids had peanut butter and jelly. But it was yummy. Very gourmet, and I think moderately healthy. Cheese is good for you, containing calcium, a necessary nutrient for bone health. So this is a keeper!
Colorful Chicken Pizza
1 Boboli pizza crust (14 oz) (I used whole wheat, which only weighed 10 oz, but it was fine)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (6 oz) ready-to-serve grilled chicken breast strips (they won't tell you, but I will...they're Oscar Mayer and they're near like the prepared chicken pot pies and stuff...and they only cost $2.69, which is way less than what I was expecting)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded pizza cheese blend
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (I left this out)
2 tbsp minced fresh basil (I left this out, too...I don't like mincing herbs so I was going to use dried, but I just forgot about it)
Place the crust on an ungreased 12-in pizza pan (I used my lg Pampered Chef round stone). Brush with oil. Combine the chicken, barbecue sauce, onion, and garlic; spoon half over crust. Sprinkle with pizza cheese. Top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with peppers, gouda cheese, and basil. Bake @ 450 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. 6 slices.
Okay so this was good, but small. There might be 6 slices, but not 6 servings. The three of us cleaned it up. We decided this would be good if we had friends over, and just the 4 grownups ate the pizza, and if you had a salad or something to stretch it, and the kids had peanut butter and jelly. But it was yummy. Very gourmet, and I think moderately healthy. Cheese is good for you, containing calcium, a necessary nutrient for bone health. So this is a keeper!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Spanish Noodles 'n Ground Beef with Corn Bread
First off I just want to say, what a dumb recipe name...plus after making them, these weren't even Spanish. And, not even that good. It's from TOH pg 105. And we had this with cornbread, and I got that recipe off the corn meal box. I thought if it was going to be Spanish, then corn bread would be good with it. And the cornbread was good. Usually I make cornbread from a mix, but I had this cornmeal under the counter and I don't really remember buying it. And it's just a smidge outdated. On the cornmeal box, it says "try these recipes" like you have to, so I was like "okay, okay, I'll try a recipe...but I'm not making cornmeal mush (one of the other recipes on the box)."
Spanish Noodles 'n Ground Beef
1 pound ground beef
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 1/4 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a lg skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the noodles, tomatoes, water, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the noodles are tender, stirring frequently. Top with bacon. 5 servings
Easy Corn Bread
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal (of course it says "Quaker Enriched Cornmeal" but I bet you can use any kind)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten (of course I used a whole egg...if not what would I have done with 2 egg yolks?)
Heat oven to 400. Grease 8 or 9 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil, and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm. 9 servings.
Okay, so the noodles in the main dish never got fully cooked. I let it sit for like 5 minutes longer than the recommended cooking time...the water was all gone and it was turning to mush, and still the noodles were chewy. The flavor wasn't bad really, but I couldn't get past the noodles. Did Steve eat it? Why, yes he did. And he said it was good. Sometimes I wonder about him, really. The kids picked at it, as did I, getting the good stuff, which was mostly the crumbled bacon on top. And, Emma doesn't like bacon, so I ate her bacon too. So we won't be saving this one. But the cornbread I'll keep. I didn't have a simple cornbread recipe before this...usually when I use a mix the cornbread comes out yellower, and this one was just pale yellow, but it was good. But I am throwing away the rest of this expired cornmeal.
Spanish Noodles 'n Ground Beef
1 pound ground beef
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 1/4 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a lg skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the noodles, tomatoes, water, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the noodles are tender, stirring frequently. Top with bacon. 5 servings
Easy Corn Bread
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal (of course it says "Quaker Enriched Cornmeal" but I bet you can use any kind)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten (of course I used a whole egg...if not what would I have done with 2 egg yolks?)
Heat oven to 400. Grease 8 or 9 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil, and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm. 9 servings.
