Frieda Loves Bread

Cleaning Stainless Steel Cookware

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love my shiny new stainless steel pans.

Except when this happens.

I poured some water in the pan, heated it and removed as much as I could. Still, it was a sad looking pan and I wanted it to be shiny and new again.

*trumpet fanfare*

Say hello to Bar Keeper's Friend!

All it took was a little bit of this magic stuff on a wet washcloth ...

Some light scrubbing action ...

A rinse ... and ta ~ da!

Thank you, Bar Keeper's Friend! Where have you been all my life?

Cool Kitchen Tool: Bacon Press

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love shopping at TJMaxx for kitchen items. Its like shopping at an upscale yard sale. I never know what I'll find. This time, I found this bacon press for $3. It is made from cast iron, has ridges and a wooden handle. Lets see how this works for bacon!

Bacon is something that we don't eat every day. Not even once a month. We probably have it 4-5 times per year. I've tried microwaving bacon and end up using a half roll of paper towels and leaving my microwave smelling like bacon for several days. I've thought about baking it in the oven, but the thought of spatters and clean up is more than I can handle.

I enjoy using my Presto Cool Touch griddle. I got it at Kohl's on sale and with a cool 30% coupon, it was a steal at $10.

My favorite style of bacon is the thick Hickory Smoked Maple bacon from Sam's Club. I am a sweet~salty combo gal and this bacon is no exception. When you have a thick style bacon, it is important to cook it low and slow to render as much fat as you can.

I set the griddle's back legs on small, inverted plates to raise it, helping the grease to drain into the slide out drip tray.

As I see the bacon begin to curl, I move the press over to flatten it. I believe that flattening the bacon ensures more even, thorough cooking.

I turn the bacon often, moving the press around the grill. I like my bacon brown, but not super crisp. The bacon is put onto a couple layers of paper towels and dabbed to pick up extra grease.

Here's the handy dandy slide out drip tray. But wait ... don't throw it away!

Put 1 Tablespoon each into ice cube trays. Freeze, then put into a freezer safe baggie. Perfect for when you need just a little bit of flavor for frying eggs, potatoes, hashbrowns, or even in refried beans.

You can find a similar press on Amazon. In order for a gadget to fit my Cool Kitchen Tool collection, it needs to serve more than one purpose.

This press works well for bacon ~ I think it could serve as a weight for panini sandwiches, pounding chicken, or heated on an outdoor grill and putting it on top of meats for even cooking.

What do you think?

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my roommate way back in my college days. I couldn't believe that it has be twenty mfmmflpt years since I've had these. I couldn't remember how to describe these ~ it has been so long! All I remember is that they were REALLY good ~ good enough to write down the recipe.

Now, I can tell you that these are a thick bar cookie, really peanut-y, with just a little bit of texture from the rolled oats and covered with the BEST peanut butter frosting that will ever cross your lips ...

This batter comes together very quickly, and spreads easily into a 9x13 baking pan.

The recipe doesn't say how many chocolate chips to "sprinkle on top." I guessed one cup. I used Guittard's milk chocolate chips on top. I really don't like the HUGE size of these chips. I would prefer a smaller chocolate chip....

I'm sure these could be mixed in with the batter instead of being pressed on top, don't you think?

While baking, I checked the recipe for the next step. It said to "frost the peanut butter bars when out of the oven with a little bit of powdered sugar, a little bit of peanut butter and some milk."

Huh??

I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't believe that I wrote that part of the recipe with NO MEASUREMENTS .... yikes.

Well, I gotta warn ya. This peanut butter frosting is to die for. I mean it. I couldn't stop sampling it. It's so good, it deserves a post all by itself. It almost didn't make it onto the peanut butter bars ...

Look how smoothly it spreads on top of the hot peanut butter bars ...

... and sets into a really cool looking glaze on top.

What are you waiting for? Pin it. Bookmark it. Make it today!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

A Baby Burrito....

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

When this little guy came into my life, I became a grandma. Me? A grandma? Let's see...

Gray hair. check
Reading glasses. check
Wrinkles. check
Age. hmmmmm....

Ready or not, I was lucky to travel more than halfway across the United States to meet this cutie-pie.

It was so amazing to hold him and suddenly have all these flashbacks of holding my little boy for the first time.

The memories came back very quickly; watching him sleep, feeding, changing diapers, and staring contentedly at his face for hours on end.

Oh, and making baby burritos.

What is that?

Here, I'll show you.

This one week old buckaroo is getting fidgety. Squirmy. Legs and arms are all over the place. A few times, he smacks his face. Can't have that!

Time to make a baby burrito!

It is very helpful to use a thermal-style, stretchy blanket. Fold one corner of the blanket down about 6 inches and lay the baby down on top of the fold.

Take the opposite corner and fold it up toward his belly button.

Put his one arm down to his side and pick up the free corner, with the blanket holding his arm snugly to his side.

