Taste and Tell

Baked Ravioli

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

ATTENTION GOOGLE CONNECT FOLLOWERS: Please note that on I am scheduled to be changing blogging platforms on this evening. If you follow via Google connect, my feed will no longer update. PLEASE come visit and resubscribe on Tuesday 4/12 - I'd hate to lose you!!

My daughter was never a good sleeper. In fact, those first few months after she was born, it was next to impossible to get her to sleep in her bed by herself. She only wanted to be held. So when Easton was born, I just prayed that he was a good baby - especially a good sleeper! Well, my prayers were answered, because he has been such a dream. I'm usually up twice during the night to feed him, but he goes right back down after he eats. But of course, every once in awhile, there are hiccups. Like Saturday night. That boy did not want to go to sleep. All day Sunday, I was a zombie. I haven't been that tired in a long time!!

Kids or no kids, we all have those days when we feel like we just don't have the energy to do anything. Especially cook dinner. In comes a recipe like this one. You get a head start by using frozen ravioli, but add in a homemade sauce and you have a wonderful, homemade dinner with very little effort. My husband absolutely loved this meal - he said it was the combination of the chunky sauce and the melted cheese on top. It was a real winner at our house!!

Baked Ravioli
from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

serves 4 to 6

total time: 50 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
1 can (28-ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray - Orzo Risotto with Spring Greens

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I have really been intrigued by the idea of using orzo for risotto ever since seeing an episode of Kelsey's Essentials where she uses orzo. It's been on my "to try" list for some time now, so when I saw this recipe in March's issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray, I immediately marked it to make.

This was actually really good. But honestly, I don't know why it's called risotto. It's not cooked like risotto, and if "risotto" wasn't in the title, I would have never associated this with risotto. I still want to try Kelsey's version, because it is cooked like risotto, so I think it would be more similar to actual risotto. But regardless of it's name, I did like this. The onion taste was prevalent - with 2 different kinds of onions, and I love the freshness of the peas. It's a perfect, fresh, weeknight meal!

Orzo Risotto with Spring Greens
from Every Day with Rachael Ray March 2011

serves 4

total time: 25 minutes

2 cups orzo pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 cups packed baby spinach
6 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the orzo until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup ofStir in the cooked orzo, reserved pasta water and the peas; season with salt and pepper. Cook until warmed through. Remove from the heat and fold in the spinach and scallions. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan cheese. the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until just golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and simmer, whisking often, until just thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

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Saturdays with Rachael Ray rules:

* You can link any blog post, present or past, as long as it is a Rachael Ray recipe.
* Your blog post must link back to this post, mentioning Saturdays with Rachael Ray.

That's it!! Simple, simple. Just make sure the recipe is a Rachael Ray recipe - it doesn't matter if it comes from her talk show, 30-Minute Meals, her magazine, or one of her cookbooks. But it must be from Rachael Ray. Any posts that don't follow these two rules will be deleted from the linky.

I can't wait to see what you've made!

Cookbook of the Month Recipe - Strawberry-Lime Shortcakes with Coconut Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

ATTENTION GOOGLE CONNECT FOLLOWERS: Please note that on I am scheduled to be changing blogging platforms on Monday evening. If you follow via Google connect, my feed will no longer update. PLEASE come visit and resubscribe on Tuesday 4/12 - I'd hate to lose you!!

Spring in Utah is a funny thing. Just last weekend, we spent hours at the park in 70 degree weather. Then, on Sunday morning, we woke up to 4 inches of snow. And it snowed all day. And it's pretty much felt like winter again since then. But, since I've lived in Utah for the last 13-ish years, I know to never think that the warm is here to stay until at least May!!

What do you do when you are stuck with cold weather but are craving summertime? You make food that has the flavors of summer!! The minute I saw this recipe, I knew that it would bring a little bit of sunshine into my life. And let me tell you, this will definitely take you to that place!!

Let's start with the pound cake. Generally, I don't have the best of luck making pound cake at home. They tend to be too dry and bland. But this pound cake was absolutely perfect!! The perfect texture, the perfect moistness, and just the right amount of sweetness. I think my husband and I could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting!! Then you take strawberries, douse them with lime juice and sugar, and when they are nice and syrupy, you serve them over the pound cake with a killer coconut whipped cream. Top it with some toasted coconut - you just can't go wrong with this one!

Recipe Rating: 9 out of 10

Strawberry-Lime Shortcakes with Coconut Cream
from Our Best Bites Cookbook

serves 6

6 slices of Sour Cream Pound Cake (recipe follows)
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
3/4 cup toasted coconut (see below)

Coconut Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sliced strawberries, sugar, and lime juice. Stir well and set aside. Stir occasionally over about 15 minutes. You want the sugar to dissolve and form a light syrup.

For the cream, place whipping cream in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about one minute. Slowly add in powdered sugar, and both extracts. Continue beating until soft peaks form.

Slice cake and spoon a layer of strawberries on top. Include the lime-syrup! Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut.

*for toasted coconut: preheat the oven to 375F. Spread the desired amount of sweetened coconut on a cookie sheet or other oven-safe dish. Place in the oven and cook for about 2-5 minutes, depending on how much you are doing. Stir often, about every 30 seconds, to avoid burning. The coconut will be dry and lightly browned when done.

Sour Cream Pound Cake
from Our Best Bites Cookbook

serves 8-10

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Continue beating and add eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Slowly add the flour mixture while beating, and beat just until combined.

Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool completely.

My Southern Food - A Review {and a giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Don't forget to enter my other current giveaways:

$100 Visa Card - Stouffers ends 4/11/2011

$100 Visa Card - Purina Pro Plan Selects ends 5/4/2011

Betty Crocker's Big Book of Cupcakes ends 4/11/2011

and a copy of this cookbook - details at the bottom of this post!