Okay, so the noodles in the main dish never got fully cooked. I let it sit for like 5 minutes longer than the recommended cooking time...the water was all gone and it was turning to mush, and still the noodles were chewy. The flavor wasn't bad really, but I couldn't get past the noodles. Did Steve eat it? Why, yes he did. And he said it was good. Sometimes I wonder about him, really. The kids picked at it, as did I, getting the good stuff, which was mostly the crumbled bacon on top. And, Emma doesn't like bacon, so I ate her bacon too. So we won't be saving this one. But the cornbread I'll keep. I didn't have a simple cornbread recipe before this...usually when I use a mix the cornbread comes out yellower, and this one was just pale yellow, but it was good. But I am throwing away the rest of this expired cornmeal.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Chewy Brownie Cookies
I made these cookies today while Nathan was sleeping...I got the recipe from a pack of Crisco sticks...weird, huh? But my kids all love brownies so I knew these would be a hit. And they were. Steve hasn't even gotten home yet to try one, but I still know they are a keeper because of the great response from the little ones...of course since it is a Crisco recipe, it does contain Crisco, which I'm pretty sure is bad for you...it does have less saturated fat than butter (according to the Crisco people) but I happen to know that to turn fat solid like that you have to make it be evil trans fat...this is two desserts in a row with Crisco...I will have to broaden my dessert horizons a bit here before we all die of hardening of the arteries...how young do your kids have to be the start them on the aspirin-a-day regimen?
Chewy Brownie Cookies
2/3 cup (2/3 stick) Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time @ 375 for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are set. Do not overbake. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack or sheets of foil to cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.
So I personally like brownies the best when they are still batter. Once they are baked they lose 94% of their charm. So I was hoping these would be a bit more like batter, since it does say they are "chewy." But they were mostly a cookie-like texture with a chocolate flavor. The chocolate chips were a nice touch. So these are a good, but should be a rare, treat.
Chewy Brownie Cookies
2/3 cup (2/3 stick) Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time @ 375 for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are set. Do not overbake. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack or sheets of foil to cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.
So I personally like brownies the best when they are still batter. Once they are baked they lose 94% of their charm. So I was hoping these would be a bit more like batter, since it does say they are "chewy." But they were mostly a cookie-like texture with a chocolate flavor. The chocolate chips were a nice touch. So these are a good, but should be a rare, treat.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Lemon Chicken
So I have finally finished the recipes I wanted from the March/April Simple & Delicious, and have moved on to the May/June issue...and my Sept/Oct just came 2 days ago! I can not catch up...maybe I will have to up the number of recipes I make in a week, like 3 in 2 weeks instead of 2...but I'm sure Duke Frugal would not approve the budget increase =) Hee hee...So anyway this is the first one from the May/June, which we had last night.
Lemon Chicken
1/3 cup biscuit mix
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups lemon pie filling (which ended up being almost a whole can)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
In a lg ziploc bag, combine biscuit mix, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown chicken in the olive oil on both sides; drain. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the pie filling, water, vinegar, and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, @ 375 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
So this was just okay. It caught my interest because of the lemon pie filling. But it wasn't anything fabulous. The kids all ate it (except Nathan) and we did, too, but it just wasn't anything spectacular. So I won't be saving this recipe, since I have so many more recipes for chicken that we just love. But it was interesting anyway for a change. My dad would say, let's not have this again real soon.
Lemon Chicken
1/3 cup biscuit mix
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups lemon pie filling (which ended up being almost a whole can)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
In a lg ziploc bag, combine biscuit mix, seasoned salt, and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown chicken in the olive oil on both sides; drain. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the pie filling, water, vinegar, and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, @ 375 for 40-45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
So this was just okay. It caught my interest because of the lemon pie filling. But it wasn't anything fabulous. The kids all ate it (except Nathan) and we did, too, but it just wasn't anything spectacular. So I won't be saving this recipe, since I have so many more recipes for chicken that we just love. But it was interesting anyway for a change. My dad would say, let's not have this again real soon.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
So these have a lovely picture by them as well, and I knew Steve would just love these. And I was right. They are quite good, and I'm sure they are also quite bad for you...but they were a hit, and we only have things like this like every couple weeks or so...that's probably still too often. But I love to bake so I guess that ends the argument. They are kind of like whoppie pies, except with cookies instead of cakey like things, and peanut butter filling. From TOH pg 562.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
1 cup butter flavored shortening (see how bad?)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (I accidentally put 1/2 tsp and you can't even tell)
Filling:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5-6 tbsp milk
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 3/8 inch thickness with fork (how precise...I certainly did not measure...just do it until it looks right). Bake @ 375 for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. For filling, in large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread on half of the cookies and top each with another cookie. Yield: 2 dozen sandwich cookies.
So anyway these were good. Emma helped me make them which is always fun. Nathan had two cookies without filling when he woke up from his nap and really liked them. Steve came home from work and had one and declared that now he loved me more (more than he did previously, or more than someone else, I am not sure. But either way I'm ahead). So these are a keeper!!
