Cooking Fresh

Eggland's Best giveaway winner!

2013-04-17T13:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everybody who entered my Eggland's best giveaway.Congratulations Joetta G.you should be getting your prize shortly!

Egg-cellent Egg Recipe for Easter Brunch

2013-03-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you've always hosted Easter dinner, why not switch things up this year and serve brunch instead? After a morning egg hunt, your guests will be egg-static when they spy this luscious Brunch.

It is soooo easy to make. First you get some Egglands Best Brown Eggs!

Then you get your ingredients...

Add them all together

Then pour into a a 9x13 glass dish

Pre-heat the oven!

Make some Hash Browns and sausages or bacon or both!

And don't for get the Mimosa's ♥ the basic Mimosa recipe calls for a bottle of your favorite champagne and orange juice. Two splashes of each and you are ready to celebrate Easter Brunch; nothing says fancy brunch like a Mimosa!

After 40 minutes in the oven...

This is what my dishes looked like...

And finally the perfect egg strata recipe...

Cheesy Egg Strata /Egg bake

6 Egglands Best eggs

1 tsp. onion powder

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey jack cheese

2 cups (16 oz.) small curd cottage cheese

Use a small amount of the melted butter to grease a 9x13 glass dish.

Mix all remaining ingredients together. Pour into pan.

Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. Till top is a light golden brown.

Don't forget it enter my contest....

To enter the giveaway, head over to Egglands Best and look at all the recipe's they offer, and leave a comment below answering:

Which Eggland’s Best recipe is your favorite!

1 winner will be picked on April 5th,2013 @ 11:59 PM CTS.
Open to US residents only!
Remember you can’t win if you don’t enter.

The Giveaway:

Egglands Best has kindly offered one of my Lucky readers a prize pack!

· (1) coupon for one free dozen Eggland’s Best eggs

· (1) ceramic mixing bowl

· (1) egg-shaped wooden cutting board

· (1) whisk

· (1) bowl scraper

· (1) ceramic mug

· (1) eco bag

The Eggland’s Best coupon, information, and gift packs have been provided by Eggland’s Best!

Good luck everybody!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easter Brunch Plans

2013-03-13T11:38:00.003-07:00

Did you know March is National Nutrition Month? Eggland’s Best is supporting nutritious eating by offering a giveaway, for 1 of my lucky readers for a chance to win an awesome gift pack...Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day, basically because I LOVE ♥ eggs! Eggs are one of those perfect foods, for there are millions of ways to cook them and they all taste great!
But one egg I like the best are Eggland's Best Eggs, they are one hard-working egg!

About Eggland’s Best:
Did you know that all eggs are not created equal? When compared to ordinary eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs contain:

· 10 times more vitamin E

· Double the amount of omega-3’s

· Twice the amount of vitamin D

· 3 times more vitamin B12

· 25% less saturated fat

· 38% more lutein

All of these nutritional facts make me feel good about serving Eggland's Best Eggs to my friends and family. When I was a little girl, my grand-mom lived with us, and I loved having breakfast with her! I still remember the soft-boiled egg's she made and cracking into one in the morning with toast. Priceless!

Eggland's Best Eggs come from hens which are fed a strictly controlled, high-quality, all-natural, all-vegetarian diet without added hormones, antibiotics or steroids of any kind. As a matter of fact, Eggland's Best is certified by the American Vegetarian Association that enables vegetarian-minded people to make accurate food choices.

Eggland's Best also conducts 35,000 quality assurance tests per year so as to guarantee that their eggs are free from blood spots, cracks and stains. This superior quality to the hens' feed as well as their own production standards give the Eggland's Best Eggs a fresh taste that is far better than any store-bought egg I've ever eaten...

