{Live Laugh Love To Cook Fun Foods}

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:19:00 +0000

I have decided to share stories about my grandmother's cooking,

Towards the end of summer and going into fall, my grandmother was doing her canning of all the fruits and jams for winter to include peaches, pears, apricots, making peach marmalade, peach jam, apricot preserves, and something special that was called spiced clingstone peaches, it was made with cloves and cinnamon and it wasn't unusual to eat an evening meal of just spiced peaches and homemade bread and butter and sliced cheese.

She also made dilly beans? well the adults liked them and made things like pickled chutney, sweet pickles and bread and butter pickles and would use them for the holidays to serve with meats and other meals. My palate didn't care for them then but would sure like to try them now, if only had her recipes.

Christy Jordan - Southern Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:54:00 +0000

I found a wonderful blog today its all about Southern Cooking with wonderfully illistrated pictures and recipe

Its all about Christy Jordan, and she has some great cook books, great experience that all moms would be interested in, so why not stop by and check it out Southern Plate is the name

BREADS

DESSERT

Fast and Fresh Strawberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Fast and Fresh Strawberry Pie

3 quarts (about 3 pounds) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. powdered pectin (Sure Jell)
Pinch salt
3 Tbs. cornstarch, dissolved in ¼ cup of water
1 Tsp. finely grated lemon zest
½ Tsp. vanilla extract
1 pre-baked pie shell

Slice 1 heaping quart of the strawberries for the filling and halve 2 heaping cups of your best-looking ones for the pie top. Halve another 2 cups of strawberries, place in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Measure out 1¼ cups of the puree and transfer to a medium saucepan along with sugar, pectin and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. Continue to simmer so that mixture foams, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; skim foam from surface. Return saucepan to medium heat, slowly whisking in cornstarch mixture. Continue to whisk until mixture is stiff. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla.

Transfer ¼ cup of the mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in up to 2 tablespoons of water for the glaze. Transfer remaining mixture to a medium bowl, placing a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. When mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in sliced strawberries and turn into baked pie shell. Arrange halved strawberries over top; brush with glaze and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The pie can be made several hours ahead.)

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: 265 calories, 44g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 9g fat (3g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 6mg fiber, 142mg sodium

{Best Recipe Award Jarred- Dave's Carrot Cake}

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:15:00 +0000

This is our first Guest Post and Jared has graciously allowed us to share his famous "Dave's Carrot Cake" "Recipe, if you try it we would love to hear your comments on guest posts.

Visit his website as well.

Thank you Jarred

About Jared

My name is Jared, and I’m still not entirely sure how I ended up living in paradise.

My partner ‘Rick’ and I (he’s shy, so that’s not his real name) are two American city boys who moved to rural New Zealand in 2006. We live on 20 acres just outside the charming wine and olive village of Martinborough, at the bottom of the North Island.

It’s a little different from where I grew up, which was the suburbs outside Detroit. I used to stay out till 5am dancing at clubs downtown, where we were frisked at the door for guns and knives. Now I get up at 5am to do yoga, write, and feed the chickens. Go figure.

2 cups flour (For gluten free, replace flour with gluten free baking mix. I use Bakels.)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cups cooking oil (I use canola.)
4 eggs
3 cups carrots, finely grated
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Sift dry ingredients together. Add oil, stirring constantly.
Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Place in two round springform pans. Bake at 350 °F / 175 °C for 45 minutes.

Frosting
1 package cream cheese (8 oz / 250 g)
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 pound of icing sugar! (16 0z = 453 g)

Jared blogs at moonovermartinborough.com

Chicken Florentine with Artichokes

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:04:00 +0000

A Favorite Meal Chicken Florentine with Artichokes

Chicken Florentine ~
With Artichokes This is one of my husbands favorite dishes.

Ingredients

8 ounces dried bow tie pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ranch style dressing (gives a tang)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I prefer chicken breast, bone in, baked for 15 min) Then cut and prepare

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10 ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In medium skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
2.In bowl whisk together eggs, milk, ranch dressing, seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, cooked pasta, and onion. Transfer to a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole.
3.Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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A Tour of London's Bookshop Café Books for Cooks

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:53:00 +0000

A Tour of London's Bookshop Café Books for Cooks

One of the best ways to spend a Saturday afternoon in London is to crowd into bookstore/café Books for Cooks, a Notting Hill institution where you can browse thousands of international cookbooks and grab one of a handful of café tables to sample daily changing light meals cooked up in the open test kitchen in the back. By the time we got there at 2 pm on a recent Saturday, they were down to their last slice of coconut cake. But French owner Eric Treuillé, who runs the place with his English wife Rosie Kindersley, poured us a glass of biodynamic wine from his small vineyard in the Southwest of France, and talked about this irresistible oasis for the cookbook lover that it seems to us every city should have.