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
1 cup butter flavored shortening (see how bad?)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (I accidentally put 1/2 tsp and you can't even tell)
Filling:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5-6 tbsp milk
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 3/8 inch thickness with fork (how precise...I certainly did not measure...just do it until it looks right). Bake @ 375 for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. For filling, in large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread on half of the cookies and top each with another cookie. Yield: 2 dozen sandwich cookies.
So anyway these were good. Emma helped me make them which is always fun. Nathan had two cookies without filling when he woke up from his nap and really liked them. Steve came home from work and had one and declared that now he loved me more (more than he did previously, or more than someone else, I am not sure. But either way I'm ahead). So these are a keeper!!
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
So I thought this would be good. It has an accompanying picture which looks tasty. But at the end of the day, they were like meatloaves with a different kind of sauce...from TOH pg 103.
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
1 egg
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed French onion soup, undiluted, divided
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cold water
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles (I just made 1/2 of a bag, I didn't measure)
In a large bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/3 cup soup, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture; mix gently. Shap into 6 oval patties. In a skillet, brown patties over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside; drain. Add the water, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, mustard, and remaining soup to skillet. Bring to a boil. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Remove patties. Combine flour and cold water until smooth. Stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve patties and gravy over noodles. 6 servings.
So this wasn't bad, although Sam and Emma weren't crazy about it. I wasn't either. It wasn't bad, just not that good either...but if you guys like this sort of thing then this may be for you.
Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy
1 egg
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed French onion soup, undiluted, divided
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cold water
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles (I just made 1/2 of a bag, I didn't measure)
In a large bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/3 cup soup, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture; mix gently. Shap into 6 oval patties. In a skillet, brown patties over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside; drain. Add the water, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, mustard, and remaining soup to skillet. Bring to a boil. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Remove patties. Combine flour and cold water until smooth. Stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve patties and gravy over noodles. 6 servings.
So this wasn't bad, although Sam and Emma weren't crazy about it. I wasn't either. It wasn't bad, just not that good either...but if you guys like this sort of thing then this may be for you.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
So we made this last night and they were so yummy! It is from TOH pg 100...this made a lot of ribs. So remember that part in Genesis where Isaac & Abraham were climbing to Mt Moriah and Isaac was all, "hey Dad, where is the lamb for the sacrifice" and Abraham was all "God will provide Himself a lamb." So when I bought these 4 lbs of ribs, I was like "Who will eat these many ribs with us?" And God provided some co-eaters. Because I was watching the Del Monaco children while Lisa had an appointment yesterday afternoon. And they had been in the crockpot all day (the ribs, not her kids) and smelled so good, and when Lisa dropped the kids off, she was like "something smells good" and I was like "it's new recipe night." So when she was done I invited them to have supper with us and it was a great time of food and intercourse (hee hee. That's what they called fellowship in Old English...we are staying in Intercourse, PA when we go to Amish country...also I am reading Alfred Edersheim right now, and twice in 2 pages he called fellowship "intercourse"...isn't that funny? It certainly makes you look twice, anyway...in case I need to clarify here, we just had a good time talking last night with our friends). Well anyway here is the recipe...
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
2/3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 to 4 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1/4 to 1/3 cup butter (I just used 1/4)
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced (thank you, Pampered Chef)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
In a large ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add ribs in batches and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown ribs in butter. Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. In the same skillet, combine the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours (mine only took like 8) or until meat is tender. 12 servings.
See how easy? And they were really quite good. Ethan, the youngest Del Monaco (who can eat), even had seconds, and on other visits to my home he has not wanted anything to do with what I have cooked. So I would say this is a keeper. And the crock pot cooking smell is so good. Yankee should make a candle of like "Crock Pot Cooking" smell or something because it is a good aroma to come in the house to. We had this with buttered cheese noodles, which was a new recipe from like 2004, but now I make all the time, it's the only way I make noodles now, practically. I am including it here because Lisa said she liked it.
Buttered Cheese Noodles
1 pkg egg noodles
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried chives (Sam said this as "cheeves" one day, as in Mom, what are cheeves?)(I usually use a bit more chives than this though...maybe like 2 tsp)
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add noodles, 1 tsp salt, and a pat of butter. Cook the noodles until they are done; drain. Return noodles to pan, add butter and stir to coat. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and cheeves and stir. Serve warm. Last night I made the full bag, but usually when it's just the 5 of us I make half the bag of noodles and decrease everything else by half. Because otherwise it's way too much, and I have found that these do not reheat very well.