Be sure to like Eggland's Best on Facebook http://on.fb.me/WUT330
Eggland’s Best Pinterest page - http://bit.ly/JGUBsj
Eggland’s Best Twitter page - http://bit.ly/Ze6Ksi
Eggland’s Best e-cookbook- http://bit.ly/W8cjvH

To enter the giveaway,head over to Egglands Best and look at all the recipe's they offer, and leave a comment below answering:

Which Eggland’s Best recipe is your favorite!

1 winner will be picked on April 5th,2013 @ 11:59 PM CTS.
Open to US residents only!
Remember you can’t win if you don’t enter.

The Eggland’s Best coupon, information, and gift packs have been provided by Eggland’s Best!

I will be posting more photo's and some of my own recipe's as we get closer to Easter, stay tuned....

Spicy sweet potato chips with a kick

2012-03-01T04:20:00.001-08:00

I have a healthier and low calorie alternative to potato chips and the fancy veggie chips available because these are not fried! I made these chips on my own, because we where tired of paying for those "other" expensive chips! And they taste sooo much better! These Sweet potato chips with a kick chips make a wonderful healthy snack. Good for lunch, serving at parties or just munching on.

5 large Covington sweet potatoes, sliced thin about 1/8 thick

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 cup canola oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

I use a mandoline slicer to get the perfect cut.

Combine all seasonings with oil in a bowl.

Add sliced sweet potatoes. Toss to coat the potatoes well.

On ungreased baking sheets lay sweet potato slices in a single layer.

On lower rack, bake for 10-12 minutes, and then turn all potato slices over.

Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. (Watch these carefully to make sure the Sweet potatoes don’t burn. Depending on your oven, you may need to cut baking time short or add a few more minutes to desired crispness.)

Your family is sure to love these!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Covered Pretzel rods

2012-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Super bowl everyone! Are you ready for some football? I have the perfect new spin on an old favorite, for you to try. It's ideal your Super Bowl party.
What you'll need . . .
Pretzel rods (about 15)
1- 10 oz bag good quality chocolate chips (we used simi sweet, but please feel free to experiment)
1- 10 oz bag Reese's peanut butter chips
toppings like sprinkles, or chopped nuts.

Method . . .

In a shallow microwave safe bowl/dish, heat the chocolate chips, then in another microwave safe bowl heat the peanut butter chips and stir until smooth. Microwave 15 seconds at a time, you don't want to burn the peanut butter chips or the chocolate chips!

Lay out a cookie sheet topped with wax paper. Set aside.
Using a fork or spatula to help spread, dip the pretzel rod in the melted peanut butter chips. Coat about 3/4 of the way on the pretzel rods. Allow to cool, then dip the pretzel rod in the melted chocolate chips
Roll the pretzel -- relatively fast -- in the toppings. Just one good roll should do to coat evenly.
Set rod on wax paper and continue until all ingredients are used.
Place in your fridge until firm. Store in an air-tight container.
Maybe even use some white chocolate to drizzle on top of the pretzel rods

These treats satisfy my family's cravings for sweet/salty. I hope you enjoy this!

This is what the pretzels should look like after you 1st dip them in

the melted peanut butter chips.

The finished product!

Go Giants!!

Unfried Crispy Baked Beet's & Sweets Chips

2011-08-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

A healthier and lower calorie alternative to potato chips and the fancy veggie chips available because these are not fried! These Beet's and Sweet's chips make a wonderful and colorful snack. Good for lunch, serving at parties or just munching on.

· 4 beets, large, scrubbed cleaned.

· 4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean.

· Pam cooking spray

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Using the slicing blade of your food processor, a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice beets thinly. You want them to be the size of a potato chip.

2. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet, spray with Pam and season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning halfway through, until crisp. Check often to make sure they don't burn. You may need to roast for a shorter or longer period of time depending on your oven and how crisp you want them - so keep an eye on them. :)

4. Serve as is, or with some Hummus...

Enjoy

Caramel Walnut Brownies

2011-08-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Are you sitting down? Because I am about to share THE most requested recipe I have ever made. Never, in the history of my time in the kitchen, have I found a recipe that elicits such an overwhelming response as these. To make the recipe even sweeter, it is extremely simple to make! YEAH!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X9-inch pan and set aside.

