Rachael Raves

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Thu, 12 May 2016 02:20:00 +0000

It's no secret that I love sweets! One of my favorite desserts is bread pudding. Whenever I see it on the dessert menu at a restaurant, I just have to order it. I love it most when it's super moist on the inside and a little crunchy on the top. I'm pretty picky about my sauce too...I like it to be a little sweet, but I don't always love the overpowering rum sauce that lots of restaurants like to use. I was excited to try out this warm vanilla sauce recipe and it did not disappoint! It was just the right amount of sweet and super creamy.

For this recipe, I picked up a loaf of Jimmy John's day old bread. If you live near a Jimmy John's, you must swing by and pick up a loaf of day old bread...it's only $0.50 a loaf and it makes this bread pudding taste so good! If you don't have a sandwich shop nearby, pick up a loaf of Italian or French bread at the grocery store. It will still be super tasty.

I originally doubled the sauce recipe and we had quite a bit leftover. You should have just the right amount when made as directed below, but if you love sauce and want to make sure you have plenty, double the sauce recipe! I'm sure you can find something yummy to dunk into any leftover sauce you may have. The bread pudding is best served warm from the oven with the warm sauce drizzled over it, but it tastes totally amazing heated up the next day! Enjoy!

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Adapted From: Kitchen Joy

4 - 6 cups French bread, cut into cubes (I picked up a loaf of day old bread at Jimmy John's and it was perfect for this recipe)

2 cups milk

½ cup sugar

¼ cup butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

For the Vanilla Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add butter and heat over medium-low heat until butter has melted and milk is warm, but not boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and beaten eggs.

3. Pour egg mixture into the bowl of bread cubes. Stir the bread until all cubes have been coated with the egg mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until it is set in the center and the top is lightly golden.

5. To make the Vanilla Sauce, whisk together sugar, flour and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and heat until boiling, stirring often. Let simmer until the sauce has thickened for a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour warm sauce over bread pudding and enjoy!

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:39:00 +0000

This delicious cookie pie is a family favorite! Grab a glass of milk, you will need it for this tasty treat!

To make this cookie stand out from your standard cookie, I added caramel filled chocolate morsels. Have y'all seen the Nestle Delightfulls? They come in lots of fun flavors and I couldn't resist the Caramel Chocolate Combo. Those two are always a winner in my book. I found the Delightfulls at Target and I know they carry them at Walmart too. Give them a try if you haven't yet. They are delicious and add something extra special to your desserts! If you aren't able to find the Delightfulls, you can always substitute your favorite chocolate chips. It will be delicious too, I promise! I've made this recipe many times before with chocolate chips and it tastes just as yummy.

This cookie pie tastes great the next day too! I'm not sure that you'll have much left though once you try the first piece! Enjoy this tasty recipe and let me know how you like it in the comments below.

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Adapted from: Chocolate Treats

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter, melted, divided

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 package (9 ounce) Nestle Delightfulls Caramel Filled Chocolate Morsels

Hot fudge sauce

Vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup of melted butter and brown sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder; beat until well blended. Fold in chocolate morsels using a rubber spatula or spoon.

3. Place dough into prepared pie plate. Flatten and smooth the top and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. After removing the pie, brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top of the pie. Place pie plate on wire rack to cool.

4. To serve, cute pie into wedges and top with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

Have You Ever Heard of a Food Bus?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:29:00 +0000

So I was headed to a baby shower last weekend and made it across town a little early. I stopped into the nearest Target to pick up a few things I just had to get *as if the Target 5 minutes from my house didn't carry the exact same merchandise.* Once my shopping quest was complete, I decided to grab a quick bite. I was headed down the road looking for something tasty, when I spotted this!

Oh my, I had to do a quick double take as I passed by thinking my eyes were deceiving me. Yep, I had found one of Bernie's Burger Buses and I was actually going to get to try one. I have been telling C about this "food truck" for a while now, but we haven't been able to get to it together. I made the safest, quickest U-turn possible and got myself straight to that bus! The menu includes some really tasty sounding burgers, including one that has two patties sandwiched between two grilled cheese buns! What!?!? Awesome! I didn't get that one though, I opted for the Principle - your classic go-to when your taste buds are in overdrive from the delectable offerings. I decided to go no cheese, no onions, and no mustard. The Burger Bus was parked at Ooh La La Bakery, so while I waited for my burger order, I went inside to drool over the bakery displays. Cupcakes, pies, bars and more - serious deliciousness begging to go home with me! I mean look at this...pink lemonade cupcakes, tuxedo cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes and so much more. And the most amazing thing about these cupcakes was their size. These weren't you average size cakes, no, no, these were jumbo sized. More cupcake for me to eat! I didn't order any while I was there for lunch, but you bet I went back there after the shower before heading home!

After seeing all of the amazing cupcakes, my burger was ready. I could not wait to dive into this thing! Look at that beautiful buttered bun and that perfectly cooked patty peaking out from under it.

Yum! Toasted bun, veggies, and an oh so good burger patty!

This burger was so amazing from the top down! The top bun was coated in a tasty, super pasty ketchup with a hint of sweet. The meat was so tender and seasoned perfectly. Hiding under that tasty meat was a bed of lettuce and garlic roasted tomatoes! Every detail of this burger was perfect and melt in your mouth! And those garlic roasted tomatoes were so good.

I can say hands down this is one of the best burgers I've had...seriously! I can't wait to find the bus again and share the awesomeness with C! It's worth the time to seek out this bus...and they make it pretty easy for you. Check out the website daily to see if the bus is headed your way! Mmm...burger love!