There. Also we had freezer burnt green beans with this, they were the dark spot of the meal. But then, the vegetable usually is the dark spot of the meal for me anyway. Saturday we are going to Amish country!! We are so excited! Talk to you all soon!
Slow-Cooked Short Ribs
2/3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 to 4 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1/4 to 1/3 cup butter (I just used 1/4)
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced (thank you, Pampered Chef)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
In a large ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add ribs in batches and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown ribs in butter. Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. In the same skillet, combine the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours (mine only took like 8) or until meat is tender. 12 servings.
See how easy? And they were really quite good. Ethan, the youngest Del Monaco (who can eat), even had seconds, and on other visits to my home he has not wanted anything to do with what I have cooked. So I would say this is a keeper. And the crock pot cooking smell is so good. Yankee should make a candle of like "Crock Pot Cooking" smell or something because it is a good aroma to come in the house to. We had this with buttered cheese noodles, which was a new recipe from like 2004, but now I make all the time, it's the only way I make noodles now, practically. I am including it here because Lisa said she liked it.
Buttered Cheese Noodles
1 pkg egg noodles
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried chives (Sam said this as "cheeves" one day, as in Mom, what are cheeves?)(I usually use a bit more chives than this though...maybe like 2 tsp)
In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add noodles, 1 tsp salt, and a pat of butter. Cook the noodles until they are done; drain. Return noodles to pan, add butter and stir to coat. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and cheeves and stir. Serve warm. Last night I made the full bag, but usually when it's just the 5 of us I make half the bag of noodles and decrease everything else by half. Because otherwise it's way too much, and I have found that these do not reheat very well.
There. Also we had freezer burnt green beans with this, they were the dark spot of the meal. But then, the vegetable usually is the dark spot of the meal for me anyway. Saturday we are going to Amish country!! We are so excited! Talk to you all soon!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Split Second Cookies
Well, these took longer than that to make...but they were pretty easy. But it's a dumb name. If I was making these I would call them like sugar jelly cookies or something. But anyway...Emma and I made these yesterday while Nathan was "napping" (aka jumping in his crib, taking off his sheet, throwing books, etc, at nap time). It is from the TOH cookbook, pg 560.
Split Second Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless, and a bit more than this amount)
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into four equal portions; shape each into a 12 inch by 3/4 inch log. Place 4 inches apart on 2 greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2 inch depression down center of logs; fill with jam. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes; cut diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. About 5 dozen.
I baked mine in 2 batches instead of both pans at once because 2 pieces of my stoneware wouldn't fit in there at the same time. They took like 16 1/2 minutes each. Then when I cut them, of course I cut them bigger than 3/4 inch slices...sheesh. So we got maybe 3 dozen out of them. But they are good. They would be good for a potluck, or dinner or something, since they are kind of small. But they were tasty. Everyone liked them.
Split Second Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless, and a bit more than this amount)
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into four equal portions; shape each into a 12 inch by 3/4 inch log. Place 4 inches apart on 2 greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2 inch depression down center of logs; fill with jam. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes; cut diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. About 5 dozen.
I baked mine in 2 batches instead of both pans at once because 2 pieces of my stoneware wouldn't fit in there at the same time. They took like 16 1/2 minutes each. Then when I cut them, of course I cut them bigger than 3/4 inch slices...sheesh. So we got maybe 3 dozen out of them. But they are good. They would be good for a potluck, or dinner or something, since they are kind of small. But they were tasty. Everyone liked them.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
We had this last night. I know, I know...chowder in July? Well, yes. We had ham from Kathy at the farm, and, not coincendentally, this was the next recipe in the queue. This was so delicious. Even Steve liked it, and he doesn't even really like ham. So you know it was a good recipe. Plus, I felt very domestic while I was like chopping 3 different vegetables, etc, to put in it. It's from S&D mar/apr 2008...we had it with Easy Cheddar Biscuits, which I posted earlier this year (Sept 2007), and it was a very good match.
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme (remember that thyme?)
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (nope too expensive, so I left it out...it's just garnish anyway)
In a lg saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving. 8 servings (2 quarts)
So...me and Steve were like lapping our bowls. Steve had seconds. But strangely, Sam and Emma were not that excited about it (okay, it's not at all strange for Emma...but for Sam it is). This was really so so yummy. We are definitely making this one again.
