Busy Mom's Cookbook

Melting Snowman Cookies

2011-11-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

I feel like now that we are at least past Halloween I can start posting some holiday treats. It just doesn't feel right to do it before then.

I made these last year and they were an absolute hit, and SO stinkin easy.

What you'll need:

Sugar cookie dough (you can make it, or buy it)
Marshmallows
Sugar cookie frosting (make or buy, I bought mine because this was a school night project)
Decorator icing in different colors, you need black and orange for sure.

So, bake your cookies according to the directions, but make them a little misshapen when you put them on the pan.

After they have cooled, put your frosting on, making it drizzle down the edge a bit like it is snow melting.

Pop your marshmallows on a plate and microwave them for like 2-3 seconds. You just need to be able to mash them a tiny bit so they don't need long.

Affix them to the top of the cookie, using your icing as glue.

Then, decorate with faces, scarves and hands!

The best spice cake ever.

2011-10-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

My husband is a boring cake person. Typically he requests cherry chip cake (the boxed stuff) with cherry frosting. Blech.

But, I make it because he likes it. My guy and his pink cakes.

But, this past year he decided to change it up. He wanted me to MAKE a cake. EEECK!!! I started scouring the internet for recipes. Chocolate peanut butter cake, butterfinger cake, homemade cherry chip... He vetoed all of them. Said he wanted a spice cake.

Spice cake? Okay. So, started searching for spice cakes. Do you want a carrot cake? No. Spice cake with nuts? No.

Finally, I found this, and I knew I'd be pushing the envelope because he isn't a fan of toffee or of coffee. But I just KNEW he'd love it. I am a sucker for anything with molasses. A tiny bit does go a long way but it is an ingredient I think everyone should have in their cupboard.    So, I did a trial run and brought it to work, making it exactly as pictured.

My co-workers raved but I knew it would be a no go for him, he wouldn't like eating the toffee like that. But the toffee that was put in-between the layers melted and you just got the flavor and it was so decadent! And, as a bonus, you get to keep your teeth. BINGO!

And let me tell you, this cake batter. Oh, the cake batter. It is so dense, and moist and rich and just... lovely.

And the frosting? ACK, more molasses! Trust me folks, you'll convert.

What you'll need:

Ingredients

For cake:

1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature, plus more for pans
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cups milk

For frosting:

2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon milk

For the toffee:

1/2 cup butter, cut in chunks, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Directions:

I suggest making the toffee first, so it has time to cool. You could even make it a few days before.

Butter a 12- by 17-in. rimmed baking sheet (like a cookie sheet with rims, something flexible is best).

Measure out vanilla and set aside.

In a 2- to 3-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, stir sugar, butter, 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and espresso powder until butter is melted and you no longer see sugar crystals. Increase heat to high and boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 300° on a candy thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes. Quickly remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla (mixture will bubble up). Immediately spread thinly in prepared baking pan and let cool until hard, about 20 minutes.

Flex pan to release toffee. If using for topping cake, finely chop enough to make 1 1/4 cups. Break remaining toffee into small chunks and reserve for garnish. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Now the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 8-in. round cake pans.

In a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in molasses.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Stir a third of the flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half the milk just until blended. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, then remaining milk, followed by remaining flour, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Scrape batter equally into prepared pans and spread level.

Bake cakes until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans. Cool completely before assembling. I recommend putting them in the freezer so they are easier to cut.

For frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer on low speed until light and fluffy. Beat in cream cheese until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in powdered sugar, lemon juice, and molasses, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until no lumps remain.

With a serrated knife, carefully slice cake layers in half horizontally. Place first split layer, cut side down, on serving platter (adjust parchment paper so that edges of platter are covered). Spread layer with about 1/2 cup frosting. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup chopped toffee. Repeat frosting and sprinkling with next 4 split layers. Top with remaining split layer, but don't frost or sprinkle with toffee. Brush away crumbs around sides and base of cake. You can skip splitting the layers, if you want. Just put extra frosting and toffee between each layer, no biggie.