One of my favorite parts of having a food blog is when I have the opportunity to review a cookbook. There is little that is more exciting to me than opening up a new cookbook and getting to flip through the pages, trying to narrow down what I want to make first. Sometimes it's easy to narrow down the recipes, but sometimes, you get a cookbook that ends up with sticky notes stuck through many of the pages - the recipes begging to be made. This was one such cookbook. Normally, I like to do 4 recipes for a cookbook review. But I just couldn't narrow this one down!! I ended up making 5 recipes, but believe me - I will be cooking more from this cookbook!!

This cookbook also had an added bonus that I truly loved. Throughout the book are quotes - and I was truly smitten by them. They made me want to move to the south and become a true Southern lady. Things like "Memories happen when I bite into a recipe that I know was my grandmother's. I remember her hands...arthritis, age spots, and reddened skin from years of washing dishes by hand, and a simple wedding ring that she never took off her finger." I seriously loved every single one of the quotes in this book!!

Number of Photos: some

Ok, so this is a little misleading. There are some photos in the book, but very few of actual finished dishes. Mostly photos of families or ingredients. I'm a total photo lover, so usually I'm disappointed when there aren't lots of photos, but for some reason, it doesn't bother me that much in this book. Maybe it's because I was distracted and entertained by the quotes!

Difficulty Level of Recipes: easy

Looking through the book, I think most beginners could make most of these recipes. There doesn't seem to be lots of steps or complicated instructions. Just down home cooking!

Availability of Ingredients:easy

The majority of the ingredients are everyday ingredients. I did see a couple of recipes that had an ingredient that might be hard to come by.

And here's what I made!

Maw Maw's Mystery Pie

There are so many pie recipes in this cookbook that I want to try, but the story behind this one is what got me! The author - Devon O'Day - said that her Maw Maw made this pie for her for a birthday once, and she requested the pie every birthday after that. She asked her Maw Maw what kind of pie it was, and she told her that she didn't know. She called it a "Misty" pie, or a Mystery pie. The recipe was found in Maw Maw's bible after she died. I just couldn't resist making it, knowing it had such a touching history! This really tasted like a bit of summer. I did cheat and used a store bought pie crust, simply because I had one in the fridge that I needed to use. The only complaint I had with this pie is that the pineapple becomes a bit runny, but after some time in the refrigerator, it wasn't really an issue.

Pineapple Chiller

So, I'm not usually one for fancy drinks. I'm mostly a water drinker - with a Diet Coke thrown in there every once in awhile - but it's pretty rare that I drink, much less make, different drinks. For some reason, this cookbook is making me want to change all that. There are several drinks in this book, and I wanted to make just about every one of them!! (So be prepared to see more drink recipes here!) This was delicious and refreshing. And yes - another one that made it feel like summer. I can see myself making these in the dead of summer, enjoying one while I sit on the porch and watch my daughter playing in the yard!

Creamy Dill New Potato Casserole

What's not to love in this one?? Potatoes, sour cream, dill, cheese, bacon. With a list of ingredient like that, I knew it was going to be a winner. And it was. Simple to put together, and a great side dish. It was even good cold the next day!

Marinated Country Pork Ribs

The only problem with this recipe was my own problem. The only country ribs my grocery store had were boneless ones, and I'm a girl who likes the bones in her ribs. This was a good recipe, but I think it would have been great if I would have had bone-in ribs!

Peanut Butter Muffins

Go figure that a muffin recipe is my favorite of all the recipes I tried!! These muffins are divine. They made the house smell like peanut butter cookies as they baked, and they were a delicious breakfast treat. I loved everything about them: the texture, the sweetness, the moistness... I wouldn't change a thing on these! And since we are a muffin loving family, I know these will make another showing very, very soon!!

Overall thoughts...

Overall, this was really a great cookbook. I didn't have any major issues with any of the recipes I tried, and like I mentioned before, there are plenty more recipes I want to try from this cookbook! I would definitely say this is one I'd recommend - especially if you love southern cooking!

Peanut Butter Muffins
slightly adapted from My Southern Food

makes 12-18 muffins

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a muffin tin; set aside.

Place the butter in a large bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of brown sugar, the salt and the vanilla and cream together until fluffy. Add the peanut butter, continuing to blend. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the eggs well. Add the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix until completely blended. Stir into the creamed mixture gradually, mixing until completely blended.

In another bowl, sift together the baking powder and flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the prepared muffin tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

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And the giveaway!!

The publisher of this cookbook, Thomas Nelson Publishing, had generously offered up 3 copies of this cookbook for me to giveaway! Want to win one?

Here's how you can enter:

Mandatory: Comment below and tell me your favorite southern dish/recipe.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook
*Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note: for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

*This giveaway is open to US residents.
*This giveaway will be open from today until Wednesday, April 13th at midnight MDT. The winner will be announced on April 14th.

Disclosure: I received a free copy for this review. The publisher is also providing the copies that are being given away. No monetary compensation was offered or accepted. The opinions above are my own. Others experience may vary.

Blogger Spotlight - French Knots

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:00:00 +0000

One thing I love about this Blogger Spotlight series is featuring bloggers that may not necessarily be food bloggers, but they do have food and recipes on their blog. This week's spotlight is one such blogger! If you enjoy crafting alongside cooking, this is a great blog for you to check out!

Pamela is the author of the crafty, foody blog: Frenchknots. She lives in Utah with her husband and three sons. Her favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day (yes, more than Christmas!!) and she loves Sunday dinner around the table. When Pamela isn’t cooking with her sons, she is quilting, crafting, reading and or running; not in that order or all at the same time.

What inspired you to first start writing your blog?

I was first inspired to start blogging, by my neighbor Marie (Make and Takes)she suggested putting my creativity into a blog.

What kinds of posts are your favorite to write? What do your readers seem to like the most?

I love to blog about food. Every Wednesday, I do a Mid Week Munchies post and I share a recipe of something I recently made that was super yummy.

