In the kitchen...

Microwave Lemon Curd

2012-01-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

See that beautiful little jar beside that plate? Oh my! I LOVE LOVE LOVE all things lemon. And this lemon curd was oh so easy and super yummy. AND, I made it in the microwave! It may have taken a total of 30 minutes including clean up. I got a little more than 2 cups of lemon curd. I divided it between 2 of the little jars like in the above picture (each held about 2/3 cup) and a couple of 1 cup Pampered Chef bowls with lids. This worked well for me because I was able to give some of it away since I DO NOT need that much lemon curd in my house. I would have eaten it...all of it...with a spoon (sans scones). Well, that and it only keeps for 3 weeks in the fridge. So, there would have been added pressure to eat it because I'm not gonna throw food away. (o; Ok, so if you love all things lemon as much as I do, then you MUST make this. TODAY.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup fresh lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons, finely grated

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

In a very large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until very smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and melted butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes total. Remove from the microwave and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool for one hour. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will thicken a little more once it has been refrigerated. And it just gets better the longer it sits!

Cranberry Scones

2012-01-24T13:51:00.001-06:00

I found this recipe at the Taste of Home website. I had been looking for a scone recipe so I could smear from of my homemade lemon curd on it. Really I am always looking for an excuse to bake something and well...you get the point. So, these are quite tasty. I have found that most people either love scones are not so much. I am a lover of scones. Enough of that...here ya go.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powderr

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter

3 tablespoons 2% milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 teaspoon coarse sugar

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine milk and 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg; add to crumb mixture just until moistened. Stir in cranberries.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into a 6-in. circle. Cut into four wedges. Separate wedges and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush with remaining egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 4 scones.

My notes:
Yes, you really do beat the egg, then spoon out 2 tablespoons of it into the 3 tablespoons of milk. Strange, but that is what you do. After I added that to the dry ingredients, I was in the process of combining "just until moistened." However, it never got moist. So I added more milk...can't give you a precise measurement here, because I just poured...probably a couple of tablespoons.

I followed all the other directions and they turned out beautiful and oh so yummy! If you like strong lemon or citrus, you have got to make the lemon curd as well so you can smear it on each delicious bite!!!!

What's for dinner?

2011-09-21T15:31:00.000-05:00

Sunday lunch - leftover pinto beans and cornbread, leftover poppy seed chicken

Monday - spaghetti, green salad, bread

Tuesday - tacos, fajitas (from left over steak we grilled Saturday night), salsa, cheese dip, chips

Wednesday - eat out

Thursday - salmon patties, fried okra, purple hull peas, cream corn, green salad

Friday - sloppy joes, chips and dip

Saturday - hot dogs over fire pit, chips, dips & smores (kids #1 & #2 family birthday dinner - they chose the menu)

Poppy Seed Chicken

2011-09-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not taking a picture of this one. Honestly, I thought I did, but apparently not, because I can't find one. So, just trust me...this one is quick, easy and real a family favorite.
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can of cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted

Combine chicken, soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Spoon into a lightly greased 11x7 baking dish. Combine crushed crackers and butter, then sprinkle over the chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

My notes:
You can cook your chicken any way you like...boiled, roasted, grilled, baked...whatever you wanna do. I boiled mine just because it was easy and I was short on time.

I also doubled the recipe because I knew one 11x7 baking dish wouldn't be enough for my family of 6. I put it in a 9x13. It was a LOT, but we enjoyed having leftovers. Hope you enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

2011-08-20T12:20:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

1 box Lemon Cake mix with pudding in the mix
1 pkg. Lemon instant pudding mix (4-serving size)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 cup poppy seeds

Instructions

Grease 2 loaf pans and instead of flouring, use sugar.
Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Note: I like to add 1 teaspoon lemon oil for an extra lemon “kick”.
Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350° F.
Test with toothpick for doneness.

My notes:

The recipe above is taken directly from Southern Plate and is another easy "Quick Bread" recipe. I follow the recipe (shocker, I know) except that I didn't have any lemon oil on hand. So, I squeezed 1/2 a lemon into mine and just stirred it in. If you need to whip something up in a hurry to take somewhere or because company's comin', then this one is great!

Quick Biscuit Style Cinnamon Rolls

2011-08-15T23:39:00.001-05:00

Homemade cinnamon rolls...no eggs...no rise time...REALLY! Can you get any better than that!?!? I'm tellin' ya, these things are amazing and addictive! I made them 4 times in less than 2 weeks. So, BEWARE! I cannot be held responsible for the weight you will gain as a result of these sinful cinnamon rolls.

Biscuits

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup whole milk

Filling:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla Glaze:

1 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

milk, if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch cake pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Dice 2 tablespoons of the butter and rub into flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and combine with sour cream and milk. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough to 1/4'' - 1/2'' thickness.

Combine filling ingredients to form a paste and spread over dough. Roll up tightly and slice into 1'' - 1 1/2'' slices. Place into greased pan. Leave a little room between them to allow to expand while cooking.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Cool 5 minutes. Combine all glaze ingredients until smooth and spread over warm rolls.

My notes:

I can't tell you enough how seriously good these are. They almost melt in your mouth. And, with some fruit and bacon, they make a pretty amazing breakfast.

"Rub" the butter into the flour mixture - I used my pastry blender ('cept for when I was in Utah where I used 2 forks - maybe I should buy Rach a pastry blender for Christmas).

The dough was consistently a little dry for me, so each time I have made them I have added 4 additional tablespoons of milk. EXCEPT for the time I made them while visiting a friend in Utah...there I had to add so much extra milk that I stopped measuring. Just a difference in the humidity I am sure. Just add a little extra milk if you need to to make sure you aren't leaving half of your dry ingredients in the bowl. But don't add so much milk that your dough is so sticky you can't work with it.

The recipe says to roll out the dough. I did that the first time I made them. Then every other time I just smooshed it out with my fingers/hands to the shape and thickness I wanted. I did this simply because at that moment I was too lazy to get out my rolling pin. Just being honest...(o:

I would recommend mixing up your filling first so it will be ready and waiting on you when you need it. Otherwise, you are going to have to wash all the dough off your hands, make the filling, then get your hands doughy all over again.

I never needed to add any milk to the glaze.

I got 12-15 rolls each time I made this. I would tell you about storage of the leftovers, but what few leftovers we had only lasted a few hours. So, I just left them sitting out on the counter and watched them dwindle throughout the day. They do reheat amazingly well though.

You should check your pantry now, make sure you have everything you need and plan to make them for Saturday morning breakfast...if you can wait that long. Seriously...trust me!

Blog Changes

2011-06-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

Please bear with me as I undergo a little construction here on "In The Kitchen". The old design was just a little tired...well, I was tired of looking at it. I'm working at it but it may take me a few days to get it just like I want it. I'll make sure you can still access all of the recipes in the process. Thanks!

All-Day Apple Butter

2011-06-23T21:56:00.001-05:00

Ingredients 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.

Cover and cook on high 1 hour.

Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.

Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Water bath for 10-15 minutes.

My notes:

I have made this one twice now. I got 12 jars (half-pint) the first time and about 15 the second time. Used 5 1/2 to 6 pounds of apples the first time. Second time just crammed as much as possible into the crockpot...probably around 6 1/2 pounds.

The spices...Well, as far as cinnamon goes, I'm one of those "if a little's good, a lot's better" people. Can you really get too much cinnamon in something? Just askin. So, here's what I did on the spices. 2-3 tablespoons of cinnamon, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of cloves, nutmeg & allspice, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of ginger. Now then, that's better!

Before I did this, I knew just enough about a water bath to look stupid in a conversation. So, I did some online research, read up on it, and poof...now I know what I'm doing. The original recipe did not require a water bath. But what I discovered in my research was that IF you do a water bath, whatever is in the jars will last longer. Now, I know this stuff ain't gonna last long at my house. BUT, I did give several away and I don't know how long it's gonna sit on someone else's shelf. So, there ya have it.

If you ever had a hankerin' to make jams or jellies of any sort, this is a really easy place to start. The only previous experience I had was strawberry jam with a friend a couple of summers ago...and she knew what she was doing. I was just there for moral support. (o: Let me know if you try this one. I would love to hear whatchya think.

Jalepeno Bites

2011-06-16T16:34:00.002-05:00

I made these as a quick little side with potato soup and broccoli cornbread. I can also see how they would make a great appetizer or finger food for a gathering.

1 8-oz package cream cheese (softened)

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno peppers

1 large egg, beaten

3 cups dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, jalapenos and egg to form a paste. Shape into balls. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

My notes:
I have made this one twice now and it is really something different from anything I have ever made. It tastes very similar to a jalapeno popper from Sonic but the texture is completely different. I wanted to eat a BUNCH of them, but they are so rich I couldn't do it. Next time I make this, I will most likely do a little something different with the breadcrumbs. I used breadcrumbs from my freezer (I make them my self out of the crust I cut from the kids' sandwiches). I think I will either season my breadcrumbs a little next time or maybe use panko to see if I can add a little more texture to them. Nonetheless, this is a recipe I will be happy to have in my arsenal. It's impressive and very different. Give it a try! I'd love to hear from you if you do.

Microwave Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2011-06-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

I had a house full of company (the 6 of us plus all 4 grandparents) when I made this one, so I failed to get a picture of it. But I got the recipe from Southern Plate and she always has some good pics of her food. So, if you must see it, click on the link above and check it out.

Ingredients

2 cups chicken (give or take, just use however much you have)

8 oz sour cream

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup french fried onion, divided

4 ounce chopped green chilies

1 pkg taco seasoning

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 -10 inch flour tortillas

Directions

Place chicken, sour cream, half of cheese, half of onions, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Tear one tortilla into small pieces and add to bowl, stirring again until well incorporated.

Line a pie plate with remaining tortilla and spoon mixture into it. Place in microwave for five minutes.* Remove and top with remaining onions and cheese. Microwave for one minute more, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

*Note: Microwave ovens vary widely in temperature so you may need to alter the cooking time to suit your microwave. Since the chicken is fully cooked, there isn’t a danger of under cooking this meal so you can just go with these guidelines and give or take a minute or so if you feel it needs it. This is a VERY flavorful casserole and leftovers heat up really well.

My notes:

When I read the original recipe, it recommended using a rotisserie chicken purchased from the deli. My plan was to do that, but the only ones they had read when I was at the store were BBQ. Obviously I wasn't going to use BBQ chicken in a mexican dish, and I didn't have the 20 minutes it was gonna take for another one to be ready. So, I went with canned all white meat chicken. I used 2 of the large cans.

I don't remember the total ounces of the can of french fried onions, but I ended up using the whole can.

Go easy on the cilantro. I didn't really measure when I was putting mine in and I must have gotten a little heavy handed with it. It was a little strong, but still quite tasty and no one DIDN'T eat it. (o:

So, the verdict? I will make this one again...probably several times...throughout the summer. I love that I didn't have to heat up my house because all the cooking was done in the microwave. I doubled the recipe to make 2 of them and served 6 adults and 4 children. We had about 2/3 of one of them left over and everyone got all they wanted. It was accompanied by a green salad, chips, salsa & cheese dip. Enjoy!