Spoon 1 cup frosting into a small bowl and stir in milk until smooth. Spread a thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate cake until coating is set, about 1 hour. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Rather than topping with the toffee I drizzled some caramel syrup on top, but you can skip that. I just couldn't leave well enough alone.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

2011-10-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know the secret to the perfect egg salad sandwich? I think I'm sensing a theme with my posts lately, besides my 1970's plates and poor photography that is.

Anyway, you know how egg salad from the deli is just super fluffy and yummy? Well, for one, they use extra yolks but the real secret to great egg salad, in my not so humble opinion, is butter.

You'll need:

8 hard boiled eggs, chilled
1 tablespoon mayonaise
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
1/4 red onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon of fresh dill
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon franks red hot sauce (you didn't think I only had ONE secret ingredient, did you?)

8 slices of bread.

Peel your eggs and separate the yolk from 2 of them, discarding the whites (or eat them). Mash the two yolks, along with the 6 whole eggs with a fork. No need to get it fine, chunky is better.

Mix the rest of your ingredients in. The butter will solidify with the rest of the cold ingredients and give your egg salad the richest most decadent texture.

YUM. And, might I add, that this is an incredibly inexpensive easy meal to throw together. Especially if you are like me and always have hard boiled eggs in the fridge.

Boston Baked Beans

2011-10-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last fathers day my mother-in-law called over to the house and asked my husband what we wanted to bring to the picnic. He said "Katie will make baked beans".

Um. Hello, I've never MADE baked beans. I think those take a while to do! And, this phone call was literally ON Fathers Day. So, I had about two hours to come up with "homemade" baked beans.

I managed to come up with something that everyone raved about, thanks to All Recipes, and some cheating. Everyone loved the beans so much that I felt it was only right if I actually made them the right way the next time.

So, the second time I made them was for another family get together and even though I baked those damn beans in the oven for 12 hours (after soaking them of course), they were HARD and I made a freaking mess all over my oven because you have to keep adding water and it all spattered and well, not cool.

The third time I made them was this past weekend. Slow cooker = life saver. They cooked for 28 HOURS! But they were very yummy.

Here is a photo of the third batch. Nice deep reddish brown color, just like they are supposed to look.

At the end of the day though, I kind of liked the cheat beans the best! But, everyone raved about the last batch I made so here are the recipes for both.

Boston Baked Beans, the right way... sorta.

Ingredients:

2 cups navy beans, dry
1 pound bacon
2 onions, finely diced
8 tablespoons molasses
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Rinse the navy beans and remove any rocks. No one wants to eat rocks.

Pour beans in the slow cooker and cover with water. Let them sit overnight.

In the morning drain the beans.

Take some scissors to your raw bacon and just slice it in small chunks and toss it in the slowcooker raw along with the onions. You can cook it before hand, but it'll cook in 28 hours, trust me and it saves cleaning dishes.

Mix the molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar in a bowl and pour over the beans.

Pour in as much water as your slow cooker will hold.

Turn the slow cooker on high for about 5 - 8 hours, then turn it on low for the rest of the time (it'll go overnight). Cook for 24 to 28 hours, or until your beans are nice and tender. Check the beans from time to time as you may need to add a bit more water to prevent burning - I did twice.

Boston Baked Beans, the cheaters way.

Six cans (16 ounces each) of canned navy beans, rinsed.
1 pound of cooked bacon, chopped.
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Pour your beans in a very large baking dish Layer your bacon and onions on top.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a pot on the stove until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the beans

Bake in the oven at 350 four about 45 minutes, or until everything is heated through.

Apple Chips

2011-10-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

I am always trying to think of good snack ideas for my kids, things to give them for lunch or easy and portable breakfast ideas. Thanks to my husband by kids also love chips. So, that brought me to apple chips and I figured they couldn't be too hard to make, right?

So, a quick google search and I landed on this recipe. It stood out to me because of the sugar water soak. Any other recipe I read about just seemed like the chips would kinda be leathery, like dried fruit and not all that sweet. I'm not usually a fan of added sugar but I also want to make something that they will EAT and something that the baby can (physically) eat and fruit leather isn't going to be easy for him.

In true me fashion I used what I had on hand, which happened to be granny smith apples. I figured they have a nice bite to them, bake well and the sugar soak should counter their tartness, I was right.

I simply sliced the apples however I could manage, as thin as I could manage, but a mandoline would work much, much better and they would be prettier.

