Cursive T

Strawberry Tartlets

2012-03-01T17:01:00.001-08:00

I've been MIA for a few weeks. I just needed a break from things and I've been busy making plans (as if that's ever concrete) for what lies ahead in our family. I'm happy to report I've conquered several of my New Year's resolutions. But we'll save that for another post. I'll have lots of new fantastic recipes to share as well.

It appears that Spring is in the air and that means fresh and new! And who can believe it's already MARCH?? Wow, my birth month is here. Another year older. Another year of adventure behind me. And hopeful for another wonderful adventure ahead.

Well, I whipped up Jambalaya tonight for a quick and easy supper. It's one of Scott's faves. To balance out the heat, I thought it would be nice for a cool sweet treat. So I whipped up some Strawberry Tartlets.

I got a great deal on some mega sweet strawberries at the market and they were perfect for these tartlets.

I started with puff pastry. You can find this flaky treat in the frozen section. It's really easy to work with and goes great with just about anything. Out of one sheet you can cut 9 equal squares.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place each square into a muffin cup. This will form your flaky tart shell. Bake 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, prepare Strawberry Glace.

3 cups fresh whole strawberries, hulled, divided

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
Few drops red food coloring, optional

Mash 1 cup strawberries; set aside.
In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water and mashed berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in food coloring if desired. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes.

Then you can get started on your cream cheese filling. This is my favorite part. I could eat cream cheese every single day. Just the thought of it makes me giddy.

Filling:
1 block softened cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients until smooth. I like to pipe the filling so I add it to a plastic ziploc bag and snip the corner with my kitchen scissors.

The fun begins when you assemble these fun tarts! Simply pipe the creamy filling. Top with the strawberry Glace and a little whipped cream. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries. Enjoy!

Spicy BBQ Chicken Rub

2012-02-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

You ever color your own hair? Well, I have very dark black hair and can you guess what else? Yep. Those stubborn pesky grays which have increased at an alarming rate over the last few years. (I feel as though I should be concerned.) To avoid turning skunkish, I've been coloring my hair.

With my wild sticky black hair and adorned in my "hair color" shirt, which is merely an old and very large men's North Face Tshirt, wouldn't you know the doorbell rings! I scared the UPS man. Poor guy couldn't leave fast enough. I'm not sure if he was frightened by the hair, put off by the scent, or afraid of my goopy gloved hands. Oh well, at least my hair looks fabulous again. AND I received our replacement kindle fire for the one my children already managed to mangle since receiving it for Christmas. Thank you Amazon warranty!

I wasn't the only one getting all prettied up! I gave the chicken a massage with this delicious rub then topped the chicken with my favorite BBQ sauce and baked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Perfect!

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Use about 3 Tablespoons as rub for 4 chicken breasts.

BFF Peanut Butter Pie

2012-02-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

I love hangin' out with my best friend.

Over the weekend we went to paint pottery at Color Me Mine and have some eats and drinks at Colley Cantina. We laughed and laughed and laughed until we couldn't laugh any more.

We made these awesome mugs!

I'm lucky to have a friend that knows so much about me and still loves me anyway. We love to laugh. We love Mexican and Margaritas. We love to thrift shop together. We watch the same great movies. We have a strange sense of humor. We are flamingos in a flock of pigeons. She is the pop to my tart, the star to my burst and the peanut to my butter.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust or chocolate cookie crust

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Mix in peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon into crust. Cover, and freeze until firm.

*NOTE: The crust can be made with graham crackers and a tablespoon of cocoa powder if you don't have chocolate cookies. Nutter butter cookies also make a great crust!

Chocolate Donut Cake

2012-02-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

So my little baby girl is growing up! I can't believe I'll have a middle schooler very soon. Not that I haven't experienced middle school with our boys, but it's really exciting to see your child embrace their opportunities!

I had a fantastic meeting with, whom I consider, one of the best ever school guidance counselors in the world. The woman is a saint and she is so special because the enthusiasm she has for her work just beams out of her room like sunshine after a rainy day! Anyway, after telling me wonderful things about the options available in our area, I was really excited to get started on the process that lies ahead of us. Applying to a middle school.

You're probably thinking, "Why in the heck do you have to apply to middle school?" Well, my smarty pants of a kid is just that. Incredibly smart, amazing grades, tests super high on benchmarks, and she is gifted! So, she is being encouraged to take advantage of special programs our school system offers! I'm totally proud.

And she's just so darn cute!

So tonight we celebrated her achievements with her favorite dinner, Fettucini Alfredo. I also made a quick Academy Chicken and made a delicious Chocolate Donut Cake for dessert.