Quickly get the other arm ready, tucking it straight down on his side. Tuck this corner securely under his body.

Wrap the remaining corner to his other side ... you can see that he is calming down already!

Here we go ... he's squirming a little, but he's not hitting himself in the head anymore!

His parents have said he's not a "binky" baby. We'll see about that....

Hooray! Yep. I'm a grandma!

Soft White Wheat: A Baker's Best Keep Secret...

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Take a good look at this Applesauce Chocolate Chip cookie.

Now take a close look at this one. Notice any difference?

There's not much difference, EXCEPT...

I used whole wheat flour in the first cookie.

You can't see, smell or taste any difference. Well, at least the kids I made them for didn't notice ...

I didn't use just any wheat, I used SOFT white wheat, and when ground, it is known as whole wheat pastry flour.

Sure, you can use regular hard wheat in your cookie recipes, but I wouldn't recommend it. Your cakes and cookies will be heavy, dense, and chewy. Hard wheat is okay in maybe an oatmeal cookie, but not for your tender cakes, muffins and cookies.

Here's a tip to know which wheat to use:

For anything with YEAST, use HARD wheat.

For anything with baking powder or baking soda, use SOFT wheat.

Goods to try soft wheat in: cakes, muffins, cookies, flat breads, pastries, crackers, and noodles.

This is a great way to incorporate healthy protein, fiber and grains into your diet ~ give it a try!

Defrosting A Freezer

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. You know how you feel the "need" to clean in the Fall and in the Spring? Well I have that at the end of the year. Time to put away the Christmas decorations, go through all my files, and yes, clean the freezer.

When I told hubby that I was not looking forward to this task, he asked, "Why not get a frost-free freezer?"

This is why: your frozen foods will stay fresher and you can freeze them for longer. A frost-free freezer wicks a lot of the moisture from your frozen foods and shortens its shelf life. Use a FoodSaver, and your frozen items will last up to two years in a standard freezer.

What I thought would take all day, really only took 2.5 hours.

Here is my before shot. At the top left hand of the freezer is a HUGE frost chunk. Wanna know why it's there? I have a seal leak ~ frost builds up anywhere where air can reach your freezer.

You can check to see if you have any leaks by feeling for air along the seal, or give it the dollar bill test: Stick a dollar bill between the door and the seal. Close the door. Tug on the bill; if it comes out easily, you've got a leak.

My freezer seal appeared to be in good shape; no cracks or breaks. As to why I was getting an air leak in the top left hand side, it was probably because my freezer door was not "square." It is also possible that this is where people "open" the freezer door, as my freezer does not have a handle.

I could have unscrewed the hinges and squared the door, but I opted to use a quicker, faster, easier method: Fun-Tak. This is the stuff my teen uses to hang posters and other objects on his bedroom wall. After cleaning my freezer, this is what I did to help the door seal. It worked!

To defrost your freezer, you will need some equipment:

Gloves. Ski gloves work great!

Towels for the floor.

Coolers or bath towel lined cardboard boxes for your frozen goods.

Bowls filled with boiling water (use your gloves!) You can also fill large stock pots with boiling water. Close the freezer door and let the steam melt the frost. Change the water when it becomes room temperature.

Plastic or wooden spatula to scrape off frost. Do not use metal as you can take off the protective finish off some surfaces of your freezer.

Remember to unplug the drain and put the drain hose in a pan or bucket.

Want some secrets to keeping your freezer *mostly* frost free?

Use square packaging. Boxes, milk boxes are great and acts as "drawers" in your freezer.

See all those *dead* spaces of air that can create frost? Plug them with shopping bags.

The more you can keep your freezer FULL, the more slowly frost will develop.

I love my freezer! I was able to take inventory of everything, and throw out anything that had major frost bite. I organized it with meats on the top shelf, veggies and grains on the next shelf, fruits and cheeses on the bottom shelf.

Corn Muffin Pancakes

2012-01-11T04:59:00.000-08:00

My hubby is the breakfast cook, partly because he is a morning person and I am ... well... I am not.

Occasionally, we will have breakfast food at dinnertime, which is a real treat! This recipe began with one of those little Jiffy mixes, but once we began to grind our own popcorn for cornmeal, we discovered that the taste of these fluffy, slightly sweet and slightly gritty pancakes were SO much better than the box! Pretty much anything made fresh and from scratch is better than the box, don't you think?

Making pancakes are simple to make and are a true comfort food for anytime, even at dinner time. The ingredients are simple: all purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt are thrown into a bowl and mixed.

In another bowl, the milk, eggs, and canola (or vegetable) oil are mixed together. I love using my Cuisinart immersion blender for this job ~

Pout the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir just till combined. Don't over mix and let this sit for 5-10 minutes while you get your griddle ready.

We use a Presto electric griddle and love it ~ you can cook six large pancakes at a time and I love the drip tray that catches any grease from cooking bacon. We set our griddle to 275°F, which would be between medium-medium high on your stove top.