Deep-Dish Layered Southern Banana Pudding

2011-04-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

Oh my! This is NOT your Grandma's banana pudding! And, to be completely honest, I was never a huge fan of traditional banana pudding. It lacked texture. I know, that sounds crazy. But I really like to chew my food and after it chilled for a few hours, then there really was no chewing required. Well, after you taste this one, you may never make Grandma's banana pudding again. I certainly won't! This is phenomenal and is one that, after we all had our serving, I had to give the rest away just to get it out of the house. If I hadn't, then we'd all be miserable AND fat!

30 vanilla wafers
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) Jello vanilla flavor instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz) thawed Cool Whip
4 bananas, sliced
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Crush vanilla wafers; mix with next 4 ingredients. Spread onto bottom of large rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 5 min; stir. Bake 3-5 min or until golden brown; cool completely.

2. Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 minutes. Pudding will be thick. Stir in 1 cup cool whip. Layer 1/3 of the crumb mixture and half each of the bananas and pudding in serving bowl; repeat.

3. Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of remaining cool whip; spread over top, sealing to edge of bowl. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Refrigerate 3 hours. Top each serving with remaining cool whip and whole wafers just before serving.

My notes:
I knew that one teaspoon of cinnamon in the crumb mixture would not be quite enough for my taste. I used close to a tablespoon, but I can't tell you for sure because I didn't measure.

It took 12-15 minutes to get my crumb mixture as toasted as I wanted it.

I did not have 2 small boxes of vanilla pudding mix on hand. I had one small box of cheesecake pudding mix and one large box of vanilla pudding mix. So, I used the one small box of cheesecake pudding mix (which I measured it to be 1/2 cup) and 1/2 cup of the vanilla one. That was equal to the 2 small boxes. And I usually substitute cheesecake flavor for vanilla in recipes. It just tastes less artificial to me.

Make it! You'll move up in the ranks with a lotta folks!

Peach Cobbler Muffins

2011-02-11T22:56:00.001-06:00

Ran across this recipe on Southern Plate and knew immediately it was one I was gonna have to try. After tasting it, I knew immediately it was one I would make again and again.

Ingredients
•1 1/4 cup self rising flour
•1 cup brown sugar
•1/4 cup quick cooking oats
•1 teaspoon cinnamon
•2 eggs
•29 ounce can peaches, drained well and coarsely chopped
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Prepare muffin pan by spraying with Pam. In large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. In separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, peaches, oil and vanilla. Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture: stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until tested done. Makes one dozen.

My notes:
First let me say, if you are hoping for something as sweet as traditional peach cobbler, then please don't make these. You'll be disappointed. That is one thing that I really liked about them...they are not sickeningly sweet. They are REALLY good with a cup of coffee (and a beautiful friend) and much more of a breakfast or snack muffin than a dessert.

I did not have "quick cooking oats". I used what I had on hand..."Old-fashioned oats"...and it worked just fine. I used extra large eggs and I also added about 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg...because I love the flavor of both and I find myself constantly looking for places to use them.

The tops of these muffins get really brown and the sugar almost caramelizes as they bake. You might be able to tell from the awesome pics made by my friend over at Lulu Photography. (There's a subtle plug for you, Becke'!)

Oh yeah, one last thing. The recipe says it makes 12. Now I don't know what size muffins she made, but they obviously were a bit larger than mine 'cause I got 18! And I was proud to have those extra 6!!!

Peanut Butter Parfait

2011-01-31T11:17:00.000-06:00

This recipe has Paula Deen roots, but I can't say for sure that this is her exact recipe. My mother called me saying she had seen something by the same name on one of her shows and that I needed to make it. I googled "Peanut Butter Parfait" and this is the recipe that I found and used. I got the recipe HERE.

Ingredients:

2 cups cold milk

1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed

1 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 (1 pound) package Nutter Butter cookies, crumbled

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and powdered sugarIn a medium bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and powdered sugar; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add cream cheese, beating until smooth. Fold in the cool whip, mixing to combine. In serving glasses, layer pudding, peanuts, peanut butter mixture and crumbled cookies, as desired. Garnish with cookies and chopped peanuts. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

My notes:

First, regarding the ingredients...I used 4 ounces of cream cheese because I happened to have half of an 8 ounce block that I needed to use up and I was not going to cut off an ounce and save it. (o: I did not use the peanuts. I didn't have any peanuts in the house and I wasn't going to get any.

It was not light at all, as my mother said she thought it may be. It was heavy and rich and almost caused me to slip into a diabetic coma. However, it was DELICIOUS! The husband LOVED it and I will definitely be making it again. It took all of about 15 minutes to make it and it was really easy. I was able to do the two stemmed glasses pictured above and 6 smaller ones. ENJOY!

Butter Bell

2011-01-30T22:31:00.001-06:00

I would like to introduce you to my Butter Bell. Her name is Belle. Corny, I know, but I had to share. She keeps my butter fresh at room temperature and, as a result, spreadable. I have had her for over 6 months now and I can't remember what we did before she came to live with us. Seriously! If you do not own one of these little wonders, please treat yourself. Click HERE and go buy yourself one. Quickly! In fact, buy several and give them as gifts. Your family and friends will be eternally grateful.

Here's the scoop directly from the Butter Bell site.

The Original Butter Bell® crock is a modern version of the authentic French beurrier. Made from high quality, durable New Bone China, the Butter Bell crock safely keeps butter at room temperature -- on the counter or tabletop -- without spoilage, refrigeration or odors. Through the study of traditional and historical butter storage methods, L. Tremain has recreated and improved this natural method of preserving the creamy texture and delicate flavor that makes butter the most desirable and most-used spread in the world.

The Butter Bell crock's innovative design keeps butter at the perfect “spreading” consistency by reflecting outside heat while insulating and cooling the butter. Flavor and freshness is protected by an airtight seal of water at the base of the crock. See picture below.

The Butter Bell crock also allows for more measured control of butter application. In other words, you use less butter without sacrificing flavor — important for today’s health-conscious consumers.

Two-bit Wonders

2011-01-30T15:04:00.000-06:00

before

after

If you are a coconut lover, then you will fall head-over-heals for these! To say they are easy is an understatement. And so delicious, they are addictive! I don't have any "My Notes" below because there is little to say about the preparation...two ingredients and about 15 minutes. That's all there is to it and you get a little bite of heaven!

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 cups shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened (see note)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line with parchment 1 large or 2 small baking sheets.

In medium-size bowl, combine condensed milk and coconut. Drop mixture by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Yield 24. Bake 13 minutes or until cookies are set and coconut is golden brown.

Note: If using sweetened coconut, reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes.

Valentine Brownies

2011-01-20T16:24:00.001-06:00

When I discovered this recipe in the February 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping, I had to give it a try. I have never made brownies from scratch (always a mix) and the write-up that accompanied the recipe mentioned crunchy meringue-like tops with a fudgy brownie underneath. I was sold. I had to try it. Plus, I already had all but one ingredient on hand! Now, of course, it took a little more time than a mix. But the question is was it worth the time and ingredients? YES YES YES. Without a doubt, YES! The top is indeed crunchy and meringue-like and the inside is chocolate overboard. Then again, with 3 different kinds of chocolate, it was bound to be decadent. I didn't take a picture because...well, they don't look any different from the brownies I usually make with the help of Betty Crocker. And I didn't figure such a picture would help much. However, trust me on this one and go to the sto right now and get the stuff to make these. You won't be disappointed! To say they are impressive is an understatement!!!

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut up
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9x13 pan with foil; grease.

2. In saucepan, melt butter and chocolates on low, stirring. Remove from heat.

3. In bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat eggs until blended. Gradually add sugars; beat 10 minutes or until tripled in volume.

4. Fold in chocolates and vanilla, then flour mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 28-32 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out almost clean.

My notes:
It says large eggs, but I used extra large because that's what I had.

The recipe didn't say to do so, but I stirred my sugars together in a bowl before I gradually added them to the eggs. And, yes, it really does take 10 minutes to triple the volume of the egg/sugar mixture. This step is important. Beat egg/sugar mixture until it is pale yellow and literally leaves a ribbon when you lift the beaters and let the mixture drizzle onto itself.

On the "fold" step, be sure and actually FOLD. You don't want to lose all of that air you just took 10 minutes beating in. Go slowly...it's worth it.

The suggested 28-32 minutes wasn't enough time in my oven. Usually things bake more quickly in my oven than the recipe suggests. That leads me to believe the 32 minutes isn't gonna cut it for other people too. It took closer to 40 minutes for me. My suggestion is go with 30, then test it with a toothpick.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-01-19T00:11:00.000-06:00

1 (10.75 ounce) can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup Picante Sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

10 Mission® Fajita Size Flour Tortillas, warmed

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

Directions

1.Mix soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder.

2.Mix 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese.

3.Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over enchiladas. Cover.

4.Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with tomato and onion.

My notes:

Instead of Picante sauce, I used a restaurant style salsa (medium heat). I added an additional teaspoon of chili powder because we like things spicy around here. For my chicken, I had a 6 oz bag of pre-cooked, seasoned fajita chicken. I used it, but also browned some chicken strips in a dry skillet with a little bit of cumin. All together, I probably used 2 1/4 cups of chicken. I did not have Monterrey Jack cheese, so I used what I had on hand which was a "fiesta blend." I didn't use a tomato because the ones you buy in the grocery store this time of year are less than appetizing. I drained a can of rotel really well and used it instead. I also forgot to warm my tortillas before filling them. Oh, and I sprinkled about a 1/2 cup of cheese on top before I put them in the oven.

So, considering all of the changes I mentioned above, was it appetizing. I would say so. The family loved it. It had a nice kick to it and was definitely more of a Tex-Mex dish than traditional Mexican. I served it with one of those seasoned rice mix thingies that come in an envelope...Spanish Rice of course...and chips and cheese dip. My 6-year-old couldn't get enough and just kept asking for more. I would say that's a good sign.

What will I do differently next time? I will heat the chicken filling in the microwave until it is really warm before I fill the tortillas. The dish was in the oven the required amount of time, but the filling wasn't as warm as it should have been. I could have left it in longer, I suppose, but the edges of the tortillas were beginning to get a little hard. I think this would solve the temperature problem rather than heating the tortillas.

I quit typing now, so you can run to the store and get all the stuff to make these for dinner!

Brownie Covered Oreos

2011-01-18T23:55:00.000-06:00

1 Brownie mix

1 package Oreos

White chocolate, melted for drizzle, or Wilton White frosting pen works great

White nonpareils Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (doesn’t take long). As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan

2. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove drizzle with melted white chocolate or the Wilton White icing pen and sprinkle with nonpareils.

Makes entire package of Oreos

My notes:

Above is the recipe as I found it at Picky Palate. But the pictures are my own. I made these for an annual NYE party and I was thankful we were having friends over since there were THIRTY of these little guys. They were very easy and an instant hit. I feel like I over-baked mine slightly and I will definitely take them out a couple of minutes sooner next time. Obviously I skipped the white chocolate drizzle but no one complained. I'm gonna do this again and I'm also gonna try it with Chips Ahoy too!!!