Do you plan a weekly menu? If so, what inspires your menu?

I plan a weekly menu every Sunday. I stay inspired by creating meals around foods in season, holidays and traditional Sunday dinners.

What is your favorite kind of food to make?

Treats, yummy, yummy treats.

What is your favorite recipe posted on your blog?

Hot Potato Salad. It is not only mouth watering but a totally crowd pleaser.
http://frenchknots.blogspot.com/2009/05/hot-potato-salad.html

What kind of food did you eat growing up? Do you cook the same kinds of things today?

I cook a lot of the same meals I grew up on. My Mom was a wonderful cook and I am always calling her saying, “Remember this dish, or that dish?” “Can I get the recipe, I want to make it for dinner!”

When you really want to cheat, what do you eat?

I love cheese fries. In my town there is a hamburger joint that has hands down the Best Cheese Fries.

If you could travel anywhere in the world – just for the food – where would you go?

I already went: Italy!!! On my husband and I’s honeymoon. I still remember my first slice of margarita pizza. It was heaven.

Take us through a typical day of eating in your house.

I love brunch….so I always eat around 11 am. Eggs and toast, Omelets, Coffee Cake and juice. Lunch is around 1-2 and I love a turkey sandwich with avocado. Dinner is served around 6:30 - 7 and I love a simple main dish with a few veggies on the side and bread.

What is your best tip for saving money on groceries?

Shop the local ads and try and buy fruits and veggies in season, much cheaper.

What is your best tip to becoming a successful blogger?

Share your best recipes, I don’t like to be stingy. When I have a great recipe I want everyone to enjoy it. When people make your recipes and love it, you gain a lot of respect and gain loyal followers.

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A huge thanks to Pamela for sharing with us today! Here's where you can find her:

Blog - French Knots

How to Chiffonade

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Have you ever read through a recipe - only to find a technique or term that you don't know? That's how I felt when I first ran across the term "chiffonade". But now that I know what it is - it couldn't be any easier!! Check out my post at the Cafe Zupas blog today for step by step instructions!

Spinach Mushroom Cannelloni

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is yet another meal that was inspired by that 2 pound container of ricotta in my fridge. Acutally, this was the first meal. I sent out a plea to my Facebook followers, and thank goodness for Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod - she linked up this delicious pasta recipe. I think that pasta was the number 1 response for ways to use ricotta, but I wanted something different than your normal lasagna. And this was great!! I loved the idea of using lasagna noodles to make your own cannelloni. It was also suggested by others on Facebook to use crepes as the noodles for cannelloni - another idea I need to try out!!

If you are looking for a delicious, vegetarian entree - this is the one to try!

Spinach Mushroom Cannelloni
slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

serves 6-8

total time: about 1 hour

Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups fresh spinach
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Marinara:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Dash crushed red pepper
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Pasta:
1 box No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

Topping:
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in the spinach and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and the spinach is wilted; remove from heat. While it is cooking, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix in. When the spinach/mushroom mixture is finished cooking, mix it in along with the seasonings. Set aside.

Make the marinara: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Stir in the tomato paste and let cook for 60 seconds. Stir in the red pepper flake and the diced tomatoes. Add the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer and cook down slightly for about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. (The noodles will not be cooked all the way through, but will finish cooking in the oven.) Carefully remove them from the water and lay them flat on a wire cooling rack.

To assemble: Take about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce and spread it in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture on the short side of each lasagna noodle. Put 1 tablespoon of the marinara on top of the ricotta mixture, then roll up the noodle. Transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Continue will all of the noodles and filling. Top with the remaining sauce and the mozzarella cheese. Cover pan with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake for until the cheese has browned and is bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes for my 4th Blog Birthday! {and a giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:00:00 +0000

I can't believe it, but somehow I let my blog birthday pass without even realizing it!! I can't believe it's been 4 years since I started this little blog. I really can't believe how much the blogging world has changed in the last 4 years, and I feel so lucky and privileged to be a part of it! Even though I let the actual date slip by - it was the 30th of March - I couldn't let it go without a little celebration.

In the past 4 years, this blog has brought me so many new friends and great opportunities. I don't think I could choose 1 favorite "moment" that this blog has brought to me, but one recent opportunity is definitely at the top of the list. Months ago, I was asked to submit a cupcake recipe to Betty Crocker. They were putting together a cupcake cookbook, and were looking for recipes from bloggers to include in that cookbook. I submitted a recipe, thinking that it would be amazing if my recipe was chosen, but not really getting my hopes up. Imagine my surprise when I opened up an email that said that my recipe was chosen! I literally was jumping up and yelling! Well, the cookbook - The Big Book of Cupcakes - was finally recently released, and I was so excited to order a copy and receive it. Not only is my recipe in the cookbook, but my blog and my picture are also there! I'm not holding out for a cookbook deal since I write very few of my own recipes, so it's extra exciting to see my recipe in print!

Now onto the cupcake. I do have to admit that I can't take full credit for this recipe. Years ago, there was a dessert at Olive Garden called Chocolate Lasagna. It was a favorite of my family - especially my mom. It was a chocolate layer cake with delicious almond-flavored frosting. When they took it off the menu, my mom was crushed. So what did she do? She created her own version!! This is the most requested cake for birthdays in my family. So when I was discussing cupcake ideas with my family, this idea came up. I did have to alter the chocolate cake recipe, since my mom's cake didn't translate into cupcakes very well, but I give full credit to my mom for this delicious frosting. Seriously - you won't regret making these cupcakes - they are definitely my favorite!!

And since it's my birthday, I want to share the love. How would you like a copy of Betty Crocker's Big Book of Cupcakes? You can win one here!!

Here's how you can enter:

Mandatory: Comment below and tell me your favorite cupcake flavor.