The batter is poured (or you can use a measuring scoop) onto the heated griddle. Wait for little bubbles to come to the surface of the pancake ~ when it stops bubbling, take a peek underneath to see if it is golden brown ...

Gently flip over the pancake and cook the other side. Periodically touch the pancake in the center ... if an indent stays, it needs more time to cook. If it springs back up, it is done cooking ~ pretty much like testing a cake to see if it is done.

A short stack, ready for the syrup of your choice. For me, it's buttermilk syrup. For hubby and kids, it's maple syrup. What do YOU like on your pancakes?

Corn Muffin Pancakes
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Come Try El Pollo Loco in Lehi!

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was invited with other Utah bloggers to try El Pollo Loco in Lehi. El Pollo Loco, "The Crazy Chicken," is known for their citrus marinated, flame grilled chicken. I was amazed by all the choices that were offered on the board; I had a hard time choosing which item to try ... I wanted to sample each item from the value menu ~ oh, just saw the tamales! Looks like the perfect balance between masa and meat filling ...

$5 combo meals make it easy to try a sampling of El Pollo Loco's best and check out the kid's combos: you can choose from 2 legs, a Mini Pollo Bowl, chicken nuggets, or a burrito...

I decided to try their signature 2 piece chicken. Oh, now I gotta pick 2 sides ... what to do ... too many choices!

Spanish Rice
Pinto Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Corn Cobbette
Cole Slaw
Loco Side Salad
Fries
Mac N Cheese
Flame Grilled Corn
Sweet Corn Cake
Sweet Potato Fries
BBQ Black Beans

The chicken came out juicy ~ it is even better shredded and wrapped in one of their warm flour tortillas!

What surprised me the most was their side salad. In came in a HUGE cup with creamy cilanto cojita cheese dressing.

El Pollo Loco is a kid-friendly place with several choices of meals and sides. You can get a free combo meal on Tuesdays with a purchase of a regular combo. If you purchase a family meal, you can get 2 free kid combo meals!

It is a teen-friendly place, too. With a large screen tv, they can catch their favorite show or game while hanging out with their friends.

I'm going back to try more of their menu items!

Want to try El Pollo Loco for yourself? For free? Yes you can!

Need to feed a large group? El Pollo Loco has you covered (sides, plates, napkins, utensils ~ the whole kit and kaboodle!) with a coupon for you!

Permission to post these coupons were given by El Pollo Loco. Good only at the Lehi location listed.
A complimentary lunch was provided for this post; no other compensation was given.

Lehi El Pollo Loco FaceBook Page

Maple Walnut Blondies: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe!

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Tasty Kitchen has recipes from all over and not just from bloggers. Recipes from everyday folks who love to cook and bake. I have several recipes bookmarked and finally got around to trying this one.

This recipe comes from A Country Cook and it is similar to the Maple Walnut Blondies you would find at the Applebee's restaurant, and it does not disappoint!

The ingredients come together easily in a mixer; what is unusual about this blondie is the inclusion of white chocolate chips. The batter is very thick. Be patient spreading it into a floured 9x13 baking pan.

While the blondies are baking, make the Maple Butter Sauce. This is probably the BEST part of the dessert. While simple to make: butter, heavy cream, maple syrup (do not use imitation) and light corn syrup ...

... it does take about 30 minutes for it to reduce into this caramelly, creamy, rich sauce. Make sure you do this over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

This thick, chewy blondie, chock full of white chocolate chips and walnuts, is almost perfect with a vanilla bean ice cream ....

Almost perfect ... until you load on the Maple Butter sauce.

Maple Walnut Blondies
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Pulled Pork: Pressure Cooker Style

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

I debated making my Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa in the slow cooker while at church, then felt uneasy leaving something plugged in while I was gone ... my hubby's co-worker had a relative whose electricity went off during church, came back on and surged through the treadmill and caught the house on fire.

Why not try it in the pressure cooker? I asked myself....

If you have some Christmas gift cards or cash and haven't decided yet what to buy, you need to seriously consider purchasing a pressure cooker. I love, love, LOVE this electric Cuisinart pressure cooker!

You know how looooooong it takes to cook pulled pork in a slow cooker? Yeah, 8-12 hours. Well, if you use a pressure cooker, it takes maybe about 90 minutes. Sweet, huh?

First, the country style boneless pork ribs are marinated overnight.

Then, about 2 hours before dinner, the pork is put into the pressure cooker with only 1/2 cup of the marinade. You don't need very much liquid in a pressure cooker as you would with a slow cooker.

Set the pressure on HIGH and the timer for 45 minutes. Yes, 45 minutes.

Let the pressure come down naturally (it took about 30 minutes) and this is what you will find ....

I strained the meat and took off some of the fattier parts off. This meat shredded so nice and easily, which is a winner in my book for a quick and easy meal!

The Gathering of Friends @ Thanksgiving Point

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

A friend gave me this cookbook a few years ago.