Strawberry Cream Pie (aka frosting from Cream Cake)

2011-01-17T22:47:00.001-06:00

The first time I made the Cream Cake I have posted about before, I knew the frosting was SOOOO good it could easily stand alone. I finally did something with that thought. I made the frosting and was able to fill 6 mini graham cracker crusts and a full-size one as well. Then, because I was pressed for time, I popped them in the freezer to firm up while we were eating dinner. GREAT! They were fabulous...exactly as I expected they would be. I reposted the recipe below for your convenience. Another thought I had, but haven't tried yet, is to make parfaits with graham cracker crumbs, this frosting and more strawberries! WOW! Can't wait to try that one. I may have to make them in little disposable shot glasses so they are single-serve/single-bite desserts...and cute too! Would love to hear your comments when you share this one with your family!

Strawberry Cream Pie (aka frosting from Cream Cake)

Combine 2 1/2 to 3 cups of frozen sweetened strawberries (thawed) with 1 small box instant vanilla pudding. Stir well then fold in 8 oz. whipped topping.

Skillet Cauliflower

2011-01-17T22:14:00.000-06:00

Ingredients
1 cauliflower head, outer leaves and stalk removed and cut into chunks (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower and cook until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain well.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium–high heat. Add butter. When sizzling, add drained cauliflower. Sauté until slightly golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle coarse salt on cauliflower when serving. Serves 3.

My notes:
When I made this, I didn't have a full head of cauliflower. I only had what was left from a salad made a few days before. However, even if I had used a full head, it wouldn't have made much. So, if you are planning on serving this side to more than 2-3 people, you'll need to double it.

The end result of my cauliflower was delicious but it was quiet mushy. I think I boiled mine a little too long. BUT, it worked out well. Jude didn't know what it was and we danced around giving him the correct answer by asking him what he thought it might be. He suggested it might be potatoes then proceeded to scarf it down like it was the best thing he'd ever eaten. All 6 of us enjoyed it, but, like I said, I will make more next time. It's safe to say none of us got as much as we really wanted.

Kitchen Tip

2010-11-18T23:13:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to share a tip with you. I started doing this a while back and it has become one of my favorite little tricks in the kitchen. I am a huge fan of sticky-tack or plasti-tack...whatever you wanna call it. It's that silly-putty-like stuff that you can use to temporarily stick things to walls and other surfaces. Anyway, I keep a wad or two of it stuck to the inside of one of my kitchen cabinets. When I am making something that requires I refer to a recipe, it really comes in handy. If I have printed the recipe from the computer that I am ready to go. If it is in a book, I run to the office and make a quick copy. Then...I grab that plasti-tack and stick the recipe to the door of my microwave oven right above my stove. You can place it wherever is best in your kitchen. It keeps the recipe at eye-level at all times and out of the way of possible spills. When I am finished, I either file it back where it belongs, or, if it was a photocopy, I toss it in the trash. And my precious little ball of plasti-tack goes back on the inside of the kitchen cabinet. LOVE IT!

Oatmeal Fruit Bars

2010-11-02T21:15:00.001-05:00

1 package yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
3/4 cup softened butter
1 egg
2 cans Solo Cake & Pastry Filling

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 13" x 9" x 2" pan. Combine dry cake mix and oats. Add butter and egg and stir until crumbly.

Put 1/2 of mixture in pan. Press down lightly. Spread filling over mixture in pan. Top with remaining mixture. Press down lightly.

Bake for 22-26 minutes.

Cool before cutting into squares.

My notes:

I got this recipe from the label of a can of Solo Raspberry Cake & Pastry Filling. I bought it at Kroger a while back just because it looked good and it said it had recipes inside the label. It was a really easy recipe and I would think you could get very similar results with just a jar of your favorite preserves or lemon curd or some sort of cream cheese filling...oh my, my mind is racing. Nonetheless, there were several different flavors that sounded pretty darn good.

In my oven, I had to bake it for 27 minutes.

Jewish Apple Cake

2010-11-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from the Relish insert in the Wednesday edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette several weeks ago. I try to make it a point to browse both that insert and the Food section of the paper on Wednesdays. Sometimes there are some great recipes and even when the recipes don't sound so good, I often get inspiration at the very least. This cake recipe ranks pretty high.

Not that it concerns this Southern Baptist girl, but "the cake uses vegetable oil instead of butter, and orange juice in place of milk, to meet kosher laws saying that diary cannot be eaten at the same meal as meat." Just wanted to share that interesting tidbit found in the article accompanying the recipe. The article also stated "apple and cinnamon flavors infuse the cake, making it even better the second day." I will most definitely have to agree. It was a really good cake a couple hours after I took it from the oven, but the next morning it was AMAZING!

Ingredients:

6 cups peeled and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 3 large)

1 1/2 cups, plus 5 tablespoons, granulated sugar, divided

4 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease, sugar and flour a 10-inch Bundt o tube pan.

2. Combine apple slices with 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Beat eggs with remaining granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla; beat well. Gradually blend in flour mixture and mix until well blended (about one minute).

5. Pour one third of the batter into the pan. Top with half the apple slices, draining off any liquid. Pour in half the remaining batter and top with remaining apple slices. Top with remaining batter, making sure the apples are covered.

6. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the top turns golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. let cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Serves 16.

Banana Nut Bread/Cake

2010-09-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

You can call it bread or cake. I call it bread when it's baked in a loaf pan and cake when it's baked in a bundt pan. Whatever makes you happy though. Either way, this is one REALLY EASY and VERY DELICIOUS way to use up some over-ripe bananas and have a nice treat on the table in no time. ONLY FIVE INGREDIENTS! That is enough to get my attention right there. I have made this one several times before and, to me, it is as good as, or better than, most "from scratch" banana breads I have eaten. Hope you enjoy! If you make it, leave me a comment. I'd love to know what you think.

Ingredients

1 box cake mix with butter

3 eggs

1 stick of butter, melted

4 mashed bananas

1/2 cup nuts

Directions

Mix well and bake in a loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until golden brown.

My notes:

Yes, that is all of the directions that were included with the recipe.

That is a "butter recipe" cake mix. Oh, and do not substitute margarine for the butter. It gives it a very artificial taste. Your bananas do not have to be over-ripe. When I made this today, I used 2 that were over-ripe and 2 that were just fine for eatin'. I peel mine and toss them in a mixing bowl then get out my handy-dandy potato masher and don't stop til it's banana soup. I bake mine in a bundt pan just because that's my preference. It only takes 45 minutes when in a bundt pan and unless you have a really big loaf pan, I think I would divide this between 2 loaf pans.

What's for dinner?

2010-08-31T13:54:00.000-05:00

That's a picture of my new love! It's a dry-erase MENU BOARD I created and it is hanging on the door of my pantry in the kitchen. I was inspired by a blog friend that does great crafts and now you get to read my "What's for Dinner?" posts written on it. How fun is that!?!?!?

Roasted Spicy Mayonnaise Chicken Breasts

2010-08-24T12:37:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

•1/2 cup mayonnaise

•2 lemons, zest finely grated

•2 teaspoons paprika

•1 teaspoon celery seeds

•1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning

•1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning

•Pinch cayenne pepper

•4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest, paprika, celery seeds, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Season the chicken with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Slather the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken. Bake until the juices run clear when the chicken is pricked with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve hot.

My notes:

I completely forgot to take pics of this one. You'll just have to trust "my notes". This is good, but VERY RICH. It is something I will most likely make again, but no one at my house is gonna cry out in the night for it.

I omitted the lemon zest when I made it due to an allergy in my family. But I'm sure it would be delish WITH the lemon zest.

What's for dinner?

2010-08-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

roasted spicy mayo chicken breasts

purple hull peas

fettuccine in a butter sauce (kroger brand noodle side)

corn on the cob

herbed crescent rolls

Key Lime Cupcakes

2010-08-16T14:27:00.004-05:00

Cupcakes

1 box lemon cake mix

1 box (4-serving size) lime-flavored gelatin

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup key lime juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 or 3 drops green food color, if desired

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice

Frosting

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

grated lime peel, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In a large bowl, beat cake mix and gelatin with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Add remaining cupcake ingredients. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. With toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.

In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough of the 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. on low speed, beat in vanilla and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Frost cupcakes, mounding and swirling frosting in center. Garnish with lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator.

My notes:

These are quite possibly one of the best cupcakes I have ever put in my mouth. They even rival those from specialty bakeries. And, they were remarkably easy. I can't wait to make them to take somewhere.

Yes, you really do beat the dry ingredients together. After I did it, I understood why. It really helps to get the gelatin fully incorporated before you add the wet ingredients.

I did not have, and husband couldn't find at the grocery store, key lime juice in a bottle. I suggested fresh key limes, BUT he came home with one of those little lime shaped bottles of "reconstituted lime juice." So, I had to make-do. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here's what you can do. Measure 6 tablespoons of the reconstituted lime juice into a 1/3 cup measuring cup and fill the remaining space up with water. That will give you enough liquid and the taste works out fine. On the glaze, use the same amount of the reconstituted lime juice as you would regular lime juice.

The recipe says you will have 24 cupcakes. I got 26. At the present time, there are only 8 left - I sent 10 to work with the hubby, 6 across the road to the neighbors and the girls and I shared a couple. I could've eaten at least 2 by myself.

When piercing the cupcakes with a toothpick or skewer, the more holes, the bigger the wholes, the better. You will want the glaze to run down inside the cupcakes.

I did not drizzle the glaze. I used a baby spoon and each cupcake got at least a spoonful. I dropped it in the middle and spread it around really well. I LOVE lemon/lime stuff and I figure if a little's good, a lot's better.

I grated my lime peel and planned to garnish with it, but instead decided to stir the lime peal (the zest of 2 limes) into my frosting. I think you can probably see it in one of the pics. Turned out great. These were definitely a home run in my book. If you have a lime/lemon lover in your life, I guarantee these will be much appreciated.

What's for dinner?

2010-08-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

dirty diapers

because I have filling leftover from last week

fried okra

because I have tons from our garden and we have got to do something with it

cheese dip & chips

because my husband thinks you can't have dirty diapers without cheese dip

Sticky Rice No More

2010-08-16T09:12:00.000-05:00

I don't think I am the only person that always ends up with rice problems. That is the reason for this post. Every time I cook rice I end up angry, disappointed and, well, with nasty rice. We LOVE rice, so this is very frustrating to me. I follow the instructions: rice, water, butter, stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer, remove from heat, let stand...and Ta-Da...usually hard (undercooked), half-burnt rice that is very sticky and not very palatable. My family is always so precious though and just eats whatever I give them (probably because that's the family rule - but that's another post).

