Memoirs from My Kitchen..

My kitchen's gonna get Really busy this weekend

2012-05-31T13:37:00.003-04:00

Y'all know why right?

BECAUSE MY BESTIE'S COMING HOME ON TUESDAY!!!

Ok, not for good (yet) but she'll be home for six weeks so I've gotta get my bake on and make some goodies her and her little one have been missing. Plus I'll be taking a stab at sugar free marshmallows since bestie's gotta watch her sugar intake, so over the next few weeks you may see some low to no sugar desserts here and I'll be tinkering with a few of my regular recipes to make them a little more friendly for everyone :)

Am I excited?

You bet your sweet ass I am! I haven't seen her since last August!

Stay tuned... and keep your eye out for how these sugar free marshmallows turn out.

Pretties

2012-05-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

My friend Vanna makes the best stuff. I have her magnets and clothespin magnets all over my fridge :)
See...

She's having a special over at her etsy shop free shipping on any order with code MAYSHIP12.

Check it out, I'm sure you're gonna love her
craftiness as much as I do :).

http://www.etsy.com/shop/queenvannacreations

Teething cookies

2012-05-14T19:22:00.001-04:00

My sister has called on me to make some teething cookies for my 7 month old Godson.

I haven't had a baby in my house in a long time, I know nothing about making teether biscuits so I'm calling out to any of you who may have a recipe or any advise on how to make them or what's the best to use for these.

I found a few recipes online that I'm going to sort through and tweak probably tomorrow or Wednesday.

I will post what I end up making along with pictures.

If any of you can help me out here I will be eternally grateful.

Ash~

Help Stamp Out Hunger 2012 Food Drive

2012-05-09T11:18:00.000-04:00

Help Stamp Out Hunger 2012 Food Drive

This is something very close to my heart. While I've never “gone hungry”, I've gone without dinner to make sure my kid has had enough to eat. I have managed to make a decent meal for under $3 and thanks to the pantry and ample storage in the kitchen in this apartment compared to the last place I lived I have more than enough space to store non perishables. I know that many people don’t have that luxury though and I also know with the growing prices of food that it’s getting harder and harder to feed your family.

This really can’t be easier though. Fill a bag of non perishables and leave it for your mail carrier on Saturday, May 12 and they will deliver it to a local food bank or pantry. Easy Peasy :) It’s just one day, it’s just a few $ worth of groceries that can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Donate items like canned meats, fish, soup, bottled juice, vegetables, pasta, cereal and rice that do not require refrigeration. Please do not include items that have expired or are in glass containers.

Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger

Foodie Apps for iPhone, etc.

2012-05-06T16:24:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to this post I'm going to add 2 more apps that are great for helping you with your grocery list, finding recipes and more :)

I had a recipe in my head the other night and for the life of me I couldn't remember what exactly was in it... I had remembered that I got it off the Kraft web site or from their food & family magazine so I headed on over while I was sitting in the parking lot of the grocery store to see if I could jog my memory a little bit. As I opened up the Kraft page a popup came on and asked if I wanted to install the kraft iFood Assistant. Ok, sure, why not?

I am SO glad I did!

It's smart. It's fun. And now it even helps in the kitchen. The most appetizing app on the planet —iFood Assistant powered by Kraft — brings simple, delicious food ideas, anytime and anywhere you go. Whether you use how-to videos, smart 1-2-3 recipes, recipe box or the built-in shopping list, you're going to save time. So redefine eating... and use iFood Assistant powered by KRAFT to make life delicious. Everyday.
Now available on iPhone - iFood 4.0: use voice to search, add to shopping list and move to next step in a recipe.

This is available in the App store as well as the Android marketplace or you can just do this:
:)

For a quick link to download, text IPHONE to 71717.

For a quick link to download, text BLACKBERRY to 71717.

For a quick link to download, text ANDROID to 71717.

For a quick link to download, text WINDOWS7 to 71717.