Well, Well...Look Who's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Wow...two years exactly since my last post. Something is wrong with this. I love blogging, I truly do. I love sharing recipes and fun shopping finds, and I love reading comments from readers here. So why the long break? Good question, and I wish I had a good answer for that. Life got busy and I tried to wear too many hats at once. I couldn't juggle being a great wife, loving mommy, housekeeper extraordinaire, trying new recipes all the time blogger and run a work from home party business. I have realized how much I truly miss the baking and blogging (and shopping and scrap booking and blogging). I love to be in my kitchen experimenting and playing around with new ingredients. It brings me great joy. And so does sharing that with all of you on the other side of this screen. I've put a few of my hats aside and reevaluated my priorities. My hubby and sweet boys are top of that list, followed by my need to reconnect with my crafty, baking, fashion sharing side. So that's why I've decided (exactly two years to the date) to try again. {by the way, as much as I tried to lose the housekeeping hat, it didn't work! Someones got to do it, right!}
Don't get me wrong, I'm still juggling too many things and probably won't be able to post nearly as much as I like. C and I have added a new addition to our family. From here on out, he will be called "Little Dude." We love our sweet new guy to pieces! And he and Little Man get along so well! But let's just say that Little Dude is not a good sleeper...at all. He doesn't give Momma and Daddy a whole lot of down time and one of us is always holding him or laying right beside him while he sleeps. Totally not what we pictured for sleeping arrangements, but at least we are sleeping some. I tell you that because I don't get a lot of time in the kitchen these days. My time in there is generally spent throwing together a quick dinner and washing what feels like a million baby bottles! Anyone else know that feeling? But, I'm tired of missing out on sharing all the great recipes and cute things I find. I miss it, so that is why I'm going to try again...starting slowly and get this thing back up and running!
I can't wait to start sharing with you all! And help me remember that it's okay to switch to my crafty hat some days, okay!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:24:00 +0000

I've taken my favorite chocolate chip cookie and jazzed it up with some toffee bits! I love toffee and chocolate together, especially when it's in a cookie. I love a yummy cookie that you can just grab off the plate when you walk through the kitchen to do something, or even one that you just walk into the kitchen to get! You know it's a good cookie when that happens. These cookies last exactly 1.5 days at our house, if we are lucky! We just can't resist helping ourselves to one or maybe even ten when we walk by. This is a very simple chocolate chip cookie recipe that I use ALL the time. I used it here, when I made my M&M Christmas cookies, and you could do the same for any holiday. Just choose whatever colors you like and make it your own. Or add in toffee, or mint chips, or white chocolate chips, the combinations are endless!
Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (please use the real thing, it makes such a difference)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 (6 ounce package) chocolate chips (I usually throw in a few extra for good measure, and 99% of the time I use milk chocolate ones. You can't really have too chocolatety chocolate chip cookies can you?)
1/2 cup toffee bits

Cream butter, add sugar and beat on low until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits. Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough on a well greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Yields: 2-3 dozen depending on the size of your "teaspoonful" I tend to make bigger cookies, so I always end up with less that the "yield" amount!

As always, enjoy your delicious cookies with a big glass of milk! And make sure that you leave a plate of them out in the kitchen, you will be back for more!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 03:17:00 +0000

I'm in love with Mexican food. Not as much as C, no one can love Mexican food as much as him! Luckily for the both of us, I whipped up these tasty treats recently. The method is so easy and you end up with restaurant quality southwestern egg rolls in a jiffy! I've seen a lot of recipes for southwestern egg rolls recently, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make some myself. You should too, you will be so happy you did!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Adapted from: Kevin and Amanda, Picky Palate, and The Hungry Housewife

Olive Oil

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup diced onion

2/3 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup corn

1 cup cooked chicken

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon ranch seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 package egg roll wrappers (I usually use 10-12 per batch)

Vegetable Oil for frying

Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add diced pepper and onion and cook until soft, a few minutes. Add beans, corn, and chicken and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in ranch seasoning, cumin and cheddar. Heat 1" vegetable oil over medium heat for frying. Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each egg roll wrapper. Roll into an egg roll (directions are on the inside of the egg roll wrapper if you aren't sure exactly what to do...I had to refer to them a few times). Make sure that you seal the edges with a little brush of water! Once the oil is hot, place the egg rolls into the oil, cooking in small batches. Fry until golden brown - a couple of minutes - and then flip and finish frying. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool.

Yields: 10-12 egg rolls depending on how fat you stuff them. Serves 3 hungry people or 4 as an appetizer with sides. We are always the hungry people...

Alternate method:

If you are short on time and have cooked chicken on hand, you can do this instead. Omit the peppers and onions, and just stir together the beans, corn, chicken, cheese and seasonings. Fill the egg rolls and fry them up! This will cut your dinner making time down to nothing, but you can still serve a delicious meal. It might not be the healthiest meal I make, but it's good every once in a while! :)

We love these! I've made them a few times in the past month, and they are a hit either way I make them. Honestly, I completely forgot the peppers and onions the second time I made them and that's how the Alternate Method was born. The flavors are great, and I love the crispy outside of the egg roll! Really, you can throw together just about any combo of veggies and seasonings and stuff it in an egg roll. You can't go wrong with fried goodness! Serve them up with some sour cream, guacamole and a bean dip and you are good to go. For my bean dip, I took the extra black beans, heated them up and mashed them up. I added a spoonful of sour cream, some ranch seasoning and cumin and stirred it together. Yum, Yum! You'll want to make these very soon!

