dessert first

TWD: Made but not posted...

2009-02-16T21:20:00.002-05:00

I made this week's recipe a few weeks ago for my mother-in-law's birthday party and she loved, loved, loved it. So, why am I not posting a photo. Well, my computer's hard drive is corrupt and it has been sent back to HP. They said I won't have it back for at least a week. Right now, I am working off of a loner and am not able to download photos. So, give me a few days and it will be up. I also made a great coconut cake that I plan to post soon.

TWD: World Peace Cookies

2009-02-02T21:35:00.004-05:00

I have been a follower of Jess at Cookbook Habit for quite some time. It's a great site, she has a toddler and I can always count on her for a good recipe. So, I knew that her recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie would be an awesome choice. And it was. It was so incredibly easy, but I must admit that I took out eggs in anticipation that I would need to crack one. Nope.

I cut the recipe in half and gave the majority of them to my MIL who loves everything chocolate. I kept a few for my little boy to surprise him with a treat in his lunch box. Only one left, much to my chagrin.

I will definately make these again -- super easy and super delicious.

BB: Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

2009-01-21T23:02:00.006-05:00

These pancakes were delicious and I can't wait to make them again this weekend. I love introducing my son to so many new taste and guessing whether or not he will even put the fork to his mouth. He loved these and asked for more -- yep, that made me smile like you wouldn't believe.

Since I have some extra sour cream, can anyone guess what I am going to make for breakfast on Sunday. Anyone, anyone?

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup plus

1 tablespoon milk

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving

Pure maple syrup

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

BB: Easy Sticky Buns

2009-01-21T22:41:00.006-05:00

I love how all of Ina's recipes live up to there names, especially this one. It was so very easy. I made it the night before (at 9:30 p.m.) and it took me less than 10 minutes. Gotta love it. I woke up the next morning, popped them in the oven and immediately devoured them after 30 minutes of baking.

Everyone loved them and I even took some to my parents (my continued effort to enjoy all of this delicious food without packing on the pounds). My mom is amazed with my increasingly good culinary skills -- I don't have the guts to out myself and let her in on my secret that Ina is my no-fail gal.

Easy Sticky Buns

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

Tweet! Tweet! & Menu Planning Through Google

2009-01-19T21:10:00.005-05:00

Tonight I am all a twitter. Yep, you guessed it. I am on Twitter. I heard about it a year ago at a work conference and didn't quite understand it. I am still not sure that I understand it, but I thought I would give it a whirl.

So, if you are on Twitter, say hi (look for the link in my sidebar). I have three followers already. Woo hoo. I am a popular gal, don't ya know.

Menu Planning Through Google Calendar
I have been busy experimenting with iGoogle this weekend. I have decided to try meal planning through Google Calendar and I gotta admit, it's kinda cool. I have my calendar set so that it sends me the link to the night's recipe that I want to use. I can't take credit for being this tech-savvy...I just ran across a web site, thanks to Mommy Snacks that gave me the idea. I think it may just be one of my all time new favorites for inspiring me to be organized. If you like to be organized, you will love Simple Mom. She is awesome and I am already a fan of her daily docket -- although a weekly docket meets my needs much better. If y'all check her out and love her as much as I do....leave me a comment -- I love sharing great web sites and that I find.

See ya'll soon.

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-01-11T21:43:00.003-05:00

I am a little ashamed to say that tonight's recipe was courtesy of Jessica Simpson. Yes, the same Jessica Simpson that didn't know that Chicken of the Sea was tuna.

While on vacation, I was able to catch up on some old reruns of Rachel Ray and watched them make chicken and dumplings. My husband chuckled when I mentioned it was Jessica's recipe but he devoured it and then made a container for his lunch tomorrow. My only recommendation is to add a lot more chicken to it, I ended up heating up some of the leftover chicken that was in the fridge. I am not sure that this is the best recipe out there, but it's all I know. So, if you have a good recipe that will beat this one, let me know. I wanna try it.

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumplings
3 rolls of reduced-fat croissant rolls, divided (recommended brand Pillsbury)
1 small rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat removed from bones
1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Cut up any excess dough into strips.

Line a 9x13" baking dish with one layer of dumplings. Pour the can of cream of chicken soup over the layer of dumplings, followed by the can of cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth.