This is an amazing App and I really love it. I love the voice recognition so I'm not fumbling with the touch keypad when I'm searching for a recipe or adding things to my grocery list. It also has the built in scanner so that you can add things to your shopping list just by scanning the barcode on the item. You can send recipes wirelessly to your printer and also add your grocery rewards cards to your profile (not all stores are on this list, I'm assuming it varies by region, but none of the grocery stores in my area are on the list :{ )

I highly recommend this app. So far it's my favorite and I'll be sticking with it.

What we did today ...

2012-05-05T22:02:00.001-04:00

We went to see the early showing of The Avengers and it was amazing! Best movie I've seen in a really long time. Really glad we went to the early show too because even at 10am the theater was packed and despite all the little kids present there was absolutely no crying or whining (because that ahit drives me crazy!)
If you haven't seen The Avengers yet, GO! You won't regret it.

The green stuff

2012-05-04T08:46:00.003-04:00

I did it first thing this morning!!

Made the smoothie you pervs.

I gathered all my ingredients and first made one for myself and after the kid had a sip of mine he asked for one too!! Score!!! He drank his up, I ran out of the house with a green smoothie in one hand and my latte in the other.

It's really really good!! All you taste is the peanut butter and banana you don't taste the spinach at all. Of course once I find this and make it, the bottom of the blade of my blender breaks, but I already ordered another one. So in a few days I'll be back making these awesome smoothies and trying out a few more :)

Green Monsters

2012-05-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

No.. not those kind of green monsters...

...this kind

I've been seeing these popping up here and there on Pinterest and initially thought why the heck would someone drink something that color? I don't like weird colored foods. Not that green is a weird color or anything, just you usually eat your greens, not drink them.

But...

The green monster smoothie was Really good. Really. It tasted kind of like baby food to me. I liked it so much that I started researching recipes so I can make it myself, because I felt really good after I drank it. No 3pm exhaustion and I slept pretty well that night too. I have this middle of the night insomnia where I have no trouble at all falling asleep, but I'm up around 3am and can't fall back to sleep. If one little change in my diet can help remedy this I'm all for it. even if a Major change in my diet could help I'd do it. One step at a time here though.

I've seen a few different recipes for these smoothies and the closest "copycat" recipe calls for a "superfoods" powder that I have to pick up over the weekend when I go grocery shopping. I found this recipe for Green Monster Spinach Smoothie over on Iowa Girl Eat's blog and I have the ingredients to give it a try tomorrow. Even Kiddo wants to try it.. so that's a plus. He doesn't eat school lunch and usually just has a Chobani in the morning before school and then doesn't eat all day until he gets home.

I'm going to try this smoothie in the morning and take pics and let y'all know what I think of it. I'll also give an update if I can pick up this superfoods powder over the weekend to make the other smoothie.

Couscous

2012-04-30T14:55:00.003-04:00

On Saturday while we were grocery shopping my kid asked if we could “try this stuff” which was a couscous salad mix, package type deal. I said sure since I love that this kid loves to try new things. He liked it, I wasn’t too pleased with the taste and then, I guess I was allergic to something in the mix (I’m very sensitive to preservatives) and that was the end of it for me. After having to stop at yet another grocery store yesterday to pick up veggies Kiddo asked if we could get more of “that stuff we had last night” so I picked up a big container of plain couscous. I know how to make it, but I have no recipes to make it so it’s good, lol.

So... I'm off to research recipes... as I find a few recipes to try this week I’m also open to suggestions of any and all recipes y’all would like to share with me :)

I’ll share the recipes I make as I go along this week and I’m going to try and make an adaptation of a couscous salad that a restaurant that’s long gone in this neighborhood used to make while I’m at it.

It can't be just me...

2012-04-24T09:53:00.001-04:00

I know I have a few weird eating habits... doesn't everyone?

I'm sitting here at work eating my Chobani, and one of the ladies commented that I "eat my yogurt really weird" Uh.. okay. Thanks for the input there lady.

