Sprinkled with Flour

Chicken Mango Tacos - Culinary Covers

2013-05-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Just a couple more weeks and summer will officially be here.Well okay, I believe "officially" it's starts in June...but I always see Memorial Day weekend as the kickoff to the summer festivities.

Don't you?

Pull out your bbq grill, sharpen your knives (for all that fresh fruit and veggie chopping of course!) and get ready to enjoy to a summer full of delicious recipes perfect for summer entertaining.

I've got a great one to start out with today - Chicken-Mango Tacos. These tacos are super easy to whip up, taste great, and they're full of good for you vitamins from the fresh mango and avocado.

I shared these tacos in my contributing post to Culinary Covers today, so why don't you head on over there and grab the recipe. Stop and say hi while you're at it!

Enjoy!

Caramel Pie - Culinary Covers Contributor

2013-04-25T07:56:00.000-05:00

I've got a super delicious post to share with you today, and I'm also excited to share a new project I'm participating in. I'm sure you're familiar with the talented Lori Lange of Recipe Girl, well, she's created a new site called Culinary Covers that features the cover recipes of all those deliciously amazing magazines you drool over as you check out with your groceries.

I'm exited to be part of a group of a great group contributors that Lori as put together, and spending my time cooking and reviewing recipes? Yes please! For my first post, I decided to review the cover recipe for Louisiana Cookin's: Cajun & Creole Cookin' May/June issue. What's the tasty concoction you say?

Try this fabulous Caramel Pie!

To read my full review and get the recipe, head on over to Culinary Covers and say hi!

Amber

Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2013-03-22T14:38:00.003-05:00

Do you like barbeque? How about pulled chicken sandwiches? How about easy slow cooker recipes?

Oh you do?

Well then, pull up a chair, get comfy, and be prepared to drool - because amazing barbeque is about to happen.

Barbeque and pulled chicken are two of my favorite things, and when you put them together you get one awesomely delicious meal. In my humble opinion at least.

I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Tasty Kitchen and knew it was going on my menu plan - STAT. The chicken is slow simmered in a spicy sweet barbecue sauce that has a great kick from peach preserves. I loved the peach flavor and ate copious amounts of the chicken by itself while I was shredding it. I also used my Amazing Barbeque Sauce - I like to call it Awesome Sauce, but you can use any kind that floats your boat.

So we've established the chicken is good. Now add a heaping of your favorite coleslaw, and a few healthy slices of fresh avocado, and you have yourself one really delicious sandwich.

For the recipe head on over the the Tasty Kitchen blog where you can check out my full step-by-step post and grab the printable recipe too!

Strawberry Avocado Gorgonzola Salad

2013-03-21T07:58:00.000-05:00

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I have to confess, I've been gorging myself on some pretty indulgent food lately. Sometimes you just need a plate (or two) of some good homemade comfort food.

But when your pants start getting a teeeny bit snug, it's a sign that maybe you need a break from those delicious calories. For me, a good crunchy salad is the first thing I turn to when I need to jump off the jiggly thigh train. The only problem is my salads tend to get boring. I don't keep exciting salad fixings in my fridge on a regular basis, but this time I was lucky to have picked up a few extra goodies at the store. I eyed some strawberries, a package of gorgonzola cheese left over from my Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing, some bacon, and a bundle of fresh avocados.

It all sounded good to me - so in it all went! I added some grilled chicken and a bit of chopped pecans for texture - gotta have texture. This salad was really good and hit the spot. If you wanted to trim off some extra calories you could forego the bacon, but I love my bacon. Next time you want to liven up your salad, try this one out. Enjoy!

Amber

Strawberry Avocado 

& Gorgonzola Salad

Yield: 1 salad Printable Recipe

2 cups leafy greens

1/2 cup grilled chicken, sliced

1/2 avocado, sliced

2 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/8 cup chopped pecans

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing to garnish, as desired

Directions:

Wash greens and drain. Slice your grilled chicken, avocado and strawberries. Cook bacon until crisp, drain grease and crumble or chop bacon into pieces. Fill your bowl or plate with your greens, top with sliced chicken, avocado, crumbled bacon and sliced strawberries. Sprinkle the crumbled gorgonzola cheese and pecans on top. Drizzle on some homemade Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing if desired, but this salad is just as good on its own. Grab a fork and dig in!

You can grab the recipe for the dressing in my Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing post.

Blueberry Kuchen

2013-03-11T09:38:00.001-05:00

It's raining here today, AND snowing, at the same time. I love rain - call me crazy, and I love the snow, but the two together make for a very gross combination. Dirty slush is no fun to get out in, so that's why I'm staying in today - with a slice of this breakfast treat.

Blueberries. Check. Amazingly good crumbly topping. Check. No kid or husband around to see me finish off the entire pan. Check.

A good coffee cake and cup of hot tea or coffee is the perfect answer to dark, dreary days like today. This Blueberry Kuchen is another delicious recipe from Tasty Kitchen, submitted by TK member Deborah. I had to stop myself from eating the crumb topping by itself when creating the step-by-step post. The topping is kinda crucial to this cake. Are you hungry yet?

Head on over to the Tasty Kitchen blog to read my full post and grab the printable recipe while you're at it. Enjoy!