Extra entries:
*Follow Taste and Tell on Facebook
*Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
*Follow Taste and Tell on Twitter
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Follow Taste and Tell via RSS feed.

Note: for any of the extra entries, make sure you leave a separate comment for each.

*This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!
*This giveaway will be open from today until Sunday, April 10th at midnight MDT. The winner will be announced on April 11th.

Disclosure - I am providing the cookbook for this giveaway. I was not compensated in any way with this giveaway.

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Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Frosting
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, the cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the oil and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low sped, alternately add the flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time, and 3/4 cup milk, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes; remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a 1-quart saucepan, whisk together the 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely, about 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until smooth. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the almond extract. Add additional powdered sugar, if necessary, to achieve desired spreading consistency.

Frost the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with chopped chocolate chips and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

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Looking back...

First post - March 30th, 2007 - Chocolate Torte

1st Blog Birthday - Perfect Party Cake

2nd Blog Birthday - Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

3rd Blog Birthday - Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Giveaway Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Ready for some giveaways this week? First up, head over to my review page to where I'm talking dog food today - and enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa card!!

And come back later this afternoon for another giveaway - and I'll have a 3rd giveaway later this week!

Saturdays with Rachael Ray - Buffalo Chicken Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I have to say - I'm feeling so overwhelmed with technology lately. I don't know how some of you do it. Facebook, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Pinterest - I wish I had an extra 10 hours every day just to spend on these things. (Let me know if you are a member of any of these - I'd love to follow you!!) There are so many amazing things out there on the internet. I've just become a member of Pinterest, and I've been really wanting to take some time to start adding to my boards. I've mostly just spent time looking at other people's boards - and I've gotten caught up in just that!! Of course, the pictures I like to look at the most are the food ones. And I have been led to many new recipes that I want to try. And let's face it - it's not like I need to add more to my "to make" list!! I've been having to remind myself to go back to my cookbook and magazines to make sure I'm not neglecting them!

Today's Rachael Ray recipe is such a simple one. We love taco night, and I love buffalo anything. Combine those 2, and less than half an hour later, you have dinner. These tacos taste fresh and are something a little different to spice up your normal taco night!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray February 2011

serves 4

total time: 25 minutes

Eight 6-inch soft flour tortillas
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
two skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons buffalo sauce
2 ounces blue cheese
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 cups shredded green-leaf lettuce
6 radishes, shredded
2 carrots, shredded

Preheat the oven to 200°. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Cook until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Turn off the heat and stir in the buffalo sauce.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, blend the blue cheese, mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radishes and carrots.

Lay the tortillas on a work surface in a single layer. Divide chicken among the tortillas. Top with the lettuce mixture and then with the blue cheese mixture. Serve.

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Saturdays with Rachael Ray rules:

* You can link any blog post, present or past, as long as it is a Rachael Ray recipe.
* Your blog post must link back to this post, mentioning Saturdays with Rachael Ray.

That's it!! Simple, simple. Just make sure the recipe is a Rachael Ray recipe - it doesn't matter if it comes from her talk show, 30-Minute Meals, her magazine, or one of her cookbooks. But it must be from Rachael Ray. Any posts that don't follow these two rules will be deleted from the linky.

I can't wait to see what you've made!

Cookbook of the Month Recipe - Stuffed Pizza Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Happy April Fool's Day! I wish I would have prepared some fun joke food for you today, but I wasn't that prepared this year. Instead, I bring you the first dish from this month's Cookbook of the Month. And believe me - this recipe is no joke - it's just delicious!! I had such a hard time deciding where to start in this cookbook, but I started with a real winner. In fact, this was the first thing I cooked post-baby, and it was a great way to get started back in the kitchen!

This recipe is super versatile. In fact, I did the "variation" listed in the cookbook, just because I had a ton of chicken in the fridge that I needed to use up. (That's what happens when you are brought meals after you have a baby - and 2 of those meals were rotisserie chickens!!) But you can really fill these with whatever pizza toppings you want - just about anything would be good in these!! I did have to alter the dipping sauce a bit, though - the original recipe called for equal parts mayonnaise and milk, and it was just way to runny for my liking. But that was the only complaint I had from this recipe!

Recipe Rating: 9 out of 10

Stuffed Pizza Rolls and Dipping Sauce
adapted from Our Best Bites Cookbook

serves 6-8

total time: 40 minutes

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough
1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1 package powdered ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to the heat specified on the pizza dough package.

Unroll the pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12x8 inches. Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 24 squares.

In a bowl, combine the chicken, bacon and cheese. Place some of the filling in the middle of each square of dough.

When all the dough squares have the filling on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam-side douwn in a lightly sprayed pie pan.

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the packaged ranch dressing mix iwth the 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered Parmesan. Sprinkle the mix over the dough balls.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, checking them every few minutes after 10 minutes.

While the pizza rolls are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. Mix the remaining powdered ranch dressing mix with the milk and mayonnaise. Serve with the pizza rolls.

Cookbook of the Month Review - The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The front of this cookbook reads: "200 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Nourishing Meals That Are Easy on the Budget and a Snap to Prepare." That was exactly what I was looking for when I dove into this cookbook. I was so happy to find a cookbook that not only helps to save on the grocery bill, but there is such a great variety of recipes in this cookbook that you could find recipe ideas for anyone. And I truly believe that this cookbook was written with busy moms in mind - everything is so easy to prepare - and most use ingredients that I usually have on hand!

Prep and Cook Times Listed: no

When I originally asked all of you what you like to see in a cookbook, prep and cook times listed at the beginning of a recipe was something you all like. (Me too!!) But it seems like this is pretty rare in cookbooks. In fact, of all the cookbook reviews I've done, very few actually contain this information in the cookbook.

Number of Photos: 8

Only 8 photos for 200 recipes, so it's definitely not a photo heavy cookbook.