First make a batch of sugar water for the soak dissolving 1 1/2 cups of sugar into 2 cups of water on the stove top.

Then, slice 2-4 apples paper thin and squeeze lemon juice on them as you go to prevent browning and drop them into your sugar water.

Soak your apple slices in the sugar water overnight.

The next day pat them all dry and then lay them out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake in your oven at 200 degrees for an hour to an hour and a half. The apples will be CRUNCHY like chips and oh so wonderful. I also sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on half of my batch and that was equally as yummy.

Pumpkin pie bites

2011-10-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love the internet and all the crafty people on it. These pumpkin pie desserts are not only delicious, they are so incredibly easy!

Crappy photos by Katie - couldn't find my camera, so you got a cell phone picture. Still, don't you want a bite?

I halved the recipe, because we had no need for 32 of them.

So, what you'll need.

1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls.
1/4 block of cream cheese
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (okay, i didn't half that one)
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.

Mix the last 4 ingredients together, beating with a mixer until nice and fluffy.

Unroll your crescent rolls onto a cookie sheet, put about 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin mixture inside and roll up.

Mix 4 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and roll each stuffed crescent in the sugar mix. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes, give or take.

Easy Banana Bread

2011-10-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am big on making things from scratch. It saves money, I know what goes into it and nothing tastes better than homemade. But, as the title of this blog points out, I'm also pressed for time and sometimes dragging all of the ingredients out (if I even have them) and then cleaning it all up is a PITA. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in a box of banana bread? There are no bananas in many of them. Krusteaz does have some in its ingredient list, but they are pretty far down on the list. As a general rule though I like Krusteaz brand products and looking at the label on the Banana Nut muffin mix it's pretty good. Sure, it has enriched flour but... I'd be using that anyway. It also has wheat and barley flour as well as ground flax seed and that's a plus.

So, back to making it...

YUM.

What you'll need.

1 box of Krusteaz Banana Nut muffin mix.
3 eggs
1/4 cup of vegetable oil (you could probably skip this depending on if you used more banana or wanted to sub applesauce, I like the richness it adds though)
4 (around 16 ounces mashed if you want to measure) very ripe bananas mashed up.
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional add, but I like a little more)

Directions:
Mix it all together in a bowl (adding the walnuts at the very end). Bake according to the box directions.

Voila. Banana bread, with real bananas. The awesome thing about boxed mixes like this is that they are very forgiving, and that's saying a lot when it comes to baking. You could alter this recipe a lot to suit your tastes. Less banana, butter instead of oil, applesauce instead of oil, no nuts, use 1 tablespoon flax seed and 3 tablespoons water to replace an egg... It's a lot like these pumpkin muffins using cake mix.

And by the way - if you ever find yourself with very overripe bananas but don't have the time to bake at that very moment, just toss them in a zip-loc bag in the freezer. When you are ready to make the bread let them sit on the counter for a few hours and you'll be ready to mash them up.

Happy Baking!

Buttah.

2011-10-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of those things that isn't a time saver, but it is so worth it. Worth it on a piece of homemade bread with homemade jam. The difference between homemade butter and store bought is well, not comparable. Even the European butters, while better, don't compare.

Are you ready for this?

1 pint of heavy whipping cream. If you can, get it from a dairy rather than a grocer.

That's it.

Pour your cream in a mixing bowl, a large mixing bowl. And put an apron on.

Slowly start to beat the cream with your mixers (if you have a standalone mixer just cover it and leave. I don't, so I get spatter).

Work up to a fast speed and beat for 5-7 minutes. When you start to get spattered, or the liquid separates, you are done.

Strain the liquid, work out any curds in the butter and you're done! You can also rinse the butter with water, which is supposed to help it keep longer. But, I don't have a need for butter to keep longer in my house. You can also add a pinch of salt, to taste, if you want to.

The liquid is super fresh buttermilk, perfect for pancakes. With butter slathered on top, of course.

Five minute ice-cream

2011-10-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

What is the best dinner to feed a poor, sick child? Ice-cream, of course. I mean what would make a child happier than ice-cream for dinner? And, as a parent, all you want to do is make that poor miserable child laying on the couch with rosy red cheeks do is... smile. Just a teeny one. And saying "Do you want some chocolate ice-cream for dinner?" will do it.