Amber

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Chunky Twix Cookies: Before & After

2013-03-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

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I think it's time for another before and after post, don't you? If you missed my last one and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about, you can read about it in my Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread: Before & After post.

In a nutshell, I'm slowly updating my older posts with newer, improved photos - and adding a critique of my older photos rather than just deleting them willy nilly.

While I'd love to banish them to the dark recesses of my computer's recycle bin forever, I thought it more helpful to share them and add the tips I've learned along the way. Today I chose one of my most popular recipes, my Chunky Twix Cookies. I don't use the term "The Best" very often, but these cookies really are the best cookies I've made to date. They've made it around the blogging world quite a bit, and are highly coveted by my family. Since these are my best cookies, I thought they deserved a better photo. Now let's trash my photo! :)

Here is the Before:

1. Too Busy:

When I first started trying to improve my food photography, I decided to jump on the bandwagon with everyone else, and tried to do what everyone else was doing. This led me to Michael's to stock up with all kinds of patterned papers to act as "backdrops" to my recipes. A few bucks poorer, a few years wiser, and I learned that SIMPLE is better.

What makes a striking photo? Usually an image that has a single theme or idea, with clutter kept to a minimum makes for the best photo. Successful photos rely on elements of composition: line, shape, form, texture, pattern, and color. Every photo whether intentional or not, contains one or more of these elements.

In this image, the patterned paper clashes with the patterned plate and the deeply textured cookies. There's also too much color going on. When composing an image, try to keep the colors to 3 or less. More than that and your picture can become distracting. There's just too much going on in this picture and it stresses the eye out trying to decide what to focus on.

2. Awkward Focus Spot:

When choosing where to focus on your food, it's best to focus on the area that is closest to you, this is especially true when you're using a large aperture (small number) because your depth of field (the area that is in focus) will be shallow. In this image you can see I placed my focus point near the center of the image, rather than the area of cookie closest to me. This makes the front of the food out of focus, which doesn't work in this image.

The way the plate is angled, the out of focus part of the cookie is the center of attention, and where your eye naturally wants to fall. For this reason, I should have set my focus point to the closest area of cookie, or stopped down my aperture setting so more of the cookies were in focus.

3. Composition Too Tight:

As in my last post, here is a prime example of when to back up already Amber! :) I'm either too close to my food or have cropped it too close. The plate, glass of milk, and background are so close together there's no room to breathe. When looking at a photo you want to have room for your eye to move around the image. That's not too say don't ever have a close up, but in this photo it doesn't work very well.

Now here's the After:

Settings: f4.0; Shutter 1/160; ISO 1250

A little easier on the eyes don't you think? I kept it simple with a plain white napkin under the serving dish, the milk and and cookie rack are arranged in the background to allow the eye to wander around the image and come back to the main point of focus - those yummy cookies!

I also made sure to place my focus point on the front edge of the closest cookie, to eliminate any out of focus areas on the cookie. You'll notice I set my aperture to f4.0 so my depth of field wasn't too shallow. I was lazy and didn't want to pull out my tripod, so this shot was handheld. But if I wanted to decrease my ISO I could have lowered my shutter speed accordingly. I used my 85mm lens for this shot, and generally you want to keep your shutter speed to about 1 to 1 1/2 times the focal length of your lens (if hand holding), to avoid camera shake. So for an 85mm focal length, you want to keep your shutter speed at least 1/80 or 1/100. For a 50mm focal length - 1/50 or higher, etc.

You can find the recipe in my original post for Chunky Twix Cookies. If you have any questions about this critique or want me to go into more detail, just leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer them! If you found this helpful I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

Note: I don't claim to be an expert, but I have learned a thing or two over the years and will gladly share those things with people. I'm also a family photographer in the St. Louis area, so if you're interested in seeing my work outside of food photography, visit Amber Potter Photography.

Update: If you're just starting out in the photography world and need some help understanding all that photo jibber-jabber, my pal Karly at Buns In My Oven has started a great series called So You Want To Be A Better Photographer? Her tutorials are sure to help you "see the light". Hehe...bad pun? Anyway, her tips combined with my before and after critiques are a good way to see the photography principals put into practice, and learn to recognize what's wrong with an image. When you can tell what's wrong with a photo and why it doesn't work, then you can better improve your own skill!

Amber

This month I also joined a new project - The Leftover's Club. This is a group of blogger's who get paired up with another blogger each month, to share the leftovers from the goodies we made. It's a great way to get to know each other, and have someone else take some of the temptation off our hands. This month I'm paired up with Budget Gourmet Mom, and can't wait to share our goodies! Sound like fun? Visit The Leftovers Club online to learn more and sign up!

Savory Simple - Cappuccino Cookies

Damn Delicious - Blueberry Lemon Bars

Give Peas a Chance - Spiced Vanilla Honey Biscotti

Kelly Bakes - Dulce de Leche Digestive Cookies

Sprinkled With Flour - Chunky Twix Cookies

Pineapple and Coconut - Cinnamon Dolce Oatmeal Cookies

Budget Gourmet Mom - Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies

Food n' Focus - Cranberry Scones

Bakeaholic Mama - Coconut Banana Brownie Pie

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

2013-03-04T10:45:00.001-06:00

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I don't know about you but I love cheese with flavor. Growing up in the U.K. we had really good cheese and really good bread, which are just two of the things I miss most. I especially love blue cheese, and anything of the moldy variety for that matter.

