bcmom's kitchen

Bread and Water

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:43:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who filled out my form telling me what one food and one drink you would choose for the rest of your life. First, I'll tell you what I chose - bread and water. Sounds like prison rations or something, doesn't it?

Seriously, that is what I would choose. Water is my beverage of choice. I rarely choose anything else. Sure, a nice glass of wine is good every once in a while, but I couldn't live on it. And about that bread - it couldn't be just any bread. It would have to be this wonderful Sourdough Bread that I've been making. It's so good!

So, those are my choices. What did everyone else choose? Here are the results:

eggs and water
cookies and milk
lobster and water
pollack and homemade organic tomato juice
avocados and rum
lasanga and Pure Cranberry Juice
Spaghetti and Diet Coke
Eggs and Coffee

If you didn't fill out the form with your own choices, feel free to add yours in the comments here.

If You Could Have Only One

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I saw this question on The Newlywed Game - not something I usually watch, but my husband turned it on. They asked the husbands if their wives could have only one food and one drink for the rest of their lives, what would they choose. It took me a little bit to figure out for myself what my choices would be - imagine trying to figure out someone else's choices! Of course, my husband is pretty good, because once I figured it out for myself, I asked him - and he got it exactly right! Now, if I had to guess what he'd choose, I don't think I'd do a very good job.

Anyway, the whole question got me thinking, so I thought I'd ask:

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I'll leave this open for a while and then publish the results, so please play along. It will be fun! And I'll tell you what I would choose, too.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:48:00 +0000

I hadn't made these in ages, but I recently saw them on someone's blog, and decided it was time. Then I went looking for recipes. I could not believe how many recipes for Peanut Butter Blossoms are out there! I ended up choosing the one from the Hershey's website - since they're Hershey's Kisses on top, after all. Also, I liked that the recipe used more peanut butter and less sugar than some of the other ones. I ended up sort of combining the recipe with the one in my cookbook - by using a little more flour to make the cookies easier to roll out and baking at a slightly lower temperature. Oh, and I used Dark Chocolate Hershey's Kisses, because that's what I had.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening (margarine)
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES (or so)

Directions:

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set and bottoms are lightly browned. While cookies are baking, remove wrappers from chocolates.
Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie as soon as you pull them from the oven; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

I got about 55 cookies. The original recipe has you unwrap all the Kisses at the beginning, but I unwrapped them as I put the cookies in the oven, so I had the right number of Kisses for the cookies I had. And I only ate one or two...

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Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:37:00 +0000

I have got to try this!

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

by Sheila Lukins and Laurie Griffith
published: 02/17/2010

Try this spicy twist on a comfort classic.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped green jalapeño
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high; add beef and brown for 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and spices; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer until liquid reduces, 15 minutes. Add corn, beans, and 4 Tbsp cilantro. Spoon into a 9x9-inch baking dish.
Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain; mash with butter and milk. Spread mash over the meat mixture. Bake in a 400°F oven until brown, 30 minutes. Garnish with more cilantro.

Serves 4. Per serving: 460 calories, 49g carbs, 29g protein, 80mg cholesterol, and 19g fat.

from Parade

all I need is some cilantro...

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Hearty Skillet Meal

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:47:00 +0000

Dinner tonight. The original recipe came out of my favorite cookbook, The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals. I adjusted it slightly.

Hearty Skillet Meal

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup coarsely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Saute ground beef and onion until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.
Stir in cabbage and rice and cook for a couple minutes. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and garlic salt. Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer, 40 minutes.
Immediately before serving, stir in soy sauce, salt and pepper.

The original recipe called for 1 lb. of ground beef instead of the 1/2 lb. I used, but 1/2 lb. is what I had because I used to other half in the meatballs I made today. Cabbage was not in the original recipe, but I thought it sounded good, so I added it. I didn't actually measure it, just cut some up and tossed it in, so I'm guessing on the 1 cup, and I wasn't real strict on measuring the carrots and potatoes, either. With this kind of recipe, it doesn't really matter. Also, I increased the water called for in the original recipe, from 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups, and that seemed perfect.

This has a really nice flavor, and it's really easy to make. We had some green beans and some sourdough bread along with it. I would've taken a picture, but it's not all that exciting to look at - just good to eat.