The best part of the donut cake is in fact the frosting. I swear it tastes like it belongs on a long john at Krispy Kreme. It's so thick, creamy and glossy!

The cake is just a basic Golden Vanilla bundt cake.

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg, at room temperature
2 egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel, (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour Bundt pan; set aside.

Beat granulated sugar, butter, egg and egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add milk and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, lemon peel (if using), baking powder and salt; beat about 2 minutes or until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Gently loosen cake from pan with knife and turn out onto wire rack; cool completely.

For the frosting:

2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons skim or 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Bars

2012-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

My kids are major snackers. So I've been trying to incorporate the healthiest snacks possible for when their mood strikes. And my sweet little 8 year old is addicted to peanut butter, so I whipped up these yummy Peanut butter and Chocolate Granola Bars. They've lasted all of 8 minutes. I digress. Next time I'll make a double batch!

1/2 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, honey, egg, oil and vanilla until blended.

In another bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar and salt; add the peanut butter mixture and mix well. Stir in chips. (Batter will be sticky.)

Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. (I like to line my pan with nonstick foil)

Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Taco Dip Super Bowl Dish

2012-01-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Kristen (who is totally amazing) asked me for a vegetarian recipe idea she could make in the crock to take to a super bowl party. I had to put my thinking cap on and come up with something munchie like so I offered my suggestion for a Taco Dip and Black bean stuffed peppers.

The more and more I thought about it, the more hungry I became for taco dip. Amazing how that happens.

I highly suggest you take Beano before eating. Just sayin'.

Taco Dip

1 cup frozen corn

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 can black kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup mild taco sauce

1 can (4 oz) mild diced green chilies

1 can (4 oz) ripe olives

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

tortilla chips

sour cream

Mix first 8 ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours or high 1-2 hours. Just before serving, stir in cheese. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. This can just be left on low for serving at a party.

*Note: If you want to add meat, cook ground beef in a skillet until brown, drain well, then mix with other ingredients in the crock.

*Note: This can be cooked in an oven safe dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Baked BBQ Burgers And Onion Rings

2012-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

What a week. What a very long week. And it's only Wednesday.

This shirt about sums it up!

I've been in a training class all week, which has thrown off my entire sleep/work/chore schedule, and that has prompted easy meals this very strange January week. However, we have been eating our dinners early and that has made a huge difference in our entire day! That just might become a new thing. Early Bird special with the seniors at 4pm...I totally get it now.

I've had a couple of new recipes on the menu and tonight I just decided to make some Baked BBQ Burgers and Crispy golden buttery salty delicious homemade Onion Rings and Fries. Need I say more?

BBQ sauce is really easy to make and it's even better when you modify the ingredients to your own taste. I like a smoky sweet sauce. If you don't prefer to make your own, just use your favorite bottled brand. Here's an easy fallback sauce recipe.

BBQ SAUCE:

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

1/8 teaspoon pepper

BURGERS:

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (Adds great source of fiber and serves as a binder I use it in my meatloaf too)

1/4 cup BBQ sauce + 1/4 cup more for basting

1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning (my favorite)

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (you can easily substitute other ground meat)

hamburger buns

(lettuce, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Set aside 1 cup barbecue sauce to serve with burgers.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, oats, 1/4 cup of the remaining barbecue sauce, seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place burger patties on a foil lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until desired doneness. Serve with your favorite burger toppings.

*NOTE: I like to use a roasting rack to place my burgers on, so all of the extra fat drains from the meat without allowing the meat to sit in it.

Cinnamon Streusel Ribbon Muffins

2012-01-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

It's the beginning of another week and I can already tell is going to be a doozy!! We cleaned the whole house and the girls were really helpful. Everything is organized, dinners are prepped, and clothes laid out. It always saves me so much time in the mornings if I've planned ahead. That also includes what we'll be having for breakfast. This muffin thing might be a new "Sunday thing" for me....Make a big batch of yummy muffins and store in an airtight container for breakfast throughout the week.

I whipped up these Cinnamon Streusel Ribbon Muffins and boy do they smell scrumptious! I just love fresh muffins with coffee, fruit and yogurt.

I've been using unbleached King Arthur Flour for baking for a few months now and I'm sooo in love with the way my baked goods turn out!

Streusel Topping
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
½ stick unsalted butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl using a fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle over muffins right before baking.

Cinnamon Ribbon
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Muffin Batter
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the cinnamon ripple ingredients in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to blend them. Set the mixture aside. Then heat the oven to 400° and grease the bottoms only of 12 standard muffin cups or line with foil liners (foil are WAY better than paper ones).