And this ice-cream is healthy, and easy on the tummy.

This is about the best idea ever.   I couldn't even wait to blog about it. I read about it on Use Real Butter, thank you fellow Coloradoan!

What'll you'll need:

4 banana's, sliced and frozen
2 tablespoons of natural creamy peanut butter (optional)
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (optional)

Put the frozen banana's in your food processor and blend until nice and creamy.   And, as a note I happened to have whole frozen banana's in my freezer, I do that when they go brown so I can use them later for banana bread. I just peeled them, sliced them frozen and put them in the chopper - it worked fine.

Add the peanut butter and cocoa powder.

Done.

For added smiles, add sprinkles.

You could change this recipe up in so many ways too. Nutella came to mind first. Oh Nutella. Or how about some strawberry preserves. Apple pie filling. Chocolate syrup drizzled over banana ice-cream. Raspberries. Chunks of chocolate.

Dude, it's healthy ice-cream. Healthy enough to feed to a sick kid. For realz.

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-10-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Muffin Tin Monday is not a new idea, but it is brilliant. Sometimes when I come home from work, and maybe forgot to start the slow cooker that morning (I do that a lot) I stand staring in the fridge/freezer/pantry just dumbfounded about what I'll make for dinner. Honestly, if it wasn't for the kids we'd just eat whatever...

GENIUS!

And so, I throw a hodge podge of whatever into the tins, set it in front of my son and it's the best.dinner.ever!

Chicken dinner.

2011-10-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before that I love seasoning packets. I peruse the spice aisle almost every time I go to the grocery store to see if there are any flavors that speak to me. I use them on all kinds of meat but chicken is my favorite. Today I chose a sweet bbq seasoning packet that is made for roasting a whole chicken in the oven but I buck the system and always do it in the slow cooker.

So, toss in however many chicken breasts your family will eat. I throw them in frozen so they don't dry out (my dinner is typically going for 10 hours or so by the time we're all home) Then add 1-2 packets of the seasoning packet of your choice. Then, pour in some water - about 1" deep is what I do.

Turn it on low and you're done prepping dinner!

When you get home you can steam or roast some veggies, add a salad and dinner is ready. I mean really, 5 minutes. And real minutes too, not those 20 minute meals on TV where everything was already prepped ahead of time. I mean, can't ANYONE make a meal in 20 minutes if everything they need is laid out in tiny little bowls all measured and chopped for them.

Do you use seasoning packets to your advantage? What are some of your quick recipes using them?

Birthday cake cheats

2011-10-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

I love to make cakes, but I'm not baker. And CERTAINLY not a decorator. Yet, I still love making cakes. I thought it would be fun to share some of the, uh, creative ways I've decorated cakes :)

This is my oldest son's 2nd birthday train cake. Looks pretty cute, right?

You should have seen my kitchen. And everyone's mouths after eating that... Yeah.

This is the Cars cake from his 3rd birthday. 11th hour and the sides of this cake looked like a hot mess. But I saved it using cut outs from one of those birthday party decorator packs.

:) Again, guests don't appreciate the colored frosting... I use the gel stuff but yeah, it's still HORRIBLE!

And this is my second son's 1st birthday cake. He loves to make music so I was going to decorate his cake myself, you know, by piping frosting. I scraped that stuff off at least 5 times because it just looked like well, a one year old decorated the cake.

Quick trip to the Wal-Mart craft section and voila... stickers. I did have to tell the guests not to eat them. Good thing I have understanding guests.

And this batman cake I made for a friends son. It looks pretty good right, for an amateur at least.

Yeah, that was the 2nd attempt. The first one looked like this:

Batman doesn't mind pink, does he?

Sweet potato side

2011-10-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

I always have spice packets in my house, always. They come in handy in so many ways when I am making dinner on the fly. Onion soup packets are a favorite of mine and they make this side dish heaven, it's perfect along side a perfect roast chicken.

Even with my horrible photography skills, don't they look heavenly?

What you need:

About 2lbs of sweet potatoes, peeled cut into 1" cubes.

A tablespoon or so of olive oil.

1 packet of onion soup mix.

Directions:

Put everything in a bag and toss.