Enter Slideshow

Leela and Daves Tiny Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Leela's Tiny Bright Kitchen

This is my petite kitchen. After stepping into one dream kitchen after another in my work for this site, coming home to my tiny space can induce long sighs. What I've learned over time though is no matter how glam or un-glam your kitchen is, it's the magic and creativity that goes on inside the kitchen that counts. And one day, I will thank my lucky stars for not having to use my floor as a work surface due to lack of counter space. Until then, join me for a tour!

See Full Slideshow

My husband and I moved into our 500 square foot home in Portland, Oregon about a year ago. The place was ideal in many ways: great location, a huge garden, a porch and big windows, etc. The kitchen however, was not on the list of 'ideals.' Bummer. But we hunkered down and made the best with what we've got, pumping out simple and complex recipes most days. I love my kitchen because it surprises folks, they say things like, 'You made 10 key lime pies for that baby shower in here?!' That always makes me grin.

Painting the walls light gray and shelving white helps set the stage for our brightly colored homewares and makes the space feel light and open. Most of the items we use on a regular basis were picked up at markets or small shops around the world. I think this discongrous, "nothing matches" look works well for us, as we can always add, subtract to our collection, without spending too much or feeling attached to a certain style. This traveler/vintage store style also reminds us of where and when we got each precious little object. Our kitchen is where we share memories, cook meals together (tight squeeze for two people to be in there) and drum up ideas for the next trip!

See Full Slideshow

10 Questions for Leela (and Her Kitchen)

1. What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
My cooking is inspired by peek-season ingredients and a whole lot of drooling over food blogs, namely The Kitchen! To me, there's no greater pleasure than biting into the first asparagus of the season, blanched quickly then drizzled with olive oil and flake salt. Or slicing fresh strawberries into my morning oats — I think having grown up in Southern California, a land where everything is in season at all times (amazing and awesome in its own way!), makes me really celebrate nature's own rhythm in the northern climes of Portland, Oregon where I now live.

2. What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
Pizza stone for crispy crusts, microplane for everyday zesting and nutmeg seasoning, petal pink Kitchen Aid mixer for impromptu chocolate cake making and my two best knives, by Furi — they are fantastic!

3. What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
This past Fall, I cooked a vegetarian thanksgiving for 10. My Dad at my side, whipping up his infamous pumpkin chiffon pie with grand-marinier spiked chantilly cream, my husband sous-cheffing as I prepared a feast. On the menu was a chanterelle mushroom, hazelnut and ricotta crostata, corn bread stuffing, my Mom's stunning raw cranberry and ginger relish, roasted green beans and oh yeah — special pancakesand coffee to fuel our cooking frenzy. This year, I'm determined to duck out of cooking duties, I'd love to go to a friend's house or to Faith's Thanksgiving dinner (look at what incredible a job she did!).

4. The biggest challenge in your kitchen:
There's hardly enough room for one person to spread out with a few dishes going at once, let alone two or three like there frequently is. Thankfully, my friends and family are undaunted by the small space (or they don't seem to sweat it too much in front of me). In a pinch, I use the floor as a surface for cooling hot pans of cookies or breads (practically the only good use of the easily-dirtied porcelain tiles). Great meals can come out of the most unassuming places.

5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently? [if renovated]
My husband Dave had the great idea to drill an Ikea wooden counter (used for a kitchen island in most cases) onto our existing tiny counter, and cut some of the cabinetry off of the shelving. This gave us more work area for prepping/chopping — and greatly transformed our almost no-counter situation.

6. Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen:
my collection of chopsticks, tea cups and spoons — I traveled all over the world and lugged these little items to use when I got back to the states. I'm reminded of our year spent in India, Vietnam and Turkey every time I sip chai from a tiffin cup, slurp pho with my chopsticks I haggled with a street vendor in Ho Chi Minh for and stir a pot of soup with a hand-carved wooden spoon from Istanbul. I love my treasures and recommend kitchen items as the best travel souvenir.

7. Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
One day, I'd love a big and dreamy open kitchen with tons of natural light where I can cook while hanging out with beloved friends and have lots of room to take pretty photos of my gourmand explorations. Also a garbage disposal and dishwasher are on my bucket list!

8. How would you describe your cooking style?
Crazed alchemist sorcerer. When I'm in the groove anything can happen. Also driven by seasonal ingredients, simply prepared.

9. Best cooking advice or tip you ever received:
"It's all in the details" — from my Dad. And a bit of biscuit wisdom from my Southern Mom: "Biscuits have to be both fluffy and crusty. If they're all fluffy, they're rolls in disguise."

10. What are you cooking this week?
Tempeh tacos with lime crema, rhubarb grapefruit grunt, crunchy peanut slaw, big cesar salads, pistachio marmalade cake

See Full Slideshow

• Kitchen Aid Mixer

• Stove: Kenmore (bought used off Craigslist)

• Fridge: Danby (bought used off Craigslist)

• dinner ware: vintage shops, thrift stores, estate sales, travels

• mason jars for storage: thrift stores

• aprons: Anthropologie, travels

• wooden counter top: Ikea

• knives: Furi

• ink painting: David Kilpatrick

See Full Slideshow

Thank you so much for peeking into my kitchen!

Want to show us your own kitchen?
We're always looking for real kitchens from real cooks.
Submit your kitchen here.

Grand Mairtre 7 piece Cook Set

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Wenger Grand Maitre 7-piece Cook's Set #310131

Always have the right tools on hand when preparing and cooking with this beautiful knife cook set from Swissmar. For more than 100 years Wenger has specialized in the field of professional butcher knives, kitchen knives, and Genuine Swiss Army Knives.

In 1963, Wenger developed a specific range of knives for the butcher and chef. Developed with specific requirements in mind, Wenger now offers this line to the consumer under the Grand Maitre line.
Only ~~$149.99~~ $108.91 Inexpensive Set but Quality is better than most sets at this price.

Features:

This beautiful 7 piece Grand Maitre cook set has all you need when you are in the kitchen, have everything on hand and at your finger tips

They all feature one-piece handles that are injection molded to the tang using Grilon, which is hermetically sealed, and fatigue-free. They have non-slip polyamide that will never deteriorate, and are non-porous.
All are knives are resistant to high temperatures, and have blended steel blades for shine, sharpness, and flexibility. The cook's set is corrosion, stain and acid resistance.

•Chef Knife 22cm / 8.75"
•Bread Knife 22cm / 8.75"
•Butcher Steel 20.5cm / 8"
•Meat Fork 6"/15cm
•Multi-Purpose Knife 13.5cm / 5.25"
•Spire Point Paring Knife - Fine Edge 8.5cm / 3.25"
•Double Edged Peeler 16cm / 6.25"

Tee's Martini Shop - We Live Laugh Love

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Here you will find some of the most unique martini glasses, wine glasses, champagne glasses and more.
Please, browse around and check back often for updates and specials.

Since many of the items here retire and go out of stock fast, this blog will update frequently

If you have a business, what do you sell: Rhinestone Tee Shirts unique martini and wine glasses.
Skype ID:: Online Retail store specializing in Rhinestone Tee Shirts unique martini and wine glasses.
Twitter: @teedazzle

Facebook:: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tees-Purple-Martini-Shop
Blog: http://teespurplemartinishop.com/blog/
Website: http://www.teespurplemartinishop.com/cart/

Tee Tuck at teespurplemartinishop@girl.com

Tee's Martini Shop - We Live Laugh Love

Rachael Ray Lasagna Pan

noreply@blogger.com (Karren Haller) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Since one my favorite foods to fix for my family and guest is lasagna I thought I would share this great deep pan for lasagna. It is 9-Inch by 13-Inch Rectangular so it will hold a full box of lasagna when prepared with your favorite recipe. And I found them on sale for $33.95

Lasanga Lover small pan designed for two servings
Vibrantly colorful in blue, pan has a rounded contemporary shape with extra wide handle holes for a good grip
Durable stoneware with nonporous glazed interior
Dishwasher, microwave, freezer safe and oven safe to 500 degrees F