Place strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture, season dish with salt and ground black pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

TWD: French Pear Tart

2009-01-11T20:52:00.004-05:00

My post for Tuesdays with Dorie is almost a week late because I didn't have a tart pan. I know, I know, I didn't have to have one, but I wanted to half the recipe because I have gained about five pounds since starting this blog. As a result, I have started back running. Anyway, I digress...

I bought small tarts plans and I am so glad that I did. They are were so cute, so small, so everything. These tarts were so good. I devoured one as soon as they came out of the oven. I think this is my favorite dessert I have made from Dorie's book. No wonder she picked it. Go check out Dorie's own creation and the original recipe at her blog.

TWD: It's gonna be a tad late...

2009-01-05T22:27:00.002-05:00

I was very excited about this week's Tuesdays with Dorie challenge -- French Pear Tart. After all, Dorie choose this week's recipe, so it must be a personal favorite. However, on Sunday when I sat down to "think" about the recipe I realized I don't have a tart pan. I have some free time after lunch tomorrow and am going to buy one. So..it's gonna be late. Sorry, everyone. You would think that the word "tart" would have been a tip off that I would need a tart pan. Ummmm....not so much. Look for it this weekend.

Organized in '09

2009-01-04T20:43:00.006-05:00

2009 is off to a decent start -- I have resolutions but haven't gotten gung ho about them yet. I am so not ready to diet but if I continue Tuesdays with Dorie I have no choice. I am also in hard core organization mode.

Let's go back to my diet. I have gained five pounds since starting this blog. For Christmas I scored mini baking tins so that I can quarter the recipe, meet the criteria, and pass on the calories. I am also going back to the gym and am disheartened to admit that the only way I will lose weight is to run. I hate running! I tore my ACL snow skiing and my knees have never been the same. Enough wallering in my weight... oh yeah, I am going to drink more water. Ick.

I have been an organizing fool for the last week. I hired someone to come in and deep clean my house and it was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it! It didn't cost a fortune and keeping my house clean doesn't feel so daunting.

Anyway... in my quest to get organized, I found this awesome Web site that focuses on getting ready for the holidays. Too bad I found it on January 1. As I was surfing, I found charts for getting your pantry and freezer organized. I printed it and must admit that I love it. I now know what items I am stocked up on and as a result I don't buy more. I have way more brown sugar than the average person needs.

They have a lot of other templates, including one for chores (yep, I am developing a weekly chore list too). Now, if I can just remember to go back to the Web site in October, I will really be organized.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

2009-01-04T15:27:00.003-05:00

So... I am a little late on posting about one my holiday hits. I decided to enjoy my vacation and took a break from everything. I gotta admit it was great. As were the cake balls that I made and shared with my office, my family, my dog...anyone who wanted to try one. The verdict: everyone would say how delicious they were while the dessert was still in their mouth. I take that as a good sign, no matter how disgusting it might sound.

I started making these at around 7 p.m one night and started melting the chocolate at around 9 p.m. I ran out of the lighter cholocate and went to the semi-sweet -- not as tasty. Needless to say, these weren't the prettiest things, although with a little more patience I know they would have been. Honestly, I just wanted to clean the kitchen and go to bed.

I think these delicious cake balls might become a holiday tradition. I have big plans to try the Oreo truffles in 2009 (I bought a package but we ate them before I could make them.)

Thanks, Bakerella, for making me look like a super-star.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)

1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.) Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

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

Panettone French Toast

2008-12-31T21:13:00.002-05:00

I love breakfast, but I love sleeping in more. With a toddler, sleeping in is a luxury that doesn't happen often. At 7 a.m. I am not a spry thing that wants to cook. So, I naturally gravitate to easy recipes that only take a few minutes. Thanks to Carmen Cooks, this recipe fit the bill. I received some panettone in a gift basket from a vendor and decided it was worth trying. I wasn't sure what to do with it and then I saw Carmen's post. It was really easy to make and my toddler devoured it. Next time I receive some panettone, I'll make this again.

Panettone French Toast
3/4 cup milk

3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
8 slices of 3/4 inch thick panettone
a bit of butter for greasing the pan or griddle

Whisk the half & half/milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together and pour into a shallow pan. Lay the bread into the mixture and soak them for a few minutes until just saturated.
Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Rub some butter and place the slices of french toast onto the surface. Cook for about three minutes on the first side (until bottom is browned) and about 90 seconds on the second side.