For the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Stir in the dry ingredients just until the batter is blended. Then sprinkle the cinnamon ribbon over the batter and use a flexible spatula to fold it in a couple of times.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups, top with streusel topping, and bake the muffins for 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them.

The Popcorn that Pops

2012-01-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

It is Science Fair time in our little world. My approach to the science fair is usually kicking and screaming, lots of tears and "please don't make me help you". And then it's followed by something that resembles giving in.

Ugh. Anyway, this year, my tune changed just a smidge when I realized my child actually picked something interesting. POPCORN!! Holy moly, what a concept. Something I actually thought could be fun! A little chemistry project.

The GREAT thing is I have learned how to make my very own popcorn (Thank you Pinterest) AND how to properly store it to get the most popped corn. Don't you hate it when you pop a bag in the microwave and then there's nothing but 10,000 kernels rattling around in the bottom of the bag? What a waste of money.

Move over Orville! I've got the trick to your favorite snackaroo, I can save you money, and it's way healthier than prepackaged poppers.

On average the cost of prepackaged popcorn is a whopping $3.53 per pound....with my method you can save a bundle by buying in bulk and prepare your favorite snack at only 50-60 CENTS per pound. A steal!!

Plus, there will be no mystery ingredients in your paper bag. Check out the ingredient list on Act II popcorn:

Important Information
Safety Information:
Contains soy, milk. Caution! Handle tub carefully. Open away from face. Tub and contents are very hot!

Ingredients
Popcorn, Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Annatto Color. Contains: Fish, Milk

Are you kidding me?? Fish and milk? In my popcorn? Gross. Just gross. But that's what happens when you don't read the label.

There are so many ways you can flavor a homemade batch and KNOW EXACTLY what is in your bag of deliciousness and there is no need for an expensive air popper. NEVER will I buy those prepacks of popcorn again!

Now back to the basics of science: Corn is merely made of starch and a tiny bit of water inside each little shell. When the water is heated it turns into a gas and once it reaches a precise temperature, the gas explodes through the outer shell resulting in a perfectly popped kernel of corn.

Shall we? Don't mind if I do!

Start with your basic no name brown paper lunch bags. I picked up a stack of 40 at the Dollar Tree for one buckaroo. And a 2 pound bag of Yellow Popcorn kernels, although I believe it also comes in white kernels, for $2.00 at the market.

1/4 cup good quality popcorn

1-2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or popcorn salt
Paper lunch bag

Toss the popcorn with the oil and salt in the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over twice to close.

Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on high (100% power) for 2 minutes to 3 minutes, or until there are about 5 seconds between pops. Each microwave is different, so popping times may vary.

Toss with your favorite flavored popcorn salt or other seasonings and/or melted butter!! Enjoy!

*Science Fair Note: The best place to store popcorn so it yields the most popped kernels is at room temperature!

Croque Monsieur Provençal

2012-01-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

Butter. Bread. Cheese. More butter.

I've been craving grilled cheese sandwiches for days. Probably since I came across the Cookoff of such sandwiches. Yep. The Grilled Cheese Invitational is held in Los Angeles and WHAT would be more fun than to enjoy every buttery bite of a such an intense competition?? I can't think of anything, but I'm sure it would involve food. Bacon maybe.

Anyway, I wanted to build upon the basics of the average grilled cheese and make it a WOWZA supper, so a little kitchen magic turned my plain old grilled cheese into a Croque Monsieur. What the heck is that you ask?!?

Well, traditionally Croque Monsieur is just french for hot ham and cheese. Something you'd probably find in a little bistro or cafe. Croque Madame is the same sandwich, but with a fried or poached egg on top. No matter what way you like it or the variation you choose, it's an out of this world experience and I urge you to try it soon. Why am I calling mine provençal you ask? Well, simple, I added a thick slice of tomato. (Homegrown summer tomatoes would taste SO much better, but I did what I could with what I had.)

I picked up this beautiful fresh French loaf at the market.

You can use what you have. I got this baby for a steal, otherwise I probably would've chosen a hearty bread like Ciabatta or a Focaccia. Eh. It works. If you want to impress someone though, just pop into your bakery and pick up something special. Heck, just getcha some from Panera. (our secret.)

One thing to remember when making these is to make sure your pan isn't too hot. That, and Thick slices of bread are key to making this an amazing sandwich experience. Well, that and lots of butter.

Anywho...back to sandwiching.

I choose to make a cheesy spread for each slice of bread, then assemble the sandwich with the slices of cheese of your choice.