1 box Pillsbury chocolate fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup of Brach's milk maid caramels, chopped up into pieces.
1 cup of walnuts, chopped

Combine brownie mix, oil, water, 3 eggs in a large bowl; stir 50 strokes with a spoon.
add walnuts and cinnamon
Spread into a greased pan.
Add Carmels, on top of brownie batter!
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
Cut and serve when completely cooled.
~ Enjoy~

Here's my copy cat recipe for Sweet Onion sauce

2011-08-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich is one of Subway's biggest new product rollouts in chain history. The sandwich is made with common ingredients: Teriyaki glazed chicken breast strips, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, and olives. But what sets it apart from all other teriyaki chicken sandwiches is Subway's delicious Sweet Onion Sauce. You can ask for as much of the scrumptious sauce as you want on your custom made sub at the huge sandwich chain, but you won't get any extra to take home, even if you offer to pay. Now you can add my version of the sauce to your home-built sandwich masterpieces whenever you want.
Enjoy!!!

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon minced white onion
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon buttermilk powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch cracked black pepper
pinch garlic powder

1. Combine all ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl.
2. Heat mixture uncovered in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high until mixture boils rapidly.
3. Whisk well, cover and cool.

Blueberry oat bran muffins with nuts

2011-08-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I am going to try something different starting today. Are you ready to start eating a more healthy diet and feeling better, and losing some weight? Who's with me one this one????
This first recipe is quick, easy and tasty breakfast muffins. I hope you like them as much as my friends & family.

1- Medium Banana, mashed
1- 15 oz can sweet potatos mashed
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 cups whole oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup of walnuts
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine and mix together first 4 indigents.
2. In a small bowl combine next 7 indigents.
3. Transfer the dry mixture to the wet mixture, don't over mix to avoid toughness.
4.Fold in nuts & blueberries.
5. Spoon batter into muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
Bake for 20 minutes
Cool for 5 minutes, Enjoy!

Bean "meatballs" everyone will love!

2011-06-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

I have found a clever ways to disguise foods my family does not like, including these “meatballs” made with chickpeas. My reasoning is that chickpeas are just as full of protein as other more expensive foods, and they taste awesome! The fiber in the chickpeas & spinach is an excellent blood sugar stabilizer., plus it will keep you fuller longer, and also gives you high energy.

Ingredients

1 15oz. can chickpeas drained
1 small sweet red pepper, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 tbs. Parsley, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled & minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tbls. whole-wheat flour, (add more if needed)
1 large egg
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for topping
1 large cucumber, sliced
12-14 Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Spinach
Sprouts

Directions

Heat oven to 375, In a bowl mix first 12 ingredients until combined. (Mixture should not be smooth)
Form into small balls. Arrange balls on a lightly greased baking sheet, then spray with a light coating of cooking spray.
Bake for 15 mins. on each side, or until browned.
Remove from oven, let sit 5 mins. Place either a cucumber slice or cherry tomato on a skewer with a meatball.
Lay Sprouts and Spinach on a plate, add skewers , and enjoy ♥

Low sugar Pumpkin Muffins for Fathers day

2011-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it's been a while since I last blogged, I have been too busy looking for a job. But I got one, yeah!!!!
OK, so for Fathers day My Boyfriend's Dad can not get enough Pumpkin, he loves it in a pie, a muffin, it does not matter as long as it's pumpkin. So here you go, I hope you like this as much as my family did.

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)

· 1 teaspoon baking soda

· 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

· 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/8 tsp. of allspice

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

· 1 cup canned pumpkin

· 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

· 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons canola oil

· 1 large egg

· 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped (such as Craisins)

· Cooking spray

Preparation

· Preheat oven to 375°

· Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and next 5 ingredients (though cloves); stir well with a whisk.