Serve warm, with syrup.

Ready to Ring in the New Year

2008-12-29T20:00:00.002-05:00

After a long blogging hiatus, I am hoping to get my groove thing back. I have been exhausted, haven't felt like posting and just needed a break. I did, however, continue to cook and bake. Those posts will come soon -- I just have to figure out my new camera and upload all my pictures to my computer. Did I say camera? Yep...Santa brought me a Cannon Rebel. I was thrilled and haven't stopped taking pictures of my little one or husband (much to his chagrin).

During my break, I was tagged by my blogging buddy, Melissa. She has a great blog that showcases not only some great dinners but her beautiful cakes. She it quite the talented thing and I am always in awe. If only we lived in the same state -- I'd hire her to make my son's birthday cake so all the mothers would be jealous.

So, without further adieu, her are the rules Melissa at Delicious Meliscious laid out for me.

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag several random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Whew! I think I can handle this. So, I know you are on the edge of your sofa, chair, etc. Here are my seven random things:

1. I am allergic to Christmas trees. Only fake trees for me. Bah Humbug!
2. I was repelled by spinach before 30. Now I love it.
3. I love Frank Sinatra, Madonna and Britney Spears.
4. I can not pass by Sour Patch Kids without buying a package.
5. I am an only child.
6. My husband is an only child.
7. I only have one child....but want another one desperately.

Now, on to the seven people that I want to know more about:

1. Priscilla at Priscilla's Baking Adventures
2. Kellie at Ain't Life Grand
3. Jess at Cookbook Habit
4. Linda at Tender Crumb
5. Joelen at Joelen's Culinary Adventure
6. Jenn at Made with Love
7. Jaime at Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats

Thanks, Melissa, for tagging me. Can't wait to learn more about y'all.

Pork Tenderloin Parmesan

2008-11-30T22:48:00.002-05:00

I lost my camera so I wasn't able to take a picture of this meal. Instead I am using the photo off of Martha Stewart where I got the recipe from. If the meal wasn't good, I wouldn't even post it and just chalk it up to a meal gone bad. But it was really good. I searched and searched for my camera but didn't find it until after dinner and by then it had been devoured. I cut the tenderloin in half and put the rest in the freezer. Guess what I'll be making when I decide to thaw it out.

Pork Tenderloin Parmesan
12 ounces pork tenderloin
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Parsley sprigs, for garnish

Slice pork into 12 pieces, and place between sheets of plastic wrap. With a small heavy skillet or meat mallet, pound pork to 1/8-inch thickness.

Combine egg whites with 1 tablespoon water in a shallow bowl or pie plate and lightly beat to combine; set aside. In a second shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan; set aside.
Season pork with salt. Dredge in flour, tapping off excess. Dip first in egg-white mixture, then place in breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Pat gently to adhere.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Sauté half the pork until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and remaining pork. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2008-11-30T22:06:00.008-05:00

I recently joined Cookie Carnival because the cookies this baking club make always look so good. I did a little research and discovered that I can make the cookies or choose to pass. That's my kind of club and so I decided to join. My life has been so busy since July and I am trying really hard to keep up. Sometimes I do a good job. Sometimes...not so much.

Anyway, back to cookies. My toddler helped me make these. I don't know if I consider them to be the ultimate cookies, but they were good. I even have some in my freezer since he devoured them. In fact, if cookies were on the menu for dinner tonight he would have been in heaven.

I can't wait for Kate at The Clean Plate Club to announce December's cookie.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

I'm Not Spam

2008-11-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

But Blogger sure does think I am. Dang, mean people from face book. I think you caused this. Curse you!

Out of Commission For a Few Days..

2008-11-15T19:59:00.002-05:00

I got a message from Facebook saying that they detected some suspicious activity and think I have a malicious virus downloaded on to my computer. And guess what...I am having major problems. Awesome!So, my computer is off (using my mom's) and I am not posting anything until I get back from a work trip on Wednesday and my IT department can work some magic.

Dang, I hate mean people.