What's Cooking?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:51:00 +0000

Hello....is anyone still out there? I'm becoming a very lazy blogger these days! I've still been cooking up a storm and experimenting with new recipes, I just haven't taken the time to sit down at the computer and create a post! Life keeps me busy ~~sometimes~~ all the time! Even though I'm not bringing you a beautiful post with lots of pictures and new ideas, I thought I would share a few of the recipes I've been cooking up over the past few weeks. I try to plan our weekly meal plan on Mondays. That usually means I'm scouring the internet trying to find that one post I saw with the crispy stuffed eggrolls from a few months ago. I should really start bookmarking these things! :) Anyway, here's a few classics that we have tried. I know you will love them!
Sour Cream Noodle Bake from Pioneer Woman
{Um...delicious! It sounds quite weird and when you see the ingredients list, you may be a little skeptical. Don't be, take my word for it...it's great! (I sound a little like Tony the Tiger there) It's even better the second and third day!}
Chicken and Black Bean Grean Enchilada Bake from Picky Palate
{Yum! This has everything you need for a great southwestern dish. I was a little hesitant to make an "enchilada bake" that did not include tortillas, but you won't even notice. The flavors have just enough kick and the rice adds a nice, appetite pleasing touch. You will definitley have plenty for leftovers when you make this!}
Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas from Picky Palate
{Another great winner from the Picky Palate (can you tell I love her style of cooking). I should just pick 5 or 6 of her recipes every week and make them, but then that wouldn't be fair to the other wonderful blogs out there! Gotta mix it up a little! Thanks Jenny for creating such awesome recipes - she's coming out with a cookbook soon. I can't wait to get my hands on that! These are so simple, yet pack a lot of punch! I love the spinach and chicken combo mixed with a little salsa. I also love crisping up my corn tortillas until they have a nice crunch to them! Declared a keeper in our house! I've probably made this 4 or 5 times since I stumbled on the recipe a couple of months ago!}
Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake from Picky Palate (Who Else?)
{Are you sensing a southwestern theme in my baking lately? I am. C liked this, I wasn't as much a fan of the cresent rolls on top. Maybe I didn't cook it quite long enough to make it not soggy, but it wasn't my favorite. Don't get my wrong, I loved the filling underneath, just not the top layer. And that's probably my fault for being impatient and taking it out of the oven too soon. Sometimes that happens when you are trying to get dinner on the table by 6:30 to feed the masses!}
Cheeseburger Macaroni from Kevin and Amanda
{This little number is amazing! Don't be worried that it looks suspiciously like Hamburger Helper - it most definitely is not! I would never serve Hamburger Helper to my family (no offense to it or anyone who like it, it's just not my style) and I told C when he took the leftovers to work that he had to inform people that it was not Hamburger Helper! I think my favorite part of this dish is the cheesy sauce that you drizzle over the top of the meat and tomatoes. It's so creamy and thick, I kind of wanted to just dip my finger in it and eat it (I didn't though, I was good). And the addition of Rotel to the ground beef is fantastic. I {heart} Rotel, it has to be one of the best inventions out there. Mix it into anything and it livens it up!}
I have also been making Meatloaf Muffins and Mushroom Chicken a lot! Those are my go to meals when I can't seem to fill a week up with delicious, nutricious, new recipes. Mainly because I don't take the time to search through my cookbooks and bookmarked recipes! :)
So that's what's been cooking in my kitchen! Up on the docket for this week, we have:
~Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole from PW
~Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole from Picky Palate
~Southwestern Eggrolls inspired by Kevin and Amanda's Crispy Southwestern Wontons (I couldn't find the smaller wonton wrappers at the grocery, so I'm resorting to egg roll size, I know they are still going to be fantastic) I'm also thinking of whipping up some creamy guacamole to go with it, and maybe this creamy salsa too!
~Taco Soup that I have in the freezer
~Mushroom Chicken - I told you it's a staple here!
And just for fun, I might even make some of these treats {Salt River Bars}! Layers of crackers, caramel, and chocolate...yes please!

I'll let you know how the new recipes turn out! We have loved everything we have every tried from all three of these bloggers, so I know we will not be disappointed. Now that you know what we've been eating, what's on your menu planner this week? I'm always looking for new recipes, if you have one you just love, let me know! Happy Cooking!

Fresh Picked Strawberries!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:16:00 +0000

There's nothing like fresh picked strawberries! Look at those beautiful berries! We came home from the local farm with almost five pounds of strawberries...fresh picked by Little Man, C and I. Strawberry picking is so much fun. It's all about picking out the perfect berry...and we picked out a ton of them. With all these strawberries laying around, I had to get a little creative in how to use them before they spoiled. Besides just eating them straight from the bucket (which we have done our fair share of), I've also whipped up a few new strawberry creations for us to try. I'm a HUGE fan of the strawberry, it might be my favorite fruit! Any time I can scoop up fresh strawberries, I do...then I start the experiments! So far this week, I have made Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, Balsamic Strawberries and Strawberry Cupcakes! And I'm here to share all of the recipes with you today! It is most definitely your Lucky Day! :)

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring

Place strawberries in food processor and blend until smooth. In your ice cream canister, mix strawberries with remaining ingredients. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Freeze according to your ice cream mixer directions. **Obviously all ice cream makers are a little different. We have a Sunbeam Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt Maker that works just fine for us. Nothing fancy, makes just enough for a few days! It usually takes it about 18-25 minutes to mix and then you store it in the freezer for a few hours to harden. Oh, and this recipe came from the "users guide" for the machine!**

Fresh strawberry ice cream is my signal that summer is on the way. I can honestly say that I've had the ice cream mixer since before C and I got married (5 1/2 years ago) and didn't use it once until last summer. I found it stashed away in our kitchen cabinets and it has since become my new summer friend! This recipe is so fluffy and creamy, and just the right sweetness! Yum, whip some up the next time you see some really great strawberries!

Experiment #2: I will have to say that I was a little leery of this next recipe. I only sliced up about a cup of the strawberries just in case we didn't like the recipe. Well guess what, we did like them and wished I had made a few more. This recipe is so unconventional and not something I would ever think to make, but I'm in a creative mood and couldn't resist. Trust me, the ingredient list sounds very weird but you need to try these!

Balsamic Strawberries
Adapted from: Ina Garten
1 cup strawberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of fresh black pepper

Combine all ingredients and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour! That's it, so simple. So irresistibly delicious!

And for my GRAND FINALE!

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Sprinkles Recipe from Martha Stewart
For the Cupcakes:

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree; mix until just blended. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Yields: 12 delightful cupcakes

Oh me, oh my! I've made some really good cupcakes lately, but these take the cake! Seriously, pardon my terrible pun, but it's true! The fresh strawberries in this recipe are so light and fresh! They really make these cupcakes outstanding! I've never been a huge fan of fruit flavored cupcakes, but these little babies convinced me that fruit and cake can coexist peacefully. Can you see the strawberry flecks in the frosting? Pureeing these before mixing them in is the right thing to do. You get all the great flavor and the pretty color, but you don't have massive chunky frosting! These are quite possibly my new favorite cupcakes...at least until I find my next experiment! I have a feeling I'll be making a lot more of these. Especially if we keep picking strawberries five pounds at a time! :)

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:12:00 +0000

I'm back with a new recipe! I won't go into the details of why I haven't posted lately, let's just say that life can get a little hectic! I think I'm trying to balance quite a few things in my life right now and something had to give! I will have to say though, that during this time I have made a lot of progress on our 2010 family digital scrapbook...it's one of my goals to finish it before the summer! Between that, chasing Little Man every where, being sick, doing two Beth Moore Bible Studies at one time, my Thirty-One business, and basically keeping up with the house...I've been one busy momma! I have still taken the time to make nutritious, delicious food for my family so I thought I would spend a little time today sharing one with all of you! This one is from one of my favorite slow cooker cookbooks, it's called "Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook." I highly recommend it if you love your crock pot. I received it as a Christmas present while I was in college and use it so much that the pages are falling out of it! :) So let's get right to it!