For the Sandwich you'll need:

Bread (as discussed above)

Spread (directions below)

butter

ham and/or bacon

tomato

sliced cheese in your favorite flavors

For the spread:

4 oz. cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tablespoons mayo (REAL mayo, not Miracle Whip)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

Smear it all over those bread slices. Just a thin layer will do. This batch will yield 4 sandwiches perfectly.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Place 2 slices of bread, plain side down in pan. This will allow the cheesy spread to get all creamy and melty on top. (SOOO good)

Yes, I realize there is another pat of butter in my pan on the verge of melted happiness. Don't judge.

Then layer with ham, bacon, tomato, sliced cheese....I had swiss, Meunster, Cheddar and Provolone on hand...everyone chose their favorite.

Brown perfectly until golden on each side and heated through. Adding butter 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.

Enjoy your Croque Monsieur Provençal!!! Happy Eating!

Chicken Piccata

2012-01-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

New Year. More recipes. More family time. More happiness. More homework.

This afternoon my 10 year old asked for some help. "Mom, there's this famous music guy that I need to find some facts on in order to get some extra credit in chorus. His name is Mozart or something?"

Chew on that without choking while you make this recipe for an easy Chicken Piccata. This Piccata doesn't have capers and I don't think it really needs them. It's just a nice lemon butter sauce with a lightly breaded chicken.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon montreal steak seasoning
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1/2 cup boiling water

In a small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour and seasoning. Dip the chicken in the egg/lemon mixture, then in the seasoned flour.

In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and brown the coated chicken pieces. (Very important to brown both sides of the chicken before the next step. If you rush it, your breading will fall off and the chicken will lose it's moisture.)

Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour liquid into skillet. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, turning chicken pieces after 10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Garnish as desired and serve.

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'll be slipping into pjs shortly. Sushi is ready. Sparkling red grape is chillin' in the fridge and pizza will be cooking on the stone soon. Snacks and games and the new iCarly top the list of fun for the evening. I know you're jealous. Don't hate.

Going out with a bang? Need some last minute snackers and eats?
Try these out for a tasty New Year's Eve!

Cheesy Potato Dippers

1 package (24 oz) frozen potato wedges with skins
1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz Velveeta cheese, cut into chunks
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, drained
Heat oven to 450°F. Bake potato wedges as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cheese, tomato sauce and chiles. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is hot, stirring frequently.

Serve hot potato wedges with cheese dip.

Pepperoni Crescents
1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (or my roll dough)
32 Pepperoni slices
4 cheese sticks (sliced in half to total 8)
Prepared marinara sauce

Slice each cheese stick in half. Unroll crescent rolls.

Place 4 slices of pepperoni on each crescent and then 1 cheese stick.

Roll up, starting with large end first, like a crescent, and bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Serve with marinara.

Cake Batter Dip

1 box of cake mix (any flavor) (Funfetti mix is really cute for a party)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups cool whip
Animal crackers, graham crackers, Nilla Wafers or fresh fruit

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Smores pockets
Crust

1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (8 graham cracker squares, finely crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

1/2 cup marshmallow creme
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (1 oz)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 425°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.

Unroll pie crusts. With 3-inch round cutter, cut 10 rounds from each crust. In small shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Brush both sides of pie crust rounds with butter; dip into crumb mixture to coat.

Place 10 coated pie crust rounds on cookie sheet. Stir together filling ingredients. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of each of the 10 rounds. Place remaining pie crust rounds on top of the filling on each. Pinch edges to seal.

Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator.

Spinach and Bacon dip
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 lb. Velveeta cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed
1 can (10 oz.) Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
8 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled

MICROWAVE ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.

Great with Tortilla chips

Savory Parmesan Bites
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

HEAT oven to 350°F.
BEAT cream cheese and 3/4 cup Parmesan with mixer until well blended.
SEPARATE dough into 8 rectangles; seal seams. Spread with cream cheese mixture; top with peppers and parsley. Fold each rectangle lengthwise into thirds to enclose filling; cut into 4 squares. Place, seam-sides down, on baking sheet; top with remaining Parmesan.
BAKE 13 to 15 min. or until golden brown.

Calzones
1 loaf of French bread
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/2 pound sliced hard salami
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred marinara sauce

Roll each loaf of dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches.
Layer ham and salami down the center of each rolled loaf lengthwise.
Top meats with 1 cup shredded mozzarella for each roll.
Fold short ends of each loaf in about 1/2 inch and seal. Roll from the long sides and pinch well to seal the entire loaf. You should have 2 long rolls.
Bake, seam side down on a greased baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut each roll into 8 slices and serve with marinara for dipping.