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French Toast Casserole

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:56:00 +0000

I've tried a couple recipes for French Toast Casserole in the past, but never been too impressed. I got this one from my friend Nancy, and I got to taste hers before trying it myself, so I knew this one would be good.

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

14 slices bread, cubed (I used sourdough bread I baked last week)
8 oz. cream cheese cubed
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 dozen eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup syrup

Directions:

Spray 9x13 pan; line with ½ the bread.
Drop cream cheese over bread, mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half of it over cream cheese and bread. Layer the rest of the bread and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over it.
In separate bowl mix eggs, milk and syrup and beat well. Pour over bread.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Half an hour before baking, remove from the refrigerator. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes; keep covered the first 40 min and uncover for the last 10 min. If it seems dry add more syrup.
Serve with syrup and fruit of your choice.

We had this for breakfast/brunch this morning, and it was so good! I ended up baking it for an additional 10 minutes, because the egg mixture didn't seem to be done after the 50 minutes, so just judge it for yourself. It definitely didn't seem too dry, and I didn't need to add more syrup. Then I let it sit for 5 minutes after it came out of the oven to set up. The picture is what was left after Jeffrey, Cory and I finished eating - enough left for a couple of us to have tomorrow maybe.

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I Want to Try These

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:58:00 +0000

I found this recipe for Carne Asada Tacos on Cooking...by the seat of my Pants, and I just have to try this recipe. I'm thinking if I cook it in the crockpot as suggested that it will be really easy and incredibly yummy.

Date Bars

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:03:00 +0000

Last time I was in the grocery store, I noticed some figs and dates in the produce/bulk area. I don't usually buy anything like that, but decided to get some dates. Later I wondered why I chose the dates, since I had been looking at fig bars in the last store but decided not to get them. I could have tried making my own. But, I got dates, so today I went looking for recipes for date bars. I ended up choosing this one. They look and smell wonderful, though I haven't tasted them yet.

Date Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature

Instructions:

Grease 8x8-inch baking pan. (I used a 7x11-inch pan)
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to simmer in medium saucepan. Add dates; simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 (20) minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; stir to blend. Add butter. Using fork or fingertips, rub in until moist clumps form. Press half of oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture over. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press gently to adhere.
Bake at 350°F until brown at edges and golden brown and set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars and serve.

original recipe at epicurious

I also spread some chopped pecans on top and pressed that in with the oat mixture. I thought about making these Apple Date-Nut Bars instead, also at epicurious, but I knew Cory wouldn't be happy if I used all his Granny Smith apples. Maybe next time.

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Bran Muffins

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000

Since my oven works now, I made muffins for breakfast. They are so good!

The Original All-Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Ready-To-Eat Cereal All-Bran® Original
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN cereal and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400° F about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

I used part brown sugar and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour in my muffins.

Print this recipe (at Kellogg's)

Image by Queen Roly via Flickr- recipe for Cranberry Walnut Bran Muffins

My Oven Works!

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:25:00 +0000

The repairman called this afternoon and said the part for the stove was in, and he had time to come right out and install it. So he came, installed it, and my oven works now! I turn the oven on, and there's heat! The bottom element turns orange like it's supposed to. This makes me very happy!!

I had to use it, so I made fish sticks and baked potatoes for dinner. Not real exciting, except that my oven works!

Tomorrow I am going to have to bake something for real - bread? muffins? cookies? What do you think?

Shrimp Salad

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:05:00 +0000

Today I am lucky enough to feature a guest post

written by Jill of Simple Daily Recipes:

Simple and straight forward is the direction of this Shrimp Salad recipe. But don't be fooled that it may be too simple in taste. The Homemade French Dressing recipe that accompanies the recipe is full of flavor and will make extra for your next green salad. Enjoy this shrimp salad alone or on a bed of baby spinach leaves, either way it's delicious.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Shrimp Salad

First the French dressing recipe

1/3 cup vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup salad oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
a few grains Cayenne

Combine all the ingredients; shake or beat until thoroughly combined. Shake again each time before using. Makes 1-1/3 cups.