So, I had a bag of rice in the pantry and I just happened to notice there are microwave cooking instructions on the back of the bag. Sure, I'll try that. It can't be any WORSE. I notice that the measurements are different than if I cook it on the stove top. Hmmmm. Interesting. Well, I did it - AND - TA-DA - fabulous rice! I will never cook rice on the stove top again...ever! We have had rice often since this discovery. So, here are the instructions.

Combine rice, water and butter in a microwave-safe glass dish.

Cover and cook on HIGH using times below:

Reduce to MEDIUM (50%) for 20 minutes. Remove from microwave.

Let stand covered 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and serve.

Microwave ovens vary: adjust cooking time as needed.

My Notes:

Due to the size of my family, every time I have done this, I have done 6 servings. I'm sure all the other measurements work, but I just wanted to provide that disclaimer.

Since my "inner Paula" often rears its ugly head, I doubled the recommended amount of butter. (o:

Another variation I tried: Stir in dried minced onions and parsley with dry rice, then add one can of chicken broth with water added to equal amount of liquid for recipe. Then follow cooking instructions. This one was definitely a hit!

Cream Cake TWEAKED

2010-07-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Go check out the changes I made to the CREAM CAKE recipe. It's a better cake now...although I didn't think that was possible!

12-minute Chocolate Cake

2010-07-28T16:36:00.000-05:00

Yep, you read that correctly. You, too, can have a cake that looks this wonderful on your table after only 12-14 minutes of bake time. And believe me, it tastes as good, or better, than it looks. But first, you're gonna have to go treat yourself to the Pampered Chef Stoneware Fluted Pan. It retails for $33 which seems a little much, but there are SO many ways you can use it. And several variations on this one recipe.

Here's what you need.

your favorite chocolate cake mix

your favorite chocolate icing

pecans, chocolate chips, coconut, caramel ice cream topping (all optional)

Here's what you do.

Grease pan and scatter pecans, coconut and/or chocolate chips on bottom on pan. Prepare chocolate cake batter with eggs, oil and water according to directions on box. Pour into greased/sprayed fluted pan right on top of whatever you chose to put in the bottom (if anything). Then drop icing by the spoonful evenly on top of raw cake batter. Place in microwave and cook on high for 12-14 minutes. Cool AT LEAST 10 minutes (but 20 is better) in pan before inverting.

Invert and drizzle with caramel ice cream topping. You will notice that while the cake cooked, the icing sank to the bottom so that when you inverted it it runs all down the cake and creates this amazing chocolate sauce/glaze.

I always keep a chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing on hand for this one. You don't have to do anything but the cake mix and icing if you are a "purist" (that's what my husband calls himself). The one pictured above has only the pecans added because the hubby doesn't like coconut and I forgot to sprinkle the chocolate chips before I poured in the batter. And I'm not really sure why I didn't do the caramel drizzle. However you decide to do it, it's amazing!

What's for dinner?

2010-07-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

It's BUFFET NIGHT at our house. What that means is I have cooked several times and we have lots of leftovers. Rather than cook more, we'll just eat what we have on hand and be good stewards of what the LORD has given us. Tonight on the buffet...

crockpot turkey wings

rice

gravy

sauteed mushrooms

spaghettios

hummus

PB&J

cucumbers & onions in vinegar

ranch dip

sliced tomatoes

new potatoes

cheese dip

asparagus

cantaloupe

bread sticks

Yes, I'm serious. All of that really was in my refrigerator. But the buffet (the kitchen couter) is stocked and we are ready to serve dinner. I did make an orange-pineapple cream cake this morning, so at least dessert is not leftover. (o:

What's for dinner?

2010-07-22T15:18:00.003-05:00

crockpot turkey wings

rice & gravy

~~some green vegetable???~~

~~asparagus~~
sauteed mushrooms

~~herbed crescent rolls~~

doctored up canned pizza dough made into breadsticks
sliced tomatoes
cucumbers & onions in vinegar
frosted zucchini bars

Cheesy Chicken Spread

2010-07-22T15:13:00.001-05:00

I know the picture looks less than appetizing (or it does to most people anyway), but this stuff is G O O D! Even people that don't care for the ingredients when served alone like this one. It is best after it sits a minimum of 24 hours before you serve it....but even better after 3-5 days or longer. Trust me.

24 ounces pimento cheese

16 ounces sour cream

3 12-14 ounce cans of chicken (or turkey)

2 envelopes (or 3 tablespoons) of ranch dressing powder

Drain chicken well. Put into mixing bowl & break up with fork. In a large mixing bowl combine ranch powder & sour cream. Stir until well blended and add pimento cheese. Again, stir until well blended. Add chicken and stir again. Put in air tight container and toss it in the fridge and forget about it for a couple of days. Serve with your fave crackers (we like wheat thins, triscuit or ritz with this one). Some people (not me) even like to spread it on bread for a sandwich.

Frosted Zucchini Bars

2010-07-22T15:04:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

BARS

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup flaked coconut

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in zucchini, coconut and nuts.

2. Spread into a greased 15 x 10 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire wrack.

3. In a bowl, combine sugar and sinnamon. Stir in butter, vanilla and enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cooled bars; cut.

My notes:

I had one pretty large zucchini on hand and, when shredded, it produced about 1/3 cup more than what the recipe called for. I used it anyway and these turned out just fine.

I did not put coconut in mine. The reason is two-fold: none on hand and hubby doesn't care for it.

I used pecans instead of walnuts. Again a two-fold reason: it's what I had and we love them.

I failed to include the cinnamon in the frosting. Just wasn't paying attention I guess...and it was late.

These were really good and made just a few more than 2 dozen 2 inch bars. Great if you needed a treat for a crowd. Would make 60 or more if you cut into bite-size pieces. I made them because I had a zucchini I needed to use and I haven't found a good zucchini bread recipe yet.

Glazed Honey Bars

2010-07-04T11:01:00.001-05:00

Photos courtesy of LuLu Photography

Ingredients•2/3 cup vegetable oil

•1/8 cup honey

•1/2 cup granulated sugar

•1 egg

•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1 cup self-rising flour

•1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze

•1 cup confectioners' sugar

•1 tablespoon mayonnaise

•1 tablespoon milk

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat the oil, honey, granulated sugar, and egg until well blended. Stir the cinnamon into the flour, then stir this into the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in the nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand while you make the glaze. In a bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, mayonnaise, milk, and vanilla. Pour the glaze over the cake and spread it with a metal spatula. Let cool, then cut into bars.

My Notes:

This is another Paula Deen recipe, but very closely resembles a dessert I had at Cherry's Soda Fountain when I was a teenager. She would serve the most delicious deli-style sandwich and every order had a single bite of a some decadent dessert she had whipped up. This dessert was one of my favorites.

The recipe calls for walnuts - I used pecans because I have them and I love them. (o:

One thing I love about this dessert is that is only makes an 8x8. Made it one morning, I cut it into 16 equal squares (just a bit larger than bite-size) and it was gone later that night. Don't get me wrong, I love big beautiful cakes and such, but sometimes you get sick of those before they are gone.

Hope you make this one. It was SO quick & easy and my friends that I shared it with said it was good too. We all agreed it has a very "fall" taste to it. It was suggested to add some chopped apple to it next time. I look forward to making this one again (maybe in September) and sitting on my back deck with a cup of coffee while I nibble on it. YUM!

Please leave me a comment if you whip this one up. Would love to have your thoughts!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2010-06-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 7), peeled, quartered
4 cloves garlic
8 oz cream cheese 1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt

Boil potatoes and garlic in large covered saucepan 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Drain and return to pan.
Add remaining ingredients; mash to desired consistency.

My notes:
I failed to read the recipe in its entirity before making this one. So, I failed to boil my garlic with my potatoes. Probably would have had a richer garlic taste, but they were good nonetheless.

I used new potatoes, washed them really well and left the skin on.

This is one I will do again.

What's for dinner?

2010-06-28T19:00:00.001-05:00

herbed pork loin

garlic mashed potatoes

asparagus

corn on the cob

getting ready to make glazed honey bars for a gathering tomorrow. will post pics and the recipe.

Tomorrow night: soul food

Cafe Latte Cheesecake

2010-06-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

Crust

1 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter

Filling

4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons instant coffee

1 tablespoon warm water

Crust

Mix crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes if using a silver springform pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes if using a dark nonstick springform pan.

Filling

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, mixing on low speed just until blended. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the batter. Stir instant coffee into warm water until dissolved. Add to remaining batter; mix well. Pour over crust. Stir milk into reserved batter; pour gently over coffee batter.

Bake at 325 degrees for 65 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 65 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

My notes:

You have GOT to make this one! Imagine a cafe latte...creamy, rich coffee on the bottom with a luscious dollop of whipped cream floating on top. You take a sip and the two mix in your mouth for a moment of indulgence. Bliss, I tell you, bliss! My neighbors get a sample of most everything I whip up. Sometimes they are my guinea pigs. I took them a piece of Cafe Latte Cheesecake this morning. She called to tell me the Cream Cake and the Cafe Latte Cheesecake were the best things I have ever made. And I have been taking something over there about 3 times a week for 5 years. So, you know those two must rank pretty high.

I did not have any vanilla wafers to use for the crust, but I did have a box of graham cracker crumbs. I prefer them anyway so that's what I used. Worked just fine.

I was about a teaspoon shy on the instant coffee crystals, but I went ahead and did it and it worked just fine. I'm sure if I had the full 3 tablespoons, then the bottom layer would have had an even stronger coffee taste.

I decorated this slice with 3 little chocolate covered espresso beans. My goodness! Can I eat cheesecake for breakfast since it's got coffee in it? That's ok, right?

Do NOT overbake your cheesecake. Take it out when it is still jiggly in the middle and when you really don't think it's quite done. I baked mine only 55 minutes in my dark nonstick springform pan and it still cracked as it cooled. Probably should have done a water bath around it, but I didn't. Maybe next time. AND, there definitely will be a next time! (o:

What's for dinner?

2010-06-22T14:52:00.001-05:00

Larry's pizza!

Hope you weren't looking for some divine inspiration for dinner at your house. Our oldest has an "end-of-season t-ball pizza party" this evening. Maybe I'll do better on Thursday night!

Brownie Shortcake

2010-06-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

1 pkg (19.5 oz) brownie mix
1 container (16 oz) sour cream, divided
1 cup whipped topping
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups fruit (your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package then stir in 1/2 cup sour cream. Spoon into greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan.

Bake 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Mix remaining sour cream, whipped topping, sugar and vanilla. Cut brownie horizontally in half. Place bottom half on plate; spread with half of the sour cream mixture. Cover with top of brownie, remaining sour cream mixture and fruit. Store in refrigerator.

My notes:

My brownie mix was something like 19.27 oz. Of course, this wasn't an issue.

I didn't have quite enough whipped topping on hand, and I was a little heavy handed with the sour cream, so I ended up having to put a little more powdered sugar in my sour cream mixture. My suggestion is just taste of it and see what you think. It is supposed to have a little bit of that sour cream "twang" though.

I didn't use the 9-inch round pan as suggested. I used my Pampered Chef tart pan because I thought it would work well (with the "tray" it creates in the brownie) and the fluted egde would be pretty. It, in fact, did work well and was very pretty. Since I used the tart pan, I did not split mine horizontally. I just put ALL of the sour cream mixture on top.