I do love me some mold - er, on my cheese that is. As long as it's not in my husbands dirty socks - or found behind my child's bed, I'm good.

Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, the list goes on - I could be happy with any of these. I ran across this container of Gorgonzola cheese at the store the other day, and I knew I had to grab it. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I finally decided on whipping it up into a creamy salad dressing.

Fresh, crunchy greens can only get better under a creamy layer of Gorgonzola deliciousness, right? I experimented on amounts, adding a little of this and a little of that, and finally ended up with this dressing. It's pretty tasty if I do say so myself.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

Yield: 1 cup Printable Recipe

1/4 cup mashed Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

salt, to taste

fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl mash the gorgonzola cheese with the back of a spoon. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk until well combined. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Now pop it in the fridge overnight for the flavors to marry together. Serve over your favorite salad or have a veggie dipping palooza. Enjoy!

Amber

Dr.Seuss Strawberry Marshmallow Skewers

2013-03-01T11:34:00.001-06:00

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I've got a super easy, super quick treat to share with you today. This week has been celebrate Dr. Seuss week at my son's school, and each day they've done something different to celebrate it and a love for reading. Today he got to dress up with the Dr. Seuss theme.

I packed him a Dr. Seussified snack that will be sure to make his classmates green...and not the green eggs kind. (Yeah, kinda dumb pun - I know.)

I call these Dr. Seuss Skewers because of the red and white layered effect. Just alternately slide a strawberry and a marshmallow on a skewer - I used a straw for safety reasons - wouldn't want an angry mom calling me because her kid poked his eye out.

You never know with Kindergartener's. Accidents are just waiting to happen around EVERY corner.

These are a really fun way to dress up some fruit. Served with a side of yogurt dipping sauce they're a great strawberry snack. Try them out with your kids, they'll love them!

Dr. Seuess Strawberry & Marshmallow Skewers

Yield: 1 skewer Printable Recipe

4-5whole strawberries, washed and stem removed

4-5 large marshmallows

1 straw or skewer

Slide one strawberry onto the skewer, then a marshmallow, repeat until you've filled your skewer or straw. Serve with side of creamy yogurt for a yummy dipping sauce. Easy peasy. Enjoy!

Amber

Overnight Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups

2013-02-25T11:19:00.001-06:00

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I don't know about you, but I love waking up in the morning and having breakfast all ready. That's just one less thing to have to worry about when trying to get ready on busy mornings. I especially love individual size portions for school mornings, which make it super easy to feed just one kid - or a whole football team - if you have one. This recipe for Overnight Oatmeal In A Jar is one of my favorite make-ahead morning meals.

I really like breakfast casseroles too, they're quick and easy and sure to please the pickiest critics, so I decided to miniaturize it and turn them into these Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups. You can customize them any way you want - swap the ham for sausage or bacon, add in some cooked veggies or get wild with your cheese. I kept these simple since that's what my kiddo likes best, but I'll definitely be experimenting with some different variations.

Just throw it all together the night before, pop them in the fridge, and have them baking while you're getting ready in the morning. Easy and super yummy, this is a great time saver recipe when you need one.

Overnight Ham & Cheese Breakfast Cups
Yield: 4 cups Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups of cubed dry bread, you can also use toasted bread
1 cup cubed ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper

Divide the bread cubes into 4 sections and place in 4 ramekins. Place 1/4 cup ham in each ramekin. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese over the ham in each cup. In a medium bowl combine the milk, eggs, melted butter, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Pour evenly between each ramekin. Cover and chill overnight. When ready to eat, remove from fridge and preheat oven to 350 F. Bake uncovered for 25-30 mins or until set and golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool and set up for 5-10 minutes.

Recipe Note: Your cups will be nice and poofy when you remove them from the oven but will sink a little after cooling. That's o.k! :) The type of bread you use can also change your end result. It's best to use a dry bread like challah, french bread, or any stale textured bread, so your casserole isn't too mushy.

More Make Ahead Breakfast Meals You May Enjoy:

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches
Overnight Oatmeal In A Jar - Berry Crumble Style

Awesome Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Bubble Buns

Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies

2013-02-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

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I had a hankering for something gooey and chocolaty yesterday. At first I thought brownies, but that didn't sound like it would hit the spot. Then I had another idea - gooey butter cake - but that didn't seem right either.

Living in Missouri the ultimate gooey dessert is St. Louis gooey butter cake, and of course since we moved to St. Louis just last summer, I've been well-acquainted with the sticky, tasty treat. Whenever I stroll through the grocery store - because that's how I grocery shop, no wild six year old running amuck through the aisles here. Ahem. Moving on. As I was saying, when on my leisurely grocery trips I always have to avoid the bakery section, namely the giant goody cabinet filled with gooey butter cookies, cakes, and all manner of pure ~~evil~~ deliciousness.