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
6 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons chicken-flavored bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper *add this at the very end, if at all! Red Pepper Flakes have a tendency to get extra "flavorful" when stewing in a crockpot all day. Trust me on this one!

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients; stir well. Pour over chicken. Cover; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat and cook 4-5 hours until chicken is tender. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice!
So, I didn't realize until I started to post this how much I deviate from the recommended cooking times. Typically when I am using my crock pot, it's because I have a lot going on that day and don't have time to babysit dinner! So I rarely put something in for one hour and then change the temperature after that! For this recipe, I typically throw it all together and leave it on low for about 6-7 hours until it just falls apart! Also, I prefer to use all boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It seems a little healthier to me and I don't have to sift through dinner trying to make sure I remove all of the bones. Oh, and sometimes you can't find just the right can of tomatoes (the ones with just garlic), so if I can't I usually get anything that sounds Italian...basil, oregano, garlic..you get the idea!
This is a family favorite and depending on how many pounds of chicken you use, you can usually get a good couple of days worth of meals out of it. We usually pile it on top of some egg noodles and eat it with a big salad! Voila...dinner is done. Hope you enjoy it!

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:18:00 +0000

Hallelujah, I'm feeling well enough to start experimenting in the kitchen again! The first one out of the gate is a winner, winner! We found some really great poblano peppers at a local farm and I couldn't wait to get them cooking. I knew I wanted stuffed peppers, but I wasn't sure what to do. And then, as if someone was reading my mind, I was walking through the meat department at HEB and stumbled upon "Poblano, Cheddar, Chicken Sausage." What? That's exactly what I needed! How fitting. I have to be honest and say that I've never stuffed a pepper (except my bacon wrapped, cream cheese stuffed jalapenos, but that's a little different). I always saw photos in cookbooks with the bell pepper stuffed with rice and tomatoes and other various foods. To me they just weren't appetizing, but these bad boys changed my mind! So let's get started. You'll need the following:

Poblano Peppers, Your Favorite Rice, Chicken Sausage (I used the Poblano, Cheddar that I gushed about above, but you could do just about anything here), some cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Chipotle Southwest Seasoning. And that's it, nothing fancy here...just good, simple ingredients.
Start by cooking your rice according to the package directions. C and I bought a rice cooker over the holidays to speed up his sushi making process. I must say I always thought they were a useless, waste of counter/cabinet space appliance, but this little guy has changed my mind. I love being able to throw the rice in there and let it work it's magic. The one we have knows when the rice is done. Can you believe that, I can't! We've made many different types and they all come out perfect, how does it do that? Anyway, I made two servings of rice and I added a sprinkle (maybe a teaspoon full) of the Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning to the rice as it was cooking. While that was cooking, I removed the chicken sausage from it's casing and started cooking it in a skillet over medium-high heat. I find it easiest to break the sausage apart by using a potato masher, unconventional yes, but it works like a charm. Thanks for the tip Rachael Ray! Anyway, brown the sausage and then toss in the rice and about a cup full of cheddar! That's it, really it sounds so simple and it is. When you have a really great flavored sausage, you don't have to add much else to the mix. Here's the stuffing in all it's cheesy, gooey glory! Oh my...perfection!

While your stuffing is melting together, wash the peppers and slice a great big "T" in them. Scoop out the innards *why does that word make me laugh?*, leave a few seeds if you like it spicy! Oh, and don't touch your eyes after you touch the pepper insides, these little dudes are worse than jalapenos! Next, take a giant spoon and start stuffing the peppers. Don't worry if you make a mess, it adds to the dish! Here's what you'll have:

Make sure you stuff them to the top, you wouldn't want any of that stuffing to go to waste! If you have some rice and sausage mixture that won't stuff into the peppers, then by all means go at it with a spoon. I wish I had taken a picture of C and I with our faces over the pan, shoveling the leftover stuffing into our mouths as if we hadn't eaten all day! Yes, it was that good!

I tossed them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Long enough for the peppers to soften up, the stuffing to get a little crunchy on top and the skin of the pepper to char a little. After a little time in the oven, you're going to end up with this:

Look at it, it's so...what's the work I'm looking for? It's so ~~amazing~~, ~~fantastic~~, ~~wonderful~~, ~~superb~~, splendid...yes that's it! Can you see the charred skin and the crunchy stuffing top? Just looking at these pictures again makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook them up right now! I know I'm going on and on about these peppers, but I have to say it was a pretty brilliant creation! It's a Rachael Raves original, I can't say that about too many of my posts, YET! Serve it up with some corn on the side, if you must! We did that so that Little Man would eat more (we mixed the stuffing and the corn together for him, tricky, tricky)!

I'm already scheming other pepper/stuffing combos. After all, this is just a method and you can do just about whatever floats your boat, within reason of course. Be sure to check out the pre-flavored sausages at your local store, they really are great. You could even do a beef mixture, or a pork, or...anyway you get the idea. Or you could make it just like I did and stick with perfection! I kid...I'm not perfect, nor or my experiments, but I am very proud of this one if you couldn't tell!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Where have I been? I wish I knew...I feel like the first part of this year has just flown by. Between the strep throat/restricted airways incident in January and the flu outbreak a few weeks ago, I just can't seem to stay healthy! Things are changing soon, I can feel it! C and I have made a plan to ease back into working out and eating healthier. I know that not all of my flu and strep throat is related to these things, but it can't hurt right? Anyway, before we get into the full swing of "healthier eating," I thought I would share a family "not so healthy" favorite! It's chicken coated in pretzels then smothered in a cheesy mustard sauce, what's not to love?