Difficulty Level of Recipes: easy

This is a very basic cookbook - I think this would be a perfect cookbook for anyone that is intimidated in the kitchen!

Availability of Ingredients:easy

Most of the ingredients for these recipes are pantry staples for me - I don't think there is much that you'd have a hard time finding at any local grocery store!

Taco Macaroni and Cheese - 8 out of 10

Honey Mustard Salmon - 7.5 out of 10

Potato Pizza Pie - 7.5 out of 10

Sloppy Chicken Joes - 7.5 out of 10

Overall Rating: 7.625 out of 10

If you are looking for a "weeknight meal" cookbook, this is a great one! So many easy, family friendly recipes. You won't find any complicated, long, drawn-out recipes in this book. I found myself cooking from this cookbook in the weeks before I had a baby, and that alone is proof that these recipes are simple recipes! I love that even though I'm not a coupon or sale only shopper, these meals were still very inexpensive. I'm not sure I could have come in under the $5 mark since I'm not the best bargain shopper, but I know that even at full price, these are inexpensive meals to make. I also do love that the first 3 chapters of this book are dedicated to teaching you more about grocery shopping, using coupons, and menu planning. I think that this cookbook is a must have for anyone trying to save a few dollars and feed their families good, healthy food!

Next up is a cookbook I've been eagerly waiting for - the Our Best Bites cookbook. I can already tell you - I've already made 2 of the recipes and they were both amazing! And I've got about 50 others bookmarked. Can't wait to cook my way through this one!

How to Roast Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Have you entered to win the $100 Visa card?? If not, do it now! CLICK HERE

Roasted garlic has to be one of my favorite things. If you've never roasted garlic before, my post at the Cafe Zupas blog today will show you how!

Scalini's Eggplant Parmesan

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

If you've got children - you've mostly likely been there. Those last few weeks of pregnancy before that baby joins your world. I know that every pregnancy is different, but I'm pretty sure that for the majority of us, that last week or two is filled with backaches, swelling, anticipation, and general uncomfortable-ness. You are watching every little thing your body does, wondering - is today the day? And if you are like me, as each day passes, you are frustrated and eager for the pregnancy to be over. Don't get me wrong - I actually like being pregnant. I love knowing that a little baby is growing inside of me and I love feeling the little kicks and stretches. But by the last few weeks, I'm definitely ready to not be pregnant anymore!!

I remember with my daughter, I found all kinds of natural induction methods, and I tried many of them. I think I ate 2 whole pineapples over the course of 3 days. But alas, she came a few days after her due date. This time around, I think I was even more eager for the end of my pregnancy. I was talking to a girl from my church, who mentioned that she was given this recipe as a way to induce a pregnancy. I had her email it to me, and after doing a little search online, I found out that this recipe has been used by many women! It comes from a restaurant in Georgia. The restaurant - Scalini's - claims that this eggplant parmesan will put a woman into labor within 48 hours. In fact, they guarantee it - saying that if you are at your due date and you don't go into labor within 2 days, you will get a free meal. They claim that it has worked for well over 300 women.

Upon reading this, I thought it was worth a try! It took 3 grocery stores for me to even find an eggplant, and this recipe was a little more labor intensive than any of the other cooking I was doing - but I was desperate. Did it work? Well, I didn't go into labor in 48 hours. But then again, I wasn't even at my due date when I tried it. But it was so delicious - so it wasn't all a waste!! In fact, I would totally make this again, even without trying to induce labor!!

Scalini's Eggplant Parmesan

3 medium sized eggplants
1 cup flour
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups fine Italian breadcrumbs, seasoned
olive oil for sauteing
8 cups marinara sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded
2 cups ricotta cheese

After you wash the eggplant, slice them into ¼ inch thick slices. You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it, however you may want to leave the skin on since the skin contains a lot of vitamins. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them set for about an hour.

Working with one slice of eggplant at t time, dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.

In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan, and romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8th inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 min in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 min before serving.

Scalini’s Marinara Sauce:

2 Tbsp chopped garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 cup onions chopped
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper
⅛ cup fresh chopped sweet basil
pinch of thyme
pinch of rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Lightly saute the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to boil. Then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer one hour, stirring occasionally.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

My daughter takes after her mommy - with a huge sweet tooth. She loves a sweet treat, and lately, one of her favorite things is marshmallows. She loves just a little bowl full of marshmallows - especially the fruit flavored ones, or the snowman shaped ones have been a recent favorite as well. But because of this love, I have a cabinet full of marshmallows. It's a good thing I love marshmallows as well - and I'm always attracted to recipes that have marshmallows in them!

So when I saw this recipe over at Picky Palate - with not only marshmallows, but chocolate and peanut butter as well - I knew I wanted them. And they were everything I was hoping for - soft cookies full of flavor. I did add a few more marshmallows than called for in the recipe - so I do have to mention that these aren't the prettiest cookies. Especially when there are lots of marshmallows that melt all over the place. But they sure do taste good, and that's what really matters, right? I'm thinking a s'more version - replacing the peanut butter chips with graham cracker pieces - would be awesome, as well!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies
from Picky Palate

makes 3 dozen cookies

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz. box instant chocolate pudding mix
10 ounce bag peanut butter chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, beat the sugars and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until completely combined.

Place the flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate pudding mix in a large bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add to the wet ingredients along with the peanut butter chips and marshmallows. Mix just until combined. With a medium cookie scoop, place on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray - Salmon and Dill Chowder with Pastry Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I have been raving about the importance of meal planning and how it has saved me money. But there is a down-side to meal planning. I don't know if I just had a weird week, or if I just don't feel like anything lately (maybe a side effect to just having a baby?), but this week, I found myself not wanting what I had planned. Usually, if something doesn't sound good one day, I'll just cook a different meal on that week's plan and come back to the one meal later in the week. But this week? Every day I found myself not looking forward to what I was making.