Then I thought, why not have a brownie AND gooey butter cake AND throw in some peanut butter, just to be safe. Then why not roll it all up into a cookie while I'm it?

That's how I got these babies. Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies. I was inspired by Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cookie recipe, since she is the queen of gooey butter cookies after all. She uses a cake mix, but I preferred to start with a brownie base from scratch.

These are just as you would expect them. Gooey, chocolaty, peanut-buttery - oh yeah, and really, really good.

Peanut Butter Brownie Gooey Butter Cookies
Yield: 18 Printable Recipe

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8-oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup peanut butter

In a bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and mix until creamy.

Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator so the dough can firm up a little bit.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough from fridge and roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely. The cookies will stay soft and gooey on the inside. Yum!

Recipe inspired by Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cookies

You May Also Enjoy:

Chocolate Snickers Layer Cake

Malted Milk Ball Chewies

White Chocolate Sprinkle No Bake Cookies

From My Foodie Friends:

Biscoff Gooey Butter Cake from Bake Your Day

Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Cookies from Buns In My Oven

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Linked up to Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It

Chocolate Chunk Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze

2013-02-18T10:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of my brother's death. Last year I made these Fresh Cranberry Scones with Lime Glaze, since they're a comfort food for me. Growing up in the U.K nothing says comfort quite as much as a nice "cuppa" tea and a scone.

I thought this year would be a good time to make another scone recipe, so I threw in some chocolate chips and added a peanut butter glaze. What's more comforting than chocolate and peanut butter?

Not much.

These scones are moist, fluffy and oh-so good. If you're having a bad day, or just want a pick-me up, throw a tray of these your oven and you'll be set. :)

Chocolate Chunk Scones with Peanut Butter Glaze

Yield: 10 Scones Printable Recipe

Scones:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose four

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

Peanut Butter Glaze:

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a large baking sheet. Coarsely chop the chocolate chips. In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the chopped chocolate into the flour mixture. Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter). With a sharp knife cut the round into thirds one way, then make perpendicular slices the other direction to make diamond shaped scones. Depending on how you slice them, you should get about 10-11 scones. Use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones. Do NOT roll dough out. Place scones onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Depending on your oven you may need to adjust baking time. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

For Peanut Butter Glaze: In a small bowl combine the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over warm scones and allow to cool. Enjoy!

Amber

Red Hot Apple Butter & FREE Valentines Printables!

2013-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I was a girl I used to love listening to my grandma tell me stories of her childhood. Being one of a dozen children and raised on a farm, you can imagine the stories she had to tell. Certain recipes go hand in hand with memories of my grandma. Fried mushrooms, grape sorbet, and red hot cinnamon applesauce.

Yep, putting red hot candies in a bowl full of fresh, delicious applesauce is something that will always remind me of my grandma. When I visited my in-laws this past Christmas, my mother-in-law had a jar of homemade apple butter that one of her friends had made. I love a nice big glob of apple butter the same as anyone, but this apple butter was special.

Why? I could tell this apple butter had red hots in it. There was a hint of a little something extra that the average person might miss, but my red-hot trained taste buds picked up the trail like a red-hot loving blood-hound.

So with Valentines Day approaching, I decided to start experimenting in the kitchen and see if I couldn't come up with a delicious red-hot inspired apple butter. I love how this turned out. I used a combination of apples to boost the flavor, and a little cider vinegar to give it a great kick. The red hots really do make it just a tad more drool-worthy. This apple butter is great slathered on a piece of toast and even better whipped up in a batch of this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. Mmmm.

I poured some into mini mason jars and packaged them up all purdy for V-day. Who wouldn't want a jar of this red-hot deliciousness for Valentines Day? I plan to give some away as gifts - that's the plan anyway - and if a few jars happen to find their way hidden in the back of my pantry, you won't tell...will you?

Red Hot Apple Butter
Yield: 4 jars Printable Recipe

5 lbs sweet red cooking apples (peeled and cored)
2 1/2 cups water or apple juice
2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup red hot candies
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 (1/2 pint) canning jars

Peel and core your apples. Place the apples, water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and red hots in your slow cooker or a large heavy bottom pot.

Cook on high for 2 hours, until
apples soften. Puree the apples until smooth. I like to use my immersion blender for easy, mess free blending. Add the 2 tbsp of cider vinegar and cook on low for another 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally until mixture becomes thick and turns dark brown.

Depending on how sweet your apples are, you may need to use more or less sugar. The general rule is 1/2 cup sugar for every 1 cup of apple sauce. If your apple butter becomes thicker than you'd like, add a little water or apple juice to thin it out as desired.

I made some mason jar labels for the lids and Valentine gift labels too. Yes, I know...I was feeling pretty crafty. Doesn't happen very often. :)

Now how about a freebie! Who doesn't love FREE stuff? I decided to share the Valentine love, and put the labels into a handy dandy PDF printable for ya.

Happy Valentines Day!

Red Hot Apple Butter Printable labels. PDF download here.

Red Hot Valentines Day printable labels. PDF download here.

If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze!

Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

2013-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

This post is for all my fellow mothers of boys. I'm pretty sure that mothers of boys - let's call us M.O.B's for short - should have our own special national holiday. Seriously...complete with marching band and waiving banners applauding us M.O.B's for the craaaaazy crap we deal with on a ~~daily~~ hourly basis.