Lay it out on a sheet pan, bake at 350 for about an hour, stirring once.

Raspberry Lemon Trifle

2011-10-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you Erin for showing me this recipe. It has become my go to dessert for well, everything. It is so incredibly easy and I love.love.love lemon anything. I often find myself with a spoon and the trifle dish after everyone has left...

This is one recipe that I didn't tweak at all, which is rare for me. And, also, even
though I've made it at least five times I don't seem to have a photo! But, you can see a luscious one here along with the original recipe.

And, just in case that link ever disappears here is the recipe again. I'm telling you people, this is divine. The moment you taste it you'll regret all the years you didn't know about it so don't delay.

You MUST stand over the curd while it cooks and whisk, whisk, whisk. You don't want to end up with scrambled eggs and make sure you use a pot that is big enough so the bottom doesn't cook before the rest. You can also use a double boiler, but I never do.

Syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Curd

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Fruit and topping

4 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 16-ounce frozen pound cake, thawed
2 cups chilled whipping cream

For syrup:
Combine sugar, lemon juice, and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute. Cover and chill.

For curd:
Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add butter and lemon peel. Stir over medium heat until curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead.)

For fruit and topping:
Combine 2 baskets raspberries and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Mash berries coarsely with fork. Let stand until juices form, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Cut cake crosswise into 8 pieces. Cut each piece into 3 strips. Line bottom of 3-quart trifle bowl with 8 cake strips, trimming to fit. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons syrup; spread with 2/3 cup curd, then half of mashed berries. Repeat layering. Top with remaining cake, syrup, and curd. Cover; chill overnight.

Beat cream and 3 tablespoons sugar in bowl until peaks form; spread over trifle. Mound remaining berries in center.

Best Roast Chicken

2011-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried Alton Browns turkey recipe? If you haven't, you simply must. It's better than any turkey ever. Do you hear me? e.v.e.r.

And, you can take the same recipe and apply it to a chicken - with a few minor tweaks.

So, here is the famous Alton Brown recipe.

Read it, save it, make it. You won't regret it.

The secret is in the brine.

So, here are the ingredients. Although, I like to change up the aromatics and the seasonings I put in the bring. The main points you need are the salt, sugar and stock in the brine. Whatever else you add to it is up to you and the flavor you want. I keep the brine simple for the chicken, it doesn't need much.

For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

For the aromatics:

3 lemons, cut in half.
1 bunch of rosemary.
1 cup water
Canola oil

First, thaw the chicken in the fridge.

Combine the brine ingredients in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and then allow to cool in the fridge.

I have a small cooler that I place my chicken in, and then cover with the brine mixture. The cooler fits in my fridge (it's like one of those little Ocsar type ones) This is why I don't have a need for the ice water from Alton's recipe - I let my mixture completely chill in the fridge and I don't have a need for extra liquid.

So, place the chicken in the cooler first (don't forget to remove the gizzards & neck first) and then pour the brine over it.

Let that sit for 6-8 hours. It doesn't need to go any longer or you'll have a salty bird. You can probably get away with 4.

Take the chicken out of the brine, rinse it off and pat it dry. Place on a roasting rack. Make a shield out of foil for the breast section and set aside (see the how to video here)

Stuff with aromatics.

Tuck wings under and coat the bird with canola oil.

Stick an oven safe thermometer in the thickest part of the bird.

Roast at 475 for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cover the breast of the chicken with foil breast plate you made earlier.

Reduce the oven to 375 and roast until the thermometer reaches 170 degrees at the thickest part of the meat.

As a general rule it takes about 20 minutes per pound but it really is best to use a meat thermometer. Once you take the chicken out of the oven the temperature will continue to rise to closer to 180 and the juices will settle.

I know it seems like a lot of work for a chicken, but trust me it is SOOOO worth the effort. A few hours work on this and you'll be able to transform it into a few meals, like this or this or maybe it's a little chilly and you need this. Or, Monday night when you're beat and it's bath night and you have 5 minutes to prepare dinner, you could make this or this or this. Happy cooking!

Perfect scrambled eggs

2011-10-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

Scrambled eggs eluded me for a long time. Well, the *perfect* rich, fluffy wonderful ones did. I was always told to beat the eggs in a bowl, add a little milk and then scramble.