· Combine granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries.

· Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.
Enjoy♥

Savory Lasagna Cupcakes,Oh My!

2011-02-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the latest craze? Lasagna Cupcakes! Thats right I said Lasagna Cupcakes, or individual lasagnas in the shape of cupcakes. Even over at Trader Joe's in New York, they're selling frozen turkey meatloaf muffins, topped with spinach and mashed potatoes, which, by all accounts, are particularly good. As long as they aren't scalding hot, you can eat them with your hands. In fact, we encourage it. You might get some spillage, but not a lot."The lasagna cupcakes are so great "because they're all corners, they're a wall of crust".

Three sheets, about half the size of a ruler, are placed in a cupcake dish, crossed inside the pan. Three layers of mozzarella cheese, bechamel cream sauce, artichoke, some wild arugula and a little parmesan cheese are added. Then the pasta is folded over, and "there you go, that's a lasagna cupcake".

Let me know what you think.

Recipe

One cup of your favorite pasta sauce

1 lb hamburger meat

18 wonton wrappers

8 ounces mozzarella cheese , grated

3 ounces parmesan cheese , grated

4 ounces ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray 6 serving muffin tin with Pam

Cook hamburger meat, season to taste, drain.

Reserve 8 tablespoons of Parmesan and 8 tablespoons of mozzarella—this will be the topping. The remaining cheese will be used in the lasagnas (note you can vary the amount of cheese to taste keeping in mind that the parmesan is salty, the mozzarella is sweet as well as salty and helps to hold the lasagnas together, and the ricotta is sweet and creamy).

Start assembling the lasagnas. Line each cupcake mold with a round wonton wrapper. Put a little Parmesan, a little mozzarella, and a little ricotta into each mold. Top with a little meat and a spoonful of sauce. Repeat layers of wonton wrappers, cheeses, meat and sauce, creating 3 layers in all, and ending with sauce. Sprinkle each lasagna with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake until the lasagnas are nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove from pan.

Christmas Dinner with Bob

2010-12-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you are enjoying your holidays with your family and loved ones this year!
My family and I, are going to my boyfriends Fathers house for Christmas. I am the cook for the holiday dinner. Bob, Scott's dad, wanted Baby back ribs for Christmas dinner. Bob is 88 years old and just lost his wife of 60 years this year, he has been eating out a lot since her passing.
So I asked him what he would like for dinner at Christmas time, having spent Thanksgiving with his brother-in-law and their family, so I wanted to make this Christmas special for us. Bob's wife Florence, made a great German potato salad that the whole family loved. So in keeping with tradition I will be serving up just want Bob wants for Christmas dinner this year.The dinner will consist of Baby Back Ribs, asparagus, homemade German potato salad, Homemade mini french breads, Cucumber and onion salad, and for dessert, drum roll please, Homemade pumpkin pie with a streusel topping.
I wish everybody the best of the holiday season, and a wonderful and blessed new year

.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box .

Filling
1can (15 oz) pumpkin (no pumpkin pie mix)
1can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbs Maple syrup

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Strudel
1/2cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Topping
1teaspoon grated orange peel
1container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping,
thawed (3 cups)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 425°F.
1. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
2.In large bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.
3.Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix streusel ingredients.
4.Sprinkle streusel over pumpkin filling.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5.Gently fold orange peel into whipped topping. Serve pie with topping.

Enjoy ♥

Gingerbread cookies sitting on a coffee cup

2010-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome back everyone! Do I have something to share with you today, courtesy of not Martha blog. I found this blog looking for gifts for family & friends last year. I hope you enjoy this, what a wonderful gift idea! I made these last year, and they where the talk of the town! Martha's blog has step by step directions.
Here is a link to her blog http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/12/18/a-gingerbread-house-that-perches-on-the-rim-of-your-mug/
Here is the template in case you miss it.

http://www.notmartha.org/images/other/2009dec/gingerbreadhouses/pattern.pdf

As always your comments are welcome.