Case in point: here are just a few of my Facebook posts recently.

Um...yeah. So that's my kid. I don't have girls, but I'm pretty sure girls don't run around urinating on their own faces and sticking their tongues on any random object that happens by.

Buuuuuut, I kinda sorta love him and all...so I overlook his 6 year old neanderthal instincts, and on days when I think I'm going nuts - I dive headfirst into a tasty treat.

Like this Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze. It's moist, spicy, and a great way to forget that you birthed a child who pees on his own face. If you're feeling extra motivated, you can even make your very own apple butter with my recipe for Red Hot Apple Butter. Enjoy!

Apple Butter Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

Yield: 1 loaf Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice

1 cup apple butter

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1-2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat well. In glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.

Stir in the apple butter and chopped pecans. Pour into a greased 9-in x 5-in x 3-in loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook for more or less time. Do not over bake or your bread will turn out dry. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze: Mix together the powdered sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and enough milk to reach your desired consistency. I usually use 1-2 tbsp. Drizzle over the bread and allow to cool completely.

Source: bread adapted from Southern Living Annual Recipes

If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my Red Hot Apple Butter!

Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday at Buns In My Oven

Secret Cake: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe

2013-02-08T09:08:00.001-06:00

Can you ever have enough chocolate cake recipes? That's stupid question...right? Well, since we've got that cleared up, how about I share a really good chocolate cake I recently tried out.

It's called Secret Cake.

I have no idea why it's called that, but I do know I can't keep it a secret from you guys, because it's too good a recipe not to share the chocolate love. I found this cake recipe on Tasty Kitchen, and was immediately intrigued by the title, plus it had no picture with it. How can you not be curious about a mysterious dish called Secret Cake, made all the more mysterious with no picture to put with the name.

The cake is really moist and fluffy, but the kicker for me was the icing. It was so satiny and smooth, and ultra rich...and was made even better with chopped walnuts folded in. It set up with a slight crackled glaze but stayed gooey and rich underneath. Chocolate heaven!

Have I peaked YOUR interest now? For the recipe and my full step-by-step post, head on over to Tasty Kitchen where you can grab the printable recipe too!

Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadillas

2013-02-06T14:51:00.000-06:00

Are ya still a bit bloated from all the game day face stuffing? How about a tasty recipe full of veggies to even it out a bit?

Oh, okay...this recipe does have it's fair share of melted cheese, so it's technically not HEALTHY per se....but let's just say the veggies cancel out the cheese.

Good. I'm glad we agree.

I opened my fridge today and came face to face with a sad little jar of my leftover Slow Cooker Chipotle Enchilada Sauce. It was staring at me...all lonely...saying, "eat me."

What? Like you don't ever talk to the inhabitants of your fridge?

There wasn't enough left for a meal, and just enough that I couldn't throw it away, so this girl got to experimenting. A few butchered veggies later and I'm chomping away on what I like to call the Open Faced Enchilada Veggie Quesadilla. A layer of smoky chipotle enchilada sauce topped with caramelized onions, sauteed veggies and melty cheese, this is another great way to use my Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce. Cut these up into individual slices and you've got yourself a great appetizer too.

Hmmm...I think I know what I'm adding to next year's Superbowl menu.

Open Faced Veggie Quesadillas
Yield: 4 Printable Recipe

1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced olives (green or black)
1/4 cup Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
1 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until they are puffed and begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent and begin to caramelize (about 8-10 minutes). When the onions are almost done, add the diced peppers and cook just until they begin to soften. Remove from heat.

Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over the baked tortillas. Top with the onions, veggies, diced olives and cheese. Place back in the oven and cook for 5-6 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!

Amber

Linked up to What's Cookin Wednesday from Buns In My Oven.

Superbowl Recipe Roundup

2013-02-03T09:37:00.001-06:00

Hello. My name is Amber...and I'm a procrastinator. If you're afflicted with this disease too, then pull up a chair and stay awhile...you're in good company.

If you're a fellow procrastinator then chaaaances are you've put off deciding what to make for your superbowl party until now. Don't worry, I've got you covered.

Here's a few superbowl food ideas from the archives to get the ball rolling...and several more drool-worthy ideas from my foodie friends.

Need some appetizers to kickstart your shindig? (pun intended). Then these Ham and Cheese Potato Skins should do the trick.

Or my favorite spinach dip ever. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip. Yum!

Need something a little more filling? Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Quesadillas. Mmmm...melty cheese. Do I need to say more?

Want something you can throw in your crockpot and not worry about? I love this Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chill.

Now onto the good stuff. Dessert baby. These Chewy Gooey Chocolate Bars are everything they sound like they should be.

My Chunky Twix Cookies are the most popular cookies I've created, and are widely requested by my family on a regular basis. They've even made it around the blogging world quite a bit. Taste one...and you'll be hooked.

Want something super quick and easy. Then you'll need these Turtle Rice Crispy Treats of course!

A good sandwich goes a long way, like this Grilled Bacon Strawberry Peach Sandwich.

And how about a little bit of gluten free chocolate goodness for all my gluten free peeps? Flourless Chocolate Coconut Almond Cookies.