But - I plugged through and cooked anyway. And actually ended up cooking every night this week. And surprise - even liking what I cooked, even though I wasn't feeling it to begin with!

This was one that I was really not feeling like making. Maybe it was the fact that I've been trying to use up my bag of frozen sub-par salmon. (Actually, I'm pretty sure that had a lot to do with it.) But in the end, I actually liked this quite a bit. (And just for the record - this is a great way to use up a low-quality salmon!) Salmon and dill were really meant to go together. And since it's been snowing here the last few days, (what? Isn't it supposed to be Spring outside?), this was the perfect meal to warm me up.

Salmon and Dill Chowder with Pastry Crust
adapted from 30 Minute Meals

serves 4

total time: 30 minutes

1 sheet prepared puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 slices lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped
1 large Idaho potato, chopped
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning (such as Old Bay)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped dill

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Choose 4 bowls to serve in and using one as a template, cut out 4 pastry pieces the size and shape of your bowl. Use a sharp paring knife to work around the bowl. Arrange the pastry on a non-stick baking sheet. Beat the egg with a little bit of water and brush over the top of the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a small pan and fill with water - just enough to cover the fish. Add the bay leaf and the lemon slices and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque.

While the fish is poaching, in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onion, celery and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper and the crab boil seasoning. Cover the pot to sweat the vegetables for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the salmon is done cooking, remove the salmon to a dish and flake it up. Strain the broth and reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

Add the 1 cup of the chicken stock, reserved fish stock and cream to the vegetables. Bring it to a boil. In a small skillet, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the Dijon mustard. Add the roux to the soup and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add in the peas, the flaked salmon and the dill and heat through. Serve in the individual bowls, topped with the puff pastry.

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Cookbook of the Month Recipe - Sloppy Chicken Joes

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I am very lucky to have some great family, friends and neighbors. After I had Easton, we had several meals brought by, which was great, since I was taking it easy and not in the kitchen. Well, as a result of a couple of these meals, I ended up with the majority of 2 rotisserie chickens on my hands. As much as I love rotisserie chicken, you can only eat so much of it by itself. But the thing that I love about it is that it's easy to turn into a different meal!!

This recipe didn't actually call for rotisserie chicken, and I had actually planned on making the recipe as written, but at the last minute, as I looked into the refrigerator and saw the big bag of shredded chicken, I knew this recipe would be a great way to use some of it up. What I ended up with was a dinner that took me all of 10 minutes to throw together! It doesn't get any easier and faster than that! But even if you don't have rotisserie chicken, this meal can be made in 15 minutes - perfect for any weeknight.

This version of a sloppy joe does have a pretty strong tomato flavor, but you can always add more of the other ingredients if the flavor is too strong. I used some rolls that I had on hand, making my joes into slider joes. Served with a simple side of steamed broccoli, this was the perfect, easy, weeknight meal!

Recipe Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Sloppy Chicken Joes
adapted from $5 Dinner Mom

serves 4

total time: 15 minutes

1 1/2-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 to 6 hamburger buns

Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet, combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add the diced chicken breasts, cover and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. (If using rotisserie chicken, just cook until heated through.)

Serve the chicken on the hamburger buns.

Chocolate Ricotta Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Do you realize how hard it is to go through at 2 pound container of ricotta cheese? I had a container coming up on it's expiration date a little while back, and I sent out a call via Facebook for your favorite recipes with ricotta. I ended up making 2 savory dishes, and this pie, and still had about 1/4 of the container left!!! But I'm so grateful for the suggestions given - including my sister saying that I should make a ricotta pie. I'm not sure this is the pie she was thinking of, but I went good old Google and started looking for a good ricotta pie recipe. I saw this one, and knew I had to make it!!

I made a few adjustments, including using almonds instead of pine nuts as the original recipe called for. I'm afraid that that many pine nuts would have been just too expensive!! But I ended up loving the almonds. Actually, I just loved this pie! It was very rich and packed full of chocolate flavor. Perfect for if you have a serious chocolate habit or craving!!

What is your favorite recipe using ricotta?

Chocolate Ricotta Pie
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
3/4 almonds, plus 3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sugar, plus 3/4 cup
pinch salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup water
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks

In a food processor, blend the flour, cornmeal, 3/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Process until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until a dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of an 11-inch tart pan. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line the tart dough with aluminum foil and weight down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the preheated oven, in the lower third of the oven, for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Return to the oven and bake until light and golden, about 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the water. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.

IN a double boiler, melt the chocolate.

In a food processor, pulse the ricotta and the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg and the egg yolks one at a time and process until smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and process. With the food processor running, add the sugar syrup in a thin, steady stream and process until smooth.

Pour the custard into the baked tart shell and bake until the filling is almost set, about 30 minutes. Scatter the 3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds on top of the filling. Let the tart cool completely before serving.

Blogger Spotlight - Super Healthy Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:00:00 +0000

I sent a call out to some local Utah bloggers here recently, and I'm so happy to have some of them featured here! Up first is Amy from Super Healthy Kids. I'm so glad that I've been introduced to her blog, because I know my daughter needs to eat healthier! If you are a parent, this is definitely a blog to check out! (And hey - even if you don't have kids, this is a great resource for some great, healthy recipes!)

Feeding your kids healthy food can be a challenge, but so rewarding! My name is Amy, and I am a mother of three kids, a graduate of Health Education, and I love food. This blog is about putting into practice everything I learned in college and throughout my years working in the community health field to find healthy foods my kids will also enjoy.

What inspired you to first start writing your blog?

Two things started me blogging. One was I had a product coming out to help kids learn about healthy eating. My sister suggested starting a blog to get traffic to my product. This was in 2007, and I didn’t even know what a blog was. Nor did I believe her that people would find it to find my product! But, of course they have. The second reason to start my blog was I had picky eaters at home, and a college degree in health education, I wanted a place to put all my meals and recipes that were healthy, and were accepted by my kids so I could make them again.