(These could be done with cheese only if you like Ricotta and Garlic, mozzarella mixed together as the filling.)

Chicken Salad Curry Cups
1 can (12.5 oz) white chicken breast, drained
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1 tablespoon mild curry paste
24 frozen mini fillo shells (from two 2.1-oz packages)
24 fresh parsley leaves

In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients except fillo shells and parsley.
2 Just before serving, spoon about 1 tablespoon chicken mixture into each fillo shell. Garnish with parsley.

Ho ho ho....oh wait that was last week?

2011-12-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful holiday and that you are ready to welcome 2012 with open arms!!
As for my family, we enjoyed a great Christmas with some good old fashioned family time!

We were fortunate to have our boys over on Christmas Eve and we enjoyed munchies and movies. Food on a stick is worth every second of time. And I have learned the secret to munchie making. Stick with easy traditional stuff. For example, pigs in a blanket. a package of dogs and a tube of crescents. Nothing to it and they were all eaten within minutes. However, the lovely buffalo chicken ring which took a few time to prepare and bake was semi-untouched. Seriously?

But whatever, the food was delicious and the presents were fun to open and who doesn't love to watch Elf on the eve of Christmas?

We ended our evening with our annual reading of "Twas the night before Christmas" and my little girl angels were tucked in bed by 9 pm. No lie. It was a Christmas miracle.The sunshine greeted us early on Christmas morning and the living room became a heaping trash pile within minutes. Santa clearly left his mark. And I must've been a very good girl because I got a Keurig (which I had politely begged for while sitting on Santa's lap at the mall, did you know security frowns on adults sitting on Santa's lap?). Oh Mr. Keurig how I love you!

Scott wasn't feeling well enough to make the trek over the river and through the woods to see the parents, so I prepared a nice Grinchy meal with a Roast Beast, Who Hash(brown casserole), and some other green extras! My lovely friend E joined us for dinner and we enjoyed the entire weekend (...pretty much until Tuesday) in our pajamas.

And now that we are on the tail end of the year and a bright new one is about to begin I get to reflect on all of the many blessings and wonderful (and sometimes NOT so wonderful) things we've endured and enjoyed!

I have a few resolutions for the New Year and a list of things I wish to accomplish. What about you?

Now back to that Buffalo Chicken Ring. I'm going to make this easy for you.

1 can of white meat chicken (drained really well, although you can cook your own chicken and shred it...canned is just super easy)
1/2 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce (heat depends on your preference)
1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
Ranch Dressing for dipping (optional)

In a small bowl mix together chicken and 1/2 cup of wing sauce set aside. We always have wing sauce leftover from Buffalo chicken soup, so it's a great way to use it up!

Open crescents and arrange on a pizza stone or you could use a pizza pan, in the shape of a sun with the smaller points pointing outward, overlapping the larger triange portion into a circle. (Like the recipe for the Pampered chef taco ring)

Spoon chicken mixture onto the large part of the crescents, then fold over the small point of the crescent toward the middle of the circle.

Bake at 350 degrees until the crescent is golden brown. Serve with Ranch dressing.

Happy New Year!

Tis the season for Baking!

2011-12-18T12:41:00.001-08:00

Don't you love the way your house smells when you've been baking? The scent of sugar and cinnamon and flour wafting through the air, the bowls and pans and rolls of parchment paper stacked to the ceiling, and the delicious end product....be it, cookies, cakes, or bread.

After I made my Santa Bread I popped a few loaves of my Honey Wheat Bread into the oven. This is one recipe that is in the cookbook and is so easy and delicious! Pair it with some fresh jam and butter and you've got yourself a real winner!! This is a great "gift" for neighbors and friends. Wrap it in some parchment and tie with ribbon and you've got yourself a great treat!

Honey Wheat Loaf

3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

Santa Bread

2011-12-15T11:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, so i saw some "Santa Bread" on Taste of Home and really wanted to try my hand at creating my own version. Let me tell ya one thing. It's not as easy as it might seem, on the first go around.

Here's a fact you may or may not know. I can be extremely impatient when cooking or creating a new craft. Well, maybe not necessarily impatient, but I like instant gratification which sometimes results in me appearing impatient. Making this Santa Bread could be considered one of those times.

I decided to use the frozen bread dough, although if you have time and patience then use your favorite bread recipe.

Brigford frozen dough comes 3 loaves to a tray, so I thawed it and began to make Santa man. I used one loaf for the Santa.

Using one loaf, cut 1/3 of the bread off of the end. (This we will save for the beard, nose and hat ball.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to make a candy corn kind of shape. A rounded triangle.