And because I'm a liiitle obsessed with buffalo sauce...and I haven't shared any buffalo recipes yet (gasp), here's a few of my favorite ideas from some of my foodie friends. Go check them out, and have a great superbowl party!

Layered Baked Buffalo Chicken Nachos courtesy of Jessica from How Sweet It Is.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizzas courtesy of Laurie from Simply Scratch.

And last but certainly not least, Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sandwiches courtesy of Karly from Buns In My Oven.

I hope this has given you enough ideas to get you started...I know it's got my belly rumbling. Do you have big plans for the game, or are you taking it easy? We're just going to be chillaxin it at home. Later!

Amber

Browned Butter Pecan Shortbead: Before & After

2013-01-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

I love makeovers don't you? I bet you never thought a photograph could get a makeover, but that's exactly what I'm going to show you today. Back when I first started this blog, it was purely as a way to chronicle recipes that I wanted to try, and to have something that showed my progress along the way.

I never imagined it would re-spark a love for photography that I'd always had but never did anything about. As I look back on my first few recipes, I cringe at those photos but I know that every journey had to start somewhere.

I just wish at the beginning of that journey I knew what the heck white balance was. Seriously, food is not supposed to be blue my friends...unless you happen to be eating a blueberry, or these Blue Velvet Cupcakes, or blue cotton candy...you get the idea.

I purposely kept those ugly images up because I wanted a reminder of where I started at. I've decided to go ahead and update my old photos with new ones, but instead of the old picture being dumped (rightly so) into the recycle bin, I'm going to turn it into a Before & After post. If you're just starting out in the food blogging world, and get discouraged looking at other bloggers food photos, maybe these posts will help you see that everyone started somewhere.

Even if somewhere was ugly blue food. :)

Here's the before shot of my Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.

O.K. here's where I'm going to completely trash my own photo. Don't worry - I'm a pro - I've gotten enough rejection emails from Foodgawker over the years that I can handle it.

1. THIS COOKIE IS BLUE
Obviously. Food is not supposed to be blue. Unless it's the aforementioned blueberries...or cotton candy. If you don't already know about white balance, find your camera's user manual and learn how to set a proper white balance in camera. This does not mean Auto White Balance. To get the most accurate white balance, you should set a custom white balance using a grey card, or if your camera has the option you can set the Kelvin number to somewhere between 5500K and 6500K. This range should cover most daylight lighting situations. Here's a great Kelvin Chart to help you out. If you don't want to mess with setting your white balance in camera, you can also adjust it in your editing program. Most editing software has the option to adjust the WB to a more natural color.

2. CAN YOU SAY "BACK UP?"
Seriously, getting in close for a detail shot is alright but when you start to loose the ability to tell what's in the picture, you're too close. The same goes for cropping your pictures, leave a little room to breahe...trust me...your food will thank you. :)

3. TOO DARK
This image is underexposed AND overexposed, making the left side of the image too dark and the right side too bright. This easily happens when shooting a side lit image (when you're light source is coming from the side of your subject.) To fix this, you need use something to reflect some light back onto the shadowed side of the image. I like to use a white foam board or reflector to open up shadows. To prevent overexposed areas, you can either move the plate further away from the light - so it's less harsh, or use something to diffuse the light (make the light softer and not so harsh). I have sheer white curtains hanging from my kitchen patio door. These work great for diffusing the light when it's too harsh.

4. BAD COMPOSITION
The crop is part of the bad composition, but a little planning and food styling/arrangement does wonders. This subject is too broad to cover now, but when you're looking through your viewfinder really look at the image before you snap the shutter. Is your picture crooked? Is there enough room to crop if needed? I'm still guilty of not paying close enough attention to the composition before I snap the shot.

Now for the AFTER shots:

There you have it. How I went from glowing blue cookies to something a little more edible looking. If you'd like a more in depth explanation of anything I mentioned, let me know! If there is enough interest I'll do more food photography posts, diving into more detail on photography tips and tricks I've learned, and showing you how I like to get the shots for my posts. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. :)

Note: I don't claim to be an expert, but I have learned a thing or two over the years and will gladly share those things with people. I'm also a family photographer in the St. Louis area, so if you're interested in seeing my work outside of food photography, visit Amber Potter Photography.

Update: If you're just starting out in the photography world and need some help understanding all that photo jibber-jabber, my pal Karly at Buns In My Oven has started a great series called So You Want To Be A Better Photographer? Her tutorials are sure to help you "see the light". Hehe...bad pun? Anyway, her tips combined with my before and after critiques are a good way to see the photography principals put into practice, and learn to recognize what's wrong with an image. When you can tell what's wrong with a photo and why it doesn't work, then you can better improve your own skill!

You can find the recipe for these cookies in my original post for Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.

Have a great day!

Amber

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

2013-01-28T09:08:00.003-06:00

Remember that Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce I posted about last week? Well, as promised here are the enchiladas I whipped up using it. They're so easy and yummy, and you can make the chicken filling in the slow cooker too. Just throw everything together in the morning, then by dinner time all you have to do is assemble your enchiladas, pop them in the oven for 25-30 minuets, and BOOM...delicious Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas.