It's not just a cookbook, it is a collection of "tablescapes," several menus for 10-12 people complete with tried and true recipes, each with full page color photographs and a shopping list for each menu.

Michelle Huxtable's love language is food ~ all you have to do is choose the setting: "Supper With Friends," "Springtime Breakfast, "or a "Romantic Repast," among others, and the rest is done for you.

It is from this first book that I made these two angel food cakes, which got raves at a family dinner:

I was invited with several other bloggers to Thanksgiving Point Emporium Kitchen to celebrate Michelle's latest book:

The Gathering of Friends: Celebrating Mother Nature, volume 4 in her cookbook series. The magnificent gardens of Thanksgiving Point are the setting for such menus as "Summer Salads," "A Lazy Luncheon," or "Sweet Endings," to name only a few.

It was so fun to meet Michelle in person, who also introduced her oldest daughter Abby Jane, a contributor to this cookbook.

Here are a few of the mouth-watering foods we sampled:

Fried Tomato Sandwiches

photo from thegatheringoffriends.com

Creamy Tomato Soup with Rice

Oriental Chicken Salad with Sweet Sesame Dressing

Buttery Parmesan Rolls

Michelle also introduced to us some easy and delicious treats to make for friends and neighbors.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chews

Almond Cake

Coconut Bites

Buttermilk Syrup

This book (or any in her collection) would make the perfect gift for anyone who loves food and entertaining. You can purchase any of the volumes from The Gathering of Friends or at the Thanksgiving Point Emporium. My friend purchased vol. 3 for the Oriental Chicken Salad, saying the recipe alone was worth the purchase!

I was provided with a copy of Michelle's latest book and a cooking class. No other compensation was given ~

Snowflake White Hot Chocolate & Puzzles

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

I remember the anticipation of Christmas and the excitement building up to the point where I knew I would not be able to fall asleep. The cure?

Putting together a puzzle. We would gather around the rickety cardboard table in front of the fireplace on Christmas eve, working mindlessly to put together a puzzle and sipping hot chocolate. It became a yearly family tradition, keeping our fingers and minds busy, passing the time ever so quickly.

This Snowflake White Hot Chocolate uses very simple ingredients that you can change up however you want ~ top it however you want.

You can make this for a large group and keep it warm in a crock pot ~ with a topping bar

~ or ~

make a "single serve" recipe just in case you find yourself chilled and craving a cup of velvety smooth hot chocolate ... it takes less than 5 minutes to make!

Pour half & half cream into mug filled with skim milk.

If you wish to have a thicker, creamier hot chocolate, by all means, use heavy whipping cream and whole milk. I won't tell anyone ... remember, it's YOUR very own cup of hot chocolate!

The milk is heated in the microwave and then the chocolate chips are added.

Not a fan of white chocolate? Then add your favorite: milk, semi-sweet, bitter-sweet or special dark.

Here, I am using Guittard's Choc-Au-Lait real vanilla chips.

The chips are stirred till they are mostly melted. Put the mug back into the microwave for 20 seconds.

At this point, you can choose which flavoring(s) you wish to add: vanilla syrup, homemade caramel candies, or peppermint extract. The choices are endless.

Tonight, I chose to add whipping cream and crushed peppermint candies ...

... and with every soothing sip, I felt all the memories of putting together a puzzle in front of the crackling fire.

Snowflake White Hot Chocolate
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Quick & Easy Dessert for a Group: White Texas Sheet Cake!

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the midst of a sea of sweet treats, desserts and chocolate at a church gathering, this little yellow cake caught my attention.

"Oh, I'll just have a little bite," I said to myself as I cut myself a sliver.

Mmmmmmm ... Tender. Vanill-y. Oh, so moist.... and just the right amount of creamy frosting ...

I went back and got another piece. A full sized piece and began my quest to find the creator of this elegant dessert.

I jumped for joy when I discovered that my next door neighbor made this White Texas Sheet Cake, a recipe from her "Grammy" and gave me permission to share it with you.

I grew up with the chocolate version and had NO clue this buttery vanilla version existed!

This recipe is incredibly EASY, and can be finished and ready in an hour.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and water. Yes, I know it sounds unorthodox, but trust me, this recipe has been around a lot longer than you and me.

Once melted, add your sugar, flour salt and baking soda. Beat smooth with a wire whisk.

What? No mixer?

It was not hard at all to mix this with a whisk. In fact, I think over mixing it with a mixer would change the texture of this cake ...

When smooth, add eggs and vanilla. Stir in just a little bit of sour cream. I used the non-fat sour cream and this cake was still moist and tender.

Pour the cake batter into a buttered and floured 11"x17" baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and make the frosting.

The butter and evaporated milk are put into a microwave bowl and melted for 3-4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk till smooth.

Pour this lovely glaze on your WARM cake and gently spread it into the corners ... it will smooth out and create a shiny sheen ...

You can add chopped pecans on top, but when serving to a crowd, you may not know who has allergies.