I don't stir up my fruit on the bottom. I save it for the end. Is that really that odd? It's something that I've done since I was little and my kid has picked up that habit too. Save the good stuff for the end. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I also like peanut butter and raspberry jam on my pancakes... that I know is a bit odd and the only other person I know who likes peanut butter on their pancakes is my cousin A's hubby.. she thinks it's crazy. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

BTW, Apple cinnamon Chobani is Really, really good :)

Kale Chips

2012-04-16T16:12:00.002-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.. I'm down with a cold that's kicking my ass by leaving me with a horrid sore throat and the ability to barely taste anything.

To some of you this may be old news... pshaw, Kale Chips.

Well, I hadn't tried them before Saturday. My kid isn't a huge kale fan so I don't usually buy it in big bunches and I cook enough for myself and spare him this one particular greenery and make salad for him instead. But... yesterday when I went to the grocery store that I go to for veggies (yes, there is one particular grocery store that I go to for veggies, because they are the cheapest and the freshest) they had Kale for $.79/lb so I went and bought the biggest bunch I could find.

Now, most of the instructions for kale chips I saw were very simple and flat out. OK. I mean, really... it's not rocket science. But really, just oil and salt? Boring! When I make sauteed kale I add minced fresh garlic, a bit of salt, red pepper flakes and a little of whatever else I fancy at the time. So, in making my kale chips I did the same thing.

1 bunch kale, woody stems chopped off and torn into large bits.
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Preheat oven to 300°
cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or parchment

In a large bowl add kale and olive oil, with your hands mix it up very well making sure all the kale is evenly coated with the oil. Add the salt, pepper flakes and garlic.

Arrange kale on cookie sheet in a single layer and bake 10-15 minutes until crispy.

My kid who doesn't like kale.. Loved these! Score one for mom.

Going into the oven

Coming out of the oven

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2012-04-10T13:22:00.000-04:00

OK, so technically these are an appetizer, but last night after all the food we ate on Sunday the kid and I were in the mood for a lighter dinner so we had these and a bowl of lentils each for dinner and it was perfect.

Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These are, in my opinion The best Stuffed mushrooms in the world!

Ingredients:
1 lb medium mushrooms
1/4 cup Finely chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried sage

2 Tbs. parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°f

Remove stems from mushrooms and chop finely (I just toss it all in the mini-prep and call it a day). Cook and stir mushroom stems, green onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & stir in remaining ingredients.

Fill mushroom caps with stuffing mixture. Place mushrooms, stuffing side up, in greased baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes, serve hot.

**Notes**
This makes a lot of filling and we had quite a bit leftover afterwards (which did not go to waste) But I think these would also be great with some crab mixed in or even as a meal if made with portobello mushrooms and a salad on the side.

Happy Easter!

2012-04-08T12:21:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter everyone.

It's a Beautiful day here in NY, I hope the weather is nice where you are today too.

Hope you all have a wonderful day spent with friends and family.

Lots of love,
Ash~

Just a quiche

2012-04-06T20:05:00.000-04:00

My grams made The Best quiche in the world. Sadly I don't have her recipes to replicate them, but I am always on a search to find recipes that I remember and try to duplicate what she made. I've come close, but never quite nailed it on the head with quiche.
Grams specialty was Quiche Lorraine, but today I'm going with something a little different.

Spinach Quiche.

Yummy and cheesy and full of spinach goodness this is what we had tonight for dinner :)

1 9-inch frozen pie crust
2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. flour
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash pepper

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place it in the oven and preheat to 375°F.

Stir the cheese with flour in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into crust.

Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

**Notes**

You can add whatever kind of cheese you like to this, I made this again last night and used mozzarella and provolone cheese because that's what I had in the fridge. I also added some sauteed mushrooms and onions to the mix.

Also, if you want a lighter quiche you can use either egg beaters or you can use 1 whole egg and egg whites for the rest.

Here's a slice of last nights quiche with mushroom added :)

Ambrosia

2012-04-05T15:45:00.001-04:00

I think everyone has their own idea of what ambrosia is.

My friend Racel makes hers Filipino style with condensed milk and fruit cocktail and lots and lots of coconut.