That is the wrong way to do it folks.

This is the right way.

Melt butter in a non stick pan (1-3 tablespoons depending on how many eggs you are using)

Break eggs in the pan. Yep, directly in the pan.

Use a fork to whisk them slightly.

Cook as usual.

By breaking the eggs in the pan you keep the yolky goodness in tact and that is what gives you that rich, yummy buttery goodness. Butter just adds to that velvety texture.

Right before I take them off the heat I also add some shredded cheese.

There you have it, perfect scrambled eggs.

Buffalo chicken wraps.

2011-10-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I like to make this for lunch on the weekends. Usually I have chicken left over from something, but if not you could use chicken nuggets (if you have kids in the house you probably have some) or a rotisserie chicken or whatever.

So you'll need:

Chicken cut into chunks or strips.

1/3 cup melted butter

1/3 cup hot sauce (I use Franks)

lettuce

tortilla

Mix the melted butter and the hot sauce together well.

Put chicken and lettuce in the tortilla. Spoon sauce over. Roll and eat. Alternatively, if you are looking to cut carbs you can wrap the chicken and sauce in the lettuce leaf. Add cheese if you desire :)

Perfectly Easy Lemon Cake

2011-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have a reputation at work for making birthday cakes but sometimes find myself in a pinch on a week night. This particular co-worker loves lemon (which, if you know me, makes me very happy) so I came up with this cake on the fly and let me tell you, it's delicious!

What you'll need:

1 box of vanilla cake mix. Or, you can use lemon if you feel like a lemon cake needs to start with lemon.

The shavings of one large lemon.

Lemon simple syrup: 2/3 cup lemon juice mixed with 2/3 cup sugar.

Icing of your choice (I use store bought vanilla x 2)

Yellow food coloring.

Lemon curd (you'll need to make this a minimum of 4 hours in advance) thankfully I had some in my fridge already:

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Directions:

Lemon Curd

Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add butter and lemon peel. Stir over medium heat until curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours.

Cake
Mix the boxed cake mix as directed, stir in the lemon peel. Bake in 2 round cake pans following the directions on the box for size.

After the cake has cooled poke holes in each layer with a toothpick and then drizzle 3/4 of the lemon simple syrup over each layer, reserving 1/4 for later.

For the icing - I use 2 containers of vanilla frosting, mix in the remaining lemon simple syrup and add a touch of yellow food coloring to get a nice lemony color. You'll probably have extra frosting at the end, but it's always better than not enough. You can thicken it up by adding powdered sugar or put it in the fridge for a while if it becomes too runny, but I like it a little thin to make spreading easier.

Layer lemon curd on the bottom tier and then top it when the second tier. Then frost the cake with 1 thin layer of icing. At this point I put the cake in the freezer for about an hour to set.

Ice the cake with one more layer and you're done! Top with raspberries, blueberries or strawberries for an additional touch.

Slow-cooker BBQ Chicken

2011-10-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Get used to these easy recipes, because as a Mom of two they SAVE me.

You'll need:

Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (however many your family will need)

1 jar of sweet baby rays bbq sauce. I like the sweet and spicy one.

1 jar of water.

Put it all in the slow cooker. Turn it on low. Leave. When you come home shred the chicken and serve on buns with a little more sauce. Tada, dinner. Sides I like are corn and salad.

Slowcooker roast beef.

2011-10-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Let's ignore the fact that I've been gone forever, mmkay? I'm back, and that's what matters.

Do you want a fix it and forget it recipe? Good, because I have one.

1 frozen roast beef (whatever cut/size suits your fancy).

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 packet of ranch seasoning

water.

Put roast in slow cooker (putting it in frozen means you really can leave it all.day.long and it won't get dry)

Top with taco seasoning and ranch seasoning packets.

Pour in water. I like to have at least 5 inches or so of water in the bottom.

Turn it on low, put the lid on. Forget about it until you pull into your garage after work and smell the lovely smell of dinner and profess your love for your slow cooker. And me.

Trust me, the seasoning packets are a good combo. So good. I steam veggies to go with it.

The end.