Farmhouse Ham Chowder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 tsp dried thyme (remember that thyme?)
2 oz smoked gouda cheese, shredded (nope too expensive, so I left it out...it's just garnish anyway)
In a lg saucepan, saute the onion, celery, and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the potatoes, corn, ham, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving. 8 servings (2 quarts)
So...me and Steve were like lapping our bowls. Steve had seconds. But strangely, Sam and Emma were not that excited about it (okay, it's not at all strange for Emma...but for Sam it is). This was really so so yummy. We are definitely making this one again.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
MREs with Daddy
For you who have been with me from the beginning, you will know that what I'm about to do is a New Recipe Night first. I am going to feature a guest chef and his new recipe, as well as the kids' response to it. Now, the guest chef is my husband, the amazing and talented Steve. I was at work on Thursday, and he had an MRE left over from his hike in Haiti a couple of weeks ago, so he decided to make it for the kids, thinking that at least it would be fun for them to see how it self-heats and stuff. The main reason I am posting this is Samuel's reaction, which will follow the recipe:
Cheese Tortellini MRE
Follow the directions on the package. Open it and eat it.
Okay. So Steve said it was not that good. Sam had a couple bites, and he said (and this is almost a direct quote): "Well, Dad, I'll try again when I'm older, because I read that some of our taste buds die when we get old, so maybe I'll like it then." What a crack up! This kid is brilliant and funny. And what's even cuter is that he was not trying to be sarcastic. He was trying to make Steve feel better about not liking it, and saying he would try again later. What a sweet boy. Emma and Nathan, predictably, did not eat it. Guess I will remain the chief cook around here.
Cheese Tortellini MRE
Follow the directions on the package. Open it and eat it.
Okay. So Steve said it was not that good. Sam had a couple bites, and he said (and this is almost a direct quote): "Well, Dad, I'll try again when I'm older, because I read that some of our taste buds die when we get old, so maybe I'll like it then." What a crack up! This kid is brilliant and funny. And what's even cuter is that he was not trying to be sarcastic. He was trying to make Steve feel better about not liking it, and saying he would try again later. What a sweet boy. Emma and Nathan, predictably, did not eat it. Guess I will remain the chief cook around here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Seasoned Swiss Steak
Why is it called Swiss? I do not know. It didn't seem very Swiss, based on the Swiss things I am familiar with, such as Swiss Miss and Swiss Army Knife. So I don't know the origin of the title, but it was a very tasty meal. We had it last night. It's from Taste of Home cookbook pg 98.
Seasoned Swiss Steak
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak (about 1 inch thick), cut into serving-size pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced carrots (who dices carrots? Not me. I just cut them up)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I did not have, so I left it out)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cold water
Combine the flour, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; set aside 2 tbsp for gravy. Rub remaining flour mixture over steak. Pound with a meat mallet to tenderize. In a lg skillet, brown steak in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with carrots, onion, green pepper, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (did I actually have my oven on that long on a hot summer day? Yes I did, because I have to follow my system) or until meat and vegetables are tender. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving dish; keep warm. Strain pan juices into a measuring cup; add water to measure 1 cup. In a saucepan, combine reserved flour mixture with the cold water until smooth. Whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add remaining salt and pepper. Serve over steak. 6 servings.
So these were like little yummy pot roasts. They were so good and tender. Nathan didn't try it, but everybody else liked them, even Emma. I think I am keeping this one, even though I probably won't make it often because steak is so expensive. But I will have it in my file anyway. Now I am all caught up from when Steve is gone and can proceed as usual. Have a good day girls!!
Seasoned Swiss Steak
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak (about 1 inch thick), cut into serving-size pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced carrots (who dices carrots? Not me. I just cut them up)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I did not have, so I left it out)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cold water
Combine the flour, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; set aside 2 tbsp for gravy. Rub remaining flour mixture over steak. Pound with a meat mallet to tenderize. In a lg skillet, brown steak in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with carrots, onion, green pepper, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover and bake @ 350 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (did I actually have my oven on that long on a hot summer day? Yes I did, because I have to follow my system) or until meat and vegetables are tender. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving dish; keep warm. Strain pan juices into a measuring cup; add water to measure 1 cup. In a saucepan, combine reserved flour mixture with the cold water until smooth. Whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add remaining salt and pepper. Serve over steak. 6 servings.