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cheddar Mustard Sauce
from: Rachael Ray

4 quart-size plastic food storage bags

4 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 5-ounce bag of salted pretzels, any shape

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3/4 pound, about 2 1/2 cups, sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, a generous handful, chopped

1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large sour dill pickle, finely chopped

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat a large non-stick skillet with a 1/4-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle a little water into four medium food storage baggies. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out excess air. Use the bottom of a heavy pot or pan and pound each breast until flat, just shy of busting out of the bag. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the thyme and some salt and pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water. One at a time, coat each chicken breast in the egg and then the ground pretzels.

Add the pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil. Cook in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.
While the chicken is frying, in a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook flour and butter for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken breast to a serving plate, drizzle with the mustard cheddar sauce, then sprinkle with a little parsley, finely chopped onion and sour dill pickle. Serve lemon wedges alongside.

My notes on the recipe: I omit the lemon wedges, the onion and the dill pickle. I'm not a fan of garnishes on top of my dishes, it just doesn't float my boat! I love having the crunchy pretzel coating surrounding the super moist chicken! And the cheesy mustard sauce is really good. It does make way too much though, so I try to halve the recipe when I remember. I like this dish, it's not one of C's favorites though. He doesn't care for the mustard in the cheesy sauce, to each his own.

It has been SOOOOOO long since I have blogged, I almost feel like I forgot how! :) I promise that this blog is going back on my high priority list. For the last few weeks the only things on that list have been laying on the couch, drinking Gatorade and trying not to cough up a lung! I've got so many things to catch up on, but I promise there will be more posts!

Let the cooking experiments commence. I added Peanut Butter Extract to my pantry today, now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with it! :) Suggestions? C already claimed it for buttercream icing...what else? Stay tuned, I know it's going to be fantastic!

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sliders

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:11:00 +0000

So I'm apparently having a slider addiction. I can't keep myself away from these delicious little burgers! They are so stinkin' cute and who doesn't love a miniature version of a classic? Ever since I first made the Beefy Onion Sliders, I've been scheming new slider recipes in my head! I've come up with one that I think is going to be a hit. It starts out with a spicy ranch dip, mixes in a little chicken and bacon and finishes up with some ripe sliced avocado on top. What's not to love? Time to get started... This recipe requires a little prep time if you want to add in the spicy ranch dip (which you totally will). I made the dip around lunch time and let it work it's magic in the refrigerator until I was ready for it at dinner. For the dip you will need the following:

Jalapeno Ranch Dip
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
1 jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on how much heat you want your dip to have)
1/2 cup Salsa Verde (I use Herdez brand)
a dash of cayenne pepper

Slice and dice the jalapeno. Mix all of the ingredients together and thoroughly mix. Refrigerator until ready to use...this gets better the longer you let it sit in the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to make your sliders, you will need the following:

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
1 pound ground chicken
4 slices of bacon,
1/4 cup Jalapeno Ranch Dip (see above) plus some for spreading on the slider buns
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheese
1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
sliced avocado.
Oh, and you need slider buns. Oops...left those out of the photo!

Start by cooking your bacon using your favorite method. I prefer to do it in the oven, but when I'm in a hurry I try to do it on the stove top. Oh, and if you do it this way, make sure you pay attention to your bacon. Don't try to take ingredient photos when you should be cooking your bacon; otherwise, you might end up with this:

a sad, sad sight. Inedible, overcooked bacon. I almost cried when I had to throw these pieces away. I did try to eat them, but they were too cooked! While your bacon (perhaps your 2nd batch) is cooking, start cooking your ground chicken in a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle it with about a teaspoon of the ranch seasoning. Once cooked, add in your diced up bacon, 1/4 cup of the Jalapeno Ranch dip, and the cheese. It will start to look like this:

as C describes it, "A little like scrambled eggs!" Thanks honey! That doesn't make it seem at all appetizing, but it really is. While the cheese is melting, slice the slider buns and spread a little Jalapeno Ranch dip on each side. Evenly distribute the chicken mixture on your sliders and then top with a nice slice of avocado (you could spread some guacamole on top if you prefer, that would be delicious too). Once all steps are complete, you should have something that looks like this!

Toss them in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, just long enough to heat the bread and get it a little crispy around the edges. Serve them up with chips and the extra Jalapeno Ranch dip! Just like this!

Mmm, mmm! This was quite the delicious experiment! This is just what you need on a night when you have to throw something together faster than the speed of light. Even if you don't have time to make the Jalapeno dip, you could always substitute your favorite ranch dressing! I'm loving the mini burger - I'm dreaming up a few others, stay tuned!

Beefy Onion Sliders

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe it is already the 16th and I've only had one blog post in all of January. And it wasn't even a fun one...it was about me being sick! Yuck! I can now say that I am feeling much better and glad to be back in the swing of things. It seems like the first half of the month just ran me over this year. Between being sick and catching up from the awesomeness of December, I don't know where the last few weeks have gone. I've been busy, I've been cooking and cleaning and doing my normal things, but it seems like there aren't 24 hours in a day anymore. Maybe I'm doing too much? Nah...
I'm back with my first recipe post of the new year...and it's a good one. So good that I've already made it twice this month! When we were up in Tennessee visiting family for the holidays, C's Aunt made these yummy sliders for lunch. I didn't get the recipe from her, I just watched her throw things in the pan and committed it to memory. Luckily, there aren't that many ingredients so I was able to remember everything! I love the taste of this little burgers. And isn't there just something about eating a little burger? You don't feel guilty for having more than you should because they are so tiny and petite, right? Let's get to it!
Here's your cast of characters: one pound ground beef, Lipton Beefy Onion Mix, Mayo, Cheddar and Slider Rolls. (Not pictured because I forgot to buy them: Dill Pickle Slices, oops)

Begin by browning your ground beef. Once the meat is browned, stir in your beefy onion mix, a generous spoonful (yes that's the accurate measurement), and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Let this all melt together until it looks like this:

Slice the rolls and place them on a cookie sheet. Divide the beef mixture evenly among the rolls. The package I buy has 12 rolls, I usually end up with some extra beef mixture. I usually eat this when no one is watching, it's quite delicious. Next, place 2-3 pickle slices on each roll. Imagine they are in the photos that follow. Toss the rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes. That's just long enough to warm the rolls and let them get a little toasty around the edges. Don't leave them in their too long, you'll regret it! Mmm....yum!

Serve them up with chips or mashed potatoes for a yummy, super quick lunch or dinner. Did I say how much I love these little sliders? I'm scheming up other recipes because I love them so much! I'm thinking chicken, bacon, ranch. Anyone with me on that? I thought so!