Easter Brunch

2010-04-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Easter is my holiday. I host it every year for the in-laws because it's the only holiday my family doesn't really celebrate and I really can't fit my side AND the in-laws in my house, there just isn't enough room. So, what does a Mom of a toddler and a newborn make for 10+ people you might ask? Easy items that can be prepped ahead of time.

Baked Ham - as in, pre cooked. You could get one from the honey baked ham store or just a regular one with a glaze from the grocery store.

Maple Bacon Breakfast rolls. These lovely things appeared in my in-box the other day and I had to make them. I cooked the bacon in the oven ahead of time, you could buy pre-cooked but it's expensive for what you get.

Fried Green Tomatoes - Yes, like the movie. They are SO good. Slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick or so and salt liberally (this step is very important). Season with pepper. Put them in a bowl with about 4 tablespoons buttermilk (regular milk will work though). Then, dredge through flour. Then in some beat eggs and then through breadcrumbs. Fry in peanut oil. Vegetable oil will work but I prefer peanut oil. Voila. Soooo good. There are sauces and chutneys you can make to serve them with but I just like them as is.

Lemon Trifle - You can make this with any berry you want. I suggest doubling the lemon curd recipe and if you still don't feel you have enough you can always fold in some whipping cream or vanilla pudding.

Champagne Limoncello Cocktails

And, the in-laws are also bringing

Fruit Salad
Hash brown casserole
Another vegetable.

I may also add some roasted asparagus because it's easy :) The only thing I'll have to do the day of is warm the ham up a bit, toss the rolls in the oven and fry the tomatoes.

Chicken and Couscous Salad

2010-03-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

I made this up on the fly, trying to use up some couscous and chicken that I had on hand and it was wonderful! Let me see if I can list the ingredients correctly :)

First, you need 2 chicken breasts that have been marinated in the lemon and garlic marinade from this post. Then, roast the chicken breasts at 425 for about 1/2 hour. Cut into bite sized pieces.

You also need:

1 medium zuchinni
1 small red onion
1 portabella mushroom
1 cup tri color couscous
1 cup water
1 tomato

While your chicken is roasting: Sprinkle salt and pepper on your mushroom (you don't have to use portabella, but it's what I had) and saute it in a pan of olive oil for about 5-6 minutes per side. Toss in sliced zucchini and diced onion and saute at the same time. When the mushroom is cooked cut it in to bite sized pieces. Add 1 cup of water to the veggie mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes and prepare dressing.

Dressing:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine chicken and veggie mixture in a bowl and toss with dressing. Serve with tomato slices.

Welcome baby D

2010-03-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm still here guys :) Just adjusting to life as a family of four. During my third trimester I didn't cook much other than to stock my freezer with casseroles and frozen meals in preparation for the new baby. I'm starting to get back into the groove of cooking so hopefully I'll have some new recipes up in the coming weeks :)

Our two perfect boys :)

Bisquick Mix

2009-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

Save money and make your own bisquick mix! I love this because I never use a full box of bisquick mix before I need to toss it.

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add shortening and pulse until it is combined with the dry ingredients.

Use as you would regular Bisquick mix! Check out Betty Crocker's website for tons of recipes.

Shepard's Pie

2009-11-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

This is a really easy meal that you can prep the day (or two) before and pop it in the oven when you get home. I usually defrost about a pound and a half of ground beef and make something like tacos with part of it and Shepard's Pie with the other part. I've even gotten away with 1/2 pound of ground beef in this recipe. Or, you could make a double batch of the meat mixture and freeze for later but do not freeze mashed potato, it doesn't fare well.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1 lb of ground beef, or a little less if you do what I do above.
1 onion chopped
2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas, green beans... whatever you have.
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 - 3 cups or so of mashed potatoes, I cheat and use instant (ssshhh). You could make it from scratch and you'll need about 4 potatoes depending on their size.
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Cook the ground beef and drain the fat off, set aside. In the same pan melt your butter and saute your onions until tender. Add back the ground beef and stir in the vegetables. If you are using carrots add them when you start the onions, any other veggies are added after the onions are cooked. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, longer if carrots need to cook more.

Transfer meat mixture to a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Cook in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes and then turn the broiler on for 3-5 minutes to brown the potatoes.

Serves 4 - 6 generous portions.