Pumpkin Pie with a Twist

2010-11-25T16:58:00.000-08:00

Today for Thanksgiving I made a pumpkin pie, with a twist! I hope you will try this. My family raved over it and it is all gone. After all what would the holidays be without pumpkin pie? This one tastes like the traditional favorite, but includes few special extra ingredients.

Classic Pumpkin Pie with a Twist

Crust:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup cold Butter

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)

2 large eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground dried ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 tsp. finely grated and minced Orange zest

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together crust dry ingredients. Cut shortening and butter into dry ingredients ( bowl should be full of small clumps, when finished). Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture holds together. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1 1/4 times the size of a 8-inch pie pan. Place dough in pan and finish edges.

Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a whisk or electric mixer until well blended. Pour filling into crust and bake for 15minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool and refrigerate. Top with whipped cream, if desired, for serving.
Serves 8

Christmas cookies

2010-11-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

I have a real weakness for anything Raspberry, so I was thinking about making some Raspberry shortbread cookies. Sandwich cookies are about contrasts. Whether that means a contrast in flavors and/or textures. With these Raspberry White Chocolate Shortbread the contrast in flavors is wonderful; two buttery sweet cookies paired with a tangy sweet filling.

Shortbread ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:

1/4 - 1/2 cup of raspberry jam or homemade raspberry preserves
2 ounces white chocolate, grated

Homemade Raspberry Preserves:

2 cups frozen raspberries, unsweetened
1/4 cup granulated white sugar

Directions

In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch cookie cutter cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.) Place the unbaked cookies, on the baking sheet, in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and dust the tops with the confectioners' sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Sprinkle with a little grated white chocolate. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smudge the confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

The holidays have arrived

2010-11-24T22:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! The turkey has been cooked, and the pis are baked, now it's time to start thinking about Christmas cookies. I have a few treats in store for you this holiday season. To start off with I am going to share a new favorite with you. One thing that's nice about this recipe is that you can make the dough ahead of time and take it out, slice it, and bake it as needed.

Savory Sesame Herb Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 c white flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbls sugar

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 c butter at room temperature

2 Tbs olive oil

sesame seeds

Instructions

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients (except sesame seeds). Add butter and oil, and use a fork to cut the butter into the dough until it is mixed thoroughly and there are no recognizable butter clumps left.

Form dough into thin little logs (you may need to refrigerate dough for a bit to make it easier to handle), and roll in sesame seeds. Freeze dough for 30 min (or until needed).

Using a sharp knife, slice the log into ½-inch thick discs. Bake on parchment paper at 350° F for about 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Caramel DeLite

2010-11-17T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded coconut, toasted, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup dulce de leche, warmed (available in the dessert-topping section)

1 quart coconut ice cream, vanilla, or any of you favorites will do.

Directions

1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter.

2.Pulse the flour, 1/4 cup coconut, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand with pea-sized pieces, about 5 times. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in each muffin cup and press to make even rounds. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 20 minutes.

3.Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over each crust. Turn off the oven; return the pan to the oven to melt the chocolate, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle each crust with 1 tablespoon of the remaining coconut. Cool slightly, then freeze crusts in the pan until set, about 15 minutes.

4.With a thin spatula, gently remove each crust from the muffin pan. Top with a small scoop of coconut ice cream, drizzle with dulce de leche and garnish with more coconut.

Makes 12 servings.

Homemade savory shortbread cookies

2010-11-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

Thyme, lemon, and sea-salt shortbread is crisp and buttery, while blue cheese pecan crackers are rich and addictive. I got this one from Epicurious . I hope you enjoy this one.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Directions

1.Stir the flour, salt, lemon peel, and thyme together in a medium bowl.

2.With your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms.