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Posts?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Let me start by saying - I feel so behind! I don't know where this week or last week have gone, but they are gone! Add to that the fact that I feel a little under the weather and it makes for an unmotivated me! :) I will try to catch back up! I promise I haven't deserted this blog, and I have lots of good things in store for the new year! I'm telling you 2011 is starting out a little rough for me. With sickness comes a lack of motivation (at least for me)...and even though I still have the same amount of time in each day, I'm feeling like my days are a little shorter. I blame this cough I can't get rid of that is keeping me up at night! So, I'm slowly working on catching up....bear with me as I work on it! :)
This blog is very important to me, as are you my readers! I've got so many ideas running around in my head, a few posts I've started on, and lots of delicious pictures to share! Once I shake this evil cough, I'll be back to my regularly scheduled programming! Until then, stay healthy!

Caramel Soaked French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:48:00 +0000

I have a great brunch recipe for you today. I made this as our Christmas breakfast and as always it was a hit! I love the crispy, crunchy french toast top with the caramel soaked, oh so delicious ooey-gooey bottom. You've got to see this for yourself to believe how fantastic it is! This would be a perfect addition to a New Year's Day brunch! I don't make this very often because it makes so much, but when I do I want to make it over and over again! I must admit that the leftovers are really tasty the next day. They loose their crunchiness, but not their caramel gooeyness! :) Little Man kept wanting more french toast both times that we ate it! He couldn't get enough of it either! Make it one of your New Year's resolutions to make this for breakfast, it's one resolution that you can keep!
Caramel-Soaked French Toast
from: Southern Living: Our Best Five-Star Recipes

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
10 slices French bread (~1 3/4" thick)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups milk or half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Pour syrup mixture evenly into a lightly greased 13x9" pan. Arrange bread slices over syrup.
2. Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients; stir well. Gradually pour mixture over bread slices. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
3. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; stir well. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the bread. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately. Makes 10 servings.
Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be a great year!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 19:09:00 +0000

From our family to yours - we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the reason for the season be on your hearts today, tomorrow and throughout the New Year!

Love,

Rachael, C and Little Man

Rachael Ray's Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It comes together so quickly and has such a wonderful flavor - like you have been slaving all day to make it! I'm a big fan of Rachael Ray and this was one of the first recipes that I tried. I was hooked, and I've been making at least once a month since then. Don't let the Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce deter you from making this wonderful dish. The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice hint of something different, it's not over the top. And the wild mushrooms aren't very wild at our house, I usually end up just using baby portobellos or white mushrooms. I used to make a dish with Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup, but this has since replaced it! Here's what you need:

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

adapted from: Rachael Ray

Salt

1/2 pound orzo pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Pepper

2 tablespoons butter

12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

12 white mushrooms, sliced

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To cook: Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Delicious! Just a few notes, I usually use one type of mushroom (whatever looks good the day I'm at the store), I rarely use fresh herbs in this recipe, and I don't add the parsley at the end. It tastes great even with my modifications - I'm sure it tastes better her way, but I just don't buy fresh herbs very often! What can I say? Spices in a jar are so much easier!

I hope you guys are ready for Christmas. I know I am! I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Brownie Covered Oreos and Sugared Up Sugar Cookies - Final Week of 12 Weeks of Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Can you believe that we are at Week 12 already? I can't, it seems like just a few days ago I stumbled upon this wonderful cookie linkup. I'm so thankful that I happened upon it on Baked Bree's blog, and I'm so thankful to Abby Sweets for putting it together. I hope that you guys have found some great recipes to share with your friends and family, I know that I have! Since I'm working on my Christmas cookie trays a week early, I decided to go with two new recipes this week, I couldn't pick just one!

I decided to make Brownie Covered Oreos and Sugared Up Sugar Cookies. I found the delicious Brownie treats at Picky-Palate last week. How can you go wrong with an Oreo dunked in brownie batter. I'll answer that for you, you can't! :) My sugared up sugar cookies were suppose to be more of a snickerdoodle cookie, but I goofed on the cinnamon and didn't get enough on the cookies! Isn't it funny that when you mess up a recipe, you sometimes create something better than you were intending to make? Sometimes, other times you get a gigantic cookie mess! Here are the recipes:
Brownie Covered Oreos
from: Picky Palate
1 Brownie mix
1 package Oreos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Leave in mixing bowl. Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of a muffin pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan). Let cool for 5 minutes, remove and EAT! Enjoy! Makes entire package of Oreos

My first batch turned out more cake looking then cookie looking. I discovered on my second batch that you don't want a whole lot of brownie batter around the cookie, it's best to shake some off before you put it in the pan. It makes it more cookie like, less muffin/little cake like! To us these tasted best when cooled off, if you can wait that long!

Sugared Up Sugar Cookies
1 package Sugar Cooke Mix
Granulated Sugar
Cinnamon
Red and Green Sugar Crystal Sprinkles

Prepare cookie mix according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, red and green sugar sprinkles and cinnamon (create your own proportions, use more cinnamon if you want it to be more snickerdoodle like, or leave it out if you want just sugar cookies). Cook according to package directions! Deliciously crispy and fantastic! I know it's not really a recipe, it's a package with sprinkles and cinnamon...sorry! Just wanted to share though, because I thought they turned out really great. And I love rolling the cookies in the colored sugar crystals rather than just sprinkling them on top - you get sprinkles on the top and bottom of the cookie and the sides! :)

Thanks for joining us along this 12 week journey. I've discovered some really great blogs along the way and I can't wait to see what every one has in store for the new year! Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. May the Joy and Hope of Christmas remain in your heart throughout the coming year!