My version is pretty different than hers with the exception of the coconut, it's not ambrosia without the coconut. That's a definite.

This is the ambrosia that I grew up on that my Grandma Mary made and it hadn't crossed my mind for a while until my cousin A. who is pregnant with baby #2 called and asked me for the recipe and, of course I obliged :)

This is all you need :)

I'm going to use approximate amounts here, because I never measure this, I just eyeball it since I've been making this since I was a kid.

Gram's Ambrosia

1 can mandarin oranges
1 8 oz bag shredded coconut
1 16 oz container fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
2 cups mini marshmallows

Drain Mandarin oranges

in a large bowl add mandarin oranges, coconut, sour cream and stir really well. Fold in the marshmallows really well so they're completely covered, cover and let sit in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight until the marshmallows get really soft and squishy.

Serve topped with cherries or more oranges.

(I have all the ingredients for this on my shopping list.. I'll be making this tomorrow and will add pics.)

Hey, is there an App for that?

2012-04-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

About a month ago I jumped in and got myself an iPhone. Kicking and screaming I succumbed to this phone for the main reason to have a better connection to a friend that I now have no connection to (go figure, this is my life after all) I'm still learning this stupid phone, but I've been learning that it can help me out sometimes.

Apps. I'm really new to this app stuff and my friend that is no longer my friend was supposed to be the one to teach me about all this stuff... but I got left having to figure it all out on my own. Splendid. I get by on my own just fine, but I was really counting on having some insider info from someone who was an iPhone aficionado. Que sera sera.. again, my life.

Just last week as I was reading through one of the many foodie magazines I get I came across a blurb for a menu planning app. I figured to give it a try. Food on the table is the app I chose. it's.. Meh. I'm not completely thrilled with it, but a lot of people like it. I guess it just wasn't right for me. Right now I'm using Grocery IQ for lists (gotta love the voice recognition here!) you can scan barcodes to add items to your list as well (which I think is freaking awesome!)

Epicurious is a great app for recipes on the go. I have a tendency to print things at work and then leave them at work either in the printer or on my desk and God forbid my printer at home actually worked. Since I moved in July I can't get the damn thing to work right... eventually I'll get around to re installing the software and getting it to actually work while wired in to my computer and wirelessly for the kid and for the iPhone.

I like the convenience of being able to have my lists and recipes with me at all times and I'm still learning about these apps and all and Please if any of you have suggestions let me know :)

What the heck happened here?

2012-04-03T19:08:00.001-04:00

Ever go through the list in your head of what's in the fridge/pantry/cabinets and think to your self "What the hell am I supposed to make with that?"

That was me yesterday. I went grocery shopping on Saturday, I didn't have a list.

Bad, bad, bad.

I need a concrete list when I go shopping, I usually scour the weekly circular and get what's on sale that I want/need and then take my weekly meals from there. My problem this week, I didn't do that. I went to another grocery store altogether because I was out with the kid and my meal plan for the week went straight out the window. I did my best to try to remember what I had wanted to get... I got tomatoes. yeah, that's about it. *facepalm* I got a pack of chicken breasts and pasta and... Ugh... crap.

My grocery budget is getting pinched again with milk almost $5/gallon again and meat being just ridiculous no matter what you want. The Kid Loves cheese. Loves all kinds of cheese and I feel bad I can't always get what he wants, but seriously Provolone was $8.99/lb!! and he can eat cheese like I can eat bread and down a whole chunk of cheese in a matter of hours. My biggest pet peeve right now is I can't get everything I need at just one grocery store. One has the best water and the tea that the kid drinks but their meat is extremely overpriced. Another store has decent prices on meat, but everything else is through the roof, Yet another store has the best veggies, fresh and frozen at the best prices so I always have to shop around (and waste gas in the process... have I mentioned that I own an Old jeep with a V8 engine that's 4 wheel drive all the time?)