BB: Herb-Roasted Onions

2008-11-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

I have been a Barefoot Blogger for a few months and boy, have I enjoyed it. Ina is a godess in my world...if only I had discovered her before now. Kelly over at Baking with the Boys discovered her years ago and had been a loyal fan since. She was responsible for picking out this side dish...and I loved it. I wasn't quite sure about it, but it looked simple and I was thrilled it was a low-maintenance side dish. I figured the worst that could happen was that it would end up in the trash. Good news: they didn't. I devoured them. They were so sweet, so tender and I will make them again. And next time, I won't change a thing about the recipe.

Herb-Roasted Onions

2 red onions
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

Meatball Sandwich

2008-11-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

OMG! Thank you Pam at For the Love of Cooking for this great recipe. I loved everything about it. It was easy to make -- just takes a while because the sauce has to simmer for two hours. I even have a big batch in my freezer ready to warm up over some pasta. My hubby liked it too and he can be difficult to please when it comes to sauce. If you significant other is looking for a good, hearty sandwich, try this. It's a no-fail pleaser.

Meatball Sandwich

Mushroom Marinara:

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

6 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can of tomato sauce

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 tsp white sugar

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until tender; add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
7 button mushrooms, diced finely

1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely

1/4 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 egg

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

1 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

Put the onions, garlic and mushrooms in a food processor to chop, otherwise chop them as small as you can. Combine all ingredients (except for olive oil) together gently. Form into small meatballs and set aside. Once the meatballs are prepared. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and place the cooked meatballs in the mushroom marinara.

Hoagie rolls

Mozzarella cheese

shredded Parmesan cheese

shreddedFresh basil, chopped

To assemble, place meatballs with some sauce in the hoagie rolls. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Place in a pan, under the broiler and melt cheese - watch carefully so don't burn. Top with basil and serve.

E is for Excellent

2008-11-10T21:45:00.001-05:00

Way back when -- probably a good three weeks ago, Priscilla over at Priscilla's Baking Adventures gave me a blog award right when life started rocking my world. I haven't had the time to properly thank her for bestowing me with this great honor. For those of you that visit my blog often, you know that I love every recipe that Priscilla bakes. If she were my next door neighbor I would be in heaven. I could try every cookie, brownie, truffle, Blondie, you name it -- and walk away without the pounds. Unfortunately, she doesn't live near me so I either end of making some of her delightful baking bites and eating every one or shipping them overseas for Operation Baking Gals. I have found that shipping overseas save my hips from those unwanted calories and allows me to sample a few before packing them up.

Priscilla: I am so going to make the cookie dough truffles. I can't resist them and I'll just have to go to the gym more often.

Now, I get to pass this blog on to a few of my favorite sites. I get inspiration from so many blogs but here are a few of my favorites:

Melissa over at Made by Melissa. A fellow barefoot blogger, she always tempts my taste buds with fantastic recipes. I love her snack food Sunday concept and can't wait to follow her good eats from now until the Super Bowl.

Nancy at A Recipe A Day. I have always enjoyed reading Nancy's blog but it wasn't until I went searching for caramel popcorn that I realized how many of her recipes that I have starred.

Loves to Eat. I love everything about this blog. She has my taste in food. If only I could have Thanksgiving dinner at her house, I know it would be scrumptious.

Jenn at Made With Love. A newlywed, she is such a better cook that I was when I first got married. I love reading her posts and she is my west coast friend.

Melissa at Delicious Meliscious. Dang, this girl is so talented when it comes to making desserts. She puts me to shame. I love looking at her pictures. She has a great oven fried chicken recipe that should appear on my blog, as soon as I have time to write it.

Thanks again, Priscilla. You made my day.

Brownie Candy Cups

2008-11-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

Brownie Candy Cups are my "go to" recipe when I need to make dinner for someone who is sick, had surgery or lost a loved one. Recently, my friend's dad had heart surgery and I made these, thanks to Bakerella . They were a big hit and she requested the recipe to pass on the yum yum love.

If you have heard about Bakerella yet, you need to stop by her blog. She is incredibly talented, and every recipe that I have made of hers is amazing. You can't go wrong with Bakerella.