So these were like little yummy pot roasts. They were so good and tender. Nathan didn't try it, but everybody else liked them, even Emma. I think I am keeping this one, even though I probably won't make it often because steak is so expensive. But I will have it in my file anyway. Now I am all caught up from when Steve is gone and can proceed as usual. Have a good day girls!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Molasses Raisin Chews
So I had planned to make these while Steve was gone, because he doesn't really care for raisin-containing foods. But, VBS kicked my butt while he was gone and I didn't do anything extra. Except what I needed to survive (thank you Spaceballs). So I made these on Monday, when my excitement about seeing him gave me a 2nd wind. Yes, I could've skipped them and made something he would've loved, but you see I have a system that I must stick to (thank you Mom). The reason I wanted to make these is because this is my favorite cookie that they make at the hospital, and this is the first recipe I've really seen for them. I'm sure this will be one I make again (sorry Steve) because all the kids like them. Even Nathan. And that is impressive.
Molasses Raisin Chews
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or chives, if you are Jessi trying to taste out the recipe. Hee hee)
1/4 tsp salt (important...I almost forgot this and added it at the very end...)
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk (very easy to do with my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer), beating well after each addition. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Arrange 3 raisins on each cookie (now that seemed silly to me, and like it would take too long. So I added the raisins after everything was mixed together, just all at once and mixed them in like chocolate chips). Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set (mine took like 17-18 minutes for each cookie sheet. Not even kidding). Remove to wire racks to cool. 5 1/2 dozen.
So when Nathan woke up from his nap and saw the cookies on the cooling rack, he was like "Tootie! Tootie!" So he had the first one and he has had several since. So we are definitely keeping this because that just doesn't happen very often. And tonight we went to the park for a picnic with Jessi and JoJo and I made Jessi eat one even though she said she didn't care for molasses cookies. But she ate it. And a 2nd one. So you see this is a good recipe.
Molasses Raisin Chews
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves (or chives, if you are Jessi trying to taste out the recipe. Hee hee)
1/4 tsp salt (important...I almost forgot this and added it at the very end...)
1 cup milk
1 cup raisins
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk (very easy to do with my sweet Kitchen Aid mixer), beating well after each addition. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Arrange 3 raisins on each cookie (now that seemed silly to me, and like it would take too long. So I added the raisins after everything was mixed together, just all at once and mixed them in like chocolate chips). Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set (mine took like 17-18 minutes for each cookie sheet. Not even kidding). Remove to wire racks to cool. 5 1/2 dozen.
So when Nathan woke up from his nap and saw the cookies on the cooling rack, he was like "Tootie! Tootie!" So he had the first one and he has had several since. So we are definitely keeping this because that just doesn't happen very often. And tonight we went to the park for a picnic with Jessi and JoJo and I made Jessi eat one even though she said she didn't care for molasses cookies. But she ate it. And a 2nd one. So you see this is a good recipe.
Change-of-Pace Burgers and Loaded Waffle Fries
Well, my faithful readership (Mom) has probably noticed I have been on a bit of a hiatus lately. While Steve was in Haiti, I didn't really cook much of anything. I liken it to painting for a blind man. My kids are so picky it seems pointless to make something that I am reasonably sure they will not eat (except Samuel who is such a good eater). So anyway, Steve got back yesterday afternoon. I made cookies (a separate post) and this is what we had for supper. It is from Simple & Delicious Mar/Apr 2008.
Change-of-Pace Burgers
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mushrooms (I left these out)
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 pound ground beef
4 hamburger buns, split (duh. who would not split a hamburger bun? Would they just place it on top of the bun? or the bun on top of the burger like a hat? Come on people)
In a large bowl combine onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and chili sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 patties (they didn't really hold together very well...). In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns (we added cheese as well). 4 burgers.
Loaded Waffle Fries
Okay so I couldn't find waffle fries at Walmart or Hannaford. So I used crinkle cut fries. If you make this, I would follow the french fry-cooking directions on the bag of fries you get, rather than these here.