Week 12 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Christmas Lights and Bokeh

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 20:45:00 +0000

Bokeh, eh? I'm ashamed to admit that I wasn't sure what this was the first time I saw it. I knew it had something to do with photography and getting a good picture, but I had to go look it up! Kevin and Amanda had a fun idea to take some pictures in front of the tree and see how you can change up your bokeh. Your bokeh is the amount of blurriness behind your subject and is really fun to play with when you have Christmas lights in the background.
I have very limited photography skills. I use a Kodak EasyShare Z915. It's a point and shoot camera, but it also has the ability to go into manual mode and play with the settings. I thought it would be a good introductory camera to try to figure out "Manual Mode," ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed and all those other terms I'm still learning. I love my camera and love that I have the ability to adjust my settings. I play around with it all the time. Usually on my blog posts you see the one photo that I think looks decent, what you don't see is the 20 others I take to find one decent one! :)
After seeing K&A's fantastic cupcake and Christmas tree photos, I decided to play around a little bit. I did this one evening when C got home from work and Little Man was chasing him around. So I had about 5 minutes to play with it before we were headed out the door! I'm definitely going to experiment more, but this was fun for a first try. I've included my camera settings for each photo below it.

f/3.8

1/5 sec.

ISO-800

f/6.8

1/2 sec.

ISO-1600

f/3.8

1/5 sec.

ISO-1600

So in about 5 minutes, I manage to play around with the camera and test out my settings. Personally, I like the first one. I think the angel stands out pretty well and the lights in the background look nice and twinkly. Which one is your favorite?

You can find some other really great holiday photos here:

Kevin and Amanda - bokeh post

Kevin and Amanda - Christmas tree bokeh tutorial

The Pioneer Woman - bokeh photo gallery (there are some really amazing photos here, check them out if you have the time) You will be inspired!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Week 11 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:06:00 +0000

I've decided to go with a classic this week - Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've been making this exact recipe for quite a while now. I remember in college I had a Monday evening class, and I would always make a batch of these cookies to take with me. My friends and I would sit in the back row eating these cookies and doing crossword puzzles. Needless to say, we didn't get a whole lot out of the class. One thing that I did learn is that everyone loves these cookies! To give the cookies a Christmas look I added some red and green M&M's to the mix - so festive!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
from: Chocolate Fantasies by Southern Living
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup or more colorful M&M's

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating at low speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate morsels and M&M's. Using a cookie scoop, drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet; transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Yields: 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies

I love this cookie. It's my favorite go-to cookie when I'm in a pinch. I always have the ingredients on hand to quickly throw some in the oven. I made this cookie a lot in college - especially when I was having a rough day. Make some today and share them with a friend, you'll brighten their day! :)

Week 11 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Chicken Enchiladas

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:54:00 +0000

We love Mexican food in our house. I think C would choose it everyday if I was game for that. I'm not though, but I do love it every now and then. One of my favorite weeknight meals is Chicken Enchiladas. A friend gave me this recipe a few years ago. I've adapted it a little and been making it ever since. It has very few ingredients, but those few ingredients pack a nice punch. I used to make this with pre-cooked fajita chicken strips, but now that I've had my Chicken *WOW* Moment I will only be using chicken cooked in a crockpot. If you don't have time to cook the whole chicken, feel free to substitute pre-cooked strips or cooked chicken breast.
Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 package cream cheese, (8 oz.)
Tortillas
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 package Monterrey Jack cheese (10 oz.)

Heat the chicken and cream cheese thoroughly. In an 11x7x1/2 inch pan, pour enough green enchilada sauce to lightly cover the bottom. (Do you like my obscure pan size? I have no clue where that pan came from, I just know it's great for enchiladas. If you don't have that size, which I'm guessing most people wouldn't, use whatever you have.) Place approximately 1/3 of a cup of cream cheese/chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place the tortilla seam side down, repeating until you fill the pan, run out of tortillas, run out of chicken, or just get tired of rolling. ;) Cover the enchiladas with the remaining green sauce and the Monterrey Jack cheese. Make sure you cover the ends of the tortillas with sauce so they don't get too crunchy and dried out. Unless you like crunchy ends of tortillas, some people in our house don't so we cover everything with sauce. Cook them for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Serve them piping hot with a nice Spanish style rice, some refried black beans and some guacamole that you whipped up while the enchiladas were cooking. Enjoy! I usually get eight enchiladas out of the recipe. The last ones that I roll are significantly larger than the first ones. Once I see I'm running out of space in the pan, those last ones get a lot of chicken and cream cheese stuffed in them. I mark the larger ones with a toothpick and serve them up to C. :) I'm not exact when it comes to cooking and I like it that way!

My Chicken WOW Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:30:00 +0000

So I mentioned last weekend that I was *thinking* about cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot. There is one thing that you need to know about me before you read this...I can't stand raw chicken. I despise handling raw chicken. I've mustered up the courage to cut it into pieces for dinners, but it still makes me a little squeamish to handle. I know it's weird. As much as I love to cook, I should be over this irrational fear of raw chicken, but I'm not. Whew, that feels better. Back to our regularly scheduled post...
So I finally did it, I cooked a chicken in the crockpot! Yay me! I started by unwrapping the bad boy, hoping that the insides would be nicely packaged in a bag to pull out. Nope wrong, I had to fish them out myself. Nothing like doing that before you eat breakfast, gross! So after being grossed out enough for one week, I rinsed the chicken and put it in the crockpot. I seasoned it up with a generous amount of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. I know you have all seen the HV Ranch packets, but did you know that you can buy it in a shaker to sprinkle on everything. Yes, I mean everything. I found this tasty tidbit over at the Picky Palate and have used it multiple times already. Run out and buy it today. By the way, I am loving the recipes I'm finding there! Stop by and check them out. Back to the chicken (I'm definitely diverting today, sorry about that). I let it cook for 8 hours on low and by the time hour seven rolled around you could see the chicken falling away from the bone. Yum, Yum!
Next I de-boned the chicken. This is not a fun task either. Make sure that you have plenty of time to devote to sorting chicken from bones. These little chickens have what seem like a thousand bones. It's something you definitely want to spend time on, especially if you have Little Ones who will be eating it. So I'm making cooking a chicken sound like a horrific task, right? Yes, but now it's time for the *WOW* moment. Ready?
The moment we sunk our teeth into that chicken, we knew we would never go back to frozen, pre-cooked or any other forms of chicken. This chicken was out of this world tender and had the most amazing flavor. I can't say it enough, the best chicken ever. This makes so much chicken, I had enough to make the following:
Chicken Enchiladas (recipe to come soon) - this chicken made a world of difference in the taste of my go-to Enchilada recipe. C and I took our first bite and we were sold on the chicken. Our enchiladas will never be the same!
Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas - a Picky Palate find that I am now in love with. It was Soooo good! What little leftovers I had, I put on top of a spinach salad the next day - oh my!
Cajun Chicken Pasta - Pioneer Woman Style. Very tasty, not as good looking as PW's though. She has mad skills though, and I sadly do not. I'm working on them! :)
Chicken and Artichoke and Garlic Cream Pasta - a tasty concoction that I threw together using a Nutcracker Market find. It's an Artichoke and Garlic Cream sauce. I tossed it with a can of chopped artichoke hearts, a little chicken and some thin spaghetti. I'm working on recreating this cream sauce, it's on my massive to-do list. Maybe in January I'll cross that off my list!
That's more chicken dinners than we normally eat in a week. I usually try to have a nice variety of beef, seafood or chicken. I wanted to give this a try and see how it worked out though. Next time I'll plan to make a couple of chicken dinners and freeze the rest for future dinners.
So all my squeamishness and being grossed out by the chicken in the beginning was totally worth the results. Something that had me so intimidated in the kitchen turned out to be something great! I'm sure I'll have a whole chicken on my grocery list at least twice a month now. Hopefully I've encouraged you to get in the kitchen and try something that makes you nervous! What intimidates you the most in the kitchen?