The whole thing was gone in less than 24 hours. I think it was a hit.

What's for dinner?

2010-06-10T15:30:00.001-05:00

fajitas

mexican rice

refried beans

chili cheese dip & chips

brownie shortcake

Cream Cake

2010-06-04T13:41:00.003-05:00

I tasted a version of this cake over the recent holiday weekend and I was IN LOVE! Got the recipe from my great aunt. This is quite possibly one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. Pictured is the strawberry version and there is also a pineapple/orange version which is equally as delightful.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE

Duncan Hines butter cake mix

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

3 cups frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
16 oz unsweeted whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1/3-1/2 cup sugar

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

8 oz. whipped topping

Combine all thawed berries and sugar in large bowl and mash with potato masher until whole berries are crushed and sugar is dissolved.

Combine cake mix, oil, eggs and ~~1 cup~~ 2 cups of strawberry mixture. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Divide between 3 round cake pans (well greased). Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes.

Let cake cool before frosting.

FROSTING

Combine remaining 2 1/2-3 cups of strawberry mixture with instant pudding. Stir well then fold in whipped topping. Frost between layers and top and outside. Keep refrigerated.

PINEAPPLE/ORANGE CREAM CAKE

In cake batter, substitute a 15oz can of mandarin oranges with juice instead of strawberries.

In frosting, substitute a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple with juice instead of strawberries.

My notes:

The recipe said "Duncan Hines" on the cake mix, but you and I both know any brand of butter cake mix will work. However, I have not tried other brands. When I made this I just happened to have a DH mix on hand.

The frozen strawberries are sold in 24 oz containers. I let them thaw, then measured out a cup for the cake batter. I also mashed my strawberries with a potato masher to get rid of the larger chunks. I suppose they could be pureed, but then you would lose all of the chunks and that wouldn't be my personal preference.

The batter is pretty thin and runny and you will have a small amount of batter in each pan. But that's good because each layer bakes up pretty thin and, as a result, is able to soak up more of that wonderful frosting!

I am not a fan of vanilla flavored instant pudding. So, I substitute cheesecake flavored pudding in most recipes. To me, it has a richer, less artificial, taste. Did that in this recipe and it worked beautifully.

When frosting the cake, make sure and use a liberal amount of frosting between the layers. You will want it there and you will have plenty to do it.

This cake is great right after you frost it, but it is even better after it sits for a couple of days. The cake absorbs alot of moisture from the frosting and it just seems to get better and better.

I have already written this one in the family cookbook and will make sure I keep all of the ingredients on hand. It's SO easy to whip up and quite impressive. Everyone who has tasted it has swooned! Well, not really, but you get the point. (o:

More notes:
I made both versions of this cake and noticed that the pineapple/orange version was much more moist. I examined the P/O recipe and noticed there was almost twice as much fruit and juice in the batter and 1/2 cup more fruit/juice in the frosting. So, I tweaked the strawberry recipe and made the changes in red in the recipe above. The extra berries and having to sweeten them made for an extra 3 minutes of work, but it was SO worth it!

Also, this time I used a Betty Crocker mix and it was equally as successful as the DH. Just thought you'd wanna know. (o:

What's for dinner?

2010-05-18T06:57:00.000-05:00

hamburger steak with onions and peppers

mashed potatoes

steamed broccoli

garlic bread

chocolate pie

Lemon Bars

2010-05-18T06:54:00.000-05:00

Yes, brace yourself, I use mixes. And this is one I highly recommend. When I make it, I usually add the zest of one lemon to the crust before pressing it into the pan. And I add 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the lemon mixture. This mix is one that I try to keep on hand at all times. Usually I don't make it unless I am taking it somewhere because my husband is allergic to citric acid and stays FAR away from citrus desserts. The kids aren't huge fans of tart things. BUT, I LOVE anything lemon flavored, so it's best that I don't make this one unless I'm taking it AWAY from my house. Otherwise, I will eat all of it...by myself!

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-05-04T14:24:00.002-05:00

•1/2 inch olive oil (for frying pan)

•2 cloves minced garlic

•1 chopped onion

•8 to 12 thick slices Italian bacon

•4 eggs

•2 packages spaghetti (I use 2-16 oz packages)

•2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a frying pan, combine 1/2 inch of olive oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, one chopped onion and the Italian bacon cut into small squares. Let simmer for about a half-hour, being careful not to let the oil get to a boiling point.

In a bowl, beat 4 eggs with lots of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Cook both packages of spaghetti until al dente, drain and immediately add egg mixture to pasta. The eggs are actually cooked by the pasta. (Make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked before proceeding.) Stir the egg mixture until it is well mixed. Pour in the mixture from the frying pan and stir. Finish with the Parmesan cheese and serve!

My notes:

This recipe was featured on Oprah by Tom Cruise. The day I saw it I just happened to have everything on hand to make it so I tried it out. It has become a staple in our house. We absolutely love it.

Italian bacon is not easy to come by at the places I typically shop and I will not drive all over town looking for it, so we just use thick sliced bacon.

Olive oil 1/2 inch deep seems like a massive amount of olive oil. Yes, I was scared too, but do what it says and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

A couple of times I have also browned a pound of Italian sausage and added it to the olive oil the last 5 minutes of cooking. It adds more meat to the dish and further pleases the men in my life.

I consistently forget to take a picture of this dish. So, you'll just have to trust me on this one. We LOVE it and it has become a regular on the family menu.

The recipe says it serves 4. I'm not sure how much these 4 people are expected to eat, but when I make it, it serves at least 8. We made it for a recent family gathering and it served 14 with several people going back for seconds.

What's for dinner?

2010-04-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

Spaghetti Carbonara

Garlic Knots (from a local pizzaria)

Green Salad

*not sure about dessert yet - open to suggestions*

Hot Water Cornbread

2010-04-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

1 to 1 1/2 cups corn meal
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
pinch sugar (probably a scant half teaspoon)
hot water - almost boiling
add-ins of your choice
This is what I use: salt & spice, parsley, minced onion & cheese
(and sometimes some finely chopped jalapeno; depends on who is eating with us)

Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients in mixing bowl. This includes all dry seasonings as well (everything except the cheese and/or jalapenos).
Pour in water and stir. Add just enough water to make a soft dough that sticks to your spoon and can be pressed into patties.
Stir in cheese and/or jalapenos.
Drop by tablespoons into hot oil in skillet. When golden brown on bottom, turn over and press flat into patty. When golden brown, remove from oil onto paper towels for draining.

This makes a great bread/side dish with a pot of beans!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

2010-03-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 envelopes FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

3 large eggs

Apple Filling (recipe follows)

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (recipe follows)

Directions

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120oF to 130oF). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread Apple Filling evenly. Beginning at long end of each, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seams to seal. Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces. Place, cut sides up, in greased 9-inch round pans. Cover, let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping.

Bake at 375oF for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; serve warm.

Apple Filling: Combine 2 large cooking apples, chopped; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter or margarine in medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low; cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Cool completely.

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping: Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir until well-blended.

My notes:

I failed to read the recipe all the way through before I started. I know better, but sometimes I just get so excited about a new recipe that I lose all general cooking knowledge. That being said, make your Apple Filling FIRST! It takes a little longer than the 10 minute rest time mentioned in the recipe and it has to cool completely before you can use it. Probably oughta go ahead and mix up your Topping as well, but if you don't you'll have plenty of time to do it during the 45 minute rise time.

This recipe makes 2 dozen cinnamon rolls. So, unless you are having a crowd for breakfast, plan to give some to the neighbors or send some to work with the hubby (or wife, if you are a cookin' man).

So, I made the dough first, then the apple filling. So the dough "rested" for more like a 1/2 hour while I was working on apples. Didn't cause a problem. But, you might wanna even make the apple filling the night before.

For testing purposes, I used one pyrex dish and one stoneware pan. Both worked fine.

Next time I do this, and I will do this again, I will either roll each piece in the cinnamon sugar mixture before I put it in the pan or I will figure out a way to sprinkle some in between each piece. I think that would make for a better dish. BUT, this was SO good and I feel such a sense of accomplishment having done these from scratch. My grandma would be proud!

As I have said, I am so intrigued by breads and I am going to continue to try them more and more as I find recipes I think I can handle. I am in LOVE in RapidRise yeast because it cuts the rise time quite a bit. I got this recipe at http://www.breadworld.com/. Happy Cooking!

What's for dinner?

2010-03-09T18:09:00.002-06:00

Grilled pork chops

Corn casserole

Mac & cheese

Purple Hull Peas

Peach Cobbler

Baked Onions

2010-03-04T15:25:00.000-06:00

Ingredients
Onions - white or yellow - I do 2 whole onions for our family (5 eating - 2 adults and 3 small children)
Olive oil
Salt & Spice (or your favorite seasoning)

Directions

Slice ends from onions and peal yucky outer stuff. Cut onions in half. Place in microwaveable dish. I use a glass loaf pan because it is as deep as the onions are tall and I know I am less likely to make a mess. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with a pretty heavy hand of seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap or a paper plate or something that will trap in the steam pretty good. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, then check for tenderness. Continue to cook in 5-minute increments until a sharp knife will pierce with little to no pressure. Careful not to overcook though. If overcooked, the onions get soggy and slimy which is unpleasant at best. This one is a HIT will my family. My 5-year-old eats at least half an onion by herself!

Chocolate Stack Loaf

2010-03-01T20:58:00.002-06:00

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot tap water
1 recipe Easy Fudge Frosting, recipe below
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
1. Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease sides of 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk gently until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles a thick paste. Whisk briskly about 30 strokes. Tap or shake any batter from whisk. Use rubber spatula to stir in hot water, scraping sides as necessary, just until batter is blended and smooth. With spatula scrape batter from bowl into prepared pan and spread to make a thin even layer.

3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Slide a thin metal spatula or knife around cake edges to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto rack. Remove paper liner; carefully turn cake right side up. Cool completely.

4. Cut cake crosswise in three equal rectangles. Thickly spread frosting on one piece, top with a second piece and spread with frosting. Leave top unfrosted. Thickly frost long sides. Before serving, dust top with cocoa powder. Makes 12 servings.

Easy Fudge Frosting: In medium saucepan melt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Gradually stir in 1 cup whipping cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and hot but not boiling. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Set aside; cool until thickened and spreadable. To cool quickly, loosely cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Store up to 1 week in refrigerator. Makes 2 cups.

My Notes:

The first pic above is the one from Better Homes & Gardens (where I got the recipe). The second pic is what MY version looked like. Not nearly as pretty. However, this is one of those where I SO wish you could sneak a little nibble while you are reading this. It was a true OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE. My MIL agreed. It was rich and chocolatey like you wouldn't believe. You could just taste the "grandma" in it. (o:

I failed to follow directions and frosted the top of mine. It wasn't because I thought I knew more than them. It was simply because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and plopped that last bit of frosting right on top before I read the rest of the instructions.