Wasting gas isn't really my thing... so I try to make my non crucial grocery stops on my way home from work once a week... but really, it's still a pain in the ass. I want to be able to fill my fridge and be done with it in one fell swoop. I have yet to have this happen though. I do have a pantry, I keep it pretty well stocked with dry goods like Rice, lentils, pasta, canned tomatoes, beans and such and I'm trying to get more organized in this kitchen, keep things stocked that we use all the time. Eventually I'll get the hang of it. My last 2 apartments had such tiny kitchens that I'm not used to getting a lot at once and I find it difficult to break myself of this habit.

I did manage to concoct dinner with stewed tomatoes, rice, peppers and chicken.. and it was better than I thought it was gonna be and that was great.... Plus there were plenty of leftovers for kiddo to munch on when he got home from school today.

Chili, revisited

2012-03-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

I Love a good bowl of chili with a good chunk of fresh baked cornbread. Heaven.

I've been really cutting down on the amount of red meat that we eat, not just because it's not that good for you and not to mention this whole "pink slime" crap they've been talking about on the news (although, eww and yea, that's surely preventing me from buying ground beef now!) but it's expensive and my food budget is $50/week regardless.

I've found a new friend in lentils. I wouldn't touch lentils when I was a kid, my Italian grandma was the only one that even ate lentils and I thought they 1, looked gross and 2, smelled weird. So I wasn't going near them. yuck. That was until I learned how truly great they are for you. They're inexpensive, easy to prepare and full of protein.

I have found that I can make chili, wonderful meaty chili with just half the meat or even with hardly any meat at all by substituting Lentils and it comes out amazing and the best part is it's really, really healthy not to mention delicious!

Here's my basic chili recipe with the addition of lentils

In the morning or the night before soak 1 cup lentils in 2 cups of water and set aside, covered until ready to use.

Cook and drain:
1/2 - 1 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, diced

Add to dutch oven or slow cooker with the following:
Lentils that have been soaked
1 28oz can stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
2 15 1/2 oz drained kidney beans
3 tbsp each Worcestershire sauce and aromatic bitters(optional)
1 12 oc can beer or 1 1/2 c water
3 cloves garlic
1 beef bullion cube
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
1 T chili powder
1 tsp EACH coriander, cumin, thyme, oregano, and basil

Simmer uncovered for a couple hours on stove top or in the slow cooker for a few hours... Top with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, or sliced green onions if you like.

Yea, it's really that easy.. you can adjust it to your tastes.. really easy, really good and it makes enough for a crowd!

Oh... Hi there :)

2012-03-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

I'm really sorry I've been MIA for so long.

Really, this is totally unacceptable of me to be gone for this long with no valid reason. None at all, just that I was slacking.

There Has been cooking going on in my kitchen, no doubt about that. I have a fabulous kitchen in this apartment, ok, not like gourmet chef fab or anything, but a million times better than my old apartment's kitchen and I do have this growing boy that I have to feed daily :)

I'm Back Y'all!

I will be doing my best to post daily. I need to come up with some stuff and get my culinary skills up again. Bestie will be home from Africa in roughly 6 weeks and just like last year I'll be making goodies for her and to share with the family when she gets here in celebration.

I've got some new recipes up my sleeve and I've changed some of my eating habits and have lost over 30 pounds since last year!!! I will be sharing little tips with you all and it's gonna be Great!

Have questions? Please feel free to drop me a line and I'll answer your question either privately or share it in a post if you'd like.

Talk to y'all soon,
Ash~

2012-01-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

Merry (Almost) Christmas

2011-12-23T18:19:00.001-05:00

Hi!

Sorry, sorry.. I know.. MIA again.

It's been a strange few weeks.. I didn't think Christmas was going to happen in my house. I know it's not about the gifts, but it still has meaning to me in that field.. and even though it's going to be a meager Christmas under my tree this year I got my kid gifts of things that he both needed and wanted, not any useless junk that he'll see and never use. I knitted scarves for almost all my friends and that makes me tremendously happy.