Shrimp Salad

3 cups cooked shrimp
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
3 tablespoons French dressing (see below)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh mayonnaise
lemon juice to taste

If shrimps are small, leave them whole; if large, cut them up. Combine shrimp with celery and French dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill 30 minutes to cool down fresh cooked shrimp and allow flavors to blend.

Drain. Mix with mayonnaise and lemon juice. Serve individually in lettuce cups or on a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves. Garnish with spinach cut into ribbons. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Recipe and photo by Jill McKeever of SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Thank you, Jill!

If you have a food-related blog, you can have Jill write a post for your blog, too. Even if you don't want a guest post, I strongly recommend that you check out Simple Daily Recipes, because it is AWESOME - so many great recipes!

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I Can't Buy a New Stove for $200

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:35:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago my oven started acting up. It just didn't seem to be heating properly. I put dinner in the oven one night and walked away. About an hour later, I got back into the kitchen, figured dinner should be hot and ready to eat - and the oven was cold! I turned it off and turned it back on, and it seemed to work OK then, but dinner was way behind schedule. After that, sometimes it would work and sometimes not, but I'm not sure it ever got up to the correct temperature. Then this week I noticed that the bottom element wasn't heating at all. I would say you don't realize how much you use your oven until it doesn't work, but that's not true. I know I use it. A lot. It has to be fixed.

So, I started calling about having someone come and check it, and hopefully get it fixed. It's really hard to get an idea of how much it's going to cost for something like this, but it seems like they're all pretty much the same, so I finally scheduled one to come out and look at it. We were thinking the element just went out, and we'd have to replace that. Except that when he got here, he tested the element, and it tested just fine. So he started testing things only to find out that it's the computer board that has the problem, or at least the part of the board that controls the bake element. That part he did not have with him or know how much it would cost, or even if it was still available since my stove is about 12 years old, so he had to get back to me on that.

Well, he called back today, and the part is over $150. Together with the labor to install it, it will cost us at least $200 to get it fixed - in addition to the money we already paid for him to come out yesterday and check it. My first thought was, "Is it really worth putting the money into fixing a 12 year old stove?" Or would it be better to put that money toward buying a new stove? I didn't actually ask the question, but Dave, the owner/repairman said that he would recommend fixing our stove because it's in good shape, and the new ones aren't built to last like this. Jeffrey stopped at an appliance store on the way home from work yesterday, and the lady at the store had told him the exact same thing. Besides that, even if a new one would probably last as well and as long, we certainly can't buy one for anywhere near $200.

So I talked to Jeffrey and called Dave back and told him to go ahead and order the part, and he'll call me when it comes in to schedule a time to come out and install it. He said it shouldn't take too long to get it. And then I'll be able to bake again!

Turkey Split Pea Soup

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000

I cooked a turkey last week, so I've got turkey and turkey broth - perfect for making soup!

Turkey Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups turkey broth
3 cups water
or 7 cups water and 2 or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups split peas, rinsed and sorted

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. celery seeds
1 bay leaf
Pinch of white pepper
1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked turkey

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
Add broth, water, split peas, potatoes, carrots, salt, celery seeds, bay leaf and white pepper. Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Add the turkey or chicken and heat through.
Discard the bay leaf before serving.

This is also good with chicken broth and cooked chicken, if you don't have any turkey. A 1 lb. bag of split peas is about 3 cups, so sometimes I just use the whole bag. Also, you can adjust the amount of potatoes and carrots to suit your tastes or just to use whatever you have on hand. It's soup - the measurements don't have to be exact. And, it gets better after it's been refrigerated and reheated.

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New Year's Soup

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:14:00 +0000

I'm really not sure why this is called New Year's Soup, but the first time I made it was New Year's Day ~~several~~ many years ago. I probably wouldn't have noticed it if the time hadn't been right while I was looking through my favorite cookbook (The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals) for a soup recipe to try. I'm glad I found it, because it's a very good soup - and I'm reminded of it when New Year's rolls around. I don't necessarily make it every year, but I'm reminded.

I've modified it slightly, like I do with most recipes. I just can't help myself!