One word to describe this cake - UNBELIEVABLY CHOCOLATE (ooops, that's 2)

What's for dinner?

2010-03-01T16:11:00.004-06:00

Meatloaf

Pinto beans

Fried Potatoes
Baked Onions

Sour Cream Muffins

~~Peach Cobbler~~
The cobbler didn't happen for a couple of reasons: both ovens were already
in use baking meatloaf and bread AND I was running out of time.

Easy Parm Garlic Chicken

2010-02-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope italian salad dressing mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix cheese, salad dressing mix and garlic powder in shallow dish. I use a pie plate.

Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. The instructions don't say to cover it, but I do. I'm afraid my chicken will dry out if I don't.

What's for dinner?

2010-02-23T14:09:00.001-06:00

Pork Roast

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Green Bean Bundles

Garlic Bread

What's for dinner?

2010-02-22T14:01:00.001-06:00

Easy Parm Garlic Chicken

Rice & Gravy

Brocolli, Cauliflower, Carrots with Cheese Sauce (Birdseye Steamfresh)

Easy Italian Herb Focaccia

PB&K Cookies

2010-02-16T14:38:00.001-06:00

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar (or spenda if you are diabetic)
1 egg
Hershey's Kisses

Beat together peanut butter, sugar and egg. Roll into balls. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a Kiss into the top of each one.

My notes:

This is one I got from Paula Deen. And I have found you really can't ever go wrong with a recipe that came from her kitchen. I think she just calls these Peanut Butter Cookies...we added the "K".

I grew up making old fashioned PB cookies with my mom and they were really good. However, this has become my standard recipe for PB cookies because it's just SO easy. THREE INGREDIENTS! You can't get much easier that that.

If you don't put the kisses on top, this is a good recipe for anyone who has a gluten allergy since it is gluten free. Without the kisses, you will probably want to do the criss-cross-with-a-fork trick to smush them down before you bake them.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. That is enough to last a couple of hours at my house. If I want some to still be around in a few days, then I have to double it.

Chocolate Eclaires

2010-02-16T14:25:00.001-06:00

This is one that has been around FOREVER. You may have seen in before, but in the off chance you haven't, I simply couldn't NOT share it. Everyone MUST have this recipe. (o:

Ingredients

1 box graham crackers (honey, cinnamon, chocolate...you choose)

1 large OR 2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding

milk to make pudding

8 oz cool whip

1 can milk chocolate icing

Make pudding according to package directions. Stir cool whip into pudding. Cover bottom of 9x13 pan with graham crackers broken in half (squares). Top with half of pudding mixture. Another layer of graham crackers. Remaining pudding mixture. A third layer of graham crackers. Open can of icing, REMOVE FOIL SEAL. Microwave icing on high for 30 seconds, then stir. If not thin enough to pour, microwave another 30 seconds, then stir. Pour warm icing evenly over top layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate and serve chilled if you want it soft and pudding like. Or you can freeze until firm. Then it can be made DAYS ahead and just have it on hand when you need it. If you serve it frozen, the pudding layer is often mistaken for ice cream. You can also freeze it, wrap cover it well, then thaw it when you need it. I'm sure it would keep for up to a month in the freezer if properly wrapped. I wouldn't know for sure though. It's never lasted that long at our house.

Clubhouse Chicken Squares

2010-02-16T14:13:00.004-06:00

Ingredients

2 cans crescent rolls

8 oz cream cheese

2 tbs mayo

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp dill mix (Pampered Chef Brand)

1 can white chunk chicken

sliced cucumber

diced tomatoes

shredded cheddar cheese

crumbled bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Line bottom and sides of pan with crescent rolls. Seal perforations. Bake 10-12 minutes, then cool completely. Combine cream cheese, mayo, garlic and dill. Spread cream cheese mixture over baked crescents. Top with chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, shredded cheese and bacon. Chill 30 minutes. Cut into squares.

My notes:

I did not have Pampered Chef Brand Dill Mix, so I used just plain old dill. Worked just fine.

I did not have a cucumber, so I steamed broccoli then chopped it up. Worked just fine.

I did not have fresh tomatoes, so I drained a can of rotel. Worked just fine.

This recipe was written for the Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan. If you do not own this stoneware piece, I'm sure you can easily adapt this recipe for a 9x13 pyrex or even a sheet cake pan would probably work. However, if you do not own the Bar Pan, I highly recommend you buy one. It is an extremely versatile piece and I plan to post several ways you can use it. AND, Pampered Chef Stoneware is on sale 20% off this month. You can click HERE to shop and buy. I also recommend the Stoneware Fluted Pan (recipes for CAKE IN THE MICROWAVE to come).

Okay, back to the recipe above...In addition to the dill and garlic, I also added a nice little shake of Salt & Spice to the cream cheese mixture.

Hubby came home for lunch today. He said, unprompted, that this one was a keeper. It would work well for a brunch, lunch, potluck...just a very versatile little dish. We all really enjoyed it. Hope you do too!

Cake Balls

2010-02-13T15:58:00.000-06:00

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
1 package almond bark (white or chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting.

3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet.

4. Chill for several hours.

5. Melt almond bark in microwave per directions on package.

6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

My notes:

Heard about these a year or so ago and just never made them. My friend, Erica, made some during the holidays and shared with my family. We were in love! I will be honest with you...Erica said it and I agree with her: Making Cake Balls is a PROCESS. It is not labor intensive or difficult, but it does take TIME. Unless you have the better part of a day to make them, then plan to spread the process over a couple of days...or more. I worked on mine (off and on) for nearly 5 days. It is SO worth the time. You will feel so rewarded and the lucky folks who get to eat them will most definitely be pleased.

Any combo of cake mix and frosting will work. I did two different combos - strawberry cake with strawberry frosting in white almond bark & red velvet cake with milk chocolate frosting in chocolate almond bark. We were doing them for the kids' Valentines parties at school, so the colors, not the flavors, were the most important thing to them.

After step 2, you will want to FREEZE the big blob of cake/frosting FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. Mine were in the freezer for several hours. Then I used my Pampered Chef Small Scoop to make the balls a consistent size. After scooping each one and tossing it onto my wax paper, I hand rolled them just to make them prettier and more uniform. Then back into the FREEZER.

The recipe says to "roll" the balls in the bark. I don't quite see how this would work well. I used a large soup mug to melt my bark a little at a time. Tossed a cake ball into it, carefully coated it with a long handled tea spoon, then very carefully lifted it out of the bark and placed it on wax paper. While the bark was still wet, the kids job was the sprinkle with valentines themed candies.

I also learned not to "tap off the extra." The more you handle these, the more likely they are to fall apart before you get them coated and onto the wax paper. Then you are going to have a mess of cake crumbs in your bark.

It took an ENTIRE package of bark to do each recipe. One recipe made 60+ cake balls.

Once the bark had cooled and re-hardened, I bagged some of them individually for the parties.

You can probably tell from the pics that I made the strawberry ones coated in white almond bark first (i.e. they are not as pretty). It was a learning experience. I don't think I had my bark hot enough the first time around and I was trying to "tap off the extra" and it was just making a mess.

We will FO SHO be making these again! Lots of fun and the kids got to help with the rolling and decorating. Husband loved the red velvet ones so much, he stood in the kitchen the other night and ate FIVE of them while I was trying to get them bagged! (o: For more cake ball ideas and inspiration, visit Bakerella.

What's for dinner?

2010-02-11T16:52:00.002-06:00

Baked pork chops

Rice & gravy

Purple hull peas

Baked onions

Restaurant-Style Cheese Fries

2010-02-09T12:36:00.003-06:00

This one has become a favorite at our house.

Ingredients
Potatoes, cut into whatever size you like your fries
Shredded cheese
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Green onions, chopped
Tony Chachere's seasoning

Preheat oven to 350F, oil an iron skillet and put the oiled skillet in the oven to get hot while you are working on the fries.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook the potatoes until crispy. Drain well on paper towel. Remove iron skillet from oven and layer potatoes, seasoning, cheese, bacon & onions to taste in skillet. Return skillet to oven to finish melting cheese. Serve hot with ranch or spicy ranch dressing.

My notes:

I have an industrial french fry cutter that makes short work of cutting the potatoes. I usually scrub them really well and even leave the skin on.

If I am in a time crunch, I use store-bought bacon bits and they work just fine.

I only use the green onions if company's comin' since that is not something I keep on hand.

We prefer the Tony Chachere's More Hot. Either way, Tony Chachere's is an excellent seasoning for home-made fries.

We also eat ours will jalapenos on top. (o:

Making your own ranch dressing by using the ranch powder, milk & mayo is a GREAT alternative to the store-bought stuff. You can make it "spicy ranch" by stirring in a little chili powder. Learned that one when I was a server at a steak-house chain.

Serve this one with home-made burgers or grilled sandwiches and you will win mucho kudos with the spouse and kids!

Easy Italian Herb Focaccia

2010-02-05T10:57:00.002-06:00

There is something so rewarding about making homemade bread for my family. In the past, breads have scared me, but I am trying to be courageous and try my hand at some easy ones to start with. I have had this recipe for probably close to a year and finally made it. It was a hit! And really easy.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Rise time: 45 minutes, total
Bake time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 envelope RapidRise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 2/3 cups very warm water (120F to 130F)
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Mix flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, stirring until well mixed. Spread dough into greased 13x9-inch pan. Cover.

Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Poke multiple holes into the dough using the handle of a wooden spoon. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Cover.

Let rise an additional 15 minutes while oven preheats to 375F.

Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool slightly and cut into slices, serve warm. If desired, serve with additional olive oil for dipping.

My notes:

I think it needs a little extra salt, but not in the dough. I will probably just sprinkly the top lightly with kosher salt before making next time.

I didn't measure the cheese or the italian seasoning. I just sprinkled until it looked good.

I was unable to "spread" the dough. It had to be pressed and pushed and pulled to fill the pan.

The rise time can be lengthened if needed. We weren't going to be able to eat for a while, so I just let it sit and it didn't hurt a thing.

We didn't dip in additional olive oil. We dipped in PIZZA SAUCE! YUM!

This one is definitely a keeper. It would make a really good appetizer served with the olive oil or pizza sauce for dipping.

Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto

2010-02-05T10:18:00.002-06:00

This started as a cute little jar of stuff my mother picked up for me at a discount store. However you can buy it online at Tastefully Simple. I must say it was quite tasty and quite simple. The directions were to mix olive oil and water with the stuff in the jar, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, microwave it for a whopping 1 1/2 minutes, stir in parmesan and pour it over your favorite pasta. How easy is that!?!?! Since there was no meat in this little jar, and the directions did not include adding meat of any kind, I had to be creative for the carnivore that I live with. I sliced a handful of Little Smokies into circles and tossed them around in a hot skillet with a little italian seasoning. I had opened a can of black olives at lunch. So, I sliced those up as well. Found a can of quartered artichoke hearts in the pantry and coursely chopped those too. The final result was Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto with parmesan, italian sausage, artichokes & black olives over whole wheat rotini. Whew! That's a mouth full! BUT, it was delicious, all of us enjoyed it, and I will most likely be ordering some more of these cute little jars!!!