Christmas eve with the bestie's family tomorrow (even though she is in Africa and we all miss her like crazy!) Then to hang with my family on Sunday.. New years eve with my friends.. new years day with my family :) I get to see my sister and my niece and nephews and my new baby Godson :)

I did all my shopping yesterday. It was INSANE! But I started early in the day and was home by 1 (with a massive migraine)

I did my grocery shopping this morning and wrapped all The Kid's gifts before he got home from school.. I just have scarves and some toys to wrap tonight after I finish baking.

I have ALL of next week off.. which is bliss to me, I never take time off work like that.. usually it's just a day or two at a time, or I give myself a long weekend. I'll be getting an extra week of vacation this year, which makes me happy because I'm actually going to make sure to actually DO something with my time instead of just staying home or whatever.. this year I'm gonna make it happen.. because, well.. because I have someone that makes me want to :)

I will try to pop in tomorrow to wish y'all a Merry Christmas.. if not please have a safe and Happy Christmas.

For now.. I must get to the cookies in my oven :)
♥

No, I haven't disappeared

2011-12-08T13:14:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven’t posted in so long.. I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.. If you Tweet with me you know I’ve been around. I just have been busy with stuff.. Most of my free time has been spent knitting and learning to crochet (which is a Pain in the ass, I still can’t seem to get it quite right). I work, I come home & make dinner, have dinner with The Kid and then I knit until my eyes are about to close.

To say I’m broke this year is an understatement. When I moved I knew it was going to put a strain on my wallet but I really honestly thought I was going to be able to swing it with just a minor inconvenience.

HAHAHAHAHA!

While my paycheck has stayed the same, my cost of living went up by over $200/month

My usual grocery budget of $50/week has gone down to $25-30/week

I’m now holding off as long as I possibly can without having to get gas.. My truck is old and I don’t really like doing that.. But I have to. It costs more than $50 to fill the tank.. If I just manage to drive as minimally as possible a tank of gas can last me 2 weeks. I got totally screwed by my bank last month when my account went into overdraft and they didn’t notify me, so it just kept going and in the end I wound up having to hand over an entire paycheck to cover the fees. That killed me, that was present money.

The Kid wants an X-Box for Christmas.. I already told him that’s not happening.. His birthday is in Feb, he’ll get it then, that’s just money that no matter what I will not have for Christmas this year. Usually by now I would have most, if not all of my Christmas shopping done. This year I’ve managed to only get him a gift with my staples rewards (yay, free $! It Does pay to bring in those empty ink cartridges) it’s something he’ll use every day, so it’s cool :) I know he wants a few games for the Wii, and I’m really hoping that we get our Christmas bonus this year. I’m depending on that to be able to get gifts for my kid and for the niece and nephews. Forget getting something for myself, that rarely happens anyway.

I've told the adults they’re getting scarves.. And cookies. That’s all I can manage for them this year. I was lucky enough to get a stash of very nice yarn for less than $20 and I've been knitting like mad. I know the kid won’t wear a scarf no matter how nice the yarn so I've skipped over him in that department.
I know Christmas isn’t about the presents.. I grew up with very little and had a lot of extended family that are no longer close like they used to be.. So it’s just The kid and immediate family now. I don’t expect anything from anyone but I always try to make it the best Christmas for the kid. I’m hoping I can manage to swing it this year.. Fingers crossed.

My Thanksgiving baking plan...

2011-11-22T12:34:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to take today off so I could get everything done.. But the pile of stuff on my desk and the knowledge that I’d have at least 2 nasty notes on my desk on Monday morning if it was all still sitting there was motivation enough to just come in and get it done so it’s not hanging over my head.

The marshmallows are done, they just need to get stuck on sticks, dipped and sprinkled.

I’m going to get dough made tonight.. A whole LOT of dough so that tomorrow morning I can run and get some shopping done and then come home and bake like a fiend, lol.

I’ll be making a double batch of each of Italian Anis cookies, Chocolate Caramel Bars, Chocolate surprise cookies (which I’ll be filling with Nestle chocolate chips), and a batch of Original Nestle chocolate chip cookies since I never make any “normal” cookies according to one family member. Not sure if the pumpkin pie will be happening this year, but I’ll also be making a batch of apple pie tartlets since they’re easier to travel with and I can easily spread them across 3 cookie trays.