Grammy's White Texas Sheet Cake
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Happy Holidays!

Wonder Mill Electric Grain Mill

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering WHY I grind my own wheat/grains. I get the highest levels of protein/nutrients from my grain if it is freshly ground. Ground grains begin to loose their nutrients the longer they sit around.

Freshly ground grains, like fresh fruit and veggies, simply have a better flavor. Once you begin to grind your own wheat and grains, you will discover a whole new world!

Years ago, I would grind my wheat on my grandfather's old electric stone wheat grinder, located in my mom's basement. It would take over 30 minutes to grind an ice cream bucket-full of wheat and it sounded like a 747 gearing up for take-off! Cleaning and vacuuming it was a pain.

Purchasing a grain mill is an investment, much like a Kitchen Aid or other stand mixer. That's why you want to have the best, high quality, longest lasting grain mill. I love this electric WonderMill Grain Mill ~ it grinds grains quickly, is so easy to use and easy to clean. It is worth. Every. Penny.

Want to know how easy it is? Here's how:

First, *snap* the separator cup onto the lid. There are handy dandy red arrow stickers to show you how to line up the cup. The gray arrow is the flat side of the cup, which should line up with the tab on the lid in case you do not have the red arrow stickers.

Next, *snap* the separator lid onto the canister. If it is not on securely, you will have flour spewing out from underneath the lid!

Rotate the curved flour tube 180° to the left. Do not tug or pull, or you will risk breaking it off; it is permanently attached to the lid.

Set the mill and flour separator side by side. You will need to grasp the flour tube with one hand and use your other hand to guide the mill to securely attach the flour tube.

Next, choose your setting. There are some electric mills that only have one setting. With this mill, you have infinite settings between Pastry and Coarse. I love the superfine texture of wheat flour that I get from the Pastry setting. Today, I am grinding popcorn into cornmeal, so I will choose the coarse setting.

Plug the mill in and turn the machine on. This is the quietest mill on the market; it will sound as loud as your vacuum, but not as loud as a 747!

Fill the hopper with your grain. This half cup of popcorn is ground in seconds ....

You will notice a higher change in pitch when the mill is finished grinding. Let the machine continue for 5 seconds to self-clean and make sure all the grain is emptied from the mill.

Turn off the machine and wait a few seconds for the sound to die down.
Carefully wiggle the flour tube from the mill and tap the lid several times. Doing this lets any flour accumulated on the inside lid to fall into the canister. You don't want a "flour shower" when you open the lid! Return the flour tube to its original position.

Open the canister and viola! Take a *whiff * That's the smell of freshly ground corn, baby!

To clean, I simply wipe out the cup, lid and container with a clean paper towel. Done!

Easy, right?

Okay, you know that this mill can grind wheat and popcorn. What else?
Check out WillitGrind.com for a complete list.

Oat groats (no rolled oats, you will void the warranty)
Rice (white and brown)
Triticale
Dried Pinto Beans
Dried Green Beans
Popcorn (unpopped)
Dried Field Corn
Split Peas
Buckwheat
Spelt
Kamut
Rye
Millet
Sorghum (Milo)
Dried Mung Beans
Soybeans
Chick Peas

Do not attempt to grind any high moisture or oily grains, nuts or seeds.

This mill has a powerful 1250 watt patented motor with stainless steel mill heads that will grind 12 cups of fine flour in 5 minutes. Woot!

This WonderMill has a great limited lifetime warranty: milling heads are warrantied for the lifetime of original owner, and all other parts are warrantied for six years.

I no longer grind a bunch of wheat and store it in my freezer. I grind exactly what I need and use it immediately for the freshest results!

For more info, check out the WonderMill website.
To purchase this mill, you will find a list of authorized dealers [HERE].

Happy Baking!

I was provided a product for honest review purposes. No other compensation was given for this review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. Just like 100% freshly ground whole wheat.

Veggies: Pressure Cooker Style

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

We had our church Christmas party last week. There was only one sign up for the food: baked potatoes.

Church members were encouraged to bring a side dish: salads or veggies.

No desserts.

No rolls.

These things, plus the main dish were to be provided.

What?

No rolls?

I racked my brain to figure out what I could make ... in less than an hour.

It was cold outside and I didn't feel like running out to the store to buy anything, so I opened up the fridge to see what I had on hand.

In the bottom veggie drawer was a bag of carrots.

Immediately, my electric pressure cooker came to mind. Cooking veggies in a pressure cooker is QUICK and easy peasy.

Let me show you how.

Peel, wash, and cut your carrots.

Dump them into the pressure cooker.

Add 1/4 c. water (the book says to add 1/2 cup, but I've found that 1/4 c. works better).

Close the lid, set the pressure on HIGH, and the timer for 3 minutes.

I love my electric pressure cooker. I can truly "set it and forget it." In using my pressure cooker, I have come to appreciate its safety features: too much liquid, it will shut off. Too little water, it will shut off. You can't open it until the safety valve has gone down.