(This will take you back to playdoh days....)
Using the reserved dough, pinch and roll 2 small balls to form the hat ball and the nose. Use a small amount of dough to form the Fold the top of the "triangle" over to one side, to form the hat. Using another small piece of dough, make the hat trim. The rest of the dough, roll out and using scissors, pizza cutter or knife, cut into strips within 1" of the top of the dough to form the beard.

Carefully fold the top of the "triangle" over to one side to form the hat. Trim with one piece of dough and add the ball for the hat and the nose.

Carefully position the beard on the bottom of the "face" curling or twisting as desired. (I also used a small piece of dough to form a mustache.)

Using one beaten egg yolk, brush over the beard. Add red food coloring to the beaten egg yolk and carefully brush the tinted red yolk over the hat, nose and cheeks. (Using the egg wash really makes him shiny and golden, just as bread should be.)

Bake according to the package directions for rolls, pizza dough, etc. My Santa baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. You can add raisins for the eyes....and since I couldn't find the little box of raisins right away, I used chocolate chips.

Next time I think I'll make the beard strips a little smaller so it will "fluff" a little differently and make his nose a little smaller so he doesn't look like a bearded Jimmy Durante. Just sayin'.

Merry Christmas!

"His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!"

Honey Cajun Pork Tenderloin

2011-12-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Between wrapping presents and crafting gifts I have hardly had time to blog about our food happenings.

Each holiday season gets busier and busier. I have so many things I want to accomplish each day, but my checklist doesn't seem to get crossed off. Do you have those days too? Please tell me I'm not alone.

Oh well. Life happens.

The weekend was probably the most wonderful of all.

Just look at this adorable pillowcase dress and matching fabric flower headband I made for the sweetest little baby Londyn! Cute right??

Friday night was fantastic with a delicious dinner and wonderful time I got to spend with my girls. Saturday I spent time creating gifts and watching a plethora of Christmas movies and made a huge pot of chili. And sometime Sunday I received the gift of a stomach virus. Bleck!

I'm hoping it's all behind me now and I can move into the rest of this week with a positive attitude, because there is still so much to do!! And people wonder why I put my Christmas decorations up in November?

Well, this Honey Cajun Pork Tenderloin is so delicious and an easy fix for any weekend. Pork tenderloin is so easy to prepare. It's a special treat for a dinner throughout the week and as you know I think ALL dinners should be special.

Try it and let me know what you think!

4 tbs butter
2 tbs honey
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an ovenproof pot, heat butter and honey over medium heat until melted. Sprinkle pork tenderloin with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Brown each side for 5 minutes.

Place pot in oven and roast for 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate covered with foil to rest. Add water to pan and stir over medium heat. Simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Slice pork on the diagonal and drizzle sauce over top to serve.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

2011-12-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too.....come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you...."

Today when I walked out of the office for lunch, standing in front of our building, there was a quartet of musical instruments playing the most festive of Christmas music spreading their holiday cheer in red vests over crisp white shirts and black pants. With the sun peeking through the hazy overcast skies, the music, and the city decked out in festive garland and bows, it was the perfect day! They definitely put a smile on my face! Maybe I'll see them again tomorrow!

Until then I've decided that breakfast casseroles are right up my alley and are perfect for office potlucks, Sunday school, and just to enjoy on a lazy weekend! This one is so good and easy!

1 package (12 oz) bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
10 eggs
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1 can "Grands" Layers refrigerated original biscuits

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, brown sausage, onion and bell peppers; drain well. 2 In large bowl, beat eggs.
Stir in cheese and sausage mixture. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press biscuits into bottom of baking dish.
Pour sausage mixture over biscuit crust. 3 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set and crust is deep golden brown.
Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Toffee Crack-ers

2011-12-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

These treats are totally perfect for sharing and are so easy the cat could do it. Unfortunately, my cat is napping. So, I guess I'm on my own. Lazy feline.

Toffee Crackers

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly.
After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer.
(You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, sprinkles now....if it flips your switch)
Let cool and, if desired for expediting purposes, refrigerate until hardened.

Break into pieces the size of your choice, who doesn't like a hand sized chunk?

Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Prosciutto

2011-11-30T17:57:00.000-08:00

Evenings in December usually consist of watching Hallmark holiday movies and consuming handfuls of Christmas calories. However, there are some beautiful sights to see during December in our community and it's a shame to not take advantage of them. Make the most of your holiday season....especially if you're in Norfolk!

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens hosts an amazing Garden of Lights display every year with over a million lights.Virginia Beach hosts the wonderful Holiday Lights at the Beach...where you can actually drive on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk or travel by horse drawn carriage.