What's for dinner?

2010-01-25T19:30:00.002-06:00

Easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Steamed Green Beans

Purple Hull Peas

Cheesy Bacon Tomato Grits

Soul Food

2010-01-14T21:08:00.000-06:00

1 head of cabbage
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup uncooked rice
1 pound Polish sausage
your favorite seasoning

Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, cut up cabbage into bite-size pieces. Cut up sausage into bite-size pieces. Stir cabbage, soup, cooked rice and sausage together. Stir in your favorite seasoning. Put in 11x15 pyrex baking dish. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

My notes:

Before you start, get out the biggest bowl you own. It's probably not big enough, but it will have to work, huh? "Success" rice bags that you boil in water are the perfect amount for this recipe, so you could just buy Success rice. I, however, have an over abundant amount of rice gifted to me each year at Christmas and well...let's put it this way...I haven't bought rice in 5 years...not kidding!

I still haven't figured out what side(s) to serve with this. It's a veggie, a starch, a meat, etc, all in one dish. So, what do you fix to go with that??? Please, leave me your comments and let me know your thoughts and ideas!

What's for dinner?

2010-01-14T14:08:00.000-06:00

country french chicken skillet served over whole wheat rotini

steamed green beans

herbed crescent rolls (recipe coming soon)

amish bread (dessert)

What's for dinner?

2010-01-14T13:48:00.002-06:00

salmon patties

mashed potatoes

cooked carrots

fried green beans

Gooey Butter Cookies

2010-01-08T13:53:00.000-06:00

Ingredients

•1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature

•1 stick butter, at room temperature

•1 egg

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix

•Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

My notes:

These cookies have been whipped up in my kitchen numerous times. They are SO quick, easy & delicious. You can use ANY FLAVOR cake mix that you have on hand, and you can roll the cookies in anything your heart desires. One of my personal faves is a Butter Pecan cake mix, then roll in cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans. I rarely remember to set out my cream cheese and butter in time for them to reach room temperature. So, I microwave them just until soft, but not warm or melted. Also, I didn't chill the dough for 2 hours. I put it in the freezer for about 8 minutes (maybe). I completely forgot about the sprinkling with more confectioners' sugar until I was doing this post.

This is a great one to do with kids. The cookie dough can be made in advance and chillin' in the fridge until it's time to bake. I scooped the dough with my Pampered Chef Small Scoop and dropped it into a pie plate with my powdered sugar. The kids rolled them around and put them on the cookie sheets.

Toffee Gooey Butter Cake

2010-01-08T13:38:00.002-06:00

Cake:

•Vegetable oil cooking spray
•1 (18.2- ounce) package yellow cake mix
•1 large egg
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:
•1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
•2 large eggs
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 (1 pound) box confectioners' sugar
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
•1 cup toffee bits

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Fold in the toffee bits with a spatula.

Pour the filling over the cake mixture and spread it evenly. Bake until the center is just a little bit gooey, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve.

My notes:

I think there are about a million different variations of this recipe. I got THIS one from Paula Deen. But I have gotten the same recipe from friends in the past and it has a variety of names including, but I'm sure not limited to, Gooey Butter Cake, Neiman Marcus Brownies and Chess Bars. This is the first time I recall seeing one with the toffee bits stirred in. And there are also variations that include using a chocolate cake mix in the bottom layer. I failed to get a picture before they were all gone and I didn't actually eat one this time around. But trust me, they are GOOD!

Skillet Biscuit Bread

2010-01-08T13:14:00.000-06:00

2 cups unbleached self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine four, buttermilk and oil in a large bowl; stir with a fork to combine. Do not overmix. With floured hands, gently knead dough in bowl to form a ball; dough will be sticky. Generously oil a straight-sided, heavy 8- or 9-inch skillet and set over medium heat. Pat dough into skillet.

Cook over medium heat until set and browned in spots on the bottom, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a spatula, slide or lift onto a plate. Invert into skillet and cook until other side is browned in spots and bread is thoroughly cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

My notes:

I used powdered buttermilk. I added a couple pinches of salt...just seemed like something was going to be missing if I didn't. I think I overmixed just slightly and one side was a little tough. Be careful with the mixing and kneading and don't overdo.

This may well become the new family from-scratch biscuit recipe. I have tried lots of biscuit recipes and have yet to find one that I was pleased with...until now. It makes one big huge biscuit and it's GREAT and SO EASY!

What's for dinner?

2010-01-07T17:12:00.002-06:00

Homestyle Chicken with Wild Rice Soup (Mrs. Grass)

Skillet Biscuit Bread (recipe coming soon)

Toffee Gooey Butter Cake (recipe coming soon)

Buttery Honey Cake

2010-01-07T14:47:00.005-06:00

This came from my Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts cookbook that Erica got me. Kennedy decided she wanted to make a birthday cake for Jesus this year. Bake? Cook? I'm ALL in! Immediately I figured it would be a great opportunity to a) eat birthday cake for breakfast, b) have breakfast cooked in advance, and c) start a new family tradition. So, I started looking for a "cake" recipe that was suitable for breakfast and would, at the same time, suffice for a "birthday cake" in the kids' minds. After all, there is no rule that says it couldn't be a COFFEE cake. Right? Kennedy helped me to look through cookbooks and this is the one we finally decided on. It was delicious!!! We served it with a side of fruit and a dallop of cool whip. We even stuck a big, fat candle in it, lit it, sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, and let the kids blow it out! GOOD TIMES!

1 box (18.25 ounce) classic yellow cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1/3 cup poppy seeds

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 10-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides.

2. Combine cake mix, water, 1/3 cup of honey, margarine, poppy seeds, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack and cool completely.

4. Using wooden or metal skewer, poke about 20 small holes all over top of cake. Drizzle the 1/4 cup of honey over cake, allowing honey to sink into holes. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

My notes:

I didn't have a 10-inch pan with 2-inch sides. I used 2 9-inch pans with 1-inch sides and stacked 'em. I poked holes in one cake, drizzled with honey and then did the same thing to a second layer.

I substituted butter for margarine.

I poked about 40 holes with the wooden skewer. I didn't measure the honey I drizzled on the cake. I had honey in a squeeze bottle and figured I could just eyeball it and get pretty close. So, I just squeezed until it looked right to me. (o:

What's for dinner?

2010-01-06T15:13:00.001-06:00

Soft chicken tacos (made with rotisserie chicken)

Cheese dip and tortilla chips

Homemade guacamole

Side note: lunch yesterday was a bagel sandwich...everything bagel, spinach & artichoke cream cheese, summer sausage sliced thin, lettuce & tomato...YUM!

Cocoa Blocks

2010-01-06T15:06:00.000-06:00

Swirl these blocks into a mug of hot milk and enjoy luscious hot chocolate. This recipe came from King Arthur Flour. I made these for a dear friend for Christmas. We, of course, sampled them before giving them as a gift and they work wonderfully. We also learned they are wonderful when stirred into a cup of hot coffee.

½ cup heavy cream (4 ounces)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)
3/4 cup (18 ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate
wooden sticks
Directions

1) Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2) Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allow it to gently melt.
3) After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny. Add a few drops of flavoring oil if you like; hazelnut, coffee, or vanilla are popular flavors.
4) Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan; shake the pan gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Set aside overnight to slowly set up.
5) Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a clean cutting surface.
6) Slice into 1 ¼" cubes. Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut, for smoothest cuts.
7) Stick a wooden stick into the center of each block.
8) Roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy, if desired.
9) Wrap in waxed paper, parchment, or plastic wrap to store.
Yield: about 3 dozen blocks.

My notes:
I used semisweet chocolate chips.
I didn't add any flavoring oil, but plan to in the future since I WILL be making these again.
It instructs you to "shake the pan gently to level". This DOES NOT work. I had to take the back of a flat spatula and press the blob o' chocolate into the pan.
It takes about 8 hours for them to set up.
I didn't use wooden sticks 'cause I didn't have any. I used coffee stirrers and put two blocks on each one. The recipient said that the 2 blocks in a regular sized mug of hot milk worked well.
I didn't roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint. I just dusted mine with cocoa before they set up.

Jalapeno & Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2010-01-05T15:35:00.001-06:00

This has been our entree for Christmas Dinner for the last several years and is a family favorite with many at our house. It is a recipe that I created by adapting and merging a few other recipes initially. It has also evolved over the years. Pardon the pictures. I didn't remember to take them until all the damage had been done. (o:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

fresh, raw jalapenos - not pickled (one per chicken breast)

cream cheese - cold and straight out of fridge - one 8 ounce block is enough for 16 chicken breasts

salt & spice

bacon

toothpicks

Remove stems from jalapenos, slit them down one side with a knife then remove seeds. A baby spoon works really well for removing the seeds. Cut cream cheese into sticks about the size of your pinky finger and coat each stick in S&S. I pour S&S in a bowl and roll the sticks around in it. Stuff one cream cheese stick into each pepper. Pound each chicken breast to about 1/4 inch and wrap around a stuffed pepper. Wrap chicken breast in strip of bacon and secure with toothpicks.

Place stuffed chicken breasts in glass baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 1-2 hours or until juices run clear. Remove foil the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking to allow bacon to brown.

We have found that about half way through the baking it helps to remove the foil and drain some of the liquid from the pan then put it back in the oven. On the baking time: plan on it taking longer than you think. We did 18 chicken breasts this year and it took about 2 1/2 hours for baking time alone. This dish is obviously a 2-man job with all that it entails, but I assure you it is well worth the work. My suggestion is to get an assembly line going when assembling. This year we had 3 sets of hands working: 1 pounding chicken, 1 working with cream cheese and peppers, and 1 wrapping and securing. We had it done in no time.

What's for dinner?

2009-12-20T15:32:00.000-06:00

italian chicken

steamed mixed veggies

asparagus

rice & gravy

cornbread muffins

What's for dinner?

2009-12-04T14:07:00.003-06:00

"What's for dinner?" posts will hopefully give you ideas and/or inspiration. Maybe you'll hear mention of a dish you haven't served in a while or maybe something I make will bring another dish to mind. Whatever happens, I hope you enjoy my "What's for dinner?" posts.

meat loaf

mac & cheese

steamed garlic cauliflower

corn bread muffins

mixed berry cobbler

Dirty Diapers

2009-11-17T21:20:00.000-06:00

1 lb ground sausage

8 oz cream cheese, cut up into small pieces

2 cans crescent rolls

Brown sausage and drain WELL. I usually press mine between several paper towels to get out as much grease as possible. Wipe excess grease out of skillet and put sausage back in it. Add cream cheese and turn skillet on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until cream cheese melts into sausage. The cream cheese is cup up in pieces just because it melts faster.