4 cups frozen waffle cut fries
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning (I used Mrs Dash steak blend. It's what I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp real bacon bits
Arrange fries in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 450 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to coat. Top with cheese, onions, and bacon. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So. This made a way lot of fries. We have half of them left over. Steve and I liked them but the kids didn't really. I gave Nathan the ones from the edge with no seasoning or cheese and he ate them. Same with Emma. I gave Sam loaded ones and he didn't even touch them. I think I will save this recipe but if I make it again I think I will leave out the steak seasoning. It was just a weird thing, I guess. The burgers were pretty good. The little ones had hot dogs, but Steve, Sam and I had the burgers. They were moist and tasty, even if they were hard to keep together. So I guess we have a keeper.
Change-of-Pace Burgers
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mushrooms (I left these out)
3 tbsp chili sauce
1 pound ground beef
4 hamburger buns, split (duh. who would not split a hamburger bun? Would they just place it on top of the bun? or the bun on top of the burger like a hat? Come on people)
In a large bowl combine onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and chili sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 patties (they didn't really hold together very well...). In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns (we added cheese as well). 4 burgers.
Loaded Waffle Fries
Okay so I couldn't find waffle fries at Walmart or Hannaford. So I used crinkle cut fries. If you make this, I would follow the french fry-cooking directions on the bag of fries you get, rather than these here.
4 cups frozen waffle cut fries
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp steak seasoning (I used Mrs Dash steak blend. It's what I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp real bacon bits
Arrange fries in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 450 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to coat. Top with cheese, onions, and bacon. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 4 servings
So. This made a way lot of fries. We have half of them left over. Steve and I liked them but the kids didn't really. I gave Nathan the ones from the edge with no seasoning or cheese and he ate them. Same with Emma. I gave Sam loaded ones and he didn't even touch them. I think I will save this recipe but if I make it again I think I will leave out the steak seasoning. It was just a weird thing, I guess. The burgers were pretty good. The little ones had hot dogs, but Steve, Sam and I had the burgers. They were moist and tasty, even if they were hard to keep together. So I guess we have a keeper.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
State Fair Cream Puffs
This was my dessert for these 2 weeks. Not sure which state fair these are from, I've never seen them at the Bangor State Fai-yuh, so I don't know. These sounded really easy to make and the picture looked so yummy, so I decided to try it. It's also from the Taste of Home book (p. 530). Even though it sounds easy, it was a bit tricky...but they were pretty good.
State Fair Cream Puffs
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
additonal confectioners' sugar
In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Combine milk and egg yolk; brush over puffs. Bake @ 400 for 30-35 minutes (mine only took like 28) or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks, immediately cut a slit in each for the steam to escape (I think you should cut a slit and then move to the racks, because by the time I had them all on the cooling rack and started cutting slits, the first few had collapsed); cool. In a large chilled mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until almost stiff. Split cream puffs; discard soft dough from inside. Fill the cream puffs just before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.
So, due to the collapse of several puffs, I only actually got a yield of 8 instead of 12. And some of those 8 were pretty flat. I would say I got 3 that were actually puffed like the picture. But I'm still excited because that shows potential! I am going to try these again at some point, because they were easy and tasty. And they looked cool, like something you would buy at a bakery. You know those cruellers they have at Tim Horton's (I certainly don't because I do not spend our family's limited resources on coffee and pastries. hee hee)...well they taste like those cruellers, without the glaze, though, filled with whipped cream...next time I might add more sugar to the whipped cream because it didn't taste quite sweet enough...but I will be saving this one.
State Fair Cream Puffs
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
additonal confectioners' sugar
In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Combine milk and egg yolk; brush over puffs. Bake @ 400 for 30-35 minutes (mine only took like 28) or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks, immediately cut a slit in each for the steam to escape (I think you should cut a slit and then move to the racks, because by the time I had them all on the cooling rack and started cutting slits, the first few had collapsed); cool. In a large chilled mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until almost stiff. Split cream puffs; discard soft dough from inside. Fill the cream puffs just before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.
So, due to the collapse of several puffs, I only actually got a yield of 8 instead of 12. And some of those 8 were pretty flat. I would say I got 3 that were actually puffed like the picture. But I'm still excited because that shows potential! I am going to try these again at some point, because they were easy and tasty. And they looked cool, like something you would buy at a bakery. You know those cruellers they have at Tim Horton's (I certainly don't because I do not spend our family's limited resources on coffee and pastries. hee hee)...well they taste like those cruellers, without the glaze, though, filled with whipped cream...next time I might add more sugar to the whipped cream because it didn't taste quite sweet enough...but I will be saving this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)