Colonial Williamsburg hosts the annual lighting. And Busch Gardens, also in Williamsburg, hosts Christmas Town each year with amazing shows, lights, and shopping.

Before trekking out in the cold warm up with a bowl of Broccoli and Proscuitto Mac and Cheese. Yum!

2 cups pasta
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli, cooked according to package directions (seasoned to taste)
thin sliced proscuitto or ham

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cook until al dente.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan melt butter, add flour to make a thick roux, season with salt and pepper, slowly add milk just to thicken, remove from heat and add cheese (be sure to mix up your cheeses to make it just to your flavor) and stir quickly to allow cheese to melt.
Add drained macaroni to cheese mixture and stir well.

Pour into a 8x8 casserole. Top with broccoli and sliced proscuitto and reserved cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Wassail

2011-11-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

Every year I love watching Little Women and I pretend I'm living in Civil War times, then I quickly remember how much I love my indoor plumbing and the internet and I snap out of it.

I just love the part when the March sisters sing "Here we come a Wassailing". Makes me smile just to think about it. It also reminds me to DVR it the next time I see it on one of the movie channels because the only copy I have is on VHS and let's face it does anyone own a VCR?

I bet I could score a deal at the thrift store....on second thought...nah!

Traditionally, wassail is kind of like a mulled cider, usually made of apples. Wassail is kind of an homage to the apple crop. I can't say I'm totally crazy about apple cider, but I do appreciate a citrus one. So here's a "dry mix" version of wassail that can be made as a gift: packed in a cute ziploc bag or airtight glass jar and tie with a bow and a tag with directions.

2 C. Tang
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
1/3 C. pre-sweetened lemonade mix

Mix ingredients and place in airtight container.

Directions for mixing: Add 2-3 spoonfuls of dry mix to a mug of hot water. Add more if you like it sweeter!

S'mores Crescents

2011-11-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

Delicious Amazing little treats! I gotta tell ya these are melt in your mouth delicious. A great twist on a chocolate chip cookie and these take almost no time at all.

1 tube crescent rolls (or my crescent dough)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Take a crescent roll and add a spoonful of chocolate chips, a spoonful of marshmallows.Eat a handful of chocolate chips!

Roll up and bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These are fantastic treats and would be wonderful to give to neighbors for a gift!

My baby girl gives it her seal of approval.
To give them that "fresh from the bakery" look, brush with an egg wash. The best recipe I've found is this:
The basic rule of thumb is 1 tsp of liquid per egg. The part of the egg you use and liquid you add to your egg wash will determine the finished look of the pie crust.

For this result:	Make an egg wash with:
Shiny	whole egg, salt
Faint Shine	whole egg, milk
Matte, golden-brown	whole egg, water
Shiny, golden-brown	egg yolk, water
Shiny, golden-brown	egg yolk, salt
Shiny, dark	egg yolk, cream
Crisp, pale	egg white
Matte, golden-brown	heavy cream or half & half
Faint shine, golden-brown	olive oil

After Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

I hope all of your Thanksgiving meals were successful. Our holiday was certainly fantastic. Good food. Good friends. Good wine.

While half of us sat around in pjs and the other half in Pajama jeans. We all crammed ourselves into my tiny living room and stuffed our faces while watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory on ABC Family. No joke. It was so relaxed, casual, and ridiculously fun!

My pumpkin cheesecake was a hit and I even made a lemon meringue pie from scratch. I'll smell like lemons for a few more days I'm sure. (I hope you liked it Andy)

Now the leftovers have been cleaned out and with the Christmas season upon us, I've got some new recipes to share. I'm excited to try some of the ideas I've found on pinterest and I'm excited to simply enjoy the Christmas season and sell some cookbooks.

If you haven't bought one, there is plenty of time to get your copy in time for Christmas.

Click on the Cookbook!!!

You can also get 25% off until December 14, 2011. Use coupon code: BUYMYBOOK305 at checkout. Max savings of $50.00

Tonight, we're revisiting a spaghetti dinner.

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
French Fried Onions (small can)

Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. (If you don't want to use the microwave, you can easily saute the veggies and add softened cream cheese, mix well.)
Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.

Layer in your casserole dish in the following order:
Thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
Spaghetti
Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
Spaghetti sauce
Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Cake Batter Cracker Dip

2011-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Do you ever just mix up the batter and eat it straight from the bowl? Because I do that. Don't judge me. If I could only eat cake batter for the rest of my life I'd be okay with it. Seriously. When I came across this recipe for Cake Batter Dip my mouth dropped open and I reached for my spoon....and Vanilla Wafers. This seriously is a dangerous recipe...for me, at least. And the possibilities are virtually endless. Imagine Chocolate Cake Batter dip with strawberries? Spice cake with apple slices? White cake with animal crackers? It's time for me to make another batch. Try it. You'll never leave the couch.