3.Blend the lightly beaten egg, egg yolks, and water together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture for brushing.

4.Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the remaining egg mixture and blend together with your hands without kneading the dough together; the dough will look a bit crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough together once or twice, just until it sticks together. Press the dough into a 1-inch disc, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate until firm, about 1/2 hour.

5.Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place it on a floured work surface.

6.Press the dough into a 6-by-5-inch rectangle. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger 10-by-7-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough in half, forming two 5-by-7-inch pieces. Using a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

7.Carefully place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet leaving a little room between each cookie. Brush the tops with the reserved egg mixture and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on top. Gently press the salt into the surface of each cookie so it does not fall off.

8.Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes 26 cookies.

Salted Carmels

2010-11-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is not only one of the hottest trends right now,it is ridiculously delicious. I invite you to try this Dark Salty Caramel recipe for your holiday treats to share with your co-works and your family. Your comments are always welcome.

Ingredients

14 1/2 ounces sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup heavy cream, room temperature

2 teaspoons soy sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a heavy 4-quart saucepan and put over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream and soy sauce in a liquid measuring cup. Have this and the butter standing by.
Remove the lid from the sugar mixture, and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. When the sugar mixture reaches 230 degrees F, reduce the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until the syrup is a golden color and is approaching 300 degrees F, about 6 to 7 minutes. At this point, there is less likelihood of any crystallization, so gently swirl the pan to break up any hot pockets.

When the temperature approaches 350 degrees F, it will turn deep amber. Remove the pan from the heat, and gently swirl again to break up all of the hot pockets. Cool for 2 minutes.

Carefully incorporate the cream and soy mixture and the butter into the pan. Stir to combine. Return the caramel to medium heat, stir until the butter is completely melted, and continue cooking until it reaches 255 degrees F. Remove from the heat and pour into the parchment-lined pan, tap gently to release air bubbles.
Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, and then sprinkle evenly with the salt. Continue cooling on the rack for an additional 3 1/2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and wrap individually in parchment. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Bon Bon Balls

2010-11-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to try something really easy for the holidays? You have come to the right place.
I am going to share my favorite recipe with you, my dear readers. Be forewarned though they are delicious and are fairly addictive .

Bon Bon Balls

1 lb confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup margarine

2 cups chunky peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies

Chocolate Covering

2 (12 ounce) packages milk chocolate chips or Almond bark

Melt Margarine and combine with all bon bon ingredients.

Make into balls.

Chill or freeze at least 2 hours.

Melt Chocolte in top of double boiler.

Add more chocolate chips.

Drop in balls 1 at a time and cover with chocolate.

add topping at this time, Chocolate jimmys, coconut, granola, the list goes on.

Chill until chocolate is hard and serve

Enjoy

Food Stylist for a day

2010-10-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, Today October 29th, 2010, I got to be a food stylist for a day, (hopeful more). It all started when I answered an ad on Craigslist for a Chef Position. I got a call the next day to come in on Friday (today). What fun we all had (there where 3 of us ). We sat and talked about our culinary background for the first 45 minutes, then we where asked to put a spin on our favorite sandwich. I choose to do a Monte Cristo on a wrap style sandwich with the raspberry preserves, and they liked that. Then we were asked to do a spin on a Angus beef style sandwich, I did mine with Blue cheese, on a sour dough onion roll, they liked that as well.
Then we moved into the kitchen so show off our skills. I first made a pizza with sauteed onions, Prosciutto, fresh Parmesan cheese,mozzarella cheese and a dash of nutmeg on top. It looked & tasted wonderful. Then I was asked to make some fudge, I made a white chocolate and raspberry fudge. Wow was it awesome. Then I made a Lemon & raspberry pound cake, and guess what ? They also liked that ! I really could do this for the rest of my life ! I would died a very happy woman ! It was a blast, getting paid for something that I really loved doing. Wish me luck ♥♥♥ Below are some shots of my photo shoot today! Please feel free to subscribe and post your comments below :)

Potato Cheese Soup

2010-10-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year here in the windy city of Chicago, and it time to think about soups. Here is one of my favorites. Enjoy.....