It’s going to be a LOT of baking and chances I’ll be up till midnight, but it’s all good just for the smiles on the faces of all my family and friends that are going to enjoy them.

and my holiday confection making has begun...

2011-11-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday in my marshmallow making frenzy I went and whipped the marshmallows a bit longer than I did the last time.. And it made a LOT of marshmallows.

boiling the sugar syrup to 240°f

adding the sugar syrup to the gelatin

about 3 minutes into the process

Marshmallow "batter"

I wound up making a 13X9 inch pan as well as an 8x8 with the remainder. After I poured most of the marshmallow “batter” into the 13x9 I went and stirred in about half a cup of frozen Nestle Toll House mini morsels into the marshmallow, gave it a good stir and spread it into the 8x8 pan. Most of the chips stayed intact.. A few melted resulting in a nice swirl effect. As you see here in the first picture.

They weren’t particularly big, which I’m glad for because they’re seriously sweet (but then again, I’m not a marshmallow fan, I make them purely for the enjoyment of others.

Most of the vanilla marshmallows will be put on lollipop sticks and dipped in chocolate, some will be stuck on top of the chocolate caramel bars and I’ll probably leave some as they are.

I have a plan in my head, but I fear I’m getting ahead of myself and taking tomorrow off work is starting to look like a better and better idea. I’m sure if I go and make some dough tonight and keep it in the fridge I’ll be able to work tomorrow and then just bake most of Wednesday. I just really need to find the motivation. Sleep eluded me last night, and I feel it rapidly catching up with me.

Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies & Baking with The Kid

2011-11-17T10:21:00.004-05:00

Baking is something I love to do. I grew up baking with my grandma and my kid has grown up baking with me. He’s not so little anymore (who am I kidding, he’s not little at all anymore unless he’s standing next to Shaq). It’s still something that he enjoys doing with me though. There’s nothing like the sweet satisfaction of a home baked goodie and the smiles that ensue while enjoying them.

Last week I got a Nestle baking kit from Foodbuzz and last night The Kid and I baked up some mini chocolate chip cookies using the Nestle Tollhouse Mini chocolate chip cookie dough. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 12 minutes and viola, cookies! No mess to clean up, no measuring, just take straight from the fridge to the oven and you’re all set.

I was pretty impressed with the way these mini cookies turned out, from solid little squares on the baking sheet into perfect little round cookies. Yum!

I'll really be getting my bake on this weekend to prepare for thanksgiving, because what's a holiday without fresh baked home made goodies? I will be posting pictures to this post later and more this weekend when the baking extravaganza in my kitchen begins :)

I Will be getting this dough again, to use for the bottom of a cookie crusted cheesecake or cheesecake bites (I'm not sure yet) and I'm considering flattening out an entire brick of this dough to fit into an 8x10 cake pan and topping with brownie batter! Yeahhhhhh! Yummy! There are so many things you can do with this dough. Whether it's the basic cookie, or you're looking to jazz it up, the possibilities are infinite just use your imagination!

Just be careful.. I like raw cookie dough as much as the next gal, but it's not safe to eat because of the raw eggs in the dough. I was surprised but you can't eat this stuff raw.. says it right on the package:

Bummer.. I baked just 6 cookies for myself and the kid though and it was just what I needed to shut that sweet tooth up ;)

With the assistance of coupons from Foodbuzz I also got 2 bags of Nestle Toll House Morsels. Since I'm going to be a baking fiend this weekend, some of those will go towards baking the ever popular Chocolate Caramel Bars

and coating the marshmallows my friend doesn't believe I can make... ya know, these:

and possibly making an attempt at stirring some mini chips into a batch of marshmallows before they set.

The possibilties in my head are endless and once I get myself to the grocery store and sit myself down with a list and a plan I'll know exactly what I'm going to be creating.. since on Thanksgiving I have 3 stops to make and a few people I want to send some goodies to also I have to be sure to make plenty :)