Put a heaping tablespoon of sausage/cream cheese mixture into each crescent roll. Roll up. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

My notes:

Let's start with the obvious...the name. My mother ran across this recipe sometime while I was in college. She didn't have a name for these little boogers and I decided to name them according to their looks. Thus...DIRTY DIAPERS. I know it's pretty gross, but remember I was probably only 19 when I came up with this. So, I'll plead stupidity of my youth. BUT, if you can get past the name, please give these a try. I promise you won't be disappointed. We eat these with cheese dip and chips and call it a meal. My husband actually dips his in the cheese dip. I have also eaten them dipped in salsa. YUM! Or, I have made them plenty of times as appetizers - just split the crescents and make them 1/2 size. Another note: There are 8 crescent rolls per can. This will give you 16 "diapers." However, my mother manages to stretch the filling and use 3 cans of rolls. We, on the other hand, like ours more meaty!

These do not reheat wonderfully. However, if you just want to fix one can (8 rolls), the filling will keep up to a week in the fridge. You can pop it out and fill up the crescents and have round 2. These would also make great after school snacks. Oh, and the other day when I made these, I made the filling around 2:00 and didn't fill the rolls to bake them until after 5:00. Don't you just love make-ahead stuff!

Candy Bar Cake

2009-11-17T12:31:00.003-06:00

CAKE ICING

1 cup sugar 1 cup sugar

1 cup flour 2 tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons cocoa 1 stick butter

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup pet milk

pinch salt

1 egg

1 cup water

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

CAKE: Sift dry ingredients together; add wet ingredients; pour into 9x13 greased dish; bak at 350F 17-20 minutes

ICING: mix dry ingredients; add wet ingredients; bring to small boil; careful not to scroch; pour warm icing over cake right out of oven; let sit until all icing absorbed into cake

MY NOTES:

In the cake I used an extra large egg instead of a large one. I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa and she said her baking improved when she started using extra large eggs, so I followed suit. Can't tell you if I have noticed a difference.

Buttermilk: I rarely, if ever, buy buttermilk. Until recently, if a recipe called for buttermilk, I did the whole vinegar in milk trick. BUT, my mother told me about powdered buttermilk. It's great! Found a can of it on the baking isle. You store it in your fridge once it is opened. GREAT IDEA!

I am not a chocolate lover, but this is a cake that I cry out in the night for. It is amazingly light, in spite of the looks (and name) of it. Not extrememly rich or heavy...just really, really, really (that's 3 reallys) good! It's one that, if you wake up at 2am, you might as well get a piece with a glass of milk. WHY NOT! And, I have no idea where the name came from. It has absolutely nothing to do with a candy bar and doesn't taste even remotely similar to any candy bar I've ever eaten. Maybe we should rename this one.

Country French Chicken Skillet

2009-11-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

2 T of butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water
1 package of KNORR vegetable soup mix
1/2 cup of sour cream

Melt butter in skillet and brown chicken on both sides on medium heat. Add water and soup mix and place on low for about 20 mins or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and stir in sour cream to make sauce. Serve over egg noodles.

This was very easy and tasty. It also looked pretty and that's always a bonus.

Got this one from my dear friend Megan. Will for sure make it again...and again...and again.

Mincemeat Bars

2009-11-10T08:06:00.002-06:00

I know, I know...most people cringe at just the thought of mincemeat, but I (and several family members) love it. Made this over the weekend while I was visiting my family so we had several different tasters. Everyone enjoyed it and it was a nice change from the traditional mincemeat pie. So, if there are any mincemeat pie lovers in your family, you might try substituting bars for pie this year for the holidays. My mother found this recipe in one of those newspaper inserts. There are several other dessert recipes from the same insert that I plan on trying. And yes, we forgot to take pictures. So sorry.

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 (27-ounce) jar mincemeat

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.

Combine sugar, molasses, flour, oats and salt in a large bowl. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press half the oat mixture into prepared pan. Spoon mincemeat over top. Crumble remaining oat mixture evenly over mincemeat. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Mincemeat is a spicy preserve made of chopped fruits, nuts, beef suet, spices, and brandy or rum. Originally it was made with cooked lean meat that was finely chopped or minced. Most modern recipes do not include the meat. Check the ingredient list on the label. We used the "NoneSuch" brand and it did list beef as an ingredient.

Buttery Cinnamon Cake

2009-11-04T06:34:00.002-06:00

Got this recipe in 2004 from the AllRecipes site. I just printed it off and never made it. Well, Kennedy and I tried our hand at it last night and we were impressed. It was cinnamony and moist. This one will probably make it into the family cookbook.

CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

2/3 cup milk

CINNAMON SYRUP

1/2 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. I sprayed with cooking spray and didn't flour. Cake popped out effortlessly. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for at least 1 minute after each egg. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. This is a LOT of time holding the mixer. In the future I will get out my stand mixer for this one. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. I turned mine out onto the serving platter. Poke holes around the top of the cake with a fork. Pour the warm cinnamon syrup into the holes and onto the top and sides of the cake.
To make Cinnamon Syrup: In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat and stir until butter melts.

Not-so-Swedish Meatballs

2009-11-04T06:20:00.000-06:00

5 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of water
1/3 cup dried minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper (I used 2 teaspoons)

3 lbs frozen meatballs (I used 4lbs because I couldn't find either a 3 lb bag or a 6 lb bag in my grocery store. Worked just fine.)

1 large (16 oz) package wide egg noodles

Coat crockpot or large roasting pan with cooking spray. I forgot to do this and it wasn't the end of the world.

Stir together first 6 ingredients in crockpot or pan. Mix in frozen meatballs, making sure the tops are covered with sauce.

Cook in crockpot on low for 6-7 hours or in tightly covered roasting pan @ 350F for 5-6 hours.

Half an hour before cooking time is up, prepare egg noodles.

Serve meatballs with lots of sauce over noodles. We also had a green salad and garlic bread.

Pimiento Cheese Spoon Bread

2009-11-03T14:51:00.001-06:00

cooking spray
1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons, cornmeal, divided
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (I didn't measure; just used a pepper mill and guessed)
3 eggs, separated
3 ounces pimiento cheese (for testing purposes, I used Mrs. Weavers)

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 6-cup souffle dish with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cornmeal. I don't know if I used a "souffle dish" or not, but it worked.

Combine 1/2 cup cornmeal, milk, salt and black pepper in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until thick, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Be careful. When it gets thick, it gets thick almost instantly. Don't turn your back on it. It could result in a big mess.

Gradually whisk egg yolks and pimiento cheese into cornmeal mixture. Pour into a large bowl; cool completely. I didn't let mine cool completely because of time. I'm sure the end result would have been lighter and fluffier if I had.

Beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into cornmeal mixture. Spoon batter into prepared dish. Bake 1 hour, or until puffy and browned. Serve immediately. Serves 4. Mine was nice and puffy then collapsed after about 3 minutes out of the oven. I think if I had let it cool before adding the egg whites, this may not have happened. But it was still good!

This is a recipe I clipped from the Sunday paper. I have had it for quite sometime, but finally tried it out last night. It was "uh-wishus" according to my 3-yo son. In fact, we all loved it. It was somewhere between a souffle and cornbread. And no, it doesn't taste like pimiento cheese. Don't let that part scare you. We decided it needed to go in the family cook book. It is a very basic recipe and next time we plan to spice it up a bit with red pepper and/or jalapenos and/or green chilis. A heavy hand of Salt & Spice wouldn't hurt it either.

Salt & Spice

2009-11-02T20:28:00.001-06:00

I couldn't, in good conscience, have a blog about food and not do a post about Salt & Spice. S&S is a McCormick brand seasoning that my mother has used for over 20 years. She uses it on everything, and I do mean everything...except desserts. It's a blend of salt, pepper, onion, garlic and celery seed. Since she uses it, then yes, I use it. Afterall, she was one of my teachers in the kitchen. She and I use SO much of it and we are so dependent on it. It is an amazing seasoning for potatoes, all veggies and every meat you can think of. We put it in soups, casseroles, sauces and everything in between.

A year or so ago, we were alarmed when we could no longer find it on grocery store shelves, so we called the company and were told it was discontinued. WHAT!!! Now this is a crisis! We asked if they made anything similar. Nope. WHAT!!! However, the sweet lady we spoke with at McCormick offered us the recipe for Salt & Spice. WHAT!!! Are you kidding me!!! Yes, now that they aren't making it, they are just handing out the recipe to anyone that wants it! Turns out the recipe is also available on McCormick's website here.

When we make it, we quadruple it and store it in mason jars, simply refilling our little shakers as needed. I will mention it a lot in recipes that I post in the future. Now you know what it is and now you know my little "secret" in the kitchen. I have been told that it is like crack. I will agree with that...once you use it and learn to cook with it, you will become addicted and dependent on it to prepare a meal.

White Chili

2009-11-01T23:14:00.003-06:00

8 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
6 cans white beans (navy, great northern, etc) *do not drain beans
2 cans chicken broth
8 cloves garlic
2 onion, chopped
1-4 Tbsp chopped jalepenos (to taste)
4 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp red pepper
2 cans chopped green chilis
4 Tbsp olive oil
shredded monterey jack cheese

Heat oil in stock pot. Add onions and garlic. Saute' until onions are tender. Add chicken, broth, green chilis, cumin, oregano and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add beans and jalepenos. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

My notes~
*chicken can be boiled or even skillet fried with butter and your favorite seasoning to add extra flavor
*cook chicken ahead of time and refrigerate; cold chicken is easier to cut up
*this makes about 5 quarts of chili; if that is too much it is easily halved; or I have been told it will probably freeze/thaw well; it doesn't lasts long enough around here to be frozen

You will notice that I mentioned in the previous post that I would post pics of the chili. Suffice to say that I may hold my own in the kitchen, but I am neither a food stylist nor a photographer. When I photographed the chili, it looked... Well...less than appetizing. (o:

And so it begins

2009-10-31T22:03:00.001-05:00

I figured a good place to start a blog titled "In the kitchen..." would be in MY kitchen. I plan to slowly take you on a tour of my kitchen in future posts. I spend a LOT of time there, so I figured I would share some of it with you. You can read about the history of my kitchen and it's remodel HERE. It went from being the most unlovely room in the house to one of my favorite places to be. I love, love, love my kitchen, the layout of it, the decor, colors, etc. It's just a happy place for me.

The first food I want to blog about is chili. It's chili weather and our church is holding it's 5th Annual Men's Chili Cook Off tomorrow evening. Cary is entering 2 different recipes of chili. One of the recipes I will share sometime this week, when I can post pics with it. The other recipe I am not at liberty to divulge as it was given to me in confidence. It is award winning and Cary used it last year for the first time. His ranking in the chili cook off raised dramatically. It is Johnny Purtle's chili recipe. Johnny won the chili cook off at Unity Baptist Church of Hope more than once with this recipe. Cary and I were thrilled when he shared it with us in 2008. Johnny passed away a few months ago and I thought of him as I was helping Cary make the chili. Johnny was a great cook, as is his wife Judy, and they both spent a lot of time in the kitchen together. It is bittersweet that I dedicate this first post on the ITK blog to a fine Christian man, Johnny Purtle. I have a number of his and Judy's recipes in my collection and I plan to make and share several of those with you in the future.

See you in the kitchen!