Rich-as-can-be Potato Cheese Soup is a classic restaurant favorite that we can easily simmer on our stovetop. With a stick-to-your ribs thick and hearty potato soup like this, it’s easy to ladle up a satisfying meal chock-full of comfort.
Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 3/4 cups ready-to-serve chicken broth

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons white vinegar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1.In a soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender.
2.Add chicken broth, potatoes, and vinegar; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

3.Add flour, milk, salt, and pepper; cook until soup is thickened and heated through, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

Serving Tip:To serve this restaurant-style, top with bacon bits, sliced scallions, and additional shredded cheese.

Cheese Ball Goblin

2010-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature, plus 2 (8-ounce) packages whipped cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

2 cups shredded mixed cheeses, such as cheeses for tacos

Green food coloring

2 large tortilla chips

1 whole pepperoncini pepper

2 pimiento-stuffed olives

1 bell pepper, cut 2 thin strips and 6 small triangles

6 pitted green olives

20 small carrot sticks

3 cups shredded red cabbage

Toothpicks

Assorted crackers

Assorted vegetables

Directions

Place 2 packages of cream cheese, butter, and milk in a mixing bowl, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add the shredded cheese and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Remove the chilled cheese mixture from the refrigerator. Place the mixture on a piece of waxed paper and form the cheese ball into a head-like shape. Place 3 pieces of waxed paper around the edges of a serving plate, leaving open space in the center. Place the cheese in the center of the platter so some of it is right on the platter, but the edges are on the waxed paper. This will ensure that the platter does not get dirty while you make your goblin.

In a medium bowl, stir the remaining softened cream cheese until totally smooth. With a spatula, spread the whipped cream cheese over the head. It's O.K. if it's not totally smooth - this will give your goblin spooky skin.

Place a few drops of green food coloring in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. With a pastry brush, paint the tortilla chips with the food coloring until they are the desired color. Set aside to dry for a few minutes.

Once the chips are dry, press them into the sides of the cheese ball to form ears. Skewer the pepperoncini with a toothpick and then attach it to the center of the head to make a nose. Press the pimiento-stuffed olives into the head to form eyes. Use the 2 red bell pepper strips to make eyebrows. Take the pepper triangles and insert them into the holes in the pitted green olives. The green olives will serve as toes, and the red pepper strips will be scary toenails. Once the olives are assembled, press them into the bottom of the head to form the toes.

Press the carrot sticks into the head to form teeth. Leave them sticking out a bit to make scary teeth. It's O.K. if your carrot sticks are different lengths and thicknesses. Hold the head onto the platter with a spatula and gently pull away the waxed paper. Finally, press the cabbage into the top of the head to make hair.

Serve with crackers and assorted vegetables.
Enjoy!

Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Bananas

2010-10-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

I hope your family like this as much as mine does....

Ingredients:

8 medium bananas, peeled

8 wooden popsicle sticks

32 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions

Dipping decorations: granola, chopped nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, crushed cookies, and toastedor untoated coconut .

Line a sheet pan with partchment paper. Cut 1-inch off the end of each banana. Insert a popsicle stick into the cut-end of each banana, pushing the stick halfway in, leaving the other end exposed for use as a handle. Place the bananas on the sheet pan and freeze 1 hour.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.

Arrange the dipping decorations on several flat plates. Working with 1 banana at a time, dip it in the chocolate and turn to completely coat (spoon some on, if needed). Roll the dipped banana in the desired decorations, transfer to the sheet pan, and return to the freezer.

Once frozen, store the bananas in an airtight container.

Serving suggestion: To serve at a kid's party, paint a hunk of styrofoam and stick the banana handles in the top, so they stand upright.