This recipe uses my homemade Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce but you can use your own, or...I hate to say it...STORE BOUGHT sauce. :) The next time you need an easy week night meal, try these out!

Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: 10 Printable Recipe

4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about2-3 large breasts)
1 cup corn, undrained
4 oz rotel
1 onion, diced (omit if cooking chicken stovetop)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
10 tortillas

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.

In another bowl mix shredded chicken, corn, rotel, cumin and garlic powder. Add the cheese mixture to the chicken mixture.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1/3 cup of chicken filling on each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 3735 F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS: Place chicken breasts, corn, rotel, onion, cumin, and garlic powder in your crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. If desired, you can add a little bit of chicken broth to the mixture. When chicken is done, use a fork to shred it and then directions above for assembling and baking the enchiladas.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: (uncooked enchiladas): Cook your filling, then assemble enchiladas, cover and freeze. Allow to thaw completely then bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until hot. You can also freeze the chicken filling uncooked. Just place your chicken, corn, rotel, garlic powder and cumin in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and allow to thaw completely. Place the thawed meat mixture in your crockpot and cook according to directions above.

Now I need a good white enchilada recipe, do you have one you'd like to recommend? If you do let me know in the comments, I'd love to try it out!

Amber

Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread:Recipe Recap

2013-01-25T10:08:00.001-06:00

This is what I'm eating for breakfast today...it's sorta healthy, right? I mean, it's got nuts in it...and those are good for your heart.

Yeah...that's what I'm going with.

This is a recipe recap of one of the first recipes I posted. Gotta love a good shortbread cookie, especially when it has browned butter and toasted pecans in it!

For the recipe, go to my original post Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread.

What recipes do you have up your sleeve for the this weekend? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to check them out! Have a great weekend.:)

Amber

If you want to stay up to date with my latest recipes and posts, come on over and join me on Facebook and Pinterest!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Enchilada Sauce

2013-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have an obsession with making things from scratch, especially staples that you would normally just buy at the store. Homemade chicken broth, tortillas, baking mix, sauces and condiments, you get the idea.

Yesterday I decided to throw some things together and see how a homemade enchilada sauce would turn out. Let me tell you - I will never buy the canned sauce again! This is so easy to get started in the morning, and when it's done you have a delicious smoky and spicy enchilada sauce that will give you the best enchiladas ever. I love using it in my Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchildas. Yum!

This recipe makes quite a bit, so you can get two meals out of it or freeze the leftovers for dinner another night.

Homemade Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
Yield: 5 cups Printable Recipes

16-oz chicken broth
32-oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 onions, diced
5 cloves garlic
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (seeds removed)
2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the the can of peppers)
1 1/2 tbs cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
pinch of sugar

Slice open the chipotle peppers and remove the seeds. Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, chilli powder, salt, sugar and chicken broth in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Remove the chipotle peppers, then using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. You can also use your blender to puree the sauce. Now get ready for the best enchiladas ever! Store the sauce in glass mason jars in the fridge. Can be kept in the fridge up to 2 weeks, or will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Recipe Note: This sauce is a little spicy, so if you want to tame it down for little mouths, reduce the amount of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce you use.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Cool the sauce completely. When it's completely cool, ladle into quart sized freezer bags which are placed standing up in a glass measuring cup. Gently squeeze the air out. Lay flat and freeze. Thaw for 24 hours and reheat on the stove top or by microwaving slowly. You can also reheat by placing the the frozen enchilada sauce in your slow cooker. Turn on low and cook until heated through.

If you'd like to stay up to date on all the latest recipes and posts, I'd love for you to join me on Facebook and Pinterest!

Shared with Buns In My Oven on What's Cooking Wednesday

Turtle Rice Crispy Treats

2013-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Did you know there's a surefire way to make any treat better? It's called caramel...and chocolate...and pecans; otherwise known as turtles!

Any dessert that's layered with delicious homemade caramel, melty milk chocolate, and crunchy pecans is right up my alley. I decided to whip up some rice crispy treats this weekend - I'm all about the no-bake desserts lately - but I couldn't just stop there.

Nope, not content to let a good thing be...I decided to make it just a leeeeetle bit more special. I wanted Turtle Rice Crispy Treats, and the result was so good and so easy. Next time you want to fancy up your crispy treats, try 'em this way. You won't be sorry.

Turtle Rice Crispy
Treats
Yield: 12 bars Printable Recipe

4 tbsp salted butter
6 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
5 cups rice crispy treats

Caramel:
2/3 cup salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until the marshmallows have melted. Add the vanilla extract. Stir in the crispy rice cereal, one cup at a time, until well combined. Press the mixture into a greased 9x9 baking pan.

Make the caramel: In a small saucepan add the butter, brown sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil and cook until caramel begins to thicken and pull away from the pan.

Pour the caramel sauce over the rice crispy treats. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel, followed by the chopped pecans. Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate sets back up. Serve and try not to drool. Enjoy!

Amber

What did you all do this weekend? Did you make any taste treats? Drop me a comment below, I'd love to hear what everyone was up to!