Brownie Candy Cups

1 package Duncan Hines Chocolate Lovers Double Fudge Brownie Mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

30 mini Reeses cups unwrapped

1 Box Reynolds 2-inch aluminum foil mini cups for muffins

Preheat oven to 350. Place 30 foil liners on baking sheet. Combine brownie mix, contents from fudge packet in mix, eggs, water and oil. Stir with spoon until well blended. (about 50 strokes) Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons of batter

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Push 1 Reeses in center of each "brownie cupcake" until even with surface of the batter. Bake 5-7 minutes longer.Cool 5-10 minutes in pan and then move to cooling rack to cool completely.

I'm Back.... With Garlic Knots

2008-11-09T15:40:00.001-05:00

Holy cow! The last few weeks have rocked my world -- between work, my camera being on the fritz and my toddler running a fever for three+ days (and still going), it's amazing that I still had time to cook.

Some of my posts will have photos, some won't. (I did mention my camera decided to be difficult, didn't I?) So, now it's time to catch up....about a month ago I signed up for World Bread Day. Yep, it was way back in mid-October -- that's when my life began it's crazy downhill spiral.

I had never made bread so I figured it was time to start with something easy. I ran across a recipe for Garlic Knots and decided it was perfect. I ended up not really reading the recipe and missed the whole part about bread needing to rise, so it stayed in the fridge overnight. It was good. Not amazing, but good.

I'm gonna bake some bread for Thanksgiving. There is a yummy-looking honey yeast roll recipe making the rounds on the Internet and it is just calling out to me.

Buttery Garlic Knots

Dough

3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Glaze

2-4 cloves peeled, garlic

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional

To make dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.

Tie a knot. Loop the left strand over the top and tuck in. Loop the right strand under and tuck.

To make glaze—Unpeel garlic cloves. Chop the garlic in a food processor (or you can use a garlic press), with the melted butter.

To bake—Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned oil. (You can reheat briefly in the microwave, if it’s solidified).

Arrgghhh....If it isn't one thing, it's another

2008-11-02T21:15:00.004-05:00

I had high hopes for posting some recipes this weekend. Goodness knows that I have made a ton recently. But no such luck. My computer isn't working (typing this on a computer I borrowed from my mom) and I can't post any pictues. Who knows when I will be up and running. I'm hoping one of our IT guys can get me back up and running. Sorry to be such a slacker.

Hello, Blogging World

2008-10-29T21:03:00.004-04:00

I am still alive. These last few weeks have rocked my world. I haven't been home much, cooking even less and sleeping only a few weeks. I do have posts -- TWD cupcakes, a peanut butter cake I made, some dinners and even a blog award thanks to Priscilla. Give me a few days and I will be back to normal. See y'all this weekend.

The Cake Slice: Cappuccino Chiffon Cake

2008-10-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

I am a sucker for fun blogging groups that enhance my baking and cooking skills. So, it's no surprise that when Gigi and Katie decided to form a group called The Cake Slice I jumped right on in. I liked their concept -- bake once a month for one year, from one cookbook. They choose Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne and I ran right on out to Borders and bought it.

For our very first post, we all made Cappuccino Chiffon Cake. I am not an espresso fan so I substituted Cocoa and it worked out just fine.

I am not a huge cake maker so I'm looking forward to expanding my skills. I did really well on this one -- it ain't all that pretty, but that's okay...that's part of its charm.

Go visit Gigi or Katie for the recipe. You can learn more about this new monthly blogging community by visiting The Cake Slice.

Onion Baked Pork Chops

2008-10-19T17:52:00.006-04:00

If I had realized how easy this recipe is to make, I would have told my husband to make it on a weekday : )

It's so incredibly easy but it takes an hour to bake. I found the recipe on Carrie's Sweet Life and figured that it would come out from the depths of my reader sooner rather than later. I'm glad it did. I am not a pro at pork chops. In fact, I always mess them up and they end up quite tough. Not this recipe. I master it. Yea!

Sorry about the lack of photos....my camera is dead. I'll post them as soon as I find some batteries.

Onion Baked Pork Chops
4 pork chops
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 to 2/3 stick butter, melted
2 T. olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.

Combine soup mix and bread crumbs. Dip chops in egg and then in bread crumb/onion mixture, coating well. Place in a shallow pan.

Mix melted butter and olive oil in a small bowl and drizzle onto pork chops. Bake covered 1 hour, turning once.