What kinds of posts are your favorite to write? What do your readers seem to like the most?

My favorite posts to write are about different foods and how they can benefit your health.. My readers say their favorite posts are the recipes. The ones that get read the most, are my weekly meal plans.

Do you plan a weekly menu? If so, what inspires your menu?

Yes, I do a weekly menu for my family and I post it. My menu is inspired by how busy I will be the following week (super busy=lots of crockpot meals), or what is in season or on sale. Although I plan for breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner, we are super flexible. Often dinner is the only thing that happens from our meal plan, but if we have time and want to be in the kitchen together, we will prepare the other meals I have planned.

What is your favorite kind of food to make?

Bread and cookies! I often wish I had started a baking blog instead of a healthy food blog, because we love cookies over here!

What is your favorite recipe posted on your blog?

My favorite recipe is our Polka dot Peas and Ribbons! One, because it turned out so pretty.. and two, because it encompasses to me the idea that veggies don’t have to be boring or bland. Our philosophy is 50% fruits and veggies each day, but that doesn’t mean without salt or butter.

Will you show us your kitchen? What is your favorite thing about your kitchen?

Here is my 10 year old cooking in my kitchen. I love that it is attached to the family room. I can be in the kitchen cooking a healthy meal and watch my favorite trashy reality shows all at the same time!

What is your best tip for getting dinner on the table?

Planning ahead. I only have a meal for dinner if I know in the morning what it will be. End of story!

Where do most of your recipes come from? (Family favorites, you make them up, magazines, cookbooks, etc.)

A homemade binder. I take magazines and cookbooks I find at the thrift store. I then tear out a recipe to try. If it’s a good one, I’ll glue it to a page in my big binder of best meals!

What would you eat as your last supper?

Bread! If many cannot live by bread alone, I would not want to live! Have I mentioned I love bread!

What is your favorite part about blogging?

The people I’ve met! Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck at home all day, but luckily I’ve made some friends online that make me feel like I’m not alone.

What kind of camera/lens/equipment do you use?

Nikon D40, 1.8 lens.

Any suggestions or hints to have great food photos?

Take pictures during the day! I have tried a million ways to the moon to take a good picture in the evening or early morning, and they never turn out the way I want. In the daytime however, especially at 10am, I have the best pictures on my first try!

What kind of food did you eat growing up? Do you cook the same kinds of things today?

Growing up we ate a lot of casseroles and sweet breads. I still resort to those when I need comfort food.

What was the first dish you ever cooked?

I’ve literally been cooking since I was 5. My mom tells me I would make my own scrambled eggs for breakfast, coffee cake on Saturdays, and cookies every Sunday. My kids are the same way. They all make their own pancakes, eggs, cookies, baked potatoes, etc.

When you really want to cheat, what do you eat?

Peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar! It’s my biggest weakness. I don’t have any junk food in the house, but I always have peanut butter and powdered sugar. It’s literally dangerous for me.. In fact, I want some right now!

If you could travel anywhere in the world – just for the food – where would you go?

Belguim. I’ve actually went there 20 years ago, and I still remember the Belguim waffles.

What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten? The strangest?

Escargot. I remember it just tasted like slimy buttery garlic.

What are your favorite blogs to read?

Remember how I wished I had a cookie blog? It’s because of this one. http://sweetsugarbelle.blogspot.com/ My daughter and I are obsessed with it right now!! But really, I have about 50 healthy food blogs in my reader.. too many to list.

Take us through a typical day of eating in your house.

We start with toast, almost every morning. My kids will make scrambled eggs or pancakes. I always cook for myself two egg whites and one whole egg with a banana. For lunch, generally Peanut butter and jelly. We snack on a lot of apple, carrots, and nuts. For dinner, our family favorite, go-to dish is chicken and rice with broccoli.

What is your best tip for saving money on groceries?

Knowing the best prices for foods and stocking up on pantry staples when they are on sale.

What is your best tip to becoming a successful blogger?

Longevity and consistency. Putting up a post several times per week and doing that for 3 years has been the #1 reason I have as many readers as I do.

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Thank you so much Amy!! If you want to read more from Amy, here is where you can find her:

Blog: Super Healthy Kids
Facebook: Super Healthy Kids
Twitter: @Healthykids

FYI - Salt

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Do you ever get confused by the different kinds of salts out there? Today at the Cafe Zupas blog, I'm talking all about different salts and their uses. Head over to check it out!

And make sure you head over to enter to win a $100 Visa card!

French Peasant Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I went to the grocery store for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday. I've sent my husband to the store for odds and ends since then, but this was my first "big" menu -planned grocery trip in about 3 weeks. I'm so excited to get back into the kitchen, but I couldn't believe how much that cart of groceries cost me. It seems like every week, the prices just keep going higher and higher!

I know there are all kinds of things you can do to save at the grocery store - and I need to start implementing more of them - but one thing is for sure. Making food from scratch is going to save you money. And you know exactly what is going into your food. And it usually just tastes better!!

This is a great - and super easy! - bread recipe. It's basically a no-knead bread, so if you are yeast-phobic, this would be a great place to start if you want to make your own bread. In fact, I don't know how anyone can say that making bread is hard after trying this bread!! It goes great with soup, (we had it with the Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup from yesterday), but it's also great just on it's own with a little butter.

What is your favorite thing to make from scratch at home?

French Peasant Bread
adapted from Recipe Shoebox

makes 2 round loaves

1 tablespoon quick rising yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 cups all-purpose flour (you may need more or less than this)

corn meal
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine the yeast, water and sugar in a large bowl. Allow the yeast to bloom for a few minutes. Add the flour and salt and stir just until combined. Do not knead. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Dust a cookie sheet with corn meal. Remove from the bowl, and with floured hands, shape into 2 round loaves. Place loaves on the prepared cookie sheet. Let rise for an additional hour.