Berry Green Smoothie

2013-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

You may be surprised, what with all the sugary concoctions that make their way to you, that I actually love to drink green smoothies. They're a great way to get a lot of your veggies and fiber in, without having to eat plates and plates of salad.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good salad, but there comes a point (for me anyway) when you feel like one more forkful of lettuce will make you start mooing.

Enter the green smoothie. You can pack as much of your greens in as you want, add some fruit and a few other goodies and you're good to go. I love adding Kefir and Chia seeds into my smoothies. Kefir is amazing for getting probiotics, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids - all good for your immune system.

Chia seeds are full of omega-3 oil, anti-oxidants, and are great for dieting. The tiny seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and they keep you feeling full for hours. So what's stopping you? Grab some greens, some frozen berries and jump on the green smoothie bandwagon. You're waist and our lips will thank you.

Berry Green Smoothie
Yield: 1 serving Printable Recipe

2 cups fresh spinach leaves (you can use any greens you like: kale, chard, collard, etc.)
1 cup frozen berries (blueberries are my favorite)
1/2 cup plain Kefir yogurt
1/2 banana
1/4 - 1/2 cup water, juice or almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds

Directions:
Place the berries, yogurt, banana, and spinach in a blender. Add your preferred liquid and pulse until smooth. Use as much or as little as you need to reach your desired consistency. If you want your smoothie a little more "frozen", you can add some ice cubes to the blender and pulse until your smoothie is slushy. Add your chia seeds and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Amber

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe, or another great way to use Chia seeds? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear your ideas!

White Chocolate Sprinkle No-Bake Cookies

2013-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

How about a cookie recipe today? I've got a cookie creation for you that comes courtesy of the imagination of a certain six year old little boy. My son loves no-bake cookies. He also loves helping me in the kitchen and experimenting with his own "ingredients".

These ingredients can range from flour and sugar, to say...dirt...or dog food.

Luckily his last idea involved something that's edible by humans - sprinkles and white chocolate; two more of his favorite things. We mixed the sprinkles into the cookies and had to put extra on top of course...just to make sure there was an adequate ratio of cookie to sprinkle.

These cookies turned out really good and disappeared in no time. The kid might be onto something here. Enjoy!

Amber

White Chocolate Sprinkle No-Bake Cookies
Yield: 12 cookies Printable Recipe

1/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups quick cooking oats
1-2 tablespoons multi-colored sprinkles

Place the butter, sugar, and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and white chocolate chips. Stir until mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted. Stir in the oats. Now mix in the sprinkles and gently stir to combine. If you stir too much the sprinkles will melt. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper, and top with additional sprinkles. Allow to cool before serving.

5 Healthy Soup Recipes

2013-01-14T11:44:00.000-06:00

Today we're going to talk about soup folks. I love soup. There's just something about a bowl of warm, silky, soup that makes you feel like you just got a giant, cuddly, grandma hug.

(Because grandma hugs are the best. You know...they're squishy and smell like cookies...and stuff)

Soup makes you feel all warm and happy and reminds you to just stop, take a breath, and relax. That's my relationship with soup anyway. Now, if you're the open-a-can-and-dump-it-in-a-bowl kind of soup eater...you probably think I'm a few bricks short with all this talk of soup love.

I've got a secret...that's because you're not eating REAL soup! Ooh, yeah...I want a bowl of artificial flavors, preservatives, and fake squishy (not in the good grandma way) meat.

Said no person ever.:) Seriously, if you don't get my love of a good, homemade soup, then you need to dust off that pot, whip out that spoon, and try your hand at one of these soup recipes.

The added bonus? These soup recipes are full of healthy ingredients and low on calories. That's what we're looking to do this time of year, right? You can also make most of them in your slow-cooker, making them a super easy AND healthy dinner choice. Have I won you over yet? How about a few photos to get you going? Here's a collection of some of my favorite healthy soup recipes.

1. Winter Vegetable Soup

2. Spinach Lemon Orzo Soup

3. Chicken Jalapeno Soup

4. Roasted Asparagus Soup

5. Creamy Broccoli Soup

Happy soup eating!

Amber

Ham & Cheese Potato Skins: A Tasty Kitchen Recipe

2013-01-11T10:03:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you but sometimes a girl needs a good, salty snack. If you make it crispy and throw in some gooey, melty cheese...then you've got my attention!

I'm talking about potato skins folks. Is there any vegetable more versatile than the trusty ol' spud?

French fries, hash browns, mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, baked, roasted, fried, grilled...okay, I think you get the idea. Potatoes are amaaaaaazing. There's just something so comforting about a potato dish, any way you make it, that makes a not-so-good day seem a little bit better.

These potato skins are really easy to make and they taste so good. They'd make a great snack for your next football party, or throw in some scrambled eggs, add a side salad, and you've got yourself one delicious brunch! The best part? It's a super kid-friendly recipe! My six year old gobbled these right up...with his usual (small-lake-sized) side of ketchup. That kid loves his ketchup.

This potato skin recipe is another super yummy find from Tasty Kitchen, shared by TK member Dax Phillips. Now, head on over to the Tasty Kitchen Blog to check out my full step-by-step post, and you can grab the recipe while you're at it. Then after you make these, you can thank me when your taste buds do a happy dance. Enjoy!

Amber