New Year's Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried beans
water to cover beans
1 lb. ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T salt (or less)
1 tsp. chili powder
juice of 1 lemon
28-oz. can diced tomatoes

Directions:

Wash beans. Place in 5-qt. crockpot, cover with water to about 2 inches above bean line and soak for several hours. Turn crockpot on low and cook beans overnight.
The next day, when beans are cooked, brown ground turkey with onion and garlic. Add salt, chili powder, and lemon juice. Add to crockpot along with tomatoes and continue to cook on low for a couple hours, or until you are ready to eat.
Serve hot and enjoy

You can use whatever beans you like. I used pinto beans. I made some whole wheat sourdough bread that we had with it, but I think cornbread is best. I'm going to heat the leftovers up tomorrow, and I think I'll make the cornbread then.

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Cocoa Branana Muffins

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:33:00 +0000

I usually make Banana Muffins with chocolate chips, and everyone loves those, but I thought I'd try something a little different. I've had had this recipe for ages but never made them until yesterday.

Cocoa Branana Muffins

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Kellogg's All-Bran cereal
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 ripe banana, sliced
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let stand 5 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Stir in sugar and sliced banana.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together and stir into cereal mixture, stirring only until combined.
Portion batter evenly into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin tins.
Bake at 400° F about 25 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins

The original recipe called for skim milk and 2 egg whites, but I just used 2% milk and 1 whole egg. They turned out really well, though I'm pretty sure our regular banana muffins will remain everyone's favorite.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Here's another recipe I found in the coupon section of my Sunday paper. This one I managed to cut out! I mixed it up today, ready to pop in the oven and enjoy this weekend.

Frank's RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

I mixed everything in a mixing bowl and then put it into the baking dish. Also, I used a pint of chicken that my mom canned and gave me.

For additional tips and variations or to print it, view the original Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:33:00 +0000

I found this recipe in the coupon section of the Sunday paper. It really looks good! And then today, I'm cutting out coupons only to turn the page and find that I cut right through the recipe. Why do they have to put recipes on the back of coupons? (or is that coupons on the back of recipes?)

I thought maybe I could visit the website and find the recipe, but no such luck - so I had to piece it back together and type it up myself. These sound so good I'm sure it was worth it, though.

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Crust:

3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup butter

Filling:

2 eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine flour, sugar, and corn starch in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into a greased 13x9-inch pan.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned.
Beat eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Pour over crust. Return to oven.
Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until mixture is golden. Cool on wire rack and cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars

Here's the list of dessert and baked goods recipes I did find on the website. Some of them look pretty good, too.

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Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Image by Another Pint Please... via Flickr

I found this recipe once a long time ago. I made the cake. It was wonderful. Then I lost the recipe I knew I had a recipe for this hot, gooey, chocolaty dessert, but I could not find it. After lots of looking, I found it! Now, I plan to keep this recipe somewhere safe and accessible.

This cake is quick, easy, and absolutely yummy. And since I didn't make anything for dessert this weekend, I think I'll make one of these!

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

1 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1-3/4 cups very hot water

Ice Cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. Mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 T. cocoa, baking powder, and salt in ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Mix in milk, oil and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir in nuts.
Spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour very hot water over batter.
Bake 40 minutes. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes and top with ice cream. Spoon sauce from pan onto each serving.

Microwave Directions
Follow above directions, making sure to mix everything in a microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave uncovered on medium (50%) 9 minutes; rotate dish 1/4 turn. Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 7 minutes longer or until top is almost dry.

Enjoy!

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Free 2010 Calendar

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Pillsbury is offering a Free 2010 Calendar to new email subscribers to their Pillsbury or Cooking 4 Two newsletters. I've been subscribed to the Pillsbury newsletter for a while but hadn't tried the Cooking 4 Two newsletter, so I was eligible for my free calendar. Just put your email address into the box at the top and click the 'Check Member Status' button to see if you're eligible.

It's hard to believe, but I think the Cooking 4 Two newsletter is going to come in really handy. It promises delicious recipes just for two, tips for scaling down your favorite recipes, and much more! I pretty much cook for 3 of us nowadays, but since one of us is a teenage boy, it's like cooking for more! But, once he goes away to college or moves out, which won't really be that long now, I am going to need to rethink my cooking practices - because there will only be the two of us.