Preheat oven to 425F. Use half of the melted butter and brush on top of the loaves. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375F and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with the remaining butter.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I can't tell you how happy that Spring is here. I'm not a winter person. But the problem is, it totally doesn't feel like spring here, yet!! The first day of spring was cloudy and windy and rainy - not the blue skies and mild temperatures that I have been looking forward to!!

So what do you do when it's cold outside? Make soup to warm you up!! I found this recipe online during my search for great slow cooker recipes. If there is one thing that I usually have great luck with when it comes to the slow cooker, it's soup. And this one was no exception!! I love that the final product is a somewhat chunky, thicker soup - not your normal smooth tomato soup. But I also think this would be great if you pureed the finished soup for a smooth soup, too. And a total bonus - my vegetable hating daughter loved this soup! I didn't think she'd like it because of the chunks of vegetables, but she ate it right up and asked for seconds!!

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup
adapted from Recipe Shoebox

serves 6-8

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 6-8 hours (slow cooker)

2 cans (14-ounces each) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrot
4 cups chicken broth
1 onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2-4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, broth, onion, bay leaf, oregano, and half the basil. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until the vegetables are soft.

An hour before serving, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the hot soup. Add an additional 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add the whole mixture back into the slow cooker.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half and the remaining basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low for an additional hour, or until ready to serve.

Saturdays With Rachael Ray - Creamy Mushroom Lovers Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

There are a few things that my husband doesn't like. Super spicy food. Thai food. Indian food. But...there are a few things that I think would have been deal breakers if I found out he didn't like them when we were dating!! Things like onions, and garlic - and mushrooms.

I have a huge love for mushrooms. And lately, I have been totally drawn toward any recipe with mushrooms in it - especially when the mushrooms are the star ingredient. And it seems like lately, Ms. Ray has had mushrooms on the brain as well, because I have written down quite a few mushroom dishes to try!

First up - this Creamy Mushroom Lovers Pasta. Mushrooms, cream, pasta - what's not to love?? It was a delicious dish, but I do have to say that the sauce never really thickened up at all for me. That was my one big complaint about the dish. Maybe a little bit of flour mixed in with the sauce would solve this problem. Besides that, though, this was a delicious, hearty, vegetarian meal!

Creamy Mushroom Lovers Pasta
from the Rachael Ray Show

serves 4

total time: 30 minutes

1 small pouch dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock to make the recipe vegetarian)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
2 shallots finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bundle Tuscan kale, stemmed and shredded or chopped
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 pound whole grain short-cut pasta
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat dried mushrooms in the stock to reconstitute then purée, with the chicken stock, in a food processor. In a saucepot, combine porcini purée with the whole milk and cream, and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and let sauce thicken to coat a spoon.

When sauce begins to thicken up, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and brown 12-15 minutes. Add shallots, garlic, stir 2-3 minutes more then wilt in kale and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste.

Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Toss pasta with thickened mushroom sauce and mushroom-kale mixture. Serve immediately in shallow bowls topped with cheese.

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Saturdays with Rachael Ray rules:

* You can link any blog post, present or past, as long as it is a Rachael Ray recipe.
* Your blog post must link back to this post, mentioning Saturdays with Rachael Ray.

That's it!! Simple, simple. Just make sure the recipe is a Rachael Ray recipe - it doesn't matter if it comes from her talk show, 30-Minute Meals, her magazine, or one of her cookbooks. But it must be from Rachael Ray. Any posts that don't follow these two rules will be deleted from the linky.

I can't wait to see what you've made!

Cookbook of the Month Recipe - Potato Pizza Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Who doesn't love pizza?? I know it's a favorite around my house, and I love when I see different takes or ideas for pizza. I guess that's why I was drawn to this recipe when I first saw it. The name caught me, first. Potato Pizza Pie. I thought it was just going to be topped with potatoes, which I was totally down for trying. But then I saw that this is definitely not your typical pizza - the "crust" is actually made out of potatoes instead of a pizza dough!

I only had 1 complaint with this recipe - and it's one that I find that I run into quite often with recipes. The recipe calls for "6 large white potatoes". What exactly does that mean? I took it to mean 6 large white potatoes - like Idaho potatoes, or baking potatoes. And I was completely wrong. I was only making a half batch, and after I grated 3 large potatoes, I knew something was wrong. That is a lot of grated potato!! In fact, it filled a 9x13 pan quite thickly - and the full recipe is only supposed to fill an 8x8 pan!! So, needless to say, I don't really like it when recipes just use "large" or "small" as a guide for an ingredient. It's too open to interpretation!! (And for the recipe below, I just changed the "large" to "small" - I wish I knew exactly how many cups of grated potatoes you actually need...)

But despite the little hiccup with the potatoes, this was actually quite delicious! I added pepperoni to our pizza, which is an added expense if you are trying to make this for under $5. But it was a delicious expense! I'll admit that it didn't really taste like pizza, but it was still a great dinner idea. But if you are on a gluten-free diet, this could totally be adapted to fit your diet, and it just might help to cure a pizza craving!!

Recipe Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Potato Pizza Pie
slightly adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook

serves 4

total time: about 1 hour

6 small white potatoes
2 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
desired toppings (I used pepperoni)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel the potatoes and slice into quarters. Grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating blade.

In a bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Add in the grated potatoes. Mix in the flour and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the potatoes are golden on top.

Remove the "potato crust" from the oven and spread the pizza sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Top with additional toppings, if desired.

Return the pizza to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Cut the potato pizza into squares for serving.

Make Every Night Amazing {and a giveaway!!}

noreply@blogger.com (Deborah) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:44:00 +0000

How do you make ordinary nights special with your special someone? Find out how I make my nights special and enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa card from Blogher! CLICK HERE to find out how!