Andes Mint Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:38:00 +0000

I'm in love! Yes it's true! I'm in love with this new cupcake that was just concocted in my kitchen. Do you know what I'm even more in love with? My sweet hubby...I made this delightful treat to celebrate the big 3-0 today! On the count of three everyone saw "Ahhh, that's so sweet!" One, Two, Three! Or just make a yucky face at the computer if you don't think it's sweet!

So there's no hiding the fact that Andes Mints are high up on my list of holiday treats. Haven't noticed? Check these out...Andes Mint Cake Balls and Creme de Menthe Truffles. Seeing how popular the Andes Mint Cake Balls are, I just knew I had to experiment in cupcake form. Generally I wouldn't use a boxed cake mix, I would use this recipe; but today I didn't have the time to whip up a from scratch batch. It's okay to use a boxed mix when you need too, they have perfected some of those mixes so why not take advantage of it? I chose the Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Fudge for this cupcake. I knew that I wanted something extra decadent and rich, and it seemed like the perfect match. I let the cupcakes bake according to the package directions, let them cool for a bit and then whipped up a Mint Buttercream Frosting. Oh.my.goodness! I could prepare a batch of this and eat it like ice cream, it is that good people. I almost didn't want to put it on my cupcakes, I almost sat down in front of the tv with a bowl and spoon. Okay, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration. That might be even a little too sweet for me! :) After piping on the frosting, I adorned the cupcakes with Andes Mint baking chips, just to give it a little something! One bite of these tasty treats and you will be dancing for joy. Just make sure no one is watching, okay?

Mint Buttercream Frosting
Generously frosts 12, meagerly frosts about 18-20
Double the recipe if you are a frosting gal
Recipe adapted from:Chocylit
1 stick of butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pure mint extract
3-4 drops green food coloring
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, milk, mint extract and food coloring until nice and creamy. Frosting will be thick enough to pipe using this recipe!

Happy Birthday C! Another decade down, many more fantastic ones to come!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies - Week 10 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:26:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you like chocolate and peanut butter. That's what I thought, most of you do! I was lurking around Pioneer Woman's site in honor of cookie week and happened upon these delights. They are a creamy, oh so delicious peanut butter filling sandwiched between two chocolate cookies. What's not to love?

The cookies are so quick to make, they take a little help from a box of cake mix. The cook time for the cookies is only 10 minutes and the filling comes together in a snap. If you are looking for a tasty treat to make at the last minute, add these to your list!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
from: The Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients:
COOKIE:
2 Eggs
½ cup Vegetable Oil
¼ cup All-purpose Flour
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
Filling:
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
¾ cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2-½ cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk

For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly whisk eggs and oil in a medium bowl. Mix in flour and cake mix until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the filling:
In a bowl cream together cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla. Add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add in milk a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Spread about 2 Tablespoons of frosting onto the bottom of one cookie and then place another cookie on top. Repeat with remaining cookies. Enjoy!

The next time that I make these (oh there will so be a next time, maybe as soon as this batch is gone and maybe with a mint filling), I will flatten the cookies a little before they go in the oven. I like to use a cookie scoop, but sometimes cookies retain too much of that ball shape and don't flatten out. That happened here, so my sandwich cookies looked a little more round than they should have. They still tasted great though and that counts for something.
The recipe says it makes 16 servings, but we all know that I never get that many. I was able to get about 14 sandwiches and a lot of leftover filling. I'm thinking of making a batch of brownies and putting the filling on top and then a layer of melted chocolate over that. Does that sound fantastic or what? Stay tuned for that experiment!
Oh and make sure you have a big glass of milk nearby, these cookies require it!

Can you believe we only have two more weeks of cookie posts? That means Christmas is right around the corner, hooray!

Week 10 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Good Intentions...

noreply@blogger.com (Rachael) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:01:00 +0000

It's shaping up to be a sloppy joe kind of night! I had intentions of cooking my first whole chicken in the crock pot and then using the meat for enchiladas tonight and other dishes throughout the week. Waking up later than usually, rushing out the door as always and forgetting to put a chicken in the crock pot may make that a little difficult don't you think? Good thing I'm prepared with my trusty can of Manwich...*everyone cringe* and hamburger buns! I like Manwich every now and then...please don't stop liking me! :)

Maybe I'll get that chicken cooked tomorrow and bring you a delicious Enchilada Recipe to go with it...just maybe!

Rachael Raves

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Have You Ever Heard of a Food Bus?

Well, Well...Look Who's Back!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Southwestern Egg Rolls

What's Cooking?

Fresh Picked Strawberries!

Saucy Drumsticks and Thighs

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sliders

Beefy Onion Sliders

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Posts?

Caramel Soaked French Toast

Merry Christmas

Rachael Ray's Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

Brownie Covered Oreos and Sugared Up Sugar Cookies - Final Week of 12 Weeks of Cookies!

Christmas Lights and Bokeh

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Week 11 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Chicken Enchiladas

My Chicken *WOW* Moment

Andes Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies - Week 10 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Good Intentions...

My Chicken WOW Moment