*BEEP* It's done! Use some tongs to release the steam and it is ready ~ almost.

A little butter, brown sugar and salt is all it needs to be the perfect side dish.

All done in under 15 minutes!

Cool, huh?

Pssssst....I've seen this pressure cooker at Costco for $69....(cheaper in the warehouse) which is a great price! How about putting it on your Christmas list?

Sherrie's Quiche Lorraine

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

In my last neighborhood, Sherrie would make a quiche for all the neighbors as her Christmas gift. It came baked, wrapped in foil, ready to warm up and eat for Christmas morning.

Sherrie made this quiche simple, to appeal to all tastes in any family. It has cheddar, Swiss, bacon and onion powder for the finicky onion eaters. You can change it up to add mushrooms, spinach and any other ingredients that would sound good. She suggests using Gryure and Emmentaler cheeses, although cheddar and Swiss are good substitutes.

I have a new favorite pie crust, from Cook's Illustrated, and yes, it includes vodka. It is odorless, tasteless, and the folks from ATK say it evaporates when baked, leaving a flaky pie crust behind.

You can use a store-bought pie crust, I won't tell, so go ahead!

The pie crust is blind baked for 8 minutes to prevent a soggy crust. The cheeses are shredded and tossed with 1 T. of all purpose flour. This keeps the cheeses separated, allowing for an even distribution throughout the quiche.

I like to cut the bacon with my kitchen scissors, then fry them in a skillet. Drain, toss with the floured cheese, and put into your parbaked crust.

Heavy cream (whipping) is whisked together with milk, eggs, salt, white pepper, and a touch of cayenne.

This mixture is poured over the bacon/cheese mix and baked for 35-40 minutes or till puffy and golden brown ...

A slice of this reheats well in the microwave and still retains a crispy crust.

What a fantastic dish to wake up to Christmas morning!

Quiche Lorraine
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Easy Cheese-y Popcorn!

2011-12-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

You know those canisters of popcorn that you can get around this time of year? The ones that have three kinds of popcorn: buttered, caramel, and cheese?

I have noticed that those cans are getting smaller.

Yes, smaller!

After making my Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn recipe, I thought, "Why not try to make cheese popcorn?"

I searched to find a recipe, but many of them called for shredded cheese. I wanted the finger-licking powdered cheese recipe and even hunted online for "powdered cheese."

Then it occurred to me....

Why not use the powdered cheese from a box of Mac N Cheese?

I popped 9 cups of popcorn in my Cuisinart Easy Pop and promptly opened up a generic box of Mac N Cheese. You know, the cheap kind that you can get three for a dollar?

The powder was a little lumpy, so I put some of it in a sieve and starting sprinkling it on the popcorn.

I noticed that the powder was NOT sticking to the popcorn, so I melted some butter.

Poured a little bit of butter onto the popcorn, sprinkled some cheese powder, more butter, then more powder, and kept going till it was just right.

This was truly a forehead slap moment ... the recipe is simply 9 cups popcorn, 4 T. melted butter and yes, one package of cheese powder from a box.

Now I want to try this flavor ...

What do YOU think??

Easy Cheese-y Popcorn
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Augason Farms Scone Mix

2011-12-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

What do you think when you hear the word, SCONES?

Is it the buttery, flaky cookie that you can nosh on for breakfast or a snack?

Or is it the golden, pillowy pieces of fried bread, drizzled with butter, honey or your favorite jam?

I'm from Utah and if you say, "Scone," it usually means the deep fried bread variety.

Augason Farms is a Utah company and sent me some Western Scone Mix to try. I loved their Chocolate Morning Moo mix, so I thought, "Why not?" And I'm glad I did.

It's quick. It's easy. And it's good!

All you need are three things: the mix, yeast, and water.

Mix and knead it till it is smooth and elastic. I found the dough to be wet and sticky, so I added about 1/2 cup bread flour, till I got it to a workable consistency. When the humidity is high, you may need to add more flour....

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and wait 20 minutes. That's it ... very easy and quick!

In the meantime, get a skillet with oil ready to a temp of 375°F. Any higher, and your bread insides will be dough-y. Any lower, and your bread will absorb the oil .... yuck.

Divide the dough into 8 portions, and roll each onto a floured surface, into a circle about 8"- 9".

Carefully put the rolled dough into the hot oil AWAY from you, to keep any oil that may splash on you...

Fry each side about 1.5 minutes, or till brown and golden. Put the fried bread onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Know what hubby is gonna do with this? Turn this into a Navajo Taco.

He put cooked ground beef with homemade Easy Taco Seasoning, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes and sour cream. You can drizzle hot sauce or top with your favorite salsa.

Me?

I made scones and drizzled them with honey ...

Thank you, Augason Farms, for letting me try this ~ it was easy, quick, and I was able to make dinner AND a dessert!