Cake Batter Dip

1 box of cake mix (any flavor)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups cool whip
Animal crackers, graham crackers, Nilla Wafers or fresh fruit

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Serve with your favorite crackers.

The countdown is ON!

2011-11-19T05:37:00.001-08:00

I certainly love Thanksgiving and all that it entails! Even the "why don't we just go out to eat instead" crisis I have oh, about the same time, each year. (I would just as soon show up at the Chinese place and hope they sing "Deck the Halls" just like in 'A Christmas Story'. Farararara.....)

The city really started sparkling this week as everyone began preparations for the Grand Illumination Parade!! It's a very fun event for Norfolk and for Hampton Roads in general. Downtown Norfolk and our neighboring Portsmouth will have a synchronized countdown to light up the skyline!

The lightposts were dressed in greenery and big red bows, sparkling lighted ornaments topped the light poles, and the 24/7 Christmas music station debuted early this year, and I've been watching Hallmark Channel's countdown to Christmas nonstop!! T'is the season.

I've got so many plans to finish up my prep work for Thanksgiving and finalize my decorating for this holiday season! So, what can I throw in the crock that will be a great dinner? Since obviously I have no time to cook today. My magic crock fairy will save the day!!

"Hello, Honey! Chicken"

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion (or 1/8 cup onion flakes)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:
Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

A great guide to Thanksgiving Planning

2011-11-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a helpful guide (modified from the Food Network website) for planning your Thanksgiving dinner. You have just over one week until Turkey Day. Have you done any prep work?

One week ahead:

Shop for hardier vegetables like butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips.
Buy heavy cream now; it's hard to find right before Thanksgiving.
If necessary, wash and iron linen or polish silver. Dig out your turkey roaster and platter and any serving dishes hidden away in closets or high shelves.

Three days ahead:

If you have a frozen turkey, clear a space in your fridge and put the bird in now to defrost.
Clean the house, or put non-cooking household members in charge.
If you're having a lot of guests, you may want to set up the table(s) and make sure you have enough space and chairs.

Two days ahead:

Make pumpkin pies or pumpkin cheesecake, rolls, breads and cornbread for stuffing. Refrigerate pies; you can always warm things up again before serving. Apple or pecan pies don't do well in advance, though; the crust doesn't stay flaky and crisp.
Make things that can sit for two days in the fridge, like soups and cranberry sauce.
Assemble casseroles (like sweet potato or green bean); they can be stored uncooked in the fridge and baked on Thanksgiving.

One day ahead:

Set the table now so you won't have to worry about it later.
Set up a coat rack with extra hangers.
Do any remaining baking, including apple or pecan pies.
Buy your salad greens and perishable vegetables. Wash lettuce leaves now, dry well, and store by packing them in paper towels in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
If you ordered a fresh turkey, pick it up from the butcher.
Calculate your cooking time (and cooking order) for tomorrow.
Figure out what can't be cooked along with the turkey in the oven, either in terms of temperature or space. Plan to cook those things before or after the turkey is done, or on the stovetop while it's cooking; better still, make them today.

Thanksgiving Day:

First off:

Prepare stuffing for the turkey (if you're stuffing the turkey) and/or the dressing to cook on the side.
Prepare your vegetables for cooking-clean, peel and chop. Cover the ready-to-go vegetables and put them in the refrigerator. Boil potatoes and mash them; they can be reheated just before serving.
Stuff the turkey and get it in the oven according to the schedule you calculated yesterday.

Then:

After the turkey is in the oven, you should have a little time to relax away from the kitchen.
Just before the turkey's done, begin cooking fresh vegetables, and get anything else that needs to go into the oven ready (stuffing, storebought rolls, etc.)

While the cooked turkey is resting:

Put a foil tent over the turkey. You now have about an hour to do the remaining cooking.
If you have a pan of stuffing/dressing on the side to bake, put it in now.
Warm whatever needs to be warmed, including mashed potatoes, rolls, soups and casseroles.
Cook frozen vegetables.
Make the gravy.
Put all the food on the table or buffet. Don't hesitate to press guests into service to put food in bowls, open wine bottles, fill glasses and dish up the cranberry sauce.
Get a plate and eat! Don't spend the meal running back and forth to the kitchen and end up missing out on the Thanksgiving feast you've created.