While I was on the site signing up for my calendar, I logged in and grabbed a few recipes and saved them to my 'Recipe Box' because signing up for one of the newsletters also gives you full access to the Pillsbury.com website where you can find and save all kinds of yummy-looking recipes. I am definitely going to have to try these Cranberry Orange-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls. Don't they look yummy?

German Chocolate Pie

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:21:00 +0000

This is Jeffrey's favorite pie. I got the recipe from his mom. He says I don't make it often enough, but I figure it's more special if he doesn't get it all the time, right?

German Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker's German sweet chocolate
1/4 c. butter
1-2/3 c. (14 1/2 oz. can) evaporated milk
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/3 c. angel flake coconut
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 unbaked pie shell, fluted high

Directions:

Melt German chocolate and butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk.
In bowl, mix with electric mixer: sugar, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually blend in chocolate mixture.
Pour into unbaked pie shell and top with mixture of coconut and pecans.
Bake at 375° for 45 minutes, then cover with foil to stop browning and bake another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool at least 4 hours before cutting or refrigerating.
Enjoy!

and I'm not giving away Mom's secret recipe, because I found (almost) the same recipe online at Cooks.com. You'll want to cut this pie into fairly small pieces because it is so rich.

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Thai Kitchen Giveaway

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:41:00 +0000

I really want to try this Red Curry Chicken with Vegetables (Doesn't it look amazing?) so I'm hoping I win the giveaway at The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness.

5 winners will get Thai Kitchen Cooking kits that will include: 2 jars of red curry paste, 2 jars of green curry paste, 1 jar of roasted red chili paste, 1 bottle of fish sauce, a cookbook and a coupon for a free Thai Kitchen product of their choice.

I've seen these products in the grocery store, but haven't yet tried them, so winning would give me a chance to try them and see if we like them.

Entries must be received by Tuesday, December 8 at 11:59 pm EST.

Free Cookbook

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:04:00 +0000

Get a free Martha Stewart Thanksgiving cookbook from Sirius. It features over 30 recipes from Martha Stewart and other famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Nigella Lawson, and Mario Batali. The recipes cover all courses of the Thanksgiving meal, from savory turkey to fresh salads and creamy mashed potatoes to sweet desserts. I've looked through the table of contents and found a few recipes that sound really good.

The cookbook is in pdf format, so you can download and save it, or print it for yourself.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:49:00 +0000

This recipe was on the back of my Pillsbury Whole Wheat flour. It sounded so good I had to try it, and the muffins taste just as good as I thought they would.

Apple Cinnamon Whole Wheat Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
2 cups peeled, shredded apples (3 medium)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:

In large bowl, combine beaten eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla; add milk; Stir in apples, carrots, raisins, and coconut.
Combine dry ingredients and add, stirring just until moistened; add nuts.
Fill paper-lined or greased muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.
Makes 12 muffins

I may have to try these without the raisins if I want anyone else in my family to eat these. For some reason, they don't like raisins. Of course, if I leave the raisins in, that means more for me! These are great for breakfast, with coffee or just to snack on.

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Overnight CoffeeCake

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I love this because I can mix it up the night before and the next morning all I have to do is pop it in the oven for fresh, hot coffeecake.

Overnight CoffeeCake

Cake:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
Cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in buttermilk and then add dry ingredients.
Spread batter into greased and floured 9"x13" pan.
Mix all ingredients for topping and sprinkle over batter. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes.

Sometimes I add coconut to the topping. When my kids were little, I poured the batter into 2 round cake pans instead of the 9"x13" pan. I baked baked both coffeecakes the next morning, one to eat and one to freeze. The coffeecake fit nicely into a gallon-size Ziploc bag.

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Take Your Bananas with You

bcmomtoo@gmail.com (Anna) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:58:00 +0000

Image by Harry‧黃基峰‧Taiwan via Flickr

I saw this recently in the food section of my Sunday paper, and I thought it was really neat. It's called the Banana Saver, and it's made to keep your banana from bruising when you pack it in your lunch. How cool is that? And why didn't someone think of this sooner?

They're designed to fit most bananas and even have a hole for the stem. Imagine - completely portable bananas without all the brown spots. I just might have to get some of these to try.