I was given a sample of Scone Mix to try. No other compensation was given to write this post. All opinions expressed are 100% completely mine.

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have a long standing relationship with peanut butter and chocolate.

Reese's Peanut Butter cups and I go waaaaaaaay back.

Now I can have this amazing flavor combo with popcorn!

This crispy, chock full of peanut butter flavor popcorn, drizzled with chocolate, will soon become one of your favorites ...

Here's how:

First, pop your popcorn. You can do it on the stove, in the microwave, or a popcorn popper. You pick. All you need is 8-9 cups of popped corn. Put the popcorn into a large mixing bowl.

Put corn syrup, sugar, and unsalted butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat.

Stir well and bring it to a rolling boil. Clip a candy thermometer to your pot, making sure the bulb does not touch the bottom of the pan. Cook this mixture to 270°F.

Remember to test your candy thermometer and make adjustments to your recipe. At my altitude, I need to cook this to 267°F. Note to self: put a digital candy thermometer on your Christmas list!

Remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in peanut butter ...

Pour this mixture over your popped corn and gently stir, moving quickly to coat all the popcorn.

Pour the popcorn onto a greased foil lined baking sheet or use a Silpat if you have one. Spread into an even layer.

Bake the popcorn for 45 minutes, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes. The first time I made caramel corn, I burned it in the oven, so watch it carefully!

Out of the oven and while it is cooling in the pan, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave and put into a Ziploc baggie.

Tip: put the baggie in a small cup, fold the top over the edge of the cup and fill.

Close the baggie top, snip off a small corner and drizzle over the popcorn.

Let the popcorn set (I took it into the garage, where it was cold) and break into a serving bowl.

Next time, I am going to let the chocolate set a little bit and then stir it to coat as much of the popcorn as I can....

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn
(4x6 recipe download) (full page printable recipe)

Cuisinart Popcorn Popper

2011-12-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

When I was a young girl, we made popcorn every Sunday night and watched the Disney movie. We would pop corn on the stove top, drizzle it with melted butter, and salt it.

While watching the movie, we would hunt for the prized piece of popcorn that was loaded with butter and eat those first. Years later, it was a hot air popper. Then it was microwave popcorn.

I bought this popcorn popper last year at Sam's Club for $30, well under the $60 I had seen it advertised. I was shopping with my friend who had a popper just like this one and said it worked very well. I had just finished eating a batch of white chocolate covered popcorn and wanted to make my own "gourmet" style popcorn.

Last year? Uh, yeah. I'm not sure why I let it sit around for a year. I found a link for this popper at Amazon, but they are out of stock for this particular model. Other similar models by Cuisinart have had mixed ratings, so I am hesitant to recommend any of those.

The first thing you need to do is line up the hot plate with the base. There wasn't any clear instructions on how to do this, but you need to line up the element with the holes, tip the plate in while lining up the outside markings on the base/plate and snap it in place.

What caught my attention to this particular model is that it uses very little oil. It calls for 2 teaspoons, but I only used 1. My friend said that you don't have to use oil, but I thought I would try following all the instructions first...

It comes with a 1/2 cup measuring cup. I needed 8 cups of popped corn, so I used 1/3 cup.

Put the cover on, and push the switch in the front to turn it on.

The metal arm will start moving and pushing the corn kernels around. Within a minute, the corn will start popping, which was fun to watch, although the cover did get some steam.

When it is done popping, you will need to switch it off. There is no timer or buzzer, so watch and listen to your popcorn. You can use the red plastic lid that snaps on the top to use the cover as a bowl, but I felt it trapped in the steam and I did not want soggy popcorn.

The cover rests on the plate, so you will need to grab BOTH the cover and plate at the handles, squeeze to remove it from the base, and flip it over.

Remove the plate and pour the popcorn into your container. I was happy to see that every kernel was popped, saw no burnt kernels, and got a generous 9 cups from this batch. That was easy!

I have used this machine several times with great success! I will let you know if there are any of the problems mentioned in the Amazon review.

Stay tuned for a yummy recipe made with this popcorn...

What do YOU like on your popcorn?

Candy Making 101: Your Thermometer

2011-12-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

A good candy thermometer is essential to making quality candies.

I dusted off my ancient candy thermometer and put it to the test.

Did you know you should test your candy thermometer EVERY time you make candy?

I didn't know that, so here goes....

Get a small pan with enough water to cover the tip of the thermometer bulb. Make sure the bulb is NOT touching the bottom of the pan.

Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for a few minutes.

What you are looking for is the boiling point for water in your area.

Water boils at 212°F at sea level, so let's take a look at what my thermometer says ...

Get down at eye level and try to read it....

208°F? 209°F?

This candy thermometer reads in 5° increments, making it more difficult to get an accurate reading.

I'm gonna say 209°F is my boiling point, because of the altitude that I live in. (4500 feet)

All candy recipes are written at sea level (212°F), so I need to SUBTRACT 3° from all the recipes.

That little piece of knowledge may explain why I have not been successful in some of my candy making ventures...

Did you know that there are candy thermometers that measure in 2° increments, making it much easier to read and more accurate than 5° increments?

Taylor Candy/Deep Fry Thermometer

There's even digital thermometers ... I'm going to hunt down a new thermometer and let you know what I find!

CDN Digital Candy Thermometer

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Parfaits

2011-11-30T05:19:00.000-08:00

It's late.

You're tired.

You are craving chocolate and you need a quick treat ~

Duncan Hines to the rescue!

Thanks to FoodBuzz & Duncan Hines, I received some coupons to try through their Tastemaker Program.

Did you know Duncan Hines has specialty cake mixes? There is a decadent German Chocolate, an Apple Caramel, a Carrot cake mix, and this one...

Did you know Duncan Hines also makes fruit fillings? Now you know! With over 25 different fillings to choose from, this is what I picked:

What I came up with is this parfait. This is a fun, presentable dessert that people would think you spent hours on. Nope. Try under an hour.

Here's how: Crumble some baked cake in the bottom of a clear glass, add a layer of instant chocolate pudding, whipped cream, raspberry filling, more crumbled cake, finish it with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish it with a dab of raspberry filling.

My mom commented that this was a very good raspberry filling ... much better than any other she has tried.

So easy.

So fast.

So good.

It's Amazing What a Little Frosting Can Do....

2011-11-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

"Why are you decorating Christmas trees?" my son asked when he saw this sugar cookie.

Hmmmm....you're right, it DOES look like a Christmas tree, doesn't it?

How about now?

Oh yeah ... they look like fall leaves!

It's amazing what a little frosting can do, huh?

Speaking of amazing, this little tip saved me a LOT of time in clean up, switching colors of frosting, and it works with whipped cream, too!

Source: thekitchn.com via Frieda Loves Bread on Pinterest

Want to get a head start on your holiday baking? These sugar cookies freeze really well (if they are naked ~ no frosting!) and are ready to decorate on a snowy, house-bound day!

Links to recipes and tips:

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

Easy Round Soft Sugar Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookie Tips & Buttercream Frosting

A Sugar Cookie Bouquet

Utah McDonald's Giveaway & the New Happy Meal! CLOSED

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Random.org has selected comment #27!

Congratulations, Lars! Look for an email from me....

Have you heard about the new Happy Meal at McDonald's?

I attended the launch of the new meal with my nieces and other fellow bloggers in the McDonald's located in Herriman, Utah, which opened in April, 2011.

I'm impressed with the new changes.

Did you know that 88% of McDonald's customers are aware of the apple slices option, but only 11% actually choose the apple slices?

If the apple slices are included automatically in every meal, they are more likely to be eaten.

I like that.

Let's take a peek inside ...

Fries!! You have to eat your fries first. It's a rule. Cold fries don't taste as good.

I was whisked away to take a back tour of the kitchen. What a treat!

Wow. I was impressed with the quality and efficiency! It was like watching a well choreographed dance, workers zipping here and there, making sure everything was hot and fresh.

McDonald's is making an effort to provide healthier options such as oatmeal, fruit parfaits, Premium salads and chicken sandwiches.

I enjoyed a Premium Grilled Chicken sandwich, apple slices and a drink for only 385 calories. Yum!

Are you ready to try the lighter fare at McDonald's?

Well, if you live in Utah, you can take your kids, your friends, AND their kids on a Special Play Date, courtesy of McDonald's Utah!

One lucky reader can win gift certificates for the following:

10 New Happy Meals

10 Premium Salads

3 Premium Chicken Sandwiches

Cool, huh?

All you have to do is leave a comment to enter. You can't win if you don't enter, right?

In fact, you can enter ONCE PER DAY, up til midnight, Dec. 1.

Want two more entries? (Two additional entries MAX per person....please don't tweet this every day!)

Tweet this post ~ Leave me the link
Share it on FaceBook ~ leave me the link

Please make sure you include an email address if your profile does not include one. I need a way to contact you if you win!

Good luck!

Giveaway ends midnight, MST December 1, 2011. Random.org will select one comment and reader will be contacted via email and shared on this blog.

Read about the new Happy Meal from other Utah bloggers ~

SNAP

A Utah Mom's Life

My nieces and I received a meal that was thoroughly enjoyed, compliments of McDonald's Utah and sponsors of the Play Date giveaway. I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% mine.

5 Favorite Dinner Roll Shapes

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Feather Wheat Cloverleaf Rolls

Today, because it is the day before Thanksgiving, I am making rolls.

Lots and lot of rolls.

276 rolls, to be exact ~ for my friends and family.

I thought I would share some of my favorite rolls shapes with you.

To view the recipe and/or the roll shaping instructions, click on the name under the picture.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pull Apart Dinner Rolls


Orange Swirl Rolls

Dinner Roll and Outback Bread Rosettes

Dinner Roll Crescents